Sami, Joe and I (2020)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Youth Category
Directed by: Karin Heberlein
Switzerland, 2020, 94 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 6
Score:
Sami, Joe and Leyla are an inseparable group of friends. Chatting and laughing, they roam through the suburbs of Zurich. The end of their time at school together should have been the start of an exciting summer, but the three youngsters have their hands full: Sami suffers under her overly strict parents, Joe has to look after her siblings, while her single mother works overtime, and Leyla nervously begins her apprenticeship in a canteen kitchen. For the teenage girls, tough decisions overshadow their dreams. In those defining days of their lives, their friendship seems to be the only constant. But as events take a harsh turn, even their friendship is put to the test. Determined to stand up for themselves, the three friends find out how right Leyla’s mom was when she told them: always keep more dreams in your soul than reality can destroy.
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?
The Ogglies - Welcome to Smelliville (2020)
Section: Literature in Film - European Corner
Directed by: Jens Møller, Toby Genkel
Germany, 2020, 85 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 1
Score:
The Ogglies are looking for a new home. They end up in Smelliville, a beautiful and peaceful village. Unfortunately, Smelliville has a stinky problem: The local garbage dump is spoiling the place. Something must happen! Max, son of the mayor and his ambitious wife, secretly hopes to solve the stinky problem with a crazy machine, but when Max meets the Ogglies on the rubbish dump, it becomes clear what the Ogglies might mean for Smelliville: they eat garbage!
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.
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.
Twigson and the Sea Monster (2020)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Tove Undheim
Norway, 2020, 71 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 3
Score:
The new adventures of Twigson and Junior. This time, they travel on holiday with Aunt Thea to Summer Island where they make a new friend, Eddy. It is rumored that a sea worm has been observed in the fjord, and it will not be long before the energetic sea worm expert Blegen shows up, with his strange devices and instruments. It will be an exciting summer holiday with friendship put to the test in the hunt for the mysterious sea worm.
Bangla Surf Girls (2021)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Elizabeth D Costa
Canada, 2021, 86 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 4
Score:
An immersive story that takes us into the heart of a slum near Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, where we witness the transformation of young girls who join a local surf club and dare to dream of freedom and escape from a life of drudgery and abuse. The film captures the raw emotions, the family dynamics, and the complex pressures of poverty, juxtaposed against the freedom of the waves. A coming-of-age story in a developing country.
Wolfwalkers (2020)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category
Directed by: Ross Stewart, Tomm Moore
Ireland, United States of America, 2020, 102 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 1
Score:
In a time of superstition and magic, a young apprentice hunter, Robyn Goodfellowe, journeys to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last wolf pack. While exploring the forbidden lands outside the city walls, Robyn befriends a free-spirited girl, Mebh, a member of a mysterious tribe rumored to have the ability to transform into wolves by night. As they search for Mebh’s missing mother, Robyn uncovers a secret that draws her further into the enchanted world of the Wolfwalkers and risks turning into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.
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.
Black Mill (2021)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Mariusz Palej
Poland, 2021, 101 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 2
Score:
Iwo and his group of friends live in a boring small town. Iwo's life is additionally complicated because his younger sister Mela requires special care. When the friends start messing around the ruins of a huge factory mill towering over the area, a series of strange events begins. They discover that the mill is home to a mysterious force that may pose a great threat and they will have to stick together to oppose this evil.
Captains of Zaatari (2021)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Ali El Arabi
Egypt, 2021, 75 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 3
Score:
Two best friends, Mahmoud and Fawzi, living in the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan, have the dream of becoming professional soccer players while facing the difficult reality of their lives. Despite being confined under appalling conditions, they remain hopeful and practice day in and day out. When a world-renowned sports academy visits, both have the chance to make this dream come true.
Sisters: The Summer We Found Our Superpowers (2020)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category
Directed by: Arild Østin Ommundsen, Silje Salomonsen
Norway, 2020, 77 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 4
Score:
Vega (9) and her wild sister Billie (5) are going on an overnight outdoors hike in the Norwegian woods. The anticipated trip is full of sweet adventures and happy moments until their father falls into a mountain crack and twists his ankle. Unable to move, he asks Vega and Billie to get help. Initially girls feel lost, but after several magical and mysterious encounters in the woods, they embrace the mission! They bravely face their fears, discover their superpowers, and find strength in sisterhood!
Limecrime (2020)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Youth Category
Directed by: Seunghwan Lee, Jaewook Yoo
South Korea, 2020, 82 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 5
Score:
Songju raps during a high school music exam, but only his classmates appreciated it. The teacher gives him an F. Thanks to the performance, Songju gains a new admirer who, like him, loves hip-hop. While Songju comes from the poorer part of town and his best friends are gang members, the exemplary student Juyeon is from a wealthy family that leaves him to live alone in the company of their maid. Despite different living conditions, the boys become friends and, thanks to a common passion, form a hip-hop duo called Limecrime. After several successful club performances, they start to prove themselves. However, there are obstacles on their way up, especially from Songju's friends.
It´s Kind of a Funny Story (2010)
Section: Literature in Film - Young Academy
Directed by: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
United States of America, 2010, 97 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 6
Score:
An uplifting story about finding sanity in the most unlikely of places. Sometimes what’s in your head isn’t as crazy as you think. That’s certainly true for Craig, a stressed-out teenager who checks himself into a mental health clinic for some time out. What he finds instead is an unlikely mentor, a potential new romance, and an opportunity to begin anew. Charming, witty and smart, it’s a coming-of-age story that’s kind of a funny story.
Last Film Show (2020)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Pan Nalin
India, 2020, 100 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 3
Score:
When 9-year-old Samay, living in a remote village in India, discovers films for the first time, he’s absolutely mesmerized. He goes to the cinema every day to watch more films, and even befriends the projectionist, who, in exchange for his lunch box, lets him watch movies for free. But when the cinema switches from 35mm film to digital, he and his friends move heaven and earth make their own film projector.
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.
The Peppercorns and the Secret of the Deep Sea (2020)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Christian Theede
Germany, 2020, 90 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 1
Score:
An unbeatable team of five teenage friends, the “Peppercorns” detective gang, unites to find out who is behind the kidnapping of a missing oceanographer who has discovered a means of getting rid of plastic waste in the ocean, and who has made some enemies. One shady garbage dealer seems to have no scruples. A race against time begins to save her life and their future.
Pippi in the South Seas (1970)
Section: Literature in Film - The Club of Heroes
Directed by: Olle Hellbom
Sweden, Germany, 1970, 86 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema, sál 2
Score:
While their parents are on vacation, siblings Tommy and Annika spend time with their great friend Pippi Long Stockings at her Villa Villekulla. One day, Pippi finds a bottle with a letter from her father Captain Ephraim, warning about his capture by a band of evil pirates in their castle on the island of Porto Piluse, so they can find the secret location of his treasure. Pippi, Tommy and Annika set out for Porto Piluse to save Pippi's father before he has to reveal where the treasure is.