The World's Largest Film Festival for Kids!
Traveling
to more than 120 venues annually
Attended by more than 1,000,000 annually
Celebrities
and paparazzi have Cannes,
but kids and families have the . . .KIDS FIRST! Film Festival
Emily Osment, star of Soccer Mom and Girl Scout Volunteer
Marc Mangum (writer/producer, Kunal Sharma, Jeff Braine (kneelling) Brittany Curran, Dane Cannon (director) from Food Boy with their award.
Aria Wallace, star of Roxy Hunter accepting her award. (Ann Church (l), Ranny Levy (r)
Cassie Scerbo, co-star of Soccer Mom
Kay Panabaker, star of Moondance Alexander and co-star of Prince and the Pauper
Girl Scouts and Emily Osment from Soccer Mom
Brittany Curran and girls from audience |
KIDS FIRST! Film Festival
Now in its tenth year, the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival is a showcase for children's films, TV shows and DVDs from major studios and independent filmmakers. The festival partners with more than 150 venues worldwide who host more than 10,000 screenings of KIDS FIRST! films year-round to an audience of more than one million.
Youth are given a true voice - as curators, as audience members, as film critics, as volunteer staff and as filmmakers showing their work. In 2008, almost one-third of the films accepted were from student filmmakers.
All films screened during the year, ending in September are considered for the KIDS FIRST! Best Awards, awarded annually in October. Our 2009 KIDS FIRST! Best Day and Awards Celebration will be held at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in North Hollywood. For details on our 2008 Event, go here.
Film Screenings in Communities Worldwide
The KIDS FIRST! Film Festival is hosted locally by established film festivals such as the Newport Beach Film Festival and the USA KidFilm Festival; art and children's museums such as the Children's Museum of Houston and the Long Island Children's Museum; nonprofit film centers such as the Avalon Theater in Washington DC and the Denver Film Society. Libraries, schools and other local organizations participate with film screenings daily, weekly, or monthly. Each local venue reaches thousands of children and parents at their screenings.
To learn how you can bring the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival, or even a single film to your community, contact our office by email or phone 505-989-8076.
Programming
KIDS FIRST! accepts more than 300 titles every year, changing the programming every quarter. For a list of titles included in the current festivals, and the venues where they are playing, visit our online programming site.
One of the strengths of our programming is that we have carefully identified the age appropriateness of every film shown and categorize them by five age categories: 0-2, 2-5, 5-8, 8-12, and 12-18
KIDS FIRST! Criteria
Films that are accepted for our festival have been evaluated by juries of adults and kids and, at the bare minimum, must meet the KIDS FIRST! baseline acceptance criteria of: no gratuitous violence; no racial or cultural bias; no inappropriate sexual behavior; no replicable unsafe behavior; no condescension towards children.
KIDS FIRST! Best Awards
Once a year, we honor the best films shown during the previous year at the annual KIDS FIRST! Best Awards Day. Awards are given in more than 25 different categories.. Judges for the awards are senior film programmers and senior KIDS FIRST! jurors.KIDS FIRST! Best 2008 Winners ; 2008 Nominees.
Sponsors
The KIDS FIRST! Film Festival 2009 is generously supported by
- Anchor Bay Home Entertainment
- Dominion Publications
- Feature Films for Families
- Grand Magazine
- HBO Family Channel
- IronKids
- monterey media
- Moving Pictures Magazine
- NAPPA Awards (National Association of Parenting Publications)
- Parenthood.com
- Peach Arch Home Entertainment
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
- Universal Studios Home Entertainment
- Weston Woods/Scholastic Productions
The KIDS FIRST! Film Festival
is a project of the Coalition for Quality Children's Media, a national, 18-year-old, nonprofit (501-c-3) organization that is a voluntary collaboration between the media industry, educators and child advocacy organizations. The mission of the Coalition is: 1) To teach children to become critical media users and; 2) To increase the visibility and availability of quality children's media.
Cassie Scerbo signing autographs for Girl Scouts.
Brittany Curran with her award
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KIDS FIRST! Film Festival Venues
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"A huge success is the only words to describe the first PA Children's Film Festival. More than 1500 children watched in awe at the antics of SpongeBob, Dora and all the cartoon characters in this family filled event. I heard grandparents talk to their grandchildren about the first time they saw a film and how the magic stays with you forever and forever. Working with KIDS FIRST! is easy and so rewarding. . . they make opportunities available to children to view films they would never have the chance to see without the Film Festival. I appreciated the care and time given by the staff of KIDS FIRST! to make sure the PA Children's Film Festival had every opportunity to be a success..and it certainly was." Laurel A. Dagnon, Board member, Pennsylvania Film Institute
Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival
KIDS FIRST! Best Awards 2006 - Keke Palmer accepting Best Emerging Female Artist for her role in Akeelah and the Bee. |
Hosts 2006 KIDS FIRST! Best Awards
The Coalition and the Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival teamed up to present the eighth annual KIDS FIRST! Best Awards in October 2006 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as part of KIDS FIRST! Day which included screenings of selected KIDS FIRST! Film Festival films prior to and after the awards ceremony.
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Pinky Dinky Doo Tours Four KIDS FIRST! Film Festival Venues
"Wow! Who knew bedtime stories to my kids would wind up as books, a TV series, and now as part of the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival tour?... COOL," said Jim Jinkins, Executive Producer of Pinky Dinky Doo and Author / Illustrator of the Pinky Dinky Doo book series.
The Newport Beach Film Festival
Newport Beach International |
"The Newport Beach Film Festival is thrilled to work with KIDS FIRST! which provides us with the strongest family films available today. KIDS FIRST! has introduced our Festival to unique family-friendly cinematic works from independents and studios. From their bottomless vault of titles, KIDS FIRST! has helped our Festival create a topnotch Family Film program and grow our audiences. KIDS FIRST! has a talent for uncovering those hidden gems of family-friendly films. Ann and Ranny are a dynamic duo with a wonderful vision for the future of our children. Their passion for film and dedication to bringing quality media to young people is remarkable." Leslie Feibleman, Family Programmer, Newport Beach Film Festival
 Starz Denver International Film Festival Jr. Film Critics interviewing Morgan Freeman |
Denver
Film Society
Starz Denver International Film Festival
Comments after the promotional screening of "Mad Hot Ballroom" at the Starz Film Center: One couple came to ask me to make sure "Mad Hot Ballroom" would return to Denver soon. They were big fans of the documentary "Spellbound" and, it so happens, the movie "Strictly Ballroom." They described this new documentary as a perfect blend of the two. The "Mad Hot Ballroom" screening was a part of our Starz Film Center Third Anniversary Party. The crowd coming out of the screening was so wrapped up in the movie we had to remind them about the free cake! - Eric Beteille, Denver Film Society
Long Island Children's Museum is very pleased to present your films. Your films are a delight; they do not talk down to kids; they answer the questions a child might ask as well as information they should know. Great Job! I am pleased with the new independent films. It is providing fresh perspectives for both children and adults alike. Jim Packard, Theater Manager, Long Island Children's Museum
"This weekend we did 'Harold and the Purple Crayon' and I showed the three younger-age shorts from the student collection ('Second Banana,' 'Tin Town,' 'Otter Pops') beforehand. We had a great crowd of over 200 and they all enjoyed the program. Cheers!" Clinton McClung, Program Director, Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline, MA
USA Film Festival's KidFilm
 USA Film Festival's KidFilm, Dallas, January, 2007: Mary Matilyn Mouser, voice of Eloise, "Eloise in Hollywood" Photo by Jenny Langston, Ann Alexander |
"The USA Film Festival/Dallas and KidFilm® are so pleased to work with KIDS FIRST! every year. Our collaborations on films and filmmakers have produced some of our most memorable programs including this year's 'Eloise in Hollywood' premiere and the 25th anniversary screening of 'The Last Unicorn.'" Ann Alexander, Managing Director, USA Film Festival and KidFilm®
Women's
Museum
KIDS FIRST! is proud to have collaborated with the Women's Museum in presenting a collections of films that address women and girls to attendees at the 2006 Texas State Fair.
The Belcourt Theater, Nashville, TN
"I just wanted to let you know that it has been such a pleasure to work with you. KIDS FIRST! has been a great addition to the Belcourt programming, and I look forward to us finding that perfect balance of programming for our audience. Thanks so much for all your dedication." Kimberly Hall, Marketing Director, The Belcourt Theatre
Arts for Range Children, Inc., Ironwood, MI
"There was actual CHEERING at the board meeting this morning! Especially when I told them there was a Library Grant that would help defray a huge portion of the fees for the Film Club. We are extremely heartened and grateful to KIDS FIRST! and the Coalition for Quality Children's Media!" Mary Cowell, Arts for Range Children, Inc.
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Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Outdoor Screenings and special events since 2004
Explora Science and Children's Museum
Ongoing screenings, year round, since 2004.
Helping Producers
Ranny,
I just wanted to thank you for your support. We have (happily) been
offered and, after some negotiation, signed an distribution contract
with Echelon Entertainment. This is the next step in learning about
this world. I wanted to thank you for your support. Without
you, and KIDS FIRST, I'm not quite sure this would have happened,
Sincerely, Doug Kondziolka Don Juan and Miguel LLC
THREE STARS!!!
"What
a simply beautiful movie that is directed by Lea Pool and stars
William Hurt, Marc Donato and Pascale Brussieres.'The Blue
Butterfly' is based
on a true story. The movie centers around a boy who is diagnosed
with a terminal illness and whose dying wish is to find the most
beautiful butterfly in the world - the rare Blue Butterfly. Together
the boy and his idol venture off to the enchanting South American
rainforest to capture the butterfly. I thought the lesson in this
movie was: '"You have to accomplish your dreams no matter what.
Even if you fail, it's okay because the fact that you tried is good
enough.' I liked
this movie because it wasn't like any other movie I've ever seen.
This movie is for all ages, because it doesn't have any violence
and it only had a little bit of profanity. Other than that, it was
fine. I rate this movie a 3 because it wasn't like your run-of-the-mill
movie; it has a unique plot and an unexpected ending. The wings
of "The
Blue Butterfly' captures audiences."
Jr. Film Critic Alante Thalley, Denver, CO
Archives: 2005Q4, 2005Q3, 2005Q2, 2005Q1, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000
USO Proposal