Cinekid Festival 2023 opens with the world premiere of Jippie No More!
A family film about four loves and one wedding
The 37th Cinekid Festival opens on Sunday October 15, in Amsterdam with the world première of Jippie No More!, a new Dutch family film from director Margien Rogaar and production company Juliet at Pupkin, makers of the well-known Dutch family series Lampje. Jippie No More! tells the story of sixteen-year-old Jaap Peter ‘Jippie’ (Wesley van Klink) and his family, all facing challenges regarding love during the preparation of the eldest sister’s wedding. It is a film about love, family and connection. “I am proud of the opening film for 2023! Jippie No More! is a true Cinekid film, endearing and with remarkable twists. The film encourages young viewers to discover themselves, and the story of Jaap Peter’s family represents a broad group of young people. With this premiere, Cinekid, as an international media and film festival, shows that the Netherlands delivers top quality in youth and family films,” says Heleen Rouw, director of Cinekid.
About Jippie No More!
As Jippie’s family prepares for eldest sister Gail’s wedding in Grandpa William’s estate, emotions and tension are flying high. Jippie No More! follows the different storylines within the family, all challenged in love in their own way. For instance, Jippie, a teenager who loves music, falls in love for the first time. But Lily, the girl of his dreams, has a crush on his younger sister Joe. Entangled in their struggles and the stress of wedding preparations, the family members almost lose each other in the process.
Cast & crew
In the film, Jaap Peter is played by young actor Wesley van Klink (Downtown). The other leading roles are for Guido Pollemans (Oogappels), Aus Greidanus Sr. (De zaak Menten), Hannah van Lunteren (Narcosis), Lotte Jonker (Lampje), Carmen van Zantwijk (Mijn beste vriendin Anne Frank), Carina de Vroome (The Spectacular), Joep Paddenburg (De slag om de Schelde), Eliyha Altena (Hunter Street) and Kee Derwig (De Grinch). The film is directed by Margien Rogaar (Lampje), written by Fiona van Heemstra (Knor) and produced by Iris Otten and Nathalie van der Burg of Juliet at Pupkin (Lampje). The director and the producers are united in their shared ambition to make family films and series that bring new insights and encourage healthy discussion. “I like to tell stories which appeal across generations. Like in an advent calendar, this film slowly reveals the storylines of different family members. They are characters everyone can identify with, whether you are 9, 39 or 90 years old. The film reflects life itself,” Rogaar says.
On October 15, Jippie No More! premieres at the opening of the Cinekid Festival. From December 13, the film will be available everywhere in Dutch cinemas and film theatres, released by distributor Cinéart.
Opening of Cinekid Festival
Cinekid Festival is the world’s largest media and film festival for children. It takes place during the autumn school holidays, from October 15 thru 29, in more than 30 theatres throughout the Netherlands and on Curaçao. Its main location is in Amsterdam-Noord. The festival screens premieres of films and series from the Netherlands and far beyond, organizes daily masterclasses, workshops and hosts other activities such as meet & greets with makers and actors. Reflecting the umbrella theme of this year’s festival, ‘Is this real?’ in the Cinekid MediaLab, children can discover the impact of the growing influence of AI and innovative media technology in a playful way. Young Lab visitors can experiment and investigate the boundaries between real and fake. The programme will be online from September 28, and ticket sales at cinekid.nl will start on the same date. Follow the latest Cinekid news on Facebook, Instagram and through the Cinekid newsletter.
