Synopsis

Sir Steve McQueen’s Blitz follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II-era England whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril. Meanwhile, a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.

Featuring impressive attention to period detail and empathetic performances from its all-star cast, Blitz is an inspiring, heartfelt tale of bravery and perseverance in the face of insurmountable odds, as McQueen’s signature visual style conjures up an immersive vision of wartime London.

Synopsis

In a small village in southern Egypt, a group of girls form a street theater troupe as both a creative outlet and a fearless act of defiance. Challenging the patriarchal norms of their conservative Coptic Christian community, the girls dream of becoming actresses, dancers, and singers. They take to the dusty roads of their town to enact short plays that offer provocative challenges to passersby, asking questions like why a girl cannot marry the boy she loves.

Shot over four years with extraordinary access to its subjects, Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir’s film follows these brave girls from adolescence to adulthood, charting the complex and myriad ways in which each must navigate growing up as they form romantic partnerships and  face the social demands of womanhood. As feminist empowerment and aspirational dreams collide with the sobering realities of life, The Brink of Dreams offers a poignant and absorbing coming-of-age story of female solidarity and youthful rebellion. Winner of the top documentary prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

Synopsis

An overwhelmed new mother partners with two baby traffickers to find the perfect well-paying parents for her infant in this heartbreaking human story.

Synopsis

Reuniting the director, writer, and stars of Forrest Gump, Here is an original film about multiple families and a special place they inhabit. The story travels through generations, capturing the most relatable of human experiences. Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Castaway, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Contact, Back to the Future) directs from a screenplay co-written by Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Killers of the Flower Moon, Dune, A Star Is Born). Told much in the style of Richard McGuire’s acclaimed graphic novel, upon which it is based, Tom Hanks and Robin Wright star in a tale of love, loss, laughter, and life, all of which happen right Here.

Synopsis

A battle is brewing in the Charles household, tearing two siblings apart. At the center stands a prized heirloom piano: On one side, a brother (John David Washington) plans to build the family fortune by selling it. On the other, his sister (Danielle Deadwyler) will go to any lengths to hold onto the sole vestige of the family’s heritage. Their uncle (Samuel L. Jackson) tries to mediate, but even he can’t hold back the ghosts of the past.

Adapted from August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork, The Piano Lesson explores the intergenerational dynamics of identity, resilience, and transcendence, revealing startling truths about how we perceive the past and who gets to define our legacy. The film is directed and co-written by Malcolm Washington in his feature directorial debut. From Oscar-nominated producers Denzel Washington and Todd Black, and featuring an all-star cast including Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skylar Aleece Smith with Danielle Deadwyler, and Corey Hawkins.

Awards Event

At the Opening Night screening, director and co-writer Malcolm Washington will receive the Festival’s Breakthrough Award for his visceral and compelling feature directorial debut and John David Washington will receive the Spotlight Award in recognition of the emotional complexity and power he brings to his transfixing performance as Boy Willie.