2018 Festival Program

Friday Evening — February 23, 2017

OPENING NIGHT EVENT : 7 – 9 pm THEATER ONE  (all ages)

Come join us to kick off the 10th edition of the Bay Area International Children’s FIlm Festival with :

The Fantastic Films : Short Films and a discussion with BAICFF programmer and co-founder Jim Capobianco

What goes into making a great short film? How do you get your film into a festival? Can you make any money with a short film? In honor of our 10th anniversary, join us in a free ranging discussion with BAICFF programmer, co-founder and filmmaker Jim Capobianco. Jim will show some of the shorts he has made independently and at Pixar as well as  show and discuss what, in his opinion, makes a great short film. Fellow BAICFF co-founder, Shelley Trott, will also discuss with Jim his 25-year career in animation, and Jim will also answer all of your questions about the secrets of animation and the Universe. This is an event not to miss!

About Jim –

Jim Capobianco received the 2008 Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for Ratatouille. He went on to write and direct the short film, “Your Friend The Rat,” found on the Ratatouille DVD, winning the 2008 ASIFA-Hollywood Annie Award for short films. Jim followed YFtR up with directing the critically acclaimed end titles for Pixar’s 2008 release Wall•E. A graduate of California Institute of the Arts, Jim started in the story department at Walt Disney Feature Animation on The Lion King. After five years at Disney, Jim relocated to Pixar Animation Studios where he was influential on the stories of many of Pixar’s films of the past 19 years, including Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo, UP and Inside Out. In 2009, Jim finished  “Leonardo” his first independent film, now in the permanent collection of the MoMA NYC. In addition to his work as a filmmaker, Jim co-created the Bay Area International Children’s Film Festival now in its 10th year. Now with Aerial Contrivance Workshop, Jim is creating and producing in connection to Walt Disney Motion Pictures the new 2D animated sequence for Mary Poppins Returns.

The BAICFF Opening Night Event is a separate ticket price and tickets are limited –  So Get Your Ticket Today!

FREE ~  Telescope Viewing after – weather permitting

Saturday Morning — February 24, 2018

SHORT FILMS FOR ALL AGES : 10 am THEATER ONE • 10:15 am THEATER TWO

FoodieCats : Teamwork by Gil Banducci/Studio X, Students of Academy of Art University, 1’21”, USA, 2015-2017 In this episode the Foodiecats learn when working together, they can conquer unexpected obstacles.

The Embroiderers by Julia Vellutini, 2’59”, Brazil, 2017 While waiting for a bus in the backwoods, three embroiderers play with their magical powers. 

Scribble by Margaret Orr, 2’28”, USA, 2016 First graders at a Chicago Public School scribble onto clear, plastic film to create this avant-garde celebration of pure creativity.

Slant the Sapling by Guo jun-ming , 4’39”, Taiwan, 2016In the forest, a sapling named Slant sprouts up from the ground. She wants to grow tall and straight, like those big trees around her.

Stars by Han Zhang, 10’50”, USA, 2016 Grandpa and grandson street sellers sell stars in a town near the shore. One night, they run out of the stars…

The Old Man and the Pears  by Jing Sun, 5′, USA, 2016A little boy bravely steps forward and spends his last coin to buy a pear for the old man.

Shokolat by Mehdi Heydari, 14’02”,  Iran, 2017 Our acts make or mar us, we are the children of our own deeds. ~ Victor Hugo

Puppy Trials  by Thomas Nicol, 4’02”,  USA, 2017 Written by 3rd grader Claire Hartman, an old abandoned German Shepherd teaches a group of puppies how to behave, so they can get adopted.

Bri-ka-brok  by Davy Durand, 2’20”,  France, 2015Percussion and water sounds move colors in our eyes! A synesthesian experience!

 

FoodieCats : Health by Gil Banducci/Studio X, Students of Academy of Art University, 1’03”, USA, 2015-2017 It’s time to get out and play! The Foodiecats learn the healthy benefits of playing outside.

Program runs approximately 50 minutes 

TALES OF ANIMAL TRICKSTERS : Short Films of Tall Tails from the NFB : 11:00 am THEATER ONE (all ages)

    The NFB , or less known as the National Film Board of Canada, is recognized the world over as one of the great cultural laboratories for innovation. Its artists and artisans continue to lead the way with creative advances in documentary and interactive media and to pioneer developments in digital and stereoscopic animation. Since the NFB’s founding in 1939, it has created over 13,000 productions and won over 5,000 awards, including 17 Webbys, 18 Canadian Screen Awards, 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies. Over 3,000 NFB productions can be streamed online at NFB.ca. For 10 years BAICFF has shown at least one NFB short in its programing without any demands or fees from the NFB. They have always been a pleasure to collaborate with and we are honored to continue the partnership in years to come. Enjoy this block of shorts including two BAY AREA PREMIERES! and one BAICFF favorite!

The Magic of Anansi by Jamie Mason, 6′, Canada, 2001 Anansi the spider is tired of being looked down on by all the jungle animals–just because his webs don’t catch bugs.

The Mountain of SGaana by Christopher Auchter, 10’02, Canada, 2017 A magical tale of a young man who is stolen away to the spirit world, and the young woman who rescues him. Haida filmmaker Christopher Auchter’s dream-like gem brilliantly entwines traditional animation with formal elements of Haida art.

How Dinosaurs Learned to Fly *BAICFF Children’s Choice Winner 2013* by Munro Ferguson, 5′ 58, Canada, 1995 The dinosaurs were headed for trouble. They ate nothing but junk food. They never brushed their teeth. They stayed up all night long. And although they loved to jump off cliffs, they didn’t like landing. The early mammals tried to warn them, “You’ll all be extinct if you keep that up!”

Hedgehog’s Home by Eva Cvijanovic, 10′, Canada, 2017 In a lush and lively forest lives a hedgehog. He is at once admired, respected and envied by the other animals. However, Hedgehog’s unwavering devotion to his home annoys and mystifies a quartet of insatiable beasts: a cunning fox, an angry wolf, a gluttonous bear and a muddy boar.

 THE LITTLE THEATER – Across from the  Cafe : starting at 11 am then running continuously Join us in the LITTLE THEATER  across from the Cafe for films for our littlest film fans. Films will play on a continuous basis so pop by and enjoy some wonderful shorts from some of our favorite filmmakers.

Saturday Afternoon — February 24, 2018

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES SEVEN AND UP : 3:15 pm THEATER ONE • 3:20 pm THEATER TWO

A View From the Window by Christian Filippone, 7’37, USA, 2017 An immersive glimpse of a school day through the eyes of deaf children.

Negative Space by Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata, 5’30, France, 2017 My dad taught me how to pack.

Doctor of Monster by Gustavo Teixeira, 11’00”, Brazil, 2017 Dudu has already chosen his future profession, now will have to face his fears to become a doctor of monsters.

Sawubona by Lungelo Kuzwayo, 10’18”, South Africa, 2015 Mbali, a charming and adventurous 7 year-old South African, defies the norm by making a new friend; thus sparking a journey of transformation.

Fingerprints by Don Hardy, 25’00 , USA/Haiti, 2017  The story of two music programs for kids – one in Haiti and one in California – that come together, virtually, to record two songs. Along the way, the kids learn that even though their lives are very different, their spirit, ambition, and love of life is strikingly similar…and music is a universal language that connects us all.

Saturday Afternoon Special Programing

HOW DID THEY DO THAT? : Art and Character Design in Games!  :  1:00 pm  THEATER ONE  (all ages)

Join this year’s guests artists as they discuss the fun and challenging world of developing art and character designs for games.

Hanna Abi-Hanna and Emily Barrera are husband and wife animators based in Oakland, CA. Since 2010, they have collaborated on various animation, design and video game projects while also working independently in different fields of the industry. Emily Barrera is an independent designer and animator, she has helped bring to life several educational apps and games for kids including MindSnacks, Lumikids, and Osmo’s Pizza Kitchen. Hanna Abi-Hanna is currently an animator at Duncan Studio, and has worked independently for various film, television, and video game companies including Studio MDHR, Areal Contrivance Workshop, Titmouse, Disney Tv, Ghostbot, and Nike.

KIDS WITH GLOBAL IMPACT  :   2:00 pm THEATER ONE (all ages)

This year we received two great docs from Canada about two great young women who are out there making a difference. Saturday and Sunday come see how these young people are traveling the world to bring the world together.

The Sunrise Storyteller by Kasha Sequoia Slavner, 1:04:25, Canada, 2016 The Sunrise Storyteller follows the hero’s journey of teenage filmmaker & social justice advocate, Kasha Sequoia Slavner, as she sets out for six months on her 16th birthday across the world in search of stories of hope and resilience that shine a light on what it means to be a global citizen and how we can all make a difference.

CHILDREN CHOICE : 10 Years of BAICFF Favorites  :  1:10 pm THEATER TWO

For almost as long as the festival has been around, we have awarded the Children’s Choice Award to the films deemed deserving by the children in our audience. At a few points throughout the day in Theater Two : The Planetarium we will be showing these shorts again. So pop in and see some really wonderful, great shorts and you can be the judge if these shorts absolutely deserve the coveted Children’s Choice Award. We think you will!  * Please check your program since the Children’s Choice Films won’t be screening during the Morning and Afternoon Shorts screenings or during the Feature Films.

Screening of TODAY’S Workshop Shorts! (all ages) : 4:30 pm THEATER ONE

Special Appearance by Mayor Libby Schaaf

Our workshop shorts screening is a highlight of the festival and one of the events that makes BAICFF unique. During the day, all the tiny films being shot by our young filmmakers in the Pixilation and Clay Animation workshops are edited together with sound and music by Berkeley City College Film students to create an assembly of the day’s films for our filmmakers (and their parents) to see on the big screen. Come see the films and applaud our young filmmakers as they take their bow! Sign up for a workshop today!  

CAMP REEL STORIES :  5:00pm THEATER ONE 

Camp Reel Stories by various filmmakers, 45′, USA, 2017  Camp Reel Stories believes that when women and girls are better represented behind the scenes in the media, they will be better reflected on the screen. Camp Reel Stories is a non-profit organization that empowers middle school and high school young women with the skills to create their own media, to view current media critically and thoughtfully, and to aspire to leadership in their field. At Camp Reel Stories, girls get to work in small, collaborative groups, to write, shoot, edit and broadcast their own short films. Camp Reel Stories is the only media program led by professionals in the Media Industry. Join us once again as BAICFF showcases the new stories being told by this year’s camp graduates and learn a little about the program.  

SATURDAY EVENING FILM EVENT!

FEATURE FILM PROGRAM  :  6pm THEATER ONE

THE BREADWINNER by Nora Towmey , 93′, Ireland, 2017 We are excited to present to you a truly beautiful, timely and important animated film from our good friends at Cartoon Saloon! The critically acclaimed THE BREADWINNER!

From executive producer Angelina Jolie and the creators of the Academy Award®-nominated The Secret of Kells ( BAICFF ’10) and Song of the Sea (BAICFF ’14), comes the highly-anticipated new feature based on Deborah Ellis’ best- selling novel. The Breadwinner tells the story of Parvana, an 11-year-old girl growing up under the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001. When her father is wrongfully arrested, Parvana disguises herself as a boy in order to support her family. With dauntless perseverance, Parvana draws strength from the stories her father told her, and ultimately risks her life to discover if he is still alive. Equal parts thrilling and enchanting, The Breadwinner is a timely and inspiring tale about the transcendent power of stories, and their potential to unite and heal us all.   Common Sense Media’s review

Making of presentation and Q & A following the film with Breadwinner’s Assistant Director – Stuart Shankly!  

Preceding the Feature presentation we will show a short film by another friend of the festival Marjolaine Perreten :

A Festive Wind by Marjolaine Perreten, 9’50, Switzerland, 2017. Early in the morning, a great celebration is being prepared in a small Swiss village. The volunteers are bustling about and the first musicians arrive.

FREE ~  Telescope Viewing following the screening – weather permitting

Sunday Morning — February 25, 2018

SHORT FILMS FOR ALL AGES : 10 am THEATER ONE • 10:15 am THEATER TWO

Foodiecats – Confidence by Gil Banducci/Studio X, Students of Academy of Art University, 1’17, USA, 2015-2017 The Foodiecats learn when facing obstacles that make you afraid, you often find that they aren’t as scary as you imagined.

New Toy by Rogério Boechat, 6’30”, Brazil, 2017 On a boring day, a baby gets a teddy bear from his mom. The new toy becomes his best friend. Over time, it turns into a tedious object.

The Klumz by Neshama Ryman,* 4’35”, USA, 2016  10-year-old Neshama Ryman brings her favorite imaginary characters, the Klumz, to life. In the Ryman household, accidents, messes, and unforeseen instances of chaos are always attributed to fictional creatures created by Neshama called the Klumz. *kid made film

Chatter Group of Moms and Grandmas by Kid’s Director Project, 7’43, Taiwan, 2016  What’s the magic of the spring fountain that attracts the moms and grandmas all year round?

Foodiecats – Education  by Gil Banducci/Studio X, Students of Academy of Art University, 1’25”, USA, 2015-2017 Broccoli Cat learns the consequences of not following instructions properly when programming robots.

A priori by Maïté Schmitt, 5’40, France, 2017  To protect his books, Albert, the young librarian, must put his prejudice aside and make friends with a bat.

Painted by Olivia Derie, 3’51, Belgium, 2017 A little Cambodian girl gets bullied by her richer classmates a school. Her pet water buffalo, who brings her to school daily, isn’t too happy about this.

A Festive Wind by Marjolaine Perreten, 9’50, Switzerland, 2016  Early in the morning, a great celebration is being prepared in a small Swiss village. The volunteers are bustling about and the first musicians arrive.

Foodiecats – Integrity  by Gil Banducci/Studio X, Students of Academy of Art University, 1’45”, USA, 2015-2017  The Foodiecats learn that when you forgive and let go, it will set a chain of positive reactions on the move.

Special Programing

KIDS WITH GLOBAL IMPACT : 11:00am THEATER ONE  (all ages)

Anthems : A Journey Around the World by Stephanie Dieter, 39’55, Canada, 2017 10-year old Canadian singer and Guinness World Record-holder Capri Everitt embarks on a unique journey with her family to 80 countries where she sings the national anthem of each country in the national language in an effort to raise money and awareness for orphaned and abandoned children around the world

The Mountain of SGaana by Christopher Auchter, 10’02, Canada, 2017 A magical tale of a young man who is stolen away to the spirit world, and the young woman who rescues him. Haida filmmaker Christopher Auchter’s dream-like gem brilliantly entwines traditional animation with formal elements of Haida art.

OCTOPUS NEWS ! : Journalism by Kids from Taiwan 30′  :  12:00pm THEATER ONE  (all ages)

Last year we introduced a new effort to bring empowerment and media literacy to our young audience. This year, along with the awesome docs made by young filmmakers in the previous program, we once again bring you another episode of intrepid reporting all the way  from the news desks of the inquiring children journalists at Octopus News. Although about Taiwan, it is not all that different from a news story here in the Bay Area or the U.S.A.  So, settle in with your notepad, microphone and FACT-BASED investigative journalist brain and enjoy OCTOPUS NEWS!

OCTOPUS NEWS: School Lunch in Japan, Yammy? by Chen Kuan Yu, 29’10, Taiwan, 2016 Many kids in Taiwan don’t like their school lunch. In our capital Taipei alone, there are on average up to 10 tonnes of leftovers every day. However, in our neighboring country Japan, with their more than 100 years of school meal history, what can we learn from them? Two of our child reporters from “Octopus News” went to Tokyo, Japan, eating school lunch in three grade schools and watching how they make their meals. We showed the audience everything about school lunch from the children’s point of view. They asked questions about what they’d like to know and shared with us how they felt about school lunch. We’ve made four episodes on the Japanese school lunch, and this is the first one. In order to improve our own school lunch, we made this trip to Japan, which led us to think more about the relationships of the grownups and children, and of the humans and their meals.

TALES FOR THE HARRY POTTER FAN : 12:30 pm THEATER ONE  (all ages)

Two shorts to satisfy your inner wizard. Using special effects and good old fashioned storytelling these shorts rise above your average independent short film. Plus they’re just fun.

The Last Wizards on Earth by Mirka Kettunen, 10’10, Czech Republic, 2017 Two teenage boys still play wizards, until one day when they bump into two girls. Now they have to either chose either to go for fake wizardry – or the real Magic of Love.

Intrepid  by Alexa Tuttle, 16’39, USA, 2017 In an effort to make her senior trials unforgettable, a brilliant and overly ambitious witch named Hazel attempts to steal the ancient book of Merlin from her magical school’s enchanted library!

THE LITTLE THEATER : starting at 11 am then continuous  – Across from the  Cafe

Join us in the LITTLE THEATER  across from the Cafe for films for our littlest film fans. Films will play on a continuous basis so pop by and enjoy some wonderful shorts from some of our favorite filmmakers.

Sunday Afternoon — February 25, 2018

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES SEVEN AND UP : 1:00 pm THEATER ONE • 1:00 pm THEATER TWO 

Scrap Dolls by Aude Cuenod, 13’20, USA, 2016 On the east side of Detroit an 11-year-old boy, grieving over the loss of his best friend, encounters an artist who makes art out of abandoned objects.

Thea by Halvor Nitteberg, 13’31, Norway, 2016 Thea is 12 years old. She likes to play football and to be with her friends. But why does she want to grow up to be an air ambulance pilot?

Not One of Us by Bill Jarcho, 9′, USA, 2017 An ominous warning about the perils of building walls in the name of greed, hegemony, and xenophobia.

Are You Volleyball?! by Mohammad Bakhshi, 14’35, Iran, 2017 A group of Arabian spoken asylum seekers arrive to an English spoken country border and can’t keep going.

My Grandmother Ironed the King’s Shirts by Torill Kove, 10’05, Canada, 1999 This Oscar®-nominated animated film comes from Oscar®-winning filmmaker Torill Kove (The Danish Poet). It’s a tall tale about her grandmother’s life in Oslo, Norway, during World War II.

Sunday Afternoon Special Programming

Afternoon Features

Now you’ll have to choose! Two very different feature films to pick from.  Both really good and impossible to see in the US of A.

Meerkat Moonship. :  2:10 pm THEATER ONE (ages 10 & up) *heavy subject matter*

Meerkat Moonship by Hanneke Schutte, 1:36’00, South Africa, 2017   After her father’s sudden death, Gideonette de la Rey, a fearful young hypochondriac with an overactive imagination, descends into darkness as she realises that she’s the only one left with a cursed family name. With the help of her new friend Bhubesi and his make-shift Meerkat Moonship, she’ll have to find the inner strength to face her fears in order to break the curse.  > In Afrikaans with English Subtitles  < 

A Film of Cinema. :  2:10 pm THEATER TWO  (all ages)

A Film of Cinema by Thiago B. Mendonça, 1:30’00, Brazil, 2017 Is about the simple question, “Papa, what’s cinema?“ The perfect question for BAICFF and our young audiences as we follow a group of children create their own film. Touching on classic moments from films of the past by Charlie Chaplin, Georges Melies, Buster Keaton and other greats. > In Portuguese with English Subtitles<

Shelley and Jim’s Favorite Shorts : A 10th Anniversary Celebration : 3:45 pm THEATER ONE

Join the co-founders and directors of BAICFF, Shelley Trott and Jim Capobianco as they share with you some of their favorite moments and short films from 10 years of the festival.

Followed by the screening of TODAY’S Workshop Shorts! (all ages) : 4:45 pm THEATER ONE

Our workshop shorts screening is a highlight of the festival and one of the events that makes BAICFF unique. During the day, all the tiny films being shot by our young filmmakers in the Pixilation and Found Object workshops are edited together with sound and music by Berkeley City College Film students to create an assembly of the day’s films for our filmmakers (and their parents) to see on the big screen. Come see the films and applaud our young filmmakers as they take their bow! Sign up for a workshop today!

FESTIVAL CLOSES FOLLOWING TODAY’S WORKSHOP FILMS!

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