European Children's
Film Association
Association Européenne du Cinéma
pour l'Enfance et la Jeunesse
In the city of Bologna, children’s cinema is always on the programme, year round. Every weekend the Cineteca di Bologna’s educational department Schermi e Lavagne is dedicating a special programme to the young audience in the Cinema Lumière. But now that cinemas have been closed since March, new opportunities had to be created.
Continue reading “Cineteca di Bologna launches virtual Cineclub”
Based on the impression that the production of children’s films in South Eastern European countries is extremely low and that movies from Northern European countries do not circulate in the region, the Thessaloniki Film Festival, supported by the Greek Film Centre, launched a research initiative. They identified the need to have reliable data as a basis for reflection and, where appropriate, for proposals to encourage children’s film in Southern Europe.
Here’s your anchor in tumultuous times. ECFA Journal gives the floor to filmmakers and festival people with the latest on children & youth film.
Continue reading “ECFA Journal 2/2020”
What goes on in the locker room, stays in the locker roomIf there ever was a film that needed to have its moment de gloire in the Zlin Film Festival, it is definitely THE PACK. The story is set in Zlin and even the very first image of the opening scene looks very “Zlin-ish”. Coming from a country with a particular children’s film tradition, making a film for a young teenage audience was an achievement in itself for debuting Czech director Tomas Polensky.
“My gift to all girls taking charge of their own lives”Like her heart-melting feature debut THE WORLD OF US, Ga-eun Yoon’s second film THE HOUSE OF US once again stands very close to her own reality. Again the universe she created is delicate, tender and restrained. In Ga-eun’s films, it seems like the world is turning slower, the sky colours softer, and the most crucial words are spoken in a whispering tone.
“Oh she is annoying!”H IS FOR HAPPINESS, a feel good film for all ages, tells the story of two young outsiders… and a miniature horse. The film watches the world through the eyes of a quirky girl, in a joyous celebration of all things slightly odd. After the international premiere at the Berlinale 2020, the Kplus children’s jury (who gave the film a Special Mention) described H IS FOR HAPPINESS as “a motivating film from start to finish… humorous and at the same time profound.”
“A big head on a big screen”The poster of SUMMER REBELS shows young Jonas biting a watermelon. A perfect illustration for a film that is like a watermelon in itself, summery, sweet and in bright colours, but with a few feisty pits to crack. This German-Slovak co-production, directed by Martina Sakova, had its European festival premiere in the Zlin Film Festival.
A love letter to my motherLOS LOBOS, the Mexican film by Samuel Kishi Leopo had its moment of glory at the Berlinale 2020, where it won not only the Grand Prix of the Int’l Generation Kplus jury but also the Peace Film Prize. According to the jury statement “this sensitively and tenderly told film radically takes the side of humanity. Poetic, courageous and combative, the film shows what it means to build up a new existence in another country.“