First Impressions – The films on this reel are curated for the youngest minds. Some narratives are driven by music. Others use a wide array of animation styles to tell stories that might inspire a giggle (or two). By the end you will have “visited” six different countries through film.

Films and film line-up are subject to change without notice.

BIRDS BY THE WAY – Times and circumstances change, but the duo of a Worm and a Bird stands the same!  (2022 / 10 mins / Russian Federation / dir. Alla Vartanyan / no dialogue)

DILLY DIGGER – Dilly is a curious little mole who loves to dig. Day in. Day out. Dig, dig, dig. But he is not so good at staying on task. Today, Dilly is supposed to find mushrooms for dinner but gets distracted by a funny butterfly, a fuzzy caterpillar and a friendly Giraffe. Will Dilly find the mushrooms and keep his promise?  (2022 / 10 mins / Canada / dir. Eva Colmers / in English)

HUSH HUSH LITTLE BEAR – While the bear parents are away looking for berries and honey, the baby bears stay at home with the sheep. But what bear cub can resist a ball of yarn? Certainly not these two. Based on the traditional Latvian lullaby.  (2022 / 4.5 mins / Latvia / dir. Māra Liniņa / in Latvian w/English subtitles)

LLAMAS AT THE LAUNDROMAT – Got dirty clothes? Join two stylish llamas as they dance and sing their way though the steps of doing laundry at the laundromat.  (2022 / 2 mins / Canada / dir. Martha Grant / in English)

NIMBUS – Nimbus is whimsical story about a worker cloud who lives in Cloud City – an imaginary world in the sky. One day, his somewhat menial daily life is interrupted by a small surprise at work. As his day takes a turn, he finds himself thrown into an entirely new and unexpected world. With its charming characters and a backdrop of epic painted cloudscapes, this film reminds us of the small joys and bits of magic we encounter in our daily lives.  (2022 / 5 mins / USA / dir. Rémy Poisson / no dialogue)

EDMOND & LUCY  (The Music of Nature) – Meet Edmond, the squirrel, and Lucy, the bear cub, with their daily adventures in the forest: Nature is their best playmate!
Edmond and Lucy are raised as brother and sister in a majestic chestnut tree they call home, a kind of radiant city of the forest. Playing and growing up in the heart of nature, unravelling its mysteries and living adventures in the great outdoors… what a wonderful life! (2021 / 12 mins / France / dir. François Narboux / in English)

NOUNOURS – A baby girl stumbles across a box. In it, she discovers a new friend, a teddy bear. Like a dream, we are transported through moments in their relationship, flashes in time, as the girl begins to run, play, and learn about the world. But as she grows older, the time comes to pack away childish things for good…  (2021 / 3 mins / Canada / dir. Lou Rigoudy / French a few English subtitles)

OUR PIGGY – Our piglet is still experiencing some adventure. Discover the magic of vacuum cleaners, wires or the fact that things sometimes buzz. Rediscover the world!  (2021 / 4.5 mins / Czech Republic / dir. Jaromír Plachý / no dialogue)

ROBOTS DON’T TELL JOKES – Robot thinks he has a wonderful joke, so he keeps trying to tell it, but none of the other robots ever laugh. They tell him “robots don’t tell jokes…” Will Robot give up on his awesome joke or will he find his tribe? Stop-motion using mainly wood scraps and metal pieces. (2022 / 3.5 mins / USA / dir. Kelli Caldwell / in English)

SUZIE IN THE GARDEN – Suzie bikes with her family to an outdoor area where families garden, play and just relax in nature. Upon finding a key she ventures on to a plot she has never seen before.  (2022 / 13 mins / Czech Republic / dir. Lucie Sunková / in English)

Bizarro – Some films defy easy descriptions and thus this reel came to fruition. Time travel, flamingoes and pirates all have something to say here if you give them your time. Creative narratives aplenty!  (Mulit-national, 2021-22 / 70 mins / Ages 8+ for subtitle reading) 

FILMS AND FILM LINE-UP ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

ANOTHER TIME (Darb’oħra) – Ben, a young boy with a keen and curious mind, stumbles upon a charming little toyshop in the heart of a Maltese village. Intrigued by its potential mysteries, he wanders in. Among the mechanical treasures and skilled woodwork lying inside, Ben’s attention lingers on a mysterious hidden object on one of the shelves. Overwhelmed by his curiosity, he discovers something he could never have imagined, that will take him on a journey into the captivating mysteries of time and space.  (2022 / 13.5 mins / Malta / dir. Sarah Zammit / Maltese w/English subtitles)

BENCH – Sometimes body language can be grossly misunderstood with not so subtle consequences.  (2021 / 2 mins / UK / dir. Rich Webber / no dialogue)

BLEH – In the eyes of an imaginative preschooler, cellphone users are like zombies and there are dangers all around.  (2022 / 4 mins / Netherlands / dir. Tim Alards / no dialogue)

CODE ROSE – In the open sea, a flamingo lands on an aircraft carrier. To keep the runway clear and get the planes to take off, the military have to get rid of it. But the flamingo and its congeners return relentlessly to put pink on the grey war machine. (2022 / 5 mins / France / dirs. Taye Cimon, Pierre Coëz, Julie Groux, Sandra Leydier, Manuarii Morel, Romain Seisson / no dialogue)

THE FALL – Leafie is a plucky little maple leaf who loves to groove. But when their latest performance takes an unexpected turn, the harsh realities of the season come crashing down. (2021 / 3 mins / Canada / dir. Desirae Witte / in English)

HELLO STRANGER – An astronaut lands on an unknown planet where everything is foreign at first but then becomes strangely familiar. (2021 / 6 mins / Germany / dir. Julia Ocker / no dialogue)

META – META is an animated film that takes up topics such as change, cycles, connection, and interaction in a playful and experimental way. The aim is to show that everything consists of many parts and that in the end we are all connected with each other.  (2022 / 3.5 mins / Germany / dir. Antje Heyn / in English)

NAUTIBUOYS – A band of totally professional pirates attempts to fix their ship. Just what drives this ship and everything on it is more akin to Spongebob than to Pirates of the Caribbean.  (2021 / 5 mins / Canada / dirs. Goonshire & Arnold Gutierrez /Rrrrr’ in English)

SUNSHINE MOTEL – Seven-year-old Rose is on holiday with her mother when she wakes up alone in the Sunshine Motel. This is a fascinating study of the motivating power of boredom especially with no parental oversight. And if left for long enough they will take matters into their own hands.  (2021 / 6.5 mins / Netherlands / dir. Rosita Wolkers / Dutch w/English subtitles)

SWOP – DENTIST – Sef doesn’t want to go to the dentist so he tricks his friend Wesley into swapping heads with him. Wesley realizes too late that he has no choice but to go through with Sef’s dental treatment. Fortunately, the pain is soothed by the present he gets from Sef’s parents as consolation. It’s a head swapping world out there. (2022 / 10 mins / Netherlands / dirs. Job, Joris & Marieke / Dutch w/English subtitles)

OLD YOUNG CROW – An Iranian boy befriends an old Japanese woman at a graveyard in Tokyo. The beautiful, animated tale that evolves from this encounter is entrancing. (2022 / 12 mins / USA / dir. Liam LoPinto / in Japanese and Persian w/English subtitles)

A former rapper named Anas takes a job teaching hip hop in an underprivileged neighborhood of Morocco. Despite differences in religion, and politics, Anas encourages his students to bond together and break free from the weight of restrictive traditions to follow their passion and express themselves through the arts. Community resistance soon follows. (Morocco, 2021 / in Arabic w/English subtitles / 102 mins / Ages 13+ for language, crass behavior and smoking) 

To animate something is to give it the illusion of having life. The materials animators “bring to life” are unlimited. This year LET’S GET ANIMATED includes a whiteboard that expresses an evolving adoration between two people on a ball team, an ocean filled with creatures that look familiar in shape but whose composition is in opposition to their environment, and a textile-designed dinosaur that swallows a pathogen with a personality! Included on this reel are…

ATHLETICUS: Guides – Two flamingoes find a colorful glove on a ski slope. Of course it MUST be headwear to a flamingo! (2019 / 3 mins / France / dir Nicolas Deveaux / animation / no dialogue)

DOG OF MY DREAMS – True love doesn’t always have to be about people. Stop motion collage animation with our original, Ants on a Log song of the same title. (2020 / 2 mins / USA / dirs. Anya Rose , Julie Beth / live action & animation / in English)

FLOREANA – On a remote island in the future, people are training for an important mission. Take a look at the mechanics of this training facility and the creatures within. It’s simply otherworldly. (2018 / 4 mins / Denmark / dir Louis Morton / animation / no dialogue)

COVID BACH – This free-flowing stream of consciousness animation is set to J. S. Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier. The fully hand-drawn images weave in and out between abstract and nightmarish visions. Then the dream ends . . . but does it?  (2020 / 2 mins / Canada / dir Elizabeth Lewis / animation / no dialogue)

NOS QUEREMOS – Charming scribbled animation is set to an original coming of age song portraying the love of two oddball friends. (2020 / 3 mins / USA / dir Steve Mosqueda / animation / in English)

THE 7 KIDS – A wolf hired to babysit lambs. What could possibly go wrong? Who would hire such a babysitter? (2020 / 5 mins / Russia / dir Marina Karpova / animation / in English)

THE BEAUTY – 2021 Global Awareness Short Film Winner! The Beauty is a poetic journey through a fascinating underwater world, where plastic and nature become one. (2019 / 4 mins / Germany, Egypt, France / dir Pascal Schelbli/ animation / no dialogue)

PUMPER’S PARADISE – In a world populated with fitness addicts the biggest challenge they confront can be boring, everyday situations! (2019 /  2 mins / Germany / dir Eddy Hohf / animation / no dialogue)

OM NOM NOM – One day, a hungry dinosaur came across a weird jumping egg in the forest. He swallowed it, and then felt some strange rumblings in his tummy. Maybe it wasn’t such a good egg afterall… (2019 /  3 mins / Japan / dirs Minato Matsuda, Haruna Ueno, Tomoko Taiga / animation / no dialogue)

A TINY TALE – A dog is abandoned on the side of the road. Attached to a street light, he stays alone until the day he meets a young astronaut wannabe and a professional cyclist who keeps on trying to beat her highest score. (2020 /  7 mins / France / dirs Sylvain Cuvillier, Chloé Bourdic, Théophile Coursimault, Noémie Halberstam, Maŷlis Mosny, Zijing Ye/ animation / no dialogue)

THE CHIMAI AND THE STORM – After a great storm, a very old Chimai (spiritual healer) tends to the damage created in the forest and the toppling of a massive tree. She finds an unexpected surprise and a great power is revealed. (2020 /  8 mins / Argentina / dir David Bisbano/ animation / no dialogue)

WILD LEA – Lea is a strong, lonely, and floral cat who discovers the complexity and the perks of friendships after falling from a tree. A very caring ragdoll named Ciro tends to her injuries and introduces Lea to his family of fixed-broken things. Unlike Lea, they have a fear of going anywhere outside the home. The day would come when they would need to overcome that fear to help their friend. Super imaginative animation where forks, toilet paper and napkins come alive! (2019 /  9 mins / Colombia / dir María Teresa Salcedo Montero/ animation / in Spanish w/English subtitles)

This compilation of four films has multiple, thought-provoking topics to think about, and hopefully after, talk about. They include the struggles of young, Afghani women being musicians in a time when it looks like the Taliban will be coming back to power. Other films from the Netherlands and Argentina follow families who are dealing with children on gender journeys unfamiliar to them. The last film, 2nd Class, is quite relevant to what is happening here in our own country when it comes to reacting to white supremacists. The reel includes the following films…

SOMETHING ABOUT ALEX – A young teenager develops a close friendship with his older sister’s boyfriend, and must confront the depth of his feelings when the couple announces that they will be moving away. (2017 / 18 mins / Netherlands / dir Reinout Hellenthal / live-action / Dutch w/English subtitles)

ORCHESTRA FROM THE LAND OF SILENCE – You’ll defeat the beast with the power of music. Zohra – the first female orchestra of Afghanistan. Girls are preparing for their journey to play a concert in Europe. We see their everyday reality in contemporary Afghanistan through the eyes of 16-year-old girl Marzia. After arriving in Europe unexpected thing happens and four members of the orchestra decide to run away… (2020 / 30 mins / Afghanistan, Slovakia / dir Lucia Kasova / documentary / English, Persian and Slovak w/English subtitles)

THE NAME OF THE SON (El Nombre del Hijo) Lucho, a 13-year-old trans boy, doesn’t usually share much time with his father. When he goes on vacation with him and his younger sister, the new closeness puts their relationship to the test. (2020 / 13 mins / Argentina / dir Martina Matzkin / live-action / Spanish w/English subtitles)

2ND CLASS (2ND CLASS – 2021 Special Jury Award Best Short Live-Action Film!) This is a story about an elementary school teacher who is violently attacked one night by a neo-Nazi. After healing enough to return to the classroom she finds out that the man who attacked her is one of her student’s fathers. What does she do? And why? This film demands a conversation after viewing. WARNING: Graphic scene with profanity. Recommended age 13+ (2018 / 13 mins / Sweden / dir Martina Matzkin / live-action / Swedish w/English subtitles)

 

Community: A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. Sometimes you might feel a part of this group and other times not so much. Life in school, with family or even as part of a world community can be challenging at times. In this compilation of shorts, you will see how others try to live in a community that isn’t exactly a natural fit. A Norwegian man creates a song about his favorite Indonesian food. What follows is nothing short of bizarre. Then there is Zara and her zombie family who have all the best intentions but are unaware of other people’s levels of disgust. Finally, when one friend cheats off another’s test, how willing should he be to turn him in? Include on this reel are…

MATHILDA AND THE SPARE HEAD – A girl tries hard to be the smartest student for her mother finds out a brain can only handle so much! (2020 / 13 mins / Lithuania / dir Ignas Meilūnas / animation / in Lithuanian w/English subtitles)

CRAMMING – Close friends Alex and Yan Bo, eighth-graders, cram for a test in a prestigious prep school. Once they’re accused of cheating off of one another, their friendship is threatened. (2020 / 15 mins / USA / dir Dan Perlman / live-action / in English and Spanish w/English subtitles)

LEARNING TO FLY – A young girl, upset that her mom won’t teach her how to ride a bike, meets a young boy who agrees to help her and they spend the day riding and talking about life. (2020 / 10 mins / USA / dir Nicolas Alayo / live-action / in English)

FAMILY BONDS tells the story of the little fox Hugo and his unconventional family to which love is more important than heritage. (2019 / 17 mins / Germany / dir Maria Schmidt / animation / no dialogue)

A SPECIAL GIFT: A Troublemaker’s Story – Lili, Stretch and ZéGordo (aka the Troublemakers) decide to surprise their friend Rosita by decorating her school for the neighborhood’s annual Christmas dinner, but they didn’t expect to deal with Stinky who is a jealous kid and is willing to spoil the decorations and the event altogether. (2019 / 7 mins / Mozambique / dir Nildo Essá / animation / in Portuguese w/English subtitles)

HELP I’VE GONE VIRAL! – A short documentary about Audun Kvitland who makes a love song about an Indonesian food dish called Nasi Padang after having been on vacation in the country. The song goes viral and is immediately heard by millions after he posted it on Youtube. Kvitland is invited back to Indonesia not knowing what to expect, but immediately after landing, he is greeted by a hallway of drummers at the airport. From then on he undertakes a funny, quirky and unexpected journey where people are united across cultures, languages and traditions over food and music. (2020 / 20 mins / Norway / dir Audun Amundsen / documentary / in English, Norwegian and Indonesian w/English subtitles)

ZARA AND THE OTHERS: Miss Miss – Zara has never heard of a “Miss-competition”, she only knows the girls in class say it’s a way to decide who the prettiest girl is. When Zara’s wacky dad brings a bucket of fresh moose poop to the event, things take an unexpected turn… (2020 / 13 mins / Norway / dir Nils Johan Lund & Bjørn Sortland / animation / Norwegian w/English subtitles)

 

 

France was the number two country from which we received submissions this year. (U.S. was #1, can you guess #3? The answer is at the end of the film synopsis!) With so many good ones to choose from we NEEDED to have a French film reel this year. The language is common between them but the styles run the gamut. Some highlights include two eight-year-olds who decide to embark on their own Montreal adventure, earthworms singing about their role in what could be your backyard, and a kingdom where “fashion rules the day”…until Ridicule arrives! Film on this reel include…

SONG OF AUTUMN (CHANSON D’AUTOMNE) is one of a series of animated shorts that are inspired by the poems of Paul Verlaine. Young filmmakers who have just graduated from French animation schools interpret Verlaine’s poems in film. PCFF is showing three of these films this year.  (2020 / 3 mins / France / dir. Jean-Baptiste Marchand / animation / in French w/English subtitles)

WEDNESDAY (MERCREDI)  Iris and Leo are waiting for their school bus, just like any other day. This morning, however, it does not arrive. Facing no rules but their own, the two eight-year-olds embark on an urban adventure, one they shall never forget, roaming the streets of Montreal.  (2020 / 10 mins / Canada / dir. Lisa Delhom & Jérémy Paquet / live-action / in French w/English subtitles)

DOLIUM PÉPLUM – Recreating battle is one of the oldest games children play. In this short film from France, a vineyard is the setting for two epic forces to fight to the bitter end. (A little irony for U.S. viewers with the red vs. blue costumes.) A super creative short film with make-it-yourself costumes, weapons and battle accoutrements, you will sense the influences of classic battles depicted from Braveheart, Henry V, Kurosawa and even a little Monty Python. 🙂  (2020 / 9 mins / France / dir. Théo Nodet / live-action / in French w/English subtitles)

THE JELLYFISH (LA MEDUSE) – In an ocean infested by plastic, a little being leaves his reef and goes on an adventure on a jellyfish… (2019 / 4 mins / France / dir. Mélanie Peltier / animation / no dialogue)

THE NATURAL ORDER OF THINGS  (L’ORDRE DES CHOSES) -An unintelligent insect, at the lower level of the food chain, survives its position as prey in the forest. But suddenly, the established order is overthrown. The insect provokes a sequence of accidents that build upon the other. (2019 / 4 mins / France / dir Luce Grosjean / animation / in French w/English subtitles)

WORMS OF EARTH (TERRE DE VERS) – Naked, slimy and rampant bros; No legs, no teeth, and no toes; We dig with no mischief, your burden we relief; We’re at your service, there is no artifice; The Earthworm team is here, as tight as musketeers. The lyrics say it all! (2019 / 8 mins / France / dir Hélène Ducrocq / animation / in French w/English subtitles)

LUPIN – A young wolf ventures out of his burrow for the first time, while his mother is busy hunting. Lost and frightened, he finds shelter in a garden. Jeanne, Gaston and Louis, the hunters’ children, find him and decide to bring him back to his home in the woods. (2020 / 11 mins / France / dir Hélène Ducrocq / animation / in French w/English subtitles)

CONQUISTADOR is one of a series of animated films that are inspired by the poems of Paul Verlaine. Young filmmakers that have just graduated from French animation schools interpret the poems into their visions on film. PCFF is showing three of them this year. (2020 / 3 mins / France / dir Jérémie Cousin / animation / in French w/English subtitles)

THE FAITHFUL FISH (LE POISSON FIDÈLE) – What would you do with a sculpin (a non-edible fish) that keeps biting on to your hook? Three children on vacation near a lake in Maine try and try and try to catch another fish. (2019 / 8 mins / Belgium / dir Atelier Collectif / animation / in French w/English subtitles)

PROMENADE SENTIMENTAL is one of a series of animated films that are inspired by the poems of Paul Verlaine. Young filmmakers that have just graduated from French animation schools interpret the poems into their visions on “film”. PCFF is showing three this year. (2020 / 3 mins / France / dir Emily Tronche / animation / in French w/English subtitles)

À LA MODE – In a kingdom tormented by fashion crazes, a queen and her court must always keep up with the new trend. If not, an abominable monster will consume them: the Ridicule. But with the arrival of a disarmingly natural cowboy, this nation of fashion victims laughs, and a simple question arises: what if the Ridicule isn’t what we think?  (2020 / 9 mins / France / dir Jean Lecointre / animation / in French w/English subtitles)

ATHLETICUS: One Rink for Two – Flamingoes are rehearsing their figure skating number when the ice rink is invaded by a troop of elephant hockey players. The winner of this power play will find their time on the ice trunk-ated! (Ouch!) (2019 / 3 mins / France / dir Nicolas Deveaux / animation / no dialogue)

VANILLE – Vanille, a young Parisian girl who recently arrived in Guadeloupe, dives into an adventure tinged with mystery, meeting picturesque characters and a magic flower. These are holidays that promise to be rich in twists and turns! PCFF’s first film ever from Guadeloupe! And it’s soooo good! (2020 / 30 mins / France & Guadaloupe / dir Guillaume Lorin / animation / in French w/English subtitles)

 

 

 

 

Let’s Get Animated
Animation is like magic. An animator takes a non-living thing then, voila!… provides the illusion that it now has life. Just how the illusion is accomplished varies greatly from each different filmmaker. This year matchsticks will be very much brought to “life”, the game of chess will be played in a very unique way and a filmmaker returns with her latest story told with clay-paint. These films may animate YOU to make some of your own magic!
Multi-national / In English or with English subtitles / 70 min / All Ages

Film lineup is subject to change without notice.

6:1
Sometimes where you play checkers can become part of the game!
Russia, 2018 / no dialogue / Sergei Ryabov / 3 min / Animation.

The Kite
The Kite deals with the issue of death, but it does so in a simple metaphorical and symbolic way on the relationship between the little boy and his grandpa. It explains that none of us are here forever and that all living creatures must die, but also to show that death doesn’t mean the end of our journey.
Czech Republic, 2019 / no dialogue / Martin Smatana / 13 min / Animation.

Angel’s Trumpet
An animated world where hummingbirds taste the nectar of wind instruments which surprisingly affects their birdsong.
Estonia, 2019 / no dialogue / Martinus Klemet / 2.5 min / Animation.

The Elephant’s Song
The sad but true story of Old Bet, the first circus elephant in America, set to a tune sung by her friend, an old farm dog. Their story is portrayed in colorful, handcrafted animation, created frame by frame with clay-on-glass and oil pastel animation.
USA, 2018 / in English / Lynn Tomlinson / 7.5 min / Animation.

The Fisherman in Spring
A fisherman eagerly awaits the arrival of spring. Looking for any sign of seasonal change feels interminably long…. Until he spots a blossom!
Iran, 2018 / no dialogue / Seyed Hassan Soltani / 10 min / Animation.

Chess
This is a chess game that is played like no other! Pieces battle one another in very untypical ways leading to quite a messy (and fun) outcome.
Russia, 2019 / no dialogue / Alexey Pochivalov / 6.5 min / Animation.

Matches
As a seven year old boy is interviewed matchsticks come to life to represent the stories he is telling.
Hungary, 2019 / in English with English subtitles / Géza M. Tóth / 11 min / Animation.

Matilda
Matilda can’t get to sleep and starts playing with her bedside lamp until the lightbulb finally burns out. She finds herself plunged into darkness! She soon overcomes her fear and, using her torch, starts exploring her room in this new light, and discovers all the magic of the night.
France, Belgium, Spain, 2018 / no dialogue /Irene Iborra, Eduard Puertas / 7 min / Animation.

My Grandfather is Hiding
A grandfather explains to his grandson that he’ll have to take care of his flower garden after he dies. There follows a touching and poetic discussion about losing loved ones and the marks they leave behind.
France, 2018 / no dialogue / Anne Huynh / 7 min / Animation.

Waters of March
Waters of March is the classic song written by Tom Jobim and performed by jazz singer Stacey Kent. The delicately rendered animated drawings move at a rollicking pace transitioning back and forth from real to abstract images telling the ever changing story of loss and hope.
Canada, 2019 / in English / Elizabeth Lewis / 3.5 min / Animation.

Marguerite Tram
Old tram that nobody uses and its driver diesel. One day, an old woman rides the train and wants to go to a station that no longer exists.

 

 

As one of the top four youth film festivals in North America, PCFF invites short film compilations from other prestigious festivals to be part of our festival. NYICFF reels are popular with our audiences every year.  If you’ve ever been the youngest of the group, you’ll sympathize with the little tadpole who always falls a tad behind in the charming KUAP . Catching up on penmanship is the name of the game if you want to graduate from pencils in the winning doc  PEN LICENCE . Then little ones are in charge and grown-ups get to play when the hilarious FLIPPED reworks the script.

Multi-national  / In English / 65 min / Ages 3-7 

BELLY FLOP
South Africa, Animation
Jeremy Collins, Kelly Dillon, 2018, 5 min
One girl is determined to make a very big splash, but will she have the buoyant courage to pull it off?

SMALL SPARK
France, Animation
Animation, Nicolas Bianco-Levrin, 2019, 4 min
You’ve heard of night owls and bookworms? Well both perfectly describe this mouse, who must find a way to continue his exciting bedtime reading when it’s lights out.

KUAP
Switzerland, Animation
Nils Hedinger, 2018, 7 min
If you’ve ever been the youngest of the group, you’ll sympathize with the little tadpole who always falls a tad behind in the charming KUAP .

PIG ON THE HILL
USA, Animation
Jamy Wheless & John Helms; 2017, 6 min.
Pig may be up high, but his nimble new neighbor, Duck, shows how the most important spot of all is one next to friends.

PEN LICENCE
Australia, Documentary
Documentary, Olivia Peniston-Bird, 2018, 9 min
Brushing up on penmanship is the name of the game if you want to graduate from pencils.

6:1
Russia, Animation,
Sergei Ryabov, 2018, 3 min
Checkers may seem a game of child’s play, but can a losing cat nab a comeback?

FLIPPED

United Kingdom, Animation
Hend Esmat & Lamiaa Diab, 2018, 5 min
Little ones are in charge and grown-ups get to play when the hilarious Flipped r eworks the script.

MI ABUELITA
Guatemala, Animation
Giselle Pérez, 2018, 2 min
Like everything Abuelita does, her tamales are filled with love, especially when her granddaughter gets to help out in the kitchen.

PRESCHOOL POETS
USA, Animation
Nancy Kangas & Josh Kun, 2018, 2 min
Samuel serves up some poetic proclamations about life, as definitively drawn from the three-foot perspective.

BROOKLYN BREEZE
COLOMBIA, Animation
Alex Budovsky, 2017, 4 min
NYC’s biggest borough gets the Busby Berkeley treatment in this charmingly upbeat ode to industrial Brooklyn that will have you tapping your steel-capped toes!

RACCOON & THE LIGHT
USA, Animation
Hanna Kim, 2018, 4 min
Nighttime is a breeze for a nocturnal creature, but a spotlight shines in more ways than one in this Student Academy Award-Winner.

BE STRONG. BE KIND. 2020
Empathy allows us to understand and share the feelings of others. Some people have it while others… well let’s say they might need to practice. The stories on this reel hopefully inspire you to see/feel things in another way. They include the extraordinary measures a whale tries to help a songbird, two friends from Fruitistan who didn’t realize they weren’t supposed to like each other and tiger still waiting for his stripes.
Multi-national / in English or with English subtitles / 75 min / Ages 8+

Film lineup is subject to change without notice.

A Tiger With No Stripes
A little tiger decides to take a long journey in search of his stripes.
France-Switzerland, 2018 / no dialogue / Raul ‘Robin’ Morales Reyes / 9 min / Animation.

Apples and Oranges
In the land of Fruitistan, there live two kinds of people – the ‘Applers’ and the ‘Orangees’. Their preferences for apples or oranges divides them from birth into competing societies that belittle and disparage each other. Lines start to blur when two twelve-year-olds Tulip (an Appler) and Daisy (an Orangee) become friends without knowing each other’s background.
India, 2019 / in English or with English subtitles / Rukshana Tabassum / 23 min / Live Action

The Bird and the Whale
The Bird and the Whale is a story about a young whale struggling to find his voice. After straying too far from his family to explore a shipwreck, he discovers it’s sole survivor, a caged songbird. Together they struggle to survive lost at sea.
Ireland, 2018 / no dialogue / Carol Freeman / 7 min / Animation

The Little Doctor

Inclusion Makes the World More Vibrant
A little boy helps his blind mother experience an art gallery in a surprising and unusual way.
Australia, 2017 / in English / Genevieve Clay-Smith / 3 min / Live Action.

Good Heart
In one primeval forest lives a family led by a mother who is strict, wild and at times unhappy. Things change for the better when a puppy is brought home.
Russia, 2018 / no dialogue / Evgeniya Jirkova / 5 min / Animation.

Babou
The school yard can be a challenging place to just be yourself. Sometimes it takes one a brave soul to find the courage within.
France, 2018 / no dialogue / François Narboux / 2 min / Animation.

Athleticus: Course de demi-fond
Flamingos and a tortoise are having a running race around the track. Sometimes a little ingenuity can go a long way.
France, 2018 / no dialogue / François Narboux / 2 min / Animation.

Bearing
It’s tough keeping up with your mom!
Czech Republic, 2019 / no dialogue / Daniela Hýbnerová / 2 min / Animation.

My Sister
A child’s imagination can be stronger than any illness. When a sister gives her younger sibling a pair of special glasses we find out whether this is true.
Portugal, 2017 / no dialogue /André Miranda / 4 min / Live Action-Animation.

My Time
A 12-year-old girl has her first period in class right before giving a presentation. Out of several options she could take, the one she chooses might surprise you.
UK, 2018 / in English /Giulia Gandini / 6 min / Live Action.

What’s My Superpower?
Nalvana feels like all of her friends have some type of superpower. Is she the only kid in town without a special talent? The answer was right in front of her all along.
Canada, 2019 / in English /Justin Heymans / 10 min / Animated.

Beit Byoot
Jameela, a friendly girl wants nothing more than to fit in with the other girls in the playhouse. They bully her attempts to join them. That’s when she meets odd Yasmine and ultimately, must choose between true friendship and being an outcast or having fake friendships and fitting in. The ending may surprise you.
Qatar, 2019 / in Arabic with English subtitles /Mayar Hamdan / 7 min / Live Action.