European Children's
Film Association
Association Européenne du Cinéma
pour l'Enfance et la Jeunesse
The ECFA Beat format is a circuit of informal talks in which festival visitors share their opinions on current challenges in the youth film sector. For example, during the Zlin Film Festival, international guests debated the precarious situation of many European youth film festivals. The trigger was the striking situation of the Oulu Int’l Children’s Film Festival, represented by Mika Anttolainen.
Continue reading “Zlin’s ECFA Beat offers platform to defaulted festivals”
Last month in Zagreb, filming began for GLAVONJA, the story of 10-year-old Alisa and her autistic brother Milan, who, along with three young detectives, embark on a somewhat surreal adventure. The film is directed by Marina Andree Škop and Vanda Raýmanová.
Summertime in Dublin can mean carrying an umbrella while eating ice cream, with seasons changing several times in one day. However, no matter the weather outside, there is inevitably a lull in cinema-going. Our IFI schools programme finishes in June, so summer gives us a chance to focus our attention on the family audience outside of school, in particular our annual family festival.
Continue reading “Family Programming at the Irish Film Institute”
CEE Animation Forum, the animation industry’s regional pitching, financing and co-production event has announced its line-up for the 2024 edition (Pilsen, Czech Republic, November 12-13).
Continue reading “Line-up for CEE Animation Forum announced”
The 10th edition of the annual Smile Int’l Film Festival for Children & Youth (SIFFCY, 9-15 April), organised by Smile Foundation (India) was successfully concluded in New Delhi and 100+ other locations across India. With 5,000,000 young audiences in total, 150 films from 52 countries, at least 50 workshops, masterclasses and panel discussions, 150+ industry professionals, jurors and guests and 100+ young jurors from different countries, this week-long event was recognised by the national media as “the biggest Indian festival of the year”!
The official Young Horizons Industry selection is out. Take a look at the future of children’s film production. (Photo: VEGETOWN)
Continue reading “Projects selected for Young Horizons Industry”
“Our teacher would have us dancing all the time”On the first day of the school year, 11-year-old Amanda is asked to be a mentor for her new classmate, Lars, who has Down’s syndrome. It’s the last thing she wants. Amanda is convinced that Lars will embarrass her. But to Amanda’s surprise, she and Lars develop a special friendship — one she risks losing when she’s pressured to turn against him. Norwegian director Eirik Sæter Stordahl’s film shows great affection for its characters and for the actors playing them – he knows how to make them shine.
“A weird Norwegian cocktail”It is not so much the 30-year history of Norwegian animation studio Qvisten that deserves a round of applause, it is the constant supply of new and exciting animated films for all segments of young audiences that I am impressed by. And by the presence of co-founder and top-director Rasmus Sivertsen, every inch a gentleman. I don’t know how many inches there are in Rasmus Sivertsen, but there’s for sure a lot of gentleman in him.