Age: Rated PG

programs

Special Preview: How to Train Your Dragon

See it before it hits theaters! On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Mason Thames) stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, reprising his voice role from the animated franchise), Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.

With the fierce and ambitious Astrid (BAFTA nominee Nico Parker) and the village’s quirky blacksmith Gobber (Nick Frost) by his side, Hiccup confronts a world torn by fear and misunderstanding
films

How to Train Your Dragon

On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Mason Thames) stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, reprising his voice role from the animated franchise), Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.

With the fierce and ambitious Astrid (BAFTA nominee Nico Parker) and the village’s quirky blacksmith Gobber (Nick Frost) by his side, Hiccup confronts a world torn by fear and misunderstanding
films

The Legend of Ochi

A young girl in a yellow raincoat stares in awe while a small creature sits on her shoulder
See it before it hits theaters! In a remote northern village, Yuri is raised to never go outside and to fear the reclusive forest creatures known as the ochi. When a baby ochi is left behind by its pack, she embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to reunite it with its family. The latest feature from A24 (NYICFF favorite Marcel the Shell with Shoes On) and the producers of Everything Everywhere All at Once is written and directed by Isaiah Saxon and features Finn Wolfhard, Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, and Helena Zengel.
programs

Special Advance Screening: IF

From writer and director John Krasinski, IF is about a girl who discovers that she can see everyone’s imaginary friends — and what she does with that superpower — as she embarks on a magical adventure to reconnect forgotten IFs with their kids. IF stars Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, and the voices of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr. and Steve Carell alongside many more as the wonderfully unique characters that reflect the incredible power of a child’s imagination.
programs

Member Screening: Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

Sweet, awkward 16-year-old Ruby Gillman is desperate to fit in at Oceanside High, but she mostly just feels invisible. She’s math-tutoring her skater-boy crush, who only seems to admire her for her fractals, and she’s prevented from hanging out with the cool kids at the beach because her over-protective supermom has forbade Ruby from ever getting in the water. But when she breaks her mom’s #1 rule, Ruby will discover that she is a direct descendant of the warrior kraken queen and is destined to inherit the throne from her commanding grandmother, the Warrior Queen of the Seven Seas. Featuring the voices of Lana Condor, Jaboukie Young-White, Toni Collette, and Jane Fonda!

programs

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.
programs

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.
films

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.
programs

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.
films

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.
films

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.
films

Poupelle of Chimney Town

Our wide-eyed, top-hatted, scruffily charming young protagonist Lubbichi—such a big name for a little boy—has a very big job to do: serving as a busy chimney sweep in his enormous and gritty post-industrial town. With all the factory soot in the air, Lubbichi and the townspeople haven’t seen the sky in years, but that won’t stop this plucky boy from dreaming of the stars. His dreams get even closer to reach when he befriends Poupelle, a gentle giant robot made of trash whose heart beats as true as any human one. Based on the beloved Japanese manga and filled with amazingly detailed CG worlds of complex, inventive devices and fantastical landscapes, this ragtag buddy movie brushes, clanks, and sweeps its way through the debris to dazzle eyes, hearts and minds. Chim, chim, cher-ee, indeed.
films

Turning Red

Disney and Pixar’s “Turning Red” introduces Mei Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang), a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming (voice of Sandra Oh), is never far from her daughter—an unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda! Directed by Academy Award® winner Domee Shi (Pixar short “Bao”) and produced by Lindsey Collins “Turning Red releases on March 11, 2022.
programs

DisneyNature’s Polar Bear

See it before it hits theaters! 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.
programs

Centerpiece Spotlight: Turning Red

Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red introduces Mei Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang), a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming (voice of Sandra Oh), is never far from her daughter—an unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda! Directed by Academy Award® winner Domee Shi (Pixar short Bao) and produced by Lindsey Collins, Turning Red releases on March 11, 2022. 
programs

Poupelle of Chimney Town

Poupelle of Chimney Town is the story of young Lubicchi living among the thick smoke from the chimneys of his isolated town, yearning to see the “stars” — to know the truth — his father always told him about. One Halloween night he meets Poupelle, a man made of garbage, and together they look to the sky as their adventure begins. Spectacularly beautiful, filled with inspiring performances and splendid music and sound effects, and produced at Tokyo’s famed STUDIO4ºC, Poupelle of Chimney Town brings laughter, tears and joy.
films

Vivo

From Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation—the studio that brought you Oscar® winner Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and this year’s critically acclaimed blockbuster The Mitchells vs. The Machines—comesVivo, an animated musical adventure featuring all-new songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Tony, Grammy, and Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of Hamilton and In the Heights. Vivo follows a one-of-kind kinkajou (aka a rainforest “honey bear,” voiced by Miranda), who spends his days playing music to the crowds in a lively square with his beloved owner Andrés (Buena Vista Social Club’s Juan de Marcos). Though they may not speak the same language, Vivo and Andrés are the perfect duo through their common love of music. But when tragedy strikes shortly after Andrés receives a letter from the famous Marta Sandoval (three-time Grammy-winning Latin pop legend Gloria Estefan), inviting her old partner to her farewell concert with the hope of reconnecting, it’s up to Vivo to deliver a message that Andrés never could: A love letter to Marta, written long ago, in the form of a song. Yet in order to get to Marta, who lives a world apart, Vivo will need the help of Gabi (newcomer Ynairaly Simo) – an energetic tween who bounces to the beat of her own offbeat drum to fulfill his owner’s wishes. – Netflix
programs

Vivo Q&A

Join us for a free Q&A featuring Oscar®-nominated director Kirk DeMicco and voice star Ynairaly Simo of Vivo! We’ll discuss the inspiration behind the film, animating different locations, making a musical, and answer your questions!
programs

Flora and Ulysses Special Event Q&A

Join us for a live Q&A with author Kate DiCamillo and director Lena Khan on 3/11 @ 1pm ET This is a Q&A event. Stream Flora & Ulysses now on Disney+. Disney’s Flora & Ulysses is a comedy-adventure based on the Newberry Award-winning book about 10-year-old Flora, an avid comic book fan and a self-avowed cynic, whose parents have recently separated. After rescuing a squirrel she names Ulysses, Flora is amazed to discover he possesses unique superhero powers which take them on an adventure of humorous complications that ultimately change Flora’s life—and her outlook—forever.

Teachers, sign your class up here.

Presented in partnership with

    
programs

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

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.
films

Tiny Creatures

Little animals embark on big adventures across the U.S. in a dramatic nature series that explores their hidden worlds and epic survival stories.
Series available to stream on Netflix August 7th
films

Life, Animated

The story of Owen Suskind, a young man who couldn’t speak as a child until he discovered a unique way to communicate by immersing himself in the world of Disney animated films.
programs

Klaus

When Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) distinguishes himself as the postal academy’s worst student, he is stationed on a frozen island above the Arctic Circle, where the feuding locals hardly exchange words let alone letters. Jesper is about to give up when he finds an ally in local teacher Alva (Rashida Jones), and discovers Klaus (J.K. Simmons), a mysterious carpenter who lives alone in a cabin full of handmade toys. These unlikely friendships return laughter to Smeerensburg, forging a new legacy of generous neighbors, magical lore and stockings hung by the chimney with care.
films

Klaus

When Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) distinguishes himself as the postal academy’s worst student, he is stationed on a frozen island above the Arctic Circle, where the feuding locals hardly exchange words let alone letters. Jesper is about to give up when he finds an ally in local teacher Alva (Rashida Jones), and discovers Klaus (J.K. Simmons), a mysterious carpenter who lives alone in a cabin full of handmade toys. These unlikely friendships return laughter to Smeerensburg, forging a new legacy of generous neighbors, magical lore and stockings hung by the chimney with care.
programs

Abominable

DreamWorks Animation and Pearl Studio’s co-production Abominable takes audiences on an epic 2,000-mile adventure from the streets of a Chinese city to the breathtaking Himalayan snowscapes. When teenage Yi (Chloe Bennet, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) encounters a young Yeti on the roof of her apartment building, she and her friends, Jin (Tenzing Norgay Trainor) and Peng (Albert Tsai), name him “Everest” and embark on an epic quest to reunite the magical creature with his family at the highest point on Earth. But the trio of friends will have to stay one-step ahead of Burnish (Eddie Izzard), a wealthy man intent on capturing a Yeti, and zoologist Dr. Zara (Sarah Paulson) to help Everest get home.
films

Muppets Most Wanted

NYICFF is thrilled to present a special sneak preview screening of Disney’s Muppets Most Wanted. The latest adventure from the beloved Muppet gang takes them across the globe as they embark on an international tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations including Berlin, Madrid, Dublin, and London. But, as always, mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, and they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine — the World’s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit — and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two. Adding to the action is Nadya (Tina Fey), a no-nonsense prison guard and Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon (Ty Burrell). And, in the grand tradition of the Muppets, be on the lookout for blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearances by a slew of famous faces. James Bobin, who (like us) can’t seem to get enough of the Muppets, returns to the directing chair after the 2011 hit The Muppets. Also returning is Oscar®-winning songwriter Bret McKenzie, who is a star in his own right as half of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords.
films

Muppets Sing-A-Long

While on vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world’s biggest Muppet fan, his brother Gary, and friend Mary, uncover a diabolical plot to raze Muppet Studios. So the Muppet-loving trio decide to reunite the long-disbanded Muppets and stage a telethon. But the gang have all gone their separate ways: Kermit is living a life of seclusion in his Bel Air mansion, Fozzie now performs with a casino tribute band, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, and Animal has just been released from a clinic for anger management. But soon enough, the former felt colleagues are back together, and up to their old Muppet antics — and a whole load of terrific music. The film stars the beloved Muppet gang, plus Jason Segel (who co-wrote), Amy Adams, and a host of celebrity cameos.
films

The Little Prince

One of the world’s most beloved stories gets the big screen treatment in this magical adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince. The Little Girl’s life has been planned to the minute: brief snack breaks and play time dot a rigid schedule designed to take her from prep school to successful adulthood without distraction. But when her new neighbor, The Aviator, literally crashes into her life, studies take a back seat and her imagination takes flight. Her sleek, modern universe is transformed into the beautifully delicate, handcrafted world of The Little Prince as the Aviator shares the story of his curious, planet-hopping friend. It is within these wild worlds where she discovers that what’s truly essential can only be seen with the heart.
films

The Iron Giant: Signature Edition

The Iron Giant, the instant classic by Brad Bird that debuted in 1999, has been revisited on the small screen comfort of many family homes, but is finally returning to the big screenings in appropriately epic scale. Recently remastered with the addition of bonus scenes, the heartfelt adventure of the film remains as captivating as ever. The unlikely friendship tale between religious Hogarth and the crash-landed giant robot is complicated when a paranoid government agent is determined to cast out the iron intruder, Hogarth, the Iron Giant and their beatnik friend must band together and figure out what it means to be the hero, even when you’re treated like the enemy.
stay connected
about us
New York International Children’s Film Festival has presented thoughtful, provocative, intelligent film for all ages for over 25 years. Find your story. LEARN MORE
© New York Int'l Children's Film Festival