Film programme 2023

Darkening (2022)

Section: Brainz VR Cinema

Directed by: Ondřej Moravec

Czech Republic, Germany, 2022, 25 min

Projection place: Brainz VR Cinema

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How does a person with depression perceive the world? This film provides a deep insight into the "dark night of the soul", as well as hope.

Brainz VR Cinema (2023)

Section: Brainz VR Cinema

International, 2023, 234 min

Projection place: Brainz VR Cinema

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Baghdad Messi (2022)

Section: Beyond the Childhood Horizon

Directed by: Sahim Omar Kalifa

Belgium, 2022, 88 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6

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Iraq. Hamoudi (11) lives for football and he dreams of being as outstanding as his hero Lionel Messi. One day, when he is unintentionally involved in an attack, he wakes up in hospital with only one leg. While his parents do everything to keep the family safe, Hamoudi fights to achieve his dream in spite of his injuries.

Věra Plívová-Šimková (2023)

Section: Special Mention

Directed by: Anna Stichenwirthová

Czech Republic, 2023, 53 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2

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A documentary portrait of director Věra Plívová-Šimková, who made an indelible mark in the history of Czech cinema in the field of children's productions. In addition to the artist herself, we see not only her family, but also many filmmakers who have worked with her. She talks about her extreme commitment, talent and enthusiasm for working with children and the camera, as well as the dark side of her talent.

Shabu (2021)

Section: Top Teen Ten

Directed by: Shamira Raphaëla

Netherlands, Belgium, 2021, 75 min

Projection place: Zámek

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Shabu (14) lives in a colorful loving environment where everyone knows and supports each other. He needs that support, since he has a big obstacle to overcome this summer; he angered the most import woman in his life. His grandmother. He crashed her car joyriding it while she was on vacation in Surinam. So, instead of working on his music career he’ll have to pay for the damages done.

The Tesla Case (2022)

Section: World Children´s Film Panorama

Directed by: Andrey Hadjivasilev

Bulgaria, 2022, 90 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3

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Aspiring young "inventor" Tony is working on a wireless electricity device inspired by the eccentric genius Nikola Tesla. Tony believes that his discovery could solve the global energy crisis. He’s disappointed when he is forced to go to a summer camp with his classmates. Tony invites his friend Raya to go; she would much rather go to camp than stay alone at home. But surviving nature won't be the only hurdle that Tony needs to overcome; there’s also a mean scout leader and a werewolf to contend with.

Missing 10 Hours (2022)

Section: Brainz VR Cinema

Directed by: Fanni Fazakas

Hungary, 2022, 16 min

Projection place: Brainz VR Cinema

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Rape cases often involve more than just the perpetrator and the victim. Your decisions as a bystander will influence the course of an evening.

Thank You for Sharing Your World (2022)

Section: Brainz VR Cinema

Directed by: Yu Sakudo

Japan, 2022, 33 min

Projection place: Brainz VR Cinema

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Takashi lost his eyesight in grade school. He begins to lose interest in a world he can’t see, until he’s invited to an event which changes how he sees the world.

Sorella's Story (2021)

Section: Brainz VR Cinema

Directed by: Peter Hegedüs

Australia, Hungary, Sweden, 2021, 15 min

Projection place: Brainz VR Cinema

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We follow 10-year-old Sorella in 1941 on her final journey to a Baltic Sea beach where close to 4,000 Jewish people, mostly women and children, were murdered.

Rock Paper Scissors (2022)

Section: Brainz VR Cinema

Directed by: Alex Ruhl

United Kingdom, 2022, 7 min

Projection place: Brainz VR Cinema

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Single mum Lina and her daughter Priya have found a fair way to settle any debate, using the game Rock Paper Scissors. But life isn’t always like on the playground.

Reimagimed vol. 1: Nyssa (2022)

Section: Brainz VR Cinema

Directed by: Julie Cavaliere

United States of America, 2022, 15 min

Projection place: Brainz VR Cinema

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After losing her best friend/broom, a young witch must learn about fear and how to harness it in order to protect her village from the wrath of the evil Teemencaag.

Lou (2022)

Section: Brainz VR Cinema

Directed by: Martine Asselin, Annick Daigneault

Canada, 2022, 26 min

Projection place: Brainz VR Cinema

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Based on stories and experiences shared by autistic people and inspired by the children of both directors. Witness firsthand a few days of his life.

Luna: Left Behind (2022)

Section: Brainz VR Cinema

Directed by: Charuvit Wannissorn

Thailand, 2022, 30 min

Projection place: Brainz VR Cinema

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An interactive VR story about an android and a little girl trying to survive an AI apocalypse. Can you, a droid with no combat capabilities, protect Luna?

Kristine Is Not Well (2021)

Section: Brainz VR Cinema

Directed by: Seeyam Quine

Netherlands, United States of America, 2021, 18 min

Projection place: Brainz VR Cinema

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A VR social media simulation that highlights the resistance of online activists against algorithmic surveillance and censorship.

Fresh Memories: the Look (2023)

Section: Brainz VR Cinema

Directed by: Volodymyr Kolbasa, Ondřej Moravec

Czech Republic, Ukraine, 2023, 10 min

Projection place: Brainz VR Cinema

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The war in Ukraine has destroyed thousands of households and lives. Look into the eyes of those who lost their homes or places closely connected with them.

Darkening (2022)

Section: Brainz VR Cinema

Directed by: Ondřej Moravec

Czech Republic, Germany, 2022, 25 min

Projection place: Brainz VR Cinema

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How does a person with depression perceive the world? This film provides a deep insight into the "dark night of the soul", as well as hope.

Billie Blue (2023)

Section: Beyond the Childhood Horizon

Directed by: Mariloup Wolfe

Canada, 2023, 115 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4

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At 16, Billie is just now catching up with her peers: in love, in height (a growth spurt has propelled her to 1m80), in having her first period. In a hurry to catch up, she begins her summer as a lifeguard at the water park with her best friends and her oh-so-perfect older sister Annette. Everything goes wrong when Billie and Annette both fall for Pierre, a talented local racing cyclist. Thus begins a heartbreaking love triangle where Billie must once and for all take her place, shine bright and fight to live the love story she deserves.

Brainz VR Cinema (2023)

Section: Brainz VR Cinema

International, 2023, 234 min

Projection place: Brainz VR Cinema

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Beautiful Beings (2022)

Section: Beyond the Childhood Horizon

Directed by: Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson

Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Czech Republic, 2022, 123 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5

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Fourteen-year-old Balli is an outsider from a broken family. In vain, he seeks support at home and at school, where he is a victim of bullying. Everything changes when he meets a group of three troubled teenagers who unexpectedly take him in. A gang dominated by the violent Konni and intelligent Addi offers Balli a missing home. A story told with poetic feeling and rawness about relationships that can last forever and help shape us in our most important moments. About cruelty and tenderness born on the magical border between childhood and adulthood.

Scrapper (2023)

Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Junior Category (over 11 years of age)

Directed by: Charlotte Regan

United Kingdom, 2023, 83 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6

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When her mother dies, 12-year-old Georgie does everything she can to avoid going to an orphanage. She has a lot on her mind for her age. She must to both grow up quickly to be able to take care of herself, and use her child's ingenuity and innocence to deceive local authorities and others. She and her best friend Ali make money stealing bikes and she pretends to live with an “uncle”. But this fake family member is soon replaced by her real father, who’s been gone so long that she doesn't recognize him. Not happy with his intrusion, she tries to find out why her father has reentered her life. This great British dramedy combines elements of the social film genre, fresh formal flavors, memorable scenes (especially the interaction between Georgia and her father), funny lines and talking spiders. The film won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema section at this year's Sundance.