Well-behaved adults were welcomed to accompany our enthusiastic young film fans to this exciting programme of specially selected films for younger audiences. Viewers could choose from bite-sized shorts, a magical animated feature (Lamya’s Poem), a delightful adventure story (Kids are Fine), and the comedy classic Big, starring Tom Hanks.
Audiences were able to savour the magic in cinema, or catch family films online on a rainy day with our Online Festival programme – and enjoy films for the whole family on the big screen or from the comfort of your sofa!
View the 2021 Family Programme titles below.
Image courtesy of Park Circus/Disney
Big
Penny Marshall | USA | 1988 | 130 mins | CINEMA EXCLUSIVE
‘I wish I was big’ must be one of the sentences most uttered by children. For twelve-year-old Josh Baskin, this wish actually comes true! When Josh makes a wish to an antique fortune-telling machine called Zoltar, the last thing he expects is to wake up the next day with an adult body. Featuring Tom Hanks as ‘big’ Josh, in a performance that launched his career into the major league, and Elizabeth Perkins as the business exec whose heart he melts, Big, from director Penny Marshall, has enough heart to release the kid in all of us. (SE)
Kids Are Fine
SAT 06 2021 | GATE | 14:00
Lee Ji-Won | South Korea | 2021 | 108 mins | Subtitled | Also Online
Nine-year-old Da-yi’s mother is in the hospital, and his father is always busy, but he still manages to look after himself. His family have moved closer to the hospital so Da-yi can visit his mother every day and not feel lonely. Struggling to fit in at his new school, he soon makes friends with classmates Yu-jin and Min-ho. But when his mother is transferred to a hospital far away, Da-yi and his friends set out on adventure to find her. With her first feature, director Lee Ji-won has made a delightful tale for the whole family to enjoy. (SE)
Lamya’s Poem
SUN 07 2021 | GATE | 14:15
Alex Kronemer | USA, Canada / 2021 | 88 mins | Also Online
Lamya is a 12-year-old girl forced to flee a Syria devastated by violence and war. She finds refuge in a book of poetry written by the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi and, in this magical story, their paths intertwine as Lamya and Rumi find themselves fighting not just monsters but their own fears, and Lamya helps Rumi write a poem that will save her life. This lovely 2D animated feature deals with its serious themes – including war and child refugees – in imaginative and therapeutic ways while introducing the world of the famous poet Rumi to a Western audience. (AK)
Family Friendly Shorts
SAT 06 2021 | GATE | 11:30
Various | International | 2021 | 79 mins | Also Online
