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Free film screenings at the Park City Library add variety during spring break

Gombe, Tanzania - Jane Goodall and infant chimpanzee Flint reach out to touch each other's hands. Flint was the first infant born at Gombe after Jane arrived. With him she had a great opportunity to study chimp development—and to have physical contact, which is no longer deemed appropriate with chimps in the wild. The feature documentary JANE will be released in select theaters October 2017. (National Geographic Creative/ Hugo van Lawick)
National Geographic Creative / Hugo van Lawick

Spring Break Film Series 4 p.m., April 8-12 Park City Library’s Jim Santy Auditorium, 1255 Park Ave. Free parkcitylibrary.org and parkcityfilm.org

When Spring Break hits Park City next week, many local residents will take off on family vacations.

Some, however, will stick around for family staycations, and the Park City Library and Park City Film will enhance their experiences with the Spring Break Film Series.

The program, also called Movies During Break, will feature free screenings of family-friendly films from Monday, April 8, to Friday, April 12, at the Jim Santy Auditorium.

Katrina Kmak, the Park City Library’s youth services librarian, and Katharine Wang, executive director of Park City Film, decided to select films that appealed to a wide variety of interests, according to Kmak.

“We knew we had a movie license to show films, but we wanted to add that extra level of interest and to make the series more interesting for the people who come see these films,” she said. “We’re hoping to get more adults and teens in to see these awesome films.”

Spring Break Film Series 2019 schedule

All films start at 4 p.m. and are free and open to the public

• “Smallfoot” by Karey Kirkpatrick and Jason Reisig, rated PG. A yeti scientist named Migo wants to prove the mythical creatures called Humans exist

• “Christopher Robin” by Marc Forster, rated PG. Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet and the rest of A.A. Milne’s storybook characters help Christopher Robin find happiness in adulthood.

• “Crazy Rich Asians,” by Jon W. Chu, rated PG-13. A Chinese-American woman travels to Singapore to meet her fiancé’s family, and, in doing so, finds herself.

• “Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero,” by Richard Lanni, rated PG. A stray dog who finds himself on the battlefield during World War I becomes the most decorated pup in history.

• “Jane” by Brett Morgen, rated PG. “Jane” is a documentary about primatologist Jane Goodall.

Many of the films — “Smallfoot,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero” and “Christopher Robin” — are based on or inspired by books.

“Smallfoot” is loosely based on Sergio Pablo’s “Yeti Tracks,” and adapted by the film’s producers, Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, according to Kmak.

Jon W. Chu’s “Crazy Rich Asians” is based on the first book of a best-selling trilogy by Kevin Kwan, Kmak said.

The film, a fish-out-of-water story about a Chinese-American woman who goes to Singapore to meet her fiance’s family, was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and made $175 million at the U.S. box office, according to various reports.

“We thought it would be a great film to show, because it was very popular,” Kmak said. “While we may not get a bunch of elementary students in to see this film, we still thought it would be great to show. We do get a lot of people who visit the library who are from around the state and the Salt Lake Valley who see Park City as a spring-break destination.”

Marc Forster’s “Christopher Robin” features characters who are based on A.A. Milne’s “Winnie-the-Pooh” book.

“‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ is one of those stories that has stood the test of time, and this film adds to the legacy of that book,” Kmak said. “It’s wonderful to see how this film has kept the classiness and heart of Winnie-the-Pooh.”

Kmak, who “may or may not have cried like a baby” when she saw the film, said it also addresses issues that the world is facing today in an accessible light.

“Piglet has anxiety, and Eeyore is depressed, but the story is told in a non-offensive way,” she said.

“Sgt. Stubby,” which is about a stray dog who becomes a World War II hero, is a popular character for Park City Library’s younger patrons, Kmak said.

“There are many books about this brave dog, and the library has many picture books, as well as chapter books that our school-aged readers can be check out,” she said. “Films like ‘Sgt Stubby’ can be educational and fun. Kind of trick the kids into learning something.”

While “Jane” isn’t based on a book, per se, the film is a documentary about Jane Goodall, the British primatologist known for her work with chimpanzees.

“I had heard about Jane when I was in school, and this film gives access to some of the younger people who have no idea who she is,” Kmak said. “This is a heartwarming story that tells the story through all of this wonderful footage. And, who knows, maybe the film will inspire some of the younger viewers to start studying chimpanzees.”

Kmak said she is grateful to Park City Film and local residents for supporting the Park City Library’s Spring Break Film Series, which began two years ago.

“This is just another offering we can do for our community,” she said. “Plus, it’s fun for us as well to show and watch them with everyone. Plus, the popcorn is free.”

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