My Extraordinary Summer with Tess

Director: Steven Wouterlood

Cast: Sonny Coops Van Utteren, Josephine Arendsen, Tjebbo Gerritsma

Genre: Family, Adventure, Coming of Age

Duration: 82 minutes – Dutch with English subtitles (2019)

International Emmy Kids Award-winning director Steven Wouterlood’s all-ages drama follows a boy and a girl on their paths of self-discovery as they cross the threshold from childhood to adolescence. Afraid of being left alone as the youngest of the family, Sam (10) begins his own aloneness training during his holiday on the Dutch island Terschelling. But by meeting the elusive Tess, who carries a big secret, he is drawn into an adventure that makes him realize how important family really is. Tess shows him how the present moment can win out over memories and anxiety about what’s yet to come. Sam makes a drastic decision that puts his special friendship with Tess at risk and will change Tess’s life forever.

Winner Special Mention Generation competition – Berlinale 2019
Winner Grand Prize – New York International Children’s Film Festival 2019
Winner Audience Award – International Children’s Film Festival Kristiansand, Norway 2019
Winner Grand Prix Award – Kaliningrad International Film Festival, Russia 2019
Winner Audience Award – Kaliningrad International Film Festival, Russia 2019
Winner Audience Award – KinoKino International Film Festival, Zagreb 2019

‘Young hearts and minds trying to find their place in the world.’ – Sarah Ward, ScreenDaily.
 ‘Youth cinema with surprising emotional depth.’ – Alissa Simon, Variety.