German children's films conquer Canada

German children's cinema has three productions in the Competition and one in the Mini Cinéphiles sidebar at the FIFEM - Festival International du Film pour Enfants de Montreal (2 -10 March 2013). At the Reel 2 Real - Vancouver International Film Festival for Youth (12 – 19 April 2013), MOON MAN by Stephan Schesch (DE/FR/IE) will be shown as part of the Opening Night Gala, and the festival programme also features five German shorts and WUNDERKINDER by Marcus O. Rosenmüller in the Features sidebar. In April, German children's films will be travelling east to Halifax for the ViewFinders Atlantic Film Festival for Youth (14 – 20 April 2013) where WICKIE AND THE TREASURE OF THE GODS by Christian Ditter will be shown in the Features sidebar along with 13 German shorts.

In the past ten years, German children's and family films have experienced a steady upsurge in international recognition. Many quality adaptations with prominent actors have been released in the cinemas; they have been both successful at the box office as well as being programmed in children's film festivals around the globe. In 2012, two children's films –FAMOUS FIVE by Mike Marzuk and HANNI & NANNI 2 by Julia von Heinz– were among the Geman Federal Film Fund's (FFA) Top 10 of the most successful German films at the German box office.

Numerous German children's films were also seen abroad in 2012. There were a lot of sales, in particular, to the neighboring countries of Austria and Switzerland and to other parts of Europe, but also to such countries as Peru, Russia or South Korea: HANNI & NANNI 2 was released in Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and The Netherlands, WHEN SANTA FELL TO EARTH by Oliver Dieckmann (DE/AU) in Italy and Great Britain, ANIMALS UNITED by Reinhard Klooss and Holger Tappe was released in Italy, Hungary, Peru and South Korea, WICKIE AND THE TREASURE OF THE GODS by Christian Ditter in Belgium and The Netherlands, TOM SAWYER by Hermine Huntgeburth in Russia, Austria and Spain, the co-production NIKO 2 - LITTLE BROTHER, BIG TROUBLE by Kari Juusonen and Jorgen Lerdam (FI/DE/IE/DK) could be seen in Great Britain, Denmark, France, Finland, Belgium, Austria, The Netherlands, Poland, Russia and South Korea and was recently sold to the Middle East. FAMOUS FIVE and FAMOUS FIVE 2 was sold at the beginning of 2013 to Spain, THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN by Hermine Huntgeburth to the Czech Republic and Slovakia, VAMPIRE SISTERS, among others, to France, China and Poland.

German children's films screened in 2012 at important film festivals like TIFF Kids, Zlin Film Festival, Giffoni Film Festival and the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival and picked up a series of prizes. At the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, there were no less than eight prizes for German children's films, including main prizes for FAMOUS FIVE, the episode of the KIKA TV series OPEN HOUSE: ENOUGH OPEN HOUSE by Anton Riedel, WESTWIND by Robert Thalheim and MOLLY MONSTER: NEW TOY by Michael Ekbald and Ted Sieger (DE/SE/CH).


by German Films

P.S. And look out for brand spanking new but already award-winning RICKY--THREE'S A CROWD ...