Belmont World Film's 20th Family Festival

Belmont World Film’s Family Festival marks its 20th year from January 14-22, 2023, with both in-person screenings and workshops, with some films available virtually from January 20-22, at the West Newton Cinema (1296 Washington Street) on January 14, the Majestic 7 Cinema (81 Arsenal Yards Blvd., Watertown) on January 15, the Brattle Theatre (40 Brattle Street, Cambridge) on January 16, and the Regent Theater (5 Medford Street, Arlington). Most films are based on international children’s books, with many making their North American premieres, and include 11 feature length films and 30 short animated and live action films grouped into five separate programs. Most in-person films will be shown in their original languages with English subtitles read aloud through headphones.

Workshops include Become a Junior Film Critic on Saturday, January 14, from 2-5:30 PM at the the New Art Center @ Trio, led by legendary arts and entertainment critic Joyce Kulhawik and Cambridge Day film critic Tom Meek, and three virtual Learn to Model Shaun the Sheep or Gromit workshops on Sunday, January 22, with Aardman’s senior model maker.

The festival provides children age 3-12 and their families and caregivers the opportunity to see some of the world’s most remarkable current films for children that can’t be seen anywhere else.

Film subjects include everything from a sassy young boy becoming captivated by movies in a village in India and the creation of mischievous little comic character named Nicholas by the creator of Asterix to a school where students receive their own magical animal companion and a society where all children have their own personal robots. Films based on children’s books include How I Learned to Fly (Serbia), Little Nicholas: Happy as Can Be (Luxembourg), Oink (The Netherlands), The School of Magical Animals 2 (Germany), The Path (Germany), The Websters (Czech Republic), Icarus and the Minotaur (France), and My Robot Brother (Denmark), as well as a selection of short film programs from Scholastic/Weston Woods based on picture books, such as their newest never-before seen films, ones about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his ideals, and ones based on books by Mo Willems. Films this year are from the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Latvia, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.

In-person screenings: feature films $12, shorts programs $8. Virtual screenings: shorts programs $14, feature films $18. Junior Film Critic Workshop $25; Learn to Model Shaun the Sheep or Gromit Workshops $20 each and mue purchased in advance. Passes also available.

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