DANCES WITH KIDZ! Announces 4th Edition:

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The fiercely independent film festival Dances With Films (DWF) is pleased to announce the date for its 4th annual edition of Dances With Kidz!, which will take place on Saturday, June 10, 2017

DWF’s popular and unique DANCES WITH KIDZ! program is back for its fourth year of family-friendly films, with 28 of the 34 short films in the lineup created by kids under the age of 18.  Films this year explore themes as diverse as friendship, growing up in the 90’s, and space exploration. DANCES WITH KIDZ! will rock the Chinese Theaters on the second weekend of DWF.

WHAT:        The 4th Annual Edition of DANCES WITH KIDZ!

 

WHERE:     TCL Chinese Theaters

6801 Hollywood Blvd.

Hollywood, CA 90028

WHEN:        Saturday, June 10, 2017

WHY:          Although the family film market is one of the most profitable in the

industry, there are relatively few opportunities for independent

projects in this genre to screen, which DWF seeks to address by

providing a platform for the next generation of media visionaries.   Their popular DANCES WITH KIDZ! sidebar presents films BY kids and FOR kids.

INFO:          All tickets are $13 prior to June 1. THEREAFTER ALL tickets are $15. Tickets and passes are available for sale at http://www.tclchinesetheatres.com/ or thru the festival’s own site athttps://danceswithfilms.com.

Festival schedule can be accessed at http://danceswithfilms.com/schedule/.

 

LINEUP:

 

Dances With Kidz by Kidz

AN AMERICAN NIGHTMARE: THE MAKING OF BLOODBATH

WORLD Premiere | USA, 2017, HD, 14 min.

WRITER: Sarah Evans

DIRECTOR: Jamie Lippmann

PROD: Kathy Cutler

CAST: Jamie Lippman

A group of Senior High School students go into production of a college application short film. Things don’t go as planned and emotions run high trying to avoid a disaster.

BENEVOLENT BOYS, THE

WEST COAST Premiere | USA, 2016, HD, 38 min.

WRITER/DIR: William Nielson McAllister

PROD: Kirby Saxton, Kim Dominguez, Mark Dominguez

CAST: Kirby Saxton, Ian Monsen, Taylor Stoddard, Jackson Hays

Four high school friends in the 1990s get into a lot of trouble while trying to do something they think is a good idea, but, actually, maybe isn’t.  This film is a loving homage to the ’90s, when VHS was king.

 

BIRDMAN

USA, 2016, HD, 5 min.

WRITER: Yixing Li

DIRECTORS/PRODS: Yixing Li, Yixuan “Maisie” Luo

A young man dreams of flying like a bird with his own wings. Will study, training and persistence pay off, or is a man not a bird?

 

THE BOUNDARY

USA, 2017, HD, 46 min.

WRITER/DIR: Evan Hara

PRODS: Evan Hara, Brad Corn, Gregg Hara

CAST: Colton Tapp, Matthew Roy, Crystal Cook, Lesley Pedersen, Neil deGrasse Tyson

Miles, a former Air Force captain, has been taking a break since a flying accident. After he gets a call from NASA, his whole world gets flipped upside-down when he is told that reality may not be what it seems. He and his co-pilot, Doug, travel to the edge of the universe in search of answers to their existence.

 

BOX MONSTER

USA, 2012, HD, 4 min.

WRITER/DIR/PROD: Nicolas Medrano

CAST: Bradley Goedde, Manuel Medrano, Nicolas Medrano

An action-packed film about a human vs. cardboard conflict.

 

BRAVE BOY

WRITER/DIR/PROD: Alejandro Lombard

CAST: Baxter Chelsom, Charlie Paluck

A story of friendship and courage, a young boy is forced to grow up and face his fears when he realizes his best friend is not always going to be there for him.

 

THE CANDY GIRL

CAN, 2015, HD, 14 min.

WRITERS: Lettie Costea, Joshua Costea

DIRECTOR: Joshua Costea

PROD: Lettie Costea

CAST: Maia Costea, David Raynolds, Carla Costea, Izabel Pearce, Matt Kennedy, Bree Crosby, Preston Barkwell, Mae Pearce, Summer Barkwell, Zyrack Dean Osmon, Michele Pearce

The Candy Girl clandestine business has been operating smoothly in school until the principal infiltrates an undercover spy in the group. Would the infiltrator betray them?

CHOICES

WORLD Premiere | USA, 2017, HDV, 4 min.

WRITER/DIR/PROD: Nicholas Taplitz

CAST: Theo Taplitz, Daniel Taplitz

A boy who can never make up his mind about anything finds unexpected help in the fruit bowl.

CYCLE

USA, 2016, HD, 10 min.

WRITER/DIR: Caleb Wild

PRODS: Caleb Wild, Jonathan Niles-Gill

CAST: Isaac Hollingsworth, Jeremy Marr Williams, Tami Kent

A teen aging out of the foster care system, scrambling to determine his future, is suddenly interrupted by the appearance of his biological father.

EAGLE FEATHER

WORLD Premiere | USA, 2017, HD, 4 min.

WRITER/DIR/PROD: Pasquale Encell

CAST: Pasquale Encell, Steve Encell, Heidi Walker

In Eagle Feather an American Indian father and his young daughter leave before sunrise to drive to an American wilderness lake so that she can find her first ceremonial eagle feather. We see beautiful animated landscapes and assorted wildlife as our heroes journey on their quest. Eagle Feather is based on portions of my own childhood and the background music is traditional American Indian songs.

FLU SEASON

CALIFORNIA Premiere | USA, 2016, HD, 6 min.

WRITER: Isabella D’Ambrosio

DIRECTORS: Cate Sundahl, Koko Crawford, Remy Boul

PROD: Karen Bennett

CAST: Ava Downing, Maddox Cudd, Lily Silverstein, Ian Salmon

Germaphobic Julia has a terrible day when her classmates all seem to come down with the flu.

THE FORTUNE TELLER

NORTH AMERICAN Premiere | CAN, 2016, HD, 3 min.

WRITERS: Carla Costea, Aias Dalman, Juliet Ross, Mckenna Mubanda

DIRECTOR/PROD: Levente Mihalik

CAST: Carla Costea, Aias Dalman, Juliet Ross, Mckenna Mubanda, Zach Wolfman

Three friends don’t heed to the warning of a young boy who tells them to be careful what they wish for, when they find his paper fortune teller.

GOLDFISH

WEST COAST Premiere | USA, 2016, HD, 20 min.

WRITER/DIR: Christina Xing

PRODS: Pamela Bagwell, Shane Bagwell

CAST: Ella May Hunsander, Oliver Klein

Goldfish tells the story of an unlikely friendship between Amelie (an introvert) and Ben (an extrovert). They are paired together to take care of a goldfish. Except there’s one major problem. Amelie’s deathly fear of marine creatures.

HEAR ME OUT

WORLD Premiere | USA, 2016, HD, 3 min.

DIRECTOR: Jenn Page

PRODS: Barbara Fifield, Kacey Fifield

CAST: Kacey Fifield

Kacey Fifield is a 12-year-old singer/songwriter. She wrote “Hear Me Out” to be heard as she sees our world with its many flaws. Please hear her out and be kind to the animals, environment and each other. Look around, stop and listen. Kids are the future. Together we can make a difference and make the world a better place.

HIS FIRST TIME

WORLD Premiere | CAN, 2016, 35mm, 6 min.

WRITER/DIR/PROD: Angel Violet Hawes

CAST: Danny Bristol, Angel Hawes, Melina Suelzle, Jeremy Stewart

A young man always remembers his “first time”. First time being truthful that is. Watch as he learns a valuable life lesson from his girlfriend….sometimes it IS best not to tell the truth.

 

LETTER TO HEAVEN

WORLD Premiere | USA, 2016, HD, 5 min.

WRITER: Jennia Fredrique Aponte

DIRECTOR: Shaman Aponte

PROD: Sol Aponte

CAST: Genis Wooten, Sol Aponte, Jennia Fredrique Aponte, Trenton Lucas, Arlene Njuru

Ten-year-old Oscar is tired of getting picked on at school because of his mentally challenged father that he tried so hard to keep a secret. Oscar grows to understand his father’s challenges and finds a way to look past them, while learning to be proud of his father for the loving dad he is.

LILLY NEEDS A RIDE

USA, 2016, HD, 5 min.

WRITER/DIR/PROD: Paloma Perez

CAST: Jesse Gilbert, Morgan Wheeler

Lilly is running away from her mother and finds a friendly man with a personal connection and willingness to help her out. Is accepting a ride from a stranger ever a good idea?

THE MAGIC POWER

USA, 2016, HD, 3 min.

WRITER/DIR/PROD: William Lancaster

CAST: Maeve Morgan Phoa

This film follows a girl living in a world where everyone is born with magic powers except her. With help from her brother, she eventually finds her own unique power that is just as magic as everyone else’s.

MISSION ROAD

WEST COAST Premiere | USA, 2016, HD, 9 min.

WRITER/DIR/PROD: Ioannes Palomaria

CAST: John Huckert

A homeless veteran, who is always faithful to his cause, gets another chance to save a life.

THE MOBSTERS

WEST COAST PREMIERE | USA, 2017, HD, 7 min.

WRITER/DIR/PROD: Evan Hara

CAST: Evan Hara, Ben Cheatham, Collin Jarvis

In a teenager’s world without candy, life can be rough. Mobsters who deal different kinds of sweets dominate the streets. However, Donny, one of the head honchos, is trying not to be shut down by Guido, another top gangster. Donny now has to assemble his team, take down Guido, and get the sweets.

OCTAVIUS 3 THE HEIST

WEST COAST Premiere | Australia, 2016, HD, 4 min.

WRITER/DIR/PROD: James Baras-Miller

CAST: Octavius Teddy Bear, Bob Teddy Bear, Buttercup Teddy Bear

Octavius escapes from prison and frames his nemesis Bob for a major art heist. With the law closing in Bob Teddy Bear must clear his name before he can discover the truth and bring the evil Octavius Teddy Bear to justice.

PLANET 98475

WORLD Premiere | USA, 2017, HD, 8 min.

WRITER/DIR: Noah Z

PROD: Noah Z, Rafael Z

CAST: Jack Massee, Atlantic Terry

This story is about the argument between a flesh and blood human and an artificial intelligence robot. The man and robot argue about who is human and who is not, while being stuck on planet 98475 by themselves. They have to learn how to get along.

PLASTIC IS FOREVER

USA, 2016, HD, 19 min.

DIRECTOR/PROD: Dylan D’Haeze

FEATURING: Dylan D’Haeze

Dylan D’Haeze, a 13-year-old filmmaker from the San Juan Islands, follows plastic trash to where it ends up—with some surprising results. And he shows how kids can help make a difference in a world that is increasingly dependent on plastic.

PLEASE

WORLD Premiere | USA, 2016, HDV, 13 min.

WRITER/DIR/PROD: Shirley Sui

CAST: Brian Falkner, Sofie Puchley, Noah Jones, Juliette James

An old clown has a superpower. He can make everyone follow his orders just by saying ‘please.’ For decades, he tries to find his teenage lover by telling his life story.

RECESS

WEST COAST Premiere | USA, 2017, HD, 3 min.

WRITER: Aidan Wonderling

DIRECTORS: Aidan Wonderling, Brett Elam

PRODS: Aidan Wonderling, Brett Elam, Amy Wonderling, Polymyth Productions

CAST: Aidan Wonderling, Gabriel Robert, Zach Thomas, Kalia Young, Nola Tallone, Charlotte Moran, Brett Elam, Ava Lovell, Theo Christopherson

Do you remember being in elementary school and the times you spent during recess? For a kid, it’s the toughest choice of the day deciding what to do in those precious 15 minutes.

SMILE: A MUSICAL

WORLD Premiere | USA, 2017, HDV, 16 min.

WRITER/DIR: Sarah Phillips

PRODS: Laetitia Leon, Sarah Phillips

CAST: Maya Grace Fischbein, Desmond Newson, Susan May Pratt, Aaron McPherson, Gina Hecht, M.J. Ordinario, Sydney Haik

When Hazel fails to connect with her clinically depressed father, she goes on a musical journey to make him smile.

STANDPOINT

US Premiere | US, 2016, HDV, 16 min.

WRITER/DIR: Erik Hirschhorn

PRODS: Erik Hirschhorn, Shirley He

CAST: Dakota Bailey, Solon Carter, AnaLia Lenchantin, Jonathan Sharp

Aliza is a Jewish ballarina who must escape Nazi occupied Poland in order to attend to a dance Audition in Prague.

Dances With Kidz by Pros

THE ADVENTURES OF WOOLLYFOOT & FRIENDS

WORLD Premiere | UK, 2016, HD, 5 min.

WRITERS/PRODS: Ed Hartwell, Sarah Simi

DIRECTOR: Ed Hartwell

CAST: Ed Hartwell (voice)

Woollyfoot is a loveable monster living in the wilderness. He explores his environment and makes friends through music, dance and the discarded objects he finds in the forest.

BAD LITTLE FAIRIES

WORLD Premiere | USA, 2016, HD, 5 min.

WRITER/DIR: Gayla Goehl

PRODS: Gayla Goehl, Nathan Moore, Eric Rottman

CAST: Cara Royston, Ruby Matenko, Alondra Munoz, Chynna Merritt, Evangeline Lindes

When the little fairies in Fairy Fairy Land get a little too curious and mischief gets the best of them, hilarious events to unfold and all the residents of Fairy Fairyland will never be the same.

THE ELIMINADORA

USA, 2016, HD, 20 min.

WRITERS: Jesus Renteria, P.J. Gaynard

DIRECTOR: P.J. Gaynard

PRODS: P.J. Gaynard, Jesus Renteria, Ana Renteria, Anne Grauso,Deven MacNair, Amanda Hart

CAST: Nadia Renteria, Brenda Banda, William Guirola, Michael Chubb, Tito Santana, Deven MacNair,Rigo Obezo, Andre Salcido, Sidd Munjal

Ten year old Sofia dream of being a lucha libre champion, like her father before her. However a disapproving mother and overprotective father stand in the way of her plans. So Sofia sets off on a journey that takes her all over the city in an attempt to make her dreams come true.

 

MR VIOLET

CALIFORNIA Premiere | Iran, 2014, HD, 3 min.

DIRECTOR: Abbas Jalali yekta-Mohammad hossein Azam pour

PROD: Ehsan Rasoulof

Mr Violet lives on a mug in a busy cafe. his life is boring and full of loneliness, till the time when presence of a girl on another mug change his life.

PRESSURE

WORLD Premiere | USA, 2016, HD, 9 min.

WRITER: Adria Dawn

DIRECTOR: David Tarleton, Adria Dawn

PRODS: Adria Dawn, David Tarleton, Stacey Flaster, Elizabeth Fauntleroy

CAST: Daniel Pass, Meghan Keefe, Jay Metzger, Matt Pierce

Overwhelmed with the pressure from his parents and peers to succeed in sports, school and activities, a boy struggles to keep it together.

SUPERMOM

USA, 2016, HD, 14 min.

WRITER/DIR: Jason Honeycutt

PRODS: Jason Honeycutt, Nick Pellegrini

CAST: Justine Herron, John Hensley, Kaylee Dennis, Garret T. Sato, Olivia Honeycutt, A Leslie Kies

“Supermom” is the “must see” (Palm Springs Life) award-winning short film about a daughter who believes her mother is a real life super hero – she might be right. It stars Justine Herron (“Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain”) and John Hensley (star of “Nip/Tuck,” “Teeth,” etc.).

Credit: DANCES WITH KIDZ!

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