The Apricot
A ten-year-old boy spends his first summer working on the family apricot farm.
Age Range: 9
Short Films One
Whether creating a life on the high seas, plotting revenge against urban traffic, or singing about your face thats a little…different, there’s light and laughter to be found in Short Films One.
Hoppers
In Disney and Pixar’s all-new animated comedy adventure Hoppers, animal lover Mabel
(Piper Curda) seizes an opportunity to use a new technology to “hop” her consciousness into a life-like robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals. As she uncovers mysteries in the animal world beyond anything she could have imagined, Mabel befriends charismatic beaver, King George (Bobby Moynihan), and must rally the entire animal kingdom to face a major, imminent human-threat: smooth-talking local mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm). The all-star voice ensemble also features Kathy Najimy, Dave Franco, and Meryl Streep.
Kaiju Guy!
Moominvalley
Whether you’re a longtime Moomin fan of you’ve never heard of these snuggly Scandinavian creatures, we’re taking you back to the beginning of the Moominvalley story. Amid the idyllic land of vast wilderness, dark forests, and mysterious islands, you’ll find these philosophical trolls getting into all kinds of delightfully hygge hijinks. Met young adventurer Moomintroll, his parents, the sage Moominmamma and silly Moominpappa, cranky Little My, Snufkin, Snorkmaiden, and the rest of the crew as they search for—or stumble upon—seafaring adventures, mist-filled discoveries, and more. Bolstered by the comforts of a pot of tea or jam and a big, warm hug, these internationally adored characters will charm your top hat off, leaving no doubt as to why they’ve appeared at NYICFF so many times.
My Grandfather is a Nihonjin
Noboru’s grandfather Hideo is Japanese (a nihonjin). He also isn’t the easiest to talk to. Curt and lovably cranky, he’s not exactly forthcoming. So when he’s assigned a school project on his family history, he’s reluctant to ask his jiichan how he came to Brazil from Japan. Almost immediately, their after school conversations unveil a family secret: an uncle Noboru has never heard of before. As Hideo’s story unfolds, he reveals the discrimination and difficulties he faced. They continue to talk (over some increasingly delicious-looking Japanese takoyaki and São Paolo café) and Noboru gains a newfound understanding of his grandfather and his own cultural roots. Artwork from Japanese-Brazilian artist Oscar Oiwa transforms the present-day settings into scenes from Brazil in the 1920s—a coffee plantation, a ranch, the local schoolhouse—letting the characters travel back in time as the story continues, filling the screen with vibrant brushstrokes resonant of Van Gogh and bridging the past and the present.
Bird Boy
August is a headstrong city kid adjusting to life with new foster parents and trying to fit in at his new school in rural South Africa. The discovery of a giant ostrich egg offers a welcome distraction—and a plucky new friend, who he names Koobus. Soon every day is a laugh-filled adventure that draws boy, bird, and parents closer together. When Koobus causes a little too much (albeit hilarious) chaos, he’s taken away to an ostrich farm. But these friends of a feather aren’t going to stick their heads in the sand. They’ll risk everything to keep their new family together in this found-family story about forging your own path.
¡Hola Cine!
Shorts from around the world (and not just in Spanish) celebrating the many Latinx cultures, histories, identities, and languages.
Space Cadet
Cleaning’s a Cakewalk
Independent and imaginative Albert learns the value of hard work when he has to clean the Chapter House.
Something Greater Than You
A pair of feuding raccoons, having found shelter from a winter storm, receive an unexpected guest.
Leili’s Photo
Eight-year-old Leili needs to take a pinhole picture of her family for school the next day, but her family won’t cooperate.
Mary Anning
Dorset, England, 1811. Mary Anning, the curious and whip smart 12-year-old, spends her days on the shore digging for fossils, a talent and passion inherited from her father. One stormy day, her father disappears, leaving behind only a cryptic drawing. Without him, Mary’s mother struggles to take care of the family alone and decides to move to the city for more opportunities. But Mary doesn’t want to be separated from her beloved cliffside, where the secrets of an ancient world are just waiting to be uncovered. Ignoring warnings from her mother and the very narrow ideas about science and women preached by her teacher, Mary continues to pursue the mystery her father left behind, forever changing the world of science. Based on the early life of the real Mary Anning, who made her first major discovery at age 12, this tender, soft-hued story features a “punk, teen, lo-fi rock” soundtrack fit for this pioneer of early paleontology.
March 7 screening to be followed by Science on Screen®: Mary Anning and Other Real Life Fossil Fanatics
Without paleontology, we’d have no idea how we got here, how we fit in, and what we are. Mary Anning was a real historical figure who made important contributions to the development of paleontology with her fossil discoveries. Join us for this all ages talk to learn more about Mary’s discoveries, what it’s like to be a paleontologist working today, and even get hands on with fossil samples and more! With Alana Gishlick (Senior Museum Specialist, Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History) and Carl Mehling (Senior Museum Specialist, Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History). Science on Screen® is an initiative of the Coolidge Corner Theatre, with major support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Celebrating Black Stories
Shorts from around the world that embrace the joy, resilience, and complexity of being young and Black.
Girls’ POV
Not just for girls! These shorts feature stories of girls breaking the mold.
Opening Spotlight: Hoppers
No Room
These cars have legs. Maybe that’s why they feel so entitled to use the pavement as they please.
Inkwo for When the Starving Return
Dove, a gender-shifting warrior, uses their Inkwo, Indigenous medicine, to protect their community from an unburied swarm of terrifying creatures.
The Great Feat
Pablo needs to rescue his friend Pascualina, a laying hen, who ends up kidnapped by the town shopkeeper.
We’re Kinda Different
Our hero is, well, different, and he’ll tell you in song.
Lampie
Eleven-year-old Lampie lives with her father in a lighthouse, where every night she climbs the 61 steps to guide ships to safety. One stormy night, catastrophe strikes: a ship crashes and Lampie is separated from her father. She’s sent to work as a maid at the mysterious Black House, filled with rumors, secrets, and seriously odd inhabitants. It’s there that she befriends a boy with a shimmering fish tail, and the two, along with a menagerie of circus workers, set out to find their way to freedom and her father. With beautiful seascapes and fanciful characters, Lampie takes as its source material the beloved Dutch book of the same name, mixing old-world fairytale storytelling with a modern take on friendship, courage, and the right to be different.
Firewall
Ani misses her father, who can’t access the internet because of a firewall in Iran. She becomes immersed in a vivid retelling of the Persian legend of Zahhak, the Serpent King.
Heebie Jeebies Shorts
Wild, spooky, freaky, and bizarre…prepare to have your mind blown.
My Life in Versailles
We first met Violet and Régis in 2020 when the short My Life in Versailles took home NYICFF’s Grand Prize Audience Award for best animated short. We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring them back for their feature debut! Life at the Chateau of Versailles isn’t always a piece of gateau, or cake. Violet’s uncle Régis puts in hours of hard work as caretaker of the grounds, and the home they share is but a workman’s petit quarters, not a gilded corner of the palace proper. It’s a big change from the Paris apartment where Violet lived before she lost her parents. But because her uncle’s heart is so big, she manages to feel right at home. Full of simple lines rich with color as adapted from the award-winning graphic novel, this story takes a dash of bande dessinée and a teaspoon of Truffaut to create a true pièce de resistance! Chef’s kiss!
Akababuru: Expression of Astonishment
Kari is afraid to laugh until she meets Kera, who shares with her the myth of Kiraparamia, a woman punished by the gods for laughing at her husband.
Family Harmony
When Gilbert Zermeño dreamed of joining his school band, he pictured himself playing a shiny saxophone.
My Grandfather is a Nihonjin
Pow!
A Native American kid scrambles to charge his dying video game console at a bustling intertribal powwow.
Fort Buku
Captivated by the story of Fort Buku, once the refuge of the Boni freedom fighters who fought back against oppression, three friends head into the Surinamese jungle to uncover its unresolved disappearance.