General Information

Age Recommendations
All films featured in this guide are listed with an age recommendation intended to assist parents or guardians in selecting the most stimulating films for their children’s level of personal development. Films selected for the Reel to Real School Program have grade range recommendations. From our experience, children and youth respond in varied ways. We therefore leave the final decision to teachers and parents. Where necessary, we have noted incidents of course language, nudity, violence, or mature content. We encourage you to accompany your children to these screenings.

Key
F=Family Feature

9+ Indicates our age recommendation (for children ages 9 and up)

Venues
CTT= Tinseltown Cinemas, 88 West Pender Street
RHCC= Roundhouse Community Centre, Pacific Boulevard & Davie Streets

Subtitles
All films not in English are presented in their original language with English subtitles unless otherwise indicated.

6:00 pm CTT
And the winner is…….
Every November, Reel to Real offers workshops in film criticism at the National Film Board of Canada. This is a challenging and interactive experience where students sharpen their critical eye, gain an appreciation for international films, & learn what makes a film great. Two Youth Juries are chosen from successful workshop graduates (ages 9-12 and 13-19). The Youth Juries help organizers select films for the Family Film Festival tonight and all Saturday. This evening we are proud to announce this year’s award winners, followed by a special screening of a Canadian feature film.

The evening’s festivities will be hosted by Vancouver actor Lindsay Bourne.

Touching Wild Horses
Director: Eleanore Lindo
Canada
2002
92 min
VANCOUVER PREMIERE          F                          10+
After his father and sister are killed in a car accident, Mark (Mark Rendall, Tales from the Neverending Story, Impossible Elephant) is sent to live with his Aunt Fiona (Jane Seymour, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman) on the remote Sable Island off Canada’s east coast. Fiona is a reclusive scientist doing research on wild horses. Surprisingly, her strict regimen and the confines of the island provide Mark with a structure that was lacking in his life. But their relationship is shattered when Mark disobeys Fiona’s rule against touching the wild horses.

Eleanore Lindo – Director
Born and raised in Toronto, Eleanore Lindo has directed numerous documentaries and television dramas, including episodes of Degrassi Junior High, The Ray Bradbury Theatre, and The Road to Avonlea. Her documentary, Talkin’ About AIDS, won a Gemini Award. Touching Wild Horses is her feature film debut.

11:00 am                            13+                                CTT

Show us Your Image of the Future - Youth Produced Films
Don’t miss this unique insight into how today’s youth envision their future! Twenty Grade 11 & 12 students from high schools across the Lower Mainland were selected to attend an intensive Advanced Video Production Mentorship Program for three weeks at the Pacific Cinémathèque (PCP) where they produced videos on their image of the future. There will be a discussion period after the screening with the directors, cast and crew of each film.

The Telefilm Jury Panel

These exciting and insightful panel discussions will pit the opinions of three film industry professionals against the opinions of youth jury members (ages 9-12). The panel discussions will take place following each film screening throughout the day on Saturday, March 8. Take a seat near the concession stand at Tinseltown.

1:00 pm

A Passage to Ottawa
Director: Gaurav Seth
Canada
2001
90 min
VANCOUVER PREMIERE       F       8+       Sat Mar 8        CTT

When his mother falls gravely ill in India, seven-year-old Omi (Nabil Mehta) is sent to Ottawa to live with his uncle. Unaware that his mother is likely to die, Omi believes he is on a secret mission to find a superhero who will save her. He soon meets Roland (Jim Codrington), the captain of a local tour boat who begins a romance with Safia (Amy Sobol), Omi’s feisty teenaged cousin. Is Roland the hero Omi is looking for? Winner of a “Special Mention” Glass Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.

3:00 pm

25 Kids & One Dad
Director: Huang Hong
People’s Republic of China
2002
90 min
Chinese w/English subtitles
VANCOUVER PREMIERE        F         9+           Sat Mar 8 CTT

Chicken farmer Zhao Guang was an orphan brought up by his villagers; he understands what it’s like to be a poor kid without a family. But recent Chinese reform has turned Zhao into a wealthy man who wants to give back to the community. Announcing at the County Ceremony his intention to become the dad of all orphans, children come flocking to him. Now he must figure out how he will accommodate so many young lives, giving them the true filial love they need and deserve.

THIS SCREENING WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A TELEFILM PANEL DISCUSSION
4:30-5:00 pm in the Tinseltown Concession Area

5:00 pm

An Angel for May
Director: Harley Cokeliss
2002
97 min
United Kingdom
VANCOUVER PREMIERE        F        10+      Sat Mar 8       CTT

Guided by a sheepdog called Tess, Tom is magically transported into the past, to England during the Second World War. There he develops a warm friendship with orphaned evacuee May, and helps her overcome much of her trauma from the war. After returning to the present, Tom discovers that the family he visited suffered a bombing attack shortly after he left them. He desperately wants to go back to warn them, but can he make it in time? Based on the award winning book by Melvyn Burgess, the cast includes Tom Wilkinson (The Importance of Being Ernest, In the Bedroom) and Hugo Speer (The Full Monty, Bhaji on the Beach).

THIS SCREENING WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A TELEFILM PANEL DISCUSSION
6:30-7:00 pm in the Tinseltown Concession Area

7:00 pm CLOSING NIGHT SPECIAL FEATURE PRESENTATION

Minoes
Director: Vincent Bal (Man van Staal)
The Netherlands
2002
92 min
Dutch with English subtitles
VANCOUVER PREMERE     F      9+      Sat     Mar 8        CTT

One of the biggest box-office hits in the Netherlands, Minoes is the story of Tibbe, a young journalist who is about to be fired because he is too shy to track down any news stories. Then he meets the remarkable Miss Minoes who tells him she used to be a cat. Minoes provides Tibbe with exclusive news, and he triumphs as a journalist. Soon they discover the beloved benefactor of the town is not exactly as he seems, and Tibbe gets to cover the shocking story. Minoes is based on a book by the popular Dutch author Annie M.G. Schmidt.

THIS SCREENING WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A TELEFILM PANEL DISCUSSION
8:30-9:00 pm in the Tinseltown Concession Area