It’s hard enough to change schools, never mind changing your home country and school. WINNERS follows the story of 11 yr old Mona who, after fleeing Syria, is left to her own devices to figure out a public school in Berlin where many students have also immigrated. Soccer is the one language they share but that doesn’t guaranty acceptance or success.
The narrative of a 12-year-old Maori girl who dreams of becoming the chief of her people might not have the narrative appeal of WICKED, but you would miss out. The genius of the movie is the way it sidesteps all of the obvious cliches of the underlying story and makes itself fresh, observant, tough and genuinely moving. There is a vast difference between movies for 12-year-old girls, and movies about 12-year-old girls, and WHALE RIDER proves it.
WHALE RIDER gives us an unapologetic, unvarnished glimpse at the Maori culture, where tribal leader (and Grandfather) Koro sees his people in decline because they have fallen out of favor with the gods and ancestors. He sees that everything has especially gone wrong for his people from the moment his granddaughter Paikea was born. The only solution he can see is in finding a new leader from the young boys of his tribe. Of course, Pai, her grandmother and we the audience clearly suspect that the next leader of his tribe might be right under his nose, he’s just too stubborn and set in his ways to see it.
Keisha Castle Hughes as Pai is a strong reason this film works. Instead of playing the part as a precocious, wise beyond her years brat prodigy, she plays it as a 12 year old girl, needing her grandfather’s love and acceptance, and continually having her heart broken. She beautifully balances the kind of child-like unconditional love that pours out of her with the strength of her ancestors, the stone-like resolve to endure, to survive, to prove herself to her grandfather. Brace yourself, the ride is about to come!
In the woods at the end of the road, Robin and her friends, the “Hoods”, have no limits to their imagination. But when an unscrupulous developer wants to cut down the forest and redevelop the area, the children must do whatever it takes to save “the kingdom”.
Director Phil Hawkins: “The power of our young protagonists imaginations bring an epic scale to this heartwarming story. And it’s an important one to tell. ROBIN AND THE HOODS, at its core, is about conservation. Both of the environment and our responsibility have as a society to do something about it… but also about the preservation of ‘innocence’ in a day and age where kids are seemingly getting older at a much younger age.
I’m a new parent. I have five year old twins and both these aspects scare me. I’m truly frightened about what world our kids are going to be left with on top of the ‘digital’ pressures of growing up way too soon. ROBIN is important because it’s a reminder of the power of imagination and innocence. The time in our lives where everything feels simple where we can take on the World because what we’re passionate about is right under our noses uncorrupted by politics or corporations. An innocence that’s infectious for all concerned that can change things. Our young characters in the movie care deeply about conserving a very small patch of land that is their entire world. It’s a microcosm of our global struggle to save the environment told in a way that’s inspiring (and exciting!) that can and will spark conversation. It’s a movie I can’t wait to show my kids.”
First Impressions – The films on this reel are curated for the youngest minds. Some narratives are driven by music. Others use a wide array of animation styles to tell stories that might inspire a giggle (or two). By the end you will have “visited” six different countries through film.
Films and film line-up are subject to change without notice.
BIRDS BY THE WAY – Times and circumstances change, but the duo of a Worm and a Bird stands the same! (2022 / 10 mins / Russian Federation / dir. Alla Vartanyan / no dialogue)
DILLY DIGGER – Dilly is a curious little mole who loves to dig. Day in. Day out. Dig, dig, dig. But he is not so good at staying on task. Today, Dilly is supposed to find mushrooms for dinner but gets distracted by a funny butterfly, a fuzzy caterpillar and a friendly Giraffe. Will Dilly find the mushrooms and keep his promise? (2022 / 10 mins / Canada / dir. Eva Colmers / in English)
HUSH HUSH LITTLE BEAR – While the bear parents are away looking for berries and honey, the baby bears stay at home with the sheep. But what bear cub can resist a ball of yarn? Certainly not these two. Based on the traditional Latvian lullaby. (2022 / 4.5 mins / Latvia / dir. Māra Liniņa / in Latvian w/English subtitles)
LLAMAS AT THE LAUNDROMAT – Got dirty clothes? Join two stylish llamas as they dance and sing their way though the steps of doing laundry at the laundromat. (2022 / 2 mins / Canada / dir. Martha Grant / in English)
NIMBUS – Nimbus is whimsical story about a worker cloud who lives in Cloud City – an imaginary world in the sky. One day, his somewhat menial daily life is interrupted by a small surprise at work. As his day takes a turn, he finds himself thrown into an entirely new and unexpected world. With its charming characters and a backdrop of epic painted cloudscapes, this film reminds us of the small joys and bits of magic we encounter in our daily lives. (2022 / 5 mins / USA / dir. Rémy Poisson / no dialogue)
EDMOND & LUCY (The Music of Nature) – Meet Edmond, the squirrel, and Lucy, the bear cub, with their daily adventures in the forest: Nature is their best playmate!
Edmond and Lucy are raised as brother and sister in a majestic chestnut tree they call home, a kind of radiant city of the forest. Playing and growing up in the heart of nature, unravelling its mysteries and living adventures in the great outdoors… what a wonderful life! (2021 / 12 mins / France / dir. François Narboux / in English)
NOUNOURS – A baby girl stumbles across a box. In it, she discovers a new friend, a teddy bear. Like a dream, we are transported through moments in their relationship, flashes in time, as the girl begins to run, play, and learn about the world. But as she grows older, the time comes to pack away childish things for good… (2021 / 3 mins / Canada / dir. Lou Rigoudy / French a few English subtitles)
OUR PIGGY – Our piglet is still experiencing some adventure. Discover the magic of vacuum cleaners, wires or the fact that things sometimes buzz. Rediscover the world! (2021 / 4.5 mins / Czech Republic / dir. Jaromír Plachý / no dialogue)
ROBOTS DON’T TELL JOKES – Robot thinks he has a wonderful joke, so he keeps trying to tell it, but none of the other robots ever laugh. They tell him “robots don’t tell jokes…” Will Robot give up on his awesome joke or will he find his tribe? Stop-motion using mainly wood scraps and metal pieces. (2022 / 3.5 mins / USA / dir. Kelli Caldwell / in English)
SUZIE IN THE GARDEN – Suzie bikes with her family to an outdoor area where families garden, play and just relax in nature. Upon finding a key she ventures on to a plot she has never seen before. (2022 / 13 mins / Czech Republic / dir. Lucie Sunková / in English)
C’est la vie – After the U.S.A., France is the country that submits the most films and we are glad they do! This reel comprises multiple animated shorts with a wide range of narratives about life. You may relate to some and learn from others.
FILMS AND FILM LINE-UP ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
AIR – A boy finds another way to join his friends in the water below and experiences a few moments of total freedom. (2022 / 3 mins / France / dir. Juliette Laboria / French w/English subtitles)
BIRTH OF AN OASIS (Naissance des oasis) – A snake and a camel develop a friendship that leads to a tale of why you can find an oasis in the middle of a desert. (2022 / 9 mins / France / dir. Marion Jamault / French w/English subtitles)
THE BOY AND THE ELEPHANT (Le Garçon et l’Eléphant) – The arrival of a new elephant-headed student in class triggers mockery and sarcasm. One of the students seems captivated and disturbed by this strange child. Will he be accepted? (2022 / 6.5 mins / France / dir. Sonia Gerbeaud / no dialogue)
FOR FREEDOM (Pour la liberté) – A little girl lets her tears rise and almost drowns in her sorrow. Little by little, she accepts to bathe in it, to tame it and gives herself the freedom to live her emotions. (2022 / 3 mins / France / dir. Ada Hernaez / French w/English subtitles)
FUNNY BIRDS (Drôles d’oiseaux) – Ellie is entering secondary school in Saumur. Shy and fascinated by nature, and birds, she spends her time with books. Ellie draws the attention of Anna, the school’s librarian. The day when Ellie must absolutely return a book to Anna, she finds the school library closed. Ellie decides to take it back to Anna’s home, a few miles from school, on an island on the Loire River. An island full of birds. (2021 / 30 mins / France / dir. Charlie Belin / in English)
HOW I GOT MY WRINKLES (L’Effet de mes rides) – Claude, a multi-faceted artist passionate about animation, decides to make “his own” film at last, before he turns 70. He embarks with him on this adventure Gaston, his 7-year-old grandson, curious about everything and always on the go, to whom he transmitted his passion for drawing and moving images. (2022 / 12 mins / France / dir. Claude Delafosse / French w/English subtitles)
NO-NO GOES TO SPACE (Non-Non dans l’espace) – Three…Two…One…Go! End of the countdown, it’s time to plant Underwood Springs’ flag on the moon! In a cloud of smoke and sparks, Bigtooth’s rocket leaves the earth’s orbit. Floating in space, No-No, Magaïveur and their friends barely have time to admire the landscapes before a meteorite shower veers them off their initial course and sends them directly … to an unknown planet! Their meeting with Ribbit, a little green creature, will transform this space adventure into an interplanetary story of friendship! (2022 / 26 mins / France / dir. Wassim Boutaleb Joutei / in English)
QUEEN OF THE FOXES (La Reine des Renards) – In the hopes of seeing their queen smile again, a group of foxes rummage through the city’s trash, searching for all the love letters that were never sent. (2022 / 9 mins / Switzerland / dir. Marina Rosset / French w/English subtitles)
SLIPPING AWAY (L’Air de rien) – In a sanatorium by the sea, an old man finds his life transfigured by the arrival of a seagull, that he delicately tames. When the seagull gets wounded, the man takes care of her, and for a brief moment, he returns to boyhood again. (2022 / 14 mins / France / dir. Gabriel Hénot Lefèvre / no dialogue)
THE STRANGER (L’Etranger) – What does this stranger want, blocking the road? In order to find out, no need to shout, just climb up and ask him! (2022 / 3 mins / France / dir. Hugo Glavier / French with English subtitles)
THE WOLF AND THE DOG (Le Loup et le Chien) – A hungry wolf and a hunting dog have a little tête-à-tête about their daily lives. The dog’s life sounds temptingly luxurious until he is told one thing which makes his life choice easy to decide. (2022 / 3 mins / France / dir. Héloïse Le Bail / French w/English subtitles)
No Easy Answers – Life can be hard at any age. These challenging stories include homelessness, bullying, immigration and the effects of war. Each powerful film offers a perspective where solutions are not so apparent. How do you cope with such uncertainty? Your answer might be different than the person sitting next to you. (Multi-national / English or w/English subtitles / 90 mins /
FILMS AND FILM LINE-UP ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
AMANI – In this tale, halfway between reality and fantasy, a mysterious narrator tells us the story of Amani, a young boy passionate about dance. Amani’s innocence and joie de vivre open the narrator’s eyes to the humanity he had never really cared about before. But as the night begins to rumble, Amani’s joie de vivre disappears to give way to his pain, which echoes in the silence of the plain. (2021 / 17 mins / Chad, Canada / dir. Alliah Fafin / French w/English subtitles)
AROUND THE CORNER (Za vogalom) – There are times when you think you are witnessing a bullying situation but there is so much more you don’t know. Wanting to do the right thing might end up being very wrong. Life is complicated that way. (2022 / 13 mins / Slovenia / dir. Martin Turk / Slovenian w/English subtitles)
BURROS – In southern Arizona, twenty miles from the Mexico border, a young Indigenous girl discovers a Latina migrant her age who has been separated from her father while traveling through the Tohono O’odham Nation into the United States. Her story is a microcosm of what needs our attention and action at our southern border. (2021 / 14.5 mins / USA / dir. Jefferson Stein / Spanish and Indigenous language w/English subtitles)
LETTER TO A PIG – Riveting and chilling, writer/director Tal Kantor’s animated short Letter to a Pig (Israel/France, 2022) finds a Holocaust survivor (voice of Alexander Peleg) telling a group of young students about his harrowing experience of a pig saving his life from pursuers, and how he lived with those animals in a desperate bid to stay alive. His story is met with indifference from some of the students, but as he tells of a letter of thanks that he wrote to the pig, the imagination of one girl named Alma (voice of Moriyah Meerson) sends her on a surreal journey. Stark, black-and-white animation is blended with live-action visuals to create a marvelous dreamscape that is a visual feast while driving home some serious food for thought. (2022 / 16.5 mins / Israel / dir. Tal Kantor / Hebrew w/English subtitles)
ME, MAHMOUD and the MINT PLANT – In the war-torn city of Mosul, Iraq, Canadian nurse Trish develops an unlikely friendship with Mahmoud, a local man who takes his beloved mint plant wherever he goes. As Trish discovers the mystery behind Mahmoud’s precious plant, she learns the importance of keeping your promises to the people you love. (2022 / 5.5 mins / Canada / dir. Cat Mills / in English)
SPARE PARTS (Du hast viele Teile…) – Eight-year-old Lina is in urgent need of a new heart. She figures out that in order for her to have a new heart another must lose theirs. This inspires Lina into action. She finds a junkyard to look for parts in order to build herself her own heart. There, she meets Kalle who initially opposes her being there until told about the plan. A story about life, death, and true friendship. (2021 / 24.5 mins / Germany / dir. Niva Ehrlich / German w/English subtitles)
WHAT YOU’LL REMEMBER – Through a raw love letter to their children, two young parents reframe their experience of homelessness in WHAT YOU’LL REMEMBER, an achingly beautiful short portrait about home, family and security. (2020 / 13 mins / USA / dir. Erika Cohn / in English)
The exploding popularity of animé inspired this festival flashback from 2015. Patema is a precocious teen who loves to explore the caverns and tunnels of her subterranean world until she falls into the DANGER ZONE! Saved by an equally rebellious young man who is charmed by this upside-down girl, they fight to save her from the totalitarian government that seeks to annihilate the freethinking people they represent.
As 12-year-old Justine reflects, “Kids are part of a marriage, and I don’t like this marriage anymore. What do I do?” Perspectives matter in this film which leads to a very insightful, and sometimes cringey, story of how families might need to take a time out now and then to evaluate their own levels of happiness.
A story about five young people who neither feel male nor female, but rather position themselves somewhere in between. Everyday they are confronted with being different, yet they are proud to be who they are. The young people portrayed in this film all have their own struggles and together they create a compelling story about acceptance.
This film is for anyone who is about to become, is or was thirteen. Dear Thirteen is a poetic exploration of coming of age in the modern world. Weaving together stories of thirteen-year-olds from France, Australia, Mexico, Nepal and the US, video diaries and candid interviews reveal how global issues are shaping and being shaped by young people. WARNING: A deer is hunted and dressed on camera.