The children’s film programme of the Riga International Film Festival (RIGA IFF) – KIDS WEEKEND – will present an Animated Short Film Selection for the youngest audience on October 21 at the cinema Splendid Palace.

Following the tradition established last year, a guest curator is invited to make this selection. The author and publisher of children’s books Inese Zandere has undertaken the demanding and exciting task this time. She addresses the festival’s audience with the words: “The cultural contexts revealed in a short film made for a child, forms one’s personality, prepares the soil for the influences that will come later and the challenges that a person will have to encounter and overcome.”

The Animated Short Film Selection welcomes the youngest children for, perhaps, their first visit to the cinema. To keep the pre-schoolers’ attention, the screening will last about an hour. There will be recently made animated short films from Lithuania, Russia, and France – including works produced by the internationally acclaimed film school La Poudrière and studio Les Films du Nord.

The witty stories, original visual language and playful sincerity of these animated films will hopefully fill the Large hall of the gorgeous historical cinema Splendid Palace with children’s laughter and joyful chatting once again.

Inviting guest curators to create cultural content for kids ensures special qualities. The honesty and exceptional imagination of Inese Zandere, her ability to entertain and emotionally enrich with her books is a unique and valuable contribution to the Latvian children’s literature. The style of Inese Zandere reflects in her film choice as well. They are “zanderisque”, as the author admitted during the selection process.

The KIDS WEEKEND will run for two days – on October 20 and 21. This programme will comprise feature-length adventure films from Norway, Serbia and Estonia, an animated detective story from Sweden, and the Animated Short Film Selection made by guest curator Inese Zandere. Before and after the chosen screening, everyone will be welcome to spend fun time at the play zone arranged in collaboration with the interior salon Hemma.

The short films will have English subtitles and simultaneous translation to Latvian in comfortable wireless headphones.