Children's Day is a 2025 Singaporean coming-of-age, short film co-written and directed by Giselle Lin. The film set in Singapore, follows a shy and imaginative eight-year-old struggles to find the perfect outfit for her school's upcoming Children's Day celebration while adjusting to a turbulent home life and an unlikely new friendship at school.
It was selected in the Berlinale Shorts section at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, where it had its World premiere on 15 February and competed for Golden Bear for Best Short Film.
In early 2000s Singapore, Xuan, a timid Primary 2 student, is bullied and overlooked by family and peers. She befriends Maggie, a privileged but kind girl, and eagerly plans to wear matching outfits for ChildrenâÂÂs Day. Lacking support at home, she struggles to find a suitable top, leading to conflict with her sisters and punishment from their strict father. Despite this, Xuan enjoys the festivities, plays hopscotch with Maggie, and they declare their best-friend status. As Maggie leaves, Xuan smiles hopefully, feeling acknowledged for the first time.
In the words of the director Giselle Lin:
Children's Day will have its World premiere on 15 February 2025, as part of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, in the Berlinale Shorts 2 programme.
It will compete in the Main Program International Short Films at the Zagreb Film Festival for Golden Pram Award on 14 November 2025.
It was selected to compete in the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition of the 36th Singapore International Film Festival and had its Southeast Asian Premiere in the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition Programme 1 on 4 December 2025. It was screened in the Light of Asia 2 section of the 20th Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival on 5 December 2025.