With International Youth Day (12 Aug) celebrating “Local Youth Actions for the United Nations Goals and Beyond,” we’ve picked 3 films that show how drive, talent and support networks help children to dream big and rise to the challenge. From Polish karting prodigies braking late into turns, to football dreamers at Norway’s legendary Norway Cup, to Irish piano pupils mastering their grades, these docos capture the thrill (and pressure) of learning to shine.
Early Apex
Faster than training wheels: kart kids chase a racing future
Polish director Paweł Hejbudzki spends a year with 10-year-olds Mateusz and Zosia as they scrap for podiums in Europe’s bruising kid-kart circuit while parents juggle costs, nerves and expectations. The result is “sport psychology in miniature”, shot with the urgency of an F1 warm-up lap and honoured with a Special Mention at Krakow Film Festival 2023.
Why watch
- Karting as family pressure-cooker: everything from tyre bills to tears at 100 km/h
- Rare cockpit GoPro that puts you centimetres above the asphalt
- A window onto Central Europe’s booming feeder system for Formula One hopefuls
Kids Cup
Football, friendship and 30,000 teenagers at the world’s biggest youth tournament
Every July, Oslo’s Norway Cup welcomes 2,000 teams from 50 countries. Director Line Hatland follows five 13- to 14-year-olds - from coastal Norway to Palestine and Brazil - whose hopes collide on and off the pitch. The feel-good ride received Best Feature Documentary at Greece’s Olympia Children’s FF and editing honours at Sichuan 2023.
Why watch
- A coming-of-age travelogue including first crushes and penalty shoot-outs
- Behind-the-scenes look at volunteer-run logistics powering a mega-event
- Proof that the beautiful game still unites kids across languages and borders
Making the Grade
88 keys, 8 grades and countless life lessons
Over 30,000 Irish students sit graded piano exams each year; reaching Grade 8 is the holy grail. Ken Wardrop’s charming doco hops from kitchen uprights to conservatoire grands, celebrating the quirky bonds between pupils and mostly-elderly teachers. Critics called it “utterly charming” and a “warm hug of a film”.
Why watch
- A study in mentorship: perfect for parents or educators seeking inspiration
- Joyful soundtrack of scales, stumbles and breakthroughs
- Uplifting reminder that practice rooms can be playgrounds for self-belief
Youth Days: A quick note
- International Youth Day 2025 focuses on how local initiatives push the UN Sustainable Development Goals forward on 12 August
