Although Leeds Young Film Festival 2020 has been postponed due to Coronavirus, we want to make sure that you still have the opportunity to watch and discover new films, along with some family favourites.
To help you navigate the world of online streaming we will be suggesting ten films you can watch as a family each Friday, along with where to find them. Some of the films require either a Netflix, Amazon Prime or Disney+ account but we know most households have at least one of these (and all are offering a free trial before you have to subscribe). We will also ensure that we include some free-to-watch films as well which only requires you to have a TV Licence.
Here are the selections for w/c Friday 29 May.
Fantasia (Disney+)
Dirs. Jaes Algar & Samual Armstrong, 1940, USA, 125 mins, Cert U
The third Disney animated film was a series of eight segments set to classical music, rather than a straightforward narrative. Orignally created in 1940, it has been reissued several times over the years with the original footage being modified, replaced or restored in each version.
"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" features Mickey Mouse as an aspiring magician who oversteps his limits. "The Rite of Spring" tells the story of evolution, from single-celled animals to the death of the dinosaurs. "Dance of the Hours" is a comic ballet performed by ostriches, hippos, elephants, and alligators. "Night on Bald Mountain" and "Ave Maria" set the forces of darkness and light against each other as a devilish revel is interrupted by the coming of a new day.
Read more on IMDB here.
Beetlejuice (Netflix)
Dir. Tim Burton, 1988, USA, 92 mins, Cert 12
Tim Burton's cult horror comedy launched the career of Winona Ryder and cemented his reputation as the master of dark fantasy storytelling. Now (rightly) reclassified as a 12 certificate by the BBFC a whole new generation can discover this cult classic.
The ghosts of a recently deceased couple are dismayed when a new family move into their beloved home and start redecorating. Needing assistance to scare them out of the house, they turn to Beetlejuice, a malicious spirit, who claims he can help but he has other plans.
Read more on IMDB here.
Princess Mononoke (Netflix)
Dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 1997, Japan, 134 mins, Cert PG
Miyao Hayazaki came up with the original ideas in the 1970s but it took 20 years for the film to finally be created.
Princess Mononoke is set in the late Muromachi period (approximately 1336 to 1573) of Japan with fantasy elements. The story follows the young Emishi prince Ashitaka's involvement in a struggle between the gods of a forest and the humans who consume its resources. The term "Mononoke" is not a name, but a Japanese word for a spirit or monster: supernatural, shape-shifting beings.
At the time this was Studio Ghibli's most successful film and the first to be redubbed into English by Disney.
Read more on IMDB here.
Chicken Run (BBC1, Sat 30 May, 1:40pm)
Dirs. Peter Lord & Nick Park, 2000, UK / USA / France, 84 mins, Cert U
Aardman's first full-length feature film, co-directed by Nick Park, Chicken Run is a spoof of the 1963 WWII film The Great Escape.
When a rooster named Rocky flies into their farmyard, Ginger and her band of chickens see him as their only hope to escape the clutches of the wicked farmers Mr. and Ms. Tweedy, who have plans to turn them into chicken pies.
It is still the highest grossing stop motion film ever made.
Read more on IMDB here.
The Simpsons Movie (Disney+ and E4, Sun 31 May, 7:15pm)
Dir. David Silverman, 2007, USA, 87 mins, Cert PG
The Simpsons is the longest running American sitcom with over 700 episodes and 31 series. The movie version was released 18 years after the series started, with the original cast reprising the roles, as well as a number of celebrity cameos.
After Homer deliberately pollutes the town's water supply, Springfield is encased in a gigantic dome by the Environmental Protection Agency and the family are declared fugitives. Discovering an evil plot to destroy the town, Homer tries to redeem himself by returning to Springfield to save everybody trapped inside the dome.
A sequel has been mooted since 2014 but at present there are no plans to make another Simpsons movie.
Read more on IMDB here.
Bridge to Terabithia (Sony Movies, Fri 29 May, 7:05pm)
Dir. Gabor Csubo, 2007, USA, 96 mins, Cert PG
Bridge To Terabithia is a renown children's book adapted for the screen by the author's son, on whose real-life experiences the story is based.
Jesse is a 12 year old aspiring artist, who befriends Leslie, the misfit new girl at school. Discovering that they are neighbours they create a fantasy world called Terabithia and spend their free time together in an abandoned tree house.
A powerful portrayal of love, loss, and imagination shown through children's eyes.
Read more on IMDB here.
Frozen (Disney+ and BBC1, Sat 30 May, 6:20pm)
Dirs. Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee, 2013, USA, 102 mins, Cert PG
Disney's animated musical fantasy is based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy-tale, The Snow Queen. The film challenges the usual princess 'damsel-in-distress' stereotype and makes 'Prince Charming' the villain, while focusing on the relationship and bond between two sisters.
Following the death of her parents, newly crowned Queen Elsa accidentally uses her magical powers to turn everything to ice and create an infinite winter. To save the city, her sister Anna teams up with a mountain man, his playful reindeer, and a snowman to track down Elsa and lift the curse.
Writer Jennifer Lee, who co-directed the film, became the first woman to direct a Disney movie. A sequel, Frozen II, was released in 2019.
Read more on IMDB here.
The Book of Life (CH4, Sun 31 May, 1:25pm)
Dir. Jorge R. Gutiérrez, 2014, USA, 95 mins, Cert U
Similar in theme to Coco, this sumptuously animated story about the Mexican Day of the Dead was produced by Oscar winning Guillermo del Toro.
In a bid to save the love of his life, reluctant bullfighter Manolo sacrifices himself on the Day of the Dead and is transported to the Land of the Remembered where he embarks on an adventure that spans three fantastic worlds where he must face his greatest fears.
Seamlessly switching from dry humor to slapstick, the film shows death as a part of life in a gentle, delightful way that even the youngest viewers will be able to comprehend.
Read more on IMDB here.
Heidi (Amazon Prime)
Dir. Alain Gsponer, 2015, Germany / Switzerland / South Africa, 111 mins, Cert U
A retelling of the classic Swiss children's story which was first shown in the UK at Leeds Young Film Festival in 2015.
Heidi is a young girl who lives in the Swiss Alps with her goat herding grandfather. Wanting to go to school, she allows her aunt to take her to the city to look after Klara, a young girl who cannot walk. Although she shows academic improvement, Heidi longs for the mountains and her grandfather but is torn between returning home and her friendship with Klara.
Read more on IMDB here.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (ITV, Sun 31 May, 7:30pm)
Dir. David Yates, 2016, UK / USA, 132 mins, Cert 12
Written and produced by J.K.Rowling, this is the first epic prequel spin-off from the Harry Potter franchise, delving deeper into the Wizarding World universe.
Seventy years before Harry Potter reads his books at Hogwarts, British magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York where he enlists the help of a No-Maj (or Muggle) to round up some escaped magical creatures. Discovering a strange dark force terrorising the city, Newt sets out to track down the source of the attacks.
J.K. Rowling has announced that this is the first in a series of five films.
Read more on IMDB here.
