On June 11, the junior kindergarten classes from West Point Grey Academy made their red-carpet debut at the first Big Picture Film Festival. Even more impressive? These creative, multitasking 4- and 5-year-olds not only developed the storyboards, wrote the scripts and made the props, but they acted in and directed the shorts themselves!
 
Of course, the budding moviemakers had some help, namely that of junior kindergarten director Angela Sali and retired Disney film director Mr. Frank Nissen, who gave the children workshops on the finer points of filmmaking, such as creating storyboards, incorporating props and engaging the audience. Ms. Sali then teamed up with Mary Kellough, mother of JK student Emett, to host the Big Picture Film Festival at Make, Ms. Kellough’s marketing firm. A hip and lofty space, it was the perfect venue to showcase the contemporary films–and to admire the children’s fashionable dresses and suits! 
 
All proceeds from the screening, including sales of the children’s First Nations-inspired paintings, benefit imagine1day, which raises money for school programs in Ethiopia.
 
An artistic and service-minded bunch, last month the JK classes’ presented their own opera, which they wrote and performed, and held their annual African Market, again in support of imagine1day.
 
Click here for CTV News coverage of the Big Picture Film Festival. The Vancouver Province and Global News also interviewed the children last week as they prepared for this Tuesday’s screening. 

Spielberg and Streep, watch out!