• VIDEO Watch Trailer for Tribeca Film Fest Award Winning Film “Stand Clear of the Closing Doors”

    stand clear of the closing doors poster

    Watch the new trailer for Sam Fleischner’s Stand Clear of the Closing Doors winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival, and set for release by Oscilloscope Laboratories on May 23, 2014. Stand Clear of the Closing Doors stars newcomer Jesus Sanchez-Velez and Andrea Suarez Paz, and follows a thirteen year-old boy who suffers from autism and finds himself lost in the city’s subway system. Due to his status as an illegal immigrant, his desperate mother must find him with whatever little means she has while her son explores and discovers NYC’s countless eccentricities as only an alienated youth could. The danger increases, however, when Hurricane Sandy (which occurred right in the middle of shooting) is set to destroy the city.

    http://youtu.be/6mo2uDPKtXw

    “Stand Clear of the Closing Doors” is the story of Ricky, a 13-year-old boy with autism, and his mother, Mariana. An undocumented immigrant from Mexico, Mariana works long days cleaning houses while Ricky, deeply imaginative but painfully isolated, struggles to cope. They live in Rockaway Beach, Queens along with Ricky’s rebellious older sister, Carla, and semi-absent father, Ricardo Sr. 

    Carla doesn’t pick Ricky up from school one day and as he walks home alone, he is scolded by Mariana over the phone. Blocking out his mother’s wrath, he is swooned by a mysterious dragon figure into the subway. This marks the beginning of the young boy’s odyssey of self-discovery, where his confrontation with the bizarre, indifferent world of the subway pushes him to interact with the world. Mariana’s search brings her out into her neighborhood in new ways. She forms a new relationship with the beach and befriends a shopkeeper who knows her son. As days pass with no sign of Ricky and an impending hurricane, the divisions that the family has tried to ignore are brought to light.

    “Stand Clear of the Closing Doors” is a family drama rooted in the vibrant depiction of a seldom-seen community on the city’s edge. With an eye-opening view of life on the autism spectrum, the film simultaneously explores the strains of the immigrant experience. The film is about identity and conformity; communication and intolerance. It explores the dark spaces between us, 

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  • Seattle International Film Festival Reveals First Films for 2014 – African Pictures Lineup

    Four CornersFour Corners

    The Seattle International Film Festival taking place May 15 to June 8, 2014, revealed the selection of films from and about Africa as part of its African Pictures program. Supported by a generous multi-year grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, African Pictures brings the best in cinema to audiences in Seattle and the broader Northwest.  This year’s lineup includes the world premiere of Leading Lady, the latest comedic romp from the director of SIFF 2013 audience favorite Fanie Fourie’s Lobola. In addition, Four Corners makes its North American premiere and brings a stark and gritty narrative of strategy and the streets to SIFF audiences. 

    In 2013, the inaugural African Pictures lineup challenged and delighted viewers with documentaries, comedies, political dramas, and snappy shorts. SIFF 2013’s Best Director Golden Space Needle Award, a write-in competition open to all films in the Festival, went to Nabil Ayouch for his Horses of God, an African Pictures selection from Morocco. Likewise, Fanie Fourie’s Lobola, an African Pictures romantic comedy from South Africa, took home the Best Film Golden Space Needle Award.

    The following African Pictures titles are the first films to be announced among official selections of the 2014 Seattle International Film Festival. Screening details to follow on May 1.

    African Metropolis
    d: Marie Ka, Philippe Lacote, Ahmed Ghoneimy, Vincent Moloi, Folsakin Iwajomo, Jim Chuchu, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa 2013, 92 min

    Filmmakers from across the African continent paint a vivid picture of a new, urbanized Africa through innovative short stories featuring six fast-growing major cities: Abidjan, Cairo, Dakar, Johannesburg, Lagos, and Nairobi.

    B For BoyB For Boy

    B For Boy
    d: Chika Anadu c: Uche Nwadili, Nonso Odogwu, Ngozi Amarikwa, Frances Okeke, Nigeria 2013, 118 min

     In Chika Anadu’s award-winning debut film, Amaka, a 40-year-old Nigerian woman, is expected to produce a male heir. But when the baby dies in utero, she desperately searches for a solution that would keep her husband from taking a second wife.  

    DifretDifret

    Difret
    d: Zeresenay Berhane Mehari c: Meron Getnet, Tizita Hagere, Ethiopia 2014, 99 min

    After being beaten, assaulted, and kidnapped, 14-year-old Aberash shoots and kills her attacker in an act of self-defense, pitting herself and her tenacious lawyer against Ethiopia’s long-standing tradition of marriage by abduction. Based on an extraordinary true story.

    Electro ChaabiElectro Chaabi

    Electro Chaabi
    d: Hind Meddeb, Egypt/France 2013, 77 min

    They started as performers in the poorest neighborhoods of Cairo; now they’re among Egypt’s fastest-rising stars. Unlikely musical celebrities, their electrifying version of Arab hip hop has flourished across social classes to become the inspiring soundtrack to a tumultuous time.

    Finding FelaFinding Fela

    Finding Fela
    d: Alex Gibney, USA 2014, 120 min

    Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti’s magnetism reverberates through time. The social and political significance of his life’s work is considered through historic clips and scenes from the Broadway musical FELA!

    Four Corners
    NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
    d: Ian Gabriel c: Brendon Daniels, Irshaad Ally, Jezriel Skei, Lindiwe Matshikiza, Abdurahman Adams, South Africa 2014, 114 min

    13-year-old chess prodigy Ricardo gets caught between two long-warring gangs, the 26s and the 28s of the pitiless Cape Flats of South Africa, just as the father he’s never known is released from prison.

    Half of a Yellow SunHalf of a Yellow Sun

    Half of a Yellow Sun
    d: Biyi Bandele c: Thandie Newton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, John Boyega, Anika Noni Rose, Joseph Mawle, Nigeria/United Kingdom 2013, 106 min

    Based on the eponymous novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Half of a Yellow Sun follows the lives of two Nigerian sisters in the 1960s who return home after receiving educations in England. The tumultuous Nigerian Civil War is the backdrop to this author-approved drama adaptation.

    Leading Lady
    WORLD PREMIERE
    d: Henk Pretorius c: Gil Bellows, Katie McGrath, Brumilda van Rensburg, Bok van Blerk, Eduan van Jaarsveldt, South Africa 2014, 96 min

    From the director of Fanie Fourie’s Lobola, winner of the SIFF 2013 Golden Space Needle Award for Best Film, comes this uplifting tale of a teacher and struggling actress who enlist a South African sheep farmer in helping her prepare for a make-or-break film role. 

    Rags and TattersRags and Tatters

    Rags and Tatters
    d: Ahmad Abdalla c: Asser Yassin, Atef Yousef, Amr Abed, Yara Gubran, Mohamed Mamdouh, Egypt 2013, 87 min

    A nameless fugitive fights his way through the chaos of revolutionary Cairo to deliver cell phone footage of police brutality from his dying friend to the outside world. Hailed as “a touchstone of post-revolutionary Egyptian cinema.” 

    The RooftopsThe Rooftops

    The Rooftops
    d: Merzak Allouache c: Adila Bendimerad, Nassima Belmihoub, Ahcene Benzerari, Aïssa Chouat, Mourad Khen, Algeria/France 2013, 92 min

    Algeria’s most beloved director weaves the story of five Algiers neighborhoods organized according to the five calls to prayer over the course of a single day.

    Salvation ArmySalvation Army

    Salvation Army
    d: Abdellah Taïa c: Saïd Mrini, Karim Ait M’hand, Amine Ennaji, Malika El Hamaoui, Frederic Landenberg, Morocco/France 2013, 82 min

    Inspired by the director’s own experiences, the film recounts the journey of a gay Moroccan teenager who uses his sexuality to advance his position in, and eventually escape, the society that shuns him. A brave, provocative film that tackles taboo issues to offer a new vision of the queer Arab experience.

    Under the Starry SkyUnder the Starry Sky

    Under the Starry Sky
    d: Dyana Gaye c: Marème Demba Ly, Ralph Amoussou, Souleymane Seye N’Diaye, Maya Sansa, Babacar M’Baye Fall, France/Senegal 2013, 86 min

    Through three emotionally charged story lines, taking viewers from Senegal to Italy to America and back again, the destinies of three far-flung sojourners connect in this transcontinental drama that’s a richly realized examination of the African diaspora and the often fractal nature of contemporary emigration.

    White ShadowWhite Shadow

    White Shadow
    d: Noaz Deshe c: Hamisi Bazili, James Gayo, Glory Mbayuwayu, Salum Abdallah, Germany/Italy, Tanzania 2013, 115 min

    In Tanzania, young albino Alias is on the run after witnessing his father’s murder. He finds city life as fraught with danger as the bush in this intense and stunning feature debut centering on crime perpetrated because of superstition.

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  • PULP Music Documentary to Open 2014 Sheffield Doc/Fest | VIDEO Pulp Performing at 2014 SXSW

     PULP. A Film about Life, Death and Supermarkets

     The 21st edition of Sheffield Doc/Fest, considered UK’s premier documentary and digital media festival, will officially open with the European Premiere of PULP. A Film about Life, Death and Supermarkets, attended by the director Florian Habicht, producer Alex Boden of Pistachio Pictures Production and band-members: Jarvis Cocker, Nick Banks, Candida Doyle, Steve Mackey and Mark Webber. By turns funny, moving, life-affirming and (occasionally) bewildering, PULP is a music-film like no other. Florian Habicht unveils the deep affection that the inhabitants of Sheffield have for Pulp, and the formative effect the town has had on the band’s music (and front-man Jarvis Cocker’s lyrics in particular).

    Says Hussain Currimbhoy, Director of Programming, “I can’t think of a better film to open this year’s fest with than Florian’s PULP. And to have the whole band together to talk about the film after the screening is going to be awesome”.

    Sheffield Doc/Fest takes place across Sheffield and the Peak District in UK from Saturday 7 to Thursday 12 June. The full festival program will be launched on 8 May.

    PULP will be released in the UK by Soda Pictures on 6th June.

     http://youtu.be/9_u994qUxbc

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  • “Doc of the Dead” Documentary to Open Colorado’s Stanley Film Festival

     Doc of the DeadDoc of the Dead

    The Stanley Film Festival (SFF) in Denver, Colorado, which celebrates the best in independent horror cinema at the hotel that inspired The Shining, will open Thursday, April 24 with a Gala Presentation of an original documentary from EPiX, Doc of the Dead. Directed by Colorado filmmaker, Alexandre O. Philippe (The People Vs. George Lucas), the film explores the evolution of the zombie genre in film, television and literature, as well as its impact and influence on pop culture. The film which premiered at the SXSW Film Festival features footage taken at the 35th Starz Denver Film Festival’s “George Romero’s Zombie Town Hall Meeting.” 

    Stanley HotelStanley Hotel

    The Festival featuring a full slate of films, panels, competitions, and special events will be held April 24-27, 2014, at the ‘beautiful and historically haunted’ Stanley Hotel.

    In addition to the Opening Night film, SFF announced it will host a series of events, sure to satisfy even the most dedicated horror fans. Throughout the Festival, “players” of the Immersive Horror Game will use multiple media platforms and game elements to delve deep into a mystery/horror narrative that uses the Stanley Hotel and the Festival as a vehicle to engage its participants in a story that seamlessly exists concurrently with everyday life. On Friday evening, Fangoria Entertainment and ShockTilYouDrop.com will bring their Dead Right Horror Trivia from Los Angeles to Estes Park. Saturday evening, Glass Eye Pix will present The Stanley Edition of TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE with hosts, Larry Fessenden and Glenn McQuaid, featuring two brand new tales performed at the Historic Park Theater in town by special guests with films at the Festival. Additional events include a Murder Mystery Dinner Friday evening, Zombie Crawl Saturday afternoon, and a Big Wheel Death Race on Sunday morning, all at the Stanley Hotel.

    FEATURE PRESENTATIONS:

    Doc of the Dead – USA (Director: Alexandre O. Phillipe, Featuring George Romero, Simon Pegg, Bruce Campbell, Max Brooks, Tom Savini, Greg Nicotero, Robert Kirkman) – Could there be a real zombie outbreak? If so, Doc of the Dead can help you prepare. This definitive guide to all things undead delves deep into the evolution of the zombie genre in film and literature, as well as its impact and influence on pop culture, to deliver a comprehensive, fast-paced, highly entertaining look at a contemporary social pandemic of global proportions.

    http://youtu.be/drttSC2enSU

     

    SPECIAL EVENTS:

    IMMERSIVE HORROR GAME Bleeding seamlessly into the atmosphere of fear and suspense we are excited to announce the Stanley Film Festival’s Inaugural Immersive Horror Game, a real horror/mystery narrative using the Festival itself as its medium. Those who follow the clues opt in to the game, becoming the protagonists of an engaging and creepy interactive thriller culminating in an irreproducible climax you can never unsee.

    Glass Eye Pix Presents TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE: The Stanley Edition An ongoing series of audio dramas penned by luminaries from the world of contemporary horror from JT Petty (HELLBENDERS) to Simon Barrett (YOU’RE NEXT), and Kim Newman (ANO DRACULA), featuring players from Ron Perlman (HELLBOY), to Angus Scrimm (PHANTASM), and Mark Margolis (AMERICAN HORROR STORY). The Stanley edition will feature performers culled from the film lineup. Join horror impresarios Glenn McQuaid and Larry Fessenden as they invite you to close your eyes and… listen. Learn more at talesfrombeyondthepale.com

    DEAD RIGHT HORROR TRIVIA HOSTED BY FANGORIA ENTERTAINMENT AND SHOCKTILYOUDROP.COM Do you consume horror as voraciously as zombies eat flesh? The hit Los Angeles horror event comes to the Stanley Film Festival! Join Fangoria’s Rebekah McKendry and ShockTillYouDrop.com’s Ryan Turek and test your horror knowledge in eight rounds of terrifyingly titillating trivia. Scare yourself with how much you actually know about horror. Trivia will be held early Friday evening at the Wheel Bar in Estes Park. Come with a team or join one there. All are welcome.

    MURDER MYSTERY DINNER Murder is afoot at the old Stanley Hotel. Guests of the festival are welcome to register for a night of intrigue and deception unraveling over a wonderful three-course meal as they become their very own detectives.

    BIG WHEEL DEATH RACE Guests will race through the expansive grounds of the Stanley Hotel on their very own adult sized big wheel, just like Danny Torrance. Festival pass holders will have an opportunity to race using adult sized big wheels on  a course that runs the grounds of the Stanley Hotel. Registration will take place at 

    the guest relations table for teams of four for a relay style race between 32 teams to determine one winner who will walk away with a complimentary stay at the Stanley Hotel.

    EYE HEART BRAINS ZOMBIE CRAWL When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the Earth. And, now you can too. Converge upon the Stanley Film Festival in style by participating in a good ol’fashioned Zombie Crawl hosted by Eye Heart Brains, purveyors of the world’s largest zombie gatherings. The death march will move along The Stanley Hotel grounds and through the neighboring streets of Estes Park in search of brains. BRAAAAIIIIIIIIINNNNNS!!

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  • Santa Barbara International Film Festival Reveals 2015 Dates

    s santa-barbara-film-festival 2015 dates The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has set Tuesday, January 27 through Saturday, February 7, 2015 as the dates for the 30th edition. In honor of the 30th Anniversary, SBIFF has added a 12th day, extending the movie-going experience for all…just one of the many ways they will be celebrating as they enter into its third decade. SBIFF is also introducing a brand new summer film showcase called “The Wave Film Festival.” In their continued efforts to bring more year round foreign and independent films to hungry cinephiles of the Santa Barbara community, SBIFF will present a 5-day Film Festival each summer. This summer will focus solely on French Cinema. Over a dozen fresh and current French films will be shown Wednesday, July 16 through Sunday, July 20 at the Riviera Theatre. Said SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling, “It’s fitting that as we approach the 30th anniversary SBIFF expands its programming and have more of a year round presence with the Wave Film Festival. In the future we hope to have several editions — or ‘waves’ — throughout the year, allowing for longevity and continued growth for SBIFF as well as the Santa Barbara community. The festival bids adieu to long-time SBIFF managing director, Dr. Steve Blain, who will be leaving as of April 30th to increase his commitment to UCSB and the Health Science Honors Program. “Steve’s contributions have been essential to the success of SBIFF,” commented Durling. “He is an amazing leader, visionary and the best friend every organization would be fortunate to have. And thus for eleven years SBIFF has been blessed by his mighty presence.” All of SBIFF would like to thank him for his years of service and aid in the organization’s continued growth. See you at the movies Steve.    

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  • Cleveland International Film Festival Announces 2015 Dates

     cleveland international film festival 2015 dates

    The Cleveland International Film Festival will be back. The 39th edition of the festival will be held March 18 -29, 2015, at Tower City Cinemas and select neighborhood screening locations in Cleveland, Ohio.  

     

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  • VIDEO Watch Trailer for Andrew Disney’s “Intramural” to World Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival

    Intramural

    The first trailer has been released online for Intramural, directed by Andrew Disney set to World Premiere at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival later this month. The film is written by Bradley Jackson and features an ensemble cast including Kate MacKinnon, Jay Pharoah, Beck Bennett, and Nikki Reed.  

    Intramural

    There comes a time in every fifth-year senior’s life where they must either accept the impending ‘real world’ of jobs, marriage, and payment plans or shirk that responsibility in favor of playing the most glorious intramural football game your school probably doesn’t really care to see. In this full throttle and hilarious send-up of inspirational sports movies, director Andrew Disney harnesses every cliché and overused trope to tell the greatest (and only) intramural sports movie of all time. 

    http://youtu.be/IjOE_Kj8_nY

     

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  • “I Believe In Unicorns” “Getting to the Nutcracker” Among Winners of 2014 Atlanta Film Festival

     LEAH MEYERHOFF, WRITER/DIRECTOR OF THE 2014 ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL NARRATIVE FEATURE AWARD WINNER, I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS. LEAH MEYERHOFF, WRITER/DIRECTOR OF THE 2014 ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL NARRATIVE FEATURE AWARD WINNER, I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS.

     I Believe In Unicorns directed by Leah Meyerhoff won the top prize for Best Narrative Feature Film at the 2014 Atlanta Film Festival.“I Believe in Unicorns” takes us on a road trip through the stunning and complex landscape of troubled young love.  Getting to the Nutcracker directed by Serene Meshel-Dillman won the award for Best Documentary.  “Getting to The Nutcracker” takes you inside the Herculean effort involved in gathering the resources, assembling the volunteers, casting the dancers, rehearsing and staging the performances of the classic ballet. Queens & Cowboys: A Straight Year on the Gay Rodeo directed by Matt Livadary that exposes the world to the unsung LGBT community of both the old and new west won the Pink Peach Feature Film award.

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  • Iceland Road-Trip Comedy “Land Ho!” to Open in US on July 11

    Land Ho! from directors Aaron Katz and Martha Stephens

    The Iceland road-trip comedy Land Ho! from directors Aaron Katz and Martha Stephens that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was snapped up for US distribution by Sony Pictures Classics, has a release date. Land Ho! which will screen at the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival, will open in New York and Los Angeles on July 11, right after it also screens at the LA Film Fest.

    Starring Paul Eenhoorn (THIS IS MARTIN BONNER) and newcomer Earl Lynn Nelson, LAND HO! follows a pair of retirees who set off to Iceland in an attempt to reclaim their youth through Reykjavik nightclubs, trendy spas, and rugged campsites.

     Feeling disenchanted with life after retirement, Mitch, a brassy former surgeon, convinces mild-mannered Colin, his ex-brother-in-law, to holiday with him in Iceland. The pair set off through Reykjavik ice bars, trendy spas, and adventurous restaurants in an attempt to reclaim their youth, but they quickly discover that you can’t escape yourself, no matter how far you travel.

    LAND HO! is a bawdy road-trip comedy as well as a candid exploration of aging, loneliness, and friendship. Iceland’s vast and haunting landscapes—moss-coated cliffs, fog-shrouded mountains, geothermal pools, and otherworldly Northern Lights—form a primordial Eden and the perfect backdrop for Mitch and Colin’s adventures. [ via Sundance Film Festival ]

      via hitfix

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  • VIDEO Watch Trailer for Zach Braff‘s “Wish I Was Here” in Theaters July 25th

    Zach Braff‘s WISH I WAS HERE

    Zach Braff‘s WISH I WAS HERE which premiered earlier this year at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, and scheduled to be released in theaters on July 25th via Focus Features, has a new teaser trailer.  In addition to Zach, WISH I WAS HERE stars Kate Hudson, Mandy Patinkin, Josh Gad, Joey King, Jim Parsons, Pierce Gagnon, Ashley Greene, and Donald Faison.

    WISH I WAS HERE is Braff’s follow-up to his indie breakout hit GARDEN STATE. WISH I WAS HERE was directed by Zach Braff from a screenplay he wrote with his brother. The film tells the story of a thirty-something man who finds himself at a major crossroads, which forces him to examine his life, his career, and his family. 

    http://youtu.be/kw8VCDx399I

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  • Sundance Film Fest Award Winning Film “20,000 Days on Earth” is Selected to Open 2014 Sydney Film Festival

    20,000 Days on Earth

    The Australian premiere of 20,000 Days on Earth, described as an innovative film about international cultural icon Nick Cave, will serve as the Opening Night Film of the Sydney Film Festival on Wednesday June 4th, 2014.  20,000 Days on Earth is the first feature-length film by UK visual artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, and was recently awarded the Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary and the Editing Award: World Cinema Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival 2014.

    Drama and reality collide in this extraordinary portrait of musician and cultural icon Nick Cave. Artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard take a fascinating approach in this visually astonishing and highly stylized imagination of Cave’s 20,000th day on Earth, all to a sparkling narration by Cave himself. Through his visits to his archive and a long and revealing session with his therapist, a picture of the artist, his origins, and his creative process is beautifully drawn. The filmmakers also follow Cave into the studio as he writes and records his hit album Push the Sky Away.  Along the way, we witness fascinating and humorous conversations between Cave and his friends and collaborators like Kylie Minogue, Ray Winstone, Blixa Bargeld and Warren Ellis. Capturing Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds live at Sydney Opera House helps reveal the massive impact Cave has and the deep devotion he inspires. Imaginative, intimate, daring and defying easy categorization, 20,000 Days on Earth is not just a scintillating portrait of a visionary artist, but a tremendous work of art in itself.

    via metroscreen

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  • VIDEO Watch Trailer + Poster for Indie Sci Fi Drama “I Origins”

    Movie Poster for I Origins directed by Mike Cahill

    The first poster and official trailer has been released for the indie sci-fi drama I Origins directed by Mike Cahill.  The film film starring Michael Pitt, Brit Marling and Astrid Bergès-Frisbey premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival.  Fox Searchlight Pictures plans a limited release in theaters starting July 18th, 2014.

    I Origins is written and directed by Mike Cahill (Another Earth). Ian Gray (Michael Pitt), a PhD student studying molecular biology with a specialty in eye evolution has an intense, but fleeting, encounter with a mysterious, masked model (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey) who escapes into the night. With only a picture of her stunning and iconic eyes, he tracks her down, and they fall in love. Their fundamentally different beliefs about life only serve to intensify their connection, and they vow to spend forever together. Years later, Ian and his lab partner, Karen (Brit Marling), make a stunning discovery with profound existential implications. 

    http://youtu.be/HBFAf1-KGdY

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