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Thanks for another great Fest!

Click here for a complete list of award-winners, or explore all 2025 films below.

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Kensuke’s Kingdom

Neil Boyle & Kirk Hendry

feature film

A gorgeously animated adaptation of the beloved, Robinson Crusoe-style chapter book about loss and friendship.

France
Luxembourg
United Kingdom
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Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window

Shinnosuke Yakuwa

feature film

Based on the beloved memoir—now required reading in many Japanese elementary schools—Totto-chan is the powerful story of an imaginative girl learning to be herself even as the world around her changes.

Japan
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A Boat in the Garden

Jean-François Laguionie

feature film

1940s France, near the Marne river. François is as bit adrift until he and his father embark on a project: to build a replica of a legendary navigator’s boat together. Another lyrical tale from the great Jean-François Laguionie (NYICFF 2017, 2012).

France
Luxembourg
An animated Frida Kahlo as a child running through a dream world with orange flowers

Hola, Frida

André Kadi & Karine Vézina

feature film

March 15 screening will be in English and is recommended for ages 6+. This is the story of a girl who is different. Her world is Coyoacán, in Mexico City. Sparkling and vibrant, everything fascinates her. Say hola to Frida Kahlo.

Canada
France
members of a girls' high school basketball team huddle on the court

Home Court

Erica Tanamachi

feature film

This 2025 answer to Hoop Dreams follows a first-gen high school basketball phenom on her quest for college superstardom.

Cambodia
United States
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Savages

Claude Barras

feature film

From the Oscar-nominated director of NYICFF 2017’s My Life as a Zucchini comes a gorgeously animated tale of family, nature, and understanding where we come from.

Belgium
France
Switzerland
Two animated puppets from a stop-motion film sit at a school desk smiling slightly

Living Large

Kristina Dufková

feature film

Ben is charming, funny, and in a seriously cool rock band with his friends. But growing up is hard, and one little problem turns out to be bigger than he bargained for.

Czech Republic
France
Slovakia
a boy with down syndrome looks forward while a young woman standing beside him looks his way

Jippie No More!

Margien Rogaar

feature film

Jippie’s sister is getting married, and the whole family is helping with the celebration. The good dishes are out, decorations are set, and Jippie is preparing for the performance of a lifetime. But when he falls in love for the first time, his attention is no longer on his big gig.

Netherlands
a young boy aims a paper airplane while a man writing on a large chalkboard behind him

¡Salta!

Olga Osorio

feature film

Come for the killer ‘80s soundtrack and gorgeous Spanish seaside vistas. Stay for the wormholes and a brotherly love that spans decades (the 1940s, 1980s, and 2020s, to be exact—just not always in that order).

Spain
A young girl in a yellow raincoat stares in awe while a small creature sits on her shoulder

The Legend of Ochi

Isaiah Saxton

feature film

See it before it hits theaters! In a remote northern village, Yuri is raised to never go outside and to fear the reclusive forest creatures known as the ochi. When a baby ochi is left behind by its pack, she embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to reunite it with its family.

United States
Moomins characters Little My and Moominpappa walk across a snowy backdrop

Moominvalley

Nigel Davies

feature film

Just in time to celebrate their 80th anniversary (and they don’t look a day over…however old they’re supposed to be!), our Moominfriends return for more all-new adventures.

Finland
United Kingdom
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Winners

Soleen Yusef

feature film

After leaving Syria for Berlin, Mona is struggling to find her footing. School is chaotic. Her mean-girl classmates all hail from other countries, and she barely knows any German. What she does know is soccer, but it’s going to take a lot more than skills to bring the team together.

Germany
Paper cut-out illustration of a blonde girl with a helmet on running down city streets

Maya, Give Me a Title

Michel Gondry

feature film

Because Maya and her dad live in separate countries, they keep in touch via nightly calls, creating stories in which she is the star. Because Maya’s dad is renowned filmmaker Michel Gondry, we get these stories in all their inventive, stop-motion glory.

France
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Underground

Yiannis Christoforou

short film

The last shovelful plunges the shot into darkness.

Greece
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Nube

Diego Alonso Sánchez de la Barquera Estrada & Christian Arredondo Narvaez

short film

A puffy white cloud realizes that her daughter, a dark stormy cloud, is in danger of raining prematurely.

France
Hungary
Mexico
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Have I Swallowed Your Dreams?

Clara Chan

short film

A poetic conversation between an immigrant daughter and her mother about sacrifices and dreams.

Canada
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The Constructor

Scott Morris

short film

Elizabeth, an impossibly precocious seven year old Lego constructor, struggles with “imagination blur” as her three year old sister attempts to free her from her rigid thinking.

United States
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Dragfox

Lisa Ott

short film

Sam’s search for identity gets interrupted by a mysterious neighborhood fox.

United Kingdom
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Cartagène

Multiple directors

short film

Paul relives the memories of his childhood spent with his grandfather.

France
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Just One

Yeajoon Cho

short film

Struggling musician Amaru meets mischievous ball of energy Shai while performing at his local community center. When Shai’s parents don’t pick him up, Amaru is tasked with taking him home. If only Shai remembered where he lives.

United States
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Scrap Fabric

Jake Munoz

short film

Fearing disapproval, a teenage trans girl secretly sews a prom dress from her mother’s scrap fabric.

Philippines
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Just Little Imps

High School Students from Escola Básica Maria Pais Ribeiro A Ribeirinha, Leonor Pacheco, & Dimitri Mihajlovic

short film

A little girl struggles to fall asleep. Every time she closes her eyes, small impish creatures appear from the darkness.

Portugal
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Splish, Splash, Splosh!

Lily Ward

short film

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass—it’s about learning to dance in the rain!

United Kingdom
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Impossible Maladies

Stefano Tambellini & Alice Tambellini

short film

Traveling by cart, Doctor Rabarbaro and his assistant Tosse travel from house to house to cure absurd illnesses with their ingenious remedies.

Italy
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Amplified

Dina Nasser

short film

When Karate star Hind has her world distorted, she sways between tenderness and pain, silence and noise, the hidden and the manifest.

Jordan
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The Final Day

Sofía Arbaiza Martínez

short film

Yadira, a creative young Cuban girl, struggles packing on her final day home. Her suitcase feels too small to carry everything her heart holds.

United States
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Bug

Ali Masoumi

short film

Parents’ actions impact the lives of children.

Iran
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The Refusers

Wiep Teeuwisse

short film

A mattress laments. An old paper dances.

Netherlands
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Fish Thunder

Teo Nalani

short film

A boy who wants to be as loud as thunder faces a storm, looking to contest the sky. His guardian angel fish looks over him.

United States
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Dancing in the Rain

Chao-chun Yeh

short film

As the rain starts and a little girl falls asleep, her dream adventure begins.

Japan
Taiwan
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Le Charade

Erika Totoro

short film

After his final performance, a lonely mime faces a psychotic episode when his imaginary best friend breaks up with him.

United States
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My Very Own Footballer

Cheyenne Canaud-Wallays

short film

Sylvie and Karim have given it a lot of thought. They’re buying a football player.

France
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Jeremy, Where are the Lifejackets?

Ryan Corniel, Joel Veitch, & Nathaniel Tapley

short film

United Kingdom
United States
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América

Javier Arias-Stella

short film

América, a 10-year-old girl from a remote Andean village, dreams of buying a bicycle so she’ll never be late to class again.

Peru
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Konigiri-Kun: Connected?

Mari Miyazawa

short film

The curious rice-ball is back, this time following a thread he can’t resist pulling…

Japan
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The Interpreter

Dahiana Candelo

short film

Nine-year-old Tatiana is fine with her role as an interpreter for Mami. She can even use it to her advantage….

Netherlands
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Once Upon a Time in Dragonville

Marika Herz

short film

A dragon visits Humanville and develops a taste for friendship.

France
Switzerland
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Tremolo

Leondard Mink

short film

A deaf boy and his father must find common language after a long time apart.

Germany
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Aquí

Anabella Gonzalez

short film

A girl in distress starts to physically unravel.

United States
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The Smooth-Brained Lummox

Ryan Corniel, Joel Veitch, & Nathaniel Tapley

short film

United Kingdom
United States
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Memory Lane

Seogene Lee

short film

A look at families with loved ones suffering from dementia.

United States
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Gugusse

François Posson

short film

Gugusse is stuck in traffic.

France
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Quota

Job, Joris, & Marieke

short film

When every global citizen is required to have their CO2 emissions tracked, it makes little impact…that is, until they discover the consequences of reaching their designated quota.

Netherlands
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Mole, Mole!

Rui-Rung Su

short film

The mole must overcome his fear of sunlight to explore the vast, beautiful world.

Taiwan
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Animanimusical

Julia Ocker

short film

The Animanimals want to do a big musical performance, but somebody’s got the wrong notes.

Germany
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A Night at the Rest Area

Saki Muramoto

short film

At a midnight highway rest area, weary travelers quietly relax their minds.

Japan
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Fish River Anthology

Veera Lamminpää

short film

The supermarket is about to close as the last customers are waiting their turn at the fish counter

Finland
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Mojappi It’s Mine

Nijitaro

short film

Mojappi, a trio of naughty kids who live in the forest, will do anything to get those pancakes.

Japan
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Sparrows

Rémi Durin

short film

A young monk, distracted by a sparrow, goes on the journey of his lifetime.

Belgium
France
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The Night Tunnel

Annechien Strouven

short film

Two kids from opposite sides of the world dig to the North Pole and find a magical way home.

Belgium
France
Netherlands
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A Small Garden by the Window

Jonghoon Lee

short film

Early Morning. Architect picks ripe cherry tomatoes from a small garden by the window to pack a lunchbox for work.

Korea
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Weeds

Pola Razak

short film

A gardener tends a field overgrown with weeds. What begins as an innocent encounter turns into a fight for survival and an attempt to preserve the world at any cost.

Czech Republic
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Dolores

Cecilia Andalón Delgadillo

short film

Dolores, a 7-year-old girl who just wants to play, runs away from a fire demon and accidentally falls into a grave.

Mexico
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The Strange Case of the Human Cannonball

Roberto Valencia

short film

One morning, a mysterious man is found lying in the village square. No one knows who he is, nor where he came from.

Ecuador
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Pasos Para Volar

Nicolás Conte & Rosario Carlino

short film

Locked in a room with a skylight, Pájaro teaches Pajarito how to fly, even though he doesn’t have wings.

Argentina
France
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The Little Ancestor

Alexa Tremblay-Francoeur

short film

On a windswept hill, in a place still young and devoid of all life, a house builds itself.

Canada
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Reni’s Worlds

Claudia Ruiz

short film

On the first day of school, Renato finds a book about origami, a friend, and one big adventure.

Argentina
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Escape the Kitchen!

Isabelle Weiser

short film

A pumpkin desperately tries to escape being baked into a pie.

United States
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Tiddler

Andy Martin & Alex Bain

short film

Tiddler is a little fish with a big imagination.

United Kingdom
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Warrior Heart

Marianne Ulrichsen

short film

12-year-old Vilja loves wrestling but is terrified of getting hurt. To make matters worse, Thea is the star of the wrestling club.

Norway
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Have You Eaten?

Pavida Changkaew & Brina Huynh

short film

A workaholic college student named KaiToon who is overwhelmed with her thesis. Her day consists of eating ramen and chips until she has to cook for herself.

Thailand
United States
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Gottleflob’s Wobblebottom

Ryan Corniel, Joel Veitch, & Nathaniel Tapley

short film

The Gleeful Beasts are a motley bunch of incompetent but lovable characters. Journey with us into their wonderful world (keep your eyes peeled for these delightful monsters sprinkled throughout all of NYICFF’s short film programs).

United Kingdom
United States
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Frost Giant

Ryan Corniel, Joel Veitch, & Nathaniel Tapley

short film

United Kingdom
United States
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The Human Fossil

Rebecca Huang

short film

How will we look back on our present when it becomes history? What will be left of humanity? And how do we want to be remembered?

Canada
United States
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Whenever the Flood Arrives

Antonio Lomas Domingo

short film

A mockumentary explores the lives of four sisters hatched from bird eggs who live completely isolated from civilization in what seems like an idyllic environment.

Spain
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Corn of Wheat

Piper Bau

short film

Nainai summons a demon to resurrect her dead grandson in exchange for a series of tributes and her life.

United States
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Hadu

Damilola Solesi

short film

An eager young girl embarks on a culinary journey to recreate her grandma’s special recipe.

Nigeria
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A Guest From Elsewhere

Ethan Anderson

short film

After an unfortunate mishap, the monster’s hopes of being one with the humans is put on trial.

United States
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The Wild-Tempered Clavier

Anna Sammo

short film

An artist insists on playing despite the world’s disasters.

Germany
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Student Accomplice

Spencer Baird

short film

Letty must learn to face her fears behind the wheel after her driving test is hijacked by an opportunistic bank robber looking for a quick getaway.

United States
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Supa Hair

Glenís Hunter

short film

Luna has neglected her hair every since her mother died. When she attempts to tame it with an old comb, she activates its lost magic power.

United States
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Go My Way

Chelo Loureiro

short film

All the advice Elisa receives to make Martin fall in love with her is to change not only her appearance, but also who she really is.

Spain
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Burul

Adilet Karzhoev

short film

Burul loves wrestling, but the coach won’t let her train at the boys’ gym, so she trains at home. She also gets unwanted attention from a neighborhood boy who wants to marry her.

Kyrgyzstan
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Swimming with Butterflies

Karl Stetler

short film

After missing bronze by 1/100th of a second at the 2016 Paralympic games, Austin-based swimmer Lizzi Smith shares what’s bringing her back to the pool—and bringing hope to the next generation.

United States
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Capybaras

Alfredo Soderguit

short film

It’s hunting season. Seeking refuge, a family of capybaras and a group of hens form a union that leads to unexpected consequences.

Chile
France
Uruguay
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Nana Carmen

Kaila Gutierrez

short film

United States
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Awaiting the Lightning Bolt

Marco Russo

short film

An eccentric Renaissance inventor dares the impossible: capturing a lightning in a jar.

Italy
United Kingdom
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Yuri’s Way of Enjoying Life

Di Florentino

short film

Yuri’s parents came from the Democratic Republic of Congo and are very proud of their roots. He celebrates his culture by performing “La Sape.”

Brazil
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Hello Summer

Martin Smatana & Veronika Zacharová

short film

Sea, sun, beaches. Sounds great. But what if your room has a naughty view, dinner is strange, and your luggage travels somewhere else without you?

Czech Republic
France
Slovakia
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The Girl with the Occupied Eyes

André Carrilho

short film

Over hill and dale (and beach, and space), only one thing can capture her attention.

Portugal
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My Fairy Godmother

Bea de Silva

short film

Just when it seems she’s going to spend her birthday on her own, someone very special tries to cheer Marta up: her Fairy Godmother.

Spain
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Bat Boy

Aaron Lemle

short film

One day, when his beloved bats go missing, Andre enlists the help of a jaded biologist to find out what happened.

United States
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The Drifting Guitar

Sophie Roze

short film

A tie-selling weasel roams the countryside and decides to take a chance in the forest thanks to the unconditional help of a hedgehog.

France
Switzerland
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Long Journey

Héctor Herce

short film

If Nico wants his gift, he will have to climb his grandmother’s highest sideboard, fight a duel of loaves of bread, and face his biggest challenge yet.

Spain
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Ronny: A Crocumentary

Abbey Collings

short film

A frog documents Ronny, a friendly crocodile who just wants a hug.

Canada
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The Silk-Winged Snart

Ryan Corniel, Joel Veitch, & Nathaniel Tapley

short film

The Gleeful Beasts are a motley bunch of incompetent but lovable characters. Journey with us into their wonderful world (keep your eyes peeled for these delightful monsters sprinkled throughout all of NYICFF’s short film programs).

United Kingdom
United States
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The Wind in Your Hair

Ryan Corniel, Joel Veitch, & Nathaniel Tapley

short film

The Gleeful Beasts are a motley bunch of incompetent but lovable characters. Journey with us into their wonderful world (keep your eyes peeled for these delightful monsters sprinkled throughout all of NYICFF’s short film programs).

United Kingdom
United States
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Hairy Scary

Ryan Corniel, Joel Veitch, & Nathaniel Tapley

short film

The Gleeful Beasts are a motley bunch of incompetent but lovable characters. Journey with us into their wonderful world (keep your eyes peeled for these delightful monsters sprinkled throughout all of NYICFF’s short film programs).

United Kingdom
United States
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Roger is Awake

Ryan Corniel, Joel Veitch, & Nathaniel Tapley

short film

The Gleeful Beasts are a motley bunch of incompetent but lovable characters. Journey with us into their wonderful world (keep your eyes peeled for these delightful monsters sprinkled throughout all of NYICFF’s short film programs).

United Kingdom
United States
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The Haunting Call of a Majestic Beast (Steven)

Ryan Corniel, Joel Veitch, & Nathaniel Tapley

short film

The Gleeful Beasts are a motley bunch of incompetent but lovable characters. Journey with us into their wonderful world (keep your eyes peeled for these delightful monsters sprinkled throughout all of NYICFF’s short film programs).

United Kingdom
United States
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A Captured Loose-Leaf Steven

Ryan Corniel, Joel Veitch, & Nathaniel Tapley

short film

The Gleeful Beasts are a motley bunch of incompetent but lovable characters. Journey with us into their wonderful world (keep your eyes peeled for these delightful monsters sprinkled throughout all of NYICFF’s short film programs).

United Kingdom
United States
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FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 16

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Our Programs

Don't let the word "Festival" fool you: we've got something for everyone all year long.
  • The Annual Film Festival
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Annual Festival

Three weekends. Hundreds of films. Endless possibilities.
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FilmEd Field Trips

The movie theater is the classroom. Field Trips engage students in thoughtful conversation on topics like identity and belonging while strengthening media and traditional literacy skills through film.

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Kid Flicks Tour

The best films from our NYC Festival, now at a theater (or museum, library, or cultural organization) near you!

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Special Preview Series

From exclusive premieres to artist Q&As, our special programs and events keep the excitement going all year long.

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Championing Diversity in Film

Our mission is to create and foster a more diverse and intelligent film culture for children. Our programs are designed to celebrate unique, historically excluded voices and inspired storytelling.
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Annual Festival

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Complete list of Festival films

Whether you're looking for creatures from the wild, sports stars, charming tween rock stars, or something a little different, we've got you covered.
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