2026 San Diego International Kids Film Festival Approaching in August

This weekend, Maeya Culture Exchange Group (MCEG), founders of the 2026 San Diego International Kids Film Festival, attended the American Library Association Conference & Exhibition in Chicago, representing the Story Monsters LLC Founder and President, Linda F. Radke, an accomplished children’s book author, screenwriter, and musical playwright.

Through MCEG’s management and international network, Linda Radke secured a very successful publishing contract with Shaanxi Science and Technology Press, a leading Chinese educational publisher. Her 48 books will now be translated into Chinese and 5 additional languages, to be distributed to an universal audience, marking an exciting step in her global marketing and reach for young readers around the world.

Now, the 2026 San Diego International Kids Film Festival (SDIKFF) is inviting young storytellers to do the same. SDIKFF will take place on August 21st-23rd and welcomes submissions from young creators of children's books, screenplays, feature films, short animation, music videos & songs, audiobooks, and other creative projects. We especially encourage bilingual writers with stories to participate because they have a great potential for an international impact.

Selected works at the 2026 SDIKFF will be submitted to get signed to a publishing company. Writings will be professionally translated into six languages: English, Chinese, Spanish, French, Russian, and Arabic, giving children across the globe the opportunity to read these stories.

Last year, the Grand Jury Prize winner for best feature film was "Lampie" by Margien Rogaar from the Netherlands. A girl named Lampie is the daughter of her lighthouse-keeper father. One night, they become separated after a ship crashes into the rocks of their lighthouse. Lampie is then sent to work as a maid at the Admiral’s Black House, where rumors swirl that a monster lurks there. With the help of carnies and the new friendship of a boy who is also a fish, she does everything she can to find her father.

This feature brought a powerful message of hope, friendship, and determination to the screen and is the reason that the SDIKFF is passionate about giving young creatives the opportunity to showcase their creative genius as they step into the industry of filmmaking and storytelling.

The 23rd annual SDIKFF brings together filmmakers from more than 34+ countries and will take place in Carlsbad and Oceanside with a full in-person program showcasing outstanding films for children and family audiences.

Dedicated to inspiring and educating children and youth through the power of storytelling, the festival champions innovative films created by filmmakers from around the globe. In addition to film screenings, this year's program will feature the Family Film Market, Red Carpet Awards Ceremony, industry panels, networking galas, the Maeya Cultural Angel Ambassador beauty contest, and other signature events that have become part of the festival's traditions.

An esteemed panel of industry professionals will serve as the festival jury, while film distributors and industry representatives will attend to discover exceptional projects and explore distribution opportunities.

Youth creatives are encouraged to submit works and attend the 2026 SDIKFF Panels and film festival to sharpen their skills, learn about the industry, and network with successful writers and industry pros. The San Diego International Kids Film Festival is excited to share your story with readers and audiences worldwide.

If you are interested in participating in our film festival or beauty contest, please email us at info@sdkidsfilms.org or find us through our website at sdkidsfilms.org/Home.html for more details. We are thrilled to receive creative stories from the youth! Thank you.