Fireflies, the MIFF children's program, started with a wish to present films that would inspire, teach and touch children and young people in positive ways. We present films from around the world, based on these values:
1. Films that are non-violent unless they offer a commentary on the violence they show.
2. Films that show real experiences of kids.
3. Films that show respect for various generations.
4. Films that avoid racial and gender stereotypes.
5. Films that are highly creative, "good art."
6. Films that offer an authentic view of diverse cultures.

Workshops in various aspects of filmmaking are also part of this program.

We aim to reach as many children in Central Maine as possible and so, make free daytime programming available to community groups during MIFF. Complimentary tickets are also available for paid showings during the festival. These must be picked up in advance at the Alfond Youth Center, 126 North St., Waterville (873-0684), or the Children's Books Cellar, 52 Main St., Waterville (872-4543).

The Children's Film Task Force is the core group responsible for Fireflies, and we welcome new members. For more information, please call 873-0689.

2007 Fireflies Program

Fireflies is proud to present the following film selections from around the world as part of the MIFF 2007 film line-up. You may purchase tickets for these films by visiting the TICKETS page of this web site.

CANDY HOUSE (Ages 10 & older)
(Original title Mithai Mane)
Directed by Aarathi, India 2005.
In Kannada with English subtitles, 95 minutes
CANDY HOUSE is the story of an eleven-year old girl, Ganga, who is sent off from an impoverished village to work as a maid for a well-off family in the city. Her situation in the urban jungle is compared throughout the movie to the plight of Gretel in the Witch's cottage, and her story is interwoven with a voice-over narration of the Hansel and Gretel story. One of Ganga's chores is to bring their lunch-boxes to a private school for the unsympathetic children of the house. There she is befriended by Swathi, a school-girl who wants to help Ganga. As their friendship develops, Ganga becomes more aware of her surroundings. The issue of child labor is at the heart of this film, but it is treated with gentle irony, and there are no real "wicked witches" in this story. The well-to-do family is self-absorbed and insensitive rather than cruel and exploitative. The audience, however, has seen the plight of the helpless villagers, and are struck by the contrast with the westernized opulence of a few city-dwellers. The most powerful image created by this film is the open-eyed eagerness and honesty that Ganga brings with her from the village. These qualities will eventually force her to leave behind the sugar-coated house in the city where everything is a little too sweet.
Shown With: AMAL
Directed by Ali Benkirane, France and Morocco 2004.
In Arabic with English subtitles. 17 minutes.
Amal is a bright Moroccan girl who goes to the village school every morning with her less than enthusiastic brother. She wants to become a doctor when she finishes school, and the teacher encourages her to pursue her goals. The images of her village and its lost world of traditional craftsmanship are delightful. The enchanting beauty of Amal's surroundings makes us believe that her dreams will come true, but the harsh reality of social expectations in a remote region eventually prevails. Amal is a simple and moving film, but its ultimate sadness is overcome by its beauty, which does not allow the audience to dismiss its ending as inevitable.
Saturday, July 14 12:30 PM OH

Special Event: Panel Discussion & Reception following Candy House: The film will be followed by a panel discussion. Panelists will be Jennifer Thorn, professor at Colby College; Megan Williams, executive director of Hardy Girls Healthy Women, and Prisna Dixit, a Colby College student from Kathmandu, Nepal. Facilitator will be Miranda Ring Phelps, child/family psychologist and co-director of Fireflies. The panel will be held in the REM room downstairs from the Opera House. Indian food will be served.

LAURA'S STAR (Ages 3 & older)
(Original title Lauras Stern)
Directed by Piet De Rycker and Thilo Rothkirch, Germany 2004.
Animation with English voices. 80 minutes.
Seven-year old Laura is unhappy that her family has moved to a big city, where her mother plays the cello in an orchestra. Her brother Tommy is just a toddler, and the only young person nearby is Max, who happens, unfortunately, to be a boy. When a magic star falls from the sky and lands in a public park near her apartment, Laura suddenly forgets about her own sorrows and focuses instead on nursing the star back to life. But it is really Laura herself who comes back to life, and we are drawn into her new excitement with the city. Her star creates magic in her apartment, and in the major adventure of the film, Laura and her star escape from the apartment and fly off into the city at night. Laura feels free and happy once again, and she opens up to her brother and ultimately to Max himself. Eventually, her star will have to go back to its home in the sky, but by then Laura will be strong enough to face the city by herself. Laura's Star delicately portrays the loneliness of children and the imaginative power that enables them to overcome it.
Shown with: FIRST FLIGHT
Directed by Cameron Hood and Kyle Jefferson, USA 2006.
Wordless computer animation. 8 minutes.
This charming short film starts with a disgruntled office-worker who has just missed his bus. While he is waiting for the next bus, a little bird fals from its nest. He tries to ignore the bird, but can't help being touched by its plight. In the end he throws all his self-righteous dignity aside and teaches the bird to fly. Not a word is spoken in this delightful short film, but the relationship that develops between this unlikely pair is no less intense for all that. The first attempt at flight by a baby bird has always been a favorite theme with cartoonists, but it just as heart-warming to see an office-worker emerge from his shell and recover his humanity.
Sunday, July 15 6:15 PM RR2

LITTLE HEROES (Ages 8 & older)
(Original title Giborim Ktanim)
Directed by Itai Lev, Israel 2006.
In Hebrew and Russian with English subtitles. 76 minutes.
Alicia, a recent immigrant to Israel from Russia, is lonely in her new town which is situated in the southern desert area of Israel; her brother, Lev, is mentally handicapped, and stays at home. Both of them are much more comfortable in their Russian-speaking home than in facing up to their contemporaries. Erez, the son of an Israeli officer who died in battle, should be very confident in his identity as an Israeli, but he is in fact equally isolated by his desire to live up to his father and prove himself a great fighter. When the mystical Alicia senses that a young couple has had a car accident in the desert, Erez believes her and the three young heroes march off into the wilderness to find and rescue the young man and woman. The scouting skills of Erez, the mystical sensitivity of Alicia, and the gentle strength of Lev combine to lead them safely to the end of their quest. Little Heroes is a life-affirming adventure-story that illustrates how three very different children overcome the challenges presented by the landscape of Israel and learn their own inner strength.
Show with: CHICLE
Directed by Josh Hyde, Peru, 2005.
In Spanish with English subtitles. 14 minutes.
Chicle ("chewing-gum" in Spanish) lets us experience one day in the life of an impoverished eight-year old Inca boy called Pablo who tries to make a living by selling chewing-gum to tourists visiting Peru. His mother consults an Inca fortune-teller about her sons, and we learn that Pablo will face an important decision on this day. As he walks around trying to sell his chicle, Pablo meets an American girl called Mary, who has lost her way in the city. Communicating with his eyes and his hands, he wins her trust. His older brother, Mano, goes off to find money by hook or by crook, but Pablo decides he will devote this day to helping Mary find her mother. This short but powerful film looks at the brittle and ephemeral relationship between these two children from very different worlds, and shows how innocence can survive even in the midst of grinding poverty.
Friday, July 20 3:30 PM RR1 Sunday, July 22 12:30 PM OH

WINKY'S HORSE (Ages 4 & older)
(Original title Het Paard van Sinterklaas)
Directed by Mischa Kamp, Netherlands and Belgium 2005.
In Dutch with English subtitles. 90 minutes.
Five-year old Winky Wong travels with her mother from China to her new home in the Netherlands where her father has esablished a successful Chinese restaurant. Winky is very lonely at first, but things start to look up for her when she befriends a gentle horse that she spots in a field on the outskirts of the town. The owners are touched by her affection for the horse, invite her to explore their little farm, and become her friends and protectors. Soon Winky becomes very involved in Dutch life, especially when she learns about someone called Sinterklaas (Santa Claus) who will be visiting the town and who also likes to ride a horse. Winky feels sure that he will pay special attention to her. Winky's Horse shows how love enables children to grow, even in a strange new environment. Through her intense sincerity, which only children possess, Winky wins the hearts of the people in her small Dutch town and of movie-going audiences everywhere.
Show with: SPRING RIDER
Directed by Allison Orr, USA, 2007.
Wordless computer animation. 4 minutes.
A quiet boy is alone in a playground, riding on a toy dinosaur. His fun comes to an abrupt end when a bully enters the playground. The bully makes sure that the quiet boy will enjoy none of the rides. But a playground doesn't need a bully like that, so it finds a way of putting him in his place. The silence of the film itself and the quiet boy's refusal to retaliate make the ending all the more happy.
Wednesday, July 18 3:30 PM OH
Thursday, July 19 3:30 PM OH

CHILDREN'S SHORTS (Ages 8 & older)
FIRST FLIGHT
Directed by Cameron Hood and Kyle Jefferson, USA 2006.
Wordless computer animation. 8 minutes.
This charming short film starts with a disgruntled office-worker who has just missed his bus. While he is waiting for the next bus, a little bird fals from its nest. He tries to ignore the bird, but can't help being touched by its plight. In the end he throws all his self-righteous dignity aside and teaches the bird to fly. Not a word is spoken in this delightful short film, but the relationship that develops between this unlikely pair is no less intense for all that. The first attempt at flight by a baby bird has always been a favorite theme with cartoonists, but it just as heart-warming to see an office-worker emerge from his shell and recover his humanity.
WHISPERS TO THE CLOUDS
Directed by Elki Poon, Hong Kong, 2005
In Chinese with English subtitles, 22 minutes
This film is a self-contained episode from a television series about children growing up in a high-rise housing estate in Hong Kong. Two children, simply called Brother and Sister, live with their grandmother in an apartment, because their parents have to work far away in Shanghai. When her Brother begins to show too much interest in a girl he plays soccer with, the little Sister feels completely abandoned, but her emotional needs are ultimately validated. This sentimental film celebrates the value of family ties in a soulless urban environment.
FOR ALL THE MARBLES.
Directed by Kristin Booth, Canada, 2006.
In English. 11 minutes.
During school recess, ten-year old Jeff is playing a marbles championship game. A bully grabs his lucky marble and throws it into the playground of the older schoolchildren. Jeff decides to go after it. As he reaches each group of big kids, he has to participate in their games and win before he can continue on his quest for his lucky marble. His journey across a school-yard with all its challenges and dangers is built up into a thrilling adventure that proves the truth of the statement with which the film opens: "Play is the work of children and it is very serious stuff."
MARÉ CAPOEIRA.
Directed by Paola Barreto Leblanc, Brazil 2005.
In Portuguese with English subtitles. 15 minutes.
Capoeira is a martial-art dance between two competitors, and was brought by African slaves to Brazil. Ten-year old Maré comes from a long line of Capoeira champions, and he tells us about this tradition and about his own hopes of becoming a master himself. When his greatest rival turns out to be a girl called Tatuí, a new emotional world opens up to him. This vibrant little film celebrates the vitality of an African tradition that kept a people alive in times of great hardship and leads Maré towards adolesence.
CHICLE
Directed by Josh Hyde, Peru, 2005.
In Spanish with English subtitles. 14 minutes.
Chicle ("chewing-gum" in Spanish) lets us experience one day in the life of an impoverished eight-year old Inca boy called Pablo who tries to make a living by selling chewing-gum to tourists visiting Peru. His mother consults an Inca fortune-teller about her sons, and we learn that Pablo will face an important decision on this day. As he walks around trying to sell his chicle, Pablo meets an American girl called Mary, who has lost her way in the city. Communicating with his eyes and his hands, he wins her trust. His older brother, Mano, goes off to find money by hook or by crook, but Pablo decides he will devote this day to helping Mary find her mother. This short but powerful film looks at the brittle and ephemeral relationship between these two children from very different worlds, and shows how innocence can survive even in the midst of grinding poverty.
FRIED RICE
(Original title Nasi.)
Directed by Nils Mooij, Netherlands 2004.
In Dutch with English subtitles. 9 minutes.
Cheiko, a Chinese girl, has been adopted by a Dutch couple that run a butcher's shop in a small town. Her father, Jan, starts selling a fried rice dish, and wants his customers to believe that it is a genuine Chinese recipe created by Cheiko herself. Neither Jan nor his customers can accept that she is Dutch. Cheiko is not too happy with this orientalism, and decides to teach everyone a lesson. This short, light-hearted film makes a surprisingly effective use of humor to win out over silly stereotypes.
Sunday, July 15 12:30 PM OH
Tuesday, July 17 3:30 PM OH