Submit to KIDS FIRST!

Endorsement & Film Fest Submission

1. KIDS FIRST! Endorsement

Films, DVDs, Audio CDs, Interactive Media

1. The KIDS FIRST! endorsement is the most highly respected media evaluation and endorsement program in the U.S. Every endorsed title is juried by a community-based jury comprising adult professionals and children AND meets or exceeds the KIDS FIRST! criteria. Endorsed titles are given a one-, two- or three-star rating indicating good, better and best. Every endorsed title is also considered for screening in the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival.

TO SUBMIT, GO HERE

2. KIDS FIRST! Film Festival

Films, TV Shows, DVDs, Screenplays

3. The KIDS FIRST! Film Festival showcases new and classic children's films, TV shows and DVDs from studios, independent producers and youth producers. It partners with more than 150 venues nationwide who show films selected for the festival year round to an attendance of more than 1,000,000. Accepted titles must meet or exceed the KIDS FIRST! criteria. All accepted titles are considered the KIDS FIRST! Best Award, granted every year in the fall..

Screenplays are juried quarterly. Upon acceptance the filmmaker receives coverage on the screenplay, is granted an "Official KIDS FIRST! Film Festival Selection" and is considered for awards for a KIDS FIRST! Best Award, granted in the fall.

TO SUBMIT, GO HERE.

3. KIDS FIRST! Recommendation for TV Series

2. The KIDS FIRST! recommendation designation offers an alternative to endorsement for TV series. Whereas endorsement requires evaluation of every episode in the series, " Recommendation" is based on the evaluation of three sample episodes from the same season. Recommended series have been juried by a community-based jury comprising adult professionals and children AND meets or exceeds the KIDS FIRST! criteria. Recommended series are also given a one-, two- or three-star rating indicating good, better and best.

TO SUBMIT, GO HERE

4. KIDS FIRST! Best Awards

KIDS FIRST! Best Awards Day 2009
Saturday, December 5
In collaboration with the Santa Fe Film Festival Santa Fe, NM

4. Every title accepted by the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival is eligible for a KIDS FIRST! Best Award presented each fall. KIDS FIRST! Best Awards honor films, in 30+ different categories, that exhibit excellence in filmmaking for children and offer pro-social benefits beyond simply entertainment. Student and independent films are judged in their own categories so as to provide them the best opportunity for judging among their peers. Two thirds of the KIDS FIRST! awards are given to independent and student productions.

KIDS FIRST! Best 2009 Nominees

KIDSF FIST! Best 2008 Winners

KIDS FIRST! Best 2007 Winners

KIDS FIRST! Best 2006 Winners

KIDS FIRST! Best 2005 Winners

Comments

"We live in a society which is anxious to keep our beaches clean of garbage -- and yet we permit our children to grow up contaminated by the raw sewage which passes for popular culture these days. 

In our gardens we plant stripling trees and bind their slim boughs with guide-wires to make sure the branches grow straight and true -- and yet we don't devote equal attention to making sure our boys and girls are guided by the noblest values, virtues, and morals which our society hopes to pass on. 

Who will help us nourish our children's hopes and dreams with the excellent films and television programs and musical works which, when wisely selected, have the power to guide and inspire our kids?

The answer is KIDS FIRST!, a truly outstanding organization which stands ready to provide us with the highest quality children's media. 

Every year, thousands upon thousands of media products are marketed to our children.  KIDS FIRST! devotes countless hours to plucking the gems from the rubble and then generously makes them available to all parents and teachers and decent people who care to be part of the crucial enterprise of raising our children to be good and kind people.  The entertaining and wholesome films and shows and music they offer in their nation-wide Film Festivals are imbued with the very values we hope our children will come to adopt as they mature into young men and women. 

The task of raising decent children in an indecent world is daunting.  We need all the help we can get.  Thanks to KIDS FIRST! and the Coalition for Quality Children's Media, we have knowledgeable partners at our side to help us lift our children's dreams and aspirations far higher than the 'lowest common denominator' which our increasingly coarsened culture seems ready to settle for.

As long as parents yearn to raise their kids with a vision of society which is inspiring rather than dispiriting, then KIDS FIRST! will always be there to offer it's vision and guidance. They deserve our respect, our gratitude, and our generous financial support."---  Frederick Ayeroff (writer of Soccer Mom and Ace of Hearts) September 27, 2008

Deadlines

We have four submission periods a year. The following deadlines apply to submissions to both KIDS FIRST! Film Festival screenings taking place within the quarter specified below as well as endorsements and recommendations which will be announced during the same specified quarter.

Third Quarter 2010
(July 15 - Oct. 15)
March 15 - Early Deadline
April 15 - Regular Deadline
May 15 - Late Deadline
May 25 - CQCM Member Late

Fourth Quarter 2010
(October 15 - Jan. 15, 2010)
June 15 - Early Deadline
July 15 - Regular Deadline
Aug. 15 - Late Deadline
Aug 25 - CQCM Member Late Deadline

First Quarter, 2011
(Jan 15 - April 15)
Sept. 15 - Early Deadline
Oct. 15 - Regular Deadline
Nov. 15- Late Deadline
Nov. 25 - CQCM Member Late Deadline

Second Quarter, 2011
(April 15 - July 15)
Dec. 15 - Early Deadline
Jan. 15 - Regular Deadline
Feb. 15 - Late Deadline
Feb 25 - CQCM Member Late Deadline

What People Say About KIDS FIRST!

"Our sponsorship of KIDS FIRST! is a crucial part of our grassroots outreach efforts for our family friendly projects." Dorrit Ragosine, Vice President, Public Relations, MGM/20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Public Relations

"I have worked with KIDS FIRST! for nearly three years. They have done a fantastic job of leveraging our sponsorship dollars and tremendously over-delivering. We find the exposure garnered from this program to be a valuable piece of our marketing plan." Kim Leibowitz, Marketing Director for Animal Planet Media and Discovery Kids Media

"KIDS FIRST! not only performs a critical role in providing parents and families with wholesome and trusted entertainment for young children, but is also an invaluable grass-roots marketing resource in creating wide-spread consumer awareness of these films. It is a great cost-effective way to screen films in a targeted environment. We have been working with KIDS FIRST! for years and they have always over-delivered in all aspects," Suzanne Faber, Vice President of Brand Marketing, Starz! Home Entertainment (Anchor Bay)

"I have worked with KIDS FIRST! for several years and they have done a wonderful job in promoting and supporting our family DVD releases. They are an integral part of our marketing plans and we look forward to many more opportunities to partner with them in the future" Cara Grossman, Assistant Project Manager - Family Brand Marketing, Universal Studios Home Entertainment

KIDS FIRST! plays a crucial role in assisting parents seeking quality entertainment for the entire family. We're thrilled to use their extensive reach and trusted reputation to build awareness for the must own fall family feature, "The Adventures Of Food Boy".

Sam Toles
VP Content Acquisitions
Gaiam

"It has been a pleasure working with Ranny over the past six years. Ranny is reliable, trustworthy, dedicated to her work and an absolute pleasure to work with. Ranny continues to provide a great service and I look forward to continuing to work with her in the future." Year first hired: 2002 (hired more than once) Christine Lewison, Genius Products

"We recommend KIDS FIRST! to all of our clients who are producing or  distributing children's entertainment content. I can't think of a better value, especially for newly launching TV and DVD properties. KIDS FIRST!  generates impactful, meaningful visibility on a grassroots level and beyond  - and it's totally turn key!" - Alan Winnikoff, Sayles & Winnikoff Communications

"I just have to say this that you and the Kids First are doing a superb job in gathering and putting these films together for our kids. You have a special eye and knowledge as we watch hundreds and thousands of films each year but it requires someone special to select these films for the children. Thank you for that." Steve Shafa, Exective Director, Tiburon International Film Festival

FAQs for Producers

Answers to frequently asked questions from producers.

More about

KIDS FIRST! and KIDS FIRST! Film Festival are projects of the Coalition for Quality Children's Media, a nonprofit organization supporting quality children's media since 1991.