Although it may be hard to believe, there really was a time where even the word "damn" was considered taboo to say on television. Lots has changed over the years: kids programming was deregulated, Tipper Gore went on a one-woman crusade to change the music industry, and half of the cast of "NYPD Blue" showed their butts on camera at one point or another. We've come a long way since violence on TV equated to Wile E. Coyote being clobbered by the antics of the Road Runner, and these changes have brought opportunities for parents to more closely monitor what's being fed to the sponge-like minds of their kids.

Enter the Rochester Children's Film Festival, organized four years ago in an effort to bring multi-cultural, educational film shorts to kids who might otherwise not have the opportunity to be exposed to them. The festival replaces stylized violence and Disney-fied divas with short films steeped in African folklore, scientific play, multi-cultural perspectives and - in what might be the most subliminal way to get kids turned on to good tunes - math set to music by They Might Be Giants. Nine short films from four countries are featured in this year's program, each sharing unique cultural viewpoints and positive social messages with young minds.

This year's festival runs April 15-April 29 at various community centers and other family-friendly venues. At its center is the short film "The Magic of Anansi," featuring the legendary African-West Indies trickster Anansi the Spider. Similar to his mythological brethren Coyote, Hermes, and Loki, Anansi attempts to control outcomes through trickery, yet these tricks tend to backfire, teaching him life lessons. Still, Anansi learns the difference between gaining respect though power or by having good character. You can likely guess which is better.

Eight more live-action and animated films from four countries round out the festival, each with accompanying activities and educational discussion topics. Check out the Rochester Association for the Education of Young Children website (raeyc.org) or the High Falls Film Festival site (highfallsfilmfestival.com) for more details and schedule updates.

Wednesday, April 15: Lyell Avenue Branch Library, 4 p.m. | Tuesday, April 21: Child Care Council in Lakeville, 10 a.m.; Charlotte Branch Library, 2:30 p.m.; Irondequoit Public Library, 3 p.m. | Wednesday, April 22: Dryden Theatre, George Eastman House, 2 p.m.; Lincoln Branch Library, 2 p.m.; Child Care Council, 10 a.m. & 2 p.m. | Thursday, April 23: Child Care Council in Newark, 10 a.m.; Monroe Branch Library, 3 p.m.; Central Library, 10 a.m. | Saturday, April 25: Winton Road Branch Library, 11 a.m. | Wednesday, April 29: Phyllis Wheatley Library, 3:30 p.m.