The Jewish Museum will present Kids Flix Mix, twelve animated short films for kids, on Monday and Tuesday, December 26 and 27 at 11:30 am. Showcasing a spectacular array of traditional, CGI and collage animation styles in films from around the world, the program features three adaptations of books by Ezra Jack Keats. Kids Flix Mix is produced in collaboration with the New York International Children’s Film Festival, and conjunction with the current exhibition, The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats.
Tickets are $12 per adult; $10 per child; $10 adult Jewish Museum family level member; and $8 child Jewish Museum family level member. This program is for children age 3 and up. Adults are asked to accompany their children. For further information regarding family programs at The Jewish Museum, the public may call 212.423.3337. Tickets for programs at The Jewish Museum can be purchased online at the Museum’s web site.
KIDS FLIX MIX PROGRAM
Aston's Stones, Sweden, 2009, 9 min.
Aston feels sorry for the stones he finds along the path on the way home, so one by one he takes them home to care for them. But soon the stones have taken over the home, and his father suggests a solution.
The Snowy Day, United States, 2010, 6 min.
Enchanted by a city snowfall, a small boy makes snow angels and snowballs, slides down snow mountains, and looks forward to going outside again. Based on Ezra Jack Keats’s beloved book.
Breaking the Mould, United Kingdom, 2009, 1 min.
In this one-minute cycle-of-life, an intrepid young apple goes out to see the world, and discovers a home.
Electric Car, United States, 2010, 3 min., 30 sec.
This catchy music video by They Might Be Giants uses mixed media animation, as an electric car rolls across the landscape and a girl and her dog welcome the world to join them on a journey into a new day.
Peter's Chair, United States, 5 min.
Peter wants to run away from home when his baby sister arrives, but soon learns something very important about growing up. Based on the book by Ezra Jack Keats.
Sooner or Later, Switzerland, 2010, 5 min.
A squirrel and a bat live in a colorful world where day is separated from night and controlled by underground gears. The animals can never reach one another, but can exchange gifts of acorns. One day, an acorn gets stuck in the cogs, stopping time, and leading the animals to work together to fix the problem.
Spot & Splodge in Snowstorm, Sweden, 2009, 8 min.
Spot and Splodge build a snowman, have a snowball fight and make snow angels. But as the storm intensifies, the snow sticks all over their bodies, and Spot and Splodge can’t see each other, or their house.
Cherry on the Cake, United Kingdom, 7 min., 30 sec.
It's Cherry's birthday and she's excited about spending it with her family. But her family is caught up in their own worlds, and the smaller Cherry feels, the smaller she gets. Will she disappear all together?
Whistle for Willie, United States, 4 min.
For Peter, learning to whistle means being able to call his dog, Willie, and being a bit closer to those two magic words: grown up. Based on the book by Ezra Jack Keats.
Dinosaur Song, United States, 2009, 3 min.
The journey of a colossal dinosaur takes us from his life to millions of years later, when his bones are eventually put on display at the museum.
Hedgehug, United States, 2009, 5 min.
In this sweet, gentle animation, a lonely hedgehog searches for someone to love.
Knuffle Bunny, United States, 2008, 7 min.
Trixie, Daddy and Knuffle take a trip to the laundromat, but when Trixie realizes something is missing, their adventure takes an unexpected turn. Based on the award winning Mo Willems picture book, animated characters are overlaid on photographic images of New York City.
The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats is the first major United States exhibition to pay tribute to author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats (1916-1983), whose beloved children’s books include Whistle for Willie (1964), Peter’s Chair (1967), and The Snowy Day (1962). Published at the height of the American civil-rights movement and winner of the prestigious Caldecott Medal, The Snowy Day became a milestone, featuring the first African-American protagonist in a full-color picture book. The Snowy Day went on to become an inspiration for generations of readers, and paved the way for multiracial representation in American children’s literature. The dilapidated urban settings of Keats’s stories are also pioneering – picture books had rarely featured such gritty landscapes before. The author and illustrator was born Jacob (Jack) Ezra Katz in Brooklyn. His parents were Eastern European Jewish immigrants and very poor. Primarily self-taught, he drew upon memories of growing up in East New York, one of the most deprived neighborhoods in New York City. Yet his work transcends the personal and reflects the universal concerns of children. Keats used lush color in his paintings and collages and strove for simplicity in his texts. The exhibition features over 80 original works by the artist, from preliminary sketches and dummy books, to final paintings and collages, including examples of Keats’s most introspective but less-known output inspired by Asian art and haiku poetry. Documentary material and photographs will also be on view. The Jewish Museum exhibition is part of a wide-scale celebration of the 50th anniversary of the publication of The Snowy Day.
