Sunday, May 15, from 12–4 p.m.
The Akron Art Museum (One South High St.) and Akron Film invite parents to bring their young film connoisseurs to the museum on Sunday, May 15 to enjoy an afternoon of engaging, high-quality family films in the Charles and Jane Lehner Auditorium.
The Spark! Family Film Fest will l begin with a collection of cool, zany and funny shorts from the New York International Children’s Film Fest (NYICFF). Spark! will also feature a performance by local band ShiSho, comprised of sisters Vivian and Midge Ramone of Kent. Just 14 and 10 years old respectively, these young musicians will perform a set geared toward kids and tweens with their signature wacky lyrics and sophisticated sound. Finally, the fest will conclude with the Sparktastic Kid Friendly Shorts Program, a segment curated by Akron Film, the organizers of the Akron Film Festival.
Included in the Sparktastic Kid Friendly Shorts Program is the animated short movie “Ew, Gross!” by Cleveland Heights artist Lauren Hemphill. Hemphill, who received a BFA in biomedical art and animation from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2010, decided to use her talents to cast a spotlight on some of the lesser-known creatures in the animal kingdom. The result is an eight minute animated short that she describes as, “. . . a wacky animated circus designed to teach elementary students about ugly, bizarre and underrated endangered species of the world.”
During the colorful short, six endangered species are profiled as part of a virtual circus sideshow, exhibiting what makes them unusual and at times humorous. Hemphill is attending the showing and will be handing out a series of “Ew Gross!” trading cards to the audience.
Admissions and Parking
The Spark! Family Film Festival is free and open to the public. Seats are first-come, first-serve. Parking for the Akron Art Museum is free on weekends and on weekdays after 6 p.m. in the High Street municipal garage directly across the street from the entrance of the Akron Art Museum. Admission fees apply to the galleries.
Schedule
12:00 p.m.: Kid Flix Party Mix curated by New York International Children’s Film Fest
1:45 p.m.: ShiSho performs in front of a funky screen of super 8 film footage
3:15 p.m.: Sparktastic Kid Friendly Shorts Program curated by Akron Film
