A compact and adventurous selection of the latest European feature films tailored to children of school age. Covering a wide variety of genres and emotional styles, this spectrum of feature-length films will allow the viewer to discover great cinematic storytelling while inspiring reflection. Films that surprise, thrill, and make you gasp in amazement!

The main characters of the short-film series Shammies – Sockie, Hankie, Mitten and Pillow – live in a textile house where they learn about the world around them while under the watchful eye of Mr. Cat. The Shammies’ tireless imagination and exciting adventures are brought to life as an animated collage made from pieces of fabric, buttons, ribbons and lace. ‘These are wonderful toys, and it is even more interesting to play with them than with fancy dolls. The properties of things allow you to imagine their personalities, and then the story begins. This is how small children play, as do we, the creators of Shammies,’ says writer Inese Zandere. Over the last ten years, Shammies has become beloved by cinema-goers all over Latvia and beyond. These short films are the first experience that many tykes have with locally made cinema. This autumn, the first six short films and two web episodes will see the addition of three new series in which the cloth children will travel without leaving home, learn to keep track of time, and have breakfast together. Made by the studio Atom Art, the creators of Shammies are: screenwriter Inese Zandere; director Edmunds Jansons; Reinis Pētersons, design; composer Jēkabs Nīmanis; sound editor Ģirts Bišs; lead animator Mārtiņš Dūmiņš; and producer Sabīne Andersone.

An audience favourite, this selection is especially suitable for preschoolers. With a total running length of under an hour, the selected group of short films brings together works from the best and most tradition-rich animation studios in Europe. Masterfully designed, diverse and different from everyday options, these are animated works that touch and delight the soul.