Measure of a Man (2018)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Youth
Directed by: Jim Loach
United States of America, 2018, 100 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
This story follows Bobby, an under-confident, overweight 14-year-old New Yorker, as he navigates the challenging path to manhood during his summer at Rumson Lake in upstate New York, 1976. The dramatic thread of the story stems from the escalating threat of a local gang of townies, led by Willie, a tormented young veteran. Willie and his gang resent the summer vacationers who populate their community every year and prey on Bobby and his best friend Joanie, both outsiders and easy targets. As Bobby´s world goes through many changes, so does his relationship with his family and friends. This is especially true regarding Dr. Kahn, a reclusive surrogate fatherly presence who mentors Bobby through difficult times. The guidance Bobby receives from Dr. Kahn transforms him into a well-rounded young man, as well as giving Dr. Kahn a new unexpected confidant, a friend who helps him come to terms with the losses in his past.
Take Me Somewhere Nice (2018)
Section: Competition of European First Feature Films
Directed by: Ena Sendijarević
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Netherlands, 2018, 91 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
On the edge of adulthood, Alma leaves her mother´s home in the Netherlands and travels to her native Bosnia to visit the father she´s never met. But from the start nothing goes as planned. Her cousin Emir gives her a frosty reception and mocks her easy life in the West. At the same time, undeniable sexual chemistry leads Alma into a passionate relationship with Emir´s best friend, the troublemaker Denis. As the obstacles mount, Alma stays fearlessly determined to follow her plan and find her father. She just has to figure herself out first.
Abe (2019)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Youth
Directed by: Fernando Grostein Andrade
United States of America, Brazil, 2019, 85 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
Abraham Solomon-Odeh to his Israeli-Jewish maternal family, Ibrahim to his Palestinian-Muslim paternal family, and Abraham to his Brooklyn parents prefers to be called Abe. A 12-year old with a passion for cooking, Abe is tired of mediating between his politically-at-odds family. When he meets Chico, an Afro-Brazilian chef with a fusion restaurant, things get cooking and Abe wonders if the flavors of his grandparents´ homeland might be the catalyst that brings his family together.
Storm Boy (2018)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Children, Festival Gala
Directed by: Shawn Seet
Australia, 2018, 99 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
Storm Boy is a moving story about unusual friendships and unconditional love. Mike Kingley tells his granddaughter a story from his childhood, which he spent with his father on a deserted Australian coast after his mother's death. His carefree life was changed forever when he found a nest of newly hatched pelicans whose mother was shot by hunters. With the help of his father and a local Australian, Bill, they managed to raise three adult pelicans. An exceptionally deep bond of friendship formed between Mike and one of the birds, Mr. Percival. But this idyllic time of fun was coming to an end.
The Arctic Camels (2018)
Section: Competition of European Documentary Films for Children and Youth
Directed by: Karl Emil Rikardsen
Norway, 2018, 75 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
Torarin and Svalin live with their parents in Akkarfjord, way up in the north of Norway. When the siblings want a horse for riding, their parents buy two Bactrian camels for them instead. The exotic animals need to be trained, and the family soon discovers that camel training is not for amateurs. They take on an expedition to Mongolia, hoping to find a professional trainer who will accept an invitation to train their camels in Arctic Norway. Deep into the Goby desert, they actually find a candidate. But they are not prepared for Mongolian training methods.
Captain Korda (1970)
Section: Anniversary - Pinkava
Directed by: Josef Pinkava
Czechoslovakia, 1970, 88 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4
Score:
A little orphan named Pepík and a train dispatcher called "Captain" Korda become friends while in hospital. Korda then wants to adopt Pepík. The joy found by this childless married couple and Pepík, however, is disrupted by the boy's real mother..
Giant Little Ones (2018)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Youth
Directed by: Keith Behrman
Canada, 2018, 94 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
A heartfelt and intimate coming-of-age story about friendship, self-discovery and the power of love without labels. Adolescents face enormous pressure to make life-defining decisions every day and they want to lock in their identities sooner than later. All of this pressure is exacerbated by physical and social changes. Franky is under more pressure than most. His life was altered when his father left his mother for a man. Franky is left confused and angry toward his father for breaking up the family. Things are further confused for Franky when his wild birthday party ends in a sexual encounter no one could have imagined, including his best friend and girlfriend. As Franky's world crumbles, he and his friends are forced to decide what kind of people they want to be.
Metal Heart (2018)
Section: Competition of European First Feature Films
Directed by: Hugh O'Conor
Ireland, 2018, 88 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
Sisters Emma and Chantal are worlds apart. Emma is self-conscious, angry at the world and unsure of which path to take in life. She dreams of starting a band (which will be 73% metal and 2% jazz fusion!) with her best friend Gary, who secretly has a crush on her. On the other hand, her twin sister Chantal is beautiful, confident, and knows exactly where her life is headed. When their parents go away, their simmering sibling rivalry threatens to boil over as they try out new versions of themselves and compete for the affections of the same guy.
Children of the Snow Land (2018)
Section: Competition of European Documentary Films for Children and Youth
Directed by: Zara Balfour, Marcus Stephenson
Nepal, United Kingdom, 2018, 93 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
The story of a group of children born in the High Himalayas of Nepal - a remote area of great natural beauty but where life is extremely tough. Some children are sent by their parents at the age of four to the capital city, Kathmandu, to a school run by a Buddhist monk in the hope that education will give them a better chance in life. For ten years or more they do not see or speak to their parents due to the remoteness of their villages. Now, upon graduation, aged 16, the children are making the trek home: an arduous and lengthy journey across mountains that takes them to the highest inhabited place on the planet. It´s a faraway, off-grid land where the way of life has not changed for thousands of years, and where their parents are waiting to see children brought up in a world of mobile phones, social media and most modern conveniences. And then the earthquake strikes.
Broken Mirrors (2018)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Youth
Directed by: Imri Matalon, Aviad Givon
Israel, 2018, 104 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
From the outside, the Adler family lives an enviable life, but underneath Giora´s great love for his family lays an obsession with his eldest daughter Ariella. This strict military disciplinarian follows his teenage daughter´s every move, and he inflicts severe methods of punishment. Ariella commits a grave error, yet her father won´t punish her for it. Seeking a punishment of her own, Ariella embarks on a dark quest where she will discover a secret to her father´s past that will lead them to confront one another.
Tito and Me (1992)
Section: Discover & Explore: Balkan
Directed by: Goran Markovič
Yugoslavia, 1992, 118 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4
Score:
The story of a 10-year-old boy who, as most of the children in Yugoslavia of the 1950s can hardly imagine his life without the great national leader - marshal Tito. After winning the contest for the best composition, he is rewarded with participation in the "Tito's Native Land" march. This march is a difficult temptation for him. Unaccustomed to nature, long walks, independent living and harassed by the teacher, a Stalinist, he fails, gets lost in the mountains and his life changes.
Avé (2011)
Section: Discover & Explore: Balkan
Directed by: Konstantin Bojanov
Bulgaria, 2011, 86 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
The story of two young people, Kamen, a student of art; and Avé, an unpredictable seventeen-year-old. Their lives intersect while hitchhiking in Bulgaria. While Kamen is travelling to his friend's funeral, Avé is running away from family and responsibility in despair, and Kamen is constantly seduced by her lies and invention of new identities. Kamen is enchanted by her spontaneity and is involuntarily drawn into new adventures and ever greater problems. During their journey, they are both forced to face death, love and responsibility for the first time.
Gwen (2018)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: William McGregor
United Kingdom, 2018, 86 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
In the stark beauty of 19th Century Snowdonia, a young girl, Gwen, tries desperately to hold her home together. Struggling with her mother´s mysterious illness, her father´s absence and a ruthless mining company encroaching on their land, a growing darkness begins to take grip of her home, and the suspicious local community turns on Gwen and her family.
My Grandpa is an Alien (2018)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Children
Directed by: Marina Andree Skop, Dražen Žarković
Croatia, Luxembourg, Norway, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2018, 79 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1
Score:
In a single moment, the entire life of a girl Una is turned upside down; her grandpa is abducted by aliens and her mum collapses and ends up in a hospital. Una discovers that her grandpa is an alien himself whose spaceship hit the planet some time ago. But his pilot is still here! The small grumpy robot and Una have less than 24 hours to find and rescue her grandpa. This extraordinary adventure will lead to a new friendship, rational robotic logic will be replaced with emotions, and Una's selfless love will save her partly alien family.
Bears Love Me! (2019)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Eva M.C. Zanen
Netherlands, 2019, 85 min
Projection place: Congress Centre
Score:
Eight year-old Jip is delighted when her parents plan a bargain foreign holiday in a camper van to see wild bears. It's her dream come true. However, not everyone else in her family shares her delight. Her sisters and mum would rather be elsewhere. Only her dad feels the same way. Once they're abroad, the family quickly realizes that their dreams of simple adventure were naive and they struggle to cope with new and unfamiliar challenges in a scary foreign country.
Rocca Changes the World (2019)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Children
Directed by: Katja Benrath
Germany, 2019, 97 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
Brave, funny, and one of a kind: that´s Rocca. Rocca is eleven years old and lives a rather unique life. While her dad is watching over her as an astronaut from outer space, Rocca lives alone with her squirrel and is attending a normal school for the first time in her life. At school her carefree and non-conformist way of life instantly stands out. She fearlessly confronts the class bullies, because first and foremost Rocca stands up for justice. That´s why she makes friends with the homeless Caspar and tries to help him. All the while she is also attempting to win over her grandmother´s heart. With never-ending optimism, Rocca proves - together with her new friends - that even a child has the power to change the world.
Scent of Oranges (2019)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Youth, Festival Gala
Directed by: Ivan Pokorný
Czech Republic, Germany, Slovak Republic, 2019, 92 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1
Score:
Darek lives with his father and sister in a mountain village on the Czech-German-Polish border. His life changes after his mother's death. He has more freedom, but life has lost its luster. His mother could solve problems playfully and imaginatively; his father struggles with them - he's shut himself off, drowns his sorrows with alcohol, and puts too much of a burden on Darek's shoulders. Darek is growing up fast. He´s getting tougher and earning respect. And the charming Hanka has eyes for him. When his father loses his job, he can no longer keep the family together. But then pops up an old friend, Uli, bringing new prospects: they'll breed horses together. His dad gets caught up in the idea, picks himself up, and their problems seem to be over. Darek eagerly helps out and the horses give him new meaning, prestige and love. Now he can impress Hanka and score more points than his rival Hugo. But nothing is forever..
You'll Never Walk Alone (2018)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Children, Festival Gala
Directed by: Geng Xu
China, 2018, 106 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
Soccer, a teacher with lots of hobbies, an old principal who can't stand soccer, a group of energetic grass-roots children, and a world-shaking earthquake. Catastrophe falls upon them before they can enjoy their happy childhood. How will they move forward?
Here My Village (2019)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Abas Aram
Iran, 2019, 83 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
Farhad lives with his mother and sister in a village; he lost his father 5 years ago due to a fatal disease. Farhad is crazy about photos and magazines. One day, while in the city with his family, he spies a second hand camera in a shop window. He works hard to save up for the camera, but with no luck. When he sells one of their sheep to buy the camera, his mother figures it out and makes him get a refund on the camera. Then, desperate, Farhad grabs the camera and runs away...
Vitello (2018)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Dorte Bengston
Denmark, 2018, 72 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
Vitello is a boy with lots of appetite, energy and drive. He lives alone with his mum in a town house. Vitello is not the type who gets bored easily. He has friends, the mall and lots of great ideas to be tested and examined - life is okay! But Vitello misses having a dad in his life. He doesn't know his dad and his mum isn't a great help there. So Vitello goes out to search for one.