Professional Program Rebranded as ZLINFEST PRO
17. May 2026
This year, the Zlín Film Festival continues to cultivate a vibrant space where experts from the fields of film, gaming, education, technology, and social affairs can converge. The festival offers a platform for vital discussions regarding media, children, and the complexities of the modern world. A new addition to our programming is the title ZLINFEST PRO, which serves as an umbrella for the festival’s professional agenda, bridging three key pillars: Gaming PRO, Impact PRO, and Film Industry PRO.
Film Industry PRO
Film production for children and young audiences currently stands as one of the most dynamically evolving sectors of the European audiovisual industry.
Film Industry PRO brings together talents, producers, distributors, festival representatives, and other professionals from across Europe. Together, they open dialogues on the future of film and media production for young audiences – exploring its themes, forms, and new opportunities for creation and collaboration,
explains Markéta Pášmová, Artistic Director of the Zlín Film Festival.
Impact PRO
The Impact PRO section focuses on the critical issues shaping the mental health and wellbeing of adolescents. Through expert debates and concrete practical examples, it addresses the urgent challenges facing today’s generation – ranging from the prevention of domestic violence and digital addiction to the influence of artificial intelligence and social media.
Impact PRO creates a safe space for sharing experiences and finding paths toward the psychological resilience of children in both the online and offline worlds,
emphasizes Markéta Pášmová.
Gaming PRO
This segment of the professional program reveals the immense educational potential of games to educators and the professional public, highlighting how they foster critical thinking and financial literacy. Gaming PRO will offer practical demonstrations of game principles in the classroom, as well as deeper insights into the relationship between gaming and mental health.
This series of lectures will focus on the boundary between healthy gaming and risk, but also on the therapeutic benefits of games in preventing social isolation or anxiety. An important topic will also be inclusion and the accessibility of the gaming environment for people with visual or hearing impairments,
adds Markéta Pášmová.
The complete ZLINFEST PRO program can be found HERE