Jan 14 - 23 2022
Belmont World Film 19th Annual Family Festival: In-Person Screenings & Workshops

Belmont World Film 19th Annual Family Festival: In-Person Screenings & Workshops

Presented by Belmont World Film at West Newton Cinema

Belmont World Film’s 19th Family Festival takes place both in-person and online from January 14-23, 2022, featuring 15 film programs—including over 30 feature length and short animated, live action, and documentary films, several based on international children’s books and with others making their US premieres—and several workshops. The festival provides children age 3-12 and their families and caregivers the opportunity to see some of the world’s most remarkable current films for children that aren’t available anywhere else. Films are from Brazil, Chile, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Iceland, India, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the UK, and the US, and will be shown in their original languages with English subtitles (read aloud through headphones at in-person screenings). Filmmakers from around the world will also participate in virtual Q&As.

Films feature stories about such subjects as: a young girl defying female stereotypes; elementary school students learning how to grow food through a 100-year-old in-school gardening program in The Netherlands; magical characters inspired by legends and stories passed down by indigenous peoples, early African inhabitants, and Portuguese ancestors; and an Indian boy living in Germany who dreams of becoming a Bollywood star. Several films are based on children’s books, such as Julia Donaldson’s Superworm (with the voices of Olivia Colman and Matt Smith), the German films Jim Button and the Wild 13 and Laura’s Star, and a selection of short film programs from Scholastic/Weston Woods based on picture books, including their newest never-before seen films, films about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mo Willems. Each day features one in-person screening at 1 PM: at the Regent Theater in Arlington (5 Medford St,) on January 15, the Majestic 7 in Watertown (81 Arsenal Yards Blvd.) on January 16, and the West Newton Cinema (1296 Washington St.) on January 17. Covid protocols will be required. The majority of film programs will also be available for online screening for all 10 days.

The workshops include three online clay modeling sessions (Gromit and Shaun the Sheep), conducted by Aardman’s (the Wallace & Gromit films) senior model maker on January 22, and a two-day, in-person workshop on film criticism led by former Boston Society of Film Critics President Tom Meek and others on January 15 and 16, at the Belmont Media Center.

Admission Info

Online Screenings: $10 for shorts and $14 for feature-length films (no refunds after purchase).

In-person screenings: $10, must be purchased online (fully refundable).

Workshops: $20 each.

Online Film Pass Only: $45, which includes online film, but no workshops.

Full Festival Pass: $65, which includes all online films and all workshops.

VIP Festival Pass: $100, which includes all online films, all workshops, a t-shirt, and recognition in the program for a year.

EBT Cardholder Tickets: 1/2 price

Phone: 617-484-3980

Email: info@belmontworldfilm.org

Additional time info:

One feature length film will also be shown in-person each day, each beginning at 1:00 PM: My Dad Is a Sausage on Saturday, January 15, at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Laura's Star on Sunday, January 16, at the Majestic 7 in Watertown, and Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary (aka Calamity Jane) on Monday, January 17, at the West Newton Cinema (My Dad Is a Sausage and Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary will also be available online). In-person screening tickets are completely refundable.

All films but Calamity are available for all 10 days of the festival from Friday, January 14 @ 7 PM to Sunday, January 23 @ 7 PM. Once you start watching a film, you will have 48 hours in which to finish it.

The Junior Film Critics Workshop takes place Saturday, January 15 and Sunday, January 16, from 1-3:30 PM each day at the Belmont Media Center.

Filmmakers Q&As include The Schoolgarden on Saturday, January 15, at 4:00 PM, Dreams Are Like Wild Tigers on Sunday, January 23, at 11:30 AM, and Mila on Sunday, January 23, at 5:00 PM.

Dates & Times

2022/01/14 - 2022/01/23

Location Info

West Newton Cinema

1296 Washington Street, Newton, MA 02465

Accessibility Info

Most screenings will be subtitled in English or with English captions enabled. In-person screenings will have subtitles read aloud through headphones.