July 18, 2019
WSIU animated short submission is PBS Online Film Festival entry
“Balloon Girl,” a film by a project partner of WSIU Public Broadcasting, is one of 25 films featured in the 2019 PBS Online Film Festival.WSIU is one of 21 media partners participating in the Webby Award-nominated festival, which aims to increase the reach and visibility of independent filmmakers. Starting July 15, viewers can watch, share their favorites, and vote for their favorite film to win the “Most Popular” award. Voting is open through July 26.
“Balloon Girl” will be prominently displayed as the feature film on the PBS Film Festival website at 8 a.m. Friday. Produced by Big Bad Boo Studios, the film tells the story of a young girl’s compassion and how it changes a complete strangers day – demonstrating that little things make a big difference. The animated short is written by Daniel Errico and directed by Shabnam Rezaei.
“WSIU is proud to return as a producing partner for this year’s festival,” Jak Tichenor, WSIU executive director, said. “’Balloon Girl’ exemplifies the spirit and values associated with public broadcasting – from Fred Rogers’ lessons on compassion and community to ‘Daniel Tiger Neighborhood’s’ focus on the importance of sharing. The film serves as a vehicle to encourage young people to build connections and community, reminding us all that small acts of kindness can impact others in significant ways.”
The festival will be available via PBS and WSIU’s digital platforms, including PBS.org. As in previous years, films will also be available to stream on YouTube and Facebook. For updates on the festival, follow #PBSFilmFest on Twitter or visit http://www.pbs.org/filmfestival.