Belmont World Film’s Family Festival goes virtual in 2021, expanding from its typical four days to ten to allow more time to watch the films. The Family Festival provides children age 3-12 and their families the opportunity to see some of the world’s most remarkable current films for children—films that provide a window into the lives of kids in other cultures, races, and ethnicities—and several workshops, including three sessions on model making for animated films conducted by the senior model maker from Aardman (the Wallace & Gromit films) on Saturday, January 23, and a two-day workshop on film criticism led by Joyce Kulhawik and Boston Globe film critic Ty Burr, representing the Boston Society of Film Critics, on January 16 and 17. Several filmmakers from around the world will also participate in virtual live Q&As. Most film programs will be available for screening for all 10 days, with several films having shorter screening windows.
The festival’s 15 film programs, comprised of nearly 50 animated, live action, and documentary feature length and short films in multiple languages with subtitles and in English —many based on children’s books, and several making their US premieres—are from the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Switzerland, the UK, and the US. There are films about young kids making a difference for the environment (including a 5th grade class in Brooklyn that completely rids their cafeteria of single-use plastics), an asylum-seeking youth chess champion in France, a famous Rembrandt painting that comes to life in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, a youth soccer team in South Africa making it to the finals of the soccer world championship in Gothia, Sweden, and an amazing selection of short film programs, including one honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and another made by 8-10 year olds in Portugal.
Shorts programs are $10, feature length films $14, and workshops $20. Film Only passes, which provide access to all films, are $40; Full Festival Passes, which are $60, include access to all films and workshops. Pass holders must RSVP to the films and workshops they'd like to attend. Space is limited at the workshops, so it is recommended that you sign up early. You must purchase your own clay for the Model Making Workshops with Aardman Animation.
All but three film programs (Fahim, the Little Chess Prince, Forward, and Hungry Bear Tales) will be available for streaming for the full 10 days, from Friday, January 15 @ 10 AM to Sunday, January 24 at 7 PM. Once you start a film, you will have 48 hours in which to finish it. The only other timed events are the workshops and the Q&As with filmmakers (you must purchase the films to participate in the Q&As, however.)
For more information, including a complete list of films and workshops, plus links to tickets and passes, visit www.belmontworldfilm.org.