The Black Nights Film Festival’s youth and children’s film festival Just Film has announced its international youth film competition programme.

The 19th Just Film international youth competition programme (consisting of 12 films) explores the world and has found the most important topics to ponder and discuss upon. The heroes of these films do not have superpowers, but they have kind hearts. However, when life throws big obstacles at you, they remind you that at some point it must get better. All these battles and grand emotions unravel on the screen during the Just Film festival.

The international youth competition is judged by a five-member Just Film youth jury and  three-member international jury. The latter will present the winning film with the Just Film grand prix at the Black Nights Film Festival closing ceremony.

The Black Nights Film Festival’s youth and children’s film festival Just Film will be held from the 15th of November until the 1st of December. Ticket sales will begin on the 16th of October.

Presenting the international youth film programme competitors:

“Boyz In The Wood”
BOYZ IN THE WOOD
The United Kingdom 2019, 87 min
Director: Ninian Doff

Dean, Duncan and DJ Beatroot are teenage pals from Glasgow who embark on a character-building camping trip—based on a real-life program—known as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, where foraging, teamwork and orienteering are the order of the day. The trio find themselves paired with straight-laced Ian, a fellow camper determined to play by the rules. 

From writer-director Ninian Doff—making his feature debut after a slew of award-winning music videos and short films for artists such as Run the Jewels, Miike Snow, Migos, and Mykki Blanco —comes an anarchic cocktail of generational politics, hip-hop loving farmers, and hallucinogenic rabbit droppings that pit the youth of tomorrow against the status quo of yesterday. Boyz in the Wood stars Eddie Izzard, Kate Dickey, Georgie Glen, James Cosmo and a breakout young cast featuring Samuel Bottomley, Viraj Juneja, Rian Gordon, and Lewis Gribben.

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

“About That Life”
DE LIBI
The Netherlands 2019, 102 min
Director: Shady El-Hamus

About That Life is a comical portrait about three young suburban friends, who we follow around Amsterdam over the course of 24 hours. The three do everything they can to get inside the famous nightclub ‘Jimmy Woo’ that evening in order to prove their worth in life. A film about an indomitable zest for life and dreams of a future full of possibilities. About three boys who do all they can to be noticed by the rest of the world.

“Cleo”
CLEO
Belgium 2019, 105 min
Director: Eva Cools

Seventeen-year-old Cleo survived a hit and run accident in which both her parents lost their lives. Her grandmother tries to offer Cleo and her brother a warm and comfortable home, but she ends up bearing the brunt of a rebellious teenager who searches for comfort with the mysterious Leos.

“FoMo - Fear of Missing Out”
FOMO: MEGOSZTOD, ES URALKODSZ 
Hungary 2019, 91 min
Director: Attila Hartung

Gergő and his teenage friends are into three things: partying, sex, and their online following. One night, at a party, Lilla falls victim to the boys. A dare gets out of hand and the youngsters’ world changes forever overnight.

“John Denver Trending”
JOHN DENVER TRENDING
The Philippines 2019, 100 min
Director: Arden Rod

John Denver is a quiet, ordinary eighth grader who lives with his mom. During a school dance practice, a classmate who is broadcasting the practice on social media plays a mean prank on John. Upset, John leave the practice early, only to be accused of stealing the boy’s iPad. John retaliates to his bully, and their fight is filmed and uploaded on social media. The video of John attacking his classmate goes viral, and his peaceful life is completely destroyed. 

“Scent of Oranges”
UZLY A POMARANČE
Czech Republic/Germany/Slovak 2019, 92 min
Director: Ivan Pokorný

In love with a girl that smells of oranges, while in a complicated relationship with his father, Darek is gentle, strong and devoted to his little sister and their herd of horses. Darek’s world is a story about the joy and pain of growing up in the isolated, yet beautiful, Lusatian Mountains.

Here, horses are not expensive specimens of racing stables, but beings you should care for and love. Not even that is enough in life though, as Darek finds out nearing the Summer’s end, closing his childhood definitely. But just like any ending, this is a start of something new.

“All For My Mother”
WSZYSTKO DLA MOJEJ MATKI
Poland 2019, 102 min
Director: Małgorzata Imielska

Olka is seventeen years old, tomboyish in her movement, with large eyes hidden behind her hair. Her nails are bitten and her hands bear the marks of self-harm. For years, she had been looking for her mother. Her constant escapes from the orphanage landed her in a reformatory. She lives there, but she is of another world: she does not care for hipster clothes or the newest smartphone. Unlike other girls, she does not want to provide sexual services to the guard for a smoke. She only wants her mother back.

Recommended for ages 12 and up. 

“Perfect 10”
PERFECT 10
Suurbritannia 2019, 84 min
Director: Eva Riley

15-year-old Leigh is a gymnast focused on her first competition on the squad. Leigh’s life is turned upside down when her older half brother Joe, who she didn’t know existed, comes to stay with her and her father. But when her confidence at gymnastics is knocked, Leigh finds herself caught up in an underground world of moped crime with her brother. Starting to find the excitement and attention she has been so desperately craving, Leigh stands at a crossroads between her gymnastic dreams and an exciting new world…

“Corpus Christi”
BOŻE CIALO
Poland 2019, 115 min
Director: Jan Komasa

"Corpus Christi" is the story of 20-year-old Daniel who experiences a spiritual transformation in a Youth Detention Center. The crime he commits prevents him from applying to the seminary and after his release on parole he is sent to work at a carpenter's workshop. However, Daniel has no intention of giving up his dream and dressed as a priest he decides to - minister a small-town parish.

“My Brother Chases Dinousaurs”
MIO FRATELLO RINCORRE I DINOSAURI
Italy 2019, 101 min
Director: Stefano Cipani

Jack has always wanted a little brother to play with, and when Gio is born, his parents tell him his brother is a "special" child. That's when Gio turns into a superhero with amazing powers in his big brother's imagination, like the ones in his comic books. Over time, however, Jack learns the truth: his brother has Down syndrome, a condition Jack decides to keep secret. When he goes to high school and falls in love with Arianna, he hides Gio's very existence from her and his new friends. But how can you expect someone to love you if you conceal such an important part of yourself? In no time, the truth comes out, and Jack realises that Gio's energy and vitality are contagious. Gio's original outlook does indeed change the world, just like a superhero. 

“Antigone”
ANTIGONE
Kanada 2019, 109 min
Director: Sophie Deraspe

In helping her brother escape from prison, Antigone defies the authorities: the police, the judiciary, the penal system and the father of her friend Haemon. Brilliant and, until now, blameless, the teenage girl feels the grip of power tightening around her. But she rejects the law of man and follows her own sense of justice, dictated by love and loyalty.

“I Am Free”
Я СВОБОДЕН
Russia 2019, 95 min
Director: Iliya Severov
International premiere

17 year old Artyom comes to the seaside summer camp for troubled kids where he tries to start a new life and escape his troubles and difficult memories.

Alien Films Entertainment was one of the first Romanian established production companies that met the requirements stated by the scheme and brought successful projects on the Romanian film market, benefiting from this support. The production company created long term relationship with the partners abroad based on trust and quality services.

CEE Animation Workshop is a year-long project development and production skills advancement programme for professionals. For the second edition, filmmakers from low production capacity countries could apply with animated projects of any format (short, TV, features, hybrid) in development. The call was also open to a limited number of participants without projects, representatives of industry and public institutions.