Providence Children's Film Festival | Animation Archives - Providence Children's Film Festival

Let’s Get Animated
Animation is like magic. An animator takes a non-living thing then, voila!… provides the illusion that it now has life. Just how the illusion is accomplished varies greatly from each different filmmaker. This year matchsticks will be very much brought to “life”, the game of chess will be played in a very unique way and a filmmaker returns with her latest story told with clay-paint. These films may animate YOU to make some of your own magic!
Multi-national / In English or with English subtitles / 70 min / All Ages

Film lineup is subject to change without notice.

6:1
Sometimes where you play checkers can become part of the game!
Russia, 2018 / no dialogue / Sergei Ryabov / 3 min / Animation.

The Kite
The Kite deals with the issue of death, but it does so in a simple metaphorical and symbolic way on the relationship between the little boy and his grandpa. It explains that none of us are here forever and that all living creatures must die, but also to show that death doesn’t mean the end of our journey.
Czech Republic, 2019 / no dialogue / Martin Smatana / 13 min / Animation.

Angel’s Trumpet
An animated world where hummingbirds taste the nectar of wind instruments which surprisingly affects their birdsong.
Estonia, 2019 / no dialogue / Martinus Klemet / 2.5 min / Animation.

The Elephant’s Song
The sad but true story of Old Bet, the first circus elephant in America, set to a tune sung by her friend, an old farm dog. Their story is portrayed in colorful, handcrafted animation, created frame by frame with clay-on-glass and oil pastel animation.
USA, 2018 / in English / Lynn Tomlinson / 7.5 min / Animation.

The Fisherman in Spring
A fisherman eagerly awaits the arrival of spring. Looking for any sign of seasonal change feels interminably long…. Until he spots a blossom!
Iran, 2018 / no dialogue / Seyed Hassan Soltani / 10 min / Animation.

Chess
This is a chess game that is played like no other! Pieces battle one another in very untypical ways leading to quite a messy (and fun) outcome.
Russia, 2019 / no dialogue / Alexey Pochivalov / 6.5 min / Animation.

Matches
As a seven year old boy is interviewed matchsticks come to life to represent the stories he is telling.
Hungary, 2019 / in English with English subtitles / Géza M. Tóth / 11 min / Animation.

Matilda
Matilda can’t get to sleep and starts playing with her bedside lamp until the lightbulb finally burns out. She finds herself plunged into darkness! She soon overcomes her fear and, using her torch, starts exploring her room in this new light, and discovers all the magic of the night.
France, Belgium, Spain, 2018 / no dialogue /Irene Iborra, Eduard Puertas / 7 min / Animation.

My Grandfather is Hiding
A grandfather explains to his grandson that he’ll have to take care of his flower garden after he dies. There follows a touching and poetic discussion about losing loved ones and the marks they leave behind.
France, 2018 / no dialogue / Anne Huynh / 7 min / Animation.

Waters of March
Waters of March is the classic song written by Tom Jobim and performed by jazz singer Stacey Kent. The delicately rendered animated drawings move at a rollicking pace transitioning back and forth from real to abstract images telling the ever changing story of loss and hope.
Canada, 2019 / in English / Elizabeth Lewis / 3.5 min / Animation.

Marguerite Tram
Old tram that nobody uses and its driver diesel. One day, an old woman rides the train and wants to go to a station that no longer exists.
Korea, 2018 / no dialogue / Seok Jaehee, Kim Minji / 6.5 min / Animation.

A Grumpy Bud
A gardener helps to create unordinary families
Belgium, 2018 / no dialogue / Marie Royer / 2 min / Animation.

How Can I Help? – I am Mad
Jojo the Armadillo struggles with oppositional defiant disorder. In her episode she explores her anger and how it affects her and others. Jojo explains an art therapy episode that helps her manage her anger and expresses the importance of telling a trusted adult about what it is she is struggling with.
USA, 2019 / in English / Dallin Penrod / 5 min / Animation.

Jules and Jett Fly a Kite
A brother and sister robot solve problems and have adventures together. And like with most siblings, sometimes they get into trouble along the way. In this episode we see Jules and Jett try to build and fly a kite!
USA, 2019 / no dialogue / Tony Dusko / 1 min / Animation.

Film lineup is subject to change without notice.

6:1
Sometimes where you play checkers can become part of the game!
Russia, 2018 / no dialogue / Sergei Ryabov / 3 min / Animation.

Marguerite Tram
Old tram that nobody uses and its driver diesel. One day, an old woman rides the train and wants to go to a station that no longer exists.

As one of the top four youth film festivals in North America, PCFF invites short film compilations from other prestigious festivals to be part of our festival. NYICFF reels are popular with our audiences every year. If you’ve ever been the youngest of the group, you’ll sympathize with the little tadpole who always falls a tad behind in the charming KUAP . Catching up on penmanship is the name of the game if you want to graduate from pencils in the winning doc PEN LICENCE . Then little ones are in charge and grown-ups get to play when the hilarious FLIPPED reworks the script.

Multi-national / In English / 65 min / Ages 3-7

BELLY FLOP
South Africa, Animation
Jeremy Collins, Kelly Dillon, 2018, 5 min
One girl is determined to make a very big splash, but will she have the buoyant courage to pull it off?

SMALL SPARK
France, Animation
Animation, Nicolas Bianco-Levrin, 2019, 4 min
You’ve heard of night owls and bookworms? Well both perfectly describe this mouse, who must find a way to continue his exciting bedtime reading when it’s lights out.

KUAP
Switzerland, Animation
Nils Hedinger, 2018, 7 min
If you’ve ever been the youngest of the group, you’ll sympathize with the little tadpole who always falls a tad behind in the charming KUAP .

PIG ON THE HILL
USA, Animation
Jamy Wheless & John Helms; 2017, 6 min.
Pig may be up high, but his nimble new neighbor, Duck, shows how the most important spot of all is one next to friends.

PEN LICENCE
Australia, Documentary
Documentary, Olivia Peniston-Bird, 2018, 9 min
Brushing up on penmanship is the name of the game if you want to graduate from pencils.

6:1
Russia, Animation,
Sergei Ryabov, 2018, 3 min
Checkers may seem a game of child’s play, but can a losing cat nab a comeback?

FLIPPED

United Kingdom, Animation
Hend Esmat & Lamiaa Diab, 2018, 5 min
Little ones are in charge and grown-ups get to play when the hilarious Flipped r eworks the script.

MI ABUELITA
Guatemala, Animation
Giselle Pérez, 2018, 2 min
Like everything Abuelita does, her tamales are filled with love, especially when her granddaughter gets to help out in the kitchen.

PRESCHOOL POETS
USA, Animation
Nancy Kangas & Josh Kun, 2018, 2 min
Samuel serves up some poetic proclamations about life, as definitively drawn from the three-foot perspective.

BROOKLYN BREEZE
COLOMBIA, Animation
Alex Budovsky, 2017, 4 min
NYC’s biggest borough gets the Busby Berkeley treatment in this charmingly upbeat ode to industrial Brooklyn that will have you tapping your steel-capped toes!

RACCOON & THE LIGHT
USA, Animation
Hanna Kim, 2018, 4 min
Nighttime is a breeze for a nocturnal creature, but a spotlight shines in more ways than one in this Student Academy Award-Winner.

A fairytale-like adventure that feels like part dream, part reality. A young man crash lands on a mysterious island and has to travel across it to find his way out. The challenge is not to get caught by a giant creature that won’t stop pursuing him. Whether the creature is real or just a manifestation of our hero’s inner demons is up for debate. There is something rather rudimentary about the animation itself but the aesthetic only adds to the film’s strange and absorbing power, creating a hypnotizing atmosphere that, in its best moments, manages to spirit us away. Not a word is spoken but the film score speaks volumes.

Latvia / 2019 / no dialog / 75 min / Ages 10+ (malevolent creature that will not stop chasing)

From executive producer Angelina Jolie and the creators of the Academy Award®-nominated THE SECRET OF KELLS and SONG OF THE SEA, comes a highly-anticipated new film based on Deborah Ellis’ best-selling novel. Director Nora Twomey’s animation magnificently conveys the extraordinary story of 11-year-old Afghan girl Parvana, born into an ever-changing world of conflict and oppression, who finds strength in the love of her family and the power of storytelling.

In Taliban-controlled Kabul, women and girls are not permitted to leave the house unescorted, to earn money, or to shop for food and supplies in the market. When Parvana’s father, a teacher, is unfairly imprisoned, she must disguise herself as a boy to become her family’s sole breadwinner. Showing courage and perseverance, Parvana does anything she can to support her family, while trying desperately to help free her father.

THE BREADWINNER is fundamentally about family, friendship, and imagination. With a team of over 200 artists, animators, and actors from around the world, Twomey has created an innovative mix of 2-D animation with acrylic and digitally painted environments, as well as digital paper cut–out segments, all woven into an unforgettable story.

This is not just an incredibly important film, but one that reminds us of the power of animation to communicate serious issues in the world. It will surely be a strong contender for a “Best Animated Feature” Academy Award nomination.

Did Cinderella boogie to Latin music? Did Snow White hitch a ride on a hippy bus? Roald Dahl’s classic skewering of traditional fairy tales with revisionist storylines is now a dark and delicious double feature. This animated film crackles with Dahl’s exceptional poetic and naughty prose narrated by the Big Bad Wolf (Dominic West). Because of the unpleasant (graphic) demise of several key characters, the films are best suited for those who enjoy happy endings that are a bit more sinister than sweet.

Based on Mary Stewart’s 1971 classic children’s book The Little Broomstick, MARY AND THE WITCH’S FLOWER is an action-packed animation full of jaw-dropping imaginative worlds, ingenious characters, and the simple, heartfelt story of a young girl trying to find a place in the world. Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (animator on SPIRITED AWAY, HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE and PONYO). Featuring the voices of Academy Award®-winners Kate Winslet and Jim Broadbent.

New England Premiere

The therapeutic power of storytelling is at the forefront of this genre-defying documentary. Swaziland is a tiny country with the world’s highest HIV infection rate. A tragic consequence are the estimated 200,000 orphans now needing care, many traumatized beyond just losing their parents. At one orphanage, healing takes place through collective storywriting borne from the children’s personal experiences. The result is the powerful story of Liyana, a brave and determined girl who sets out to save her abducted twin brothers from many forms of peril. Where the children take Liyana in the story is where they are working to be in life.

When a child makes a twig his best friend, a parent may worry. Fear not, for this twig (Twigson) has Junior’s best interests at heart! Twigson is married to a white birch that just had a baby (“He has my face but your bark”). When the Daddy Twigson disappears, Junior needs to use imaginative ways to find him. But as any fortune cookie may tell you, “When you look for one thing, you might end up finding something else completely.” Based on the popular children’s book series by Anne Cath Vestly.