Bermuda International Film Festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary with an initiative aimed at young children.

Next month’s festival will see BIFF deliver two programmes designed to inspire the island’s younger generation “through the imagination and attention grabbing medium of film,” said Nicky Gurret, local artistic director and event manager

The Books to Film programme is targeted at primary schoolchildren and the Reel Talk screening of short films is for middle and high school students.

BIFF has invited all public and private schools to two sessions for P1-P4 students on Tuesday. May 3 and Wednesday, May 4 from 8.30am-10.30am at the Earl Cameron Theatre in City Hall for screening of two books that have been made into films.

“This is an educational initiative focusing on visual literacy for primary schoolchildren,” added Ms Gurret.

“Teachers of the Primary 1-4 levels and students are invited to a fun programme of reading and film. Storybooks are read to the students by guest readers, followed by a screening of a film adaptation.”

Ms Gurret has coordinated with Mrs Marla Smith, head of the Bermuda Children’s Library, to pick two books which also have short films, one of which is “Do Unto Otters — a Book about Manners” by Laurie Keller

“When the otters move in next door to Mr Rabbit, he does not know how to behave with them”, explained Ms Gurret. “This is a story that highlights how to be a good neighbour and friend.”

Reel Talk will focus on BIFF films of the past and the short film ‘Lawnman’ in which Bermudian Kalilah Robinson was the cinematographer.

Ms Robinson has a Master’s degree from The American Film Institute in Los Angeles.

The story is full of horses, guns, cowboys and about the trailblazer Bass Reeves, the first black deputy to serve west of the Mississippi River in the 1890s.

Also invited are any home schools that would like their students and teachers to attend. They are can contact director@biff.bm or call 293-3456.