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. In fact this year, nothing much is coming out until March when Oz The Great and Powerful finally arrives, and even that won't be good for tots.

Luckily, you don't have to resort to the regular box office choices in New York City. 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 Film Forum Jr. and Family Films at Lincoln Center screen cool classics. Plus, the ticket prices are a lot less—one series is actually free.

Even though we're still sad that long-time Cobble Hill favorite Big Movies for Little Kids is no longer showing movies on a regular basis, other family film series have popped up in its place. In fact, this year there are more than ever. Here are eight series where you and your kids can rediscover the magic of movies.

BAMkids Film Festival – Fort Greene
BAM Rose Cinemas, Peter Jay Sharp Building at 30 Lafayette Avenue at Ashland Place
Saturday, February 2-Sunday, February 3
$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 15th annual BAMkids is a fantastic fest featuring more than 75 titles from around the world. There are a bunch of shorts programs and a handful of full-length films, and all offerings are grouped by age. Plus, two awesome NYC-based acts will be performing live in BAMcafe upstairs: Brooklyn history rockers The Deedle Deedle Dees and local mom crooner Suzi Shelton and her band. Tickets are on sale now and tend to sell out fast.

Citi Pond Winter Film Festival – Midtown West
Citi Pond at Bryant Park, 40th Street and Sixth Avenue
Mondays, February 4, 11, 18 and 25 at 7pm
FREE
Citi Pond brings its outdoor winter film fest back for a third year and Mommy Poppins is actually a media sponsor for 2013! We went in 2011 and had a really cool time—in both senses of the word. This year's offerings are very family-friendly: On February 4, fly away with Walt Disney's original 1953 animated movie Peter Pan. Don't forget to drop by the Mommy Poppins table to snag a voucher good for one hot chocolate at Citi Pond’s concession stand Ice Bites (good on February 4 only). The rest of the lineup includes the classic MGM tuner Singin' in the Rain on February 11, the murderous musical Chicago on February 18 and Grease on February 25. 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 schedule.
$6
Catch a wide variety of old and new classics on weekends and during school breaks. Movies range from Cary Grant in the dark screwball comedy Arsenic and Old Lace to the original Muppet Movie to Disney's live-action version of 101 Dalmatians. 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 the "indie lunch box" special with grilled cheese, an apple and a drink for just $6 at the adjacent Indie Food and Wine cafe when you present your ticket stub.

Film Forum Jr.: Classics For Kids and Their Families – Greenwich Village
Film Forum, 209 West Houston Street between Varick Street and Sixth Avenue
Sundays at 11am through March 31; Visit the website for a complete schedule.
$7
Film Forum kicked off this Sunday morning film series for families earlier this month, and we really love the lineup. It's an eclectic mix of oft-seen flicks like The Red Balloon and Singin' in the Rain, and movies your kids (and you!) have probably never watched such as the silent Japanese comedy I Was Born But... and the rare Dr. Seuss’ The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. Bonus: Every feature is preceded by shorts. Be sure to check the entire schedule. There are a lot of gems in there.

Museum of the Moving Image – Astoria
36-01 35 Avenue between 36th and 37th Streets
Schedule varies. Visit the website for a complete schedule.
Free with admission: $12 for adults, $9 for students, $6 for children ages 3-12
True to its name, the Museum of the Moving Image regularly shows films in its state-of-the-art 267-seat theater. While not all of the offerings are appropriate for kids, you can filter the calendar to show only family-friendly screenings. In conjunction with its current Art of the Rise of the Guardians exhibit, which runs through Sunday, March 3, MoMI is showing many DreamWorks Animation movies, including Shrek Forever After, Megamind, Bee Movie, Kung Fu Panda 2 and Madagascar 2 and 3. Screenings are free with admission and seating is first come, first served. Bonus: Old Muppet Show episodes are also being shown in the Red Grooms installation Tut's Fever Movie Palace.

Nitehawk Cinema – Williamsburg
136 Metropolitan Avenue between Berry Street and Wythe Avenue
Schedule varies. Visit the website for a complete schedule.
$11 for adults, $9 for children ages 6-11 plus cost of food
Opened in 2011, Nitehawk is NYC's first cinema/restaurant, so you can chow down while watching first-run indies and revivals. While the spot doesn't have a specific family series, it designates certain weekend matinee screenings as Lil’ Hawk Friendly, which means they're appropriate for children ages 6 and up. Upcoming offerings include E.T., The Muppet Movie and Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.

New York International Children's Film Festival – Manhattan
Various locations and times. Visit the website for a complete list.
Friday, March 1-Sunday, March 24
$13-$16 depending on the screening
The NYICFF produces programming for kids throughout the year, like regular screenings at the IFC Center, but its main event is this yearly film festival, four March weekends jam-packed with amazing films from every corner of the globe. Programs are organized 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. Ticket sales started on February 1 and since many screenings sell out fast, be sure to check the schedule right away and grab the selections you want. You can also sign up for e-mail alerts so you keep on top of everything going on at the fest. 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 fest will donate $4 per ticket to the parent association. Around 120 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 so booking as early as possible is recommended.

World Cinema Film Club – Harlem
Maysles Cinema, 343 Lenox Avenue between 127th and 128th Streets
Sundays, February 3-March 24 1-3pm
$200 for eight weeks
Unlike the other series, which all offer one-off screenings, this one requires an eight-week commitment from budding cinephiles (no parents allowed). We wrote a post about the club when it launched last fall, and educator Ben Raikes is bringing it back this winter. No Disney flicks here. Instead, children ages 7 to 11 will watch films from Morocco, France, Italy, Congo and Tibet, and then discuss and debate their merits. To apply, download and fill out the application. Admissions are rolling until the club is filled. Scholarships are available. Maysles Cinema is also bringing back its drop-in Film Voyagers family screenings, which take place the second Sunday of each month at 2pm. While they're aimed at children ages 3 to 7 and their caregivers, they are open to all. Admission is $8 per person.

Although there aren't any films screening at Tribeca's Canal Park Playhouse right now, keep an eye on the venue's calendar. Last year, this cozy theater did matinee showings of Little Rascals episodes and The Red Balloon at cheap prices.

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.

Image courtesy of BAMkids Film Festival