Belmont World Film’s 21st Annual Family Festival

Enchanting films from around the world you won’t see anywhere else for children age 3-12!

January 13 – 21, 2024

In-Person
January 13 | Apple Cinemas Cambridge
January 14 | West Newton Cinema
January 15 | Brattle Theatre, Cambridge
January 21 | Regent Theatre, Arlington

Embark on an enchanting adventure when Belmont World Film presents its 21st Family Film Festival, a four-day celebration of international culture, featuring a diverse selection of films from around the world—with many based on beloved children’s books and several making their US or New England premieres—ensuring an immersive and culturally rich experience for young audiences.

Children age 3-12 and their families will have the opportunity to enjoy films in English and multiple languages, including Chinese, Czech, French, Dutch, Norwegian, and more, that in most cases can’t be seen anywhere else. Subtitles for films in languages other than English will be read aloud through headphones, ensuring an inclusive experience for children with difficulty reading.

The lineup includes a carefully curated mix of animated and live-action feature length and short films, offering something for every age group. Complete details are coming soon, but highlights include:

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1/15, Brattle), a short film program based on books about Dr. King and his contemporaries, including the US premiere of I Am Ruby Bridges, written by the civil rights activist who was the first African American child to attend a formerly whites-only elementary school.

OkThanksBye (1/14, West Newton, New England premiere): a road movie that follows two hearing impaired pre-teens from Rotterdam to Paris, followed by a discussion with ASL interpretation

Totem (1/20, Regent, New England premiere): a gripping film about a girl who feels completely Dutch, whose parents are asylum seekers from Senegal, and her journey to discover her roots through an extraordinary totem animal. Followed by a discussion about the film and dual cultural identities, lead by Ghanaian-American filmmaker Menefese Kudumu-Clavell.

Tony, Shelly and the Magic Light (1/14, West Newton, US premiere): a sweet stop-motion film from the Czech Republic about an 11-year-old boy who glows and the winner of the Contretemps Award at the prestigious Annecy Film Festival,

Tabby McTat (1/14, West Newton; North American premiere): a short, animated film based on the picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s (The Gruffalo), about the warm and wonderful friendship between a musical cat and a street busker in London and featuring the voice of Jodi Whittaker (Dr. Who) and comedian Rob Brydon.

Yuku and the Himalayan Flower (1/13, Apple Cinemas; US premiere): a colorful and adorable animated musical, about a little mouse who hopes to restore her grandmother back to health goes by going in search of a rare plant that radiates eternal light. With her ukulele and her original bouncy rap tunes, she makes friends along the way during her sometimes-perilous journey. The film premiered at the prestigious Annecy Film Festival.