Twelve-year-old Ela lives in a children’s home with her two younger siblings. Removed from their parents, who once lived on the street, Ela seeks a sense of control and freedom in the only place she can find it — through movement. Every morning she trains alone, teaching herself gymnastics from what she remembers on TV. Her dream is simple yet immense: to learn to do a salto — to jump and land on her own feet. When Ela visits a contemporary circus show, she discovers a world where gravity seems to disappear and realizes that her dream might actually be possible. With the support of her „aunts“ from children home, she joins a summer circus camp and begins training for the salto — both a physical challenge and a test of her courage. As she struggles with fear and belonging, Ela learns that the real leap is in believing she can do it. In the final performance, where the whole orphanage family is rooting for her, she finally jumps, she doesn’t just complete a trick — she overcomes her fear and reclaims her strength. She can jump!

Pavle is a thirteen-year-old  water polo boy who lives in Herceg Novi, a city at the entrance to the picturesque Bay of Kotor, which has 200 sunny days a year.

He grew up next to the sea, loves fishing and  spends the summer on the beach with friends.

Pavle thinks water polo is more demanding than other water sports because the players have to be very strong and durable.

He is the only left – handed player which can contribute to success of the team.

His goal  is that  his team „Jadran“  wins the opposite team  „Primorac“.

The documentary film follows the story of eleven-year-old canoeist Debora, who has set her mind on rafting a wild mountain river. Her journey begins at a small, five-meter rapid, which becomes a symbol of all her fears and doubts. After initial failures and frustration, she discovers that strength and determination are not enough. She must master the technically demanding Eskimo roll, overcome panic, and learn the key quality of patience. Through disappointment at her first race, family support, and an inspiring friendship, she discovers that the path to success lies in accepting her own mistakes. The film culminates on the wild river, where Debora faces her greatest challenge. After a dramatic battle with the current, she discovers not only her inner strength, but also a deep respect and partnership with the river, which she learns to perceive not as an adversary, but as a friend.

Mixi would like to have a dog, but that decision is difficult for every family. With perseverance, Mixi reaches the opportunity to become a responsible dog owner. The decision fell on the dog from the shelter, which he will have to take care of without the help of his parents. Within 5 days he will have to judge by himself whether he is able to persevere in his intention..

Eleven-year-old Bethany is a young dancer from the Outer Hebrides of Scotland with big dreams. Born into a family of Highland dancers, Bethany is determined to follow in the footsteps of her mum and aunties. Dancing talents may run in the family, but it’s her dedication, perseverance, and courage that will determine her journey. Highland dancing, a Scottish traditional style of dance, is more than just an artform and requires strength and determination.

The sword dance, an ancient dance of war was once danced by highland warriors before battle and was considered a good omen if the dance was completed without touching the swords. Young Bethany sets herself a daunting challenge: performing the notoriously difficult Sword Dance, at a major Highland Dancing competition in Stornoway, dancing steps she’s never been brave enough to compete with before. Will Bethany complete her challenge and learn the complex dance steps in time for the competition and will she manage to dance it beautifully in order to be placed and gain a medal?

Aidan, a 10 year old boy from Scotland prepares for the biggest fight of his life as he competes in the WBC World Muay Thai festival.  In Scotland he knows that he is a good Muay Thai fighter but how will he compare to children from much bigger countries?  We follow his journey as he practises his Muay Thai technique with his Coach, who is also his Mum, as well as working on building his endurance so he will be able to compete in multiple fights.  Aidan also discusses his height as he will be competing in the under 35kg weight bracket.  At 29kg will Aidan’s small stature affect the outcome of his fights?

Sunao Ishii, age 11, lives in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. Her nickname is Su-chan.

Her hobby is handcrafting stuffed animals she designs and creates herself. Each stuffed animal has a story Su-chan has imagined. She sews fabric and felt to match that story, adds a face, and breathes life into the stuffed animal.

For Su-chan, it's very important that the stuffed animals can be hugged.　Holding them gives her courage.

In fact, Su-chan has lived with a serious abdominal illness since birth and has undergone seven surgeries so far. When she felt down because of her illness, her stuffed animals supported her.

Wanting others to experience the wonder of stuffed animals too,　Su-chan decided to challenge herself by holding a stuffed animal workshop at the hospital.Beforehand, she practiced making the stuffed animals  for the workshop with her friend Mao-chan.

On the day of the hospital workshop, nervousness initially prevented Su-chan from teaching the children participating  how to make stuffed animals. But in the end, she found her courage and taught the children how to make stuffed animals.　Then, one of the participant hugged the stuffed animals made by himself and smiled.

Basma is 11 years old. She lives in a small apartment building with people of different nationalities: grandmothers from Italy, young men from Africa, a guy from Brazil and parents from Morocco… The bonds between Basma and her neighbours are strong, making them a big, united family.

Basma’s greatest passion is cooking. She often dreams of recipes at night and then tries to bring them to the table — not always successfully!

Basma wants to prepare a lunch for all her neighbours, doing everything by herself with the help of her closest friend Aurora. She cooks both Italian and Moroccan dishes, invites everyone, decorates the garden, aiming to reflect and honor the mix of cultures and backgrounds of the people who will gather around the table.

Eva, a 12-year-old girl from Athens, has a special gift – she can shape her dreams out of clay. She grew up with her grandmother, who taught her how to mold clay. Together they made small bowls, animals, and vases – each one a treasure filled with laughter, patience, and love.

Now, inspired by what she’s learned at school about the ancient Minoan civilization, Eva dreams of discovering the roots of pottery itself. Her goal is to travel to Crete, to follow in the footsteps of the ancient artists she admires, and to create a Minoan-style vase as a gift for her beloved grandmother.

In Crete, Eva visits the magnificent Palace of Knossos, wandering among frescoes, columns, and stories that seem to rise from the earth itself.

She goes with friends to the joyful Thrapsano Potters’ Festival where she learns about ancient kilns and feels how a village can keep an ancient tradition alive — one that connects people to nature and to their roots.

Then, in the pottery village of Thrapsano, she meets Michalakis, a master potter who teaches her traditional techniques — from choosing the right soil to create the clay, to shaping the clay and baking the vase.

After a couple of tries, Eva presents her finished vase to her grandmother — a creation that bridges generations, memory, and imagination

Because sometimes, imagination spins quietly on a pottery wheel!

Alex is twelve years old and attends a school for children with special needs and mental development. He is autistic and has a developmental delay. He is a cheerful boy and enjoys going to school. Here he learns what he needs for life, he says. Including cycling. He would love to learn how to ride a bike. Even his little sister can do it now, only he can't, and he's 12. He is willing to give all he can. His teacher, Mr Lemke, has drawn up a training plan and his parents are also supporting him. Setbacks annoy Alex, but he doesn't want to give up this time. He has his sights set firmly on his goal: he wants to pass his cycling proficiency test, which will be conducted by a police officer in the school playground at the end of the school year.

he documentary follows the story of 11-year-old Matevž from Podvinci, near Ptuj, who passionately preserves one of Slovenia's most unique traditions – Kurentovanje. Matevž is not just a boy who wears a mask and dances with bells; he is a young bearer of this ancient heritage, a tradition intertwined with deep family values and artistic expression in his life.

The film focuses on his daily life as he prepares for the largest ethnographic celebration, which lasts from Candlemas (February 2) to Ash Wednesday (March 5). Matevž is a Kurent growing up surrounded by rich traditions, where customs are passed down through generations. During this period of one month his goal is to collect 105 handkerchiefs and if he will be lucky, he will be "most beautiful" Kurent (if the collects the most handkerchiefs of them all). Parallelly we will follow his confidence and competitiveness - it is easy to be brave and interact with girls when he is behind the mask.

The film focuses on key moments, such as the Kurentov skok on Candlemas, running from house to house, where Kurents drive away winter and bring a good harvest, dance with girls, perform traditional choreography, and enjoy refreshments. A procession follows, where Kurents collect handkerchiefs to determine the "most beautiful," and in the end, the handkerchiefs are counted, creating a significant symbolic moment. Family scenes are also important, as Matevž works with his mother to create flowers out of crepe paper to decorate the face mask, irons old handkerchiefs, or looks at old photographs with his father while reminiscing about the early days of Kurentovanje.

In the end, the film culminates with a beautiful moment when Matevž collects handkerchiefs, an experience that symbolizes the closure of the entire cycle for every Kurent, confirming his place in this ancient tradition.

The film will illustrate a story of growing up, family values, the importance of tradition, and connection with nature and community.

Gonçalo is an 11 year old boy with a strong passion for skateboarding. His journey is marked by the challenge of the kick flip, a trick that earns more points in competitions. However is passion of skateboard doesn’t end with practicing it, he also loves to teach others improving. Finally Gonçalo goes to the competition and tries to land the trick he practiced for a while. Will he reach the podium?

Fiona and Iso Polyphony is a short documentary set in the historic town of Gjirokastër, Albania, following a young girl named Fiona as she rediscovers her cultural roots through the traditional art of Albanian iso-polyphony—a centuries-old form of group singing that symbolizes harmony, identity, and community.

When Fiona hears about an upcoming polyphony concert, she decides to form a group with her classmates. What begins as a simple idea soon becomes a meaningful journey of learning, teamwork, and cultural pride. Guided by her family’s traditions, a dedicated vocal coach, and local artisans, Fiona and her friends explore the musical, emotional, and historical depth of this ancient tradition.

Through rehearsals, costume-making, and shared struggles, the children come to understand that iso-polyphony is not just music—it’s a living connection between generations. Their journey culminates in a heartfelt performance that unites the voices of the past and the future.

Visually rooted in the textures and sounds of Gjirokastër, the film captures the essence of a community keeping its traditions alive through the enthusiasm of its youth. Fiona and Iso Polyphony is a celebration of heritage, collaboration, and the enduring power of song to bring people together across time.

Benet is 11 years old and has restricted growth. To be precise, he’s 1.11 meters tall. As a passionate sportsperson, he would love to finally score his first match-time goal in a soccer tournament this year. He plays for his local club in Rangsdorf, a small town in Brandenburg near Berlin, with teammates of normal stature. So far, he has never scored a goal in a match, although he’s a very skilled soccer player. However, as a player of short stature, he covers less ground, and his tackling is not as effective due to his dwarfism. But his team is behind him and wants to help him achieve his goal. They tailor new drills and tactics to help put Benet in an ideal scoring position. The German national team for dwarfism even takes Benet under its wing and invites him to a extra-special training session. So with everyone behind him, will Benet finally achieve his dream and score the first goal he has so long been yearning for?

Mimi is about to turn ten. She lives near Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, in a small village. She is very curious, kind and incredibly talented for her age.

Playing the dulcimer is very demanding. It is a traditional folk instrument that has been known since the 17^th century, its original sound is characteristic of gypsy music and folk, rustic music. Learning to play the dulcimer requires a lot of patience, time and real enthusiasm. This is not a guitar or piano. Playing the dulcimer means mastering 133 strings, pedals and mallets.

Mimi wants to start a folklore group and play at the biggest folklore festival in Slovakia - Východná.

Performing at such a festival is not easy. Mimi has to pass the selection process. He has to overcome himself, try hard, overcome stage fright and keep his band in a good mood.Will she succeed?

Ana is a 12-year-old girl and has been a firefighter since she was 7 years old. Both parents, sister and brother are connected to the fire department in some way. This year she has moved up a category, she is no longer a cadet, she is a junior. In this category there are girls from 12 to 16 years old.  In her previous category she was used to winning at national level, but now she is in a new team, and she is not quite sure that it will be possible to qualify from the municipal to the regional competition. She will compete with eight girls in the so-called tenth. The competition consists of three parts: the first is a bucket race, the second is a relay or obstacle exercise, and the third is a command. A team is only as strong as its weakest link, so she fears that she will be the one holding back a team of (also) older and more experienced girls. But Ana is sure that she will succeed because she will also train hard for it.

Alisa loves to do ice figure skating, but if she wants to stay one ice she has to jump lutz.

Mateus, an American boy with Portuguese roots, returns to his grandparents' home in Portugal. Driven by his passion for parkour, a French sport renowned for its dynamic moves, Mateus is particularly captivated by the challenging backflip. Determined to master this daring maneuver, he sets his sights on showcasing his skills at Portugal's largest parkour event.

Georgie is 10 years old and lives on her family’s dairy farm. She has a special bond with the cows on her farm. She and her family are involved in Cow Showing, where they take their show cows to local shows.  Her older sister Becky taught Georgie everything she knows about it. Georgie wants to bring her show calf Khaleesi to Nationals, the biggest Cow show event in Ireland. With the help of her friend Aisling, Georgie will aim to win at nationals with Khaleesi, win the respect of her sister and learn the value of human friendships too. 

Iva is 13 year old girl who has a dream to win first place at robotics competition.

She is very curious, ambitious, interested in robotics, medicine and folklore. While working hard to improve her skills and make the best result at the competition, she also enjoys in dancing various traditional montenegrian dances.

We follow her steps to competition and when the big day finally comes.

Lorenzo is 10 years old and loves all animals, both wild and domestic. But he has a special passion for birds of prey. His dream is to spend a day at the CRAS, a Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. There, he will finally meet a tawny owl that has fallen from its nest. Lorenzo will take care of it until it is ready to be released into the wild. A special bond will form between them, leading up to the difficult moment of separation.

This is a story about the sparkle and friendship which “Kendama” brought to a boy named Soen.

Soen is an 11-year-old boy who lives in Kanagawa Prefecture. He's shy and not so good at talking to people. However, when he discovered Kendama, he became obsessed with it and started talking a lot about it with his friends. Kendama is a hand-held game which is very popular in Japan. Kendama has a wooden handle with three shallow dishes and a bluntly pointed tip which the player uses to catch a wooden ball using a variety of fun techniques. "Kendama brings me opportunities to meet a lot of different people. That's a great thing for me." Soen's dream is to spread Kendama to the world. He wants to become world champion to achieve this dream and decided to participate in the Kendama World Cup. He’s going to compete with Kendama players from all over the world.

Stavroula Christou is 11 years old.

Her childhood was marked by the accident her father had with his motorbike on the day of her seventh birthday.

A car hit him and left him helpless on the road.

The accident left him with a form of cerebral palsy.

Stavroula wants to use her talent for music and dance to organize a concert for road safety.

She also wants to write a song about the accident herself.

Will she succeed?

She knows, of course, that she has full support from her mother, friends and teachers.

Calum aims to take his band from Glasgow to Oban for a major musical battle at the Royal National Mòd. However, with numerous competitions and time constraints, things aren't going according to plan. Managing a band is never easy even in the best of times - how will they cope with the significant challenges that lie ahead?

Orestis is 12 and lives in Athens with his mum.  He plays the electric guitar and football but above all loves the theater and he has joined a theater group. He deeply believes that theater is the best that culture as a whole has to offer- “Theater is a vehicle of exploration, it can take you to places you dream but have not been, it can educate you, invoke feelings, it can discuss the most difficult things” he says.

Orestis is growing up in a social movement family – they are very active whether it revolves issues of everyday life and the area they live in or wider global issues. Orestis has been following the developments in Gaza and his goal is to write and perform with his school mates a play sending a strong anti-war message.