Created from a long-running Dutch comic strip, Pim & Pom are two adorable cats that love getting into mischief. When their doting owner invites her two nieces for a visit, little do Pim & Pom expect that the girls have in mind a different kind of “cat-napping” than they are used to. Will Pim & Pom find their way back to their beloved owner? The musical score and creative animation style make this film one of a kind.
In May 2013, the Okee Dokee Brothers embarked on a month-long trek on the Appalachian Trail. They hiked, camped, met mountain musicians, and wrote the songs that make up their second adventure album, Through the Woods. As a follow-up to their Grammy Award-winning album this documentary invites viewers and listeners along for a journey full of camping, old-time mountain music, miles of hiking—and a few shenanigans.
As childhood friends growing up in Denver, Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing were always exploring the outdoors. Whether rafting down their neighborhood creek or discovering hiking trails through the Rocky Mountains, Joe and Justin were born adventurers. Now, as the GRAMMY® Award-winning Okee Dokee Brothers, they have put this passion for the outdoors at the heart of their Americana Folk music and this film.
Joe and Justin record and perform family music with a goal to inspire children and their parents to get outside and experience nature. They believe this can motivate kids to gain a greater respect for the natural world, their communities and themselves. The three-time Parents’ Choice Award winners have garnered praise from the likes of NPR’s All Things Considered and USA Today, and have been called “two of family music’s best songwriters”. Their nationwide fan base is drawn to their witty lyrics, strong musicianship and unique folk style. By appealing to the musical tastes of the entire family and recognizing that kids deserve quality music, the Okee Dokee Brothers are working full-time to advance the family music genre.
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!
Still mourning the death of his mother, gentle nine-year-old Finn also has to struggle with his father’s insistence that he play soccer. When Finn meets a mysterious old man playing a violin at an abandoned farm, the beauty of the music entrances him. Determined to learn how to play, he sneaks away for lessons. Finding comfort and strength in the music, Finn seems to have found his calling…and much more. Pay attention! There are twists in this story that will make you want to see it twice!
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.
Twelve-year-old Pelle leads a dreadfully dull life in his small Danish town until a bite from a very special ant endows him with the incredible powers of… an ANT! He has an uncontrollable urge to eat sugar; he can climb walls, and he can carry objects many times his size. Will these powers be enough for him to save Amanda (the classmate he pines for) and his hometown from the villain known as “The Flea”? Sit down, Thor and Spiderman–Antboy has arrived!!
Many films have been made about kids going to extraordinary lengths to avoid school. This stunningly shot documentary (Cesar Award Winner 2014) captures the stories of four children (Kenya, Patagonia, Morocco and India) and their herculean efforts to get TO school. Instinctively, they know that their well-being, and in many ways survival, depend on knowledge and education. This is a film parents might cite the next time their children complain about getting up for school on a Monday morning.
Jackson crosses the Kenyan savannah on foot, heeding his father’s advice, “If the elephants see you, they will kill you! Run away!”; Carlito rides horseback across rocky, scrub-covered plains and rushing rivers; Zahira treks over treacherous Atlas Mountain passes in Morocco with her classmates supporting one another; Samuel depends on his brothers to push his wheelchair over sand dunes and through swamps of southern Bengal. While the breathtaking cinematography reveals the splendor of their homelands, the dangers of these voyages keep you on the edge of your seat. At the heart of this unforgettable film are the children’s resilience and their unstoppable yearning to learn and improve their lives.
GET LOCAL: Family Services Rhode Island: The Walking School Bus
Family Service of Rhode Island’s Walking School Bus provides routes to and from school. The initiative ensures that each child living within a mile of the school, who needs to walk arrives on time and returns home safely, even when a family member is unable to walk with him or her. The Walking School Bus serves Bailey and Fogarty elementary schools in Providence’s South Side neighborhood.To learn more about this program and/or to become a volunteer, click here.
There is perhaps no cinematic bond stronger than that of the friendship between a boy and his dog. For this reason, the novel “Belle et Sébastien” by actress and author Cécile Aubry has endured since the 1960s, inspiring several films, television series, and even the name of a Scottish indie music ensemble.
In this latest film adaptation by Nicolas Vanier, the setting has shifted to World War II on the French/Swiss border. Sébastien (Félix Bossuet) lives with his grizzled grandfather in a vertiginous mountain village and crosses paths with a giant, filthy Pyrenean mountain dog the locals call “The Beast” for allegedly killing livestock. Sébastien, however, sees something good in the misunderstood canine and eventually befriends the animal, naming her “Belle.” Their budding friendship is put to the test when Nazi occupiers march into town looking for members of the French Resistance who are guiding Jewish refugees to neighboring Switzerland. With their intimate knowledge of the nooks and crannies of the alpine valleys, Belle and Sébastien help point the way to safety, with the merciless SS officer, Lieutenant Peter, tracking them every step of the way.
Using 35mm film and jaw-dropping scenery from the Haute Maurienne-Vanoise region of France, Belle et Sébastien is a charming homage to the beloved live-action nature films of Disney, but with a pulse-pounding World War II subplot that will enthrall audiences of all ages.
In a world of children’s films largely dominated by action-packed 3D animation, Ernest and Celestine’s old-fashioned charm, simple message about the value of friendship, and magical watercolors stand out. Little mice are taught to be afraid of bears, but when Celestine’s dream of meeting one is realized, the lumbering, grumbling Ernest proves to be the best friend an open-minded mouse could ask for. From the creators of Triplets of Belleville and The Secret of Kells.