Belmont film festival brings stories to life
The Belmont World Film Family Festival is back — and this holiday weekend sees the 15th iteration focused on the theme “Where Stories Come Alive.”
Twelve programs featuring more than 30 top animated and liveaction children's films from around the world — many making their international or North American premieres — plus a live version of WBUR's “Circle Round” will be presented in English and other languages, with subtitles for Dutch, French, Spanish, German, Hungarian, Norwegian and Swedish.
Screenings will be held at the Regent Theatre (5 Medford St., Arlington), Studio Cinema (376 Trapelo Road, Belmont) and Brattle Theatre (40 Brattle St., Cambridge).
“In a world filled with memes and emojis, these films tell rich and unusual stories that don't rely on special effects to create a sense of wonder,” said Belmont World Film Executive Director Ellen Gitelman. “Furthermore, in an increasingly multicultural world, parents recognize the importance of fluency in more than one language. The Family Festival offers children ages 3-12 and their parents, grandparents and friends the opportunity to hear and understand multiple languages in a fun and natural way.”
Each day of the festival has its own theme: tomorrow is devoted to aquatic adventures, Sunday to the animal kingdom and Monday to heroes, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Tonight's opening program at the Regent Theatre features the North American premiere of the Dutch comedy spy caper “Master Spy,” a kid-friendly James-Bondlike adventure about a 10-yearold boy who accidentally wakes up a secret agent who's been in cryofreeze since 1973. Other highlights include:
“What’s New from Weston Woods Studios”
Tomorrow at the Studio Cinema, 10 a.m.
“What's New from Weston Woods Studios” includes 2017 Caldecott Medal winner “They All Saw a Cat” narrated by John Lithgow, “Friendshape,” “Wolfie the Bunny,” “Duck on a Tractor,” “Leo: A Ghost Story,” “School’s First Day of School” and “Mother Bruce.”
“Circle Round”
Sunday at the Regent Theatre, 10:30 a.m.
WBUR presents a live performance of its new storytelling podcast for kids, featuring folktales from around the world, including the Yiddish folktale “It Could Always Get Worse” and the Romanian folktale “Stella and the Dragon,” as well as live music.
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Monday at the Brattle Theatre, 10:30 a.m.
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., featuring “Martin’s Big Words” narrated by Michael Clarke Duncan, “March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World” by Dr. Christine King Farris, “Rosa” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Tickets are $6 for shorts programs and $10 for feature-length films, the live version of “Circle Round,” and the benefit screening “Brave & Amazing Children: Benefit for the Refugee & Immigrant Assistance Center” about child refugees. Festival passes are $50. For tickets and information, go to www.belmontworldfilm.org or call 617-484-3980.