(Part 2 of 3)

Makeup And Hairstyling

Beau Is Afraid
Ferrari
Golda
Killers Of The Flower Moon
The Last Voyage Of The Demeter
Maestro
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Society Of The Snow

Music (original score)

American Fiction
American Symphony
Barbie
The Boy And The Heron
The Color Purple
Elemental
The Holdovers
Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Saltburn
Society Of The Snow
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
The Zone Of Interest

Music (original song)

"It Never Went Away" from American Symphony
"Dear Alien (Who Art In Heaven)" from Asteroid City
"Dance The Night" from Barbie
"I'm Just Ken" from Barbie
"What Was I Made For?" from Barbie
"Keep It Movin'" from The Color Purple
"Superpower (I)" from The Color Purple
"The Fire Inside" from Flamin' Hot
"High Life" from Flora And Son
"Meet In The Middle" from Flora And Son
"Can't Catch Me Now" from The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes
"Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)" from Killers Of The Flower Moon
"Quiet Eyes" from Past Lives
"Road To Freedom" from Rustin
"Am I Dreaming" from Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

Animated Short Film

Boom
Eeva
Humo (Smoke)
I'm Hip
A Kind Of Testament
Koerkorter (Dog Apartment)
Letter To A Pig
Ninety-Five Senses
Once Upon A Studio
Our Uniform
Pachyderme
Pete
27
War Is Over! Inspired By The Music Of John & Yoko
Wild Summon

(Part 3 below)

The Motion Picture Academy of Awards (Oscars) has revealed its new short list for the 2024 nominees. The Academy has announced it list in 10 categories for the 96th awards in March 2024.

(Part 1 of 3)

Documentary Feature Film

American Symphony
Apolonia, Apolonia
Beyond Utopia
Bobi Wine: The People's President
Desperate Souls, Dark City And The Legend Of Midnight Cowboy
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
In The Rearview
Stamped From The Beginning
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
A Still Small Voice
32 Sounds
To Kill A Tiger
20 Days In Mariupol

Documentary Short Film

The ABCs Of Book Banning
The Barber Of Little Rock
Bear
Between Earth & Sky
Black Girls Play: The Story Of Hand Games
Camp Courage
Deciding Vote
How We Get Free
If Dreams Were Lightning: Rural Healthcare Crisis
Island In Between
The Last Repair Shop
Last Song From Kabul
Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó
Oasis
Wings Of Dust

International Feature Film

Armenia, Amerikatsi
Bhutan, The Monk And The Gun
Denmark, The Promised Land
Finland, Fallen Leaves
France, The Taste Of Things
Germany, The Teachers' Lounge
Iceland, Godland
Italy, Io Capitano
Japan, Perfect Days
Mexico, Totem
Morocco, The Mother Of All Lies
Spain, Society Of The Snow
Tunisia, Four Daughters
Ukraine, 20 Days In Mariupol
United Kingdom, The Zone Of Interest

(Part 2 below)

South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, best known for his role in the Oscar-winning film Parasite, has been found dead in an apparent suicide in central Seoul.

Police found the body of the actor, who was 48, in a car near a city park on Wednesday. They believe Lee took his own life, Yonhap news agency reports.

Police said earlier they had received a report that he had left his home after writing a note.
He had been under investigation for alleged illegal drug use since October. Lee's body was taken to Seoul National University Hospital after police located his car near Waryong Park. Reports say his family have refused an autopsy and he will be buried on Friday.

Police have begun an investigation to establish the details around his death, including when he arrived at the scene where his body was found, and the time of his death.

In Parasite, Lee played the patriarch of the wealthy Park family which is infiltrated by members of a poor family posing as unrelated individuals. The vicious social satire won four Oscars, including best picture.

Yonhap reported that he was suspected of taking drugs such as marijuana and ketamine with a hostess at a bar in Seoul. He had said that though he took what she gave him, he had not known that they were illicit drugs. The hostess had reportedly told the police that he used drugs at her home multiple times - something he denied. He had earlier requested through his lawyer to take a lie detector test.
His drug tests had returned negative or inconclusive results, the report added. Police said they regretted that Lee had died in the midst of investigations, but that the inquiry had been "conducted with [his] consent", News1 Korea reported. Lee underwent three rounds of questioning, with one session last Saturday lasting 19 hours, according to Yonhap. Lee's agency, HODU&U Entertainment, said in a statement: "There is no way to contain the sorrow and despair. We respectfully ask that you refrain from spreading false facts based on speculation... so that [Lee's] final journey will not be unfair."
News of his death sparked strong reactions online.

Lee is not the only South Korean celebrity who had been investigated for drug use recently. Earlier this month, K-pop star G-Dragon was cleared of drug allegations after weeks of investigations.
Actor Yoo Ah-in is currently standing trial for drug use.

The Hong Kong film directed by Anastasia Tsang was disqualified from the Oscar's list due to an unfortunate incident.

Despite the outcome, producer Saville Chan told Screen: "It's not what we wanted to happen, but now is not the time to point fingers. It sounds like a procedural thing over the submission regulations. More importantly, we should address the issue and won't let this happen again to ensure that well-deserved Hong Kong films can be rightfully submitted to the Oscars in the future."

There had been a question mark over Hong Kong's inclusion for several weeks when the submitted film did not appear on the list of titles seen by Academy voters. However, the production team behind A Light Never Goes Out only learned the fate of their film when the Federation issued an official statement yesterday (December 11) about the "rare and regrettable" disqualification.

According to the Chinese-language statement, the Federation followed the same procedures as in previous years to select the film. The Federation's long-time chairman, Crucindo Hung, revealed further details to Hong Kong's iCable news channel yesterday.

Hung said the selection committee originally comprised 19 members but that a new group was formed after the Academy revised its entry regulations in August, which ruled out members who had served on the Federation's board for more than six years. However, the Federation was notified a month ago that one of the 13 members of the new committee had a conflict of interest.

"One of the actors [from the committee] is a lead in A Light Never Goes Out so has a conflict of interest and is not allowed to vote," said Hung. "This has never happened before. In the past, the 19 members of the selection committee were also from the industry, including producers, actors, actresses, directors, gaffers and cinematographers. Some of the films starred or were produced or directed by them. It has never been disallowed before."

Hung added that if the vote from the actor was not counted, A Light Never Goes Out would have still received the highest number of votes. When the Federation asked whether they could do so, the Academy refused and requested an alternate submission. The Federation declined, deeming it unfair to A Light Never Goes Out.

Please watch an interwiew with Director Anastasia Tsang at the New York Film Festival talking about her film: watch video

The 36th European Film Awards announced its winner for its 2023 film award event. The list of winners are shown below.

European Film Awards 2023 winners

European film

Anatomy Of A Fall  (Fr) dir. Justine Triet (Winner)
Fallen Leaves  (Fin-Ger) dir. by Aki Kaurismäki
Green Border  (Pol-Fr-Cz-Bel) dir. by Agnieszka Holland
Me Captain (Io Capitano)  (It-Bel) dir. Matteo Garrone
The Zone Of Interest  (UK-Pol-US) dir. Jonathan Glazer

European actor

Thomas Schubert, Afire
Jussi Vatanen, Fallen Leaves
Josh O'Connor, La Chimera
Mads Mikkelsen, The Promised Land (Winner)
Christian Friedel, The Zone Of Interest

European actress

Sandra Hüller, Anatomy Of A Fall (Winner)
Eka Chavleishvili, Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry
Alma Pöysti, Fallen Leaves
Mia McKenna-Bruce, How To Have Sex
Leonie Benesch,The Teachers' Lounge
Sandra Hüller, The Zone Of Interest

European director

Justine Triet, Anatomy Of A Fall (Winner)
Aki Kaurismäki, Fallen Leaves
Agnieszka Holland, Green Border
Matteo Garrone, Me Captain
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone Of Interest

European short film

27  (Fr-Hun) dir. Flóra Anna Buda
Aqueronte  (Sp) dir. Manuel Muñoz Rivas
Flores Del Otro Patio  (Switz-Col) dir. Jorge Cadena
Hardly Working  (Austria) dirs. Susanna Flock, Robin Klengel, Leonhard Müllner, Michael Stumpf (Winner)

European young audience award

Scrapper (UK) dir. Charlotte Regan (Winner)
Longing For The World (Switz) dir. Jenna Hasse
One In A Million (Ger) dir. Joya Thome

European animated feature film

A Greyhound Of A Girl  (Lux-It-Ire-UK-Latvia-Est-Ger) dir. Enzo d'Alò
Chicken For Linda!  (Fr-It) dirs. Chiara Malta, Sébastien Laudenbach
Robot Dreams  (Sp-Fr) dir. Pablo Berger (Winner)
The Amazing Maurice  (Ger-UK) dir. Toby Genkel
White Plastic Sky  (Hun-Slovakia) dirs.Tibor Bánóczki, Sarolta Szabó

European screenwriter

Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, Anatomy Of A Fall (Winner)
Aki Kaurismäki, Fallen Leaves
Maciej Pisuk, Gabriela Łazarkiewicz-Sieczko and Agnieszka Holland, Green Border
İlker Çatak & Johannes Duncker, The Teachers' Lounge
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone Of Interest

European discovery – prix FIPRESCI

20,000 Species Of Bees  (Sp) dir. Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren
How To Have Sex  (UK) dir. Molly Manning Walker (Winner)
La Palisiada  (Ukr) dir. Philip Sotnychenko
Safe Place  (Cro-Slov) dir. Juraj Lerotić
The Quiet Migration  (Den) dir. Malene Choi
Vincent Must Die  (Fr-Bel) dir. Stéphan Castang

European documentary

Apolonia, Apolonia  (Den-Pol) dir. Lea Glob
Four Daughters  (Fr-Tun-Ger-Saudi) dir. Kaouther Ben Hania
Motherland  (Swe-Ukr-Nor) dir. Hanna Badziaka & Alexander Mihalkovich
On The Adamant  (Fr-Jap) dir. Nicolas Philibert
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood  (Est-Fr-Ice) dir. Anna Hints (Winner)

The European Film Awards craft winners:

Cinematography – Rasmus Videbæk, The Promised Land
Costume design – Kicki Ilander, The Promised Land
Make-up and hair - Ana López-Puigcerver, Belén López-Puigcerver, David Martí and Montse Ribé, Society Of The Snow
Visual Effects - Félix Bergés and Laura Pedro, Society Of The Snow
Editing - Laurent Sénéchal, Anatomy Of A Fall
Production design - Emita Frigato, La Chimera
Original score - Markus Binder, Club Zero
Sound - Johnnie Burn and Tarn Willers, The Zone Of Interest

For more information also visit the Official Website of the European Film  Awards

"I truly welcome Tricia Tuttle, a female artistic director of the Berlinale. I think it was time that one of the big festivals has a woman as the leading person. So cheers to that!" said producer Janine Jackowski, co-founder of Komplizen Film whose production of Nadav Lapid's Synonyms won the Golden Bear in 2019.

This sentiment was shared by Christine Berg, president of the German exhibitors association HDF Kino. "Tricia Tuttle has an outstanding reputation as an expert in the international festival business and, together with the experienced Berlinale team, she will further strengthen this renowned and extraordinarily important festival for Germany," she said.

Christian Bräuer, wearing all of his three hats as managing director of Berlin's Yorck-Kino chain of cinemas, chairman of the AG Kino - Gilde arthouse cinemas association and president of CICAE, pointed out the future Berlinale director "knows all sides of the industry including the creative side of production as well as distribution and festivals. She is regarded as a great team player, a very passionate woman with a positive character. That's what we need at the Berlinale and we are looking forward to working with her."

"I know the arthouse sector in the UK will be sad to lose her," Bräuer added. "I have heard only very good things from the colleagues at the Watershed [Media Centre in Bristol] where she has been a board member. They are pleased for us and for her."

The Berlin Film Festival will be held 15-25 February 2024 in Berlin, Germany, for more information please visit the Official Website

The Human Rights Arts and Film Festival will be hosted in various cities around Australia in 2024 from 4 to 9 May 2024.

About:
Artists and creatives have always been at the vanguard of social change – we turn to them to hold a mirror to the uneasy truths of our times and reflect our stories.
Sometimes those stories are uncomfortable and challenging, sometimes inspiring and hopeful - all of them have a place at the
Human Rights Arts & Film Festival.

The Human Rights Arts & Film Festival is a not-for-profit organisation that supports communities to realise human rights in the present and into the future through the experience of film and art. Our aim is to shift power and gaze, and bring social justice and creative communities closer together in our programming.

Our vision is a vibrant and equitable human rights community, culture and conversation in Australia.


Please visit the Official Website for more information

The Osaka Asian Film Festival (OAFF) aims to facilitate human resources development and exchange, to invigorate the Osaka economy, and to increase the city's appeal, through providing opportunities to watch excellent Asian films, supporting filmmaking in Osaka and attracting filmmakers from Asian countries and regions to Osaka.

Promoting Osaka worldwide as a gateway city for Asian films, and engaging with many people from the fields of culture, art, education, tourism and business, from Osaka and all of Asia, OAFF works as an open platform to contribute to the development of Osaka and cinema.

Marking its 19th edition this year, OAFF, under programming director TERUOKA Sozo (暉峻創三), will again select high-quality Asian films.

The Competition section, which receives increased recognition every year, will again select films previously unreleased in Japan.

The Indie Forum section, special programs and other sections will also feature a wide variety of excellent Asian films.

NAME
Osaka Asian Film Festival 2024

PERIOD
March 1 – 10, 2024

HOSTED BY
Osaka Executive Committee for the Promotion of Moving Image Culture

Osaka City
Osaka Asian Film Festival Association
Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Asahi Television Broadcasting Corporation
Osaka Association of Theater Owners
MEDIA PLUS Co.,LTD

Visit the Official Website for more information

(Part 3, last)

MIDNIGHT

From horror flicks and wild comedies to chilling thrillers and works that defy any genre, these films will keep you wide awake and on the edge of your seat. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Infinity Pool, Talk To Me, FRESH, Hereditary, Mandy, Relic, Assassination Nation and The Babadook.

I Saw The TV Glow
Dir-scr. Jane Schoenbrun
Pdrs: Emma Stone, Dave McCary, Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Sarah Winshall
Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen's view of reality begins to crack.
Cast: Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Ian Foreman, Helena Howard, Fred Durst, Danielle Deadwyler.
Fiction.

In A Violent Nature (Can)
Dir-scr. Chris Nash
Pdrs: Peter Kuplowsky, Shannon Hanmer
The enigmatic resurrection, rampage, and retribution of an undead monster in a remote wilderness.
Cast: Ry Barrett, Andrea Pavlovic, Lauren Taylor.
Fiction.

It's What's Inside
Dir-scr. Greg Jardin
Pdrs. William Rosenfeld, Kate Andrews, Jason Baum, Raúl Domingo
A pre-wedding party descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend shows up with a mysterious suitcase.
Cast: Brittany O'Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Gavin Leatherwood, Reina Hardesty, Nina Bloomgarden.
Fiction.

Kidnapping Inc. (Hai-Fr-Can)
Dir-scr-pdr. Bruno Mourral
Scr-pdr. Gilbert Jr. Mirambeau
Scr. Jasmuel Andri
Pdrs. Samuel Chauvin, Yanick Letourneau, Gaëthan Chancy
Tasked with what appears to be a simple abduction for hire, two hapless kidnappers find out that it's anything but and end up in the middle of a political conspiracy.
Cast: Jasmuel Andri, Rolaphton Mercure, Anabel Lopez, Ashley Laraque, Gessica Geneus, Patrick Joseph.
Fiction.

Krazy House (Neth)
Dirs-scrs. Steffen Haars, Flip van der Kuil
Pdr. Maarten Swart
When Russian workers in Bernie's house turn out to be wanted criminals, Bernie has to man up and save his '90s sitcom family.
Cast: Nick Frost, Alicia Silverstone, Jan Bijvoet, Gaite Jansen, Walt Klink, Kevin Connolly.
Fiction.
Available online for public.

Love Lies Bleeding (US-UK)
Dir-scr. Rose Glass
Pdrs: Andrea Cornwell, Oliver Kassman
Reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Las Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou's criminal family.
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian, Ed Harris, Dave Franco, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov.
Fiction.

The Moogai (Australia)
Dir-scr. Jon Bell
Pdrs. Kristina Ceyton, Samantha Jennings, Mitchell Stanley
A young Aboriginal couple bring home their second baby. What should be a joyous time takes a sinister turn as the mother starts seeing a malevolent spirit she is convinced is trying to take her baby.
Cast: Shari Sebbens, Meyne Wyatt, Tessa Rose, Jahdeana Mary, Clarence Ryan, Bella Heathcote.
Fiction.

Your Monster
Dir-scr-pdr. Caroline Lindy
Pdrs. Kayla Foster, Shannon Reilly, Melanie Donkers, Kira Carstensen
After her life falls apart, soft-spoken actress Laura Franco finds her voice again when she meets a terrifying, yet weirdly charming, monster living in her closet.
Cast: Melissa Barrera, Tommy Dewey, Meghann Fahy, Edmund Donovan, Kayla Foster.
Fiction.

EPISODIC

The festival's Episodic section was created specifically for bold stories told in multiple episodes, with an emphasis on independent perspectives and innovative storytelling. Past projects that have premiered within this category include Willie Nelson And Family, OJ: Made In America, Wild Wild Country, The Jinx, Bring On The Dancing Horses, Work In Progress, State Of The Union, Gentefied, Wu Tang Clan: Of Mics And Men and Quarter Life Poetry.

Better Angels: The Gospel According To Tammy Faye
Dir-scr. Dana Adam Shapiro
EPs. Elton John, David Furnish, Danny Gabai, Alexander Moore, Hellen Rollins, Peter Rollins, Screenwriter: Helen Rollins
As told by her family, friends, and enemies, the meteoric rise, scandalous fall, and unlikely resurrection of Tammy Faye, the "First Lady of the Electric Church," poses an increasingly relevant question: How did we get the story so wrong?
Documentary.
Four-part limited series, screening parts one and two.

Conbody Vs Everybody
Dir. EP. Debra Granik
EPs. Anne Rosellini, Victoria Stewart, Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Joslyn Barnes, Jonathan Scheuer
Taking place over eight years, Coss Marte builds ConBody, a gym inspired by workouts he developed while in prison. Committed to employing trainers who were formerly incarcerated, Coss creates a community fighting to break the cycle of recidivism while navigating society's many obstacles to reentry.
Documentary.
Six-part limited series, screening two episodes.
Available online for public.

God Save Texas
Three directors offer their unique and personal perspectives on their home state of Texas, creating vivid portraits of a state that mirrors the United States' past, present, and future. Inspired by the book God Save Texas: A Journey Into The Soul Of The Lone Star State by Lawrence Wright.
Documentary.
Anthology series.

God Save Texas: Hometown Prison
Dir-EP. Richard Linklater
EPs. Lawrence Wright, Alex Gibney, Peter Berg, Michael Lombardo, Elizabeth Rogers
Huntsville, Texas, known as "Prison City," sits at the heart of an expansive prison industrial complex. Yet, for many residents, these prisons exist in another realm, disconnected from their lives. Richard Linklater revisits his hometown to explore its diverse inhabitants, painting a vibrant portrait that encapsulates the essence of Texas.

God Save Texas: The Price Of Oil
Dir. Alex Stapleton
EPs. Lawrence Wright, Alex Gibney, Richard Linklater, Peter Berg, Michael Lombardo, Stacey Offman
As the world's energy capital, Houston is a city that manufactures both its prominence and demise. Alex Stapleton explores the industry's impact on her family, who arrived as enslaved people in the 1830's, built thriving communities, and now must cope with the human costs of Texas' biggest money-maker.

God Save Texas: La Frontera
Dir. Iliana Sosa
EPs. Lawrence Wright, Alex Gibney, Richard Linklater, Peter Berg, Michael Lombardo, Richard Perello
Iliana Sosa examines how "nepantla," an embrace of in-betweenness, characterises relations to both her Mexican heritage and her hometown of El Paso, Texas. An exploration revealing how the city's humanity and unique hybridity catalysed unity, nurturing healing in the aftermath of a devastating mass shooting in 2019.

LOLLA: THE STORY OF LOLLAPALOOZA
Dir-pdr. Michael John Warren
Pdrs. James Lee Hernandez, Brian Lazarte, Brian Levy, Mat Whittington, Daniel Gibbs
In the summer of '91, the Lollapalooza music festival was born. What started as a farewell tour for the band Jane's Addiction rose from the underground to launch a cultural movement and change music forever.
Documentary.
Three-part limited series, screening parts one and two.
Available online for public.
Paramount+ holds rights.

The Synanon Fix
Dir-pdr. Rory Kennedy
Pdr-scr. Mark Bailey
Pdrs. Alexandra Korba, Keven McAlester, Screenwriter: Jeff Swimmer
Exploring the rise and fall of the Synanon organisation — through the eyes of the members who lived it — from its early days as a groundbreaking drug rehabilitation programme to its later descent into what many consider a cult.
Documentary.
Four-part series, screening parts one and two.

Episodic Pilot Showcase:

Me/We
Dir-EP. Nzingha Stewart
EPs-scrs. Rob McElhenney, Keyonna Taylor
EPs. Jackie Cohn, Nick Frenkel, Jermaine Johnson
Amaria "Yaya'' Jones, an argumentative teenager with a passion for dance, must plead her case to her overprotective brother in hopes of winning his blessing to walk to school with her first crush. Yaya's story is a celebration of life.
Cast: Camryn Jones, Victor Musoni, Anji White, Travis Wolfe Jr., Nadirah Bost, Mike Sampson.
Fiction.

La Mesías (Sp)
Dirs-scrs-EPs. Javier Calvo, Javier Ambrossi
EPs. Domingo Corral, Susana Herreras, Fran Araújo
Siblings Enric and Irene have a dark childhood, unbearable memories, and a toxic relationship with their mother. They live outside their family sect and are now far from the reach of their mother, yet not completely free.
Cast: Roger Casamajor, Macarena García, Lofla Dueñas, Carmen Machi, Ana Rujas, Albert Pla, Amaia, Biel Rossell, Cecilia Roth. International Premiere.
Fiction.

Penelope
Dir-scr-EP. Mel Eslyn
Scr-EP. Mark Duplass
EPs. Jay Duplass, Shuli Harel
Feeling out of place in modern society, a 16-year-old is drawn into the unknown wilderness, where she begins forming a new life for herself.
Cast: Megan Stott, Austin Abrams.
Fiction.

SPOTLIGHT

The Spotlight section is a tribute to the cinema Sundance programmers love, presenting films that have played throughout the world. Films that have played in this category in recent years include Joyland, The Worst Person In The World, The Biggest Little Farm, Birds Of Passage, The Rider, Ida, and The Lobster. Spotlight is presented by Audible.

àma Gloria (Fr)
Dir-scr. Marie Amachoukeli
Pdr. Bénédicte Couvreur
Six-year-old Cléo loves her nanny, Gloria, more than anything. When Gloria must return to Cape Verde to care for her own children, the two must make the most of their last summer together.
Cast: Louise Mauroy-Panzani, Ilça Moreno Zego, Abnara Gomes Varela, Fredy Gomes Tavares, Arnaud Rebotini, Domingos Borges Almeida.
US premiere.
Fiction.

Hit Man
Dir-scr-pdr. Richard Linklater
Pdr-scr. Glen Powell
Pdrs. Mike Blizzard, Jason Bateman, Michael Costigan
A strait-laced professor discovers his hidden talent as a fake hit man. He meets his match in a client who steals his heart and ignites a powder keg of deception, delight, and mixed-up identities. Inspired by an unbelievable true story.
Cast: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Rao. Fiction.

How To Have Sex (UK)
Dir-scr. Molly Manning Walker
Pdrs. Ivana MacKinnon, Emily Leo, Konstantinos Kontovrakis
Three British teenage girls go on a rite-of-passage holiday, drinking, clubbing, and hooking up in what should be the best summer of their lives. As they dance their way across the sun-drenched streets of Malia, they find themselves navigating the complexities of sex, consent, and self-discovery.
Cast: Mia McKenna-Bruce, Samuel Bottomley, Shaun Thomas, Lara Peake, Enva Lewis, Laura Ambler.
US premiere.
Fiction.
Mubi holds rights.

The Mother Of All Lies (Mor-Egy-Saudi-Qat)
Dir-pdr. Asmae El Moudir
On a handmade set recreating her Casablanca neighborhood, a young Moroccan filmmaker enlists family and friends to help unearth the troubling lies built into her childhood.
Documentary.
Available online for public.

FAMILY MATINEE

Geared towards the festival's youngest independent-film fans, this section is programmed for children and adolescents. Films that have played in this category in recent years include Blueback, The Elephant Queen, Science Fair, My Life As AZucchini, The Eagle Huntress, and Shaun The Sheep.

Out Of My Mind
Dir. Amber Sealey,
Scr. Daniel Stiepleman
Pdrs. Peter Saraf, Robert Kessel, Dan Angel, Michael B. Clark
Melody Brooks is navigating sixth grade as a nonverbal wheelchair user who has cerebral palsy. With the help of some assistive technology and her devoted, exuberant allies, Melody shows that what she has to say is more important than how she says it.
Cast: Phoebe-Rae Taylor, Rosemarie DeWitt, Luke Kirby, Michael Chernus, Courtney Taylor, Judith Light.
Fiction.

10 Lives (UK)
Dir-scr. Christopher Jenkins
Scrs. Karen Wengrod, Ken Cinnamon
Prds. Guy Collins, Sean Feeney, Yann Zenou, Adrian Politowski, Martin Metz
A pampered cat takes for granted the lucky hand he has been dealt after he is rescued and loved by Rose, a kind-hearted and passionate student. When he loses his ninth life, fate steps in to set him on a transformative journey.
Cast: Mo Gilligan, Simone Ashley, Sophie Okonedo, Dylan Llewellyn, Zayn Malik, Bill Nighy.
Fiction.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

One-of-a-kind moments highlight new independent works that add to the festival experience.

War Game
Dir-pdr. Jesse Moss, Director: Tony Gerber
Pdrs. Todd Lubin, Jack Turner, Mark DiCristofaro, Jessica Grimshaw, Nick Shumaker
A bipartisan group of US defense, intelligence, and elected policymakers spanning five presidential administrations participate in an unscripted role-play exercise in which they confront a political coup backed by rogue members of the US military, in the wake of a contested presidential election.
Documentary.

NEW FRONTIER

New Frontier champions artists practicing at the crossroads of film, art, performance, and new media technology. This year, the section focuses on the powerful rise of AI, the role of artists on the rapidly changing landscape of technologies, and empowering narrative agency and sustainable creative practice through design.

Being (the Digital Griot)
Lead Artist: Rashaad Newsome
In this innovative participatory experience, Being, an artificial intelligence digital griot, asks the audience to engage in unifying and challenging discussions. It features a soundscape and movement informed by a dataset from Black communities, theorists, poets, and activists, including bell hooks, Paulo Freire, Dazié Grego-Sykes, and Cornel West.

Eno (USA-UK)
Dir. Gary Hustwit
Visionary musician and artist Brian Eno — known for producing David Bowie, U2, Talking Heads, among many others; pioneering the genre of ambient music; and releasing over 40 solo and collaboration albums — reveals his creative processes in this groundbreaking generative documentary: a film that's different every time it's shown.

(Part 2 continues)

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

These nonfiction feature films from emerging talent around the world showcase some of the most courageous and extraordinary filmmaking today. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include The Eternal Memory, 20 Days In Mariupol, All That Breathes, Flee, Honeyland, Sea Of Shadows, Shirkers, This Is Home, Last Men In Aleppo and Hooligan Sparrow.

Agent Of Happiness (Bhu-Hun)
Dir-pdr. Arun Bhattarai
Dir. Dorottya Zurbó
Pdrs. Noémi Veronika Szakonyi, Máté Artur Vincze
Amber is one of the many agents working for the Bhutanese government to measure people's happiness levels among the remote Himalayan mountains. But will he find his own along the way?
Available online for public.

The Battle For Laikipia (Ken-US)
Dir-pdr. Daphne Matziaraki
Dir. Peter Murimi
Pdr. Toni Kamau
Unresolved historical injustices and climate change raise the stakes in a generations-old conflict between Indigenous pastoralists and white landowners in Laikipia, Kenya, a wildlife conservation haven.
Available online for public.

Black Box Diaries (Jap-US-UK)
Dir-pdr. Shiori Ito
Pdrs. Eric Nyari, Hanna Aqvilin
Journalist Shiori Ito embarks on a courageous investigation of her own sexual assault in an improbable attempt to prosecute her high-profile offender. Her quest becomes a landmark case in Japan, exposing the country's outdated judicial and societal systems.
Available online for public.

Eternal You (Ger-US)
Dirs. Hans Block, Moritz Riesewieck
Pdrs. Christian Beetz, Georg Tschurtschenthaler
Start-ups are using AI to create avatars that allow relatives to talk with their loved ones after they have died. An exploration of a profound human desire and the consequences of turning the dream of immortality into a product.
Available online for public.

Ibelin (Nor)
Dir. Benjamin Ree
Scr. Ingvil Giske
Mats Steen, a Norwegian gamer, died of a degenerative muscular disease at the age of 25. His parents mourned what they thought had been a lonely and isolated life, when they started receiving messages from online friends around the world.
Available online for public.

Igualada (Col-US-Mex)
Dir. Juan Mejía Botero
Pdrs. Juan E. Yepes, Daniela Alatorre, Sonia Serna
In one of Latin America's most unequal countries, Francia Márquez, a Black Colombian rural activist, challenges the status quo with a presidential campaign that reappropriates the derogatory term "Igualada" — someone who acts as if they deserve rights that supposedly don't correspond to them — and inspires a nation to dream.
Available online for public.

Never Look Away (NZ)
Dir-scr-pdr.: Lucy Lawless
Scrs-pdrs. Matthew Metcalfe, Tom Blackwell
New Zealand–born groundbreaking CNN camerawoman Margaret Moth risks it all to show the reality of war from inside the conflict, staring down danger and confronting those who perpetuate it.
Available online for public.

A New Kind Of Wilderness (Nor)
Dir. Silje Evensmo Jacobsen
Pdr. Mari Bakke Riise
In a forest in Norway, a family lives an isolated lifestyle in an attempt to be wild and free, but a tragic event changes everything, and they are forced to adjust to modern society.
Available online for public.

Nocturnes (India-US)
Dir-pdr. Anirban Dutta
Dir. Anupama Srinivasan
In the dense forests of the Eastern Himalayas, moths are whispering something to us. In the dark of night, two curious observers shine a light on this secret universe.
Available online for public.

Soundtrack To A Coup d'Etat (Belg-Fr-Neth)
Dir-scr. Johan Grimonprez
Pdrs. Daan Milius, Rémi Grellety
In 1960, United Nations: the Global South ignites a political earthquake, musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach crash the Security Council, Nikita Khrushchev bangs his shoe denouncing America's color bar, while the U.S. dispatches jazz ambassador Louis Armstrong to the Congo to deflect attention from its first African post-colonial coup.
Available online for public.

NEXT

Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this programme. Unfettered creativity promises that the films in this section will shape the greater next wave in American cinema. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Kokomo City, A Love Song, RIOTSVILLE, USA, The Infiltrators, Searching, Skate Kitchen, A Ghost Story and Tangerine. Next is presented by Adobe.

Desire Lines
Dir-scr-pdr. Jules Rosskam
Scr. Nate Gualtieri
Pdrs. André Pérez, Amy E. Powell, Brittani Ward
Past and present collide when an Iranian American trans man time-travels through an LGBTQ+ archive on a dizzying and erotic quest to unravel his own sexual desires.
Cast: Theo Germaine, Aden Hakimi.
Documentary.
Available online for public.

Kneecap (Ire-UK)
Dir-scr. Rich Peppiatt
Pdrs. Jack Tarling, Trevor Birney
There are 80,000 native Irish speakers in Ireland. 6,000 live in the North of Ireland. Three of them became a rap group called Kneecap. This anarchic Belfast trio becomes the unlikely figurehead of a civil rights movement to save the mother tongue.
Cast: Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, JJ Ó Dochartaigh, Michael Fassbender, Josie Walker, Simone Kirby).
Fiction
Available online for public.

Little Death
Dir-scr.: Jack Begert
Scr. Dani Goffstein
Pdrs. Darren Aronofsky, Andy S. Cohen, Dylan Golden, Brendan Naylor, Sam Canter, Noor Alfallah
A middle-aged filmmaker on the verge of a breakthrough. Two kids in search of a lost backpack. A small dog a long way from home.
Cast: David Schwimmer, Gaby Hoffmann, Dominic Fike, Talia Ryder, Jena Malone, Sante Bentivoglio.
Fiction.
Available online for public.

Realm Of Satan
Dir-scr. Scott Cummings
Pdrs. Caitlin Mae Burke, Pacho Velez, Molly Gandour
An experiential portrait depicting Satanists in both the everyday and in the extraordinary as they fight to preserve their lifestyle: magic, mystery, and misanthropy.
Cast: Peter Gilmore, Peggy Nadramia, Blanche Barton.
Documentary.
Available online for public.

Seeking Mavis Beacon
Dir-scr. Jazmin Renée Jones
Pdr. Guetty Felin
Launched in the late '80s, educational software Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing taught millions globally, but the programme's Haitian-born cover model vanished decades ago. Two DIY investigators search for the unsung cultural icon, while questioning notions of digital security, AI, and Black representation in the digital realm.
Documentary. Neon holds US rights.
Available online for public.

Tendaberry
Dir-pdr-scr. Haley Elizabeth Anderson
Pdrs. Carlos Zozaya, Matthew Petock, Zachary Shedd, Hannah Dweck, Theodore Schaefer, Daniel Patrick Carbone
When her boyfriend goes back to Ukraine to be with his ailing father, 23-year-old Dakota anxiously navigates her precarious new reality, surviving on her own in New York City.
Cast: Kota Johan, Yuri Pleskun.
Fiction.
Available online for public.

PREMIERES

This showcase of world premieres presents highly anticipated films on a variety of subjects, in both fiction and nonfiction. Fiction films that have screened in Premieres include Past Lives, Passages, Good Luck To You, Leo Grande, Promising Young Woman, Kajillionaire,The Report, Late Night, and The Big Sick. Past documentary films include Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, Invisible Beauty, The Dissident, Lucy And Desi, On The Record and Miss Americana.

The American Society Of Magical Negroes
Dir-scr-pdr. Kobi Libii
Pdrs. Julia Lebedev, Eddie Vaisman, Angel Lopez
A young man, Aren, is recruited into a secret society of magical Black people who dedicate their lives to a cause of utmost importance: making white people's lives easier.
Cast: Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan, Drew Tarver, Rupert Friend, Nicole Byer.
Fiction.
Focus Features holds rights.

And So It Begins (US-Phil)
Dir-scr-pdr. Ramona S. Diaz
Amidst the traditional pomp and circumstance of Filipino elections, a quirky people's movement rises to defend the nation against deepening threats to truth and democracy. In a collective act of joy as a form of resistance, hope flickers against the backdrop of increasing autocracy.
Documentary.
Available online for public.

Devo (UK-US)
Dir. Chris Smith
Pdrs. Chris Holmes, Anita Greenspan, Danny Gabai
Born in response to the Kent State massacre, new wave band Devo took their concept of "de-evolution" from cult following to near–rock star status with groundbreaking 1980 hit "Whip It" while preaching an urgent social commentary.
Documentary.

A Different Man
Dir-scr. Aaron Schimberg
Pdrs. Christine Vachon, Vanessa McDonnell, Gabriel Mayers
Aspiring actor Edward undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare, as he loses out on the role he was born to play and becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost.
Cast: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, Adam Pearson.
Fiction.

Freaky Tales
Dirs-scrs-pdrs. Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden
Pdrs. Poppy Hanks, Jelani Johnson
In 1987 Oakland, a mysterious force guides The Town's underdogs in four interconnected tales: Teen punks defend their turf against Nazi skinheads, a rap duo battles for hip-hop immortality, a weary henchman gets a shot at redemption, and an NBA All-Star settles the score. Basically another day in the Bay.
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Normani Kordei Hamilton, Dominique Thorne, Ben Mendelsohn, Ji-Young Yoo.
Fiction.

Ghostlight
Dir-scr. Kelly O'Sullivan
Dir-pdr. Alex Thompson
Pdrs. Pierce Cravens, Chelsea Krant, Ian Keiser, Eddie Linker, Alex Wilson
When a construction worker unexpectedly joins a local theater's production of Romeo And Juliet, the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life.
Cast: Keith Kupferer, Dolly de Leon, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Tara Mallen.
Fiction.

Girls State
Dirs-pdrs. Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss
Teenage girls from wildly different backgrounds across Missouri navigate a week-long immersive experiment in American democracy, build a government from the ground up, and reimagine what it means to govern.
Documentary.
Apple holds rights.

Look Into My Eyes
Dir-pdr. Lana Wilson
Pdr. Kyle Martin
A group of New York City psychics conduct deeply intimate readings for their clients, revealing a kaleidoscope of loneliness, connection, and healing.
Documentary.

Luther: Never Too Much
Dir. Dawn Porter
Pdrs. Trish D Chetty, Ged Doherty, Jamie Foxx, Datari Turner, Leah Smith
Luther Vandross started his career supporting David Bowie, Roberta Flack, Bette Midler, and more. His undeniable talent earned platinum records and accolades, but he struggled to break out beyond the R&B charts. Intensely driven, he overcame personal and professional challenges to secure his place amongst the greatest vocalists in history.
Documentary.

My Old Ass
Dir-scr. Megan Park
Pdrs. Tom Ackerley, Margot Robbie, Josey McNamara, Steven Rales
The summer before college, bright-yet-irreverent Elliott comes face-to-face with her older self during a mushroom trip. The encounter spurs a funny and heartfelt journey of self-discovery and first love as Elliott prepares to leave her childhood home.
Cast: Maisy Stella, Percy Hynes White, Maddie Ziegler, Kerrice Brooks, Aubrey Plaza.
Fiction.

The Outrun (UK-Ger)
Dir-scr. Nora Fingscheidt
Scr. Amy Liptrot
Pdrs. Sarah Brocklehurst, Dominic Norris, Jack Lowden, Saoirse Ronan
After living life on the edge in London, Rona attempts to come to terms with her troubled past. She returns to the wild beauty of Scotland's Orkney Islands — where she grew up — hoping to heal. Adapted from the bestselling memoir by Amy Liptrot.
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Paapa Essiedu, Stephen Dillane, Saskia Reeves. Fiction.

Power
Dir-pdr. Yance Ford
Pdrs. Sweta Vohra, Jess Devaney, Netsanet Negussie
Driven to maintain social order, policing in the United States has exploded in scope and scale over hundreds of years. Now, American policing embodies one word: power.
Documentary.

Presence
Dir. Steven Soderbergh
Scr. David Koepp
Pdrs. Julie M. Anderson, Ken Meyer
A family moves into a suburban house and becomes convinced they're not alone.
Cast: Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Julia Fox, Eddy Maday, West Mulholland,
Fiction.

Rob Peace
Dir-scr. Chiwetel Ejiofor
Pdrs. Antoine Fuqua, Rebecca Hobbs, Kat Samick, Jeffrey Soros, Andrea Calderwood, Alex Kurtzman.
Robert Peace grew up in an impoverished section of Newark and later graduated from Yale with degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry while on scholarship. Peace led a dual life in academia and research while also earning six figures selling marijuana. Based on Jeff Hobbs' bestselling biography.
Cast: Jay Will, Mary J. Blige, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Camila Cabello, Michael Kelly, Mare Winningham.
Fiction.
Available online for public.

Sasquatch Sunset
Dir-scr-pdr. David Zellner
Dir-pdr. Nathan Zellner
Pdrs. Lars Knudsen, Tyler Campellone, George Rush, Jesse Eisenberg
A year in the life of a singular family.
Cast: Riley Keough, Jesse Eisenberg, Christophe Zajac-Denek, Nathan Zellner.
Fiction.

Sue Bird: In The Clutch
Dir-pdr. Sarah Dowland
Pdrs. Emily Singer Chapman, Svetlana Zill
In her 21-year professional career, WNBA basketball legend Sue Bird has won five Olympic gold medals and become the most successful point guard to ever play the game. Alongside her fiancée, US soccer star Megan Rapinoe, Sue confronts her next challenge: retiring from the only life she's ever known.
Documentary.

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (UK-US)
Dir-pdr. Ian Bonhôte
Dir-scr. Peter Ettedgui
Pdrs. Lizzie Gillett, Robert Ford
Never-before-seen home movies and extraordinary personal archives reveal how Christopher Reeve went from unknown actor to iconic movie star as the ultimate screen superhero. He learned the true meaning of heroism as an activist after suffering a tragic accident that left him quadriplegic and dependent on a ventilator to breathe.
Documentary.
Salt Lake Opening Film

Thelma
Dir-scr. Josh Margolin
Pdrs. Zoë Worth, Chris Kaye, Nicholas Weinstock, Benjamin Simpson, Karl Spoerri, Viviana Vezzani
When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her.
Cast: June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, Malcolm McDowell.
Fiction.
Available online for public.

Will & Harper
Dir-pds. Josh Greenbaum
Pdrs. Rafael Marmor, Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum, Christopher Leggett
When Will Ferrell finds out his close friend of 30 years is coming out as a trans woman, the two decide to embark on a cross-country road trip to process this new stage of their relationship in an intimate portrait of friendship, transition, and America.
Documentary.

Winner (US-Can)
Dir-scr-pdr. Susanna Fogel
Scr. Kerry Howley
Pdrs. Amanda Phillips, Shivani Rawat, Julie Goldstein, Scott Budnick, Ameet Shukla
Reality Winner is a brilliant young misfit from a Texas border town who finds her morals challenged while serving as an NSA contractor. A sarcastic, gun-lovin, vegan, yogi, and CrossFit fanatic, Reality is an unconventional whistleblower who ends up being prosecuted for exposing Russia's hacking of the 2016 election.
Cast: Emilia Jones, Connie Britton, Zach Galifianakis, Kathryn Newton, Danny Ramirez.
Fiction.
 
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