European Children's
Film Association
Association Européenne du Cinéma
pour l'Enfance et la Jeunesse
“One day you’ll be living here”The future is full of possibilities, but the more his father presents them to him, the more the young boy feels constrained and suffocated. With simple lines in black and white, Polish director Marcin Podolec shows how a warm bond between father and son risks being suppressed by sky-high expectations.
“If Picasso would make an animated film”In CHICKEN FOR LINDA, Linda’s mum has something to make up to her daughter. So she promises to cook chicken. Not just any ordinary chicken… no, chicken with peppers, following the legendary recipe of Linda’s late daddy. But… where do you find a chicken during a general strike? How do you manage as a single mother who is still weighed down by grief over the loss of a husband? The quest for chicken gets completely out of hand in this blissful comedy.
“My films always require a bit of a mess”Preparing a wedding party at grandpa’s mansion, Jip and his family need to work together, which turns out to be trickier than expected. Moreover, Jip falls in love for the first time, but the object of his affection has her eye on someone else. And there are a few additional obstacles to face, such as: everyone desperately trying to avoid the tensions in the family, grandpa’s house is a total mess, and Jip has Down’s syndrome.
“Activities involving different sorts of vehicles”The older sister gives the younger one a hand and pulls her along, turning the house and garden into one big playroom. Until the younger sister is able to move around independently one day… With subtle colours and the sound of girls’ laughter, TO BE SISTERS shows a glimpse of what inclusion can lead to. To an ECFA Award, for instance.
“I asked her to throw a few punches”La Suprema is a distant town time forgot, it probably wasn’t even on the map of Colombia… until director Felipe Holguin has put it there. In this muddy village, teenage Laureana takes inspiration from her boxer uncle and wants to box herself. Nobody agrees with that ambition, not her overprotective grandmother, and not the former champion to whom she turns for help. Since the village lacks a TV and electricity network, she can’t even watch her uncle boxing for the title. Inspired by her persistence, the villagers get together to pick up a fight against oblivion.
“Melting ice-cream dripping over your fingers”13-year-old Walter has just lost his father and has a long summer ahead with nothing to do but giving his mum an angry eye and wandering along the coast. His attention is caught by a mysterious, seemingly abandoned villa with a gigantic swimming pool. Something is moving in the murky waters… We’re having a shark in a young audience movie, and yet it’s not a horror story. On the contrary, there’s a certain melancholy over the film, that comes with pale colours and scorching sunlight.
“A perfect moment to doze off”Going to school is no fun for Shi NiuNiu. The boy is somehow ‘different’ and the school staff and classmates don’t know how to deal with his irreverent behaviour. Shi is straightforward; his words and actions come unfiltered. He is constantly at odds with the school principal. When Shi NiuNiu seeks peace at the river bank after (or during) school hours, he shows his true talent: sculpting figures out of river clay. When psychologist Miss Fen arrives at the school, she tries a new approach to get Shi to fall in line.
“Striving high and making the unlikely possible”In his small village in Kerala, Momo tells his friends about his big dream: to one day see the Burj Khalifa. His father, who works as a labourer in Dubai, can make that dream come true when he invites his family to the UAE for a holiday. Despite their financial struggles, they take a chance. Mum and the three children enjoy having Dad in their midst again, but life in Dubai is very different from back home. Momo meets new people there, sees things he has never seen before and… the Burj Khalifa suddenly seems very close!