Nobody’s too young for great cinema! At Kids DOK, we gather films for everyone from the age 3, 5 and 8 who is in the mood for funny and thought-provoking viewing experiences.
Nobody’s too young for great cinema! At Kids DOK, we gather films for everyone from the age 3, 5 and 8 who is in the mood for funny and thought-provoking viewing experiences.
It looks like business as usual deep in the jungle – until one night a lantern lights up and magically attracts countless insects. They fall into a strange trance; even the bat family wake up. While the adults use the bright commotion to hunt, the young bat saves a glowworm, a fly and a moth. The next night, the dangerous light returns. The small bat is determined to try to save her new friends from its spell. A small adventure about friendship and mutual help.
Lina Dinkla
Sam, a grumpy raccoon, must share a prison cell with Bob, a loveable, but somewhat slow-witted manatee. Their chaotic prison break gradually reveals Sam’s soft core, while Bob remains unfailingly loyal to Sam. Will they manage to escape? Suddenly, that no longer matters so much, since together they have already experienced something much better: solidarity. A cute plasticine animation you will absolutely love.
Lina Dinkla
A tiny fish swims through a huge underwater world. It is loud and hectic at times. He would love nothing better than to hide behind the other fish. Is he too small to see the world as the big ones see it? Drawn in enchanting blue and green watercolours, this animation shows that there is no such thing as too big or too small. And wouldn’t it be lovely if we could all fly up to heaven in a big bubble in the end?
Lina Dinkla
Three butterflies are absorbed in their graceful ballet routine, skilfully turning one pirouette after the other. They ignore the clumsy caterpillar that would really love to dance with them. Only the smallest butterfly reaches out a hand. What a surprise when the caterpillar pupates and hatches! Another episode of the KiKA show “Lenas Farm”.
Lina Dinkla
An animated film made entirely out of black and white paper – and told backwards, too! A white she-dog lives in the root cavity of a mighty tree. But what connects the two? Step by step, the film takes us back to their first encounter, when the dog was still a puppy. An equally unusual and strong friendship that withstands even a massive storm.
Lina Dinkla
Anna is lured outside by a lively flurry of snow. As she wanders through the snow she comes across an unexpected playmate. A snow hare – or is it just her imagination after all? After playing, she settles down comfortably on the sofa with a hot cup of cocoa. A poetic film about the joys of winter, drawn in clear colours.
Lina Dinkla
Documentary films for children rarely venture to this place: prison. Four kids in Belgium take us there. They show us the way from the entrance to the visiting area, where they visit their mother or father, usually twice a week. Prisons are definitely not designed for children and yet there are many who regularly enter them. In Belgium alone, more than 16,000 children have a parent behind bars. This film gives a voice to children of prison inmates who tell us how they cope with a situation they did not choose.
Lina Dinkla
A picture book film from the Alfie Atkins series. Papa goes shopping and warns Victor and Alfie to leave everything in its place since he has just tidied up. But the two enjoy their game of “being invisible” too much. All of a sudden, half the furniture is part of the game and scattered all over the living room. Will the two friends manage to restore order before Papa is back?
Lina Dinkla
To simply dancefreely and confidently on stage … That is 12-year-old Jools’s dream. She learns to accept her physical handicaps and overcome her own limitations with the help of choreographer Yorrith. Very slowly, in one-to-one lessons, Yorrith encourages Jools to dance in her own way and gives her the strength not to be influenced by other people’s judgements. A captivating story about the fact that there is no right or wrong when it comes to dancing, and the impressive portrait of a girl who no longer wants to be merely looked at but truly seen.
Lina Dinkla
The brothers Matheus and José live in Brazil by the rivers of the Kalunga Quilombo, a community of descendants of escaped slaves. The springs and rivers are an important part of their life and they both know how precious and worth protecting these waters are. They love to collect stones there which they use for their artworks. The film follows the brothers on their forays along the water for a bit and tells of their special connection to this place.
Lina Dinkla
Nothing but trouble with the elder siblings! One day, the smallest mouse decides to stop running after the three ruffians and to go hiking. She wants to climb the high mountain. While the ascent is already laborious, going down proves almost harder … When mist rolls in, the joy of seeing her family again is even greater.
Lina Dinkla
It is summer. Émile and his older sister Françoise are enjoying the last warm days in their holiday home on the edge of the forest, observing the night sky and looking out for comets. But one night the peaceful atmosphere is abruptly disrupted when the two siblings witness a cruel prank played by the neighbourhood boys. In his anger and helplessness, Émile wants to teach the kids a lesson. Afterwards, nothing is the same for him anymore and he has grown a little.
Lina Dinkla
International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film
26 October to 1 November 2026
Leipziger Dok-Filmwochen GmbH
Katharinenstraße 17
04109 Leipzig
Germany
info [at] dok-leipzig [dot] de (info[at]dok-leipzig[dot]de)
+49 (0)341 30864-0