Lantern & Light International Children’s Film Festival and it’s director Rainsford Towner, are members of CIFEJ – Centre International du Film pour l’Enfance et la Jeunesse
CIFEJ was first established in Bruxelles in 1955 under the auspices of UNESCO.
CIFEJ main goal has been to promote the production of films and audio-visual media that are culturally diverse, artistic, educational and informative for children the world over.
CIFEJ supports media educators by organising film workshops for young people to give them equal opportunities to express themselves via camera, to learn film aesthetics, vocabulary, history, and production techniques. Through production of such films and audio visual media as well as providing group education for this age group, CIFEJ encourages them to respect their own rights and those of others, to respect cultural diversity, to show tolerance for racial, linguistic, and religious differences; thus it develops understanding among nations.