Bernie – (DIRECTOR Richard Linklater WRITERS Richard Skip Hollandsworth, Richard Linklater PRODUCERS Celine Rattray, Martin Shafer, Liz Glotzer, Matt Williams, David McFadzean, Judd Payne, Dete Meserve, Ginger Sledge, Richard Linklater CAST Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey) – Black plays Bernie, the beloved mortician in a small Texas town. MacLaine is the town’s richest, meanest widow, and even she adores him. You can’t get anybody to say a bad word about Bernie—even after he commits a very nasty crime. World Premiere
CLOSING NIGHT:
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark – (DIRECTOR Troy Nixey WRITERS Guillermo del Toro, Matthew Robbins PRODUCERS Guillermo del Toro, Mark Johnson CAST Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison) – Based on the 1973 telefilm that del Toro believes is the scariest TV production ever made, the story follows Sally (Madison), a young girl who moves to Rhode Island to live with her father (Pearce) and his new girlfriend (Holmes) in the 19th-century mansion they are restoring. While exploring the house, Sally starts to hear voices coming from creatures in the basement whose hidden agenda is to claim her as one of their own. World Premiere
SPECIAL SCREENING:
Green Lantern – (DIRECTOR Martin Campbell WRITERS Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim and Michael Goldenberg PRODUCERS Donald De Line, Greg Berlanti CAST Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett and Tim Robbins) – Ryan Reynolds stars as Hal Jordan, a test pilot and the first human ever selected to wear the ring that grants him superpowers, as well as membership into the intergalactic Green Lantern Corps.
GALA SCREENINGS:
A Better Life – (DIRECTOR Chris Weitz WRITER Eric Eason PRODUCERS Paul Junger Witt, Christian McLaughlin, Chris Weitz, Jami Gertz, Stacey Lubliner CAST Demián Bichir, José Julián, Dolores Heredia, Joaquín Cosío, Carlos Linares – A Better Life is the poignant, suspenseful tale of an illegal immigrant in LA struggling to build a better life for his beloved son. World Premiere
Attack the Block – (DIRECTOR/WRITER Joe Cornish PRODUCERS Nira Park, James Wilson CAST Jodie Whittaker, John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones, Simon Howard, Luke Treadaway, Jumayn Hunter, Nick Frost) – From the producers of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Attack the Block follows a gang of tough inner-city kids who defend their turf against an invasion of savage alien creatures, turning a South London apartment complex into an extraterrestrial warzone.
Drive – (DIRECTOR Nicolas Winding Refn WRITER Hossein Amini PRODUCERS Marc Platt, Gigi Pritzker, Michel Litvak, Adam Siegel, John Palermo CAST Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac, Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks) – Ryan Gosling is a stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver in a robbery that goes desperately wrong. Brutal and beautiful, Nicholas Winding Refn’s film noir is as black as they come. North American Premiere
The Devil’s Double – Belgium (DIRECTOR Lee Tamahori WRITER Michal Thomas PRODUCERS Paul Breuls, Michael John Fedun, Emjay Rechsteiner, Catherine Vandeleene CAST Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Mimoun Oaissa, Raad Rawi, Philip Quast) – Based on an unbelievable, but true story of money, power and opulent decadence, The Devil’s Double is about an Iraqi army lieutenant ordered to become the body double for “Black Prince” Uday Hussein, a reckless, sadistic party-boy with a rabid hunger for sex and brutality.
GUEST DIRECTOR SELECTION:
The Arcane Enchanter (L’arcano incantatore) (1996) – Italy (DIRECTOR/WRITER Pupi Avati PRODUCERS Antonia Avati, Aurelio De Laurentiis CAST Carlo Cechi, Stefano Donisi, Arnaldo Ninchi, Andrea Scorzoni, Mario Erpichini, Vittorio Duse, Patrizia Sacchi) – In Pupi Avati’s neglected gothic masterwork, a seminary student accused of bewitching a young girl flees to a remote castle and the questionable company of a defrocked priest who is rumored to dabble in the black arts.
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE SELECTION:
The Invention of Lying (2009) – (DIRECTORS/WRITERS Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson PRODUCERS Lynda Obst, Oly Obst, Ricky Gervais, Dan Lin CAST Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor, Fionnula Flanagan, Rob Lowe, Tina Fey) – In an alternate reality in which lying does not exist, everyone — from politicians to advertisers to the man on the street — speaks the truth and nothing but the truth. When a down-on-his-luck screenwriter suddenly develops the ability to lie, he finds that dishonesty has its rewards. But in a world where every word is assumed to be the absolute truth, things get a little out of control when some of his tallest tales are being taken as, well, gospel and the entire world now hanging on his every word.
Navajo Joe (1966) – Italy (DIRECTOR Sergio Corbucci WRITERS Fernando Di Leo, Ugo Pirro, Piero Regnoli PRODUCERS Luigi Carpentieri, Ermanno Donati CAST Burt Reynolds, Aldo Sambrelli, Nicoletta Machiavelli, Tanya Lopert, Fernando Rey, Franca Polesello, Lucia Modugno) – Burt Reynolds stars as a Navajo Indian who swears revenge on the savage gang of outlaws who massacred his tribe in this action-packed spaghetti western packed with gun fights, fist fights, knife fights and an Ennio Morricone score that has to be heard to be believed.
CONVERSATIONS SCREENINGS:
An Evening with James Franco – (DIRECTOR/WRITER James Franco PRODUCERS Caroline Aragon, James Franco, Vince Jolivette, Miles Levy CAST James Franco, Michael Shannon, Stacey Miller –A conversation with writer-director-star James Franco, who presents the world premiere of The Broken Tower, his daring film about the brief, burning life of the gay, visionary American poet Hart Crane. World Premiere
NARRATIVE COMPETITION:
The Bad Intentions (Las Malas Intenciones) – Argentina/Germany/Peru (DIRECTOR/WRITER Rosario Garcia-Montero PRODUCERS Benito Mueller, Wolfgang Müller, Paul Typaldos, Rosario García-Montero CAST Fatima Buntinx, Katerina D'Onofrio, Paul Vega, Kani Hart, Melchor Gorrochategul, Jean Paul Strauss, Liliana Alegria, Tania Ruiz, Flor de Maria Andrade) – Lima, Peru, 1983. What upsets only child Cayetana is not the threat of terrorists but the news that her wealthy, valium-becalmed mother is going to have another baby. She begins, morbidly, to act out her resentments in this deft, seriocomic coming of age story. US Premiere
The Dynamiter – (DIRECTOR Matthew Gordon WRITER Brad Ingelsby PRODUCERS Kevin Abrams, Amile Wilson, Merilee Holt CAST William Ruffin, John Alex Nunnery, Patrick Rutherford, Joice Baldwin, Debra Toth, Braxton Gardon, Ciara McMillan) – During a balmy Mississippi summer, a teenage boy who finds himself the head of his family must grapple with his identity or else give in to the powder keg of dissatisfaction. North American Premiere
Familiar Ground (En Terrains Connus) – Canada (DIRECTOR/WRITER Stéphane Lafleur PRODUCER Luc Déry, Kim McCraw CAST Francis La Haye, Fanny Mallette, Sylvain Marcel, Michel Daigle, Suzanne Lemoine) – This droll, deadpan comedy from snowbound Quebec features an unhappy brother and sister whose fates seem to be known by a mysterious Man From the Future. Not too far in the future though. Just next September. North American Premiere
The Fatherless (Die Vaterlosen) – Austria (DIRECTOR/WRITER Marie Kreutzer PRODUCERS Robert Buchschwenter, Alexander Glehr, Franz Novotny, Ursula Wolschlager CAST Andreas Kiendl, Andrea Wenzl, Emily Cox, Philipp Hochmair) – Hans, the charismatic leader of a free-love commune, has died. His four estranged adult children reunite to thrash out the secrets and lies of a failed utopian dream. North American Premiere
How to Cheat –(DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER Amber Sealey CAST Amber Sealey, Kent Osborne, Amanda Street, Paulette Osborne, Ina Barron, Vanessa Waters, Vanessa Peters, Francesca Ferrara, Colette Freedman, Leah Bailey, Jules Bruff, Jade Sealey, Nick Pavey, Gabriel Diamond, V. Kim Blish, Dan Ewen) – An L.A. couple's struggle to get pregnant sets off the husband's wandering eye in this comedy that reveals marriage to be as funny as it is heartbreaking. World Premiere
Mamitas – (DIRECTOR/WRITER Nicholas Ozeki PRODUCERS Adam Renehan, Andrew Daniel Wells CAST EJ Bonilla, Veronica Diaz-Carranza, Jennifer Esposito, Joaquim de Almeida, Jesse Garcia, Pedro Armendariz Jr.) – Beautifully shot against L.A.’s downtown skyline, this sensitive, coming-of-age story revolves around a young Latino player whose budding relationship with a bookish tomboy propels him to find out who he really is. World Premiere
An Ordinary Family – (DIRECTOR Mike Akel WRITERS Mike Akel, Matthew Patterson PRODUCERS Matthew Patterson, Mike Akel CAST Troy Schremmer, Greg Wise, Janelle Schremmer, Chad Miller, Steven Schaefer, Megan Minto, Laurie Coker, Rachel Wise, Huck Schremmer, Shannon Haragan, Richard C. Jones, Joe Ricks, Scott Harris, Charley Devaney, Jon Davis, Bill Taylor, Greg Grooms, Ryan Greene, Tom Elia) –The Beiderman's annual family reunion gets rocky when Seth arrives with his new boyfriend. No one bats an eye except his brother, a married man of the cloth, in this fresh, bittersweet exploration of frayed family ties. World Premiere
Please Do Not Disturb – Iran (DIRECTOR/WRITER Mohsen Abdolvahab PRODUCER Mohammad Ahmadi CAST Baran Kosari, Afshin Hashemi, Hedayat Hashemi, Shirin Yazdanbakhsh, Mohsen Kazemi, Hamed Behdad) – Through three surprising, interlocking stories, Mohsen Abdolvahab's incisive comedy reveals the daily struggles, fears and private dreams of distinctive city dwellers in contemporary Tehran. North American Premiere
Sawdust City (DIRECTOR/WRITER David Nordstrom PRODUCERS Mike Ott, Frederick Fulton, Henry Thornton CAST David Nordstrom, Carl McLaughin, Lee Lynch, John Brotherton) – With a genuine feel for its Midwest setting, this directorial debut tracks two brothers as they spend a chilly Thanksgiving walking and talking their way through the bars of their hometown searching for their estranged father. World Premiere
You Hurt My Feelings (DIRECTOR/WRITER Steve Collins PRODUCERS Anish Savjani, Jonathan Silberberg CAST Courtney Davis, Macon Blair, John Merriman) – An unhappy thirty-something nanny, his ex-girlfriend, and her jovial new boyfriend become entangled in a hilarious and wrenching triangle that’s as much about friendship as it is love. World Premiere
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION:
Cheonggyecheon Medley: A Dream of Iron(Cheonggyecheon medeulli) – South Korea (DIRECTOR Kelvin Kyung Kun Park PRODUCERS Kim Kyungmi, Lee Hwayoung) – From Seoul’s increasingly gentrified Cheonggyecheon district, filmmaker Kelvin Kyung Kun Park composes a letter to his dead grandfather in this experimental ode to the obsolete techniques of metal casting. US Premiere
Family Instinct (Gimenes lietas) – Latvia (DIRECTOR Andris Gauja PRODUCER Madara Melberga) – You won’t know whether to laugh or cry at this wilder-than-fiction documentary about an impoverished Latvian woman and her coterie of drunken friends and family as they stumble their way through their bleak rural life. US Premiere
Once I Was a Champion (DIRECTOR Gerard Roxburgh PRODUCER Kirk Porter FEATURING Evan Tanner, Randy Couture, Dana White, John Herzfeld, Forrest Griffin, Chael Sonnen, Rich Franklin) – This moving documentary is the true story behind the troubled life and tragic death of Ultimate Fighting star Evan Tanner, whose belief in the power of one wasn’t enough to save himself. World Premiere
Paraiso For Sale – (DIRECTOR/PRODUCER Anayansi Prado) Bocas Del Toro, Panama, has become a haven for American retirees. But a bigger threat to the locals are the voracious corporations eager to build luxury resorts on land the native population considers its own. World Premiere
Salaam Dunk – Iraq/USA (DIRECTOR David Fine PRODUCERS San Saravan, Peter Friedrich) – Set against the backdrop of war-torn Iraq, this debut documentary follows a team of novice female basketball players as they, and all of Iraq, begin to rebuild their country. World Premiere
Somewhere Between – (DIRECTOR/PRODUCER Linda Goldstein Knowlton) – Coming of age in America is complicated by questions of self identity and family in this intimate look into the lives of four teenage girls, all united by one thing: They all were adopted from China. US Premiere
Unfinished Spaces –(DIRECTORS/PRODUCERS Alysa Nahmias, Benjamin Murray FEATURING Ricardo Porro, Vittorio Garatti, Roberto Gottardi) – Cuba, 1961. Fidel Castro launches a second revolution: Architecture. But his ambitious, curvaceous Arts academy was neither square nor Soviet-approved, cueing a Communist culture war. World Premiere
Unraveled (DIRECTOR Marc H. Simon PRODUCERS Marc H. Simon, Miranda Bailey, Matthew Brian Makar, Steven Cantor FEATURING Marc S. Dreier, Spencer Dreier, Gerry Shargel, Ross Kramer, Bob Hart, Rich DeFellipo, Phil Scala, Robert Gilmore, Joel Sickler) – Marc Dreier was second only to Bernie Madoff in the enormity of his financial fraud. Under house arrest as he awaits his sentence, he opens up about the greed and desperation that led to his downfall. US Premiere
Wish Me Away (DIRECTORS Bobbie Birleffi, Beverly Kopf PRODUCERS Beverly Kopf, Paul Mailman) – This intensely personal documentary chronicles the heart-wrenching decision of Nashville singing star Chely Wright to come out of the closet despite the potentially crushing response from the industry and her fans. World Premiere
INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE:
108 (Cuchillo de Palo) – Spain/Paraguay (DIRECTOR/WRITER Renate Costa PRODUCERS Marta Andreu, Susana Benito FEATURING Miguel Auad Petunia, Renate Costa, Manuel Cuenca) – Seeking the truth surrounding her estranged uncle’s mysterious death, a young filmmaker artfully chronicles both the personal and national prejudices that darken Paraguay’s cultural history.
Christopher and His Kind – England (DIRECTOR Geoffrey Sax WRITER Kevin Elyot PRODUCER Celia Duval CAST Toby Jones, Imogen Poots, Matt Smith) – Christopher Isherwood's landmark memoir about his years in Berlin in the 1930s — from the beautiful boys he loved to the terrifying rise of the Nazi Party — comes to life in this sexy and sumptuous grand tour. North American Premiere
Come Rain, Come Shine (Saranghanda, saranghaji anneunda) – South Korea (DIRECTOR/WRITER Lee Yoon-ki PRODUCER Oh Jung-Wan CAST Ha Jung-woo, Hyeon Bin, Kim Hye-ok, Kim Ji-su, Kim Jung-ki, Lim Su-jeong, Yu Jin-young) – Having agreed to a divorce, a couple must spend one last day together in the house they have shared for five years in this quietly engrossing portrait of the end of a relationship. North American Premiere
Curling– Canada(DIRECTOR/WRITER Denis Côté PRODUCERS Denis Côté, Stéphanie Morissette CAST Emmanuel Bilodeau, Philomène Bilodeau, Roc Lafortune, Sophie Desmarais, Muriel Dutil, Anie Pascale Robitaille, Johanne Haberlin) – In this beautifully enigmatic, award-winning film, a father and daughter gingerly emerge from self-imposed isolation into a world of bowling alleys, pop songs and unexpected discoveries in the frozen fields of Quebec.
Decline (Ocaso) – Chile (DIRECTOR Theo Court WRITER Gonzalo Azocar PRODUCERS Oscar Bustamante, Theo Court, Laura Amelia Guzmán CAST Álvaro Bustamante, Nano Vázquez, Rafael Vazquez) – The daily routines of an elderly caretaker on a dilapidated country estate are captured with an austere beauty in this quietly mesmerizing meditation on the passage of time, the impermanence of place and the power of ritual. North American Premiere
The Destiny of Lesser Animals (Sibo ne kra, Dabo ne kra)–Ghana/USA (DIRECTOR Deron Albright WRITER Yao B. Nunoo PRODUCERS Deron Albright, Yao B. Nunoo, Francis Gbormittah, Deirdre Maitre CAST Yao B. Nunoo, Fred Amugi, Abena Takyi, Sandy Arkhurst, Xolasie Mawuenyega) – In this intimate thriller from Ghana, a police investigator desperate to escape to America tracks down the hostile criminal who stole his counterfeit visa.
Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within(Tropa de Elite 2) – Brazil (DIRECTOR José Padilha WRITER Bráulio Mantovani PRODUCERS José Padilha, Marcos Prado CAST Wagner Moura, André Ramiro, André Mattos, Sandro Rocha, Maria Ribeiro, Milhem Cortaz) – José Padilha's urgent, action-packed thriller uncovers a far-ranging web of corruption amongst the special military police assigned to clean up the crime-ridden favelas of Rio. You'll understand why it's become Brazil's most successful movie of all time.
Eternity(Tee Rak) – Thailand (DIRECTOR/WRITER Sivaroj Kongsakul PRODUCERS Aditya Assarat, Soros Sukhum, Umpornpol Yugala CAST Wanlop Rungkamjad, Prapas Amnuay, Namfon Udomlertlak, Pattraporn Jaturanrasmee) –A pastoral for a summer long past, this celebrated Thai film elegizes the blossoming of true love between a young man and the woman he has brought home to his remote rural village.
Family Portrait in Black and White – Canada (DIRECTOR/WRITER Julia Ivanova PRODUCER Boris Ivanov) – Single-handedly, Olga Nenya raises 23 foster children — many of mixed race — in her Ukrainian home, but her fierce love can veer dangerously close to obsession.
Kawasaki’s Rose(Kawasakiho ruze) – Czech Republic (DIRECTOR Jan Hrebejk WRITER Petr Jarchovský PRODUCERS Rudolf Biermann, Tomás Hoffman CAST Lenka Vlasáková, Milan Mikulcík, Martin Huba) – Czech director Jan Hrebejk is at the peak of his art in this richly human study of a revered psychiatrist about to be honored for his resistance to the Communist regime. But is he really the man everyone thinks he is?
Love Crime (Crime d’amour) – France(DIRECTOR Alain Corneau WRITERS Alain Corneau, Natalie Carter PRODUCER Saïd Ben Saïd CAST Ludivine Sagnier, Kristin Scott Thomas, Patrick Mille) – This suspenseful, noose-tight corporate thriller with Kristin Scott Thomas as a ruthlessly successful executive keeps you guessing up to the final twist of its knife.
Sidewalls (Medianeras) – Argentina/Germany/Spain(DIRECTOR/WRITER Gustavo Taretto PRODUCERS Natacha Cervi, Christoph Friedel, Luis Miñarro, Hernán Musaluppi, Luis A. Sartor CAST Pilar López de Ayala, Javier Drolas, Inés Efron, Rafael Ferro, Adrián Navarro) – Buenos Aires is both setting and character in this witty, unconventional romance about two young urban neurotics and neighbors who should be meant for each other. The problem is, they’ve never met. North American Premiere
Mysteries of Lisbon (Mistérios de Lisboa) – Portugal (DIRECTOR Raúl Ruiz WRITER Carlos Saboga PRODUCERS Paulo Branco CAST Adriano Luz, Maria João Bastos, Ricardo Pereira, Clotilde Hesme, Léa Seydoux) – Legendary filmmaker Raúl Ruiz directs this sprawling, sumptuous 19th-century epic about secret identities, grand passions and the nature of storytelling itself.
Position Among the Stars – Netherlands (DIRECTOR Leonard Retel Helmrich WRITERS Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich, Leonard Retel Helmrich PRODUCER Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich) – Shot in an astonishing, original cinéma vérité style, this intimate, prizewinning study of a multi-generational family in the Jakarta slums takes us deep inside the tensions tearing at modern Indonesia.
The Salesman(Le Vendeur) – Canada (WRITER/DIRECTOR Sèbastien Pilote PRODUCERS Marc Daigle, Bernadette Payeur CAST Jean-Francois Boudreau, Jean-Robert Bourdage, Nathalie Cavezzali) – A 67-year-old Québécoise car salesman’s quiet small-town life is turned upside down when the local economy begins to fail and his obsession with closing a deal at any cost endangers the lives of those around him.
Self Made – England (DIRECTOR Gillian Wearing WRITERS Leo Butler, Gillian Wearing PRODUCERS Lisa Marie Russo, Samm Hailla) – Artist Gillian Wearing gathers a diverse group of workaday Brits — none of whom have acted before — for an intense and revelatory immersion in the Method.
Senna – England (DIRECTOR Asif Kapadia WRITER Manish Pandey PRODUCERS James Gay-Rees, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner) – A high-octane look at the most exciting driver to ever race Formula One — Brazil’s Aryton Senna — this edge of your seat documentary explores the politics, rivalries and glamour of a sport that leaves no room for error.
Tomboy – France (DIRECTOR/WRITER Céline Sciamma PRODUCER Benedicte Couvreur CAST Zoé Héran, Malonn Levana, Sophie Cattani, Mathieu Demy, Jeanne Disson, Yohan Vero, Noah Vero, Cheyenne Laine, Ryan Boubekri) – A touching and seriocomic exploration of gender and identity about a 10-year-old girl who passes herself off as the boy she really wants to be. North American Premiere
SUMMER SHOWCASE:
Another Earth – (DIRECTOR Mike Cahill WRITERS Mike Cahill, Brit Marling PRODUCERS Mike Cahill, Hunter Gray, Brit Marling, Nicholas Shumaker CAST William Mapother, Brit Marling) – A mesmerizing hybrid of high-concept science fiction film and meditative character study, this highly anticipated indie explores impossible love and redemption through the story of two strangers whose lives become entangled in the aftermath of tragedy.
Elevate – (DIRECTOR Anne Buford PRODUCERS Anne Buford, Chiemi Karasawa, Victoria Yoffie, Mark Becker FEATURING Amadou Gallo Fall) – This beautifully observed doc follows three promising Senegalese basketball hopefuls as they journey from their homeland to American prep schools and on to college hoops, navigating hazardous cultural hurdles with amazing grace.
The Future – (DIRECTOR/WRITER Miranda July PRODUCERS Gina Kwon, Roman Paul, Chris Stinson CAST Miranda July, Hamish Linklater, David Warshofsky) – Miranda July's unique, imaginative second feature tells the story of how Sophie and Jason’s happy relationship unravels over the decision to adopt a stray cat.
The Guard – Ireland (DIRECTOR/WRITER - John Michael McDonagh PRODUCERS Chris Clark, Flora Fernandez Marengo, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe CAST Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Strong, Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot, Dominique McElligot) – Brendan Gleeson's unforgettable Irish police officer — rude, unruly and rule-breaking — teams up with Don Cheadle's by-the-book FBI agent to take on a lethal international drug ring in this dark, rowdy comic thriller.
Higher Ground – (DIRECTOR Vera Farmiga WRITERS Carolyn S. Briggs, Tim Metcalfe PRODUCERS Claude Dal Farra, Renn Hawkey, Carly Hugo, Jon Rubenstein, Matt Parker CAST Vera Farmiga, Joshua Leonard, John Hawkes, Dagmara Dominczyk, Norbert Leo Butz, Donna Murphy) – Vera Farmiga directs and stars in this seriocomic portrait of a smart small-town woman’s crisis of faith as she tries to reconcile her sexuality with her fundamentalism.
Leave It on the Floor – (DIRECTOR Sheldon Larry WRITER Glenn Gaylord PRODUCERS Gabriel Blanco, Glenn Gaylord, Adam Larry, Jeffrey Larry, Sheldon Larry, Marc L. Bailin CAST Miss Barbie-Q, Ephraim Sykes, Andre Myers, Phillip Evelyn, Cameron Koa) – With a bow to Paris is Burning, this audacious, raunchy, African-American musical (and love story) celebrates Downtown L.A.’s fabulously funky underground ball culture. World Premiere
Letters From the Big Man – (DIRECTOR/WRITER Christopher Munch PRODUCER Linda Brown CAST Lily Rabe, Jason Butler Harner, Isaac C. Singleton Jr., Jim Cody Williams, Fiona Dourif, Karen Black) – In this unique, gently humorous rumination on man, myth and nature, a female Forest Service worker develops a spiritual bond with the Pacific Northwest’s most famous and reclusive inhabitant — Bigfoot.
L!fe Happens – (DIRECTOR Kat Coiro WRITERS Krysten Ritter, Kat Coiro PRODUCER Lauren Bratman CAST Kate Bosworth, Krysten Ritter, Rachel Bilson, Justin Kirk, Rhys Coiro, Jason Biggs, Geoff Stults, Kristen Johnson, Seymour Cassel) – Young, stylish and smart of mouth, these Silver Lake roommates juggle boy drama, job stress and life plans when one of their one-night stands leads to a brand new baby. Can the party days continue? World Premiere
Natural Selection – (DIRECTOR/WRITER Robbie Pickering PRODUCERS Brion Hambel, Paul Jensen CAST Rachael Harris, Matt O'Leary, Jon Gries, John Diehl, Gayland Williams) – In this award-winning debut, a naïve and devout Texas housewife gets more than she bargained for when she fulfills her dying husbands wish to bring home his illegitimate son — a wild man on the run from the law.
Page One: Inside the New York Times –(DIRECTOR Andrew Rossi WRITERS Kate Novak, Andrew Rossi PRODUCERS Josh Braun, David Hand, Kate Novak, Alan Oxxman, Adam Schlesinger FEATURING David Carr) – With salty New York Times media critic David Carr as guide, Andrew Rossi's documentary illuminates the critical issues facing daily newspapers as they face unprecedented change.
The Pruitt-Igoe Myth – (DIRECTOR Chad Freidrichs WRITERS Chad Freidrichs, Jaime Freidrichs PRODUCERS Chad Freidrichs, Jaime Freidrichs, Paul Fehler, Brian Woodman) – Comprised of gripping archival footage and personal interviews, this enlightening history of one of the country’s most disastrous public housing experiments probes complex issues of poverty, race, and class with artistry and compassion.
Renée– (DIRECTOR Eric Drath PRODUCERS Aaron Cohen, Eric Drath, Libby Geist, Mark Durand, Rachel Terry, Daniel Silver, Andrew Billman, Connor Schell) – Women's tennis star Renée Richards rocked the sports world when it was revealed she'd been born a man. Now she comes forth to reflect on her amazing and troubled life on both sides of the gender divide.
Sex Crimes Unit – (DIRECTOR Lisa F. Jackson) – The tough women lawyers of the New York District Attorney’s sex crime unit put Law and Order to shame in this fascinating exploration of the inner workings of the office that pioneered sex crime prosecution in the US.
Skateistan: Four Wheels and a Board in Kabul – (DIRECTOR Kai Sehr WRITER Nadia Hennrich PRODUCER Rene Kock FEATURING Oliver Percovich, Kenny Reed, Cairo Foster, Louisa Menke, Maysam Faraj, Mirwais Ahmad, Andreas Schuetzenberg) –
Directionless Afghan children discover purpose and hope when activists begin building a skateboard park in their impoverished and war-torn nation.
Terri – (DIRECTOR Azazel Jacobs WRITER Patrick Dewitt PRODUCERS Alison Dickey, Alex Orlovsky, Hunter Gray, Lynette Howell CAST John C. Reilly, Jacob Wysocki, Creed Bratton, Olivia Crocicchia, Bridger Zadina) – The hilarious and poignant story of a high school outsider who unexpectedly finds himself on the path to friendship, Terri breathes new life into the American teen movie.
Tyrannosaur – England (DIRECTOR/WRITER Paddy Considine PRODUCER Diarmid Scrimshaw CAST Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan, Paul Popplewell) – Peter Mullan’s astonishing performance anchors this gritty drama about an angry, violent man whose life changes when he meets a Christian charity shop worker with dark secrets of her own.
Where Soldiers Come From – (DIRECTOR Heather Courtney PRODUCERS Heather Courtney, Megan Gilbride, David Harstein FEATURING Dominic Fredianelli, Cole Smith, Matt Beaudoin) – This powerful documentary follows three small-town Michigan boys who enlist in the National Guard and are sent to Afghanistan. Neither the boys nor the town will ever be the same.
Winnie the Pooh (DIRECTORS Stephen J. Anderson, Don Hall PRODUCERS Peter Del Vecho, Clark Spencer CAST Jim Cummings, John Cleese, Craig Ferguson, Bud Luckey, Jack Boulter, Travis Oates, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Wyatt Dean Hall, Tom Kenny, Huell Howser) – Return to the Hundred Acre Woods as Pooh and all his friends go on a charming storybook adventure in search of honey, Eeyore’s lost tail and a mysterious creature known only as the Backson.
OUTDOOR SCREENINGS AT THE FORD AMPHITHEATRE:
Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest – (DIRECTOR Michael Rapaport PRODUCERS Edward Parks, Bob Teitel, Frank Mele, Robert Benavides, Eric Matthies, Michael Rapaport, Debra Koffler) – The rancorous break-up of A Tribe Called Quest frames Michael Rapaport’s exuberant exploration of the turmoil and joy that drove these pioneers of bohemian hip hop.
Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (Di Ren Jie zhi Tong Tian Di Guo) – Hong Kong (DIRECTOR Tsui Hark WRITER Zhang Jialu PRODUCERS Wang Zhongjun, Wang Zhonglei, Tsui Hark CAST Andy Lau, Carina Lau, Li Bingbing, Chao Deng, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Jean-Michel Casanova, Teddy Robin Kwan, Jinshan Liu, Rochard Ng, Lu Yao) – The detective genre meets kung-fu spectacle in Tsui Hark’s gotta-see-it-to-believe-it epic adaptation of the Judge Dee mystery series.
The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman – (FEATURING Ron and Russell Mael aka Sparks, Guy Maddin, Peter Franzen, Ann Magnuson) – In this live musical world premiere, acclaimed Los Angeles band Sparks, along with a cast under the stage and cinematic direction of filmmaker Guy Maddin, perform their “film-to-be” fantasy about Ingmar Bergman, art, and temptation in 1950s Hollywood. World Premiere
INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT – CUBA:
Habana Eva – Cuba/France/Venezuela (DIRECTOR/WRITER Fina Torres PRODUCERS Fina Torres, Delfina Catala, Marco Mundarain, Camilo Vives CAST Prakriti Maduro, Yuliet Cruz, Juan Carlos Garcia, Carlos Enrique Almirante) – An ambitious young seamstress is torn between her loyal Cuban lover and a wealthy and mysterious Venezuelan photographer in this sensual and unpredictable romantic comedy.
Operation Peter Pan: Flying Back to Cuba – Cuba (DIRECTOR/PRODUCER Estela Bravo) – This startling documentary tells the tales of some of the 14,000 Cuban children sent by their parents, at the urging of the State Department, to the U.S. to "save" them from the Revolution.
Suite Habana (Havana Suite) (2003) – Cuba (DIRECTOR/WRITER Fernando Pérez PRODUCERS José María Morales, Camilo Vives CAST Heriberto Boroto, Iván Carbonell) – Acclaimed Cuban director Fernando Pérez's portrait of a day in the life of Havana requires no dialogue to bring a city and its people to poetic, sensual — and often surprising — life.
Ticket to Paradise (Boleto al Paraiso) – Cuba/Spain/Venezuela (DIRECTOR Gerardo Chijona Valdes WRITERS Gerardo Chijona Valdes, Francisco García, Maykel Rodrîguez PRODUCERS Camilo Vives, Antonio Hens CAST Miriel Cejas, Héctor Medina, Dunia Matos, Fabián Mora, Saray Vargas, Luis Alberto García, Jorge Perrugoría) – In 1993, during the bleakest era in revolutionary Cuba's history, two homeless teenage lovers are driven to take desperate measures to survive. Gerardo Chijona's shocking love story explores how despair can give birth to a radical form of hope.
DOCUMENTING MEXICO:
The Night Watchman (El Velador) – Mexico (DIRECTOR/PRODUCER Natalia Almada) – A night watchman at an ever-expanding cemetery presides over the end result of Mexico’s drug wars— the ornate tombs of drug lords and corrupt cops.
The Tiniest Place(El lugar más pequeño) – Mexico(DIRECTOR/WRITER Tatiana Huezo PRODUCER Nicolás Celis FEATURING Elba Escalante, Pablo Alvarenga, Armando Aguilar, Rosi Alvarenga, Rudy Espinoza, Orlando Aguilar, Belyini Barahona) – In a remote village in El Salvador, the civil war left just a handful of survivors. This is their powerful story of resilience and hope.
COMMUNITY SCREENINGS:
The Bully Project – (DIRECTOR Lee Hirsch PRODUCERS Cynthia Lowen, Lee Hirsch) – Following five young victims of bullying over the course of a school year, this heartbreaking documentary artfully sheds light on a shocking national crisis and inspires its audience to ask “Why?”
Choose Your Own Movie – Vote online for this free outdoor screening.
Crime After Crime – (DIRECTOR/PRODUCER Yoav Potash FEATURING Joshua Safran, Nadia Costa, Deborah Peagler) – In this wrenching documentary, two idealistic attorneys take on the L.A. County justice system to free a woman imprisoned twenty years earlier for her role in the murder of her viciously abusive boyfriend. Grand Performances Screening
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off(1986) – (DIRECTOR/WRITER John Hughes PRODUCERS Michael Chinich, John Hughes, Tom Jacobson, Jane Vickerilla CAST Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jennifer Grey, Charlie Sheen, Ben Stein, Cindy Pickett, Jeffrey Jones) – In this John Hughes classic, Matthew Broderick stars as the charmingly elusive high school student Ferris, who feigns illness so he can experience a day of madcap adventures. Free Outdoor25th Anniversary Screening
Hot Coffee –(DIRECTOR Susan Saladoff PRODUCERS Susan Saladoff, Alan Oxman, Carly Hugo FEATURING Stella Liebeck, Jamie Leigh Jones, Senator Al Franken, John Grisham, Oliver Diaz) – You'll think twice about calling the famous McDonald's coffee lawsuit "frivolous" after seeing this eye-opening exposé of the way corporations are gaming the civil justice system to deprive us of our rights.
On the Ice – (DIRECTOR/WRITER Andrew Okpeaha MacLean PRODUCERS Lynette Howell, Marco Londoner, Zhana Londoner, Cara Marcous CAST Josiah Patkotak, Frank Qutuq Irelan, Teddy Kyle Smith, Adamina Kerr, Sierra Jade Sampson, John Miller, Rosabelle Kunnanna Rexford) – In this taut thriller set in the remote Arctic town of Barrow, Alaska, two Iñupiaq teenagers trying to get away with murder must wrestle with the limits of friendship as they try to conceal their crime. Project:Involve Screening
Project Nim – England (DIRECTOR James Marsh PRODUCER Simon Chinn) – Can a chimp raised by humans learn to communicate with sign language? This controversial 1970s scientific experiment is the focus of a troubling and mesmerizing new documentary from the director of the Spirit Award-winning Man on Wire.
Stand By Me (1986) – (DIRECTOR Rob Reiner WRITERS Raynold Gideon, Bruce A. Evans, Stephen King PRODUCERS Bruce A. Evans, Raynold Gideon, Andrew Scheinman CAST River Pheonix, Corey Feldman, Wil Wheaton, Jerry O'Connell, Kiefer Sutherland, John Cusack, Richard Dreyfuss) – Turning 25 this year, Rob Reiner’s coming-of-age classic about four boys on a quest to find a dead body – and themselves – stands the test of time and continues to inspire laughter, tears, and the kid in all of us.Free Outdoor25th Anniversary Screening
THE BEYOND:
Entrance (DIRECTORS Dallas Hallam, Patrick Horvath WRITERS Karen Gorham, Dallas Hallam, Patrick Horvath, Michelle Margolis CO-PRODUCERS Dallas Hallam, Patrick Horvath, Michelle Margolis, Karen Gorham, Suziey Block CAST Suziey Block, Bennett Jones, Florence Hartigan, Josh Grote, Liesel Kopp, Morgan Phalen, Jonathan Margolis, Tim Wilson, Karen Gorham, Karen Baird, Farley Burge, Patrick McPheron, Peter Wulff) – When a beautiful Silver Lake hipster’s beloved dog mysteriously goes missing, a creeping anxiety begins to set in and she decides she’s had enough of L.A. But will leaving be so simple? World Premiere
Haunters (Cho-neung-nyeok-ja) – South Korea (DIRECTOR/WRITER Kim Min-seok PRODUCERS Lee Eu-gene, Lee Tae-hun CAST Gang Dong-won, Ko Su) – A psychic sociopath who can control people with his eyes is hunted by the one man able to resist his evil gaze in this thriller directed by the writer of The Good, the Bad and the Weird. North American Premiere
The Innkeepers (DIRECTOR/WRITER Ti West PRODUCERS Derek Curl, Larry Fessenden, Peter Phok, Ti West CAST Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis, George Riddle) – This ghostly blend of humor, suspense and scares follows two lackadaisical desk clerks-cum-ghost hunters as they look for proof of the supernatural during the final weekend of a supposedly haunted New England inn.
Karate-Robo Zaborgar(Denjin Zabôgâ: Gekjô-ban) –Japan (DIRECTOR/WRITER Iguchi Noboru PRODUCERS Chiba Yoshinori, Ikeda Shinichi CAST Itao Itsuji, Furuhara Yasuhisa, Yamasaki Mami, Miyashita Yuya, Satsukawa Aimi) – When a giant robot powered by stolen DNA threatens Japan, an ex-cop must reunite with his karate-fighting half robot, half motorcycle to save the day in this over-the-top update of a Japanese superhero TV show from the Seventies.
The Yellow Sea (Hwanghae) – South Korea (DIRECTOR/WRITER Na Hong-jin PRODUCER Han Sung-Goo CAST Ha Jung-woo, Kim Yun-seok) – A desperate cabdriver turned reluctant hitman finds himself caught between cops and crime lords in this hardcore, high-octane crime thriller packed with fantastic chase scenes, more than a few double-crosses, and legions of hatchet-welding thugs.
RETRO:
Boyz n the Hood (1991) –(DIRECTOR/WRITER John Singleton PRODUCER Steve Nicolaides CAST Angela Bassett, Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Regina King, Nia Long, Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut) – Reuniting the cast and crew of John Singleton’s urban masterpiece about two young men whose friendships – and lives – are torn apart by gang violence, the L.A. Film Fest celebrates the 20th anniversary of this Los Angeles classic. 20th Anniversary Digitally Re-mastered Screening, Followed by Cast & Crew Reunion
Das Boot(1981) –Germany (DIRECTOR/WRITER Wolfgang Petersen PRODUCER Günter Rohrbach CAST Jurgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, Klaus Wennemann) – The alternating tedium and excitement of war are investigated in a groundbreaking fashion by Wolfgang Peterson’s legendary submarine classic. 30th Anniversary Digitally Re-mastered Screening with Cast & Crew
L.A. FILM CRITICS: THE FILMS THAT GOT AWAY:
Mr. Nobody (2009) – Belgium/France (DIRECTOR/WRITER Jaco Van Dormael PRODUCER Philippe Godeau CAST Jared Leto, Sarah Polley, Diane Kruger, Linh-Dan Pham, Rhys Ifans) – Forced to choose sides in his parents’ divorce, a nine year-old projects all the possible outcomes his future might take in this exhilaratingly ambitious film from visionary Jaco Van Dormael.
Paper Soldier (Bumazhnyy soldat) (2008) – Russia (DIRECTOR Alexey German Jr. WRITERS Alexey German Jr., Vladimir Arkush PRODUCERS Artem Vassiliev, Sergei Shumakov CAST Merab Ninidze, Chulpan Khamatova, Anastasya Sheveleva) – The Russian space program’s finest hour is the backdrop to Aleksei German Jr.’s intricate, visually sumptuous rumination on personal and spiritual breakdown, and the failure of the Soviet dream.
THE FILM FOUNDATION SCREENING PROGRAM:
Wild River (1960) –(DIRECTOR/PRODUCER Elia Kazan WRITER Paul Osborn CAST Montgomery Clift, Lee Remick) – Elia Kazan’s little seen masterpiece, a love story and social drama set in Depression era Tennessee starring Montgomery Clift, Lee Remick and Jo Van Fleet. Presented by The Film Foundation.
SHORT FILMS:
Shorts Program 1-5/Shorts Before Features
1989 (When I was 5 years old) – Denmark (DIRECTOR Thor Ochsner)
All Flowers In Time – Canada/USA (DIRECTOR Jonathan Caouette)
Animal Love – (DIRECTOR Mollie Jones)
AWOL – (DIRECTOR Deb Shoval)
The Ballad of Nessie – (DIRECTORS Stevie Wermers, Kevin Deters)
The Birthday Surprise (Feestnummer) –Netherlands (DIRECTOR Danne Bakker)
Blind Date – England (DIRECTOR Joe Rosen)
Bukowski – Netherlands (DIRECTOR Daan Bakker)
Bye-Bye Birdie – Malaysia (DIRECTOR Akashdeep Singh)
Chalk – England (DIRECTOR Martina Amati)
The Death of an Insect(Erään hyönteisen tuho) – Finland (DIRECTORS Hannes Vatiainen, Pekka Veikkolainen)
The Eagleman Stag – England (DIRECTOR Mikey Please)
The Elect – (DIRECTORS Dan Moore, Erin Zacek)
Everybody’s Nuts – (DIRECTOR Fabian Euresti)
Fire (Le Feu) – France(DIRECTOR Michael Capron)
For You I Will Fight (Pour toi je ferai bataille) – Belgium (DIRECTOR Rachel Lang)
Grandpa Looked Like William Powell – (DIRECTOR David B. Levy)
The Guidance of Reason (La conduite de la Raison)– France(DIRECTOR Aliocha Allard)
The High Level Bridge – Canada(DIRECTOR Trevor Anderson)
I Am a Girl! (Ik ben een Meisje!) – Netherlands (DIRECTOR Susan Koenen)
Jean Lewis– USA/Argentina (DIRECTOR Pascui Rivas)
Love Birds – Czech Republic (DIRECTOR Brian Lye)
Math Test (Suhaksihum) – South Korea (DIRECTOR Jung Yumi)
Mercury (Mercurio) – Portugal (DIRECTOR Sandro Aguilar)
Old Man and the Lady(Ukko ja akka) – Finland (DIRECTOR Markku Heikkinen)
Pioneer – (DIRECTOR David Lowery)
Remigration – (DIRECTOR Barry Jenkins)
Shinya Kimura – (DIRECTOR Henrik Hansen)
The Shower (La Ducha) – Chile (DIRECTOR María José San Martín)
Sleep Study –(DIRECTORS John Merriman, Kerri Lendo)
Something Left, Something Taken – (DIRECTORS Ru Kuwahata, Max Porter)
Specky Four-Eyes (Cul de Bouteille) – France (DIRECTOR Jean-Claude Rozec)
Story of Nobody(Storia di Nessuno) – Italy (DIRECTOR Manfredi Lucibello)
Sunny (Ensolarado) – Brazil (DIRECTOR Ricardo Targino)
The Terms – England (DIRECTOR Jason LaMotte)
Tord and Tord – Sweden (DIRECTOR Niki Lindroth von Bahr)
Venus – Denmark (DIRECTOR Tor Fruergaard)
Waiting Room – (DIRECTORS Robert Machoian, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck)
Wapawekka – Canada(DIRECTOR Danis Goulet)
We’re Leaving – (DIRECTOR Zachary Treitz)
What Night Isn’t Weird – (DIRECTOR Kate Bryant)
The Wind is Blowing on My Street(Dar kouche baad miayad) – Iran/USA (DIRECTOR Saba Riazi)
