* The 2012 Festival is now over! *   See you again in 2013!

TICKET INFORMATION

Admission to most festival programs is $7 for kids, $10 for adults and $6 for Northwest Film Forum members. Babes in arms are free. Special programs are priced as indicated.

Many screenings sell out -- avoid tears and get your tickets in advance! All festival screenings take place at Northwest Film Forum. The cinemas are located at 1515 12th Ave in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, on 12th Avenue between Pike & Pine Street. (Please note that the Pancake Breakfast is held at the Central Lutheran Church.) Click here for directions to Northwest Film Forum.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Jan 26 at 7pm

Opening Night Gala! - Tales of the Night

Michel Ocelot, France, 84 min

Our festival opens with a magnificent new film by the animation auteur who brought us "Kirikou and the Sorceress" and "Azur and Asmar." A hit at the Berlin Film Festival, the film weaves together six exotic fables that unfold in Tibet, medieval Europe, an Aztec kingdom, the African plains, and even the Land of the Dead. History blends with fairytale as viewers are whisked off to enchanted places populated by dragons, werewolves, captive princesses, sorcerers, and enormous talking bees - and each fable ends with a twist. Fall into the fabulous world of "Tales of the Nights" - a place where black silhouetted characters dance across Day-Glo backgrounds bursting with color and kaleidoscopic patterns.

Drummers from Red Eagle Soaring Native Youth Theatre will perform a welcome song to open up the festival. For more information about the group, visit www.redeaglesoaring.org.

Northwest Puppet Center will present a brief demonstration of marionettes, including the same skeleton trick as was captured on film by Auguste and Louis Lumiere in 1895! Come see these fantastic puppets in the lobby before the film.

$38 for a family of four, individual tickets $10 members/$12 general admission.

In French with English subtitles.
Ages 8 and up. Includes scenes involving danger, fighting and romance.

Jan 27 at 7pm

Pajama Party with Caspar Babypants

60 min

Wear your PJs and fluffy slippers to see Caspar Babypants, the rollicking kids music act by famed Seattle rocker Chris Ballew, of The Presidents of the United States of America. The show is full of catchy tunes that will make kids want to get up and boogie. We're throwing in a sneak preview of animated films from the festival. Don't forget to bring your favorite stuffed animal! Special yummy treats will be served.

$38 for a family of four, individual tickets $10 members/$12 general admission.

Ages 3 and up.

Special thanks to Trophy Cupcakes and KIND Healthy Snacks

Jan 28 at 9:30am with screenings at 10:30 and 11am

Pancake Breakfast & Short Film Smorgasbord

90 min - includes breakfast and a one-hour film program
This all-you-can-eat breakfast of fluffy homemade pancakes and sizzling bacon is fun for the whole family! And of course we'll have gallons of hot coffee on hand for adults. After breakfast, come to Northwest Film Forum for a special screening of some of the best live action and animated short films in this year's festival. The breakfast is held at the Central Lutheran Church, just down the street from the Film Forum, at 1710 11th Avenue.

Special musical guest at the Pancake Breakfast! Blues man and picker John Browne will provide an aid to digestion!

$50 per family of four, individual tickets $14.
All ages.

Special thanks to Whole Foods Market

Jan 29 at 11:00am, Jan 30 at 10am and 1pm, Jan 31 at 10am

String: Object Theater and Short Films

70 min - includes a brief intermission

In the spirit of the physical artistry of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Jacques Tati, this gentle presentation of object theater by movement artist Mary Margaret Moore takes very young children on a simple and yet magical journey of discovery. Using a blank canvas, a red rope and seven rustling paper lunch bags filled with everyday objects, Moore aims to stimulate children's imagination and stretch their capacity to decipher emotions.

"String", a 35-minute piece, will be followed by a brief intermission, and then a 25-minute selection of short films from "Touch My Heart," a festival program of animation that use textures like wool, paper, clay, fabric and string to tell gentle tales and sweet stories.

Ages 2 to 6.
*January 30th 10am & January 31st screenings sold out*

Feb 5 at 5pm

Closing Ceremony

90 min

Experience the glamour of a world premiere and the thrill of an awards ceremony! This program features films created in festival workshops, the announcement of Children's Jury decisions and a presentation of prize-winning films.

All ages.

FABULOUS FEATURES

Jan 26 at 7 pm

Tales of the Night- Northwest Premiere!

(Michel Ocelot, France, 84 min)

Our festival opens with a magnificent new film by the animation who brought us "Kirikou and the Sorceress" and "Azur and Asmar". A hit at the Berlin Film Festival, the film weaves together six exotic fables that unfold in Tibet, medieval Europe, an Aztec kingdom, the African plains, and even the Land of the Dead. History blends with fairytale as viewers are whisked off to enchanted places populated by dragons, werewolves, captive princesses, sorcerers, and enormous talking bees and each fable ends with a twist. Fall into the fabulous world of "Tales of the Night," a place where black silhouetted characters dance across Day-Glo backgrounds bursting with color and kaleidoscopic patterns.
$38 for a family of four, individual tickets $10 members/$12 general admission.

In French with English subtitles.
Ages 8 and up. Includes scenes involving danger, fighting and brief silhouetted nudity.

Jan 28 at 1pm, Feb 5 at 1:30pm

EEP! - Seattle Premiere

(Ellen Smit, The Netherlands, 80 min)

This charming film tells the story of Birdie, a little girl with wings instead of arms. She is found in the woods by a childless older couple, and they decide to raise her as their own. But when Birdie flies away toward the sea, an exciting chase begins. This film has enchanted audiences worldwide and won multiple prizes on the children's festival circuit.

In Dutch with English subtitles.
Ages 7 and up.

Shown with: Ginjas, Episode 14 (Zepe (José Pedro Cavalheiro) and Humberto Santana, Portugal, 2 min)

Jan 29 at 7pm

7 or Why I Exist - US Premiere

(Antje Starost & Hans Helmut Grotjahn, Germany, 87 min)

This remarkable documentary invites seven children from Germany, Greece, France and Ecuador to take us by the hand and lead us into their world. They show us what is important to them, what they love and what they hold dear, what makes them laugh and what makes them cry. Their stories are told with authenticity, humor, sincerity and the unlimited power of imaginations.

In German, French and Spanish with English subtitles.
For parents, grandparents, educators, child development professionals and mature children. Includes a few instances of mildly coarse language and inoffensive nudity.

Jan 29 at 5pm, Jan 30 at 7pm

Fuchsia the Mini Witch -Seattle Premiere

(Johan Nijenhuis, The Netherlands, 84 min)

Great adventures can hatch from the smallest eggs. Little witch Fuchsia wants to learn to do magic just like her wizard father, and so is pleased as punch when she is allowed to go to witches' school. There, Fuchsia learns to rule the wind and conjure up clouds. But she is just a little bit too ambitious, so her magic has some unexpected results! Winner of the Gryphon Award for Best Film at the Giffoni International Children's Film Festival.

Dubbed in English.
Ages 6 and up. Includes scenes of danger and a spooky witches' ball.

Feb 4 at 1pm

Most Valuable Players - Northwest Premiere

(Matthew D. Kallis, USA, 95 min)

The lead-up to Pennsylvania's annual "Freddy Awards" - a version of The Tony Awards, but for high-school musicals Most Valuable Players is a roller-coaster ride of rehearsals and emotion for three different ensembles of talented teen thespians. This riveting, funny, moving and very musical documentary won the Documentary Channel Audience Award at the Nashville Film Festival 2011.

Ages 8 and up. Mildly suggestive banter between teens during one brief scene in the film.

Feb 2 at 7pm, Feb 4 at 3pm

The Magicians - Northwest Premiere

(Joram Lürsen, The Netherlands, 90 min)

In this action-packed, funny and suspenseful film, an eight-year-old magician must find out what is real and unreal, and learn a whole new bag of tricks, when his best friend disappears.

In Dutch with English subtitles.
Ages 8 and up.

Jan 29 at 3:30pm

Harun Arun - Northwest Premiere

(Vinod Ganatra, India, 73 min)

This Indian film, filled with lively music and vivid characters, was shot in the remote and colorful Kutchh region of India. It tells the story of a boy and his grandfather, and their adventurous and sometimes dangerous journey across the Pakistan border to their familial homeland in India. A story of tolerance and intercultural understanding, and how one small child can make a difference in the world, it won the Liv Ullmann Peace Prize at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival.

In Gujarati with English subtitles.
Ages 8 and older, depending on children's ability to read subtitles and follow a story with many twists and turns.

Shown with: Picnic (Wan-Ting Huang, Taiwan, 1 min)


Jan 28 at 3:30pm, Feb 5 at 11:30am

On the Sly - US Premiere

(Olivier Ringer, Belgium/France, 77 min)

Winner of the Children's Jury Award at the Montreal International Film Festival, this spellbinding film tells the story of a six-year-old girl who slips away from her parents to live in the woods. Her journey back to her frantic parents - told completely from the child's point of view - is in turns harrowing and humorous ; a story told with virtuoso cinematic skill from start to finish.

In French with English subtitles.
Ages 10 and up. A story about a small child running away, with some suspenseful scenes and emotionally intense moments.

Jan 28 at 7pm

Me and My Umbrella - Seattle Premiere

(Toni Vanzolini, Brazil, 78 min)

When three friends decide to check out rumors about a ghost that haunts their new school, they head straight into an out-of-this-world adventure involving time travel, a magic umbrella, a daring rescue and one truly terrifying teacher.

In Portuguese with English subtitles.
Ages 9 and up. A few swear words, brief talk among kids about graffiti, a bit of romantic intrigue, suspenseful scenes and one very spooky character.

Shown with: Mine (Julio Benito Cabrera, Puerto Rico, 7 min)



SHORT FILM PROGRAMS

Jan 28 at 3pm, Feb 4 at 3:30pm

Fire and Ice: New Animation from Russia

51 min

Exquisite and evocative short films from Moscow's famed SHAR Studio and Animation School, founded in 1993 by a group of top Russian animators. Here, you'll see a dazzling array of techniques and take in timeless stories told with a distinctly Russian flavor. Join the characters in these films as they sled down snowy hills, traverse cityscapes, take to the open seas and find their way deep in the forest.

Blue Pool (Ekaterina Bim Maximova, 2004); Two Lambs (Julia Daschinskaya, 2002); Coast Warning (Alexandra Shadrina, 2011); Zina's Walk (Natalia Maigina, 2004); Caution! The Doors are Opening! (Anastasia Zhuravleva, 2005); Jalil (Anna Shepilova, 2010); Dangerous Walk (Alena Oyateva, 2002); The Most Scary Animal (Dmitry Rezchikov, 2008); Cello (Tatiana Kurnaeva, 2008).

Three films have subtitles, the rest are nonverbal.
Ages 7 and up. Younger children will also enjoy depending on their attention spans and abilities to read subtitles or understand Russian.

Jan 28 at 1:30pm, Feb 2 at 10am, Feb 5 at 1pm

A Journey Beyond

67 min

Take a trip around the world to experience the vibrant music and colorful cultures of Poland, Mexico, Vietnam and Italy, and then fly back home again to jump for joy and take a magical New York City subway ride!

Light Thief (Sophie De Coyere, UK); El Salon Mexico (Paul Glickman, USA); Wycinanki (Irena Rindos, USA); What Makes Me Happy: Tung's Film (Annie Gibbs, Vietnam/UK); The Story of Little Paolo (Nicolas Liguori, France/Belgium); The Yellow Balloon (Robert Castillo and Ben Thompson, USA); New London Calling (Alla Kovgan, USA)

One film has subtitles (French).
Ages 7 and up.





Jan 27 at 3pm, Jan 29 at 3pm, Feb 4 at 5pm

Planet Kid

63 min

These live action and animated films take you deep inside the worlds of funny and fantastic kids, and prove every child is truly one of a kind.

Love Bug (Kat Candler, USA); The Perfect Human (SJ Chiro, USA); Trevor (Mattieu Saghezchi, France); Driving Accident (Rio Fitch, Canada); Marvin (Mark Nute, USA); Adventures of Owen (David Cadiz, Canada); Toot Toot (Simon Williams and Brendon Skimmer, Australia); The Toboggan (Richard B. Pierre, Canada); Superdad and Pelé (Annette Saugestad Helland/Norway); Big Drive (Anita Lebeau, Canada).

Two films have subtitles (French and Norwegian).
Ages 7 and up. One film shows a happy resolution to a bullying situation.





Jan 28 at 5pm, Feb 1 at 10am, Feb 5 at 3pm

Once Upon a Time

75 min

Gather round a cinematic campfire for these tall tales, fables and fractured fairy tales! This program includes 2011 Oscar-winner "The Lost Thing" and "Gulp," a new film from Aardman animation shot on the world's largest stop-animation set.

Gulp (Sumo Science/UK); Home was the Sailor (Seana Kozar, Canada); The Happy Duckling (Gili Dolev, UK/Israel); The Bear Facts (Jonathan Wright, Canada); Rolling Pumpkin (Morteza Ahadi, Iran); How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes (Tulalip Native Lens, USA); The Lost Thing (Andrew Ruhemann and Shaun Tan, USA); Molly in the Springtime (Pierre-Luc Granjon, Canada).

Ages 6 and up.





Jan 29 at 1pm, Feb. 4 at 11am

Birds of a Feather

67 min

Do you like critters, varmints and other furry and feathered creatures? Then spread your wings and fly away with us to this animated and enchanted animal kingdom!

Ballet of Unhatched Chicks (Shaun Seong-young Kim, USA); Snowflakes and Carrots (Samantha Leriche-Gionet, Canada); Jillion Dillon (Yvette Edery, Germany); Walkin' On Snow Grass (Makiko Sukikara, Japan); Pipì , Pupù & Rosmary (Enzo d'Alò, Luxembourg/Italy); Who's There? (Vanda Raymanova, Slovakia); Amazonia (Sam Chen, USA); strong>Frog, Rabbit and the Red Telephone (Alla Churikova, Germany); According to the Birds (Linde Faas, The Netherlands); Hoggie and Snip (Magnus Hjerpe, Canada).

One film has subtitles (German).
Ages 4 and up.

Special fun! Prior to the Feb. 4 presentation of this program, there will be a special presentation by a French teacher from the language instruction school Sponge, who will teach the audience a few key words in French. Through interactive songs and activities, the audience will get a fun introduction to the first film in the program, "Snowflakes and Carrots."

Sponge offers classes in Spanish, Mandarin, French and Japanese in its own centers and in before- and after-school programs throughout the greater Seattle area. Focused on children from birth through elementary school, native-speaking teachers teach language and culture through activities, stories, music, art and movement. For more information, visit www.spongeschool.com.



Jan 27 at 11am, Feb 5 at 11am

Touch My Heart: Gentle Films on the Big Screen

54 min

Here's a program for our youngest audiences, filled with lovely animated and live action films that use textures like wool, paper, clay, fabric and string to tell gentle tales and sweet stories.

Little Red Plane (Charlotte Blacker, England); Keenan at Sea (Jeremy Galante, USA); Big Wash (Kassandra Wellendorf, Denmark); Big Plans (Irmgard Walthert, Switzerland); Dodu: The Cardboard Boy (Jose Miguel Ribeiro, Portugal); How the Shammies Bathed (Edmunds Jansons, Latvia); Heartstrings (Rhiannon Evans, UK); Pittanko! (Motohiro Shirakawa, Japan); Neighbors (Masaki Buma and Wakana Osawa, Japan); Mungge - Not Again! (Irmgard Walthert, Adrian Flü ckiger, Claudia Röthlin Switzerland); Chrysalis (Aubrey Millen, Germany); Beans (Marly Reed, Canada)

Three films have subtitles (Danish, Japanese, German).
Ages 3 and up. Note: a 25-minute long selection of films from this program will also be shown with "String," a live show presented Jan 29 at 11am and Jan 30 and 31 at 10am.


Jan 27 at 1:30pm, Jan 29 at 11:30am, Feb 3 at 10am

Yes I Can: Kids Come of Age

78 min

These inspirational live action short films tell stories about amazing kids who overcome adversity to find joy and discover their own unique place in the world. You'll meet a brave girl in a headscarf, two soccer fans who learn a lesson, a Puerto Rican boy who reaches out to his faraway father, two shy kids who forge a lasting friendship and a boy who learns to embrace his heritage high in the Himalayas.

Azza (Sashia Gubbels, The Netherlands); Cristiano's Shirt (Vincent Bruno, Belgium); The Letter (Angel Manuel Soto, Puerto Rico); The Ball (Katja Roberts, UK); The Road Home (Rahul Gandotra, UK/India).

Three films have subtitles (Dutch, French, Spanish) and a fourth, though mostly in English, has some Hindi dialogue with English subtitles.
Ages 9 and up. This is a program filled with positive messages, but there is one use of a mild swear word and story lines that deal with religion, stealing, bullying and running away - all fodder for interesting post-film discussions at home!

Jan 29 at 1:30pm, Feb 1 at 7pm, Feb 4 at 5:30pm

Fright Delight

67 min

This program is for kids who love scary stuff. These short live action and animated films have everything you need to raise a goosebump: vampires, spiders, ghosts, horrendous homework, deep dark forests and even a trip to a creepy crime scene. Hang on for the ride!

The Dukes of Bröxstônia (Suren Perera, Australia); Arachmaninoff (Rene Lange, Germany); Specky Four Eyes (Jean-Claude Rozec, France); Lost Places (Toni Zhang, Canada); Chaos (Yi-Lin Wu, Taiwan); Nimbus Machina (Thomas Plaete, France/Belgium); Zero (Nazanin Sobhan-Sarbandi, Iran); Roots of the Hidden (Elizabeth Sevenoaks, UK); Something Left, Something Taken (Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata, The Netherlands), Dream Cleaners (Craig S. Phillips, USA).

One film has subtitles (French).
Ages 9 and up. We're not kidding, some of these films are scary!



Jan 27 at 1pm, Feb 4 at 1:30pm, Feb. 5 at 3:30pm

Wild Ride

78 min

Set sail with this fast-paced collection of live action and animated films from four continents, and find out why adventure makes the world go round!

Lost Dog (Iberê Carvalho, Brazil); Brother Benoit (Michel Dufourd, Switzerland); Battle of Novice (Cheng-Chu Yu, Taiwan); Secret Club (Ben Kadie, USA); Chow Down (Matthias Daenschel, Germany); When the Wind Turns (Elena Madrid, Switzerland); What Makes Me Happy: Jose's Film (Annie Gibbs, Columbia/UK); The Farmer and the Robot (Abdollah Alimorad, Iran); Pigeon Impossible (Lucas Martell, USA).

One film has subtitles (French and Spanish). Two other films feature some dialogue in German and Spanish, but subtitles are not needed for either film.
Ages 7 and up.



Feb 4 at 11:30am

Outside In

76 min

You'll be inspired by the way the kids in these films rise to meet challenges, handle difficult emotions and reach out to help other people and themselves. This program of live action, animated and documentary films is sometimes funny and sometimes serious, but it's unified by one message: in our differences we sometime find our greatest strengths.

Olga (Kai Pannen, Germany); Lexdysia (Marc Reisberg, Norway); Open Your Eyes (Adolfo R. Mora, USA); Eugenio (Jacob Concepcion, Puerto Rico); Drona & Me (Catherine Van Campen, The Netherlands); Stairs to No End (Daniella Koffler, Israel); Lighthearted Boy (Marco Gianfreda, Italy).

Five films have subtitles (Danish, Italian, Spanish, German).
Ages 10 and up. One film includes a few brief glimpses of women's lingerie ads and a scantily clad character on TV, and two other films deal honestly with the effects of depression.

Jan 31 at 7pm

Dream Machine

60 min

Let the magic of animation take you away during this soulful international program. You'll roam the streets of Riga, be swept off your feet on a windy beach in Portugal, discover a musician's secrets in Iran, and more!

Hitchhiker's Choice (Kristofer Ström, Sweden); Ginjas (Zepe and Humberto Santana, Portugal); Kahanikar- The Storyteller (Nandita Jain, UK); Mahouri (Fatemeh Goudarzi, Iran); Eyes of the Lighthouse (Pedro Serrazina, Portugal/The Netherlands); Springtime in Crow Street (Edmunds Jansons, Latvia.)

One film has subtitles (Latvian).
Ages 9 and up. Younger children might also enjoy depending on their ability to appreciate non-linear stories and read subtitles.





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