LINCOLN PARK — Chicago International Children's Film Festival-approved movies will soon be streaming in 1,000 schools and libraries.
Facets Kids, a movie streaming app similar to Netflix for acclaimed children's films, met its Kickstarter goal of $50,000 Saturday.
With the $54,851 given by 352 backers, the non-profit media arts organization plans to expand the app into 1,000 schools and libraries while also expanding the offerings to include 1,000 films.
"The response of families, filmmakers, and individuals to the Facets Kids Kickstarter campaign demonstrated the growing depth of awareness of just how necessary it is for kids and parents to have a choice in the over-saturated media landscape," said Milos Stehlik, director of Facets.
Facets currently works with about 300 schools, most in the Chicago Public Schools system, and plans to equip those schools with the streaming app. That list of schools was not immediately available.
Paul Biasco says the app offers a wider kids selection than Netflix:
The non-profit will also hold an application process for other schools to request the service, according to Stehlik.
The streaming app is currently in a beta phase and is available to the public for $6 a month or $50 for a year.
As of now it is only available to stream on iPads, but by late January or early February it should be available on all platforms, according to Stehlik.
The Facets film experts have scoured the globe to find creative movies for kids for Facets Kids. The app includes features, shorts, animated and live action films, and both fiction and documentary movies.
Most of the films have been screened at Facets' Chicago International Children's Film Festival and many are international films.
All of the movies have been vetted and approved by juries of kids and film professionals, according to Facets.
There are specific age recommendations for each film.
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