KIDS FIRST! Radio

You have to enter a 3 minute film review in order to be eligible to win the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search, but what if you are new to production and video? Well, these 2 sites have some great tips for production, so check out both http://www.flipvideospotlight.com/ and www.blip.tv/learning. The Flip site gives you great examples of how to use the new Flip camera for video clips, including how to make mini movies and what software (that’s even free) you can get for better editing. The Blip.Tv site is really in depth, so be prepared to spend time, but they are the upcoming internet TV site, having just raised another $10.1 million from Canaan and Bain.

Also, follow the discussion guides for the search films and use your vocabulary! Just click on individual films and download the guides. http://www.kidsfirst.org/become-a-juror/FilmCriticsCampaign.html and http://www.kidsfirst.org/become-a-juror/FilmVocabulary.pdf 

You can upload your video clip at http://www.wonderworldtv.com/kidsfirst/ and upload early. The finalists are chosen by popular vote so give your friends and family time to make you a winner.

A new KIDS FIRST! Film “Stranger” just joined the film festival lineup. Set in a beautiful rural village in Iran, a new teacher moves to the village to educate the children. A young widow attracts the attention of the teacher, but a local, wealthy (and married) villager is in love with the widow. The villager schemes to run the teacher out of town and torches the school to force him to leave. The teacher saves a student caught in the fire, but leaves so the village can live in peace.

Much of the interest of this film is the view of life in rural Iran that we never see. The basic issues woman’s right in Iranian society are portrayed here with the men wearing polo shirts and the women dressed from the 14th century. The male dominated society is portrayed when the wealthy villager forces his wife to accept the possibility of the young widow living in their home and the widow’s brother threatens to beat her if she does not obey his orders. However, the widow does own a small piece of property that her recently deceased father bequeathed to her.

The film is beautifully shot and although sub-titled, easy to follow. Recommended Ages: 12-18. Runtime 90 minutes.

As always, Ann Brandman, Executive Director of the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Outreach College presented a fun-filled summer of films for kids this summer. Over 1,000 kids and adults attended the Sunday series of screenings, that included Barbie in a Mermaid Tale, Plastic Perils of the Pacfiic, Duck on a Bike, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy: Wubbzy Goes for the Green and Do Unto Otters. El Salon Mexico and Alex and the Ghosts made their Hawaiian debut, as did Alba and Grandfather’s Journey.

This was the fourth summer that Brandman has presented the free film series at the University. The program is supported by KIDS FIRST! and the University of Hawaii at Manoa.