An animated short exploring group dynamics. How do we define ourselves when we are all equal?
KIDS
A film by
Michael Frei
Biography
Born in Switzerland in 1987, he is a filmmaker and artist based in Zürich. He studied animation at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and at the Estonian Academy of Art in Tallinn. His Films «Not About Us» and «Plug & Play» received numerous awards all over the world. He was invited «Animation Artist in Residence Tokyo» in 2014. His interactive project «Plug & Play» became an internet phenomenon. Funny. He recently co-founded Playables, a production company for peculiar projects based in Zürich.
Filmography
- KIDS – 2019 – short film
- Plug & Play – 2013 – short film
- Not About Us – 2012 – short film
Crew
Written by: Michael Frei, Mario von Rickenbach
Director: Michael Frei
Animation: Michael Frei, Martine Ulmer, Anaïs Voirol
Code: Mario von Rickenbach, Raphaël Munoz
Music: Olav Lervik, Riga Cathedral Boys Choir
Sound design: Masumi Takino
Soundmix: Thomas Gassmann
Production: Playables
Co-Production: SRF / SRG SSR, ARTE
Festivals
- Berlinale International Film Festival, Germany (7 – 17 February, 2019)
Generation 14PLUS - Glas Animation Festival, United States (21 – 24 March, 2019)
Official Selection - Go Short – International Short Film Festival Nijmegen, the Netherlands (3 – 7 April, 2019)
European Competition - Filmfest Dresden, Germany (9 – 14 April, 2019)
International Competition - Ismailia Film Festival, Egypt (10 – 16 April, 2019)
Animation Competition Won: Best Animation Award - Hallucinations Collectives Festival, France (16 – 22 April, 2019)
Shorts competition - FLATPACK, United Kingdom (30 April – 5 May, 2019)
Short Film Competition - ANIFILM – International Festival of Animated Films, Czech Republic (7 – 12 May, 2019)
International Short Film Competition - Krakow Film Festival, Poland (26 May – 2 June, 2019)
International Short Film Competition - VIS Vienna Shorts, Austria (28 May – 2 June, 2019)
Animation Avantgarde Competition - Cinema In Sneakers – International Film Festival for Children and Youth, Poland (30 May – 9 June, 2019)
Official Selection - Mo&Friese KinderKurzFilmFestival, Germany (2 – 10 June, 2019)
Competition - Animafest Zagreb – World Festival of Animated Film, Croatia (3 – 8 June, 2019)
Grand Competition Short Film Won: Golden Zagreb Award - Oltre lo specchio – Through the Looking Glass International Film Festival, Italy (5 – 12 June, 2019)
Out of competition: Machinima program - Olhar de Cinema – Curitiba Int’l Film Festival, Brazil (5 – 13 June, 2019)
Young Views - Huesca International Film Festival, Spain (7 – 15 June, 2019)
Short Animation Competition - Annecy International Animation Film Festival, France (10 – 15 June, 2019)
Official Short Film Competition - Florida Animation Festival, United States (13 – 16 June, 2019)
Competition Honorable Mention - Arenas Movedizas, Spain (17 – 23 June, 2019)
- Animator – International Animated Film Festival Animator (5 – 11 July, 2019)
Competition - Curtas Vila do Conde International Film Festival, Portugal (6 – 14 July, 2019)
Curtinhas Competition Special Mention - Galway Film Fleadh, Ireland (9 – 14 July, 2019)
Short Film Competition - ANIMA MUNDI – International Animation Festival, Brazil (17 – 28 July, 2019)
Gallery Competition - Insomnia Festival, Russia (18 – 22 July, 2019)
International Competition - Lago Film Fest – International Festival of Independent Cinema, Italy (19 – 27 July, 2019)
International Competition - DokuFest International Documentary and Short Film Festival, Kosovo (2 – 10 August, 2019)
KIDS Screening - Wiz-Art Lviv International Short Film Festival, Ukraine (19 – 25 August, 2019)
Competition - Turku Animated Film Festival, Finland (21 – 25 August, 2019)
International Competition - Sakhalin International Film Festival, Russia (23 – 30 August, 2019)
Out of competition: Animation program - Odense Film Festival, Denmark (26 August – 1 September, 2019)
Animation Competition - Fantoche – International Animation Film Festival, Switzerland (3 – 8 September, 2019)
Swiss Competition Won: High Swiss Risk Award - Seoul international Extreme-Short Image & Film Festival, South-Korea (3 – 8 September, 2019)
Competition Won: Special Jury Award - ANIMANIMA Festival, Serbia (4 – 7 September, 2019)
Competition Special Distinction - Ars Electronica Festival, Austria (5 – 9 September, 2019)
Prix Ars Electronica – Computer Animation Honorary Mention - FICBUEU, Spain (6 – 14 September, 2019)
Experimental Competition - World Festival of Animated Film in Varna, Bulgaria (11 – 15 September, 2019)
Competition Special Mention - Quebec City Film Festival, Canada (12 – 21 September, 2019)
Official Selection - CineFest Miskolc International Film Festival, Hungary (13 – 21 September, 2019)
Short Film Competition - Message to Man International Film Festival, Russia (14 – 21 September, 2019)
International Competition - Paris International Animation Film Festival, France (17 – 23 September, 2019)
Official Selection - DC Shorts Film Festival, United States (19 – 28 September, 2019)
Competition - Corti in Cortile International Short Film Festival, Italy (20 – 22 September, 2019)
Animation Competition Won: Best Animated Short - Tirana International Film Festival, Albania (23 – 29 September, 2019)
Animation Film Competition - BUSTER, Denmark (23 September – 6 October, 2019)
Educational program - Bali International Film Festival, Indonesia (24 – 28 September, 2019)
Berlinale Spotlight: Generations - Encounters Film Festival, United Kingdom (24 – 29 September, 2019)
Competition - Ottawa International Animation Festival, Canada (25 – 29 September, 2019)
Official Competition - Bit Bang Animation, Videogames and Digital Art Festival, Argentina (25 – 29 September, 2019)
Competition - Animario, Spain (26 – 29 September, 2019)
International Short Film Competition - Edmonton International Film Festival, Canada (26 September – 5 October, 2019)
Short Film Competition - BALKANIMA – European Animated Film Festival, Serbia (1 – 6 October, 2019)
Competition - Orvieto Cinema Fest, Italy (2 – 5 October, 2019)
Competition - BFI London Film Festival, United Kingdom (2 – 13 October, 2019)
Short Film Competition - Tacoma Film Festival, United States (3 – 10 October, 2019)
Competition Won: Best Animated Film - SITGES – International Fantastic Film Festival, Spain (3 – 13 October, 2019)
Anima Competition - Sweaty Eyeballs Animation Festival, United States (4 – 6 October, 2019)
International Competition - Milano Film Festival, Italy (4 – 10 October, 2019)
Focus on Animation Special - Animatou – International Animation Film Festival, Switzerland (4 – 12 October, 2019)
International & Swiss Competition - Sedicicorto International Film Festival, Italy (4 – 13 October, 2019)
Animalab Competition - Animest – International Animation Film Festival, Romania (4 – 13 October, 2019)
International Short Film Competition - Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival, Australia (6 – 9 October, 2019)
International Competition - BRNO16 International Short Film Festival, Czech Republic (9 – 12 October, 2019)
Competition - Thessaloniki Animation Festival, Greece (10 – 13 October, 2019)
Competition - Taichung International Animation Festival, Taiwan (11 – 20 October, 2019)
International Short Film Competition - International Short Film Festival, Cyprus (12 – 18 October, 2019)
International Competition - dokumentART – films & future, Germany (15 – 20 October, 2019)
European Competition - E.V. Festival Matadero, Spain (17 – 20 October, 2019)
- Uppsala International Short Film Festival, Sweden (21 – 27 October, 2019)
International Competition - TOFUZI International Animated Film Festival, Georgia (21 – 26 October, 2019)
The Best Films for Adults Competition - KROK International Animated Film Festival, Russia (22 – 30 October, 2019)
First Professional Film Competition Won: Best Film - Wiesbaden International Festival of Animation, Germany (23 – 27 October, 2019)
Best of International Animation 2018/2019 Competition - Filem’on – International Film Festival for Young Audiences, Belgium (23 October – 2 November, 2019)
Short Film Competition - Fredrikstad Animation Festival, Norway (24 – 27 October, 2019)
Best of International Shorts - Animaevka – International Festival Of Animation Films, Belarus (24 – 27 October, 2019)
Main Competition Mention for Best Social Allegory - Banjaluka International Animated Film Festival, Bosnia and Herzegovina (24 – 28 October, 2019)
Main Competition - Göteborg Film Festival Prisma, Sweden (24 – 28 October, 2019)
Official Selection - Big Cartoon Festival, Russia (25 October – 4 November, 2019)
Official Selection - Cartoons Underground, Singapore (26 October, 2019)
International Competition - Primanima World Festival of First Animations, Hungary (30 October – 2 November, 2019)
Short Film Competition - REX Animation Film Festival, Sweden (31 October – 3 November, 2019)
Competition - Beirut Animated, Lebanon (31 October – 4 November, 2019)
- New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival, Japan (1- 4 November, 2019)
International Competition - Seoul Best Of The Best Animation Film Festival, South-Korea (November, 2019)
Best Of Animafest Zagreb selection - Geneva International Film Festival, Switzerland (1 – 10 November, 2019)
Winterthur Short Film Program - Interfilm – International Short Film Festival, Germany (5 – 10 November, 2019)
International Competition - Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, Switzerland (5 – 11 November, 2019)
Youth Competition 12+ & Züri Shorts - Aesthetica Short Film Festival, United Kingdom (6 – 10 November, 2019)
Animation Selection - ANIMAINE: The Maine Animation Festival, United Stated (8 – 10 November, 2019)
Competition - Kaboom Animation Festival, the Netherlands (9 – 17 November, 2019)
Competition - CINANIMA, Portugal (11 – 17 November, 2019)
International Competition - ReAnima Bergen International Animation Festival, Norway (14 – 17 November, 2019)
Competition Won: Best Professional Film - Les Rencontres Cinessonne, France (15 – 24 November, 2019)
- Du Grain À Démoudre Film Festival, France (16 – 24 November, 2019)
Labomatic - Blue Danube Film Festival, Austria (17 – 24 November, 2019)
Competition - SIGGRAPH Asia, Australia (18 – 20 November, 2019)
Computer Animation Festival Won: Best In Show Award - PÖFF Shorts, Estonia (19 – 27 November, 2019)
Competition - Festival Cinéma Jeune Public, Switzerland (20 – 24 November, 2019)
International Competition 12+ Won: Youth Award - Festival du Film Français de Jeju, South-Korea (21 – 25 November, 2019)
Short Film Competition Won: Young Audience Award - Magma – Mostra Di Cinema Breve, Italy (22 – 23 November, 2019)
International Competition - Anilogue International Animation Festival, Hungary (27 November – 1 December, 2019)
International Competition Special Mention - ANIMASIVO – Festival de Animación Contemporánea de la Ciudad de México, Mexico (27 November – 1 December, 2019)
International Competition - Eindhoven Film Festival, Netherlands (28 November – 1 December, 2019)
Official Selection - Tindirindis – International Animation Film Festival, Lithuania (28 November – 1 December, 2019)
Competition - London International Animation Festival, United Kingdom (29 November – 8 December, 2019)
Competition - Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People, Greece (30 November – 7 December, 2019)
New Trends in European Animation - Leuven International Short Film Festival, Belgium (30 November – 7 December, 2019)
Out of competition: Focus on Games - Verín International Short Film Festival, Spain (30 November – 8 December, 2019)
Official Selection - Animateka, Slovenia (2 – 8 December, 2019)
Eastern and Central European Competition Programme - Aguilar de Campoo – International Short Film Festival, Spain (3 – 9 December, 2019)
Official Competition - Zubroffka – International Short Film Festival, Poland (4 – 8 December, 2019)
KIDS Competition - Amity International Short Film Festival, Turkey (13 – 15 December, 2019)
World Panorama - Piccolo Festival Animazione, Italy (9 – 19 December, 2019)
International Competition - London Short Film Festival, United Kingdom (10 – 19 January, 2020)
International Competition - Minimalen Short Film Festival, Norway (21 – 26 January, 2020)
International Competition - Prague Short Film Festival, Czech Republic (22 – 26 January, 2020)
Shorts for Kids - Solothurner Filmtage, Switzerland (22 – 29 January, 2020)
Competition - Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, France (31 January – 8 February, 2020)
Labo Competition - Victoria Film Festival, Canada (7 – 16 February, 2020)
Short Film Competition - ANIMAC, Spain (27 February – 1 March, 2020)
Official Selection - European Film Festival of Lille, France (6 – 13 March, 2020)
Autres Regards Competition - Internationale Kurzfilmwoche Regensburg, Germany (11 – 18 March, 2020)
International Competition - Tokyo Anime Award Festival, Japan (13 – 16 March, 2020)
Short Animation Competition - Akbank Short Film Festival, Turkey (16 – 26 March. 2020)
Perspective - Short Waves Festival, Poland (17 – 22 March, 2020)
Special: Fixing the future - Athens Animfest, Greece (19 -22 March, 2020)
Official Selection - Ann Arbor Film Festival, United States (24 – 29 March, 2020)
Short Film Competition Won: Juror Award - Underexposed Film Festival yc, United States (25 – 28 March, 2020)
Official Selection - Landshut Short Film Festival, Germany (25 – 30 March, 2020)
International Competition - Skepto International Film Festival, Italy (1 – 4 April, 2020)
Freestyle - Uruguay International Film Festival, Uruguay (8 – 18 April, 2020)
Panorama - Dallas International Film Festival, United States (16 – 23 April, 2020)
Competition - Animocje – International Animated Movies Festival, Poland (19 – 25 April, 2020)
Play-Off - cellu l’art Short Film Festival, Germany (21 – 26 April, 2020)
International Competition - Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film, Germany (5 – 10 May, 2020)
International Competition - Einsiedeln Film Festival, Switzerland (14 – 17 May, 2020)
Official Selection - Monstra Lisbon Animation Festival, Portugal (1 – 7 June, 2020)
Short Film Competition - Il Varco International Short Film Festival, Italy (7 – 15 June, 2020)
Competition - Neum Animated Film Festival, Bosnia and Herzegovina (27 June – 2 July, 2020)
Official Selection - Animakom Fest, Spain (6 – 12 July, 2020)
International Competition - SUPERTOON – International Animation Festival, Croatia (20 – 24 July, 2020)
Grandtoon Competition - New Zealand International Film Festival, New Zealand (24 July – 2 August, 2020)
Short Animation Selection - Almagro International Film Festival, Spain (31 July – 9 August, 2020)
International Competition - Kyiv International Short Film Festival, Ukraine (5 – 9 August, 2020)
Special: Less Is More – No Ties - La Guarimba Film Festival, Italy (7 – 12 August, 2020)
La Grotta Dei Piccoli - Still Voices Short Film festival, Ireland (13 – 16 August, 2020)
Short Film Competition - Animation Festival Fest Anča, Slovakia (27 – 30 August, 2020)
Short Film Competition - Fünf Seen Film Festival, Germany (1 – 10 September, 2020)
Short Film Competition - L’étrange Festival, France (2 – 13 September, 2020)
Short Film Competition - Friss Hús Budapest International Short Film Festival, Hungary (10 – 16 September, 2020)
International Competition - Indie-Anifest – Korea Independent Animation Film Festival, South-Korea (17 – 22 September, 2020)
Swiss Focus - VAF Viborg Animation Festival, Denmark (21 – 27 September, 2020)
Competition - Festival of Nations, Austria (24 – 29 September, 2020)
Official Selection - Biennial of Animation Bratislava, Slovakia (5 – 10 October, 2020)
Out of competition: Black Flag - Braziers International Film Festival, United Kingdom (9 – 11 October, 2020)
Official Selection - Fenêtres sur Courts – International Short Film Festival, France (31 October – 7 November, 2020)
Animated Night
Password
Press materials
EPK: Click here
Stills, poster & director’s photo: Click here
Dialogue list English: Click here
Downloadable trailer: Click here