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SALT LAKE CITY — Fifteen feature films and three shorts programs for kids will be highlighted at this year’s Tumbleweeds Film Festival this weekend in Salt Lake City.
Curated by the Utah Film Center, the festival features movies aimed at children and youth ages 4 and older. Films will be screened at the Salt Lake City Library, the Leonardo Museum and the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.
American movie “Into The Who Knows!” will kick off the festival on Friday night. The movie tells the story of Thomas, a 10-year-old boy whose parents send him to summer camp because they want him to make real friends besides his best friend, Felix the Fox.
Thomas and Felix run away from the camp and end up in the forest of the Who Knows, a land filled with mythical creatures.
The movies at the festival come from all over the world, including projects from France, China, the United States and more.
“This year’s lineup features stories from around the world that will inspire, illuminate and stretch the imagination of audiences young and old,” Utah Film Center Programming Director Patrick Hubley said in an emailed statement. “There is something for everyone at Tumbleweeds, including a shorts program dedicated to strong female characters, stories of overcoming personal barriers, and stories with universal themes that transcend language, geographical and political boundaries.”
Tickets to the opening night screening of “Into The Who Knows!” at Rose Wagner are $10, and tickets to screenings on Saturday and Sunday are $6 each. Ten-ticket packages are available for $50.
For more information, visit utahfilmcenter.org/twds2018. Here’s a look at the other films that will be featured during the festival.
Edhel (Italy)
Directed by Marco Renda
Saturday, 10 a.m. at The Leonardo
For ages 8 and up
Edhel was born with pointy ears, and she is dealing with the recent death of her father. She is struggling until she gets to know the janitor at her school, who convinces Edhel to accept herself as she is.
The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales (France/Belgium)
Directed by Benjamin Renner & Patrick Imbert
Saturday, 12 p.m. at The City Library
For ages 4 and up
This animated animal story features a fox who is mother to a family of chicks, a rabbit who plays a stork, and a duck who wants to be Santa Claus. “The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales” comes from the creators of “Ernest and Celestine,” which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2014.
Wendy (Germany)
Directed by Dagmar Seume
Saturday, 12:30 p.m. at The Leonardo
For ages 10 and up
Wendy, 12, was a successful horse rider who quit after she fell off a horse several years ago. But when she meets Dixie, an abandoned horse that is headed for the butcher, she saves the horse and forms a friendship.
Cloudboy (Belgium/Sweden/Norway/Netherlands)
Directed by Meikeminne Clinckspoor
Saturday, 2:30 p.m. at The City Library
For ages 8 and up
Niilas, 12, is sent to live with his mother, but he doesn’t like it. His new sister Sunna, 11, takes him into the magical woods nearby where Niilas transforms into a cloudboy.
Up In The Sky (Sweden)
Directed by Petter Lennstrand
Saturday, 5 p.m. at The City Library
For ages 6 and up
After arriving at summer camp, Pottan, 8, finds herself at a nearby recycling plant with some unlikely companions. They start building a secret homemade spacecraft with the goal of making Pottan the first 8-year-old to travel to space.
At Eye Level (Germany)
Directed by Evi Goldbrunner and Joachim Dollhopf
Saturday, 5:15 p.m. at The Leonardo
For ages 10 and up
An orphan meets his long-lost father and, to his surprise, discovers he’s the same height as his dad.
Big Fish and Begonia (China)
Directed by Xuan Liang and Chun Zhang
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. at The City Library
For ages 12 and up
Chun lives in a magical realm filled with spirit creatures. She’s transported to the human world, where a human boy dies saving her life. She sets out to bring him back to life at any cost.
Louis and Luca — The Big Cheese Race (Norway)
Directed by Rasmus A. Sivertsen
Sunday, 10:30 a.m. at The Leonardo
For ages 4 and up
After a years-long hiatus, two villages relaunch the Cheese Race. Louis is confident enough with his winning chances that he decides to place a bet on the race, but he faces fierce competition.
On Wheels (Brazil)
Directed by Mauro D’Addio
Sunday, 12:30 p.m. at The City Library
For ages 10 and up
Lucas, 13, is in a wheelchair. Her new classmate Lais decides to help her find the father she’s never met.
Bamse and the Witch’s Daughter (Sweden)
Directed by Maria Blom and Christian Ryltenius
Sunday, 1 p.m. at The Leonardo
For ages 4 and up
Swedish comic book character Bamse the bear returns for another adventure in this animated film. A villain tricks a witch into getting rid of Bamse in order to demolish a beaver’s dam in which he’s found gold.
The Day My Father Became A Bush (Netherlands)
Directed by Nicole van Kilsdonk
Sunday, 3 p.m. at The City Library
For ages 10 and up
Toda’s father is sent to fight in a war. She must travel through a dangerous neighboring country to find her mother, but Toda is determined to find her no matter what.
Esteban (Cuba/Spain)
Directed by Jonal Cosculluela
Sunday, 3:30 p.m. at The Leonardo
For ages 8 and up
Esteban, 9, helps his mother sell beauty products on the black market in Havana. One day, he hears piano music and decides to follow a dream of becoming a pianist.
Room 213 (Sweden)
Directed by Emelie Lindblom
Sunday, 5 p.m. at The City Library
For ages 12 and up
Elvira, 12, arrives at summer camp and must stay with her two roommates in Room 213, where no one has lived for decades. Soon, strange things start to happen.
Science Fair (USA)
Directed by Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster
Sunday, 7 p.m. at The City Library
For ages 10 and up
This documentary follows a mentor and nine students from around the world as they prepare their projects and team for the 2017 International Science and Engineering event in Los Angeles. More than 1,700 students from 75 countries compete annually in the event.