The USA Film Festival announces the schedule of events for the (in-theater) 39th Annual KidFilm® Family Festival taking place on Saturday, January 21 and Sunday, January 22, 2023 at the Angelika Film Center, 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane, Dallas. All programs will be presented FREE to the community.
KidFilm is the oldest and largest-attended children’s film festival in the United States, featuring an entertaining, educational, and diverse line-up of new and classic films for both children and adults. KidFilm is an annual outreach program of the USA Film Festival/Dallas, a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the recognition and promotion of excellence in the film and video arts.
This year, KidFilm pays tribute to favorite children’s book authors and illustrators; celebrates diversity, equality, empowerment, family, friendship and community; commemorates the 25th Anniversary of FableVision; and features magical adventures celebrating courage, perseverance and self-reliance, along with other important educational lessons in a program that includes live-action and animated films for audiences of any age.
Honorary Co-Chairs for KidFilm are USA Film Festival Board of Directors members Yvette Ostolaza, Laura Fox, David Dummer, Gail Terrell, and Megan Mitchell. “We are so pleased to be able to offer this year’s program as an all-free-admission event thanks to support from the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and from the Festival’s Sponsors,” said Fox who continued “We are honored to be able to offer this timely line-up of entertaining, educational and inspiring films.”
Highlights of this year’s program include:
MEET KIDFILM HONORED GUESTS! Screenings and a read-along with guests —
kids can receive a FREE book and have the artists sign them!
A Salute to children’s book author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds and author/FableVision CEO Paul A. Reynolds with screenings of three films adapted from Peter’s books — The Dot (celebrating the book’s 20th Anniversary), Say Something! and Our Table — followed by a reading from Peter’s best-selling book “The Word Collector.” Free copies of Peter and Paul’s books will be distributed to families at the show (while supplies last). After the program, Peter and Paul will sign books for the kids.
KIDFILM CLASSICS screening of The Wizard of Oz on the big-screen – celebrating 100 years of Warner Bros. (Kids are encouraged to dress as their favorite characters.)
NEW LIVE-ACTION FEATURE FILMS to be presented include Lee Cipolla’s charming Rally Caps (USA), starring Carson Minniear, Amy Smart and Judd Hirsch, based on the book by Stephen J. Cutler and Jodi Michelle Cutler; Florian Sigl’s fantastical musical The Magic Flute (Germany), based on the 1791 opera of the same name by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart starring Jack Wolfe, F. Murray Abraham, Iwan Rheon, Stéfi Celma, Asha Banks, and Amir Wilson; Trevor Wilson and Jonathan Coria’s adventurous time-traveling film Tomorrow’s Game (USA); and Mark Schlichter’s comical Alfons Jitterbit – Class Trip Chaos! (Germany).
BOOK-BASED SHORT FILMS
The Festival will present several children’s books that have been adapted for the screen by Weston Woods Studios. Films to be presented include The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster! by Mo Willems, How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodbye? by Jane Yolen, The Little Butterfly That Could by Ross Burach, Be Strong by Pat Zietlow Miller, The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld, Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor, The Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier, and Watercress by Andrea Wang.
INSPIRATIONAL TRUE STORIES include This Is My Black by Stephen Adetumbi and Jarrett Roseborough, My Life: Dancing Queen and My Life: The Positivity Ripple Tour by Ahmed Peerbux, and Rachel by Toko Shiiki.
TWENTY-ONE ADDITIONAL SHORT FILM PRESENTATIONS featuring live-action and animated short films from around the world including works from Canada, Colombia, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Taiwan, and United States.
Schedule, Ticket & Location Information:
The full schedule of KidFilm programs may be viewed online via the USA Film Festival’s website at www.usafilmfestival.com. Printed KidFilm flyers may also be picked up at the Angelika Film Center Dallas beginning January 3rd.
Tickets for all shows are FREE for children & adults!
Programs are free but you must have a ticket for admission; Tickets and seating are limited.
Free books are for kids only.
Tickets for all shows are available day of show only, beginning one hour before each show time. (Note: Lines can form earlier.)
Parking is FREE.
For additional information, please call the USA Film Festival at 214-821-FILM (3456) or visit www.usafilmfestival.com
During KidFilm, please inquire in person at the KidFilm Information Desk at the theater.
All programs will take place at the Angelika Film Center, 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane, Dallas.
KidFilm is a program of the USA Film Festival/Dallas.
Sponsors
KidFilm programs for both the public and Dallas Independent School District students are made possible thanks to support from Sponsors — Carol and Alan J. Bernon Family Charitable Foundation, Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District, Sidley Austin LLP, Headington Companies, Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate, The Eugene McDermott Foundation, Gaedeke Group, Mary Fox & Laura Fox, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater North Texas, Moody Fund for the Arts, DFW Child, and the Angelika Film Center.
The USA Film Festival is supported, in part, by the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
About KidFilm DISD Outreach Programs
In addition to the KidFilm public weekend, special outreach programs are presented for thousands of Dallas Independent School District students (grades K–6) and educators. Students will view programs selected especially for them. Many of the films presented are book-based and designed to be TEKS-compliant and curriculum-interactive including relevant topics and issues (cultural awareness and diversity, compassion and tolerance, history, math, social studies, the importance of education and reading, etc.).
About the USA Film Festival
Now celebrating its 53rd year, the USA Film Festival is a Dallas-based, 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the encouragement and recognition of excellence in the film and video arts. The Festival’s year-round programs and events include KidFilm, special monthly programs and premieres, TexFest, and the USA Film Festival held each spring. The USA Film Festival is supported, in part, by the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. More information about the Festival is available online at www.usafilmfestival.com
