Ojo de Pescado Calls for Applications for 6th Seminar «Children Want Cinema», Focused on Mediation and Children’s Rights

Original article: Ojo de Pescado convoca al 6º Seminario «Las infancias quieren cine», centrado en la mediación y los derechos de la niñez

The Ojo de Pescado Cultural Corporation is inviting applications for the 6th Seminar «Children Want Cinema», with submissions open until November 2, 2025, on the festival’s website.

This free program promotes the mediation of cinema, arts, and artistic education from a human rights perspective for children and adolescents. It is made possible through funding from the Audiovisual Promotion Fund, 2025 Call, from the Ministry of Cultures, Arts, and Heritage.

The seminar has established itself as a unique training experience in Chile, encouraging a rethinking of film mediation through the lens of children’s rights, particularly concerning participation, communication, and access to arts and culture.

Following five successful editions that covered both mediation and the creation of audiovisual content, the seminar returns to address an urgent need: to fully assume the responsibility of giving voice and prominence to children and adolescents in a society that still owes them participatory spaces.

Targeted at programmers, mediators, cultural managers, educators, and professionals and students of cinema and audiovisual communication, the seminar also aims to strengthen the practices of those working in exhibition, education, and creation, providing tools to build participatory, reflective, and respectful cinematic experiences.

The seminar is set to begin on November 15, 2025, with an online module, continuing on January 13, 2026, with an in-person module at the Cultural Park of Valparaíso – Former Jail.

The first online module includes three workshops led by specialists from Chile and Colombia, offering a comprehensive view of the historical, social, cultural, psychological, and rights dimensions of childhood.

The second in-person module consists of seven workshops spread over four days, providing a complete toolbox for creating programming and mediation experiences aimed at child audiences.

This initiative collaborates with the School to Cinema Program of the National Film Archive of Chile and the Cultural Park of Valparaíso – Former Jail (PCdV – Ex Jail). Specialists come from various programs and organizations such as ACHNU, Gaticine, Chepo Animación, among others.

Applications and complete information are available at www.ojodepescado.cl and on the social media channels of Ojo de Pescado.

In this regard, Alejandra Fritis, the artistic director of the Ojo de Pescado Cultural Corporation, stated, «In our country, there are many projects and initiatives that share the experience of cinema and the arts with children and adolescents; however, there is no training offer that allows their mediators, programmers, educators, and other agents to acquire the knowledge and tools to properly and effectively guide artistic and educational interventions with these audiences.»

«As adult cultural managers and mediators, we must recognize our role as guarantors of rights. We need to know, listen to, and empower children, ensuring informed, consensual, and genuine cultural participation from children. This Seminar will help us fulfill that role in the cultural, artistic, and cinematic domains, prompting us to ask the right questions every time we initiate a project involving child audiences,» added Fritis.

It is important to highlight that for applicants of Chilean nationality or permanent residents in the country living in a region different from Valparaíso, there is the option to apply for housing and food scholarships.

With 15 years of experience, the Ojo de Pescado Cultural Corporation has solidified its reputation through its flagship project, the International Film Festival Ojo de Pescado. However, its work encompasses a broader spectrum, creating training instances for adults who work directly with children, ultimately ensuring that children and adolescents actively participate in society and access educational, communicational, and cultural opportunities in a full and integrated manner.

El Ciudadano