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…
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.
The Herd (2021)
Section: Competition of European Documentary Films for Young Audience
Directed by: Monika Kotecka, Karolina Poryzala
Poland, 2021, 80 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
Members of the Volteo amateur female equestrian vaulting club get a chance to join the Polish national team. They take on this overwhelming and costly challenge. Three girls of different ages will have to overcome their own weaknesses to achieve their joint goal. The tension grows from one training session to the next. Entering the professional level means higher demands and stress, and constant indulgence of the weak takes away the strength of the group. Will the girls, who call themselves "the herd", persist in the pursuit of their dreams? Will they sacrifice individual ambitions to become a professional team? A documentary about true friendship, team spirit, and how sometimes the path to success, even if it is bumpy, can turn out to be more valuable than the goal itself.
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.
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 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.
Ride the Wave (2021)
Section: Competition of European Documentary Films for Young Audience
Directed by: Martyn Robertson
United Kingdom, 2021, 84 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4
Score:
Having participated in surfing competitions from the age of 11, 14-year-old Scottish champion Ben Larg is not afraid of a challenge. And what bigger challenge for a young surfer than one of the biggest and most dangerous cold water waves in the world at Mullaghmore, Ireland. If he gets it right, he joins an elite group. If he gets it wrong, the consequences are terrifying. Danger, opportunity, and parental dilemma collide propelling Ben and his family towards an unknown destiny.
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.
Vinski and the Invisibility Powder (2021)
Section: World Childrens Film Panorama
Directed by: Juha Wuolijoki
Finland, 2021, 85 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
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.
Singo (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 4
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.
Gabi, Between the Ages 8 and 13 (2021)
Section: Competition of European Documentary Films for Young Audience, Patron of Children Audience Award
Directed by: Engeli Brobert
Sweden, Norway, Denmark, 2021, 77 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
We follow the remarkable Gabi over the course of five formative years as she wrestles with society’s stereotypes about boys and girls. When her family moves from Stockholm to a small rural town, and as puberty kicks in, Gabi must decide whether she wants to fit in with the crowd or chart her own path.
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 6
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.
Morning Glow (2021)
Section: New Czech Film and TV Programmes
Directed by: Dan Wlodarczyk
Czech Republic, 2021, 85 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
Given the "unauthorized" name of Morning Glow by her alternative family, Social Services are taking the 8-month-old girl from them. After an ombudsman intervenes, the girl is returned, but the case continues. The media portrays this as petty bourgeois officials using bureaucracy to trouble those with lifestyles they disagree with. Morning Glow now symbolizes the conflict between the state and civil defiance. But where are the boundaries between normal and alternative?
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 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.