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With its annual slate of edgy and provocative cinema, the Sundance Film Festival has been called many things.
Wholesome is not one of them.
So perhaps it was inevitable that family-friendly Utah eventually would play host to a celebration of movies for and about children. That day is here. The Salt Lake Children's Film Festival, featuring three new features never before seen by Utah audiences, opens today at the Megaplex 12 at The Gateway.
The four-day event includes screenings of five full-length features, plus a handful of short films made by children, an animation workshop, an ice cream party, a tea party and other activities. Filmmakers and cast members will be on hand to greet guests and discuss their movies. Tickets cost $10 and $5, and proceeds will benefit the Salt Lake County Children's Justice Center, which provides a haven for abused children during the criminal justice process.
"Being such a family state, it's about time we have a festival focused on children," says filmmaker Tim Nelson, the festival's programming director. "These films let children know they have a voice. All these films are about living your dreams and standing up for what you believe is right."
Headlining the festival is "Little Secrets," a heartwarming family story that opens in theaters across the country next week. Also premiering at the festival are "Princess and the Pea," an animated feature based on the children's fable, and "Children on Their Birthdays," a small-town story set in 1947 Alabama. Filling out the roster are two Nelson-directed movies: "The Penny Promise," which had a limited theatrical release earlier this year, and "No More Baths," a 1998 film that has been an enduring hit on the Disney Channel.
All five films feature children in lead roles; all are rated G or PG and are suitable for kids of all...