Boston International Kids Film Festival back from November 18 – 20; Filmmakers Collaborative Paves the Way for a Future Generation of Creators With a Weekend of Learning and Fun
BOSTON—The Boston International Kids Film Festival (BIKFF) returns for its 10th annual weekend dedicated to films for kids, by kids, and about kids. Featuring workshops, panel discussions, and nearly 80 films from a dozen different countries, BIKFF will run November 18 – 20 at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown.
The festival will showcase many films with local ties this year, including a feature documentary chronicling a debate team from Newton that follows a group of girls as they struggle to find their voices in the competitive, male-dominated activity of high school debate. The festival’s other two features include a story of four young friends and their struggles growing up queer and a fictional film about ballet starring a local Boston dancer. In addition to regular screenings in two theaters at the Mosesian, the festival will also offer panel discussions for professional filmmakers and acting and stop-motion animation filmmaking workshops for younger artists. All screenings are open to the public and tickets can be purchased at bikff.org. Festival passes begin at $55 (for 12 and under) and include complete access to all showings and activity sessions.
Now in its 10th year, BIKFF features feature-length documentaries, animated shorts for children 10 and under, and short films appropriate for middle school-aged and beyond. The festival will also include films made by students participating in another program of Filmmakers Collaborative, FC Academy – an after-school and summer vacation filmmaking program that introduces kids to the latest technology and filmmaking techniques.
Films are screened in blocks throughout the day leading up to the featured films on display each night. These films include:
Friday: “Girl Talk” directed by Lucia Small
“Girl Talk” follows five girls on the top-ranked all-girls Newton South Debate Team over a course of four years as they strive to become the best debaters in the United States on their own terms. While following a diverse group of debaters, “Girl Talk” offers a front-row seat to leadership in the making as they learn to navigate gender biases in the world of debate.
Saturday: “HELLO WORLD” directed by Hei Verden
HELLO WORLD is a celebration of kids and young people who have the courage to be different and take pride in their identities. The film follows Runa 12, Dina 13, Viktor 12, and Joachim 14 who are defining themselves differently while their peers are doing everything to fit in. They are the first people to be openly gay in their classes and the youngest ones in their respective communities to come out. Told through the eyes of the four young people, the film gives us a window into understanding what it is like to grow up queer.
Sunday: “Copellia” directed by Steven de Beul, Ben Tesseur, and Jeff Tudor
BIKFF will wrap up Sunday with a screening of “Coppelia”, a film that captures a story of a doll who is brought to life by a toymaker and charismatic plastic surgeon, Doctor Coppelius. The film features esteemed dancer, local author, and inspirational activist, Michaela DePrince. Also featured is a stellar cast of international dance professionals including Daniel Camargo (Brazil), Royal Ballet star Sasha Mukhamedov (U.K.), Igonede Jongh (Netherland), and prima ballerina Darcy Bussell (U.K.).
“We’re looking forward to showcasing this year’s selection of films,” said Laura Azevedo, executive director of Filmmakers Collaborative, the festival’s presenter. “This year’s festival includes magnificent films with strong local ties. Showcasing these conveys how much the film industry in and around Boston has developed since the launch of the festival 10 years ago.”
The festival’s annual award ceremony will take place on Saturday evening. Categories include Best Documentary, Best Short, Best International, Best Student Narrative Film, Best Student Documentary, the Audience Choice Award, and the Peggy Charren Award for Excellence (the festival award).
In addition to the three main screening events, the weekend will include workshops on acting and filmmaking, panel discussions for filmmakers, hands-on activities, live performances, and more.
Beginning on Friday, kids can take a workshop and visit a kiosk hosted by the award-winning, NYC-based organization, Storybooth. Storybooth invites teens to record themselves telling a short personal story, which will then have the potential to be professionally animated and showcased on one of their many streaming platforms. On Friday, Storybooth presents field trip opportunities for schools and then will be open to the public on Saturday.
For more information including a complete schedule of screenings and to purchase tickets, visit https://bikff.org/.
About Filmmakers Collaborative
The Boston International Kids Film Festival is a project of Filmmakers Collaborative (FC), a non-profit organization that encourages and supports the making of great films and media projects by people of all ages and experience levels. FC offers grants management, mentoring and workshops to a diverse and national community that includes award-winning PBS documentarians, first-time producers and directors, and young people just discovering the power and potential of visual media. For more information, please go to: www.filmmakerscollab.org.
