Want to find the best international, classic or unusual movies for kids? We've carefully assembled a list of films on DVD that have played the New York Int'l Children's Film Festival, as well as some of our own favorites! Even better: Every DVD you buy through this site helps make us rich. Not Bill Gates rich. Just “not-in-spiraling-amounts-of-debt” rich. Ka-ching!
Tales of the Night
Age Recommendation: 8+ Director: Michel Ocelot
From the imagination of internationally renowned animator Michel Ocelot (Kirikou and the Sorceress, Azur & Asmar) comes a magical and visually stunning new film, delighting kids, families and animation fans of all ages. Silhouetted characters are set off against exquisitely detailed...
From the imagination of internationally renowned animator Michel Ocelot (Kirikou and the Sorceress, Azur & Asmar) comes a magical and visually stunning new film, delighting kids, families and animation fans of all ages. Silhouetted characters are set off against exquisitely detailed Day-Glo backgrounds bursting with color and kaleidoscopic patterns, as the film weaves together six exotic fables each unfolding in a unique locale, from Tibet, to medieval Europe, and even the Land of the Dead. In Ocelot's celebrated storytelling, history blends with fairytale as viewers are whisked off to visit enchanted lands full of dragons, shape-shifting werewolves, captive princesses, and enormous talking bees - and each fable ends with its own ironic twist.
"Michel Ocelot's ravishing animation and magical storytelling are a delight from start to finish!" - Empire
Age Recommendation: 14+ Director: Reynolds/Goldberger
In this animated vision of a futuristic sci-fi dystopia, humans are kept as pets by the super-advanced race of blue aliens known as Draags. They treat their human pets, known as Oms, with disdain, pitting them in fights to the death and occasionally gassing the wild population as a means of pest control...
In this animated vision of a futuristic sci-fi dystopia, humans are kept as pets by the super-advanced race of blue aliens known as Draags. They treat their human pets, known as Oms, with disdain, pitting them in fights to the death and occasionally gassing the wild population as a means of pest control. A young Om named Terr manages to escape with a Draag education device, which he uses to teach a wild Om society to become civilized and start a revolution against the Draags.
An amazing combination of minds resulted in this remarkably unique film. Famous counter-cultural illustrator Rene Laloux outlined the work for the acclaimed Prague animation studio Jiri Trnka. The story is a sharp Swiftian critique of political and social oppression, but the allegory is routinely outdone by the fantastic visuals, a mix of psychedelic organic forms and futuristic technology.
(Note: The women in the film, being treated like animals, are presented fully naked, and there are scenes of mild violence.)
Age Recommendation: 8+ Director: Francois Truffaut
François Truffaut's episodic, warmly comic portrayal of life in a rural French village is one of the most charming and realistic films about the pleasures and pain of childhood. Famed critic Pauline Kael called it "that rarity - a poetic comedy that's really funny"...
François Truffaut's episodic, warmly comic portrayal of life in a rural French village is one of the most charming and realistic films about the pleasures and pain of childhood. Famed critic Pauline Kael called it "that rarity - a poetic comedy that's really funny." A young girl announces by megaphone that she's been abandoned, resulting in gifts of food from her neighbors; a boy cracks up trying to tell a dirty joke; a giggling toddler tears apart the house while his mother chats with a neighbor... a mere sampling of the scenes that unfold in this masterful film by Truffaut, director of perhaps the most famous film about childhood, The 400 Blows. The New York Int'l Children's Film Festival was pleased to present a retrospective screening of Small Change at the American Museum of the Moving Image during the 2004 Festival.
(Note: This film contains some mild adult language and very brief partial nudity.)
What Others Say...
"A major work in a minor key" - New York Times
"[Truffaut] recreates childhood, and yet he sees it objectively, too: He remembers not only the funny moments but the painful ones... one of the year's most intensely, warmly, human films." - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Age Recommendation: 8+ Director: Francois Truffaut
Perhaps the most famous film ever made about childhood, French New Wave pioneer Francois Truffaut's stirring debut feels as fresh as the day it premiered...
Perhaps the most famous film ever made about childhood, French New Wave pioneer Francois Truffaut's stirring debut feels as fresh as the day it premiered. Ignored by two warring parents and criticized at his harsh reform school, Antoine begins to rebel against authority, seeking freedom from the people who regulate his life. This portrait of adolescent angst (itself a semi-autobiographical account of Truffaut's younger years) is warm with sympathy to the everyday concerns of kids, and punctuated with plenty of humor.
The DVD, produced by the inimitable Criterion Collection, features a gloriously restored transfer, two audio commentaries and a series of interviews with Truffaut looking back on the film's unexpected global success. The film was long available only in a more expensive box set, but now can be enjoyed by itself for a lower price.
What Others Say...
"Seems forever young" - Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
"Still one of the cinema's most perceptive forays into childhood" - Derek Adams, Time Out
"Distinguished by its intensity of feeling and freewheeling use of the wide-screen frame, the film ranks among Truffaut's best" - Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
"A remarkable confluence of talents are at work here" - Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice
Age Recommendation: 8 to Adult Director: Marshall Curry
"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.
"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
Director Danny Boyle wields a wildly inventive visual style, spinning an atmosphere of playful magical realism punctuated by moments of pure cinematic exuberance. It is the tale of two Liverpudian lads who have just moved into a new house with their dad to begin a new life without their departed mother. Damien is a dreamer, representing all that is naive and unspoiled in the world. So when a duffle bag full of cash literally falls from the sky to Damien's feet, he thinks it's a gift from God and begins searching for poor people to give the money to...
Director Danny Boyle wields a wildly inventive visual style, spinning an atmosphere of playful magical realism punctuated by moments of pure cinematic exuberance. It is the tale of two Liverpudian lads who have just moved into a new house with their dad to begin a new life without their departed mother. Damien is a dreamer, representing all that is naive and unspoiled in the world. So when a duffle bag full of cash literally falls from the sky to Damien's feet, he thinks it's a gift from God and begins searching for poor people to give the money to. Older brother Anthony is more business minded and tries to educate his brother on the practical uses of money. But there's a catch: the boys only have one week to spend the cash before Britain converts to the euro and their money is rendered worthless. Millions is a smart, funny, sensitive and immensely enjoyable film about the difficulty of performing an act of generosity in a cynical world.
What Others Say...
"A family film of limitless imagination and surprising joy" - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"Leaves you feeling rich -- and richly satisfied" - Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
"Visually arresting, seriously whimsical, and suffused with a dreamy yet sad awareness of where life falls short and imagination has to pick up the slack" - Ty Burr, Boston Globe
"Witty, sweet and charming but never sappy" - Desson Thomson, Washington Post
Age Recommendation: 11+ Director: Dominique Standaert
Dieudonne and his son Justin are just settling down in front of the tube to watch the World Cup match when a racist neighbor sparks a conflict and father and son find themselves on the run from the police. Dieudonne is caught and deported to the Congo, but Justin manages to slip away and is taken under the wing of an ex-revolutionary and bomb expert. Hop treats the somber issues of immigration and political terrorism with humor, alternating tragic situations with comic details. The result is an exceptionally entertaining movie, full of warmth, humor and suspense.
The "Hop" is said to be a secret technique used by pygmies to capture and control the wild African elephant, but it can be applied to any situation where one person uses ruthless cunning to exert control over another. Justin is a clever student who relies on his ingenuity, wit and charm to bring him success and popularity at school. His father Dieudonne exudes calm pride, with impeccable manners and appearance. Despite their status as illegal African immigrants, they appear to be well integrated into white Belgian society. Father and son are just settling down in front of the tube to watch the World Cup match when a racist neighbor sparks a conflict and the two find themselves on the run from the police. Dieudonne is caught and deported to the Congo, but Justin manages to slip away and is taken under the wing of an ex-revolutionary and bomb expert. Hop treats the somber issues of immigration and political terrorism with humor, alternating tragic situations with comic details. The result is an exceptionally entertaining movie, full of warmth, humor and suspense.
Age Recommendation: 8+ Director: Juan Carlos Cremata Malberti
In this charming coming-of-age film from Cuba, preteens Jorgito and Malú have formed a deep bond, so when they learn Malú's divorced mother plans to remarry and leave the country, taking Malú with her, the two friends go on a quest to prevent their separation. Leaving Havana and traveling on foot and by any available vehicle, the children try to reach Malú's father before he signs papers permitting her to emigrate.
In this charming coming-of-age film from Cuba, preteens Jorgito and Malú have formed a deep bond, so when they learn Malú's divorced mother plans to remarry and leave the country, taking Malú with her, the two friends go on a quest to prevent their separation. Leaving Havana and traveling on foot and by any available vehicle, the children try to reach Malú's father before he signs papers permitting her to emigrate.
Age Recommendation: 8+ Director: Luigi Falorni and Byambasuren Davaa
Set in the Gobi Desert, this film about a family of nomadic herders blends documentary and fiction into a uniquely affecting experience. After a difficult delivery, the mother camel refuses to look after her new colt. The Mongolian shepherds become concerned for the colt's health, and send two of their sons on a journey to the next village, looking for a musician who can help perform an ancient musical ceremony...
Set in the Gobi Desert, this film about a family of nomadic herders blends documentary and fiction into a uniquely affecting experience. After a difficult delivery, the mother camel refuses to look after her new colt. The Mongolian shepherds become concerned for the colt's health, and send two of their sons on a journey to the next village, looking for a musician who can help perform an ancient musical ceremony that will unite the mother camel with her young. Finding beauty in the everyday rhythms of life in an area few of us have seen, the directors linger on the herding and family life as a peaceful counterpoint to our own often harried existence.
What Others Say...
"A film of simple rigor and heartfelt emotion" - Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News
"Joyous!" - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"A simple tale of animal estrangement and reconciliation that in its own quiet way manages to be soothing, hypnotic, even magical" - Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
From Iranian director Majid Majidi (Children of Heaven) comes a powerful drama about life in modern Tehran for Mohammad, a blind eight-year-old boy. Kind-hearted and full of spirit, Mohammad is loved by everyone who meets him--except his father, who is ashamed of the boy and worried...
From Iranian director Majid Majidi (Children of Heaven) comes a powerful drama about life in modern Tehran for Mohammad, a blind eight-year-old boy. Kind-hearted and full of spirit, Mohammad is loved by everyone who meets him--except his father, who is ashamed of the boy and worried that his son's handicap will ruin his chance to remarry. In an effort to get rid of him, he sends Mohammad to apprentice with a carpenter far away, who gladly takes him in and treats him like a son. But Mohammad begins to wonder if there is anything that will bring his father around.
Like Children of Heaven, Majidi shows his great skill working with young actors, drawing believable performances and creating a sympathetic character without overly dwelling on his handicap. Beautiful cinematography and sound design (bringing out the subtleties of Mohammad's advanced hearing) make this an engaging example of Iran's growing place in world cinema.
What Others Say...
"Stunningly beautiful and nothing less than extraordinary... yet another gem to spring from one of the world's most vital national cinemas!" - A.O. Scott, New York Times
"Made with delicacy and beauty... Because they do not condescend to young audiences, Majidi's films of course are absorbing for adults as well, and there is a lesson here: Any family film not good enough for grownups is certainly not good enough for children" - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
This Oscar-nominated drama from Iran illustrates the resilience and resourcefulness of young children in a sweet, heart-wrenching story that is part fairy tale, part family drama. When Ali loses his sister Zahra's only pair of shoes, they know their family is too poor...
This Oscar-nominated drama from Iran illustrates the resilience and resourcefulness of young children in a sweet, heart-wrenching story that is part fairy tale, part family drama. When Ali loses his sister Zahra's only pair of shoes, they know their family is too poor to afford another pair, and they don't want to let them know about the loss. So instead, they take turns with Ali's pair of shoes, trading back and forth as they rush to school and play around the city. But when Ali learns about the school foot race, where the prize is a new pair of shoes, he knows it is a contest he simply has to win...
Although it sounds overly sentimental, this simple set up is an ideal frame on which to hang great child performances, beautiful cinematography and delicate family scenes that eschew melodrama and sentimentality for sweetly-tinged realism.
What Others Say...
"Very nearly a perfect movie for children, and of course that means adults will like it, too" - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"Majidi captures the immediacy and essence of kids: proud, emotional, spirited, and disarmingly sincere" - Sean Axmaker, Seattle Weekly
Occupying a landmark as the first film shot in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein, Turtles Can Fly focuses on the realities of day-to-day existence for kids in the Kurdistan region of the war-torn country...
Occupying a landmark as the first film shot in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein, Turtles Can Fly focuses on the realities of day-to-day existence for kids in the Kurdistan region of the war-torn country. Thirteen-year-old Soran rallies his fellow orphans in his village to help clear the surrounding minefields and install antennas so they can listen to more news about the war. After hearing that Saddam Hussein has been removed from power, Soran and his friends prepare for the arrival of U.S. troops, but are instead greeted by the beautiful young girl Agri and her brother Henkov, who is armless because of landmines and claims he can predict the future. Soran falls for Agri but is wary of her brother, and how can romance blossom under such dire circumstances?
More than topical, the film mixes emotionally devastating circumstances with humor and courage to depict a particularly childlike view towards an uncertain future. Looking back on the film after several years of continued conflict, it's a prescient but not preachy reminder of the true victims of war.
Having shown great talent on the practice fields and in pick up games in the park, Jess dreams of playing professional soccer like her idol, David Beckham. Her very traditional Indian family disapproves of the sport, and forbids her from playing...
Having shown great talent on the practice fields and in pick up games in the park, Jess dreams of playing professional soccer like her idol, David Beckham. Her very traditional Indian family disapproves of the sport, and forbids her from playing, but when Jess meets her new friend Juliet (the now-famous Keira Knightley), who plays soccer for a teen team, she decides to go against her parents' wishes and play anyway. Sharing this secret and other outlandish adventures, Jess and Juliet become fast friends, but as they drive their team to a new level of success, Jess finds it hard to keep her playing a secret, and competition may drive a wedge in their friendship.
Becoming an indie sensation when it was introduced to America, Bend It Like Beckham is a coming-of-age comedy that portrays teenage life with an honesty and wit lacking in many made-for-teen movies. Director Gurinda Chadha became critically known for her stirring documentaries and dramas dealing with the life of Indian immigrants in Britain, and even in this seemingly light comedy, the film benefits immensely from her experience capturing the ups and downs of immigrant family life.
In this stunning drama about the clash between ancient customs and changing attitudes towards gender, 12-year-old Pai would be the future leader of her village--if she wasn't a girl. Despite the disapproval of her family, Pai is determined to prove...
In this stunning drama about the clash between ancient customs and changing attitudes towards gender, 12-year-old Pai would be the future leader of her village--if she wasn't a girl. Her brother's death in childbirth leaves her the sole offspring of her father, the current chief of New Zealand's Maori tribe, and challenges the tribe's tradition of passing down leadership to the first-born male in the line. Despite the disapproval of her family, Pai is determined to prove that she can become a strong leader of the people and a rightful heir in this amazing story that accurately captures family tensions in the midst of great change.
Beautiful cinematography and a largely tribal-influenced soundtrack capture the majesty of the New Zealand landscape (better known as the location of the epic Middle Earth battlegrounds in The Lord of the Rings) and the changing lives of the Maori tribe who have lived there for centuries. Niki Caro's feel-good movie became a surprise hit, winning approval from audiences and critics alike as well as an Oscar nomination.
Hard-hitting economic realities collide with the happily escapist illusions created by the movie industry in Salaam Bombay!, a festival favorite that launched the career of director Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake). Eleven-year-old Krishna has lived on the streets since...
Hard-hitting economic realities collide with the happily escapist illusions created by the movie industry in Salaam Bombay!, a festival favorite that launched the career of director Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake). Eleven-year-old Krishna has lived on the streets most of her life, mingling with the homeless, drug addicts, thieves and prostitutes, but he keeps his hopes up, inspired by the Bollywood movie posters and music all around him. He's been trying to earn enough money to return home, but when his best friend steals his savings, Krishna is pushed into a life of petty crime.
Like the Italian neorealists, Salaam Bombay has an almost entirely non-professional cast, using real street kids to act out their lives, and shooting on location. These techniques paid off in an incredibly moving look at life on the streets and won Nair the prestigious Camera d'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Fifty years before Disney got to it, poet/director Jean Cocteau created this masterpiece, a film that fully embraced its fairy tale roots with delightfully surreal imagery and a heartbreaking romance between the finely-coiffed Beast and the Beauty...
Fifty years before Disney got to it, poet/director Jean Cocteau created this masterpiece, a film that fully embraced its fairy tale roots with delightfully surreal imagery and a heartbreaking romance between the finely-coiffed Beast and the Beauty who becomes his reluctant prisoner to save her father's life. What the film lacks in musical numbers it makes up for with unbridled imagination and an awesome belief in the magic of fairy tales, creating a true classic that has retained its power over time.
When 11-year-old Billy Elliot quits boxing and takes up ballet, his decision doesn't sit well with his gruff father. Billy keeps it a secret from his classmates and friends, fearing they'll mock him...
When 11-year-old Billy Elliot quits boxing and takes up ballet, his decision doesn't sit well with his gruff father. Billy keeps it a secret from his classmates and friends, fearing they'll mock him for such an effeminate activity. But he seems to have a knack for dancing, and as he improves, he's encouraged to try out for the Royal Ballet, a public audition that would reveal his secret to the world, but also might earn him the respect and admiration of his father. Set against the backdrop of the volatile 1984 miners' strike, Billy Elliot is a heart-warming drama/comedy that embraces the regional flavor of its north England working class setting while challenging gender stereotypes.
(Note: This film is rated R for language and brief violence during a strike scene.)
Seven-year-old Ludovic is a boy who decides he should have been born a girl, and begins to sweetly experiment, trying on dresses and lipstick, and taking the female lead of Snow White in the school play...
Seven-year-old Ludovic is a boy who decides he should have been born a girl, and begins to sweetly experiment, trying on dresses and lipstick, and taking the female lead of Snow White in the school play. Although this brings him great joy, he earns the ire and insults of his family, classmates and neighbors, stirring up the fear of difference in his usually calm neighborhood. He finds a new friend and soul mate, though, when he discovers a classmate who thinks she should have been born a boy... (Sound familiar?)
Director Alain Berliner cuts through the tough issues of sexual politics and intolerance with the innocence and humorous outlook of children, creating a classic coming-of-age story as funny as it is touching.
(Note: This film received an R rating for a subtitle translation that include a few uses of the "F-word," even though the actual translation is debatable.)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
