Cinema for Children at DIFF 2012

Set to take place from 9th to 16^th December 2012, the 9^th edition of Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has announced the line-up for its Cinema for Children. The programme represents the best in international films for children and families.

This year, young audiences will be delighted to take a dangerous journey to bring back a lost princess and find the Christmas Star, meet a musical bear and an orphaned mouse, explore the adventures of a fidgety seven year old, fly kites in India and even make friends with a fluffy werewolf.

Commenting on this year’s selection Myrna Maakaron, DIFF’s Cinema for Children programmer said: “The Festival’s Cinema for Children segment is designed to bring a raft of films that entertain our younger audiences enabling them to broaden their perspective and encourage them to reflect on the world around them”

DIFF Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali said: “Every year we make every effort to bring our younger audiences intelligent, entertaining and compelling films that leave a lasting impression with audiences of all ages. The line-up this year is a wonderful selection of films that have wowed critics around the world and are less likely to be found at the local multiplex cinemas, a true treasure trove of cinematic gems.”

The featured films include a magical Christmas adventure from Norway. Journey to the Christmas Star  is a refreshing remake of a beloved Norwegian classic. This delightful story follows a courageous girl who sets out on a hazardous journey to find the Christmas Star in order to free the kingdom from a curse and bring back a long lost princess, but some mighty foes try to stop her. Abounding with charming characters, fantasy elements and set in a gorgeous snow-clad mountain scenery, the plot contains the perfect ingredients for a magical and beautiful adventure film.

Fidgety Bram is a film about a seven year old boy who can’t sit still, which becomes a problem when he starts school. He is looking forward to entering the first grade but unfortunately he ends up in the class of strict Mr. Fish. The old-fashioned teacher doesn’t care about Bram’s internal, mobile, unfocussed world and does whatever it takes to make him do things right. Bram’s parents must subsequently struggle with the extent to which their son must adapt without becoming miserable.

 

 

Based on the beloved children’s book Ernest and Celestine by Belgian author Gabrielle Vincent this animated tale tells the story of Ernest, a reclusive bear musician who forges an unlikely friendship with a young orphaned mouse called Celestine. It is well-known that mice and bears are never to mingle, so when the two unexpectedly cross paths and form an unlikely but inseparable friendship, it naturally incites the disapproval of their respective town elders. Will Ernest and Celestine’s unshakable bond be powerful enough to topple the long-standing barriers between their two worlds?

Alfie, the Little Werewolf, is a quirky and smart film from the Netherlands that will charm audiences. When the full moon rises on the night of Alfie’s seventh birthday, strange things begin to happen to him: he suddenly grows sharp claws and white fuzzy hair, and begins to howl at the moon. Alfie soon realizes he is no longer a regular kid — he has turned into a werewolf! Alfie just wants to be an ordinary boy again, but with the help of his loving family and a mysterious, hairy stranger, he may learn that what makes each person different is also what makes them special.

Concluding the programme is Gattu, an orphaned and illiterate street boy who has a passion of flying kites. It is this passion that keeps his spirit alive even in the bleakest of times. This optimistic and uplifting tale will appeal to both adults and younger audiences while addressing the problems of poverty, child labour and the ugly side of life within a basically joyous, upbeat story, making it educational without being shocking.