(Various Directors, 2024, Various Countries, 90 min)

Through good times and bad, everyone’s got someone by their side, whether they know it or not, to make things as good as possible! These films celebrate those we hold closest and the adventures we all go on together in search of special moments that make life more fun.

Films in This Program Include:

Lola and the Sound Piano (Augusto Zanovello, 2024, France, 27:52, in French with English subtitles)
Lola is the older sister of Simon, aged 5, who lives in a world of his own. By observing him, she notices how sensitive he is to small, hidden sounds. With her friend Rolih, she decides to build a noise machine to communicate with him.

Pompon Ours: The Dream of the Totem Tree (Matthieu Gaillard, 2024, France, 21:20, in French with English subtitles)
This morning, Pompon is all shaken and excited: he had the dream of the Totem Tree! He has to go through the forest on his own and find the way to his very own tree. Eager to grow up, Pompon prepares for this enchanting initiatory journey.

The Night Boots (Pierre-Luc Granjon, 2024, 12:19, no dialogue)
While his parents are welcoming friends, a child leaves home in the middle of the night and enters the undergrowth, wearing rubber boots. There, a strange beast, curious and solitary, will lead him into the heart of the forest to meet the nocturnal creatures that live there, and so as not to be alone again, will try to delay the child’s departure as long as possible.

The Night Tunnel (Miguel Español Celiméndiz, 2024, Belgium, 8:58, no dialogue)
After digging a tunnel on the beach, two kids from different sides of the world meet each other. Together, they dig their way to the North Pole, where they discover a magical way to go back home.

COO-RAGE (Alina Milkina, 2024, Netherlands, 2:15, no dialogue)
Urban pigeons are seen as pests, as rats of the sky. They are rudely chased away and their nests are removed. When a group of pigeons hears that the mayor promises housing for everyone, they decide to submit a petition at the town hall. But first, they have to get past the evil janitor.

The Refusers (Wiep TEEUWISSE, 2024, Netherlands, 2:31, in Dutch with English subtitles)
On a street corner in the city, a heap of dumped garbage surrounds two garbage containers. An old mattress begins to speak sadly: “They say I’m dirty…” Other pieces of garbage join in, sharing the reasons why they have been discarded. Then, a newspaper is picked up by the wind and seems to dance in the spotlight of a streetlamp. Inspired, the waste begins to see themselves positively. Their enthusiasm evolves into a spectacle of song and dance.

Ma:dmul-Meal (Seondeok KIM, 2024, Republic of Korea, 2:09, no dialogue)
Mat water is the first harvest that year. It is beautiful and delicious to condense energy by enduring the harsh cold of winter. Three people gather together on a winter day for dinner with seasonal winter food. Precious daily warmth blooms in just one meal.

Amma (Akash Jones, 2024, Canada, 1:44, in Bengali with English subtitles)
“Wash your hands. Turn off the lights. And don’t forget your prayers to Ganesh.” Having fun with comicbook motifs and plasticine, Akash Jones honours the no-nonsense second-generation immigrant mother who raised him, instilling habits that guide him to this day. Stop-motion animation that says, “Love ya Mom.”

Meet Me in the Woods (Katie Rosenberg, 2024, United Kingdom, 3:16, no dialogue)
Alex and Sam have been best friends their whole lives; going on adventures, having fun and trying to find proof of the legendary creature in the woods. But, when Alex finds out she’s moving away, she knows this is their last chance to find the creature together.

Atomic Chicken (Thibault Ermeneux, Lucie Lyfoung, Solène Polet, Capucine Prat, Morgane Siriex, and Anna Uglova, 2024, France, 5:04, no dialogue)
A chicken coop set up at the foot of a nuclear power plant sees its daily life turned upside down by a series of comic, cartoon-style mutations.

DROP (Claudio Quattrone, 2024, Italy, 3:32, no dialogue)
A rain droplet scared of having to fall from the clouds, will be able to find the courage to face the void and get to know itself.