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In his feature debut, Latvian director Edmunds Jansons, known for his more or less absurd short films Choir Tour (2012) and Isle of Seals (2014), ventures into the field of children’s or rather family films. The film’s protagonist is a boy named Jacob who lives with his constantly busy father in the Latvian capital. Jacob’s father is an architect and the boy dreams that one day, he himself will design entire cities that he now draws with his crayons. But he is forced to stop dreaming when he is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with his pirate uncle and his at first unpleasant cousin Mimmi in Riga’s Maskachka suburb. Even though the boy doesn’t want to go, the charm of the place and his somewhat loony relatives eventually arouse his curiosity. In the end, Jacob and Mimmi embark on an unexpected adventure during which they meet a greedy businessman and a pack of local dogs. The film is characterised by Jansons’ signature artistic style and his sense for absurd situations, but everything is easy to comprehend even for children. Jansons utilises his experiences from short films for children and his work as a children’s book illustrator. The film won an award at the International Film Festival for Children and Youth in Tehran and won the Critics’ Choice Award at the Kids Kino Forum in Warsaw.

This emotionally strong and elegantly animated adaptation of the novel of the same name is set in the late 1990s in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. Historian Mohsen and artist Zunaira would like to believe that there is a happy future for them, but they find themselves in the middle of a dark era of Afghan history. The ruined city is controlled by the Taliban and hardly a day goes by without violence and humiliation of women. After Mohsen succumbs to mass hysteria and takes part in the stoning of a prostitute, he vainly seeks forgiveness from his wife. Art, belief in education and love apparently have no chance in these dismal times. The author of the original is the Algerian writer Mohammed Moulessehoul, author of the novel The Attack, who, to avoid censorship, uses the pen name Yasmina Khadra. The Swallows of Kabul was published in 2002, at a time when memories of the depicted events were still fresh even though the story is fictitious. The film directed by female duo Zabou Breitman and Eléa Gobbé-Mévellec premiered 17 years later, but the adaptation has managed to keep the urgency, message, atmosphere and strength of the original. The film was praised throughout the world and screened at – among other festivals – the Cannes Film Festival in the section Un Certain Regard.

An infallible trademark of the latest film made by the renowned French director and graphic artist Jean-François Laguionie (Louise by the Shore, 2016; The Painting, 2011) in collaboration with his colleague Xavier Picard is the magical atmosphere of a perishing world in which a young monkey named Tom lives. To an old town reminiscent of fin-de-siècle Paris that is slowly consumed by a surrounding jungle comes a mysterious old man – a Prince – whom Tom finds washed up ashore. This is a well-timed opportunity for Tom’s parents – unrecognised scientists – who strive to prove the existence of other monkey civilisations on the other side of the world. The old monkey is an unprecedented mystery to Tom, as is Tom’s city to the Prince. But he eventually begins to enjoy his adventure and forms a friendship with the boy. In an effort to prove that the hypotheses of Tom’s parents are correct, Tom and the Prince will have to venture beyond the boundaries of the known world, its customs and acknowledged truths. They will have to find themselves and discover things that are far more important than the fact that the world doesn’t end at the seashore or behind the green curtain of the jungle lianas.

Ruka is a young girl whose parents are separated and whose father works in an aquarium. When two boys, Umi and Sora, who were raised in the sea by dugongs, are brought to the aquarium, Ruka feels drawn to them and begins to realize that she has the same sort of supernatural connection to the ocean that they do. Umi and Sora’s special power seems to be connected to strange events that have been occurring more and more frequently, such as the appearance of sea creatures far from their home territory and the disappearance of aquarium animals around the world.

Children of the Sea was made by the renowned Japanese Studio 4°C, which is known for its films Animatrix (2003), Mind Game (2004) and Tekkonkinkreet (2006). The film is based on the manga of the same name by Daisuke Igarashi and the film’s score was composed by Joe Hisaishi, a renowned composer known for his work with Hayao Miyazaki.  As is traditional in anime, the film’s fantasy style is a basis for more general contemplation closely tied to the real world. With its captivating visual style and images of not only the submarine world, the film touches on the subject of the climate crisis and the loss of sensitivity towards nature. It is not afraid of visual experiments and Kubrickesque moments of immersion.

Leipzig 1989. A twelve-year-old girl named Fritzi lovingly takes care of her best friend Sophie’s little dog Sputnik, while Sophie’s family is on summer vacation in Hungary. But when school starts, Sophie doesn’t come back… Like many others, she and her mother emigrated to the West. Fritzi sets out on a fearless journey to return Sputnik to her friend. On her journey she witnesses unsettling events that help change the future of Germany and the whole of Europe.

This film with a refined artistic style is a thrilling adventure with a brave heroine that takes place against the backdrop of real historical events that come across as dull, grey and unimaginable from the pages of history books. With its chosen form and attention to period details, Fritzi: A Revolutionary Tale is an unusual family film – entertaining and educational at the same time. It uses a child’s perspective to paint a picture of the peaceful revolution of 1989 in which Prague and the local German embassy played a big role. This thrilling and yet kind animated film about the power of friendship and the courage to change history will deeply move not only young viewers.

The visitors of last year’s Anifilm had a chance to get to know Romanian director Anca Damian as an author of animated documentaries (Crulic – The Path to Beyond, 2011; The Magic Mountain, 2015). The tale of a dog called Marona (whose mother represents the best of street dogs and whose father the worst of the purebred Dogo Argentino) seems to be an unexpected turn in Damian’s career. In collaboration with Belgian graphic artist Brecht Evens, she managed to create a lavish and colourful world seen through the eyes of the film’s heroine who has to overcome many obstacles in life just like the heroes of the aforementioned documentaries. And in the case of Crulic, also a tragic fate: the charming voyage taking us through all the important events of Marona’s life begins at its very end – a busy street… Marona was the ninth puppy of the litter and it shows. Her reminiscing about her former masters is filled with an honest desire to have a permanent and steady home, melancholic moments, her ability to stay on top of things and her warm kindness. Marona’s Fantastic Tale is a film for children and grown-ups alike, but mainly for people who are not afraid to look at the world through different eyes.

Gedeon and his mate Almerina are here for everyone who likes to have a good laugh or cry and who loves legends and adventures. Together, they wander through the land and tell incredible stories reminiscent of Italian Commedia dell’Arte. Thanks to their tales, we learn about a story from a time when bears ruled the Sicilian mountains. One day, hunters kidnap Tonio, son of the bear king Leonzio.  To find his long-lost son and food to survive the winter, the great bear king leads his clan down from the mountains and into the world of men. After escaping terrible monsters and defeating an evil duke, the bears and men live together in peace – for a time. The film is based on the popular children’s book of the same name written by Dino Buzzati and was designed and made by the renowned Italian illustrator and comic book artist Lorenzo Mattotti. His feature debut bears his unique artistic signature using symbolism and expressionism. Despite this extravagant style that was surely demanding for animators, Mattotti managed to tell a thrilling story as unusual as its artistic style. The result is an extraordinary family film with no parallels in contemporary cinema.

This visually captivating, purely authorial film, entirely without dialogue, is a thrilling story of a young man. Accompanied by his bird friend, the film’s main protagonist tries to outrun a strange shadow through atmospheric and mesmerising sceneries. In order to get home, they must cross an inhospitable island full of bizarre spectacles. Their lonely motorcycle ride through a changing landscape full of magical encounters and unexpected obstacles is a trial they can’t back out of.

The film offers various interpretations – it can be an adventurous story for children but also an existential drama or a vision of the afterlife for grown-up viewers. The author also skilfully balances between fantasy and fairy-tale.

Away is curious also in that it is the work of a single filmmaker. One could expect to see long closing credits and the name of a renowned director. But Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis was born in 1994 and Away is his feature debut. He is the author of the story, artistic style, animation, music and the film’s producer. This film filled with symbols (but not overfull) and metaphorical scenes is divided into several chapters and may remind viewers of a computer game.

Music is their life and the relentless sound of drums and wailing of guitars has always been their passion. At least since the moment they plugged them into an amp. But that was hardly yesterday. And after that, it actually wasn’t undying love at first sight – every proper band has its ups and down. But the most important thing is finding your sound. This independent film based on a manga by Hiroyuki Ohashi depicts the story of this future musical legend currently dealing with teething problems. Its minimalist artistic style is underlined by the film’s dry humour, and static shots alternate with exaggerated emotional reactions typical for mainstream romantic and comedy anime films starring high school kids. Director Kenji Iwaisawa spent seven years working on his crazy and completely hand-drawn film about the power of music and the need for self-fulfilment. Its artistic style respects the original, but in many scenes it transforms itself into energetic and wild drawings, surreal spectacles and rotoscoping. Whether you are an aficionado of various artistic styles, a die-hard rock fan or an alternative music fan, come and see the first show of the band Kobujutsu.