Vinski and the Invisibility Powder (2021)
Section: World Childrens Film Panorama
Directed by: Juha Wuolijoki
Finland, 2021, 85 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1
Score:
When the town of Hömpstad is swept by a crime wave and the crimes and robberies are so out-of-hand that the police need a superhero to help them, 10-year-old Vinski meets a mysterious pharmacist who gives him a bottle of magical invisibility powder that also lets you walk through walls. Vinski soon uses his new powers to help the local people, but a nasty band of crooks soon becomes interested in the secret of invisibility as well.
Beanie (2022)
Section: World Childrens Film Panorama
Directed by: Slobodan Maksimović
Slovenia, Luxembourg, Slovak Republic, Croatia, 2022, 86 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
Erik is a 9-year-old boy living in a youth home due to his problematic parents. Beanie is his nickname. His only wish is to go home for Christmas. Instead, he gets to spend the holiday with a wealthy family and their 7-year-old daughter Lučka, who wishes for a puppy and a sister. In the middle of the night, Erik and Lučka encounter Santa in the family’s living room. They hide in his car, but Santa dumps them in the middle of the city. They embark on an extraordinary adventure…
Laura´s Star (2021)
Section: World Childrens Film Panorama
Directed by: Joya Thome
Germany, 2021, 79 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
After moving to the big city, Laura misses her old home very much. She feels lonely, does not like the new apartment, and finding friends is not the easiest. When she watches a tiny star fall from the sky one night, Laura goes off to retrieve it. She comforts it and carefully treats its broken-off piece with a band-aid. A magical friendship between Laura and the star begins.
Journey to Yourland (2022)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category
Directed by: Peter Budinský
Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Belgium, 2022, 85 min
Projection place: Congress Centre
Score:
Riki, a 10-year-old boy, runs away from home following a mysterious emergency signal sent by a shiny stone. The strange artefact leads Riki to a breathtaking parallel world called Yourland, where wonderful machines roam golden deserts, monkeys and ravens talk, and science peacefully coexists with nature. The shining stone merges with Riki by hiding in his heart and asking him for protection. It seems everybody in Yourland is eager to procure this treasure, as it is the core of Yourland’s power and owning it provides a great deal of influence. Riki embarks on an enchanting journey full of perils, traps and humour to restore the stone, the “Heart of a Tower”, to its nesting place. It is the only way for Riki to get back home and save his own heart.
The Exploits of Moominpappa – Adventures of a Young Moomin (2022)
Section: World Childrens Film Panorama
Directed by: Ira Carpelan
Finland, Poland, 2022, 72 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
A beautiful summer’s day in the Moominvalley. When a wasp stings Moomintroll’s tail, he gets sick and loses his tail-tassel. A doctor prescribes medicine for Moomintroll, but nothing seems to help. Eventually Moominmamma decides to look for Grandma's old recipe for decoction, which should help against this particular condition. Moomintroll lies in bed sad. To cheer him up, Pappa tells Moomintroll storied about his adventurous youth.
Pil´s Adventure (2021)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category
Directed by: Julien Fournet
France, 2021, 89 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1
Score:
Pil is a young orphan living in the medieval city of Misty Rock. One day, Tristain, the cruel regent curses Roland, heir to the thrones and turns him into a “chickat” (half chicken, half cat). To save Roland and the kingdom, Pil embarks in a quest for the antidote accompanied by Graubart, a clumsy guard with a good heart; Chuckly, a young loony jester; and her three tamed weasels. Pil and her unlikely companions head out on the greatest adventure.
Maika (2022)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category
Directed by: Ham Tran
Vietnam, 2022, 105 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
Things could be better for 8-year-old Hung, who is grieving the loss of his mother, who died a year ago. His relationship with his father is strained, his best friend is moving away, and to top it all off, a greedy landlord is bullying his father to force them out of their apartment. He finds solace by watching the night sky from the roof of his apartment building. One night, he witnesses a meteor shower and an errant falling star that lands in the nearby countryside. He investigates, but instead of finding a fallen star, he meets a new friend, and he decides to do everything he can to help her. MAIKA is inspired by the 1978 children’s TV show "Spadla z oblakov" that became extremely popular on constant reruns in Vietnam in the early '90s. With gorgeous scenery, a fast-paced narrative, and charismatic performances, this Vietnamese sci-fi film for kids is a fun-filled adventure that touches on universal themes of friendship, family, and compassion.
Gandhi & Co. (2021)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category
Directed by: Manish Saini
India, 2021, 101 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
Mintoo & Mitra (both 11) are known for two things: their penchant for mischief and their friendship with Bharat Bhai, who is an embodiment of all the teachings of Gandhi. When Mintoo proclaims Mahatma Gandhi as his role model, he soon starts mimicking Gandhi’s behavior but he is nowhere close to accepting Gandhi’s values. His deception earns him rewards but little does he know how his behavior is leading him into troubled waters. Bharat Bhai takes it upon himself to teach the unprincipled boys a valuable lesson in honesty and harmony. As he rolls up his sleeves to watch events unfold, all he can hear is the voice of Gandhi saying “In a gentle way you can shake the world”.
Asteroid (2021)
Section: World Childrens Film Panorama
Directed by: Mehdi Hoseinivand Aalipour
Iran, 2021, 78 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4
Score:
Ebrahim is twelve. He lives with his mother and five siblings of all ages in a two-roomed shack in the heart of desert, far away from the village. Aside from feeding the children and obtaining a birth certificate for them, the main preoccupation of Ebrahim and his mother is to build a house in the village so they don’t have to walk all the way back and forth all the time…
The Seekers: Thrill Night (2021)
Section: World Childrens Film Panorama
Directed by: Philip Th. Pedersen
Denmark, 2021, 87 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
On Halloween, estranged friends Asger and Esther are forced by their parents to celebrate it together. But when Asger’s sister Petra disappears without a trace, the two must work together to rescue a kidnapped sister, while Petra herself battles the thieves that took her.
Barley Fields on the Other Side of the Mountain (2017)
Section: Top Teen Ten
Directed by: Tian Tsering
United Kingdom, 2017, 88 min
Projection place: Castle SVOBODY
Score:
A story about the price of freedom and who pays for it told through the eyes of a teenage girl. Sixteen-year-old Pema lives in the remote mountains of Tibet. For generations, her family has farmed their barley fields in peace. But when Pema's father is taken away by the authorities, her world is shattered. A Buddhist nun from the local nunnery walks into Pema's life and invites her to join a group of locals escaping persecution by walking over the Himalayas into India. Pema is torn; can she leave her mother, grandmother and younger siblings at this time of crisis? Does she have the right, or the courage, to join her friend and seek a new life for herself? As Pema struggles with her dilemma, there is no news about her imprisoned father. The clock is ticking for everyone
When Pomegranates Howl (2020)
Section: Festival Laurels from around the World , Patron of Children Audience Award
Directed by: Granaz Moussavi
Afghanistan, Australia, Iran, Netherlands, 2020, 83 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
Hewad, a 9-year-old boy, supports his family by selling goods from a cart on the harsh streets of Kabul after the death of his father. At home he faces the challenge of the forced marriage of his mother to his uncle. He dreams of escaping this existence by becoming a famous actor and this dream seems more possible when he befriends an Australian photojournalist who starts documenting his life in this war-torn society.
The Path (2022)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category, Patron of Children Audience Award
Directed by: Tobias Wiemann
Germany, 2022, 99 min
Projection place: Congress Centre
Score:
A story about an adventurous crossing of the Pyrenees and the unexpected friendship of two children who couldn’t be more unalike. Young Rolf and his father flee Berlin to escape the Nazis. All Rolf took with him was a dog and a signed book by Erich Kästner. Now in the south of France, their destination is New York, where Rolf's mother is waiting for them. The only way to freedom a steep path over the Pyrenees, and their guide, Nuria, is only slightly older than Rolf. But the boy's father is captured and the kids must continue their dangerous journey into the unknown alone.
Besties (2021)
Section: Beyond the Childhood Horizon
Directed by: Desseigne Ravel Marion
France, 2021, 80 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
Paris. Nedjma, a teenager living with her mom and sister, spends the summer with her gang. Her life is turned upside down when she meets Zina, from another gang. Rivals in broad daylight; they are lovers in secret. Nedjma is sucked into a spiral, torn apart between the values of the hood and her own desire, which no one around her can possibly understand or tolerate. She will have to make a choice that will ultimately define who she is.
The Path (2022)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category, Patron of Children Audience Award
Directed by: Tobias Wiemann
Germany, 2022, 99 min
Projection place: Congress Centre
Score:
A story about an adventurous crossing of the Pyrenees and the unexpected friendship of two children who couldn’t be more unalike. Young Rolf and his father flee Berlin to escape the Nazis. All Rolf took with him was a dog and a signed book by Erich Kästner. Now in the south of France, their destination is New York, where Rolf's mother is waiting for them. The only way to freedom a steep path over the Pyrenees, and their guide, Nuria, is only slightly older than Rolf. But the boy's father is captured and the kids must continue their dangerous journey into the unknown alone.
The Seekers: Thrill Night (2021)
Section: World Childrens Film Panorama
Directed by: Philip Th. Pedersen
Denmark, 2021, 87 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1
Score:
On Halloween, estranged friends Asger and Esther are forced by their parents to celebrate it together. But when Asger’s sister Petra disappears without a trace, the two must work together to rescue a kidnapped sister, while Petra herself battles the thieves that took her.
Captain Nova (2021)
Section: World Childrens Film Panorama
Directed by: Maurice Trouwborst
Netherlands, 2021, 85 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
When 15-year-old Nas stumbles upon a UFO in the woods, he finds that Captain of the ship, Nova, and her chatty robot ADD are here on a mission. What Nas doesn’t know is that Nova is a scientist from the future, who travelled back in time, ending up in her 12-year-old body. She came to prevent a climate disaster. But nobody takes two kids seriously, so they see no other solution than to kidnap the millionaire who wants to drill into the North Pole.
Where Is Anne Frank (2021)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Junior Category
Directed by: Ari Folman
Belgium, France, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, 2021, 99 min
Projection place: Congress Centre
Score:
The story begins with a miracle: Kitty, the imaginary friend with whom Anne Frank wrote her famous diary, come's to life in modern Amsterdam. Unaware that 75 years have passed, she's convinced that if she's alive, so must Anne. She embarks on a journey through time to find her beloved friend. With the help of a friend, Peter, who runs a secret shelter for refugees without IDs and armed with a rare diary, she follows Anna's traces from the shelter to her tragic end during the Holocaust. Kitty, lost in the modern world and disgusted by the injustice that child refugees have to endure, wants to fulfill Anna's legacy. With sincerity, she presents a message of hope and generosity addressed to future generations.
Tales of Franz (2022)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category
Directed by: Johannes Schmid
Austria, Germany, 2022, 78 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1
Score:
When Franz discovers the influencer Hank Haber, his two best friends Gabi and Eduard are at first skeptical. But Franz, as the smallest in class, with his unpredictable beeping voice, is very much up for any kind of advice! In addition to his teacher Zick Zack, the queen of the class Elfi is causing him recently headaches. Franz realizes that the seemingly simple path does not lead to the goal when Gabi is suddenly gone. Even his mom and dad are at a loss, and the parents of Gabi anyway. So Franz and Eduard set off on an adventurous search all by themselves – bypassing the terrifying Mrs. Berger - in the end the trio finds again what they thought they had lost: the biggest friendship that can be found in the world. Family movie based on motifs from the book series by the famous Austrian writer Christine Nöstlinger.
Gaja's World - This is My Planet! (2022)
Section: World Childrens Film Panorama
Directed by: Peter Bratuša
Slovenia, 2022, 95 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
Being from a separated family, Gaja (14) confronts her envious classmates, experiences social network identity theft, and learns about true friendship. Aimed at teenagers as well as parents, this dynamic story is full of humor, emotion, and suspense and revolves around common problems, parental separation, and the dangers of the internet.