It’s Christmas Time!
Celebrate the season of cheer with these films about warmth, family and the magic of Christmas! Programs for Pre-K & K and grades 1-8.
All films are official selections from the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, and all programs include an introduction and post-screening discussion led by one of our trained media educators. Curriculum aligned with Illinois State Board of Education Learning Standards is also provided to teachers prior to the day of screening.
Flexible scheduling throughout the day – come to us or let us come to you! For details about screenings at Facets Multi-Media, click here. For details about screenings at your location, click here. For more information, contact Doug Newton at fldtrips@facets.org or (773) 281-9075 ext. 3009.
Programs Available:
There’s No Place Like Home
Pre K & Kindergarten (Ages 2-5)
Subtitles read aloud for all world language shorts
90-minute program includes media education
Click here for print-friendly PDF
Alien For Christmas (USA)
The Night Before Christmas (USA)
Pipi, Pupu & Rosmary: “Mapa Christmas” (Italy/Luxembourg)
3rd & Bird: “A Very Squooky Christmas” (England)
Tomte Tummettot and the Fox (Germany)
Short stories from around the world bring friends together over the holidays. It’s Christmas Eve in the English treetop corner of 3rd and Bird Avenues; will Squooky find his parents before Christmas morning? And all is quiet for the animals in the barn, but only Smart Gnome Tomte knows just how to fool his old friend Fox and protect the family’s farm! There really is no place like home as these characters learn the true meaning of Christmas.
Twigson
Grades 1-3 (Ages 5-8)
Screened in Norwegian with English subtitles (subtitles read aloud)
90-minute program includes media education
Click here for print-friendly PDF
Mischievous but resourceful Junior has just moved with his family to a “fixer-upper” house in the country. One day, he discovers a twig in a pile of firewood who becomes his imaginary friend. With “Twigson” in hand, Junior encounters a new adventure every day. But maybe finding a human friend in the end is the better plan! Join Junior and his family in a 1960s Norwegian Christmas story, full of whimsy and heart.
The Star Talers 
Grades 4-6 (Ages 8-10)
Screened in German with English subtitles
80-minute program includes media education
Click here for print-friendly PDF
2011 Best of Fest Award Winner!
A classic holiday story about the intrinsic value of altruism is finally brought to life. Based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, The Star Talers is the story of Mina, a brave little girl whose village is in trouble. Plucky Mina must take the village’s taxes to the castle and bring the parents back to the children. With talking dog Mr. Flix, Mina sets her sights on the castle, equipped with only generosity and hope. Can Mina and Mr. Flix save the village and set her parents free?
The Magicians
Grades 4-6 (Ages 9-12)
Screened in Dutch with English subtitles
110-minute program includes media education
Click here for print-friendly PDF
2011 Children’s Jury Prize Winner
(1st Prize for Live-Action Feature Film)
Ben and his father are aspiring magicians with a dream: to become the newest sensation – a Father and Son Magic Team! With the help of their talented assistant Sylvie, their magic show becomes the hit of local schools and stages. But when Ben and his father attempt a trick they may not be ready for, Sylvie disappears! As the Dutch countryside prepares for the quickly approaching holidays, Ben searches eagerly for his missing friend – and discovers that Christmas really is the time of miracles. Can Ben and his father team up one last time to find Sylvie?
From Time to Time
Grades 5+ (Ages 10+)
Screened in English
110-minute program includes media education
Click here for print-friendly PDF
2009 Best of Fest Award Winner!
With WWII coming to a close, and his father still missing in battle, Tolly is sent to the English countryside to live with his grandmother in their imposing ancestral home. Little does he know, the house is filled with ancient secrets just waiting to be explored. While the family arranges for Christmas, Tolly looks to solve the many mysteries hidden in the manor in this supernatural journey of friendship and self-discovery. Lose yourself in this fantastic film which boasts a powerhouse cast including Maggie Smith (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), Timothy Spall (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), Dominic West (The Wire, The Hour), and Hugh Bonneville (PBS’ Downtown Abbey). Written and directed by Emmy and Oscar award-winner Julian Fellowes.
