After the votes were tallied, the short film Buzz from the U.K. was awarded the coveted “Best of the Fest” at the 9th Annual International Children’s Film Festival, held at the Northbrook Public Library on Saturday, November 15. Buzz follows a futuristic space farmer and an inquisitive robotic bee who together create a new ecosystem by rescuing mushrooms from the farm’s trash.
We congratulate directors Andrew Brand and Bryn Chainey, along with producer Al Clark, on their win.
Before casting their votes, the children and families in attendance enjoyed 11 short films from seven countries, which celebrated friendship, courage, and imagination across cultures.
- "I liked it because it was funny and cute and told a story with science."
- "The robots were cool. I want a flying robot like Buzz."
- "The farm was on a different planet but there was no air until the mushrooms made it ok to breathe."
- "The boss was always yelling but the farm lady was nice and the bee robot was really smart."
- "Even though Buzz wasn’t doing what the lady wanted, he was doing something good."
The short film, "It's Mine!" was a close second to "Buzz" in terms of audience votes.
The International Children's Film Festival was co-hosted by the Chicago-based International Children’s Media Center.



