Black Boy Joy
Age Range: 12
Ice Breakers
Josh, a gifted African-Canadian hockey player in an overwhelmingly white sport, hones his skills and discovers a remarkable, buried heritage of Black athletes who helped pioneer the sport.
Joy Run
Reimagining athletics as an inclusive space for all, this colorful and lively short doc revels in the joyful connections we make to ourselves and others every day.
The Name of the Son
Like many teens, 13-year-old Lucho is uncomfortable with himself and distanced from those around him. Yet when he vacations with his father and sister, he discovers a new understanding.
Kapaemahu
This Oscar® shortlisted film uncovers the healing power of the past when the long-hidden histories of four stones and the legendary spirits in them are revealed.
Girls’ POV
The intrepid and insightful girls of this 2021 slate aren’t afraid of exploration, be it through the sometimes rough waters of friendship, the challenges of climate, or through artistic experimentation. The girls in Under the Skin hold their breath training for a synchronized swimming meet while navigating the twists and turns of competitive friendships. Father and daughter bond over their indigenous roots and art in OTANIMM/ONNIMM, a lovely and loving film with a range of inventive animation and photographic techniques.
Presented with support from
Presented with support from
Short Films Two
With shorts for ages 8+, Short Films Two features deeper themes and multilingual films with English subtitles. Stop motion equals nonstop action in Wild Lea, as a feral Colombian cat goes from lonely to loved, but can she learn to settle down with her new makeshift family? And when Parisian Vanille is forced to spend the summer with her auntie in Guadeloupe, she just may realize that big city ways are not nearly as spirited as she discovers her Carribean roots and uncovers a big mystery. In the doc Dear Future Me, 6th graders wrote letters to their future selves; fast-forward to 2020 when the now 12th graders re-read them with alternately surprising, bittersweet, and hilarious results.
OTANIMM/ONNIMM
Father and daughter bond over art and their indigenous family roots in this lovely and loving story, crafted with a range of inventive animation and photographic techniques.
Sol
A resilient mother races to teach her daughter all that she knows to weather the effects of climate change.
Under the Skin
A team of swimmers hold their breath training for a synchronized swimming meet while navigating the twists and turns of competitive friendships.
Cats vs. Progress
If you haven’t gotten your fill of creepy felines, follow along for a cliffhanger and see who wins the dark battle of the ages.
The Scream
Kids and kittens can join in on some Hitchcock-style suspense in this caterwauling, darkly humorous peeping tomcat tale.
A Night in Camp Heebie Jeebie
Find what all the frightful fun is about when five girls realize the ghost stories they trade around a campfire may make them jump in more ways than one.
Dear Future Me
In 2014, 6th graders wrote letters to their future selves. Fast-forward to 2020 when the now-12th graders re-read them with alternately surprising, bittersweet, and hilarious results.
Vanille
When Parisian Vanille is forced to spend the summer with her auntie in Guadeloupe, she discovers her Carribean roots and uncovers a big mystery
Wild Lea
Stop motion equals nonstop action as a feral Colombian cat goes from lonely to loved, but can she learn to settle down with her new makeshift family?
Zog and the Flying Doctors
Zog and the Flying Doctors picks up where Zog left off, as Princess Pearl achieves her dreams of being a doctor. Together with Zog the dragon and Sir Gadabout, the flying trio criss-cross the kingdom giving vaccinations to creatures of all stripes. But Pearl’s uncle, the orange-faced King, is doubtful and disapproving, and ends up sick. Will he learn to trust in Pearl, and science, and rethink what it means to be royal?
Magic Light Celebration
The winner of audience awards at NYICFF year after year, Magic Light Pictures gets a full spotlight this year as we feature their newest film and fulfill our audience’s countless requests for an encore of The Snail and The Whale.
My Dad is a Heel Wrestler
Nine-year-old Shota’s dad was a star top-tier pro wrestler until age and injuries dropped him to the kitschy B-league of wrestling. Shota believes his dad is still number one, until one day he makes the shocking discovery that his father is not a hero wrestler but Cockroach, the “heel”, or villain, everyone loves to hate. Can Shota’s father take off his mask and learn that there are more important things than saving face? Can Shota learn that real heroes don’t always don the guise we think? Find out in this heart-warming, body-slamming, smile-inducing tale that lights up the ring.
Presented with support from:
Presented with support from:
The Legend of Hei
With an inky black coat, adorable mewl, and eyes as big as saucers, Xiao Hei is the cutest feline around. But don’t let his good looks fool you, he’s more than just a cat. When he meets up with a motley band of spirits—creatures and human-like beings with superhuman powers—Hei finds that he, too, is a spirit and shapeshifts from cat to kid form. His new friends train and challenge him in the warrior spirit arts, with the pressing goal of saving their beloved forest from developers destroying it in this lushly rendered tale. Evoking Studio Ghibli’s ecological fables, The Legend of Hei is a winsome combination of heart, soul, fantasy, and an extraordinary adventure.
The Fantastic Journey of Margot & Marguerite
Marguerite and Margot have a lot in common: both are 12 years old and missing their fathers. The one big difference? One lives in 1942, the other in 2020. Or at least that’s the case until the discovery of a magical trunk in an attic that sends them traveling through time. Margot and Marguerite have something else in common: their father is no longer there, one vanished during World War II, the other is not living at home. With 70 years apart, they’re embarking in a wild adventure to find their present, explore history and their families’ memories, and not least of all manage the transition to becoming teens!
Presented with support from:
Presented with support from:
Curtain Up!
All energy and opinion, 5th grader William seems excited to burst beyond his constraints, while his classmate Charlotte, a measured thinker, admits that sometimes it’s easier to be scared than happy. But both students adore their theater class and are set to have a transformative final year of elementary school. This award-winning documentary follows a 5th grade class at PS 124 in New York City’s Chinatown as they prepare for a big musical production of “Frozen Kids” and begin to discover their identities. Behind the scenes, nervous excitement and flubbed lines goofiness brushes up against stereotypes, family expectations, and post-graduation uncertainties. Through rehearsing for this American favorite, the young actors grapple with their Asian roots. Will they have to let something go?
Calamity
It’s 1863 and 12-year-old Martha Jane and her family are headed West across the United States in search of a better life. After her father is hurt in a serious accident, she takes charge of her siblings and learns to drive the family wagon. Utterly practical and bold, Martha Jane trades her constricting skirts for the ease of boys’ breeches and never looks back. Her unconventional style and brazenness don’t sit well with the pioneer community, and when the leader of the convoy wrongly accuses her of theft, she must run away to find proof of her innocence. In the Wild, she discovers herself and a world which shapes her into the mythical and mysterious Calamity Jane.
Presented with support from:
Presented with support from:
Buladó
Headstrong Kenza lives with her father Ouira and grandfather Weljo on a beautifully situated plot of land that doubles as a car wrecking yard on the coast of Curaçao. Father and son are opposites: Ouira is a no-nonsense police officer with an eye toward the future, while Weljo finds meaning in the past through the spirituality of his African ancestors and the island’s native inhabitants. Meanwhile, 11-year-old Kenza seeks to find her own place, and identity. Her search takes flight as she gravitates toward the mystical traditions of her grandfather.
Note: This film deals with themes of death and loss
Presented with support from:
Note: This film deals with themes of death and loss
Presented with support from:
The Bears’ Famous Invasion
Based on the Italian book and beautifully animated in warm Meditteranean colors and bold shapes, this feature from Cannes is a whimsical allegory. Our narrators, an old storyteller and his young apprentice, the delightful Almeria, frame this wondrous tale of the great bear king Léonce and his clan. To find his lost son Tonino and food to survive the winter, he leads them down from the mountains and into the world of humans. The bears and humans exist together in peace – for a time.
Sisters: the Summer We Found Our Superpowers
Vega, 9, and her wild sister Billie, 5, are going on an overnight outdoor hike in the lush Norwegian woods. The trip is full of exciting climbs, silly jokes, and happy trekking until Dad pulls one acrobatic stunt too many, falling into a cave and injuring his leg badly. Unable to move, he asks Vega and Billie to get help. Anxiously retracing their steps, they know that everything depends on them now, as Vega tries to keep them focused on the goal despite setbacks, surprises, and Billie’s many distractions. They bravely face their fears, discover their superpowers, and find strength in their sisterhood.
My Dad is a Heel Wrestler
Nine-year-old Shota’s dad was a star top-tier pro wrestler until age and injuries dropped him to the kitschy B-league of wrestling. Shota believes his dad is still number one, until one day he makes the shocking discovery that his father is not a hero wrestler but Cockroach, the “heel”, or villain, everyone loves to hate. Can Shota’s father take off his mask and learn that there are more important things than saving face? Can Shota learn that real heroes don’t always don the guise we think? Find out in this heart-warming, body-slamming, smile-inducing tale that lights up the ring.
The Legend of Hei
With an inky black coat, adorable mewl, and eyes as big as saucers, Xiao Hei is the cutest feline around. But don’t let his good looks fool you, he’s more than just a cat. When he meets up with a motley band of spirit-creatures and human-like beings with superhuman powers, Hei finds that he, too, is a spirit and shapeshifts from cat to kid form. His new friends train and challenge him in the warrior spirit arts, with the pressing goal of saving their beloved forest from developers destroying it in this lushly rendered tale. Evoking Studio Ghibli’s ecological fables, The Legend of Hei is a winsome combination of heart, soul, fantasy, and an extraordinary adventure.
Jackie & Oopjen
Twelve-year-old Jackie has made Amsterdam’s world famous Rijksmuseum her second home since her mother is always busy at her job there. As Jackie wanders the museum after hours, Oopjen Coppit, the woman depicted in Rembrandt’s famous 1634 painting, suddenly steps out of the canvas and into the middle of the gallery. Used to keeping her cool and problem solving, Jackie instantly decides to take Oopjen under her wing and help her search for her missing sister. Oopjen, a woman from the Golden Age, finds the 21st century to be a big adventure while Jackie finally finds a true friend.
The Fantastic Journey of Margot & Marguerite
Marguerite and Margot have a lot in common: both are 12 years old and missing their fathers. The one big difference? One lives in 1942, the other in 2020. Or at least that’s the case until the discovery of a magical trunk in an attic that sends them traveling through time. Margot and Marguerite have something else in common: their father is no longer there, one vanished during World War II, the other is not living at home. With 70 years apart, they’re embarking in a wild adventure to find their present, explore history and their families’ memories, and not least of all manage the transition to becoming teens!