Family-friendly film festival has same approach but new format
For 14 years, the Wexner Center for the Arts had set aside a weekend to screen unusual films for parents and their children.
This year, though, the Zoom: Family Film Festival will take place on Saturday only, with other Zoom offerings presented throughout the year.
In the past, Wexner Center officials said, the Saturday offerings were well-attended and provided families the chance to enjoy other center attractions, including the art gallery. The crowds for Sunday offerings, however, weren’t as consistently large.
“Saturday was such a rich day in terms of workshops and the range of programming and programs that we hope to present,” said Chris Stults, associate curator film at the Wexner Center and a co-organizer of Zoom. “Rather than having a sprawling program, having one dense day of really strong events felt like something we should lean into this year. It’s the best of the best.”
One of the movies to be shown Saturday is “Liyana,” What: Zoom: Family Film Festival Where: Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N. High St. Contact: 614-688-3986, www.wexarts.org Showtimes: events begin at 9 a.m. through 4 p.m. Saturday Admission: $4 a film, or $20 for six tickets; or $3 and $15 for members. a film from Swaziland about a girl on a dangerous journey to rescue her young twin brothers. The movie, which will begin at noon, blends animation and live action.
“It is beautiful and uplifting and also poignant,” said Shelly Casto, the center’s director of education and also a co-organizer of the event. “It’s a film that families can enjoy together. There are a few tough moments, but it’s a great opportunity for families to discuss tough experiences and how you overcome them.”
The film fits the mission of Zoom, Casto said.
“We are looking for films that have an international perspective, that are going to give young audiences a sense of the broader world, that do more than entertain but educate to a certain degree and give them something different than they would see in their everyday lives.”
Screening at 10 a.m. Saturday will be the Kid Flicks short-film program, with the documentary “Purple Dreams” beginning at 1:45 p.m. and the 1924 Buster Keaton silent comedy “Sherlock Jr.” following at 4.
Other activities include a 9 a.m. cereal-and-milk pajama party, craft projects at 11 a.m. and an ice-cream social at 2 p.m. Families who attend Zoom get free admission to the Wexner Center art gallery.
“That is the goal — for families to enjoy the Wexner Center as a totality,” Casto said.
Other Zoom events will be sprinkled throughout next year, either as stand-alone events or as part of another series, and will be identified as such on the Wexner Center website.
For example, a program of Laurel and Hardy comedy shorts and Keaton’s “Battling Butler” will be screened Feb. 24 as part of the annual Cinema Revival series.
The silent films provide a chance for children to laugh and learn about earlier movies and to understand how society has changed.
“Laurel and Hardy are a little challenging for kids today,” Casto said. “They enjoy it, but they kind of don’t get it. The (slapstick) violence provides discussion topics with their parents — to talk about what that’s about, why it’s funny, the different thinking of that time period as opposed to today.”
Zoom-related events will expand beyond movies. On May 18 and 19, the Australian troupe Slingsby Theater Company will perform a stage adaptation of the Oscar Wilde short story “The Young King,” including live music.
“Live theater is a main focus of the Wexner Center, and I’m interested in helping our young audiences get ready for the experience (of live theater) as they’re growing up in Columbus and growing with the Wexner Center,” Casto said.
“The shows we choose give them an international perspective … at a level that is meaningful and interesting to children — and meaningful and interesting to their adults, I promise.”