NOCTURNA. Directed by Adrià García & Víctor Maldonado
The Philadelphia Film Society announced the full line-up of the second Philadelphia International Children’s Film Festival (PICFF). Partnering with New York International Children’s Film Festival, one of the longest running and acclaimed children’s film festivals on the circuit, the three-day festival, held Friday, June 6 – Sunday, June 8, 2014, will offer a variety of animated, live-action and experimental short and feature films from all around the world.
The event will be held exclusively at the PFS Roxy Theater, 2023 Sansom Street, Philadelphia. Tickets will be available online and at the theater box office beginning Friday, May 23, 2014.
In support of youth programming throughout the city, the Philadelphia Film Society will donate $1.00 for every ticket purchased online to ASAP/After School Activities Partnerships. ASAP/After School Activities Partnerships’ mission is to keep Philadelphia’s youth safe and active by facilitating supervised activities in the dangerous after school hours.
The Philadelphia International Children’s Film Festival is sponsored by Comcast Xfinity and Whole Foods Markets.
The full list of films, representing 11 countries, includes:
ANINA
Directed by Alfredo Soderguit
Uraguay//80 min//In Spanish with English Subtitles//Ages: 7+
Anina Yatay Salas always seems to be finding trouble. Her name is a palindrome – meaning it reads the same both backwards and forwards – and tends to be the basis of teasing amongst her classmates. Anina takes her frustrations out on another girl, Yisel, eventually landing both girls in the principal’s office. There they are each handed an envelope and told they must carry it around for one week, seal unbroken, before returning to discover the punishment inside. The curiosity entices Anina to follow Yisel and sneak a look into her envelope. Anina quickly learns that she has more in common with Yisel than the uncommon punishment.
BOY AND THE WORLD
Directed by Alê Abreu
Brazil//80 min//No Dialogue// Ages: 5+
The remarkable second feature film by Brazilian artist Alê Abreu brings to screen a strikingly unique visual style to show the world through the eyes of a young boy. A child, Cuca, is born in a small village, where he lives a life of quiet wonder, exploring all that the countryside has to offer. His cozy life is shattered when his father leaves for the city, prompting him to embark on a quest to re-unite his family. As Cuca’s small world expands, soft imagery gives way to more complex visuals. The story depicts a clash between village and city, indigenous and imperial, hand crafted and mechanized, rich and poor. The film’s music guides his journey along the way.
OPENING NIGHT FILM
EARTH TO ECHO
Directed by Dave Green
Starring Teo Halm, Astro, Reese Hartwig, Ella Wahlestadt
USA//100 min//English//Ages: All
Tuck, Munch and Alex are a closely bonded trio of inseparable friends, but their time together is coming to an end. Their neighborhood is being destroyed by a highway construction project that is forcing their families to move away. But just two days before they must part ways, the boys find a cryptic signal has infected their phones. Convinced something bigger is going on and looking for one final adventure together, they set off to trace the messages to their source and discover something beyond their wildest imaginations: hiding in the darkness is a mysterious being, stranded on Earth, and wanted by the government. This launches the boys on an epic journey full of danger and wonder, one that will test the limits of their friendship and change all of their lives forever.
SPECIAL GUESTS IN ATTENDANCE!
Screening will be followed by a Q&A with Producer Adam Panay and star Astro (Brian Bradley)!
JACK AND THE CUCKOO CLOCK HEART
Directed by Mathieu Malzieu & Stéphane Berla
France//89 min//English//Ages: 8+
Jack is born on a day so cold that his heart freezes. In its place he is given a mechanical wind-up heart, which comes with some very peculiar rules – the gravest of which is that he is forbidden from falling in love. Yet when a chance encounter with an equally unusual girl sends him on a journey from his native Edinburgh to Andalusia, Jack decides to challenge the rules that govern his very existence.
MINUSCULE: VALLEY OF THE LOST ANTS
Directed by Hélène Giraud & Thomas Szabo
France//89 min//No dialogue//Ages: 5+
Amongst the remains of an abandoned picnic basket, a newborn ladybug finds himself caught in the middle of a territory war between a group of black and red ants. When the black ants find that their hill has come under attack by the army red ants, a furious and humorous chase scene ensues, with the ladybug swooping in to save the day. The unique combination of real life landscapes – a micro-world shot in extreme and stunning close-up – and wonderfully animated creepy-crawlies engaging in playful antics, will leave the viewer both dazzled and amused.
NOCTURNA
Directed by Adrià García & Víctor Maldonado
Spain, France//88 min//English//Ages: 5+
Visually stunning and wildly inventive, this film explores the mysteries of the night in a sweeping nocturnal adventure full of Alice in Wonderland-like characters and moody, dream-inspired landscapes. Have you ever wondered why your hair looks funny in the morning or where the sounds outside your window come from at night? A young boy named Tim finds out after an unusual discovery on the rooftop of his orphanage plunges him into the secret world of Nocturna, inhabited by curious creatures who control the night.
PATEMA INVERTED
Directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura
Japan//99 min//Japanese with English subtitles//Ages: 9+
The captivating new feature from Time of Eve director Yasuhiro Yoshiura is a sci-fi adventure about two kids separated by opposite gravities. Patema, the young princess of an underground society, spends her time exploring through the the tunnels and caverns of her world. On her latest expedition, she stumbles into a world that is above the surface, a place of reversed physics. There she meets Age and discovers that this new world, Aiga, comes with a tyrannical leader who has brainwashed the population against the ‘sinners who fell into the sky.’ Together Patema and Age discover the secret that keeps their two worlds apart.
SHORTS PROGRAMS
KID FLIX MIX
Hello World by Eric Serre (France, 2012, 5 min.).
Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds (2012, 7 min.).
On The Wing by Vera Myakisheva (Russia, 2012, 6 min.).
The Lovely Letter L by Evan Spiridellis (2012, 2 min.).
Hopfrog by Leonid Shmelkov (Russia, 2012, 4 min.).
What is Music? By Christian Robinson (2013, 4 min.).
I Want my Hat Back by Galen Fott (2013, 9 min.).
Snowflake by Natalia Chernysheva (Russia, 2012, 5 min.)
Monstersymponie by Kiana Nagshineh (Germany, 2012, 4 min.).
The Mole at Sea by Anna Kadykova (Russia, 2012, 5 min.).
The New Species by Katerina Karhánková (Czech Republic, 2013, 6 min.).
Big Block Sing-Song: Hair by Warren Brown (Canada, 2012, 2 min.).
My Mom is an Airplane(Russia/USA, 2013, 6.5 min).
PARTY MIX
72min//In English or with English Subtitles//Ages 8+
Carpark by Ant Blades (UK, 2013, 2 min).
Rabbit and Deer by Péter Vácz (Hungary, 2013, 16 min.).
The Dam Keeper by Dice Tsutsumi and Robert Kondo (2013, 18 min.).
The Big Beast by Pierre Luc Granjon (France, 2013, 7 min.) The Centipede and the Toad by Anna Khmelevskaya (France, 2012, 10 min.).
The Princess, the Prince and the Greed-Eyed Dragon by Bin-Ha To / Jakob Schuh (Germany, 2011, 7min)
Portlandia: Rat’s Book by Rob Shaw (USA, 2013, 3.5min)
Tome of the Unknown by Patrick McHale (USA, 2013, 8min)
SPECIAL EVENTS
10 DAY FILM CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
120min/Award Ceremony
During the 2013-14 school year, the 10 Day Film Challenge took place in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, and Florida. Participating students had 10 school days to create a 4-minute short film. Each challenge featured statewide screenings and award programs. In previous years, that’s where the 10 Day Film Challenge ended. Through a partnership with the Philadelphia Film Society, the 2014 10 Day Film Challenge CHAMPIONSHIPS program was created . The CHAMPIONSHIPS is the new culmination of the 10 Day Film Challenge, featuring short films created by high school student filmmakers from around the country. The top films from the statewide Challenges will be viewed and vie for the coveted title of Overall Best 10 Day Film of 2014. With the help of the Film Society, the 10 Day Film Challenge looks to expand to all 50 states across the USA.