A SELECTION of 22 films will be shown over two days as part of the first BIFF Kids Film Festival.The Bermuda International Film Festival (BIFF) and Butterfield Bank announced the line-up yesterday, promising a first-class offering appropriate for children of various ages.

According to BIFF director Aideen Ratteray Pryse, much of the line-up credit should go to Jane Schoettle and Emily Scheer of the Sprockets Toronto International Film Festival for Children. The two women curated the film programme, drawing on experience gained in organising the Toronto Festival, solidly established as the second largest in North America for kids.

"Jane and Emily have done a wonderful job, assembling a first-class line-up of children's films," said Mrs. Ratteray Pryse. "We have short films, both animated and live action, plus narrative features and documentary films from around the world. We are most grateful to Jane and Emily for their guidance, and we are proud of our first-ever BIFF Kids film line-up."

President and CEO of Butterfield Bank, Alan Thompson attested to its sure triumph.

"Butterfield Bank is delighted to be presenting the first BIFF Kids Film Festival. The line-up is fantastic and I am certain the Festival will be a huge success."

Films will screen at noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on each day of the Festival ? October 16 and 17. Four screenings have been deemed appropriate for kids between the ages of seven and 10; a second four more suited to children between the ages of 11 and 14 years.

The Festival opens at noon on Saturday, October 16 with the Best of World short films.

lNorwegian with English subtitles. 25 minutes. It follows a 16-year-old's trip to the world championship tournament in the world of professional computer gaming.

lSix minutes. English. A portrait of four aboriginal boys in a remote community in central Australia.

l. 21 minutes. Follows the loveable and familiar duo Wallace, and his intrepid dog, Gromit in a series of misadventures. The pair is best known for their Academy Award-nominated debut, .

l. 9 minutes. Sporting the signature claymation figures from the award-winning Aardman Animations, and the voices of the Great British Public, this episode features interviews with the two most popular household pets as they argue the merits of each other.

Offerings at 2 p.m. ? Shorts from the Great White North: A collection of shorts from Canada's National Film Board.

l. 7 minutes. Based on the book by Itah Sadu, follows what happens when a boy decides to change his name to Tiger.

l. 7 minutes. Saoussan and her family move to Canada to escape war-torn Beirut, but she finds it frustrating when she can't speak English. Based on the book by Robert Munsch and Saoussan Askar.

l7 minutes. A messy boy's pet fish enlists the help of a fastidious cockroach to improve their filthy living conditions. A tonic for beleaguered parents everywhere.

. 23 minutes. A boy's glasses enable him to excel in the classroom and on the playground but he loses sight of his real friends.

l. 8 minutes. The Hindu festival of lights comes alive in a special way for a young girl after an ice storm cuts off power. Based on the book by Rachna Gilmore.

l. 6 minutes. Maylin's father's success as the owner of an acclaimed restaurant is largely due to his daughter's culinary skills. When he claims them as his own in front of dining dignitaries, Maylin is forced to stand up for herself.

l. 12 minutes. Young May wants a dog and comes up with numerous clever ploys to get her way. Based on the book by Dayal Kaur Khalsa.

l. 9 minutes. The music of a violin connects a young Chinese girl and her father to the home they left behind after they emigrate to Canada.

Feature length films begin at 4 p.m. with . 102 minutes. In French and Flemish with English subtitles ? Justin and his father Dieudonn? are illegal immigrants from Burundi living in Brussels. They are always on their guard against the authorities, but when a dispute with neighbours attracts the attention of the police, father and son are soon on the lam.

At 6 p.m., When a new teacher walks into a Grade 6 class, school life changes. Miss C's unorthodox (but effective) teaching methods cause an uproar. With the help of her students, Miss C. sets up a wonderful library, and the kids discover a most amazing thing about their beloved teacher: When she reads a book, she literally disappears into it and is trapped unless rescued by her pupils.

On Sunday, October 17 the line-up continues at noon with a series of shorts.

l. 59 minutes. Based on the best-selling book series by David Kirk. Using state-of-the-art 3-D computer-generated imagery to recreate a microcosmic world of bugs of all shapes and sizes, the story highlights the adventure, action and mayhem of the lives of Miss Spider, her husband Holley and their five soon-to-arrive little bundles of joy.

l. 13 minutes. A cross between and . Secret agents Victor Volt and Anita Knight work together to save the world, or large chunks thereof. A world premiere for Bermuda.

l. 21 minutes. Follows the loveable and familiar duo Wallace, and his intrepid dog, Gromit in a series of misadventures. The pair is best known for their Academy Award-nominated debut, .

Offerings at 2 p.m. ? Docs and drama for short.

l. 29 minutes. By law in Bangladesh, children must attend school for two hours every day. For many however, forced to work all day, education is a luxury they cannot afford. This powerful film follows 13-year-old Ari Hossein as he investigates the indifference of the employers who depend on child labour and the plight of these children in this poverty-stricken land.

l34 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles. Two orphaned brothers scrape by on the streets of Mexico City. When the older brother falls in love and raids their joint savings for a date with his sweetheart the two part, meeting 25 years later. Winner of the 2001 Academy Award for Best Short Film.

l. 25 minutes. In Danish with English subtitles. Popular, charming and a handsome handball player, 14-year-old Christoffer had it all until a tragic accident with illegal firecrackers cost him his sight. This documentary, made at his request, follows Stoffer as he deals with the loss of vision and the surgery he undergoes in an attempt to improve it.

The Festival continues at 4 p.m. with the best of UK animation.

l. 60 minutes. When a young boy, Pyotr, discovers a magical flying ship, it leads him on an exciting journey where he meets an assortment of very strange characters. Each one of them has a peculiar talent which enables Pyotr to outwit the mighty Tsar Nikolai and win the hand of the princess.

l. 23 minutes. RARG is a land so perfect that the sun never rises until it is absolutely sure that everyone is awake. Everyone is very happy until they discover they are the subject of a dream, and the dreamer is about to be woken by his alarm clock.

At 6 p.m., . 106 minutes. English and Hebrew with English subtitles. Eleven-year-old David Wiseman lives in England in the 60s. Mad about cricket, he is excited when a Jamaican family moves next door and builds a cricket net in their back garden until the neighbours start to make life difficult for the new arrivals.

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