Kids are Fine (2021)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category
Directed by: Ji Won LEE
South Korea, 2021, 108 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 6
Score:
With an ailing mother and a very busy father, Da-yi is used to doing everything by himself. His family moves closer to his mother’s hospital so Da-yi can visit his mother every day. Though in a new neighborhood and school, Da-yi does not feel lonely as long as he is with his mother. He visits his mother every day to spend time with her. Gradually adjusting to his new school, Da-yi becomes best friends with his classmates Yu-jin and Min-ho. As he spends more time with his friends, he spends less time thinking about his mother. However, when his mother’s condition worsens and she is transferred to a faraway hospital, Da-yi gets worried that he may never see her again and heads out on the search with his friends.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010)
Section: Literature in Film - The Club of Heroes
Directed by: Thor Freudenthal
United States of America, 2010, 94 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 1
Score:
Middle school is not an enjoyable experience for preteen Greg Heffley, but a horrid ordeal of social land-mines that he must bear. To do so, he devises schemes to win him the recognition and status he feels he deserves – all of which fail miserably. Greg chronicles his misadventures, thoughts and opinions in a diary to prepare for the day that he will no longer have to put up with nonsense.
Sun Children (2020)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Junior Category
Directed by: Majid Majidi
Iran, 2020, 99 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 2
Score:
In bustling Teheran, 12-year-old Ali and his friends, a gang of mischievous street children, are hired by a dangerous criminal to pull off a heist of buried treasure hidden close to a school. To gain access, the kids must enroll in school where, through education, they begin to discover a different treasure: the one within themselves.
Butterfly on the Windowpane (2020)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Sujit Bidari
Nepal, 2020, 96 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 3
Score:
Bidya (13), a gifted student and aspiring poet, lives in a rural village of Nepal with her younger brother, Basanta (9), and her single mother. She dreams of going to the city school in order to leave the conservative society she lives in, but when she fails to secure the first position in the school term, she loses her scholarship. Learning that his sister is giving up on her dreams, Basanta struggles to give Bidya the hope she desperately needs.
Dating Amber (2020)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Youth Category
Directed by: David Freyne
Ireland, 2020, 92 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 5
Score:
Set-in Ireland during the mid-90’s, Eddie and Amber (both 17) are in the closet about their sexuality and decide to stage a relationship in order to stop everyone speculating. Eddie is keen to follow his dad into the military, while Amber dreams of moving to the liberal hub of London. However, their ‘ideal’ arrangement begins to fall apart, forcing Eddie deeper into denial as Amber realises that a perilous future awaits her best friend unless she intervenes.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010)
Section: Literature in Film - The Club of Heroes
Directed by: Thor Freudenthal
United States of America, 2010, 94 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 5
Score:
Middle school is not an enjoyable experience for preteen Greg Heffley, but a horrid ordeal of social land-mines that he must bear. To do so, he devises schemes to win him the recognition and status he feels he deserves – all of which fail miserably. Greg chronicles his misadventures, thoughts and opinions in a diary to prepare for the day that he will no longer have to put up with nonsense.
Little Spirou (2016)
Section: Literature in Film - Comic Book Paradise
Directed by: Nicolas Bary
France, Belgium, 2016, 59 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 6
Score:
Like every hero, the intrepid Spirou was once a kid. And when you’re a kid, you have to obey your elders. Like his entire family before him, Little Spirou is destined to become a professional bellboy. So when his mom announces that he’ll be starting bellhop academy next year, Little Spirou decides, with the help of his friends, to make the most out of their last days together, and to confess his undying love to his sweetheart Suzette.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Section: Literature in Film - Young Academy
Directed by: Stephen Chbosky
United States of America, 2012, 103 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 3
Score:
Fifteen-year-old Charlie, an endearing and naive outsider, is coping with first love, the suicide of his best friend, and his own mental illness while struggling to find a group of people with whom he belongs. The introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors, Sam and Patrick, who welcome him to the real world.
Lame-os (2021)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Marta Elīna Martinsone
Latvia, Czech Republic, 2021, 100 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 4
Score:
It’s the year 1999, the Millenium celebration is approaching. Three 9th graders (Sarmite, Sveta, and Katrina) are tired of being bullied at school. They decide to make a change and become the most popular girls in school by prom. Inspired by Hollywood movies and TV series, they plan to achieve popularity by getting the coolest guys as their prom dates...
Ghost World (2001)
Section: Literature in Film - Comic Book Paradise
Directed by: Terry Zwigoff
United States of America, United Kingdom, Germany, 2001, 111 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 3
Score:
The story of neo-cool Enid and Rebecca who, faced with graduation from high school, take a hard look at the world they wryly observe and decide what they really want. When Enid takes an interest in the offbeat Seymour and Rebecca focuses her attention on their mutual romantic fixation Josh, the girls' friendship is forever changed.
Follow the Light (2020)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Junior Category
Directed by: Yoichi Narita
Japan, 2020, 104 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 5
Score:
Akira is a junior high school student who moved to his father's hometown, Akita, after his parents’ divorce. He can't get used to his new school and his days are filled with depression and resentment. One day, however, Akira sees a "green light" floating in the sky. After following the light, he reaches a crop circle in the rice paddies, where he meets Maki, a classmate who has never been to school. With this secret in common, the two grow closer and their once gray lives begin to shine. Meanwhile, Akira and his friends' junior high school is on the verge of closing due to a lack of students caused by depopulation. What is the mysterious "green light" trying to tell Akira and his cohorts, while the world of adults is also in turmoil?
Kids are Fine (2021)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category
Directed by: Ji Won LEE
South Korea, 2021, 108 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 2
Score:
With an ailing mother and a very busy father, Da-yi is used to doing everything by himself. His family moves closer to his mother’s hospital so Da-yi can visit his mother every day. Though in a new neighborhood and school, Da-yi does not feel lonely as long as he is with his mother. He visits his mother every day to spend time with her. Gradually adjusting to his new school, Da-yi becomes best friends with his classmates Yu-jin and Min-ho. As he spends more time with his friends, he spends less time thinking about his mother. However, when his mother’s condition worsens and she is transferred to a faraway hospital, Da-yi gets worried that he may never see her again and heads out on the search with his friends.
School Garden (2020)
Section: Competition of European Documentary Films for Young Audience
Directed by: Mark Verkerk
Netherlands, 2020, 60 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 3
Score:
Many children have no idea where the food on their plates comes from. Some may say from the grocery store or supermarket... In The Netherlands, school gardens in one form or another have been a feature of school life for over 100 years. The first ones were created at the turn of the twentieth century with the aim of tackling child poverty and in particular poor nutrition. The tradition continues to this day, and while most children no longer suffer from a lack of food, being introduced to a healthy diet remains as relevant as ever. Each child learns how to sow, grow and cook their own food – skills that will last them a lifetime. What better ways is there to fight obesity and and learn about the importance of biodiversity?
Only Time for Loving (2020)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category
Directed by: Liang Ming
China, 2020, 98 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 4
Score:
A college student starts teaching at a rural school as a volunteer. As a girl from the city, she tries to adapt to local living conditions. It's not easy. One little boy in particular causes her a lot of trouble. All she thinks about is leaving this God-forgotten place. But she gradually discovers the beauty of the mountain landscape, where she can read poetry to her students in nature under a 100-old tree. She also finds a connection to her five students and tries to fix their difficult lives. At the end of her volunteer work, the teacher must say goodbye to her beloved students.
Sun Children (2020)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Junior Category
Directed by: Majid Majidi
Iran, 2020, 99 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 6
Score:
In bustling Teheran, 12-year-old Ali and his friends, a gang of mischievous street children, are hired by a dangerous criminal to pull off a heist of buried treasure hidden close to a school. To gain access, the kids must enroll in school where, through education, they begin to discover a different treasure: the one within themselves.
Elvis & Onerva (2019)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Mikael Syrjälä
Finland, 2019, 70 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 6
Score:
When Onerva moves to a small provincial town, she falls in love with her new classmate Elvis. It’s soon obvious to everyone that they have feelings for each other. One evening all the young people of the town go to party and Elvis and Onerva have a chance to be alone. Later, Elvis brags to his friends about the great sex they had – a lie that spreads like wildfire. When the rumours spread, it reveals the downside of peer pressure, strong group dynamics, and the need of acceptance.
Valentina (2020)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Youth Category
Directed by: Cássio Pereira dos Santos
Brazil, 2020, 95 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 5
Score:
Valentina wishes the only complications in her life were crushes on cute boys and fake IDs to go clubbing. But as a transgender teen in Brazil today, she faces significant social stigma and bureaucratic barriers. Her steadfast mum will do anything to smooth the path, so together they start over in a new town where nobody knows Valentina is trans. She becomes fast friends with a sweet gay guy and a pregnant computer nerd, but when they find themselves separated at a drunken party Valentina is harassed by someone who threatens to out her. However, with her steely support network and a maturity and resolve far beyond her years, she steamrollers the haters in this timely and transcendent drama.
My Very Own Circus (2020)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Miryam Bouchard
Canada, 2020, 100 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 6
Score:
Born into a circus family, 12-year-old Laura has spent much of her young life on tour with her single father, Bill, a professional clown. But, secretly, she longs for a less hectic life. It’s thanks to her new teacher, who recognizes her academic potential, that Laura gets to fulfill her dream: attendance at a private high school… Can free spirit Bill accept that the apple of his eye has fallen so far from the paternal tree?
Love, Simon (2018)
Section: Literature in Film - Young Academy
Directed by: Greg Berlanti
United States of America, 2018, 110 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 5
Score:
Everyone deserves a great love story, but for 17-year-old Simon Spier, it's a little more complicated; he hasn't told his family or friends that he's gay. He also doesn't know the identity of an anonymous classmate he's fallen for online. Solving both problems turns out to be funny, frightening and life-changing.
The Footballest (2018)
Section: Literature in Film - European Corner
Directed by: Miguel Ángel Lamata
Spain, 2018, 101 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 1
Score:
Francisco and his closest friends play on a soccer team that has reached its lowest point. They’ve got to win one of the next three games to keep the school from cutting their team altogether. A series of strange events take place in the first two games. Coincidence? Conspiracy? Francisco and his friends decide to create The Footballest, an investigative team that will get them into all kinds of adventures, where their ingenuity and their friendships will be put to the test.