NY Int’l Children’s Film Festival (NYICFF) screens 7 Dutch Films

Fri, Mar 3 - Sun, Mar 12  2023

The 2023 edition of NY Int’l Children’s Film Festival (NYICFF) will screen 7 Dutch Films. Titles include Spotless, directed by Emma Branderhorst and Okthanksbye, with a special ASL interpretation and Q&A with director Nicole van Kilsdonk on March 4. There will also be a exciting program with 5 Dutch shorts.

Find the schedule and get tickets here.

Balcony Cacophony, short, directed by Quentin Haberham

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. Screening as part of Short Films Two.

Fur, short, directed by Madeleine Homan

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. Screening as part of Girls’ POV Shorts.

Luce and the Rock, directed by Britt Raes

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.

Okthanksbye, directed by Nicole van Kilsdonk

Jamie is only just starting to get settled at her new boarding school for the deaf when she learns that her dear grandmother, the only other non-hearing member of her family, has landed in the hospital. When her family tells her there’s not enough time to pick her up in the Netherlands before heading to the hospital in Paris, Jamie is left feeling helpless. Imane, Jamie’s very new friend and classmate, sees her upset and suggests they secretly make the journey on their own. Together they face a scary clown, an abandoned mansion, a gibberish band, and much more on their trek from school through the French countryside. This charming film gracefully explores the way the two girls—one with a cochlear implant and one without—navigate friendship, the deaf community, and the hearing world. Joining the ranks of films like CODA and Sound of Metal, Okthanksbye takes care to represent the deaf community with graciousness and accuracy. But unlike those films, Okthanksbye is an unabashedly fun coming-of-age road movie. Co-produced by BNNVARA.

Outside, directed by Wouter Keijzer

Ten-year-old Fynn learns that being cool isn’t about finding the perfect spot to hang in the neighborhood, but something entirely different.

Spotless, directed by Emma Branderhorst

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.

Totem, directed by Sander Burger

Eleven-year-old Ama loves the water, and not only because she’s surrounded by the Rotterdam waterfront. She’s also a passionate swimmer, spending every spare minute in the pool training for the upcoming championships with her best friend, Thijs. Though she’s the daughter of Senegalese asylum-seekers, Ama feels Dutch, through and through. So it’s all the more unthinkable when her family members are unexpectedly detained, leaving Ama to find a solution. Harnessing the focus she learned in swim training and armed with the wisdom of her mother’s tales of their homeland, she must forge a path of her own. Fortunately, a gigantic spirit animal rooted in Senegalese tradition might just be of service.

About NYICFF

For over 25 years, the NYICFF has been bringing the best new films from around the world to kids and families in NYC and beyond. And, through these films, we’ve been bringing kids and families from NYC around the world. Film transports to places we’ve never dreamed of going: foreign countries, hidden neighborhoods, distant planets—and everywhere in between. At NYICFF, we’ll take you even further. No matter your age, you’re invited to join us as we travel through different landscapes, emotions, and perspectives. Take a walk in someone else’s shoes at a short film program. Go deep into the mind of a filmmaker at a Q&A.