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. more… BAMKids Film Festival 2 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. more… BAMKids Film Festival 3 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.