Belgian director Vincent Bal's Minoes will be the opening film of the Berlinale's children's film sidebar, the Kinderfilmfest, which will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2002.

Among the other films already confirmed for the competition lineup of films for 4-14 year-olds are the feature debut A Passage To Ottawa by Indian-born Gaurav Seth from Canada; Norwegian director Lars Berg's coming-of-age tale Glasskar; Di Drew's adventure film Hildegarde from Australia; and Studio Hamburg's production of Oliver Dommenget's Verzauberte Emma Oder Hilfe, Ich Bin Ein Junge!, which will be distributed theatrically in Germany by MFA in September 2002.

Vincent Bal and Lars Berg were both prize-winners at the Kinderfilmfest in 2000, while Studio Hamburg was represented in the 2001 edition with its production of Der Mistkerl.