If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, Harry Potter probably wouldn’t have believed that wizards from Hogwarts walked the same path to school as he did every day. Amid ordinary days, an unfamiliar train ticket opened a portal to the world of magic. Like the Harry Potter series—full of imagination, humor, and depth—stories written for children often provide vast imaginative space for both kids and adults. Under the same imaginative sky, do we all see the same things? In the history of children’s literature, we remember the child in The Emperor's New Clothes who saw things as they truly were, and the sentimental child in My Memories of Old Beijing who noticed every little detail. A truly fantastical world must also be believable—and trustworthy. Adults may gradually realize that the real world isn't necessarily more real than a fantasy world, because the latter is born from countless cycles of thought and reconstruction, where every detail functions under its own set of rules. Through such deep exploration, adults can better understand the limits of reality and come to appreciate the fantasy worlds children yearn for.
Tracing the origins of fantasy symbolism, we find a persistent unfamiliarity within familiar cultures—a reminder that between the leaps from childhood to adulthood lie forgotten fragments waiting to be unearthed. In this year’s CICFF, we feature films that face imagination head-on and use the fantastical to tell true and kindhearted stories from another world. Once you get used to their odd and colorful appearances, you’ll see something familiar returning—just like when Liang Xiaowei, Zhu Tong, or Ali tiptoe instinctively, peeking between platforms, as if the train to Platform 9¾ is arriving at any moment.
China | Live Action | 89 mins
Director: Lin Xiaoli | Recommended Age: 6+
11-year-old Liang Xiaowei owns a magical bracelet that allows her to understand marine animals. After a submarine accident takes her father’s life, she believes he has turned into a fish. She talks to dolphins at the aquarium to express her longing for him. When two villains steal the bracelet, ocean animals rally to help Xiaowei, who entrusts them to deliver a message to her father resting deep beneath the sea: “Dad, I’ve grown up.”
25th Shanghai International Film Festival 20th Media Award for Most Anticipated Children’s Film.
Recommendation
Two family members who can never meet again
Are bound by a father-daughter promise,
Turning love into a moving symphony under the sea.
China | Live Action | 98 mins
Director: Wang Zichuan | Recommended Age: 8+
Zhu Tong, a third-grader, is always at the bottom of the class and full of wild imagination. One day, he sees his teacher chasing aliens in the hallway, hears flowers talking, and finds classmates turning into weeds. Fantastical chaos merges with his school struggles. Can Zhu Tong escape punishment and fulfill his dream of representing the school in a national radio calisthenics competition? A surreal journey blending reality and fantasy begins…
25th Shanghai International Film Festival: Best Actor (Yue Hao), multiple nominations
17th FIRST International Film Festival: Best Director, Artistic Exploration, Audience Choice
19th Chinese American Film Festival: Golden Angel Award for Best Emerging Screenwriter
Opening Film at the Golden Rooster & Hundred Flowers Film Festival’s Domestic New Films Section
Recommendation
Children are the first to notice miracles.
Before adults can join in,
They must put aside logic and emotion
And rediscover wonder alongside their children.
China | Animation | 99 mins
Director: Iron of the Universe | Recommended Age: 6+
During a battle against alien invaders, the mighty warrior Da Yu dies, tasking his apprentice Pulao with finding the next bearer of the Golden Hoop. The hoop falls into the hands of an unruly monkey named Kong, and both find themselves in a training academy for the chosen one. After causing trouble, they’re expelled. On Earth, they meet Nuwa, a brave girl trying to rescue her people, who believes the two are heroes. Though inexperienced, they begin a messy but determined rescue mission...
Recommendation
If growth requires a worthy opponent,
Then discovering the value of friendship
Is even more important than victory.
China | Animation | 100 mins
Director: Li Jianping, Salvador Simó | Recommended Age: 6+
According to legend, the Dragon Clan ensures balance in nature, closely connected to their human protectors—the Dragonkeepers. Now only two dragons and the last keeper, Ping, remain. When her hamster friend Huahua is captured, Ping ventures into the dragon’s lair, uncovers her identity, and awakens her powers. Her task: deliver the world’s last dragon egg to the hatchery. Thus begins a magical journey of growth and destiny.
Recommendation
Myths carry the lost treasures of civilization.
A fantasy co-created from East and West,
Reveals the faith and courage that uphold our values,
While leading us into childhood crises to rescue innocence.
Iran | Animation | 96 mins
Director: Abbas Askari | Recommended Age: 10+
Dr. Kamari revamps a mental institution by teaching patients to make toys for children. When the toy business becomes successful, a greedy competitor frames him. Kamari’s son, Ali, sets out to rescue his father and unravel the truth.
Best Animation, Ahmedabad International Children’s Film Festival (India)
Recommendation
This time,
Iranian cinema brings us
Dance, animation, and humor like never before.
Let music fill the world,
And let a child save a town’s broken hearts.
Norway | Animation | 78 mins
Director: Rasmus A. Sivertsen | Recommended Age: 6+
Life in idyllic Cardamom Town would be peaceful—if not for the mischievous trio Kasper, Jesper, and Jonathan, who live with a lion and desperately need a housekeeper. They plot to kidnap Aunt Sophie, the famous domestic goddess. But things don’t go as planned when she starts bossing the robbers around. Slowly, the trio changes their ways to bring peace back to the town.
Amanda Awards (Norway) Nominee for Best Children’s Film
Recommendation
Silly thieves and adorably clumsy stop-motion animation
Make this hour-long tale deeply precious.
Cardamom Town’s fairytale,
Like a ballad, travels far and wide on the wind.
In the magical imagination of children’s cinema,
Kids are often more perceptive than adults.
Beyond absurdity lies truth,
And within each story, a restoration of the value of life.
The 2024 CICFF screening schedule is underway. In addition to screenings in Chengdu and Jinan, the festival will host Q&As and discussions with film creators. Stay tuned to our future features for more information on viewings and special events.