Tumbleweeds Film Festival for Children and Youth

ZIP & ZAP AND THE MARBLE GANG

The 4th annual Tumbleweeds Film Festival for Children and Youth featuring independent, documentary, and foreign feature-length films and short film takes place March 14-16, 2014, at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center and the City Library in Salt Lake City, and the Park City Library in Park City, Utah.  The lineup includes ERNEST AND CELESTINE, and ZIP & ZAP AND THE MARBLE GANG, two flims which premiered in the 2014 Sundance Kids program.

2014 TUMBLEWEEDS FILM FESTIVAL LINEUP

Recommended for all ages
Amazing Animations
A collection of animated short films.

Recommended for youth ages 5+

ERNEST & CELESTINE /// ERNEST ET CÉLESTINE
Directed by Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Benjamin Renner
80 min | 2014 | France
Presented in French with English subtitles and in English (not subtitled)
Bears and mice are not supposed to be friends, but Celestine the mouse and Ernest the bear set out against the odds to prove their friendship is possible in this delightful and beautifully animated film.

THE LITTLE GHOST /// DAS KLEINE GESPENST
Directed by Alain Gsponer
92 min | 2013 | Germany
Presented in German with English subtitles
Karl, Sophie and Hannes must help their new friend, a friendly but mischievous little ghost who accidently wakes up in the daytime, return to his nighttime home in this charming film based on the best-selling book by Otfried Preussler.

Recommended for youth ages 8+

THE BLACK BROTHERS /// DIE SCHWARZEN BRÜDER
Directed by Xavier Koller
95 min | 2013 | Germany
Presented in German with English subtitles
Forced to leave his rural Swiss home to work as a chimney sweep in Milan, 14-year-old Giorgio and his friends band together to stand up against the Wolves, a cruel youth gang, in this thrilling and moving film based on the experiences of young chimney sweeps in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

A HORSE ON THE BALCONY /// DAS PFERD AUF DEM BALKON
Directed by Hüseyin Tabak
90 min | 2012 | Austria
Presented in German with English subtitles
When Mika, a 10-year-old boy who has Asperger’s Syndrome, and his friend Dana discover a horse living on their block, they form a remarkable bond with the animal and its troubled owner. This award-winning film and extraordinary tale of friendship reminds us that our differences are what make us who we are.

Short Film Program 2
This short film program will contain a collection of live and animated film.

WINDSTORM /// OSTWIND – ZUSAMMEN SIND WIR FREI
Directed by Katja von Garnier
105 min | 2012 | Germany
Presented in German with English subtitles
Unhappy to be spending the summer at her grandmother’s farm, Mika, a rebellious teen, discovers she has a talent and passion for riding horses. But will she be able to tame Windstorm, a horse considered too wild to ride?

ZIP & ZAP AND THE MARBLE GANG /// ZIPI Y ZAPE Y EL CLUB DE LA CANICA
Directed by Oskar Santos
97 min | 2013 | Spain
Presented in Spanish with English subtitles
Zip & Zap, Spain’s most beloved mischief-makers, land on the big screen in this action-packed escapade, which pits the comic book heroes against the nefarious headmaster of a rural reform school.

Recommended for youth ages 10+

Adobe Youth Voices Short Film Program
A collection of short films featuring work from the Adobe Youth Voices programs around the world that will include the films produced in the Adobe Youth Voices Film Camp.

Girl’s POV Short Film Program
A collection of short film that focus on stories told from a girl’s perspective. The program will feature films directed by Spy Hop students including films created as part of KUED’s “Women Redefined” program.

FELIX
Directed by Roberta Durrant
97 min | 2013 | South Africa
Felix, a student on scholarship at the elite private school, dreams of becoming a great saxophonist, but must overcome school bullies and his family’s past to let his true talent shine in this uplifting film.

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[caption id="attachment_2530" align="alignnone" width="550"]CHIMPANZEE [/caption]

The 2012 Tumbleweeds Film Festival kicks off on March 23 with a special screening of CHIMPANZEE, the new film from Disneynature and the award-winning filmmakers of Earth and closes with a screening of film festival favorite DAVID, a charming film that examines the complexities of life through the eyes of an 11-year old Muslim boy growing up in Brooklyn.

[caption id="attachment_2531" align="alignnone" width="550"]DAVID[/caption]

The 2012 Tumbleweeds Film Festival runs March 23-25 and presents films from around the world for children and youth ages 4-14. All screening are held at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center and The City Library, Utah.

OPENING NIGHT FILM
CHIMPANZEE
Directors: Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield // (USA, 2012 – 90 min)Recommended for all ages.Sumptuously shot in the rain forests of Africa, the new film from Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, the award-winning directors of Earth, CHIMPANZEE tells the true-life story of an adorable young chimp named Oscar. Oscar’s playful curiosity and zest for discovery showcase the intelligence and ingenuity of some of the most extraordinary personalities in the animal kingdom.Special Thanks to Disneynature and Love Communications for supporting Tumbleweeds and making this screening possible.

CLOSING NIGHT FILM
DAVID
Director: Joel Fendelman // (USA, 2011 – 80 min)Recommended for children 10 and upThis charming film examines the complexities of life through the eyes of an 11-year old Muslim boy growing up in Brooklyn. With a cast largely made up of non-professionals, DAVID is an understated yet powerful film that shows how friendships can transcend the boundaries of religion and culture.Winner, Ecumenical Prize – 2011 Montreal Film Festival; Winner, Audience Award – Brooklyn Film Festival; Official Selection – 2011 Rome International Film Festival, 2011 Palm Springs International Film Festival, 2011 Napa Valley Film Festival

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[caption id="attachment_2506" align="alignnone" width="550"]AURELIE LAFLAMME’S DIARY[/caption]

The 2nd annual Tumbleweeds Film Festival for Children in Utah announced this year’s line up includes 11 feature films and 14 short films films from 7 countries, in 5 languages.  Many films will be screened in their original languages, with a reader narrating the subtitles for younger audience members. In addition to the 18 film presentations, the festival includes four film related workshops presented by Spy Hop Productions. Screenings and workshops will be held March 23-25 at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, Spy Hop Productions and The City Library.

Opening and Closing Night films will be announced within the coming weeks.


2012 Tumbleweeds Film Festival Film Program:

AMAZING ANIMATIONS!Recommended for children 6+
Don’t miss this international collection of colorful, clever and creative animated short films. From four sisters trying to pass the time on a long trip, to a pigeon that sabotages a secret mission, to a dog that finds a new best friend – its own tail! – this wonderful set of films features a variety of stories in a range of animations styles.  Fun and inventive, these animations are sure to entertain and delight audiences of all ages!

AURELIE LAFLAMME’S DIARY // LE JOURNAL D’AURÉLIE LAFLAMME
Director: Christian Laurence (Canada, 2010 – 108 min)
Screens in French with English subtitles – Recommended for children ages 12+
Feeling out of place the world, Aurélie Laflamme wonders if she might be an alien in this funny and touching look at a girl navigating the path to adolescence.


BACALAR
Director: Patricia Arriaga-Jordán//Mexico, 2011 – 96 min
Screens in Spanish with English subtitles – Recommended for children 9+
With a little help from some mystical animal spirits, best friends Santiago and Mariana attempt to rescue endangered wolf cubs from ruthless animal smugglers in this exciting Mexican action-adventure.


A CAT IN PARIS // UN VIE DE CHAT
Directors: Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol (France/Belgium, 2011 – 70 min)
Screens in French with English subtitles – Recommended for children 8+
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Film, this stunning hand drawn and richly colored animation, with a jazzy soundtrack, is a charming, action-packed adventure set in the moonlit rooftops of Paris.


CIRCUS DREAMS
Director: Signe Taylor (USA, 2011 – 80 min)
Recommended for children 8+
Join charismatic young jugglers, acrobats and clowns as they spend the summer performing with Circus Smirkus, the only travelling youth circus in the United States.


FRIENDS FOREVER // MULLEWAPP
Directors: Toney Loeser and Theresa Strozyk (Germany, 2010 – 77 min)
Recommended for children 4+
When Cloud the Lamb is kidnapped, it is Johnny the Mouse, Charlie the Rooster and Percy the Pig to the rescue in this delightful animated adventure about the importance of friendship.


THE LETTER FOR THE KING // DE BRIEF VOOR DE KONING
Director: Pieter Verhoeff (The Netherlands, 2008 – 100 min)
Screens in Dutch with English subtitles – Recommended for children 8+
Travel back to medieval times for an exciting adventure about a teenaged squire who must evade his enemies and deliver a letter that carries the fate of an entire kingdom.


LOUDER THAN A BOMB
Directors: Greg Jacobs and Jon Siskel (USA, 2010 – 99 min)
Recommended for children 13+
Exhilarating and inspiring, this documentary follow the fortunes of four diverse groups of high school students as they prepare for, and compete in one of the country’s leading youth poetry slam.


THE MAGICIANS // HET GHEIM
Director: Joram Lürsen (The Netherlands, 2010 – 94 min)
Screens in Dutch with English subtitles – Recommend for children 7+
Aspiring magician Ben learns not everything is as it seems when he must solve the mysterious disappearance of his best friend Sylvie in this charmingly entertaining family film.


MOONBEAM BEAR AND HIS FRIENDS // DER MONDBAER
Directors: Thomas Bodenstein and Mike Maurus (Germany, 2008 – 69 min)
Recommended for children 4+
When Mr. Moon falls from the night sky, it’s up to Moonbeam Bear and his friends to return him back home in this delightful and enchanting animation ideal for younger viewers.


TIGER TEAM
Director: Peter Gersina (Germany, 2010 – 90 min)
Screens in German with English subtitles –  Recommended for children 8+
Join the Tiger-Team, Bigi, Luk and Patrick, on a dynamic action filled adventure in China as they race to be the first to unlock an age-old palace of riches hidden deep inside a mountain.

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From April 1-3, 2011, the SLC Film Center in Salt Lake CIty, Utah, presents the inaugural Tumbleweeds Film Festival for Children and Youth – the only film festival of its kind in the intermountain west.  The 1st annual festival features a jam-packed program of feature-length films from around the world. This year’s festival presents films from ten countries including The Netherlands, Germany and Ireland. Two of the films will be screened in their original language with English subtitles that will be read aloud by a “subtitle reader.” In addition to film screenings, the SLC Film Center is partnering with Spy Hop Productions to present workshops designed to introduce participants to different aspects of filmmaking.

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