2022 San Diego International Kids Film Festival--Feature Films

BAL NAREN India | 96min Feature | Drama Director: Pawan Nagpal The story of the film is about a young boy Naren who loses his father because of a dengue. The unfortunate incident of loosing his father teaches him an important lesson about cleanliness and how it can help eradicate many diseases that develop because of a dirty environment. One day Naren gets to know about the newly elected Prime Minister and his mission Swachhta Abhiyaan, a cleanliness drive across the country.     BEAUTY ON THE WING: LIFE STORY OF THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY United States | 116 min Feature | Drama Director: Kim Smith "Beauty on the Wing: Life Story of the Monarch Butterfly" is a 56 minute narrated film that unfolds along the shores of Cape Ann and in the heart of Mexico’s forested volcanic mountains. Every stage of the butterfly’s life cycle is experienced in vibrant close-up, from mating to egg to caterpillar to adult, and set against the backdrop of sea and forest, sun and wind. By the millions the intrepid Monarchs journey thousands of miles.   DETECTIVE BRUNO Poland| 105min Feature | Drama Director: Magdalena Nieć, Mariusz Palej The arrogant star of hit TV series ‘Detective Bruno’ is an obnoxious and self-centred actor who is about to be fired from the show because of his unpopularity. He’s desperate to stay on TV and will do anything to win back his fans. 8-year-old orphan Oskar is Detective Bruno’s biggest fan and longs to be just like his TV hero. On his birthday, Oskar receives a mysterious clue for a treasure hunt left behind by his late parents.     HARPER United States | 93min Feature | Drama Director: Kate Bohan HARPER, an 11 year old girl's life is shattered when her father dies suddenly. Sent to live on a dilapidated farm with an Aunt she’s never met, Harper must adjust to her new reality. However, just as she settles in, ISABELLA, her wealthy mother, appears to claim the child she abandoned at birth.   IMAGINED United States | 95min Feature | Drama Director: Tori Layne Loner Liam Harris lives a predictable life, which he intends to leave behind for his childhood happy place: Canada. At least, until Kal appears. She claims to be his Incorporeal Children’s Guide (ICG for short), tasked to help him recover from being an adult “failure.” What Kal doesn’t tell him is that she’s not that good at being an ICG - she’s made a bet with her boss to “fix” Liam in order to keep her job. To make matters worse, Liam’s ex-wife suddenly drops off his three kids with him for the long weekend, right before he’s due to move.     JUMP WITH JILL: THE MOVIE! United States | 107min Feature | Drama Director: Jill Jayne It's the world’s only rock & roll nutrition show as it's never been seen before. It’s portable. It’s available everywhere. It’s In. Your. Screen. Get ready to get down with Jill & friends as they perform their famous healthy hits in a 50-minute film version of the signature nutrition education program, Jump with Jill: THE MOVIE! Our Emmy-nominated program was created by a musical Registered Dietitian named Jill. So you can be sure that your experience will be engaging, entertaining, and educational.   KUNG FU GIRL China| 98min Feature | Drama Director: Kenny Gage, Devon Downs Kung Fu Girl is an action fantasy about Lisa, a 12-year old student who challenges the school bully, and in her journey through real and virtual worlds learns to strengthen a fractured bond with her father.     MIXTAPE Puerto Rico | 111min Feature | Drama Director: Benjamín López MIXTAPE tells the story of Sammy, a talented musician who, after living in New York, returns to live in Puerto Rico when his parents separate. Now the 'new boy in school' he is immediately tormented by Jonathan, the school bully (Adan Allende). Sammy also falls in love with Karla, one of the prettiest girls in the school (Didi Romero) but he is too shy to express his feelings.    MONSTER FRUIT ACADEMY - GRANNY FRUITY’S BIG SECRET Taiwan | 73min Feature | Animation Director: Yung-Chang Chang In this animation Feature - “Monster Fruit Academy”, Granny Fruity, the main role from ”Fruity Pie”, a children’s television show broadcasting for over 22 years, has now become an animated character. Together with monster power and Taiwan fruits elements, a fantasy adventure has now begun.     MUGIZH India | 60min Feature | Drama Director: Kartick Swaminathan Kavya a 12-year-old girl embraces solitude and exists like an island within herself. Her parents decide to make inroads into that island, wanting her to face her fears head-on. Being completely aware that the 'doggie zone' is a realm that is completely out of bounds for her, they still go ahead and bring a puppy home. Well, what transpires when this darling monster steps into this household? Does the wall within Kavya break, and when this decision of the parents' backfires, do demons pile up adding to the already existing fears within Kavya?   SECRETS OF AN OLD GUN 2 Czech Republic | 98min Feature | Family Director: Ivo Macharacek The fairytale is full of love, friendship, brave and family solidarity. The fairytale takes place in two kingdoms. In the first one rules inexperienced King Jacob with his wife Queen Anna and their daughter Johanna. The second kingdom is ruled by Queen Julia, who has bad luck in her life. And so two treacherous and calculating advisers (Ferenc and Lorenc) enter her life with intention to control her kingdom. Good and justice will eventually prevail because the potter Jan alias the bandit Karaba and the father of Queen Anna will help to solve that situation.   SEDNA, EMPRESS OF THE SEA Canada | 85min Feature | Myth Director: Jerry Thevenet When my grandmother was a little girl she was sent away to residential school to learn how to read and write, but mostly to do laundry and clean houses. The people who ran these institutions were not very kind and seemed to enjoy punishing the children whenever they had a chance. Needless to say, the children suffered greatly.   STOP MY STEPMOM! Hungary | 105min Feature | Family Director: Kata Dobó, Buda Gulyás Dorka’s life turns upside down when her widowed father announces his engagement. The lonely, imaginative pre-teen girl does her best to protect her father from the dangers of love, and goes on an adventure that leads her to Magic Grove where she finds mysterious ways of magic tricks, friendship and the world’s best step-mother.     SUMO-KID (A.K.A. LITTLE WARRIOR) Russian Federation | 88 min Feature | Drama Director: Ilia Ermolov Vitya Kasatkin has an unusual hobby, Japanese sumo wrestling, and he loves it because of his father. However, his father left him and his mother and moved to Japan. The love of sumo is all Vitya got from him. It has also given him hope that one day his father would return to them. THE COLOSSEUM United States| 90 min Feature | Drama Director: Oaks Christian Advanced Film Class Sheldon White has it all. Little by little his life begins to unravel. Unfortunate for Sheldon. Great for ratings. What is a life worth?     THE EVERLASTING STORY Russian Federation | 90 min Feature | Youth Director: Andrey Kolpin Humans and fabulous creatures lived together in ancient times, until White Shadow, a ruthless monster capable of destroying the whole world, came to the Kingdom of Wonder. Just one hero can stop the beast. The man is young, strong and handsome, besides, he rides a bike ... His name is Koshchey. YUNG PUNX: A PUNK PARABLE United States | 70 min Feature | Drama Director: Seth Kramer, Daniel A. Miller, Jeremy Newberger Four little misfits from suburban Mass cope with the highs and lows of punk rock stardom. Chris Parnell narrates.