Untitled Document

2009

CHEERFUL VIDEOTIVOLI TURNS SIX

The Nordic and Baltic Kids for Kids gave out prices for the second time

The international children’s and youngsters’ film event, Videotivoli, and in connection with it, the Nordic and Baltic Kids for Kids took place in Tampere 3.-8.3.2009.

The films were screened at Pakkahuone Hall of the Old Customs House, Niagara Cinema in Kehräsaari and Hällä Cinema in Hämeenkatu. All the kids, youngsters (and those a bit older as well) interested in filmmaking and funny, exciting and affective films were welcomed by Pirkko the Parrot – squawk!

Almost 3000 visitors attended Videotivoli and its exhibitions and workshops this year.

VIDEOTIVOLI

Videtivoli was now presenting films for the sixth time. Videotivoli was sent 446 films made by children under 17 years of age from 30 different countries from all over the globe.

The Videotivoli festival was divided into 11 different screenings showing 75 films altogether. Nursery children and pupils at primary, secondary and upper secondary schools had each their own screenings in every category.

The Videotivoli category presented films from all over the world. This year’s special feature was “Wonders of India” showing films made by Indian children. There were 22 screenings in all during the festival week.

Themes of the Videotivoli films

The themes of the films varied according to each age group. The adventures of the nursery kids, joyfully fearless yet implicitly safe adventures, were not spoiled by realism. The primary school children wanted to perceive the surrounding world in a more realistic fashion, but not in a very serious-minded way. Those a bit older dealt with the everyday troubles and joys of life with an enthusiasm; the environment, love and friendship were amongst the most popular subjects.

KIDS FOR KIDS

The Nordic and Baltic Kids for Kids competition was held for the second time as a part of the international children’s festival. KFK presented films by under 16 year olds from the Nordic and Baltic countries.

This year 207 films from 7 countries were sent to the Nordic and Baltic Kids for Kids competition. The biggest majority of the participants came from Finland, 166 altogether. Clearly the threshold to enter the competition in one’s own mother tongue was lower, and the awareness of the Videotivoli festival stronger. Denmark sent 24 films, Sweden 6, Norway 4, Lithuania 4, Latvia 1 and Estonia 2. Of all these works 55 were chosen to compete for the best film in each category and in the whole competition. There were 25 screenings during the school week.

The chosen films competed in six categories:
(1) animations by under 12 year olds
(2) live action and documentaries by under 12 year olds
(3) one minute films (lasting less than 1 minute) by under 12 year olds
(4) animations by 13-16 year olds
(5) live action and documentaries by 13-16 year olds
(6) one minute films by 13-16 year olds

The jury chose one outstanding film in each category, and one film that rose above all the rest. The winners were announced in the closing ceremony of the Tampere Film Festival 8.3.2009.

The best of the films were compiled in a DVD, Best of Kids for Kids, which will be distributed in various festivals around the world. The event was organised in cooperation with the international children’s film organisation, CIFEJ.

The jury of the Nordic and Baltic Kids for Kids consisted of two adult and three youth members. The adults were professional media educators, Kirsi Mustalahti and Olli Mononen. The youth members were 15 year old ninth graders from Sampola School; Markus Pajarre, Aino Turtonen and Riina Peltomäki.

EXHIBITION

The “Stories from Panchatantra” exhibition was held at the Pirkanmaa Film Centre and its Niagara Cinema 3.-8.3. The exhibition took us far away, into India. The exhibition introduced us to Indian animation art and the colourful culture of the country. The animation pictures and the finished videos on view were made by children of different ages from India and Dubai in workshops supervised by Maikki Kantola. The workshops took place in the August of 2008 in Delhi, Hyderabad and Dubai. The stories of the animations were based on the ancient Indian collection of fables and fairy tales, Panchatantra. The stories of Panchatantra have always a hidden lesson: good deeds are rewarded and stupid ones punished.
Besides animated films, the exhibition presented Indian culture and fascinating objects from the other side of the world. On show there were, amongst other things, Indian musical instruments that whisked us into the rich musical tradition of the country.
The cooperation partners were Photographic Centre Nykyaika, World Shop Tasajako, Cultural Cooperative Uulu and the India Centre.

WORKSHOPS

The Videotivoli festival included international lectures and workshops, in which the students were given an introduction into film-making by their supervisors from abroad.

Rosalind Cooper is from Britain and is studying in Finland to be an international teacher. She has developed a technically simple way of making documentaries with her students. Pupils from Kalevanpuisto School made documentaries in Ros’s workshop 5.-6.3.

Annemette Karpen is a Danish master of Indian dance and a project leader at the Animation House. Her project, “Anima”, consists of different kinds of animation workshops for school pupils held throughout the year.
Annemette Karpen visited Liisanpuisto School on 4.3. and Sampola School on 5.3. Her lecture was an introduction to the world of animation through the story and the storyboard and various animation techniques.

The workshops were realised in cooperation with Videotivoli, Pirkanmaa Film Centre and Art Arc of the City of Tampere.

GUESTS

This year Videtivoli had visitors from Denmark, two spirited girls from Station Next, Karolina Davidsen and Christine Sofie Hanberg. The girls had been involved in the making of the winner of the Nordic and Baltic KFK 5 (Live action), A Lucky Day.

Guro Saniola Bjerk, Malin Hammer and Rebeke Tapio came all the way from Tana, Northern Norway. Guro is a Norwegian documentarist and director, who started a long time project with first graders from Seide School. Each year, the same group makes a documentary and thus we can follow the dreams and thoughts of the children at their different stages of development, all the way up to the tenth grade.

The Nordic and Baltic Kids for Kids included this year a recently finished documentary by second graders, and representing her class was eight year old Malin Hammer. Their work, “Spjåk”, won the KFK 3 category, live action and documentaries by under 12 year olds.

From Russia came children with their guardians from the Petrov Institute of Oncology in St. Petersburg, and Ira Grudina and Roman Sokolov, who supervised the workshops. Their films “Flying animals”, “They’ve come” and “Island” were shown in the VT 1 and 2 screenings. Of the children who made the films, Dmitri Iljin, Vsevolod Košmjakov and Roman Donskoi visited the festival with their guardians. For many of the kids the trip to Finland was their first, even the first one abroad. In spite of their serious illness, everyone was in good spirits and excited about all the things they saw.

Visiting journalists and other media representatives came from the children’s department of Swedish Television, Helena Härmä, Kai Rauhansalo and Ludvig Rexter. Finland was represented by Olli Laine.

KFK JURY

Kirsi Mustalahti is a freelance actor and event producer, whose personal objective is easy access and reach, the combination of different areas of art of culture and delivering art to children and youngsters. During the last two years, Kirsi has made bilingual touring theatre with the TIRAKKOR troupe and through it also studied Finnish sign language.

Olli Mononen is a jack-of-all-trades of Pikku Kakkonen, a children’s programme of the Finnish Broadcasting Company. He has trained as a nursery school teacher, but was snatched up as a presenter of children’s programmes in 1988. Olli is a journalist, presenter, director and these days a producer as well. He is also the voice of the puppets Riku and Late Kettu of the programme Karvakuonot, and he has directed, amongst others, the Tonttu Toljanteri advent calendar series.

The youth jury members are Markus Pajarre, Aino Turtonen and Riina Peltomäki. They are 15 year old ninth graders from Sampola School. They were involved in a Finnish-Taiwanese documentary project, My 24 hours.

Markus’s hobbies are orienteering and photography. He likes movies and TV series, especially Britcoms. Aino spends her free time with her friends, at the gym and listening to lots of music. Riina enjoys all things creative, like drawing and acting, and hanging out with friends. She also plays volleyball and is into other sports as well. She is interested in a future career in journalism.

KFK WINNERS

Films from Tampere hit the jackpot

Three films from Tampere were awarded in Videotivoli’s Nordic and Baltic Kids for Kids competition. “Walter, the Blue Whale” won the category of animations by under 12 year olds. It was a heart-warming animation made by classes 2A and B from Liisanpuisto School in cooperation with Pirkanmaa Film Centre and Art Arc. Another victorious work was in the category of animations by 13-16 year olds, the ingenious “The Waste of Our Family”, which was realised in the animation workshop of the youth centre Vuoltsu. The prize for the best picture in the whole competition was awarded to the wonderful “Rodent Story”, made by classes 2b and SEB of Rahola School in cooperation with Pirkanmaa Film Centre and Art Arc. The winning work presents the diversity and multiculturalness of our modern world. The jury consisted of two adult and three youth members. The adults were Kirsi Mustalahti, an actor and an event producer, and Olli Mononen, a jack-of-all-trades of Pikku Kakkonen (a children’s programme of the Finnish Broadcasting Company). The youth members were ninth-graders from Sampola School; Markus Pajarre, Aino Turtonen and Riina Peltomäki.

UNDER 12 YEAR OLDS

Animation

Sinivalas Valtteri”
“Walter, the Blue Whale”

Walter the Blue whale and Valle the Squid quarrel often. Walter gets ink in his eyes too often. However, there are moments when they must unite their forces.

Live action and documentaries

”Spjåk”
Monster Film”

No one has ever seen him, but there are stories about a monster in the Tana forest. A group of adventurous children plan to go into the forest.

One minute films

”Hårsvall”
Waves in the Hair”

A girl stands at a wall. Is she awake or not, why does she laugh, is this a dream?

13 – 16 YEAR OLDS

Animation

The Waste of Our Family”
Meidän perheen jätteet”

A mob family in Naples plays a dangerous game by dumping nuclear waste at an illegal dump site and brings fear and mayhem to the city.

One minute films

“Different Strokes for Different Folks”
Kukin taaplaa tyylillään”

Everyone gets drunk in their own way.

Live action and documentaries

En heldig dag”
A Lucky Day”

When facing death, two strangers share comfort in the values of life.

Best Nordic and Baltic Kids for Kids film 2009

Rodent story”
Jyrsijäjuttu”

The linguistic war of the animals takes a new turn as a bird reminds them of a fact.

Nordic and Baltic Kids For Kids Winners 2009

UNDER 12 YEAR OLDS

Animation

Sinivalas Valtteri”
Walter, the Blue Whale”

This film conveys the joy of doing things together and helping others. The jury praises the heart-warming story realised with delightful characters. The filmmakers have addressed the right target group with their work.

Live action and documentaries

”Spjåk”
Moster Film”

A sympathetic and simple story that proves that there are no monsters. The jury thanks the earnestness of the film, and its makers’ enthusiasm comes through brilliantly.

One minute films

”Hårsvall”
Waves In The Hair”

(2007 | Sweden | Art | 1’06” | dvd | Director: Alexander Dernelius | Producer:
Alexander, Johan and Jenny Dernelius | dernelius@gmail.com)

An arresting story in its simplicity. The film shows how a short wait is rewarded.

13 - 16 YEAR OLDS

Animation

The Waste of Our Family”
Meidän perheen jätteet”

An innovative film that caricaturises different genres and reality by mixing up everything found on the Earth. The jury was impressed by the experimental approach of the work. Despite its gloomy ending, this work laced by black humour builds faith in the pleasure of doing things together.

One minute films

“Different Strokes for Different Folks”
Kukin taaplaa tyylillään”

The film is about a situation in real life in which everybody makes their own choices and don’t have to assimilated into the masses. The courage-emphasizing theme can be adapted to many different occasions.

Live action and documentaries

En heldig dag”
A Lucky Day

The film is moviesque and very impressive. Despite its dark subject, the professional work as a park of hope and the tension holds the viewer in its grip. The jury especially praises the lightning and the acting.

The Best Baltic and Nordic Kids For Kids Film 2009

The jury was taken by the film and its coherent story, which convey the joy of creation.

The animation technique and the narration of the best Nordic and Baltic Kids for Kids film of 2009 were functionally well balanced. The movie included a lesson and surprising turns. The wonderfully well acted voices receive special thanks. The work also presents very well the diversity and multiculturalness of today’s world. “If only people could speak rodent. It is the language of souls.”