Fresh Guacamole
PES is back with this latest (and Oscar®-nominated!) take on the culinary arts. Pass the chips! From the creator of past NYICFF favorites Western Spaghetti, The Deep, and Game Over.
Film Tag: Animation
Summer Bummer
From world-renowned animator and friend-of-the-festival Bill Plympton, a man with a case of shark paranoia has second thoughts before diving into his pool, reminding us that the greatest fear is fear itself…right?
A Different Perspective
A visit from an alien life form results in a change of perspective — in more ways than one.
Big Block Sing-Song: Hair
From the people who brought us John the Leprechaun, a Kraftwerk-style electronic pop tune about the stuff that grows out of your head (and sometimes other places).
Red Sand
A little boy picks up a shell on an empty, secluded beach. Putting it to his ear, he becomes lost in the sounds of the sea.
Love Sport: Fencing
Minimalist visual style generates maximal humor in this Olympic-style fencing duel, in which the USA and Italy fight for victory using any means necessary.
Apache
Neon paper cutouts create a continuously spiraling stage for an Apache guitarist and his Yeti band mate, as they perform a twangy throwback to 60’s surf-rock and spaghetti western soundtracks.
Leaving
The life of two characters unfold, on a beyond city walls.
I Love your Face
Chintis Lundgren, creator of last year’s Dangerous Migration Routes, is back with more animated birds in her music video for “I Love Your Face” by Estonian alternative act Kali Briis.
A Drop of Honey
In a small village, a drop of honey can go a long way. Unfortunately, it’s not always so sweet. A parable about human misunderstanding and how small and seemingly insignificant actions can have outsized effects.
Alimation
Spinning cakes create zoetrope animation effects — giving viewers new insight into the origins of cameras, projectors and animation…as well as a major craving for dessert!
Ivory Coast: Wax
The printed wraps worn by the girls and women in the Ivory Coast are more than decoration. They are a unique form of communication and expression.
Winter Trees
In this music video from Aardman Animations, a Llama-Owl carries his friend to safety, as their world is washed away in a flood.
Pretty Anna-Lena
The calamitous course of a little girl’s passion for finery.
Assembly
Using paint-on-glass animation, Jenn Strom creates a beautiful tribute to the (disappearing) art of film splicing and editing, and to the all-women filmmakers of Studio D and founder Kathleen Shannon.
Hannah and the Moon
When Hannah’s mom is too busy to talk to her, she seeks the comfort of her only friend, the moon. But one day the moon disappears.
The Princess, The Prince, and the Green-Eyed Dragon
The Prince just wants to read his newspaper. The Princess is looking for some excitement. And a thoughtful dragon is searching for a useful birthday present for his grandmother. In the end, they each get what they deserve.
The House
In this dreamy, hypnotic film, images morph and flow through shifting frames of reference, making everything topsy-turvy, as a girl attempts to care for her grandmother within an ever changing house.
Through You
A young woman struggles through the crowd on her way to the store. As she passes these strangers, some leave a mark — but only one leaves a mark that sticks.
Agnieszka
A young girl creates her own world in which she feels safe.
A Monster in the Reservoir
A lonely monster lives in a secluded reservoir surrounded by mountains. He is almost discovered by a young girl, but is too scared to reveal himself. As time goes on, many different people visit the reservoir — but neither the girl nor the monster forget their chance encounter.
When Marnie was There
When shy, artistic Anna moves to the seaside to live with her aunt and uncle, she stumbles upon an old mansion surrounded by marshes, and the mysterious young girl, Marnie, who lives there. The two girls instantly form a unique connection and friendship that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. As the days go by, a nearly magnetic pull draws Anna back to the Marsh House again and again, and she begins to piece together the truth surrounding her strange new friend. Based on the novel by Joan G. Robinson, and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, When Marnie was There has been described as “Ghibli Gothic,” with its moonlit seascapes, glowing orchestral score, and powerful dramatic portrayals that build to a stormy climax.
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.
April and the Extraordinary World
Paris, 1941. A family of scientists is on the brink of uncovering a powerful longevity serum when they are suddenly abducted by a mysterious force, leaving their young daughter April behind. Ten years later and without any trained scientists, Paris is stuck in the steam age. April lives alone with her best friend, a talking cat named Darwin, carrying her parents’ research in secret. Soon she is mixed up in a far-reaching conspiracy and on the run from government agents. Whip-smart and determined, she continues her quest to find her parents and discover the truth behind their disappearance. Extraordinary indeed, April’s world is a steampunk paradise filled with cleverly outlandish inventions and gadgetry, designed by Jacques Tardi in the same simple but stunning style of his iconic graphic novels.
Little Door Gods
Door Gods are traditionally placed as ornaments to ward off evil, but in Little Door Gods, these ancient characters come alive in a stunning 3D, cross-dimension adventure. The Spirit World is facing unemployment: with humans caring less and less about the Gods, the currency of belief is dwindling and their world is in disarray. The threat is very real for Door Gods Yu Lei and Shen Lu, who decide to prove their worth by entering the human realm. Their unconventional plan leads to some tumultuous — and hilarious — results. While Yu Lei seeks to conquer a ferocious monster, Shen Lu finds purpose with a small family struggling to keep their delicious noodle shop afloat. The fate of the ancient world (and an ancient soup recipe) is at stake!
the case of hana and alice
case of hana and alice defies genres by combining them: part buddy-comedy, part detective story, all wrapped up in a charming coming-of-age tale. Moonstruck Alice is new to a school that she soon discovers is consumed with the mystery of a missing classmate. Her path to make sense of it all leads her right back to her reclusive neighbor, Hana, and the two quickly bond over their desire to close the case. A silly and slapdash investigation ensues, sending the girls all over the city and into the lives of a carousel of quirky characters. As the mysteries unfold, so does a touching friendship between the girls, portrayed with as much authenticity as the photorealistic animation that accompanies it.
The Boy and the Beast
When Kyuta, a young orphan living on the streets of Shibuya, stumbles into a fantastic world of beasts, he’s taken in by Kumatetsu, a gruff, rough-around-the-edges warrior beast who’s been searching for the perfect apprentice. Despite their constant bickering, they begin training together and slowly form a makeshift family. When a deep darkness threatens to throw the human and beast worlds into chaos, the strong bond between the unlikely pair is put to the test in a final, epic showdown. Can they work together to combine their strength and courage?
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.
Beach Flags
Vida is an Iranian competitive lifeguard. She is determined to fight to win first place at an international competition in Australia. But with the arrival of Sareh, as fast and talented as she is, Vida is faced with an unexpected situation.
Under Your Fingers
After the death of her grandmother, a young girl revisits the complicated history of women in her family from colonial Indochina to their isolation in transit camps.