A program of Filmmakers Collaborative, BIKFF works to inspire kids to use the media to tell to tell their own stories while screening some of the best films that independent filmmaking has to offer.to offer. Both student and professional filmmakers will present full-length documentaries, animated shorts, and short narrative films appropriate for all ages (screenings are divided into age-appropriate blocks). The festival will also feature films made by students in FC Academy, an after-school and summer vacation filmmaking program that teaches students in grades k-8 how to make short films. More than half of the films being screened are student-made, with the producers and directors being 18 years or younger.
The festival kicks off on Friday, November 22 with a screening of “STAND UP & SHOUT.” HBO Documentary Films, in association with Director and Producer Amy Schatz of Get Lifted Film Co., created this heartfelt documentary that follows a unique music program that teaches students to write, compose, produce, and perform original songs. Together with local musicians, they create an album that not only captures the challenging times they’re living in, but also showcases the pure joy of making music . Mike Jackson, John Legend, Ty Stiklorius, and Tommy Benjamin are some of the film’s influential executive producers.
The Saturday night feature will be ROBIN AND THE HOODS. Directed by Phil Hawkins, this family-friendly, action adventure stars Oscar-Nominee Naomie Harris (BOND, MOONLIGHT), Gwendoline Christie (STAR WARS, GAME OF THRONES), Mark Williams (HARRY POTTER) and Darcey Ewart (PRANCER: A CHRISTMAS TALE) and tells the story of an 11- year-old girl named Robin and her loyal band of friends, ‘The Hoods’, as they work to save their “magical kingdom” (the patch of scrubland on their street) from the threat of property development.
All day Saturday, November 23 and Sunday, November 24, the festival will feature a full slate of short films, sixty in total, across a wide range of categories. These films come from all over the world and are created by both professional filmmakers and students as young as 7 years old. This year’s selections include a variety of powerful voices tackling issues like climate change and dyslexia, while others approach topics such as in-classroom learning with humor and heart.
In the festival’s first “full circle” moment since its inception, local filmmaker recent college graduate Ben Tobin, past recipient of BIKFF’s “Best Student Film” award, now has a film in the professional short films category.
“All of our films showcase extraordinary kids doing things many adults only dream of,” said Laura Azevedo, executive director of Filmmakers Collaborative, the festival’s presenter. “At its heart, the Boston International Kids Film Festival is all about kids, and this year’s selections highlight kids from all over the world doing some remarkable and inspiring work.”
Awards will be presented for Best Documentary, Best Short, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Student Film, Best Student Documentary and the Audience Choice Award. The festival will also present the Peggy Charren Award for Excellence, created in honor of Peggy Charren, a tireless champion of quality and diversity in children’s television, and founder of the advocacy group, Action for Children’s Television (ACT).
For more information or to purchase tickets to the festival, visit http://bikff.org/.
