Escapismo (2025)

Like Stars on Earth

Ishaan Awasthi is an eight-year-old whose world is filled with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate. Colours, fish, dogs, and kites don't seem important to the adults, who are much more interested in things like homework, marks, and neatness. Ishaan cannot seem to get anything right in class; he is then sent to boarding school, where his life changes forever.

The Tree of Life

The impressionistic story of a Texas family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father. Jack finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith.

Kes

Bullied at school and ignored and abused at home by his indifferent mother and older brother, Billy Casper, a 15-year-old working-class Yorkshire boy, tames and trains his pet kestrel falcon whom he names Kes. Helped and encouraged by his English teacher and his fellow students, Billy finally finds a positive purpose to his unhappy existence.

The Red Balloon

A young boy discovers a stray balloon, which seems to have a mind of its own, on the streets of Paris. The two become inseparable, yet the world’s harsh realities finally interfere.

A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints

Dito Montiel, a successful author, receives a call from his long-suffering mother, asking him to return home and visit his ailing father. Dito recalls his childhood growing up in a violent neighborhood in Queens, N.Y., with friends Antonio, Giuseppe, Nerf and Mike.

Hearts in Atlantis

A widowed mother and her son change when a mysterious stranger enters their lives.

Boy A

Freed after a lengthy term in a juvenile detention center, convicted child killer Jack Burridge finds work as a deliveryman and begins dating co-worker Michelle. While out on the road one day, Jack notices a distressed child, and, after reuniting the girl with her family, becomes a local celebrity. But when a local newspaper unearths his past, Jack must cope with the anger of citizens who fear for the safety of their children.

A Night with Moosina

On a full moon night, a ten-year-old girl from a farming family in a remote village is lured by Moosina into a cave in the mountains, where she uncovers the secret about why the mountain demon always plays dirty tricks on children.

A Common Experience

A poetic exploration of the multi-generational affects of Canada's Indian Residential School system, based on the personal trials of Aboriginal playwright Yvette Nolan.

Christmas by Your Friends

Mads' father’s company is too small for a proper Christmas tree party, so Mads decides to arrange his own for himself and his best friend. But arranging such a party is easier said than done. It involves theft, intrigue and deception. Can Mads overcome the difficulties, or will there be no Christmas tree party?

Dreamcatcher

Four boyhood pals perform a heroic act and are changed by the powers they gain in return. Years later, on a hunting trip in the Maine woods, they're overtaken by a vicious blizzard that harbors an ominous presence. Challenged to stop an alien force, the friends must first prevent the slaughter of innocent civilians by a military vigilante ... and then overcome a threat to the bond that unites the four of them.

Mirror

A dying man in his forties recalls his childhood, his mother, the war and personal moments that tell of and juxtapose pivotal moments in Soviet history with daily life.

Small Change

Various experiences of childhood are seen in several sequences that take place in the small town of Thiers, France. Vignettes include a boy's awakening interest in girls, couples double-dating at the movies, brothers giving their friend a haircut, a boy dealing with an abusive home life, a baby and a cat sitting by an open window, a child telling a dirty joke, and a boy who develops a crush on his friend's mother.

C'mon C'mon

Johnny and his young nephew forge a tenuous but transformational relationship when they embark on a cross-country trip to see life away from Los Angeles.

Goodbye to Our Kindergarten

One day, five kindergarten children suddenly disappear from a kindergarten in Tokyo, sending their teachers and parents into a panic. The five of them are connecting on trains and headed to an unfamiliar place for some purpose. Before their journey, they had made a promise to each other “not to cry no matter what happens”

A Girl Returned

A 13 years old girl is forced to go living with another family for reasons unknown.

Wet Monday

Fifteen-year-old Klara is raped by a masked boy during Wet Monday. A year later, just before the first anniversary of the incident, she becomes paralyzed by a fear of water. Looking for support and understanding, Klara turns to her new, somewhat esoteric friend.

Una tarde en la vida de dos niños kelpers

Alex and Dani, two Kelper children living in Stanley, Falkland Islands, skip school to play in the fields, as they usually do every day. One afternoon, when they discover a black, viscous liquid they believe to be oil, their historical differences come to light.

Olappeeppi

Olappeeppi portrays the story of an ordinary Malayali family and the changes in the socio-economic scene in Kerala from 1970's to the 2000's . As the name suggests, its about colours of the past, taking us to that era along with a boy named Unni and his grandmother.

Ang Pink na Sisiw ni Ningning

When an eight year old kid, Ningning, had a pink chick who fulfilled the love she has been longing for from her sister, she once again experienced the joy of her childhood. However, it was cut short when the pink chick suddenly vanished. This has lead her to discover the harsh realities inside their household.

Even If It Rains

As he sits on a present situation where his childhood's expiration date gives way to an uncertain adolescence, Agustín decides to create a small freedom spot far from his daily routine.

Olote

Julia is a child living in a Mexican town trapped in the war against drug trafficking. After waiting for days for his father’s return she meets Miria, a hitman boy.

Rift

A girl disappears without a trace while playing hide and seek with her friend. The friend is asked to explain how it happened, but the adults around him find it hard to believe his story. With visual originality, the limits of existence are allowed to be stretched in a film that depicts the incomprehensible from a child’s perspective.

The Curse of the Cat People

Amy, the young, friendless daughter of Oliver and Alice Reed, befriends her father's late first wife and an aging, reclusive actress.

GOLDS

"Golds" follows Mercy, a young boy who lives in a poor neighborhood with his ill mom who can not afford the medical attention she needs. Mercy comes up with a creative way to raise money for his mom.

I Was Born, But...

Two young brothers become the leaders of a gang of kids in their neighborhood. Ozu's charming film is a social satire that draws from the antics of childhood as well as the tragedy of maturity.

Afterimage

Experiencing extreme sleep deprivation for months, a young man tape-records his memories for preservation against sinister, clandestine watchers.

The Slingshot

Stockholm in the 1920s. Young Roland lives with his socialist father, Jewish mother and a boxing brother. His mother sells condoms illegally, and from them, Roland makes slingshots which he sells. His rebellious ways has gotten him the special attention of his school teacher, who always makes sure that Roland is punished. Roland also tries to make extra money by repairing bicycles, a successful business that in the end lands him in hot water.

Guerrero: The Movie

At age ten, Paolo asks his mother he wants to meet his father, an unknown soccer player who retired early due to an injury. The boy does not know it, but the reunion with his father and with his discipline, incites in him a change of character that will turn him into the professional soccer player that all Peruvians know well; the warrior, the fighter. Paolo with the help of his neighborhood friends and with all the support from his mother, manages to overcome obstacles and fulfill his dream.

Kudzu

A young boy wrestles with a deepening sense of remorse after the sudden disappearance of his friend. When those close to him begin to question his involvement, he is forced to make a life-altering choice. Themes of friendship, guilt, and redemption are examined against the backdrop of a scorching summer in the rural South.

Spectrum

Plot unavailable

FIKA

Fika is a presentation that explores what it means to appreciate the little things within our lives, demonstrated within the film throughout two perspectives, a stuffed bear, and his owner.

The Home Song Stories

A glamorous Hong Kong performer struggles to make a home in suburban 1960s Australia.

The Mountain

Sam, a fearless young girl raised outside of her Māori culture, is determined to fulfill her mission of connecting with her mountain. She hopes it can heal her from the cancer she is battling. Along the way, she meets some misfits and new kids in town, and together they journey through a difficult route, discovering the true spirit of adventure and the magic of friendship.

Have You Forgotten What We Used to Play?

This short film tells the story of a childhood, of a friendship and of growing up. A young man returns to the village where he grew up and discovers that both he and the place have changed. Yet, he soon finds himself immersed in his memories.

Echoes of the Rainbow

Told through the eyes of sticky-fingered eight-year-old boy Big Ears, Echoes of the Rainbow takes place in a close-knit grassroots community in 1960s Hong Kong. Big Ears' mother and father run the neighborhood shoe store, and his older brother Desmond is every family's dream son - an outstanding athlete with grades worthy of Hong Kong's best school.

Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood

A man narrates stories of his life as a 10-year-old boy in 1969 Houston, weaving tales of nostalgia with a fantastical account of a journey to the moon.

The Girl

Story of a ten-year-old girl left alone in her house in the summer of 1981.

Crayon Shin-chan: The Adult Empire Strikes Back

Shin-chan must rescue the adults of Kasukabe when they mysteriously abandon their responsibilities to relive their youth at the new 20th-century expo.

The Courage to Kill

Erik lives by night. He works in a nightclub and occasionally dresses up as a woman to rob rich clients. One day Erik's father arrives uninvited. It's a surprise visit that brings out memories of complicated childhood.

Time Regained

In early 1920s France, an author, lying on his deathbed, looks at various photographs and is flooded with memories of the people and events that have shaped his life.

Blossom

A young girl grows up in the company of her imaginary friend, a silent and friendly monster. As she matures and experiences all the joy and tragedy that life has to offer, she is forced to confront the truth about her companion.

My Brother's Keeper

The story of a Finnish rap artist Cheek and his brother.

Sister My Sister

A true story of shocking violence catapults a picturesque little town into history. The close sibling relationship between the two maids takes on a new dimension as their overbearing employer discovers a sexual fever between the two sisters.

Le spectre de l'innocence

Plot unavailable

The Kiln

At her young age, Juana has two great responsibilities: preventing her older sister from fleeing the house and passing on the secret of making bricks to her younger sister.

Naked Childhood

Handed over to foster care by his mother—who's unwilling to give up permanent custody—the now-adolescent François understands that nothing in life is permanent, and his increasingly erratic actions reflect this knowledge.

Guest of Reality

A story about a boy named Anders, who lives in an ordinary Swedish family in an apartment at the train station. Through his childhood, he experiences life's glorious scents of beautiful flowers and green forest, close and warm relationships with his grandparents and joyful play with his siblings. He has a strong friendship with his father and a great love for his mother. Still he lives in fear of death. He is afraid of losing all of this that is so valuable to him. In his thoughts and fears, he often turns often God, just as his sister, mother and grandparents, and ask Him for help and protection.

Monster

After an outburst at school involving her son, a concerned single mother demands answers, triggering a sequence of deepening suspicion and turmoil.

Violettina

A transfixing, rarely-seen 16mm miniature made as part of Rohrwacher's opera production of La traviata in 2016.

Welcome Home Freckles

After four years away, Huiju returns home to South Korea. Exchanges with her loved ones are awkward and clumsy. Huiju turns once again to her familiar rituals: pruning the trees, preparing a sauce, tying a braid.

My Friend Henry

When 12-year-old Elsi Björkman and her mother Paula return from a week's holiday abroad, Elsi immediately notices that someone has been in her room. She tells her mother about it, but she does not believe her. At the local supermarket Elsi meets Henry, who seems to spend his time returning shopping trolleys. Elsi does not know anything about the boy, who has an irritating habit of appearing from out of nowhere, only to disappear again, as if into thin air. Nevertheless, the children become friends.

Love Likes Coincidences

Year 1977, a September morning in Ankara... Yilmaz tries to rush his pregnant wife Neriman to the hospital and he crushes into Omer's car. This accident causes Omer's pregnant wife Inci, who was in the back seat, to have a pre-term labor. The babies are born on the same day. They see each other for the first time... This accident is the threshold of the coincidences that bring Ozgur and Deniz together.

The Final Day

Yadira, a creative young Cuban girl, struggles packing on her final day home. Embarking on an immigration journey alone, her suitcase feels too small to carry everything her heart holds.

Mapa de la geografía emocional

A reflection on love and identity with detours towards magical realism, which winks at the oral tradition of coastal populations and introduces us to Leo, a young 21-year-old sailor who revisits his relationship with Jimena after his great-aunt reminds him of his favorite myth from when he was a child: the story of the nereids.

Mia and the Migoo

One night Mia has a premonition. So after saying a few words of parting at her mother’s grave, she sets out on a cross continent journey, though mountains and jungles in search of her father, who has been trapped in a landslide at a construction site on a remote tropical lake. In the middle of the lake stands the ancient Tree of Life, watched over by innocent, bumbling forest spirits called the Migoo, who grow and change shape as they please, morphing from small childlike beings to petulant giants. The Migoo have been disrupting the construction to protect this sacred site – and now together with Mia they join in a fight to find Mia’s father and save the Tree, with the future of life on Earth hanging in the balance.