Synopsis

Audiences of all ages will enjoy these stories about companionship between characters navigating wild worlds. From fantastical to familial, this collection offers a colorful look into the push and pull of close camaraderie. Featuring works by Justine Aubert, Cassandra Bouton, Grégoire Callies, Maud Chesneau, Anna Danton, Loic Girault, Gatien Peyrude, Justine Raux, Sera Mun, Malin Neuman, Alex Weight, Shiqi Xiao, Ignas Meilūnas, Ruihan Zhang, Wenzi Shan, Xingyi Chen, Laurine Bocquet, Ilona Caucal, Inès Fechner, Jahnice Laurent, Sarah Robert, Emma Roussel, Kevin Vandenbeuck, and Clara Chan.

Without any dialogue, Shellfish (Coquille) (France) shows how a loss can lead to a gain when a hermit crab makes a new friend after losing his shell. Bouncing from one reality to the next, Hana undergoes a kaleidoscopic and kinetic adventure in This World Is a Soda Can We Are Shaking It (South Korea) after an explosion interrupts a music festival. A brave child and her loyal otter friend embark on a mission to save the girl’s hometown from a water crisis in the calm and inspiring Mû (Germany). Venturing into the heart of true friendship, Alone (Australia) follows a lonesome robot facing a tough decision after creating a companion for itself. In the spirit realm of Reunion (China), little Yuan Yuan falls into the hands of a powerful deity who offers to grant her greatest desire. When two friends spend a winter day ice skating on a lake, they encounter a surprise that teaches them to overcome their fears in the delightful Hoofs on Skates (Lithuania). When an old man mistakenly discards a precious memento, a faithful raccoon makes it his mission to return it in the innocent and heartfelt So Long Memories (China). A bunny facing his fear of the dark makes an otherworldly discovery in the enchanting and picturesque As the Sun Goes Down (France). And a heartfelt conversation between an immigrant mother and her daughter comes to life in the colorful and compassionate Have I Swallowed Your Dreams (Canada).

This screening is relaxed and family friendly. Young film enthusiasts are welcome and should feel free to talk or move about the space as needed. If you have questions email access@chicagofilmfestival.com.

Synopsis

When two best friends spend a frosty winter day ice skating on a lake, they encounter a surprise lurking beneath the surface. Delightfully exploring the power of overcoming a fear of the unknown, this charming romp captures the joy in unexpected friendships.

This film screens as part of the Family Animated Shorts: Me and Magical You program.

Synopsis

Thirteen-year-old Marija has trouble fitting into the gray industrial town where she lives with her grandmother. She begins to form a tentative and volatile bond with rebellious peer Kristina, and the two enroll in a local modeling school that promises its pupils the chance of a glamorous life far away from their bleak and isolated existence. Both girls are told they show potential, but the financial and physical demands of the school encourage them to come up with increasingly extreme and dangerous ways to conform their young bodies to impossible standards of beauty.

Toxic is an aptly titled coming-of-age tale set amidst contaminated physical and social landscapes. At its center is two young women’s exploration of, in the words of director Saulė Bliuvaitė, “the body as a project, currency, an object of desire, the body as a source of pain and magic.”