Dealing with the pressures of the first year of high school, Mylia copes as well as she can. She finds herself attracted to Jimmy, a boy that her classmates see as a rogue outlier living on an Indigenous reserve. With Jimmy’s steadfast encouragement for Mylia to move outside of her comfort zone, she discovers personal truths that make her first year of high school one to remember. Preceded by: Bloeistratt 11

To chase a dream of going to school from her remote Himalayan village, a feisty paraplegic girl locks horns with her unyielding, tradition-bound grandfather. Chuskit brings a vigorous amount of passion and heart to a familiar, challenging, and all too common family situation.

In northwestern China, surrounded by cotton fields and desert, lies the Uyghur village that Isa calls home. When he’s not at school or working on his parents‘ farm, he spends carefree days with his friends, until the outside world forces him to say one goodbye after another. Winter is closing in on Isa’s world and his childhood is slowly fading as his responsibilities grow. Captured in naturalistic documentary style, A First Farewell is a delicate coming of age portrait. It is a formidable first feature, by Lina Wang, who grew up in the Uighur region in Xinjiang.

In preparation for a traditional celebration of death and renewal, Satoshi’s grade 5 class is building a float to carry in the parade, at the end of which their creation is ceremoniously destroyed. Trying to make sense of his maturing body, Satoshi is embarrassed when a beautiful new girl, Kozue, takes notice of him. Bewildered by her otherworldliness, Satoshi gradually learns that Kozue’s outlook might actually come from another world. Makuko touches on life’s deeper existential questions, inspiring curiosity and reaching a deeper understanding of this terrestrial plane.

OPENING NIGHT FILM - Mia’s parents decide to leave London to manage a lion farm in South Africa. Soon after a rare white cub named Charlie is born. Although Mia is reluctant to find any joy in her new situation, she develops a close bond with Charlie. Three years later, her life is shaken when she uncovers an upsetting secret about how the farm makes a profit. Distraught that Charlie could be in harm, Mia decides to follow the traditional Shangaan legend and find a home where Charlie can live out his life safe and free. This incredible project was developed and filmed in real time over the course of five years as the cast and animals aged and formed real bonds with each other. The filmmakers used no special effects and every interaction with the animals was captured live. Mia and the White Lion is one for those rare family films that will find its way into the canon of great films starring animals, such as Fly Away Home and Black Stallion.

Documenting their daily experience, director Rosa Russo offers a glimpse into one ordinary day in the lives of four girls, living in different countries, all located along the same geographical meridian. In seeing their vastly unique lives, we connect to their humanity, and happily, this gives us a better understanding of our own world. Preceded by: A Field Guide to Being a 12-Year-Old Girl

CLOSING NIGHT FILM - Headstrong Tepulpaï dreams of becoming a shaman. When an Incan overlord confiscates the town’s golden statue, Tepulpaï sets off with his friend Naira and her clever pet llama to bring back the invaluable token. Meanwhile, Spanish soldiers have invaded with guns, destroying the village in their search for gold. Pachamama’s particular style of animation and use of vibrant colours are drawn from the jungle and mountain forests of the Andean altiplano. The soundtrack features pre-Columbian music using ancient water flutes, tambourines, and condor feathers. Academy and César Award-nominated Didier Brunner, producer of Triplets of Belleville, The Secret of Kells (R2R ‘10), and Ernest & Celestine (R2R ‘13), delivers yet another culturally authentic voice in Juan Antin’s richly textured Andean fable.

Mungo the mole is finally old enough to visit the mine where his father works. Naturally, he is expected to become a miner one day, but Mungo has dreams of becoming a star soccer player instead. With the help of a couple of hilarious friends, and a drive to be the best, Mungo puts his talents to work to save his town from the grips of a greedy mobster cat, known as ‘The Boss.’ Strike is brimming with charm and will entertain both the eldest and youngest in the family.

Jovan has cerebral palsy. His mobility is a source of frustration for him, although he finds reprieve within his vivid imagination. Jovan's (extra)ordinary existence is shaken up by the arrival of a new classmate, Milica. She believes her stepmother is a witch and has cast a spell on her father. Jovan and Milica set out to break the spell, offering Jovan a reality beyond anything he could have imagined. Yet, to become a true hero, Jovan must first learn to accept himself.