Dawnland reveals the untold story of Indigenous child removal in the United States through the first government-endorsed truth and reconciliation commission (TRC) in the nation, tasked with investigating the devastating impact of Maine’s child welfare practices on Native American communities. With exclusive access to this groundbreaking process and never-before-seen footage, Dawnland bears witness to intimate, sacred moments of truth-telling and healing. Directed by Adam Mazo and Ben Pender-Cudlip, the film premieres on Independent Lens Monday, November 5, 2018, 10:00-11:00 PM ET (check local listings) as part of Native American Heritage Month programming on PBS.
For most of the 20th century, government agents systematically forced Native American children from their homes and placed them with white families. As recently as the 1970s, one in four Native children nationwide were living in non-Native foster care, adoptive homes, or boarding schools. Many children experienced shattering emotional and physical harm by adults who mistreated them and tried to erase their cultural identity. Now, for the first time, they are being asked to share their stories.
The historic investigation by the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission represented a groundbreaking moment in the history of tribal-state relations. From 2013 to 2015, Native and non-Native commissioners travelled across Maine, gathering testimony about the agonizing impacts of the state’s child welfare practices on families in Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot tribal communities, which together comprise the Wabanaki people.
The TRC discovered that state power continues to be used to break up families, threatening the very existence of the Wabanaki people. Is it possible to right this wrong and turn around a broken child welfare system? Dawnland examines the immense challenges faced by the commission as it works toward truth, reconciliation, and the survival of all Indigenous peoples. By exploring what happened in Maine, the film also provides the opportunity to raise awareness about this nationwide issue, which continues to impact families and children.
Dawnland will be presented as part of the new season of Indie Lens Pop-Up, a neighborhood series that brings people together for free film screenings and community-driven conversations. Featuring documentaries seen on PBS’s Independent Lens, Indie Lens Pop-Up draws local residents, leaders, and organizations together to discuss what matters most, from newsworthy topics to family and relationships.
Terry P.
VIMOOZ is for lovers of independent films + foreign film + documentary + film festivals. We love championing the little films.
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DAWNLAND, Documentary on Impact of Native American Child Removal, to Debut on PBS [Trailer]
Dawnland reveals the untold story of Indigenous child removal in the United States through the first government-endorsed truth and reconciliation commission (TRC) in the nation, tasked with investigating the devastating impact of Maine’s child welfare practices on Native American communities. With exclusive access to this groundbreaking process and never-before-seen footage, Dawnland bears witness to intimate, sacred moments of truth-telling and healing. Directed by Adam Mazo and Ben Pender-Cudlip, the film premieres on Independent Lens Monday, November 5, 2018, 10:00-11:00 PM ET (check local listings) as part of Native American Heritage Month programming on PBS.
For most of the 20th century, government agents systematically forced Native American children from their homes and placed them with white families. As recently as the 1970s, one in four Native children nationwide were living in non-Native foster care, adoptive homes, or boarding schools. Many children experienced shattering emotional and physical harm by adults who mistreated them and tried to erase their cultural identity. Now, for the first time, they are being asked to share their stories.
The historic investigation by the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission represented a groundbreaking moment in the history of tribal-state relations. From 2013 to 2015, Native and non-Native commissioners travelled across Maine, gathering testimony about the agonizing impacts of the state’s child welfare practices on families in Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot tribal communities, which together comprise the Wabanaki people.
The TRC discovered that state power continues to be used to break up families, threatening the very existence of the Wabanaki people. Is it possible to right this wrong and turn around a broken child welfare system? Dawnland examines the immense challenges faced by the commission as it works toward truth, reconciliation, and the survival of all Indigenous peoples. By exploring what happened in Maine, the film also provides the opportunity to raise awareness about this nationwide issue, which continues to impact families and children.
Dawnland will be presented as part of the new season of Indie Lens Pop-Up, a neighborhood series that brings people together for free film screenings and community-driven conversations. Featuring documentaries seen on PBS’s Independent Lens, Indie Lens Pop-Up draws local residents, leaders, and organizations together to discuss what matters most, from newsworthy topics to family and relationships.
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ALL GOOD and DIVIDE AND CONQUER Win Top Awards at 2018 Hamptons International Film Festival
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Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes[/caption]
The 26th Hamptons International Film Festival on Monday, announced their award winners at a ceremony in East Hampton, with the top awards going to ALL GOOD “ALLES IST GUT”, directed by Eva Trobisch and DIVIDE AND CONQUER: THE STORY OF ROGER AILES, directed by Alexis Bloom.
ALL GOOD “ALLES IST GUT”, directed by Eva Trobisch, won the Award for Best Narrative Feature, and DIVIDE AND CONQUER: THE STORY OF ROGER AILES, directed by Alexis Bloom, received the Award for Best Documentary Feature. FENCE “GARDHI”, directed by Lendita Zeqiraj, and GUAXUMA, directed by Nara Normande, received the Award for Best Narrative Short Film and for Best Documentary Short Film, respectively. Both Short Films will qualify for Academy® consideration. All four films were directed by female filmmakers.
BORDER “GRÄNS”, directed by Ali Abbasi, received a Special Jury Prize for acting for the two lead actors, Eva Melander and Eero Milonoff. The film was selected as Sweden’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.
AND BREATHE NORMALLY, directed by Ísold Uggadóttir (HIFF Screenwriters Lab 2015 Alumni), was awarded the 2018 Brizzolara Family Foundation Award for a Film of Conflict and Resolution, which is accompanied by a $5,000 cash prize.
CROSS MY HEART, directed by Sontenish Myers, was awarded the Vimeo Staff Pick Award, which provides a $3,000 cash prize and Vimeo Staff Pick to winning film.
ONLY THE WIND IS LISTENING, directed by Emily Anderson, was awarded the Suffolk County Next Exposure Grant. This program supports the completion of high quality, original, director-driven, low-budget independent films from both emerging and established filmmakers who have completed 50% of principal photography within Suffolk County. The film was awarded a $3,000 grant.
THE CAT RESCUERS, directed by Rob Fruchtman and Steven Lawrence, was awarded the Zelda Penzel Giving Voice to the Voiceless Award. This award is presented to a film that raises public awareness about contemporary social issues, including the moral and ethical treatment and the rights of animals as well as environmental protection. The film was awarded a $2,500 grant.
THE SILENCE OF OTHERS was presented with the Victor Rabinowitz & Joanne Grant Award 2 2 for Social Justice. The film is directed by Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar. The annual award is handed to a film that exemplifies the values of peace, equality, global justice and civil liberties, and is named after iconic civil rights lawyer Victor Rabinowitz and his wife Joanne Grant, an author, filmmaker and journalist. The award, which is accompanied by a cash prize of $1,500, is named in honor of two people who spent their entire lives fighting for those values.
Terry Lawler, the outgoing longtime Executive Director of NYWIFT, was presented with the “Industry Advocate for Women Award” from HIFF Executive Director Anne Chaisson. This was the inaugural presentation named to an industry advocate for women.
Alan Alda was also honored with the “The Dick Cavett Artistic Champion Award,” presented by Alec Baldwin at the festival; and 2018 Breakthrough Artists included Kayli Carter (PRIVATE LIFE), Cory Michael Smith (1985) & Amandla Stenberg (THE HATE U GIVE).
HAMPTONS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2018 WINNERS
The HIFF Award Winner for Best Narrative Feature sponsored by Netflix ALL GOOD “ALLES IST GUT”, directed by Eva Trobisch HIFF Award Winner for Best Documentary Feature sponsored by Netflix DIVIDE AND CONQUER: THE STORY OF ROGER AILES, directed by Alexis Bloom The HIFF Award Winner for Best Narrative Short Film FENCE “GARDHI”, directed by Lendita Zeqiraj The HIFF Award Winner for Best Documentary Short Film GUAXUMA, directed by Nara Normande Special Jury Prize For Acting BORDER “GRÄNS”, directed by Ali Abbasi, received a Special Jury Prize for acting for the two lead actors, Eva Melander and Eero Milonoff The 2018 Brizzolara Family Foundation Award for a Film of Conflict and Resolution AND BREATHE NORMALLY, directed by Ísold Uggadóttir Vimeo Staff Pick Award CROSS MY HEART, directed by Sontenish Myers Suffolk County Film Commission Next Exposure Grant ONLY THE WIND IS LISTENING, directed by Emily Anderson The Zelda Penzel “Giving Voice to the Voiceless” Award: Dedicated to Those Who Suffer in Silence THE CAT RESCUERS, directed by Rob Fruchtman and Steven Lawrence Victor Rabinowitz and Joanne Grant Award for Social Justice THE SILENCE OF OTHERS, directed by Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar Industry Advocate for Women Award Terry Lawler, Executive Director of NYWIFT The Dick Cavett Artistic Champion Award Alan Alda 2018 Breakthrough Artists Kayli Carter, Cory Michael Smith, Amandla Stenberg
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87 Countries Submit Films in 2018 Oscar Foreign Language Competition
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El Angel directed by Luis Ortega[/caption]
Eighty-seven countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 91st Academy Awards. Malawi and Niger are first-time entrants.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.
The 91st Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
The 2018 submissions are:
Afghanistan, “Rona Azim’s Mother,” Jamshid Mahmoudi, director;
Algeria, “Until the End of Time,” Yasmine Chouikh, director;
Argentina, “El Ángel,” Luis Ortega, director;
Armenia, “Spitak,” Alexander Kott, director;
Australia, “Jirga,” Benjamin Gilmour, director;
Austria, “The Waldheim Waltz,” Ruth Beckermann, director;
Bangladesh, “No Bed of Roses,” Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director;
Belarus, “Crystal Swan,” Darya Zhuk, director;
Belgium, “Girl,” Lukas Dhont, director;
Bolivia, “The Goalkeeper,” Rodrigo “Gory” Patiño, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Never Leave Me,” Aida Begić, director;
Brazil, “The Great Mystical Circus,” Carlos Diegues, director;
Bulgaria, “Omnipresent,” Ilian Djevelekov, director;
Cambodia, “Graves without a Name,” Rithy Panh, director;
Canada, “Family Ties,” Sophie Dupuis, director;
Chile, “…And Suddenly the Dawn,” Silvio Caiozzi, director;
China, “Hidden Man,” Jiang Wen, director;
Colombia, “Birds of Passage,” Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra, directors;
Costa Rica, “Medea,” Alexandra Latishev, director;
Croatia, “The Eighth Commissioner,” Ivan Salaj, director;
Czech Republic, “Winter Flies,” Olmo Omerzu, director;
Denmark, “The Guilty,” Gustav Möller, director;
Dominican Republic, “Cocote,” Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias, director;
Ecuador, “A Son of Man,” Jamaicanoproblem, director;
Egypt, “Yomeddine,” A.B. Shawky, director;
Estonia, “Take It or Leave It,” Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo, director;
Finland, “Euthanizer,” Teemu Nikki, director;
France, “Memoir of War,” Emmanuel Finkiel, director;
Georgia, “Namme,” Zaza Khalvashi, director;
Germany, “Never Look Away,” Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, director;
Greece, “Polyxeni,” Dora Masklavanou, director;
Hong Kong, “Operation Red Sea,” Dante Lam, director;
Hungary, “Sunset,” László Nemes, director;
Iceland, “Woman at War,” Benedikt Erlingsson, director;
India, “Village Rockstars,” Rima Das, director;
Indonesia, “Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts,” Mouly Surya, director;
Iran, “No Date, No Signature,” Vahid Jalilvand, director;
Iraq, “The Journey,” Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji, director;
Israel, “The Cakemaker,” Ofir Raul Graizer, director;
Italy, “Dogman,” Matteo Garrone, director;
Japan, “Shoplifters,” Hirokazu Kore-eda, director;
Kazakhstan, “Ayka,” Sergey Dvortsevoy, director;
Kenya, “Supa Modo,” Likarion Wainaina, director;
Kosovo, “The Marriage,” Blerta Zeqiri, director;
Latvia, “To Be Continued,” Ivars Seleckis, director;
Lebanon, “Capernaum,” Nadine Labaki, director;
Lithuania, “Wonderful Losers: A Different World,” Arunas Matelis, director;
Luxembourg, “Gutland,” Govinda Van Maele, director;
Macedonia, “Secret Ingredient,” Gjorce Stavreski, director;
Malawi, “The Road to Sunrise,” Shemu Joyah, director;
Mexico, “Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón, director;
Montenegro, “Iskra,” Gojko Berkuljan, director;
Morocco, “Burnout,” Nour-Eddine Lakhmari, director;
Nepal, “Panchayat,” Shivam Adhikari, director;
Netherlands, “The Resistance Banker,” Joram Lürsen, director;
New Zealand, “Yellow Is Forbidden,” Pietra Brettkelly, director;
Niger, “The Wedding Ring,” Rahmatou Keïta, director;
Norway, “What Will People Say,” Iram Haq, director;
Pakistan, “Cake,” Asim Abbasi, director;
Palestine, “Ghost Hunting,” Raed Andoni, director;
Panama, “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name,” Abner Benaim, director;
Paraguay, “The Heiresses,” Marcelo Martinessi, director;
Peru, “Eternity,” Oscar Catacora, director;
Philippines, “Signal Rock,” Chito S. Roño, director;
Poland, “Cold War,” Pawel Pawlikowski, director;
Portugal, “Pilgrimage,” João Botelho, director;
Romania, “I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians,” Radu Jude, director;
Russia, “Sobibor,” Konstantin Khabensky, director;
Serbia, “Offenders,” Dejan Zecevic, director;
Singapore, “Buffalo Boys,” Mike Wiluan, director;
Slovakia, “The Interpreter,” Martin Šulík, director;
Slovenia, “Ivan,” Janez Burger, director;
South Africa, “Sew the Winter to My Skin,” Jahmil X.T. Qubeka, director;
South Korea, “Burning,” Lee Chang-dong, director;
Spain, “Champions,” Javier Fesser, director;
Sweden, “Border,” Ali Abbasi, director;
Switzerland, “Eldorado,” Markus Imhoof, director;
Taiwan, “The Great Buddha+,” Hsin-Yao Huang, director;
Thailand, “Malila The Farewell Flower,” Anucha Boonyawatana, director;
Tunisia, “Beauty and the Dogs,” Kaouther Ben Hania, director;
Turkey, “The Wild Pear Tree,” Nuri Bilge Ceylan, director;
Ukraine, “Donbass,” Sergei Loznitsa, director;
United Kingdom, “I Am Not a Witch,” Rungano Nyoni, director;
Uruguay, “Twelve-Year Night,” Álvaro Brechner, director;
Venezuela, “The Family,” Gustavo Rondón Córdova, director;
Vietnam, “The Tailor,” Buu Loc Tran, Kay Nguyen, directors;
Yemen, “10 Days before the Wedding,” Amr Gamal, director.
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PRINCESITA Crowned Biggest Winner of 2018 Raindance Film Festival
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Princesita[/caption]
Princesita directed by Marialy Rivas is the biggest winner of this year’s 26th Raindance Film Festival, winning four awards including Film of the Festival, Best International Feature, Best Performance for Sara Caballero and Best Cinematography for Sergio Armstrong. Created by the Larrain brothers, the film tells the story of twelve-year-old Tamara, who has been raised in a cult. This tense and sinister tale was written by Rivas in part to show the extremes to which men still believe they have ownership over women’s bodies. As a result of winning Film of the Festival and as per Raindance tradition, Marialy will be asked to direct next year’s Official Festival Trailer.
Best Director was awarded to Rene Eller for WE, adapted from a controversial novel by Elvis Peeters, WE is a story about abuses of power and privilege. Unconcerned with the consequences of their actions, the members of a privileged teen group of friends spur each other on to ever more sociopathic behavior. Lauren Mackenzie’s We The Kings a portrait of two tortured souls, played by Elliot James Langridge and Timothy West with electrifying intensity was awarded Best UK Feature and the Best Documentary went to Tre Maison Dasan, an incredibly intimate documentary giving the opportunity to those affected by the justice system, young and old alike, to share their stories. Piotr Domalewski’s Silent Night received the Discovery Award for Best Debut Feature with his insightful and tender film displaying powerful performances about the realities of a family reunited.
Richard Raymond (Souls of Totality), Aaron Dunleavy (Landsharks) and Emmanuel Vaughn-Lee (Earthrise) were the big winners in the Shorts Program with Souls of Totality receiving the award for Best Short of the Festival, Landsharks receiving Best UK Short and Earthrise winning Best Documentary Short.
Award winning short Souls of Totality centers in on a looming moment that can change everything and stars Emmy Award winning actress Tatiana Maslany and actor Tom Cullen and Landsharks follows the vicious cycle of misguided youths on a troubled estate, forced to carry out the dirty work of exploitative adults. Earthrise tells us the story of the first image ever captured of the Earth from space in 1968.
Told solely by the Apollo 8 astronauts, the film recounts their experiences and memories and explores the beauty, awe, and grandeur of the Earth against the blackness of space. Best Animated Short was awarded to Blind Mice directed by Nicholas D’Agostino about An ex-con gets wrapped up in a con within a con. Last but not least Best Music Video Award went to Solicitous a romantic, fairytale-like story about the relationship between two sensitive giants living in the mountains directed by Zuzanna Plisz.
The Award for Best Festival Campaign goes to Mike Rogers producer of the documentary Matsuchiyo – Life of a Geisha.
Full List of Winners of 26th Raindance Film Festival
Film of the Festival – Princesita Best UK Feature – We the Kings Best International Feature – Princesita Best Director – Rene Eller (We) Best Screenplay – Sophie Fillières (When Margaux meets Margaux) Best Cinematography – Sergio Armstrong (Princesita) Best Performance – Sara Caballero (Princesita) Best Documentary Feature – Tre Maison Dasan Discovery Award – Silent Night Best Short of the Festival – Souls of Totality Best UK Short – Landsharks Best Documentary Short – Earthrise Best Animation Short – Blind Mice Best Music Video – Solicitous Best Festival Campaign – Mike Rogers for Matsuchiyo – Life of a Geisha Webfest Jury Award – Bidune Kais (Undocumented) Webfest Audience Award – Gimel Raindance Spirit Award – This is Love
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FAIL STATE, Exec Produced by Dan Rather, Investigates Rise of Predatory For-Profit Colleges [Trailer]
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Fail State[/caption]
The award-winning investigative documentary Fail State executive produced by news legend Dan Rather, investigates the dark side of American higher education, chronicling the decades of policy decisions in Washington, D.C. that have given rise to a powerful and highly-predatory for-profit college industry. Fail Safe directed by Alex Shebanow, opens in theaters in Los Angeles on October 19 at Laemmle’s Music Hall, and in New York on November 9 at the Maysles Documentary Center Cinema, followed by a digital release via Gravitas Ventures on November, and national television debut on STARZ on December 17.
With echoes of the subprime mortgage crisis, the film lays bare how for-profit colleges exploit millions of low-income and minority students, leaving them with worthless degrees and drowning in student loan debt. Director Alexander Shebanow traces the rise, fall, and resurgence of the for-profit college industry, revealing its Wall Street Backing and the lawmakers enabling widespread fraud and abuse in American higher education.
The film features interviews with Senators Dick Durbin, Illinois and Senator Tom Harkin, Iowa; Governor Bill Haslam, Tennessee; Congresswoman Maxine Waters, California; Attorney General Jack Conway, Kentucky; F. King Alexander, President and Chancellor, Louisiana State University; Gail Mellow, President, LaGuardia Community College and many more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S64WANCgMek
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GIRL, HEARTBOUND, L’ANIMALE Win Top Awards at 2018 Zurich Film Festival
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Girl by Lukas Dhont[/caption]
The Zurich Film Festival awarded their 2018 Golden Eye for International Feature Film to GIRL by Lukas Dhont from Belgium/Netherlands, HEARTBOUND (HJERTELANDET) by Janus Metz and Sine Plambech from Denmark/Sweden/Netherlands for International Documentary Film, and L’ANIMALE by Katharina Mückstein from Austria for Focus: Switzerland, Germany, Austria.
The Emerging Swiss Talent Award for a Swiss film goes to WALDEN by Daniel Zimmermann and the Critics’ Choice Award goes to THE GUILTY (DEN SKYLDIGE) by Gustav Möller from Denmark. The Audience Award goes to COLD NOVEMBER (NËNTOR I FTOHTË) by Ismet Sijarina from Kosovo/Albania/Macedonia, the Kids Jury Award goes to LOS BANDO by Christian Lo from Norway/Sweden, and the Audience Award in the ZFF for Kids section goes to TABURIN by Pierre Godeau from France/Belgium.
2018 Zurich Film Festival AWARDS
International Feature Film Competition
The 14th Zurich Film Festival’s Golden Eye for Best Film in the International Feature Film Competition category goes to: GIRL by Lukas Dhont (Belgium, Netherlands) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdzu26tnUTc A Special Mention goes to: SHÉHÉRAZADE by Jean-Bernard Marlin (France)International Documentary Film Competition
The 14th Zurich Film Festival’s Golden Eye for Best Film in the International Documentary Film Competition category goes to: HEARTBOUND (HJERTELANDET) by Janus Metz and Sine Plambech (Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O2IiaMy3Js A Special Mention goes to: MINDING THE GAP by Bing Liu (USA)Focus: Switzerland, Germany, Austria
The 14th Zurich Film Festival’s Golden Eye for Best Film in the Focus: Switzerland, Germany, Austria Competition category goes to: L’ANIMALE by Katharina Mückstein (Austria) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYAin_46xtI A Special Mention goes to: DER LÄUFER (MIDNIGHT RUNNER) by Hannes Baumgartner (Switzerland) WELCOME TO SODOM by Florian Weigensamer and Christian Krönes (Austria)Emerging Swiss Talent Award
The Emerging Swiss Talent Award for Best Swiss Film in the Festival Program goes to: WALDEN by Daniel Zimmermann (Switzerland)Critics’ Choice Award
The Swiss Association of Film Journalists (SVFJ) award their prize for Best Debut Feature Film in the Competition Section to: THE GUILTY (DEN SKYLDIGE) by Gustav Möller (Denmark)Audience Award
Given to the best film from the three competition categories as chosen by viewers, the Audience Award goes to: COLD NOVEMBER (NËNTOR I FTOHTË) by Ismet Sijarina (Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia)Kids Jury Award
The Kids Jury gives their award to: LOS BANDO by Christian Lo (Norway, Sweden)Audience Award for Best Children’s Film
The Audience Award for Best Film in the ZFF for Kids section as chosen by our young viewers goes to: RAOUL TABURIN by Pierre Godeau (France, Belgium)Treatment Competition Award
The Award for Best Treatment goes to:Maurizius Staerkle Drux and Lenz Baumann for the project C.O.D.A. – CHILD OF DEAF ADULTS (Switzerland)
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Fourth Doc Stories Film Series Returns to Bay Area, Opens with ‘They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead’
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They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead[/caption]
The fourth Doc Stories, presented by SFFILM returns to the Bay Area from November 1 to 4 with a lineup featuring brand-new documentary films yet to be released alongside in-depth discussions with filmmaker guests in person.
The forward-thinking values of the San Francisco Bay Area are celebrated in the lineup especially by two remarkable portraits – General Magic and 5B – both featuring extraordinary archival footage conveying a unique “you were there” sense of urgency. Pressing issues from political indoctrination in Syria to maternal mortality rates here in the US take the stage alongside films such as They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead and United Skates, that use art and culture as a lens through which to tell larger stories.
This year’s wide-ranging lineup will also present the inaugural Doc Star Keynote Address, delivered by Lisa Nishimura, Head of Documentary and Comedy Programming at Netflix. Doc Stories 2018 is rounded out by compelling and diverse shorts programs: Doc Shorts focused around issues of community and place, and the return of the popular New York Times Op-Docs showcase.
The fourth Doc Stories runs November 1 to 4 at the Castro Theatre (429 Castro Street) and SFMOMA’s Phyllis Wattis Theater (151 3rd Street – Joyce and Larry Stupski Entrance at Minna Street).
Opening Night: They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead [Castro]
Morgan Neville, USA, 98 min. Director Morgan Neville expected to attend.
Morgan Neville, who charmed SFFILM Festival audiences this spring with his look at Mr. Rogers and his neighborhood, now playfully takes on the story of Orson Welles’s last production, The Other Side of the Wind, a semi-mythological cinematic experiment, posthumously completed and receiving its first public release this year. Neville eschews scholars and critics and lets those who knew and worked with the mercurial filmmaker tell the story of “the greatest movie never released.” The result is as lively and inventive as work of the master it reveals.
Doc Star Keynote Address: Lisa Nishimura [SFMOMA]
TRT 60 min.
Netflix’s Vice President of Original Documentary and Comedy Programming has had an enormous impact on the way filmmakers and viewers approach non-fiction filmmaking. Nishimura is an 11-year Netflix veteran and spearheaded Netflix’s Original Documentaries initiative in 2013. The non-fiction work developed under her tenure is comprised of a wide range of series and features including Ava DuVernay’s 13th, Werner Herzog’s Into the Inferno, and Liz Garbus’s What Happened Miss Simone? The current slate of films, including Reversing Roe, Shirkers, and Quincy, showcases Netflix’s commitment to female documentarians and compelling storytelling. Nishimura will discuss her thoughts on the current state of non-fiction filmmaking in an entertaining and informative Keynote.
Giving Birth in America: California [SFMOMA]
Clancy McCarty, USA, 18 min. (TRT 60 min) Director Clancy McCarty, Every Mother Counts founder Christy Turlington Burns, and additional guests expected to attend. Extended post-screening conversation.
Giving Birth in America is a documentary series that examines some of the reasons for the alarming current statistics about maternal mortality rates in the US. This fifth and most recent episode, California, focuses on Dr. Christina Gamboa, an OB-GYN in Watsonville who provides pre-natal care to an immigrant farmworker from Mexico with a high-risk pregnancy. The screening will be followed by an in-depth discussion with McCarty, Dr. Gamboa, and women’s health advocates.
New York Times Op-Docs [SFMOMA]
TRT 80 min. Directors Luisa Conlon, Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, and Kathleen Lingo, Executive Producer of New York Times Op-Docs expected to attend.
The fourth edition of our annual exploration of the year’s best short documentaries from the New York Times’ award-winning series again shows the strength and versatility of the non-fiction form. This year’s program takes us from family reflections to pressing worldly issues and beyond—even to outer space.
The Truth About Killer Robots [SFMOMA]
Maxim Pozdorovkin, USA, 83 min. Director Maxim Pozdorovkin expected to attend.
This timely exploration of our increasingly mechanized world is a kaleidoscopic look at the automatically operating machines that are changing our daily lives in ways that run the gamut from intriguing to deadly. The film probes automation-influenced events both dramatic and incidental, from the death of a worker in a German Volkswagen factory to robotic displacement of laborers to the undermining of authentic human connection. Philosophers, journalists, and futurists add perspective and insight, sharing screen time with a non-human narrator.
Doc Shorts [SFMOMA]
TRT 70 min. Filmmakers Roxy Rezvany, Mohammed Gorjestani, Ivete Lucas, and Patrick Bresnan expected to attend.
Four expertly crafted and distinctly expressed short films center around issues of community and place. Whether navigating a transition from North Korea to the UK, a release from prison, or a trip to the beach, the people documented in these non-fiction pieces—Little Pyongyang (Roxy Rezvany, UK), Nuuca (Michelle Latimer, Canada/USA), Sister Hearts (Mohammad Gorjestani, USA), and Skip Day (Ivete Lucas and Patrick Bresnan, USA)—are each in their different way adjusting to the changing world in which they find themselves.
Ghost Fleet [SFMOMA]
Shannon Service and Jeffrey Waldron, USA, 88 min. Co-director Shannon Service expected to attend.
The plight of fishermen enslaved on vessels in Southeast Asian waters is movingly documented through the linked stories of Patima Tungpuchayakul, a Thai activist who has helped return men to their homes, and Tun Lin, who escaped captivity after eleven years and now seeks justice for himself and others. The film follows a rescue mission off the shore of Indonesia where escaped men hide on remote islands and Thai ships continue their shocking practices.
General Magic [SFMOMA]
Sarah Kerruish and Matt Maude, USA, 93 min. Co-director Matt Maude and special guests expected to attend.
A portrait of Silicon Valley’s most important failed startup, General Magic details the rise and fall of the visionary company that envisioned the first smartphone, as well as e-commerce and emojis, years before any of them became ubiquitous. Told through the voices of several members of the team of gifted (and still dominant) engineers, programmers, and marketers, General Magic brings you into the heart of the story of a company that changed the world before the world was ready.
Of Fathers and Sons [SFMOMA]
Talal Derki, Germany/Syria/Lebanon, 99 min.
Posing as a photojournalist who supports jihad, director Talal Derki takes extraordinary risks and gains vivid access to the family and life of 45-year-old Abu Osama, one of the founders of Al-Nusra, the Syrian arm of Al-Qaeda. The father of eight sons, Abu Osama is a fearsome example of those who believe firmly in violence as a means to an end. Though certainly chilling at times, Of Fathers and Sons is also a deeply compassionate portrait of young boys who are not given options over their lives and futures.
Filmmakers in Conversation [SFMOMA]
TRT 75 min. Directors Bing Liu, RaMell Ross, and Sandi Tan expected to attend.
What are some of the ways that a filmmaker signals their point of view about their subjects? How does a film’s style and approach influence how the viewer absorbs and understands it? Join the creators of some of 2018’s most remarkable films, shot in a variety of styles and using innovative methods to explore stories both personal and topical, to explore these topics. Participants include Bing Liu (Minding the Gap), RaMell Ross (Hale County This Morning, This Evening), and Sandi Tan (Shirkers).
United Skates [SFMOMA]
Tina Brown and Dyana Winkler, USA 2018, 90 min. Directors Tina Brown and Dyana Winkler expected to attend.
Eight wheels and a roller rink hold special significance in the African American community, as the act of roller skating provides a meaningful, vibrant, and safe way for people to express themselves. Examining the historical and cultural influence of skating rinks around the county, filmmakers Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown document recent rink closures and discriminatory regulations that make it harder for skaters to gather, while celebrating the community that is determined to keep the spirit and their skating alive.
5B [Castro] – WORLD PREMIERE
Dan Krauss, USA, 93 min. Director Dan Krauss expected to attend.
In the mid-1980s, a simple number and letter designated a ward on the fifth floor of San Francisco General Hospital, the first in the country designed specifically to deal with AIDS patients. The unit’s emphasis on humanity and consideration of holistic well-being was a small miracle in the midst of a devastating crisis and the ensuing panic about risk and infection. The story of 5B is stirringly told through first-person testimony of patients, their loved ones, and hospital staff who volunteered to work on the ward, resulting in a bittersweet and moving monument to a moment in San Francisco history and a celebration of quiet heroes worthy of remembrance and renewed recognition. Presented in Collaboration with the Telluride Film Festival.
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Supernatural Horror Film SOUL TO KEEP to World Premiere at Shriekfest [Trailer]
The supernatural horror film Soul To Keep, co-directed by David Allensworth and Monière, will have its world premiere at Shriekfest on Saturday October 6th in Hollywood.
Soul To Keep tells the story of Beelzebub, a demon hell-bent on consuming and taking control of souls, who hunts down siblings and their lifelong friends at a rundown country house.
“Soul to Keep is a great possession horror film that uses a deaf character to uniquely tell the story,” says Shriekfest’s festival director Denise Gossett. “This is a film that horror fans are going to love and we are thrilled to be showing our first ever open captioned film!” she adds.
The introduction of a deaf lead character, Tara, played by deaf actress Sandra Mae Frank, allows the exploration of unique modalities in the narrative style, notably the use of sign language throughout the film. All the actors flawlessly learnt and incorporated the sign language into their performances to serve the purpose of the story. This inclusive aspect of the unrepresented Deaf Community makes the production accessible to hard-of-hearing audiences as well as creating a dialogue between the Deaf and Hearing populations.
“The Deaf element in this film came to me originally as something of a scare tactic, and it blossomed into an important statement about bringing communities together,” says director David Allensworth. “Our co-writer Eric Bram’s wife is partially deaf, as well as one of our producers, Matt Meyer, who has partial hearing loss.”
“I wanted to bring out the elements of a minority group – the deaf and hard at hearing – and showcase them as heroes. In addition, I wanted to tell a horror story with real proven metaphysical elements, not another horror-slasher film,” adds co-director Monière.
ERIN, a cute yet timid 22-year-old, and her confident twin brother JOSH inherit their grandpa’s creepy country house. Rusty broken barn. Swampy pond. No better way to christen the home than to throw a party with their school friends. Josh brought his sweetheart, TARA, and their closeness is apparent. Tara is deaf, and all the friends speak with her through sign language. Everyone, except for BRANDON, the self-centered boyfriend of GRACE, Erin’s childhood friend-turned-Dark-Wiccan.
It’s all fun and games until the lights go out. Josh searches the dark and damp basement to find the fuse box, only to discover a secret ritual room, complete with animal bones, blood, and meat arranged in a large triangle. Not to mention the nearby grimoire – a demonic spell book. The group is convinced now that the sibling’s grandpa truly went crazy.
Grace, being familiar with it all, reads over the grimoire to discover a spell to conjure the very powerful demon, BEELZEBUB – one of the seven Princes of Hell. Drunk and high, the group thinks it’s a fun idea to conduct a possession spell to see if it’ll work. And to their surprise… it does! Beelzebub has finally arrived and he will stop at nothing to consume their souls.
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Dr. Denis Mukwege Subject of Documentary THE MAN WHO MENDS WOMEN Awarded Nobel Peace Prize [Trailer]
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Dr. Denis Mukwege in The Man Who Mends Women – The Wrath of Hippocrates[/caption]
Dr. Denis Mukwege, world renowned Congolese surgeon and the subject of the documentary “The Man Who Mends Women – The Wrath Of Hippocrates” was today awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Man Who Mends Women – The Wrath Of Hippocrates is the portrait of the impressive life and work of internationally renowned gynecologist Dr. Denis Mukwege from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He received the 2014 prestigious Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, for his struggle against sexual violence. Dr. Mukwege medically assisted over 40,000 sexually abused women in sixteen years of professional practice. He is a winner of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his work.
Sexual violence against women has been used as a weapon of war for years in the violence-ridden and poverty-stricken Democratic Republic of Congo. In order to provide medical, psychological and emotional aid to the victims, Dr. Mukwege founded the Panzi hospital in Bukavu in 1999. Besides his work as a physician Dr. Mukwege also defends human rights and seeks to raise global awareness on the issue of sexual violence in his country. He condemns the political reluctance to tackle the problem and is not afraid to hit the nail on the head.
His work is not without danger, as Dr. Mukwege experienced in 2012, when armed men entered his home and started shooting. Mukwege and his family survived the attack, but his guard was killed. The doctor now lives cloistered in his hospital in Bukavu under the protection of the United Nation peacekeepers. The women, whose physical and emotional integrity and dignity have been restored, stand beside him, true activists for peace, and hungry for justice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU62X6iV1ZI
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Nadia Murad, Subject of Documentary ON HER SHOULDERS, Awarded Nobel Peace Prize [Trailer]
Yazidi genocide survivor-turned-global advocate Nadia Murad, the subject of Alexandria Bombach’s documentary ON HER SHOULDERS, was announced today as the recipient of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict.
A deeply moving documentary portrait, ON HER SHOULDERS was the winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s U.S. Documentary Directing Award and has won awards at some of the world’s top film festivals. It will open on Friday, October 19 at New York’s Village East Cinemas, followed by Los Angeles on October 24, with a national rollout to follow.
Twenty-three-year-old Nadia Murad’s life is a dizzying array of important undertakings—from giving testimony before the U.N. to visiting refugee camps to soul-bearing media interviews and one-on-one meetings with top government officials. With deep compassion and a formal precision and elegance that matches Nadia’s calm and steely demeanor, director Alexandria Bombach (who also shot and edited the film) follows this strong-willed young woman, who survived the 2014 genocide of the Yazidis in Northern Iraq and escaped sexual slavery at the hands of ISIS to become a relentless beacon of hope for her people, even when at times she longs to lay aside this monumental burden and simply have an ordinary life.
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THE GRIZZLIES and CAPERNAUM Win Audience Awards at 2018 Calgary International Film Festival
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Capernaum[/caption]
The 19th annual Calgary International Film Festival wrapped up this past Sunday, and today the Festival announced the winners of the Audience Favourite Awards and Fan Favourite Award, both of which were determined by audience ballot. The highest rated film by the festival audience was THE GRIZZLIES, directed by Miranda De Pencier, which won in the Canadian Narrative Feature category.
As for the Fan Favourite Award, audience members who saw ten or more films were sent a special ballot to choose their favourite festival feature with this year’s Fan Favourite Award going to CAPERNAUM, directed by Nadine Labaki.
AUDIENCE FAVOURITE AWARD WINNERS
Audience Favourite, Alberta Feature- CIRCLE OF STEEL, directed by Gillian McKercher Audience Favourite, Canadian Narrative Feature (new) – THE GRIZZLIES, directed by Miranda De Pencier Audience Favourite, US/International Narrative Feature (new) – CAPERNAUM, directed by Nadine Labaki Audience Favourite, Canadian Documentary Feature (new) – LETTER FROM MASANJIA, directed by Leon Lee Audience Favourite, US/International Documentary Feature (new) – SCIENCE FAIR, directed by Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster Audience Favourite, Alberta Short – INDIAN RIGHTS FOR INDIAN WOMEN, directed by Alex Lazarowich Audience Favourite, Narrative Short (Live Action or Animated) – PEGGY, directed by Justin O’Neal Miller Audience Favourite, Documentary Short – INDIAN RIGHTS FOR INDIAN WOMEN, directed by Alex LazarowichFAN FAVOURITE AWARD
Fan Favourite Award presented by Evans Hunt & Stone-Olafson: CAPERNAUM, directed by Nadine LabakiJURIED AWARD WINNERS
Best Canadian Narrative Feature and $10,000 cash prize winner, presented by RBC Emerging Artists Project: THE GREAT DARKENED DAYS, directed by Maxime GirouxBEST OF SHORTS AWARDS
Best Overall Short – $2,500 and Academy Award qualification: FAUVE, directed by Jérémy Comte (Honorable Mention: THREE PAGES, directed by Roger Gariépy) Best Documentary Short and recipient of $2,500: PRINCE’S TALE, directed by Jamie Miller (Honorable Mention: 5 YEARS AFTER THE WAR, directed by Samuel Albaric, Ulysse Lefort, and Martin Wiklund) Best Alberta Short and recipient of $2,500: GROSS INDECENCY: THE EVERETT KLIPPERT STORY, directed by Laura O’GradyFAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
The Fan of the Year Award recognizes one audience member who saw the most films. This year’s winner, Cliff Lawley, watched 37 films over the 12 days.
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AFI FEST Reveals 2018 New Auteurs and American Independents Lineups
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Elisabeth Moss in HER SMELL[/caption]
Highlighting rising feature film directors and the best of independent filmmaking, the American Film Institute announced today the films that will be featured in the New Auteurs and American Independents sections at AFI FEST 2018 presented by Audi.
New Auteurs is the festival’s platform for upcoming filmmakers from all over the world to showcase their new films. This year, the section is comprised of 18 films, with 12 helmed by female filmmakers.
The American Independents section represents the best of independent filmmaking this year. Pushing boundaries of form and content across narrative and documentary cinema, this section includes 10 films — half of which are directed by women — from both new voices and filmmakers returning to AFI FEST.
“The New Auteurs and American Independents sections are where you will find some of the boldest and most experimental work in the festival,” said Lane Kneedler, Director of Programming, AFI Festivals. “We encourage audiences to explore these unique films, and become acquainted with the emerging and provocative voices of their directors.”
AFI FEST takes place November 8–15, 2018, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and other events will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt. The Opening Night Gala will be the World Premiere of ON THE BASIS OF SEX (directed by AFI Conservatory alumna Mimi Leder) and the Closing Night Gala will be the World Premiere of MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS (directed by Josie Rourke).
NEW AUTEURS
ACID FOREST (RŪGŠTUS MIŠKAS)– A wispy stretch of land from Russia to Lithuania is home to an unlikely tourist attraction: a dying forest of leafless trees overtaken by thousands of ancient black birds ruining the area with their acid-fortified feces. With daredevil cinematography and immaculate sound design, Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė’s debut is a beguiling snapshot of the juncture between nature’s destruction and rebirth. DIR Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė. Lithuania AKASHA – Documentarian Hajooj Kuka makes his attention-grabbing, intelligent debut with AKASHA, a comedy set in a rebel-held area of Sudan, where fighting has stopped amid the rainy season — and a man, a woman and an AK-47 are entangled in a love triangle. DIR Hajooj Kuka. SCR Hajooj Kuka. CAST Ekram Marcus, Kamal Ramadan, Ganja Chakado. Sudan, South Africa, Qatar, Germany ALL IS GOOD (ALLES IST GUT) – An arresting portrayal of a woman who refuses to see herself victimized by rape. Intimately and claustrophobically photographed, this humanistic film illustrates a rape internalized — acknowledged though never reckoned with — where a rapist’s presumed authority over a woman’s body is endemic of an oppressive, patriarchal society. DIR Eva Trobisch. SCR Eva Trobisch. CAST Aenne Schwarz, Andreas Döhler, Hans Löw, Tilo Nest, Lisa Hagmeister, Lina Wendel. Germany AND BREATH NORMALLY (ANDIÐ EÐLILEGA) – Lára is a single mother whose job as an Icelandic border guard is all that’s keeping her afloat. While training, Lára notices that the passport of Adja, a woman from Guinea-Bissau, has been forged. From there, Adja and Lára’s stories diverge and weave together again in Ísold Uggadóttir’s elegantly constructed drama of lives affected by the ongoing refugee crisis. DIR Ísold Uggadóttir. SCR Ísold Uggadóttir. CAST Kristín Thóra Haraldsdóttir, Babetida Sadjo, Patrik Nökkvi Pétursson. Iceland BLACK MOTHER – From red light districts to lush rainforests, director Khalik Allah’s brilliant film weaves together the sacred and the profane in a loving and lyrical ode to Jamaica and its people, a visual poem that is at once deeply felt love letter and ecstatic street-corner prayer. DIR Khalik Allah. USA THE CHAMBERMAID (LA CAMARISTA) – Lila Avilés’ debut feature follows Eve, a young maid in a luxurious Mexico City hotel, as she struggles with long hours and monotonous work. THE CHAMBERMAID is the touching story of her ambitions to rise above her current role and find a better life, and of her journey of self-discovery along the way. DIR Lila Avilés. SCR Juan Carlos Marquéz, Lila Avilés. CAST Gabriela Cartol, Teresa Sánchez. Mexico DEAD HORSE NEBULA – Awarded the Locarno Film Festival prize for Best Emerging Director, Tarik Aktas’ feature debut is either a real or imagined childhood memory of adults attempting to remove the body of a dead horse from an open field. This existential fever dream is a transformative experience, a distillation of the extraordinary suspense of day-to-day existence. DIR Tarik Aktas. SCR Tarik Aktas. CAST Barış Mert Bilgi, Ali Yavuz Ilman, Ömer Bora, Serkan Aydın, Dilara Topuklular, Hasan Türker, Mümin Süren, Serkan Özsalgıncı. Turkey DEAD PIGS (海上浮城) – Five lives collide in Cathy Yan’s quirky and comic debut — a bumbling pig farmer, a salon owner battling gentrification, an American ex-pat looking for the Chinese dream, a romantic waiter and a spoiled rich girl. DEAD PIGS sharply examines a contrasting China, where modern culture clashes with the traditional. DIR Cathy Yan. SCR Catha Yan. CAST Vivian Wu, Yang Hao Yu, Mason Lee, Li Meng, David Rysdahl. China THE DIVE (HATZLILA) – Following the death of their father, three estranged brothers — two veterans and one heading off to war — return to their family’s kibbutz to fulfill the patriarch’s final wish, setting off a firestorm of unsettled conflicts and long-buried resentments. DIR Yona Rozenkier. SCR Yona Rozenkier. CAST Yoel Rozenkier, Micha Rozenkier, Yona Rozenkier, Claudia Dulitchi, Miki Marmor, Daniel Sabag, Shmuel Edelman. Israel L’ANIMALE – On the verge of graduation and an uncertain future, a mischievous teenager rails against the societal and familial pressures of her suburban surroundings to seek autonomy in director/writer Katharina Mückstein’s masterfully perceptive and effervescent second feature about finding oneself by embracing the caged beast within and feeding its most insatiable cravings. DIR Katharina Mückstein. SCR Katharina Mückstein. CAST Sophie Stockinger, Kathrin Resetarits, Dominik Warta, Julia Franz Richter, Jack Hofer, Stefan Pohl, Dominic Marcus Singer, Simon Morzé, Eva Herzig, David Oberkogler, Martina Spitzer, Lisa C. Nemec, Johanna Orsini-Rosenberg, Gisela Salcher, Alexandra Schmidt. Austria LEMONADE (LUNA DE MIERE) – Incredible performances and beautiful cinematography herald a bold new voice in Romanian cinema in this tale of a young mother immigrating to America. Mara struggles to navigate the system, in a fight to bring her son a better life that might cost her everything. DIR Ioana Uricaru. SCR Tatiana Ionascu, Ioana Uricaru. CAST Malina Manovici, Steve Bacic, Dylan Scott Smith, Milan Hurduc, Ruxandra Maniu. Romania, Canada, Germany ONE DAY (EGY NAP) – This astounding debut feature follows 24 hours in the life of a harried mother as she navigates family work and betrayal. Anna struggles with kids, work and everyday life — but it’s an unspoken menace that really threatens this family. DIR Zsófia Szilágyi. SCR Zsófia Szilágyi, Réka Mán-Várhegy. CAST Zsófia Szamosi, Leo Füredi, Ambrus Barcza, Zorka Varga-Blaskó, Márk Gárdos, Annamária Láng, Éva Vándor, Károly Hajduk. Hungary RAFIKI – Kena likes to kick around a soccer ball with her boys. Bubbly Ziki likes to dance with her girls. Yet when their paths cross, the two fall in love. Banned in Kenya, Wanuri Kahiu’s gay romance is delightful and full of life. DIR Wanuri Kahiu. SCR Jenna Cato Bass, Wanuri Kahiu. CAST Samantha Mugatsia, Sheila Munyiva, Jimmi Gathu, Nini Wacera, Dennis Musyoka, Patricia Amira. Kenya RAY & LIZ – In this immersive debut, director and photographer Richard Billingham returns to the squalid council flat outside of Birmingham where he and his brother were raised, in a confrontation and reconciliation with parents Ray and Liz. A complex and layered visual inquiry, Billingham’s probing gaze, rich saturated palette and meticulous compositions reveal a surrealistic beauty in memories of poverty. DIR Richard Billingham. SCR Richard Billingham. CAST Ella Smith, Justin Salinger, Patrick Romer, Deirdre Kelly, Tony Way, Sam Gittins, Joshua Millard-Lloyd. UK THE RETURN – In Malene Choi’s formally daring work of docufiction, the temporary residents of KoRoot — a Seoul-based guesthouse for transnational adoptees seeking information on their Korean birth parents — form a unique bond with one another while they each process the intense emotions inherent in their journey of self-discovery. DIR Malene Choi. SCR Sissel Dalsgaard Thomsen. CAST Philip Nicolai Flindt. Denmark, South Korea SIR – When an unexpected romance develops with her upper-class boss, a strong-willed maid in Mumbai finds herself treacherously close to breaking India’s rigid rules of class division. Director/writer Rohena Gera’s debut feature boasts a luminous lead performance by Tillotama Shome. DIR Rohena Gera. SCR Rohena Gera. CAST Vivek Gomber, Tillotama Shome. India, France STYX – Rike (Susanne Wolff) is sailing solo through open Atlantic waters. When she spots a vessel in the distance in a dire situation — a boat, brimming with migrants, is sinking — her voyage crystallizes into a sharp moral dilemma: What is an individual’s personal responsibility when faced with the refugee crisis? DIR Wolfgang Fischer. SCR Ika Kuenzel, Wolfgang Fischer. CAST Susanne Wolff, Gedion Wekesa Oduor. Germany, Austria TEMPORADA – Settling into a new job in an unfamiliar city, Juliana faces life as a single woman while navigating the financial and emotional tightrope walk that is life among Brazil’s working class in this beautiful and engrossing debut feature. DIR André Novais Oliveira. SCR André Novais Oliveira. CAST Grace Passô, Russo Apr, Rejane Faria, Hélio Ricardo. BrazilAMERICAN INDEPENDENTS
THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM – Filmmaker John Chester documents the eight-year effort of an ambitious, life-changing personal venture: moving out of Los Angeles with his wife and building a diverse, sustainable farm. As the farm’s ecosystem begins to awaken, the couple explores the complexity of coexisting with nature and all its intricacies in this poignant documentary. DIR John Chester. SCR Mark Monroe, John Chester. USA BLOWIN’ UP – BLOWIN’ UP is an intimate portrait of a New York criminal court and the rebel heroines working to change the way women arrested for prostitution are prosecuted. Stephanie Wang-Breal’s essential and fascinating documentary reveals the complex hurdles sex workers must face, and the steadfast efforts of those helping to change their lives. DIR Stephanie Wang-Breal. SCR Stephanie Wang-Breal. USA COMMUNION LOS ANGELES – A dystopian vision of the present, this experimental documentary uses poetic time-lapse photography. An indistinguishable swell of half-audible monologues, radio frequencies and voicemails maintains a decidedly unsettling distance, even as the rhythms of reoccurring highway vistas, flickering street signs and neon-lit strip malls beckon you to fall under its trance. DIR Peter Bo Rappmund, Adam R. Levine. SCR Peter Bo Rappmund, Adam R. Levine. USA FAMILY – When her estranged brother calls in an emergency, workaholic Kate Stone (Taylor Schilling) reluctantly agrees to babysit her tween niece Maddie. Kate’s life quickly spins into chaos as one night turns into a week. She doesn’t think things could get much worse, until she learns Maddie wants to run away from home to join the life of the Juggalos. DIR Laura Steinel. SCR Laura Steinel. CAST Taylor Schilling, Bryn Vale, Brian Tyree Henry, Jessie Ennis, Blair Beeken, Matt Walsh, Allison Tolman, Eric Edelstein, Kate McKinnon, Fabrizio Guido. USA THE GRAND BIZARRE – The debut feature of acclaimed experimental animator Jodie Mack is a playful, eye-popping trip around the world, through its fabrics and textiles and their place in a busy international market: bright swaths of fabric, scarves and rugs dance along shorelines, in airport carousels and clotheslines to the pulse of irresistible pop soundscapes. DIR Jodie Mack. USA THE GREAT PRETENDER – In Nathan Silver’s latest comedy, four New Yorkers intersect within the framework of Mona’s (Maëlle Poesy-Guichard) autobiographical play. Furthering the themes of self-delusion Silver explored in THIRST STREET (2017), the film’s artificial hues of violet, yellow and green visually serve to blur the characters’ real lives with the play they’re all unwittingly performing in. DIR Nathan Silver. SCR Jack Dunphy. CAST Esther Garrel, Keith Poulson, Linas Phillips, Maëlle Poésy. USA HER SMELL – In HER SMELL, Becky Something (Elisabeth Moss) battles addiction and personal demons while trying to maintain her celebrity and creativity as lead musician of a ’90s punk-rock band. Backstage, Becky comes unhinged, bantering maniacally to her bandmates, friends and family as mascara runs down her face. With an uneasy, bass-heavy score and lengthy tracking close-ups, this is a nightmarish, abrasive ride to rock bottom. DIR Alex Ross Perry. SCR Alex Ross Perry. CAST Elisabeth Moss, Cara Delevingne, Dan Stevens, Amber Heard. USA JINN – Being a teenager can already be dramatic. Now add religious conversion, first love, and having to change your favorite pizza topping. When her mother joins a local mosque, Summer is forced to explore whether she too wants to convert to Islam. Nijla Mu’min’s coming-of-age story grows into an exploration of spirituality seen through the eyes of a girl trying to find her place. DIR Nijla Mu’min. SCR Nijla Mu’min. CAST Zoe Renee, Simone Missick, Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Dorian Missick, Hisham Tawfiq and Kelly Jenrette. USA RELAXER – Indie film at its most raw is on display in this latest collaboration between director Joel Potrykus and his actor/muse Joshua Burge as Abbie, whose latest challenge forces him to stay on the couch while Y2K looms large. Lucky for him, there’s plenty of milk. DIR Joel Potrykus. SCR Joel Potrykus. CAST Joshua Burge, David Dastmalchian, Andre Hyland. USA THE WEEKEND – In Stella Meghie’s charming and witty romantic comedy, a comedian (Sasheer Zamata) hauls the baggage of her defunct relationship on a weekend getaway with friends, which happens to include her ex-boyfriend (Tone Bell) and his new girlfriend (DeWanda Wise). DIR Stella Meghie. SCR Stella Meghie. CAST Sasheer Zamata, Tone Bell, DeWanda Wise, Y’Lan Noel, Kym Whitley. USA