The USA Film Festival announces the schedule of events for the 42nd Annual KidFilm® Family Festival taking place on Saturday, January 17 and Sunday, January 18, 2026 at the Angelika Film Center Dallas, 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane,
Dallas. All programs will be presented FREE to the community.
KidFilm is the oldest and largest-attended children’s film festival in the United States, featuring an entertaining, educational, and diverse line-up of new and classic films for both children and adults. KidFilm is an annual outreach program of the USA Film Festival/Dallas, a 56-year-old 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the recognition and promotion of excellence in the film and video arts.
Celebrating the program’s 42nd anniversary, this year KidFilm pays tribute to a favorite children’s book author and celebrates diversity, empowerment, family and friendship and features fantastical adventures celebrating courage, perseverance, personal growth and self-reliance, along with other important educational lessons in an entertaining program that includes films for audiences of any age.
Honorary Co-Chairs for KidFilm are USA Film Festival Board of Directors members
Yvette Ostolaza, Laura Fox, David Dummer, Gail Terrell, Megan Mitchell and Xavier Mitchell.
“We are so pleased to be able to offer this year’s program as an all-free-admission event thanks to support from the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and from the Festival’s Season Sponsors,” said Fox who continued, “We are honored to be able to celebrate 42 years of KidFilm with this great line-up of inspiring films.”
Highlights of this year’s program include:
A Salute to children’s book author Deborah Diesen with a preview screening of Viva Kids’ new animated feature film The Pout-Pout Fish (Australia/USA) ahead of its March 20th theatrical release. The hilarious and heartwarming story follows Mr. Fish, a pouty introvert, and Pip, an energetic sea dragon, who embark on a daunting quest to find a legendary fish to grant their wish to save their homes. Featuring the star-studded voice cast of Nick Offerman, Nina Oyama, Miranda Otto, Remy Hii, Jordin Sparks and Amy Sedaris, The Pout-Pout Fish is directed by Ricard Cussó and Rio Harrington, written by Elise Allen, Elie Choufany and Dominic Morris, based on Diesen’s book of the same name. Free copies of the new book, “The Pout-Pout Fish Movie Storybook” will be distributed to families (while supplies last), and Deborah Diesen will sign books for the kids!
NEW ANIMATED FEATURE FILMS to be presented include:
Leon Joosen’s The Land of Sometimes (UK), a fantastical musical which follows twins Alfie and Elise who get more than they bargained for as they are whisked away to a magical world after summoning a mysterious Wish Collector. The film features the stellar voice cast of Ewan McGregor, Helena Bonham Carter, Terry Jones, Asa Butterfield, Alisha Weir, Andrei Shen, Jessica Henwick and Mel Brooks, as well as three spellbinding new songs from three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast) and Pete Hobbs. The film is written by Martin Casella and Tony Nottage, based on the award-winning audiobook by Francesca Longrigg.
Mark Risley’s Flower of the Dawn (USA), an enchanting fairy tale that follows a princess who has been turned into a nightingale by a vain sorceress whose only hope is to attain an elusive, magical flower. Inspired by the Grimm Brothers tale “Jorinde and Joringel,” the film is written by Allan Neuwirth and stars the voices of Mel Brooks, Jane Lynch, Matt Lucas, Jennifer Holliday, Lilla Crawford, Griffin Puatu, Erika Harlacher, Melissa Hutchison, and Barbara Rosenblat.
Reza Memari’s The Last Whale Singer (Canada/Czech Republic/Germany), an epic adventure which features a self-doubting teenage humpback whale who must face his fears and embark on a perilous journey with his friends in order to discover his own song and save the ocean from a monstrous creature.
Caroline Origer’s Spiked (Belgium/France/Luxembourg/UK), a fantastic family film that follows a young, orphaned hedgehog and overextended rabbit father who experience the adventure of a lifetime. The film stars the voices of Matthew Goode, Kíla Lord Cassidy, Gemma Whelan, Stephen Mangan, and Charlie Reid and is written by Jules de Jongh and David Freedman.
Vincent Bal & Wip Vernooij’s Miss Moxy (Netherlands/Belgium), an exciting comedy which features a domestic cat who gets lost during a vacation and must find her way back home through the South of Europe with the help of the most despicable creatures a cat can imagine: a comical dog and an old, wise bird. Written by Maureen Versprille.
NEW LIVE-ACTION FEATURE FILMS to be presented include:
Gregory Alan Williams’ Paw Paw & Dayja (USA), a delightfully entertaining film that follows the adventures of a Bigfoot obsessed ten-year-old who, with the help of her grandfather, learns that each of us see the world a little differently but everyone’s view has value.
Neven Hitrec’s The Second Diary of Paulina P. (Croatia/Serbia/Slovenia), an entertaining, yet relatable film that follows a fifth grader who uses her charm and imagination to navigate a strict teacher, her first bully, and the new dynamic with her grandmother who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Written by Ivan Turkovic Krnjak.
Tord Danielsson’s The Crown Prince and the Return of the Tyrant (Sweden), a stunning fantasy film that follows a young Crown Prince who will soon become king, just as he has always dreamed, when his suspicious grandmother returns to the kingdom.
TWENTY-TWO SHORT FILM PRESENTATIONS featuring animated and live-action short films from around the world including works from Belgium, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Poland, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Serbia, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States (including two films made by Texans).
Schedule, Ticket & Location Information:
The full schedule of KidFilm programs may be viewed online via the USA Film Festival’s website at www.usafilmfestival.com.
Tickets for all shows are FREE for children & adults!
Programs are Free but you must have a ticket for admission; Tickets and seating are limited.
ADVANCE TICKETS for most programs will be available online now through January 14th:
DAY-OF-SHOW TICKETS – (Based on availability) Any unreserved tickets will be made available at the Angelika Theater on DAY OF SHOW ONLY. Theater BOX OFFICE OPENS at 11am on Saturday & Noon on Sunday.
Sponsor Support
Support for all KidFilm programs is made possible by the Festival’s Season Sponsors —
Carol and Alan J. Bernon Family Charitable Foundation, Dallas Tourism Public Improvement
District, The Eugene McDermott Foundation, Sidley Austin LLP, Headington Companies,
Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate, Gaedeke Group, Mary Fox & Laura Fox,
Moody Fund for the Arts, Dallas Film Commission, Angelika Film Center Dallas,
Wildworks PR, DFW Child and Spracklen Film and Video.
The USA Film Festival is supported, in part, by the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture,
the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
About KidFilm DISD Outreach Programs
In addition to the KidFilm public weekend, special outreach programs are presented for thousands of Dallas Independent School District students (grades K–8) and educators. Students will view programs selected especially for them. Many of the films presented are book-based and designed to be TEKScompliant and curriculum-interactive including relevant topics and issues (cultural awareness and diversity, compassion and tolerance, history, math, social studies, the importance of education and reading, etc.).
