KIDS FIRST! News

Featuring Grammy award winner Bobby Rush, Grammy nominee Shemekia Copeland, award-winner Castro Coleman and a host of acclaimed musicians, Larry Lancit’s Blues on Beale was filmed entirely in the Blues clubs on famed Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, captures the people, the soul and music of the 36^th International Blues Challenge, an annual event organized and staged by The Blues Foundation. Starting in the early fall of 2019, Blues Societies from across the globe held local competitions for Blues bands and solo/duo acts. The winners of these competitions qualified to travel to Memphis to compete in the International Blues Challenge in late January 2020. 232 winners of these local contests brought their hopes and aspirations to Memphis to compete for medals, recognition and possible record contracts by performing in 20 clubs along renowned Beale Street, the most celebrated Blues location in the world. The 2020 IBC was perhaps the last major music event staged before Covid-19 put the world on “hold.”

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Zoe C. comments, “If you love the blues genre of music, Blues on Beale is the perfect documentary for you! If it is not your favorite style of music, or you don’t know much about it, this film written by Cecily Lancit and directed by Larry Lancit (also producers) provides a rich insight on this art form and its place in American history.” See her full review below.

Blues on Beale

By Zoe C., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13

If you love the blues genre of music, Blues on Beale is the perfect documentary for you! If it is not your favorite style of music, or you don’t know much about it, this film written by Cecily Lancit and directed by Larry Lancit (also producers) provides a rich insight on this art form and its place in American history. As a music lover, I found this exceptional work beyond entertaining.

Some background: The International Blues Competition on its 36^th edition was one of the last events that took place before the lockdown in January, 2020. Over two hundred acts (bands, solo or duo) from around the world got together at the iconic Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee to compete in a challenge organized by The Blues Foundation. Only 16 acts make it to the final and 5 are awarded winners. This documentary covers this competition and intertwines live performances and interviews with the musicians, judges and music experts. The montage brings the audience back to the origins of blues with footage and photos from legends like BB King and Elvis Presley and others that gave birth to this touching music.  Stories about those blues pioneers contrast with contemporary artists like Bobby Rush and Shemekia Copeland, making Blues on Beale educational as well as fun to watch.

I am impressed by the talent and the different ethnicities and performers from countries like Croatia and Australia that share the love for blues, despite the fact that it is a secular folk music created by African-Americans early in the 20^th century in the South of the United States of America. The producers excel at getting these artists to share their stories. You learn how blues is perhaps the music genre that better connects with the human condition and how it transcends boundaries. Despite the connotation of the word “blues.” this music is uplifting and meaningful. Blues also connects with the audience by telling a story whether is about slavery and oppression, longing for a better job or love.

The editing flows nicely and surprisingly—there’s a good element of surprise. It just feels that the narrative is sometimes redundant and lacks a deeper insight on the venues and idiosyncrasy of the city. Memphis is the perfect location, but feels a bit abandoned in the storytelling. My favorite part is the energy in how they present the information and ignite a spark in the audience. You’ll appreciate the true craftsmanship in the performers and how they don’t follow a trend nor are they part of a marketing campaign.

The message of the film is that music is powerful and transcends gender, race and nationality; it unites people and goes beyond the competitive spirit.

I give Blues on Beale 4 out of 5 stars and recommend for kids 10 to 18, plus adults. Blues on Beale is available now on VOD.

After her inspiring speech at the homecoming dance, Jodi (Ava Michelle) is no longer just the “tall girl” – she’s popular, confident, has a boyfriend, and just booked the lead role in this year’s school musical. But as the pressure of her newfound popularity intensifies, so do her insecurities, and new relationships are formed while old ones are tested. As the world she built starts to crumble around her, Jodi realizes that standing tall was only just the beginning.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Mikella G. comments, “Tall Girl 2 is a heartwarming, inspiring film. It has a light happy feel to it, but still has a deep meaning and message. See her full review below.

Tall Girl 2

By Mikella G., KIDS FIRST!, Film Critic, age 15

Tall Girl 2 is a heartwarming, inspiring film. It has a light happy feel to it, but still has a deep meaning and message.

The structure of the film really stands out to me. Although this is a sequel, the storyline still feels entertaining, fresh and relevant—unlike with some sequels— and continues to grab my interest throughout. I also enjoy how different each character’s personality is. For example, Harper (Sabrina Carpenter) is very confident, and knows what she wants. Whereas Stig (Luke Eisner) is more sarcastic, and still trying to figure out who he is. Representing different types of personality is a strong quality in a film—it also attracts a bigger audience, because viewers are always looking for a character they can relate to.

The message of Tall Girl 2 is to never give up on yourself. And the meaning in this story really stands out—throughout the movie they illustrate an important lesson. Overall, it’s very inspiring, and makes you examine your life through a different lens.

I give Tall Girl 2 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 18. Tall Girl 2 releases on Netflix February 11, 2022.

The UH KIDS FIRST! Film Festival, presented by Outreach College, celebrates the  30th anniversary of the national KIDS FIRST! with over 100 FREE virtual screenings plus live stream interview/Q&A sessions with filmmakers and crew.

For free tickets to all live streams and virtual screenings, visit kidsfirsthawaii.eventive.org.

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12

Films available for viewing from Feb 12, 12am – Feb 21, 11:45pm

This episode features deaf actress Shaylee Mansfield in a “sign over” performance, one of the first in a kids’ animated series. The character is named and modeled after Mansfield and was animated by using a video reference of the actress performing for animators to model from. Mansfield’s character, Shaylee, uses American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate, expanding inclusivity and promoting awareness of ASL.

Live stream interview/Q&A: Feb 12, 12-12:30pm HST

Johanna Stein, Executive Producer and Showrunner
T.J. Sullivan, Supervising Director 
Justin Maurer, ASL Consultant
Delbert Whetter, ASL Consultant 
Jevon Whetter, ASL consultant   

Live stream: A Conversation with Laura Margulies: Feb 12, 1-1:30pm HST

Laura Margulies has been creating hand-painted animated films and commissioned work for 30 years. Her work combines motion, color, texture, live action, rhythm, and sound to create award winning, expressive media. She often animates with paint in a stop motion style. Laura worked as a Designer and Color Artist at MTV animation on such shows as Beavis and Butthead, The Head and Daria. Her work has been shown worldwide. She is currently an Assistant Professor of animation at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in the Academy for Creative Media.

More Animation: Saturday, Feb 12, 12am – Feb 21, 11:45pm

Toons for Tots to Tweens • 12 films

Adorable animated shorts from Spain, Singapore, Canada, the UK and US — including films by students.

Global Imagination Animation • 12 films

Award-winning animation from Bulgaria, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Canada, Spain, Korea, Japan, the UK and US.

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Films available for viewing from Feb 13, 12am – Feb 21, 11:45pm

Age-appropriate groupings of films focusing on the positive impact kids have on their environment and in human relationships. Featuring the series Kids Who Save the World: plastic, saving energy, upcyling, climate change, and clean air; live-action and animated films about the ocean: sharks, whales, penguins, and living coral; kids tackling the challenges faced by today’s youth.

Kids to the Rescue • 11 films

Animation and live-action shorts for kids who care about our planet from Germany, Malta, Turkey, China, the UK and US.

Care to Change • 15 films

Empowering animation, live-action, and music video shorts highlighting the actions of kids to bring about positive change.

Enviro/Adventure Feature Film: The Sentries of the Delta

Adventures of children at an environmental camp in the Danube Delta Natural Reserve between Romania and the Ukraine.

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Special Valentine’s Day Program: Monday, February 14

Films available for viewing from Feb 14, 12am – Feb 21, 11:45pm

Matters of the Heart • 10 films

A Valentine to silly, sweet, deep and unconditional love from Canada, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Japan, China, Iran, the UK and US.

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WATCH THE FREE FILMS – Chat with the Creatives

The UH KIDS FIRST! Film Festival, presented by Outreach College, celebrates the 30th anniversary of the national KIDS FIRST! with over 100 free virtual screenings and live stream interviews/Q&A sessions with filmmakers and crew.

Join us online with the filmmaking creatives! Details and free tickets here.

For free tickets to all virtual screenings, visit kidsfirsthawaii.eventive.org.

On-demand viewing: Feb 12, 12:00am – Feb 21, 11:45pm HST

Follow the adventures of the small but mighty gang. Episode features a “sign over” performance by deaf actress Shaylee Mansfield.

Live stream interview/Q&A: Feb 12, 12:00pm-12:30pm

Johanna Stein, Executive Producer and Showrunner
TJ Sullivan, Supervising Director
Justin Maurer, ASL Consultant
Delbert Whetter, ASL Consultant
Jevon Whetter, ASL Consultant  

On-demand viewing: Feb 12, 12:00am – Feb 21, 11:45pm HST

Three hand-painted animated shorts: Blue Cooler, Hepa, & Rolling Down Like Pele

Live stream conversation with Laura Margulies: Feb 12, 1:00pm-1:30pm HST

Laura Margulies combines motion, color, texture, live action, rhythm and sound to create award-winning, expressive films. She often animates with paint in a stop motion style. Her films have screened worldwide; her commissioned work has aired on CBS, MTV, VH1, and the Sundance Channel. She is an Assistant Professor of animation at the Academy of Creative Media at UH Mānoa.

On-demand viewing: Feb 19, 12:00am – Feb 21, 11:45pm HST

Four animated shorts: Lilly Goes to the Dogs, Lilly Goes Fishing,  Lilly and the Baby, & Pollution Solution

Live stream chat with members of the Bum Family: Feb 19, 11:30am-12:00pm HST

The Bum Family are a group of Calgarian cousins – Maezy, Medina, and Zaiyah Dennie and Berlin, Ocean, and Sol Demuth – who create anarchy, hilarity and art. They write the concepts, create the artwork, direct, animate. and edit their award-winning films together, and recently made a short film for preschoolers for Sesame Street. Representing will be Maezy Dennie (age 19), Medina Dennie (age 17), and Zaiyah Dennie (age 15).

On-demand viewing: Feb 20, 12:00am – Feb 21, 11:45pm HST

Eleven-year-old Bobo Gallagher is the youngest person to cross the ʻAlenuihāhā Channel via wing foil. His sister Deveraux directed and edited the documentary of his journey.

Live stream interview/Q&A with Bobo Gallagher and Deveraux Gallagher: Feb 20, 11:30am-12:00pm HST

Get the back-story on the Channel crossing, and whatʻs next for water athlete Bobo and his sister Devereaux.

On-demand viewing: Feb 20, 12:00am – Feb 21, 11:45pm HST

Two episodes: The Adventure Begins is the origin story of the series. In Noise Pollution, the MeteoHeroes rescue a pod of dolphins in the Pacific Ocean who are disoriented by a shipʻs powerful sonar.

On-demand viewing: Feb 20, 12:00am – Feb 21, 11:45pm HST

Pre-recorded: Interview with Luigi Latini, Creator/Executive Producer of MeteoHeroes, which airs in over 140 countries and is dubbed in 20 languages. He is CEO and Partner of the famous private Weather Center in Italy, MOPI (Meteo Operations Italia). Latini stated, “MeteoHeroes was born precisely from our need to put kids first in education towards the need to recycle, consume better, fight pollution and tackle climate change….”

Live stream Q&A with Kenn Viselman, Showrunner/Executive Producer: Feb 20, 1:00pm-1:30pm

Kenn Viselman has created, produced, marketed and consulted on dozens of family entertainment projects and is the producing partner behind the Teletubbies in the Western Hemisphere. He is currently the showrunner for Moonzy, which has garnered over 10 billion views on YouTube, as well as MeteoHeroes, the definitive family series about climate change.­­

The 2022 virtual UH KIDS FIRST! Film Festival – now in its 14th year in Hawaiʻi – presents creative and insightful animated and live-action shorts, features, and documentaries by student, indie, and seasoned filmmakers worldwide. Films focus on climate change and the environment, space and technology, social justice and tolerance, arts and culture…and just plain silliness and fun!Reserve your free virtual tickets and save the dates!
You’ll be asked to set up an account with Eventive (Eventive does not share information with third parties without your explicit consent). Click on the films you wish to view in the Film Guide or Virtual Catalog. A convenient All Access Pass is available. For additional help, check out “Virtual Audience FAQs” in the Menu.

For tickets and the complete Virtual Festival Catalog of films, log ontokidsfirsthawaii.eventive.org

Mahalo to our sponsors & supporters: UH Mānoa Outreach College,Sidney Stern Memorial Trust, DreamWorks, Hopster and Sandbox Kids.