The Children's Film Festival runs from Jan 25-Feb 10 at Northwest Film Forum.
Children's Film Festival 2018 Films
5 Rupees
India | 2017 | 82m | Piyush Panjuani
A young boy named Hamid lives modestly with his grandmother in a small village. As Eid festival approaches, Hamid's grandmother plans to gift him five rupees, which Hamid plans to spend at the fair.
Bamse and the Witch's Daughter
U.S. Premiere | Sweden | 2016 | 65m | Maria Blom
In this tale based off the popular Swedish comic book, the villainous Croesus Vole seeks to demolish a beaver dam when he learns it's filled with gold. He tricks the witch's daughter, Lova, to conjure away Bamse, the "world's strongest
...
Caleidoscopio de Sueños
Argentina | Mexico | Spain | 60m
These five shorts from Spain, Mexico, and Argentina explore a variety of subjects, but they all aim to capture the color, light, sound, and music of the Spanish language. Learn about the importance of bees in Nicolás Conte's The Earth
...
Castle in the Sky
Japan | 1986 | 124m | Hayao Miyazaki
In Hayao Miyazaki's 1986 anime adventure, a young girl and her mysterious crystal pendant fall out of the sky and into the life of Pazu. Together they search for a floating island (the site of a long-dead civilization that promised
...
Cloudboy
Belgium | Netherlands | Norway | Sweden | 2017 | 77m | Mekeminne Clinckspoor
Niilas is a 12-year-old city boy who lives with his father. One summer, Niilas travels to Lapland, where his mother and her new family live amongst the Sami, an indigenous reindeer-herding people.
Dream Chasers
Australia | India | Netherlands | Senegal | Turkey | USA | 76m
The kids in these shorts must overcome all kinds of challenges to follow their dreams, from Turkish director Ismet Kale's Can You See the Future? to Senegalese director Mamadou Dia's Samedi Cinema.
Family Days
Australia | Ireland | Switzerland | UK | USA | 83m
These shorts from seven different countries introduce kids, parents, and siblings who teach each other important lessons, from a World War II survival story in Andrea Popovic's Vida to a father-son story of Japanese cultural identity in Shingo Usami's Riceballs.
Fanny's Journey
Belgium | France | 2016 | 94m | Lola Doillon
Set in 1943 Europe, French director Lola Doillon's film based on true story follows 13-year old Franny and her sisters as they're sent from their home in France to an Italian foster home for Jewish children. When Nazis occupy Italy,
...
Hero Steps
Colombia | 2016 | 97m | Henry Rincón
The debut feature from Colombian writer/director Henry Rincón follows ten-year-old Eduardo, a one-legged victim of Colombia’s armed conflict. Eduardo dreams of forming a soccer team with other disabled children, with the ultimate goal of competing in a big tournament.
High Flyers
Canada | France | Germany | Japan | Lithuania | Mexico | Netherlands | Russia | Switzerland | UK | USA | 70m
In this very sweet collection of animated shorts, see flying and traveling creatures of all kinds, from a baby penguin who travels to an alternate dimension in Foong Jean Lee's Odd One Out to fluffy fairies in Mari Miyazawa's Fluffy
...
House of Memory
Belgium | Canada | Croatia | Czech Republic | France | Hungary | Israel | Latvia | Russia | UK | 71m
These international shorts are made with stop motion, rotoscope, paint, pen-and-ink, and paper. See the world premier of Russian director Rim Sharafutdinov's Leaf Fall, Croatian director Eva Cvijanović's Hedgehog's Home, and more.
Indigenous Showcase
Canada | USA | 53m
This collection of shorts highlights Native filmmakers. One, Mountains of SGaana by the Haida Gaia filmmaker Christopher Auchter, uses elements of traditional art to tell the story of the abduction of Naa-Naa-Simgat and his lover’s journey to the bottom of
...
Into the Magic
Argentina | Australia | Czech Republic | Mexico | Slovenia | Sweden | UK | USA | 70m
These animated shorts delve into the "special places and powers" that come out of the blue. See a musical wizard in Warren Brown's Big Block Singsong Wizard, a boy who follows a kite to a magical cave in Gavin Moran's
...
Invention for Destruction (The Fabulous World of Jules Verne)
Czech Republic | 1958 | 81m | Karel Zeman
This newly restored feature by Czech animator and designer Karel Zeman pays tribute to the films of French illusionist and director Georges Méliès. Told through live action combined with animated imagery based on Victorian steel engraving, a sinister mogul kidnaps
...
The Legend of Timm Thaler
Germany | 2017 | 102m | Andreas Dresen
Despite being less than fortunate, Timm Thaler is known for his contagious laughter. It's so delightful that a diabolical Baron (the world's richest man) wants it for himself. If he agrees to sell his laughter, the man promises that Timm
...
Lila's Book
Colombia | 2017 | 76m | Marcela Rincón
In Marcela Rincón's animated feature, Lila is a character in a story book who falls out of her paper world into an unsavory place. The only person who can save her is her best friend, Ramon, but Lila must convince
...
Never Say Never
Hungary | Netherlands | New Zealand | USA | 81m
Meet determined young people in this collection of shorts, from a championship Hungarian swimmer in Ervin B. Nagy's Little Mouse to a young artist in Aude Cuenod's Scrap Dolls.
No Walls
Australia | Iran | Mexico | Spain | Tanzania | 80m
Young people transcend boundaries and limiting expectations in these narrative films from Mexico, Iran, Tanzania, Australia, Spain, and the U.S.
Not Without Us
Germany | 2016 | 85m | Sigrid Klausmann
This documentary from German director Sigrid Klausmann follows sixteen children from fourteen countries who are united in their rejection and fear of war and violence.
Out of This World
Australia | Brazil | Canada | France | Japan | Mexico | Netherlands | Spain | Switzerland | USA | 77m
The laws of gravity do not apply to this collection of animated and live action shorts. See a time traveler in Etienne Kompis & Fela Bellotto's Hypertrain, a magical mom in Alvaro Ron's The Red Thunder, a letter-loving bug in
...
Planet Wise
Australia | France | Georgia | Netherlands | Puerto Rico | Russia | Spain | USA | 66m
Learn about sustainability, climate change, and ways to save the planet in this collection of live action and animated shorts, from Nolwenn Roberts' My Life on Mars to Marat Narimanov's Big Bloom.
Purple Dreams
USA | 2017 | 72m | Joanne Hock
This documentary, which spans three years, chronicles six high school students in a racially biased city. They find community and solidarity through their participation in a school theater production.
Push Play: By Youth, For Youth
Poland | Turkey | United Arab Emirates | USA | 68m
This program of shorts by (very) young directors features colorful animation, winding narratives, a reboot of a classic Buster Keaton film, stories that transcend generational divides, and documentaries that show how youth are on top of important issues.
Reel World Real Talk
Germany | Netherlands | Norway | USA | 80m
These shorts from Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East are all about global awareness. See a story of Iranian immigration in Naghmeh Farzaneh's Scent of Geranium, an aspiring mountaineer from the Himalayas in André Hörmann's Tsering on Top of
...
Tales Beyond Belief
Belgium | Brazil | Canada | China | France | Georgia | Russia | Switzerland | UK | USA | 77m
In this collection of shorts, learn about myths, legends, and fairy tales from around the world, from French director Remi Durin's The Unicorn to Chinese director Sun Jing's The Old Man and the Pears.
Tall Trees, Big Sky, and Me
France | Italy | Spain | UK | USA | 64m
These nature-centered shorts are all about outdoor adventures, from Julie Rembauville's Moon Girl to Joanna Harrison and Robin Shaw's We're Going on a Bear Hunt, based off the classic children's book.
Treasure
Mexico | 2017 | 95m | María Novaro
Seven-year-old Dylan, who has just moved to the Pacific coastal village of Barra de Potosí in Mexico, learns of a lost treasure in a cave left behind by British privateer Sit Francis Drake. Dylan convinces his friends to join him
...
Trésors Cachés
Belgium | France | 60m
These shorts from France, Belgium, and Switzerland are filled with vibrant animation, from Pascale Hecquet's The Penguin to Marion Jamault's The Roundy Belly Wolf.
Wendy
Germany | 2017 | 87m | Dagmar Seume
12-year-ld Wendy is subjected to a summer vacation on her grandmother's dilapidated equestrian farm. A former equestrian herself, Wendy swore off horses after a traumatic riding accident. That is, until she meets a wounded horse named Dixie.
World Lens: Youth Dream the Future
Brazil | Canada | Finland | India | Indonesia | Jordan | Nepal | New Zealand | Pakistan | Philippines | Portugal | South Africa | Spain | Syria | Turkey | 50m
These youth-made films from around the world tell stories of migration, diversity, social inclusion, and eliminating xenophobia. The films in this program are prize winners of the PLURAL+ 2017 festival, presented by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the
...
