Jurystatements

JURY 1: Die Lavendelklasse der Grundschule im Blumenviertel

Hello, We are the Lavender Class from the Grundschule im Blumenviertel (primary school in the flower quarter). We are this year's jury for the Kuki Festival for films for ages 4 and up and ages 6 and up.
It was great to be on the jury, but also exhausting. That's why we are happy to present the winning film and the film we thought was the second best. Both winning films this year are from the programme
for ages 6 and up. We'll start with the second-best film. We loved this film because it shows that children can do much more than adults sometimes think. It's about a girl who goes to the Christmas market alone to sell candy canes because her grandmother has broken her leg. The film comes from Sweden and is called Brenda Brave Saves Christmas – directed by Are Austnes & Yaprak Morali.


Now we would like to introduce you to the winning film. It is an animated film. We thought the film was great because the characters were drawn very cutely and the sounds were very realistic. The whole story, without any words, shows that small children quickly make friends and help each other much better than adults.
The film comes from France, Chile and Uruguayand is called Capybaras, directed by Alfredo Soderguit.

 

JURY 2: Class 4 / Spartacus-Grundschule

Honourable mention

Many films impressed us, appealed to us, made us think and encouraged us to discuss. We would particularly like to mention a film with “real” actors, magic and lots of imagination. We loved how cheeky the girls in the film were. The film is set during the summer holidays and calls on us to: Enjoy being together and friendship! Put your technology away! We don't know if aliens exist. Who knows? Our honourable mention goes to the film ‘Glitch’ – directed by Bonny Dempsey from Ireland.

Winning film
Class 4a at Spartacus Primary School had a difficult task to accomplish. From twelve diverse and hardly comparable films, THE ONE special film had to be found. In fact, after the first day, there was already a favourite that had thrilled most of the children and made them laugh. This film stood out from the others because it starts with a laugh right at the beginning and builds on that within a few minutes, always offering something new and unexpected: long legs, long arms... It was exciting, cool and just plain funny. We understood the film's message: Don't feed the ducks! That makes sense to us, because ducks can become ill and perhaps even mutate due to chemical compounds. We loved the scene where the ducks teamed up and tried to steal a woman's sandwich together. We were surprised and impressed when the big hill appeared at the end and turned out to be a duck. The KUKI Award for Best Children's Film goes to ‘DUCKS’ – directed by AJ Jefferies from Great Britain.
 

JURY 3: Der Leistungskurs Kunst des Primo-Levi-Gymnasiums

Special Mention:

We were truly moved by the way this film combines a powerful message with profound emotional depth. From the very beginning, it draws the audience in with its atmosphere — a blend of sensitivity, courage, and quiet strength. The music and sound design also play a key role: gentle melodies and moments of silence highlight the contrast between fear and bravery. The visuals and music work perfectly together to create a beautiful and deeply moving film.
This is why our honourable mention goes to, LITTLE REBELS CINEMA CLUB, directed by Khozy Rizal from Indonesia.

 

Winner:

This short film deeply moved us with its emotional depth and artistic power. Based on a true story, it portrays the painful reality of a young girl who is forced into circumstances beyond her will, touching on important issues such as forced marriage, sexual harassment, and stolen freedom. With its calm yet intense atmosphere, seamless transitions, and meaningful symbolism, the film draws the audience into the protagonist’s world and allows for deep empathy with her experience. It is a visually stunning and thought-provoking work that raises awareness of topics that deserve more discussion.

For its emotional impact and outstanding artistic expression, the jury proudly awards the TeenScreen Award for Best Film for Youth to SHADOWS directed by Rand Beiruty. from Jordan & France.