In a Disney-dominated marketplace, family films from indie directors have a tough time accessing screens. Hopping onto the festival circuit to generate some buzz is not an easy feat either.

With the April ’98 opening of Sprockets – Toronto International Film Festival for Children, live-action, animated and short kids’ films outside the studio system will be offered a new launching pad.

‘We are trying to provide an alternative new outlet for indie filmmakers in the family genre,’ says programmer Jane Schoettle of the new festival just beginning to take shape under the wing of the Toronto International Film Festival Group. Its mandate: to present the best contemporary and classic children’s and family cinema that generally doesn’t hit Canadian screens.

Details are still being firmed up, but Schoettle anticipates a six-day event in mid to late April. For its first run, the machinery to handle a call for submissions is not available, so Schoettle will curate the program of features and shorts herself and encourages indie filmmakers to send in tapes.

Securing premieres of Canadian and foreign films is at the top of Schoettle’s to-do list. ‘I am hoping in years to come filmmakers will consider Sprockets a place to debut their films in much the same way as they consider tiff,’ she says.

While market opportunities will not be recognized officially in the festival’s first run, the anticipation is that some acquisition reps will make a stop at the event. ‘Distributors will not have had an opportunity to see many of these films,’ explains Schoettle, and in the long term she anticipates formally inviting companies. Down the road, the festival will also likely grow to include a forum to deal with issues relating to children’s feature production.

Sprockets will be divided evenly between school group screenings and a weekend open to wider audiences. Four public cinemas will be required and negotiations are underway to secure venues. Schoettle is looking to bring in international filmmakers with their films for post-screening q&a sessions. The school program will likely find film craft professionals giving interactive demonstrations to kids, who will also take home study guides on the films they view.

Utilizing Bell Canada resources, a Website for the event is another likely possibility as is having kids e-mail in film reviews. Workshops on animation, special effects, foley and makeup are being considered for the public weekend.

As former artistic director of Toronto’s Milk International Children’s Festival, which focuses on theater, dance and live performance, Schoettle launched a smaller version of a kids’ film event — ZOOM International Children’s Festival in 1993. But after a two-year run, changes in federal funding to Harbourfront forced its closure.

With a key audience and industry base represented in Toronto, Schoettle says it only makes sense for the city to provide a showcase of family film. Europe already plays host to a number of children’s cinema events: the Berlin Festival dedicates a section to children’s film, and festivals strictly programming kids’ product are held in Belfast, Ireland (Cinemagic), Frankfurt am Maine, Germany (hosted by Deutches Filmmuseum), Giffoni, Italy, and India.

The u.s. offers only a small venue by way of the Chicago Children’s International Film Festival. In Canada, an established kids’ film fest is programmed in Rimouski, Que., and over the last couple years small events have cropped up in Saskatoon and Winnipeg.

The established name and international recognition of the Film Festival Group and the backing of charter sponsors Trimark Investment Management and Bell are part of the game plan to propel the new fest into the spotlight.

‘They can bring a lot to the table in terms of marketing support and getting the word out, both of which can go a long way for a first-year event,’ says Lori Willcox, the Film Festival Group’s associate director of development. A third financial partner is being sought.

Another 12 companies, eager to attract the family market, are interested in coming on board as sponsors, says Willcox.

She adds that public patrons of tiff are generally in their early 20s or adults freed from the demands of the early child-raising years. ‘This festival is a perfect way as an organization to address every life cycle stage of our customer base,’ she explains. Another important focus is strengthening the next generation of Canadian audiences by exposing young people to a wide array of filmmaking.