Final Up to date: 02 January 2021
Written by Ellen Gitelman
Kulhawik, Burr at separate workshops
Belmont World Film’s Family Festival, the 18th annual, goes digital in 2021, from Jan. 15 via 24, increasing from its typical 4 days to 10.
The pageant supplies 3- via 12-year-olds and their households the chance to see a few of the world’s most exceptional present movies for kids—movies that present a window into the lives of children in different cultures, races and ethnicities.
A number of workshops, together with three periods on mannequin making for animated movies carried out by the senior mannequin maker from Aardman (the Wallace & Gromit movies) on Saturday, Jan. 23, and a two-day workshop on movie criticism led by Joyce Kulhawik and Boston Globe movie critics Ty Burr and Peter Keough representing the Boston Society of Movie Critics, on Jan. 16 and 17.
A number of filmmakers from world wide may even take part in digital reside Q&As. Most movie packages might be accessible for screening for all 10 days, with a number of movies having shorter screening home windows.
The pageant’s 15 movie packages, comprising practically 50 animated, reside motion and documentary feature-length and quick movies in a number of languages with subtitles and in English—many primarily based on kids’s books and a number of other making their U.S. premieres—are from the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Switzerland, the UK and the U.S.
There are movies about younger children making a distinction for the surroundings (together with a fifth-grade class in Brooklyn that fully rids their cafeteria of single-use plastics), an asylum-seeking youth chess champion in France, a well-known Rembrandt portray that involves life in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, a youth soccer workforce in South Africa making it to the finals of the soccer world championship in Gothia, Sweden and an incredible choice of short-film packages, together with one honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and one other made by 8- to 10-year-olds in Portugal.
“All of us might do with extra understanding about our shared humanity, particularly now within the midst of a pandemic that has effects on your complete world as one,” says Belmont World Movie Govt Director Ellen Gitelman in a information launch. “In an more and more multicultural world, mother and father additionally acknowledge the significance of fluency in multiple language, and the Household Competition presents kids the chance to listen to and perceive languages in a enjoyable and pure means.”
Characteristic-length
The feature-length movies embody (in alphabetical order):
Angel: On her means dwelling from college ntroverted 11-year-old Angel journeys and braces herself for a tough touchdown, however as a substitute finds herself floating in a good looking bubble. When the bubble bursts and he or she falls gently to the bottom, she finds a good looking gold watch, which makes all her needs come true simply by considering of one thing! All of the sudden Angel turns into extremely common, however at what value? (North American premiere | Dutch with subtitles | The Netherlands | 2020 | age 8+)
The Bears Well-known Invasion of Sicily: A captivating, hand-drawn, animated fairy story about when a group of bears and people clashed, made amends with each other, after which realized they’re too totally different to reside collectively. Primarily based on Dino Buzzati’s traditional e-book of the identical title written in 1945 throughout World Battle II. (New England premiere | French, Italian with subtitles | France, Italy | 2019 | age 5-10)
Fahim, the Little Chess Prince: Primarily based on the true story of Fahim Mohammad, who was pressured to flee Bangladesh when he was 8 and initially refused asylum in Paris, solely to be topped France’s under-12 chess champion in 2012. Stars Gerard Depardieu because the real-life chess coach who believes in him. Accessible Saturday, 1/16 @ 10 AM to Monday, 1/18 @ 10 AM (New England premiere | French & Bengali with subtitles | France | 2019 | age 8+)
Ahead: A transferring documentary for teenagers and about children making a distinction on the earth that focuses on José Adolfo, who based a ground-breaking eco-bank for poor kids and younger folks in his native Peru when he was simply 10 years previous. In 2018, he turned the winner of the Kids’s Local weather Prize for his efforts. The movie additionally highlights 5 different exceptional kids from totally different components of the globe whose group environmental efforts additionally certified them for the prize. Accessible Saturday, 1/16 @ 10 AM-Sunday, 1/17 at 10 AM. (New England premiere | French, Spanish, English, Hindi, Swedish with subtitles | France | 2019 | age 8+)
Jackie & Oopjen: Whereas wandering round after hours at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum the place her mother is a curator, 12-year-old Jackie discovers that Oopjen, one of many topics of Rembrandt’s well-known work, has immediately come to life, searching for her lengthy misplaced sister who was painted by an unknown painter. Jackie hides Oopjen in her bed room and secretly helps seek for the sister. For this girl from the seventeenth century, the fashionable world is a superb journey; hilarity ensues. And Jackie, who would not actually have any mates in school, lastly good points a real BFF. (East Coast premiere | English, Dutch, French with subtitles | The Netherlands | 2020 | age 8+)
Kusasa: A documentary in regards to the Kusasa Stars, a youth soccer workforce that journeys from Groendal, South Africa, to make it to the finals on the Gothia Cup, the world’s largest worldwide soccer match for teens held every year in Sweden. The boys carry their nation’s flag with delight and search to deliver constructive change to their dwelling, whereas the turmoil that wracks their area people impacts the members of the workforce in several methods. Q&A with director Shane Vermooten from South Africa on 1/24 @ 1:00 PM. (New England premiere | English, Xhosa with subtitles | South Africa | 2019 | age 8+)
Microplastic Insanity: Fifth graders from P.S. 15 in Crimson Hook, Brooklyn—dwelling on the entrance line of the local weather disaster—took motion on plastic air pollution by gathering native knowledge, main group outreach, and informing coverage by testifying and rallying at Metropolis Corridor. Then they took motion of their cafeteria to remove all single-use plastic! This alarming, but charming narrative, conveys an pressing message in user-friendly phrases. Q&A with administrators Atsuko Quirk & Debby Lee Cohen on Saturday, 1/23 @ 4:00 PM, moderated by WBUR reporter Barbara Moran. (English | USA | 2020 | age 8+)
Summer season with Rana: Whereas dwelling at her grandmother’s home within the Dutch countryside whereas her journalist mom is protecting the battle in Syria, a 10-year-old lady meets Rana, a equally aged lady dwelling in a close-by refugee camp. It seems they’ve far more in frequent than simply their favourite ice cream taste and assist one another to get via the summer time. (North American premiere | Dutch with subtitles | The Netherlands | 2019 | age 8+)
Shorts
The short-film packages embody (in alphabetical order):
Animal Magnetism: Animated Shorts from Magnet Movies: Largely wordless movies about animals from Magnet Movies, a European distributor of award-winning shorts, together with many Oscar winners:
The Little Chook & the Bees, about a bit chicken and a few bees who’re being intently watched by a fox; Black & White, a “reside” animated movie about tolerance in the direction of strangers; the Little Gray Wolfie collection that includes the wolf experiencing all 4 seasons; Fox & Chook, a couple of solitary fox who finds himself improvising fatherhood for a freshly hatched child chicken; Excellent Houseguest, a couple of mouse with a penchant for cleansing; Hedgehog, about an altruistic hedgehog who runs a soup kitchen for the needy forest group; and Ink, a hilarious quick a couple of neat-freak octopus. (No dialogue | Germany , Norway, Switzerland | 2020 | age 3-8)
Celebrating Scholastic Books’ one hundredth Anniversary: Consists of the most recent and traditional movies from Weston Woods Studios, Scholastic’s filmmaking arm identified for turning a few of the finest cherished kids’s image books into top quality movies. New movies not but accessible to the general public embody: the hilarious The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach; Say One thing, written, directed, and narrated by Peter Reynolds; and Canine Breath: The Horrible Hassle with Halley Tosis by Dav Pilkey. Classics embody: The place the Wild Issues Are by Maurice Sendak; Strega Nona by Tomie DePaola; Oscar nominee Physician De Soto by William Steig; and Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann, narrated by Anthony Edwards. (English | U.S. | age 3-8)
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: The beliefs and other people linked to Dr. King. as interpreted by Weston Woods Studios: Martin’s Large Phrases by Doreen Rappaport and narrated by Michael Clarke Duncan; March On! The Day My Brother Martin Modified the World, a private account by Dr. King’s sister, Christine; Rosa, about how Rosa Parks refused to surrender her bus seat to a white man in Alabama, by Nikki Giovanni; The Case for Loving, about an interracial couple from Virginia who fought the state’s regulation banning interracial marriage all the best way to the Supreme Courtroom, by Selina Alko; and Hidden Figures: The True Story of 4 Black Ladies & the House Race, in regards to the 4 black girls whose mathematical work helped NASA put a person in area, by Margot Lee Shetterly and narrated by Octavia Spencer. (English | U.S. | age 5-10)
Hungry Bear Tales: Cuddly bears Ned and Mishka, characters primarily based on the books by Zbyněk Černík, are finest mates who share a comfortable home within the forest. One is huge, the opposite tiny. Collectively they set off on the merriest—and most hilarious—adventures to fill their rumbling tummies with one thing actually good to eat with as little effort as doable. Accessible Saturday, 1/16 @ 10 AM to Tuesday, 1/19 @ 10 AM. (US Premiere | English | Czech Republic | 2020 | age 3-8)
LOL with Mo Willems Movies: Kids’s creator Mo Willems not solely writes and illustrates his personal books, but in addition narrates the animated movies which can be created by Weston Woods Studios. Consists of Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Story, Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identification, Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs, Do not Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Do not Let the Pigeon Keep Up Late, and Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator. (English | USA | Age 3-8)
Made in Portugal: Brief Animated Movies By and For Youngsters: A set of award-winning, quick animated movies created and narrated by 8-10 12 months previous college students on the ANILUPA Animation Centre (CLIA Anilupa), an academic and cultural heart created by Associação de Ludotecas do Porto (ALP), knowledgeable animation studio in Porto. The movies inform tales about Portuguese tradition, every day life, and festivals. (Portuguese with subtitles | Portugal | 2019 | age 8+)
Zog & the Flying Medical doctors (US Premiere| English | UK | 2020 | Age 3-8) & Zog (English | UK | 2018)
Magic Gentle Photos usually brings Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s (The Gruffalo) a lot cherished image books to life. Their latest manufacturing, Zog and the Flying Medical doctors, has Pearl and her buddy Gadabout as grown-up medical doctors who depend on Zog to move them to maintain quite a lot of illnesses. Proven with the unique Zog—that includes the voices of Recreation of Thrones’ Package Harrington, Fleabag’s Hugh Skinner, and comic Tracey Ullman.
The pageant is supported partially by a grant from Gravestar. Sponsors embody: Dutch Tradition USA (Nation sponsor); Belmont Day College and the Worldwide College of Boston (Capital sponsors); and Boston Central (media sponsor).
Tickets for particular person screenings are $10 for shorts and $14 for feature-length movies; workshops are $20 every. Movie solely passes are $40, which incorporates admission to all packages besides workshops.
Full Competition Passes are $60, with admission to all movies and workshops included. EBT Cardholder tickets are half worth. Tickets and extra data can be found at www.belmontworldfilm.
Belmont World Movie is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit company that promotes cross-cultural understanding via the highly effective common language of movie. It presents award-winning characteristic narrative movies, documentaries, animation, and shorts from world wide for each adults and kids accompanied by topical audio system, cultural performances and ethnic delicacies.
YourArlington.com has supplied information and opinion about Arlington, Mass., since 2006. Writer Bob Sprague is a former editor at The Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Arlington Advocate. Learn extra at https://www.yourarlington.com/about.
