The program will start off with the world premiere of a wonderful documentary film. Director Clara Stella Hüneke spent four years following Jamila, Rachel, and Faseeha, the three protagonists of SISTERQUEENS, who are involved in a rap project in Berlin’s Wedding district. They learn to stand up for themselves, express their opinions, and find their voice and put it out there. We’re delighted that the Sisterqueens will be performing live at the world premiere of their documentary on Saturday, June 29.

Two sisters, Juliette and Carmen, have completely different problems to contend with when they’re accidentally drawn into the world of their favorite book. Transformed into cats, they now must face the Master of the Winds and find a way home. See if they can do it in the fanciful animated film SIROCCO AND THE KINGDOM OF THE WINDS by Benoît Chieux, which earned the audience award at the renowned Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

In Ingrid Pokropek’s THE MAJOR TONES, 14-year-old Ana embarks on a journey within a magical, albeit real, world. The metal plate she’s had in her arm since her accident suddenly begins receiving rhythmic signals. Her attempt to decode what she thinks is a message leads her on a minor odyssey across Buenos Aires. Could it be her mother trying to contact her?

Communication between Evie and her mom happens to be at a low point. Evie had actually been looking forward to spending her vacation in the south of England, but the presence of a family friend named Tony, who is closer to her mother than she’d suspected, puts a damper on family life. Fortunately, Evie soon finds a like-minded friend in Adam, and together they explore an abandoned tin mine. In the darkness, they become aware not only of decades of environmental exploitation, but also of the approaching end of their childhood. A number of secrets come to light in Lucy Cohen’s first feature film, EDGE OF SUMMER.

FOX AND HARE SAVE THE FOREST

EDGE OF SUMMER

THROUGH ROCKS AND CLOUDS

Those who have no regard for the environment endanger the habitat of others. The fox and hare in Mascha Halberstad’s latest animated film, FOX AND HARE SAVE THE FOREST, understand this. Their habitat could be wiped out by a flood because the megalomaniacal beaver is overseeing a gigantic construction project to dam up a huge lake. Will the two animals be able to save their home?

In a small village in the Peruvian Andes, on the other hand, the inhabitants are having to deal with polluted water. The nearby lake is contaminated and the mining company responsible for it is seeking to buy more land without regard for people’s welfare. But in THROUGH ROCKS AND CLOUDS by Franco García Becerra, they refuse to put up with this and join forces instead. In the meantime, 8-year-old Feliciano frantically searches for his best friend, Ronaldo the alpaca. 

A caring friendship develops between Amanda and Lars in Eirik Sæter Stordahl’s debut film, LARS IS LOL. And this, despite the fact that Amanda was not at all thrilled about being assigned to mentor her new classmate, who has Down’s syndrome, for fear of embarrassing herself in front of her crush.  

To finally be one of the “cool kids” is the dream of 13-year-old Chris in Sean Wang’s first feature film, DÌDI, which earned the audience award at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2008, shortly before the start of high school, he tries to make an impression with skateboarding videos. Yet this plan backfires, as does his (online) flirtation with a girl at school.

Shorts for Kids:
THINGS UNHEARD OF

Shorts for Kids:
MY NAME IS EDGAR AND I HAVE A COW

Event with Checker Tobi

The short films in the Shorts for Kids program offer some further emotional ups and downs. These five films follow a group of children at a campsite who watch others make out, a Kurdish girl who tries to get her grandma to smile, and a girl named Gabrielle who doesn’t dare leave the house for fear of the sun, wind, and rain. Also, Edgar befriends a newborn calf, and Lili’s friends stand by her when she refuses to wear a bikini top.

And finally, we have a very special event for you. On Sunday, June 30 at 2 pm, Checker Tobi aka Tobi Krell will give a live appearance, offering a behind-the-scenes look at filmmaking in ZAUBERWELT KINO.

You’ll find the complete CineKindl schedule here.