The Museum of Television & Radio in Cooperation with the United Nations Presents the Twelfth International Children's Television Festival
Tuesday, October 7, 2003
New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA-The Museum of Television & Radio, in cooperation with the United Nations, will present the Twelfth International Children's Television Festival, a celebration of outstanding children's television programming from around the world. The Festival, which runs for four consecutive weekends in both New York and Los Angeles, will present programs from twenty-one countries and five continents that were selected for their artistic achievement as well as their ability to entertain, educate, and inform. In addition to extraordinary children's programs-many of which originated overseas and have not been seen in the United States-the Festival will include performing arts programs, arts and crafts activities, and costume character appearances. These screenings and activities aim to provide children and their families the opportunity to enjoy the customs and traditions of other cultures, and serve as reminders of children's common humanity, curiosity, and irrepressible creativity.
"The Festival is a wonderful window to the world and to the vivid imagination of children," said Mrs. Nane Annan, lawyer, artist, and spouse of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. "It shows how we share common values and aspirations, enriched by our cultural differences, and offers us the opportunity to discover, express, and discuss what unites us."
The Festival, which will take place on weekends in Los Angeles from November 1 to 23, 2003, and in New York from November 8 to 30, 2003, will present programs from such countries as Australia, Denmark, Finland, Japan, South Africa, and Spain. The programs will be presented in four thematic packages: Family, Challenges, Journeys, and Life Lessons.
Each weekend, two thematically arranged sixty-minute screening packages will be featured, as well as a performance or workshop running approximately sixty minutes. Performances and workshops will feature such activities as dance, puppetry, animation, storytelling, and music. In addition, each weekend children will have the opportunity to meet some of their favorite costumed characters. Please note that admission to performances and workshops is on a first-come, first-served basis. In New York, Museum Members may make complimentary reservations by calling (212) 621-6780 or by e-mailing membership@mtr.org.
With an intended audience between the ages of five and ten, most Festival programs presented are either in English, silent, or dubbed in English. In addition to the scheduled screenings, all of the Festival programs will be available to the public for viewing as part of the Museum's permanent collection. Festival programs are included with general Museum admission. Suggested contribution: Members free; $10.00 for adults; $8.00 for senior citizens and students; and $5.00 for children under thirteen. Admission is free in Los Angeles. Additionally, in Los Angeles, the Festival will kick off with Children's Day, a fun-filled day of arts and crafts, brunch, costume characters, and live performances, to benefit The Museum of Television & Radio. Tickets for Children's Day are $125 for a family of five, and can be purchased by calling (310) 786-1000.
The complete Festival schedule, detailed program information, and artwork is available at http://mtr.inet7.com/pressroom/. Programs are subject to change.
The Museum of Television & Radio, with locations in New York and Los Angeles, is a nonprofit organization founded by William S. Paley to collect and preserve television and radio programs and advertisements and to make them available to the public. Since opening in 1976, the Museum has organized exhibitions, screening and listening series, seminars, and education classes to showcase its collection of over 100,000 television and radio programs and advertisements. In 2001 the Museum initiated a process to acquire Internet programming for the collection. Programs in the Museum's permanent collection are selected for their artistic, cultural, and historic significance.
The Museum of Television & Radio in New York, located at 25 West 52 Street in Manhattan, is open Tuesdays through Sundays from noon to 6:00 p.m. and until 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays. The Museum of Television & Radio in California, located at 465 North Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills, is open Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 5:00 p.m. Both Museums are closed on New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Suggested contribution: Members free; $10.00 for adults; $8.00 for senior citizens and students; and $5.00 for children under fourteen. Admission is free in Los Angeles. The public areas in both Museums are accessible to wheelchairs, and assisted listening devices are available. Programs are subject to change. You may call the Museum in New York at (212) 621-6800, or in Los Angeles at (310) 786-1000. Visit the Museum's website at www.mtr.org.