Following the lead of its big sister the Toronto International Film Festival, the ninth installment of the kid-aimed Sprockets festival is planning an informal market for its foreign guests.

The fest, unspooling April 21-30 in Toronto, is known mainly as a public attraction, but has ‘buyers and programmers attending in increasing numbers,’ says festival director Jane Schoettle.

Schoettle says foreign buyers and programmers will be encouraged to cherry-pick from the festival’s 122-film lineup and to meet colleagues informally to do business.

‘[Buyers] can come and sit in the audience with the kids and see how they respond [to the films],’ she says, and will also be on hand to ensure possible breakout hits don’t get away from them.

Film buyers anticipated this year include: Michael Carrington, head of animation and program acquisition at the Children’s BBC; Terry Kalagian, VP of acquisitions and coproductions at the Cartoon Network; Ken Katsumoto, EVP of family home entertainment at Lionsgate Entertainment; and Brad Pelman, the Toronto-based copresident of Maple Pictures.

They will also participate in Sprockets’ first-ever industry event, Next Generation Now on April 24, focusing on multi-platform content and delivery for kids films.

Sprockets didn’t disclose the names of other buyers attending, but noted that invitations had gone out to local players, along with those from the U.S., the U.K., Germany and Norway.

In all, 35 features and 87 shorts from 29 countries will screen at Sprockets.

Charles Sturridge’s Lassie, the latest version of the classic canine drama, starring Peter O’Toole and Samantha Morton, will open the festival, while the world premiere of Peter Moss’ Booky Makes Her Mark, a Depression-era drama from the noted kids TV programmer, will close.

Also screening at Sprockets are special presentations of the Laurence Fishburne drama Akeelah and the Bee, from U.S. director Doug Atchison; the documentary Emmanuel’s Gift, directed by Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern and narrated by Oprah Winfrey; and a sneak preview of DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming Over the Hedge, an animated feature about furry animals voiced by Bruce Willis, Gary Shandling, Avril Lavigne and Eugene Levy.

Other films bound for Sprockets include the domestic production Hope for the Future, from directors Teresa MacInnes and Kent Nason; The Education of Shelby Knox, by Rose Rosenblatt and Marion Lipschutz; Lalita Krishna’s Move Your World; Josef Fares’ Zozo; and Satoshi Dezaki’s animated film Re-Birthday.

www.bell.ca/sprockets