The Scream
Kids and kittens can join in on some Hitchcock-style suspense in this caterwauling, darkly humorous peeping tomcat tale.
Age Range: 18
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.
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.
Beans
In the summer of 1990, Beans, a sweet and studious twelve-year-old Mohawk girl, is suddenly forced to grow up fast and become her own kind of warrior when a land occupation battle creates a fierce stand-off between her indigenous community and the government. Torn between innocent childhood and reckless adolescence, she struggles to build her own identity amidst the chaos of the uprising and the injustice of a world that sees her as different even in her own land. Will she succumb to the pressures of a society intent on bringing her down? Or will she rise up to assert her strength and character?
Content note: Instances of racialized threats and violence, underage drinking, strong language, self-harm, sexual menace.
Content note: Instances of racialized threats and violence, underage drinking, strong language, self-harm, sexual menace.
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!
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.
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
Note: This film deals with themes of death and loss
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.
Beans
In the summer of 1990, Beans, a sweet and studious twelve-year-old Mohawk girl, is suddenly forced to grow up fast and become her own kind of warrior when a land occupation battle creates a fierce stand-off between her indigenous community and the government. Torn between innocent childhood and reckless adolescence, she struggles to build her own identity amidst the chaos of the uprising and the injustice of a world that sees her as different even in her own land. Will she succumb to the pressures of a society intent on bringing her down? Or will she rise up to assert her strength and character?
Content note: Instances of racialized threats and violence, underage drinking, strong language, self-harm, sexual menace.
Content note: Instances of racialized threats and violence, underage drinking, strong language, self-harm, sexual menace.
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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