The 21st SCHLINGEL Film Festival will again present itself as Germany’s most comprehensive platform for international children’s and youth films. We continue our emphasis on European programming and are planning to screen more than 140 films from more than 30 European countries. A broad educational programme of well-tried and newly designed workshops and creative activities will complement the screenings and facilitate film literacy among our young audience. International Filmmakers and child actors will accompany their works to the festival and contribute to the atmosphere through Q&As and further opportunities for the audience to meet them. Collaborations with primary and secondary schools have proven very successful and will be continued and extended in 2016. To meet the growing demand for film education, we will intensify our partnership with Chemnitz University and prepare tailor-made activities for different ages. While Chemnitz remains the festival’s principal location we will further develop our presence in Leipzig and Freiberg. Successful outreach mechanisms will be maintained and the use of social media expanded in order to reach an overall audience of 25,000, including young visitors as well as representatives from the national and international industry. SCHLINGEL will offer a wide range of networking events for professionals in order to encourage joint projects and the distribution of the festival films. The festival has gained an expertise as a facilitator of both commercial and non-commercial distribution of its films and will through its unique programme and prize structure further enhance the circulation of European children’s films outside their countries of origin. Satellite events beyond Chemnitz will add to the visibility of festival films in Germany throughout the year and thus secure sustainability after the festival. Furthermore, SCHLINGEL will intensify its international partnerships and pave the way for German children's films abroad.