Over 25 Films Set To Spark Children’s Imagination At NYICFF 2026

Over 25 films are billed to spark children’s imagination at the New York International Film Festival, which opens February 28 to March 15.

For three weekends, the festival will stream incredible films and stories from across the globe that will satisfy fans of every genre, from “monster movies to life on the seashore, or floating along the breeze like a papaya”.

Two films make up the Highlight films, including animation, ‘Hoppers’ which will screen at the festival before its premiere on March 6, and ‘My Life in Versailles’, a 2020 short film now making its feature debut at the festival.

Feature films like ‘Ghost School (2025, Germany/Pakistan/Saudi Arabia)’, ‘Space Cadet (2025, Canada)’, ‘My Grandfather is a Nihonjin (2025, Brazil)’ and ‘Mary Anning (Belgium/Switzerland)’ – will have their premieres at the festival, and will witness the filmmakers’ question and answer sessions for the children’s benefit and delight. The children will get to hear a real palaeontologist speak about Mary Anning’s quests, they will talk with the illustrator of ‘My Father Is A Nihonjin’, and the filmmaker of ’Ghost School’.

There are also 10 short native American films like – ‘Akababuru: Expression of Astonishment’, ‘Cleaning’s A Cakewalk’, ‘Pow!’, ‘Legend of Fry-Roti: Rise of the Dough’, ‘Evening Escapades, Finding Light in the Dark: A Coming of Age Story,’ ‘Freddy’, ‘Ni Wapiten’, ‘Tentsitewahkwe (We Pick It Up Again)’ and ‘Tule’ – that blend the past, present and future to take a look at the varied lives of young Native and indigenous people as they live them today.

Established in 1997, NYICFF believes film is a pathway for young people to understand themselves and others. The largest of its kind in the US, the festival’s short films, selected by the festival’s adult jury, are eligible to compete for the Oscars.

The 2025 Academy Awards (Oscars) will take place on March 16.