Giurgiu is the first stop of the Animest film caravan: between June 9-11, the public is invited at the festival with a program of films, workshops and cine-concerts, especially curated for the whole family. There is free entry to all festival activities.
"We know how valuable cultural experiences are for developing future audiences. With the support provided by the EEA grants, the Animest team manages to organize a complex festival in those Romanian cities that lack cinematic infrastructure. Giurgiu residents have the opportunity to enjoy films selected at OSCAR and awarded at major festivals, and I hope that this project will open their appetite for such events", declares Mihai Mitrică, director of Animest.
The festival opens on Friday with an open-air screening, on the Esplanade of the "Tudor Vianu" Theater and continues over the weekend with animation workshops for children, open-air screenings and an original cine-concert performed by Sebastian Burneci Trio. Trumpeter and soloist of the Radio Big Band and graduate of the Prince Claus Conservatoire in the Netherlands, Sebastian Burneci is an active member of several international jazz projects. The trio will perform animated Norwegian stories to original music composed and performed live, for the enjoyment of the audience.
PROGRAM
FRIDAY, JUNE 9
21:00, "Tudor Vianu" Theater Esplanade
Ernest and Célestine (France-Belgium-Luxembourg 2012, 80 min., directed by Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar and Benjamin Renner; Dialogues in French, subtitles in Romanian; Recommended age: 6 years+)
*Film nominated for OSCAR and awarded at numerous festivals dedicated to children's films
The story of the impossible friendship between a grumpy bear who dreams of becoming an artist and a mouse who refuses to become a dentist.
SATURDAY, JUNE 10
11:00, "Nicolae Bălănescu" Athenaeum
Perlimps (Brazil 2022, 80 min., directed by Alê Abreu; Dialogues in Portuguese, subtitles in Romanian; Recommended age: 6 years+)
*Awarded at the International Animation Festival in Ottawa, Canada and nominated at the International Children's Animation Festival in Chicago, USA
Lost in the Enchanted Forest, two secret agents join forces to save the mysterious Perlimps from some creepy giants.
12:30 - 14:00, "Nicolae Bălănescu" Athenaeum
Animation WORKSHOP for children, facilitated by Anna Florea.
Anna is an illustrator, animator and director, co-founder of RIVULET studio and co-author of two animated short films "Mr. Anxiety goes on a date" (2016) and "invizibilii" (2020), made together with the 4inaroom collective.
The workshop will introduce children to the world of animation, explaining basic concepts and giving them the opportunity to create a simple, team-based animation. The workshop is recommended for children aged 8-11.
21:00, "Tudor Vianu" Theater Esplanade
Titina (Norway-Belgium 2022, 90 min., directed by Kajsa Næss; Dialogues in Norwegian, subtitles in Romanian; Recommended age: 6 years+)
*Selected in the competition of major animation and children's film festivals: Gothenburg IFF 2022, Mon Premier Festival Paris 2022, Tromsø IFF 2023, New York CFF 2023.
An adventurous expedition to the North Pole, in which the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and the Italian aeronautical engineer Umberto Nobile are accompanied by the dog Titina.
SUNDAY, JUNE 11
11:00, "Nicolae Bălănescu" Athenaeum
Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo (Canada-France 2022, 72 min., directed by Marya Zarif and André Kadi; Dialogues in French, subtitles in Romanian; Recommended age: 6 years+)
With only a few black cumin seeds in her palm, but helped by a princess and encouraged by her family, little Dounia leaves Aleppo in a hurry to find a new place to call home.
12:30 - 14:00, "Nicolae Bălănescu" Athenaeum
Animation WORKSHOP for children, facilitated by Anna Florea.
Anna is an illustrator, animator and director, co-founder of RIVULET studio and co-author of two animated short films "Mr. Anxiety goes on a date" (2016) and "invizibilii" (2020), made together with the 4inaroom collective.
The workshop will introduce children to the world of animation, explaining basic concepts and giving them the opportunity to create a simple, team-based animation. The workshop is recommended for children aged 8-11.
20:00, "Tudor Vianu" Theater Esplanade
Mysteries of the North (50 min)
Norwegian stories animated to original music composed and performed live by the Sebastian Burneci Trio.
21:30, "Tudor Vianu" Theater Esplanade
Cats Don't Dance (USA 1997, 75 min., directed by Mark Dindal; Dialogues in English, subtitles in Romanian; Recommended age: 6 years+)
Danny, an ambitious and talented cat, wants to conquer Hollywood with moves like Fred Astaire, but he faces a lot of obstacles.
Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/57qrmPf7P
The next stops of the film caravan are Campulung Muscel (June 23-25) and Târgu Neamț (July 14-16). All information will be published on the website https://www.plus.animest.ro.
Parteners: Giurgiu County Council, Giurgiu City Hall, Tudor Vianu Theatre, Tranzit 2030
Media partners: Jurnalul Giurgiuvean, Salvează Cinema Giurgiu, Friendshipbridge.eu
The ANIMEST+ project meets the urgent needs of the Romanian animation industry, young animators, future educated cinephiles, and communities lacking in film culture. The project is run by ANIMEST Association in partnership with Kool Produktion. Throughout 2023 the project proposes a series of acitivities: education through culture in rural areas of Romania, a summer school for highschool students, itinerant cinema in Romanian cities and a conference dedicated to professionals and young people interested in the film industry. The total budget of the project is 979.185,85 lei (199.066,02 euro), out of which 952.781,52 lei (193.698,09 euro) is the value of the non-reimbursable financial support.
The EEA Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway towards a green, competitive and inclusive Europe. There are two overall objectives: reduction of economic and social disparities in Europe, and to strengthen bilateral relations between the donor countries and 15 EU countries in Central and Southern Europe and the Baltics. The three donor countries cooperate closely with the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). The donors have provided €3.3 billion through consecutive grant schemes between 1994 and 2014. For the period 2014-2021, the EEA Grants amount to €1.55 billion. More details are available on: www.eeagrants.org and www.eeagrants.ro.
RO-CULTURE is implemented in Romania by the Ministry of Culture through the Project Management Unit. The Programme aims at strengthening social and economic development through cultural cooperation, cultural entrepreneurship and cultural heritage management. The total budget amounts to almost 34 million EUR. For more details access: www.ro-cultura.ro