KinoFest, the German-speaking Film Festival in Greece, curates and presents a special program of animated films for children as part of the 28th Olympia International Film Festival. The program aims to showcase contemporary German creativity and to introduce young audiences to high-quality cinema.
The German animation tradition does not rest on its rich history but continually seeks renewal: through high-level productions, modern techniques, international exposure, and universities that constantly nurture new talent, such as the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg, the Konrad Wolf Film University, the Academy of Media Arts Cologne, and many others. The result is a diverse and imaginative body of work that combines creativity, emotion, humor, and technical ingenuity.
The most prominent emerging creators, some of whom are represented in this program, have been recognized at major international festivals. Many of them focus their work on young audiences, producing films inspired by children’s everyday lives: their small dramas and great joys, their relationship with nature, friendships, and the discovery of the world and themselves
The 12 animated films selected by KinoFest perfectly reflect this philosophy, offering children not only entertainment but also stimuli for reflection, observation, and introspection. These 12 dialogue-free animations demonstrate that cinema for children can be tender, inventive, and profoundly artistic at the same time.
Monkey Domino, Ulf Grenzer, 4’, 2021
An ape is reminiscing about his life in the jungle. At the zoo he meets a manager and his daughter, who is a great fan of animals. The manager can hardly get around to do his job via mobile and laptop, while the ape and the girl both have a lot of fun together. A chain of occasional events changes his cage life for ever.
Night Moves, Falk Schuster, 4’, 2017
Deep in the night when everyone is fast asleep, funny shapes and jolly beasts rumble though the bedroom. There is so much to discover! Only the break of dawn will put an end to their nightly adventures. But dusk is only a stone's throw away.
Cat Lake City, Antje Heyn, 7’, 2019
Percy Cat is looking forward to a relaxing day in Cat Lake City – the cats´ vacation paradise. But the place is not as expected. Not even the spot on the towel is as safe as he thought …
Friends, Florian Grolig, 7’, 2019
The “small” one is, well, small, and the “big” one is definitely very very big. They are friends.
Cat, Julia Ocker, 3’, 2022
The cat has an especially delicious recipe: Mouse Soup!
Pufferfish, Julia Ocker, 3’, 2023
In an ocean full of big, bad fish, the pufferfish must act as tough as possible, but looks can be deceiving…
Mishou, Milen Vitanov, 8’, 2020
The lives of four lively arctic hares take a turn after discovering a strange new creature.
Mu, Malin Neumann, 6’, 2024
As an essential divine water spring has dried up, a child accompanied by an otter-like creature sets out to find a cure for the life-threatening water shortage
Nest, Sonja Rohleder, 4’, 2019
A slightly naive paradise bird is going out of his way to attract a mate.
Cat and Bird, Franka Sachse, 7’, 2022
A white bird living in a black world encounters a black cat living in a white world. The moment they meet, their backgrounds literally collide.
Scrubby, Paul Vollet, 6’, 2023
Scrubby wants to live in his mother's thick fur forever, but she's starting to lose her hair. When he brings back a strand of hair that has flown away, all he finds is a pile of fur and a trail in the snow. In search of his mother, Scrubby encounters a naked, freezing creature. Will his fur be enough to warm both of them?
T-Rex, Julia Ocker, 3’, 2022
The T-Rex badly wants to play basketball. Sadly, the T-Rex is very bad at playing basketball.
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