Indian Filmmaker Jitendra Mishra Elected President of CIFEJ

The noted Indian filmmaker Jitendra Mishra has been elected President of the International Centre of Films for Children and Young People (CIFEJ) for the 2025–2027 term. The election, held earlier this week, saw Mishra win unopposed with unanimous support from more than 50 active members across 40 countries.
CIFEJ, founded in 1955 under the auspices of UNESCO, is a global network dedicated to promoting quality, culturally relevant, and educational audio-visual content for children and youth. The organization is currently headquartered in Athens, Greece, and is hosted by the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Centre – Creative Greece S.A., under Creative Hub GR.
Mishra, who has previously served on the CIFEJ board, is also the Festival Director of the Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFFCY), an initiative of Smile Foundation. SIFFCY aims to use meaningful cinema as a tool to educate and inspire young audiences, with a focus on social impact and cultural engagement.
Reacting to the appointment, Mishra expressed gratitude to his colleagues and reiterated his commitment to youth-focused cinema. “This unanimous success is not just a personal milestone but a shared recognition of our vision to empower young minds through meaningful films,” he said.
The newly elected CIFEJ board includes representatives from several countries: Pamela Bisson (Canada), Doros Demetriou (Cyprus), Huang Jun (China), Anis Lassoued (Tunisia), Emma Pendiuc (Romania), Elham Shrivani (Iran), and Mitsuo Tahira (Japan). Vassilis Karamitsanis (Greece) has been appointed Secretary General, and Irene Andriopoulou (Greece) will serve as Executive Director.
Speaking on the occasion, Santanu Mishra, Chairman of SIFFCY and Co-Founder of Smile Foundation, said, “Cinema can play a significant role in shaping responsible and empathetic global citizens. We support CIFEJ in its efforts to drive positive societal change, beginning with young minds.”
Vassilis Karamitsanis added that the transition of CIFEJ’s headquarters to Athens marks a new era for the organization. “The newly elected board holds strong credentials to guide CIFEJ in promoting high-quality children’s content globally,” he said.
Jitendra Mishra is an established name in independent and socially driven cinema, with more than 100 films to his credit. His notable works include I Am Kalam, The Last Color, Buried Seeds, and Barefoot Empress. He has served as a jury member at over 50 international film festivals and is known for promoting innovative models in film production and distribution.
Mishra’s election is seen as a significant moment for Indian cinema on the international stage, particularly in the domain of youth and children’s content.