Projects in genres: Children’s

Synopsis

A modern urban fairytale, Kingdom is the story of an accountant (Simon Kirk) who unwittingly stumbles on a centuries-old plan by a duplicitous feudal lord (Peter Campbell-Orde) to claim the crown of a kingdom ruled by dragons.

With its ambitious mix of live action and complicated computer-generated images, Kingdom is a tribute to writer-director Kenneth D Barker's perseverance and resourcefulness. Determined to make a film that would stand out from the crowd of Tarantino-wannabes and have a wide consumer appeal, he decided to shoot the film on digital video directly for the video sell-through market because it would be quick and cheap. He teamed up with model-maker and special-effects designer Gary Rowntree, who suggested combining rod-controlled puppetry with CGI to create the dragons.

By spring 1998 cast and crew were in place and Barker sent out a business plan to potential investors via the Yorkshire Association of Business Angels. Barely 10 days before principal photography was due to start, an anonymous businessman came forward with enough cash to see the film through to post-production.

The film, which, with its images of dragons flying over the Leeds skyline, certainly seems to fulfil Barkers original aim, is available to order from Barker's website www.wotr.co.uk. He is now working on two projects which he will write and produce - the period sci-fi The Last Great Adventure and the futuristic 2642AD.

Synopsis

Little Voices is a film with children who are displaced and victims of violence in Colombia. This film is driven by real children's stories, and drawings which are animated using computer animation.  The result is a unique and powerful hybrid of documentary and computer animation.

Synopsis

The countdown is on - in 7 days' time Britain converts to the Euro. It's the biggest opportunity the criminal world has ever had. Billions of sterling head for the incinerator. When a railway heist goes wrong and an enormous bag of money falls from the sky into the hands of Damian and Anthony, there's only one thing to do - spend it like there's no tomorrow.
 
But how can a 7 and 9 year-old hope to spend a quarter of a million quid a week? Anthony's black market operations bring hyper-inflation to the school playground and Damian wants to help the poor, but they're in short supply. Oh, and the train robbers want their money back.
 
Will they manage to spend the money before it's worthless. Will the school authorities discover what's going on? Or will the robbers get there first?

Synopsis

A boy idolises his absent father and awaits for his return. One day he does return.

Synopsis

Two inner-city schoolgirls, Shaya and Monique, jump on the bus to go home. Monique sends a text to a boy they met at the weekend. Being best friends, the girls do everything together and share everything - up until this moment. Monique gets her first proper date and Shaya isn't invited.
 

Synopsis

Penny Collectors is about two children with nothing much to do and no one else to play with. They meet on a beach one summer's day and decide to go on a quest for pennies, to buy sweets, to try and make themselves sick.

Synopsis

Fighting over a television remote control, an eight year old girl and her little brother break a window. Mum will soon be home. What will they do? What will they tell her?
 
The two of them come up with a quick scheme to sort out the grave problem at hand; an emotional roller coaster that marks the end of their innocent cosy world. In the next ten minutes big sister comes up with the perfect plan and to her surprise, little brother becomes her unquestioning follower, or so she thinks.

Synopsis

Set on the day of the solar eclipse. A young boy returns home to a less compassionate reception from his father, while a woman struggles to see her daughter.

Synopsis

A small boy wishes he could be taller. A modern fairytale that follows a young boy's ingenious way of dealing with his 'height', the end result is not the one he imagined.
 
This is a 'coming of age' tale in which a young boy finds himself and blossoms into adulthood.

Synopsis

Kayelitsha, a township close to Capetown, after the end of Apartheid. Two thirteen-year-old kids- Madiba and Sipho - play along the railway line. A train passes by. A dead man is tossed from the train and rolls to their feet. His lifeless hand clutches an attache case. Inside, the boys find a gun and a video camera. Sipho takes the gun and Madiba the camera. Their destinies are sealed.
 
Madiba makes a wooden box and hides the camera inside, in order to avoid questions and losing his new toy. He starts filming the township and its inhabitants. Through the lens,  his everday surroundings take on a strange new beauty.
 
His status enhanced by gun ownership, Sipho becomes a gang leader and operates out of Capetown. Madiba comes along, but instead of crime, he is more interested in capturing the luxurious life of the city that is in such stark contrast to his township life.
 
In a bookstore, Madiba films a young white girl stealing a book. They look at each other. Going out of the store, she gives him the book with her name written inside it: Estelle.
 
Estelle's father is a famous doctor. She lives in a traditional Capetownian white community in which century-old prejudices have not died with the end of apartheid. Estelle is eager to embrace the new South Africa, but her family doesn't allow her to do so.
 
She rebels and is encouraged by the non-racist views of Mr. Shawn, her music teacher who has taught music in the townships since before independence. Estelle often thinks of Madiba, the boy with his strange camera.
 
Sipho is now addicted to glue. He continues to traffic and becomes the undisputed chief of his small gang.
 
Madiba films incessantly. He also dreams of the young white girl who has held out her hand to him. They meet again some days later, and slowly a strong friendship starts between them.
 
From the first steps of a young cinematographer who changes the perception of his township to the tragic end of Sipho, the good-hearted bad boy, The Wooden Camera tells the story of a friendship between two kids, not understood by their parents, who refuse what seems to them like a compromise with the enemy. It will take all the determination of the kids and the intelligence of Mr. Shawn, who knows that music has no colour, to give a chance to the impossible.
 
Sipho commits a hold-up and is shot dead, while Madiba and Estelle try to find their way into the future through art and love.

Synopsis

This film is set in the backwater of southern Louisiana. Michelle thinks that family should be thicker than water. But her mother and Sister have different ideas. She struggles to understand why the family breaks apart, why she feels she's not able to control her life and how she can find meaning in a seemingly meaningless existence. What she discovers is a bond with her Mother and Sister based on acceptance and humour.

Synopsis

Modern-day feature adaptation of the popular TV series.