Boston International Kids Film Festival to Return in November

The Boston International Kids Film Festival (BIKFF) returns with nearly 60 films for, by or about kids. This year's festival will feature a number of award-winning films including a look at the incredible work and training of rescue dogs around the world, a push to end the mental health stigma among teens and a look inside the effort to advance the athletic and mental development of youth through football. The festival runs November 10 - 12, 2023 at Mosesian Center for the Arts. All screenings are open to the public and tickets can be purchased at bikff.org. Festival passes begin at $59 for complete access to all screenings and question and answer sessions. Family discounts are available.

A program of Filmmakers Collaborative, BIKFF works to inspire kids to use the media to tell their own stories while screening some of the best films that independent filmmaking has to offer. Both student and professional filmmakers will present full-length documentaries, animated shorts, and short narrative films appropriate for all ages ( screenings are divided into age-appropriate blocks). The festival will also feature films made by students in FC Academy, an after-school and summer vacation filmmaking program that teaches students in grades k-8 how to make short films.  More than half of the films being screened are student-made, with the producers and directors being 18 years or younger. 

BIKFF will begin Friday November 10th with a screening of “Our Turn to Talk.” Directed by Beth Murphy (To Boston. From Kabul. With Love), the documentary showcases teens telling their own stories of mental health. From skyrocketing rates of anxiety and depression to the impacts of racism, social media and the pandemic, their struggles and triumphs carry a powerful message: Storytelling saves lives and OUR TURN TO TALK tells that story.

The festival will continue Friday night at the Mosesian Center with a screening of Superpower Dogs. Narrated by acclaimed actor Chris Evans, the film highlights the life-saving superpowers and extraordinary bravery of some of the world's most remarkable dogs including disaster response K-9s, avalanche rescue animals and even a Newfoundland lifeguard with the Italian coastguard. 

Saturday, November 11 and Sunday, November 12 will feature a full slate of short films across a wide range  of categories during the day at the Mosesian Center. This year's selections include a variety of powerful voices tackling issues like student-led climate protests, the impact of beauty standards on young women in a digital age, and overcoming the color barrier in professional sports. The nearly 60 films come from all over the world and are created by both professional filmmakers and students.

Saturday night the festival will show a special 30-minute episode of “NEYT, Inc.” The documentary style show explores the growing phenomenon of spring youth football in New England, delving into the challenges, controversies, and triumphs of this beloved American sport. From the perspectives of coaches, players, parents and experts, this series provides a comprehensive look at the challenges faced by young football players, from the physical and mental tolls of the game to the challenges of navigating the pressure to win and the importance of sportsmanship.

“All of our films showcase extraordinary kids doing things many adults only dream of,” said Laura Azevedo, executive director of Filmmakers Collaborative, the festival's presenter.  “At its heart, the Boston International Kids Film Festival is all about kids, and this year's selections highlight kids from all over the world doing some pretty remarkable work.”

Awards will be presented for Best Documentary, Best Short, Best International, Best Student Film, Best Student Documentary and the Audience Choice Award. The festival will also present the Peggy Charren Award for Excellence, created in honor of Peggy Charren, who worked tirelessly to achieve both quality and diversity in children's television, and organized parents in her community to create an advocacy group, Action for Children's Television (ACT). 

On Sunday, Massachusetts resident and “Orange is the New Black” star Tanya Wright will be on hand to share her latest film based on her book series, “Big Hair Hairiette of Harlem”. Harriette helps kids gain insights and learn valuable life lessons through the misadventures of an impatient 7-year-old named Hairiette and her magic friends, Charlie the Comb and Barbara the Barrette.

Several of the directors of the BIKFF films will take part in the Making Media Now podcast. On the Making Media Now podcast, host Michael Azevedo interviews filmmakers, journalists, writers, and those who apply their particular insight and skill to creating and understanding film, media and culture. The podcast is about to release the 100th episode. 

For more information or to purchase tickets to the festival, visit http://bikff.org/

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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