Free 2017 Festival Programming @ the Library!

What better place to watch a story than in a world full of stories?  Free Festival library programming is presented in partnership with and support from Media Smart Libraries, Providence Community Library, Warwick Public Library and Providence Athenaeum.

To amplify and broaden the reach of our programming, PCFF collaborates with organizations in Rhode Island that share our mission and vision that ALL youth deserve access to great visual stories that delight and challenge our audiences along with the skills to be their own creative media makers. For more information about the Festival including film schedule, film descriptions, trailers and a full list of community partners, click here.

Film Screening: Gotta Be Me (PCFF Curated Shorts Collection)
@ Providence Athenaeum – 251 Benefit Street, Providence
Tuesday, February 21, 10:30 AM – 11:40 AM
As Henry David Thoreau stated in Walden: “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.” GOTTA BE ME! has stories of people and animals trying to figure out just who their drummers are. Often, the search is as much fun as the beat.
Ages: All ages / Multi-national 2015-2016 / In English or no dialogue / 68 min
Limited space. Pre-registration strongly recommended. Visit www.pcffri.org for details.

Mini Doc Film Screening: Ashley Bryan’s World
@ Providence Athenaeum – 251 Benefit Street, Providence
Tuesday, February 21, 11:45 AM – 12:15 PM – may be followed by Reel Connection program
The mind of this 93-year-old artist from Maine skips and jumps like a child’s. Yet he is a spiritually deep and erudite creative wonder and poet/illustrator of 50 children’s books, who makes magical puppets and beautiful sea glass windows from found objects inspired by his African heritage.
Ages 8+ / USA 2016 / Dir. Richard Kane / 34 min

Filmmaking Workshop: Animate the Library!
@ Washington Park Library (Providence Community Library) – 1316 Broad Street, Providence
Tuesday, February 21, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Share your library love and learn the craft of animated storytelling as you create a collaborative short film!
Ages: 8+ / 120 min. Drop-in. Limited space. Tickets not available online. Please register by visiting the Washington Park Library, calling (401) 781-3136 or emailing Leah Lubman (llubman@provcomlib.org).

All the Wiser (PCFF Curated Shorts Collection)
@ Warwick Public Library, 600 Sandy Lane, Warwick
Wednesday, February 22, 10:30 AM – Noon – followed by Reel Connection programFilm Screening:
Some of the most effective lessons we learn in life are through unplanned experiences. A hedgehog’s fascination with snow, an aspiring kitten witch and an absent-minded father are just some of the characters who grow wiser by the time the credits roll.
Ages: 8+ / Multi-national 2015-2016 / In English or w/English subtitles / 67 min
Limited space. Please register at the Warwick Public Library or WPL website: www.warwicklibrary.org/childrens/events/5428/providence-childrens-film-festival. 

Film Screening: Finding Your Voice (PCFF Curated Shorts Collection) – followed by Reel Connection program
@ Knight Memorial Library -275 Elmwood Avenue, Providence
Wednesday, February 22, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
For most people it takes some time to feel confident in who they are or what they do well. This eclectic compilation of stories from around the world follows characters endeavoring to discover what they identify with—with varying results.
Ages: 8+ / Multi-national 2015-2016 / In English or w/English subtitles / 64 min
Limited space. Tickets not available online. Please register by visiting the Knight Memorial Library, calling 401-467-2625, or emailing Melissa Rivera (mrivera@provcomlib.org).

Film Screening: Magic Carpet Ride 2017 (PCFF Curated Shorts Collection)
@ Warwick Public Library, 600 Sandy Lane, Warwick – may be followed by Reel Connection program
Thursday, February 23, 10:30 AM – Noon
Jump on the PCFF magic carpet and get ready to ride! You will witness balancing submarines, sugar-fueled tricycle chases and a piccolo just wanting to be heard. This year’s reel transports you to lands as close as NYC and as far away as Germany, Russia, Japan and Australia.
All ages / Multi-national 2015-2016 / In English or no dialogue / 68 min
Limited space. Please register at the Warwick Public Library or WPL website: www.warwicklibrary.org/childrens/events/5429/providence-childrens-film-festival.

Filmmaking Workshop: Stop-Motion Animation
@ Wanskuck Library (Providence Community Library) – 233 Veazie Street, Providence
Friday, February 24, 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Stories come to life at the library! Our library animation workshop includes a screening of animated shorts to inspire, and hands-on time to create your own stories while learning about film animation. Drop in, stay as long as you like. Due to limited space, pre-registration is recommended.
All ages / 120 min
Limited space. Tickets not available online. Please register by visiting the Wanskuck Library, calling (401) 274-4145, or emailing Molly Osborne (mosborne@provcomlib.org).

Special Screening + Discussion: The Power of the Documentary
@ Providence Athenaeum, 251 Benefit Street, Providence
Saturday, February 25, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM – Reel Connection program
Special screening and discussion geared for professional filmmakers, educators, students and documentary fans.
Ages 10+ / 90 min

FREE! PCFF Cinema Passports Travel the world with Providence Children’s Film Festival! We invite youth to explore new places, discover fresh ideas and make real world connections while watching movies. HOW TO USE PASSPORT: Track your film travels and record your ratings and opinions about the stories you watch. Get a stamp for every feature film or shorts program you watch.

PLUS SPECIAL SCREENING: My Life as a Zucchini (Ma vie de Courgette)
Saturday, February 25, 4:15 PM – RISD Auditorium, 17 Canal Walk (across from RISD Museum), Providence.
TICKETS REQUIRED ($8 Youth / $10 Adults). Details: www.pcffri.org
Presented in partnership with Media Smart Libraries in partnership. MSL supports public programming events emphasizing the use of film and media texts to promote expanded literacy in the 21st century. This Festival screening of MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI, hopes to bring awareness that libraries are key agents of change in advancing the digital media literacy of children, teens, and families in their communities. (Download Film Guide)

ABOUT THE FILM: Arguably, this French-language claymation cuts closer to the reality of the foster home experience than live-action melodramas like ANNIE or MATILDA ever did. Director Claude Barras tells a simple story simply, drawing power from Zucchini’s point of view as the troubled 9-year-old recounts his stint in a group home following the death of his alcoholic mother. The kids living in this home all have pasts shaded with tragic circumstances including suicide, abuse and drugs. The story could have been devastatingly dark, but it addresses issues with subtlety and delicacy that neither condescends to nor scars younger audiences. The clean and simple animation style works in wonderful contrast to the difficult subject matter, and the characters’ expressive faces give us hope for the innocence and resilience of children. MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI is authentic, empathetic, and ultimately uplifting. Golden Globe nominee for Best Animation 2016, Switzerland’s Official 2016 Academy Awards Entry for Best Foreign Language Film.Ages: 13+ (coarse language, discussion of sex, mention of abuse and suicide) / Switzerland, France 2016 / French (w/English subtitles) / Dir. Claude Barras / 66 min

• 2017 Academy Award Nomine for Best Animated Feature
• Golden Globe nominee for Best Animation 2016
• Switzerland’s Official Academy Awards Entry for Best Foreign Language Film 2016