The Irish Film Institute’s monthly family programme comes to RUA RED  with cinematic tales of adventure and fun from around the world for young audiences.

All tickets on sale through the RUA RED Box Office 01 451 5860 or email boxoffice@ruared.ie

September
The Red Balloon/Le Ballon Rouge (Cert PG)
Classic Oscar-winning French film. Mostly without dialogue (ideal for those who are unsure about subtitles!) the 34-minute film tells the story of a young boy, Pascal, who follows a red balloon around the streets of Paris. His journey through the post-war streets is one of childlike wonder, joy and adventure, and a certain loss of innocence.
Director Albert Lamorisse’s career was tragically cut short, yet this film and his other short, The Mane, have immortalised him as a filmmaker with a truly cinematic sense of storytelling.
France/1956/34 mins/Director: Albert Lamorisse
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October
Lost and Found (Cert U)
Storyteller and artist Oliver Jeffer’s heart-warming and funny tale of a boy and a lost penguin is adapted for this award-winning family animation. When the penguin turns up on the boy’s doorstep one day, the boy is determined to help him find his way back to the south pole, even if it means rowing all the way. Beautifully animated in stop-motion, this short film is as memorable as the book that was its inspiration.
UK/2008/24 mins/Director: Philip Hunt
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November
The Fox and the Child (Cert U)
The story of a magical and life-changing encounter between a wild fox and a young girl whose impossible friendship is played out against a breathtaking mountainside wilderness.
One autumn morning, at the bend on a path, a little girl catches sight of a fox. Fascinated to the point that she forgets all fear, she dares to go up to him. For an instant, the barriers that separate the child and the animal disappear. Thanks to the fox, the little girl discovers a wild and secret environment. And so begins an adventure that will change her life, her vision of the world and ours.
France/2007/92 mins/English/Luc Jacquet
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December
Ponyo (Cert U)
Japanese master animator Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film follows his hits, Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. For this film, Miyazaki draws on The Little Mermaid for this story of Ponyo, a cheeky red goldfish that turns into a girl and becomes a friend for a five-year-old boy, Sosuke, who finds her in a jar on the beach.
Moving from sea world to human world, Ponyo brings magic into Sosuke’s life, but causes huge waves to crash against the shore flooding the town. They must negotiate a way through the flood in a magical toy boat and find Sosuke’s mother. Along the way they see fabulous sea creatures as well as the debris left by humans that threatens the balance of nature. But the ecological lesson doesn’t outweigh the charm of this dazzling addition to the Studio Ghibli canon.
Japan/2008/108 mins/Director: Hiyao Miyazaki
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Dates:               First Saturday of every month
Time:                12noon
Admission:        €2 per child - adults FREE!