Special Events

Feature Films & Europen short film package

17 October 2020

Feature Films

I Am William

Original title: Jeg er William
Denmark, 2017

Director: Elmer, Jonas
Age recommendation: 10 years and up
Length: 86 min.
Film genre: Feature film

Synopsis:
When his dad dies, William has to move in with his uncle. The uncle is a small-time crook, and whenever he ends up in a scrape, William is the one who has to help him get out of it. As if he doesn’t have enough problems himself! Some bullies at his new school begin to threaten him, but he’s not without the support and courage of his new friend , Viola. A typically Danish children’s film, that’s both funny and serious, and has a real sparkle in its eye.

Comments:
"From a shortlist of very strong contenders, the jury particularly liked this entertaining, unsentimental and at times very funny tale of a character starting out not at all tough or brave and overcoming their insecurities and feelings of isolation to find their place in the world. With an engaging narrative, some terrific visual flashes and an outstanding central performance by Alexander Magnusson, the European Children’s Film Association Award goes to I am William." (ECFA-Jury at BUFF Malmö 2018

Festivals:
BUFF Malmö 2018, Kristiansand CFF 2018, Espoo Ciné Junior 2018, Munich CFF 2018, Lucas CFF Frankfurt 2018 (awarded), Schlingel Chemnitz 2018, Kids Film Festival Warsaw 2018, Cinemagic Belfast 2018, Cinekid Amsterdam 2018, Filem'On Brussels CFF 2018 (awarded), Juniorfest Pilsen 2018 (awarded), Oulu CFF 2018, Vienna CFF 2018, Kineko CFF Tokyo 2018, Ale Kino! CFF Poznan 201, KinoKino Zagreb 2019 (awarded), Luxembourg IFF 2019, Kids Kino Festival Warsaw 2019, China CFF Guangzhou 2019

 

 

Snowman

Original title: Snømann
Norway, 2015, 8 min., no dialogue

Director: Iain Forbes
Age recommendation: 10 years and up
Film genre: Short film

Synopsis:
Jan is eight years old and wants his dad to help him build a snowman. But when he tries to enter his father's world, he crosses a boundary he didn't know existed.

Festivals:
Kristiansand International Childrens' Film Festival, Norway, 2015
The Norwegian Short Film Festival, Norway, 2015
The Norwegian International Film Festival Haugesund, Norway 2015
Grønnskjerm, Norway 2015
Bergen International Short Film Festival, Norway 2015
Chicago International Children's Film Festival, USA 2015
KINOdiseea International Children Film Festival, Romania 2015
Lahore International Children's Film Festival, Pakistan 2015
Festcinekids Cartagena, Colombia 2015
Filemon Kinderfilmfestival, Belgium 2015
FIFEM, Canada 2016
Tromsø Children's Film Festival, Norway 2016 (awarded)
The 21th Festival Internacional de Cine para Niños, Mexico 2016
SCHLINGEL - 2016 (awarded)

 

The Dragon and the Music

Original title: La Dragon et la Musique Switzerland, 2015, 10 min., no dialogue

Director: Camille Müller
Age recommendation: 10 years and up
Film genre: Animation Short

Synopsis:
A little girl befriends a dragon in the woods. They begin to play music together, but this is not without danger, for the obstinate king allows only military marches.

Festivals:
Berlin, 9. Internationalen Kinder- & Jugendkurzfilmfestival 2016
Berlin, 32. International Shortfilmfestival Berlin, 2016
Brest, 31e Festival Européen du Film court de Brest, 2016
Rio de Janeiro, 24° Festival Internacional de Animação do Brasil Anima Mundi, 20
Sapporo, 11th Sapporo Short 2016
Namur, 31e Festival international du film francophone Namur,2016
Paris, 9e Festival International du Film d'Animation de Paris,2016
Sao Paulo, 27th Sao Paulo International Short Film Festival, 2016
Bosco Chiesanuova (VR), 22nd Film Festival della Lessinia, 2016
Peja, 7th Anibar Animation Festival, 2016
Revine Lago, 12th Lago Film Fest, 2016
Giffoni, 46th Giffoni Film Festival, 2016
Bratislava, 9th Fest Anca International Animation Festival, 2016
La Bourboule, 14e Festival de Cinéma Jeunes Publics du Massif du Sancy Plein la Bobine de la Bouboule, 2016
Zagreb, 26th ANIMAFEST World Festival of Animated Films, 2016
Sofia, 7th International Animation Film Festival Golden Kuker–Sofia, 2016
Dresden, 28. Filmfest Dresden, 2016
Athens, 11th Animfest Athens International Animation Festival, 2016
Lille, 32e Festival du Cinéma Européen de Lille, 2016
Landshut, 17. Landshuter Kurzfilmfestival, 2016
Solothurn, 51. Solothurner Filmtage, 2016
Espinho, 39th Festival internacional de cinema de animação, 2015
Leipzig, 58. DOK Leipzig - Internationales Festival für Dokumentar- und Animationsfilm, 2015
Warsaw, 31st Warsaw International Film Festival, 2015
Genève, 10e Festival international du film d'animation Animatou, 2015

 

 

A Well Spent Afternoon

Original title: Dobro Unovceno Popoldne
Slovenia, Croatia, 2016, 7:30 min.

Director: Martin Turk
Age recommendation: 10 years and up
Film genre: Short film

Synopsis:
After failing yet another job interview, the father is spending an afternoon with his seven-year-old son. They happen to find a wallet full of money, and father teaches his son the right thing to do.

Festivals:
28th FilmFest Dresden - Special Kids Programm 2016
Short Film Corner Cannes 2016
14th Plein la Bobine Film Festival 2016
12th Kino Otok, Isola2016
70th Edinburgh International Film Festival 2016
Kinodvor 2016
22nd Sarajevo Film Festival 2016
6th International Short Film Festival of Cyprus 2016
33rd Chicago International Children’s Film Festival 2016
10th International Children's filmfestival Filem'On 2016
SCHLINGEL – the 21st International Film Festival for Children and Young Audience in Chemnitz 2016
38th Cinemed – Festival International du Cinéma Méditerranéen de Montpellier 2016
CINEKID ScreeningClub 2016
31. Unabhängiges FilmFest Osnabrück 2016
BUSTER Copenhagen International Film Festival for Children and Youth 2016
KINOdiseea – International Children Film Festival 2016
30th Leeds International Film Festival 2016
4th Dunoon Film Festival 2016
Children's Film Festival Seattle 2017
YouthFilm Festival / JeugdFilm Festival 2017
22nd Vilnius Film Festival 2017
New York International Children's Film 2017
The 18th Stockholm International Film Festival Junior 2017
Wisconsin Film Festival 2017
20th TIFF Kids – Toronto International Film Festival 2017
63rd International Short Film Festival Oberhausen 2017 (awarded)
Cinema in Sneakers Film Festival for Children and Youth, Warsaw 2017
30th International Festival of Films for Children and Young Adults Isfahan 2017
12th BUSAN Intl. Kids and Youth Film Festival 2017

 

 

Bicycle Thief

 

Original title: Bicycle Thief
Great Britain, 2018, 7 min.

 

Director: Kerry Skinner & Stewart Alexander
Age recommendation: 10 years and up
Film genre: Short film

Synopsis:
Riding through a children’s wonderland of ice cream parlours and amusement parks, a Little Girl’s innocent adventure is interrupted when her beloved bicycle is stolen. Forced to choose between giving it up, or giving chase, she sets off on a new and daring adventure in pursuit of the Big Man who has taken it.

Festivals:
Cinemagic Film Festival 2019
Barcelona Short Film Festival 2019
Mo&Friese 2019
Sedona International Film Festival 2019
Mioll Valley Film Festival 2018 (WP)

 

Lenno & the Angelfish

Original title: Lenno & de Maanvis
Netherlands, 2017, 17 min.

 

Director: Shamira Raphaëla
Age recommendation: 10 years and up
Film genre: Documentary Short

Synopsis:
LENNO & THE ANGELFISH tells the story of a 10-year old boy who tries his best to behave. But how can you be ‘a good boy’ when everybody has their own opinion as to what constitutes right and wrong?

Festivals:
ECFA Doc Award 2019
One World 2018
Nederlands Film Festival 2018
Docs Against Gravity 2018
LUCAS 2018
Cinekid 2018
DOKUart 2018
Filem’on 2018 (awarded)
IDFA 2017 (awarded)

 

Nine and a half's Goodbye

Original title: Neuneinhalb Abschiede
Germany, 2010, 14 min.

Director: Halina Dyrschka
Age recommendation: 10 years and up
Film genre: Short film

Synopsis:
Tom is 10, Piet is 6 years old. Two inseparable brothers. Tom explains the world in his very own way, enabling his little brother to understand life`s secrets. He always turns things the way that they make sense – no matter if they are true or not, because in his eyes it is just important that they could be true.
Piet wants to have a little brother of his own now, too – to explain the world to him as well as his elder brother did. But he gets a hamster instead. Now the hamster has to listen to all of Piet's secrets - whether he likes or not.
One day the hamster lies dead in his cage. Now Tom has to explain what “being dead” means? Where does the hamster go ?

Festivals:
Awards
Sonderpreis des Deutschen Hörfilmpreis 2013
2 Golden Elephant’s, International Children’s Film Festival India, Indien
Friedrich-Wilhelm- Murnau- Kurzfilmpreis 2011, Wiesbaden
Bester Kinderkurzfilm, Filmfestival Bayreuth „kontraste 2011“
Bester Kurzfilm beim Festival FESTICINEKIDS Cartagena, Kolumbien
Lobende Erwähnung der Kinderjury FESTICINEKIDS Cartagena, Kolumbien
Spezial-Preis der Jury, ROSHD International Film Festival, Teheran
Bester Kurzfilm beim 15. Int. SCHLINGEL Filmfestival in Chemnitz
Lobende Erwähnung der Kinderjury beim Festival LA MATATENA in Mexico City
Publikumspreis Festiwal Filmów Dziececych GALICJA, Karakau
Prädikat besonders wertvoll, Filmbewertungsstelle Wiesbaden

 

 

Boy and the World

Original Title [RK1] - O Menino e o Mundo

Brazil – 2013- 80 minutes - Animation

Director- Ale Abreu

Age Recommendation – 12 and above

Film Genre – Animation feature

 

Synopsis:

The entire film is told with very little dialogue and what dialogue there is, is actually Brazilian Portuguese spoken backward.

Cuca lives a very simple and blissful life with his parents, playing in the forests and interacting with the animals and listening to sounds that are represented by glowing balls of light. One day Cuca's father leaves by train to find work, saddening Cuca with the nostalgia of playing with his mom and dad. Feeling that he will never be happy again, Cuca leaves with a large suitcase that contains only a picture of him and his parents. While waiting for the train, a sudden gust of wind lifts him up carrying him far away to a world that appears to have two moons.

The film is Cuca’s various journeys to find his father. It is also a journey in to the state of our civilisation.

 

The film's worldwide premiere occurred at the Ottawa International Animation Festival where it won an Honourable Mention for Best Animated Feature "Because it was full of some of the most beautiful images we've ever seen. It also earned an honorable mention at the Festival do Rio and won the Youth Award at the Mostra de Cinema de São Paulo.At the Festival de Cinema de Animação de Lisboa, it won the Best Film Award.At the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, it won the Cristal Award for Best Feature Film, and was voted the favorite film by the audience.In 2015, at Animafest Zagreb, the film won the Grand Prix for feature film. The jury stated that they have awarded the film because it uses innovative artwork, combines both political and emotional feelings, that took them on a colorful trip.In 2016, Boy and the World won the 43rd Annie Awards for Best Animated Feature-Independent.

 

Naal

Original Title: Naal

(Umbilical Cord)

India Marathi, 2018,117 min.

Director: Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti
Age recommendation: 10 years and up
Film genre: Feature film

Synopsis:

Chaitanya, an eight-year-old boy lives happily in the village, pampered by his loving parents. His life takes a turn when he learns a hidden truth about himself. The movie explores Chaitanya's emotional world and follows him on his unexpected journey.

At the Indian National Film Awards 2019, the film won the Best First Film of a Director award.

 

 

Tingya

^{Original Title – Tingya}

^{India, Marathi 2008 116 Minutes}

^{Director – Mangesh Hadawale}

^{Age Recommendation – 10 years and up}

^{Film Genre – Feature film}

^Synopsis

The movie is based on the life of a rural boy and his friendship with his bull. Tingya lives in a village in Maharashtra. Tingya's parents are poor farmers owning a pair of bulls, Chitangya and Patangya. Tingya has a great friendship with Chitangya. Chitangya is part of Tingya's life. One day Chitangya is injured and is unable to stand and cannot work in the farm. Tingya's father, who is already burdened with debt, is left with no option but to sell the ailing bull and buy a new one. Tingya tries hard to save Chitangya .

Tingya was screened at the Pune International Film Festival where it won the Sant Tukaram award for Best Marathi Feature Film. It also won the best film award at the Mumbai Academy of Movies. Child artist Sharad Geokar who played the role of the rural boy won the National Film Award for the Best Child Artist for the year 2008.

 

Dhanak (Rainbow)

Original Title Dhanak

India, Hindi, 2015, 106 Minutes

Director – Nagesh Kukunoor

Age Recommendation – 8 and above

Film Genre – Feature film

Synopsis:

Every morning Pari and Chotu's long walk to school begins with the toss of a coin outside their hut. The winner will decide if the story that will be told on the way to school that day will be one about a Shah Rukh Khan film or a Salman Khan film. Pari is devoted to Shah Rukh and Chotu worships Salman Khan. Ten-year-old Pari holds her eight-year-old brother's hand throughout the journey to school and back as he is visually impaired. With just months to go before Chotu turns nine, Pari feels the pressure to fulfill her promise to her brother - that he will have his eyesight back before his ninth birthday.

When she spots a poster of Shah Rukh Khan encouraging eye donations, she decides to meet him somehow, convinced that he can help get Chotu’s eyes back. Learning that he is shooting in a village in Rajasthan, the children set off alone on a 300 km journey traversing testing terrain to find him.

 

The film premiered at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Crystal Bear Grand Prix for Best Children's Film, and Special Mention for the Best Feature Film by The Children's Jury for Generation Kplus.

The film has also garnered the Best Film Award in the main category-Children's Feature Film Competition-Cinema in Sneakers (film festival), and the Best Film Award - at the Montreal International Children's Film Festival (FIFEM).Dhanak was also screened at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, and the Toronto International Film Festival. The film has garnered Best Children's Film at the 64th National Film Awards.

 

Supa Modo

Original Title – Supa Modo

Kenya, 2018, 74 Minutes

Director – Likarion Wainaina

Age Recommendation – 8 and above.

Film Genre – Feature film.

Synopsis

Jo is a young girl living in a small village in Kenya. It's her dream to become a super-heroine, but unfortunately these ambitions are hindered by her impending terminal illness. As an attempt to make her desires possible, the whole village plots a genius plan to make her wish come true.

First premiered at 68th Berlin International Film Festival, it was selected as the Kenyan entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards.

Festivals:
Berlin Generation 2018 (special mention), TIFF Kids Toronto 2018, Kristiansand CFF 2018 Stockholm Junior 2018, IFF Emden-Norderney (awarded), Zlin 2018 (awarded), Molodist Kyiv (special mention), Dytiatko CFF Kharkiv 2018 (awarded), Cinema in Sneakers Warsaw 2018 (awarded), Edinburgh IFF 2018, Giffoni 2018, Lucas CFF Frankfurt 2018 (special mention), Michel CFF Hamburg 2018 (awarded), Kids Film Festival Warsaw 2018, Schlingel CFF Chemnitz 2018, Buster Copenhagen 2018, Zurich IFF 2018, Carrousel Rimouski 2018, Bremen CFF 2018 (special mention), Schlingel Chemnitz 2018 (awarded), Cinemagic Belfast 2018, Cinekid Amsterdam 2018 (awarded), Kinodisea Bucharest 2018 (awarded), Filmz FF Mainz (awarded)Listapadzik CFF Minsk (awarded), Vienna CFF 2018 (awarded), Rolan Bykow CFF Eriwan (awarded), Cinepaenz Cologne 2018, Olympia Pyrgos CFF 2018, Kinofest Luenen 2018, Steiermark CFF 2018, Olympia CFF Pyrgos 2018 (awarded), Ale Kino! CFF Poznan 2018 (special mention), Smile CFF New Delhi 2018, Stuttgart CFF 2019 (awarded), Seattle CFF 2019 (awarded), Würzburg IFF 2019, KinoKino Zagreb 2019 (awarded), Cine Junior Val-de-Marne 2019 (awarded), Providence CFF 2019 (awarded), New York CFF 2019, ECFA AWARD 2019, JEF Festival Flanders 2019, Youngabout Bologna 2019, Leeds Young Film Festival 2019 (special mention), Kristiansand CFF 2019, Espoo Cine 2019, Plein la Bobine Sancy 2019, La Matatena CFF Mexico City 2019, Almaty IFF 2019, Kids Kino Festival Warsaw 2019, Kinderfilmtage im Ruhrgebiet 2019, Riga IFF 2019, Kineko CFF Tokyo 2019 (awarded), KinderKinoFest Duesseldorf, Mannheim-Heidelberg IFF 2019, Cinepaenz CFF Cologne 2019, Festival Du Grain à Démoudre Gonfreville l'Orcher 2019, Annonay IFF 2020 (awarded), Freeze Frame CFF Winnipeg 2020

 

Short Film Packages from British Film Institute : Curated and presented by Mark Reid

1. Alice in Wonderland (1903)

The earliest version of Alice in Wonderland, made in 1903, and restored in 2010. It features quite a bit of trick photography, and the story is well known and popular.

 

2. The earliest slapstick film, with a lot more trick effects, including an incredible inflatable man!


I wanted to share an early colour film: there are so many different colour processes in the histroy of film, and this one is called Gasparcolour, but it never really took off. Colour on the Thames was essentially an advert for Gasparcolour, and it uses the river Thames, in the 1930s, as its canvas; https://youtu.be/NObu5VXfTVI


Here's another colour film that showcases something quintessentially British, and you can tell what just from the title: Snow. It was made in the most ferocious British winter of the last 70 years, partly to advertise the great response of the national railways to extreme weather. It also has a soundtrack directly echoing the rhythms of a locomotive. <https://youtu.be/NObu5VXfTVI> https://youtu.be/cl4pJwcE7JI


I love the next film, Breakfast, becuase it's a very gentle observation of the breakfast routines and rituals of a selection of British people, from a lonely pensioner, to a hassled businessman. nd it was made by a group of schoolchildren. aged arpund 14.<https://vimeo.com/91384724> https://vimeo.com/91384724<https://vimeo.com/91384724>

<https://vimeo.com/91384724><https://vimeo.com/91384724>Continuing the British theme, this next film is set in a very British location - a pier at the seaside. Piers are exciting but sometime scary places, and in this film as little girl escapes from her grandparents for a few minutes and enters an amusement arcade. There she encounters the scary 'Pin Man' and a rabbit trapped in a Lucky Dip machine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxsBz7cb8Gg

Here's another film I love, set in London near where I work, but set in a kind of dystopian future - maybe everyone can recognise a world with too much traffic, and overwhelming concrete neighbourhoods on an inhuman scale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7HX28TugSw

Here's a very simple animation, with only one shot, and some noises. You can decide if there any real 'chartacters' or not - we have a debate about this every time I screen it! https://vimeo.com/63959241

Here's a fim that was very popular with children when we used to show it a lot, around 10 years ago. It's a very funny look at how people live alongside each other in high-rise buildings. Although it was made in Belgium, we always felt it could have been made in an Enlighas city: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4OvkloIXUY

Cinema, cent ans de jeunesse (CCAJ)

Theme – Places & Stories

And

Journal of Sensations (Lockdown Diaries)