The International Children’s Film Festival LUCAS presents current sophisticated cinema for children aged 4 to12 in September of every year in Frankfurt am Main. At the longest-standing German children’s film festival features and short films of high quality compete for the two renowned LUCAS festival awards. The festival presents world premieres, European premieres and German premieres attended by filmmakers.
The productions – often outside the commercial mainstream - chosen by an independent jury adopt a child’s perspective to tackle important issues and let their audience experience many different worlds and ways of living.
Current feature length and short films compete for a total of 4 prizes. The LUCAS-Jury awards the main prizes for the best feature (€ 7.500) and for the best short film (€3.000). Two further prizes are awarded during the festival: by the Fédération Internationale des Ciné-Clubs (FICC) Jury and also by the Centre International du Film pour la Jeunesse (CIFEJ).
The 10-person jury is a special feature of LUCAS: since 1985 five adults and five children have had the same say in the awarding of the main prizes. This ensures that it’s not just the adults’ point of view but also that of children determining the choice; a fact very much appreciated by filmmakers.
The competition each year expands a special series into a theme, for instance on the topic of documentaries or animation. The interactive educational programme of the LUCAS AKTIV section with workshops, games and film talks with guest filmmakers take place daily. Free of charge and without needing to register, children can shoot short films on the KI.KA TrickBOXX known from TV or make their own flick book.
At the festival symposium filmmakers and experts discuss the theme of the special series featuring various reports on work in progress. Renowned speakers, film business professionals and visitors have the chance to exchange views at this international event for experts.
The film market place with all competition entries - and productions invited specifically for this purpose – offers accredited professionals a unique overview of the production of children’s and young people’s films worldwide.
At LUCAS all films are shown in their original version and dubbed into German live at the cinema.
The screenings take place at the CineStar Metropolis cinema. As the Deutsches Filmmuseum is closed for building work from November 2009 until spring 2011, the LUCAS 2010 festival centre has been relocated to the CineStar Metropolis. From 2011 onwards both festival cinemas will be used again.
Since 2008 LUCAS has been offering the multi-part credit points accredited continuing education series of seminars FILMSEHEN – FILMVERSTEHEN (Watching films – Understanding films) preparing teachers for the film and festival programme.
LUCAS is rated highly – both nationally and internationally – by filmmakers, the media and business professionals as well as regionally by schools, families, and film lovers. The festival’s programme – both on and off the screen – follows the programme focus set by the Deutsches Filminstitut: the education of children and young people in film culture and media literacy. Founded in 1974, the festival is one of the figureheads of the Filmland Hessen and with its international films and guests is a valuable addition to the cultural activities offered by the City of Frankfurt.
The festival is hosted by the Deutsches Filminstitut – DIF e.V. / Deutsches Filmmuseum, Frankfurt am Main; it is co-hosted by the Hessische Landesanstalt für privaten Rundfunk und neue Medien/LPR Hessen (regulatory authority for commercial broadcasting in Hesse) in Kassel.
Deutsches Filminstitut – DIF e.V.
LUCAS - International Children’s Film Festival
Schaumainkai 41
60596 Frankfurt am Main
phone: +49-69-96 12 20 670
Fax: +49-69-96 12 20 669
info@lucasfilmfestival.de
www.lucasfilmfestival.de