Schedule:

Adventure and imagination come together at this fun-filled family  film program, offering some of this year’s most exciting kid-friendly shorts from across the globe! Featuring the creations of more than 50 filmmakers, one of Brooklyn’s beloved cinematic traditions is back for its 27th year, offering a new and exciting trove of animated, live action, and documentary treasures. These diverse stories offer families a fresh perspective on our world. Let kids’ imaginations soar as bold heroes of all kinds set out on their own journeys in these wildly fun and uplifting stories. And don’t forget to vote for your favorite film… it just might win a BAMmy Award for Best Live Action or Best Animated short.

Families are invited to come play with Parallel Exit’s walkabout circus entertainers before or after the screenings; the renowned artists perform in the Peter Jay Sharp Building lobby from 11am to 2pm.

12:20PM Adventurous Friends (Ages 6—8)

Night Tunnel (2024)
Dir. Annechien Strouven, 9min
Belgium
Nonverbal

After digging a tunnel on the beach, two kids from different sides of the world meet each other. Together, they dig their way to the North Pole, where they discover a magical way to get back home.

Coot (2023)
Dir. Marlies van der Wel, 2min
Netherlands
Nonverbal

A coot and a ferry skipper happily share a city river, but their peaceful life is turned upside down when a new bridge steals all the skipper’s passengers overnight.

Nube (2023)
Dirs. Diego Alonso Sánchez de la Barquera Estrada & Christian Arredondo Narvaez, 8min
Mexico
Nonverbal

After seeing an old, stormy cloud gently release its rain and disappear, Noma the puffy white cloud realizes that her stormy cloud daughter Mixtli might start raining soon too.

These Are My Friends and They’re Awesome (2024)
Dir. Kellie Newton, 3min
US
In English

Magic happens when a young, blind photographer trains her camera on average folks.

Sparrows (2024)
Dir. Rémi Durin, 12min
France
Nonverbal

A child in a Buddhist temple gets distracted by a sparrow and follows the bird outside, embarking on a journey that becomes the adventure of a lifetime.

The Odd Carrot (2024)
Dir. Inese Pavēne, 9min
Latvia
In Latvian with English subtitles

The bigger beasts of the forest often bully the two bunnies until they stumble upon a mysterious vegetable, setting in motion a chain of events that will change their fate forever.

Sockz Studios: The Lab Rat (2024)
Dirs. Christian Perry & Eric Tsuchiyama, 7min
US
In English

A bumbling scientist conducts experiments on himself in this zany collection of comedic vignettes.

Monster Sister (2024)
Dir. Eunji Choi, 8min
Republic of Korea
Nonverbal

The story of an isolated monster who finally finds someone on her side in the world.

The Refusers (2024)
Dir. Wiep Teeuwisse, 3min
Netherlands
In Dutch with English subtitles

On a street corner in the city, a heap of trashed items lament being discarded but eventually begin to see themselves in a more positive light.

Meet Me in the Woods (2024)
Dir. Katie Rosenberg, 3min
UK
Nonverbal

When Alex finds out her best friend Sam is moving away, she knows it’s their last chance to find the legendary beast that lives in the woods near them.

11AM and 12:40PM Big Dreams (Ages 6—8)

Ronny: A Crocumentary (2024) 2min
Dir. Abbey Collings
Canada
English

Ronny the friendly crocodile only has one desire: a hug.

The Alchemist’s Apprentice (2024) 7min
Dir. Erfan Parsapour
Iran
Nonverbal

A young alchemy apprentice tries to fix his master’s creation discreetly.

Fallin' (2023) 10min
Dir. Carlos Navarro
Spain
Nonverbal

When the little Winter Spirit wakes up in a different season, it sets out to learn all about a world it doesn't recognise.

Ummi And Zaki (2024) 4min
Dir. Daniela Opp
Germany
In German with English subtitles

Ummi the little hippo is bored and looking for a friend. When she meets Zaki the spider, suddenly no adventure seems impossible.

Paths of Sound (2024) 8min
Dirs. Tom Raijasse & David Nguyen
France
Nonverbal

In a peaceful valley lulled by music, Oudi and Melody live in harmony, but one day, an accident threatens their peaceful way of life.

Birds of a Feather (2024) 5min
Dir. Katie Cobos
US
Nonverbal

A talkative parrot attempts to befriend a boy with Tourette’s syndrome.

Henrietta Finds a Nest (2024) 7min
Dir. Hannah McNally
US
Nonverbal

Follow Henrietta, a brave little chick, as she journeys from a lonely farm to a loving home with a new friend.

1:20PM Follow Your Heart (Ages 6—8)

Lulina and the Moon (2023)
Dirs. Alois Di Leo, Marcus Vinicius Vasconcelos, 14min
Brazil
Nonverbal

Lulina draws her biggest fears on the endless white surface of the moon. Magically, her drawings come to life and show her that her problems aren’t as big or scary as they seemed in her imagination.

Munkha (2024)
Dir. Alexander Moruo, 10min
Russia
In Yakut with English subtitles

Nyukku and Michil’s journey during Munkha—a traditional form of ice fishing practiced by the Yakut people—tests their family bonds. They end up reeling in something more valuable than fish: a strong and lasting friendship.

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge (2023)
Dir. Hattie Archibald, 15min
Australia
In English

When 6 year old Wilfrid finds out that his 96 year old best friend Nancy has lost her memory, he sets out to see if he can get it back.

Hoofs on skates (2024)
Dir. Ignas Meilūnas, 12min
Lithuania
Nonverbal

In a winter wonderland, two friends are having a blast ice-skating on a frozen lake when suddenly a strange and unfamiliar world cracks open underneath them.

Go My Way (2024)
Dir. Chelo Loureiro, 7min
Spain
In Spanish with English subtitles

Elisa likes Martin, but Martin doesn’t seem to realize it. Will Elisa try to change herself to win his heart? And if she does, will it truly be worth it

Fishing (2023)
Dir. Elena Kurkova, 4min
Russia
Nonverbal

This silly story is about a fisherman and a worm who become best friends while trying to catch fish

1:10PM Journey to Me (Ages 9+)

The Queen’s Flowers (2024)
Dir. Ciara Leinaala Lacy, 12min
US
Nonverbal

A magical take on a true story, this animated adventure follows Emma, a native Hawaiian girl in 1915 Honolulu, as she makes a special gift for the last monarch of Hawai`i Queen Lili`uokalani.

The Most Beautiful Kabuli Dress (2024)
Dir. Kazim Ajram, 6min
Afghanistan
In Persian with English subtitles

Raihana dreams of wearing a beautiful dress on her birthday. Her brother, Karim, is ready to buy it as a gift for her, but Yalda, another little girl, has her heart set on the same dress.

Heart of the Ocean (2024)
Dirs. Natalya Kharina & Alena Rubinshtein, 9min
Russia
Nonverbal

After the apocalypse, a mechanical fish living in the dead ocean somehow brings a real, live egg to life, embarking on a journey of wonder and true parental love.

Ceiba y Sus Raices Tainas (2023)
Dir. Brithney Rivera, 4min
US
In Spanish with English subtitles

Disaster strikes the island of Puerto Rico as Guabancex, Spirit of Chaos, unleashes a hurricane. Ceiba, a courageous young woman who uses a wheelchair, is the only one who can prevent catastrophic doom.

Boy Cut (2024) 3min
Dirs. Cullen Burt, Abby Corbett, Indira Escobar & Shon Xiao, 3min
US
In English

Something as simple as a haircut can mean so much to someone. This animated documentary tells the story of a child who desires to control their own appearance, directed and animated by four students in USC’s CTXA 470 Documentary Animation Production class.

Skin Color (2024)
Dirs. Fidel Alfonso Barboza Gómez, Sebastián Castaño, 9min
Colombia
In Spanish with English subtitles

In Bogotá in 1996, a 9-year-old Afro-Colombian boy confronts the adult world when he realizes that the pinkish color in his pencil case, called “skin color,” does not match the color of his own skin.

My Name is Edgar and I Have a Cow (2023)
Dir. Filip Diviak, 8min
Czech Republic
In English

Edgar’s utterly ordinary life is disrupted by a newborn calf he discovers on a tourist trip to a slaughterhouse.

Noor (2024)
Dir. Thabit AlMawaly, 15min
United Arab Emirates
In Arabic with English subtitles

On his way home one day, a young Emirati boy finds a pigeon that won't fly. Can he convince his traditional father to let him keep it?

Having fun in the Mountains (2023)
Dir. Hsin-ying KUO, 15min
Taiwan
In Mandarin with English subtitles

Two young boys embark on a trek up the Hehuan North Peak, standing at over 3,000 meters high. As the weather shifts from clear to foggy, one of the boys experiences altitude sickness. With the summit in sight, they must decide whether to push forward or turn back.

Wood Hood (2022)
Dir. Alex Cullen, 16min
US
In English

DeVaughn craves a quiet place to escape the chaos of his home, the city, and kids that steal from him. This short follows the 15 year old on a weekend-long group camping trip with Camping to Connect, a BIPOC-led mentorship program that teaches leadership, brotherhood, and inclusion in the outdoors.

10:20AM and 11:40AM Magical Moments (Ages 3—5)

Tears of the Little Cloud (2024)
Dir. Anya Ru, Masha Rumyantseva, 4min
Italy
Nonverbal

Mountain sends Cloud down to the forest to tell everybody that winter is over and spring is here.

Sleepy (2022)
Dir. Rich Webber, 1min
UK
Nonverbal

When sleep catches up with you...

Finding Play (2024) 3 min
Dan Castro
UK
English

Timothy Quiche has forgotten how to play. Or has he? Maybe he's just been looking in the wrong places.

Balloon (2023)
Dir. Peter Dodd, 3min
UK
Nonverbal

Playtime turns into a rescue mission when one kid swaps a robot for a balloon.

Finley (2024) 3mins
Dir. Laina Fulle
US
English

Finley is a very happy little frog living in the forest, and today he is super excited because he is turning four—he can't wait!

Mushroom Magic (2024)
Dir. Maria Mac Dalland, 7min
Denmark
Nonverbal

A couple of little mushroom fairies put on a magic show for Tiny Toot and her friends. They use their magic wands to shoot mycelium at fallen fruit, turning it into fertile dirt to help new life grow.

The Tree of a Thousand Keys (2024)
Dir. Marcus Jardine, 2min
Canada
Nonverbal

A girl is transported to mystical worlds through a door in a tree, and the keys that unlock it.

Lost Marble (2024)
Dir. Laura Quinn Geyer, 2min
UK
Nonverbal

It’s Marble’s first time on the marble run. Anxious to reach the finish line, he is not at all ready for the tumbles and turns he’s about to face. In the chaos, his frustration takes him on an unexpected excursion.

10AM Small Tales, Big Surprises (Ages 3—5)

ANIMANIMUSICAL (2024)
Dir. Julia Ocker, 3min
Germany
In Gibberish

The Animanimals want to do a big musical performance, but somebody got the wrong notes.

Baking With Boris (2023)
Dir. Maša Avramović, 8min
France
Nonverbal

Every morning, Boris, the village baker, makes a fresh batch of crusty bread and pastries for all his neighbors—until… Achoo! He can’t stop sneezing; he’s suddenly allergic to flour. Will he manage to keep baking for everyone in the village?

Drop (2023)
Dir. Claudio Quattrone, 4min
Italy
Nonverbal

A rain droplet, scared of having to fall from the clouds, must find the courage to face the void and discover itself.

Watercolor Piggie (2024)
Dirs. Jofan Liao & Yan-Jyun Chen, 3min
Taiwan
In Mandarin with English subtitles

Piggie adores drawing! From the smallest details to the grandest scenes, everything around her sparks creativity.

Drawing Land (2023)
Dir. Tony Collingwood, 8min
UK
In English

Jump into an artist’s sketchbook as he draws a funny little character called Splot, who is searching for the perfect color!

Kid President (2024)
Dir. Yadid Licht, 5min
US
In English

No more lettuce, no more artichokes… no more broccoli! This is the future that Kid President envisions as he rolls out his most daring policy yet: a ban on all vegetables.

Afternoon Snack (2024)
Dir. JP Georgia Powell, 5min
US
Nonverbal

On what seems to be a beautiful, sunny afternoon, Haco's journey to find the most delectably delicious snack is quickly thwarted by a conniving caterpillar and unending obstacles.

Mogu Mogu (2024)
Dirs. TuBo Lee & K G, 2min
Taiwan
In Mandarin with English subtitles

A joyful song by kids, for kids! Filled with real instruments and tasty tunes, Mogu Mogu is all about savoring life’s little moments.

Forever Seven (2024)
Dir. Antje Heyn & Alexander Isert, 9min
Germany
In English

A box is a box is a box. Sometimes, though, it just takes a different perspective to see something completely different.

Fly By (2023)
Dir. Filip Dobeš, 3min
Czech Republic
Nonverbal

This fun, stop-motion film shows what happens when a cloud meets a plane. What could possibly go wrong

A Dragon in Name Only (2024)
Dir. Jacynta Scurfield & Megan Liddell, 5min
New Zealand
In English

Alone on a dry, barren cliff, Koru the Komodo dragon yearns for nothing more than a friend. His wishes are granted when Bintari, a huge flying dragon, suddenly swoops past his home.

The Carp and the Child (2024)
Dirs. Morgane Simon & Arnaud Demuynck, 7min
France
Nonverbal

A child heads out for a day of carp fishing, but bringing their playful puppy might not have been the best idea!

The Seed (2023)
Dir. Suresh Eriyat, 2min
India
Nonverbal

A tiny seed full of big possibilities holds the secrets of an adventure waiting to unfold.

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