Interview with ECFA jury members

Eight interesting questions for each ECFA jury member

 Rowena Martinez Tuzcuoglu

1. What is the last film you’ve seen that made you laugh or cry out loud?

That was CAMPEONES (aka CHAMPIONS) by Javier Fesser, from Spain.

2. Which new trend / tendency in (children’s) film do you find particularly interesting?

Recently I’ve noticed an increasing number of films tackling very sensitive issues, that in the past somehow used to be taboo, such as gender equality, LGTB-related topics, questioning religious beliefs, etc.

3. Imagine you were a festival programmer with a 100% carte blanche – no budgetary limitations and sold out theatres guaranteed … Which titles would you definitely put on your programme?

CAMPEONES by Javier Fesser, BALLAD FROM TIBET by Wei Zhang and PRINCESS FROM THE MOON by Kon Ichikawa.

4. When did you realize the young audience was smarter than you expected?

While watching films with children in BIKY (Busan Int. Kids & Youth Film Festival) in South-Korea. During the Q&A I got so impressed by the way kids were asking critical questions about films.

5. Could you imagine yourself having a parallel career? If you didn’t end up working with cinema, which kind of career would you imagine for yourself?

I think I would be a shaman, a doctor or a faith healer.

6. If you were an actor / actress, which role would you have liked to play?

I would choose to be Toshiro Mifune, known for his work with Akira Kurosawa.

7. Young people are currently the driving force behind a worldwide protest movement about climate, social conditions, etc. Is it our duty to give them a voice in our work? Why / how?

Young people are the future leaders and inheritors of whatever good things or fallacies we do as adults. The young generation should have a right to help shape the future of this planet.

8. You’ve been a regular visitor of the Zlin Festival. Any particular impressions you want to share with us?

For me, Zlin is a like an oasis in a huge desert. It is a place where lovers of children’s cinema can come and quench their thirst for beautiful movies, gain lasting relationships and renew the spirit.

Volodymyr Diagilev

1. What is the last film you’ve seen that made you laugh or cry out loud?

I would like to mark two films: SUPA MODO by Lukarion Wainaina and 9 STEPS by Marisa Crespo Abril & Moisés Romera Pérez.

2. Which new trend / tendency in (children’s) film do you find particularly interesting?

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3. Imagine you were a festival programmer with a 100% carte blanche – no budgetary limitations and sold out theatres guaranteed … Which titles would you definitely put on your programme?

That would be CHRISTOPHER ROBIN by Marc Forster and BOYHOOD by Richard Stuart Linklater.

4. When did you realize the young audience was smarter than you expected?

From the moment I started working with children I always knew how smart they are and that I should not underestimate them.

5. Could you imagine yourself having a parallel career? If you didn’t end up working with cinema, which kind of career would you imagine for yourself? & 6. Who’s your favourite character in film history? If you were an actor / actress, which role would you have liked to play?

One of my all-time favorite characters is Maksim Perepelitsa, in the film by the same name, a USSR comedy directed by Anatoly Granik in 1956. I never wanted to be an actor, in my childhood I wanted to be a clown.

7. Young people are currently the driving force behind a worldwide protest movement about climate, social conditions, etc. Is it our duty to give them a voice in our work? Why / how?

We have to support young people in their activities. The simplest thing we can do is offering them a platform for communication. For example, in our Dytiatko Int. Children's Media Festival children and young people can hand out special nominations regarding problems of their concern, like peace, ecology, local development projects, etc.

8. You've been a Zlin festival guest before. Any particular impressions you want to share with us? 

I was in Zlin only once. It was a place for many interesting meetings and screenings, and I enjoyed a wide variety of cultural events. The festival programme is unique. In the Zlin catalogue I found several titles to pick for our festival.

 Kristīne Simsone

1. What is the last film you’ve seen that made you laugh or cry out loud? 

Can I also nominate a TV series? DOCUMENTARY NOW! managed to do both at the same time. This mockumentary (or fictional documentary) series brilliantly parodies the style of several well-known documentaries. 

2. Which new trend / tendency in (children’s) film do you find particularly interesting?

This is just a feeling, but it seems to me that children's film authors understand very well that children grow up much faster these days, and adapt to this tendency by creating more complex and interesting film plots.

3. Imagine you were a festival programmer with a 100% carte blanche – no budgetary limitations and sold out theatres guaranteed … Which titles would you definitely put on your programme?

I would definitely include more films from other parts of the world, for example, from the Far East and the Americas. Being a huge fan of the legendary Japanese studio Ghibli, I would love to include more of their work in my programme.

4. When did you realize the young audience was smarter than you expected?

Luckily that didn't take long! It happened during my first year as a children's film programmer. At a Q&A with a director after the screening, the sophistication of the questions from the audience simply blew me away. 

5. Could you imagine yourself having a parallel career? If you didn’t end up working with cinema, which kind of career would you imagine for yourself?

Actually I do have a parallel career - I am a film journalist. But outside the domain of cinema, I would perhaps be a biologist. I love being in nature, gardening and exploring botanical gardens.

6. Who’s your favourite character in film history? If you were an actor / actress, which role would you have liked to play?

I would gladly take any part (when offered) in a Wes Anderson movie. I think hanging out on one of his film sets might be similar to dwelling around in an exquisite fairy-tale.

7. Young people are currently the driving force behind a worldwide protest movement about climate, social conditions, etc. Is it our duty to give them a voice in our work? Why / how?

Our duty is not only to give them a voice, but to also make sure everyone is listening - youth has always been the driving force behind progress, change and innovation! We can provide them with a platform to discuss crucial topics, using film as an intermediary. As institutions, we can pass their message on to the public via the media.

8. You've been active in several parts and aspects of the film industry. What charmed or surprised you most when entering the world of children's film?

I absolutely think working with children's film and - most importantly - seeing how they touch and change the lives of their audience, is the most rewarding job in the world.