Sprockets - the local film festival devoted to kids - kicked off yesterday at the TIFF Bell Lightbox with a quality slate of titles geared to elementary- and high-school-aged viewers.

And on Friday (April 8) it features the world premiere of Hawaiian Vacation, a 3-D Toy Story ‘toon in which Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang give Ken and Barbie the Hawaiian vacation of their dreams - even though it has to be in a girl’s bedroom in the Midwest in the middle of winter.

As part of the Sprockets opening night program, audiences will also witness a sneak peek at the upcoming Disney Pixar release, Cars 2. Sprockets attendees will learn how the magic is made during a special behind-the-scenes presentation by a Pixar animator who worked on both Hawaiian Vacation and Cars 2.

Described as “an initiative that offers children and youth the opportunity to learn about cultural perspectives from around the world through the power of the moving image,” Sprockets actually looks a lot more interesting than that blurb might suggest. Check out the trailer below.

Sprockets offers a selection of features and shorts from Canada and beyond dealing with diverse subjects in a variety of genres and styles. It provides a rare opportunity to watch films that kids around the world are lining up to see and that in many cases may not be available again in Toronto.

In other words, it gives parents, aunts and uncles a chance to be the wicked-cool arbiters of pop culture that we all dream of and that kids secretly hope we possess.

The fest runs until April 17; click here for the full schedule and ticket information.