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Captain Fantastic[/caption]
The 2016 Seattle International Film Festival announced the complete lineup of films, guests, and events for the 42nd annual 25-day
Festival taking place May 19 to June 12, 2016.
This year, SIFF will screen 421 films representing 85 countries: 181 features (plus 4 secret films), 75 documentaries, 8 archival films, and 153 shorts. The films include 54 World premieres (29 features, 25 shorts), 56 North American premieres (42 features, 14 shorts), and 27 US premieres (15 features, 12 shorts).
Both Opening and Closing Nights include period comedies: hearkening to the golden 1930s heyday of Hollywood, Opening Night film Café Society from master filmmaker Woody Allen stars Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carell, and Blake Lively; the 1950s-set Australian revenge comedy-drama The Dressmaker closes SIFF 2016 on Sunday, June 12 with an acclaimed cast including Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, and Hugo Weaving. The emotionally wrenching documentary Gleason, follows Spokane-born NFL star Steve Gleason’s battle with ALS using intimate footage masterfully assembled by director Clay Tweel, and will screen at the Festival’s Centerpiece Gala on Saturday, June 4.
The Northwest premiere of Matt Ross’s Captain Fantastic, filmed in Washington, will screen as part of a tribute presentation to Viggo Mortensen on Saturday, June 11, where the acclaimed actor will be presented with the Festival’s Outstanding Achievement in Acting Award and interviewed on stage at the flagship SIFF Cinema Egyptian. Selections from Mortensen’s rich and diverse career are slated during SIFF 2016 in celebration of his work, including A Walk on the Moon, Eastern Promises, and The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.
Among this year’s 53 World premieres is Seattle native Megan Griffiths’s The Night Stalker, a penetrating psychological thriller centered on the spine-chilling character of Richard Ramirez, California’s most notorious serial killer. Griffiths and star Lou Diamond Phillips will be in attendance at the June 4 screening.
GALAS
Opening Night Gala
Café Society
Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg star in a sparkling new romantic comedy from Woody Allen about a movie-industry hopeful who arrives in 1930s Hollywood, falls in love, and finds himself swept up in the vibrant café society that defined the age. North American Premiere (d: Woody Allen c: Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg, Blake Lively, Steve Carell, Parker Posey, Judy Davis, USA 2016, 96 min)
Centerpiece Gala
Gleason
Director Clay Tweel delivers a bold and moving portrait of beloved Spokane born, former WSU and New Orleans Saints football player Steve Gleason, who at age 34 was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease and courageously filmed his journey for the public eye. (d: Clay Tweel f: Steve Gleason, Michel Gleason, Rivers Gleason, USA 2016, 110 min)
Closing Night Gala
The Dressmaker
Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, and Judy Davis star in this hysterically madcap adaptation of the beloved novel about a chic 1950s dressmaker who returns from Paris to her small Australian town to right the wrongs of the past and revolutionize the local couture. (d: Jocelyn Moorhouse c: Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, Judy Davis, Hugo Weaving, Australia 2015, 118 min)
SPECIAL GUESTS
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN ACTING AWARD
Viggo Mortensen
Featuring Captain Fantastic
Plus screenings of A Walk on the Moon, Eastern Promises, and The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
An actor, painter, poet, photographer, and jazz musician, Viggo Mortensen’s combination of rugged exterior and reflective interior have infused his wide range of film roles with equal parts gravitas and compassion—from criminals to cowboys, lovers to lieutenants, post-apocalyptic survivors to sagacious psychoanalysts, and the rightful king of Gondor.
Past honorees of the SIFF Outstanding Achievement in Acting Award include Laura Dern, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kyle MacLachlan, Sir Ben Kingsley, Kevin Bacon, Edward Norton, Sissy Spacek, Joan Allen, and Anthony Hopkins amongst others.
AN AFTERNOON WITH
Molly Shannon
Featuring Other People
Plus World Premiere of Miles
Molly Shannon’s penchant for theatrical comedy inspired some of “Saturday Night Live”’s most famous characters from 1995-2001, including Mary Catherine Gallagher and Sally O’Malley. Shannon went on to appear in several films such as Superstar, Wet Hot American Summer, Marie Antoinette, last year’s SIFF favorite Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and the TV series “Glee” and “Enlightened.” Her ability to shift seamlessly from comic characters to more nuanced dramatic roles is something not many can match. Tonight, SIFF will welcome her to the stage for an interview featuring film clips from her career, followed by a screening of one of Shannon’s latest films, Other People, directed by Chris Kelly. There will also be an opportunity for audience questions following the screening.
COMPETITIONS
Official Competition
Battle of Sevastopol (d: Sergey Mokritskiy, Ukraine/Russia 2015, North American Premiere)
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Burn Burn Burn[/caption]
Burn Burn Burn (d: Chanya Button, United Kingdom 2015, North American Premiere)
Creepy (d: Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Japan 2016, North American Premiere)
Eternal Summer (d: Andreas Öhman, Sweden 2015, North American Premiere)
Girl Asleep (d: Rosemary Myers, Australia 2016, North American Premiere)
Holding the Man (d: Neil Armfield, Australia 2015, North American Premiere)
Moon in the 12th House (d: Dorit Hakim, Israel 2016, World Premiere)
News From Planet Mars (d: Dominik Moll, France/Belgium 2016, US Premiere)
Radio Dreams (d: Babak Jalali, Iran/USA 2016)
The Scent of Mandarin (d: Gilles Legrand, France 2015, North American Premiere)
The Sound of Trees (d: François Péloquin, Canada (Québec) 2015, US Premiere)
Welcome To Norway! (d: Rune Denstad Langlo, Norway 2016, North American Premiere)
New Directors Competition
Antonia (d: Ferdinando Cito Filomarino, Italy/Greece 2015, North American Premiere)
Before the Streets (d: Chloé Leriche, Canada (Québec) 2016, US Premiere)
Coconut Hero (d: Florian Cossen, Germany/Canada 2015, North American Premiere)
Family Film (d: Olmo Omerzu, Czech Republic/Germany/Slovenia/France/Slovakia 2015, North American Premiere)
The Lure (d: Agnieszka Smoczynska, Poland 2015)
Nakom (d: Kelly Daniela Norris, TW Pittman, Ghana/USA 2016)
The Paradise Suite (d: Joost van Ginkel, Netherlands/Sweden/Bulgaria 2015)
Rara (d: Pepa San Martín, Chile/Argentina 2016, North American Premiere)
Sand Storm (d: Elite Zexer, Israel 2016)
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Sparrows[/caption]
Sparrows (d: Rúnar Rúnarsson, Iceland/Denmark/Croatia 2015)
The Violators (d: Helen Walsh, United Kingdom 2015)
Where Have All the Good Men Gone (d: René Frelle Petersen, Denmark 2016, World Premiere)
Ibero-American Competition
Awaiting (d: Daniela Fejerman, Spain/Lithuania 2015, North American Premiere)
Deconstructing Dani García (d: Iñigo Ruiz, Alfonso Cortés-Cavanillas, Spain 2015, North American Premiere)
How Most Things Work (d: Fernando Salem, Argentina 2015, US Premiere)
Nueva Venecia (d: Emiliano Mazza de Luca, Colombia/Mexico/Uruguay 2016, US Premiere)
The Pretty Ones (d: Melisa Liebenthal, Argentina 2016, North American Premiere)
Red Gringo (d: Miguel Ángel Vidaurre, Chile 2016, North American Premiere)
Warehoused (d: Jack Zagha, Mexico 2015, US Premiere)
You’ll Never Be Alone (d: Alex Anwandter, Chile 2016, US Premiere)
New American Cinema Competition
11:55 (d: Ari Issler, Ben Snyder, USA 2016)
All the Birds Have Flown South (d: Joshua H. Miller, Miles B. Miller, USA 2016, World Premiere)
Americana (d: Zachary Shedd, USA 2016, World Premiere)
The Architect (d: Jonathan Parker, USA 2016, World Premiere)
As You Are (d: Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, USA 2016)
Claire in Motion (d: Lisa Robinson, Annie J. Howell, USA 2016)
Free In Deed (d: Jake Mahaffy, USA/New Zealand 2015)
Middle Man (d: Ned Crowley, USA 2016, World Premiere)
The Night Stalker (d: Megan Griffiths, USA 2016, World Premiere)
Transpecos (d: Greg Kwedar, USA 2016)
Documentary Competition
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The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Maddin[/caption]
The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Maddin (d: Yves Montmayeur, France 2015, US Premiere)
Action Comandante (d: Nadine Angel Cloete, South Africa/Lesotho 2016, World Premiere)
Death By a Thousand Cuts (d: Juan Mejia Botero, Jake Kheel, USA 2016, US Premiere)
Death by Design (d: Sue Williams, China/Ireland 2016, World Premiere)
Finding Babel (d: David Novack, USA/Ukraine/Russia/France 2015, North American Premiere)
The IF Project (d: Kathlyn Horan, USA 2016, World Premiere)
Mr. Gaga (d: Tomer Heymann, Israel/Sweden/Germany/Netherlands 2015)
Naledi: A Baby Elephant’s Tale (d: Ben Bowie, Geoff Luck, USA/Botswana 2016, World Premiere)
The Queen of Ireland (d: Conor Horgan, Ireland 2015, North American Premiere)
The Revolution Won’t Be Televised (d: Rama Thiaw, Senegal 2016, US Premiere)
Tsukiji Wonderland (d: Naotaro Endo, Japan 2016, World Premiere)
We the People 2.0 (d: Leila Conners, USA 2016, World Premiere)
Shorts Competition
All short films shown at the Festival are eligible for both the Golden Space Needle Audience Award and Jury Award. Jurors will choose winners in the Narrative, Animation, and Documentary categories. Each jury winner will receive $2,500 and winners in any of the three categories may also qualify to enter the respective Short Film category of the Academy Awards® for the concurrent season without the theatrical run.
Golden Space Needle Awards
For the past 30 years, SIFF has celebrated its most popular films and filmmakers with the Golden Space Needle Audience Award. Awards by Festival audiences are given in five categories: Best Film, Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Short Film.
AFRICAN PICTURES
African Pictures showcases the best filmmaking happening in and about Africa today. This program, made possible through the generous support of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, will bring shorts and features, documentaries and fiction films to American audiences who might never have the chance to see them otherwise. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to experience innovative and inspiring filmmaking from across the continent.
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Action Comandante[/caption]
Action Comandante (d: Nadine Angel Cloete, South Africa/Lesotho 2016, 90 min)
Aisha (d: Chande Omar c: Godliver Gordian, Adarusi Walii, Flora Nicholas, Juma Madenge, Tanzania 2015, 112 min)
As I Open My Eyes (d: Leyla Bouzid c: Baya Medhaffer, Ghalia Benali, Montassar Ayari, Aymen Omrani, Lassaad Jamoussi, Tunisia/France/ Belgium/ United Arab Emirates 2015, 102 min)
Atlantic Heart (d: Robbie McCallum c: Elton Medina, Aurizania Monteiro, Julio Brito, Christian Neves, José ‘Bana’ Delgado, Cape Verde/United Kingdom 2016, 87 min)
Checks and Balances (d: Malek Bensmaïl f: Omar Belhouchet, Hacène Ouali, Hassene Moali, Mustapha Benfodil, Ali Benyahia, Algeria/France 2015, 97 min)
Eye of the Storm (d: Sékou Traoré c: Maïmouna N’Diaye, Fargass Assandé, Abidine Dioari, Issaka Sawadogo, Burkina Faso/France 2015, 101 min)
Lamb (d: Yared Zeleke c: Redial Amare, Kidist Siyum, Welela Assefa, Rahel Teshome, Surafel Teka, Ethiopia/France/Germany/Norway/Qatar 2015, 94 min)
Much Loved (d: Nabil Ayouch c: Loubna Abidar, Asma Lazrak, Halima Karaouane, Sara Elmhamdi Elalaoui, Abdellah Didane, Morocco/France 2015, 103 min)
Nakom (d: Kelly Daniela Norris, TW Pittman c: Jacob Ayanaba, Grace Ayariga, Justina Kulidu, James Azudago, Felicia Atampuri, Ghana/USA 2016, 90 min
Naledi: A Baby Elephant’s Tale (d: Ben Bowie, Geoff Luck, USA/Botswana 2016, 90 min)
The Revolution Won’t Be Televised (d: Rama Thiaw, Senegal 2016, 110 min)
CHINA STARS
SIFF is proud to launch the China Stars Showcase series in Seattle during the 42nd annual Seattle International Film Festival, with support from WASA North America Group and Hainan Airlines. With the purpose of fostering cross-cultural exchange and artistic vision, SIFF has collaborated with WASA North America Group to select five wonderful feature films from mainland China to screen as part of the 2016 showcase series. These films will screen before audiences in Seattle, Renton, Shoreline, and on the Eastside at Bellevue’s Lincoln Square.
The Big Road (d: Sun Yu c: Chen Yanyan, Zheng Junli, Li Lili, Liu Qiong, Jin Yan, China 1935, 104 min)
Death by Design (d: Sue Williams f: Ted Smith, Ma Jun, Kyle Wiens, Luke Soules, Paul Maher, China/Ireland 2016, 73 min)
The Final Master (d: Xu Haofeng c: Liao Fan, Song Jia, Jiang Wenli, Jin Shijie, Song Yang, China 2015, 109 min)
Mountains May Depart (d: Jia Zhangke c: Zhao Tao, Zhang Yi, Liang Jin Dong, Dong Zijian, Sylvia Chang, China/Japan/France 2015, 131 min)
Paths of the Soul (d: Zhang Yang c: Yang Pei, Nyima Zadui, Tsewang Dolkar, Tsring Chodron, Seba Jiangcuo, China 2015, 115 min)
CULINARY CINEMA
Popcorn is no longer king as the phenomenon of food culture has exploded into cinema. We’ve selected 9 extraordinary films that explore different aspects of taste and the senses for the cinematically inclined.
Ants on a Shrimp (d: Maurice Dekkers f: René Redzepi, Lars Williams, Rosio Sanchez, Thomas Frebel, Dan Giusti, Netherlands 2016, 88 min)
Bugs (d: Andreas Johnsen f: Ben Reade, Josh Evans, Roberto Flore, Denmark 2016, 76 min)
Ceviche’s DNA (d: Orlando Arriagada f: José Antonio del Castillo, Victor Pimentel, Ulla Holmquist, Valentín Paso Purisaca, Santiago Uceda Castillo, Canada/Peru 2015, 85 min)
Deconstructing Dani García (d: Iñigo Ruiz, Alfonso Cortés-Cavanillas, Spain 2015, 72 min)
Hummus (d: Oren Rosenfeld f: Eliyahu Shmueli, Suheila Al Hindi, Jalil Dabit, Israel 2016, 70 min)
Insatiable: The Homaro Cantu Story (d: Brett A. Schwartz f: Homaro Cantu, Richie Farina, Angela Cantu-Reeder, Trevor Rose-Hamblin, Mark Caro, Scott Trotter, USA 2016, 98 min)
Sam Choy’s Poké to the Max screens with Harlem on My Plate (28 minutes) (d: Terrence Jeffrey Santos f: Sam Choy, Geo Quibuyen, Yuji Okumoto, Max Heigh, USA 2016, 40 min)
Sustainable (d: Matt Wechsler f: Marty Travis, Greg Wade, Rick Bayless, Mark Bittman, John Ikerd, USA 2016, 96 min)
Tsukiji Wonderland (d: Naotaro Endo f: Jiro Ono, Rene Redzepi, Theodore C. Bestor, Japan 2016, 110 min)
FACE THE MUSIC
Four out of five SIFF programmers agree that regular exposure to music and film are essential to your overall well-being. With that in mind, this year’s Face the Music program has been specifically designed to provide a holistic regimen for your audio-visual health. Taken together, these remedies are guaranteed to expand your visual and sonic parameters, as well as set you on the righteous path to living a more audio-visually conscious lifestyle, with optimal aural performance.
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BANG! The Bert Berns Story[/caption]
BANG! The Bert Berns Story (d: Brett Berns, Bob Sarles f: Paul McCartney, Van Morrison, Ronald Isley, Solomon Burke, Ben E. King, USA 2016, 94 min)
Concerto – A Beethoven Journey (d: Phil Grabsky f: Leif Ove Andsnes, Gustavo Dudamel, United Kingdom 2015, 92 min)
Contemporary Color (d: Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross f: David Byrne, Lucius, Nico Muhly, Ira Glass, Nelly Furtado, St.Vincent, Devonte Hynes, How To Dress Well, Zola Jesus, AD-
Rock, Money Mark, tUnE-yArDs, USA 2016, 96 min)
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble (d: Morgan Neville f: Yo-Yo Ma, Wu Man, Kinan Azmeh, Kayhan Kalhor, Cristina Pato, USA 2015, 96 min)
Presenting Princess Shaw (d: Ido Haar f: Kutiman, Samantha Montgomery, Israel 2015, 80 min)
The Prince Sing Along
Red Gringo (d: Miguel Ángel Vidaurre f: Dean Reed, José Roman, Gonzalo Planet, Chile 2016, 67 min)
A Song For You: The Austin City Limits Story (d: Keith Maitland f: Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Ray Vaughan, Matthew McConaughey, Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, Beck, Ray Charles, Emmylou Harris, Buddy Guy, USA 2016, 91 min)
We Are X (d: Stephen Kijak f: Yoshiki, Toshi, Pata, Hiroshi, USA/Japan/United Kingdom 2016, 89 min)
NORTHWEST CONNECTIONS
Seattleites see more films per capita than the residents of any other American city, and a growing number of these selections have their roots in the fertile Pacific Northwest film community. Each year, SIFF honors the many ways in which the Puget Sound region contributes to the world of cinema, whether as an evocative location for outside filmmakers or as inspiration for local filmmakers ready to strut their stuff.
The Architect (d: Jonathan Parker c: Parker Posey, Eric McCormack, James Frain, John Carroll Lynch, USA 2016, 95 min)
Big Sonia (d: Leah Warshawski, Todd Soliday f: Sonia Warshawski, USA 2016, 90 min)
Finding Kim (d: Aaron Bear f: Kim B, Dan Savage, Buck Angel, Carmen Carrera, Calpernia Addams, Jamison Green, Dr. Tony Mangubat, USA 2016, 82 min)
Finding October (d: Nick Terry c: Michael Ward, Karin Terry, Nick Terry, Delaney Berreth, Ryan Woodyard, USA 2016, 77 min)
Full Court: The Spencer Haywood Story (d: Martin Spirit f: Spencer Haywood, Charles Barkley, Pat Riley, Lenny Wilkens, Chuck D, USA 2016, 90 min)
Gold Balls (d: Kate Dandel f: John Powless, Ron Tonidandel, Bob Sherman, George McCabe, Marcus Freeman, Steve Tignor, USA 2016, 85 min)
The IF Project (d: Kathlyn Horan f: Kim Bogucki, Renata Abramson, Tiffany Doll, Angela Vargas, LaKeisha “”KeWee”” Hamilton, USA 2016, 88 min)
If There’s a Hell Below (d: Nathan Williams c: Carol Roscoe, Conner Marx, Mark Carr, Paul Budraitis, USA 2016, 94 min)
The Memory of Fish (d: Jennifer Galvin, Sachi Cunningham Narrated by Lili Taylor, USA 2016, 54 min)
A New High (d: Samuel Miron, Stephen Scott Scarpulla USA 2015, 100 min)
Paralytic (d: Joey Johnson c: David S. Hogan, Darlene Sellers, Angela DiMarco, D’Angelo Midili, Richard Carmen, USA 2016, 87 min)
Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell (d: Martin Bell f: Erin Blackwell, Mary Ellen Mark, USA 2016, 86 min)
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The 27th Palm Springs International Film Festival (
The 27th Palm Springs International Film Festival (
Eighty-one countries have submitted films for consideration in the 2015 Foreign Language Film Oscar category for the 
The Toronto International Film Festival announced its Discovery program showcasing 30 feature films, including 16 World Premieres, by first and second time directors from Canada and across the globe.
The diverse 2015 Toronto International Film Festival Discovery Program lineup includes Desde Allá, an intense social drama from Venezuelan newcomer Lorenzo Vigas; Tom and Sam McKeith’s Manila-set thriller Beast; German filmmaker Sebastian Ko’s riveting suspense We Monsters; Michael Lennox’s A Patch of Fog which chronicles a British anti-bromance; Very Big Shot, the debut from Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya, delving into a darkly comedic world of coke smuggling in Lebanon; Maris Curran’s intimate drama Five Nights in Maine; Irish director Simon Fitzmaurice’s feature debut, the coming-of-age story My Name is Emily; and Mexico’s Alejandra Márquez Abellas’ debut, the poignant drama Semana Santa.
The Toronto International Film Festival also announced an additional title has been added to the Cinematheque Program — a special 20th anniversary screening of Michael Mann’s magnum-opus Heat, followed by a Q&A with the acclaimed writer/director; and in the Vanguard Program, the Festival announced the world premiere of Pedro Morelli’s Zoom.
DISCOVERY PROGRAMME
A Patch of Fog
Michael Lennox, United Kingdom World Premiere
A celebrated novelist and TV personality finds his reputation on the line when he is caught shoplifting by a lonely security guard, intent on becoming his friend for life. Stephen Graham (Pirates of the Caribbean, Boardwalk Empire) stars alongside Conleth Hill (Game of Thrones), Lara Pulver (Sherlock), Arsher Ali (Four Lions) and Ian McElhinney (Game of Thrones).
The Ardennes
Robin Pront, Belgium World Premiere
Two bandit brothers, one fresh from prison, the other eager to escape their criminal past, form a potentially explosive love triangle with the ex-con’s ex-girlfriend, in Robin Pront’s Cain vs. Abel update.
Beast
Tom McKeith, Sam McKeith, Australia/Philippines World Premiere
Deep in the slums of Manila, a young boxer’s life is changed forever when his father pressures him to cheat in a fight.
Black
Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah, Belgium World Premiere
Fifteen-year-old Mavela is a member of the notorious Black Bronx gang. She falls head over heels in love with the charismatic Marwan, a boy from the rival gang 1080ers. The two young people are brutally forced to choose between loyalty to their gang and their love for each other. An impossible choice … or not?
Born to Dance
Tammy Davis, New Zealand World Premiere
A Maori teen faces parental and social pressure while leading his competitive hip-hop dance crew toward the regional championships, in this exhilarating feature directorial debut from New Zealand actor Tammy Davis.
Dégradé (pictured above)
Arab Nasser, Tarzan Nasser, Palestine/France/Qatar North American Premiere
Gaza Strip, present day. Christine’s beauty salon is heaving with female clients: a bitter divorcée, a stern religious woman, a disenchanted housewife addicted to prescription drugs, and a young bride-to-be, among others. But their day of leisure is disrupted when gunfire breaks out across the street. A gangland family has stolen the lion from Gaza’s zoo, and the police have decided it’s time to wrestle control. Stuck in the salon, the women start to unravel…
Desde Allá
Lorenzo Vigas, Venezuela North American Premiere
Fifty-year-old Armando picks up young boys in the streets of Caracas and pays them to come home with him. He also regularly spies on an older man with whom he seems bound by something in the past. One day he meets 17-year-old Elder, the leader of a small gang. Violent at first, their relationship morphs into something beautiful … until the inevitable happens.
Downriver
Grant Scicluna, Australia International Premiere
James has served time for drowning a little boy when he himself was just a child, although the body was never found. Upon his parole, a visit from his victim’s mother sends him on a quest to find the truth. With little time and danger at every turn, James risks his freedom and his life to uncover the trail of sins that might give closure to a grieving mother.
Eva Nová
Marko Škop, Slovakia World Premiere
Eva would do anything to regain the love of the one she hurt the most — her son. She is a recovered alcoholic, but decades ago she was a famous actress.
Five Nights in Maine
Maris Curran, USA World Premiere
Reeling from the tragic, sudden death of his wife, a man travels to rural Maine to seek answers from his estranged mother-in-law, who is herself confronting guilt and grief over her daughter’s death. Starring David Oyelowo (Selma), Dianne Wiest and Rosie Perez.
The Here After (Efterskalv)
Magnus von Horn, Poland/Sweden/France North American Premiere
When John returns home to his father after serving time in prison, he is looking forward to starting his life afresh. However in the local community, his crime is neither forgotten nor forgiven. John’s presence brings out the worst in everyone around him and a lynch-mob atmosphere slowly takes shape. Feeling abandoned by his former friends and the people he loves, John loses hope and the same aggressions that previously sent him to prison start building up again. Unable to leave the past behind, he decides to confront it.
Ixcanul
Jayro Bustamante, Guatemala/France Canadian Premiere
María, a young 17-year-old Mayan girl, lives and works with her parents on a coffee plantation in the foothills of an active volcano in Guatemala. An arranged marriage awaits her. Although María dreams of going to the “big city,” her status as an indigenous woman does not permit her to change her destiny. A snake bite forces her to go out into the modern world where her life is saved, but at what price?
James White
Josh Mond, USA Canadian Premiere
James White (Christopher Abbott) is a troubled twenty-something trying to stay afloat in a frenzied New York City. He retreats further into a self-destructive, hedonistic lifestyle, but as his mother (Cynthia Nixon) battles a serious illness James is forced to take control of his life. The directorial debut of Martha Marcy May Marlene producer Josh Mond, James White, which had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2014 where it was the winner of the Audience Award: NEXT, is a confident and closely observed debut that explores loss and the deep relationship between a mother and son.
Keeper
Guillaume Senez, Belgium/Switzerland/France North American Premiere
Maxime and Mélanie are in love. Together, they clumsily explore their sexuality with fiery curiosity until the day Mélanie realizes she’s pregnant. At first Maxime takes the news badly, but then he gets used to the idea of becoming a father. He convinces Melanie to keep the baby. So it’s been decided – Maxime and Mélanie, all of fifteen years old, will become parents.
Les Cowboys
Thomas Bidegain, France/Belgium North American Premiere
A vast prairie, a country and western gathering somewhere in the east of France. Alain is a central figure in this community. He’s dancing with his daughter, 16-year-old Kelly, as his wife and their young son Kid watch from the sidelines. But on this day, Kelly disappears, and the family falls apart. Alain embarks on a relentless search for his daughter, even though it costs him everything and takes him to dark, unsettling places, where his sole support is Kid, who sacrifices his youth to accompany his father on this seemingly endless quest.
Meghmallar
Zahidur Rahim Anjan, Bangladesh World Premiere
A case of mistaken identity throws an apolitical chemistry teacher into the maelstrom of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, in the striking debut feature from director Zahidur Rahim Anjan.
Mountain
Yaelle Kayam, Israel/Denmark North American Premiere
An Orthodox Jewish woman, living at the edge of the cemetery on Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives, becomes fascinated by a nocturnal community of prostitutes and drug dealers congregating amongst the tombstones. Mountain is a haunting and dramatic exploration of a women’s search for identity.
My Name is Emily
Simon Fitzmaurice, Ireland North American Premiere
Packed off to a foster home after her father is institutionalized, a rebellious young Irish girl resolves to bust her dad out of the hospital where he’s been confined, in this spirited coming-of-age tale from celebrated memoirist and first-time feature director Simon Fitzmaurice.
The Paradise Suite
Joost van Ginkel, Netherlands/Sweden/Bulgaria World Premiere
This dexterous tale of survival from director Joost van Ginkel traces the intersecting stories of six immigrants from very different backgrounds in Amsterdam who learn that they can irreversibly influence each other’s lives, sometimes with just one glance.
Semana Santa
Alejandra Márquez Abella, Mexico World Premiere
Dali and her eight-year-old son Pepe take a vacation to Acapulco with Dali’s boyfriend, Chavez. Instead of bringing them closer, their beach holiday brings out things in each of them that threaten to pull this emerging family apart.
Spear
Stephen Page, Australia World Premiere
Djali, a young Aboriginal man, sets off on a journey of initiation to understand what it means to be a man in a modern day world. He sees the problems being faced by Aboriginal men in remote and urban communities. As he struggles to find his place, he becomes awakened to a spiritual force within, guiding him on his journey into manhood.
Very Big Shot (Film Kteer Kbeer)
Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya, Lebanon/Qatar World Premiere
Intending to smuggle the amphetamine Captagon to Iraqi Kurdistan, a small-time Lebanese drug dealer discovers that a way to foil customs, with the help of a talentless filmmaker. Posing as a film producer, he has no qualms manipulating public opinion to his advantage.
The Wait (L’attesa)
Piero Messina, Italy North American Premiere
Waiting for someone is an act of faith. Anna and Jeanne, isolated in a Sicilian country house in Caltagirone, are waiting for Giuseppe’s arrival. He is the former’s son, the latter’s boyfriend. Their wait turns into a mysterious act of love and will, while in the streets people are celebrating Easter.
We Monsters (Wir Monster)
Sebastian Ko, Germany North American Premiere
Paul and Christine know their teenage daughter Sarah has been thrown off track by their separation — but is she capable of committing a horrible crime? Wanting to protect her, they decide attempt to hide her wrongdoing, but their joint guilt forces the family back together under a web of lies. The directorial debut from German actor Sebastian Ko, We Monsters is a gripping psychological
thriller.
Wedding Doll (Chatona Meniyar)
Nitzan Gilady, Israel International Premiere
Fixated on romantic fantasies, a kindly and strong-willed young woman with a mild mental disability embarks on a relationship — much to the concern of her protective mother — in this assured first feature from director Nitzan Gilady.
Previously announced Canadian titles in the Discovery Program include Stephen Dunn’s Closet Monster, Adam Garnet Jones’ Fire Song, Jamie M. Dagg’s River, Kire Paputts’ The Rainbow Kid, and Andrew Cividino’s Sleeping Giant.
CINEMATHEQUE PROGRAMME
Heat
Michael Mann, USA
Hard-boiled ex-con Neil McCauley is the leader of a crew of seasoned thieves who operate with grim determination and military discipline. But when a last-minute replacement on his team leads to a bloody triple murder during an armored truck robbery, McCauley is targeted by veteran detective Vincent Hanna, whose obsessive dedication both mirrors and contrasts with McCauley’s ruthless professionalism. Starring Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro with Jon Voight, Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd, Tom Sizemore and Amy Brenneman.
VANGUARD PROGRAMME
Zoom,
Pedro Morelli, Canada World Premiere
Zoom is a fast-paced, pop-art inspired, multi-plot contemporary comedy. The film consists of three seemingly separate but ultimately interlinked storylines about a comic book artist, a novelist and a film director. Each character lives in a separate world but authors a story about the life of another.
The 40th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 10 to 20, 2015.