MAN MADE

NewFest 2018 Announces Full Lineup of 140 + LGBT Films For 30th Anniversary

[caption id="attachment_31533" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Boy Erased[/caption] Following the big announcement of Yen Tan’s award-winning AIDS drama 1985 as Opening Night Film, NewFest today announced the full lineup of more than 140 LGBT films from around the world for their 30th annual celebration. The festival runs from October 24 to 30 at the SVA Theatre, Cinépolis Chelsea, and The LGBT Community Center in New York City. This year’s NewFest will feature several other galas and special screenings, including the New York Centerpiece screening of Ondi Timoner’s MAPPLETHORPE, starring Emmy®-nominee Matt Smith (“Doctor Who”, THE CROWN) about the iconic queer artist; and the U.S. Centerpiece screening of Joel Edgerton’s BOY ERASED, starring Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Joel Edgerton, Troye Sivan, Cherry Jones, Flea and Xavier Dolan. Other gala presentations include the International Centerpiece and New York premiere of Wanuri Kahiu’s groundbreaking love story RAFIKI, which screened at Cannes and was originally banned in its home country of Kenya for depicting a relationship between two young women, and the New York City premiere of Documentary Centerpiece film DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION!, which will be followed by a conversation on female representation in the film industry and lesbian visibility in cinema. The festival will close on October 30th with the New York premiere of Robert Clift and Hillary Demmon’s documentary MAKING MONTGOMERY CLIFT, which is co-directed by the late Hollywood star’s nephew and features exclusive archival footage and audio interviews from the family’s archives. This year’s edition continued in the tradition of receiving submissions from around the world, with films and episodic programming coming from 32 countries. In addition, 60% of content is by and about underrepresented voices (Women, People of Color, Trans, Bi and Differently Abled). Overall, the festival will screen 46 feature length films (including over 80% of feature works from first-time feature filmmakers, such as, Caroline Berler Tchaiko Omawale and Jonah Greenstein), 89 shorts and 9 episodic series, including the French Canadian production FÉMININ/FÉMININ by Chloé Robichaud, for a total of 144 selections. The International Narrative Features section includes the New York premieres of Anne Fontaine’s Venice Film Festival Queer Lion winner REINVENTING MARVIN (featuring a turn by Isabelle Huppert as…Isabelle Huppert) and 2018 Berlinale Teddy Award for Best Feature winner HARD PAINT from Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon (NewFest alums for 2016’s “The Nest”), as well as 2018 Berlinale Teddy Award for Best First Feature winner RETABLO from Alvaro Delgado Aparicio. Other premieres include the New York premiere of two films submitted for next year’s Academy Awards®: Marcelo Martinessi’s THE HEIRESSES from Paraguay and Blerta Zeqiri’s Kosovoan entry THE MARRIAGE; as well as Jamie Patterson’s TUCKED, another New York premiere, which picked up multiple awards at this year’s Outfest, including the Best Narrative Audience Award and the International Feature Grand Jury Prize which it shared with HARD PAINT. This year’s Documentary Features section is particularly strong and features some of the best new trans and non-binary stories from the U.S. and around the world, including T Cooper’s MAN MADE, about trans fitness models, which picked up the Best Documentary Feature Audience Award at Outfest 2018, Kiko Goifman and Claudia Priscila’s BIXA TRAVESTY, about the political activism of black Brazilian transgender singer Linn da Quebrada (Teddy Award for Best Documentary/Essay Film, Berlinale 2018), and SIDNEY & FRIENDS, Tristan Aitchison’s look at an underground network of trans and intersex people fighting to survive on the edge of Kenyan society. Also featured are the North American premiere of Gustavo Sánchez’s I HATE NEW YORK (Spain, 2018), which features New York nightlife luminarie Amanda Lepore; the East Coast premiere of Matt Alber and Jon Garcia’s ROOM TO GROW about what it means to be an LGBT teen in today’s world, and Jeff Kaufman’s EVERY ACT OF LIFE, a profile of multi-Tony Award®-winning playwright Terrence McNally, featuring appearances by Meryl Streep, Audra McDonald, Christine Baranski, Bryan Cranston, Patrick Wilson, Angela Lansbury and Rita Moreno. A hallmark of every NewFest is the bringing of new work to New York audiences, highlighting the emerging voices of queer cinema and 80% of the films in this year’s U.S. Narrative Features section are either New York, East Coast, or World premieres, and 9 of 10 films are from first or second-time filmmakers. In addition, in keeping with this year’s emphasis on inclusion, diversity and representation, 4 of the 10 films have female directors and 6 feature female leads. NewFest’s commitment to bringing new films from around the world to New York audiences has never waivered and this year’s edition is no different. With the ever decreasing cost of technology and ever increasing reach of the Internet, previously underrepresented countries and communities are finding their voices like never before. As a result, more and more films like Wanuri Kahiu’s RAFIKI, a story (written with Jenna Cato Bass) about the first love between two women in Kenya are seeing the light, as well as films like Christiaan Olwagen’s South African Apartheid-set musical CANARY and Ruth Caudeli’s EVA + CANDELA (Colombia), to name but a few. Of course, no NewFest would be complete without a few frightfully scary queer offerings and this year’s HalloKween sidebar is no exception! Featuring the New York Premiere of Drew Bolton’s KILLER UNICORN, a satirical stab at the slasher flick featuring a bevy of Brooklyn drag queens; NewFest alum Yann Gonzalez’s Cannes competition entry KNIFE + HEART (starring Vanessa Paradis); and the New York premiere of CARMILLA: THE MOVIE, based on the lesbian vampire web series sensation. Continuing its long tradition of working with many New York City organizations, this year NewFest partnered with over 100 organizations across the city to bring audiences some of their most exciting programs, including HIP TO BE QUEER: Youth Shorts, presented by the NYC Department of Education and in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment; a Spotlight Screening & Conversation of Dir. Gabriel Silverman and Fiona Dawson’s multiple award-winning TRANSMILITARY presented in partnership with GLAAD, and a screening of CONVERSATIONS WITH GAY ELDERS: DANIEL, a new film from NewFest alum David Weissman (WE WERE HERE, THE COCKETTES), presented in partnership with The Generations Project.
2018 NewFest Full Lineup

OPENING NIGHT GALA
1985 New York Premiere Dir. Yen Tan, USA, 2017, 85 mins Writer: Yen Tan Cast: Cory Michael Smith, Virginia Madsen, Michael Chiklis, Jamie Chung, Tina Parker, Bill Heck, Ryan Piers Williams Set during the early AIDS crisis, Adrian (Cory Michael Smith, GOTHAM, CAROL) returns to his Texas hometown for Christmas, keeping quiet about his sexuality and HIV status. Award-winning writer-director and NewFest alum Yen Tan (PIT STOP, CIAO) delivers a poignant period piece about a gay man tying up loose ends—whether it’s with his conservative parents (Academy Award-nominee Virginia Madsen and Emmy Award-winner Michael Chiklis), a high school ex-girlfriend (Jamie Chung), or his younger brother (Aidan Langford, BOSCH), who shows an interest in Madonna and may be following in Adrian’s footsteps. Shot on crisp black-and-white super 16mm film and featuring career-best performances from its cast, Tan’s powerfully textured 1985 is a new queer classic—addressing the AIDS crisis in a sensitive, reflective and, most importantly, modern light.
INTERNATIONAL CENTERPIECE
Rafiki New York Premiere Dir. Wanuri Kahiu, Kenya/South Africa/Germany/Netherlands/France/Norway/Lebanon, 2018, 83 mins Writers: Wanuri Kahiu, Jenna Cato Bass Cast: Sheila Munyiva, Samantha Mugatsia, Patricia Amira, Muthoni Gathecha, Jimmy Gathu, Nice Githinji, Charlie Karumi, Patricia Kihoro, Neville Misati Fresh from its triumphant Cannes premiere, RAFIKI is a must-see film that delivers a beautifully acted, nuanced portrayal of being queer in Nairobi. This vibrant romance follows the burgeoning relationship between Ziki (Sheila Munyiva), the playful Beyonce-wannabe who lives in the city’s affluent Skyview Towers, and Kena (Samantha Mugatsia), the shy, responsible tomboy who hangs out on the overcrowded Slopes estate with the local Boda Boda (motorcycle taxi) boys. The film’s delicious pink-hued color palette is part of the African film aesthetic known as the afrobubblegum movement, and sets the joyous tone for this rare look at first love between two women in Kenya. Banned in its home country of Kenya for its positive depiction of two young women in love, RAFIKI is a global call to action that proves a work of art does not have to be explicit in order to stir resist in the face of oppression.
U.S. CENTERPIECE
Boy Erased Dir. Joel Edgerton, USA, 2018, 114 mins Writers: Joel Edgerton, Garrard Conley (based on the memoir Boy Erased by) Cast: Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Joel Edgerton, Cherry Jones, Flea, Xavier Dolan, Troye Sivan, Joe Alwyn Set in the uber-conservative suburbs of Arkansas, this grippingly vital drama stars Academy Award-nominee Lucas Hedges (MANCHESTER BY THE SEA, LADYBIRD) as a young gay man sent to Refuge, a church-run conversion therapy program that aims to “cure” homosexuality, upon the insistence of his Baptist preacher father (Academy Award-winner Russell Crowe) and religious yet conflicted mother (Academy Award-winner Nicole Kidman). Based on the memoir by Garrard Conley and adapted for the screen by director and featured actor Joel Edgerton, this urgent drama stirs a challenging yet compassionate portrait of a family—and perhaps country—at odds with its differing ideas of empathy and identity. In addition to powerhouse performances by Hedges, Kidman, and Crowe, the ensemble includes stellar supporting turns from multitalented queer artists Troye Sivan, Xavier Dolan, and Cherry Jones. BOY ERASED is at once an evocative coming of age story about finding your voice, and a compelling tale of personal survival and family reconciliation in the face of ignorance.
NEW YORK CENTERPIECE
Mapplethorpe Dir. Ondi Timoner, USA, 2018, 102 mins Writer: Ondi Timoner, Mikko Alanne Cast: Matt Smith, Marianne Rendón, John Benjamin Hickey, Brandon Sklenar, McKinley Belcher III, Mark Moses Emmy-nominee Matt Smith (DOCTOR WHO, THE CROWN) plays renegade queer artist and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Set in the gay leather communities and highbrow galleries of New York City in the 70s and 80s, Ondi Timoner’s biopic is an unflinching look at the life and career of the icon made famous for his striking black-and-white images of phalluses and flowers. This film takes a chronological look at the influences and practices that captured male homo-erotic desire so poignantly in the face of the devastating toll of the AIDS crisis.
CLOSING NIGHT GALA
Making Montgomery Clift New York Premiere Dir. Robert Clift and Hillary Demmon, USA, 2018, 88 mins The iconic Hollywood actor Montgomery Clift—described in many accounts as “tragically self-destructive” and “tormented” by his sexuality—is brought to new light by his nephew Robert Clift, who uncovers never-before-seen footage and exclusive audio interviews collected by the filmmaker’s father. The viewer gains insight into a fresh portrait of the legendary actor who was unashamed of his sexuality, maintained a great sense of humor, and even defied the studio system. Robert’s access to interviews with family and close friends of Monty turn against the faulty narrative made popular by previous biographies and documentaries that considered him “the slowest suicide in Hollywood history.” Thoroughly well-researched and edited, Robert—along with co-director Hillary Demmon— brings to the surface a personal account of his uncle Monty and his father Brooks Clift that forces us to ask: Why was so much of Monty’s story left out? How were previous accounts so wrong? Who do we trust to write our history? MAKING MONTGOMERY CLIFT brings the star out of the archive, and further out of the closet.
DOCUMENTARY CENTERPIECE
Dykes, Camera, Action! New York City Premiere Dir. Caroline Berler, USA, 2018, 60 mins Cast: Barbara Hammer, Jenni Olson, B. Ruby Rich, Rose Troche, Desiree Akhavan, Cheryl Dunye, Su Friedrich, Vicky Du, Yoruba Richen, Lesli Klainberg One of the most glaring omissions in the film canon has been the work of queer women. Thankfully this once-hidden population picked up the camera and transformed the visibility of lesbians in cinema through classics such as GO FISH (1994), THE WATERMELON WOMAN (1996), HIGH ART (1998), all of which premiered in New York at NewFest. Pioneering filmmakers Barbara Hammer, Su Friedrich, Rose Troche, Yoruba Richen, Desiree Akhavan, Vicky Du, Cheryl Dunye, critic B. Ruby Rich, Jenni Olson, and others discuss with humor and depth how they’ve expressed their queer identity through film, while also revealing personal stories from their own experiences of looking for themselves on screen. First-time director Caroline Berler expertly balances films clips with candid interviews, making DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION! a joyous response to the days of the celluloid closet, culminating in a groundbreaking celebration of empowerment and visibility for the ages. This screening will be followed by a conversation on female representation in the film industry and lesbian visibility in cinema with featured cast, moderated by Terry Lawler (Executive Director, New York Women in Film & Television).
U.S. NARRATIVE
Fish Bones New York City Premiere Dir. Joanne Mony Park, USA, 2017, 82 mins Writer: Joanne Mony Park Cast: Cristina Tamez, JooHyun Kim In her debut feature, director Joanne Mony Park delivers a sensitively-drawn portrait of Hana (Joony Kim) a young woman caught between two worlds; the expectations of her Korean family, and her own needs and desires as a university student and model discovering her queer identity. The film’s quiet attention to detail captures charming moments of self reflection and attraction, as Hana falls for Nico (CRIS GRIS), a charismatic Latina who lives without the self-consciousness that holds Hana back. The chemistry between these two leads captivates the viewer and heralds the discovery of a bold and exciting new directorial voice to watch. Lez Bomb New York City Premiere Winner of the 2018 Bentonville Film Festival Dir. Jenna Laurenzo, USA, 2018, 90 mins Writer: Jenna Laurenzo Cast: Elaine Hendrix, Cloris Leachman, Bruce Dern Lez Bomb is a multigenerational comedy of errors following Lauren, a young woman who comes home for the holidays with some life changing news. Little does Lauren know, the eccentric cast of characters that make up her family have their own string of surprises as well. As it turns out, there is no good time to drop the “lez bomb.” Produced by Bobby Farrelly (There’s Something About Mary) and featuring Cloris Leachman, Bruce Dern and Steve Guttenberg. Two in the Bush New York Premiere Dir. Laura Madalinski, USA, 2018, 97 mins Writer: Kelly Haas, Laura Madalinski Cast: Sarah Mitchell, Travis Delgado, Caitlin Aase After losing her job, Emily arrives home early from work to find her girlfriend in the throes of passion with someone else. In an instant, her entire life is turned upside down. Moving in with her best friend, Emily lands a new gig working for a dominatrix, and promptly falls for her new boss, and her boss’s boyfriend. In this wise and witty look at the world of bisexuality, polyamory and dungeons, filmmaker Laura Madalinski asks us to consider what risks are worth taking for love. Jules of Light and Dark New York Premiere Dir. Daniel Laabs, USA, 2018, 85 mins Writer: Daniel Laabs Cast: Betsy Holt, Tallie Medel, Robert Longstreet, Liz Cardenas In present-day Texas, teenage Maya and her on-again, off-again girlfriend Jules total their car after a night of backwoods raving and mischief. They are rescued from the wreckage by Freddy, a divorced oil worker whose stoic facade crumbles as he comes to see himself, and his repressed desires, in Maya. As Jules recovers, Maya and Freddy develop a rapport that eases their small-town lives. Together, they subtly encourage one another to chase after what they want the most (or at least figure out what that might be). JULES OF LIGHT AND DARK is an iridescent coming-of-age story boasting the rural isolation of Deb Shoval’s AWOL and the wanderlust of Andrea Arnold’s AMERICAN HONEY. Defined by earnest, full performances and composed in a blue palette, Daniel Laabs’ first feature solidly articulates the universality of queer loneliness and uncertainty across genders and generations. Bitter Melon Dir. H.P. Mendoza, USA, 2018, 95 mins Writer: H.P. Mendoza Cast: Jon Norman Schneider, Patrick Epino, Brian Rivera, Josephine de Jesus, L.A. Renigren, Theresa Navarro, Sohr Picart, Amelia Anima, Anne Ishida, Corey Jackson, Ryan Morales, Safiya Fredericks, Vint Carmona Who knew that the insensitive way some of his Filipino-American family members treat his sexuality would be the least of Declan’s worries when he returns home for the holidays? As he and his siblings tiptoe around his freeloading brother’s volatile personality, long-buried secrets are revealed to set in motion a hilarious plan of revenge. A black comedy with heart, the latest from H.P. Mendoza (FRUIT FLY) deftly explores toxic masculinity and abuse— emotional and physical—with absurdity and true empathy. Solace New York Premiere Dir. Tchaiko Omawale, USA, 2018, 88 min Writer: Tchaiko Omawale Cast: Hope Olaide Wilson, Lynn Whitfield, Glynn Turman, Chelsea Tavares, Luke Rampersad, Sydney Bennett A visually arresting debut from director Tchaiko Omawale, this dark and dangerous coming of age tale tackles themes of mental wellness while exploring the confusion of an adolescent crush. Recently orphaned teen Sole (Hope Olaide Wilson) is sent to live with her estranged relatives. Quickly becoming infatuated with the rebellious girl next door, Sole falls in with a crowd of queer misfits that light up her dark days. Emmy-winner Lynn Whitfield delivers a satisfying turn as deeply hypocritical Aunt Irene, and emerging artist Syd (of R&B group The Internet) will satisfy those with their finger on the pulse of music from the margins. For Izzy Grand Jury Prize, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 2018 Dir. Alex Chu, USA, 2018, 84 mins Writer: Alex Chu Cast: Michelle Ang, Jennifer Soo, Elizabeth Sung, Jim Lau A warm, heartfelt film about blending families, featuring powerhouse performances from its all-Asian cast. Beloved late actress Elizabeth Sung plays Anna, a successful business-woman and single mother struggling with a strained relationship with her 20-something queer daughter Dede (Michelle Ang). Her widower neighbor Peter (Jim Lau) is the caretaker of his millennial daughter Laura (Jennifer Soo) who is on the Autism spectrum. When Laura and Dede form an unlikely friendship they each bond with the other’s parent, ultimately bringing Peter and Anna together to find an unexpected later-in-life romance. The Skin of the Teeth East Coast Premiere Dir. Matthew Wollin, USA, 2018, 80 min Writer: Matthew Wollin Cast: Pascal Arquimedes; Donal Brophy; Tom Rizzuto; Chuja Seo; Greg Barker; David Cruz; Chris Raffaele; Kathryn Shasha This sinister drama-thriller evokes the feel of a contemporary film noir, with a shades of GET OUT-meets-Grindr. When Josef arrives at John’s apartment for a date, their prickly energy slowly gives way to an unusual and genuine chemistry. But after Josef takes a pill with unclear effects, the night takes a shocking turn, and he is plunged into a surreal interrogation of just who and what he is. Pascal Arquimedes’ compelling lead performance keeps the viewer holding their breath from beginning to end. Daddy World Premiere Dir. Jonah Greenstein, USA, 2018 75 mins Writer: Jonah Greenstein Cast: Alexander Horner, Thomas Jay Ryan, Ashley Robicheaux A homeless man survives in New York by sleeping with men he meets on Grindr. Longing for a better life but also intimacy, he becomes a hustler and falls in love with one of his clients. Gorgeously shot and displaying intimate moments that are at once passionate and melancholic, DADDY explores themes of poverty, sex as currency, and what it is to be human. Filmmaker Jonah Greenstein’s feature debut paints a portrait of gay New York City through the lens of a young man and his encounters. Devil’s Path New York Premiere Dir. Matthew Montgomery, USA, 2018, 87 mins Writer: Matthew Montgomery, Stephen Twardokus Cast: Steve Callahan, Brandy Elliott, Jon Gale While searching for his missing brother in a remote gay cruising park, Noah (Stephen Twardokus) sets his sights on a handsome stranger (JD Scalzo). When Noah is viciously attacked, he and his new companion escape through the woods with two menacing thugs in hot pursuit. Lost and frightened, they begin to turn on each other and slowly unravel the truth of what’s really going on around them. This moody, picturesque psychological thriller from first-time director Matthew Montgomery features unexpected twists and turns, and seamlessly blends sharp, opposing perspectives about sex and love with suspenseful set pieces filled with existential dread.
INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURES
Hard Paint New York State Premiere Berlinale 2018 – Teddy Award for Best Feature Film Dir. Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon, Brazil, 2017, 117 mins Writer: Filipe Matzembacher, Marcio Reolon Cast: Shico Menegat, Bruno Fernandes Online, Pedro smears neon paint across his body for pay-per-view voyeurs hungry for his webcam erotica. IRL, he rarely sees the sun or speaks to another soul in Porto Alegre. After catching word of a rival ripping off his rainbow-colored act, he ventures from the shadows to settle their score — but finds an unlikely new friend in the process. This Berlinale Teddy Award winner conjures a dark, sensual atmosphere of alienation and discovery. We’re proud to welcome this young filmmaking duo back to the festival for the third time after their previous feature Seaside and mini-series O Ninho (THE NEST). A Moment in the Reeds New York City Premiere Dir. Mikko Makela, Finland, United Kingdom, 2017, 107 mins Writer: Mikko Makela Cast: Janne Puustinen, Boodi Kabbani, Mika Melender, Virpi Rautsiala In the Finnish countryside, Leevi, who is home from studying abroad to help his father renovate their lakeside house, encounters Tareq, a Syrian asylum seeker they hire as a handyman. Leevi’s father returns to town on business as tension builds between the two young men, and they give in to their mutual attraction. One of the first LGBT-themed films made in Finland, Mikko Makela’s intimate drama places at its center the freedom and acceptance of sexual and ethnic minorities amid the backdrop of the breathtaking Finnish landscape. Retablo New York City Premiere Teddy Award for Best First Feature, Berlinale 2018 Grand Jury Prizes for Best First Feature, Frameline & Inside Out Dir. Alvaro Delgado Aparicio, Peru/Germany/Norway, 2018, 95 mins Writer: Alvaro Delgado Aparicio, Héctor Gálvez Cast: Amiel Cayo, Junior Béjar Roca, Magaly Solier As his name suggests, fourteen year-old Segundo Paucar (Junior Behar) is his father Noé’s (Amiel Cayo) most devoted apprentice. Together, they craft intricate storyboxes—consisting of a cabinet, hand-painted figurines, and a lot of heart—for Peruvian families. Upon discovering his father with another man, Segundo struggles to accept his father’s delicate touch and its beautiful byproducts. With this award-winning debut feature, Alvaro Delgado Aparicio emphasizes his devotion to the touching and fraught power structure that afflicts fathers and sons. In RETABLO, patience in art and relationships might be tragically condemned by society, yet they are fiercely rewarded by family. Mario New York City Premiere Dir. Marcel Gisler, Switzerland, 2018, 124 mins Writer: Marcel Gisler Cast: Max Hubacher, Aaron Altaras, Jessy Moravec, Jurg Pluss, Doro Muggler, Andreas Matti Mario, a German soccer player, faces a harrowing decision when he must choose between pursuing his career on the field or his forbidden love for Leon, his roommate and a new player on the team. As rumors unfold in the locker room and spread to higher ranks, Mario attempts to deny them, and asks his girlfriend Jenny to pretend they are together. The torment caused by this macho world is reflected in Mario’s mother, who, in one memorable scene, refuses to be photographed during a magazine photoshoot with Jenny and her son, her eyes consumed with anguish. Eva + Candela New York State Premiere Dir. Ruth Caudeli, Colombia, 2018, 90 mins Writer: Ruth Caudeli Cast: Silvia Varón, Alejandra Lara, Roberto Cano, Luna Baxter, Kristina Lilley, Cristina Warner, Carlos Carvajal, Ana María Cuellar, Andrés Estrada South America’s evocative answer to BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR, this stirring portrait captures the dynamic interplay between two strong, independent women: a female director and the star of her first film. The two are, drawn together by a powerful attraction and their shared desire to take on the movie world. The passion between them creates a seductive and fascinating intimacy. But over time, their relationship evolves, swinging from infatuation to sensuality, which turns to tenderness, and then routine. They never wanted to be a conventional couple, and yet that’s just what they’ve become. Can Eva and Candela withstand the inevitable effects of time to overcome the metamorphosis of their relationship? Tucked New York Premiere Dir. Jamie Patterson, United Kingdom, 2018, 80 mins Writer: Jamie Patterson Cast: Derren Nesbitt, Jordan Stephens, April Pearson, Steve Oram, Lucy-Jane Quinlan, Ruben Crow, Joss Porter When veteran drag queen Jackie Collins receives a diagnosis with six weeks left to live, all he wants to do is perform his long-running act, and behave as if all is normal. But between a surprising new friendship with a rising young queen and unfinished business with his estranged daughter, he may just have the most eventful month and a half of his life. A feel-good film with charm and humor as well as surprising insight into our evolving understanding of gender identity across generations, this crowd-pleaser marks the first queer film from prolific young British director Jamie Patterson. Canary (Kanarie) New York City Premiere Dir. Christiaan Olwagen, South Africa, 2018, 124 mins Writer: Christiaan Olwagen, Charl-Johan Lingenfelder Cast: Schalk Bezuidenhout, Hannes Otto, Germandt Geldenhuys, De Klerk Oelofse, David Viviers, Anna-Mart van der Merwe, Francois Jacobs, Andrico Goosen, Ludwig Binge, Jennifer Steyn, Tinarie van Wyk-Loots Drafted during apartheid by the South African Army, teenage Johan’s love for Boy George and Depeche Mode lands him a spot in the Kanaries — the military’s traveling choir. But soon, romance on the battlefield forces him to reckon with his long-repressed sexual identity. Examining the effects of nationalism on the soul, while also exploring the tender brotherhood among misfits, this musical comedy revels in the discovery of finding your voice and learning to fly. Reinventing Marvin New York Premiere Dir. A nne Fontaine, France, 2017, 116 mins Writer: Anne Fontaine, Pierre Trividic Cast: Finnegan Oldfield, Isabelle Huppert, Vincent Macaigne, Gregory Gadebois This sweeping drama captures a life in the theater, as we see timid young Marvin (Jules Porier) blossom into adult Martin (Finnegan Oldfield, NOCTURAMA) — with a little help along the way from Isabelle Huppert, playing herself, and an older mentor who encourages him to acknowledge his sexuality and exorcise his pain by putting it all on the stage. Director Anne Fontaine (THE INNOCENTS, COCO BEFORE CHANEL) masterfully spins a powerful tale that reminds us that no matter how far we get from our upbringing, a piece of it remains with us always. The Heiresses New York City Premiere Dir. Marcelo Martinessi, Paraguay, Germany, Brazil, Uruguay, Norway, France, 2018, 97 mins Writer: Marcelo Martinessi Cast: Ana Brun, Ana Ivanova, Regina Duarte, Margarita Irun Chela (Ana Brun) and Chiquita (Margarita Irun) are a middle aged lesbian couple living in present day Asunción, Paraguay. Descendants of Paraguayan aristocracy, the women have enjoyed a silver spoon lifestyle together for thirty years. When the couple is abruptly hit by financial hardship, they scramble to find work and auction off their respective heirlooms—silver spoons included—to stay afloat. When Chiquita is imprisoned for her fraudulent side hustle, Chela begins working as a taxi driver, gradually building new relationships and autonomy for the first time in her life. The Marriage New York City Premiere Dir. Blerta Zeqiri, Kosovo/Albania, 2018, 97 mins Writer: Blerta Zeqiri Cast: Alban Ukaj, Adriana Matoshi, Genc Salihu A decade after the bitter Kosovo war and unaware if her parents survived, Anita’s wedding plans with Bekim slowly come together—until his best friend comes back to town. Tensions grow, as a triangle of love, lust, and drunken nights spilling secrets form. Kosovo’s Oscar submission for Foreign Language category is a culturally infused drama about unforgettable partnerships an isolated society struggles to accept, giving a tiny glimpse of hope that embracing who you are should be the norm.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
Coby East Coast Premiere Dir. Christian Sonderegger, France, 2017, 78 mins Cast: Coby, Jacob Hunt, Sara Mound A paramedic in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Coby shares a satisfying life with his supportive girlfriend Sarah, their pack of dogs, two brothers, and his parents. Nearly a decade after transitioning, the quotidian movements of his day-to-day—from receiving a shot of testosterone from his girlfriend to escorting a toddler to the ER—are quietly yet candidly documented by French director Christian Sonderegger. A contender in the ACID program at Cannes, COBY revolutionizes the use of the now-ubiquitous YouTube transition video as a conduit for telling the stories that rest in the silent white space between video updates. Man Made New York Premiere Dir. T Cooper, USA, 2018, 98 mins Writer: T Cooper, Allison Glock-Cooper From surgeries and T parties to the struggles and joys of transitioning, follow four men as they prepare for Trans FitCon, the only bodybuilding competition exclusively for trans men. Glimpse the intimate relationships between these men and their partners, family, and children as they train throughout the year. This powerful documentary from director T Cooper and executive producer Tea Leoni culminates in a triumphant gesture of acceptance and an understanding of the shared struggles among them as they take the stage and embody their true selves. Cherry Grove Stories East Coast Premiere Dir. Michael Fisher, USA, 2018, 72 mins Writer: Scott Lawrie This fascinating documentary captures the unique community of Cherry Grove, Fire Island – from its early days as a center for drag culture to the present day – featuring interviews with residents, old-timers, and captivating new and archival footage. Starting in the 1950s, Cherry Grove provided gays, including the likes of Tennessee Williams, with a safe space to express themselves at a time when interactions by people of the same sex were often the target of police raids. Michael Fisher’s oral history navigates the rich history and unknown stories of this vibrant beachfront community. I Hate New York North American Premiere Dir. Gustavo Sánchez, Spain, 2018, 75 mins Writer: Gustavo Sánchez Cast: Amanda Lepore, Chloe Dzubilo, Sophia Lamar, T De Long, Bibbe Hansen, Io Tillett-Wright, Katrina del Mar, Linda Simpson From 2007 to 2017, Gustavo Sánchez followed seasoned transfemme artists Chloe Dzibulo, Sophia Lamar, and Amanda Lepore around Manhattan’s rapidly-changing East Village, with a humble Sony Handycam, Sánchez captured hundreds of hours of footage. I HATE NEW YORK is the result of these intimate conversations between the debut filmmaker and his triptych of captivating and driven female artists. In yellow cabs, Tompkins Square Park, and impossibly small apartments, Dzibulo, Lamar, and Lepore offer their unfiltered thoughts on everything from success and rivalry to gentrification and the utter pointlessness of nostalgia. These interviews are supplemented by commentary from the women’s fellow Village characters and creatives, including Penny Arcade, Bibbe Hansen, T De Long, and iO Tillett Wright. Through patient and devoted direction, Sánchez has created a documentary that offers unprecedented access to three transwomen who not only made their mark on New York’s ephemeral underground, but lived to see middle age . Despite its name, I HATE NEW YORK is a hopeful love letter to a hostile city and the transwomen who’ve called—and continue to call—NYC home. Every Act of Life Dir. Jeff Kaufman, USA, 2018, 92 mins Writer: Jeff Kaufman Cast: Terrence McNally, Meryl Streep, Audra McDonald, Christine Baranski, Bryan Cranston, Patrick Wilson, Angela Lansbury, Rita Moreno Playwright Terrence McNally has redefined contemporary gay theater with an extraordinary body of work that includes The Ritz, Corpus Christi, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, and Love! Valour! Compassion!, to name just a few. But his life offstage has been just as fascinating, encompassing activism, addiction, romance, and the constant pursuit of artistic excellence. McNally shares his story onscreen with the help of friends and colleagues like Angela Lansbury, Rita Moreno, Nathan Lane, F. Murray Abraham, and many more, as captured by documentarian and NewFest alum Jeff Kaufman ( THE STATE OF MARRIAGE). Silvana New York City Premiere Dir. Mika Gustafson, Olivia Kastebring, and Christina Tsiobanelis, Sweden, 2017, 94 mins Writer: Mika Gustafson, Olivia Kastebring, Christina Tsiobanelis Cast: Silvana Imam Years before Hayley Kiyoko and King Princess refused to apologize for being out in love and art, Silvana Imam climbs Sweden’s charts as an openly lesbian creator and one of her country’s only female rappers. Born to Lithuanian and Syrian immigrants, Imam is furiously political and playfully queer, taking her country to task for its racism while spitting verses about lesbianism. Silvana is many films in one: a travel log, a tour diary, an experimental film, and a public service announcement on one of the European Union’s flawed superpowers. Filmed from 2014 to 2016, Mika Gustafson, Olivia Kastebring, and Christina Tsiobanelis’ portrait of the artist is an intimate time capsule of the feminist artist’s meteoric rise to superstardom and the early days of her relationship with a fellow musician, the Swedish pop star Beatrice Eli. Room to Grow East Coast Premiere Dir. Matt Alber and Jon Garcia, USA, Canada, 2018, 87 mins For many queer people, some of our toughest years were when we were teenagers living at home. Homophobic parents and school environments often made life unbearable. Now meet the next generation of queer youth, as they forgeing a path of love, with the support of their families. In the face of one of the harshest political climates, with homophobia and racism on the rise, these fearless teenagers are claiming their identities and taking the world by storm. ROOM TO GROW is an intimate look into what it means to be an LGBTQ teen today. Love, Scott New York State Premiere Dir. Laura Marie Wayne, Canada, 2018, 75 mins Writer: Laura Marie Wayne Cast: Scott Jones After being violently attacked on the street, openly gay musician Scott Jones is left paralyzed from the waist down. Told through the eyes of Scott’s close friend, this heartbreaking and inspiring portrait of grief traces the journey from convalescence to recovery to finally forgiveness. As Scott revisits the location of the attack and rebuilds his life as a choir conductor and public speaker. This poignant documentary depicts the universal struggles of LGBTQ people and the people who love them through an incredibly intimate and personal story. Bixa Travesty Teddy Award for Best Documentary/Essay Film, Berlinale 2018 Dir. Kiko Goifman and Claudia Priscila, Brazil, 2018, 75 mins Writer: Linn da Quebrada, Claudia Priscilla, Kiko Goifman Cast: Linn da Quebrada, Jup do Bairro Black Brazilian transgender singer Linn da Quebrada weaponizes the trans body and music for political protest. Linn and childhood friend Jup do Bairro use extravagantly costumed music performances to dazzle audiences while opposing their country’s white heteronormative order. Figuring her embodied existence as resistance, Linn eschews the role of cis woman, choosing a fluid gender identity instead. Full of funny and intimate moments, the film advocates for personal choice against a society that imposes static gender identity. Sidney & Friends New York Premiere Dir. Tristan Aitchison, Scotland/Kenya, 2018, 75 mins Cast: Michael Daviot, Awuor Onyango, Charles Ouda Six people from Nairobi share their candid reality of what it’s like to live as a targeted gender minority, in a region known for the prejudice and discrimination against its LGBTI population. When his family tries to kill him, Sidney, who is intersex, flees to Nairobi where he befriends an underground community. Documentarian Tristan Aichitson discovered this network of trans and intersex people fighting to survive on the edge of Kenyan society, and spent three years capturing their voices in interviews. These are their stories.
EPISODIC SIDEBAR

Episodic Showcase
Some of the most well-crafted LGBTQ characters these days can be found in episodic content. This sampler platter of seven new shows gives an authentic, unfiltered look at our community, without the censorship of the networks. Catch them here first, and decide which series to add to your must-binge list. Total run time: 87 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow
HALLOKWEEN sidebar
Knife+Heart Official Selection, Cannes Film Festival 2018 Dir. Yann Gonzalez, France, 2018, 110 mins Writer: Yann Gonzalez, Cristiano Mangione Cast: Vanessa Paradis, Nicolas Maury, Kate Moran, Jonathan Genet, Khaled Alouach, Félix Maritaud, Noé Hernandez, Thibault Servière, Bastien Waultier, Bertrand Mandico, Jules Ritmanic, Pierre Pirol, Dourane Fall, Romane Bohringer, Elina Löwensohn, Yann Colette, Jacques Nolot, Florence Giorgetti A Cannes 2018 Official Selection, this steamy and seedy ode to cinema and postured pulp comes from visionary director and NewFest alum Yann Gonzalez (YOU AND THE NIGHT). Vanessa Paradis stars as a no-nonsense gay porn producer on films such as “HOMOCIDE” and “ANAL FURY” who’s befuddled by a crush on her editor (Kate Moran) and the fact that her cast and crew are being knocked off one-by-one by a leather-clad madman. Shot on lush 35mm and featuring a pulsating original score from M83, KNIFE + HEART is a gloriously and gorgeously gory take on the modern slasher flick set in the world of 70s Paris. Celluloid lovers unite–the giallo subgenre has finally gone full-blown queer. Killer Unicorn New York Premiere Dir. Drew Bolton, USA, 2018, 74 mins Writer: José D. Álvarez Cast: Alejandro La Rosa, Dennis Budesheim, Markus Kelle Flaunting lewks and flouting conventional taste, this deliriously campy romp dashes through slasher tropes with deadly Brooklyn attitude and a distinctively queer spirit. Following a traumatic experience at “Brooklyn’s Annual Enema Party,” party boy Danny is haunted by a hunky masked stranger who causes a massacre of Brooklyn nightlife. Featuring a bevvy of Brooklyn’s biggest drag divas, including Bushwig co-founder Horrorchata, this crass creation of cult fervor is John Waters meets John Carpenter. And watch out–these queens aren’t the only ones who came to slay. The Carmilla Movie New York Premiere Dir. Spencer Maybee, Canada, 2017, 94 mins Writer: Jordan Hall and Alejandro Alcoba Cast: Elise Bauman, Natasha Negovanlis, Dominique Provost-Chalkley, Cara Gee THE CARMILLA MOVIE picks up five years after the events of the award-winning global phenomenon digital series CARMILLA . Laura (Elise Bauman) and former vampire Carmilla’s (Natasha Negovanlis) domestic bliss is interrupted by an unknown supernatural threat when Carm shows signs of re-vamping and Laura starts having ghostly dreams. Catch up on seasons 0-3 on YouTube and then join us to celebrate the power of the audience, as our favorite lesbian vampires are reunited in this fan-demanded feature film.
SHORTS PROGRAMS
Boys Shorts From a fast-paced chase to a lazy summer day, this year’s Boys Shorts explore what it means to bring your full self to both the mundane and the extraordinary moments in life. In cities across the globe, these films capture the contemporary lives of a panoply of gay men from many different backgrounds in 2018. Total run time: 89 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Girls Shorts From friendship to dating to marriage, these shorts look at love and intimacy through many different lenses and paint a picture of strong, vulnerable, funny, and stubborn women who shine on the big screen. The heartbreak and joy of everyday life weave together in this collection of stories that span cultural and generational gaps too often overlooked in film. Total run time: 94 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Drawn This Way 2.0 Intimate and inspiring, this collection encapsulates the complexity of the queer experience in all of its brilliance. Both narrative and non-fiction stories utilize the illusion of movement to reveal personal truths, explore new boundaries, and create connections with one another. An inventive and eclectic array of perspectives and forms come together in moving ways. Total run time: 94 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Feminist Shorts “The F Word” When you think about feminism, do you think about subverting gender stereotypes assigned to female bodies, female athletes succeeding at the top of their game, or small town societal structures being reshaped? Do you think about women and young girls coming into their own? The beauty of the F word is that it means many different things to each of us, and in a post #MeToo world, we have the power to continue to explore feminism through art, reinterpreting and redefining it for ourselves. Total run time: 85 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow HalloKween Shorts Real and mental demons plague our protagonists in this Halloween-focused line-up. From a hospital psych ward to high school hallways, and from online conversations to inner-monologues, we cover the scariest grounds on earth in this program of horror shorts. Total run time: 95 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Hip to be Queer: Youth Shorts Through an inclusive and vibrant collection of short films from around the world, the program provides access and empowerment for LGBTQ+ youth to see themselves on screen while promoting media literacy and encouraging self-expression. The collection of short films will range from comedies to dramas, and vary in topics that cut across the youth experience, including interpersonal relationships, bullying, family, gender, identity, self-care, and cultural divides. Open to all students and staff within The New York City Department of Education, this event will be a specially-curated film program of Youth Shorts at NewFest’s 30th Annual New York LGBTQ Film Festival. Presented by the New York City Department of Education and in Partnership with Partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment Total run time: 91 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Trans and Non-Binary Shorts A blend of documentary and fiction films showing an inclusive array of protagonists facing personal obstacles and experiencing universal life lessons. These endearing films show us the humanity within our community and the various ways we can transcend gender. Total run time: 86 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Wigged Out: Drag Shorts In celebration of Emmy-winning show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and its tenth year of taking the untucked revolution to TV, we exalt the art of drag and the fearless queens who inspire and wow us with their jaw-dropping talents and vital stories on and off the runway. By turns hysterical and moving — and starring beloved queens such as Bob the Drag Queen and Latrice Royale — these films add up to one enormous eleganza extravaganza that will leave you gagged. Total run time: 78 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Three’s Company Enjoy the experience of polyamory without all the drama in this queer collection of threesomes. As relationships evolve, so must our art. And this collection of powerful films about modern dating is an example of how to use art to push back on societal norms and redefine the lives we want to live. Total run time: 86 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Queer Jewish Shorts From the U.S. to Israel, this program brings together six short films that examine what it is to be queer and Jewish, and how religion can be a guide for some but an obstacle for others. Total run time: 98 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Our Queer History Histories are reconstructed then deconstructed in magnificent textures and styles to celebrate and reflect on the narratives of lives on the fringes: from Italian exiles on a remote island in the 1930s, to British farmers in the early 21st century, to families and spaces intimately shaped over years by HIV/AIDS. As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of NewFest, we look back on the past three decades and further not only to remember but also to discover. Total run time: 101 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow
SPOTLIGHT SCREENING & PANEL
Transmilitary Audience Award, SXSW 2018 Dir. Gabriel Silverman and Fiona Dawson, USA, 2017, 93 mins Writer: Jamie Coughlin, Gabriel Silverman Cast: Laila Ireland At the risk of being discharged and losing their livelihoods, trans service members come out to top brass at the Pentagon to challenge the transgender military ban. From 2015 to the present day, we follow four trans service members—Senior Airman Logan Ireland, Corporal Laila Villanueva, Captain Jennifer Peace, and First Lieutenant El Cook—as they fight to defend their equal right to serve their country. This screening is co-presented in partnership with GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) will be followed by an extended conversation with the filmmakers and subjects, and moderated by Zeke Stokes.
SPECIAL EVENTS
GIA (20th Anniversary Screening) Dir. Michael Cristofer, USA, 1998, 123 min. Writer: Michael Cristofer, Jay McInerney Cast: Angelina Jolie, Faye Dunaway, Mercedes Ruehl, Elizabeth Mitchell It’s been 20 years since Angelina Jolie chronicled the life of supermodel Gia Carrangi in Michael Cristofer’s now-classic HBO movie. Carrangi, who rose to meteoric fame in late 70s New York, was known for her trademark temper and bold, unapologetic fashion style, but died young from AIDS-related complications. While the film has long been considered essential LGBTQ viewing, it’s rarely enjoyed on the big screen. Revisit it with us, your NewFest family and soak up the sultry scenes between Jolie and costar Elizabeth Mitchell, as well as revelling in supporting roles from icons Mercedes Ruehl and Faye Dunaway as Gia’s mother and modeling agent respectively. An HBO Original Film. CONVERSATIONS WITH GAY ELDERS: Daniel Maloney (partner event with Generations Project) East Coast Premiere Dir. David Weissman, USA, 2017, 67 min Cast: Daniel Maloney, David Weissman “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. Director,” says New Yorker and subject Daniel Maloney, 77; and so begins the start of a stimulating interview between Maloney and director David Weissman (WE WERE HERE, THE COCKETTES). A principal dancer with Martha Graham in the 1970s, Maloney recounts his experiences facing racism, serving in the army, moving to New York, and first sexual encounters–all the while carrying on the art so closely linked to culture, community, and civilization: oral tradition. This film is part of a documentary series in which Weissman collaborates with a young editor–in this case, Jake Stein, 24 and newly out–to capture illuminating stories from elders that represent a cross-section of the LGBTQ community. LOOKING FOR? Dir. Tung-Yen Chou, Taiwan, 2017, 61 mins Explore the mysteries of dating apps in this charming, infectious documentary that lays all the sexy details out on the table. Young Taiwanese filmmaker Tung-Yen Chou searches for a love of his own, as he questions gay men around the world about their intimate experiences on hookup apps. Can Grindr lead you to the love of your life? This refreshingly raw and far too relatable look into digital romance is a snapshot of the moment.
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Music Documentary A TUBA TO CUBA to Close 2018 New Orleans Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_31491" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] A Tuba to Cuba[/caption] The documentary A Tuba to Cuba which follows New Orleans’ famed Preservation Hall Jazz Band as they retrace their musical roots to the shores of Cuba will be the Closing Night film of the 29th New Orleans Film Festival. The film underscores the festival’s programmatic focus on films from and about the Caribbean and the Caribbean diaspora, particularly those that speak to the historical and cultural ties between New Orleans and the Caribbean. This year the feature competition lineup includes ten narrative feature films, eight documentary feature films, and eight feature films made in Louisiana. The 2018 Festival which will take place from October 17th through October 25th boasts the most diverse line-up in the festival’s history – with 60% of films by female directors and 54% by directors of color, and 80% from either a female director or director of color. The New Orleans Film Society will warm up for the 29th New Orleans Film Festival with a special preview of the feature film BLAZE, directed by Ethan Hawke, on Tuesday, August 29th at the Orpheum Theater! BLAZE is a biopic of Texas outlaw music’s unsung legend Blaze Foley, written by Ethan Hawke and Blaze Foley’s former sweetheart, Sybil Rosen. Rosen will attend the screening at the Orpheum Theater for a Q&A session on the 29th. Hawke approached Rosen about the project after reading her own telling of Foley’s story in the book “Living in the Woods in a Tree.” The lead role of Foley is played by newcomer Ben Dickey (a musician by trade), and fans of Netflix’s Arrested Development will spot Alia Shawkat as the female lead (Sybil Rosen). Rosen plays her own mother in the film. Blaze was filmed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and opened at Sundance Film Festival 2018.
CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION
A Tuba to Cuba | dir. T.G. Herrington, Danny Clinch | USA A TUBA TO CUBA follows New Orleans’ famed Preservation Hall Jazz Band as they retrace their musical roots from the storied city of jazz to the shores of Cuba and in turn discover a connection that runs much deeper than could have been imagined.
NARRATIVE FEATURES COMPETITION
Chained for Life | dir. Aaron Schimberg | USA A beautiful actress struggles to connect with her disfigured co-star on the crowded set of a European auteur’s English-language debut. Empty Metal | dir. Adam Khalil, Bayley Sweitzer | USA SOUTHERN U.S. PREMIERE. A trio of aimless musicians are caught up in a shadow revolution governed by psychic native separatists, sovereign citizens, survivalist preppers, and steered by a dreadlocked rasta. Family First | dir. Sophie Dupuis | Canada Constantly walking a tightrope, JP tries to maintain a proper balance between the numerous needs of his family, his job with his brother, and his involvements in his uncle’s drug cartel. Fort Maria | dir. S. Cagney Gentry, Thomas Southerland | USA Four women in the South are connected by the death of a dog. A Haunting Hitchhike | dir. Heejae Jeong | South Korea NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE. 16-year-old girl Jeong-ae is on her way to find her long-lost mother, believing that she’s the only hope left to her. Jules of Light and Dark | dir. Daniel Laabs | USA WORLD PREMIERE. Two young lovers, Maya and Jules, are found wrecked on the side of the road in North Texas by a loner roughneck, Freddy. As her relationship crumbles, Maya forms a friendship with Freddy, whose past mistakes and experiences offer her insights on her life. Life is Fare | dir. Sephora Woldu | Eritrea, USA Sephora, an idealistic young Eritrean American, pitches a well-meaning but ludicrous film about identity, memory, and homesickness to her traditional mother. Pig Film | dir. Josh Gibson | USA NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE. In an empty world, a solitary female mechanically follows the protocols of a factory hog farm. Her labors are sporadically punctuated by musical rhapsodies as she moves toward the impending end. Solace | dir. Tchaiko Omawale | USA SOUTHERN U.S. PREMIERE. A 17-year-old orphan is shipped off to her estranged grandmother. She plots her escape while navigating a foreign environment, new friendships and a hidden eating disorder. Waru | dir. Briar Grace-Smith, Casey Kaa, Ainsley Gardiner, Katie Wolfe, Chelsea Winstanley, Renae Maihi, Paula Whetu Jones | New Zealand Following the death of a child, eight Māori women are confronted by guilt, pride and defeat but will ultimately risk everything for the greater good of their community.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES COMPETITION
América | dir. Erick Stoll, Chase Whiteside | Mexico América is a story of brothers confronting the chasm between adolescent yearning and adult realities when brought together to care for their ailing ninety-three year old grandmother. For the Birds | dir. Richard Miron | USA A woman’s love for her pet ducks, chickens, geese, and turkeys—all 200 of them—ignites a battle with local animal rescuers and puts her marriage in jeopardy. Gimme A Faith | dir. Hao Zhang | China, USA WORLD PREMIERE. Two evangelical Christians in the Bible Belt of the United States are devoted to converting newly arrived Chinese international students. Jaddoland | dir. Nadia Shihab | Kuwait, USA WORLD PREMIERE. A visit to her mother’s home art studio in Texas prompts the filmmaker to explore the meaning of home and the search for belonging across three generations of her Iraqi family. Man Made | dir. T Cooper | USA Traces the paths of four transgender male bodybuilders as they prepare to step on stage at the only all-trans bodybuilding competition in the world. The Unafraid | dir. Heather Courtney, Anayansi Prado | USA A look at the personal lives of three DACA students in Georgia, a state that has banned them from attending their top state universities and disqualifies them from receiving in-state tuition at any other public college. While I Breathe, I Hope | dir. Emily Harrold | USA WORLD PREMIERE. This film explores what it means to be young, Black, and a Democrat through the experiences of South Carolina politician Bakari Sellers. Wrestle | dir. Suzannah Herbert, Lauren Belfer | USA The wrestling team at JO Johnson High School in Huntsville, which has been on Alabama’s failing schools list for many years, fights their way towards the State Championship and the doors they hope it will open.
LOUISIANA FEATURES COMPETITION
Bending Lines: The Sculpture of Robert Wiggs | dir. Allison Bohl DeHart, Peter DeHart | USA Obsessed with the repeating geometry of nature, a sculptor works in the space between art and science. Buckjumping | dir. Lily Keber | USA WORLD PREMIERE. Buckjumping takes the pulse of present-day New Orleans by turning to its dancers, the men and women who embody the rhythm of the city and prove it on the streets every chance they get. Mississippi Madam: The Life of Nellie Jackson | dir. Timothy Givens, Mark K. Brockway | USA In 1902 Nellie Jackson, an African-American woman born into poverty in Possum Corner, Mississippi, traveled north to Natchez and opened “Nellie’s”, a brothel she ran for more than sixty years. Same God | dir. Linda Midgett | USA The first African American woman to gain tenure at “the evangelical Harvard” faces a life-altering backlash to her public show of solidarity with American Muslims. The True Don Quixote | dir. Chris Poché | USA WORLD PREMIERE. Danny Kehoe lives an ordinary life that leaves him bored nearly to death. His only escape is in his collection of books and comics, all recounting, with great inaccuracy, the romantic tales of the chivalrous Knights Errant. When those books are taken away, he goes mad. In his desperation, he re-christens himself as the last and greatest knight of all, Don Quixote. This Little Light | dir. Ada McMahon, Wendi Moore-O’Neal | USA When Black feminist freedom singer Wendi Moore-O’Neal married her now wife, Mandisa, she was fired from her job as a community organizer. This is a self-determined portrait about the Black Southern Freedom movement. This Taco Truck Kills Fascists | dir. Rodrigo Dorfman | USA WORLD PREMIERE. Jose Torres-Tama is on a mission: to create a revolutionary Taco Truck Theatre with a simple message: “No guacamole for immigrant haters”. Tomorrow Never Knows | dir. Adam Sekuler | USA The uncomfortable reality of death is faced by Shar and Cynthia who, upon Shar’s diagnosis with early-onset Alzheimer’s, make a brave and difficult decision.
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Damn These Heels, Utah’s LGBTQ Film Festival Unveils Lineup – 1985, THE MISANDRISTS, TRANNY FAG and More

[caption id="attachment_30361" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] THE MISANDRISTS[/caption] Damn These Heels, the longest running LGBTQ Film Festival in the Mountain West, returns for the 15th edition from July 20 to 22, 2018 at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. The festival explores LGBTQ issues, ideas, and art through independent, documentary, and foreign films from around the world. New this year, filmmakers of all experience levels are invited to participate in the 48 Hour Film OUT project. On July 13-15, participating film teams are tasked with creating an LGBTQ themed short film in just 48 hours. All films that meet the requirements will be screened during the Festival on Saturday, July 21. The winning film will be screened at Filmapalooza in Paris in 2019 for a chance at the grand prize of screening at the Cannes Film Festival 2019 Short Film Corner. Patrick Hubley, Director of Programming for Utah Film Center, said, “Damn These Heels is a festival that uses the powerful art of film to celebrate inclusivity, community and individual expression. This year’s line up is full of personality and complexity, we are honored to commemorate the Festival’s 15th year with such a strong range of stories that will provoke thought, spark crucial dialogue and shift our perspective.” The films selected to screen in the 2018 Damn These Heels Festival are: 1985 Directed by Yen Tan 85 min | 2018 | USA A closeted young man goes home for the holidays and struggles to reveal his dire circumstances to his conservative family. Official Selection: 2018 SXSW Film Festival Cast: Cory Michael Smith, Aidan Langford, Jamie Chung, Virginia Madsen, and Michael Chiklis ALASKA IS A DRAG Directed by Shaz Bennett 89 min | 2018 | USA Fabulous Leo, an aspiring drag superstar who can throw a punch, is stuck working in a fish cannery in Alaska. Official Selection: 2018 Frameline Film Festival, 2018 Palm Springs International Film Festival, 2018 Cast: Martin L. Washington Jr., Maya Washington, Matt Dallas, Christopher O’Shea, Jason Scott Lee, and Margaret Cho ANCHOR AND HOPE (Tierra Firme) Directed by Carlos Marques-Marcet 113 min | 2017 | Spain Two women and their best friend living on a canal boat ask: Can we balance love, family, and life and stay united? Winner: Best Film-2017 Seville European Film Festival; Official Selection: 2018 Guadalajara International Film Festival Cast: Oona Chaplin, Natalia Tena, and Geraldine Chaplin CLOSE KNIT (Karera ga honki de amu toki wa) Directed by Naoko Ogigami 127 | 2017 | Japan A neglected daughter, a gentle uncle, and his transgender lover knitted together into an unconventional family. Winner: Teddy Award-2017 Berlin Film Festival, Chromie Audience Award-2017 Filmfest Homochrom Cast: Toma Ikuta, Kenta Kiritani, Rinka Kakihara FREELANCERS ANONYMOUS Directed by Sonia Sebastián 81 min | 2018 | USA Billie quits her job right before getting married, launching her into a rag-tag world of unemployed women and tech startups. Official Selection: 2018 FilmOut San Diego, 2018 Frameline Film Festival Cast: Jennifer Bartels, Megan Cavanagh, Alexandra Billings, and Grace Rex THE GOSPEL OF EUREKA Directed by Donal Mosher & Michael Palmieri 75 min | 2018 | USA Love, faith, and civil rights collide in the south as evangelical Christians and drag queens explore the meaning of belief. Official Selection: 2018 SXSW Film Festival, 2018 Sheffield International Documentary Festival Preceded by the short film FAITHFUL directed by Dane Christensen IDEAL HOME Directed by Andrew Fleming 91 | 2018 | USA A bickering gay couple must now deal with the unexpected task of raising a ten-year-old boy. Cast: Paul Rudd, Steve Coogan, Kate Walsh, Alison Pill, Jake McDorman, and Jack Gore JUST CHARLIE Directed by Rebekah Fortune 97 min | 2017 | UK Trapped in the body of a boy, soccer star Charlie is torn between placating her father and shedding this ill-fitting skin. Winner: Best Feature Film for Youth-2017 Zlin Film Festival; Official Selection: 2017 Edinburgh International Film Festival, 2017 Frameline Film Festival Cast: Patricia Potter, Scot Williams, HARRY Gilby, and Karen Bryson LEITIS IN WAITING Directed by Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson 72 min | 2018 | USA/Tonga The story of the Tonga Leitis, a group of transgender women fighting intolerance in the South Pacific Kingdom. Official Selection: 2017 Frameline Film Festival, 2018 Festival International Du Film Documentaire Oceanien, 2017 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival MAN MADE Directed by T Cooper 93 min | 2018 | USA A trans men bodybuilding competition reveals unexpected truths about gender, masculinity, humanity and love. Official Selection: 2018 Outfest Los Angeles, 2018 Frameline Film Festival THE MISANDRISTS Directed by Bruce LaBruce 91 min | 2017 | USA Salacious hell breaks loose within the FLA — a feminist terrorist group — when an injured man appears in their midst. Official Selection: 2017 Berlin International Film Festival Cast: Susanne Sachße, Viva Ruiz, Kembra Pfahler MY BIG GAY ITALIAN WEDDING (Matrimonio italiano) Directed by Alessandro Genovesi 90 min | 2018 | Italy In this merry movie of matrimony, Antonio brings his fiancé Paulo to meet his headstrong parents and reveal his sexuality. Official Selection: 2018 Seattle International Film Festival Cast: Diego Abatantuono, Monica Guerritore, Salvatore Esposito, Cristiano Caccamo, Dino Abbrescia, and Diana Del Bufalo MY LIFE WITH JAMES DEAN (Ma vie avec James Dean) Directed by Dominique Choisy 108 min l 2017 I France Young director Géraud Champreux goes on a wild and woeful film tour that changes his life. Official Selection: 2018 Brussels Pink Screens, 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival Cast: Johnny Rasse, Mickaël Pelissier, and Nathalie Richard QUIET HEROES Opening Night Film Directed by Jenny Mackenzie, Amanda Stoddard, & Jared Ruga 68 min | 2017 | USA One doctor’s fight against stigma, shame, and ignorance at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis against a conservative religious monoculture. Official Selection: 2018 Sundance Film Festival, 2018 QDoc SHAKEDOWN Directed by Leilah Weinraub 72 min | 2018 | USA | Not Rated The chronicle of Los Angeles’ black lesbian strip club scene, an underground, illegal, and legendary moment. Mature audiences only. Official Selection: 2018 Berlin Film Festival, 2017 The Whitney Museum Biennial SHORT FILM PROGRAM: Reverent 89 min | Various A short film program featuring serious, heartfelt, and touching LGBTQ+ films from around the globe. Films include Top 10 Places to Visit in Sao Paulo, Beauty, A Kitchen Can Take You Back, Sunset, Spark, Crook – “Lavender,” and Something About Alex. SHORT FILM PROGRAM: Irreverent 78 min | Various A short film program featuring hilarious, goofy, crass, but still hard-hitting films from around the globe. Films include Magic H8 Ball, Dropping Penny, I Live Here, Scary Lucy, and Femme. SISTERHOOD Directed by Tracy Choi 97 min | 2017 | Macau/Hong Kong/Taiwan Upon seeing a missing person ad for a friend from her past, Sei decides to revisit Macau and makes a startling discovery. Nominated: Best Supporting Actress Nomination Fish Liew & Best New Performer Nomination Jennifer Yu-36th Hong Kong Film Award Cast: Gigi Leung, Fish Liew, and Jennifer Yu TRANNY FAG (Bixa Travesty) Directed by Kiko Goifman & Claudia Priscilla 75 min | 2018 | Brazil Mc Linn Da Quebrada’s electrifying performances (with plenty of nudity) brazenly take on Brazil’s hetero-normative machismo. Official Selection: 2018 Berlin Film Festival, 2018 Sheffield International Documentary Film Festival Preceded the short film MY PRICE directed by Fabricio Santiago TRANSMILITARY Directed by Gabriel Silverman and Fiona Dawson 93 min | 2018 | USA Four transgender individuals put their careers on the line by coming out in hopes of attaining the equal right to serve. Winner: Documentary Competition Audience Award-2018 SXSW; Official Selection: 2018 Frameline Film Festival WE THE ANIMALS Directed by Jeremiah Zagar 94 min | 2018 | USA Manny, Joel, and Jonah tear their way through childhood and push against the volatile love of their parents. Winner: Next Innovator Award-2018 Sundance Film Festival, Future/Now Award-2018 Montclair Film Festival Cast: Raúl Castillo, Josiah Gabriel, Isaiah Kristian, Evan Rosado, and Sheila Vand THE WILD BOYS (Les garçons sauvages) Directed by Bertrand Mandico 110 min | 2018 | France Surrealist, adolescent gender-bending sex fueled fantasy nightmare. A maritime adventure. Winner: Best Director-2018 Vilnius International Film Festival Cast: Pauline Lorillard, Vimala Pons, and Diane Rouxe
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Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival Announces Complete 2018 Lineup

[caption id="attachment_26747" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Forrest Goodluck, Sasha Lane and Chloë Grace Moretz appear in The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Desiree Akhavan.[/caption] The 2018 Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival, taking place July 12-22, 2018, announce the complete programming lineup, with two thirds of this year’s content directed by women, people of color and trans filmmakers. As previously announced, the 2018 Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival opens at the Orpheum Theatre with Kino Lorber’s “Studio 54,” Matt Tyrnauer’s vibrantly nostalgic documentary; and closes with FilmRise’s “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” Desiree Akhavan’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner starring Chloë Grace Moretz. The festival features five world premieres including the deeply felt film from Taiwan, “Bao Bao”; “Bright Colors and Bold Patterns” directed by Michael Urie with a hilarious performance from Drew Droege; Laura Madalinski’s “Two in the Bush: A Love Story” a polyamorous love story; Jamie Patterson’s new feature film “Tucked” about two drag performers connecting across generations; and “Room to Grow” a documentary looking at the lives of queer teenagers today. As well as North American and US Premieres, “Eva & Candela,” “Sodom,” “Canary,” “Cola De Mono,” and “Daddy Issues.” Outfest Los Angeles’ documentary section shines a light on UNSUNG communities, including Alina Skrzesewska’s “Game Girls” which follows a couple as they struggle to navigate life in Los Angeles’ Skid Row, to the much anticipated SXSW Audience Award winner “Transmilitary” about those fighting for an equal chance to service their country. The proactive experimental film section, Platinum, continues to highlight boundary-pushing work with Myyki Blanco and SSION teaming up to create a new short film “No Leash” and a feature documentary by performance artist, Narcissister, in “Narcissister Organ Player.” The infamous Alchemy Party returns, this year at Navel, with 13 performers including Dorian Electra, Saturn Rising, and Slather Factory’s Bebe Huxley, and The Uhuruverse who will stretch your musical imagination. The 2018 Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival will also return to The Ford Theatres. These screenings will kick off on July 18 with a screening of “Bad Reputation,” a documentary about Joan Jett; then Documentary Centerpiece, “When the Beat Drops,” followed by “Postcards from London” and concluding with “Wild Nights with Emily” featuring Molly Shannon. The Closing Night Gala “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” will screen at The Theatre at Ace Hotel. Special events include the 2nd Annual Trans Summit with Oscar nominated and Emmy Award-winning director and producer Yance Ford as the keynote speaker; the Focus On Taiwan event showcasing a collection of Taiwanese films including “Bao Bao” and “Alifu, The Prince/ss”; free screenings of films “Believer,” a documentary from Imagine Dragons frontman, Dan Reynolds, “They,” a family drama from director Anahita Ghazvinizadeh and Showtime’s “Beyond The Opposite Sex”, the long-awaited sequel to groundbreaking film, “The Opposite Sex.” Lastly, OutSet: The Young Filmmakers Project from Los Angeles LGBT Center and Outfest, will be premiering five new shorts on Sunday, July 22nd. Now in its sixth year, the OutSet program empowers youth ages 16-24 to share their stories though film.
2018 OUTFEST LOS ANGELES LGBT FILM FESTIVAL LINE-UP

GALA FILMS:
STUDIO 54 – Opening Night Gala Dir: Matt Tyrnauer, USA, 2018, 98 min OUR FUTURE ENDS – Platinum Centerpiece, Co-Presented by Some Serious Business Dir: Clement Hil Goldberg, USA, 2018, 50 min WE THE ANIMALS – U.S. Centerpiece Dir: Jeremiah Zagar, USA, 2018, 93 min REINVENTING MARVIN – International Centerpiece Dir: Anne Fontaine, France, 2017, 115 min WHEN THE BEAT DROPS – Documentary Centerpiece Dir: Jamal Sims, USA, 2018, 87 min THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST – Closing Night Gala Dir: Desiree Akhavan, USA, 2018, 90 min
DRAMATIC FEATURES
1985 Dir: Yen Tan, USA, 2018, 85 min ANCHOR AND HOPE Dir: Carlos Marques-Marcet, Spain, 2017, 113 min BITTER MELON Dir: H.P. Mendoza, USA, 2018, 100 min BRIGHT COLORS AND BOLD PATTERNS – World Premiere Dir: Michael Urie (For the Stage) & David Horn (For the Screen), USA, 2018, 89 min CANARY (KANARIE) – North American Premiere Dir: Christiaan Olwagen, South Africa, 2018, 120 min COLA DE MONO – US Premiere Dir: Alberto Fuguet, Chile, 2017, 102 min CUERNAVACA Dir: Alejandro Andrade Pease, Mexico, 2017, 89 min DADDY ISSUES – US Premiere Dir: Amara Cash, USA, 2018, 88 min EVA & CANDELA (¿CÓMO TE LLAMAS?) – North American Premiere Dir: Ruth Caudeli, Colombia, 2018, 90 min EVENING SHADOWS Dir: Sridhar Rangayan, India, 2018, 102 min HARD PAINT (TINTA BRUTA) Dir: Filipe Matzembacher & Marcio Reolon, Brazil, 2018, 118 min I MISS YOU WHEN I SEE YOU Dir: Simon Chung, Hong Kong, 2018, 93 min MALILA: THE FAREWELL FLOWER Dir: Anucha Boonyawatana, Thailand, 2017, 96 min MAPPLETHORPE Dir: Ondi Timoner, USA, 2018, 102 min MONTANA Dir: Limor Shmila, Israel, 2017, 79 min PORCUPINE LAKE Dir: Ingrid Veninger, Canada, 2017, 84 min POSTCARDS FROM LONDON Dir: Steve McLean, United Kingdom, 2018, 87 min RIOT Dir: Jeffrey Walker, Australia, 2017, 106 min SKATE KITCHEN Dir: Crystal Moselle, USA, 2018, 105 min SODOM – North American Premiere Dir: Mark Wilshin, United Kingdom, 2017, 94 min THAT NIGHT OF NOVEMBER (NOVE DE NOVEMBRO) Dir: Lázaro Louzao, Spain, 2018, 84 min TUCKED – World Premiere Dir: Jamie Patterson, United Kingdom, 2017, 80 min TWO IN THE BUSH: A LOVE STORY – World Premiere Dir: Laura Madalinski, USA, 2017, 97 min WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY Dir: Madeleine Olnek, USA, 2018, 84 min
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
BAD REPUTATION Dir: Kevin Kerslake, USA, 2018, 98 min CALL HER GANDA Dir: PJ Raval, Philippines/USA, 2018, 93 min CONVERSATIONS WITH GAY ELDERS: KERBY LAUDERDALE Dir: David Weissman, USA, 2017, 69 min DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION! Dir: Caroline Berler, USA, 2018, 58 min EVERY ACT OF LIFE Dir: Jeff Kaufman, USA, 2017, 92 min GAME GIRLS Dir: Alina Skrzeszewska, France/Germany, 2018, 90 min GOSPEL OF EUREKA Dir: Michael Palmieri & Donal Mosher, USA, 2018, 75 min THE ICE KING Dir: James Erskine, United Kingdom, 2018, 89 min LEITIS IN WAITING Dir: Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson & Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Tonga/USA, 2018, 72 min LOOKING FOR? Dir: Tung-Yen Chou, Taiwan, 2017, 60 min MAN MADE Dir: T Cooper, USA, 2018, 97 min MR. GAY SYRIA Dir: Ay?e Toprak, Turkey/France/Germany, 2017, 87 min ROOM TO GROW (World Premiere) Dir: Matt Alber & Jon Garcia, USA, 2018, 89 min SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD Dir: Matt Tyrnauer, USA, 2017, 98 min SHAKEDOWN Dir: Leilah Weinraub, USA, 2018, 82 min TRANSMILITARY Dir: Gabriel Silverman & Fiona Dawson, USA, 2018, 93 min
EPISODIC PROGRAMS
BONDING Created by: Rightor Doyle, USA, 2018, 108 min Two high school BFFS reunite and find they’re different as adults: he’s a newly-out gay man and she’s a dominatrix who’s going to tie him into her UNDERGROUND world of BDSM. VIDA Created by: Tanya Saracho, USA, 2018, 30 min “Vida” is a new Starz Original series about two Mexican-American sisters from the Eastside of Los Angeles who couldn’t be more different or distanced from each other. Circumstances force them to return to their old neighborhood, where they are confronted by the past and surprising truth about their mother’s identity. STRANGERS & FÉMININ/FÉMININ Created by: Mia Lidofsky (Strangers), USA, 2017, 52 min Created by: Chloé Robichaud & Florence Gagnon (Féminin/Féminin), Canada, 2017, 43 min Queer women are finding love and themselves in the second seasons of two of our favorite series from either side of the US/Canada border.
EPISODIC SHOWCASE
From the gay mafia to polyamory to queer and trans realities, this sampler of seven new independent series contemplates where our LGBTQ identities intersect, and how we can move forward together as a movement. RILEY PARRA Created by: Christin Baker, USA, 2018, 48 min Lesbian detective Riley discovers the city’s mean streets are actually a centuries-old battleground between angels and demons. THE FINDING HOME SERIES: LGBT IMMIGRANTS & ASYLUM SEEKERS Dir. Abraham Troen, USA, 2017, 63 min Explore the journeys of three queer immigrants in L.A. who have escaped persecution and violence in their native countries.
PLATINUM SECTION: EXPERIMENTAL FILMS & LIVE EVENTS
THE WILD BOYS (LES GARÇONS SAUVAGES) Dir: Bertrand Mandico, France, 2017, 110 min NARCISSISTER ORGAN PLAYER Dir: Narcissister, USA, 2017, 91 min BIXA TRAVESTY Dir: Claudia Priscilla & Kiko Goifman, Brazil, 2018, 75 min
SHORTS SHOWCASE
Dir: Multiple, UK, USA, Mexico, Canada, 2018, 100 min ALCHEMY PARTY Bae Bae, Bebe Huxley, Dorian Electra, London Jade, Lulo, Luna Lovebad, Mood Killer, Weston Allen, The Uhuruverse, Narcissister, Nebulae Cult, Saturn Rising
SPECIAL EVENTS
THEY Dir. Anahita Ghazvinizadeh, USA, 2017, 81 min After two years of taking hormone blockers to postpone puberty, a non-binary 14-year-old considers whether to transition and where to find their place in the world. BEYOND THE OPPOSITE SEX sponsored by Showtime Networks Dir. Emily Abt & Bruce Hensel, USA, 2018, 89 min In this sequel to Showtime’s The Opposite Sex, Rene and Jamie find that LIFE AFTER gender confirmation surgery comes with its own set of challenges. THE CARMILLA MOVIE sponsored by Shaftesbury Dir. Spencer Maybee, Canada, 2018, 94 min Laura and Carmilla’s domestic bliss is threatened by an unknown evil forcing the “Scooby gang” to team up once more to save their humanity. PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN sponsored by Annapurna Pictures Dir: Angela Robinson, USA, 2017, 108 min Angela Robinson introduces her latest feature about what inspired Harvard psychologist Dr. Marston (Luke Evans) to create the iconic Wonder Woman character. ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: THE DARE PROJECT & CLAY FARMERS Dir: Adam Salky, USA, 2005 & 2018, 33 min Revisit two Outfest classics, including the story of a gay theatre kid and a curious jock reconnecting as adults, and the 30-year anniversary of a moving rural drama reminiscent of Brokeback Mountain. THE ADVOCATE CELEBRATES 50 YEARS: A LONG ROAD TO FREEDOM sponsored by here TV & The Advocate Dir: William Clift, USA, 2018, 105 min Over the course of five decades, The Advocate has reported the breaking news and ongoing challenges of the LGBTQ community. BELIEVER sponsored by HBO Dir. Don Argott, USA, 2018, 101 min Imagine Dragons’ frontman Dan Reynolds makes it his mission to foster acceptance toward LGBTQ members of the Mormon Church by crafting an unforgettable rock festival. ALONE IN THE GAME sponsored by AT&T Entertainment Group Dir. Natalie Metzger & Michael Rohrbaugh, USA, 2018, 95 min This documentary chronicles the challenges and triumphs of LGBTQ athletes in sports today, featuring Robbie Rogers, Gus Kenworthy, Layana White and Megan Rapinoe. BAO BAO – World Premiere – sponsored by Taiwan Academy & Taiwan Ministry of Culture Dir. Guang-cheng Shie, Taiwan, 2018, 97 min A married lesbian couple’s relationship is challenged after one of the women promises their unborn child to another couple. ALIFU, THE PRINCE/SS sponsored by Taiwan Academy & Taiwan Ministry of Culture Dir. Wang Yu-Lin, Taiwan, 2017, 91 min The intersection of several individuals in present-day Taiwan creates a colorful tapestry of LGBTQ lives, including Alifu, a young hairdresser who longs for a sex-change operation. QUEEROES Jill Soloway, Lena Waithe and Tanya Saracho introduce an innovative new mentorship model to elevate queer, trans and POC storytelling. ONE MINUTE MOVIE CONTEST A selection of the work submitted to this year’s Outfest Fusion One Minute Movie Contest, on the topic of Keeping Silent / Speaking Truth. AIDS DIVA: THE LEGEND OF CONNIE NORMAN (Sneak Preview) Dir. Dante Alencastre, USA, 2018, 45 min Seizing her power as she confronts her mortality, trailblazing trans activist Connie Norman evolves as an irrepressible, challenging and soulful voice for the AIDS and queer communities of early 90’s Los Angeles.
Panels & Workshops:
MAKE THEM HEAR YOU: THE TRUTH ABOUT CONTENT BY & FOR LGBTQ+ WOMEN Sponsored by AT&T Hello Lab LGBTQ+ women have been at the forefront of many movements throughout history. However, in Hollywood, queer women remain the least represented community in front of and behind the camera. This discussion will explore the past, present, and future LGBTQ+ women in entertainment, bringing together trailblazers who are leading the charge for a more inclusive and multi-dimensional landscape. TRANS SUMMIT Whether you’re an actor, artist, activist or academic, you’re welcomed here. The afternoon will begin with our Academy Award-nominated keynote speaker Yance Ford (Strong Island), followed by three compelling case studies focused on specific areas of need in media representation. THE ROOM will then come together for an unedited, organic, and dynamic conversation about issues relating to the trans and non-binary experience, moderated by the LA Times’ award-winning reporter Tre’vell Anderson. BI IN THE BIZ sponsored by SAG-AFTRA and SAGIndie While the L, G and T communities have made great strides toward visibility in the culture, the B’s still remain relatively hidden, even in the entertainment industry. This panel will feature out bisexual actors and entertainment industry professionals discussing the specific challenges and opportunities for film, TV and online performers who identify as such. Break out of the bi closet as we explore the politics and the pragmatism of actors living out in the open. THE NEW AIDS NARRATIVE PANEL Nearly 30 years since the first films about the HIV/AIDS epidemic hit the big screen, a new wave of scripted dramas is emerging. Join Outfest and GLAAD for a discussion of the history of HIV/AIDS representation in cinema, and what the arrival of films like BPM (Beats Per Minute), 1985 and Bohemian Rhapsodymeans with regards to telling HIV/AIDS stories to a new generation.
OUTFEST FORWARD
SCREENWRITING LAB: LIVE READING Outfest’s annual live reading of scenes from the five scripts chosen for the 2018 Outfest Screenwriting Lab.
OUTSET SHORTS SCREENING
VICTORY BOULEVARD Dir/Scr: Jonny Alvarez, Producer: Ash Lavacca, Production Designers: Tristin Brown & Juliet Delgado, Mentor: Henry Alberto BLESS THE USA Dir/Scr: Sebastian Vergara, Co-Dir/Producer: Anthony Rizo, Production Design Mentor: Haharhel Valencia, Mentor: Marcos Davalos SIGNOURNEY WEAVER Dir/Scr: Andrea Ngeleka, Producer: Tiffany Patterson, Production Designer: Hesed Kim, Mentors: Doendray Gossfield & Quincy LeNear Gossfield THE CURSE Dir/Scr: Dave Berenato, Producer: Moira McFadden, Production Designer: Juliet Delgado, Mentors: Coley Sohn & Leanna Creel FLAMERS:BOTTOMS IN A BRUSHFIRE Dir/Scr: Capucine Berney, Producer: Alfredo Hernandez, Production Designer: Tristin Brown, Mentor: Assaad Yacoub.
OUTFEST UCLA LEGACY PROJECT
BUDDIES Dir: Arthur J. Bressan Jr., USA, 1985, 81 min DUCK SEASON (TEMPORADA DE PATOS) Dir: Fernando Eimbcke, Mexico, 2004, 90 min SHOPPING FOR FANGS Dir: Quentin Lee & Justin Lin, USA, 1997, 90 min SHOW ME LOVE (FUCKING ÅMÅL) Dir. Lukas Moodysson, Sweden, 1998, 89 min
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WIND TRACES and MAN MADE Win Top Awards at 2018 Atlanta Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_28682" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Wind Traces (Restos de viento)[/caption] The 42nd annual Atlanta Film Festival which took place April 13 to 22, 2018, awarded its top jury prizes to Wind Traces (Restos de Viento) and Man Made. The festival screened nearly 100 narrative features, documentaries and blocks of short films, selections from among the 7,600 submissions the festival received this year from 56 different countries.
2018 Atlanta Film Festival winners
Narrative Feature Jury Award Wind Traces (Restos de Viento) Narrative Feature Special Jury Prize Disappearance Documentary Feature Jury Award Man Made Documentary Feature Special Jury Award Nos Llaman Guerreras (They Call Us Warriors) Narrative Short Jury Award For Nonna Anna Documentary Short Jury Award Zion Animated Short Jury Award Fundamental WonderFilm Award (presented by WonderRoot) Walls of Hope Georgia Film Award Still Filmmaker-to-Watch Award Connor Simpson (Kudzu) Innovator Award Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting) Rebel Award Jason Reitman (Tully) Phoenix Award Kiersey Clemons (Hearts Beat Loud)
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Impressive Slate of 96 Feature Film Selections on Lineup for 4th Bentonville Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_27971" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Mary Goes Round[/caption] The inclusive lineup for this year’s 2018 Bentonville Film Festival includes 42 Competition Films, 13 episodic content presentations, notable showcase screenings of top festival films, critical favorites, anniversary screenings of classics, a presentation of family focused and animated greats, and every film to date from the Marvel Cinema Universe in a special free-to-the-public presentation for BFF’s film fans. “This year’s edition of the Bentonville Film Festival truly exemplifies our mission,” said BFF co-Founder Geena Davis. We are thrilled to honor industry pioneers, while at the same time recognizing current trendsetters and changemakers, and showcasing a new class of inclusive storytellers. To be able to bring them all together in one place to enact change – that is what BFF is all about.” Films in the dramatic feature competition this year include: Marisol Gomez-Mouakad’s ANJELICA; Sanghoon Lee’s BANANA SEASON; Kevin Arbouet’s BENJI THE DOVE; Marinanna Palka’s EGG; Tom Huang’s FIND ME; Sean Olson’s F.R.E.D.I.; Anne-Marie Hess’s GOOD AFTER BAD; Jenna Laurenzo’s LEZ BOMB; Molly McGlynn’s MARY GOES ROUND; Autumn McAlpin’s MISS ARIZONA; Vashhti Anderson’s MOKO JUMBIE; Santiago Rizzo’s QUEST; Alex Ranarivelo’s RIDE; Jenn McGowan’s RUST CREEK; Megan Griffith’s SADIE; Anthony Nardolillo’s SHINE; Ramaa Mosley’s TATTERDEMALION; Mark Dennis and Ben Foster’s TIME TRAP; Teddy Smith’s URBAN COUNTRY; Nadine Truong’s I CAN I WILL I DID; Suzi Yoonessi’s UNLOVABLE; and Kendall Goldberg’s WHEN JEFF TRIED TO SAVE THE WORLD. Documentary features in competition include: Marvin Blunte’s 6 WEEKS TO MOTHER’S DAY; Joanna James’s A FINE LINE; Skye Borgman’s ABDUCTED IN PLAIN SIGHT; Robin Hauser’s BIAS; Stacey Reiss’s DAUGHTERS OF THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION; Luis Prieto’s THE DISUNITED STATES OF AMERICA; Brian Ivie’s EMANUEL; Dan Habib’s INTELLIGENT LIVES; Susan Kucera’s LIVING IN FUTURE’S PAST; Trish Russo and Craig E. Shapiro’s LOVE ALWAYS, MOM; T Cooper’s MAN MADE; Sebastien Paquet’s MIND OVER MATTER; Rob Herring and Ryan Wirick’s THE NEED TO GROW; Kulap Vilaysack’s ORIGIN STORY; Kate Hickey’s ROLLER DREAMS; Mark Hayes’s SKID ROW MARATHON; Robin Berghaus’s STUMPED; Jillian Moul and Matthew Moul’s SURVIVING HOME; Maya Washington’s THROUGH THE BANKS OF THE RED CEDARS; P.J. Marcellino, and Hermon Farahi’s WHEN THEY AWAKE and Sally Colón-Petree’s WOMEN LIKE US. The Episodic Projects vying for prizes are: Ben Strang’s Beast; Morgan Beck’s Brooke; Keith Miller’s Brooklynification; Jennifer Morrison’s Fabled; Raj Trivedi’s From Jappan; Corrie Chen and Tori Garrett’s Mustangs FC; Kholi Hicks’s Reaver Vs. Specter; Max Rissman’s Root for the Villain; Will Seefried’s Sink Sank Sunk; Andrew Olsen’s SusaneLand; Jeremy Redleaf’s Threads; Milena Govich’s Unspeakable; and Allison Vanore’s Whatta Lark (Ep 1). BFF previously announced that Elissa Downs’s THE HONOR LIST would make its world premiere as the Opening Night selection, with Lea Thompson’s THE YEAR OF SPECTACULAR MEN screening as this year’s Centerpiece selection. Special Spotlight selections include; Carlos Lopez Estrada’s drama BLINDSPOTTING, about the intersection of race and class, set against the backdrop of a rapidly gentrifying Oakland; Sara Driver’s documentary BOOM FOR REAL, about legendary New York City-centric artist Jean-Michel Basquiat; Brett Haley’s crowd-pleaser HEARTS BEAT LOUD, starring Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemons as a father and daughter, who form an unlikely songwriting duo; Julie Cohen and Betsy West documentary RBG, about the inestimable Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Andrew Bujalski’s latest, SUPPORT THE GIRLS, about a restaurant manager attempting to outmaneuver the owner as she tries to help one of her employees; and Jennifer Fox’s Sundance hit, THE TALE, which stars Laura Dern, Ellen Burstyn, and Common, in a devastating film which dramatizes Fox’s reconciling her memories of her first sexual relationship with the reality of what actually transpired. The Sony/ConAgra Outdoor Theatre @ Lawrence Plaza will offer a number of family-friendly and animated hits including; the recent Academy Award winner, Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina’s COCO, Ang Lee’s classic, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (2000); Otto Bell’s adventure film, THE EAGLE HUNTRESS (2016); both Joe Johnston’s JUMANJI (1995) and Jake Kasdan’s recent blockbuster hit, JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, and Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook’s animated classic, MULAN (1998), celebrating its 20th Anniversary. Additional highlights and events within the film festival are; the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge Finalists screening on Wednesday, May 3, followed by a Q&A with founder Nic Novicki; the special Project Zero screening and event on, Sunday, May 5, to raise awareness for the Arkansas-based organization’s mission to diligently and passionately promote adoption through the foster care system; the Helen R. Walton Children’s Enrichment Center, Ready Nation, Moms in Film and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families presentation of Raising America on Friday, May 4, followed by a panel discussion with Kyle Peterson, Alysia Reiner and others; the Samsung Create Event, on Thursday, May 23, presenting student filmmakers challenged to make a short film based on the mission of BFF by utilizing a Samsung Galaxy phone and tablet; and Marvel Experience, Wednesday May 2 – Friday May 4, at Skylight Cinema which will offer the ultimate Marvel Experience for film fans, with free film screenings, themed concessions and galactic experiences. For the 4th consecutive year, BFF will remain the only film festival in the world to offer guaranteed distribution to its narrative feature film winner. BFF’ s distribution partners include AMC Theatres, Lifetime, Starz, ACI-Inspires and others. In 2018, BFF will add new prizes for its other juried categories. Through a partnership with MarVista Entertainment, the winner of the Short Film Competition will be awarded a directing role on one of MarVista’s future feature films, providing an opportunity for diverse ideas, opinions and stories to be heard. The winner of the Documentary Film Competition will receive a mentorship prize package sponsored by ITVS, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that has, for over 25 years, funded and partnered with a diverse range of documentary filmmakers to produce and distribute untold stories. The Episodic Competition winner will receive a prize package sponsored by SeriesFest, an award winning festival dedicated to showcasing the best and boldest in episodic storytelling from around the world, that includes a screening at the SeriesFest Season 4 in Denver, a consultation with an industry professional, and a VIP Badge.
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42nd Atlanta Film Festival to Feature Lineup of Record +200 Films, ‘EIGHTH GRADE’ ‘BLINDSPOTTING’ ‘TULLY’ and More

[caption id="attachment_27761" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Eighth Grade[/caption] The 42nd Annual Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF), less than a month away, announced the full lineup of films includes 58 feature length films and 150 short films from 56 countries, along with special programming, that will take place from April 12 to April 22, 2018. Director Bo Burnham, the comedian known for his popular stand-up routines and YouTube career, will attend the Closing Night presentation of his new film EIGHTH GRADE at the Plaza Theatre on Saturday, April 21. EIGHTH GRADE joins ATLFF’s previously announced Opening Night and Marquee presentations, including BLINDSPOTTING from ‘Hamilton’ actor and Tony Award-winner Daveed Diggs and TULLY from the Academy Award® -nominated director Jason Reitman. “The growth of the Atlanta Film Festival reflects the rising importance of Georgia’s film industry, and we’re proud to showcase that connection by hosting a record 49 films with Georgia ties,” ATLFF Executive Director Christopher Escobar said. “We are 100 percent committed to providing a unique festival experience that honors our roots and creates a diverse opportunity for filmmakers of all levels, while also displaying an important role that our city represents in the film and television community.” The Atlanta Film Festival is pleased to showcase diverse feature and short films that connect audiences to filmmakers from around the world. This year, ATLFF will host the world premiere of seven feature-length films and more than 50 short films during the 2018 festival. In addition, 68 percent of this year’s selected submissions were directed by either a woman or filmmaker of color.
OPENING NIGHT PRESENTATION
BLINDSPOTTING Directed by Carlos López Estrada USA, 2018, English, 95 minutes Collin (Daveed Diggs) must make it through his final three days of probation for a chance at a new beginning. He and his troublemaking childhood best friend, Miles (Rafael Casal), work as movers and are forced to watch their old neighborhood become a trendy spot in the rapidly gentrifying Bay Area. When a life-altering event causes Collin to miss his mandatory curfew, the two men struggle to maintain their friendship as the changing social landscape exposes their differences. Lifelong friends Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal co-wrote and star in this timely and wildly entertaining story about friendship and the intersection of race and class set against the backdrop of Oakland. Bursting with energy, style and humor, “Blindspotting,” boldly directed by Carlos López Estrada in his feature film debut, is a provocative hometown love letter that glistens with humanity. Actors/Writers/Producers Daveed Diggs & Rafael Casal are scheduled to attend. Prior to the film, Daveed Diggs will be presented with the ATLFF Innovator Award.
CLOSING NIGHT PRESENTATION
EIGHTH GRADE Directed by Bo Burnham USA, 2018, English, 94 minutes Thirteen-year-old Kayla endures the tidal wave of contemporary suburban adolescence as she makes her way through the last week of middle school—the end of her thus far disastrous eighth grade year—before she begins high school.
MARQUEE FILMS
AMERICAN ANIMALS Directed by Bart Layton USA, 2018, English, 117 minutes The unbelievable but true story of four young men who mistake their lives for a movie and attempt one of the most audacious art heists in US history. #Marquee HEARTS BEAT LOUD Directed by Brett Haley USA, 2018, English, 97 minutes Frank (Nick Offerman) and his daughter Sam (Kiersey Clemons) form a songwriting duo shortly before she leaves for college. As they grow closer through their music, Frank must come to terms with letting go of his daughter. Toni Collette, Ted Danson, Sasha Lane and Blythe Danner also star. #Marquee LEAN ON PETE Directed by Andrew Haigh UK/USA, 2017, English, 121 minutes Fifteen-year-old Charley Thompson (Charlie Plummer) arrives in Portland, Oregon with his single father Ray (Travis Fimmel), both of them eager for a fresh start after a series of hard knocks. While Ray descends into personal turmoil, Charley finds acceptance and camaraderie at a local racetrack where he lands a job caring for an aging Quarter Horse named Lean On Pete. The horse’s gruff owner Del Montgomery (Steve Buscemi) and his seasoned jockey Bonnie (Chloë Sevigny) help Charley fill the void of his father’s absence—until he discovers that Pete is bound for slaughter, prompting him to take extreme measures to spare his new friend’s life. Charley and Pete head out into the great unknown, embarking on an odyssey across the new American frontier in search of a loving aunt Charley hasn’t seen in years. They experience adventure and heartbreak in equal measure, but never lose their irrepressible hope and resiliency as they pursue their dream of finding a place they can call home. #Marquee LEAVE NO TRACE Directed by Debra Granik USA, 2018, English, 108 minutes Will (Ben Foster) and his teenage daughter, Tom (Harcourt McKenzie), have lived off the grid for years in the forests of Portland, Oregon. When their idyllic life is shattered, both are put into social services. After clashing with their new surroundings, Will and Tom set off on a harrowing journey back to their wild homeland. #NewMavericks, #Marquee A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN Directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire France/Thailand/UK, 2017, English/Thai, 116 minutes “A Prayer Before Dawn” is the remarkable true story of Billy Moore, a young English boxer incarcerated in two of Thailand’s most notorious prisons. He is quickly thrown into a terrifying world of drugs and gang violence, but when the prison authorities allow him to take part in the Muay Thai boxing tournaments, he realizes this might be his chance to get out. Billy embarks on a relentless, action-packed journey from one savage fight to the next, stopping at nothing to do whatever he must to preserve his life and regain his freedom. Shot in a an actual Thai prison with a cast of primarily real inmates, “A Prayer Before Dawn” is a visceral, thrilling journey through an unforgettable hell on earth. #Marquee RBG Directed by Betsy West, Julie Cohen USA, 2018, English, 97 minutes U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg has created a breathtaking legal legacy for women’s rights while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon. The personal journey of this diminutive, quiet warrior’s rise to the nation’s highest court during a hostile time for women, is revealed in this inspiring and multidimensional portrait. Now 84, Ginsburg refuses to relinquish her passionate duty, continues to have vigorous dissenting opinions and her exercise workouts. #NewMavericks, #Marquee SUMMER 03 Directed by Becca Gleason USA, 2018, English, 96 minutes Inspired by true events, “Summer 03” centers on Jamie, a 16-year-old girl (Joey King) and her extended family who are left reeling after her calculating grandmother (June Squibb) unveils an array of family secrets on her deathbed. Jamie is left to navigate her nascent love life and maintain her closest friendships in the midst of this family crisis. #Georgia, #NewMavericks, #Marquee TULLY Directed by Jason Reitman USA, 2018, English, 94 minutes A new comedy from Academy Award-nominated director Jason Reitman (“Up in the Air”) and Academy Award-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody (“Juno”). Marlo (Academy Award-winner Charlize Theron), a mother of three including a newborn, is gifted a night nanny by her brother (Mark Duplass). Hesitant to the extravagance at first, Marlo comes to form a unique bond with the thoughtful, surprising, and sometimes challenging young nanny named Tully (Mackenzie Davis). #Marquee WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? Directed by Morgan Neville USA, 2018, English, 94 minutes Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville’s latest documentary takes an intimate look at America’s favorite neighbor: Mister Fred Rogers. A portrait of a man whom we all think we know, this documentary is an emotional and moving film that takes you beyond zip-up cardigans and the land of make-believe, and into the heart of a creative genius, who inspired generations of children with compassion and limitless imagination. #FamilyFriendly, #Marquee YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE Directed by Lynne Ramsay UK/France/USA, 2017, English, 85 minutes A traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, Joe’s nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening. #Marquee
NARRATIVE FEATURES
LOS AÑOS AZULES (THE BLUE YEARS) Directed by Sofía Gómez-Córdova Mexico, 2017, Spanish, 103 minutes Four young adults as different as the four seasons have managed to craft a home for themselves in the shattered relic of a once beautiful house. When a new tenant throws a wrench into their precariously balanced dynamic, the group will both grow closer and drift apart as they journey into adulthood. #CineMás I’M HERE Directed by Noor Gharzeddine USA/Lebanon, 2018, Arabic/English, 83 minutes Kirsten, brazen American post-grad, befriends her next-door neighbor, Nadine, an intelligent mother relegated to full-time Beirut housewife. The greater the unlikely friendship grows, the harder it becomes for the women to dismiss the obvious abuse and neglect of Nadine’s husband. As the final days of Kirsten’s life in Beirut draw to a close, Nadine must face her husband and settle things once and for all. #NewMavericks, #WorldPremiere CABEZA MADRE (MOTHER’S HEAD) Directed by Edouard Salier Cuba/France, 2017, Spanish, 89 minutes John, a first-generation American, travels to visit his estranged mother in her home country of Cuba for the first time in years. Upon his arrival John is shocked to learn that not only was his mother mixed up with a checkered group of criminals, but she has died in incredibly extreme circumstances. Desperately seeking answers, John will be forced to reckon with the realities of his mother’s life and answer to his own responsibility in her fate. #CineMás CARDINALS Directed by Grayson Moore, Aidan Shipley Valerie has just returned home from a prison sentence served for a drunk driving accident that cost her neighbor his life. All Valerie wants is to return to a normal life with her husband and two daughters, but when her victim’s son shows up at her door it becomes clear that the past is not behind her. His lingering suspicions cast doubt on her motivations – was his father’s death an accident after all? #Competition CLARA’S GHOST Directed by Bridey Elliott USA, 2018, English, 93 minutes Clara Reynolds is the under-appreciated matriarch of a family in the spotlight. Her husband is an aging comedian that is beginning to recognize his career may be behind him and her daughters are a pair of former child stars attempting to claim a place in the industry as adults. When the family reunites at their home in rural New England, Clara’s long tradition of being relegated to the sidelines drives her to a breaking point. Desperate for connection, Clara finally finds it with the ghost of a woman who only has eyes for her. #NewMavericks DEAD PIGS Directed by Cathy Yan China, 2017, Chinese/English, 132 minutes A Chinese farmer loses his livelihood when pigs mysteriously die across the country. An eccentric woman fights to save her family home from encroaching gentrification, as an American expat architect spearheads the same project in order to make a name for himself in a new land. A young man scraping by as a busboy in a glitzy Shanghai restaurant enters a complicated relationship with a young socialite seeking something outside of her privileged upbringing. As the government struggles to explain the dead pig crisis, each of these stories interconnects in surprising ways as our motley cast of characters searches for a meaningful life. #Competition DISAPPEARANCE Directed by Ali Asgari Iran/Qatar, 2017, Persian, 88 minutes When a young virgin decides to sleep with her boyfriend, she finds herself under threat from her conservative society. Desperate for a solution, the couple travels from hospital to hospital searching for help and finds their relationship tested in the face of the consequences of their actions. #Competition FACADES Directed by Nathalie Basteyns, Kaat Beels Belgium, 2017, Dutch/French, 91 minutes Alex’s world is turned upside down when her mother abruptly abandons her dementing father. But when Alex moves home to care from him, she finds herself forced to confront a traumatic incident from her childhood and the things she should not have seen. The journey to reckon with her past will find Alex addressing the ways her parents’ marriage has shaped her own relationships, most importantly with her adulterous husband. In order to move forward, Alex must confront the reality of her past. #Competition, #NewMavericks FAT TUESDAY Directed by Jorge Torres-Torres USA, 2017, English, 80 minutes Caught up in the glitz and pageantry of Mardi Gras, a group of friends find themselves enamored with the infamous city of New Orleans. However, as their celebratory night draws to a close, a sinister presence begins to prey upon the unsuspecting tourists. IN THE SHADOWS Directed by Dipesh Jain UK/India, 2017, Hindi, 117 minutes A reclusive shopkeeper spends his life isolated from the outside world, interacting with his home of Old Delhi solely through hidden closed-circuit cameras. Meanwhile, a boy struggles to protect his mother and younger brother from the harsh sting of his father’s hands. When the shopkeeper overhears this abuse he must break free from his self-imposed prison in order to help the boy, discovering a shocking truth along the way. IT’S A PARTY Directed by Weldon Wong Powers USA, 2018, English, 78 minutes Successful Atlanta rap artist Cory Masters is late for his own surprise birthday party. While his friends anxiously await his arrival, each one individually addresses their own existential crisis. As the night drags on, hilarity ensues amongst the party-goers as they ponder life, careers, and relationships with Cory. Get yo’ a** to the party. #Georgia LAMP LIGHT Directed by Mason Rey USA, 2018, English, 90 minutes Crippled by insecurity and doubt, Don Gos struggles with a stilted career and dating life. As he contemplates his failures while driving home one evening, a tunnel collapses on top of him. Buried alive with no hope of rescue, he is unsure of whether or not he will survive and he ceremoniously bids adieu to the rest of his life. #Georgia, #WorldPremiere MELOCOTONES (PEACHES) Directed by Hector Valdez Dominican Republic/UK, 2017, Spanish/English, 80 minutes In the retrofuture, Diego attempts to salvage his relationship with girlfriend Laura by taking her to the hotel where they once vacationed as a happy couple. But when they arrive, the hotel is no longer in business and Laura’s ex-boyfriend shows up, demanding to have her back. In an attempt to rectify the situation, Diego accidentally traps himself and Laura in a continuous time loop. #CineMás NEVER STEADY, NEVER STILL Directed by Kathleen Hepburn Canada, 2017, English, 111 minutes Living in a remote part of Canada, Judy battles daily with the pain and inconvenience of Parkinson’s Disease. After her husband dies suddenly, Judy’s world is turned upside down, leaving her with the daunting task of caring for herself. Judy’s son Jamie has recently left home at his father’s insistence to find work on the harsh Canadian oil fields. In the face of his mother’s illness, Jamie will grapple with balance between his responsibility to her and his mother’s desire to see him forge his own life. #NewMavericks POOR JANE Directed by Katie Orr USA, 2017, English, 89 minutes Jane is a stay at home mom who has just realized she doesn’t love her husband anymore. She decides to bid her family adieu for the holidays and spends her time reconnecting with herself by dating other men, reconnecting with old flames, and writing poetry. When the holidays are over, Jane must choose between her new life or the one she left behind. #Georgia, #NewMavericks PRISON LOGIC Directed by Romany Malco USA, 2018, English, 93 minutes Two college students film a documentary on larger-than-life, chain-smoking inmate Tijuana Jackson, who is currently serving time in prison. After he is released, Tijuana arrives back home where he is met with the demands of both his family and his parole officer. He leaves home and embarks on a road trip to follow his dreams of becoming a life coach and motivational speaker, but is met with some surprises along the way. RESTOS DE VIENTO (WIND TRACES) Directed by Jimena Montemayor Loyo Mexico, 2017, Spanish, 93 minutes In the wake of losing their father and patriarch, a family drifts aimlessly through life. The mother, Carmen, struggles with depression and the task of caring for her children in the wake of her abandonment. Disappointed by the adults in her life, oldest daughter Ana shuts down while her brother opens himself up to the mysterious otherworldly figure that has suddenly appeared in his life. Together, the family will have to grow and let go of their fears in order to survive. #Competition, #CineMás, #NewMavericks SAVAGE YOUTH Directed by Michael Curtis Johnson USA, 2018, English, 97 minutes Elena, an aspiring young artist, meets and falls in love with Jason, a horrorcore rapper. Suddenly engrossed in his world, Elena finds herself binging drugs and alcohol as her young love quickly fizzles. Driven into a friendship with drug dealer Gabe, Elena tries to find herself within this new world. But when a robbery in the midst of a house party goes terribly wrong, Elena will be thrust into a much more violent and dangerous confrontation. STILL Directed by Takashi Doscher USA, 2018, English, 88 minutes When Lily (Madeline Brewer) loses her way on a hike through the Appalachian wilderness, she finds rescue in the form of a peculiar married couple, Ella (Lydia Wilson) and Adam (Nick Blood), who have completely isolated themselves from the outside world. As the couple nurses Lily back to health, she begins to discover evidence of a dark and dangerous secret a century in the making. As Ella and Nick’s mystery begins to unravel, Lily comes to understand the couple’s desperation to keep themselves hidden from the world. #Georgia, #WorldPremiere STRANGE COLOURS Directed by Alena Lodkina Australia, 2017, English, 85 minutes When Milena learns her estranged father has fallen ill, she travels to the remote opal mining community he calls home. Crossing paths with many of the fellow male miners, Milena discovers the opals themselves are not nearly the most colorful facet of this freedom oasis. As the bond between father and daughter strives to mend, Milena discovers that the “here and now” may be far more valuable than any unearthed gem. #Competition, #NewMavericks T-JUNCTION Directed by Amil Shivji Tanzania, 2017, Swahili, 106 minutes When her estranged father suddenly passes, Fatima finds herself struggling to mourn a person to which she had no connection. As she helps her grieving mother collect records from the nearby hospital, she meets Maria, a patient with a complex past and mysterious injuries. Maria begins to tell Fatima a story of her home, T-Junction, and the family that she found amongst its colorful residents. As the two women bond, Fatima begins to come to terms with the complexity of her own home, family, and life. TELL ME YOUR NAME Directed by Jason DeVan USA, 2018, English, 89 minutes Abused by her father and abandoned by her mother as a young child, Ashley is sent to live with her estranged Aunt Tanya. During her stay, she becomes obsessed with investigating the disappearance of her mother and she calls upon the spirit world to answer her questions. In her quest, she is ensnared by a powerful demon who refuses to leave its host. #Georgia THY KINGDOM COME Directed by Eugene Richards USA, 2018, English, 42 minutes A priest visits the residents of a small town and demonstrates the healing power of listening. From prisons to living rooms, the priest compassionately listens to people from all walks of life openly reveal their deepest secrets, hopes and dreams as they struggle to reconcile their past with their present. #Competition TIGRE Directed by Silvina Schnicer, Ulises Porra Guardiola Argentina, 2017, Spanish, 92 minutes Sixty-five year old Rina visits her home in the Tigre Delta accompanied by her forty-something friend Elena. They await the arrival of their estranged children, hoping that the island sanctuary will create a space for reconnection. Instead, they find that the home is threatened by encroaching industrialization and their children feel more distant than ever. The two women struggle to hold onto a way of life that may be already out of reach. #Competition, #CineMás, #NewMavericks VENUS Directed by Eisha Marjara Canada, 2017, English, 95 minutes Having recently embraced her own identity, Sid, a transgender woman, finds herself tangled in a complex web of expectations and aspirations when she discovers she has a 14-year-old son. With new relationships adding to the struggle of culture, religion, and romance in Sid’s journey to acceptance, everyone’s in for a wild ride. #PinkPeach WHEN SHE RUNS Directed by Robert Machoian, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck USA/Denmark, 2018, English, 71 minutes Kirstin, a young wife and mother, competes for a spot in the the Olympic trials. In her quest to win, she sacrifices it all as she moves out of her house and leaves behind her husband and young son. While her marriage and finances suffer, she trains obsessively, embarking on a strict diet, exercise and motivational plan she hopes will bring her to Olympic gold. YAMASONG: MARCH OF THE HOLLOWS Directed by Sam Koji Hale USA, 2017, English, 95 minutes In a futuristic world filled with fantastical, mechanized creatures, one automaton girl joins forces with a tortoise warrior and a band of outlaws to defeat a sinister army bent on world domination. Their only hope? A perilous journey to find a legendary relic with the power to save them all. Starring Nathan Fillion, Abigail Breslin, Whoopi Goldberg, Malcolm McDowell, Bruce Davison, Freida Pinto, George Takei, Peter Weller and Ed Asner, “Yamasong: March of the Hollows” is the first feature length non-muppet puppetry film in over a decade. #FamilyFriendly, #WorldPremiere
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
ABU Directed by Arshad Khan Canada/Pakistan, 2017, English/Urdu/Hindi, 80 minutes Using home videos and classic Bollywood films, a filmmaker crafts an intimate portrait of his Pakistani-Muslim family grappling with the realities of having a gay son in a modern world. Torn between sexuality and religion, tradition and migration, a gay son and his father test the boundaries of love, home, and the meaning of family. #PinkPeach ARMED WITH FAITH Directed by Geeta Gandbhir, Asad Faruqi USA/ Pakistan, 2017, Pashto/Urdu, 74 minutes Hidden within the mountainous border of Pakistan and Afghanistan are some of the most violent homegrown terrorist groups. For years, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban have attacked local Pakistani residents with improvised explosive devices in a bid to control the region. Operating on a low budget and scarce resources, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bomb Disposal Unit risk their lives daily to counter this terrorism and safeguard their neighbors with their unparalleled faith and courage. BLACK MEMORABILIA Directed by Chico Colvard USA/China, 2018, English/Chinese, 64 minutes In the history of racism in the United States, one major physical manifestation of oppression has survived into the present, wrapped in the protective embrace of antiquity and historical preservation—black memorabilia. What was once a brand of trinket that played on racial stereotypes for the delight of white buyers, finds itself suspended in a limbo of race and time. As different forces in the United States fight to preserve, consume, and reclaim black memorabilia, the journey to address present day racism is only further complicated by industrialization in China and a desire to save cultural context for future generations. #Competition COCAINE PRISON Directed by Violeta Ayala Bolivia/Australia/France/USA, 2017, Spanish, 77 minutes In a world dominated by drug trade and ineffectual police forces, it is often the lowest, replaceable workers in the hierarchy who find themselves imprisoned. Enter the claustrophobic world of Bolivia’s infamous San Sebastian prison. This detailed look at a broken system of arrests and jail time follows the story of one young cocaine mule, Hernan, as he suffers the same fate a countless other disposable workers. At the same time, his sister, Deisy, treds a careful line between freeing her brother and avoiding entanglement in the same cocaine trade that destroyed his life. #CineMás FREEDOM FOR THE WOLF Directed by Rupert Russell Hong Kong/Tunisia/India/USA/Germany, 2018, English/Mandarin/Arabic/Hindi, 89 minutes What is a democracy? Across the globe, this heralded form of government is under attack by the very leaders it elected. In this groundbreaking documentary, we follow the crisis of faith in five different countries. From Hong Kong, to Tunisia, to India, to Japan, and even to the so called birthplace of democracy—the United States of America—what was once believed to be the pinnacle of human society is being torn at by hungry wolves seeking power and status for themselves. In the face of threats that come in the guise of friendly leaders, what can the people do to save their democratic freedoms? Can the tides be turned back, or is “freedom for the wolf” destined to bring “death for the sheep?” #Competition INGRID Directed by Morrisa Maltz USA, 2018, English, 52 minutes Ingrid, a successful fashion designer and mother, dropped everything to create a new life for herself in the middle of the woods. Since then, she has carved out an isolated existence, surviving off her own wit and labor while creating art from the land she now calls home. But as Ingrid’s past is uncovered in this meditative documentary, the question of what drives someone to leave a life of ordinary comforts to pursue a life spent in solitude comes to light. #Competition, #NewMavericks ISLAND SOLDIER Directed by Nathan Fitch USA/Federated States of Micronesia/Afghanistan, 2017 English/Kosraean, 85 minutes Every year, young Micronesian citizens leave their families and island homes on military deployment—as United States soldiers fighting for the American dream. Torn between the failing economics of their native country and a complicated historical relationship with the United States, these young islanders become the pieces is larger puzzle that pits jobs and security against the reality of fighting for a country you neither belong to nor have any rights in. #Georgia LIYANA Directed by Aaron Kopp, Amanda Kopp USA/Swaziland, 2017, English/siSwati, 77 minutes Five orphaned children living in Swaziland collectively weave a cathartic tale of love, hope, and bravery through a fictional character they create named Liyana. When Liyana’s parents die and her brothers are kidnapped, she embarks on a perilous journey to face her darkest fears and reclaim her family’s future. While the children immerse themselves in the imaginary, the viewer catches an intimate glimpse of a truer paralleled reality and the childlike wonder that persist through it all. #Georgia, #FamilyFriendly MAN MADE Directed by T Cooper USA, 2018, English, 93 minutes At the world’s only all-transgender bodybuilding competition, four male bodybuilders take the stage. What precedes this triumphant moment are a set of personal and diverse journeys taken on the path to self-identity and empowerment. Told through the intimate and honest lens of a trans filmmaker, this documentary intertwines the nuances of manhood, the drive for social justice, and the competitive desire to forge our own paths and be our personal best. #Competition, #Georgia, #PinkPeach, #WorldPremiere MAN ON FIRE Directed by Joel Fendelman USA, 2017, English, 54 minutes Grand Saline seemed like your average small town in Texas until the day when Charles Moore, an elderly white preacher, publicly set himself on fire to protest the town’s long history of racism. Catapulted to the spotlight by this powerful act of self-harm, the ordinary small town of Grand Saline was asked to address its storied past. What was recorded instead is a town’s deeply rooted internal divisions and an overwhelming attempt to ignore and vehemently deny any wrongdoing by many members of Grand Saline’s mostly white population. MAYNARD Directed by Sam Pollard USA, 2017, English, 99 minutes In 1970, Maynard Jackson Jr. was elected as mayor of the city of Atlanta, sparking a revolution in the black community. As the first black mayor elected in a major Southern city, his campaign ignited African American voter turnout and his service in office paved the way for the creation of diversity and inclusion norms, still practiced and revered in present day. #Georgia MERMAIDS Directed by Ali Weinstein USA/Canada, 2017, English, 76 minutes All throughout the United States, there exists a vibrant and mythical subculture dedicated to the existence of real life mermaids. In the exploration of the history and present of this peculiar passion, Mermaids takes us on a journey into the lives of five incredible women who spend their free time, and sometime work hours, donning full-size tails at pools, beaches, and bars. In watching them transform into the sea-creatures of their dreams, we gain beautiful insight into the complicated lives of women who differ in every way but are drawn to the same ideal of unearthly beauty and freedom. #NewMavericks, #PinkPeach NOS LLAMAN GUERRERAS (THEY CALL US WARRIORS) Directed by Jennifer Socorro, Edwin Corona Ramos, David Alonso Venezuela/USA/Mexico/Jordan, 2018, Spanish/English, 81 minutes In a country torn apart by political and economic upheaval, a team of young women finds refuge in a sport that rises above their personal poverty and gendered social status. But when this new soccer team goes undefeated in all of South America, these women find themselves in the position to win Venezuela’s first World Cup and gain a new acceptance and voice in their home country. #Competition, #CineMás, #WorldPremiere NOTHING WITHOUT US: THE WOMEN WHO WILL END AIDS Directed by Harriet Hirshorn Burundi/France/Spain/Nigeria/USA, 2017, English/French, 67 minutes For the past 30 years, women around the world have been on the move to tear down the forces that would silence them. Forgotten and overlooked in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, these women, particularly women of color, are fighting to destroy the myths and stigmas that surround this disease. Following the lives of present day activists around the world, this documentary charts the fight of women living with HIV/AIDS while also exploring the historical blind eye turned toward women during this long epidemic. Through education, medical and emotional support, and government action, these women will not stop until their voices are heard and HIV/AIDS is eradicated. #Georgia, #NewMavericks ONIBO Directed by Julien Mauranne, Victor Guillon France/Peru, 2017, Spanish/Shipibo, 60 minutes Curious about urban life outside of their rural Peruvian village, two teenage brothers of the Amazonian Shipibo Indians leave for Lima to chase their dreams. Aware of the sage advice and dutiful hesitation of their parents, the boys arrive only to discover that dark realities are hiding inside a booming metropolis. Together, they’ll have to make their own way and reconcile their desire for modernity with an ancestral knowledge that is soon to be theirs. #Competition, #CineMás SILAS Directed by Anajli Nayar, Hawa Essuman Canada/South Africa/Kenya/Liberia, 2017, English, 80 minutes Faced with environmental destruction and governmental corruption, Liberian activist Silas Siakor is fighting back to save the country he loves. In this stunning ode to grassroots resistance, Silas highlights how the power of an individual and the use of modern technology empowers local communities to rise up and lead the environmental struggle on a global scale. #Competition TAKE LIGHT Directed by Shasha Nakhai Nigeria/Canada, 2018, Pidgin English, 78 minutes When it comes to power and electricity, Nigeria is a country in crisis. Torn between its desire to enter the global stage and its inability to provide one of the major first world utilities, the country lives in limbo. Through the door to door travellings of an optimistic electrician and a hesitant power company representative, the complicated dynamics of a country’s ineffectual energy structure and the havoc it wreaks begins to unfold. 306 HOLLYWOOD Directed by Elan Bogarín, Jonathan Bogarín USA/Italy/Hungary, 2018, English/Italian, 94 minutes After the loss of their grandmother, a brother and sister foray into the depths of magical realism to excavate and appreciate the home she left behind. Their journey examines an individual’s microcosmic universe and the physical and emotional weight that indelibly carries on after a life ends. In this documentary, the ordinary becomes the extraordinary and a New Jersey home becomes a classical ruin to be revered by archaeologists, archivists and scientists alike. #Competition WAITING FOR DAVID Directed by Emelie Svensson, Karin Oleander USA/Sweden, 2018, English, 41 minutes April 19, 1993. After a grueling 51-day standoff between the FBI and the Branch Davidian cult in Waco, Texas, over 70 members of the cult perished when their compound went up in flames. Now 25 years later, survivor Clive Doyle is still waiting for cult leader and messiah David Koresh to resurrect alongside Clive’s own deceased daughter. #WorldPremiere
SHORT FILMS
CARBON COPY Filaments of connection floating in projector light. Documentary, 95 minutes The Last Tape | directed by Cyprien Clément-Delmas & Igor Kosenko, Ukraine/Germany, 12:12 A young man and a veteran meet for the last time before the Ukraine war separates them. Charming Strangers | directed by Weichao Xu, USA, 22:24 Through the lens of a vintage film camera, a Chinese photographer and his 8-year-old students rediscover their experience as immigrants in the United States. #Competition Dengê min Hilgirt (Carry My Voice) | directed by Hasan Demirtas, USA/Turkey, 19:02 A personal story of love and separation against the backdrop of an episode of Kurdish history with profound consequences to this day. Hallo Salaam (Hello Salaam)| directed by Kim Brand, The Netherlands/Greece, 15:07 Two young boys visit a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos. First encounters of handing out food and careful greetings soon become playful gatherings and good conversations. All The Leaves Are Brown | directed by Daniel Robin, USA, 11:00 A short film about memory, loss, family, and a sugar maple tree. #Competition, #Georgia Oma | directed by Bill Kirstein, USA, 15:24 A rich discovery in a dusty attic raises long forgotten questions for a centenarian facing the loss of her short-term memory. An exploration of memory, secrets and living to be 100. HARD WORLD FOR SMALL THINGS Portraits of young minds and steel spines. Narrative, 102 minutes Chandler | directed by Julia Kennelly, USA, 9:14 Feeling ignored on an important day, a 12-year-old girl seeks attention from an unexpected source. #NewMavericks وقت نهار (Lunch Time) | directed by Alireza Ghasemi, Iran, 15:57 A 16 year old girl goes to the hospital to identify the body of her mother. But age, bureaucracy, and culture might prevent her from seeing her mother one last time. Varg (Wolf) | directed by Frida Kempff & Erik Andersson, Sweden, 11:41 In the shadow of a violent threat, a young woman must decide whether or not to take action to save her family’s way of life. Marlon | directed by Jessica Palud, France, 19:50 Marlon, 14 years old, is visiting her mother in jail for the first time since her imprisonment. Protected by her family, she stubbornly believes that her mother is still her childhood heroine… #NewMavericks 茧 (Cocoon) | directed by Mei Liying, China, 25:41 When Qingqing questions her mom’s odd relationship with a female friend, she discovers a secret that will unravel her peaceful family life and her burgeoning conceptions of love, sex, and female desire. #NewMavericks, #PinkPeach San Miguel | directed by Cris Gris, Mexico/USA, 19:30 In order to help heal her grieving mother, Ana, a devout 9 year old girl, pushes her faith to its limit in hopes of divine intervention. #Competition, #CineMás, #NewMavericks IMAGINARY FLYING MACHINES Renderings of an animated technicolor world. Animation, 102 minutes Tête à Tête | directed by Natasha Tonkin, United Kingdom, 7:41 One family’s search for connection in a digital world. #Competition, #NewMavericks Negative Space | directed by Max Porter & Ru Kuwahata, France, 5:30 My dad taught me how to pack. Tokri (The Basket) | directed by Suresh Eriyat, India, 14:22 Two insignificant lives lost and found in time. Two Balloons | directed by Mark C. Smith, USA, 9:08 Two travelers return to a place crossed by stars and clouds where love is at the beginning of everything. #Competition Heaven | directed by Miguel Anaya, Mexico, 11:19 In the late 40’s, a pilot, who visits isolated communities to bring them food and rescue the sick, loses his brother who wanted to be like him. #Competition, #CineMás Railment | directed by Shunsaku Hayashi, Japan, 9:40 In a continuous scenery, his physical movement stays in the same position. #Competition Ming | directed by Danski Tang, USA, 3:07 A Chinese woman’s experience as a live figure model while abroad. #Competition, #NewMavericks 10 | directed by Yu-Ting Cheng, USA, 3:38 An autistic 5-year-old with leukemia suffering both physically and mentally in the darkness of pain. INN | directed by Zion Chen, USA, 4:26 A strange girl draws a young man’s attention in the inn. And the Moon Stands Still | directed by Yulia Ruditskaya, Belarus/Germany/USA, 10:47 The presence of the moon affects all under its glow. The film explores the lunar cycle and the energies invoked by its radiance. #Competition SOG | directed by Jonatan Schwenk, Germany, 10:14 A people of humanlike creatures lash out viciously against a shoal of fish that had unintentionally entered their desolate land. #Competition The Box | directed by Dušan Kastelic, Slovenia, 12:12 The Box is full of miserable creatures. One of them doesn’t belong there. He’s thinking outside the box… #Competition KABOOM Unicorns, Rasputin, Sharknado – oh my! Puppets and clay that will blow your mind. Puppetry & Stop Motion Animation, 64 minutes You Can’t Play With Us | directed by Jason Rhein & Serene Bacigalupi, USA, 15:44 When an inquisitive dinosaur happens upon some musical unicorns at Marshmallow Mountain, they aren’t as friendly as he expects. TubeHeads – Haie im Weltraum (TubeHeads – Sharks in Space) | directed by Henning Ricke & Daniel Raboldt, Germany, 5:18 A puppet sketch comedy for the generation Y, ‘TubeHeads’ is a wired and wonderful joyride through pop- and high culture with nerdy humor and general mischief. Quarters | directed by FIG House, Canada, 5:00 A flippantly animated portrait of typical flat denizens who live together, yet apart. To Be | directed by Farzaneh Omidvarnia, Iran/Denmark, 6:01 Seeking refuge, a group of migrants must brave unknown perils and one unfriendly climate after the next. #NewMavericks Nevada | directed by Emily Ann Hoffman, USA, 12:07 A young couple’s romantic weekend getaway is interrupted by a birth control mishap in this stop-motion animated comedy. #Competition, #NewMavericks The Legend of Rasputin | directed by Jamie Shannon, Canada, 12:40 A dark historical comedy about the first tabloid star Grigori Rasputin, presenting a chapter in his life through puppets. Don’t Think of a Pink Elephant | directed by Suraya Raja, United Kingdom, 7:20 A teenage girl fights her intrusive thoughts. #NewMavericks LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE Glimpses beyond the veil of time and space. Narrative, 110 minutes Arlo Alone | directed by Nicole Dorsey, Canada, 16:28 A futuristic drama that follows a young woman as she comes to terms with her own loneliness in a world where in-person contact has become a rarity. #Competition, #NewMavericks Expire (Exhale) | directed by Magali Magistry, France, 13:12 In a world blanketed by toxic fog, one young woman, alone in the world, tries to connect despite the inherent danger in stepping outside. #NewMavericks Low Tide | directed by Joseph Sackett, USA, 10:05 A queer supernatural break-up album about a woman who falls in love with an angel. #PinkPeach Paleonaut | directed by Eric McEver, China/Japan/USA/Singapore, 15:51 A scientist studying the first human time traveller falls in love with her subject. But if her research succeeds they will become separated by eons of history… The Emissary | directed by Bryan Tan, USA, 21:17 Liv Laika embarks on a solitary mission to a distant planet in search of her ancestors who fled the earth nearly a century prior. #Georgia After Her | directed by Aly Migliori, USA, 14:39 A wayward teenage girl goes missing and her friend is haunted by her disappearance. An atmospheric sci-fi about first love and the lost girl. Souls of Totality | directed by Richard Raymond, USA, 18:44 A relationship story about the sacrifices we make, the things we don’t say, and love’s seemingly supernatural ability to conquer all. LAUGHTER Humorous collisions of circumstance and character. Narrative, 77 minutes Sticky | directed by Richard Turley, United Kingdom, 13:06 A suburban tale of lust, chewing gum and first class stamps. My Lethal Weapon | directed by Hope Leigh, USA, 9:24 A young blonde must navigate treacherous power dynamics when she’s pulled over late at night by a “friendly” cop. #Georgia, #NewMavericks The Homestay | directed by Priyanka Mattoo, USA, 11:48 A sheltered Indian couple visits their son in the U.S. for the first time and bungles their apartment rental, ending up in close quarters with their hosts, a gay couple and their dogs. #PinkPeach Offstage | directed by Andrei Huțuleac, Romania, 25:15 A famous Romanian actor is kidnapped by the obsessed mother of his biggest fan. Hail Mary Country | directed by Tannaz Hazemi, USA, 18:09 Macho Grandmother Irene Dandy has to defend her family of football fanatics when they are robbed by Nora, a cocky thief with an all male posse. #NewMavericks MADEINUSA Broad stripes and bright stars, the American ethos. Documentary, 99 minutes Footprint | directed by Sara Newens, USA, 17:05 A purely observational meditation on how different people engage with the World Trade Center Memorial, exploring the ways we choose to commemorate tragedy in the age of technology, social media, and changing attitudes toward patriotism. #Competition Shot. | directed by Aemilia Scott, USA, 9:30 Footage from every police shooting over the last two years, taken unedited, and aligned ⎯⎯⎯ synchronised to the moment of the first gunshot. #Competition Nuuca | directed by Michelle Latimer, USA/Canada, 12:58 The oil boom in North Dakota has brought tens of thousands of new people to the region and with that has come an influx of drugs, crime and sex trafficking. #Competition, #NewMavericks Socks on Fire: Uncle John and the Copper Headed Water Rattlers | directed by Bo McGuire, USA, 15:05 A failed poet takes up cinematic arms when he returns home to Hokes Bluff, Alabama to discover his homophobic aunt has locked his drag queen uncle out of the family home. #Competition, #PinkPeach The Fourth Kingdom | directed by Adan Aliaga & Alex Lora, Spain/USA, 14:21 The kingdom of plastics, a redemption center in NY for immigrants and underdogs where the American Dream becomes possible indeed. Brooklynn | directed by Charlie Mysak, USA, 12:14 A deeply personal look into how gun violence impacts a family long after the media spotlight fades away. Towards the North | directed by Jessica Chermayeff & Joshua Bennett, Mexico/USA, 17:48 With their sights set on the U.S., mother and daughter cover the length of Mexico, facing immigration officials and taking selfies along the way – only to arrive in Tijuana where the US border suddenly becomes a dark reality. #CineMás NOBODY’S WOMAN Painstaking accounts of lives led, loved, and lost. Narrative, 103 minutes Pas Papa (Not Daddy) | directed by Tamara Vittoz, France, 24:24 Anna doesn’t feel like an ordinary girl. Her violent father has gone for what seems like forever, and her mom keeps pushing her to forget he exists. Still, she dreams of meeting him. #NewMavericks, #PinkPeach Ράγες (Tracks) | directed by Elina Fessa, Greece, 12:08 A student on her way to class. A mother trying to cope. One accident where they’ll learn what they’re made of. #NewMavericks Nevada | directed by Emily Ann Hoffman, USA, 12:07 A young couple’s romantic weekend getaway is interrupted by a birth control mishap in this stop-motion animated comedy. #Competition, #NewMavericks هایلایت (Highlight) | directed by Shahrzad Dadgar, Iran, 23:42 The reflection of sexual issues such as virginity, abortion and sex reassignment surgery in lives of three women spending an afternoon in a beauty salon in Tehran, Iran. #NewMavericks, #PinkPeach Counterfeit Kunkoo | directed by Reema Sengupta, India, 15:00 In a city that houses millions, Smita finds herself fighting beasts of a different kind as she discovers a strange prerequisite to renting a house in middle-class Mumbai. #Competition, #NewMavericks Ming Wang Shin Tu (To Pluto) | directed by Yen-Ju Lee, Taiwan/United Kingdom, 15:58 A nurse who finds herself stuck in her current job and a dying long-distance relationship meets a cancer patient who is trying to find the family he abandoned before it is too late. #NewMavericks OF ONE BLOOD Family ghosts of the past, present, and future. Narrative, 99 minutes Pantheon | directed by Ange-Régis Hounkpatin, France, 24:35 Cut off from his family roots, Solomon is about to donate his deceased father’s Voodoo costume to a museum when a young street-dancer reminds him that the ancestral soul still remains. #Competition Forgive Me | directed by Besim Ugzmajli, Kosovo, 15:00 Manipulated into joining a terrorist group, Bujar tries to convince his brother Agron to help his wife Mimosa join him in Syria. Upset Body | directed by Delphine Le Courtois, Canada, 20:30 Gabrielle, a young independent woman, must face difficult questions when unexpected news comes hurtling into her life. #NewMavericks Ke | directed by Jun Chong, Singapore, 13:05 An elderly Taiwanese lady goes to Singapore’s only Hakka cemetery to try and find her late grandfather’s grave before the cemetery is relocated. Një Muaj (A Month) | directed by Zgjim Terziqi, Kosovo, 26:19 The real life story of a blind woman with no home and her four sisters’ pact to keep her at their respective residences for a month each. THE PLACE PROMISED IN OUR EARLY DAYS Meditations on weathered hands and patient hearts. Narrative, 104 minutes For Nonna Anna | directed by is Luis De Filippis, Canada, 13:17 A trans girl cares for her Italian grandmother. She assumes that her Nonna disapproves of her – but instead discovers a tender bond in their shared vulnerability. #Competition, #PinkPeach Saturday Night Special | directed by Esteban Garcia Vernaza, USA, 12:00 In a fit of anger, young Wesley embarks on a journey through the dangerous streets in search of some food for his baby sister. Khane Sefid (White House) | directed by Madeh Arastoo Mafakheri, Iran, 20:00 A brand new religious leader, searching for identity, finds himself in over his head and isolated during his first rural village assignment. Emergency | directed by Carey Williams, USA, 11:40 Faced with an emergency situation, a group of young Black and Latino friends carefully weigh the pros and cons of calling the police. Altmuligmand (Odd Job Man) | directed by Marianne Blicher, Denmark, 22:00 An old man struggling with life gets the chance to pursue a dusty dream. #PinkPeach Magic ‘85 | directed by Annika Kurnick, USA, 25:00 During the height of the AIDS epidemic in LA, Gabriel, a lonely hospice worker, helps lead his patients to a conscious death. #Competition, #PinkPeach REBELS OF THE NEON GOD Turbulent intersections of love and tech. Narrative, 96 minutes Wyrm | directed by Christopher Winterbauer, USA, 19:45 Wyrm has two days to complete his Level 1 Sexuality Requirement, typically osculation (aka kissing), or he’ll be held back as part of the school district’s No Child Left Alone program and forced to wear his My.E.Q. Electronic Monitoring Collar through high school. #Competition They Wait For Us | directed by Lukas Schrank & George Thomson, United Kingdom, 21:48 In a near-future end-of-life care facility, a reclusive hospital worker starts to believe a coma patient is secretly communicating with him. 基石 (Fundamental) | directed by ShihChieh Chiu, Taiwan, 7:10 A story of a teenager who discovers the strange and terrifying reality behind fundamentalism. #Competition STHLM HUNTERS | directed by Tor Helmstein, Sweden, 17:11 Amateur vigilantes Bibi and Kenneth must prove that the man they’ve taken hostage really is the internet pedophile they’re looking for. Long Bueno | directed by Abílio Dias, Brazil, 29:57 Mauro runs and runs, but Long Bueno remains far far away. #CineMás SPRING IN MY HOMETOWN Films and filmmakers grown in Georgia clay. Narrative (Local), 85 minutes M.A.F.I.A. | directed by Frances Chang, USA, 4:45 Discouraged by online dating, these women have turned to a new app, M.A.F.I.A., to find love. #Georgia Something Bigger | directed by Chris Anthony Hamilton, USA, 8:57 Teea confides in her best friend about her existential crisis when an ominous visitor interrupts their moment of connection. #Georgia Jukebox Girl | directed by Alex Richard Thomas, USA, 9:32 The mayor’s daughter, Brenda moonlights as a criminal stuck between putting her delinquent days behind her or succumbing to a life of crime. #Georgia Beeda After the Wake | directed by Nina Marinov, USA, 10:04 In a southern magical realism story of loss, an observant five year old girl is left on her own to navigate death and grief. #Georgia, #NewMavericks Pupae | directed by Ryan Hope Travis, USA, 8:32 Compelled to confront his past, Moses returns home after living in a swamp for 7 years. #Georgia Cells | directed by Raymond Wood, USA, 12:00 A doctor is held captive by a group of masked intruders who force him to answer why billions of dollars go wasted each year in the name of medical research. #Georgia Jookuhdo | directed by Crystal Jin Kim, USA, 12:30 An antique shopkeeper is floored when her long-lost, yakuza-involved love suddenly reappears four years after his supposed death and is dying to find if this can be true. #Georgia, #NewMavericks On the Fence | directed by Cassidy Detmer & Jared Callahan, USA, 8:00 Pete attempts to reconnect with his family after escaping from a drug recovery center. #Georgia Snapshot | directed by Brett Bagwell, USA, 9:59 Expressed through the memories and dreams of a 12-year old boy, a mother and son struggle to cope with the absence of the father. #Georgia STUD LIFE What makes a man? Narrative & Documentary, 104 minutes Gutten er Sulten (The Hunger) | directed by Kenneth Karlstad, Norway, 20:59 A sixteen year old boy with an intense desire for recognition seeks out a vicious criminal to prove his boundless grit. Street Racers | directed by Aurélien Heilbronn, Dominican Republic/USA/France, 9:09 Deep in the Dominican Republic’s illegal motorbiking culture, a tight-knit community of teens risk their lives to entertain themselves, blocking off motorways and hitting high speeds on small custom bikes. #Competition Rice Ball | directed by Yusuke Oishi, Japan, 15:00 In the wake of a matriarch’s death, a father and son grapple with their grief and the sudden realization that nothing, not even food, will ever be the same. ZION | directed by Floyd Russ, USA, 10:25 A portrait of Zion Clark, a young wrestler who was born without legs and grew up in foster care. #Competition The Things You Think I’m Thinking | directed by Sherren Lee, Canada, 14:17 A black male burn-survivor and amputee goes on a date with a regularly-abled man. #PinkPeach Make Them Believe | directed by Taimi Arvidson, USA/Russia, 13:59 A Russian wrestler enchanted by the United States plays the ultimate villain as the stars and stripes-clad character “American Hope” in Moscow’s underground wrestling ring. Men Don’t Whisper | directed by Jordan Firstman, USA, 22:00 After being emasculated at a sales conference, gay couple Reese and Peyton set out to do the most masculine thing they can think of – sleep with some women. #Competition, #PinkPeach THOSE WHO MAKE TOMORROW Exceptional avant-garde works that transform through beauty, wit and wonder. Experimental, 83 minutes Civilized Landscapes | directed by Taryn Ward, USA, 1:04 The evolution of corporation culture and its overwhelming presence on contemporary life. Dream Phone | directed by Kendra Lohr, USA, 3:43 Who — who — who’s got a crush on you! Was it all a dream? #NewMavericks Royal Jelly | directed by Stephanie Burbano, Canada, 9:53 A vivid exploration of drag brought about by experimentation and a unique insight into life. #PinkPeach 165708 | directed by Josephine Massarella, Canada, 6:37 A woman looks out from the shoreline, acting as a point of departure to disparate yet interconnected sequences, prompting the viewer to engage in a structurally unique mode of inquiry and experience. #NewMavericks Blot | directed by Benjamin Rouse, USA, 2:15 A film about loss. #Georgia Because I Love You | directed by Yu-Ting Cheng, USA, 4:01 Nothing else matters other than love. #NewMavericks, #PinkPeach Farewell Transmission | directed by Mike Rollo, Canada, 14:05 Equal parts indexical record of the demolition of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s CBK Transmitter Station in 2015 and subjective response to the residual media documenting the event. 601 Revir Drive | directed by Josh Weissbach, USA, 8:40 An animal carefully guards an outlined space as a river runs backwards. gutterball | directed by Sam Gurry, USA, 1:07 I was in a bowling league in third grade where I routinely rolled my ball into the next lane and ate a lot of cheese fries. #NewMavericks Down Escalation | directed by Shunsaku Hayashi, Japan, 7:20 Falling down, it feels ecdysone is filling up its body. Delving into the deeper layers of itself, the flesh is melted down in the shell until the form is no longer. SDtoHDuprezMaxV2_009.mp4 | directed by Anna Spence, USA, 4:10 Booted from the limelight, Max Headroom now roves the video signal on the search for his life’s meaning. #Georgia Edge of Alchemy | directed by Stacey Steers, USA, 19:00 Mary Pickford and Janet Gaynor, delicately lifted from their early silent films, are cast into a surreal epic with an upending of the Frankenstein story amid a contemporary undercurrent of hive collapse. #NewMavericks UNDER THE SAME MOON Blueprints of borders fabricated internally and externally. Narrative & Documentary, 107 minutes Eighth Continent | directed by Yorgos Zois, Greece, 11:00 On Lesvos Island, an old abandoned dump lies within two big craters, overflowing with thousands of life jackets from the refugee waves. #Competition Abu Adnan (Adnan’s Father) | directed by Sylvia Le Fanu, Denmark, 25:13 Sayid wants to keep his status as a father and the family patriarch in a new linguistic and cultural setting, despite his sons progress in assimilating to the Danish language culture. #Competition I Have a Message for You | directed by Matan Rochlitz, Israel/United Kingdom/Belgium, 12:45 To save her life, a woman left her father to die. Decades later, she got a message from him. The Driver is Red | directed by Randall Christopher, USA, 14:37 Set in Argentina 1960, this true crime documentary follows the story of secret agent Zvi Aharoni as he hunted down one of the highest ranking Nazi war criminals on the run. EUNA | directed by Seung-Hyun Chong, Korea/Germany, 18:45 A young factory worker tries to come to grips with her life as an outsider. Sin Cielo (Without Heaven) | directed by J.S. Maarten, USA, 24:59 Delia and Memo are like most teenagers; defiant, hormonal, always on their phones; except they live in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods bordering Northern Mexico – where Dollars rule and missing girls’ bodies turn up mysteriously in the river or never at all. #CineMás WALKING DISTANCE Snapshots of peach state roots. Documentary (Local), 61 minutes The Last Man You Meet | directed by Chris Bone, USA, 5:00 Take an exclusive look inside the gritty business of death as a third-generation funeral director reflects on his life. #Georgia Archive | directed by Adam Forrester, USA, 2:00 Filmed in a single-take, this experimental documentation of the demise of the iconic Georgia Archives Building in Atlanta, Georgia, explores our desire to preserve the past, our appetite to make way for the future, and the complex intersection of those urges. #Georgia The Whole Speaks | directed by Caroline Rumley, USA, 2:15 In two minutes we follow Nelms Creekmur through the process of creating a bottle opener out of a discarded railway tie. But it’s more than that. It’s a two minute manifesto on the creative process as a whole, applicable to any medium. #Georgia AWARE | directed by Jeremy Cournyea, USA, 7:08 The AWARE Wildlife Center is a non-profit that cares for injured and orphaned Georgia wildlife and promotes peaceful coexistence with our animal neighbors. #Georgia Magic is Everywhere | directed by Jordan Noel, USA, 14:48 A short documentary following the final few shows of Wil Wright, AKA Lil Iffy, who borrows characters, language and situations from the Harry Potter books to tell his own version of typical hip hop stories and themes. #Georgia Walls of Hope | directed by Elisabeth Pritchett, USA, 8:16 A short documentary about the Walls of Hope project in Savannah, Georgia and its creative and inspiring impact on the community. #Georgia American Dreaming | directed by Matthew Hashiguchi, USA, 10:56 With no guarantees of employment or opportunity, undocumented immigrants strive to obtain a college degree in the state of Georgia, where they are barred from enrolling in its most selected colleges and universities. #Georgia Atlanta From the Ashes | directed by Andrew Litten, USA, 10:07 An exploration of Atlanta’s resiliency, and how the youth of Atlanta can look to the past for leadership and perseverance to move forward. #Georgia WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS A weird and wacky balm for the soul. Narrative, Animation, & Documentary, 68 minutes ME OLEMME UNESSA (WE ARE IN A DREAM) | directed by Henna Välkky & Eesu Lehtola, Finland, 6:15 Based on personal recordings of people narrating their recurring dreams and nightmares, we race through their unconscious desires and fears. Miedo De Monos (Fear of Monkeys) | directed by Michael Arcos, USA, 5:35 My father told me a story about why he is afraid of monkeys. His fear dates back to 1958 in Ecuador. This is what happened… #CineMás Ceviche | directed by Doménica García, USA, 9:37 Six women from different generations reveal the hidden emotions behind the preparation of Ceviche. #NewMavericks, #CineMás Stay Ups | directed by Joanna Rytel, Sweden, 11:00 A middle-aged woman is about to get nightly visits from a young man. Her child is, as usual, in the way. #Competition, #NewMavericks Sinformist | directed by Jade Yuchun Chao, USA, 2:08 Each person is accompanied by a demon that represents his/her biggest faults. Namoro à Distância (Long Distance Relationship) | directed by Carolina Markowicz, Brazil, 4:48 A brief story about a gentleman who’s obsessed about having sex with ETs. #CineMás Raisin | directed by Danny Hunt, USA, 13:05 Two young sisters are abducted by strange creatures that pretend to be their parents. AI ZAI SHI JIE MO RI (Love After Time) | directed by Tsai Tsung-han, Taiwan, 15:24 After a nuclear explosion, two mutant humans fall in love. YEAR OF THE CARNIVORE Tales of breaking points, cruelty, and carnage. Narrative, 108 minutes Krista | directed by Danny Madden, USA, 9:24 In her high school theater class, Krista uses her scene study as catharsis. #Competition Kudzu | directed by Connor Simpson, USA, 14:50 During a scorching summer in rural Alabama, a young boy wrestles with a deepening sense of remorse after the disappearance of his friend. Runner | directed by Clare Cooney, USA, 12:40 A woman goes for a jog and witnesses something she can’t run away from. #NewMavericks Retouch | directed by Kaveh Mazaheri, Iran, 19:37 While bearing witness to a serious accident, Maryam must decide whether to act or live with the consequences. U Plavetnilo (Into the Blue) | directed by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic, Croatia/Slovenia/Sweden, 22:08 An abused teenage girl thirsts for love, but her best friend’s cruelty awakens in her the violence she’s been desperately trying to escape. #NewMavericks TV in the Fishtail | directed by Iesh Thapar, USA/India/United Kingdom, 13:20 As electricity is introduced to a remote Trans-Himalayan village, an adolescent boy struggles to reconcile his excitement with the abjection that surrounds him. Home Shopper | directed by Dev Patel, USA, 16:32 In a loveless marriage, Penny finds solace in the hypnotic escape of the home shopping channel. When things take an unexpected turn, the channel proves to be her saving grace … or perhaps it was the origin of the problem all along. YOUNG AND WILD Fables for kids who still believe in magic. Animation & Puppetry (Family Friendly), 49 minutes Undiscovered | directed by Sara Litzenberger, USA, 2:49 Sasquatch has always remained elusive in photos–but not for the reasons we think. 那個午後的冒險 (The Adventure of the Afternoon) | directed by Vance Yang & Stella Huang, Taiwan, 7:45 The tale of a boy who meets an unexpected friend on a beautiful afternoon. They start an adventure journey to discover the world. The Puppy Trials | directed by Thomas Nicol & Becky Nicol, USA, 4:02 An older dog teaches puppies how to behave. Goodbye Sam | directed by Theo Taplitz, USA, 4:59 A boy and his posse say goodbye to a beloved friend. Voyagers | directed by Gauthier Ammeux, Valentine Baillon, Benjamin Chaumény, Alexandre Dumez, Léa Finucci, & Marina Roger, France, 7:33 A tiger, escaping his hunter, ends up in a space station occupied by an astronaut and his goldfish… Babushka | directed by Sabrina Brady, USA, 4:01 A young girl’s day spirals out of control after she meddles with her grandmother’s potion and sets off an unwanted explosion. #NewMavericks You Can’t Play With Us | directed by Jason Rhein & Serene Bacigalupi, USA, 15:44 When an inquisitive dinosaur happens upon some musical unicorns at Marshmallow Mountain, they aren’t as friendly as he expects. SHORT FILMS ATTACHED TO FEATURES Ablution | directed by Omar Al Dakheel, USA, 15:00 The bond between a disabled Muslim father and his son is tested when love is pitted against religion. #PinkPeach Absent | directed by Sudarshan Suresh, USA/India, 16:15 Resigned to a mundane life of caring for a mother with dementia, Zola sees a fleeting chance at escape when she runs into an old crush. Broke | directed by Asad Farooqui, USA, 12:46 A struggling Muslim couple attends their first therapy session to save their marriage, but things don’t go as planned. #Georgia Color Blind | directed by Daniel Oramas, USA, 4:47 A rookie cop and his senior partner find themselves at odds over the current political climate during a long night on the job in this charged satire. #Georgia Doug | directed by Daniel Oramas, USA, 8:02 A night home alone gets weird when Rebecca and her brother Kevin hear a knock at the door. #Georgia The Last Honey Hunter | directed by Ben Knight, Nepal/USA, 35:50 In the mist-shrouded mountains of Nepal’s Hongu River valley, you will find a wiry and unassuming man named Mauli Dhan Rai, who is believed to be chosen by the gods for the perilous rite of honey harvesting. #Competition Laws of the Game | directed by Aegina Brahim, United Kingdom/ Suriname, 18:00 A fierce Surinamese female referee fights for her place in the world of men’s football. #Competition, #NewMavericks, #CineMás Los Comandos | directed by Joshua Bennett & Juliana Schatz-Preston, El Salvador/USA, 29:32 Sixteen-year-old Mimi, a dedicated medical emergency volunteer, lives in the cross hairs of gang violence. When her fellow Comando, 14-year-old Erick, is gunned down while serving, she faces pressure to flee El Salvador and head north. #CineMás Mi Tesoro (My Treasure) | directed by Michael Flores, El Salvador, 22:35 A cleaning woman steals a Salvadoran Civil War map and hunts for a treasure in the hopes of reuniting with her son. #CineMás Pink Dolphin | directed by Tuo Kan, USA, 4:11 A story about the one and only Pink Dolphin living in the ocean looking for his companions and trying to survive from the assaults and taunts of other sea creatures. #PinkPeach Saltwater Baptism | directed by Jared Callahan & Russell Sheaffer, USA, 17:22 Santiago Gonzalez IV, a first generation Mexican-American, struggles with the tensions between his sexuality, nationality, and religion as he prepares for his college graduation. #PinkPeach The Shadow | directed by Isaac Switzer, USA, 2:27 A girl faces a looming darkness. Towards the Sun | directed by Monica Santis, USA/United Kingdom, 20:00 Under the looming threat of deportation, an unaccompanied minor at an immigrant children’s shelter in Texas embarks on a healing journey and learns to express herself through the power of art. #CineMás, #NewMavericks Umbrella | directed by Rhys Ernst, USA, 15:50 Against the backdrop of rising anti-trans legislation, Umbrella chronicles the stories of four transgender individuals across America united in their passion to create change. #PinkPeach #Georgia The Wolf Guru | directed by Mian Qin, USA/China, 4:50 A man is attacked by a group of wolves and their monster leader. When he finally makes it to safety, however, he must face one more challenge in the form of the monster’s real identity. #Competition
VIRTUAL REALITY
Deerbrook Directed by Grayson Moore, Aidan Shipley, Jon Riera, Connor Illsley Canada, 2017, English, 14:34 Two strangers show up at a family’s cottage claiming to have spent their childhood summers there, but their behaviour seems to be driven by something more sinister than nostalgia. Lá Camila Directed by Jak Wilmot USA, 2018, English, 20:00 When the storms of nature threaten her very existence, the viewer must help a young shepherd girl take on the responsibilities of her deceased papá. #Georgia Hoodoo Directed by Catherine Salkeld UK, 2017, English, 6:30 A short adventure where we follow the adventures of Claw a simple cat exploring a mysterious fragment of a forgotten world. Reading Room Directed by Alexander Sandy White USA, 2017, English, 5:09 Driven to protect his identity, an introspective bookkeeper explores the power of thought and memory within a broken world of book burning and censorship. Micro Giants Directed by Yifu Zhou China, 2017, English, 6:00 “Micro Giants” tells the story of insects and plants in the microecosystem with vivid detail and elaborate design. Ready to Learn, Ready to Live Directed by Thomas Nybo USA/Afghanistan, 2017, English, 5:30 In remote Afghanistan, an illiterate girl takes you on her journey to learn how to read and write. #Georgia Step to the Line Directed by Ricardo Laganaro USA/Brazil, 2017, English, 11:43 Step to the Line takes you inside maximum-security prisons in the US and provides a new perspective on prisoners, the system, and yourself. #Georgia Submerged Directed by Nishtha Jain India, 2016, Hindi/English, 8:10 An immersive experience about how climate change and defective government policies are precipitating one of the largest exoduses of migrant labour in the world. Naive New Beaters ‘Heal Tomorrow’ Directed by Romain Chassaing France, 2016, English, 3:48 Follow the story of Naive New Beaters’ singer through his spectacular rise and unfortunate demise in a series of events during a live performance. Anicca Directed by Cecilia Sweet-Coll USA, 2016, No Dialogue, 6:06 An exploration of impermanence through visual music in virtual reality.
EPISODIC SHOWCASE
The Midnight Service – Home Invasion Directed by Brett Potter, Dean Colin Marcial | USA, 2017, English, 7:13 A broke Miami comedian’s retreat into the Everglades is interrupted by an uninvited visitor. The Rick and Stanley Show Directed by Mike Lars White | USA, 2017, English, 7:00 Two men in a beat-up car discuss love, sex, Kenny G, and potato guns. Hug It Out Directed by Jason Eksuzian | USA, 2017, English, 7:17 Gwen, recently-divorced with longstanding intimacy issues, becomes a professional snuggler in L.A. to make ends meet. Limits Directed by Kevon Pryce | USA, 2017, English, 17:40 How not to maintain a relationship in the social media era. #Georgia 2 Kawaii 4 Comfort Directed by Luke Palmer, John Bickerstaff | USA, 2017, English, 23:17 5 emotionally stunted anime fans are forced to confront everything they are hiding from at the one convention where they go to escape reality Manic Directed by Kate Marks | USA, 2017, English, 17:02 An Ivy-league bound, overachieving teen is derailed after a manic episode lands her in a school for kids with mental illness.
MUSIC VIDEOS
Don Broco: “Technology” Directed by Benjamin Roberds | USA, 2017, English, 3:51 #Georgia Apoc’s: “Hurricane Goddamn!” Directed by Scott Upshur | USA, 2017, English, 6:00 Original Swimming Party: “Biggest Curse” Directed by Amy Allais | South Africa, 2017, English, 5:04 Surfer Blood: “Taking Care of Eddy” Directed by Sachio Cook, Niko Guardia | English, 2017, USA, 3:29 Strangers (Feat. “Pressure” by Milk & Bone) Directed by Eve Duhamel, Julien Vallee | Canada, 2017, English, 3:16 Casey Benjamin: “Dig” Directed by Video Rahim | USA, 2017, English, 4:01 #Georgia K.R.U.S.H.: “No Fucks Given” Directed by Brit Wigintton | USA, 2017, English, 3:25 #Georgia The Invisible Man: “Let Me Ride” Directed by Francesca Mirabella | USA, 2017, English, 4:48 Meinschaft: “The Midday Sun At Midnight” Directed by Haoyan of America | USA, 2017, English, 6:15 Dizzee Rascal: “Bop N Keep It Dippin” Directed by Romain Chassaing | UK/France, 2017, English, 6:13 DEDSA: “Annihilation” Directed by Robbie Ward | USA, 2017, English, 6:17 Ben Burden: “White Lighters” Directed by Zelda June | USA, 2017, English, 2:00 LUNICE: “Distrust” feat. Denzel Curry, J.K. the Reaper and Nell Directed by Sam Rolfes | USA, 2017, English, 3:04 Tom Rosenthal: “Oh No Pedro” Directed by Annlin Chao | UK, 2017, English, 3:26 #PinkPeach Porter: “La China” Directed by Jorge G. Camarena | Mexico, 2016, Spanish, 5:11 #CineMás Ty Segall: “Break a Guitar” Directed by Matt Yoka | USA, 2017, English, 4:27
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
ATLFF Screenplay Competition: Script Read Join us for a script read of selections from each of the three 2018 Atlanta Film Festival Feature Screenplay Competition winners, featuring local SAG-AFTRA actors. #Georgia re:imagine/ATL Presents: CURRENTS on Tour – Teen Takeover Film festivals have long been an anchor for allowing a platform for stories surrounding cultural influences to be brought to light—now it’s time to listen to youth voices. This screening will be featuring content conceived of and produced by Atlanta teens. Join us opening night of the Atlanta Film Festival for a showcase of content based around teen social commentary, followed by a panel discussion from the teen storytellers themselves. #Georgia, #FamilyFriendly The Rocky Horror Picture Show It’s a Plaza Theatre institution! Lips Down On Dixie performs the interactive version of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at Midnight each Friday. YOU42 Presents: “Dead By Midnight/11 PM Central” Directed by Torey Haas, Tony Reames, Eric Davis, Jay Holloway, Anissa Matlock USA, 2018, English, 88 minutes It’s Halloween at WKIZ when the malicious Mistress of Midnight (Erin Brown) arrives to host her annual horror movie marathon ‘Dead by Midnight.’ When the WKIZ staff begins disappearing only to turn up in the increasingly darker films, it’s up to line producer Candice Spelling (Hannah Fierman) to stop the Mistress of Midnight before her final and most diabolical film goes to air. #Georgia The Art Institute of Atlanta Presents: Senior Film Screening A showcase of short films created by senior level students from The Art Institute of Atlanta. #Georgia Dad’s TV The film/video side of Dad’s Garage Theatre returns with a collection of projects from the past year. Watch the first public screening of a new television pilot, “Weird City,” which is an offbeat travel show. Laugh along with a new short film by DGTV produced in collaboration with Jerry’s Habima Theatre (a nonprofit working with special needs actors) that has lots of heart and some awesome floor hockey. Finally, the screening will give a sneak peak at a new web series set behind the scenes of the theatre itself, “The Garage.” #Georgia The Florida State University College Of Motion Picture Arts Presents: Selected Keylight Films The FSU College of Motion Pictures Arts presents a showcase of eight short student films followed by a panel discussion with representatives from the College. Ranked by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the top 25 film schools in the country, FSU College of Motion Picture Arts produces student films that regularly win prestigious awards like the Student Emmys and Oscars. Join us for an evening of cinematic entertainment as we showcase this year’s selected Keylight Films. Miss Richfield 1989 “Born Again” Logo Founder Matt Farber presents Miss Richfield 1981 “Born Again” at Plaza Theatre. In her all-new show, Miss Richfield 1981 is “Born Again” finding new religion to bring our divided world together. With all new songs, videos, and unique audience activities, Miss R brings all faiths together in 2018. Atheists welcome! #PinkPeach PLAZADROME: “The Astrologer” Directed by Craig Denney USA, 1976, English, 96 minutes Videodrome and The Plaza Theatre’s cult film series continues with Craig Denney’s “The Astrologer.” Alexander is running a con game at a circus as a psychic. When he finds that he actually does possess psychic powers, he uses them for his own ends.
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MAN MADE

NewFest 2018 Announces Full Lineup of 140 + LGBT Films For 30th Anniversary

2018 NewFest Full Lineup

OPENING NIGHT GALA

INTERNATIONAL CENTERPIECE

U.S. CENTERPIECE

NEW YORK CENTERPIECE

CLOSING NIGHT GALA

DOCUMENTARY CENTERPIECE

U.S. NARRATIVE

INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURES

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

EPISODIC SIDEBAR

Episodic Showcase

HALLOKWEEN sidebar

SHORTS PROGRAMS

SPOTLIGHT SCREENING & PANEL

SPECIAL EVENTS

Music Documentary A TUBA TO CUBA to Close 2018 New Orleans Film Festival

CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION

NARRATIVE FEATURES COMPETITION

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES COMPETITION

LOUISIANA FEATURES COMPETITION

Damn These Heels, Utah’s LGBTQ Film Festival Unveils Lineup – 1985, THE MISANDRISTS, TRANNY FAG and More

Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival Announces Complete 2018 Lineup

2018 OUTFEST LOS ANGELES LGBT FILM FESTIVAL LINE-UP

GALA FILMS:

DRAMATIC FEATURES

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

EPISODIC PROGRAMS

EPISODIC SHOWCASE

PLATINUM SECTION: EXPERIMENTAL FILMS & LIVE EVENTS

SHORTS SHOWCASE

SPECIAL EVENTS

Panels & Workshops:

OUTFEST FORWARD

OUTSET SHORTS SCREENING

OUTFEST UCLA LEGACY PROJECT

WIND TRACES and MAN MADE Win Top Awards at 2018 Atlanta Film Festival

2018 Atlanta Film Festival winners

Impressive Slate of 96 Feature Film Selections on Lineup for 4th Bentonville Film Festival

42nd Atlanta Film Festival to Feature Lineup of Record +200 Films, ‘EIGHTH GRADE’ ‘BLINDSPOTTING’ ‘TULLY’ and More

OPENING NIGHT PRESENTATION

CLOSING NIGHT PRESENTATION

MARQUEE FILMS

NARRATIVE FEATURES

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

SHORT FILMS

VIRTUAL REALITY

EPISODIC SHOWCASE

MUSIC VIDEOS

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS