BUCHAREST: The Romanian majority coproduction Marona’s Fantastic Tale by Anca Damian received the award for the Best European Children’s Film of the Year at the European Children’s Film Association (ECFA) gala, streamed live from the Zlin Film Festival‘s studio.
The Lithuanian film Matilda and the Spare Head by Ignas Milunas was awarded Best European Short Film for Children.
The ECFA Award is the only European children’s film award voted on by professionals, namely the members of ECFA. Eighteen festivals participated in this year’s ECFA Awards, including the Film Festival for Children & Youth (Zlin, Czech Republic), Just Film Children & Youth Film Festival (Tallinn, Estonia), Ale Kino! Young Audience Film Festival (Poznan, Poland), Kino Dzieci Kids Film Festival (Warsaw, Poland), Biennial of Animation (Bratislava, Slovakia) and Cinemira International Children’s Film Festival (Budapest, Hungary).
The first part of the Zlin FF was held online 28 May-1 June 2021 and the second leg is set to take place physically 9-15 September 2021.
Winners of the ECFA Awards:
ECFA Award for Best European Children’s Film:
Marona’s Fantastic Tale / Călătoria fantastică a Maronei (Romania, France, Belgium)
Directed by Anca Damian
Produced by Aparte Film
Coproduced by Cinema Public Films, Sacrebleu Productions, Minds Meet
Supported by Eurimages, Romanian Film Centre (CNC), Creative Europe Programme – MEDIA, with the participation of Aide aux cinémas du monde – CNC, l’Institut Français, and with the support of the CNC (Création Visuelle et Sonore Numérique), la Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, la Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Strasbourg Eurométropole, la Région Grand Est, SACEM, Flanders Audiovisual Fund, Taxshelter.be, Shelterprod and ING Tax Shelter Incentive of the Belgian Federal Government
ECFA Doc Award 2021:
Tomorrow Belongs to Us (France)
Directed by Gilles de Maistre
ECFA Short Award:
Matilda and the Spare Head (Lithuania)
Directed by Ignas Milunas