No. 2 / 2011 Q: To Game or Not to Game…? A: To Game! May ECFA’s Annual Conference Review EDITORIAL Kristiansand Children’s International Film Festival, Norway, was once again host to the ECFA and Film & Kino annual conference. This year brought us Among its members ECFA counts a to a controversial topic within the film industry, especially when focusing on growing amount of festivals, includ- children and young people. However, it was the precise aim to demystify the ing 3 new festivals signing up in 2011. In that position ECFA recently gaming world and introduce the capabilities of incorporating video gaming into felt the anxiety rising amongst festival programs, educational strategies and industry cooperation. some European children and youth film festivals about the Berlinale’s ECFA Board Member Adam Graham had a strong desire to bring a valuable insight selection policy. According to the into one of the most productive and profitable moving image industries with the inten- rules of an ‘A rated festival’ and tion to share knowledge, training and effective cooperation to move film exhibition for the guidelines for the other Berli- young people into the future. nale sections, Berlin’s ‘Generation’ The world of the moving image no longer belongs solely to the film industry but now (Europe’s leading children’s film fes- also to the industry of video games. The conference aimed to open up this world and tival) always stated that they prefer the opportunities it can bring to festivals, educators and moving image professionals. world and / or European premiers, The aims of the conference were to: as confirmed in a hearing during - Introduce the modern world of gaming including development companies, marketing the latest festival. But they won’t companies and home experiences. refuse films that have already had a domestic release or a domestic - Bring together the gaming and film exhibition industries to the benefit of each other festival premier. Some producers for audience development. and sales agents prefer to be on the - Gaming as an educational tool. The advantages of learning through gaming as art, safe side and therefore refuse to culture, narrative, characterization, consequences of actions, motor skills and media send their film into other, even do- literacy. mestic, festivals desperately hoping - To give film and education professionals experience of what the gaming world can for a place in the Generation pro- bring to their programs. gram. You can’t blame a festival for - To emphasis the ‘thinning of the line’ between film and video games. No longer are its success nor for being ‘wanted’ by these industries separated from each other but come hand in hand both on an indus- the industry people. try level and creative level. However, most agents wait in vain. Places in the Generation program are limited. Considered that qual- ity productions are rather rare and sales agents, producers and distributors already face problems to keep this business prosperous, the Berlinale’s policy puts a certain pressure on the children’s film circuit. In countries with a strong national market for children’s films, Adam Graham, Director of new UK based media education company Ant Creative, festivals might feel its consequen- ces. If producers decide to give specializing in video gaming for social, educational and career opportunities orga- priority to an international festival, nized and moderated the day but started with a different focus than expected. Briefly they somehow put positions on the quizzing the delegates and students from Noroff Instituttet of their experiences of domestic market at stake and limit video gaming it was evident that most did not have personal experience but certainly the possible choices for festival had family members who played and used video gamines regularly. Followed by programmers, especially for those a short film not on video gaming but on education, an RSA film (Royal Society for festivals on the calendar between the encouragement of the Arts) animating part of a lecture by Sir Ken Robinson on September and February. Changing Education Paradigm’s. The film looks at the need and benefits of chang- ing the way we look at education and indeed how children interpret life in the 21st Until Berlinale’s Generation will Century. An immediate hit the film can be viewed at; http://comment.rsablogs.org. communicate in detail about uk/2010/10/14/rsa-animate-changing-education-paradigms/ their most recent regulations, This was to set the foundations of the day by understanding that new ways of ECFA pleads for a mutual respect thinking, new ways of approaching how we do things, especially when concerning amongst children’s film festivals, knowing how they could influence children, are needed to sustain interest and relevance. the youth film industry in general, even on the domestic market. ECFA’s change of address On July 1st, 2011 ECFA’s main office will move to another address (together with Gert Hermans Jekino, ECFA’s hosting company). The new address will be: Rue du Pavillon 3 (Paviljoenstraat 3) 1030 Brussels. All other contact info remains the same. ECFA Journal No. 2 - 2011 - 1 - sequences of those decisions affect the The News Section: outcome of the narrative for all the char- Films, Festivals, Awards acters involved. Games such as ‘Heavy Rain’ and ‘LA Noire’, both crime drama’s, Cine Junior; Val-de-Marne, can be played individually or in teams, with France the potential to document experiences and Grand Prix: “Sebbe” by Babak Najafi, outcomes throughout the game. Creation Sweden, 2010. Workshops based around the game ‘Little Prix CICAE: “The Colors of the Mark Sample Big Planet 2’ where the game gives you the Mountain” by Carlos Cesar Arbelaez, Key note speaker Mark Sample, Game tools and tuition to create your own levels, Colombia, 2010. Director at Ubisoft, responsible for games and to share them worldwide with Passeurs d’Images Prize: “Flowers of games such as Driver, Bioshock and your own webpage and communities. A pos- Evil” by David Dusa, France, 2010. Assassins Creed presented Digital sible ECFA gaming network of shared levels Grain à Démoudre Award: “Pudana – Convergence: When Games and Movies and games across European Festivals is a Last of the Line” by Anastasia Lapsui Collide. Mark presented an honest and sure possibility! & Markku Lehmuskallio, Finland, open account of the good, the bad and 2009. the ugly of video game film adaptations Ine Bertelsen and Nils-Thomas Okland Young People’s Jury: “Flowers of showing that video games have actually presented a view of video games as art and Evil” & “Soul Boy” by Hawa Essuman, been detrimental to the success of a film their experiences of working with over 3000 Kenya, 2010. in the past. However, a film that set the children in Norwegian Schools discussing www.cinemapublic.org benchmark for digital and 3D cinema, their perceptions of video games. From the also set a benchmark for video game early days of the internet to the present International Filmfestival, adaptation; James Cameron’s Avatar. day Ine introduced a very different form of Generation; Berlin, Germany James Cameron was convinced of the gaming which focused not on narrative or Kplus: Children Jury’s Crystal Bear, impact and importance of the video completion motivations but of artistic enjoy- Best Feature Film: “The Liverpool game to complement his film that he ment and experience. Goalie” by Arild Andresen, Norway, personally worked on the incorporation 2010. Best Short Film: “Minnie Loves of his film world in to the video game The final presentation came from Italy, Mat- Junior” by Andy & Matthew Mullins, world. Collaboration within the film and teo Lollini and Andrea Dressano of the Video Australia, 2010. video game industries are happening to Game Archive at the Cineteca di Bologna. International Jury: Best Feature film: the benefit of each other from sharing An incredibly articulate presentation on the “Tomorrow will be better” by Dorota IP from the outset and sharing skills of comparisons and artistic ideologies between Kędzierzawska, Poland & Japan, programmers, and designers to script video games, film, art and culture. Textual 2010. Best Short Film: “Land of the writers, composers and cinematogra- analysis from book to film and a combina- Heroes” by Sahim Omar Kalifa, Bel- phers. Concluding that collaboration can tion of both for a video game and paintings gium, 2010. only enhance the experience and quality influencing style and content the origins and 14plus: Youth Jury’s Crystal Bear, of both products this is something that importance of video games were laid out. Best Feature Film: “On the Ice” by An- can only benefit everyone involved. Preservation and educational workshops drew Okpeaha MacLean, USA, 2011. are also a key motivation for the Cineteca Best Short Film: “Manurewa” by Sam The new Head of Media at Cinekid Film, di Bologna noting that video games will not Peacocke, New Zealand, 2010. Television and New Media Festival, and should not replace traditional teaching www.berlinale.de Paulien Dresscher, presented their but can be incorporated to increase learning vision for the inclusion and importance potential and ‘bridging the gap’. Reel Fun Film Festival; Calgary, of digital media within their Media Lab. Canada A focus on digital art forms and the All guest speakers were brought together Best of the Fest-Award: “Rising Stars” experience that children gain from the for a vocal panel discussion. Students were by Dan Millican, USA, 2010. extensive and innovative installations very adamant on their learning outcomes Youth Jury Award: “Summer of within a huge ‘warehouse’ throughout from gaming and the topic of ‘educational Eleven” by Joseph Kell, USA, 2010. the festival brought an insight into not video games’ was broached, since the focus www.reelfunfilmfest.com only the enjoyment children gain by in- was on using commercial video games, teracting with media but also the breadth which was discussed in depth and decided International Children’s Film of digital art forms out there and their the subject could also be another day con- Festival (FIFEM); Montréal, relevance to young people today.