7th annual
Coastline Children’s Film Festival
March 10 - March 19, 2017
10 days of award-winning features, documentaries, and shorts at several screening locations
along with hands-on workshops and a young filmmakers competition
PRESENTED IN COLLABORATION WITH KRASL ART CENTER
(Films as of September 1, 2016)
ARS Arts & Culture Center, Bridgman Public Library, Citadel Oak Room,
Krasl Art Center, Loma Theatre/Coloma, New Buffalo Township Library, Michigan City Public Library
and the Stanley Clark School/South Bend
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FEATURE FILMS
Bag of Rice 1998 Iran 80 min in Persian with subtitles Ages 10 and up
Lovingly restored with the help of Mark Cousins and his friend the actress Tilda Swinton, Bag of Rice is an unforgettable
urban odyssey around Tehran as seen through the eyes of a child. Determined to escape boredom at home, four-year-old
Jairan accompanies her half-blind and stubborn elderly neighbor on an errand. Both are ill-equipped to face the unexpected
challenges of the journey and must rely on the kindness of strangers to navigate the bustling city. What starts as an oddcouple adventure turns into a profoundly moving parable as these unlikely companions make their way through the world.
It’s one of the great humanist, heartwarming delights in cinema.
The Boy and The Beast 2015 Japan 119 min Animated with subtitles Ages 8 and up
See it before it opens nationwide on March 4th! The latest tale from Mamoru Hosoda is brimming with the striking visuals
Festival veterans have come to expect from the director of 2007’s Girl Who Leapt Through Time, 2010’s Summer Wars and
2013 Audience Award-winner Wolf Children. When Kyuta, a young orphan living on the streets of Shibuya, stumbles into a
fantastic world of beasts, he’s taken in by Kumatetsu, a gruff, rough-around-the-edges warrior beast who’s been searching
for the perfect apprentice. Despite their constant bickering, they begin training together and slowly form a makeshift family.
When a deep darkness threatens to throw the human and beast worlds into chaos, the strong bond between the unlikely
pair is put to the test in a final, epic showdown. Can they work together to combine their strength and courage?
Fantastic Planet 1973 France/Czechoslovakia 72 min with subtitles Animated Ages 12 and up
Nothing else has ever looked or felt like director René Laloux’s animated marvel Fantastic Planet, a politically minded and
visually inventive work of science fiction. The film is set on a distant planet called Ygam, where enslaved humans (Oms) are
the playthings of giant blue native inhabitants (Draags). After Terr, kept as a pet since infancy, escapes from his gigantic child
captor, he is swept up by a band of radical fellow Oms who are resisting the Draags’ oppression and violence. With its
eerie, coolly surreal cutout animation by Roland Topor; brilliant psychedelic jazz score by Alain Goraguer; and wondrous
creatures and landscapes, this Cannes-awarded 1973 counterculture classic is a perennially compelling statement against
conformity and violence.
The Fits 2015 USA 72 min Ages 10 and up
Eleven-year-old tomboy Toni (a showstopping Royalty Hightower) is bewitched by the tight-knit dance team she sees
practicing in the same Cincinnati gymnasium where she boxes. Enamored by the power and confidence of the strong
community of girls, Toni spends less and less time boxing with her older brother, and instead eagerly absorbs the dance
routines and masters drills from a distance, and even pierces her own ears in an effort to fit in. But when a mysterious
outbreak of fainting spells plagues the team, Toni’s desire for acceptance becomes more complicated. Gorgeously shot and
with a mesmerizing score, THE FITS is a transformative experience and a marvelous portrait of adolescence.
Miss Hokusai 2016 Japan Animated 90 min Ages 12 and up
From award-winning director Keiichi Hara (Colorful) and Japanese powerhouse Production I.G (creators of Ghost in the Shell
and A Letter to Momo) comes a remarkable story of a blossoming young artist. As all of Edo flocks to see the work of the
famous painter Hokusai, his daughter O-Ei toils diligently inside his studio, unknown to the public. Her masterful portraits,
dragons and sketches – sold under the name of her father – are coveted by upper crust Lords and journeyman print makers
alike. In public, O-Ei knows and respects “her place,” but at home in the studio, she’s as brash and uninhibited as her father,
smoking a pipe while sketching drawings that would make contemporary Japanese ladies blush. But despite her talent and
fiercely independent spirit, O-Ei struggles under the domineering influence of her father and is ridiculed for lacking the life
experience that she is attempting to portray in her art. Miss Hokusai‘s lively Edo (present day Tokyo) is filled with yokai
spirits, dragons, and conniving tradesmen, while O-Ei’s relationships with her famously impetuous father and blind younger
sister provide a powerful emotional underpinning to this rollicking and sumptuously-animated feminist coming-of-age tale.
The Idol 2015 UK/Palestine/Qatar/Netherlands/UAE 100 min with subtitles Ages 9 and up
Based on a true story, The Idol chronicles Mohammad Assaf’s remarkable rise from a challenging life in Gaza to worldwide
sensation and symbol of hope. Whenever he sings, everyone within earshot stops in awe of Mohammad’s beautiful voice. A
lack of money and access to instruments won’t stop the ten-year-old and his sister, Nour (with whom he shares a deep
bond, a tiny bedroom, and an obsession with music), from performing wherever they can with their makeshift band. It’s
Nour who recognizes the true potential of her brother’s talent, and makes him promise to share his gift with the world. It
isn’t until years later, feeling stuck and with few prospects, that he finally sees his voice as a ticket out. Risking serious
consequences, Mohammad ventures on a journey to audition for Arab Idol to pursue his dream and fulfill his promise.
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Mateo 2015 Columbia Spanish with Subtitles 86 min Ages 12 and up
Mateo, 16, collects extortion money on behalf of his uncle and uses his pay to help out his mother, who grudgingly accepts
the ill-gotten money out of need. They live by themselves in the poor, violent neighborhoods alongside the Magdalena River
valley in Colombia. To prove his worth, Mateo agrees to infiltrate a local theatre group in order to uncover its members’
political activities. As he becomes enthralled with the free-flowing creative lifestyle of the troupe, his uncle escalates
demands on him to produce incriminating information on the actors. Under pressure, Mateo must make difficult choices.
Throughout this story composed from real life experiences, Mateo and his mother find their dignity as they face the perils
of doubting the established hierarchy of Colombia’s armed conflict.
Phantom Boy 2015 Animation France 70 min Ages 8 and up
Phantom Boy premiered at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in June. Phantom Boy is a New York-set family
and adult-friendly animated crime thriller. It centers on Leo, who has a mysterious illness that has transformed him into a
phantom boy, able to leave the confines of his body and explore the city as a ghostly apparition. While in the hospital, he
befriends Alex, a police officer injured while attempting to capture a nefarious gangster who has taken control of the city’s
power supply, throwing the metropolis into chaos. They work together to stop the plot and save New York from
destruction. This film is from Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol, the Oscar-nominated creators of A Cat in Paris.
The Stolen Airship 1967 Czech with subtitles 84 min Ages 8 and up
Master fantasist Karel Zeman once again dips into the imagination of Jules Verne and comes up with this fascinating tale of
adventure. Based on Verne's Two Years' Vacation with elements of Mysterious Island and other fantastic adventures. The
young heroes are five boys who steal a balloon from a county fair and set off for adventure. Their craft is destroyed in a
storm and they wind up on a desert island. There they encounter many amazing things, including strange beasts, mutineers
and Captain Nemo and his submarine, 'The Nautilus'. There's a spy (with a removable arm) and a whole host of odd and
fascinating aircraft and machines. Zeman creates a dazzling array of visual images using stop-motion and hand drawn
animation combined with a layout of backgrounds designed to look like moving woodcut pictures from old children's books.
Combine his understated sense of humor and you have the recipe for a classic adventure for young and old.
Documentaries
Breaking A Monster 2015 USA 92 min Ages 13 and up
When African American kids just entering adolescence form the band Unlocking the Truth, their YouTube videos go viral,
and they appear to be fulfilling a classic dream. Malcolm Brickhouse, Jarad Dawkins, and Alec Atkins appear at Coachella and
on the Colbert Report, with their novelty leading to a mega-deal with Sony. Along for the ride is filmmaker Luke Meyer and
his team, who chart the astonishing push-pull between the neophytes and the tone-deaf music industry. Most of the film’s
satirical punch comes from witnessing candid, unfiltered interactions between the skateboard-riding teenagers and their
outlandishly old-school manager Alan Sacks, who brought the world “Welcome Back Kotter” and the Jonas Brothers.
Enter the Faun 2016 USA 68 min Ages 12 and up
The unlikely collaboration between a veteran choreographer and a young actor with cerebral palsy delivers astonishing
proof that each and every body is capable of miraculous transformation. As Tamar Rogoff trains Gregg Mozgala to become
a dancer, they discover that her lack of formal medical training and his fears and physical limitations are not obstacles, but
the impetus for their unprecedented discoveries. “Enter The Faun” is the story of a joyous, obsessed journey towards
opening night. It challenges the boundaries of medicine and art, as well as the limitations associated with disability.
How I Came to Hate Math 2013 France with subtitles 100 min 12 and up
So math has always bored you, you’ve always accepted you were bad at it. In short, you’ve always hated math! It would be
laughable if math hadn’t become of such paramount importance in our world: Apple, Google, Goldman Sachs are all based
on algorithms and mathematical formulas. How is it that mathematics still holds such disfavor even as it now runs the
world? Taking us on a journey around the world to meet the greatest mathematicians, notably Cédric Villani (2010 Fields
Medal award), How I Came to Hate Math tells the story of how mathematics has changed our world for the better... and
sometimes for the worse.
Midsummer in Newtown 2016 USA Ages 12 and up
In the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, a theater production comes to Newtown, Connecticut, seeking to cast local
children in a rock-pop version of A Midsummer Night's Dream. The project is aimed at healing the hearts and minds of a
community devastated by the school shooting that occurred just over one year prior to production. From auditions and
read-throughs to dress rehearsals; we witness the children find their voice, build their self-confidence, and ultimately shine
on opening night. Midsummer in Newtown is a testament to the transformative force of artistic expression to pierce through
the shadow cast by trauma, and to the resilience of a community that is fighting to not be defined by tragedy.
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Sonita 2015 Iran/Germany/Switzerland in English and Farsi 90 min Ages 12 and up
Sonita is an 18-year-old female, an undocumented Afghan illegal immigrant living in the poor suburbs of Tehran. She is a
feisty, spirited, young woman who fights to live the way she wants, as an artist, singer, and musician in spite of all her
obstacles she confronts in Iran and her conservative patriarchal family. In harsh contrast to her goal is the plan of her family
– strongly advanced by her mother – to make her a bride and sell her to a new family. The price now is about US$ 9.000.
Thank You For Playing 2015 USA 80 min Ages 12 and up
When Ryan Green, a video game programmer, learns that his young son Joel has cancer, he and his wife begin documenting
their emotional journey in the form of an unusually beautiful and poetic video game. Thank you for Playing follows Ryan and
his family over two years through the creation of “That Dragon, Cancer” as it evolves from a cathartic exercise into a
critically acclaimed work of art that sets the gaming industry abuzz. Lauded as "unimaginably intimate" by The New Yorker
and "profoundly moving" by Indiewire, Thank You For Playing is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the
ability of art and technology to document profound experiences in the modern age.
SILENT FILMS with Live Music
The Kid with Charlie Chaplin USA 1931 53 min Ages 6 and up
Charlie Chaplin was already an international star when he decided to break out of the short-film format and
make his first full-length feature. The Kid doesn’t merely show Chaplin at a turning point, when he proved that he
was a serious film director—it remains an expressive masterwork of silent cinema. In it, he stars as his lovable
Tramp character, this time raising an orphan (a remarkable young Jackie Coogan) he has rescued from the
streets. Chaplin and Coogan make a miraculous pair in this nimble marriage of sentiment and slapstick, a film
that is, as its opening title card states, “a picture with a smile—and perhaps, a tear.”
Steamboat Bill Jr. with Buster Keaton USA 1928 71 min Ages 6 and up
Buster Keaton’s 1928 silent movie Steamboat Bill, Jr, now on rerelease, is most famous for that staggeringly clever and
ambitious shot of the house front with the strategically positioned open window collapsing on top of our hero, leaving him
unscathed. It is a sublime vision of innocence being protected by comically benign forces. Steamboat Bill, Jr is a Romeo-andJuliet drama and also a gently tender story of a man coming to respect and love his son. Bill Sr (Ernest Torrence) is the
captain of a tatty old pleasure boat who hasn’t seen his son since the boy was a baby. He’s hoping for a strapping lad to help
out with the business. But Bill Jr (Keaton) turns out to be a delicate aesthete with an absurd ukelele and annoying bohemian
beret. Even worse, he’s in love with Kitty (Marion Byron) the daughter of JJ King (Tom McGuire) the arrogant owner of a
rival boat. The ensuing farce involves miraculous physical comedy and stunt-work. Keaton makes it look easy. The final
storm sequence is a breathtaking apocalypse.
Snow White 1916 USA 63 min Ages 6 and up
Reportedly the victim of a vault fire at Paramount in 1917 a tinted nitrate release print with Dutch titles turned
up in Amsterdam in 1992. Now restored, this is a rarely seen silent version of Snow White — a dawn-of-cinema
gem that inspired a teenaged Walt Disney to follow his heart to make animated films for children. Starring a
luminous Marguerite Clark, the film tells the familiar Brothers Grimm story in a way that will seem brand new to
family audiences.
International Youth Silent Film Festival Ages 6 and up
Jon “JP” Palanuk founded this one of a kind festival in 2009 after he attended a live theatre organ concert. So inspired by
what he heard, he decided to create a competition where young filmmakers can create their own silent movies. Silent films
are the most classic form of movie entertainment and the easiest to create using modern technology – no sound editing, no
problem. The themes allowed in the competition are romance, action, horror, slapstick, mystery, science fiction and hero.
Judges have included Gus Van Sant. CCFF will screen local, regional and international winners.
Charley Bowers—Four silent films Ages 6 and up
A WILD ROOMER, USA, 1926 Charley, a brilliant inventor, has forty-eight hours to make a convincing demonstration of
his newest machine in order to collect an inheritance from his father. NOW YOU TELL ONE, USA, 1926 The liars’ club
meets to vote on who can tell the most unbelievable story. Along comes Charley, the brilliant inventor of a universal
grafting process, whose story takes the cake. MANY A SLIP, USA, 1927 Charley decides to invent an anti-skid banana peel.
THERE IT IS, USA, 1928 Charley is a detective from Scotland Yard sent to America to solve the mystery of a haunted
house.
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