“T-Rex” is an intimate, true coming-of-age story about a new kind of American heroine. in 2012, women’s boxing debuted at the 2012 Olympics. Fighting for gold from the USA is Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, just 17 years old and by far the youngest competitor. From the hard knock streets of Flint, Mich., Claressa is undefeated and utterly confident. Her fierceness extends beyond the ring as he protects her family at any cost, even when their instability and addictions threaten to derail her dream. Claressa does have one stable force in her life. Coach Jason Crutchfield has trained her since she was just a scrawny 11-year-old hanging out at his gym. Jason always wanted a champion, but never thought it’d be a girl. Her relationships with her coach and her family grow tense as she gets closer to her dream, but Claressa is determined. She desperately wants to take her family to a better, safer place and winning a gold medal could be her only chance.
How do children born into poverty find hope? This documentary follows the lives of a garbage picker, a music teacher and a group of children from Cateura, Paraguay. In this slum, they create musical instruments entirely out of garbage: first out of necessity, but the project became so much more. LANDFILL HARMONIC brings us on their journey from local village orchestra to world traveling (internet fueled) troupe whose trajectory of success is enhanced by their trash-into-music message.
Winner of the 2015 Audience Choice Award SXSW
Winner of the 2015 Audience Choice Award AFI
In this lighthearted German farce, the citizens of Bollersdorf take great pride in being perfectly average in everything: weight, age, household members and more. Bollersdorf is so average, in fact, that a market research company uses the town as a testing ground. Fortunately, a ragtag group of kindergarteners known as the Coati Gang, doesn’t fall for it. With the help of their grandparents, the gang sets out to make its town “extra” ordinary using creativity, pluck and ingenuity. A hilarious and heartwarming live-action adventure.
Wickie longs to be a big, strong Viking like his father, Halvar. When Halvar is kidnapped, it’s Wickie’s brain that must save his father and not his under-developed Viking brawn. He leads the men on this swashbuckling adventure as they set off over raging oceans, tropical beaches and dangerous icy wastelands, all in pursuit of the legendary treasure of the Gods (which contains the key to his father’s release). Suspending disbelief will ensure a smile on your face. Made by Christian Ditter, director of previous PCFF crowd favorites “The Crocodiles” (PCFF 2011) and ”Crocodiles Strike Back” (PCFF 2012).
In this new adaptation, Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” is seamlessly transported to 1948 Bavaria, post-World War II. Both those familiar with the story and those new to this classic American tale will delight in the characters of Tom and Hacke — two adventurous, fatherless boys who experience the thrill and terror of being on their own in a sometimes dangerous world.
Director David Fine’s documentary takes something many American youths are familiar with (basketball), and moves us on a true-life journey to a land many of us are unfamiliar with (Iraq). The result is extraordinary. “Salaam Dunk” is an insightful look into young Iraqi life as experienced by a current women’s college basketball team. The players are a fascinating and genuinely inspiring bunch, and the squad’s mere existence provides a stirring example of the possibilities for young Iraqis outside the country’s war zones. What they overcome on the court, you have seen in other movies; what they must overcome in their Iraqi society, you have not.
Some kids are natural entertainers who have discovered a passion for the circus arts. In “Circus Dreams,” that passion finds fulfillment at Circus Smirkus, the only traveling youth circus in the US, annually assembling the finest young circus performers for its summer tour (including a stop in Rhode Island!). This documentary captures it all, from the grueling auditions to the successful tears of joy in being part of an extraordinary experience. Truly inspiring!
This is not your average group of kids. They are clowns, trapeze artists, jugglers and already accomplished entertainers. Beginning with extraordinary access into the auditioning process, the film highlights the trials and tribulations of a variety of young performers as they polish their acts and nervously await audition results. The 27 who are selected spend the summer together training full-time for what will eventually be 70 performances in 15 towns.
“Circus Dreams” perfectly balances the fun of the circus with insightful, behind-the-scenes drama in a perfect demonstration of what dedication, passion, talent and ambition make possible — no matter your age. No one performer outshines the other, as they all learn valuable lessons about teamwork and positive critique. Director Signe Taylor has captured an inspiring portrait of kids who break free of mainstream stereotypes and reach for their circus dreams.
The Crocodiles” was a huge hit at our 2011 festival, so screening the second installment of their trilogy was a no-brainer! All the original cast members are back (looking a little older as kids are prone to do), and several new characters assist in solving another town conspiracy. This time the gang of pint-sized detectives stumbles across a plot involving a local factory threatened with a mysterious closure. Worried that their parents will lose their jobs, the young sleuths must work together to uncover the sinister plan.
“The Crocodiles Strike Back” is packed with plenty of adventure and humor. What this film has above and beyond other films made for young adults is a sincere development of characters with real-world domestic situations. There are kids from broken families trying to cope. Racism is tackled, as are stereotypes of the physically challenged, often in humorous ways. These evolving young adults are empowered through their friendship despite entering a difficult age of thinking romantically about each other. There is still teasing but with respect for one another. Dealing with issues relevant to kids around the world, this entertaining coming-of-age film is guaranteed to thrill audiences.
This beautiful and warmhearted adventure once again demonstrates that some of the best animated films come from Japan. A loving family of river rats is driven from its riverbank home by a human construction project. Needing to find a new place to live, a father and his two young sons, Tarta and Chichi, negotiate the everyday yet unexpected dangers of a city, surviving only with the timely help of a string of unlikely friends: a dog, a cat, a sparrow, and a wise sewer-rat. Kids will delight in the eager, irrepressible Chichi, who treats their journey as a fun adventure and who has a knack for getting into trouble. Throughout, gentle lessons unfold about balancing trust and caution, coping with loss and longing, and discovering one’s strengths and proper home — all set against the backdrop of a disconnected human world unaware of its impact on nature.
The Blue Gnomes that live in a mountain are in charge of the “magic silver” that brings sunlight to every day. The Red Gnomes are farm Gnomes with low opinions of those uppity Blues. After the magic silver is stolen by a gnome , the theft brings out the best between the two gnome groups to restore the daylight. With gnome hats to die for and a sleigh chase Tarantino would envy, this is the film that broke opening-day box-office records in Norway.