The Foreign Short Film Section of the 18th China International Children's Film Festival (CICFF) will take place from October 12 to 24, 2025. With the participation of young film critics, dubbers, and emcees, the festival will screen 18 outstanding films, including live action shorts and animated shorts. These short films, together with 13 feature-length films, will form the foreign children's film programming of this year's film festival.
《盒子鱼的愿望》
《The Boxfish and the Sea of Minamata》
Director/Writer: Takuya Inaba
Genre: Animated Short Film
Country: Japan
Duration: 14 min
Year: 2024
Synopsis：
The boxfish "Shippo" always lacks confidence and often stays alone by the reef, watching other fish with envy. Until one day, Shippo meets a seahorse named Kiseki who has lost her way from the southern sea. To help Kiseki return to the sea of Minamata, the boxfish embarks on its first great adventure.
《朱勒与朱丽叶》
《JULES & JULIETTE》
Director/Writer: Chantal Peten
Genre: Animated Short Film
Country: Belgium
Duration: 7 min
Year: 2022
Synopsis：
Jules and Juliette go to the beach together, carrying the rubber boat they plan to sail on their heads. Jules is clumsy and always up to some funny antics. The beach is sunny and quiet; it's destined to be a day full of laughter and sharing for the two children.
《艾米利奥的旅程》
《A Ride for Emilio》
Director/Writer: Miguel Anaya
Genre: Animated Short Film
Country: Mexico
Duration: 14 min
Year: 2025
Synopsis：
Emilio, an 8-year-old rabbit, spends his time playing on his cellphone. His father, Pedro, is concerned and one day decides to take him with him to work as a taxi driver. In the end, Emilio realizes the variety of experiences, characters, and places he has missed by spending so much time playing on his phone.
《炼金术士的学徒》
《The Alchemist's Apprentice》
Director/Writer: Erfan Parsapour
Genre: Animated Short Film
Country: Iran
Duration: 7 min
Year: 2024
Synopsis：
A young alchemist's apprentice tries to secretly repair his master's creation. By mixing potions, he creates a magical elixir from the alchemical furnace.
《鼻屎好朋友》
《Boogerly Love》
Director/Writer: Kano Ikeda
Genre: Animated Short Film
Country: Japan
Duration: 7 min
Year: 2022
Synopsis：
Hanako always watches other children play from afar, but she is too timid to ask if she can join. One day, a "Booger Gal" suddenly emerges from her. This special companion helps Hanako gather the courage to gradually step into a new life.
《黄雏菊蝴蝶》
《Yellow Daisy Butterfly》
Director/Writer: Diek Grobler
Genre: Animated Short Film
Country: South Africa
Duration: 10 min
Year: 2024
Synopsis：
Cheri-lee is heartbroken after the death of her Granny Daisy. As Granny Daisy's soul gradually ascends into the distance, she sees Cheri-lee's grief and returns to the world in the form of a small white egg. The egg later transforms into a butterfly. The journey from caterpillar to butterfly mirrors the various stages of Cheri-lee overcoming her sorrow.
《这是我的》
《It's Mine!》
Director/Writer: NIJITARO
Genre: Animated Short Film
Country: Japan
Duration: 3 min
Year: 2024
Synopsis：
Three mischievous children living in the forest form the "Mojappi" trio. One day, they accidentally discover their friends baking pancakes. To get their hands on these pancakes, the three little ones use all the tricks they can think of.
《卢卡斯的状况》
《Lucas' Situation》
Director/Writer: Lilian Fanara
Genre: Live-Action Short Film
Country: France
Duration: 9 min
Year: 2024
Synopsis：
A 12-year-old girl is accused of instigating a vulnerable male classmate to skip school together. Now, a disciplinary committee composed of parents and students questions both. How should the adults control their reasonable mind in seeking the truth, and what kind of complicated troubles might the children be hiding?
《维舒节的大餐》
《Vishu Kani》
Directors: Smriti S Ramakrishnan, Sameeha Sabnis
Writer: Ashwathi Namboodiri
Genre: Live-Action Short Film
Country: India
Duration: 24 min
Year: 2025
Synopsis：
On the morning of the Vishu festival, a father and his lively 7-year-old son Muthu wake up in their quiet home. As the mother has to work overtime unexpectedly, the father and son decide to venture into the kitchen alone to prepare the grand Vishu feast for the mother to join in the evening. Through a series of failed recipe attempts, they embark on a joyful and heartwarming journey.
《希望之光》
《Glimmer of Hope》
Director/Writer: Sophia Tamaro
Genre: Live-Action Short Film
Country: Germany
Duration: 5 min
Year: 2023
Synopsis：
A moody cashier experiences a glimmer of hope for humanity when the women in a supermarket queue soothe a crying baby by spontaneously singing a well-known nursery rhyme in their native languages: Ukrainian, Farsi, Tigrinya, Bulgarian and Romanian.
《我的单车》
《My Bicycle》
Director/Writer: Francky Tohouegnon
Genre: Live-Action Short Film
Country: Benin
Duration: 18 min
Year: 2024
Synopsis：
Boy Uma has always wanted a bicycle, but his pocket money is far from enough to cover even a small part of the cost. Uma makes a deal with his father that if he can rank first in his class, his father will buy him a new bicycle. However, when Uma happily sets off on his new bike, it gets stolen. During the search for the bicycle with his friend, Uma gradually matures.
《巴隆和多罗》
《Si Balong At Si Doro》
Director: JENSER RECOSANA
Writer: PHILEO TITUS CAYABYAB
Genre: Live-Action Short Film
Country: Philippines
Duration: 18 min
Year: 2024
Synopsis：
In a rural village where life is built on hard work and deep bonds, young Balong shares an unbreakable friendship with his carabao, Doro. Together, they toil under the sun, their partnership a testament to resilience and unwavering loyalty. But when Balong’s father’s health takes a turn for the worse, he faces an impossible choice—sell Doro to cover the medical expenses or watch his father suffer.
《现在轮到你》
《Your Turn》
Director/Writer: Raoul Gallego
Genre: Animated Short Film
Country: Spain
Duration: 8 min
Year: 2024
Synopsis：
An elderly couple spends an ordinary afternoon at home, he playing cards, she reading a book. Bored and fed up with life, the most beautiful and memorable moments of his live flash through his mind.
《菜鸟》
《Scrubby》
Director/Writer: Paul Vollet
Genre: Animated Short Film
Country: Germany
Duration: 7 min
Year: 2023
Synopsis：
"Scrubby wants to live in his mother's thick fur forever, but she's starting to lose hair.
When he brings back a strand of hair that flew away, all he finds is a pile of hair and a trail in the snow.
In search of his mother, Scrubby encounters a naked, freezing creature. Is his fur enough to warm both of them?"
《大画家多特》
《Master Painter Dotty》
Director/Writer: Uli Seis
Genre: Animated Short Film
Country: Germany
Duration: 2 min
Year: 2023
Synopsis：
The turtle Dotty, full of creative inspiration, paints one picture after another with great enthusiasm. But her grandmother dislikes all these artworks, until Dotty discovers the real reason why.
《今天你要闪耀》
《Today You Have To Shine》
Directors/Writers: Alice von Gwinner, Sebastian Stoer
Genre: Animated Short Film
Country: Germany
Duration: 4 min
Year: 2023
Synopsis：
Tales from the Shoe Rack (Series)
Series Summary: If shoes could talk, it would of course be about their adventures on our feet! Each day, a pair of shoes experiences something new: be it a Velcro concert, a threatening puddle, or a snow hike each on the other foot.
《乌米和扎奇》
《Ummi & Zaki》
Director: Daniela Opp
Writer: Kai Rönnau
Genre: Animated Short Film
Country: Germany
Duration: 4 min
Year: 2024
Synopsis：
›Now we’re friends for life‹, says Zaki. But Ummi doesn’t know if that’s what she wants. Because Zaki may be a great dreamer, but he’s short, hairy and ugly. When the two of them get into great danger, they have to find out what kind of bond really connects them.
A short story about courage, tolerance and friendship at second sight.
《永远的七个》
《Forever SEVEN》
Directors/Writers: Antje Heyn, Alexander Isert
Genre: Animated Short Film
Country: Germany
Duration: 9 min
Year: 2024
Synopsis：
One Monday, Mauser finds a versatile box. This box gets passed around among different children, and eventually, all the children who have possessed the box get to know each other. A small adventure surrounding the box connects them in a warm friendship.