Mark your calendar! PROVIDENCE CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL, FEBRUARY 17-26, 2017

EXPLORE NEW WORLDS…

8th annual Festival to be held February 17-26, screening 14 feature-length and 75 short films from around the world, and including workshops, free activities and presentations.

The Providence Children’s Film Festival presents the best of independent and international children’s cinema to inspire, delight, educate, and connect a diverse community of children and families from Rhode Island and throughout New England. The 8th annual Providence Children’s Film Festival takes place February 17-26, 2017 at main venues within walking distance of downtown Providence and at satellite venues across Rhode Island—bringing a world of film to even more Rhode Island youth and families—with over ten days of screenings, filmmaking workshops, and free activities, along with post-film presentations that help deepen the film-watching experience.

During the Festival, PCFF will screen 14 feature-length and more than 75 short films created by filmmakers from around the world, including a film classic, live-action, documentaries, animations and experimental. Films are selected for their compelling stories with a global perspective that challenge young audiences to better understand the world. PCFF believes in providing enriching shared film opportunities for youth from an early age, inspiring and cultivating a new generation of filmmakers, storytellers, and engaged citizens.

Some of the places Festival attendees will travel to through film include the Philippines (Blanka), Korea (The World of Us) and Iran (Sonita). This year’s film lineup also includes a series of mini documentaries that explore a range of topics, such as summer camp for gender diverse kids (Rainbow Day Camp); two teen sisters conjoined on the head (Chenelva & Sheneeva); and Norwegian skateboarders using a beach to build ramps (Northbound).

“… a fantastic tradition. I enjoy going with my family and seeing familiar faces each year. Love your community emphasis. You don’t talk down to kids but offer wonderful films for kids and adults of all ages.”–PCFF Festival patron

In addition to its screenings, PCFF is offering filmmaking workshops, including claymation and green-screen, for children ages 6 to 14 on the weekend of February 11 and 12. PCFF will also host a juried Youth Filmmaker Showcase on February 23 and 26 to nurture and promote the work of young, international filmmakers. The two admission-free sessions will be held at RISD Museum’s Metcalf Auditorium Chace Center and include Q&A sessions with the RISD Art Circle Teen Jury and several youth filmmakers.

The Festival continues its focus on community outreach this year, partnering with the Media Smart Libraries, Providence Community Library, the Providence Athenaeum and Warwick Public Library to host free moving screenings and workshops February 20-25.

Additionally, the Festival’s ongoing partnership with RISD Museum provides free screenings of select films on February 19, 23 and 26. The RISD Museum provides FREE museum admission to Festival attendees on February 17, 18, 19, 25 and 26 upon presentation of a Festival ticket stub.

“We believe in the power of visual storytelling to transform how we think about the world and our place in it,” said Anisa Raoof, Executive Director of PCFF. “By giving voice to people of many cultures, PCFF’s international films encourage Rhode Island children and families to embrace a global perspective—and find themselves reflected on the screen.”

Bringing the world to Rhode Island and fostering film literacy. In just eight years, PCFF has become one of the nation’s top multi-day film festivals dedicated to programming for young audiences, now rivaling children’s film festivals in New York, Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles.

Kids are part of the Jury! At PCFF, youth have a voice from beginning to end in the selection of films. At most children’s film festivals, children only serve on award juries, but PCFF’s Junior Jury is composed of young film enthusiasts ages 5 to 17 who have a unique opportunity and responsibility: working alongside an adult committee to select the final Festival program from among hundreds of films submitted each year.

All children attending the Festival will receive a free Cinema Passport to document the real world connections made while watching films. The Festival also offers clear parental guidance for attendees as PCFF-curated films may not be appropriate for all ages. To help parents make informed decisions about what their children see and to provide context for discussions, PCFF film listings include recommended ages, notes on thematic elements, and descriptions of potentially challenging content.

PCFF offers clear parental guidance. PCFF-curated films are not always appropriate for all ages. To help parents make informed decisions about what their children see and to provide context for discussions, PCFF film listings include recommended ages, notes on thematic elements, and descriptions of potentially challenging content.

Tickets for the 8th annual Providence Children’s Film Festival will be available beginning January 20. Prices are $10.00 for adults and $8.00 for youth (under 18) and seniors (65 and older). New for this year is a Film Fanatic Pass (10 films for $75.00), providing attendees flexibility and excellent value. School and group discounts are also available. For more information, or to purchase tickets, please call (401) 209-7585 or visit www.pcffri.org.

The Providence Children’s Film Festival is made possible by grant funders, sponsors and community partners: Carter Family Charitable Trust; Entelco Foundation; Hasbro, Inc.; June Rockwell Levy Foundation; Providence Tourism Council; Rhode Island State Council on the Arts; Avon Cinema; Bottlerocket Design Group; BankRI; CVS Health; COX; Campus Fine Wines; Jake and Company; Embee Studio; Flatbread Company; Kidoinfo; New Harvest Coffee Roasters; Neighborhood Health Plan of RI; Media Smart Libraries; Providence Athenaeum; Providence Children’s Museum; Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau; RISD Museum; RISD FAV Department; Seven Stars Bakery; The Media Education Lab at URI; The Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School; Rhode Island Office of Library Information Services; and Warwick Public Library, with special thanks to school partners Gordon School; French American School of RI; Moses Brown School; and Wheeler School.

More about PCFF

Our mission is to present the best of independent and international children’s cinema to inspire, delight, educate, and connect a diverse community of children and families from Rhode Island and throughout New England.

The Providence Children’s Film Festival (PCFF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded in 2009 to bring high-quality, independent and international children’s films, animation and documentaries to New England, and to present them as shared theatrical experiences for the community. The Festival organizers include artists, educators, librarians, and nonprofit administrators who see value in introducing children to film as a way to help them make connections to both their own and other cultures. The new PCFF FILM HUB connects the community year-round with a collection of resources—including a film directory of past festival films and film guides with discussion questions and activities activity reel with—designed to promote ­film education and access to the best of independent and international children’s cinema.