Blonde, blue-eyed, white-skinned Azur and black-haired, brown-eyed, dark-skinned Asmar are lovingly raised as brothers by Asmar’s gentle mother, who tells them magical stories of her faraway homeland and of the beautiful, imprisoned Djinn Fairy. The boys are separated by Azur’s brutal father and do not meet again until they are young adults. Grown-up Azur, now a blind beggar, and Asmar, a dashing horseman, are reunited as adversaries on a dangerous quest to find and free the Djinn Fairy.

Magic, fantasy and Celtic mythology come together in a riot of color and detail that dazzle the eyes in this sweeping story about the power of imagination and faith to carry humanity through dark times. To complete a magical illuminated manuscript, young Brendan must overcome his deepest fears on a dangerous quest through an enchanted forest beset by barbarians. Will his determination and artistic vision conquer darkness and show that enlightenment is the best fortification against evil?

Exploring her grandmother’s old villa, 10-year-old Stella is suddenly catapulted 100 years into the past on a fantastic time journey. She lands in the same villa and meets Clementine, a girl her own age, whom she recognizes as her great-grandmother. But there is no time for reminiscing: The family faces ruin, the villa is to be sold, and Clementine must relinquish her dream of studying to become a doctor – unless, of course, the children find the Star of the Orient.

Set in scenic but strife-ridden Kashmir, “Tahaan” tells the story of an eight-year-old boy who tries to gain back his beloved pet donkey that has been sold along with his family’s possessions to pay the family debt. He wanders village and countryside, navigates border checkpoints, negotiates with merchants and money lenders on his quest – and is recruited to hurl a grenade into an army compound. Lush cinematography and a recurring chorus of Sufi singers add texture to this tender fable.

In a tale akin to “Romeo and Juliet,” the strong bond between two children is threatened by their parents’ differences. Malú is from an upper-class family and her single mother does not want her to play with Jorgito, as she thinks his background coarse and commonplace. Jorgito’s mother, a poor Socialist, proud of her family’s social standing, places similar restrictions on her son. When the children learn that Malú’s mother is planning to leave Cuba, they decide to travel to the other side of the island to find Malú’s father and persuade him against signing the forms that would allow it.

When a child makes a twig his best friend, a parent may worry. Fear not, for this twig (Twigson) has Junior’s best interests at heart! Twigson is married to a white birch that just had a baby (“He has my face but your bark”). When the Daddy Twigson disappears, Junior needs to use imaginative ways to find him. But as any fortune cookie may tell you, “When you look for one thing, you might end up finding something else completely.” Based on the popular children’s book series by Anne Cath Vestly.

Lotte, the irrepressible canine heroine and her invention-loving relatives are back! PCFF premiered this film in Providence in 2013, and now a new generation can enjoy her antics.

It’s not often that a sequel far outshines the original, but” Lotte and the Moonstone Secret” is that movie! The irrepressible canine heroine of “Lotte in Gadgetland” (PCFF 2012) and her invention-loving relatives are back. Lotte takes us on a wonderful journey where you will visit with lunar rabbits, ballroom-dancing cats, fitness-mad cows and singing penguins in pants. Light but not lightweight, charming but not silly, genuinely funny both in visuals and dialogue, “Lotte” is a breath of animated fresh air.

Three countries. One passion. Three hundred bodies — climbing, reaching the sky to build a human tower.

In Mumbai, India, a team of men attempt to break the Indian record for biggest human tower at the one-day Dahi Handi Festival. In Vilafranca del Penedès, Spain, a group of castellers ( climbers) formed by men, women and children share their passion with the world following a tradition that goes back 400 years. A legendary coach takes his passion to Santiago, Chile, hoping to empower and help the local groups to improve their performances while unifying them as a community.

The film cuts between the three countries, leading to a major climatic scene that will take your breath away and keep you on the edge of your seat. All it takes is one shaky foot and the human tower falls, sending hundreds of bodies tumbling in the rain or into the mud or onto the crumbling pavement of a forgotten neighborhood. A passion beyond race, borders, and ages. A global story of fearless skills heart-pounding suspense and also of human connection.

Why Make Human Towers? Human towers are medicine for the soul. You risk your life for a moment of sublime camaraderie and community. Trust is paramount. All it takes is one shaky foot and the entire tower falls, sending you and hundreds of others tumbling into the air, onto each other and then onto the pavement. Building human towers is more than a quirky attraction, more than an international sport and more than a refuge for lost youth. It’s more even than a thirst for the glory of winning. A human tower, when done right, represents an unparalleled passion for human connection that goes beyond race, borders and ages. In this sense, the world’s best human tower builders represent all of us — all people, all communities, all nations — in our hope for a better future.

When 12-year-old fledgling detectives Santiago and Mariana witness the kidnapping of endangered Mexican wolf cubs, they spring into action to stop the traffickers and return the cubs to the local nature preserve. Staying one step ahead of the local authorities, our heroes must rely on teamwork, keen powers of observation and a little help from the animal spirits to get the job done!

Despite Alfie’s close-knit, loving family, he’s always felt that he didn’t quite fit in. On the night of his seventh birthday, he finds out that he was right—he’s actually a werewolf! Alfie tries to keep this new identity a secret, but his brother, Timmie, finds out and tries to convince him to use his awesome powers against the school bullies. As Alfie thinks carefully about the consequences of using his powers, he learns even bigger lessons about balancing his life while accepting the werewolf within.