Being a kid in Tucson can be rough this time of year. There isn't much to do outdoors, and the heat is enough to keep even the cicadas from making any noise. However, at The Loft Cinema there is something to keep young people entertained and engaged during these dog days of summer.

"It's been seven years since we've owned The Loft," says Peggy Johnson, director of the non-profit theater, "and we've always tried to figure out a way to get children to watch great films and this film festival ended up being the best vehicle for doing that."

The Tucson Children's International Film Festival runs nine days and is presented at The Loft Cinema by the Glassman Foundation.

Johnson says that it's intended as an alternative to the mainstream glut of summer blockbusters that many kids are exposed to. "We want to get these kids so that they begin to appreciate film (and the fact) that film is art. Something more than just the big popcorn blockbuster movies."

Vying for the attention of young people is big business these days, and there are many potential blockbusters competing for this profitable demographic. Kids and the buying power that they represent through their parents are a hot commodity, and it's rare to find media directed at children that does not include a branded product lineup.

David Correa is the manager of the local independent toy store, Mrs. Tiggy Winkles. He says that the festival's objective of exposing young people to imaginative and creative expressions in film is in line with the mission of the small toy store. "We recognize that (commercial media) is very popular with children, and anybody that has kids will recognize that they are drawn to those sorts of things because they are presented to them so heavily in our society."

Correa says that the festival's objective of exposing young people to imaginative and creative expressions in film is in line with the mission of the small toy store. " What we're trying to do is not necessarily pass judgment on (blockbusters) but reinforce and offer another alternative; that is the note that we're trying to hit."

This partnership between a local independent toy store, The Loft, and the Glassman Foundation, is what has propelled this Film Festival for three years, and what has allowed it to remain entirely free. The Tucson International film festival concludes this weekend with screenings Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.