At YouthRIFF children and young people take center stage as both audiences and creators. The UngRIFF film festival takes place in the autumn, but the festival operates year-round, offering various forms of film education, including short filmmaking workshops such as Girls on Film! and Kids on Film! Primary and secondary school children across the country have the opportunity to watch films through UngRIFF once a semester each year, in collaboration with schools, covering a wide range of themes such as environmental and equality issues.

From the beginning, RIFF has screened films for younger age groups, but in 2023 YouthRIFF was established as a festival in its own right — because there is work to be done. YouthRIFF's goal is to promote film literacy and screen films that would otherwise not be shown in this country. A strong emphasis is placed on co-creation; young people have the opportunity to join the Youth Council, share their ideas, and help organize the festival in collaboration with its directors. The Youth Council decides, among other things, who receives the UngRIFF honorary award each year — past recipients include actor Örn Árnason, Studio Syria, and KrakkaRÚV.