South Korea Director: Yoo Ha
Set in 13th-century Korea, this sweeping epic tells the unconventional story of a taboo love triangle between the king of Goryeo, his male guard, and the queen. In the midst of nobles plotting to dethrone the king, the distraught commander of the royal guards must decide where his loyalties lie. This bold and provocative tale of blossoming desire is laced with bloody battles and betrayal, lust and forbidden love.
Korean, Mandarin with subtitles, 133 minutes
Hong Kong / Taiwan Director: Lou Yi-an
The search for a home dominates the lives of a diverse group of strangers in the directing debut from the writer of God Man Dog. Lou Yi-an subtly interweaves the stories of a struggling indie rocker and an ailing origami master, whose fates collide over an inauspicious real estate deal. A sympathetic cast brings the characters to life, and the radiant cinematography illuminates many sides of contemporary Taipei.
Mandarin, Taiwanese, Amis with subtitles, 118 minutes
USA Director: Tom Ford
Iconic fashion designer Tom Ford—the mastermind behind designer labels like Gucci, YSL, and his own eponymous line—makes his directorial debut with the richly detailed and aesthetically brilliant A Single Man. Starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore, the film is set in Los Angeles in 1962 at the height of the Cuban missile crisis. Gay British college professor George Falconer (Firth) is struggling to find meaning to his life after the death of his longtime partner. The story is a romantic tale of love interrupted, the isolation that is an inherent part of the human condition, and ultimately the importance of the seemingly smaller moments in life.
99 minutes
Greece Director: Panos H. Koutras
Taboos of love, sex, and family are defiantly and happily broken in A Woman's Way. Following a love affair between an ex-con and a transsexual hooker, the film has a shocking twist echoing the classic tragedies of Greek theater. Vibrant colors and sensational costuming balance the deep-dark storyline, propelling this melodrama to sensational heights.
Greek with subtitles, 113 minutes
USA Director: Peter Callahan
Paul, still wracked with grief five years after his wife's death, has a goal: to swim the entire length of the Hudson River in a month. His friends Jeff and Liz come along on the adventure, but they are dismayed when Paul reveals the true purpose behind his trip. By turns wry and sorrowful, this unconventional indie-drama-meets-road-trip stars Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare In Love), Justin Kirk (Angels In America), Elizabeth Reaser, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Mary Tyler Moore.
France Director: Claude Chabrol
Gérard Depardieu stars in French New Wave veteran Claude Chabrol's 58th film, a playfully witty crime story centered around Paris police chief Paul Bellamy. While on holiday with his wife, the famed detective is approached by a stranger who "sort of killed" another man, and before long Bellamy becomes embroiled in a puzzle that boggles even his mind. Please note that due to demand there is now an additional screening of Bellamy on Oct. 10.
French with subtitles, 110 minutes
USA Director: Ryan Miningham
Murder. Robbery. Abandonment. Gary "Blue" Meekins' past is one he'd prefer not to remember. Even after surviving the rough streets of Harlem, Blue finds himself struggling to make it through the days. Now, with the help of an old coach and his emotionally damaged neighbor, this burgeoning prizefighter is finally getting his shot at the title. But after so much, will Blue make it to the fight of his life?
110 minutes
Australia Director: Serhat Caradee
For Tarek, a young Lebanese man living with his parents in suburban Sydney, everything he wants seems just out of reach—cash to help out his family, acceptance into mainstream Australian society, and the arm of a fetching girl from the wealthy 'burbs. When his best friend hatches a plan to rob a drug house, Tarek sees a quick way to get all three, but his desire to rise above his lot in life leaves him blind to the consequences of their caper.
106 minutes
USA Director: Brian Caunter
Twenty years ago, Lou Marazano (Frank Vincent, The Sopranos, Casino) was the deadliest triggerman in the notorious Chicago Outfit. When Lou's jailed boss (Armand Assante) orders a wave of hits to cover up a conspiracy between city officials and the mob, Lou sees a chance to finance his retirement and relive his glory days. But does he still have what it takes? This neo-noir crime drama is an accomplished debut from first-time local filmmakers.
95 minutes
Hong Kong Director: Ivy Ho
Five coworkers cram into one car for their shared ride home. The tension churning through this tight space instantly intimates the clandestine office romances Claustrophobia will explore. Cleverly piecing together fragments of these often ambiguous relationships, this urbane, naturalistic drama reminds us that physical proximity and intimacy are two vastly different things.
Cantonese, Mandarin with subtitles, 100 minutes
Japan Director: Miwa Nishikawa
Lies told in the name of love and compassion are the focus of this beautiful psychological drama about a country doctor whose good intentions outstrip his honesty. Universally beloved by his community for his kindness and diligence, he abruptly leaves town one day, throwing it into turmoil. Astonishing secrets about his background soon surface, and the villagers must come to terms with this new knowledge of the man they so admire.
Japanese with subtitles, 127 minutes
USA Director: Cruz Angeles
Two Brooklyn teens search for solace in a city brimming with hatred and trepidation in this comical and touching coming-of-age drama. A month after 9/11, Lalo and Stefanie meet at a birthday party. Lalo's father cleans up at Ground Zero, where Stefanie lost her sister in the attacks. As their friendship blossoms into a romance, they're forced to keep each other hidden from their families, each struggling with still-fresh wounds.
105 minutes
Portugal / Spain Director: Manoel de Oliveira
Lonely office-bound accountant MacÁrio, sees a captivating woman in the window across the street. Instantly smitten, he throws himself headlong into pursuit of her, only to discover that there’s a long fall from the top of a pedestal down to solid ground. At 100, de Oliveira is still finding fresh perspectives on human nature and delivering them with a richness and visual poetry all his own.
Portuguese with subtitles, 63 minutes
Germany Director: Hermine Huntgeburth
In 19th-century Germany, 17-year-old Effi Briest sees her carefree life disappear when her parents marry her off to a man 20 years her senior. To find respite from her dull domestic existence, she begins an affair with a handsome young officer, but their dalliance carries a high cost…. This adaptation of the famous novel approaches the classic story through a post-women's-lib lens, allowing it to transcend costume-drama conventions.
German with subtitles, 118 minutes
France Director: Pascal-Alex Vincent
The journey is more important than the destination in this beautifully meditative film. Twin brothers—one gay, one straight—travel to the funeral of a mother they never met, equipped with only their rucksacks. Theirs is a close if combative relationship, but it is threatened by sexual entanglements and betrayal as they progress through the European countryside.
French with subtitles, 80 minutes
Argentina Director: Mariano de Rosa
Juan can't wait to start his family holiday at the beach, but a deep reserve of paternal paranoia is tapped when his teenage daughter meets leather-jacket-wearing, motorcycle-riding Roberto at a gas station on the way. Roberto resurfaces at the beach, and soon Juan's whole family is smitten by his charms. Subtle suspense—often hidden by sun-bright visuals and comedy—builds to a stunning climax in this offbeat debut.
Spanish with subtitles, 89 minutes
Mexico / Spain Director: Agustín Díaz Yanes
Revenge is a dish served smoking hot and lightning-quick in this full-throttle heist flick. When macho Mexican crime lord Felix and his brooding, baby-faced triggerman (Diego Luna) cross a quartet of sexy Spanish safecrackers, they'll find out that hell truly hath no fury like a gang of tough-as-nails women out to settle a score.
Spanish with subtitles, 100 minutes
Japan Director: Sabu
Kanikôsen takes us into the belly of an industrial hell as exploited laborers aboard the titular crab cannery ship struggle to find escape, or at least respite, from their grim existence. With mass suicide attempted and then rejected as an option, they slowly realize their only recourse is open revolt. Sabu brings a modern sensibility to his adaptation of the 1929 novel, adding stylized visuals and his trademark flourishes of black comedy.
Japanese with English subtitles, 109 minutes
Poland Director: Waldemar Krystek
In the late 1960s, the military moves Russian pilot Yuri and his beautiful wife Vera to the town of Legnica, headquarters for the Soviet Army in Poland. While fraternizing between the Russian occupiers and local Poles is strictly controlled, Vera's enchanting performance in a singing contest ignites a deep passion in Polish lieutenant Michal and the two must choose between loyalty and love. Seeking truth and redemption in the past, Yuri and his daughter return to Legnica 30 years later.
Polish with subtitles, 114 minutes
Hungary Director: Gergely Fonyó
It’s rock ’n’ roll versus communism in this rollicking musical comedy. Teen Miki and his parents return to oppressive 1960s Hungary after four years in the States. Miki’s stash of contraband Jack Daniels and 45s by Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis makes him a hit with local kids starved for American pop culture—but it’ll be harder to win over his ex-flame Vera, tough-guy rocker Röné… and especially the local comrades.
Hungarian with subtitles, 109 minutes
Denmark / Sweden Director: Lukas Moodysson
Michelle Williams and Gael García Bernal star in this riveting, Babel-esque drama about the fate of the nuclear family in the age of globalization. An affluent, overworked New York couple relies on their Filipino nanny to care for their young daughter, while in the Philippines her own children grow up motherless. Meanwhile in Thailand a young mother turns to the sex trade to support her faraway daughter. In the space of a few days, the ties binding them all will be tested in life-changing ways.
English, Tagalog, Thai with subtitles, 125 minutes
Australia Director: Adam Elliot
A lonely Australian girl and a middle-aged New Yorker form a lifelong friendship through letters in the alternately comic and tragic Mary and Max. Inventive and endearing stop-motion animation brings the eccentric characters to vividly expressive life. The dark, ironically humorous script is empathetically played by a strong voice cast, with Toni Collette and Philip Seymour Hoffman as the title characters.
92 minutes
Belgium / France Director: Yves Hanchar
It's 1955, and troublemaker Laurent finds himself at a Belgian boarding school, where a teacher there recognizes his intelligence and encourages him to write. As Laurent's talent develops, he adopts his inspiring teacher as a father figure, while at the same time wondering about his real father, who disappeared during the war. As Laurent investigates the past, he is forced to confront his present.
French with subtitles, 104 minutes
France Director: Mathias Gokalp
The canapés are set, the string quartet is playing, and the champagne is flowing. The Muller pharmaceutical company is hosting a swank company banquet for its execs, but when the rumbling rumor of an imminent buyout and layoffs turns to a roar, suddenly it’s survival of the fittest…. Cleverly constructed and darkly funny, Nothing Personal puts a fresh, timely spin on the cutthroat nature of corporate—and human—relationships.
French with subtitles, 90 minutes
Thailand Director: Pen-ek Ratanaruang
A terrible new wrench is thrown into May's already rocky marriage on a camping trip when her husband discovers a gnarled, lonely tree that hides a dark secret. The inimitable director of Invisible Waves and Ploy journeys deep into the Thai jungle to create a supernatural love story infused with all the eerie atmosphere (amplified by an incredible three-dimensional soundscape) of an Edgar Allan Poe tale.
Thai with subtitles, 94 minutes
Brazil / China / Hong Kong Director: Yu Lik Wai
This super-stylized, turbo-charged crime saga enters the dark heart of Liberdade, a gritty multiethnic neighborhood of SÃo Paulo. A fearsome Chinese outlaw called Yuda and his adopted son Kirin lord over this nest of rivaling gangs, corrupt politicians, and erotic dancers. When a conspiracy lands Yuda in jail, it’s up to Kirin to fight his father’s wars singlehandedly, but does Yuda really want his brutal empire saved?
Portuguese, English, Mandarin with subtitles, 118 minutes
Mexico Director: Julián Hernández
This strangely hypnotic tale follows a young man's quest for love through the seediest spots in contemporary Mexico City. Named best gay-themed feature at Berlin, the film creates a deeply sensual atmosphere by blending intense eroticism and arresting monochrome visuals. For art film lovers, the rewards are worth the challenge.
Spanish with subtitles, 191 minutes
Bahamas Director: Maria Govan
When her grandma dies, 14-year-old Rain is sent to live with her drug-addicted mother in the poverty-stricken ghettos of Nassau. The irony of disease, drug addictions, prostitution, and poverty—set against the tourist-filled island backdrop—is difficult to ignore as these women struggle to find an inner strength to overcome their seemingly inescapable destiny.
93 minutes
UK Director: Julian Jarrold
The moody, haunting first film of a trilogy that winds its way through a labyrinth of police corruption and mysterious murders, Red Riding: 1974 immerses the audience in an investigation by Eddie Dunford, a newspaper crime correspondent. While reporting on the disappearance of a young Yorkshire girl, Dunford stumbles into a sordid world of graft and brutality presided over by the local police. From the director of Becoming Jane.
102 minutes
UK Director: James Marsh
Six years after the events of the first Red Riding film, West Yorkshire is still plagued by violence, this time in the form of a serial killer who preys on young women. When detective Peter Hunter (Paddy Considine, In America) is dispatched by his superiors to investigate local police for their failure to apprehend the killer, he uncovers a situation far more sinister than mere incompetence. From the Oscar®-winning director of Man on Wire.
UK Director: Anand Tucker
Nine years after the conviction and imprisonment of a suspected child murderer, the disturbingly familiar disappearance of a new victim sends deep tremors through the life of policeman Maurice Jobson. Through this new disappearance, the sad-eyed, subdued Jobson is forced to come to terms with—and atone for—the role he has played in the police department's unsavory past practices. Anand Tucker (Shopgirl, Hilary and Jackie) directs the final installment in this engrossing trilogy.
103 minutes
Brazil Director: Paulo Pons
A little boy walking by the river in the rural south of Brazil stumbles on a woman-raped, battered, left for dead. Six months later in Rio de Janeiro, a fiery take-charge beauty named Carol finds herself falling for Miguel, a steely-eyed "gaucho" from the country. As their affair intensifies, the secret circumstances of their meeting are slowly revealed, propelling this sexy, sophisticated thriller to a shocking finish.
Portuguese with subtitles, 105 minutes
USA Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Denim, the supervisor for a residential facility housing 15 kids affected by child abuse, begins to realize that, in a lot of ways, he is no different than the children he tries to help. Short Term 12 will be presented as part of the short film program, Shorts 3: Rediscovery: Information & Show Times
22 minutes
India Director: Raja Menon
Set in bustling contemporary Mumbai, Shortchanged is the comedic tale of three unlikely friends and flatmates whose attitudes couldn't be more different. Shulka is a reserved older man, Aman is a swaggering young go-getter, and Yadav is a thirtysomething pushover. When Yadav finds a new sense of self-confidence after stumbling into a petty crime, he tries to entice the others to join him, but his simple plan soon spirals out of control.
English, Hindi with subtitles, 97 minutes
France / UK Director: Nicolas Saada
With explosive tension and stark cinematography, Spy(ies) is an intense throwback to classic '70s thrillers. French heartthrob Guillaume Canet stars as a bright but underachieving airport worker who gets his hands on the wrong bag-and finds himself thrust into a dangerous world of international agents and life-threatening secrets. This sexy spy flick also echoes the real-life anxieties of French society and plays on the unjust social prejudices wrought from a world of fear.
French with subtitles, 99 minutes
Germany / Denmark Director: Hans-Christian Schmid
At the International Criminal Tribunal at The Hague, prosecutor Hannah Maynard takes on the trial of a general accused of atrocities committed in Bosnia. But when her principal witness crumbles on the stand, the rushed search for new evidence uncovers a story that political forces on all sides want swept under the rug. Justice is not a foregone conclusion in this globe-hopping courtroom drama.
English, German, Bosnian, Serbian with subtitles, 107 minutes
Canada Director: Stéphane Géhami
Amid the low-rent neighborhoods of Montreal, the true nature of a career criminal is slowly unveiled in this grittily realistic, romantic character drama. BenoÎt is a car thief perpetually running from the police, his family, his ex-lovers, and a 13-year-old hood who badly needs a father figure. But after he falls for the lovely Sylvie while trying to boost her car, can BenoÎt commit to turning his life around?
French with subtitles, 109 minutes
Poland Director: Andrzej Wajda
Treasured director Andrzej Wajda follows up his Oscar®-nominated Katyn with this poignant meditation on nostalgia and loss. A married woman (Wajda regular Krystyna Janda) feels more than maternal affection for a young man who reminds her of the two sons she lost in WWII, only their drama is but a movie being staged within this movie, and perhaps the real story is Janda herself….
Polish with subtitles, 84 minutes
Philippines Director: Charliebebs Gohetia
This celebration of a singular family of drag queens follows a hapless group of beauty pageant contestants who leave the big city in search of fame, glamour, and adoration out in the rural provinces. This lighthearted, brightly colored romp draws us in—past the girls’ glamorous façades to their destructive everyday habits—as they tear through the Filipino countryside.
Visayan with subtitles, 105 minutes
Ethiopia / Germany / USA Directors: Rasselas Lakew and Davey Frankel
In 1960, the barefoot Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila stunned the world by becoming the first African to win the Olympic gold medal. Then he won gold again four years later in Tokyo. But his story had just begun with Olympic medals. A few years later in Ethiopia, fate presents this champion with his greatest challenge. Seamlessly blending autobiography, biopic, drama, and documentary, The Athlete is a beautiful and moving investigation of a man who is ceaseless in his journey for greatness.
English, Amharic with subtitles, 93 minutes
France Director: André Téchiné
Jeanne is a beautiful, freewheeling 22-year-old with a penchant for telling little white lies and avoiding a real job. When her flash-in-the-pan relationship with the audacious and vaguely mysterious Franck goes sour in a big way, the heartbroken girl spins a story there’s no coming back from. Émilie Dequenne (Rosetta) and Catherine Deneuve highlight the excellent ensemble cast in this sexy, complex drama about deception and its repercussions.
French with subtitles, 105 minutes
Netherlands Director: Alex van Warmerdam
The Dutch master of madcap misanthropy returns to the Festival with a precise, pitch-black comedy set in the country home of terminally ill Emma Blank. Her domestic servants have long submitted to her venomous attitude and irrational whims with an eye on an inheritance (van Warmerdam himself plays a character ordered to serve as the family dog… see it to believe it), but slowly the truth about this way-offbeat household is revealed.
Dutch with subtitles, 89 minutes
Syria Director: Hatem Ali
This bold first feature tells the story of three men suddenly released after 20 years of imprisonment for political acts of conscience. When word of their freedom and imminent arrival reaches their families, old wounds are opened. What happens when duty to country conflicts with duty to family? Winner of the top prize at the Taormina Film Festival.
Arabic with subtitles, 93 minutes
Chile Director: Sebastian Silva
Raquel has spent half her life as the live-in housekeeper and nanny for a family of six. Her ironfisted, borderline-OCD behavior keeps things running smoothly, but lately her snappishness is creating a strange tension in the household. Hoping to relieve her stress, the family brings in a second maid, but Raquel is prepared to defend her territory at all costs. This unpredictable, naturalistic gem was a top winner at Sundance.
Spanish with subtitles, 94 minutes
France Director: Denis Dercourt
When a man loses himself in the escapist world of historical battle reenactment, his older brother, Mathieu, tries to rescue him. But to help, Mathieu must also immerse himself in a world where the line between role-play and reality is blurred. Denis Dercourt—who proved he can generate unnerving tension in even a piano recital in his debut The Page Turner—returns to the Festival with this compelling psychological thriller.
French with subtitles, 96 minutes
Croatia / Serbia Director: Vinko Bresan
When private eye and Croatian war veteran Martin brings a Serbian porn star back to his Zagreb apartment, his plans for the night are clear only to himself. But twists and turns—and a little bit of humor—will gradually reveal Martin's motivations for this bizarre adventure. A dark satire with an unconventional romance, Will Not Stop There explores the devastation and heartbreak left in the wake of war.
Croatian with subtitles, 110 minutes
USA Director: Sebastian Gutierrez
A pregnant porn star, a couple of call girls, a scorned psychiatrist, a teenage goth, a flight attendant with a crush on a famous passenger… the troubles of this cluster of LA women couldn't be more different, but on one crazy day feminine compassion will alter all of their lives. Devilish humor, razor-sharp scripting, and a knockout ensemble of talented actresses (including Carla Gugino, Connie Britton, and Marley Shelton) turn Trouble into pure pleasure.
94 minutes
