NYICFF 2020
Author: Newsroom
NYICFF 2020 SHORT FILM PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:
● 10 Short Film Collections With 83 Films From 28 Countries
● Ongoing Commitment To Diverse Representation — 53% Women Filmmakers
● Introducing ¡HOLA NYICFF! — a Dynamic New Annual Spanish Language Program
● New And Returning Jury Members Include Peter Ramsey, Taika Waititi, Sofia Coppola, Melissa Cobb, Uma Thurman, and Geena Davis.
● Award-winners Announced at Best of Fest Screening + Awards Party on Saturday, March 14, 2020
NEW YORK (February 4, 2020) – Oscar®-qualifying New York International Children’s Film Festival (NYICFF) announces the complete short film lineup for its 2020 Festival, which runs February 21-March 15 at theaters throughout New York. Established in 1997 and now in its 23rd year, the acclaimed Festival — the nation’s largest for children and teens — presents a month of artistically distinctive, thought-provoking, and engaging new feature and short film programs from more than 30 countries, selected for a new generation of filmgoers aged 3 to 18.
Significant world premieres include the French-Korean animation Boriya (SHORT FILMS 1), celebrated animator Koji Yamamura’s Dreams Into Drawing (FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS: JAPAN), and the witty new animated music series The Musifants from Germany (NYICFF ROCKS). Two live action North American premieres following their Berlinale World Premieres will be presented at NYICFF, En Route (Netherlands, SHORT FILMS 2) and The Size of Things (Colombia, ¡HOLA NYICFF!), with dozens of additional premieres spread throughout the Festival.
NYICFF’s wildly popular short film strand presents the best short films from around the world, selected from over 1,500 entries. As an Oscar®-qualifying festival, Jury-selected winners are eligible for 2021 Academy Awards consideration in the Live Action and Animated Short Film categories.
This year’s esteemed jury of filmmakers, actors, and academic and industry leaders includes JOHN CANEMAKER, MELISSA COBB, SOFIA COPPOLA, GEENA DAVIS, HOPE DAVIS, ELIZABETH ITO, JORGE R. GUTIÉRREZ, MADELEINE DI NONNO, LYNNE MCVEIGH, MATTHEW MODINE, MARK OSBORNE, PETER RAMSEY, IRA SACHS, UMA THURMAN, TAIKA WAITITI, NORA TWOMEY, and KYLE MACLACHLAN. The Festival culminates with a closing night celebration on Saturday, March 14, which includes the announcement of the 2020 award winners and a special program of the Best of the Fest short films.
NYICFF’s signature shorts programs are its most popular screenings, featuring a broad range of new animated, live-action and documentary short films. Ten curated collections are shaped from submissions from filmmakers across the globe — representing artists at all career stages, from emerging filmmakers to veteran auteurs and multiple award-winners.
NYICFF 2020 continues its commitment to diverse and inclusive representation with a selection of short films that provide relatable, age-appropriate, thought-provoking ways to challenge gender and cultural stereotypes to expand crucial conversations for kids. From the artful animation and thought-provoking tone of Géraldine Charpentier’s Self Story, a self-reflection by one young person who, through cinema, realized they need not be bound by a fixed, binary idea of gender; to a warm and charming reflection on black male friendship, fatherhood and affection, in Camrus Johnson’s Grab My Hand: A Letter to My Dad; to the playful yet pointed emphasis on the importance of a girl voicing her needs in Teresa Romo’s Shy & Ketchup — these films reflect a broad landscape of storytellers and themes. Films are shared in their original language wherever possible.
“Our shorts programs offer the opportunity to bring together so many extraordinary voices from around the world. We’re thrilled that female filmmakers continue to figure prominently, that our offerings circumnavigate the globe with films from Mexico to Iran, Korea to Qatar; that exceptional films from cultures throughout the US historically underrepresented on screen get the spotlight they deserve, and that our next generation young audiences get to be inspired by an inclusive and diverse mix of stories, vision, and languages.”— María-Christina Villaseñor, Programming Director
The short film programs include SHORTS FOR TOTS for ages 3-6; SHORT FILMS 1 for ages 5-10; SHORT FILMS 2 for ages 8-14; and SHORT FILMS 3 for ages 12 to adult. In addition to these general interest programs, NYICFF presents thematically organized shorts collections, including longtime favorite GIRLS’ POV, presented with support from the Sony USA Foundation, in which viewpoints from girls and women around the world are front and center; BOYS BEYOND BOUNDARIES, now in its third edition which expands how boys and young men are typically portrayed on screen, while also challenging the possibilities for gender representation; and HEEBIE JEEBIES, a much-anticipated collection that rewards quirky-minded tween, teen and curious adult audiences with unique tales that go beyond the expected.
NYICFF 2020 returns with its fourth edition of FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS, which annually highlights country and international Festival partners through its short and feature selections. This year’s FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS: JAPAN shorts program showcases a contemporary collection of short films, highlighting the region’s rich cinema and cultural history in a breathtaking range of styles. Japanese films at the Festival are supported by the Japan-United States Friendship Commission, Sony Pictures, and the Japan Foundation New York, and organized in part with the Kineko International Children’s Film Festival.
NYICFF 2020 sees two additions to its shorts collection lineup. New annual offering ¡HOLA NYICFF! SHORTS IN SPANISH, offers an exciting panorama of live action, documentary, and animated shorts for audiences hungry for more Spanish-language content, with stories from Latin America, the Caribbean, and the US highlighted in the program and throughout the wider Festival slate. NYICFF ROCKS: MUSICAL SHORTS is a special collection, bringing together an eclectic and innovative mix of inventive music videos, clever animated musical stories for kids, and plenty of upbeat surprises for all.
Through its Spotlight on Canada, NYICFF is thrilled to highlight exceptional Canadian film across multiple Festival programs. From award-winning animation produced by the legendary National Film Board of Canada (Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days; HEEBIE JEEBIES, Jury Award at Annecy 2020, Best Animated Short Subject Annie Awards 2020), to producing initiatives supporting the creative vision of female directors (The Butterfly Affect; GIRLS’ POV) to innovative works by recent graduates of the country’s top animation schools (Wash Day, GIRLS’ POV; In Passing, SHORT FILMS 3), the strength of Canada’s stylistically and culturally diverse animation culture is brilliantly showcased at NYICFF. Canadian films at NYICFF are supported in part by the Consulate General of Canada and Telefilm Canada.
NYICFF invites audiences and industry alike to dive into our shorts programs, where exciting new voices mix with experienced filmmakers in a broad array of stories, curated by age and thematics to ensure maximum accessibility and engagement.