Events

Japan Prize 2023
The Japan Prize Festival Week

November 22 (Wed) Day 3

10:00am – 12:15pm

Award-winners Screenings & Discussions

Pebble Hill
(Award for the Best Work in the Primary Division)

A family of shrews lives happily by a stream until, one day, their entire village is swept away by torrential rain. An old shrew also made homeless by the flood joins them on their quest for a new home before winter begins.
Swiss director Marjolaine Perreten has won many prizes for her short animations.
Perreten says she wants this work to inspire empathy for refugees who have lost their homes through war or environmental devastation. She explains she decided to make it as a “road movie” after asking herself how children can be helped to understand the sufferings of families in search of a safe place to live.
This year, too, Europe has been inundated by major floods and many homes have been lost. At the screening, the panel discussed such questions as how, without preaching, children’s curiosity about war and the environment can be nurtured, with special thought to balancing the needs of education and entertainment.

* Excerpts of the films introduced in this session have been further edited and shortened for our web page.

© Nadasdy Film / Les Films du Nord / La Boîte,… Productions
- E059 Pebble Hill
- Nadasdy Film
  Les Films du Nord
  La Boîte,… Productions
- Switzerland, France, Belgium
- 29 min
Speaker

Marjolaine Perreten

Director

Moderator

Hyunsook Chung

Producer

Republic of Korea

Dr Hyunsook Chung is a former senior executive producer at EBS, Korea. Over a 30-year career at EBS, the ABU, and AIBD, she has specialised in children and youth programme development and international Asian co-productions.
As well as making numerous live shows, dramas, and documentaries, Hyunsook has served as EBS Head of International Relations, and as Director of the EBS International Documentary Festival. She has also been a jury member or judge at many international festivals including Japan Prize, Prix Jeunesse, Documenta Madrid, the ABU Prize, the AIBD Prize, and the BaKa Forum.
In 2004 Hyunsook initiated the first ABU children’s drama coproduction, and since then has executive-produced several award-winning coproductions – both drama and non-fiction - including “Baby on the Way”, “Future School”, “Family Asia” and most recently “Beasts of Asia”.

Panelist

Judith Beauregar

Producer / Co-CEO
Tobo

Canada

Judith Beauregard has an enviable track record of more than 20 years in children’s media, producing award-winning digital games and animated series. She is also the producer behind Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo, her first feature film. As a co-founder of Tobo, Judith is dedicated to creating intelligent, inspiring and engaging entertainment for kids and families.

Panelist

Mariana Cano Fuentes

Programming and Production Manager Kids and Family
Warner Brothers Discovery

Mexico

Mariana’s professional journey began in 1998 at Once Niños, a children’s programming block in Canal Once (Public TV station), where she did research, programming, production, and content development. In 2010 she founded Nao kids, a media company focused on production and consulting.
Mariana has conducted the creative development of social campaigns that aim to promote reading, environment awareness and citizenship for kids. She has been a speaker in conferences through Mexico and Latin America.
She’s currently programming and production manager for Kids and Family Content Division at Warner Bros Discovery (LATAM).

Kwat and Jai - the baby heroes of Xingu
(Award of Honor in the Pre-school Division)

Kwat and Jai, the Sun and Moon twins, go in search of their mother who has been swallowed by an anaconda. Their own courage, visions of their mother and her lullabies lead the two infants through a series of adventures to a place where their people belong. The lullabies infuse the work with the special world view of the indigenous Brazilian tribes.
Director and scriptwriter Clarice Martins Cardell wants to share this native world view of connectedness with nature with the world’s children.
What can educational programs do to protect cultural diversity and pass it on to the future? What prompted Cardel, with her many years in stage direction, to take up the challenge of making a children’s program? What attractions do children’s programs hold for Cardel? In the discussion after the screening, Cardel shared how she, as a creator, seeks to address social issues facing Brazil.

* Excerpts of the films introduced in this session have been further edited and shortened for our web page.

© Bebe Lume Produções Ltda / Mesinha Amarela
- I072 Kwat and Jai - The baby heroes of Xingu
- Bebe Lume Produções Ltda
  Mesinha Amarela
- Brazil
- 20 min 2 sec
Speaker

Clarice Martins Cardell

Director/Writer

Speaker

Ricardo Makoto

Co-producer
Bebe Lume Produções Ltda