Film Festivals for NYC Kids: BAMkids, New York International Children's Film Festival and More

With the cold weather upon us, taking the kids to the movies is very tempting, but the usual family film options...not so much. They're expensive (especially those 3-D releases), and winter is the traditional dumping ground for duds (the re-release of Beauty and the Beast is the only family flick playing worth paying for right now, but we already own it on video. Yes, we still have a VCR).

Luckily, you don't have to resort to the regular box office choices in New York City. The winter brings a bunch of cool film festivals aimed specifically at children. No Alvin and the Chipmunks sequels on these lineups; the New York International Children's Film Festival and BAMkids offer international indies, while Big Movies for Little Kids and Family Films at Lincoln Center show cool classics. Plus, the ticket prices are a lot less, in fact in a few cases they're free. Rediscover the magic of movies at these six NYC film series for families.

Big Movies for Little Kids – Cobble Hill
Cobble Hill Cinemas, 265 Court Street at Butler Street
Mondays, January 23, February 13, 27, March 12, April 23, May 7, 21 and June 4 at 4pm
$7
This popular ongoing film series showcases classics (often rare ones) for children ages 2 and up. This season kicks off with a screening of the awesome 1970 animated adaptation of The Phantom Tollbooth (bet you didn't know the book was ever made into a movie!). Buster Keaton shorts and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang are also on the winter schedule. Visit the website for the full lineup.

Got an aspiring filmmaker in your home? Big Movies for Little Kids is calling for submissions to its second annual film festival. New York City kids 18 and under can send in their shorts on DVD. Three winners will be chosen and their films will be screened on Monday, June 4. You can find rules and other info on the website.
 

Citi Pond Winter Film Festival – Midtown West
Citi Pond at Bryant Park, 40th Street and Sixth Avenue
Mondays, January 23, January 30, February 6 and 13 at 7pm
FREE
Bryant Park brings back its outdoor winter film fest for a second year. We went in 2011 and had a really cool time—in both senses of the word. This year's offerings aren't all family friendly (like the R-rated romance When Harry Met Sally), but tweens and up will enjoy Edward Scissorhands and Groundhog Day, and the Disney classic Lady and the Tramp is great for all ages. If you're worried it's just too darn cold, we've got tips on how to stay warm.

Family Films at Lincoln Center – Upper West Side
Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, 144 West 65th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue
Schedule varies. Visit the website for a complete lineup.
$6
Since last fall, Lincoln Center has been showing old and new classics on weekends and during school breaks. Movies range from Ray Harryhausen's 1958 flick The 7th Voyage of Sinbad to Terry Gilliam's trippy 1981 fantasy adventure Time Bandits to Twigson, a live-action Norwegian flick about a little boy who moves to a new town and invents an imaginary friend. It's a small theater, and films are shown on a large flat-screen, but at six bucks a pop, it's a good deal. Plus you can buy a lunch special with grilled cheese, an apple and a hot chocolate for just $6 at the adjacent Indie Food and Wine cafe when you present your ticket stub.
 

BAMkids Film Festival – Fort Greene
BAM Rose Cinemas, Peter Jay Sharp Building at 30 Lafayette Avenue at Ashland Place
Saturday, February 4-Sunday, February 5
$12 for adults, $9 for children under 13.
Visit the website for a complete schedule.
Although not as well known (or as big) as the New York International Children's Film Festival, the weekend-long BAMkids is a fantastic fest featuring movies from around the world. There are a bunch of shorts programs and a couple of full-length films, and all offerings are grouped by age. Plus, two awesome NYC-based acts will be performing live in BAMcafe upstairs: kids' clarinetist Oran Etkin and the fabulous Pop Ups present their musical PASTA!. We saw it when it played last year and it's tasty fun for the preschool set. Tickets are on sale now and tend to sell out fast.

LIFE: Kids Nature Film Series – Prospect Lefferts Gardens
Audubon Center at the Boathouse, Prospect Park, enter at Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue
Monday, February 20-Friday, February 24 noon-3:30pm
FREE
During the upcoming mid-winter break, kids can marvel at the awesome diversity of life on our planet when the Audubon Center screens LIFE, a documentary series created by Discovery Channel and the BBC.
 

New York International Children's Film Festival – Manhattan
Seven locations. Visit the website for a complete list.
Friday, March 2-Sunday, March 25
$11-$16 depending on the screening.
The NYICFF produces programming for kids throughout the year, like regular screenings at the IFC Center and Symphony Space, but its main event is its yearly film festival, three weeks jam-packed with amazing films from every corner of the globe. Programs are arranged by age, with offerings for preschoolers through teens, and everyone gets voting ballots to help select the festival winners. Plus there are often pre- or post-show Q&As with the artists, and other special events. This year's lineup hasn't yet been released, but tickets for the 16th annual festival go on sale Wednesday, February 1. Trust us, most screenings sell out fast, so be sure to check the schedule once it's posted and buy your tickets online. You can also sign up for e-mail alerts so you don't forget. Most movies are $13, but tickets for 3-D films are $16 and a handful of special screenings cost extra. Full festival passes are also available.

When you buy tickets to a NYICFF screening, you can also give back to local schools. Just choose an institution from the drop-down list and the organization will donate $4 per ticket to the parent association. Around 100 NYC schools will participate in the program this year. If you can’t make it to the theater, you can always watch some short films online.

The NYICFF also offers school-age kids the opportunity to get behind the camera and make their own films with its popular filmmaking camps during school breaks. Participants learn how to make live-action, stop-motion or traditional animated films. These also fill up really fast, and registration for the upcoming mid-winter break is already open.
 

Looking for free family flicks? Check out our post about Free Movies for Kids in NYC. You can find additional seasonal activities in our Winter Fun Guide.