Providence Children's Film Festival

Schedule:

11:00 am: Let’s Get Animated

Director(s): Multiple Directors
Country: Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Iran, Russian Federation, United Kingdom
Language: English, musical, or no dialogue, Some w/ English subtitles
Animation | 2024 | 72 minutes
Recommended for all ages (Parental Guidance: Appropriate for all ages.)
Animation IS magic. Giving inanimate materials the illusion of having life can be extraordinary. Puppets, clay cats and baking flour are just a few to come to life this year!

CATS ARE LIQUID- (Ko?ky jsou tekuté) What melts in your lap, pours into a glass, and slides through your fingers into a pool on the floor? This filmmaker takes full advantage of their claymation kitty’s shapeshifting abilities, and amps up the fun with a squishy squashy soundtrack. Meow! (2023/ 1 min/ Czech Republic/ dir. Natálie Durchánková/ non-verbal)

CROSSWALK- Big drama in the tiny moments before the crosswalk sign turns green. A clever take on different perceptions of time. (2023/ 2 min/ Russian Federation/ dir. Daria Volchok/ non-verbal)

DEDE IS DEAD- Dede the dog and her boy are best friends. So when Dede dies unexpectedly, her boy’s sadness is unbearable. Her spirit helps him honor his grief, find beauty, and foster new loves. Dedicated to dogs who have passed away and the grieving humans they leave behind. ( 2023/ 8.5 min/ Czech Republic/ dir. Philippe Kastner/ non-verbal)

FEATHERS AND WHISPERS- ( Les Bruits) Once upon a time, there was a sound,
A nursery rhyme that danced all around.
It’ll stay in your head, make your fingers sway,
Tralala, it’s a tune that’ll brighten your day.
The crow, oh the crow, so clever and wise,
Embraced our honks and bustling cries.
Can we, too, learn to embrace and adore,
A “croak croak” that echoes, now and evermore? ( 2023/ 6.5 min/ France/ dir. Hélène Ducrocq/ French)

FLOUR & MUSH- A chance encounter between a living sack of flour and a magical mushroom-sprouting tree trunk grows into a love that endures hardship, injury and even death. (2022/ 12 min/ China/ dir. Emily Wong/ non-verbal)

THE HEDGEHOG- Can a hedgehog swim? A little boy can’t rest until he finds the answer. He throws one into the deep end and discovers that hedgehogs have their own opinions on swimming. This one isn’t afraid to retaliate! (2023/ 1.5 min/ Czech Republic/ dir. Daniela Hýbnerová/ non-verbal)

LIGHTS- (Sv?tla) In a town where young flames are initiated into life as lightbulbs, one flame rebels. (2023/ 8.5 min/ Czech Republic/ dir. Jitka Nemikinsová/ non-verbal)

OUR PHOTO MOMENTO- Old photos come to life in this stop-motion rom-com! An elderly gentleman tries desperately to move from his own photo into his wife’s across the wall. They’ll have to think outside the box (literally!) to make it happen. (2022/ 6.5 min/ Iran/ dir. Alireza Mirzaee/ non-verbal)

PINK NOISE- (Bruit Rose) A kaleidoscope of flora and fauna bursts off the screen in this beautiful poetic ode to the creation of life. (2022/ 2 min/ France/ dir. Martin Wiklund, Athrur Lemaitre, Ulysse Lefort/ non-verbal)

SHACKLE- Three archetypal woodland spirits explore the conflicting human drives of creativity, possessiveness and our desire for status. (2022/ 10 min/ UK/dir. Ainslie Henderson/ English)

SOCKS FOR THE STAR-A humble star weaver’s newest constellation comes to life to share a dance – until she’s snapped up by a sky serpent! Can the weaver rescue her before it’s too late? Jaw-dropping stop motion in a beautiful ballet-meets-folkdance piece. (2023/ 9.5 min/ Russian Federation/dir. Olga Titova/ non-verbal)

SUNFLOWER- (Tournesol) When a sunflower like no other chooses to take a new look at his environment, he will discover a totally different universe…(2023/ 4.5 min/ France/ dir. Natalia Chernysheva/ non-verbal)

TWO ONE TWO- (Deux Un Deux) Two One Two, by award-winning filmmaker Shira Avni, combines shimmering clay on glass animation with personal archives in this deeply intimate, experimental animated documentary love letter to motherhood, parenting on the spectrum, and two headed monsters everywhere. (2023/ 4 min/ Canada/ dir. Shira Avni/ English)

THE WORLD- (Le Monde) Fly with birds, bounce on flowers and marvel at new insect friends in this larger-than-life ode to our natural world. (2023/ 3 min/ France/ dir. Baptiste Ratajski/ French)

Location: South Providence Library (441 Prairie Avenue, Providence, RI)

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11:00 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: RISD Museum, Metcalf Auditorium (20 North Main Street, Providence, RI)

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1:00 pm: Dancing Queen (Opening & Closing Night Film)

Director(s): Aurora Gossé
Country: Norway
Language: Norwegian w/ English subtitles
Live Action | 2023 | 92 min
Recommended for ages 10+ (Parental Guidance: 10+ for profanity, bullying and mortality )

When a new student announces that he’s starting a dance crew at school with the goal of winning THE hottest dance competition in Norway, the shy middle-schooler Mina won’t let a little thing like not being able to dance get in her way. But as Mina rehearses new moves the pressure of fitting in with her hip new “friends” takes its toll. Mina comes to realize she must decide what matters most in this (cringe inducing) loving look at that tender age where identity is formed and being yourself is the best move of all.

Location: RISD Museum, Metcalf Auditorium (20 North Main Street, Providence, RI)

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3:00 pm: Youth Filmmaker Show!

Director(s): Multiple Directors
Country: Lithuania, Slovenia, Spain, United States
Language: In English or w/English subtitles
Multiple Film Types | 2021, 2022, 2023 |
Recommended for ages Recommended for all ages

A CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOK- The adaptation of a fictitious children’s picture book about a possum and a boy’s shared fate and pathways. (2023/ 7.5 min/ USA/ dir. Maccabee Louis Cohen/ English)

ALPHABET SOUP- A teenage boy goes on a journey from apathy to empathy regarding his sister’s depression. ( 2023/ 10 min/ USA/ dir. Nico Eagan, James Lee/ English)

BAD DAY FOR TOMAS- Chef Tom loves his job, but he doesn’t like to rush. In his haste, Tom didn’t notice that he had been handed a wrong ingridient. A client was poisoned and a fired Tom was attacked by a cat on his way home (2021/ 2.5 min/ Lithuania/ dir. Ugn? Gintarait?/ Lithuanian)

FRIENDS-You never know where youre going to find a true friend. (2022/ 5 min/ Spain/ dir. Diana Gimeno/ Spanish)

LEGEND OF VELEBABA- Legend of Velebaba tells a story from the southern region of Slovenia, Bela Krajina, how the hill Ku?ar was made. (2022/ 2.5 min/ Slovenia/ dir. Nika Pe?ari?, Nika ?rnugelj, Lara Oberman, Lucija Kostelec, Janin Pirkovi?, Lana Išpanov, Manca Mihel?i? / Slovenian)

METAMORPHOSIS- Metamorphosis is a metaphor for the challenges everyone experiences during adolescence… FROG wants to be stronger, AXOLOTL doesn’t want to grow up, LADYBUG is going through “phases” and CATERPILLAR wants things to move more quickly. ( 2023/ 2 min/ USA/ dir. Bryn Wright/ English)

MR. BEGINNING- How Mr. Beginning found his End (2021/ 2 min/ Slovenia/ dir. Jelena Dragutinovi?, Janja Kosi/ Slovenian)

ORDINARY AND NOT AT ALL MAGICAL BOOK…- Be carefull of the books you choose. Even completlly ordinary ones can take you for an unexpected adventure (2022/ 2.5 min/ Slovenia/ dir. Ana Drenik, Jona Kelenc, Lucija Majhen, Ažbe Kelenc, Lia Paternoster, Žiga Resman, Nik Gr?ar/ Slovenian)

SAVITRI- One girl’s quest to find an equal becomes a journey beyond the grave. A witty and slightly irreverent retelling of myth from India by the 4th and 5th grade students of Crestwood Elementary in Madison, WI, USA. (2023/ 10 min/ USA/ dir. Crestwood 4th & 5th Graders/ English)

TERRIBLY BORING GRANDMOTHER- A little peace, that’s all that our little garden gnome wants. But having a cranky grandmother as an owner is not a best way to achieve it ( 2023/ 2.5 min/ Slovenia/ dir. Group Project/ English)

Location: RISD Museum, Metcalf Auditorium (20 North Main Street, Providence, RI)

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