Closing Night!
Ronja: The Robber’s Daughter
Directed by Goro Miyazaki — and winner of the 2016 International Emmy Kids Award for Animation — Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter follows the adventures of a young girl raised in a mountain fort by her parents and a loving band of robbers. Based on Astrid Lindgren’s book of the same name, this all-new series beautifully blends the classic storytelling of the original with the magical visual style of Studio Ghibli. Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Episode 1 – Born in the Storm
dir. Goro Miyazaki | Japan | English | Canadian Premiere
Episode 2 – First Trip to the Forest
dir. Goro Miyazaki | Japan | English | Canadian Premiere
Episode 3 – Fear in the Forest
dir. Goro Miyazaki | Japan | English | Canadian Premiere
Episode 4 – Hearing the Whistle
dir. Goro Miyazaki | Japan | English | Canadian Premiere
On the Inside
Whether coming from within, or driven by a family member, these young protagonists find the confidence within to overcome self-doubt and thrive in challenging situations. Recommended for ages 8 and up.
A Well Spent Afternoon (Dobro unovceno popoldne)
dir. Martin Turk | Slovenia | Slovene | Canadian Premiere
Amelia’s Closet
dir. Halima Lucas | USA | English | International Premiere
Broken Pines
dir. Annie Pace | USA | English | International Premiere
Catch (Agkistri)
dir. Giorgos Evangelou | Cyprus | Greek | World Premiere
Mr. & Mrs. Kim
dir. Jaehuen Chung | USA | English, Korean | Canadian Premiere
The Crab (Kakkutta)
dir. Ishani Jayamaha | Sri Lanka/USA | Sinhalese | Canadian Premiere
Soy Yo
dir. Torben Kjelstrup | Denmark | Spanish
The Reel Deal
Offering a window into the real lives of young people from around the world, this collection of short documentaries tracks their progress on the precipice of changes that will affect their futures. Recommended for ages 9 and up.
Chickens for Kimaru (Kippen voor Kimaru)
dirs. Eriss Khajira, Anne van Campenhout | Netherlands | Dutch, Swahili, Kikuyu, English | International Premiere
Emil and the Bridge Divers (Emil und die Brückenspringer von Mostar)
dir. Friedemann Hottenbacher | Germany | Bosnian | North American Premiere
KOJO: A Short Documentary
dir. Michael Fequiere | USA | English | Canadian Premiere
Safia’s Summer (Safia’s Zomer)
dir. Els Van Driel | Netherlands | Dutch, Arabic | International Premiere
Creativity Within
The protagonists in this collection of short films use creativity to approach life’s challenges. Their quick thinking and creative problem solving inspire self confidence and acceptance. Recommended for ages 9 and up.
Get Up Kinshasa! (Debout Kinshasa !)
dir. Sébastien Maitre | France/Ivory Coast | French | North American Premiere
Litterbugs
dir. Peter Stanley-Ward | United Kingdom | English | Toronto Premiere
Sleepover (La Invitación)
dir. Susana Casares | Spain | Spanish | Toronto Premiere
The Debt
dir. Helen Flanagan | Ireland | English | Canadian Premiere
Waterbaby
dir. Pia Shah | India | English, Konkani | Toronto Premiere
Loot Bag Senior: Inspiration x Imagination
This international collection of films explores exciting worlds, including a mysterious cloudy mountain, the first magical twilight snowfall in a wintry forest, a wild chase in the streets of London, and a supernova explosion in the depths of infinite space. Jam-packed with laughs, adventures, and thrills, the films in Loot Bag Sr. invite you to experience creative inspiration and imagination. Recommended for ages 9 and up.
Nimbus, The Cloud Catcher (Nimbus, o caçador de nuvens)
dir. Marco Nick | Brazil | No dialogue | International Premiere
Dust Buddies
dirs. Beth Tomashek, Sam Wade | USA | No dialogue
First Snow (První sníh)
dir. Lenka Ivancikova | Czech Republic | English | Toronto Premiere
Eagle Blue
dir. Will Rose | United Kingdom | No dialogue
Novae
dir. Thomas Vanz | France | No dialogue
Spring Jam
dir. Ned Wenlock | New Zealand | No dialogue | Toronto Premiere
Nanuuq
dir. Jim Lachasse | France | No dialogue | North American Premiere
Jubile
dirs. Coralie Soudet, Charlotte Piogé, Marion Duvert, Marie El Kadiri, Agathe Marmion | France | No dialogue | North American Premiere
The Gossamer (Pautinka)
dir. Natalia Chernysheva | Russia | Russian | North American Premiere
Order from Chaos
dir. Maxime Causeret | France | No dialogue
Sausage (Wurst)
dir. Josefine Häßler | Germany | No dialogue | Canadian Premiere
The Cat and its Artist
dir. Maike Mahira Koller | Germany | No dialogue | Canadian Premiere
A Small Escape (Den lilla flykten)
dir. David Sandell | Sweden | No dialogue | Canadian Premiere
Selfie Cat
dirs. Geoffrey Assie, Emeline Bernard, Elsa Divet | France | No dialogue | Canadian Premiere
The Heart of Matters
Families come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing is universal: each member plays an important role in supporting the others. They try to solve problems for one another and support each other in difficult times. Each protagonist in this programme demonstrates this important quality. Recommended for ages 10 and up.
Chalk (Tiza, Craie)
dir. Jocelyne Flores | Mexico | Spanish | World Premiere
Good Luck, Orlo! (Srečno, Orlo!)
dir. Sara Kern | Slovenia/Croatia/Austria | Slovenian | North American Premiere
Lost & Found
dir. Liam O’Neill | Ireland | English | Canadian Premiere
Mdudu Boy
dir. Ella Smith | United Kingdom | Swahili | Canadian Premiere
Prickly Pear (Bajtra tax-Xewk)
dir. Alex Camilleri | Malta/USA | Maltese | English | World Premiere
Shahzad
dir. Haya Waseem | Canada | English, Urdu | Official Selection, 2016 Toronto
International Film Festival
A Place Here
In a time where questions of nationality, citizenship, and belonging are at the height of debate on political stages, social media, and the news, film has the power to inform and share stories across the globe. This collection of short films explores how prejudice at home can lead to national conflict, as experienced by young people. Recommended for ages 10 and up.
Baka
dir. Arvid Klapper | Germany/France | Serbian, German | International Premiere
DISPLACED
dir. Christian Ghazal | Australia | English | International Premiere
Halim
dir. Werner Fiedler | Austria | Arabic, German | World Premiere
THE SLED (LA SLITTA, LA LUGE)
dir. Emanuela Ponzano | Italy | Italian | Canadian Premiere
True to Me
Pressure from classmates, family, and friends can make us feel isolated and rejected. These short films reveal the courage it takes to explore who you really are, regardless of what others may think or feel. Recommended for ages 11 and up.
Crush
dir. Rosie Westhoff | United Kingdom/Australia | English
Invitation
dir. Bo-seung Kang | South Korea | Korean | Canadian Premiere
The Threshold (Daaravtha)
dir. Nishant Roy Bombarde | India | Marathi, Hindi
TRiGGA
dir. Meloni Poole | United Kingdom | English | International Premiere
Reflections
Growing up is complicated. The characters and subjects in this programme are striving to assert their independence and explore their self-identity, but extenuating circumstances and self-doubt often get in the way. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Battalion To My Beat
dir. Eimi Imanishi | Algeria/USA/Western Sahara | Arabic | Official Selection, 2016 Toronto
International Film Festival
Chenelva & Sheneeva
dir. Léon Bellaart | Netherlands | Dutch | Canadian Premiere
Frances Tiafoe
dir. Kirk Fraser | USA | English | International Premiere
Proxy
dir. Eric Schuman | USA | English | International Premiere
The Girl of 672K (Het meisje van 672k)
dir. Mirjam Marks | Netherlands | Dutch, English | Canadian Premiere
First Step Forward
The protagonists in these films are all struggling with events in their pasts while attempting to move forward. The challenging circumstances will shape them — and give them the strength they need to regain a sense of control and take that first step forward. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Cast Off (Larguer les amarres)
dir. Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers | Canada | French | Toronto Premiere
Flying Rats (Vliegende Ratten)
dir. Emiel Sandtke | Belgium | Dutch | North American Premiere
Jellyfish
dir. Danielle Bayliss | Canada | English | Canadian Premiere
The Loudest Silence (El más fuerte de los silencios)
dir. Eduardo Bertaina | Argentina | Spanish | Toronto Premiere
When Grey Is a Colour (Grijs Is Ook Een Kleur)
dir. Marit Weerheijm | Netherlands | Dutch | North American Premiere