New York Int'l Children’s Film Festival: Perspectives from Around the World

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Friday, 01 February 2019 17:10

Written by Brad Balfour

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Spanning theaters across New York City, the New York International Children’s Film Festival features new and classic films from around the world for all audiences. Founded in 1997, the festival has screened hundreds of films from the world over for audiences from toddler to teen to parent.

The fest opens with The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, from director Chiwetel Ejiofor. Produced in Malawi, the film (based on a true story) follows 13-year-old William Kamkwamba, who is thrown out of the school he loves when his family can no longer afford the fees. Sneaking back into the school library, he finds a way, using the bones of the bicycle belonging to his father Trywell (Ejiofor), to build a windmill which then saves his Malawian village from famine.

In the Peruvian themed animated film Pachamama Tepulpai and his pet armadillo embark on a young heroes’ quest to locate their community’s stolen treasure, and must confront the Inca and newly arrived Spanish to retain their indigenous ways.

Hiroyasu Ishida’s Penguin Highway a young boy must juggle theoretical physics, the onset of puberty, and hordes of penguins mysteriously appearing in his quiet Japanese suburb.

The German film Queen of Niendorf is the coming of age story of a girl who bucks the expectations of the world and discovers a makeshift raft and treehouse boys’ club. Skeptical because she’s a girl, the club members make her prove her mettle. Lea realizes that true bravery is not just what you do, but sometimes what you don’t do—and isn’t afraid to prove it.

The festival also has special segments for shorts and animation, as well as Girls’ POV, a special selection of shorts by and for girls.

To learn more, go to: https://nyicff.org/

New York International Children’s Film Festival
February 22 - March 17, 2019

Various Venues

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