posted by Susan on June 25th, 2012

Last Monday, we assembled our first kids screening committee for the Milwaukee Children’s Film Festival. The committee, comprised of kids aged six through nine, met at the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum to watch six short films that are in consideration for this year’s Kids Shorts programs. The reports are in: they liked three, thought two were ok, and didn’t like one because it was “too mature.”

 

During the screening, the kids discussed what they enjoyed, or didn’t enjoy, about the films after writing some comments. For example:

 

“I liked how their fingers got stuck in everything.”

 

“It had a nice ending with the backpack, but the rabbit thing was weird.”

 

“It was dumb that they didn’t talk.”

 

“I liked how stuff that he wrote came to life.”

 

“Why were they picking their nose?”

 

Although the discussions were brief, it is clear that we have a budding community of cinephiles in Milwaukee. How many people know what stop-motion animation is in elementary school? I sure didn’t, but one boy explained it to the group. Another commented that he likes claymation, while a girl pointed out that the lesson of a different film made it worthwhile. Form and content—they seem to understand it all.

 

I’m obviously pushing for six- to nine-year-olds to program the entire Milwaukee Film Festival next year. Angela Catalano would agree, don’t you think?