Just Film Children's and ECFA Competition
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Just Film Children’s and ECFA Competition Films

Just Film, the sub-festival of Black Nights Film Festival dedicated to youth and children's films, has announced 12 films competing in its Children’s Competition and 7 films competing in the European Children’s Film Association (ECFA) Competition. The selection includes one world and one international premiere.

Screening at Just Film as world premiere, „Glassboy“ is the second full-feature film of Italian director Samuele Rossi, who in 2010 co-produced, directed and wrote his first feature movie "La strada verso casa" ("The way back home"). Samuele Rossi is also known for his 2016 documentary „Indro. The Man Who Wrote on the Water“ about controversial Italian journalist Indro Montanelli. „Glassboy“ is described as a story about freedom, risk, fear, growth, communication between kids and adults, and courage. “Glassboy” will have its world premiere at Just Film.

Russian director Alexey Telnov will present the international premiere of his feature debut „The Time Guardians“. It is „a phantasmagoric journey through the dark city of Saint-Petersburg is a way to understand the real world through the prism of the feelings of the main character Ksyusha.“ by the words of Alexey. His first project as a director was a documentary film “Tsurtsula” (2015, 52 min).

Just Film Children’s Competition consists of films that bring characters that many people already know to the screens and also introduces some new and fun stars.

Just Film director Mikk Granström says: “This year’s Children’s Competition will bring back some known protagonists like Bert from the Swedish children’s novel by Anders Jacobsson and Sören Olsson, “Bert’s diary”, Yakari from the Franco-Belgian comic book (or French cartoon series) series “Yakari” and Sipsik, a character from a known Estonian children’s book “Sipsik” by Eno Raud. We are proud to present one international premiere, “The Time Guardians” and one world premiere “Glassboy”. The Children’s Competition programme is fun and adventurous, and will make the whole family happy.”.

The Children’s Competition programme will be judged by Just Film Children’s Jury. The members of the jury are Kerstin Kalda (9 y/o), Kaarel Uueni (9 y/o), Kuno Wilhelm Rohusaar (9 y/o), Mari Krashevski (12 y/o) and Sarah Liis Luha (12 (y/o).

Children’s Competition films:

Raggie
Sipsik
Estonia/Denmark 2020, 74 min
Director: Meelis Arulepp, Karsten Kiilerich

Ruby is turning six and her life is in balance – she has an older brother Mark, who is her best friend and always has time to play with her. Then summer is over and Mark has to go back to school. He won´t have time for her sister anymore. Ruby is devastated. Mark decides to make Ruby a new companion: a doll - Raggie. In a wonderful magical moment, Raggie comes to life, at least in Ruby´s perception. Now she has eyes for her new friend only and Ruby spends all her days with Raggie. This changes the relationship …

The Time Guardians
Russia 2020, 94 min
Director: Alexey Telnov

International premiere

An exiting phantasmagorical mystic tale set in classical St. Petersburg. A girl Ksyusha is adopted into a family of a writer and an artist. She finally got fortunate. But having been in a car accident, the girl finds herself in the Dark City, where along with her magical assistant Paramon, she must overcome evil witchcraft and rewind the city clock to stop the Witch and her black army from taking over the city. Will the girl succeed in finding the Time Key and rewind the clock? Will happiness return to her new family?

Bert's Diary
Sweden 2020, 95 min
Director: Michael Lindgren

Bert is starting 7th grade. Also in his new class is Amira, little sister to Leila in 9B. Leila is the girl that everyone has a crush on, including Bert. Bert plans to become friends with Amira to get closer to Leila. When Bert finds a secret diary at the girls’ home, it marks the beginning of an eventful love story about lies, fake news and super hero Lynx. All of this in order to get Bert to start listening to his heart.

Yakari, a Spectacular Journey
France 2020, 72 min
Director: Xavier Giacometti, Toby Genkel

With his tribe’s move to follow the migrating bison imminent, Yakari, the little Sioux boy, sets out on his own to follow the trail of Little Thunder, a wild mustang said to be untamable. On his journey, and alone for the first time in his life, Yakari is visited by Great Eagle, his totem animal. Great Eagle gives Yakari a magnificent feather as well as the incredible ability to speak to animals. Traveling far from home and deep into the territory of the terrible pumaskin clad hunters, Yakari and Little Thunder undertake a great adventure and find their way back home again. Their journey, through breath-taking but treacherous landscape, will forever seal the undying friendship between the bravest little Sioux boy and the pony who runs like the wind.

Jackie and Oopjen
Netherlands 2020, 90 min
Director: Annemarie van de Mond

When Oopjen believes that 12-year-old Jackie is the sister that she lost years ago, Rembrandt’s famous painting comes to life.
Jackie (12) has made the Rijksmuseum her second home, as her mother works there. While she is wandering around after hours, Oopjen (from Rembrandt’s famous painting) suddenly appears in front of her. It seems she’s looking for her long lost sister. Jackie is used to solving other people’s problems and decides to take Oopjen home, so they can go look for her sister. For Oopjen, a woman from the Golden Age, the 21st century is a big adventure and Jackie finally gains a real friend: a true BFF.

Glassboy
Italy 2020, 100 min
Director: Samuele Rossi

World premiere

Pino is a child suffering from haemophilia and is animated by an unbridled desire for freedom and boundless courage: he decides to start his adventure in the world and to show everyone that he can live his life like a normal kid.

Pirates Down the Street
Netherlands 2020, 95 min
Director: Pim van Hoeven

The ordinary coastal town Sandsborough is turned upside down when the Blunderbuss family arrives, a sword-fighting, rum-drinking bunch of pirates. While the respectable residents are appalled by the family’s ship-turned-home, guard shark and pet octopus, Michael (12) becomes friends with the new boy next door, pirate Billy (13).
However, Michael might lose his new friend when the Blunderbusses’ archenemy Crooked Cornelius suddenly turns up, determined to lure the pirates back to sea. Together with Elizabeth (12), a girl from the neighborhood, Michael and Billy go into battle against the most dangerous pirate of the seas…

Madison - A Fast Friendship
Germany/Austria 2020, 90 min
Director: Kim Strobl

At the center of the family story is 13-year-old titular protagonist Madison, for whom cycle racing means just everything! She gives her all to emulate her cool and successful cycle-pro father. But when the talented and ambitious young racer has to unwillingly swap saddles for a mountain bike, things go haywire. However, with the help of her new friends she starts discovering new goals. Can she find her own way away from cycle racing, the path that was predetermined for her? It’s the start of a big and exciting adventure…

The Fantastic Journey of Margot & Marguerite
France 2020, 89 min
Director: Pierre Coré

Marguerite and Margot are both 12, with each their own family, friends, problems… ad era! One lives in 1942 and the other in 2020. But this is without counting on a mysterious magic chest that transports them to each other’s era. Margot and Marguerite have something else in common: their father is no longer there, one vanished during World War II, the other is not living at home. With 70 years apart, they’re embarking in a wild adventure to find their present, explore History and their familie’s memories.

The Black Mill
Poldan 2020, 100 min
Director: Mariusz Palej

Twelve year old Iwo lives in a small, post-communist town. with destroyed Black Mill – once a place of work for many parents. Breaking the promise to not approach the old mill – the children accidentally unleash its evil powers. From that moment nothing will ever be the same again. Objects and adults start to disappear.

Summer Rebels
Germany/Slovakia 2020, 93 min
Director: Martina Sakova

Rowdy Jonas, 11 , longs to spend summer vacation shooting the rapids and exploring the Slovakian countryside with his cool Grandpa Bernard, but his exasperated mother has already made plans to go to the seaside instead. Jonas sneaks away from his home in Dresden to take the train by himself to his grandpa’s charming little town. When he arrives, he discovers that cool grandpa has become grumpy grandpa, and Jonas realizes why his mother didn’t want him to go there - but the damage is done!
Jonas is left on his own while his grumpy grandpa mopes. Luckily, his brave and tomboyish neighbor Alex befriends Jonas and together they create a scheme to raise money for a raft of their own, unleashing a series of dodgy shenanigans.
Their illegal racket creates an uproar in the village, lands Grandpa Bernard in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, and causes Alex and Jonas’ friendship to fray. Will Jonas find a way to repair the messes he’s made?

One For All
Spain 2020, 95 min
Director: David Ilundain

A classroom of students who bury their feelings and a teacher ready to tackle toxic dynamics and to heal open wounds. This is the base of ONE FOR ALL, the upcoming film from the producers of Summer 1993 and director David Ilundain, starring David Verdaguer (Summer 1993). An inspiring dramatic feature about forgiveness and overcoming obstacles both inside and beyond school walls.
A substitute teacher takes on a class of sixth graders in a town completely new to him. When he discovers that he has to reintegrate a sick student into the classroom he stumbles on an even bigger problem: none of his classmates wants him to return.

Previous winners of the Just Film Children’s Competition include 2018 film by Norwegian director Christian Lo “Los Bando” and 2015 Dutch film by Dennis Bots “Code M”.

ECFA Competition programme is judged by the ECFA Jury.
Members of the jury are:
Mariella Harpelune Jensen, head of programme at BUSTER Filmifestival in Denmark.
Mike Tait, producer of the annual Discovery Film Festival in the UK.
Julia Fleissig, the Head of LUCAS – International Festival for Young Film Lovers in Germany.

ECFA Competition Films:
„Pirates Down the Street“, Netherlands, 2020, Director Pim van Hoeve
„The Fantastic Journey of Margot & Marguerite“, France 2020, Director Pierre Coré
„One For All“, Spain 2020, director David Ilundain
„The Time Guardians“, Russia 2020, director Alexey Telnov
„The Black Mill“, Poland 2020, director Mariusz Palej
„Glassboy“, Italy 2020, director Samuele Rossi
„Bert’s Diary“, Sweden 2020, director Michael Lindgren

The ECFA Award has been presented at Just Film since 2017. The winners have been “Up in the Sky”, Sweden 2016 (director Petter Lennstrand), “Los Bando”, Norway 2018 (director Christian Lo) and “Binti”, Belgium 2019 (director Frederike Migom).