St. Louis International Children’s Film Festival (SLIFF/Kids), Held July 26-Aug 4, Announces Schedule

 

Cinema St. Louis (CSL) has completed the schedule for the First Annual St. Louis International

Children’s Film Festival (SLIFF/Kids), presented by PNC Arts Alive. PNC Arts Alive is a multi-year, $2 million investment from The PNC Foundation that supports visual and performing arts groups with the goal of increasing arts access and engagement in new and innovative ways.

 

SLIFF/Kids features film programs on the fest’s two weekends (July 26-28 and Aug. 2-4). Venues include Webster University , the St. Louis Public Library, the Missouri History Museum, Washington University, Lindenwood University, the Wildey Theatre (in Edwardsville, Ill.), and Ronnies 20 Cine. All film programs are free.

 

In addition to the film programs, CSL offers filmmaking camps on live action and animation at the St. Louis Public Library’s Creative Experience on the fest’s weekdays (July 29-Aug. 2). And on Aug. 3, a full-day animation workshop for teens is held at the Saint Louis Art Museum . The camps are free of charge; the animation workshop is $75, but all supplies and materials are provided.

 

The films screened at SLIFF/Kids include international and American-independent narrative features (both animated and live action) and shorts programs. Programs are pitched to children and young teens ages 6-16; some programs appeal equally to all ages, but others are designed to serve particular age ranges.

 

SLIFF/Kids kicks off on July 26 at Webster U. with a laugh-filled evening of slapstick fun both on screen and on stage. The program “Send in the Clowns: A Celebration of Slapstick and Silent Comedians” includes a trio of classic shorts by some of silent cinema’s funniest comedians: Charlie Chaplin in “A Dog’s Life,” Buster Keaton in “One Week,” and Laurel and Hardy in “Big Business.” The Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra’s Matt Pace accompanies the Keaton and Laurel and Hardy films on piano, and live clowning is provided before, between, and after the films by Sammich the Tramp and the Knock-a-bouts and Circus Kaput’s Oh My Gosh Josh.

 

The fest features several guests. Joey Dedio, the screenwriter and star of the feature film “Tio Papi,” accompanies the film’s screening on July 27 at the Missouri History Museum . And on SLIFF/Kids’ second weekend, Lifetime Achievement Award winner Michael Sporn, an animator with a distinguished career in family filmmaking, will present programs of his work on the evening of Aug. 2 and afternoon of Aug. 4 and offer an animation workshop on Aug. 3.

 

SLIFF/Kids’ other highlights include a sneak preview of the Disney animated 3D film “Planes”; the Japanese animes “Wolf Children” and “A Letter to Momo”: the international animated films “The Painting,” “Moon Man,” and “Lotte and the Moonstone Secret”; the live-action films “Alfie, the Little Werewolf,” “Tom Sawyer and His Friends,” “Believe,” “Kauwboy,” and “Standing Up”; and the classic “Return to Oz.”

 

Schedule

July 26

7 p.m. Webster U.: Send in the Clowns: A Celebration of Slapstick and Silent

Comedians

 

July 27

Noon, Central Library: Alfie, the Little Werewolf

1 p.m., Lindenwood U. : Wolf Children

2:30 p.m., Central Library: Tom Sawyer and His Friends

7 p.m., History Museum : Tio Papi, with screenwriter/star Joey Dedio

 

July 28

1 p.m., Wildey: The Painting

1:30 p.m., Central Library: Moon Man

3:30 p.m., Central Library: Lotte and the Moonstone Secret

7 p.m., History Museum : Believe

 

July 29-Aug. 2

10 a.m.-1 p.m., Central Library: Film Camp in Live Action

1:30-4:30 p.m., Central Library: Film Camp in Animation

 

Aug. 2

7 p.m., Washington U. : Michael Sporn: Personal Best, with animator Sporn

 

Aug. 3

10 a.m., Ronnies: Disney’s Planes in 3D

10 a.m.-3 p.m., Saint Louis Art Museum : Teen Workshop: Animation Drawing

Noon, Central Library: Return to Oz, with Filmmaking Camps shorts

1 p.m., Lindenwood U: The Painting

2:30 p.m., Central Library: A Letter to Momo

7 p.m., Washington U. : Wolf Children

 

Aug. 4

1 p.m., Wildey: Wolf Children

1:30 p.m., Central Library: Michael Sporn: By the Book, with animator Sporn

3:30 p.m., Central Library: Kauwboy

7 p.m., Washington U. : Standing Up, with production executive Jere Hausfater

 

Venues

· Lindenwood University’s Young Hall Auditorium: Watson and Houston

streets (one block west of South Kingshighway and Watson Street ), St. Charles .

Parking is available next to Young Hall; no permits are required.

· Missouri History Museum ’s Lee Auditorium: Forest Park , 5700 Lindell Blvd.

(at DeBaliviere Avenue ).

· Ronnies 20 Cine: 5320 S. Lindbergh Blvd. Attendees should go to the box office

when they arrive at the theater to obtain complimentary tickets.

· Saint Louis Art Museum : Forest Park , 1 Fine Arts Dr .

· St. Louis Public Library’s Central Library Auditorium (screenings) and

Creative Experience (camps): 1301 Olive St. downtown.

· Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium: Forsyth Boulevard and

Chaplin Drive (two blocks west of Skinker Boulevard ). Parking is available to the

side and front of Brown Hall; no permits are required.

· Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium: Webster Hall, 470 E.

Lockwood Ave. Parking is available both in front of and behind Webster Hall; no

permits are required.

· Wildey Theatre: 252 N. Main St. , Edwardsville , Ill.

 

Tickets

· The SLIFF/Kids film programs are free to all attendees, both children and

adults. No tickets are required for any show, but seating is on a first-come, firstserved

basis, so early arrival is suggested, particularly for groups of three or more.

For the screening of “Disney’s Planes” at Ronnies, attendees should go to the box

office when they arrive at the theater to obtain complimentary tickets.

 

· The Filmmaking Camps in live action and animation are free, but participation is

limited and advance sign-up is required; call 314-289-4153 to inquire whether any

space remains available.

 

· The Teen Workshop in animation drawing costs $75 ($50 for Saint Louis Art

Museum members), but all art supplies will be provided. To apply, visit the Saint

Louis Art Museum at www.slam.org and click on the “Education” tab; in the

Education section, click on the “Adults” box and then click on “Learn more about

upcoming Classes, Seminars, and Workshops.”

 

Full details of the SLIFF/Kids program, including descriptions of the films, can be found

at the Cinema St. Louis Web site: www.cinemastlouis.org. For more information on PNC

Arts Alive, visit www.pncartsalive.com.