Fatih Akin’s “Goodbye Berlin” won the EFA Young Audience Award

YOUNG AUDIENCE FILM DAY was held yesterday, Sunday 7 May throughout Europe: one day dedicated to youth films, during which a jury selected by the participating countries and composed of children aged 12 to 14 met at the cinema to see the 3 films nominated for the prestigious EFA Young Audience Award (GOODBYE BERLIN, MA VIE DE COURGETTE and THE GIRL DOWN LOCH ÄNZI) in order to discuss them, vote them and choose the winner.
The event, organized by EFA YOUNG AUDIENCE AWARD in 36 cities and 31 countries simultaneously, was attended by almost 2,000 young people from all over Europe, who finally awarded the prize to the film GOODBYE BERLIN (TSCHICK) by Fatih Akin.
The results were communicated live through a video conference from Erfurt (Germany). German actress Gesa Dreckmann hosted the ceremony. The event was broadcast in live streaming and is available online. EFA director Marion Döring handed out the award to screenwriter Lars Hubrich, producer Marco Mehlitz, and the two leading performers Tristan Göbel and Anand Batbileg.
This year, Rome joined the EFA circuit, together with Turin and Florence, thanks to Alice nellla Città that selected the young jury and developed the contents of the day in agreement with the Fondazione Cinema per Roma, in collaboration with Rai Movie, media partner of the event, and with the patronage of the Presidency of the Capitoline Assembly. The day is part of the training program that Alice nella città and CityFest, the cultural container organized by the Fondazione Cinema per Roma – chaired by Piera Detassis – carry out throughout the year.
During the event, actress Michela Cescon gave a speech for a campaign promoted by a group of Italian Artists and Citizens to raise awareness about children’s civil rights. By presenting the new video of #EVERYCHILDISMYCHILD she reminded the young audiences of the importance of “creating a positive and ever-increasing wave to stop war“.
Film critic Federico Pontiggia then stayed with the guys over the course of the day, discussing with them the three selected films.
“It’s comforting to see how the Young Audience Award event keeps growing year after year,” commented Carlotta Calori, partner of the production company Indigo Film, whose productions include Gabriele Salvatores’ “Il ragazzo invisibile” (Invisible Boy), winner of the EFA YOUNG AUDIENCE AWARD award last year. “This gives another proof that the projects aimed at promoting European cinema specifically dedicated to young people by connecting them with different stories, cultures and movie languages ​​are not only an important stimulus for youngsters but also a necessity.”
The three nominated films:
GOODBYE BERLIN (TSCHICK)
Directed by: Fatih Akin
Written by: Lars Hubrich
Produced by: Marco Mehlitz
Drama, Germany
Maik and Tschick experience the trip of a lifetime and share a summer they will never forget.
MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI (MA VIE DE COURGETTE)
Directed by: Claude Barras
Written by: Céline Sciamma
Produced by: Max Karli
Animation, Switzerland / France
After his mother’s sudden death, Zucchini struggles to find his place in the world.
THE GIRL DOWN LOCH ÄNZI (DAS MÄDCHEN VOM ÄNZILOCH)
Written, directed and produced by: Alice Schmid
Documentary, Switzerland
The summer of twelve-year-old Laura, who lives in the beautiful and remote mountainous areas of Switzerland.
The 31 European countries participating in the project:
AUSTRIA: St. Pölten & Vienna, BELGIUM: Brussels, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: Sarajevo, BULGARIA: Sofia, CROATIA: Zagreb, CZECH REPUBLIC: Prague, DENMARK: Aalborg, ESTONIA: Tallinn, FINLAND: Helsinki, GERMANY: Berlin & Erfurt, GREECE : Athens, HUNGARY: Budapest, ISRAEL: Tel Aviv, ITALY: Florence (Fondazione Stensen), Rome (Alice nella città in collaboration with Fondazione Cinema per Roma) & Turin (Museo Nazionale del Cinema), COSSOVO: Prizren, LATVIA: Riga, LITHUANIA: Vilnius, LUXEMBOURG: Luxembourg, MACEDONIA REPUBLIC: Skopje, MALTA: La Valletta, MONTENEGRO: Podgorica, HOLLAND: Amsterdam, POLAND: Warsaw & Wroclaw, PORTUGAL: Lisbon, ROMANIA: Cluj-Napoca, SERBIA: Belgrade, SLOVAKIA: Bratislava, SLOVENIA: Izola, SPAIN: Barcelona, ​​TURKEY: Istanbul, UNITED KINGDOM: London