The stop-motion animated feature Tales from the Magic Garden, based on Czech author Arnošt Goldflam’s children’s book Of Unwanted Things and People, will have its world premiere at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival. The film will compete in the Generation Kplus category, which highlights films for young audiences.
Tales from the Magic Garden follows three children who spend a night at their grandfather’s house after their grandmother, a master storyteller, passes away. Struggling to fall asleep without a bedtime tale, they create their own stories, discovering the power of imagination to navigate life’s challenges.
Produced through a collaboration of studios from four countries — Maurfilm (Czech Republic), Artichoke (Slovakia), ZVVIKS (Slovenia), and Vivement Lundi! (France) — the project showcases an equal creative contribution from all partners.
The film’s development spanned a decade, supported by the CEE Animation network, and was a collaboration between four directors: David Súkup (Czech Republic), Patrik Pašš (Slovakia), Leon Vidmar (Slovenia), and Jean-Claude Rozec (France).
“This world premiere at Berlinale is a significant milestone for all of us,” Maurfilm’s Alena Vandasová said through a press release. “It represents a decade of patient collaboration among our teams and partners.”
Tales from the Magic Garden is billed as the first feature-length animated film for children led by a Slovenian producer and director. Producer Kolja Saksida expressed pride in the unique partnership, stating, “This project marks a groundbreaking achievement, where all production partners shared equal involvement.”
The film’s art direction was helmed by Patricia Ortiz Martínez and Jean-Claude Rozec, while Slovak composer Lucia Chuťková provided the musical score. The screenplay was penned by a team of writers including Jerneja Kaja Balog, Patrik Pašš, and Blandine Jet.
“Children’s programming often avoids discussing death, leaving young viewers feeling isolated,” director Rozec noted. “We approached this subject with care to create a meaningful film.”
Following its Berlinale debut on February 16, Tales from the Magic Garden will be featured at the Cartoon Movie event in March 2025. The project received financial backing from several organizations, including Eurimages, Creative Europe – MEDIA, and the Czech Film Fund, as well as broadcasters Czech Television and RTV Slovenija.
