The Under 18 Film Guide to AFI FEST 2005 is a resource for cinema buffs under the age of 18 and their parents to help choose the right films to see together in this year's festival.

Gorgeously shot in rich vibrant colors, ADIOS MOMO is the story of 11-year-old street kid Obdulio, who sells newspapers for a living but does not read or write. He befriends the night watchman of the newspaper, a magical "Maestro," who will not only introduce him to reading, but also teach him the real meaning of life, using the lyrics of the "Murgas" (Carnival Pierrots) under the spell of God MoMo during the mythical Felliniesque nights of the Uruguayan Carnival.

Big Pluses:

• A very colorful film with surreal scenes (including Carnival players).
• Highlights the strength of children to survive and persevere with their dreams intact.
• Showcases deep friendships between people of varied backgrounds.

• Uruguay's population of nearly 3.5 million is quite diverse; speaking Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (a Portuguese-Spanish mix spoken on the Brazilian frontier).
• Obdulio Varela was a famous soccer star in Uruguay from 1940-1954.

• Bullies prey on Obdulio while out selling newspapers.
• There is some bad language.
• Younger audience members could get restless during some of the films more luxurious scenes.

  Fri. 4, 6:45 p.m. (A12) / Sat. 5, 12:30 p.m. (A12)

AMU
2004 India 102 MIN 35 MM
DIR/SCR/PROD Shonali Bose

Kaju, a 21-year-old Indian American woman, returns to India to visit her family for the first time since she was three. In the beginning, Kaju is adjusting to the new culture, but as the story develops there is a potent underlying political charge in her realizations. Unanswered questions intertwine with a larger story involving the assassination of Indira Gandhi and a layered rich past that makes her who she is in the present.

Big Pluses:

• Displaces many American misconceptions of modern Indian life.
• A look at the relationship between politics and religion and the confl icts thrust on those in its path.
• Strong ties of family and friendship allow diffi cult subject matter to be explored in a venue of support and understanding.

• In 1984, 4000 Sikhs were killed in riots that lasted three days after the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her two Sikh bodyguards.
• The writer-director was a student during the riots and worked in the relief camps afterwards, writing down the stories of the survivors.

• A story of a minor character who killed a Sikh man during the riots.
• Archival photo of two dead bodies that are briefl y seen wrapped in cloth.
• Child sees her father pulled into a crowd where he ends up being beaten to death, but neither the act nor his body are shown.
• A mother commits suicide: the act is not shown, only her body wrapped in a shroud.
• A minor amount of sexually suggestive language, and mild expletives.

  Wed. 9, 7:00 p.m. (A11) / Fri. 11, 12:45 p.m. (A14)

INITIAL D
2005 Hong Kong 108 MIN 35 MM
DIR Andrew Lau, Alan Mak SCR Felix Chong PROD Andrew Lau EXEC PROD John Chong, Yang Ying

Based on the extremely successful anime and manga, INITIAL D brings to the big screen a lightning fast tale of Japanese street racing. Takumi is just the son of the local tofu man. But when a group of downhill racers comes into town, his true abilities are revealed.

Big Pluses:

• Has characteristics of both the FAST AND THE FURIOUS and REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE.
• Has a funny, loud side-kick that should amuse both adults and kids alike.
• Has already broken box-offi ce records in China and Hong-Kong.

• There are many other classic films that have revolved around racing including AMERICAN GRAFFITI, THE GREAT RACE and GRAND PRIX.

• A drunk and physically abusive father--a fact which is merely played off as comic.
• An implied relationship between a teenaged girl and an older man.
• Some extended scenes of vomiting played for comic value.
• Glamorizes street racing.

  Sat. 5, 6:00 p.m. (A11) / Sun. 6, 12:00 p.m. (A10)

THE KID AND I
DIR Penelope Spheeris SCR Tom Arnold PROD Tom Arnold, Penelope Spheeris, Brad Wyman EXEC PROD Marie Fyhrie, Jordan Katz

On the brink of committing suicide, actor/writer Bill Williams (played by the charming Tom Arnold) is hired by a wealthy businessman (Joe Montegna) to write and act in a film which will star his 17-year-old son, Aaron, who suffers from a not too severe case of cerebral palsy. Aaron, who idolizes Bill Williams, wants nothing more than to live out his dream as an action hero. Directed by Penelope Spheeris, THE KID AND I is a delightful film peppered with extraordinary cameos from Henry Winkler, Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Big Pluses:

• An uplifting comedy with an all-star cast.
• Humor aimed to reach younger kids, teens and parents alike.
• Viewers go from seeing Aaron as a disabled kid to just a kid.
• All the characters overcome their limitations in the end.

• 1 in 400 children are born with Cerebral Palsy every year.
• The profi ts from this film will benefi t United Cerebral Palsy.

• Some heavy drinking by a featured character (who reforms by the end of the film).
• An attempted suicide by a main character that is played off with humor (but all is well in the end).

  Sat. 12, 7:00 p.m. (A13)

LAFABRI-K/THE CUBAN HIP HOP FACTORY
2004 Cuba/USA 64 MIN VIDEO
DIR/SCR/DP/ED Lisandro Perez-Rey PROD Pamela Cohn, Cynthia Barrera, Lisandro Perez-Rey EXEC PROD Elizabeth Boone

When two popular rap duos join forces to create a new musical revolution in Cuba, they never expected to be thrust into an intense journey into the heart of hip-hop. This documentary follows the artists of Doble-Filo and Obsesion, known collectively as LA FABRI-K (The Factory), from their humble homes in Havana throughout their unforgettable summer concert tour as they record their first album and travel to the United States for a groundbreaking concert at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

Big Pluses:

• Smart and positive lyrics with a socio-cultural consciousness.
• Shatters political assumptions about Cuban censorship of art.
• Great look at hip-hop through the lens of young Cuban artist/poets.

• Alamar, only 90 miles from Miami, is the birthplace of Cuban hip-hop as it is the only neighborhood to receive American radio signals.
• Originally Cuban rappers had no equipment, not even boomboxes, so they rapped only to beatboxing.
• Pioneering Cuban rap artists had to obtain all of their sound equipment via the Internet.

• A few passing references to heavy drinking and drug use.
• A few uses of the F-word.

  Thu. 10, 9:15 p.m. (A12) / Fri. 11, 4:30 p.m. (A13)

ON THE OTHER SIDE
2005 Mexico 89 MIN 35 MM
DIR/SCR Gustavo Loza PROD Gustavo Loza, Luis Granados EXEC PROD Richard Ham

Three countries, three cultures, three different realities serve as background for the stories of three children (a Mexican boy, a Cuban boy and a Moroccan girl) who share the same loss--the absence of a father who has emigrated searching for a better standard of living. Told from the compelling viewpoint of those left behind, ON THE OTHER SIDE looks at their desire to fi nd their father and bring him back home.

Big Pluses:

• Depicts a realistic view of how economic opportunity separates families.
• Shows strong love and deep bonds within each family.
• The children in the film all develop an understanding of their family's situation and choices.
• Beautiful cinematography of the Michoacan state of Mexico; Havana, Cuba; the Moroccan desert and southern Spain.

• It is estimated that 18 million people each year are separated from their families for economic reasons.
• A voyage from Morocco to Spain is 12 miles across the Strait of Gibraltar and takes one hour by speed boat.

• A dark, cautionary fairytale told in praise of treating women kindly.
• A stream of harsh expletives from an old "salty" character and an expletive used in a sexual context.
• A young character escapes potential involvement in prostitution.
• A character's best friend drowns and the boy feels responsible, though he is not.

  Sun. 6, 6:15 p.m. (A13) / Mon. 7, 3:30 p.m. (A11)

THE RED SHOES
2005 South Korea 103 MIN 35 MM
DIR Kim Yong-gyun SCR Ma Sang-yeal, Kim Yong-gyun PROD Shin Chang-gil, Creta D. Kim EXEC PROD Park Hyun-tae, Peter Kim

Thou shalt not covet anything that is thy neighbor's--THE RED SHOES is the ingenious resurrection of a classical tale by Hans Christian Anderson in a Korean horror film rife with terrifying yet delicate music, eye-catching set design and choreography.

Big Pluses:

• In the same style and school of other recent and popular horror movies coming out of Asia.
• Gorgeous cinematography, production design and locations.
• Great tension and suspense with relatively little gore and onscreen violence (for a horror film)
• No real obscenities.

• THE RED SHOES was made into a film in Hollywood in 1948, starring Danny Kaye.
• Many of America's most successful recent horror films, like THE RING, THE GRUDGE, and DARK WATER, are remakes of films first made in Asia.

• High suspense, tense moods and obsessive behavior.
• Gore includes foot and eye loss and a downpour of blood (like in the movie CARRIE)
• Implied sex (but only the shoes are actually seen).

  Wed. 9, 10:00 p.m. (A14) / Fri. 11, 9:45 p.m. (A13)

SCREAMING MASTERPIECE
2005 Iceland 88 MIN 35 MM
DIR/SCR Ari Alexander Ergis PROD Sigurjon Sighvatsson, Ari Alexander Ergis

Iceland is a small country with a huge music scene: from Bjork to Sigur Ros, Mum, Bang Gang, Mugison, Minus and Slowblow, this amazing documentary uncovers a treasure chest of sound that is 1,000 years in the making.
Big Pluses:

• The immense diversity of musical infl uences modern Icelandic musicians pull from in their own history and abroad is astounding.
• Shows how the freedom to create music according one's own artistic vision creates stronger, more interesting and compelling music.
• 2 rockers play a xylophone made out of rocks while collaborating with a string orchestra.
• Encourages cross-generational collaboration and an appreciation and use of one's cultural and historic past in one's current artistic work.

• Iceland has only 900,000 residents, but it has 90 music schools, 6000 choirs, and 400 orchestras and marching bands.
• Nearly everyone under 30 is in a band.

• Quite a lot of time is given to each of the performances and while this is really part of the great pleasure of the film, some younger kids might get restless.

  Sat. 5, 9:00 p.m. (A14) / Sun. 6, 3:45 p.m. (A11)

THE WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN
2005 New Zealand 127 MIN 35 MM
DIR/SCR Roger Donaldson PROD Roger Donaldson, Gary Hannam

Based on a true story, New Zealander Burt Munro (Anthony Hopkins) is obsessed with speed and his beloved souped-up Indian motorcycle. Getting on in years, he travels to the salt fl ats of Utah to attempt to set a world land-speed record, which still stands to this day.

Big Pluses:

• A man of advancing years continues working to live out his dream: and does it in such a fantastic fashion that 38 years later, no one still has broken his record.
• The massive, white Bonneville Salt Flats are used to great cinematic effect.
• Anthony Hopkins brings his immense talents to a positive and optimistic character.
• No bad language.

• The director of this film also made a documentary on the real Burt Munro called OFFERINGS TO THE GOD OF SPEED.
• Many of Burt Munro's tools, as well as objects (like one of his ties on loan from his son), were used in the film to give its production design and costuming great authenticity.

• Two "morning after" scenes, but they are handled discretely and have no nudity.
• Main character befriends a '50s period transvestite.
• One instance of more moderate drug use (although it is not identifi ed as a drug in the film).

  Tue. 8, 7:30 p.m. 127 MIN (DOME)

ZOZO
2005 Sweden/United Kingdom/Denmark 103 MIN 35 MM
DIR/SCR Josef Fares PROD Anna Anthony EXEC PROD Lars Joensson

From the director of JALLA JALLA and KOPPS, this is the story of Zozo, a boy just on the cusp of adolescence, far too young to deal with the Lebanese civil war that is raging outside his door. Left orphaned, hungry and adrift by shells and gunfi re, Zozo sets off to the only other place he knows--Sweden--where his paternal grandparents emigrated years before.

Big Pluses:

• Gives a real sense of the hardships of immigration, and the relief offered by friendships and family.
• A baby chick offers friendship to Zozo, comic relief to the audience and softens the devastating effect of Zozo's tragedies.

• The Lebanese Civil War involved armed confl ict between various sects of Christians and Muslims, nationalistic and non-nationalist parties, the PLO, and armies from Syria and Israel. It lasted from 1975 until 1990.
• Sweden's population includes 142,600 immigrants from the Middle East, 20,000 of which are from Lebanon.

• Scenes include bombings of populated apartment buildings that are intense, but not gory.
• The deaths of Zozo's family occurs off screen. His discovery of their bodies is intense, but not overly gory.
• Zozo has several fl ashbacks to the bombings through the movie, including one that involves his new school.
• An abusive father hits his daughter.
• Prepubescent boys use macho language.

  Tue. 8, 7:15 p.m. (A13) / Wed. 9, 12:00 p.m. (A11)

UNDER 18 FILM GUIDE printable .pdf

View the full synopses of these and other films