The Complete 2016 Sundance Film Festival Lineup

PREMIERES
A showcase of world premieres of some of the most highly
anticipated narrative films of the coming year.

“Agnus Dei” / France, Poland (Director: Anne Fontaine,
Screenwriters: Sabrina N. Karine, Alice Vial, Pascal Bonitzer) — 1945 Poland:
Mathilde, a young French doctor, is on a mission to help World War II
survivors. When a nun seeks her assistance in helping several pregnant nuns in
hiding, who are unable to reconcile their faith with their pregnancies,
Mathilde becomes their only hope. Cast:
Lou de Laâge, Agata Kulesza, Agata Buzek, Vincent Macaigne, Joanna Kulig,
Katarzyna Dabrowska. World Premiere

“Ali & Nino” / United Kingdom (Director: Asif Kapadia,
Screenwriter: Christopher Hampton) — Muslim prince Ali and Georgian aristocrat
Nino have grown up in the Russian province of Azerbaijan. Their tragic love
story sees the outbreak of the First World War and the world’s struggle for
Baku’s oil. Ultimately they must choose to fight for their country’s
independence or for each other. Cast:
Adam Bakri, Maria Valverde, Mandy Patinkin, Connie Nielsen, Riccardo Scamarcio,
Homayoun Ershadi. World Premiere

“Captain Fantastic” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matt
Ross) — Deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a father devoted to
raising his six kids with a rigorous physical and intellectual education is
forced to leave his paradise and re-enter society, beginning a journey that
challenges his idea of what it means to be a parent. Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Frank Langella, George MacKay, Kathryn Hahn,
Steve Zahn, Ann Dowd. World Premiere

“Certain Women” / U.S.A. (Director: Kelly Reichardt,
Screenwriter: Kelly Reichardt based on stories by Maile Meloy) — The lives of
three woman intersect in small-town America, where each is imperfectly blazing
a trail. Cast: Laura Dern, Kristen
Stewart, Michelle Williams, James Le Gros, Jared Harris, Lily Gladstone. World
Premiere

“Complete Unknown” / U.S.A. (Director: Joshua Marston,
Screenwriters: Joshua Marston, Julian Sheppard) — When Tom and his wife host a
dinner party to celebrate his birthday, one of their friends brings a date
named Alice. Tom is convinced he knows her, but she’s going by a different name
and a different biography—and she’s not acknowledging that she knows him. Cast: Rachel Weisz, Michael Shannon, Kathy
Bates, Danny Glover. World Premiere

“Frank & Lola” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matthew
Ross) — A psychosexual noir love story—set in Las Vegas and Paris—about love,
obsession, sex, betrayal, revenge and, ultimately, the search for redemption. Cast: Michael Shannon, Imogen Poots, Michael
Nyqvist, Justin Long, Emmanuelle Devos, Rosanna Arquette. World Premiere

“The Fundamentals of Caring” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter:
Rob Burnett) — Having suffered a tragedy, Ben becomes a caregiver to earn
money. His first client, Trevor, is a hilarious 18-year-old with muscular
dystrophy. One paralyzed emotionally, one paralyzed physically, Ben and Trevor
hit the road, finding hope, friendship, and Dot in this funny and touching
inspirational tale. Cast: Paul Rudd, Craig
Roberts, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Ehle, Megan Ferguson, Frederick Weller. World Premiere. CLOSING NIGHT FILM 

“The Hollars” / U.S.A. (Director: John Krasinski, Screenwriter:
Jim Strouse) — Aspiring New York City artist John Hollar returns to his Middle
America hometown on the eve of his mother’s brain surgery. Joined by his
girlfriend, eight months pregnant with their first child, John is forced to
navigate the crazy world he left behind. Cast:
John Krasinski, Anna Kendrick, Margo Martindale, Richard Jenkins, Sharlto
Copley, Charlie Day. World Premiere

“Hunt for the Wilderpeople” / New Zealand (Director and
screenwriter: Taika Waititi) — Ricky is a defiant young city kid who finds
himself on the run with his cantankerous foster uncle in the wild New Zealand
bush. A national manhunt ensues, and the two are forced to put aside their
differences and work together to survive in this heartwarming adventure comedy.
Cast: Julian Dennison, Sam Neill, Rima Te
Wiata, Rachel House, Oscar Kightley. World Premiere

“Indignation” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: James Schamus)
— It’s 1951, and among the new arrivals at Winesburg College in Ohio are the
son of a kosher butcher from New Jersey and the beautiful, brilliant daughter
of a prominent alum. For a brief moment, their lives converge in this
emotionally soaring film based on the novel by Philip Roth. Cast: Logan Lerman, Sarah Gadon, Tracy
Letts, Linda Emond, Danny Burstein, Ben Rosenfield. World Premiere

“Little Men” / U.S.A. (Director: Ira Sachs, Screenwriters:
Mauricio Zacharias & Ira Sachs) — When 13-year-old Jake’s grandfather dies, his family
moves back into their old Brooklyn home. There, Jake befriends Tony, whose
single Chilean mother runs the shop downstairs. As their friendship deepens,
however, their families are driven apart by a battle over rent, and the boys
respond with a vow of silence. Cast: Greg
Kinnear, Jennifer Ehle, Paulina Garcia, Theo Taplitz, Michael Barbieri. World
Premiere

“Love & Friendship” / Ireland, France, Netherlands (Director
and screenwriter: Whit Stillman) — From Jane Austen’s novella, the beautiful
and cunning Lady Susan Vernon visits the estate of her in-laws to wait out
colorful rumors of her dalliances and to find husbands for herself and her
daughter. Two young men, handsome Reginald DeCourcy and wealthy Sir James
Martin, severely complicate her plans. Cast:
Kate Beckinsale, Chloë Sevigny, Xavier Samuel, Emma
Greenwell, Tom Bennett, Stephen Fry. World Premiere

“Manchester by the Sea” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter:
Kenneth Lonergan) — After his older brother passes away, Lee Chandler is forced
to return home to care for his 16-year-old nephew. There he is compelled to
deal with a tragic past that separated him from his family and the community
where he was born and raised. Cast: Casey
Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges, Kyle Chandler. World Premiere

“Mr. Pig” / Mexico (Director: Diego Luna, Screenwriters: Augusto
Mendoza, Diego Luna) — On a mission to sell his last remaining prize hog and
reunite with old friends, an aging farmer abandons his foreclosed farm and
journeys to Mexico. After smuggling in the hog, his estranged daughter shows
up, forcing them to face their past and embark on an adventurous road trip
together. Cast: Danny Glover, Maya
Rudolph, José María Yazpik, Joel Murray, Angélica Aragón, Gabriela Araujo.
World Premiere

“Sing Street” / Ireland (Director and screenwriter: John Carney)
— A boy growing up in Dublin during the ’80s escapes his strained family life
and tough new school by starting a band to win the heart of a beautiful and
mysterious girl. Cast: Ferdia
Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor, Aidan Gillen, Mark McKenna. World
Premiere

“Sophie and the Rising Sun” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter:
Maggie Greenwald) — In a small Southern town in the autumn of 1941, Sophie’s
lonely life is transformed when an Asian man arrives under mysterious
circumstances. Their love affair becomes the lightning rod for long-buried
conflicts that erupt in bigotry and violence with the outbreak of World War ll.
Cast: Julianne Nicholson, Margo
Martindale, Lorraine Toussaint, Takashi Yamaguchi, Diane Ladd, Joel Murray.
World Premiere. SALT LAKE CITY GALA
FILM

“Wiener-Dog” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Todd Solondz) —
This film tells several stories featuring people who find their life inspired
or changed by one particular dachshund, who seems to be spreading comfort and
joy. Cast: Greta Gerwig, Kieran Culkin,
Danny DeVito, Ellen Burstyn, Julie Delpy, Zosia Mamet. World Premiere 

DOCUMENTARY
PREMIERES
Renowned filmmakers and films about far-reaching subjects
comprise this section highlighting our ongoing commitment to documentaries.

“Eat That Question—Frank Zappa in His Own Words” / France, Germany (Director: Thorsten
Schütte) — This entertaining encounter with the premier of sonic avant-garde is
acidic, fun-poking, and full of rich and rare archival footage. This
documentary bashes favorite Zappa targets and dashes a few myths about the man
himself. World Premiere

“Film Hawk” / U.S.A. (Directors:
JJ Garvine, Tai Parquet) — Trace Bob Hawk’s early years as the young gay child
of a Methodist minister to his current career as a consultant on some of the
most influential independent films of our time. World Premiere

“LO AND BEHOLD, Reveries of the Connected World” / U.S.A.
(Director: Werner Herzog) — Does the internet dream of itself? Explore the
horizons of the connected world. World
Premiere

“Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures” / U.S.A. (Directors: Fenton
Bailey, Randy Barbato) — This examination of Robert Mapplethorpe’s outrageous
life is led by the artist himself, speaking with brutal honesty in a series of
rediscovered interviews about his passions. Intimate revelations from friends,
family, and lovers shed new light on this scandalous artist who ignited a
culture war that still rages on. World
Premiere 

“Maya Angelou And Still I Rise” / U.S.A.
(Directors: Bob Hercules, Rita Coburn Whack) — The remarkable story of Maya
Angelou — iconic writer, poet, actress and activist whose life has intersected
some of the most profound moments in recent American history. World Premiere

“Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall” / U.S.A.
(Director: Spike Lee) — Catapulted by the success of his first major solo
project, Off the Wall, Michael Jackson
went from child star to King of Pop. This film explores the seminal album, with
rare archival footage and interviews from those who were there and those whose
lives its success and legacy impacted. World
Premiere
“Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You” / U.S.A. (Directors:
Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady) — How did a poor Jewish kid from Connecticut bring
us Archie Bunker and become one of the most successful television producers
ever? Norman Lear brought provocative subjects like war, poverty, and prejudice
into 120 million homes every week. He proved that social change was possible
through an unlikely prism: laughter. World
Premiere. DAY ONE FILM

“Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt & Anderson Cooper” / U.S.A.
(Director: Liz Garbus) — Gloria Vanderbilt and her son Anderson Cooper each
tell the story of their past and present, their loves and losses, and reveal
how some family stories have the tendency to repeat themselves in the most
unexpected ways. World Premiere

“Resilience” / U.S.A. (Director: James Redford) — This film
chronicles the birth of a new movement among pediatricians, therapists,
educators, and communities using cutting-edge brain science to disrupt cycles
of violence, addiction, and disease. These professionals help break the cycles
of adversity by daring to talk about the effects of divorce, abuse, and
neglect. World Premiere

“Richard Linklater—dream is destiny” / U.S.A. (Directors: Louis
Black, Karen Bernstein) — This is an unconventional look at a fiercely
independent style of filmmaking that arose in the 1990s from Austin, Texas,
outside the studio system. The film blends rare archival footage with journals,
exclusive interviews with Linklater on and off set, and clips from “Slacker,” “Dazed and Confused,” “Boyhood,” and more. World Premiere

“Under the Gun” / U.S.A. (Director: Stephanie Soechtig) — The
Sandy Hook massacre was considered a watershed moment in the national debate on
gun control, but the body count at the hands of gun violence has only
increased. Through the lens of the victims’ families, as well as pro-gun
advocates, we examine why our politicians have failed to act. World Premiere

“Unlocking the Cage” / U.S.A. (Directors: Chris Hegedus, Donn
Alan Pennebaker) — Follow animal rights lawyer Steven Wise in his unprecedented
challenge to break down the legal wall that separates animals from humans. By
filing the first lawsuit of its kind, Wise seeks to transform a chimpanzee from
a “thing” with no rights to a “person” with basic legal
protection. World Premiere

U.S. DRAMATIC
COMPETITION

Presenting the world premieres of 16 narrative feature
films, the Dramatic Competition offers Festivalgoers a first look at
groundbreaking new voices in American independent film.

“As You Are” / U.S.A. (Director: Miles Joris-Peyrafitte,
Screenwriters: Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, Madison Harrison) — As You Are is the telling and retelling of a relationship between
three teenagers as it traces the course of their friendship through a
construction of disparate memories prompted by a police investigation. Cast: Owen Campbell, Charlie Heaton, Amandla
Stenberg, John Scurti, Scott Cohen, Mary Stuart Masterson. World Premiere

“The Birth of a Nation” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nate
Parker) — Set against the antebellum South, this story follows Nat Turner, a
literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner,
accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves.
After witnessing countless atrocities against fellow slaves, Nat devises a plan
to lead his people to freedom. Cast: Nate
Parker, Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley, Gabrielle Union, Mark
Boone Jr. World Premiere

“Christine” / U.S.A. (Director: Antonio Campos, Screenwriter:
Craig Shilowich) — In 1974, a female TV news reporter aims for high standards
in life and love in Sarasota, Florida. Missing her mark is not an option. This
story is based on true events. Cast:
Rebecca Hall, Michael C. Hall, Maria Dizzia, Tracy Letts, J. Smith-Cameron.
World Premiere

“Equity” / U.S.A. (Director: Meera Menon, Screenwriter: Amy Fox)
— A female investment banker, fighting to get a promotion at her competitive
Wall Street firm, leads a controversial tech IPO in the post-financial-crisis
world, where regulations are tight but pressure to bring in big money remains
high. Cast: Anna Gunn, James Purefoy,
Sarah Megan Thomas, Alysia Reiner. World
Premiere

“The Free World” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jason Lew)
— Following his release from a brutal stretch in prison for crimes he didn’t
commit, Mo is struggling to adapt to life on the outside. When his world
collides with Doris, a mysterious woman with a violent past, he decides to risk
his newfound freedom to keep her in his life. Cast: Boyd Holbrook, Elisabeth Moss, Octavia Spencer, Sung Kang, Waleed
Zuaiter. World Premiere

“Goat” / U.S.A. (Director: Andrew Neel, Screenwriters: David
Gordon Green, Andrew Neel, Michael Roberts) — Reeling from a terrifying
assault, a 19-year-old boy pledges his brother’s fraternity in an attempt to
prove his manhood. What happens there, in the name of “brotherhood,”
tests both the boys and their relationship in brutal ways. Cast: Nick Jonas, Ben Schnetzer, Virginia Gardner, Danny Flaherty,
Austin Lyon. World Premiere

“The Intervention” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Clea
DuVall) — A weekend getaway for four couples takes a sharp turn when one of the
couples discovers the entire trip was orchestrated to host an intervention on
their marriage. Cast: Melanie Lynskey,
Cobie Smulders, Alia Shawkat, Clea DuVall, Natasha Lyonne, Ben Schwartz. World
Premiere

“Joshy” / U.S.A.
(Director and screenwriter: Jeff Baena) — Josh treats what would have been his
bachelor party as an opportunity to reconnect with his friends. Cast: Thomas Middleditch, Adam Pally, Alex
Ross Perry, Nick Kroll, Brett Gelman, Jenny Slate. World Premiere

“Lovesong” / U.S.A. (Director: So Yong Kim, Screenwriters: So
Yong Kim, Bradley Rust Gray) — Neglected by her husband, Sarah embarks on an
impromptu road trip with her young daughter and her best friend, Mindy. Along
the way, the dynamic between the two friends intensifies before circumstances
force them apart. Years later, Sarah attempts to rebuild their intimate
connection in the days before Mindy’s wedding. Cast: Jena Malone, Riley Keough, Brooklyn Decker, Amy Seimetz, Ryan
Eggold, Rosanna Arquette. World Premiere

“Morris from America” / U.S.A., Germany (Director and
screenwriter: Chad Hartigan) — Thirteen-year-old Morris, a hip-hop loving
American, moves to Heidelberg, Germany, with his father. In this completely
foreign land, he falls in love with a local girl, befriends his German
tutor-turned-confidant, and attempts to navigate the unique trials and
tribulations of adolescence. Cast:
Markees Christmas, Craig Robinson, Carla Juri, Lina Keller, Jakub Gierszał,
Levin Henning. World Premiere

“Other People” / U.S.A. (Director
and screenwriter: Chris Kelly) — A struggling comedy writer, fresh from
breaking up with his boyfriend, moves to Sacramento to help his sick mother.
Living with his conservative father and younger sisters, David feels like a
stranger in his childhood home. As his mother worsens, he tries to convince
everyone (including himself) he’s “doing okay.” Cast: Jesse Plemons, Molly Shannon, Bradley Whitford, Maude Apatow,
Zach Woods, June Squibb. World
Premiere. DAY ONE FILM

“Southside With You” /
U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Richard Tanne) — Southside With You is a chronicle of the summer afternoon in 1989
when the future president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, wooed
his future First Lady on an epic first date across Chicago’s South Side. Cast: Tika Sumpter, Parker Sawyers, Vanessa
Bell Calloway. World Premiere

“Spa Night” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter:
Andrew Ahn) — A young Korean-American man works to reconcile his obligations to
his struggling immigrant family with his burgeoning sexual desires in the
underground world of gay hookups at Korean spas in Los Angeles. Cast: Joe Seo, Haerry Kim, Youn Ho Cho, Tae
Song, Ho Young Chung, Linda Han. World Premiere

“Swiss Army Man” / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Daniel
Scheinert, Daniel Kwan) — Hank, a hopeless man stranded in the wild, discovers
a mysterious dead body. Together the two embark on an epic journey to get home.
As Hank realizes the body is the key to his survival, this once-suicidal man is
forced to convince a dead body that life is worth living. Cast: Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe, Mary Elizabeth Winstead. World Premiere

 

“Tallulah” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sian Heder) — A
rootless young woman takes a toddler from a wealthy, negligent mother and
passes the baby off as her own in an effort to protect her. This decision
connects and transforms the lives of three very different women. Cast: Ellen Page, Allison Janney, Tammy Blanchard,
Evan Jonigkeit, Uzo Aduba. World Premiere

“White Girl” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Elizabeth Wood)
— Summer, New York City: A college student goes to extremes to get her drug
dealer boyfriend out of jail. Cast:
Morgan Saylor, Brian ‘Sene’ Marc, Justin Bartha, Chris Noth, India Menuez,
Adrian Martinez. World Premiere

U.S. DOCUMENTARY
COMPETITION
Sixteen world-premiere American documentaries that
illuminate the ideas, people, and events that shape the present day.

“Audrie & Daisy” / U.S.A. (Directors: Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk)
— After two high school girls in different towns are sexually assaulted by boys
they consider friends, online bullying leads each girl to attempt suicide.
Tragically, one dies. Assault in the social media age is explored from the
perspectives of the girls and boys involved, as well as their torn-apart
communities. World Premiere

“Author: The JT LeRoy Story” / U.S.A. (Director: Jeff Feuerzeig)
— As the definitive look inside the mysterious case of 16-year-old literary
sensation JT LeRoy—a creature so perfect for his time that if he didn’t exist,
someone would have had to invent him—this is the strangest story about story
ever told. World Premiere

“The Bad Kids” / U.S.A. (Directors: Keith Fulton, Lou Pepe) — At
a remote Mojave Desert high school, extraordinary educators believe that
empathy and life skills, more than academics, give at-risk students command of
their own futures. This coming-of-age story watches education combat the
crippling effects of poverty in the lives of these so-called “bad
kids.” World Premiere

“Gleason” / U.S.A. (Director: Clay Tweel) — At the age of 34,
Steve Gleason, former NFL defensive back and New Orleans hero, was diagnosed
with ALS. Doctors gave him two to five years to live. So that is what Steve chose
to do: Live—both for his wife and newborn son and to help others with this
disease. World Premiere

“Holy Hell” / U.S.A. (Director: undisclosed) — Just out of
college, a young filmmaker joins a loving, secretive, and spiritual community
led by a charismatic teacher in 1980s West Hollywood. Twenty years later, the
group is shockingly torn apart. Told through two decades of the filmmaker’s
archival materials, this is their story. World
Premiere 

“How to Let Go of the World (and Love All the Things Climate Can’t
Change)” / U.S.A. (Director: Josh Fox) — Do we have a chance to stop the
most destructive consequences of climate change, or is it too late? Academy
Award-nominated director Josh Fox (Gasland)
travels to 12 countries on six continents to explore what we have to let go
of—and all of the things that climate can’t change. World Premiere

“Jim” / U.S.A. (Director: Brian Oakes) — The public execution of
American conflict journalist James Foley captured the world’s attention, but he
was more than just a man in an orange jumpsuit. Seen through the lens of his
close childhood friend, Jim moves
from adrenaline-fueled front lines and devastated neighborhoods of Syria into
the hands of ISIS. World Premiere

“Kate Plays Christine” / U.S.A. (Director: Robert Greene) — This
psychological thriller follows actor Kate Lyn Sheil as she prepares to play the
role of Christine Chubbuck, a Florida television host who committed suicide on
air in 1974. Christine’s tragic death was the inspiration for Network, and the mysteries surrounding
her final act haunt Kate and the production. World Premiere

“Kiki” / U.S.A., Sweden
(Director: Sara Jordenö) — Through a strikingly intimate and visually daring
lens, Kiki offers a riveting, complex
insight into a safe space created and governed by LGBTQ youths of color, who
are demanding happiness and political power. The film is an exciting
coming-of-age story about agency, resilience, and the transformative art form
of voguing. World Premiere

“Life, Animated” /
U.S.A. (Director: Roger Ross Williams) — Owen Suskind, an autistic boy who
could not speak for years, slowly emerged from his isolation by immersing
himself in Disney animated movies. Using these films as a roadmap, he
reconnects with his loving family and the wider world in this emotional
coming-of-age story. World Premiere

“Newtown” / U.S.A. (Director: Kim A. Snyder) —
After joining the ranks of a growing club no one wants to belong to, the people
of Newtown, Connecticut, weave an intimate story of resilience. This film
traces the aftermath of the worst mass shooting of schoolchildren in American
history as the traumatized community finds a new sense of purpose. World Premiere

“NUTS!” / U.S.A. (Director: Penny Lane) — The mostly true story
of Dr. John Romulus Brinkley, an eccentric genius who built an empire with his
goat-testicle impotence cure and a million-watt radio station. Animated
reenactments, interviews, archival footage, and one seriously unreliable
narrator trace his rise from poverty to celebrity and influence in 1920s
America. World Premiere

“Suited” / U.S.A. (Director: Jason Benjamin) — Bindle & Keep,
a Brooklyn tailoring company, makes custom suits for a growing legion of
gender-nonconforming clients. World
Premiere

“Trapped” / U.S.A. (Director: Dawn Porter) — American abortion clinics are in a
fight for survival. Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws are
increasingly being passed by states that maintain they ensure women’s safety
and health, but as clinics continue to shut their doors, opponents believe the
real purpose of these laws is to outlaw abortion. World Premiere

“Uncle Howard” /
U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Aaron Brookner) — Howard Brookner’s first film, “Burroughs: The Movie,” captured the cultural revolution of downtown
New York City in the early ’80s. Twenty-five years after his promising career
was cut short by AIDS, his nephew sets out to discover Howard’s
never-before-seen films to create a cinematic elegy about his childhood idol. World Premiere

“Weiner” / U.S.A. (Directors: Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg) —
With unrestricted access to Anthony Weiner’s New York City mayoral campaign,
this film reveals the human story behind the scenes of a high-profile political
scandal as it unfolds, and offers an unfiltered look at how much today’s
politics is driven by an appetite for spectacle. World Premiere

WORLD CINEMA
DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Twelve films from emerging filmmaking talents around the
world offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.

“Belgica” / Belgium, France, Netherlands (Director: Felix van
Groeningen, Screenwriters: Felix van Groeningen, Arne Sierens) — In the midst
of Belgium’s nightlife scene, two brothers start a bar and get swept up in its
success. Cast: Stef Aerts, Tom Vermeir,
Charlotte Vandermeersch, Hélène De Vos. World Premiere. DAY ONE FILM

“Between Sea and Land” / Colombia (Directors: Manolo Cruz, Carlos del
Castillo, Screenwriter: Manolo Cruz) — Alberto, who suffers from an illness
that binds him into a body that doesn’t obey him, lives with his loving mom,
who dedicates her life to him. His sickness impedes him from achieving his
greatest dream of knowing the sea, despite one being located just across the
street. Cast: Manolo Cruz, Vicky
Hernandéz, Viviana Serna, Jorge Cao, Mile Vergara, Javier Sáenz. World Premiere
“Brahman Naman” / United Kingdom, India (Director: Q,
Screenwriter: S. Ramachandran) — When Bangalore University’s misfit quiz team
manages to get into the national championships, they make an alcohol-fueled,
cross-country journey to the competition, determined to defeat their
arch-rivals from Calcutta while all desperately trying to lose their virginity.
Cast: Shashank Arora, Tanmay Dhanania,
Chaitanya Varad, Vaiswath Shankar, Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy, Sid Mallya. World
Premiere

“A Good Wife” / Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia (Director: Mirjana Karanovic, Screenwriters:
Mirjana Karanovic, Stevan
Filipovic, Darko Lungulov) — When 50-year-old Milena finds out about the
terrible past of her seemingly ideal husband, while simultaneously learning of
her own cancer diagnosis, she begins an awakening from the suburban paradise
she has been living in. Cast: Mirjana
Karanovic, Boris Isakovic, Jasna Djuricic, Bojan Navojec, Hristina Popovic,
Ksenija Marinkovic. World Premiere

“Halal Love (and Sex)” / Lebanon, Germany, United Arab Emirates (Director
and screenwriter: Assad Fouladkar) — Four tragic yet comic interconnected
stories come together in this film, which follows devout Muslim men and women
as they try to manage their love lives and desires without breaking any of
their religion’s rules. Cast: Darine
Hamze, Rodrigue Sleiman, Zeinab Khadra, Hussein Mokadem, Mirna Moukarzel, Ali
Sammoury. International Premiere
“The Lure” / Poland (Director: Agnieszka Smoczynska,
Screenwriter: Robert Bolesto) — Two mermaid sisters, who end up performing at a
nightclub, face cruel and bloody choices when one of them falls in love with a
beautiful young man. Cast: Marta Mazurek,
Michalina Olszanska, Jakub Gierszal, Kinga Preis, Andrzej Konopka, Zygmunt
Malanowicz. International Premiere

“Male Joy, Female Love” / China (Director and screenwriter: Yao
Huang) — Portrays an unlimited cycle of love stories. Cast: Nan Yu, Daizhen Ying, Xiaodong Guo, Yi Sun. World Premiere

“Mammal” / Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands (Director: Rebecca
Daly, Screenwriters: Rebecca Daly, Glenn Montgomery) — After Margaret, a
divorcée living in Dublin, loses her teenage son, she develops an unorthodox
relationship with Joe, a homeless youth. Their tentative trust is threatened by
his involvement with a violent gang and the escalation of her ex-husband’s
grieving rage. Cast: Rachel Griffiths,
Barry Keoghan, Michael McElhatton. World Premiere

“Mi Amiga del Parque” / Argentina, Uruguay (Director: Ana Katz,
Screenwriters: Ana Katz, Inés Bortagaray) — Running away from a bar without
paying the bill is just the first adventure for Liz (mother to newborn Nicanor)
and Rosa (supposed mother to newborn Clarisa). This budding friendship between
nursing mothers starts with the promise of liberation but soon ends up being a
dangerous business. Cast: Julieta
Zylberberg, Ana Katz, Maricel Álvarez, Mirella Pascual, Malena Figó, Daniel
Hendler. International Premiere
“Much Ado About Nothing” / Chile (Director: Alejandro Fernández,
Screenwriters: Alejandro Fernández, Jerónimo Rodríguez) — An upper-class kid
gets in trouble with the one percent.
Cast: Agustín Silva, Alejandro Goic, Luis Gnecco, Paulina García, Daniel
Alcaino, Augusto Schuster. World Premiere

“Sand Storm” / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Elite Zexer) —
When their entire lives are shattered, two Bedouin women struggle to change the
unchangeable rules, each in her own individual way. Cast: Lamis Ammar, Ruba Blal-Asfour, Hitham Omari, Khadija Alakel,
Jalal Masrwa. World Premiere

“Wild” / Germany (Director and screenwriter: Nicolette Krebitz) —
An anarchist young woman breaks the tacit contract with civilization and
fearlessly decides on a life without hypocrisy or an obligatory safety net. Cast: Lilith Stangenberg, Georg Friedrich.
World Premiere

WORLD CINEMA
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

Twelve documentaries by some of the most courageous and
extraordinary international filmmakers working today. Eleven documentaries are listed below, and a twelfth will be
announced in the weeks ahead.

“All These Sleepless Nights” / Poland (Director: Michal Marczak)
— What does it mean to be
truly awake in a world that seems satisfied to be asleep? Kris and
Michal push their experiences of life and love to a breaking point as they
restlessly roam the streets of Warsaw in search for answers. World Premiere

“A Flag Without a Country” / Iraq (Director: Bahman Ghobadi) —
This documentary follows the very separate paths of singer Helly Luv and pilot
Nariman Anwar from Kurdistan, both in pursuit of progress, freedom, and
solidarity. Both individuals are a source of strength to their society, which
perpetually deals with the harsh conditions of life, war, and ISIS attacks. North American Premiere

“Hooligan Sparrow” / China, U.S.A. (Director: Nanfu Wang) —
Traversing southern China, a group of activists led by Ye Haiyan, a.k.a.
Hooligan Sparrow, protest a scandalous incident in which a school principal and
a government official allegedly raped six students. Sparrow becomes an enemy of
the state, but detentions, interrogations and evictions can’t stop her protest
from going viral. World Premiere

“The Land of the Enlightened” / Belgium (Director: Pieter-Jan De
Pue) — A group of Kuchi children in Afghanistan dig out old Soviet mines and
sell the explosives to child workers in a lapis lazuli mine. When not dreaming
of an Afghanistan after the American withdrawal, Gholam Nasir and his gang
control the mountains where caravans are smuggling the blue gemstones. World Premiere

“The Lovers and the Despot” / United Kingdom (Directors: Robert
Cannan, Ross Adam) — Following the collapse of their glamorous romance, a
celebrity director and his actress ex-wife are kidnapped by movie-obsessed
dictator Kim Jong-il. Forced to make films in extraordinary circumstances, they
get a second chance at love—but only one chance at escape. World Premiere

“Plaza de la Soledad” / Mexico (Director: Maya Goded) — For over 20 years, photographer Maya Goded has intimately documented the lives of a close community of prostitutes in Mexico City. With dignity and humor, these women now strive for a better life — and the possibility of true love. World Premiere

“Antibirth” / U.S.A. / (Director and screenwriter: Danny Perez) —In a desolate community full of drug-addled marines and rumors of kidnapping, a wild-eyed stoner named Lou wakes up after a crazy night of partying with symptoms of a strange illness and recurring visions. As she struggles to get a grip on reality, the stories of conspiracy spread. Cast: Natasha Lyonne, Chloë Sevigny, Mark Webber, Meg Tilly, Maxwell McCabe-Lokos. World Premiere 

“The Blackout Experiments” / U.S.A. (Director: Rich Fox) — A group of friends discover the dark underworld of the ultra-scary, psychosexual horror experience called Blackout. But what starts as a thrill ride through the unknown becomes deeply personal, developing into an obsession that hijacks their lives and blurs the line between reality and paranoid fantasy. World Premiere 

“Carnage Park” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Mickey Keating) — The year is 1978. A team of wannabe crooks botch a small-town bank heist and flee with their hostage deep into the California desert, where they inexplicably find themselves in a harrowing fight for survival against a psychotic ex-military sniper. Cast: Ashley Bell, Pat Healy, Alan Ruck, Darby Stanchfield, James Landry Hébert, Larry Fessenden. World Premiere

“The Greasy Strangler” / U.S.A. (Director: Jim Hosking, Screenwriters: Jim Hosking, Toby Harvard) — When Big Ronnie and his son Brayden meet lone female tourist Janet on Big Ronnie’s Disco Walking Tour—the best and only disco walking tour in the city—a fight for Janet’s heart erupts between father and son, and the infamous Greasy Strangler is unleashed. Cast: Michael St. Michaels, Sky Elobar, Elizabeth De Razzo, Gil Gex, Jesse Keen, Joe David Walters. World Premiere

“Outlaws and Angels” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: JT Mollner) — With a notorious bounty hunter closing in on their trail, a gang of cold-blooded outlaws invades the home of a seemingly innocent frontier family, where an unexpected game of cat and mouse ensues throughout the night, leading to seduction, role reversal, and ultimately bloody revenge. Cast: Chad Michael Murray, Francesca Eastwood, Luke Wilson, Teri Polo, Madisen Beaty, Nathan Russell. World Premiere

“Trash Fire” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Richard Bates Jr.) — When Owen is forced to confront the past he’s been running from his whole adult life, he and his girlfriend, Isabel, become entangled in a horrifying web of lies, deceit, and murder. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll be scarred for life. Cast: Adrian Grenier, Angela Trimbur, AnnaLynne McCord, Fionnula Flanagan, Matthew Gray Gubler, Ray Santiago. World Premiere

“Under the Shadow” / United Kingdom, Jordan (Director and screenwriter: Babak Anvari) — Tehran, 1988: As the Iran-Iraq War rumbles into its eighth year, a mother and daughter are slowly torn apart by the bombing campaigns on the city coupled with the country’s bloody revolution. As they struggle to stay together amidst these terrors, a mysterious evil stalks through their apartment. Cast: Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi, Ray Haratian, Arash Marandi. World Premiere

“Yoga Hosers” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kevin Smith) — Colleen Collette and Colleen McKenzie are teenage besties from Winnipeg who love yoga and live on their smartphones. But when these sophomores get invited to a senior party by the school hottie, the Colleens accidentally uncover an ancient evil buried beneath their Canadian convenience store. Cast: Lily-Rose Depp, Harley Quinn Smith, Johnny Depp, Justin Long, Austin Butler, Tyler Posey. World Premiere

U.S. NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS

“Affections” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Bridey Elliott) — This comedy about isolation and loneliness follows a young woman who is adrift and seeking intimacy in the most unlikely places. 

“Catching Up” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Bill Crossland) — A physically disabled high school teacher seeks assistance from his cynical friend after falling in love with an able-bodied co-worker. This funny and dramatic examination of disability, sex, and love stars real people with disabilities.

“Dirt” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Darius Clark Monroe) — Some things must die to live. 

“Dogwalker” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kim Sherman) — This dark comedy adventure is the story of a young dog walker after the unexpected death of her favorite client. 

“Dolfun” / U.S.A. (Director: Sebastian Silva, Screenwriters: Sebastian Silva, Trinidad Silva, Carlos Rossi) — What begins as a love story becomes an existential crisis when filmmaker Sebastian Silva flies to Miami to fulfill his lifelong dream of swimming with a dolphin.

“Emperor of Time” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Drew Christie) — This is the story of the first motion pictures ever photographed, as told by the son of Eadweard Muybridge. 

“How to Lose Weight in 4 Easy Steps” / U.S.A. (Director: Benjamin Berman, Screenwriter: Aaron Bleyaert) — Losing weight and getting fit has never been easier! Shed those unwanted pounds with these simple tricks your gym doesn’t want you to know about. You won’t believe what happens next! 

“Join the Club” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Eva Vives) — A writer’s dilemma of whether or not to join a professional networking club takes many interesting turns as it unfolds entirely during one therapy session.

“Jungle” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Asantewaa Prempeh) — The lines between trust, betrayal, and forgiveness are intertwined for two Senegalese vendors as they try to make a living on the streets of New York City.

“Killer” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matt Kazman) — When Dusty masturbates for the first time, something terrible happens. 

“PARTNERS” / U.S.A. (Director: Joey Ally, Screenwriters: Jen Tullock, Hannah Utt) — Work and life partners Kate and Leigh share everything, from their apartment to the bar they co-own. When a sex life slump forces them to reconsider their relationship, they must confront how intertwined their lives have become, to humorous ends. 

“A Reasonable Request” / U.S.A. (Director: Andrew Laurich, Screenwriters: Gabriel Miller, Andrew Laurich) — A desperate son reconnects with his estranged father to ask an unspeakable favor that will change both of their lives forever. 

“So Good to See You” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Duke Merriman) — In this darkly comic take on the dual realities of friendship, a dinner party goes painfully sour when a voicemail, unknowingly recorded, exposes one couple’s true opinions of their old friends. 

“Solemates” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Bryce Dallas Howard) — Told from the perspective of shoes, this film tells the story of a couple’s journey through life—the ups, the downs, the passion, and the dedication it takes to share your life with the one you love. 

“Thunder Road” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jim Cummings) — Officer Arnaud loved his mom. 

“Too Legit” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Frankie Shaw) — After becoming pregnant from a sexual assault on campus, a young woman goes on a journey to find out if the rape was “legitimate.” This film was inspired by the statements of Senator Todd Akin. 

“Verbatim: The Ferguson Case” / U.S.A. (Director: Brett Weiner, Screenwriter: Grand Jury Transcript) — Unarmed black teenager Michael Brown was shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Using court transcripts from the case, this short film juxtaposes the reenacted testimony of two key witnesses: Dorian Johnson and the police officer himself, Darren Wilson.

INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS

“Audition” / Sweden (Director: Lovisa Sirén, Screenwriters: Lovisa Sirén, Peter Modestij) — Mika is auditioning male actors for her first feature, and they are all well-established alpha dogs in the film business. The situation turns more sour as their confidence in her reaches new lows. 

“Belladonna” / Croatia (Director and screenwriter: Dubravka Turic) — Three women of different ages and backgrounds meet in an ophthalmologist’s waiting room. The mention of a tragedy that left one of them nearly blind suddenly bridges their differences and creates a possibility for closeness and connection. 

“Her Friend Adam” / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Ben Petrie) — A boyfriend’s jealous impulse spirals out of control in 16 minutes of romantic doom. 

“It’s Not You” / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Don McKellar) — Relationships can be an endless cycle of breakups. 

“Land Tides (Marea de Tierra”) / Chile, France (Directors and screenwriters: Manuela Martelli, Amirah Tajdin) — Laura, a heartbroken teenager from Santiago, is on holiday in the southern Chilean archipelago, Chiloé, with her friends. As she wanders the lonely island seascapes, she encounters a group of women who are seaweed collectors and shares stories with them. 

“Maman(s)” / France (Director and screenwriter: Maïmouna Doucouré ) — Life is disrupted for eight-year-old Aida when her father returns with a young Senegalese woman, Rama, whom he introduces as his second wife. Sensitive to her mother’s distress, Aida decides to get rid of the new visitor.

“MeTube 2: August sings Carmina Burana” / Austria (Director and screenwriter: Daniel Moshel) — After Elfie and her nerdy son August successfully proved themselves on their home webcam in MeTube 1, the odd pair venture onto the street to present the biggest, boldest, and sexiest operatic flash mob the internet has ever witnessed! 

“Mobilize” / Canada (Director: Caroline Monnet) — Guided expertly by those who live on the land and are driven by the pulse of the natural world, this story takes us on an exhilarating journey from the far north to the urban south. 

“Over” / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Jörn Threlfall) — What has happened in this quiet suburban neighborhood? Has there been a murder, a hit-and-run, an accident? The reality is both profound and deeply unexpected. 

“Peacock” / Czech Republic (Director: Ondřej Hudeček, Screenwriters: Jan Smutny, Ondřej Hudeček) — A twisted queer romance set in picturesque 19th-century Bohemia tells the true story of the birth of one of the nation’s most influential writers, with suspense, laughter, violence, hope, nudity, sex, and a happy ending—mostly a happy ending. 

“Rate Me” / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Fyzal Boulifa) — A portrait of a teenage escort named Coco. 

“Seide” / Kyrgyzstan (Director and screenwriter: Elnura Osmonalieva) — Seide lives in a snowy mountain village with her humble family and her beloved horse. When she’s forced into an arranged marriage with a man from a wealthy family, she fights to save her horse from being slaughtered for food for the wedding.

“Tuesday” / Turkey, France (Director: Ziya Demirel, Screenwriters: Ziya Demirel, Buket Coşkuner) — This ordinary day of a teenage girl in Istanbul follows her encounters with three different men as she goes to school, plays basketball, and takes a bus home.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

“Another Kind of Girl” / Jordan (Director: Khaldiya Jibawi) — Filmed during a media workshop for Syrian girls in Jordan’s Za’atari Refugee Camp, 17-year-old Khaldiya meditates on how the camp has opened up new horizons and given her a sense of courage that she lacked in Syria. 

“Bacon & God’s Wrath” / Canada (Director: Sol Friedman) — A 90-year-old Jewish woman reflects on her life experiences as she prepares to try bacon for the first time. 

“Beneath the Embers (Bajo las Brasas)” / Mexico (Directors and screenwriters: Verónica Jessamyn López Sainz, Andrea Fuentes Charles) — Isabel, a young woman from the Sierra mountains of Guanajuato, is motivated by the love of her family, and she has learned that she must sacrifice her present in order to value tomorrow’s success and achieve her dreams. 

“Chekhov” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jack Dunphy) — I called my sister (who’s kind of a bitch, but also really cool) and secretly recorded her reading a love letter from this girl that just dumped me. The conversation went from funny to unbearably sad—hanging up was hard. 

“Entrapped” / U.S.A. (Director: Razan Ghalayini) — The FBI claimed it exposed a dangerous group of men in a massive entrapment operation over an alleged plot to attack a U.S. Army base in New Jersey. But were they really terrorists? 

“Figure” / Poland, Belgium (Director and screenwriter: Katarzyna Gondek) — A gigantic figure emerges from the snow and sits on a hill with spiders, saints, and bumper cars in this surreal tale about creating myths, religious kitsch, and the desire for greatness. Meet the world’s largest sacral miniature park resident.

“Flower of a Thousand Colours” / Belgium (Director: Karen Vazquez Guadarrama) — Flower of a Thousand Colours shows an intimate slice of the life of Emiliana, a loving mother who struggles every day with her rough environment—a Bolivian mining camp. 

“Jáaji Approx.” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sky Hopinka) — Against landscapes that the artist and his father traversed, audio of the father in the Ho-Chunk language is transcribed using the International Phonetic Alphabet, which tapers off, narrowing the distance between recorder and recordings, new and traditional, memory and song.

“I Am Yup’ik” / U.S.A. (Directors: Daniele Anastasion, Nathan Golon) — A 16-year-old Yup’ik Eskimo leaves his tiny village and travels across the frozen tundra to compete in an all-Yup’ik basketball tournament and bring pride to his village. 

“Mining Poems or Odes” / United Kingdom, Scotland (Director: Callum Rice) — Robert, an ex-shipyard welder from Govan, Glasgow, reflects on how his life experiences have influenced his newfound compulsion to write.

“Peace in the Valley” / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Michael Palmieri, Donal Mosher) — Eureka Springs, Arkansas, is home to both the largest outdoor Passion Play in the United States and an important vote on LGBT rights. This film follows the town’s inhabitants as they prepare for the historic vote. 

“Roast Battle” / U.S.A. (Director: Jason Reitman) — The most bigoted room is the least bigoted room. Watch one night at the Comedy Store’s Roast Battle.

“The Saint of Dry Creek” / U.S.A. (Director: Julie Zammarchi) — Patrick Haggerty was a teenager in rural Dry Creek, Washington, in the late 1950s. Here, he remembers the day he first had a conversation with his father about being gay.

“The Send-Off” / U.S.A. (Directors: Ivete Lucas, Patrick Bresnan) — Emboldened by a giant block party on the evening of their high school prom, a group of students enters the night with the hope of transcending their rural town and the industrial landscape that surrounds them.

“The Shining Star of Losers Everywhere” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Mickey Duzyj) — Haru Urara, a Japanese racehorse, became a national icon after enduring a losing streak of epic proportions. Dubbed “The Shining Star of Losers Everywhere,” she was a symbol of perseverance and inspiration during a time of economic crisis. 

“Speaking is Difficult” / U.S.A. (Director: AJ Schnack) — This film always begins in the present day. A scene of tragedy unfolds, accompanied by fear, chaos, and disbelief. As it rewinds into the past, retracing our memories, it tells a cumulative history that is both unbearable and inevitable. 

“Territory” / United Kingdom (Director: Eleanor Mortimer) — This warm and lyrical film follows a group of unruly monkeys in Gibraltar and the people employed to control them with peashooters.

“A Woman and Her Car” / Canada (Director: Loïc Darses) — December 31, 2003: Lucie decides to write a letter to the man who abused her from the age of 8 to 12 years old and resolves to personally bring it to him, wherever he may be.

NEW FRONTIER SHORT FILMS

“Abendland (Hours, Years, Aeons)” / Finland (Directors: IC-98: Patrik Söderlund, Visa Suonpää, Screenwriter: Patrik Söderlund) — In a twilight world long after the age of man, a twisted ecosystem centered around an overgrown fruit tree undergoes parasitic and geological transformations as hours, years, and eons pass. 

“Swimming in Your Skin Again” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Terence Nance) — This intensely musical film is about the spiritual anchorages of life in and around Miami. The story is drenched in the heat, spirit, and landscape of southern Florida. 

“Voyagers” / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Santiago Menghini) — Travel along with the Voyager spacecrafts as they traverse the solar system on their planetary expedition, spanning over three decades. 

“YúYú” / France (Director and screenwriter: Marc Johnson) — Beekeeper Shé Zuŏ Bīn performs a “rite of spring,” in which queen bees are placed on his body and then summon worker bees. He stands still, covered by bees, allowing the buzzing to dominate all and become a protective shield.

MIDNIGHT SHORT FILMS

“Boniato” / U.S.A. (Directors: Andres Meza-Valdes, Diego Meza-Valdes, Eric Mainade, Screenwriters: Andres Meza-Valdes, Eric Mainade) — An illegal migrant worker decides it’s time to move on from picking crops and find a better job. Little does she know, insidious supernatural forces have a different plan for her. Some borders aren’t meant to be crossed. 

“The Chickening” / U.S.A., Canada (Directors and screenwriters: Nick DenBoer, Davy Force) — All pork and no chicken makes Jack a dull boy. Luckily, Jack gets a new job as senior chief night manager at Charbay’s Chicken World and Restaurant Resort, the world’s largest fast-food entertainment complex; however, things quickly get very clucked. 

“Dinner with Family with Brett Gelman and Brett Gelman’s Family” / U.S.A. (Director: Jason Woliner, Screenwriters: Brett Gelman, Jason Woliner) — Brett Gelman throws his parents a dinner and tribute for their 40th anniversary with the help of legendary actors Tony Roberts and Patti LuPone. The evening soon unravels into a mind-melting comedic orgy of psychological torture and family dysfunction. 

“Fuckkkyouuu” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Eddie Alcazar) — With the ability to travel in time, a girl finds love and comfort by connecting with her past self. Eventually faced with rejection, she struggles with her identity, and as time folds onto itself only one of them can remain. 

“Manoman” / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Simon Cartwright) — When Glen attends primal scream class, he releases something from deep within that knows no limits. 

“The Pound Hole” / U.S.A. (Directors: Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan, Screenwriters: Daniel Weidenfeld, Doug Lussenhop) — During a night at the strangest club on earth, DJ Douggpound learns the very real dangers of texting while DJing. 

“The Procedure” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Calvin Lee Reeder) — A man is captured and forced to endure a strange experiment.

“The Puppet Man” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jacqueline Castel) — A supernatural killer stalks a young woman and her friends in a seedy, neon-lit dive bar in this short film featuring horror legend John Carpenter.

ANIMATED SHORT FILMS

“Bob Dylan Hates Me” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Caveh Zahedi) — Independent filmmaker Caveh Zahedi meets his childhood idol.

“A Coat Made Dark” / Ireland (Director and screenwriter: Jack O’Shea) — Two burglars strike it rich after stealing a mysterious coat. So begins this darkly comic tale, in which Midnight, an anthropomorphized dog, and his human servant Peter, struggle for power, courtesy of the coat.

“Deer Flower” / South Korea, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kangmin Kim) — Dujung, an elementary school student, goes to a farm in the suburbs with his parents. While his parents believe the expensive and rare specialty from the farm will strengthen their son’s body, Dujung suffers side effects.

“Edmond” / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Nina Gantz) — Edmond’s impulse to love and be close to others is strong—maybe too strong. As he stands by a lake contemplating his options, he reflects on his defining moments in search of the origin of his desires.

“Glove” / U.S.A. (Directors: Alexa Haas, Bernardo Britto, Screenwriter: Bernardo Britto) — The true story of a glove that’s been floating in space since 1968.

“The Grandfather Drum” / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Michelle Derosier) — As the balance of the world turns upside down for the Anishinabek people, the elder Naamowin builds a healing drum to save his grandson and his people.

“The Itching” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Dianne Bellino) — In this parable, a shy wolf tries to connect with a group of hip, party-loving bunnies but finds her body is in revolt. 

“Life Smartphone” / China (Director and screenwriter: Chenglin Xie) — The phenomenon of increasing smartphone addiction can be attributed to today’s cutting-edge technology. Staring at glowing screens instead of exploring the vast expanse of life, people are gradually alienating themselves from the richness, depth, and loveliness of life. 

“Limbo Limbo Travel” / France, Hungary (Directors and screenwriters: Zsuzsanna Kreif, Borbála Zétényi) — In a country where men seem more interested in their electronic gadgets than their peers, a group of lonely and disillusioned women take the Limbo Limbo bus. Off to a far exotic country, they hope to find happiness. 

“Pombo Loves You” / United Kingdom (Director: Steve Warne, Screenwriter: Josh Blaaberg) — A distant father is forced to confront a heroic but troubled past life as ’80s TV character Pombo. 

“Shiny” / U.S.A. (Directors: Spencer Susser, Daniel Cloud Campos) — A damsel in distress gets undressed when a man from the Midwest puts to rest a world that’s obsessed with “the priceless,” also known as “the shiny.” 

“Waves ’98” / Lebanon (Director and screenwriter: Ely Dagher) — Disillusioned with life in the suburbs of segregated Beirut, Omar’s discovery lures him into the city. Immersed into a world that is close yet isolated, he loses track and finds himself struggling to keep his attachments and sense of home.

SPOTLIGHT
Regardless of where these films have played throughout the
world, the Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love.

“Cemetery of Splendor” / Thailand (Director and screenwriter:
Apichatpong Weerasethakull) — A lonesome middle-aged housewife tends to a
soldier with sleeping sickness and falls into a hallucination that triggers
strange dreams, phantoms, and romance. Cast:
Jenjira Pongpas, Banlop Lomnoi, Jarinpattra Rueangram.

“Embrace of the Serpent”/ Colombia (Director: Ciro Guerra,
Screenwriters: Ciro Guerra, Jacques Toulemonde Vidal) — This blistering, poetic
story is inspired by the original journals of scientists Theodor Koch-Grünberg
and Richard Evans Schultes, who meet lone survivor Karamakate, an Amazonian
shaman. Over 40 years, they develop a friendship while traveling through the
Colombian Amazon in search of the sacred, psychedelic yakruna plant. Cast: Jan Bijvoet, Brionne Davis, Antonio
Bolivar, Nilbio Torres, Miguel Dionisio Ramos.

“Green Room” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jeremy
Saulnier) — This wickedly fun horror-thriller tells a story about the owner of
a neo-Nazi club who squares off against an unsuspecting but resilient young
punk band after they witness a horrific act of violence. Cast: Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, Callum
Turner, Patrick Stewart.

“Land of Mine” / Denmark (Director and screenwriter: Martin
Zandvliet) — At the end of World War II, a group of young German POWs captured
by the Danish army are forced to defuse and clear landmines from the Danish
coastline with no training. Inspired by real events, the film exposes the
untold story of one tragic moment in Denmark’s history. Cast: Roland Møller, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Louis Hofmann, Joel Basman,
Emil Belton, Oskar Belton. U.S. Premiere

“The Lobster” / Ireland, United Kingdom, Greece, France
(Director: Yorgos Lanthimos, Screenwriters: Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis
Filippou) — In a dystopian near future, single people are obliged to find a
mate in 45 days or else be transformed into an animal of their choice and be
released into the woods. Cast: Colin
Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Whishaw, Léa Seydoux, John C. Reilly, Olivia Colman.

“Maggie’s Plan” / U.S.A. (Director: Rebecca Miller,
Screenwriters: Rebecca Miller, based on a story by Karen Rinaldi) — A young
woman’s determination to have a child catapults her into a nervy love triangle
with a heart-throb academic and his eccentric critical-theorist wife. Cast: Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Julianne
Moore, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph, Travis Fimmel.

“Miles Ahead” / U.S.A. (Director: Don Cheadle, Screenwriters: Don
Cheadle, Steven Baigelman) — Inspired by events in Miles Davis’s life, this is
a wildly entertaining, impressionistic, no-holds-barred portrait of one of
twentieth-century music’s creative geniuses. Cast: Don Cheadle, Ewan McGregor, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Lakeith Lee
Stanfield, Michael Stuhlbarg.

“Rams”/ Iceland (Director and screenwriter: Grímur Hákonarson) —
In a remote Icelandic farming valley, two brothers who haven’t spoken in 40
years have to come together to save what’s dearest to them—their sheep. Cast: Sigurður Sigurjónsson, Theodór
Júlíusson.

“Viva” / Ireland (Director: Paddy Breathnach, Screenwriter: Mark
O’Halloran) — In contemporary Cuba, a father and son struggle to escape from
each other’s expectations, duty, and the burden of past sins. Cast: Héctor Medina, Jorge Perugorría, Luis
Alberto García. 

SUNDANCE KIDS
This section of the Festival is especially for our youngest
independent film fans. Programmed in cooperation with Utah Film Center which
presents the annual Tumbleweeds Film Festival, Utah’s premiere film festival
for children and youth.

“The Eagle Huntress” / U.S.A. (Director: Otto Bell) — Step aside,
Daenerys and Katniss—Aisholpan is a real-life role model on an epic journey in
a faraway world. Follow this 13-year-old nomadic Mongolian girl as she battles
to become the first female to hunt with a golden eagle in 2,000 years of
male-dominated history. World Premiere

“Little Gangster” / Netherlands (Director: Arne Toonen,
Screenwriter: Lotte Tabbers) — Rik Boskamp wants a life where he’s not
constantly bullied. When he and his family move, the people in their new town
think his father is a Mafia boss, and everybody treats them with respect—until
a bully from Rikkie’s past turns up. How long can he keep up his lie? Cast: Thor Braun, Henry Van Loon, Rene Van
‘T Hof, Meral Polat, Fedja Van Huêt, Maas Bronkhuyzen. North American Premiere
“Snowtime!” / Canada (Directors: Jean-François Pouliot, François
Brisson, Screenwriters: Normand Canac-Marquis, Paul Risacher) — To amuse
themselves during their winter break from school, the kids in a small village
have a massive snowball fight. But what starts out as pure youthful fun and
enthusiasm deteriorates into a more serious conflict as the children learn the
role that love and friendship play in their lives. Cast: Sandra Oh, Ross Lynch, Angela Gallupo, Lucinda Davis, Don
Shepherd, Sonja Ball. North American Premiere

SPECIAL EVENTS
One-of-a-kind moments highlighting new independent works
that add to the unique Festival experience. An evolving section, this year
includes episodic work, short films and live post-screening discussions. 

“11.22.63” / U.S.A. (Director: Kevin Macdonald, Screenwriter:
Bridget Carpenter, Executive Producers: J.J. Abrams, Stephen King, Kevin
Macdonald, Bridget Carpenter, Bryan Burk) — On November 22, 1963, three shots
rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy was killed, and the world changed. What
if you could change it back? Take a journey to find out in this genre-busting,
epic new nine-hour event series. The Festival will debut the two-hour premiere
of the series, followed by
an extended Q&A. Cast: James
Franco, Sarah Gadon, Daniel Webber, George MacKay, Josh Duhamel, Chris Cooper.
World Premiere

“Behind the Scenes of ‘Anomalisa'” / U.S.A. (Directors:
Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson, Screenwriter: Charlie Kaufman) — Michael
Stone—husband, father and respected author—is crippled by the mundanity of his
life. On a business trip, he checks into the Fregoli Hotel. He’s amazed to
discover a possible escape from his desperation in an unassuming woman, who may
or may not be the love of his life. The Festival will present a screening of the film followed by a
Q&A with the creators. Separately, they will speak on a Festival panel
explaining their creative process and how they brought their extraordinary film
to life. Cast: Jennifer Jason
Leigh, Tom Noonan, David Thewlis. 
“Chelsea Does” / U.S.A. (Director: Eddie Schmidt) — This
four-part documentary series features Chelsea Handler as she explores topics of
personal and universal fascination: marriage, racism, Silicon Valley, and
drugs. The Festival will
premiere one installment of the series with clips from the other three
installments, followed by an extended Q&A with Chelsea Handler,
Director Eddie Schmidt, and Executive Producer Morgan Neville. World Premiere

“The Girlfriend Experience” / U.S.A. (Directors and
screenwriters: Lodge Kerrigan, Amy Seimetz, Executive Producers: Steven
Soderbergh, Philip Fleishman, Lodge Kerrigan, Amy Seimetz, Gary Marcus, Jeff
Cuban) — Law student Christine Reade is introduced to the world of
transactional relationships in this original anthology series. Providing
“The Girlfriend Experience” (an emotional and sexual relationship
offered at a high price) gives Christine a rush of control and intimacy, but
she soon finds herself juggling two very different lives. The Festival will
premiere four episodes of the series, followed by an extended Q&A. Cast: Riley Keough, Paul Sparks, Mary Lynn
Rajskub, James Gilbert, Kate Lyn Sheil. World Premiere

“The New Yorker Presents” / U.S.A. (Executive Producers: Alex
Gibney, Kahane Cooperman, Showrunner: Kahane Cooperman) — A groundbreaking new
series that brings America’s most award-winning magazine, The New Yorker, to the screen with documentaries, short narrative
films, comedy, poetry, animation, and cartoons from the hands of acclaimed
filmmakers and artists. The
Festival will premiere the first two episodes of the series, followed by an
extended Q&A. World Premiere

“O.J.: Made in America” / U.S.A. (Director: Ezra Edelman) — This
is the story of O.J. Simpson, one of the most polarizing people of the
twentieth century, and the city in which he lived for much of his life, Los
Angeles. The film explores Simpson’s rise and fall, centered around two of
America’s greatest fixations—race and celebrity. The Festival will premiere the full 7.5-hour documentary,
followed by an extended Q&A. World
Premiere

“The Skinny” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jessie
Kahnweiler) — Follow feminist and wannabe YouTube star Jessie as she struggles
to live, love, and get over her bulimia. The Festival will premiere six
10-minute episodes, followed by an extended Q&A with Kahnweiler. Cast: Jessie Kahnweiler, Illeana Douglas,
Spencer Hill, Ryan Pinkston, Megan Ferguson, Sadie Calvano. World Premiere

“United Shades of America” / U.S.A. (Executive Producers: Jimmy
Fox, W. Kamau Bell, Star Price) — Political comedian W. Kamau Bell explores the
racial subcultures of America. In this original series premiere, he uses humor
to challenge Klansmen looking to rebrand their message. The screening will
include an extended Q&A. World
Premiere

NEW FRONTIER FILMS AND PERFORMANCE 

“Cameraperson” / U.S.A. (Director: Kirsten Johnson)
By exposing her role behind the camera, Johnson reaches into the vast trove of footage that she has shot over decades around the world. What emerges is a visually bold memoir and a revelatory interrogation into the power of the camera. World Premiere

“The Illinois Parables” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Deborah Stratman) — This suite of Midwestern parables about faith, force, technology, and exodus questions the role belief plays in national identity. In our desire to make sense of the inscrutable, who do we end up blaming or endorsing? Cast: C. Felton Jennings II, Anna Toborg, Joshua Frieman, José Oubrerie, Daniel Verdier, David Gatten. World Premiere

“Nari” (Artists: Gingger Shankar, Dave Liang, Sun Yunfan)

The unsung story of Lakshmi Shankar and her daughter, Viji—two extraordinary artists who helped bring Indian music to the West in the 1970s through their close collaboration with Ravi Shankar and George Harrison. This arresting, multi-generational, multimedia mash-up features animation, family archives, and a live performance. U.S. Premiere

“Notes on Blindness” / United Kingdom, France (Directors and screenwriters: Peter Middleton, James Spinney)
After losing his sight, John Hull knew that not understanding blindness would destroy him. In 1983, he began to keep an audio diary. His recordings represent a unique testimony of loss, rebirth, and renewal, excavating the experience of blindness and documenting his discovery of “a world beyond sight.” Project includes a mobile VR experience. Cast: Dan Skinner, Simone Kirby. World Premiere

NEW FRONTIER INSTALLATIONS 

“Double Conscience”

Artist: Kahlil Joseph; Key Collaborator: Kendrick Lamar

A lush portrait of contemporary Compton, California, set to a booming soundtrack by Kendrick Lamar, depicts everyday moments of black life suffused with creativity, joy, and sadness. From buoyant adolescent moments to ominous nighttime scenes, reality and fantasy dance to a haunting soundscape flashed across two screens. Cast: Bijan Faby, Shenelle Bullock, Chris Lewis, Rykeis Tyson, Jordan Dupree, Kamr Bailey.

“Escape Pod”

Artist: Jonathan Monaghan

This seamlessly looped computer animated film chronicles a golden deer through glossy environments of wealth, power, and authority through one continuous tracking shot. The journey imagines a new reality devoid of humans, left only with material desires and ambitions.

“Giant”

Artists: Milica Zec, Winslow Porter; Key Collaborators: E.A. Donahue, Jack Caron, Todd Bryant 

Trapped in an active war zone, two parents struggle to distract their young daughter by inventing a fantastical tale. Inspired by true events, this immersive VR experience transports the viewer to the family’s makeshift basement shelter. As the bombs draw closer and closer, the parents’ fairy tale intensifies. Cast: Zoë Winters, Clem Mcintosh, Jordana Rose.

“The Holo-Cinema”

Artist: ILMxLab; Key Collaborators: John Gaeta, Hilmar Koch, Nick Rasumussen

This new scenic design and experience theatre allows participants to step into iconic story moments while spatially perceiving the performing characters and exploring worlds. As they portal inside a fully immersive media environment, they experience 4-D viewing as if walking through film sets in the real world. Cast: Mat Brady, Peter Bogatsky, Frank La Monaca, Meghan Mowery, Rachel Rose.

“In the Eyes of the Animal”

Artists: Barnaby Steel, Robin McNicholas

A 360-degree virtual reality experience presented on sculptural headsets, this work is an artistic interpretation of the sensory perceptions of three British animal species. Immerse yourself into this world from the forest floor to the tops of trees, and tread carefully as you observe through the eyes of the animals. 

“Inextinguishable Fire”

Artist: Cassils

Using techniques borrowed from Hollywood stunts, Cassils experiences the very real terror of being lit on fire.

“The Leviathan Project”

Artists: Alex McDowell, Bradley Newman; Key Collaborator: World Building Media Lab 

It’s 1895, and you’re in a scientific lab inside a massive flying whale. This augmented-reality-to-VR setting, based on Scott Westerfield’s best-selling trilogy Leviathan, lets participants engage physically and emotionally with the setting and with human and animal characters. The best part is the ability to fabricate a brand-new creature. Cast: Gildart Jackson, Isabella Schloss, Austin Nimnict, A.J. Helfet, Ellis Greer, Alex Ho.

“Queen Rose Family (da Stories)”

Artist: Kalup Linzy

The story of the fictitious Queen Rose family is told through episodic videos, collages, and a multimedia installation based on the “Pepper’s ghost” technique. Experience the melodrama often seen in primetime soap operas presented in an art installation. Cast: Kalup Linzy, Michael Stipe, Leo Fitzpatrick, Tunde Adebimpe, Hank Willis Thomas, James Everett Stanley.

“Real Virtuality: Immersive Explorers”

Artists: Sylvain Chagué, Caecilia Charbonnier; Key Collaborators: Bart Kevelham, David Hodgetts

A multiuser immersive platform that combines motion capture with virtual reality headsets allows users to move freely within the physical space, interact with objects and other participants, and virtually visit 3-D interactive environments. Cast: Gilles Jobin, Susana Panades Diaz.

“The Treachery of Sanctuary”

Artist: Chris Milk; Key Collaborators: Brian Chasalow, Aaron Meyers, James George

A large-scale interactive triptych, this story of birth, death, and transfiguration uses projections of the participants’ own bodies to unlock a new artistic language. 

“Walden, a Game”

Artist: Tracy Fullerton; Key Collaborators: Todd Furmanski, Lucas Peterson, Michael Sweet 

In this game simulation of Henry David Thoreau’s experiment in living at Walden Pond from 1845 to 1847, players walk in Thoreau’s virtual footsteps, attend to the tasks of a self-reliant existence, discover the beauty of a virtual landscape, and engage in the ideas and writings of this unique philosopher. Cast: Emile Hirsch.

VIRTUAL REALITY

“#100humans”

Artists: Daniel Schechter, Linc Gasking, Rainer Gombos; Key Collaborators: Preya McMahon, Alexander Burke, Christina Webber

#100humans is the story of the first humans who walked through 8i’s doors to help invent a new medium. Using 3-D video technology to record real people for VR, this story explores a new level of emotional connections and sense of presence that brings viewers the most lifelike intimate experience. Cast: Ashley Martin Scott, Logan Paul, Young Guru, Denise Garcia, Brent Bushnell.

“6×9: An Immersive Experience of Solitary Confinement”

Artists: Francesca Panetta, Lindsay Poulton

Right now, more than 80,000 people are locked in tiny concrete boxes where every element of their environment is controlled. They are confined to spaces with no human contact, and the sensory deprivation they endure causes severe psychological damage. These people are invisible to us—and eventually to themselves. 

“The Abbot’s Book”

Artists: Michael Conelly, Lyndon Barrois; Key Collaborators: Keith Goldfarb, William Telford

Four generations of an Italian noble family are cursed by the corrupt power of an ancient book unearthed from the catacombs beneath their estate. Rich with traditional gothic-inspired mythology, the story follows a scion of this cursed family attempting to shield his heirs from the inevitable darkness. Cast: JB Blanc.

“Across the Line”

Artists: Nonny de la Peña, Brad Lichtenstein, Jeff Fitzsimmons

This immersive VR experience puts the audience on the scene with anti-abortion extremists trying to intimidate patients seeking sexual and reproductive health care at Planned Parenthood. Using documentary footage and a montage of real audio, viewers gain intimate knowledge of the harassment outside and compassion inside health centers across the country. Cast: Samantha Collier, Kristina Nailen, Raegan McDonald-Mosley MD, Charles Gilbert, Lee Sherman, Joe Spence.

“theBlu: Encounter”

Artists: Jake Rowell, Neville Spiteri, Ben Vance 

Encounter an 80-foot blue whale while experiencing the awe, wonder, and majesty of underwater habitats, designed as beautiful moments in passing or a collection of memories. 

“Cardboard Crash”

Artists: Vincent McCurley, Loc Dao 

A virtual reality experiment questions the ethics of artificial-intelligence algorithms in self-driving cars when they are faced with difficult decisions during an unavoidable crash event. Given varied cultural and individual ethics, who should be designing these algorithms, and how should they be chosen?

“Collisions”

Artist: Lynette Wallworth

Journey to a remote desert in western Australia that is home to indigenous leader Nyarri Morgan and the Martu tribe. Nyarri’s first contact with Western culture was in the 1950s via a dramatic collision between his traditional world view and the cutting edge of modern technology. Cast: Nyarri Nyarri Morgan, Curtis Taylor.

“Condition One”

Artists: Danfung Dennis, Casey Brown, Phil McNally; Key Collaborators: Jay Brown, Andrew Delpit, Chris McClanahan

Encounter a majestic jaguar deep in the jungle, lie with a nesting sea turtle on a windy beach, and fly with monarch butterflies, all before they disappear. This powerful virtual reality experience is a glimpse into the habitats of Earth’s endangered species. 

“Defrost”

Artist: Randal Kleiser; Key Collaborator: Tanna Frederick 

In this futuristic, sci-fi virtual reality adventure, viewers are put in the seat of a woman who wakes up after being frozen for nearly 30 years to reunite with her family. The reunion is bittersweet, as the passage of time has caused her loved ones to become strangers. Cast: Carl Weathers, Bruce Davison, Tanna Frederick, Christopher Atkins, Ethan Rains, Clinton Valencia.

“fabulous wonder.land”

Artists: Toby Coffey, Lysander Ashton, Ollie Lindsey; Key Collaborator: Mahdi Yahya

Fall down the rabbit hole and experience the magical and vibrant digital world of the Royal National Theater’s wonder.land stage show. Watch and listen with VR technology as the Cheshire cat hovers above like a magnificent holographic airship while serenading you to “Fabulous,” a song from the show. Cast: Hal Fowler.

“Hard World for Small Things” 

Artist: Janicza Bravo

A day in the life of a tight-knit community in South Central Los Angeles. Cast: Keith Stanfield, Brandon Scott, Hannah Heller, Idara Victor, Jodie Smith.

“A History of Cuban Dance”

Artist: Lucy Walker

Organic, spontaneous, sexy dances progress chronologically through Afro-Cuban Santería rumba, mambo, cha-cha-chá, salsa, breakdancing, and reggaeton, with optional audio tracks reflecting the broader story of Cuban history as revealed in the moves. This live-action virtual reality documentary was filmed on location in Cuba and features Ballet de la Televisión Cubana. Cast: Ballet de la Televisión Cubana.

“Irrational Exuberance” 

Artist: Ben Vance; Key Collaborators: Sam Bird, Joel Corelitz

Uniquely designed for room-scale VR, this interactive art experience gives the viewer an intimate connection to the possibilities and wonders of space, where mysterious phenomena, hidden beauty, and the infinite await.

“Job Simulator”

Artists: Alex Schwartz, Devin Reimer

This experience of manning an office cubicle is a unique blend of storytelling, comedy, and intuitive game mechanics that focuses on micro-interactions. Pick up a tomato, smash a glass, and explore a sandbox world with childlike wonder, while ignoring established gaming systems. 

“Kiya”

Artist: Nonny de la Peña; Key Collaborator: Emblematic Group

In this harrowing virtual reality story of a real-life domestic violence homicide, two sisters engage in a doomed struggle to save the third from being shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend. Utilizing audio and imagery captured at the real event, this piece transforms the audience from viewers to active witnesses. Cast: Lee Sherman, Toyin Moses, Tripp Pickell, Diana Toshiko.

“The Martian VR Experience”

Artists: Robert Stromberg, Ridley Scott; Key Collaborators: Fox Innovation Lab, RSA Films, VRC 

Step into the shoes of astronaut Mark Watney as he performs tasks that will facilitate his chances for survival and rescue. Viewers can fly onto the surface of Mars, steer at zero gravity through space, and drive a rover, deepening the experience of key scenes from Ridley Scott’s hit film, “The Martian.”

“Nomads: Maasai”

Artists: Felix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphael; Key Collaborator: Stephane Rituit

Witness the Maasai tribe’s living heritage in the village of Enkutoto, Kenya, through repeated walkabout visuals in the Great Rift Valley. Watch jumping-dance competitions, the men’s unmatched hunting abilities, and the women’s skills in building mud houses, long-distance water collection, and bead artwork. 

“Nomads: Sea Gypsies” 

Artists: Felix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphael; Key Collaborators: Stephane Rituit, Jean-Pascal Beaudoin 

In this episode of Nomads, viewers share the Bajau tribe’s nomadic existence on crammed houseboats that sway to the motion of river waters. Watch as the families travel with fellow boat-dwelling relatives, always sharing a communal spirit. 

“Notes on Blindness—Into Darkness”

Artists: Arnaud Colinart, Amaury Laburthe, Peter Middleton, James Spinney; Key Collaborators: Arnaud Desjardins, Béatrice Lartigue, Fabien Togman

After losing his sight in 1983, John Hull began to record an audio-diary documenting his discovery of “a world beyond sight.” Hull’s original recordings form the basis of this interactive documentary, which uses real-time 3-D, virtual reality, and binaural sound to explore the world of the blind. Cast: John Hull.

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