Writer/Director: Brian Helgeland (in attendance)
Cast: Tom Hardy, Emily Browning, David Thewlis, Christopher Eccleston, Chazz Palminteri
From Academy Award® winner Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Mystic River) comes the true story of the rise and fall of London’s most notorious gangsters, Reggie and Ronnie Kray, both portrayed by Tom Hardy in a powerhouse double performance. Legend is a classic crime thriller taking us into the secret history of the 1960s and the extraordinary events that secured the infamy of the Kray twins.
World Premiere
Writers/Directors: Matt Jones, Dave Hill (both in attendance)
Cast: Matt Jones, Dave Hill, Kelen Coleman, Eloise Mumford (all in attendance)
This is the story of the night Matt and Dave met Amy and Syd. All feeling a bit fed up with their jobs and L.A. in general, luck would have it that they decide to go to the same bar on the same night. Thankful to meet anyone who isn't painfully self absorbed, the drinks pile up as the four twenty-somethings find unexpected friendships, and maybe something more.Writer/Director: Alexander Engel
After losing the last two digits of a girl’s number, a socially awkward fish enthusiast tries every combination to seek her out.Writer/Director: Jordan Michael Blake
When their innocent romance begins to crumble after Judy strays from the faith that bound them, Harry sinks into madness and loses the line between God's will and his wrath.Writer: Christopher T. Wood
Director: Sam Auster
Paul wants to meet a woman of substance and worldly experience. His blind date, Claire, is amazed by all the different people you see on a Los Angeles bus. That's not quite what he had in mind.Writer/Director: Morgan Dover-Pearl
When Louis makes a quick run to the corner store, he meets a woman who follows him back to his car, but as she says, "it isn't for a ride."Writer/Director: Jose Manuel Carrasco
Boris and Marina are starring in a short film neither of them like, but as they begin discussing the script, they discover it says far more about society and themselves than they ever anticipated.Writer: Michael Cumes
Director: Stuart Elliott
Julia has finally found the perfect ending to her romance novel, but her writing group has some ideas of their own.Writer/Director: Joserro Emmanuelli and Mariana Emmanuelli
Their love and deep religious belief drive Joseph and Liza, a criminal couple, to kidnap a priest to marry them before they are found and taken in by the police.Director: Matt Winn
Writers: James Handel, Matt Winn
(USA, 82 min)
Director: Greg Kohs
Shot in the arctic wilderness of Alaska, The Great Alone captures the inspiring comeback story of champion sled dog racer, Lance Mackey. From his sunniest days as a boy by his famous father’s side to cancer’s attempt to unseat him, The Great Alone pulls viewers along every mile of Lance’s emotional journey to become one of the greatest sled dog racers of all time.
North American Premiere
Writer/Director: Jan Vardøen (in attendance)
Cast: Ingeborg Raustøl, Helge Jordal, Bjørn Sundquist
Writers/ Directors: Negin Farsad, Jeremy Redleaf (both in attendance)
Cast: Ed Weeks, Janeane Garofalo, John Hodgman, Negin Farsad, Jeremy Redleaf
Mina and Rudy are just as in love with technology as they are with each other, but over the past year of living together, they have grown apart; while Mina has been chasing professional success as a groundbreaking neuroscientist, Rudy has been desperately trying to avoid his own as a computer programmer. When hurricane Sandy slams their neighborhood with a power outage, they decide to throw a party with friends, but an unexpected guest arrives and they are forced to test the strength of their relationship—without the convenience of technology.Writer/Director: Rafael Haider
An old and pragmatic farmer must navigate unexplored emotions after learning that his longtime donkey is nearing death.Writer/Director: Jackson Miller
John’s world seems to crumble when he finds out that his guide dog and best friend is dying.Writer/Director: Derek Franzese
Nearing a tragic end to his battle with cancer, Danny's friends take him home from the hospital to give him one last memory of the people he loves.Writer/Director: Tom Ruddock
George's girlfriend is in labor, but after being involved in an incident, he faces a moral dilemma.Writer/Director: Daniel Montanarini
Seahorse is the story of a first love, an unrequited love, and a pregnant boy.Writer/Director: Michael Geoghegan
Sinead is underage, pregnant, and a virgin who lives with her grandparents. Her grandmother, the matriarch of their dysfunctional family and a pious Catholic, will stop at nothing to get this birth proclaimed immaculate.World Premiere
Writer/Director: Brian Jett (in attendance)
Cast: Ryan O'Nan, Michelle Ang (both in attendance), Leslie David Baker, Jennifer IrwinWriters: Kyle Ham, Steve Timm (both in attendance)
Director: Kyle Ham
Cast: Marc Menchaca, Jon Huertas, Virginia Newcomb (in attendance)
Don’t miss the special I’ll Have What Phil’s Having menu offered during the screening, featuring dishes based on some of the celebrity guests featured in this season finale!
Writers: Sam Kretchmar, Michael Covino (both in attendance)
Director: Sam Kretchmar
Cast: Ryan Patrick Bachard, Gabbi McPhee, Michael Angelo Covino
Recently out of prison, a disillusioned man looks to reconnect with his past and create a new future. After discovering that his “first love” died in a tragic accident many years ago, he stumbles upon her younger sister online. He soon develops an obsession with her that quickly turns into a relationship, but secrets about who he really is may threaten his hope for a better life.Director: Nancy Buirski (in attendance)
In a never-before-seen interview made a few years before his death, Sidney Lumet guides us through his life and his work – the powerfully dramatic and wildly entertaining movies that make up the canon of one of the most socially conscious directors in the history of cinema. With candor, humor, and grace, he reveals what matters to him as an artist and human being.(USA, 12 min)
Writer/Director: Megan Botherton
Under orders of her therapist, a quirky young woman must overcome public anxiety, overbearing roommates, and her own sexual repression to masturbate for the very first time.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!(USA, 16 min)
Writers: Jim Thompson, Martin Rodahl
Director: Martin Rodahl
After having to fire 15 people, Ed recalls an almost forgotten incident from his childhood, and in telling it reveals larger ideas of pain and loss that have shaped his entire life.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!(USA, 19 min)
Writer/Director: Yoko Okumura
Madeline, a devoted housewife, discovers her husband is attending an Adult Industry Expo behind her back. Resolving to confront him about his deceit, she follows him to the convention.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!(USA, 12 min)
Writer/Director: Shahin Izadi
A young, interracial couple confronts their differences through a seemingly innocent game of “would you rather.”
(Australia, 14 min)
Writer: Akos Armont
Director: Lily Rolfe
A young girl's first crush leads her into an uncharted world of hidden desires.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!Writer/Director: Paul D. Hart
A young female Marine war veteran navigates her disintegrating life until there is nothing left but to make a choice.(Spain, 10 min)
Writer/Director: Juan Beiro
Irene is the only one in her mourners support group who hasn't shared her loved one's last words, but it's a question she isn't quite ready to answer.
(Mexico, 99 min)
Writer: Ana Sofía Clerici (in attendance)
Director: Anwar Safa (in attendance)
Cast: Martin Castro, Karem Momo Ruiz, Isela Vega
El Jeremias tells the story of a precociously bright 8-year-old boy, ostracized by his peers and labeled a misfit for his intellectual and often pedantic tendencies. As he struggles with his newly bestowed status as local genius and the fight to be understood by his complacent and average family, Jeremy is suddenly faced with the most difficult decision a child savant could make: What does he want to be when he grows up?
Directors: Albert Maysles, Lynn True, David Usui, Nelson Walker III, Benjamin Wu (in attendance)
In Transit takes you on a journey into the hearts and minds of passengers aboard Amtrak’s Empire Builder, the busiest long-distance train route in America. The film unfolds as a series of interconnected vignettes, ranging from overheard conversations to moments of deep intimacy, in which passengers share their fears, hopes and dreams. As the Empire Builder crisscrosses the country, passing through urban centers, oil fields, vast plains and towering mountains, a loving portrait of America emerges, in its full human and natural beauty.Writer: Morwenna Banks
Director: Catherine Hardwicke (in attendance)
Cast: Drew Barrymore, Toni Collette, Dominic Cooper, Patty Considine
Inseparable since they were young girls, Milly (Toni Collette) and Jess (Drew Barrymore) can't remember a time they didn't share everything—secrets, clothes, even boyfriends—but nothing had prepared them for the day Milly is hit with life-altering news. A story for every modern woman, Miss you Already celebrates the bond of true friendship that, even in life's toughest moments, remains unbreakable.(USA, 9 min)
Writer/Director: Faraday Okoro
A father and son agree to a “winner take all” blitz chess game in order to settle a bet.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!Writer/Director: Celine Tricart
In a post-apocalyptic deserted city, a lonely woman faces difficult challenges in her desperate quest to prepare a perfect cup of coffee.Writers: Tanner Kalina, Marshall Kistner
Director: Marshall Kistner
Jennifer is meeting her boyfriend's parents for the first time and is about to have dinner at their house; they just need to bless the food first.Writer/Director: Luke Patton
On the day he's leaving for college, Billy's relationship with his overbearing father is put to the test when they play a heated game of foosball.Writer: Josh Rabinowitz
Director: Matt Kazman and Matt Porter
After mistakenly offending someone at a party, a hopelessly awkward young man goes to desperate lengths to prove it was a simple misunderstanding.(USA, 15 min)
Writer/Director: Michael Molina Minard
After killing his opponent in the ring, boxer Abdul must face the fallout.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!Writer/Director: Sonny Valicenti
The Final Scene experiences the breakup of legendary 50's comedy duo Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.Writer/Director: Robert Ford
As part of an initiative known as Restorative Justice, Kate prepares to meet the man who raped her, in the hope that she can start to move on with her life.Writer/Director: Rory Uphold
Jake and Andy are having a lovely date so far, but perhaps Jake is getting a bit too comfortable with his edgy jokes.Writers: James Ragan, Geraldine Moriba (in attendance)
Director: Jamila Paksima (in attendance)
How would you live if you knew life would end at 20? Texan James Ragan has known he's dying since the age of 13 of osteosarcoma, a rare incurable pediatric bone cancer. Instead of giving up, James thrives as a relentless optimist, teaching everyone around him the meaning of life, family, and giving back to save the next kid.Director: Neil Edwards
There exists a long list of conspiracy theories surrounding The Process Church of the Final Judgment, a group accused of being the inspiration for Charles Manson, influencing the assassination of Bobby Kennedy, and being the root of the infamous Son of Sam serial killings - Only now, former members reveal the truth about the misunderstood group once dubbed 'One of the most dangerous Satanic cults in America.'Writer/Director: Stephan Littger (in attendance)
Cast: Joslyn Jensen, Christian Campbell, Heather Matarazzo, Margot Bingham
The very talented but artistically stuck composition student Malorie starts frequenting high-end escort clients throughout the city after failing to obtain her PhD scholarship. Absurdly out of place at first, Malorie is suddenly struck with musical experiences during her sexual encounters and soon feels the urge to write them down for her new composition, effectively turning her clients into her collective muse.World Premiere
Writer/Director: Brian Klugman (in attendance)
Cast: Brian Klugman (in attendance), Adrianne Palicki (in attendance), Michaela Conlin (in attendance), James Roday, Kelsey Grammer(USA, 93 min)
Writer/Director: William Monohan
Cast: Garrett Hedlund, Oscar Isaac, Mark Wahlberg, Walton Goggins
Thomas (Garrett Hedlund), a near-suicidal but brilliant artist, attempts to escape his privileged existence in the solitude of the desert, only to find himself in a nonstop, violent duel of physical and intellectual equals after meeting a chameleon-like, homicidal drifter named Jack (Oscar Isaac).(USA, 57 min)
Director: Amy Scott (in attendance)
A Cincinnati public school fights to break the cycle of poverty in its Urban Appalachian neighborhood, where senior Raven Gribbins aims to become the first in her troubled family to graduate and go to college. When Principal Craig Hockenberry's job is threatened, it becomes clear it's a make-or-break year for both of them.
(USA, 13 min)
Writer/Director: Max Baker
An unhappy housewife is visited by a bicycle-riding stranger with wish-making cookies.
Writer: Tony Patrick
Director: Pete Chatmon
In a culture requiring an ID card and commitment to the code, an African-American couple is about to find out just how far the boundaries can be pushed.Writers: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar
Director: Greg Kwedar
A seemingly routine investigation of an abandoned truck forces a border patrol agent to question the very nature of his job.(Mexico, 10 min)
Writer: Tania Zarak
Director: Barbara Cigarroa
Immediately following the death of her young child, Marta Rosa, a rural Mexican woman, must struggle to persevere through both her own grief and the harsh realities of the world around her.
Writer/Director: Elizabeth Nichols
A teacher of a New York City public school must decide whether or not to cheat on behalf of his students on a high-stakes standardized test.Writers: Zora Rux, Christian Brecht
Director: Zora Rux
After a sexual assault, a group of refugees in Berlin fighting for their rights must turn a private matter into a public debate to decide between personal safety and group solidarity.Writer/Director: Jesse Johnston
A feline phobic guy meets with a pet hit man about killing his girlfriend's cat.Writer: Leslie Ayvazian
Director: Eileen Myers
Ellen asks Ralph, her husband of many years, to give her dying mother a last kiss.World Premiere
Writer/Director: Adam Bowers (in attendance)
Cast: Adam Bowers, Dreama Walker, Colin Contreary (in attendance), Genevieve Jones
Rob's stagnating life seems like it might be about to get better: he just met Emily, the girl of his dreams, and his best friend just moved back into town. But, when he finds out there’s a huge roadblock to him and Emily being together, he ends up in a difficult situation and must choose between increasingly troubling choices where there is no such thing as a good decision.(USA, 135 min)
Writer/Director: John Sayles
Cast: Chris Cooper (in attendance), Kris Kristofferson, Matthew McConaughey
In the Texas border town of Frontera, Sheriff Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper) digs up the past when he finds an old skull in the desert. As he traces the murder of Sheriff Charlie Wade (Kris Kristofferson) 40 years earlier, Deeds' investigation points toward his late father, the much-loved Deputy Buddy Deeds. Ignoring warnings not to delve any deeper, Sam rekindles a romance with his high school sweetheart while bringing up old tensions in the town and exposing secrets long put to rest.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!
North American Premiere
Writer/Director: Antti Heikki Pesonen (in attendance)
Cast: Armi Toivanen, Eero Ritala, Mimosa Willamo
When Takku, a troubled teenage girl, won't stop getting into fights at school, the school threatens her with state custody. Her equally troubled mother must team up with a pot-smoking teacher and an alcoholic stranger to help save Takku from a downward spiral of hate and aggression. Headfirst is a story about missing teeth, strange friends, hidden dreams, and long-gone love. And about a rabbit.North American Premiere
Writers: Berndt Mader, Johnny McAllister (both in attendance)
Director: Berndt Mader
Cast: Onur Tukel, Marija Karan, Alex Karpovsky (all in attendance)
After the largest alleged child sex-ring in Texas history is exposed, a veteran reporter sets out to the town of Mineola, Texas to search for truth. On his journey through the bowels of East Texas, he’s forced to confront his own history with abuse while discovering that the allegations at the root of his investigation may have never happened.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!(USA, 80 min)
World Premiere
Writer: Will Moore, Jonathan Ray Case, Brad Montesi (all in attendance)
Director: Will Moore
Cast: Dave Maldonado, Jamie Tisdale, TiShuan Scott, Nicholas Stevenson (all in attendance)
After losing his family, Jack Coleman settles into addiction and his life quickly spirals out of control. When Jack's brother, a major in the Army, appears unexpectedly, tasking Jack with keeping his wife and daughter alive during the impending apocalypse, Jack is forced to reckon with his addiction. Jack's Apocalypse is a journey into the mind and soul of a man who has lost everything as he struggles to stay alive.
Writer: Jeff Lowe
Director: James Aikman
Jeff Lowe’s Metanoia is the story of a legendary athlete’s rise to the top of his sport before a devastating fall from grace that precipitates perhaps the boldest solo mountain climb in history: Metanoia, on the North Face of the Eiger. Twenty years later, Jeff faces a terminal disease with the same courage and grace that characterized his climbing career.North American Premiere
Writer/Director: Kai Barry (in attendance)
Cast: James Floyd, Noémie Merlant, Anthony LaPaglia (in attendance)
After a private defense operation goes horribly awry, a new recruit with unparalleled determination is blamed for it and finds himself on the run. Halfway across the world and with no safety net, he happens upon a reluctant ally and his abilities are put to a life-and-death test. He must piece together the truth by re-creating the events of the ill-fated mission with only the audio recording to guide him. As the puzzle proves more complicated and sinister than he imagined, the lines between right and wrong become increasingly blurred, and he must make decisions with consequences he may not be prepared to handle.(USA, 15 min)
Writer/Director: Emily Towers
Rosie has been dreading Father's Day, and now it's here. Time to deal with Dad.
Writer/Director: Carlos Mendoza
At a party, Victor’s 18th birthday suddenly becomes a nightmare, and, out of panic, he has no choice but to face his mother with his careless actions.(USA, 12 min)
Writers: Max Borenstein, Kevin Hamedani
Director: Kevin Hamedani
An Iranian-American man suffering from a mid-life crisis visits his homeland to meet and wed a young Iranian woman.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!Writer/Director: Komtouch Napattaloong
Jen spends one last night with his mother, Marlee, before she leaves for Bangkok, Thailand. With limited time and an indefinite separation ahead of them, the two are prompted to find solace within a torn family.(USA, 19 min)
Writer/Director: Keegan Mullin
After years of silence, a deaf man struggles to say goodbye to his dying mother.
U.S. Premiere
Writer: Sophie-Anne Beaudry
Director: Stéphan Beaudoin (in attendance)
Cast: Sébastien Delorme, Frédéric Lemay, Catherine-Audrey Lachapelle, Étienne Pilon
Alex and his new girlfriend, Jade, travel to the countryside to join a small community led by an enlightened professor turned therapist. Longing for acceptance, Alex seeks to become a member. He'll soon discover that everything is not quite as it seems, and that the path to "truth" is a road he might not want to take.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!(USA, 84 min)
Writers: Tim McCann, Shaun Sanghani (both in attendance)
Director: Tim McCann
Cast: Sam Trammell (in attendance), Vanessa Ferlito, Missy Yager
Struggling with drug addiction and heartbreak after his recent separation, Sonny looks to make amends by giving his wife a precious necklace on their anniversary. But when the necklace is stolen, he must delve into the dark corners of a Louisiana town to find it. Sonny faces dangerous drug dealers and truths he may not want to confront, all in a last ditch attempt to save his marriage.
(USA, 75 min)
Director: Broderick Fox (in attendance)
Zenith Virago is an activist and educator who for over 20 years has been leading Australia towards a more communal, celebratory, and creative engagement with death and dying. From her origins as a young mother in the UK, to her present day identity as a lesbian, feminist, and self-described “deathwalker" in the idyllic seaside town of Byron Bay, Zenith’s personal and professional experiences quietly challenge our core assumptions about life and dissolve our taboos around death.
Also in attendance: subject Zenith Virago
US Premiere
Director: Johan Palmgren
Christian runs a pool installation business by day, but by night, he is the proprietor of the Adam and Eva swinger club in Norrkoping, Sweden. Robin is the owner of the Arbis, a failing 19th century theater desperately in need of cash. When Adam and Eva burns down, Christian rents Arbis's basement to form a new sex club, but not without significant backlash from the community.Writers: Eric Murphy (in attendance), Sal Cardoni
Director: Eric Murphy
Before Trump, before Bernie Sanders, before anyone, Jim Traficant was the original bombastic populist, but with mobbed up street cred. Known for his polyester thrift store suits, shock top wigs, vulgar humor and profanity laced rhetoric against the FBI, IRS, and every president since Reagan, Traficant became a local hero in hometown of Youngstown, Ohio and political pariah everywhere else. This documentary follows the notorious politician through his successes and scandals, and showcases the city of Youngstown, which backed him up every step of the way.(USA, 76 min)
Director: Kristin Catalano (in attendance)
No one exemplifies the motto, “Get busy living, or get busy dying” better than 85-year-old army veteran Clarence Garrett. Clarence goes back to college to finish his degree after dropping out of school 50 years earlier to take care of his family. Nothing will stop one of the happiest men you’ll ever meet from fulfilling his life’s passion of learning.
(UK, 88 min)
Writer: Tess Morris (in attendance)
Director: Ben Palmer
Cast: Lake Bell, Simon Pegg
Meet Nancy (Lake Bell): 34, single, hungover, and exhausted by her well-meaning but clueless friends’ continual matchmaking. Ten times bitten, 100 times shy, after an especially disastrous set-up at her friends’ engagement party, Nancy is basically done with dating. That is until Jack (Simon Pegg) mistakes Nancy for his blind date under the clock at Waterloo Station, and she does the unthinkable and just … goes with it. Because what if pretending to be someone else finally makes her man up, and become her painful honest, awesomely unconventional, and slightly unstable true self?
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!World Premiere
Writers: Shane Dax Taylor, Chad Law (both in attendance)
Director: Shane Dax Taylor
Cast: Dominic Purcell, Luke Mably, Marie Avgeropoulos, Tricia Helfer
Writers: Andrew Coats, Lou Hamou-Lhadj & Mark C. Harris
Directors: Andrew Coats & Lou Hamou-Lhadj
A weathered Sheriff returns to the remains of an accident he has spent a lifetime trying to forget.
(USA, 7 min)
Writer/Director: Anthony Falleroni
Distracted by her vivid imagination, a young woman decides to grow up and embrace monotony by getting an implant which promises "peace of mind."
Writers: Andrew Coats, Lou Hamou-Lhadj & Mark C. Harris
Directors: Andrew Coats & Lou Hamou-Lhad
(UK, 8 min)
Writer/Director: Rhiannon Evans
Travel around the brain with a little, lost thought, and discover what it takes to make a great idea.
Writer/Director: Sacha Feiner
Toto, a two-headed child whose mother has locked him away in a family manor, decides to find what’s at the end of his home’s walls.(USA, 11 min)
Writer/Director: Bob Blevins
A naive roll of toilet paper awakens in a disgusting gas station bathroom, and is horrified to discover what fate has in store for his kind.
(Australia, 8 min)
Writer/Director: Joe Brumm
The Meek follows the story of a very small person trying to quit a very big, bad habit.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!(Australia, 15 min)
Writers: Mikey Hill, Jennifer Smith
Director: Mikey Hil
In a world where a band of tiny musicians follow everyone around, communicating each person’s emotions, an old man learns to come out of his shell.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!(Germany, 14 min)
Writer/Director: Moritz Mayerhofer
After the death of his older brother, a boy desperately tries to take his place in the family.
(USA/Vietnam, 34 min)
Director: Courtney Marsh
Chau, a 16-year-old boy living in a Vietnamese peace camp for kids disabled by Agent Orange, battles with the reality of his dream to one day become a professional clothing designer.
(Sweden, 14 min)
Director: Frida Kempff
After 9 months on a mission as a doctor in war-torn Central African Republic, Susanna returns to Sweden only to find that everything is ... just the same.
(USA, 29 min)
Director: Alison Klayman
Carmen Herrera, a spunky and distinctive painter coming up on her 100th birthday, is finally achieving the recognition that eluded her for most of her career.
(USA, 25 min)
Director: Rick Rodgers
With archival footage and narration in Motley's own voice, The Trials of Constance Baker Motley tells the story of a civil rights leader who met prejudice and danger with elegance and humor.
(USA, 78 min)
Writer/Director: Sasha Gordon (in attendance)
Cast: Cristin Milioti, Dan Soder, Halley Feiffer
Sonia is a neurotic jingle writer who's always dreamt of a big and exciting life. Surprised by a sudden proposal and subsequent ultimatum from her easy-going boyfriend, Chris, Sonia has to decide whether she'll join the ranks of her married friends or take a leap and pursue her fantasies. A whimsical romantic comedy that's raunchy and yet gentle, "It Had To Be You" explores the choices women face today while satirizing cultural expectations of gender and romance.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!Director: Brandon Dickerson (in attendance)
While on a trip to Dubrovnik in 2007, Jeff Bowden encounters a photograph of a refugee child taken during the war in Kosovo. Driven by this haunting image, Bowden sets out to find the boy. His journey takes him from Texas to Paris, and ultimately to the post-war culture of the Balkans, where he combines forces with an experienced war-time fixer. Weaving together the stories of the war, the now-deceased photojournalist, Alexandra Boulat, and the search for the boy, A Single Frame, is a testament to the power of photography and to the belief that every life matters.Writers: Joe Gangemi, Gregory Jacobs
Director: Daniel Alfredson
Cast: Julia Stiles (in attendance), Alexander Ludwig, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Liotta
Upon returning home to her rugged hometown in the Pacific Northwest, Lillian attracts harassment from an ex-cop named Blackway who operates as a violent crime lord with impunity in the isolated logging community. Forsaken by the local townspeople and the sheriff, Lillian decides to take a stand against her sociopathic stalker and enlists the help of an ex-logger and his laconic young sidekick—the only two men in town brave enough, or crazy enough, to go up against Blackway.(USA, 13 min)
Writer/Director: Bryan Tan
A woman is haunted by the memory of a heinous crime and the youthful face of its perpetrator.
(USA, 29 min)
Writer: Parker Widemire
Director: Herschel Weingrod
Two young thugs target elderly couple Philipe and Emile, but a simple miscalculation could have fatal consequences.
(New Zealand, 15 min)
Writers: Tim Tsiklauri, Luke Watkinson
Director: Tim Tsiklauri
A struggling painter takes on a commission that promises fame but may cost him his soul.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!(USA, 6 min)
Writer/Director: Brandon Sparks
A young man finally moves in with his girlfriend, but he finds out a secret about her that could make this new living situation difficult for him.
(Ireland/UK, 16 min)
Writer/Director: Colum Eastwood
A young couple's remote holiday cottage comes under attack from malevolent forces when they give refuge to a mysterious young girl.
Director: Neil Edwards
There exists a long list of conspiracy theories surrounding The Process Church of the Final Judgment, a group accused of being the inspiration for Charles Manson, influencing the assassination of Bobby Kennedy, and being the root of the infamous Son of Sam serial killings - Only now, former members reveal the truth about the misunderstood group once dubbed 'One of the most dangerous Satanic cults in America.'Director: Benjamin Smith
Anthem captures the unlikely and perilous meeting of two truly unique people with a common passion and a common struggle.Directors: Jennifer Suwak, Steve Abruzzese
(Canada, 16 min)
Director: Michael Allcock
Obsessive visionary and inventor Kubo Dzamba believes he's found a way to save humanity from worldwide famine: farming crickets for food.
Director: Robin Hamilton
(UK, 86 min)
World Premiere
Writer: Tom Kerevan (in attendance)
Director: Alex Lightman (in attendance)
Cast:, Frazer Alexander, Jennie Eggleton (both in attendance), Alfie Stewart Jon Campling
Struggling to survive amidst the barren wasteland of post-apocalyptic England, two young brothers are forced to prey on nomadic wanderers. Despite the older brother’s wish to cling to their last remaining sliver of humanity, the younger can’t see the moral dilemma and relishes the chance to eat meat. That all changes when he meets the first girl he’s ever seen. Caught between their survival instinct, intrigue, and desire, the girl’s presence divides them, bringing out the humanity in one and the animalism in the other. Driven apart, they are forced to abandon the safety of their beach and venture into a dangerous new world.
Writer/Director: James Sadwith (in attendance)
Cast: Alex Wolff, Stefania Owen, Chris Cooper (all in attendance)
Set in 1969, Jamie Schwartz is desperate to be a worldly adolescent. Disconnected from students and teachers at his boarding school, Jamie believes he is destined to play Holden Caulfield, the main character of The Catcher in the Rye, and has adapted the book as a play. After a series of increasingly hostile altercations with the boys at school, Jamie runs away to search for JD Salinger. On his way he picks up Deedee Gorlin, a quirky townie, and their odyssey to find Salinger becomes a journey of sexual awakening, the discovery of love, and the meaning of life.Writer: Willem Bosch
Director: Lourens Blok
Cast: Egbert Jan Weeber, Hannah Hoekstra, Ko Zandvliet
To celebrate their seven-year anniversary, Daan and Judith decide to have a weekend getaway at a vacation house on a quiet Dutch island. However, they arrive during the weekend when the town holds an annual and somewhat ominous festival called “Sunderum,”in which non-locals are not welcome. Tension begins to rise as their perfect holiday slowly unravels into a potentially dangerous endeavor.
(USA, 10)
Writer: Courtney Baron
Director: Michelle Bossy
Ingrid visits the therapist she's been seeing her entire adolescence on her 18th birthday to announce that she's done with therapy before heading out for a night on the town with her girlfriends.
(USA, 9 min)
Writer/Director: Russell Yaffe
Abigail's younger brother, Norman, is the most annoying brother in the world—plus, he's a zombie! When Abigail gets fed up with taking care of him, she makes a decision that could change their relationship forever.
(Australia, 15 min)
Writer/Director: Brooke Goldfinch
Two teenagers from a remote religious community travel to town in search of shelter after being told by their Evangelical parents that an asteroid will soon destroy the earth.
(USA, 14 min)
Writer/Director: Kendall McCory
Chrissa yearns for her boyfriend's affection, but when greed shifts his attention to her little sister, Chrissa's delusion of love sends her twisted world spiraling.
(China, 14 min)
Writers: Alle Hsu, Dominique Holmes
Director: Alle Hsu
Set in Kowloon, Hong Kong, 8-year-old Sophie Cheung is abandoned by her mother and forced to live and connect with her grandmother.
(USA, 6 min)
Writers: Christopher Winterbauer, Jessica Winterbauer
Director: Christopher Winterbauer
As her sister prepares to leave for college, Connie does her best to cope with the impending reality and a deepening crush on her piano teacher.
(USA, 14 min)
Writer/Director: Dema Paxton Fofang
Lee, a swim instructor, must unexpectedly spend an evening with an abandoned student and help the boy find his parents’ whereabouts.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!U.S. Premiere
Writer: Andrew Ellard
Directors: Gez Medinger (in attendance), Robin Schmidt
Cast: Miranda Raison, Sam Keeley, Daniella Kertesz, Elarica Gallacher, Lorna Nickson Brown
Five young people wake up dead. Washed up by the tide they scramble to an abandoned beach house, soon realizing that the perpetual night and blasts of pain suggest this is some version of hell. Between in-fighting and attacks by a demonic shadow creature, they recall the collapse of the nightclub that brought them here—and begin seeing hope of a second chance in the cabin’s two mysterious paintings.
World Premiere
Writers/Directors: Nina Ljeti, Vladimir de Fontenay (both in attendance)
Cast: Sam Dillon, James Franco (both in attendance), Thomas Mann, Teo HalmDirector: Renee Tajima-Peña (in attendance)
They came to have their babies. They went home sterilized. No Mas Bebes tells the story of immigrant mothers who sued county doctors, the state, and the U.S. government after they were prodded into sterilizations while giving birth at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center during the 1960s and 70s. Led by an intrepid 26-year-old Chicana lawyer and armed with hospital records secretly gathered by a whistle-blowing young doctor, the mothers faced public exposure and stood up to powerful institutions in the name of justice.Writers: Eric Murphy (in attendance), Sal Cardoni
Director: Eric Murphy
Before Trump, before Bernie Sanders, before anyone, Jim Traficant was the original bombastic populist, but with mobbed up street cred. Known for his polyester thrift store suits, shock top wigs, vulgar humor and profanity laced rhetoric against the FBI, IRS, and every president since Reagan, Traficant became a local hero in hometown of Youngstown, Ohio and political pariah everywhere else. This documentary follows the notorious politician through his successes and scandals, and showcases the city of Youngstown, which backed him up every step of the way.Leaves on Trees (16 min)
Director: Nathan S. Duncan
The Undesired Place (26 min)
Director: Alvaro Torres Crespo
Men have been searching for gold in the rivers of the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica for over sixty years. Thirty years ago, in the name of conservation, these men were expelled from the newly established Corcovado National Park. Modern-day pariahs, the gold-panners continue to move rocks and sift through sand as they try to survive in the rain forest.
Keith & Heath (10 min)
Director: Andy Young
North American Premiere
Writer/Director: Dominik Hartl
Cast: Jana McKinnon, Marlon Boess, Giaccomo Pilotti
Bovine diva Aria demands to be respected for more than just her dairy products.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!(Hungary, 10 min)
Writer/Director: Aron Gauder
Based on Native American folklore, two mischief-makers of the Great Plains get into trouble when they bid defiance to Iya, the sleeping magic rock.
Writer/Director: Katie Tamboer
(USA, 4 min)
Writer/Director: Cynthia Hogan
Unhappy with eating boring old garbage, a fly tempts the fates and sets his sights on a delicious pie instead.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!(USA, 5 min)
Writer/Director: Natasha Rindt
A dishwashing robot feels unfulfilled with her life. Despite her purpose, she tries to do something that she wasn’t programmed to do … TO GROOVE!
(USA, 7 min)
Writer/Director: Alyce Tzue
A precocious young girl makes a new friend when a tiny boy pilot drops out of the sky on a broken flying machine.
(Germany, 5 min)
Writer/Director: Jacob Frey
Jake spends most of his time playing video games indoors until his mom decides to give him a present.
Writer/Directors: Janette Goodey, John Lewis
While playing on stilts, young Percival Pilts vows, “'Never again shall my feet touch the ground!”' Compelled ever higher, he builds his stilts so tall that he no longer fits into normal society.(Belgium, 9 min)
Writer/Director: An Vrombaut
A small giraffe and a tall giraffe have a chance meeting. Despite their obvious difference in stature, they discover a kinship.
What happens when a six-year-old boy in Kenya is abandoned by his family and left to raise himself on the streets? Mully is no ordinary rags-to-riches tale. It’s the true story of Charles Mully, whose unlikely stratospheric rise to wealth and power leaves him questioning his own existence, searching for meaning in life. Against the better judgment of family and community, Mully sets out to enrich the fate of orphaned children across Kenya. Jeopardizing his own life and the security of his family, Charles Mully risks everything and sets in motion a series of events that is nothing short of astonishing.
(USA, 83 min)
Writer: Bradford Thomason
Director: Brett Whitcomb (in attendance)
County Fair, Texas is a portrait of a year in the lives of four, small-town kids as they raise and care for farm animals to show in competition at a local county fair. Presented from the perspective of the kids themselves, the film is a unique look at a formidable time in childhood, and a coming-of-age story that transcends the traditional “contest” documentary.
What happens when your best friend isn't your best friend anymore? Two women are forced to figure out who they are when their friend break-up leaves them adrift in the adult world.
Master Class (USA, 30 min)Rachel Hunter has a unique job: she exposes men's affairs, follows suspected adulterers, and in her own words, 'provides leverage to those willing to pay for it.' When Rachel graduates from simple seduction to corporate sabotage, she jumps into a larger arena; one with better pay, bigger stakes and increased danger. But as she soon learns, the greatest threat of all could be her own weaknesses.
What happens when your best friend isn't your best friend anymore? Two women are forced to figure out who they are when their friend break-up leaves them adrift in the adult world.
Rachel Hunter has a unique job: she exposes men's affairs, follows suspected adulterers, and in her own words, 'provides leverage to those willing to pay for it.' When Rachel graduates from simple seduction to corporate sabotage, she jumps into a larger arena; one with better pay, bigger stakes and increased danger. But as she soon learns, the greatest threat of all could be her own weaknesses.
World Premiere
Director: Michael Ozias (in attendance)
Of Dogs and Men explores a disturbing trend in American law enforcement: the killing of pet dogs. Are these callous acts by officers in a system without regard for our four-legged family members, or are they true peace officers doing their best in a dangerous job? Of Dogs and Men investigates the issue from all angles, interviewing law enforcement officers and experts, and taking a journey with pet owners through the tragedy of loss and pursuit of change in a legal system in which the very officers they challenge are an integral part.World Premiere
Writer/Director: Huieun Park (in attendance)
Cast:Hyesung Moon, Kieu Thu Pham
Writer/Director: Rodrigo Garcia (in attendance)
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Tye Sheridan
Before beginning his ministry, Jesus went into the desert alone to fast and pray for 40 days. Yeshua, as he’s called in the story, is leaving the desert when he is visited by the Devil, a being that taunts him and challenges his beliefs. The Devil is relentless, but Yeshua’s real test comes when he encounters a family and becomes entangled in a conflict between father and son. Written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia, cinematography by two-time Oscar winner Emmanuel Lubezki.Director: Broderick Fox (in attendance)
Zenith Virago is an activist and educator who for over 20 years has been leading Australia towards a more communal, celebratory, and creative engagement with death and dying. From her origins as a young mother in the UK, to her present day identity as a lesbian, feminist, and self-described deathwalker in the idyllic seaside town of Byron Bay, Zenith’s personal and professional experiences quietly challenge our core assumptions about life and dissolve our taboos around death.(USA, 15 min)
Writer/Director: Zach Carver
Jorge Mendoza is a New York City building super who dreams of becoming a dictator.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!(Canada, 16 min)
Writer/Director: Robert DeLeskie
Jack, a procrastinating graduate student, finds the apartment he is house-sitting has turned into a box with no exit or escape.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!Writers: Mark Razlaff, Kaveh Mohebbi, Nimisha Mukerji
Director: Mark Razlaff
Following reports of a mysterious crash, an aging farmer encounters a visitor determined to disrupt his quiet way of life.
Writer/Director: Jake Lushington
A bouncer finds out that guarding modern art is just as hazardous as controlling the ropes at a nightclub.(USA, 13 min)
Writer/Director: Zach Carver
Darren and Sylvie's overdue date night is threatened when they become wrapped up in an illegal, underground bullfight in the basement of their Manhattan apartment building.
Writers: Toshiyuki Ichihara, Elie Choufany, Monica Santis
Director: Toshiyuki Ichihara
(USA, 117 min)
Director: Michael Schwarz (in attendance)
In Defense of Food tackles a question more and more people around the world have been asking: What should I eat to be healthy? Based on award-winning journalist Michael Pollan’s best-selling book, the program explores how the modern diet has been making us sick and what we can do to change it.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!World Premiere
Director: Phil Furey (in attendance)North American Premiere
Writer/Director: Arturo Ruiz Serrano
Cast: Monika Kowalska, Chani Martín, Joan Carles Suau, Eric Francés
During the Spanish Civil War, Teo is destined to a minuscule fort of vigilance, located in a cold and inhospitable place in the mountains. There he meets Silverio, his new companion, with whom he will have to coexist for six long months. The different personalities of these two men provoke many tensions, accentuated by the limited space. The fragile coexistence breaks up with the arrival of Zolska, a young militiawoman whom they find wounded in the surroundings.Director: Robert L. Camina (in attendance)
On June, 24, 1973, an arsonist set fire to a gay bar in New Orleans called the Up Stairs Lounge. The result was the largest gay mass murder in U.S. History. Featuring interviews from survivors and witnesses, many of whom haven't discussed the fire until now, Upstairs Inferno revisits that fateful day and the lack of compassion and awareness that took place afterward.(USA, 92 min)
World Premiere
Writers: Rock Shaink, Alena Smith, Carlos Rincones
Director: Carlos Rincones (in attendance)
Cast: Erik Stocklin, Mekenna Melvin, Glen Powell, Keith Nobbs, Paul Iacono, Lucas Near-Verbrugghe (all in attendance)
During a fleeting return trip to his childhood home, a budding filmmaker is confronted by the now-grown ensemble of his old hometown friends—none of whom are aware that he intends to make his fortune off the shared childhood trauma that splintered them apart all those years ago. During an alcohol-fueled weekend of reminiscence and regret, the eccentric 20-somethings open old wounds, make new mistakes, and realize that the consequences of youth can follow you into adulthood.
Writers/Directors: Will Bakke, Michael Allen
An antisocial 20-something must escape hipster conversations in order to meet a beautiful girl before she leaves the party without him.(USA, 8 min)
Director: Joel Fendelman
In the small town of Gonzales, Texas, a cattle auction serves as the cultural focal point, bringing everyone together and carrying the community’s heritage.
Pitmasters of central Texas barbecue joints offer perspective on a world that is uniquely American.
(USA, 12 min)
Writer/Directors: Michael Roberson, Joseph Middleton
Stuck on a night from 16 years ago, an anxious shut-in has a plan to give herself a second chance with someone from her past.
(USA, 24 min)
Writers: Chet Garner, Emily Treadway
Director: Chet Garner
In 1923, at the height of the KKK's power in Texas, one community chose to stand up to the KKK's vigilante justice, convicting its members and sentencing them to prison for the first time in US history.
(USA, 18 min)
Director: Alison Boland
Members of the night shift custodial team in the Moody College of Communications building at UT Austin come from all over the world. They have built a tight-knit work family in the halls where students work and study.
(USA, 9 min)
Writer/Director: Kevin Machate
A man must say goodbye to his mother, who is now at the end of her life.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!
Writer/Director: Matthew McDuffie (in attendance)
Cast: Virgina Madsen, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting (in attendance), Cody Horn (in attendance), Sasha Pieterse (in attendance), Eli Vargas (in attendance), Landon Liboiron (in attendance).
Lifelong friends stumble back home after high school when word goes out on Facebook that the most popular among them has died. Old girlfriends, boyfriends, new lovers, parents, your first dead friend – how do people deal? The reunion stirs up sticky feelings of love, longing and regret, and the novelty of forgiveness, mortality and gratitude.Writer/Director: Alexander Peter Lercher (in attendance)
Cast: Heinz Trixner, Christian Futterknecht, Uschi Glas, Julius Kuhn, Vivien Wulf
World Premiere
Writers: Andrew Shapter, Nevie Owens (both in attendance)
Director: Andrew Shapter
Cast: Leilani Galvan, Russell Gustave Ochoa, Helena Martin, Carl Westergren (all in attendance)
The Teller and the Truth tells the story of the disappearance of Francis, a beautiful young bank teller, missing since her car was found submerged in a river in 1974. She has become the subject of myth and legend, and the town and townspeople have never been the same.
(USA, 97 min)
Writers: John W. Mann, Jon Gunn, Rick Gomez (all in attendance)
Directors: Jon Gunn, John W. Mann
Cast: Rick Gomez, Joelle Carter, Richard Speight, Jr., Amanda Detmer, Joshua Gomez, James Madio, Reno Wilson, Frank John Hughes, MC Gainey, Coby Toland, Rosemarie Dewitt
Dick Romans is a washed up TV host whose wife walks out on him the day before their ten-year anniversary celebration. Alone with his thoughts, his dog, and a ton of booze, Dick decides to go through with the week-long party by himself. The seven event-filled days become Dick's reluctant vision quest, filled with odd characters, awkward romance, and some long overdue self-examination. Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!U.S. Premiere
Director: Antti Haase (in attendance)
Being different doesn’t make you less of a person, unless you prefer being a monster. Lordi is the monster front man of a heavy metal band in Finland that has fallen on hard times. In order to continue his dream and get out of debt, Lordi and his band will have to obtain their former glory of years past. This documentary goes behind the scenes of this heavy metal way of life, and shows both the joys and hardships that it brings.World Premiere
Writer/Director: Brian Klugman (in attendance)
Cast: Brian Klugman, Adrianne Palicki, James Roday, Kelsey GrammerDirector: Matt Winn
Writers: James Handel, Matt Winn
Sarah and Paul’s best friends tell them the great news—they’re getting divorced. Unable to understand why their happily married friends are untying the knot, Sarah and Paul start to analyze their own marriage.
Writer/Director: Alexander Engel
After losing the last two digits of a girl’s number, a socially awkward fish enthusiast tries every combination to seek her out.Writer/Director: Jordan Michael Blake
When their innocent romance begins to crumble after Judy strays from the faith that bound them, Harry sinks into madness and loses the line between God's will and his wrath.Writer: Christopher T. Wood
Director: Sam Auster
Paul wants to meet a woman of substance and worldly experience. His blind date, Claire, is amazed by all the different people you see on a Los Angeles bus. That's not quite what he had in mind.Writer/Director: Morgan Dover-Pearl
When Louis makes a quick run to the corner store, he meets a woman who follows him back to his car, but as she says, "it isn't for a ride."Writer/Director: Jose Manuel Carrasco
Boris and Marina are starring in a short film neither of them like, but as they begin discussing the script, they discover it says far more about society and themselves than they ever anticipated.Writer: Michael Cumes
Director: Stuart Elliott
Julia has finally found the perfect ending to her romance novel, but her writing group has some ideas of their own.Writer/Director: Joserro Emmanuelli and Mariana Emmanuelli
Their love and deep religious belief drive Joseph and Liza, a criminal couple, to kidnap a priest to marry them before they are found and taken in by the police.Director: Matt Winn
Writers: James Handel, Matt Winn
Sarah and Paul’s best friends tell them the great news – they’re getting divorced. Unable to understand why their happily married friends are untying the knot, Sarah and Paul start to analyze their own marriage.Director: Michael Schwarz (in attendance)
In Defense of Food tackles a question more and more people around the world have been asking: What should I eat to be healthy? Based on award-winning journalist Michael Pollan’s best-selling book, the program explores how the modern diet has been making us sick and what we can do to change it.Writer/Director: Rafael Haider
An old and pragmatic farmer must navigate unexplored emotions after learning that his longtime donkey is nearing death.Writer/Director: Jackson Miller
John’s world seems to crumble when he finds out that his guide dog and best friend is dying.Writer/Director: Derek Franzese
Nearing a tragic end to his battle with cancer, Danny's friends take him home from the hospital to give him one last memory of the people he loves.Writer/Director: Tom Ruddock
George's girlfriend is in labor, but after being involved in an incident, he faces a moral dilemma.Writer/Director: Daniel Montanarini
Seahorse is the story of a first love, an unrequited love, and a pregnant boy.Writer/Director: Michael Geoghegan
Sinead is underage, pregnant, and a virgin who lives with her grandparents. Her grandmother, the matriarch of their dysfunctional family and a pious Catholic, will stop at nothing to get this birth proclaimed immaculate.US Premiere
Director: Johan Palmgren
Christian runs a pool installation business by day, but by night, he is the proprietor of the Adam and Eva swinger club in Norrkoping, Sweden. Robin is the owner of the Arbis, a failing 19th century theater desperately in need of cash. When Adam and Eva burns down, Christian rents Arbis's basement to form a new sex club, but not without significant backlash from the community.World Premiere
Director: Michael Ozias (in attendance)
Of Dogs and Men explores a disturbing trend in American law enforcement: the killing of pet dogs. Are these callous acts by officers in a system without regard for our four-legged family members, or are they true peace officers doing their best in a dangerous job? Of Dogs and Men investigates the issue from all angles, interviewing law enforcement officers and experts, and taking a journey with pet owners through the tragedy of loss and pursuit of change in a legal system in which the very officers they challenge are an integral part.World Premiere
Director: Phil Furey (in attendance)World Premiere
Writer/Director: Huieun Park (in attendance)
Cast: Hyesung Moon, Kieu Thu Pham
Writer/Director: Faraday Okoro
A father and son agree to a “winner take all” blitz chess game in order to settle a bet.Writer/Director: Celine Tricart
In a post-apocalyptic deserted city, a lonely woman faces difficult challenges in her desperate quest to prepare a perfect cup of coffee.Writers: Tanner Kalina, Marshall Kistner
Director: Marshall Kistner
Jennifer is meeting her boyfriend's parents for the first time and is about to have dinner at their house; they just need to bless the food first.Writer/Director: Luke Patton
On the day he's leaving for college, Billy's relationship with his overbearing father is put to the test when they play a heated game of foosball.Writer: Josh Rabinowitz
Director: Matt Kazman and Matt Porter
After mistakenly offending someone at a party, a hopelessly awkward young man goes to desperate lengths to prove it was a simple misunderstanding.Writer/Director: Michael Molina Minard
After killing his opponent in the ring, boxer Abdul must face the fallout.Writer/Director: Sonny Valicenti
The Final Scene experiences the breakup of legendary 50's comedy duo Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.(UK, 10 min)
Writer/Director: Robert Ford
As part of an initiative known as Restorative Justice, Kate prepares to meet the man who raped her, in the hope that she can start to move on with her life.
Get all 8 days of film for only $65 with a Film Pass! Click here to get yours today!Writer/Director: Rory Uphold
Jake and Andy are having a lovely date so far, but perhaps Jake is getting a bit too comfortable with his edgy jokes.Writer: Jeff Lowe
Director: James Aikman
Jeff Lowe’s Metanoia is the story of a legendary athlete’s rise to the top of his sport before a devastating fall from grace that precipitates perhaps the boldest solo mountain climb in history: Metanoia, on the North Face of the Eiger. Twenty years later, Jeff faces a terminal disease with the same courage and grace that characterized his climbing career.World Premiere
Writers: Rock Shaink, Carlos Rincones (both in attendance), Alena Smith,
Director: Carlos Rincones (in attendance)
Cast: Erik Stocklin, Mekenna Melvin, Glen Powell, Keith Nobbs, Paul Iacono, Lucas Near-Verbrugghe (all in attendance)
During a fleeting return trip to his childhood home, a budding filmmaker is confronted by the now-grown ensemble of his old hometown friends - none of whom are aware that he intends to make his fortune off the shared childhood trauma that splintered them apart all those years ago. During an alcohol-fueled weekend of reminiscence and regret, the eccentric 20-somethings open old wounds, make new mistakes, and realize that the consequences of youth can follow you into adulthood.Writers: Stephen Elliott (memoir), Pamela Romanowsky (screenplay)
Director: Pamela Romanowsky
Cast: Amber Heard, James Franco (in attendance), Christian Slater, Ed Harris
Based on the bestselling memoir by Stephen Elliott, The Adderall Diaries is the story of a once-successful novelist paralyzed by writer's block and an escalating Adderall dependency. When he becomes obsessed with a high-profile murder case as a way to escape his personal troubles, his interest leads him to meet Lana Edmond (Amber Heard), a smart and sexy reporter who gives him unique access to the case. As their relationship takes off, Stephen is suddenly thrust back into the past when his cruel and vindictive father (Ed Harris) shows up to challenge the veracity of the memoir Stephen is writing.North American Premiere
Writers: Berndt Mader, Johnny McAllister (both in attendance)
Director: Berndt Mader
Cast: Onur Tukel, Marija Karan, Alex Karpovsky (all in attendance)
After the largest alleged child sex-ring in Texas history is exposed, a veteran reporter sets out to the town of Mineola, Texas to search for truth. On his journey through the bowels of East Texas, he’s forced to confront his own history with abuse while discovering that the allegations at the root of his investigation may have never happened.
Writer: Nick Hornby (screenplay); based on the novel Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
Director: John Crowley
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Michael Zegen, Emory Cohen
Brooklyn tells the profoundly moving story of Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan), a young Irish immigrant navigating her way through 1950s Brooklyn. Lured by the promise of America, Eilis departs Ireland and the comfort of her mother’s home for the shores of New York City. The initial shackles of homesickness quickly diminish as a fresh romance sweeps Eilis into the intoxicating charm of love. But soon, her new vivacity is disrupted by her past, and she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within.World Premiere
Writers/Directors: Nina Ljeti, Vladimir de Fontenay (both in attendance)
Cast: Sam Dillon, James Franco (both in attendance), Thomas Mann, Teo HalmWriter/Director: Stephan Littger (in attendance)
Cast: Joslyn Jensen, Christian Campbell, Heather Matarazzo, Margot Bingham
The very talented but artistically stuck composition student Malorie starts frequenting high-end escort clients throughout the city after failing to obtain her PhD scholarship. Absurdly out of place at first, Malorie is suddenly struck with musical experiences during her sexual encounters and soon feels the urge to write them down for her new composition, effectively turning her clients into her collective muse.Writer/Director: Max Baker
An unhappy housewife is visited by a bicycle-riding stranger with wish-making cookies.Writer: Tony Patrick
Director: Pete Chatmon
In a culture requiring an ID card and commitment to the code, an African-American couple is about to find out just how far the boundaries can be pushed.Writers: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar
Director: Greg Kwedar
A seemingly routine investigation of an abandoned truck forces a border patrol agent to question the very nature of his job.Writer: Tania Zarak
Director: Barbara Cigarroa
Immediately following the death of her young child, Marta Rosa, a rural Mexican woman, must struggle to persevere through both her own grief and the harsh realities of the world around her.Writer/Director: Elizabeth Nichols
A teacher of a New York City public school must decide whether or not to cheat on behalf of his students on a high-stakes standardized test.Writers: Zora Rux, Christian Brecht
Director: Zora Rux
After a sexual assault, a group of refugees in Berlin fighting for their rights must turn a private matter into a public debate to decide between personal safety and group solidarity.Writer/Director: Jesse Johnston
A feline phobic guy meets with a pet hit man about killing his girlfriend's cat.Writer: Leslie Ayvazian
Director: Eileen Myers
Ellen asks Ralph, her husband of many years, to give her dying mother a last kiss.(Mexico, 99 min)
Writer: Ana Sofía Clerici (in attendance)
Director: Anwar Safa (in attendance)
Cast: Martin Castro, Karem Momo Ruiz, Isela Vega
World Premiere
Writer/Director: Adam Bowers (in attendance)
Cast: Adam Bowers, Dreama Walker, Colin Contreary
Rob's stagnating life seems like it might be about to get better: he just met Emily, the girl of his dreams, and his best friend just moved back into town. But, when he finds out there’s a huge roadblock to him and Emily being together, he ends up in a difficult situation and must choose between increasingly troubling choices where there is no such thing as a good decision.Writers: Tim McCann, Shaun Sanghani (both in attendance)
Director: Tim McCann
Cast: Sam Trammell (in attendance), Vanessa Ferlito, Missy Yager
Struggling with drug addiction and heartbreak after his recent separation, Sonny looks to make amends by giving his wife a precious necklace on their anniversary. But when the necklace is stolen, he must delve into the dark corners of a Louisiana town to find it. Sonny will face dangerous drug dealers and truths he may not want to confront, all in a last ditch attempt to save his marriage.World Premiere
Writer: Tom Kerevan (in attendance)
Director: Alex Lightman (in attendance)
Cast:, Frazer Alexander, Jennie Eggleton (both in attendance), Alfie Stewart Jon Campling
North American Premiere
Writer/Director: Kai Barry (in attendance)
Cast: James Floyd, Noémie Merlant, Anthony LaPaglia (in attendance)
After a private defense operation goes horribly awry, a new recruit with unparalleled determination is blamed for it and finds himself on the run. Halfway across the world and with no safety net, he happens upon a reluctant ally and his abilities are put to a life-and-death test. He must piece together the truth by re-creating the events of the ill-fated mission with only the audio recording to guide him. As the puzzle proves more complicated and sinister than he imagined, the lines between right and wrong become increasingly blurred, and he must make decisions with consequences he may not be prepared to handle.U.S. Premiere
Director: Antti Haase (in attendance)
Being different doesn’t make you less of a person, unless you prefer being a monster. Lordi is the monster front man of a heavy metal band in Finland that has fallen on hard times. In order to continue his dream and get out of debt, Lordi and his band will have to obtain their former glory of years past. This documentary goes behind the scenes of this heavy metal way of life, and shows both the joys and hardships that it brings.Writer: Courtney Baron
Director: Michelle Bossy
Writer/Director: Russell Yaffe
Abigail's younger brother, Norman, is the most annoying brother in the world— - plus, he's a zombie! When Abigail gets fed up with taking care of him, she makes a decision that could change their relationship forever.Writer/Director: Brooke Goldfinch
Two teenagers from a remote religious community travel to town in search of shelter after being told by their Evangelical parents that an asteroid will soon destroy the earth.Writer/Director: Kendall McCory
Chrissa yearns for her boyfriend's affection, but when greed shifts his attention to her little sister, Chrissa's delusion of love sends her twisted world spiraling.Writers: Alle Hsu, Dominique Holmes
Set in Kowloon, Hong Kong, 8-year-old, Sophie Cheung is abandoned by her mother and forced to live and connect with her grandmother.Writers: Christopher Winterbauer, Jessica Winterbauer
Director: Christopher Winterbauer
Writer/Director: Dema Paxton Fofang
Lee, a swim instructor, must unexpectedly spend an evening with an abandoned student and help the boy find out his parents circumstances.What happens when a six-year-old boy in Kenya is abandoned by his family and left to raise himself on the streets? Mully is no ordinary rags-to-riches tale. It’s the true story of Charles Mully, whose unlikely stratospheric rise to wealth and power leaves him questioning his own existence, searching for meaning in life. Against the better judgment of family and community, Mully sets out to enrich the fate of orphaned children across Kenya. Jeopardizing his own life and the security of his family, Charles Mully risks everything and sets in motion a series of events that is nothing short of astonishing.
Director: Amy Scott (in attendance)
A Cincinnati public school fights to break the cycle of poverty in its Urban Appalachian neighborhood, where senior Raven Gribbins aims to become the first in her troubled family to graduate and go to college. When Principal Craig Hockenberry's job is threatened, it becomes clear it's a make-or-break year for both of them.Writer/Director: Zach Carver
Jorge Mendoza is a New York City building super who dreams of becoming a dictator.Writer/Director: Robert DeLeskie
Jack, a procrastinating graduate student, finds the apartment he is house -sitting has turned into a box with no exit or escape.Writers: Mark Razlaff, Kaveh Mohebbi, Nimisha Mukerji
Director: Mark Razlaff
Writer/Director: Jake Lushington
A bouncer finds out that guarding modern art is just as hazardous as controlling the ropes at a nightclub.Writer/Director: Zach Carver
Darren and Sylvie's overdue date night is threatened when they become wrapped up in an illegal, underground bullfight in the basement of their Manhattan apartment building.
Writers: Toshiyuki Ichihara, Elie Choufany, Monica Santis
Director: Toshiyuki Ichihara
Director: Robert L. Camina
On June, 24, 1973, an arsonist set fire to a gay bar in New Orleans called the Up Stairs Lounge. The result was the largest gay mass murder in U.S. History. Featuring interviews from survivors and witnesses, many of whom haven't discussed the fire until now, Upstairs Inferno revisits that fateful day and the lack of compassion and awareness that took place afterward.Writers/ Directors: Negin Farsad, Jeremy Redleaf (both in attendance)
Cast: Ed Weeks, Janeane Garofalo, John Hodgman, Negin Farsad, Jeremy Redleaf
Mina and Rudy are just as in love with technology as they are with each other, but over the past year of living together, they have grown apart; while Mina has been chasing professional success as a groundbreaking neuroscientist, Rudy has been desperately trying to avoid his own as a computer programmer. When hurricane Sandy slams their neighborhood with a power outage, they decide to throw a party with friends, but an unexpected guest arrives and they are forced to test the strength of their relationship—without the convenience of technology.Director: Renee Tajima-Peña (in attendance)
They came to have their babies. They went home sterilized. No Mas Bebes tells the story of immigrant mothers who sued county doctors, the state, and the U.S. government after they were prodded into sterilizations while giving birth at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center during the 1960s and 70s. Led by an intrepid 26-year-old Chicana lawyer and armed with hospital records secretly gathered by a whistle-blowing young doctor, the mothers faced public exposure and stood up to powerful institutions in the name of justice.North American Premiere
Writer/Director: Arturo Ruiz Serrano
Cast: Monika Kowalska, Chani Martín, Joan Carles Suau, Eric Francés
During the Spanish Civil War, Teo is destined to a minuscule fort of vigilance, located in a cold and inhospitable place in the mountains. There he meets Silverio, his new companion, with whom he will have to coexist for six long months. The different personalities of these two men provoke many tensions, accentuated by the limited space. The fragile coexistence breaks up with the arrival of Zolska, a young militiawoman whom they find wounded in the surroundings.Writers: Mikko Alanne, Craig Borten, Jose Rivera
Director: Patricia Riggen
Cast: Antonio Banderas, James Brolin, Juliette Binoche
In 2010, 33 Chilean miners were buried alive by the catastrophic explosion and collapse of a century-old gold and copper mine. Over the next 69 days, an international team worked night and day in a desperate attempt to rescue the trapped men. Starring Antonio Banderas and Juliette Binoche, this tense, dramatic thriller depicts the courage of both the miners and their families who refused to give up.
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Writer/Director: Megan Botherton
Under orders of her therapist, a quirky young woman must overcome public anxiety, overbearing roommates, and her own sexual repression to masturbate for the very first time.Writers: Jim Thompson, Martin Rodahl
After having to fire fifteen people, Ed recalls an almost forgotten incident from his childhood, and in telling it reveals larger ideas of pain and loss that have shaped his entire life.Writer/Director: Yoko Okumura
Madeline, a devoted housewife, discovers her husband is attending an Adult Industry Expo behind her back. Resolving to confront him about his deceit, she follows him to the convention.Writer/Director: Shahin Izadi
A young, interracial couple confronts their differences through a seemingly innocent game of “would you rather.”Writer: Akos Armont
Director: Lily Rolfe
Writer/Director: Paul D. Hart
A young female Marine war veteran navigates her disintegrating life until there is nothing left but to make a choice.Writer/Director: Juan Beiro
Irene is the only one in her mourners support group who hasn't shared her loved one's last words, but it's a question she isn't quite ready to answer.(USA, 60 min)
Writer/Director: Antonino D’Ambrosio (in attendance)
Based on the acclaimed book A Heart and a Guitar: Johnny Cash and the Making of Bitter Tears, We’re Still Here revisits the making of the 1964 Johnny Cash album Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian, which advocated for Native American rights and never found its footing in mainstream music. The film includes performances and interviews from Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Rosanne Cash, and more, and chronicles the efforts of these musicians to bring Cash’s album back to life for a new generation.
U.S. Premiere
Writer: Sophie-Anne Beaudry
Director: Stéphan Beaudoin (in attendance)
Cast: Sébastien Delorme, Frédéric Lemay, Catherine-Audrey Lachapelle, Étienne Pilon
World Premiere
Writer/Director: Brian Jett (in attendance)
Cast: Ryan O'Nan, Michelle Ang (both in attendance), Leslie David Baker, Jennifer IrwinWriter: Benjamin August
Director: Atom Egoyan
Cast: Christopher Plummer, Dean Norria, Martin Landau
Remember tells the story of Zev Guttman (Academy Award® Winner Christopher Plummer), a 90-year-old struggling with memory loss who is living out his final years in a serene retirement home. A week following the death of his beloved wife Ruth, he suddenly gets a mysterious package from his close friend Max (Academy Award® Winner Martin Landau), containing a stack of money and a letter detailing a shocking plan. Both Zev and Max were prisoners in Auschwitz, and the same sadistic guard was responsible for the death of both their families. Max and Zev will embark on a cross-continental road-trip to bring justice once and for all to the man who destroyed both their lives.World Premiere
Writers/Directors: Matt Jones, Dave Hill (both in attendance)
Cast: Matt Jones, Dave Hill, Kelen Coleman, Eloise Mumford (all in attendance)
This is the story of the night Matt and Dave met Amy and Syd. All feeling a bit fed up with their jobs and L.A. in general, luck would have it that they decide to go to the same bar on the same night. Thankful to meet anyone who isn't painfully self absorbed, the drinks pile up as the four twenty-somethings find unexpected friendships, and maybe something more.Writer/Director: Alexander Peter Lercher (in attendance)
Cast: Heinz Trixner, Christian Futterknecht, Uschi Glas, Julius Kuhn, Vivien Wulf
Writer/Director: Paolo Sorrentino
Cast: Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, Paul DanoWriters: Sam Kretchmar, Michael Covino (both in attendance)
Director: Sam Kretchmar
Cast: Ryan Patrick Bachard, Gabbi McPhee, Michael Angelo Covino
Recently out of prison, a disillusioned man looks to reconnect with his past and create a new future. After discovering that his “first love” died in a tragic accident many years ago, he stumbles upon her younger sister online. He soon develops an obsession with her that quickly turns into a relationship, but secrets about who he really is may threaten his hope for a better life.Writers: Kyle Ham, Steve Timm (both in attendance)
Director: Kyle Ham
Cast: Marc Menchaca, Jon Huertas, Virginia Newcomb (in attendance)
Writer/Director: Emily Towers
Rosie has been dreading Father's Day, and now it's here. Time to deal with Dad.Writer/Director: Carlos Mendoza
At a party, Victor’s 18th birthday suddenly becomes a nightmare, and, out of panic, he has no choice but to face his mother with his careless actions.Writers: Max Borenstein, Kevin Hamedani
Director: Kevin Hamedani
An Iranian-American man suffering from a mid-life crisis visits his homeland to meet and wed a young Iranian woman.Writer/Director: Komtouch Napattaloong
Jen spends one last night with his mother, Marlee, before she leaves for Bangkok, Thailand. With limited time and an indefinite separation ahead of them, the two are prompted to find solace within a torn family.Writer/Director: Keegan Mullin
After years of silence, a deaf man struggles to say goodbye to his dying mother.(Germany, 118min)
Writer: Bjorn Olaf Johannessen
Director: Wim Wenders
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Charlotte Gainsbourg, James Franco
A tragic car accident links the lives of a struggling writer (James Franco), his long-suffering girlfriend (Rachel McAdams), a grieving mother (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and a publisher's assistant (Marie-Josée Croze), in this intricate and beautifully shot drama. Wenders, one of the pre-eminent filmmakers of the past forty years, continues to explore the potentials of the medium, his characteristic sensitivity to themes of loss and absence still intact.
World Premiere
Writers: Andrew Shapter, Nevie Owens (both in attendance)
Director: Andrew Shapter
Cast: Leilani Galvan, Russell Gustave Ochoa, Helena Martin, Carl Westergren (all in attendance)
North American Premiere
Writer/Director: Antti Heikki Pesonen (in attendance)
Cast: Armi Toivanen, Eero Ritala, Mimosa Willamo
When Takku, a troubled teenage girl, won't stop getting into fights at school, the school threatens her with state custody. Her equally troubled mother must team up with a pot-smoking teacher and an alcoholic stranger to help save Takku from a downward spiral of hate and aggression. Headfirst is a story about missing teeth, strange friends, hidden dreams, and long-gone love. And about a rabbit.Director: Courtney Marsh
Director: Frida Kempff
After 9 months on a mission as a doctor in war-torn Central African Republic, Susanna returns to Sweden only to find that everything is... just the same.Director: Alison Klayman
Carmen Herrera, a spunky and distinctive painter coming up on her 100th birthday, is finally achieving the recognition that eluded her for most of her career.Director: Rick Rodgers
Director: Benjamin Smith
Anthem captures the unlikely and perilous meeting of two truly unique people with a common passion and a common struggle.Directors: Jennifer Suwak, Steve Abruzzese
Director: Michael Allcock
Obsessive visionary and inventor Kubo Dzamba believes he's found a way to save humanity from worldwide famine: farming crickets for food.Director: Robin Hamilton
Director: Kristin Catalano (in attendance)
No one exemplifies the motto, “Get busy living, or get busy dying” better than 85-year-old army veteran Clarence Garrett. Clarence goes back to college to finish his degree after dropping out of school fifty years earlier to take care of his family. Nothing will stop one of the happiest men you’ll ever meet from fulfilling his life's passion of learning.Writer/Director: Aron Gauder
Writer/Director: Katie Tamboer
Writer/Director: Cynthia Hogan
Unhappy with eating boring old garbage, a fly tempts the fates and sets his sights on a delicious pie instead.Writer/Director: Natasha Rindt
A dishwashing robot feels unfulfilled with her life. Despite her purpose, she tries to do something that she wasn’t programmed to do… TO GROOVE!Writer/Director: Alyce Tzue
A precocious young girl makes a new friend when a tiny boy pilot who drops out of the sky on a broken flying machine.Writer/Director: Jacob Frey
Writer/Directors: Janette Goodey, John Lewis
While playing on stilts, young Percival Pilts vows, “'Never again shall my feet touch the ground!”' Compelled ever higher, he builds his stilts so tall that he no longer fits into normal society.Directors: Albert Maysles, Lynn True, David Usui, Nelson Walker III, Benjamin Wu (in attendance)
In Transit takes you on a journey into the hearts and minds of passengers aboard Amtrak’s Empire Builder, the busiest long-distance train route in America. The film unfolds as a series of interconnected vignettes, ranging from overheard conversations to moments of deep intimacy, in which passengers share their fears, hopes and dreams. As the Empire Builder crisscrosses the country, passing through urban centers, oil fields, vast plains and towering mountains, a loving portrait of America emerges, in its full human and natural beauty.Writer/Director: James Sadwith (in attendance)
Cast: Alex Wolff, Stefania Owen, Chris Cooper (all in attendance)
Set in 1969, Jamie Schwartz is desperate to be a worldly adolescent. Disconnected from students and teachers at his boarding school, Jamie believes he is destined to play Holden Caulfield, the main character of The Catcher in the Rye, and has adapted the book as a play. After a series of increasingly hostile altercations with the boys at school, Jamie runs away to search for JD Salinger. On his way he picks up Deedee Gorlin, a quirky townie, and their odyssey to find Salinger becomes a journey of sexual awakening, the discovery of love, and the meaning of life.Writers/Directors: Will Bakke, Michael Allen
Director: Joel Fendelman
In the small town of Gonzales, Texas, a cattle auction serves as the cultural focal point, bringing everyone together and carrying the community’s heritage.Director: Matthew Salleh
Pitmasters of central Texas barbecue joints offer perspective on a world that is uniquely American.Writer/Directors: Michael Roberson, Joseph Middleton
Stuck on a night from 16 years ago, an anxious shut-in has a plan to give herself a second chance with someone from her past.Writers: Chet Garner, Emily Treadway
Director: Chet Garner
Director: Alison Boland
Members of the night shift custodial team in the Moody College of Communications building at UT Austin come from all over the world. They have built a tight-knit work family in the halls where students work and study.Writer/Director: Kevin Machate
A man must say goodbye to his mother, who is now at the end of her life.What happens when your best friend isn't your best friend anymore? Two women are forced to figure out who they are when their friend break-up leaves them adrift in the adult world.
Master Class (USA, 30 min)Rachel Hunter has a unique job: she exposes men's affairs, follows suspected adulterers, and in her own words, 'provides leverage to those willing to pay for it.' When Rachel graduates from simple seduction to corporate sabotage, she jumps into a larger arena; one with better pay, bigger stakes and increased danger. But as she soon learns, the greatest threat of all could be her own weaknesses.
Writers: Andrew Coats, Lou Hamou-Lhadj & Mark C. Harris
Directors: Andrew Coats & Lou Hamou-Lhadj
Writer/Director: Anthony Falleroni
Distracted by her vivid imagination, a young woman decides to grow up and embrace monotony by getting an implant which promises "peace of mind."Writers: Andrew Coats, Lou Hamou-Lhadj & Mark C. Harris
Directors: Andrew Coats & Lou Hamou-Lhadj
A weathered Sheriff returns to the remains of an accident he has spent a lifetime trying to forget.
Writer/Director: Rhiannon Evans
Travel around the brain with a little, lost thought, and discover what it takes to make a great idea.Writer/Director: Sacha Feiner
Toto, a two-headed child whose mother has locked him away in a family manor, decides to find what’s at the end of his home’s walls.Rachel Hunter has a unique job: she exposes men's affairs, follows suspected adulterers, and in her own words, 'provides leverage to those willing to pay for it.' When Rachel graduates from simple seduction to corporate sabotage, she jumps into a larger arena; one with better pay, bigger stakes and increased danger. But as she soon learns, the greatest threat of all could be her own weaknesses.
Writer/Director: Bob Blevins
Writer/Director: Joe Brumm
The Meek follows the story of a very small person trying to quit a very big, bad habit.Writers: Mikey Hill, Jennifer Smith
Director: Mikey Hil
Writer/Director: Moritz Mayerhofer
After the death of his older brother, a boy desperately tries to take his place in the family.North American Premiere
Writer/Director: Jan Vardøen (in attendance)
Cast: Ingeborg Raustøl, Helge Jordal, Bjørn Sundquist
(USA)
Writer: Steven Rogers
Director: Jessie Nelson
Cast: Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Ed Helms, Diane Keaton, Jake Lacy, Anthony Mackie
Love the Coopers follows the Cooper clan as four generations of extended family come together for the annual Christmas Eve celebration. As the evening unfolds, a series of unexpected visitors and unlikely events turn the night upside down, leading them all toward a surprising rediscovery of family bonds and the spirit of the holiday.
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I Saw the Light (USA, 123 min)
Writer/Director: Marc Abraham
Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Hiddleston, David Krumholtz, Bradley Whitford
I Saw the Light tells the story of the iconic Hank Williams, a tormented singer-songwriter who revolutionized country music with his raw charisma, haunting voice, and original songs—many of which are now considered American standards and have been recorded many times over by pop, rock and country artists alike.Writer/Director: Sasha Gordon (in attendance)
Cast: Cristin Milioti, Dan Soder, Halley Feiffer
Sonia is a neurotic jingle writer who's always dreamt of a big and exciting life. Surprised by a sudden proposal and subsequent ultimatum from her easy-going boyfriend, Chris, Sonia has to decide whether she'll join the ranks of her married friends or take a leap and pursue her fantasies. A whimsical romantic comedy that's raunchy and yet gentle, "It Had To Be You" explores the choices women face today while satirizing cultural expectations of gender and romance.Writer/Director: Bryan Tan
A woman is haunted by the memory of a heinous crime and the youthful face of its perpetrator.Writer: Parker Widemire
Director: Herschel Weingrod
Writers: Tim Tsiklauri, Luke Watkinson
Director: Tim Tsiklauri
Writer/Director: Brandon Sparks
Writer/Director: Colum Eastwood
A young couple's remote holiday cottage comes under attack from malevolent forces when they give refuge to a mysterious young girl.Director: Brandon Dickerson (in attendance)
While on a trip to Dubrovnik in 2007, Jeff Bowden encounters a photograph of a refugee child taken during the war in Kosovo. Driven by this haunting image, Bowden sets out to find the boy. His journey takes him from Texas to Paris, and ultimately to the post-war culture of the Balkans, where he combines forces with an experienced war-time fixer. Weaving together the stories of the war, the now-deceased photojournalist, Alexandra Boulat, and the search for the boy, A Single Frame, is a testament to the power of photography and to the belief that every life matters.World Premiere
Writers: Shane Dax Taylor, Chad Law (both in attendance)
Director: Shane Dax Taylor
Cast: Dominic Purcell, Luke Mably, Marie Avgeropoulos, Tricia Helfer
Writers: John W. Mann, Jon Gunn, Rick Gomez (all in attendance)
Directors: Jon Gunn, John W. Mann
Cast: Rick Gomez, Joelle Carter, Richard Speight, Jr., Amanda Detmer, Joshua Gomez, James Madio, Reno Wilson, Frank John Hughes, MC Gainey, Coby Toland, Rosemarie Dewitt
Dick Romans is a washed up TV host whose wife walks out on him the day before their ten year anniversary celebration. Alone with his thoughts, his dog, and a ton of booze, Dick decides to go through with the week-long party --by himself. The seven event-filled days become Dick's reluctant vision quest, filled with odd characters, awkward romance, and some long-overdue self examination.World Premiere
Writer: Will Moore, Jonathan Ray Case, Brad Montesi (all in attendance)
Director: Will Moore
Cast: Dave Maldonado, Jamie Tisdale, TiShuan Scott, Nicholas Stevenson (all in attendance)
U.S. Premiere
Writer: Andrew Ellard
Directors: Gez Medinger (in attendance), Robin Schmidt
Cast: Miranda Raison, Sam Keeley, Daniella Kertesz, Elarica Gallacher, Lorna Nickson Brown
Director: Antti Haase (in attendance)
Being different doesn’t make you less of a person, unless you prefer being a monster. Lordi is the monster front man of a heavy metal band in Finland that has fallen on hard times. In order to continue his dream and get out of debt, Lordi and his band will have to obtain their former glory of years past. This documentary goes behind the scenes of this heavy metal way of life, and shows both the joys and hardships that it brings.World Premiere
Writer/Director: Brian Klugman
Cast: Brian Klugman, Adrianne Palicki, James Roday, Kelsey GrammerWriter: Bradford Thomason
Director: Brett Whitcomb (in attendance)
North American Premiere
Writer/Director: Arturo Ruiz Serrano
Cast: Monika Kowalska, Chani Martín, Joan Carles Suau, Eric Francés
During the Spanish Civil War, Teo is destined to a minuscule fort of vigilance, located in a cold and inhospitable place in the mountains. There he meets Silverio, his new companion, with whom he will have to coexist for six long months. The different personalities of these two men provoke many tensions, accentuated by the limited space. The fragile coexistence breaks up with the arrival of Zolska, a young militiawoman whom they find wounded in the surroundings.Writer: Phyllis Nagy
Director: Todd Haynes
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Kyle Chandler
In an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s seminal novel The Price of Salt, a dissatisfied department store clerk (Rooney Mara) sparks an immediate connection with Carol (Cate Blachett), an alluring woman trapped in a loveless marriage. As the innocence of their first encounter dims and their relationship deepens, conventional norms challenge their undeniable attraction and complicated consequences emerge.Writer: Willem Bosch
Director: Lourens Blok
Cast: Egbert Jan Weeber, Hannah Hoekstra, Ko Zandvliet