A Suitcase was held in NY on 9th of August 2019 organized by the Children’s Media Association.
PRIX JEUNESSE Suitcase Returns to New York
New York is perhaps the original “home” of the PRIX JEUNESSE Suitcase. For over 20 years, PRIX JEUNESSE and various partners have been drawing “sellout” crowds to view the best, most intriguing, most challenging and most innovative entries from the international festival. In the 90s, the Goethe Institut hosted the event; later, it was held at WNET (PBS’ New York outlet) and at UNICEF. Now, the PRIX JEUNESSE Suitcase has a wonderful long-term partner in the Children’s Media Association, a professional membership group. The CMA cuts across all platforms and technologies, and reaches all ages and job function from entry level to senior executives.
By involving this broad range of people, the event emphasizes that no matter what device or medium you’re creating for, the PJ criteria – idea, script, execution and target audience – remain at the center of excellence.
For 2019, the CMA brought the Suitcase to RetroReport, a documentary production company. Roughly 80 people participated, most staying for the full day.
While often the Suitcase discussions revolve around the production and scripting of particular programs, in New York the conversation was on a much broader level, considering the view of children and childhood across cultures, what enables or blocks a broadcaster from risk-taking in content and genre development, and the changing role of children’s TV in a mobile world. Still, the most innovative and outstanding content rose to the top in discussion – how “ZombieLars” takes on diversity and discrimination, whether “My Body Belongs to Me” was an effective portrayal, and the deep understanding of children’s relationships with their “stuffies” in “Bo Bear.”
Later this year, we’re working with the Children’s Media Association’s Bay Area (San Francisco) branch on bringing the Suitcase to the West Coast.
By David Kleeman, Dubit