The first weekend of RIGA IFF – October 19 and 20 – will also be a KIDS WEEKEND, with screenings of its children’s film programme, including the latest animated shorts and European feature films that rarely reach local cinema screens.

“KIDS WEEKEND films have been selected in collaboration with children’s film festivals all around the world. With respect and consideration for the main audience – children – RIGA IFF brings a breath of the world to its viewers, expanding their horizons and encouraging conversation. This year’s films for kids aged from 3 to 13 all carry a message: to make the world better you don’t have to wait for mythical superheroes – each of us can do more good than we think,” KIDS WEEKEND curator Kristīne Simsone highlights.

This weekend full of cinematic adventures will include ‘Supa Modo’, a Kenyan and German co-production that was awarded the Best European Children’s Film prize by the European Children’s Film Association in 2018. Its main character, the nine year old Jo, is fighting a terminal illness, and dreams to become the kind of a superhero she sees in adventure films. The lighthearted German adventure comedy ‘Rocca Changes the World’ ponders what Pippi Longstocking, the famous character by Astrid Lindgren, would be like in our time. A Nordic presence in this RIGA IFF selection is the Icelandic football drama ‘The Falcons’, offering a look at scenic Icelandic landscapes, a gripping tale of rivalry, and a reassurance that fair play can be applied to everyday situations off the pitch. And another Nordic film, the Danish thriller ‘Hacker’, is an excellent fast-paced technology story.

The youngest viewers and their parents are welcome to specially programmed animated short screenings. This hour-long selection, featuring work by the most renowned studios in Europe, is always an audience favourite and among the most attended events at the festival.

KIDS WEEKEND will take place at Splendid Palace cinema from 11.00 to 16.00, and the viewers are welcome to spend the time between the screenings in the playhouse by interior design store MOKKA, also hosting book readings arranged by “Liels un mazs” (Big And Small) publishing house.