Shout! Factory, one of the best home video distributors of genre cinema operating today, had a little fun with the Halloween season and the #TBT concept yesterday by hosting an all-day streaming session called “The VHS Vault.” They took a few of their older properties and streamed them in a way to replicate the grainy VHS quality that suits many of these films—complete with tracking lines! This is basically the opposite approach to the recent news that Vudu has started to stream their films in 4k. If you missed out on VHS Vault day, don’t worry—you are still able to stream their films on demand at their website or on their Roku and Samsung apps. Available films include classics Sleepaway Camp, Night of the Demons, Day of the Dead, Class of 1984, Exterminators of the Year 3000 and Adjust Your Tracking. If you pitched your VCR and badass collection of horror films years ago (or if you are young enough to not know what a VCR even is), you have the bizarre opportunity to relive the complete VHS experience.

Netflix

Results (Andrew Bujalski, 2015)

Coming up through the ‘mumblecore’ film movement as a director and screenwriter, Andrew Bujalski made the leap to the higher-budgeted indie scene with Results. The film stars Guy Pearce and Cobie Smulders as gym trainer coworkers, but it has been veteran character actor Kevin Corrigan as their new wealthy client, that has been getting the most acclaim. One of the most talked about films at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Results has been praised by some as an off-beat romantic comedy, injected with Bujalski’s low-fi sensibilities. For more on Results, check out our (mixed) take on the film here.

Other titles new to Netflix this week:
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (David Lowery, 2013)
Back in Time (Jason Aron, 2015)
Hemlock Grove (Series, Season 3)
Hungry Hearts (Saverio Costanzo, 2014)
Unexpected (Kris Swanberg)

Fandor

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Jacques Demy, 1964)

One of the most lush musicals of all time, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is a beautiful and heartbreaking romance of first loves Geneviève (Catherine Deneuve) and Guy (Nino Castelnuovo). When Guy is drafted into war, his young lover stays behind in their quiet French town, tending to her mother’s umbrella shop—all set to a musical opera. Deneuve, who was only 21 when the film released, is absolutely radiant, clearly a star-in-the-making. Jacques Demy, the master of French musical cinema, is at the top of his game with vibrant direction and lyrical screenplay. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg isn’t a typical musical, without big dance numbers or musical setpieces set apart from dialogue, but it is as emotionally satisfying and purely entertaining as any of the bigger films of the genre. As a part of their Criterion Picks, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is only available until November 1.

Other titles new to Fandor this week:
Cruel Story of Youth (Nagisa Ôshima, 1960)
A Day in the Country (Jean Renoir, 1936)
Days of Youth (Yasujirô Ozu, 1929)
Summer Interlude (Ingmar Bergman, 1951)
Suzanne’s Career (Eric Rohmer, 1963)

MUBI

Computer Chess (Andrew Bujalski, 2013)

After watching Bujalski’s newest film on Netflix, you can go over to MUBI to see the highly acclaimed indie that preceded it. With an ultra-dry wit, the 1980s rendering of a computer chess convention is one of the most unconventional comedies of recent years (read our review). Its nerdy vibes and anti-social characters make for a nice comparison with HBO’s Silicon Valley, though much less broadly comedic and even more esoteric. Bujalski’s low-fi narrative construction suits the black-and-white presentation, nostalgic tech and shaggy characters perfectly. Computer Chess is available on MUBI until November 15.

Other titles new to MUBI this week:
Creature from the Black Lagoon (Jack Arnold, 1954)
Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968)
Reality (Matteo Garrone, 2012)
The Strange Little Cat (Ramon Zürcher, 2013)
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (Park Chan-wook, 2005)

Video On-Demand

Trainwreck (Judd Apatow)

Three weeks before it is available on DVD, Blu-ray and streaming rental, you are able to purchase a digital copy of Judd Apatow and Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck on Amazon and iTunes. A huge success at the box office (read our review), earning more than big-budget tentpoles Tomorrowland and Terminator Genisys, it was also Apatow’s biggest critical hit since Knocked Up. The filmmaker continues to be a bastion for finding young comedic voices and giving them a huge stage to work on—this time with stand-up and sketch comedian Schumer, who wrote the sole writing credit on the film (think about how rare that is for comedies these days). An irreverent look at modern romantic comedies, it might not be as successfully biting as more direct parodies, but it definitely shows a fresh voice. Also, turning in incredibly strong and funny cameos/supporting performances from LeBron James, John Cena and Marv Albert (among others) is quite the feat.

Other titles new to VOD this week:
Bone Tomahawk (S. Craig Zahler, 2015)
Jurassic World (Colin Trevorrow, 2015)
Meadowland (Reed Morano, 2015)
Testament of Youth (James Kent, 2014)
The Vatican Tapes (Mark Neveldine, 2015)

If my predictions of the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards hold true (nobody hold their breath), 12 Years A Slave would walk away the big winner with a projected total of 5 awards. I believe the rest of the field will be much more spread out with Before Midnight, Nebraska, Upstream Color, Fruitvale Station, Blue Jasmine, and others going home with one award. After winning the Palm d’Or and taking the Cannes Film Festival by storm this year, Blue is the Warmest Color‘s momentum has started to slow down and may no longer the obvious frontrunner anymore. Though I am still picking it to win Best International Film here, it is against fierce competition.

For better or worse, I am posting my Spirit Award predictions one day ahead of the official announcement of Oscar nominees. In just 45 days the Spirit Award winners will be officially announced and will dictate whether or not I can beat my prediction accuracy from last year of 53% (7 out of 13). In addition to picking the winners for each category below, I explain the reasoning behind my picks in detail under the categories.

Watch IFC on Saturday, March 1st at 10PM ET to see how my predictions hold up.

List of 2014 Independent Spirit Award Predictions:

(My prediction for the winners are highlighted in bold red font)

Best Feature:

12 Years A Slave
All Is Lost
Frances Ha
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska

Best Director:

Shane Carruth – Upstream Color
J.C. Chandor – All Is Lost
Steve McQueen – 12 Years A Slave
Jeff Nichols – Mud
Alexander Payne – Nebraska

Best First Feature:

Blue Caprice
Concussion
Fruitvale Station
Una Noche
Wadjda

Best Male Lead:

Bruce Dern – Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years A Slave
Oscar Isaac – Inside Llewyn Davis
Michael B. Jordan – Fruitvale Station
Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford – All Is Lost

Best Female Lead:

Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
Julie Delpy – Before Midnight
Gaby Hoffmann – Crystal Fairy
Brie Larson – Short Term 12
Shailene Woodley – The Spectacular Now

Best Supporting Male:

Michael Fassbender – 12 Years A Slave
Will Forte – Nebraska
James Gandolfini – Enough Said
Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club
Keith Stanfield – Short Term 12

Best Supporting Female:

Melonie Diaz – Fruitvale Station
Sally Hawkins – Blue Jasmine
Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years A Slave
Yolanda Ross – Go For Sisters
June Squibb – Nebraska

Best International Film: (Award given to the director)

A Touch of Sin
Blue is the Warmest Color
Gloria
The Great Beauty
The Hunt

Best Cinematography:

Sean Bobbitt – 12 Years a Slave
Benoit Debie – Spring Breakers
Bruno Delbonnel – Inside Llewyn Davis
Frank G. Demarco – All Is Lost
Matthias Grunsky – Computer Chess

Best Documentary:

The Act Of Killing
After Tiller
Gideon’s Army
The Square
Twenty Feet From Stardom

John Cassavetes Award: (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000; award given to the writer, director, and producer)

Computer Chess – Andrew Bujalski
Crystal Fairy – Sebastian Silva
Museum Hours – Jem Cohen
Pit Stop – Yen Tan
This Is Martin Bonner – Chad Hartigan

Best Editing:

Shane Carruth & David Lowery – Upstream Color
Jem Cohen & Marc Vives – Museum Hours
Jennifer Lame – Frances Ha
Cindy Lee – Una Noche
Nat Sanders – Short Term 12

Best Screenplay:

Woody Allen – Blue Jasmine
Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, Richard Linklater – Before Midnight
Nicole Holofcener – Enough Said
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber – The Spectacular Now
John Ridley – 12 Years a Slave

Best First Screenplay:

Lake Bell – In A World
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – Don Jon
Bob Nelson – Nebraska
Jill Soloway – Afternoon Delight
Michael Starburry – The Inevitable Defeat Of Mister & Pete

Mumblecore extraordinaire Andrew Bujalski’s (director of Funny Ha Ha and Beeswax) latest effort expands upon his mumblecore roots by wrapping it around a mockumentary format of storytelling that is lensed with aesthetically accurate 80’s technology. The largest achievement the film earns is due to the lo-fi visual flair, which at times feels as brilliant as it does experimental. Computer Chess is an undeniably courageous indie film that seems complacent towards pleasing a limited audience.

Set in an unmistakable time period of the 1980’s, Computer Chess follows several computer programmers as they compete with their software to try and beat an actual human chess player at an annual conference. The film purposely comes off as a low-budget documentary with peculiar editing and amateur looking footage using the same camera technologies that are authentic to the time. Each of the computer programmers in the competition fit the stereotypical image of a nerd: thick-rim glasses, light colored button-up shirt equipped with pocket protectors, more interested in computers than women, and all fascinated at which the speed of technology is progressing which will allow their programs to become even more powerful.

The first couple of days prove to be disastrous for the defending champs who cannot seem to figure out what is wrong with their software that is losing games almost immediately. But that is not the most unthinkable thing to happen at this year’s tournament. In what seems to be a first occurrence of its kind, a female competitor joins the field that is dominated by males, but is surprisingly not a major factor of the story until the end when a conversation sparks about how the future of dating will be changed by computers (essentially forecasting online dating).

Computer Chess does briefly bring up the discussion of artificial intelligence on a few occasions but only highlights its importance instead of making it a major plot point. It may have been better suited had the film been less focused on trying to work as a comedy and more towards an insightful piece on the philosophy of artificial intelligence. Similar to H.A.L. 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey, there are a few scenes that imply that computers are self-aware and could be watching us, but they fizzle out rather quickly.

You must be willing to embrace some of the randomness that the director throws at you throughout the film such as; a bizarre scene that is filmed in color with audio that is out of sync that eventually ends up on repeat (symbolizing an infinite-loop in the programming world) and a motel that permits cats to wander around for reasons that are not exactly apparent. Comic relief is provided by a hilarious performance by Myles Paige, who plays a cheapskate programmer that spends the entire film looking for an extra room to sleep in without paying for it. Sometimes there seems to be little method to its madness, but the film’s off-the-wall mannerisms mostly work by adding to its charm.

It does take talent to produce such an original story and concept such as the one featured in Computer Chess, regardless that all of its pieces are not completely cohesive. There are jokes that do not register and scenes that do not make sense, which adds an element of randomness that wonderfully juxtaposes the calculated game of chess and world of computer programming. Computer Chess bounces around between playful humor and thoughtful technology speculation so freely that even a modern computer program could not predict its next moves.

Computer Chess trailer:

For me personally, Andrew Bujalski’s Computer Chess was one of the most anticipated films at the Berlinale festival. What made this film so great was the tremendous callback it makes to independent film prior to the DSLR era, when not everyone had access to the “film look,” and made due with whatever they could get their hands on. In the case of Computer Chess, the decision to not go after the coveted film feel was most made likely for aesthetics, but was enjoyable none the less in this quirky comedy about computer programming in the early 80′s.

The film plays out at a small motel, which serves home to an annual tournament in which computer programmers–working at building chess programs–meet to battle their machines against one another to see who has created the best chess program. The style used to tell the story is partially mocumentary, and partially fiction feature. What is most engaging is that the director decided to film the movie on vintage Sony, black and white video cameras in an effort to truly capture the period. The medium does a tremendous job in bringing the audience into the moment. The main character is a young grad student named Peter, who is concerned that his computer is throwing the tournament. In his search to diagnose the problem, he learns that his quest to bring artificial life to a machine may, in fact, be the key to bringing real life and understanding into his own experience.

Computer Chess is full of memorable characters, most notable for me being the character of Michael Papageorge, who is unbelievably reminiscent of an early Chevy Chase in both appearance and antics. Papageorge is one of the more confident members of the tournament, but also one of the least prepared and biggest moochers–he spends much of the film looking for an extra room to stay in and eating from the ice machine.

Computer Chess feels very authentic to the time. The period fits, and the characters function wonderfully within the time. Plenty of old technology will satisfy the analog junkie in all of us, including a vast array of early model computers and the hilarious banter of early speculation as far as the roll computers will play in the lives of future generations. For me, the film held a lot of hometown, old fashion humor and chemistry that I haven’t felt in a film since Napoleon Dynamite. A lot of parallels can be drawn as to the sort of quirky humor, characters, and situations that occur in both films.

Towards the end of the film, a few issues start to arise as far as the technical execution of the presentation. A cut away scene of Papageorge suddenly changes format from the Sony video to 8mm reversal stock in which the audio sync does not match up. The scene plays out for a few minutes before falling back to the video. Other clips in the end also take on a bit more of an avant garde quality, and don’t seem to fit the smooth, quasi-documentary style of the rest of the film. Some of this might be fall on the issues of using such old equipment to make the picture, but it really does give an almost “rough cut” feel to the end of the film, which seems to break up what would have otherwise been a nearly perfect indie period comedy.

In all, I still loved Computer Chess, regardless of some of the jostles towards the end. The characters are refreshingly original and diverse, and the story is exceptionally engaging with wonderful comedic breaks and asides. The style in which it was shot was genius, and I think it can serve as an example to anyone looking to make a period piece on a small budget. By having strong characters, and engaging story, simple locations, as well as equipment you know and trust, you can really accomplish anything.

A couple of days ago, I mentioned the comments of my professor regarding his feelings on the feature of movie theaters. Today, I heard a few of his concerns confirmed by a panel of distributors. The Berlinale Talent Campus is a wonderful additive to the festival, and professionals of the industry do a spectacular job discussing the ins and outs of independent film—from conception to production to distribution. In the digital age of and the death of the DVD market, distributors of both big budget and art house films are not entirely sure where the future lies, but with more independent film makers working on a digital platform—thanks to the presence and availability of DSLR cameras—there are more than enough options to compensate the death of DVD, such as Netflix and iTunes.

A general consensus among the panel was that although the technology is moving ever further, the tactics of distribution are returning to a state not unlike that of the 1980’s. They were not able to elaborate on this idea a whole lot, and I am not very familiar with distribution of the 80’s, but what I got out of the discussion is that traditional cinema—as in going to a theater—is here to stay. What’s more, thanks to digital projection, the technologies surrounding VOD, and the ability to digitally transfer films across the world, it is likely more art and independent films will make their way to general audiences. For many of us out there—including yours truly—the loss of celluloid projection feels like a loss of aesthetic, and sometimes the imperfections of a film reel that has been played too many times and is covered in scratches is half the fun, and if I wanted a digital picture I would watch from home. This will likely be the decision we will actually make for ourselves very soon.

The fact is—as much as some of us might not like to hear it—this industry is all about money and film is expensive; so much so that it deters certain distributors from purchasing films because the possibilities of breaking even are less when the cost of distribution includes the hundreds of thousands of dollars it takes to make print reels. With digital projection, the return of investment is higher, meaning more films are purchased, and we are now able to see more movies on the big screen than ever before. International distribution means import taxes, and when a movie is contained on in a digital file that has next to no physical value—as opposed to film—the taxes are removed from the equation, meaning more foreign films will make their way to the screen. The point is, the digital age likely has more to offer the art than to detract from it; and as such, we can expect to see a rise in foreign and independent distribution around the world.

Computer Chess (Capsule review)

One of the more anticipated films of the festival–and for me, certainly one of the most–is a film by Andrew Bujalski called Computer Chess. What made this film so great was the tremendous callback it makes to independent film prior to the DSLR era, when not everyone had access to the “film look,” and made due with whatever they could get their hands on. In the case of Computer Chess, the decision to not go after the coveted film feel was most made likely for aesthetics, but was enjoyable none the less in this quirky comedy about computer programming in the early 80’s.

Full review of Computer Chess

COMING UP: Things continue to progress here in Berlin, and I find myself becoming more and more engaged, as well as inspired. I took some time between screenings to stop in at the European Film Market, and I hope to make it back for a better look tomorrow. This is such a great opportunity to learn anything and everything about the independent film industry, and because the Film Market is present, towards the end of the week there will be a few screenings of newly remastered Hollywood Classics that the distributors are hoping to have re-released. Hopefully I will find time to make it to a couple of these screenings and see some of my favorite old movies on the big screen. Until then, I will continue enjoying the regular program with a Dutch film with southern American flair called The Broken Circle Breakdown, and my first look this festival at some Queer Programming with the Panorama presentation of Concussion.

Sundance 2013 has come to a close after what seems like an especially strong year. The jury and audience awards were just announced this weekend and the big winner appears to be Fruitvale. The drama, covered in our first Sundance round-up as one of the titles gaining buzz, won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for the U.S. Dramatic competition. Last year the Jury award went to Beasts of the Southern Wild while the audience award was given to The Sessions (which was originally titled The Surrogate at Sundance). Both of those movies have gone on to get Oscar nominations, so with Fruitvale we might have an Oscar contender on our hands if it gets released this year. The Weinstein Company has the distribution rights, and while no release date has been given it won’t be surprising if we get to see the film in a prime awards season slot this fall/winter.

Other award winners include: Blood Brother, a documentary about an American volunteering in India which won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for Documentaries; Bradford Young, whose work as cinematographer on Ain’t Them Bodies Saints and Mother of George got him the Cinematography Award for both films; Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley earning the Acting Award for their highly praised work in The Spectacular Now; and two of our most anticipated Sundance titles, In A World and Upstream Color, both took home a Writing and Sound Design award respectively.

Full list of 2013 Sundance Film Festival winners below

U. S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic:
Fruitvale

U. S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary:
Blood Brother

World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic:
Jiseul

World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary:
A River Changes Course

Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic:
Metro Manila

Audience Award: World Cinema: Documentary:
The Square

Audience Award: U. S. Dramatic presented by Acura:
Fruitvale

Audience Award: U.S. Documentary presented by Acura:
Blood Brother

Audience Award: Best of NEXT:
This is Martin Bonner

Directing Award: U. S. Dramatic:
Afternoon Delight

Directing Award: U. S. Documentary:
Cutie and the Boxer

Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic:
Crystal Fairy

Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary:
The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear

Cinematography Award: World Cinema Dramatic:
Lasting

Cinematography Award: U. S. Documentary:
Dirty Wars

Cinematography Award: U. S. Dramatic:
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints

Cinematography Award: U. S. Dramatic:
Mother of George

Cinematography Award: World Cinema Documentary:
Who Is Dayani Cristal?

U. S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Achievement in Filmmaking:
Inequality for All

U. S. Documentary Special Jury award for Achievement in Filmmaking:
American Promise

U. S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting:
Miles Teller & Shailene Woodley, The Spectacular Now

U. S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Sound Design:
Shane Carruth & Johnny Marshall, Upstream Color

World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award:
Circles

World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award:
Pussy Riot — A Punk Prayer

Editing Award: World Cinema Documentary:
The Summit

Editing Award: U. S. Documentary:
Gideon’s Army

Screenwriting Award: World Cinema Dramatic:
Wajma (An Afghan Love Story)

Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic:
In A World…

Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize:
Computer Chess

One day after the Film Independent Spirit Awards announced the nominations for films from the 2012 festival run, Sundance is ready to kick off the festival season for 2013. On Wednesday, Sundance Film Festival announced the Competition Lineups. One day later they presented their Spotlight, Park City At Midnight and New Frontier program lineups which feature out of competition films including some that have already played at other festivals.

Already we are excited about some of the films in the lineup. First and foremost is Touchy Feely from director Lynn Shelton, her follow up to her delightful film from last year, Your Sister’s Sister. Touchy Feely is a drama starring Rosemarie DeWitt (who also starred in Your Sister’s Sister) about a massage therapist that ironically has an aversion to bodily contact. Then we have a long awaited return of Shane Carruth who first turned heads with his 2004 film Primer. Carruth is finally back for his sophomore film entitled Upstream Color.

Two other in competition films that are receiving some more mainstream attention are Kill Your Darlings which will star Daniel Radcliffe, Elizabeth Olson, Ben Foster and Michael C. Hall, about a Columbia murder in 1944 that brought together Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs. David Lowery’s directorial debut Ain’t Them Bodies Saints is also generating buzz. The film is about an outlaw who escapes from prison to reunite with this wife and his child that he has never met.

There are many more films that will be announced to play at Sundance Film Festival to come, this is just the first sets of films. The 2013 Sundance Film Festival will take place from January 17th through the 27th.

U.S. Dramatic Competition

Afternoon Delight (Director and screenwriter: Jill Soloway) — In this sexy, dark comedy, a lost Los Angeles housewife puts her idyllic hipster life in jeopardy when she tries to rescue a stripper by taking her in as a live-in nanny. Cast: Kathryn Hahn, Juno Temple, Josh Radnor, Jane Lynch.

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (Director and screenwriter: David Lowery) — The tale of an outlaw who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas hills to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has never met. Cast: Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Nate Parker, Keith Carradine.

Austenland (Director: Jerusha Hess, Screenwriters: Jerusha Hess, Shannon Hale) — Thirtysomething, single Jane is obsessed with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in “Pride and Prejudice.” On a trip to an English resort, her fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman become more real than she ever imagined. Cast: Keri Russell, JJ Feild, Bret McKenzie, Jennifer Coolidge, Georgia King, James Callis.

C.O.G. (Director and screenwriter: Kyle Patrick Alvarez) — In the first film adaptation of David Sedaris’s work, a cocky young man travels to Oregon to work on an apple farm. Out of his element, he finds his lifestyle and notions being picked apart by everyone who crosses his path. Cast: Jonathan Groff, Denis O’Hare, Corey Stoll, Dean Stockwell, Casey Wilson, Troian Bellisario.

Concussion (Director and screenwriter: Stacie Passon) — After a blow to the head, Abby decides she can’t do it anymore. Her life just can’t be only about the house, the kids and the wife. She needs more: she needs to be Eleanor. Cast: Robin Weigert, Maggie Siff, Johnathan Tchaikovsky, Julie Fain Lawrence, Emily Kinney, Laila Robins.

Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes (Director and screenwriter: Francesca Gregorini) — Emanuel, a troubled girl, becomes preoccupied with her mysterious new neighbor, who bears a striking resemblance to her dead mother. In offering to babysit her newborn, Emanuel unwittingly enters a fragile fictional world, of which she becomes the gatekeeper. Cast: Kaya Scodelario, Jessica Biel, Alfred Molina, Frances O’Connor, Jimmi Simpson, Aneurin Barnard.

Fruitvale (Director and screenwriter: Ryan Coogler) — The true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family and strangers on the last day of 2008. Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz, Ahna O’Reilly, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray.

In a World… (Director and screenwriter: Lake Bell) — An underachieving vocal coach is motivated by her father, the king of movie-trailer voice-overs, to pursue her aspirations of becoming a voiceover star. Amid pride, sexism and family dysfunction, she sets out to change the voice of a generation. Cast: Lake Bell, Demetri Martin, Rob Corddry, Michaela Watkins, Ken Marino, Fred Melamed.

Kill Your Darlings (Director: John Krokidas, Screenwriters: Austin Bunn, John Krokidas) — A story of murder that brought together a young Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs at Columbia University in 1944, providing the spark that led to the birth of an entire generation – their Beat revolution. Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHann, Ben Foster, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston, Elizabeth Olsen.

The Lifeguard (Director and screenwriter: Liz W. Garcia) — A former valedictorian quits her job as a reporter in New York and returns to the place she last felt happy: her childhood home in Connecticut. She gets work as a lifeguard and starts a dangerous relationship with a troubled teenager. Cast: Kristen Bell, Mamie Gummer, Martin Starr, Alex Shaffer, Amy Madigan, David Lambert.

May in the Summer (Director and screenwriter: Cherien Dabis) — A bride-to-be is forced to re-evaluate her life when she reunites with her family in Jordan and finds herself confronted with the aftermath of her parents’ divorce. Cast: Cherien Dabis, Hiam Abbass, Bill Pullman, Alia Shawkat, Nadine Malouf, Alexander Siddig.

Mother of George (Director: Andrew Dosunmu, Screenwriter: Darci Picoult) — A story about a woman willing to do anything and risk everything for her marriage. Cast: Isaach De Bankolé, Danai Gurira, Anthony Okungbowa, Yaya Alafia, Bukky Ajayi.

The Spectacular Now (Director: James Ponsoldt, Screenwriters: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber) — Sutter is a high school senior who lives for the moment; Aimee is the introvert he tries to “save.” As their relationship deepens, the lines between right and wrong, friendship and love, and “saving” and corrupting become inextricably blurred. Cast: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kyle Chandler.

Touchy Feely (Director and screenwriter: Lynn Shelton) — A massage therapist is unable to do her job when stricken with a mysterious and sudden aversion to bodily contact. Meanwhile, her uptight brother’s foundering dental practice receives new life when clients seek out his “healing touch.” Cast: Rosemarie DeWitt, Allison Janney, Ron Livingston, Scoot McNairy, Ellen Page, Josh Pais.

Toy’s House (Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Screenwriter: Chris Galletta) — Three unhappy teenage boys flee to the wilderness, where they build a makeshift house and live off the land as masters of their own destiny. Or at least that’s the plan. Cast: Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Alison Brie.

Upstream Color (Director and screenwriter: Shane Carruth) — A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives. Cast: Amy Seimetz, Shane Carruth, Andrew Sensenig, Thiago Martins.

U.S. Documentary Competition

99% — The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film (Directors: Audrey Ewell, Aaron Aites, Lucian Read, Nina Kristic) — The Occupy movement erupted in September 2011, propelling economic inequality into the spotlight. In an unprecedented collaboration, filmmakers across America tell its story, digging into issues as organizers, analysts, participants and critics reveal how it happened and why.

After Tiller (Directors: Martha Shane, Lana Wilson) — Since the assassination of Dr. George Tiller in 2009, only four doctors in the country provide late-term abortions. With unprecedented access, “After Tiller” goes inside the lives of these physicians working at the center of the storm.

American Promise (Directors: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson) — This intimate documentary follows the 12-year journey of two African-American families pursuing the promise of opportunity through the education of their sons.

Blackfish (Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite) — Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top animal trainer. “Blackfish” shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent creatures in captivity.

Blood Brother (Director: Steve Hoover) — Rocky went to India as a disillusioned tourist. When he met a group of children with HIV, he decided to stay. He never could have imagined the obstacles he would face, or the love he would find.

Citizen Koch (Directors: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin) — Wisconsin – home of government unions, “cheeseheads” and Paul Ryan – becomes ground zero in the battle for the future of the Republican Party.

Cutie and the Boxer (Director: Zachary Heinzerling) — This candid New York love story explores the chaotic 40-year marriage of boxing painter Ushio Shinohara and his wife, Noriko. Anxious to shed her role as her overbearing husband’s assistant, Noriko finds an identity of her own.

Dirty Wars (Director: Richard Rowley) — Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill chases down the truth behind America’s covert wars.

Gideon’s Army (Director: Dawn Porter) — This follows three young, committed public defenders who are dedicated to working for the people society would rather forget. Long hours, low pay and staggering caseloads are so common that even the most committed often give up.

God Loves Uganda (Director: Roger Ross Williams) — A powerful exploration of the evangelical campaign to infuse African culture with values imported from America’s Christian right. The film follows American and Ugandan religious leaders fighting “sexual immorality” and missionaries trying to convince Ugandans to follow biblical law.

The Good Life (Directors: Sean Fine, Andrea Nix Fine) — Dr. Leslie Gordon and Dr. Scott Berns fight to save their only son from progeria, a rare and fatal disease for which there is no treatment. In less than a decade, their work has led to significant advances.

Inequality for All (Director: Jacob Kornbluth) — In this timely and entertaining documentary, economic-policy expert Robert Reich distills the topic of widening income inequality, and addresses the question of what effects this increasing gap has on our economy and our democracy.

Manhunt (Director: Greg Barker) — This espionage tale goes inside the CIA’s long conflict against al Qaeda, as revealed by the remarkable women and men whose secret war against Osama bin Laden started nearly a decade before most of us even knew his name.

Narco Cultura (Director: Shaul Schwarz) — An examination of Mexican drug cartels’ influence in pop culture on both sides of the border as experienced by a Los Angeles narcocorrido singer dreaming of stardom and a Juarez crime scene investigator on the front line of Mexico’s drug war.

Twenty Feet From Stardom (Director: Morgan Neville) — Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we’ve had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead – until now.

Valentine Road (Director: Marta Cunningham) — In 2008, eighth-grader Brandon McInerney shot classmate Larry King at point-blank range. Unraveling this tragedy, the film reveals the heartbreaking circumstances that led to the shocking crime as well as its startling aftermath.

World Cinema Dramatic Competition

Circles/Serbia, Germany, France, Croatia, Slovenia (Director: Srdan Golubovic, Screenwriters: Srdjan Koljevic, Melina Pota Koljevic) — Five people are affected by a tragic heroic act. Twenty years later, all of them will confront the past through their own crises. Will they overcome guilt, frustration and their urge for revenge? Will they do the right thing? Cast: Aleksandar Bercek, Leon Lucev, Nebojsa Glogovac, Hristina Popovic, Nikola Rakocevic, Vuk Kostic.

Crystal Fairy/Chile (Director and screenwriter: Sebastián Silva) — Jamie invites a stranger to join a road trip to Chile. The woman’s free and esoteric nature clashes with Jamie’s acidic, self-absorbed personality as they head into the desert for a mescaline-fueled psychedelic trip. Cast: Michael Cera, Gabby Hoffmann, Juan Andrés Silva, José Miguel Silva, Agustín Silva.

The Future/Chile, Germany, Italy, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Alicia Scherson) — When their parents die, Bianca starts to smoke and Tomas is still a virgin. The orphans explore the dangerous streets of adulthood until Bianca finds Maciste, a retired Mr. Universe, and enters his dark mansion in search of a future. Cast: Manuela Martelli, Rutger Hauer, Luigi Ciardo, Nicolas Vaporidis, Alessandro Giallocosta.

Houston/Germany (Director and screenwriter: Bastian Günther) — Clemens Trunschka is a corporate headhunter and an alcoholic. Drinking increasingly isolates him and leads him away from reality. While searching for a chief executive candidate in Houston, his addiction submerges him in darkness. Cast: Ulrich Tukur, Garret Dillahunt, Wolfram Koch, Jenny Schily, Jason Douglas, Jens Münchow.

Jiseul/South Korea (Director and screenwriter: Muel O) — In 1948, as the Korean government ordered the Communists’ eviction to Jeju Island, the military invaded a peaceful village. Townsfolk took sanctuary in a cave and debated moving to a higher mountain. Cast: Min-chul Sung, Jung-won Yang, Young-soon Oh, Soon-dong Park, Suk-bum Moon, Kyung-sub Jang.

Lasting/Poland, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Jacek Borcuch) — An emotional love story about two Polish students who fall in love with each other while working summer jobs in Spain. An unexpected nightmare interrupts their carefree time in the heavenly landscape and throws their lives into chaos. Cast: Jakub Gierszal, Magdalena Berus, Angela Molina.

Metro Manila/United Kingdom, Philippines (Director: Sean Ellis, Screenwriters: Sean Ellis, Frank E. Flowers) — Seeking a better life, Oscar and his family move from the poverty-stricken rice fields to the big city of Manila, where they fall victim to various inhabitants whose manipulative ways are a daily part of city survival. Cast: Jake Macapagal, John Arcilla, Althea Vega.

Shopping/New Zealand (Directors: Mark Albiston, Louis Sutherland, Screenwriters: Louis Sutherland, Mark Albiston) — New Zealand, 1981: Seduced by a charismatic career criminal, teenager Willie must choose where his loyalty lies – with a family of shoplifters or his own blood. Cast: Kevin Paulo, Julian Dennison, Jacek Koman, Alistair Browning.

Soldate Jeannette/Austria (Director: Daniel Hoesl) — Fanni has had enough of money and leaves to buy a tent. Anna has had enough of pigs and leaves a needle in the hay. Cars crash and money burns to shape their mutual journey toward a rising liberty. Cast: Johanna Orsini-Rosenberg, Christina Reichsthaler, Josef Kleindienst, Aurelia Burckhardt, Julia Schranz, Ines Rössl.

There Will Come a Day/Italy, France (Director: Giorgio Diritti, Screenwriters: Giorgio Diritti, Fredo Valla, Tania Pedroni) — Painful issues push Augusta, a young Italian woman, to doubt the certainties on which she has built her existence. On a small boat in the Amazon rain forest, she faces the adventure of searching for herself. Cast: Jasmine Trinca, Anne Alvaro, Pia Engleberth.

Wajma (An Afghan Love Story)/Afghanistan (Director and screenwriter: Barmak Akram) — A young man in Kabul seduces a girl. When she tells him she’s pregnant, he questions having taken her virginity. Then her father arrives, and a timeless, archaic violence erupts – possibly leading to a crime, and even a sacrifice. Cast: Wajma Bahar, Mustafa Abdulsatar, Haji Gul, Breshna Bahar.

What They Don’t Talk About When They Talk About Love/Indonesia (Director and screenwriter: Mouly Surya) — This film explores the odds of love and deception among the blind, the deaf and the unlucky sighted people at a high school for the visually impaired. Cast: Nicholas Saputra, Ayushita Nugraha, Karina Salim, Anggun Priambodo, Lupita Jennifer.

World Cinema Documentary Competition

Fallen City/China (Director: Qi Zhao) — This spans four years to reveal how three families who survived the 2008 Sichuan earthquake embark on a journey in search of hope, purpose, identity and new lives in a China torn between tradition and modernity.

Fire in the Blood/India (Director: Dylan Mohan Gray) — In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Western governments and pharmaceutical companies blocked low-cost antiretroviral drugs from reaching AIDS-stricken Africa, leading to 10 million or more unnecessary deaths. An improbable group of people decided to fight back.

Google and the World Brain/Spain, United Kingdom (Director: Ben Lewis) — In the most ambitious project ever conceived on the Internet, Google has been scanning the world’s books for 10 years. It said the intention was to build a giant digital library, but that involved scanning millions of copyrighted works.

The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear/Georgia, Germany (Director: Tinatin Gurchiani) — A film director casting a 15-to-23-year-old protagonist visits villages and cities to meet people who answer her call. She follows those who prove to be interesting enough through various dramatic and funny situations.

The Moo Man/United Kingdom (Directors: Andy Heathcote, Heike Bachelier) — A year in the life of heroic farmer Steve, scene-stealing Ida (queen of the herd) and a supporting cast of 55 cows. When Ida falls ill, Steve’s optimism is challenged and their way of life is at stake.

Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer/Russian Federation, United Kingdom (Directors: Mike Lerner, Maxim Pozdorovkin) — Three young women face seven years in a Russian prison for a satirical performance in a Moscow cathedral. But who is really on trial: the three young artists or the society they live in?

A River Changes Course/Cambodia, U.S.A. (Director: Kalyanee Mam) — Three young Cambodians struggle to overcome the crushing effects of deforestation, overfishing and overwhelming debt in this devastatingly beautiful story of a country reeling from the tragedies of war and rushing to keep pace with a rapidly expanding world.

Salma/United Kingdom, India (Director: Kim Longinotto) — When Salma, a young girl in South India, reached puberty, her parents locked her away. Millions of girls all over the world share the same fate. Twenty-five years later, Salma has fought her way back to the outside world.

The Square (El Midan)/Egypt, U.S.A. (Director: Jehane Noujaim) — What does it mean to risk your life for your ideals? How far will five revolutionaries go in defending their beliefs in the fight for their nation?

The Stuart Hall Project/United Kingdom (Director: John Akomfrah) — Antinuclear campaigner, New Left activist and founding father of cultural studies. This documentary interweaves 70 years of Stuart Hall’s film, radio and television appearances, and material from his private archive to document a memorable life and construct a portrait of Britain’s foremost radical intellectual.

The Summit/Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Nick Ryan) — 24 climbers converged at the last stop before summiting the most dangerous mountain on Earth. Forty-eight hours later, 11 had been killed or simply vanished. Had one, Ger McDonnell, stuck to the climbers’ code, he might still be alive.

Who Is Dayani Cristal?/United Kingdom (Director: Marc Silver) — An anonymous body in the Arizona desert sparks the beginning of a real-life human drama. The search for its identity leads us across a continent to seek out the people left behind and the meaning of a mysterious tattoo.

Next

Blue Caprice (Director: Alexandre Moors, Screenwriters: R.F.I Porto, Alexandre Moors) — An abandoned boy is lured to America and drawn into the shadow of a dangerous father figure in this film inspired by the real-life events that led to the 2002 Beltway sniper attacks. Cast: Isaiah Washington, Tequan Richmond, Joey Lauren Adams, Tim Blake Nelson, Cassandra Freeman, Leo Fitzpatrick.

Computer Chess (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski) — An existential comedy about the brilliant men who taught machines to play chess, back when the machines seemed clumsy and we seemed smart. Cast: Patrick Riester, Myles Paige, James Curry, Robin Schwartz, Gerald Peary, Wiley Wiggins.

Escape From Tomorrow (Director and screenwriter: Randy Moore) — A postmodern, surreal voyage into the bowels of “family” entertainment. An epic battle begins when an unemployed, middle-aged father loses his sanity during a close encounter with two teenage girls on holiday. Cast: Roy Abramsohn, Elena Schuber, Katelynn Rodriguez, Annet Mahendru, Danielle Safady, Alison Lees-Taylor.

I Used to Be Darker (Director: Matthew Porterfield, Screenwriters: Amy Belk, Matthew Porterfield) — A runaway seeks refuge with her aunt and uncle in Baltimore, only to find their marriage ending and her cousin in crisis. In the days that follow, the family struggles to let go while searching for things to sustain them. Cast: Deragh Campbell, Hannah Gross, Kim Taylor, Ned Oldham, Geoff Grace, Nick Petr.

It Felt Like Love (Director and screenwriter: Eliza Hittman) — On the outskirts of Brooklyn, a 14-year-old girl’s sexual quest takes a dangerous turn when she pursues an older guy and tests the boundaries between obsession and love. Cast: Gina Piersanti, Giovanna Salimeni, Ronen Rubinstein, Jesse Cordasco, Nick Rosen, Case Prime.

Milkshake (Director: David Andalman, Screenwriters: David Andalman, Mariko Munro) — In mid-1990s America, we follow the tragic sex life of Jolie Jolson, a wannabe thug (and great-great-grandson of legendary vaudevillian Al Jolson) in suburban Washington as he strives to become something he can never be – black. Cast: Tyler Ross, Shareeka Epps, Georgia Ford, Eshan Bay, Leo Fitzpatrick, Danny Burstein.

Newlyweeds (Director and screenwriter: Shaka King) — A Brooklyn repo man and his globetrotting girlfriend forge an unlikely romance. But what should be a match made in stoner heaven turns into a love triangle gone awry in this dark coming-of-age comedy about dependency. Cast: Amari Cheatom, Trae Harris, Tone Tank, Colman Domingo, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Adrian Martinez.

Pit Stop (Director: Yen Tan, Screenwriters: Yen Tan, David Lowery) — Two working-class gay men in a small Texas town and a love that isn’t quite out of reach. Cast: Bill Heck, Marcus DeAnda, Amy Seimetz, John Merriman, Alfredo Maduro, Corby Sullivan.

A Teacher (Director and screenwriter: Hannah Fidell) — A popular young teacher in a wealthy suburban Texas high school has an affair with one of her students. Her life begins to unravel as the relationship comes to an end. Cast: Lindsay Burdge, Will Brittain, Jennifer Prediger, Jonny Mars, Julie Phillips, Chris Dubeck.

This Is Martin Bonner (Director and screenwriter: Chad Hartigan) — Martin Bonner has just moved to Reno for a new job in prison rehabilitation. Starting over at 58, he struggles to adapt until an unlikely friendship with an ex-con blossoms, helping him confront the problems he left behind. Cast: Paul Eenhoorn, Richmond Arquette, Sam Buchanan, Robert Longstreet, Demetrius Grosse.

Spotlight

Fill the Void / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Rama Burshtein) — A devout 18-year-old Israeli is pressured to marry the husband of her late sister. Declaring her independence is not an option in Tel Aviv’s ultra-Orthodox Hasidic community, where religious law, tradition and the rabbi’s word are absolute. Cast: Hadas Yaron, Yiftach Klein, Irit Sheleg, Chaim Sharir, Razia Israeli, Hila Feldman.

Gangs of Wasseypur / India (Director: Anurag Kashyap, Screenwriters: Anurag Kashyap, Zeishan Quadri) — Exiled and outcast for robbing British trains, Shahid Khan spurs a battle for revenge that passes down generations. Shahid’s son vows to get his father’s honor back, becoming the most feared man in the Indian town of Wasseypur. Cast: Manoj Bajpai, Nawazuddin Siddique, Richa Chadda, Huma Qureshi, Tigmanshu Dhulia.

The Gatekeepers (documentary) / Israel, Germany, Belgium, France (Director: Dror Moreh) — Since its stunning military victory in 1967, Israel has hoped to achieve a long-lasting peace. Forty-five years later, this has yet to happen. Six former heads of Israel’s Secret Service reflect on the successes and failures of the “peace process.”

Mud / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jeff Nichols) — Two teenage boys encounter a fugitive and form a pact to help him evade the bounty hunters on his trail and reunite him with his true love. Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Reese Witherspoon. North American Premiere

No / Chile, U.S.A. (Director: Pablo Larraín, Screenwriter: Pedro Peirano) — When Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet calls for a referendum to decide his permanence in power, the opposition persuades a young advertising executive to head its campaign. With limited resources and under scrutiny, he conceives a plan to win the election. Cast: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Luis Gnecco, Marcial Tagle, Néstor Cantillana.

Sightseers / United Kingdom (Director: Ben Wheatley, Screenwriters: Alice Lowe, Steve Oram) — Chris wants to show girlfriend Tina his world, but when events conspire against the couple, their dream caravan holiday takes a very wrong turn. Cast: Alice Lowe, Steve Oram. U.S. Premiere

Stories We Tell (documentary) / Canada (Director: Sarah Polley) — Sarah Polley is both filmmaker and detective as she investigates the secrets kept by a family of storytellers. She unravels the paradoxes to reveal the essence of family: always complicated, warmly messy and fiercely loving.

Park City At Midnight

Ass Backwards / U.S.A. (Director: Chris Nelson, Screenwriters: June Diane Raphael, Casey Wilson) — Loveable losers Kate and Chloe take a road trip back to their hometown to claim the beauty pageant crown that eluded them as children, only to discover what really counts: friendship. Cast: June Diane Raphael, Casey Wilson, Vincent D’Onofrio, Alicia Silverstone, Jon Cryer, Brian Geraghty.

Hell Baby / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon) — An expectant couple moves into the most haunted fixer-upper in New Orleans – a house with a demonic curse. Things spiral out of control and soon only the Vatican’s elite exorcism team can save the pair – or can it? Cast: Rob Corddry, Leslie Bibb, Keegan Michael Key, Riki Lindhome, Paul Scheer, Rob Huebel.

In Fear / United Kingdom (Directed and story by: Jeremy Lovering) — Trapped in a maze of country roads with only their vehicle for protection, Tom and Lucy are terrorized by an unseen tormentor exploiting their worst fears. Eventually they realize they’ve let the evil in – it’s sitting in their car. Cast: Alice Englert, Iain De Caestecker, Allen Leech.

kink (documentary) / U.S.A. (Director: Christina Voros) — A story of sex, submission and big business is told through the eyes of the unlikely pornographers whose 9:00-to-5:00 work days are spent within the confines of the San Francisco Armory building, home to the sprawling porn production facilities of Kink.com.

The Rambler / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Calvin Lee Reeder) — After being released from prison, a man known as “The Rambler” stumbles upon a strange mystery as he attempts the treacherous journey through back roads and small towns en route to reconnecting with his long-lost brother. Cast: Dermot Mulroney, Lindsay Pulsipher, Natasha Lyonne, James Cady, Scott Sharot.

S-VHS / U.S.A., Canada (Directors: Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Edúardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Huw Evans, Jason Eisener, Screenwriters: Simon Barrett, Jamie Nash, Timo Tjahjanto & Gareth Huw Evans, John Davies) — Searching for a missing student, two private investigators break into his abandoned house and find another collection of mysterious VHS tapes. In viewing the horrific contents of each cassette, they realize there may be terrifying motives behind the student’s disappearance. Cast: Adam Wingard, Lawrence Levine, L.C Holt, Kelsy Abbott, Hannah Hughes.

Virtually Heroes / U.S.A. (Director: GJ Echternkamp, Screenwriter: Matt Yamashita) — Two self-aware characters in a Call of Duty-style video game struggle with their screwy, frustrating existence. To find answers, one abandons his partner and mission, seeking to unravel the cheat codes of life. Cast: Robert Baker, Brent Chase, Katie Savoy, Mark Hamill, Ben Messmer.

We Are What We Are / U.S.A. (Director: Jim Mickle, Screenwriters: Nick Damici, Jim Mickle) — A devastating storm washes up clues that lead authorities closer and closer to the cannibalistic Parker family. Cast: Bill Sage, Ambyr Childers, Julia Garner, Michael Parks, Wyatt Russell, Kelly McGillis.

New Frontier

Charlie Victor Romeo / U.S.A. (Directors: Robert Berger, Karlyn Michelson, Screenwriters: Robert Berger, Patrick Daniels, Irving Gregory) — An award-winning theatrical documentary derived entirely from ‘Black Box’ transcripts of six real-life major airline emergencies brought to the screen with cutting-edge stereoscopic 3D technology. Cast: Patrick Daniels, Irving Gregory, Noel Dinneen, Sam Zuckerman, Debbie Troche, Nora Woolley.

Fat Shaker / Iran (Director and screenwriter: M Shirvani) — An obese father and his handsome, deaf son share extraordinary experiences in Tehran. Then a beautiful young woman upsets the balance of their relationship, forcing them to renegotiate their position with each other and the world around them. Cast: Levon Haftvan, Maryam Palizban, Hassan Rostami, Navid Mohammadzadeh.

Halley / Mexico (Director: Sebastian Hofmann, Screenwriters: Sebastian Hofmann, Julio Chavezmontes) — Alberto is dead and can no longer hide it. Before surrendering to his living death, he forms an unusual friendship with Luly, the manager of the 24-hour gym where he works as a night guard. Cast: Alberto Trujillo, Lourdes Trueba, Hugo Albores.

Interior. Leather Bar. / U.S.A. (Directors: Travis Mathews, James Franco, Screenwriter: Travis Mathews) — To avoid an X rating, it was rumored that 40 minutes of gay S&M footage was cut from the controversial 1980 film, Cruising. Filmmakers James Franco and Travis Mathews re-imagine what was in the lost footage. Cast: Val Lauren, James Franco, Travis Mathews, Christian Patrick, Brenden Gregory.

The Meteor / Canada (Director: François Delisle, Screenwriter: François Delisle) — Forty-something Pierre, his mother and his wife are linked by crime, guilt and loneliness. Like casualties of love and desire, they are dying to stick their heads above water and breathe the air of life. Cast: Noémie Godin Vigneau, François Delisle, Laurent Lucas, Brigitte Pogonat, François Papineau, Andrée Lachapelle.