KIDS FIRST! News

Hello from RaeAnne Marsh.

It’s been exciting, starting to work with KIDS FIRST! a few weeks ago as newsletter editor. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Ranny Levy and Ann Church for several years through KIDS FIRST!’s association with Moving Pictures, a publication where I also ply my pen and red pencil as a writer/editor.
 
My career in journalism began during my earlier career as a teacher. I had the opportunity to be involved with the development of a language arts enrichment program that mixed literature, drama and art — and my rendition of Jewish folktale “It Could Be Worse” was one of the series of books distributed through Amazon.com. Not long after completing that project, I became managing editor and lead writer for a start-up local lifestyle magazine. I founded my company, Grammar & Glitz Inc., in 2002, and have taken writing and editing gigs with corporations and publications nationwide. The pleasure is all mine as I continually get to explore a wide variety of subjects and meet a diversity of wonderful people.

Quality programming and arts resonate especially strongly with me. With extensive community service involvement over the years in youth organizations, I currently focus my efforts on Rosie’s House: A Music Academy for Children. I’ve served many years on the board of directors of this nonprofit that provides instruments and free, professional music instruction to the underserved youth of Phoenix.

If Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes is the movie your child wants to review for the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search competition, then today is the day you’ve been waiting for. Ideal for 6- to 12-year-olds, Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes streets today. And thanks to these two competition sponsors, the Warner Home Video DVD is readily available in-store at Toys “R” Us (on the special KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Search endcap display) and online at Amazon.com.

Academy Award-winning cartoon cat and mouse duo Tom and Jerry take their trademark antics and mayhem to London, where they help the legendary Sherlock Holmes and his helper Dr. Watson crack the burglary case that has befuddled Scotland Yard: A beautiful singer is being framed for jewel heists in the city of London in this first Tom and Jerry direct-to-video film to be produced without its original creators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Featured voices include film notables Malcolm McDowell, whose acting career spans the sci-fi/drama/thriller A Clockwork Orange (1971), for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination, to this year’s comedy Barry Munday; Michael York, whose similarly extensive and varied filmography includes voicing characters in 1997’s A Christmas Carol and current TV show “Family Guy”; and John Rhys-Davies, who has such action-blockbuster franchises as Indiana Jones and The Lord of the Rings on his long list of credits.

KIDS FIRST! has prepared a special discussion guide to help our budding reviewers. Among the talking points for parents to share with their kids are questions about this Sherlock Holmes-ian story that go to details of the plot (Name some of the clues Jerry found and discuss how they led him to the three cats as suspects for the stolen jewel) and others that focus on the relationship between favorite characters Tom and Jerry (How do Tom and Jerry, whose rivalry is recognized as one of the most famous and longest-lived in American film, treat each other in this movie?).

To enter the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search — which offers kids aged six to 15 the chance to be one of five KIDS FIRST! film reviewers, enjoying a year of attending red carpet events and reviewing films for our website and those of our partners — the first step is to send in a written review by October 10. KIDS FIRST! will then send the applicants instructions for creating a videotaped review. The video entries will be posted on WonderWorldTV.com for public vote, so tell all your friends. And be sure to vote yourself!

Winners of the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search will be announced the weekend of Nov. 12 – 14. The weekend’s exciting festivities will also include a unique KIDS FIRST! first: We will attempt to set a world’s record of one million kids and a caring adult “viewing and reviewing” a single film (The Velveteen Rabbit). Mark your calendar to share the event with us.

Walt Disney’s beloved fairy Tinker Bell flits off to a new adventure in Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue. Streeting on DVD next month, September 21, the movie will have a special advance screening on the big screen this weekend, August 21 and 22. KIDS FIRST! and Walt Disney Home Entertainment are bringing Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue to theaters in select cities across the United States. Visit kidsfirst.org/filmfestival/TinkerBellScreening for a list of locations and to print the KIDS FIRST! passes. Screenings are free, but please plan to be early as seating is strictly first come, first served.

Cooperation is key as Tinker Bell must team up with a rival fairy to keep humans from finding out they exist. Mae Whitman as the voice of Tinker Bell reprises her role from last year’s Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure and the previous year’s Tinker Bell, along with Kristin Chenoweth and Lucy Liu as Rosetta and Silvermist, respectively. Michael Sheen (who voiced the White Rabbit in Disney’s recent theatrical release Alice in Wonderland) adds a new voice to the animated cast as Dr. Griffith.

And the wait is over for Furry Vengeance — the DVD streets today. Especially appropriate for kids aged five to 12, Furry Vengeance is one of the seven titles in the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search competition. The fur flies in this film as the forest creatures prove more than a match for a real estate developer (Brendan Fraser) looking to turn their habitat into a housing development.

We’ll soon be adding the discussion guide for Furry Vengeance to our website, to enhance your after-viewing discussions and to help your child prepare his or her entry for the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search. Five fortunate film-loving kids (age six to 15) will ultimately be chosen a KIDS FIRST! film critic for one year, to attend previews and red carpet events and write reviews for KIDS FIRST! and our media partners. The first step is to submit a written review (of Furry Vengeance or one of the other six titles) by October 10. Entrants will then be invited to submit a videotaped review by October 20 – and we’ll send you instructions on how to create the video.

Winners will be announced the weekend of Nov. 12 – 14, as the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search culminates with a unique event: We will attempt to set a world’s record of one million kids “viewing and reviewing” the same movie (The Velveteen Rabbit) at the same time. Mark your calendar now to take part in this special occasion. And watch the WonderWorld website, where you and your friends can view the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search video entries and cast your vote for the winner.

DVDs of KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search selections are standing pretty at Toys”R”Us. The retail giant for children’s clothing, furniture and more, a sponsor of the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search Campaign this inaugural year, is helping spread the word to eligible kids by giving the display prominent position on their new release endcap display. Four of the contest titles are readily available now to add to your family collection: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Furry Vengeance and The Velveteen Rabbit. And watch for the Toys”R”Us emailed circular this weekend —  promoting a 25 percent savings on these DVDs when purchased in the store. Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes will be available on August 24th.

Amazon is adding its punch to the program with promotion of the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search Campaign as part of its Kids & Family page and in its blog and Facebook page.

This is all helping to bring us closer to the knock-out conclusion we’re planning for the final weekend of the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search, Nov. 12 – 14. That’s the weekend we will announce the names of the five kids chosen to be KIDS FIRST! Film Critics for one year, attending special events (including red carpet premieres for movies), interviewing the stars and writing reviews of the films for KIDS FIRST! and our media partners. It is during that weekend we will attempt to set a world’s record of one million kids “viewing and reviewing” the same film on the same weekend by encouraging kids and a caring adult to enjoy The Velveteen Rabbit together.

The competition is ongoing right now. Kids ages six to 15 have until October 10 to submit a written review, and until October 20 to submit their videotaped review. The video reviews will be posted on KIDS FIRST!’s partner site, WonderWorldTV.com, where the public will vote on the reviews and narrow the field to 20 finalists. The five winners will then be chosen by a panel of celebrity judges.

And parents — this is not only a fun activity to share with your child, but it’s educationally sound. With visual media such a pervasive element of contemporary life, we’ve developed our KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Campaign to encourage an active rather than passive response — a vital visual literacy whereby kids learn to critique as well as write reviews about media they enjoy. Use our discussion guides (we’ve prepared one specifically for each of the competition’s selected films) to enhance your child’s appreciation of the film as well as to help her or him work up an insightful review. Just click on the DVD title on the right side of the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search page, and it will take you to the film’s information page and discussion guide.

You can support KIDS FIRST! directly by purchasing the Director’s Cut of The Velveteen Rabbit directly from SteppingStones.com. A portion of your purchase will be donated to KIDS FIRST!, supporting the Film Critics’ Campaign.

If The Secret of Moonacre is the film you’ve chosen to review for the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search competition – or if you just want to enjoy it on the big screen before buying the DVD for your home collection – you may be in luck. On Aug. 12, Screenvision is presenting it in select theaters throughout the United States. The special screening is currently planned for 150 markets, with more possibly coming online.

For a complete list of locations and to order tickets, please visit www.screenvision.com/s/showing/SecretOfMoonacre.

The film, adapted from Elizabeth Goudge’s novel The Little White Horse, follows the fantastical adventures of a newly orphaned 13-year-old who discovers a magical, moonlit world when she goes to live with her eccentric uncle at his aptly named Moonacre Manor. The mysterious environs are a huge change from the luxury she’d known in London, but Maria Merryweather (played by Dakota Blue Richards, The Golden Compass) suffers a bigger shock when she learns that the task of saving Moonacre Manor from an ancient curse rests on her young shoulders.

The story offers a safe context for parents to discuss with their children (8-12 is the ideal age for this film) several topics that may otherwise be too hard or scary to express: Who would take care of you if something happened to your parents? What would you do if, instead of your family taking care of you, you found it was you who had to save your family? And in the story, Maria’s uncle (played by the wonderful Ioan Gruffudd, whose film credits include Fantastic Four) treats her dreadfully – opening up the question of why a tragedy can affect someone’s behavior. These are among the talking points developed in the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Discussion Guide.

KIDS FIRST! has developed a specific discussion guide for each of the seven films that are part of the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search for kids aged six to 15. The first step to enter is to send in a written review by October 10, and KIDS FIRST! will send the applicants instructions for creating a videotaped review that will then be posted on WonderWorldTV.com for public vote. We encourage everyone to vote!

Winners of the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search will be announced the weekend of Nov. 12 – 14, with festivities that will include the excitement of KIDS FIRST!’s attempt to set a world’s record of one million kids “viewing and reviewing” a single film (The Velveteen Rabbit) with a caring adult.

With Fox Home Entertainment’s release Aug. 3 of Diary of a Wimpy Kid on Blu-ray and DVD, you can welcome gangly pre-teen Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) into your home for a dose of survival techniques ala middle school. The 92-minute family comedy is based on the best-selling illustrated novel of the same name by Jeff Kinney, and brings to life Greg’s thoughts — his hopes as well as his version of schoolyard drama at “the dumbest idea ever invented” (middle school) and tribulations at home — as he recorded them in his journal.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is especially suited to eight- to 12-year-olds. It is one of the seven titles on the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Search, which invites kids aged six to 15 compete for a chance to be a recognized film critic for 12 months – attending red carpet events and interviewing stars as well as reviewing new films ahead of their theatrical release for KIDS FIRST! and our media partners. Written reviews will be accepted for the contest up to October 10, and upon acceptance, KIDS FIRST! will send the applicants instructions on creating a videotaped review that will be posted on WonderWorldTV.com for public vote. And the excitement culminates on the Nov. 12 – 14 weekend, when KIDS FIRST! will attempt to set a world’s record of one million kids “viewing and reviewing” the same film (The Velveteen Rabbit) on the same weekend, together with a caring adult.

KIDS FIRST! has developed a discussion guide for Diary of a Wimpy Kid  (and for each of the seven titles – just click on the title where it’s listed on the right side of the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Campaign page) to assist our budding reviewers — as well as to facilitate parent-child conversation about key topics touched upon in the film. The guide includes paragraphs that describe specific scenes, to help you recall the particular situation and to help define the scope of the discussion, followed by talking points that put the experience into a personal context for the viewer/reviewer:
  Description: The tag line for this movie is “I’ll be famous one day, but for now I’m stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons.” Greg considers junior high school a place rigged with hundreds of social landmines, not the least of which are wedgies, swirlies, bullies and lunchtime banishment of the cafeteria floor. His diary — or “journal” — chronicles his thoughts, tales of family trials and tribulations, and (would be) schoolyard triumphs.
  Discuss: Can you relate to the theme of this movie? If you haven’t started middle school yet, what are your thoughts and concerns about it? If you are already in middle school — talk about your most memorable adventure.

The word on Diary of a Wimpy Kid from kid juror Lauren Boxer (age 11) is:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid shows us wimpy is cool and in style. You may say, “No it isn’t,” but you are wrong. It shows us the ups and downs of middle school, and trust me, it is all in there. One thing I was disappointed about before I saw it was it wasn’t animation. But now, I am standing corrected. Zachary Gordon is actually what I would imagine Greg Heffley would be in real life. This is a movie I definitely recommend, and Thor Freundenthal (director), Jackie & Jeff Filgo (screenwriters), and, last but not least, Jeff Kinney (the book’s author and executive producer) all did a great job.

And check out all the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Search titles now available on DVD at Amazon.com.

Charlie St. Cloud (rated PG-13) is a sweet story about love – familial and romantic – and commitment. Charlie is a champion sailor whose prowess has won him a scholarship to Stanford. He shares a loving relationship with his kid brother, Sam, and his single-parent mom, and seems to have the respect of his teachers and fellow students when we see him at his high school graduation early in the movie. Charlie’s future seems rosy until he and Sam die in a car accident, Charlie promises Sam he will never leave him, and then an EMT brings Charlie back to life. Charlie gives up all other plans in order to meet his dead brother every evening in a nearby mountain clearing to play baseball, which had been Sam’s passion in life. Conflict enters the story when Tess, a former classmate and aspiring globe-circumnavigating sailor, pierces Charlie’s shell.

Although no one but Charlie can see Sam, there is internal evidence in the movie to suggest his visions are more supernatural than psychological. Whichever way the viewer chooses to interpret it, however, Sam serves as the foil against which Charlie must test his strength to move beyond the protected familiar of life and risk a relationship with another person.

The movie features mild language (“He’s a dick,” Charlie says to Tess about another young man in their small Northwestern seacoast town) and one satisfying fight scene in which Charlie asks his tormentor if he has dental insurance before punching his lights out. In spite of lingering kisses and a scene suggestive of Charlie and Tess having spent the night together, romance stays on a fairy-tale level.

Zac Efron is the teen heartthrob around which this movie is built; indeed, the film seems to be primarily a vehicle to show off his handsome visage and buff physique, from facial close-ups with his eyes in deep introspection to long shots of him standing, engagingly forlorn, in a forest clearing. Kudos also to the cinematography, capturing emotion from the sense of small-town quietude of streets and hillsides to the excitement of storm-tossed seas.

Kids who love movies and love to talk about them — universal attributes, right, parents? — are being offered the chance of a lifetime as KIDS FIRST! launches our first annual Film Critics’ Search on August 1. We’d like kids to hear from other kids what they think of a movie, so to start things off we’ve selected seven films for them to choose from to share their thoughts about: Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Furry Vengeance, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Secret of Moonacre, Jumping for Joy and The Velveteen Rabbit.

On our website, KIDS FIRST! will have discussion guides available for each of the films and general tips for youth reviewers. Kids aged six to 15 have until October 10 to send us their written review of their chosen film or films. Upon acceptance of their written review, they will be sent instructions for submitting a videotaped review and have until October 20 to submit that. The videotaped reviews will be posted on KIDS FIRST!’s partner site, WonderWorldTV.com, where the public will vote on the reviews and narrow the field to 20 finalists. The five winners will then be chosen by a panel of celebrity judges.

And then they’ll experience life as a film critic for 12 months — being among the first to view new theatrical releases and writing blogs and reviews for KIDS FIRST! and our media partners, and even attending red carpet events and interviewing the celebrities there. Wow! And not only is it fun, it’s educationally sound: Visual media is a pervasive element of contemporary life, and we’ve developed our KIDS FIRST! Film Critics program to encourage an active rather than passive response — a vital visual literacy whereby kids learn to critique as well as write reviews about media they enjoy.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search will culminate in a grand finale Film Critics Weekend (November 12 – 14) that will include a KIDS FIRST! first as we attempt to set a world’s record of one million kids “viewing and reviewing” the same film on the same weekend, together with a caring adult. Imagine! A million kids riffing on the same film at the same time. The Velveteen Rabbit has been chosen for this record-breaking event. A discussion guide to help parents and kids explore ideas in the film is available on the KIDS FIRST! website. 

Our sponsors are as enthusiastic about KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Search as we are. Feature Films for Families will present a $10,000 scholarship to the best review of their film, The Velveteen Rabbit. Each of the five winners will see their review posted on WonderWorld’s website. Starz Kids & Family Channel will be playing The Velveteen Rabbit throughout the campaign and on the Finale Weekend. DVDs of all the search titles will be available at Toys R Us and online at Amazon.com. Campaign support comes from national nonprofit organizations that include the National Education Association, Reel Fathers, National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Council of Women’s Organizations, with a cumulative 17+ million members. Stepping Stone Media is donating a percentage of The Velveteen Rabbit DVD sales to KIDS FIRST! and to any nonprofit organization that becomes an affiliate of the campaign.

Visit http://www.kidsfirst.org/become-a-juror/FilmCriticsCampaign.html for more information about the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics’ Campaign, discussion guides for each of the seven entry choices, and guides for creating both a written review and a video review (to be available by Aug. 1). Also find information on fundraising opportunities for organizations through the KIDS FIRST! affiliate program.

Created as a forum for tweens to voice their ideas for positive social change, “Anni Zola” is a mock pop idol-based online community hosted by its namesake, Anni Zola. The virtual star, whose name means “beautiful earth,” is more than a captivating singer and dancer – she encourages her fellow tweens (she’s 14) to help make the world a better place by sharing her dreams and welcoming theirs on her website. And “she” has just released a CD, Anni Zola — My Story, with a super selection of songs and stories that reflect her social awareness, available on her website and through Amazon.com and other major retailers.

Approximately 32 minutes of song and narration comprise the “My Story” audio that is the CD’s main component. The storyline weaves each track into one coherent performance, as Anni Zola talks about what her life is like on her planet of Orfea, and then in her songs expands on some of the themes she’s expressed (ecology, bereavement).

With age-appropriate language free of innuendo, the recurrent message is “be aware” and “believe you can make a difference.” But there’s a refreshing recognition of human imperfection, and even as Anni Zola encourages her friends (listeners) to “reach for the sky,” she shares her own misgivings about being good enough to live up to others’ expectations and her mother’s reassurance that “you don’t have to be perfect” to make a positive contribution to the world.

The enhanced CD also features a four-minute video of Anni Zola performing one of her songs — a pop-concert treatment with video screens filling the stage behind Anni Zola’s choreographed dancing. And among the extras is an animatics video that shows how a dancer’s real moves were translated into the anime-inspired animation. Wallpapers and calendar also feature the dynamic artwork and vivid color that characterize the product throughout.

On the website that spawned the CD, Anni Zola uses the social networking platforms to share her message through blogs and tweets, and the site’s visitors can likewise interact with her and each other about their volunteer activity and the causes most important to them.

And Anni Zola will choose some of these ideas, causes and volunteer actions to incorporate into the storyline of upcoming webisodes and Facebook game. Submit by Aug. 20 to be considered for the webisodes and game now in production for launch later this summer and fall.

Another current project is Anni Zola’s BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle) Challenge. Deadline is Aug. 30 for kids to submit their creative solution to the wasteful excess of disposable water bottles. Winning designs for a reusable water bottle will win not only recognition on the Anni Zola website for their creators, but will be mass-produced as Anni Zola website exclusive merchandise.

The site launched in January of this year as part of Generation Z, LLC., the brainchild of singer-songwriter-concerned mother Zuriani Zonneveld, who wanted to “empower children throughout the world to speak up and make the world a better place for future generations.”

KIDS FIRST! flipped over Oscar®-nominee Rob Reiner’s new movie, “Flipped” from Castle Rock Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures. So much so that we’re working with two of our film festival partners to host special preview screenings and inviting you to see the movie for FREE. Be sure to RSVP early — advance reservation is required, and it’s first come, first served — but we expect more people than there will be seats for, so please plan to arrive early.

While the movie will hit theaters in two weeks on Aug. 6, you can see it prior to the release date in Austin, Texas, or Newport Beach, Calif. KIDS FIRST! and the Austin Film Festival will screen “Flipped” on Sunday, July 25, at noon at the Regal Arbor 8 Theater; KIDS FIRST! and the Newport Beach Film Festival/Orange County Film Society will screen the movie on Wednesday, July 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the Regency Lido Theater. To register for reservations at either city, go to http://kidsfirstjuly.ennectSweeps.com/FlippedReservations or http://www.kidsfirst.org/ and click on the banner for “Flipped” reservations.

The 90-minute coming-of-age film, rated PG by the MPAA for language and some thematic material, follows Bryce and Juli from second grade — he, girl-shy; she, sure that it’s love — to junior high. We share their triumphs and disasters as they navigate family drama and first love, making the discoveries that will define not only who they are, but who they are to each other.

“Flipped” stars Madeline Carroll as Juli, and Callan McAuliffe as Bryce. Rebecca De Mornay and Anthony Edwards star as Bryce’s parents, Patsy and Steven Loski; and Emmy®-nominee John Mahoney as his grandfather, Chet Duncan. Penelope Ann Miller and Emmy®-nominee Aidan Quinn star as Juli’s parents, Trina and Richard Baker; and Kevin Weisman as her Uncle Daniel.
 
“Flipped” is directed by Oscar®-nominee Rob Reiner and produced by Reiner and Alan Greisman, who most recently collaborated on “The Bucket List.” The screenplay is by Rob Reiner & Andrew Scheinman, based on the novel by renowned author Wendelin Van Draanen. Martin Shafer, Liz Glotzer and David Siegel serve as executive producers. The creative team includes Emmy®-winning director of photography Thomas Del Ruth, production designer Bill Brzeski and Oscar®-nominated editor Robert. The music is by five-time Oscar®-nominee Marc Shaiman. The costumes are designed by Durinda Wood.

KIDS FIRST! juror Lauren Boxer (age 12) has this to say about “Flipped”:
“Flipped” is a movie showing how, when you like a guy (or girl), make sure you see them as the whole self. A quote I loved from the movie is, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” I do not know exactly what it means, but it touched my heart. Rob Reiner (director) really showed the viewers what “flipped” means — showing the same situation from both the girl’s side and the boy’s side. I would recommend it to everyone that has ever had a crush. Hold on tight because “Flipped” is coming soon to theaters.”