DATE NIGHT SPECIAL - THIS FILM IS NOT FOR KIDS
2012 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE - BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Oscar-winning director Fernando Trueba and legendary designer Javier Mariscal celebrate their passion for the music and culture of Cuba with an epic story of love and heartbreak spanning six deconds.

Q&A WITH DIRECTORS AT FEB 10-12 EVENING SHOWS
ANGELIKA FILM CENTER (HOUSTON & MERCER)

DATE NIGHT SPECIAL - THIS FILM IS NOT FOR KIDS
2012 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE - BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Oscar-winning director Fernando Trueba and legendary designer Javier Mariscal celebrate their passion for the music and culture of Cuba with an epic story of love and heartbreak spanning six deconds.

Q&A WITH DIRECTORS AT FEB 10-12 EVENING SHOWS
ANGELIKA FILM CENTER (HOUSTON & MERCER)

(Note: Chico & Rita is one of the two GKIDS films nominated for an Oscar this year in the Best Animated Feature category. The other film is A Cat in Paris, which premiered at NYICFF 2011. Chico & Rita is being released under our adult-skewing Luma Films banner. It is a really good movie!)

Cuba, 1948. Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a sultry singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and desire unite them as they chase their dreams and each other from Havana to New York to Paris, Hollywood and Las Vegas. With an original soundtrack by legendary Cuban pianist and five-time Grammy-winning composer Bebo Valdés, Chico & Rita captures a defining moment in the evolution of history and features the music of (and animated cameos by) Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Cole Porter, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Tito Puente, Chano Pozo, and others.

THIS FILM CONTAINS ANIMATED NUDITY AND MATURE SITUATIONS AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR CHILDREN (OR AT LEAST CHILDREN WHOSE PARENTS DO NOT WANT THEM TO SEE ANIMATED NUDITY AND MATURE SITUATIONS).


SOME REVIEWS FROM THE UK RELEASE:

“FOUR STARS! BEAUTIFUL! A SWAYING, SEXY, DREAM OF A MOVIE! The year's best musical, and one of the year's finest animated films!" – The Observer

"FOUR STARS! A SEXY, SOULFUL ANIMATION FOR GROWN-UPS! All buzz, color, and sublime jazz, Chico & Rita is an instant classic!" - Total Film

“FOUR STARS! MAGNIFICENT! DELICIOUS! RAVISHING! Swaying, snake-hipped Latin music from Bebo Valdés, Tito Puente and others reinforces the languid, sensual mood!” – The Telegraph

“FOUR STARS! A LOVE-STORY FOR THE AGES! By turns wistful, passionate, indignant and melancholy, this is an exquisitely composed piece of storytelling.” – The Independent

"FOUR STARS! A PASSIONATE, GLOBE-HOPPING LOVE-STORY! AN ANIMATED GEM! The epic sweep of Trueba’s heart-tugging story is anchored in Mariscal’s gorgeous cityscapes: pre-Castro Havana is a cozy tangle of mottled wood and Tropicana rhythms, while the towering skyscrapers of New York and the sprawling soundstages of Hollywood emphasize just how far – artistically and emotionally – our lovers have come.” – Time Out London

“FOUR STARS! HISPANIC ART DECO MEETS THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE! The music is a splurge of euphony, featuring classics from Woody Herman, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.” – Financial Times

“FOUR STARS! SEXY, SUNNY AND SWEET-NATURED! A Wonderfully Passionate Film!” – The Guardian

“EXUBERANT! BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL! A visually hypnotic, musically electric film!” – The Hollywood Reporter

NYICFF FILMMAKING CAMP - NYICFF is offering one-week, full-day classes in animation, stop-motion, and more, over the Feb, April, and July school breaks. Different classes for ages 6-14. Limited spaces available.
***CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND TO REGISTER***

NYICFF FILMMAKING CAMP - NYICFF is offering one-week, full-day classes in animation, stop-motion, and more, over the Feb, April, and July school breaks. Different classes for ages 6-14. Limited spaces available.
***CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND TO REGISTER***

SEE IT ALL -- BE POSH -- CUT TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE!
The NYICFF VIP Pass provides priority access admission to all screenings and events during the March 2-25, 2012 Festival.
***CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A VIP PASS***

SEE IT ALL -- BE POSH -- CUT TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE!
The NYICFF VIP Pass provides priority access admission to all screenings and events during the March 2-25, 2012 Festival.
***CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A VIP PASS***

To assure seating, arrive 15 minutes prior to showtime. NYICFF VIP Passes are intended for one person and are non-transferable. Pass holders must provide NYICFF with photo credentials in order to receive their Pass. Passes will not be issued without photo credentials.

US PREMIERE - NYICFF 2012 opens with a classic misunderstood-monster tale, a warm-hearted musical about the power of song featuring Django Reinhardt-style gypsy guitar and honey-toned vocals courtesy of Sean Lennon. Paris, 1910. The streets of the city are flooded. A mist-enshrouded Eiffel Tower looms over a temporary lake and the alleyways sport makeshift bridges so Parisians can go about their daily routines. But spirits are high for the citizens of this romantic city, including those of Emile, a lovelorn film projectionist, and his inventor friend Raoul, whose enthusiasm for breaking rules places him and Emile at the center of some unintentional mischief after they sneak into a scientist’s laboratory greenhouse and unwittingly let loose a monster onto the soggy streets of Paris.

US PREMIERE - NYICFF 2012 opens with a classic misunderstood-monster tale, a warm-hearted musical about the power of song featuring Django Reinhardt-style gypsy guitar and honey-toned vocals courtesy of Sean Lennon. Paris, 1910. The streets of the city are flooded. A mist-enshrouded Eiffel Tower looms over a temporary lake and the alleyways sport makeshift bridges so Parisians can go about their daily routines. But spirits are high for the citizens of this romantic city, including those of Emile, a lovelorn film projectionist, and his inventor friend Raoul, whose enthusiasm for breaking rules places him and Emile at the center of some unintentional mischief after they sneak into a scientist’s laboratory greenhouse and unwittingly let loose a monster onto the soggy streets of Paris.

Yet this terrible monster turns out to have a sad and sensitive soul – as well as musical talent – and when cabaret singer Lucille discovers the beast hiding backstage at the music hall, he dons a cape and hat and joins her act, instantly wowing the crowd with his silky smooth voice and hot guitar licks. Yet despite his peaceful demeanor, the City of Lights is in a panic, as the rotten rogue of a mayor plunges his police force headlong into a chaotic monster hunt that uses both the sweeping backdrops of Paris and 3D effects to the fullest.



NOTE: This is a two-tiered event

• Ticket to Screening ONLY: $16
• Ticket to the Screening and Opening Night Party: $30

FREE NYICFF GIFT BAGS FOR ALL ATTENDEES!
Join filmmakers and special guests for the NYICFF 2012 Awards Ceremony, with kid-friendly awards presentation, encore screenings of the winning films, and NYICFF tote bags stuffed with goodies for everyone!

FREE NYICFF GIFT BAGS FOR ALL ATTENDEES!
Join filmmakers and special guests for the NYICFF 2011 Awards Ceremony, with kid-friendly awards presentation, encore screenings of the winning films, and NYICFF tote bags stuffed with goodies for everyone!

Come find out who this year's winners are - as chosen by the NYICFF Jury and audience ballots throughout the festival. After the movies it's party time with complimentary hors d’oeuvres, delectable treats for kids of all ages, and an open wine and beverage bar.

NOTE: This is a two-tiered event

• Ticket to Awards Show and Best of Fest Screening ONLY: $16
• Ticket to the NYICFF Awards Show & Best of Fest Screening, and fully catered Closing Night Party: $30
• ALL ATTENDEES will receive a NYICFF goodie tote bag stuffed with gifts and prizes.

NYICFF 2012 Jury:
John Canemaker
Adam Gopnik
Tomm Moore
Lynne McVeigh
Matthew Modine
Michel Ocelot
Dana Points
Susan Sarandon
James Schamus
Evan Shapiro
Uma Thurman
Christine Vachon
Gus Van Sant
Taika Waititi
Jeffrey Wright

Makoto Shinkai is perhaps the world’s finest animator and his brilliant new feature delivers frame after frame of jaw-dropping photorealistic splendor: skyscapes of unspeakable majesty, a butterfly on a twig, a blade of grass – all are rendered with such astounding delicacy and precision that you mourn their passing once the image has left the screen. The story is a modern-day Orpheus tale with a sci-fi twist that pays tribute to the great works of Hayao Miyazaki – especially Princess Mononoke – with its demonic spirit-gods and magnificent forest creatures.

Makoto Shinkai is perhaps the world’s finest animator and his brilliant new feature delivers frame after frame of jaw-dropping photorealistic splendor: skyscapes of unspeakable majesty, a butterfly on a twig, a blade of grass – all are rendered with such astounding delicacy and precision that you mourn their passing once the image has left the screen. The story is a modern-day Orpheus tale with a sci-fi twist that pays tribute to the great works of Hayao Miyazaki – especially Princess Mononoke – with its demonic spirit-gods and magnificent forest creatures.

Asuna spends her afternoons alone in the mountains, using her crystal radio to listen to haunting songs from somewhere far away. One afternoon, a wild bear-like creature attacks and Asuna is saved by Shun, a boy with strange powers who comes from a mythical underworld beneath the Earth that is a gateway to the afterlife. When Asuna returns the next day to find him gone, she decides to leave the world of the living behind and follow him.

Comment: Animated violence and bloodshed, ghostlike creatures, and dark themes may be inappropriate for young or sensitive audiences.

SPECIAL SNEAK PREVIEW - NYICFF is thrilled to present the first New York screening of the new Disneynature film from the award-winning directors of Earth. Sumptuously shot in the rain forests of Africa, Chimpanzee tells the true-life story of an adorable young chimp named Oscar. Oscar’s playful curiosity and zest for discovery showcase the intelligence and ingenuity of some of the most extraordinary personalities in the animal kingdom.

The world is a playground for little Oscar and his fellow young chimps, who’d rather make mayhem than join their parents for an afternoon nap. Working together, Oscar’s chimpanzee family – including his mom, Isha, and the group’s savvy leader, Freddy – navigates the complex territory of the forest. But when Oscar’s family is confronted by a rival community of chimps, he is left to fend for himself until a surprising ally steps in and changes his life forever. As with the groundbreaking earlier Disneynature films, Chimpanzee boasts unparalleled nature photography and gives us an intimate first-hand look into the life of our closest relatives, while telling a truly remarkable story of family bonds and individual triumph.

SPECIAL SNEAK PREVIEW - NYICFF is thrilled to present the first New York screening of the new Disneynature film from the award-winning directors of Earth. Sumptuously shot in the rain forests of Africa, Chimpanzee tells the true-life story of an adorable young chimp named Oscar. Oscar’s playful curiosity and zest for discovery showcase the intelligence and ingenuity of some of the most extraordinary personalities in the animal kingdom.

The world is a playground for little Oscar and his fellow young chimps, who’d rather make mayhem than join their parents for an afternoon nap. Working together, Oscar’s chimpanzee family – including his mom, Isha, and the group’s savvy leader, Freddy – navigates the complex territory of the forest. But when Oscar’s family is confronted by a rival community of chimps, he is left to fend for himself until a surprising ally steps in and changes his life forever. As with the groundbreaking earlier Disneynature films, Chimpanzee boasts unparalleled nature photography and gives us an intimate first-hand look into the life of our closest relatives, while telling a truly remarkable story of family bonds and individual triumph.

US PREMIERE - FILMMAKER Q&A AT MAR 17 SCREENING - Based on the earliest known version of Cinderella, the Chinese tale “Ye Xian” from 768 A.D., cinematographer Richard Bowen’s wonder-filled feature debut is a gorgeous and enchanting fairytale, with exquisitely ornate costumes, dazzling scenery shot in Yunnan Province, and an underlying message that is as timely today as it was thirteen centuries ago.

US PREMIERE - FILMMAKER Q&A AT MAR 17 SCREENING - Based on the earliest known version of Cinderella, the Chinese tale “Ye Xian” from 768 A.D., cinematographer Richard Bowen’s wonder-filled feature debut is a gorgeous and enchanting fairytale, with exquisitely ornate costumes, dazzling scenery shot in Yunnan Province, and an underlying message that is as timely today as it was thirteen centuries ago.

In a mythical kingdom, a girl is born. The village shaman had foretold a boy and Mei Mei’s father is sorely disappointed. Years later with her mother gone, Mei Mei is left with nothing but a pair of bejeweled slippers and the hope that one day she will get to dance at the Festival of the Full Moon. Meanwhile, the kingdom has been thrown out of balance – the moon is stuck in the sky – and the handsome young king is commanded by his mother to take a wife to restore the celestial harmony. But the king refuses to have a child with a woman he does not truly love. One day, peering through a telescope from his island home, the king spies Mei Mei floating on air in her magical slippers. Convinced that he’s seen an angel, he sets out in search for her – but she runs off, losing one bejeweled slipper along the way.

FILMMAKER Q&A AT MAR 10 SCREENING - One of the most talked about films at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, First Position follows six astoundingly gifted, unbelievably disciplined young dancers vying for a spot in the Youth America Grand Prix. Considered one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world, the NYC showcase provides students the opportunity to dance for scholarships to the world’s top dance schools and land contracts with renowned companies.

Joan Sebastian, 16, from Cali, Colombia dances to create a better life for himself and his family. Miko, 12, from Palo Alto, pursues her love of ballet with the help of (or perhaps in spite of) her perfectionist Tiger Mom. Michaela, 14, was adopted as a toddler from war-torn Sierra Leone and fights through injury to overcome stereotypes that keep many black dancers out of the spotlight. And then there’s Gaya from Israel, who at only 11 years old dances with a poise, control and maturity that is simply astonishing to behold. With tensions building as we progress to the make-or-break finals, the film supplies all the drama you would expect – but even more than a dance movie, First Position captures the universal trials and triumphs of childhood across all walks of life.

FILMMAKER Q&A AT MAR 10 SCREENING - One of the most talked about films at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, First Position follows six astoundingly gifted, unbelievably disciplined young dancers vying for a spot in the Youth America Grand Prix. Considered one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world, the NYC showcase provides students the opportunity to dance for scholarships to the world’s top dance schools and land contracts with renowned companies.

Joan Sebastian, 16, from Cali, Colombia dances to create a better life for himself and his family. Miko, 12, from Palo Alto, pursues her love of ballet with the help of (or perhaps in spite of) her perfectionist Tiger Mom. Michaela, 14, was adopted as a toddler from war-torn Sierra Leone and fights through injury to overcome stereotypes that keep many black dancers out of the spotlight. And then there’s Gaya from Israel, who at only 11 years old dances with a poise, control and maturity that is simply astonishing to behold. With tensions building as we progress to the make-or-break finals, the film supplies all the drama you would expect – but even more than a dance movie, First Position captures the universal trials and triumphs of childhood across all walks of life.

Sitting at #1 on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the best reviewed movies of all time, A Hard Day’s Night is “one of the great life-affirming landmarks of the movies” (Roger Ebert) and “pure infectious joy” (Kenneth Turan). Shot at the height of Beatlemania following their triumphant first US visit and Ed Sullivan appearances, and while the group occupied the top five spots on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, the film captures all the exhilaration, excitement, and optimistic energy that defined the early Beatles phenomenon.

Shot in black-and-white, mock cinéma vérité style, director Richard Lester follows the foursome as they run from frenzied fans, poke fun at managers, cops, and other establishment types, and generally revel in their own youthful exuberance. Much has been said about the innovative quick cut edits, the hand-held cameras, the cutting to the beat, and the film’s other lasting influences – but whether you care about that kind of stuff or not is besides the point. When else can you spend 88 minutes smiling and feeling so positive about life?

Sitting at #1 on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the best reviewed movies of all time, A Hard Day’s Night is “one of the great life-affirming landmarks of the movies” (Roger Ebert) and “pure infectious joy” (Kenneth Turan). Shot at the height of Beatlemania following their triumphant first US visit and Ed Sullivan appearances, and while the group occupied the top five spots on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, the film captures all the exhilaration, excitement, and optimistic energy that defined the early Beatles phenomenon.

Shot in black-and-white, mock cinéma vérité style, director Richard Lester follows the foursome as they run from frenzied fans, poke fun at managers, cops, and other establishment types, and generally revel in their own youthful exuberance. Much has been said about the innovative quick cut edits, the hand-held cameras, the cutting to the beat, and the film’s other lasting influences – but whether you care about that kind of stuff or not is besides the point. When else can you spend 88 minutes smiling and feeling so positive about life?

EAST COAST PREMIERE - The last time Momo saw her father they had a fight – and now all she has left to remember him by is an incomplete letter that he had started to write her, a blank piece of paper penned with the words “Dear Momo” but nothing more. Moving with her mother from bustling Tokyo to the remote Japanese island of Shio, she soon discovers three goblins living in her attic, a trio of mischievous spiritcreatures who have been assigned to watch over her and that only she can see.

The goblins are also perpetually famished and they begin to wreak havoc on the formerly tranquil island, ransacking pantries and ravaging orchards – acts for which Momo often has to take the blame. But these funny monsters also have a serious side, and may hold the key to helping Momo understand what her father had been trying to tell her. A Letter to Momo is a wonderfully expressive and beautifully hand drawn tale that combines bursts of whimsy and kinetic humor with deep felt emotion and drama. The animation is superb throughout, from the painstakingly rendered serenity of the island’s Shinto shrines to the climactic finale – a frantic chase featuring thousands of squirming, morphing ghosts and goblins that is the best flight of supernatural fancy since Spirited Away.

EAST COAST PREMIERE - The last time Momo saw her father they had a fight – and now all she has left to remember him by is an incomplete letter that he had started to write her, a blank piece of paper penned with the words “Dear Momo” but nothing more. Moving with her mother from bustling Tokyo to the remote Japanese island of Shio, she soon discovers three goblins living in her attic, a trio of mischievous spiritcreatures who have been assigned to watch over her and that only she can see.

The goblins are also perpetually famished and they begin to wreak havoc on the formerly tranquil island, ransacking pantries and ravaging orchards – acts for which Momo often has to take the blame. But these funny monsters also have a serious side, and may hold the key to helping Momo understand what her father had been trying to tell her. A Letter to Momo is a wonderfully expressive and beautifully hand drawn tale that combines bursts of whimsy and kinetic humor with deep felt emotion and drama. The animation is superb throughout, from the painstakingly rendered serenity of the island’s Shinto shrines to the climactic finale – a frantic chase featuring thousands of squirming, morphing ghosts and goblins that is the best flight of supernatural fancy since Spirited Away.

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE - Lotte is back! The beloved girl-dog returns in this utterly charming follow-up to NYICFF 2008 audience favorite Lotte from Gadgetville. The townspeople of Gadgetville are as wacky as ever – still creating kooky contraptions and having cheery adventures. While reminiscing about a past adventure, Lotte’s uncle Klaus tells the story of how he and his friends, Fred and Ville, came to find three magical stones in a hidden temple.

Now all Lotte wants to do is unlock the secret of their power – so she convinces her uncle to go on a trip to find his old buddies and piece together the mystery. However, what Lotte and Uncle Klaus don’t know is that they are being followed by two Moon Rabbits – whose only hope of getting back home is locked up in those very same stones! A gentle and quirky journey filled with a cast of silly characters including a lovesick drummer and a man who sleeps all day in order to dream, Lotte and the Moonstone Secret is richly rendered, warm-hearted, good-natured fun for audiences of all ages. Featuring original songs by Latvian pop group Brainstorm! (What, you haven’t heard of them?!)

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE - Lotte is back! The beloved girl-dog returns in this utterly charming follow-up to NYICFF 2008 audience favorite Lotte from Gadgetville. The townspeople of Gadgetville are as wacky as ever – still creating kooky contraptions and having cheery adventures. While reminiscing about a past adventure, Lotte’s uncle Klaus tells the story of how he and his friends, Fred and Ville, came to find three magical stones in a hidden temple.

Now all Lotte wants to do is unlock the secret of their power – so she convinces her uncle to go on a trip to find his old buddies and piece together the mystery. However, what Lotte and Uncle Klaus don’t know is that they are being followed by two Moon Rabbits – whose only hope of getting back home is locked up in those very same stones! A gentle and quirky journey filled with a cast of silly characters including a lovesick drummer and a man who sleeps all day in order to dream, Lotte and the Moonstone Secret is richly rendered, warm-hearted, good-natured fun for audiences of all ages. Featuring original songs by Latvian pop group Brainstorm! (What, you haven’t heard of them?!)

US PREMIERE - WITH LIVE MUSIC ACCOMPANIMENT - Don’t miss this special US Premiere presentation of Magic Piano, the virtuosic stop-motion masterpiece from the Academy Award-winning producer of Peter and the Wolf, and set to Chopin’s etudes in celebration of the 200th anniversary of his birth. The film will be screened in 3D with live concert piano accompaniment by Derek Wang and Anna Larsen, Young Scholars of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation.

The film, part of the Flying Machine series – and short-listed for an Oscar – is a soaring tale of a girl who takes off into the open skies and travels the globe on a flying piano in search of her father. Other musical animation in the program includes Little Postman, Pl!ink, and Night Island, also from the Flying Machine series, as well as the award-winning musical films Luminaris (winner at Annecy and also short-listed for an Oscar) and The Maker.

US PREMIERE - WITH LIVE MUSIC ACCOMPANIMENT - Don’t miss this special US Premiere presentation of Magic Piano, the virtuosic stop-motion masterpiece from the Academy Award-winning producer of Peter and the Wolf, and set to Chopin’s etudes in celebration of the 200th anniversary of his birth. The film will be screened in 3D with live concert piano accompaniment by Derek Wang and Anna Larsen, Young Scholars of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation.

The film, part of the Flying Machine series – and short-listed for an Oscar – is a soaring tale of a girl who takes off into the open skies and travels the globe on a flying piano in search of her father. Other musical animation in the program includes Little Postman, Pl!ink, and Night Island, also from the Flying Machine series, as well as the award-winning musical films Luminaris (winner at Annecy and also short-listed for an Oscar) and The Maker.

From the twisted mind of Takashi Miike comes an insane new kids’ flick about a feuding ninja school – a riotous kung-fu comedy that easily earns all three exclamation points in its title. Little Rantaro comes from a long line of low-ranking ninjas, so when the time comes to leave the family farm to enter ninja school himself he is determined to study hard. Yet despite their dedication in star-throwing, explosives, and rock-climbing, Rantaro’s first year class is so inept that the headmaster declares an early summer vacation and sends them all home.

But the youngsters will get to earn their stars yet – after being challenged by a rival clan, the first-years must race to ring the bell at a mountaintop temple to save the school. Brilliant in its excess and bursting with joyous energy from the infectious young cast, the film is loaded with non-stop visual gags, dopey villains, adorable ninja trainees, and one very informative “friendly ninja trivia commentator” (as well as a musical back-story about a ninja-turned-hairdresser, sung mock operatic under a shower of falling flower petals). To quote one reviewer: Your jaw will drop like an elevator with a snapped cable. Be sure to stay for the end credits!

Comment: Stylized cartoon violence is jarring at first, until you realize that no one really gets hurt.

From the twisted mind of Takashi Miike comes an insane new kids’ flick about a feuding ninja school – a riotous kung-fu comedy that easily earns all three exclamation points in its title. Little Rantaro comes from a long line of low-ranking ninjas, so when the time comes to leave the family farm to enter ninja school himself he is determined to study hard. Yet despite their dedication in star-throwing, explosives, and rock-climbing, Rantaro’s first year class is so inept that the headmaster declares an early summer vacation and sends them all home.

But the youngsters will get to earn their stars yet – after being challenged by a rival clan, the first-years must race to ring the bell at a mountaintop temple to save the school. Brilliant in its excess and bursting with joyous energy from the infectious young cast, the film is loaded with non-stop visual gags, dopey villains, adorable ninja trainees, and one very informative “friendly ninja trivia commentator” (as well as a musical back-story about a ninja-turned-hairdresser, sung mock operatic under a shower of falling flower petals). To quote one reviewer: Your jaw will drop like an elevator with a snapped cable. Be sure to stay for the end credits!

Comment: Stylized cartoon violence is jarring at first, until you realize that no one really gets hurt.

SPECIAL SNEAK PREVIEW - Aaargh! NYICFF is extremely proud to present the epic new claymation adventure from four-time Academy Award-winning stop-motion masters, Aardman Animations. Directed by Aardman founder (and former NYICFF jury member) Peter Lord, Pirates is the high seas saga of hapless Pirate Captain and his crew of extremely silly and witless pirate fools.

With his rag-tag crew at his side, and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the boundlessly enthusiastic Captain embarks on a quest to be named Pirate of the Year – a voyage that takes us from the shores of exotic Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London and encounters with Queen Elizabeth, a young Charles Darwin, and a colorful assortment of ruthless pirate adversaries. But in his increasingly desperate drive for greatness, our gung-ho Captain risks alienating his only true friends and losing what is most dear to him.

SPECIAL SNEAK PREVIEW - Aaargh! NYICFF is extremely proud to present the epic new claymation adventure from four-time Academy Award-winning stop-motion masters, Aardman Animations. Directed by Aardman founder (and former NYICFF jury member) Peter Lord, Pirates is the high seas saga of hapless Pirate Captain and his crew of extremely silly and witless pirate fools.

With his rag-tag crew at his side, and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the boundlessly enthusiastic Captain embarks on a quest to be named Pirate of the Year – a voyage that takes us from the shores of exotic Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London and encounters with Queen Elizabeth, a young Charles Darwin, and a colorful assortment of ruthless pirate adversaries. But in his increasingly desperate drive for greatness, our gung-ho Captain risks alienating his only true friends and losing what is most dear to him.

SPECIAL SNEAK PREVIEW - One part More than a Game, two parts Bad News Bears, this thoroughly charming and eye-opening sports doc offers a glimpse of hope and possibility for life in Iraq through the vantage point of a girls college basketball team. In its second year of existence, the American University of Iraq women’s team has never won a single game – not surprising in a culture where team sports are strictly for men and when most of the players have never touched a basketball (some even show up to tryouts in high heels!).

Yet what they lack in talent they make up for in spunk, executing every drill and taking every direction from Connecticut English teacher-turned coach Ryan, whose earnestness sometimes plays like parody as he rallies his motley but endearing group into game shape. Through interviews and homemade video diaries, team members share their experiences before leaving war-torn homes and finding refuge at the university, where Kurds, Sunnis, Christians and Shiites are all welcome. Though the basketball is laughable (they lose one game 68 to 2), filmmaker David Fine captures every pass and nail-biting free throw as if he was filming for ESPN, and provides an overcoming-the-odds spirit so strong that the viewer can’t help but cheer for the rag-tag team. But the true heroes are the girls off court. Though a world apart from the lives led by most New York girls, what comes through in the film are not the differences but the similarities.

SPECIAL SNEAK PREVIEW - One part More than a Game, two parts Bad News Bears, this thoroughly charming and eye-opening sports doc offers a glimpse of hope and possibility for life in Iraq through the vantage point of a girls college basketball team. In its second year of existence, the American University of Iraq women’s team has never won a single game – not surprising in a culture where team sports are strictly for men and when most of the players have never touched a basketball (some even show up to tryouts in high heels!).

Yet what they lack in talent they make up for in spunk, executing every drill and taking every direction from Connecticut English teacher-turned coach Ryan, whose earnestness sometimes plays like parody as he rallies his motley but endearing group into game shape. Through interviews and homemade video diaries, team members share their experiences before leaving war-torn homes and finding refuge at the university, where Kurds, Sunnis, Christians and Shiites are all welcome. Though the basketball is laughable (they lose one game 68 to 2), filmmaker David Fine captures every pass and nail-biting free throw as if he was filming for ESPN, and provides an overcoming-the-odds spirit so strong that the viewer can’t help but cheer for the rag-tag team. But the true heroes are the girls off court. Though a world apart from the lives led by most New York girls, what comes through in the film are not the differences but the similarities.

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE - FILMMAKER Q&A AT MAR 4 SCREENING - NYICFF is absolutely thrilled to present one of the most stunningly beautiful films we have seen in years. With swirls of vibrant color that burst from the screen, and nearly every frame a breathtaking wonder, Le Tableau is a captivating, enormously enjoyable animated treat for both children and adults.

In this wryly inventive parable, a kingdom is divided into the three castes: the impeccably painted Alldunns who reside in a majestic palace; the Halfies who the Painter has left incomplete; and the untouchable Sketchies, simple charcoal outlines who are banished to the cursed forest. Chastised for her forbidden love for an Alldunn and shamed by her unadorned face, Halfie Claire runs away into the forest. Her beloved Ramo and best friend Lola journey after her, passing between the forbidden Death Flowers that guard the boundaries of the forest (in one of the film’s most radiantly gorgeous scenes), and arriving finally at the very edge of the painting – where they tumble through the canvas and into the Painter’s studio. The abandoned workspace is strewn with paintings, each containing its own animated world – and in a feast for both the eyes and imagination, they explore first one picture and then another, attempting to discover just what the Painter has in mind for all his creations. Presented in partnership with Rendez-Vous with French Cinema.

Comment: A painted nude in the studio comes to life and becomes a talking character.

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE - FILMMAKER Q&A AT MAR 4 SCREENING - NYICFF is absolutely thrilled to present one of the most stunningly beautiful films we have seen in years. With swirls of vibrant color that burst from the screen, and nearly every frame a breathtaking wonder, Le Tableau is a captivating, enormously enjoyable animated treat for both children and adults.

In this wryly inventive parable, a kingdom is divided into the three castes: the impeccably painted Alldunns who reside in a majestic palace; the Halfies who the Painter has left incomplete; and the untouchable Sketchies, simple charcoal outlines who are banished to the cursed forest. Chastised for her forbidden love for an Alldunn and shamed by her unadorned face, Halfie Claire runs away into the forest. Her beloved Ramo and best friend Lola journey after her, passing between the forbidden Death Flowers that guard the boundaries of the forest (in one of the film’s most radiantly gorgeous scenes), and arriving finally at the very edge of the painting – where they tumble through the canvas and into the Painter’s studio. The abandoned workspace is strewn with paintings, each containing its own animated world – and in a feast for both the eyes and imagination, they explore first one picture and then another, attempting to discover just what the Painter has in mind for all his creations. Presented in partnership with Rendez-Vous with French Cinema.

Comment: A painted nude in the studio comes to life and becomes a talking character.

FILMMAKER Q&A AT MAR 18 SCREENING - NYICFF welcomes renowned animator Michel Ocelot (Kirikou and the Sorceress, Azur & Asmar) to present his newest film. Tales of the Night is Ocelot’s first foray into 3D animation and extends the shadow puppet style of his Princes and Princesses into the third dimension, with silhouetted characters set off against exquisitely detailed backgrounds bursting with color and kaleidoscopic patterns like a Day-Glo diorama.

The film weaves together six exotic fables each unfolding in a unique locale, from Tibet, to medieval Europe, an Aztec kingdom, the African plains, and even the Caribbean Land of the Dead. In Ocelot’s storytelling, history blends with fairytale as viewers are whisked off to enchanted lands full of dragons, sorcerers, werewolves, captive princesses, and enormous talking bees - and each fable ends with its own ironic twist.

FILMMAKER Q&A AT MAR 18 SCREENING - NYICFF welcomes renowned animator Michel Ocelot (Kirikou and the Sorceress, Azur & Asmar) to present his newest film. Tales of the Night is Ocelot’s first foray into 3D animation and extends the shadow puppet style of his Princes and Princesses into the third dimension, with silhouetted characters set off against exquisitely detailed backgrounds bursting with color and kaleidoscopic patterns like a Day-Glo diorama.

The film weaves together six exotic fables each unfolding in a unique locale, from Tibet, to medieval Europe, an Aztec kingdom, the African plains, and even the Caribbean Land of the Dead. In Ocelot’s storytelling, history blends with fairytale as viewers are whisked off to enchanted lands full of dragons, sorcerers, werewolves, captive princesses, and enormous talking bees - and each fable ends with its own ironic twist.

WORLD PREMIERE ENGLISH LANGUAGE VERSION - The NYICFF 2010 Grand Prize winner is back, in a new English language version, featuring the voices of Forest Whitaker, Joan Cusack and Cary Elwes. Legendary Czech stop-motion animation master Jiri Barta’s first feature in over 20 years is four parts Toy Story and one part David Lynch, as a group of abandoned toys stage an ambitious rescue of their kidnapped friend.

WORLD PREMIERE ENGLISH LANGUAGE VERSION - The NYICFF 2010 Grand Prize winner is back, in a new English language version, featuring the voices of Forest Whitaker, Joan Cusack and Cary Elwes. Legendary Czech stop-motion animation master Jiri Barta’s first feature in over 20 years is four parts Toy Story and one part David Lynch, as a group of abandoned toys stage an ambitious rescue of their kidnapped friend.

Set behind the doors of a dusty attic, the adorable doll Buttercup plays mom to a motley family of castaways: the station master Teddy Bear, clay-animated Schubert, and the Quixotic marionette knight Sir Handsome. In this enchanted world every day is a birthday, until a mysterious black cat kidnaps the beloved Buttercup and takes her to the Land of Evil ruled by the villainous Head of State, who commands an army of mechanical, mustachioed insects and an all seeing spying eye. Both a wonderfully spooky children’s fairy tale and Soviet-era allegory, Toys in the Attic marks a career highpoint for Barta, who was among the first to raise stop-motion animation to an art form and paved the the way for modern hits like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, and Fantastic Mr. Fox.

FIRST NY SCREENING IN OVER 10 YEARS - An icon of psychedelic pop culture, Yellow Submarine is a colorful musical spectacle and an exhilaratingly joyful cinematic experience for all ages – filled with visual invention, optical illusions, word play, and glorious, glorious music.

Once upon a time…or maybe twice…there was an unearthly paradise called Pepperland, 80,000 leagues under the sea it lay, a place where beauty, happiness, and music reigned supreme. But this peaceful harmony is shattered when the Blue Meanies invade with their army of storm bloopers, apple bonkers, snapping turtle turks, and the menacing flying glove in an attempt to stop the music and drain Pepperland of all color and hope. Now it’s The Beatles to the rescue, as our animated heroes team up with Young Fred and the Nowhere Man and journey across seven seas to free Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, make peace with the Meanies, and restore music, color, and love to the world.

But beyond all the music and whimsy, Yellow Submarine is a landmark in animation, with Heinz Edelmann’s inspired art direction conjuring up a non- stop parade of wildly different styles and techniques. From the paper-doll residents of Pepperland, to the tinted photography of the soot covered roofs and smokestacks of Liverpool, the menagerie of fanciful characters in the Sea of Monsters, the kaleidoscopic color-splashed rotoscoping of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, the vertigo inducing op-art of the Sea of Holes, and the triumphant euphony of the It’s All Too Much finale, the film is simply a joy.

FIRST NY SCREENING IN OVER 10 YEARS - An icon of psychedelic pop culture, Yellow Submarine is a colorful musical spectacle and an exhilaratingly joyful cinematic experience for all ages – filled with visual invention, optical illusions, word play, and glorious, glorious music.

Once upon a time…or maybe twice…there was an unearthly paradise called Pepperland, 80,000 leagues under the sea it lay, a place where beauty, happiness, and music reign supreme. But this peaceful harmony is shattered when the Blue Meanies invade with their army of apple bonkers, snapping turtle turks, and the menacing Flying Glove in an attempt to stop the music and drain Pepperland of all color and hope. Now it’s The Beatles to the rescue, as our animated heroes team up with Young Fred and the Nowhere Man and journey across seven seas to free Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, make peace with the Meanies, and restore music, color, and love to the world.

But beyond all the music and whimsy, Yellow Submarine is a landmark in animation, with Heinz Edelmann’s inspired art direction conjuring up a non- stop parade of wildly different styles and techniques. From the paper-doll residents of Pepperland, to the tinted photography of the soot covered roofs and smokestacks of Liverpool, the menagerie of fanciful characters in the Sea of Monsters, the kaleidoscopic color-splashed rotoscoping of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, the vertigo inducing op-art of the Sea of Holes, and the triumphant euphony of the It’s All Too Much finale, the film is simply a joy.

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES 3 TO 6 - A kaleidoscopic showcase of the best short film and animation from around the world, for ages 3 to 6. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2012 winning films! Program includes:

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES 3 TO 6 - A kaleidoscopic showcase of the best short film and animation from around the world, for ages 3 to 6. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2012 winning films! Program includes:

Behind
Canada - US PREMIERE
Animation, Ga Young Back, 2011, 3 min

The Gruffalo's Child
UK - EAST COAST PREMIERE
Animation, Johannes Weiland/Uwe Heidschotter, 2011, 26 min

Balloon Moon
Portugal - EAST COAST PREMIERE
Animation, Jose Miguel Ribeiro, 2010, 5 min

Twist and Shout
Japan - EAST COAST PREMIERE
Animation, Yosuke Kihara, 2010, 3 min

Gulp
UK - NY PREMIERE
Animation, Sumo Science, 2011, 2 min

Metro
USA
Animation, Jake Wyatt, 2011, 5 min

Diversity
USA - US PREMIERE
Animation, Anthony Dusko, 2010, 1 min

Keenan At Sea
USA
Animation, David Cowles/Jeremy Galante, 2010, 2 min

PL!INK
Norway/Poland - NY PREMIERE
Animation, Anne Kristin Berge, 2011, 3.5 min

Who Is Not Sleeping?
Sweden - WORLD PREMIERE
Animation, Jessica Lauren, 2010, 4 min

SHORTS FILMS FOR AGES 5 TO 10 - The best short film and animation from around the world, for ages 5-10. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2012 winning films! Program includes:

SHORTS FILMS FOR AGES 5 TO 10 - The best short film and animation from around the world, for ages 5-10. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2012 winning films! Program includes:

Maximum Boost
Switzerland - US PREMIERE
Live Action, Rolf Hellat, 2010, 5 min

Hello I Like You
USA - NY PREMIERE
Animation, Mixtape Club, 2011, 2 min

The Storyteller
India/UK - NY PREMIERE
Animation, Nandita Jain, 2011, 10 min

Swimming Pool
Czech Republic
Animation, Alexandra Hetmerova, 2010, 7 min

The Girl and the Fox
USA
Animation, Tyler J. Kupferer, 2011, 5.5 min

Extinction of the Sabertooth House Cat
USA
Animation, Damon Wong, 2010, 3.5 min

Shop Tales
Hungary - NY PREMIERE
Animation, Eszter Szoboszlay, 2010, 7 min

B/W Races
Italy - NY PREMIERE
Animation, Jacopo Martinoni, 2010, 2.5 min

Floyd the Android
USA
Animation, Jonathan Lyons, 2011, 2 min

Ernesto
UK - US PREMIERE
Animation, Corinne Ladeinde, 2011, 7 min

Shadow of a Midsummer Night
Norway - NY PREMIERE
Live Action, Arna Marie Bersaas, 2011, 16 min

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES 8 TO 14 - The best short film and animation from around the world, for ages 8 to 14. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2012 winning films! Program includes:

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES 8 TO 14 - The best short film and animation from around the world, for ages 8 to 14. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2012 winning films! Program includes:

Dawn
Canada - US PREMIERE
Animation, Jean-Francois Proulx, 2010, 1.5 min

Luminaris
Argentina - NY PREMIERE
Animation/Mixed Media, Juan Pablo Zaramella, 2010, 6.5 min

Grandma Grasshopper
Bolivia/Denmark - US PREMIERE
Animation, Denis Chapon, 2010, 13 min

Capturing Santa
Ireland - NY PREMIERE
Live Action, Peter Cattaneo, 2011, 12 min

The Sandpit
USA - NY PREMIERE
Animation, Sam O'Hare, 2010, 5.5 min

Dripped
France
Animation, Leo Verrier, 2010, 9 min

Paint Showers
USA - EAST COAST PREMIERE
Animation, Miguel Jiron, 2010, 3 min

Bunce
UK
Live Action, Peter Cattaneo, 2010, 12 min

Chute
France
Animation, Mathias Lachal, 2010, 2 min

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES 12 TO ADULT - The best short film and animation from around the world, for ages 12 to adult. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2012 winning films! Program includes:

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES 12 TO ADULT - The best short film and animation from around the world, for ages 12 to adult. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2012 winning films! Program includes:

Dr. Breakfast
USA - NY PREMIERE
Animation, Stephen Neary, 2011, 7 min

Journey to Cape Verde
Portugal
Animation, Jose Miguel Ribeiro, 2010, 17 min

I Don't Want to go Back Alone
Brazil
Live Action, Daniel Ribeiro, 2010, 17 min

(Notes On) Biology
USA
Animation, Danny Madden, 2010, 5.5 min

Child's Play
Germany - NY PREMIERE
Live Action, Lars Kornhoff, 2010, 18 min

Polo's Robot
Australia - NY PREMIERE
Animation, Peter Lowey, 2011, 2 min

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES 10 TO ADULT - A collection of strange and scary short films from around the world, for ages 10 to adult. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2012 winning films! Program includes:

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES 10 TO ADULT - A collection of strange and scary short films from around the world, for ages 10 to adult. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2012 winning films! Program includes:

Chernokids
France - US PREMIERE
Animation, Matthieu Bernadat, 2010, 7 min

Escape His Stare
France - US PREMIERE
Animation, Chen Chen, 2010, 3.5 min

Rose & Violet
Canada - NY PREMIERE
Animation, Luc Otter/Claude Grosch, 2011, 26.5 min

The Maker
Australia - NY PREMIERE
Animation, Christopher Kezelos, 2010, 5 min

The Monster of Nix
France - NY PREMIERE
Animation, Rosto A.D., 2011, 30 min

Wilis
France - US PREMIERE
Animation, Emilie Tcherkaschenko, 2010, 5 min

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES 10 TO ADULT - Girls' Point of View is a collection of the best short films from around the world, for ages 10 to adult. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2012 winning films! Program includes:

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES 10 TO ADULT - Girls' Point of View is a collection of the best short films from around the world, for ages 10 to adult. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2012 winning films! Program includes:

Whale Bird
France - US PREMIERE
Animation, Sophie Roze, 2011, 7.5 min

Hairy
USA - US PREMIERE
Live Action, Ana Lily Amirpour, 2010, 17 min

Jessi
Germany - US PREMIERE
Live Action, Mariejosephin Schneider, 2010, 31 min

I Am a Girl!
Netherlands
Live Action/Documentary, Susan Koenen, 2010, 15 min

Fat
Canada - US PREMIERE
Live Action/ Documentary, Margaret Donahoe/Gillian Good, 2011, 5 min

Swimsuit 46
Belgium - NY PREMIERE
Live Action, Wannes Destoop, 2011, 15 min

TICKETS ON SALE NOW
***ALL 15 FILMS FROM 1984 TO 2009***
IFC CENTER -- MULTIPLE SHOWS PER DAY -- DEC 16 TO JAN 12
SCROLL DOWN FOR SHOWTIMES

TICKETS ON SALE NOW
***ALL 15 FILMS FROM 1984 TO 2009***
IFC CENTER -- MULTIPLE SHOWS PER DAY -- DEC 16 TO JAN 12
SCROLL DOWN FOR SHOWTIMES

GKIDS brings a twenty-five year retrospective of films from Japan's famed Studio Ghibli animation studio to the IFC Center this winter! Don't miss your chance to see some of the greatest films of all time on new 35mm prints, including the Academy Award-winning Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, and North American Premieres of Only Yesterday and The Ocean Waves.

Films will be presented in both subtitled and English language versions (where available), with subtitled versions playing 6pm and later.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
In a break from the frequently mythical storytelling of Studio Ghibli, director Isao Takahata wryly tweaks the everyday activities of family life with his depiction of the irresponsible, slovenly, and lazy Yamada family and their unassuming way of life.

With cartoon-like characters and visual design unlike anything else in the Ghibli canon, the film is illustrated in a series of rough sketches and outlines, which are then filled with soft colors that evoke watercolor painting. For show times 6pm and later, the film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. Morning and afternoon screenings will be screened in the English language version - featuring the voices of XXXXXXXXX.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
In a break from the frequently mythical storytelling of Studio Ghibli, director Isao Takahata wryly tweaks the everyday activities of family life with his depiction of the irresponsible, slovenly, and lazy Yamada family and their unassuming way of life. With cartoon-like characters and visual design unlike anything else in the Ghibli canon, the film is illustrated in a series of rough sketches and outlines, which are then filled with soft colors that evoke watercolor painting.

For show times 6pm and later, the film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. Morning and afternoon screenings will be screened in the English language version - featuring the voices of James Belushi, Molly Shannon and Tress MacNeille.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award®-winning masterpiece Spirited Away was the biggest box office hit of all time in Japan and a film that helped redefine the possibilities of animation for American audiences and a generation of new filmmakers.

Wandering through an abandoned carnival site, ten-year-old Chichiro is separated from her parents and stumbles into a dream-like spirit world where she is put to work in a bathhouse for the gods, a place where all kinds of nonhuman beings come to refresh, relax and recharge. Here she encounters a vast menagerie of impossibly inventive characters -- shape-shifting phantoms and spirits, some friendly, some less so -- and must find the inner strength to outsmart her captors and return to her family. Combining Japanese mythology with Through the Looking Glass-type whimsy, Spirited Away cemented Miyazaki’s reputation as an icon of inspired animation and wondrous, lyrical storytelling.

“Prepare to be astonished” – LA Times

“Epic and marvelous! Phantasmagoric!” – NY Times

“One of the year’s best films!” – Roger Ebert

For show times 6pm and later, the film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. Morning and afternoon screenings will be screened in the English language version - featuring the voices of XXXXXXXXX.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award®-winning masterpiece Spirited Away was the biggest box office hit of all time in Japan and a film that helped redefine the possibilities of animation for American audiences and a generation of new filmmakers.

Wandering through an abandoned carnival site, ten-year-old Chichiro is separated from her parents and stumbles into a dream-like spirit world where she is put to work in a bathhouse for the gods, a place where all kinds of nonhuman beings come to refresh, relax and recharge. Here she encounters a vast menagerie of impossibly inventive characters -- shape-shifting phantoms and spirits, some friendly, some less so -- and must find the inner strength to outsmart her captors and return to her family. Combining Japanese mythology with Through the Looking Glass-type whimsy, Spirited Away cemented Miyazaki’s reputation as an icon of inspired animation and wondrous, lyrical storytelling.

“Prepare to be astonished” – LA Times

“Epic and marvelous! Phantasmagoric!” – NY Times

“One of the year’s best films!” – Roger Ebert

For show times 6pm and later, the film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. Morning and afternoon screenings will be screened in the English language version - featuring the voices of Daveigh Chase, Jason Marsden, Michael Chiklis and Susan Egan.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
The debut film from Hayao Miyazaki, Nausicaä is considered by many to be his masterwork - and there are few films, animated or otherwise, of such sweeping scope and grandeur. Set in a devastated future world decimated by atmospheric poisons and swarming with gigantic insects, Nausicaä is the story of a young princess, both brave and innocent, whose love for all living things and passionate determination to understand the processes of nature lead her into terrible danger, sacrifice, and eventual triumph.

Like most Studio Ghibli films, there is neither good nor evil, but conflicting viewpoints, weaknesses, and power struggles. Throughout the film, Miyazaki’s animation is awe-inspiring; the depiction of the poisoned forest in particular is a thing of transcendent beauty. Once the hallucinogenic strangeness of shape and color has been accepted, there is light, growth and life everywhere. Huge dragonfly-like creatures are accompanied by wonderful, evocative sounds of flight and movement. The lethal fungus plants glow, shimmer and shed spores like silent gleaming snowfalls. This is a film not to be missed.

For show times 6pm and later, the film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. Morning and afternoon screenings will be screened in the English language version - featuring the voices of XXXXXXXXX.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
The debut film from Hayao Miyazaki, Nausicaä is considered by many to be his masterwork - and there are few films, animated or otherwise, of such sweeping scope and grandeur. Set in a devastated future world decimated by atmospheric poisons and swarming with gigantic insects, Nausicaä is the story of a young princess, both brave and innocent, whose love for all living things and passionate determination to understand the processes of nature lead her into terrible danger, sacrifice, and eventual triumph.

Like most Studio Ghibli films, there is neither good nor evil, but conflicting viewpoints, weaknesses, and power struggles. Throughout the film, Miyazaki’s animation is awe-inspiring; the depiction of the poisoned forest in particular is a thing of transcendent beauty. Once the hallucinogenic strangeness of shape and color has been accepted, there is light, growth and life everywhere. Huge dragonfly-like creatures are accompanied by wonderful, evocative sounds of flight and movement. The lethal fungus plants glow, shimmer and shed spores like silent gleaming snowfalls. This is a film not to be missed.

For show times 6pm and later, the film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. Morning and afternoon screenings will be screened in the English language version - featuring the voices of Uma Thurman, Shia LeBouf, Patrick Stewart, Edward James Olmos and Mark Hamill.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
Sophie, an average teenage girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. But after this chance meeting, the young girl is turned into a 90-year old woman by the vain and conniving Witch of the Waste.

Embarking on an incredible adventure to lift the curse, she finds refuge in Howl’s magical moving castle. As the true power of Howl’s wizardry is revealed, and his relationship with Sophie deepens, our young grey heroine finds herself fighting to protect them both from a dangerous war of sorcery that threatens their world. Howl's Moving Castle was the second Studio Ghibli film to be nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards.

The film will be shown in the English language version - featuring the voices of XXXXXXXXX. mysterious wizard named Howl...

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
Sophie, an average teenage girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. But after this chance meeting, the young girl is turned into a 90-year old woman by the vain and conniving Witch of the Waste.

Embarking on an incredible adventure to lift the curse, she finds refuge in Howl’s magical moving castle. As the true power of Howl’s wizardry is revealed, and his relationship with Sophie deepens, our young grey heroine finds herself fighting to protect them both from a dangerous war of sorcery that threatens their world. Howl's Moving Castle was the second Studio Ghibli film to be nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards.

The film will be shown in the English language version - featuring the voices of Christian Bale, Emily Mortimer, Billy Crystal and Lauren Bacall.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
One of the most endearing and internationally renowned films of all time, a film that Roger Ebert called “one of the five best movies” ever made for children, My Neighbor Totoro is a deceptively simple tale of two girls, Satsuki and Mei, who move with their father to a new house in the countryside. They soon discover that the surrounding forests are home to a family of Totoros, gentle but powerful creatures who live in a huge and ancient camphor tree and are seen only by children. Based on Miyazaki’s own childhood imaginings, Totoros look like oversized pandas with bunny ears and they take the girls on spinning-top rides through the tree tops and introduce them to a furry, multi-pawed Catbus--a nod to Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat.

But beneath the film's playfulness and narrative simplicity lie depths of wisdom. As with much of Miyazaki’s work, at its core My Neighbor Totoro is about human-kind's relationship to the Earth. The film is infused with an almost spiritual reverence for the power of nature (a philosophy tied to the ancient Shinto belief that every object in nature has a soul). Everything that surrounds us, from light-dappled tree groves, to the marvelous clouds, echoes the density and lusciousness of life. Protected by the Totoros, we know no harm will come to our two heroines in the forest's sunlit glades and mysterious shadows. The girls may be awed by the power and majesty around them but they understand instinctively that nature has no malice. The viewer is left with a sense of wonder at the beauty, mystery and preciousness of the world all around us.

For show times 6pm and later, the film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. Morning and afternoon screenings will be screened in the English language version - featuring the voices of XXXXXXXXX.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
One of the most endearing and internationally renowned films of all time, a film that Roger Ebert called “one of the five best movies” ever made for children, My Neighbor Totoro is a deceptively simple tale of two girls, Satsuki and Mei, who move with their father to a new house in the countryside. They soon discover that the surrounding forests are home to a family of Totoros, gentle but powerful creatures who live in a huge and ancient camphor tree and are seen only by children. Based on Miyazaki’s own childhood imaginings, Totoros look like oversized pandas with bunny ears and they take the girls on spinning-top rides through the tree tops and introduce them to a furry, multi-pawed Catbus--a nod to Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat.

But beneath the film's playfulness and narrative simplicity lie depths of wisdom. As with much of Miyazaki’s work, at its core My Neighbor Totoro is about human-kind's relationship to the Earth. The film is infused with an almost spiritual reverence for the power of nature (a philosophy tied to the ancient Shinto belief that every object in nature has a soul). Everything that surrounds us, from light-dappled tree groves, to the marvelous clouds, echoes the density and lusciousness of life. Protected by the Totoros, we know no harm will come to our two heroines in the forest's sunlit glades and mysterious shadows. The girls may be awed by the power and majesty around them but they understand instinctively that nature has no malice. The viewer is left with a sense of wonder at the beauty, mystery and preciousness of the world all around us.

For show times 6pm and later, the film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. Morning and afternoon screenings will be screened in the English language version - featuring the voices of Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, Tim Daly and Frank Welker.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
Don't miss this rare opportunity to see one of Hayao Miyazaki's most stunningly beautiful, exciting, and infrequently screened films. A young girl with a mysterious crystal pendant falls out of the sky and into the arms and life of young Pazu. Together they search for a floating island in the sky, site of a long-dead civilization promising enormous wealth and power to those who can unlock its secrets.

Castle in the Sky is an early masterpiece of storytelling and filmmaking whose imaginative and ornately detailed vision presaged later films like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away.

The film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
Don't miss this rare opportunity to see one of Hayao Miyazaki's most stunningly beautiful, exciting, and infrequently screened films. A young girl with a mysterious crystal pendant falls out of the sky and into the arms and life of young Pazu. Together they search for a floating island in the sky, site of a long-dead civilization promising enormous wealth and power to those who can unlock its secrets.

Castle in the Sky is an early masterpiece of storytelling and filmmaking whose imaginative and ornately detailed vision presaged later films like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away.

The film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
This unsung treasure from Hayao Miyazaki nestles a tale of morality and identity inside a soaring airborne adventure - a tribute to early aviation and the reckless flyboys whose home was the open sky.

Set in a mid-war Italy swept by fascism, the film follows the life of Marco, a world-weary flying ace-turned bounty hunter who plies his trade above the waters of the Adriatic. Somewhere along the way a curse has transformed Marco’s head into the head of a pig, reflecting his loss of faith in humanity. Marco meets his polar opposite in the innocent and energetic 17-year-old Fio, an aspiring airplane designer, and the two are catapulted into an airborne adventure pursued by air pirates, the Italian army, and an egotistical American flying ace.

Myazaki fans will be familiar with the writer/director’s fascination with flight; in this film, Miyazaki indulges his passion to the fullest. An avid aviation buff, Miyazaki’s airplane designs conform scrupulously to the technology of the period. But most impressive are the exhilarating aerial scenes: sweeping panoramas of wind, cloud, smoke and water and the breathtaking feeling of soaring though the air in an open cockpit.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
This unsung treasure from Hayao Miyazaki nestles a tale of morality and identity inside a soaring airborne adventure - a tribute to early aviation and the reckless flyboys whose home was the open sky.

Set in a mid-war Italy swept by fascism, the film follows the life of Marco, a world-weary flying ace-turned bounty hunter who plies his trade above the waters of the Adriatic. Somewhere along the way a curse has transformed Marco’s head into the head of a pig, reflecting his loss of faith in humanity. Marco meets his polar opposite in the innocent and energetic 17-year-old Fio, an aspiring airplane designer, and the two are catapulted into an airborne adventure pursued by air pirates, the Italian army, and an egotistical American flying ace.

Miyazaki fans will be familiar with the writer/director’s fascination with flight; in this film, Miyazaki indulges his passion to the fullest. An avid aviation buff, Miyazaki’s airplane designs conform scrupulously to the technology of the period. But most impressive are the exhilarating aerial scenes: sweeping panoramas of wind, cloud, smoke and water and the breathtaking feeling of soaring though the air in an open cockpit.

For show times 6pm and later, the film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. Morning and afternoon screenings will be shown in the English language version - featuring the voices of Michael Keaton, Brad Garrett, Cary Elwes and David Ogden Stiers.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
From the legendary Hayao Miyazaki comes the beloved story of a resourceful young witch who uses her broom to create a delivery service, only to lose her gift of flight in a moment of self-doubt. It is tradition for all young witches to leave their families on the night of a full moon and set out into the wide world to learn their craft. When that night comes for Kiki, she embarks on her life journey with her chatty black cat, Jiji, landing the next morning in a sea-side village, where a bakery owner hires her to make deliveries. Rarely has the animator’s art been so brilliantly rendered as in this delightfully imaginative film - a beautiful and timeless story of a young girl finding her way in the world.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
From the legendary Hayao Miyazaki comes the beloved story of a resourceful young witch who uses her broom to create a delivery service, only to lose her gift of flight in a moment of self-doubt. It is tradition for all young witches to leave their families on the night of a full moon and set out into the wide world to learn their craft. When that night comes for Kiki, she embarks on her life journey with her chatty black cat, Jiji, landing the next morning in a sea-side village, where a bakery owner hires her to make deliveries. Rarely has the animator’s art been so brilliantly rendered as in this delightfully imaginative film - a beautiful and timeless story of a young girl finding her way in the world.

For show times 6pm and later, the film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. Morning and afternoon screenings will be screened in the English language version - featuring the voices of Kirsten Dunst, Phil Hartman, Janeane Garofalo, Brad Garrett and Debbie Reynolds.

Studio Ghibli Festival - US Theatrical Premiere - New 35mm print!
Realizing that she is at a crossroads in her life, bored twenty-something Taeko heads for the countryside. The trip dredges up forgotten childhood memories which unfold in flashback to younger years: the first immature stirrings of romance, the onset of puberty, and the frustrations of math and boys. In lyrical switches between the present and the past, Taeko wonders if she has been true to the dreams of her childhood self.

Directed by Isao Takahata and produced by Hayao Miyazaki, Only Yesterday is a double period piece that beautifully evokes both the 1960s and 1980s, and the quintessential drama of Japanese school-day nostalgia.

Studio Ghibli Festival - US Theatrical Premiere - New 35mm print!
Realizing that she is at a crossroads in her life, bored twenty-something Taeko heads for the countryside. The trip dredges up forgotten childhood memories which unfold in flashback to younger years: the first immature stirrings of romance, the onset of puberty, and the frustrations of math and boys. In lyrical switches between the present and the past, Taeko wonders if she has been true to the dreams of her childhood self.

Directed by Isao Takahata and produced by Hayao Miyazaki, Only Yesterday is a double period piece that beautifully evokes both the 1960s and 1980s, and the quintessential drama of Japanese school-day nostalgia. Studio Ghibli is known for its female heroines, from Princesses Nausicaa and Mononoke, to Kiki, to Ponyo - but with Only Yesterday they delve deeper into the real emotional experiences of girls/women than perhaps any animated film before or since.

ADVANCE TICKETS SOLD OUT. YOU CAN SIGN UP ON THE WAITLIST AT THE THEATER STARTING 12:00 NOON ON SATURDAY.
NYICFF is thrilled to present a special preview screening of Studio Ghibli’s new film The Secret World of Arrietty, based on Mary Norton’s classic children’s book “The Borrowers.”  Co-written by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by Miyazaki protégé Hiromasa Yonebayashi, the film is a gorgeous and entertaining treat – a beautiful story, sumptuously animated with all the loving detail, warmth, and humanity we have come to expect from Studio Ghibli’s finest works.



Arrietty is a girl of 14, one of the “little people” living secretly with her parents under the floors of an English-style country house. They survive by “borrowing” food and finding ingenious uses for household objects dropped by its inhabitants – a single cube of sugar can last for weeks and a pin makes a great sword for fighting off hungry insects! But one day a new visitor moves into the empty room upstairs. Shawn is a delicate, handsome teenage boy who has come to the house to rest and build his strength before a heart operation. When he catches sight of Arreitty, it seems as though the secretive Borrowers will have to move away. Shown in English, with voice cast including Will Arnett, Carol Burnett, and Amy Poehler.

“Arrietty is simply gorgeous, embracing the ravishing color of garden flowers, wildly sprouting vines, the perfection of a raindrop on a leaf. Children will enjoy the borrowers’ thrilling forays into the house in search of sustenance; adults can wallow in the exquisite detail of the interior and leafy surroundings. Its heightened sense of beauty conveys Shawn’s appreciation of his precarious existence. Animation simply doesn’t get any better than Ghibli’s ravishing creation.” – Daily Telegraph

ADVANCE TICKETS SOLD OUT. YOU CAN SIGN UP ON THE WAITLIST AT THE THEATER STARTING 12:00 NOON ON SATURDAY.
NYICFF is thrilled to present a special preview screening of Studio Ghibli’s new film The Secret World of Arrietty, based on Mary Norton’s classic children’s book “The Borrowers.”  Co-written by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by Miyazaki protégé Hiromasa Yonebayashi, the film is a gorgeous and entertaining treat – a beautiful story, sumptuously animated with all the loving detail, warmth, and humanity we have come to expect from Studio Ghibli’s finest works.

Arrietty is a girl of 14, one of the “little people” living secretly with her parents under the floors of an English-style country house. They survive by “borrowing” food and finding ingenious uses for household objects dropped by its inhabitants – a single cube of sugar can last for weeks and a pin makes a great sword for fighting off hungry insects!  But one day a new visitor moves into the empty room upstairs.  Shawn is a delicate, handsome teenage boy who has come to the house to rest and build his strength before a heart operation. When he catches sight of Arreitty he is entranced, and the two begin to form a bond. But with their secret now exposed, the family worries that they may need to move away and find a new home. 

The film is appropriate for audiences of all ages. Shown in English, with voice cast including Will Arnett, Carol Burnett, and Amy Poehler.


“Arrietty is simply gorgeous, embracing the ravishing color of garden flowers, wildly sprouting vines, the perfection of a raindrop on a leaf. Children will enjoy the borrowers’ thrilling forays into the house in search of sustenance; adults can wallow in the exquisite detail of the interior and leafy surroundings. Animation simply doesn’t get any better than Ghibli’s ravishing creation.” – Daily Telegraph

Studio Ghibli Festival - North American Theatrical Premiere!
Rarely seen outside of Japan, Ocean Waves is a subtle, poignant and wonderfully detailed story of adolescence and teenage isolation. Taku and his best friend Yutaka are headed back to school for what looks like another uneventful

Studio Ghibli Festival - North American Theatrical Premiere!
Rarely seen outside of Japan, Ocean Waves is a subtle, poignant and wonderfully detailed story of adolescence and teenage isolation. Taku and his best friend Yutaka are headed back to school for what looks like another uneventful year. But they soon find their friendship tested by the arrival of Rikako, a beautiful new transfer student from Tokyo whose attitude vacillates wildly from flirty and flippant to melancholic. When Taku joins Rikako on a trip to Tokyo, the school erupts with rumors, and the three friends are forced to come to terms with their changing relationships.

Ocean Waves was the first Studio Ghibli film directed by someone other than studio founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, as director Tomomi Mochizuki led a talented staff of younger employees in an adaptation of Saeko Himuro’s best-selling novel. Full of shots bathed in a palette of pleasingly soft pastel colors and rich in the unexpected visual details typical of Studio Ghibli’s most revered works, Ocean Waves is an accomplished teenage drama and a true discovery.

The film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
In this brilliant and often overlooked Studio Ghibli masterpiece, the forests are filled with groups of magical tanuki, mischievous raccoon-like animals from Japanese folklore that are capable of shape-shifting from their standard raccoon form to practically any object.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
In this brilliant and often overlooked Studio Ghibli masterpiece, the forests are filled with groups of magical tanuki, mischievous raccoon-like animals from Japanese folklore that are capable of shape-shifting from their standard raccoon form to practically any object.

The tanuki spend their days playing idly in the hillsides and squabbling over food - until the construction of a huge new Tokyo suburb clears the nearby forest and threatens their way of life. In an effort to defend their home, the tanuki learn to transform into humans and start playing tricks to make the workers think the construction site is haunted, ending in a spectacular night-time spirit parade, with thousands of ghosts, dragons and other magical creatures descending on the city - in an abundance of fantastical characters that would not be matched on screen by Studio Ghibli until Spirited Away.

For show times 6pm and later, the film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. Morning and afternoon screenings will be screened in the English language version - featuring the voices of John DiMaggio, J.K. Simmons, Brian Posehn, Kevin Michael Richardson and Tess MacNeille.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm Print!
Perfect for audiences of all ages, Ponyo centers on the friendship between five-year-old Sosuke and a magical goldfish named Ponyo, the young daughter of a sorcerer father and a sea-goddess mother. After a chance encounter,

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm Print!
Perfect for audiences of all ages, Ponyo centers on the friendship between five-year-old Sosuke and a magical goldfish named Ponyo, the young daughter of a sorcerer father and a sea-goddess mother. After a chance encounter, Ponyo yearns to become a human so she can be with Sosuke. As to be expected with Miyazaki, the film is awash in pure unbridled imagination and visual wonder - but it is the tender love, humor, and devotion exhibited by Ponyo and Sosuke that form the emotional heart of the film.

The film will be shown in English - featuring the voices of Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson, Tina Fey, Lily Tomlin, Noah Cyrus and Frankie Jonas.

“Wondrous! Teeming with imagination! Ponyo possesses an almost demonic childish energy and delight in form.” - Variety

“A superb work of fantasy that transcends age barriers! Strikes a deep chord of universality… a refreshing thirst-quencher that will delight children ages 3 to 100!” - The Hollywood Reporter

“There aren’t enough superlatives to adequately describe Hayao Miyazaki’s latest masterpiece, a delightfully sweet, extraordinarily imaginative children’s fantasy. Miyazaki orchestrates a riot of bright color and imagination, populating his triumphant idiosyncratic vision with a plethora of charming characters and whimsical sea creatures that appear to have sprung wholly into existence from the mind of a five-year-old with a particular fondness for pre-historical monsters. A memorable and wondrous film from a master at the peak of his game.” - Premiere

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
In this sequel to Whisper of the Heart, a quiet suburban schoolgirl, Haru, is pitched into a fantastical feline world and must find her inner strength to make her way back home. Walking with her friend after a dreary day at school,

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
In this sequel to Whisper of the Heart, a quiet suburban schoolgirl, Haru, is pitched into a fantastical feline world and must find her inner strength to make her way back home. Walking with her friend after a dreary day at school, Haru eyes a cat with a small gift box in its mouth attempting to cross a busy street. The cat fumbles the package in the middle of the road as a truck is rapidly bearing down. Haru manages to scoop the cat away to safety. To her amazement, the cat then gets up on its hind legs, brushes itself off, and thanks her very politely.

Strange behavior indeed, but this is nothing compared to what happens later that evening when the King of Cats shows up in a feline motorcade replete with vassals, maidens, and even Secret Service cats. In a show of gratitude for saving his son’s life, the king cat showers Haru with gifts - including a large supply of individually wrapped live mice - and decrees that she shall marry the cat prince and come to live as a princess in the secret Kingdom of Cats.

For show times 5:40pm and later, the film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. Morning and afternoon screenings will be shown in the English language version - featuring the voices of Anne Hathaway, Cary Elwes, Peter Boyle, Elliott Gould, Tim Curry, Andy Richter, Kristen Bell and Avril Lavigne.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
Princess Mononoke is a landmark of animation and a film of unsurpassed power and beauty. An epic story of conflict between humans, gods, and nature, the film has been universally acclaimed by critics and broke the box office record on its original release in Japan.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
Princess Mononoke is a landmark of animation and a film of unsurpassed power and beauty. An epic story of conflict between humans, gods, and nature, the film has been universally acclaimed by critics and broke the box office record on its original release in Japan.

While defending his village from a demonic boar-god, the young warrior Ashitaka becomes afflicted with a curse that grants him super-human power in battle but will eventually take his life. Traveling west to find a cure or meet his destiny, he journeys deep into sacred depths of the Great Forest where he meets San (Princess Mononoke), a girl raised by wolf-gods who is waging battle against the human outpost of Iron Town, on the edge of the forest. The girl Mononoke a force of nature - with blood smeared lips, riding bareback on a great white wolf, doing battle with both gods and humans, she is as iconic a figure as any from film, literature, or opera.

Comment: The film includes violent battle scenes and frightening fantasy creatures that may be too intense for younger viewers.

For show times 6pm and later, the film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. Morning and afternoon screenings will be shown in the English language version - featuring the voices of Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Gillian Anderson, Minnie Driver, Billy Bob Thornton, Jada Pinkett Smith, and John DiMaggio.



From The New York Times review by Janet Maslin:

This exotically beautiful action film features gods and demons locked in a struggle for the future of the unspoiled forest and an elaborate moral universe that Mr. Miyazaki has created. Frequent battle scenes are breathtakingly rendered, but it is the film's stirring use of nature, myth and history that make it so special.

The events of Princess Mononoke begin with an attack on a remote mountain village. A demonic wild boar, drawn as a furious tangle of pulsating wormlike strands and given the movements of a huge, terrifying spider, is the reason the young hero Ashitaka goes off to save the forests. Those forests, imbued with a stirring, forthright sense of natural beauty, turn out to be filled with Mr. Miyazaki's fanciful inventions. The film is worth seeing just for the sight of its Forest Spirit, which takes animal-like form by day and roams the nights as a diaphanous Godzilla-like divinity with magical powers. The image of plants and flowers springing to life beneath the Forest Spirit's hooves as he walks is simple, meaningful and ravishingly presented.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
Shizuku is spending her last summer vacation before high school reading and translating foreign music into Japanese. Perusing the eclectic selection of books she has checked out from the library, her curiousity is piqued when she notices that the name Seiji appears before hers on the checkout card of each one. Through a series of curious and magical incidents, she comes to meet and establishes a connection to Seiji - who has dreams of becoming a famous violinmaker in Italy, while she has aspirations of becoming a writer. As their life goals pull them in different directions, Shizuku and Seiji are determined to remain true to their feelings for one another.

A masterpiece about the awakening of creative talent, Whisper of the Heart was the first and only full-length feature by Hayao Miyazaki’s protégé Yoshifumi Kondo before his sudden death at the young age of 47. It remains one of the classics of Japanese animation.

For show times 6pm and later, the film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. Morning and afternoon screenings will be screened in the English language version - featuring the voices of XXXXXXXXX.

Studio Ghibli Festival - New 35mm print!
Shizuku is spending her last summer vacation before high school reading and translating foreign music into Japanese. Perusing the eclectic selection of books she has checked out from the library, her curiousity is piqued when she notices that the name Seiji appears before hers on the checkout card of each one. Through a series of curious and magical incidents, she comes to meet and establishes a connection to Seiji - who has dreams of becoming a famous violinmaker in Italy, while she has aspirations of becoming a writer. As their life goals pull them in different directions, Shizuku and Seiji are determined to remain true to their feelings for one another.

A masterpiece about the awakening of creative talent, Whisper of the Heart was the first and only full-length feature by Hayao Miyazaki’s protégé Yoshifumi Kondo before his sudden death at the young age of 47. It remains one of the classics of Japanese animation.

For show times 6pm and later, the film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. Morning and afternoon screenings will be screened in the English language version - featuring the voices of Ashley Tisdale, Cary Elwes and Brittany Snow.

WINNER - NYICFF 2011 GRAND PRIZE FEATURE Auerelie Laflamme suspects she is an alien. That would explain why she feels different from everyone else, why she can't string two words together without making a fool of herself, and why boys really get on her nerves. Aurelie’s endearing clumsiness positions her as a pitch-perfect, Canadian version of a Judy Blume character as she navigates her way around the strange conventions of planet Earth.

WINNER - NYICFF 2011 GRAND PRIZE FEATURE Auerelie Laflamme suspects she is an alien. That would explain why she feels different from everyone else, why she can't string two words together without making a fool of herself, and why boys really get on her nerves. Aurelie’s endearing clumsiness positions her as a pitch-perfect, Canadian version of a Judy Blume character as she navigates her way around the strange conventions of planet Earth.

With her school days a complete waste of time and her cleaning-obsessed mother too uptight, Aurelie finds solace in the bright lights of the video arcade, playing Dance Dance Revolution and drinking slushies with her best friend, Kat. Whenever her situation becomes too unbearable, her imagination trails off into elaborate fantasy sequences that provide temporary escape – and much amusement for the viewer – but only seem to land her in more trouble. The whims of Aurelie’s imagined world grow more absurd as she is thrown deeper into the clutches of adolescence, facing teachers, fake tans, and first crushes. Aurelie Laflamme’s Diary juxtaposes these ridiculously silly situations with moments of genuine tenderness, reminding us that Aurelie’s calamitous journey to adulthood is anything but alien.

NY PREMIERE - WITH DIRECTOR Q&A - Using his own childhood hometown as a luscious backdrop, Oscar-nominated director Taika Waititi delivers a delightfully playful, delicately poignant film that gracefully scales comedy and drama and is simply a joy to watch.

NY PREMIERE - WITH DIRECTOR Q&A - Using his own childhood hometown as a luscious backdrop, Oscar-nominated director Taika Waititi delivers a delightfully playful, delicately poignant film that gracefully scales comedy and drama and is simply a joy to watch.

It is 1984, Michael Jackson rules the airwaves, and eleven-year-old “Boy” lives with his kid brother and a slew of cousins in a small, dirt-poor community tucked away amongst the lazy beaches of rural New Zealand. Boy spends his days trying to impress crush Chardonnay with his “Thriller” dance moves and fantasizing about the day his father will come home from jail to take him on amazing adventures. When his father finally does return, it is not for familial bonding, but to dig up the bag of money he hid while running from the police and to set up in the garage with his gang of hapless hooligans. It isn’t long before Boy realizes that his father is not the combination war hero/deep sea diver/rugby captain that he imagined him to be – but a loutish, selfish buffoon whose opulent delusions are even more childish than his own. It is a coming of age story for both father and son.

Comment: Film includes plentiful drinking and pot smoking, sexual references, and violence.

US PREMIERE - NYICFF is thrilled to present the US Premiere of the brilliant new feature from Folimage, the animation studio behind Mia and the Migoo and Raining Cats and Frogs. A Cat in Paris is a beautifully hand-drawn caper set in the shadow-drenched alleyways of Paris.

US PREMIERE - NYICFF is thrilled to present the US Premiere of the brilliant new feature from Folimage, the animation studio behind Mia and the Migoo and Raining Cats and Frogs. A Cat in Paris is a beautifully hand-drawn caper set in the shadow-drenched alleyways of Paris.

Dino is a pet cat that leads a double life. By day he lives with Zoe, a little mute girl whose mother, Jeanne, is a detective in the Parisian police force. But at night he sneaks out the window to work with Nico - a slinky cat burglar with a big heart, whose fluid movements are poetry in motion – as he evades captors and slips and swishes from rooftop to rooftop across the Paris skyline. The cat’s two worlds collide when young Zoe decides to follow Dino on his nocturnal adventures – and falls into the hands of Victor Costa, a blustery gangster planning the theft of a rare statue. Now cat and cat burglar must team up to save Zoe from the bumbling thieves, leading to a thrilling acrobatic finale on top of Notre Dame. A Cat in Paris is a warm and richly humorous love letter to classic noir films and the stylized wit of the Pink Panther cartoons – and Dino, the literal cat burglar, manages to steal the show with little more than a subtle swish of the tail and quiet mew.

NY PREMIERE - From the producers of last year’s Turtle: The Incredible Journey comes a stunning true-life story set in the magnificent Sri Lankan tropics. Chandani dreams of following in the footsteps of her father and becoming the first female mahout – a guardian of wild elephants.

NY PREMIERE - From the producers of last year’s Turtle: The Incredible Journey comes a stunning true-life story set in the magnificent Sri Lankan tropics. Chandani dreams of following in the footsteps of her father and becoming the first female mahout – a guardian of wild elephants.

When Chandani is given a baby elephant, she works with him every day, memorizing the guiding techniques and mixing the herbal remedies that have been passed down from generation to generation, inscribed by her great-great grandfather in a book of dried palm leaves. But despite her obvious skill, she is chastised for performing a job considered suited only for men. Chandani is a moving story of ambition, strained traditions, and familial bonds – with astounding footage of Sri Lankan wildlife and close-ups of elephants being trained and cared for (including an adorable sequence of an elephant playing soccer). When she is given permission to participate in the Perahera – a ceremonial procession of fire-dancers, acrobats, and elaborately costumed elephants – Chandani will get the chance to prove whether a girl can, indeed, learn the artistry and patience of a great mahout.

Shown with short film: The Way to Heaven.

Girls' POV is made possible with special support from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.^®

Five years in the making, Chen Deming’s Oscar-shortlisted animated feature blends Chinese history and mythology in a time-travel, fantasy adventure – as a young boy from Beijing hurtles back in time 3,000 years to the Jinsha Kingdom and finds himself at the center of an ancient prophecy.

Five years in the making, Chen Deming’s Oscar-shortlisted animated feature blends Chinese history and mythology in a time-travel, fantasy adventure – as a young boy from Beijing hurtles back in time 3,000 years to the Jinsha Kingdom and finds himself at the center of an ancient prophecy.

Entering a world of sweeping hand-drawn landscapes filled with serene rivers, spirit-filled forests, and seas of lotus blossoms, the boy Xiao Long meets a young princess riding a white lion, who escorts him to the palace of the Jinsha king. There he discovers that his arrival has been pre-ordained, and that the pendant that hangs around his neck – a gift from his father – has the power to either bring peace or unleash untold devastation upon the Kingdom and its people. Longing to return home, but also enchanted by his surroundings and newfound friends, Xiao Long faces a difficult choice between leaving the past behind, or staying and risking his life to save Jinsha. The animators clearly drew inspiration from the work of Hayao Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli fans will note references to Castle in the Sky, Nausicaa, and The Cat Returns) to create this epic but child-friendly fable about friendship, power, and self-sacrifice.

Winner of the Crystal Bear (youth audience award) at the Berlin Film Festival and Hong Kong’s official entry for this year’s Oscars, Echoes of the Rainbow is a graceful and emotionally powerful tale based on the filmmaker’s real-life childhood. It’s the spring of 1969 and the world will have to wait another six months before Neil Armstrong sets foot on the moon – but our young hero “Big Ears” is running through the streets of Hong Kong with a goldfish bowl on his head.

Winner of the Crystal Bear (youth audience award) at the Berlin Film Festival and Hong Kong’s official entry for this year’s Oscars, Echoes of the Rainbow is a graceful and emotionally powerful tale based on the filmmaker’s real-life childhood. It’s the spring of 1969 and the world will have to wait another six months before Neil Armstrong sets foot on the moon – but our young hero “Big Ears” is running through the streets of Hong Kong with a goldfish bowl on his head.

Big brother Desmond (played wonderfully by Cantopop heartthrob, Aarif Lee) is a gold-medal track star and ace student who plays guitar and nurtures a nascent romance with soft-spoken cutie pie Flora. Meanwhile, their parents work their fingers to the bone running a tiny neighborhood shoe store. Their dream is simple: all they want is for their children to have a better life than they did – and this mood of nostalgic optimism and yearning is reflected perfectly by the sappy 60’s pop ballads wafting from big brother’s transistor radio. But the sunny tone soon darkens as the family is beset by a slumping economy, social unrest, and the onset of Hong Kong’s annual typhoons – presaging an even more wrenching family tragedy. This wonderful, bittersweet saga is almost epic in scale, evoking good times and bad times, love and loss, with sincerity, humor, and tenderness.

Comment: Film contains emotionally charged situations and brief but strong images.

NYICFF presents the world premiere of the new English language Mia & the Migoo, with with John DiMaggio, Whoopi Goldberg, Matthew Modine, Wallace Shawn, and James Woods. French version opened NYICFF 2009 and went on to win Best Animated Feature at the European Film Awards.

NYICFF presents the world premiere of the new English language Mia & the Migoo. with with John DiMaggio, Whoopi Goldberg, Matthew Modine, Wallace Shawn, and James Woods. French version opened NYICFF 2009 and went on to win Best Animated Feature at the European Film Awards.

Created from an astounding 500,000 hand-painted frames of animation, the film is a breathtakingly beautiful and thrilling adventure that pits wild-haired young heroine Mia against profit-hungry developers, with the future of life on Earth in the balance.

One night Mia has a premonition. So after saying a few words of parting at her mother's grave, she sets out on a cross-continent journey across mountains and jungles to search for her father, who has been trapped in a landslide at a disaster-plagued construction site on a remote tropical lake. In the middle of the lake stands the ancient and gnarled Tree of Life, watched over by innocent, bumbling forest spirits called the Migoo, who grow and change shape as they please, morphing from small childlike beings to petulant giants. It is the Migoo who have been disrupting the construction to protect this sacred site and - now together with Mia - they join in a fight to find Mia's father and save the Tree.

US PREMIERE - This delightful, kid-friendly eco-adventure utilizes the immersive 3D experience to the fullest: you will feel like you are snorkeling in a fabulously colorful, animated undersea world.

3D US PREMIERE - This delightful, kid-friendly eco-adventure utilizes the immersive 3D experience to the fullest: you will feel like you are snorkeling in a fabulously colorful, animated undersea world.

When Sammy and his fellow turtle hatchlings are born, they face a dangerous journey from shore to sea, a trek that can seem like a marathon to a newborn sea turtle. Before they reach the surf, Sammy and a young female turtle named Shelly are scooped up by seagulls, and Sammy must act fast to save them both. Only hours old and already a hero, Sammy is almost too exhausted to continue on his path to the ocean, and the two part ways as Shelly begins her new life at sea. But a lifetime of adventure is in store for Sammy as he begins a 50-year odyssey, inspired by the real experience of a sea turtle. Along the way he gets washed ashore and adopted by a commune of hippies who draw a peace sign on his shell – carrying this proud symbol on his back, he crosses the globe making friends and facing obstacles from oil spills to natural predators as he tries to reunite with his long lost Shelly. Film features stunning, vibrant 3D visuals and a soundtrack peppered with pop songs from Bruno Mars and Michael Jackson.

US PREMIERE - Covering territory explored by Blade Runner and I, Robot, Time of Eve is an exquisitely drawn, sci-fi allegory that probes questions of artificial intelligence and emotions, while flirting with the moral and personal implications of human-robot romance.

US PREMIERE - Covering territory explored by Blade Runner and I, Robot, Time of Eve is an exquisitely drawn, sci-fi allegory that probes questions of artificial intelligence and emotions, while flirting with the moral and personal implications of human-robot romance.

It is the future and household androids are becoming common. Completely lifelike and indistinguishable from humans, androids are programmed to serve with devotion – so it is no wonder that highschooler Rikuo begins to have unsettling feelings towards his android Sammy, feelings heightened when he discovers a curious phrase recorded in her activity log, “Are you enjoying the Time of Eve?” Investigating with his buddy Masaki, they discover an enigmatic underground café, a robot safe-zone, where androids and humans interact as equals – in apparent violation of guidelines set by the all-powerful Robot Ethics Committee. Inside the café distinctions between human and android are blurred and both seem to reveal layers of emotional complexity not apparent in the outside world.

Comment: Film contains mild sexually suggestive situations.

US PREMIERE - With an intergalactic cast of thousands, Koji Masunari’s colorfully explosive debut feature sets a new high for visual spectacle and sheer inventiveness of character design – in what has to be one of the most gleefully surreal depictions of alien life forms ever portrayed in cinema.

US PREMIERE - With an intergalactic cast of thousands, Koji Masunari’s colorfully explosive debut feature sets a new high for visual spectacle and sheer inventiveness of character design – in what has to be one of the most gleefully surreal depictions of alien life forms ever portrayed in cinema.

It seems like just another lazy summer is in store for Amane and her older cousin Natsuki. Lolling about the Japanese countryside, the days are blithe and boundless. But boredom quickly vanishes when they find an injured dog in the woods and bring him back to the cabin – only to discover that he is not a dog at all, but Pochi, an alien botanist sent to Earth to track down a rare and powerful plant called Zughaan (better known to Earthlings as wasabi root). Before long, Pochi has whisked the kids away to a space colony on the dark side of the moon, an interstellar melting pot where we experience a non-stop parade of humorous alien creatures, jellyfish spaceships, dragon trains, and – if that weren’t enough – a theme song from UK pop anomaly Susan Boyle. (Really? Yes, really.) The plot twists come fast and furious, and with such a glorious barrage of color and invention washing across the screen, you just want to hit pause and gawk at the wonder of what you are seeing.

SHORTS FILMS FOR AGES 3 TO 6 - A kaleidoscopic showcase of the best short film and animation from around the world, for ages 3 to 6. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2011 winning films! Program includes:

SHORTS FILMS FOR AGES 3 TO 6 - A kaleidoscopic showcase of the best short film and animation from around the world, for ages 3 to 6. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2011 winning films! Program includes:

Mi’au Myau
UK - US PREMIERE
Animation, Vida Vega, 2009, 1 min
In this lovely hand-drawn short animation, a group of birds sit together on a branch, chirping away each in their own native tongue. But when an unexpected visitor comes along, his words are universally understood.

All That Cats
Hungary - NY PREMIERE
Animation, Mátyás Lanczinger, 2009, 1 min x 3
In this series of short animations, a duo of hip hop cats perform beatbox rhythms to transform everyday situations into a musical experience.

How the Shammies Bathed
Latvia - NY PREMIERE
Mixed Media, Edmunds Jansons, 2010, 7 min
Collage and mixed media animation create a textural feast, with adorable animated characters designed in patterned fabrics, burlap, and buttons. A foreboding “drip-drop” coming from a dark room turns out to be only water in the tub – it’s bath time for the Shammies!

Whistleless
Denmark - EAST COAST PREMIERE
Animation, Siri Melchior, 2010, 5 min
In this fun, sweet, musical cartoon, a little bird struggles to find his voice in a world full of different noises. A colorful, hand-drawn gem from NYICFF alum Siri Melchior (Dog Who Was a Cat Inside, Mambo) makes its first East Coast appearance following a run of major fests including Berlin, Toronto, Annecy, Seoul, and many more.

The Yellow Balloon
USA - NY PREMIERE
Animation, Ben Thompson/Rob Castillo, 2010, 3 min
The true story of a dramatic event that takes place on a New York City subway, featuring a little girl and her yellow balloon.

Johnny
Germany – WORLD PREMIERE
Animation, Malena Modéer, 2010, 4 min
Colorful stop motion, goofy live action, surreal homemade sets, and a ridiculous pigeon costume come together to humorous effect in the story of Johnny – a hilariously narrated, tongue-in-cheek fable about what happens to little boys who don’t drink their milk!

Who’s There?
Slovakia - US PREMIERE
Animation, Vanda Raýmanová, 2009, 9.5 min
Two boys hatch out of eggs and have an imaginative adventure. Sometimes as friends, sometimes as rivals, they build a house to protect themselves from the wolf.

Mobile
Germany- NY PREMIERE
Animation, Verena Fels, 2010, 6 min
Isolated on the edge of society, a cow tips the balance of destiny when she attempts to make a friend.

Saari
Spain – US PREMIERE
Animation, Pablo Jordi, 2008, 3 min x 2
Stunning colors, character design, and art direction show influences of Miro in this Spanish series about the creative adventures of a group of friends living together on the animated island of Saari.

Snowflakes and Carrots
Canada – US PREMIERE
Animation, Samantha Leriche-Gionet, 2010, 4 min
A little girl steals the carrot noses from all the snowmen she can find. But why?

Precise Peter
Germany
Animation, Martin Schmidt, 2010, 5 min
An obsessive compulsive dad is excited about introducing his little boy to the joys of alfresco dining. The fish is ready, the table is set, the sun is shining, all seems perfect - but junior can’t quite get with the program.

Murphy’s Shorts
USA
Animation, Todd Hemker, 2009, 2 min
A chubby kid on a diving board keeps bouncing, higher and higher, as sister, dad, and baby watch from below with growing anticipation and concern.

Ormie
Canada
Animation, Rob Silvestri, 2009, 4 min
Pig see cookie. Pig want cookie. But the cookies are frustratingly out of reach in glass jar on top of the fridge, just beyond his grasp… or are they? With inventiveness and relentless determination, Ormie employs Wile E. Coyote-type contraptions and half-baked plans in a series of increasingly desperate attempts to attain the sweet objects of his obsession.

SHORTS FILMS FOR AGES 5 TO 10 - The best short film and animation from around the world, for ages 5-10. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2011 winning films! Program includes:

SHORTS FILMS FOR AGES 5 TO 10 - The best short film and animation from around the world, for ages 5-10. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2011 winning films! Program includes:

The Deep
USA - WORLD PREMIERE
Animation, PES, 2010, 2 min
Metallic objects come to life in the depths of the sea, in the newest film from New York’s brilliant stop-motion artist PES – whose past NYICFF selections include Western Spaghetti, Dogs of War, and Game Over.

The Little Boy and the Beast
Germany – WORLD PREMIERE (English Language)
Animation, Weiland/ Heidschotter, 2009, 7 min
When your mother turns into a beast, a lot of things change.

Gravity
Canada - US PREMIERE
Experimental Renaud Hallee, 2009, 2 min
Falling objects are synchronized to produce rhythms and patterns.

Minnie Loves Junior
Australia – US PREMIERE
Live Action, Andy Mullins/Matt Mullins, 2010, 13.5 min
A beautifully shot film about a little boy who loves the sea, and a little girl who loves the boy.

Tigers and Tattoos
Denmark – US PREMIERE
Animation, Karla von Bengtson, 2010, 42 min
Maj lives with her uncle Sonny and loves to sit with him when he “draws” on the tough women and hard-boiled men who frequent his tattoo shop. One day, a particularly large and scary customer dozes off and Maj ends up tattooing all over his huge back with her childish designs. Fearing the man's rage, Sonny and Maj make a hasty escape on Sonny's motorcycle – the start of an exciting adventure where they discover a magic forest filled with fairies and sprites, a circus mother and her son, and a man-eating tiger named Brutalis.

Fluffy McCloud
Ireland – NY PREMIERE
Animation, Conor Finnegan, 2010, 3 min
A short film about mans’ mixed relationship with Mother Nature. Fluffy McCloud uses his powers of precipitation mostly to annoy. But when one of his pranks causes near calamity, he decides to use his meteorological skills to make people happy.

Don’t Go
Turkey - EAST COAST PREMIERE
Animation/Live Action, Turgut Akacik, 2010, 4 min
Awesome, thumpy, electronic disco music propels this non-stop chase scene of a movie – as a cute, pink-bellied, one-eyed CGI bunny gets chased around an apartment by a live action black cat.

SHORTS FILMS FOR AGES 8 TO 14 - The best short film and animation from around the world, for ages 8 to 14. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2011 winning films! Program includes:

SHORTS FILMS FOR AGES 8 TO 14 - The best short film and animation from around the world, for ages 8 to 14. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2011 winning films! Program includes:

Dot
UK - US PREMIERE
Animation, Sumo Science, 2010, 2 min
Multiple Oscar®-winning studio Aardman Animations (Wallace & Gromit, Creature Comforts) has created the world's smallest stop-motion character. Dot measures just 9mm tall and was animated using a microscope and tweezers. In this miniature escape adventure, Dot runs away from unraveling thread, jumps over pins, and hitches a ride on the back of a bee... all before grabbing a pair of nails and wielding them like swords.

We Are Boys
Netherlands – US PREMIERE
Documentary, Tomas Kaan, 2009, 14 min
In this sun-bleached ode to boys’ life, two best friends spend the waning days of summer pestering their neighbors, sailing their boat, catching frogs, and savoring the final, fleeting moments of their time together before one goes off to high school.

Savage
Canada
Live Action, Lisa Jackson, 2009, 6 min
A woman sings a haunting Cree lullaby as we see a young girl preparing to attend a new school. But as we enter the classroom the film morphs into a Thriller-style zombie musical – in this moving short about the plight of Native American children separated from their parents and sent to residential schools to “take the Indian” out of them.

The Lost Thing
Australia/UK – OSCAR® WINNER BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Animation, Andrew Ruhemann/Shaun Tan, 2010, 15.5 min
A boy encounters a strange creature on a beach and decides to find a home for it in a world where everyone believes there are far more important things to think about. This beautifully animated film comes from Passion Pictures, producers of past NYICFF favorites City of Paradise and Dog Who Was a Cat Inside.

Hammerhead
UK
Live Action, Sam Donovan, 2009, 14 min
Hammerhead tells the story of Boris, a young boy whose love of sharks has him jumping in fish tanks at the aquarium where his mother works. When a shark is spotted off a nearby beach, Boris seizes the opportunity to try to reunite his separated parents for a birthday road trip. But when the day arrives, he is disappointed to find that his biggest enemy is along for the ride – his mother's new girlfriend, Lilah.

Bottle
USA
Animation, Kirsten Lepore, 2010, 5 min
This transoceanic love story, animated in stop motion on the beach, forest, and undersea, details a long distance friendship that blossoms between a sandman and a snowwoman who exchange gifts via a bottle in the water. But sand and snow cannot withstand water, so how can the two hope to be together?

Leitmotif
Denmark
Animation, Jeanette Norgaard, 2009, 7.5 min
Fluid, expressive animation and a great retro jazz soundtrack bring Triplets of Bellville immediately to mind, as a lonely old musician tickles the ivories with his cat on his lap.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
USA
Animation, Dean Fleischer-Camp, 2010, 3 min
An up-close and personal interview with Internet video star Marcel, a tiny shell with one eyeball, two shoes, and a really great personality!

The Incident at Tower 37
USA
Animation, Chris Perry, 2009, 11 min
A guard at a futuristic water tower intercepts a covert band of amphibian creatures trying to destroy the tower to rehydrate their planet.

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES 12 TO ADULT - The best short film and animation from around the world, for ages 12 to adult. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2011 winning films! Program includes:

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES 12 TO ADULT - The best short film and animation from around the world, for ages 12 to adult. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2011 winning films! Program includes:

Muscles
Australia – US PREMIERE
Live Action, Edward Housden, 2009, 14 min
A teen girl pulls the head off a Barbie doll and attaches it to the muscle-bound body of a male action figure. But the heart of the film falls on the girl’s younger brother, a gentle outcast struggling to define his masculinity against a backdrop of violence – with a sister in training to be a competitive body builder and parents who spar in the boxing ring to see who will wash the dishes.

Pixels
France – EAST COAST PREMIERE
Animation, Patrick Jean, 2010, 2.5 min
Old-school video game icons take over New York City (and the world) in this music video for French techno-pop band Naïve New Beaters.

Crossing
UK – NY PREMIERE
Live Action, Silvana Aguirre Zegarra, 2009, 12 min
Boy meets girl in a story about perception.

Enrique Wrecks the World
USA – NY PREMIERE
Animation, David Chai, 2010, 4.5 min
An unfortunate chain of events is set in motion when a boy shoots at a bird with a sling shot. Tasteless and crass, a hilarious blood bath. Parents, please leave the room.

Vlog
Israel – US PREMIERE
Live Action, Yariv Barel/Mor Kaplansky, 2010, 8 min
A teenage runaway documents her pre-dawn escape. Videotaping a tearful goodbye to her sleeping family, she slips out the door, hops on her bike, sticks in her ear buds, and is free.

Love & Theft
Germany - EAST COAST PREMIERE
Animation, Andreas Hykade, 2009, 7 min
Iconic figures from Betty Boop to Mao Zedong morph into one another in ever intensifying animated loops in this psychedelic tour-de-force from Andreas Hykade.

The Gold Bug
Japan – US PREMIERE
Live Action, Nobuhiro Yamashita, 2010, 4 min
An ultra-low budget kaiju monster movie spoof, the brilliance of which may not be immediately apparent to the untrained viewer. But we assure you, this film is a masterpiece.

The Cow Who Wanted to be a Hamburger
USA
Animation, Bill Plympton, 2010, 6 min
The latest film from NYICFF’s favorite home town hero, Bill Plympton, is a factory farming fable about the power of advertising, the meaning of life, and the ultimate test of a mother's love.

Prayers for Peace
USA
Animation, Dustin Grella, 2009, 8 min
This poignant animated memoir reveals the final thoughts of the artist's younger brother, who was killed in the current conflict in Iraq. Drawn with pastels on a slate chalkboard, the materials used are a metaphor for the impermanence of life.

Let’s Make Out
USA
Animation, Stephen Neary, 2009, 2 min
From the creator of last year’s Chicken Cowboy, a musical tribute to the innocent joys of smooching and booty-shaking.

Backwards
USA
Animation, Aaron Hughes, 2009, 4 min
A love story so backwards, it has to be told in reverse.

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES 10 TO ADULT - A collection of strange and scary short films from around the world, for ages 10 to adult. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2011 winning films! Program includes:

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES 10 TO ADULT - A collection of strange and scary short films from around the world, for ages 10 to adult. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2011 winning films! Program includes:

Ghild
USA – WORLD PREMIERE
Live Action, David Yarovesky, 2010, 13 min
A story about a boy who was born a giant. Featuring Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville) and Harland Williams (Half Baked).

Monstre Sacré
France - US PREMIERE
Animation, Jean-Claude Rozec, 2009, 9.5 min
In a twist on Hans Christian Andersen, a baby dinosaur is hatched into a family of ducklings and grows into a misunderstood monster – and an international superstar.

The Persistent Resistance of Vision
UK - US PREMIERE
Animation, James Baker, 2009, 2.5 min
This experimental animated film mimics the optical illusion effect of a thaumatrope (look it up) by rapidly alternating still drawings of a bird, a cage, and a Cheshire-like cat to start-and-stop electro-circus music.

Scary Therapy
Australia – US PREMIERE
Animation, Suren Perera, 2009, 4.5 min
A vampire with first-date nerves, a zombie struggling with his brain-eating disorder, and a human-fly with parental issues. Everybody needs a little help from time to time.

The Wonder Hospital
South Korea/USA - NY PREMIERE
Animation, Beomsik Shimbe Shim, 2010, 11 min
A boy with a misshapen head looks to improve his appearance through the wonders of plastic surgery and altered reality, in this super creepy hospital/funhouse film.

Rubika
France - NY PREMIERE
Animation, Guillaume Plantevin, 2010, 4 min
Welcome to Rubika, a planet with a fancy gravity.

Dry Fish
UK - NY PREMIERE
Animation, Andy Martin, 2010, 2 min
A gently paranoid musical animation about finding yourself in unfamiliar surroundings.

Something Left, Something Taken
USA
Animation, Max Porter/Ru Kuwahata, 2010, 10 min
On their way to a forensics lecture, a young couple hitch a ride with a stranger who they slowly realize is none other than the Zodiac Killer – the infamous serial killer who has never been caught. As he veers off the highway to take a “short cut” through the woods, they decide to leave evidence for the police. An award-winning dark comedy from the creators of last year’s Electric Car.

The Bellies
France
Animation, Philippe Grammaticopoulos, 2009, 17 min
Fat capitalists dine on genetically altered snails in this nightmarish tale of gluttony and greed.

Benigni
Finland
Animation, Vuorinen/Ottelin/Partanen, 2009, 7 min
A lonesome xylophone player discovers a fleshy lump growing under his arm. But when he attempts to remove it, the tumor displays some unconventional qualities.

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES 10 TO ADULT - Girls' Point of View is a collection of the best short films from around the world, for ages 10 to adult. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2011 winning films! Program includes:

SHORT FILMS FOR AGES 10 TO ADULT - Girls' Point of View is a collection of the best short films from around the world, for ages 10 to adult. All audience members receive voting ballots to select the NYICFF 2011 winning films! Program includes:

Little Miss Eyeflap
Norway – NY PREMIERE
Live Action, Iram Haq, 2009, 9 min
A fantastical and magical fable of a young woman caught between two cultures. Little Miss Eyeflap is sent to grandma's house wearing a cap with blinders, so she will not be enticed by distractions along the way. But everything is so beautiful! Magic butterflies, snow capped mountains, flowering meadows, and an earnest young lover in lederhosen.

Dust Kid
South Korea – NY PREMIERE
Animation, Jung Yumi, 2009, 10 min
Waking up late on a cold winter’s afternoon, Eujin finds a small dust kid under her bed – a miniature version of herself sitting alone and dejected in the shadows.

Chalk
UK - US PREMIERE
Live Action, Martina Amati, 2010, 18 min
Quiet emotions simmer on the screen in this beautifully realized film about two thirteen year old gymnasts competing for admittance to the national team. The girls’ raw beauty is articulated by subdued tones and visual purity, as BAFTA winning filmmaker Martina Amati eloquently captures the unspoken tension between friends who are also rivals.

Step by Step
France - US PREMIERE
Experimental, Émilie Tarascou, 2009, 4 min
A short film about a girl who is literally bound by her inhibitions.

I-Do-Air
UK - NY PREMIERE
Live Action, Martina Amati, 2009, 7.5 min
A young girl is afraid to dive into the pool. Retreating to the locker room, she holds her breath and floats to a serene place inside her head. Later she sees two unexpected creatures swimming weightlessly under the water and takes a plunge into their magical world.

Make-Down
Germany - US PREMIERE
Experimental, Maurice Hübner, 2009, 4 min
In a fantasy vision of transformation, a woman’s face becomes a canvas.

Lightness
Spain – US PREMIERE
Live Action, Lucia Del Rio, 2010, 16 min
Sofia wants to be a movie director and constantly follows her mother and teen sister, Lola, around with a camera. While capturing her footage she makes the discovery that Lola secretly writes odes to hunger and longs to turn into a butterfly and “be taken by the wind.”

Book Girl and Cabinet Girl
USA
Animation, Jane Wu, 2010, 3.5 min
A sweet and tender story of friendship, jealousy, and love. Book Girl and Cabinet Girl meet and become friends. But then Scissors Boy comes along and cuts them apart.

Daughters
China/USA
Live Action, Chloe Zhao, 2009, 9.5 min
A stunningly shot film, set in rural China, about a girl facing a monumental life decision. When her mother becomes pregnant with a boy, 14-year-old Maple is forced into an arranged marriage. Unwilling to resign herself to this fate, she takes a dangerous path to freedom – but is she willing to pay the price?

Girls' POV is made possible with special support from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.^®

Learn about creating sound for film as top composers, musicians and producers work with the audience to score a film segment on the fly. What type of instrument is best suited for the tear-jerker, the comedy, or the action thriller? How are music and sound used to set mood, create suspense, trigger relief? Using live instruments and recording equipment, the group will go through the step-by-step process of layering music and effects onto film – taking input and cues from the audience – to create a completed sound design, while explaining the decisions and inspirations that direct their work. The live, interactive workshop will be led by composer, lyricist, and producer Michael Rubin, and composer, sound designer, and producer Nathaniel Reichman – with special guests to be announced.

Learn about creating sound for film as top composers, musicians and producers work with the audience to score a film segment on the fly. What type of instrument is best suited for the tear-jerker, the comedy, or the action thriller? How are music and sound used to set mood, create suspense, trigger relief? Using live instruments and recording equipment, the group will go through the step-by-step process of layering music and effects onto film – taking input and cues from the audience – to create a completed sound design, while explaining the decisions and inspirations that direct their work. The live, interactive workshop will be led by composer, lyricist, and producer Michael Rubin, and composer, sound designer, and producer Nathaniel Reichman – with special guests to be announced.

Have you ever wondered how cinema puts ordinary people into extraordinary landscapes? NYICFF invites you and your family to experience the magic of "green screen" special effects, used in films from Tron to Harry Potter to Avatar. Using a live, onstage studio setup, this interactive workshop explores each stage of the green screen, chroma key production process.

You’ll learn how to set up, light, and shoot the scene and how to place characters in different backgrounds with professional compositing software. After that, we’ll look at how some of your favorite films employ this process and how the technology has evolved over the years. Finally, everyone will get the chance to participate in a live demonstration. You will emerge with a better understanding of how filmmakers employ green screen to stretch the boundaries of the medium and create their art – and how you can begin to use these effects at home using simple video recording tools and software.

Presented in partnership with Take Two Film Academy. www.taketwofilmacademy.com

Have you ever wondered how cinema puts ordinary people into extraordinary landscapes? NYICFF invites you and your family to experience the magic of "green screen" special effects, used in films from Tron to Harry Potter to Avatar. Using a live, onstage studio setup, this interactive workshop explores each stage of the green screen, chroma key production process.

You’ll learn how to set up, light, and shoot the scene and how to place characters in different backgrounds with professional compositing software. After that, we’ll look at how some of your favorite films employ this process and how the technology has evolved over the years. Finally, everyone will get the chance to participate in a live demonstration. You will emerge with a better understanding of how filmmakers employ green screen to stretch the boundaries of the medium and create their art – and how you can begin to use these effects at home using simple video recording tools and software.

Presented in partnership with Take Two Film Academy. www.taketwofilmacademy.com

MEET THE FILMMAKERS - Sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this special Girls' POV event explores the experiences of award-winning women filmmakers. All attendees receive a custom NYICFF storyboarding notebook by Moleskine ($20 value).

What is it like to be a woman working in Hollywood?

"Breaking Into the Boys Club: Girls Behind the Camera" gives NYICFF audiences the chance to hear from, speak with, and learn from a panel of award-winning women filmmakers.

• Moderated by Caryn James, indieWIRE
• Lisa Cortes - producer, Precious
• Christine Vachon - producer, I'm Not There, Boys Don't Cry
• Claudia Raschke - cinematographer, Mad Hot Ballroom
• Lisbeth Scott - composer, The Chronicles of Narnia
• Kori Rae - producer, Up, The Incredibles, Monsters, Inc.
• plus more...

Girls' POV is made possible with special support from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.^®

MEET THE FILMMAKERS - Sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this special Girls' POV event explores the experiences of award-winning women filmmakers. All attendees receive a custom NYICFF storyboarding notebook by Moleskine ($20 value).

What is it like to be a woman working in Hollywood?

"Breaking Into the Boys Club: Girls Behind the Camera" gives NYICFF audiences the chance to hear from, speak with, and learn from a panel of award-winning women filmmakers.

• Moderated by Caryn James, indieWIRE
• Lisa Cortes - producer, Precious
• Christine Vachon - producer, I'm Not There, Boys Don't Cry
• Claudia Raschke - cinematographer, Mad Hot Ballroom
• Lisbeth Scott - composer, The Chronicles of Narnia
• Kori Rae - producer, Up, The Incredibles, Monsters, Inc.
• plus more...

Girls' POV is made possible with special support from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.^®

THURS FEB 3 - 7PM - SCREENING, PARTY, AND AUCTION
NO KIDS ALLOWED!
Enjoy a night of (inappropriate) film*, food, drinks, and amazing auction items. For more info and to view auction catalog CLICK HERE!

The event benefits NYICFF's Public School Access Program, which provides free and discounted festival access for New York City Title 1 schools and families!

*Film program includes short films submitted to the Festival that we couldn't possibly show your children.

THURS FEB 3 - 7PM - SCREENING, PARTY, AND AUCTION
NO KIDS ALLOWED!
Enjoy a night of (inappropriate) film*, food, drinks, and amazing auction items. For more info and to view auction catalog CLICK HERE!

The event benefits NYICFF's Public School Access Program, which provides free and discounted festival access for New York City Title 1 schools and families!

*Film program includes short films submitted to the Festival that we couldn't possibly show your children.

"Spectacular! Visionary! Mindbending! Staggering!" - Variety
"A Whirlwind of a Film!" - New York Times
"Four Stars! A kick-ass synthesis of traditional hand-drawn scenes and fluid, rainbow-explosive CG artistry!" - Time Out New York

"Spectacular! Visionary! Mindbending! Staggering!" - Variety
"A Whirlwind of a Film!" - New York Times
"Four Stars! A kick-ass synthesis of traditional hand-drawn scenes and fluid, rainbow-explosive CG artistry!" - Time Out New York

When teenage math prodigy Kenji solves a 2,056 digit math riddle sent to his cell phone, he unwittingly breaches the security barricade protecting Oz, a globe-spanning virtual world where millions of people and governments interact through their avatars, handling everything from online shopping and traffic control, to nuclear launch codes. Now a malicious AI program called Love Machine is hijacking Oz accounts, growing exponentially more powerful and sowing chaos and destruction in its wake. SUMMER WARS is a visual tour-de-force, with the amazing world of Oz as the highlight. Like the Internet as conceived by pop artist Takashi Murakami, Oz is a hallucinatory pixel parade of cool avatar designs, kung fu jackrabbits, toothy bears, and a bursting rainbow of colors. Comment: Film contains animated violence and mild language.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! The latest film from director Gabor Csupo (Bridge to Terabithia), with Dakota Blue Richards (The Golden Compass) and Tim Curry, is a fantasy adventure complete with misty castles, a danger-filled forest, a magic pearl necklace, and a reluctant city-girl-turned-princess decked out in an ever-growing collection of opulent, Victorian-era dresses.

Newly orphaned Maria Merryweather is forced to leave civilized London and live with her reclusive uncle at Moonacre Manor, the family’s remote and rundown estate in the woods. She soon discovers a secret within the walls of the large and crumbling castle. Long ago, a bitter feud between the Merryweathers and the rival De Noir family placed a curse on the land that only the young Moon Princess can undo. So Maria leaves the safety of Moonacre and enters the forbidden forest, where she comes face to face with a gang of marauding De Noir bandits - though with their black eye-liner and coordinated bowler hats, these smooth-faced young ruffians are about as menacing as an 80’s New Wave boy band. But this is a fairy tale and all is for the best, as soon the head boy-bandit and scion of the De Noir clan has switched sides, defying his father to help Maria find the magic pearls and fulfill her quest.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! The latest film from director Gabor Csupo (Bridge to Terabithia), with Dakota Blue Richards (The Golden Compass) and Tim Curry, is a fantasy adventure complete with misty castles, a danger-filled forest, a magic pearl necklace, and a reluctant city-girl-turned-princess decked out in an ever-growing collection of opulent, Victorian-era dresses.

Newly orphaned Maria Merryweather is forced to leave civilized London and live with her reclusive uncle at Moonacre Manor, the family’s remote and rundown estate in the woods. She soon discovers a secret within the walls of the large and crumbling castle. Long ago, a bitter feud between the Merryweathers and the rival De Noir family placed a curse on the land that only the young Moon Princess can undo. So Maria leaves the safety of Moonacre and enters the forbidden forest, where she comes face to face with a gang of marauding De Noir bandits - though with their black eye-liner and coordinated bowler hats, these smooth-faced young ruffians are about as menacing as an 80’s New Wave boy band. But this is a fairy tale and all is for the best, as soon the head boy-bandit and scion of the De Noir clan has switched sides, defying his father to help Maria find the magic pearls and fulfill her quest.

FEATURING NYICFF 2010 PRIZE WINNER SEE YOU! This collection of short films highlights the adventures and issues facing girls around the world, featuring films from Denmark, Brazil, France, Australia, and UK. Program includes:

FEATURING NYICFF 2010 PRIZE WINNER SEE YOU! This collection of short films highlights the adventures and issues facing girls around the world, featuring films from Denmark, Brazil, France, Australia, and UK. Program includes:

Attraction
UK, Animation, Rachinta Platts, 2.5 min
A man working at the newspaper stand espies a beautiful but mysterious customer, who always conceals her face with a long, blue scarf.

My Queen
Brazil, Live Action, Cecilia Amado, 11 min
A young girl looks forward to her big debut evening, flag-dancing in the Rio de Janeiro carnival, but things don’t turn out the way she imagined. A tender and lyrical portrait of first love, dreams, and disillusionment.

Miss Pretty Hair Doll
USA, Animation, Sue Perrotto, 1 min
Sixty seconds of cartoon mayhem from NYC’s Mo Willems - a not so-subtle discourse on the evils of Saturday morning commercials. Play it again, play it again!

Post It Love
UK, Live Action, Simon Atkinson/ Adam Townley, 3 min
Girl meets boy in quirky office romance. Two like-minded souls, too shy to approach each other, find a new way to show their love.

Popcorn and Periods
Denmark, Animation, Martin Strange-Hansen, 3 min
Pinly goes to the movies with her dad and has a Most Embarrassing Experience.

Star Games
UK, Experimental, Jasmin Jodry, 3 min
Tron-looking, techno-fantastic, Esther Williams, retro sci-fi rave, with fluorescent planets and zeppelin spaceships beaming up bathing-beauties in a ray of ecstasy.

A Stranger in Her Own City
Yemen, Live Action, Khadija Al-Salami, 12 min
Najmia, “Little Star,” is a street-smart 13-year-old Yemini girl with a radiant smile and a candid gaze. Insolent and carefree, she does not wear a veil. For Najmia, openly showing her curls in the sunlight is a living challenge to centuries of ancestral tradition.

Beauty Now
Ireland, Animation, Paul O’Flanagan, 3.5 min
Retro-styled instructional video teaches what it takes to be a successful young woman.

See You - AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER
Denmark, Live Action, Jesper Rasmussen, 34 min
When fourteen year-old Nete’s twin brother is killed in an accident, her world collapses. Months later, she begins a new school. The same day a new boy, Jonas, also arrives. To everyone else, he is just the new boy – but Nete is in deep shock at what she sees.

Comment: Subject matter in some films may not be appropriate for audiences under age 10.

Just in time for Halloween, here's a new selection of the best strange and scary short films from around the world from the past several years of the New York Int'l Children's Film Festival! Program includes:

Just in time for Halloween, here's a new selection of the best strange and scary short films from around the world from the past several years of the New York Int'l Children's Film Festival! Program includes:

Alma
Spain, Animated, Rodrigo Blaas, 2009, 5 min
Alma, a little girl, is intrigued by a strange doll in an antique toy shop window. Fascinated, Alma decides to enter...

Mortified
UK, Live Action, Robert Nevitt, 2008, 2.5 min
A group of children playing hide-and-seek in an old house are stalked by the houses's monstrous owner. For one of them, however, the day is about to get a whole lot worse.

The Terrible Thing of Alpha-9
USA, Animated, Jake Armstrong, 2009, 5 min
In this student film from New Yorker Jake Armstrong, an interstellar bounty hunter goes out in search of a killer space monster.

Atormenta
Spain, Animated, Cesar Melendez/Isabel Carrion, 2009, 1 min
She is waiting for you. Your time is over.

Fard
France, Animated, Luis Briceno/David Alapont, 2009, 13 min
In a near future, the world seems to work in an effective and controlled way...but under the surface darkness lurks.

Meat The Campbells
Scotland, Live Action, Simon Hynd, 2005, 9 min
Garish Tim Burton-style backdrops set the stage for this delightfully creepy faux-horror tale about a supposed flesh-eating family. Rumor has it that Pete Campbell, the new kid in school, eats a rather odd lunch: people pie! When two classmates join Pete and his family for dinner, the terrifying rumors are finally put to rest...or are they?

Man in the Tunnel Alley
Japan, Animated, Kenji Iwaisawa, 2008, 5 min
Kenji Iwaisawa's self-produced short has been collecting international awards with its freaky-cool atmosphere, rain of Buddhas, and restless tale of robot love. By tracing live-action film with highly-detailed line drawings, the film captures a kind of yearning indifferences and suspends the viewer between the real and unreal.

Sometimes
UK, Animation, Johnny Burns, 2005, 3.5 min
The rise to fame and fall from grace of a Frankenstein's monster in a modern fable of badminton, bunny rabbits and disco dancing.

Saint Feast Day
France, Animation, Daffis/Marchand, 2007, 16 min
All ogres look forward to St. Feast Day, when they get to eat all the human children they want. But when one ogre gets his teeth knocked out in an accident, he fears his child-gobbling days may be over. When the big day arrives, his pantry is empty and all appears lost - until a knock on the door brings a delicious surprise: his lovely neighbor has asked him to babysit her two tender darlings for the night!

Next Floor - Winner at Cannes Film Festival!
Canada, Live Action, Denis Villenueve, 2008, 12 min
During an opulent and luxurious banquet, eleven pampered guests participate in ritualistic gastronomic carnage. Winner Best Short at Cannes Film Festival.

Comment: Subject matter in some films may not be appropriate for audiences under age 10.

WINNER - LA FILM FESTIVAL! "Charming! Affectionate! Guaranteed to have viewers levitating." - Variety -- Six teenage magicians travel from around the world to Las Vegas to compete for the title of Teen World Champion. Armed with dazzling tricks and mind-bending illusions, these young contestants hit the stage with routines that range from sexy to comic to flashy, to just plain odd. However, beyond their passion for the art of magic, these master mini-magicians face behind-the-scenese pressure, the loneliness, and desire to fit in that comes with adolescence.

"A rousing, epic crowd pleaser!" - Moving Pictures Magazine

"The most adorable doc you'll see this year." -Toronto Film Scene

CO-PRESENTED WITH DOC NYC - NO DISCOUNTS, SPECIAL PRICING

WINNER - LA FILM FESTIVAL! "Charming! Affectionate! Guaranteed to have viewers levitating." - Variety -- Six teenage magicians travel from around the world to Las Vegas to compete for the title of Teen World Champion. Armed with dazzling tricks and mind-bending illusions, these young contestants hit the stage with routines that range from sexy to comic to flashy, to just plain odd. However, beyond their passion for the art of magic, these master mini-magicians face behind-the-scenese pressure, the loneliness, and desire to fit in that comes with adolescence.

"A rousing, epic crowd pleaser!" - Moving Pictures Magazine

"The most adorable doc you'll see this year." -Toronto Film Scene

***SPECIAL EVENT - CO-PRESENTED WITH DOC NYC FESTIVAL***
***NO DISCOUNTS, SPECIAL PRICING***

"THE BEST FILM OF THE YEAR! AN INSTANT CLASSIC!" - LA Times
Academy-Award nominee Marshall Curry unearths the world of competitive go-kart racing in this simultaneously intimate and thrilling documentary on the World Karting Association's National Series. Three of the country's most talented drivers vie for the championship title before any of them are even eligible for a driver's license. Yet for top racers Annabeth (11), Josh (13) and Brandon (12), scarier than spinning out or losing a race are the perils of school work, family life and first love. As Curry documents the tweens' extraordinary dedication to go after their dreams in a sport where every second can become a life-changing decision, these three must come to terms with who they want to be - both on and off the track.

"Ridiculously engaging! An exciting, poignant tale of growing up fast with adult ambitions." - NY Magazine

"Critics Pick! You leave wishing it was longer!" - NY Times

"Half lean, mean racing saga and half in-depth character study, Racing Dreams is dynamite! - Variety

"THE BEST FILM OF THE YEAR! AN INSTANT CLASSIC!" - LA Times
Academy-Award nominee Marshall Curry unearths the world of competitive go-kart racing in this simultaneously intimate and thrilling documentary on the World Karting Association's National Series. Three of the country's most talented drivers vie for the championship title before any of them are even eligible for a driver's license. Yet for top racers Annabeth (11), Josh (13) and Brandon (12), scarier than spinning out or losing a race are the perils of school work, family life and first love. As Curry documents the tweens' extraordinary dedication to go after their dreams in a sport where every second can become a life-changing decision, these three must come to terms with who they want to be - both on and off the track.

"Ridiculously engaging! An exciting, poignant tale of growing up fast with adult ambitions." - NY Magazine

"Critics Pick! You leave wishing it was longer!" - NY Times

"Half lean, mean racing saga and half in-depth character study, Racing Dreams is dynamite! - Variety

NOW IN 3D! -- This awe-inspiring nature film follows the personal story of a single loggerhead turtle, one of hundreds of adorable, vulnerable babies born in the sands of the Florida coast, as she grows into a strong-willed adult braving the six-thousand mile journey that has been the species’ perilous ritual for millions of years.

Critically acclaimed for visually resplendent nature footage on par with Planet Earth or March of the Penguins, Turtle features sweeping aerial shots and vast, majestic underwater seascapes that help underscore the epic scope of the journey with a survival adventure as tense as any Hollywood thriller.

NOW IN 3D! -- This awe-inspiring nature film follows the personal story of a single loggerhead turtle, one of hundreds of adorable, vulnerable babies born in the sands of the Florida coast, as she grows into a strong-willed adult braving the six-thousand mile journey that has been the species’ perilous ritual for millions of years.

Critically acclaimed for visually resplendent nature footage on par with Planet Earth or March of the Penguins, Turtle features sweeping aerial shots and vast, majestic underwater seascapes that help underscore the epic scope of the journey with a survival adventure as tense as any Hollywood thriller.

***3D EVENT - SPECIAL PRICING***

This brilliant collection includes the Academy Award winning Creature Comforts, the NYICFF Grand Prize winning Humdrum and A Matter of Loaf and Death, plus Rex the Runt, Shaun the Sheep, and other mini masterpieces encompassing 25 years of creative output from Nick Park, Peter Lord, Richard Goleszowski, Peter Peake, Chris Sadler and the other claymation geniuses at Aardman Animations.

This brilliant collection includes the Academy Award winning Creature Comforts, the NYICFF Grand Prize winning Humdrum and A Matter of Loaf and Death, plus Rex the Runt, Shaun the Sheep, and other mini masterpieces encompassing 25 years of creative output from Nick Park, Peter Lord, Richard Goleszowski, Peter Peake, Chris Sadler and the other claymation geniuses at Aardman Animations.

These inspired plasticine creations embody the best of Aardman’s slyly subversive wit and expressive style, and bubble over with a warmth and humanity that only such lovingly handmade films can convey.

FREE SECRET OF KELLS DVD FOR ALL FAMILIES - $25 VALUE!
MEET DIRECTOR TOMM MOORE - Q&A FOLLOWING BOTH SHOWS!
"A magical adventure unlike anything we've seen before."- USA Today
"Critics Pick! Extraordinary!" - AO Scott, New York Times
"Four Stars! Ravishing! Magical! Glorious!” - Kenneth Turan, LA Times
"One of the most beautiful works of animation ever!" - NY Press

Magic, fantasy, and Celtic mythology come together in a riot of color and detail that dazzle the eyes, in a sweeping story about the power of imagination and faith to carry humanity through dark times. Young Brendan lives in a remote medieval outpost under siege from barbarian raids. But a new life of adventure beckons when a celebrated master illuminator arrives from foreign lands carrying an ancient but unfinished book, brimming with secret wisdom and powers. To help complete the magical book, Brendan has to overcome his deepest fears and venture into the enchanted forest where mythical creatures hide. It is here that he meets the fairy Aisling, a mysterious young wolf-girl, who helps him fulfill his dangerous quest.

Comment: Viking attacks and mythic monsters may be scary for younger children.

FREE SECRET OF KELLS DVD FOR ALL FAMILIES - $25 VALUE!
MEET DIRECTOR TOMM MOORE - Q&A FOLLOWING BOTH SHOWS!
"A magical adventure unlike anything we've seen before."- USA Today
"Critics Pick! Extraordinary!" - AO Scott, New York Times
"Four Stars! Ravishing! Magical! Glorious!” - Kenneth Turan, LA Times
"One of the most beautiful works of animation ever!" - NY Press

Magic, fantasy, and Celtic mythology come together in a riot of color and detail that dazzle the eyes, in a sweeping story about the power of imagination and faith to carry humanity through dark times. Young Brendan lives in a remote medieval outpost under siege from barbarian raids. But a new life of adventure beckons when a celebrated master illuminator arrives from foreign lands carrying an ancient but unfinished book, brimming with secret wisdom and powers. To help complete the magical book, Brendan has to overcome his deepest fears and venture into the enchanted forest where mythical creatures hide. It is here that he meets the fairy Aisling, a mysterious young wolf-girl, who helps him fulfill his dangerous quest.

Comment: Viking attacks and mythic monsters may be scary for younger children.

SPECIAL EVENT - FIRST US SCREENING - IN 3D - $12 ALL SEATS!
FREE BOOK GIVEAWAYS FOR ALL FAMILIES! - Based on Kathryn Lasky's Guardians of Ga'Hoole book series, this new 3D picture marks the animation debut of director Zack Snyder (Watchmen, 300) and and is his first PG-rated family film, with

SPECIAL EVENT - FIRST US SCREENING - IN 3D - $12 ALL SEATS!
FREE BOOK GIVEAWAYS FOR ALL FAMILIES! - Based on Kathryn Lasky's Guardians of Ga'Hoole book series, this new 3D picture marks the animation debut of director Zack Snyder (Watchmen, 300) and and is his first PG-rated family film, with spectacular visuals from Academy Award-winning Australian animation studio Animal Logic (Happy Feet).

The film follows the adventures of Soren, a young owl enthralled by his father's epic stories of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones. While Soren dreams of someday joining his heroes, his older brother, Kludd, scoffs at the notion, and yearns to hunt, fly and steal his father's favor from his younger sibling. But Kludd's jealousy has terrible consequences - causing both owlets to fall from their treetop home and right into the talons of the Pure Ones. Now it is up to Soren to make a daring escape with the help of other brave young owls. Together they soar across the sea and through the mist to find the Great Tree, home of the legendary Guardians - Soren's only hope of defeating the Pure Ones and saving the owl kingdoms.

Comment: Rated PG by the MPAA for some sequences of scary action.

ENCORE SCREENING OF NYICFF 2010 OPENING NIGHT FILM!
“Spectacular! Visionary! Mind-Bending! Staggering!” - Variety. Don’t miss the scintillating new feature from Mamoru Hosoda, a film whose “dazzling fluency of motion and untethered brilliance of invention makes the usual fantasy anime look childish and dull!" - Japan Times

ENCORE SCREENING OF NYICFF 2010 OPENING NIGHT FILM!
“Spectacular! Visionary! Mind-Bending! Staggering!” - Variety. Don’t miss the scintillating new feature from Mamoru Hosoda, a film whose “dazzling fluency of motion and untethered brilliance of invention makes the usual fantasy anime look childish and dull!" - Japan Times

Kenji is a teenage math prodigy recruited by his secret crush Natsuki for the ultimate summer job – passing himself off as Natsuki’s boyfriend for four days during her grandmother’s 90th birthday celebration. But when Kenji solves a 2,056 digit math riddle sent to his cell phone, he unwittingly breaches the security barricade protecting Oz, a globe-spanning virtual world where millions of people and governments interact through their avatars, handling everything from online shopping and traffic control to national defense and nuclear launch codes. Now a malicious AI program called the Love Machine is hijacking Oz accounts, growing exponentially more powerful and sowing chaos and destruction in its wake.

This “intriguingly intelligent” cyberpunk/sci-fi story is a visual tour-de-force, with the amazing world of Oz as the highlight. Like the Internet as conceived by pop artist Haruki Murakami, Oz is a hallucinatory pixel parade of cool avatar designs, kung fu jackrabbits, toothy bears, and a bursting rainbow of colors.

Comment: Film contains animated violence and some mild language.

SPECIAL PRE-RELEASE SCREENING Be the first audience on the planet to see Dolphin Tale 3D, as NYICFF presents not one but two special pre-release screenings of the new Warner Brothers movie based on the amazing true-life saga of Winter, a bottlenose dolphin whose story of perseverance has become an inspiration for millions. Shot on location at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Dolphin Tale, from the producers of The Blind Side, stars Winter (who plays herself in the film) as well as human actors Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson, and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman.

SPECIAL PRE-RELEASE SCREENING Be the first audience on the planet to see Dolphin Tale 3D, as NYICFF presents not one but two special pre-release screenings of the new Warner Brothers movie based on the amazing true-life saga of Winter, a bottlenose dolphin whose story of perseverance has become an inspiration for millions. Shot on location at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Dolphin Tale, from the producers of The Blind Side, stars Winter (who plays herself in the film) as well as human actors Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson, and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman.

Based on a true events, this inspiring film follows the story of Winter, a bottlenose dolphin who is caught in a crab trap and washed ashore. A soft-spoken boy named Sawyer discovers the dolphin on the beach and frees her from the trap, staying by her side and comforting her while an animal rescue team arrives to bring Winter to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium - run by the kindly Dr. Haskell and his young daughter Hazel. While Dr. Haskell is unable to save Winter's damaged tail fin, she miraculously adopts a new way of swimming, learning to move her tail from side-to-side instead of up and down. In the process, Winter's perseverance and courage become a symbol of hope to hundreds and eventually millions of people who are touched by her remarkable story and flock to Clearwater each year to meet the brave dolphin.

To watch Winter live at Clearwater Marine Aquarium, click here.

Visually stunning and wildly inventive, this film explores the mystery of the night in a sweeping nocturnal adventure full of Alice in Wonderland-like characters and moody, dream-inspired landscapes. Have you ever wondered why your hair looks funny in the morning or where the sounds outside your window come from at night? A young boy named Tim finds out after an unusual discovery on the rooftop of his orphanage plunges him into the secret world of Nocturna, inhabited by curious creatures who control the night.

Visually stunning and wildly inventive, this film explores the mystery of the night in a sweeping nocturnal adventure full of Alice in Wonderland-like characters and moody, dream-inspired landscapes. Have you ever wondered why your hair looks funny in the morning or where the sounds outside your window come from at night? A young boy named Tim finds out after an unusual discovery on the rooftop of his orphanage plunges him into the secret world of Nocturna, inhabited by curious creatures who control the night.

There are hairdressers who specialize in bed-heads, dream writers, and a vast herd of guardian cats led by the gigantic Cat Shepherd. Yet this world is in danger: the stars in the sky are disappearing, kids are becoming restless at night, and a mysterious shadow creature is haunting the empty streets, extinguishing anything that gives off light. If Tim and the Cat Shepherd can't set things right, nighttime will never be the same! Bold anime-influenced character design and beautiful, fluid 2D animation help to create a fantastic dream world that balances the magical with a touch of menace. Tim and the audience ultimately learn that the night doesn't have to be so scary after all.

In this colorfully animated film perfect for our youngest audiences, characters from classic fairytales and children’s books come alive to help a young boy learn to read. Nat has fond memories of his eccentric Aunt Eleanor reading to him from her enormous collection of storybooks, but is frustrated and embarrassed by his inability to read the books himself. So he is less than thrilled when his aunt leaves him the keys to her attic library – and he rejects the gift. But just as Nat’s parents are selling the collection to a shady antiques dealer, Nat discovers that the library is magical – the books housed in the attic are all original first editions of history’s most popular fairy tales, and the characters come to life! Now with the help of Alice in Wonderland, the Ogre, Peter Pan and others, he must get back the books and learn to read an ancient spell to keep the characters alive for future generations of children. Eleanor’s Secret is a beautifully designed, rollicking adventure in which a boy’s ability to read not only sets his imagination free, but saves the day!

In this colorfully animated film perfect for our youngest audiences, characters from classic fairytales and children’s books come alive to help a young boy learn to read. Nat has fond memories of his eccentric Aunt Eleanor reading to him from her enormous collection of storybooks, but is frustrated and embarrassed by his inability to read the books himself. So he is less than thrilled when his aunt leaves him the keys to her attic library – and he rejects the gift. But just as Nat’s parents are selling the collection to a shady antiques dealer, Nat discovers that the library is magical – the books housed in the attic are all original first editions of history’s most popular fairy tales, and the characters come to life! Now with the help of Alice in Wonderland, the Ogre, Peter Pan and others, he must get back the books and learn to read an ancient spell to keep the characters alive for future generations of children. Eleanor’s Secret is a beautifully designed, rollicking adventure in which a boy’s ability to read not only sets his imagination free, but saves the day!

See the Best of NYICFF 2011 in one screening! For ages 6 and up, the program includes Grand Prize winner Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, jury winner The Little Boy and the Beast, Oscar winner The Lost Thing, audience award winners Don't Go, The Yellow Balloon, Ormie, and more!

Full lineup includes:

See the Best of NYICFF 2011 in one screening! For ages 6 and up, the program includes Grand Prize winner Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, jury winner The Little Boy and the Beast, Oscar winner The Lost Thing, audience award winners Don't Go, The Yellow Balloon, Ormie, and more!

Full lineup includes:

Dot
UK, Animation, Sumo Science, 2010, 2 min

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
USA, Animation, Dean Fleischer-Camp, 2010, 3 min

Don't Go
Turkey, Animation, Turgut Akacik, 2010, 4 min

Gravity
Canada, Experimental, Renaud Hallee, 2009, 2 min

The Little Boy and the Beast
Germany, Animation, Weiland/Heidschotter, 2009, 7 min

Ormie
Canada, Animation, Rob Silvestri, 2009, 4 min

Precise Peter
Germany, Animation, Martin Schmidt, 2010, 5 min

Johnny
Germany, Animation, Malena Modeer, 2010, 4 min

The Deep
USA, Animation, PES, 2010, 2 min

The Incident at Tower 37
USA, Animation, Chris Perry, 2009, 11 min

The Yellow Balloon
USA, Animation, Thompson/Castillo, 2010, 3 min

Book Girl and Cabinet Girl
USA, Animation, Jane Wu, 2010, 3.5 min

Pixels
France, Animation, Patrick Jean, 2010, 2.5 min

The Lost Thing
Australia/UK, Animation, Ruhemann/Tan, 2010, 15.5 min

ONLY NYC SCREENINGS - In the not-too-distant future, society is run by the Good For You Party, an all-powerful government organization that has outlawed everything sweet and delicious - and most especially chocolate. Gigantic sniffing robots patrol the streets, zeroing in on even the faintest chocolaty scent and sending all sweet-toothed lawbreakers to jail for "re-education" (think Orwell's 1984, but with candy). Unable to resign themselves to a lifetime of bland, healthy foods, teenage best friends Smudger and Huntly decide to take matters into their own hands and create the Chocolate Underground, a secret club where revolutionaries can indulge in their coveted confections.

This tasty, tongue-in-cheek allegory comes to a head when the boys stumble upon an abandoned mine filled with sugar and cocoa beans, leading to a climactic showdown between the free-snacking youth resistance and their corrupt Big-Brother oppressors. Featuring a perfect mix of fast-paced action scenes and montages fueled by a sugar-sweet J-pop soundtrack, Chocolate Underground is a delectable celebration of chocolate freedom, and a film to make even Willy Wonka salivate!

ONLY NYC SCREENINGS - In the not-too-distant future, society is run by the Good For You Party, an all-powerful government organization that has outlawed everything sweet and delicious - and most especially chocolate. Gigantic sniffing robots patrol the streets, zeroing in on even the faintest chocolaty scent and sending all sweet-toothed lawbreakers to jail for "re-education" (think Orwell's 1984, but with candy). Unable to resign themselves to a lifetime of bland, healthy foods, teenage best friends Smudger and Huntly decide to take matters into their own hands and create the Chocolate Underground, a secret club where revolutionaries can indulge in their coveted confections.

This tasty, tongue-in-cheek allegory comes to a head when the boys stumble upon an abandoned mine filled with sugar and cocoa beans, leading to a climactic showdown between the free-snacking youth resistance and their corrupt Big-Brother oppressors. Featuring a perfect mix of fast-paced action scenes and montages fueled by a sugar-sweet J-pop soundtrack, Chocolate Underground is a delectable celebration of chocolate freedom, and a film to make even Willy Wonka salivate!

WORLD PREMIERE - ENGLISH LANGUAGE VERSION The creators of Ghost in the Shell mix exquisitely detailed 2D backgrounds with modern 3D character designs in a dazzling animated adventure that plays like Alice’s fall through the rabbit hole into a world of topsy-turvy, anime dream-logic. When Haruka misplaces a hand-mirror that was a keepsake from her mother, she stumbles upon a portal to the subterranean world of Oblivion Island, a place where strange masked creatures gather up all the childhood trinkets humans abandon as they grow older, and attend Dream Theaters where they can watch and feel the memories locked in these forgotten objects. The land is ruled by an evil overlord, The Baron, who craves the power created by the memories locked in Haruka’s cherished hand-mirror – a power that will allow him to rise beyond his world of discards and take over the world of humans! Aided by Teo, a lowly junk collector, and Cotton, her old stuffed animal brought back to life, Haruka struggles to recapture the mirror from the Baron, and to rediscover the fleeting moments of childhood love and friendship that are among life’s most precious treasures.

WORLD PREMIERE - ENGLISH LANGUAGE VERSION The creators of Ghost in the Shell mix exquisitely detailed 2D backgrounds with modern 3D character designs in a dazzling animated adventure that plays like Alice’s fall through the rabbit hole into a world of topsy-turvy, anime dream-logic. When Haruka misplaces a hand-mirror that was a keepsake from her mother, she stumbles upon a portal to the subterranean world of Oblivion Island, a place where strange masked creatures gather up all the childhood trinkets humans abandon as they grow older, and attend Dream Theaters where they can watch and feel the memories locked in these forgotten objects. The land is ruled by an evil overlord, The Baron, who craves the power created by the memories locked in Haruka’s cherished hand-mirror – a power that will allow him to rise beyond his world of discards and take over the world of humans! Aided by Teo, a lowly junk collector, and Cotton, her old stuffed animal brought back to life, Haruka struggles to recapture the mirror from the Baron, and to rediscover the fleeting moments of childhood love and friendship that are among life’s most precious treasures.

Most people come from their mother's tummy. Koos Steggerda came from an airplane. Koos wants desperately to fit in - he even adds streaks of blonde to his straight black hair - yet no matter how hard he tries, his small size and dark features set him apart from his tall blond parents and the other people in his town. But one day, strange music draws Koos outside where he meets a band of Peruvian musicians who welcome him as one of their own. Koos learns that he, too, is a descendent of the Incas - and when Koos' mother becomes pregnant with a "real" Steggerda, Koos rejects his family and sets out on a journey to become the Indian he was born to be. This beautiful family movie swells with lighthearted whimsy while exploring powerful themes of identity, self-discovery, and the true meaning of family.

Most people come from their mother's tummy. Koos Steggerda came from an airplane. Koos wants desperately to fit in - he even adds streaks of blonde to his straight black hair - yet no matter how hard he tries, his small size and dark features set him apart from his tall blond parents and the other people in his town. But one day, strange music draws Koos outside where he meets a band of Peruvian musicians who welcome him as one of their own. Koos learns that he, too, is a descendent of the Incas - and when Koos' mother becomes pregnant with a "real" Steggerda, Koos rejects his family and sets out on a journey to become the Indian he was born to be. This beautiful family movie swells with lighthearted whimsy while exploring powerful themes of identity, self-discovery, and the true meaning of family.

ONLY NYC SCREENINGS - This hilarious new comedy from the producers of Kirikou and the Sorceress, The Triplets of Belleville and The Secret of Kells was a Festival favorite at NYICFF 2011. Laurent is so good at telling bedtime stories that his kids decide to enter him in a reality-show TV contest, where the competing dads are given cues and have to invent a bedtime story on the spot.

Who will tell the best story? Will it be the music loving dad? The know-it-all professor? The dad with severe anger management issues? Or will it be Eric, Laurent’s manipulative, lying, cheating co-worker, who will stop at nothing to see Laurent fail?

ONLY NYC SCREENINGS - This hilarious new comedy from the producers of Kirikou and the Sorceress, The Triplets of Belleville and The Secret of Kells was a Festival favorite at NYICFF 2011. Laurent is so good at telling bedtime stories that his kids decide to enter him in a reality-show TV contest, where the competing dads are given cues and have to invent a bedtime story on the spot.

Who will tell the best story? Will it be the music loving dad? The know-it-all professor? The dad with severe anger management issues? Or will it be Eric, Laurent’s manipulative, lying, cheating co-worker, who will stop at nothing to see Laurent fail?

Halloween is almost here, but there's no need to be afraid! Get ready for the haunted holiday with this selection of short films from the New York Int'l Children's Film Festival, featuring the friendliest, silliest, most lovable monsters from around the world.

Halloween is almost here, but there's no need to be afraid! Get ready for the haunted holiday with this selection of short films from the New York Int'l Children's Film Festival, featuring the friendliest, silliest, most lovable monsters from around the world.

Program includes Academy Award nominee The Gruffalo, Laban the Little Ghost, Happy Horse and the Monster, and much more!

Lotte From Gadgetville is a sweet and gentle-spirited crowd-pleaser, full of wacky contraptions, silly/happy songs, and a refreshingly un-cynical sense of humor. Lotte is a cheerful girl-dog who lives in the seaside town of Gadgetville, a village crazy about inventing. Every year there is a competition to show off the best homemade Rube Goldberg-esque machines, which Lotte's father Oscar always wins. But at this year's competition, the town is abuzz about the Japanese bee Susumu, who introduces Gadgetville to the concept of judo. After the town becomes obsessed with the sport, Lotte and her three friends try to help Susumu get back to Japan, where they plan to test their new skills in an international judo contest.

This first feature-length animated film from Estonia was enormously popular in its home country, besting The Incredibles at the box office, winning the prize for best animation, and becoming something of a national treasure - the Estonian government even issued a Lotte postage stamp!

Lotte From Gadgetville is a sweet and gentle-spirited crowd-pleaser, full of wacky contraptions, silly/happy songs, and a refreshingly un-cynical sense of humor. Lotte is a cheerful girl-dog who lives in the seaside town of Gadgetville, a village crazy about inventing. Every year there is a competition to show off the best homemade Rube Goldberg-esque machines, which Lotte's father Oscar always wins. But at this year's competition, the town is abuzz about the Japanese bee Susumu, who introduces Gadgetville to the concept of judo. After the town becomes obsessed with the sport, Lotte and her three friends try to help Susumu get back to Japan, where they plan to test their new skills in an international judo contest.

This first feature-length animated film from Estonia was enormously popular in its home country, besting The Incredibles at the box office, winning the prize for best animation, and becoming something of a national treasure - the Estonian government even issued a Lotte postage stamp!

The award-winning first feature from the director of A Cat in Paris and Mia and the Migoo is a delicate and charming tale of an old sea captain who unwittingly becomes a modern day Noah when a torrential flood washes over the planet and the animals from the local zoo escape into his floating house. But all is not peaceful aboard the comically tower-shaped houseboat, and when a code of strict vegetarianism is imposed to protect the gentler animals, their carnivorous shipmates plot mutiny. Raining Cats and Frogs won prizes at Berlin and Ottawa and has been showcased at the world's top festivals.

The award-winning first feature from the director of A Cat in Paris and Mia and the Migoo is a delicate and charming tale of an old sea captain who unwittingly becomes a modern day Noah when a torrential flood washes over the planet and the animals from the local zoo escape into his floating house. But all is not peaceful aboard the comically tower-shaped houseboat, and when a code of strict vegetarianism is imposed to protect the gentler animals, their carnivorous shipmates plot mutiny. Raining Cats and Frogs won prizes at Berlin and Ottawa and has been showcased at the world's top festivals.

NEW YORK PREMIERE - Ever wonder where you go when you sleep? In this beautifully animated stop-motion film, six-year-old Milo finds himself transformed into an animated character and swept into Dreamland, a secret nocturnal world of enchantment and adventure. There he sets sail in a magic car-boat through deliciously bizarre dreamscapes (full of giant chocolate bunnies, birthday cake women, cotton clouds, and paper mache mountains) on a mission to try to upend the schemes of the nefarious Habumar, creator of nightmares, who has threatened children everywhere by stealing the Sand of Dreams.

Sandman and the Lost Sand of Dreams is a sumptuously handcrafted film perfect for youngest audiences, with playfully inventive characters immersed in brilliantly colorful landscapes.

NEW YORK PREMIERE - Ever wonder where you go when you sleep? In this beautifully animated stop-motion film, six-year-old Milo finds himself transformed into an animated character and swept into Dreamland, a secret nocturnal world of enchantment and adventure. There he sets sail in a magic car-boat through deliciously bizarre dreamscapes (full of giant chocolate bunnies, birthday cake women, cotton clouds, and paper mache mountains) on a mission to try to upend the schemes of the nefarious Habumar, creator of nightmares, who has threatened children everywhere by stealing the Sand of Dreams.

Sandman and the Lost Sand of Dreams is a sumptuously handcrafted film perfect for youngest audiences, with playfully inventive characters immersed in brilliantly colorful landscapes.

Like Billy Elliott with go-karts, The Race is an Irish charmer about a young protagonist challenging gender stereotypes and overcoming family hardships to fulfill her dreams. When Mary is not helping out on the family farm, she’s speeding around in her handmade go-kart, red hair flying as she careens recklessly down the narrow roads that crisscross the lush, verdant hills of rural Ireland. Dreaming of becoming a race car driver, she sneaks into the boys' changing room and signs up for the community's annual race, which is traditionally restricted to boys. As the only girl in the competition, she faces ridicule and scorn from all sides – but Mary doesn't let the endless teasing intimidate her as she sets her sights on becoming the best racer in town.

Like Billy Elliott with go-karts, The Race is an Irish charmer about a young protagonist challenging gender stereotypes and overcoming family hardships to fulfill her dreams. When Mary is not helping out on the family farm, she’s speeding around in her handmade go-kart, red hair flying as she careens recklessly down the narrow roads that crisscross the lush, verdant hills of rural Ireland. Dreaming of becoming a race car driver, she sneaks into the boys' changing room and signs up for the community's annual race, which is traditionally restricted to boys. As the only girl in the competition, she faces ridicule and scorn from all sides – but Mary doesn't let the endless teasing intimidate her as she sets her sights on becoming the best racer in town.

The dog days of summer are upon us, but there's still time to celebrate the sunny season with this selection of summery shorts from around the world, suitable for all ages! Program includes:

The dog days of summer are upon us, but there's still time to celebrate the sunny season with this selection of summery shorts from around the world, suitable for all ages! Program includes:

Mermaid
Australia, 2009, Matt Tomaszewski, 2 min

Oktapodi
France, 2010, Julien Bocabeille/Francois-Xavier Chanioux, 3 min

Bridge on the River Zzzeee
France, 2009, Thomas Szabo, 5 min

Murphy's Shorts
USA, 2009, Tom Hemker, 2 min

Whistleless
Denmark, 2010, Edmunds Jansons, 5 min

Good Morning
USA, 2007, David Levy, 1 min

The Wooden Pirate with the Flesh Leg
Canada, 2006, Jean-Pierre Morin, 5.5 min

A Sunny Day
Germany, 2007, Gil Alkabetz, 6.5 min

Montrose Avenue
Canada, 2007, Marek Colek, 5.5 min

Tom and the Strawberry Mouse
Germany, 2003, Andreas Hykade, 5 min

Field Guide to Snapping
Canada, 2003, Nikhil Adnani, 3 min

...and more!

Michel Ocelot's shimmering masterpiece is a fairytale-like adventure set within a landscape of incomparable brilliance and beauty. "The most beautiful film of 2009! It's hard to imagine a more transporting cinematic experience!" - Roger Ebert. "Five Stars! Absolutely Gorgeous!" Time Out New York

Azur & Asmar is the story of two boys raised as brothers. Blonde, blue-eyed, white-skinned Azur and black-haired, brown-eyed, dark-skinned Asmar are lovingly cared for by Asmar's gentle mother, who tells them magical stories of her faraway homeland and of the beautiful, imprisoned Djinn Fairy waiting to be set free. Years later, as a young adult, Azur remains haunted by memories of the sunny land of his nanny, and sets sail south across the high seas to find the country of his dreams.

"Mesmerizing! Dazzling! A Feast for the Eyes!" Seattle Times

"Impossibly Gorgeous! The year’s most beautiful animated film!" Salon

"Sheer Dazzlement! Cinema whose every frame could be hung on an art gallery wall!" Financial Times.

Michel Ocelot's shimmering masterpiece is a fairytale-like adventure set within a landscape of incomparable brilliance and beauty. "The most beautiful film of 2009! It's hard to imagine a more transporting cinematic experience!" - Roger Ebert. "Five Stars! Absolutely Gorgeous!" Time Out New York

Azur & Asmar is the story of two boys raised as brothers. Blonde, blue-eyed, white-skinned Azur and black-haired, brown-eyed, dark-skinned Asmar are lovingly cared for by Asmar's gentle mother, who tells them magical stories of her faraway homeland and of the beautiful, imprisoned Djinn Fairy waiting to be set free. Years later, as a young adult, Azur remains haunted by memories of the sunny land of his nanny, and sets sail south across the high seas to find the country of his dreams.

"Mesmerizing! Dazzling! A Feast for the Eyes!" Seattle Times

"Impossibly Gorgeous! The year’s most beautiful animated film!" Salon

"Sheer Dazzlement! Cinema whose every frame could be hung on an art gallery wall!" Financial Times.

Advance Tickets Sold Out
SNEAK PEEK PREVIEW SCREENING - WITH COSTUME CHARACTERS!
Mumble dances his way back onto the big screen in Happy Feet Two, the sequel to the toe-tapping, Oscar-winning, animated original.

Featuring the voice talents of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, recording artist Pink, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Sofia Vergara, Hank Azaria, Common, Anthony LaPaglia and Benjamin "Lil P-Nut" Flores, Jr. and the dance skills of choreographer Wade Robson. Directed by Oscar-winner, George Miller. This animated toe-tapper brings us back to the sprawling floes of Antarctica in 3D.

Much to the dismay of his father Mumble, The Master of Tap, emperor penguin Erik is choreo-phobic. Instead of dreaming of dance, Erik is fascinated by The Mighty Sven – a penguin who can fly! How can Mumble compete for his son’s attention when Sven can do the impossible? Yet when powerful forces shake the world, Mumble has a chance to show Erik his true “guts and grit” as he unites the penguin nations and all arctic animals – from tiny krill to giant elephant seals – to make things right.

Presented in partnership with Film Society of Lincoln Center

Advance Tickets Sold Out
SNEAK PEEK PREVIEW SCREENING - WITH COSTUME CHARACTERS!
Mumble dances his way back onto the big screen in Happy Feet Two, the sequel to the toe-tapping, Oscar-winning, animated original.

Featuring the voice talents of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, recording artist Pink, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Sofia Vergara, Hank Azaria, Common, Anthony LaPaglia and Benjamin "Lil P-Nut" Flores, Jr. and the dance skills of choreographer Wade Robson. Directed by Oscar-winner, George Miller. This animated toe-tapper brings us back to the sprawling floes of Antarctica in 3D.

Much to the dismay of his father Mumble, The Master of Tap, emperor penguin Erik is choreo-phobic. Instead of dreaming of dance, Erik is fascinated by The Mighty Sven – a penguin who can fly! How can Mumble compete for his son’s attention when Sven can do the impossible? Yet when powerful forces shake the world, Mumble has a chance to show Erik his true “guts and grit” as he unites the penguin nations and all arctic animals – from tiny krill to giant elephant seals – to make things right.

Presented in partnership with Film Society of Lincoln Center

For ages 3 to 8, Kid Flix Mix is an upbeat, eye-opening, and highly entertaining mix of animated and musical shorts from around the world. Lineup features audience favorites from the past two festivals including Lost and Found, Hedgehug, Aston's Stones, Mermaid, Booo, and more.

For ages 3 to 8, Kid Flix Mix is an upbeat, eye-opening, and highly entertaining mix of animated and musical shorts from around the world. Lineup features audience favorites from the past two festivals including Lost and Found, Hedgehug, Aston's Stones, Mermaid, Booo, and more.

From award winning director Santosh Sivan, Tahaan is a stunningly shot, fable-like story set in scenic but strife-ridden Kashmir. The conflict is used as backdrop for the story of an eight-year-old boy, Tahaan, who tries to gain back his beloved pet donkey that has been sold to pay the family debt.

From award winning director Santosh Sivan, Tahaan is a stunningly shot, fable-like story set in scenic but strife-ridden Kashmir. The conflict is used as backdrop for the story of an eight-year-old boy, Tahaan, who tries to gain back his beloved pet donkey that has been sold to pay the family debt.

With his father missing in action for three years, Tahaan lives with his older sister, his loving, parable telling grandfather, and mute mother, but is left more or less on his own to wander village and countryside, navigate border checkpoints, and negotiate with merchants and money lenders in an effort to regain his lost pet.

More than a war movie, this is a film about striving, finding life-purpose and, finally, of right and wrong — as Tahaan is recruited by a young militant to throw a grenade into an army compound, building up to a heart-thumping (but thankfully non-tragic) final scene. Like Sivan’s earlier films, Tahaan is told with warmth, humor and simple honesty, while gorgeous cinematography offers breathtaking views of Kashmir’s snow-covered mountain passes and shimmering lakes, and a recurring encounter with a group of mystic Sufi singers provides a compellingly exotic musical bed.

IT'S A BOOK! IT'S A FILM! IT'S WESTON WOODS!
Beloved children’s picture books come to life in this beautiful selection of animated shorts based on stories from Maurice Sendak, William Steig and more! Free Weston Woods DVDs for the first families in line!

The program includes films directed by Weston Wood’s legendary Gene Deitch, Michael Sporn and others and with narration by Carole King, Chevy Chase, Jake Gyllenhaal, and James Earl Jones, to name just a few.

IT'S A BOOK! IT'S A FILM! IT'S WESTON WOODS!
Beloved children’s picture books come to life in this beautiful selection of animated shorts based on stories from Maurice Sendak, William Steig and more! Free Weston Woods DVDs for the first families in line!

The program includes films directed by Weston Wood’s legendary Gene Deitch, Michael Sporn and others and with narration by Carole King, Chevy Chase, Jake Gyllenhaal, and James Earl Jones, to name just a few.

The full lineup:

Officer Buckle and Gloria
Peggy Rathmann, narrated by John Lithgow

Pete’s A Pizza
William Steig, narrated by Chevy Chase

Pierre
Maurice Sendak, narrated and songs by Carole King

The Man Who Walked Between Towers
Mordicai Gerstein, narrated by Jake Gyllenhaal

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears
Verna Aardema, narrated by James Earl Jones

Knuffle Bunny
Mo Willems, narrated by Mo and Trixie Willems

The Emperor’s New Clothes
Nadine Bernard Westcott, narrated by Rex Robbins

FIRST EAST COAST SCREENING – ONE SHOW ONLY!
FREE POSTERS AND MIYAZAKI DVDS TO THE FIRST FAMILIES IN LINE!
The newest release from famed Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Ponyo) is the first feature directed by Hayao Miyazaki’s son, Goro Miyazaki, and is based on the fantasy book series by Ursula K. Le Guin.

FIRST EAST COAST SCREENING – ONE SHOW ONLY!
FREE POSTERS AND MIYAZAKI DVDS TO THE FIRST FAMILIES IN LINE!
The newest release from famed Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Ponyo) is the first feature directed by Hayao Miyazaki’s son, Goro Miyazaki, and is based on the fantasy book series by Ursula K. Le Guin.

The film is set in a medieval world of castles and dragons, a world that has been thrown into chaos by an imbalance of magical forces and is being overtaken by a dark sorcerer on a quest to attain immortality. Meanwhile, troubled young Prince Arren is pursued by demons of his own, until he falls in with the master wizard Sparrowhawk and young Therru – another in a long line of strong-willed Miyazaki female protagonists – and together they set out to defeat the sorcerer and restore balance to Earthsea. Featuring voices of Timothy Dalton, Mariska Hargitay, and Willem Dafoe as the demonic Cob, a goth villain of indeterminate gender, who comes across as the evil lovechild of Morticia and Stardust-era Bowie.

Comment: Rated PG-13, film contains animated violence and bloodshed.