Beta Kids & YA, the specialized label of Beta, is bringing a magical and diverse slate to this year’s MIPJunior, headlined by the recently acquired time-travel adventure The Girl Who Fell Through Time (8×25’), an Irish-Portuguese co-production.
The flagship series explores themes of identity, belonging, and friendship through the eyes of a young girl caught between the past and the present. Other standout titles in the catalog include the moving football drama Chameleon (28×12’) and the gripping thriller Somebody’s Lying (49×15’).
The Girl Who Fell Through Time marks the first Beta Kids & YA production in Irish Gaelic, directed by Eamonn Norris and Bruno Oliveira (Payback). The plot follows a 17th-century Portuguese girl who suddenly appears in modern-day Ireland, where she befriends three teenagers. Together, they help her navigate an unfamiliar modern world and figure out a way to return home. Slated for a 2027 premiere, the series is produced by Tailored Films in co-production with BeActive Media and Éiru Films for TG4, NOS, ICA, Screen Ireland, and Coimisiún na Méan. The cast features Michelle Ní Fátharta, Jeaic Breathnach, Roisín Murphy, Jeaic Ó Scanláin, João Jesus (Cats Don’t Have Vertigo), and Carolina Carvalho (Bem Bom).
Also on the slate is Chameleon, a series that tells the story of four young football talents sharing the same dream while grappling with issues of class, race, and inequality. Directed by Tonje Voreland and Ingvild Nielsen, Chameleon is an NRK production that earned a nomination for Best Children’s and Youth Program at the 2026 Gullruten Awards. Starring Lucas Lopes Patey, Daniel Matteo Kielland, Philip Strand Ottersen, and Ylva Røsten-Haga, the series showcases the complexities of friendship, the pain of exclusion, and the universal desire to fit in—experiences shared by teenagers worldwide.
Bringing the emotional intensity of Skam and the fast-paced suspense of Riverdale, the award-winning series Somebody’s Lying (NRK) is a character-driven youth thriller and mystery told from a young adult perspective. Directed by Miriam Sunde and Eirin Nilssen Vikøren, Somebody’s Lying won the International Youth Jury Award (11-15 years category) at the 2026 Prix Jeunesse. The cast includes Andrea Tveit-Schjerven, Heine Røsten-Haga, Edwige Simakala, Matias Hagerup Kacelnik, Camilla San Miguel Bjørneng, Robin Levent Akay, and Anette Hoff (Home for Christmas).
Other notable titles in the Beta Kids & YA lineup include:
Between the Beats (26 x 3 min) is a microdrama exploring what happens when K-pop meets Romeo and Juliet. This music-centric, vertical coming-of-age series directed by Tatjana Wenig follows an aspiring dancer torn between her parents’ expectations, a forbidden first love, and the future she longs to build for herself. The series stars Gio Yoo, Alexander Schmidt, Lisa Junick, and Kotti Yun. Produced by Saxonia Media Filmproduktionsgesellschaft GmbH, Radio Bremen, and Saarländischer Rundfunk (ARD).
Just Call Me Frida (1 x 2 h) follows Samuel, who, after being declared cured of an illness, resumes his life but finds himself terrified of losing it again. When he meets Frida, a young apprentice of Death, their relationship gets off to a rocky start; however, they soon learn the courage and joy of living from one another. The film is directed by Katja Benrath—an Oscar nominee for Watu Wote: All of Us and director of Rocca Changes the World—and features performances by Arian Wegener (Sisi), Kelani Rose, Golo Euler (The Grand Budapest Hotel), and Lucie Heinze (Professor T). Produced by Neos Film, Tellux Film, Mideu Films, IT Media, Gretchenfilm, Tellux 1-13, Medienproduktion, SWR, BR, MDR, Beta Film, Katholisches Kirchenwerk, D Facto Motion, Guesswho FX, and Magic Media Production.
Bibi Blocksberg – Witches Unite! (1 x 2 h) is a live-action family feature directed by Gregor Schnitzler (School of Magical Animals). The film stars Nala, Rosalie Thomass, Heike Makatsch (Love Actually), and Friedrich Mücke (Balloon). Bibi, a teenage witch, and her friends crash the grand International Witches’ Gathering. But when Bibi’s magic spirals out of control, she must fix the mess before a strict headmistress seizes power and silences the young witches forever. KINOZEIT praised the film as “family cinema with heart.” Produced by Wiedemann & Berg Film, Kiddinx Studios, and EPO-Film.
With School of Magical Animals 4 (100 min), the beloved franchise returns. Previous installments grossed over $64.5 million at the German box office alone. Nominated for Best Visual Effects at the 2026 German Film Awards, the movie is directed by Maggie Peren (The Forger) and Bernhard Jasper. Ida’s friend Miriam stays at the Winterstein school for three months, but a secret threatens to tear them apart. To make matters worse, the school is up for sale, putting the entire magical community in danger. Could an upcoming school challenge be the key to saving the day? Produced by Kordes & Kordes Film Süd, Leonine Studios, and Lightburst Pictures.
Pumuckl’s Big Mix-Up (90 min) is the first feature film spin-off of the hit series The New Adventures of Pumuckl. Produced by NEUESUPER, the story finds summer in full swing and the adventures never-ending. However, when Pumuckl and Master Eder suffer a massive misunderstanding, their friendship is put to the ultimate test. Directed by Marcus H. Rosenmüller, the film stars Florian Brückner, Ilse Neubauer, and Gisela Schneeberger.
