Synopsis

Forced off of his cherished farm and lifelong home in the remote reaches of rural Iceland, Gunnar arrives in the bustling heart of the city. Adrift in this unfamiliar urban landscape and lacking the social skills to connect, his days are spent in quiet observation of the city’s people and its myriad spaces. Then he’s confronted by an endlessly inquisitive neighborhood paperboy, Ari, who insinuates himself into Gunnar’s life. Together, these two misfits forge a unique cross-generational bond that confounds everyone around them.

Palmadóttir’s gentle and moving debut is a potent tale about the transformative power of friendship and the profound impact of the connections we forge, regardless of age or stage in life. Protests advocating for a refugee denied asylum form a pivotal backdrop to Gunnar’s journey, offering a stark reminder of the world’s complex and often unjust realities and the need for genuine kindness.

Synopsis

Simon, a talented and carefree drag artist, is the rising star of his club, aided by his costume designer sister. When he meets new performer Olivier, their chemistry is immediate and undeniable. The two dive headfirst into a whirlwind romance combined with artistic collaboration, and their love and performance are both passionate and destructive. Meanwhile, Simon also finds hope in the promise of a renewed relationship with his estranged mother, a famous opera singer from whom he is desperate to receive love and artistic validation.

An increasingly controlling Olivier, a cold and distant mother, and Simon’s neglect of his supportive sister illuminate the toxic cycles of codependency and disappointment in his life, empowering him to realize that perhaps he shines most brightly as a solo act. Sophie Dupuis (Family First) returns to the festival with a vibrant and scintillating tale of self-actualization, with stunning drag performances that hold up a mirror between art and life.

Synopsis

Indonesia, 1900. In the waning days of the colonial era, Dutch sugar plantation owners Jan and Agathe lord over an estate simmering with imminent rebellion. When Jan suddenly drops dead, Agathe forces their son and his pregnant wife to travel from the Netherlands to take over the family business. But when she discovers that Jan has left the estate to his Indonesian concubine Siti and their young son, both sides of the estate will go to extremes in order to survive.

Featuring scathingly sharp performances and set against a lush visual landscape with indelible metaphoric images, Sweet Dreams is an incisive and surreal satire that marvels at the absurdity of the colonial nightmare.

Synopsis

A series of incisive, often darkly comic vignettes, Terrestrial Verses offers a glimpse into the lives of average Iranians as they grapple with the social, cultural, and religious bureaucracies imposed upon them by their government. A static camera chronicles an array of struggles—a woman searching for her lost dog, a filmmaker clashing with national censorship, a parent attempting to name his newborn son David, and many others—as the film ponders the absurd, draconian structures that subtly dictate life in Iran. The accumulation of these striking short fictions paints a powerfully human picture of a population fed up with the constraining politics of everyday life.

Synopsis

São Paulo, October 1968. The early years of Brazil’s military dictatorship. In the philosophy building of the public university, the students and professors of the Left Student Movement are organizing. Tensions are palpable as a large number of the Communist Hunting Command gathers outside the private university across the street. As danger looms ever nearer, those who had, up to now, chosen to stay politically neutral are confronted with the implications of their apathy. Friendships and relationships are formed and tested as the personal becomes embroiled in the political, until the simmering threat of violence boils over.

Inspired by true events and filmed in beautiful black-and-white 16mm in a series of 21 elegantly choreographed long takes depicting one intense night, The Battle is a volcanic portrait of the passion of youth in a pivotal moment in Brazilian history.