***PG – Some Material May Not Be Suitable for Children***
Gift
The arrival of a hen broke the peace of life. In order to find their most cherished toy, the hostess’s lovely and naughty dog lies in the story of maturity in the process of hen struggle.
Directed by Jiaqi Bin (China)
World premiere
Step Into the River
Lu and Wei are two young girls living in a village nestled on the banks of a river. As the one-child policy has led some families to drown baby girls, they both have a special relationship with this river, which looks like a cradle of tragic stories.
Directed by Weijia MA (France)
Go Lesson
Two kids in go class became friends because they both suffered from school bullying. However, their friendship facing challenge due to the selection day’s coming…
Directed by Xue Li Ming (China)
Lessons From My Mother
This film follows widowed mom, Esther, and her daughter, Fer’s, quirky misadventures to rebuild a family after death. Fer guides us through her mother’s lessons on dating men as she fails at finding the right date herself. These failed attempts land them chasing financial stability instead at the funerals of freshly widowed rich men. All the while Fer has a secret of her own, she’s gay.
Directed by Aurora Jimenez (USA)
The Last Christmas
A mischievous 8-year-old girl unleashes a twisted Christmas nightmare, when her plans to capture Santa Claus go horribly wrong.
Directed by Ryan Port (Canada)
As Night Falls
In a village house that’s facing a lake and surrounded by greenery, the days have gotten hard and the dilapidated mudbrick wall in the backyard has gotten weaker each day. The wall causes uneasiness in the house. Though the mother finds things to be happy about in this uncanny place, the mudbrick wall is always on her mind. Father’s plans about the wall always get delayed in some ways. The suggestions of the mother are not effective on the father either. Meanwhile, the only child of the house, İlyas, finds a new friend when he plays near the house and bonds with them. As the night comes, the heavy rain will be the harbinger of many things.
Directed by Deniz Kezik (Turkey)
North America premiere