Out of nearly 1,800 submissions from 91 countries, seven films were chosen for the Grand Competition for feature films, and 47 for the Grand Competition of the short films. The Croatian Film Competition will include 18 films this year, while the Student Film Competition consists of 42 films.

In the feature category of the Grand Competition, Czech director Michaela Pavlátová presents My Sunny Maad, a freer adaptation of Petra Procházkova’s novel Frišta based on the female experience of living in Afghanistan, produced by Negativ and coproduced by BFILM. Polish documentary filmmaker Tomasz Wolski is competing with 1970, a puppet film produced by Kijora Film, about protests in then-communist Poland told from the perspective of the oppressors.

Eastern European cinema is also presented through Crossing, a film about war and migration directed by French helmer Florence Miailhe, and coproduced by Czech’s Maur Film.

The festival’s Grand Prix winners qualify directly for the Academy Award and the European Animation Award.

GRAND COMPETITION - FEATURE FILMS:

1970 (Poland)
Directed by Tomasz Wolski
Produced by Kijora Film
Supported by the Polish Film Institute

Belle (Japan)
Directed by Mamoru Hosoda

Dozens of Norths (Japan, France)
Directed by Koji Yamamura

My Sunny Maad (Czech Republic, France, Slovakia)
Directed by Michaela Pavlátová
Produced by Negativ
Coproduced by Sacrebleu Productions, BFILM
Supported by the Czech Film Fund, the Slovak Audiovisual Centre, Audiovisual Fund, Eurimages, CNC, Creative Europe – MEDIA

Crossing (France, Germany, Czech Republic)
Directed by Florence Miailhe
Produced by Les Films de l'Arlequin
Coproduced by Balance Film; Maur Film; Xbo Films; ARTE France Cinéma
Supported by the CNC, FFA, the Czech Film Fund, Eurimages, Creative Europe MEDIA

The Timekeepers of Eternity (Greece)
Directed by Aristotelis Maragkos

Yaya e Lennie – The Walking Liberty (Italy)
Directed by Alessandro Rak