2024 Mill Valley Film Festival Family Films

Mill Valley Film Festival features a fantastic selection of family-friendly films for movie lovers of all ages to enjoy together! Check out some of this year's must-see Family Films, including two collections of shorts with filmmaker guests, and Thelma's Perfect Birthday—complete with birthday treats after the screening!

FAMILY FILMS

JESSZILLA

Saturday, October 6th, 1pm & 12th, 12pm, Rafael Theatre, Age 11+

“In this world, there is so much anger. Our lives are in danger. We are all living in fears. We’ve got to stop the tears.” We may be living in challenging times, but today’s teen filmmakers are using film purposefully—and creatively—to tell stories that both confront and counteract the darkness. In this peer-reviewed collection of youth-made shorts, no genre is left unturned, from sci-fi to superheroes, serial-killer comedy to animated adventure.

OUT OF MY MIND

Saturday, October 6th, 2:45pm, Rafael, Age 12+
Saturday, October 13th, 11:00am, Lark Theater

Melody Brooks, a sixth grader with cerebral palsy, has a quick wit and a sharp mind, but because she is non-verbal and uses a wheelchair, others often view her with pity and discomfort. Though she has fierce advocates in her parents, Melody yearns to be seen and heard by the world around her. When a young educator notices Melody’s untapped potential, she encourages Melody to participate in mainstream education. Against numerous odds and challenges, Melody leads her school’s quiz team to success. Along the way, Melody uses her newfound voice to inspire courage in her family, her principal and peers, an eccentric neighbor, and even the family goldfish. Based on the best-selling novel by Sharon M. Draper and directed by Amber Sealey, "Out of My Mind" stars Phoebe-Rae Taylor as Melody, alongside Rosemarie DeWitt, Luke Kirby, Judith Light, Michael Chernus, Courtney Taylor, and Jennifer Aniston (as Melody’s inner voice). Age 12+

SHORTS: LOVEHAPPY (YOUTH WORKS)

October 12th, 12pm, Sequoia Theater Age 14+

"The ups and downs are worth it, Long way to go, but we're workin’." This year's collection of peer-reviewed, youth-produced short films showcases storytellers who are redefining humor in comedies, personal stories in documentaries, and murder in thrillers. It's an inspiring display of emerging young talent: Practical Rabbit Hunting Strategies for the Modern Man (Rishan Sathiyaa, US 2024 , 11 min), Minus Daisy (Samuel Green, US 2024, 5 min), Like a Stone or Flower (Kaiya Ming Jordan, US 2024, 10 min), Forever Mine (Isabella DeWitt, US 2024, 3 min), Killer Love (Vienna Skinnell, US 2024, 8 min), Bickering (Gabrielle Hanson Chong, US 2024, 1 min), The Last Supper (Trudy Flashford, Canada 2024, 4 min), The Chihuahua Shake (Chase Olivera, US 2024, 14 min), The Alien (Maxwell Warner, US 2024, 10 min), Guiding Light (India Anne Mitchell, US 2024, 5 min), Appa Tales: Stories from My Grandfather (Noah Shin, US 2024, 6 min), Sole Sista (Emerie Elise Boone, Australia 2024, 6 min), Dreamkeeping (Mimi Mühle, US 2024, 5 min). –– Diana Sánchez Maciel

SHORTS: SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS

Saturday, October 5th, 11am, Sequioa Theater Age 7+
Sunday, October 12th, 11am, Lark Theater

Who says that watching Saturday morning cartoons with the family ended with the 20th century? Not us! Join us for this fun frenzy of animated wonders for kids of all ages, presented in collaboration with the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival. Films include: Martha Grant’s Llamas at the Laundromat (Canada 2023, 2 min), a delightful musical starring dancing llamas in fashionable attire; Annastacia Henry-Ramos’s Lunar Power (US 2024, 3 min), in which video game nut Miguel has a cheeky chat with his older, wiser Cousin Amaya; Venus Jones’s Lil Red is Riding the Wrong Way in the Hood (US 2023, 8 min), a rap fairytale filled with valuable life lessons; Paperface’s Think Too Much (UK 2023, 4 min), a musical journey through a landscape of broccoli; Peter Gardner’s Adventures with the Caretaker (US 2022, 25 min), featuring Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and the Abominable Snowman; Alex Ross’s The Social Chameleon (US 2022, 9 min), an inspiring story about finding your true colors and Guillermo Gomez’s The Crow and the Squirrel (US 2018, 4 min), a beautiful lesson in communication and compassion.

THELMA'S PERFECT BIRTHDAY

Sunday, October 6th, 11am, Lark Theater, Age 5+

Thelma is a penguin who lives in the Land of Ice. She’s four years old and she’ll turn five in five days—or at least she hopes she will. Will her birthday ever come? And what if she’s not there when the Birthday arrives—will she be forever stuck at age four? But Thelma is an adventurer and a mischief-maker, too. With her parents distracted by their computer screens, she sneaks away to find her friends Wilhelm the flying cat and Sofija the dancing mouse in the Great Forest, far from home. She hopes to meet the Birthday in person, with her magical candles in hand. Director Reinis Kalnaellis’s stunning watercolor palette and captivating animation bring to life a universal story of self-acceptance, friendship, courage, and the true meaning of growing up. An ageless story, perfect for all ages. —K.D. Davis

TUMMY TOM AND THE LOST TEDDY BEAR

Sunday, October 13th, 11am, Sequoia, Mill Valley, Age 5+

Tummy Tom, a good-natured, well-intentioned and slightly gangly ginger cat, is a prime example of his species—he’s curious, mischievous, a bit lazy, and most of all, he loves to curl up for catnaps with his favorite stuffed teddy. But one day, “cat-astrophe” strikes: Jumping into his basket for a snooze, he discovers…Bear is missing! Fortunately for Tummy Tom, his BFF, a graceful gray named Cat-Mouse, springs into action and feline hijinks ensue as the duo encounter Squirrel, Sheep, and other animal friends ready to assist in the hunt for Bear. Tummy Tom first appeared on Sesamstraat (Dutch Sesame Street) in 1978, and co-directors Joost Van Den Bosch and Erik Verkerk’s new sing-along animation is an interactive delight for kids from age 2 to 200 (that’s in cat-years). Shown with The Anchor & the Kite (Jeff O’Brien Myers and Forest Blakk. US 2024, 3 min) and There Can Only Be One (Britney Fan, US 2024, 3 min).

WINDCATCHER

Sunday, October 12th, 11:30am, Rafael, Age 8+
Sunday, October 13th, 12pm, Rafael

Ten-year-old Percy Boy Collins is one of the fastest runners in school, but he never fails to arrive late for class. A smart-talking Aboriginal child in a white-dominated environment, Percy Boy has few allies ‘til he befriends Keithy Cobb, the new kid at school. The schoolmates join forces to fend off the fifth-grade bullies known as The Wolf Pack. Joining them is little Daisy Hawkins, the fiercest and scariest third grader around. The three share a common goal: for Percy Boy to defeat the Wolf Pack in the running competition at the school carnival. But while he trains for the race, Percy Boy also begins to see visions from the afterworld, including those who perished in the bush fire that claimed the lives of his parents. Indigenous Australian director Tanith Glynn-Maloney’s first feature is an inspirational celebration of the bonds that tie us to our family, our friends, and our heritage.