Ever wonder where you go when you sleep? In this beautifully animated stop-motion film, six-year-old Milo finds himself transformed into an animated character and swept into Dreamland, a secret nocturnal world of enchantment and adventure. There he sets sail in a magic car/boat through deliciously bizarre dreamscapes (full of giant chocolate bunnies, birthday cake women, cotton clouds and papier-mâché mountains) on a mission to try to upend the schemes of the nefarious Habumar, creator of nightmares, who has threatened children everywhere by stealing the Sand of Dreams. This sumptuously handcrafted film is perfect for youngest audiences, with its playfully inventive characters immersed in brilliantly colorful dreamscapes. Knowing that it took one day to create an average of 2.5 seconds of film action can contribute to appreciating this film technically. It took three years to make.
Balancing work and family time is never easy, especially if you live where you work. The growing tensions at home lead 11-year-old Eva to run away and make clear to her parents how she feels. What Eva doesn’t know is that she is running into a world of trouble. This suspenseful film turns from a domestic mystery into a criminal one, and only Eva and her friends can solve it.
Based on the famous book by Dutch writer Jan Terlouw, “The Secret Letter” explores the relationship between fathers and daughters, and looks at what happens when you start to doubt everything you thought you knew.
Check out a variety of creative films that cover a period unofficially referred to as “PP” (Pre-Pixar). Wallace and Gromit are the best-known characters (and are included here with their latest film) but there are some notable claymation predecessors that many kids may know nothing about.
This brilliant collection of short films includes the Academy Award winner “Creature Comforts,” the NYICFF Grand Prize winners “Humdrum” and “A Matter of Loaf and Death,” plus “Rex the Runt,” “Shaun the Sheep” and other mini-masterpieces spanning 25 years of creative output from Nick Park, Peter Lord, Richard Goleszowski, Peter Peake, Chris Sadler and the other claymation geniuses at Aardman Animations.
These inspired plasticine creations embody the best of Aardman’s sly wit and expressive style, and bubble over with a warmth and humanity that only such lovingly handmade films can convey.
In a contemporary small town around a closed-down factory, bored ‘tween friends, some from broken homes, are looking for creative ways to spend their time. They build forts, issue dares and tease one another. The Crocodiles is the name of this gang of 11-year-olds and a newcomer (who uses a wheelchair) wants in.
Part Hardy Boys, part “Stand By Me,” part “The Outsiders,” this fast-paced film combines classic elements with a larger message of breaking down stereotypes. Please be warned that the dialogue is stronger than an American audience may be used to. There is a domestic abuse scene. Slurs and stereotypes are expressed. However, this difficult dialogue is not used for shock value. It is part of the larger and more important narrative of kids learning how hurtful their exclusionary actions and hateful words can be, then making amends.
What is it that makes night so mysterious? What makes us fall asleep and dream? In “Nocturna,” a colorful group of creatures work to make nighttime a magical place where anything and everything is possible. Tim’s unexpected visit to this world leads him to explore strange new places led by his new found friends in his search for the lost stars. This very creative Spanish film has the feel of “The Triplets of Belleville” if it were directed by Tim Burton.
This suspenseful story carries a strong warning about the Internet as it is evolving today. When one computer-savvy teenager unwittingly cracks a security code to an international site that most people use every day…havoc ensues. With ingredients of uncommon-nerd heroes, Takeshi Murakami-designed internet avatars and of course, teenage crushes: This film will keep you glued to your seat, laptop, Smartphone …
Kenji, a teenage math prodigy, is recruited by his secret crush for the ultimate summer job – passing himself off as her boyfriend for four days during her grandmother’s 90th birthday celebration. But when Kenji solves a 2,056-digit math riddle sent to his cell phone, he unwittingly breaches the security barricade protecting OZ: a globe-spanning virtual world where millions of people and governments interact through their avatars, handling everything from online shopping and traffic control to national defense and nuclear launch codes. Now a malicious AI program called the Love Machine is hijacking Oz accounts, growing exponentially more powerful and sowing chaos and destruction in its wake.
This intriguingly intelligent cyberpunk/sci-fi story is a visual tour-de-force, especially the amazing world of OZ: a hallucinatory pixel parade of cool avatar designs, kung fu jackrabbits, toothy bears and a bursting rainbow of colors.
REVIEWS:
“A stunning mixture of hand-drawn and CGI visuals in an endlessly colorful world filled with grotesque, razor-sharp toothed avatars. Its thematic ambition and dazzling visual style ultimately make it one of the more rewarding anime efforts to reach these shores!” – Hollywood Reporter
“A whirlwind of a film! Further proof Japan does grown-up children’s stories better than the United States!” – The New York Times
Over the course of a year, this witty documentary follows two urban, multiracial 11-year-olds as they explore their place in the food chain. Sadie and Safiyah talk to storekeepers, farmers, food activists, farmers to learn more about the origin of the food they eat, how it’s cultivated and how far it travels from farm to fork. The girls formulate sophisticated and compassionate opinions about urban sustainability, and by doing so inspire hope and active engagement.
Three countries. One passion. Three hundred bodies — climbing, reaching the sky to build a human tower.
In Mumbai, India, a team of men attempt to break the Indian record for biggest human tower at the one-day Dahi Handi Festival. In Vilafranca del Penedès, Spain, a group of castellers ( climbers) formed by men, women and children share their passion with the world following a tradition that goes back 400 years. A legendary coach takes his passion to Santiago, Chile, hoping to empower and help the local groups to improve their performances while unifying them as a community.
The film cuts between the three countries, leading to a major climatic scene that will take your breath away and keep you on the edge of your seat. All it takes is one shaky foot and the human tower falls, sending hundreds of bodies tumbling in the rain or into the mud or onto the crumbling pavement of a forgotten neighborhood. A passion beyond race, borders, and ages. A global story of fearless skills heart-pounding suspense and also of human connection.
Why Make Human Towers? Human towers are medicine for the soul. You risk your life for a moment of sublime camaraderie and community. Trust is paramount. All it takes is one shaky foot and the entire tower falls, sending you and hundreds of others tumbling into the air, onto each other and then onto the pavement. Building human towers is more than a quirky attraction, more than an international sport and more than a refuge for lost youth. It’s more even than a thirst for the glory of winning. A human tower, when done right, represents an unparalleled passion for human connection that goes beyond race, borders and ages. In this sense, the world’s best human tower builders represent all of us — all people, all communities, all nations — in our hope for a better future.
When 12-year-old fledgling detectives Santiago and Mariana witness the kidnapping of endangered Mexican wolf cubs, they spring into action to stop the traffickers and return the cubs to the local nature preserve. Staying one step ahead of the local authorities, our heroes must rely on teamwork, keen powers of observation and a little help from the animal spirits to get the job done!
The fifth-grade chorus of PS22 on Staten Island, N.Y., became a YouTube sensation when their teacher started posting videos of them singing. Their rousing renditions of pop songs soon earned them a national legion of fans, as well as the attention of Academy Awards producers. This joyous documentary follows the talented and diverse group of kids and their energetic instructor, as together they tackle creative differences, lost voices, and homesickness on their way to appearing in the finale of the 2011 Academy Awards ceremony. The transformative power of music shines throughout.