Tribeca Film Festival Announces Lineup for Spotlight, Midnight, Storyscapes, and Special Screenings

Yesterday the Tribeca Film Festival announced the first half of the lineup
for the 12th Annual festival, including their World Narrative,
Documentary, and out-of-competition Viewpoints series. Today the lineup
for their Spotlight, Midnight, New Storyscapes, and Special Screenings
sections has been announced.

Among the 33 films in the Spotlight
section — 23 of which are World Premieres –are an eclectic mix of
narratives and documentaries including the world premiere of Phil Morrison’s long-awaited follow-up to “Junebug,” 
Whoopi Goldberg’s documentary on comedienne Moms Mabley, “I Got
Somethin’ to Tell You,” the New York premiere of Richard Linklater’s
“Before Midnight,” and a cat documentary full of your favorite YouTube
cat stars, “Lil Bub & Friendz.”

On the Spotlight program
Director of Programming, Genna Terranova, said: “A mix of established
filmmakers and rising talent top off the rest of the section with
features exploring some fresh takes on unconventional relationships.”

The
Midnight section — formerly known as Cinemania — features a mix of
horror films and opens with Marina de Van’s “Dark Touch” about a
survivor of a bloody massacre, and includes the much anticipated
“V/H/S/2,” follow up to last year’s collection of horrific VHS horror
stories, and Josh Waller’s “Raze” starring “Kill Bill” stuntwoman Zoe
Bell.

Storyscapes — a new juried section at the festival —
showcases innovative transmedia work and will include “Star Wars Uncut,”
a project of fan created scenes, and “Sandy Storyline,” a documentary
on those effected by the hurricane and involved in rebuilding
communities. This years Special Screenings, a reintroduction of the
Restored/Rediscovered program, will feature Michaelangelo Frammartino’s
homage to nature and the Italian countryside, “Alberi,”which will run as
an installation at MoMA PS1.

Keep an eye out next week for the
Shorts program lineup. The festival runs from April 17-28. For more
information visit the festivals website here. 

Take a look at the lineup below:

SPOTLIGHT

• Adult World,
  directed by Scott Coffey, written by Andy Cochran. (USA) – World
  Premiere, Narrative. Amy (Emma Roberts) is naïve, awkward and anxious to
  get her poetry career off of the ground. She begrudgingly accepts a job
  at the local sex shop, Adult World, while pursuing a surefire
  kick-start for her success: a mentorship with reclusive writer Rat
  Billings (the hilarious John Cusack). As Amy’s world melds with that of
  Adult World, she slowly learns that inspiration can be found in the most
  improbable places.

• Almost Christmas,
  directed by Phil Morrison, written by Melissa James Gibson. (USA) –
  World Premiere, Narrative. Two French Canadian ne’er-do-wells travel to
  New York City with a scheme to a get rich quick selling Christmas trees.
  Easygoing charmer Rene (Paul Rudd) clashes with misanthropic ex-con
  Dennis (Paul Giamatti), whose wife Rene just stole. Still, this odd
  couple must make an honest go of it in this fresh buddy comedy
  co-starring Sally Hawkins, by the director of the indie breakout hit Junebug.

• At Any Price,
  directed by Ramin Bahrani, written by Hallie Elizabeth Newton and
  Bahrani. (USA) – New York Premiere, Narrative. The robust farming
  industry of Iowa is the backdrop for this father-and-son story. Dean
  Wipple (Zac Efron) longs to be a professional racecar driver. His father
  Henry (Dennis Quaid) plans to make him the heir to their family farming
  empire. When Henry’s ethics and expansion practices come under fire,
  the family must unify or risk losing everything. Temptation, ambition
  and competition are the driving forces behind this modern-day drama
  co-starring Heather Graham and Clancy Brown. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

• Before Midnight,
  directed by Richard Linklater, written by Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke and
  Linklater. (USA) – New York Premiere, Narrative. In the eagerly
  anticipated third chapter in the star-crossed tale of Jesse and Celine,
  director and co-writer Richard Linklater fast-forwards to nine years
  after their last meeting. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy deliver powerfully
  authentic performances as the companions who find themselves at yet
  another crossroads in their twisting but passionate relationship. The
  picturesque streets of Greece serve as the latest backdrop to this
  beautifully crafted love story. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

• Big Bad Wolves, directed
  and written by Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado. (Israel) – World
  Premiere, Narrative. A vigilante cop and a vengeful father capture and
  interrogate an accused serial killer. Aharon Keshales and Navot
  Papushado’s brutal follow-up to Rabies (TFF
  2011) examines a horror that most would not want to imagine: what would
  you do if someone hurt the one you loved most? A revenge thriller with
  teeth, Big Bad Wolves delivers on its raw tension and operatic drama. In Hebrew with subtitles.

• Bottled Up,
  directed and written by Enid Zentelis. (USA) – World Premiere,
  Narrative. In this modern-day drama, Oscar®-winner Melissa Leo
  beautifully conveys the heart-wrenching struggle that comes with loving
  an addict. Complaining of back pain months after a car accident,
  Sylvie’s (Marin Ireland) addiction to painkillers is clear to everyone
  except her mother, Faye (Leo). A promising solution appears in Becket
  (Josh Hamilton), but relationships and loyalty are soon tested when his
  feelings fall in an unexpected place.

• Byzantium,
  directed by Neil Jordan, written by Moira Buffini. (U.K., Ireland) –
  U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Neil Jordan’s exploration of vampirism began
  with Interview with the Vampire. Now he returns to
  this lurid, malevolent realm through Clara (Gemma Arterton) and her
  daughter Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan). Creatures from Clara’s past come
  calling, and these immortals are forced to relocate. Dire consequences
  follow anyway when Eleanor makes a connection with a local boy (Caleb
  Landry Jones) and slowly reveals the truth of who they are and how they
  survive. An IFC Films release.

• A Case of You,
  directed by Kat Coiro, written by Justin Long, Keir O’Donnel, and
  Christian Long. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. A young writer
  (Justin Long) woos a cute and quirky barista (Evan Rachel Wood) by
  creating an embellished online profile. When she falls for his alter
  ego, he must keep up the act or lose his dream girl. Directed by TFF
  alumna Kat Coiro and featuring a cast of hilarious cameo performers
  including Peter Dinklage, Sam Rockwell, Vince Vaughn and Sienna Miller, A Case of You is a winning romantic comedy for the social media age.

• Cycling with Moliere (Alceste à bicyclette),
  directed and written by Philippe Le Guay. (France) – International
  Premiere, Narrative. Once-great actor Serge Tanneur (Fabrice Luchini)
  now spends his days alone, cycling through the windblown landscape of
  France’s Île de Ré. Even an offer from his old friend Gauthier (Lambert
  Wilson) to return to the stage in Molière’s The Misanthropefails
  to draw his interest. At least, at first. Phillippe Le Guay’s charming
  comedy of egos colliding on the French seaside turns into a neatly
  crafted, wonderfully performed search for the creative spark.

• The Director,
  directed by Christina Voros. (Italy) – World Premiere, Documentary. How
  do you make one of the world’s most revered fashion brands your own?
  That is the task facing creative director Frida Giannini in this
  authoritative look at the past, present and future of The House of
  Gucci, directed by director/cinematographer Christina Voros (Kink)
  and co-produced by James Franco. Taking advantage of rare,
  behind-the-scenes access, Voros shows how the Florentine trendsetter has
  been reimagined in the past few years.

• Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me,
  directed by Chiemi Karasawa. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary.
  Broadway legend Elaine Stritch remains in the spotlight at eighty-seven
  years old. Join the uncompromising Tony and Emmy Award-winner both on
  and off stage in this revealing documentary. With interviews from Tina
  Fey, Nathan Lane, Hal Prince and others, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me blends
  rare archival footage and intimate cinema vérité to reach beyond
  Stritch’s brassy exterior, revealing a multi-dimensional portrait of a
  complex woman and an inspiring artist.

• The English Teacher,
  directed by Craig Zisk, written by Dan Chariton and Stacy Chariton.
  (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Teacher Linda Sinclair (Julianne
  Moore) balances her staid home life with an incredible passion for her
  subject, but her routine is forever altered when a former star pupil and
  his unsupportive father reenter her life. Go-to television director
  Craig Zisk, whose credits include Scrubs, Weeds and United States of Tara,
  takes a turn on the big screen with this insightful comedy about
  self-discovery co-starring Greg Kinnear, Nathan Lane, Michael Angarano
  and Lily Collins. A Cinedigm and Tribeca Film co-release.

• Gasland Part II,
  directed and written by Josh Fox. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary.
  Two years ago, Josh Fox introduced us to hydraulic fracturing with his
  Oscar®-nominated exposé Gasland. Now this
  once-touted energy source has become a widely discussed, contentious
  topic. In his follow-up, Fox reveals the extreme circumstances facing
  those affected by fracking, from earthquakes to the use of federal
  anti-terror psychological operations tactics. Gasland Part II is the definitive proof that issues raised by fracking cannot be ignored for long.

• G.B.F.,
  directed by Darren Stein, written by George Northy. (USA) – World
  Premiere, Narrative. The bitter fight for supremacy between a school’s
  most popular girls takes an unexpected turn when Tanner (Michael J.
  Willett) becomes its first openly gay student. As they race to bag the
  big trend in fashion accessories, the Gay Best Friend, Tanner must
  choose between skyrocketing popularity and the friends he is leaving
  behind. Darren Stein (Jawbreaker) returns with another comic
  send-up of high school clique culture, including memorable cameos by
  Megan Mullally and Natasha Lyonne.

• Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia,
  directed and written by Nicholas Wrathall. (USA) – International
  Premiere, Documentary. Anchored by intimate, one-on-one interviews with
  the man himself, Nicholas Wrathall’s new documentary is a fascinating
  and wholly entertaining tribute to the iconic Gore Vidal. Commentary by
  those who knew him best—including filmmaker/nephew Burr Steers and the
  late Christopher Hitchens—blends with footage from Vidal’s legendary
  on-air career to remind us why he will forever stand as one of the most
  brilliant and fearless critics of our time.

• Greetings from Tim Buckley,
  directed by Daniel Algrant, written by David Brendel, Emma Sheanshang
  and  Algrant. (USA) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. “Like father, like son”
  is a demanding expression for someone who never knew his dad. When young
  Jeff Buckley (Penn Badgley) is asked to participate in a tribute
  concert for his late musician father Tim, music opens his eyes to the
  artistic legacy that he is destined to follow. Imogen Poots co-stars in
  this quiet and powerful tribute to those legends sustained by
  admiration, love and, in this case, beautiful music. A Tribeca Film release.

• Haute Cuisine,
  directed by Christian Vincent, written by Etienne Comar and Vincent.
  (France) – North American Premiere, Narrative. Chef Hortense Laborie
  (Catherine Frot) is plucked from relative obscurity to whip up classic
  French dishes for the most powerful man in the nation. Based on the
  real-life story of the personal chef to former French president François
  Mitterand, Haute Cuisine uses the politically charged kitchen and
  corridors of the Élysée Palace as an exquisite backdrop for a nonstop
  parade of mouthwatering dishes in this deliciously French comedy. In English, French with subtitles. The Weinstein Company release.

• I Got Somethin’ to Tell You,
  directed by Whoopi Goldberg. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary.
  Having broken racial and sexual boundaries as a pioneering comic talent,
  the late Moms Mabley has long been an icon in the comedy world. Now
  Whoopi Goldberg takes a deep dive into Mabley’s legacy via recently
  unearthed photography, rediscovered performance footage and the words of
  numerous celebrated comedians. A true passion project for Goldberg, I Got Somethin’ to Tell You shows Mabley’s historical significance and profound influence as a performer vastly ahead of her time.

• In God We Trust,
  directed and written by Victor Kubicek and Derek Anderson. (USA) –
  World Premiere, Documentary. Bernie Madoff ruined many lives before his
  arrest in 2008. Perhaps no one was so personally affected as his
  longtime personal secretary, Eleanor Squillari. Meet Squillari in the
  days and months after the arrest, as her obsession with the case grows
  into her own unique search for clues. In God We Trust follows
  Squillari on her personal journey for justice, exposing previously
  unknown facts about the greatest financial crime ever committed.

• Inside Out: The People’s Art Project,
  directed by Alastair Siddons. (France, U.K.) – World Premiere,
  Documentary. This fascinating documentary tracks the evolution of the
  world’s largest participatory art project, the wildly popular “Inside
  Out.” Travel the globe with French artist JR as he motivates communities
  to define their most important causes by pasting giant portraits in the
  street, testing the limits of what they thought possible. In capturing
  the process, Alastair Siddons creates a glowing testament to the power
  of the image and the role that art can play in transforming lives. In Arabic, Creole, English, French, Spanish with subtitles.

• Lil Bub & Friendz,
  directed by Andy Capper and Juliette Eisner. (USA) – World Premiere,
  Documentary. Called “the most famous cat on the Internet,” the wide-eyed
  perma-kitten Lil Bub is the adorable embodiment of the Web’s
  fascination with all things cats. Join Lil Bub and her owner on wild
  cross-country romp as they meet the Internet’s most famous
  cat-lebrities. Chock full of adorable kitties, hilarious videos and the
  dedicated cat enthusiasts who love them, Lil Bub & Friendz is
  a fun and hip peek behind the memes we know and love. Includes Mike
  “The Dude” Bridavsky, Ben Lashes, Grumpy Cat, Nyan Cat, Keyboard Cat.

• McConkey,
  directed and written by Steve Winter, Murray Wais, Scott Gaffney, David
  Zieff, and Rob Bruce. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. An all-star
  roster of sports movie-making talent directs this heartfelt biography of
  extreme ski trailblazer Shane McConkey, once described as “the most
  influential skier ever.” McConkey covers
  forty years and countless high places to track Shane’s conversion from
  downhill racer to freeskiing marvel to pioneer of a hair-raising new
  discipline—ski BASE jumping—giving alarming new meaning to the question,
  how far would you go to be the next big thing?

• The Motivation,
  directed by Adam Bhala Lough. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Go
  inside the lives and training regimes of eight of the world’s gutsiest
  professional skateboarders. These fearless stars face unique obstacles
  on the way to the Street League Championship and the coveted title of
  best skateboarder in the world. Adam Bhala Lough, creator of the 2003
  independent hit Bomb the System (TFF
  2003), directs this fresh, energetic documentary in search of the
  elusive quality that separates the winners from the pack. Features Nyjah
  Huston, Ryan Sheckler, Chris Cole, Paul Rodriguez, Sean Malto, Rob
  Dyrdek, Chaz Ortiz, Luan Oliveira, and Bastien Salabanzi. In English, Portuguese with subtitles.

• The Pretty One,
  directed and written by Jenée LaMarque. (USA) – World Premiere,
  Narrative. Audrey has all of the qualities that her twin sister Laurel
  wishes she possessed: confidence, style, independence. When tragedy
  strikes, Laurel has the opportunity to reinvent herself. In a complex
  performance, Zoe Kazan poignantly captures Laurel’s complex mix of loss
  and awakening, especially as she begins a new relationship with her
  neighbor (Jake Johnson). Jenée LaMarque’s first feature film is a
  quirky, lovely tale of identity and the eternal bond between two
  sisters.

• Prince Avalanche,
  directed and written by David Gordon Green. (USA) – New York Premiere,
  Narrative. Alvin (Paul Rudd) and Lance (Emile Hirsch) spend the summer
  of 1988 repainting a highway in a fire-damaged forest. The isolation
  quickly wears thin on Lance, yet an unlikely friendship emerges within
  their cutting jibes and forced reconciliations to meet the long road
  that lies ahead. David Gordon Green returns to the lyrical tenor of his
  earliest films in this potent blend of comedy and road-movie stoicism,
  based on the 2011 Icelandic film Either Way.  A Magnolia Pictures release.

• The Project, directed and written by Shawn Efran and Adam Ciralsky. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. The Project profiles
  the precarious, real-life story of the Puntland Maritime Police Force, a
  group of Somali pirate hunters. Taking the hijacking of the African
  waterways and the kidnapping of innocent citizens into their
  under-trained hands, the PMPF face mutiny, death and a loss of corporate
  funding in their dangerous quest to free the Middle East shipping
  industry from terror. The mercenaries’ epic battle makes for an intense,
  gripping and disarming ride.

• Reaching for the Moon (Flores Raras),
  directed by Bruno Barreto, written by Matthew Chapman and Carolina
  Kotscho. (Brazil) – North American Premiere, Narrative. Frustrated poet
  Elizabeth Bishop travels to Brazil and encounters the beguiling
  architect Lota de Macedo Soares. Initial hostilities make way for a
  complicated yet long-lasting love affair that dramatically alters
  Bishop’s relationship to the world around her. Anchored by magnificent
  lead performances from Miranda Otto and Glória Pires, Reaching for the Moon is an intimate snapshot of the search for inspiration, wherever and however you find it. In English, Portuguese with subtitles.

• The Reluctant Fundamentalist,
  directed by Mira Nair, written by Mohsin Hamid, William Wheeler, Ami
  Boghani. (India, Pakistan, USA) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake)
  returns with another spellbinding adaptation of a celebrated
  bestseller. Pakistan-born Changez (Riz Ahmed) turns a Princeton degree
  into a cushy life on Wall Street with a gorgeous girlfriend (Kate
  Hudson). Then the Twin Towers fall, and his American dream shatters amid
  interrogations and overwhelming national distrust. He soon questions
  his allegiances, as this thriller exposes the dangers of being a
  stranger in your own land.Kiefer Sutherland, Liev Schreiber and Om Puri
  also star. An IFC Films release.

• Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic,
  directed by Marina Zenovich, written by Peter Morgan. (USA) – World
  Premiere, Documentary. This moving portrait of legendary comedian
  Richard Pryor chronicles his life from his troubled youth in Peoria,
  Illinois, to his meteoric rise as one of the most respected comic actors
  of the 20th century. Often misunderstood during the height of his
  celebrity, the late superstar has never been profiled this extensively.
  Marina Zenovich’s revealing and entertaining film lays bare the demons
  with which he struggled and reminds us just how daring and dangerous
  artistic freedom can be. Includes interviews with Whoopi Goldberg, Robin
  Williams, Mel Brooks, Quincy Jones, Lily Tomlin, Jesse Jackson.

• A Single Shot, directed by David M. Rosenthal, written by Matthew F. Jones. (U.K., USA, Canada) – North American Premiere, Narrative. A Single Shot brings
  together a wealth of indie stalwarts, including Sam Rockwell, William
  H. Macy, Melissa Leo and Jeffrey Wright, to paint a tense portrait of
  John Moon, a man attempting to win back his estranged family while
  desperately outrunning an accidental crime. Director David M. Rosenthal
  returns to the Festival with this ominously atmospheric and suspenseful
  backwoods tale of circumstance, based on Matthew F. Jones’s 1996 novel.

• Some Velvet Morning,
  directed and written by Neil LaBute. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative.
  Fred arrives at Velvet’s doorstep, suitcases in tow. He tells her that
  he has finally left his wife to be with her, news to Velvet since she
  has not seen him in years and is now with Fred’s recently married son.
  As Fred’s hopes crash to earth during a conversation brimming with
  passion, remorse, humor and anger, the twisted heart of a fascinating
  relationship is revealed. Stanley Tucci and Alice Eve star in this
  spirited living room drama.

• Trust Me,
  directed and written by Clark Gregg. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative.
  Directed by and starring Clark Gregg and featuring Sam Rockwell,
  William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, Allison Janney and Amanda Peet, Trust Me follows
  flailing Hollywood agent Howard, who seemingly strikes gold after
  signing the next big child star. What results is an unexpected ride
  through the nasty inner workings of Hollywood, as Howard desperately
  tries to make it in an industry that has no interest in recognizing his
  bumbling but ultimately genuine nature.

• Whitewash,
  directed by Emanuel  Hoss-Desmarais, written by Marc Tulin and
  Hoss-Desmarais. (Canada) – World Premiere, Narrative. The brutality of
  winter and the power of the mind are aptly portrayed in this dark comedy
  set in Northern Quebec. Bruce (Thomas Haden Church) is merely trying to
  survive a harsh winter when he meets Jean. Conflict leads to an
  accidental death, and Bruce finds himself in a complicated and
  unexpected place. Grappling with his guilt, Bruce creates a prison from
  which he cannot escape. Haden Church perfectly utilizes his comic talent
  in this wry, well-crafted film.

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• Dark Touch,
  directed and written by Marina de Van. (France) – World
  Premiere, Narrative. Niamh is the lone survivor of a bloody massacre
  after the furniture and objects in her family’s isolated house take on a
  monstrous life of their own. The police ignore her wild stories and the
  family friends and social worker who take her in try to introduce a new
  life. But in this psychological thriller, Niamh is unable to leave her
  violent past behind her, endangering everyone who crosses her path.

• Frankenstein’s Army,
  directed by Richard Raaphorst, written by Chris W. Mitchell and Miguel
  Tejada-Flores. (Netherlands) – International Premiere, Narrative. In the
  waning days of World War II, a team of Russian soldiers finds itself on
  a mysterious mission to the lab of one Dr. Victor Frankenstein. They
  unearth a terrifying Nazi plan to resurrect fallen soldiers as an army
  of unstoppable freaks and are soon trapped in a veritable haunted house
  of cobbled-together monstrosities. Frankenstein’s Army is the wild steampunk Nazi found-footage zombie mad scientist film you’ve always wanted.

• Fresh Meat,
  directed by Danny Mulheron, written by Briar Grace-Smith. (New Zealand)
  – New York Premiere, Narrative. After a poorly executed escape from the
  police, a gang of dysfunctional criminals flees to the suburbs and gets
  more than it bargained for when it crash lands in the garage of an
  upper-class Maori family whose refined palates have developed a taste
  for human flesh. This action-packed horror comedy tells a
  blood-spattered tale of basement butchery and shifting allegiances as
  these unlikely adversaries enter a deadly showdown. A Tribeca Film release.

• The Machine,
  directed and written by Caradog James. (U.K.) –World Premiere,
  Narrative. Caradog James adds another layer to the Frankenstein story in
  the latest gripping sci-fi adventure to come out of the U.K.. Already
  deep into a second Cold War, Britain’s Ministry of Defence seeks a
  game-changing weapon. Programmer Vincent McCarthy unwittingly provides
  an answer in The Machine, a super-strong human cyborg played by the impressive Caity Lotz (The Pact).
  When a programming bug causes the prototype to decimate his lab,
  McCarthy takes his obsessive efforts underground, far away from
  inquisitive eyes.

• Mr. Jones,
  directed and written by Karl Mueller. (USA) – World Premiere,
  Narrative. Scott (Jon Foster) is a filmmaker in need of inspiration. He
  and his girlfriend Penny move into a desolate house hoping to make a
  breakthrough. Then they discover their neighbor, the elusive Mr. Jones.
  Famous for his haunting sculptures, Mr. Jones has remained a mystery to
  the world. Scott and Penny, convinced that they have found the perfect
  film subject, sneak into his workshop and realize that their curiosity
  may have chilling consequences. Who is Mr. Jones?

• Raze, directed by Josh Waller, written by Robert Beaucage. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Stuntwoman Zoe Bell (Inglorious Basterds, Kill Bill 1&2)
  headlines this sly subversion of the women-in-prison genre. After
  Sabrina (Bell) is abducted, she finds herself in an underground lair,
  forced to do battle with other innocent women for the amusement of
  unseen spectators. Each of these reluctant warriors has something to
  lose, but only one will remain when the game is done. Violent and
  relentless, Raze takes its video game
  aesthetic to the deepest and darkest places, rarely surfacing for air.
  Includes Rachel Nichols and Tracie Thoms.

• V/H/S/2,
  directed by Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Eduardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale,
  Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Evans, Jason Eisener, written by Barrett, Jamie
  Nash, Tjahjanto, Evans, Eisener, and John Davies (USA, Indonesia) – New
  York Premiere, Narrative. Investigators break into a house, find a vast
  collection of VHS tapes and play them one by one. The videos include
  visions of the paranormal, flesh-eating zombies, a shockingly genuine
  scene of hell on earth and a slumber party gone horribly awry. This
  highly anticipated sequel to last year’s horror breakout V/H/S features contributions from contemporary genre filmmaking’s leading talents, including the creators of Hobo with a Shotgun, The Raid, You’re Next and The Blair Witch Project. In English, Indonesian with subtitles. A Magnet Release.

• A Journal of Insomnia, Project creators: Bruno Choiniere, Philippe Lambert, and Guillaume Braun. (Canada). Insomniacs
  are both spectators and actors in this large, interactive fresco that
  combines hundreds of personal reflections on sleepless nights, gathered
  online from insomniacs around the world since fall 2012. This work,
  produced by The National Film Board of Canada, provides a cutting
  portrait of insomnia as a universal and peculiarly wide-ranging
  affliction and challenges visitors to experience the condition for
  themselves.

• Robots in Residence, Project Creators: Brent Hoff and Alexander Reben. (USA). Robots in Residence challenges
  Alfred Hitchcock’s claim that “in feature films the director is God; in
  documentary films God is the director.” Here there is no god, as
  pre-programmed robots collaborate with festival audiences to direct and
  shoot a documentary in its entirety. Robot artist Alexander Reben and
  filmmaker Brent Hoff forge a provocative new form of documentary
  storytelling by using robots as a lens through which we take a new look
  at humanity.

• Sandy Storyline, Project Creators: Rachel Falcone, Laura Gottesdiener, and Michael Premo. (USA). Using audio, photography, text and video, Sandy Storyline is
  an ever-growing documentary narrative as community members and
  volunteers offer their accounts of the storm and the efforts to recover
  and rebuild local neighborhoods. The project forges a new type of media
  in time of crisis, one that is participatory, interactive and designed
  for community empowerment.

• Star Wars Uncut, Project Creator: Casey Pugh. (USA). Love Star Wars but
  think you would have done it differently? Then this fun, creative and
  wonderfully nostalgic interactive media project is for you. Using
  everything from hand-drawn animations to intricate reenactments, fans
  and series novices created short alternatives to the Star Wars storyline and went online to piece them all together. Discover a whole new approach to Star Wars, one fifteen-second burst at a time.

• This Exquisite Forest, Project Creators:  Aaron Koblin and Chris Milk (USA). Conceived by Chris Milk and Aaron Koblin and produced by Google and Tate Modern, This Exquisite Forest was inspired by the surrealist game “exquisite corpse” and its idea of collaborative creation. The project, hosted at exquisiteforest.com,
  allows visitors to create short animations right in their web browser.
  Other users may build on the animation at any point, creating a
  collection of navigable, branching narratives resembling trees that grow
  bigger as more artists contribute.

• Alberi, directed by Michaelangelo Frammartino. (Italy) –World Premiere, Documentary. Wrapping the audience in waves of sound,Alberi takes
  us on a circular journey through the Italian countryside. The marvelous
  natural music at the tops of the eponymous trees makes way for the
  rhythmic cadence of civilization—men baring axes and the natural clatter
  of daily life—before their unforgettable return home from the forest.
  The singular artistry of director Michelangelo Frammartino (Le quatro volte) is beautifully displayed in this mesmerizing homage to nature. Italian with subtitles.

• Sidewalk Stories,
  directed and written by Charles Lane. (USA) –Narrative. The low-budget,
  New York-in-the-’80s movie that proves that silence is not all that
  golden, Charles Lane’s magnetic Sidewalk Stories is
  long overdue for rediscovery. Lane plays a sidewalk chalk artist whose
  efforts to care for an abandoned toddler are confounded by the oddball
  homeless characters he meets. Black-and-white and mostly silent, the
  film is an ingenious and whimsical effort by a black artist to give a
  voice to those who have none.

• Herblock – The Black & The White,
  directed by Michael Stevens, written by Sara Lukinson and Stevens.
  (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Herbert Block’s career at The Washington Post spanned
  fifty-five years and thirteen presidents, a timeframe in which he
  claimed three Pulitzer Prizes, the Medal of Freedom and a significant
  role in President Nixon’s resignation. Ben Bradlee, Tom Brokaw, Bob
  Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Jules Feiffer, Ted Koppel and Jon Stewart are
  among the many commentators bearing witness to Block’s life, work and
  indelible contribution to American satire in this inviting documentary. Herbert Block to attend. 

• The Trials of Muhammad Ali,
  directed by Bill Siegel. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Brash
  boxer Cassius Clay burst into the American consciousness in the early
  1960s, just ahead of the Civil Rights movement. His transformation into
  the spiritually enlightened heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali is
  legendary, but this religious awakening also led to a bitter legal
  battle with the U.S. government after he refused to serve in the Vietnam
  War. This film reveals the perfect storm of race, religion and politics
  that shaped one of the most recognizable figures in sports history.

• Running From Crazy,
  directed by Barbara Kopple. (USA) – New York Premiere, Documentary.
  Join actress Mariel Hemingway, granddaughter of legendary author Ernest
  Hemingway, as she examines the mental illness and suicide that colors
  her family’s history and tries to avert that fate for herself and her
  daughters. By mixing in remarkable archival footage of the three
  Hemingway sisters, two-time Academy Award®-winner Barbara Kopple expands
  one famous family’s deeply embedded truths into a broad picture of the
  courage it takes to face the past and change your future.

• Möbius,
  directed and written by Eric Rochant. (France) – International
  Premiere,  Narrative. Set in the incomparable beauty of Monaco, Eric
  Rochant’s first feature in seven years follows undercover Russian FSB
  officer Gregory Lioubov (Jean Dujardin, The Artist) and international trader Alice Redmond (Cécile De France, Hereafter),
  who has her own secrets to hide. Their relationship sparks a deadly
  chase to snag Lioubov’s real target, business magnate Ivan Rostovsky
  (Tim Roth). Also starring Émilie Dequenne, Möbius is a twisting, sexy
  spy thriller that fittingly leaves you guessing which way is up. Featuring special guest appearances from director Eric Rochant and main actress Cécile de France.

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