These 9 films from 7 different countries have been chosen especially for children aged 8 and upwards and include themes such as otherness, friendship and tolerance. They are films for the young but also the young at heart with several laugh-out-loud moments alongside tales that tug at the heart-strings and that speak a universal language.
Here you will meet charismatic characters such as a magical mother and daughter who are attempting to uncover the secrets of creation and use their divine powers to bring an entirely new future into being, the football-obsessed boy who’s opponent is a cheeky goose, a child with an overflowing imagination, and many others in a series of stunning visuals showing that animation is the best tool to transform the everyday into the magical.
The Goose – Jan Mika, Czech Republic/France
A young boy dreams of becoming a professional footballer and playing in the biggest stadiums, but before he can do this, he has to win a match in a little yard, against a goose.
2023 12’30 min
Harvey – Janice Nadeau, Canada/France
A young boy candidly recalls the spring day when his world turned upside down. A charming examination of bereavement and coping with the loss of a parent, told through the eyes of a child.
2023 9’00 min
Buzz – Bryn Chainey & Andrew Brand UK
On a prairie millions of miles from home a grumpy space farmer is having trouble with one of her hive: a robot bee called Buzz that keeps going rogue.
2022 9’50 min
Town Hall Square – Christian Kaufmann, Germany
A short film about an unexpected visitor, annoying radio songs and the lust for life!
2023 8’35 min
Malacabra – Marylou Bort, Mathilde Bourges, Hugo Florin, Jeremy Guibert, Valentine Miniot, Vincent Nogues, Axel Prukop & Pierre Segonds, France
In a Mayan village, the Shaman casts a spell on a goat and sends it to another village on the other side of the valley, their ancestral rivals.
2022 7’00 min
Suzie in the Garden – Lucie Sunková, Czech Republic/Slovakia
Suzie loves going with her parents to the garden allotment outside the city, where she discovers a world full of small wonders and natural beauty.
2022 13’20 min
Pete – Bret Parker, USA
Based on a true story about gender identity, Little League Baseball, the people who inspire change by trying to be themselves, and the superheros who allow that change to happen.
2022 7’05 min
Waaber Waaber episode 2 ‘Button’ – Rich Webber, UK
The adventures of two fun loving idiots.
2022 3’45 min
Enkai – Ng’endo Mukii, Kenya/UK
Floating through the universe in her gourd-shaped home, young Enkai just wants to spend time with her single mother, Shiro, a cosmic deity who works all the time in the demanding job of saving the Earth from man-made destruction.
2023 11’30 min
Our Funding Partners
With Special Thanks to the Arts Council England
Event supported by Film Hub London, managed by Film London. Proud to be a partner of the BFI Film Audience Network, funded by the National Lottery.
Our Award Partner
Karrot
Since 2008, the award-winning Karrot have been making top-notch animated content for TV and online streaming platforms. Karrot generously sponsors our Best Childrens’ Film awards.
Venue
The Barbican is Europe’s largest multi-arts and conference venue presenting a diverse range of art, music, theatre, dance, film and education events. For more information about The Barbican and how to get there, find out more.
Barbican, Online
