KidFilm 2009 took place in Dallas, Texas, in January 09 (writes Kevin Gillette). The as-ever extensive range of films included the delightful and extremely family-friendly Moondance Alexander (2007), directed by Michael Damian. It's fine for all ages - no bad language, innuendo or suggestive situations to navigate around.

Moondance (Kay Panabaker) doesn't quite fit in at her high school. She is the only child of an offbeat, vegetarian, artist mother (Lori Loughlin). Moondance is saddled with an unusual name and an equally unusual fashion sense. At least, that is the judgment of the mean girl clique in her school - led by nefarious Fiona (played to perfection by figure-skater Sasha Cohen). Moondance, despite having a father who has passed away some years prior, is cheerful and well-adjusted. She meets a runaway horse while delivering veterinary supplies to a farm outside town. The relationship she develops with the horse, as well as with his dyspeptic owner, Dante (played with nuance by Don Johnson), is funny and heart-warming. The film builds to its conclusion at an equestrian show-jumping competition, and the film's tagline says it all: 'Sometimes being different is the best way to fit in'.

Here's our interview with Moondance Alexander's lead actor Kay Panabaker:

Fringe Report (FR, Kevin Gillette): What are you working on now?

Kay Panabaker: We're currently shooting a remake of Fame. It's been re-cast with different characters and different story lines. I play a girl who is good at acting, but is very unsure of herself. That's in the works now; I don't have anything else on my plate at present.

FR: You graduated from high school at 13, and went on to get a history degree from UCLA at 17. How did you manage it with all your work?

Kay Panabaker: I attended a high school that let me work at my own pace. My older sister Danielle graduated at age 14 from the same school. Even though we're three years apart, at one point I was only 9 months behind her, scholastically. It was sort of a challenge I set for myself, to try and catch up with her. My senior year in high school I started attending a community college and taking courses that counted both for high school and college - I managed to get away with only taking chemistry one time, for example. But during that time I was working about 50 hours a week, so I was filming, and taking classes in the evening and on weekends. I pretty much sacrificed my social life for a while, but I got it done.

FR: Do you feel at 18 that you've missed out on anything?

Kay Panabaker: I don't really feel that I missed anything too important. I mean, my sister and I both went this route quickly, but we always had friends our age, and so on. But I grew up working around adults, and I think I've always been fairly 'grown-up' for my age, so I felt very much in my element with the older actors and people in the business. I've seen some child actors who grew up too quickly - and not in a good way, if you know what I mean - and others who, frankly, never grew up. I would say that I've grown up fairly quickly, but in the good sense. All the bad behaviors that many of my peers have engaged in were never what interested me. So no, I don't have any regrets about the busy nature of my life to this point. It's all good. I mean, even though I was a young high school graduate, I still got to go to my prom. And believe it or not, my date for the prom was Zac Efron (High School Musical), back before he was a big name. My sister got to go to her prom with Jesse McCartney.

FR: Is your film work informed by the many places you've lived, and the experience of moving around?

Kay Panabaker: I've lived in five states: Texas, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Illinois, and now California. We moved around quite a bit. If I had to call one place my home state, it would be Illinois. That's where I'd like to move back to someday; I really love it there. A little suburb of Chicago, Naperville. Meeting different people and being in different environments can't help but be beneficial to any actor. I've noticed that a lot of people in Los Angeles sort of have this unique view of the world that's really bred by their being in LA all the time. That's not a slam on them; it's just not the most realistic view. So I appreciate that I've lived in other places. I enjoy living in The (San Fernando) Valley right now, but I'm also glad I've lived elsewhere and have roots elsewhere.

FR: Why history as a major at UCLA?

Kay Panabaker: Well, I figured that if the acting thing didn't pan out or I just got tired of it, I'd like to be a teacher. I wanted to pick a subject that I could teach. There were four options I considered. I immediately rejected math and the sciences, because they aren't my strengths, and my sister got her degree in English, so history seemed like the most natural. It involves a lot of reading and a lot of writing papers, but I love the subject. Recently I've also acquired a real interest in being an animal trainer as a possible vocation. I had the chance to swim with some beluga whales recently, and they were so cool. They're these beautiful, big, white animals that are so gentle. Very different from dolphins and porpoises, which are high-strung; belugas are very mellow. I think working with animals would be great.

(c) Kevin Gillette 27 January 2009

Kevin Gillette is Fringe Report's Dallas USA correspondent

IMDB: Kay Panabaker (www.imdb.com/name/nm0659048/) - Moondance Alexander (2007) (www.imdb.com/title/tt0828065/)

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