{"id":70624,"date":"2014-12-03T16:46:12","date_gmt":"2014-12-03T16:46:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/0de2709a84.nxcli.net\/0-kjasnb\/2014\/12\/03\/sundance-film-festival-announces-2015-competition-next-lineups\/"},"modified":"2018-12-18T03:54:03","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T03:54:03","slug":"sundance-film-festival-announces-2015-competition-next-lineups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/sundance-film-festival-announces-2015-competition-next-lineups\/","title":{"rendered":"Sundance Film Festival Announces 2015 Competition, Next Lineups"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sundance Film Festival Announces 2015 Competition, Next Lineups<\/strong>Posted by Wilson Morales<\/p>\n

December 3, 2014<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Sundance<\/a><\/p>\n

Sundance Institute announced today the films selected for the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions and the out-of-competition NEXT <=> section of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, January 22 to February 1 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. The Festival is the centerpiece of the year-round public programs for the Institute, which also hosts 24 residency labs and grants more than $2.5 million to independent artists each year.<\/p>\n

Robert Redford, President & Founder of Sundance Institute, said, \u201cThe work of independent artists inevitably reflects the state of our culture and the times in which we live. Their stories are often irreverent, challenging, compelling and unexpected, and not only possess the power to move and hopefully inspire audiences, but also to speak to our shared humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute, said, \u201cIndependent artists are embracing diverse forms of storytelling \u2013 from feature film to New Frontier to episodic content. In response to their risk-taking spirit, we continue to evolve our Festival and other programs to seek out the best ways to support original and inventive storytellers.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, said, \u201cThe selections for our 2015 Festival will take audiences on a wild ride of emotional extremes. With approaches ranging from comedic to dramatic, genre to documentary, experimental to short, independent filmmakers are bravely illuminating new opportunities for understanding and empathy.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the 2015 Festival, 118 feature-length films were selected, representing 29 countries and 45 first-time filmmakers, including 19 in competition. These films were selected from 12,166 submissions, including 4,105 feature-length films and 8,061 short films. Of the feature film submissions, 2,016 were from the U.S. and 2,089 were international. 103 feature films at the Festival will be world premieres.<\/p>\n

In addition to those announced today, the Festival presents feature-length films in the Spotlight, Park City at Midnight, New Frontier, Sundance Kids, Premieres and Documentary Premieres sections. Those announcements, as well as selections for the Short Film section, a new Special Events section and offscreen programming, are forthcoming.<\/p>\n

This year on Day One, January 22, 2015, the Festival will feature one of each type of film shown at the Festival: a U.S. documentary, U.S. dramatic, international documentary and international dramatic, as well as one shorts program.<\/p>\n

2015 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL LINEUP<\/h3>\n

U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION<\/a><\/h3>\n

The 16 films in this section are world premieres and, unless otherwise noted, are from the U.S.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAdvantageous\u201d<\/strong> (Director: Jennifer Phang, Screenwriters: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy, despite the instability surfacing in their world. Cast: Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Kim.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Bronze\u201d\u00a0(Director: Bryan Buckley, Screenwriters: Melissa Rauch, Winston Rauch) <\/strong>\u2014 In 2004, Hope Ann Greggory became an American hero after winning the bronze medal for the women\u2019s gymnastics team. Today, she\u2019s still living in her small hometown, washed-up and embittered. Stuck in the past, Hope must reassess her life when a promising young gymnast threatens her local celebrity status. Cast: Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole, Thomas Middleditch, Sebastian Stan, Haley Lu Richardson, Cecily Strong.\u00a0(Day One)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe D Train\u201d\u00a0(Directors and screenwriters: Jarrad Paul, Andrew Mogel)<\/strong> \u2014 With his 20th\u00a0reunion looming, Dan can\u2019t shake his high-school insecurities. In a misguided mission to prove he\u2019s changed, Dan rekindles a friendship with the popular guy from his class and is left scrambling to protect more than just his reputation when a wild night takes an unexpected turn. Cast: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike White, Kyle Bornheimer.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Diary of a Teenage Girl\u201d\u00a0(Director and screenwriter: Marielle Heller)<\/strong> \u2014 Minnie Goetze is a 15-year-old aspiring comic-book artist, coming of age in the haze of the 1970s in San Francisco. Insatiably curious about the world around her, Minnie is a pretty typical teenage girl. Oh, except that she\u2019s sleeping with her mother\u2019s boyfriend. Cast: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgard, Christopher Meloni, Kristen Wiig.<\/p>\n

\u201cDope\u201d\u00a0(Director and screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa)<\/strong> \u2014 Malcolm is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the SAT. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself. Cast: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoe Kravitz, ASAP Rocky.<\/p>\n

\u201cI Smile Back\u201d\u00a0(Director: Adam Salky, Screenwriters: Amy Koppelman, Paige Dylan)<\/strong> \u2014 All is not right in suburbia. Laney Brooks, a wife and mother on the edge, has stopped taking her meds, substituting recreational drugs and the wrong men. With the destruction of her family looming, Laney makes a last, desperate attempt at redemption. Cast: Sarah Silverman, Josh Charles, Thomas Sadoski, Mia Barron, Terry Kinney, Chris Sarandon.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe and Earl and the Dying Girl\u201d\u00a0(Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Screenwriter: Jesse Andrews) <\/strong>\u2014 Greg is coasting through senior year of high school as anonymously as possible, avoiding social interactions like the plague while secretly making spirited, bizarre films with Earl, his only friend. But both his anonymity and friendship threaten to unravel when his mother forces him to befriend a classmate with leukemia. Cast: Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Overnight\u201d\u00a0(Director and screenwriter: Patrick Brice) <\/strong>\u2014 Alex, Emily, and their son, RJ, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte and Max. A family \u201cplaydate\u201d becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on. Cast: Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godreche.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople, Places, Things\u201d\u00a0(Director and screenwriter: James C. Strouse) <\/strong>\u2014 Will Henry is a newly single graphic novelist balancing being a parent to his young twin daughters and teaching a classroom full of college students, all the while trying to navigate the rich complexities of new love and letting go of the woman who left him. Cast: Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Stephanie Allynne, Jessica Williams, Gia Gadsby, Aundrea Gadsby.<\/p>\n

\u201cResults\u201d\u00a0(Director and screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski)<\/strong> \u2014 Two mismatched personal trainers\u2019 lives are upended by the actions of a new, wealthy client. Cast: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker.<\/p>\n

\u201cSongs My Brothers Taught Me\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0(Director and screenwriter: Chloe Zhao)<\/strong> \u2014 This complex portrait of modern-day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation explores the bond between a brother and his younger sister, who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home. Cast: John Reddy, Jashaun St. John, Irene Bedard, Taysha Fuller, Travis Lone Hill, Eleonore Hendricks.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Stanford Prison Experiment\u201d\u00a0(Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Screenwriter: Tim Talbott) <\/strong>\u2014 This film is based on the actual events that took place in 1971 when Stanford professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo created what became one of the most shocking and famous social experiments of all time. Cast: Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, Tye Sheridan, Johnny Simmons, Olivia Thirlby.<\/p>\n

\u201cStockholm, Pennsylvania\u201d\u00a0(Director and screenwriter: Nikole Beckwith<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 A young woman is returned home to her biological parents after living with her abductor for 17 years. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Cynthia Nixon, Jason Isaacs, David Warshofsky.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnexpected\u201d\u00a0(Director: Kris Swanberg, Screenwriters: Kris Swanberg, Megan Mercier)<\/strong> \u2014 When Samantha Abbott begins her final semester teaching science at a Chicago high school, she faces some unexpected news: She\u2019s pregnant. Soon after, Samantha learns that one of her favorite students, Jasmine, has landed in a similar situation. \u201cUnexpected\u201d follows the two women as they embark on an unlikely friendship. Cast: Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, Elizabeth McGovern.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Witch\u201d (U.S.-Canada) (Director and screenwriter: Robert Eggers) <\/strong>\u2014 New England in the 1630s: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassable wilderness. When their newborn son vanishes and crops fail, the family turns on one another. Beyond their worst fears, a supernatural evil lurks in the nearby wood. Cast: Anya Taylor Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Lucas Dawson, Ellie Grainger.<\/p>\n

\u201cZ for Zachariah\u201d\u00a0(Director: Craig Zobel, Screenwriter: Nissar Modi) <\/strong>\u2014 In a post-apocalyptic world, a young woman who believes she is the last human on Earth meets a dying scientist searching for survivors. Their relationship becomes tenuous when another survivor appears. As the two men compete for the woman\u2019s affection, their primal urges begin to reveal their true nature. Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine.<\/p>\n

U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

The 16 films in this section are world premieres and, unless otherwise noted, are from the U.S.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201c3\u00bd Minutes\u201d (Director: Marc Silver) <\/strong>\u2014 On Nov.\u00a023, 2012, unarmed 17-year-old Jordan Russell Davis was shot at a Jacksonville gas station by Michael David Dunn. \u201c3\u00bd Minutes\u201d\u00a0explores the aftermath of Jordan\u2019s tragic death, the latent and often unseen effects of racism, and the contradictions of the American criminal justice system.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing Evel\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0(Director: Daniel Junge)<\/strong> \u2014 An unprecedented, candid portrait of American icon Robert \u201cEvel\u201d Knievel and his legacy.<\/p>\n

\u201cBest of Enemies\u201d\u00a0(Directors: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon)<\/strong> \u2014 A\u00a0behind-the-scenes account of the explosive 1968 televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and their rancorous disagreements about politics, God, and sex.<\/p>\n

\u201cCall Me Lucky\u201d\u00a0(Director: Bobcat Goldthwait) <\/strong>\u2014 Barry Crimmins was a volatile but brilliant bar comic who became an honored peace activist and influential political satirist. Famous comedians and others build a picture of a man who underwent an incredible transformation.<\/p>\n

\u201cCartel Land\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0(Director: Matthew Heineman)<\/strong> \u2014 In this classic Western set in the 21st\u00a0century, vigilantes on both sides of the border fight the vicious Mexican drug cartels. With unprecedented access, this character-driven film provokes deep questions about lawlessness, the breakdown of order, and whether citizens should fight violence with violence.<\/p>\n

\u201cCity of Gold\u201d\u00a0(Director: Laura Gabbert) <\/strong>\u2014 Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jonathan Gold casts his light upon a vibrant and growing cultural movement in which he plays the dual roles of high-low priest and culinary geographer of his beloved Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

\u201cFinders Keepers\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0(Directors: Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel)<\/strong> \u2014 Recovering addict and amputee John Wood finds himself in a stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction and believes it to therefore be his rightful property.<\/p>\n

\u201cHot Girls Wanted\u201d\u00a0(Directors: Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus) <\/strong>\u2014 A\u00a0first-ever look at the realities inside the world of the amateur porn industry and the steady stream of 18- and 19-year-old girls entering into it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow to Dance in Ohio\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0(Director: Alexandra Shiva)<\/strong> \u2014 In Columbus, Ohio, a group of teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum prepare for an iconic American rite of passage \u2014 a spring formal. They spend 12 weeks practicing their social skills at a local nightclub in preparation for the dance.<\/p>\n

\u201cLarry Kramer in Love and Anger\u201d\u00a0(Director: Jean Carlomusto)<\/strong> \u2014 Author, activist, and playwright Larry Kramer is one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary gay America, a political firebrand who gave voice to the outrage and grief that inspired gay men and lesbians to fight for their lives. At 78, this complicated man still commands our attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cMeru\u201d\u00a0(Directors: Jimmy Chin, E. Chai Vasarhelyi)<\/strong> \u2014 Three elite mountain climbers sacrifice everything but their friendship as they struggle through heartbreaking loss and nature\u2019s harshest elements to attempt the never-before-completed Shark\u2019s Fin on Mount Meru, the most coveted first ascent in the dangerous game of Himalayan big wall climbing.<\/p>\n

\u201cRacing Extinction\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0(Director: Louie Psihoyos)<\/strong> \u2014 Academy Award winner Louie Psihoyos (\u201cThe Cove\u201d) assembles a unique team to show the world never-before-seen images that expose issues surrounding endangered species and mass extinction.<\/p>\n

\u201c(T)error\u201d\u00a0(Directors: Lyric R. Cabral, David Felix Sutcliffe)<\/strong> \u2014 The first film to document on camera<\/a> a covert counterterrorism sting as it unfolds. Through the perspective of *******, a 63-year-old Black revolutionary turned FBI informant, viewers are given an unprecedented glimpse of the government\u2019s counterterrorism tactics, and the murky justifications behind them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome to Leith\u201d\u00a0(Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker)<\/strong> \u2014 A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota.<\/p>\n

\u201cWestern\u201d\u00a0(U.S.-Mexico) (Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross) <\/strong>\u2014 For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life. Western portrays timeless American figures in the grip<\/a> of unforgiving change.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Wolfpack\u201d\u00a0(Director: Crystal Moselle)<\/strong> \u2014 Six bright teenage brothers have spent their entire lives locked away from society in a Manhattan housing project. All they know of the outside is gleaned from the movies they watch obsessively (and recreate meticulously). Yet as adolescence looms, they dream of escape, ever more urgently, into the beckoning world<\/p>\n

WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

The 12 films in this section are world premieres unless otherwise specified.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cChlorine\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0(Italy) (Director: Lamberto Sanfelice, Screenwriters: Lamberto Sanfelice, Elisa Amoruso)<\/strong> \u2014 Jenny, 17, dreams of becoming a synchronized swimmer. Family events turn her life upside down and she is forced move to a remote area to look after her ill father and younger brother. It won\u2019t be long before Jenny starts pursuing her dreams again. Cast: Sara Serraiocco, Ivan Franek, Giorgio Colangeli, Anatol Sassi, Piera Degli Esposti, Andrea Vergoni.<\/p>\n

\u201cChorus\u201d\u00a0(Canada) (Director and screenwriter: Francois Delisle) \u00ad<\/strong>\u2014 A separated couple meet again after 10 years when the body of their missing son is found. Amid the guilt of losing a loved one, they hesitantly move toward affirmation of life, acceptance of death, and even the possibility of reconciliation. Cast: Sebastien Ricard, Fanny Mallette, Pierre Curzi, Genevieve Bujold.<\/p>\n

\u201cGlassland\u201d\u00a0(Ireland) (Director and screenwriter: Gerard Barrett)<\/strong> \u2014 In a desperate attempt to reunite his broken family, a young taxi driver becomes entangled in the criminal underworld. Cast: Jack Reynor, Toni Collette, Will Poulter, Michael Smiley. (International premiere)<\/p>\n

\u201cHomesick\u201d\u00a0(Norway) (Director: Anne Sewitsky, Screenwriters: Ragnhild Tronvoll, Anne Sewitsky)<\/strong> \u2014 When Charlotte, 27, meets her brother Henrik, 35, for the first time, two people who don\u2019t know what a normal family is begin an encounter without boundaries. How does sibling love manifest itself if you have never experienced it before? Cast: Ine Marie Wilmann, Simon J. Berger, Anneke von der Lippe, Silje Storstein, Oddgeir Thune, Kari Onstad.<\/p>\n

\u201cIvy\u201d\u00a0(Turkey) (Director and screenwriter: Tolga Karacelik) <\/strong>\u2014 Sarmasik is sailing to Egypt when the ship\u2019s owner goes bankrupt. The crew<\/a> learns there is a lien on the ship, and key crew members must stay on board. Ivy is the story of these six men trapped on the ship for days. Cast: Nadir Sar\u0131bacak, Ozgur\u00a0Emre Y\u0131ld\u0131r\u0131m, Hakan Karsak, Kadir Cermik, Osman Alka\u015f, Seyithan Ozdemiroglu.<\/p>\n

\u201cPartisan\u201d\u00a0(Australia) (Director: Ariel Kleiman, Screenwriters: Ariel Kleiman, Sarah Cyngler)<\/strong> \u2014 Alexander is like any other kid: playful, curious and naive. He is also a trained assassin. Raised in a hidden paradise, Alexander has grown up seeing the world filtered through his father, Gregori. As Alexander begins to think for himself, creeping fears take shape, and Gregori\u2019s idyllic world unravels. Cast: Vincent Cassel, Jeremy Chabriel, Florence Mezzara.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrincess\u201d\u00a0(Israel) (Director and screenwriter: Tali Shalom Ezer)<\/strong> \u2014 While her mother is away from home, 12-year-old Adar\u2019s role-playing games with her stepfather move into dangerous territory. Seeking an escape, Adar finds Alan, an ethereal boy that accompanies her on a dark journey between reality and fantasy. Cast: Keren Mor, Shira Haas, Ori Pfeffer, Adar Zohar Hanetz.\u00a0(International premiere)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Second Mother\u201d\u00a0(Brazil)\u00a0(Director and screenwriter: Anna Muylaert)<\/strong> \u2014 Having left her daughter, Jessica, to be raised by relatives in the north of Brazil, Val works as a loving nanny in S\u00e3o Paulo. When Jessica arrives for a visit 13 years later, she confronts her mother\u2019s slave-like attitude and everyone in the house is affected by her unexpected behavior. Cast: Regina Case, Michel Joelsas, Camila Mardila, Karine Teles, Louren\u00e7o Mutarelli.<\/p>\n

\u201cSlow West\u201d\u00a0(New Zealand) (Director: John Maclean, Screenwriters: John Maclean, Michael Lesslie) <\/strong>\u2014 At the end of the 19th\u00a0century, 16-year-old Jay Cavendish journeys across the American frontier in search of the woman he loves. He is joined by Silas, a mysterious traveler, and hotly pursued by an outlaw along the way. Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Rory McCann, Ben Mendelsohn, Brooke Williams, Caren Pistorius.<\/p>\n

\u201cStrangerland\u201d\u00a0(Australia-Ireland) (Director: Kim Farrant, Screenwriters: Fiona Seres, Michael Kinirons)<\/strong> \u2014 When Catherine and Matthew Parker\u2019s two teenage kids disappear into the remote Australian desert, the couple\u2019s relationship is pushed to the brink as they confront the mystery of their children\u2019s fate. Cast: Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes, Hugo Weaving, Lisa Flanagan, Meyne Wyatt, Maddison Brown.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Summer of Sangaile\u201d\u00a0(Lithuania-France-Holland) (Director and screenwriter: Alante\u00a0Kavaite) <\/strong>\u2014 Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. She meets a girl her age at the summer aeronautical show, nearby her parents\u2019 lakeside villa. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and in the process finds in her teenage love, the only person that truly encourages her to fly. Cast: Julija Steponaityte, Aiste\u00a0Dirziute.\u00a0(Day One film)<\/p>\n

\u201cUmrika\u201d\u00a0(India) (Director and screenwriter: Prashant Nair) <\/strong>\u2014 When a young village boy discovers that his brother, long believed to be in America, has actually gone missing, he begins to invent letters on his behalf to save their mother from heartbreak, all the while searching for him. Cast: Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Smita Tambe, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang, Prateik Babbar.<\/p>\n

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

The 12 films in this section are world premieres unless otherwise specified.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Amina Profile\u201d\u00a0(Canada)\u00a0(Director: Sophie Deraspe) <\/strong>\u2014 During the Arab revolution, a love story between two women \u2014 a Canadian and a Syrian American \u2014 turns into an international sociopolitical thriller spotlighting media excesses and the thin line between truth and falsehood on the Internet.<\/p>\n

\u201cCensored Voices\u201d\u00a0(Israel-Germany) (Director: Mor Loushy) <\/strong>\u2014 One week after the 1967 Six-Day War, renowned author Amos Oz and editor<\/a> Avraham Shapira recorded intimate conversations with soldiers returning from the battlefield. The Israeli army censored the recordings, allowing only a fragment of the conversations to be published. \u201cCensored Voices\u201d reveals these recordings for the first time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Chinese Mayor\u201d\u00a0(China) (Director: Hao Zhou) <\/strong>\u2014 Mayor Geng Yanbo is determined to transform the coal-mining center of Datong, in China\u2019s Shanxi province, into a tourism haven showcasing clean energy. In order to achieve that, however, he has to relocate 500,000 residences to make way for the restoration of the ancient city.<\/p>\n

\u201cChuck Norris vs. Communism\u201d (U.K.-Romania-Germany)\u00a0(Director: Ilinca Calugareanu) <\/strong>\u2014 In 1980s Romania, thousands of Western films smashed through the Iron Curtain, opening a window to the free world for those who dared to look. A black-market VHS racketeer and courageous female translator brought the magic of film to the masses and sowed the seeds of a revolution.<\/p>\n

\u201cDark Horse\u201d\u00a0(U.K.) (Director: Louise Osmond) <\/strong>\u2014 Dark Horse is the inspirational true story of a group of friends from a workingman\u2019s club who decide to take on the elite \u201csport of kings\u201d and breed themselves a racehorse.<\/p>\n

\u201cDreamcatcher\u201d\u00a0(U.K.) (Director: Kim Longinotto)<\/strong> \u2014 \u201cDreamcatcher\u201d takes us into a hidden world seen through the eyes of one of its survivors, Brenda Myers-Powell. A former teenage prostitute, Brenda defied the odds to become a powerful advocate for change in her community. With warmth and humor, Brenda gives hope to those who have none.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow to Change the World\u201d (U.K.-Canada)\u00a0(Director: Jerry Rothwell) <\/strong>\u2014 In 1971, a group of friends sails into a nuclear test zone, and their protest captures the world\u2019s imagination. Using rare, archival footage that brings their extraordinary world to life, How to Change the World is the story of the pioneers who founded Greenpeace and defined the modern green movement. (Day One film)<\/p>\n

\u201cListen to Me Marlon\u201d (U.K.)\u00a0(Director and screenwriter: Stevan Riley, Co-writer: Peter Ettedgui)<\/strong> \u2014 With exclusive access to previously unheard audio archives, this documentary charts Marlon Brando\u2019s exceptional career and extraordinary life away from the stage and screen, fully exploring the complexities of the man by telling the story uniquely in his own voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cPervert Park\u201d\u00a0(Sweden-Denmark) (Directors: Frida Barkfors, Lasse Barkfors)<\/strong> \u2014 \u201cPervert Park\u201d follows the everyday lives of sex offenders in a Florida trailer park as they struggle to reintegrate into society, and try to understand who they are and how to break the cycle of sex crimes being committed. (International premiere)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Russian Woodpecker\u201d\u00a0(U.K.) (Director: Chad Gracia) <\/strong>\u2014 A Ukrainian victim of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster discovers a dark secret and must decide whether to risk his life by revealing it, amid growing clouds of revolution and war.<\/p>\n

\u201cSembene!\u201d\u00a0(U.S.-Senegal) (Directors: Samba Gadjigo, Jason Silverman)<\/strong> \u2014 In 1952, Ousmane Sembene, a Senegalese dockworker and fifth-grade dropout, began dreaming an impossible dream: to become the storyteller for a new Africa. This true story celebrates how the \u201cfather of African cinema,\u201d against enormous odds, fought a monumental, 50-year-long battle to give Africans a voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Visit\u201d\u00a0(Denmark-Austria-Ireland-Finland-Norway) (Director: Michael Madsen)<\/strong> \u2014 \u201cThis film documents an event that has never taken place \u2026 \u201d With unprecedented access to the United Nations\u2019 Office for Outer Space Affairs, leading space scientists and space agencies, \u201cThe Visit\u201d explores humans\u2019 first encounter with alien intelligent life and thereby humanity itself. \u201cOur scenario begins with the arrival. Your arrival.\u201d<\/p>\n

NEXT<\/a><\/h3>\n

The 10 films in this section are world premieres and from the U.S., unless otherwise noted.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBob and the Trees\u201d\u00a0(U.S.-France) (Director: Diego Ongaro, Screenwriters: Diego Ongaro, Courtney Maum, Sasha Statman-Weil)<\/strong> \u2014 Bob, a 50-year-old logger in rural Massachusetts with a soft spot for golf and gangsta rap, is struggling to make ends meet in a changed economy. When his beloved cow is wounded and a job goes awry, Bob begins to heed the instincts of his ever-darkening self. Cast: Bob Tarasuk, Matt Gallagher, Polly MacIntyre, Winthrop Barrett, Nathaniel Gregory. World Premiere<\/p>\n

\u201cChristmas, Again\u201d\u00a0(Director and screenwriter: Charles Poekel) <\/strong>\u2014 A heartbroken Christmas tree salesman returns to New York, hoping to put the past year behind him. He spends the season living in a trailer and working the night shift, until a mysterious woman and some colorful customers rescue him from self-destruction. Cast: Kentucker Audley, Hannah Gross, Jason Shelton, Oona Roche. (North American premiere)<\/p>\n

\u201cCronies\u201d\u00a0(Director and screenwriter: Michael Larnell)<\/strong> \u2014 Twenty-two-year-old Louis doesn\u2019t know whether his childhood friendship with Jack will last beyond today. Cast: George Sample III, Zurich Buckner, Brian Kowalski.<\/p>\n

\u201cEntertainment\u201d\u00a0(Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Gregg Turkington, Tim Heidecker) <\/strong>\u2014 En route to meeting with his estranged daughter, in an attempt to revive his dwindling career, a broken, aging comedian plays a string of dead-end shows in the Mojave Desert. Cast: Gregg Turkington, John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan, Michael Cera, Amy Seimetz, Lotte Verbeek.<\/p>\n

\u201cH.\u201d (U.S.-Argentina) (Directors and screenwriters: Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia)<\/strong> \u2014 Two women, each named Helen, find their lives spinning out of control after a meteor allegedly explodes over their city of Troy, New York. Cast: Robin Bartlett, Rebecca Dayan, Will Janowitz, Julian Gamble, Roger Robinson.<\/p>\n

\u201cJames White\u201d\u00a0(Director and screenwriter: Josh Mond) <\/strong>\u2014 A young New Yorker struggles to take control of his reckless, self-destructive behavior in the face of momentous family challenges. Cast: Chris Abbott, Cynthia Nixon, Scott Mescudi, Makenzie Leigh, David Call.<\/p>\n

\u201cNasty Baby\u201d\u00a0(Director and screenwriter: Sebastian Silva)<\/strong> \u2014 A gay couple try to have a baby with the help of their best friend, Polly. The trio navigates the idea of creating life while confronted by unexpected harassment from a neighborhood man called The Bishop. As their clashes grow increasingly aggressive, odds are someone is getting hurt. Cast: Sebastian Silva, Tunde Adebimpe, Kristin Wiig, Reg E. Cathey, Mark Margolis, Denis O\u2019Hare.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Strongest Man\u201d<\/strong> (Director and screenwriter: Kenny Riches)<\/strong> \u2014 An anxiety-ridden Cuban man who fancies himself the strongest man in the world attempts to recover his most prized possession, a stolen bicycle. On his quest, he finds and loses much more. Cast: Robert Lorie, Paul Chamberlain, Ashly Burch, Patrick Fugit, Lisa Banes.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake Me to the River\u201d\u00a0(Director and screenwriter: Matt Sobel) <\/strong>\u2014 A naive California teen plans to remain above the fray at his Nebraskan family reunion, but a strange encounter places him at the center of a long-buried family secret. Cast: Logan Miller, Robin Weigert, Josh Hamilton, Richard Schiff, Ursula Parker, Azura Skye.<\/p>\n

\u201cTangerine\u201d\u00a0(Director: Sean Baker, Screenwriters: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch)<\/strong> \u2014 A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart. Cast: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O\u2019Hagan, Alla Tumanyan, James Ransone.<\/p>\n

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