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Sprockets, the Toronto International Film Festival Group's annual celebration of films for children, marked its 10th anniversary this year. But the organization's family-friendly programming doesn't begin and end with the highly popular April festival. In the past few years, Sprockets has grown into a year-around thing - or a school-year-around thing, to be more specific. Last month, TIFF featured an expanded Sprockets Family Zone program and this weekend the Sprockets Globetrotter series returns for its fourth season.

Globetrotter was initiated to satisfy the demand by TIFF patrons for more family programming. It also solves an annual problem for Sprockets director Jane Schoettle - having to turn down fine family fare because the festival simply didn't have enough slots.

Films are shown in their original language, with both subtitles and an experienced reader providing English translation - a wonderfully accessible way to develop future international film audiences.

This Sunday, Globetrotter launches with Unna and Nuuk, an exciting and beautiful photographed time-travel tale from Finland. Eleven-year-old Unna's grandfather, in hospital after a heart attack, tells her she has shaman blood and must go to his attic and look for a book and a drum. With these instructions, Unna discovers that the book contains pictures of healing plants and the drum opens a portal to travel to the Stone Age.

In the dense forest, she is befriended by Nuuk, the young son of a tribal leader. The kids are captured by a rival tribe (whose members look and behave like watered-down versions of the nasties in Mad Max), but they manage to escape and return to Nuuk's home, where the river has suddenly run dry.

Unna enjoys learning about her ancestors' way of life, but she must find a rare plant that might heal her grandfather. In helping Unna, Nuuk also discovers the reason behind the recent scarcity of water - the rival tribe has built a dam up the river. The film ultimately links these distant worlds by showing how both Unna and Nuuk learn the importance of taking risks in order to follow one's own path.

The Globetrotter lineup

Oct. 7 Unna and Nuuk

(Finland, 83 min.)

Nov. 4 Nin x Nin: The Ninja Star Hattori (Japan, 102 min.)

Dec. 2 Karo (Austria, 90 min.)

Jan. 6 The Magic Tree

(Poland, 80 min.)

Feb. 3 Viva Cuba

(Cuba/France, 80 min.)

Mar. 2 Sprockets Sneak Peak (TBA)

All screenings take place at 12:30 p.m. in the Cineplex Odeon Sheppard Grande (4861 Yonge St.). For ticket info, call 416-968-FILM or visit http://www.sprockets.ca.