In 2020 the AleKino! festival launched a tradition of yearly online meetings in which festivals exchange experiences and tackle challenges that are inextricably linked to the pandemic situation. The 2023 edition went under the title “Back to the cinemas – European children & youth film festivals in the post pandemic year”.
Participants were welcomed by AleKino! coordinator Jerzy Moszkowicz: “After two years of lockdowns and hybrid or online events, 2022 was the year of our big comeback to the cinemas. But can everything go back to normal, like before the pandemic? Could we erase those two years from our minds and act as if nothing had happened?”
Representatives from 11 European festivals each had four minutes to answer four questions:
1. Did the audience return to the cinemas?
- How have the pandemic years affected the organisation of your festival?
3. Was your festival held only in cinemas or did you go hybrid?
4. What are your perspectives for 2023?
You will find the answers to these questions in a detailed report, offering an overview on how Europe’s biggest young audience film festivals reacted to an ever-changing situation.