Tumbleweeds Film Festival for Kids is a mini festival experience with films, activities, and workshops for kids of all ages. Films in the Tumbleweeds program highlight stories and young protagonists from around the world that both entertain and illuminate the world around us.
The 2022 Tumbleweeds Film Festival for Kids offers viewing options for everyone — indoor screenings at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center in Taylorsville take place on May 20 – 22, 2022, and online screenings at home or on the go will run from May 20-29, 2022.
Animation Celebration
A collection of animated short films from all ages that celebrate different animation types. Films in the program to be announced!
This event has concluded.
Jackie & Oopjen
When Oopjen thinks 12-year-old Jackie is the sister she’s lost years ago, Rembrandt’s famous painting comes to life.
This event has concluded.
Maika
After a meteor falls to earth, 8-year-old Hung meets an alien girl from the planet Maika, searching for her lost friend. The alien helps Hung make new friends and heal a broken heart. But danger lurks everywhere.
This event has concluded.
NYICFF Kid Flicks One 2021-2022
Presented in partnership with New York International Children’s Film Festival.
Share your love of cinema with your little ones with Kid Flicks, curated to charm all ages and especially introduce our youngest viewers, ages 3+, to their very first screen experiences.
This event has concluded.
NYICFF Kid Flicks Two 2021-2022
Presented in partnership with New York International Children’s Film Festival. With shorts for ages 8+, Kid Flicks Two audiences are ready for plenty of fun, plus deeper themes and multilingual films with English subtitles.
This event has concluded.
Sisters: The Summer We Found Our Superpowers
Original title: Tottori! Sommeren vi var alene
Calm Vega (9), her wild sister Billie (5), and their outdoorsy dad go for an overnight hike in the wilderness. The trip is all fun and games until Dadalls into a mountain crack and hurts himself badly. Unable to move, he tells the girls to go and find help. Together Vega and Billie set off on a mission across the wild Norwegian nature, and must brave wild animals, exposure, each other, and their own fear.
Spaceboy
Arriving in a new town with his dad, Jim, a gifted 11-year-old boy has to participate in a young scientist competition with his new classmate Emma. Jim convinces her to secretly build a real air balloon. Pursuing his father’s dream of going to space, Jim drags her into an adventure which brings them closer.
This event has concluded.
Special Screening: Lamya’s Poem
A young refugee girl fleeing violence and war finds a book of poetry by the celebrated 13th century poet, Rumi. The book becomes a magical gateway where she meets the young Rumi when he was a refugee, escaping the terrible wars of his time. In a shared dream world populated by monsters and other threats that represent the perils they face on their respective journeys, she must help him write the poem that 800 years later will save her life.
Supa Modo
Jo, a witty 9-year old terminally ill girl is taken back to her rural village to live out the rest of her short life. Her only comfort during these dull times are her dreams of being a Superhero, which prove to be something her rebellious teenage sister Mwix, overprotective mother Kathryn and the entire village of Maweni think they can fulfill.
This event has concluded.
The Strangest Girl in the World
(La chica más rara del mundo)
Melién is 15 years old and has an incredible imagination. She loves to read mystery books, draw monsters and write horror stories. She is happy with her way of being, even though at school they say she is “The strangest girl in the world”. But, the problem she has is above that, apparently, her drawings are coming to life.
This event has concluded.
Zero Gravity
Zero Gravity follows a diverse group of middle-school students from San Jose, CA, who compete in a nationwide tournament to code satellites aboard the International Space Station.
This event has concluded.
Engineering and Sculpture come together for this delightful maker moment: 1. Take the tallest tower challenge and build a tower as tall as you can with the provided materials! 2. Build a wooden sculpture and decorate it!
This event has concluded.
Build your own mobile from sustainable and repurposed materials courtesy of Clever Octopus. Come experiment with us making Kinetic or Moving Sculpture!
This event has concluded.
Hop aboard the Bad Dog Arts spaceship to travel far away beyond the Milky Way. You will use paint, pastels and paper to create your own galaxy with amazing colorful planets. What will you discover as you explore outer space?
This event has concluded.
This event has concluded.
In this interactive workshop, you will learn beginner skills and techniques in special FX makeup. We will discuss basic color theory, makeup tools & supplies, and application techniques. After a short demonstration, the students will have the opportunity to practice what they’ve learned with guided teaching & correction.
This event has concluded.
This event has concluded.
Are you new to filmmaking? Not sure how to get started? In this session, learn how to use basic technology tools that are must-haves for creating fantastic beginner films.
This event has concluded.
Design your own video game in using free software called Flowlab! Learn the fundamentals of game design and create your own video game using simple drag and drop tools in this fun and engaging workshop!
This event has concluded.
¿Eres un nuevo cineasta? ¿No sabes cómo empezar? En esta sesión, aprenderas a usar herramientas y tecnologia básica que son imprescindibles para crear tu primera película.
This event has concluded.
Learn the basics of on camera acting with a local pro! Together students will use their critical reading skills to breakdown a scene, memorize at the speed of light, and film their very own performance. All you need is yourself, a pen, and don’t forget to bring your imagination. Get ready to run wild!
This event has concluded.
Do you have a story in your head you want to see on the big screen? Utah Film Center will show you the basics of storytelling and screenwriting format in an interactive game where learners work together to make, and write their story.
This event has concluded.
This event has concluded.
Filming with a green screen allows you to film in far-off locations without having to travel and add special effects to your film without breaking the bank! In this session, learn how to set up a green screen, film with it, and edit your footage to create high-quality chroma key effects.
This event has concluded.
Join award-winning film producer, screenwriter, and comic book writer Blake Casselman to discuss the process of successfully writing a screenplay. Where do ideas for movies come from? How do you create memorable characters? What is a logline? What tools are needed to write a professional-looking script? Come to this fun, interactive workshop to discover the answers to these questions and much more.
This event has concluded.
This event has concluded.
Recommended for Ages: 8+
Create a simple, 2-frame animation using only a pen and a strip of paper! Join the Utah Education Network in the Clubhouse to create your own animation!
Recommended for Ages: 4+
Come make your own custom button with Clever Octopus! They will offer art kit giveaways along with information about Clever Octopus, volunteer opportunities, and Americorps.
Recommended for Ages: All ages
Ever wanted to be hand drawn like a cartoon or super hero? Live Caricature Artist will make you a work of art at our festival for you to enjoy your memories of the festival for years to come! The caricatures will be hand drawn or digitally drawn while you sit for the drawing!
Recommended for Ages: 5+
Did you love the movie Supa Modo and Sisters and want to create your own super hero? Join Utah Film Center at our crafting booth where you can pick the super hero mask and cape of your choice and design it to reveal your own unique super hero with the super powers unique to you!
Recommended for Ages: 6+
Let Craft Lake City, SLC’s DIY experts, will guide you through the process of designing and making their own stickers using household materials such as parchment paper and tape! Designs will be created by the attendees, but we will provide inspiration related to the themes.
Recommended for Ages: All ages
Let our photo booth photographer capture your family and friend’s zany personality! The photo will be behind our film festival backdrop with fun costumes and props to show off your creative side!
Recommended for Ages: 5+
Kids will have the opportunity to create their own planets, stars, space ships, and intergalactic wonders to take back to their pods or add to our galaxy installation. Kids can also pose for a photo shoot with some out of this world space suits cutouts!
Recommended for Ages: Age 6+
Join U of U Health as they lead you on fun brain games to keep your mind sharp and your body healthy!
Recommended for Ages: 5+
Clark Planetarium will take you on a journey exploring the properties of light and how it has been used to capture photographs, movies and how it can be used to help us discover the universe beyond our own planet.
Recommended for Ages: 2+
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, located in the heart of Salt Lake City, has family Saturday programs, school art trucks and an impressive collection of contemporary art from around the world. Join the UMOCA team by coloring “thank you” cards for the people that give you space to create in your life.
Recommended for Ages: 4+
Bad Dog Arts wants kids to think about the things they are good at to be able to name their Superpower. Pick from a list of possible choices on site, like Math-Wizard, Problem Solver, King (or Queen) of Kindness, etc. Bad Dog Arts will ask kids “How will your superpower help to make the world a better place?” Kids will first make a colorful texture rubbing background then choose their superpower word and create a work of art!
Good Night Oppy tells the inspirational true story of Opportunity, a rover that was sent to Mars for a 90- day mission but ended up surviving for 15 years. The film follows Opportunity’s groundbreaking journey on Mars and the remarkable bond forged between a robot and her humans millions of miles away.
A collection of short films curated by Utah Film Center.
Thank you to our generous 2022 Tumbleweeds sponsors.
