A film by Pawo Choyning Dorji
2019 - Bhutan - Drama/Family
Struggling with his profession as a teacher, Ugyen is sent to Lunana in northern Bhutan for his final year of training. The high altitude and the lack of amenities make Ugyen want to leave as soon as he arrives. With a warm welcome the local children try to win him over but they don’t have much time as the harsh winter is about to arrive in the glacial parts of the Himalaya…
A film by Bretten Hannam
2021 - Canada - Drama
When Link discovers his Mi’kmaw mother is still alive, he runs away from home with his younger brother Travis, in a desperate gamble to start a new life. They’re soon joined by Pasmay, a pow wow dancer drawn to Link's story. Together they embark on a Two-Spirit odyssey, reconnecting with culture and the territory of Mi’kma’ki in Nova Scotia, Canada, while trying to find Link's mother, Sarah.
A film by Mahamat Saleh Haroun
2021 - Chad/France/Belgium/Germany - Drama
On the outskirts of N'Djamena in Chad, Amina lives alone with her only 15-year-old daughter Maria. Her already fragile world collapses the day she discovers that her daughter is pregnant. The teenager does not want this pregnancy. In a country where abortion is not only condemned by religion, but also by law, Amina finds herself facing a battle that seems lost in advance...
A film by Semih Kaplanoglu
2021 - Turkey - Drama
Making his living from gardening and farming in the land he inherited from his father, Hasan tries to get rid of the power pole that is going to be installed in the midst of his land. His impending voyage to Mecca for pilgrimage leads to soul searching into his past.
A film by Abdullah Mohammad Saad
2021 - Bangladesh/Singapore/Qatar - Drama
Rehana, an assistant professor at a medical college, strains to combine her complex roles as a teacher, doctor, sister, daughter, and mother. Keeping the balance between the demands of work and family life has become a daily struggle. One evening, she witnesses a crying student storming out of a professor’s office. Deeply touched by this event and the actions leading up to it, Rehana’s life starts to spiral out of control. She gradually descends into obsession, seeking retribution, just as she receives a complaint from the school about her six-year- old daughter’s unusual behavior... Rehana refuses to accept the madness of the patriarchal society she lives in. She will put everything at stake to fight for justice - for her student, her daughter, but also for herself.
A film by Noemie Merlant
2021 - France - Drama
Jeanne is traveling to Romania to celebrate her bachelorette party with her friends when she meets Nino and his family. They are worlds away from one another, yet for the two of them it is the beginning of a passionate and timeless summer.
A film by Elisabeth Vogler
2021 - France - Drama
On one beautiful afternoon in Paris during the surreal summer of 2020, 24 different characters roam the streets of the city with a sense of giddy abandon after a spring of lockdown and confinement. Creatively and meticulously choreographed by director Elisabeth Vogler, and shot in one continuous take through many neighbourhoods, a "Slacker" for our new decade; a series of local vignettes that help bring to full life a dynamic city and its young people who can find joy even in crisis. Filming began one day after the lockdown ended, allowing the audience to accompany everyday people as they cross paths throughout the day, experiencing their long-awaited freedom and celebrating the City of Love.
A film by Maria Speth
2021 - Germany - Documentary
MR BACHMANN AND HIS CLASS is an intimate documentary portraying the bond between an elementary school teacher and his students. His unconventional methods clash with the complex social and cultural realities of the provincial German industrial town they live in.
A film by Marc Bauder
2021 - Germany - Documentary
WHO WE WERE observes the current state of the world, accompanied by six intellectuals and scientists who reflect on the present and postulate about the future. Director Marc Bauder follows his interviewees into the depths of the ocean, to the top of the world, and out into the far reaches of space. Together, they explore the incredible capabilities of the human brain, a global economic summit, the legacy of colonisation, and the feelings of a robot.
A film by Bence Fliegauf
2021 - Hungary - Drama
Seven hypnotic and unpredictable short stories culminate in a psychological kaleidoscope of couples, families and friends, all connected by their common fate. A standalone-sequel to Bence Fliegauf's 2003 festival-hit FOREST.
A film by Clint Bentley
2021 - USA - Drama
Seasoned horse jockey Jackson (Clifton Collins Jr.) has weathered decades of races on the riding circuit, but he now finds himself facing what could be his last season as his health deteriorates. With the help of Ruth (Molly Parker) and a promising new horse, Jackson starts to prepare for the upcoming championship. His plans take a left turn when a budding young jockey (Moisés Arias) shows up and claims to be his son. Caught between yearning for a connection and uncertainty about his own future, Jackson confronts difficult questions regarding his legacy.
A film by Kristina Lindström & Kristian Petri
2021 - Sweden - Documentary
In 1970, filmmaker Luchino Visconti travelled throughout Europe looking for the perfect boy to personify absolute beauty in his adaptation for the screen of Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice. In Stockholm, he discovered Björn Andrésen, a shy 15-year-old teenager whom he brought to international fame overnight and led to spend a short but intense part of his turbulent youth between the Lido in Venice, London, the Cannes Film Festival and the so distant Japan. Fifty years after the premiere of Death in Venice, Björn takes us on a remarkable journey made of personal memories, cinema history, stardust and tragic events in what could be Bjorn’s last attempt for him to finally get his life back on track.
A film by Andrei Konchalovsky
2020 - Russia - Drama
A provincial town in the south of the USSR, 1962. Lyudmila, a devout Communist Party official and idealistic veteran of WW II, is a scourge of anything she perceives as anti-Soviet sentiment. Together with other local Party officials, she is taken by surprise by a strike at the local factory, in which her own daughter is taking part. As the situation quickly spirals out of control, Lyudmila begins a desperate search for her daughter in the face of curfews, mass arrests, and the authorities’ ruthless attempts to cover up the state violence. Her once unquestioning faith in the party line is shaken by her growing awareness of its human toll, tearing apart the world she thought she knew.
A film by Julia von Heinz
2020 - Germany - Drama
When Luisa leaves her wealthy parents to study law, her best friend introduces her to a rag-tag collective of Antifa activists drawn together by their will to fight for the cause and a disdain of conventions. In their mission to halt the continued rise of neo-Nazis across Germany, the group quickly comes to a crossroad: Does combatting hate justify violence? As Luisa struggles to understand whether her actions are motivated by personal allegiances or political convictions, she and the group must decide what to do when the ideological fight against fascism becomes concrete.
A film by Leonardo Medel
2020 - Chile - Drama
As the wife of a famous soccer player, Veronica has a bitter-sweet life: laying by the pool, attending photo-shootings, doing interviews for a book about herself but most importantly taking care of her Instagram account. In order to be the new face of a beauty campaign, she needs more than 2 million followers and LA VERONICA is ready to do whatever it takes to get them...
A film by Shujun Wei
2020 - China - Roadmovie
Kun seems to be messing up pretty much everything: his senior year at Film school, the job on his friend's graduation's film and the relationship with his girlfriend. But Kun just got his driving license and with it, the cheapest second-hand car he could find: an old wreck of a Jeep Cherokee that might turn out to be the key to his wildest dreams.
A film by Dani Rosenberg
2020 - Israel - Comedy/Drama
When Yoel hears about an imminent Iranian military attack on Tel Aviv, he knows what to do - escape with his family to a safe haven in Jerusalem. His son Assaf, who is a filmmaker and about to become a father himself, wants to give Yoel one last lead role in his movie by melting the fictional world into bittersweet reality.
A film by Mohammad Rasoulof
2020 - Iran - Drama
Every country that enforces the death penalty needs people to kill other people. Four men are put in front of an unthinkable but simple choice. Whatever they decide, it will directly or indirectly corrode themselves, their relationships, and their entire lives.
A film by Agnieszka Holland
2020 - Czech Republic/Ireland/Poland/Slovakia - Drama
Inspired by the true story of herbalist Jan Mikolasek, who dedicated his life to caring for the sick in spite of the immense obstacles he faced in his private and public life. Born at the turn of the 20th century, Mikolasek wins fame and fortune using unorthodox treatment methods to cure a wide range of diseases. Already a local institution in Czechoslovakia before World War II, the healer gains in reputation and wealth whether during the Nazi occupation or under the Communist rule. One after the other, every regime will want to use his skills and in return gives him protection. But how high shall be the costs to maintain this status as the tide turns?
A film by David Färdmar
2020 - Sweden - Drama/LGBTQ
One morning it is over. For Hampus it is a relief to break up from their destructive relationship, while Adrian is devastated and heartbroken. Will he be able to survive without the love of his life, or is there a possible way of somehow getting him back?
A film by Tanel Toom
2019 - Estonia - Drama/Epic
Estonia, 1870. The uncompromising new owner of Robber’s Rise must battle with hard work, his spiteful neighbor and with his own family and beliefs to transform the poor land into a flourishing farm of his dreams – to bring truth and justice to a god forsaken place.
A film by Anne Linsel
2019 - Germany - Documentary
In June 2009 Pina Bausch died surprisingly. She left behind an international acclaimed dance company which needed to reinvent itself. But how can Pina’s work be passed on and how can her heritage be kept alive? 10 years after her death the company, the new director and important companions of Pina Bausch take the chance to look ahead.
A film by Ray Yeung
2019 - Hong Kong - Drama/LGBT
Pak is a 70-year-old taxi driver who lives with his wife. His son is happily married with a child, and his daughter is pregnant and about to be married. Hoi lives with his devout Christian son and family after he divorced his wife. The two men, who have lived all their lives never revealing their sexual identities, meet by chance in the streets of Hong Kong. As Pak and Hoi fall in love they contemplate a possible future together.
A film by Katrin Gebbe
2019 - Germany - Drama
Wiebke (45) lives together with her adoptive daughter Nicolina (9) on an idyllic horse farm. After many years of waiting, she now has the chance to adopt another girl, Raya (5), to provide Nicolina with the longed-for sister. The first weeks are harmonious, and the siblings get along great. But shortly thereafter, Wiebke realizes that Raya, initially shy and charming, is becoming increasingly aggressive and poses a danger to herself and others. The mother will soon have to cross borders and take extreme decisions to protect her cubs.
A film by Raymund Ribay Gutierrez
2019 - France/Philippines - Drama
Joy and her six-year-old daughter Angel live in Manila, with her husband, Dante, a small-time criminal. As so often in the past, Dante comes home drunk at night and beats Joy brutally. This time, he also hurts Angel. Joy grabs her daughter and flees to the local police post to finally get him sent to jail. Joy learns that justice takes time at best and is impossible to get at worst. Not without reason, she feels that she and her daughter are increasingly under threat…
A film by Halina Reijn
2019 - Netherlands - Drama/Thriller
Nicoline, an experienced psychologist, starts a new job at a penal institution. She meets Idris, a sex offender who committed a series of grave crimes. After five years of treatment, he is about to go on his first unaccompanied probation. His team of practitioners are enthusiastic about his development but newcomer Nicoline does not trust him and tries to push his probation. Idris tries his hardest to convince Nicoline of his good intentions, but slowly but surely, he transforms into the manipulative man she saw in him from the beginning. A power play emerges between the two and Nicoline, in spite of her knowledge and experience, lets herself be trapped completely.
A film by Anne Emond
2019 - Canada - Comedy/Drama
Meet Juliette, a high school sophomore. Juliette is a heavy girl; she’s also bold, funny, slightly scheming and totally endearing. It’s the hectic last few weeks before summer vacation, and Juliette is about to learn some big lessons about boys, love, and friendship. She’ll even do some growing up—but not too much.
A film by Albert Serra
2019 - France/Portugal/Spain - Drama
1774, shortly before the French Revolution, somewhere between Potsdam and Berlin. Madame de Dumeval, the Duc de Tesis and the Duc de Wand, libertines expelled from the puritanical court of Louis XVI, seek the support of the legendary Duc de Walchen, German seducer and freethinker, lonely in a country where hypocrisy and false virtue reign. Their mission is to export libertinage, a philosophy of enlightenment founded on the rejection of moral boundaries and authorities, but moreover to find a safe place to pursue their errant games, where the quest for pleasure no longer obeys laws other than those dictated by unfulfilled desires.
A film by Maryam Touzani
2019 - Morocco/France - Drama
Abla runs a modest local bakery from her home in Casablanca where she lives alone with her 8 year old daughter Warda. Their routine of housework and homework is interrupted one day by a knock on the door. It is Samia, a young woman looking for a job and a roof over her head. The little girl is immediately taken with the newcomer but her mother initially refuses to allow a pregnant stranger into their lives.
