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 are unfortunately not able to offer virtual screenings at this time.) 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

Dive into exciting adventures and vibrant colors with this joyful collection of award-winning and audience favorite short animated films from Children’s Film Festival Seattle. These short films tell big stories about creatures both great and small and will take you on a trip around the world with stop-motion, hand-drawn, and other amazing animation techniques. This program features films from the Netherlands, Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Japan, Czech Republic, and Greece. 

When the most beautiful brush in the jar suddenly dries out, he does everything he can to save his bristles to be able to paint again.

(Quentin Haberham, Netherlands, 2021, 2 min, nonverbal)

Kenya, a bold five-year old girl, is reluctantly dragged to a symphony by her mother. Through the power of the orchestra, the young girl’s passion for music blossoms before her own eyes.

(Carlos Douglas, Jr., US, 2019, 5 min, nonverbal)

A tiny dinosaur dreams she is a big, scary dinosaur. When danger strikes, she learns that it’s what’s on the inside that counts… literally.

(Philip Watts, Australia, 2021, 8 min, nonverbal)

A short film about sharing…

(Rich Webber, United Kingdom, 2020, 2 min, nonverbal)

Wash Day follows a young Black girl as she spends the day washing and styling her hair.

(Jaida Salmon, Canada, 2019, 2 min, in English)

Searching for independence, a young girl receives an unexpected visit from the Daughters of Wind. They give her hope and momentum to grow.

(Heloise Ferlay, France, 2021, 3 min, in French with English subtitles)

The life of a polar bear who is terribly bored by other marine life is illustrated in a style adapted from traditional Japanese scroll-painting, punctuated with fun Japanese and English wordplay.

(Koji Yamamura, Japan, 2021, 7 min, in English & Japanese with English subtitles)

A busker is kicked out of the city, his instrument destroyed by the royal guard, as punishment for looking upon the queen.

(Filip Diviak, Czech Republic, 15 min, nonverbal)

Here comes a little girl who’s more of a morning person than Morning itself… and a story that offers us a tender and touching portrait of friendship.

(Masa Avramovic, France, 2021, 3 min, in French with English subtitles)

A father’s kayak outing with his baby along a peaceful river turns out to be a real family adventure.

(Solène Bosseboeuf, Flore Dechorgnat, Tiphaine Klein, Auguste Lefort & Antoine Rossi, France, 2021, 6 min, nonverbal)

Inspired by everyday life and by the differences in people’s behavior when they are alone, rather than maintaining appearances in public. The ever-awkward confines of an elevator are the perfect place to experience both forced social behaviors and solitary release.

(Anastasia Papadopoulou, Greece, 2021, 4 min, nonverbal)

See the world through the eyes of the kids featured in this program of award-winning and audience favorite short live-action films from Children’s Film Festival Seattle. The young people in these films go on their own adventures, discover how to be true to themselves, and learn to face their fears! This program features films from New Zealand, India, Canada, United States, Mexico, and Ireland.

When she sees an old man unable to pay for his milk, a young girl has a change of heart.

(Celia Jaspers, New Zealand, 2021, 5 min, in English)

Jump! is a tale of overcoming deep fears and learning that on the other side of any challenge is an experience that will strengthen your character and stay with you for a lifetime.

(Stanley Hector, India, 2021, 6 min, nonverbal)

CW: A Morning with Aroha features a young girl going out on her own without permission.

Aroha wants to share her creativity with her neighbours. Her imaginations come to life for everyone to enjoy.

(Nicholas Riini, New Zealand, 2021, 11 min, in English)

An adventurous young boy and his determined mother share a passion for Labrador Inuit drum dancing.

(Ossie Michelin, Canada, 2021, 14 min, in English)

All good dogs deserve a love song.

(Kellie Newton, US, 2021, 3 min, in English)

A lonely animator seeks companionship through asking her friends to tell her what they see in cloud pictures. She then proceeds to animate their visions.

(Barb Hoffman, US, 2020, 7 min, in English)

Lorena is a seven-year-old girl who wants to win the school’s piñata contest, where the grand prize is a bicycle.

(Verónica Ramírez, Mexico, 2021, 13 min, in Spanish with English subtitles)

CW: The Devil Will Run centers on a boy who is convinced the Devil lives in his backyard. The film uses the figure of the Devil to explore childhood anxieties. It ends on a note of empowerment and catharsis, as the protagonist releases his fears by sharing them with his friend.

When seven-year-old Shah finds a hole in his backyard, he worries that it may be where the Devil gets in and out.

(Noah Glenn, US, 2021, 11 min, in English)

A child reconnects to her fondest memories through a box of treasures that she has kept beneath her tree throughout her life.

(Alexandra Cerna, US, 2021, 5 min, nonverbal)

Maria, Dermot, and their son Johnny live in West Belfast. Their conventional, straightforward family life is jolted when Johnny tells his Mum that he wants to wear a dress for his upcoming First Holy Communion.

(Terry Loane, Ireland, 2021, 18 min, in English)