Still: Zwermen - Janneke Swinkels & Tim Frijsinger

Zwermen, following many international festival selections, among them its international premier at Annecy last year, is selected for the international competition. The short stop motion by Janneke Swinkels and Tim Frijsinger, produced by Spotted Bird, tells the story of Piet, an elderly man in a care home. He gets restricted in his actions when he realizes he is suddenly turning into a bird. Even though he is still accepted within the group, Piet feels it is time to join a new swarm. Miyu is handling sales and festival distribution. 

Down in the Dumps by Vera van Wolferen (prod. Family Affair Films) and A Dog’s Life by Sophie Olga de Jong and Sytske Kok (Prod. Spotted Bird) are both competing in the Tricks for Kids Children’s Film Competition. Down in the Dumps celebrated its world premiere at Berlinale Generation where it received a Special Mention. When perfectionistic Cinelli’s shell is stolen by her jealous neighbor Peri, she falls into a depression. But just as Peri finds out how suffocating Cinelli’s life is, Cinelli realizes that she is actually so much more than a mere shell…  Festival distribution is handled by Kapitein Kort.
A Dog’s Life world premiered at Cinekid and is also selected for competition at Annecy later this year. When Grandma’s dog Stella dies, granddaughter Luna helps with the burial. But what is exactly happening when you are dead and six feet under? Grandma evades the answer, so Luna is tempted to see for herself what’s going on down there. Festival distribution is handled by Kaboom Distribution. 

And in the Student Competition The Places We Call Home by Meike van Son, her graduation film for the Avans Master Institute of Visual Cultures, is vying for the award. From the warm memories of childhood to the cold moments experienced on the street, an observation of the different places people call home.

The Dutch Country Focus program includes the In Persona program by Hisko Hulsing, in which he traces his artistic journey from poetically dark short films to collaborations with documentary film icons and finally to the large-scale series format. Hulsing is also part of the jury for the ITFS International Competition & ITFS Trickstar Nature Award. Dutch animation studio’s Submarine and Spotted Bird are invited to take part in the Studio Presentation program. Spotted Bird, based in Rotterdam and represented by Peter Lindhout, aims to support filmmakers in realizing their artistic visions and telling inspiring stories. Submarine, represented in Stuttgart by Janneke van de Kerkhof and Alex Dowding, is the largest animation studio in the Netherlands, with a wide-ranging portfolio of short films, feature films and series for children and adults. The Dutch Animation Is Diverse program, curated in collaboration with Dutch animation festival Kaboom, will shine a light on the diverse voices and representation of Dutch animation is all shapes and forms. In the Open Air Screenings the Dutch are also widely represented, including screenings of Oink** (Mascha Halberstad and Viking Film),  Pol the Pirate Mouse (Bouwine Pool and Submarine) introduced by producers Janneke van de Kerkhof and Alex Dowding, shorts The Squirrel and The Swallow (Alex Boeve) and COO-Rage (Alina Milkina) introduced by producer Peter Lindhout of Spotted Bird and a program with Dutch Animation for Kids. 

For more information about the festival click here. 

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*Film is supported by the Netherlands Film Fund
**Film is supported by the Netherlands Film Fund and Production Incentive