Providence Children's Film Festival

Schedule:

10:15 am: Ernest and Celestine: A Trip To Gibberitia

Director(s): Julien Chheng & Jean-Christophe Roger
Country: France
Language: English
Animation | 2023 | 80 min
Recommended for all ages (Parental Guidance: Appropriate for all ages.)

It is up to Ernest, a cranky old bear, and the creative whims of his mouse friend Celestine to bring music and joy back to the land of bears. When a mysterious, masked outlaw appears will alliances be formed? Anything is “bearable” if you have a good friend!

Location: Mount Pleasant Library ( 315 Academy Ave in Providence, RI)

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10:30 am: Be Strong Be Kind

Director(s): Multiple Directors
Country: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States
Language: English, musical, or no dialogue
Multiple Film Types | 2022, 2023 | 75 min
Recommended for all ages

The theme of this film reel is empathy which allows us to understand and share the feelings of others anywhere in the world. Some people have it, while others… Well, let’s just say they might need more practice.

FILMS AND FILM LINE-UP ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
BEANBOY- When Rabbit’s anxiety puts a pause on fun at the lake, a new friend appears just when he needs one most. (2023/ 6 min / Denmark / dir. Emily Hanning / English)

DRAWING LAND- When Splot loses his lime green color, he is distraught. Tears stream down his face and land in a puddle of yellow on the ground…and something new is created that just might save the day. (2023 /7.5 min / UK / dir. Tony Collingwood/ English)

THE GOOSE- (L’Oie du plus fort) A boy fantasizes about becoming a famous footballer, playing in big stadiums – but first he has to win a match in a small backyard against a goose. (2022/12.5 min/ Czech Republic/ dir. Jan Mika/ non-verbal)

LUCE AND THE ROCK- (Luce et le Rocher) One day, out of nowhere, a giant Rock lays in the middle of the peaceful little village where Luce lives. The villagers can’t even open the door to their houses anymore! Luce is angry: go away Rock, you don’t belong here! And why are you here anyway? (2022/13 min/ Belgium/ dir. Britt Raes/ English)

MY NAME IS EDGAR AND I HAVE A COW- (Jmenuju se Edgar a mam kravu) Edgar didn’t always have a cow, but after a tour of his local slaughterhouse, he can’t help but adopt a baby calf and bring it home to his tiny apartment. Bovine hijinks ensue! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll moo with delight at this wonderfully fun short. (2023/ 8 min/ Czech Republic/ dir.Filip Diviak / English)

RAINBOY- Rainboy isn’t a common gardener. He plants drops and grows clouds. While working he injures the vain sun. Revenge! The prognosis for the boy is bleak, but he teams up with the clouds and thus manages to brighten the sun’s spirits again.
A short film about stormy conflicts. (2023/ 5.5 min/ Switzerland/ dir. Barbara Brunner/ non-verbal)

SO MUCH TO OFFER- Lyndzi uses her own experience of being treated unfairly as a plus-sized person to raise people’s attention toward body positivity. (2022/ 5.5 min/ United States/ dir. Cullen Burt, Grant Cosko, Xingyu (Vicky) Gu, Hunter Hartz, Aliiv Jiao, Saleen Lee, Alison Ma, Brisa Parra, Shelby Pine, Lyndzi Ramos, Tricia Saputera, Hanyu Sun, Kaan Ust, Elaine Wong, Rosemary Wu, Ella Zhou/ English)

TO BE SISTERS- (Entre deux soeurs) To be sisters is about sharing a special bond and laughing together. To be sisters is to be propelled by love. But these particular sisters share an extra something a bit different, and that’s absolutely fine.. (2022/ 7.5 min/ France/ dir. Anne-Sophie Gousset, Clément Céard/ non-verbal)

TOWN HALL SQUARE- A grumpy subway worker’s boring routine is thrown for a loop when a tiger steals his radio. A short film about an unexpected visitor, annoying radio songs and the lust for life! (2023/ 8.5/ Germany/ dir. Christian Kaufmann/ English)

Location: Newport Art Museum (76 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI)

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12:00 pm: Aliens Abducted My Parents And Now I Feel Kinda Left Out

Director(s): Jake Van Wagoner
Country: United States
Language: English
Live Action | 2023 | 87 min
Recommended for ages 10+ (Parental Guidance: Ages 10+ for crass humor, bullying)

Itsy Levan is devastated by her parents’ decision to leave the city and buy a fixer upper in the middle of nowhere. Her life seems over until she meets her space-obsessed neighbor Calvin Kipler. Calvin has spent most of his life awaiting the next arrival of Jesper’s Comet–partly because of his obsession with Astronomy, but mostly because the last time it came, ALIENS ABDUCTED HIS PARENTS! This year he is going to be ready for its return so he can finally get them back. Itsy sees this as a chance to help her get into a NYC journalism program and decides to help him, however crazy his plan seems. They end up discovering much more than what is on the other end of the comet’s tail.

“Come for the title, stay for the charming family indie (…) Melds family melodrama, comedy, sci-fi, and high school politics with a deft and empathetic hand.”

Location: Mount Pleasant Library ( 315 Academy Ave in Providence, RI)

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12:30 pm: Ernest and Celestine: A Trip To Gibberitia

Director(s): Julien Chheng & Jean-Christophe Roger
Country: France
Language: English
Animation | 2023 | 80 min
Recommended for all ages (Parental Guidance: Appropriate for all ages.)

It is up to Ernest, a cranky old bear, and the creative whims of his mouse friend Celestine to bring music and joy back to the land of bears. When a mysterious, masked outlaw appears will alliances be formed? Anything is “bearable” if you have a good friend!

Location: Newport Art Museum (76 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI)

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2:00 pm: Totem

Director(s): Sander Burger
Country: Netherlands
Language: Dutch w/ English subtitles
Live Action | 2022 | 93 min
Recommended for ages 10+ (Parental Guidance: Ages 10+ for profanity, tense-perilous moments.)

Eleven-year-old Ama loves the water, and not only because she’s surrounded by the Rotterdam waterfront. She’s also a passionate swimmer, spending every spare minute in the pool training for the upcoming championships with her best friend, Thijs. Though she’s the daughter of Senegalese asylum-seekers, Ama feels Dutch, through and through. So it’s all the more unthinkable when her family members are unexpectedly detained, leaving Ama to find a solution. Harnessing the focus she learned in swim training and armed with the wisdom of her mother’s tales of their homeland, she must forge a path of her own. Fortunately, a gigantic spirit animal rooted in Senegalese tradition might just be of service.

Location: Mount Pleasant Library ( 315 Academy Ave in Providence, RI)

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2:30 pm: Comm-You-Nity

Director(s): Multiple Directors
Country: Finland, France, Palastine, Russian Federation, Switzerland, United States
Language: Arabic w/ English subtitles, English, Tok-Pisin
Multiple Film Types | 2022-2023 | 81 min
Recommended for ages 8+

“Comm-YOU-nity” The title says it all! We live in a world with other people. How do we feel like we fit in… or not? These films are of people (and chickens) trying to figure it all out.

THE ABCS OF BOOK BANNING- In recent years, more than 2,500 books have been removed from school districts around the US, labeled as BANNED, RESTRICTED, or CHALLENGED, and made unavailable to millions of students. By no accident, the themes targeted are the usual scapegoats of the American Right – LGBT issues, Black history, and Women’s empowerment – impeding the power of future generations to develop their own thoughts and opinions on critical social issues. By weaving together a lyrical montage of young readers and authors, the ABC’S OF BOOK BANNING reveals the voices of the impacted parties, and inspires hope for the future through the profound insights of inquisitive youthful minds. (2023/ 26.5 min/ USA/ dir. Sheila Nevins/ English)

ATOMIC CHICKEN- A chicken coop set up at the foot of a nuclear power plant sees its daily life turned upside down by a series of comic, cartoon-style mutations. (2023/ 5 min/ France/ dir. Thibault Ermeneux, Lucie Lyfoung, Solène Polet, Capucine Prat, Morgane Siriex, Anna Uglova/ non-verbal)

EASY BUSY- Incoming!!! A meteorite is blasting towards Earth! Would you run and hide, or stay in your peaceful spot by the river and hope for the best?  (2022/ 3.5 min/ Russian Federation/ dir. Ekaterina Ganakh/ non-verbal)

IDODO- Long ago the fish transformed into humans and came onto land to celebrate and dance. Once the sun set, they hurried back into the sea, leaving behind a big mess. Curious as to who occupied the village in their absence, the villagers of one island plan to find out who these uninvited visitors were. What they would soon discover, leaves them astounded and mesmerized. (2022/ 10 min/ Switzerland/ dir. Ursula Ulmi/ English and Tok-Pisin)

THE NIGHT I LEFT AMERICA- While awaiting the results of his mother’s US visa renewal, a teenage immigrant finds himself at a crossroads between holding onto the promise of opportunity in America and embracing the life he left behind in Uganda. (2021/13.5 min/ USA/ dir. Laki Karavias/ English)

NUN OR NEVER!- When a nun unearths a man living underground in her garden, she’s horrified, embarrassed…and intrigued! She’s vowed to stay single, like all nuns do, but she has a serious crush on this guy! Can she keep her feelings secret from the other nuns? (2023/ 11 min/ Finland/ dir. Heta Jäälinoja/ non-verbal)

WALL PIANO- ‘Wall Piano’ takes us into a daydream of a young girl who lives under the shadow of a separation wall. Part music video, part magic realism, ‘Wall Piano’ shows a wall as something other than an immovable barrier for a group of children living near the Qalandia checkpoint in Ramallah, Palestine, a frontline of the West Bank conflict. The inspiration for this short film came from 12 year-old ‘Nada’, also featured in the film. ( 2020/ 3 min/ Palestine/ dir. Asma Ghanem, Christopher Marianetti, Alexia Webster/ Arabic and English)

Location: Newport Art Museum (76 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI)

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4:00 pm: Scrapper

Director(s): Charlotte Regan
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
Live Action | 2023 | 84 min
Recommended for ages 10+ (Parental Guidance: Ages 10+ for profanity, death of parent.)

A joyful comedy bubbling with hope, SCRAPPER is the incredible debut feature from Charlotte Regan. It’s said that it takes a village to raise a child but 12-year-old Georgie (Lola Campbell) has other ideas. Living alone since her beloved mum died, Georgie fills the flat they shared with her own special magic. But when her absent father Jason (Harris Dickinson) turns up out of the blue, she’s forced to confront reality. A dreamy, witty and unmissable tale of family and fresh starts, SCRAPPER is a film that believes life’s not so much about chasing rainbows but snatching fistfuls in both hands.

Location: Mount Pleasant Library ( 315 Academy Ave in Providence, RI)

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