Film programme 2023

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.

Juniors (2022)

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

Directed by: Hugo Thomas

France, 2022, 95 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2

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Fourteen-year-old boys Jordan and Patrick live in a small village in the south of France and are bored to death. The only thing they enjoy is Call of Duty, a popular war video game in which they compete with Korean opponents. But one day, tragedy strikes; Jessica (their PlayStation 4) breaks down. How will they get money for a new one? Influenced by circumstances, the teens come up with a crazy idea: Jordan will fake cancer and start an online collection to support his treatment. Both completely cut off from reality, the boys are convinced that their virtual lie will never reach them. Not in their village, not at school, not at home... Money flows in, but the lie gets out and threatens their friendship. A brilliant comedy with a deep message; it plays with limits and breaks traditionally accepted decorum in the face of the suffering. Vanessa Paradis appears as a mother alongside the talented young non-actors.

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.

Dounia & The Princess of Aleppo (2022)

Section: World Children´s Film Panorama

Directed by: Marya Zarif, André Kadi

Canada, 2022, 72 min

Projection place: Congress Centre

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Dounia, a cheerful little Syrian girl full of dreams, loses her mother prematurely. Then the regime arrests her father. With her grandparents, she has to leave her beloved country to find a new home. Despite the obstacles that stand in her way, she knows that she can count on the few magic nigella seeds she holds in her hand and on the help of the princess of Aleppo…

Brainz VR Cinema (2023)

Section: Brainz VR Cinema

International, 2023, 234 min

Projection place: Brainz VR Cinema

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Dancing Queen (2023)

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

Directed by: Aurora Gossé

Norway, 2023, 90 min

Projection place: Aula

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The world of 12-year-old Mina, a slightly pudgy loser with strong glasses, is turned upside down when a young hip-hop dancer named Edwin, aka ED WIN, enters her school and she falls madly in love with him. When Edwin arranges an audition for a new dance group, blinded by love, Mina recklessly volunteers. She doesn't even realize one important thing: she can't dance! Full of self-doubt, but with the support of her lively and wise grandmother and the power of her own unrelenting enthusiasm, Mina plunges into practice and rehearsal just to get into the group. Will she finally dare to step into the unknown and remain true to herself? A classic, yet original story about adolescence, full of humor and surprising twists; it will please not only children, but also their parents. This positive film about the importance of friendship and the courage not to give up on your dreams premiered at this year's Berlinale.

Big Dreams (2023)

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

Directed by: Dan Pánek

Czech Republic, 2023, 98 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1

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The year is 1998, in Nagano, Japan. The Czechs win the gold in Olympic ice hockey and the crowds go wild. All the kids want to be like Jagr or Hašek. Among them is Dom, an 11-year-old dreamer who looks up to his new idol. He would love to play hockey, but his parents don't have the money and doubt his abilities. On his grandfather’s advice, Dom and his friend Honza build a hockey team, calling themselves the Sabres after Hašek's home team in Buffalo. This team of disparate, underestimated kids focus on their great challenge – to defeat the Red Wings team from the next village and earn respect. After an initial defeat, the Sabres are taken over by the peculiar coach Karel, a former major league hockey player, and they gradually head for a rematch. This story of friendship, sport, pride, euphoria, and underdogs sends a message that children's dreams have many forms and that children need to be supported.

My Life as Lotta (2023)

Section: World Children´s Film Panorama

Directed by: Martina Plura

Germany, 2023, 89 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5

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Based on the worldwide best-selling book series of the same name by Alice Pantermüller, we meet Lotta and her best friend, Cheyenne, who are excited to go on their first school trip. That is, until they find out who’s going: Cheyenne´s little sister Chanell, Lotta’s father as a chaperon, and their new French classmate Rémi who has a huge crush on Lotta! And from there the trip goes from bad to worse: a haunted hostel, Chanell disappears, and an old legend of a poltergeist. Fortunately, there is Lotta´s gang the “Wild Rabbits” - you can always rely on them.

We Will Not Fade Away (2023)

Section: Competition of European Feature Documentaries for Young Audience

Directed by: Alisa Kovalenko

France, Poland, Ukraine, 2023, 100 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4

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Five teenagers face the next stage of their education. They hope to become a photographer, policeman, engineer, or actor, but they have been living in a village in the Donbass among ruins, minefields, and bomb shelters since 2014. Gunfire is a part of life, as is the ubiquitous desire for a better life. They dream of leaving the war zone and exploring a world not ruled by missiles. Amid this despair, our heroes receive an unexpected offer from a Ukrainian traveler. An expedition to the Himalayas provides five Ukrainian teenagers with an opportunity to fulfill their dream for at least a little while – before Russia's total invasion in February 2022 destroys the last remnants of their hope. With a sensitive, unobtrusive gaze, the documentary portrays a touching portrait of a generation of young people surrounded by darkness, yet – or perhaps because of this – able to recognize the fragile beauty of life.

Dojo (2022)

Section: World Children´s Film Panorama

Directed by: Boris Paval Conen

Netherlands, 2022, 89 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3

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Brandon (13) and his best friend Stefano live in a multicultural working-class neighborhood. They find comfort and brotherhood with a local gang and rise quickly in the street hierarchy by carrying out dangerous tasks. But when Brandon gets caught breaking into a dojo by Kai, a former judo champion and owner of the dojo, he demands that Brandon join his judo school to avoid arrest. In the dojo, Brandon discovers the peaceful philosophy behind judo, which gives him the peace and discipline that his life lacks. Can Brandon break free from the ruthless street life?

Sex O’Clock (2022)

Section: New Czech Films and TV Programmes

Directed by: Karolína Zalabáková, Jan Bártek

Czech Republic, 2022, 80 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6

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Until now, fifteen-year-old Adam had been mainly concerned with his dancing career and the burning question of when he would finally lose his virginity. But his father soon turns the family's life upside down and sets off a chain of unexpected events that both Adam's mother Judith and grandmother have to deal with. And no one yet knows what Adam's sister Ema is soon to deal with...

Hidden Heroes (2022)

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

Directed by: Anna Levinson

Germany, 2022, 2 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2

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A story of three children, of different origins, family and living conditions, and their everyday struggles. To cope with reality, they make up the wildest stories.

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.

Town Hall Square (2023)

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

Directed by: Christian Kaufmann

Germany, 2023, 8 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2

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Bernard works at a ticket booth at the Town Hall Square subway station. One day, however, a little tiger shows up and turns Bernard's life upside down.

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.