Having just lived through 80 minutes watching a Shakespearean classic turned into a story involving garden gnomes, I am not exactly itching to head out to see the next 3D “blockbuster” Hollywood has lined up for my kids.
But if I can get us to New York City this month, I’ll be sure to include a trip to the Children’s International Film Festival to catch some of the best and brightest films for kids from around the world.
If you’re in town, lucky you, here are a hundred great reasons to head to the movies this weekend.
Starting March 4, The New York International Children’s Film Festival runs all month in six cinemas across the city, with a little something for the youngest movie watchers all the way up to those “drop me off around the corner” teens.
Scrolling through the full-length movies and shorts, I’d have a hard time picking just one to attend. Instead of hitting the much-hyped Mars Needs Moms, I’d head to France’s hand-drawn A Cat in Paris which looks adorably sweet and blessedly non-3D. And the Chinese animated The Dreams of Jinsha (shown above) calls to mind the amazing work of Hayao Miyazaki, though I will love learning more about Chinese history and mythology in this subtitled tale.
Not all the films are animated, as in Echoes of the Rainbow starring a little boy who runs around the streets of Hong Kong with a goldfish bowl on his head (yes, really).
Since most of these films are new to me, I appreciate the age recommendations listed for each, and I also love that there are a collection of short films especially for coming-of-age girls ages 10+. Movie goers can also vote for their favorites which will be revealed at the NYICFF Awards at the end of the month.
All of a sudden, March in the city sounds pretty fun, doesn’t it? -Christina
Check out the full slate of films, movie times and ticket information for the New York International Children’s Film Festival at the NYICFF website. All-access VIP passes are available for purchase if you want to experience the whole thing.
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