Anima, the Brussels International Film Festival announced some of the films selected for its feature competition. Anima 2025 is going to be held from 28 February to 9 March at Flagey, Marni, and Cinematek. The film festival has added Marni as an extra location since last year.
The feature films shortlisted for competition this year include:
- Ghost Cat Anzu: Karin, aged 11, is abandoned by her parents and left with her grandfather, who asks his ghost cat Anzu to look after her. When these two headstrong characters meet, sparks fly.
- Pelikan Blue: With the opening of Hungary’s borders in 1990, travel finally becomes possible again, although prices remain exorbitant. Determined to discover Western Europe, three young people rig up some fake international train tickets.
- Rule Of The Heart: In a faraway kingdom, a king is preparing to marry off his daughter, Princess Alda. But one evening, she meets a stranger who gives her a rather surprising gift. Shaken by this encounter and the new feelings it produces, she decides to run away from the palace and discover the truth.
- A Boat In The Garden: In the 1950s, 11-year-old François watches his parents build a sailboat in their garden. This project accompanies him from adolescence to adulthood and feeds his passion for the sea and drawing, leaving him with a tender view of his childhood and family.
- The Colors Within: Totsuko can see other people as colors. Kimi has quit school and is afraid to tell her grandmother. Rui dreams of becoming a musician, despite pressure from his family to become a doctor. Together, they decide to form a band.
- Totto-Chan: The Little Girl At The Window: Totto-Chan is an unusual little girl, enrolled at Tomoe, a unique school which prioritizes independence and creativity. As Japan descends into war, she discovers that the small experiences in life are more meaningful than her school lessons.
The jury for the film festival include Golem and Linea Films co-founder, director and producer Christophe Jankovic, stop motion specialist Mascha Halberstad and director and choreographer Jean-Charles Mbotti Malolo.
