Reel 2 Real Film Festival for Youth launches 26th annual edition at the VIFF Centre on April 7

Opening Film Nina and the Hedgehog’s Secret is followed by a reception with snacks, drinks, and animation workshops

SPONSORED POST BY Reel 2 Real Film Festival for Youth

Nina and the Hedgehog’s Secret (2023).

This year’s Reel 2 Real Film Festival for Youth takes place from April 7 to 16 at the VIFF Centre and Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre, with eight feature films and 35 shorts in store for audiences.

The 26th annual festival kicks off with a public screening of Opening Film Nina and the Hedgehog’s Secret (2023) at the VIFF Centre on April 7 at 12 pm, followed by a reception with snacks, drinks, and animation workshops. The English-dubbed animated French film by Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli is recommended for young audiences nine and up.

Every night before bedtime, 10-year-old Nina snuggles in to hear her dad’s exciting stories about a clever and comical hedgehog who travels the world. When Nina learns that her father’s factory has closed and he has lost his job, she begins to worry about her family’s future. Upon hearing rumors of hidden treasure that the boss may have left in the abandoned warehouse, Nina and her best friend Mehdi decide to take matters into their own hands.

So begins a great adventure filled with cats, dogs, criminals, and capers—and a tiny hedgehog friend who Nina and Mehdi must trust to lead the charge. From the makers of animated classics A Cat in Paris and Phantom Boy comes a mystery-heist romp that asserts small-town worker rights, and centres friendship, family, and community above all.

Reel 2 Real wraps up at the VIFF Centre on April 16 at 6 pm with Closing Film Coco Farm (2023), which is preceded by the R2R Awards Ceremony. Sébastien Gagné’s French feature film with English subtitles is recommended for audiences 11 and up.

When 12-year old Max is forced to close his “business” and move to the countryside with his quirky father, he’s understandably upset. But when Max discovers free-run chickens in his cousin Charles’s abandoned barn, a new business idea captures his imagination. Seeing a gap in the egg market for organic, farm-to-table offerings, Max puts his ingenuity to work in this heartwarming story of community care.

For a full lineup of all the films on offer, visit Reel 2 Real Film Festival for Youth.

Post sponsored by Reel 2 Real Film Festival for Youth.

Coco Farm (2023).