Turning your TV Time into Quality Time
October 2, 2007 Issue #10
Christine L. Pollock, Editor Ranny Levy, Publisher Ranny's blog
In This Issue
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- Letter from the Editor
- Web Store Features
- Ann's Avenues
- Festival Titles
- Members and Member News
- Media News and Contests
- Family and Parenting News
- Animals Are Awesome in Film and Family
- Crafts & Activites: Paw Print Game
- Events
KIDS FIRST! Best Day and Awards CelebrationSunday, October 7th Calamigos Ranch, Malibu, CA |
This weekend is our biggest weekend of the year for our KIDS FIRST! Film Festival and all the producers of the fabulous films that we show year-round. On Sunday, October 7, we're honoring the best films that have played at our festivals during the last twelve month. We'll be handing out "Best of Category" awards for 20 films, plus six Best Student films, plus five "Best of the Fest" Awards and three special sponsored awards that include a distribution offer - two for films and one for screenplays. But that's not all. We've got a day full of activities, starting with a selection of short films, followed by filmmaker workshops and the day cumulates with a special screening for the 20th anniversary of "The Princess Bride. All of this takes place at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, CA - a beautiful 230 acre retreat in the Malibu mountains. Please come join us. For more information, visiti the KIDS FIRST! Best Awards webpage.
Did you know that October is National Animal and Safety and Protection month? A few months ago when I interviewed Bindi and Terri Irwin, we talked about the importance of wild animals. In this issue was are going to highlight the domesticated ones -- specifically dogs. From Clifford to the Firehouse Dog, the canine animal creeps into our hearts with their loveable antics and brains. The creators of Animal Wow show how kids and pets can help each other. Read about it in my article below.
Now that you are settling into the school year, are you interested in building your classroom library? KIDS FIRST! is making a special offer to any educator who becomes a
juror between now and the end of this year. Instead of our regular $40 training fee, your training fee is only $20. And, when you finish your training, including evaluating six DVDS within six month, we'll give you $40 back. That's right, your initial investment plus $20. We need jurors and we know that teachers, day care providers, librarians, and similar child professionals make great jurors for us. To register or get more information,
please visit
our KIDS FIRST! juror's page.or call our office and speak with our jury coordinator, Lauren. (505-989-8076)
Christine Pollock, Editor
Ranny's Addenda
Words, Words, Words - New Focus at Sesame Street
Last week, I spoke with Rosemarie Truglio, VP of Research for Sesame Workshop. We spoke about their new literacy and language development focus.
Now, if you're like me, you think of Sesame Street as the epitome of educational preschool programs. So, I asked Rosemarie, "How does this differ from past seasons on SS?" She explained, "Sesame Street is the only TV program that rethinks its curriculum focus on an annual basis. It is a whole child curriculum that reflects a preschool curricula."
She went on to explain how they are constantly on the lookout to determine the critical needs of today's children. Rosemarie, a 10 year Sesame Workshop veteran and mother of a 3 ½-year-old added, “Developing a rich vocabulary and a love of words at a young age helps children become better prepared for school and more successful readers.”
Literacy has never been the number one issue on Sesame Street. But it is this year. They looked around to see what are the new developments in terms of literacy and examined how they could implement them. The importance of VOCABULARY emerged as the big need. Vocabulary is not necessarily easy to teach. It requires repetition. Since repetition is inherent in Sesame Street, a natural extension to "the letter of the day" became the "word of the day." More
Special Offer
Get a TiVo 80 Hour Series 2 Dual Tuner FREE!
Wow, have you heard about TiVo and KIDS FIRST!? We just signed an agreement with TiVo to provide reviews for children's television shows for TiVo KidZone.
To celebrate this event, TiVo is offering a FREE 80 hour Series 2 Dual Tuner TiVo Box when you purchase any TiVo service plan! This offer is available by clicking on the TiVo icon at the left or go to www.kidsfirst.org. But, be quick as it expires November 6th!
TiVo KidZone provides advice on children's programming and allows you to pre-approve the shows your kids actually see. You can follow the ratings of experts in the KidZone Guides or set standards of your own. Then, your TiVo box will automatically record just the shows that meet your criteria. With TiVo KidZone, you'll feel safer knowing your child is only watching programs that reflect your family's values.
Hey, you have been thinking about getting a TiVo, so why not for FREE? But you have to act now!
KIDS FIRST! Web Store Features
Open your child's window to the world with quality media that educates, inspires and entertains. The KIDS FIRST! Web Store offers you the opportunity to customize your family movie library with confidence through its blend of studio and independent titles. Search by age or interest and find out what child professionals and kids themselves have to say about the titles you choose.
"Alvin and the Chipmunks: Trick or Treason." Join Alvin and his brothers Simon and Theodore for this hilarious Halloween adventure. Alvin wants to be accepted into the Monster Club, but the Monster members seem to think its cool to be cruel. It takes Theodore's friendship to Michael, a misunderstood outcast the other kids call Pumpkinhead, to show Alvin that being a true friend is really a lot more cool than trying to be a popular Monster! There are plenty of laughs and surprises and music, including the Chipmunk's rendition of the hit song "Monster Mash" to make this a monstrously fun video any time of the year! L. 66 mins. Ages 5-8. Paramount Home Entertainment.
"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown 40th Anniversary." It sure is fun when Charlie Brown and his Peanuts pals get together for the big Halloween celebration. In fact, it's downright spooktacular in a feature whose bag of treats overflows with "charm, wit and wisdom" (Hollywood Reporter). This Halloween is very special for good ol' Charlie Brown. He's finally been invited to a party! Snoopy gets to join the fun, so look out, Red Baron! Linus will find out once and for all if the Great Pumpkin will rise up out of his pumpkin patch "with his bag of toys for all the good children." Nominated for an Emmy award, "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is digitally mastered for excellent sound and picture quality. L. 50 mins. Ages 5-12. Paramount Home Entertainment.
Ann's Avenues
Movie and a Bicycle?
Who doesn't love great kid's film, but how about the opportunity to win a bicycle as well? Every Saturday in October, two of the screens at the Tropic Cinema in Old Town Key West, Florida are dedicated to FREE movies for all kids. And each Saturday for the month of October, the Key West Sunrise Rotary Club is giving away a *_ free_* bicycle at the theater.
For the young ones, the October lineup includes "The Best of Scholastic," bringing your favorite books to life, including "Harold and the Purple Crayon," "Strega Nona" and "Is Your Mama a Llama." For the older kids, enjoy "Arthur and the Invisibles," "Her Best Move" and "The Adventures of Captain Jon." The last weekend in October has spooky stuff, like "Goosebumps: Wave 5" for the older kids and funny stories including "Wilbur: Funny Dress-Up Night" and "Thomas & Friends: Halloween Adventures" for ages 2-5. Both shows start at 12:30 pm and are FREE! For a complete listing go to www.keywestfilm.org or better yet, join the Key West Film Society.
The Tropic is a full-time, triplex theater with a large lobby serving as a cultural center and gathering place. It is the home not only to movies but also to a wide variety of community cultural events, from jazz concerts to literary lectures, so if you are a local, consider joining the Key West Film Society. Box office revenues from the screenings provide only a fraction (and the kids' films are free) of their costs. It is expensive to rent and maintain their theater, acquire public performance license for films, and buy sound and projection equipment. The thing that keeps the film society alive is membership contributions. Join the KWFS and help bring more films to the Keys and build a greater community presence for film. But, most important, you keep film alive and growing. The Key West Film Society is a non-profit 501(c)(3) and all contributions are tax-deductible.
Tropic Cinema
416 Easton
Old Town, Key West
305-295-9493
www.keywestfilm.org
Selections from the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival
The
KIDS FIRST! Film Festival is a showcase for new and classic children's
films from studios, independent producers and youth producers worldwide
that exemplify qualify media for children. The Festival travels
year round and is hosted locally by more than 100 different venues
including established film festivals, art and children's museums,
nonprofit film centers, libraries, schools and local organizations.
Venues include: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Newport Beach
Film Festival, Avalon Theater in Washington D.C., Belcourt Theater,
Brooklyn Children's Museum, Denver Film Society and Starz Denver
International Film Festival, Film Center at the Cinema Cafe. To
find out what is being played in a venue near you, visit this link .
For a complete list of all Festival titles currently being shown,
visit here.
Thomas & Friends: Thomas' Halloween Adventures. L. 60 mins.
Something spooky lurks in the fog and mist on the Island of Sodor. Thomas, Toby and Henry believe there are ghosts on the island while Gordon and Percy encounter other mysteries. Can Thomas help explain them? Tricks and treats abound as the engine friends try to figure out the answers behind the spooky Sodor surprises. Includes 11 favorite Halloween adventures from the Island of Sodor and features a limited edition custom Halloween caboose available only with the purchase of this DVD. Ages 2-5. Starz Home Entertainment.
Goosebumps Wave 5. L. 132 mins.
Includes 4 titles: "Night of the Living Dummy" - Amy Kramer's ventriloquist dummy, Dennis, keeps losing his head, literally, and Amy has been pestering her Dad for weeks to get her a new one. ... "Bride Of The Living Dummy" - Katie, Harrison, Jillian and Katie's annoying doll Mary-Ellen were seeing a show put on by the famous ventriloquist Jimmie O' James... "It Came From Beneath the Sink" - ...Kat finds a strange sponge under the kitchen sink, a sponge that has eyes and fangs, and bad, unlucky things happen whenever it's around. "Strained Peas" - Nicholas is at first optimistic about getting a baby sister, but his friend tells him all the cons.... "Say Cheese and Die" - Greg Banks, and his friends, Doug (Bird) and Shari, decide to sneak into the old Coffman house, just for thrills, since they know that it's forbidden... Ages 5-12. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Scary Godmother: The Revenge of Jimmy. L. 48 mins.
Halloween is coming and Scary Godmother is making plans for another spectacular spook house party. Unfortunately, Jimmy still hasn't recovered from last year and has come up with a dastardly plan to put a stop to Halloween for good! Now it's up to his little cousin Hannah and her monster friends to put the tricks and treats back into Halloween! "Scary Godmother" is based on the acclaimed book "Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular" (Sirius Publications) by the award-winning author and illustrator Jill Thompson.
New and Renewing Members
Easy To Dream Entertainment is a production banner dedicated to making first rate family entertainment.
Two Little Hands Productions produces Signing Time! children's sign language videos.
Member News
Congratulations to Dan Masucci
Masucci is director of "Letting Go," a KIDS FIRST! fourth quarter Film Festival title. The film just won the "Audience Favorite Drama" award at the Route 66 Film Festival.
Congratulations to KIDS FIRST! Film Festival Producers
"The Ballad of King Jimmy," "Julia" and "We Don't Let Labels Stick" have been selected for the Official Competition of the Kids for Kids
Festival to be held Nov 29 - Dec 2 in Naples.
Sony Pictures
Home Entertainment Releases "Christmas Do-Over"
Releasing October 16, this fun-filled
holiday movie continues
the tradition of great holiday films like "It¹s A Wonderful Life" and "A
Christmas Carol" by focusing on one man, Jay Mohr¹s Kevin, who deliberately
scorns the festive spirit all around him. But when a freak accident forces
him to re-live Christmas day over and over, he finds himself re-evaluating
his past mistakes and wondering what he can do to set
them right.
Discovery Kids Kicks off the Fall Season
It all starts on Saturday, October 13 with the debut of an original new animated series, "The Future is Wild." about four kids who travel into a fantastical future where they encounter new animals that seem out of this world, but could really exist millions of years from now! More Information.
Media News and Contests
Get a TiVo 80 Hour Series 2 Dual Tuner FREE!
By particiting in this TiVo promotion, you are making a contribution to KIDS FIRST! For details, click on the icon at the right.
PBS KIDS and Produce for Kids® (PFK) Join Forces
They are launching an in-store and online initiative to promote healthy eating and smart food choices through the numerous benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. The educational campaign encourages children to “Eat Smart for a Great Start,” and offers resources and activities on pbskids.org and PBS Parents. A portion of the proceeds from the in-store October campaign will go back into PBS’s services and programs.
Family and Parenting News
Sesame Street on Podcast
For the very first time, Sesame Street fans can download a weekly video podcast based on the award-winning preschool series. Fans can also go to the iTunes Podcast Directory to download the free podcast.
New Wiggles Release
The new CD, "Getting Strong," featuring 33 new songs is scheduled for release October 9, 2007 and includes the newest member of the group Sam Moran; the first change in the group in its 16-years. Moran fills the role of the yellow-shirt wearing Wiggle Greg Page, who left the group in fall 2006. A companion DVD is also set for an October 2007 release. Read About It.
PorchLight Entertainment Launches Beta Testing on KidVideos.com
This is a family-friendly and secure video streaming platform where kids can share their own user generated content (videos, film, animation). When KidVideos.com launches in full it will be an ad-supported site that offers online tools for recording and video editing, online.
Feature Article
Animals Are Awesome in Film and Family
by Christine L. Pollock
Here’s an interesting piece of trivia. October is National Animal Safety and Protection Month. It's the perfect time to highlight some canine heroes that appear across the KIDS FIRST! screens. How have dogs changed the lives of children? Josh Hutcherson (“Little Manhattan,” “Bridge to Terabithia”) had the privilege of filming with a canine co-star for the KIDS FIRST! Festival film, “Firehouse Dog.”
In this film, Rexxx, Hollywood's top K-9 star, gets lost and is reluctantly adopted by a young boy (Hutcherson). His father, fire chief of a rundown station agrees to the adoption only if his defiant son takes care of the K-9. Little do they realize that Rexx will not only bring them closer but also bring some much-needed faith back to the fire station.
Hutcherson says, “I have always been a huge dog lover. If it were up to me, I’d have five dogs.” Right now, he dotes on his two-year-old pet, Diesel who has taught him that dogs are much smarter than he assumed. He adds that it’s “crazy how like us they are.” In the film, dogs will, under direction, go to a marked spot and look in a certain direction or perform a trick “just like I do,” laughs Hutcherson. However, Hutcherson did point out that the dogs also taught him patience because, unlike most humans, a dog is easily distracted by the smell of a sandwich in the area. 
While this is a very entertaining family film, showing a fun side of dogs doing tricks and stunts, there are also films that show a more serious side to of dogs. One of these films is “Animal Wow: Dogs Wow Dogs.” This film for preschoolers offers lessons about developing good values and life skills by turning pets into best friends. It blends songs, fun, puppets, animation, and education.
Whenever five-year-old Riley would see a dog in her Chicago neighborhood, she would hide. Riley was terrified of all dogs, which meant that her family couldn’t get a dog…until she saw “Dogs Wow Dogs.” Since viewing the title, Riley’s family got a golden retriever, and Riley eagerly helps with age-appropriate tasks, such as filling the dog’s water bowl. She explains her attitude change saying, “ 'Animal Wow' made me less afraid of dogs.”
Larry Kay, president and CEO of Animal Wow Entertainment, Inc. is proud of the two years of research his team 
invested before developing the DVD. He brought together experts in animal philosophy, child development, human communications and creative strategy. The outcome is such high-quality that “LA Family Magazine” asked them to create a weekly syndicated advice column for children discovering and learning about pets. Their website is choc full of ways to treat animals and even use them as therapy. According to their blog entries, dogs can be used to help children learn to read, hear, and develop impulse control. Animal Wow also teaches viewers about special camps that help children with emotional issues while at the same time, helping chosen animals rehabilitate and socialize.
Love animals? Love children? Both “Firehouse Dog” and "Animal Wow" remind us that when kids discover pets, they discover themselves.
Crafts and Activities
Paw Print Path. Complements the KIDS FIRST! title, "Clifford's Puppy Days: The Perfect Pet."
Materials: cereal boxes or other cardboard, scissors, pencil
1. Draw two "paws" and cut them out.
2. Put one paw on the floor and stand on it.
3. Place the other paw down a little distance away.
4. Hop onto the next paw and pick up the first then repeat steps three and four until you reach your destination.
5. Game can become a race with each child having two paws.
For other craft/activity ideas, go to our craft index.
Events
October 7 - Los Angeles, CA and Malibu, CA. KIDS FIRST! Best Day and Awards Ceremony. Save the date! Read More About It.
October 7 - 11 - Mesa, AZ. The 29th National Media Market will be held at the Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa. 50 producers and distributors will showcase new educational programming and related technology. Discounts and special pricing pay for most of the cost of attendance. Information here or contact Ursula Schwarz at (520) 743-7735.
October 19-21. The film "10 Questions for the Dalai Lama" has inspired a national weekend of Unity and Peace. This weekend of individual events is designed to bring communities together in a celebration of understanding, unity, tolerance, peace, and oneness. More Information.
November 7-19 - Chicago, IL. NAEYC Annual Conference & Expo. More
than 20,000 early childhood professionals from around the world attend
the NAEYC Annual Conference & Expo to discuss the everyday issues of our
work with young children and families. Read More.
April 3-5, 2008 - Boston, MA. CCFC's 6th Summit. Consuming Kids: The Sexualization of Children and Other Commercial Calamities. More Information.
Special Offers
KIDS FIRST! Cares
Through the combined efforts of Corporations for Character, KIDS FIRST! , and your generous donation, we can fulfill our mission to provide positive, encouraging movies into each of more than one million children's hospital beds. This effort will provide entertainment for children while they are confined in a hospital. To support KIDS FIRST! Cares, go to www.kidsfirstcares.org. All credit card transactions are secure.
Support the Coalition
Become
a Member - If you've found our e-zine and web site helpful, please
consider becoming a member of KIDS FIRST! By doing so, your contribution
helps help underwrite the various projects of this organization. The Coalition relies on the generous support of its members and
donors to support its programs. An individual/family membership
is only $25/year. An organizational membership is $100/year. An
independent producer membership is $200. To join, visit our site or contact our office at 505.989.8076. KIDS FIRST! Travel Site - Support KIDS FIRST! by booking your travel on our
travel website. Prices
compare with those of Travelocity and KIDS FIRST! earns a commission
on any travel booked here. What a great way to support a nonprofit
without having to write a check. Become
an Affiliate of the KIDS FIRST! Web Store -
By linking with our online store which sells films from our independent
producers, you can earn a commission off of each sale.
VISIT OUR MEMBERS' SITES
Support our members. Visit their sites by visiting our members' page.
ABOUT CQCM AND KIDS FIRST!
The Coalition for Quality Children's Media is a national, nonprofit organization founded in 1991 whose mission is to teach children critical viewing skills and to increase the visibility and availability of quality children's media. More.
Our Ratings:
*** = Titles receiving the highest scores are given a three-star rating.
** = Titles that meet or exceed the criteria receive a two-star rating.
* = Titles that meet the baseline criteria but require some extra consideration on the part of the viewer receive a one-star rating.
