KIDS FIRST! Radio

Who needs a red carpet when you have honey? The honey-colored-carpet premiere of “Winnie the Pooh” takes fans to the Hundred Acre Wood for a Tiggeriffic good time. The beloved “bear of very little brain” and his plush pals take to the big screen for a whole new generation of moviegoers, showcasing the signature heart and humor.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critics, Raven Devanney, Anthony Aranda and Makai Weber Colvin dive behind the scenes with the talent of this whimsical film with the critics interviewing Craig Ferguson (voice of Owl), Tom Kenny (voice of Rabbit), Jim Cummings (voice of Pooh, Tigger) and Travis Oates (voice of Piglet). This is just the start of a full week of fun and excitement for 15 special kids attending the KIDS FIRST! Boot Camp. Stay tuned for more fun at the Walt Disney Studios. Check out the interviews on the KIDS FIRST! Facebook page

The KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ reviews are now available on AOL Kids. Last month, Raven Devanney kicked off the series with her review of Disney’s Tangled. Now, 8-year-old Anthony Aranda posted his review of Rio after attending a sneak peek of the film on the FOX lot last Monday. Anthony also interviewed American Idol finalists Brooke White and Danny Gokey on the Red Carpet event featuring P&G and Walmart’s new Family Movie Night film Change of Plans.

The KIDS FIRST! Film Critics are invited to events all over the county to review films, interview celebrities and attend film festivals. You can be eligible to win prizes in the monthly KIDS FIRST! Film Critics search by reviewing and uploading your film review at the WonderWorldTV Site. Don’t miss out on the fun.

One day Full HD 3D production workshop where filmmakers get hands-on with Panasonic’s AG-3DA1 integrated twins-lens 3D camcorder presented by StudentFilmmakers.com.

StudentFilmmakers.com is presenting “Shooting in 3D Workshops” with Julian Chojnacki, taking place on Saturday, March 19, 2011 in Manhattan (NY) and Saturday, March 26, 2011 in Burbank, CA. The workshops are 9:30am to 4:30pm.

Real-life 3D images are expected to find widespread application in fields ranging from movies to TV broadcasts to industrial uses. The full day workshops discuss 3D shooting techniques and hands-on experience.

Workshops are $120 and you can register by calling 212-255-5454 or register here.

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.

From our wonderful film partners at WorldKids in Mumbai, India come three extraordinary tales of everyday life. I am captivated by the lighthearted, yet wise young children in “How I Taught My Grandmother to Read” and “Victor and the Vanquished (Kaun Jeeta Kaun Hara).” These children share their lives with grandparents and live a less complicated live as we would see it, but in the grandmother’s words in “How I Taught My Grandmother to Read,” not knowing how to read is quite like being blind. In “Victor and the Vanquished” young Pappu is learning that arguments in a family or marriage are not about winning, but sometimes about losing gracefully.

“True Insight (Samyaktva)” recalls the magic realism of the 13th century Indian literature where miracles and symbolism explained the timeless wisdom of the sages. Samyaktva integrates subtle moral reasoning with dramatic narrative and depicts the sheer importance and power of ancient Indian wisdom as the path to peace.

From WorldKids, Mumbai. Available this summer in the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival Sections “How I Taught My Grandmother to Read” 42 minutes, English subtitles, Ages 8-12 

“Victor and the Vanquished (Kaun Jeeta Kaun Hara)” 40 minutes, English subtitles, Ages 8-12  “True Insight (Samyaktva)” 49 minutes, English subtitles, Ages 12-18 

One of my all time indie favorites, Finn on the Fly is back in the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival for 2010. This wacky story about a dog turned into a boy has all the funny, silly humor you might anticipate (think of where dogs drink when in the house) but also a great story about friendship and loyalty. And he plays a mean game of Frisbee! This is one not to miss. 
   
Finn on the Fly is a story about friendship, loyalty and learning to trust your instincts. Finn, a cool, life-loving’, Frisbee-playing dog, and his owner, shy 13-year-old Ben, suddenly find their lives changed when Finn is accidentally transformed into a human being when Dr. Madeline Madsen’s experiment goes wrong. Once on two legs, Finn teaches Ben to feel the wind in his fur, catch Frisbees like a dog and, ultimately, to find his own pack. Starring Ana Gasteyer (The Women, Saturday Night Live, What Women Want), Matthew Knight, Ryan Belleville, Brendon Firla and David Milchard. Directed by Mark Jean (Homecoming)
 

You’ve heard of it. You watch it on YouTube, but the ad industry has pooh poohed this advertising medium for a long time. “For most of its brief history, CGA has consisted of shabbily produced, usually pointless and typically self-referential imitations of the very professional advertising it seeks to replace.” This quote is from Bob Garfield’s latest column in Advertising Age. He does go on to admit, “But suddenly we are obliged to re-evaluate, thanks to Etsy.com.” 

Granted Etsy.com, the incredible site for handmade goods, has really cute 30 second ads made by “amateurs,” but what about Doritos and their Crash the Super Bowl Contest? Doritos once again have launched the Crash the Super Bowl Contest with prizes ranging from $25,000 to $1,000,000. 

Now KIDS FIRST! introduces their own CGA contest in partnership with the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Filmmakers are invited to submit their three minute short with the theme “Orlando Makes Me Smile.” There will be two winners in two categories, with both receiving trips to Orlando for 4 people, including airfare, lodging, rental car and theme park tickets. The two categories are Short Indie Film and Short Student Film. Student filmmakers must be between the ages of 13-18. 

Winning film will be premiered at the Florida Film Festival in April and filmmakers receive 4 filmmaker passes to this great festival. The Winners will also be screened in the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival. 

The film festival submission process launches Oct. 15^th and information will be available then at www.kidsfirst.org.

This coming weekend at The Pier in St. Petersburg, IronKids will hold its second event of the season, drawing youth ranging from 6 to 15 years of age. Friday night at 7:30 pm at Straub Park, enjoy the free family film from The Henson Company, Tortoise vs. Hare. The IronFlix series, presented by KIDS FIRST! continues on Saturday, 10 am at The Pier.
 

The IronFlix lineup
Friday, June 5, 7:30pm, Straub Park, St. Petersburg
Firefly and the Stars (short film)
From The Jim Henson Company,  Unstable Fables: Tortoise vs. Hare
Saturday, June 6, starts at 10am
The Pier Community Room
10am: Stuart Little: Going for the Gold
12 Noon: Adventure Patrol: Totally Rocks
12:30pm: Kid Guides: Certified Kids Camp Curacao
12:55pm: Michael, Michael Motorcycle
3:30pm: Emmanuel’s Gift

The triathlon, supported by local partners including the City of St. Petersburg and Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater, is Sunday and begins at 8:00 am at Spa Beach located alongside The Pier.  Families will also be encouraged to take part in the interactive elements of event weekend, such as the Expo and IronFlix, both of which are free to the public.

“St. Petersburg is thrilled to host the IronKids Triathlon this summer,” said Mayor Rick Baker.  “I applaud the IronKids mission and am thankful that they have chosen St. Petersburg for their Florida event.  It will give kids throughout the region an opportunity to not only compete, but to learn about fitness and have fun while they’re doing it.”

Distances for the IronKids Race will vary, depending on the age of participants:
–           Junior (ages 6 to 8): 50-yard swim, 2-mile bike and 500-yard run
–           Intermediate (ages 9 to 11): 150-yard swim, 4-mile bike and 1-mile run
–           Senior (ages 12 to 15): 300-yard swim, 8-mile bike and 2-mile run

To register www.ironkids.com
Download the film flyer here

One of the hits of the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival a year ago was the pirate tale, Labou. Now, this wonderful story of best friends, a totally weird creature from the swamps of Louisiana and dead pirates is available at all the big stores, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Amazon on May 19th.
You can get Labou t-shirts, posters and hats at www.laboustuff, but check out the film at www.LabouTheMovie.com.
Congrats to everyone from KIDS FIRST! 

The Train Master releases to DVD May 12th, immediately following National Train Day May 9th . Moving Pictures Film & Television LLC acquired The Train Master in late 2008 and the film is also available on Starz Pay for View.
Monterey Media, a long time sponsor of KIDS FIRST!, acquired Bracelet of Bordeaux this year and plans the theatrical for May 18th. The DVD releases July 14th  Check out more information www.montereymedia.com/independent/bracelet_of_bordeaux.html
Another KIDS FIRST! title, The Controller was featured on Starz Family and Friends in April.
Train Master
62 year old Jeremiah Wilson is truly the Train Master of Willamette Western Railroad. He lives, breaths, and eats railroad. When Brett Banner, 32 year old heir to New York Eastern talks his dad into purchasing Willamette Western, there is immediately a clash between himself and Jeremiah. Jeremiah is fired by Brett two years from retirement and turns into a angry, depressed grandfather. When Brett’s nine year old son Justin realizes Jeremiah’s grandson Thomas can drive a locomotive, he kidnaps and holds Thomas’ favorite dinosaur ransom. Justin, Thomas and 3 other children board an old engine in for repairs and accidentally turns it into runaway engine causing a chain reaction of events. Available on Amazon.com
Bracelet of Bordeaux
Written by: Frank Eakin
Directed by: Casey Kelly
Starring: Ally Claire Carson, Kelsey Edwards, Shane Kelly, Shane Savage
Someone is dognapping the canine citizens of Chem City, Texas! Two pre-teen girls overcome danger and conspiracies as they set out to solve the crime and administer justice with the help of a magical bracelet. As the girls battle the Mob, a punk gang and a crooked cop, they learn something about friendship, courage and the importance of hanging with the right crowd.