The Museum of Television & Radio's Twelfth International Children's Television Festival

Tuesday, October 7, 2003

Los Angeles Calendar & Program Descriptions

Costumed characters will drop in to meet and greet Festivalgoers on noted weekends.

Screenings and performances are free.

Tickets for the performances are available on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the performance.

Screenings will be preceded by short selections from UNICEF's Go Girls! profile; Triggerfish Animation, from Takalani Sesame and coproduced by Sesame Workshop and South African Broadcasting Corporation; and the Kristin Harris Design series I Want To Be and Now You Know, originally produced for HBO.

Saturday, November 1 Opening Party to benefit The Museum of Television & Radio

9:30 to 11:30 a.m. $125 for a family of five; Purchase tickets by calling (310) 786-1000.

Saturday, November 1 & Sunday, November 2: Family

Costumed Characters: Both days: Madeline, Robbie the Reindeer, Pikachu, and Strawberry Shortcake.
November 1 only: Red Ninja Storm Power Ranger, Spider-Man, and Stanley.

Screening (1:00 p.m.):

·Home Things: The Clothes and the Pegs (Portugal; 2003; 3 min.)
After a day of hanging out, a line of fresh laundry comes alive and gets frisky.

Stanley: Daddy Pride (United States; 2001; 12 min.)

Stanley dreams of being a lion cub-because then his daddy could play with him all day long! Dennis the goldfish, Stanley's mentor and confidant, sets him straight with lessons about the real workings of a wildcat family.

My Family and Me: Lilian and Her Family in Brazil (France; 2002; 13 min.)

This documentary peeks at the life of Lilian, a four-year-old living with her family in tight quarters with little money but lots of love.

United (United Kingdom; 2002; 15 min.)

Thomas believes he could be the best soccer player in the world if his pesky stepbrother Arthur just stopped trailing him everywhere! But what would happen if one day Arthur just...disappeared?

Mio and Mao: The Piglet (Italy; 1976; 5 min.)

Claymation kitties Mio and Mao rumble and tumble their way into adventure with a muddy, mischievous piglet.

Performance (2:00 p.m.):

"Proud to be Me" by We Tell Stories
Take a delightful journey around the world with Los Angeles's premiere storytelling theatre troupe, We Tell Stories. Pulling costumes and props from their trunk and encouraging audience participation, these delightful performers bring to life unusual tales from Japan, Africa, and Mexico.

Screening (3:00 p.m.):

·Open A Door in South Africa: Yolanda (United Kingdom/South Africa; 2003; 5 min.)

Yolanda, a young girl fueled by boundless energy, runs her toy car into trouble-and turns to some neighborhood chickens for help.

·St. Andrew's Animation (United States; 2003; 3 min.)

Ten young animators from St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland, collaborated to create this fluid reel of cartoons, including such surrealistic gems as "SpaceFace," "Brian's Eye...Or Something Like It," and "The Adventures of Über-Average Boy."

·Twins (Ireland; 2002; 14 min.)

In this touching documentary, a young girl named Anne introduces us to her twin sister Maggie, who suffers from cerebral palsy but lives a rich and full life.

·Aliens Among Us: Irián and Little Brother Telltale (Canada; 2002; 5 min.)

From his station in outer space, Cosnok the alien observes the limits of secrecy between Irián and his always-snitching little brother.

·The Goober Brothers: Auto Dance Suit (New Zealand; 2002; 2 min.)

Do you yearn to dance like a professional? The Goober Brothers' wacky invention can help you bust a move!

·Cool Sam & Sweet Suzie (Belgium; 2001; 15 min.)

Trapped in a public pool house after closing, siblings Sam and Suzie must mastermind an escape. Can they make it out before dinnertime?

Saturday, November 8 & Sunday, November 9: Challenges

Costumed Characters: Madeline, Popeye & Olive Oyl, and Strawberry Shortcake.

Screening (1:00 p.m.):

·Threadman-On the Sewing Table (Germany; 2002; 5 min.)

With no adults around to see, a sewing table turns into a small universe led by Threadman and his trusty pincushion puppy.

·Miffy and Friends: Miffy's Dancing Lessons (United States; 2003; 5 min.)

Aunty Alice, a former dancer, transforms Miffy and her friends from clumsy stumblers into potential prima ballerinas. Up, down, and around they go!

·Preschool Documentaries: Elsie Walks on Tin Cans (The Netherlands; 2003; 3 min.)

In one of a series of short documentaries about kids accomplishing small feats with great determination, Elsie makes a pair of shoes out of tin cans.

·Bidoum Bidoum: The Blue Bidoum Discovery (Switzerland; 2001; 4 min.)

What happens when a floppy rubber puppet gets hold of a skateboard and an electric drill? Bidoum Bidoum!!

·The Show with the Mouse: Eskimo (Germany; 2003; 5 min.)

Set adrift on a melting iceberg, an Eskimo and his penguin pal go from Pole to popsicle and back again.

·Puppety: Picknick (The Netherlands; 2001; 5 min.)

This little wooden puppet is determined to eat an apple twice his size-but how?

·Muted Music (Iceland; 2002; 15 min.)

Hanna is a young violin prodigy with a bright future. When an unforeseeable tragedy occurs, she must learn new ways to find harmony.

Workshop (2:00 p.m.): Animation with Royer Studios

Bruce Royer and his talented colleagues from Royer Studios help aspiring animators make their own animated shorts at this workshop. Participants have the opportunity to create their work on a professional animation computer station, watch it come alive on television monitors, and take a VHS copy home.

Screening (3:00 p.m.):

·Pingu: Pingu and Pinga Play Records (Germany/Switzerland/The Netherlands; 1996; 5 min.)

Eager to move their listening party outside the igloo, Pingu and his little sister experiment with sources of energy-and frustration!

Open A Door in Taiwan: Wen-Zheng (United Kingdom/Taiwan; 2003; 6 min.)

Wen-Zheng embarks on a heroic journey through the Taiwanese countryside after his grandfather, a professional puppeteer, leaves one of his starring characters behind.

·Worst Best Friends: The Excursion (Australia; 2002; 25 min.)

When a class trip to the local bottle collection plant goes awry, Dusting, Millicent, and Thesaurus find themselves too close for comfort-and accident-prone to the max.

·Easy as Pie!: Peanut Butter (The Netherlands; 2003; 7 min.)

Two hungry chefs-in-training get a little . . . nutty in this delightful cooking show for children.

·Gilbert and the Potatoes (France; 2001; 5 min.)

A gang of wild potatoes is on the loose! Can Gilbert and his neighbors control the stampede?

Saturday, November 15 & Sunday, November 16: Journeys

Costumed Characters: Madeline and Strawberry Shortcake.

Screening (1:00 p.m.):

·Open A Door in Colombia: Simon (United Kingdom/Colombia; 2003; 5 minutes)

Entrusted with the day's grocery money, Simon encounters temptation left and right, but dances all the way home with yams in tow.

·Locomotion!: Viet in Vietnam (France; 2002; 13 minutes)

This delightful documentary-one of a series chronicling modes of transport around the world-takes us to Vietnam, where Viet traverses his town by boat and bike before trekking to a nearby town with his father.

·Mamemo: Here Comes the Sun (France/Belgium; 2000; 4 minutes)

Mamemo and his sidekick, an enthusiastic shape-changing cow, bounce through a tropical paradise till the sun signals it's time to drift away.

·Life in a Drawer (Germany; 2002; 3 minutes)

Left to their own devices, a posse of garments leap out of the dresser and into action!

·Quaqquao: The Horse (Italy; 1975; 6 minutes)

A sprightly duck finds adventure with a magic horse in this innovative program of origami animation.

·Willoughby Drive: The Talking Horse (United Kingdom; 2003; 10 minutes)

A talking horse has been stolen, and it's up to the amateur detectives of Willoughby Drive to return him to safety!

·Tiny Planets: Easy Rider (United Kingdom; 2001; 5 minutes)

Bing and Bong are ready to take their planet by storm with a new set of hot cycling wheels-just as soon as they figure out how to ride them!

Special Event (2:00 p.m.): Preview of the Rugrats spin-off All Grown Up

November 15 Only

Join us for a preview of the premiere episode of All Grown Up, the new Rugrats spin-off series. After the screening, Rugrats voice actors including E.G. Daily (Tommy), Cheryl Chase (Angelica), Dionne Quan (Kimmie), Cree Summer (Susie) and Tara Strong (Dil) will delight the audience by discussing how they bring to life Nickelodeon's perennial tots-as-tweens. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (310) 786-1035.

Performance (2:00 p.m.): Inca: Music of the Americas

November 16 Only

Take a musical tour of the rich, vibrant cultures of Peru. Visit the lost Inca empire, the Spanish colonial villages, and the southern coast and jungles that pulsate with African rhythms. The audience is encouraged to join the musicians as they sing and play a variety of traditional Peruvian instruments.

Screening (3:00 p.m.):

·Peo in Switzerland: Jura (Switzerland; 2000; 3 minutes)

Peo, an energetic puppy, encounters a world of amusements in his journeys through the Swiss countryside. Cheeses and haystacks and horses, oh my!

·Tom in the Box (Switzerland; 2002; 15 minutes)

Tom, the child of divorced parents, wants more than anything to spend his birthday with his father. Can he successfully orchestrate a very special delivery?

Move Over, Moon (United States; 2003; 3 minutes)

Created by a team of Maryland high-schoolers, these shorts showcase some extraordinary night visions.

·Nuligak's Light (Canada; 2001; 24 minutes; with subtitles)

When an arctic expedition turns into an epic adventure, a young Inuit boy's bravery is put to the test.

Saturday, November 22 & Sunday, November 23: Life Lessons

Screening (1:00 p.m.):

·The Box (Japan; 2001; 10 minutes)

In a classic morality tale enlivened by quirky humor and vibrant claymation, a greedy mouse learns an important lesson about wishing outside of the box.

·Snailympics: Blume, the Blue Snail (Spain; 1999; 6 minutes)

When green snail Gummy switches teams with true-blue Blume, their respective cohorts face a difficult dilemma: Can't we snails just get along?

·Funny Little Bugs: Suzy Spider, Prisoner of the Castle (France; 1996; 8 minutes)

Suzy Spider is so very misunderstood! Can she earn acceptance from her fellow insects by weaving a webbed masterpiece?

Ducklings (Switzerland; 2002; 15 minutes)

Unbeknownst to their parents, Saartja and her cousin fetch some forbidden ducklings from the local pond-but soon discover that caring for them is harder than they'd imagined.

·The Moment When (Finland; 2001; 4 minutes)

Residents of a wintry city come together silently in this film about choosing and being chosen.

Screening (3:00 p.m.):

·Open A Door in the USA: Gail (United Kingdom/United States; 2003; 5 minutes)

From upside-down dangling (hiccup!) to sugar devouring (hiccup!), Gail can't seem to find a remedy for her stubborn affliction!

·Laura's Star: The Gift (Germany)

Laura knows just the thing to give Paul for his birthday: a box of starlight! What happens when her best friend Sophie vies for his affections with a flashier present?

·BritneyBob and JenniferJohn: Paul the Pirate (Denmark)

Cousin Paul is hyper, delusional, and yet also-somehow!-a welcome addition to the mild-mannered JenniferJohn/BritneyBob household.

Lizzie McGuire: Inner Beauty (United States; 2002; 23 minutes)

As Miranda learns the moves for an upcoming dance performance, she forgets something far more important: how to love herself just the way she is.

Note: There are no performances/workshops or costumed characters scheduled for this weekend.