2024 Shorts watched
- 16 títulos
- DirecciónTom DavenportElencoScott HoneycuttAeron MackMarlene Elbin
When a poor Depression-era mountain father and stepmother can no longer afford to feed their children, Hansel and Gretel, they walk them into the woods and "lose" them. Banjo tunes serenade the resourceful pair through the misty forests, the harrowing adventures in the witch's decorative log cabin with its outdoor kitchen, and eventually back home to their backwoods hollow. This tale of self-reliance and mutual loyalty is narrated by Tom Davenport.
"Our audiences loved it. Kids hissed at the witch and shouted 'do it' as Gretel hesitated before pushing her into the oven...Excellent for stimulating talk about scary feelings and things. Great for mask-making, dramatizations, and mime. A four-star film for all ages."
--More Films Kids Like by Gerry Laybourne and Maureen Gaffney
- DirecciónTom DavenportThis masterful rendition of the classic fairy tale suitably answers a child's ponderings of how, exactly, a prince can climb the cascading tresses of a damsel in distress to rescue her from a prison tower--without causing her a bad-hair day. Named after a forbidden flower in an enchanted garden, Rapunzel is the story of a young girl of exquisite beauty who has been imprisoned from birth by a cruel witch. Her only connection to the outside world is her unforgettably long brown hair, which she flings out her lofty window at the beckon of a nocturnal suitor. Set in turn-of-the-century America, this live-action film is part of the series From the Brothers Grimm, a set of award-winning productions that translate traditional tales into the American idiom while remaining faithful to the folk original. Wrapped in gorgeous cinematography, this short and sweet tale (15-minutes) will grab viewers' attention through its enchanting blend of realism and imagination, showing a courageous girl's struggle for freedom. Not to mention the delicious elements of a good story--a wicked stepmother, a handsome prince, a curse lifted by the tears of an amorous woman, and the proverbial happy ending.
- DirecciónTom DavenportElencoAnn ClarkErnest GravesJulian Yochum
An upper-class, late 19th-century dining room where a wealthy industrialist presides as "king" sets the stage for this version of "The Frog King," the classic tale about a princess's promise to a frog. The frog invites himself to a formal family dinner, horrifying the princess by jumping from soupbowl to soupbowl.
"It's particularly satisfying to see a formal Victorian dinner party interrupted during the soup course by the arrival of a real live frog. After hopping under the table, the diminutive latecomer is gently retrieved by a butler, who "seats" him next to the paiunfully embarrassed young mistress of the house. From his perch on a stack of velvet cushions the frog proceeds to mingle in a delightfully froglike way, jumping into soupbowls and overturning wine glasses...little kids in particular may feel keen gratification when he splashes merrily around the table without suffering unpleasant consequences. Grown-ups may feel more amused by the aplomb of Ernest Graves in the role of the host and by the implications of the heroine's discomfort, which wittily evokes a good deal of the social and erotic panic associated with adolescence."
-- Gary Arnold, The Washington Post
CINE Golden Eagle winner, American Film Festival -- Blue ribbon
- DirecciónTom DavenportElencoRobert CarrollVeanne CoxSarah MarshallA girl acts spoiled and doesn't want to marry any of the suitors that come for her hand. One guy, who she nick-names "Bristlelip" makes a deal with her father for her hand. The next day "Bristlelip" comes disguised as a peddler, and the girl becomes his unwilling bride. He carries her off to his crude cabin, all the while commenting on her questions about properties. The girl proves to be an unfit (at housework) wife at first, trying her hand at cooking, spinning, basketry, and even sales of pottery to no avail.
- DirecciónTom DavenportElencoGlenn TaylorHelen StoltzfusKate Weber
A valiant soldier, wandering without cause or family after the Civil War, accepts the Devil's challenge to go for seven years without washing himself; cutting his hair, beard, or nails; or reciting the Lord's Prayer in exchange for limitless wealth. Draped in the Devil's cloak and the skin of a bear, the soldier travels the world, reveling in his riches until his appearance and odor become repugnant to all and especially to himself. At that point, the soldier learns to care about others and becomes the benefactor to a down-on-his-luck man who, in return for the soldier's generosity, offers one of his daughters in marriage.
-- Booklist
Winner of the American Film Festival Blue Ribbon The Parents Choice Award The American Library Association's "Notable Children's Film"
- DirecciónTom DavenportElencoLouise AndersonNorman AronovicBrilane BowmanA re-telling of Cinderella set in the rural south during World War II.
- DirecciónWes AndersonElencoRalph FiennesBenedict CumberbatchDev PatelCrónica de una variedad de historias, pero la principal sigue a Henry Sugar, quien puede ver a través de los objetos y predecir el futuro con la ayuda de un libro que robó.
- DirecciónWes AndersonElencoRupert FriendRalph FiennesAsa JenningsA small brilliant boy is tormented by two large idiotic bullies.
- DirecciónWes AndersonElencoDev PatelBenedict CumberbatchRalph FiennesWhen a poisonous snake slithers onto an Englishman's stomach in India, his associate and a doctor race to save him.
- DirecciónWes AndersonElencoRichard AyoadeRalph FiennesRupert FriendIn an English village, a reporter and a mechanic listen to a rat catcher explain his clever plan to outwit his prey.
- DirecciónJoaquín CociñaCristóbal LeónUsing human corpses and invoking the spirits of two damned Secretaries of State, a girl performs a ritual to free the kingdom of Chile from its feudal heritage.
- DirecciónAki KaurismäkiElencoIlkka KoivulaA day in the life of a lonely tavern man in an old Portuguese town.
- DirecciónCharlotte WellsElencoMegan McGillAnita VettesseDavid LeithSixteen-year-old Allie begins to accept the magnitude of a recent loss.
- DirecciónChristian AvilésElencoSam ZeitlinJulia FossiDina SerraSun starved teenagers take on a dreamy trip to the Balearic Islands in the pursuit of light and warmth. They must absorb it and be a vessel in order to transport it back to their heavy clouded Kingdom.
- DirecciónTom DavenportAfrican American actors in period costumes and vintage cars re-enact a variant of the Grimms' comic story, "The Master Thief," in a small 1930s American town. Jack, a poor laborer's son, wants to marry the dentist's daughter, but the dentist insists that he earn money first. When clever jack steals the money from thugs Robin Hood-fashion, the dentist devises more premarital hurdles. Jack even kidnaps the preacher and steals the sheets off the dentist's bed -- while he's sleeping in it. A fine example of an American Jack Tale, closely related to traditional trickster tales found worldwide.
- DirecciónHelena HilarioMario PeceInspired by true events, while visiting a home for children, a little girl meets Joseph, a boy whose only dream is to have a yellow umbrella. This unexpected encounter awakens his memories of the past.
