Stars: Natalie Brown, Jonathan Watton, Peter DaCunha, Melanie Lynskey, Seth Duhame, Sanai Victoria, Casey Adams, Breeda Wool, Angela Trimbur, Christina Kirk, Kyle Allen, Mike Doyle | Directed by Roxanne Benjamin, Karyn Kusama, Annie Clark, Jovanka Vuckovic
Genres like horror survive by having many voices to tell their tales. There needs to be imagination, and there needs to be different perspectives to show that people are frightened by different things, or in some cases the same thing. This is where Xx comes in, an anthology of horror written and directed by women.
In Xx we are given four stories, each completely separate from each other. The first is The Box, which is arguably the best of the four, then The Birthday Party, Don’t Fall, and finally Her Only Living Son.
The Box is interesting because it uses mystery in an artful way. When Susan’s (Natalie Brown) son Danny (Peter DaCunha...
Genres like horror survive by having many voices to tell their tales. There needs to be imagination, and there needs to be different perspectives to show that people are frightened by different things, or in some cases the same thing. This is where Xx comes in, an anthology of horror written and directed by women.
In Xx we are given four stories, each completely separate from each other. The first is The Box, which is arguably the best of the four, then The Birthday Party, Don’t Fall, and finally Her Only Living Son.
The Box is interesting because it uses mystery in an artful way. When Susan’s (Natalie Brown) son Danny (Peter DaCunha...
- 5/10/2017
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
MaryAnn’s quick take… My anger that women filmmakers doing a horror anthology is seen as a novelty almost overshadows my disappointment that these short films aren’t very scary. I’m “biast” (pro): I’m desperate for movies by and about women
I’m “biast” (con): I’m not much of a horror fan
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
I’m looking forward to the time when the work of four women filmmakers coming together in a horror anthology is not considered a novelty, but we do not live in that world yet. So that is the motif that connects the segments of Xx: they were written and directed by women. (Imagine how ridiculous it would be to try to sell an anthology on the fact that all the segments were made by men!) I’m always glad to see women filmmakers working,...
I’m “biast” (con): I’m not much of a horror fan
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
I’m looking forward to the time when the work of four women filmmakers coming together in a horror anthology is not considered a novelty, but we do not live in that world yet. So that is the motif that connects the segments of Xx: they were written and directed by women. (Imagine how ridiculous it would be to try to sell an anthology on the fact that all the segments were made by men!) I’m always glad to see women filmmakers working,...
- 2/17/2017
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Xx – an all-female directed horror anthology – couldn’t push against genre representation at a better time. You’d think those involved would come out fiery, focused and full of appropriate rage given current gender voicelessness. This was a chance for horror to champion female filmmakers, yet assertions are tepid at best. Even past the failed settling of gender scores, Xx lacks horror establishment of the basest engagement. Only one chapter stands out (victorious because of competition), while three more efforts drag their feet without enthusiasm. No statement is made, no mic is dropped and no lasting message lingers past the credits. Enjoy another mixed bag of spooky stories that do no bumping in any night.
Please note, such disinterest isn’t because my feeble male brain can’t comprehend a different perspective. Three of the four main characters are mothers, all caught in family dilemmas. That’s not where my disconnection stems.
Please note, such disinterest isn’t because my feeble male brain can’t comprehend a different perspective. Three of the four main characters are mothers, all caught in family dilemmas. That’s not where my disconnection stems.
- 2/15/2017
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
Horror anthologies can be a tough feat to pull off, especially when you’re trying to pull together different filmmakers’ visions into one cohesive experience. That being said, Xx, which recently celebrated its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, succeeds in delivering four wildly distinct stories from several female directors, featuring the talents of Jovanka Vuckovic, Karyn Kusama, Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent), and Roxanne Benjamin. Beyond just its historical significance, Xx stands out as one of the more successful anthologies we’ve seen as of late, regardless of the gender of its directors.
Xx starts off with Vuckovic’s contribution, The Box, which is based on a story of the same name by acclaimed author Jack Ketchum. In the segment, we follow Susan (Natalie Brown), a mother who watches helplessly as an unknown force literally consumes her family after her son, Danny (Peter DaCunha), takes a peek inside...
Xx starts off with Vuckovic’s contribution, The Box, which is based on a story of the same name by acclaimed author Jack Ketchum. In the segment, we follow Susan (Natalie Brown), a mother who watches helplessly as an unknown force literally consumes her family after her son, Danny (Peter DaCunha), takes a peek inside...
- 1/27/2017
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Read More: Watch: Demon Kids Come Out to Play in Sinister 'Hellions' Trailer After its Canadian premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, the horror film "Hellions," from writer Pascal Trottier ("The Colony") and director Bruce McDonald ("Pontypool"), is sure to inspire much excitement and terror just in time for Halloween this year. The film stars Chloe Rose, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter DaCunha, Luke Bilyk and Robert Patrick. The official film synopsis reads: "A teenager’s Halloween night turns into a terrifying fight to survive when trick-or-treaters from Hell show up at her doorstep. After getting the unwelcome news that she’s pregnant, 17-year-old Dora (Chloe Rose) just wants to stay in on Halloween. But then a knock at the door delivers a gaggle of pint-sized demons after one thing: Dora’s baby. Director Bruce McDonald unleashes a hallucinatory visual and auditory assault that propels 'Hellions' to.
- 9/24/2015
- by Sonya Saepoff
- Indiewire
Made by Phantom City Creative, the new poster for Hellions will put the fear of Hell in you. Also in this morning's round-up: The Walking Dead #1 variant cover for Wizard World Columbus-goers and a Crypt TV short that looks out for us all this holiday weekend.
Hellions: "Strange trick-or-treaters plague conflicted teenager Dora Vogel (Chloe Rose) at her isolated home on Halloween.
Under siege by forces she can’t understand, Dora must defend both body and soul from relentless Hellions, dead-set on possessing something Dora will not give them. Set in a visually haunting landscape, Hellions redefines the boundaries of horror with its potent brew of Halloween iconography, teenage angst, and desperate survival."
Directed by Bruce McDonald from a screenplay by Pascal Trottier, Hellions stars Chloe Rose, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter Dacunha, Luke Bilyk, and Robert Patrick.
Hellions is set to be released in the U.S. on September 18th,...
Hellions: "Strange trick-or-treaters plague conflicted teenager Dora Vogel (Chloe Rose) at her isolated home on Halloween.
Under siege by forces she can’t understand, Dora must defend both body and soul from relentless Hellions, dead-set on possessing something Dora will not give them. Set in a visually haunting landscape, Hellions redefines the boundaries of horror with its potent brew of Halloween iconography, teenage angst, and desperate survival."
Directed by Bruce McDonald from a screenplay by Pascal Trottier, Hellions stars Chloe Rose, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter Dacunha, Luke Bilyk, and Robert Patrick.
Hellions is set to be released in the U.S. on September 18th,...
- 9/5/2015
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Stars: Luke Bilyk, Nicholas Craig, Sydney Cross, Peter DaCunha, Robert Patrick, Chloe Rose | Written by Pascal Trottier | Directed by Bruce McDonald
Review by Scott Clark
Hellions, the latest from Canadian director Bruce McDonald is overwhelmingly disappointing considering how impressive his 2008 horror venture Pontypool was. On Halloween night, Dora Vogel (Chloe Rose) is a fraught pregnant teenager all alone as the Pink moon looms. Shut-off from the rest of the town, a group of demonic child-like beings called Hellions threaten Dora’s body and soul as a fight for survival ensues.
The most clinging issue with Hellions is its utter lack of originality. Fans of Michael Dougherty’s fantastic Trick r’ Treat will be shocked to see the Brian Cox imp sequence dragged out to the 82 minute mark in a feature boisterously composed of genre tropes and previous endeavours. Rose is great scream-queen but she’s not getting enough to play with once Halloween night starts.
Review by Scott Clark
Hellions, the latest from Canadian director Bruce McDonald is overwhelmingly disappointing considering how impressive his 2008 horror venture Pontypool was. On Halloween night, Dora Vogel (Chloe Rose) is a fraught pregnant teenager all alone as the Pink moon looms. Shut-off from the rest of the town, a group of demonic child-like beings called Hellions threaten Dora’s body and soul as a fight for survival ensues.
The most clinging issue with Hellions is its utter lack of originality. Fans of Michael Dougherty’s fantastic Trick r’ Treat will be shocked to see the Brian Cox imp sequence dragged out to the 82 minute mark in a feature boisterously composed of genre tropes and previous endeavours. Rose is great scream-queen but she’s not getting enough to play with once Halloween night starts.
- 8/28/2015
- by Guest
- Nerdly
"You have your costume picked out for tonight?" A new trailer for Bruce McDonald's Halloween horror film, Hellions, has been released, giving us a sneak peek at creepy trick-or-treaters with more than just candy in their bags.
"Strange trick-or-treaters plague conflicted teenager Dora Vogel (Chloe Rose) at her isolated home on Halloween.
Under siege by forces she can’t understand, Dora must defend both body and soul from relentless Hellions, dead-set on possessing something Dora will not give them. Set in a visually haunting landscape, Hellions redefines the boundaries of horror with its potent brew of Halloween iconography, teenage angst and desperate survival."
Directed by Bruce McDonald from a screenplay by Pascal Trottier, Hellions stars Chloe Rose, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter Dacunha, Luke Bilyk, and Robert Patrick.
Trailer via JoBlo:
The post Watch: Trailer for Halloween Horror Film Hellions appeared first on Daily Dead.
"Strange trick-or-treaters plague conflicted teenager Dora Vogel (Chloe Rose) at her isolated home on Halloween.
Under siege by forces she can’t understand, Dora must defend both body and soul from relentless Hellions, dead-set on possessing something Dora will not give them. Set in a visually haunting landscape, Hellions redefines the boundaries of horror with its potent brew of Halloween iconography, teenage angst and desperate survival."
Directed by Bruce McDonald from a screenplay by Pascal Trottier, Hellions stars Chloe Rose, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter Dacunha, Luke Bilyk, and Robert Patrick.
Trailer via JoBlo:
The post Watch: Trailer for Halloween Horror Film Hellions appeared first on Daily Dead.
- 8/18/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Read More: Sundance Review: Bruce McDonald's Unconvincing Halloween Horror 'Hellions'IFC midnight has acquired the U.S rights to Bruce McDonald's "Hellions," a horror film that premiered in the Midnight section of this year's Sundance Film Festival. The film stars Chloe Rose, Robert Patrick, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter DaCunha and Luke Bilyk and has a screenplay by Pascal Trottier. Set on Halloween night in Waterford, the so-called Pumpkin Capital of the World, "Hellions" follows a group of demonic beings as they stalk among the trick or treaters to target Dora (Rose), who is home alone for the night. Cut off from the outside world and under siege in her own home, Dora fights to defend her body and soul against the hellions. Nate Bolotin of Xyz Films negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers. "Hellions" is the third Sundance Midnight title acquired by IFC Midnight this year.
- 4/16/2015
- by Helen Z. Carefoot
- Indiewire
Bruce McDonald’s horror world premiered at Sundance.
IFC Midnight has acquired Us rights to Hellions.
Directed by Bruce McDonald, the horror world premiered at Sundance and centres on a teenager who, when home alone on Halloween, has to defend herself against a group of masked demonic beings.
The deal was negotiated by Sean Berney, manager of acquisitions for IFC Midnight, with Nate Bolotin of Xyz Films on behalf of the filmmakers.
It is the third Sundance ‘Park City at Midnight’ title acquired by IFC Midnight this year, following Corin Hardy’s The Hallow and Jm Cravioto’s Reversal.
Hellions is produced by Frank Siracusa and Paul Lenart, and stars Chloe Rose, Robert Patrick, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter DaCunha and Luke Bilyk.
IFC Midnight has acquired Us rights to Hellions.
Directed by Bruce McDonald, the horror world premiered at Sundance and centres on a teenager who, when home alone on Halloween, has to defend herself against a group of masked demonic beings.
The deal was negotiated by Sean Berney, manager of acquisitions for IFC Midnight, with Nate Bolotin of Xyz Films on behalf of the filmmakers.
It is the third Sundance ‘Park City at Midnight’ title acquired by IFC Midnight this year, following Corin Hardy’s The Hallow and Jm Cravioto’s Reversal.
Hellions is produced by Frank Siracusa and Paul Lenart, and stars Chloe Rose, Robert Patrick, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter DaCunha and Luke Bilyk.
- 3/9/2015
- by ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
- ScreenDaily
Hellions (2015) Film Review from the 37th Annual Sundance Film Festival, a movie directed by Bruce McDonald, starring Luke Bilyk, Nicholas Craig, Sydney Cross, Peter DaCunha, Stephanie Fonceca, Robert Patrick, Chloe Rose, Joe Silvaggio, Rossif Sutherland, Karlo William, and Rachel Wilson. Hellions, by Canadian director Bruce McDonald; explores the terrors [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Hellions: Fun Ride that Falls Short in Execution [Sff 2015]...
Continue reading: Film Review: Hellions: Fun Ride that Falls Short in Execution [Sff 2015]...
- 2/1/2015
- by Malinda Money
- Film-Book
Welcome to another horror news round-up! This time around, we have an update on whether or not Luke Evans will play Eric Draven in The Crow reboot, details on the recently announced horror film, The Greasy Strangler, and a clip, poster, and images of Bruce McDonald’s Halloween-set Hellions, making its debut this Sunday night at the Sundance Film Festival.
When Corin Hardy (The Hallow) became attached as the director of the long-gestating reboot of The Crow (after F. Javier Gutiérrez left the director’s chair) back in December, discussions of who would play main character Eric Draven resurfaced, with Luke Evans’ future in the lead role somewhat of a question mark.
Evans (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Dracula Untold) was initially set to star in The Crow remake back in 2013, but in recent interviews he didn’t seem optimistic about his continued involvement with the...
When Corin Hardy (The Hallow) became attached as the director of the long-gestating reboot of The Crow (after F. Javier Gutiérrez left the director’s chair) back in December, discussions of who would play main character Eric Draven resurfaced, with Luke Evans’ future in the lead role somewhat of a question mark.
Evans (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Dracula Untold) was initially set to star in The Crow remake back in 2013, but in recent interviews he didn’t seem optimistic about his continued involvement with the...
- 1/25/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Much like like Steven Soderbergh or Richard Linklater, Canadian filmmaker Bruce McDonald doesn't easily fit into a single genre box. Often using his home country as a backdrop, the director has delivered movies as diverse as "Dance Me Outside," "Hard Core Logo," "The Tracey Fragments," and "This Movie Is Broken." But for his next move, McDonald is readying "Hellions," and he hopes it'll send a chill up your spine. Starring Chloe Rose, Robert Patrick, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter DaCunha, and Luke Bilyk, the horror/thriller takes place on Halloween night where more than just trick or treaters are up to trouble. Here's the official synopsis: It is Halloween night in the town of Waterford, the so-called Pumpkin Capital of the World. Alone at home, teenager Dora Vogel is about to have a very long night. Free to roam undetected among the small town's trick-or-treaters, a group of masked demonic beings knock on.
- 1/22/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Stars: Robin Dunne, Katharine Isabelle, Stephen McHattie, Peter DaCunha, Amy Forsyth | Written by Michael Foster, Thomas Pound | Directed by Jordan Barker
Newly-weds Sarah and Cory Morgan have decided to take a relaxing holiday with Cory’s 7 year old son Liam to try and smooth over some of the teething problems Liam is having with his new Mum.
Despite the idyllic location of Cory’s isolated and luxurious country house, the family soon realise they have made a mistake in going there when they find that someone has been using the house in their absence. After having a police officer inspect the house and reassure them that there’s nothing to worry about, the couple decide that they will stay, at least for one night. Another big mistake. Their unwanted house guests will soon reveal themselves and the family will find itself caught up in a fight for their lives. What...
Newly-weds Sarah and Cory Morgan have decided to take a relaxing holiday with Cory’s 7 year old son Liam to try and smooth over some of the teething problems Liam is having with his new Mum.
Despite the idyllic location of Cory’s isolated and luxurious country house, the family soon realise they have made a mistake in going there when they find that someone has been using the house in their absence. After having a police officer inspect the house and reassure them that there’s nothing to worry about, the couple decide that they will stay, at least for one night. Another big mistake. Their unwanted house guests will soon reveal themselves and the family will find itself caught up in a fight for their lives. What...
- 1/14/2015
- by Richard Axtell
- Nerdly
Whenever I go to the Sundance Film Festival, the movies that I look forward to seeing most are the Park City At Midnight films. Those are the crazy fun genre movies that a lot of you would also enjoy watching. Sundance has announced the movie lineup for those film as well as the films in the Spotlight and New Frontier sections. It looks like there are a lot of cool movies that are going to be worth watching this year. Especially in the Park City At Midnight lineup. I'm really excited about going this year! Check out the Competition movie line-up here.
Park City At Midnight
From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake.
Cop Car / U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) — Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon,...
Park City At Midnight
From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake.
Cop Car / U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) — Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon,...
- 12/6/2014
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
John Nein was not always a Senior Programmer at the Sundance Film Festival — it’s only been eight years. When he began at Sundance in 2002 he was always watching movies of course. More than that, like John Cooper said, he just didn’t shut up when he was in the room; he was opinionated and spoke his opinions. He also always liked international cinema as he was born in Ireland and grew up in The Netherlands, Belgium and London where his father worked for international companies. When he was 12 he came to the U.S.
The programmers at Sundance do not have a strict formal assignment of areas they program; they see all the films of all the sections, but like his father, international was always of great interest. The same is true for myself, although out of the 118 feature films selected out of 4,105 feature length submissions, many of the U.S. films look great to me as well. For instance, I am so happy that Matt Sobel’s “ Take Me To The River ” which won the prize at Us in Progress this past November in Wroclaw, Poland at The American Film Festival is in the Next section.
John: This year on Day One, January 22, 2015, the Festival will feature one of each type of film shown at the Festival: one shorts program, a U.S. documentary, a U.S. dramatic, an international documentary and an international dramatic which will be the first ever Lithuanian film in Competition, a lesbian love story that is stylish and smartly directed by Alanté Kavaïté with two fantastic actors, Julija Steponaitytė and Aistė Diržiūtė. Actually " The Summer of Sangaile” is a coproduction of Lithuania, France, and Holland . I think Alanté lives in France.
There ares 29 countries represented and 45 first-time filmmakers.
Sydney: I know the Chileans love Sundance. Last year Alejandro Fernández Almendras said in our interview about “To Kill a Man” that Sundance is very important for Chile. I am also a longtime fan of Sebastian Silva since “The Maid”. Two years ago he had two films, “Crystal Fairy” and “Magic, Magic” in Sundance, so why is this Chilean film not in World Competition but in Next?
John: I’m glad Alejandro said that. Yes we like Chile too. They make many good films. But “Nasty Baby” by Sebastian Silva is a U.S. film, about people living in Brooklyn.
He lives in U.S. and has spent a lot of time here. He knows Brooklyn and yet his curiosity and his view of it is that of an outsider. He knows these people because he watches and listens so well. “
Sydney: “Bridesmaids” star and co-writer Kristen Wiig stars. A short promo of “Nasty Baby” was shown to buyers while it was in post-production in Cannes and Toronto. The Chilean production company of Juan de Dios Larrain and Pablo Larrain, Fabula, produced “No” as well as Sebastian’s later films. Papi Boye and Violaine Pichon’s production and international sales agent Versatile out of France along with the film’s international sales agent Funny Balloons — also based in France – helped finance this U.S. Production.
John: World Cinema is now 10 years old. Overall, the Competition sections have evolved over the years. We have a sense of emerging directors here. We have come of age.
All our films are of emerging filmmakers. Either first time directors or highly anticipated second or third features. Of all the festivals worldwide, Sundance has the strongest program of emerging talent. Watch these filmmakers over the next years. Like “Homesick” by Anna Sewitsky. Her previous film “Happy, Happy” showed at Sundance in 2011 and took the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema. “Happy, Happy” also became the Norwegian Official entry for the Academy Awards® .
Sydney: TrustNordisk sold “Happy, Happy” to more than 50 countries, so they must be poised to sell this one as well.
John: But not all the second and third films are from filmmakers whose first films were at Sundance, although Canada’s “ Chorus” director Francois Delisle showed “The Meteor” at Sundance two years ago.
And “Glassland”, was a very anticipated second film. The first film by director and screenwriter, Gerard Barrett, "Pilgrim Hill” won the Galway Film Festival and was very sought after and was signed with a U.S. agent then. “Sangaile" is also a second feature.
Look at the international films in the Premieres section and you will see some international filmmakers there, like “ Brooklyn” which is an immigrant story directed by John Crowley and written by Nick Hornby whose film “Wild” is now playing .
Sydney: I see from IMDbPro that Hanway has already sold Middle Eastern rights to Front Row Entertainment who must have pre-bought “Brooklyn” in Cannes or Toronto.
John: Of the 12 films in World Cinema the less expected films come from Turkey, “Ivy” by the talented director Tolga Karacelik. This is his second film. His first was “Toll Booth” which Global Initiative distributed in the U.S. The Dp on this was Nuri Bilge Ceylan (“Winter’s Sleep”)’s Dp on “Winter’s Sleep”, Gökhan Tiryaki. It is about guys stuck on a freighter whose company goes bankrupt. Power dynamics play out.
Sydney: Have there been Oscar nominated films in Sundance (Aside from “Whiplash” and “Boyhood”)?
John: Yes, “Man on Wire” was not last year but it was foreign. “Ida” was in Spotlight last year and maybe Sundance increased its visibility. Three others were in Sundance last year:
“To Kill a Man” is Chile’s submission, “Difret” which won the Audience Award is Ethiopia’s submission this year and “Liar’s Dice” from India was in World Competition last year. It is a very artful film. We knew it would do well with the critics, but it did extremely well with the audience too. A couple of films in Spotlight will probably be nominated next year. Watch for them.
Sydney : We haven’t even discussed the World documentaries.
John : Are there any that stand out for you?
Sydney: Yes, “Chuck Norris vs. Communism”, from U.K., Romania and Germany. Chuck Norris?
John: How interesting it is that something like Chuck Norris means something very different to others. It is a sign of cultural differences between us. Chuck Norris shows how independent films built a community of counter culture against an authoritarian government.
Sydney: I also notice that there are six docs from the U.K. Out of 12 films.
John: Yes we noticed and discussed that. U.K. really supports documentary filmmaking. Great work is coming out of the U.K. And many of the films are about different countries, so it doesn’t fit so simply into a U.K. pigeon hole.
Sydney : Yes I see “Chuck Norris” is about Romania, “Dreamcatcher” is about teenage prostitution, “How to Change the World” is about Greenpeace, “Listen to Me Marlon” is about a famous U.S. actor, “The Russian Woodpecker” is about a Ukrainian survivor of Chernobyl.
Thank you John for your insights. I think we have a lot to look at here. Thank you for taking this time to talk with me. See you at Sundance!
For a full list thus far of Sundance films, see below.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Advantageous / U.S.A. (Director: Jennifer Phang, Screenwriters: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang) — In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy, despite the instability surfacing in their world. Cast: Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Kim.
The Bronze / U.S.A. (Director: Bryan Buckley, Screenwriters: Melissa Rauch, Winston Rauch) — In 2004, Hope Ann Greggory became an American hero after winning the bronze medal for the women's gymnastics team. Today, she's still living in her small hometown, washed-up and embittered. Stuck in the past, Hope must reassess her life when a promising young gymnast threatens her local celebrity status.Cast: Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole, Thomas Middleditch, Sebastian Stan, Haley Lu Richardson, Cecily Strong. Day One Film
The D Train / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Jarrad Paul, Andrew Mogel) — With his 20th reunion looming, Dan can’t shake his high school insecurities. In a misguided mission to prove he's changed, Dan rekindles a friendship with the popular guy from his class and is left scrambling to protect more than just his reputation when a wild night takes an unexpected turn. Cast: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike White, Kyle Bornheimer.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Marielle Heller) — Minnie Goetze is a 15-year-old aspiring comic-book artist, coming of age in the haze of the 1970s in San Francisco. Insatiably curious about the world around her, Minnie is a pretty typical teenage girl. Oh, except that she's sleeping with her mother's boyfriend. Cast: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Christopher Meloni, Kristen Wiig.
Dope / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa) — Malcolm is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the Sat. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself. Cast: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, A$AP Rocky.
I Smile Back / U.S.A. (Director: Adam Salky, Screenwriters: Amy Koppelman, Paige Dylan) — All is not right in suburbia. Laney Brooks, a wife and mother on the edge, has stopped taking her meds, substituting recreational drugs and the wrong men. With the destruction of her family looming, Laney makes a last, desperate attempt at redemption. Cast: Sarah Silverman, Josh Charles, Thomas Sadoski, Mia Barron, Terry Kinney, Chris Sarandon.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl / U.S.A. (Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Screenwriter: Jesse Andrews) — Greg is coasting through senior year of high school as anonymously as possible, avoiding social interactions like the plague while secretly making spirited, bizarre films with Earl, his only friend. But both his anonymity and friendship threaten to unravel when his mother forces him to befriend a classmate with leukemia. Cast: Thomas Mann, Rj Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon.
The Overnight / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Patrick Brice) — Alex, Emily, and their son, Rj, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte, and Max. A family "playdate" becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on. Cast: Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godrèche.
People, Places, Things / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: James C. Strouse) — Will Henry is a newly single graphic novelist balancing being a parent to his young twin daughters and teaching a classroom full of college students, all the while trying to navigate the rich complexities of new love and letting go of the woman who left him. Cast: Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Stephanie Allynne, Jessica Williams, Gia Gadsby, Aundrea Gadsby.
Results / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski) — Two mismatched personal trainers' lives are upended by the actions of a new, wealthy client. Cast: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker.
Songs My Brothers Taught Me / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Chloé Zhao) — This complex portrait of modern-day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation explores the bond between a brother and his younger sister, who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home. Cast: John Reddy, Jashaun St. John, Irene Bedard, Taysha Fuller, Travis Lone Hill, Eléonore Hendricks.
The Stanford Prison Experiment / U.S.A. (Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Screenwriter: Tim Talbott) — This film is based on the actual events that took place in 1971 when Stanford professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo created what became one of the most shocking and famous social experiments of all time. Cast: Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, Tye Sheridan, Johnny Simmons, Olivia Thirlby.
Stockholm, Pennsylvania / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nikole Beckwith) — A young woman is returned home to her biological parents after living with her abductor for 17 years. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Cynthia Nixon, Jason Isaacs, David Warshofsky.
Unexpected / U.S.A. (Director: Kris Swanberg, Screenwriters: Kris Swanberg, Megan Mercier) — When Samantha Abbott begins her final semester teaching science at a Chicago high school, she faces some unexpected news: she's pregnant. Soon after, Samantha learns that one of her favorite students, Jasmine, has landed in a similar situation. Unexpected follows the two women as they embark on an unlikely friendship. Cast: Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, Elizabeth McGovern.
The Witch / U.S.A., Canada (Director and screenwriter: Robert Eggers) — New England in the 1630s: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassable wilderness. When their newborn son vanishes and crops fail, the family turns on one another. Beyond their worst fears, a supernatural evil lurks in the nearby wood. Cast: Anya Taylor Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Lucas Dawson, Ellie Grainger.
Z for Zachariah / U.S.A. (Director: Craig Zobel, Screenwriter: Nissar Modi) — In a post-apocalyptic world, a young woman who believes she is the last human on Earth meets a dying scientist searching for survivors. Their relationship becomes tenuous when another survivor appears. As the two men compete for the woman's affection, their primal urges begin to reveal their true nature. Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine.
U.S. Documentary Competition
Sixteen world-premiere American documentaries that illuminate the ideas, people, and events that shape the present day.
3½ Minutes / U.S.A. (Director: Marc Silver) — On November 23, 2012, unarmed 17-year-old Jordan Russell Davis was shot at a Jacksonville gas station by Michael David Dunn. 3½ Minutes explores the aftermath of Jordan's tragic death, the latent and often unseen effects of racism, and the contradictions of the American criminal justice system.
Being Evel / U.S.A. (Director: Daniel Junge) — An unprecedented, candid portrait of American icon Robert "Evel" Knievel and his legacy.
Best of Enemies / U.S.A. (Directors: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon) — Best of Enemies is a behind-the-scenes account of the explosive 1968 televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and their rancorous disagreements about politics, God, and sex.
Call Me Lucky / U.S.A. (Director: Bobcat Goldthwait) — Barry Crimmins was a volatile but brilliant bar comic who became an honored peace activist and influential political satirist. Famous comedians and others build a picture of a man who underwent an incredible transformation.
Cartel Land / U.S.A., Mexico (Director: Matthew Heineman) — In this classic Western set in the 21st century, vigilantes on both sides of the border fight the vicious Mexican drug cartels. With unprecedented access, this character-driven film provokes deep questions about lawlessness, the breakdown of order, and whether citizens should fight violence with violence.
City of Gold / U.S.A. (Director: Laura Gabbert) — Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jonathan Gold casts his light upon a vibrant and growing cultural movement in which he plays the dual roles of high-low priest and culinary geographer of his beloved Los Angeles.
Finders Keepers / U.S.A. (Directors: Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel) — Recovering addict and amputee John Wood finds himself in a stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction and believes it to therefore be his rightful property.
Hot Girls Wanted / U.S.A. (Directors: Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus) — Hot Girls Wanted is a first-ever look at the realities inside the world of the amateur porn industry and the steady stream of 18- and 19-year-old girls entering into it.
How to Dance in Ohio / U.S.A. (Director: Alexandra Shiva) — In Columbus, Ohio, a group of teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum prepare for an iconic American rite of passage — a spring formal. They spend 12 weeks practicing their social skills at a local nightclub in preparation for the dance.
Larry Kramer in Love and Anger / U.S.A. (Director: Jean Carlomusto) — Author, activist, and playwright Larry Kramer is one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary gay America, a political firebrand who gave voice to the outrage and grief that inspired gay men and lesbians to fight for their lives. At 78, this complicated man still commands our attention.
Meru / U.S.A. (Directors: Jimmy Chin, E. Chai Vasarhelyi) — Three elite mountain climbers sacrifice everything but their friendship as they struggle through heartbreaking loss and nature’s harshest elements to attempt the never-before-completed Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru, the most coveted first ascent in the dangerous game of Himalayan big wall climbing.
Racing Extinction / U.S.A. (Director: Louie Psihoyos) — Academy Award-winner Louie Psihoyos (The Cove) assembles a unique team to show the world never-before-seen images that expose issues surrounding endangered species and mass extinction. Whether infiltrating notorious black markets or exploring humans' effect on the environment, Racing Extinction will change the way you see the world.
(T)Error / U.S.A. (Directors: Lyric R. Cabral, David Felix Sutcliffe) — (T)Error is the first film to document on camera a covert counterterrorism sting as it unfolds. Through the perspective of *******, a 63-year-old Black revolutionary turned FBI informant, viewers are given an unprecedented glimpse of the government’s counterterrorism tactics, and the murky justifications behind them.
Welcome to Leith / U.S.A. (Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker) — A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota.
Western / U.S.A., Mexico (Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross) — For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life. Western portrays timeless American figures in the grip of unforgiving change.
The Wolfpack / U.S.A. (Director: Crystal Moselle) — Six bright teenage brothers have spent their entire lives locked away from society in a Manhattan housing project. All they know of the outside is gleaned from the movies they watch obsessively (and recreate meticulously). Yet as adolescence looms, they dream of escape, ever more urgently, into the beckoning world.
World Cinema Dramatic Competition
Twelve films from emerging filmmaking talents around the world offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.
Chlorine / Italy (Director: Lamberto Sanfelice, Screenwriters: Lamberto Sanfelice, Elisa Amoruso) — Jenny, 17, dreams of becoming a synchronized swimmer. Family events turn her life upside down and she is forced move to a remote area to look after her ill father and younger brother. It won't be long before Jenny starts pursuing her dreams again. Cast: Sara Serraiocco, Ivan Franek, Giorgio Colangeli, Anatol Sassi, Piera Degli Esposti, Andrea Vergoni. World Premiere
Chorus / Canada (Director and screenwriter: François Delisle) — A separated couple meet again after 10 years when the body of their missing son is found. Amid the guilt of losing a loved one, they hesitantly move toward affirmation of life, acceptance of death, and even the possibility of reconciliation. Cast: Sébastien Ricard, Fanny Mallette, Pierre Curzi, Genevieve Bujold. World Premiere
Glassland / Ireland (Director and screenwriter: Gerard Barrett) — In a desperate attempt to reunite his broken family, a young taxi driver becomes entangled in the criminal underworld. Cast: Jack Reynor, Toni Collette, Will Poulter, Michael Smiley. International Premiere
Homesick / Norway (Director: Anne Sewitsky, Screenwriters: Ragnhild Tronvoll, Anne Sewitsky) — When Charlotte, 27, meets her brother Henrik, 35, for the first time, two people who don't know what a normal family is begin an encounter without boundaries. How does sibling love manifest itself if you have never experienced it before?Cast: Ine Marie Wilmann, Simon J. Berger, Anneke von der Lippe, Silje Storstein, Oddgeir Thune, Kari Onstad. World Premiere. Isa: TrustNordisk
Ivy / Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Tolga Karaçelik) — Sarmasik is sailing to Egypt when the ship's owner goes bankrupt. The crew learns there is a lien on the ship, and key crew members must stay on board. Ivy is the story of these six men trapped on the ship for days. Cast: Nadir Sarıbacak, Özgür Emre Yıldırım, Hakan Karsak, Kadir Çermik, Osman Alkaş, Seyithan Özdemiroğlu. World Premiere
Partisan / Australia (Director: Ariel Kleiman, Screenwriters: Ariel Kleiman, Sarah Cyngler) — Alexander is like any other kid: playful, curious and naive. He is also a trained assassin. Raised in a hidden paradise, Alexander has grown up seeing the world filtered through his father, Gregori. As Alexander begins to think for himself, creeping fears take shape, and Gregori's idyllic world unravels. Cast: Vincent Cassel, Jeremy Chabriel, Florence Mezzara. World Premiere
Princess / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Tali Shalom Ezer) — While her mother is away from home, 12-year-old Adar’s role-playing games with her stepfather move into dangerous territory. Seeking an escape, Adar finds Alan, an ethereal boy that accompanies her on a dark journey between reality and fantasy. Cast: Keren Mor, Shira Haas, Ori Pfeffer, Adar Zohar Hanetz. International Premiere
The Second Mother / Brazil (Director and screenwriter: Anna Muylaert) — Having left her daughter, Jessica, to be raised by relatives in the north of Brazil, Val works as a loving nanny in São Paulo. When Jessica arrives for a visit 13 years later, she confronts her mother's slave-like attitude and everyone in the house is affected by her unexpected behavior. Cast: Regina Casé, Michel Joelsas, Camila Márdila, Karine Teles, Lourenço Mutarelli. World Premiere
Slow West / New Zealand (Director: John Maclean, Screenwriters: John Maclean, Michael Lesslie) — Set at the end of the nineteenth century, 16-year-old Jay Cavendish journeys across the American frontier in search of the woman he loves. He is joined by Silas, a mysterious traveler, and hotly pursued by an outlaw along the way. Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Rory McCann, Ben Mendelsohn, Brooke Williams, Caren Pistorius. World Premiere
Strangerland / Australia, Ireland (Director: Kim Farrant, Screenwriters: Fiona Seres, Michael Kinirons) — When Catherine and Matthew Parker's two teenage kids disappear into the remote Australian desert, the couple's relationship is pushed to the brink as they confront the mystery of their children's fate. Cast: Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes, Hugo Weaving, Lisa Flanagan, Meyne Wyatt, Maddison Brown. World Premiere
The Summer of Sangaile / Lithuania, France, Holland (Director and screenwriter: Alanté Kavaïté) — Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. She meets a girl her age at the summer aeronautical show, nearby her parents’ lakeside villa. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and in the process finds in her teenage love, the only person that truly encourages her to fly. Cast: Julija Steponaitytė, Aistė Diržiūtė. World Premiere. Isa: Films Distribution.
Umrika / India (Director and screenwriter: Prashant Nair) — When a young village boy discovers that his brother, long believed to be in America, has actually gone missing, he begins to invent letters on his behalf to save their mother from heartbreak, all the while searching for him. Cast: Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Smita Tambe, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang, Prateik Babbar. World Premiere
World Cinema Documentary Competition
Twelve documentaries by some of the most courageous and extraordinary international filmmakers working today.
The Amina Profile / Canada (Director: Sophie Deraspe) — During the Arab revolution, a love story between two women — a Canadian and a Syrian American — turns into an international sociopolitical thriller spotlighting media excesses and the thin line between truth and falsehood on the Internet. World Premiere
Censored Voices / Israel, Germany (Director: Mor Loushy) — One week after the 1967 Six-Day War, renowned author Amos Oz and editor Avraham Shapira recorded intimate conversations with soldiers returning from the battlefield. The Israeli army censored the recordings, allowing only a fragment of the conversations to be published. Censored Voices reveals these recordings for the first time. World Premiere
The Chinese Mayor / China (Director: Hao Zhou) — Mayor Geng Yanbo is determined to transform the coal-mining center of Datong, in China’s Shanxi province, into a tourism haven showcasing clean energy. In order to achieve that, however, he has to relocate 500,000 residences to make way for the restoration of the ancient city. World Premiere
Chuck Norris vs Communism / United Kingdom, Romania, Germany (Director: Ilinca Calugareanu) — In 1980s Romania, thousands of Western films smashed through the Iron Curtain, opening a window to the free world for those who dared to look. A black market VHS racketeer and courageous female translator brought the magic of film to the masses and sowed the seeds of a revolution. World Premiere. Producers Rep: UTA
Dark Horse / United Kingdom (Director: Louise Osmond) — Dark Horse is the inspirational true story of a group of friends from a workingman's club who decide to take on the elite "sport of kings" and breed themselves a racehorse. World Premiere
Dreamcatcher / United Kingdom (Director: Kim Longinotto) — Dreamcatcher takes us into a hidden world seen through the eyes of one of its survivors, Brenda Myers-Powell. A former teenage prostitute, Brenda defied the odds to become a powerful advocate for change in her community. With warmth and humor, Brenda gives hope to those who have none. World Premiere
How to Change the World / United Kingdom, Canada (Director: Jerry Rothwell) — In 1971, a group of friends sails into a nuclear test zone, and their protest captures the world’s imagination. Using rare, archival footage that brings their extraordinary world to life, How to Change the World is the story of the pioneers who founded Greenpeace and defined the modern green movement. World Premiere. Day One Film
Listen to Me Marlon / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stevan Riley, Co-writer: Peter Ettedgui) — With exclusive access to previously unheard audio archives, this is the definitive Marlon Brando cinema documentary. Charting his exceptional career and extraordinary life away from the stage and screen, the film fully explores the complexities of the man by telling the story uniquely in Marlon’s own voice. World Premiere
Pervert Park / Sweden, Denmark (Directors: Frida Barkfors, Lasse Barkfors) — Pervert Park follows the everyday lives of sex offenders in a Florida trailer park as they struggle to reintegrate into society, and try to understand who they are and how to break the cycle of sex crimes being committed. International Premiere
The Russian Woodpecker / United Kingdom (Director: Chad Gracia) — A Ukrainian victim of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster discovers a dark secret and must decide whether to risk his life by revealing it, amid growing clouds of revolution and war. World Premiere
Sembene! / U.S.A., Senegal (Directors: Samba Gadjigo, Jason Silverman) — In 1952, Ousmane Sembene, a Senegalese dockworker and fifth-grade dropout, began dreaming an impossible dream: to become the storyteller for a new Africa. This true story celebrates how the “father of African cinema,” against enormous odds, fought a monumental, 50-year-long battle to give Africans a voice. World Premiere
The Visit / Denmark, Austria, Ireland, Finland, Norway (Director: Michael Madsen) — “This film documents an event that has never taken place…” With unprecedented access to the United Nations' Office for Outer Space Affairs, leading space scientists and space agencies, The Visit explores humans' first encounter with alien intelligent life and thereby humanity itself. "Our scenario begins with the arrival. Your arrival." World Premiere
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Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this program. Digital technology paired with unfettered creativity promises that the films in this section will shape a “greater” next wave in American cinema. Presented by Adobe.
Bob and the Trees / U.S.A., France (Director: Diego Ongaro, Screenwriters: Diego Ongaro, Courtney Maum, Sasha Statman-Weil) — Bob, a 50-year-old logger in rural Massachusetts with a soft spot for golf and gangsta rap, is struggling to make ends meet in a changed economy. When his beloved cow is wounded and a job goes awry, Bob begins to heed the instincts of his ever-darkening self. Cast: Bob Tarasuk, Matt Gallagher, Polly MacIntyre, Winthrop Barrett, Nathaniel Gregory. World Premiere
Christmas, Again / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Charles Poekel) — A heartbroken Christmas tree salesman returns to New York, hoping to put the past year behind him. He spends the season living in a trailer and working the night shift, until a mysterious woman and some colorful customers rescue him from self-destruction. Cast: Kentucker Audley, Hannah Gross, Jason Shelton, Oona Roche. North American Premiere
Cronies / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Larnell) — Twenty-two-year-old Louis doesn’t know whether his childhood friendship with Jack will last beyond today. Cast: George Sample III, Zurich Buckner, Brian Kowalski. World Premiere
Entertainment / U.S.A. (Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Gregg Turkington, Tim Heidecker) — En route to meeting with his estranged daughter, in an attempt to revive his dwindling career, a broken, aging comedian plays a string of dead-end shows in the Mojave Desert. Cast: Gregg Turkington, John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan, Michael Cera, Amy Seimetz, Lotte Verbeek. World Premiere
H. / U.S.A., Argentina (Directors and screenwriters: Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia) — Two women, each named Helen, find their lives spinning out of control after a meteor allegedly explodes over their city of Troy, New York. Cast: Robin Bartlett, Rebecca Dayan, Will Janowitz, Julian Gamble, Roger Robinson. World Premiere
James White / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Josh Mond) — A young New Yorker struggles to take control of his reckless, self-destructive behavior in the face of momentous family challenges. Cast: Chris Abbott, Cynthia Nixon, Scott Mescudi, Makenzie Leigh, David Call. World Premiere
Nasty Baby / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sebastian Silva) — A gay couple try to have a baby with the help of their best friend, Polly. The trio navigates the idea of creating life while confronted by unexpected harassment from a neighborhood man called The Bishop. As their clashes grow increasingly aggressive, odds are someone is getting hurt. Cast: Sebastian Silva, Tunde Adebimpe, Kristin Wiig, Reg E. Cathey, Mark Margolis, Denis O'Hare. World Premiere
The Strongest Man / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kenny Riches) — An anxiety-ridden Cuban man who fancies himself the strongest man in the world attempts to recover his most prized possession, a stolen bicycle. On his quest, he finds and loses much more. Cast: Robert Lorie, Paul Chamberlain, Ashly Burch, Patrick Fugit, Lisa Banes. World Premiere
" Take Me To The River " / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matt Sobel) — A naive California teen plans to remain above the fray at his Nebraskan family reunion, but a strange encounter places him at the center of a long-buried family secret.Cast: Logan Miller, Robin Weigert, Josh Hamilton, Richard Schiff, Ursula Parker, Azura Skye. World Premiere. Producer rep: Cinetic Media
Tangerine / U.S.A. (Director: Sean Baker, Screenwriters: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch) — A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart. Cast: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O'Hagan, Alla Tumanyan, James Ransone. World Premiere
Spotlight
Regardless of where these films have played throughout the world, the Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love.
6 Desires: Dh Lawrence and Sardinia / United Kingdom, Italy (Director: Mark Cousins) — In winter 1921, Dh Lawrence and his wife journeyed to Sardinia, and he chronicled their experiences in Sea and Sardinia. Now, Mark Cousins retraces Lawrence’s footsteps. The film is conceived partly as a letter to Lawrence — or “Bert” — a detail that’s typical of the film’s inviting sense of conversational intimacy.International Premiere
'71 / United Kingdom (Director: Yann Demange, Screenwriter: Gregory Burke) — ‘71 takes place over a single night in the life of a young British soldier accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971. Unable to tell friend from foe, he must survive the night alone and find his way to safety. Cast: Jack O'Connell, Paul Anderson, Richard Dormer, Sean Harris, Barry Keoghan, Martin McCann.
99 Homes / U.S.A. (Director: Ramin Bahrani, Screenwriters: Ramin Bahrani, Amir Naderi, Bahareh Azimi) — A father struggles to get back the home that his family was evicted from by working for the greedy real-estate broker who's the source of his frustration. Cast: Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern, Tim Guinee, Cullen Moss, J.D. Evermore.
Aloft / Spain, France, Canada (Director and screenwriter: Claudia Llosa) — Aloft tells the story of a struggling mother, Nana, and her evolution to becoming a renowned healer. When a young artist tracks down Nana's son 20 years after she abandoned him, she sets in motion an encounter between the two that will bring the meaning of their lives into question. Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, Mélanie Laurent, William Shimell. North American Premiere
Eden / France (Director: Mia Hansen-løve, Screenwriters: Mia Hansen-løve, Sven Hansen-løve) — Mia Hansen-løve's electronic-dance-music epic follows the rise and fall of a DJ (based on her brother, Sven, a contemporary of Daft Punk) who gets into the rave scene in 1994 and spends the next 20 years navigating the French club scene. Cast: Félix de Givry, Pauline Etienne, Greta Gerwig, Brady Corbet, Arsinee Khanjian, Vincent Macaigne.
Girlhood / France (Director and screenwriter: Céline Sciamma) — Oppressed by her family, dead-end school prospects, and the boys law in the neighborhood, Marieme starts a new life after meeting a group of free-spirited girls. She changes her name and dress, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping to find a way to freedom. Cast: Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré, Idrissa Diabaté, Simina Soumaré.
The Tribe / Ukraine (Director and screenwriter: Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy) — Set at a Ukrainian boarding school for the deaf, the film’s narrative unfolds purely through sign language without the need for employing subtitles or voiceover, resulting in a unique, never-before-seen cinematic experience that engages the audience on a new level. Cast: Grigoriy Fesenko, Yana Novikova, Rosa Babiy, Alexander Dsiadevich.
White God / Hungary (Director: Kornél Mundruczó, Screenwriters: Kata Wéber, Kornél Mundruczó, Viktória Petrányi) — When young Lili is forced to give up her beloved dog, Hagen, because its mixed-breed heritage is deemed “unfit” by The State, she and the dog begin a dangerous journey back toward each other. Cast: Zsófia Psotta, Sandor Zsótér, Szabolcs Thuróczy, Lili Monori, László Gálffi, Lili Horváth. U.S. Premiere
Wild Tales / Argentina, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Damián Szifrón) — Inequality, injustice, and the demands of the world cause stress and depression for many people. Some of them, however, explode. This is a movie about those people. Vulnerable in the face of an unpredictable reality, the characters of Wild Tales cross the thin line dividing civilization and barbarism. Cast: Ricardo Darín, Julieta Zyberberg, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Darío Grandinetti, Erica Rivas, Oscar Martínez.
Park City At Midnight
From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake.
Cop Car / U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) — Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim. World Premiere
The Hallow / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Corin Hardy, Screenwriters: Corin Hardy, Felipe Marino) — When a London-based conservationist is sent to Ireland to survey an area of ancient forest believed by the superstitious locals to be hallowed ground, he unwittingly disturbs a horde of terrifying beings and must fight to protect his family. Cast: Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, Michael Smiley. World Premiere
Hellions / Canada (Director: Bruce McDonald, Screenwriter: Pascal Trottier) — Teenage Dora Vogel must survive a Halloween night from hell when malevolent trick-or-treaters come knocking at her door. Cast: Chloe Rose, Robert Patrick, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter DaCunha, Luke Bilyk. World Premiere
It Follows / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Robert Mitchell) — After a strange sexual encounter, a teenager finds herself haunted by nightmarish visions and the inescapable sense that something is after her. Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe.
Knock Knock / U.S.A. (Director: Eli Roth, Screenwriters: Eli Roth, Nicolas Lopez, Guillermo Amoedo) — Two beautiful young girls walk into a married man's life and turn a wild fantasy into his worst nightmare. Cast: Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana De Armas, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, Colleen Camp. World Premiere
The Nightmare / U.S.A. (Director: Rodney Ascher) — A documentary-horror film exploring the phenomenon of sleep paralysis through the eyes of eight people. They (and a surprisingly large number of others) often find themselves trapped between the sleeping and awake realms, unable to move but aware of their surroundings while subject to disturbing sights and sounds. World Premiere
Reversal / U.S.A. (Director: J.M Cravioto, Screenwriters: Rock Shaink, Keith Kjornes) — A gritty psychological thriller about a young woman chained in a basement of a sexual predator and manages to escape. However, right when she has a chance for freedom, she unravels a hard truth and decides to turn the tables on her captor. Cast: Tina Ivlev, Richard Tyson, Bianca Malinowski. World Premiere
Turbo Kid / Canada, New Zealand (Directors: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell, Screenwriters: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell) — In a post-apocalyptic future, The Kid, an orphaned outcast, meets a mysterious girl. They become friends until Zeus, the sadistic leader of the Wasteland, kidnaps her. The Kid must face his fears, and journey to rid the Wasteland of evil and save the girl. Cast: Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Michael Ironside, Aaron Jeffery, Edwin Wright. World Premiere
New Frontier Films
The Forbidden Room / Canada (Directors: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Screenwriters: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Robert Kotyk) — A submarine crew, a feared pack of forest bandits, a famous surgeon, and a battalion of child soldiers all get more than they bargained for as they wend their way toward progressive ideas on life and love. Cast: Geraldine Chaplin, Caroline Dhavernas, Roy Dupuis, Udo Kier, Charlotte Rampling, Karine Vanasse. World Premiere
Liveforever / Colombia, Mexico (Director: Carlos Moreno, Screenwriters: Alberto Ferreras, Alonso Torres, Carlos Moreno) — Driven by the music and dancing she finds along the way, a teenager leaves home willing to try anything her provocative and tolerant city has to offer, even if she burns out in the process. Inspired by the best-selling novel "Que viva la música" by Andres Caicedo. Cast: Paulina Davila, Alejandra Avila, Luis Arrieta, Juan Pablo Barragan, Nelson Camayo, Christian Tappan. World Premiere
The Royal Road / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jenni Olson) — This cinematic essay, a defense of remembering, offers up a primer on the Spanish colonization of California and the Mexican American War alongside intimate reflections on nostalgia, butch identity and Alfred Hitchcock'sVertigo — all against a contemplative backdrop of 16mm urban California landscapes. Cast: Jenni Olson, Tony Kushner. World Premiere
Sam Klemke's Time Machine / Australia (Director: Matthew Bate) — Sam Klemke has filmed and narrated 50 years of his life, creating a strange and intimate portrait of what it means to be human. World Premiere
Station to Station / U.S.A. (Director: Doug Aitken) — Station to Station is composed of 60 individual one-minute films featuring different artists, musicians, places, and perspectives. This revolutionary feature-length film reveals a larger narrative about modern creativity. World Premiere
Things of the Aimless Wanderer / Rwanda, United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Kivu Ruhorahoza) — A white man meets a black girl, then she disappears. The white man tries to understand what happened to her while also trying to finish a travelogue. Things of the Aimless Wanderer is a film about the sensitive topic of relations between “locals” and Westerners, about paranoia, mistrust, and misunderstandings. Cast: Justin Mullikin, Grace Nikuze, Ramadhan Bizimana, Eliane Umuhire, Wesley Ruzibiza, Matt Ray Brown. World Premiere
New Frontier Installations
1979 Revolution Game
Artists: Navid Khonsari, Vassiliki Khonsari
1979 Revolution Game presents an innovative approach to non-fiction storytelling. Designed to engage players with an immersive "on the ground" experience of the Iranian Revolution, the game integrates an emotionally impactful narrative with interactive moral choices and intuitive touchscreen gameplay while remaining true to history.
Assent
Artist: Oscar Raby
This immersive documentary uses virtual reality technology to put the user in the footsteps of Director Oscar Raby's father, who in 1973 was a 22-year-old army officer stationed in the north of Chile, on the day when the Caravan of Death came to his regiment.
Birdly
Artist: Max Rheiner
Flying is one of the oldest dreams of humankind. Birdly is an experiment to capture this dream, to simulate the experience of being a bird from a first-person perspective. This embodiment is conducted through a full-body virtual reality setup.
Dérive
Artist: François Quévillon
This interactive installation uses the audience’s body motions and positions to explore 3-D reconstructions of urban and natural spaces that are transformed according to live environmental data, including meteorological and astronomical phenomena.
Evolution of Verse
Artist: Chris Milk
Chris Milk, working with visual effects powerhouse Digital Domain and virtual reality production company Vrse.works, has created this photo-realistic CGI-rendered 3-D virtual reality film that takes the viewer on a journey from beginning to new beginning.
Kaiju Fury!
Artist: Ian Hunter
A dark energy experiment leads to a devastating attack by monstrous Kaiju, and you are standing at ground zero — all in 360-degree, stereoscopic 3-D cinematic virtual reality. You will "be there" as the beasts lay waste to a crumbling city and humanity makes its last stand. Cast: Susie Abromeit, Bill Lippincott, Daniel Martin, Brian Dodge, Vincient Chiantelli.
Paradise
Artist: Pleix
Paradise is certainly not paradisiacal if you look at it through our eyes. But neither is it totally devoid of humor, melancholy and absurdity. Perhaps it is first and foremost life as it is, and then a touch exaggerated in the digital overdrive.
Perspective; Chapter I: The Party
Artists: Rose Troche, Morris May
A young college woman attends a party with the intention of shedding her "shy girl" persona. At the same party, a young man is after a similar reinvention. They meet, drink, and misinterpreted signals turn into things that cannot be undone. Virtual reality simulators let viewers experience both characters. Cast: Tabitha Morella, Caleb Thomas, Zachary Zagoria, Anna Grace Barlow.
Possibilia
Artists: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
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The programmers at Sundance do not have a strict formal assignment of areas they program; they see all the films of all the sections, but like his father, international was always of great interest. The same is true for myself, although out of the 118 feature films selected out of 4,105 feature length submissions, many of the U.S. films look great to me as well. For instance, I am so happy that Matt Sobel’s “ Take Me To The River ” which won the prize at Us in Progress this past November in Wroclaw, Poland at The American Film Festival is in the Next section.
John: This year on Day One, January 22, 2015, the Festival will feature one of each type of film shown at the Festival: one shorts program, a U.S. documentary, a U.S. dramatic, an international documentary and an international dramatic which will be the first ever Lithuanian film in Competition, a lesbian love story that is stylish and smartly directed by Alanté Kavaïté with two fantastic actors, Julija Steponaitytė and Aistė Diržiūtė. Actually " The Summer of Sangaile” is a coproduction of Lithuania, France, and Holland . I think Alanté lives in France.
There ares 29 countries represented and 45 first-time filmmakers.
Sydney: I know the Chileans love Sundance. Last year Alejandro Fernández Almendras said in our interview about “To Kill a Man” that Sundance is very important for Chile. I am also a longtime fan of Sebastian Silva since “The Maid”. Two years ago he had two films, “Crystal Fairy” and “Magic, Magic” in Sundance, so why is this Chilean film not in World Competition but in Next?
John: I’m glad Alejandro said that. Yes we like Chile too. They make many good films. But “Nasty Baby” by Sebastian Silva is a U.S. film, about people living in Brooklyn.
He lives in U.S. and has spent a lot of time here. He knows Brooklyn and yet his curiosity and his view of it is that of an outsider. He knows these people because he watches and listens so well. “
Sydney: “Bridesmaids” star and co-writer Kristen Wiig stars. A short promo of “Nasty Baby” was shown to buyers while it was in post-production in Cannes and Toronto. The Chilean production company of Juan de Dios Larrain and Pablo Larrain, Fabula, produced “No” as well as Sebastian’s later films. Papi Boye and Violaine Pichon’s production and international sales agent Versatile out of France along with the film’s international sales agent Funny Balloons — also based in France – helped finance this U.S. Production.
John: World Cinema is now 10 years old. Overall, the Competition sections have evolved over the years. We have a sense of emerging directors here. We have come of age.
All our films are of emerging filmmakers. Either first time directors or highly anticipated second or third features. Of all the festivals worldwide, Sundance has the strongest program of emerging talent. Watch these filmmakers over the next years. Like “Homesick” by Anna Sewitsky. Her previous film “Happy, Happy” showed at Sundance in 2011 and took the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema. “Happy, Happy” also became the Norwegian Official entry for the Academy Awards® .
Sydney: TrustNordisk sold “Happy, Happy” to more than 50 countries, so they must be poised to sell this one as well.
John: But not all the second and third films are from filmmakers whose first films were at Sundance, although Canada’s “ Chorus” director Francois Delisle showed “The Meteor” at Sundance two years ago.
And “Glassland”, was a very anticipated second film. The first film by director and screenwriter, Gerard Barrett, "Pilgrim Hill” won the Galway Film Festival and was very sought after and was signed with a U.S. agent then. “Sangaile" is also a second feature.
Look at the international films in the Premieres section and you will see some international filmmakers there, like “ Brooklyn” which is an immigrant story directed by John Crowley and written by Nick Hornby whose film “Wild” is now playing .
Sydney: I see from IMDbPro that Hanway has already sold Middle Eastern rights to Front Row Entertainment who must have pre-bought “Brooklyn” in Cannes or Toronto.
John: Of the 12 films in World Cinema the less expected films come from Turkey, “Ivy” by the talented director Tolga Karacelik. This is his second film. His first was “Toll Booth” which Global Initiative distributed in the U.S. The Dp on this was Nuri Bilge Ceylan (“Winter’s Sleep”)’s Dp on “Winter’s Sleep”, Gökhan Tiryaki. It is about guys stuck on a freighter whose company goes bankrupt. Power dynamics play out.
Sydney: Have there been Oscar nominated films in Sundance (Aside from “Whiplash” and “Boyhood”)?
John: Yes, “Man on Wire” was not last year but it was foreign. “Ida” was in Spotlight last year and maybe Sundance increased its visibility. Three others were in Sundance last year:
“To Kill a Man” is Chile’s submission, “Difret” which won the Audience Award is Ethiopia’s submission this year and “Liar’s Dice” from India was in World Competition last year. It is a very artful film. We knew it would do well with the critics, but it did extremely well with the audience too. A couple of films in Spotlight will probably be nominated next year. Watch for them.
Sydney : We haven’t even discussed the World documentaries.
John : Are there any that stand out for you?
Sydney: Yes, “Chuck Norris vs. Communism”, from U.K., Romania and Germany. Chuck Norris?
John: How interesting it is that something like Chuck Norris means something very different to others. It is a sign of cultural differences between us. Chuck Norris shows how independent films built a community of counter culture against an authoritarian government.
Sydney: I also notice that there are six docs from the U.K. Out of 12 films.
John: Yes we noticed and discussed that. U.K. really supports documentary filmmaking. Great work is coming out of the U.K. And many of the films are about different countries, so it doesn’t fit so simply into a U.K. pigeon hole.
Sydney : Yes I see “Chuck Norris” is about Romania, “Dreamcatcher” is about teenage prostitution, “How to Change the World” is about Greenpeace, “Listen to Me Marlon” is about a famous U.S. actor, “The Russian Woodpecker” is about a Ukrainian survivor of Chernobyl.
Thank you John for your insights. I think we have a lot to look at here. Thank you for taking this time to talk with me. See you at Sundance!
For a full list thus far of Sundance films, see below.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Advantageous / U.S.A. (Director: Jennifer Phang, Screenwriters: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang) — In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy, despite the instability surfacing in their world. Cast: Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Kim.
The Bronze / U.S.A. (Director: Bryan Buckley, Screenwriters: Melissa Rauch, Winston Rauch) — In 2004, Hope Ann Greggory became an American hero after winning the bronze medal for the women's gymnastics team. Today, she's still living in her small hometown, washed-up and embittered. Stuck in the past, Hope must reassess her life when a promising young gymnast threatens her local celebrity status.Cast: Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole, Thomas Middleditch, Sebastian Stan, Haley Lu Richardson, Cecily Strong. Day One Film
The D Train / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Jarrad Paul, Andrew Mogel) — With his 20th reunion looming, Dan can’t shake his high school insecurities. In a misguided mission to prove he's changed, Dan rekindles a friendship with the popular guy from his class and is left scrambling to protect more than just his reputation when a wild night takes an unexpected turn. Cast: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike White, Kyle Bornheimer.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Marielle Heller) — Minnie Goetze is a 15-year-old aspiring comic-book artist, coming of age in the haze of the 1970s in San Francisco. Insatiably curious about the world around her, Minnie is a pretty typical teenage girl. Oh, except that she's sleeping with her mother's boyfriend. Cast: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Christopher Meloni, Kristen Wiig.
Dope / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa) — Malcolm is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the Sat. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself. Cast: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, A$AP Rocky.
I Smile Back / U.S.A. (Director: Adam Salky, Screenwriters: Amy Koppelman, Paige Dylan) — All is not right in suburbia. Laney Brooks, a wife and mother on the edge, has stopped taking her meds, substituting recreational drugs and the wrong men. With the destruction of her family looming, Laney makes a last, desperate attempt at redemption. Cast: Sarah Silverman, Josh Charles, Thomas Sadoski, Mia Barron, Terry Kinney, Chris Sarandon.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl / U.S.A. (Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Screenwriter: Jesse Andrews) — Greg is coasting through senior year of high school as anonymously as possible, avoiding social interactions like the plague while secretly making spirited, bizarre films with Earl, his only friend. But both his anonymity and friendship threaten to unravel when his mother forces him to befriend a classmate with leukemia. Cast: Thomas Mann, Rj Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon.
The Overnight / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Patrick Brice) — Alex, Emily, and their son, Rj, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte, and Max. A family "playdate" becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on. Cast: Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godrèche.
People, Places, Things / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: James C. Strouse) — Will Henry is a newly single graphic novelist balancing being a parent to his young twin daughters and teaching a classroom full of college students, all the while trying to navigate the rich complexities of new love and letting go of the woman who left him. Cast: Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Stephanie Allynne, Jessica Williams, Gia Gadsby, Aundrea Gadsby.
Results / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski) — Two mismatched personal trainers' lives are upended by the actions of a new, wealthy client. Cast: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker.
Songs My Brothers Taught Me / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Chloé Zhao) — This complex portrait of modern-day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation explores the bond between a brother and his younger sister, who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home. Cast: John Reddy, Jashaun St. John, Irene Bedard, Taysha Fuller, Travis Lone Hill, Eléonore Hendricks.
The Stanford Prison Experiment / U.S.A. (Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Screenwriter: Tim Talbott) — This film is based on the actual events that took place in 1971 when Stanford professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo created what became one of the most shocking and famous social experiments of all time. Cast: Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, Tye Sheridan, Johnny Simmons, Olivia Thirlby.
Stockholm, Pennsylvania / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nikole Beckwith) — A young woman is returned home to her biological parents after living with her abductor for 17 years. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Cynthia Nixon, Jason Isaacs, David Warshofsky.
Unexpected / U.S.A. (Director: Kris Swanberg, Screenwriters: Kris Swanberg, Megan Mercier) — When Samantha Abbott begins her final semester teaching science at a Chicago high school, she faces some unexpected news: she's pregnant. Soon after, Samantha learns that one of her favorite students, Jasmine, has landed in a similar situation. Unexpected follows the two women as they embark on an unlikely friendship. Cast: Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, Elizabeth McGovern.
The Witch / U.S.A., Canada (Director and screenwriter: Robert Eggers) — New England in the 1630s: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassable wilderness. When their newborn son vanishes and crops fail, the family turns on one another. Beyond their worst fears, a supernatural evil lurks in the nearby wood. Cast: Anya Taylor Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Lucas Dawson, Ellie Grainger.
Z for Zachariah / U.S.A. (Director: Craig Zobel, Screenwriter: Nissar Modi) — In a post-apocalyptic world, a young woman who believes she is the last human on Earth meets a dying scientist searching for survivors. Their relationship becomes tenuous when another survivor appears. As the two men compete for the woman's affection, their primal urges begin to reveal their true nature. Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine.
U.S. Documentary Competition
Sixteen world-premiere American documentaries that illuminate the ideas, people, and events that shape the present day.
3½ Minutes / U.S.A. (Director: Marc Silver) — On November 23, 2012, unarmed 17-year-old Jordan Russell Davis was shot at a Jacksonville gas station by Michael David Dunn. 3½ Minutes explores the aftermath of Jordan's tragic death, the latent and often unseen effects of racism, and the contradictions of the American criminal justice system.
Being Evel / U.S.A. (Director: Daniel Junge) — An unprecedented, candid portrait of American icon Robert "Evel" Knievel and his legacy.
Best of Enemies / U.S.A. (Directors: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon) — Best of Enemies is a behind-the-scenes account of the explosive 1968 televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and their rancorous disagreements about politics, God, and sex.
Call Me Lucky / U.S.A. (Director: Bobcat Goldthwait) — Barry Crimmins was a volatile but brilliant bar comic who became an honored peace activist and influential political satirist. Famous comedians and others build a picture of a man who underwent an incredible transformation.
Cartel Land / U.S.A., Mexico (Director: Matthew Heineman) — In this classic Western set in the 21st century, vigilantes on both sides of the border fight the vicious Mexican drug cartels. With unprecedented access, this character-driven film provokes deep questions about lawlessness, the breakdown of order, and whether citizens should fight violence with violence.
City of Gold / U.S.A. (Director: Laura Gabbert) — Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jonathan Gold casts his light upon a vibrant and growing cultural movement in which he plays the dual roles of high-low priest and culinary geographer of his beloved Los Angeles.
Finders Keepers / U.S.A. (Directors: Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel) — Recovering addict and amputee John Wood finds himself in a stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction and believes it to therefore be his rightful property.
Hot Girls Wanted / U.S.A. (Directors: Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus) — Hot Girls Wanted is a first-ever look at the realities inside the world of the amateur porn industry and the steady stream of 18- and 19-year-old girls entering into it.
How to Dance in Ohio / U.S.A. (Director: Alexandra Shiva) — In Columbus, Ohio, a group of teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum prepare for an iconic American rite of passage — a spring formal. They spend 12 weeks practicing their social skills at a local nightclub in preparation for the dance.
Larry Kramer in Love and Anger / U.S.A. (Director: Jean Carlomusto) — Author, activist, and playwright Larry Kramer is one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary gay America, a political firebrand who gave voice to the outrage and grief that inspired gay men and lesbians to fight for their lives. At 78, this complicated man still commands our attention.
Meru / U.S.A. (Directors: Jimmy Chin, E. Chai Vasarhelyi) — Three elite mountain climbers sacrifice everything but their friendship as they struggle through heartbreaking loss and nature’s harshest elements to attempt the never-before-completed Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru, the most coveted first ascent in the dangerous game of Himalayan big wall climbing.
Racing Extinction / U.S.A. (Director: Louie Psihoyos) — Academy Award-winner Louie Psihoyos (The Cove) assembles a unique team to show the world never-before-seen images that expose issues surrounding endangered species and mass extinction. Whether infiltrating notorious black markets or exploring humans' effect on the environment, Racing Extinction will change the way you see the world.
(T)Error / U.S.A. (Directors: Lyric R. Cabral, David Felix Sutcliffe) — (T)Error is the first film to document on camera a covert counterterrorism sting as it unfolds. Through the perspective of *******, a 63-year-old Black revolutionary turned FBI informant, viewers are given an unprecedented glimpse of the government’s counterterrorism tactics, and the murky justifications behind them.
Welcome to Leith / U.S.A. (Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker) — A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota.
Western / U.S.A., Mexico (Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross) — For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life. Western portrays timeless American figures in the grip of unforgiving change.
The Wolfpack / U.S.A. (Director: Crystal Moselle) — Six bright teenage brothers have spent their entire lives locked away from society in a Manhattan housing project. All they know of the outside is gleaned from the movies they watch obsessively (and recreate meticulously). Yet as adolescence looms, they dream of escape, ever more urgently, into the beckoning world.
World Cinema Dramatic Competition
Twelve films from emerging filmmaking talents around the world offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.
Chlorine / Italy (Director: Lamberto Sanfelice, Screenwriters: Lamberto Sanfelice, Elisa Amoruso) — Jenny, 17, dreams of becoming a synchronized swimmer. Family events turn her life upside down and she is forced move to a remote area to look after her ill father and younger brother. It won't be long before Jenny starts pursuing her dreams again. Cast: Sara Serraiocco, Ivan Franek, Giorgio Colangeli, Anatol Sassi, Piera Degli Esposti, Andrea Vergoni. World Premiere
Chorus / Canada (Director and screenwriter: François Delisle) — A separated couple meet again after 10 years when the body of their missing son is found. Amid the guilt of losing a loved one, they hesitantly move toward affirmation of life, acceptance of death, and even the possibility of reconciliation. Cast: Sébastien Ricard, Fanny Mallette, Pierre Curzi, Genevieve Bujold. World Premiere
Glassland / Ireland (Director and screenwriter: Gerard Barrett) — In a desperate attempt to reunite his broken family, a young taxi driver becomes entangled in the criminal underworld. Cast: Jack Reynor, Toni Collette, Will Poulter, Michael Smiley. International Premiere
Homesick / Norway (Director: Anne Sewitsky, Screenwriters: Ragnhild Tronvoll, Anne Sewitsky) — When Charlotte, 27, meets her brother Henrik, 35, for the first time, two people who don't know what a normal family is begin an encounter without boundaries. How does sibling love manifest itself if you have never experienced it before?Cast: Ine Marie Wilmann, Simon J. Berger, Anneke von der Lippe, Silje Storstein, Oddgeir Thune, Kari Onstad. World Premiere. Isa: TrustNordisk
Ivy / Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Tolga Karaçelik) — Sarmasik is sailing to Egypt when the ship's owner goes bankrupt. The crew learns there is a lien on the ship, and key crew members must stay on board. Ivy is the story of these six men trapped on the ship for days. Cast: Nadir Sarıbacak, Özgür Emre Yıldırım, Hakan Karsak, Kadir Çermik, Osman Alkaş, Seyithan Özdemiroğlu. World Premiere
Partisan / Australia (Director: Ariel Kleiman, Screenwriters: Ariel Kleiman, Sarah Cyngler) — Alexander is like any other kid: playful, curious and naive. He is also a trained assassin. Raised in a hidden paradise, Alexander has grown up seeing the world filtered through his father, Gregori. As Alexander begins to think for himself, creeping fears take shape, and Gregori's idyllic world unravels. Cast: Vincent Cassel, Jeremy Chabriel, Florence Mezzara. World Premiere
Princess / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Tali Shalom Ezer) — While her mother is away from home, 12-year-old Adar’s role-playing games with her stepfather move into dangerous territory. Seeking an escape, Adar finds Alan, an ethereal boy that accompanies her on a dark journey between reality and fantasy. Cast: Keren Mor, Shira Haas, Ori Pfeffer, Adar Zohar Hanetz. International Premiere
The Second Mother / Brazil (Director and screenwriter: Anna Muylaert) — Having left her daughter, Jessica, to be raised by relatives in the north of Brazil, Val works as a loving nanny in São Paulo. When Jessica arrives for a visit 13 years later, she confronts her mother's slave-like attitude and everyone in the house is affected by her unexpected behavior. Cast: Regina Casé, Michel Joelsas, Camila Márdila, Karine Teles, Lourenço Mutarelli. World Premiere
Slow West / New Zealand (Director: John Maclean, Screenwriters: John Maclean, Michael Lesslie) — Set at the end of the nineteenth century, 16-year-old Jay Cavendish journeys across the American frontier in search of the woman he loves. He is joined by Silas, a mysterious traveler, and hotly pursued by an outlaw along the way. Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Rory McCann, Ben Mendelsohn, Brooke Williams, Caren Pistorius. World Premiere
Strangerland / Australia, Ireland (Director: Kim Farrant, Screenwriters: Fiona Seres, Michael Kinirons) — When Catherine and Matthew Parker's two teenage kids disappear into the remote Australian desert, the couple's relationship is pushed to the brink as they confront the mystery of their children's fate. Cast: Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes, Hugo Weaving, Lisa Flanagan, Meyne Wyatt, Maddison Brown. World Premiere
The Summer of Sangaile / Lithuania, France, Holland (Director and screenwriter: Alanté Kavaïté) — Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. She meets a girl her age at the summer aeronautical show, nearby her parents’ lakeside villa. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and in the process finds in her teenage love, the only person that truly encourages her to fly. Cast: Julija Steponaitytė, Aistė Diržiūtė. World Premiere. Isa: Films Distribution.
Umrika / India (Director and screenwriter: Prashant Nair) — When a young village boy discovers that his brother, long believed to be in America, has actually gone missing, he begins to invent letters on his behalf to save their mother from heartbreak, all the while searching for him. Cast: Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Smita Tambe, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang, Prateik Babbar. World Premiere
World Cinema Documentary Competition
Twelve documentaries by some of the most courageous and extraordinary international filmmakers working today.
The Amina Profile / Canada (Director: Sophie Deraspe) — During the Arab revolution, a love story between two women — a Canadian and a Syrian American — turns into an international sociopolitical thriller spotlighting media excesses and the thin line between truth and falsehood on the Internet. World Premiere
Censored Voices / Israel, Germany (Director: Mor Loushy) — One week after the 1967 Six-Day War, renowned author Amos Oz and editor Avraham Shapira recorded intimate conversations with soldiers returning from the battlefield. The Israeli army censored the recordings, allowing only a fragment of the conversations to be published. Censored Voices reveals these recordings for the first time. World Premiere
The Chinese Mayor / China (Director: Hao Zhou) — Mayor Geng Yanbo is determined to transform the coal-mining center of Datong, in China’s Shanxi province, into a tourism haven showcasing clean energy. In order to achieve that, however, he has to relocate 500,000 residences to make way for the restoration of the ancient city. World Premiere
Chuck Norris vs Communism / United Kingdom, Romania, Germany (Director: Ilinca Calugareanu) — In 1980s Romania, thousands of Western films smashed through the Iron Curtain, opening a window to the free world for those who dared to look. A black market VHS racketeer and courageous female translator brought the magic of film to the masses and sowed the seeds of a revolution. World Premiere. Producers Rep: UTA
Dark Horse / United Kingdom (Director: Louise Osmond) — Dark Horse is the inspirational true story of a group of friends from a workingman's club who decide to take on the elite "sport of kings" and breed themselves a racehorse. World Premiere
Dreamcatcher / United Kingdom (Director: Kim Longinotto) — Dreamcatcher takes us into a hidden world seen through the eyes of one of its survivors, Brenda Myers-Powell. A former teenage prostitute, Brenda defied the odds to become a powerful advocate for change in her community. With warmth and humor, Brenda gives hope to those who have none. World Premiere
How to Change the World / United Kingdom, Canada (Director: Jerry Rothwell) — In 1971, a group of friends sails into a nuclear test zone, and their protest captures the world’s imagination. Using rare, archival footage that brings their extraordinary world to life, How to Change the World is the story of the pioneers who founded Greenpeace and defined the modern green movement. World Premiere. Day One Film
Listen to Me Marlon / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stevan Riley, Co-writer: Peter Ettedgui) — With exclusive access to previously unheard audio archives, this is the definitive Marlon Brando cinema documentary. Charting his exceptional career and extraordinary life away from the stage and screen, the film fully explores the complexities of the man by telling the story uniquely in Marlon’s own voice. World Premiere
Pervert Park / Sweden, Denmark (Directors: Frida Barkfors, Lasse Barkfors) — Pervert Park follows the everyday lives of sex offenders in a Florida trailer park as they struggle to reintegrate into society, and try to understand who they are and how to break the cycle of sex crimes being committed. International Premiere
The Russian Woodpecker / United Kingdom (Director: Chad Gracia) — A Ukrainian victim of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster discovers a dark secret and must decide whether to risk his life by revealing it, amid growing clouds of revolution and war. World Premiere
Sembene! / U.S.A., Senegal (Directors: Samba Gadjigo, Jason Silverman) — In 1952, Ousmane Sembene, a Senegalese dockworker and fifth-grade dropout, began dreaming an impossible dream: to become the storyteller for a new Africa. This true story celebrates how the “father of African cinema,” against enormous odds, fought a monumental, 50-year-long battle to give Africans a voice. World Premiere
The Visit / Denmark, Austria, Ireland, Finland, Norway (Director: Michael Madsen) — “This film documents an event that has never taken place…” With unprecedented access to the United Nations' Office for Outer Space Affairs, leading space scientists and space agencies, The Visit explores humans' first encounter with alien intelligent life and thereby humanity itself. "Our scenario begins with the arrival. Your arrival." World Premiere
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Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this program. Digital technology paired with unfettered creativity promises that the films in this section will shape a “greater” next wave in American cinema. Presented by Adobe.
Bob and the Trees / U.S.A., France (Director: Diego Ongaro, Screenwriters: Diego Ongaro, Courtney Maum, Sasha Statman-Weil) — Bob, a 50-year-old logger in rural Massachusetts with a soft spot for golf and gangsta rap, is struggling to make ends meet in a changed economy. When his beloved cow is wounded and a job goes awry, Bob begins to heed the instincts of his ever-darkening self. Cast: Bob Tarasuk, Matt Gallagher, Polly MacIntyre, Winthrop Barrett, Nathaniel Gregory. World Premiere
Christmas, Again / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Charles Poekel) — A heartbroken Christmas tree salesman returns to New York, hoping to put the past year behind him. He spends the season living in a trailer and working the night shift, until a mysterious woman and some colorful customers rescue him from self-destruction. Cast: Kentucker Audley, Hannah Gross, Jason Shelton, Oona Roche. North American Premiere
Cronies / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Larnell) — Twenty-two-year-old Louis doesn’t know whether his childhood friendship with Jack will last beyond today. Cast: George Sample III, Zurich Buckner, Brian Kowalski. World Premiere
Entertainment / U.S.A. (Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Gregg Turkington, Tim Heidecker) — En route to meeting with his estranged daughter, in an attempt to revive his dwindling career, a broken, aging comedian plays a string of dead-end shows in the Mojave Desert. Cast: Gregg Turkington, John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan, Michael Cera, Amy Seimetz, Lotte Verbeek. World Premiere
H. / U.S.A., Argentina (Directors and screenwriters: Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia) — Two women, each named Helen, find their lives spinning out of control after a meteor allegedly explodes over their city of Troy, New York. Cast: Robin Bartlett, Rebecca Dayan, Will Janowitz, Julian Gamble, Roger Robinson. World Premiere
James White / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Josh Mond) — A young New Yorker struggles to take control of his reckless, self-destructive behavior in the face of momentous family challenges. Cast: Chris Abbott, Cynthia Nixon, Scott Mescudi, Makenzie Leigh, David Call. World Premiere
Nasty Baby / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sebastian Silva) — A gay couple try to have a baby with the help of their best friend, Polly. The trio navigates the idea of creating life while confronted by unexpected harassment from a neighborhood man called The Bishop. As their clashes grow increasingly aggressive, odds are someone is getting hurt. Cast: Sebastian Silva, Tunde Adebimpe, Kristin Wiig, Reg E. Cathey, Mark Margolis, Denis O'Hare. World Premiere
The Strongest Man / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kenny Riches) — An anxiety-ridden Cuban man who fancies himself the strongest man in the world attempts to recover his most prized possession, a stolen bicycle. On his quest, he finds and loses much more. Cast: Robert Lorie, Paul Chamberlain, Ashly Burch, Patrick Fugit, Lisa Banes. World Premiere
" Take Me To The River " / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matt Sobel) — A naive California teen plans to remain above the fray at his Nebraskan family reunion, but a strange encounter places him at the center of a long-buried family secret.Cast: Logan Miller, Robin Weigert, Josh Hamilton, Richard Schiff, Ursula Parker, Azura Skye. World Premiere. Producer rep: Cinetic Media
Tangerine / U.S.A. (Director: Sean Baker, Screenwriters: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch) — A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart. Cast: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O'Hagan, Alla Tumanyan, James Ransone. World Premiere
Spotlight
Regardless of where these films have played throughout the world, the Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love.
6 Desires: Dh Lawrence and Sardinia / United Kingdom, Italy (Director: Mark Cousins) — In winter 1921, Dh Lawrence and his wife journeyed to Sardinia, and he chronicled their experiences in Sea and Sardinia. Now, Mark Cousins retraces Lawrence’s footsteps. The film is conceived partly as a letter to Lawrence — or “Bert” — a detail that’s typical of the film’s inviting sense of conversational intimacy.International Premiere
'71 / United Kingdom (Director: Yann Demange, Screenwriter: Gregory Burke) — ‘71 takes place over a single night in the life of a young British soldier accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971. Unable to tell friend from foe, he must survive the night alone and find his way to safety. Cast: Jack O'Connell, Paul Anderson, Richard Dormer, Sean Harris, Barry Keoghan, Martin McCann.
99 Homes / U.S.A. (Director: Ramin Bahrani, Screenwriters: Ramin Bahrani, Amir Naderi, Bahareh Azimi) — A father struggles to get back the home that his family was evicted from by working for the greedy real-estate broker who's the source of his frustration. Cast: Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern, Tim Guinee, Cullen Moss, J.D. Evermore.
Aloft / Spain, France, Canada (Director and screenwriter: Claudia Llosa) — Aloft tells the story of a struggling mother, Nana, and her evolution to becoming a renowned healer. When a young artist tracks down Nana's son 20 years after she abandoned him, she sets in motion an encounter between the two that will bring the meaning of their lives into question. Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, Mélanie Laurent, William Shimell. North American Premiere
Eden / France (Director: Mia Hansen-løve, Screenwriters: Mia Hansen-løve, Sven Hansen-løve) — Mia Hansen-løve's electronic-dance-music epic follows the rise and fall of a DJ (based on her brother, Sven, a contemporary of Daft Punk) who gets into the rave scene in 1994 and spends the next 20 years navigating the French club scene. Cast: Félix de Givry, Pauline Etienne, Greta Gerwig, Brady Corbet, Arsinee Khanjian, Vincent Macaigne.
Girlhood / France (Director and screenwriter: Céline Sciamma) — Oppressed by her family, dead-end school prospects, and the boys law in the neighborhood, Marieme starts a new life after meeting a group of free-spirited girls. She changes her name and dress, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping to find a way to freedom. Cast: Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré, Idrissa Diabaté, Simina Soumaré.
The Tribe / Ukraine (Director and screenwriter: Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy) — Set at a Ukrainian boarding school for the deaf, the film’s narrative unfolds purely through sign language without the need for employing subtitles or voiceover, resulting in a unique, never-before-seen cinematic experience that engages the audience on a new level. Cast: Grigoriy Fesenko, Yana Novikova, Rosa Babiy, Alexander Dsiadevich.
White God / Hungary (Director: Kornél Mundruczó, Screenwriters: Kata Wéber, Kornél Mundruczó, Viktória Petrányi) — When young Lili is forced to give up her beloved dog, Hagen, because its mixed-breed heritage is deemed “unfit” by The State, she and the dog begin a dangerous journey back toward each other. Cast: Zsófia Psotta, Sandor Zsótér, Szabolcs Thuróczy, Lili Monori, László Gálffi, Lili Horváth. U.S. Premiere
Wild Tales / Argentina, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Damián Szifrón) — Inequality, injustice, and the demands of the world cause stress and depression for many people. Some of them, however, explode. This is a movie about those people. Vulnerable in the face of an unpredictable reality, the characters of Wild Tales cross the thin line dividing civilization and barbarism. Cast: Ricardo Darín, Julieta Zyberberg, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Darío Grandinetti, Erica Rivas, Oscar Martínez.
Park City At Midnight
From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake.
Cop Car / U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) — Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim. World Premiere
The Hallow / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Corin Hardy, Screenwriters: Corin Hardy, Felipe Marino) — When a London-based conservationist is sent to Ireland to survey an area of ancient forest believed by the superstitious locals to be hallowed ground, he unwittingly disturbs a horde of terrifying beings and must fight to protect his family. Cast: Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, Michael Smiley. World Premiere
Hellions / Canada (Director: Bruce McDonald, Screenwriter: Pascal Trottier) — Teenage Dora Vogel must survive a Halloween night from hell when malevolent trick-or-treaters come knocking at her door. Cast: Chloe Rose, Robert Patrick, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter DaCunha, Luke Bilyk. World Premiere
It Follows / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Robert Mitchell) — After a strange sexual encounter, a teenager finds herself haunted by nightmarish visions and the inescapable sense that something is after her. Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe.
Knock Knock / U.S.A. (Director: Eli Roth, Screenwriters: Eli Roth, Nicolas Lopez, Guillermo Amoedo) — Two beautiful young girls walk into a married man's life and turn a wild fantasy into his worst nightmare. Cast: Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana De Armas, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, Colleen Camp. World Premiere
The Nightmare / U.S.A. (Director: Rodney Ascher) — A documentary-horror film exploring the phenomenon of sleep paralysis through the eyes of eight people. They (and a surprisingly large number of others) often find themselves trapped between the sleeping and awake realms, unable to move but aware of their surroundings while subject to disturbing sights and sounds. World Premiere
Reversal / U.S.A. (Director: J.M Cravioto, Screenwriters: Rock Shaink, Keith Kjornes) — A gritty psychological thriller about a young woman chained in a basement of a sexual predator and manages to escape. However, right when she has a chance for freedom, she unravels a hard truth and decides to turn the tables on her captor. Cast: Tina Ivlev, Richard Tyson, Bianca Malinowski. World Premiere
Turbo Kid / Canada, New Zealand (Directors: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell, Screenwriters: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell) — In a post-apocalyptic future, The Kid, an orphaned outcast, meets a mysterious girl. They become friends until Zeus, the sadistic leader of the Wasteland, kidnaps her. The Kid must face his fears, and journey to rid the Wasteland of evil and save the girl. Cast: Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Michael Ironside, Aaron Jeffery, Edwin Wright. World Premiere
New Frontier Films
The Forbidden Room / Canada (Directors: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Screenwriters: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Robert Kotyk) — A submarine crew, a feared pack of forest bandits, a famous surgeon, and a battalion of child soldiers all get more than they bargained for as they wend their way toward progressive ideas on life and love. Cast: Geraldine Chaplin, Caroline Dhavernas, Roy Dupuis, Udo Kier, Charlotte Rampling, Karine Vanasse. World Premiere
Liveforever / Colombia, Mexico (Director: Carlos Moreno, Screenwriters: Alberto Ferreras, Alonso Torres, Carlos Moreno) — Driven by the music and dancing she finds along the way, a teenager leaves home willing to try anything her provocative and tolerant city has to offer, even if she burns out in the process. Inspired by the best-selling novel "Que viva la música" by Andres Caicedo. Cast: Paulina Davila, Alejandra Avila, Luis Arrieta, Juan Pablo Barragan, Nelson Camayo, Christian Tappan. World Premiere
The Royal Road / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jenni Olson) — This cinematic essay, a defense of remembering, offers up a primer on the Spanish colonization of California and the Mexican American War alongside intimate reflections on nostalgia, butch identity and Alfred Hitchcock'sVertigo — all against a contemplative backdrop of 16mm urban California landscapes. Cast: Jenni Olson, Tony Kushner. World Premiere
Sam Klemke's Time Machine / Australia (Director: Matthew Bate) — Sam Klemke has filmed and narrated 50 years of his life, creating a strange and intimate portrait of what it means to be human. World Premiere
Station to Station / U.S.A. (Director: Doug Aitken) — Station to Station is composed of 60 individual one-minute films featuring different artists, musicians, places, and perspectives. This revolutionary feature-length film reveals a larger narrative about modern creativity. World Premiere
Things of the Aimless Wanderer / Rwanda, United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Kivu Ruhorahoza) — A white man meets a black girl, then she disappears. The white man tries to understand what happened to her while also trying to finish a travelogue. Things of the Aimless Wanderer is a film about the sensitive topic of relations between “locals” and Westerners, about paranoia, mistrust, and misunderstandings. Cast: Justin Mullikin, Grace Nikuze, Ramadhan Bizimana, Eliane Umuhire, Wesley Ruzibiza, Matt Ray Brown. World Premiere
New Frontier Installations
1979 Revolution Game
Artists: Navid Khonsari, Vassiliki Khonsari
1979 Revolution Game presents an innovative approach to non-fiction storytelling. Designed to engage players with an immersive "on the ground" experience of the Iranian Revolution, the game integrates an emotionally impactful narrative with interactive moral choices and intuitive touchscreen gameplay while remaining true to history.
Assent
Artist: Oscar Raby
This immersive documentary uses virtual reality technology to put the user in the footsteps of Director Oscar Raby's father, who in 1973 was a 22-year-old army officer stationed in the north of Chile, on the day when the Caravan of Death came to his regiment.
Birdly
Artist: Max Rheiner
Flying is one of the oldest dreams of humankind. Birdly is an experiment to capture this dream, to simulate the experience of being a bird from a first-person perspective. This embodiment is conducted through a full-body virtual reality setup.
Dérive
Artist: François Quévillon
This interactive installation uses the audience’s body motions and positions to explore 3-D reconstructions of urban and natural spaces that are transformed according to live environmental data, including meteorological and astronomical phenomena.
Evolution of Verse
Artist: Chris Milk
Chris Milk, working with visual effects powerhouse Digital Domain and virtual reality production company Vrse.works, has created this photo-realistic CGI-rendered 3-D virtual reality film that takes the viewer on a journey from beginning to new beginning.
Kaiju Fury!
Artist: Ian Hunter
A dark energy experiment leads to a devastating attack by monstrous Kaiju, and you are standing at ground zero — all in 360-degree, stereoscopic 3-D cinematic virtual reality. You will "be there" as the beasts lay waste to a crumbling city and humanity makes its last stand. Cast: Susie Abromeit, Bill Lippincott, Daniel Martin, Brian Dodge, Vincient Chiantelli.
Paradise
Artist: Pleix
Paradise is certainly not paradisiacal if you look at it through our eyes. But neither is it totally devoid of humor, melancholy and absurdity. Perhaps it is first and foremost life as it is, and then a touch exaggerated in the digital overdrive.
Perspective; Chapter I: The Party
Artists: Rose Troche, Morris May
A young college woman attends a party with the intention of shedding her "shy girl" persona. At the same party, a young man is after a similar reinvention. They meet, drink, and misinterpreted signals turn into things that cannot be undone. Virtual reality simulators let viewers experience both characters. Cast: Tabitha Morella, Caleb Thomas, Zachary Zagoria, Anna Grace Barlow.
Possibilia
Artists: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
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- 12/6/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Fans of writer/director Eli Roth have two very different films to look forward to: The Green Inferno, an homage to Italian cannibal movies, and Knock Knock, a home intrusion psychological thriller. While the theatrical release of the former is delayed, the latter, which stars Keanu Reeves, will make its world premiere as part of Sundance’s Park City at Midnight lineup, and the first batch of photos from the film have been unveiled.
“Two beautiful young girls walk into a married man’s life and turn a wild fantasy into his worst nightmare.”
Directed by Eli Roth off a script he wrote with Nicolas Lopez and Guillermo Amoedo, Knock Knock stars Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana De Armas, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, and Colleen Camp.
In addition to Knock Knock, the Park City at Midnight selections also include Hellions, It Follows, The Hallow, and more. The Sundance Film Festival...
“Two beautiful young girls walk into a married man’s life and turn a wild fantasy into his worst nightmare.”
Directed by Eli Roth off a script he wrote with Nicolas Lopez and Guillermo Amoedo, Knock Knock stars Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana De Armas, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, and Colleen Camp.
In addition to Knock Knock, the Park City at Midnight selections also include Hellions, It Follows, The Hallow, and more. The Sundance Film Festival...
- 12/5/2014
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
99 Homes
Following yesterday’s announcement of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival’s In-Competition films, the festival has released its lineup of Spotlight, Park City At Midnight and New Frontier Films.
Among the lineup is 99 Homes, Ramin Bahrani’s Middle-America drama on foreclosures starring Michael Shannon and Andrew Garfield. The film premiered at Toronto and Venice earlier this year and will finally get a release early in 2015. Joining it are the British Independent Film Award-nominated ’71, and the much hyped Eden from Mia Hansen-Løve and Girlhood from Céline Sciamma.
On the At Midnight circuit, the hot ticket is Knock Knock from Director Eli Roth and starring Keanu Reeves in what Deadline describes as a “psychosexual home invasion pic”.
Also included in this announcement is a lineup of New Frontier art installations that will be visible across Park City, including one called Way to Go by artist Vincent Morisset, a big collaborator with Arcade Fire.
Following yesterday’s announcement of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival’s In-Competition films, the festival has released its lineup of Spotlight, Park City At Midnight and New Frontier Films.
Among the lineup is 99 Homes, Ramin Bahrani’s Middle-America drama on foreclosures starring Michael Shannon and Andrew Garfield. The film premiered at Toronto and Venice earlier this year and will finally get a release early in 2015. Joining it are the British Independent Film Award-nominated ’71, and the much hyped Eden from Mia Hansen-Løve and Girlhood from Céline Sciamma.
On the At Midnight circuit, the hot ticket is Knock Knock from Director Eli Roth and starring Keanu Reeves in what Deadline describes as a “psychosexual home invasion pic”.
Also included in this announcement is a lineup of New Frontier art installations that will be visible across Park City, including one called Way to Go by artist Vincent Morisset, a big collaborator with Arcade Fire.
- 12/5/2014
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Last year’s batch of eight films included the almost critic-proof trio of Adam Wingard’s The Guest, Taika Waititi & Jemaine Clement’s What We Do in the Shadows and the major revelation in Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook. After showings at Cannes and Tiff, David Robert Mitchell finds his It Follows (see pic above) also landing at Sundance and being surrounded by seven world preem titles coming from a little bit everywhere on the planet. Here are the fearful eight:
Cop Car/ U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) —Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim.World Premiere
The Hallow/ Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Corin Hardy, Screenwriters: Corin Hardy, Felipe Marino) —When a London-based conservationist is sent to Ireland to survey an area of ancient forest believed by the superstitious locals to be hallowed ground,...
Cop Car/ U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) —Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim.World Premiere
The Hallow/ Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Corin Hardy, Screenwriters: Corin Hardy, Felipe Marino) —When a London-based conservationist is sent to Ireland to survey an area of ancient forest believed by the superstitious locals to be hallowed ground,...
- 12/4/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
It’s less than two months until the streets and theaters of Park City are going to be packed with filmmakers, film fans and buyers attending the 2015 Sundance Film Festival from January 22 to February 1. Yesterday the Robert Redford-founded fest announced its U.S. and World Cinema dramatic and documentary competition selections along with the pics in its Next section. Today, with some Andrew Garfield, Keanu Reeves, Greta Gerwig, Kevin Bacon and Charlotte Rampling starrers among them, Sundance revealed its non-competitive Spotlight and Park City At Midnight slates along with the films and installations of the New Frontier category - see the full list below.
Like yesterday’s slate announcements there are some big, big screen names appearing at Sundance this year. Garfield, who has that other gig as certain webslinger, is in the Ramin Bahrani-directed 99 Homes with Michael Shannon and Laura Dern. Having played at Tiff and Venice,...
Like yesterday’s slate announcements there are some big, big screen names appearing at Sundance this year. Garfield, who has that other gig as certain webslinger, is in the Ramin Bahrani-directed 99 Homes with Michael Shannon and Laura Dern. Having played at Tiff and Venice,...
- 12/4/2014
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline
Each year, the midnight shift at Sundance belongs to me, and that's the way I like it. I've had some of my most memorable experiences at the festival happen as part of the midnight screenings, and I look forward to this announcement every year. I'm surprised to see "It Follows" there. That's been playing festivals since Cannes, and while it's good, I wouldn't expect to see Sundance use one of the slots for a film that's been seen as much as this one has already. The hottest ticket will most likely be "Knock Knock," with Eli Roth directing Keanu Reeves. I like that Eli has fallen in with Nicolas Lopez and Guillermo Amoedo as his new constant collaborators, and this one sounds like it could be nasty fun, which is Eli's sweet spot. I'm excited about the Kevin Bacon movie, which sounds like a darker, actual-real-world-repercussions version of "Let's Be Cops,...
- 12/4/2014
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
The 2015 selection includes a strong Latin American flavour, led by Eli Roth’s Chilewood psychosexual Park City At Midnight entry Knock Knock starring Keanu Reeves and Lorenza Izzo.
Mexico-based Dark Factory’s thriller Reversal also premieres in the section, while the New Frontier film slate includes Carlos Moreno’s Liveforever from Colombia-Mexico.
Spotlight — Sundance programmers’ tribute to their favourite films of 2014 — includes Argentinean box office smash and Academy Awards submission Wild Tales (pictured) from Damián Szifrón.
Among the Midnight films are Rodney Ascher’s sleep paralysis documentary The Nightmare, Bruce McDonald’s Hellions from Canada, Cop Car from the Us starring Kevin Bacon and Irish-uk forest-set The Hallow from Corin Hardy.
Spotlight selections also feature Yann Demange’s feted UK thriller ‘71, Kornél Mundruczó’s Hungarian drama White God and Mia Hansen-Løve’s Eden from France. Canadian auteur Guy Maddin is back withThe Forbidden Room, which he co-directed with Evan Johnson, in New Frontier...
Mexico-based Dark Factory’s thriller Reversal also premieres in the section, while the New Frontier film slate includes Carlos Moreno’s Liveforever from Colombia-Mexico.
Spotlight — Sundance programmers’ tribute to their favourite films of 2014 — includes Argentinean box office smash and Academy Awards submission Wild Tales (pictured) from Damián Szifrón.
Among the Midnight films are Rodney Ascher’s sleep paralysis documentary The Nightmare, Bruce McDonald’s Hellions from Canada, Cop Car from the Us starring Kevin Bacon and Irish-uk forest-set The Hallow from Corin Hardy.
Spotlight selections also feature Yann Demange’s feted UK thriller ‘71, Kornél Mundruczó’s Hungarian drama White God and Mia Hansen-Løve’s Eden from France. Canadian auteur Guy Maddin is back withThe Forbidden Room, which he co-directed with Evan Johnson, in New Frontier...
- 12/4/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
In celebration of the UK DVD and Blu-ray release of Vincenzo Natali's ghostly thriller Haunter, we've gotten our hands on a quick sneak peak. The film's on shelves now so check this out and see if it rattles them bones!
The film stars Abigail Breslin, Stephen McHattie, Michelle Nolden, Peter Outerbridge, and Peter DaCunha.
And remember, UK readers... there's still time to win a Blu-ray copy of Haunter (review here).
Synopsis:
In 1986, 15-year-old Lisa (Breslin) and her family died in their home under sinister circumstances. Unable to move on, their spirits have continued to roam the house. And for nearly 30 years they have had to live the same miserable day over and over, never thinking they're anything but alive.
But now, Lisa has started noticing things that make her believe that she and her uncomprehending family are in fact ghosts. On top of that, she realizes that she must...
The film stars Abigail Breslin, Stephen McHattie, Michelle Nolden, Peter Outerbridge, and Peter DaCunha.
And remember, UK readers... there's still time to win a Blu-ray copy of Haunter (review here).
Synopsis:
In 1986, 15-year-old Lisa (Breslin) and her family died in their home under sinister circumstances. Unable to move on, their spirits have continued to roam the house. And for nearly 30 years they have had to live the same miserable day over and over, never thinking they're anything but alive.
But now, Lisa has started noticing things that make her believe that she and her uncomprehending family are in fact ghosts. On top of that, she realizes that she must...
- 7/15/2014
- by Gareth Jones
- DreadCentral.com
Stars: Abigail Breslin, Stephen McHattie, Peter Outerbridge, Michelle Nolden, Peter DaCunha, Samantha Weinstein, Eleanor Zichy, David Hewlett, Sarah Manninen | Written by Brian King, Matthew Brian King | Directed by Vincenzo Natali
Often it feels like there are not enough ghost stories based horror films these days, but then when you think about it we’ve had Insidious, Sinister and The Conjuring just to name a few. I’m not sure why I feel there needs to be more but this could be a sign that things need to be shaken up a bit. Saying that though I’ll be reviewing Soulmate soon which is a good old-fashioned ghost story that gets so much right, so most importantly these films just need to be good. Haunter looks to add a little something different to the mix with the question, do ghosts realise they are actually dead?
To her parents Lisa (Breslin) is...
Often it feels like there are not enough ghost stories based horror films these days, but then when you think about it we’ve had Insidious, Sinister and The Conjuring just to name a few. I’m not sure why I feel there needs to be more but this could be a sign that things need to be shaken up a bit. Saying that though I’ll be reviewing Soulmate soon which is a good old-fashioned ghost story that gets so much right, so most importantly these films just need to be good. Haunter looks to add a little something different to the mix with the question, do ghosts realise they are actually dead?
To her parents Lisa (Breslin) is...
- 7/12/2014
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
Director: Jordan Barker. Writers: Michael Foster and Thomas Pound. Cast: Peter DaCunha, Katharine Isabelle and Stephen McHattie. Torment is a film from production company Filmax International. This Spanish company shot and developed this slasher film in 2013. Shot in Canada, Torment is from a fairly new writing crew: Michael Foster and Thomas Pound. Also, this viewer knows director Jordan Barker from his work on the 2006 supernatural thriller The Marsh. And, both The Marsh and Torment are lackluster film events. Torment is overly dark through several scenes. As well, the killers in the film are underdeveloped and uninteresting to follow. Torment is one slasher film that does not stand-out in this crowded sub-genre. The story for Torment, such that it is, begins with the Morgan family. Liam (Peter DaCunha) and Sarah (Katharine Isabelle) are newlyweds and they decide to take their son and step-son out to the woods, for a nice retreat.
- 6/19/2014
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
It was only a matter of time before Disney jumped into the horror game – Ok, kidding. No, that’s not a deformed Mickey Mouse standing in the fires of Hell, but instead one of the masked menaces found in Jordan Barker’s Torment. Blending elements of “torture porn” and slasher mainstays, this should-be nightmare does little to separate itself from the pack besides decapitating some larger-than-life stuffed animals so that the film’s villains can wear unique masks. All the major influences can be felt, from The Strangers to You’re Next, but writers Thomas Pound and Michael Foster fail to strike their own unique brand of Canadian terror. Maybe our neighbors to the North haven’t been overexposed to every genre trope in horror’s unwritten rulebook, but such normalcy doesn’t cut it around these parts without embellishments or aiding characteristics – especially when a script glosses over the most interesting dynamics available.
- 6/5/2014
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
Jordan Barker (The Marsh) toured a few film festivals in 2013. In 2014, the film is getting set to release on DVD and Video-on-demand formats, through Phase 4 Films. The film was shot in Canada and this title hosts several Canadian actors: Katharine Isabelle (American Mary), Stephen McHattie (Pontypool) and Peter Dacunha. Fans of slasher films can preview an exclusive clip for Torment here! In the story, a newlywed couple heads out into the country for some downtime. They take Cory's (Robin Dunne) young son, Liam, along with them. But, this trio finds some unexpected company in cottage country. Soon, Liam is missing and a strange cult-like family is stalking both Cory and Sarah (Isabelle). Will anyone survive this night of terror? The latest clip for the film introduces one of the film's primary antagonists. This villain has already tied up a policeman. As well, this killer explodes a police car as...
- 6/2/2014
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
As far as modern day scream queens go, Ginger Snaps/Freddy vs. Jason star Katharine Isabelle is right up there at the top of the list, most recently making an impression on NBC's "Hannibal." Up next, she finds herself the victim of a horrifying home invasion in Torment, which has just been dated for Stateside release.
After playing at last October's Screamfest Horror Film Festival, Torment has been acquired by Phase 4 Films and will be given a VOD release on June 10th. Check out the creepy trailer below, which makes this one look like a home invasion flick worth being excited about!
Directed by Jordan Baker, the flick also stars Stephen McHattie, Robin Dunne (“Sanctuary”) and Peter DaCunha (Haunter).
Synopsis
When a family arrives at their remote cabin for a quiet getaway, they find their home vandalized, as the arrival of four psychotic intruders sets the stage for a harrowing life-or-death struggle.
After playing at last October's Screamfest Horror Film Festival, Torment has been acquired by Phase 4 Films and will be given a VOD release on June 10th. Check out the creepy trailer below, which makes this one look like a home invasion flick worth being excited about!
Directed by Jordan Baker, the flick also stars Stephen McHattie, Robin Dunne (“Sanctuary”) and Peter DaCunha (Haunter).
Synopsis
When a family arrives at their remote cabin for a quiet getaway, they find their home vandalized, as the arrival of four psychotic intruders sets the stage for a harrowing life-or-death struggle.
- 5/27/2014
- by John Squires
- DreadCentral.com
We told you about the Hellions Horror Video Contest back in January. You read, followed orders, made movies and then voted. Now the time has come to reveal the winner. Read on for details.
From the Press Release
After five weeks of competition the Hellions Video Contest Winner was announced on April 7th, 2014. The Crimson Thread, written and directed by Nate Wilson, took top honours and will be featured in a scene of the feature film Hellions.
Over the course of the contest, fans had an opportunity to vote on their favourite entry and elect a Weekly Audience Favourite to advance to the Final Round. The other Finalists were:
I Don’t Bite... by Johnathan Zorbas Mutant Yetis from the Fourth Dimension by Kerim Banka An Offering by Ryan Glover A Horrorible Film by Ty Thompson Xana by Razvan Anton Tasha and Friends by Greg Kovacs
The Final Round was...
From the Press Release
After five weeks of competition the Hellions Video Contest Winner was announced on April 7th, 2014. The Crimson Thread, written and directed by Nate Wilson, took top honours and will be featured in a scene of the feature film Hellions.
Over the course of the contest, fans had an opportunity to vote on their favourite entry and elect a Weekly Audience Favourite to advance to the Final Round. The other Finalists were:
I Don’t Bite... by Johnathan Zorbas Mutant Yetis from the Fourth Dimension by Kerim Banka An Offering by Ryan Glover A Horrorible Film by Ty Thompson Xana by Razvan Anton Tasha and Friends by Greg Kovacs
The Final Round was...
- 4/15/2014
- by Steve Barton
- DreadCentral.com
We told you about the Hellions Horror Video Contest back in January. You read, followed orders, and made movies. Now the time has come for the voting process to begin. Read on for details.
From the Press Release
The submission phase of the Hellions Video Contest came to a close Saturday, March 1st, and now the voting phase begins! New entries will be posted on Monday mornings for the next four weeks on the Hellions website.
Each week visitors will have an opportunity to vote on their favourite entry, and a Weekly Audience Favourite will be elected to advance to the Final Round. The Final Round will be juried by Hellions director Bruce McDonald, director and Rue Morgue publisher Rodrigo Gudiño, and Hobo with a Shotgun director Jason Eisener.
The winning entry will be shown within the context of the feature film Hellions, and the director will be invited to the premiere.
From the Press Release
The submission phase of the Hellions Video Contest came to a close Saturday, March 1st, and now the voting phase begins! New entries will be posted on Monday mornings for the next four weeks on the Hellions website.
Each week visitors will have an opportunity to vote on their favourite entry, and a Weekly Audience Favourite will be elected to advance to the Final Round. The Final Round will be juried by Hellions director Bruce McDonald, director and Rue Morgue publisher Rodrigo Gudiño, and Hobo with a Shotgun director Jason Eisener.
The winning entry will be shown within the context of the feature film Hellions, and the director will be invited to the premiere.
- 3/6/2014
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Stars: Robin Dunne, Katharine Isabelle, Stephen McHattie, Peter DaCunha, Amy Forsyth | Written by Michael Foster, Thomas Pound | Directed by Jordan Barker
There’s always one film at any Frightfest that feels as formulaic and cliched as your typical Hollywood horror. In the case of this years Glasgow Frightfest it was Torment. A home invasion horror that sees newlyweds Cory and Sarah Morgan head to the country for some much-needed family time where they hope Liam, Cory’s struggling 7-year-old son from his previous marriage, will learn to accept his stepmother. But arriving at their home they discover someone has been living there while they were away. After speaking with the Sheriff they assume the intruders have moved on, however when Liam disappears they discover just how wrong they were. For they must confront a deranged family of killers who have been hiding in the house all along and are now...
There’s always one film at any Frightfest that feels as formulaic and cliched as your typical Hollywood horror. In the case of this years Glasgow Frightfest it was Torment. A home invasion horror that sees newlyweds Cory and Sarah Morgan head to the country for some much-needed family time where they hope Liam, Cory’s struggling 7-year-old son from his previous marriage, will learn to accept his stepmother. But arriving at their home they discover someone has been living there while they were away. After speaking with the Sheriff they assume the intruders have moved on, however when Liam disappears they discover just how wrong they were. For they must confront a deranged family of killers who have been hiding in the house all along and are now...
- 3/4/2014
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Stars: Stephen Moyer, Mia Kirshner, Allie MacDonald, Peter DaCunha, David Keeley, Erik Knudsen, J. Larose, Shamier Anderson, Max Topplin, Michael Copeman, Shawn Ashmore | Written and Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
When I sat down to watch Devil in the Woods I suddenly had a case of déjà vu because I’ve seen this movie before. I’m confused as to why The Barrens has been released as Devil in the Woods, probably the most confusing part is I’d watched it on VOD as The Barrens in the UK. It’s only a small detail anyway, as Devil in the Woods (as I will call it for this review) is a film worth seeing.
When Richard Vinryard (Stephen Moyer) takes his family on a camping holiday looking to get away from civilisation he is less than impressed to find that the camping ground he used to visit as a child...
When I sat down to watch Devil in the Woods I suddenly had a case of déjà vu because I’ve seen this movie before. I’m confused as to why The Barrens has been released as Devil in the Woods, probably the most confusing part is I’d watched it on VOD as The Barrens in the UK. It’s only a small detail anyway, as Devil in the Woods (as I will call it for this review) is a film worth seeing.
When Richard Vinryard (Stephen Moyer) takes his family on a camping holiday looking to get away from civilisation he is less than impressed to find that the camping ground he used to visit as a child...
- 2/27/2014
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
Jag alum David James Elliott is set to co-star opposite Jane Kaczmarek in Here’s Your Damn Family, Fox’s half-hour pilot from writer Ricky Blitt, The Big Bang Theory star Johnny Galecki and producer Stephen McPherson. The Warner Bros. TV-produced multi-camera comedy centers on a stunted, set-in-his-ways thirtysomething man living with his mom (Kaczmarek) who finds his perfectly organized world upended when she gets married — and her new husband (Elliott) plus his three teenage children move in. Elliott’s Mike is a ruggedly handsome, straightforward, ‘man’s man’ widower. Also cast in the pilot are Peter DaCunha and Brendan Meyer as two of Mike’s three children. Elliott is repped by Gersh and manager Jeffrey Goldberg. DaCunha is with Coast to Coast; Meyer is with Gersh and Pay Management.
- 2/15/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
As a huge fan of the home invasion sub-genre, I always welcome new additions with open arms. Especially when they feature killers with Mickey Mouse ears. Read on for details about Torment!
Variety reports that Vertical Entertainment has inked a deal for the U.S. rights to the holiday home invasion film, which screens this week at Berlin's Entertainment Film Market.
Directed by Jordan Baker, the flick stars Robin Dunne (“Sanctuary”), Katharine Isabelle (American Mary, Ginger Snaps) and Peter DaCunha (Haunter) as the members of an ill-fated family who fall prey to a cult of sadistic madmen at their isolated country house.
Borga Dorter produces alongside Baker.
Vertical will release Torment in U.S. cinemas early this summer.
Synopsis
Newlyweds Sarah and Cory Morgan have decided to take a relaxing holiday with Cory’s seven-year-old son, Liam, to try to smooth over some of the teething problems Liam is having with his new mom.
Variety reports that Vertical Entertainment has inked a deal for the U.S. rights to the holiday home invasion film, which screens this week at Berlin's Entertainment Film Market.
Directed by Jordan Baker, the flick stars Robin Dunne (“Sanctuary”), Katharine Isabelle (American Mary, Ginger Snaps) and Peter DaCunha (Haunter) as the members of an ill-fated family who fall prey to a cult of sadistic madmen at their isolated country house.
Borga Dorter produces alongside Baker.
Vertical will release Torment in U.S. cinemas early this summer.
Synopsis
Newlyweds Sarah and Cory Morgan have decided to take a relaxing holiday with Cory’s seven-year-old son, Liam, to try to smooth over some of the teething problems Liam is having with his new mom.
- 2/7/2014
- by John Squires
- DreadCentral.com
The generous folks behind the upcoming film Hellions want to help your voice be heard. Check out the details for the Hellions Horror Video Contest and get your cameras rolling!
Check out the info below, and for more visit the official Hellions website, "like" Hellions on Facebook, and follow Hellions on Twitter (@HellionsMovie).
From the Press Release
Whizbang Films and Storyteller Pictures are proud to announce the Hellions Horror Video Contest! You wanna make a short horror film and have it shown everywhere? Then check out the video hosted by director Bruce McDonald and info below.
The contest is open to everyone, and we’re looking for scary videos up to two minutes long. The theme: Red. Your submission can take any form – a fake trailer, a scene from a horror script you’ve been working on, a short film all of its own – as long as it somehow connects to Red.
Check out the info below, and for more visit the official Hellions website, "like" Hellions on Facebook, and follow Hellions on Twitter (@HellionsMovie).
From the Press Release
Whizbang Films and Storyteller Pictures are proud to announce the Hellions Horror Video Contest! You wanna make a short horror film and have it shown everywhere? Then check out the video hosted by director Bruce McDonald and info below.
The contest is open to everyone, and we’re looking for scary videos up to two minutes long. The theme: Red. Your submission can take any form – a fake trailer, a scene from a horror script you’ve been working on, a short film all of its own – as long as it somehow connects to Red.
- 1/27/2014
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Film4 FrightFest Glasgow 2014 has today announced a 4(!) day event to include eight World, European and UK premieres, Ti West special event and Sunday repeat screenings in the festivals biggest programme ever. From Thursday February 27th to Sunday March 2nd, the UK’s favourite horror fantasy festival returns to its second home at the Gft for the 9th year with an impressive slate of the hottest new horror films.
The line-up in full:
Thurs 27 Feb – Gft Screen 2 21:00 In Conversation With Ti West (Special event)
Nobody does nostalgia-brushed spookiness and minimalist horror like independent director Ti West, King of the slow-burn shocker. FrightFest has been there from the very start – our video label released his 2005 debut feature The Roost – and we’ve watched with pride as the Delaware-born quirky talent has grown in global genre stature through The House Of The Devil, The Innkeepers, V/H/S and now his game-changing Eli Roth produced The Sacrament.
The line-up in full:
Thurs 27 Feb – Gft Screen 2 21:00 In Conversation With Ti West (Special event)
Nobody does nostalgia-brushed spookiness and minimalist horror like independent director Ti West, King of the slow-burn shocker. FrightFest has been there from the very start – our video label released his 2005 debut feature The Roost – and we’ve watched with pride as the Delaware-born quirky talent has grown in global genre stature through The House Of The Devil, The Innkeepers, V/H/S and now his game-changing Eli Roth produced The Sacrament.
- 1/21/2014
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Time is a fluid thing in the atmospheric Haunter, but it's set mainly in 1985. It's the day before Lisa's 16th birthday. It has been for a while. Lisa (Abigail Breslin) and her wholesomely plain family -- mother (Michelle Nolden), father (Peter Outerbridge), and little brother Robbie (Peter DaCunha) -- seem to be in a Groundhog Day situation, reliving this same day over and over. Only Lisa realizes it, though, along with its corollary: they're all dead. These facts are revealed early in Haunter, a good old-fashioned ghost story (with a few slight formula tweaks) from director Vincenzo Natali. His most famous films, like Cube (1997) and Splice, were far more violent and intense than this one which fits in the genre of gore-free PG-13...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 10/17/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Vincenzo Natali is one of those genre filmmakers who has the rare ability to inspire loyalty in his small but vocal fan base by maintaining an aura of utter fearlessness. The director of ingenious, high concept doodles like "Cube," "Cypher," and most importantly, the envelope pushing, outrageously underrated "Splice," can literally go anywhere or do anything. Unlike his contemporaries, Natali isn't happy to ever be pigeonholed or pinned down. You go to his movies not because you know what to expect, but because what you end up seeing is so unexpected. All of this makes "Haunter," his new "reverse ghost story," a disappointment and a dull, repetitive, utterly confounding chiller."Haunter" starts out promisingly enough, as we watch a young girl Lisa (Abigail Breslin), seemingly in the '80s, go about her daily routine. Her mother (Michelle Nolden) asks her to do the laundry, while her father (Peter Outerbridge) works...
- 10/16/2013
- by Drew Taylor
- The Playlist
Haunter could have been an ugly little blemish on Abigail Breslin’s resume, but instead she turns it into a chance to prove herself, solidifying that she’s got the acting chops to take a predictable narrative, poor supporting performances and loads of familiar camera tricks and make them watchable.
The year is 1985 and it’s the day before Lisa’s (Breslin) 16th birthday. She wakes up, eats pancakes, does the laundry, has macaroni and cheese for lunch, plays her clarinet and indulges in a meatloaf dinner with her mother (Michelle Nolden), father (Peter Outerbridge), and little brother Robbie (Peter DaCunha). Afterwards, they watch TV, Lisa goes to bed, and then she wakes up does the whole routine all over again. No, Lisa isn’t excessively schedule oriented; she’s trapped, forced to live a single day over and over again. Unable to convince her parents that there’s something seriously wrong going on,...
The year is 1985 and it’s the day before Lisa’s (Breslin) 16th birthday. She wakes up, eats pancakes, does the laundry, has macaroni and cheese for lunch, plays her clarinet and indulges in a meatloaf dinner with her mother (Michelle Nolden), father (Peter Outerbridge), and little brother Robbie (Peter DaCunha). Afterwards, they watch TV, Lisa goes to bed, and then she wakes up does the whole routine all over again. No, Lisa isn’t excessively schedule oriented; she’s trapped, forced to live a single day over and over again. Unable to convince her parents that there’s something seriously wrong going on,...
- 10/7/2013
- by Perri Nemiroff
- We Got This Covered
This film fan has been waiting for the trailer of Torment for some time now and the wait has been worth it. Torment is a film from Spanish production house Filmax International. The film stars Canadian actors Stephen McHattie (Pontypool), Katharine Isabelle (American Mary) and Robin Dunne. The film was also shot in Canada. The first clip for Torment previews some strange situations. The film's story involves a family vacationing up in an old cabin. Here, Sarah and Cory lose sight of little Liam. Though, Liam has not run away. He has been captured by a prophetic killer, who wears a strange bunny-like mask. Horror fans are encouraged to take a look at this first trailer for Torment below. The clip, while dark, shows all sorts of bizarre goings-ons and Torment offers a good deal of mystery. Release Date: October 11th, 2013 (Limited Theatrical). Director: Jordan Barker. Writers: Michael Foster and Thomas Pound.
- 10/5/2013
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Tagline: "Welcome to the Family." Filmax International is also developing the slasher film Torment. From director Jordan Barker (Duress), this film is still in production through Gearshift Films. Shooting is taking place in Canada and the film hosts a few Canadian actors. Stephen McHattie (The Tall Man), Katharine Isabelle (American Mary) and Robin Dunne (Cruel Intentions 2) are three participating Canadian actors. Isabelle can be seen in an early still for the film (below) and a strangely hooded killer is seen in the film's early poster (left). The film's story involves a couple, Sarah (Isabelle) and Cory (Dunne), out on holiday, with their young son. Though, someone or something has been staying in their old country house. Now, Liam (Peter DaCunha), the son, is missing. Both Sarah and Cory must fight for their lives against an entity, which has come straight from hell. Pre-production on this slasher film is likely...
- 9/19/2013
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Time is a fluid thing in the atmospheric Haunter, but it's set mainly in 1985. It's the day before Lisa's 16th birthday. It has been for a while. Lisa (Abigail Breslin) and her wholesomely plain family -- mother (Michelle Nolden), father (Peter Outerbridge), and little brother Robbie (Peter DaCunha) -- seem to be in a Groundhog Day situation, reliving this same day over and over. Only Lisa realizes it, though, along with its corollary: they're all dead. These facts are revealed early in Haunter, a good old-fashioned ghost story (with a few slight formula tweaks) from director Vincenzo Natali. His most famous films, like Cube (1997) and Splice, were far more violent and intense than this one which fits in the genre of gore-free PG-13...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 3/16/2013
- Screen Anarchy
The Jersey Devil comes alive in Darren Lynn Bousman's ('11-11-11') new direct-to-dvd horror project starring 'True Blood's Stephen Moyer. Anchor Bay Films are set to release it onto both DVD and in a 2-disc Blu-ray and DVD combo set from 9 October across the Us. The horror unravels for a family camping out in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, the apparent homeland of the mythical(?) creature. Erik Knudsen ('Saw II', 'Scream 4') Allie MacDonald ('House at the End of the Street'), Max Topplin and Peter DaCunha also star. Head below to check out the trailer plus the Blu-ray artwork....
- 8/24/2012
- Horror Asylum
Updated with the film’s trailer! It’s been a while since we’ve heard much about Darren Lynn Bousman’s psychological horror The Barrens, which stars Stephen Moyer, Mia Kirshner, Erik Knudsen, J Larose, Allie MacDonald, Max Topplin and Peter DaCunha. The film played Cannes in May and now we’ve learned that the film will be hitting DVD [...]...
- 8/22/2012
- by EvanDickson
- bloody-disgusting.com
With his roadshow for The Devil's Carnival in the spotlight, we'd almost forgotten about Darren Bousman's The Barrens, but Voltage Pictures is in Cannes with it and has released a new poster for the film about a man who becomes convinced his family is being stalked by the Jersey Devil.
Fansite All Stephen Moyer (the "True Blood" star plays the lead in The Barrens) tracked down the poster for the flick, which co-stars Mia Kirshner ("The Vampire Diaries", 388 Arletta Avenue, The Black Dahlia), Erik Knudsen (Scream 4, Saw II), J Larose (Insidious, Saw III), Allie MacDonald (House at the End of the Street), Max Topplin (Dead Before Dawn 3D, "Fringe") and Peter DaCunha.
The legend of The Jersey Devil has been passed along for hundreds of years as the creature has risen from obscurity to take its place alongside the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, and the Chupacabra. The...
Fansite All Stephen Moyer (the "True Blood" star plays the lead in The Barrens) tracked down the poster for the flick, which co-stars Mia Kirshner ("The Vampire Diaries", 388 Arletta Avenue, The Black Dahlia), Erik Knudsen (Scream 4, Saw II), J Larose (Insidious, Saw III), Allie MacDonald (House at the End of the Street), Max Topplin (Dead Before Dawn 3D, "Fringe") and Peter DaCunha.
The legend of The Jersey Devil has been passed along for hundreds of years as the creature has risen from obscurity to take its place alongside the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, and the Chupacabra. The...
- 5/19/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Darren Lynn Bousman's ('11-11-11') Jersey Devil-based horror flick 'The Barrens' was present at this weeks American Film Market in Santa Monica. And horror site Shock Till You Drop were lucky enough to grab a look at 5 minutes of the movie, which is still currently in production. The film is of course based upon the legendary creature which is believed to reside in the Pine Barrens of South New Jersey. Stephen Moyer ('True Blood'), Mia Kirshner -below ('The Vampire Diaries'), Erik Knudsen ('Saw II', 'Scream 4') Allie MacDonald, Max Topplin and Peter DaCunha all star in the movie and you can read all about the 5 previewed minutes below. Please note, however, if you don't want spoilers at all then please turn away now....
- 11/8/2011
- Horror Asylum
The legendary Jersey Devil has been featured in several films from 2002's 13th Child to The Jersey Devil (2005) and a recent television movie with Lou Diamond Phillips titled Carny (2009). All of these films feature a strangely winged creature that looks like a left over from the Mesozoic era (dinosaurs). Now, this mythical creature will take flight in Darren Lynn Bousman's (Mother's Day) script for The Barrens.
In this latest incarnation, a family heads out into southern Jersey for some fun and camping. Instead, they find the remnants of The Jersey Devil's last meal and a horror filled night or two. Shooting on this film has only recently begun, but fans can have an early look at The Barrens with this concept poster (seen left). Also, a picture is hosted below of the supposed Jersey Devil and no, this film fan did not draw it.
Release Date: Fall 2012.
Director/writer: Darren Lynn Bousman.
In this latest incarnation, a family heads out into southern Jersey for some fun and camping. Instead, they find the remnants of The Jersey Devil's last meal and a horror filled night or two. Shooting on this film has only recently begun, but fans can have an early look at The Barrens with this concept poster (seen left). Also, a picture is hosted below of the supposed Jersey Devil and no, this film fan did not draw it.
Release Date: Fall 2012.
Director/writer: Darren Lynn Bousman.
- 10/5/2011
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
The first selection of early stills from Darren Lynn Bousman's ('11-11-11') new Jersey Devil project 'The Barrens' have arrived giving us 6 new glimpses at its star Stephen Moyer ('True Blood') in woodland action. Mia Kirshner ('The Vampire Diaries'), Erik Knudsen ('Saw II', 'Scream 4') Allie MacDonald, Max Topplin and Peter DaCunha all co-star in the movie currently shooting in Toronto. The Jersey Devil is a legendary creature which is believed to reside in the Pine Barrens of South New Jersey. There have been heaps of reported sightings over the years but much like Bigfoot and Nessie no solid evidence has ever been provided....
- 10/5/2011
- Horror Asylum
Voltage Pictures has released a series of images for The Barrens , the new thriller director Darren Lynn Bousman is currently shooting in Canada. For you True Blood fans out there, this gives you a look at Stephen Moyer in the film. He's joined by Erik Knudsen, J. Larose, Mia Kirshner, Allie MacDonald, Max Topplin and Peter DaCunha. Bousman penned the script. Moyer plays Richard Marlow, a father who leads his family on a weekend getaway to the Wharton State Pine Barrens: home of the legendary monster, the Jersey Devil. The trip takes a dark turn when various forest animals wind up mysteriously mutilated and a teenage boy disappears from the campgrounds. As Richard falls violently ill and later becomes delusional, he starts to believe there is something stalking...
- 10/5/2011
- shocktillyoudrop.com
With Afm gearing up, you can expect lots of stills and sales art to be coming at you hard and heavy this November 2nd-9th, but the first out of the gate is Darren Lynn Bousman's new flick The Barrens. Check out the eye candy!
Mia Kirshner ("The Vampire Diaries", 388 Arletta Avenue, The Black Dahlia), Erik Knudsen (Scream 4, Saw II), J Larose (Insidious, Saw III), Stephen Moyer ("True Blood," The Caller), Allie MacDonald (House at the End of the Street), Max Topplin (Dead Before Dawn 3D, "Fringe") and Peter DaCunha all co-star in the flick.
The legend of The Jersey Devil has been passed along for hundreds of years as the creature has risen from obscurity to take its place alongside the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, and the Chupacabra. The creature is deeply rooted in New Jersey culture; the local NHL team takes its name from the creature,...
Mia Kirshner ("The Vampire Diaries", 388 Arletta Avenue, The Black Dahlia), Erik Knudsen (Scream 4, Saw II), J Larose (Insidious, Saw III), Stephen Moyer ("True Blood," The Caller), Allie MacDonald (House at the End of the Street), Max Topplin (Dead Before Dawn 3D, "Fringe") and Peter DaCunha all co-star in the flick.
The legend of The Jersey Devil has been passed along for hundreds of years as the creature has risen from obscurity to take its place alongside the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, and the Chupacabra. The creature is deeply rooted in New Jersey culture; the local NHL team takes its name from the creature,...
- 10/5/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
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