2022 AFI FEST full lineup announced: ‘Bones and All,’ ‘Women Talking’ and ‘SR.’ added
The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today the full lineup for this year’s AFI FEST Film Festival including BONES AND ALL, directed by Academy Award-nominee Luca Guadagnino, LE PUPILLE, directed by Alice Rohrwacher, NANNY, directed by Nikyatu Jusu, “SR.”, directed by Chris Smith, and WOMEN TALKING, by Academy Award-nominated writer and director Sarah Polley, which will all screen in the Special Screenings section. AFI FEST 2022 will take place exclusively in person in Los Angeles from November 2-6.
Passes are now available at FEST.AFI.com, and individual tickets for all screenings will be available to AFI members on October 11 and to the general public on October 12.
The complete AFI FEST program includes 125 titles (7 Red Carpet Premieres, 6 Special Screenings, 12 Discovery, 12 World Cinema, 12 Documentary, 30 Short Film Competition, 43 AFI Conservatory and 3 Guest Artistic Director Selections). Of the official selections, 53% are directed by women, 32% are directed by BIPOC filmmakers and 11% are directed by LGBTQIA+ filmmakers. This year’s program represents 31 countries and includes six International Feature Oscar submissions, ALCARRÀS (Spain), BARDO, FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS (Mexico), CLOSE (Belgium), EO (Poland), JOYLAND (Pakistan) and SAINT OMER (France).
Returning filmmakers to AFI FEST include Lucien Castaing-Taylor (DE HUMANI CORPORIS FABRICA), Guillermo del Toro (GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO), Alice Diop (SAINT OMER), Quentin Dupieux (SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING/FUMER FAIT TOUSSER), Alain Gomis (REWIND & PLAY), Sam Green (32 SOUNDS), Luca Guadagnino (BONES AND ALL), Kristy Guevara-Flanagan (BODY PARTS), Mark Gustafson (GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO), Mia Hansen-Løve (ONE FINE MORNING/UN BEAU MATIN), Joanna Hogg (THE ETERNAL DAUGHTER), Alejandro González Iñárritu (BARDO, FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS), Nikyatu Jusu (NANNY), Rory Kennedy (THE VOLCANO: RESCUE FROM WHAKAARI), Léa Mysius (THE FIVE DEVILS), Andrea Pallaoro (MONICA), Hlynur Pálmason (GODLAND/VANSKABTE LAND/VOLAÐA LAND), Jafar Panahi (NO BEARS), Verena Paravel (DE HUMANI CORPORIS FABRICA), Alice Rohrwacher (LE PUPILLE), Hong Sang-soo (WALK UP), Albert Serra (PACIFICTION), Carla Simón (ALCARRÀS), Jerzy Skolimowski (EO), Chris Smith (“SR.”), Steven Spielberg (THE FABELMANS) and Florian Zeller (THE SON).
PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED
The World Premiere of Apple Original Film’s SELENA GOMEZ: MY MIND AND ME will open the festival and the U.S. premiere of Universal Pictures’ and Amblin Entertainment’s THE FABELMANS, directed by AFI Life Achievement Award recipient and Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg, will close AFI FEST 2022. Additional Red Carpet Premieres include BARDO, FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS, directed by Academy Award-winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu; the U.S. Premiere of GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO, directed by Academy Award-winning director Guillermo del Toro and Emmy Award winner Mark Gustafson; LIVING, directed by Oliver Hermanus; SHE SAID, directed by Emmy Award-winning director Maria Schrader; and THE SON, directed by Academy Award winner Florian Zeller.
Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay will serve as Guest Artistic Director at AFI FEST 2022 and will be showcasing three independent films amplifying the voices of women directors including HELLION (2014), directed by Kat Candler and starring Academy Award-nominee Juliette Lewis and Aaron Paul; MOSQUITA Y MARI (2012) directed by Aurora Guerrero and YELLING TO THE SKY (2011), directed by Victoria Mahoney and starring Academy Award-nominee Gabourey Sidibe and Zoë Kravitz.
RED CARPET PREMIERES
BARDO, FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS
The film follows a Mexican journalist and documentarian’s journey home as he grapples with questions about identity, success, mortality, history and familial bonds. DIR Alejandro G. Iñárritu. SCR Nicolás Giacobone, Alejandro G. Iñárritu. CAST Daniel Giménez Cacho, Griselda Siciliani, Ximena Lamadrid, Iker Solano. Mexico
THE FABELMANS
Starring Michelle Williams and Paul Dano, Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical coming-of-age epic follows Sammy Fabelman, who falls in love with moviemaking and grapples with the family turmoil that would ultimately shape him as a filmmaker. DIR Steven Spielberg. SCR Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner. CAST Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, Gabriel Labelle, Judd Hirsch, Jeannie Berlin, David Lynch, Birdie Borria, Cooper Dodson, Gustavo Escobar, Julia Butters, Sam Rechner, Chloe East, Keeley Karsten. USA
GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO
Set in 1930s Italy, this darkly whimsical, stop-motion film directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson reimagines Pinocchio on an enchanted adventure that reveals the life-giving power of love. DIR Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson. SCR Guillermo del Toro, Patrick McHale. CAST Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Tim Blake Nelson, Burn Gorman, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton. USA
LIVING
In this British reimagining of Kurosawa’s IKIRU, a lonely bureaucratic pencil pusher is struck by a newfound tenacity when he learns of his impending death. DIR Oliver Hermanus. SCR Kazuo Ishiguro. CAST Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood, Alex Sharp, Tom Burke. UK
SELENA GOMEZ: MY MIND AND ME
In this deeply personal documentary, Grammy®-nominated singer and actress Selena Gomez invites audiences along on an illuminating journey as she navigates the pressures of stardom and seeks to prioritize and destigmatize conversations surrounding mental health. DIR Alek Keshishian. SCR Alek Keshishian, Paul Marchand. USA
SHE SAID
SHE SAID details New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor’s groundbreaking story which propelled the #Metoo movement, shattered decades of silence around sexual assault and altered culture forever. DIR Maria Schrader. SCR Rebecca Lenkiewicz. CAST Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan, Patricia Clarkson, Andre Braugher, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Morton. USA
THE SON
Divorced and newly married Peter (Hugh Jackman) has a fraught relationship with his troubled teenage son in Florian Zeller’s affecting spiritual sequel to THE FATHER. DIR Florian Zeller. SCR Florian Zeller, Christopher Hampton. CAST Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby, Zen McGrath, Hugh Quarshie, Anthony Hopkins. USA, France
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
BONES AND ALL
Luca Guadagnino’s latest film, BONES AND ALL, is a story of first love between Maren, a young woman learning how to survive on the margins of society, and Lee, an intense and disenfranchised drifter; a liberating road odyssey of two young people coming into their own, searching for identity and chasing beauty in a perilous world that cannot abide who they are. DIR Luca Guadagnino. SCR David Kajganich. CAST Taylor Russell, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, André Holland, Chloë Sevigny, David Gordon Green, Jessica Harper, Jake Horowitz, Mark Rylance. USA
IS THAT BLACK ENOUGH FOR YOU?!?
Elvis Mitchell constructs a personal history with portrayals of Black life in American cinema, from Oscar Micheaux to the blaxploitation era and beyond, in this energetic, joyous love letter to a community and an art. DIR Elvis Mitchell. USA
LE PUPILLE
Produced by Alfonso Cuarón, LE PUPILLE is a magical fable about a group of rebellious Catholic schoolgirls blessed with a Christmas cake during wartime. Screening followed by a conversation with director Alice Rohrwacher. DIR Alice Rohrwacher. SCR Alice Rohrwacher. CAST Alba Rohrwacher, Greta Zuccheri Montanari, Carmen Pommella, Lady Maru, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Melissa Falasconi. Italy
NANNY
Imbued with magical realism, African folklore and a creeping sense of dread, NANNY follows Senegalese mother Aisha, displaced in New York City and cursed by horrific nightmares that threaten her sanity. DIR Nikyatu Jusu. SCR Nikyatu Jusu. CAST Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector, Rose Decker. USA
“SR.”
This tender, career-spanning portrait of the irreverent, underground filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., is told via revealing interviews with family members, including his son, actor Robert Downey Jr., and friends such as Alan Arkin, Norman Lear and Paul Thomas Anderson. DIR Chris Smith. USA
WOMEN TALKING
Directed by Sarah Polley, WOMEN TALKING follows the riveting story where the women of an isolated religious community struggle with an epidemic of sexual abuse, featuring a stunning ensemble cast including Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, with Ben Whishaw and Frances McDormand. DIR Sarah Polley. SCR Sarah Polley. CAST Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Sheila McCarthy. USA
GUEST ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
AVA DUVERNAY
In a special Spotlight section, AFI FEST honors celebrated filmmaker, producer and founder of distribution company ARRAY, Ava DuVernay, who presents three independent films amplifying the voices of women directors.
HELLION (2014)
When motocross and heavy metal obsessed, thirteen-year-old, Jacob’s increasing delinquent behavior forces CPS to place his little brother, Wes, with his aunt, Jacob and his emotionally absent father, Hollis, must finally take responsibility for their actions… DIR Kat Candler. SCR Kat Candler. CAST Aaron Paul, Juliette Lewis, Josh Wiggins, Deke Garner. USA
MOSQUITA Y MARI (2012)
When straight A student Yolanda — aka Mosquita decides to help struggling tough girl Mari with her homework, an intense attraction evolves between the two. As their friendship grows, a yearning to explore their strange yet beautiful connection surfaces. DIR Aurora Guerrero. SCR Aurora Guerrero. CAST Laura Patalano, Venecia Troncoso, Fenessa Pineda. USA
YELLING TO THE SKY (2011)
As her family falls apart, 17-year-old Sweetness O’Hara is left to fend for herself in a neighborhood where her survival is uncertain. DIR Victoria Mahoney. CAST Zoë Kravitz, Jason Clarke, Tim Blake Nelson. USA
WORLD CINEMA
Here in the movie capital of the world, we celebrate the contributions of global cinema. Bringing to our city the best films from around the globe, this section presents the depth and diversity of human culture as seen through the universal language of the motion picture.
ALCARRÀS
Selected as Spain’s official Oscar® submission, Carla Simón’s neorealist film follows the close-knit Solé family, who pick peaches from their rural orchard every summer, as they struggle to keep up with the changing times. DIR Carla Simón. SCR Carla Simón, Arnau Vilaró. CAST Jordi Pujol Dolcet, Anna Otín, Xènia Roset, Albert Bosch, Ainet Jounou. Spain, Italy
BEFORE, NOW & THEN
Set amid the political upheaval of 1960s Indonesia, Nana (Happy Salma) is pressured to remarry and suffer in silence as she is haunted by the past in this lyrical epic of repressed longing. DIR Kamila Andini. SCR Kamila Andini, Ahda Imran. CAST Happy Salma, Laura Basuki, Arswendy Bening Swara, Ibnu Jamil. Indonesia
THE EIGHT MOUNTAINS
In this quiet epic, and co-winner of the Cannes Jury Prize, two friends, Pietro (Luca Marinelli) from the city and Bruno (Alessandro Borghi) from a remote mountain village, navigate a lifelong friendship. DIR Felix van Groeningen, Charlotte Vandermeersch. SCR Felix van Groeningen, Charlotte Vandermeersch. CAST Luca Marinelli, Alessandro Borghi, Filippo Timi, Elena Lietti, Elisabetta Mazzullo. Italy, Belgium, France
EO
In Polish auteur Jerzy Skolimowski’s playful tribute to AU HASARD BALTHAZAR we experience the beauty and the horror of the human world through the eyes of a donkey in this award-winning film which shared the Jury Prize at Cannes. DIR Jerzy Skolimowski. SCR Ewa Piaskowska, Jerzy Skolimowski. CAST Sandra Drzymalska, Tomasz Organek, Mateusz Kosciukiewicz, Lorenzo Zurzolo, Isabelle Huppert. Poland, Italy
THE ETERNAL DAUGHTER
This haunting tale from Joanna Hogg stars Tilda Swinton as a mother-daughter duo returning to their former family manor – now an eerily vacant hotel – to confront long-buried secrets. DIR Joanna Hogg. SCR Joanna Hogg. CAST Tilda Swinton, Joseph Mydell, Carly-Sophia Davies. UK
THE FIVE DEVILS
From French director Léa Mysius, this darkly enthralling and supernatural tale follows a young girl, Vicky, who discovers her highly attuned sense of smell can lead her to secrets from her family’s past. DIR Léa Mysius. SCR Léa Mysius, Paul Guilhaume. CAST Adèle Exarchopoulos, Sally Dramé, Swala Emati, Moustapha Mbengue, Daphné Patakia. France
GODLAND (VANSKABTE LAND / VOLAÐA LAND)
Set in the late 1800’s, an aloof, young Danish priest embarks on a treacherous voyage to Iceland that causes his mind and faith to waver in Hlynur Pálmason’s stunning new epic. DIR Hlynur Pálmason. SCR Hlynur Pálmason. CAST Elliott Crosset Hove, Ingvar Sigurðsson, Vic Carmen Sonne, Jacob Hauberg Lohmann, Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir. Denmark, Iceland, France, Sweden
NO BEARS
In his latest docufiction which won the Venice Special Jury Prize, Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi plays himself as a filmmaker who relocates to a small town to make a film about a couple attempting to flee the country. DIR Jafar Panahi. SCR Jafar Panahi. CAST Jafar Panahi, Naser Hashemi, Vahid Mobaseri, Bakhtiar Panjei, Mina Kavani. Iran
ONE FINE MORNING (UN BEAU MATIN)
Mia Hansen-Løve returns with a finely observed, deeply personal tale of a mother (Léa Seydoux) at a crossroads grappling with familial misfortune and a passionate illicit romance. DIR Mia Hansen-Løve. SCR Mia Hansen-Løve. CAST Léa Seydoux, Melvil Poupaud, Pascal Greggory, Nicole Garcia. France, Germany
PACIFICTION
Chronicling the beguiling relationship between a French bureaucrat (Benoît Magimel) and a Polynesian choreographer (Pahoa Mahagafanau), this hypnotic political thriller exposes colonialist corrosion on the island of Tahiti. DIR Albert Serra. SCR Albert Serra. CAST Benoît Magimel, Pahoa Mahagafanau, Marc Susini, Matahi Pambrun. France, Spain, Germany, Portugal
SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING (FUMER FAIT TOUSSER)
Quentin Dupieux returns with another delightfully absurdist comedy, featuring a team of spandex-clad vigilante superheroes called the Tobacco Forces who go on a work retreat and share bizarre stories around the campfire. DIR Quentin Dupieux. SCR Quentin Dupieux. CAST Gilles Lellouche, Anaïs Demoustier, Oulaya Amamra, Adèle Exarchopoulos. France
WALK UP
Successful filmmaker Byung-soo visits old friend Ms. Kim. Their afternoon encounter slowly becomes a years-long exploration of human connection in this sly, gentle study of the passage of time from modern master Hong Sang-soo. DIR Hong Sang-soo. SCR Hong Sang-soo. CAST Kwon Hae-hyo, Lee Hye-young, Song Seon-mi, Cho Yun-hee, Park Mi-so, Shin Seok-ho. South Korea
DISCOVERY
BRUISER
In Miles Warren’s piercing feature debut exploring generational violence and toxic masculinity, 14-year-old Darious (Jalyn Hall) strikes up an unexpected friendship with a mysterious and charismatic drifter (Trevante Rhodes). DIR Miles Warren. SCR Miles Warren, Ben Medina. CAST Trevante Rhodes, Shamier Anderson, Jalyn Hall, Shinelle Azoroh. USA
CLOSE
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes, Lukas Dhont’s potent, new film explores how the intense friendship between two sensitive and affectionate 13-year-old boys is abruptly torn apart when school bullies begin mocking their closeness. DIR Lukas Dhont. SCR Lukas Dhont, Angelo Tijssens. CAST Eden Dambrine, Gustav De Waele, Emilie Dequenne, Léa Drucker. Belgium, Netherlands, France
DRY GROUND BURNING (MATO SECO EM CHAMAS)
In this expansive hybrid docufiction of dystopia and rebellion, two sisters, leaders of a fearsome all-female gang, run a black-market gasoline operation, stealing from the authoritarian Brazilian government. DIR Adirley Queirós, Joana Pimenta. SCR Adirley Queirós, Joana Pimenta. CAST Joana Darc Furtado, Léa Alves da Silva, Andreia Vieira, Débora Alencar, Gleide Firmino. Brazil, Portugal
HUMAN FLOWERS OF FLESH
After becoming fascinated with the French Foreign Legion, including a member played by iconic French star Denis Lavant, Ida (DOGTOOTH actress Angeliki Papoulia) sets sail for Algeria on a mystical journey across the Mediterranean Sea. DIR Helena Wittmann. SCR Helena Wittmann. CAST Angeliki Papoulia, Ferhat Mouhali, Gustavo de Mattos Jahn, Ingo Martens, Denis Lavant. Germany, France
A HUNDRED FLOWERS (HYAKKA)
Adapted from Genki Kawamura’s own novel, this intimate drama follows Izumi as he contends with his mother Yuriko’s dementia. But on his path to acceptance, he uncovers secrets from her complicated past. DIR Genki Kawamura. SCR Kentaro Hirase, Genki Kawamura. CAST Masaki Suda, Mieko Harada, Masami Nagasawa, Masatoshi Nagase. Japan
JOYLAND
Affable, directionless Haider lands a gig as a background dancer in a courtesan act led by a transgender dancer. Little does he anticipate the sexual rebellion he will ignite in his patriarchal Pakistani family. DIR Saim Sadiq. SCR Saim Sadiq, Maggie Briggs. CAST Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Alina Khan, Sarwat Gilani, Sohail Sameer, Salman Peerzada, Sania Saeed. Pakistan
LADY CHATTERLEY’S LOVER
Emma Corrin (THE CROWN) and BAFTA Award-winning actor Jack O’Connell bring to life this sensual adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s classic novel about the recently married Lady Chatterley who begins a passionate affair with a groundskeeper. DIR Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre. SCR David Magee. CAST Emma Corrin, Jack O’Connell, Matthew Duckett, Joely Richardson. UK
MONICA
Stoic and self-reliant Monica returns home for the first time in years to care for her ailing, estranged mother as the two confront unspoken tensions in this sensitive family drama. DIR Andrea Pallaoro. SCR Andrea Pallaoro, Orlando Tirado. CAST Trace Lysette, Patricia Clarkson, Emily Browning, Joshua Close, Adriana Barraza. USA
PIAFFE
When a struggling foley artist grows a horsetail out of her body, she begins a game of seduction with a botanist in this skillfully crafted study of control and eroticism from visual artist Ann Oren. DIR Ann Oren. SCR Ann Oren, Thais Guisasola. CAST Simone Bucio, Sebastian Rudolph, Simon(e) Jaikiriuma Paetau, Bjørn Melhus, Sarah Nevada Grether. Germany
SAINT OMER
Selected as France’s official submission to the Academy Awards®, this searing narrative debut from Alice Diop follows novelist Rama as she contends with her own pregnancy and a broken relationship with her mother. DIR Alice Diop. SCR Alice Diop, Amrita David, Marie Ndiaye. CAST Kayije Kagame, Guslagie Malanda, Valérie Dréville, Aurélia Petit, Robert Cantarella. France
TRENQUE LAUQUEN
When an inquisitive woman discovers secret letters hidden in a local library, she is thrown into a labyrinth of mysteries, disappearances and an unclassified flora species in this sprawling opus from Argentine director Laura Citarella. DIR Laura Citarella. SCR Laura Citarella, Laura Paredes. CAST Laura Paredes, Ezequiel Pierri, Rafael Spregelburd, Cecilia Rainero, Juliana Muras, Elisa Carricajo. Argentina
UNREST (UNRUEH)
Set amidst a local movement of anarchist watchmakers in the Swiss Jura Mountains in the 1870s, a young factory worker meets a Russian traveler and together they transform their town. DIR Cyril Schäublin. SCR Cyril Schäublin. CAST Clara Gostynski, Alexei Evstratov, Monika Stalder, Hélio Thiémard, Li Tavor. Switzerland
DOCUMENTARY
Presenting some of the most engaging and powerful real-life stories depicted in global documentary film. With subjects and themes both profound and impactful, these works are sure to enlighten, educate and entertain.
32 SOUNDS
This profound sensory experience from filmmaker Sam Green features an immersive, sonic tour into the history of sound science and experimental music, with original music by JD Samson. Headphones will be provided for this special binaural presentation. DIR Sam Green. USA
BODY PARTS
A deep dive into the history of sex scenes in Hollywood and the treatment of actresses on set, showing the real-world impact that onscreen portrayals have after the credits roll. DIR Kristy Guevara-Flanagan. CAST Jane Fonda, Rose McGowan, Joey Soloway, Angela Robinson, Karyn Kusama. USA
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Oscar-nominated Israeli documentarian Dror Moreh (THE GATEKEEPERS, 2012) interviews important players in international politics and diplomacy, in an insightful examination of the complexities surrounding military interventionism. DIR Dror Moreh. USA
DE HUMANI CORPORIS FABRICA
Harvard Sensory Ethnography Lab’s radical duo plunges us inside the human body through the gaze of the medical institution for an intimately visceral spectatorship of life and death. DIR Verena Paravel, Lucien Castaing-Taylor. France, USA, Switzerland
GEOGRAPHIES OF SOLITUDE
A richly textured, delicately meditative portrait of Sable Island and one of its lone inhabitants, conservationist Zoe Lucas, captured through a tender encounter between filmmaker and scientist. DIR Jacquelyn Mills. CAST Zoe Lucas. Canada
MARIUPOLIS 2
Documenting a group of Ukrainians sheltered in a Mariupol Christian church during the 2022 Russian invasion, MARIUPOLIS 2 is a testament to human resilience and the harsh realities of war. DIR Mantas Kvedaravičius. Lithuania, France, Germany
REWIND & PLAY
French-Senegalese filmmaker Alain Gomis exhumes and reedits raw footage from an excruciating, never-aired 1969 interview with legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. DIR Alain Gomis. SCR Alain Gomis. CAST Thelonious Monk, Henri Renaud. France, Germany
SUBJECT
From award-winning filmmakers Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall, SUBJECT unpacks the ethics and responsibilities in documentary filmmaking by examining important works from the past three decades and how these productions have affected the lives of their onscreen participants. DIR Jennifer Tiexiera, Camilla Hall. SCR Jennifer Tiexiera, Camilla Hall, Lauren Saffa. CAST Arthur Agee, Ahmed Hassan, Margie Ratliff, Michael Peterson, Mukunda Angulo. USA
THIS HOUSE (CETTE MAISON)
Ten years after her teenage cousin’s unsolved murder, Canadian filmmaker Miryam Charles examines fractured memories of the tragedy and her family’s migration from Haiti in this enigmatic feature debut. DIR Miryam Charles. SCR Miryam Charles. CAST Schelby Jean-Baptiste, Florence Blan Mbaye, Eve Duranceau, Matthew Rankin, Yardly Kavanagh. Canada
TURN EVERY PAGE – THE ADVENTURES OF ROBERT CARO AND ROBERT GOTTLIEB
This remarkable new documentary is a loving tribute to two titans of contemporary publishing, Robert Caro and his prolific editor Robert Gottlieb, as well as a deep dive into the books themselves. DIR Lizzie Gottlieb. USA
THE VOLCANO: RESCUE FROM WHAKAARI
In 2019, a volcano eruption stranded 47 people in a cloud of steam and ash and claimed 22 lives. THE VOLCANO: RESCUE FROM WHAKAARI is the story of the incredible rescue mission. DIR Rory Kennedy. SCR Mark Bailey, Dallas Brennan Rexer. USA
WILDCAT
The Amazon rain forest becomes a refuge for a former British solider suffering from PTSD, as he connects with an American scientist, and they reintroduce orphaned baby ocelots back into the wild. DIR Melissa Lesh, Trevor Beck Frost. USA
SHORT FILM COMPETITION
The short film program highlights unique voices from around the world. From both emerging and established filmmakers, these shorts push the form of storytelling in inventive, challenging and sometimes hilarious ways — all in 40 minutes or less.
AMERICAN SCAR
When a wedding photographer mistakenly captures a dynamite blast at the U.S.-Mexico border, he discovers a wide-ranging environmental catastrophe that could threaten the future of animal life in North America. DIR Daniel Lombroso. USA
AN AVOCADO PIT (UM CAROÇO DE ABACATE)
Larissa, a transgender woman, and Cláudio, a cisgender man, meet one night in the streets of Lisbon. Two people, two realities, dance their differences away till morning light. DIR Ary Zara. Portugal
BEDWETTER (PILONA)
Lea, a 10-year-old girl, wets the bed every night. Behind this disorder, there is a hidden secret that makes her a hostile and incredulous child. DIR July Naters. Peru
BIRDS
Moments in the lives of Austin teenagers during the heat of a Texas summer. DIR Katherine Propper. USA
BLUE ROOM
In the Pacific Northwest, incarcerated men and women watch nature videos on loop. BLUE ROOM is a meditation and a provocation on the human condition in prison and outside of it. DIR Merete Mueller. USA
COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER (הפרעת התמוטטות המושבה)
Colony Collapse Disorder is an abnormal phenomenon that occurs when bees leave their hive for no apparent reason. Between forest and city, two ambiguous lovers will go on a journey to preserve their togetherness. DIR Amos Holzman. Israel
CREATURES OF THE NIGHT
Athens 2022. Angst and insomnia persist for months. Amidst all this, a charitable robber and anarchist, the Pink Bunny, is roaming the dark, empty city streets. DIR Memi Koupa. Greece
THE DEBUTANTE
A spirited young woman persuades a hyena from the London Zoo to take her place at a dinner dance held in her honor. Their plan requires a surprising amount of artistry and violence. DIR Elizabeth Hobbs. UK
DOWN HOME
A sleepaway camp in Elgin, Texas, gives adults with developmental disabilities the opportunity to escape societal barriers and have a good ol’ time dancing, loving and feeling free. DIR Liz Moskowitz, Riley Engemoen. USA
EVERYTHING WRONG AND NOWHERE TO GO
Plagued by overwhelming anxiety about climate change, a filmmaker starts seeing a climate psychologist in hopes that she can find some peace of mind about the end of the world. DIR Sindha Agha. UK
THE FLYING SAILOR
Two ships collide in a harbor, an explosion shatters a city, and a sailor is blasted skyward. THE FLYING SAILOR is a contemplation of the wonder and fragility of existence. DIR Wendy Tilby, Amanda Forbis. Canada
HALLELUJAH
After being stuck under the guardianship of their annoying, bookworm nephew, two brothers in Compton, CA, must decide if they are willing to accept the responsibility of being caretakers. DIR Victor Gabriel. USA
HAULOUT
Off the Russian Arctic coast in a wind-battered hut, a lonely man waits to witness an ancient gathering. But warming seas and rising temperatures bring an unexpected change, and he soon finds himself overwhelmed. DIR Evgenia Arbugaeva, Maxim Arbugaev. UK
HOW TO BE A PERSON: HOW TO GET AN ABORTION
If Alfie hadn’t dumped her, Sanam would never have booty-called Jawad. Now Sanam needs to get an abortion. How does she even do that and what will her Baba say if he finds out? DIR Sindha Agha. UK
HUMANS ARE DUMBER WHEN CRAMMED UP TOGETHER (LES HUMAINS SONT CONS QUAND ILS S’EMPILENT)
Locked up in their own apartments, some neighbors tell the camera about the little troubles of life in their community. Little by little, when everything piles up, it’s enough to drive one mad. DIR Laurène Fernandez. France
IT’S RAINING FROGS OUTSIDE (AMPANGABAGAT NIN TALAKBA HA LIKOL)
The world is about to end. Maya is forced to go home to the province of Zambales. There, she confronts her childhood house that terrorizes her as frogs rain outside. DIR Maria Estela Paiso. Philippines
KYLIE
A ballerina from Los Angeles speaks her truth about passion and pain in the dance industry. DIR Sterling Hampton. USA
LOVE, BARBARA
A short documentary about the iconic legacy of pioneering lesbian experimental filmmaker Barbara Hammer, through the lens and love of her partner of over 30 years, Florrie Burke. DIR Brydie O’Connor. USA
LUCIENNE IN A WORLD WITHOUT SOLITUDE (LUCIENNE DANS UN MONDE SANS SOLITUDE)
In a world without solitude, where everyone shares their life with their double, Lucienne has a relationship with Paul, a former lover who has lost his twin. DIR Geordy Couturiau. France
MELANCHOLY OF MY MOTHER’S LULLABIES
A mother sings lullabies to her 12-year-old daughter in order to calm her down. When the lullabies end and the daughter comes to her senses, the reality turns out to be life-altering. DIR Abinash Bikram Shah. Nepal
NEIGHBOUR ABDI (BUURMAN ABDI)
Somali-born Abdi reenacts his life, marked by war and criminality, with the help of his neighbor and filmmaker, Douwe. They embark on a candid journey through a painful history. DIR Douwe Dijkstra. Netherlands
NEST
A story of siblings building a treehouse together over the course of a year. We experience the beauty and brutality of the seasons, as we follow them through their struggles and moments of joy. DIR Hlynur Pálmason. Iceland, Denmark
NICE TO MEET YOU ALL
NICE TO MEET YOU ALL is a celebration of a woman with Dissociative Identity Disorder who has survived human trafficking rings in the U.S. DIR Guen Murroni. UK
NOT EVEN FOR A MOMENT DO THINGS STAND STILL
Visitors from across the nation gather at a sea of white flags to honor loved ones lost to COVID-19. As they mourn en masse, we witness their many expressions of loss and humanity. DIR Jamie Meltzer. USA
ON XERXES’ THRONE
At the Perama shipyard, a ban on physical contact has turned human interaction into otherworldly simulations. The suppression of touch has transformed the boatyard into a charged landscape of repressed sensuality. DIR Evi Kalogiropoulou. Greece
SIERRA
A father and his son are losing the folk race. In order to win, the boy turns himself into a car tire. Loosely inspired by the director’s childhood, SIERRA pulls us into the surreal car racing world. DIR Sander Joon. Estonia
THE SPIRAL
A WhatsApp audio begins, and with it, a downward spiral unfolds. The voice of a woman sinking into a health anxiety attack quickly entangles a complex labyrinth of fears and emotions. DIR María Silvia Esteve. Argentina
THE SWARMERS (SCHWARMTIERE)
Karla is new at a highly traditional boarding school. Because she breaks the nose of popular classmate Pombert on her very first day, her social decline becomes inevitable. DIR Alison Kuhn. Germany
YOKELAN, 66
In Manhattan’s Chinatown, 66-year-old widowed Yokelan goes to dance class. She wants to find love again. DIR Yi Tang. China
ZOON
Small shimmering animals are in heat. A two-legged forest dweller encounters the lustful group. He and his companions snack on the little creatures and soon a feast begins. DIR Jonatan Schwenk. Germany
AFI CONSERVATORY SHOWCASE
AND I MISS YOU LIKE A LITTLE KID
When a lonely depressive falls for an older punk during the early days of the pandemic, he soon finds himself trapped in his apartment with her abuse. DIR Benjamin Hosking. USA
AVES
After a sudden encounter with a mysterious student, a tenured ornithologist and war veteran is forced to remember the realities of his past. DIR Eli Snyder. USA
THE BASICS OF LOVE
After getting caught amidst a robbery on New Year’s Eve, Liz and Lefty, co-workers in the city sanitation department, are caught off-guard by feelings for one another that they didn’t know they had. DIR Joshua Nathan. USA
BEFORE YOU
An African American police officer, who is seven months pregnant, patrols South Mississippi on a graveyard shift that she will never forget. DIR Gia-Rayne Harris. USA
BLACK WHOLE
When a haunting black hole appears in their yard, a pregnant couple must face their fears of miscarriage, to eliminate the phenomenon before it consumes them. DIR Brett Calkins. USA
CARRION
In an isolated desert motel, a young girl digs up a rotting carcass — and later that night, something long-buried is unearthed in her mother. DIR Yvonne Zhang. USA
CHERUBS
A reserved teenager feels seen for the first time when an older counselor at an arts camp takes her under his wing. As boundaries blur, she reckons with the consequences of self-discovery. DIR Anne-Sophie Bine. USA
CHILDREN OF CHANGE
In a last desperate environmental plea, a teen girl will do to her own body what we’re doing to the earth. DIR Nitzan Levinson. USA
CHORUS
After missing his wife’s phone call goodbye on the morning of September 11th, a now listless and brokenhearted music teacher must harmonize with his increasingly reckless 14-year-old son. DIR Daniel J. Egbert. USA
COWBOY PECAN PIE
A seven-year-old boy enters an imaginary Wild West as he musters the courage to stand up to his sexual abuser. DIR Paul Cadenhead. USA
CURE
In the near future a fugitive finds both animosity and refuge in a secret community where people are free from a surveillance barcode burned onto every citizen. DIR Tianyu Tina Gu. USA
DADDY
A uniquely twisted coming-of-age story about an aspiring porn star who spends the summer of 1980 in her family’s dilapidated desert motel by sleeping with every man who passes through. DIR Jo Steinhart. USA
DAVE THE FIANCE
When a life-changing accident leaves Dave in the hands of his soon-to-be father and brother-in-law, he must protect the family or risk destroying everything they have. DIR Andrew Jasperson. USA
DESERT DREAM
A young Korean foreign exchange student gets expelled and decides to spend his last day living the American Dream. DIR Dante Jiayu Liu. USA
THE EMISSARIES
Three emissaries from a new wave cult seeking land to settle on are tasked with acquiring a ranch at all costs from an old couple who refuse to sell. DIR Jesse Nesser. USA
END OF DAY
When a corporate worker decides to chase his dream of being a stand-up comedian, the office transforms into a surreal nightmare that tries to convince him to stay by using his insecurities against him. DIR Alfredo Rodriguez-Allen. USA
THE ERL KING
When a young woman from a strict, religious family suddenly finds herself seduced by an ancient woodland god, she falls into a romance that threatens to consume her on the 1800s frontier. DIR Genevieve Kertesz. USA
FINDING VEGA
A coming-of-age story of a rebellious Chinese American girl named Xing who has a passionate love for the starry sky and discovers the complexities of her ill mother’s love and spirit. DIR Joey Xuetong Zhao. USA
FIRE BORN
Ruby, who lost her mother at birth to gun violence, works as a cop in Los Angeles. Drawing her gun to stop a robbery, she finds herself in the same situation as when she was born. DIR Daniel Carsenty. USA
FIVE
After spending seven years in prison, Malcolm seeks to mend his relationship with his mother while devoting himself as a consistent and faithful new convert to Islam. DIR Davir Orantes. USA
GORDITX
Kung-fu-obsessed Ursula discovers she’s not the only outcast at an exclusive country club summer camp. With a golf tournament looming, Ursula hopes to prove her worth with the help of Chef Cormac. DIR Malik Cherifi. USA
HEAD OF A WOMAN / HEAD OF A MAN
A lost young man, struggling with his sense of self, encounters St. Francis of Assisi in the woods. The two share an intimate connection that forges an unwavering love. DIR Michael Dorsey. USA
I THOUGHT THE EARTH REMEMBERED ME
A queer love story about a terminally ill woman who journeys back to the place where she once lived with the love of her life. DIR Prem Santana. USA
KISSY & THE SHARK
In a polluted world, Kissy (11) attempts to save a beached shark by taking it home. DIR Lola Blanche Higgins. USA
LANE FIVE
A young woman struggles to care for her father with Alzheimer’s, only to have him suddenly vanish from the house when her back is turned. DIR Matthew Sliger. USA
MAGDALENA
Czechoslovakia, 1971. A Slovakian woman cannot shake the demons of her horrific past as they come back to haunt her and threaten to destroy the life she’s tirelessly trying to build. DIR Michael Lazovsky. USA
MOXIE
An exclusive orgy in Los Angeles doesn’t go as planned. DIR William Venus Means. USA
MY LIFE STOPPED AT 15
A visit to a skating rink triggers Sofia into a world where she must confront her pain in order to break free from her past. DIR Nicole Mejia. USA
ONE MAN BAND
A depressed organ recipient embarks on a life-changing journey to fulfill the last wish of his donor by forming an amateur band with the donor’s other two organ recipients. DIR Dekang Liu. USA
THE PORTRAIT
Celebrating the five-year anniversary of his clothing line, fashion designer Dorian Gray must decide whether or not to sell his company to accomplished designer Cornelius Black. DIR Razzaaq Boykin. USA
RINGING ROCKS
A young man supporting his boyfriend’s recovery from paranoid delusions takes him on a romantic getaway to an isolated desert resort, only to start questioning his own grip on reality. DIR Gus Reed. USA
RITMO
Just as young love begins to blossom for a high-school boy, he is faced with an important decision: to live out his Abuela’s dream, or create his own. DIR Stacy Pascal Gaspard. USA
SAN GABRIEL VALLEY
Ten months after she moved to the United States with her husband Qinyi, Supin learns her favorite student at the Chinese piano shop is about to leave the country. DIR Dante Jiayu Liu. USA
SHEDDING ANGELS
In search of an outfit for a costume party, a young man steals war uniforms from an elderly woman’s yard sale… but pays the price in the most unexpected way. DIR Freddy Macdonald. USA
SOREDIA
During an improvised trip to Ojai, a self-conscious French girl studying in the U.S. finds herself lost and desperate for a sense of belonging. DIR Julia Ponce Diaz. USA
SUCK HARD
Reeling from an earth shattering break up, 17-year-old Zoe must confront all that is left of her first love: a cardboard box of “stuff.” DIR Eva Neuwirth. USA
TIAN HEI HEI
A young girl growing up in a Shanghainese gambling den must protect her friend and survive the violent world of petty gangsters by relying on her wits. DIR Jina Miao. USA
TO THE DUST
Living in the expanse of the Wild West, a disabled woman is forced to fight not only the elements but also her own grief when confronted with an unexpected loss. DIR Sophia Youssef. USA
UNDER THE ROSES
A lawyer getting a divorce goes to see an old girlfriend for what he hopes is a date, only to learn that she wants him to convince her son to forgo his dream. DIR Henry Wolf. USA
WAITING FOR SPRING
A sci-fi love story about a woman on Mars trapped by grief. DIR Ryan Michael Brown. USA
WE WERE MEANT TO
Akil, an African American teen, has wings and one goal: to take his first flight. DIR Tari Wariebi. USA
WHY DON’T YOU LIKE ME?
A ride-share driver’s five-star rating starts to suddenly go down. DIR Irina Storozhenko. USA
ZENAIDA
An undocumented Filipino-Muslim caregiver who works for an aging diva suffering from dementia, secretly borrows her glamorous wardrobe for his new drag act. Complications arise when the diva mistakes him for a thief. DIR San-San Onglatco. USA
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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2024 North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) Nominations 
2024 Philadelphia Film Critics Circle (PFCC) Winners: ‘Anora’ Named Best Film Among its Six Awards 
2024 Utah Film Critics Association (UFCA) Nominations 
2024 Black Reel Awards Nominations: ‘Nickel Boys,’ ‘The Piano Lesson’ Lead