The Children’s and Youth Film Competition is one of the most popular sections of the International Kurzfilmtage in Oberhausen. It was this festival that took the initiative for the ECFA Short Award a few years ago, and they still lead the way in awarding prizes until today. Like this year for the Belgian short film CHANNIDAE by Pauline Morel.
Every year, an independent commission selects around 45 films for the various age groups, starting from the age of three. The filmmakers are invited to Oberhausen to present their films in person and to discuss them with the audience. Out of these films, CHANNIDAE was picked by the ECFA Jury. The film tells about three children who are meeting in a park to play together. Colin suggests playing ‘family with masks’. That’s when playing pretend can become more than real.
The jury stated: “For using a variety of animation techniques to convey the message that home environments and stereotypes influence children’s imagination and play, blurring the lines between the two realities. Technically masterful and narratively brilliant, the work is an extraordinary cinematic experience.”
The ECFA Jury were Gloria Morano (Luxembourg), Kevin De Ridder (Belgium) and Franciszek Drąg (Poland).
