The Traverse City Film Festival 2012 is pleased to announce the return of the Kids Festival and Lawn Party. This fun venue will feature a family friendly party and oasis on the lawn outside of Lars Hockstad Auditorium Wednesday, August 1 – Saturday, August 4, from 11 am to 2 pm.  Rain or shine, we are offering many free or low-cost activities!

FUN AND EDUCATION ACTIVITIES CENTERED AROUND FILM 
Wednesday – Saturday, we will feature a $1 movie for kids, Cardboard “Movie Set Castle” fort,  live performances, lawn games,  a children’s talent exhibition as well as several themed activities each day:

• Wednesday- The Importance of Sound: Soundtracks and Sound Effects
• Thursday- Healthy Performers and Safe Stunts
• Friday- The Power of Imagination: Stories and Screenplays
• Saturday- Behind the scenes: Make-up, Costumes and Set Design

FANTASTIC FAMILY FILMS FROM THE US AND AROUND THE WORLD 

To add to the fun, every child will receive a “passport” which will get stamped at every movie they attend, along with a flag of the movie’s country of origin at the finish of the film.  Don’t miss these great movies; even parents will be glad they attended!

“Circus Dreams” (2011, USA, NR, 83 min)
WED 9:30 AM LARS

Some kids are natural-born entertainers, and for the American youngsters who discover a passion for the circus arts, Circus Smirkus is a natural home. Each year, the only traveling youth circus in the US assembles the finest young performers for a summer tour of 70 shows. This great documentary captures it all, from the grueling auditions to the inspiring success of a standing ovation. Meet clowns, trapeze artists and jugglers as they experience the highs and lows of collaborative performance, polish their acts and nervously await the audience’s reaction. “Circus Dreams” perfectly balances the fun of the circus with behind-the-scenes drama in a moving demonstration of what dedication, passion, talent and ambition make possible—no matter what your demographic. This film is appropriate for all ages; the little ones will watch the performances in awe, but thematically the film is better suited for slightly older kids (ages 8-11)

“Shorts for Kids” (75 min)
THU 9:30 AM LARS

A perennial favorite of Kids Fest programming, our collection of short films from all over the world this year features the 25-minute masterwork “Magic Piano,” about a young girl named Anna whose father is forced to leave her in Warsaw with her aunt so he can go to London in search of work. While trying to hide from her annoying cousin Chip-Chip, she discovers a magic piano in a garbage pile that transports them over the ocean through stormy weather to a safe harbor. Shortlisted for an Oscar, “Magic Piano” is one in a series of shorts set to Chopin’s études. This year’s shorts also introduce us to a frenetic beaver, a life-saving fox, Martians having a picnic, a mouse who wants a friend, and everyone’s favorite Android, Floyd. Appropriate for all ages.

• Damned Richard Phelan | 2011 | UK | 8 min.
• Ernesto Corinne Ladeinde | 2011 | UK | 7 min.
• Floyd the Android Jonathan Lyons | 2011 | USA | 4 min.
• The Girl and the Fox Tyler J. Kupferer | 2011 | USA | 6 min.
• Kahanikar – The Storyteller Nandita Jain | 2011 | UK | 11 min.
• Magic Piano Martin Clapp | 2011 | China, Norway, Poland | 30 min.
• A Martian Picnic Patrick Neary | 2012 | USA | 6 min.
• Mouse for Sale Wouter Bongaerts | 2010 | Belgium | 5 min.

“The Crocodiles” (2009, Germany, NR, 98 min)
FRI 9:30 AM LARS

Bring your tweens to meet the German equivalent of “The Goonies” in this blockbuster hit from across the ocean. The Crocodiles are a close-knit group of 11-year-old friends who build forts, issue dares to one another, and generally horse around. Then a resourceful newcomer to town wants in on the gang, and his wheelchair becomes an issue. Part “The Outsiders,” part Hardy Boys, part “Stand By Me,” this fast-paced, mystery-driven film breaks down stereotypes and celebrates the bonds of friendship. Warning: dialogue in this German film is stronger than an American audience may be used to. Slurs and stereotypes are expressed not for shock value, but rather as part of a larger and more important narrative about kids learning how hurtful their exclusionary actions and hateful words can be… and then how we learn to make amends. (ages11-14)

“Legends of Valhalla: Thor” (2011, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, NR, 85 min)

SAT 9:30 AM LARS (ages 4-7)

Pack up your young superheroes and come see the story of Thor’s beginnings, created by animators from Iceland over the course of seven years. It’s a delightful, beautifully animated and original take on the story of young Thor, who lives in a peaceful village with his human mother, and doesn’t have much to do with his father Odin, King of the Gods. But when an army of giants and Hel, the Queen of the Underworld, attack the village, Thor must foil an evil plot that endangers the world of both men and the Gods. Fortunately for Thor, a talking hammer named Crusher falls from the sky, claiming to be an all-powerful weapon. If your kids like Disney and Dreamworks films, this one is for them, with great characters who spring off the screen, and comedy that plays for the young and old alike.

So come inside and enjoy a $1 film, then  join us outside on the beautiful Lars Hockstad lawn for games, arts and crafts, performances, sports, bubbles, music, tiny tots area, family comfort station, food, give aways, misting tents courtesy of Team Bobs, and much more!