Boston International Kids Film Festival

Annual Boston International Kids Film Festival

From November 3-6, 2016, Arlington’s Capitol Theatre and the Somerville Theatre will come alive in a celebration of imagination and creativity as the 4th Annual Boston International Kids Film Festival gets underway.

The Boston International Kids Film Festival offers films made for kids and by kids, and hands-on workshops that will enable the next generation of filmmakers to realize the power and potential of media.

Designed for young people and their families, the festival will showcase features, shorts, documentaries and student-made films from around the world.

54 films have been accepted to this year’s festival, representing 12 countries, including UK, Australia, USA, Spain, Canada, Qatar, The Russian Federation, Chile, Brazil, France, Mexico and the Netherlands.

The festival will kick-off on Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre with a screening of nine short student films, designed for ages 12 and over.

On Friday, November 4, the festival will offer a free screening of seven short films from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre. Later that evening, the festival will feature a screening of the film Annabelle Hooper and the Ghosts of Nantucket, a film that follows a teenage mystery writer and her friends as they outwit two scheming thieves to solve the secret behind a legendary ghost story. The film was directed by Emmy-Award winning local director Paul Serafini.

On Saturday, November 5 at the Somerville Theatre, the festival will feature two series of short films (one geared specifically for kids ages 10 and under) as well as a series of documentary short films. On Saturday night, the festival will screen the feature film Life, Animated, a documentary film from Academy Award winning director Roger Ross Williams. The film tells the inspirational story of Owen Suskind, a young man who was unable to speak as a child until he and his family discovered a unique way to communicate by immersing themselves in the world of classic Disney-animated films.

On Sunday, November 6th, the festival will offer an autism-friendly screening of the film Life, Animated at 1:00 p.m. The festival will also offer a screening of student films and a screening of short films before concluding with an awards ceremony and wrap party, hosted by Boston theatre and film critic Joyce Kulhawik.

In addition to the films, the 2016 Boston International Kids Film Festival will feature a variety of workshops designed to teach kids the basics of filmmaking and media. The workshops include:

All Day Filmmaking, a special one-day filmmaker bootcamp offered by Filmmakers Collaborative on Saturday, November 5, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. Students will learn filmmaking basics and make a short film in one day, which will be shown at the festival on Sunday.

Stop-Motion Animation Workshop, on Saturday, November 5th from 10:am – 12 noon. Students can experiment with animating pure movement without the constraints of the drawn line and explore the principles that create the illusion of movement with both stop motion and 2D animation

Media Girls Workshop on Friday, November 5th from 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm. Designed for middle-schools girls, this workshop will teach participants to challenge how girls are portrayed in the mainstream media. Participants become a part of the solution by creating content in which they speak out against gender stereotypes and shine the spotlight on girls and women making positive contributions.

For more information or to purchase tickets to the festival, visit http://bikff.org/.

  • Arlington    781-648-4340    204 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, MA, 02474
  • Somerville    617-625-5700  55 Davis Square, Somerville, MA, 02144
When: 
November 3-6, 2016
Movie and workshop times vary each day. Check the schedule for details.
Phone: 
781-648-4340
Summerquest Camp for kids aed 5-14 at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Deck The Halls: Hammond Castle

A holiday themed tour of Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts
Travel back in time to a castle filled with lush, opulent textures inspired by the great medieval and Renaissance castles of Europe. Wander through rooms adorned with White Birch and Christmas trees, sparkling fairy lights, hydrangea-lace garlands, and elegant bows, each space transformed with its...
10:00 am to 8:00 pm

Christmas at Castle Hill | A Nod to Nature

Christmas at Castle Hill | A Nod to Nature is a weekend of festivities hosted by the Trustees of Reservations at Castle Hill in Ipswich Massachusetts
Visiting Castle Hill at Christmas is a time-honored tradition. Don’t miss this year’s event celebrating the beauty of the natural world. You’ll see birds, flowers, snowflakes, and more as you view 18 spaces decorated for the holidays.
10:00 am to 8:00 pm

Take a Trolley Ride with Scrooge!

Salem Trolley Christmas Carol, Fun Holiday Events north of Boston, Trolley Ride with Scrooge
Join Scrooge on the Salem Trolley as you ride through Salem Massachusetts in this rolling production performed by the Griffen Theater . Now entering into it's 39th Season, this humorous & whimsical interactive performance reanimates Dickens’ timeless seasonal holiday classic. Experience...
2:00 pm to 9:30 pm

The Nutcracker Panto

Come enjoy a Nutcracker Panto performed by Theater in the Open at the Firehouse Center for the Arts!
Theater in the Open is happy to be back at the Firehouse for our production of A Nutcracker Panto, written by Edward F. Speck and adapted from the classic holiday ballet. Presented in the traditional British panto style, this holiday send-up is a family friendly romp through Clara’s adventure with...
7:00 pm

Saturday, December 13

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Breakfast with Santa

Kids will enjoy breakfast with Santa at the Hamilton Wenham Community House
Come and enjoy a continental style breakfast and get your picture taken with Santa. We will also have a letter writing station and music entertainment.
8:00 am to 12:30 pm

Middle Street Walk 2025

The lighting of the Lobster Trap Tree is part of Middle Street Walk's finale in Gloucester Massachusetts.
The Annual Middle Street Walk is a great way to experience Gloucester's Historic District and waterfront while having Holiday fun with the family.
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Boot Camp For Birth Support & Beyond

Boot Camp For Birth Support & Beyond for caregivers at Beverly Hospital in Massachusetts
Most education surrounding childbirth focuses on the person carrying the child, as it rightly should. Those in the role of supporting childbirth (spouses, significant others, couples using a surrogate, etc) should be equally as prepared for the joys and challenges in store. In this class you’ll...
9:00 am to 11:00 am

Newburyport Holiday House Tour 2025

Newburyport Holiday House Tour hosted by the Newburyport PTO Kitchen Tour
Enjoy touring private residences and unique spaces throughout Greater Newburyport, all decorated in holiday style both inside and out. Your self-guide tour will lead you through each of our homes all decked out both inside and out in holiday style reflecting the homeowner’s individual celebrations...
9:30 am to 4:00 pm

Christmas at Castle Hill | A Nod to Nature

Christmas at Castle Hill | A Nod to Nature is a weekend of festivities hosted by the Trustees of Reservations at Castle Hill in Ipswich Massachusetts
Visiting Castle Hill at Christmas is a time-honored tradition. Don’t miss this year’s event celebrating the beauty of the natural world. You’ll see birds, flowers, snowflakes, and more as you view 18 spaces decorated for the holidays.
10:00 am to 8:00 pm

Middle Street Walk Gingerbread Contest 2025

Middle Street Walk Gingerbread Contest entries can take any shape.
Everybody is invited to enter the Gingerbread Contest for the Middle Street Walk in Gloucester this year! Groups and individuals are encouraged to get creative and come up with entries that can take any shape.  All entries will be judged prior to the start of the Middle Street at 10am. 
10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Deck The Halls: Hammond Castle

A holiday themed tour of Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts
Travel back in time to a castle filled with lush, opulent textures inspired by the great medieval and Renaissance castles of Europe. Wander through rooms adorned with White Birch and Christmas trees, sparkling fairy lights, hydrangea-lace garlands, and elegant bows, each space transformed with its...
10:00 am to 8:00 pm