KIDS FIRST! Film Festival/Hawaiʻi

GLOBAL IMAGINATION ANIMATION (12 films•Varied Age Groups)

Expired February 22, 2022 9:45 AM
Already unlocked? for access
12 films in package
KENYA'S SYMPHONY
(Ages 3-10) Kenya, a bold five-year-old girl, is reluctantly dragged to a symphony by her mother. Through the power of the orchestra, the young girl's passion for music blossoms before her own eyes.
MARMALADE
(Ages 4-12) Sometimes, if you want to become a hero, you just have to fly. Innovative handmade embroidery animation.
LEO THE LION
(Ages 4-7) Leo the Lion is a children's animated cartoon about the travels and adventures of Leo the lion cub, Syoma the leopard. and Pandochka the bear Panda cub.
YENDOR-THE JOURNEY OF A JUNIOR ADVENTURER
(Ages 4-8) Longing to be an adventurer like his father, young Yendor sets off into the wild country, alone. Will his skill and wit be enough to get him home again?
CLEVER PRANKSTERS
(Ages 4-14) In the Alatau mountains of Kazakhstan, four neighbors and friends, Maral, Bulan, Suyr and Insin are preparing for the Nauryz Festival, marking the beginning of spring and the Persian New Year. The four build an altybakan swing and are looking forward to eating special Nauryz kozhe, but Maral, Suyr. and Insin’s impatience nearly ruin the holiday.
ZAMZOOM'S ANIMAL ADVENTURES
(Ages 5-11) Join Zamzoom, an enthusiastic space animal and his partner, Orbie, on an uproarious intergalactic expedition to Earth.
CAZANDO GAMYSINOS
(Ages 5-13) Humans possess a totem that gives them control of their imagination. When a gamusino steals Ruben’s totem, his son Hugo goes on a quest and confronts the creature to restore his father's vitality.
POTENDOGS
(Ages 8-12) In this world, there are dogs with superpowers called 'PotenDogs’. PotenDogs are divided into two groups: ‘Podongnet’ dream of peaceful coexistence with humans, and ‘Goldfangs’ hold a grudge against all mankind.
THE PEAK
(Ages 8-18) In the middle of the night, Sarah wakes up to go to the bathroom. As she leaves her room, she finds herself alone in the dark hallway, and it is really creepy.
GOOD NIGHT MR. TED
(Ages 12-15) Every night, when the child sleeps peacefully, his Teddy bear must fight the monster in the closet so that it does not take him away.
BLUEBIRD
(Ages 12-18) Based on the picture book, "Bluebird" by Bob Staake, the film follows a sad little boy going about his sad day until a bluebird flies into his life. Things look up until a darn turnaround happens.
DEREK AND HIS BRICK
(Ages 12-18) A twisted fairy tale with a hint of Edgar Allan Poe and a dash of Edward Gorey featuring the vocal talents of Claire Foy as the narrator.
This virtual screening is eligible for audience awards! Remember to Vote for your favorites! The voting period has closed. Stay tuned for the results!

12 animated films • 1h47m • Various Age Groups

Award-winning animation from the US, UK, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Canada, Spain, Korea, and Japan.

Longing to be an adventurer like his father, young Yendor sets off into the wild country, alone. Little does the small boy with big dreams know, that his chosen path is a perilous one! Waiting for him around every corner is a fantastical beast - a Grumposaur, a Killwing, and the nastiest of them all, the Marauding Scrawnies! Will his skill and wit be enough to get him home again? From the United Kingdom.


Juror's comments: Yendor - The Journey of a Junior Adventurer is different than anything I've ever seen before! What makes this stand out is the type of animation. It is more like a story turned into a short film.


The storyline follows a young boy named Yendor who longs to be an adventurer like his father. He feels that he is old enough, strong enough, and mature enough to do it. So, he finally decides to take action and go out to explore. However, what he doesn't realize is that the path he takes is very dangerous. Everywhere he goes there is some kind of beast or challenge. He has to find a way to get past all of these obstacles and make his way home.


What I like about the film is that it's a common scenario, but unique. In this film, beasts and mythical creatures emphasize each obstacle, which makes it stand out. The animation is not full-range animation, but it has pretty good movement. What impressed me is how well it tells the story. The drawings are very well detailed and beautiful. The background music is very well suited for the film, enhancing it a great deal and timed to perfection. The music crescendos to coincide with the intensity of the conflict. My favorite part of the film is the narration by Sarah Matthew. She is British I presume since the film is from the UK.


The message of this film is that you will grow into who you are, you don't need to rush. Yendor needed to realize that he would eventually become the adventurer his dad was. He just needs to be patient and everything will fall into place. Be aware that it does show kids doing risky things that kids might imitate and we see Yendor disobeying his parents by running away. However, as an animated film, these things don’t necessarily elicit imitation.


I give this film 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 4 to 8. I recommend it for a youth or family film festival because has a great story and message. Reviewed by Maica N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic

  • Year
    2021
  • Runtime
    17:28
  • Language
    English
  • Country
    United Kingdom
  • Director
    Rodney Matthews, Sarah Matthews
  • Screenwriter
    Rodney Matthews, Sarah Matthews
  • Producer
    Sarah Matthews, Rodney Matthews
  • Cast
    Sarah Matthews
  • Editor
    Matthew Henry
  • Animator
    Matthew Henry, Jon Rashid
  • Music
    Oliver Wakeman