Mudbound, Call Me By Your Name, All the Money in the World set for AFI Fest 2017
AFI Fest 2017 will be the world premiere of Ridley Scott’s second film this year, the Getty-kidnapping drama All the Money in the World starring Michelle Williams, Mark Wahlberg and Kevin Spacey. Previous fest closers include Patriots Day and The Big Short.
AFI FEST will present the work of Robert Altman retrospective, with screenings and discussions of 12 films — historically the most programmed in the festival for one filmmaker. For the retrospective, legendary director/producer/writer Altman (1925–2006) will be honored with screenings and discussions of his classic films, including: M*A*S*H (1970), MCCABE & MRS. MILLER (1971), THE LONG GOODBYE (1972), CALIFORNIA SPLIT (1973), NASHVILLE (1975), 3 WOMEN (1977), VINCENT & THEO (1990), THE PLAYER (1992), SHORT CUTS (1993), KANSAS CITY (1996), GOSFORD PARK (2001) and A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION (2006).
On Saturday, November 11, Academy Award®-winning documentary filmmaker Errol Morris will be honored with a Tribute following a screening of WORMWOOD.
AFI Fest runs November 9-16.
Opening Night – Mudbound (Dee Rees)
Set in the rural American South during World War II, Dee Rees’ MUDBOUND is an epic story of two families pitted against one another by a ruthless social hierarchy, yet bound together by the shared farmland of the Mississippi Delta. MUDBOUND follows the McAllan family, newly transplanted from the quiet civility of Memphis and unprepared for the harsh demands of farming. Despite the grandiose dreams of Henry (Jason Clarke), his wife Laura (Carey Mulligan) struggles to keep the faith in her husband’s losing venture.
Meanwhile, Hap and Florence Jackson (Rob Morgan, Mary J. Blige) — sharecroppers who have worked the land for generations — struggle bravely to build a small dream of their own despite the rigidly enforced social barriers they face.
The war upends both families’ plans as their returning loved ones, Jamie McAllan (Garrett Hedlund) and Ronsel Jackson (Jason Mitchell), forge a fast but uneasy friendship that challenges the brutal realities of the Jim Crow South in which they live.
Previous fest openers have included Rules Don’t Apply and By the Sea.
MUDBOUND will be in select theaters and on Netflix on November 17, 2017.
Closing Night – All the Money in the World (Ridley Scott) – World Premiere
ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD follows the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother Gail (Michelle Williams) to convince his billionaire grandfather (Kevin Spacey) to pay the ransom. When Getty, Sr., refuses, Gail attempts to sway him as her son’s captors become increasingly volatile and brutal. With her son’s life in the balance, Gail and Getty’s advisor (Mark Wahlberg) become unlikely allies in the race against time that ultimately reveals the true and lasting value of love over money.
Directed by Ridley Scott, TriStar Pictures’ and Imperative Entertainment’s ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD is written by David Scarpa, based on the book by John Pearson. Produced by Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Quentin Curtis, Chris Clark, Ridley Scott, Mark Huffam and Kevin Walsh, the film stars Michelle Williams, Kevin Spacey, Mark Wahlberg, Romain Duris, Charlie Plummer and Timothy Hutton.
CENTERPIECE GALAS
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME — The new film from Sony Pictures Classics by Luca Guadagnino is a sensual and transcendent tale of first love, based on the acclaimed novel by André Aciman. It’s the summer of 1983 in the north of Italy, and Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet), a precocious 17-year-old American-Italian boy, spends his days in his family’s 17th-century villa, transcribing and playing classical music, reading and flirting with his friend Marzia (Esther Garrel). Elio enjoys a close relationship with his father (Michael Stuhlbarg), an eminent professor specializing in Greco-Roman culture, and his mother Annella (Amira Casar), a translator, who favor him with the fruits of high culture in a setting that overflows with natural delights. While Elio’s sophistication and intellectual gifts suggest he is already a fully-fledged adult, there is much that yet remains innocent and unformed about him, particularly about matters of the heart. One day, Oliver (Armie Hammer), a charming American scholar working on his doctorate, arrives as the annual summer intern tasked with helping Elio’s father. Amid the sun-drenched splendor of the setting, Elio and Oliver discover the heady beauty of awakening desire over the course of a summer that will alter their lives forever.
THE DISASTER ARTIST — Director James Franco reimagines the tragicomic true story of aspiring filmmaker and infamous Hollywood outsider Tommy Wiseau — an artist whose passion was as sincere as his methods were questionable — as a celebration of friendship, artistic expression and dreams pursued against insurmountable odds. Based on Greg Sestero’s bestselling tell-all about the making of Wiseau’s cult-classic disaster piece THE ROOM (“The Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made”), THE DISASTER ARTIST is a hilarious and welcome reminder that there is more than one way to become a legend — and no limit to what you can achieve when you have absolutely no idea what you’re doing. Franco directs, produces and stars in the film, delivering a transformative performance as Wiseau in this A24 release.
HOSTILES — Captain Joseph Blocker (a stellar Christian Bale) is nearing the end of respected military career when he’s given an assignment he can’t refuse: Escort an ailing Native prisoner, Chief Yellowhawk (Wes Studi), up to his Montana homeland to die. Bearing deep-simmering resentments against Natives, Blocker detests the idea of providing safe passage to a man he views as a cold-blooded murderer. But as the men’s journey into the 1890s American West becomes more perilous, and as they’re joined by a flinty woman (Rosamund Pike) who’s endured untold grief, ideas about who are the aggressors and who are the victims come into question. Scott Cooper deftly mounts this Western masterpiece, lensed stunningly by AFI Conservatory alumnus Masanobu Takayanagi (Class of 2002), with a knockout supporting cast that includes Ben Foster, Q’orianka Kilcher, Jesse Plemons, Peter Mullan and Rory Cochrane.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL – Annette Bening stars as Gloria Grahame and Jamie Bell as her young ex-lover in this visually sumptuous, deeply compassionate romance. DIR Paul McGuigan. SCR Matt Greenhalgh. CAST Annette Bening, Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Vanessa Redgrave. USA
I, TONYA – Margot Robbie stars as tabloid-bait figure skater Tonya Harding in this unforgettable film that is nothing less than a Shakespearean tale of love, loss and the crushing force of poverty in America. DIR Craig Gillespie. SCR Steven Rogers. CAST Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Paul Walter Hauser, Julianne Nicholson, Bobby Cannavale, Mckenna Grace. USA
JIM & ANDY: THE GREAT BEYOND – WITH A VERY SPECIAL, CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED MENTION OF TONY CLIFTON – In this insightful documentary, Jim Carrey reflects on his experience playing legendary comedian Andy Kaufman in 1999’s MAN ON THE MOON. DIR Chris Smith. FEATURING Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, Milos Forman, Judd Hirsch, Carol Kane, Paul Giamatti, Bob Zmuda. USA
THE LEISURE SEEKER – Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland star in this unforgettable tale of love and memory in an America on the brink of an uncertain new course. DIR Paolo Virzì. SCR Stephen Amidon, Francesca Archibugi, Francesco Piccolo, Paolo Virzì. CAST Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland, Christian McKay, Janel Moloney, Dana Ivey. Italy
MOLLY’S GAME – Oscar ® nominee Jessica Chastain stars in Oscar ® -winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut, set in the glamorous world of high-stakes underground poker games. DIR Aaron Sorkin. SCR Aaron Sorkin. CAST Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O’Dowd, Bill Camp. USA
SAMMY DAVIS, JR.: I’VE GOTTA BE ME – Longtime Spike Lee collaborator Sam Pollard
directs this accomplished documentary on the ups and downs of the life and career of
trailblazing multi-hyphenate Sammy Davis, Jr. DIR Sam Pollard. SCR Laurence Maslon.
FEATURING Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Quincy Jones, Jerry Lewis, Kim Novak,
Nancy Sinatra, Norman Lear. USA
THE SHAPE OF WATER – Set at the height of the Cold War, Guillermo del Toro’s latest stars Sally Hawkins in an otherworldly love tale between a mute cleaning lady and an Amphibian Man. DIR Guillermo del Toro. SCR Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor. CAST Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, Octavia Spencer. USA
NEW AUTEURS
AVA – After an adolescent girl discovers she will soon go blind, she confronts the problem in her own way in this disturbing, visually bold debut. DIR Léa Mysius. SCR Léa Mysius, Paul Guilhaume. CAST Noée Abita, Laure Calamy, Juan Cano. France
CLOSENESS (TESNOTA) – Controversial and beloved in equal measure, the film centers on a young woman eking out an existence in a remote region of Russia, and the choices she must face when her brother and his fiancée are kidnapped. DIR Kantemir Balagov. SCR Kantemir Balagov, Anton Yarush. CAST Atrem Cipin, Olga Dragunova, Veniamin Kac, Darya Zhovnar, Nazir Zhukov. Russia
HANNAH – Charlotte Rampling gives another career-defining performance in this taut and layered film as a woman dealing with the fallout of an abhorrent crime committed by her husband. DIR Andrea Pallaoro. SCR Andrea Pallaoro, Orlando Tirado. CAST Charlotte Rampling, Andre Wilms. Italy, Belgium, France
HAVE A NICE DAY (HAO JI LE) – This morbid, hilarious animated noir cuts deep into the greed fueling the Chinese economic miracle. DIR/SCR Liu Jian. CAST Zhu Changlong, Cao Kai, Liu Jian, Yang Siming, Shi Haitao, Ma Xiaofeng, Xue Feng, Zheng Yi. China
HIGH FANTASY – Four South African friends on a camping trip discover they’ve switched bodies in this found-footage sophomore feature that cathartically examines racial and gender issues. DIR Jenna Bass. SCR Jenna Bass, Qondiswa James, Nala Khumalo, Francesca Varrie Michel, Liza Scholtz, Loren Loubser. CAST Qondiswa James, Nala Khumalo, Francesca Varrie Michel, Liza Scholtz, Loren Loubser. South Africa
I AM NOT A WITCH – A nine-year-old girl ignites a rebellion in the witch camp where she’s been imprisoned, in this bold debut that beautifully mixes satire, superstition and ambiguity. DIR/SCR Rungano Nyoni. CAST Margaret Mulubwa, Henry B.J. Phiri, Nancy Mulilo. France, UK, Germany
MILLA – The happy but impoverished life-on-the-fringes of a young French couple is captured with observational care and quiet grace in this striking new work. DIR/SCR Valérie Massadian. CAST Severine Jonckeere, Luc Chessel, Ethan Jonckeere. France
PENDULAR – This intense and unforgettable debut melds sculpture, dance and film in a tale brimming with sexual passion. DIR/SCR Júlia Murat, Matias Mariani. CAST Raquel Karro, Rodrigo Bolzan, Neto Machado, Marcio Vito, Felipe Rocha, Renato Linhares, Larissa Siqueira, Carlos Eduardo Santos, Valeria Barretta, Martina Revollo. Argentina, Brazil, France
SUMMER 1993 – In this unforgettable and autobiographical debut, a six-year-old girl goes to live with her extended family in the Catalan countryside following her mother’s death from an AIDS-related illness. DIR/SCR Carla Simón. CAST Laia Artigas, Paula Robles, Bruna Cusí, David Verdaguer, Fermí Reixach. Spain
WHAT WILL PEOPLE SAY (HVA VIL FOLK SI) – A Norwegian-Pakistani teenage girl must bear the consequences of her rebellious actions in this powerful sophomore feature. DIR/SCR Iram Haq. CAST Maria Mozhdah, Adil Hussain, Rohit Saraf, Ekavali Khanna, Ali Arfan, Sheeba Chaddha, Lalit Parimoo, Jannat Zubair Rahmani, Nokokure Dahl, Trine Wiggen, Maria Bock, Sara Khorami. Norway, Germany, Sweden
WINTER BROTHERS (VINTERBRØDRE) – A loner in a snowy mining community is pushed to violent extremes in this hypnotic, beautiful debut out of Denmark. DIR/SCR Hlynur Pálmason. CAST Elliott Crosset Hove, Simon Sears, Victoria Carmen Sonne, Peter Plaugborg, Lars Mikkelsen. Denmark, Iceland
AMERICAN INDEPENDENTS
THE BALLAD OF LEFTY BROWN – Bill Pullman gives a career-best performance in Jared Moshé’s cleverly scripted, thrilling love letter to the Western. DIR/SCR Jared Moshé. CAST Bill Pullman, Kathy Baker, Jim Caviezel, Tommy Flanagan, Peter Fonda. USA
BODIED – A meek white-boy rapper wants to spit fire, but does cultural appropriation outweigh his desire? DIR Joseph Kahn. SCR Alex Larsen. CAST Calum Worthy, Jackie Long, Charlamagne Tha God, Anthony Michael Hall, Rory Uphold, Dumbfoundead, Walter Perez, Shoniqua Shandai, Dizaster, Debra Wilson, Loaded Lux. USA
CALIFORNIA DREAMS – Beautiful and multilayered, Mike Ott’s latest work of docufiction centers on struggling individuals in Valencia, CA, and the profound chasm between their lives and dreams of stardom. DIR Mike Ott. CAST Cory Zacharia, Patrick Ilaguno, Carolan J. Pinto, Neil Harley, Kevin Gilger AKA K-Nine. USA
EL MAR LA MAR – A stunning new film from Harvard’s Sensory Ethnography Lab, EL MAR LA MAR dives into matters of life and death at the U.S.-Mexico border in the Sonoran Desert, where legions of immigrants are dying to cross. DIR/SCR Joshua Bonnetta & J.P. Sniadecki. USA
THE ENDLESS – Filmmaking duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead return with another fiercely original sci-fi horror film, this time set in a UFO death cult. DIR Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead. SCR Justin Benson. CAST Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Callie Hernandez, Tate Ellington. USA
FITS AND STARTS – Wyatt Cenac and Greta Lee star in this fantastic and funny debut centering on two married writers — one successful, the other not so much. DIR/SCR Laura Terruso. CAST Wyatt Cenac, Greta Lee, Maria Dizzia. USA
GEMINI – Lola Kirke stars as a personal assistant who must figure out who killed her famous employer (Zoë Kravitz) in this neon-drenched neo-noir from director Aaron Katz. DIR/SCR Aaron Katz. CAST Lola Kirke, Zoë Kravitz, John Cho, Greta Lee. USA
LIFE AND NOTHING MORE – AFI FEST alum Antonio Méndez Esparza’s sophomore feature follows the day-to-day struggles of an African-American mother and her troubled son, who is getting ever closer to following in his imprisoned father’s footsteps. DIR/SCR Antonio Méndez Esparza. CAST Andrew Bleechington, Regina Williams, Robert Williams, Ry’Nesia Chambers. USA
MR. ROOSEVELT – Triple threat Noël Wells directs, writes and stars in this funny tale of a struggling comedian returning to her hometown to mourn an old pet, and play third wheel to her ex and his new girlfriend. DIR/SCR Noël Wells. CAST Noël Wells, Nick Thune, Britt Lower, Daniella Pineda, Andre Hyland. USA
SOLLERS POINT – This moving portrait of one young man’s frustrated attempts to rise above his obstacles after being released from prison is the latest film from indie director Matt Porterfield. DIR/SCR Matthew Porterfield. CAST McCaul Lombardi, Jim Belushi, Zazie Beetz, Everleigh Brenner. USA
THOROUGHBREDS – Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke star in this darkly comedic thriller that recalls films like HEAVENLY CREATURES and HEATHERS. DIR/SCR Cory Finley. CAST Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Anton Yelchin, Paul Sparks, Francie Swift, Kaili Vernoff. USA
CINEMA’S LEGACY
BAREFOOT IN THE PARK – This classic romantic comedy pairs Robert Redford and Jane Fonda as a young married couple with absolutely nothing in common. DIR Gene Saks. SCR Neil Simon. CAST Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Charles Boyer, Mildred Natwick, Herbert Edelman, James Stone, Ted Hartley, Mabel Albertson. USA
BLOW-UP – A fashion photographer accidentally photographs a murder in BLOW-UP, one of Michelangelo Antonioni’s many masterpieces, and his first film in English. Restoration curated by The Criterion Collection, Cineteca di Bologna and Istituto Luce Cinecittà, in collaboration with Warner Bros. and Park Circus. DIR Michelangelo Antonioni. SCR Michelangelo Antonioni, Tonino Guerra. CAST Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles, David Hemmings, John Castle, Jane Birkin, Gillian Hills, Peter Bowles. Italy
LOS CAIFANES – A wealthy couple gets an impromptu tour around Mexico City from an urban gang in this outrageous, ahead-of- its-time Mexican cinema classic. DIR Juan Ibáñez. SCR Carlos Fuentes, Juan Ibáñez. CAST Julissa, Enrique Álvarez Félix, Óscar Chávez, Ernesto Gómez Cruz, Sergio Juménez, Eduardo López Rojas, Tamara Garina, Martha Zabaleta. Mexico
LA COLLECTIONNEUSE – The third of Eric Rohmer’s “Six Moral Tales” centers on two men and a rules-breaking woman, rumored to be a “collector” of the opposite sex, staying together on the Riviera. DIR Eric Rohmer. SCR Haydée Politoff, Patrick Bauchau, Daniel Pommereulle, Eric Rohmer. CAST Haydée Politoff, Patrick Bauchau, Daniel Pommereulle, Alain Jouffroy, Mijanou, Annik Morice, Denis Berry, Seymour Hertzberg. France
FILMWORKER – The relationship between master Stanley Kubrick and his right-hand man, actor turned “filmworker” Leon Vitali, is a moving portrait of total dedication to art and genius. DIR Tony Zierra. FEATURING Leon Vitali, Ryan O’Neal, Matthew Modine, Danny Lloyd, Stellan Skarsgård. USA
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (IL BUONO, IL BRUTTO, IL CATTIVO) – Starring Clint Eastwood in a career-defining performance, Sergio Leone’s best-known work follows a band of men during the American Civil War as they hunt down a stolen cache of Confederate gold. DIR Sergio Leone. SCR Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Leone. CAST Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach, Aldo Giuffrè, Luigi Pistilli, Rada Rassimov, Enzo Petito, Claudio Scarchilli, John Bartha. Italy, Spain, West Germany, USA
GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER – Anchored by powerful performances by Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, this Oscar-winning, groundbreaking masterpiece centers on an interracial romance in the 1960s. DIR Stanley Kramer. SCR William Rose. CAST Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn, Katharine Houghton, Cecil Kellaway, Beah Richards, Roy Glenn. USA
RED DESERT (IL DESERTO ROSSO) – Michelangelo Antonioni’s first foray into color centers on a maladjusted woman, played by muse Monica Vitti, searching for her place in a foggy, bleak industrial town. Restoration curated by CSC-Cineteca Nazionale and Istituto Luce Cinecittà, in collaboration with RTI-Mediaset. DIR Michelangelo Antonioni. SCR Michelangelo Antonioni, Tonino Guerra. CAST Monica Vitti, Richard Harris, Carlo Chionetti, Xenia Valderi, Rita Renoir, Aldo Grotti. Italy, France
TITICUT FOLLIES – This searing debut documentary by Frederick Wiseman, centering on a facility for the criminally insane in Massachusetts, was banned for general audiences for 23 years. DIR Frederick Wiseman. USA
SHORTS
THE 6TH AMENDMENT – A jury decides the fate of one of the Boston Marathon bombers. DIR Elika Portnoy. SCR Mike Harden, Rob Tremblay. CAST Michael Bakkensen, Tony V., Shawn Fitzgibbon, Rose Weaver, Brookes Reeves, Mary Niederkorn, JP Valenti, Debbie Lewis, Melissa Schmidt, Courtland Jones, Tonya Chen, Richard Pacheco, Steve Assad. Bulgaria
AFTER SCHOOL KNIFE FIGHT – Laëtitia, Roca, Nico and Naël are in a band that soon will no longer exist. DIR Caroline Poggi, Jonathan Vinel. SCR Caroline Poggi, Jonathan Vinel. CAST Lucas Doméjean, Marylou Mayniel, Pablo Cobo, Nicolas Mias. France
ASCRIBED ACHIEVEMENTS – A failed suicide creates a new situation. DIR Samaneh Shojaei. SCR Amin Kafashzadeh. CAST Amin Kafashzadeh. Iran
BALLOONFEST – Cleveland attempts to overcome its nickname, “The Mistake by the Lake.” DIR Nathan Truesdell. SCR Nathan Truesdell. USA
THE BURDEN – An animated musical with apocalyptic undertones. DIR Niki Lindroth von Bahr. SCR Niki Lindroth von Bahr. CAST Olof Wretling, Sven Björklund, Mattias Fransson, Carl Englén. Sweden
CLOWNS – Clowns! Suddenly, they’re everywhere. DIR The Manhattan Company. USA
COIN OPERATED – Seventy years pass in the life of one naïve explorer. DIR Nicholas Arioli. SCR Nicholas Arioli. USA
COMMODITY CITY – A glimpse at the goods for sale and the humans who sell them in the largest wholesale consumer market in the world. DIR Jessica Kingdon. USA, China
COPA-LOCA – Paulina is the girl at the heart of Copa-Loca, an abandoned Greek summer resort. DIR Christos Massalas. SCR Christos Massalas. CAST Elsa Lekakou, Jenny Hiloudaki, Pavlos Iordanopoulos, Talat Iqbal, Stathis Stamoulakatos, Michalis Pitidis, Fotis Stratigos, Nadia Katsoura, Panos Iosifidis, George Ramantanis, Jon Simvonis. Greece
CUBS (UNGAR) – A single father fulfills his young daughter’s wish to throw a slumber party. DIR Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir. SCR Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir. CAST Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Agla Bríet Gísladóttir, Anna Bíbí Wium Axelsdóttir, Ragnheiður Ugla Ocares Gautsdóttir. Iceland
DADYAA – THE WOODPECKERS OF ROTHA – Atimaley and Devi are faced with a dilemma when a friend leaves without saying goodbye. DIR Pooja Gurung, Bibhusan Basnet. SCR Pooja Gurung, Bibhusan Basnet. CAST Parimal Damai, Chham Kala Damai. Nepal, France
THE DIVER – Take a plunge with the man who excavates Mexico City’s sewage system. DIR Esteban Arrangoiz. SCR Esteban Arrangoiz, Mariana Rodríguez. FEATURING Julio César Cú Cámara. Mexico
DOLLAR KING – It’s the perfect crime: three friends in pig masks with squirt guns at the dollar store. DIR Drew Pollins. SCR D.M. Brent. CAST Jason Boggs, John Charles Meyer, Ed Mattiuzzi, Susan Berger, John McCool Bowers, Ronnie Clark, Josh Harp. USA
EDGE OF ALCHEMY – Mary Pickford and Janet Gaynor are cast into a surreal epic in this handmade film assembled from over 6,000 collages. DIR Stacey Steers. SCR Stacey Steers. USA
THE FARE – A young human trafficker must confront his morals when he’s asked to transport a girl from his hometown. DIR Santiago Paladines. SCR Santiago Paladines. CAST Johnny Ortiz, Noemi Pedraza, Eduardo Roman. USA
FISH STORY – A search for the truth behind a fishy tale. DIR Charlie Lyne. SCR Charlie Lyne. FEATURING Caspar Salmon. UK
GAZE (NEGAH) – A woman witnesses a crime on a bus. DIR Farnoosh Samadi SCR Farnoosh Samadi, Ali Asgari. CAST Marzieh Vafamehr, Amirreza Ranjbaran, Pedram Ansari, Safoura Kazempour, Gholamreza Rahimi, Mehrdad Mohammadi, Kiana Asadi, Mehran Elhamifar, Babak Karimi. Iran, Italy
A GENTLE NIGHT (XIAO CHENG ER YUE) – A mother, with a missing daughter, refuses to stop searching. DIR Qiu Yang. SCR: Qiu Yang. CAST Li Shuxian. China
GREAT CHOICE – A woman gets stuck in a looping Red Lobster commercial from hell. DIR Robin Comisar. SCR Robin Comisar. CAST Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector. USA
HI STRANGER – It’s time to catch up with an old friend. DIR Kirsten Lepore. SCR Kirsten Lepore. CAST Garrett Davis. USA
HOT DOG HANDS – A suburban woman can’t stop growing new fingers. DIR Matt Reynolds. SCR Matt Reynolds. CAST Gillian Wallace Horvat. USA
HOUSE OF JXN – A glimpse into the dance clubs and Rainbow families of Jackson, MS. DIR Rosie Haber. USA
HOW’S YOUR PROSTATE? – A discussion between two girlfriends. DIR Jeanne Paturle, Cécile Rousset. SCR Jeanne Paturle, Cécile Rousset, Cécile Mille. CAST Cécile Mille. France
IFO – Historic UFO sightings over Mansfield, OH, are evoked through memory, report and gesture. DIR Kevin Jerome Everson. FEATURING Albert Thomas, Elijah Bailey Harris, Saveon Moore, Carmenita Higginbotham, Matilda Washington, Tre’Zhan Gamble. USA
ISLANDS (LES ÎLES) – Three characters wander through an erotic maze of love and desire. DIR Yann Gonzalez. SCR Yann Gonzalez. CAST Sarah-Megan Allouch, Thomas Ducasse, Alphonse Maitrepierre, Mathilde Mennetrier, Romain Merle, Simon Thiébaut. France
JOY JOY NAILS – Under the polish, everyone’s a victim. DIR Joey Ally. SCR Joey Ally. CAST Kahyun Kim, Yi Liu, Tae Song, Esther Moon, Shirley Kwon, Chris Yejin, Sarah Chang, Amber Sealey, Caryn West, Catherine Haena Kim, Jongman Kim. USA
LANCE LIZARDI – A young man embarks on a reptilian adventure. DIR Xander Robin, FEATURING Lance Lizardi, James Bears, Robin Robin, Michael Kefeyalew, Valerie Brooks, Michael Casper, Gary Holzapple. USA
LIFE BOAT – Six teenagers are led into a game of survival by their guidance counselor. DIR Lorraine Nicholson. SCR Lorraine Nicholson. CAST Elizabeth Gilpin, Stephen Dorff, Moises Arias, Kwame Boateng, Hopper Penn, B.K. Cannon, Chloe Bridges. USA
LUPUS – In December 2011, a security guard was killed by a pack of stray dogs prowling in a poor neighborhood in Bogota. DIR Carlos Gomez Salamanca. SCR Carlos Gomez Salamanca. France
MARE NOSTRUM – A Syrian father prepares his daughter for a dangerous journey. DIR Rana Kazkaz, Anas Khalaf. SCR Rana Kazkaz. CAST Ziad Bakri, Zayn Khalaf. France, Syrian Arab Republic
MR. YELLOW SWEATSHIRT – A man enters the New York City subway. DIR Pacho Velez, Yoni Brook. USA
NATIONAL DISINTEGRATIONS – A peek inside Swiss freeports, where many of the world’s art treasures are hidden. DIR Braden King. USA, Switzerland
NIGHTHAWK (NOČNA PTICA) – A drunk badger lies motionless on a road. DIR Špela Čadež. SCR Gregor Zorc, Špela Čadež. CAST Andrej Nahtigal, Karin Komljanec, Gregor Zorc. Slovenia, Croatia
NUTAG-HOMELAND – A hand-painted visual poem about the tragic mass deportations of the Kalmyk people during WWII. DIR Alisi Telengut. SCR Alisi Telengut. Canada
PET RITUALS – The frontwoman of a hardcore punk band struggles to cut ties with her boyfriend. DIR J. Casey Modderno. SCR Jarret Rosenblatt. CAST Sophia Dueñas, Austin Ford, Maynor Alvarado, Casey Mills. USA
SHINAAB – A young Anishinaabe man is haunted by thoughts of home. DIR Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr. SRC Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr. CAST Ajuawak Kapashesit, Brian Joyce, Zoe Corbine-Daniels, Anna Stranz, John Edel, Tyson Lietz. USA
SILICA – An exploration of territorial constructs and the boundaries of the real and the mediated in an opal mining town in the South Australian desert. DIR Pia Borg. SCR Pia Borg. FEATURING Nicolette Krebitz. Australia, UK
STILL DEVOUT – An anxious 23-year- old, still living at home, must choose between romance and the needs of her family. DIR Melissa Perez. SCR Melissa Perez. CAST Valeria Chavez, Gloria Sandoval, J. Eddie Martinez, Antonio Sagastizado, Armando Heredia, Natalie Camunas. USA
TAKEOUT NIGHT – An incident with a neighboring mom causes a couple to reevaluate a very big decision. DIR Duncan Birmingham. SCR Duncan Birmingham. CAST Rachel Sondag, Frances Chewning, Duncan Birmingham. USA
TEN METER TOWER – A 10-meter diving tower forces people to confront their fears. DIR Maximilien Van Aertryck, Axel Danielson. SCR Maximilien Van Aertryck, Axel Danielson. Sweden
THE TESLA WORLD LIGHT (TESLA: LUMIÈRE MONDIALE) – Visionary inventor Nikola Tesla makes one last appeal to J.P. Morgan, his onetime benefactor. DIR Matthew Rankin. SCR Matthew Rankin. CAST Robert Vilar. Canada
THE TOWN I LIVE IN – Artists and activists clash over the future of a rapidly gentrifying Los Angeles neighborhood. DIR Guadalupe Rosales, Matt Wolf. USA
VICTOR & ISOLINA – Victor and Isolina answer questions about their lifelong, complex and arduous relationship. DIR William Caballero. FEATURING Victor Muriel, Isolina Muriel. USA
VISIONS OF AN ISLAND – Impressions of an island in the Bering Sea. DIR Sky Hopinka. 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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