Member’s Projects – European Children's Film Association

Marketa Pasmova & Jaroslava Hynstova about the Zlin Film Festival

“When you think about the festival, you think about the best season of the year”

In the Czech town of Zlin, every year a festival pulls up like a giant steam engine – and almost as old as the steam engine! At their 65th edition, the Zlin Film Festival still proudly wears its honorary title as ‘Europe’s oldest and largest children’s film festival’. This steam train is so big that it needs two drivers. Marketa Pasmova and Jaroslava Hynstova are much-loved faces on the international film circuit, but what qualities do you need to keep such a festival mastodon running?

Bear With Me Distribution

“We’re used to fighting for recognition”

Calling your company ‘Bear with me Distribution’ sounds like an apology, as if you’re asking for patience. Which we unfortunately don’t have. Because we can’t wait to see a new distribution company, specialising in animated short films that appeal to young audiences! Managing Director Lucia Dubravay Trautenberger: “Our mission is to bridge the gap between artistry and accessibility, captivating both international festival-goers and the hearts of children.”

The Athens International Children’s Film Festival

“I just want to be there when it happens”

Over just 7 editions, the Athens Int’l Children’s Film Festival has firmly established itself on the map of European festivals. It seems to be growing fast, but it is a controlled growth – this festival evolves by the book, without skipping pages, but it is a page-turner! Think of everything a festival needs – films for every audience segment, workshops, a space for digital and analogue play and experimentation, an industry section, decentralisation… and you’ll find it in Athens, on a large or small scale. There is a comprehensive story, a way to make all segments fit together according to an overarching idea. For that, you need someone with vision to guard the bigger picture.

The Taoba International Youth Film Festival

“European trends are not universally applicable”

When a country is represented within ECFA by only one member, it seems as if that organisation has to carry all the national weight of youth film and film education on its shoulders. That may well be the case for Georgia, where the Taoba International Youth Film Festival is introducing film culture to young people, under conditions not comparable to most European countries. ‘In a country with less than 20 cinemas, our needs and priorities are very different,’ says Levan Dvali from the Municipal Cultural Educational Centre in Tbilisi.

China International Children’s Film Festival

“Reconnecting the filmmakers with their audience”

Nothing much is certain about the China Int’l Children’s Film Festival. Is it annual or biennial? In which city will it be held next time? And around what time of year? The answer remains uncertain, as there is no financial structure that can guarantee regularity. Such decisions are mostly taken ad hoc, and then implemented by festival organiser Betty Lyuan. But what is certain is that you end up in a fantastic environment, where cinema is programmed according to criteria that are not always obvious to Westerners, but which make for a wildly interesting experience.

KIDS Regio Forum 2024 – a reflection

“Building new futures for children’s film”

Following the KIDS Regio Forum 2024, Anne Schultka (KIDS Regio Project Manager), Pantelis Panteloglou (ECFA President) and Becky Parry (Creative Learning Manager for Children’s Capital of Culture) took time out to reflect on the debates and concerns that emerged. This discussion captures their thoughts on the outcomes of the forum, the importance of networking within the children’s film industry and the strategies needed to promote children’s films across Europe.

The ‘FILM IN HOSPITAL’ Project

“Cinema has the potential to improve children’s well-being”

There are few projects that reflect the core of ECFA’s ambitions as well as the FILM IN HOSPITAL project: an international collaboration between several ECFA members to promote film education and audience engagement among a specific target group. It involves six international organisations jointly running an online platform aimed at children in hospitals and revalidation centres or recovering in their home environment. Recently, two new partners joined the project, the publication of a ‘toolbox’ could attract even more interested parties, and a participant satisfaction survey was conducted.

Karolina Smigiel about young audience documentaries in Poland

“I dream about a funny documentary musical”

During the Millennium Docs against Gravity festival in Warsaw, a group of young filmmakers pitched eight new documentary ideas for young audiences. Their enthusiasm was contagious; only the delegation of Polish broadcasters reacted coolly… Since documentaries are by definition long and boring and not intended for children, right? Karolina Smigiel of the Andrzej Wajda Centre for Film Culture has a lot of resources to combat this kind of ignorance.