In this lighthearted German farce, the citizens of Bollersdorf take great pride in being perfectly average in everything: weight, age, household members and more. Bollersdorf is so average, in fact, that a market research company uses the town as a testing ground. Fortunately, a ragtag group of kindergarteners known as the Coati Gang, doesn’t fall for it. With the help of their grandparents, the gang sets out to make its town “extra” ordinary using creativity, pluck and ingenuity. A hilarious and heartwarming live-action adventure.
No classroom for these kindergarteners: In Switzerland’s Langnau am Albis, a suburb of Zurich, children four to seven years of age go to kindergarten in the woods every day, no matter what the weatherman says. The filmmakers follow the forest kindergarten through the seasons of one school year to make their documentary film “School’s Out: Lessons from a Forest Kindergarten.” This eye-opening film looks into the important question of what it is that children need at that age. There is laughter, beauty and amazement in the process of finding out.
Wickie longs to be a big, strong Viking like his father, Halvar. When Halvar is kidnapped, it’s Wickie’s brain that must save his father and not his under-developed Viking brawn. He leads the men on this swashbuckling adventure as they set off over raging oceans, tropical beaches and dangerous icy wastelands, all in pursuit of the legendary treasure of the Gods (which contains the key to his father’s release). Suspending disbelief will ensure a smile on your face. Made by Christian Ditter, director of previous PCFF crowd favorites “The Crocodiles” (PCFF 2011) and ”Crocodiles Strike Back” (PCFF 2012).
Tony, almost ten years old, is desperate to prevent his parents from splitting up. He begins to suspect that his father has fallen for another woman: specifically, the Queen of Holland. Tony takes matters into his own young hands and confronts the Queen herself – over a ping-pong table. He eventually learns to accept that some things just cannot be fixed, including his parents’ marriage. Tony’s story has all the elements needed to tell this complicated, modern-day fairy tale with lots of love, originality, humor, and confidence. “Tony 10” takes the sensitive subject of divorce and shows that happiness can be found by starting new relationships and redefining old ones – with help from the Queen of course!
In this new adaptation, Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” is seamlessly transported to 1948 Bavaria, post-World War II. Both those familiar with the story and those new to this classic American tale will delight in the characters of Tom and Hacke — two adventurous, fatherless boys who experience the thrill and terror of being on their own in a sometimes dangerous world.
The Crocodiles” was a huge hit at our 2011 festival, so screening the second installment of their trilogy was a no-brainer! All the original cast members are back (looking a little older as kids are prone to do), and several new characters assist in solving another town conspiracy. This time the gang of pint-sized detectives stumbles across a plot involving a local factory threatened with a mysterious closure. Worried that their parents will lose their jobs, the young sleuths must work together to uncover the sinister plan.
“The Crocodiles Strike Back” is packed with plenty of adventure and humor. What this film has above and beyond other films made for young adults is a sincere development of characters with real-world domestic situations. There are kids from broken families trying to cope. Racism is tackled, as are stereotypes of the physically challenged, often in humorous ways. These evolving young adults are empowered through their friendship despite entering a difficult age of thinking romantically about each other. There is still teasing but with respect for one another. Dealing with issues relevant to kids around the world, this entertaining coming-of-age film is guaranteed to thrill audiences.
A true-to-life film about fulfilling potential and overcoming destiny, “I am Kalam” has touched hearts across India and worldwide. Chhotu, a bright yet impoverished Rajasthani boy, dreams of gaining an education while he works at a roadside cafe. When he hears an inspirational message from President Kalam, he changes his name to Kalam and commits to studying independently whenever he can. He befriends a local prince, but the two must fraternize in secret. Through their forbidden friendship and a case of misjudged intentions, Kalam struggles to find his place and tries to meet the president. A heartwarming narrative, “I Am Kalam” speaks not only to the dreams of many uneducated children in India but to anyone who has dared to seek a better life for himself.
If heights make you nervous, you might want to find another movie! Tancrède and Julien are two friends on an incredible exploration into the world of free flight. They are pioneers in “highlining” – a vertiginous combination of climbing, slackline and tightrope walking. Using their fearless skills and experience as climbers, the pair push the boundaries of possibility as they embark on a new evolution of their sport. Some would argue it’s art.
Follow their travels from the Verdon gorge to the skyscrapers of Paris and finally to the spectacular cliffs and fjords of Norway, where the pair put weeks into training for their ultimate test. (It’s hard not to think of Philippe Petit).
Having lost his left leg to bone cancer, Ka is left with only one leg to jump with. When he is discharged from the hospital, Dr. Chen gives him a present: a child’s picture book titled “Rolypoly.” The doctor tells him, “Jump five million times, and you’ll see Rolypoly.” Thus begins a story of a boy, an aging children’s book author wishing to correct a past misdeed (theft) and a Chinese village that embraces them both.
The film took three years to make due to the difficult process of combining live action with animations. All the stories (the animation parts) in the movie were bedtime stories the director told to his son 15 years ago. The main actor playing the author, Tien Bien, is a famous stage actor in Taiwan. All the children are non-professional actors.
This beautiful and warmhearted adventure once again demonstrates that some of the best animated films come from Japan. A loving family of river rats is driven from its riverbank home by a human construction project. Needing to find a new place to live, a father and his two young sons, Tarta and Chichi, negotiate the everyday yet unexpected dangers of a city, surviving only with the timely help of a string of unlikely friends: a dog, a cat, a sparrow, and a wise sewer-rat. Kids will delight in the eager, irrepressible Chichi, who treats their journey as a fun adventure and who has a knack for getting into trouble. Throughout, gentle lessons unfold about balancing trust and caution, coping with loss and longing, and discovering one’s strengths and proper home — all set against the backdrop of a disconnected human world unaware of its impact on nature.