There is an innate sweetness in going to the movies—regardless of your age. And though I miss paying cheap-change for my theater experience (yes, only four dollars in my Michigan hometown), only New York City can provide the unforgettable essence of new films. —
April is winding down (whew!), which means it’s that time of year again when the Tribeca Film Fest sweeps into town and the world starts buzzing. But thankfully for the wee ones, this cool culture wave isn’t just for the adult moviegoers among us.—
Though ironically named, tonight is the first evening of the popular Tribeca Drive-In. (The irony being that you can’t actually bring your car!) These free screenings take place at the World Financial Center Plaza and begin at dusk. Sure-to please pals like The Muppets (as in The Muppets Take Manhattan will be screened this Saturday night), and the fine-footed Fame cast will grace the screen tonight.
Next Saturday April 30, the fest will be host their annual Family Street Fair from 10am-6pm on Greenwich Street. Catch performances from Broadway (with a downtown Tribeca backdrop) while your brood munches on local fare; or make life-size bubbles in the Bubble Garden.
The festival is also hosting two free all-age screenings that day (seats are first-come, first served a half-hour before the show). A documentary, The Second Day will be showing at 2:30pm, and portrays 9/11 through 14-year-old directorial eyes; short discussion to follow. The second film, NIKO, is an animated piece about a boy’s unexpected summer (and vampire friendships) in the Philippines. Showing begins at 4pm.
Also on Saturday the 30th (10am-6pm), the festival is taking sports to the streets for their ESPN Day. Coveted New York athletes and mascots spanning from The Rangers to The Knicks (with some BMX stunts thrown in there) will be present for some fun in the hopeful sun.
In addition to the fabulous family events above, the real pay-off of the globally renowned festival is for parents to share a special film or two with their children.
We recommend going to the festival’s user-friendly event guide and searching around for films that sound appealing and age-appropriate for your children. The choices are not that extensive for very young kids, but for children about 10 and up, there’s a lot to expose them to that would be a real cultural treat.
You can search the films by genre and subject matter, which always helps!
To get you going, here are a few with pronounced family themes that piqued our interest.
Donor Unknown (Feature Documentary): JoEllen Marsh grew up knowing her father only as Donor 150. As one of the first generation of children conceived through donor insemination, she yearns for connection with potential siblings, and turns to the Internet to track them down. As JoEllen slowly broadens her family tree, in the process she forges a fascinatingly modern model of family. After connecting with dozens of siblings across the country, JoEllen decides it’s finally time to seek out Donor 150.
Grandma, A Thousand Times (Feature Documentary): eta Fatima is the 83-year-old matriarch of the Kaabour family and the sharp-witted queen bee of an old Beiruti quarter. This playful magical-realist documentary looks at Fatima’s larger-than-life character as she struggles to cope with the silence of her once-buzzing house and imagines what awaits her beyond death.
Janie Jones (Feature Narrative):
Ethan (Alessandro Nivola), a struggling musician content with his on-the-road rock-and-roll lifestyle and his much younger girlfriend (Brittany Snow), has his life turned upside down with the arrival of a 13-year-old daughter he never knew he had. Left with the responsibility of raising Janie Jones (Abigail Breslin), a shy but talented aspiring musician herself, Ethan embarks with Janie on a road trip of music, discovery, and father-daughter bonding.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (Feature Documentary) An appetizing documentary in every sense, Jiro Dreams of Sushi follows 85-year-old master sushi chef Jiro Ono, paying lushly photographed homage to the process of preparing the artisan sushi that earned Ono’s esteemed Sukiyabashi Jiro restaurant three Michelin stars. From the complicated relationship between Jiro and his sons to the ins and outs of the tuna auction, this spirited film profiles all aspects of Jiro’s craft in tantalizing style and detail.
Off the Rez (Feature Documentary) – Shoni Schimmel, a Umatilla Indian and one of the best high school basketball players in the country, dreams of being the first from her tribe to get a college scholarship. Shoni and her mother/coach Ceci battle together to redeem generations of struggle for their family and their people, but her hoop dreams are threatened after her family leaves the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
Our School (Feature Documentary) – Our School follows three Roma (commonly known as “Gypsy”) children in a rural Transylvanian village who are among the pioneer participants in an initiative to integrate the ethnically segregated Romanian schools. When their district is ordered desegregated, Alin, Benjamin, and Dana set out for the city school, optimistic for education and new friendships, even as funds earmarked for integration are questionably used to build a “Roma-only” school in their village. Their innocent optimism quickly sours when the children are met with baseless ostracism from peers and teachers alike.
The Perfect Family (Feature Film) – In this heartfelt family comedy, a devout Catholic (Kathleen Turner) in the running for the coveted Catholic Woman of the Year award must prove that her family actually conforms to the image of “the perfect family” as envisioned by the church, an image she’s put forth with considerable effort her whole life. Also starring Emily Deschanel, Jason Ritter, Richard Chamberlain, and Michael McGrady.
