A Horse on the Balcony (2012)
Section: Austrian Trip
Directed by: Hüseyin Tabak
Austria, 2012, 90 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
Mika (10) is different: he loves math, only tells the truth, and notices things other people miss. Though not so good with people, he’d really like some friends. One night he discovers a horse on the balcony of the next apartment. The horse belongs to Sascha, who‘s in big trouble. Mika spends all his spare time with the stallion, and the first time he sits on the animal‘s back he is completely transformed. He and his friend Dana decide to help find a new home for the racehorse, but this means rescuing the horse from two gangsters who are owed money by Sascha.
Pipsi (2017)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Children
Directed by: Rohan Deshpande
India, 2017, 98 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4
Score:
Chaani and Balu are classmates and best friends. Even though theirs is a drought-stricken village in Maharashtra, the two of them find enough joy in their simple lives. It’s only when Chaani’s mother is given only three months to live that a dark shadow is cast upon the children. Determined to save her mother, Chaani visits some temples, and at one she hears a story that convinces her that if she can keep a pet fish alive, then her mother will be saved. So Chaani catches a guppy and names it Pipsi, which is also the name of a local cola drink. Just as the Pipsi drink stands for the hopes and aspirations of the villagers, so is Pipsi the fish for Chaani.
I Kill Giants (2017)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Youth
Directed by: Anders Walter
United States of America, United Kingdom, 2017, 106 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
The story of a teenager who copes with school and family life by escaping into a fantasy world of magic and monsters. Life is not easy for our young heroine, Barbara Thorson. Defiant, precocious, outspoken, and a loner, Barbara relates more to the make-believe world of Dungeons & Dragons. At home, she makes life difficult for her older sister, Karen, who is responsible for taking care of her and her brother. At school, psychologist Mrs. Mollé takes an interest in Barbara's increasingly worrisome behaviour. As she deals with loss and bullying, Barbara's imagined life begins spilling into her real one and she becomes obsessed with what she sees as her quest: killing giants. It's only when she's forced to face the truth and overcome her fears that Barbara is able to confront her demons. Based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Joe Kelly and Ken Niimura.
Ava (2017)
Section: International Competition of European First Films
Directed by: Léa Mysius
France, 2017, 105 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
Thirteen-year-old Ava is on vacation when she learns that she will lose her sight earlier than predicted. Her mother decides to behave as though nothing has changed so they can spend the loveliest summer of their lives by the seaside. Ava, however, deals with the problem in her own way. Exploring her identity, she questions her surroundings and steals a large black dog that belongs to a young man on the run…
I Kill Giants (2017)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Youth
Directed by: Anders Walter
United States of America, United Kingdom, 2017, 106 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
The story of a teenager who copes with school and family life by escaping into a fantasy world of magic and monsters. Life is not easy for our young heroine, Barbara Thorson. Defiant, precocious, outspoken, and a loner, Barbara relates more to the make-believe world of Dungeons & Dragons. At home, she makes life difficult for her older sister, Karen, who is responsible for taking care of her and her brother. At school, psychologist Mrs. Mollé takes an interest in Barbara's increasingly worrisome behaviour. As she deals with loss and bullying, Barbara's imagined life begins spilling into her real one and she becomes obsessed with what she sees as her quest: killing giants. It's only when she's forced to face the truth and overcome her fears that Barbara is able to confront her demons. Based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Joe Kelly and Ken Niimura.
The Witch Hunters (2018)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Children
Directed by: Raško Miljković
Serbia, Macedonia, 2018, 86 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1
Score:
10-year-old Jovan has had cerebral palsy for as long as he can remember. His condition has shaped his everyday life and made him think of himself as invisible to others – particularly his parents and classmates. In the world of his imagination, however, to which he escapes frequently, he is free to be who he wants and possesses the superhero powers that everybody dreams of. Jovan's (extra)ordinary existence is suddenly shaken up by a new classmate, Milica. Bit by bit, brave and determined Milica tears down the wall that Jovan has built around himself and eventually invites him to join her on a real life adventure – to liberate her father from his new wife, Milica’s stepmother, whom she believes is a witch. The quest offers Jovan a reality beyond anything he could have imagined, but in order to become a true hero Jovan first has to learn to accept himself for who he is.
Forty Baldies (2017)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Youth
Directed by: Sadegh Sadegh Daghighi
Iran, 2017, 86 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
The story takes place in a small village at the foot of forested mountains in northern Iran, and follows the moving story of Asghar's family. He, his sister Roja, and grandmother take care of his sick father. He suffers from a disorder caused by gas during the Iraq war, and the siblings do everything to take care of him. The whole area suffers from a persistent rain that causes a flood and pulls down the bridge. The only route into town is closed and Asghar can't get a new oxygen tank. His grandmother tells of a legend that says if anyone finds forty bald men and hangs a list of their names on a tree, the rain will stop. The humorous search for bald guys is linked to the dramatic events of Asghar's life. This brave boy, as the temporary head of the family, must deal not only with a natural disaster, but also with problems with a classmate, an older sister's suitor, and a surprising family secret.
The Witch Hunters (2018)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Children
Directed by: Raško Miljković
Serbia, Macedonia, 2018, 86 min
Projection place: Aula
Score:
10-year-old Jovan has had cerebral palsy for as long as he can remember. His condition has shaped his everyday life and made him think of himself as invisible to others – particularly his parents and classmates. In the world of his imagination, however, to which he escapes frequently, he is free to be who he wants and possesses the superhero powers that everybody dreams of. Jovan's (extra)ordinary existence is suddenly shaken up by a new classmate, Milica. Bit by bit, brave and determined Milica tears down the wall that Jovan has built around himself and eventually invites him to join her on a real life adventure – to liberate her father from his new wife, Milica’s stepmother, whom she believes is a witch. The quest offers Jovan a reality beyond anything he could have imagined, but in order to become a true hero Jovan first has to learn to accept himself for who he is.
Me & Earl & the Dying Girl (2015)
Section: American Teen
Directed by: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
United States of America, 2015, 105 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
Greg Gaines is an awkward and self-loathing high school student determined to go unnoticed into adulthood. He avoids more intense relationships with others and spends most of the time making parodies of famous films with his only friend, Earl. Well-intentioned, his mother forces Greg to befriend Rachel, a classmate who has been diagnosed with leukemia. Against his convictions, Greg does it. Greg and Rachel gradually become inseparable friends. They find they really love each other. But when Rachel gets worse, Greg retreats into his inner world...
Kissing Candice (2018)
Section: International Competition of European First Films
Directed by: Aoife McArdle
Ireland, 2018, 103 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
17 year old Candice longs to escape the boredom of her seaside town, only finding solace in her vivid imagination. When her disillusionment drives her obsession with a troubled stranger, she becomes increasingly entangled with a dangerous local gang.
The End of Dreams (2017)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Mohammad Ali Talebi
Iran, 2017, 92 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4
Score:
Arash lives with his family in a village near a green forest. One night, he decides to go horseback riding and without his parent's permission. He takes a mare which has been held in their trust, but they both fall. The next morning, the mare dies after giving birth to a foal and he loses his sight due to the fall. He dreams about seeing Teezpa (the foal). His Parents try to find a way to cure his blindness. Then one day he meets the real owner of the dead mare and tells the true story of that night. By talking to him, Arash finds a truth beyond his dreams.
The Witch Hunters (2018)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Children
Directed by: Raško Miljković
Serbia, Macedonia, 2018, 86 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
10-year-old Jovan has had cerebral palsy for as long as he can remember. His condition has shaped his everyday life and made him think of himself as invisible to others – particularly his parents and classmates. In the world of his imagination, however, to which he escapes frequently, he is free to be who he wants and possesses the superhero powers that everybody dreams of. Jovan's (extra)ordinary existence is suddenly shaken up by a new classmate, Milica. Bit by bit, brave and determined Milica tears down the wall that Jovan has built around himself and eventually invites him to join her on a real life adventure – to liberate her father from his new wife, Milica’s stepmother, whom she believes is a witch. The quest offers Jovan a reality beyond anything he could have imagined, but in order to become a true hero Jovan first has to learn to accept himself for who he is.
Lucy - How to Live a Life (2018)
Section: Czech Films and TV Production
Directed by: Michal Herz
Czech Republic, 2018, 52 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
The portrait of a young woman struggling with drug addiction. We follow a charming and somewhat naive girl who, after drug rehab, decides to start a new life, finish high school, and organize her private life. We gradually see the details of her life: work in the porn industry, serious illnesses, nonfunctioning family and bad relationships, mental problems, suicide attempts and the development of psychosis. With her kind nature and spontaneous joy, she infects others with her optimism, but her problems wear her down and each fall is a little further than the last.
The End of Dreams (2017)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Mohammad Ali Talebi
Iran, 2017, 92 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4
Score:
Arash lives with his family in a village near a green forest. One night, he decides to go horseback riding and without his parent's permission. He takes a mare which has been held in their trust, but they both fall. The next morning, the mare dies after giving birth to a foal and he loses his sight due to the fall. He dreams about seeing Teezpa (the foal). His Parents try to find a way to cure his blindness. Then one day he meets the real owner of the dead mare and tells the true story of that night. By talking to him, Arash finds a truth beyond his dreams.