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Filem’On international film festival for young audiences is back
The Brussels film festival Filem’On promises to entertain young audiences in cinemas and cultural hotpots around the capital from 26 October to 5 November.
Staged during the autumn half-term holiday, the festival is pitched at kids and youngsters aged two to 16. In a unique programme, it presents more than 130 films: shorts, features and documentaries. Many of them are competing in Belgian and international competition sections.
Some films will be screened in the presence of directors, and fun workshops and other film-themed events are sure to please young cinephiles. The festival is designed for multilingual audiences, with screenings in Dutch, French and English.
Under the banner Unmasked, the festival englobes four themes revolving around the idea of suspense. Halloween @ Filem’On offers a topical screening of The Seekers: Thrill Night on 31 October (in Dutch; seven and up). Youngsters are encouraged to solve mysteries in a series of detective films, including the animation The Great Mouse Detective (Fr and NL screenings). A special programme for little ones, Filem’On Mini, features the musical journey Fire Charmers. A cast of endangered species, such as a Thai fishing cat and Italian yellow-bodied toad, invite kids to reflect on our relationship with nature. Finally, some fantastic superhero films are guaranteed to entertain, including favourites like Batman Returns, The Mark of Zorro and Mulan.
The festival opens with a one-off film concert Unmasked at Bozar on 26 October (pictured. A musical adventure filled with big and small heroes, it’s a series of short films from around the world accompanied by live music (five and up; without dialogue).)
Among the screenings for older children is charming Spanish drama Full of Grace (pictured) on 2 November (10 and up; Eng, Fr & NL subtitles). When unorthodox nun Marina is sent to a boys’ boarding school, the wary kids put her through a series of tests until gradually a close bond develops between the characters.
Another film for older children is The Sleeping Beast (pictured), an Estonian movie by Jaak KIlmi on 4 November (Eng, Fr & NL subtitles). It’s an adventure story about Kristjan and his friends who hang out in an abandoned factory over the summer. Then they’re chased away by a grumpy security guard and an accident results in Kristjan having to make a difficult decision that tests the friends’ relationship.
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