It’s time again to put on your pajamas and enjoy some pancakes and one-of-a-kind children’s cinema. This week, the 2016 Children’s Film Festival Seattle returns to Capitol Hill’s Northwest Film Forum… and beyond. This 11th edition of the festival will feature a new co-host with screenings in South King County at Renton’s Carco Theatre.

“Now more than ever, it’s a great time to remind our kids that our world is home to many different and beautiful cultures and ways of life,” festival director Elizabeth Shepherd said in the announcement of the 2016 festival. “An international children’s film festival is a perfect place to discover common ground, to build empathy and celebrate our shared humanity.”

This year’s festival will bring together more than 165 international children’s films from 40 countries for a week of screenings on 12th Ave and in Renton before hitting the road for screenings in other cities.

Capitol Hill kids, in the meantime, get to enjoy the festival plus some of its special returning events including Friday night’s DJ/pajama party and Saturday’s pancake and movies breakfast at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption on 13th Ave. As of Tuesday afternoon, tickets were still available for both events.

TRAILER The little Bird and the Squirrel/ Der kleine Vogel und das Eichhörnchen from Lena von Doehren on Vimeo.

2016 Children’s Film Festival Seattle Special Events

PAJAMA PARTY WITH ANIMATION ROUNDUP AND DJ DANCE PARTY!
January 22, 2016
7:00PM
Presented with Light in the Attic Records
Free snacks from Cupcake Royale and Honest Kids! / 60 min
Ages 3+

PANCAKE BREAKFAST AND SHORT FILM SMORGASBORD
January 30, 2016
9:30 am
(Screenings at 10:30 and 11 am)
Includes breakfast, free all-day parking, and a full film program!
Sponsored by Whole Foods Market
Red Eagle Soaring will perform a welcome song before both shows!
All Ages

CLOSING CEREMONY
January 31, 2016
6:30 pm
75 min
Ages 8+
Free treats from KIND Healthy Snacks and Honest Kids!

For tickets and a full schedule of the festival running January 21st through the 31st, check out childrensfilmfestivalseattle.org.

Meanwhile, NWFF announced (PDF) Courtney Sheehan and Line Sandsmark as its new artistic director and managing director. CHS reported on the exit of director Lyall Bush and NWFF’s 20th anniversary in 2015.