If you live in Toronto or the GTA, and you don’t live under a rock, you’ve likely heard of TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival). The festival draws celebrities from near and far, including some of Hollywood’s biggest names. What you may not have known is that TIFF also has a kids film festival. That’s right, a whole film festival dedicated to kids. If you have a film buff on your hand, this is the show for them. The great part is, the film selections are geared for children of all ages, including both feature length and short films. I checked out the selection and found a few short films that would be perfect for my 3.5 year old son. What’s great is that online, you can sort through the films based on your child’s grade, age, programme (i.e. feature or short) and country (where the film was made).
We received a few of the short features to view including Sarah & Duck, Goose Trouble, Night of the Elephant, L’ami, and Twins in bakery. The films ranged between 3 to 7 minutes and were all cute and enjoyed by my son, even though my husband and I thought that a few were “strange”. But hey, what do we know about kids films 😉
Some of the feature films that caught my attention include Rio 2, Bears (a Disney movie to be released shortly), The House of Magic and Finn. Ticket prices are $8.50 for children aged 3 through 13, $12 for Adults and $9.50 for Students/Seniors or you can purchase a family 10-pack.
Another great exhibit at the festival includes the digiPlaySpace. An interactive area where kids can engage hands-on with various media focused technologies and let their imagination run wild. I will be going there on Easter Friday with my little one and we can’t wait to check it out. Note that tickets must be purchased for a specific date and time and that strollers and food are not allowed in the play area. If you’re looking for something to do on the Easter long weekend, make sure to check out the digiPaySpace which is open until Easter Monday.
For further information regarding the films, events and tickets, check out TIFF Kids Festival online.