Movies for teens and children at Sonoma Int'l Film Festival

There are plenty of films at the Festival that your children and teens will enjoy.|

While film festivals are frequently thought of as adults-only events, in Sonoma, kids and teens have plenty of chances to get in on the action, In fact, there are almost a dozen films screening over the five-day Sonoma International Film Festival that will appeal to teen audiences – as well as a robust and free children's program.

'Yellow Fever' is one of a handful of coming-of-age dramas. The film centers on a girl, adopted from Korea by a white family, and her struggles as a teen to adjust to her new life in San Francisco. Friday noon at the Sonoma Community Center and 9:30 a.m. on Sunday at Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall.

'Scales: Mermaids are Real' is a drama about a girl who has lived her life thinking she's an ordinary girl, in an ordinary town. As she approaches her 12th birthday, however, she learns that she is destined to turn into a mermaid. She struggle with her new reality as she says goodbye to her mother and friends. Sunday at 9:15 a.m. at the Sebastiani Theatre.

'Unleashed' is a comedic tale of dating. A young woman's dog and cat are transformed into two perfect guys and chaos ensues as she learns a lot about herself, trust and love. Thursday at noon at the Vets Hall and Saturday at noon at the Sebastiani.

"#AnAmericanDream" is a dark comedy about a college graduate as he navigates the perils of modern day American society. The film is written and directed Ken Finkleman of the HBO series, 'The Newsroom.' Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at the Vets Hall.

'Kepler's Dream' is about an 11-year-old girl who spends a memorable summer at an isolated New Mexico adobe as she searches for a missing rare book from her grandmother's library. Director Amy Glazer and star Kelly Lynch, will attend the screening. Friday at 8:30 p.m. at the Sebastiani Theater.

The comedy 'Quaker Oaths' follows a young couple around as they hit the road to track down their wedding guests to let them know that they will be getting divorced. Thursday at noon at Vintage House and Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Mobile Cinema on First Street East..

'Polina' is a Russian film about a classically trained young dancer about to join the Bolshoi Ballet when she gets exposed to contemporary dance and questions her future. Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Sebastiani and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. at Vets Hall.

'Handsome Devil' is a coming-of-age tale at an Irish boarding school. A loner and a (secretly gay) star athlete form an unlikely friendship. Friday at 6 p.m. at the Sebastiani.

If your teens enjoy documentaries, there are almost a dozen in the festival including films about contaminated drinking water ('What Lies Upstream'), the consequences of our addiction to our devices ('Death by Design'), a young violinist who builds a copy of the most famous violin in the world ('Strad Style'), a close-up look at rare and exotic insects ('Learning to See the World of Insects'), the challenges of being a female chef ('Goddesses of Food') and the life of the editor of Italian Vogue ('Franca: Chaos and Creation').

On Saturday morning, April 1, SIFF is providing coffee, orange juice and pastries for the first 150 guests of the family film, 'The Boss Baby,' at its only screening, at 9 a.m. at the Sebastiani Theater. After the film ends at 11 a.m., the ensemble Everybody is a Star will perform. Adults can get their tickets at the theater for $10 that morning or look at passes online at sonomafilmfest.org and kids get in free.

'Boss Baby' is the latest from DreamWorks and it features the voices of Alec Baldwin and Steve Buscemi. A briefcase-wielding baby teams up with his older brother to save the day at Puppy Co. Inc.

In terms of films made by local students, the Sebastiani Theater will host its annual Student Showcase, a compilation of the best short films made by Sonoma Valley High School students, as well as a series of shorts produced by middle school students on Thursday morning at 10 a.m., and the Showcase will screen a second time on Sunday from 3 to 5:30 p.m at Vets Hall.

As parents suggest films to their children and teens, it's important to note that most of these films are not yet rated.

Festival passes, day passes are available for advance purchase, individual ticket sales are $15 at the door if space is available.

The complete program information is online at sonomafilmfest.org.

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