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.)
Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends: The Complete First Season
Age Recommendation: 5+ Director: Various
From the subversive mind of Jay Ward comes the complete first season of this Cold War era classic. Rediscover Rocket J. Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose as they race to create a rocket fuel recipe while evading the very evil...
From the subversive mind of Jay Ward comes the complete first season of this Cold War era classic. Rediscover Rocket J. Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose as they race to create a rocket fuel recipe while evading the very evil Boris Badenov and the femme fatale, Bonnie-to-his-Clyde, Natasha. Laced with equal parts wit and satire, this collection includes baby-boomer favorites "Fractured Fairy Tales," Fearless Leader, Dudley Do-Right of the Mounties, and much more.
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: All Ages Director: Albert Lamorisse
The Red Balloon is a classic of children's cinema, as the image of the film’s titular balloon, glowing an impossibly dazzling shade of Technicolor red, has seared itself into so many childhood memories. The film’s story is deceptively simple...
The Red Balloon is a classic of children's cinema, as the image of the film’s titular balloon, glowing an impossibly dazzling shade of Technicolor red, has seared itself into so many childhood memories. The film’s story is deceptively simple: a young boy discovers a balloon, which seems to express free will through its movements, and together they go on an adventure through Paris. The movie moves at a languid pace, self-assured of its jokes in the first half and the dramatic chase scene that anchors the second, but it never drags (nor does it really have time to, with a running time of just over half an hour). In something of a scandal, Red Balloon also won the 1956 Oscar for Original Screenplay, despite the film only having a few lines of dialogue. What the Oscar instead symbolizes to me is the film’s great reliance on cinematic technique to tell the story, giving the non-verbal balloon human properties of playfulness and friendship, and setting up jokes as if the balloon were to join Chaplin and Keaton among the masters of silent comedy. The lack of dialogue also means that The Red Balloon’s sense of humor and magical drama can appeal to kids of all ages, even if they can’t yet read the subtitles for the French drama.
What Others Say...
"An utterly charming little story" - Bosley Crowther, New York Times
"A beautiful little meditation on childhood, on imagination literally taking flight" - Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
From the director of The Red Balloon comes another award-winning classic short film. This story focuses on White Mane, the rebellious and proud leader of a pack of wild horses, who dodges the herdsmen’s repeated attempts to capture him. After one dangerous escape, he meets the adolescent fisherman Folco...
Another prize-winning short film from Albert Lamorisse, completed several years before his Red Balloon, this film feels darker and more mature, dwelling on the gritty realities of nature, but there’s also the same wonderful exploration of friendship that made his later film so famous. This story focuses on White Mane, the rebellious and proud leader of a pack of wild horses, who dodges the herdsmen’s repeated attempts to capture him. After one dangerous escape, he meets the adolescent fisherman Folco, and although the horse is initially reluctant to trust a human they eventually develop a powerful bond. A possible spoiler: the ending can be depressing depending on how much disbelief you are willing to suspend, although I suspect that unlike other stories that actively pander to such escapist notions, the magical realism of White Mane suggests it really might not be the most unlikely scenario. Although the film is in French, the DVD also includes an optional narration by actor Peter Strauss, which basically involves him reading the subtitles aloud.
What Others Say...
"Beauty in Albert Lamorisse's brand of cinematic poetry stems from a childlike view of the world that sees bliss and sorrow as inseparably bound and equally enchanted" - Fernando Croce, Slant Magazine
The Marx Bros.' best film is this madcap farce in which Groucho plays Rufus T. Firefly, leader of the imaginary country of Freedonia, who must woo the nation's wealthy benefactor...
The Marx Bros.' best film is this madcap farce in which Groucho plays Rufus T. Firefly, leader of the imaginary country of Freedonia, who must woo the nation's wealthy benefactor Mrs. Teasdale while answering to international provocations that eventually lead to war as only the Marx Bros. could envision it!
Although they are undisputed comedy legends, many of the Marx Bros.' actual films are uneven. Duck Soup hits every comedic note just right, with a wonderful mix of intricate sight gags, rapid-fire verbal exchanges and elaborate song-and-dance parodies. It's the funniest way to introduce your family to these slapstick and vaudeville icons.
In this Academy Award-nominated musical comedy, The Beatles--who had recently been made an American sensation with their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show--offer a satirical look at a day in the life of the band...
In this Academy Award-nominated musical comedy, The Beatles--who had recently been made an American sensation with their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show--offer a satirical look at a day in the life of the band, avoiding screaming throngs of girls and singing a series of memorable tunes, including "Can't Buy Me Love," "She Loves You," "And I Love Her," not to mention the ubiquitous title track. The source of countless parodies, you'll find that The Beatles' music and high-energy antics transcend generations.
What Others Say...
"Still feels brand spanking new, and way cool!" - Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
"No movie of the 1960s catches that era's irreverent joy and exuberance as much as director Richard Lester's Beatlemania saga" - Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
"A comedy classic that cross- pollinated Jean-Luc Godard with the four Marx brothers" - John Anderson, Newsday
"Pure, infectious joy!" - Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
This sequel to A Hard Day's Night reunites director Richard Lester with the Fab Four, but adds color and a wackier kind of surreal slapstick comedy. In this spoof of The Beatles' universal popularity, an Eastern religious cult declares the ring on Ringo's finger is a powerful artifact...
This sequel to A Hard Day's Night reunites director Richard Lester with the Fab Four, but adds color and a wackier kind of surreal slapstick comedy. In this spoof of The Beatles' universal popularity, an Eastern religious cult declares the ring on Ringo's finger is a powerful artifact, and they won't stop until they have it. The worldwide travels are joined by a great Beatles soundtrack, including "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away," "Ticket To Ride," and "Help!", which help keep the film afloat if the slapstick humor ever misses the mark.
The concept of "so bad it's good" seems to have been invented for the films of Ed Wood, a director, writer, producer and occasional star who fully embraced his B-movie budgets and utter lack of technical skill. In Plan 9, his magnum opus about aliens who try to conquer earth with zombies, a hit list of cinematic ineptitudes doesn't sink the film so much as make it pure sci-fi comedy gold...
The concept of "so bad it's good" seems to have been invented for the films of Ed Wood, a director, writer, producer and occasional star who fully embraced his B-movie budgets and utter lack of technical skill. In Plan 9, his magnum opus about aliens who try to conquer earth with zombies, a hit list of cinematic ineptitudes (like paper plates trying to pass as flying saucers, and a man with a cape over his mouth trying to substitute for the film's star, who had recently died) doesn't sink the film so much as make it pure sci-fi comedy gold. The whole thing comes off as delightfully stupid, and kids are sure to enjoy seeing Hollywood gone this bad, but the movie really succeeds because it looks like a lot of fun. Like the early home movies of budding filmmakers, Plan 9 may be a technical disaster, but there's a heart and energy to the film that makes it hard to begrudge Ed Wood his career masterpiece.
Age Recommendation: 8+ Director: Ernest B. Schoedsack
Like the giant ape for which it's named, King Kong is a movie that is larger than life. It's been remade multiple times (including a CGI-infused, mega-costly version from Peter Jackson in 2005) but never topped. The movie effectively follows a "more is more" strategy...
Like the giant ape for which it's named, King Kong is a movie that is larger than life. It's been remade multiple times (including a CGI-infused, mega-costly version from Peter Jackson in 2005) but never topped. The movie effectively follows a "more is more" strategy, packing a foggy island full of hostile tribesmen, dinosaurs and the stop-motion Kong into a brief running time, ensuring a brisk pace and plenty of action. If you're looking to introduce older kids to classic movies, this is a fantastic place to start, especially since the new DVD release adds a restored picture and several interesting documentaries on how the film was made.
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.
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