PHOTO: Dounia: The Great White North is a Canadian film playing at West Newton Cinema on Jan. 18. Courtesy Photo
Belmont World Film is holding its 22nd annual Family Festival, and part of it will be at West Newton Cinema.
The Family Festival is a film festival that celebrates films for and about children. This year’s lineup includes films from the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland and Taiwan, with most of the films making their North American premiere at the festival.
And the majority of this year’s films are adaptations of children’s books.
“Films from abroad are known for telling wonderful stories rather than relying heavily on special effects, and they are often set in fascinating locations outside the U.S. or feature eye-popping hand-drawn and stop motion animation,” Belmont World Film Executive Director Ellen Gitelman said. “Being able to watch these adventurous films on a big screen as a shared experience is something children will never forget.”
Newton Community Pride is one of the groups funding the festival.
Here are the films being shown at West Newton Cinema on Saturday, Jan. 18 (appropriate for kids ages 3 to 12):
Shorts Program: “Pet Projects”: From playful pets to wild creatures, this wordless collection of funny and creative international short films—from charming stop-motion to stunning 2D and 3D animation—blends humor, emotion, and creativity. (10:30 AM)
Elli and the Ghostly Ghost Train (Canada): In a futuristic world where ghosts and the abnormal are no longer allowed in society, homeless little ghost Elli goes in search of her missing uncle and ends up hiding in a Ghost Train filled with eccentric residents. (11:45 AM)
Dounia: The Great White North (Canada) shown with Skipping Rope (Taiwan): Dounia and her grandparents experience life in Canada after fleeing the war in Syria, leaving her father in Aleppo. She and her new French-Canadian and Indigenous friends delight in sharing their respective cultures. Missing her father deeply, Dounia follows her Indigenous friend’s grandmother’s advice to call out to him with all her heart. In Skipping Rope, a young girl yearns for the life her older sister leads: being part of a rope skipping team, trendy shoes, a close circle of friends, and the affectionate gaze of their parents. (1:30 p.m.)
Winners (Germany): Mona, an 11-year-old Kurdish girl who fled Syria with her family, now lives in a Berlin neighborhood where most kids are from other countries. She longs for her country and street soccer matches. When a teacher persuades her to join the school soccer team, she faces new challenges as she navigates clashes with her teammates, each grappling with their own struggles. To win the school’s first city-wide championship, the team must overcome obstacles on and off the field to discover the true meaning of teamwork. (3 p.m.)
Tickets are $12 for feature films and $8 for shorts programs, available at the door. Tickets for workshops must be purchased by Jan. 12, however.
For more information, visit the Belmont World Film website.