European Children's
Film Association
Association Européenne du Cinéma
pour l'Enfance et la Jeunesse
“What is funny for a child at what age?”Several episodes of the animation series SIR MOUSE were presented as a compilation film to the youngest audience by Belgian distributor JEF. Besides its beautiful design, the series stands out for the frivolous way in which gender patterns are broken.
“Always a torn shirt to fix”Sports is often seen as a stepping stone towards social progress. For the brothers Hai and He the occasion is very concrete. It is the prospect of new shoes that spurs them to join the school’s rope skipping team. Not warmly welcomed by the seniors, they soon regret their decision. But when a young teacher arrives with new methods, progress is made immediately.
“A total reset by an injection of fresh air”Few words have such strong emotional connotations as “mother”. For Olka in ALL FOR MY MOTHER by Małgorzata Imielska, the word means everything. It represents her ultimate desire that she has pursued all her life, in the orphanage, in the reformatory, even in her dreams. Locked inside the 17 year old body that she hates, Olka has but one single goal: she wants her mother back.
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.“