Boys Feels: Stand by Me

These five award-winning coming of age short films offer a glimpse of how boys and young men tackle life's difficult desires: confronting one's demons, understanding sexual relationships, gaining the respect of one's father, or simply running away from it all. This is only the start of their complex formative years, where not every question has an answer, and not every answer makes sense. The short films are: Boys [Pojkarna] (2015); Ioana (2015); Kiem Holijanda (2017); Picnic [Piknik] (2015); Tomer & Elias [Tomer en Elias] (2016).

Like tears in the rain, water is the metaphor for growing pains and so much more in these four tales about young boys coming to terms with a host of emotions for the very first time. These polished productions and festival favourites are brought to you by a host of talented directors from across Germany, Denmark, France and the Netherlands. The short films are: Ocean [Océan] (2013); Go Daan Go! [Daan Durft] (2014); The Boy in the Ocean (2016); Beach Boy (2011).

Whether it's playing games in a military zone, cheating at school tests, crossing borders for cheap thrills or doing whatever it takes to make illicit money - these boys know that with every risk, they move closer and closer to an irreversible jeopardy. Deftly exploring masculinity and peer-pressure, these five coming-of-age tales from France, the Netherlands and Lithuania from burgeoning new filmmakers demonstrate that sometimes young hearts can run dangerously free. The short films are: Gotta (2015); The Last Day of School (2019); Tree House [Cabane] (2016); Gameboy (2014); Pollux (2018).

Two sisters, aged 5 and 8, hang out alone at home in the middle of the countryside. Elsa, the youngest, swallows three grains of coarse salt. Judith announces to her that she’s doomed to a death by desiccation, and she only has a few hours to live. The mother returns, behaving ardently and feverishly, and turns the family's destiny upside down.

Sixteen-year-old Logan is an adolescent uncomfortable in his own skin. Only his science fiction dreams of a better life on Mars draw him away from his ordinary life, which is as equally difficult at home or at school, where he's only seen as an aggressive loser. One evening, he receives a visit from a mysterious man who insists that he has come from the future and that he is also Logan, but forty years older. He then asks the younger Logan to carry out a mission as unexpected as it is important: to save humanity.

Pierre does his best to successfully complete the chaotic construction site for which he is responsible. Bodies are exhausted by untenable deadlines. However, the work must continue, unabated. And without accidents.

Max, a witty and brave 12-year-old, feels like he has two families instead of one. In and after school, he spends all his time with his two best friends Tom and Vivian, who are always there to make life easier for each other. Together, they are The Fantastic Three. His real family on the other hand, is messy, with a depressed single mother and a brother in jail.

No summer camp this year for 13-year-old Vivian and Max because of the imminent closure of the factory where their parents are working. But Vivian has a plan to make money and allow them to go to the camp anyway. Accompanied by Tom, their childhood friend, they will run into a race against time.

Stéphanie is a jovial and strong single mother. She shares everything with her 13-year-old daughter Léna: their passion for Angèle, their clothes, even the teenager's diary, in which Stéphanie corrects omissions... As they go to an Angèle concert with Kali, Lena's best friend, Stéphanie will realize that her baby has grown up.

Since the birth of their youngest child, one-year-old Enzo, the Leblanc family has been under pressure. The relationship between Sophie and her eldest daughter, Jessie, 17, is particularly tense. Each member of the family will have to find his or her place.

Estelle did not expect to meet Sacha this Saturday night. Transvestite and liberated, he will shatter her very decided ideas about dance, seduction, and love.