The re-imagined 2020 San Diego International Film Festival (October 15-18) will open with the third feature film from director Chloé Zhao, NOMADLAND. Other spotlight features include HARRY CHAPIN: WHEN IN DOUBT, DO SOMETHING, BLITHE SPIRIT, FAREWELL AMOR, STARDUST, DRUNK BUS, ONE OF THESE DAYS and HONEYMOOD.
Film lovers will enjoy features, documentaries and shorts online in the San Diego International Film Festival Virtual Village and on the big screen at the Festival Drive-In Movies at Westfield UTC.
A sweeping panoramic portrait of the American nomadic spirit set on the trail of seasonal migratory labor, Chloé Zhao’s (SONGS MY BROTHERS TAUGHT ME, THE RIDER) NOMADLAND is a road movie for our times, now doubly relevant and resonant in this moment of redefinition and change. We see the grandeur of the American west, from the Badlands of South Dakota to the Nevada desert, to the Pacific Northwest, through the eyes of 61-year old Fern. She is played by Frances McDormand (FARGO, THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI) who also brought Zhao on board when she recognized a kindred spirit in the director’s previous film, THE RIDER. Together they create a portrait of a woman who has lost a husband and in fact her whole former life, when the company town where she lived is essentially dissolved. But in her process, she gains strength and a new life. Fern finds her community in the nomad gatherings she attends which include Linda May and Swankie (real life nomads who play themselves), closer companionship with Dave (David Strathairn), and along with others she meets on her journey. But most importantly, as Zhao puts it “, …in nature, as she evolves – in the wilderness, in rocks, trees, stars, a hurricane, this is where she finds her independence.”
Now in its 19th year, the lineup for the the San Diego International Film Festival includes 115 films total, 25 Narrative Competition films, 16 Documentary Competition films, and 75 Short films.
2020 SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL LINE-UP
Narrative Competition (25)
150 Million Magical Sparrows, Dir. Brahmanand S Siingh & Tanvi Jain, India, San Diego Premiere
9,75, Dir. Uluç Bayraktar, Turkey, North American Premiere
Arracht, Dir. Tom Sullivan, Ireland, West Coast Premiere
before/during/after, Dir. Stephen Kunken & Jack Lewars, USA, San Diego Premiere
Blithe Spirit, Dir. Edward Hall, UK, World Premiere
Children of the Storm (Racheltjie de Beer), Dir. Matthys Boshoff, South Africa, West Coast Premiere
Drunk Bus, Dir. Brandon LeGanke & John Carlucci, USA, West Coast Premiere
Eat Wheaties!, Dir. Scott Abramovitch, Canada, West Coast Premiere
Farewell Amor, Dir. Ekwa Msangi, USA, So. California Premiere
Honeymood, Dir. Talya Lavie, Israel, West Coast Premiere
Love Sarah, Dir. Eliza Schroeder, UK, US Premiere
Ms. White Light, Dir. Paul Shoulberg, USA, West Coast Premiere
Nomadland, Dir. Chloé Zhao, USA, San Diego Premiere
One of These Days, Dir. Bastian Günther, Germany, California Premiere
Pig, Dir. Franco Verdoia, Argentina, West Coast Premiere
Presumption of Guilt, Dir. Oleg Asadulin, Russia, So. California Premiere
S#!%HOUSE, Dir. Cooper Raiff, USA, So. California Premiere
Stardust, Dir. Gabriel Range, UK, World Premiere
The MisEducation of Bidhu, Dir. Prarthana Mohan, USA, San Diego Premiere
The Other, Dir. Charlotte Dauphin, France, North American Premiere
The Outside Story, Dir. Casmir Nozkowski, USA, San Diego Premiere
Through the Glass Darkly, Dir. Lauren Fash, USA, San Diego Premiere
Twiceborn, Dir. Hiroshi Akabane, Japan, United States Premiere
Victim(s), Dir. Layla Zhuqing Ji, Malaysia, West Coast Premiere
Wine Reflections, Dir. Vitaly Muzychenko, Russia, World Premiere
Documentary Competition (15)
Bastards’ Road, Dir. Brian Morrison, USA, San Diego Premiere
Determined, Dir. Keren Perlmutter, USA, West Coast Premiere
Escape from Extinction, Dir. Matthew R. Brady, USA, West Coast Premiere
Into the Storm [En La Tormenta], Dir. Adam Brown, United Kingdom, San Diego Premiere
Let’s Work, Dir. Joey Travolta, USA, World Premiere
Making Lemonade: Our COVID-19 Story, Dir. Chris Francis, USA, US Premiere
Public Trust, Dir. David Byars, USA, San Diego Premiere
Roadless, Dir. Steve Jones & Jon Klaczkiewcz, USA, San Diego Premiere
SURVIVING THE SILENCE, Dir. Cindy L. Abel, USA, Southern California Premiere
The Earth is Blue as an Orange, Dir. Iryna Tsilyk, Ukraine, West Coast Premiere
The Last Out, Dir. Sami Khan & Michael Gassert, USA, West Coast Premiere
The Mustangs: An American Story, Steven Latham & Conrad Stanley, USA, West Coast Premiere
The Rememberer, Dir. Ariel Guntern, Argentina, San Diego Premiere
The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte hosts the Tonight Show Dir.Yoruba Richen, USA, California Premiere
You Asked for the Facts: Bobby Kennedy at the University of Mississippi, Dir. Mary Blessey, USA, West Coast Premiere
Shorts Tracks Competition (74)
American Indian Stories:
Bad River, Dir. AJ Reid, USA, World Premiere
Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible, Dir. Kristen Lappas & Tom Rinaldi, USA, San Diego Premiere
Blackwater, Dir. Boise B. Esquerra, USA, San Diego Premiere
Invasion: The Unist’ot’en’s Fight for Sovereignty, Dir. Michael Toledano & Sam Vinal, Canada, San Diego Premiere
Little Chief, Dir. Erica Tremblay, United States, Seneca-Cayuga Nation, San Diego Premier
Animation Filmmaking:
Abandoned Block, Dir. James Bourne, Canada/USA, San Diego Premiere
Da Sola, Dir. Morgan Gruer, USA, World Premiere
Grab My Hand: Letter to My Dad, Dir. Camrus Johnson & Pedro Piccinini, USA, San Diego Premiere
Her Boat, Dir. Yingzhong Hu, Canada, San Diego Premiere
Home of my Memories, Dir. Javier Méndez Lafón, Mexico, North American Premiere
Let’s Eat, Dir. Dixon Wong, USA, World Premiere
Metro6, Dir. Geoff Hecht, USA, San Diego Premiere
Odd Dog, Dir. Keika Le, USA, San Diego Premiere
To: Gerard, Dir. Taylor Meacham, USA, San Diego Premiere
Umbrella, Dir. Helena Hilario & Mario Pece, Brazil, San Diego Premiere]
Windup, Dir. Yibing Jiang, USA/China, San Diego Premiere
Dramatic Fanatics:
Feeling Through, Dir. Doug Roland, USA, San Diego Premiere
Lián, Dir. Darren Teo, Singapore, North American Premiere
My War, Dir. Jojo Erholtz, USA, North American Premiere
The Present, Dir. Farah Nabulsi, Palestine, San Diego Premiere
Soukoon, Dir. Farah Shaer, Lebanon, San Diego Premiere
UMAMA, Dir. Talia Smith, USA/South Africa, West Coast Premiere
Docudrama:
City of Widows, Dir. Lacey Uhlemeyer, USA, West Coast Premiere
Justice of the Pies, Dir. Michelle Marrion, USA, World Premiere
My Father The Mover, Dir. Julia Jansch, USA/South Africa, West Coast Premiere
Pant Hoot, Dir. Richard Reens, USA, West Coast Premiere
Rewilding Honeybees, Dir. Cameron Nielsen, USA, So. California Premiere
Todavía Después, Dir. Santiago Mazda Stern, Mexico, World Premiere
For Shorts & Giggles:
Coffee Shop Names, Dir. Deepak Sethi, USA, San Diego Premiere
For your Consideration, Dir. Poppy Gordon, USA, San Diego Premiere
JAMS, Dir. Louis Leuci, USA, World Premiere
One Last Last Heist, Dir. Darrin Rose, Canada, California Premiere
Post Love, Dir. Max Barry, Ireland, California Premiere
Swim to Steven, Dir. Amy French, USA, California Premiere
The Friggin Best, Dir. Mary Gulino, USA, San Diego Premiere
They Won’t Last, Dir. Portlynn Tagavi, USA, San Diego Premiere
Global Consciousness:
Gets Good Light, Dir. Alejandra Parody, USA, West Coast Premiere
Like Turtles, Dir. David Mandell, USA, San Diego Premiere
Rebel, Dir. Pier-Philippe Chevigny, Canada, San Diego Premiere
Seiva Bruta (Under the Heavens), Dir. Gustavo Milan, Brazil, West Coast Premiere
A Syrian Woman, Dir. Louis Sayad DeCaprio & Khawla Al Hammouri, Jordan/USA, San Diego Premiere
Indie Stories:
Flip the Switch, Dir. Gretl Claggert, USA, World Premiere
Ghosted, Dir. Tracie Laymon, USA, San Diego Premiere
How Can I Forget, Dir. Natalie Andreadis, United Kingdom, San Diego Premiere
The Last Queen on Earth, Dir. Michael Shumway, USA, West Coast PremiereMy
Other Suit Is Human, Dir. Andrew Paul Montague, Ireland/UK, West Coast Premiere
Office Song, Dir. Marcus Markou, United Kingdom, San Diego Premiere
Pipo & Blind Love, Dir. Hugo Le Gourrierec, France, US Premiere
Private View, Dir, Theo Lindquist, USA, West Coast Premiere
On Pins & Needles:
The Fourth Wall, Dir.Kelsey Bollig, France, San Diego Premiere
Hammurabi, Dir. Patrick Kennelly, USA, San Diego Premiere
The House Abandon, Dir. Clint D’Souza, Canada, North American Premiere
Instant Doctor, Dir. Diogo Gameiro & The Youth, Brazil, North American Premiere
Postman, Dir. Minkyu Kang, USA, World Premiere
Wolf on a Leash, Dir. Luke McCain & Ryan Knight, USA, World Premiere
San Diego Scene:
Alone Together, Dir. Erin Martinez, USA, San Diego Premiere
Anna, Dir. Rich Underwood, USA, San Diego Premiere
Dance Until She Died, Dir. Tyler J. French, USA, West Coast Premiere
Novena, Dir. Nolan Valerio, USA, San Diego Premiere
Old Aquatics, Dir. Stephen Mickelsen, USA, West Coast Premiere
The Fish in the Forest, Julian Clark and Gage Hingeley, USA, San Diego Premiere
Under the Tent, Andrew Norbeck, USA, World Premiere
Zero Time To Waste – A Family’s Journey Toward Sustainability, Dir. Matt Helbig, USA, World Premiere
Short & Sweet:
Chen Chen, Dir. Kargo Chen, China, US Premiere
Homesick, Dir. Koya Kamura, France/Japan, San Diego Premiere
Off Beat, Dir. Derin Kiyak, USA, San Diego Premiere
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Dir. Shiyue Xu, China, San Diego Premiere
Way Back Home, Dir. Diego Freitas, Brazil, San Diego Premiere
Twisted Humor:
All Is Well, Dir. Lauren Adams, USA, California Premiere
Gym Patriot, Dir. Slobodan Karajlovic, UK, World Premiere
In It Together, Dir. Filip Tellander, Sweden, San Diego Premiere
Kini, Dir.Hernán Olivera, Uruguay, San Diego Premiere
Not Today Missy, Dir. Isabelle McNally, USA, World Premiere
Sticker, Dir. Georgi M. Unkovski, Macedonia, West Coast Premiere
Waffle, Dir. Carlyn Hudson, USA, San Diego Premiere
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