Watermelons, Pelicans and Gardens...Oh My!

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We feel your pain...this frosty winter has inspired severe bouts of cabin fever. Parents are feeling it, and kids are, too. The One Earth Film Festival presents several opportunities for kids to get out of the house and explore another world...through the magic of film and community!

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Many films in the One Earth Film Festival lineup will appeal to teenage viewers, but the festival will also  present five programs specifically designed for kids ages 14 and under. These events are free, but seating is limited (some are already at or near capacity!). Reservations are highly recommended.

One Earth...Our Earth Young Filmmakers Contest

The festival will feature the winners of the second annual One Earth…Our Earth Young Filmmakers Contest. On Saturday, March 8 at 1:00 pm at Beye Elementary School (230 N. Cuyler, Oak Park, IL), three winning film teams will receive awards! Come watch their films and talk to the young filmmakers about their work. Along with an award certificate, each winning team will receive prize money plus a matching grant check to the non-profit organization of their choice that is working on a sustainability topic.

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In the High School category the Hinsdale Central Ecology Club won top prize for “What Will You Do?” a film about transportation. Filmmakers Stephanie Jamilla, Josh Feldman, Rachel Chang, and Wendy Li attend Hinsdale Central High School in Hindsdale, IL.

In the Middle School category, a group called Pineapple Productions won top prize for “Earth 2114,” a film about water usage and resources. Fimmakers Ana Shack, Lillian Lowson, Marta Rohner, Isabella Saracco Haley Gladden and Cia Gladden  attend Roosevelt Middle school in River Forest, IL.

In the Elementary School category, Willard Elementary School (River Forest, IL) students Jaxon Toppen, Danny Scholvin and Ray Deogracias won top prize for  “Where Did The Rest of Us Go?” a film about electronic waste.

Saving Pelican 895

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Ellen Cutter, Children’s Outreach Coordinator for the River Forest Public Library, will return to the festival again this year with activities designed to get kids creatively engaged with the themes in the films.

After viewing Saving Pelican 895 on Saturday, March 8 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. at Beye Elementary School in Oak Park, Cutter will lead kids ages 10 to 14 in a facilitated discussion. She will also lead activities with a large parachute to demonstrate the concepts of free movement versus the effects of oil slicks. Kids will also be able to look through a range of books about oil spills, wildlife rescue, and more.

Saving Pelican 895 chronicles the efforts of wildlife rescue experts in the aftermath of the 2010 BP oil spill, when nearly 9,000 birds were found in the oily waters of the Gulf Coast.

This film will also screen on Sunday, March 9 from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm at the Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor, 7347 Madison St., Forest Park, IL.

Lost and Found

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Lost and Found

After watching Lost and Found on Saturday, March 8 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. at Beye Elementary School in Oak Park, Ellen Cutter of River Forest Library will invite children ages 3 to 9 to play with a large parachute to learn about waves. Parents and children can also peruse related library books specially selected by Cutter.

A magical tale of friendship and loneliness, Lost and Found tells the story of a little boy who finds a penguin on the doorstep of his house one morning. After much thought, the boy decides to help the penguin find his way back home, which means rowing a small boat all the way to the South Pole!

Watermelon Magic / The Curious Garden 

Children ages 3-11 will enjoy two delightful films at the Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor in Forest Park on Sunday, March 9 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. After the films, children will be led in a facilitated discussion. A resource table by the Oak Park Conservatory will promote upcoming programming, including free Saturday drop-in activities. Each child can take home a free packet of watermelon or sunflower seeds.

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Watermelon Magic

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Curious Garden

Watermelon Magic chronicles a season on the family farm, as young Sylvie grows a patch of watermelons to sell at market.  The Curious Garden, based on  the award-winning book by Peter Brown, portrays one boy’s quest for a greener world … one garden at a time. A little boy named Liam discovers a struggling garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush, green world.

Seating is limited at these events, especially at The Brown Cow.  Please reserve your free tickets today!

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Special thanks to River Forest Library for their support and assistance in presenting children's programming at One Earth Film Festival 2014!