European Children's
Film Association
Association Européenne du Cinéma
pour l'Enfance et la Jeunesse
“Wand in hand”A fairy trips across a carpet of flowers into the dark forest. What would a pink fairy have to do in a witch forest? Rosemary has had her fill of the sugary fairy life in the pink castle above the clouds and is irresistibly drawn to a wilder world. But Rosemary’s mother rules the witches’ castle and is not willing to let her daughter go.
“It goes on and on until it gets out of hand”Wherever Darlin goes, his mother chugs along in admiration. Only on stage, Tamia is not afraid to share her thoughts with the audience. Sitting on the couch, Selena will never stop arguing with her father. Three children from South Rotterdam want to be noticed and are given a forum in TALK IS CHEAP to make their unfiltered voices heard. For this Dutch documentary, director René van Zundert bundled four episodes of his TV series of the same name.
“The main vibe was pure Agatha Christie”That is no normal place where Cecilia lives. It is a hotel, and her father is the owner. Ever since her mother died, Cecilia is supposed to help him serve the guests. In her rare spare time, together with her best friend Une and the newly arrived city boy Leo, she gets on the trail of a dark secret that might even lead her towards the mystery behind her mother’s death. A portion of Nordic noir by full daylight.
“The most beautiful feeling when saying goodbye”Yuku, the eldest child in a large mouse family, has to guard the food supplies. But she prefers playing her ukulele and listening to her grandmother, a master storyteller. As the end of Grandma’s life approaches, Yuku embarks on a musical quest to find the luminous Flower of the Himalayas for Grandma to take on her “last journey.”
“The harder he tries, the harder he falls”Dylan and Youssef are best friends, and football is all they dream about. When Dylan ends up in a wheelchair due to an accident, he must come to terms with his new life. His dad – and former coach – wants him to accept his situation and tries to keep football from his life, but Dylan is determined to play again.
“Not a single Kurdish refugee has been accepted to Japan so far”Sarya and her younger siblings were born in Japan to a Kurdish immigrant family. They are torn between their desire to integrate and the attachment to their Kurdish origin that their father tries to implant in them. For MY SMALL LAND director Emma Kawawada says to be inspired by the Dardenne brothers, Ken Loach’s KES and Hirokazu Kore-eda.
“Exploring the neighbourhood on their own”9 year old Franz is the smallest kid in his class. On top of that, his voice often lets him down in stressful situations, leaving him with nothing more than a squeaky sound. In Franz’s life there is a need for creative solutions to the everyday problems of growing up. Until one day Franz falls under the spell of an influencer with reprehensible advice on how toxic masculinity can boost your success in life.
“Their fingers are their life”In an institute for the blind, we meet three kids: imaginative Zosia, sensitive Oskar and self-reliant Kinga. With endless respect, Polish documentary maker Lidia Duda delves into their lives. Until an unforeseen storyline bubbles up, telling of an overwhelming tenderness, a deep affection, and of a world in black and white where a small touch says all there is to say.