NYICFF 2023 Shorts Programs: A Must-See for Budding Moviegoers and Artists

The New York International Children’s Film Festival (NYICFF) has announced its Short Film Programs for 2023. NYICFF has been North America’s largest and most prestigious film festival for young audiences for 26 years and is a must-attend event for moviegoers of all ages. The Shorts Programs, in particular, have been a crowd favorite for years, showcasing international short films that are thought-provoking, imaginative, and entertaining.

NYICFF’s Director of Programming, Maria-Christina Villaseñor, describes the festival’s 2023 Shorts Programs as “witty, well-crafted, and playfully reimagining what animated and live-action storytelling can be.” These curated films are essential viewing for the next generation of budding cinephiles, artists, activists, thinkers, and doers.

Shorts Programs are available for age groups ranging from tots to teens. The festival’s youngest and first-ever moviegoers can enjoy Shorts for Tots (ages 3-6), while graduates of the Tots program can move on to Short Films One (ages 5-10). Short Films Two (ages 8-14) features films with more complex themes and narratives, while Girls’ POV (ages 12-18) showcases films made by and about girls. Boys Beyond Borders (ages 12-18) features films that challenge gender norms, while Tween Time (ages 10-14) is designed for kids on the cusp of adolescence. Teens Only (ages 14-18) explores teen identity and issues, and the LGBTQ+ Shorts (ages 12-18) celebrates diversity and inclusivity.

The NYICFF Shorts Programs are not only entertaining, but they are also educational. The festival’s films are selected with grown-ups in mind, too, making them a great option for families looking to have a fun and meaningful experience together. The festival’s Shorts Programs offer an opportunity for children and adults to engage with global perspectives and diverse storytelling.

Don’t miss your chance to be a part of North America’s largest and most prestigious film festival for young audiences.

COMPLETE SHORTS LINEUP:

SHORTS FOR TOTS

Created for our youngest and first-ever moviegoers, but beloved by grown-ups, Shorts for Tots is sure to delight all audiences. Recommended for ages 3-6.

THE SMEDS AND THE SMOOS
UNITED KINGDOM—NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Animation, Daniel Snaddon & Samantha Cutler, 2022, 27 min.
English
Smeds vs Smoos, Reds vs Blues: the age old story of competing tribes and star-crossed matches gets a hilarious and charming new spin in this latest interplanetary delight by Magic Light Pictures.

DON’T BLOW IT UP
CZECH REPUBLIC—NEW YORK PREMIERE
Animation, Alžbeta Mačáková Mišejková, 2022, 8 min.
No dialogue
Two little girls get into a petty quarrel while playing. As their anger balloons, so do they—literally. How will they save their kitten after he gets stuck in a tree?

LUCE AND THE ROCK
BELGIUM & NETHERLANDS
Animation, Britt Raes, 2022, 13 min.
English
When a giant boulder lands in the middle of Luce’s small geometric village, it’s up to him to find a solution, even though he’s scared of the dark.

KONIGIRI-KUN PARASOL
JAPAN—NEW YORK PREMIERE
Animation, Mari Miyazawa, 2021, 5 min.
No dialogue
Konigiri-Kun, the energetic rice ball, is back for his fourth film at the Festival. This time, he must save the day after Mini Tomato’s birthday party goes airy, er, awry.

TO BE SISTERS
FRANCE—US PREMIERE
Animation, Anne-Sophie Gousset & Clément Céard, 2022, 7 min.
No dialogue
Two sisters circle each other’s orbits, laughing, shouting, playing, and spinning each in their own unique way.

SHORT FILMS ONE

Level up! Shorts in this program are for Tots graduates—and everyone else. Recommended for ages 5-10.

RACHEL
UNITED STATES
Live action documentary, Toko Shiiki, 2022, 3 min.
English
Animator Rachel Reid exudes joy as she talks about being an animator, encouraging others to follow in her footsteps.

CANARY
CANADA—NEW YORK PREMIERE
Animation, Benoit Therriault & Pierre-Hugues Dallaire, 2022, 12 min.
No dialogue
1922. Young Sonny works in a coal mine, dreaming of the warmth of the sunlight above the surface. When a clever prank goes awry, he’ll learn the hard way not to be the boy who cries canary.

PAPIROLA
SPAIN
Animation, Fabián Molinaro, 2022, 7 min.
No dialogue
As he prepares for a life-changing voyage, Nico can’t help but pack up everything he loves in his house.

PAOLO’S HAPPINESS
GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, & CZECH REPUBLIC—US PREMIERE
Animation, Thorsten Drößler & Manuel Schroeder, 2022, 14 min.
No dialogue
Paolo is an unassuming man who loves to cry—good for him! One day, his tears make him a local celebrity.

A WHISPER IN THE ISLAND OF THE HEART
UNITED STATES—NEW YORK PREMIERE
Live action, Xiaowen Wang, 2022, 13 min.
No dialogue
Love communicates across the Tibetan mountains, against a warm coat of fur, and through sound waves and vibrations, proving silence can speak volumes.

THE GOOSE
CZECH REPUBLIC & FRANCE—US PREMIERE
Animation, Jan Mika, 2023, 13 min.
No dialogue
It’s a football tale as old as time: boy vs. goose…?

SWING TO THE MOON
FRANCE—NEW YORK PREMIERE
Animation, Marie Bordessoule, Adriana Bouissie, Nadine De Boer, Elisa Drique, Chloé Lauzu, Vincent Levrero, & Solenne Moreau, 2022, 7 min.
No dialogue
Deep in the forest, wide-eyed spider Temi dreams of catching the Moon. For that, she will do anything.

SLEEPY
UNITED KINGDOM—NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Animation, Rich Webber, 2022, 1 min.
No dialogue
Snoring, silly, and hilarious things can happen when sleep catches up with you.

SHORT FILMS TWO

Dig a little deeper, and explore a littler further, with Short Films Two. Recommended for ages 8-14.

EID MUBARAK
UNITED STATES—EAST COAST PREMIERE
Live action, Mahnoor Euceph, 2022, 16 min.
Urdu with English subtitles
It’s a beautiful candy-colored world, but nothing could be further from Pakistani girl’s mind as she embarks on a crafty mission to save her beloved pet goat from being eaten on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Azha.

MY DUDUŚ
UNITED STATES
Live action documentary, Tom Krawczyk, 2022, 8 min.
Polish with English subtitles
A mother’s love gets a little squirrely when her son leaves home and she finds a furry replacement in this true-to-life, believe-it-or-not doc.

THE SISTINE
COLOMBIA—NEW YORK PREMIERE
Animation, Juan Camilo Fonnegra, 2022, 8 min.
No dialogue
Vincho artfully makes the most of another man’s trash as he builds his greatest creation in this opulently and sustainably minded stop motion stunner.

OUTSIDE
NETHERLANDS—NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Live action, Wouter Keijzer, 2022, 14 min.
Dutch with English subtitles
Ten-year-old Fynn learns that being cool isn’t about finding the perfect spot to hang in the neighborhood, but something entirely different.

ARCHITECT A
REPUBLIC OF KOREA—NEW YORK PREMIERE
Animation, Jonghoon Lee, 2022, 25 min.
Korean with English subtitles
Architect A constructs every house to resemble a person’s life, using their memories to build a thriving, living, and breathing structure beyond all imagination.

BALCONY CACOPHONY
NETHERLANDS—WORLD PREMIERE
Animation, Quentin Haberham, 2022, 5 min.
No dialogue
Topiary tensions run high in this all too familiar battle between neighbors over who gets to control the most precious part of a shared living space: the sound.
SHORT FILMS THREE

Shorts for our older crowd: teens and grown-ups only. Recommended for ages 12+.

CALL ME ANYTIME, I’M NOT LEAVING THE HOUSE
UNITED STATES—NEW YORK
Live action documentary, Sanjna Selva, 2022, 10 min.
English, Russian, & Ukrainian with English subtitles
Two Ukrainian families, one in Brooklyn, the other in Odessa, seek dignity and safety in this true-to-life tale of conflict, crisis, and re-connection.

MALL STORIES: ATTILA THE GRILLA
UNITED STATES—EAST COAST PREMIERE
Animation, Elizabeth Ito, 2022, 7 min.
English
Any way you slice and dice this charming animated mockumentary, the girl-grill-boss and endearing staff of the food court eatery Atilla the Grilla will win your hearts—and stomachs.

THE ORIGINALS
UNITED STATES
Animated documentary, Cristina Costantini & Alfie Koetter, 2022, 10 min.
English
New York-bred Matty “Square” Ruggiero and his childhood friends think back on what it was like to grow up playing in the streets of South Brooklyn, with all its joys and hardships, in the 1970s.

THE WOOD THRUSH
UNITED STATES—EAST COAST PREMIERE
Live action, Peter Forbes, 2021, 15 min.
English
An elusive bird’s song draws a girl into the forest, where an epiphany inspires her to seek a life at odds with her father’s own plans for her future.

THE SOLOISTS
FRANCE
Animation, Mehrnaz Abdollahinia, Feben Woldehawariat, Razahk Issaka, Celeste Jamneck, & Yi Liu, 2021, 8 min.
English
In a small village ruled by ridiculous laws, three singing sisters and their dog get a joyful reprieve by rehearsing for the Annual Autumn Festival. But an unexpected event will disrupt their plans.

SIERRA
ESTONIA
Animation, Sander Joon, 2022, 16 min.
No dialogue
The story of a son so willing to make his racing-obsessed dad proud that he turns himself into a car tire.

TANK FAIRY
TAIWAN & UNITED STATES
Live action, Erich Rettstadt, 2021, 10 min.
Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles
Ten-year-old Jojo, cast out by classmates and misunderstood by his stern, single mom, is inspired to live out loud by his fierce, propane-toting fairy godmother.

HOME OF THE HEART
FRANCE—EAST COAST PREMIERE
Animation, Sarah Saidan, 2022, 15 min.
French & Persian with English subtitles
Omid, an Iranian immigrant now living in France, has a fateful encounter that takes his breath, and heart, away. Or maybe he left it behind in his beloved homeland.

HEEBIE JEEBIES SHORTS

Spooky, freaky, and bizarre…Recommended ages 10+

DALGONA
REPUBLIC OF KOREA—NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Live action, Ha Won Jang, 2022, 12 min.
Korean with English subtitles
Can 10 year-old Yeon-ah summon the ghost of her dad to craft the sweetest of Korean treats, Dalgona, for her mom’s birthday?

THINGS THAT DISAPPEAR
REPUBLIC OF KOREA—US PREMIERE
Animation, Changsoo Kim, 2022, 11 min.
No dialogue
An elderly woman honors the spirits of those past, and a funeral for a dead cat unbeknownst to most channels karma across spirits sung and unsung.

THE RECORD
SWITZERLAND—NEW YORK PREMIERE
Animation, Jonathan Laskar, 2022, 9 min.
French with English subtitles
A magical vinyl record reads minds and plays lost memories, uncovering one man’s story of how he got separated from his mother on the Swiss border during World War II.

THE CAVE
REPUBLIC OF KOREA—NEW YORK PREMIERE
Animation, Jinman Kim & Jiyoung Chon, 2022, 14 min.
Korean with English subtitles
After a young boy’s father dies, he turns to dark magic to curse all those who wrong him.

THE ISLAND OF US
TAIWAN—NEW YORK PREMIERE
Animation, Yu Yu, 2022, 19 min.
No dialogue
Eat or be eaten, rise from the shadows or pluck out an eye: the rules of the island are always shifting and just out reach in a beyond bizarre, exquisitely crafted stop motion vision of creation, destruction, and the cycle of life.

AN OSTRICH TOLD ME THE WORLD IS FAKE AND I THINK I BELIEVE IT
AUSTRALIA
Animation, Lachlan Pendragon, 2021, 11 min.
English
Academy Award® Nominee for Best Animated Short Film! Stop motion animation is turned on its head when a young telemarketer starts to realize his world is not what it seems…

THE OLD YOUNG CROW
UNITED STATES—WORLD PREMIERE
Animation & Live action, Liam LoPinto, 2022, 12 min.
Japanese & Persian with English subtitles
A magical sketchbook toggles between time and place in this fantastical tale of an Iranian boy, a big black crow, a long-lost son, and a loving mother who cross spiritual paths at a Tokyo grave.

GIRLS’ POV SHORTS

Not just for girls! These shorts feature stories of girls breaking the mold. Recommended ages 10+

FUR
NETHERLANDS—NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Animation, Madeleine Homan, 2022, 5 min.
Dutch with English subtitles
A girl attempts to understand and comfort her sister after gray fur covers her body, making her feel miles away even as they sit right next to each other.

KISSY AND THE SHARK
UNITED STATES—NEW YORK PREMIERE
Live action, Lola Blanche, 2021, 13 min.
English & Spanish with English subtitles
Kissy has enough on her mind worrying about her mother and grandmother, but her caring instinct takes hold when she finds and tries to rescue a small stranded shark washed up on a littered LA beach.

FIRST DOWN
UNITED STATES—NEW YORK PREMIERE
Live action documentary, Carrie Stett, 2021, 12 min.
English
America’s first all-girls tackle football league brings together a band of misfits and outcasts who compete for the title while tackling struggles on and off the field.

SPOTLESS
NETHERLANDS—EAST COAST PREMIERE
Live action, Emma Branderhorst, 2021, 16 min.
Dutch with English subtitles
With her mom struggling to make ends meet, teenage Ruby doesn’t want to bother her when her period comes around. So she’s forced to find a solution for a basic need all by herself.

BABY
COLUMBIA
Live Action, Cristina Sánchez Salamanca, 2021, 15 min.
Spanish with English subtitles
First-born Nina feels like second in line for her father’s attention once her little sister comes around. Who’s the real baby in this dance of love, jealousy, mistakes, forgiveness, when everyone could use a little growing up?

TROPHY
CANADA—NEW YORK PREMIERE
Live action, Sandra Coppola, 2021, 15 min.
French with English subtitles
Hyper-focused Dominique wants just one thing: to become the best hockey player in her league, and her father who trains her demands no less. But when she secures a coveted trophy, whose win is it?

SECONDARY
CANADA—UNITED STATES PREMIERE
Animation, Ian Keteku & Rui Ting Ji, 202?, 3 min.
English
A daughter grapples with her mother’s anger and how it made her who she is today.

CELEBRATING BLACK STORIES

Celebrating Black Stories spotlights shorts from throughout the Festival and around the world that embrace the joy, resilience, and complexity of being young and Black. Recommended ages 7+

HOOP DREAMS
UNITED STATES
Live action, Kasey Elise Walker, 2021, 10 min.
English
All that glitters is mama’s magic, and Savannah just needs to grab a little of that to get past her fears and soar through hoops in poetic style.

MORE THAN HAIR
CANADA—NEW YORK PREMIERE
Live action, Fitch Jean, 2022, 12 min.
French with English subtitles
Sitting for the first time in a barbershop, a young black boy discovers the power of black hair.

GUGU NAGOGO
AUSTRALIA—INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
Live action, Taku Mbudzi, 2022, 19 min.
English & Shona with English subtitles
When a lunar eclipse stops her late-night letter exchanges, 12-year-old astronomer Gugu must find a way to reconnect with her beloved Gogo (grandmother) who lives far away in Zimbabwe.

JOYCE’S NEIGHBORHOOD: THE MOM EVERY OTHER KID WANTED
UNITED STATES
Animation, Richard O’Connor, 2022, 3 min.
English
Mr Roger’s Neighborhood’s got nothing on Joyce’s house, a castle to all the local kids that’s nothing but sweetness and light.

I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM
UNITED STATES
Live action documentary, Ashley Brandon, 2021, 9 min.
English
An ice cream man sets out to create a banger of a beat the world has ever seen in an attempt to rekindle a dream and reconnect with his son.

CHARLIE AND THE HUNT
United States—East Coast Premiere
Live Action, Jenn Shaw, 2021, 15 min.
In English and American Sign Language with English subtitles
Charlie is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adult) with a wonderful mom and an adorable dog. When her mom’s bracelet goes missing, she sets off into the wild with her homemade map, where she uncovers breathtaking landscapes and priceless treasure.
¡HOLA CINE!

The annual program delivers the best Latinx stories from around the world, and not just in Spanish, but also English, and even Portuguese, celebrating the many Latinx cultures, histories, identities and languages. Recommended ages 8+

MAMÁ
UNITED STATES & CANADA—WORLD PREMIERE

Live action, Bryan Angarita, 2022, 15 min.
English & Spanish with English subtitles
A mother-son road trip in the swampy Florida Everglades veers off course, locking the passengers out of their car. They’ll have to figure out another way forward, on the road and in their relationship, to get back on solid ground.

EL MOÑO
UNITED STATES—NEW YORK PREMIERE
Live action, Luis Fernando Puente & Lizde Arias, 2022, 8 min.
Spanish with English subtitles
After her favorite sock goes missing, Andrea learns some family magic that helps her find lost objects in the most unexpected ways. She’ll soon discover that toys and coins aren’t the only things that can get lost.

THE LUGGAGE ROOM
SPAIN—NEW YORK PREMIERE
Animation, Daniela Cuenca, 2021, 7 min.
Spanish with English subtitles
A devoted abuelita dreams of the day she can reunite with her grandchildren, cramming her suitcase with mountains of gifts and heaps of precious memories.

WITH A WOOL BALL
ARGENTINA—EAST COAST PREMIERE
Animation, Belén Ricardes, 2022, 5 min.
Spanish with English subtitles
A ball of wool, a catchy song, and beautiful felted stop motion tell this boldly-colored tale of a girl who weaves ponchos and steeps hot maté to keep her friends toasty in the hills of Argentina.

PHONOS
MEXICO
Animation, Gabriela Badillo, 2021, 9 min.
No dialogue
Chloe has bottled up her feelings along with the sounds that remind her of her beloved grandfather until a songbird shows her the way to maintain the spirit of his beautiful music.

LA CALESITA
UNITED STATES & CANADA—NEW YORK PREMIERE
Animation, Augusto Schillaci, 2022, 10 min.
No dialogue
A beloved Argentinian merry-go-round operator brings joy to the neighborhood families in this warm and vivid story of what comes around, goes around…

THE DANCE
COLOMBIA—EAST COAST PREMIERE
Live action, Pedro Pablo Vega Reyes, 2021, 15 min.
Spanish with English subtitles
Andrés has a big, big toe problem: his right shoe has a huge hole in it. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue, but the school dance is tomorrow and he’s got his crush Mariana to impress!

DESERT LIGHTS
CHILE
Live action, Katherina Harder Sacre, 2022, 19 min.
Spanish with English subtitles
In the drought-plagued Atacama desert, friends Antay, Inti, and Ayelén hustle to build a soccer dream team as the ranks dwindle in their struggling town.