New York Intl Children’s Fest Announces 2025 Line-Up Announced!

New York Intl Children’s Fest Announces 2025 Line-Up Announced!

©Courtesy of New York Intl Children’s Fest,

NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL (NYICFF) ANNOUNCES 2025 FEATURES SLATE AND SHORT FILM PROGRAMS.

OPENING NIGHT IS THE U.S. PREMIERE OF ANIMATED BIOPIC HOLA, FRIDA, SUPPORTED BY THE FRIDA KAHLO ESTATE, WITH THE CENTERPIECE SLOT GOING TO THE EAST COAST PREMIERE OF A24’S THE LEGEND OF OCHI, FOLLOWING
ITS SUNDANCE DEBUT.

THIS YEAR’S SPOTLIGHT SELECTION IS THE NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF TOTTO-CHAN: THE LITTLE GIRL AT THE WINDOW, BASED ON TETSUKO KUROYANAGAI’S BEST-SELLING MEMOIR.

NYICFF RUNS FEBRUARY 28 THROUGH MARCH 16
TICKETS ON SALE FOR MEMBERS NOW
PUBLIC TICKETS AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 4

New York Intl Children's Fest

January 30, 2025 — Ahead of its 29th edition (February 28 through March 16), New York International Children’s Film Festival (NYICFF) has announced the feature film lineup for its 2025 slate. The Opening Night selection is the US premiere of “HOLA FRIDA”, an animated look at the early life of renowned artist Frida Kahlo. Following its world premiere at Sundance, A24’s “THE LEGEND OF OCHI”, praised by The Hollywood Reporter as “a richly imagined, gorgeously designed family-friendly fantasy,” will make its East Coast premiere in NYICFF’s Centerpiece slot. The North American premiere of “TOTTO-CHAN: THE LITTLE GIRL AT THE WINDOW”, based on Japan’s renowned autobiographical novel by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, is slated as the Spotlight selection.

“We’re thrilled that “THE LEGEND OF OCHIis at the center of our festival, announcing a new golden age of cinema for all ages at a time when inspiration has never been more key,” said NYICFF Director of Programming Maria-Christina Villaseñor. “Our selected feature slate teems with new, meticulously crafted directorial visions across live action, hand-drawn 2D, stop-motion animation, and docs, bringing to life vital stories of fierce girls and new worlds, as in “THE LEGEND OF OCHI“, fearless artists like “HOLA, FRIDA” or true to life joy and resilience as in “TOTTO CHAN: THE LITTLE GIRL AT THE WINDOW.”

“For nearly 30 years, we’ve been curating thoughtful, engaging, films for all ages—truly, many of these films were not created with kids in mind,” added NYICFF Executive Director Nina Guralnick. “We’re happy to bring such meaningful films to an audience often hungry for nuanced, grounded stories that reflect their feelings and experiences.”

NYICFF is an Oscar®-qualifying festival for short films, most recently screening 2025 Best Animated Short nominees “YUCK! and MAGIC CANDIES“, the latter of which qualified by winning the 2024 NYICFF Jury Award. The 2025 edition will see the return of NYICFF’s beloved short film programs, including “SHORTS FOR TOTS, CELEBRATING BLACK STORIES, AND GIRLS’ POV SHORTS.” Complete short film slate will be announced on February 12, 2025.

FEATURE FILM PROGRAM

Recommended ages 8+

In French with English subtitles

1940s France, near the Marne river. François is as bit adrift until he and his father embark on a project: to build a replica of a legendary navigator’s boat together. Another lyrical tale from the great Jean-François Laguionie (NYICFF 2017, 2012).

HOLA, FRIDA
OPENING NIGHT
CANADA, FRANCE | US PREMIERE
André Kadi and Karine Vézina, 2024, 82 min.
Recommended ages 7+

In Spanish with English subtitles

This is the story of a girl who is different. Her world is Coyoacán, in Mexico City. Sparkling and vibrant, everything fascinates her. Say hola to Frida Kahlo.

HOME COURT
UNITED STATES, CAMBODIA | NEW YORK CITY PREMIERE
Erica Tanamachi, 2024, 98 min.
Recommended ages 10+

In English and Khmer with English subtitles

This 2025 answer to Hoop Dreams follows a first-gen high school basketball phenom on her quest for college superstardom.

JIPPIE NO MORE!
NETHERLANDS | NEW YORK PREMIERE
Margien Rogaar, 2024, 95 min.
Recommended ages 10+

In Dutch with English subtitles

Jippie’s sister is getting married, and the whole family is helping with the celebration. The good dishes are out, decorations are set, and Jippie is prepared for the performance of a lifetime. But when he falls in love for the first time, his attention is no longer on his big gig.

KENSUKE’S KINGDOM
UNITED KINGDOM, LUXEMBOURG, FRANCE | ICYMI FEST FLASHBACK
Neil Boyle & Kirk Hendry, 2023, 84 min.
Recommended ages 8+

In English

Missed NYICFF 2024’s Grand Prize winning feature? Now’s your chance: catch the return of this audience favorite, Robinson Crusoe-style adventure, based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo.

THE LEGEND OF OCHI
CENTERPIECE
UNITED STATES | EAST COAST PREMIERE
Isaiah Saxon, 2025, 96 min.
Recommended ages 9+

In English

In a remote northern village, Yuri is raised to never go outside and to fear the reclusive forest creatures known as the ochi. When a baby ochi is left behind by its pack, she embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to reunite it with its family.

LIVING LARGE
ŽIVOT K SEŽRÁNÍ
CZECH REPUBLIC, FRANCE | EAST COAST PREMIERE
Kristina Dufková, 2024, 80 min.
Recommended ages 9+

In English

Ben is charming, funny, and in a seriously cool rock band with his friends. But growing up is hard, and one little problem turns out to be bigger than he bargained for.

MOOMINVALLEY
FINLAND, UNITED KINGDOM | US PREMIERE
Nigel Davies, 2024, 66 min.
Recommended ages 5+

In English

Just in time to celebrate their 80th anniversary (and they don’t look a day over…however old they’re supposed to be!), our Moominfriends return for more adventures. Celebrate with three all-new stories from the world of Moominvalley.

¡SALTA!
SPAIN | US PREMIERE
Olga Osorio, 2023, 85 min.
Recommended ages 8+

In Spanish with English subtitles

Come for the killer ‘80s soundtrack and gorgeous Spanish seaside vistas. Stay for the wormholes and a brotherly love that spans decades (1940s, 1980s, and 2020s, to be exact—just not always in that order).

SAVAGES
SAUVAGES
SWITZERLAND, FRANCE, BELGIUM
Claude Barras, 2024, 87 min.
Recommended ages 7+

In French with English subtitles

From the Oscar-nominated director of NYICFF 2017’s My Life as a Zucchini comes a gorgeously animated tale of family, nature, and understanding our roots.

SPOTLIGHT

TOTTO CHAN: THE LITTLE GIRL AT THE WINDOW 
窓ぎわのトットちゃん
JAPAN | NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Shinnosuke Yakuwa, 2023, 114 min.
Recommended ages 8+

In Japanese with English subtitles

Based on the beloved memoir—now required reading in many Japanese elementary schools—Totto-Chan is the powerful story of an imaginative girl learning to be herself even as the world around her changes.

WINNERS
SIEGER SEIN
GERMANY | NEW YORK PREMIERE
Soleen Yusef, 2024, 119 min.
Recommended ages 10+

In German with English subtitles

After leaving Syria for Berlin, Mona is struggling to find her footing. School is chaotic. Her mean-girl classmates all hail from other countries, and she barely knows any German. What she does know is soccer, but it’s going to take a lot more than skills to bring the team together.

SHORT FILM PROGRAM

SHORTS FOR TOTS 
Recommended ages 3-6

Created for our youngest and first-ever moviegoers, but beloved by grown-ups, Shorts for Tots is sure to delight all audiences.

SHORT FILMS ONE
Recommended ages 5-10

Whether you’re a baby chick who’s flown the coop, a budding Lego master, or just out for a movie, there’s lots to get into in Short Films One.

SHORT FILMS TWO
Recommended ages 8-14

Spending the week at a new house? Traveling the land with your ties and guitar? Waiting for the bus? Let Short Films Two take you away.

SHORT FILMS THREE
Recommended ages 12+

Shorts for our older crowd: teens and grown-ups only.

CELEBRATING BLACK STORIES
Recommended ages 9+

Shorts from around the world that embrace the joy, resilience, and complexity of being young and Black.

GIRLS’ POV
Recommended ages 10+

Not just for girls! These shorts feature stories of girls breaking the mold.

HEEBIE JEEBIES
Recommended ages 9+

Wild, spooky, freaky, and bizarre…prepare to have your mind blown.

¡HOLA CINE!
Recommended ages 9+

Latinx stories from around the world, and not just in Spanish, celebrating the many Latinx cultures, histories, identities and languages.

VENUES

DCTV Firehouse Cinema                                          Scandinavia House

87 Lafayette Street                                                      58 Park Avenue       

IFC Center                                                                  SVA Theatre
323 Avenue of the Americas                                       333 West 23rd Street

New York International Children’s Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) arts organization. Our programs are made possible in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

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