Do You Love Movies; Love Talking About Them; See Yourself Interviewing Celebs on the Red Carpet?

If so, then, we have an opportunity for you. Our KIDS FIRST! Film Critics are an international team of tween and teen reporters that watch all the latest films rated PG-13 and younger and create written and videotaped reviews. Plus, they interview the celebrities from these films at press junkets and red carpets.

This fall, KIDS FIRST! has partnered with SoCalCityKids to offer three kids, ages 9 to 16, from the greater LA area a place on our KIDS FIRST! Film Critics team. This is a limited competition and the first, second and third place winners will be comp’d the registration fee for the KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Boot Camp. ($120)

Please submit your application here: https://forms.gle/VQr9HwwX7h8URenf8

Don’t wait, the deadline is November 20!

For additional information about what the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics, go to

https://www.kidsfirst.org/become-a-juror/

You can see some of our Reporters in action here: https://www.instagram.com/kidsfirstcoming_attractions/reels/

Credit: KIDS FIRST!

The California Science Center presents Wildlife in Focus, a beautiful photographic exhibit featuring 12 portraits of some of the animals who have called the California Science Center their home. Captured by photographer Joel Sartore for his Photo Ark project, dedicated to documenting every animal species before they disappear. Wildlife in Focus opens November 16, 2024.

More than 3,000 animals reside at the California Science Center, and together they represent hundreds of species. Some thrive in the wild, while others are at risk. Many are easy to overlook. Every animal in a zoo, aquarium, or wildlife refuge is an ambassador for its species. They help scientists, staff and the public learn the animals’ needs and how to protect them in the wild. This is especially important for rare and endangered animals. These animals may be hard to find and study in nature. Photography is a powerful tool that inspires people to help protect species while there is still time. Photographer Joel Sartore visited the California Science Center in 2019 and captured portraits of 18 animals and twelve of these photographs are on view in the exhibition.

This exhibit also highlights the team at the California Science Center who care for the animals, keeping them healthy and protecting species by tracking natural ecosystems and supporting research on threatened animals. The animals at the California Science Center are ambassadors that teach guests, staff, and researchers about the animals in our world; the first step towards caring about any animal is knowing that it’s there.

Wildlife in Focus includes a digital interactive experience where guests can input an address anywhere in the world and see photographs of local animals that have been observed in that area, demonstrating that wildlife, however big or small, is all around us.

“Our Wildlife in Focus exhibit offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the animals that call the California Science Center home and emphasizes the importance of species conservation,” said Jeffrey N. Rudolph, President and CEO of the California Science Center. “The exhibit and the stunning portraits by Joel Sartore highlight not only the beauty of these creatures but also the critical role they play in teaching us about biodiversity and inspiring action to protect wildlife for future generations.”

The Wildlife in Focus exhibit is a new addition to the Ecosystems gallery of the Science Center. Admission is FREE, and reservations are not required. Other highlights of the Ecosystems include:

• The giant Kelp Forest where guests can join a Q&A session with a diver to learn more about these underwater forests and the animals that live there.
• The Rocky Shore which includes a touch tank where visitors discover how sea life survives harsh conditions and can touch a creature or two.
• The Desert with live animals including a desert tortoise, scorpions, fennec foxes, among others.

Additional zones in the Ecosystems gallery include Poles, Deep Sea Vents, Island Zone, River Zone, L.A. Zone, and Global Zone – all with interactive elements to explore.

About Joel Sartore

Joel Sartore is an award-winning photographer, speaker, author, conservationist, and the 2018 National Geographic Explorer of the Year. He is a regular contributor to National Geographic Magazine and an Eagle Scout. Joel specializes in documenting endangered species and landscapes around the world. He is the founder of the Photo Ark, a 25-year documentary project to save species and habitat.

Credit: The California Science Center.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) today announced details of new tentpole programs launching with the opening of its new wing and community hub, NHM Commons: Ocean Encounters, an innovative puppet performance featuring hand-crafted, large-scale puppets, and T.REX 3D, a 22-minute film using the latest technology and sharing the latest research about the infamous Tyrannosaurus Rex, including NHM’s own Thomas the T.rex. 

T.REX 3D will debut on November 18 and Ocean Encounters will begin on November 23. The celebration will also feature community organizations, food, and music, as well as hands-on activities, engaging discussions, artist workshops, and meet-and-greets with NHM Scientists.

“NHM Commons is a physical manifestation of our important work as museums of, for and with Los Angeles, a philosophy which has evolved from years of research, planning, and community listening, and actively drives partner engagement, programming and the evolution of the Natural History Museum,” said Lori Bettison-Varga, President and Director of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County. “The programs visitors will experience in NHM Commons nurture and celebrate community co-creation and belonging. I hope everyone will find something special to experience each time they visit.”

Following more than a year of close collaboration with the NHM Commons Advisory Coalition, community-centered offerings in the new NHM Commons theater will expand over the coming months to include new film series, theatrical experiences, live animal meet-and-greets, collection-related discussions, festivals, and other educational content. The NHM Community Plaza will also provide space for a range of outdoor programming—from live performances to science demonstrations. 

Now Welcoming You to NHM
NHM Commons will open on November 17 with a festive Opening Day Celebration and Block Party with a variety of free indoor and outdoor events at NHM Commons and programs throughout the museum that are free with general admission. Events include a Block Party on the new Plaza with a Community Resource Fair, food trucks, and music; live performances and engaging discussions in the new NHM Commons Theater. The day will also include meet n’ greets with NHM scientists, up-close collection previews, and hands-on activities and artist workshops. 

NHM Commons will be a modern and inviting “front porch” to the NHM campus. This new wing and community hub will feature 75,000-square feet of renovated space, new construction, and landscaping. A key design element of the new indoor-outdoor experience is the building’s transparent glass façade, which will enable the public to see into the Museum and its collection while offering views of the park from inside. Its centerpiece is an expansive Welcome Center that is free to the public, featuring Gnatalie, a 75-foot sauropod dinosaur skeleton with distinctive green fossils; Barbara Carrasco’s landmark 1981 mural L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective; and a temporary exhibit dedicated to NHM’s Community Science initiatives.

Additional highlights will include a new landscaped Community Plaza and Museum entrance, a new LA-focused retail space, a grab-n-go cafe from South LA Café, a new multi-purpose theater and a new exhibition gallery adjacent to the theater, which will initially feature Collective Knowledge, an exhibition highlighting the breadth of NHM’s vast collection with photos by National Geographic photographer Craig Cutler and Scott Bremner.

Sea-Creature Puppets Transport Visitors to the Prehistoric Past
Following the decade-long success of NHM’s Dinosaur Encounters program, the Museum will present a new live-performance puppet show featuring both prehistoric and contemporary sea-creature puppets (all of which are based on specimens found at NHM). The imagination-expanding show positions viewers as time-traveling deep-sea explorers who explore the under-the-sea lives of creatures like the Mosasaur and Ammonites —giant marine critters from the Age of Dinosaurs—through a kelp forest to meet a Desmostylian, and to share a meal with a Megamouth feeding on glowing, Bioluminescent Plankton. 

Created and performed by some of the nation’s best puppet makers and puppeteers, Ocean Encounters features large-scale puppets, spanning up to fifteen feet in length and some requiring multiple puppeteers. 

Ocean Encounters is family-friendly and will run on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 10am, 11 am and 12 pm. Each showing is about 15 minutes long. The show is $10 with general admission and free for Members. 

T.Rex Takes the Big Screen
NHM will also debut T.REX 3D, a new film that shares the latest research about the infamous Tyrannosaurus Rex, from hatchling to hulking adult, and prominently features NHM and its collections. Narrated by Sam Neill of Jurassic Park fame and made in collaboration with top tyrannosaur scientists, a coalition of natural history institutions, and pioneering paleo and visual effects artists, this original Giant Screen Films production aims to be the most engaging and accurate T.rex documentary ever made. With leaps in CGI technology and revolutions in tyrannosaur paleontology over the past twenty-five years, this family-friendly film offers a thrilling, immersive experience that brings visitors face-to-face with the iconic predator–including NHM’s own Thomas the T.rex–and his fierce Cretaceous counterparts.

In addition to Thomas the T.rex, NHM’s signature film will feature the Museum’s award-winning T.rex Growth Series, the Dueling Dinos, the Dino Institute, and interviews with Dr. Luis Chiappe Senior VP, Research & Collections and Curator, Dinosaur Institute. With hat tips to famous specimens, landmark discoveries, and wild cinematic depictions over the last century, the film will explore the interplay between speculation and evidence and reveal how the process of science refreshes and reimagines our understanding of this legendary dinosaur. 

T.REX 3D will screen daily in the new NHM Commons Theater and will be available initially in English, Spanish, and Simple Mandarin, as well as closed captions. The family-friendly film is $10 with general admission and free for Members.

Credit: NHM.

 Universal CityWalk Hollywood celebrates global pop icon Hello Kitty’s milestone 50^th anniversary by unwrapping a selection of scrumptious new menu items available at the highly-popular Hello Kitty® and Friends Cafe along with 50th-anniversary merchandise at the all-new Sanrio Smile Shop. This kicks off on Friday, November 1, which is Hello Kitty Day when Hello Kitty celebrates her birthday and limited-time 50^th items will be available through December 31.

The Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe and the Sanrio Smile Shop are located adjacent to one another at the heart of Universal CityWalk and complement the Animation Studio Store located within Universal Studios Hollywood which features a wide selection of Hello Kitty merchandise including exclusive items only found at the theme park.

The one-of-a-kind Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe is adding an assortment of 50^th-themed items to its unique, grab-and-go menu with artfully designed creations to reflect Hello Kitty’s playful spirit, including a 50th Cookie Sandwich, 50^th Anniversary Cake and Sparkling 50^th Drink, which is a strawberry sodawith coconut cream foam on top.Prepared by Universal Studios Hollywood Executive Chef Julia Thrash, the limited-time offerings join other Hello Kitty and Friends-themed sweet treats, including Hello Kitty® Mousse Dome, Seasonal Mousse Domes, Strawberry Cake, Berry & Cream Churro, Macaron Set and Hello Kitty® Cookie. The venue also serves supercute signature beverages, including Hello Kitty® Strawberry Green Iced Tea, My Melody™ Lemonade, Kuromi™ Berry Iced Tea, Tuxedosam™ Lemonade, Keroppi™ Matcha Latte, Chococat™ Frozen Mocha, as well as two new hot drinks – the Mocha Bow Bomb Latte and the Hot Chocolate Bow Bomb – that will make their debut on November 1.

The Sanrio Smile Shop, located next to the Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe, is a vibrant new store that celebrates all things Sanrio and Hello Kitty, inviting guests to step into the very pink world of Hello Kitty and her beloved friends – Cinnamoroll™, Keroppi™, Kuromi™, My Melody™, Badtz-Maru™ and Chococat™.

The shop features an assortment of themed merchandise and a treasure trove of iconic statement pieces, featuring a limited-time-only Hello Kitty 50^th Anniversary merchandise line available now until the end of the year, while supplies last. The celebratory line features an array of Hello Kitty t-shirts, plush, ceramic mugs, tumblers, notepads, stationery kits, lanyards, cell phone bags and backpacks. Customers will also find a selection of products themed in honor of the new Hello Kitty and Friends Café, including bright pink aprons emblazoned with the cafe’s logo, magnets, signs and hats. All merchandise at the new shop radiates the cheerful spirit of Hello Kitty, making it a paradise for fans looking to take home a piece of beloved memorabilia.

To commemorate Hello Kitty’s 50^th anniversary within the theme park, Hello Kitty debuted a soft pastel pink dress that reflects her iconic sense of style while capturing her endearing timeless appeal. Donning this new outfit, Hello Kitty can regularly be spotted welcoming and posing with guests and fans when they visit her at the Animation Studio Store.

More information about Universal CityWalk and Universal Studios Hollywood is available at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com; like Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook and follow @UniStudios on Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter)

To learn more about Sanrio, please visit www.sanrio.com and follow @sanrio and @hellokitty on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest and subscribe to the Hello Kitty and Friends YouTube Channel.

Credit: Universal Studios Hollywood.