Giacomo has always believed his younger brother Giovanni to possess special powers. But his parents’ little white lie of superheroism crumbles when Giacomo reaches his teens and realises that his dinosaur-loving brother has Down’s syndrome. Eager to be liked by his peers, and especially by Ariana, Giacomo starts to feel embarrassed of his little brother’s otherness and soon, without noticing, he instead becomes deeply entangled in big, black lies.

One of the most awarded children’s and family films of recent years, My Brother Chases Dinosaurs premiered at the Venice Film Festival and won the European Film Academy’s Young Audience Award. Italian director Stefano Cipani’s debut film is a universal coming-of-age story with touches of comedy and family film. It focuses on the daily lives of children with Down syndrome, their relationships and place within their families and society. The film is based on an autobiographical novel by Giacomo Mazzariol, whose cover reads “The story of me and Giovanni, who has one extra chromosome”.

Jury statement: This feature is very humanistic in it’s way of describing the family. The acting is outstanding. It is a great family drama but it is lighthearted due to the different storylines of the rock band and the first love. My brother chases dinosaurs, deals with a very important topic and shows a true every-day superhero story. We agree with the director when he said in an interview: “The film leaves you like a better person after seeing it.”