When this year’s edition of the New York Indian Film Festival kicks off on Wednesday, a sprinkling of powerful, youth-driven stories will take center stage.

From an illiterate kite-flying enthusiast in “Gattu” (2011) to a reluctant freedom-fighter in “Chittagong,” (2012) a handful of young characters succeed in leaving indelible impressions, staying with us long after we’ve left the theater.

“It wasn’t a conscious decision to include all these films with child actors, it happened very organically,” said Aseem Chhabra, director of the film festival. For the first time since the festival began 12 years ago, organizers decided to include a “Best Young Actor” award category, where five artists (one, Delzad Hiwale, is nominated twice) will compete for the newly-created title.

Not every screening is fit for children, however. “Even though we have quite a few films with child actors this year, they’re not necessarily all kid-friendly,” explained Mr. Chhabra. For example, despite featuring a group of teenage athletes, Ashvin Kumar’s documentary, “Inshallah, Football,” (2010) set in war-torn Kashmir, grapples with adult themes like physical torture and militancy.

Alongside a team of three committee members, Mr. Chhabra sifted through nearly 200 entries before narrowing them down to a roster of 49.

Organized by the Indo-American Arts Council, a U.S.-based non-profit, NYIFF is the longest-running event showcasing South Asian films outside India.

In previous years, the festival has premiered films such as “Slumdog Millionaire,” (2008) “The Namesake,” (2006) and “Monsoon Wedding.” (2001). This year, expected attendees include an assortment of luminaries like Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor, director Mira Nair and author Salman Rushdie.

Here, we spotlight four must-sees from the NYIFF line-up, all rife with young talent.

"Chittagong" (2012)

Director: Bedabrata Pain

As the festival’s opening-night film, this action-drama chronicles an overlooked uprising in colonial India, steered by a charismatic schoolteacher, Surya Sen (Manoj Bajpai) and a ramshackle battalion of untrained, teenage rebels.

In April 1930, Sen’s army of schoolboys captured two British armories in what is today Bangladesh, disabling telegraph lines and telephone services. In so doing, they successfully – albeit briefly – liberated a sliver of British India for two days, an unprecedented achievement.

Told through the eyes of the revolt’s youngest participant, 14-year-old Jhunku (Delzad Hiwale), the result is a thrilling tale of a movement that handed the occupiers their first, momentary defeat and sowed the early seeds for Indian independence.

“It’s a beautiful, moving story about an incident in Indian history that many of us have never heard about,” revealed Mr. Chhabra. “I also liked the fact that even though there are high-profile actors present, the story is told from the point of view of a teenager.”

“Gattu” (2011)

Director: Rajan Khosa

Gattu (Mohammad Samad), an illiterate orphan in the northern Indian town of Roorkee, will go to any lengths to defeat the community’s elusive, undefeated, kite-flying champion. When he discovers that Roorkee’s highest roof—the ideal setting for any successful kite-flyer—sits atop the local school, he poses as a student despite his inability to read.

Produced by the Children’s Film Society of India, the film gracefully tackles heavy themes like child labor and poverty.

It’s impossible not to root for the resourceful, pint-sized protagonist in this ode to street children.

“I first watched this film at the Berlin Film Festival in a massive theater with about 500 kids between the ages of 4 and 6,” Mr. Chhabra recalled. “They loved it.”

“Inshallah, Fottball” (2010)

Director: Ashvin Kumar

This controversial documentary – once banned by India’s censor board for alleging army abuses in Kashmir – traces the fate of an adolescent soccer player, Basharat Baba, who risks missing a highly-anticipated trip to Brazil when he is denied a passport on account of “negative family history.”

As the personal becomes the political, Basharat, supported by his Argentinean, FIFA-accredited coach, Juan Marcos Troia, navigates a series of exhausting bureaucratic hurdles, unveiling alarming truths about his father (a former militant) along the way.

“It’s a terrific documentary because it’s not just simply talking about the violence and injustice in Kashmir,” described Mr. Chhabra.  “The youth of Kashmir want to do something else. In this case, their passion for soccer is able to divert their attention from the surrounding militancy.”

“Shala” (2011)

Director: Sujay Dahake

Complete with a fresh-faced beauty (Ketaki Mategaonkar), a smitten 14-year-old (Anshuman Joshi), a gaggle of inquisitive friends, and an uncle with a penchant for John  Lennon quotes (Jitendra Joshi), it’s easy to forget this charming, coming-of-age film is set against the politically-charged climate of the 1970s.

Based on author Milind Bokil’s Marathi novel of the same name, the film elegantly captures the emotional rollercoaster faced by its earnest leading man, struggling with the aftermath of unrequited love.

The movie, originally slated to be screened at last year’s edition of the festival, was thwarted by post-production issues, said Mr. Chhabra. “But it’s ready now and this is the first time it’s showing outside India,” he added.

The 12th annual New York Indian Film Festival will take place from May 23rd to May 27th at the Tribeca Cinemas in Lower Manhattan. For a full schedule of films, click here.