A fantasy adventure for the whole family
The kettle whistles, the shower rushes – yet nothing is as usual for 9-year-old Max this morning. He wakes up at home all alone. Where could his parents and his little sister have gone? Suddenly the mysterious Monsieur Quidam stands before him and tells Max about a curse he has put on the family. Max has a choice: Either he succeeds in bringing the legendary "Book of the Crystal Children" to the sinister Quidam within two hours or he will never see his family again. But where will he get the long lost book from? With shaky fingers, Max dials the number of a certain Madame Edda. Her calling card is all Quidam gave the boy as a clue. From now on, Max embarks on an adventurous journey: Numerous places and special encounters let him realise who he really is and what an unexpected gift lay dormant in him...
The ambitious feature film project "Max Topas: The Book of the Crystal Children" was created as a spin-off of the Film Action Group of a Düsseldorf primary school with author and director Michael W. Driesch. With a lot of commitment, fun and the tricks of modern digital technology, a brightly coloured adventure film was realised. The cast of 9 to 10-year-old child actors and a handful of professionals deal with the big themes of childhood: fear of loss, courage, cohesion and awareness of one's own abilities. This is how media education works today! The fantasy fairy tale based on a novel dares to do what the title hero Max Topas has long been able to do: 'space jumping' – from primary school straight to the cinema.
Festivals / film awards
- 2019: Best Actor Award, IT, Best Child Actor
- 2019: Calcutta International Cult Film Festival, IN, Best Children's Film
- 2019: Florence Film Awards, IT, Best Director Feature Film
- 2019: Global Film Festival Awards Los Angeles, USA, Best Child Actor Max Driesch
- 2019: Hollywood Blood Horror Festival, USA, Best Young Actor
- 2019: San Diego International Kids Film Festival, USA, Best Mixed Media
- 2019: South Film and Arts Academy Festival, CL, Best Young Actor in a Feature Film
- 2019: South Film and Arts Academy Festival, CL, Best Fantastic Feature
- 2019: South Film and Arts Academy Festival, CL, Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film
- 2019: Virgin Spring Cinefest, IN, Best Family/Children Film
- 2018: Bielefelder Kinderfilmfest, DE, Bester Film
- 2017: Filius e.V. Düsseldorf, DE, Bester Kinderfilm des Jahres