Runt (2024 Melbourne International Film Festival) ★★★½

THERE’S a concept in film reviewing known as the ‘Festival bump’.

It means you are influenced to rate a film a little higher than you may have normally due to the special nature of watching at a festival.

I don’t think that’s the case with the Australian film Runt which does have all the credentials to be another family favourite like Babe.

It’s funny, heart-warming, full of engaging characters and has cute kids and a dog as its heroes.

Runt is a stray befriended by 11-year-old Annie Shearer who lives with her parents and brother on a farm near the country town of Upson Downs.

The area is in drought and they are at increasing risk of losing the family farm to the bank or a conniving neighbour.

At a local show Annie realises you can win money in a dog agility competition.

But there’s only one problem – Runt doesn’t like people looking at him.

Annie gets around this for the first competition which they win, much to the annoyance of another flamboyant dog handler who becomes the main villain of the story which culminates in London at the international Krumpets Dog Show.

As if a cute girl and her dog up against a dastardly villain in a life-changing competition isn’t enough, there’s a plethora of other entertaining characters within the smaller threads of the overall story.

Jai Courtney is Annie’s dad, hiding a secret hobby; Celeste Barber is her mum and baker of the town’s worst pies, Deborah Mailman is a former, reclusive dog trainer; and, best of all is Matt Day as villain Fergus Fink.

The snappy script is an adaptation by author Craig Silvey of his own bestselling novel and director John Sheedy brings great pacing and energy to the presentation packed into a perfect running time of 90 minutes.

Runt is a winner.

Watched at the cinema.