Festival extended to three weekends to make room for more films, more family time and more fun!
Toronto – The TIFF Kids International Film Festival™, one of the world’s premier film festivals for children aged 3-13, returns for its 19th year, brimming with exhilarating stories, diverse programming, and lively animations that will delight and inspire children and parents alike.
The TIFF Kids Festival kicks off on Opening Night with the Toronto premiere of Oddball, a heartwarming, comedic feature based on a true story about a chicken farmer, his granddaughter and their mischievous dog saving fairy penguins from extinction in an Australian seaside town. The festival wraps with its Closing Night film, the Canadian premiere of Little Door Gods, a beautifully animated 3D film from first-time feature director Gary Wang that was inspired by Chinese folklore. All screenings and events take place at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto from April 8 to 24, 2016.
“We are beyond thrilled to extend the festival to three weekends for 2016 in order to give families more opportunities to see quality children’s films they may never have the opportunity to see again,” said Elizabeth Muskala, Director of TIFF Kids and Youth Learning.
“This year, we have so many great films that touch on a variety of relevant and timely issues that are important to children today, including our Opening Night film Oddball which teaches the significance of taking care of our environment and wildlife; The World of Us, which came straight from the Berlin Film Festival, and deals with issues of bullying and self-acceptance; the Canadian premiere of Code M, which comes from the director of past TIFF Kids favourites, and follows a young girl as she perseveres through a difficult journey to honour her grandfather’s wishes; and CodeGirl from acclaimed producer Lesley Chilcott, which follows young girls as they strive to enter the male-dominated app world.”
In honour of our 40th year, TIFF is excited to announced a variety of specialty programming including, a special free screening of Rob Reiner’s post modern fairy tale, The Princess Bride; a retrospective celebration of 40 years of craft, comedy, and characters from Aardman Animations, the creators of Wallace & Gromit; a 60th anniversary screening of the classic French short The Red Balloon; a special screening of The Boxtrolls in digital 3D followed by a discussion with Mark Shapiro from LAIKA Studio, expanding on the filmmaking process and the art of stop-motion animation; and a pancake and waffles breakfast served before screenings of a surprise film. TIFF’s celebration of Roald Dahl’s centenary continues with a 20th-anniversary screening of Matilda, the charming big-screen adaptation of Dahl’s classic story.
Special guests will introduce films and be available for question-and-answer sessions following select screenings throughout the TIFF Kids Festival, with guests to be announced on tiff.net in the coming weeks.
The 2016 TIFF Kids Festival features a total of 139 films, comprising 28 features and 111 shorts hailing from 35 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Philippines, France, India, South Korea, and many more.
The TIFF Kids International Film Festival takes place at TIFF Bell Lightbox from April 8 through April 24. Tickets for the TIFF Kids Festival are on sale now for TIFF Members, and are available to the general public beginning March 9. Prices are Adult $13, Student/Senior $10.50 and Children (13 and under) $9. Opening Night Film and Party $35 per person. Premium Screenings (Closing Night Film and Special Events) $20 per person. Some activities are free.
Tickets for digiPlaySpace are on sale March 2 for educators and TIFF Members, and March 4 to the general public. Entry to digiPlaySpace™ is $10, TIFF Members see it free and have access to a preview day on Friday, March 4. Tickets to digiPlaySpace can also be purchased in a combo package with a ticket for a TIFF Kids International Film Festival, DreamWorks or Good Friday screening for $15 for children, $20 for adults. For more information on screenings and activities, or to purchase tickets, please visit tiff.net/kids call 416-599-TIFF (8433) or 1-800-599-TIFF, or visit the Steve and Rashmi Gupta Box Office at TIFF Bell Lightbox. TIFF prefers Visa.
TIFF Pocket Fund provides free access to TIFF Kids International Film Festival, learning programmes, camps and family-friendly screenings to children and youth from under-served communities throughout the Greater Toronto Area, ensuring no child or youth is turned away due to financial circumstance. This year, donations will be generously matched by the Harbinger Foundation and will allow a child to explore, create and express their identity, unlocking a wealth of future possibilities. To apply for, donate to or learn more about how to help TIFF unlock the power of film, visit tiff.net/pocketfund.
HIGHLIGHTS AND EVENTS FOR TIFF KIDS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL INCLUDE:
Pancakes, Waffles & Film!
Come for pancakes and waffles and stay for a surprise screening!
Recommended for ages 7 and up.
Saturday, April 16 at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, April 16 at 11 a.m.
Aardman 40th Anniversary Retrospective
For 40 years, Aardman Animations has entertained and charmed the world, creating much-loved characters and bringing unforgettable stories to life. Aardman continues to lead the field with a unique combination of animation wizardry and humour. Celebrate 40 years of craft, comedy and characters from Aardman with these 14 shorts.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Sunday, April 17 at 1 p.m.
Sunday, April 24 at 10:15 a.m.
The Making of The Boxtrolls and LAIKA Stop-Motion Features
Following a digital 3D screening of LAIKA studio’s acclaimed 2014 release The Boxtrolls, join LAIKA’s Mark Shapiro as he discusses how the fast-rising studio—which recently marked its tenth anniversary and is already renowned for its films Coraline and ParaNorman—continues to expand the boundaries of the 120-year-old tradition of stop-motion animation.
Recommended for ages 9 and up.
Friday, April 22 at 10 a.m. (School)
Saturday, April 23 at 10:30 a.m.
Special Screening: The Princess Bride | FREE
In the classic postmodern fairy tale from Rob Reiner, a young boy (Fred Savage) lies in bed recovering from the flu while his grandfather (Peter Falk) reads from William Goldman’s The Princess Bride, a tale of true love and high adventure that includes pirates, monsters, giants, duels, and miracles. At the centre of the story are Buttercup and Westley (Robin Wright, Cary Elwes), young sweethearts whose devotion to each other is put to the ultimate test after Westley disappears at sea and Buttercup, now betrothed to Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), is kidnapped by three adventurers: fencing master Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), gentle giant Fezzik (André the Giant), and their bumbling leader Vizzini (Wallace Shawn)—with a mysterious masked man in close pursuit.
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Sunday, April 10 at 1 p.m.
20th Anniversary Screening: Matilda
In partnership with Penguin Random House Canada, TIFF is proud to honour the centenary of Roald Dahl's birth with Dahl Days, a series of special events taking place at TIFF Bell Lightbox throughout 2016 in celebration of the iconic author and his contribution to children's literature.
Matilda Wormwood (Mara Wilson) is a bright-eyed, intelligent, book-loving six-year-old who is continually neglected and mistreated by her corrupt, mean-spirited parents (Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman). Enrolled at a crumbling school run by cruel headmistress Agatha Trunchbull (Pam Ferris), Matilda discovers that she has amazing telekinetic powers, and soon leads the children in a full-out rebellion against Trunchbull's strict rule. A passion project for director-star DeVito, Matilda was one of the most critically acclaimed children’s films of the 1990s and remains one of the greatest translations of Roald Dahl’s magical world to film.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Sunday, April 17 at 3 p.m.
60th Anniversary Screening: The Red Balloon | FREE
Originally released in October of 1956, the classic French short The Red Balloon continues to delight audiences six decades on. To honour this milestone, families can relive the magic of Albert Lamorisse’s Academy Award–winning masterpiece with this special screening of the classic film on the big screen.
Recommended for ages 7 and up.
Saturday, April 23 at 1:30 p.m.
Jump Cuts
The Jump Cuts Young Filmmakers Showcases returns for its 15th year to provide Ontario’s young directors with an opportunity to see their work on the big screen. Presenting short films created for young people by young people, Jump Cuts is open to amateur filmmakers in two categories: grades 4 through 6, and grades 7 through 8. The finalists will be announced in the coming weeks, and their films will be screened, with Q&A sessions with the filmmakers, during the TIFF Kids International Film Festival. Prizes for top films will be announced at the Public Awards Ceremony on Sunday, April 24.
New for 2016 filmmakers in grade 4-6 may be eligible for the "filmpossible" award, presented by Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, for the most accomplished film to have an onscreen representation of disability, where the winning film will receive a trophy and $500 bursary.
Grade 4 to 6 screenings: Sunday, April 24 at 1 p.m.
Grade 7 to 8 screenings: Sunday, April 24 at 1:15 p.m.
TIFF Kids Festival Passport
Children can pick up their very own TIFF Kids Passport and tour the world, with 35 countries represented in this year’s lineup. Kids can get a stamp for every feature film and shorts programme they attend. Once they have collected three stamps, they can visit the Passport Bureau during the TIFF Kids Festival to claim a prize.
Free Activities
Every Saturday and Sunday during the TIFF Kids Festival TIFF Bell Lightbox will host free drop-in activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
And the Awards Go To… | FREE
TIFF is committed to involving and engaging children in the critical assessment of films. Through the TIFF Kids Festival Jury Awards, People’s Choice Awards and two awards selected by an adult jury, TIFF Kids Festival continues to create a forum where kids’ voices can be heard.
Sunday, April 24, at 3:15 p.m.
FEATURE FILM PRESENTATIONS
Opening Night!
Oddball, dir. Stuart McDonald, Australia, English
Toronto Premiere
In this heartwarming tale that highlights the importance of conservation and respecting the environment, an Australian chicken farmer, his 10-year-old granddaughter and his mischievous sheepdog, Oddball, set out to protect a colony of fairy penguins from extinction.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Closing Night!
Little Door Gods (Xiao Men Shen), dir. Gary Wang, China, Chinese with English subtitles, 3D
Canadian Premiere
This beautifully animated film draws on Chinese folklore for its tale of a god who, facing unemployment as fewer people turn to the Spirit World for guidance, ventures into the human world on a quest to prove the spirits’ worth.
Recommended for ages 9 and up.
Abulele, dir. Jonathan Geva, Israel, Hebrew with English subtitles
International Premiere
In this touching story, a boy’s secret friendship with a mythical creature helps him deal with his grief over losing his brother and face down the bullies at school.
Recommended for ages 9 and up.
Antboy 3, dir. Ask Hasselbalch, Denmark, Dutch with English subtitles
North American Premiere
The action-packed finale of the Antboy trilogy finds Pelle, a.k.a. Antboy — now in his teens and preparing to leave his crime-fighting alter ego behind — only to find that his nemesis, The Flea, has been released from prison.
Recommended for ages 10 and up.
Belle and Sebastian 2: The Adventure Continues (Belle et Sébastien 2: L'aventure continue), dir. Christian Duguay, France,
French with English subtitles
Toronto Premiere
This thrilling update of the popular 1960s TV series, based on the beloved French children’s novel, reintroduces us to brave Sebastian and his faithful canine companion Belle as they set out to find Sebastian’s adoptive mother following the end of World War II.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Birds of Passage (Les Oiseaux de Passage), dir. Olivier Ringer, Belgium/France, French with English subtitles
Two young friends learn teamwork and experience freedom for the first time as they overcome physical and emotional barriers in order to save a duckling, in this heartwarming tale from Belgian director Olivier Ringer.
Recommended for ages 9 and up.
Blinky Bill: The Movie, dir. Deane Taylor, Australia, English
Toronto Premiere
Aspiring explorer Blinky Bill teams with a koala and a lizard to trek deep into the Outback to find his missing dad, in this animated adventure from Down Under.
Recommended for ages 5 and up.
The Boxtrolls, dirs. Graham Annable, Anthony Stacchi, USA, English
A young boy raised by a tribe of friendly subterranean trolls sets out to rescue his friends when they are captured by a diabolical exterminator.
Recommended for ages 9 and up.
The Boy and the Beast (Bakemono no ko), dir. Mamoru Hosoda, Japan, Japanese with English subtitles
2015 Toronto International Film Festival
A young boy in modern-day Tokyo stumbles into an alternate dimension and becomes the apprentice to a bearlike warrior, in this stunning animated fantasy from writer-director Mamoru Hosoda.
Recommended for ages 11 and up.
Code M, dir. Dennis Bots, Netherlands, Dutch with English subtitles
Canadian Premiere
In this delightful thriller, a 12-year-old girl vows to fulfill her grandfather’s lifelong search for the sword of D’Artagnan, the leader of the Three Musketeers, with help from her cousin and a new friend. But will their alliance survive the perilous quest to uncover the mystery?
Recommended for ages 10 and up.
CodeGirl, dir. Lesley Chilcott, USA, English & Portuguese, Spanish, French with English subtitles
In this thrilling and educational documentary, teams of high-school students from around the world compete in the Technovation Challenge, which encourages girls to become developers in the male-dominated app industry while developing their skills in innovation and critical thinking.
Recommended for ages 10 and up.
Enclave (Enklava), dir. Goran Radovanovic, Germany/Serbia, Serbian, German with English subtitles
Toronto Premiere
In this thought-provoking drama set in Kosovo in 2004, a little boy’s optimism prevails over the tragedy of war and cultural conflict.
Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Happy Mother's Day, dir. Anjuli Shukla, India, Hindi with English subtitles
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.
Recommended for ages 9 and up.
HELP, I Shrunk My Teacher (HILFE, ich hab meine Lehrerin geschrumpft), dir. Sven Unterwaldt Jr., Germany, German with English subtitles
International Premiere
Felix is already having a hard time adjusting at his new school — but things take a turn for the bizarre when he accidently shrinks his strict principal to only 15 centimetres in height! Can he figure out how to return her to her original size while at the same time saving the school from closure?
Recommended for ages 9 and up.
How to Steal a Dog, dir. Kim Sung-Ho, South Korea, Korean with English subtitles
Toronto Premiere
This adaptation of the novel of the same title — about a young girl’s scheme to afford a house for her displaced family — uses tenderness and light-hearted humour to teach a valuable lesson in morality, compassion, honesty and love.
Recommended for ages 9 and up.
Little Azkals, dir. Baby Ruth Villarama, United Kingdom/Philippines, Tagalog with English subtitles
North American Premiere
This inspirational and heartwarming documentary follows 22 boys, selected for the Philippine Football Federation’s training programme for the 2019 World Cup qualifier, as they do their country proud during competitions in the UK.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
The Little Prince (Le Petite Prince), dir. Mark Osborne, France, French with English subtitles
This exquisitely animated modern-day retelling of the classic fairy tale about an aviator who befriends a young boy who arrives on Earth from outer space; features an all-star voice cast that includes Jeff Bridges, James Franco, Marion Cotillard, Rachel McAdams and Benicio Del Toro.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Long Way North, dir. Rémi Chayé, France/Denmark, French with English subtitles
Canadian Premiere
Set in 1892, this animated adventure follows 15-year-old aristocrat Sasha as she leaves behind her comfortable Saint Petersburg life in the hopes of tracking down and saving her beloved grandfather, a famous explorer who has gone missing near the North Pole.
Recommended for ages 11 and up.
Matilda, dir. Danny DeVito, USA, English
TIFF’s celebration of Roald Dahl’s centenary continues with this 20th-anniversary screening of Matilda, director Danny DeVito’s charming big-screen adaptation of Dahl’s classic tale.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Mina Walking, dir. Yosef Baraki, Afghanistan/Canada, Pashto with English subtitles
A young Afghan girl is torn between supporting her family and pursuing an education in this documentary-style story of survival, perseverance, and independence.
Recommended for ages 12 and up.
My Skinny Sister (Min lilla syster), dir. Sanna Lenken, Sweden/Germany, Swedish with English subtitles
Toronto International Film Festival 2015
The feature debut of writer-director Sanna Lenken takes a unique approach to the issue of eating disorders, observing the moral dilemma facing an awkward 12-year-old girl when she discovers that her older sister, a beautiful competitive figure skater, has been starving herself in her quest for excellence.
Recommended for ages 12 and up.
The Princess Bride, dir. Rob Reiner, USA, English
With its action, romance, hijinks, and inconceivable(!) assortment of heroes and villains, Rob Reiner’s 1980s classic is a postmodern fairy tale that is sure to enthrall the whole family.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Raven the Little Rascal - The Big Race (Der kleine Rabe Socke - Das große Rennen), dirs. Ute Von Münchow-pohl and Sandor Jesse, Germany, English
North American Premiere
After accidentally destroying the other animals’ food-storage cabin with his soapbox racer, little Raven knows he has to take responsibility for his actions. How? The answer lies in teamwork and friendship.
Recommended for ages 4 and up.
The Rooster of St. Victor, dir. Pierre Greco, Canada, English
In celebration of National Canadian Film Day (NCFD) on April 20, an initiative of REEL CANADA held in communities all across the country to celebrate Canada through film, TIFF Kids will hold a special screening of The Rooster of St. Victor, free for all students. Tired of their daily 4 a.m. wake-up call, the townsfolk of St. Victor force the local rooster to fly his coop — only to find that they were better off with the bird’s pain-in-the-neck punctuality.
Recommended for ages 9 and up.
The Secret Society of Souptown (Supilinna Salaselts), dir. Margus Paju, Estonia/Finland, Estonian with English subtitles
Toronto Premiere
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.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Windstorm 2 (Ostwind 2), dir. Katja von Garnier, Germany, German with English subtitles
Toronto Premiere
This sequel to the 2014 TIFF Kids Festival favourite is a moving coming-of-age film in which young hero Mika and her beloved horse, Windstorm, must win a tournament to save her family’s stables.
Recommended for ages 11 and up.
The World of Us (Woorideul), dir. Yoon Ga-eun, South Korea, Korean with English subtitles
North American Premiere
Ten-year-old Sun’s friendship with new kid Jia is thrown into turmoil when Jia realizes that Sun is routinely picked on by their classmates, in this moving and true-to-life film about the realities of bullying, classroom pecking orders, and the importance of loyalty.
Recommended for ages 9 and up.
Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass, dir. Victor Vu, Vietnam, Vietnamese with English subtitles
Canadian Premiere
Two young brothers find their close relationship tested in this beautiful coming-of-age drama based on the novel by Nguyễn Nhật Ánh and set in the picturesque countryside of central Vietnam.
Recommended for ages 11 and up.
About TIFF
TIFF is a charitable cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $189 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.
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