4th annual FREE event at the Loft Theatre– take your kids (and yourself) to this International Children’s Film Festival, running July 24 to August 1, 10 a.m. every morniing. Sponsors are Tucson Medical Center and Mrs.Tiggy Winkle’s Toys.

Exciting 9 day film schedule copied from the Loft website:

“Saturday, July 24: CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG Sing-a-long! (1968)
The beloved family classic, co-written by Roald Dahl and based on the novel by Ian Fleming, about an extraordinary car called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang that not only drives but also flies and floats as it leads an inventor, his two children and his beautiful lady friend, Truly Scrumptious, into a magical world of pirates, castles and endless adventure. Starring Dick Van Dyke, and featuring such toe-tapping tunes as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang , Toot Sweet and Me Ol’ Bamboo!

Sunday, July 25: THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN (1984)
Kermit, Miss Piggy and all their Muppet pals hit the streets of New York City in this hilarious musical comedy that follows the Muppets on a fun-filled quest to get their show, “Manhattan Melodies,” produced on Broadway. Let’s put on a show!

Monday, July 26: CHARLOTTE’S WEB (1973)
The original animated version of E.B. White’s popular children’s book spins the heartwarming tale of a very special friendship between Wilbur the pig and Charlotte the spider, not to mention Templeton the rat! Featuring the voices of Debbie Reynolds and Paul Lynde.

Tuesday, July 27: HELP, I’M A FISH! (2008, Denmark, dubbed in English)
In this lushly animated undersea adventure, three children stumble upon the hidden cave of a mad professor and drink a potion that turns them into sea creatures! The chase is on when the antidote falls into the hands (or fins!) of a lowly pilot fish, who drinks it and acquires the power of speech and a maniacal desire for world control! Featuring the voices of Monty Python’s Terry Jones and Alan Rickman (Snape in the Harry Potter films).

Wednesday, July 28: THE INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD (1995), with free copies of the book for those in attendance (while supplies last)!
The classic young adult novel by Lynn Reid Banks comes to cinematic life in this thrilling adventure tale of a lonely boy who discovers a magical wooden cabinet that can bring his plastic toys to life, including a six-inch tall Iroquois warrior named Little Bear.
This screening is made possible by the generous support of Bookmans Entertainment Exchange and the Pima County Public Library!

Thursday, July 29: LOONEY TUNES CLASSIC CARTOON DAY! (1950s)
Celebrate your favorite Warner Brothers characters with great vintage Looney Tunes cartoons screened from glorious 35 mm film prints! See Bugs, Daffy, Roadrunner, Porky and the whole gang up to their old tricks in such favorites as Beanstalk Bunny, A-Lad-in-His Lamp, Dr. Jerkyl’s Hide, Duck Amuck and lots more … 80 minutes worth, to be exact. Beep Beep!

Friday, July 30: THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1940)
Often hailed as one of the greatest fantasy films of all time, this ripping adventure yarn, inspired by The Arabian Nights, tells the story of brave Prince Ahmad and his scrappy sidekick Abu, who must battle the evil Jaffar in order to win back Ahamd’s royal crown as well as the heart of a beautiful princess. Filled with flying horses, magic carpets and giant genies, this live-action Technicolor classic has entranced viewers of all ages for decades.

Saturday, July 31: WALLACE AND GROMIT AND THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT (2005)
Wacky scientist Wallace and his heroic dog Gromit race to save the day when their sleepy English village is menaced by a giant were-rabbit on the prowl for tasty vegetables … and the annual vegetable contest is only days away! A hilarious claymation classic!

Sunday, Aug 1: THE NEVERENDING STORY (1984)
A boy visualizes his favorite fantasy novel, THE NEVERENDING STORY, detailing the adventures of a young warrior and his heroic journey to save the empire of Fantasia from an evil nemesis called The Nothing, in this magical ‘80s adventure film from director Wolfgang Peterson.

movie poster with sponsors

PLUS: Fantastic short films before selected features! And don’t forget to enter the free daily raffle to win a $50 gift certificate to Mrs. Tiggy Winkle’s Toys!

**Please note: Children under 12 MUST be accompanied by a supervising adult. Don’t delay as seating is “first come, first served” with no advance tickets.

All screenings and events will take place at The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd., east of Country Club.

Coming up Sunday November 29 is Free Admission Day at the Tucson Children’s Museum (TCM), 200 S. 6th Avenue, from 12 noon to 5 p.m.

Log onto www.tucsonchildrensmuseum.org for more information about the exciting, hands-on exhibits in this wonderful resource for children in downtown, south of Broadway Blvd, just west of Armory Park. It’s located in the old Carnegie Library, built in 1901.

Tucson Children's Museum

“You have embarked on an adventure learning experience at Southern Arizona’s only children’s museum. A visit to the Tucson Children’s Museum will find you enjoying the numerous interactive exhibits, the daily hands-on activities and the monthly special events.”

10% off purchases that day is being offered at Mrs. Tiggy Winkle’s Toys branch store at TCM. Their main toy store is at 4811 E. Grant at the Crossroads Festival shopping center (Suite 151), NE corner of Grant and Swan. But I miss their previous, charming location at Broadway Village, where my son spent many a happy hour.

But, I digress. Do take your kids & visit the Tucson Children’s Museum on November 29.

This free admission is a great help for larger families in our community. Enjoy!

If you love free movies and you have kids, or are still a kid at heart, here’s a film festival for you, starting Saturday July 25.

Super cinematic summer excitement is back at The Loft with its the third annual TUCSON INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL,
presented by the Glassman Foundation, and hosted by the staff of Mrs. Tiggy Winkle’s Toys, a very popular toy store at Crossroads Festival.

This exciting and “awe-inspiring silver screen extravaganza is a nine-day celebration of great children’s cinema, featuring classic kids films, foreign features, cartoons, sing-a-longs, fun interactive activities, free popcorn and prize giveaways!”

And best of all, every movie is FREE! Another freebie is that you can enter a daily raffle to win a $50 gift certificate to Mrs. Tiggy Winkle’s Toys!

The event runs Saturday through Sunday for 9 days to August 2, and movies are at 10 a.m. every morning. The festival kicks-off with the “Wizard of Oz”, one of my all time favorites, and finishes with the incomparable sing-a-long “Mary Poppins.”

Be there on July 29 as The PIMA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY will be handing out FREE copies of the book “James and the Giant Peach” by Roald Dahl, before the movie (while supplies last.) There will also be a short discussion on turning the book into a film after the movie. I’ve read the book and it’s an exciting movie as well.

There are also some international films from Japan, France, and Hungary (but mostly dubbed in English).

I’m one of the dedicated Loft volunteers who enjoys movies and such community film festivals. Children under 12 must be accompanied by a supervising adult, so please don’t just drop off the little ones. See www.loftcinema.com for more details and a schedule of each day’s film.

Sounds like it’s going to be a “supercalifragilistic” screening festival. Plus it’s also a great summer way to beat the heat.