The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival kicks off later this week, and there's something for movie buffs of all ages to enjoy. 

In this new, four-day festival, all the films were made by first- or second-time directors.  

Organizers classified 15 of the 95 short and feature films as family-friendly (they contain no strong language, nudity or graphic violence). The subject matter of some of these films may be more appropriate for older kids or teens, however.



All of the films designated for families will be shown during the Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning screening blocks. 

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Some highlights include: 

• Shaun the Sheep, a full-length stop-motion film about a wooly creature who decides to take the day off and have some fun — but gets a little more action than he bargained for. Friday, August 28, at 10:30 a.m. at the Marquis Theater.

• The Distant Touch, a 5-minute animated film about a baby fox's quest to find his mother. Saturday, August 29, at 10:30 a.m. at the Marquis Theater.

• The Scenes, a 10-minute documentary about a group of "proudly weird" 5th graders who come together to form their own comedy troupe called "What the Heck Was That?" Sunday, August 30, at 10 a.m. at the Marquis Theater.
  
• Lady and the Frog, a 3-minute animated short about a frog who wakes up in a bag of vegetables at the supermarket. Sunday, August 30, at 10 a.m. at the Marquis Theater.

• Landfill Harmonic, a 84-minute documentary about a South American youth orchestra made up of musicians who play instruments made out of garbage. Spanish with English subtitles. Sunday, August 30, at 10 a.m. at the Marquis Theater.

See the full lineup of films for children and adults at mIddfilmfest.org.