Blueback (2022)
Section: World Children´s Film Panorama
Directed by: Robert Connolly
Australia, 2022, 102 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
The extraordinary beauty of the world's oceans and their inhabitants in a coming-of-age film. The story focuses on little Abby, who befriends a beautiful wild blue groper while scuba diving. When Abby realizes the fish is in danger, she remembers her mother, an activist and conservationist, and stands up to poachers to save her friend. And here begins her lifelong journey to save the world's coral reefs.
The Secret of Mr. M. (2023)
Section: New Czech Films and TV Programmes
Directed by: Pavel Šimák
Czech Republic, 2023, 81 min
Projection place: Aula
Score:
The rascal Kuba takes Jirka's diary containing his inventions notes. Jirka is the only kid to stick up for the new girl at school, Míša, who wants to get back at Kuba after losing a race. A chase through the city begins, ending at some old gates that shut behind the fleeing Kuba. He subsequently breaks out of the gate and runs away screaming. What so scary behind the gate that can scare even the tough Kuba? The next day, the kids set out to uncover the mystery and discover that someone is watching them… Everything is connected to the name Mendel, but who can it be?
Adventures in the Land of Asha (2023)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category (up to 10 years of age)
Directed by: Sophie Farkas Bolla
Canada, 2023, 89 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
In 1940, Jules and his family move to rural Canada. The boy soon realizes that he and his uncle, the local mayor, don’t get along. He takes him to the attic room, where Jules settles in to his satisfaction. He discovers a dusty book about native Americans, which he then almost never puts down. It opens a completely new world to him. After being expelled from school for fear of his rare skin disease, his only friend is the dog Sparky. When he visits the local forest, Jules meets an indigenous girl named Asha, strikingly similar to the one from the recently discovered book. Isolated from the outside world, the boy is given the opportunity to embark on an adventurous journey through the Canadian wilderness to find Ash's Mesquaki tribe and cure his illness. The film is not only a picturesque tale of courage, imagination and unusual friendship, but also an excursion into the lives of Canada's indigenous people.
The Secret of Mr. M. (2023)
Section: New Czech Films and TV Programmes
Directed by: Pavel Šimák
Czech Republic, 2023, 81 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1
Score:
The rascal Kuba takes Jirka's diary containing his inventions notes. Jirka is the only kid to stick up for the new girl at school, Míša, who wants to get back at Kuba after losing a race. A chase through the city begins, ending at some old gates that shut behind the fleeing Kuba. He subsequently breaks out of the gate and runs away screaming. What so scary behind the gate that can scare even the tough Kuba? The next day, the kids set out to uncover the mystery and discover that someone is watching them… Everything is connected to the name Mendel, but who can it be?
Mother Land (2022)
Section: Beyond the Childhood Horizon
Directed by: Jae-beom PARK
South Korea, 2022, 69 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
Krisha is the daughter of the Yates, a nomadic tribe of the tundra. When her mother falls seriously ill, Krisha follows the words of the tribe’s shaman and sets out on a quest to ask for help from Red Bear, the sacred spirit and owner of the land.
Blueback (2022)
Section: World Children´s Film Panorama
Directed by: Robert Connolly
Australia, 2022, 102 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
The extraordinary beauty of the world's oceans and their inhabitants in a coming-of-age film. The story focuses on little Abby, who befriends a beautiful wild blue groper while scuba diving. When Abby realizes the fish is in danger, she remembers her mother, an activist and conservationist, and stands up to poachers to save her friend. And here begins her lifelong journey to save the world's coral reefs.
The Secret of Mr. M. (2023)
Section: New Czech Films and TV Programmes
Directed by: Pavel Šimák
Czech Republic, 2023, 81 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
The rascal Kuba takes Jirka's diary containing his inventions notes. Jirka is the only kid to stick up for the new girl at school, Míša, who wants to get back at Kuba after losing a race. A chase through the city begins, ending at some old gates that shut behind the fleeing Kuba. He subsequently breaks out of the gate and runs away screaming. What so scary behind the gate that can scare even the tough Kuba? The next day, the kids set out to uncover the mystery and discover that someone is watching them… Everything is connected to the name Mendel, but who can it be?
Sea Sparkle (2023)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Junior Category (over 11 years of age)
Directed by: Domien Huyghe
Belgium, Netherlands, 2023, 98 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
Twelve-year-old Lena rides a skateboard, listens to Angèle, is quite good at sailing and loves the ocean. She enjoys a carefree childhood by the sea, with her feet in the water and her head in the clouds. On her sailboat, she fights the winds and waves as passionately as her father did on his fishing expeditions. When he and the rest of his crew don't return one day, some say it was an accident, others say he was reckless. Lena is sure it couldn't have been her father's fault. It must have been a giant sea creature that overturned the ship. She just needs proof to prove everyone wrong. Lena's rage focuses her on a single task: to hunt down the underwater monster she believes is responsible for the disaster. This story of a teenager against a background of sadness, is based on the director's own experience. It was the opening film of the Generation Kplus section at this year's Berlinale.
She - Hero (2023)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category (up to 10 years of age)
Directed by: Mira Fornay
Slovak Republic, 2023, 83 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
Seven-year-old Roma loses her beloved parakeet Mimi. Remaining optimistic, she sets out to search for her in the nearby forest. She takes her new parakeet with her, which her mother bought her, because she and her friend Cypek believe that her singing could attract Mimi. And it is here that the magical story of a seemingly ordinary adventure begins, in which Romy makes many new friends, survives tense moments, tries to do things on her own, and learns that you can’t control nature. It takes place in a potentially dangerous environment, but no great drama takes place in it. Every encounter, even seemingly scary, turns out well. This positive film with a strong environmental message and unique atmosphere premiered at this year's Berlinale, where it won the main prize in the Generation Kplus category. The film is also exceptional in the context of Slovak cinema, which is rarely devoted to the children's genre.
Sea Sparkle (2023)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Junior Category (over 11 years of age)
Directed by: Domien Huyghe
Belgium, Netherlands, 2023, 98 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4
Score:
Twelve-year-old Lena rides a skateboard, listens to Angèle, is quite good at sailing and loves the ocean. She enjoys a carefree childhood by the sea, with her feet in the water and her head in the clouds. On her sailboat, she fights the winds and waves as passionately as her father did on his fishing expeditions. When he and the rest of his crew don't return one day, some say it was an accident, others say he was reckless. Lena is sure it couldn't have been her father's fault. It must have been a giant sea creature that overturned the ship. She just needs proof to prove everyone wrong. Lena's rage focuses her on a single task: to hunt down the underwater monster she believes is responsible for the disaster. This story of a teenager against a background of sadness, is based on the director's own experience. It was the opening film of the Generation Kplus section at this year's Berlinale.
She - Hero (2023)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category (up to 10 years of age)
Directed by: Mira Fornay
Slovak Republic, 2023, 83 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
Seven-year-old Roma loses her beloved parakeet Mimi. Remaining optimistic, she sets out to search for her in the nearby forest. She takes her new parakeet with her, which her mother bought her, because she and her friend Cypek believe that her singing could attract Mimi. And it is here that the magical story of a seemingly ordinary adventure begins, in which Romy makes many new friends, survives tense moments, tries to do things on her own, and learns that you can’t control nature. It takes place in a potentially dangerous environment, but no great drama takes place in it. Every encounter, even seemingly scary, turns out well. This positive film with a strong environmental message and unique atmosphere premiered at this year's Berlinale, where it won the main prize in the Generation Kplus category. The film is also exceptional in the context of Slovak cinema, which is rarely devoted to the children's genre.
Retreat (2022)
Section: Beyond the Childhood Horizon
Directed by: Leon Schwitter
Switzerland, 2022, 82 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
On a holiday in the mountains, an estranged father and son get to know each other better. During their stay, Benny slowly realizes that his father has turned his back on civilization and wants to protect him from the outside world, which is crumbling under the impact of environmental destruction and economic crises.
Adventures in the Land of Asha (2023)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category (up to 10 years of age)
Directed by: Sophie Farkas Bolla
Canada, 2023, 89 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4
Score:
In 1940, Jules and his family move to rural Canada. The boy soon realizes that he and his uncle, the local mayor, don’t get along. He takes him to the attic room, where Jules settles in to his satisfaction. He discovers a dusty book about native Americans, which he then almost never puts down. It opens a completely new world to him. After being expelled from school for fear of his rare skin disease, his only friend is the dog Sparky. When he visits the local forest, Jules meets an indigenous girl named Asha, strikingly similar to the one from the recently discovered book. Isolated from the outside world, the boy is given the opportunity to embark on an adventurous journey through the Canadian wilderness to find Ash's Mesquaki tribe and cure his illness. The film is not only a picturesque tale of courage, imagination and unusual friendship, but also an excursion into the lives of Canada's indigenous people.
Goodbye the Groundhog (2022)
Section: World Children´s Film Panorama
Directed by: Yang Chengcheng
China, 2022, 83 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
A desperate father sets out in search of a bizarre folk remedy to cure his daughter's strange illness. Travelling thousands of miles to Tibet, there he encounters two simple Tibetan teenagers and convinces them to trade his tablet for their groundhog. From then on, the two sides engage in a battle for the groundhog.