June 3 to 7, 2009 .:. Newport, Rhode Island
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NIFF Children's Program

The 2008 NIFF Children’s Program lineup includes:

THE RED BALLOON
Albert Lamorisse, France 1956, 34 min
(to be shown in conjunction with WHITE MANE, total running time: 74 minutes)
Newly restored and available for the first time in almost a decade, Albert Lamorisse’s THE RED BALLOON remains one of the most beloved children’s films of all time. In this deceptively simple, nearly wordless tale, a young boy discovers a stray balloon that seems to have a mind of its own. Wandering through the streets of Paris, the two become inseparable, to the surprise of the neighborhood and the envy of other children. Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival, THE RED BALLOON has enchanted the young and the young at heart for decades.

WHITE MANE
Albert Lamorisse, France 1953, 40 minutes
In the south of France is a near-desert region called La Camargue.  There lives White Mane, a magnificent stallion and the leader of a herd of wild horses too proud to let themselves be broken in by humans. Only Folco, a young fisherman, manages to tame him. A strong friendship grows between the boy and the horse, but they must elude the wrangler and his herdsmen to live freely.

PIXAR PRESENTATION AND SHORT FILM RETROSPECTIVE
Running time: 70 minutes
Director and Academy® Award Nominee, Jim Capobianco, from Pixar Animation Studios will host a presentation on the making of his short film YOUR FRIEND THE RAT which was featured on the DVD RATAOUILLE. An animated tongue-in-cheek documentary, YOUR FRIEND THE RAT is presented by Remy and Emile as they state their case as to why humans and rats should just get along.  Jim will share what it is like to be a short film Director at Pixar and will screen a few additional Pixar favorites.

32 A
Marian Quinn, Ireland
Running time: 89 minutes
After casting many envious glances at other women, 13-year-old Maeve (fetching Ailish McCarthy) finally gets her first bra, size 32A.  To her surprise, she begins to attract the attentions of the local heartthrob Brian (Shane McDaid), a wild and (seemingly) wonderful 16-year-old.  Maeve becomes so smitten with Brian that she makes some bad decisions and ends up abandoning her best friends at a moment when they really need her.  After getting snubbed by her mates and finding out she is in major hot water at home, Maeve learns some lessons the hard way about what’s really important in life.  This sweet, brightly shot coming-of-age film covers family terrain with a talented young cast.  A favorite among teens at the 2008 Berlin Film Festival, this film is sure to please all.
Note: this film contains drug use. Recommended ages: 14+

GIRLS ROCK!
Arne Johnson Shane King, USA
Running time: 90 minutes
The Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls is a place where 8-18 year olds come from all over the country to learn Rock DIY-style - forming bands, writing songs and building community. GIRLS ROCK! is the movie about their journey. The primary subjects of GIRLS ROCK! are Laura, an articulate adopted Korean obsessed with death metal; Misty, who is emerging from a life of drug-addiction, homelessness and gang activity; Palace, a sweet-seeming 8-year-old with a heavy metal sneer; and 10 year old Amelia, who is writing a 14-song cycle about her dog Pippi. Forming bands, writing songs and playing a gig in one week, these girls and the rest of the camp engage in an experiment in empowerment that will leave no-one unchanged.
Recommended ages: 12+

DOUBLETIME
Stephanie Jones, USA
Running time: 82 minutes
In the last 30 years jump roping has moved off the sidewalks and into the gym. The sport now features astounding acrobatics, lightning speed and international competition. DOUBLETIME follows the two top American teams: The Bouncing Bulldogs of Chapel Hill, N.C., and The Double Dutch Forces of Columbia, S.C. The film features four young athletes (age 11 to 18) who display courage, skills and charisma as they passionately prepare for a competition, and culminates on stage in Harlem with “fusion” routines where Double Dutch is blended with hip-hop dance and music.

The following SHORT FILM PROGRAMS will be shown during the Children’s Film Festival:

SHORT FILMS FOR ALL AGES

Running time: 60 minutes

CANARY BEAT
Juren Haas, Germany, 3 minutes
A canary and his reflection in the mirror sing a bird’s song as a duet.

CRANK BALLS
Devin Bell, USA, 5 minutes
The Crank Balls are trapped in a horrible colorless void until an infectious happiness changes their lives forever.

GAME OVER
PES, USA, 2 minutes
From the New York video artist PES comes this brilliant stop-motion pastiche of classic video games, animated with everyday objects.

GENIE IN A TIN OF RAVIOLIS
Claude Barras, Switzerland, 7 minutes
Armand works on the assembly line of a tinned pasta factory. One evening, he opens up a tin of ravioli for dinner. Much to his surprise, a Genie jumps out, promising to fulfill any two wishes. (in French with English subtitles)

THE GOAT THAT ATE TIME
Lucinda Schreiber, Australia, 7 minutes
A goat with an appetite for life realizes that time is dangerously delicious.

HOSE
Kevin Watkins, USA, 12 minutes
A garden hose in search of adventure discovers that the grass really isn’t greener on the other side of the fence. In fact, there isn’t even any grass on the other side!

KNUFFLE BUNNY
Maciek Albrecht, USA, 9 minutes
Trixie, Daddy and the Knuffly Bunny take a trip to the Laundromat, but their adventure takes an unexpected turn when Trixie realizes something is missing.

MISS PRETTY HAIR DOLL
Sue Perrotto, USA, 1 minute
A short mock commercial in which two little girls tell you about Miss Pretty Hair Doll.

PAPIROFLEXIA
Joaquin Baldwin, USA, 3 minutes
An origami tale of a skillful paper folder who could shape the world with his hands.

PORTABLE LIVING ROOM
Ransom Riggs, USA, 3 minutes
When a young boy finds himself stuck at Grandma’s house for the weekend, there is only one way out – his imagination.

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES 8+

Running time: 80 minutes

ANITA THE BEEKEEPER
Vikash Nowlakha, India, 8 minutes
Anita’s story is a triumph. Not only does she make the decision to start going to school, she also finds a way to pay for her own education.

COLOURS
Derrick Lui & Lee Chee Tian, Singapore, 9 minutes
The story of a color-blind child’s journey to find colors in her life.

FEATHERS TO THE SKY
Leonardo Ricagni, USA, 18 minutes
A moving tale of a poor but courageous girl who gets the opportunity to pursue her dream of going to school after meeting an inspirational teacher.

JUNJIE’S FILM
Linfeng Xue, China, 12 minutes
Junjie searches the streets of his town for recyclable products. But as the product of the One Child Rule Junjie is also searching for friends and friendship.

KICK LIKE A GIRL
Jenny Mackenzie, USA, 25 minutes
The true story of what happens when “The Mighty Cheetahs,” an undefeated all-girls
soccer team, competes in the boys division.

SNAKEBITE
Matt Pinder, Scotland, 9 minutes
The story of a young boy who mistakenly thinks he has been bitten by a poisonous snake.

SHORT FILMS FOR 14+

Running time: 73 minutes

CHINESE WHISPER
Oliver Rauch, Germany, 3 minutes
Third graders at a primary school choose to play “Telephone” at the end of a lesson. Suspense and gloating increase during the game as the secret sentence being whispered is at the expense of one of the children.

EVOLUTION
Tim Piper, Canada 78 seconds
EVOLUTION, a Dove film, depicts the transformation of a real women into a model and promotes awareness of how unrealistic perceptions of beauty are created.

FORCE 1TD
Randy Krallman, USA, 11 minutes
Three friends set off to find a very special pair of sneakers for a miniature guide horse.

KIDS + MONEY
Lauren Greenfield, USA, 32 minutes
KIDS + MONEY is a conversation with 12 diverse Los Angeles teenagers about how money affects their lives -- their social status, relationships with friends and family members, and sense of self.  The film reveals the way a culture of consumerism shapes kids’ values and identity.

ONSLAUGHT
Tim Piper, Canada, 78 seconds
ONSLAUGHT, a Dove film, is an attention-grabbing viral that dramatizes the barrage of images and messages girls constantly face.

TONY ZOREIL
Valentin Potier, France, 20 minutes
Tony has inherited a remarkable physical particularity. Just when he feels that all hope of finding true love is lost, he is introduced to a very special girl.
(Note: This film contains mild sexual content)

YESTERDAY TODAY WAS TOMORROW
Valentine Sheldon, USA, 5 minutes
The story of a girl who reinvents herself using literary and cultural icons.

About the NIFF Children's Program

The NIFF Children's Program, headed by Andrea van Beuren, and now in its fourth year, presents the best in film for children and teens.

Photo by: Joe Ruggeri
Children's programming director
Andrea van Beuren with young film-goers, 2006.

The program was created in 2004 and quickly grew to be an integral part of the NIFF experience.

Among the films that have screened in the Children's Program are Oscar winner MARCH OF THE PENGUINS, which featured a visit by live penguins from Seaworld, the Walden Media classic LASSIE and the 2007 Oscar nominee, SURF'S Up.

Although the Children's Program has included large studio productions prior to their theatrical release, the Program's primary focus is to screen independent features, short films and ocumentaries. The goal is to expose as many children as possible to films that will broaden their awareness of what is happening in the world around them (and to entertain them in the process!)

© 2008 Newport International Film Festival
PO Box 146 Newport, RI 02840 : 401.846.9100 : info@newportfilmfestival.com