BAM Presents the Ninth Annual BAMkids Film Festival, March 10 & 11
BAM presents more than 41 short and feature-length children’s films from 20 countries for ages 2–13, in association with the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival
Popular weekend festival also features multimedia concerts of Gustafer Yellowgold, face painting, and movie-making
Leadership support provided by Joseph S. and Diane H. Steinberg Charitable Trust
BAM Rose Cinemas (30 Lafayette Ave.) Tickets: $7 per screening for children thirteen and under and seniors; $10 per screening for adults; $7 for BAM Cinema Club members Advance tickets: visit www.BAM.org or call 718.777.FILM (order by name of shorts program or feature film), or in person at the BAM Rose Cinemas box office
BROOKLYN, January 24, 2007—The ninth annual BAMkids Film Festival, a popular weekend festival featuring more than 41 international short and feature-length children’s films from 20 countries, returns to BAM Rose Cinemas on Saturday, March 10 and Sunday, March 11. Parents and their children (ages 2–13) can enjoy the latest in cutting-edge animation and new live-action films. BAMkids Film Festival, curated by Nicole Dreiske, is presented by the BAM Department of Education & Humanities in association with the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival. BAMkids Film Festival is sponsored by the Joseph S. and Diane H. Steinberg Charitable Trust.
The BAMkids Film Festival features eight different screenings and two live music performances each day allowing audiences to mix and match the shorts programs, feature-length films, and performances. For the ninth year, children will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite films. Based on the results, “BAMmies” will be awarded in three categories: best feature, best animated short, and best live action short film. BAMmie winners will be announced at a later date on www.BAM.org.
On both Saturday and Sunday afternoons in BAMcafé there will be two live multimedia concerts of Gustafer Yellowgold; there will also be face painting, movie-making, and other fun in the BAM lobby and BAMcafé. Family-friendly fare will be served in BAMcafé.
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Tickets, on sale now, are $7 for children thirteen and under, $10 per screening for adults, and $7 for BAM Cinema Club members and are available at the BAM Rose Cinemas box office, online at www.BAM.org, or via phone at 718.777.FILM (order by name of shorts program or feature film.) BAMcafé offers lunch from 11am–3pm, and sandwiches and snacks are available in the lobby throughout the day. For more information call 718.636.4100 or visit www.BAM.org.
The BAMkids Film Festival presents creative, fun, and culturally diverse films that not only tell stories about children and teens but also present ideas from a kid’s point of view. Highlights of the festival include the feature length film Kirikou and the Wild Beasts, (a follow up to the popular film Kirikou and the Sorceress). Kirikou and the Wild Beasts features music by internationally renowned African artists Manu Dibango, Youssou N’Dour, and Rokia Traore. Other highlights include the third installment of The Wild Soccer Bunch, a popular series from Germany; Little Heroes, one of the first feature films for children made in Israel; and the animated short film The Danish Poet, nominated for the 2007 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. The festival also includes Knuffle Bunny, a recipient of the 2007 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children’s Video; and First Flight, from DreamWorks Animation (Shrek, Wallace & Gromit).
Filmmakers will be attending many of the screenings for Q&A’s. Mo Willems, author and illustrator of the semi- autobiographical Knuffle Bunny, based on his 2005 Caldecott Honor book, will be on hand to answer questions at the 10am screening on Saturday. Willems, who lives in Brooklyn, is a six-time Emmy award-winning writer for “Sesame Street”, and has published many acclaimed books for children. Other filmmakers scheduled to appear include Liz Do (The Big Race), Devon Bolton and Kirsten Bolton (Shipwrecked), Eric Weil (Janie and Jerome Meet Jake), and Jennifer Oxley (Janie and Jerome Meet Jake and Go, Baby! Farm!)
BAMkids Film Festival Schedule
Saturday and Sunday at 10am – Shorts program Fuzzy Buddies (Ages 2–5)* Saturday and Sunday at 11am – Shorts program Brave Hearts (Ages 8–10)* Saturday and Sunday at 11:30am – Feature film Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (Ages 7–11) Saturday and Sunday at 12pm – Live music performance of Gustafer Yellowgold (Ages 2–8) Saturday and Sunday at 12pm – Feature film Little Heroes (Ages 9–13) Saturday and Sunday at 12:30pm – Shorts program Fuzzy Buddies (Ages 2–5)* Saturday and Sunday at 1:30pm – Shorts program Secrets and Surprises! (Ages 9–13) Saturday and Sunday at 2pm – Feature film The Wild Soccer Bunch 3 (Ages 10–13) Saturday and Sunday at 2pm – Live music performance of Gustafer Yellowgold (Ages 2–8) Saturday and Sunday at 3pm – Shorts program Clever Creatures (Ages 5–8)*
*Includes Q&As with filmmakers.
Gustafer Yellowgold at BAMcafé
As part of the BAMkids Film Festival, at 12pm and 2pm on March 10 and 11 there will be a multimedia concert of Gustafer Yellowgold. Accompanied by animated illustrations and guest musicians, musician/songwriter/illustrator Morgan Taylor sings the endearing, slightly surreal story of Gustafer Yellowgold, a yellow alien from the Sun who lives in a Minnesota cottage. The minimally animated illustrations are accompanied by Taylor’s original story-songs. The New York Times said, “the show is a cross between Yellow Submarine and Dr. Seuss, filtered through the lens of the Lower East Side” and Time Out NY Kids called it “Beatlesque…very beautiful.” General admission tickets, priced at $7, are available at the BAM Rose Cinemas box office or online at www.BAM.org. For more information, call 718.636.4100. Descriptions of the films follow.
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BAMkids Film Festival Program
Actors will read subtitles aloud during films that are not in English.
Feature films
KIRIKOU AND THE WILD BEASTS (2005) Ages 7—11 Sat & Sun at 11:30am Animation, Michel Ocelot, 74 min, France, in French with English subtitles Following the award-winning Kirikou and the Sorceress, this new film recounts more of the great adventures of the tiny but brave Kirikou. Using his wits and speed, our hero sets out to thwart the evils of Sorceress Karaba and to save his African village from supernatural and environmental perils. Soundtrack by world music superstars Manu Dibango, Youssou N’Dour, and Rokia Traore. Note: Women are shown in traditional attire (sarongs only) and children wear no clothing. Note: some nudity, related to the traditional dress and culture the film depicts.
LITTLE HEROES (2006) NY Premiere Ages 9—13 Sat & Sun 12pm Live action, Itai Lev, 76 min, Israel, in Hebrew and Russian with English subtitles Alicia, a young Russian immigrant with telepathic powers, “hears” someone in distress. When she seeks help from friends, Alicia winds up with only her brother Lev, and a young Israeli boy named Erez who is trying to live up to his father’s heroic legacy. Along the way, Lior, a boy from a kibbutz joins the mission. Together, the four children learn to embrace their differences and find courage as they venture through the Israeli wilderness.
THE WILD SOCCER BUNCH 3 (2006) NY Premiere Ages 10—13 Sat & Sun 2pm Live action, Joachim Masannek, 90 min, Germany, in German with English subtitles To defend their title and their stadium, the Wild Soccer Bunch, a daring and fearless group of young soccer players, must regroup and bring back Leon, their leader. But Leon’s former best friend has put together the fiercest team ever—The Beastly Beasts—an all-girl team! The wildest of all showdowns comes together with smart dialogue, great art design, and roughhousing fun. This is the third film in a hugely popular series in Germany based on the books of the same name.
more… BAMKids Film Festival 4 Shorts program Fuzzy Buddies Ages 2–5 Sat & Sun at 10am & 12:30pm (65min) Visit with bunnies, birds, babies, ballerinas, buttons, and boxes in this colorful and playful series. Actors will read subtitles aloud during films that are not in English.
THE FOUNTAIN (2004) NY Premiere Animation, Marcial Carrillo Costao, 5min, Spain, no dialogue Can animal and man cooperate? A tired bird rests its wings and drinks from a fountain. A young, thirsty boy also wants a drink but is too short to reach the water.
LOLLY’S BOX (2005) NY Premiere Animation, Valerie LaPointe, 3min, US, English Lolly has created a fort where she likes to play by herself. When Snuggle, a potential new friend, arrives, Lolly learns that she needs to make room for others both in her fun fort and in her life.
ASTON’S STONES (2007) World Premiere Animation, Lotte and Uzi Geffenblad, 8min, Sweden, in Swedish with English subtitles An inquisitive puppy nurtures some unusual friends.
GO, BABY! FARM! (2004) Animation, Josh Selig and Jennifer Oxley, 4min, US, English While looking for a sheep on the farm, Baby meets a cow and a pig with your help!
COLORS (2004) NY Premiere Animation, Marcial Carrillo Costao, 3min, Spain, no dialogue Friendly and amusing pencils draw in a child’s bedroom.
GORDON THE GARDEN GNOME: THE BEST GARDEN COMPETITION (2004) Animation, Tony Collingwood, 11min, UK, English The pressure mounts as the annual garden competition nears, and Gordon wants to put his best blooms forward but finds that appearance is not everything.
PINGU BOOGALOO (2006) NY Premiere Animation, Steven Cox and Nick Herbert, 5min, UK, no dialogue Pingu the penguin loves to groove and get down to funky music. But trouble mounts in this jovial tale when Pingu’s favorite song stops playing each time he starts to dance.
BALLERINA FROG (2005) NY Premiere Animation, Anna Hansson, 4min, Sweden, in Swedish with English subtitles Dismissed as being clumsy and awkward, a persistent frog tells an entrancing tale of time spent as a ballerina.
THE WITCH’S BUTTON (2006) NY Premiere Animation, Nils Skapans, 7min, Latvia, no dialogue A playful and slightly careless witch loses her magic button with comic results.
JANIE AND JEROME MEET JAKE (2006) Animation, Jennifer Oxley, 3min, US, English Janie isn’t comfortable around a new and unfamiliar pet. With help from Cousin Joy and her teddy bear Jerome, Janie finally learns how to make friends with the new dog.
MIRIAM’S NEST BOX (2006) NY Premiere Animation, Riho Unt, 5min, Estonia, no dialogue Having just finished making a scooter for her little brother, Miriam’s father tries to make a nest box for the family hen.
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KNUFFLE BUNNY (2006) Animation, Mo Willems, 7min, US, English When Trixie loses her favorite stuffed animal at the laundromat, she tries to make her Daddy understand that they need to look for Knuffle Bunny. Recipient of the 2007 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children’s Video.
Shorts program Clever Creatures Ages 5–8 Sat & Sun at 3pm (72min) From Martians to chess masters, kids to elephants, come match wits with cunning creatures. Actors will read subtitles aloud during films that are not in English.
CHESS (2006) Animation, Pernila Hendsefelt, 5min, Sweden, no dialogue As chess pieces prepare to do battle, one pawn jumps the gun and a frantic war ensues. A peaceful resolution is found, conveying a message for all.
MAGIC CELLAR: THE TORTOISE AND THE ELEPHANT (2006) NY Premiere Animation, Firdaus Kharas, 12min, South Africa, English Based on a time-honored African folktale, this is the memorable story of a contest between a tortoise and an elephant that teaches a lesson about the importance of sharing. The tortoise is upset with the elephant who wants to eat all of his hard- earned food so he challenges him to a race.
RED PLANET BLUES: THE ZOO ZOO (2006) NY Premiere Animation, Dave Brooks, 9min, US, English The red planet is overrun by a shipment of space creatures traveling to a planetary zoo. What happens when one of the creatures becomes infatuated with a native inhabitant?
DOBLI (2006) NY Premiere Live action, Johan Timmers, 10min, Netherlands, in Dutch with English subtitles Young Dobli, whose name means “brave,” learns how much fun it is to have a baby brother after initially resenting his presence.
KUNG FU GECKO (2005) NY Premiere Animation, Nikson Fong, 5min, Singapore, no dialogue A spunky gecko plays the role of unlikely hero with help from a little kung fu and some good luck in this spoof of martial arts movies.
TZARITZA (2006) Animation, Theodore Ushev, 7min, Canada, English When six-year-old Lila finds a tzaritza (a magic shell), she creates a plan to bring her grandmother and the Black Sea home to her in Montreal.
THE BIG RACE (2004) Live action, Phil Aupperle and Liz Do, 6min, US/Madagascar, no dialogue Tulch and Noel, two small boys in Madagascar, have fun making toy cars on a summer afternoon.
CHARLIE AND LOLA: YOU CAN BE MY FRIEND (2006) US Premiere Animation, Kitty Taylor, 12min, UK, English When Mary and Charlie go off to the insect house, Mary’s shy little brother Morten comes to play with Lola—who tries to find just the right game to make Morten smile.
ISH (2005) Animation, John Lechner and Gary Goldberger, 7min, US, English A young, aspiring artist receives a little encouragement from his sister and learns to see the world and his own art with a new eye.
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Shorts program
Brave Hearts Ages 8–10 Sat & Sun at 11am (79min) The courageous characters in these films may start out clueless but they quickly rise to the challenges they encounter, while learning about themselves and others. Actors will read subtitles aloud during films that are not in English.
THE CARROT OF THE THEATRE (2006) NY Premiere Animation, Partel Tall, 6min, Estonia, no dialogue An audience witnesses a fascinating theatrical experience when a snowman with a carrot nose finds himself on stage while escaping a hungry rabbit.
THE GIRL WHO HATED BOOKS (2006) Animation, Jo Meuris, 7min, Canada, English Meena, a young girl who hates anything that has to do with reading, discovers the magic within books while searching for her kitten Max.
ZLYDNI (2005) NY Premiere Animation, Koval Stepan, 12min, Ukraine/Russia, in Ukrainian with English subtitles Based on a Ukrainian fairy tale, this film tells the story of a resourceful family who must combat magical creatures that bring bad luck wherever they go.
SHIPWRECKED (2006) Live action, Devon Bolton and Kirsten Bolton, 10min, Canada, English A lonely ten-year-old boy discovers a miniature shipwreck on an isolated beach, with footsteps and tiny artifacts leading away from the historic sailing vessel.
WAR AND PEAS (2005) Animation, Jannik Hastrup,10min, Denmark, in Danish with English subtitles A portly king and his people go to war against a group of brave animals after a drought has set in. Will the humans learn the value of kindness and the importance of sharing?
MAGIC CELLAR: THE CHIEF’S BRIDE (2006) NY Premiere Animation, Firdaus Kharas, 12min, South Africa, English When a village chief decides he wants a bride, he summons a local woman’s two daughters, one nice and one naughty. But how will he know which daughter to choose?
ALL FOR A FOOTBALL (2005) NY Premiere Live action, Rafael Illescas, 15min, Mexico, in Spanish with English subtitles Luisa needs new shoes! When her grandmother can’t afford to buy her new ones, Luisa borrows her brother’s soccer shoes without asking his permission.
ASTHMA TECH (2006) Animation, Jonathan Ng, 7min, Canada, English Winston has asthma but that doesn’t stop his talent and creativity. Watch how his special gift involves his classmates.
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Shorts program
Secrets and Surprises! Ages 9–13 Sat & Sun at 1:30pm (76min) Things are not always what they seem in this series of short films. Actors will read subtitles aloud during films that are not in English.
AGRICULTURAL REPORT (2004) Animation, Melina Sydney, 3min, Ireland, English A nervous cow listening to a radio broadcast about foot-and-mouth disease gets overanxious.
TIGER BAY NATION (2005) NY Premiere Animation, Jane Hubbardt, 6min, UK/Wales, English This short film celebrates the rich, multi-cultural history of the Tiger Bay neighborhood in Cardiff, Wales.
THE RUN (2006) Live action, Shawn Costa, 2min, US, no dialogue Walking down a hallway going to his next class, Jack is suddenly pursued by a shadowy figure. Is the dark figure as haunting as Jack imagined?
DELIVERY (2005) Animation, Till Nowak, 9min, Germany, no dialogue An elderly man, living in the shadow of dark industrial smog, receives a mysterious package that gives him the ability to change his world.
THE DANISH POET (2006) Animation, Torill Kove, 15min, Norway/Canada, in Norwegian with English subtitles Kasper, a would-be poet with little creative verve, ventures to Norway to meet a famous writer. Bad weather, a careless postman, hungry goats, a beautiful girl, and other random factors play important roles in Kasper’s never-ending quest. Actress Liv Ullman narrates. Nominated for a 2007 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
NAMIBIA, BRASIL (2006) NY Premiere Live action, Miguel Silveira, 8min, Brazil, in Portuguese with English subtitles A young girl in Brazil relates the story of “Sadako and the Thousand Cranes” and talks about why it touched her so deeply.
INVASION OF THE SPACE LOBSTERS (2005) Animation, Janet Perlman, 7min, Canada, English When an advanced race of giant lobsters lands on earth, there is great confusion about how to communicate with the intergalactic crustaceans.
FIRST FLIGHT (2006) Animation, Cameron Hood and Kyle Jefferson, 8min, US, no dialogue A tiny fledgling bird forever changes a businessman’s outlook on life in this heartwarming tale from DreamWorks Animation, which proves that friendship comes in all shapes and sizes.
LOVE LETTER (2005) NY Premiere Live action, Trent Jones, 18min, US, English A young boy loses a love letter written to the girl of his dreams and must face the challenges of seventh grade to win her back in this film loosely based on Shakespeare’s As You Like It.
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Credits Leadership support for BAMcinématek is provided by The Joseph S. and Diane H. Steinberg Charitable Trust. HIP & Freelancers Union are major sponsors for BAMcinématek.
BAM Rose Cinemas are named in recognition of a major gift in honor of Jonathan F.P. and Diana Calthorpe Rose. BAM Rose Cinemas would also like to acknowledge the generous support of The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, The Estate of Richard B. Fisher, Jim & Mary Ottaway, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Delegation of the New York City Council, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, The Ford Foundation, Bloomberg, Time Warner Inc., and Trollbäck & Company. Additional support is provided by The Cultural Heritage Preservation Fund and The Grodzins Fund.
BAM would like to thank the Brooklyn Delegation of the U.S. House of Representatives, especially the Hon. Edolphus Towns, the Hon. Nydia M. Velazquez, and our 11th Congressional District Representative, Hon. Yvette Clarke, for their leadership in securing major Federal appropriations for BAM’s youth and community initiatives.
General Information
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, BAM Rose Cinemas, BAMcafé, and Shakespeare & Co. BAMshop are located in the Peter Jay Sharp building at 30 Lafayette Avenue (between St Felix Street and Ashland Place) in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. BAM Harvey Theater is located two blocks from the main building at 651 Fulton Street (between Ashland and Rockwell Places). BAM Rose Cinemas is Brooklyn’s only movie house dedicated to first-run independent and foreign film and repertory programming. BAMcafé, operated by Great Performances, is open for dining prior to Howard Gilman Opera House performances. BAMcafé also features an eclectic mix of spoken word and live music for BAMcafé Live nights on Friday and Saturday with a special BAMcafé Live menu available starting at 8pm.
Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5, Q, B to Atlantic Avenue; D, M, N, R to Pacific Street; G to Fulton Street; C to Lafayette Avenue Train: Long Island Railroad to Flatbush Avenue Bus: B25, B26, B41, B45, B52, B63, B67 all stop within three blocks of BAM Car: Commercial parking lots are located adjacent to BAM
# # # For ticket and BAMbus information, call BAM Ticket Services at 718.636.4100, or visit www.BAM.org.