Sun 29.05.2022 | 15:30How I Learned to Fly (2022)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category
Directed by: Radivoje Andrec
Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Slovak Republic, 2022, 85 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
InfoAdventurous and funny Sofija is forced to spend her vacation with her overbearing grandmother Maria, on an island in Croatia. It’s not the ideal summer experience she had hoped for, but with the help of her warmhearted old aunt Luce and her charming cousin, Sofija overcomes her initial boredom. She makes new friends and together they explore everything the summer on the island has to offer: sparkling sun, fun in the water, lots of ice cream, and her first kiss. But her carefree time comes to an abrupt end when beloved Luce has to be taken to hospital, leaving Sofija with a pair of family members she’d never met. Nevertheless, in the wake of tragedy, the family overcomes old traumas and when Sofija returns home, she realizes that revealing painful secrets is challenging but very liberating.
Sun 29.05.2022 | 17:00Hello World (2021)
Section: Competition of European Documentary Films for Young Audience
Directed by: Kenneth Elvebakk
Norway, Sweden, 2021, 88 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
While their classmates and friends are doing everything to fit in, Runa, Dina, Viktor, and Joachim (aged 12-14) are defining themselves differently. They are the first people to be openly gay in their classes and the youngest ones in their respective communities to come out. But building pride is not easy in a world where hate messages are just a click away, and even harder in schools where administration and education systems seek to erase and marginalize outstanding voices. What is it really like to be the only open queer in the whole school? Told through the eyes of the four young people, the film gives us a window into understanding what it is like to grow up as a queer.
Sun 29.05.2022 | 17:30Scoundrels (2022)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Youth Category
Directed by: Aditya Sarpotdar
India, 2022, 120 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
Unaad is a coming-of-age story about three teenagers from Harne, a small coastal fishing town in Maharashtra. Shubya, Bandya, and Jameel are three friends who while away their time roaming around town and have no I am in life. The locals consider them the scoundrels of the town as these boys are known to get into trouble. This is the story of the phase in their lives that changes them forever.
Sun 29.05.2022 | 18:30The Tenant (2021)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Junior Category
Directed by: Sushrut Jain
India, United States of America, 2021, 112 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
Bharat is a 13-year-old boy struggling with adolescence in a conservative Mumbai suburb. When Meera, a beautiful cosmopolitan woman from the big city, moves in next door, she immediately causes a stir. Bharat is drawn to her and pursues an unlikely friendship. But when he stumbles upon a dark secret from Meera’s past, Bharat is forced to choose: Is she a woman of bad character like everyone says, or is she the smart, sensitive person he knows?
Sun 29.05.2022 | 18:30Measure of a Man (2018)
Section: Top Teen Ten
Directed by: Jim Loach
United States of America, 2018, 100 min
Projection place: Castle SVOBODY
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.
Mon 30.05.2022 | 08:10How I Learned to Fly (2022)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category
Directed by: Radivoje Andrec
Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Slovak Republic, 2022, 85 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1
Score:
Adventurous and funny Sofija is forced to spend her vacation with her overbearing grandmother Maria, on an island in Croatia. It’s not the ideal summer experience she had hoped for, but with the help of her warmhearted old aunt Luce and her charming cousin, Sofija overcomes her initial boredom. She makes new friends and together they explore everything the summer on the island has to offer: sparkling sun, fun in the water, lots of ice cream, and her first kiss. But her carefree time comes to an abrupt end when beloved Luce has to be taken to hospital, leaving Sofija with a pair of family members she’d never met. Nevertheless, in the wake of tragedy, the family overcomes old traumas and when Sofija returns home, she realizes that revealing painful secrets is challenging but very liberating.
Mon 30.05.2022 | 08:30Bigman (2022)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Junior Category, Patron of Children Audience Award
Directed by: Camiel Schouwenaar
Netherlands, Germany, 2022, 90 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
Best friends Dylan and Youssef dream of becoming professional football players. When Dylan ends up in a wheelchair following an accident, he must come to terms with his new life. His dad – and former coach – wants him to accept his disability and keep football from his life, but Dylan is determined to play again. A story about true friendship and striving to win a final in the dying seconds of the game.
Mon 30.05.2022 | 10:30Maika (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 1
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.
Mon 30.05.2022 | 10:45Beanie (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…
Mon 30.05.2022 | 13:30Beanie (2022)
Section: World Childrens Film Panorama
Directed by: Slobodan Maksimović
Slovenia, Luxembourg, Slovak Republic, Croatia, 2022, 86 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
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…
Mon 30.05.2022 | 14:30Singo (2022)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category
Directed by: Alireza Mohammadi
Iran, 2022, 82 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
From the first scene, it's clear that our hero, Shafa, is no ordinary girl. She races motorcycles, defends weaker friends, and saves animals from danger. Shafa lives with her father and two siblings on the island of Singo, a fishing community with strict rules. It is ruled by a local rich man who thinks money can buy everyone and everything. One day, Shafi's dad catches some very rare crabs, called horseshoe crabs, whose blood is worth a lot of money. The profit from their sale is to be distributed among all the island's inhabitants. But Shafa feels bad for the animals and releases them into the sea at night. Anger and blame fall on her father and the whole family faces the unpleasant consequences. The brave girl, however, refuses to be cast out by the locals. She sets out for a nearby island where rare crabs are said to live to save her loved ones from impending disaster.
Mon 30.05.2022 | 18:30Poppy (2020)
Section: Beyond the Childhood Horizon
Directed by: Linda Niccol
New Zealand, 2020, 98 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
Poppy Simpson is an irrepressible young woman with Down syndrome and an assumption she should get to do what everyone else does – have a job, drive a car, have sex, get married. Holding her back is Dave, her older brother and her only family since the death of their parents. Poppy and Dave work together in their inherited auto repair business. Dave doesn’t think she can get a driver’s licence. Quietly rebellious, Poppy secretly begins to teach herself to drive.
Tue 31.05.2022 | 08:30The 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: Golden Apple Cinema 6
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.
Tue 31.05.2022 | 09:10Gaja'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 3
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.
Tue 31.05.2022 | 10:10How I Learned to Fly (2022)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category
Directed by: Radivoje Andrec
Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Slovak Republic, 2022, 85 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
Adventurous and funny Sofija is forced to spend her vacation with her overbearing grandmother Maria, on an island in Croatia. It’s not the ideal summer experience she had hoped for, but with the help of her warmhearted old aunt Luce and her charming cousin, Sofija overcomes her initial boredom. She makes new friends and together they explore everything the summer on the island has to offer: sparkling sun, fun in the water, lots of ice cream, and her first kiss. But her carefree time comes to an abrupt end when beloved Luce has to be taken to hospital, leaving Sofija with a pair of family members she’d never met. Nevertheless, in the wake of tragedy, the family overcomes old traumas and when Sofija returns home, she realizes that revealing painful secrets is challenging but very liberating.
Tue 31.05.2022 | 13:00Dragon Princess (2021)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category
Directed by: Anthony Roux, Jean-Jacques Denis
France, 2021, 74 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
Once upon a time, there was a dragon that lived in a cave full of gold. The cave was well hidden from people, whom the mighty dragon hated from the bottom of his soul. The treasure was his joy and pleasure, but he had no one to share it with. That's why he went to a witch for help. He wanted some offspring. The witch was happy to help him, but she had one condition: If he gets angry, the witch will come for his second favorite thing. The dragon agrees to this stupid condition, and he gets eggs which hatch 3 dragon offspring. One of them looks like a human girl. The dragon names her Bristle. She grows up next to her dragon siblings and enjoys the love of her dragon father, whom she loves unconditionally. When she saves the life of a princess from the castle in the forest, the dragon gets angry, the witch comes, and Bristle learns that she is the dragon’s second favorite thing. She decides to leave her father and enters the world of people, experiencing not only anger and resentment, but also friendship and solidarity.
Tue 31.05.2022 | 15:30Measure of a Man (2018)
Section: Top Teen Ten
Directed by: Jim Loach
United States of America, 2018, 100 min
Projection place: Castle SVOBODY
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.
Tue 31.05.2022 | 15:30The Hill of Secrets (2022)
Section: Festival Laurels from around the World
Directed by: Ji-eun LEE
South Korea, 2022, 122 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
A coming-of-age story about Myung-eun, an emotionally sensitive 12-year-old girl. Through the power of writing, she gradually gains a better understanding about herself and her family.
Tue 31.05.2022 | 16:30Maika (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 4
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.
Tue 31.05.2022 | 17:00Scoundrels (2022)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Youth Category
Directed by: Aditya Sarpotdar
India, 2022, 120 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
Unaad is a coming-of-age story about three teenagers from Harne, a small coastal fishing town in Maharashtra. Shubya, Bandya, and Jameel are three friends who while away their time roaming around town and have no I am in life. The locals consider them the scoundrels of the town as these boys are known to get into trouble. This is the story of the phase in their lives that changes them forever.