Literature Based Programs
Celebrate the love of reading and writing with this rich array of short films - many of them based on folktales, books, and poems! These dynamic films inspired by the written and spoken word will excite your students to discover the transformative power of literature and language for all grade levels.
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 the Common Core 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 Facets Group Sales at fldtrips@facets.org or (773) 281-9075 ext. 3009.
Programs Available:
Eleanor's Secret
Grades 1-3 (Ages 5-8)
90-minute program includes media education
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Watch your favorite characters from classic children’s books leap from the pages in this lovingly animated feature! Young Nat's favorite auntie has left him her beloved library – but he s a struggling reader. Looking to help his family save their fixer-upper, Nat offers up the collection to a disreputable book dealer, only to find that the library is magical. Having discovered his friends Alice in Wonderland, the Ogre, and Peter Pan, Nat must find the secret to keeping them alive for others, too. Find out why the love of reading can give your imagination wings. Featuring the voice of Jeanne Moreau!
World of Imagination
Grades 1-3 (Ages 5-8)
90-minute program includes media education
All world language films will be screened with English subtitles read aloud for younger audiences.
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The Owl and the Pussycat (USA)The Happy Duckling (England)
Stopping by Woods On a Snowy Evening (USA)
The Young Detectives: "World of the Imagination" (Norway)
Max's Words (USA)
The Little Boy and the Beast (Germany)
Hungarian Folk Tales: "The Golden Calf" (Hungary)
The Boy with the Chocolate Fingers (UK)
John Lithgow enlivens the timeless poem of “The Owl and the Pussycat” who embark on a journey to find happiness. Susan Sarandon brings to life Robert Frost’s poem, “Stopping By Woods On a Snowy Evening”. Meanwhile, “pages” in Dad’s imagination have come to life, and it’s up to “The Young Detectives” to help find the lost writer in his tangled words. Finally, Trixie learns the real meaning of friendship in the beloved story, “Knuffle Bunny Free”. Compare and contrast – what do these film versions of poems, folktales and stories have to tell us about new outlooks?
Folktales from Faraway Lands
Grades 1-3 (Ages 5-8)
95-minute program includes media education
All world language films will be screened with English subtitles read aloud for younger audiences.
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Two Princesses (Russian Federation)The Happy Duckling (England)
The Cunning Tailor and the Young Man (Iran)
Hungarian Folk Tales: "The Wee King" (Hungary)
Polish Fairy Tales: "The Golden Apple Tree" (Poland)
Hajar's Wedding (Iran)
The Mouse with a Mouth (Belgium/France/Hungary)
What do folktales tell us about different traditions? Sisters and best friends team up to achieve their goals in a Russian tale animated with fabric. A friendly creature tries to follow a schoolboy home in an inventive pop-up book come to life. The littlest mouse is the biggest storyteller in the forest. "Happily ever after" can take many forms, so set aside some Once Upon a Time for your students to visit these new and exciting places!
Tales with Tails
Grades 4-5 (Ages 8-10)
90-minute program includes media education
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Wallace's Lists (USA)
Tyger (Brazil)
Wolf Dog Tales (USA)
The Lost Thing (Australia)
The Gruffalo's Child (England)
Creatures great and small have stories to tell. First, William Blake’s famous poem, “Tyger”, springs off the page in a powerful, inventive reimagining from Brazil. Then, an oral lesson from the Anasazi teaches us to listen to the Wise Wolf, as we have much to learn from our animal brothers and sisters. Next, a wistful narrator reflects on a whimsical story of friendship in the 2011 Oscar®-winning film adaptation of Shaun Tan’s “The Lost Thing”. Finally, the all-star British cast is back in the sequel to the beloved “The Gruffalo”, where the Gruffalo's daughter seeks to discover if the Big Bad Mouse was just one of Dad's tall tales.
It's the Write Time
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-14+)
90-minute program includes media education
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The Human Voice (USA)
Rhymes and Rubbish (Finland)
The Squirrel and the Swallow (Netherlands)
Coast Warning (Russia)
Onion Skin (Canada)
The Social Addicts (USA)
Bottle (USA)
Letter to a Girl (USA)
The Blizzard (Russia)
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (USA)
Witness the power of the written and spoken word as it transforms lives in these short films. Oral historian Studs Terkel recounts an experience where the voice of a child saved the day. When Joe expresses his feelings for Kaitlyn through a handwritten letter rather than a text or an email she doesn’t know what to make of this quaint method of communication. An avid bookworm is swept away into a book-filled world where texts come to life. Celebrate the magic of imagination and communication! Program includes the 2012 Oscar winner for animated short film, “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore”.
