Spring is the season of birds, and ECFA wants to play its part in that. What do a hummingbird and an ostrich have in common? The fact that they’ve both won an ECFA Award this spring. And for the sake of completeness, we should also mention a dog.
International Children’s Film Festival (Kristiansand, Norway)
ECFA Award: BARRY AND ME (Markus Welter, Switzerland / Germany)
ECFA Jury: Simon Schmidt (Germany), Michiko Tachimoto (Japan), Calliope Charalambous (Greece)
Synopsis: High up in the snow-covered Swiss Alps, 12-year-old Georg finds a St. Bernard puppy and names it Barry. When others try to take Barry away, Georg risks everything to protect his best friend.
Quote from the Jury Statement: “This timeless story of empathy and kindness captivates audiences with relatable characters, engaging storytelling and, above all, a lovable and highly skilled dog. The high level of craftsmanship makes this historical film stand out. In challenging times like these, we need altruism and empathy in our fictional characters as guiding examples for how we meet both people and animals in real life.”
ECFA Short Award: THE LEGEND OF THE HUMMINGBIRD (Morgan Devos, France) (Thumb photo)
Synopsis: A fire breaks out in the Amazon rainforest, and frightened animals leave their habitat to take refuge. Only a little hummingbird persists in fighting the fire when he spots a sloth, trapped in the flames.
Quote from the Jury Statement: “A beautiful story about the importance of contributing to our community, regardless of power or status. A universal story about the threats facing our environment, elegantly expressed through a minimalist yet striking aesthetic, without dialogue. This film reminds us that environmental responsibility is not about rank; it is about refusing to be a bystander.”
International Women’s Film Festival in Köln & Dortmund (Germany)
ECFA Short Award: OSTRICH (Marie Kenov, Switzerland)
ECFA Jury: Florence Dupont (France), Sina Musche (Germany), Samira Zaïbat (Belgium)
Synopsis: After seeing pictures on social media, a sparrow decides it wants to look like an ostrich. It trains relentlessly and sets about reshaping its body, until it realises this ideal is simply out of reach. The film takes a playful swipe at the tyranny of beauty standards and celebrates individuality and diversity.
International Short Film Festival (Oberhausen, Germany)
ECFA Short Award: THE DAY I LICKED A PEBBLE (Flavie Eliézer, Chloé Bernuchon, Goli Atefi, Maud Kolasa, Nathan Jauze & Marie Pijollet, France)
ECFA Jury: Marija Georgiev (Croatia), Daniel Lundquist (Sweden), Julia Fleißig (Germany)
Synopsis: One summer afternoon in the countryside, three siblings, tired of being bored at their grandmother’s house, set off for the bakery to buy some snacks.
Quote from the Jury Statement: “Not the least because of the three siblings’ unique cinematic journey to the bakery, we – as jury members – could identify deeply with our award-winning film. Time and again, we found ourselves lost between festival venues, but always with plenty of joy and some great dialogues, just like the protagonists.”
Zlin Film Festival (Zlin, Czech Republic)
ECFA Doc Award: RASHID, THE BOY FROM SINJAR (Jasna Krajinovič, Belgium / France)
ECFA Jury: Rosa Ferro (Italy), Remke Oosterhuis (the Netherlands), (in absence) Irina Raimundo (Portugal).
Synopsis: Rashid grew up in a Yazidi family in Iraq. He and his family were abducted by IS fighters and spent several years in captivity. After returning home, he tries to find his place in life again and come to terms with what he experienced.
Quote from the Jury Statement: “The film addresses a deeply relevant issue in contemporary society. A young Yazidi boy struggles between the desire to stay in a land profoundly marked by death, and the need to leave. The film portrays the horror of war, but also love and hope despite everything.”