My Pen Pal: An African Adventure is a children’s documentary about a 10-year-old California girl who travels to Tanzania to meet her pen pal. Photographed in HD with the stunning East African landscape as the backdrop, My Pen Pal is a heartwarming story of travel, adventure and cultural exchange told from the perspective of a young girl, Megan, who is the host and narrator of the film.
Details
LENGTH: 1 x 37 Minutes
FORMAT: Special
CAMERA: HDCAM 1080i (16:9)
INTERNATIONAL TRACK: Yes
TEXTLESS: Yes
CLOSED CAPTIONS: No
PRODUCTION YEAR: 2007
RELEASE YEAR: 2010
PRODUCER: Shaun Donahue Productions
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States
RIGHTS TERRITORY: Worldwide
In this documentary, Megan gets to meet her pen pal, Atnasia, in Tanzania during a 2007 trip to Africa with her parents. Megan has been writing to her pen pal for over a year. She and her family arrive in Arusha, Tanzania via Europe and set out on Safari with six other families in four Safari vans. Megan and her parents are sharing a van with a family from New Jersey with two girls about Megan’s age.
The first stop is the Tarangire National Park. The Safari vehicles have a pop up roof that lets the kids see lions, elephants and zebras and other wildlife up close. Then it’s on to an authentic Massai village where they enter a typical Massai home made of mud and cow dung. They are treated to a performance of the Massai jumping warrior dance.
Next, they head to the school to meet Atnasia. But when they arrive, they find that there is no school in session. Megan looks around the empty school grounds and discovers that it’s not like her school back home in a lot of ways. The kids are disappointed and the guides say they will try again tomorrow.
The following morning, they head back to the school and today the students are there. The principal takes them on a tour and shows them the school bell which is a gong hanging from a tree. There is no electricity or running water and the students share desks and books. After the tour, there is an assembly and the kids are called up one by one to meet their pen pals. All the names are called except Megan and another boy. A dramatic moment ensues while the teachers and parents try to figure out what went wrong. Finally, they find the last two names and Megan is called up to meet Atnasia. The pen pals speak different languages so they start out with hand games. Megan learns to count in Swahili. A basketball game really gets things going. However, too soon, it is time to say good-bye.
The Safari continues to the Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti and the Mara River for more spectacular wildlife viewing. At the end of the nine-day trip they head to a grass airstrip on the savannah and board a small plane for Arusha. On the flight, Megan composes a letter to Atnasia: “…meeting you is the highlight of my trip and the experience we shared will be in my heart forever. Love, Megan”
Awards
Finalist 2010 IFFF Short Film- Documentary Category
Best Children’s Film Ferndale Film Festival 2009
Related Titles:
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I sent this to another “contact” page of your website but I see this now here on the film site I was looking at. I’m wondering if you’d like to submit the film to REELkids Film Festival in Canada. We are the educational wing of ReFrame Film Festival. I think it would be an excellent fit for the festival. I’ve added the submission form here. see below
Krista English
Submissions 2011
Purpose
REELKids Film Festival is the educational wing of
ReFrame Peterborough International
Film Festival designed for elementary school children.
REELKids is a four‐day celebration
of film, video and media geared to students in grades 1‐8.
The festival includes a
comprehensive school program complete with a Teacher’s
Guide for educators. REELKids
Film Festival features important award‐winning films from around the world on topics including the environment, indigenous people, social justice and world issues.
Payment
REELKids will pay minimal screening fees to all films selected for REELKids 2011. The
screening fee is calculated according to the number of minutes of the film (length of the
film).
Changes to Film Status
If the filmmaker becomes aware of any matters which may affect the film from being
selected, the filmmaker will immediately inform REELKids (e-mail preferred).
Dates of the festival
REELKidswill take place from January 2011.
Website: http://www.reframefilmfestival.ca/reel (currently being updated)
Contact Information (please print clearly)
Name: ______________________________________
Affiliation with film: ___________________________
Company: ____________________________________
Street Address: _______________________________
City: __________________Postal Code: ___________ Country: ______________
Tel: (____)_________________e-mail:_____________________________
Festival Submission Check List
1. production year is 2009 or 2010
2. fits one of REELKids film categories
3. work relates to our social justice mandate (see above)
4. contact Information completed
5. 1 preview DVD (if you can send 2 preview DVDs, even better but not necessary)
6. submission deadlines met
a) Early Bird: 01 June
b) Regular: 15 August
c) Late: 01 Sept
Upon selection, REELKids asks that exhibition DVDs be shipped to REELKids
with the following accompanying documentation
1.Press Kit
Each film submitted must include the following (if available):
a) A 150 word synopsis and a 200 word synopsis.
b) A single log line (up to 170 characters).
c) A quotation from press (include a full reference to source)
and/or quotation from the filmmaker.
d) A full list of credits
e) The filmography of the Director and Producer
2.Images:
A selection of photographic stills including a minimum 3 high resolution i.e.
over 1MB 300 DPI per picture
3. An agreement signed by the filmmaker that REELKids is authorized to utilize
publicity materials related to the production (i.e. press kits, posters,
stills, etc.) for promotional purposes and to broadcast or screen
clips up to a maximum of five minutes.
Entries must be sent to
REELKids Film Festival
Attention: Krista English
1596 Champlain Dr.
Peterborough, ON
Canada K9L 1N6
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