Stories and images from around the globe in the form of eight international live action and animated short films will light up Vashon Theatre’s silver screen from noon to 2:15 p.m. Saturday.

The annual Vashon Family Film Festival is a collaboration between the Vashon Film Society and film curator Liz Shepherd of Northwest Film Forum. Together they create a “best of fest” program for Vashon, selecting shorts from Shepherd’s prestigious week-long Children’s Film Festival Seattle.

The films typically hail from Europe, Asia and the U.S. But this year, one movie connects the global with the local. Vashon youth Jordi Marquez Twisdale stars in the live action film “While You Weren’t Looking” by Seattle filmmaker Jeremy Mackie, and he will be present on Saturday to answer questions from the audience.

For Shepherd, the films are playful but pack an important punch for children.

“The live action films take kids on a celluloid carpet ride around the globe with stories about kids’ lives in Germany, Indonesia, India, New Zealand and the U.S.,” Shepherd said. “Before kids can change the world, they have to see the world. This program is meant as a fun way to open their eyes.”

As for the animated films, Shepherd said they are sweet, colorful and definitely not available on Netflix.

“The animation alone is delightful and looks very different from your typical computer-generated fare that has taken over mainstream media for kids in the U.S. And the stories are very surprising and magical, too.”

There will be two hour-long showings, one for the live action films and one for animation, beginning at noon. Families can watch a single program or stay for both. The films are appropriate for ages 7 and up. A few shorts depict scenes with some emotional difficulty but with happy endings, and two films have subtitles.

Tickets to either the animation or live action program are $7. Tickets for both programs are $10 and include a brief intermission.

The film shorts chosen for The Vashon Family Film Festival include:

Twins in Bakery (Mari Miyazawa, Japan, 5 min). Step inside an adorable bakery shop and see what happens after the baker heads home.

Edible Rocks (Stefan Gruber, U.S., 2:49 min). Find out what happens when a boy convinces his little brother that some rocks are tasty. Winner of CFFS Children’s Jury’s Northwest Prize.

The Whale Story (Tess Martin, U.S., 3:46 min). Meet a fisherman who experiences a deep moment of connection with a humpback whale.

The Goat Herder and His Lots and Lots and Lots of Goats (Will Rose, U.K., 7 min). Follow a herder in Spain as he travels up and down mountains with a big herd of goats.

My Strange Grandfather (Dina Velikovskay, Russia, 8:40 min). Join the journey of a little girl who learns to appreciate her eccentric, magical grandfather.

Hannah and the Moon (Kate Charter, U.K., 6 min) Make friends with the moon, and then find your way back home to the arms of someone who really loves you.

Noodle Fish (Jinman Kim, Korea, 9:46 min). Take a swim with a fish who longs to know what is above the water.

Rabbit and Deer (Péter Vácz, Hungary, 16 min). Two unlikely companions find out what it takes to make their friendship last when faced with the travails of adventure. Winner of three prizes: Most Popular Film of the Festival, Seattle Children’s Hospital Jury Prize for Best Animated Film and Festival Children’s Jury Prize for Best Animated Short.

To watch the film trailers, visit www.vashonfilmsociety.org. For more information, including details on group rates, call 567-4768.