Belmont World Film’s 16th Annual Family Film Festival
"Where Stories Come Alive" some of the world’s best films for families, plus a live performance of WBUR's "Circle Round" children's podcast.
FRI-Jan. 18th & SUN-Jan. 20th
Belmont World Film’s 16th Annual Family Film Festival
January 18-20, 2019
Belmont World Film’s 16th Annual Family Festival, “Where Stories Come Alive,” offers nearly four full days of some of the world’s best films for children and adults, as well as a live concert on opening night accompanying the silent films of George Méliès (the subject of Martin Scorcese’s Hugo) and a live version of WBUR’s “Circle Round,” which sold out last year at the Regent. Films are screened in English or their native language with subtitles, most of which will be read aloud via headphones for young readers, and many are being screened in the US for the first time. It might even be your only time to see them in New England.
Each day revolves around a different theme: Saturday is devoted to nature, Sunday to kids not limited by their disabilities, and Monday to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Many films are based on international children’s literature and include stories about birds, nature, a swashbuckling rat, a magical train, a winning lacrosse team, and more.
Ticketing Information
Shorts programs: $6
Feature length films: $10
Live events: $12
Full festival pass: $50
Shorts programs with EBT/WIC card: $3
Feature length films with EBT/WIC card: $5
Members of the military: Free
BUY FESTIVAL PASSES HERE
Films at the Regent Theatre include:
Friday, January 18, 7:30 PM (Opening Night)
Right in the Eye (“En Plein Dans L’Oeil” )75 min.
Join us for a magical evening of film and music collaborations that has been hundreds of years in the making. French filmmaker George Méliès, originally an illusionist famously depicted in Martin Scorcese’s Hugo, was one of cinema’s founding fathers and is responsible for inventing some of movie-making’s first special effects. Jeff Rapsis, a composer and performer who specializes in creating live musical scores for silent film screenings, and virtuoso guitarist Paul Bielatowicz, best known for his work with some of progressive rock’s biggest names, such as Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), Steve Hackett (Genesis), and Les Paul, will provide music and narration for a selection of Méliès’s most famous silent short films, including A Trip to the Moon, Man with the Rubber Head, and The Human Fly. Age 5-Adult ($12)
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Sunday, January 20
10:30 AM
*POSTPONED TO NEXT SAT. JAN 26 AT 2PM*
WBUR Presents: Circle Round ****SOLD OUT*** Join Waiting List
A live performance of WBUR’s new storytelling podcast for kids, featuring folktales from around the world, as well as live music Join composer Eric Shimelonis, host Rebecca Sheir, and some of Boston’s top actors as they bring two folktales to life on stage, including: Dollars and Scents, about a greedy baker who learns to share; and a sneak peek at the previously unreleased The Woman in the Moon, an Alaskan native tale about the Moon’s new bride, who proves a little patience can go a long way. Age 4-10 ($12)
Followed by an autograph signing with the cast!
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12:15 PM
Laugh Out Loud with Mo Willems
Perhaps no children’s book author is as popular as Mo Willems, who also narrates his books’ animated versions produced by Weston Woods Studios. This program includes: the never-before-seen Nanette’s Baguette, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed, Leonardo the Terrible Monster, Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator, and Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs. (Age 3-8).
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1:30 PM
Chuskit
US premiere | India | 90 min. | Ladakhi with subtitles read aloud through headphones | 2018
To chase her dream of going to school in her remote Himalayan village in India, a feisty girl, who lost use of her legs in an accident, locks horns with her tradition-bound grandfather. Based in part on a true story (Age 8+).
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3:15 PM
The Witch Hunters
US premiere | Serbia| 90 min. | Serbian with subtitles read aloud through headphones | 2018
A 10 year-old boy with cerebral palsy often retreats to the fantasy world he’s built where he imagines himself to be a superhero. His life changes when he befriends a new classmate and the adventure to hunt her ‘witch’ stepmother begins. Best Film winner at the Toronto International Film Festival for Kids (Age 8+).
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5:00 PM
Ballad from Tibet
New England premiere | China | 73 min. | Chinese & Tibetan with subtitles read aloud through headphones | 2017
Based on the true story of students from a school for the blind in the Tibetan Himalayas who walk from Gyangzê to Shenzen, China to fulfill their dream of singing on a famous reality TV show. One of the students, who has partial eyesight, acts as their guide through the mountainous terrain, but they must all work together to arrive in time for the show. Facing numerous challenges along the way, they demonstrate strength of character as they set out to prove they are more capable than people give them credit (Age 8+).
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