(Madison, WI): The Wisconsin Film Festival invites children and film lovers of all ages on an adventurous world tour, while staying safely at home! The Wisconsin Film Festival brings the world to the youngest in its audience with “Big Screens, Little Folks” (BSLF) programming for the public and school screenings for ages 4 and older.

Beginning Friday, April 17, some of the extraordinary films that were to screen as part of the canceled 2020 Film Festival will stream for FREE on the Wisconsin Film Festival YouTube channel in the new online Big Streams, Little Folksprogram. Two shorts programs will stream each week of the online Festival, April 17-24 and April 24-May 1, from 10:00 am on Friday to 10:00 am the following Friday. The closing weekend, May 1-3, of Big Streams, Little Folks will feature some 24-hour pop-up short films starting at 10:00 am and one feature film, Chuskit, filmed in India.

The Festival is grateful for the support of the Anonymous Fund, Brittingham Trust and the distributors and filmmakers listed below in bringing the best of world cinema to Wisconsin’s youngest film enthusiasts online.

Schedule

*Films are listed in the order of viewing and the schedule is subject to change.

Program 1: Friday, April 17–Friday, April 24

Shorter and Sweeter | Ages 4–8 and older | 15 minutes

Primary language: English

“Tough Teeth.” Directed by Brianna Kastner. U.S. 2019. 4 minutes

“Preschool Poets: Supergirl.” Directed by Nancy Kangas and Josh Kun. U.S. 2018. 1 minute

“My Brother Luca/Mi Hermano Luca.” Directed by Carlos Algara and Catalina Serna. Mexico. 2019. This version is in English. 10 minutes

or

Primary language: Spanish

“Tough Teeth.” Directed by Brianna Kastner. U.S. 2019. 4 minutes

“Preschool Poets: Supergirl.” Directed by Nancy Kangas and Josh Kun. 2018. U.S. 1 minute

“Mi Hermano Luca/My Brother Luca.” Directed by Carlos Algara and Catalina Serna. Mexico. 2019. This version is in Spanish with English subtitles. 10 minutes

Short and Sweet | Ages 8–11 and older  | 20 minutes

“The Kite/Pouštět draka-Šarkan.” Directed by Martin Smatana. Czech Republic. 2019. 13 minutes

“The Weaver Girl and The Cowherd.” Directed by Crestwood Elementary fourth-graders.* U.S. 2018-19. 7 minutes

*This is the third year that fourth and fifth grade students from Crestwood Elementary in Madison have submitted a short animated film to the Wisconsin Film Festival under the direction of Luke Bassuener.

Program 2: Friday, April 24–Friday, May 1

Shorter and Sweeter | Ages 4–8 and older | 14 minutes

“6:1.” Directed by Sergei Ryabov. Russia. 2018. 5 minutes

“Archie.” Directed by Ainslie Henderson. U.K. 2019. 5 minutes

“Preschool Poets: Mr Grumpy, Mr. Crumpy and Mr. Bumpy.” Directed by Nancy Kangas and Josh Kun. U.S. 2018. 1 minute

“Angel’s Trumpet.” Directed by Martinus Klemet. Estonia. 2019. 3 minutes

Short and Sweet | Ages 8–11 and older | 29 minutes

“Preschool Poets: Bullets.” Directed by Nancy Kangas and Josh Kun. U.S. 2018. 1 minute

“My Life in Versailles/La Vie de Château.” Directed by Clemence Madeleine-Perdillant and Nathaniel H’limi. France. French with English subtitles. 2019. 28 minutes

Program 3: Friday, May 1–Saturday, May 2

Shorter and Sweeter | Ages 4–8 and older | 4 minutes

“Slurp.” Directed by Florent Hill. France. 2018. 4 minutes

Short and Sweet | Ages 8–11 and older | 13 minutes

“Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days.” Directed by Regina Pessoa. Canada, France and Portugal. 2019. 13 minutes

Program 4: Saturday, May 2–Sunday, May 3

Shorter and Sweeter | Ages 4–8 and older | 4 minutes

“The Fox & the Pigeon.” Directed by Michelle Chua and nine others. Canada. 2019. 4 minutes

Short and Sweet | Ages 8–11 and older | 89 minutes

“Chuskit.” Directed by Priya Ramasubban. India. Ladakhi with English subtitles. 2018. 89 minutes

Chuskit is a 9-year-old who lives with her family in a beautiful, remote village in Tibet. After an accident, she is confined to a wheelchair and her dream of attending school becomes elusive. Fighting her tradition-bound grandfather and the mountainous terrain of her village, Chuskit ultimately triumphs over adversity.

The Wisconsin Film Festival is presented by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts in collaboration with the Department of Communication Arts.