The Boarder(2012)

Like Dandelion Dust(en)

Rip Porter is sentenced to seven years in prison for beating his wife, Wendy. When he is released, he discovers that Wendy gave up their child, and the privileged Campbell family adopted him. The two families are soon in a legal battle for the child they both love.

Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot(en)

Led by Donna and Reverend W.C. Martin, 22 families from a rural Black church in the small East Texas town of Possum Trot adopt 77 of the most difficult-to-place kids in the foster system and kickstart a movement in the process.

Nowhere Special(en)

John, a 35-year-old window cleaner, has dedicated his life to bringing up his 4-year-old son, Michael, after the child's mother left them soon after giving birth. When John is given only a few months left to live, he attempts to find a new, perfect family for Michael, determined to shield him from the terrible reality of the situation.

A Home of Our Own(en)

In 1960s Los Angeles an energetic widow and her six children try to make a dream of theirs come true: to have a home of their own. They leave L.A. and head for the countryside, all the while facing numerous difficulties and obstacles during their journey.

Honey Boy(en)

The story of a child star attempting to mend his relationship with his law-breaking, alcohol-abusing father over the course of a decade, loosely based on Shia LaBeouf’s life.

Short Term 12(en)

Grace, a compassionate young supervisor at a foster care facility, helps at-risk teens. But when a new charge dredges up memories of her own troubled past, Grace's tough exterior begins eroding.

Losing Isaiah(en)

Khaila Richards, a crack-addicted single mother, accidentally leaves her baby in a dumpster while high and returns the next day in a panic to find he is missing. In reality, the baby has been adopted by a warm-hearted social worker, Margaret Lewin, and her husband, Charles. Years later, Khaila has gone through rehab and holds a steady job. After learning that her child is still alive, she challenges Margaret for the custody.

The Ride(en)

The story of John Buultjens, who has dedicated his life to the sport of BMX.

The Blind Side(en)

The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.

Secrets & Lies(en)

After her adoptive mother dies, Hortense, a successful black optometrist, seeks out her birth mother. She's shocked when her research leads her to Cynthia, a working class white woman.

The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story(en)

Based on a true story. 15-year-old Kara Robinson was kidnapped, assaulted and held captive for 18 hours. With her survival instincts kicking in, she plots a daring escape from the serial killer and leads police to his apartment.

Mommie Dearest(en)

Renowned film star Joan Crawford's abuse towards Christina, her adopted daughter, intensifies as her professional and romantic relationships turn sour.

Gimme Shelter(en)

After running away from her abusive mother, a streetwise teen seeks refuge with her father, but he rejects her when he learns that she's pregnant.

Lorenzo's Oil(en)

Lorenzo Odone, a Virginia 5-year-old, develops a degenerative nerve disease so rare that nobody is working on a cure, so his parents decide to immerse themselves in research and tackle the problem themselves.

Mysterious Skin(en)

A teenage hustler and a young man obsessed with alien abductions cross paths, together discovering a horrible, liberating truth.

Philomena(en)

A woman searches for her adult son, who was taken away from her decades ago when she was forced to live in a convent.

Sleepwalking(en)

When her boyfriend is arrested for marijuana possession, Joleen Reedy and her 11-year-old daughter, Tara, take refuge with Joleen's aimless brother, James. Joleen soon runs off with a truck driver, and James is unable to meet his responsibilities. After Child Protective Services takes possession of Tara, James abducts her from a foster home, and the two travel from California to Utah, where his abusive father lives.

Ladybird Ladybird(en)

Maggie has had four children, by four different fathers, removed by social services because of a previous violent relationship. When she meets Jorge, a gentle Latin American refugee, she gradually sees her chance for happiness, but her history still haunts her.

Any Day Now(en)

In the late 1970s, when a mentally handicapped teenager is abandoned, a gay couple takes him in and becomes the family he's never had. But once the unconventional living arrangement is discovered by authorities, the men must fight the legal system to adopt the child.

Luce(en)

A star athlete and top student, Luce's idealized image is challenged by one of his teachers when his unsettling views on political violence come to light, putting a strain on family bonds while igniting intense debates on race and identity.

Pop Switch(en)

After years of failing to get pregnant, Frank's baby-crazed wife, Estelle, forces the issue by secretly putting them back on the adoption wait list. When Estelle receives a phone call about the possibility of an available child, Frank must suddenly decide whether he's committed to becoming a "Pop" or not.

A Good Person(en)

Allison's life falls apart following her involvement in a fatal accident. The unlikely relationship she forms with her would-be father-in-law helps her live a life worth living.

Paranoia(nl)

A man is under the illusion he is a wanted war criminal.

Speak(en)

Freshman high-school student Melinda has refused to speak ever since she called the cops on a popular summer party. With her old friends snubbing her for being a rat, and her parents too busy to notice her troubles, she folds into herself, trying to hide her secret: that star senior Andy raped her at the party. But Melinda does manage to find solace in her art class headed by Mr. Freeman.

Bride Flight(nl)

A romantic drama that charts the lives of three women from different backgrounds, forever changed when they emigrate to New Zealand as war brides.

La Bête Humaine(fr)

Returning by train to the French port of Le Havre, Jacques Lantier, a tormented railwayman, meets by chance the impulsive stationmaster Roubard and Séverine, his wife.

Undercover Cheerleader(en)

Autumn is a beautiful transfer student who goes undercover as a cheerleader to do an exposé on the cruel culture of the squad for her school newspaper. But when someone begins viciously attacking cheerleaders, she starts to fear for her own life.

Desired Children(de)

The life of Marie and Peter seems perfect, but their greatest wish remains unfulfilled: a family of their own. After several painfully failed attempts to have a child by natural means, Marie and Peter decide to try adoption in Russia. Carried by their longing and after many months of preparation and waiting, they set off to get to know their future daughter Nina in a children's home thousands of kilometers away from Germany. They still have no idea that they are only at the beginning of a tour de force against the Russian authorities – and they are facing the biggest challenge for their relationship, because while Marie and Peter are fighting for their future child, the question is: are we still pursuing the same goal? Each for himself – and especially as a couple?

Handle with Care(no)

Kjetil, an offshore worker, is left with his six-year-old adopted son after his wife dies. To find out more about the boy's background Kjetil decides to bring the boy back to Colombia.

Machuca(es)

Santiago, capital of Chile during the Marxist government of elected, highly controversial president Salvador Allende. Father McEnroe supports his leftist views by introducing a program at the prestigious "collegio" (Catholic prep school) St. Patrick to allow free admission of some proletarian kids. One of them is Pedro Machuca, slum-raised son of the cleaning lady in Gonzalo Infante's liberal-bourgeois home. Yet the new classmates become buddies, paradoxically protesting together as Gonzalo gets adopted by Pedro's slum family and gang. But the adults spoil that too, not in the least when general Pinochet's coup ousts Allende, and supporters such as McEnroe.

Une vie avec Oradour(fr)

Happy, Happy(no)

A perfect housewife, who just happens to be sex-starved, struggles to keep her emotions in check when an attractive family moves in next door.

These Wilder Years(en)

A man tries to find a son he gave up for adoption years ago.

Westermarck Effect(en)

Sally gave her son Sam up for adoption 20 years ago and when they reunite, they fall passionately in love with devastating consequences.

Isle Child(en)

When a Korean-American adoptee discovers his birthmother is terminally ill, he must decide whether to preserve his American identity or uncover his vague past.

SelfTape(en)

Triggered by a paparazza's "photomugging" assault and then with that same paparazza as her guide, a young actress descends into the caverns of her own mind to retrieve the shrouded parts of herself that she had lost.

Adoption International: A Global Scandal(fr)

In the collective imagination, international adoption evokes images of children being saved from a life of destitution in poorer countries by being adopted by families in Europe or America. But the reality that has emerged is one of child trafficking, falsified documents and governments around the world turning a blind eye.

Penitent(en)

After being imprisoned for dangerous driving, causing the death of a child and possession of illegal substances, Jason Buckley is finding it difficult to adjust to life outside prison.

Wenn der Vater mit dem Sohne(de)

Paul, a former concert pianist, lives in the picturesque town of Krems with his adopted son Rico. Since the accidental death of his wife Anna, he has been living alone with his son. When Paul falls in love with the beautiful Luisa, he starts playing the piano again. What Paul doesn't know is that Luisa is Rico's biological mother and has already made friends with the little boy, without knowing that Paul is Rico's adoptive father. When Paul finds out, he feels betrayed by Luisa and confronts her. The situation comes to a head and Luisa travels back to Italy. But Paul quickly realizes that he wants to give his adopted son the chance to get to know his biological mother. Together with Rico, he travels to Italy to see Luisa again. They have a heated argument there and don't realize that Rico is eavesdropping on them. When he learns that Paul is not his father, the little boy's world falls apart.

Chosen(en)

There are not many films that portray adoption and foster parenting in a positive light. CHOSEN does just that! This multi-plot film tells several incredible true stories of how one community makes a difference in the lives of foster kids.