To hold a children’s film festival on the first sunny weekend of the year would seem a disaster, especially in the sun-starved Nordics. However, in May 2017 as the sun burst through the trees, the audience flocked to Film in the Forest – a new film and culture festival for children aged 3-10 in Aarhus, Denmark.
In May 2018, Film in the Forest will return to Riis forest. Launched as part of Aarhus 2017 European Capital of Culture, the team behind Film in the Forest reimagined the children’s film festival format specifically for families with young children. In Riis forest, well-loved by Aarhus families, guests will find cosy cinema tents, play areas, family-friendly food trucks, a good cup of coffee and a varied programme of film, visual arts, live music and literature.
The film programme includes the Danish premiere of the international co-production LUIS AND THE ALIENS (by Wolfgang Lauenstein & Christoph Lauenstien); Michel Ocelot’s IVAN TSAREVICH AND THE CHANGING PRINCESS: FOUR ENCHANTING TALES; a special screening of the Danish classic BENNY’S BATHCAR (1971) with co-director Flemming Quist Møller in attendance; and a large selection of mid-length and short films.
Inspired by motifs from the short film AWAKER (by Filip Diviak), cuckoo clocks and bells, co-created by children and local artists, will decorate the forest path to the festival. Mini-cinema ‘dens’ showing the 1 MINUTE NATURE film collection (by Stefanie Visjager & Katinka Baehr, Netherlands, 2016) and two ‘bathcars’ will appear on site. Workshops from mask-making to animation to dance accompany the films.
Film in the Forest (with the support of the Danish Film Institute, Aarhus City Cultural Department, CPH:PIX/BUSTER, CPH:DOX, and Viborg Animation Festival as well as local city partners) will take place from May 17-20th 2018.
Contact: Festival Director Katharine Simpson, +45-60-24-21-16, katharine@filmiskoven.dk, www.filmiskoven.dk, https://www.facebook.com/filmiskoven/.