Cinemini Europe

European Project on Film Education for the Youngest

With Cinemini Europe, we want to give children aged 3 to 6, parents and educators the opportunity to discover the multi-faceted world of the moving image in a creative and playful way. We believe that the primary goal is not to understand films, but to experience them. Through viewing, playing and reflecting, we aim to stimulate the development of creativity and critical thinking, and to inspire a love of film in even the youngest children.

Building on the tandem work with daycare centers from the region and the DFF’s expertise in early childhood film education, the DFF embarked on a European exchange starting in November 2018 to develop and test concepts of aesthetic film education for 3-6 year olds together with partners from all over Europe. Together with our partners listed below, films were screened and selected, and we developed pedagogical materials and methods for practical outreach work.

The result is a catalog of 26 short films from around the world – from the early days of film to the present day, from avant-garde to narrative animation – that can be explored and viewed on this site. The films in the Cinemini catalog are always under 15 minutes long, do not use spoken or written language, and were not necessarily made for children. All of our films have been tried and tested with groups of children and are waiting for you to watch them.

To do so, simply click on the desired film and on the new page that opens, click on the “Request Password” button. After sending a short, informal request email, you will shortly receive the password with which you can watch and use all Cinemini films free of charge. On the pages of the individual films, you will also find freely accessible material for each film: a longer accompanying text that explains the special features of the film, classifies it aesthetically and in terms of film history, and provides practical tips for educational work with the film. You will also find up to three activity cards per film to print out and fold together, which you can use to get started creatively immediately after watching the film.