KidsBestFest 2025
KidsBestFest 2025 is a week-long movie festival for kids and their adults with free admission held during the winter school break at the Academy of Music Theatre. We show one movie a day and kick off the festival on Monday, February 17, 2025, at 11:00 AM, with doors open at 10:30 AM.
WHEN: Monday, February 17, 2025 - Friday, February 21, 2025, 11:00 AM showtime, doors at 10:30 AM.
WHERE: The Academy of Music Theatre, 274 Main Street, Northampton, MA 01060
HOW MUCH: FREE, please donate to keep it free! First come, first serve general admission.
SCHEDULE:
Monday, 2/17/25: The Land Before Time at 11:00 AM.
It is an animated adventure about an orphaned dinosaur named Littlefoot who meets four other dinosaurs on a trek to find food and water.
Director: Don Bluth. Production year: 1988. Rating: G. Studio: Universal Pictures. Runtime: 69 minutes. Cast: Gabriel Damon, Pat Hingle, Helen Shaver, Candice Houston, Judith Barsi.
Tuesday, 2/18/25: Wicked at 11:00 AM.
Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart.
Director: Jon M. Chu. Production year: 2024. Rating PG. Studio: Universal Pictures. Runtime: 160 minutes. Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Kristin Chenoweth.
Wednesday, 2/19/24: The Wild Robot at 11:00 AM.
After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island's animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.
Director: Chris Sanders. Production year: 2024. Rating: PG. Studio: Universal Pictures. Runtime: 101 minutes. Cast: Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O'Hara, Bill Nighy.
Thursday, 2/20/25: The Wizard of Oz at 11:00 AM.
A young farm girl and her little dog are magically transported into the enchanted land of Oz via a Kansas tornado. As they travel down Oz's Yellow Brick Road to find the Wizard and ask him to send them home, they encounter a wonderful, funny, terrifying, and, ultimately, enlightening group of characters, human and otherwise. This 1939 award-winning film classic (Best Score and Best Song Academy Awards) is a perennial favorite that has recently been meticulously restored.
Director: Victor Fleming. Production year: 1939. Rating: G. Studio: Warner Bros. Runtime: 101 minutes. Cast: Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Margaret Hamilton.
Friday, 2/21/25: Pokemon Detective Pikachu at 11:00 AM.
The world of Pokémon comes to life! The first-ever live-action Pokémon adventure, “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” stars Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu, the iconic face of the global Pokémon phenomenon—one of the world’s most popular, multi-generation entertainment properties and the most successful media franchise of all time. Fans everywhere can now experience Pikachu on the big screen as never before, as Detective Pikachu, a Pokémon like no other. The film also showcases a wide array of beloved Pokémon characters, each with unique abilities and personalities.
Director: Rob Letterman. Production year: 2019. Rating: PG. Studio: Warner Bros. Runtime: 105 minutes. Cast: Ikue Otani, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Ken Watanabe, Ben Fox.
Headline Sponsors:
Media Sponsors:
The Republican, Daily Hampshire Gazette, WHMP, WRSI 93.9 FM the River, New England Public Media
Organizational Support:
