15/07/2024 - The Amsterdam-based youth film festival has announced the 13 international projects taking part in its six-month script-development programme

Last week, Cinekid for Professionals, the industry section of the Cinekid Festival, unveiled the 13 projects selected for its Script LAB programme. With the projects deriving from 12 different countries, the six-month programme offers their writers a chance for focused development and feedback with internationally acclaimed script coaches, as well as valuable networking opportunities. The programme runs from the festival's start, on 19 October, up to the Berlinale next year.

With the target age groups of the projects mirroring the festival’s focus of ages 4-12, the selection is split between feature films and series, including four animated works and even one documentary, aimed at the 11+ cohort. All of the projects are from European countries, bar Chetak from India’s Bhuwan Somani, and deal with an array of speculative, fantastical and sometimes social themes. Script LAB projects also have a strong history of selections at the major international festivals, with Young Hearts [+see also:
film review
interview: Anthony Schatteman
film profile], written and directed by Anthony Schatteman, showing in Berlin’s Generation strand this year after being mentored in the 2021-2022 cohort.

Sara Juričić and Jessica Cohen said the following in a joint statement: “It’s an exciting time for Cinekid’s Script LAB, as year after year, we’re impressed by the amount of talent coming to us seeking support. This time around, we’re happy to welcome writers from two new countries in our selection, ensuring that we continue diversifying the landscape of independent children’s media and foster a sustainable platform for international knowledge exchange. We strongly feel these new perspectives will provide a new angle and will inspire their peers to continue building a vibrant and inclusive future for children’s storytelling.”

Eva Keuris, a former participant with the projects Bizarre and Wild at Heart, comments: “Last year, I was a participant in the Cinekid Script LAB. The LAB was an inspiring and fun experience. The sessions with my script coach and peers, and other workshops, tremendously helped with the development of my script. It was great to be part of a diverse group of European screenwriters and to immerse myself in a well-designed international programme.”

The Cinekid Script LAB is funded by the Creative Europe – MEDIA programme, and is organised with the support of the Athens International Children’s Film Festival, the Flanders Audiovisual Fund, the Icelandic Film Centre, the Netherlands Film Fund, the Norwegian Film Institute and the Swedish Film Institute.  

The full list of projects is as follows:

Feature films

Villa Victoria (Belgium) (9+)
Participating writers: Sara van Oostrum, Arne De Loore
Producer: The Argonauten

Home Court (Greece/Netherlands/USA) (documentary, 11+)
Participating writers: Elpida Nikou, Rodrigo Hernández
Producers: Anemon Productions, SGV, BIND, Hedgehog

Chetak (India) (7+)
Participating writer: Bhuwan Somani
Producer: Studio Ainak

Two Sisters (Italy) (8+)
Participating writer: Antonio Bigini
Producer: Kiné Società Cooperativa

Tongues (Latvia/Estonia) (12+)
Participating writers: Lote Eglite, Tina Zarina
Producer: Munchhausen Films

Sammy (Netherlands) (4+)
Participating writer: Caya de Groot
Producer: Keplerfilm

Movies Showing Nowhere (Netherlands) (10+)
Participating writer: Martijn de Jong
Producer: Family Affair Films

How to Deal with Shattering Geists (Norway) (7+)
Participating writers: Kajsa Næss, Marta Huglen Revheim
Producer: Mikrofilm AS

Handbook for Superheroes 2 - The Longest Night (Sweden) 7+
Participating writer: Anoo Bhagavan
Producer: Stiller Studios AB

The Island of the Great Yellow Ox (Ireland) (8+)
Participating writer: Seamus Murphy-Mitchell
Producer: Keeper Pictures

Series

My Name is Lulo! (Greece) (animation, 3+)
Participating writer: Effie Pappa
Producer: Anemon Productions

Night Mare (Iceland) (10+)
Participating writer: Aevar Thor Benediktsson
Producer: Sagafilm

Tiny Fox and Great Boar (Poland) (animation, 3+)
Participating writers: Rafał Skarżycki, Berenika Kołomycka
Producer: EGoFILM