Cinekid for Professionals presents a comprehensive industry programme, igniting innovation and collaboration

Trends and technical developments in the field of youth film and media on the agenda during Cinekid Festival 2023

AMSTERDAM, Oct. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Cinekid for Professionals presents its extensive international industry programme. As a crucial part of Cinekid Festival 2023, world's largest media and film festival for children, they welcome over three hundred professionals in the children's film industry annually. The Cinekid for Professionals industry programme starts on October 24, at the main location of Cinekid Festival in Amsterdam Noord. On the agenda are an exclusive view of the project Sam & Julia, a special keynote from the Animation Art Director at Pixar Animation Studios, Deanna Marsigliese, and the celebration of the 10th anniversary of one of the talent development programmes, Cinekid Script LAB.

Heleen Rouw, Director of Cinekid: "At Cinekid Festival, we connect the creators with our young audience in all activities. In addition, in our Cinekid for Professionals programme, we ignite the imagination of international professionals and facilitate scriptwriters, directors and producers in their creative process. As an integral part of the Cinekid Festival programme, CfP serves as a catalyst for the entire project development from idea to curation and education. This is how we enrich the children's films and media industry."

Cinekid for Professionals

Cinekid for Professionals (CfP) provides comprehensive year-round industry programming for film professionals, targeting the entire life cycle of a film. Writers develop scripts in the Script LAB, teams pitch at the JCM for international partnerships and funds, and the Directors LAB supports pre-production. Works-in-progress projects can be pitched at the JCM, and finished films are showcased in the ScreeningClub. CfP also fosters knowledge exchange through Producers LINK and expert sessions in the Industry Forum. The film Kiddo, directed Zara Dwinger, exemplifies CfP's holistic support, leading to a premiere in the Berlinale's Generation section. This continuous nurturing of talent makes CfP an important incubator for independent children's filmmaking.

Over three hundred industry professionals are set to attend this edition of CfP. Guests will network with international colleagues, discover the latest trends in CfP's conference, the Industry Forum, and catch a glimpse of the best new projects in development at the Junior Co-Production Market, such as Sam & Julia – a work-in-progress project directed by Régis Vidal. 

Exploring coexisting realities at the Industry Forum

This year, the previously announced Deanna Marsigliese, Animation Art Director at Pixar, will share her insights on finding creativity and following intuition during the Industry Forum. CEO and co-founder of Neon Wild Matt Weckel will also join the panel during the international conference. Neon Wild, focusing strongly on game representation, is collaborating with DreamWorks Animation and NBCUniversal to bring their extraordinary library of family content to life. The expert panel delves into the question: 'What is real, and for whom?'. Moderated by Isabel Sheridan, the panel discussion addresses the complexities of understanding the needs of various young audiences. The afternoon features ten interactive thematic roundtables led by various artists, researchers and educators, in addition to directors, producers, and screenwriters of the films and series screened at the Cinekid Festival.

Cinekid Script LAB turns 10 years

The Cinekid Script LAB celebrates its 10th edition, a distinctive programme for scriptwriters that provides tailored sessions for developing children's film and series projects. Participants bring the total number of projects to 110 (102 feature films, eight series) by 138 writers, representing 31 production countries that have followed the six-month trajectory over the last decade. Head of Studies Esther van Driesum has overseen the LAB's development of festival hits, including the opening film of Cinekid Festival Jippie No More! In the 'Ask your Audience' sessions in Amsterdam, writers receive feedback directly from their target audience, while in Berlin, actors bring scripts to life during guided sessions. These residencies coincide with two children's media festivals, Cinekid Festival and the Berlinale, providing a platform for networking and international industry engagement alongside script development.

Further highlights of the extensive industry programme

The Producers LINK programme, which started earlier at the Young Horizons International Film Festival in Poland for invited participants, has an extended programme at Cinekid for Professionals in the Netherlands. Together with industry experts, they will explore the significance of audience awareness in the highly competitive youth content audio-visual landscape and brainstorm about the sector's future for children. Accredited guests will also have access to Cinekid's online video library, the ScreeningClub, featuring films from Cinekid's competitions. The overall comprehensive schedule promises a rich educational experience for industry professionals in media and film.

Cinekid Festival 2023

Cinekid for Professionals is part of Cinekid Festival, world's largest media and film festival for children. Cinekid Festival takes place in over 40 theatres throughout the Netherlands and on Curaçao. The festival screens premieres of (inter)national films and series, organizes daily masterclasses, workshops and hosts other activities such as meet & greets with actors. The theme of Cinekid Festival 2023 is 'Is this real?' is inspired by the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI). With a strong focus on storytelling, Cinekid Festival, together with children, explores the impact of AI on media, film, visual language, storytelling, interaction, and creativity within the scope of the theme.

The complete programme of Cinekid for Professionals is available via the website. You will find more information about how to attend here.

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