SPROCKETS RETURNS WITH THE BEST IN INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FILMS
Soccer fans, the coolest kids in town and a talking twig make their way to Sprockets
Toronto – TIFF announces this year’s exciting slate of films for the Sprockets Toronto International Film Festival for Children. Opening the minds of children and youth to films and cultures from around the world, Sprockets engages and entertains its audiences with a programme drawn from the best of Canadian and international cinema. The only film festival for young people in Toronto, Sprockets provides a rare opportunity to watch films that kids around the world are lining up to see and which, in many cases, may not be available again. New this year: Sprockets presents a selection of films specifically chosen for youth ages 13 and older, running over the weekend (17 and 18 April).
Sprockets takes place from April 17 to April 23, 2010 and tickets are now available - call 416-968-FILM or visit www.sprockets.ca.
The 13th annual festival features a truly international line-up of 68 films – 27 features and 41 shorts – representing 23 countries and 20 languages. Of the features, 85 per cent are set outside of North America. Sprockets offers post-screening discussions with filmmakers and special guests to further explore the films’ themes, storytelling techniques and more. Directors Tetsu Maeda (School Days with a Pig, Korea), Christian Ditter (The Crocodiles, Germany), Giacomo Campeotto (Storm, Denmark) and Cássio Pereira dos Santos (The Scarecrow Girl, Brazil) are among this year’s guests. Additionally, festival-goers can enjoy the immensely popular hands-on film-craft activities before and after screenings at Famous Players Canada Square throughout the weekend.
“Whether through the universality of Sprockets’ films, interaction with special guests, participation in Jump Cuts, or our juries, or hands-on on-site activities, Sprockets sparks creative and cultural discovery in all aspects of the moving image,” said Allen Braude, Co-Director of Learning.
Elizabeth Muskala, Co-Director of Learning added, “With the opening of TIFF Bell Lightbox this fall, we will have even more opportunities to present programmes that will continue to entertain and inspire young minds and will further reinforce our commitment to engage children and youth in arts and culture. ”
Sprockets’ selection of 27 features includes the following films:
Twigson – Åsleik Engmark, Norway, Norwegian with English subtitles
A lonely boy finds a friend in a twig shaped like a person who he names Twigson. As Junior’s father is a travelling underwear salesman and his mother works at a shop in town, Junior and Twigson are on their own a great deal. Together, they have fun adventures, and get up to a little mischief too. Age recommendation 5 and up
Carlitos and the Chance of a Lifetime – Jesús del Cerro, Spain, Spanish with English subtitles
Carlitos, an eleven-year old orphan, loves soccer and hopes to be selected to play on Spain’s national junior soccer team. However, he must keep his plans a secret from the nasty orphanage director. With the help of his friends, Carlitos sets out to fulfil his dreams. Age recommendation 7 and up
School Days with a Pig – Tetsu Maeda, Japan, Japanese with English subtitles
Based on a true story, this colourful and thoughtful film follows a grade 6 class who enthusiastically raise a piglet in their final year of elementary school only to come to an impasse when they must decide whether to follow through on their original decision to eat it at their graduation. Age recommendation 8 and up
The Crocodiles – Christian Ditter, Germany, German with English subtitles
New in town, Kai, a boy in a wheelchair, wants to join the coolest groups of kids – The Crocodiles – who aren’t sure if Kai will fit into their lives of adventure. Little do they realize how much Kai will help them learn about life and friendship when the group decides catch the thieves who have been plaguing their town. The Crocodiles is a multi-award-winning film based on a beloved German young-adult novel by Max von der Grün. Age recommendation 9 and up
A Time to Love – Ebrahim Forozesh, Iran, Farsi with English subtitles.
This award-winning film by acclaimed director Ebrahim Forozesh tells the story of Babak, a bright and creative physically disabled boy who is hidden from the outside world by his family. A chance encounter with Majid, his brother’s classmate, opens up a world of opportunities for Babak. Age recommendation 10 and up
New this year is a selection of films chosen specifically for youth ages 13 and older which includes Glowing Stars (Lisa Siwe, Sweden), about fourteen-year-old Jenna who tries to navigate thorough adolescence while coping with her mother’s terminal cancer; and Winter in Wartime (Martin Koolhoven, Netherlands/Belgium), which follows fourteen-year-old Michiel as he becomes involved with the Dutch resistance after he helps a wounded British soldier near the end of World War II.
This year’s Reel Rascals line-up, designed especially for children aged three to six, includes Ploddy the Police Car in which an animated police car tries to rescue the town from environmental criminals, along with a wonderful array of international shorts.
Once again, Sprockets presents 38 local and international short films which are divided into seven distinct programmes: Canadian Shorts for ages 7 and up; International Stories for ages 9 and up; Reel Rascals: Sweet Shorts for ages 3 and up; Reel Rascals: Journeys for ages 5 and up; Around the World for ages 8 and up; My New Home? for ages 12 and up; Future Frames for ages 15 and up. Each programme consists of either live-action or animated shorts that deal with children’s subjects such as body image, cultural identity and the effect of immigration on children. Also presented is the world premiere of Because I Am a Girl (Simonee Chichester, Torey Kohara and Jon Weiman, Canada), for ages 9 and up, a dynamic documentary celebrating the voices of a diversity of young Canadian women by exploring what it means to be a female in Canada. The film touches on a wide range of issues including body image, inequality and what young women can do to truly effect change – both for themselves and for others throughout the world. The film will be preceded by a short activity to get viewers’ minds churning, and will be followed by an in-depth panel discussion with special guests, including some vibrant personalities from both in front of and behind the camera.
More than just a day at the movies, the Sprockets School Programme runs from April 19 to April 23. When the credits roll, it marks only the beginning of what students will learn at the Sprockets School Programme. Students engage in post-screening discussions with filmmakers and special guests, further explore the film’s ideas, themes, storytelling techniques and much more. Additionally, each film has a unique teacher resource designed to support and extend the Sprockets experience in the classroom by connecting the films to many aspects of the Ontario curriculum. In addition to screenings, the Sprockets School Programme offers Guerrilla Filmmaking with Jared Raab, a workshop designed to allow students to experience the exciting and inspiring world of filmmaking through hands-on activities. Sprockets is also offering a workshop for educators, Creating Video Games in the Classroom, which equips educators with the basic skills needed to incorporate videogame design in their classrooms
Tickets are now on sale. Visit the official website, www.sprockets.ca, call 416-968-FILM (toll-free 1-877-968-FILM) or visit the Box Office at 2 Carlton Street, West Mezzanine level (near College subway station). Hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets are $6.60 for children and $10.61 for adults; a Ten Pack of tickets is available for $71.70 for 10 admissions (children and adults); Reel Rascals and Jump Cuts Young Filmmakers Showcase tickets are $6.60 per person (prices do not include GST, building-fund fee or service charges). Visa is the only credit card accepted by TIFF.
Sprockets is generously supported by Bell, RBC, Cineplex Entertainment LP, the City of Toronto and Toronto Arts Council
