Chicago International Children's Film Festival

By Steven Pate in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 21, 2010 6:00PM

When it comes to movies, we believe in starting young. It's no trick getting kids to watch movies, but plopping them down in front of the telivision to watch the same Pixar title for the 79th time in a row does nothing to encourage the next generation of cinephiles, to say nothing of encouraging the curiosity of the kiddies. The Chicago International Children's Film Festival, which begins its 27th year tomorrow, is a great opportunity to expand the youngsters horizons, and for parents to watch something new as well.

With 270 films from more than 40 countries, including 90 world premieres, it's the largest festival of its kind in North America. With films for ages 2-16 are on tap and a packed schedule open to the public, parents (or even benevolent aunts or uncles) can find something to agree on. There are workshops where students work in teams to animate a short movie, and kids even get "Best of Fest" ballots to vote for their favorite film, awarded at the end of the festival. Locations for the screenings are all over the city, from the Thornton Place Stadium 14 to Max Palevsky at the University of Chicago to Facets to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.

There is a lot to choose from, but of course this Meryl Streep-voiced Spike Jonze animated short caught our eye:

The The 27th Chicago International Children's Film Festival runs from October 22 - 31. Admission to the Festival is $6 for children; $9 for adults. Tickets can be purchased online.