From the 22nd to the 30th November the British capital city will be invaded by thousands of young cinema lovers, who look forward to watching some good movies and to taking part in some of the various events that will take place during this 4th edition of the Festival. During the Festival the Barbican Centre (the biggest arts centre in Europe) and other venues all around the city will host the projections of different movies coming from all over the world: visitors will have the possibility to choose among a wide range of documentaries, short-films, animation movies, feature films and previews, according to their age and preference. The movie Red Zora (Die rote Zora), will open the Festival, and on the first day also a special breakfast opening gala will take place, while the projection of the film Madagascar 2, the second part of one of the most successful animation movies of the last years, has been chosen as the closing event. In between, a number of films that have been selected and judged by a jury of kids between 7 and 11, who are now ready for the event after having worked on their critical skills, and who will award prizes for the best projected movies.



However, the event cannot be seen as a simple Film Festival, on the contrary: it is a bigger happening featuring a number of different events connected to the films which are part of an education programme, giving evidence of the fact that movies need to be considered also as tools of study, not only as something that makes you have fun. Many workshops, fit for all ages, have been scheduled, and they will give visitors the possibility to express their own creativity, to learn the techniques used to realise a film, to discover the secrets of the world of cinema, and to delve into some themes and ideas that will emerge from the screening of movies. Taking inspiration from the histories and characters of the movies, kids will have the possibility to create lanterns, puppets and marionettes, and they will also have the opportunity to express their musical skills, taking part in workshops intended to make kids learn movies soundtracks, enabling them to sing during the projection. Those who prefer dance will have the possibility to learn the dances that can be seen in some famous movies, while kids who would like to learn to play an unusual instrument will probably decide to attend the African percussions course, with tutors coming from Nzinga, and in this way they will be able to appreciate every feature of movies like Lion King. Another interesting musical event is the Jazz Film Picnic, which will be realised in collaboration with the London Jazz Festival: it is a free event that will permit you to enjoy your lunch listening to good music.

But if you really want to immerse yourselves in the world of cinema, the Festival gives you the possibility to draw a character and to animate it by learning some animation techniques, to discover the techniques used by stuntmen thanks to workshops held by professionals, and even to create your own movie in just one day: some film-makers of the Young Film Academy will help you to plan, shoot and edit your own movie giving you the chance to discover the magic world of cinema.

London is a bustling city, and people of all ages can have fun there. If you are looking for an event fit for your children and interesting for you too, book now your cheap hotel in London and enjoy the Children's Film Festival.

Tickets: various prices

Date: 22nd - 30th November 2008

Location: various venues, London, UK