An ECFA Award was presented at the BUFF Festival Malmö to the Norwegian feature LARS IS LOL, celebrating its international festival premiere. In the PLAY festival in Lisbon, the ECFA Short Award went to a short Dutch documentary…
“Some films have the ability to tell a simple yet special and universal story in a way that simply feels right! This is a story about friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness. It ensures it’s okay to be strong but also weak and hesitant at times. It’s about growing up and doing the right thing. About the beauty of imagination and playfulness. This unforgettable film shows us the importance of standing up for equal rights to all people,” stated ECFA Jury members Anna-Karin Holtz (Sweden), Kärt Vainola (Estonia) and Gerrick Harbauer (Germany) about LARS IS LOL (by Eirik Sæter Stordahl).
LARS IS LOL, which was also awarded the Children’s Fund Prize, tells about Amanda, who is chosen to be buddy to Lars, the new pupil in the class. Lars has Downs syndrome. When Amanda and Lars are on their own it appears that Lars is a lot of fun to hang out with. But what will the boy in her class with whom she’s in love with think about this friendship? And the girls who post video clips of Lars? A film about peer pressure, bullying and fitting in.
The prestigious City Of Malmö Children’s Film Award went to CLENCHED FIRSTS (by Vivian Goffette, Belgium), a story about Lucien, who is living a life of secrecy with his mother. He isn’t allowed to tell anyone about the family’s past, ever since his father – known as ‘The Monster’ – is in prison.
In the PLAY festival in Lisbon an ECFA Short Award was handed out. The prize went to SWIMMING WITH WINGS (by Daphna Awadish, the Netherlands), a short animated documentary exploring the immigration experience through the eyes of a little Israeli girl learning how to swim with clothes on. The ECFA Jury in Lisbon were Alfred Sesma (Spain), Agnieszka Sinicka (Poland) and Ana Moreira (Portugal).