The Children’s & Youth Cinema at the 67th Int’l Short Film Festival Oberhausen goes online again. Crowded screenings, the opportunity for kids to watch shorts from across the globe together and talk to filmmakers are essential to the festival. The second online edition confronts the festival not only with limitations, but also with opportunities.
Sabine Niewalda: “We have selected 40 films from 24 countries for the Children’s & Youth Film Competition, including 6 world premieres. The films will take viewers to the Indian salt deserts, to South Korea, to the North Pole, but also to Instagram performances and Minecraft worlds. Including a wide range from animations to documentaries and, what Oberhausen is known for, experimental films for kids. What they have in common is that they all tell their stories from the perspective of young heroes and heroines.”
Schools and teachers in Germany and German speaking countries can apply for special access to the programmes, watch films in class or in home schooling and receive educational material. Niewalda: “This gives us a chance to extend our range beyond local schools and kindergartens too, for whom we prepare an ‘age 3 and up’ programme.” (see photo: L’OURS QUI AVALA UNE MOUCHE, Pascal Hecquet)
The 2021 ECFA Short Film Award programme will open this section on 5 May at 8 pm CEST. For audiences aged 14 and up there is a new edition of MuVi 14+ featuring 15 international clips. “Our children’s programmes nowadays are attracting more and more industry viewers – here’s a chance for everyone to take a leisurely look at an exciting new selection!” At the special price of €5 all audiences will be granted access to more than 60 works in the children & youth film section.
Check www.kurzfilmtage.de. Contact info: Cathrin Ernst at kiju@kurzfilmtage.de.