Boston International Kids Film Festival Nov 6-8 at Seaport World Trade Center

The Boston International Kids Film Festival (BIKFF), now in its third year is taking place November 6-8, 2015 at the Seaport World Trade Center. Designed for moviegoers of all ages, the festival will showcase features, shorts and student-made films from around the world. This year's comedies, fantasies, and documentaries will cover tough topics with extraordinary sensitivity and imagination. There are also workshops designed to inspire and empower young people to tell their own stories.

"Our goal in creating the festival is to respond to the dramatic changes that have taken place in the media industry and to support the next generation of media makers," says Laura Azevedo, executive director of Filmmakers Collaborative, the festival's presenter. "As kids are now so connected, it's important that we empower them with media literacy and technological skills to communicate visually and create their own messages in a powerful, safe and effective way."

The festival kicks-off on Friday, November 6, with a block of student-made films from around the world, followed by a Q&A session with the filmmakers.

Nearly 80 films will be shown at the festival; a complete list and schedule can be found at bikff.org. Some of the highlights include:

· The Legend of Longwood: Mickey Merill, a single minded young girl is dragged from the bustle of New York City to a remote corner of Ireland where she finds the people swamped by the curse of a Black Knight seeking redemption. Special guest is WGBH's Brian O'Donovan. Directed by Lisa Mulcahy

· Bite Size: The documentary showcases the stories of four inspiring kids from diverse backgrounds who are fighting for their health one day at a time. Proving that it's not just about the number on a scale, what really matters is learning what keeps you active and makes you happy. Directed by Corbin Billings

· The Year We Thought About Love: The feature-length documentary which celebrates the powerful work of a Boston LGBTQ troupe, True Colors: OUT Youth Theater, as they write a play about love. Directed by Ellen Brodsky.

· Walt Disney: This never before seen, 90-minute version of the PBS American Experience documentary offers an unprecedented look at the life and legacy of Disney, one of America's most influential and enduring storytellers. Directed by Sarah Colt.

· Ghost Army: The astonishing true story of American G.I.s who tricked the enemy with rubber tanks, sound effects and carefully crafted illusions during the second World War. Directed by Rick Beyer.

The following workshops will be offered at this year's film festival:

· Animated Shorts: Recommended for children ages 10 and under, this block will include one hour of animated shorts, followed by an animation workshop.

· Media Girls: Explores how pop culture influences our ideas of the "perfect girl," how these messages hurt us all and how we can strike back while changing the culture of media.

· Social Media Bootcamp for Parents - This interactive workshop will help parents and caregivers learn the conventions and uses of the social media sites kids are using these days, and to do a little enlightening research.

· GoPro 101: In this presentation you will learn about the different models of cameras in the GoPro line-up and the multitude of settings they offer.

About Filmmakers Collaborative

The Boston International Kids Film Festival is a project of Filmmakers Collaborative (FC), a non-profit organization that encourages and supports the making of great films and media projects by people of all ages and experience levels. FC offers grants management, mentoring and workshops to a diverse and national community that includes award-winning PBS documentarians, first-time producers and directors, and young people just discovering the power and potential of visual media. For more information please go to: www.filmmakerscollab.org.

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