The annual Providence Children's Film Festival takes place in February at multiple venues within walking distance of downtown Providence, with over ten days of screenings, filmmaking workshops, and free activities, along with post-film conversations that help deepen the film-watching experience and foster critical thinking skills. During the festival, PCFF screens an average of 12 feature-length and over 200 short films—including live-action, documentary, and animation—made by filmmakers from around the world. Since 2014, PCFF has included the Youth Filmmaker Showcase, a juried program of films made by youth, followed by an opportunity for young filmmakers to talk about both the fun and the challenges they face during the creative process.

Schedule of Events

BE STRONG, BE KIND

70 mins, Belgium, Animation, for all ages

The theme of this film reel is empathy which allows us to understand and share the feelings of others anywhere in the world. Some people have it, while others… Well, let's just say they might need more practice. After watching this year's reel you might learn to appreciate your shadow a little bit more, cover your nose when baking bread, and NEVER throw out a wooden crate!

BAKING WITH BORIS (La Boulangerie de Boris) - Boris bakes the daily bread for his village until - Ahh-CHOO! - his flour allergy threatens the whole operation! To keep his bakery open Boris will find assistance from unexpected helpers. (2023/ 8 min / France / dir. Maša Avramovi? / non-verbal)

DESERT CRITTER (Wüstentier) - When a desert critter's shadow doesn't match his body, he enters a quest for a new one, finding friends and a new appreciation for being different along the way. (2023/ 8 min / Germany / dir. Lina Walde / in English)

FOREVER SEVEN (Für immer Sieben) - A treasure chest, a magician's bench, a romantic table for two…A simple crate takes on many lives when everyone who encounters it thinks outside the box! (2024 / 9.5 min / Germany / dirs. Antje Heyn, Alexander Isert / in English)

FUR (Vacht) - When a girl's depression grows on her skin like a furry monster coat, her sister tries fiercely to cheer her up. Sometimes being there silently is heard the loudest. (2022 / 5.5 min / Netherlands / dir. Madeleine Homan / in English)

THE NIGHT TUNNEL (Le Tunnel de la nuit) - A quick dig at the beach turns into a far-out adventure when a boy plunges into a sandy portal. (2024 / 9 min / Belgium / dir. Annechien Strouven / non-verbal)

THE SCISSORS (Les ciseaux) - At the sound of cardboard being cut, Annette remembers the first time she cut out animal silhouettes and passes on this talent to her daughter Katia. She is inspired by the Innu culture and the words of the Elders in her community of Mashteuiatsh. (2022 / 3 min / Canada / dir. Katia Kurtness / in French w/English subs)

THE WORLD I LIVE IN - Young girl spends her days alone and glued to her ipad, to the disappointment of her grandfather, until they connect over a shared love of nature. (2024 / 7.5 min / Czech Republic / dir. Ester Kasalová / non-verbal)

And more…!

Screenings:
February 15, 2025 10:30 am - Gilder Center for the Arts, Wheeler School (228 Angel St. Providence, RI)
February 23, 2025 10:15 am - RISD Museum, Metcalf Auditorium (20 North Main Street, Providence, RI)

Bringing Up Baby

101, United States, Film Classic, for all ages

David Huxley (Grant) is a nerdy zoologist just finishing his brontosaurus skeleton and engaged to be married to an uptight lady scientist. Then he meets dizzy heiress Susan Vance (Hepburn), who upends his life, kidnaps him to Connecticut, and sticks him in a lady's dressing gown while her dog, George, buries, David's brontosaurus bone, and her tame leopard runs around frightening the bejesus out of everyone, mainly because they've confused him with a wild leopard that escaped from the circus.

It really is close to Seussian anarchy: An unstoppably whimsical woman brings down upon the head of a nice young fellow a series of widening desasters that cause kids to go nuts with apprehension and delight. What else can go wrong for the man with the dimple in his chin? Well, this. And this. And, oh yes, this. But the real reason to watch BABY with your children is that it's a wonderful introduction to Grant and especially, the great Kate. Hepburn is not just maddeningly funny here but possessed of an otherworldly enchantment - a couple of times she uncorks a quicksilver laugh that can give you goose bumps. The whole movie seems filmed under moonlight, with Wild Things just over the horizon.

Screenings:
February 17, 2025 10:00 am - Hope High School Auditorium (324 Hope St. Providence)
February 20, 2025 1:45 pm - Mount Pleasant Library ( 315 Academy Ave in Providence, RI)

First Impressions

Multi-national, Animation, for all ages

You never get a second chance to make a first impression! Has your child attended a kids film festival before? If not, this is a great way to start, especially for the youngest ones. This year's reel includes hair style decisions, fishing for carp and singing animals!

ANIMANIMUSICAL - The Animanimal singers love to jam together…with one exception. Toucan, hungry for the spotlight, gets caught up in a song of his own and threatens the harmony of the whole group! (2024 / 3.5 min / Germany / dir. Julia Ocker / in animal sounds)

BOY CUT - When it comes to haircuts, this young person finds that confidence starts at the top! Based on a true story. (2024 / 3 min / USA / dirs. Cullen Burt, Abby Corbett, Indira Escobar, Shon Xiao)

THE CARP AND THE CHILD (La Carpe et l'enfant) - All this little fisherman wants is a peaceful day on the dock, but chaos erupts from the tiniest of moments! Sometimes, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em… (2024/ 7 min / France / dirs. Morgane Simon, Arnaud Demuynck / non-verbal)

HELLO - Gentle story about a little girl who wanders out of the city and into a lush jungle where she befriends a cat and an elephant. (2023/ 2 min / Korea / dir. Dakyoung Lee / non-verbal)

WHEN IT RAINS - A forest full of magical creatures comes alive on a peacefully rainy day. (2021/ 2 min / Korea / dir. Saeyeon Park / non-verbal)

And more…!

Screenings
February 17, 2025 10:30 am - Gilder Center for the Arts, Wheeler School (228 Angel St. Providence, RI)
February 19, 2025 10:00 am - South Providence Library (441 Prairie Avenue, Providence, RI)

Magic Carpet Ride

77, Multi-national, Animation, 10+

Hop on for a supernatural trip into imaginative animated worlds. You never know what you'll find on a magic carpet ride. This year's ride brings us to lands where it takes only one butterfly stuck in a fountain to upset the natural order of things, another far-away world where lighthouses and mermaids abound and a summer camping trip in France where kids grapple with what kissing is all about!?
Ages 10+ (Curious kissing, scantily clad character)

#YACHT - A couple take their yacht far off shore thinking there's nothing they need to pay attention to. Distracted by their cell phones at their own peril, they soon learn the value of "being in the moment". (2024 / 5 min / France / dirs. Pablo Anasse, Loane Baumer, Marine Bouvier, Marie Malaval, Maxence Mouttou, Florence Susanna / non-verbal)

BUTTERFLY - A community of bizarre garden creatures all contribute to the flow of life, using water from a fountain. When a butterfly gets stuck in the fountain, they're faced with an unfamiliar situation. Is this the time for panic or adaptation? (2024 / 8 min / Croatia / dir. Suncana Brkulj / non-verbal)

FILANTE - A bat with a penchant for gold. A girl searching for her missing pet rat. Mermaids and lighthouses abound? This vibrant dreamscape of a film leads to an appreciation that life is ever changing and acceptance is a key to happiness. (2024 / 9 min / France / dir. Marion Jamault / non-verbal)

FOREVER - Being a ceramic garden gnome next to a golf course can be existentially challenging. Upon losing one of their own it's time for a massive gnome intervention. This country club is about to learn there's no place like gnome! (2024 / 6.5 min / France / dirs. Théo Djekou, Pierre Ferrari, CyrineJouini, PaulinePhilippart, AnissaTerrier / non-verbal)

MEMORY RENTAL STORE - What if you could revisit an old memory of yours by shoving a goldfish into your ear? Some memories are great swimming around in your mind while others are better left to sink away. (2024 / 7 min / France / dirs. Kyungin Kim, Jaeyeon Kim, Shruti Lal, Surya Kalyan, Jiaxin Li / in English)

YUCK! (Beurk!) - A bunch of kids summer camping with their families grapple with the notion of kissing - is it gross, or not? Sometimes the ones that think it's most disgusting are the ones who want to try…? (2023 / 13 min / France / dir. Loïc Espuche / in French w/Eng subs)

And more…!

Screenings
February 17, 2025 12:15 pm - Hope High School Auditorium (324 Hope St. Providence)
February 21, 2025 11:30 am - Mount Pleasant Library ( 315 Academy Ave in Providence, RI)

PELÍCULAS Y PALOMITAS

75, Multi-national, 8+

Life doesn't always go as planned. Everyone encounters an obstacle now and then. How you overcome them and what you learned along the way is…SOLVING & EVOLVING!

GO MY WAY (Yo voy conmigo) - Elisa likes Martin, but Martin doesn't seem to realise it. All the advice Elisa receives to make Martin fall in love with her is to change not only her appearance, but also who she really is. Will she give up being herself to get it? (2024 / 7 min / Spain / dir. Chelo Loureiro / in Spanish w/Eng subs)

LIKE THE SNAIL (Como el caracol) - Life can be best appreciated in the moment. Moving slowly like a snail might help get you there. The escargot knows the way to go! (2024 / 4.5 min / Hungary / dir. Katalin Egely / in Spanish w/Eng subtitles)

NU BE - After witnessing an old dark stormy cloud painfully rain and die in sorrow, Noma, a puffy white cloud realizes that Mixtli, her daughter, a dark stormy cloud, is in danger of raining prematurely. (2023 / 7.5 min / Mexico / dirs. Diego Alonso Sánchez de la Barquera Estrada, Christian Arredondo Narvaez / non-verbal)

WATER ASHES (cenizas de agua) - How is it possible to find happiness while seeing the world around us falling apart so quickly? A music video about the hope of the "climate change" generation. (2023 / 3.5 min / Hungary / dir. Katalin Egely / in Spanish w/Eng subtitles)

WHEN IT COMES FROM THE EARTH (Si viene de la Tierra) - What are the healthiest foods to eat and how would we know? Well by using one standard "if it came from the earth" is a good start to understanding what is best for our bodies and world. (2021 / 3.5 min / Hungary / dir. Katalin Egely / in Spanish w/Eng subtitles)

Screenings:
February 16, 2025 2:15 pm - Hope High School Auditorium (324 Hope St. Providence)
February 18, 2025 4:30 pm - South Providence Library (441 Prairie Avenue, Providence, RI)

Solving & Evolving

80, Multi-national, Multiple Film Types, 10+

Life doesn't always go as planned. Everyone encounters an obstacle now and then. How you overcome them and what you learned along the way is…SOLVING & EVOLVING! This year's reel contains stories of overcoming bullying over body image, building a better way to communicate with siblings and seeing the advantages of leaving your cellphone home.

BILLO RANI - When Hafsa, a sparkly and impulsive 12-year-old girl is made aware of her unibrow, her eyebrows come alive to advocate on their behalf. They argue with her self-doubt and what actions to take next. (2024 / 9 min / USA / dir. Angbeen Saleem)

I SEE (Ni Wapiten) - Short documentary of a Indigenous-Canadian boy making a plea to take care of Mother Earth and keep it clean for future generations. (2023 / 2.5 min / Canada / dirs. Noémie Echaquan, Julie Ottawa / in Atikamekw w/Eng subs)

LOLO AND THE SOUND PIANO (Lola et le piano à bruits) - Lola has a younger, autistic brother that struggles at times to communicate what he's thinking. Sounds play a big part in making him happy or upset. Lola decides to build a one-of-a-kind sound machine in order to relate to Simon more closely. (2024 / 25 min / France / dir. Augusto Zanovello / in French w/Eng subs)

THE PRINCE'S DILEMMA - In this new take on classic animated fairy tale romance, Prince Philip, who longs to be with a prince of his own, must decide to follow the traditional tale expected of him or forge his own happily ever after. (2023 / 5 min / USA / dir. Devin Rowe)

SCREEN TIME - It's amazing what one at any age will do during time alone if there are no digital screens to distract you. Boredom becomes inspiration to engage in one's environment in a way that would never happen if a "smart" phone was in your hand. The digital world becomes a tactile one. (2024 / 7 min / Australia / dir. Alexandrena Parker)

And more…!

Screenings
February 17, 2025 4:00 pm - Hope High School Auditorium (324 Hope St. Providence)
February 19, 2025 1:30 pm - South Providence Library (441 Prairie Avenue, Providence, RI)

Date: February 15-23, 2025

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