Animation Education at Friends Seminary
The New York International Children’s Film Festival was founded in 1997 “to promote intelligent, passionate, provocative cinematic works for ages 3-18 and to help define a more compelling film for kids.”
Kirikou and the Sorceress was screened at NYICFF in 1998.
Since 1998, when my son was two, attending the festival has been an annual family event. Though my twins are now 22 and my older son is almost 25, I remain a devote of the festival and am on the Advisory Board. Exquisitely drawn, heart wrenching or hilarious or all of these, the best festival films tell simple stories well. They also inspire children to animate.
During the pandemic, I developed a new class for Third Graders in which we watched, discussed and drew from short films. I am excited about extending some of these lessons into our in-school teaching this year.
I also enjoy showing Creative Computing students age-appropriate “best of NYICIFF” short films at the end of some of their Creative Computing classes. Hand drawn action, claymation and stop-motion with found objects give students a sense of the animating they might do at Friends in the future. And again this year, I will lead the annual Animation Assembly. Each year I focus on a different aspect of animation, bringing in the perspective of those who work in the field. This year the theme will be Sound in Animation.
Here are links to all-time favorites that were shown at NYICFF.
