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Fifteen movies from around the world have been picked for the sixth annual Tumbleweeds Film Festival, set to play Sept. 23-25 at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in Salt Lake City.
The festival opens on Friday, Sept. 23, 7 p.m., with "Brothers of the Wind," an Austrian adventure, made in English, about a boy (Manuel Camacho) who saves the life of a baby eagle. French star Jean Reno ("The Professional") co-stars for directors Gerardo Olivares and Otmar Penke. Recommended for 8 and up.
The festival's Centerpiece film is a classic: director Mel Stuart's 1971 musical fantasy "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," starring the late Gene Wilder as the eccentric candymaker. The 35mm print will screen Saturday, Sept. 24, at 7:15 p.m., and patrons will receive "Wonkariffic" goodie bags. Rated G.
The closing-night film, set for Sunday, Sept. 25, at 6 p.m., is "The Eagle Huntress," director Otto Bell's documentary about Aisholpan, a 13-year-old Mongolian girl who battles her male-dominated culture to become the first female in 2,000 years to hunt with a golden eagle. The movie will have something it didn't when it premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival: narration by "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" star Daisy Ridley, who signed on as an executive producer. Recommended for 12 and up.
Here are the other movies scheduled for the Tumbleweeds Film Festival (with synopses provided by the Utah Film Center):
Saturday, Sept. 24:
9:30 a.m. • "Molly Monster" (Germany/Sweden/Switzerland), directed by Ted Sieger, Michael Ekbladh and Matthias Bruhn; animated, recommended for 4 and up • "Young Molly Monster spends her days playing with her best friend Edison. When her mama gives birth to an egg, Molly begins a journey to find her new place in the family."
10 a.m. • Panel: Tech Talk • Director AJ Clayton will teach young would-be vloggers the secrets of getting thousands of views on their personal videos. Free.
11:15 a.m. • Tumbleweeds Shorts Program 1 • A program of short films, recommended for children 4 and up.
11:45 a.m. • "Secret Society of Souptown (Supilinna Salaselts)" (Estonia/Finland), directed by Margus Paju; live-action, recommended for 7 and up • "When the adult population of their small town seems to be acting like children, a group of young treasure hunters search for the antidote by deciphering a book of riddles."
12:45 p.m. • "Help, I Shrunk My Teacher (Hilfe, ich hab meine Lehrerin geschrumpft)" (Germany), directed by Sven Unterwaldt Jr.; live-action, recommended for 8 and up • "Felix is being sent to a strict boarding school after failing out of his previous school. While trying to adjust, he accidentally shrinks his teacher. With time running short, he and his friend Ella must figure out a way to bring her back to normal height."
2 p.m. • "How to Steal a Dog" (South Korea), directed by Sun Ho-Kim; recommended for 9 and up • "Ten-year old Ji-so, her mother, and younger brother are homeless after her father abandons them. In an effort to find a home, Ji-so hatches a scheme to kidnap the dog of a rich owner and hold it for ransom."
2:45 p.m. • "The Little Prince" (France/Canada), directed by Mark Osborne ("Kung Fu Panda"); animated, rated PG, recommended for 6 and up • "Based on the classic story by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, an over-scheduled girl befriends an eccentric aviator, who regales her with tales about the adventures of an unusual boy who lives on an asteroid."
4:15 p.m. • "Kidnap: Bo's Most Excting Holiday Ever (Kidnep)" (Netherlands), directed by Diederic Ebbinge; live-action, recommended for 9 and up • "When Bo is kidnapped, and his safe and secluded world is turned upside down, he unexpectedly forges a strange friendship with Fred, his gruff and lovable kidnapper."
5:15 p.m. • "Hördur" (Germany), directed by Ekrem Ergün; live-action, recommended for 12 and up • "A coming-of-age film about Aylin, a young Turkish immigrant living in Germany, who is set on the road to self-discovery after being sentenced to work at a horse stable after an altercation at school."
7:15 p.m. • "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" • See above.
Sunday, Sept. 25:
9:45 a.m. • "Belle & Sebastian: The Adventure Continues (Belle et Sébastien: L'Aventure Continue)" (France), directed by Christian Duguay; live-action, recommended for 8 and up • "This thrilling update of the popular 1960s TV series, based on the beloved French children's novel, reintroduces us to brave Sebastian and his faithful canine companion Belle as they set out to find Sebastian's adoptive mother following the end of World War II."
10 a.m. • Tumbleweeds Shorts Program 2 • A program of short films, recommended for children 7 and up.
11:30 a.m. • "Blinky Bill: The Movie" (Australia), directed by Deane Taylor, Noel Cleary, Alexs Stadermann and Alex Weight; animated, rated PG, recommended for 4 and up • "An adventurous young koala embarks on a journey across the wild and dangerous Australian outback in the hope of finding his missing father, but he soon discovers that there is more to being a hero than meets the eye." The voice cast includes Rufus Sewell and Toni Collette.
Noon • "Abulele" (Israel), directed by Jonathan Geva; live-action, recommended for 9 and up • "In this heartfelt family film, a young boy grieving the loss of his brother discovers a monster living in his building's basement. Befriending the monster, he risks everything to protect his friend from a government force that is trying to capture him."
2:15 p.m. • "Long Way North (Tout en haut du monde)" (France/Denmark), directed by Rémi Chayé; animated, recommended for 10 and up • "Sasha, a young girl from the Russian aristocracy, embarks on an epic quest to the North Pole."
4 p.m. • "Fortune Favors the Brave (Ente Gut! Mädchen allein zu Haus)" (Germany), directed by Norbert Lechner; live-action, recommended for 10 and up • "The story of an unusual friendship between two immigrant Vietnamese sisters and their daredevil neighbor."
4:15 p.m. • Tumbleweeds Shorts Program 3 • A program of short films, recommended for children 5 and up.
6 p.m. • "The Eagle Huntress" • See above.
Workshops:
The festival also offers four workshops, each for a $15 registration fee. (To register, visit the festival's website.) Here are the workshops:
• Screenwriting for Kids • Saturday, Sept. 24, 1 to 2:30 p.m. • Presented by Salt Lake Community College's Community Writing Center, the workshop "invites youth to explore how screenplays differ from other forms of storytelling. We will practice character creation, plot development, and scene structure. We will also read a portion of a screenplay and set out to write one ourselves." Open to 15 attendees, recommended for ages 8 to 12.
• Maya 3D Design • Saturday, Sept. 24, 10 a.m. to noon • Presented by animator Stephen Anderson, the workshop lets students "experience the art of 3D modeling and learn basic fundamental techniques you can use to create anything in a digital space. Applications include: movies, games, and 3D printing." Open to 10 attendees, recommended for ages 8 to 12.
• Critic's Workshop and Screening • Sunday, Sept. 25, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. • Presented by Salt Lake Tribune movie critic Sean P. Means, who "leads a 30-minute pre-film discussion on how to watch film critically. He will talk about what to look for and think about while watching a movie. After this brief discussion, participants will watch a festival film in the Jeanne Wagner Theatre. After the movie, you'll spend 45 minutes with Sean writing your very own review." Open to 15 attendees, recommended for ages 10 to 12.
• Tell Your Story With Film • Sunday, Sept. 25, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. • Presented by Brian Higgins of Create Real Change, in which "participants will learn to use images and symbols to tell their stories in order to discover new pathways to the world of filmmaking and expressive arts. This workshop incorporates proven inspiration, motivation, and communication techniques to help you craft meaningful films and stories. Attendees will make a short film incorporating theses techniques."
Tumbleweeds also features its Kids' Clubhouse in the Rose Room, open Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 24-25, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Festivalgoers can take time between screenings to take part in numerous activities designed to show the balance of technology, engineering, art and active play. The activities include: An obstacle course designed by Salt Lake City Cross Fit, STEM and maker activities by the Mini Maker Faire, festival badge making, virtual-reality demos and more. The clubhouse is free and open to the public.
Tickets for Tumbleweeds are $6 per screening, available at the Rose Wagner box office, or via ArtTix. A pass, good for 10 tickets, is available for $40 at the festival website.