At the very last moment, the 14th edition of the Filem’on Festival for Young Audiences (Brussels) had to change its course drastically. Everything was done to recreate a virtual festival feeling. Handing out ECFA awards in all three categories, Filem’On was excited to announce the 2020 festival laureates!
The ECFA Feature Film Award went to THE CROSSING (Johanne Helgeland, Norway), “a suspenseful story about good versus evil, yet nuanced about what exactly is good and what is evil. The film brings a crucial historical episode closer to the children of today, meanwhile connecting to contemporary problems. A realistic story that leaves room for imagination and fantasy and shows that even when bigger goals are at stake, unity among friends or siblings is not easy to achieve.”
The ECFA Short Award went to EN ROUTE (Marit Weerheijm, the Netherlands), in which Inay and her brother have to get up early to get their day rolling with dad. Both children perfectly master the art of ‘stealing time’… “A film that starts in the early morning hours. The city awakes with all its daily routines, depicted in well-chosen, delicate images. All details fit together seamlessly and add to the unique tone of the film. The conflict sprouts from the gap between the adult world and the children’s universe. Together with the children, the audience discovers what is really going on. When day breaks, we’ve all come to a new perspective.”
The ECFA Jury were Kato De Boeck (Belgium), Cassandra Offenberg (the Netherlands) and Gert Hermans (Belgium).
The ECFA Doc award went to ACASA, MY HOME (Radu Ciorniciuc, Germany / Romania). The Enache family lives in a shack in the wilderness of the Bucharest Delta, one of the largest urban natural reservations in the world. When the authorities claim back this urban ecosystem, nine kids and their parents are evicted, having to resettle in the city, swapping their fishing rods for mobile phones. “ACASA, MY HOME is a film full of passion and love, with funny and sad moments interlaced in super professional storytelling. The author fully dedicates himself to the story and the characters, who give us, without shame or hesitation, an insight into their lives.”
The ECFA Jury were Léa Bossa-Chaumette (France) and Boris Bakal (Croatia).