SHORTS: FREE TO BE ME

Total program 80 min

We can all feel a little awkward or insecure sometimes, but the young people featured in this international selection of shorts demonstrate some admirable examples of how to believe in yourself—regardless of what others might think or say. It’s an eclectic mix of animation, live-action, and documentary (sometimes all in one film!) that reminds us all to respect one another’s differences.

In English and various languages with English subtitles

Age 9+

THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER CHILDREN FOR CHANGE

Giovanni
Marco Di Gerlando & Ludovica Gibelli | Italy 2021 | 5 min
A young boy delivers a surprisingly simple but shrewd message about parenthood to an older man with a much narrower perspective. 

Comic Escape
Alphonso McAuley | US 2021 | 15 min
When Bernard discovers a new comic-book superhero, it changes not only how he sees himself but who he ultimately becomes. 

How I Got My Wrinkles
Claude Delafosse | France 2022 | 12 min
Driven by the randomness of a child’s imagination, this charming live-action and animated hybrid is a reflection on life, art, film, family, and all that makes the world go round. 

Just Johnny
Terry Loane | Ireland 2021 | 19 min
An Irish family learns about acceptance and unconditional love when Johnny decides he wants to wear a dress for his first communion. 

Stairs
Zoljargal Purevdash | Mongolia 2020 | 12 min
A young disabled man’s little sister helps him overcome societal barriers to get the training he needs to land his dream job. 

Mama Has a Mustache
Sally Rubin | US 2021 | 10 min
In this colorfully animated and wildly collaged documentary, kids share their experiences in loving homes and communities unbound by traditional gender binaries. 

My Name Is Maalum
Luísa Copetti | Brazil 2021 | 8 min
After getting teased about her name by classmates, an Afro-Latina girl discovers the lovely legacy of her name and ancestry.

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