Age Range: 9

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Dounia & The Princess of Aleppo

Bold of spirit and wild of hair, six-year-old Dounia lives joyfully with her family in Aleppo, where she spends her time traversing the bustling souks, or marketplaces, teeming with delicious ingredients just right for her grandmother’s amazing dishes. Life is filled with kind neighbors, shared stories, and music until a gradually intensifying conflict brings a growing troop of soldiers to town. When the family is forced to pack up and join the global ranks searching for a safer place to call home, Dounia’s grandmother stuffs rosewater sweets and other fresh-baked, homestyle delights into her bulging suitcase. But all Dounia takes with her is a handful of nigella seeds, known in Syrian lore to have magical properties. Her handful of hope just might bear rewards in the form of the legendary princess of Aleppo and her guidance as the group journeys across Syria, the dangerous sea, the daunting borders of Europe, and more. Though navigating serious themes, this charming, funny, and visually dazzling tale offers an all-ages point of entry to explore timely issues and the timeless value of respect for all citizens of the world.
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Blue Thermal

Tamaki is ready to create an exciting social life for herself at university when she, quite literally, bumps into the members of the aeronautics club, knocking over their glider plane. With the pricey damage done, she begins working in the club to compensate. The grace that Tamaki lacks on the ground she quickly finds in the sky, but in order to fly high, she has to catch a thermal—no easy feat for a team that relies on reading the sky rather than high tech devices. Then there’s her older sister, Yano, who holds a grudge and will use sneaky means to win the contest for herself and her teammate, the too-cool-for-school Hatori. But Tamaki plays fair and square, even to her own disadvantage, as she’d rather have a stiff rival than win by the competition’s careless mistakes. She wants nothing more than to repay club captain Kuramochi, not only for the damaged glider but for taking her under his wing and helping her discover her power and passion. But when he disappears, will she find a runway back that feels like a win?
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Belle & Sebastian: Next Generation

City kid Sebastian, 10, is less than thrilled to spend school break with his grandmother and aunt in the countryside instead of filling his days with parkour around Paris with his friends. Though the family farm is in the stunning French Pyrenees mountains, Seb finds herding sheep utterly boring. That is, until he meets Belle, a beautifully humongous canine with a heart as gold as her voluminous locks. When Seb learns that Belle is being mistreated by her owner, he’s ready to draw on his city pluck and do what it takes to protect his new friend. In the process, he just might find a way to save the family farm from greedy developers and looming climate change. Filled with gorgeous mountain scenery and modern themes, this contemporary version of Belle and Sebastian delivers on its next gen title. If, like us, you’re already a member of the fervent Belle and Sebastian fanbase, you know that the real screen starlet is Belle. If not, prepare for some puppy love at first sight.
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My Robot Brother

The future is now in this hilarious vision of a slightly absurd high-tech world not far off from our own. There, robots serves as kids’ personal assistants, leaving adults to a life of leisure hanging (quite literally) around the house in body suits and VR headsets. It’s not a perfect world, especially for 12-year-old Alberte, whose sweet but super embarrassing android Robbi is the oldest model there is, lightyears behind the 15.0 version of all her classmates. So when she gets the perfect birthday present—Konrad, the newest humanoid that’s not even on the market—her popularity spikes and things start to look up. Konrad’s AI makes him slick and amazingly human-like, and loyal but bumbling Robbi gets shoved to the side. But can the connection between Alberte and Konrad hold up to a real friendship? This film is presented with support from Science on Screen®. Science on Screen® is an initiative of the Coolidge Corner Theatre, with major support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
films

My Robot Brother

The future is now in this hilarious vision of a slightly absurd high-tech world not far off from our own. There, robots serves as kids’ personal assistants, leaving adults to a life of leisure hanging (quite literally) around the house in body suits and VR headsets. It’s not a perfect world, especially for 12-year-old Alberte, whose sweet but super embarrassing android Robbi is the oldest model there is, lightyears behind the 15.0 version of all her classmates. So when she gets the perfect birthday present—Konrad, the newest humanoid that’s not even on the market—her popularity spikes and things start to look up. Konrad’s AI makes him slick and amazingly human-like, and loyal but bumbling Robbi gets shoved to the side. But can the connection between Alberte and Konrad hold up to a real friendship?
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Special Preview: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Free preview screening and Q&A with legendary director Guillermo del Toro! Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio reimagines the classic tale of the fabled wooden boy who, looking for a place in this world during turbulent times, finds himself on an enchanted adventure transcending worlds and discovering the life-giving power of love and the precious nature of human existence.
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Special Preview: Matilda the Musical

With an intro by Emma Thompson (Miss Trunchbull) and Matilda herself, Alisha Weir! Followed by Q&A with director Matthew Warchus, screenwriter Dennis Kelly, and Tim Minchin, who wrote the original music and lyrics! Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical is an inspirational musical tale of an extraordinary girl who discovers her superpower and summons the remarkable courage, against all odds, to help others change their stories, whilst also taking charge of her own destiny. Standing up for what’s right, she’s met with miraculous results.
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Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical

Matilda Wormwood (Alisha Weir) is a little girl with big curiosity, a sharp mind and a vivid imagination — and the worst parents in the world. While her parents (Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough) content themselves with trashy TV and dodgy money-making schemes, she loves to lose herself in the pages of her beloved books. Where they are loud, selfish and unkind she is a quiet observer, thinking up small and cheeky acts of rebellion and revenge. On meeting her inspirational teacher, Miss Honey (Lashana Lynch), Matilda is encouraged and begins conjuring her own fantastical tales. Excited to attend Crunchem Hall, Matilda is surprised to find the school is an ominous and oppressive place led by the huge and villainous Miss Trunchbull (Emma Thompson). As well as kind Miss Honey, the bright lights among the meanness are story-loving librarian, Mrs. Phelps (Sindhu Vee), and Matilda’s newfound school friends. Filled with an overwhelming sense of justice, Matilda dares to take a stand for what is right and teach Trunchbull a lesson she won’t forget.
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Special Preview Screening: My Father’s Dragon

From five-time Academy Award®-nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers) and Academy Award®-nominated director (and NYICFF Juror!) Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner), comes an exquisite film inspired by the Newbery-honored children’s book from author Ruth Stiles Gannett. Struggling to cope after a move to the city with his mother, Elmer runs away in search of Wild Island and a young dragon who waits to be rescued. Elmer’s adventures introduce him to ferocious beasts, a mysterious island, and the friendship of a lifetime.
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My Father’s Dragon

From five-time Academy Award®-nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers) and Academy Award®-nominated director (and NYICFF Juror!) Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner), comes an exquisite film inspired by the Newbery-honored children’s book from author Ruth Stiles Gannett. Struggling to cope after a move to the city with his mother, Elmer runs away in search of Wild Island and a young dragon who waits to be rescued. Elmer’s adventures introduce him to ferocious beasts, a mysterious island, and the friendship of a lifetime.
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Kid Flicks: Celebrating Black Stories

Black stories take the spotlight to highlight films that share the joy, determination, resilience, and complexity of being Black and young. Explore a range of genres and styles in a program that spans the globe.
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Kid Flicks Two

Kid Flicks Two is full of journeys big and small, from a young artist’s river-bound trek to school and a passerby’s neighborhood stroll to the search for a loving home and or the path to understanding between friends.
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Kid Flicks One

Let your imagination take the wheel with Kid Flicks One. Whether dreaming up the fantastical, like a cat the size of a house, or the practical, like finding a beloved teacher a summer romance, these shorts are sure to surprise and delight.
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Free Preview: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Members have claimed their tickets—now it’s your turn! In 2011, we were introduced to Marcel, a shell with two shoes and lots of other great qualities (his words, but we agree). In addition to taking home the 2011 NYICFF Grand Prize award for animated short, Marcel watched his star continue to rise. Now, thanks to his internet infamy, Marcel, along with his Grandma Connie and his pet lint Alan, has a chance to find his long lost family in his very own big-screen adventure.

Marcel is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. But when a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family. A beloved character gets his big-screen debut in this hilarious and heartwarming story about finding connection in the smallest corners. – A24
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Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Marcel is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. But when a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family. A beloved character gets his big-screen debut in this hilarious and heartwarming story about finding connection in the smallest corners. – A24
films

Moominvalley: The Lonely Mountain

Online Exclusive! Sometimes even the best of friends need a little space to themselves, so when Snufkin sets out on a mountain trip solo, both he and Moomintroll must learn to balance the fine art of togetherness and time to grow on your own.
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Moominvalley: The Lonely Mountain

Sometimes even the best of friends need a little space to themselves, so when Snufkin sets out on a mountain trip solo, both he and Moomintroll must learn to balance the fine art of togetherness and time to grow on your own.
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Naomi

Thirteen-year-old Naomi aims to be one of the crowd when she dares to sneak into the local swimming pool one night. But if her secret surfaces, will she still fit in?
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Dumplings

A father shows his love by cooking delicious meals, but can magic in the kitchen be the glue that makes his daughter stick?
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Wolf and Cub

A father and son cross a world of imagination in order to return their mother’s forgotten lunch.
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Warmth

Tender and observant, Warmth depicts the daily encounters of a passerby and a stranger without a home.
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The Cat in the Art Park

Even small cats are known for causing chaos, so imagine the hijinks that ensue when this art- park-dwelling cat suddenly grows to the size of a house.
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META

Interconnection, form, function, flow: all these big ideas about change and growth sprout in playful ways when creatures shape shift and dance to the rhythm of discovery.
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Star Bound

When six-year-old Jerry gets together with his uncle Joey, a Mission Operations Engineer at NASA, they have so much—a galaxy’s amount—to talk about.
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How I Got My Wrinkles

Stop motion can’t stop time in this charming live-action and animated reflection on life, art, film, family, and all that makes the world go round.
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Sanctuary

With a mindful animal rescuer, an ideal match is never far: even French Bulldogs on wheels and skittish puppies can all find their perfect human companions.
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Poum Poum!

Poum Poum! is a musical film that celebrates the simple joy of hitting drums, scribbling on paper, splashing paint, or making cymbals screech.
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Frank & Emmet

Frank and Emmet are two life-long friends and show-business partners who, after weeks of drifting apart, sit together to address head-on the one thing they’ve never talked about: one of them is a puppet.
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Comic Escape

A young boy unexpectedly finds a comic book that changes his reality.
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DisneyNature’s Polar Bear

Narrated by two-time Academy Award® nominee Catherine Keener (Capote, Being John Malkovich), Disneynature’s Polar Bear tells the story of a new mother whose memories of her own youth prepare her to navigate motherhood in the increasingly challenging world that polar bears face today.
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