Fri 24.05.2019 | 09:10Whale Rider (2002)
Section: Discover & Explore: People
Directed by: Niki Caro
Germany, New Zealand, 2002, 105 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
InfoIn a small New Zealand coastal village, Maori claim descent from Paikea, the Whale Rider. In every generation, a male heir has succeeded to the chiefly title. The time is now. When twins are born, and the boy twin dies, Koro, the chief, is unable to accept his grand-daughter, Pai, as a future leader. A few years later, Koro is convinced that the tribe's misfortunes began at Pai's birth and calls for his people to bring their sons to him, in the hope that the new leader is among them. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must stand up to him and tradition.
Fri 24.05.2019 | 10:50Phantom Owl Forest (2018)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Anu Aun
Estonia, 2018, 90 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
For 10-year-old Eia, her Christmas holiday is taking an unexpected turn after being brought to a remote farm in the middle of nowhere, so she assumes. There she will discover the beauty of nature and wildlife, help rescue a primeval forest inhabited by mysterious owls, and unwrap her family´s well-kept secret.
Fri 24.05.2019 | 11:00Binti (2018)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Frederike Migom
Belgium, Netherlands, 2018, 90 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
Twelve-year-old Binti dreams of becoming a famous vlogger like her idol Tatyana. But when the police raid her home and try to deport her and her dad, they are forced to flee. Binti meets Elias and the two become friends. While Binti helps Elias to vlog about his 'save-the-okapi-club', she hatches the perfect plan: her dad has to marry Elias´s mom, so they can stay in Belgium.
Fri 24.05.2019 | 17:20Afterlife (2018)
Section: Competition of European First Feature Films
Directed by: Willem Bosch
Netherlands, 2018, 93 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
Sam is a very bright, very mature 14-year old girl. She´s a good student, disciplined and always on time. This is all the more impressive once you realize she juggles those responsibilities while caring for her little brothers. When her mother Vera passed away, Sam took up responsibility for the family, helping her dad out around the house. But when Sam has an accident on the way to school, she wakes up in a strange office across from someone claiming she´s dead. It was a truck, he says. He also tells her that her mother, Vera, is waiting for her here, on the other side. It´s a strange mixture of joy and sadness for Sam, being dead on the one hand, but getting to see her mom in return. Something she thought she would never do again. But Vera reluctantly decides that they must find a way to bring Sam back to life. But Sam has her own agenda. She´s taking her mother with her.
Fri 24.05.2019 | 17:40Giant Little Ones (2018)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Youth
Directed by: Keith Behrman
Canada, 2018, 94 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
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.
Fri 24.05.2019 | 19:00The Way I Spent the End of the World (2006)
Section: Discover & Explore: Balkan
Directed by: Cãtãlin Mitulescu
Romania, France, 2006, 106 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
It is 1989 in Bucharest - the last year of Ceausescu's dictatorship. Eva lives with her parents and her 7-year-old brother, Lalalilu. One day at school, Eva and her boyfriend accidentally break a bust of Ceausescu. They are forced to confess their crime before a disciplinary committee and Eva is expelled from school and transferred to a reformatory establishment. There she meets Andrei and decides to escape Romania with him. Lalalilu is convinced that Ceausescu is the main reason for Eva's decision to leave, so he devises a plan to kill the dictator.
Fri 24.05.2019 | 20:00Storm Boy (2018)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Children, Festival Gala
Directed by: Shawn Seet
Australia, 2018, 99 min
Projection place: Congress Centre
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.
Sat 25.05.2019 | 10:50Rocca 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.
Sat 25.05.2019 | 14:30You'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 6
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?
Sat 25.05.2019 | 15:30Afterlife (2018)
Section: Competition of European First Feature Films
Directed by: Willem Bosch
Netherlands, 2018, 93 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
Sam is a very bright, very mature 14-year old girl. She´s a good student, disciplined and always on time. This is all the more impressive once you realize she juggles those responsibilities while caring for her little brothers. When her mother Vera passed away, Sam took up responsibility for the family, helping her dad out around the house. But when Sam has an accident on the way to school, she wakes up in a strange office across from someone claiming she´s dead. It was a truck, he says. He also tells her that her mother, Vera, is waiting for her here, on the other side. It´s a strange mixture of joy and sadness for Sam, being dead on the one hand, but getting to see her mom in return. Something she thought she would never do again. But Vera reluctantly decides that they must find a way to bring Sam back to life. But Sam has her own agenda. She´s taking her mother with her.
Sat 25.05.2019 | 17:00Measure 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.
Sun 26.05.2019 | 10:50Abe (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.
Sun 26.05.2019 | 11:30Storm 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.
Sun 26.05.2019 | 15:10Giant 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.
Mon 27.05.2019 | 08:30Rocca 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.
Mon 27.05.2019 | 08:50Princess Emmy (2018)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Piet De Rycker
Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom, 2018, 77 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4
Score:
Princess Emmy is a young girl with a secret gift - she can speak to horses. Up until now, life for Emmy has been wonderful: exploring and hanging out with her best friends, a stable full of amazing horses, spending time with her family at the castle, and not having a care in the world. That is until her jealous, scheming cousin Gizana appears; challenging her at every turn, threatening Emmy´s chances of becoming an officially inaugurated princess and generally making her life hell.
Mon 27.05.2019 | 11:00You'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?
Mon 27.05.2019 | 14:30Douch (2018)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Children, Festival Gala
Directed by: Amir Mashhadi Abbas
Iran, 2018, 78 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
Ten-year-old Gholamreza, who lives in a village in northern Iran, needs a bicycle to win a bicycle race and pay off his father´s debt. To get money for the new bicycle, he notices a prize for teaching an illiterate person how to read and write, but there aren´t any illiterate people in the village except a 90-year-old bad tempered woman who does not want to learn anything.
Mon 27.05.2019 | 15:10Abe (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.
Mon 27.05.2019 | 17:20Measure 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 2
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.