News-o-matic KIDS FIRST! Film Festival

ANIMATION - LOTS AND LOTS OF ANIMATION

Expired January 18, 2022 4:45 AM
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14 films in package
100% GIRL
The difference between men and women creates the most difficult battlefield in the world. Magical kitchen appliances try to do a little magic to fight for peaceful and sweet life.
A "NOT SO GRAND" DAY OUT
A stop motion animated short about a girl taking a walk in the woods that goes awry.
BACK TO SCHOOL DURING THE PANDEMIC
Children's return to school during the pandemic can be, at best, an experience that will eventually prove to be insignificant.
DANCE
After seeing a video of a beautiful dancer, a sweet young girl decides to become one too. However, she is very shy...
FOX TALES, SUMMER NIGHT
Little Snow is gifted with a magical power to conjure up magic by writing with her tails! But being a playful cub, she will get into all sorts of silly troubles and adventure because of it!
LILLY GOES FISHING
Lilly, a giant orange monster, embarks on an adventure at a lakeside fishing camp with her friend Fluffle. Will Lilly discover the mysterious secret that lurks below the surface of the lake?
MOONLIGHT THE MONSTER AND THE FASHION SHOW
Moonlight is a monster girl who likes fashion design and makes her great idea come true and attends the fashion show. Her mom gets a big surprise!
RED
This is a story about a little girl who lives in a red world accidentally discovering other colors and looking for them.
THE HEALING DANCE
Rosie is preparing to dance in her first pow wow, but after Nookomis tells her the origin story of jingle dancing, she worries that she’s not as ready as she thought she was. The drums are calling, but will Rosie answer them?
YENDOR-THE JOURNEY OF A JUNIOR ADVENTURER
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?
RUTH & NICK: A CONFECTIONERY TALE
This stop-motion animated short tells the bittersweet story of Nick, a piece of candy who falls in love with a girl who seems out of reach.
PEACETIME: A ROYAL FROG
A meditation exercise for kids age 3 to 99 and then some.
GLOBAL GAME CHANGERS LEARNING 9/11
Talks about the tragic event of 9/11 in a way that is understandable with simple vocabulary.
ZABEZOO: EARS N' TAIL (THE ALARM CLOCK)
It’s so hard to wake up early in the morning! Zabezoo is so reluctant to get up before finishing a beautiful dream!
This virtual screening is eligible for audience awards! Unlock it to cast your vote.

A collection of 16 shorts from indie and student filmmakers worldwide.

Superheroes come in ALL shapes and sizes. Some are billionaire bats. Some are from an Amazon island. Some are even KIDS. Global Game Changers to be exact. The Global Game Changers Alliance: Global Girl, Acer, Moxie, IQ, , Pia (and her trusty sidekick, Pixel), Leo (Little Big-Heart), and Vaniya are scrappy, imperfect kid superheroes who fight off the evil, life draining force of apathy, a dark cloud named Krumi. They help real-life kids build the confidence to battle Krumi and IGNITE GOOD!® using the GGC equation, MY TALENT + MY HEART = MY SUPERPOWER!® Seasoned heroes, they are not. They make mistakes, stumble (literally) and sometimes their enthusiasm outweighs their skill sets. But when they tap into their inner superpower, together they always find a way to make a difference. Global Game Changers believe that it doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, or how old you are; you can make a difference in the world.


Juror comments: I like the short animated film Global Game Changers Learning 9/11. It talks about the tragic event of 9/11 in a way that is understandable with simple vocabulary. They interview first responders who give personal perspectives, which make it much more real. I like that the young characters are so curious and I like that this takes a very positive approach to discussing the event.

The story talks about 9/11 and why it is an event to remember. It interviews people who helped or survivors of this ordeal.


The film answers a lot of broad questions that viewers might have if they do not know about the incident. They avoid showing graphic details such as actual wreckage, fires, or the Twin Towers going down, which could be too much for younger viewers. Each character has its own opinion and curiosity, which makes the film seem very authentic. It also features live interview with witnesses and rescue workers who lived through this nightmare, which makes it relatable to our own ordeals that we live through. The scenes that impressed me most are those when they interview people. Those interviews truly make it a lot easier to paint the picture of the tragedy. Most of them still have an emotion in their voice, as if this occurred yesterday. The thing that also impressed me is when the curious kid asks why we should we remember this event if it is so tragic. The screenwriter really thought of how audiences respond. The animated characters are voiced by actors that sound like children. I admire the work of the production designer and the director as the scenes are really appealing and very artsy. The key influencer here is the person that managed to get hold of the survivors of 9/11 and the screenwriter. The most standout group is the production designer as there are a lot of visuals that make it appealing to younger audiences. My favorite part is the interview with a survivor that actually went through the ordeal of having to deal with the sheer terror of a plane crashing into the Pentagon. That interview paints a detailed picture of how bad the situation was as he shows a diagram of where he was when the plane crashed into the Pentagon. He wraps up the interview with a reminder that kindness is always greater than evil or apathy.


The message of the film is that we need to learn how to recover from an incident such as 9/11, no matter how big or small it is.


I give this film 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 6 to 18, plus adults. It is an good way for younger audiences to learn about 9/11 and promotes taking a positive attitude towards recovering from a tragedy such as this. Reviewed by Tom W., KIDS FIRST!

  • Runtime
    22:09
  • Language
    English
  • Country
    United States
  • Director
    Jan Helson
  • Screenwriter
    Anne Walker
  • Producer
    Jan Helson, Anne Walker
  • Cast
    Eric Gay, Jr., Eva Luna Amador, Cassidy Stocker, Arlo James Larson,
  • Animator
    D3FORM
  • Music
    Paul Buckley
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