Blending time-travelling antics with delicate family dynamics, Mamoru Hosoda’s new film offers a child’s view of coping with a new sibling.

Continuing to cement his status among Japan’s best animation directors, Hosoda (Summer Wars, MIFF 2010) brings his trademark balance of gorgeous visuals and heartfelt emotions to this ingenious take on a highly relatable scenario – as tenderly drawn from his own experiences as a father.

For four years, train-obsessed toddler Kun has been the apple of his parents’ eyes. Then his baby sister Mirai arrives, and everything changes. Having a new playmate is hardly compensation for losing his mum and dad’s undivided attention, but Kun soon has other visitors to grapple with. Discovering a magic portal at the bottom of the garden, he embarks upon a series of life-changing adventures with older and younger versions of his family members, including Mirai as a teenager.

"A beguilingly sweet-natured little gem … a work of heart-swelling beauty and considerable charm." – Screen Daily