The Magic Lantern film club for kids aged 6 to 12 invites families to discover this selection titled «Reaching Out». Eight short films portray complicated relationships between very different characters: a father and his extremely lively son; a little boy whose whims keep his big sister on her toes; a girl who is determined to tame a ghost; and even animals trying to get along with each other.
Recommended for ages 6+

Fire in My Pocket
Janka Feiner / Hungary 2026 / 10'2" / colour / Ani
A little boy, bored with building a bed, seeks something more exciting. A mischievous fire creature lures him away, and despite his father’s attempts to keep order, the boy follows his new friend into a magical mushroom world where anything is possible.

Bats & Bugs
Lena von Döhren / Switzerland 2026 / 11' / colour / no dialogue / Ani
When a lantern lights up on a road in the jungle, a group of insects goes crazy. This comes in handy for the hungry bats in a nearby cave.

Packed up!
Clara Delpin/Clarissa Macku/Naftali Badawassou Francisco / Austria 2026 / 1'21" / colour / English / Ani
Minutes before freedom, the contrast couldn't be greater: Amy is a jittery mess of doodles, while Bärbel is the queen of tidy notes. When the final bell rings and the school bus honks, Amy’s patience finally snaps. In a frantic attempt to beat the clock, she makes a surreal decision that redefines what it means to «pack your things». A fast-paced student animation about a friendship that fits, quite literally, into a backpack.

Typhoon Holiday
Kitty Wu / Macau 2025 / 10'59" / colour / Cantonese / Fic
With Typhoon Signal No. 3 hoisted and schools closed, an older sister and her younger brother are left home alone. The little brother insists on going out to McDonald’s, and his sister reluctantly agrees to take him. However, there’s another reason behind his eagerness to leave the house...

Sandbox
Kateřina Čupová / Czech Republic 2026 / 2'54" / colour / no dialogue / Ani
A boy and his toys venture into a deep world under his sandbox, where mysterious meetings happen.

The Sky Was Candy
Anh Tú Nguyen / Germany 2025 / 3' / colour / no dialogue / Fic/Exp/Ani
A yellow and blue day in the life of a little child.

Marmelade und Holz
Elena Walf / Croatia/Germany 2025 / 5'13" / colour / no dialogue / Ani
The cold winter is hard on Lena and her animals. Firewood is expensive, and Lena only has turnip jam left to sell. But help sometimes comes from where you least expect it...

Shifting
Oona Tiirakari / Finland 2025 / 8'48" / colour / no dialogue / Ani
Cleo, an anthropomorphic chameleon, moves from a coniferous forest to a jungle and struggles to fit in in the new environment, until one day they rescue an unlikely friend.

Rababou
Tifany Perera/Aurelia Hoersch/Mickael Marro / Switzerland 2026 / 4'40" / colour / French / Ani
During a traditional Swiss Carnival, we follow Amir, a little boy who would have much preferred to dress up as a princess rather than a knight. But when he spots a mysterious pink light, he ventures dangerously deep into the crowd, far from his mom. Torn between fear, mockery, and his imagination, will the little boy manage to escape the terrible Rababou? And will he find the courage to be himself?

Fun Facts about Ghosts
Josefa Marie Geis / Germany 2026 / 8'34" / colour / German / Fic/Ani
When Elli is left home alone, she follows a list of tips on how to befriend a ghost.