My Robot Brother (2022)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category
Directed by: Frederik Nørgaard
Denmark, 2022, 84 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1
Score:
This utopian high-tech future helps you re-imagine life on Earth: the climate crisis is solved, people live in harmony with nature and robots work as personal assistants. Nevertheless, not everything is golden glitter. School life still sucks for 12-year-old Alberte. Her old teddy bear-like android Robbi is quite an embarrassment to her. With the perfect birthday present – the newest model of humanoids not even on the market yet – everything seems to change. The new robot Konrad looks and acts completely as if he were human and suddenly Alberte’s popularity spikes as she is now the kid with the most advanced technology at school. But can the connection between Alberte and Konrad hold up to a real friendship?
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 2
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.
Vinski and the Invisibility Powder (2021)
Section: World Childrens Film Panorama
Directed by: Juha Wuolijoki
Finland, 2021, 85 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
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.
So Long Summer Vacation (2021)
Section: World Childrens Film Panorama
Directed by: Bo Ren
China, 2021, 96 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4
Score:
Left along during summer vacation in the late 1980s, Chen Xiaojin kills time by inventing all kinds of fun and play by himself. While wandering on the streets in the little town, he makes friends with another only child, Xu Bin. When the two hang out by river, Chen almost drowns, which results in severe punishment. The summer vacation never seems to end.
Asteroid (2021)
Section: World Childrens Film Panorama
Directed by: Mehdi Hoseinivand Aalipour
Iran, 2021, 78 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
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…
A Second Life (2021)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Junior Category, Patron of Children Audience Award
Directed by: Anis Lassoued
Tunisia, 2021, 93 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
Twelve-year-old Gadeha enjoys a carefree life with his friends until he has a serious traffic accident. But his mother can't afford his medical treatment. The random people she meets at the hospital help her financially, and Gadeha survives. After his recovery, he and his family end up moving to the new home of their donors. There he discovers that their same-aged son Oussam was seriously ill, but he is now returning home. The boys quickly bond and have a great time together. Gadeha is able to stop worrying for a moment about his father, who emigrated from Tunisia to Europe and he hasn't communicated with for a long time. However, the secret that Gadeha's mother is keeping to herself begins to disturb this new life. It's a secret with implications for everyone.
Tonight´s Homework (2021)
Section: World Childrens Film Panorama
Directed by: Ashkan Nejati, Mehran Nematollahi
Iran, 2021, 78 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
Abbas Kiarostami’s film Homework inspired the making of this film. The intention was to find out whether after three decades, students and parents are still faced with the challenge of homework – meaning assignments intended to be done at home. In this film we meet children whose life experiences that are significantly different from their peers; children who try to develop their talents and capabilities despite great difficulties.
Scheme (2022)
Section: Festival Laurels from around the World
Directed by: Farkhtat Sharipov
Kazakhstan, 2022, 74 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4
Score:
The focus is on Masha, a teenager who, through a friend, gets caught in an opaque web of dependency and exploitation. In complex images that capture Masha's lack of anchors and connections, as well as her search for support, the film creates the multi-layered portrait of coming of age in new-rich Almaty, precise, vivid, dramatic and of universal relevance.
Two Friends (2021)
Section: Beyond the Childhood Horizon
Directed by: Prasun Chatterjee
India, 2021, 111 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
The aftermath of the Babri Mosque demolition and the Bombay blasts in India, 1992-93, found its violent echoes even in a remote village of West Bengal adjacent to the India-Bangladesh border where the story unfolds. A story of friendship between two little boys (Palash and Safikul) belonging to two warring religious communities, Hindu and Muslim.
Giant Little Ones (2018)
Section: Top Teen Ten
Directed by: Keith Behrman
Canada, 2018, 94 min
Projection place: Castle SVOBODY
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.
My Brothers Dream Awake (2021)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Youth Category
Directed by: Claudia Huaiquimilla
Chile, 2021, 85 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
Ángel and his younger brother Franco have been incarcerated in a juvenile prison for a year. Despite the difficulties, they have formed a solid group of friends with whom they spend their days sharing dreams of freedom. Everything changes when the arrival of a rebellious young man offers a possible escape: the only door to make those dreams come true. Inspired by many true events.