Almost Holy (CROCODILE GENNADIY) (2015)

  • MADONNA, CROCODILE GENNADIY, AHI KA Win Awards at 2015 Hawaii International Film Festival

    MADONNA directed by Shin Su-won The 2015 Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) announced their Jury winners; the Halekulani Golden Orchid for Best Narrative Feature was awarded to director Shin Su-won (South Korea) for the film, MADONNA, and the Best Documentary Feature Award was awarded to CROCODILE GENNADIY, directed by Steve Hoover. “Storytelling from a woman’s perspective, marginalized individuals given a voice, revealing the harsh and violent reality in contemporary society’s in a well-written script with beautiful execution. Aesthetics and cinematography lends itself to quality filmmaking, with a solid cast. Even though the film reflects one particular society, the theme was universal and impactful. The winner go the Halekulani Golden Orchid Award for Best Narrative Feature goes to MADONNA directed by Shin Su-won.” – HIFF 2015 Narrative Feature Jury. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNKWhslzt8Y “CROCODILE GENNADIY is extraordinary: it tells a story with a compelling protagonist, a Ukranian pastor who rehabilitates drug addicted teens against a backdrop of a country in crisis. The film is a wonderful example of dramatic storytelling using all the cinematic tools – superb cinematography, inspired editing, provocative score – to tell a story of a man of uncommon moral conviction. We congratulate director Steve Hooper and his team for this outstanding achievement.” – HIFF 2015 Documentary Jury. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCQ9Uw3Paug The Best Short Film Award was won by AHI KA, directed by Richard Curtis (New Zealand).  “AHI KA exhibits breathtaking imagery that instilled nostalgia and complex emotion. Its main actress delivers a haunting performance, portraying a kind of beauty that invokes the ghosts of our past. Lastly, the film makes a powerful statement and sheds light on a story we feel needs to be shared. Like fire that passes from generation to generation, the film has the power to perpetuate dialogue about sensitive topics that no place on earth is exempt from.” – HIFF 2015 Short Film Jury The festival honored actress Ryoko Hirosue with the Career Achievement Award. Her current film, HANA’S MISO SOUP had its world premiere at this year’s festival.  Actor Tadanobu Asano was honored with the Maverick Award for his bold performances on screen, working with the top directors around the world for over twenty years.  Actor Ha Jung Woo, from South Korea, was honored with the Renaissance Award for his profound career as an actor as director.

    Read more

  • 2015 Hawaii International Film Festival Lineup, Opens with Lee Joo-ick’s THE THRONE

    Lee Joo-ick’s THE THRONE Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF), celebrating its 35th anniversary, will take place from November 12 through November 22, primarily all on the island of Oahu.  HIFF kicks off with South Korea’s official entry to the Oscar Foreign Language category with award winning director Lee Joo-ick’s THE THRONE. The story at the center of this lush historical drama is the struggle between the long-ruling King Yeongjo (Song Kang-ho from SNOWPIERCER) and his son, Sado (Yoo Ah-in) and the real life incident of the king’s decision to lock up his son in a wooden barrel — in which the royal heir died after eight days. CAROL Starring Cate Blanchett Set in 1950s New York, two women from very different backgrounds (Rooney Mara as a young shop clerk and Cate Blanchett as a sophisticated, but unhappy housewife) find themselves in the throes of love in CAROL, the Festival’s Centerpiece Film. World premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, where Mara won Best Actress, the Todd Haynes drama will assuredly generate awards buzz this season. Mabel Cheung’s A TALE OF THREE CITIES The 2015 Hawaii International Film Festival closes with a romantic drama based on real events, the U.S. premiere of Mabel Cheung’s A TALE OF THREE CITIES, an epic period drama about individuals overwhelmed by the times, their trajectories shaped by rapidly changing circumstances beyond their control. Lau Ching-wan and Tang Wei (LUST, CAUTION) play ill-fated lovebirds who meet during the backdrop of the final days leading into WWII. The film is based on the epic love story of Jackie Chan’s parents. NARRATIVE FEATURE NOMINEES: HONOR THY FATHER (Philippines) Director: Erik Matti Kaye and Edgar is a pair of married white-collar swindlers, who have cashed in on promoting an investment scheme to their friends and fellow Pentecostal parishioners. But when they run afoul of their latest victims, their devout investors turn on them. When the tension erupts into violence, Edgar decides to seek the aid of his criminally inclined family. THE KIDS (Taiwan) Director: Sunny Yu Bao-Li has just started 8th grade when he comes to the rescue of Jia-Jia, an older girl he immediately falls in love with, and soon enough they are in a relationship. When Jia-Jia becomes pregnant, Bao-Li drops out of school to support his new family and become the breadwinner, sometimes by any means necessary. But when he discovers that his mother has gambled away all of their savings, the young family heads toward a path of self-destruction. MADONNA (South Korea) Director: Shin Su-won Nurse’s aide Hae-rim and Doctor Hyuk-gyu are ordered to keep hospital CEO Chul-ho on life support and wait for a donor match. On one of her daily rounds, Hae-rim discovers a comatose patient named Mi-Na who, miraculously, is a match. The CEO’s cold-blooded son makes a deal with Hae-rim to go find Mi-Na’s family and bribe them to sign the consent form. Through her search, Hae-rim unravels Mi-Na’s tragic life and a dark secret that reflects her own past. MIDORI IN HAWAII (USA) Director: John Hill Midori is a struggling wedding photographer living in Hawaii. When Seiko and Kyo-chan, Midori’s judgmental sister and brother in-law visit from Japan, Midori’s small world is thrown off balance. As the sisters travel the Big Island together, old grudges and long forgotten psychological scars begin to resurface. The tension builds until the true reason for Seiko’s visit is finally revealed, forcing Midori to choose between family responsibilities or continuing to pursue her dream. PALI ROAD (USA) Director: Jonathan Lim PALI ROAD directed by Jonathan Lim A young doctor wakes up from a car accident and discovers she is married to another man and living a life she can’t remember. Her search for the truth to her past life will lead her to question everyone around her and her entire existence. Shot entirely in Hawaii and starring Chinese superstar Michelle Chen, TWILIGHT’s Jackson Rathbone and Sung Kang (FAST FIVE), PALI ROAD is a story for the search for true love between two worlds. A US-China co-production shot entirely on location in Hawaii. ROBBERY (Hong Kong) Director: Fire Lee A twenty-something punk fancies himself a total player, but the best job he can find is overnight clerk at a convenience store. The other clerk is a cute chick and you’re thinking “rom com,” but then there’s a robbery, a gangster, a shoot-out and a night they won’t forget, if they survive it! An anarcho-absurdist blood-soaked grand guignol indie flick with attitude to burn, this is the perfect high paced youth movie from Hong Kong. DOCUMENTARY FEATURE NOMINEES: AMERICAN EPIC (USA) Director: Bernard MacMahon AMERICAN EPIC is the extraordinary story of 1920s record companies that toured America with a recording machine, to capture the emerging and diverse music known as American roots. The filmmakers retrace this journey today, to rediscover the families whose music was recorded long ago; music that would lead to the development of Hopi, Hawaiian slack key, Tejano, Cajun and Delta Blues. These seminal musicians are revealed through previously unseen film footage, unpublished photographs, and exclusive interviews. CROCODILE GENNADIY (USA) Director: Steve Hoover Gennadiy calls himself ‘Pastor Crocodile.’ He’s known throughout Ukraine for his years working to rehabilitate drug-addicted kids. But he’s also a vigilante who uses any force necessary to carry out his moral vision. Gennadiy believes he has made Mariupol a better place, but now, the violence in Ukraine threatens everything. HEBEI TAIPEI (Taiwan) Director: Li Nien Hsiu Born in China, drifting from place to place since childhood, Li Chung-Hsiao has survived war and poverty. War robbed him of him returning to his hometown and his dreams are filled with only scenes of violence in the streets of his youth. With these memories as a guide, his daughter sets out to retrace his tumultuous life. This is the dramatic memoir of a foul-mouthed, insolent, yet somehow lovable man. IN FOOTBALL WE TRUST (USA) Director(s): Tony Vainuku, Erika Cohn A contemporary American story, IN FOOTBALL WE TRUST transports viewers deep inside the tightly-knit and complex Polynesian community in Salt Lake City, Utah, one of the chief sources for the modern influx of Pacific Islander NFLers. With unprecedented access and shot over a four-year time period, the film intimately portrays four young Polynesian men striving to overcome gang violence and near poverty through the promise of American football. REMAKE REMIX RIP-OFF (Turkey) Director: Cem Kaya Turkey in the 1960s and 70s was one of the world’s biggest film producers even though its industry was vastly unknown internationally. In order to keep up with demand, screenwriters and directors were copying scripts and remaking movies from across the globe. Name any Western hit film; there is a Turkish version to it, from THE WIZARD OF OZ to STAR TREK. What they lacked in equipment and budget they compensated for with sheer zeal and excessive use of manpower. THE SEVENTH FIRE (USA) Director: Jack Pettibone Riccobono When Rob Brown, a Native American gang leader on a remote Minnesota reservation, is sentenced to prison for a fifth time, he must confront his role in bringing violent drug culture into his beloved Ojibwe community. As Rob reckons with his past, his seventeen-year-old protégé, Kevin, dreams of the future – becoming the biggest drug dealer on the reservation. Terrence Malick presents this haunting and visually arresting nonfiction film about the gang crisis in Indian Country. “There’s a wealth of award winning and critically acclaimed films that we are honored to present across a broad cross-section of our festival program, especially in our European Spotlight, Awards Buzz, and Gala Presentations.” says Anna Page, HIFF’s Associate Director of Programming. “As a film festival close to the end of the calendar year, we are fortunate to present the very best films from Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Venice and Toronto.” Awards favorites and the most acclaimed films from the film festival circuit include the following: 45 YEARS (UK) Director: Andrew Haigh Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay turn in award winning performances as a couple in trouble. There is just one week until Kate Mercer’s forty-fifth wedding anniversary and planning for the party is going well, until a letter arrives for her husband. The body of his first love has been discovered, frozen and preserved in the icy glaciers of the Swiss Alps. Jealousy and what ifs plague the couple. By the time the party is upon them, there may not be a marriage left to celebrate. DHEEPAN (UK) Director: Jacques Audiard Dheepan Dheepan is a Sri Lankan Tamil warrior who flees to France, along with a young woman and little girl, as they pose as a family (this allows easier asylum). Soon, the makeshift family is sent to live in a housing block outside Paris, where Dheepan earns a job as the local caretaker. But violence continues to follow him when he realizes the block is territory for a drug gang. Winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes. JAFAR PANAHI’S TAXI (Iran) Director: Jafar Panahi Taxi passengers express their views and opinions as filmmaker Jafar Panahi (currently under house arrest and charged for conspiring to create anti-Islamic propaganda) drives through the streets of Tehran. Thus the stage is set for a series of deft seriocomic episodes that bring Panahi (who exudes a warm presence) into contact with a diverse cross-section of Tehran society, all captured from the fixed p.o.v. of the taxi’s dash-cam. KRISHA (USA) Director: Trey Edward Schultz After years of absence, Krisha (played to the hilt by former Hawaii resident Krisha Fairchild) reunites with her family for a holiday gathering. She sees it as an opportunity to fix her past mistakes, cook the family turkey, and prove to her loved ones that she has changed for the better. Only Krisha’s delirium takes her family on a dizzying holiday that no one will forget. The film won both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards at SXSW this year. MOUNTAINS MAY DEPART (China) Director: Jia Zhang-ke Jia Zhang-ke’s latest is an epic tale about Tao and the men who come in and out of her life. We begin in 1999, where Tao finds herself pursued by two young men. We jump to 2014, where Tao is a divorcee and trying to come to make peace with the fact that her young son may be better off with his rich father, who intends to immigrate to Australia. We end in 2025, centering on Tao’s now college-age son. MUSTANG (France, Germany, Turkey) Director: Deniz Gamze Ergüven Early summer. In a village in northern Turkey, Lale and her four sisters are walking home from school, playing innocently with some boys. The immorality of their play sets off a scandal that has unexpected consequences. The family home is progressively transformed into a prison; instruction in homemaking replaces school and marriages start being arranged. The five sisters who share a common passion for freedom, find ways of getting around the constraints imposed on them. RIGHT NOW WRONG THEN (South Korea) Director: Hong Sang-soo The delightful new film from Festival favorite Hong Sang-soo (IN ANOTHER COUNTRY) presents two variations on a potentially fateful romantic encounter between a filmmaker and a painter, tracing each to its own very distinct outcome. The film won the Golden Leopard at this year’s Locarno Film Festival. SON OF SAUL (Hungary) Director: László Nemes Winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes, and one of the most talked about films of the year, SON OF SAUL is an excoriating look at evil in Auschwitz. During World War II, a Jewish worker (Géza Röhrig) at the Auschwitz concentration camp tries to find a rabbi to give a child a proper burial. Grim and unyielding, this explosive film is also Hungary’s official entry to the Academy Awards. YELLOW FLOWERS ON THE GREEN GRASS (Vietnam) Director: Victor Vu A coming of age story set in the Vietnamese countryside during the late 1980s — Thieu and Tuong are brothers that share a strong bond. Unbeknownst to Tuong, Thieu is constantly jealous of his younger brother’s personal and academic achievements. This leads to an act of violence, which leaves Tuong paralyzed and bedridden. In coming to terms with his own conscience, Thieu attempts to redeem himself and discovers the true meaning of brotherhood. YOUTH (Italy, France, Switzerland, UK) Director: Paulo Sorrentino Oscar winning actor Michael Caine plays Fred, an acclaimed composer and conductor, who brings along his daughter (Rachel Weisz) and best friend Mick (Harvey Keitel), a renowned filmmaker on holiday. While Mick scrambles to finish the screenplay for what he imagines will be his last important film, Fred has no intention of resuming his musical career. The two men reflect on their past, each finding that some of the most important experiences can come later in life. The Festival is celebrating the life and legacy of one of the greatest directors of all time and the maestro of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. The HITCHCOCK SPOTLIGHT presented by the Vilcek Foundation will encompass a 70th anniversary presentation of SPELLBOUND starring Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman. After the screening, there will be an extended Q&A session with the late director’s granddaughters, Tere Carubba and Mary Stone, who will discuss their grandfather’s familial legacy and a personal and intimate perspective on one of the most famous film directors of the 20th century, who defined cinema. In addition, HIFF will present the Hawaii premiere of Kent Jones’ documentaryHITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. “In honor of the contributions that so many immigrants have made to American cinema over the years, HIFF 2015 will spotlight one of the most influential immigrant filmmakers, Alfred Hitchcock,” says Robert Lambeth, HIFF’s Executive Director. This spotlight is a special sidebar of the New American Filmmakers program presented by the Vilcek Foundation, which highlights the contributions of gifted immigrant filmmakers to contemporary American cinema. HIFF is proud to once again partner with the Vilcek Foundation to present the 9th annual New American Filmmakers program. SPELLBOUND (1945) w/ Tere Carubba and Mary Stone (Hitchcock’s granddaughters) Director: Alfred Hitchcock In this special 70th anniversary screening, SPELLBOUND tells the story of a psychiatrist protects the identity of an amnesia patient accused of murder while attempting to recover his memory. HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT (2015) Director: Kent Jones Hitchcock/Truffaut Kent Jones In 1962, Alfred Hitchcock and Francois Truffaut locked themselves away in Hollywood for a week to excavate the secrets behind the mise-en-scène in cinema. Based on the original recordings of this meeting—used to produce the mythical book “Hitchcock/Truffaut”—this film illustrates the greatest cinema lesson of all time. Director Kent Jones also interviews the top filmmakers working today as they discuss how this seminal book influences their work.

    Read more

  • 2015 Hamptons International Film Festival to Close with BRIDGE OF SPIES; Reveals Spotlight Films and World Cinema

    Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, starring Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance The 2015 Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) will close with Steven Spielberg’s BRIDGE OF SPIES on Monday, October 12, 2015 at Guild Hall in East Hampton. The festival announced its Spotlight Films along with its World Cinema and Shorts programs; and also revealed that Emily Blunt, Michael Moore and Dan Rather will be in attendance to take part in “A Conversation With…” for the 23rd installment. The Festival’s closing night film is three-time Academy Award®-winning Steven Spielberg’s BRIDGE OF SPIES, a dramatic thriller set against the backdrop of a series of historic events, BRIDGE OF SPIES is the story of James Donovan (two-time Academy Award® winner Tom Hanks), a Brooklyn lawyer who finds himself thrust into the center of the Cold War when the CIA sends him on the near impossible task to negotiate the release of a captured American U-2 pilot. Written by Matt Charman and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, BRIDGE OF SPIES stars: three-time Tony Award® winner Mark Rylance, Scott Shepherd, Academy Award nominee Amy Ryan, Sebastian Koch, and Academy Award nominee Alan Alda. The Walt Disney Studios and Touchstone Pictures film will release in theaters on October 16, 2015. This year’s Spotlight Films include the North American Premiere of A ROYAL NIGHT OUT, the US Premieres of I SAW THE LIGHT, THE LADY IN THE VAN, LOUDER THAN BOMBS, the East Coast Premieres of ANOMALISA and MACBETH, and a Sneak Preview of BORN TO BE BLUE. The Spotlight Films will also feature SUFFRAGETTE, WHEN I LIVE MY LIFE OVER AGAIN, BROOKLYN, EXPERIMENTER, MEADOWLAND, and WHERE TO INVADE NEXT directed by Michael Moore, who will attend the festival along with taking part in “A Conversation With…” on Sunday, October 11th, at NOON at Bay Street Theater. This year’s World Cinema Documentary titles include the World Premieres of THE C WORD, CLASS DIVIDE, HARRY BENSON: SHOOT FIRST, the North American Premiere of BY SIDNEY LUMET, an American Masters Film, the US Premieres of BOLSHOI BABYLON, and the East Coast Premiere of SHERPA. Other films in the section include CROCODILE GENNADIY, DREAM/KILLER, HARRY & SNOWMAN, HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO, IN TRANSIT, PALIO, THE RUSSIAN WOODPECKER “OROSZ HARKÁLY.” The World Cinema Narrative films include the World Premiere of THE PREPPIE CONNECTION, the North American Premieres of CAFÉ DERBY, BABAI and A MONSTER WITH A THOUSAND HEADS “UN MONSTRU DE MIL CABEZAS,” the US Premieres of 11 MINUTES “11 MINUT,” ALL ABOUT THEM “À TROIS ON Y VA,” DHEEPAN, DISORDER “MARYLAND,” and the East Coast Premieres of 45 YEARS, ROOM, and THE WAVE. The section also includes THE CLUB “EL CLUB,” KRISHA, SON OF SAUL “SAUL FIA.” The 2015 Hamptons International Film Festival will also present a special screening of Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon’s BEST OF ENEMIES, winner of the 2015 SummerDocs Audience Award. HIFF will present 10 programs of short films this year, including the Narrative Short Film and Documentary Short Film Competition programs, the New York Women In Film and Television: Women Calling The Shots program, the Ahoy! Shorts for All Ages program and the Crafted program, which features three short films about auteur Claude Lanzmann, and artists Phil Toledano and Hilary Knight. HIFF previously announced Paolo Sorrentino’s YOUTH as the Southampton Opening Night Film, Tom McCarthy’s SPOTLIGHT as the Saturday Centerpiece Film and Todd Haynes’ CAROL as the Sunday Centerpiece Film, and its Documentary and Narrative Competition Films, which now also includes the North American Premiere of Jonas Carpignano’s MEDITERRANEA. The full line-up of the 23rd Hamptons International Film Festival is below. OPENING NIGHT FILM TRUTH (USA) Director: James Vanderbilt Academy Award® winners Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford star in James Vanderbilt’s sharp and insightful take on the controversial CBS 60 Minutes investigation of George W. Bush’s military record that ended Dan Rather’s career as the network’s anchorman. Adapted from producer Mary Mapes’ (Blanchett) account in her book “Truth and Duty: The Press, the President, and the Privilege of Power,” and featuring exceptional performances by a stellar cast, including Elisabeth Moss, Dennis Quaid, and Topher Grace, TRUTH is a polished and absorbing dramatization of the ever-changing relationship between journalism and politics in today’s media. SOUTHAMPTON OPENING NIGHT FILM YOUTH (Italy/France/UK/Switzerland) East Coast Premiere Director: Paolo Sorrentino The stunning new film from Academy Award® winner Paolo Sorrentino (THE GREAT BEAUTY), YOUTH follows two old friends as they vacation in a Swiss luxury resort. Fred (Michael Caine) is a retired composer and conductor, enjoying his retirement and Mick (Harvey Keitel) a film director planning his final film. While musing about their lives and illustrious careers, their pasts resurface and a sense of melancholy disrupts the vacation. With a phenomenal cast of characters, played by Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano, and the iconic Jane Fonda, YOUTH is a whimsical meditation on the crossroads of friendship and aging. Lusciously lensed and scored, the Swiss Alps serve as magical setting for this mesmerizing tour de force. CENTERPIECE SATURDAY SPOTLIGHT (USA) East Coast Premiere Director: Tom McCarthy Oscar® nominees Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, and Rachel McAdams star as the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team, assigned by their newly appointed editor Martin Baron (Liev Schreiber) to investigate the allegations of abuse in the Catholic Church. For over a year, they pursued the story relentlessly, despite intense resistance from the highest levels of Boston’s religious, legal, and government establishment. Tom McCarthy’s SPOTLIGHT examines the true story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation that uncovered a massive web of pedophilia and systemic cover-ups within the Catholic Church. Aided by a fantastic supporting cast (Stanley Tucci, Billy Crudup), SPOTLIGHT is a nuanced and thrilling procedural about the power and impact of great investigative journalism. CENTERPIECE SUNDAY CAROL (UK/USA) Director: Todd Haynes With groundbreaking performances from Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara (winner of the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival) as two women entangled in an intoxicating love affair, director Todd Haynes (FAR FROM HEAVEN) illuminates the delicate intricacies of navigating forbidden desire in 1950s New York. Adapting Patricia Highsmith’s semi-autobiographical novel “The Price of Salt,” CAROL is the story of an unlikely bond between an ingenue shop girl dreaming of a better life and an older sophisticated woman trapped in a loveless marriage. A masterfully crafted love story, CAROL is an exquisite and poignant meditation on longing. CLOSING NIGHT FILM BRIDGE OF SPIES (USA) Director: Steven Spielberg A dramatic thriller set against the backdrop of a series of historic events, BRIDGE OF SPIES is the story of James Donovan (two-time Academy Award® winner Tom Hanks), a Brooklyn lawyer who finds himself thrust into the center of the Cold War when the CIA sends him on the near-impossible task to negotiate the release of a captured American U-2 pilot. Directed by three-time Academy Award®-winning director Steven Spielberg and written by Matt Charman and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, BRIDGE OF SPIES stars: three-time Tony Award® winner Mark Rylance as Rudolf Abel, a KGB agent defended by Donovan; Scott Shepherd as CIA operative Hoffman; Academy Award nominee Amy Ryan as James’ wife, Mary; Sebastian Koch as East German lawyer Vogel; and Academy Award nominee Alan Alda as Thomas Watters, a partner at Donovan’s law firm. Inspired by remarkable true events, Spielberg captures the essence of a man who risked everything and vividly brings his personal journey to life. SPOTLIGHT FILMS BORN TO BE BLUE (USA/Canada/UK) Sneak Preview Director: Robert Budreau An intimate portrait of jazz legend Chet Baker (Ethan Hawke), BORN TO BE BLUE is a remarkable reimagining of the iconic musician’s comeback in the 1960s. When approached to star in a film about his heyday and given a chance at redemption, he finds that re-entering the spotlight may not come as smoothly as the notes that made him famous. With girlfriend Jane (Carmen Ejogo, SELMA) by his side, he struggles against addiction and a career-threatening injury to reclaim his former self. With a delicate touch, writer/director Robert Budreau paints an immersive and imaginative look at the trumpeter’s fragile story. BROOKLYN (Ireland/UK/Canada) Director: John Crowley Waving good-bye to her mother and sister in Ireland, Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan) sets sail to follow her American dream in 1950s Brooklyn. With the support of a kind priest, Eilis finds work at an upscale department store and enrolls in school, but it’s only after she meets Tony (Emory Cohen) that she finally feels at home and romance heals her loneliness. When an unexpected tragedy forces Eilis to return home, she finds a renewed love for Ireland. With award-worthy performances and exquisite cinematography, John Crowley’s BROOKLYN is a beautiful tale of a young woman torn between two worlds. EXPERIMENTER (USA) Director: Michael Almereyda EXPERIMENTER follows the infamous social psychologist Stanley Milgram (Peter Sarsgaard), who conducted a series of highly controversial experiments on obedience and authority in the 1960s. In an attempt to better understand the horrific events of the Holocaust, Milgram observed and recorded the responses of a group of subjects instructed to deliver potentially fatal electric shocks to strangers concealed behind a closed door. A refreshing departure from the traditional biopic formula, director Michael Almereyda deftly investigates the inner psyche of this notorious character. With nuanced performances by Sarsgaard and Winona Ryder as Milgram’s wife, EXPERIMENTER is a compelling look at our willingness to follow orders despite our better judgment. I SAW THE LIGHT (USA) US Premiere Director: Marc Abraham Country music legend Hank Williams is brought to life in Marc Abraham’s I SAW THE LIGHT, a moving tale of success and personal hardship based on Colin Escott’s award-winning biography. Celebrated as one of the most influential singersongwriters of the 20th century, Williams compiled a lasting body of work before his untimely death at the age of 29. With brilliant and complex performances by Tom Hiddleston as Williams and Elizabeth Olsen as his ambitious wife, the film chronicles a restless soul, driven towards the spotlight and unable to resist the temptations that destroyed his health and personal life. THE LADY IN THE VAN (UK) US Premiere Director: Nicholas Hytner In this “mostly true” story, based on writer Alan Bennett’s (THE MADNESS OF GEORGE III, THE HISTORY BOYS) memoir and popular West End play, the extraordinary Maggie Smith stars as Miss Mary Shepherd, an eccentric high-born woman living out of her van. When Alan (Alex Jennings) moves into his new London home, he soon discovers Miss Shepherd, who mysteriously claims to speak directly with the Virgin Mary, and reluctantly offers her his driveway as a temporary home. Fifteen years later, she is still there. THE LADY IN THE VAN is a hilariously witty story of two strangers who form an unlikely friendship and lasting bond despite their best attempts to be left alone. LOUDER THAN BOMBS (Norway/France/Denmark) US Premiere Director: Joachim Trier On the eve of an exhibition honoring noted war photographer Isabelle Reed (Isabelle Huppert), whose career was cut short in the wake of her untimely death, a father and two sons grapple with her domestic and professional legacy. Flashbacks of Isabelle’s life intermingle with the present-day attempts of the Reeds to manage their grief amid combat of a different kind. Family patriarch Gene (Gabriel Byrne) discovers secrets about his late spouse while pursuing a new romance and struggling to connect with teenage son Conrad (Devin Druid) and adult son Jonah (Jesse Eisenberg). Past and present coalesce in sharp focus as the surviving Reeds come to terms with love and loss — locating in memories both painful and joyous the skills they need to soldier on… ANOMALISA (USA) East Coast Premiere Director: Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson Michael Stone is a man crippled by the mundanity of his life. On a business trip to Cincinnati, he checks into the Fregoli Hotel, where he is amazed to discover a possible escape from his desperation in the form of an unassuming Akron baked goods sales rep who may or may not be the love of his life. A beautifully tender and absurdly humorous dreamscape from the brilliant minds of Charlie Kaufman (SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK) and Duke Johnson (“Community”), this is a darkly comedic and surreal journey. ANOMALISA confirms Charlie Kaufman’s place amongst the most important of American filmmakers, and announces Duke Johnson as a major creative force. MACBETH (France/UK/USA) East Coast Premiere Director: Justin Kurzel Director: Justin Kurzel Set in the war-torn countryside of 11th century Scotland, MACBETH is the classic story of a brutal warrior who is consumed and eventually defeated by his uncontrollable ambition. In this impressive update, Michael Fassbender and Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard give award-worthy performances as one of literature’s most notorious couples. After a trio of witches prophesize his ascent to the throne, Macbeth and his cunning wife decide to seize the crown for themselves through brutality and murder. Violent and visceral, director Justin Kurzel delivers an exhilarating adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most renowned tragedies. MEADOWLAND (USA) Director: Reed Morano In her dreamy directorial debut, celebrated cinematographer Reed Morano (KILL YOUR DARLINGS) examines the visceral and isolating experience of grief, and the distortion of reality that occurs following the loss of a child. MEADOWLAND follows distraught parents Sarah (Olivia Wilde) and Phil (Luke Wilson) a year after their 8- year-old son mysteriously disappeared from a gas station bathroom. In the wake of this unimaginable tragedy, they each struggle in their own way to heal. Phil attempts to ease his suffering with the help of a support group, while Sarah seeks a more destructive path. Wilde and Wilson, who give raw, emotional performances as the unraveling couple, are backed by an impressive cast of supporting actors, including Elisabeth Moss, John Leguizamo, Giovanni Ribisi, and Kevin Corrigan. A ROYAL NIGHT OUT (UK) North American Premiere Director: Julian Jarrold It’s Victory in Europe Day in 1945, and while the King and Queen of England (Rupert Everett and Emily Watson) prefer to observe the end of the Second World War as solemnly as possible, Princesses Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) and Margaret (Bel Powley) are quite eager to participate in the revelry in the heart of London. Never before allowed to roam freely about in public, each girl is given a disguise, a chaperone, and a curfew. However, the girls quickly ditch their disapproving mother’s itineraries for an unforgettable night of adventure, drinking, and romance. SUFFRAGETTE (UK) Director: Sarah Gavron Inspired by true events, SUFFRAGETTE movingly explores the passion and heartbreak of those who risked all they had for women’s right to vote–their jobs, their homes, their children, and even their lives. Academy Award® nominees Carey Mulligan and Helena Bonham Carter, and three-time Academy Award® winner Meryl Streep lead the cast of the powerful drama about the fight for equality in early-20th- century Britain. The stirring story centers on Maud, a working wife and mother who becomes an activist for the Suffragette cause alongside women from all walks of life. SUFFRAGETTE is directed by BAFTA Award winner Sarah Gavron and written by Emmy Award® winner Abi Morgan WHEN I LIVE MY LIFE OVER AGAIN (USA) Director: Robert Edwards Escaping New York City, Jude (Amber Heard) heads to the wintry, desolate Hamptons for some self-reflection and reinvention. The daughter of a famed romantic crooner, Paul Lombard (Christopher Walken), Jude has inherited not only his musical talent, but also his vice of self-destruction. When the aging Paul attempts to revitalize his career with a self-penned comeback song, Jude is pressured to take initiative to shape her life. With a supporting cast that includes Oliver Platt and Hamish Linklater, WHEN I LIVE MY LIFE OVER AGAIN is a charming examination of regret, family, and the evolution of life. WHERE TO INVADE NEXT (USA) Director: Michael Moore In an unexpected twist, Michael Moore’s (BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, FAHRENHEIT 9/11, SICKO) latest project, WHERE TO INVADE NEXT, does not refer to American imperialism, but rather to Moore himself. Armed with a camera and a flag, the Oscar®-winning documentarian “invades” a slew of European countries in an attempt to learn more about their successful practices and programs. From Norwegian prisons to female-run Icelandic banks, to Italian employee benefits, Moore travels around the world with the intention of bringing these progressive philosophies back to the States. A surprising departure, WHERE TO INVADE NEXT is a refreshingly optimistic look at the possibilities for the future. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION CHUCK NORRIS VS COMMUNISM (UK/Romania/Germany) New York Premiere Director: Ilinca Calugareanu In the 1980s, the last decade before the revolution overthrew communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, Romania was marred by intense austerity, isolationism and a pervasive cultural blackout. For the oppressed population, a new form of escapism emerged: illicit video nights in which smuggled Western films were shown. The majority of the films were dubbed by the same person, Irina Nistor, one of the most recognizable voices in pre-revolution Romania. First-time director Ilinca Calugareanu’s endearing and entertaining documentary shows how the magic of film created an awakening that helped to instill the seeds of the revolution. A GERMAN YOUTH “UNE JEUNESSE ALLEMANDE” (France) East Coast Premiere Director: Jean-Gabriel Périot Covering a decade of worldwide political unrest (1965-1975), A GERMAN YOUTH is a compelling portrait of the Baader-Meinhof Group (a.k.a The Red Army Faction), a radical movement which drew into its orbit not only disillusioned students, but also established journalists and intellectuals as well as important filmmakers such as Michelangelo Antonioni, Jean Luc Godard and RW Fassbinder. Culled together from a fascinating pastiche of agitprop, news broadcasts, interviews, student films, and other archival footage, A GERMAN YOUTH provides the context for an ideology that shaped an entire generation. MISSING PEOPLE (USA) East Coast Premiere Director: David Shapiro Fifteen years after his debut film KEEP THE RIVER ON THE RIGHT, director David Shapiro returns to HIFF with MISSING PEOPLE. The documentary follows Martina Batan, the director of a prominent New York art gallery as she investigates her young brother’s long unsolved murder. At the same time, she obsessively researches and collects the work of New Orleans artist Roy Ferdinand whose paintings are known for their violent and graphic content depicting African American culture in pre-Katrina New Orleans. Martina’s journey is driven by both a hunger for closure and an inexplicable fascination with Ferdinand as an artist and as a loved one to a family she wedges herself into. NEWMAN (USA) World Premiere Director: Jon Fox Orphan. Entrepreneur. Recluse. Genius. Megalomaniac. Inventor Joseph Newman is all of the above. A controversial figure in the scientific community, Newman rose to notoriety with “The Newman Device,” an electromagnetic machine that he claimed produced more energy than it took to power it. What should have been a revolutionary discovery was stopped by a lengthy and disheartening legal battle with the United States Patent Office. In his enthralling debut, filmmaker Jon Fox deftly seeks to understand the enigmatic inventor — through intimate discussions with Newman’s colleagues and, surprisingly, with the man himself. THE VISIT “A LÁTOGATÁS” (Finland/Denmark) New York Premiere Director: Michael Madsen Imagining an event that has yet to happen – an alien invasion on Earth – Michael Madsen’s engrossing new documentary leads us on a captivating journey through surreal, slow-motion, dream-like tableaus intercut with interviews with scientists from NASA, SETI (Search For Extraterrestrial Life Institute) and experts from the UN. THE VISIT takes an imagined encounter and stimulates the implications and the potential response from humankind. With questions such as “What makes you happy?,” “Do you know what is good and what is evil?,” “How do you think?” and of course, “Why are you here?,” Madsen constructs an unsettling scenario that forces us to reconfigure our insular mentality and reflect on humanity. NARRATIVE COMPETITION EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT “EL ABRAZO DE LA SERPIENTE” (Colombia) East Coast Premiere Director: Ciro Guerra Inspired by the real experiences of explorers in the Amazon, EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT (Colombia’s submission for the Oscars®) centers on the relationship between Karamakate, a shaman of an extinct tribe carrying secrets and traditions, and two scientists in search of a sacred plant, capable of immense healing. Opting for powerful black and white cinematography, director Ciro Guerra tracks their parallel stories over 40 years with trips deep into the jungle. Winner of the top prize at the Cannes Directors Fortnight, the film intimately captures the thirst for knowledge and the ravages of colonialism that have destroyed the harmony and balance at the heart of the indigenous way of life. FRENCH BLOOD “UN FRANÇAIS” (France) US Premiere Director: Diastème Marco (Alban Lenoir) is a young Neo-Nazi and skinhead who, along with his friends, terrorizes the lower-class suburbs of Paris hoping to clear out the “scum” that is polluting the pure, white landscape of their beloved country. Spanning almost 3 decades in Marco’s life as he struggles to understand his own anger and brutal actions, this evocative and moving portrait–the sophomore effort from writer-director Diastème–offers a rare and unsettling look into the rise of xenophobia in France. With a brilliant performance by Lenoir, this poignant drama distinguishes itself as a unique and powerful work by an emerging talent. MEDITERRANEA (Italy/France/USA) North American Premiere Director: Jonas Carpignano Ayiva (Koudous Seihon) seizes the opportunity to leave Burkina Faso and find a better life for his daughter in Jonas Carpignano’s gripping feature debut, MEDITERRANEA. Joined by his best friend Abas (Alassane Sy), they embark on the treacherous journey by boat to Italy, only to find that getting to dry land is merely half the battle. Expanding on his award-winning short, A CHJÀNA (HIFF 2014), Carpignano artfully presents a complex portrait of immigration with both urgency and a humanist approach to understanding life on the margins. Inspired by real events and Seihon’s personal journey, MEDITERRANEA offers a profound and intimate look at the migrant crisis. RAMS “HRÚTAR” (Iceland) East Coast Premiere Director: Grímur Hákonarson Brothers Gummi (Sigurður Sigurjónsson) and Kiddi (Theodór Júlíusson) live side-byside but have not spoken in forty years. Stubborn and competitive, they only communicate via handwritten notes delivered by their loyal sheepdog Somi. When a deadly virus threatens their prize-winning sheep and livelihood, they are forced to come together to save their unique family breed, and themselves, from extinction. Winner of the Un Certain Regard Award in Cannes, RAMS (Iceland’s submission for the Oscars®) details the hardships of daily farm work in remote Iceland with humanism and humor. Stunningly combining otherworldly landscapes and powerful performances, director Grímur Hákonarson expertly builds this gentle comedy to reveal a deeper and emotionally moving tale. TAKE ME TO THE RIVER (USA) East Coast Premiere Director: Matt Sobel Accompanying his parents to a Nebraskan family reunion couldn’t be more uncomfortable for Ryder (Logan Miller), a gay Californian teenager. For his mother’s sake he agrees to act “normal,” but nonetheless attracts some unwanted attention from his conservative relatives. The only one who seems to like him is 9-year-old Molly (Ursula Parker), but a strange encounter between the two of them raises many questions and places Ryder at the center of a long-buried family secret. A superbly acted drama from first-time filmmaker Matt Sobel, TAKE ME TO THE RIVER reveals itself through Ryder’s perplexed point of view, unfolding in an atmosphere of mystery and trepidation. WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY BOLSHOI BABYLON (UK) New York Premiere Director: Nick Read Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet is one of the most esteemed ballet institutions in the world. A high-stakes environment in which some of the best ballet dancers in the world vie for the top spot, only an injury away from a complete career collapse. Behind its gleaming facade lies a world of boundless ambition, intrigue, and corruption that all came to a tragic apex in the 2013 acid-attack against its creative director, Sergei Filin by one of the company’s dancers. Benefiting from an unprecedented access, director Nick Reed follows the company’s attempts to recover after the incident and to redirect the focus back to the talent and artistic brilliance of its dancers. BY SIDNEY LUMET (USA) North American Premiere Director: Nancy Buirski Nancy Buirski’s BY SIDNEY LUMET is an enthralling portrait of the work and life of one of American cinema’s most accomplished and prolific directors. In a neverbefore-seen conversation recorded three years before his death, Sidney Lumet looks back on everything from his early years growing up in the Yiddish theater world to his distinguished career as a filmmaker. From his classic breakout hit, 12 ANGRY MEN, to his gritty, socially conscious masterpieces DOG DAY AFTERNOON, SERPICO, and NETWORK, Lumet has captivated audiences for decades with his powerful and timeless films. With humor and humility, the celebrated director speaks candidly about his legacy as an artist. THE C WORD (USA) World Premiere Director: Meghan O’Hara Filmmaker and cancer survivor Meghan O’Hara (producer of FAHRENHEIT 9/11, BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE) wants to change the way we think about cancer. In this daring and intimate film, she investigates the connection between the current cancer epidemic and our western lifestyle, including medical professionals’ tendency to treat only the symptoms and not the underlying causes. Backed by personal experiences and the scientific validation of Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, O’Hara asks us to reconsider the way we currently treat cancer, and advocate instead for societywide lifestyle changes. Narrated by Academy Award® winner Morgan Freeman, THE C WORD challenges us to step up and take control of our health. CLASS DIVIDE (USA) World Premiere Director: Marc Levin Director Marc Levin (SCHMATTA: RAGS TO RICHES TO RAGS, HIFF ‘09 and HARD TIMES: LOST ON LONG ISLAND, Audience Award HIFF ‘11) presents CLASS DIVIDE, a look into the modern effects of gentrification in West Chelsea, New York, seen through the eyes of students from both sides of the street—one avenue and worlds apart. On one side of the intersection of 10th Avenue and 26th Street sits Avenues, a world-class private school with a $50,000 per year price tag; on the other side sits the Elliott-Chelsea public housing projects, home to thousands of low-income and underemployed residents. In the face of rising inequality, stagnant class mobility, gentrification and much more, the kids from both sides of the street grapple with their relationship to each other amid the stark transformation. CROCODILE GENNADIY (USA/Ukraine) Director: Steve Hoover After the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine was left with dysfunctional social and political institutions, resulting in an increase in child homelessness. Pastor Gennadiy Mokhnenko takes matters into his own hands by forcibly abducting drug-addicted children from the streets, and rehabilitating them at his in-patient facility. Over the course of a decade, Gennadiy builds a reputation as a local hero to some, an anarchic vigilante to others. Director Steve Hoover meticulously chronicles this thrilling story with style and dedication. From executive producer Terrence Malick comes CROCODILE GENNADIY, a complex character study of a man who will stop at nothing to carry out his mission. DREAM/KILLER (USA) Director: Andrew Jenks In 2005, Ryan Ferguson, a 21-year-old from Columbia, Missouri, was wrongly convicted of murder by way of a drug addict’s false confession. Andrew Jenks’ timely documentary DREAM/KILLER follows Ryan’s father, Bill, as he wages a decadelong war to prove Ryan’s innocence and overturn his 40-year sentence. Bill’s restless efforts eventually lead to the discovery of legal misconduct, exposing fault lines in the American criminal justice system. Digging into a father’s fight to free his son, Jenks offers a sobering look at how easily a life can be lost to miscarriages of justice, and how an unwavering family bond can make all the difference. GOOD THINGS AWAIT “SÅ MEGET GODT I VENTE”(Denmark) East Coast Premiere Director: Phie Ambo Biodynamic farmer Niels Stokholm is committed to raising his herd of rare, Danish Red cattle according to their natural instincts. Practicing ancient agricultural techniques, all living things on his farm live in spiritual harmony. In his attempt to get an organic certification for his farm, Stokholm must overcome the unyielding bureaucracy of the EU. Risking everything for his beliefs, Stokholm hopes he won’t be one of the last biodynamic farmers, but rather the first of a new generation. Offering a refreshing alternative to “factory farming,” Phie Ambo’s visually stunning documentary makes a compelling case for nutrition, sustainability, and animal welfare. THE GREAT ALONE (USA) New York Premiere Director: Greg Kohs This is the inspiring comeback story of underdog Lance Mackey as he tries to live up to his father’s legendary 1978 win of the Iditarod race. His attempt to match his progenitor’s success was postponed when Lance was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2001. Through use of archival footage and home videos, we witness Lance’s unprecedented resilience and desire for greatness. An exhilarating experience, THE GREAT ALONE follows his lifelong journey to overcome his illness and become one of the greatest sled dog racers of all time. HARRY & SNOWMAN (USA) New York Premiere Director: Ron Davis At the end of World War II, Harry deLeyer journeyed to Long Island, New York, where he made a name for himself as a horse trainer and riding instructor at the exclusive Knox School. His career took a new turn when he paid $80 for an Amish plow horse named Snowman, bound for the glue factory. With the odds against them, Harry and Snowman went on to break show jumping records, becoming household names in the late 1950’s after winning the sport’s Triple Crown. The award winning documentary HARRY & SNOWMAN is a touching tale of a unique, decade-long friendship, told first-hand by Harry, now 85. HARRY BENSON: SHOOT FIRST (USA) World Premiere Director: Matthew Miele, Justin Bare HARRY BENSON: SHOOT FIRST chronicles the illustrious career of the prolific photographer who initially rose to fame alongside The Beatles, having been assigned to cover their inaugural trip to the United States. With unprecedented “behind the scenes” access, Benson captured some of the most vibrant and intimate portraits ever taken of the most popular band in history. His extensive portfolio includes iconic images of Winston Churchill, Bobby Fischer, Muhammad Ali, Greta Garbo, Michael Jackson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Robert F. Kennedy assassination. Now 85, workaholic Benson has no intention of stopping. HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO (USA) Director: Alexandra Shiva Finding a date, getting dressed up, and going to a school dance can be difficult for any teenager. For many living with autism, the idea of going to a spring formal is even more intimidating (and even frightening), considering the need to navigate social cues they don’t understand. Alexandra Shiva’s HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO follows a group of young people as they attempt to overcome their fears and prepare mentally, emotionally, and physically for this rite of passage. With a gentle and sensitive eye, Shiva follows the group through counseling and a series of role-play exercises leading up to the big dance. IN TRANSIT (USA) Directors: Albert Maysles, Lynn True, Nelson Walker, David Usui, Ben Wu In his final film, legendary documentarian Albert Maysles (GREY GARDENS, GIMME SHELTER, and HIFF Audience Award winner IRIS) boards the Empire Builder, the most active long-distance train route in America. In a series of thoughtful vignettes, Maysles and his four co-directors quietly capture the journeys of the various passengers and employers aboard the train. Against the backdrop of the wintry North American landscape, we learn each of their stories through personal anecdotes, snippets of overheard conversation, and hushed confessions between new friends. Harrowingly intimate, IN TRANSIT offers a new perspective on the cross-country journey, and acts as a moving farewell to the celebrated filmmaker. INDIAN POINT (USA) Director: Ivy Meeropol Just 35 miles from Times Square looms Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, an aging facility that has raised a great deal of controversy in the surrounding community. Supported by the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission), the plant’s safety has been a topic of debate for many years. With over 50 million people living in close proximity to the facility, director Ivy Meeropol offers a startling reality check in this powerful documentary. Compiling arguments from environmental activists, journalists, power plant employees and local residents, INDIAN POINT features varied points of view about one of the most concerning issues of our time. MY LOVE, DON’T CROSS THAT RIVER (South Korea) Director: Mo-young Jin An intimate portrait of an elderly couple nearing the end of life, MY LOVE, DON’T CROSS THAT RIVER is as delicate as it is raw. Observing this fragile couple in their South Korean home, director Mo-Young Jin’s camera acts as a fly-on-the-wall, observing a deep love painted through simple acts of affection—from a goodnatured leaf fight to a gentle caress of the cheek. No filmmaking tricks are necessary, as the honest and tender feelings emoted by this husband and wife are all that’s needed to tell this story of true love. PALIO (UK/Italy) Director: Cosima Spender Twice a summer, the Italian city of Siena transforms into a fierce battleground of jockeys representing each of the city’s ten districts in the Palio, the oldest horse race in the world. At the heart of the race are the jockeys, whose success means highesteemed praise but for whom failure could mean dishonor. Following the legendary Gigi Bruscheli, winner of 13 races, and his young protége Giovanni, PALIO gives a rich, all-access account of the city’s passionate relationship with the annual event. Playing like a classic sports drama, director Cosima Spender’s third documentary is a colorful and thrilling cinematic experience. THE RUSSIAN WOODPECKER “OROSZ HARKÁLY” (Ukraine/UK/USA) Director: Chad Gracia The Chernobyl disaster remains a mystery and for Ukrainian artist Fedor Alexandrovic, it fuels an obsession. Haunted by the events that forced his family to evacuate, Fedor begins to investigate the Duga, a massive radio antenna next to the nuclear plant. Once the most expensive Cold War weapon and possibly the key to understanding the explosion, the Duga leads Fedor and filmmaker Chad Gracia on a wild hunt for the truth. Weaving Soviet history with the current events in Ukraine, the Sundance Grand Jury prizewinner THE RUSSIAN WOODPECKER is a highly thrilling documentary about an artist’s courage and determination. SHERPA (Australia/Nepal) East Coast Premiere Director: Jennifer Peedom April 18, 2014. A 14,000-ton block of ice barrels down Mount Everest, killing 16 Sherpas in its frightening path. In the wake of the worst tragedy to ever befall the mountain, the remaining Sherpas unite to fight for respect and better working conditions, as their share of profits is not proportionate to the risks they regularly take. In Jennifer Peedom’s suspenseful documentary, these unsung heroes of the mountain they call Chomolungma, men who for over 60 years have guided Westerners to triumph upon Everest’s peak, step into the spotlight to tell their story. SONG OF LAHORE (USA/Pakistan) Directors: Andy Schocken, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Lahore, Pakistan, was once known for its musical legacy, but with the Islamization of Pakistan in the 1970s, musicians have since struggled to continue their life’s work. When the talented musicians of Sachal Studios decide to fuse their traditional eastern sound with that of Dave Brubeck Quartet’s famous “Take Five,” they create a unique hybrid that unexpectedly finds its audience through social media. Garnering the attention of thousands, including legendary trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, they are invited to perform at Jazz at Lincoln Center. From directors Andy Schocken and Oscar® winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, SONG OF LAHORE is a real-life Cinderella story about the universal power of music. WORLD CINEMA NARRATIVE 11 MINUTES “11 MINUT” (Poland/Ireland) US Premiere Director: Jerzy Skolimowski After a 5-year absence from filmmaking, celebrated Polish auteur Jerzy Skolimowski (KNIFE IN THE WATER, ESSENTIAL KILLING) makes his glorious return with the gripping 11 MINUTES. Written and directed by Skolimowski, the thriller follows the same 11 minutes as experienced by a diverse group of characters, including a struggling actress, an ambulance driver, a would-be thief, and a hot dog vendor, whose lives are destined to intersect over a single day in Warsaw. Weaving through hotel rooms, private homes, and public spaces, Skolimowski captures the kinetic energy of a major metropolis filled with unique stories. Beautifully photographed and expertly paced, 11 MINUTES will keep you guessing until the very last second. 45 YEARS (UK) East Coast Premiere Director: Andrew Haigh In the midst of planning their 45th anniversary celebration, Kate (Charlotte Rampling) and Geoff’s (Tom Courtenay) seemingly happy marriage is suddenly called into question when he receives a letter concerning his first lover. Haunted by the past, Geoff withdraws into his memories, leaving Kate bewildered and insecure. As their anniversary approaches, Kate becomes increasingly troubled by how little she knows of her husband’s former affair, and how it may have unknowingly affected their own marriage. With outstanding and nuanced performances by Rampling and Courtenay, 45 YEARS quietly exposes the fragility of human relationships. ALL ABOUT THEM “À TROIS ON Y VA” (France) US Premiere Director: Jérôme Bonnell Charlotte (Sophie Verbeeck) and Micha (Félix Moati) are drifting away from each other and into the arms of Mélodie (Anaïs Demoustier), a young ambitious lawyer. Unaware that the other is having an affair with the same woman, their charade snowballs into a complicated mess of lies and lust, forcing each to reevaluate their relationship. Mélodie, on the other hand, is falling in love with both of them and finding it hard to juggle her romantic entanglements with work. Director Jérôme Bonnell’s ALL ABOUT THEM is a thoughtful rumination on the nature of relationships, carried by strong performances, humor, and passion. APRIL AND THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD “AVRIL ET LE MONDE TRUQUÉ” (France/Canada/Belgium) East Coast Premiere Directors: Christian Desmares, Franck Ekinci In an alternate reality, where scientific innovation has stalled and electricity has yet to be invented, April (voiced by Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard) is a young scientist trying to find her parents, who were mysteriously abducted while researching a powerful longevity serum. Accompanied by her talking cat Darwin and new friend Julius, April bravely embarks on a journey to discover the truth. From the producers of PERSEPOLIS and renowned graphic novelist Jacques Tardi, APRIL AND THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD is a riveting adventure through a dystopian society where government agents and a master conspiracy stand in the way of human progress. BABAI (Germany/Kosovo/Macedonia/France) North American Premiere Director: Visar Morina Ten-year-old Nori (Val Maloku) and his father Gezim (Astrit Kabashi) roam the streets of Kosovo selling cigarettes and barely earning a living. Only a few years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Gezim is lured west to Germany, leaving his son behind in search of a new life. Feeling deserted and desperate to claim some sense of stability, Nori embarks on a dangerous journey to Germany in search of his father—his “babai.” His tenacity, resilience, and sheer grit must be enough to guide him. BABAI (Kosovo’s submission for the Oscars®) marks the feature debuts of Maloku and Kosovo-born writer/director Visar Morina, both of whom demonstrate a profound maturity and quiet intensity in their respective crafts. CAFÉ DERBY (Belgium) International Premiere Director: Lenny Van Wesemael A born salesman, George can sell anything to anyone. When he hears about the Pope’s visit to a neighboring town, the anticipation of large crowds leads him to uproot his family and move his restaurant for the event that is sure to make him a millionaire. With unconditional support from his youngest daughter Sara, the wild adventure begins! Based on the true story of her extraordinary family, director Lenny Van Wesemael’s feature debut is a visual treat—a roller coaster ride seen through the unassuming eyes of young Sara, whose coming-of-age transpires softly throughout the film. THE CLUB “EL CLUB” (Chile) New York Premiere Director: Pablo Larraín In a quiet seaside town lies a home of repentance, inhabited by four dishonored priests and a former nun. After the admittance of a new priest creates a fatal stir, bringing unwelcomed visitors, including a victim of child molestation and a church bureaucrat, the home’s still atmosphere trembles. As old demons are brought to light, the priests are forced to bear the weight of their transgressions. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival and Chile’s submission for the Oscars®, THE CLUB’s muted colors, stellar ensemble cast, and dramatic score establish a somber mood that chillingly echoes the crimes of its lead characters. DHEEPAN (France) US Premiere Director: Jacques Audiard Winner of the Palm D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, DHEEPAN is the stirring new film from renowned French director Jacques Audiard (A PROPHET, RUST AND BONE). Finding himself on the losing side of the brutal civil war in Sri Lanka, a Tamil rebel fighter (Antonythasan Jesuthasan) assumes the identity of a dead man named Dheepan in order to flee the country. Hoping to increase his chances of being granted asylum in Europe, he also finds a “wife” and a “daughter” to serve as his makeshift family. A fascinating observation on the immigrant experience, DHEEPAN follows the family as they struggle to build a new life and unexpectedly find themselves at the center of another conflict. DISORDER “MARYLAND” (France/Belgium) US Premiere Director: Alice Winocour Vincent (Matthias Schoenaerts, RUST AND BONE) is a Special Forces agent suffering from PTSD after a recent tour in Afghanistan. In between assignments, he is hired to protect the lavish estate of a wealthy Lebanese businessman. While the owner is away, Vincent is charged to look after his beautiful wife Jessie (Diane Kruger, INGLORIOUS BASTERDS) and their young son Ali. Disoriented by paranoia and anxiety, Vincent obsessively looks for danger in every corner of the seemingly peaceful home. Expertly helmed by director Alice Winocour, DISORDER seamlessly transitions from nuanced character drama into a riveting, suspenseful thriller. FELL (Australia) North American Premiere Director: Kasimir Burgess Having lost his daughter in a tragic accident, Thomas (Matt Nable) withdraws from city life and takes on a new identity as a logger in the town where the accident took place, working side by side with the man who was responsible for his daughter’s death. Marden Dean’s breathtaking cinematography captures the lush, foreboding Victorian Alps and gracefully guides the viewer between two painfully divisive worlds. A tonal achievement, it’s hard to believe that this contemplative, image driven drama is Australian filmmaker Kasimir Burgess’s feature debut. JAMES WHITE (USA) East Coast Premiere Director: Josh Mond James (Christopher Abbott) is a troubled, unemployed twenty-something trying to survive the chaos of New York City one vice at a time. However, his perpetual adolescence is abruptly put on hold when his mother’s (Cynthia Nixon) battle with cancer forces him to sober up and take care of her. With the pressures and responsibilities of adulthood looming over him, James lashes out and alienates himself from his loved ones, but when his mother’s health takes a turn for the worse, James must find new strength or risk total self-destruction. With his directorial debut JAMES WHITE, Josh Mond explores the deep and complicated relationship between a mother and son, and features a breakout performance from Abbott. KRISHA (USA) Director: Trey Edward Shults Krisha is doing fine. Krisha is doing much better. She will face her family for Thanksgiving because she is sober and she is ready. After years of absence from her family, she returns to reconnect with her son, cook dinner, and prove to her family that she has changed for the better. Completely panicked and teetering on the edge of delirium, Krisha comes face-to-face with her past in the narrative feature Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award winner at this year’s SXSW. With knockout performances, the film tears apart the common portrait of addiction, favoring inventive sound design and raw cinematography. KRISHA is unlike anything you’ve seen before, yet strangely familiar. LABYRINTH OF LIES “IM LABYRINTH DES SCHWEIGENS” (Germany) Director: Giulio Ricciarelli Johann Radmann (Alexander Fehling, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS) is a recently appointed public prosecutor frustrated by the tedious traffic offenses assigned to him. When a local journalist tries to bring the crimes committed at Auschwitz to public attention, Radmann takes on the case against the orders of his supervisor. Fighting against ignorance and willful denial, his investigation uncovers the real horror and lasting wounds in 1958 Germany. Giulio Ricciarelli’s moving and thoughtprovoking LABYRINTH OF LIES (Germany’s submission for the Oscars®) is an artfully rendered account of the fight to identify, locate, and bring the Nazis responsible to trial. A MONSTER WITH A THOUSAND HEADS “UN MONSTRU DE MIL CABEZAS” (Mexico) North American Premiere Director: Rodrigo Plá When her insurance company refuses to approve the care her husband needs to survive, Sonia Bonet (Jan Raluy) takes things into her own hands. Up against an unyielding bureaucracy and disinterested workers, she is pushed to her breaking point: with her son in tow, she attempts to fight the system. Rodrigo Plá’s (LA DEMORA, HIFF 2012) new film A MONSTER WITH A THOUSAND HEADS combines socio-political commentary with a tense hostage thriller. With his expertly executed look at fury in the face of injustice, award-winning Plá delivers on the tension and keeps you on the edge of your seat. THE PREPPIE CONNECTION (USA) World Premiere Director: Joseph Castelo Based on a true story, THE PREPPIE CONNECTION chronicles the exploits of Toby Hammel (Thomas Mann, ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL), a working class prodigy who steps into the elite corridors of Sage Hall, a prep school in his hometown, yet a world away. Vying for acceptance in the privileged culture and trying to charm Alex Hayes (Lucy Fry, VAMPIRE ACADEMY), the beautiful and elusive girl of his dreams, Toby quickly learns the way into the “Preppies” is different than he expected – supplying them with cocaine. Toby uses his connections and fearlessness to impress his new friends, but finds that accessing the world of privilege comes at a steep cost. Director Joseph Castelo’s edgy new film offers a unique and intriguing twist on the line between friendship and fitting in, especially when taken too far. ROOM (Ireland/Canada) East Coast Premiere Director: Lenny Abrahamson Adapted from the bestselling novel by author and screenwriter Emma Donoghue, ROOM follows Jack (Jacob Tremblay) and his Ma (Brie Larson), who live in a small, locked room. Having never left Room, Jack believes that only the things in the room are real and that everything he sees on TV is make-believe. Right after his fifth birthday, Ma reveals the secret that has kept them confined to the room all these years. A harrowing journey of discovery ensues, and Jack has to come to terms with the fact that there’s more to the world outside Room. A profoundly emotional exploration of the bond between mother and son with gripping performances, including Academy Award® nominees Joan Allen and William H. Macy, ROOM demonstrates the unstoppable force with which these bonds prevail even in the darkest circumstances. SON OF SAUL “SAUL FIA” (Hungary) Director: László Nemes Winner of the Grand Prix Award at the Cannes Film Festival and Hungary’s submission for the Oscars®, SON OF SAUL is the monumental debut feature from Hungarian director László Nemes. Saul Auslander (Géza Röhrig) is a JewishHungarian prisoner in Auschwitz and a member of its Sonderkommando (the body disposal team). With a haunting opening scene that lingers on Saul’s ashen face, his journey through the inferno is transfixing and, ultimately, a poignant danse macabre. When he discovers the body of a boy among the corpses he risks everything to save the corpse from cremation and find a rabbi to recite Kaddish and give him a proper burial. With tightly lensed cinematography, Nemes skillfully recreates the claustrophobic, dehumanizing atmosphere of the camp and its unsettling banality of evil. UMRIKA (India) East Coast Premiere Director: Prashant Nair In the small Indian village of Jitvapur, America (UMRIKA, as it’s known in the local vernacular) is an alluring utopia, vividly detailed in the fantastic letters Udai sends to his younger brother Ramakant. With Udai’s precise whereabouts unknown, Ramakant embarks on a journey to locate his older brother. What unfolds is a refreshingly energetic coming-of-age film in which idyllic images of America help shape and catalyze Ramakant’s entry into adulthood. With a strong cast that includes Suraj Sharma (LIFE OF PI) and Tony Revolori (THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL), UMRIKA is an inspired tale of love, disappointment, and growth. VIRGIN MOUNTAIN “FÚSI” (Iceland/Denmark) Director: Dagur Kári Shy and awkward, Fusi (Gunnar Jónsson ) is in in his forties and still lives with his mother. Expecting little from his routine life and seldom socializing with others, he floats through a life within his own barriers until the bouncy Sjöfn (Ilmur Kristjánsdóttir) unexpectedly enters his life and he is forced to take a leap. Director Dagur Kári’s fourth film, the award-winning VIRGIN MOUNTAIN is a skillfully told balancing act of two outcasts—a timid hermit and a seemingly grounded extrovert who forces the former out of his shell. THE WAVE “BØLGEN” (Norway) East Coast Premiere Director: Roar Uthaug Norway’s submission for the Academy Awards®, THE WAVE is based on a terrifyingly plausible scenario. Nestled among Norway’s stunning fjords, Geiranger is one of the most spectacular tourist destinations on the planet. But above it looms a mountain that geologists know will one day collapse, triggering a massive tsunami. When seismic readings on the mountainside start producing unusual data, no one wants to believe that this could be the big one, especially with tourist season at its peak. When the mountain does begins to crumble, every soul in Geiranger has just ten minutes to get to high-ground before the tsunami hits, consuming everything in its path in this pulse-pounding thriller. FILMS OF CONFLICT AND RESOLUTION THE ARMOR OF LIGHT (USA) Director: Abigail E. Disney With her directorial debut, THE ARMOR OF LIGHT, Abigail Disney presents a candid portrait of a brave evangelical minister who questioned whether someone could be both pro-life and pro-gun. A leader of the anti-abortion movement and his church, Reverend Rob Schenck was forced to reconsider his position after meeting Lucy McBath, a fellow Christian and gun control activist, whose son, Jordan Davis, was shot in Florida. Forming an unlikely alliance, the two embarked on a courageous journey, taking on the NRA and the church, giving hope to the idea that we can unite across party lines and find a common ground. DEMOCRATS (Denmark) Director: Camilla Nielsson More than two decades after president Robert Mugabe’s corrupt dictatorship began, international pressure forced Zimbabwe to assemble a bipartisan committee to begin writing the country’s first democratic constitution. With remarkable access and over the course of three years, director Camilla Nielsson traces the arduous process of negotiations led by two rivals appointed to head the committee as they compete and debate the democratic process. At times dramatic and often comical, DEMOCRATS balances the clash of personalities against the backdrop of Mugabe’s regime with intimate moments of honesty and respect. HE NAMED ME MALALA (USA) Director: Davis Guggenheim Academy Award® winner Davis Guggenheim’s (AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, WAITING FOR SUPERMAN) latest documentary is a candid look into the life of Malala Yousafzai, the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. An advocate for education and children’s rights, Malala was rushed to the hospital after being attacked by the Taliban on October 9, 2012. With the entire world rallied behind her, Malala recovered and co-founded The Malala Fund to empower girls worldwide by facilitating access to education with the belief that “one child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.” THE HIGH SUN “ZVIZDAN” (Croatia/Slovenia/Serbia) US Premiere Director: Dalibor Matanic The inter-ethnic wars that tore Yugoslavia apart loom large in the background of Dalibor Matanić’s latest film THE HIGH SUN, winner of the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and Croatia’s submission for the Oscars®. Although never shown on screen, the tumult of the conflict seeps through and disrupts the lives of three young couples in stories that mirror the turmoil and healing process of a nation at war with itself. The tryptic spans decades: the first story is set in 1991 at the beginning of the war, the second one in 2001 at the end of the war, and the final one a decade later. With superb performances by Tihana Lazovic and Goran Markovic, THE HIGH SUN illuminates the tenacity of love across hatred and ethnic divides. THE UNCONDEMNED (USA) World Premiere Directors: Michele Mitchell, Nick Louvel THE UNCONDEMNED tells the gripping and world-changing story of a group of young international lawyers and activists who fought to make rape a crime of war, and the Rwandan women who came forward to testify, to win justice, where there had been none. Up until this point, rape had not been considered a war crime and was committed with impunity. A courtroom thriller and personal human drama, THE UNCONDEMNED beautifully interweaves the stories of the characters in this odyssey, leading to the trial in the International Criminal Court–and the results that changed the world of criminal justice forever COMPASSION, JUSTICE & ANIMAL RIGHTS THE CHAMPIONS (USA) World Premiere Director: Darcy Dennett THE CHAMPIONS is the powerful story of the brave individuals who rescued, rehabilitated, and adopted the pit-bulls from NFL quarterback Michael Vick’s violent dog-fighting ring. Despite tremendous pressure from animal welfare organizations to euthanize these animals, a handful of men and women stepped in to give the dogs a second chance. With her inspiring documentary, first time filmmaker Darcy Dennett proves the power of resilience and addresses a variety of important issues, including the unfair stigma surrounding this misunderstood breed, the exploitation of animals for the sake of entertainment, and the way society is too quick to forgive its star athletes. HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD (UK/Canada) Director: Jerry Rothwell In 1971, a group of journalists, scientists, and hippies set sail on a mission to prevent American atomic tests on an Alaskan Island. Transformed by the experience, this small grassroots band of activists launched the start of the Greenpeace movement. Young, media-savvy, and with cameras in hand, they campaigned against the whaling industry and made front-page news. Compiling never before seen footage into a thrilling and high-energy film, Jerry Rothwell’s HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD chronicles the rise of Greenpeace, their dynamic personalities, and the internal ideological debates about the mission of the organization. SPECIAL SCREENINGS BEST OF ENEMIES (USA) Audience Award Winner: SummerDocs Directors: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon In 1968, liberal Gore Vidal and conservative William F. Buckley, Jr. were invited to participate in a series of nationally televised debates on the Democratic and Republican national conventions as an attempt to bump up ratings for ABC. BEST OF ENEMIES is the behind-the-scenes look at the explosive live event, filled with deep insults, both personal and political, that launched the shift in public debate from substance to spectacle. From filmmakers Robert Gordon and Academy Award® winner Morgan Neville (TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM) comes a brilliant and often hilarious take on the verbal boxing match that changed the way we talk about politics.

    Read more

  • “CURIOUS WORLDS” “CROCODILE GENNADLY ” Win 2015 SF Documentary Festival

    CROCODILE GENNADLY directed by Steve Hoover CURIOUS WORLDS: The Art and Imagination of David Deck directed by Olympia Stone is the winner of the Audience Award for Best Feature at 2015 SF Documentary Festival (SF DocFest). CROCODILE GENNADLY (pictured above) directed by Steve Hoover is the winner of Jury Prize for Best Feature. In ‘CURIOUS WORLDS: The Art and Imagination of David Deck’ the curtain is pulled back on one of America’s (and San Francisco’s) most accomplished and original — yet least-known working artists — David Beck. A master sculptor, carver, painter and miniature architect, Beck works in a fantastical genre all his own, creating intricate worlds, alive with playful and incisive observations of the world we know. With wit and charm Curious Worlds captures the artist at work in his studio, reflecting on his process in an intimate portrait illuminating what it takes to create a masterwork. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1a8AOWPxwU In ‘CROCODILE GENNADLY’ Ex-Soviet soldier turned self-proclaimed savior and pastor, “Crocodile Gennadiy,” doesn’t feel he needs permission to do good deeds. So he has taken up the fight against child homelessness in Ukraine by kidnapping drug addicted street kids and bringing them to his DIY rehab center for forced treatment. His ongoing efforts and unabashedly tough love approach to his country’s problems has made him a folk hero for some, and a lawless vigilante to others. It’s a beautifully cinematic film that is a testament to the good in all of us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fTBwDUAgnU Other winners include LAST DAY OF FREEDOM for Audience Award for Best Short, and THE MAN BEHIND 55000 DRESSES winning Jury Prize for Best Short.

    Read more

  • 14 More Feature Films + John Waters Pick: KILLER JOE Added to 2015 Maryland Film Festival

    IN THE BASEMENT 2015 Maryland Film Festival Maryland Film Festival continues to add to its lineup for the 17th annual festival which will take place May 6 to 10, 2015 in downtown Baltimore. Today’s announcement includes two special events that have become annual MFF traditions: a film selected and hosted by legendary filmmaker and MFF board member John Waters, and a silent film presented with a live original score by Alloy Orchestra. Waters has selected William Friedkin’s 2011 neo-noir Killer Joe, starring Matthew McConaughey; Alloy will accompany 1926’s Son of the Sheik, starring Rudolph Valentino. In addition to these repertory-film events, Maryland Film Festival unveiled another fourteen feature films for MFF 2015, including the area premieres of an exciting array of emerging narrative, documentary, and international titles. The titles announced today for MFF 2015 are: 6 YEARS (Hannah Fidell) The director of MFF 2013’s A Teacher returns with the story of Mel (Taissa Farmiga), whose future becomes unsettled when her long-term boyfriend Dan (Ben Rosenfield)’s career aspirations pose a threat to the stability of their relationship. Co-starring Lindsay Burdge and Joshua Leonard, and executive-produced by Jay and Mark Duplass, this poignant drama boasts real relationship insights and resonant, true-to-life performances. CROCODILE GENNADIY (Steve Hoover) This intense, visually stunning, and morally complex documentary uses a remarkable central character as a window into change and tumult in contemporary Ukraine. Pastor Gennadiy Mokhnenko wages a one-man war against drug abuse and serves as a tough-love father figure to homeless and at-risk youth, squaring off with dealers and intervening in the lives of addicts. But is vigilante action the answer to these problems? Executive produced by Terrence Malick. DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD: THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL LAMPOON (Douglas Tirola) This uproarious documentary, which premiered at Sundance, brings the history of The National Lampoon to raucous life. In 1970, a new counterculture rag spun off from the Harvard Lampoon, launching a comedy revolution impacting not just the printed word but also film, television, radio, and beyond—and giving an early platform to some of the major talents of late-20th Century comedy. FIELD NIGGAS (Khalik Allah) Street photographer Khalik Allah takes us into the nightlife of 125th Street and Lexington in Harlem, shattering the usual wall between documentarian and subject as he paints portraits of modern street life filled with love and humor, but also hard times and regret. An immersive documentary with a unique visual sensibility, Allah’s film comes to MFF fresh from wowing audiences at True/False and Sarasota. FOR THE PLASMA (Bingham Bryant and Kyle Molzan) A young woman joins a friend in a sleepy town in Maine, where they use computers and digital cameras to observe a nearby forest, collecting abstruse data used to make stock-market predictions.  This challenging, idiosyncratic piece of cinema-as-puzzle finds a film language all its own; shot on Super 16mm, it also boasts an evocative score by experimental composer Keiichi Suzuki. FRAME BY FRAME (Alexandria Bombach and Mo Scarpelli) This SXSW-premiered documentary follows four photographers in contemporary Afghanistan. These members of an emerging free press risk life and limb to fill the photojournalist void left by the withdraw of international media—not to mention make up for lost time, as photography was banned under Taliban rule. Their images and stories are unforgettable. GIRLHOOD (Céline Sciamma) In a tough suburb of Paris, teenager Marieme navigates an often harsh, male-dominated world—her life taking a new turn when she finds a place within an initially hostile all-girl gang. From the director of Water Lilies and Tomboy comes an emotionally rich drama that wowed audiences at Cannes, Toronto, and Sundance, driven by an unforgettable lead performance from Karidja Touré. IN THE BASEMENT (Ulrich Seidl) The director of the staggering Paradise trilogy, all three films of which were presented within MFF 2013, returns to the realm of intimate documentary with this stylized, disturbing, and darkly hilarious work. The basements of Austria open up to Seidl’s camera, revealing private lives built around such underground worlds as shooting ranges, taxidermy, BDSM, and Nazi memorabilia. JAUJA (Lisandro Alonso) Viggo Mortensen stars as a Danish engineer who’s travelled to Patagonia with his teenage daughter to work for the Argentine army. When she disappears, he ventures out in pursuit, embarking on a journey full of crises physical, emotional, and existential. Lisandro Alonso (MFF 2010’s Liverpool) works here not only with one of contemporary cinema’s greatest performers, but also a bold new visual approach. FIELD NIGGAS KILLER JOE (William Friedkin, 2011) Legendary filmmaker John Waters has selected a favorite film to host within each Maryland Film Festival since its inaugural 1999 edition. This year’s choice is William Friedkin’s Texas-set neo-noir, with Matthew McConaughey as a cop who doubles as a hitman, and Emile Hirsch as a drug dealer who summons “Killer” Joe’s services—but quickly finds himself in over his head. LIMBO (Anna Sofie Hartmann) In a small port town in Denmark, high-school student Sara (Annika Nuka Mathiassen) grows increasingly fascinated by her young professor Karen (Sofía Nolsøe Mikkelsen), and her challenging ideas about gender, art, and life. This work of patient beauty screened at Rotterdam, San Sebastian, and SXSW, and will be hosted at MFF by guest curator Matt Porterfield (the director of Hamilton, Putty Hill, and I Used to Be Darker). THE REAPER (Zvonimir Jurić) From Croatia comes this tense and moody drama about a quiet loner haunted by his criminal past—and by other residents of his small town, who won’t let him forget. When he stops one night to come to the assistance of a woman stranded by the roadside, his evening takes a strange turn, launching three intertwined plot threads that recall Haneke in their grim outlook and narrative potency. REBELS OF THE NEON GOD (Tsai Ming-liang, 1992) Over the last three decades, Tsai Ming-liang has produced one of the most impressive and distinct filmographies of our time, each starring unique presence Lee Kang-sheng. This is where it all began: Tsai’s first feature film, set amidst the streets, malls, and arcades of Taipei youth culture in the early 1990s. Newly restored, and enjoying its first release on the U.S. big screen. SON OF THE SHEIK (George Fitzmaurice, 1926) MFF favorites Alloy Orchestra have introduced new generations to the wonders of silent cinema with their innovative scores for films including The Lost World, Metropolis, and Man With a Movie Camera.  Now they return to MFF to accompany screen legend Rudolph Valentino’s final film, an adventure classic from the director of Mata Hari. TIRED MOONLIGHT (Britni West) Gorgeously shot vignettes built around a mix of local non-professionals and seasoned performers (including Girls’ Alex Karpovsky) coalesce into a rich and poetic portrait of a pit-stop town in Montana situated amidst stunning natural beauty. Tired Moonlight premiered at Slamdance 2015, where it took home the Jury Award for Narrative Feature, and went on to screen within such prestigious festivals as New Directors/New Films and the International Film Festival Rotterdam. VENICE (Kiki Álvarez) It’s payday, and three female coworkers at a hair salon in Havana head out for a night on the town, their moonlit partying encountering unexpected twists and yielding surprising personal revelations. This exciting independent Cuban/Colombian co-production not only gives us rare access to an insider’s view of Havana, it also displays a refreshingly frank and empowered take on female sexuality. Today’s new announcements join the 20 features already announced for MFF 2015, including the world premiere of Stephen Cone’s ensemble drama HENRY GAMBLE’S BIRTHDAY PARTY: BEATS OF THE ANTONOV (Hajooj Kuka) THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION (Stanley Nelson) BREAKING A MONSTER (Luke Meyer) CALL ME LUCKY (Bobcat Goldthwait) CHRISTMAS, AGAIN (Charles Poekel) DEEP WEB (Alex Winter) FUNNY BUNNY (Alison Bagnall) A GAY GIRL IN DAMASCUS: THE AMINA PROFILE (Sophie Deraspe) GOD BLESS THE CHILD (Robert Machoian and Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck) HENRY GAMBLE’S BIRTHDAY PARTY (Stephen Cone) World premiere. PROPHET’S PREY (Amy Berg) SAILING A SINKING SEA (Olivia Wyatt) STINKING HEAVEN (Nathan Silver) TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL (Jeffrey Schwarz) TWO SHOTS FIRED (Martín Rejtman) UNCLE KENT 2 (Todd Rohal) UNEXPECTED (Kris Swanberg) WELCOME TO LEITH (Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker) WESTERN (Bill and Turner Ross) A WONDERFUL CLOUD (Eugene Kotlyarenko)

    Read more