International Kids’ Film Competition – KIDDO 2025

48th Drama International Short Film Festival

Ηead Programmer: Yorgos Angelopoulos

Yorgos Angelopoulos graduated with a degree in Directing from the School of Film of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He then got a scholarship for a master’s degree on Screenwriting at the University of The Arts London. In 2017 he began working on the Production and Development Directorate of the Greek Film Centre where he was promoted to Director in 2020. He introduced new funding program regulations designed to support emerging professionals and foster inclusivity in short filmmaking. During his term, the evaluation mechanism was established with a registry of readers and clear artistic criteria, leading to the funding of hundreds of film projects at the writing, development, and production stages. He has been active in film education and has participated in the creation and development of the Olympia Effect, a script development workshop for children and teens by the Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People. He has served as an expert for Creative Europe MEDIA Desk and has been a script consultant for short and feature films. His first short film as screenwriter-director Goldfish (2017) premiered in BFI Flare and became part of the British Council’s International Campaign for Equality and Human Rights (#5filmsforfreedom). In 2025 he completed his second short film.

Kiddo is the “youngest” of the Festival’s competition sections, much like the youthful audience it primarily addresses. The role Kiddo plays within the Festival’s programme is of vital importance, as it does not only carry artistic value but also serves an educational purpose.

The themes explored in this year’s selection span a wide range of issues concerning children and adolescents. The filmmakers approach their subjects with sensitivity, knowledge, and deep respect for young audiences, challenging the simplicity and naivety commonly associated with this kind of cinema. Gender stereotypes, friendship, loss, diversity, mental health, the pursuit of personal desire, and the dedication to achieving one’s goals are just a few of the topics addressed. What these films ultimately show is that their relevance extends well beyond age; they resonate just as strongly with adult viewers.

This year, Kiddo stands out for yet another important reason: eight of the films in competition are made by Greek directors. This is a remarkably high count, not just for the programme itself, but for Greek children’s film production as a whole, virtually nonexistent until recently. Such a development holds the promise for film literacy among younger generations and offers hope for a more strongly engaged future audience — one that will have discovered Greek cinema early on, in its natural habitat: the cinema hall.

Yorgos Angelopoulos
Head Programmer, Kiddo Competition Section