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.

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.

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

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.