Zlín Film Festival
# Zlín Film Festival

Zlín Film Festival, also known as the International Film Festival for Children and Youth (Czech: Mezinárodní festival filmů pro děti a mládež) is an annual festival of children's film in Zlín in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1961 in the former Czechoslovakia, the festival gradually gained international attention. The audience consists mainly of children and youth from the Zlín region, but also university students and adult visitors who come to late-night screenings with appropriate dramaturgy, as well as film professionals from around the world.

The anniversary 60th Zlín Film Festival took place exceptionally in September 2020.

## History

The establishment of a regular film festival in Zlín was the result of efforts by local filmmakers to present their work in a local atmosphere. The first festival took place in 1961, 20 years after a previous film festival had been held in Zlín, named Film Harvest (Czech: Filmové žně) or Zliennale. Film Harvest, held in the war years 1940–41, attracted most of the stars of that period's highly productive and internationally successful Czech and Slovak films. The main program was held in Zlín's Grand Cinema, the largest cinema in Central Europe at that time. The capacity of the building, completed in 1932, was over 2,500. The Grand Cinema is still open today, and hosts the opening ceremony of the festival.

In 1936, entrepreneur Jan Antonín Baťa founded a new film studio in the city, which gradually turned into Czechoslovakia's most prominent centre of filmmaking focused on children and youth. Film-makers such as Karel Zeman, Hermína Týrlová, Alexandr Hackenschmied, Břetislav Pojar and Josef Pinkava created their works in the Zlín film studios. The town's film-making tradition continues today in its two film schools.

## Programme

The competitive sections of the festival include new films shot within the last two years. They are accompanied by films from other festivals and classic works of world cinema. Apart from the five competitive sections, the festival includes a number of informative and retrospective sections, including full-length documentary films. Each year the cinematography of one European nation showcased.

### Competition Sections

* International Competition of Feature Films in the Children's Category
* International Competition of Feature Films in the Junior Category (over 11 years of age)
* International Competition of Feature Films in the Youth Category (over 15 years of age)
* International Competition of Short Animations for Children (up to 12 year of age)
* Competition of European Documentary Films for Young Audience
* Zlín Dog - International Competition of Student Films

### Out-of-competition Sections

* New Czech Film and TV Programmes: Presentation of Czech cinema and TV production from the year.
* Panorama: Informative section – presents mostly films awarded at other festivals which cannot compete in one of the competitive sections.
* Young Stars Films introducing young actors whom the audience can meet in person in Zlín.
* Limited thematic section Discover and Explore (2019) - nature, people, countries, 2020: Back to the Future (2020) - science, technology, special film effects, Literature in Film (2021) - film adaptation of the well-known books for young audience

### Supporting program

Apart from the film projections, the festival offers a supporting programme of charity and entertainment, including concerts, exhibitions, public readings, and parties. The specialist part of the programme includes mostly classes, lectures and workshops. The festival also includes a supporting programme for the Film Industry.

One festival project is the Cinematrain, a railway car modified into a projection room that travels around the Czech Republic and Slovakia for a few weeks before the film festival. The festival is also the annual end of the Minisalon project - an auction of artistically rendered film. Czech artists and other celebrities design these film clapperboards during the autumn and winter. The collection of art works is then displayed and auctioned off during the film festival. The funds raised from their auction go to support student film productions.

## Awards

* Golden Slipper – Main prize awarded to the best feature film in the children´s, junior, youth and animation section.
* Karel Zeman Award - Special Recognition for Best Visual Concept in a Feature Film in the Children's Category
* Hermína Týrlová Award for Best Short Animation for Children up to 6 Years of Age
* Main Prize of the Children's Jury for Best Feature Film in the Children's Category
* Main Prize of the Youth Jury for Best Feature Film in the Junior and Youth Category
* Zlín Dog Award for Best Student Film (with prize money of EUR 1000)
* Europe Award - the European Children's Film Association Award for Best European Documentary Film for Young Audience
* Ecumenical Jury Award
* Golden Apple – the City of Zlín Audience Award for Best Feature Film in the Children's, Junior and Youth Category
* ČT: D Audience Award for Best Short Animation for Children

## Winners

* 2023| 63rd ed.

Golden Slipper for Best Feature Film in the Children’s Category: What the Finn?! - A Summer of Surprises, dir. Stefan Westerwelle, Germany Golden Slipper for Best Feature Film in the Junior Category: Scrapper, dir. Charlotte Regan, Great Britain Golden Slipper for Best Feature Film in the Youth Category: Delegation, dir. Asaf Saban, Poland, Israel, Germany Golden Slipper for Best Short Animation for Children: Crab, dir. Piotr Chmielewski, Poland, France Europe Award - the European Children's Film Association Award for Best European Documentary Film for Young Audience: We Will Not Fade Away, dir. Alisa Kovalenko, France, Poland, Ukraine Zlín Dog Award for Best Student Film: Of Kisses and Capes, dir. Elena Weiss, Germany Golden Apple – the City of Zlín Audience Award for Best Feature Film in the Children's, Junior and Youth Category: Forever, dir. Anders Hazelius, Sweden

* 2022| 62nd ed.

Golden Slipper for Best Feature Film in the Children’s Category: Gandhi & Co., dir. Manish Saini, India Golden Slipper for Best Feature Film in the Junior Category: A Second Life, dir. Anis Lassoued, Tunisia Golden Slipper for Best Feature Film in the Youth Category: Olga, dir. Elie Grappe, France, Switzerland, Ukraine Golden Slipper for Best Short Animation for Children: Suzie in the Garden, dir. Lucie Sunková, Czech Republic Europe Award - the European Children's Film Association Award for Best European Documentary Film for Young Audience: Kids Cup, dir. Line Hatland, Denmark, Finland, Norway Zlín Dog Award for Best Student Film: A Dark Moment of Faith, dir. Zornitsa Dimitrova, Germany Golden Apple – the City of Zlín Audience Award for Best Feature Film in the Children's, Junior and Youth Category: My Brothers Dream Awake, dir. Claudia Huaiquimilla, Chille

* 2021| 61st ed.

Golden Slipper for Best Feature Film in the Children’s Category: Sisters: The Summer We Found Our Superpowers, dir. Arild Østin Ommundsen, Silje Salomonsen, Norway Golden Slipper for Best Feature Film in the Junior Category: Sun Children, dir. Majid Majidi, Iran Golden Slipper for Best Feature Film in the Youth Category: Valentina, dir. Cássio Pereira dos Santos, Brazil Golden Slipper for Best Short Animation for Children: Sounds between the Crowns, dir. Filip Diviak, Czech Republic Europe Award - the European Children's Film Association Award for Best European Documentary Film for Young Audience: Kids Cup, dir. Line Hatland, Denmark, Finland, Norway Zlín Dog Award for Best Student Film: Yuwol : The Boy Who Made The World Dance, dir. BEFF, South Korea Golden Apple – the City of Zlín Audience Award for Best Feature Film in the Children's, Junior and Youth Category: Martin and the Magical Forest, dir. Petr Oukropec, Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia

* 2020| 60th ed.

Best feature film for children: The Crossing, dir. Johanne Helgeland, Norway Best feature film for youth: Life without Sara Amat, dir. Lara Jou, Spain Best short animation for children: The Bird & the Whale, dir. Carol Freeman, Ireland Best European first film: Nevia, dir. Nunzia De Stefano, Italy Best European documentary for children: Forward, dir. Gilles de Maistre, France Best student film: The Last Children in Paradise, dir. Anna Roller, Germany

* 2019| 59th ed.

Best feature film for children: My Extraordinary Summer with Tess, dir. Steven Wouterlood, Netherlands, Germany Best feature film for youth: Giant Little Ones, dir. Keith Behrman, Canada Best short animation for children: Cloudy, dir. Filip Diviak, Zuzana Čupová, Czech Republic Best European first film: The Unpromised Land, dir. Victor Lindgren, Sweden Best European documentary for children: How Big Is the Galaxy?, dir. Ksenia Elyan, Estonia, Russia Best student film: Provence, dir. Kato De Boeck, Belgium

* 2018| 58th ed.

Best feature film for children: Supa Modo, dir. Likarion Wainaina, Kenya, Germany Best feature film for youth: Barley Fields on the Other Side of the Mountain, dir. Tian Tsering, United Kingdom Best short animation for children: Blueberry Hunt, dir. Kateřina Karhánková, Alexandra Májová, Czech Republic Best European first film: The Best of All Worlds, dir. Adrien Goiginger, Austria Best student film: Leave of Absence, dir. Moshe Rosenthal, Israel Best European documentary for children: Wilder Than Wilderness, dir. Marián Polák, Czech Republic

* 2017| 57th ed.

Best feature film for children: Mountain Miracle – The Unexpected Friendship, dir. Tobias Wiemann , Germany, Italy Best feature film for youth: Just Charlie, dir. Rebekah Fortune, United Kingdom Best short animation for children: Two Trams, dir. Svetlana Andrianova, Russia Best European first film: Heartstone, dir. Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson, Iceland Best student film: Shujayya, dir. Mohammed Almughanni, Poland, Palestina

* 2016| 56th ed.

Best feature film for children: The World of Us, dir. Yoon Ga-eun , South Korea Best feature film for youth: Keeper, dir. Guillaume Senez, Belgium, Switzerland, France Best short animation for children: The Orchestra, dir. Mikey Hill, Australia Best European first film: Rag Union, dir. Mikhail Mestetskyi, Russia Best student film: Peacock, dir. Ondřej Hudeček, Czech Republic

* 2015| 55th ed.

Best feature film for children: Birds of Passage, dir. Olivier Ringer, Belgium Best feature film for youth: Behavior, dir. Ernesto Daranas, Cuba Best short animation for children: The Elephant and the Bicycle, dir. Olesya Shchukina, France, Belgium

* 2014| 54th ed.

Best feature film for children: The Nightingale, dir. Philippe Muyl, France, China Best feature film for youth: The Kings of Summer, dir. Jordan Vogt-Roberts, U.S.A. Best Animated Film: Mythopolis, dir. Alexandra Hetmerová, Czech Republic

* 2013| 53rd ed.

Best feature film for children: My Sweet Orange Tree, dir. Marcos Bernstein, Brazil Best Feature Film for Youth: So Much Water, dir. Ana Guevara Pose, Uruguay, Mexico, Netherlands, Germany Best Animated Film: Pilipka, dir. Tatiana Kublitskaya, Belarus

* 2012| 52nd ed.

Best feature film for children: Chubby Drums, dir. Arne Toonen, Netherlands Best Feature Film for Youth:Death of a Superhero, dir. Ian Fitzgibbon, Germany, Ireland Best Animated Film:Harbor Tale, dir. Yuichi Ito, Japan

* 2011| 51st ed.

Best feature film for children: The Liverpool Goalie, dir. Arild Andresen, Norway Best feature film for youth: Hold Me Tight, dir. Kaspar Munk, Denmark Best animated film: Larghetto, dir. Jaroslav Nykl, Czech Republic

* 2010| 50th ed.

Best feature film for children: Magic Tree, dir. Andrzej Maleszka, Poland Best feature film for youth: Sebbe, dir. Babak Najafi, Sweden Best animated film: Lost and Found, dir. Philip Hunt, United Kingdom

* 2009| 49th ed.

Best feature film for children: Who Is Afraid of the Wolf?, dir. Mária Procházková, Czech Republic Best feature film for youth: Max Embarrassing, dir. Lotte Svendsen, Denmark Best animated film: Post!, dir. Christian Asmussen, Matthias Bruhn, Germany

* 2008 | 48th ed.

Best feature film for children: Where Is Winky's Horse?, dir. Mischa Kamp, The Netherlands, Belgium Best feature film for youth: The Substitute, dir. Ole Bornedal, Denmark Best animated film: The Bears Stories, dir. Marina Karpova, Russia

* 2007 | 47th ed.

Best feature film for children: Little Heroes, directed by Itai Lev, Israel Best feature film for youth: Hoppet, dir. Petter Næss, Sweden Best animated film: Tyger, dir. Guilherme Marcondes, Brazil

* 2006 | 46th ed.

Best feature film for children: Bonkers, directed by Martin Koolhoven, The Netherlands Best feature film for youth: We Shall Overcome, dir. Niels Arden Oplev, Denmark Best animated film: Cartoon, dir. Pál Tóth, Hungary

* 2005 | 45th ed.

Best feature film for children: The Color of Milk, directed by Torun Lian, Norway Best feature film for youth: Fourteen Sucks, dir. Filippa Freijd, Martin Jern, Emil Larsson, Henrik Norrthon, Sweden Best animated film: Music Shop, dir. Sofia Kravtsova, Russia

* 2004 | 44th ed.

Best feature film for children: Strong as a Lion, directed by Manne Lindwall, Sweden Best feature film for youth: 4th Floor, dir. Antonio Mercero, Spain Best animated film: Music Shop, dir. Michéle Lemieux, Canada

* 2003 | 43rd ed.

Best feature film for children: The Flying Classroom [de], directed by Tomy Wigand [de], Germany Best feature film for youth: White Oleander, dir. Peter Kosminsky, Germany, USA Best animated film: I Want a Dog, dir. Sheldon Cohen, Canada

* 2002 | 42nd ed.

Best feature film for children: Children of Petroleum, directed by Ebrahim Forouzesh, Iran Best feature film for youth: And Your Mother Too, dir. Alfonso Cuarón, Mexico, USA Best animated film: Choo-choo-2, dir. Garri Bardine, Russia

