A Real Feast Of Films For Children

Jakarta - Do you feel there aren`t enough kids` movies showing at the cinema? Do you want your children to learn about kids around the world? Do you believe movies can enhance your children`s knowledge and creativity?

If your answer is yes to any or all of the above questions, then KidsFfest 2009 may be for you. Organized by the Kalyana Shira Foundation, the international film festival from July 17-26 will screen 25 kid-friendly films, including movies, documentaries, cartoons and 3-D animations.

“This event originated from a concern that there are very limited films in the movie theaters for children,” said organizer Nia Dinata. There is a dearth of locally produced movies for children, she said, and the foreign selections available are dominated by Hollywood blockbusters.

The festival will be a window for Indonesian kids to peek into the lives and cultures of children from other countries, Nia said. “We want to teach children about culture and creativity, to give them an international perspective.”

The festival opens with “The Three Robbers,” an award-winning German animated film about an orphan girl who encounters a trio of successful robbers and builds a relationship with them.

Six films have been nominated for the KidsFfest Award, which will be judged by a panel of seven children. The movies are “Geng: The Adventure Begins” from Malaysia, “The Happiness of Kati” from Thailand, “The Letter for the King” from the Netherlands, “Mia & the Migoo” from France, “Niko & the Way to the Stars” from Finland and “Teo`s Votage” from Mexico.

Nominees must be recent productions, which explains why no Indonesian movies were nominated, Nia said. “Laskar Pelangi” (“Rainbow Troops”) was made in 2008, and the 3-D animated film “Meraih Mimpi” (“Sing to the Dawn”) will only be finished just in time to close the festival.

The festival includes two documentaries about life in China. Weiju Chen`s “Please Vote for Me” is a 58-minute film that shows how a teacher in China tries to teach third-grade students about democracy by holding a class election. The Singapore-produced “Mad About English!” documents the great rush by Chinese citizens to learn English in preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

The kids` festival also features nine short films made by children aged 10 to 15, on topics including making traditional medicine, wanting to become a chef and environmental consciousness.

As many of the movies are foreign, English and Indonesian subtitles will be provided, some of them written during workshops for elementary students held in April and May. The opening film, “The Three Robbers,” is one of three translated and subtitled during the workshops.

On July 23, to mark National Children`s Day, KidFfest will host a free open-air screening for about 500 underprivileged kids in Pademangan, North Jakarta. The movie to be screened is a surprise.

Most of the movies will be shown at Blitzmegaplex in Grand Indonesia and Cinema 21 in Pondok Indah Mall 1, with additional screenings at the Salihara Community art complex and the Dutch cultural center, Erasmuis Huis.

Nia said another purpose of the festival was to teach kids the power of film.

“Through KidsFfest, Indonesian children can learn a lot and widen their horizons by watching thought-provoking and highly enjoyable films,” she said.

“Children have a right to dream, enrich their imaginations and be creative.”

KidsFfest Indonesia 2009
July 17-26
Blitz Grand Indonesia, 21 Pondok Indah Mall 1, Erasmus Huis and Salihara Art Center
Rp 20,000 (presale) and Rp 25,000 (during festival)
www.kidsffest.org

Nominees for the KidsFfest Award:

Geng: The Adventure Begins
by Les` Copaque
Malaysia
100 mins
Age 8+

This 3-D animated film from Malaysia tells of a camping trip by Badrol and Lim to the village where Badrol was raised. Expecting an ordinary trip, the curious duo soon find that the village is full of mystery. Along with newly acquired friends, the pair strive to unravel the village`s secret.

The Happiness of Kati
by Genwaii Thongdeenok
Thailand
98 mins
Age 8+

Nine-year-old Kati has lived with her grandparents since she was very young, after her mother left her with them while suffering a severe illness. Kati has to decide whether to stay with her loving grandparents or to find her father.

The Letter for the King
by Pieter Verhoeff
108 mins
Age 10+

Tiuri is only one step away from being knighted and only needs to stay awake one night in the chapel without talking to or opening the door for anyone. But during the night a man asks for his help to deliver a letter to a king. Risking his knighthood, Tiuri accepts the mission.

Mia & the Migoo
by Jacques-Remy Girerd
France
92 mins
Age 8+

A young girl named Mia searches for her father who was buried in a tunnel while working on a resort construction. Along the way, Mia meets Migoo, a mysterious creature whose main job is to protect a tree that can save the earth from a devastating natural disaster. The tree is threatened by the project Mia`s father was working on.

Niko & the Way to the Stars
by Michael Hegner/Kari Juusonen
Finland
80 mins
Age 8+

Niko, a young reindeer, needs to overcome his fear of heights so he can fly like his father, whom he believes is a member of Santa`s Elite Flying Forces. One day, Niko overhears a pack of wolves talking about going to eat Santa`s reindeer, and he embarks on a journey to save them.

Teo`s Voyage
by Walter Doehner
Mexico
92 mins
Age 12+

Teo has lived with his uncle while his father was in prison. One day, his recently released father shows up and wants to take Teo with him to the land of opportunity, the United States. The problem is neither of them has legal documents to enter America so they enlist the service of a people smuggler to help them cross the border. Armando Siahaan

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.com (8 Juli 2009)

Share

Tuliskan komentar Anda !