Eleven-year-old Marco cares only about video gaming and all his  friends are online. When Marco’s grandfather moves in for the summer, “Nonno” decides to teach his “robot” grandson how to live. Nonno challenges Marco to learn bocce and make friends, telling him: “Bocce is like life. It’s not about thinking. You have to feel.” Marco resists, but his inevitable awakening is genuinely moving as he rises to the challenge and tries to beat the old man at his own game. After watching you might have the urge to visit grandparents, try bocce and buy some rainbow cookies!

USA  / 2019  / 90 min / Ages 10+ (smoking, divorce, death of grandparent) 

Romy’s recently divorced mom needs help with after school daycare for ten-year-old Romy. Her grandmother  Stinereluctantly offers to look after her granddaughter in her apartment above her hair salon. This arrangement allows Romy to see her Grandmother in a completely different light. At first witnessing Stine’s emotional aloofness and careless, forgetful ways she quickly comes to realize her grandmother is suffering from oncoming dementia. Now she and Romy realize they need to rely on each other to get through their days together. As memories fade the love grows stronger between them. 

Netherlands-Germany  / 2019 / Dutch with English subtitles / 89 min / Ages 10+ (divorce, difficult struggles for a grandparent) 

Raised since infancy at a German astronaut training facility can lead to some interesting personality traits. Self reliant, confident and one of a kind could all be said to describe 11 year old Rocca. With her father on a space mission she must now attend a normal school for the first time.  Her carefree and uber-confident ways instantly stand out. From the class bully to the homeless man she befriends on the way to school, the world around Rocca can’t help but be changed by her fearless optimism and caring for others as she herself learns to adjust to the new world around her. 

Germany  / 2019 / German with English subtitles / 101 min / Ages 10+ (early life tragedy, bullying, some profanity) 

Six years ago, Benjamin’s mother vanished after a burglary in their apartment. Now her only son is an orphaned, up n’ coming  computer hacker, running small scams to help out his fellow students. But when the government comes looking for him with a recent photo of his mother, he finds himself on the run from an insidious conspiracy unable to trust anyone. 

Denmark  / 2019 / 97 min / Ages 10+ (profanity, threat of violence and bodily harm)

UNITED STATES PREMIERE

If you like a good ghost-mystery film with a little bit of fright, this is your film! Three teen girlfriends at summer camp find strange things everywhere: first, they must make friends with…boys?!  But even weirder is the mysterious room #213, empty for 60 years after a terrible tragedy, but now assigned to them. Yup, things go bump in the night buuut, without spoiling the plot, the narrative has no violence or unspeakable traumas to mention. Just a good story, great acting and imaginative special effects.

From executive producer Angelina Jolie and the creators of the Academy Award®-nominated THE SECRET OF KELLS and SONG OF THE SEA, comes a highly-anticipated new film based on Deborah Ellis’ best-selling novel. Director Nora Twomey’s animation magnificently conveys the extraordinary story of 11-year-old Afghan girl Parvana, born into an ever-changing world of conflict and oppression, who finds strength in the love of her family and the power of storytelling.

In Taliban-controlled Kabul, women and girls are not permitted to leave the house unescorted, to earn money, or to shop for food and supplies in the market. When Parvana’s father, a teacher, is unfairly imprisoned, she must disguise herself as a boy to become her family’s sole breadwinner. Showing courage and perseverance, Parvana does anything she can to support her family, while trying desperately to help free her father.

THE BREADWINNER is fundamentally about family, friendship, and imagination. With a team of over 200 artists, animators, and actors from around the world, Twomey has created an innovative mix of 2-D animation with acrylic and digitally painted environments, as well as digital paper cut–out segments, all woven into an unforgettable story.

This is not just an incredibly important film, but one that reminds us of the power of animation to communicate serious issues in the world. It will surely be a strong contender for a “Best Animated Feature” Academy Award nomination.

Rhode Island Premiere

This feature debut from Colombian writer-director Henry Rincón centers on Eduardo, a ten-year-old boy who has more than his share of harrowing challenges: he is poor, a victim of Colombia’s armed conflict, and is missing a leg from a landmine accident. Yet, with the help of his music teacher and some valiant friends, Eduardo is determined to follow through with his passion: to form a team with other children with disabilities and participate in a children’s soccer tournament.

East Coast Premiere

New England Premiere

The therapeutic power of storytelling is at the forefront of this genre-defying documentary. Swaziland is a tiny country with the world’s highest HIV infection rate. A tragic consequence are the estimated 200,000 orphans now needing care, many traumatized beyond just losing their parents. At one orphanage, healing takes place through collective storywriting borne from the children’s personal experiences. The result is the powerful story of Liyana, a brave and determined girl who sets out to save her abducted twin brothers from many forms of peril. Where the children take Liyana in the story is where they are working to be in life.

What happens when a diverse group of LGBTQ youth dares to be “out” on stage to reveal their lives and their loves? THE YEAR WE THOUGHT ABOUT LOVE goes behind the scenes of one of the oldest queer youth theaters in America, with a camera crew slipping into classrooms, kitchens, subways and rehearsal rooms. Boston-based True Colors OUT Youth Theater transforms daily struggles into performance for social change. With wit, candor and attitude, this cast of characters captivates audiences who may be surprised to hear such stories in school settings. THE YEAR WE THOUGHT ABOUT LOVE introduces a transgender teenager kicked out of her house, a devout Christian challenging his church’s homophobia and a girl who prefers to wear boys’ clothing even as she models dresses on the runway. When real bombs explode outside their building, the troupe becomes even more determined to share their stories of love to help heal their city. Brave, encouraging, and funny…these are the inspiring LGBTQ youth leading us into the future.