Ale Kino!

                             

Good news! Ale Kino! Festival, despite being over forty, is still growing. This year it is in animations where we can observe the most important growth. There are two full-length animations, three screenings with shorts for children and two screenings for young viewers in the competition section. This is twice the dose we had last year and, just for the record, this increase did not happen at the expense of live-action films. Thanks to the kind support of Multikino, the co-organiser of the festival, we are opening the third screening room in Stary Browar centre, which means that each day there are going to be two more films to watch than before. And importantly, the quantity goes hand in hand with the quality. The festival can boast nothing but the latest releases, including the winners of the largest festivals around the world: Berlin, Sundance and Annecy. Traditionally, Scandinavian films for children are generously represented, whereas this year's young audience productions originate surprisingly often in the Antipodes - there are three Australian movies, one from New Zealand, Columbia and Indonesia, the last two destinations making their debut in the festival selection. Germany's strong position is also worth noting, especially its eager engagement in cooperation with other countries. Ale Kino! is screening four co-productions that our western neighbour contributed to. Like in the past few years, a lot of interesting, independent films from the US and Canada have made their way into the programme. The year 2010 was full of exciting events for young audience cinema. That is why we have decided to award three Platinum Goats prizes - the traditional honorary accolades from the organisers, instead of just one.

 

But numbers are not everything! Ale Kino! is really a festival for every film lover, irrespective of age. In a specially arranged room in Słodownia part of Stary Browar, we screen films for “the youngest young", even those who still crawl on all fours. We have films for children and teenagers, from kindergarten to the final class of secondary school, and beyond. There are productions for adults about children. Finally, there is a rarity no other festival in the world has: a full section about football. Ale Kino! is a festival that spans film genres making its audience cry and laugh. This festival presents youth showing its various facets, confronting important problems, moving and entertaining us. This is a one-of-its-kind festival. It would not take place without the kind support of the City of Poznań, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Polish Film Institute, Marshal of Wielkopolskie Province, Media Programme of the European Union and many others who lend a helping hand. We owe special thanks to the entire team of organisers. Its members infuse the festival with a bizarre but totally effective combination of hard work and creative madness. It is also thanks to their passion, to their willingness to work without casting glances at the clock, that another Ale Kino! is bound to be a fantastic event. I could not be more confident about it, which makes it easier to wholeheartedly invite you to the festival.

Jerzy Moszkowicz

Festival Director