Make the Theater Your Classroom
Our curated film programs and FilmEd experience—including audience voting, post-screening discussions, and Q&As led by a Festival educator—provide students with a thought-provoking, fun, and dynamic way to explore timely and important topics like race, identity, and belonging. Teachers receive pre-visit and post-visit discussion guides that encourage creativity and critical-thinking through vocabulary, discussion questions, and activity prompts.
Why field trips?
FilmEd Field Trips offer the same energetic, participatory atmosphere of the annual Festival that engages students in a lively learning environment. Our programs are available for grades K-2 and 3-5 and utilize short films that celebrate the beauty and complexity of our world while emphasizing the experiences of underrepresented characters and filmmakers. NYICFF’s nearly 30 years of curatorial excellence ensures that selected films have been created by a diverse group of international filmmakers and feature characters not often found on or behind the screen—namely women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA, the disabled, and other historically excluded communities. Screenings take place in multiple venues and libraries in order to meet classes in their own neighborhoods.
Admission is $10/student for most schools. Admission for Title I schools is free.
Upcoming Field Trips
Dual-Language & Festival Field Trips
We offer a select number of field trips during the course of the March Festival. These trips consist of one feature film and, when possible, a filmmaker Q&A (either in person or virtually). These trips are a great opportunity for schools with dual language programs, but all schools are welcome.
All Festival trips will take place at SVA Theatre in Manhattan and will begin between 10 and 10:30am. See last year's lineup below for examples of past trips.
Recommended grades 2-4
83 min, screening in French or Spanish; with subtitles
This is the story of a girl who is different. Her world is Coyoacán, in Mexico City. Sparkling and vibrant, everything fascinates her. Say hola to Frida Kahlo.
Recommended grades 5-7
85 min, in Spanish with subtitles
Two brothers must work together when one finds a wormhole and accidentally transports to the future. ¡Salta! will be followed by Science on Screen® Chat: Jumping through Space & Time
Recommended grades 3-8
84 min, in English
Animated adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's beloved, Robinson Crusoe-style chapter book about perseverance and friendship on a not-so-deserted island.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our 2024-25 FilmEd program is supported by a generous gift from the Barry-Thouez Family in honor of Jeremy Attia.
Jeremy was a passionate audio-visual technician from France, where he was frequently dispatched to cover the Cannes Film Festival. He loved the camaraderie of film and TV sets, and approached every opportunity with a wide open heart. Jeremy passed away in June 2021 after battling cancer for four years.