Special film screenings and workshops for children are taking place at Pantheon Theatre in Nicosia this fall and winter season, presented by STYX Film Encounters.

‘First Encounters’ is a new film education programme for children and until December 19 it hosts film screenings and creative workshops at the theatre across five Saturdays.

“The programme’s purpose is educational,” comment the organisers. “Children learn what cinema is and how films are made, but above all they learn to watch critically. At a time when screens and content are everywhere, First Encounters invites children to understand what lies behind their screens: how what they see is constructed, how it can change, and how it can affect us.”

Each event, whether screening or workshop are independent of each other so children can attend just one or several.

The next film screening is on November 14 showing the 1995 film Toy Story. This is the first feature-length animated film made entirely on computer. Thirty years on, it remains a turning point in the history of animation, and a story about friendship and jealousy that speaks to every age.

On December 12, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Tim Burton will be screened at 5.30pm.

The workshops, suitable for children aged 7 to 10, begin on November 7 with the session ‘What are movies?’ where children discover how a film is made and what happens behind what we see on screen.

The next workshop, ‘How do movies guide emotions?’ on November 28 focuses on how filmmakers make viewers feel with music, colour, framing and rhythm and how to recognise it.

The final workshop of the series is on December 19 and looks at ‘Stories across mediums’. This session focuses on how a story changes or keeps as it passes through different storytelling mediums.

Together, the workshops aim to turn children from viewers into active thinkers who understand what they are watching.

First Encounters

Film screenings and workshops for children. By STYX Film Encounters. Until December 19. Pantheon Theatre, Nicosia. Workshop tickets: €10 per child. Screening tickets: €5 per child (the first accompanying adult enters free). [email protected]