KIDS FIRST! Best Awards
Madeline di Nonno (left), Senior VP of Marketing for Starz Home Entertainment and Mallory Lewis (right) accepting Best of Fest Award for Phonics 4 Babies.
Zach Mills (Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium) accepting "Best Emerging Actor" Award from KIDS FIRST! president, Ranny Levy
What a wonderful gift KIDS FIRST! is providing for our children and our society. With studies showing a link between kids viewing violent programs and increased aggressive behavior, it is invaluable to have an organization to turn to, where the long work of sifting through the piles of media to find the gems has been done for us. It's an honor to have my short film, Dorme, recognized and take part in this important cause. You have inspired me to make this my cause as well, as I get to work on my next script and teach my own child conscious media viewing. Many heartfelt thanks. Sylvia Binsfeld, Director, Dorme, DreamWeaver Films |
Carly Shroeder (Eye of the Dolphin, Gracie) accepting the "Best Emerging Actress" Award from KIDS FIRST! president, Ranny Levy
Every title accepted by the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival is eligible for a KIDS FIRST! Best Award, presented each fall to films that have played during the previous 12 months.
KIDS FIRST! Best Awards honor films, in 20 different categories, that exhibit excellence in filmmaking for children and offer pro-social benefits beyond simply entertainment. Student and independent films are judged in their own categories so as to provide them the best opportunity for judging among their peers. Two thirds of the KIDS FIRST! Awards are given to independent and student productions. Five “Best of Fest“ awards are given to the top films for the year. New in 2007 are three sponsored awards that come with distribution offers - one honoring filmmaking with a social impact sponsored by Moving Pictures Film & TV, and two sponsored by Feature Films for Families, one honoring films and one for screenplays that tell uplifting stories and display positive values. The KIDS FIRST! Palmer-Vision Award, honoring those who "exemplify caring, expertise, wisdom and vision for children's educational programming, is awarded from time to time, as warranted. Additional awards are given from time to time for outstanding performances, emerging new youth talent, and similar categories.
The 2007 KIDS FIRST! Best Awards Ceremony took place on Sunday, October 7 at Calimigos Ranch in Malibu. For more information, go here.
KIDS FIRST! Best Day and Awards Celebration 2007
October 7 in Malibu
2007 KIDS FIRST! Best Winners
2007 KIDS FIRST! Best Nominees
Morgan Taylor performing Gustafer Yellowgold at Calamigos Ranch
"Thanks so much for the great day yesterday- everyone involved did a really super job hosting and running the award event. It was a lot of fun and winning the award itself was icing on the cake!
Children's programming these days is filled with so much junk food for the mind, it was a real honor to gather together with a group of like minded people who feel we can do so much better entertaining and teaching kids with films and stories that uplift and inspire and give kids and families something that lasts longer.
It's easy to make the typical mindless junk that passes for entertainment these days - it is so much harder to make things that teach, entertain and have a message that sticks with you, that you want to savor and recall over and over. That's my mission and I know it's yours at KIDS FIRST! too Thanks so much for letting me be a part of this! Kelly Kennedy, Producer/Director, "The Baseball Card Shop"
"I wish to thank KIDS FIRST! for awarding my script 'I CAN! Fairytales - Dinosaur Adventure' a KIDS FIRST! recommendation. Thank you for sending the Juror's comments to me. They were tremendously helpful and I have revised my script based on their thorough and thoughtful suggestions. As a mom, I thank you for all of the work the Coalition is doing to encourage quality programming for our children. I believe it is crucial that quality programming be available for today's children and the support and encouragement you give producers to provide such programming is invaluable. I Thank you so much for your help!" Pamela Pedder, screenwriter, I CAN Fairytales, Dinosaur Adventure
FAQs for Producers
Answers to frequently asked questions from producers.
More about the Coalition for Quality Children's Media
KIDS FIRST! Best Awards and KIDS FIRST! Film Festival are projects of the Coalition for Quality Children's Media, a nonprofit organization supporting quality children's media since 1991.
"Thanks so much for the great day yesterday- everyone involved did a really super job hosting and running the award event. It was a lot of fun and winning the award itself was icing on the cake!
Children's programming these days is filled with so much junk food for the mind, it was a real honor to gather together with a group of like minded people who feel we can do so much better entertaining and teaching kids with films and stories that uplift and inspire and give kids and families something that lasts longer. The connection we feel by being part of projects that come from the heart is so important, now more than ever.
It's easy to make the typical mindless junk that passes for entertainment these days - it is so much harder to make things that teach, entertain and have a message that sticks with you, that you want to savor and recall over and over, just like the special books that we'd
read over and over again when we were all kids ourselves. That's my mission and I know it's yours at KIDS FIRST! too Thanks so much for letting me be a part of this!"
Kelly Kennedy, Producer/Director, "The Baseball Card Shop"
