A wonderful opportunity! Many directors offer to watch their short films and animated films online.
A true gold mine for finding a children's film, these short films are freely and legally accessible because the copyright holders, whether the directors themselves, the audiovisual production companies, the animation schools or the children's film festivals, agree to share the films.
Unfortunately, there are few platforms that allow directors to show their short films, and film festivals remain the best way. Once the 'festival circuit' is over, many wonderful films fall into obscurity and it becomes almost impossible to find them.
In order to share their passion, directors freely post their films online on platforms such as Vimeo, Dailymotion or Youtube. However, these video-sharing sites do not have search engines capable of meeting users' precise requests.
Many wonderful films fall into obscurity
In practice, it is difficult for parents or schoolteachers to find these short films. One method is to focus on a few directors in particular and keep a watch. Following the news of a community, watching what is posted online, liking or sharing. This takes a lot of time. It's a labyrinth and few parents have the time to search and choose.
In fact, it is mainly cinema professionals or animation school students who take the time to search for and watch these films, and there are very few websites for the general public — surprising given the astronomical quantity of films online.
The internet is a labyrinth of films
We started by looking for films to show our own children. We found many that we liked, but we had to surf from one site to another, saving links. We could not find a portal to access all these films.
Films to watch at school, to watch again at home
Our site aims to increase the visibility of these films and cartoons to give children a wide variety of choices. We believe it is important for children's education that everyone can freely access films.
Being able to watch for free in streaming, in compliance with copyright, allows teachers to easily choose a film, but also allows children to watch them again at home with parents or the whole family.
Children love to read and re-read their favourite books. It would be a shame if they could not re-watch the films they loved.
In order to get to know the creators of these wonderful films better, and to highlight some of the behind-the-scenes of creation, we interview directors.
Inspired by the Proust questionnaire, a 10-question survey that reveals a little about the tastes and aspirations of directors.
The conscious and unconscious references of creators
Unlike the Proust questionnaire, no questions about the creators' real world (e.g. my favourite virtue, what I appreciate most in my friends...) but about their imaginary world (e.g. the fictional character I would like to meet, the fictional world I would not like to live in).
© The film directors.
50 directors have taken part in the interview. Discover all the dreamlike questionnaires.
Are you a director? Do you offer to watch your films or videos for free online? Submit your short films and animated films to us! Do you think your short live-action films are suitable for young children from 3 years old and want to present them to a wider audience? Do you know children's film directors or have you watched a good children's cartoon recently, a free streaming short film for children? Do you also think it is important for children's education that everyone can freely access these films? Submit a free educational film for children! Help us find the best films for children, the best animated films to watch as a family or at school!