The New York International Children’s Film Festival opens Saturday and that means Spring is just about here. I say that because every year the festival has been the point where winter ends and spring starts. There have been years where I went to opening night in a snow squall and then went the next day there was no snow and I was in a light jacket.
The coming of the festival also means that for three weekends the best time in a cinema in New York is happening.
You don’t believe me?
Then you have clearly never been to the festival.
Every year the best family oriented, but not just for families, films screen and the universe heals itself. The pains of the mass media and social media are replaced by hope and smiles and a glorious sense of families. Those of us who have been going to the festival since the early days know that going to the festival isn’t just going to the movies, its going home to the best family imaginable and there being popcorn and fun films.
I’m not one of the converted, but one of the ones doing the conversion by spreading the word on the cinematic wonders found there. I've dragged numerous friends over the years and they all have fallen in love with the festival.
The festival is always full of wonders. I’ve found such wondrous things over the years that have blown my mind. For example, LAMPIE this year is a truly magical film that plays like a fairy tale, but something infinitely more. It is one of the absolute must see films of the year for anywhere, not just the festival.(It really is that wonderful)
Where normally I would do a dump of reviews before the film screen, this year the reviews will be dropping after the films screen. It’s not for lack of love- it’s simply that this year I will be living at the festival, so I haven’t seen many films yet. As a result, the reviews come after I get back from the festival. (Addendum: I've just finished six of the short collections and they all contain unexpected joys - especially the Native American Centerpiece and the Celebrating Black Styories which are only getting single screenings - but tickets now)
Do not let the fact I am not dropping most reviews until the festival starts stop you from buying tickets- do do right now _ after 26 years of going to the festival I trust the programmers enough to simply say buy tickets to everything- you'll love it all (Information here.)
And don’t let the fact you don’t have kids stop you from going- I do not have kids, but I’ve been made welcome for over two decades.
Seriously this festival is the best time you can have at the movies.
Its so good that I confuse the hell out of my writer friends by buying my own tickets despite covering the festival as press. The reason I do that is simply because I want to go and I need to help make sure the festival continues onward. I am being selfish, since I go to the festival for me, I want the festival to continue on so I can keep seeing great movies and the great people who show them.
NYICFF is one of my most favorite things in the entire world. Go buy tickets and join me.
For information and tickets go here.
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