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Beat the Heat: WELCOME TO THE SPACE SHOW

Watch Trailer Director: Kôji Masunari, Masaaki Yuasa
Writer(s): Hideyuki Kurata, Kôji Masunari, Tomonori Ochikoshi, Stephanie Sheh
Cast: Tomoyo Kurosawa, Honoka Ikezuki, Takuto Yoshinaga

A tiny mountain village in a remote woodland region. Five primary school kids have come together in this idyllic spot in order to spend their summer holidays at a camp. At first the children enjoy carefree days amidst unspoiled nature far away from adult supervision. But their life changes dramatically when they come across what they believe to be a small dog, badly in need of help. The creature – known as Pochi – turns out not to be a dog at all but an alien on an important mission. It seems there is a mysterious substance on earth that is coveted throughout the universe. Pochi had almost found it but was so badly injured during a fight that he had to give up his search. Thanks to the children’s help, the alien survives – and decides to reward them generously. “Where would you most like to travel?” is the question Pochi puts to his rescuers. Their answer is prompt, if vague: “As far as possible!” Pochi suggests they try the moon first of all, and so, the alien whisks away the kids to the satellite next door. This marks the beginning of an absolutely amazing adventure.

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Running Time: 136 min136 MIN

Strange and wondrous! A sheer abundance of visual invention!

New York Times
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Beat the Heat: MUPPETS FROM SPACE

Watch Trailer Director: Tim Hill
Writer(s): Jerry Juhl , Joey Mazzarino, Ken Kaufman
Cast: Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Bill Barretta

At long last, the secret of just what the Great Gonzo happens to be is revealed! As Gonzo and his friend Rizzo hit the road in search of their roots, Gonzo makes a shocking discovery: his parents are actually space aliens from another galaxy. After announcing this startling news on Miss Piggy’s talk show (hey, if Ricki Lake and Rosie O’Donnell can do it, why not Miss Piggy?), Gonzo finds himself the subject of a dark and mysterious government conspiracy, led by the nefarious K. Edgar Singer (Jeffrey Tambor). In time, Gonzo is forced to choose: should he hop on board the UFO and sail off to live with his family, or stay on Earth with the friends he knows and loves? Muppets From Space once again pairs the late Jim Henson’s creations with a stellar cast of human beings, including F. Murray Abraham, David Arquette, Ray Liotta, and Andie MacDowell.

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Running Time: 87 min87 MIN
G Rated
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

Smart and winning, this sixth Muppet feature film comes closest to recapturing the pure joy of the 1979 original!

Robin Rauzi
Los Angeles Times
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Beat the Heat: SONG OF THE SEA

Watch Trailer Director: Tomm Moore
Writer(s): Will Collins, Tomm Moore
Cast: David Rawle, Brendan Gleeson, Lisa Hannigan
Awards: Nominated for the Best Animated Feature Film at the Academy Awards, 2015

From the creators of the Academy Award®-nominated The Secret of Kells comes a breathtakingly gorgeous, hand-drawn masterpiece. Based on the Irish legend of the Selkies, Song of the Sea 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. As enthralling for adults as it is for children young and old, Song of the Sea is a wonder of magical storytelling and visual splendor that is destined to become a classic.

 

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Running Time: 93 min93 MIN
PG Rated

A blissfully beautiful journey into Irish folklore.

indieWIRE
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Beat the Heat: ERNEST & CELESTINE

Watch Trailer Director: Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar and Benjamin Renner
Writer(s): Gabrielle Vincent and Daniel Pennac
Cast: The English-language voice cast features Forest Whitaker, Mackenzie Foy, Lauren Bacall, Paul Giamatti, William H. Macy, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Jeffrey Wright.
Awards: Nominated for the Best Animated Feature Film at the Academy Awards, 2014
Language: Dubbed in English

Deep below snowy, cobblestone streets, tucked away in networks of winding subterranean tunnels, lives a civilization of hardworking mice, terrified of the bears who live above ground. Unlike her fellow mice, Celestine is an artist and a dreamer – and when she nearly ends up as breakfast for ursine troubadour Ernest, the two form an unlikely bond. But it isn’t long before their friendship is put on trial by their respective bear-fearing and mice-eating communities.

Fresh from standing ovations at Cannes and Toronto, ERNEST & CELESTINE joyfully leaps across genres and influences to capture the kinetic, limitless possibilities of animated storytelling. Like a gorgeous watercolor painting brought to life, a constantly shifting pastel color palette bursts and drips across the screen, while wonderful storytelling and brilliant comic timing draw up influences as varied as Buster Keaton, Bug Bunny and the outlaw romanticism of Bonnie and Clyde. Bringing it all together is the on-screen chemistry between the two lead characters – a flowing, tender and playful rapport that will put a smile on your face and make your heart grow.

 

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Running Time: 80 minutes80 MIN
PG Rated
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

A beautiful little children's fable with a wise, grown-up heart.

Vulture
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Beat the Heat: TALES OF THE NIGHT

Watch Trailer Director: Michel Ocelot
Writer(s): Michel Ocelot
Cast: Julien Beramis, Marine Griset and Michel Elias
Awards: Nominated for the Golden Berlin Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, 2011
Language: Dubbed in English

TALES OF THE NIGHT is renowned animation auteur Michel Ocelot (KIRIKOU AND THE SORCERESS, AZUR & ASMAR)’s first foray into 3D animation. A hit at the Berlin Film Festival, the film extends the earlier shadow puppet style of Ocelot’s PRINCES AND THE PRINCESSES, with black silhouetted characters set off against exquisitely detailed Day-Glo backgrounds bursting with color and kaleidoscopic patterns – the subtle use of 3D creating a diorama-like effect.

The film weaves together six exotic fables each unfolding in a unique locale, from Tibet, to medieval Europe, an Aztec kingdom, the African plains, and even the Land of the Dead. In Ocelot’s storytelling, history blends with fairytale as viewers are whisked off to enchanted lands full of dragons, werewolves, captive princesses, sorcerers, and enormous talking bees – and each fable ends with its own ironic twist.

 

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Running Time: 84 minutes84 MIN
Not Rated

Glorious! Michel Ocelot's ravishing animation and magical storytelling is a delight from start to finish!

Empire
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Beat the Heat: ELEANOR’S SECRET

Watch Trailer Director: Dominique Monféry
Writer(s): Anik Le Ray, Alexandre Révérend, and Murielle Canta
Cast: Paul Bandey, Pascal Berger and Lorànt Deutsch
Awards: Won the Special Distinction award at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival
Language: Dubbed in English

From Academy Award nominated director Dominique Monféry comes a sumptuously animated movie about a magic library where all the characters from classic children’s books come alive.

Nat has fond memories of his eccentric Aunt Eleanor reading to him from her enormous collection of storybooks but is frustrated by his inability to read the books himself. So he is less than thrilled when he learns that his aunt has left him the keys to her attic library as a gift. However, just as Nat’s parents are selling the collection to a shady antiques dealer, Nat discovers that the library is magical – the books are all original first editions of history’s most popular fairy tales, and the famous characters come to life! Now with the help of Alice in Wonderland, the Ogre, Peter Pan and others, he must find a way to get back the books and learn to read an ancient spell to keep the characters alive for future generations of children.

 

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Running Time: 80 minutes80 MIN
Not Rated

Charming! Imaginative! The animation appeals to all ages and parents will appreciate the pro-literacy message at the pic's heart.

Variety
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Beat the Heat: NOCTURNA

Watch Trailer Director: Adrià García and Víctor Maldonado
Writer(s): Adrià García, Víctor Maldonado and Teresa Vilardell
Cast: Imanol Arias, Joe Lewis and Molly Malcolm
Awards: Won Best Animated Feature Film at the Barcelona Film Awards, 2007
Language: Dubbed in English

Visually stunning and wildly inventive, this film explores the mystery of the night in a sweeping nocturnal adventure full of Alice in Wonderland-like characters and moody, dream-inspired landscapes. Have you ever wondered why your hair looks funny in the morning or where the sounds outside your window come from at night? A young boy named Tim finds out after an unusual discovery on the rooftop of his orphanage plunges him into the secret world of Nocturna, inhabited by curious creatures who control the night.

There are hairdressers who specialize in bed-heads, dream writers, and a vast herd of guardian cats led by the gigantic Cat Shepherd. Yet this world is in danger: the stars in the sky are disappearing, kids are becoming restless at night, and a mysterious shadow creature is haunting the empty streets, extinguishing anything that gives off light. If Tim and the Cat Shepherd can’t set things right, nighttime will never be the same! Bold anime-influenced character design and beautiful, fluid 2D animation help to create a fantastic dream world that balances the magical with a touch of menace. Tim and the audience ultimately learn that the night doesn’t have to be so scary after all.

 

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Running Time: 80 minutes80 MIN
Not Rated

Graceful! Entertaining! Handsomely drawn!

Hollywood Reporter
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Beat the Heat: THE SECRET OF KELLS

Watch Trailer Director: Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey
Writer(s): Tomm Moore and Fabrice Ziolkowski
Cast: Evan McGuire, Brendan Gleeson and Mick Lally
Awards: Academy Award Nominee, Best Animated Feature
Language: Dubbed in English

Magic, fantasy and Celtic mythology come together in a riot of color and detail that dazzle the eyes in this sweeping story about the power of imagination and faith to carry humanity through dark times. Features the voices of Brendan Gleeson (HARRY POTTER, IN BRUGES), Mick Lally, Evan McGuire and Christen Mooney.

Young Brendan lives in a remote medieval outpost under siege from barbarian raids. But a new life of adventure beckons when a celebrated master illuminator arrives from foreign lands carrying an ancient but unfinished book, brimming with secret wisdom and powers. To help complete the magical book, Brendan has to overcome his deepest fears on a dangerous quest that takes him into the enchanted forest where mythical creatures hide. It is here that he meets the fairy Aisling, a mysterious young wolf-girl, who helps him along the way. But with the barbarians closing in, will Brendan’s determination and artistic vision illuminate the darkness and show that enlightenment is the best fortification against evil?

 

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Running Time: 75 minutes75 MIN
Not Rated

'The Secret of Kells' discloses strange new vistas that nonetheless seem to have existed since ancient times.

New York Times
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Beat the Heat: MIA AND THE MIGOO

Watch Trailer Director: Jacques-Rémy Girerd
Writer(s): Benoît Chieux, Jacques-Rémy Girerd, Antoine Lanciaux, Stephanie Sheh and Iouri Tcherenkov
Cast: Featuring the voices of: John DiMaggio, Whoopi Goldberg, Matthew Modine, Wallace Shawn, James Woods
Awards: Won Best Animated Film at the European Film Awards, 2009

One night Mia has a premonition. So after saying a few words of parting at her mother’s grave, she sets out on a cross continent journey, though mountains and jungles in search of her father, who has been trapped in a landslide at a construction site on a remote tropical lake. In the middle of the lake stands the ancient Tree of Life, watched over by innocent, bumbling forest spirits called the Migoo, who grow and change shape as they please, morphing from small childlike beings to petulant giants. The Migoo have been disrupting the construction to protect this sacred site – and now together with Mia they join in a fight to find Mia’s father and save the Tree, with the future of life on Earth hanging in the balance.

From the distributors of the Academy Award nominated THE SECRET OF KELLS comes the gorgeous second feature from renowned French animator Jacques-Rémy Girerd. Created from an astounding 500,000 hand-painted frames of animation, MIA AND THE MIGOO is a work of art, breathtaking to behold, with backgrounds that invoke Van Gogh, Monet, and Cezanne. Figures are outlined in pastel and bathed in rustic watercolors for a handcrafted look that bursts at the seams with painterly detail. The film is a fable-like journey of a young girl who must overcome her fears on a quest to find her father and save the world from destruction.

 

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Running Time: 92 minutes92 MIN
PG Rated
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

A hand-painted film that draws inspiration from Van Gogh and Cezanne, MIA AND THE MIGOO is genuinely beautiful, with eye-popping color and motion and dreamscapes; really inspired stuff.

The Oregonian
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Beat the Heat: CORALINE

Watch Trailer Director: Henry Selick
Writer(s): Neil Gaiman, Henry Selick
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders
Awards: Nominated for Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Animation

A young girl walks through a secret door and discovers a parallel reality that is eerily similar to the life she already knows, yet deeply unsettling in a number of ways, in director Henry Selick’s animated adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s international best-seller. Eleven-year-old Coraline Jones (voice of Dakota Fanning) is fearlessly courageous, and perhaps far too adventurous for her own good. Coraline and her parents (Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman) have recently relocated to Oregon from Michigan. Bored in her new home since her parents are distracted by work and she has yet to make any new friends, Coraline passes the time by exploring her new neighborhood with an annoying local boy named Wybie Lovat (Robert Bailey Jr.). But after paying a visit to her eccentric neighbors Miss Spink (Jennifer Saunders) and Miss Forcible (Dawn French), a pair of aging British actresses, and crossing paths with the outright weird Mr. Bobinsky (Ian McShane), the precocious young girl becomes convinced that her new surroundings are just as dull as she’d initially suspected. Shortly thereafter, Coraline discovers a hidden door in her new house, and decides to investigate. Venturing into the eerie passageway inside, Coraline emerges into an alternate version of her own reality. At first glance, this strange new world seems even better than the real thing; there her parents aren’t distracted by work, and Coraline is always the center of attention. There’s even a mysterious Cat (Keith David) that’s fascinated by her every move. But when Coraline’s button-eyed Other Mother (also Hatcher) attempts to make her stay permanent, the frightened young girl must summon her resourcefulness and bravery in order to find her way back home and save her real family.

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Running Time: 100 Minutes100 MIN
PG Rated
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

A gift to imagination.

David Denby
The New Yorker
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