Augsburg Children’s Film Fest celebrates 25 years

by Bénédicte Prot

14/03/2007 - The Augsburg Children’s Film Festival (March 17-25) is offering young film lovers a feast of 10 international titles for its 25th edition.

Gernot Krää’s German film Paula's Secret, which won an award last autumn at the LUCAS International Children’s Film Festival, will open the festival.

The Element e Filmproduktion and Filmautoren co-production follows 11 year-old Paula, whose rucksack containing her precious intimate diary is stolen by a gang of Romanian street kids.

She makes friends with her classmate Tobi and his family (the father of which is played by Jürgen Vogel) and a string of adventures ensue. After Paula and Tobi find out that the young thieves are in fact victims secretly working for a criminal organisation they decide to help them.

Other European titles in the programme include Danielle Proskar’s Austrian film Karo and God Himself [trailer], where little Karo talks to God on her walkie-talkie (see Making of); Peter Kuijpers’ Dutch hit The Horror Bus; Knetter by fellow Dutch director Martin Koolhoven; Mischa Kamp’s joint Belgian/Dutch production Winky's Horse [trailer]; and Jan Verheyen’s Belgian film Gilles.

In addition to children’s films, a host of other cinema events will take place in Augsburg next week: the 19th Independent Cinema Days (March 20-25), the 14th Shorts Weekend (March 21-25) and the 15th International Cinema of Tomorrow Symposium for young filmmakers and film students (March 19-25).

(Translated from French)