Families can have a morning out together, and at the same time help a worthy community cause.
AiMHi, the agency helping those with special needs handle their community living challenges, will hold a miniature film festival just for the family. Four movies are on offer on Sunday, April 3, each one coming with a set of short films as opening acts.
"We had the chance to bring in films from the Sprout Touring Film Festival, so we jumped at that, because we got the support of Famous Players," said Roy Spooner, one of those involved in organizing the event. "Devin Petch, the theatre manager there, has been just excellent to work with."
Each of the four feature films has a theme of overcoming personal adversity to achieve big dreams. They are all familiar titles that did well with critics and the box office.
Blindside (starts at 9:30 a.m.)
Sandra Bullock won a best actress Oscar in the film, which is the story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman (played by Bullock) and her family.
We Bought a Zoo (starts at 9:40 a.m.)
Starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johannsen, it's the story of a father who moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo.
Rudy (starts at 9:50 a.m.)
Rudy has always been told that he was too small to play college football. But he is determined to overcome the odds and fulfill his dream of playing for Notre Dame. The inspirational movie stars Sean Astin as Rudy.
St. Vincent (starts at 10 a.m.)
A young boy whose parents have just divorced finds an unlikely friend and mentor in the misanthropic, bawdy, hedonistic war veteran who lives next door, played by Bill Murray. Melissa McCarthy plays the mother in this award-winning movie.
The short films from the Sprout Festival (again, the themes are people transcending their personal adversity) were selected for the inspirational and entertaining storytelling qualities. A handful from the Sprout list will be arranged equally among the four films. The titles being assigned are: Bumblebees, Check Out, A Life With Asperger's, Hannah, Against These Walls, No Goodbyes, The Interviewer, 3:15 To Brunswick, Hold Me Down, One Question, I Love Grilled Cheese, and Can I Call You.
"They are all outstanding family movies," Spooner said. "We so happy to have this opportunity, because we know that families love to go see movies together, and the tickets are only $5 each so it's a lot more affordable for households on a tight budget. It isn't easy for a lot of families to be able to bring the whole crew out to see a movie, but this is not an expensive proposition."
Tickets are sold on a general admission basis, not movie by movie, so Spooner advised showing up early to ensure you get a seat at the movie you and your family most want to see. If that theatre fills up, the start-times are staggered so you just go to your next favourite title.
The proceeds from the festival will support expansion of the Children's Summer Camp program operated by AiMHi.
