Introduction

Cinekid for Professionals

Hello 2021. There’s a name for the ‘meh’ you’re feeling: it’s called survival. Then again, it might be called ‘taking a big deep breath and starting over again’ which, for many of us may be the dominant sentiment of 2021. We all feel is that it’s time again for human interaction, a change of scenery and a big dose of creative input! Of course it will be great if we can welcome you back to Amsterdam again this year and to celebrate the newest productions for our newest generation on the silver screen.

Whatever happens, let’s celebrate fantastic fresh content and let’s get creative about how to deliver it to our audiences. These recent times have proven how much we all need content to survive. Models are disrupted and the current generation of digital natives don’t respond in the same way to established media models. They are consuming everything everywhere and, as importantly, creating it themselves. How can we as professional creatives distinguish our own content, take responsibility, get creative and adapt to audience preferences? So, welcome to the hybrid 2021 Cinekid for Professionals programme, which we hope will again offer you fresh insights, new tools, an expanded network, and renewed inspiration for your work within children’s media. Whether you’re joining us in Amsterdam or in the Cloud, we’re delighted to be getting creative with you again. We think we have devised a programme to cater for the needs of everyone. In order to adapt to the fast pace of the world we need to work together creatively as a chain, and to our full potential. What can we learn from the past in order to create a sustainable industry and a future that is welcoming for everyone?

We are delighted that leading international professionals still see Cinekid as an essential platform for sound and profitable business. The effectiveness of previous Junior Co-production Markets is reflected again in the 2021 Cinekid Festival Programme, which contains eleven titles previously pitched there, including our star opener Captain Nova. We are grateful that many of the core players within children’s media industry will, during our jam-packed Industry Forum, enlighten us with their experience and expertise in adapting to the changing industry. I would like to thank our funders and our loyal supporting partners, without whom Cinekid for Professionals would not exist. I would also like to thank you, the children’s media industry, for your support and for being our ambassadors, and for sharing our vision on children’s media. Last, and certainly not least, I would like to thank my brilliant colleagues, without them there would never be another Cinekid. On behalf of the entire Cinekid team we hope that this year’s programme will fuel you for the year to come. We might feel far away if you’re not with us in Amsterdam, but we’re really not. We’re here for you, so let us know what we can do for you, whether during Cinekid or outside of festival dates, any time at all.

Wherever we meet, it’s time to flourish again!

Nienke Poelsma Head of Cinekid for Professionals