The Hamptons International Film Festival has officially unveiled its full lineup, as IndieWire can announce.
The beloved HIFF has added a slew of buzzy features for its 2024 program, as presented by HamptonsFilm and Regina K. Scully’s Artemis Rising Foundation. This year, 45 percent of the featured films are directed by women and represent 50 countries from around the world. The festival will screen 86 features and 61 shorts with 8 World Premieres, 5 North American Premieres, 11 U.S. Premieres, 9 East Coast Premieres, and 20 New York Premieres, including the New York debuts of “Conclave,” “Bird,” and “The End.”
Festival favorites such as “Emilia Peréz,” “Maria,” and “The Room Next Door” are among the highlights of the new titles.
As previously announced, the festival will open October 4 with the East Coast Premiere of R.J. Cutler’s documentary feature “Martha” about Martha Stewart. The festival will also host the East Coast Premiere of Netflix’s “The Piano Lesson”as this year’s Centerpiece Film, set to screen on October 5. The East Coast Premiere of Searchlight Pictures’ “Nightbitch” will close out HIFF on October 13.
The 2024 Breakthrough Performer Award will be bestowed upon “Sing Sing” star Clarence Maclin.
This year’s “A Conversation With…” series will feature discussions with Demi Moore, Liev Schreiber, and Andrew Garfield, who stars in “We Live in Time” which will have its world premiere at the festival.
“Coming out of last year’s strikes, I’m thrilled for the festival to return in full force for 11 days of dynamic programming attended by prolific filmmakers and talent from around the world,” HamptonsFilm Artistic Director David Nugent said. “With a slate inclusive of multiple World, North American, and US Premiere screenings, our team has curated an exciting lineup for East End audiences to be amongst the first to preview some of this year’s most compelling and buzzed-about films.”
The 2024 jury members have also been announced. The Narrative Jury will include filmmaker, writer and actor Joanna Arnow, comedian and writer Wyatt Cenac, and Sag Harbor Cinema Executive Director Genevive Villaflor. Sundance Institute Board Chair Ebs Burnough and documentary filmmaker Rachel Fleit will make up this year’s Documentary Jury.
The 2024 Hamptons International Film Festival will run as an expanded, eleven-day event from October 4 through October 14.
Check out the full lineup additions below, with language provided by the festival.
OPENING NIGHT FILM
Sponsored by Audi
MARTHA
East Coast Premiere
dir. R.J. Cutler (USA), 2024
MARTHA is the definitive documentary on Martha Stewart, as told by the icon herself. From her early start on Wall Street to the launch of the lifestyle empire that made her the original influencer, Academy Award nominee R.J. Cutler (THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE) traces Stewart’s meteoric rise to success and the controversies and subsequent personal reinvention that followed. Stewart addresses the ups and downs of her groundbreaking career with frankness, transparency, and a sense of humor, sharing a personal and professional journey in which the perfect homemaker learns to embrace the imperfections that make us all human. A Netflix release.
CLOSING NIGHT FILM
Sponsored by UBS
NIGHTBITCH
East Coast Premiere
dir. Marielle Heller (USA), 2024
Academy Award nominee Amy Adams delivers a bold, transformative performance as a woman who pauses her successful career as an artist to become a stay-at-home mom to her toddler. As her husband (Scoot McNairy, HIFF Breakthrough Artist 2012) works long hours as the family’s sole breadwinner, the unrelenting demands of parenthood drag on, and her new domesticity begins to take a surreal turn. Based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Yoder, writer/director Marielle Heller’s (CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?, HIFF 2018) latest both frankly explores the aches and pains of being a parent and captures the innate wildness of womanhood. A Searchlight Pictures release. .
CENTERPIECE FILM
Sponsored by Naturopathica
THE PIANO LESSON
East Coast Premiere
dir. Malcolm Washington (USA), 2024
A battle is brewing in the Charles household, centered on a prized heirloom piano tearing two siblings apart. On one side, Boy Willie (Golden Globe nominee John David Washington) plans to build the family
fortune by selling it. On the other, his sister Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler) will go to any lengths to hold onto the sole vestige of the family’s heritage. Their uncle (Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson) tries to mediate, but even he can’t hold back the ghosts of the past. In his feature debut, HIFF Breakthrough Director Malcolm Washington adapts August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork to explore the intergenerational dynamics of identity, resilience and transcendence—revealing startling truths about how we perceive the past and who gets to define our legacy. A Netflix release.
SPOTLIGHT FILMS
Sponsored by Audi
BAD SHABBOS
dir. Daniel Robbins (USA), 2024
Newly engaged couple David (Jon Bass) and Meg (Meghan Leathers) plan to introduce their parents for the first time over Shabbat dinner at David’s parents’ Upper West Side apartment. As the finishing touches for the evening come together, a dead body throws a wrench into this high-stakes affair. This day of rest is anything but, as David’s family must find a way to get rid of the body before their future in-laws arrive. Daniel Robbins’ winning interfaith comedy BAD SHABBOS boasts a hilarious cast (Kyra Sedgwick, Method Man, Catherine Curtin and David Paymer) and highly satisfying high jinks.
BIRD
New York Premiere
dir. Andrea Arnold (UK/USA/France/Germany), 2024
Twelve-year-old Bailey (newcomer Nykiya Adams) lives with her single dad Bug (Academy Award nominee Barry Keoghan, THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN) and brother Hunter (Jason Buda) in a squat in North Kent. Bug doesn’t have much time for his kids, and Bailey, who is approaching puberty, seeks attention and adventure elsewhere. One day, she meets a stranger named Bird (Franz Rogowski, PASSAGES), an enigmatic and dreamlike character who becomes a part of Bailey’s life. Academy Award winner Andrea Arnold compassionately crafts this tender coming-of-age story that blends the harsh truths of life with the enthralling fantasy of a child’s rich inner world. A MUBI release.
BLITZ
dir. Steve McQueen (UK), 2024
Set in London during World War II, BLITZ follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a defiant 9-year-old whose mother Rita (Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. Determined to return to his mother and grandfather (Paul Weller), George embarks on the perilous way home, while a distraught Rita desperately searches for her missing son and the bombing rages on. Academy and BAFTA Award winner Sir Steve McQueen (12 YEARS A SLAVE) returns to HIFF with this intense and emotional story of one family’s struggle to reunite during one of the world’s darkest eras. An Apple release.
CONCLAVE
New York Premiere
dir. Edward Berger (USA/UK), 2024
CONCLAVE follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events – selecting the new Pope. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence finds himself at the center of a conspiracy and discovers a secret that could shake the very foundation of the Church. A Focus Features release.
EMILIA PÉREZ
dir. Jacques Audiard (France), 2024
Through liberating song, dance, and bold visuals, EMILIA PÉREZ follows the interconnected journeys of four remarkable women in Mexico, each pursuing her own happiness. The fearsome cartel leader Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón) enlists Rita (Zoe Saldaña), an unappreciated lawyer stuck in a dead-end job, to help fake her death and look after her wife (Selena Gomez) and their children so Emilia can finally live authentically as her true self. Winner of the Jury Prize and a collective Best Actress Award at Cannes, renegade auteur and HIFF alum Jacques Audiard’s (RUST AND BONE, DHEEPAN) latest odyssey is an audacious fever dream that defies genres and expectations. A Netflix release.
THE END
New York Premiere
dir. Joshua Oppenheimer (Ireland/Germany/Sweden/Denmark/Italy/UK), 2024
Academy Award nominee Joshua Oppenheimer (THE ACT OF KILLING) returns to HIFF with his narrative feature debut, a Golden Age musical about one of the last families on Earth. A wealthy couple (Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton and Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon) escaped an apocalyptic event by retreating to their luxurious compound deep underground. After the sudden arrival of an outside survivor (Emmy Award Nominee Moses Ingram, The Queen’s Gambit), their son (George MacKay, 1917) begins to question their seemingly perfect existence. Expressive and surreal, THE END interrogates privilege and denial through dynamic original music and unforgettable performances from its stellar cast. A NEON release.
EXHIBITING FORGIVENESS
dir. Titus Kaphar (USA), 2024
Celebrated American painter Tarrell (André Holland, MOONLIGHT) excavates beauty from the anguish of his youth through his art, keeping past wounds at bay. His joyful life with his wife Aisha (Academy Award nominee Andra Day) and their young son is interrupted when his estranged father La’Ron (John Earl Jelks) returns home, desperate to reconcile. Pushed by his pious mother Joyce (Academy Award nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor), Tarrell reluctantly opens his heart to see if they can be a family once again. The feature debut from esteemed visual artist Titus Kaphar, EXHIBITING FORGIVENESS speaks through the raw language of art about the challenges and hope that come with letting go of the past. A Roadside Attractions release.
THE FRIEND
dir. Scott McGehee, David Siegel (USA), 2024
A New York writer (Academy Award nominee Naomi Watts) reels in the aftermath of the unexpected death of her lifelong mentor (Academy Award nominee Bill Murray). In the midst of mourning him, she finds that she is the one left to deal with his complicated literary legacy, three eccentric ex-wives, and a massive, brokenhearted Great Dane named Apollo. Based on Sigrid Nunez’s National Book Award-winning novel of the same name, THE FRIEND is a thoughtful, charming, and wryly humorous study on grief from filmmaker duo Scott McGehee and David Siegel, one that invites us all to find the silver lining in loss.
HARD TRUTHS
dir. Mike Leigh (UK/Spain), 2024
Seven-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Mike Leigh (MR. TURNER, HIFF 2014) returns with this tough but compassionate portrait of family life. A brilliant and deeply moving Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Academy Award nominee for Leigh’s SECRETS AND LIES) stars as Pansy, a woman navigating life in London with her husband, son, and sister while harboring a seemingly unexplainable resentment and anger toward the world around her. Undeniably honest and often sharply funny, HARD TRUTHS is an intricately executed character study that weaves unforgettable performances with masterful dialogue in a profound expression of human pathos. A Bleecker Street release.
LILLY
World Premiere
dir. Rachel Feldman (USA), 2024
When a hard-working Alabama factory supervisor discovers that her company has been paying her half of what her male counterparts received for 20 years, she begins a historic fight towards justice. Academy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson fiercely portrays the remarkable life of fair pay activist Lilly Ledbetter, who battles for equality all the way to the Supreme Court, through the power corridors of Congress, and ultimately, into The White House. Rachel Feldman’s empowering feature film debut, featuring supporting turns from Jon Benjamin Hickey and Thomas Sadoski, is an extraordinary journey of an ordinary woman who refuses to accept the sexist status quo.
MARIA
dir. Pablo Larraín (USA), 2024
Maria tells the tumultuous, beautiful and tragic story of the life of the world’s greatest female opera singer, relived and reimagined during her final days in 1970s Paris. A Netflix release.
THE ORDER
East Coast Premiere
dir. Justin Kurzel (USA), 2024
FBI agent Terry Husk (Academy Award® nominee Jude Law) investigates a series of bold daylight bank robberies and armored car heists in the 1980s Pacific Northwest that leave law enforcement baffled and the public panicked. As the attacks become increasingly violent, Husk becomes convinced that the robberies are the work of white supremacists who are planning an armed uprising against the U.S. government. A taut thriller based on shocking real-life events, Justin Kurzel’s (MACBETH, HIFF 2015) latest follows Husk and his team into a tangled world of domestic terrorists whose ideas and actions laid the early groundwork for today’s political extremism. A Vertical Entertainment release.
PRESENCE
New York Premiere
dir. Steven Soderbergh (USA), 2024
A mother (Lucy Liu) moves her husband, son, and daughter into a seemingly picture-perfect suburban house, but after a strange series of incidents, they soon become convinced they are not alone. As the family’s life in their new home unfolds, they must confront a haunting question: what are the intentions of this phantom presence? The latest collaboration from Academy Award winning director Steven Soderbergh (ERIN BROCKOVICH, TRAFFIC) and iconic screenwriter David Koepp (JURASSIC PARK, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE), PRESENCE awed audiences at Sundance, turning the classic ghost story inside out with its cinematic innovation and thrilling twists. A Neon release.
A REAL PAIN
dir. Jesse Eisenberg (USA/Poland), 2024
Academy Award nominee Jesse Eisenberg returns to HIFF with his sophomore film as a writer/director, in which mismatched cousins David (Eisenberg) and Benji (Emmy Award winner Kieran Culkin, Succession) reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd-couple’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. Featuring an unforgettable dynamic between Eisenberg and Culkin and a stellar supporting cast (including a wonderful Jennifer Grey), A REAL PAIN delivers a sharp yet poignant exploration of family ties, memory, and Jewish heritage. A Searchlight Pictures release.
THE ROOM NEXT DOOR
dir. Pedro Almodóvar (Spain), 2024
Celebrated auteur and HIFF Alum Pedro Almodóvar (JULIETA, PARALLEL MOTHERS) makes a splash with his English-language feature film debut. Ingrid (Academy Award winner Julianne Moore), an autofictional novelist, and Martha (Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton), a war reporter, reunite after years of estrangement. As they navigate an extreme but strangely sweet situation, the two women reflect on their lives and friendship. Based on Sigrid Nunez’s novel What Are You Going Through, and winner of the Venice FIlm Festival’s Golden Lion, THE ROOM NEXT DOOR showcases Almodóvar’s signature visual style, creating a colorful and lush character study on companionship. A Sony Pictures Classics release.
SATURDAY NIGHT
dir. Jason Reitman (USA), 2024
At 11:30pm on October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television – and culture – forever. Directed by Jason Reitman and written by Gil Kenan & Reitman, Saturday Night is based on the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Full of humor, chaos, and the magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, we count down the minutes in real time until we hear those famous words…(Note: the screening on 10/11 is the 49th anniversary of that fateful night.) A Sony Pictures release.
SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE
North American Premiere
dir. Tim Mielants (Ireland/Belgium), 2024
Devoted father Bill Furlong (Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy) works as a coal merchant to support his family. In the days leading up to Christmas, he discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent—and uncovers truths of his own—which force him to confront his past and the complicit silence of a small Irish town controlled by the Catholic Church. Based on Claire Keegan’s best-selling novel and anchored by a stunning performance by Murphy, Tim Mielants’ SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE elegantly captures a haunted man wrestling with his morality. A Lionsgate/Roadside release.
WE LIVE IN TIME
US Premiere
dir. John Crowley (UK/France), 2024
Recent divorcé Tobias (Tony Award winner Andrew Garfield) and gourmet chef Almut (Academy Award nominee Florence Pugh) meet in a surprise encounter that changes their lives. Through interwoven snapshots of their life together—falling for each other, building a home, becoming a family—a difficult truth reveals itself, rocking their foundation. As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they must learn to cherish each moment of their unconventional romance. Director John Crowley (BROOKLYN, 2015) returns to HIFF with this decade-spanning testament to the enduring nature of love, brought to vivid life by the magnetic chemistry between Garfield and Pugh. An A24 release.
AIR, LAND & SEA SIGNATURE PROGRAM
Sponsored by Dragon Hemp
THE LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN
New York Premiere
dir. Sue Kim (USA), 2024
Often called real-life mermaids, the haenyeo divers of South Korea’s Jeju Island are renowned for centuries of freediving to the ocean floor—without oxygen—to harvest seafood for their livelihood. Today, their way of life is in imminent danger from a changing climate and a modern world, but these fierce, funny and hardworking grandmothers refuse to give an inch, aided by a younger generation’s fight to revive their ancestral lifestyle through social media. Peering into what drives haenyeo young and old, THE LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN documents the women’s tight-knit friendships, savvy independence, and wonderfully infectious sense of empowerment. An Apple release.
NOCTURNES
dir. Anirban Dutta, Anupama Srinivasan (USA/India), 2024
In the dark of night, two curious observers shine a light on a secret universe – the nighttime lives of moths. Together, these scientists are on an expedition to decode these nocturnal creatures in a remote ecological “hot spot” on the border of India and Bhutan. The result transports audiences to a rarely-seen place and captures through rapturous visuals the stunning biodiversity of our natural world. Featuring unforgettable immersive sound design that won a Special Award for Craft at Sundance, NOCTURNES
urges us all to look more closely at the hidden interconnections of nature and the whispered consequences of a changing climate. A Grasshopper Film release.
THE WHITE HOUSE EFFECT
New York Premiere
dir. Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk, Pedro Kos (USA), 2024
Spanning three decades, this documentary explores the drama that unfolded inside the George H.W. Bush administration after scientists made headlines by proclaiming that significant climate change was underway. THE WHITE HOUSE EFFECT investigates the nascent politicization of climate science, where industry power brokers held sway, in spite of the public’s growing concerns and Bush’s environmentally-focused campaign promises. Using only archival materials, the film tells a harrowing story about the dangers of presidential power and how one man’s drive to remain in power over 30 years ago continues to shape our future and endanger the planet we call home.
COMPASSION, JUSTICE & ANIMAL RIGHTS SIGNATURE PROGRAM
Sponsored by Artemis Rising Foundation
AMERICAN CATS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE CUDDLY
US Premiere
dir. Todd Bieber (USA), 2024
This thought-provoking exposé (or expawsé) follows comedian Amy Hoggart (Full Frontal with Samantha Bee) as she dives into the controversial world of cat declawing in the United States. On the surface, it appears to be a simple, harmless surgery for the convenience of pet owners, but as Hoggart digs deeper, a disturbing nationwide conspiracy unfolds. Through interviews with veterinarians, activists, and pet owners, the documentary unveils a powerful industry lobby that profits from this cruel procedure. AMERICAN CATS challenges the ethical implications of our choices and calls for a nationwide reflection on our treatment of animals. It also has lots of jokes and cute kittens.
CHECKPOINT ZOO
dir. Joshua Zeman (USA/Ukraine), 2024
In the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, an animal sanctuary was caught in the crossfire, cut off from sufficient water and resources. Concerned for the welfare of the animals and the safety of nearby villages, a heroic team of zookeepers and volunteers risked their lives to achieve the impossible—evacuating thousands of animals trapped behind enemy lines. Featuring gripping footage from the rescue mission and firsthand accounts from those involved, Joshua Zeman’s CHECKPOINT ZOO is a tribute to the compassion and humanity that shine in the face of adversity and brutality, offering a powerful new perspective on the unintended consequences of war.
EVERY LITTLE THING
New York Premiere
dir. Sally Aitken (Australia), 2024
Winner of the US Documentary Festival Favorite Award at Sundance, EVERY LITTLE THING follows author and wildlife rehabber Terry Masear on her mission to single-handedly save every injured hummingbird in Los Angeles. With breathtakingly detailed cinematography, director Sally Aitken forges emotional connections with Terry’s avian patients, celebrating their small victories and lamenting their tiny tragedies. Through the eyes of America’s busiest bird rehabilitator, each bird becomes memorable, mighty, and heroic. Masear’s compassion and empathy serve as a shining reminder that in the smallest of acts, and in the most delicate of creatures, we all might find grace. A Kino Lorber release.
FILMS OF CONFLICT AND RESOLUTION SIGNATURE PROGRAM
Sponsored by Artemis Rising Foundation
ANTIDOTE
dir. James Jones (UK), 2024
This revelatory and chilling documentary follows three courageous subjects who have risked their lives to speak truth to power in Putin’s Russia: a whistleblower from inside Russia’s poison program as he attempts to escape; Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent political activist standing trial for treason with the support of his wife Evgenia; and Christo Grozev, the journalist exposing Putin’s murder machine, forced to go on the run himself. Emmy Award-winning filmmaker James Jones reveals the human cost of heroism in ANTIDOTE, with incredible access and insight into the lives of those fighting for change against a regime that will stop at nothing to maintain the status quo.
HOMEGROWN
New York Premiere
dir. Michael Premo (USA), 2024
In the summer of 2020, director Michael Premo follows three right-wing activists—a newly politicized father-to-be in New Jersey, an Air Force veteran organizing conservatives in New York City, and a charismatic activist from Texas—as they crisscross the country campaigning for Donald Trump and building a movement they hope will outlast him. When they become convinced that the election is stolen, they begin to organize with a new aim: taking their fight to the streets. Through startlingly intimate access to its subjects and riveting on-the-ground footage, HOMEGROWN seeks to understand the growing movement pushing American democracy to the brink.
LIONS OF MESOPOTAMIA
East Coast Premiere
dir. Lucian Read (USA), 2024
In 2007, during the bloodiest days of the civil war that developed in the wake of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Iraqi national soccer team defied all odds in their remarkable run towards the championship of the storied Asian Cup. Comprising the sons of sworn enemies, the national team came together to unite their country in its darkest hour. Reflecting back, the players share their two-decade journey to a victory only they believed was possible. Directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Lucian Read, this riveting untold story of war, football and redemption reminds us all that, even when all hope is lost, love and humanity can prevail.
PORCELAIN WAR
dir. Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev (Australia/USA/Ukraine)
Winner of the US Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, PORCELAIN WAR follows three Ukrainian artists who defiantly find beauty as they defend their culture and country. Amidst the chaos and destruction of the brutal Russian invasion, Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko, and Andrey Stefanov choose to stay behind, armed with their art, their cameras, and, for the first time in their lives, their guns. As the war intensifies, art and resistance intersect, and Andrey picks up his camera to document the delicate porcelain figurines that Anya and Slava create as a record of their idyllic past, uncertain present, and hope for Ukraine’s future.
*The film will also screen as part of the Documentary Competition lineup.
SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D’ETAT
dir. Johan Grimonprez (Belgium/France), 2024
United Nations, 1961: as the Global South ignites a political earthquake, the U.S. State Department sends jazz ambassador Louis Armstrong to the Congo to deflect attention from the CIA-backed coup. Jazz, colonialism, and espionage collide, constructing a riveting historical roller coaster that illuminates the political machinations behind the subsequent assassination of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba. Told entirely through interwoven archival material and featuring jazz icons and Cold War luminaries from Nina Simone to Nikita Khrushchev, Johan Grimonprez’s Sundance award-winning documentary brilliantly interrogates the intersection of radical art and global politics within colonial history to tell an urgent story highly resonant in today’s geopolitical climate. A Kino Lorber release.
VIEWS FROM LONG ISLAND
With support from the Suffolk County Film Commission
BARRON’S COVE
World Premiere
dir. Evan Ari Kelman (USA), 2024
Garrett Hedlund (MUDBOUND, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS) stars as a grieving father with a violent past who is shattered by the tragic death of his young son. Consumed with the need for answers, he kidnaps the child (Christian Convery) he believes is responsible for his son’s death, igniting a frenzied manhunt fueled by the kidnapped boy’s powerful politician father (Hamish Linklater). Writer/director Evan Ari Kelman’s twisty feature debut is a gripping thriller about a flawed father’s devotion to his son and the complicated nature of revenge.
CHRISTMAS EVE IN MILLER’S POINT
North American Premiere
dir. Tyler Taormina (USA), 2024
On Christmas Eve, the Balsano family gathers for what could be their last holiday in their ancestral home on Long Island. As the night wears on and generational tensions arise, teenager Emily (Matilda Fleming) and her cousin Michelle (Francesca Scorsese) sneak out with their friends to claim the wintry suburb for their own. In a comedy-drama packed to the brim with the glittering nostalgia of the holidays in the suburbs, director Tyler Taormina’s Cannes breakout hit weaves Christmas magic with a delightful ensemble cast, including Michael Cera, Maria Dizzia, Elsie Fisher, and Sawyer Spielberg. An IFC Films release.
THE PREMIERE
World Premiere
dirs. Sam Pezzullo, Christopher Bouckoms (USA), 2024
The feature debut from Sam Pezzullo and Christopher Bouckoms finds a fresh twist on the mockumentary format. Sam (Pezzullo himself) is a painfully narcissistic theater producer attempting to realize a delusional creative vision: a musical version of his favorite movie, SCREAM, staged at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, with an accompanying documentary chronicling what he believes will be an iconic journey. Along the way, he clashes with quirky characters played by beloved real-life locals, to awkward and outrageous results. Drawing inspiration from cringe comedy classics and crafted largely through improvisation, THE PREMIERE is a keen satire about the Hamptons with a biting love letter to the community at its core.
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Sponsored by Silvercup Studios
GRAND THEFT HAMLET
East Coast Premiere
dir. Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane (UK), 2024
Winner of the SXSW Jury Award, GRAND THEFT HAMLET captures the tenacity and innovation of a group of theater actors on a mission to share their art with the world when it has never felt more impossible. Out of work and stuck at home during the pandemic, Sam and Mark find an unexpected “public” space to hold their performances: the online digital world of Grand Theft Auto. The pair decide to stage a full production of Hamlet, embarking on a ridiculous, hilarious, and moving adventure as they clash with rogue gamers and discover surprising truths about life, human connection, and the enduring power of Shakespeare.
PORCELAIN WAR
dir. Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev (Australia/USA/Ukraine)
Winner of the US Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, PORCELAIN WAR follows three Ukrainian artists who defiantly find beauty as they defend their culture and country. Amidst the chaos and destruction of the brutal Russian invasion, Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko, and Andrey Stefanov choose to stay behind, armed with their art, their cameras, and, for the first time in their lives, their guns. As the war intensifies, art and resistance intersect, and Andrey picks up his camera to document the delicate porcelain figurines that Anya and Slava create as a record of their idyllic past, uncertain present, and hope for Ukraine’s future.
*The film will also screen as part of the Films of Conflict and Resolution Signature Program.
SPACE COWBOY
US Premiere
dir. Marah Strauch, Bryce Leavitt (USA), 2024
Skydiving cinematography pioneer Joe Jennings built a career capturing surreal, unbelievable images while plummeting mid-air. Now, at 62, he pushes his art to new extremes with one of his most daring stunts yet: the “flying car.” From extreme sports competitions to Super Bowl commercials and Hollywood blockbusters, Jennings opens up about his craft, his friendship with creative partner Rob Harris, and the shattering tragedy that changed the trajectory of his life. Directors Bryce Leavitt and Marah Strauch weave jaw-dropping archival footage with revelatory and touching interviews to uncover the challenge of balancing a life in the sky with the realities on the ground.
VIKTOR
US Premiere
dir. Olivier Sarbil (USA), 2024
Viktor, a young deaf man in Kharkiv, eagerly seeks purpose during the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A fan of samurai films and raised on stories of war, he dreams of joining the fight. When the army repeatedly denies his attempts to enlist, he embarks on a quest to find his place in the ongoing conflict. Directed by veteran war cinematographer Olivier Sarbil and one of the rare documentaries to premiere in TIFF’s prestigious Platform section, VIKTOR intricately weaves stunning black-and-white imagery with innovative sound design to interpret with profound veracity Viktor’s own experience of a war he cannot hear.
WALK WITH ME
World Premiere
dir. Heidi Levitt (USA), 2024
In 2019, casting director Heidi Levitt’s husband Charlie was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. As the symptoms crept in slowly, Levitt realized she had to do something to cope—to create a dialogue and to shed the stigma. She began filming. The resulting documentary depicts her family living with this disease and the ways in which it has irrevocably changed their lives without letting it define them. Levitt’s highly intimate approach captures how they cherish both the solid foundation they have built together and the generous community who walks with them. Ultimately, WALK WITH ME is a testament to the loving bonds that unite us even through the most challenging circumstances.
NARRATIVE COMPETITION
Sponsored by Silvercup Studios
ARMAND
North American Premiere
dir. Halfdan Ullman Tøndel (Norway/Netherlands/Sweden/Germany), 2024
When defamed actress Elisabeth (Renate Reinsve, THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD) is abruptly called into a parent-teacher meeting after hours, she is presented with scathing allegations against her son that trigger a tangled web of accusations between parents and faculty. As Elisabeth struggles to uncover the truth amid the empty school rooms and dark corridors, a chaotic fight for redemption arises where desire, madness and obsession prevail. In his debut feature, writer-director Halfdan Ullman Tøndel develops a gripping and surreal cinematic language that probes deeply into the human psyche. An IFC Films release.
GAZER
New York Premiere
dir. Ryan J. Sloan (USA), 2024
Frankie (Ariella Mastroianni) is a young mother with a rare condition that causes her to struggle to perceive time, forcing her to use self-recorded cassette tapes to help her navigate the world. Desperate to make ends meet in the middle of a tense custody battle, she takes a risky but high-paying job from a mysterious woman, unaware of the dark consequences that await. Shot on nights and weekends over two years, this paranoid Cannes thriller by first-time filmmaker Ryan J. Sloan and co-writer/star Mastroianni brings the neo-noir genre into wildly original new territory. A Metrograph Pictures release.
THE KINGDOM
North American Premiere
dir. Julien Colonna (France), 2024
Set in 1995 Corsica, 15-year-old Lesia’s (Ghjuvanna Benedetti) coming-of-age summer is interrupted when she must abruptly depart to the home of her crime boss father, Pierre-Paul (Saveriu Santucci). When danger erupts around them, she is forced to confront the role her father plays in a violent underground war now spinning out of control. Director Julien Colonna’s family crime drama gripped Cannes with his nuanced exploration of the parent-child bond. Thrillingly shot and deftly acted, THE KINGDOM tells the story of a family struggling to come together while the path they have chosen threatens to tear them apart. A Metrograph Pictures release.
VERMIGLIO
US Premiere
dir. Maura Delpero (Italy/Belgium/France), 2024
In Vermiglio, a high mountain village in the Italian Alps, World War II looms as a distant but constant threat. Lucia (Martina Scrinzi), the eldest daughter of the community’s schoolteacher, finds herself instantly drawn to the newly arrived refugee soldier Pietro (Giuseppe de Domenico). Before long, their bond disrupts her family’s quiet equilibrium forever. Told over the four seasons marking the end of the war, Maura Delpero’s enrapturing Venice premiere spills over with the warm imagery of a bygone time, as Lucia and her sisters seek their place in an irrevocably changed world. Winner of the Silver Lion Grand Jury Price at the Venice FIlm Festival.
WE STRANGERS
New York Premiere
dir. Anu Valia (USA), 2024
In Anu Valia’s enthralling feature directorial debut—developed in part at the HIFF Screenwriters Lab in 2018—the clever and adaptable Rayelle Martin (Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Killing Eve) accepts a new position as a housekeeper for wealthy clients. At first just an observer, Ray impulsively tells one small lie that fascinates her employers: she can speak to the dead. As Ray becomes entangled in her employers’ lives, she finds herself in odd and intoxicating positions of power. With a fresh voice and a keen eye, Valia has crafted a tense and provocative exploration of class and race in middle America.
WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY
Sponsored by Artemis Rising Foundation
APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS
Petra Costa (Brazil/USA/Denmark), 2024
When does a democracy end, and a theocracy begin? Academy Award nominee Petra Costa’s (THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY) latest feature investigates the increasingly powerful grip of faith leaders over Brazil’s recent political turmoil. Costa gains extraordinary access to the country’s top political leaders, including President Lula, former President Bolsonaro, and Silas Malafaia, Brazil’s most famous televangelist, who played puppet master to the far-right leader. Weaving together past and present, APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS documents a time of profound confusion and despair with lucidity and a poetic eye.
BAD ACTOR: A HOLLYWOOD PONZI SCHEME
dir. David Darg (USA), 2024
Wannabe actor Zachary Horwitz moved to Los Angeles desperate to make it big as a movie star, but there was one thing stopping him: talent. Capitalizing on the dreams of others like himself seeking quick fame and fortune, Horwitz then launched what would become one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in American history. Through revelatory interviews with his victims and biting use of footage from his failed acting career, BAD ACTOR takes up the juicy true story of Horwitz’ rise and fall to articulate much deeper truths about the unexpected power of deception and denial. A NEON release.
BLINK
dir. Daniel Roher, Edmund Stenson (Canada/USA), 2024
When three of their four children are diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa—a rare, incurable disease that will eventually lead to severe visual impairment—the Pelletier family’s world is forever changed. Confronted with the impending challenges, the family of six embarks on a trip around the world, determined to see its wonders while they still can. As they fill their lives with breathtaking destinations and unforgettable encounters, their love and resilience prove that the uncertainty of their future does not define their present. From Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Roher (NAVALNY), BLINK tenderly captures one family’s heartfelt and undying spirit in the face of inevitable adversity. A National Geographic release.
CARVILLE: WINNING IS EVERYTHING, STUPID
dir. Matthew Tyrnauer (USA), 2024
Director Matthew Tyrnauer takes us on a deep dive into one of the most influential and combative political minds of our time. To truly understand the Ragin’ Cajun James Carville, we go from Bill Clinton’s stunning 1992 presidential upset up through Carville’s present-day efforts to shape the Democratic Party, in which he both takes on the ultra-progressive “woke” wing and aims to get Joe Biden to step aside—a high-stakes gambit that puts him at odds with the very establishment he helped build. Interwoven throughout is the unlikely love story of Carville and Mary Matalin—a union that defies political tribalism and offers a glimmer of hope in our highly polarized times. A CNN release.
DAHOMEY
dir. Mati Diop (Benin/France/Senegal), 2024
Winner of the Berlinale Golden Bear, HIFF alum Mati Diop (ATLANTIQUES, 2019) returns with her piercing and inventive documentary feature debut, following the restitution of twenty-six royal treasures of the Kingdom of Dahomey. Plundered by French colonial troops in 1892, these artifacts now make their way from Paris back to their country of origin, the present-day Republic of Benin. While the soul of the artifacts is freed, debate rages among students of the University of Abomey-Calavi, who explore how to adapt to these ancestors’ homecoming in a country that has had to forge ahead in their absence. A MUBI release.
THE DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL
US Premiere
dir. Pamela J. Hogan (Iceland/USA), 2024
In October 1975, the women of Iceland brought their country to a standstill, refusing to work, cook, or care for their children. Frustrated by unequal wages and labor conditions, they came together as a collective, demanding recognition and a better future. As we near the strike’s 50th anniversary, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Pamela Hogan shines a spotlight on this unprecedented act of civil disobedience, one that transformed Icelandic society and made it the “best place in the world to be a woman.” THE DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL blends playful animation with witty recollections from the movement’s activists, challenging us all to continue fighting for a truly equal world.
DAYTIME REVOLUTION
World Premiere
dir. Erik Nelson (USA), 2024
For one extraordinary week in February 1972, the revolution WAS televised when John Lennon and Yoko Ono co-hosted the massively popular Mike Douglas Show. John and Yoko invited a radical yet approachable vision of the future into the homes of everyday Americans through frank conversations with counterculture icons such as Chuck Berry, George Carlin, Yippie founder Jerry Rubin, Black Panther chairman Bobby Seale, and Ralph Nader. A document of the past that speaks to our turbulent present, DAYTIME REVOLUTION reminds us of art’s power to break down barriers, and the bravery of two artists who never took the easy way out as they fought for their dream of a better world. A Kino Lorber release.
ELIE WIESEL: SOUL ON FIRE
World Premiere
dir. Oren Rudavsky (USA), 2024
“Sometimes I’m afraid the tale might be forgotten. Sometimes I’m afraid it is forgotten already.” Told primarily through his own eloquent words, ELIE WIESEL: SOUL ON FIRE seeks to understand the man behind the searing and widely read memoir Night. Penetrating at the heart of the known and unknown, the film dives into the author’s legacy as one of the most influential survivors of the trauma of the Holocaust. With unique access to personal archives, original interviews, and hand-painted animation, Oren Rudavsky’s beautiful tribute illuminates Wiesel’s biography as a survivor, writer, and teacher.
I’M YOUR VENUS
dir. Kimberly Reed (USA), 2024
Venus Xtravaganza emerged as a global trans icon after being featured as a glamorous “ball walker” in the groundbreaking 1991 documentary PARIS IS BURNING. Before the film’s release, Venus was tragically murdered at the age of 23. Her killer was never found. Now, decades later, I’M YOUR VENUS picks up a trail gone cold as her two families— biological and ballroom— come together to honor her legacy, seek answers about her killing, and, in the process, find unexpected common ground. Kimberly Reed’s documentary is a fabulous celebration of Venus’ life and a testament to the power of the love of a chosen family in the ongoing fight for trans dignity and liberation.
The film will be preceded by a screening of the below short film:
SEAT 31: ZOOEY ZEPHYR
dir. Kimberly Reed (USA), 2024
After Zooey Zephyr’s expulsion from Montana’s Legislature for defending transgender medical care, she made a nearby bench her “office.”
LIZA: A TRULY TERRIFIC ABSOLUTELY TRUE STORY
dir. Bruce David Klein (USA), 2024
Bruce David Klein’s electrifying documentary focuses on the dazzling but complex period of Liza Minnelli’s life in the 1970s after the tragic death of her mother, Judy Garland. Over these years, Liza seeks out extraordinary mentors: Kay Thompson, Fred Ebb, Charles Aznavour, Halston, and Bob Fosse, who help her transform from a performer with boundless raw talent to a mature, beautifully polished triple-threat superstar and EGOT winner. Featuring heartwarming and insightful interviews from the icon herself, LIZA:
A TRULY TERRIFIC ABSOLUTELY TRUE STORY celebrates her influence on fashion, nightlife, art, and culture—cementing her status as an undeniable living legend.
A MAN WITH SOLE: THE IMPACT OF KENNETH COLE
World Premiere
dir. Dori Berinstein (USA), 2024
More than just a global fashion icon, footwear designer Kenneth Cole has put cause before commerce for 40 years, driven by heart and ‘sole.’ Undoubtedly a trendsetter, Cole inspired and mobilized cultural norms and perceptions for the better as a pioneer of corporate social action; he advocated for social causes—from HIV/AIDS and homelessness to LGBTQIA+ rights and mental health—through his groundbreaking advertising campaigns. Featuring a treasure trove of archival footage and interviews with fashion leaders, global scientists, and longtime collaborators, Tony and Emmy Award winner Dori Bernstein celebrates Cole’s enduring legacy of combining style with social conscience.
A NEW KIND OF WILDERNESS
dir. Silje Evensmo Jacobsen (Norway), 2024
Winner of the Sundance World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize, A NEW KIND OF WILDERNESS follows the remarkable journey of the Payne family as they seek a wild and free existence in harmony with nature on a small farm in the Norwegian forest. When tragedy unexpectedly strikes, it upends their idyllic world and forces them to forge a new path into modern society. Through the Paynes’ triumphs and struggles, Silje Evensmo Jacobsen crafts an intimate and soulful portrait that invites reflection on our own life choices, our responsibility to the planet and our children, and how we navigate life after loss.
NORMAN/NORMAN
World Premiere
dir. Gabrielle Blackwood, Charles Warburton (USA/Jamaica), 2024
Norman, a doting father raising four daughters with his loving wife in New Jersey, carries an unresolved pain—as a child, he witnessed the brutal murder of his mother. Now, 30 years later, Norman travels to Jamaica to confront the murderer: his own father. Weaving together intimate verité footage with probing interviews, co-directors Gabrielle Blackwood and Charles Warburton follow one man’s journey to piece together the truth behind the tragic crime that shaped him. Insightful, moving, and empathetic, NORMAN/NORMAN offers a complex exploration of guilt, reconciliation, and the transformative power of forgiveness.
RED FEVER
New York Premiere
dir. Neil Diamond, Catherine Bainbridge (Canada), 2024
In the witty and entertaining RED FEVER, Cree co-director Neil Diamond sets out to expose the profound yet hidden Indigenous influence on Western culture and identity, asking one simple question: why do they love us so much? His search to explain this fascination with stereotypical imagery of Native people takes him across pop culture and modern society – from fashion to sports, from summer camps to democracy. Diamond’s playful and revelatory investigation both brings to light histories of appropriation and oppression and celebrates the undeniable influence of Indigenous cultures in today’s world. A Les Films du 3 Mars release.
SABBATH QUEEN
dir. Sandi DuBowski (USA), 2024
Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie is torn between rejecting and embracing his destiny—he is the dynastic heir of 38 generations of Orthodox rabbis, including the Chief Rabbis of Israel, but also a drag-queen rebel and founder of Lab/Shul, an everybody-friendly, artist-driven, experimental congregation. When he decides to return to conservative rabbinical school, he embarks on a quest to reconcile the radical and traditional aspects of his religion and identity. Weaving together a wealth of fascinating footage filmed over 21 years, director Sandi DuBowski empathetically captures Amichai’s epic journey to discover what it means to be Jewish in a rapidly changing 21st century.
SECRET MALL APARTMENT
New York Premiere
dir. Jeremy Workman (USA), 2024
Directed by Jeremy Workman (LILY TOPPLES THE WORLD, SummerDocs 2021) and executive produced by Jesse Eisenberg, SECRET MALL APARTMENT follows eight Rhode Islanders who surreptitiously created an apartment inside the Providence Place Mall in 2003. Living in it for four years—and filming everything along the way—they snuck in furniture, tapped into the mall’s electricity, and even constructed a wall, using over 2 tons of cinderblock they smuggled in. Far more than just a wild prank, the secret apartment became a deeply meaningful place for its inhabitants—a personal expression of defiance against local gentrification, a clubhouse to coordinate artistic charity, and finally, a 750-square foot “F you” to The Man.
SEPARATED
North American Premiere
dir. Errol Morris (USA), 2024
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Errol Morris confronts one of the darkest chapters in recent American history: family separations at the US-Mexico border. Based on Jacob Soboroff’s book Separated: Inside an American Tragedy, Morris merges bombshell interviews with government officials and artful narrative vignettes to trace one migrant family’s plight, revealing that the cruelty at the heart of this policy was its very purpose. Morris confronts the U.S. government’s role in this unthinkable violation of human rights, speaks for the hundreds of families that remain separated years later, and warns that the country is on the verge of allowing it all to happen again.
WHATEVER IT TAKES
New York Premiere
dir. Jenny Carchman (USA/UK), 2024
In 2019, a middle-aged couple were subjected to cyberstalking and bizarre deliveries of disturbing packages. As the harassment escalated, the police and FBI closed in on a Silicon Valley giant and some very unlikely suspects. WHATEVER IT TAKES recounts the alarming events in which a Fortune 500 company resorted to drastic criminal lengths to protect its CEO from a corporate raider—despite the company’s founding principle that “people are basically good.” Five-time Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker Jenny Carchman (ONE NATION UNDER DOG, HIFF 2012) tackles this shocking true crime story, exposing the disintegration of ethics in the tech industry and challenging corporate America to confront its own dark underbelly.
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ALLEE WILLIS
New York Premiere
dir. Alexis Spraic (USA), 2024
Shaped by her Jewish upbringing in the heart of Motown, award-winning songwriter/artist Allee Willis’s offbeat individuality made her an icon of 1980s Los Angeles, from star-studded parties at her real-life Pee-Wee’s Playhouse to her prolific career penning some of the most iconic pop songs of our time. But beneath the cacophony of prints and colors and her signature asymmetrical haircut, Allee struggled to accept her own queerness. She buried herself in her work, until true love pushed her to manifest her ultimate masterpiece: self-acceptance. Vibrant and touching, director Alexis Spraic’s film features revelatory interviews with some of Allee’s wide circle of iconic friends, including Paul Reubens, Lily Tomlin, Cyndi Lauper and Patti LaBelle. A Magnolia Films release.
ZURAWSKI V TEXAS
East Coast Premiere
dir. Maisie Crow, Abbie Perrault (USA), 2024
Three women who were denied critical care under Texas’s ambiguous and unforgiving abortion laws band together with the Center for Reproductive Rights to sue the state of Texas. While battling in court against the state and its immovable Attorney General, their traumatic experiences are revealed publicly as they wrestle to regain their reproductive rights and set a precedent for millions of other women and families. Directed by Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault, ZURAWSKI V TEXAS reveals the dire impact of losing access to healthcare—and the extraordinary efforts of the women and men fighting on the frontline for all Americans.
WORLD CINEMA NARRATIVE
Sponsored by Sotheby’s
ADULT BEST FRIENDS
dir. Delaney Buffett (USA), 2024
Delaney and Katie (writer/director Delaney Buffett and co-writer Katie Corwin) have had an intensely close bond since childhood, but as they enter their 30s, Delaney expects their fun and wild times to continue, while Katie is ready to settle down. When Katie’s boyfriend proposes, she plans a nostalgic trip to their childhood beach town to break the news to Delaney, leading to a whirlwind of hilarious and bizarre encounters. Funny, fresh, and full of heart, ADULT BEST FRIENDS is the first feature from the duo, who drew from their own relationship to capture the joy of life with a best friend and the angst of potentially growing apart.
ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
dir. Payal Kapadia (France/India/Netherlands/Luxembourg), 2024
Winner of this year’s Cannes Grand Prix, director Payal Kapadia’s mesmerizing second feature follows Mumbai nurse Prabha (Kani Kusruti), whose routine is interrupted when she receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband. Meanwhile, her younger roommate Anu (Divya Prabha) tries in vain to find a clandestine spot in the city to be intimate with her Muslim boyfriend. When the two women embark on a trip to a beach town, they find space for their unspoken desires to manifest. Featuring delicate, enchanting cinematography and breakout performances from Kusruti and Prabha, ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT provides a dreamlike exploration of sisterhood and intimacy in an urbanized world. A Sideshow/Janus release.
BOB TREVINO LIKES IT
New York Premiere
dir. Tracie Laymon (USA), 2024
Lily Trevino (Barbie Ferreira, Euphoria) longs for familial connection, having been abandoned by her erratic and self-centered father Bob (French Stewart). When Lily stumbles across another Bob Trevino (Emmy Award winner John Leguizamo) online who is as lonely as she is, the two strike up an unexpected friendship that quickly becomes a vital source of healing in both their lives. Based on writer/director Tracie Laymon’s own story, and winner of the Narrative Feature Jury and Audience Awards at SXSW, BOB TREVINO LIKES IT is a funny and tender testament to the extraordinary power of small acts of kindness when you least expect them. A Roadside Attractions Pictures release.
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO
US Premiere
dir. Matthieu Delaporte, Alexandre De La Patellière (France), 2024
The target of a sinister plot, young Edmond Dantès (Pierre Niney), is arrested on his wedding day for a crime he did not commit. After fourteen years in an island prison, he manages a daring escape and claims the legendary treasure hidden on the isle of Monte Cristo. Now wealthy beyond his dreams, he hatches an extraordinary plan to exact vengeance on the three men who betrayed him. Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre De La Patellière’s epic Cannes adaption of Alexandre Dumas’ adventure novel delivers nonstop thrills with rapturous flair. A Samuel Goldwyn Films release.
FLOW
East Coast Premiere
dir. Gints Zilbalodis (Latvia/France/Belgium), 2024
Cat is a solitary animal who relies upon himself for survival in an abandoned world teeming with the remnants of a human presence. When his home is devastated by a great flood that threatens the entire world, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species. Despite their differences, the animals work together to sail through mystical overflowing landscapes, navigating the challenges and dangers of adapting to this new world. Through charming, expressive, and visually enrapturing 3D animation, director Gints Zilbalodis stunned audiences at Cannes with this heartwarming tale of friendship, teamwork, and adventure. A Sideshow/Janus release.
THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE
US Premiere
dir. Magnus von Horn (Denmark/Poland/Sweden), 2024
Young pregnant factory worker Karoline (Vic Carmen Sonne) navigates the bleak labor conditions of post-World War I Denmark. To escape poverty, she takes on a job as a wet nurse for a charismatic woman (Trine Dyrholm, QUEEN OF HEARTS) who runs an underground adoption agency helping poor mothers find foster homes for their unwanted infants—only to discover a devastating secret. Based on the true story behind one of the most infamous murder trials in Danish history, THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE wields stark black-and-white cinematography and gripping performances to deliver a tense interrogation of what it takes to survive the harshness of the human world. A MUBI release.
HIGH TIDE
New York Premiere
dir. Marco Calvani (USA), 2024
Lourenço (Marco Pigossi), a Brazilian immigrant whose visa is expiring, is heartbroken and adrift when his American boyfriend unexpectedly leaves him in Provincetown, MA. While doing odd jobs at the house of a local artist (Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei), his once hopeful future dims into a state of limbo. When he meets handsome vacationer Maurice (James Bland), they form an unexpected connection that challenges them both to reconcile their uncertain paths. With the visual magic of the seaside community as his backdrop, director Marco Calvani crafts a touching and intimate story of heartbreak, companionship, and self-discovery. A Strand Releasing release.
I’M STILL HERE
dir. Walter Salles (Brazil/France), 2024
Legendary Brazilian auteur Walter Salles’ (CENTRAL STATION, THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES) first narrative feature in over a decade follows the close-knit Paiva family in 1971 Rio de Janeiro as they navigate the tightening grip of a military dictatorship. When a violent and arbitrary act by the government threatens their life together, Eunice (a stirring Fernanda Torres) must reinvent herself to lead her family into a new reality. Based on the autobiographical book of the same name by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, I’M STILL HERE brings to light an obscured, painful chapter in Brazil’s history with remarkable resilience, empathy, and strength. A Sony Pictures Classics release.
JAZZY
dir. Morrisa Maltz (USA), 2024
Morrisa Maltz’s (THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY) latest feature captures childhood friendship’s euphoric highs and familiar lows, as Jazzy navigates the challenges of growing up with her peers in South Dakota. Filmed over six years and based on real stories from its two young leads (Jasmine Bearkiller Shangreux and Syriah Fool Head Means), the film follows Jazzy and Syriah as they deal with family tensions and dramatic changes in their friendship, including Syriah eventually moving away. Executive produced by Academy Award nominee Lily Gladstone and the Duplass brothers, JAZZY is a breezy and loving portrait of girlhood.
The film will be preceded by a screening of the below short film:
WINDING PATH
New York Premiere
dir. Alexandra Lazarowich, Ross Kauffman (USA), 2024
WINDING PATH follows 28-year-old Jenna Murray, who is Eastern Shoshone, and her journey through medical school as she copes with the death of her grandfather.
JULIE KEEPS QUIET
US Premiere
dir. Leonardo Van Dijl (Belgium/Sweden), 2024
As the star player at an elite Belgian tennis academy, Julie’s (Tessa Van de Broeck) life revolves around the game she loves. When her coach falls under investigation and is suddenly suspended, all of the club’s players are encouraged to speak up—but Julie decides to keep quiet. In his feature debut, Leonardo Van Dijl deftly crafts a tense and probing exploration of a teenage girl struggling with gender and power dynamics on and off the tennis court. Winner of a screenwriting prize at Cannes’ Critic Week, JULIE KEEPS QUIET is a masterclass in restraint, revealing just enough to depict Julie’s sometimes painful silence as a potentially vital means of survival.
LOS FRIKIS
New York Premiere
dir. Michael Schwartz, Tyler Nilson (USA), 2024
In 1990s Cuba, 18-year-old Gustavo (Eros de la Puente) idolizes his rebellious older brother Paco (Héctor Medina) and his punk bandmates. To escape their extreme poverty, they do the now unthinkable: deliberately inject themselves with HIV in order to live at a well-funded government-run sanatorium. There, they discover an unexpected utopia of ice cream, rock and roll, and freedom, run by the passionate nurse Maria (Adria Arjona, HIT MAN). Directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz (THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON) and inspired by true events, LOS FRIKIS is a powerful coming-of-age story that skillfully balances a youthful spirit of hope, the instability of an uncertain future, and an unwavering brotherly love.
LOVEABLE
US Premiere
dir. Lilja Ingolfsdottir (Norway), 2024
Years after a whirlwind romance, Maria (Helga Guren) finds herself lost and confused when her husband (Oddgeir Thunn) says that he wants a divorce. As she struggles to understand what went wrong, everyone around her—her ex, her children, and even her mother—indicate a truth she tries not to face: that the problem was herself. Featuring an outstanding, vulnerable performance from Guren, which earned her the Best Actress Award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, LOVEABLE is an introspective and ultimately empowering journey of self-knowledge, growth, and the complexities of womanhood.
MEMOIR OF A SNAIL
New York Premiere
dir. Adam Elliot (Australia), 2024
Grace (Emmy Award winner Sarah Snook, Succession) is a bookish misfit with an affinity for collecting ornamental snails. After being separated from her twin brother Gilbert (Academy Award nominee Kodi Smit-McPhee), her depression spirals. Inspiration emerges when she starts an enduring friendship with Pinky (Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver), an elderly eccentric with grit and a lust for life. Academy Award winner Adam Elliot’s (MARY AND MAX) latest stop-motion masterpiece MEMOIR OF A SNAIL is a poignant and sweet chronicle of an outsider finding her confidence and silver linings amongst the clutter of everyday life. An IFC Films release.
MISTURA
East Coast Premiere
dir. Ricardo de Montreuil (Peru), 2024
In 1960s Lima, the glamorous life of a privileged Franco-Peruvian woman, Norma (Barbara Mori), unravels after her husband leaves her for another woman, ostracizing her from elite society. Facing financial ruin, she decides to open an exclusive French restaurant in her home. After a lukewarm response, she embarks on a transformative culinary journey that challenges societal norms with the help of her newfound allies from the communities she was raised to disregard. Ricardo de Montreuil’s MISTURA deliciously celebrates Peru’s remarkably diverse cuisine and people.
A NICE INDIAN BOY
dir. Roshan Sethi (USA), 2024
While worshiping at a temple, soft-spoken doctor Naveen (Karan Soni) meets Jay (Tony Award winner Jonathan Groff), a white man adopted by Indian parents. When Naveen finally brings Jay home to meet his family as his fiancé, they must contend with accepting his white artist boyfriend and help the couple plan the Indian wedding of their dreams. Through comic misunderstandings, frank fights, and emotional revelations, Roshan Sethi creates a sweetly hilarious and moving portrait of an unexpected couple finding each other and a family attempting to reconcile their expectations and beliefs with the love they have for one another.
ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL
dir. Rungano Nyoni (Zambia/UK/Ireland), 2024
Driving home in the middle of the night, Shula (Susan Chardy) stumbles across the body of her uncle lying in the middle of the road. As elaborate funeral proceedings fall into motion around her, she reconnects with her cousins to unearth the buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family. Writer/director Rungano Nyoni’s (BAFTA Award Winner, I AM NOT A WITCH) surreal and vibrant sophomore feature captures the clash between tradition and modernity in this sharply funny and ultimately stirring reckoning with the lies we tell ourselves. An A24 release.
SANTOSH
New York Premiere
dir. Sandhya Suri (UK), 2024
A young widow now desperate to support herself, Santosh (Shahanna Goswam) accepts an opportunity to inherit her late husband’s job as a police officer in the rural badlands of India. Quickly taken under the wing of a charismatic and commanding older female inspector, she begins an investigation into a brutal murder that plunges her into a gritty underworld of crime and corruption. Driven by an astonishing lead performance, this immersive and layered Cannes drama confronts the temptation to become complicit in a broken law enforcement system. A Metrograph Pictures release.
THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG
dir. Mohammad Rasoulof (Iran/France/Germany), 2024
In Tehran, Iman’s (Missagh Zareh) exemplary family is tested by the dramatic events following a young woman’s death in police custody. When Iman is appointed as an investigating judge in Tehran, the entire family is thrust into the public eye. As political unrest erupts in the streets, Iman realizes that his job is even more dangerous than expected, making him increasingly paranoid and distrustful, even of his own wife and daughters. Shot entirely in secret from the government it criticizes, Mohammad Rasoulof’s multiple Cannes prize-winning thriller powerfully captures the clash of modern and traditional values in the face of Iran’s punishing political climate. A NEON release.
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
New York Premiere
dir. Mahdi Fleifel (UK/Palestine/France/Greece/Netherlands/Germany/Qatar/Saudi Arabia), 2024 Refugees Chatila (Mahmood Bakri) and Reda (Aram Sabbagh) exist in limbo in Athens, committing petty crimes to pay for fake passports to get into the EU. When Reda’s drug addiction loses them their
hard-earned savings, Chatila hatches a risky plan: pose as smugglers to take advantage of people just like themselves. At first, their dream has never felt more possible, but the desperation they seek to exploit soon unlocks new dangers. Palestinian-Danish director Mahdi Fleifel’s debut narrative feature premiered to acclaim at Cannes, revealing through gripping storytelling and tender relationships the profound cost of the loss of a homeland.
WAVES
US Premiere
dir. Jiří Mádl (Czech Republic/Slovak Republic), 2024
Amidst the chaos of the Prague Spring in 1968, young technician Tomáš (Vojtěch Vodochodský) begins working at Czechoslovak Radio alongside a group of dedicated journalists broadcasting evidence of Communist censorship. These brazen actions catch the attention of the insidious secret police, who pressure Tomáš to deliver intel on his coworkers in order to protect his rebellious younger brother. Winner of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Audience Award and based on true events, Jiří Mádl’s engrossing political thriller illustrates the inherent risks of resistance in the face of oppression.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
GET SHORTY
dir. Barry Sonnenfeld (USA), 1995
When Chili Palmer (John Travolta), a charismatic Miami loan shark, is sent to Los Angeles to collect a debt from film producer Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman), he is immediately captivated by Hollywood. Determined to break into showbiz, Chili leverages his mob connections to produce a movie, navigating a colorful array of characters, including a B-movie actress (Rene Russo), a struggling actor (Danny DeVito), and rival gangsters. Blending sharp wit with crime drama, this 1995 Golden Globe Best Picture nominee offers a satirical look at the film industry. An MGM release. Screening in conjunction with Morning Talk with director Barry Sonnenfeld on October 6.
SING SING
dir. Greg Kwedar (USA), 2023
Divine G (Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo), imprisoned at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison for a crime he didn’t commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre crew with other inmates. When a wary outsider (Clarence Maclin, playing himself) joins the group, the men decide to stage their first original comedy. Based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program and starring an unforgettable ensemble cast of formerly incarcerated actors, this SXSW Audience Award Winner tells a story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art. An A24 release. Clarence Maclin will receive the Breakthrough Performer Award at this screening.
NARRATIVE SHORT FILM COMPETITION
BEAUTIFUL MEN
New York Premiere
dir. Nicolas Keppens (Belgium/France/Netherlands), 2024
Three brothers travel to Istanbul to get hair transplants. Away from their daily lives, their insecurities and interpersonal tensions rise to the surface.
FAVOURS
New York Premiere
dir. Agnes Skonare (Sweden), 2024
In a busy train station, Sonja desperately looks for the mother of an unattended baby.
IMMACULATA
North American Premiere
dir. Kim Lêa Sakkal (Germany/France), 2024
Derya is pregnant, but she hasn’t had sex. In the height of a dry summer, signs of the supernatural and the divine emerge, questioning the true origin of her mysterious pregnancy.
L’AVANCE
New York Premiere
dir. Djiby Kebe (France), 2024
After selling a painting of his dead mother to a respected collector, Ailou must contend with the hidden costs of this exchange.
THE MAN WHO COULD NOT REMAIN SILENT
East Coast Premiere
dir. Nebojša Slijepčević (Croatia/France/Bulgaria/Slovenia), 2024
February 27, 1993, Strpci, Bosnia and Herzegovina. A paramilitary operation intent on ethnic cleansing stops a full train, where one man decides to stand up for his beliefs.
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM COMPETITION
MARUNGKA TJALATJUNU (DIPPED IN BLACK)
dir. Matthew Thorne, Derik Lynch (Australia), 2023
Yankunytjatjara man Derik Lynch road trips back home to his remote Anangu Community (Aputula) for spiritual healing, as memories from his childhood return.
PERCEBES
US Premiere
dir. Alexandra Ramires, Laura Gonçalves (Portugal/France), 2024
With the sea and urban Algarve as the backdrop, we follow the complete life cycle of a special shellfish called percebes, the goose barnacle.
PERFECTLY A STRANGENESS
US Premiere
dir. Alison McAlpine (Canada), 2024
In the dazzling incandescence of an unknown desert, three donkeys discover both an abandoned astronomical observatory and the universe.
SOL BÉNI
dir. Maky Margaridis, Tristan Feres (Belgium), 2024
Faced with the prospect of an impending farewell, two friends reunite on the soccer field where they grew up.
UNTIL HE’S BACK
New York Premiere
dir. Jacqueline Baylon (Morocco/Spain), 2023
After learning that his son has died at sea trying to reach Spain, a Moroccan man must find a way to get his son’s remains back home for a proper goodbye.
NEW YORK WOMEN IN FILM & TELEVISION: FILMMAKERS CALLING THE SHOTS
AS LONG AS WE CAN
New York Premiere
dir. Kristy Guevara-Flanagan (USA), 2024
Experience a day in the life of an Arizona reproductive health clinic trying to navigate the turbulent aftermath of the 2022 Dobbs decision.
BORDER CROSS
International Premiere
dir. Ilja Willems, Remco Bikkers (Netherlands), 2023
Dr. Corine Stern believes everyone deserves dignity in death, including those who die while attempting to cross the border.
CURA SANA
US Premiere
dir. Lucía G. Romero (Spain), 2024
During a routine trip to the food stamp office, two sisters in a situation of domestic violence begin to treat each other with love instead of anger.
INTERCEPTION: JAYNE KENNEDY – AMERICAN SPORTSCASTER
dir. Safiya Songhai (USA), 2024
The true story of Jayne Kennedy, the first Black woman in American sportscasting.
SHÉ (SNAKE)
New York Premiere
dir. Renee Zhan (UK), 2023
Fei, a 16-year-old British-Chinese girl, is the top violinist in an elite youth orchestra, but when a Chinese violinist arrives to challenge her position, Fei’s anxieties take monstrous physical form.
THE SOLACE OF SISTERHOOD
dir. Anna Andersen, Geneva Peschka (USA), 2023
The Caramel Curves are an all-Black female biker crew in New Orleans that defies societal norms by embracing their multifaceted identities.
UNIVERSITY SHORT FILMS SHOWCASE
BUG DINER
dir. Phoebe Jane Hart (USA), 2023
A dissatisfied marriage, a secret crush, and workplace fantasies come to a head in a diner run by a mole with a hot ass. (Warning: adult content.)
MY MORNING
World Premiere
dir. Liav Tamuz (Israel), 2024
On a chaotic and violent morning, Dana balances keeping her son safe while repelling her husband’s aggressive behavior.
PRAEIS
North American Premiere
dir. Dovydas Drakšas (Lithuania/UK), 2024
The daughter of a cigarette smuggler reevaluates the memories of her father, questioning the childhood myth she built around him and getting to know him anew.
TORNADO
World Premiere
dir. Jack Kendrick (USA), 2023
A struggling contractor risks his young sons’ wellbeing to cut a sweet deal.
THE TRUCK
East Coast Premiere
dir. Elizabeth Rao (USA), 2024
In the heat of young love, a Chinese-American 17-year-old traverses her rural town in post-Roe America in search of the morning after pill.
ZOOM! SHORTS FOR ALL AGES
AN ALMOST CHRISTMAS STORY
World Premiere
dir. David Lowery (USA), 2023
Moon, a curious young owl, unexpectedly finds himself in a Christmas tree destined for Rockefeller Plaza. Determined to make his way home, he embarks on an adventure full of magic and unlikely friendships.
BATTERY MOMMY
dir. Seungbae Jeon (South Korea), 2023
When Battery Mommy discovers that the Christmas tree is on fire at the children’s nursery where she works, she rushes to the rescue…
FILANTE
North American Premiere
dir. Marion Jamault (France), 2024
Paulette wishes upon a shooting star, hoping to find her mysteriously missing pet rat.
HAM
dir. Rudy Martinez (USA), 2023 Ham is the first chimp in space!
I ADOPT YOU! “PEDRO AND KUKY”
North American Premiere
dir. Maria Rosario Carlino, Ita Romero (Argentina/Chile/Colombia), 2023
When the reserve near his house is on fire, Pedro finds a scared dog and takes her home. While it isn’t easy to convince his parents, Kuky stays and the two become best friends.
MY NAME IS EDGAR AND I HAVE A COW
dir. Filip Diviak (Czech Republic), 2023
Edgar leads an utterly predictable life, spending his days nurturing his favorite plant, saving up for a new car and keeping his beloved mother company. After he witnesses the birth of a calf, nothing is the same.
THE SOUND COLLECTOR
dir. Chris Tichborne, Barry Purves (UK), 2023
Despite the fact that he is very hard of hearing, the Sound Collector spends his days discovering and using new sounds that he finds on his adventures.
THREE HARES
US Premiere
dir. Paloma Baeza (USA/UK), 2024
A mystical origin story of the ancient three hares, who must remind mankind to respect the earth in order to protect their future.
THREE TREES
dir. M.R. Horhager, Aaron Hong (Canada), 2023
Three trees grow and change over the course of a full year, with each of the trees experiencing the new seasons in their own unique way.
THE TORNADO OUTSIDE
dir. Maria Tomazou (UK), 2023
Anna lives in a perfect house, but on the edge of a tornado. When she ventures outside, she is forced to face the chaos.
STICKY SITUATIONS SHORTS
IS NOW A GOOD TIME
New York Premiere
dir. Jim Cummings (USA), 2024
A Marvel employee attends to the dying wish of a young child.
JANE AUSTEN’S PERIOD DRAMA
dir. Julia Aks, Steve Pinder (USA), 2023
In this totally unique “period drama” set in England in 1813, the arrival of a young woman’s period interrupts an engagement.
SAY HI AFTER YOU DIE
dir. Kate Jean Hollowell (USA), 2023
When her best friend dies, a young woman sees the reincarnation of her lost friend in the form of a portapotty.
TERMINALLY ILL
dir. Christopher J. Cole (USA), 2023
At his grandmother’s deathbed, a rapper engages in a mad-cap freestyle to prevent her passing.
WANDER TO WONDER
New York Premiere
dir. Nina Gantz (Netherlands/France/Belgium/UK), 2023
After the creator of an ‘80s kids’ TV series dies, the stars Mary, Billybud, and Fumbleton are left alone in the studio. Struggling to survive, they continue to make increasingly strange episodes for their fans.
WOACA
East Coast Premiere
dir. Mackenzie Davis (UK), 2023
Things go terribly wrong in one woman’s quest to reverse the signs of aging.
BETWEEN HERE AND THERE SHORTS
DREAMS LIKE PAPER BOATS
dir. Samuel Suffren (Haiti), 2024
Since his wife left five years ago, Edouard has been living in Port-au-Prince with his daughter Zara. After years of absence, what can we expect from a distant love?
MARION
dir. Finn Constantine, Joe Weiland (UK/FRANCE), 2024
Marion, the only female bull jumper in France, prepares for her performance in a packed arena.
MUNA
New York Premiere
dir. Warda Mohamed (UK), 2023
British-Somali teen Muna is desperate to go on the school trip—to have fun with her mates, escape the monotony of her household and provide the greatest playlist of all time. But her parents aren’t so sure.
TRAPPED
East Coast Premiere
dir. Sam Cutler-Kreutz, David Cutler-Kreutz (USA), 2024
A high school janitor runs into an unending series of obstacles.
WHAT YOU LEFT IN THE DITCH
dir. Tucker Bliss (USA), 2024
In this dark comedy about empathy and unspoken vanity, a woman is forced to face the lack of her attraction to her husband when he returns from war without lips.
BODILY FREEDOMS SHORTS
A BODY CALLED LIFE
dir. Spencer MacDonald (USA/Poland/Switzerland), 2023
A self-isolated young human known as “James” delves into the hidden world of microscopic organisms as he seeks to understand his own place in the cosmos and accept the scars of his past.
EQUAL PLAY
East Coast Premiere
dir. Lily Ahree Siegel (UK), 2024
Equal Play delves into the lives of disabled youth, uncovering the transformative power that sports can wield.
HELLO STRANGER
New York Premiere
dir. Amélie Hardy (Canada), 2024
Between loads of laundry at the corner laundromat, Cooper shares the story of her gender reassignment journey.
THE PUZZLE PALACE
New York Premiere
dir. Jenny Schweitzer Bell, Brian Bell (USA), 2023
In a Boca suburb, a couple retire into a second marriage of freedom, play, and the world’s largest puzzle collection.
A SWIM LESSON
East Coast Premiere
dir. Rashida Jones, Will McCormack (USA), 2023
Watching Bill Marsh teach children how to swim is like witnessing a great opera, one filled with intense agony and ecstasy, absurdism, fear, hope, despair, joy, connection, love, some vomit, and lots of belching.
AIR, LAND, AND SEA SHORTS PROGRAM
THE FLY COLLECTORS
dir. Jeff Arak (Senegal/Niger/USA), 2023
A group of men in Senegal volunteer as human bait to catch flies that carry a parasite that once blinded hundreds of thousands of people throughout Africa.
SEAWEED STORIES
World Premiere
dir. Jake Sumner (Indonesia/South Korea/USA), 2024
Narrated by Forest Whitaker, this is a vibrant, global look at the wonders of seaweed and some of the extraordinary stories and characters orbiting this miraculous marine plant.
SLUDGE: A PFAS UPRISING
dir. Jeffrey Christian (USA), 2023
Doing the right thing cost them everything: farmers speak up about “forever chemicals” that poison their land, water, and livestock.
TERRA MATER
dir. Kantarama Gahigiri (Rwanda / Switzerland), 2023
An exploration of the impact of technology and waste on the land.
CONFLICT AND RESOLUTION SHORTS PROGRAM
DEATH BY NUMBERS
World Premiere
dir. Kim A Snyder (USA), 2024
Four years after being shot with an AR-15 in her high school, Samantha Fuentes reckons with existential questions of hatred and justice as she prepares to confront her shooter.
THE QUILTERS
New York Premiere
dir. Jenifer McShane (USA), 2024
THE QUILTERS follows a men’s quilting group inside a maximum security prison as they create personalized quilts for local foster children.
VIEWS FROM LONG ISLAND SHORTS PROGRAM
FARTHER
International Premiere
dir. Drew Maloney (USA), 2023
Lori King, Amanda Fenner, and a dedicated team of friends conquered a challenging, nearly 24-mile swim from Block Island to Montauk.
FISHBOWL
East Coast Premiere
dir. Isabel Perry, Adam Yates (USA), 2024
Two friends house-sit in the Hamptons, try to stay away from their exes, and attempt to keep a goldfish alive for the weekend.
LOSER
East Coast Premiere
dir. Colleen McGuinness (USA), 2024
22-year-old Alice, who works at a frozen yogurt shop, has what turns out to be an unforgettable day.
THE MOUNTAIN
East Coast Premiere
dir. Will Mayo, Ian Scott McGregor (USA), 2023
A married couple are rattled by a shocking truth before one of them heads into work as an evening news anchor.
PET STORE
dir. Joanna Rothkopf (USA), 2023
Larry Wallach insists that exotic pet ownership is safe and ethical, and anyone who disagrees should visit his petting zoo next to a freeway on Long Island to see for themselves.
WE’RE NOT DONE YET
World Premiere
dir. Joseph Longo, Sofia Camargo (USA), 2023
Bettina and her son Alex face unexpected challenges during a weekend trip to Bettina’s beach house.
