Age Range: 5

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Ormie

Pig see cookie. Pig want cookie. But the cookies are frustratingly out of reach in glass jar on top of the fridge, just beyond his grasp… or are they? With inventiveness and relentless determination, Ormie employs Wile E. Coyote-type contraptions and half-baked plans in a series of increasingly desperate attempts to attain the sweet objects of his obsession.
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Extinction of the Sabertooth House Cat

Though scientists have conjectured, none could truly say what caused the demise of the Sabertooth House Cat. But not this hard-hitting documentary reveals startling new evidence to detail the dramatic last moments of one of Earth’s littlest known creatures.
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Precise Peter

An obsessive compulsive dad is excited about introducing his little boy to joys of al fresco dining. The fish is ready, the table is set, the sun is shining, all seems perfect — but junior can’t quite get with the program.
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Metro

A young girl chases a mysterious fox through a secret door and into a subterranean wonderland to retrieve her stolen train ticket.
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The Girl and the Fox

An enemy becomes a friend as a young girl has a life-and-death encounter with a snow fox at dusk in the frozen forest.
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Swimming Pool

In a closed swimming pool in the middle of a big city, two outcasts share a night-time swim. But will they be willing to reveal their secrets?
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Tigers and Tattoos

Maj lives with her uncle Sonny and loves to sit with him when he “draws” on the tough women and hard-boiled men who frequent his tattoo shop. One day, a particularly large and scary customer dozes off and Maj ends up tattooing all over his huge back with her childish designs. Fearing the man’s rage, Sonny and Maj make a hasty escape on Sonny’s motorcycle — the start of an exciting adventure where they discover a magic forest filled with fairies and sprites, a circus mother and her son, and a man-eating tiger named Brutalis.
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Lotte and the Moonstone Secret

Lotte is back! The beloved girl-dog returns in this utterly charming follow-up to NYICFF 2008 audience favorite Lotte from Gadgetville. The townspeople of Gadgetville are as wacky as ever — still creating kooky contraptions and having cheery adventures. While reminiscing about a past adventure, Lotte’s uncle Klaus tells the story of how he and his friends, Fred and Ville, came to find three magical stones in a hidden temple. Now all Lotte wants to do is unlock the secret of their power – so she convinces her uncle to go on a trip to find his old buddies and piece together the mystery. However, what Lotte and Uncle Klaus don’t know is that they are being followed by two Moon Rabbits — whose only hope of getting back home is locked up in those very same stones! A gentle and quirky journey filled with a cast of silly characters including a lovesick drummer and a man who sleeps all day in order to dream, Lotte and the Moonstone Secret is richly rendered, warm-hearted, good-natured fun for audiences of all ages. Featuring original songs by Latvian pop group Brainstorm! (What, you haven’t heard of them?!)
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Sammy’s Adventures: The Secret Passage 3D

This delightful, kid-friendly eco-adventure utilizes the immersive 3D experience to the fullest: you will feel like you are snorkeling in a fabulously colorful, animated undersea world. When Sammy and his fellow turtle hatchlings are born, they face a dangerous journey from shore to sea, a trek that can seem like a marathon to a newborn sea turtle. Before they reach the surf, Sammy and a young female turtle named Shelly are scooped up by seagulls, and Sammy must act fast to save them both. Only hours old and already a hero, Sammy is almost too exhausted to continue on his path to the ocean, and the two part ways as Shelly begins her new life at sea. But a lifetime of adventure is in store for Sammy as he begins a 50-year odyssey, inspired by the real experience of a sea turtle. Along the way he gets washed ashore and adopted by a commune of hippies who draw a peace sign on his shell — carrying this proud symbol on his back, he crosses the globe making friends and facing obstacles from oil spills to natural predators as he tries to reunite with his long lost Shelly. Film features stunning, vibrant 3D visuals and a soundtrack peppered with pop songs from Bruno Mars and Michael Jackson.
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A Monster in Paris 3D

NYICFF 2012 opens with a classic misunderstood-monster tale, a warm-hearted musical about the power of song featuring Django Reinhardt-style gypsy guitar and honey-toned vocals courtesy of Sean Lennon. Paris, 1910. The streets of the city are flooded. A mist-enshrouded Eiffel Tower looms over a temporary lake and the alleyways sport makeshift bridges so Parisians can go about their daily routines. But spirits are high for the citizens of this romantic city, including those of Emile, a lovelorn film projectionist, and his inventor friend Raoul, whose enthusiasm for breaking rules places him and Emile at the center of some unintentional mischief after they sneak into a scientist’s laboratory greenhouse and unwittingly let loose a monster onto the soggy streets of Paris. Yet this terrible monster turns out to have a sad and sensitive soul — as well as musical talent — and when cabaret singer Lucille discovers the beast hiding backstage at the music hall, he dons a cape and hat and joins her act, instantly wowing the crowd with his silky smooth voice and hot guitar licks. Yet despite his peaceful demeanor, the City of Lights is in a panic, as the rotten rogue of a mayor plunges his police force headlong into a chaotic monster hunt that uses both the sweeping backdrops of Paris and 3D effects to the fullest.
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Mia & The Migoo

NYICFF presents the world premiere of the new English language version of Mia & the Migoo, which was NYICFF opening night film in 2009 and went on to win Best Animated Feature at the European Film Awards. Created from an astounding 500,000 hand-painted frames of animation, the film is breathtakingly beautiful and thrilling adventure that pits wild-haired young heroine Mia against profit-hungry developers, with the future of life on Earth in the balance. One night Mia has a premonition. So after saying a few words of parting at her mother’s grave, she sets out on a cross-continent journey across mountains and jungles to search for her father, who has been trapped in a landslide at a disaster-plagued construction site on a remote tropical lake. In the middle of the lake stands the ancient and gnarled Tree of Life, watched over by innocent, bumbling forest spirits called the Migoo, who grow and change shape as they please, morphing from small childlike beings to petulant giants. It is the Migoo who have been sabotaging the construction to protect this sacred site and — now together with Mia — they join in a fight to find Mia’s father and save the Tree.
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Chimpanzee

NYICFF is thrilled to present the first New York screening of the new Disneynature film from the award-winning directors of Earth. Sumptuously shot in the rain forests of Africa, Chimpanzee tells the true-life story of an adorable young chimp named Oscar. Oscar’s playful curiosity and zest for discovery showcase the intelligence and ingenuity of some of the most extraordinary personalities in the animal kingdom. The world is a playground for little Oscar and his fellow young chimps, who’d rather make mayhem than join their parents for an afternoon nap. Working together, Oscar’s chimpanzee family — including his mom, Isha, and the group’s savvy leader, Freddy — navigates the complex territory of the forest. But when Oscar’s family is confronted by a rival community of chimps, he is left to fend for himself until a surprising ally steps in and changes his life forever. As with the groundbreaking earlier Disneynature films, Chimpanzee boasts unparalleled nature photography and gives us an intimate first-hand look into the life of our closest relatives, while telling a truly remarkable story of family bonds and individual triumph.
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All That Cats

In this series of short animations, a duo of hip hop cats perform beatbox rhythms to transform everyday situations into musical experiences.
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Who’s There?

Two boys hatch out of eggs and have an imaginative adventure. Sometimes as friends, sometimes as rivals, they build a house to protect themselves from the wolf.
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The Storyteller

Nirmala lives in a seaside village with her grandpa, who recited her favorite story about a fisher boy. Yet lately he’s been forgetting some of the details.
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Minnie Loves Junior

A beautifully shot film about a little boy who loves the sea, and a little girl who loves the boy.
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Shadow of a Midsummer Night

It’s Midsummer’s Eve in Norway, the brightest night of the year. During the celebrations, Jon and Line escape to their secret hideout in the forest. However, the idyll passes as Line has to leave, and this is the last time Jon sees her. A gentle and beautifully made story about grief and acceptance, and finding a way back.
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The Gruffalo’s Child

One wild and windy night, the Gruffalo’s child ignores her father’s warning and tiptoes out into the snow in search of the Big Bad Mouse. This follow-up to the Oscar-nominated original is adapted from the enormously popular Gruffalo picture books by British author Julia Donaldson.
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Whistleless

In this fun, sweet, musical cartoon, a little bird struggles to find his voice in a world full of different noises. A colorful, hand-drawn gem from NYICFF alum Siri Melchior (Dog Who Was a Cat Inside, Mambo) makes its first East Coast appearance following a run of major fests including Berlin, Toronto, Annecy, Seoul, and many more.
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Balloon Moon

With sumptuous colors and artful stop motion animation, a cardboard boy and his ladybug friend set sail into a deep blue moonlit sea and have a dream adventure.
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Maximum Boost

With inventive use of sound, including crackly original audio from the Apollo 13 space mission, Remo and his grandmother blast off from a rainy playground in Switzerland on a journey to the moon.
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Mobile

Isolated on the edge of society, a cow tips the balance of destiny when she attempts to make a friend.
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How the Shammies Bathed

Collage and mixed media animation create a textural feast, with adorable animated characters designed in patterned fabrics, burlap, and buttons. A foreboding “drip-drop” coming from a dark room turns out to be only water in the tub — it’s bath time for the Shammies!
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Ernesto

Seven-year-old Ernesto feels left out when he realizes he’s the only kid in school who hasn’t lost any baby teeth. Ernesto resorts to drastic measures to get rid of them; his teeth however, have other plans…
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Shop Tales

The streets and squares of a small town are lined with shops, each with its own specialty. There’s the word-sprinkling shop, the shop of memories, the shop of angels, and even the shop of secrets, filled with things that cannot be discovered. With lovely decoupage sets and the poetic insight of The Little Prince tucked neatly into a folk-tale formula, this film is wise beyond its years.
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The Yellow Balloon

The true story of a dramatic event that takes place on a New York City subway, featuring a little girl and her yellow balloon.
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B/W Races

A quirky, black and white paper cut-out animation about a car race — in which a rogue black driver who runs others off the track gets his comeuppance. Homemade sound-effects add to the lo-fi fun. Vroooom.
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Behind

After a trying and scary day, a little girl feels all alone — until she realizes that her best friend has been with her and taking care of her the whole time.
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Twist & Shout

Two cute-as-buttons Japanese puppets travel to Abbey Road to find inspiration and shoot the video for their ukulele cover version of “Twist and Shout.”
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