The Youth and Heritage Film Festival
Winners of the Youth and Heritage Film Festival 2023
Category up to 14 years:
The word is not a horse, authors: Ana Štular, Neža Štular, Sabina Nadine Bogoev, Ema Hostar, Bine Praček, Eva Julija Rozman, mentors: Andreja Goetz, Andrej Štular, Petra Stare, Katja Stare, Lute Production / KUD Nebo, Elephant Society, Slovenia, 2019
Category 15-19 years:
The Speech of Txai Surui, authors: students of the multimedia project of Escola Parque, Rio de Janeiro (15-16 years old), mentors: Alexandre Juruena and Lilian Sodré, Brazil, 2022
Special mention:
Welcome to Čakovec, authors: Group of children, 10-14 years old, mentor Radostina Neykova and Stanislav Novak, produced by ŠAF Čakovec, Croatia, 2022
A local history story, authors: Saoirse O Hanlon, 12 years (director), children of St. Joseph’s NS Ballyheigue, Ireland, 2022
Jury reasoning
This year, for the first time, the Youth and Heritage Film Festival opened its doors to the world of oral and, on the other hand, well-documented history, as experienced by children and young people. In the enviable number of applicants, in sparkling and playful short films about what once was and how it develops on the foundations of the past, the jury recognized in some of them a well-crafted film language and narrative excellence.
In the category for elementary school students, the animation The word is not a horse produced by Lauta / KUD Nebo and the Elephant Society was the most convincing, taking the viewer through the essence of Slovenian proverbs. In a humorous and highly illustrative and vivid way, the animation succeeds in making the viewer really feel the heart of the meaning of the words, which are now also supported by well-designed images. Now we also know what proverbs should look like, although until now we only knew them as words.
Among the high school films, the animation The Speech of Txai Surui produced by Escola Parque from Rio de Janeiro impressed the jury the most. This witness not only to the heritage of an individual nation or a geographically defined part of the world, but with the story of the original inhabitants of the Brazilian jungle reminds us of the importance of heritage, which at the same time touches the fate of the entire planet. The strong message note is complemented by skillfully animated plasticine dolls, which, despite the fact that they are, ironically, actually made of plastic, act quite organically in their form. The jury was thus convinced by the combination of technically demanding animation and an idea that goes beyond just local heritage and at the same time draws attention to the world through it.
The jury received a special mention for the films Welcome to Čakovec for their humorous journey through images of the city of Čakovec, in which the city streets are filled with fantasy scenes. The young Irish creators of the film A local history story showed an interesting legend from the history of the village in an authentic way and using an effective approach in a short film.
Filmsko gledališče Idrija, 16.-17. November 2023
