Welcome to the 2026 Festival!
February 13 – 22, 2026
Here comes the Festival! A much anticipated celebration of local, regional, national and international film for youth and families, the Festival takes place during February public school vacation and features acclaimed short and feature length films curated to cultivate empathy, foster a global perspective, spark new ideas, and inspire curiosity about our world. Film screenings, stop motion animation workshops, live music, delicious soup, engaging Reel Connections, and bottomless popcorn await film enthusiasts of all ages at the Gilder Center at the Wheeler School, the Community Libraries of Providence’s Mt. Pleasant branch, the Chase Auditorium at the RISD Museum and the beautifully renovated 1200-seat Hope High School auditorium. All screenings and workshops are offered “Pay What You Can” to ensure the arts are available to everyone!
SCHEDULE at a glance
Printed schedules will be available at all venues, at our Flatbread Pizza night on February 10, branches of the Community Libraries of Providence and other family friendly locations.
DOWNLOAD THE SCHEDULE
OPENING NIGHT CELEBRATION!
Start the Festival off right by joining us for Opening Night! We’ll be screening a selection of short films followed by the 2026 Golden Globe and Oscar nominated film ARCO!
Live music, bubbly drinks and delightful bites all await at our opening night venue, Hope High School! Click on OPENING NIGHT above to learn more and reserve your seats!
Hope High School
324 Hope Street, Providence
All ages welcome, of course, and all tickets are “Pay What You Can”
THE FILMS!
2026 Festival Film highlights include 3 Oscar Award nominees, several U.S. Premiers, and Sneak Peek Films! Twelve feature length and 9 shorts programs will delight, inspire, connect and educate young and seasoned minds alike!
Take a deep dive into the films on our FILM DIRECTORY page! Full descriptions, running times, languages, age recommendations – all the details are here for you to choose your “must sees”! Click on THE FILMS! above to go to the Film Directory.
STOP MOTION ANIMATION WORKSHOPS
We have several Stop Motion Animation workshops this year, plus lots of open drop in time! From character design to scene setting, and story creation, our educators will teach kids 9-12 years old the fundamentals of stop motion animation.
Take a look at the schedule, themes, ages and other details, and register! Spots are limited. Click on STOP MOTION ANIMATION WORKSHOPS above to hop to our Workshop page.
TICKETS
Once you’ve chosen your “must sees”, and selected your workshops, it’s time to reserve your “Give What You Can” seats! Advance reservations highly recommended. Click on TICKETS above to go to our ticketing page.
REEL CONNECTIONS + TASTY CINEMA
Through Reel Connections, we tie film content to people and organizations in our communities. 2026 Reel Connections are still developing, but will likely include PIRATES! Tasty Cinema brings the full flavor of a culture depicted in the festival to audiences through delicious fresh soup each day! Menu is under development – stay tuned!
FESTIVAL MERCH
Show PCFF pride all year long! Limited edition T’s, cocoa mugs, knit hats and our beautiful 2026 silkscreened poster designed by Providence illustrator Denis Roche! Available for purchase at all Festival locations and at our Flatbread Pizza night on February 10!
DISCOVER PROVIDENCE
This year we’re partnering with local attractions to make your family’s school vacation week the best ever! Join us at Track 15 for a casual family dinner and film-related activities! Come skate with us at the Providence Rink and enjoy the opening of the downtown festival of lights, LUMINA! Our films end at 5pm, and the night is young! Click on DISCOVER PROVIDENCE for details!
Photo Release
By participating in PCFF events, I hereby give my permission for PCFF to take and use photograph(s) of myself and my children for publicity, promotion, documentation, and publication, including PCFF’s website and social media purposes.
THANK YOU TO OUR 2026 SEASON SUPPORTERS!
