KIDS & FAMILIES

Belmont World Film, which has presented the best in international films from around the globe for children and adults since 2001, celebrates the 10th anniversary of its Family Film Festival with Magic and Movies, five days of live action and animated films from the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Poland, the UK, Germany, Estonia/Latvia, Canada, China, the US, and elsewhere—many of them US or New England premieres. The festival takes place November 9-10 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and November 16-18, at the Studio Cinema, Belmont.

Boston's first multi-day children's film festival since the early 1990's features 15 extraordinary programs with over 60 films from around the world. Each weekend begins with Magic Fridays, magical programs of animated shorts, live action films, and performances. Opening night at the MFA on Nov. 9, at 7 PM features the New England premiere of The Magic Piano an astonishing stop-motion short film made by a group of artists and animators from around the globe, and The Chopin Shorts, a group of dazzling, wordless animated short films, both from Academy Award-winning Breakthru Films (Peter and the Wolf). The films are also connected by a soundtrack featuring Chopin’s magical Etudes performed by celebrated Chinese pianist Lang Lang. A live performance by Leonard Solomon and his Bellowphone—a one-of-a-kind instrument that the classically trained Solomon designed and built from an assortment of horns, pipes and whistles—follows. The film portion repeats on Sat., Nov. 17, at 1:30 PM at the Studio Cinema.

Magic Friday at the Studio Cinema in Belmont on Nov. 16 features the New England premiere of The Magicians by Joram Lürsen at 5:00 PM, in which eight year-old Ben and his father learn magic from an old master and become fascinated by a disappearance trick, and Make Believe by J. Clay Tweel (USA, 2010, 85 min.), a coming of age film set in the quirky subculture of magic that follows six of the world’s best young magicians as they compete for the title of Teen World Champion. Bill Cook, a teen magician from Chicago featured in the film, performs a live magic show at 4:45 PM, as well as following the screening of Make Believe where producer Steven Klein will be in attendance. Moozy’s of Belmont will also provide complimentary ice cream treats at both screenings.

Other film programs include:

Eric Carle, Picture Writer: The Art of the Picture Book: An intimate portrait of the children’s book author and illustrator demonstrating how he makes a picture book—from the inception of an idea to the final work. Shown with shorts from The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Stories. (Nov. 10, 10:30 AM & Nov. 17, 12:00 PM with director Kate Geis)

Fidgety Bram: Six year-old Bram thinks a lot about the world around him and just cannot sit still, which becomes a problem when he starts first grade. His strict, traditional teacher, Mr. Fish, tries to change Bram, with mixed results. A substitute teacher changes both their lives. US Premiere

Canadian/Quebec Shorts: Two programs, entitled Around the World (Nov. 10, 12:00 PM) and Growing Pains (Nov. 18, 12:00 PM), of the best multicultural, animated shorts from Quebec and Canada. US premieres include A Sea Turtle Story, Big Mouth, and Private Eyes. Also includes noted Quebec filmmaker Co Hoedman’s Academy Award-winning The Sandcastle (1977).

The Blue Tiger: A combination of live-action and clever animation that features an evil mayor who plans to demolish an old botanical garden and replace it with his vision of a modern new city. Two young friends must protect the magical blue tiger in order to save the garden and their neighborhood. (Nov. 10, 3:30 PM) New England Premiere

Scholastic/Weston Woods Animated Short Films: Two different programs featuring animated favorite children’s books from the award-winning producers. New England premieres include: Sky Color by Peter Reynolds, Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct and Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems, The Red Hen by Rebecca & Ed Emberley, Hi! Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold, Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo, I’m Fast by Kate & Jim McMullan, and Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker & Tom Lichtenfeld. (Nov. 17 & 18, 10:30 AM)

Victor and the Secret of Crocodile Mansion: Eleven-year-old Victor is both thrilled and mystified when his family moves into his elderly uncle’s somber old mansion filled with African masks, stuffed crocodiles and a decades-old secret surrounding the death of his uncle’s young daughter, Cecilia. A Hitchcock movie for kids! (Nov. 17, 3:00 PM) New England Premiere

Lotte and the Moonstone Secret by Heiki Ernits and Janno Poldma (Estonia/Latvia 2011, 75 min.): The inventive animated dog Lotte and her Uncle Klaus set off on a journey from Gadgetville to investigate the appearance of two rabbit-eared visitors in search of three mysterious moonstones. (Nov. 18, 1:30 PM, New England Premiere)

One Life: Narrated by actor Daniel Craig, this visually stunning film offers an unprecedented look at life in the animal kingdom. Created from more than 10,000 hours of footage shot around the globe over the course of four years, it brings the audience closer to nature than ever before. (Nov. 18, 3:30 PM, US Premiere)