Alongside some great feature films, documentaries, and shorts there are lots of events planned as well as the opportunity to participate in Q&A sessions after a few of the screenings (see listings). Films are themed so parents and kids go in understanding the underlying messages. Look for themes like acceptance, perseverance, environment  and bullying. Be sure to check age recommendations for each title.  Here is what’s on our list of what we are hoping to catch during TIFF Kids International Film Festival 2017.

OPENING NIGHT PARTY  on April 7, will kick off the festival starting at 5:00 pm complete with interactive activities, food as well as entry to the digiPlaySpace. During the party the TIFF Bell Lightbox will be transformed into a colourful Smurf Village. You’ll definitely want to be there on time to check everything out before….

SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE directed by Kelly Asbury (USA).  *Opening Night Film.  The fully-animated, and all-new take on the little blue characters, sees Smurfette and her friends discovering a mysterious map that sets them on a race through the Forbidden Forest to find the magical Lost Village. An all star voice cast includes Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson, Joe Manganiello, Michelle Rodriguez, Ellie Kemper, Julia Roberts and more. Note: On Opening Night, director Kelly Asbury will walk the “blue carpet” at the TIFF Kids to introduce the film. He will also host an exclusive Q&A after the film.

BORN IN CHINA directed by Lu Chuan (USA). Canadian Premiere. This true-life adventure from Disneynature follows the journey of three different animal families — a panda mother and baby, a snow leopard and her two cubs, and a mischievous monkey struggling to accept his new baby sister as they attempt to survive China’s vast landscape. The film offers a very intimate look into the lives of these animals.

MY LIFE AS A COURGETTE directed by Claude Barras (Switzerland/France) French with English Subtitles. This stop-motion animation tells the delicate story about a young boy who is sent to a group home after the accidental death of his mother. He finds comfort, acceptance and hope with kids who also live in the home.

RICHARD THE STORK directed by Toby Genkel and Reza Memari (Germany/Belgium/Luxembourg/Norway) North American Premiere. A sparrow raised by a family of storks sets out to prove that he can make the annual migration to Africa by himself. Along the way he meets Olga and eccentric owl and her imaginary friend Kiki, a disco-singing parakeet. Tougher they learn to face their fears and uncover the true meaning of family.

REVOLTING RHYMES directed by Jakob Schuh and Jan Lachauer (UK) Canadian Premiere. To celebrate the 100th birthday of beloved children’s author Roald Dahl, this screening offers a retelling of his classic 1982 poem collection. Each of the six rhymes is based on a classic fairytale. The five short stories featured take unexpected twists that shed new light on the adventures of Red Riding Hood, Snow White and others. The stories are woven together while staying true to Dahl’s imagination.

ROCK DOG directed by Ash Brannon (China/USA). Toronto Premiere. A Himalayan sheepdog heads for the city life to pursue his dream of becoming a rock star. As his music progresses, he learns that his village is in danger and he needs to put his musical dreams on hold to return back home.  Based on a graphic novel this is a story of determination.

INTO THE RAINBOW directed by Norman Stone (China/New Zealand) International Premiere. We’ve all been fascinated with rainbows and wished we could actually touch them. In this film, two young girls find themselves transported from their home in New Zealand to China through the magic energy of a rainbow. The action-packed adventure follows their exciting journey to get back home as they encounter the dangers of intervening with nature.

RONJA, THE ROBBER’S DAUGHTER directed by Goro Miyazaki (winner of the 2016 International Emmy Kids Award for Animation). *Closing Night Film. This follows the adventures of a young girl raised in a mountain fort by her parents and a band of robbers. Based on Astrid Lindgren’s book, this film blends the original classic story with the magic visual style of Studio Ghibli.

Tickets are now on sale. For more information, tickets and schedule, please visit the TIFF Kids Film Fest website.

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Families will have the chance to see some films that will host premieres here in Toronto. Other films have yet to have a wide-release and there are titles that may not even be viewed in our country again.

Like TIFF, there will be opportunities to gain more insight into a few of the films as producers, directors and even celebrities ascend to the stage before and after screenings. Here, audience members have opportunities to ask questions…and trust me, the kids often have better questions than the adults!

Aside from screenings, there are also lots of special events planned. The Opening Night party is always a blast! And who knows who will show up! My kids and I have had a few surprise encounters while attending films over the past years including meeting filmmaker Carlos Saldanha of Rio 2 as well as Bill Wallauer who was on hand to explain how his team got up close and personal with Chimpanzees in the Disneynature’s film. They’ve all openly commented about how much they love being in the audience while kids view their work and getting immediate and unfiltered feedback.

All are screened at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. Check out the full schedule of films as well as a few special events and free screenings at www.tiff.net 

Here are a few titles that have caught our attention already:

ODDBALL & Opening Night Party (April 8): kicks off festival and join in the party prior to the screening of Oddball, includes fun activities, food, entry into digiPlaySpace. Then head into the theatre for the Toronto premiere of Oddball, a heartwarming and funny film based on a true story about a chicken farmer, his granddaughter and their mischievous dog who save “fairy penguins” from extinction in an Australian seaside town.

THE BEST SOUND IN THE WORLD: (directed by Pedro Paulo De Andrade, Brazil) in a 13 minute short film, we follow young Vinicius who collects sounds on his tape recorder who is on a quest to find “the best sound in the world”.

CODEGIRL: (directed by Lesley Chilcott, USA): This documentary follows teams of high-school students from around the world who are competing in the Technovation Challenge, which encourages girls to become developers in the male-dominated app industry. Along the way, they are trying to better their communities through technology but also develop skills in critical thinking, creative problem-solving and innovation.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY: (directed by Anjuli Shukla, India, International Premiere) Kaku and Vicky are determined to save money for Mother’s Day, which is a new occasion in their town, but the young siblings soon learn that their love for their mother can’t be measured by the price of a gift.

LITTLE DOOR GODS (Closing Night film): an animated 3D film from first time feature director Gary Wang that was inspired by Chinese Folklore.

THE SECRET SOCIETY OF SOUPTOWN: (directed by Margus Paju, Estonia/Finland) In their most important mission yet, Souptown’s team of budding young detectives must consult an ancient notebook to reverse a mysterious curse that has all the town’s adults acting like little kids.

See more about TIFF Kids Film Fest on their website.

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