‘Not Kidding’ invites young festival audiences to play with film and visual culture

40th International Film Festival Rotterdam
26 January – 6 February 2011

PRESS RELEASE 14 January 2011

‘Not Kidding’ invites young festival audiences to play with film and visual culture

The International Film Festival Rotterdam has come up with a youthful initiative to mark its fortieth birthday: ‘Not Kidding’, an XL festival location for children, young people, parents and everyone who appreciates a playful approach to film and visual culture. At family friendly times of the day, Not Kidding will also provide day care. Not Kidding will be situated in YourSpace on Rotterdam’s Kruiskade, next to the Hilton Hotel, and open on weekdays during the festival from 14:00 hours, and from 12:00 hours on the Saturdays and on Sunday 30 January. This audiovisual playground at IFFR opens with a Pillow Fight Party on the evening of Wednesday, 26 January at 19:30 hours.

In cooperation with YourSpace/Zadkine, the IFFR is opening up to a new generation with fresh insights. We are focusing on the audiences of the future, who have a desire to experiment with us on new ways of interacting with visual culture. Children, parents and all other interested parties can step into an environment that is all about film: from casting sessions and animation workshops to ‘cosplay’ parties and slapstick comedy pie-throwing situations.  The programme reconnects us with cinema’s origins and childhood years; after all, cinema has its roots in magic, vaudeville and the circus.

Both the daytime and evening programmes of Not Kidding are open to all festival visitors, with new activities on the agenda every day. Not Kidding will transform YourSpace into an extravagantly spacious living room, a classroom with animated projections on digital smart boards, a theatre, a dance hall, or a film set from the silent era. Not Kidding is curated by festival programmer Edwin Carels.

Each day, the Not Kidding programme will be made up of five elements:

Whiteboard Jungle
Every day, the digital smart boards will present animated slides, websites, artworks, photo reports, short films and other audiovisual materials that explain, entertain and invite interaction. The days of blackboards and chalk are over!
(Weekdays from 14:00 hours, weekends from 11:30 hours.)

Kids in Space
After school and at the weekends, the festival will give film-loving parents the opportunity to take their children to a special day care. Children aged 4-7 and 8-12 will be welcomed in a playful, film-oriented environment, where they will be able to take part in workshops. (In cooperation with Zadkine.)
(Crèche is free, see below for the times, booking is essential through the festival website or Central Box Office in De Doelen.)

Kitchen Secrets
Every day, a workshop will take place, led by the various artists attending the festival. During the first few days, an old-fashioned slapstick film will be shot, the world première of which will take place at the end of the festival. Children and teenagers will be invited to (literally) get to grips with film; and to take part in a collage marathon, transform a smart phone, etc., etc.
(On weekdays from 16:30 hours to 19:00 hours, participation free, booking essential through [email protected].)

TV Dinners
Every festival visitor knows how tricky it can be to find a quick but healthy and affordable meal during the festival. Which can also be enjoyed in a comfortable setting, close to the cinemas. Not Kidding will offer freshly cooked meals in a friendly, XL-size living room. This will be complemented by a generous daily range of specials, featuring a surprising amount of animation (Quay Brothers, Mati Kütt, Phill Mulloy, Igor Kovalyov, David O’Reilly, etc.)
(Daily from 18:30 hours to 20 hours.)

Parental Guidance
No shortage of cushions, a vast amount of space and inspirational evening programmes for everyone whose inner child has not yet been sung to sleep. From Gabriel Lester’s one-man-band to Serge Onnen’s ‘ombromanie’; from a live performance with silent film by David Blair to a fitness party organised by WORM: every evening a different, but always stimulating menu, which also leaves space for improvisation and spontaneous programming. Just like the musical hall acts from the early years of cinema.
(Daily from 20 hours.)


Not Kidding
Location: Your Space, Kruiskade 9, 3012 EE Rotterdam
Opening times Not Kidding:
Thursday 27 and Friday 28 January 14:00 – 23:00 hours
Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 January 12:00 – 24:00 hours
Monday 31 January to Friday 4 February 14:00 – 23:00 hours
Saturday 5 February 14:00 – 23:00 hours
Admission: free with an IFFR badge, IFFR film ticket or XL pass (the XL pass can be purchased for € 11 from the IFFR webshop and the Festival Box Office, gives access to all forty extra festival locations of the XL programme)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/IFFR-XL-Not-Kidding/133203560075537

Kids in Space day care: book, from January 20, at www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com or at the Central Festival Box Office in De Doelen.
Day care:
Wednesday 26 January: 19:30 – 22:30 hours
Friday 28 January: 15:30 – 18:30 hours
Saturday 29 January and Sunday 30 January: 11:30 – 14:30 hours and 15:30 – 18:30 hours
Wednesday 2 February and Friday 4 February: 15:30 – 18:30 hours
Saturday 5 February 11:30 – 14:30 hours and 15:30 – 18:30 hours


(End of press release)

Note to the editors, not for publication:

Press information:
IFFR Press Office, Bert-Jan Zoet or Nancy van Oorschot
[email protected], +31 (0)10 8909090