Synopsis

A tight-knit unit of petty thieves and outsiders comes together to shelter an abandoned child, but an unforeseen incident threatens to tear apart their newfound family.

Synopsis

Sicily. Early 2000s. After serving several years in prison for Mafia-related crimes, Catello (Toni Servillo), a long-serving politician, has lost everything. When the Italian secret service prevails upon him to help capture the last major Sicilian Mafia boss Matteo (Elio Germano), who has been on the lam for three decades, Catello sees an opportunity to stage a comeback. A shrewd man of a hundred masks, Catello is a tireless illusionist and master manipulator, who turns truth into falsehood and falsehood into truth. As unique as it is improbable, Catello begins a correspondence with Matteo – using handwritten letters passed discretely to the fugitive with the intention of exploiting the younger man’s emotional shortcomings. It’s a gamble, one which, with one of the most wanted criminals in the world, involves a high degree of risk. Directing duo Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza (Salvo, Sicilian Ghost Story) return to the Festival with this mesmerizing addition to their wholly distinctive examination of the impact of Mafia culture on Sicilian civil society.

Synopsis

A playful ode to silent cinema, Silent Trilogy is a collection of three charming short films written and directed by distinguished Festival alum Juho Kuosmanen (winner of the Gold Hugo in our New Directors Competition for his feature debut The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki, 2016).

In Romu-Mattila and a Beautiful Woman (2012), a widower is forced to cast off his worldly possessions; The Moonshiners (2017) finds a pair of down-on-their-luck bootleg distillers and their trusted pig pursued by the police; and A Planet Far Away (2023) details a lighthouse keeper’s oddball odyssey through space and time. Featuring a cast of loveable characters and vivid, lively visuals, these three dialogue-free stories are a witty and winning tribute to early Finnish cinema.

Synopsis

Many will recognize a pavilion-style roof and trapezoidal windows as the tell-tale signs of a family-style Pizza Hut. But what was once a fixture across America in the 1970s was transformed when the company, founded by two brothers in Wichita, Kansas, catapulted into the corporate age, and from dine-in to delivery.

In this charming documentary by Australian filmmakers Salleh and Tucker (Barbeque), we traverse America to meet the small business owners who have converted these buildings and made them their own. From a cannabis dispensary in rural Colorado to Big Ed’s BBQ in suburban Illinois to an LGBTQ+ church in Florida, Slice of Life offers a surprisingly stirring snapshot of a diverse swath of Americans from all walks of life, highlighting their shared sense of ingenuity, resourcefulness, and can-do spirit.

Synopsis

Following his Oscar-winning turn as J. Robert Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy delivers another powerhouse performance in this searing Irish drama based on the acclaimed novel by Claire Keegan. It’s Christmastime 1985, and Bill Furlong (Murphy) is a hard-working husband and father who is trying his best — like everyone in his small town — to keep his head down and provide for his family. But there are cruel secrets lurking in the local convent that this sensitive soul can’t bear to ignore.

This captivating and subdued thriller follows Bill as he wrestles with staying silent to protect his family even as he feels compelled to speak out in the face of wrongdoing. The film is bolstered by its exquisite performances, both from Emily Watson in her Berlin Film Festival-winning portrayal of the convent’s icy mother superior and from the exquisitely restrained Murphy, whose every glance and grimace expresses multitudes of emotion. Small Things Like These is an elegant account of courage and compassion.