2020 Film Festival
A Word from The Chair
Have you ever dreamed of going on trip around the world with your family?
You don’t need a plane or luggage at Louisville Children’s Film Festival, because this year’s fest will feature more than 20 films from 15+ countries. Kids can hear the music of different languages in the Festival and learn of different cultures. Beautiful hand-drawn animation and live action films, that you won’t find elsewhere, may make you laugh out loud or surprise you.
Film is a great tool for learning about the world. At Louisville Children’s Film Festival, we select stories with relevant themes for our world. Many films in our 2020 festival explore family life–across cultures and in its varied forms. Other films express a love of the natural world with beautiful cinematography that fills a big screen. All Festival films tell us their stories through the lens and wonder of children.
My children are starting to encounter the media arts at school, thankfully! They are learning to respond critically to images that bombard them on screens—and technical skills like editing images and soundtracks needed to communicate with media. The National Core Arts Standards now include the media arts. And, in Kentucky, KET has just produced a Media Arts Toolkit for teachers. This is where LCFF plays a key role. Our programs and workshops engage children to interpret, evaluate, and produce media works—and have fun while they are doing it! For these reasons, we say that LCFF offers more than popcorn.
Realizing our mission–to support the educational development of children in Greater Louisville – LCFF is proud to partner with the Gheens Foundation this fall to create a one-of-a-kind residency program in filmmaking at Western Middle School. In October, LCFF will kick off its second Young Filmmakers’ Contest. We have also expanded our reach through the Cultural Pass program and new creative partnerships.
As we prepare for the third Louisville Children’s Film Festival in February 2020, I hope you will join us now to support the Festival and sit in the front row when the lights go down!
2020 Film Selection
Supa MoDO directed by Likarion Wainaina
SUPA MODO – directed by Likarion Wainaina – is the 6th feature film developed and realized within the ONE FINE DAY FILMS project. The story revolves around a young ambitious girl whose dream of being a super-heroine is short-lived by a terminal illness that would render her dream impossible, if it wasn’t for a whole village masterminding a genius plan that will make her wish come true.
The Secret of Kells
Don’t miss the critically-acclaimed, Oscar®-nominated debut feature from director Tomm Moore (Song of the Sea) and animation studio Cartoon Saloon. Magic, fantasy and Celtic mythology come together in a riot of color and detail that dazzle the eyes in this sweeping story about the power of imagination and faith to carry humanity through dark times. Featuring the voices of Brendan Gleeson, Mick Lally, Evan McGuire and Christen Mooney.
Dilili in Paris
This French, German, and Belgian computer-animated period piece is an adventure film written and directed by Michel Ocelot that tells the story of little Kanak Dilili as she investigates the mysterious kidnappings of girls with the help of a young scotter deliveryman.
Through her adventures, Dilili meets various extraordinary men and women who give her clues to the whereabouts of the kidnapped girls and discovers the exsistence of a group of villainous underground men. Throughout this beautifully animated film, the two friends will fight for an active life in the light and the possibility of living together with a unique enthusiasm.
Tesoros by María Novaro
Jacinta (6) guides us through the story of siblings Dylan (6), Andrea (11) and Lucas (2 and a half) who arrive in a fishing community on Mexico’s Pacific coast to set off with their new local friends on a journey of discovery in search of long lost pirate loot left back by Francis Drake, centuries ago.
In sunny and lively images, a story of children confidently indulging their lust for life and curiosity. Armed with their intelligence, a Tablet, and some maps, these children are given freedom to go their own ways and together find something much more valuable than a buried treasure. Transporting us to a place of optimism, beauty and wonder.
Up in the Sky: A Spaced-Out Adventure
Eight-year-old Pottan is off to summer camp. But by mistake she ends up at a recycling center with some really peculiar characters. Reluctantly, they take care of Pottan, who soon discovers their secret. Behind a tall fence, they are working on a homemade space rocket…
Comedy, adventure, and unexpected friendships await, as Pottan becomes the frst eight-year-old in space.
“A film and a world you want to visit; playful, infinite, with room for everyone, and where everyone is fine just the way they are. Where unexpected adventures happen, but where you feel fundamentally safe.” – Petter Lennstrand
One Girl
Each moment millions of people are living their lives in completely different ways. In the Western world, the right to study, to get a job, to get married to the person we love, is considered ‘normal’; while these things are happening everywhere in the world they are felt as completely different experiences.
OneGirl is a documentary feature where we follow for one day four young girls each living in a different country but awoken by the same dawn in the same meridian: South Sudan, Romania, Palestine, Finland. Our girls are so different from one another and yet so similar in their behaviours, intentions, desires and dreams.
With their innocence and spontaneity, children can show us our differences and similarities, portraying their inner beauty and sometimes their tragedy. They teach us to be more sympathetic with “others” and give us a better understanding of our world.
The documentary explores the challenges teenage girls have to face: despite last years’ progress, inequality is still a big issue. We want to tell their stories through an ordinary day.
Viewer advisory: Child marriage and marital relations are discussed in the film in a non-graphic way.
Chieri and Cherry
From the director of “Cheburashka” (2010) comes an adventure story of a lone girl Chieri and her only friend Cherry – a stuffed animal – for the big screen! Director Makoto Nakamura teams up with the master of Russian animation Leonid Shvartsman (original “Cheburashka” (1969)) for this exciting yet heartwarming story of a girl who overcomes her fear and finds the light in life.
My Giraffe
Patterson was born on the same day as his best friend Raf, a giraffe. Because his grandfather is a zookeeper Patterson gets to spend a lot of time with Raf. They’re inseperable and share everything. That is, until Patterson goes to school for the first time and finds out that giraffes aren’t allowed at school. Patterson misses Raf a lot, but also experiences many exciting new things. He even makes a new friend: Yous. Raf misses Patterson too and really wants to go to school with him. So, Petterson devises a plan to bring the giraffe to school and unite his two best friends.
NYICFF Kid Flicks One
Bigger, brighter, bolder — change is in the air in New York International Children’s Film Festival (NYICFF) Kid Flicks One, brimming with fun and clever stories of growth and transformation.
If you’ve ever been the youngest of the group, you’ll sympathize with the little tadpole who always falls a tad behind in the charming KUAP. Catching up on penmanship is the name of the game if you want to graduate from pencils in the winning doc Pen Licence. Then little ones are in charge and grown-ups get to play when the hillarious Flipped reworks the script.
These shorts and so much more await you! Recommended ages 3-7. More information is available here.
NYICFF Kid Flicks Two
New York International Children’s Film Festival (NYICFF) Kid Flicks Two bridges the gap between little and big for young audiences growing in experiences and ideas.
Take a wild ride and harness the (cat) power of hte cosmos with the quirky film Catmos. If you’re curious about more earthly matters, take a page out of a Field Guide to Being a 12-Year-Old Girl. And whether their tastes lean umami or sweet, the duo in Mogu & Perol just might convince you there is simply nothing more delish than a warm friendship.
With these films and more, NYICFF Kid Flicks 2 shows you’re never too old to learn a few new tricks. Recommended ages 8+. Get more information here.
NYICFF Viva Kid Flicks
New York International Children’s Film Festival (NYICFF) Viva Kids Flicks celebrates Spanish-language and Latino-themed stories in short films from around the globe.
Can a fabled stone offer another path for Matilde’s life on her Mexican rancho? And the choices we make at mealtime sometimes have a very big impact, especially for a seemingly picky eater with a lot more on his mind in the drama from Spain, Fish. The universal language of wizards bridges cultures from the UK to Cuba in the imaginative doc Spelliasmous.
With films from 6 countries, you’ll experience moving stories and hear how Spanish stories from around the world have thier own distinctive flair. While most films are in Spanish, with English subtitles, there is one film entirely in English. Recommended ages 8+. You can get more information about NYICFF Viva Kid Filcks here.
NYICFF Dutch Animation Celebration
NYICFF crossed the Atlantic to join forces with Cinekid, The Netherland’s premier film festival for children, to share a program of the very best of Dutch animation — featuring diverse stories, hilarious romps, inventive animation, and more!
With trusty scissors in hand, Mr. Paper makes choice cuts to craft his ideal world. Blooming with artful animation and wistful storytelling, Emily was spotlighted as the Netherlands’ entry for Oscar consideration. Then three very different kids, all friends, find out what it truly means to walk a day in each other’s shoes… and legs, and torsos in this hilarious International Emmy-award winner.
Inventive design, storytelling and themes combine to make this Dutch Animation Celebration a whole lot of fun! Learn more about the NYICFF Dutch Animation Celebration here.
