Film programme 2023

Brainz VR Cinema (2023)

Section: Brainz VR Cinema

International, 2023, 234 min

Projection place: Brainz VR Cinema

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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

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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.

Meet Again (2023)

Section: International Competition of Short Animations for Children (up to 12 years of age)

Directed by: Ap-sol Kang, Yoorim Lee

South Korea, 2023, 5 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4

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Hanbyul runs away from home on her fourteenth birthday because she is angry at her mom who does not even send a congratulatory text message.

The Perfect Fit (2022)

Section: International Competition of Short Animations for Children (up to 12 years of age)

Directed by: Meinardas Valkevičius

Lithuania, 2022, 10 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4

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Patrick lives in a children’s home. Seeing a parrot in the zoo, he becomes obsessed with them, which makes it harder for him to find parents wanting to adopt him.

Lovely Rita (2022)

Section: International Competition of Short Animations for Children (up to 12 years of age)

Directed by: Elena Madrid

Switzerland, 2022, 4 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4

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The policewoman Rita loves control and order. She draws up a rigid, rectangular road network, through which she directs the drivers with precise instructions.

Slipping Away (2022)

Section: International Competition of Short Animations for Children (up to 12 years of age)

Directed by: Gabriel Hénot-Lefèvre

France, 2022, 14 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4

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In a sanatorium, an old man finds his life transfigured by the arrival of a seagull. He takes care of her, and for a brief moment, he relives his childhood.

Hooba and Other Animations

Section: International Competition of Short Animations for Children (up to 12 years of age)

International, 0, 56 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4

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Hooba (2022)

Section: International Competition of Short Animations for Children (up to 12 years of age)

Directed by: Sem Assink

Netherlands, 2022, 2 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4

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In 3000 BC, a small group of people fight the elements and hunger. Unable to organize themselves, they build mysterious standing stone buildings.

Guard of Honour (2021)

Section: International Competition of Short Animations for Children (up to 12 years of age)

Directed by: Edmunds Jansons

Latvia, 2021, 5 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4

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A natural disaster interferes with the honor guard ritual. Only one of the guards, seemingly pointlessly, chooses to remain in his post.

To Be Sisters (2022)

Section: International Competition of Short Animations for Children (up to 12 years of age)

Directed by: Anne-Sophie Gousset, Clément Céard

France, 2022, 7 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4

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To be sisters is about sharing a special bond and laughing together. These sisters share an extra something a bit different, and that’s absolutely fine.

Balcony Cacophony (2022)

Section: International Competition of Short Animations for Children (up to 12 years of age)

Directed by: Quentin Haberham

Netherlands, 2022, 5 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4

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When a rich lady with a passion for topiary must swap her mansion with lush gardens for a tiny council flat, she finds it difficult to cope with her neighbour.

Ahru (2023)

Section: International Competition of Short Animations for Children (up to 12 years of age)

Directed by: Leandro Martínez

Argentina, 2023, 4 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4

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A story of a desert guardian named Ahru that can take on the form of many animals. Anyone brave enough to confront him will learn the secrets of his art.

Tony, Shelly and the Magic Light (2023)

Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category (up to 10 years of age)

Directed by: Filip Pošivač

Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Hungary, 2023, 80 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3

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Tonda is not an ordinary boy; he's been shining since birth. Ashamed of this, and because his parents do not let him go anywhere, he prefers to spend all his time in his room. When Slávka, a girl with glasses and a “magic” flashlight, moves into the building, he doesn't trust her at first. Eventually, it turns out that the two may understand each other and that they might also unravel the secrets of the old apartment building. Is there some kind of monster, or is it a ghost running through the corridors and terrifying everyone? Why can only the old janitor talk to it? The poetic, visually captivating film using stop animation shows that one can deal with otherness in any form and that tolerance and responsibility are cards that one can always play, especially at a time when the ideals of tolerance, justice, and compassion are in doubt. This film for the whole family is presented in its world premiere.

If You Are a Man (2022)

Section: Competition of European Feature Documentaries for Young Audience

Directed by: Simon Panay

France, 2022, 76 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6

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Thirteen-year-old Opio works in a gold mine in Burkina Faso. He sings and laughs to calm himself as he ventures into the dark and dangerous depths of the mine for the first time. He is still too young to descend to the bottom of the deep pit where adult miners mine gold – and sometimes dead bodies. But tirelessly searching for tiny grains of gold in huge piles of rocks and dust and pulling heavy bags out of the mine is the only way to make money to achieve his dream and secure his future: going to school. The story of the pursuit of gold, which requires immense courage and effort, is in fact the story of the journey to basic education, a goal that is still difficult for thousands of children to achieve. A captivating and fascinating documentary portrait of a young boy living with optimism in the harshest environment.

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.

How to Get Your Parents to Divorce (2022)

Section: World Children´s Film Panorama

Directed by: Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers

Canada, 2022, 83 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2

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Justine (12) firmly believes that she will be happier if her parents get divorced. The catch? They have no plans to do so. Tired of the arguing at home, Justine decides to use the language of her parents – both lawyers – to finally make herself heard. Surrounded by her group of friends, she creates a "Youth Court" to get what she wants.