Anime, classics, coming of age – cinema for teenagers at the 13th TAURON Young Horizons IFF
Self-discovery, new relationships, and first important decisions – the 13th TAURON Young Horizons IFF will be filled with meaningful films for teenagers and young adults. The programme includes contemporary coming-of-age stories, cult classics, and anime films. The viewers are also invited to numerous meetings and workshops.
The programme of the 13th TAURON Young Horizons IFF for adolescent viewers has been designed to compile various film perspectives on growing up and entering adulthood – from up-to-date stories young people can relate to, talking about their passions, dreams, and the need to follow your own path, to the best of classics and anime.
Coming-of-age cinema at Kino Iluzjon in Warsaw
This year, the Coming of Age section screenings will take place at Kino Iluzjon in Warsaw. Here, young viewers will watch stories focusing on teenage experiences:
- Sad Girlz (dir. Fernanda Tovar) – a moving film about boundaries, consent, and the power of female friendship. The film was awarded the Crystal Bear for the Best Film in the Generation 14plus section at Berlinale.
- Mouse (dir. Kelly O’Sullivan, Alex Thompson) – a gripping story about loss, life that goes on, and self-discovery.
- Sunny Dancer (dir. George Jaques) – with energy and black humour, the film tells a story of 17-year-old Ivy (Bella Ramsey) who strives to feel happy and carefree again, having recovered from serious disease.
The festival programme addressing teenagers features a number of events that foster dialogue about the presented films and, above all, the themes they explore. The screening of Sad Girlz will be followed by a conversation with Miri Palak – a psychologist, psychotraumatologist, sex therapist, and coordinator of the SEXEDPL helpline for victims of sexual abuse. The screenings of Mouse, Sunny Dancer, and Sad Girlz will be preceded by introductions given by an educator from the National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute. The programme will be accompanied by film criticism workshops focusing on various ways of developing and interpreting film characters: How to understand a film character.
For all the current and former teens
What is more, the programme features four timeless American productions about teenage years – full of indomitable power, emotions, and nostalgia. These include Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird – an insightful image of adolescence which depicts the emotional chaos of the senior year at high school in a compassionate and witty manner – and Little Miss Sunshine (dir. Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris) – a story of an unconventional but loving family that helps 7-year-old Olive to accomplish her dream of taking part in a beauty pageant. Other films in this section are Juno (dir. Jason Reitman) and The Perks of Being a Wallflower (dir. Stephen Chbosky) – both talking about young people who try to understand themselves, their emotions, and their relationships, standing on the threshold of adulthood. Coming of Age Classics is a section that shows that the experience of growing up and becoming an adult is a surprisingly universal one, regardless of the generation.
Anime and film discoveries
The 13th TAURON Young Horizons IFF is also filled with films for anime lovers as well as the most anticipated premieres of this season. The extremely popular Kingdom of Anime section will present, among other titles:
- A New Dawn (dir. Yoshitoshi Shinomiya) – a nostalgic and visually dazzling film from this year’s Berlinale Competition, talking about returning to the past, the need to find one’s place, and the search for a road into the future, taking place in an unusual setting of a firework factory.
- We Are Aliens (dir. Kohei Kadowaki) – a bittersweet reflection on adolescence, loneliness, the way our youth experiences shape our adult life, and the long-lasting consequences of peer violence. The film premiered globally at Cannes, in the prestigious Directors’ Fortnight section.
- 5 Centimeters per Second (dir. Makoto Shinkai) – a beautiful tale of love divided into three chapters, focusing on Takaki, a teenage boy who experiences his first love, disappointment, and longing; a film by the creator of the cult anime Your Name.
The Discoveries Competition will present arthouse films that transcend the boundaries of traditional genres and storytelling conventions. These productions are unique due to their fresh perspectives and visual originality, appealing to audiences of all ages. One of the titles competing in this section this year is Look Back – the latest film by Hirokazu Kore-eda, adapted from a manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto: a compassionate tribute to friendship and shared passion, which premiered at the International Film Festival in Venice.
Tickets and passes available now
You can already buy tickets and passes for the 13th TAURON Young Horizons IFF. Single tickets for selected screenings are available at affordable prices. If you want to see more festival films, choose a pass that functions as a family ticket.
You will find a detailed festival programme and the tickets on festiwal.mlodehoryzonty.pl.
The Coming of Age section has been prepared in partnership with the National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute.
The Coming of Age Classics section has been prepared in partnership with Filmawka.
The TAURON Young Horizons International Film Festival is an annual event addressed to the youngest and adolescent viewers. The 13th edition of the festival will take place from 25 September to 4 October. From 8 to 25 October, the programme will be available online at festiwal.mlodehoryzonty.pl/.
The festival will be accompanied by Young Horizons Industry – an international co-production forum for film and series projects targeting young audiences. The industry forum will be held from 28 to 30 September in Warsaw. More information: industry.younghorizons.pl.
