Age Range: 12

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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?
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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.
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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
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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.
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Closing Spotlight: Raya and the Last Dragon

Live Film Screening + Special Event on March 12 at 7pm ET/4pm PT & 10pm ET/ 7pm PT Learn about the research and artistry that went into bringing Disney’s latest animated feature to life! Catch a live screening of Raya and the Last Dragon followed by an exclusive conversation with Raya herself, Kelly Marie Tran, and the filmmakers from Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Raya and the Last Dragon travels to the fantasy world of Kumandra, where humans and dragons lived together long ago in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than a dragon to save the world—it’s going to take trust and teamwork as well. Raya and the Last Dragon will be released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access on March 5, 2021.

Presented in partnership with

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Opening Night: City of Ghosts Q&A

Live Q&A on March 5th at 8pm ET
Please note this event is a Q&A and discussion with screening excerpts from the series.
Watch the first episode of City of Ghosts on Netflix then join us for an exclusive, making-of conversation with showrunner and creator (and NYICFF 2017 award-winner) Elizabeth Ito, and members of the creative team. Go behind the scenes of this innovative new series and ask your questions directly! Inspired by writer/director Elizabeth Ito’s experience growing up as a yonsei—or fourth-generation Japanese American—City of Ghosts is a documentary-style series featuring a charming blend of live-action settings populated by animated characters, many voiced by real residents recounting their own stories. Each episode follows the Ghost Club as they learn about the rich history of the multicultural neighborhoods of LA through encounters with friendly ghosts. City of Ghosts premieres on Netflix on March 5, 2021.

Presented in partnership with
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Opening Spotlight: Nahuel and the Magic Book

Live Director Q&A on March 6th at 7pm ET
Watch the North America premiere before tuning in for a live, interactive Q&A with director Germán Acuña.

Life in Nahuel’s seaside town revolves around the ocean, which makes his fear of water a challenge. What’s worse, he can’t help his fisherman father on his boat. One day, Nahuel finds a magical book, the Levisterio, that seems to offer a solution to this problem. But a dark sorcerer is after the book and captures his father to set a trap. Guided by Fresia, a shaman’s daughter, Nahuel sets out to rescue his father and find courage from within.
films

City of Ghosts

Inspired by writer/director Elizabeth Ito’s experience growing up as a yonsei—or fourth-generation Japanese American—City of Ghosts is a documentary-style series featuring a charming blend of live-action settings populated by animated characters, many voiced by real residents recounting their own stories. Each episode follows the Ghost Club as they learn about the rich history of the multicultural neighborhoods of LA through encounters with friendly ghosts. City of Ghosts premieres on Netflix on March 5.
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Nahuel and the Magic Book

Life in Nahuel’s seaside town revolves around the ocean, which makes his fear of water a challenge. What’s worse, he can’t help his fisherman father on his boat. One day, Nahuel finds a magical book, the Levisterio, that seems to offer a solution to this problem. But a dark sorcerer is after the book and captures his father to set a trap. Guided by Fresia, a shaman’s daughter, Nahuel sets out to rescue his father and find courage from within.
films

Raya and the Last Dragon

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Raya and the Last Dragon travels to the fantasy world of Kumandra, where humans and dragons lived together long ago in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than a dragon to save the world—it’s going to take trust and teamwork as well. Raya and the Last Dragon will be released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access on March 5, 2021.
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Wolfwalkers Q&A

Now available to stream! To watch the Q&A, click here. Join us for a virtual conversation with directors Tomm Moore (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea) and Ross Stewart (The Breadwinner, Paranorman). We’ll discuss the inspiration behind the story, the process of creating hand-drawn animation, and answer your questions!
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Wolfwalkers

In a time of superstition and magic, a young apprentice hunter, Robyn Goodfellowe, journeys to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last wolf pack. While exploring the forbidden lands outside the city walls, Robyn befriends a free-spirited girl, Mebh, a member of a mysterious tribe rumored to have the ability to transform into wolves by night. As they search for Mebh’s missing mother, Robyn uncovers a secret that draws her further into the enchanted world of the Wolfwalkers and risks turning into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.
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The Breadwinner

From executive producer Angelina Jolie and the creators of the Academy Award®-nominated The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea comes the highly-anticipated new feature based on Deborah Ellis’ bestselling novel. Parvana is an 11-year-old girl growing up under the Taliban in Afghanistan. When her father is wrongfully arrested, she cuts off her hair and dresses like a boy in order to support her family. Working alongside her friend Shauzia, she discovers a new world of freedom—and danger. With undaunted courage, Parvana draws strength from the fantastical stories she invents, as she embarks on a quest to find her father and reunite her family. — GKIDS
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The Breadwinner

From executive producer Angelina Jolie and the creators of the Academy Award®-nominated The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea comes the highly-anticipated new feature based on Deborah Ellis’ bestselling novel. Parvana is an 11-year-old girl growing up under the Taliban in Afghanistan. When her father is wrongfully arrested, she cuts off her hair and dresses like a boy in order to support her family. Working alongside her friend Shauzia, she discovers a new world of freedom—and danger. With undaunted courage, Parvana draws strength from the fantastical stories she invents, as she embarks on a quest to find her father and reunite her family. — GKIDS
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Whale Rider: Special 15th Anniversary Screening

We are thrilled to share the 15th Anniversary Screening of Whale Rider with audiences who may have missed its first run. A moving tale of bravery, perseverance, and family, it features one of the fiercest Girls’ POV characters in recent memory. Don’t miss your chance to see this internationally acclaimed, award-winning feature (and its beautiful New Zealand backdrops) on the big screen.
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Jingle Jangle Q&A

Now available online! To watch the Q&A, click here. Writer-Director David E. Talbert and Producer Lyn Sisson-Talbert will join us for a live discussion to chat about the making of this adventurous film, give us a peek behind the scenes, and answer YOUR questions!
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Jingle Jangle

A musical adventure and a visual spectacle for the ages, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is a wholly fresh and spirited family holiday event. Set in the gloriously vibrant town of Cobbleton, the film follows legendary toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker) whose fanciful inventions burst with whimsy and wonder. But when his trusted apprentice (Emmy winner Keegan-Michael Key) steals his most prized creation, it’s up to his equally bright and inventive granddaughter (newcomer Madalen Mills) — and a long-forgotten invention — to heal old wounds and reawaken the magic within. From the imagination of writer-director David E. Talbert and featuring original songs by John Legend, Philip Lawrence, Davy Nathan, and “This Day” performed by Usher and Kiana Ledé, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey reminds us of the strength of family and the power of possibility.
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Coco Advanced Screening

In Disney•Pixar’s dazzling new film Coco, aspiring musician Miguel (voice of Anthony Gonzalez) teams up with charming trickster Héctor (voice of Gael García Bernal) on an extraordinary journey through the Land of the Dead. The all-new original film is directed by Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3), co-directed by Adrian Molina (story artist Monsters University) and produced by Darla K. Anderson (Toy Story 3). Join us for this very special advance screening of Disney•Pixar’s Coco before it opens in theaters on Nov. 22.
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¡Viva Kid Flicks!

¡Viva Kid Flicks! celebrates the best Spanish-language short films from around the globe. These brilliant tales, with a range of kids’ perspectives, speak volumes in any tongue.

Please note this program is held over from the 2020 tour.
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Whale Rider

In a small village of coastal New Zealand, the male heir to the Maori Chief succeeds the title of the Whale Rider. But while Pai, at 12 years old, is the only available heir, the Chief refuses to acknowledge her as the rightful successor to the title because she is a girl. Instead, he looks to other boys in the village to train in their ancient traditions, in hopes that their future leader will be revealed to him. Pai must summon both grit and grace in order to claim her destiny. Winner of various awards from around the world (as well as a Best Actress Oscar nomination for young star Keisha Castle-Hughes), Whale Rider is a visually stunning film about family, tradition, and both embracing and challenging expectations.
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