In 2017, ECFA already had the pleasure to welcome two new members, both situated in countries where ECFA was not yet strongly represented. Signing up recently were the Riga International Film Festival (Latvia) and the Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth (SIFFCY, India).
In a span of 10 days the Riga International Film Festival features 8 film programmes alongside a series of panels reaching out to film audiences as well as the industry. One of the programmes is fully dedicated to the young audience. With a ‘Kids Weekend’, the festival wants to sow the seeds of ‘love for cinema’ within a new generation of potential audiences. A weekend dedicated to children and their families with quality films and pastimes for schoolchildren, pre-school kids and their kin. More info: www.rigaiff.lv.
SIFFCY (Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth) is a platform devoted to a greater appreciation of meaningful cinema made for children and youth, showcasing films, supporting emerging filmmakers and promoting ‘Good World Cinema’. In the week-long annual Film Festival (in New Delhi, in December) SIFFCY attracts audiences and filmmakers from across the globe. In 2010 the Smile Foundation produced the film I AM KALAM, the first film ever in India to be produced by a development organisation, with great international acclaim. More info: www.siffcy.org.
In 2016 ECFA had 12 new members signing up, representing a wide scale of stakeholders in the children’s film industry: IDFA (The Netherlands), Fundacja Cinemania (Cinema in Sneakers, Poland), Begira – Zinetxiki Festival (Spain), Children’s Film Academy (Hungary), Portland Kids’ Film Festival (USA), Espoo Ciné International Filmfest (Finland), Swedish Federation of Film Societies (Sweden), Gustav Film (Slovenia), Centre for Culture Cakovec (Croatia), Fundacja Filmowa Warszawa (Poland), Krona Cinema (Norway) and Stichting En Actie (The Netherlands). We’re hoping to regularly update you on their activities.