Hamburg - "Soul Kitchen" star Pheline Roggan is represented in several roles at the 17th Filmfest Hamburg: as a premiere guest on 24th September 2009 for one of the starring roles in Fatih Akin's Filmfest Hamburg opening film and on 25th September 2009 as patroness of the Michel Children's and Youth Filmfest. After the Michel opening, Roggan will be on the red carpet for the Filmfest Hamburg TV section's opening film "Mörder auf Amrum" by Markus Imboden.

The 28-year-old from Hamburg has previously starred in the cinema productions "Chiko" and "Die Glücklichen" and is proud to be patroness of the 7th Michel Children's and Youth Filmfest. "I love children, especially their enthusiasm and curiosity. Children have a very special view of the world." Supporting Michel is important to Roggan: "cinema films give an opportunity of learning things one would otherwise never experience. Cinema is dependent of a mutual experience and discovering strange worlds together. A good film is touching and inspires reflections or fantasies." As is the case with the Children's and Youth Filmfest. This year the kids are taken on a journey through eleven countries, including Morocco, Israel, Sweden, Canada, Indonesia and Lithuania, as well as discovering everyday life at the own doorstep.

The children's and youth section of Filmfest Hamburg opens with the animated film "Mia and the Migoo" (France/Italy) by Jacques-Rémy Girerd ("Raining Cats and Dogs") - in cooperation with the "long night of climate" at the "1st Hamburg Climate Week 2009". The exciting environmental adventure for children from age 6 tells of the brave Mia, who leaves her village to find her missing father on a remote building site. She ventures into a mysterious forest, on which the preservation of the forest depends.

Another highlight: the Berlinale opening children's film "Lippel's Dream" (Germany) by Lars Büchel. Shot on location in Morocco, this tale of "Arabian Nights" after the classic children's book by Paul Maar ("Das Sams", "Die vergessene Tür") contrasts with the trite grey of a South German small town, in which eleven-year olf Philipp, a.k.a. Lippel, dreams himself into oriental worlds of adventure, in order to escape the narrow-minded world of house-keeper Frau Jakob. The scriptwriting couple Paul Maar and Ulrich Limmer are nominated for the "Montblanc Scriptwriting Award" at the 17th Filmfest Hamburg. Lars Büchel and child actor Steve-Marvin Dwumah will attend the Hamburg premiere.

In the Israeli production "Eli & Ben" by Ori Ravid, twelve-year-old Eli believes in the innocence of his father, a Herzliya star architect who stands accused of corruption. Ori tries to find out the truth - a gripping and touching directorial debut about a father-son relationship, mirroring themes like "justice and injustice" on many levels. Orvid Ravid will be on location and will answer questions by the audience in the company of two teenagers in Eli's age. The event is a cooperation with the association "Jüdischer Salon am Grindel".

Altogether eight feature films, two of them animated, are competing for the "Michel" award, donated by DVD distributor Universal Pictures Germany and endowed with 5,000 euros. A jury of seven children and adolescents in the age of eleven to 14 will decide on the best children's and youth film of the international competition.

The interesting supporting programme includes a workshop on props, scenery and special effects, a film seminar for teachers and pupils by "LERNORT FILM", the school cinema series by Hamburger Jugendinformationszentrums (JIZ) and two premieres of the popular ARD/Studio Hamburg series "DIE PFEFFERKÖRNER" - with one episode from the old generation and one episode from the new generation.

The Michel programme can be viewed at www.michel-kinderfilmfest.de. Ticket sales begin on 10th September 2009 at Levantehaus and all five cinemas of the 17th Filmfest Hamburg: Abaton Kino, Cinemaxx Dammtor, Metropolis Kino, 3001 Kino and Zeise Kinos.
The Michel Children's and Youth Filmfest also presents itself as an open group at www.facebook.com. Inside information is shared at www.twitter.com/michel_filmfest.

The 7th Michel Children's and Youth Filmfest takes place from 25th September to 3rd October 2009 at the Zeise Kinos cinema.