May 2013: Young Audience Award 2013

In a truly European vote, 12-14-year-old audiences in Copenhagen (Denmark), Erfurt (Germany), Izola (Slovenia), London (UK), Riga (Latvia), Sofia (Bulgaria), Turin (Italy), Valletta (Malta) and Wroclaw (Poland) have elected THE ZIGZAG KID by Vincent Bal (the Netherlands) as the winner of the European Film Academy Young Audience Award 2013. 

(pictures above: Carlo Bansini)

Having watched the three nominated films THE SUICIDE SHOP by Patrice Leconte (France/Belgium & Canada), UPSIDEdown by Bernd Sahling (Germany) and THE ZIGZAG KID by Vincent Bal (the Netherlands) on Young Audience Film Day (5 May), more than 600 young cinema-lovers across Europe had the opportunity to discuss the films before electing their favourite. At the end of the day the results were reported live via Skype video conference to Erfurt where TV host Ben moderated the award ceremony which was also transmitted online as a live stream. German jury speakers Lisa (14) and Neal (13) presented the award to director Vincent Bal who thanked the juries in all cities, everybody who worked on the film, his family and especially his children.

In Sofia, jury speaker Ivan (11) started his assignment with a couple of interviews on national Bulgarian TV, among them the morning show ”Denjat zapochva s kultura”. Together with Sirma (16) and the other jury kids, he then spent the day at the Cinema House (Dom Na Kinoto) which also offered a comics exhibition and a movie poster for each participant. Since it was also orthodox Easter, the kids received some special easter eggs and sweets.

In central Copenhagen, opposite the King's Garden and Rosenborg Castle, at the Danish Film Institute (DFI), jury speakers Amalie (13) and Magnus (14) were among the jury kids. The programme started with a croissant and juice and, three films later, ended with the jury vote.

While the streets of the Maltese capital saw 250 kids performing world music, dance and visuals, inside St. James Cavalier, a 16th century fort, the jury was concentrated and quiet – except for the moment when jurors, among them Gian Francesco and Kim (both 14), were asked to shout the name of their city, Valletta. 

Throughout the day, they were visited by different film professionals to discuss the screened films but also to talk about filmmaking in general – among the guests were Rebecca Cremona, director of SIMSHAR (currently in post-production) and her two young actors Adrian Farrugia and Kurt Zammit.

Another two young actors were watching the same three films way up North in Riga: jury speakers Kristofers and Matīss (both 14) who have both starred in Janis Nords’ full-length feature MOTHER I LOVE YOU. Popular TV host Kaspars Zlidnis led through the day at the spectacular Splendid Palace theatre with its neo-baroque facade and neo-Rococo style interior.

The time between screenings at Wroclaw’s New Horizons Cinema was filled with discussions and special workshops dedicated to the city’s famous dwarfs! Participating kids, among them Basia (14) and Szymon (13), learned all about these little creatures that can be found all over the city, and could create their own legend, possibly to be turned into a film in the future...

In Izola, Špela Pirc from Nova Gorica said, “I just like films. I often watch them, and with a very critical eye.” On the jury she was joined, among others, by jury speakers Maruška and Sara (both 14). Fun and laughter between screenings were provided by host Boštjan Gorenc – Pižama and his guests: directors Miha Hočevar and Miha Knific, as well as young actors Nika Manevski and Jure Kreft revealed interesting behind-the-scenes moments, direction tricks, and acting techniques. How to cry on a set, how to film a jump from high grounds, how many seconds of animation is done in one day…

Wearing their jury badges, over 180 film fans spent their day at the National Cinema Museum in Turin. Among them were Vittoria (15) and Alessio (14) who stayed behind to transmit the Italian vote to the ceremony in Erfurt.

Since it is an hour earlier in England, the young jurors at London’s BFI Southbank could then choose to go home or stay an extra 45 min and watch jury speakers Euan (11) and Theo (12) transmit the results live via Skype to Erfurt where the cermony took place.

Directors Vincent Bal (THE ZIGZAG KID) and Bernd Sahling (UPSIDEDOWN) and producer Gilles Podesta (THE SUICIDE SHOP), were at the CineStar in Erfurt where the award ceremony took place in the evening. Before that, the kids in Erfurt had the great opportunity to ask them questions about the nominated films. And there were all kind of question all over Europe – Why is the camera so shaky? How come the kid smokes in your film? And many more…