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Thu, Oct 29, 2009
6th Annual Festival Includes Ohio Premieres, Animation Galore, Cereal & Pajama Party, Ice Cream Social, Art Activities, and More
The popular Zoom: Family Film Festival featuring films especially for children from around the globe, will take place December 3–6, 2009. This year’s sixth annual festival at the Wexner Center brings animation galore, riveting drama, magical classics, an entertaining documentary, and four Ohio premieres, with films from Belgium, India, France, Germany, and the U.S. The weekend features the enchanting 1946 French live-action film Beauty and the Beast; Adventures of Prince Achmed from 1926, an animated retelling of The Arabian Nights; a free screening of the animated silent-era classic Mr. Bug Goes to Town; What’s On Your Plate?, a 2009 film exploring food issues and myths from a kid’s-eye view; and the return of one of the most popular Wex events ever, Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation (first shown in 2005).
Another highlight is Kid Flix Mix, a kaleidoscope of animated films selected from the best of New York International Children’s Film Festival 2009, will be presented Saturday morning, preceded by the popular annual Cereal & Pajama Party.
An Ice Cream Social follows the movie. Hands- on art-making activities will be offered Saturday and Sunday. And the café, Cam’s on Campus, will be open with coffee and pastries on Saturday morning, and full lunches—with child-friendly menu items—11 am–4 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
ZOOM TICKET PRICES unless otherwise noted in the schedule:
General public: $3 a film (or $15 for any 6 tickets)
Wexner Center members: $2 a film (or $10 for any 6 tickets)
Available at the door or in advance at 614 292-3535
VISITOR INFORMATION: Wexner Center is located at 1871 N. High St. at 15th Ave. at The Ohio State University (wexarts.org); call Jean Pitman, educator for youth programs, at 614 292-4614 to discuss any film before viewing it with children.
PARKING INFORMATION: Convenient parking is available in the Ohio Union Garage, with entrances from North High Street and College Road. The Wexner Center is also on several COTA bus lines (#2, #18, #31, #84).
Notes Chris Stults, co-organizer of the festival and and an assistant curator in the Wexner Center’s film/video department, “This festival represents some of the best animation and films for children from around the globe. With the Indian drama Tahaan—one of the most powerful films about and for children in recent years—and a full array of other marvelous films, Zoom promises to be an unforgettable experience for children of all ages.”
Jean Pitman, co-organizer of the event and the Wexner Center’s educator for youth programs, says, “Getting out of the house to attend a special film of excellence designed for kids with, an adult or as a group, is getting to be a rarer and rarer experience for most children. Zoom is a terrific non-commercial opportunity to have a shared experience that incorporates thinking through and discussing together as a family. In addition, we are committed to making these screenings as affordable as possible so that friends and family can come together at the Wex to connect and explore together through film and video.”
The schedule follows.
ZOOM: FAMILY FILM FESTIVAL
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3
OHIO PREMIERE
A Town Called Panic | 7 PM (Stephane Aubier & Vincent Patar, 2009, Belgium)
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Cowboy, Indian, and Horse all improbably live together, and that’s the least of the whimsical absurdities on display in this delightful European Claymation. Unlikely roommates meet up with a giant mechanical penguin, parachuting cows, and a secret underwater civilization populated by pointy-headed bad guys who wear diving suits and goggles and look really, really weird. The film is based on a popular French TV series of the same name that aired on Nicktoons (courtesy of Aardman Animation, the creators of Wallace and Gromit), and the first stop-motion animated feature film to be included in the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival. In French with English subtitles. Occasional impolite language. (75 mins., 35mm)
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4
Tahaan | 7 PM (Santosh Sivan, 2008, India)
Tahaan is one of the most remarkable and powerful films about and for children in recent years. Tahaan is an 8-year-old boy who lives in the conflict-torn Kashmir valley of Pakistan. When his family’s donkey is sold by his mother to repay debts, Tahaan sets off on a quest to recover his beloved animal friend. More than a war story, this is a film about yearning, finding purpose in life, understanding right and wrong and, ultimately, about choosing peace. Fable-like and beautifully shot, Tahaan captures the scintillating colors, textures, sounds, and smells of a beautiful and ancient land now characterized by border checkpoints, sniper fire, corrupt money lenders, and “disappeared” fathers. In Hindi with English subtitles. (105 mins., 35mm)
This insightful and thoughtfully created movie provides a rare and welcome opportunity to talk openly about a challenging global topic—living with war and conflict—from a child’s perspective. A guided discussion with Wexner Center Director of Education Shelly Casto follows the screening.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5
Saturday Morning Cereal and Pajama Party | 9:15–10 AM — FREE
Visitors can enjoy a cereal and juice bar provided by Whole Foods Market at this popular morning event. Kids in pajamas receive a surprise with their cereal.
Kid Flix Mix | 10 AM
Recommended for ages 3 and up
There’s something for everyone in this kaleidoscopic collection of animated films selected from the best pieces in the New York International Children’s Film Festival 2009. The musical and narrative shorts come from all around the world and feature a spectacular array of animation styles: traditional, CGI, collage, and stop-motion among them. Surprises in the program include a music video by They Might Be Giants and adaptations of the inventive children’s books The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith) and Knuffle Bunny (by Mo Willems). All works are presented in English. (65 mins., video)
Beauty and the Beast | 12 NOON (Jean Cocteau, 1946, France)
Recommended for ages 7 and up
This 1946 French version of the classic story Beauty and the Beast is perhaps the most enchanting live-action fairy-tale ever made, as well as a landmark in fantasy filmmaking. Some of the astonishing effects in the film, such as the human candelabras, were incorporated into the Disney animation, but nothing has matched the sense of wonder and imagination created by this interpretation. Jean Marais’ sensitive, frightening, and tragic performance as the Beast is astonishingly moving. In French with English subtitles. (93 mins., 35mm)
What’s On Your Plate? | 2 PM (Catherine Gund, 2009, USA)
“What’s a Funyon!!?,” a young girl asks. Follow two 11-year-old African American girls as they explore food from a kid’s-eye point of view. Inspired by an Ohio summer vacation from their home in Manhattan, the girls follow a trail of information seeking facts and exploding myths about food by interviewing a variety of people from doctors to farmers to chefs. Farming, school lunches, distribution, ingredients, diet, health, and global politics are among the topics they address with fresh questions and sassy sense of humor. The girls’ unfiltered honesty and curiosity bring a welcome sense of authentic inquiry to this engaging documentary about a topic of clear relevance to all of us. (73 mins., video)
Ice Cream Social | 3–5 PM
An assortment of flavors from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams will be served up. Free.
The Adventures of Prince Achmed | 4:15 PM (Lotte Reiniger, 1926, Germany)
Recommended for ages 4 and up
Beautiful and mesmerizing, The Adventures of Prince Achmed was the first full-length animated film. Taken from The Arabian Nights, the story features a Prince who calls upon Aladdin, the Witch of the Fiery Mountain, and a magic horse to help him win the hand of the Princess. Director Lotte Reiniger crafted the elegant animation from delicate hand-cut silhouettes based on Indonesian shadow puppets. Whimsical, intricate, enchanting, and visually stunning, this completely “hand-made” film will charm all ages and audiences. This film will be shown in a version with a new orchestral recording of the magnificent 1926 score by Wolfgang Zeller. (67 mins., video)
Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation (Eric Zala, 1982–89, USA)
INTRODUCED BY THE FILM’S DIRECTOR AND STAR, ERIC ZALA AND CHRIS STROMPOLOS, WITH Q&A SESSION FOLLOWING
Saturday, December 5 | 7 PM & Sunday, December 6 | 1 PM
Recommended for ages 10 and up
SPECIAL TICKET PRICES: $6 general public, $4 members
“One of the single greatest experiences of my life as a moviegoer.”—Matt Zoller Seitz, New York Press
“It’s not the years, it’s the mileage.” One of the most popular films ever screened at the Wexner Center is back! Everything you’ve heard about this urban legend of a film is true: In 1982, three boys (then 10–12 years old) from the Mississippi Gulf Coast decided to make a shot-for-shot remake of Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. Over the course of the next seven years—while having to figure out how to recreate state-of-the-art special effects in their backyard—the boys also dealt with all the changes that come with going into and emerging out of puberty. Not only did they have to figure out how to drag a person under a moving truck, they had to kiss a girl for the first time. The result is a film that is perhaps even more exciting and inventive than the original—and a truly inspiring tribute to the virtues of dedication and imagination. The behind-the-scenes stories that the filmmakers share during their Q&A sessions are as entertaining as the film itself! (100 mins., video)
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6
Mr. Bug Goes to Town | 3:30 PM (Dave Fleischer, 1941, USA)
FREE — Recommended for ages 3 and up
In the silent film and early sound era, the pioneering Fleischer Brothers ran one of the most popular animation studios in the country. The characters they featured in cartoon shorts include Betty Boop, Popeye, Superman, and Koko the Clown. The colorful musical Mr. Bug Goes to Town (the studio’s second and last feature) involves a young, idealistic grasshopper who must save his community of bugs from the rapid expansion of a neighboring city. A newly restored print of this seldom- seen classic shows off the Fleischers’ clever visuals and treatments of songs by such popular composers as Hoagy Carmichael (“Stardust”) and Frank Loesser (Guys and Dolls). Visitors can try to spot Mr. Bug’s influence on such recent Pixar films as A Bug’s Life and Wall-E. (78 mins., 35mm) Contributions from Wexner Center members help us offer this film free for everyone.
OTHER FAMILY ACTIVITES
The Next Generation: December 1–31
On View in The Box (our video space, across from the Store) during Zoom and throughout December are varied animations, dramatic narratives, and experimental projects by artists ages 8 to 18. These pieces by the next generation of Ohio filmmakers and video artists were selected for inclusion in the youth division of the 2009 Ohio Short Film and Video Showcase.
Art Projects and Tours: Saturday–Sunday, December 5–6
Kids can make their own flipbook, color pictures, and play video games designed by kids in summer workshops at the Wex. Visitors can also take a family-friendly tour of the galleries. (Admission to the exhibition is free for kids under 18 and with a ticket to any Zoom film on the same day.)
Video Game Land: Saturday, December 5 11 AM–7 PM, Sunday, December 6 12–3:30 PM. Student created video games will be available for playing on laptops to visitors. The games were selected (out of over 40) from the Wex’s Summer Kids and Teen Arts Fusion “Make Video Game” class series from the summer of 2009.
EVENT AND SEASON SUPPORT
Zoom: Family Film Festival is presented with major support provided by Cardinal Health.
Additional support provided by Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream and Whole Foods Market.
Promotional support provided by This Week Community Newspapers.
Significant contributions for the Wexner Center’s 2009–10 film/video season are made by the Rohauer Collection Foundation.
The preferred airline of the film/video program is American Airlines/American Eagle.
All film/video programs and events also receive support from the Corporate Annual Fund of the Wexner Center Foundation and Wexner Center members, as well as from the Greater Columbus Arts Council, The Columbus Foundation, Nationwide Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council.
