Each year, the Children’s Film Festival Seattle curates its Best of the Fest traveling program available to rent to venues nationwide. CFFS selects two programs — one animation and one live-action — that includes award-winning and audience favorite films from the most recent festival. These programs are intended to let youth audiences gain global awareness through the magic of film! You can learn more about the two programs below.

For this year’s Best of the Fest, CFFS is offering our two programs for a flat rental fee of $300/program for in-person screenings. We will provide you with all the film files, assets, and filmmaker contacts sent via a downloadable Google Folder. If you have any questions or are interested in booking, please email CFFS Festival Director: kendra@nwfilmforum.org

This colorful collection of animated short films will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy! In these festival favorite films you will meet furry friends and embark on adventures fit for the whole family! 

When the Sound Collector travels in his boat on the stream, he meets a chorus of furry friends along the way, and things get a little out of hand – and so does his ukulele playing!

(Chris Tichborne, United Kingdom, 2023, 5 min, in English)

Battery Mommy helps to power the lives of a family. One day, she must rush to save the sleeping children from a nursery fire.

(Seungbae Jeon, Republic of Korea, 2023, 9 min, in Korean with English subtitles)

A group of rabbits weather an unexpected snowstorm with goodwill and generosity, turning their home in the trunk of a tree into a cozy safe haven for all of the forest’s inhabitants.

(Maing Caochong, China, 2022, 3 min, nonverbal)

LUKi, a charming and upbeat robot known for living life to the fullest, confronts a life-altering ALS diagnosis. With every smile he shares and every memory he cherishes, LUKi shows us what it means to truly live, in this testament to the resilience of the human (and robotic) spirit. CW: Illness, death.

(Toby Cochran, US & Netherlands, 2022, 9 min, nonverbal)

A curious mole explores the world around it.

[Alunos do 12º ano da Escola Secundária José Régio, Laura Gonçalves (Orientação), Alexandra Ramires (Orientação), Leonor Pacheco (Orientação) & Dimitri Mihajlovic (Orientação), Portugal, 2022, 2 min, nonverbal]

This joyful and bright music video follows two young children as they explore the various sounds the world around them has to offer.

(Charlotte Sophie Blacker, United Kingdom, 2023, 2 min, in English)

Bernard works behind the windows of a ticket booth at the Town Hall Square subway station. One day, an escaped tiger shows up and turns Bernard’s orderly life upside down.

(Christian Kaufmann, Germany, 2023, 9 min, in English)

Cowboy Kevin and his trusty horse have almost reached the destination of his secret admirer, and Kevin is eager to finally meet her. He’ll discover that love is not always what you expect.

(Anna Lund Konnerup, Denmark, 2022, 7 min, in English)

In an ocean full of big, bad fish, the pufferfish attempts to appear as big and strong as possible.

(Julia Ocker, Germany, 2022, 4 min, nonverbal)

Will, a boy who wants to become an inventor, loves to invent various toys for his old dog, Norman. One day, while introducing his new toys to Norman, he discovers that dogs are color blind and decides to invent special glasses to present colors to his dog. Pacific Northwest premiere!

(Jae-hyeon Cha & Byeong-hyeon Hwang, Republic of Korea, 2021, 9 min, in English)

These festival favorite live-action films celebrate kids being kids! In these narrative and documentary shorts, see the world through the eyes of inspiring young people who go on their own adventures and discover how to be true to themselves.

This film follows JoJo Nyaribo, a creative and musical young nature lover and wildlife advocate, as he explores the meaning of biodiversity and stewardship in his own backyard. The story weaves together Jojo’s love for the natural world with his journey in learning about and fighting against a specific fungus that threatens amphibians around the globe. Jojo will explore what his role is in preventing the spread of this fungus through exploration and song! (Chelsea J Jolly, US, 2022, 9 min, in English)

When left with no options, Sally draws the only conclusion possible: choosing her own adventure.

(Matthew B.W. Sheehan, US, 2022, 3 min, in English)

An Iranian boy befriends an old Japanese woman at a graveyard in Tokyo.

(Liam LoPinto, Japan, 2022, 12 min, in Japanese & Persian with English subtitles)

During COVID lockdown, a boy’s affinity with nature eases his loneliness and leads to an incredible friendship.

(Marlon Denning, Australia, 2021, 8 min, in English)

In a small Australian town, 12-year-old astronomer Gugu secretly taps the moon and posts letters to her Gogo (grandmother) who lives far away in Zimbabwe. When a lunar eclipse suddenly stops her late-night letter exchanges, the young stargazer must find a way to reconnect with her beloved grandmother.

(Taku Mbudzi, Australia, 2022, 19 min, in English & Shona with English subtitles)

A Chinese-American boy wants to celebrate his birthday. Instead, to observe the Qingming Festival, he must follow tradition and pay respects at the graveyard to his grandfather who he’s never met.

(Austin Chen, US, 2022, 11 min, in English & Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles)

A pubescent girl from a close-knit family finds herself at a crossroads between keeping her gapped front teeth or risking it all for the seemingly “perfect” smile.

(Jenn Shaw, US, 2023, 11 min, in English)

An anxious 8-year-old must rescue her adventurous BFF from an alternate dimension at the end of a bike lane.

(Noah Glenn, US, 2023, 8 min, in English)