2025 may end up a career year for director Justin Kurzel. Deadline reports that the Australian auteur’s series adaptation of Richard Flanagan‘s Booker Prize winner “The Narrow Road To The Deep North” will premiere at next month’s Berlin Film Festival. It’s one of several titles the Berlinale added this morning, as a Special Gala screening, which already features the likes of Bong Joon-ho‘s much-anticipated “Mickey 17.”
READ MORE: ‘The Order’: January 6 Made Justin Kurzel Realize He Needed To Make His White Nationalism Thriller
But Kurzel’s follow-up to last year’s “The Order” deserves the hype. Starring Jacob Elordi, “The Narrow Road To The Deep North” follows a WWII hero haunted by his past, and marks Kurzel’s first foray into TV. The new comes just after the director’s next film became official: “Burning Rainbow Farm,” based on a real-life standoff between marijuana farmers and the FBI. That film will star Sebastian Stan, and will undoubtedly receive a bunch of hype if Stan’s award seasons success continues the next couple of months.
Prime Video will distribute “The Narrow Road To The Deep North” in the US, but the streamer doesn’t have a release date for the series yet. Sony Pictures Television handles the show’s international release. Beyond Elordi, the miniseries also stars Odessa Young, Ciarán Hinds, Olivia DeJonge, Heather Mitchell, and Thomas Weatherall.
The Berlinale 2024 runs from February 13-23 this year, with filmmaker Todd Haynes heading the festival jury. The festival marks Tricia Tuttle‘s first year as artistic director after heading BFI‘s London Film Festival the past half-decade.
Check out the other additions to the Berlinale’s line-up below, which includes another Special Gala screening: “The Thing With Feathers,” another limited series starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
Berlinale Special
Ancestral Visions of the Future
by Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese | with Siphiwe Nzima, Sobo Bernard, Zaman Mathejane, Mochesane Edwin Kotsoane, Rehauhetsoe Ernest Kotsoane
France / Lesotho / Germany / Saudi Arabia 2025
Berlinale Special | World premiere | Documentary form
A poetic allegory of the filmmaker Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese’s childhood, an ode to cinema and an inner nod to his mother. Through fragmented narratives and mythic imagery, Mosese crafts a haunting reflection on dislocation and belonging.
Honey Bunch
by Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Dusty Mancinelli | with Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie, Kate Dickie, Jason Isaacs, India Brown Canada 2025
Berlinale Special | World premiere
Diana’s husband is taking her to an experimental trauma facility deep in the wilderness, but she can’t remember why… As her memories begin to creep back in so do some unwelcome sinister truths about her marriage.
Islands
by Jan-Ole Gerster | with Sam Riley, Stacy Martin, Jack Farthing, Dylan Torrell
Germany 2025
Berlinale Special Gala | World premiere
Tom, a tennis coach at a luxury hotel, has his life changed when a new family arrives. Matters take a dark turn when the husband disappears and both Tom and the wife become suspects.
Je n’avais que le néant – “Shoah” par Lanzmann (All I Had Was Nothingness) by Guillaume Ribot
France 2025
Berlinale Special | World premiere
Forty years after the release of Claude Lanzmann’s monumental film Shoah, Guillaume Ribot reveals the director’s relentless pursuit to tell the untold, using only Lanzmann’s words and unseen footage from the masterpiece.
Köln 75
by Ido Fluk | with Mala Emde, John Magaro, Michael Chernus, Alexander Scheer
Germany / Poland / Belgium 2025
Berlinale Special Gala | World premiere
The true story of Vera Brandes, teenage patron saint of the 1970s Cologne music scene, who risked everything to organise the greatest solo jazz concert in music history: Keith Jarrett’s legendary Köln Concert.
Das Licht (The Light)
by Tom Tykwer | with Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger, Tala Al-Deen, Elke Biesendorfer, Julius Gause Germany 2025
Berlinale Special Gala | World premiere
The Engels family is comfortably living separate lives under the same roof until the enigmatic Farrah, their new housekeeper who has just arrived in Berlin from Syria, enters their lives and challenges each of them in unexpected ways.
A melhor mãe do mundo (The Best Mother in the World | Die beste Mutter der Welt) by Anna Muylaert | with Shirley Cruz, Seu Jorge, Rihanna Barbosa, Benin Ayo
Brazil / Argentina 2025
Berlinale Special | World premiere
To escape an abusive relationship, Gal puts her two young children into the recycling cart she uses to collect trash on the city’s streets and runs away. Alone and facing the dangers of homelessness, she convinces them that they are on an adventure.
Mickey 17
by Bong Joon Ho | with Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo
USA / South Korea / United Kingdom 2024
Berlinale Special Gala | German premiere
The unlikely hero, Mickey Barnes has found himself in the extraordinary circumstance of working for an employer who demands the ultimate commitment to the job… to die, for a living.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
by Justin Kurzel | with Jacob Elordi, Ciarán Hinds, Odessa Young, Olivia DeJonge, Simon Baker Australia 2025
Berlinale Special Gala | World premiere | Series
A celebrated World War II hero is haunted by his experiences in a Japanese prisoner of war camp and memories of an affair that took place just before the war in this adaptation of Richard Flanagan’s Booker Prize-winning novel.
Pa-gwa (The Old Woman With the Knife)
by Min Kyu-dong | with Hyeyoung Lee, Kim Sung-cheol, Yeon Woo-jin, Kim Moo-yul, Shin Sia South Korea 2025
Berlinale Special | World premiere
Hornclaw, a legendary assassin in her 60s, specialises in eliminating the scum of the earth. She has learned to accept loss but finds new meaning in her mundane yet bloody life when she meets Bullfight, a promising young killer who wants to work with her.
Shoah by Claude Lanzmann
France 1985
Berlinale Special | No premiere
Claude Lanzmann’s monumental Holocaust film, made over 12 years from interviews filmed around the globe with survivors, bystanders and perpetrators, powerfully recounts the extermination of six million Jews during the Second World War.
The Thing with Feathers
by Dylan Southern | with Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Boxall, Henry Boxall, Sam Spruell, Vinette Robinson United Kingdom 2025
Berlinale Special Gala | European premiere
Following the death of his wife, a young father’s hold on reality crumbles as a seemingly malign presence begins to stalk him from the shadowy recesses of the apartment he shares with his two young sons.
Panorama
1001 Frames by Mehrnoush Alia
USA 2025
Panorama | World premiere | Debut film
In the studio of a well-known director, female actors audition for the role of Scheherazade in “A Thousand and One Nights”. But the women gradually realise that the director has more in mind than just casting the leading role.
Ato noturno (Night Stage)
by Marcio Reolon, Filipe Matzembacher | with Gabriel Faryas, Cirillo Luna, Henrique Barreira, Ivo Müller, Kaya Rodrigues Brazil 2025
Panorama | World premiere
An actor and a politician start a secret affair and together discover their fetish for having sex in public places. The closer they get to their dream of fame, the more they feel the urge to put themselves at risk.
Bajo las banderas, el sol (Under the Flags, the Sun) by Juanjo Pereira
Paraguay / Argentina / USA / France / Germany 2025
Panorama Dokumente | World premiere | Debut film | Documentary form
This fully archival journey through the 35 years of Alfredo Stroessner’s regime in Paraguay reveals unseen footage and explores one of the longest-running dictatorships in history, whose effects still resonate today.
Bedrock by Kinga Michalska
Canada 2025
Panorama Dokumente | World premiere | Debut film | Documentary form
For 80 years, everyday life in Poland has been increasingly expanding into sites of the Holocaust. Bedrock weaves together the stories of the people who call these places home.
Begyndelser (Beginnings)
by Jeanette Nordahl | with Trine Dyrholm, David Dencik, Johanne Louise Schmidt, Bjørk Storm, Luna Fuglsang Svelmøe Denmark / Sweden / Belgium 2025
Panorama | World premiere
Ane and Thomas are on the verge of being divorced when Ane suffers a stroke, forcing them to stay together and postpone telling their children about the split. Faced with this new reality, the two find hope where they least expect it.
Confidente (Confidante)
by Çağla Zencirci, Guillaume Giovanetti | with Saadet Işıl Aksoy, Erkan Kolçak Köstendil, Muhammet Uzuner, Nilgün Türksever, İlber Uygar Kaboğlu
Turkey / France / Luxembourg 2025
Panorama | World premiere
Ankara, 1999. Arzu takes one call after another in the sex call centre where she works. When an earthquake hits Istanbul, a young client she spoke to earlier phones her back, begging her to rescue him from the rubble.
Delicious
by Nele Mueller-Stöfen | with Fahri Yardim, Valerie Pachner, Carla Díaz, Naila Schuberth, Caspar Hoffmann Germany 2025
Panorama | World premiere | Debut film
A wealthy German family hires a young woman as a maid during their summer holiday in Provence. Gradually, the life of the entire family changes – with dramatic consequences.
Den stygge stesøsteren (The Ugly Stepsister)
by Emilie Blichfeldt | with Lea Myren, Thea Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp, Flo Fagerli
Norway / Poland / Sweden / Denmark 2025
Panorama | European premiere | Debut film
Elvira will go to any lengths to compete with her insanely beautiful stepsister. In a fairy-tale kingdom where beauty is a brutal business, she uses blood, sweat and tears to catch the Prince’s eye. A twisted take on the classic Cinderella story.
Dreamers
by Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor | with Ronkę Adékoluęjo, Ann Akinjirin, Diana Yekinni, Aiysha Hart, Harriet Webb United Kingdom 2025
Panorama | World premiere | Debut film
When Isio is caught working in the UK without papers, she is taken to a deportation centre. There, she learns that finding love, friendship and freedom can sometimes only be achieved by doing the wrong thing.
Dreams in Nightmares
by Shatara Michelle Ford | with Denée Benton, Mars Storm Rucker, Dezi Bing, Sasha Compere, Charlie Barnett USA / Taiwan / United Kingdom 2024
Panorama | International premiere
Three Black queer femmes in their mid-thirties take a road trip across the American Midwest in search of their friend who has seemingly disappeared off the grid.
The Heart Is a Muscle
by Imran Hamdulay | with Keenan Arrison, Melissa De Vries, Loren Loubser, Dean Marais, Ridaa Adams South Africa / Saudi Arabia 2025
Panorama | World premiere | Debut film
At a barbecue, Ryan’s five-year-old son briefly goes missing. Ryan’s violent reaction to this scare sets off a chain of events and unearths secrets from the past. A journey of self-discovery and forgiveness begins.
Hjem kaere hjem (Home Sweet Home)
by Frelle Petersen | with Jette Søndergaard, Karen Tygesen, Mimi Bræmer Dueholm, Hanne Knudsen, Finn Nissen Denmark 2025
Panorama | World premiere
Sofie begins her new work as a carer making home visits to old people. She is quickly confronted with the harsh realities of this challenging job. A precise, authentic representation of a profession that remains largely invisible to the public eye.
Hysteria
by Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay | with Devrim Lingnau, Mehdi Meskar, Serkan Kaya, Nicolette Krebitz, Aziz Çapkurt Germany 2025
Panorama | World premiere
A film shoot takes a dark turn when the burning of a Quran throws the crew into turmoil. Caught in the crossfire of accusations, intern Elif (24) is drawn into a dangerous game of secrets and lies and finds herself at the heart of an all-absorbing conspiracy.
Ich will alles. Hildegard Knef (I Want It All) by Luzia Schmid
Germany 2025
Panorama Dokumente | World premiere | Documentary form
Hildegard Knef achieved worldwide success, overcame crushing defeats and always maintained her dignity. A portrait of a unique artist and remarkable woman, told via archive footage from six decades.
L’ Incroyable femme des neiges (The Incredible Snow Woman)
by Sébastien Betbeder | with Blanche Gardin, Philippe Katerine, Bastien Bouillon, Ole Eliassen, Martin Jensen France 2025
Panorama | World premiere
Travelling solo across Greenland, camping on an ice floe, single-handedly wrestling a bear. Not much daunts Coline Morel – except, perhaps, confronting her own existence when it starts to spiral out of control.
Khartoum
by Anas Saeed, Rawia Alhag, Ibrahim Snoopy, Timeea M Ahmed, Phil Cox | with Khadmallah, Majdi, Jawad, Lokain, Wilson Sudan / United Kingdom / Germany / Qatar 2025
Panorama Dokumente | European premiere | Documentary form
Five lives, one city, the fate of a nation. A civil servant, a tea lady, a resistance committee volunteer and two street boys are forced to flee when civil war breaks out in Sudan. An emotional and lyrical portrait of five people from Khartoum.
Lesbian Space Princess
by Emma Hough Hobbs, Leela Varghese | with Shabana Azeez, Gemma Chua Tran, Richard Roxburgh, Bernie Van Tiel, Mark Bonanno Australia 2025
Panorama | World premiere | Debut film | Animation
The introverted space princess Saira is forced to leave her home planet of Clitopolis on an inter-gay-lactic mission to save her exgirlfriend who has been kidnapped and is being held ransom by the Straight White Maliens.
Listy z Wilczej (Letters from Wolf Street) by Arjun Talwar Poland / Germany 2025
Panorama Dokumente | World premiere | Documentary form
A central Warsaw street becomes a kaleidoscope of Polish society. Behind the camera is an Indian migrant who is seeking to overcome the distance between himself and a country full of contradictions and anxieties.
Looking for Langston
by Isaac Julien | with Ben Ellison, Matthew Baidoo, Akim Mogaji, John Wilson, Dencil Williams
United Kingdom 1989
Panorama | No premiere
The 1989 film Looking for Langston is a lyrical exploration of the world of poet and social activist Langston Hughes (1902–1967) and his fellow Black artists and writers of the 1920s Harlem Renaissance.
Magic Farm
by Amalia Ulman | with Chloë Sevigny, Alex Wolff, Joe Apollonio, Camila Del Campo, Simon Rex USA / Argentina 2025
Panorama | International premiere
An American film crew working for an edgy media company travels to Argentina to cover a musician who has the potential to go viral.
When they realise they have landed in the wrong country, they decide to hire local people to fabricate a trend.
Mikusu Modan (The Longing)
by Toshizo Fujiwara | with Daiki Ido, Toshizo Fujiwara, Rino Tsuneishi, Sasha, Tomoko Fujita Japan 2025
Panorama | World premiere
A couple running a restaurant hires young people who have been released from juvenile detention to help them reintegrate into society. The 18-year-old Yuto is keen to start a new life with their help.
Die Möllner Briefe (The Moelln Letters)
by Martina Priessner | with Hava Arslan, İbrahim Arslan, Namık Arslan, Yeliz Burhan
Germany 2025
Panorama Dokumente | World premiere | Documentary form
Thirty years after the racist attacks in Mölln, survivor İbrahim Arslan discovers hundreds of forgotten letters of solidarity. The film follows him and his family in their struggle to foster a new, victim-centred culture of remembrance.
Monk in Pieces
by Billy Shebar | with Meredith Monk, Björk, David Byrne, Ping Chong, John Schaefer
USA 2025
Panorama Dokumente | World premiere | Documentary form
Visionary composer and performer Meredith Monk overcame hostile critics to become one of the great artists of her time. In her seventh decade of creativity, she ponders how her unique work can continue without her.
Olmo
by Fernando Eimbcke | with Aivan Uttapa, Gustavo Sánchez Parra, Diego Olmedo, Andrea Suárez Paz, Rosa Armendariz
USA / Mexico 2025
Panorama | World premiere
On a Saturday like any other in 1979, the 14-year-old Olmo is stuck at home caring for his bedridden father. When his next-door neighbour Nina invites him to a party, Olmo’s world is suddenly turned upside down.
Once Again… (Statues Never Die)
by Isaac Julien | with André Holland, Danny Huston, Sharlene Whyte, Devon Terrell, Alex Part
United Kingdom 2025
Panorama | World premiere
The film explores the storied relationship between Dr Albert C. Barnes, an early US collector and exhibitor of African cultural artefacts, and the renowned philosopher and cultural critic Alain Locke, known as the “Father of the Harlem Renaissance”.
Other People’s Money (Die Affäre Cum-EX)
by Jan Schomburg, Dustin Loose, Kaspar Munk | with Justus von Dohnányi, Nils Strunk, Lisa Wagner, Karen-Lise Mynster, David Dencik Germany / Denmark / Austria 2025
Panorama | World premiere | Series
A global network of bankers, lawyers and mega-rich investors are defrauding European treasuries of €146 billion. Two women try to put a stop to it, but the states and the banks seem intent on thwarting their efforts at all costs.
Paul
by Denis Côté | with Cleaning Simp Paul
Canada 2025
Panorama Dokumente | World premiere | Documentary form
Struggling with depression and social anxiety, Paul has found refuge in serving women who invite him to clean their homes. By sharing his gently eccentric routines on social media, he combats loneliness and takes it one day at a time.
Peter Hujar’s Day
by Ira Sachs | with Ben Wishaw, Rebecca Hall
USA / Germany 2025
Panorama | International premiere
A 1974 conversation between photographer Peter Hujar and his friend Linda Rosenkrantz provides a glimpse into the New York downtown art scene of the time and the personal struggles and epiphanies that define an artist’s life.
Queerpanorama
by Jun Li | with Jayden Cheung, Erfan Shekarriz, Sebastian Mahito Soukup, Arm Anatphikorn, Zenni Corbin USA / Hong Kong, China 2025
Panorama | World premiere
A gay man impersonates men he has had sex with and brings this new persona with him to his next hook-up. Only by pretending to be someone else can he be truly himself.
Schwesterherz (The Good Sister)
by Sarah Miro Fischer | with Marie Bloching, Anton Weil, Proschat Madani, Laura Balzer, Jane Chirwa Germany / Spain 2025
Panorama | World premiere | Debut film
Rose is very close to her older brother Sam. When a woman accuses him of rape, Rose is asked to testify in the investigation against him. This tests both their relationship and her moral integrity.
Silent Sparks
by Ping Chu | with Akira Huang, Shih Ming Shuai, Jui Chun Fan, Chih Wei Cheng, Wei Jei Hu Taiwan 2024
Panorama | International premiere | Debut film
Freshly released from prison, Pua plunges into the world of gangsters. His long-awaited reunion with his former cellmate Mi-ji falls short of his expectations. Both men will soon have to make some difficult choices.
Sorda (Deaf)
by Eva Libertad | with Miriam Garlo, Álvaro Cervantes, Elena Irureta, Joaquín Notario Spain 2025
Panorama | World premiere
Ángela, a deaf woman, is expecting a child with her hearing partner, Héctor. The baby’s arrival causes a crisis in their relationship, forcing Ángela to face the challenges of raising her daughter in a world which is not made for her.
Welcome Home Baby
by Andreas Prochaska | with Julia Franz Richter, Reinout Scholten van Aschat, Gerti Drassl, Maria Hofstätter, Gerhard Liebmann Austria / Germany 2025
Panorama | World premiere
Judith works as an emergency doctor in Berlin. When she inherits a house in Austria from the family who gave her away as a child, her quest to solve the mystery of her origins turns into a nightmarish journey into the past and the dark places of her soul.
Yalla Parkour
by Areeb Zuaiter | with Ahmed Matar
Sweden / Qatar / Saudi Arabia / Palestine 2024
Panorama Dokumente | European premiere | Debut film | Documentary form
In pursuit of a memory that reinforces her sense of belonging, Areeb crosses paths with Ahmed, a parkour athlete in Gaza, sparking a journey where conflicting aspirations clash. Nostalgia meets ambition, the weight of the past meets an unpredictable future.
Zikaden (Cicadas)
by Ina Weisse | with Nina Hoss, Saskia Rosendahl, Vincent Macaigne, Greta Richter, Thorsten Merten Germany / France 2025
Panorama | World premiere
Isabell is struggling to look after her ageing parents and facing a crumbling marriage when she meets single mother Anja. The new connection forces her to confront the fragility of her carefully constructed world.
Generation
Akababuru: Expresión de asombro (Akababuru: Expression of Astonishment | Akababuru: Ausdruck des Erstaunens)
by Irati Dojura Landa Yagarí | with Heluney Nerio Niaza, Wayra Andrea Aguilar Tascón, Escolástica Yagarí Gónzalez, Kipara Niaza, Isabel Yailu Vergara Niaza
Colombia 2025
Generation Kplus | World premiere | Short Film
Kari, an Indigenous girl, is afraid to laugh. But a new interpretation of the old legend of Kiraparamia helps her to set herself free.
A natureza das coisas invisíveis (The Nature of Invisible Things | Die Natur der unsichtbaren Dinge) by Rafaela Camelo | with Laura Brandão, Serena, Larissa Mauro, Camila Márdila, Aline Marta Maia Brazil / Chile 2025
Generation Kplus | World premiere | Debut film
During the summer holidays, the paths of two ten-year-old girls cross in a hospital and they form an unexpected bond. Their connection leads them on a bittersweet journey of loss, farewells and quiet discoveries about life.
Anngeerdardardor (The Thief | Dieb)
by Christoffer Rizvanovic Stenbakken | with Kamillo Ignatiussen, Mikkel Paalu P. Bianco, Simujooq Ikila Denmark / Greenland 2025
Generation Kplus | World premiere | Short Film
Kaali embarks on an intense search through the town of Tasiilaq in East Greenland, determined to find his missing sled dog. After an encounter with a group of young bullies, he recovers the dog but risks losing his only friend.
Arame farpado (Barbed Wire)
by Gustavo de Carvalho | with Camila Botelho, Isabella Guido, Ricardo Bagge, Gabriel Novaes, Bruna Domingues Brazil 2025
Generation 14plus | World premiere | Short Film
After a serious accident in rural Brazil, two sisters and their stepfather are forced to spend the night in a hospital emergency room. As they face challenging interactions with strangers, they also struggle with their own family dynamics.
Atardecer en América (Sunset over America) by Matías Rojas Valencia Brazil / Chile / Colombia 2025
Generation 14plus | World premiere | Documentary form | Short Film
The Altiplano plateau is one of the most dangerous migration routes in Latin America. A teenager recalls the night she crossed the plateau and the feeling of being accompanied by a spiritual presence that wanders like the wind.
Autokar
by Sylwia Szkiłądź | with Natalia Wolska, Henryk Niebudek, Elżbieta Gaertner, Marcin Pempuś, Lidia Sadowa Belgium / France 2025
Generation Kplus | World premiere | Animation | Short Film
In the 1990s, 8-year-old Agata leaves her home in Poland and travels by herself to Belgium. Her perceptions transform the reality of migration into an imaginative experience of initiation.
Beneath Which Rivers Flow by Ali Yahya | with Ibrahim Halim
Iraq 2025
Generation 14plus | World premiere | Documentary form | Short Film
In the marshlands of southern Iraq, Ibrahim feels like a stranger in the world. His sole companion is his faithful buffalo. But a looming environmental catastrophe threatens the only life he knows and the one living being he truly understands.
Christy
by Brendan Canty | with Danny Power, Diarmuid Noyes, Emma Willis
United Kingdom / Ireland 2025
Generation 14plus | World premiere | Debut film
Two estranged brothers with chequered childhoods in the care system suddenly find themselves living under the same roof. They must now reconcile with their pasts and make decisions about the future.
Daye: Seret Ahl El Daye (The Tale of Daye’s Family)
by Karim El Shenawy | with Aseel Omran, Badr Mohamed, Islam Mobarak, Haneen Saeed, Mohamed Mounir Egypt / Saudi Arabia 2024
Generation 14plus | European premiere
Daye, a 14-year-old Nubian albino with a golden voice, is used to having to stick up for himself. Inspired by his idol Mohamed Mounir, he and his family journey to Cairo so he can audition for “The Voice”.
De menor (Underage | Minderjährig)
by Caru Alves de Souza | with William Costa, Carlota Joaquina, Giovanni Gallo, Marina Medeiros, Rita Batata Brazil 2025
Generation 14plus Special Screening | World premiere | Series
A fictional TV series about how the justice system in Brazil can commit injustices against underprivileged youngsters. Six young actors perform different stories on a theatre stage via various genres.
Down in the Dumps (Tief unten)
by Vera van Wolferen | with Yootha Wong-Loi Sing, Alex Klaasen, Manoushka Zeegelaar Breeveld Netherlands 2025
Generation Kplus | World premiere | Animation | Short Film
Cinelli is a perfectionist ladybird. When her red wing sheath are stolen, she falls into a deep depression. But then she learns that her true worth goes far beyond her looks.
El paso (The Leap | Der Schritt) by Roberto Tarazona
Cuba 2025
Generation Kplus | World premiere | Documentary form | Short Film
Two children set out to decipher the mystery of events the adults only talk about in secret: in the darkness of the moonless nights, cattle are disappearing along with the farmers who dare to confront the “monster” that is taking them.
Fantas
by Halima Elkhatabi | with Tania Doumbe Fines, Juan Mateo Barrera Gonzales, Bourriquet, Adam Hilali, Ryan Hilali Canada 2024
Generation 14plus | International premiere | Short Film
Tania decides to take her horse Fantas to the city and introduce it to some friends in the working-class neighbourhood where she and her family live. Two worlds that have never crossed paths before collide in this little urban tale.
Hora do recreio (Playtime) by Lucia Murat
Brazil 2025
Generation 14plus | World premiere | Documentary form
Brazil from the perspective of school pupils aged 14 to 19. Combining a documentary with a fictional approach, Hora do recreio addresses topics including violence, racism and drug dealing.
Howl
by Domini Marshall | with Ingrid Torelli, Kristina Bogic, Safe Shahab, Liam Mollica Australia 2025
Generation 14plus | World premiere | Short Film
Daisy and Lila are best friends. At a suburban house party, shifting desires and tough choices force them to reconsider their place in the world and what they mean to each other.
I Agries Meres Mas (Our Wildest Days)
by Vasilis Kekatos | with Daphné Patakia, Nikolakis Zegkinoglou, Eva Samioti, Stavros Tsoumanis, Natalia Swift Greece / France 2025
Generation 14plus | World premiere | Debut film
Chloe leaves her family behind and joins a group of teenagers crossing Greece. On her journey, she helps poor people in unconventional ways and starts to wonder if tenderness is the ultimate act of rebellion.
Juanita
by Karen Joaquín, Uliane Tatit | with Leire Bravo, Laura Gómez, Joana Belmonte, Sofia Bordon, Eli Iranzo Spain 2025
Generation Kplus | World premiere | Short Film
Twelve-year-old Latina Juanita is growing up with stringent female beauty ideals, even though she has now moved to the seemingly more open-minded Barcelona. Before a pool party, she realises something else has been growing with her: the hair on her legs.
Julian and the Wind
by Connor Jessup | with David Webster, Joel Oulette, Joey Klein
Canada 2024
Generation 14plus | International premiere | Short Film
Arthur and Julian share a dorm at a boys’ boarding school. Arthur is in love with Julian, but Julian ignores him. When Julian begins to sleepwalk, a strange intimacy develops between the two.
Little Rebels Cinema Club
by Khozy Rizal | with Jordan Omar, Muzakki Ramdhan, Mian Tiara, Cleo Haura, Al Ghazali Indonesia 2024
Generation Kplus | International premiere | Short Film
2008, the Indonesian city of Parepare. Together with his best friends, 14-year-old Doddy tries to recreate an iconic scene from a zombie movie and record it with the video camera that belongs to his sad and angry emo brother, Anji.
Maya, donne-moi un titre (Maya, Give Me a Title | Maya, schenkst du mir einen Titel?) by Michel Gondry | with Maya Gondry, Pierre Niney
France 2024
Generation Kplus | International premiere | Animation
Michel Gondry’s stop-motion love letter to his daughter Maya brings to life a poetic and amusing journey that invites you to dream and laugh.
Ne réveillez pas l’enfant qui dort (Don’t Wake the Sleeping Child)
by Kevin Aubert | with Khadia Ndiaye Fall, Mama Sané, Samba Ly, Adji Mareme Hanne
Senegal / France / Morocco 2025
Generation 14plus | World premiere | Short Film
Fifteen-year-old Diamant from Dakar dreams of making films, but her family has other plans for her. To Diamant, however, these are out of the question. She falls into a deep sleep from which no one can wake her.
On a Sunday at Eleven (Sonntags um Elf)
by Alicia K. Harris | with Zoe Peak, Amia Ogieva, Samaya Hodge, Jasmine Best, Malea Yarde Canada 2024
Generation Kplus | International premiere | Short Film
A young Black ballerina carries out her Sunday rituals while facing the pressure to perform whiteness. The film is an unapologetic celebration of the powerful, ancestral bond embedded in Black women.
Only on Earth by Robin Petré Denmark / Spain 2025
Generation Kplus | World premiere | Documentary form
A visually stunning journey into southern Galicia, one of the most wildfire-prone zones in Europe, where humans and animals alike are struggling to cope with the hottest, driest summer on record.
Ornmol (White Ochre) by Marlikka Perdrisat
Australia 2025
Generation Kplus | International premiere | Documentary form | Short Film
Kupungarri in northwestern Australia is one of the most natural places left in the world. The small community strengthens its young people through a close connection with Country. Excitement grows as they prepare for the biggest event of the year, the Mowanjum Festival.
Paternal Leave
by Alissa Jung | with Juli Grabenhenrich, Luca Marinelli, Arturo Gabbriellini, Joy Falletti Cardillo, Gaia Rinaldi Germany / Italy 2025
Generation 14plus | World premiere | Debut film
Torn between longing and anger, 15-year-old Leo travels to the coast of northern Italy to meet her biological father. The two are complete strangers to each other. They struggle to find truth, affinity, love and the courage to face themselves.
Pohádky Po Babičce (Tales From the Magic Garden)
by David Súkup, Patrik Pašš, Leon Vidmar, Jean-Claude Rozec | with Arnošt Goldflam, Zuzana Kronerová, Žofie Hánová, Alex Mojžíš, Mikuláš Čížek
Czechia / Slovakia / Slovenia / France 2025
Generation Kplus | World premiere | Animation
Three children spend the night at their grandpa’s house after their grandma has died. There, they discover the magical power of the imagination. A stop-motion animation that celebrates the art of storytelling.
Quaker
by Giovanna Molina | with Cecilia Rene, Caroline Campos, Tyler Diamond, Ayana François, Allegra Leguizamo USA 2025
Generation 14plus | World premiere | Short Film
At a final meeting before they graduate from high school, Quaker pupils in Brooklyn reveal their unfiltered feelings to each other.
Ran Bi Wa (A Story about Fire | Eine Geschichte vom Feuer) by Li Wenyu | with Yang Haoyu, Zhou Xun, Bei Yile, Kang Chunlei
People’s Republic of China 2025
Generation Kplus | World premiere | Debut film | Animation
The legend of Ran Bi Wa talks about a monkey who was raised by humans. When he sets off to the Holy Mountain to steal fire for humankind, a journey begins from which he will return transformed into a man.
Ruse (Finte)
by Rhea Shukla | with Khurangi Vijayshri Nagraj, Akshara Padwal, Sammara Khan India 2025
Generation Kplus | World premiere | Short Film
On a rainy afternoon, three adolescent girls rehearse a dance that takes on a life of its own, somewhere between innocence and awareness.
Sous ma fenêtre, la boue (The Mud Under My Window)
by Violette Delvoye | with Gabriella Zola, Jasmina Douieb, Stéphanie Coerten
France / Belgium 2025
Generation 14plus | International premiere | Animation | Short Film
One of Emma’s mothers is too busy; the other is too far away. One is rejected, the other idealised. Out of a trivial tension, an intimate and unsettling face-to-face confrontation suddenly arises.
Space Cadet by Eric San
Canada 2025
Generation Kplus | World premiere | Debut film | Animation
When the astronaut Celeste blasts off into space on her first solo mission, the guardian robot that has accompanied her throughout her childhood is left alone to wonder: What now? A tomorrow-days lullaby about finding your place in the universe.
Sunshine
by Antoinette Jadaone | with Maris Racal, Annika Co, Jennica Garcia, Meryll Soriano, Elijah Canlas Philippines 2024
Generation 14plus | European premiere
During the week of try-outs for the national team, a young gymnast discovers she is pregnant. On her way to meet a dealer in illegal abortion pills, she encounters a mysterious girl who questions her decision.
Têtes Brûlées
by Maja Ajmia Yde Zellama | with Safa Gharbaoui, Mehdi Bouziane, Mounir Amamra, Adnane El Haruati, Saber Tabi Belgium 2025
Generation 14plus | World premiere | Debut film
Twelve-year-old Eya has to face the sudden death of her beloved older brother Younès. In an intense grieving process, she draws on her creativity, resilience and the support of Younès’ friends to come to terms with her loss.
Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband)
by Zacharias Kunuk | with Theresia Kappianaq, Haiden Angutimarik, Leah Panimera, Mark Taqqaugaq, Emma Quassa Canada 2025
Generation 14plus | World premiere
After a mysterious death, Kaujak and Sapa are separated, even though they were promised to each other at birth. Spirit helpers intervene to make things right again in this arctic fairy tale set in an Inuit community.
Umibe é Iku Michi (Seaside Serendipity)
by Satoko Yokohama | with Konosuke Harada, Kumiko Aso, Kengo Kora, Erika Karata, Koharu Sugawara Japan 2025
Generation Kplus | World premiere
A seaside town that attracts artists who involve children and adults alike in dubious events. A collection of vignettes from an unforgettable summer, both gently mysterious and bittersweet.
Village Rockstars 2
by Rima Das | with Bhanita Das, Basanti Das, Junumoni Boro, Boloram Das, Manabendra Das India / Singapore 2024
Generation 14plus | European premiere
In a small and charming village, a teenage girl passionately pursues her musical dream. But the harsh realities of life get in the way.
Defying the challenges, she embarks on a journey to rediscover the profound harmonies between music and life.
Wish You Were Ear by Mirjana Balogh
Hungary 2025
Generation 14plus | World premiere | Animation | Short Film
In a world where ex-partners have to swap a chosen body part after breaking up, someone rediscovers their former ear on someone else. A journey towards self-acceptance begins.
Zečji nasip (Sandbag Dam)
by Čejen Černić Čanak | with Lav Novosel, Andrija Žunac, Leon Grgić, Franka Mikolaci, Tanja Smoje Croatia / Lithuania / Slovenia 2025
Generation 14plus | World premiere
In a village on the brink of flooding, Marko’s life is turned upside down when Slaven returns for his father’s funeral and rekindles their forbidden romance. Marko must confront his family and make a difficult choice.
Zirkuskind (Circusboy) by Julia Lemke, Anna Koch
Germany 2025
Generation Kplus | World premiere | Documentary form
Santino is a circus kid. He travels round the country with his family and animals and is here today, there tomorrow. His greatgrandfather tells him stories from the past. As the old man looks back on his life, Santino’s is just beginning.