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.
Magic, fantasy and Celtic mythology come together in a riot of color and detail that dazzle the eyes in this sweeping story about the power of imagination and faith to carry humanity through dark times. To complete a magical illuminated manuscript, young Brendan must overcome his deepest fears on a dangerous quest through an enchanted forest beset by barbarians. Will his determination and artistic vision conquer darkness and show that enlightenment is the best fortification against evil?
Exploring her grandmother’s old villa, 10-year-old Stella is suddenly catapulted 100 years into the past on a fantastic time journey. She lands in the same villa and meets Clementine, a girl her own age, whom she recognizes as her great-grandmother. But there is no time for reminiscing: The family faces ruin, the villa is to be sold, and Clementine must relinquish her dream of studying to become a doctor – unless, of course, the children find the Star of the Orient.
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.
Lotte, the irrepressible canine heroine and her invention-loving relatives are back! PCFF premiered this film in Providence in 2013, and now a new generation can enjoy her antics.
It’s not often that a sequel far outshines the original, but” Lotte and the Moonstone Secret” is that movie! The irrepressible canine heroine of “Lotte in Gadgetland” (PCFF 2012) and her invention-loving relatives are back. Lotte takes us on a wonderful journey where you will visit with lunar rabbits, ballroom-dancing cats, fitness-mad cows and singing penguins in pants. Light but not lightweight, charming but not silly, genuinely funny both in visuals and dialogue, “Lotte” is a breath of animated fresh air.
Bored and all alone in the sky, the Moon Man hitches a ride to Earth on a passing comet. His arrival is mistaken as an attack from outer space by the Earth’s arrogant president. Meanwhile, the world’s children are unable to sleep without seeing the Moon Man in the night sky, leading our protagonist to enlist a sympathetic scientist to help with his return to his rightful place. The quirkiness and slower pace set “Moon Man” apart from the frenetic energy of so many other animated films. With nods to Rube Goldberg, Picasso and Escher, and delightful set pieces that use recordings by Louis Armstrong and Iron Butterfly, the picture unfolds with a sense of discovery that will draw young and old alike into the earthbound adventures of its unlikely lunar hero.
REVIEWS:
“Dazzling. The movie’s offbeat charm sets it apart.” -Sherri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter
Patema is a precocious teen who loves to explore the caverns and tunnels of her subterranean world until she falls into the DANGER ZONE! In her inverted gravity world, she falls upwards to the Earth’s surface and risks falling into the sky. Saved by an equally rebellious young man who is charmed by this upside-down girl, they fight to save her from the totalitarian surface government that seeks to annihilate her subterranean civilization and the freethinking people they represent. A dizzying, suspenseful animé.
Maya is a little bee with a big heart. For a hive to exist there are rules that must be followed. Let’s just say, Maya’s curiosity does not help her remember the rules. She can’t help but make friends with other bugs in the meadow including the most threatening bugs of all – HORNETS! When the royal jelly goes missing, Maya’s “flaws” help save the hive. Part musical, part comedy, part suspense film, MAYA THE BEE has it all!
Sometimes not standing out can be a good thing—at least this is what nine-year-old Ulises and his two best friends have come to believe in their elementary school. The bullies don’t bother you, the teachers won’t call on you and classmates don’t realize you’re missing when you want to be. It’s smooth sailing until Ulises wakes up one morning with an enormous mustache. Going from anonymity to celebrity will test good friendships and lead to a hairy adventure.