Opening Night: Friday, January 15, 2016, 7:00 PM
Regent Theater, Arlington
Fantasia: 75th Anniversary Screening!
As a kick-off to the Regent Theater's "Through the Decades Classic Film Series," a year-long celebration of the theater's 100th anniversary, we are pleased to present this special 75th anniversary screening of the classic animated film from Walt Disney. No childhood should be considered complete without seeing it on a big screen! Kids will want to see Mickey Mouse as the sorcerer's apprentice, of course, but they'll also benefit from hearing the music of Beethoven, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, and more orchestrated and conducted by the one and only Leopold Stokowski, while watching the famous dancing hippos, fairies and flowers and cavorting centaurs and centaurettes. Dress up as your favorite character and join the parade; prizes for the best costumes! (Age 4+, $9). Purchase tickets here

Spend a morning with renowned children's book author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds! The program features animated versions of some of his most famous books, including The Dot, Ish, and Sky Color, followed by a talk and book signing. Books will be available for sale, or bring yo,ur own. Age 3-8 ($6). Purchase tickets here.

The Netherlands | 2014 | 100 min. | New England premiere
Seven-year-old Johannes Blom is blown away when he discovers a little man in the kitchen cupboard, hidden behind the peanut butter jar. He's even more astonished when he realizes that this little man, Wiplala, has magical powers. Unfortunately, his powers have become a bit unpredictable lately, and he accidentally shrinks Johannes and his family, whereupon a great adventure begins. Based on the book Wiplala by Annie M.G. Schmidt. Age 6+ ($9). Purchase tickets here.

Ireland | 2015 | 94 min. | English, Irish & Scottish Gaelic with subtitles
This breathtakingly beautiful, hand-drawn animated film must be experienced on the big screen! A nominee for the Academy Award's Best Animated Feature and based on the Irish legend of the Selkies, the film tells the story of the last seal-child, Saoirse, and her brother Ben, who go on an epic journey to save the world of magic and discover the secrets of their past. Pursued by the owl witch Macha and a host of ancient and mythical creatures, Saoirse and Ben race against time to awaken Saoirse's powers and keep the spirit world from disappearing forever. Age 5+ ($9). Purchase tickets here.

USA | 70 min. | English | New England premieres
For nearly 70 years Weston Woods Studios has created the highest quality films from best loved picture books by some of the most well-known children's book authors. Includes the New England premieres of: Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs and This is Not a Good Idea written and narrated by Mo Willems; A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle; Ivan, The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine Applegate; Scaredy Squirrel at Night by Melanie Watt; Same, Same But Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw; and Peanut Butter and Jellyfish by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Age 3-9 ($6). Purchase tickets here.

Environmentally-themed films that are as educational as they are entertaining, including: The Marvelous Musical Report (of the Marine National Monuments) a hilarious and stunning film about why it's worth protecting the four extraordinary marine national monuments in the Pacific Ocean; Finconceivable about the importance of sharks in our world and what could happen if the ocean's fiercest predators ceased to exist; Save Tomorrow, about three girls from Lexington, MA, 9 years-old at the time, who team up to overturn a town law banning solar panels on public buildings and subsequently convince the Girl Scouts to remove palm oil from their cookies (part of the Young Voices for the Planet series); Miss Rumphius, an animated film narrated by Claire Danes based on the true story of the woman who made the world more beautiful with a handful of seeds; and All Over the Map, about Seney Refuge in Michigan, part of the US Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System. Followed by a Q&A with Alice Van Evera, Mari McBride, and Lily Georgopoulos, featured in Save Tomorrow. Age 4+ ($6). Purchase tickets here.

Paraguay | 2015 | 95 min. | Spanish with subtitles | New England premiere
The Recycled Orchestra of Cateura in Paraguay is comprised of children who live next to one of South America's largest landfills. They had no money for real instruments, so "Cola", one of the garbage pickers and an untutored genius of the slum, got together with local musician Favio Chávez to make instruments for the children made entirely out of garbage-violins and cellos from oil drums, flutes from water pipes and spoons, guitars from packing crates. When their story goes viral, they realize their dream of performing live with their favorite band, Megadeth, as well as others, catapulting them into the global spotlight. The film is a beautiful story about the transformative power of music, and also highlights two vital issues of our times: poverty and waste pollution. Age 7+ ($9). Purchase tickets here.

For shy Cathy, it is not easy to be born on February 29th. On her 10th birthday her quirky divorced father gives her a duck egg to hatch. Immediately after hatching, the duckling sees her friend Margaux first and chooses her to be its mother. Except that Margaux is in a wheel chair, and her parents don't think she's capable of caring for it. In secret the two girls set off on a amazing adventure to set the duckling free in its natural habitat, much to the despair of their over-concerned parents. Age 6+ ($9). Purchase tickets here.

Films from Scholastic/Weston Woods Studios that highlight the ideals, people, and history connected to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Films include: Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport narrated by Michael Clarke Duncan; March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World, a personal, stirring account by Martin Luther King, Jr.'s sister, Christine, of the remarkable day Dr. King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech and of the man who went on to inspire a nation; Rosa by Nikki Giovanni about how Rosa Parks boarded a Montgomery, Alabama city bus and refused to give up her seat to a white man, an act that ignited a movement that changed modern history; and Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine, a true story about a slave who mails himself to freedom. Ages 4+ ($6). Purchase tickets here.

Share the joy of 8 year-olds Angel, Moses, Nina and the rest of the performers in the Grammy-nominated African Children's Choir, many of whom are from the slums of Kampala, Uganda, a country torn apart by guerrilla war. Although lacking enough resources to even attend the first grade, the film shows how each child processes the joys and challenges of their life-changing opportunity to receive an education to achieve their dreams. This first-person account offers exclusive footage of the choir's world tour and should be required viewing for all American children. Age 8+ ($9). Purchase tickets here.

Share the joy of 8 year-olds Angel, Moses, Nina and the rest of the performers in the Grammy-nominated African Children's Choir, many of whom are from the slums of Kampala, Uganda, a country torn apart by guerrilla war. Although lacking enough resources to even attend the first grade, the film shows how each child processes the joys and challenges of their life-changing opportunity to receive an education to achieve their dreams. This first-person account offers exclusive footage of the choir's world tour and should be required viewing for all American children. Age 8+ ($9). Purchase tickets here.

Young Ivan Drago's (David Mazouz, young Bruce Wayne in Gotham) newfound love of board games catapults him into the fantastical and competitive world of game invention, and pits him against the inventor Morodian (Joseph Fiennes), who has long desired to destroy the city of Zyl, founded by Ivan's grandfather (Ed Asner). To save his family (Tom Cavanaugh) and defeat Morodian, Ivan must come to know what it is to be a true Games Maker. Age 8+ ($9). Purchase tickets here.