TIFF Kids International Film Festival Unveils 2017 Lineup, Opens with SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE

CANADA ON SCREEN
In celebration of Canada’s sesquicentennial, TIFF continues its free year-long programme Canada on Screen – A co-production between TIFF and three core project partners — Library and Archives Canada, the Cinémathèque québécoise, and The Cinematheque in Vancouver. Highlights at TIFF Kids include the following FREE programming: a special screening of the Canadian classic coming-of-age mini-series Anne of Green Gables with an introduction by director Kevin Sullivan, a screening of The Dog Who Stopped the War and Canada on Screen: Short and Animated programme that showcases some of the best Canadian animated shorts such as The Sweater, Cameras Take Five, and Log Drivers Waltz. All of these titles appear on Canada on Screen’s TIFF’s Essential 150 list. In addition, TIFF Kids will host screenings of classic Canadian films on REEL CANADA’s National Canadian Film Day 150 on April 19th and construct Northern Lights, a collaborative arts project that will take over the third floor of TIFF Bell Lightbox.

SELECT SCREENINGS FROM CANADA ON SCREEN’S ESSENTIAL 150 LIST

Anne of Green Gables
dir. Kevin Sullivan | Canada | English
TIFF Kids welcomes director Kevin Sullivan to give an extended introduction onstage prior to a free screening of his Canadian classic coming-of-age mini-series Anne of Green Gables.
Recommended for ages 7 and up.

The Dog Who Stopped The War
dir. André Mélançon | Canada | French, English Dubbed
The Dog Who Stopped the War is the story of two rivalry groups from a rural Canadian town who find themselves in a week-long snowball war. Recommended for ages 9 and up.

Canada on Screen: Short and Animated
The Canada on Screen: Short and Animated programme showcases some of the best award-winning short films from Canada’s rich animated history. Recommended for ages 9 and up.

MORE CANADA ON SCREEN HIGHLIGHTS AT TIFF KIDS

Collaborative Art Project: Northern Lights by Molly Grundy
Molly Grundy is a Toronto-based artist and designer who works in everything from stop-motion animation and illustration to costume design and installation. Molly is delighted to be teaming up with TIFF Kids in celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday! This Canada on Screen collaborative art project will transform the third floor of the TIFF Bell Lightbox using 16mm animation filmstrips made by TIFF Kids participants.

National Canadian Film Day 150
In celebration of National Canadian Film Day 150 (NCFD 150) on April 19th, TIFF will offer free screenings of Canadian features and shorts for elementary school students, including Sheldon Cohen’s beloved animated short The Sweater (1980). NCFD 150, a one-day, coast-to-coast celebration of Canadian cinema in honour of Canada’s sesquicentennial, is presented by REEL CANADA. For more information on other ways to participate in NCFD 150, visit CanFilmDay.ca.

Watermark
dirs. Jennifer Baichwal, Edward Burtynsky | Canada | English, Spanish, Hindi, Bengali, Mandarin
Following their acclaimed collaboration Manufactured Landscapes, photographer Edward Burtynsky and filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal reunite to explore the ways in which humanity has shaped, manipulated and depleted one of its most vital and compromised resources: water. Recommended for Grades 6 to 8.

The Legend of Sarila
dir. Nancy Florence Savard | Canada | English
Three young Inuit go in search of Sarila, a promised land, hoping to save their clan from famine. It is also the story of a fight to the death between two shamans, the young Markussi who finds Sarila and the aged Croolik who feels that his power is threatened. Recommended for Grades 3 to 5.

Ballerina
dirs. Eric Warin, Eric Summer | Canada/France | English, French
Two best friends — one an aspiring ballet dancer, the other a fledgling inventor — pursue their dreams in 1880s Paris, in this charming animated adventure from Quebec. Recommended for ages 7 and up.

The Good Ol’ Hockey Game
2017 marks both Canada’s 150th birthday and the centennial of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Maple Leafs, so it’s a natural opportunity to celebrate Canada’s Game on film. Hockey holds a special place in the hearts of many young Canadians – enthusiastic fans and aspiring players alike. It also teaches us valuable lessons in teamwork, cooperation, and perseverance.
Recommended for ages 9 and up.