Kidsfilm.org | Tumbleweeds Film for Children & Youth

BOTTLE
Kirsten Lepore
USA, 2010 – 5 min
In this sweet stop-motion film, two creatures on opposite sides of the sea—one made of sand, the other of snow—develop a romance by sending messages in a bottle.

BIG DRIVE
Director: Anita Lebeau
2010, Canada – 9 min
Are we there yet? With tensions ready to erupt, four sisters cramped together in the backseat of the family car try to find imaginative ways to pass the time during a long drive.

BOB
Directors: Jacob Frey & Harry Fast
Germany, 2009 – 3 min
A hamster pursues his love around the world. Will he ever be able to catch up to her?

FLOYD THE ANDROID
Director: Jonathan Lyons
USA, 2011 – 4 min
Enjoy hilarious Buster Keaton–style physical comedy as you watch an android named Floyd try to figure out how to use a teleportation device and then change a lightbulb on a skyscraper.

MOUSE FOR SALE
Director: Wouter Bongaerts
Belgium, 2010 – 4 min
In this humor-filled film, a big-eared mouse in a cage in a pet store does everything he can to get people’s attention in the hope that someone will finally want to adopt him.

RUBIKA
Directors: Claire Baudean, Ludovic Habas, Mickaël Krebs, Julien Legay, Chao Ma, Florent Rousseau, Caroline Roux, Margaux Vaxelaire
France, 2009 – 4 min
This wildly funny and inventive story plays with perceptions of what is up and what is down. What happens when your world turns on its side, yet everyone else keeps on as usual?

SNOW
Director: Corrie Francis Parks
USA, 2010 – 1 min
This charming, short animated film uses sand to mimic the look and feel of real snow, creating a winter wonderland as a snowman climbs a hill.

WASETEG
Director: Phyllis Grant
Canada, 2010 – 6 min
In this colorful film based on a Native Canadian folktale, a kind young girl named Waseteg dreams of the stories she’s heard in her village, especially about the mysterious boy who lives across the river.

LUMAAJUUQ
Director: Alethea Arnaquq-Baril
Canada, 2010 – 8 min
Based on a traditional Inuit legend, this film tells the story of a boy who was blinded by his mother. With the help of a loon, the boy undergoes a transformation that allows him to take revenge.

ALIMATION
Director: Alexandre Dubosc
France, 2011 – 3 min
This delightful film pays tasty tribute to optical toys and the days of pre-cinema.

MY HAPPY END
Director: Milen Vitanov
Germany, 2007 – 5 min
This unique animation, which makes clever use of a simple pen and paper, tells the story of a dog who finds the best friend he could ever imagine—his own tail.

PIGEON IMPOSSIBLE
Director: Lucas Martell
USA, 2009 – 7 min
A pigeon—who may or may not be as innocent as he first appears—wreaks havoc on a top-secret mission in this amusing, action-packed film.

Since her father passed away, Aurélie has been feeling lonely and is filled with questions she can seem to answer. What if her father didn’t die but was an alien who returned to his home planet? That would mean that Aurélie is also from another planet, which would explain why she feels so different from everyone else (especially her mother), why she can’t string two words together without making a fool of herself, and why she has no idea how to act around boys. Aurélie is left to wonder and confide her innermost feelings to the pages of her diary as she tries to figure out her place in the world.

Filled with amusing fantasy sequences and genuinely tender moments, Aurélie Laflamme’s Diary perfectly captures the bumpy road from childhood into the chaotic world of a teenager. This poignant film won the Grand Prize at the 2011 New York International Children’s Film Festival.

Grand Prize – 2011 New York International Children’s Film Festival
Official Selection – 2011 NY/SF International Children’s Film Festival
Official Selection – 2011 Discovery Film Festival
Official Selection – 2011 St Louis International Film Festival

Santiago, who recently lost his mother, and Mariana, who is deaf, are best friends who help each other overcome the challenges they face. While playing a game of “detective,” they accidently discover the secret hideout of a cruel gang of animal traffickers who have stolen endangered wolf cubs from a nature reserve. With the police unable to solve the case, it is up to Santiago and Mariana to undertake a dangerous rescue mission to save the young wolves in this magical adventure film. Set in beautiful Bacalar, Mexico, this fun film highlights the importance of protecting endangered animals and celebrates the joys of friendship.

Directora: Patricia Arriaga-Jordán
Película en Español con subtítulos en Ingles
Película recomendada para niños mayores de nueve (9) años

En esta película mexicana llena de acción y aventura se muestra que con ayuda de los espíritus místicos de los animales, Santiago y su mejor amiga Mariana procuran rescatar a cachorros de lobos en peligro de extinción de los contrabandistas de animales.

Santiago, quien había perdido recientemente a su madre, y Mariana, que era sorda, son mejores amigos. Juntos, se ayudan el uno al otro a superar los desafíos que se les enfrenta. Mientras juegan a los “detectives,” descubren accidentalmente el escondite secreto de una cuadrilla de crueles traficantes de animales que han robado cachorros de lobos en peligro de extinción de una reserva natural. En esta película mágica llena de emoción y aventura se muestra que como la policía es incapaz de solucionar el caso, solo les queda a Santiago y Mariana emprender una misión peligrosa para el rescate de los pequeños lobos.

Filmada en el hermoso lugar de Bacalar, México, esta divertida película enfatiza la importancia de proteger los animales que están en peligro de extinción y celebran el gozo de la amistad.

Official Selection – 2011 Chicago International Children’s Film Festival
Official Selection – 2011 BUFF, the International Children and Young People’s Film Festival in Malmö, Sweden
Official Selection – 2011 Cinekid Festival Amsterdam

A Cat in Paris is a beautiful and thrilling animated film set on the moonlit rooftops of Paris.

Dino the cat leads a double life. By day he lives with Zoe, a mute girl whose mother, Jeanne, is a detective in the Parisian police force. At night Dino teams up with Nico, an agile “cat” burglar who evades capture by fluidly leaping from rooftop to rooftop across the Paris skyline. Curious about where her beloved cat goes after the sun sets, Zoe decides to follows Dino on one of his nightly escapades. A surprising series of events leads to Zoe being captured by the gangster who killed her father. Can Nico and Dino find a way to use their feline skills to save her?

2012 Academy Award Nominee Best Animated Feature Film
Official Selection – 2011 San Francisco Film Festival
Official Selection – 2011 Seattle International Film Festival
Official Selection – 2011 BFI London Film Festival
Official Selection – 2011 Berlin Film Festival

The world is a playground for little Oscar and his fellow young chimps, who’d rather make mayhem than join their parents for an afternoon nap. Working together, Oscar’s chimpanzee family – including his mom, Isha, and the group’s savvy leader, Freddy – navigates the complex territory of the forest. But when Oscar’s family is confronted by a rival community of chimps, he is left to fend for himself until a surprising ally steps in and changes his life forever. As with the groundbreaking earlier Disneynature films, Chimpanzee boasts unparalleled nature photography and gives us an intimate first-hand look into the life of our closest relatives, while telling a truly remarkable story of family bonds and individual triumph.

Special Thanks to Disneynature and Love Communications for supporting Tumbleweeds and making this screening possible.

This vibrant documentary follows 27 of America’s top circus performers, aged 12 to 18, over one unforgettable summer for a behind-the-scenes look at the ups and downs of preparing for and then performing in a travelling show. From the challenges of training to improve their skills and learn new routines, to successes and missteps during live performance, Circus Dreams shows the passion and dedication each of these young people has for the circus. And when they learn that financial troubles could make Circus Smirkus close forever, the young performers show their incredible heart and the commitment to teamwork needed to ensure the circus’s success.

Filled with great characters and amazing performances by truly talented teens, Circus Dreams is a heartwarming story that offers a unique look at youth on a voyage of artistic and personal discovery and provides an inspiring testament to the power of youthful dreams.

Best Films4Families Feature Award – 2011 Seattle International Film Festival
Indie Spec Special Recognition Award – 2011 Boston International Film Festival
Official Selection – 2011 Mill Valley Film Festival
Official Selection – 2011 San Francisco Documentary Festival
Official Selection – 2011 Providence Children’s Film Festival

As the son of the Imam of the local Brooklyn mosque, Daud has to juggle the high expectations of his father and his feelings of isolation and difference—even from his peers in the Muslim community. Through an innocent act of good faith, Daud inadvertently befriends a group of Jewish boys, who mistake him as a fellow classmate at their orthodox school in the neighboring Jewish community. A genuine friendship grows between Daud and Yoav, one of the Jewish boys, and his family. Unable to resist the joy of a camaraderie that he has never felt before, David—as the other kids know him—is drawn into a complicated dilemma inspired by youthful deceit and the best of intentions.

With a cast largely made up of nonprofessionals, David is an understated, yet powerful, film that reveals that friendship can transcend the boundaries of religion and culture.

Winner of the Ecumenical Prize—2011 Montreal Film Festival
Winner of the Audience Award—Brooklyn Film Festival
Official Selection—2011 Rome International Film Festival, 2011 Palm Springs International Film Festival, 2011 Napa Valley Film Festival

All of the animals enjoy life at Mullewapp Farm, especially movie night in the barn. One day an unexpected guest arrives. It’s Johnny Mouse, an actor from the city who enthralls everyone with tales of his heroics. Everyone, that is, except Charlie Rooster, who isn’t happy when his favorite hen, Marilyn, takes a shine to Johnny. Suddenly, there’s bad news—Cloud, a young lamb, is kidnapped by a wolf. The animals decided to send a rescue party led by the brave swashbuckler Johnny. But the truth is that Johnny isn’t exactly the hero he appears to be in his stories. Before he can explain, Percy Pig has hopped on his bicycle, and he and Charlie and Johnny set off in search of Cloud. As the trio encounters and works to overcome obstacles, they discover how to be courageous and learn that teamwork and trust are the keys to the success of their mission.

Beautifully animated in the style of storybook illustrations, Friends Forever is a sweetly engaging adventure for the whole family to enjoy.

When a dying knight hands a mysterious letter to the squire Tiuri, he tells the adolescent that it is his duty to deliver it—but beware because enemies are everywhere. Setting off with his best friend, Piak, aspiring knight Tiuri soon encounters the dangers of the mission. Pursued by thieves, spies, and ruthless rivals, he must summon courage and cunning to complete his quest. Along the way, Tiuri learns that it takes more than skill with a sword and shield to become a great knight.

Set in a world of clashing swords, chases on horseback, and daring escapes, and using stunning natural settings that include real medieval castles, The Letter for the King is a thrilling epic tale that celebrates the importance of friendship and the value of keeping a promise.

Each year since 2001, more than 600 students from more than 60 diverse Chicago-area schools assemble to take part in the city’s youth poetry slam competition. Among the competitors are Nate, who was picked for his vocabulary and learned to use wordplay as a weapon; Nova, whose poetry helps her confront her conflicted feelings about her absentee father; Adam, a wordsmith whose enthusiasm for the other poets rivals the energy of his work; and the team from Steinmetz (the “Steinmenauts”), last year’s surprise winners who this year are struggling to find the words to describe the challenges they are experiencing in their lives. As we follow the emotional journey toward the big event, we see how various poets’ lives shape their work and how their poetry helps them make sense of their worlds.

Hopeful and heartbreaking, energetic and enlightening, Louder Than a Bomb celebrates community, the joys of making language dance, and the power of finding one’s unique voice.

2011 Humanitas Prize for Documentaries
Audience Choice Award – 2010 Chicago International Film Festival
Audience Award – 2010 Philadelphia Film Festival
Audience Award – 2011 Palm Springs International Film Festival

Amazed by the incredible tricks he sees showcased by a famous magician, eight-year-old Ben decides that he, too, wants to perform magic. It turns out that Ben has talent. Soon he and his dad form a father/son act that is a hit in their community. Assisting their act is Sylvie, a lonely girl who is new to town. When Ben’s father performs a new trick where he makes Sylvie disappear, something goes wrong, and Sylvie vanishes without a trace. With the media camped outside their house and the police knocking at their door, Ben’s happy family starts to fall apart. Ben realizes it is up to him to solve the secret of the magic trick and save Sylvie and his family before it’s too late.

Featuring wonderful performances and filled with magical moments, The Magicians is a heartfelt film everyone will enjoy about a family you can cheer for.

Official Selection – 2011 Chicago International Children’s Film Festival
Official Selection – 2011 Sprockets Toronto International Film Festival for Children
Official Selection – 2011 BFI London Film Festival
Official Selection – 2011 Netherlands Film Festival

Moonbeam Bear, who loves watching the moon more than anything, is surprised and excited to find Mr. Moon, who has fallen from the sky into the forest. Delighted to finally meet him, Moonbeam Bear brings Mr. Moon home for homemade honey cakes and a game of checkers. But the other forest animals want the moon to go back to the sky so their forest home can be illuminated at night. Even Rabbit, who can see in the dark, wants to help. While figuring out a plan, the friends discover another problem—the moon has fallen asleep and stopped glowing! Together the animals set out to awaken Mr. Moon with a sweet song and return him to the night sky. Their adventures along the way take them to places they never imagined.
Beautifully animated in storybook style and highlighting the importance of cooperation and helping others, Moonbeam Bear and His Friends features fun characters and a clever story that will charm viewers of all ages.
Official Selection – 2009 Seattle International Film Festival

It’s summer, and the Tiger Team are looking for a mystery to solve when they accidentally find an unusual object. Their research uncovers the fact that the object is one of three keys that will open the doors of the Moonlight Palace in the Mountain of 1,000 Dragons near Beijing, where, legend has it, the elixir of immortality lies hidden. The trio set off to China to search for the remaining two keys, but they are not the only ones in quest of these important objects: Lady Q, a powerful businesswoman, desperately wants to get her hands on the elixir. Can the Tiger Team outsmart and out maneuver Lady Q and her henchmen? And what will they find if they are able to unlock the ancient palace doors?

Featuring beautiful cinematography, clever action sequences, and some healthy doses of humor, Tiger Team is an exciting action adventure that highlights teamwork and respect for different cultures.

Official Selection – 2010 Chicago International Children’s Film Festival
Official Selection – 2011 Sprockets Toronto International Film Festival for Children
Official Selection – 2011 Festival do Rio