Latchis Arts’ Movies for Kids series continues in March on Sunday mornings – and one Saturday morning – at 11:30 a.m., at the Latchis Theatre, 50 Main St. Admission is by donation.

The theme is Miyazaki in March, and the focus for the month is on the brilliant animated films of Japanese director, producer, writer and artist Hayao Miyazaki. Over a career that spans more than five decades, Miyazaki has won international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and animator. Film critic Roger Ebert has held Miyazaki up as a maybe the best animated filmmaker of all time.

Miyazaki in March continues on March 11, at 11:30 a.m., with “My Neighbor Totoro,” a film from 1988 which follows two young girls who find that their new country home is in a mystical forest inhabited by creatures called Totoros. This family-oriented film has a powerful ecological theme and is Rated g. It has 94% critics and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes. “As simply as we can put it, My Neighbor Totoro is a masterpiece of children’s animation. There is no one we wouldn’t recommend it to,” wrote Austin Trunick of Under the Radar.

On March 18, Miyazaki in March features “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” a G-rated masterpiece from 1989 about a young witch striking out on her own, who makes her way by delivering the goods of a local baker by broom, until something happens to change her plans. It has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, 88% from audiences. Top Critic Ken Eisner called it “Top-drawer kiddie fare for both fans of the exotic and mainstream family (audiences).”

The series concludes with a special Saturday showing on March 24, at 11:30 a.m., featuring “The Cat Returns,” a film by proteges of Miyazaki’s which shows his influence. This 2002 G-Rated film features a schoolgirl’s adventures with a very unusual feline. “This film has some of Miyazaki’s exquisite timing, pacing and use of space,” wrote Jeffrey Anderson of Combustible Celluloid.

Admission to all Miyazaki in March movies is by donations, with proceeds benefitting the non-profit Latchis Arts. The concession stand will be open. For more information, visit latchisarts.org.