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Queen Marlene’s Toy Museum Connects With Audiences Across the Globe


The Toy Museum of NY is bringing award-winning educational content across platforms, as it expands beyond brick-and-mortar experiences

Published on May 17, 2021

The Toy Museum of NY has found a new stage for its award-winning programming: film festivals. Through Queen Marlene’s Toy Museum and Friends Traffic Safety, the Museum is bringing the wonders of the world of museums to young audiences everywhere.

The award-winning film about traffic safety features an antique miniature toy fort as the Queen’s castle, circa 1930s by Moritz Gottschalk, and is a new twist on the Museum’s live theater shows, which were written and produced by Marlene Hochman, the Museum’s founder.

Proving the film’s universal appeal, this spring, it will be screened for children across the globe, beginning at the Moscow International Children’s Film Festival, followed by the 2021 Kids Film Fest, as part of the 2021 Brooklyn Film Festival. The film will be screened in Moscow from May 12 -16, and will feature subtitles. The film will run from June 4 -13 via the Brooklyn Film Festival’s website.

This season, the film has been accepted into 11 festivals worldwide, including: The Toronto Independent Film Awards, Florence Film Awards, Best Shorts Competition, New York Cinematography AWARDS, KIDS FIRST! Film Festival, Bridge Fest, Gold Star Movie Awards and Golden State Film Festival.

“If we can teach children important lessons through the magic of film, we’ve continued to accomplish our mission of educating the public about dolls and toys through art, history and play,” says Hochman. “While the passion for our work remains as strong as ever, the past year has reminded our team of the importance of adapting, adjusting and pivoting in new, exciting directions — and platforms.”

Staff Writer