Good-natured geeks get pulled into the quicksand of LA gang culture in Rick Famuyiwa‘s Sundance hit, Dope. It’s an unpredictable coming-of-age comedy that earns every laugh with its smart writing and well-crafted jokes that never feel cheap. Unlike other films addressing similar social and racial issues, Famuyiwa’s film isn’t a hero’s tale or some urban fantasy about rising above prejudice. It’s not a story about being a good person; it’s about being a survivor.

The underdog at the center of the story is Malcolm, played by a flat-top-rocking Shameik Moore. Malcolm’s a bright high school senior living in the Inglewood neighborhood called “The Bottoms” with his mom, a bus driver (his father left a long time ago, his only meaningful remnant a gifted VHS copy of Superfly). He’s a self-professed geek, spending most of his days obsessing over ’90s hip-hop culture (hence the flat-top), manga, porn and playing in a punk band with his two best friends. Kiersey Clemons plays Diggy, an outgoing, out-of-the-closet scrapper who’s always got Malcolm’s back. The third member of the hip-hop bohemian tribe is a scrawny fellow they call Jib, played by Tony Revolori (he was Zero in The Grand Budapest Hotel).

It’s explained early on (via slightly awkward Forest Whitaker narration) that The Bottoms is a pretty unfriendly place for them. Fights and shootings happen all the time, so getting bullied at school by Bloods (an everyday occurrence for Malcolm) is considered a relatively trivial complication compared to the gruesome stuff that happens on the block. Malcolm tries to avoid trouble as best he can, especially since he’s got Harvard in his crosshairs as his first-choice school. Nowhere in his application letter does he mention his under-privileged upbringing; instead, he analyzes Ice Cube’s Good Day as a way to stand out from the crowd of Harvard hopefuls. Upon reading the letter, Malcolm’s professor, who’s facilitating the application process, is frustrated that Malcolm—a straight-A student with a sterling record—thinks he can get into Harvard without using his hard-knocks upbringing to garner sympathy. “Who do you think you are?”

Later in the film, Malcolm’s in a dingy warehouse back office making a deal with a snarling thug involving inordinate amounts of molly (ecstasy), a thumb drive, and wads of dirty cash. The gangster tells Malcolm exactly who he is: “A man who don’t give a fuck.” How did Malcolm, a model teenager with a clean conscience, fall into such shady business, business that could derail his future?

It all starts with Dom (A$AP Rocky), a charismatic dealer who runs his block with a clenched fist. He takes Malcolm under his wing, using the nervous teen as a messenger pigeon to ask a pretty, smart girl up the block (Zoë Kravitz, channeling Nia Long in Friday) to come to his birthday party at the club. She agrees, but only if Malcolm goes, too. Malcolm develops a quick crush, of course, so he shows up to the party, Diggy and Jib in tow. In the chaos of a drug deal gone-wrong and a subsequent police raid, Malcolm winds up with a gun and tens of thousands of dollars worth of drugs in his backpack.

Thus begins Malcolm’s descent into a world of narcotic traffickers, racketeers and killers, with the geeky trio scrambling to figure out how to get rid of the drugs while trying to stay alive. The series of unlucky events cascade like falling dominos, and though things get dicey, the humor is always there, sustaining the film’s vigor.

Malcolm’s is a veritable whiz when it comes to academics, but when it comes to his new drug-slinging street life, he’s completely out of his depth. Whether he’s being seduced by a sultry drug empire princess, talking on the phone with a growly debt collector, or shivering as he points a gun for the first time, he’s always got a stupefied, almost cross-eyed look on his face. Moore’s great in the role because he’s effortlessly sympathetic; you can’t help but like him (the awesome Fresh Prince, De La Soul-inspired throwback attire doesn’t hurt, either). The rest of the cast is mostly very good, though Roger Guenveur Smith stinks up the joint as a borderline-comatose drug lord. Clemons and Revolori play solid confidants, but at the end of the day, Moore runs away with the movie.

Famuyiwa and DP Rachel Morrison’s visuals are vibrant and crisp, utilizing split-screen and unexpected freeze-frames and interludes to electric effect. The film’s always on the move, just like its protagonists. A late, unforgettable sequence in which Malcolm addresses the camera directly is a breathless show-stealer, a chilling monologue that’s easily be one of the best movie moments of the year. As far as soundtracks go, it’s Dope‘s track-list is going to be tough to beat. Narratively weaved-in classics from Nas (“The World Is Yours”), Public Enemy (“Rebel Without a Pause”) and A Tribe Called Quest (“Scenario”) are invaluable in defining the film’s style and vibe.

Like Dear White People, Dope is a movie about identity and perception. Malcolm’s struggle to reconcile his Harvard aspirations with his current, Walter White-ish situation is the movie’s drive, and the final resolution is a piercing observation on being someone of color, someone who society expects less from than the white mighty majority. The movie doesn’t get weighed down by the serious business, though: it’s a terrific hangout flick in the vein of Cooley High and Friday. Dope‘s dopeness is off the charts.

While Birdman comes in with the most Independent Spirit Award nominations this year with a total of six, I’m predicting Richard Linklater’s Boyhood winning the most awards with four (including most of the big ones). Birdman will likely pick up at least two awards, same as Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler, and the rest of the field should be fairly spread out. You’re likely to see wins for smaller independent films like Dear White People, Blue Ruin, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, and CITIZENFOUR.

In addition to picking the winners, I explain the reasoning behind my picks underneath each category. There’s still plenty of time for some shakers and movers between now and when the winners are revealed as the award season continues on. Tune into IFC on Saturday, February 21st at 2PM PT and watch live to see if my predictions hold up.

2015 Independent Spirit Award Predictions

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

Birdman
Boyhood
Love is Strange
Selma
Whiplash

Damien Chazelle – Whiplash
Ava DuVernay – Selma
Alejandro G. Iñárritu – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
David Zellner – Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter

André Benjamin – Jimi: All Is By My Side
Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton – Birdman
John Lithgow – Love is Strange
David Oyelowo – Selma

Marion Cotillard – The Immigrant
Rinko Kikuchi – Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter
Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Jenny Slate – Obvious Child
Tilda Swinton – Only Lovers Left Alive

Riz Ahmed – Nightcrawler
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Alfred Molina – Love is Strange
Edward Norton- Birdman
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year
Carmen Ejogo – Selma
Andrea Suarez Paz – Stand Clear of the Closing Doors
Emma Stone – Birdman

Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski – Big Eyes
J.C. Chandor – A Most Violent Year
Dan Gilroy – Nightcrawler
Jim Jarmusch – Only Lovers Left Alive
Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias – Love is Strange

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Dear White People
Nightcrawler
Obvious Child
She’s Lost Control

Desiree Akhavan – Appropriate Behavior
Sara Colangelo – Little Accidents
Justin Lader – The One I Love
Anja Marquardt – She’s Lost Control
Justin Simien – Dear White People

Darius Khondji – The Immigrant
Emmanuel Lubezki – Birdman
Sean Porter – It Felt Like Love
Lyle Vincent – A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Bradford Young – Selma

Sandra Adair – Boyhood
Tom Cross – Whiplash
John Gilroy- Nightcrawler
Ron Patane – A Most Violent Year
Adam Wingard – The Guest

Force Majeure
Ida
Leviathan
Mommy
Norte, the End of History
Under the Skin

20,000 Days on Earth
CITIZENFOUR
Stray Dog
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga

Blue Ruin – Jeremy Saulnier
It Felt Like Love – Eliza Hittman
Land Ho! – Aaron Katz & Martha Stephens
Man From Reno – Dave Boyle
Test – Chris Mason Johnson

Tonight, plenty of big names and stars in independent film gathered together for the Gotham Independent Film Awards in New York. Earlier today everyone was talking about the New York Film Critics Circle winners, but tonight was one of the first “true” award shows of Oscar season (sorry Hollywood Film Awards, you don’t count). And like the Independent Spirit Awards, Gotham spreads the love to the year’s best independent films. All in all, it was a nice way to sit back and see some genuinely great talent get rewarded.

Boyhood surprisingly lost the night’s main award, losing Best Picture to Birdman. Comparing the two films, Boyhood seems like the easier bet for an indie-based award show like this, but the award jury (including the likes of Jon Hamm and Jane Fonda) preferred Alejandro González Iñárritu’s visually crazy satire. We raved about the film back when it closed the New York Film Festival, so it’s sure to earn plenty of other trophies for its mantle in the coming months.

There were unsurprising wins, though: Best Documentary went to Citizenfour, Michael Keaton won Best Actor for Birdman (he’s already trying out material for if he wins the Oscar, based on his speech), and Julianne Moore won Best Actress for Still Alice. They’re all the current frontrunners in their respective categories, so it didn’t come as a shock to see them end up winning.

One of the night’s more pleasant surprises came when Ana Lily Amirpour, director of our Must See Indie pick A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, won the Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award. It’s one of the year’s most accomplished debut features, and the fact alone that it beat out Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler says quite a lot. Also great: Tessa Thompson winning Breakthrough Performance for Dear White People, beating out Ellar Coltrane in Boyhood. Thompson was the best part of Dear White People by far, so it’s a deserved win.

Special awards were given to Steve Carrell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo for their work in Foxcatcher, as well as Tilda Swinton, Foxcatcher director Bennett Miller and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos. Read the full list of winners below, and let us know what you think deserved to win or got robbed.

Gotham Independent Film Awards Winners

Best Feature: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Best Actress: Julianne Moore in Still Alice
Best Actor: Michael Keaton in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Best Documentary: Citizenfour
Breakthrough Actor: Tessa Thompson in Dear White People
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award: Ana Lily Amirpour for A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Gotham Independent Film Audience Award: Boyhood

You might be thinking “Already?!” but yes, award season is already starting. Today, New York’s Gotham Independent Film Awards put out their nominees, a list filled with pleasant surprises and some very obvious choices.

Let’s start with the obvious choice: Boyhood. Any indie award would be insane to deny Richard Linklater’s film, possibly the indie event of the year, some love, so Gotham understandably gave it four nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Ethan Hawke), Best Actress (Patricia Arquette) and Breakthrough Actor (Ellar Coltrane). Also unsurprising is Birdman nabbing three nominations for Best Picture and Best Actor (Michael Keaton). Expect to hear even more about Birdman in the months to come.

Because the Gotham Awards are about independent film, that gives some great underrated films and performances the chance for some exposure through a nomination. The biggest surprise might be Under the Skin and Scarlett Johansson scoring nominations for Best Picture and Actress. It’ll be unlikely for Jonathan Glazer’s strange sci-fi to get much love outside of critics’ circles this year, so nominations like these are nice to see. Another great choice by Gotham: Giving Ira Sachs’ wonderful Love is Strange a Best Picture nomination. Sachs’ film, a quietly heartbreaking drama, seems bound to get left out this year once the awards race kicks into high gear (if Best Actor weren’t so competitive this year, John Lithgow and Alfred Molina would have been locks). Any recognition for Love is Strange is a huge plus.

Read on below for the full list of nominees, including the nominees for Breakthrough Director and Actor. For those more interested in the bigger awards, take note of Oscar Isaac’s nomination for A Most Violent Year. The film hasn’t come out yet (it opens AFI Fest next month), so this nomination might be a hint of another shake-up in the coming weeks. And if anyone’s wondering where current Best Actor frontrunner Steve Carrell is, Gotham decided to give Carrell and co-stars Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo a special award for their ensemble performances in Foxcatcher.

The Gotham Independent Film Awards will hold their awards ceremony on December 1st.

Best Feature

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Love Is Strange
Under the Skin

Best Actor

Bill Hader in The Skeleton Twins
Ethan Hawke in Boyhood
Oscar Isaac in A Most Violent Year
Michael Keaton in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Miles Teller in Whiplash (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Actress

Patricia Arquette in Boyhood
Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Beyond the Lights
Julianne Moore in Still Alice
Scarlett Johansson in Under the Skin
Mia Wasikowska in Tracks

Best Documentary

Actress
CITIZENFOUR
Life Itself
Manakamana
Point and Shoot

Breakthrough Actor

Riz Ahmed in Nightcrawler
Macon Blair in Blue Ruin
Ellar Coltrane in Boyhood
Joey King in Wish I Was Here
Jenny Slate in Obvious Child
Tessa Thompson in Dear White People

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award

Ana Lily Amirpour for A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
James Ward Byrkit for Coherence
Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler
Eliza Hittman for It Felt Like Love
Justin Simien for Dear White People

First-time filmmaker Justin Simien’s satirical comedy Dear White People follows four black students at a fictitious Ivy League school as they struggle with identity and self-worth. Lionel Higgins (Tyler James Williams) is a shy, gay journalist who fits in nowhere; Troy Fairbanks (Brandon P Bell) is a student body golden boy and son of the dean; Sam White (Tessa Thompson) is a militant activist empowered by her blackness; and Colandrea “Coco” Conners (Teyonah Parris) has dreams of reality-TV stardom. Their journeys to define themselves clash and intertwine as the film builds to its harrowing climax, a black-themed party thrown by white students.

While in San Francisco promoting the film, we caught up with Justin along with a pair of other journalists in a roundtable chat, in which we discuss how the film would have been received 10 years ago; making a film about identity, not race; how our history directly affects our lives today; turning the film into a TV show; getting more people of color on movie screens, and much more.

Dear White People is out now in select cities and opens wider this Friday.

Sam is a very strong character, while Coco could be seen as a weaker character.
Justin: I think they’re both flip-sides of the same coin. I think they’re both using their identity to maximize their potential on campus, but they just have different identities and ideas of what it means to be authentically black. I think both of their identities come into self-scrutiny, and they both feel conflicted about the identity they put forth. They’re playing the same game, but on different sides. I see them as counterpoints to each other in an interesting way. I thought there were more subtle issues with colorism at play, and I think there’s a nice balance. They’re both flawed, they’re both right sometimes, and they’re both wrong sometimes. But because of their coded positions in this community, they’re sort of opposed to each other, which I thought was very interesting.

How do you think a movie like this would have been received if you released it 10 or 15 years ago?
Justin: I don’t know if that’s where the conversation was 10 or 15 years ago. The funny thing is, I started writing it about 8 years ago. It’s so interesting, because particularly in 2005-2006 when I started writing, we were in that post-racial bubble where mainstream media was like, “Why talk about race at all? We’re good! We have famous black people. We’re fine!” But the experience of being black didn’t feel totally resolved. It was the dichotomy of being in a place that touts its diversity and touts its accomplishments, and while they have a point, it’s also negating the experiences of a lot of people. It was that sort of unease that [was the impetus for the movie].

But that unease had yet to reach a critical mass. There weren’t reports of blackface parties every other week, and there wasn’t the New York Times faux pas with Shonda Rhimes. [There wasn’t] Bill O’Reilly fighting with Jon Stewart over the meaning of white privilege, or tragedies like Ferguson. Those things weren’t in the zeitgeist 10 years ago. It’s hard to say. It feels like this is the preordained time for the movie to come out, even though, to be honest, none of that was planned. That’s just how long it took to make [the movie]. With Do The Right Thing, which was 25 years ago, that’s what needed to be said then.

And frankly, to be honest with you, it still needs to be said. The fact that people aren’t still talking about the parallels of that movie and where we’re at currently…I mean, it’s a movie about [the fact that] the death of an unarmed black man at the hands of white police officers can happen in a community where no one is actively trying to kill somebody or harm somebody, but this thing happened. That would be a much more productive conversation than the way it sometimes is framed.

You’ve said that you didn’t want the film to be an encapsulation of what it means to be black, or be dogmatic, or have all the answers. How strategic do you have to be to make sure people know it’s not that kind of movie?
Justin: I think people are going to think it’s that movie, especially when they come into it. The feeling I get from Q&A’s is that most people realize what it is once they’re seeing it. There are some people clinging to the idea that this movie is trying to tell you something, like how America should be or how you should behave. I kind of have no control over that piece of it, but with the experience of the movie itself, I try to make creative decisions, narrative decisions, performance choices, based on what I think the movie is actually about, which is identity itself, rather than race politics. Race politics is in the world of the story–it’s the body of the film. But the soul of the film is something a bit deeper.

That’s as strategic as I could be with it, always focusing out what it was I was trying to say versus what the characters were trying to say. It was important for me to draw a distinction between that. Just because Sam argues something in the film doesn’t mean that’s necessarily what I’m arguing for. She’s saying that because in the moment that’s what she would say. The fact that it’s a satire allows you a little bit of distance so that you can think about why they did [things] and not so pulled into a moral or overarching lesson that wraps everything up neatly with a bow on it.

There’s a strong theme of nepotism in the film. Why did you feel it was important to add that element?
Justin: I think the generation before us had such an impact on where we’re at now. Bill O’Reilly and Jon Stewart were arguing about white privilege the day before yesterday on The Daily Show, and part of the argument was that, well, we’re not there now. It was a denial of the fact that the history of the country has an effect on where we’re at now. Troy is a character who’s living in the shadow of his father and living in the orders and steps presented to him by his father. Kurt is a person who didn’t have to do that. They’re both just as smart and come out just as well-off, but Troy is still held back because of the fights he and his father had to face. Kurt is not. The idea that our experience in the present is absolutely linked to what happened in the past–who our parents were, what neighborhoods we were raised in, what struggles we had to fight–I thought that was really important to talk about. Nepotism is a natural part of that.

[The idea that] affirmative action is this thing that gives African-American men and women an unfair advantage is bullshit, because everyone who’s not in that group has another advantage. Their parents and people who look like them are in control! [laughs] They have their own form of it. The idea is that affirmative action is perhaps flawed, but it’s at least a way to counteract an existing force. Sometimes the existing force is completely overlooked or ignored because no one wants to feel that the privileges in this life weren’t personally earned.

Has the movie changed to you the more you watch it?
Justin: I think the parallels between it and what’s happening now in society…I couldn’t have predicted that. It’s saying interesting things about that that I didn’t necessarily try to say or expect to say. If I made the movie today, I would emphasize over other things, just because my experiences have changed and have further informed me as a storyteller. I’d say yes, the context of the film has changed a bit, and not in a good or bad way. But it shifted just a little bit. It makes me very interested in the idea of going back in say, like, a television series and continue to tell the story as it evolves. It’s made that idea more interesting to me.

Back when the Michael Richards thing happened, Paul Mooney said it was a good thing, because it allowed us to have an important conversation. Your film has the same effect, compelling and encouraging people to have conversations. Do you think you’ll inspire other filmmakers to follow suit?
Justin: I hope so. I really do. And not just about the message of race, which needs to be talked about and dealt with, but the idea of arthouse and the specialty division of films in the marketplace having more stories about people from different points of view. It’s a little irritating–Awards time comes, and you get the white male perspective on America, the one historic black movie, and the one female-driven movie. There’s so much missing, and in terms of film, that’s the sweet spot, you know? Those specialty films, those niche films, those arthouse films that are talking about America in an interesting way. The fact that that’s where all the great conversations are happening, but there are too few people of color, or too few women, or too few gay voices in that conversation…I don’t like that. If in any way my film can allow a few more things through the gates of Hollywood, I as an audience member will be very happy for that.

You’d said something earlier about a TV series. Have you thought of pitching the film as a pilot at first?
Justin: I wrote it as a pilot. It started as a feature, then I tried it as a pilot…I mean, to be honest with you, TV wasn’t then what it is now. TV has become more cinematic, and you can tell an unconventional story in 13 parts as opposed to an episodic story. I think multi-protagonist stories lend themselves to being episodic. In the TV landscape of today, I could actually tell the story in the same way I would as if it were a movie, but I could take a lot longer with it and have more characters and really go in.

You mentioned how people of color aren’t really mentioned in movies, but with shows like Blackish, Fresh Off the Boat, and Selfie, there are all these people of color on TV. Do you think movies will catch up?
Justin: I think TV is definitely doing it sooner because there’s more money at stake. There are so many options on television, and they’ve had to answer very specifically to all this research that’s finally come out that says, you know, “The cast of your show doesn’t even look like the audience that’s watching your show!” I think some people are catching up to that. Films take a lot longer to make, there are fewer of them, and there’s less room for experimentation in film financing at the studio level and increasingly at the independent financing level. There’s less patience with putting money into something that may or may not work. With television, that’s certainly still the case, but the turnaround is a lot quicker. You’re able to see immediately what works and what doesn’t. With film, if there’s one black movie that comes out and it does poorly, you’ll never get that kind of black movie again.

I saw a movie about racial dynamics recently that was very dogmatic seemed to have all the definitive answers when it came to race relations. Is there a problem with movies like that? We see a lot of them.
Justin: It just depends on what your intention is. I don’t need to be told that racism is bad. I got it. I know it’s bad. Most people know it’s bad. For me to make a movie that, at the core of it, the theme is that racism is bad…I don’t have any interest in saying that. I’m just repeating something that we all already know, and if you don’t know, I don’t think we could even have a conversation at all, let alone me make a movie that you’d want to see. I wasn’t interested in saying that. I was more interested in talking about identity itself. That to me is something we don’t talk about in the context of race a lot, and it’s a lot more nuanced than “racism is wrong”. There’s a lot more to it. For every point there’s a counterpoint that, honestly, from the white point of view could be just as valid. It’s complicated. I’m just more drawn to those kind of stories.

When I see films, particularly about race, that are obvious and dogmatic, it doesn’t leave me with anything to talk about in the lobby. It just tells me what I already knew. I think the point of art is to hold a mirror up so that we can see ourselves in a slightly different way. I just can’t get it up for anything other than stories that do that.

Is there a particular reason Sam’s last name is White?
Justin: All of the characters have character names. Even Lionel Higgins, Coco, Troy Fairbanks…I’m saying something with all of their names. I’ll say that. In my head, it plays into the idea that this is a heightened reality, it’s a satirical space, these are archetypal characters and we only really discover their humanity the longer we watch the film. That was intentional.

Justin Simien naming his debut feature Dear White People is a clear provocation that suggests perhaps an indictment on white Americans by black Americans, or a grand statement on race relations by Simien, a black filmmaker. Surprisingly, you’ll find that behind those three big, inciting words is a film that’s as comedic as it is confrontational and as universal as it is intimate, a new-school satire about black identity that’s more inclusive than exclusive.

Simien asks what value individuality holds in a modern society that, as much as we hate to admit it, still shoves us into color-coded boxes that define us more than our personal preferences and characteristics.”Asks” is the operative word–Simien presents calculated snapshots of big and small absurdities black people face in the Obama era, but by no means endeavors to paint a definitive portrait of the black experience. The answers are ours to search for, in the theater lobby, on the car ride home, and over coffee the next day, or the next day, or the next. With the help of an exceptional young cast, Simien serves up a smorgasbord of food for thought that will hopefully jostle awake those who fall for the false front of “post-racial” America.

Set in the fictitious Ivy League campus of Winchester U., the film revolves around four core characters, each black students struggling with identity in their own way. Sitting atop the university food chain is Troy Fairbanks (Brandon P. Bell), son of the school dean (Dennis Haysbert) and head of Armstrong-Parker, Winchester’s traditionally black residence. Troy got to his esteemed position by being as non-threatening to the predominantly white student body as possible, letting racist comments slide with a laugh, without lifting so much as a finger in protest. His reign as head of Armstrong-Parker comes to an unexpected end, though, at the hands of his activist ex-girlfriend, Samantha White (a magnetic Tessa Thompson), whose snarky radio show, “Dear White People”, has been ruffling feathers with fiery comments like, “Dear white people…please stop touching my hair. Does this look like a petting zoo to you?”

Unlike the outspoken Sam, who’s fervently embraced her blackness, Lionel Higgins (Tyler James Williams) is an outcast on every level. He’s a gay, introverted journalist who’s shunned by his white roomies at his residence, but isn’t exactly welcome at Armstrong-Parker since he doesn’t fit the mold of “strong black male” at all, really. (He listens to Mumford & Sons and loves Robert Altman films, and the only reason he has a giant afro is because he has no black friends to do his hair properly.) While Lionel observes from the periphery, slinking into the limelight from the shadows is Colandrea “Coco” Conners (Teyonah Parris), who’s got dreams of reality-TV stardom. Her blog gets a fraction of the viewers Sam’s “Dear White People” gets, and a reality-TV producer visiting campus suggests she could make more of a splash if she stirred the pot a bit more.

It’s expected that the film will appeal to black audiences (it’s billed as a film about being a “black face in a white place”), but it in essence speaks to everybody; most of the deeper dilemmas faced by the characters are recognizable to anybody, regardless of race. The surface circumstances may differ from person to person, but the characters’ inner-turmoil reads as decidedly human, grounded and existential, not allegorical or lofty, as some may mistakenly interpret.

Sam feels so guilty for dating a white student that she can’t bear to be with him in public for risk of tarnishing her militant image in front of the Panther-ish Black Student Union members she’s aligned with. She also may or may not genuinely enjoy Taylor Swift behind closed doors. Troy is forced to hide his true self away as well, as he’s meticulously shaped himself into the spitting image of what his father and the powerful white people at Winchester expect of an upstanding, cooperative black leader. The expectations and assumptions of others weigh heavy on Troy and Sam every day, with every word they choose, joke they make, and person they sleep with threatening to crumble the image they’ve worked so hard to build. They just want to feel like they belong, and there doesn’t seem to be a place for people who refuse to conform.

Case in point is Lionel, who’s ostracized by just about everyone for being unique. He doesn’t know how to do anything but be himself, and the black “authenticity” the other three characters chase is a mystery to him. He’s a beautiful person, but like the others he’s trapped by black stereotypes, rendering him a shy, fearful pushover. However, Lionel and the others each go through transformations as events move forward, though they may not arrive at places you’d expect or want them to. Again, Simien offers no answers; his characters’ journeys are only meant to raise questions and act as conversation-starters for us as we return to our lives.

From affirmative action, to interracial dating, to the validity of blaming white people for their problems, the characters debate a slew of relevant topics, their clever, carefully-worded rants piercing the air like bullets. Simien’s aesthetic exists somewhere in the space between Spike Lee and Wes Anderson–his characters address the camera directly, often framed symmetrically, and the camera moves are precise and elegant. The soundtrack of Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and Schubert masterpieces makes the film feel timeless while simultaneously representing the phony air of class and properness filling the halls at Winchester.

The plot moves constantly toward the film’s startling climax, a black-themed Halloween party thrown by white students in which they dress up in blackface, wave fake guns in the air, hold fake rap battles and cackle as they drop N-bombs. As you may already know, several parties just like this have sprung up on campuses across the country in recent years, making the harrowing imagery as true as anything we see in 12 Years a Slave. Simien keeps the mood mostly good-natured and humorous throughout, though, because he wants everyone, even white people, to feel comfortable enough to share their thoughts on the film with friends freely, without feeling crippled by guilt.

Simien first filmmaking foray is successful; his observations are enlightening, and his filmmaking skills are confident. While his dialogue is electric, there are a few structural problems with the script, which is too jittery at times, darting between the four characters too frequently. Also, the film’s clear antagonist, Kyle Fletcher (Kyle Gallner), a racist white student whose father is the blowhard school president, feels distractingly one-dimensional next to his emotionally layered nemesis, Troy. This doesn’t take away from the fact that Simien treats his leads with great care, giving Thompson, Bell, Williams, and Parris plenty of room to show us all sides of their respective personalities. A film in the tradition of thoughtful classics like Do the Right Thing and Hollywood Shuffle, Dear White People‘s longterm mark on modern cinema, with hope, will be that it inspires other young, talented filmmakers to explore race relations and the importance of identity in new, inventive ways, much like Simien has done here. Hopefully they hear the call.

Dear White People trailer

We may seem like reclusive budget-shirking obscure film enthusiasts over here at Way Too Indie, and well, some of us are, but we’re not living in any dark holes and far be it from of us to say that a film that had a little money behind it isn’t worth our notice. So here we are, covering our bases.

Mmm. Can you smell the PSL’s and the pumpkin candles? Taste the candy corn? Hear the sound of crunching leaves? See the tearstained faces of movie-goers?

It’s FALL! Bring. On. The. Drama.

You’ve probably already seen the excessive amounts of festival coverage we’ve been doing (No? Oh, here you go: TIFF, NYFF, and MVFF coming at you!) to ensure you know which fall films you MUST see. October is when we jump into film festivals and award-contenders, but the fun side of October is that some of that drama revolves around a few frights.

As far as screams go, we’re looking forward to squirming through a couple anticipated horror films, namely Annabelle (because the first ten minutes of last year’s The Conjuring were absolutely petrifying, and clearly deserving of a spinoff), Stonehearst Asylum (Ben Kingsley AND Michael Caine in a turn of the century insane asylum), and a film we’ve been quite curious about since Comic-Con, Horns (Daniel Radcliffe as the devil incarnate solving his girlfriend’s murder, um yes).

As far as drama goes, this Friday’s release of Gone Girl (our most anticipated film of the fall) has us beyond excited to be tantalized and tortured by the sort of thrilling film only David Fincher can produce. Robert Downey Jr.’s The Judge was buzzed about aplenty at TIFF and we’re excited to see him back in a roll that doesn’t include an iron suit. Whiplash already has our approval, so we say get out there and see it! As does Dear White People, which is a thought-provoking yet bitingly hilarious ensemble satire about race-relations on a fictional college campus. Mid-month you can stay on top of your must-see films by going out to see Birdman, which we’ve been pretty much drooling over since we saw the trailer.

With so much good stuff, we imagine choosing which films to see this month will be difficult, but don’t worry there’s not much you can choose wrong. Unless you choose Left Behind, the Nic Cage helmed remake of the Christian novel. That one we may not be able to give our stamp of approval. Watch at your own risk.

Sweater up, turn on the hot cider, and enjoy October!

October Preview

The Week of September 28

Men, Women, & Children, Annabelle, Gone Girl, The Good Lie, Left Behind, A Good Marriage, Drive Hard, The Hero of Color City

The Week of October 5

 Addicted, Dracula Untold, Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, The Judge, One Chance, Kill the Messenger, Automata, I Am Ali, Whiplash, The Overnighters, Catch Hell

The Week of October 12

Fury, The Book of Life, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Dear White People, Birdman, Camp X-Ray, Young Ones, Felony, Rudderless, The Culture High

The Week of October 19

Ouija, John Wick, Stonehearst Asylum, Reach Me, Exists, White Bird in a Blizzard, St. Vincent 

The Week of October 26

 Nightcrawler, Before I Go to Sleep, Hit By Lightning, Horns, ABC’s of Death 2

September Box Office Domestic Grosses

1. The Maze Runner (Fox) – $58,923,753
2. No Good Deed (Screen Gems) – $46,817,985
3. The Equalizer (Sony) – $37, 108,173
4. Dolphin Tale 2 (WB) – $33,834,383
5. This is Where I Leave You (WB) – $23,016,446

Year-To-Date Box Office Domestic Grosses

1. Guardians of the Galaxy (Buena Vista) – $319,453,527
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Buena Vista) – $259,766,572
3. The LEGO Movie (WB) – $257,760,692
4. Transformers: Age of Extinction (Paramount) – $245,376,378
5. Maleficent (Buena Vista) – $240,366,802

With the Oscars looming on the horizon, it’s time for filmmakers, actors, and studios to bring out the big guns and fight to nab one of those wee golden fellows. For cinema-goers, the fall season is the best time of year: With the summer blockbuster melee out of the way, our focus is shifted to the foreign dramas, auteur showcases, and breakout performances that will populate theaters through to the winter. It’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty, and with so many excellent films to look forward to in the next few months, we’ve compiled our list of 20 must-see films of the fall. Some we’ve seen, and some we haven’t, but all in all, this fall season is shaping up to be one to remember.

20 Essential Fall Films

#20 – Force Majeure

Ruben Östlund made a splash at Cannes back in 2011 with Play, a controversial film based on real-life incidents of a group of children elaborately mugging other kids their age. This year, Östlund returned to Cannes with a different kind of film. A family vacationing at a ski resort in the Alps has a close call with an avalanche, and an impulsive fight-or-flight action by the father causes the family unit to break down. Like it or hate it, Play showed that Östlund has remarkable directorial skills, and the praise from Cannes only has us more excited for his follow-up. After a bow at TIFF, Magnolia will release Force Majeure in October. Keep your eyes on this one, as it’s been one of the more buzzed about foreign films this year. [C.J.]

#19 – Tusk

In 2011, when Kevin Smith released his last feature film, Red State, he announced (with his usual long-windedness) that he’d be retiring from film directing after completing one more film. Since then he seems to have calmed down. At Comic-Con Smith did his usual “Evening with Kevin Smith” where he spent a lot of time talking about the new Star Wars film, before revealing the first trailer for his upcoming film Tusk. Based on a conversation Smith had on his podcast discussing a craigslist ad a man posted offering a free place to live to someone willing to dress as a walrus while there, Smith’s always-buzzing brain of course ran free with the very dark way such a scenario could play out. And the trailer indicates the film is just as creepy, dark, and (because it’s Smith) funny as his imagination could make it. Starring Justin Long as a podcast host investigating a reclusive old mariner in Canada, and playing up Smith’s offbeat sense of humor in lieu of Red State’s politically-charged tension, it seems like Smith may finally have found his perfect style of horror. Release date is September 19th, just in time for some pre-Halloween fun. [Ananda]

#18 – The Two Faces of January

A throwback to ‘60s romance thrillers (and appropriately set in the ‘60s itself), Hossein Amini’s The Two Faces of January throws three excellent actors—Viggo Mortensen, Oscar Isaac, and Kirsten Dunst—into a dizzying, dangerous love triangle set in sun-drenched Greece. An adaptation of a Patricia Highsmith novel, the film is rife with deception, jealousy, and murder, a treat for those of us with a taste for such noir-ish goodies. The film has gotten some decent buzz on the festival circuit, though it’ll likelier to please retro lovers than the mainstream masses when it hits in early October. [Bernard]

#17 – The Theory of Everything

I’m pretty much a sucker for anything involving Stephen Hawking. While he is most known for his brilliant advancements in physics, The Theory of Everything appears to center more around his personal life. Before being diagnosed with a fatal illness at 21 years old, he fell in love with his first wife while studying at Cambridge. Dealing with this tragedy, the film aims to be both heartbreaking and inspirational. Based on the trailer and the award season release date of November 7th, it seems that Eddie Redmayne (who plays Hawking) could be in early contention for an Oscar nomination. We hope to catch its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, so stay tuned for our coverage. [Dustin]

#16 – The Interview

The Interview received a good amount of unexpected publicity thanks to North Korea’s decision to file a complaint with the United Nations over the movie’s plot; TV personality Dave Skylark (James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) become involved in a secret CIA plot to assassinate North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un (Randall Park). This film, the 2nd from Rogen & his writing partner Evan Goldberg as directors following This Is The End, finds the Pineapple Express duo partying hard, rescuing puppies and manning DPRK tanks. Despite Sony’s decision to digitally alter aspects of the movie and (supposed) cutting of a rumored “face melting” scene, reuniting Rogen with Franco in this premise seems absurdly promising. [Zach]

#15 – Listen Up Philip

Because Alex Ross Perry had already mesmerized us with his previous no-budget film The Color Wheel, his newest film Listen Up Philip has been on our radar since its announcement. Then overwhelmingly positive reviews flew in from its Sundance premiere. Combine all of this with the fact Jason Schwartzman and Elisabeth Moss star in the film and you’ve got our full attention. Schwartzman playing an arrogant novelist seems like a perfect role considering his character from HBO’s Bored to Death. Perry is quickly becoming an independent director to keep an eye on, so mark your calendars for when Listen Up Philip opens in theaters on October 17th—we already have. [Dustin]

#14 – The Skeleton Twins

If someone wanted to convince me to watch Craig Johnson’s The Skeleton Twins and began the sentence with “Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig play twins,” I will most likely tune out anything else after that. Deep down I know my mind would already be made up: there’s no way I’m not watching this movie. Hader and Wiig have both grown out of their SNL multi-personas and transitioned into film; Wiig has been the more successful of the two thanks to Bridesmaids, but Hader’s small charming role in The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby hints at his untapped dramatic talent. In any case, The Skeleton Twins looks like a perfect showcase for both actors to show they have what it takes to be both funny and serious. Unveiled at Sundance to very positive response (it’s currently 100% fresh on the Tomatometer) the story deals with the reconnection of twins Milo and Maggie after they both manage to cheat death on the same day. [Nik]

#13 – Big Hero 6

Over the past two decades, Pixar Studios has taken most of the shine away from Disney Animation, and rightfully so. Toy Story is coming up on 20-years-old. Think about that for a second. Disney has had its share of recent hits with Tangled and Frozen, but those are films that aren’t really catered to me. What about a super-hero film about a boy and his robot companion with flavors of Japanese anime? Yeah, that sounds pretty good to me. Big Hero 6 has a lot of potential as a unique entry in the overpopulated super-hero genre. It doesn’t hurt that Baymax looks to be an impossibly cute robot character, on the level of Wall-E and the Iron Giant. I don’t know if the film will be as good as those films, but if it can deliver on the fun premise, it has a chance to be one of the most satisfying films of the year. [Aaron]

#12 – The Overnighters

Earlier this year at Hot Docs I called The Overnighters “a roller coaster” that’s bound to be one of 2014’s best documentaries. My feelings haven’t changed since. Jesse Moss’ remarkable film follows a small town in North Dakota going through an oil boom. As people across the country flock to the town looking for work, a local pastor’s decision to let new arrivals sleep in his church (housing is next to impossible to find) triggers a surprising chain of events. With a narrative so cinematic the doc could easily be adapted into a drama, The Overnighters starts out riveting and never stops. Drafthouse will release the film on October 24th, and don’t be surprised if this one ends up becoming an Oscar nominee. [C.J.]

#11 – White Bird in a Blizzard

This novel adaptation looks to be a stylized coming-of-age story about a teenager (played by Shailene Woodley) whose mother (Eva Green) suddenly disappears one day. The early buzz from its Sundance premiere had people praising Woodley’s brave performance as she swears up a storm and spends a fair amount of time undressed. Perhaps her acting career is evolving from Young Adult hits like Divergent and The Fault in Our Stars to more serious and adult roles. Although Green doesn’t have as much screen time as Woodley because of her character’s mysterious disappearance, it’s been said she makes every minute count. White Bird in a Blizzard will be available on VOD September 25th and in theaters October 24th. [Dustin]

#10 – The Guest

Adam Wingard is proving to be one of the most formidable directors in modern horror, with 2013’s excellent You’re Next infusing the tried-and-true slasher genre with a quirky style that’s both primal and electro-cool. The Guest, his latest offering, again takes an old-school set-up and kicks it in the teeth, straight into the new millennium. Dan Stevens plays a soldier who visits the Peterson family, claiming to have been a close friend of their son, who was killed in action. The family invites him to stay, but as random acts of violence begin to pop up throughout town, young Anna (Maika Monroe) suspects they may stem from their mysterious visitor. I’ve just come from a press screening of the film as I write this, and let me tell you—The Guest is bloody freakin’ brilliant. Go see it when it’s released on September 17th. [Bernard]

#9 – Nightcrawler

Dan Gilroy’s debut feature as a director burst onto the scene with a trailer full of frantic energy. Led by what looks like a batshit performance from Jake Gyllenhaal, he continually reiterates the motto, “If you want to win the lottery, you have to make the money to buy a ticket.” The actor looks increasingly unhinged as freelance crime journalist Lou Bloom, pursuing cop cars and moving bodies to get the perfect crime scene shot before that chill-inducing shot where he screams while grasping at the bathroom mirror. The director, Gilroy, has written several films including Tarsem’s The Fall; however, worthy of note he is the brother of Tony Gilroy (also a producer on Nightcrawler), whose debut as a director (Michael Clayton) became one of the most compelling adult dramas of the last decade. Nightcrawler debuts at TIFF in September before its October 31st U.S. release. [Zach]

#8 – The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby

Most years when I sit down and think about the best films of the year, there is usually one or two picks near the top of my list that are unquestionably flawed, but incredibly daring in its writing and structure — last year’s The Place Beyond the Pines, for example. I don’t know a lot about The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, but the thought of one film basically splitting into two different films from the differing perspectives of a failed relationship has me beyond intrigued. The studios recent decision to theatrically release the film in three different version (labelled Them, Him, and Her) has me wondering if this is going to be cinema gold or a complete train wreck, but it definitely has my attention. [Aaron]

#7 – Stray Dogs

I caught Ming-liang Tsai’s movie at last year’s TIFF, and was floored by its audacious nature and relentless control. It’s a very particular wheelhouse that Tsai’s movies play in, but if it happens to be yours then Stray Dogs will not disappoint. The central narrative storyline deals with a small impoverished family unity (a father and his two children,) as they move around the outskirts of Taipei and try to survive. Those familiar with Tsai’s won’t be surprised to hear about incredibly long takes of actors staring off into oblivion, or a slightly grotesque scene featuring cabbage, but Stray Dogs is nothing if not one of the year’s greatest examples of transcendental and deeply captivating works of cinematic art. The film is finally getting a theatrical release on September 12th courtesy of Cinema Guild. [Nik]

#6 – Foxcatcher

Capote and Moneyball director Bennett Miller returns with what many have described as his passion project, a film about the late John du Pont, whose attempt to support the US wrestling program in spite of declining mental health. The unlikely actor portraying du Pont is comedian Steve Carell in a part tailored for Oscars consideration, flanked by both Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo in strong roles. While the film was among our writer Nik’s Cannes disappointments this year, there are many touting not only the highly anticipated performances. After stops at TIFF and NYFF in September and October, Foxcatcher opens everywhere on November 14th. [Zach]

#5 – Dear White People

It’s about time a filmmaker set their sights on race in America, especially with people claiming the country is now living in a “post-racial” society. Justin Simien’s debut feature Dear White People is an ensemble following several black students at an Ivy League school, a premise Simien uses to open up a funny and probing insight into what race and identity means today. Back at the LA Film Festival, our writer Ananda said Dear White People is “sharply written” and “progressive and humorous”, and we can’t wait to see it once it comes out on October 17. [C.J.]

#4 – Whiplash

Whipping up a mighty buzz-storm at Sundance, Damien Chazelle’s drummer drama Whiplash stars Miles Teller as a young percussionist pushed to the breaking point by his vicious drum instructor, played by JK Simmons. Teller has been living up to expectations with each role he tackles, proving to be one of the most promising new faces in movies, and combined with Simmons’ veteran savvy, sparks should fly as their combative mentor-pupil story unfolds. Since Sundance in January, the excitement surrounding the film hasn’t fizzled in the slightest, a strong indicator that we’re in for a treat when it drops in October. [Bernard]

#3 – Interstellar

I’m partly tempted to explain Interstellar’s placement toward the top of our most anticipated Fall films list by simply stating “Because Chris Nolan” and “Because Matthew McConaughey”, but if you need qualifiers, I bet I can think of a few. For starters, the ambiguity surrounding the film for so long indicates (and it would be par for the course with Nolan) that Interstellar might be more than we yet know. The latest trailer gives us plenty to stew over. Dirt storms show a water shortage on Earth and Matthew McConaughey’s character, Cooper, is a father faced with the difficult decision of leaving his children to travel through a wormhole to find a new planet for humans to survive on. Along with fellow spacetraveler, Brand (Anne Hathaway), and a few others, Cooper and the small team travels through some gorgeously crafted foreign galaxies. Further motivation to see the film in IMAX. But knowing Nolan, who loves his late reveals and complicated relationships, we can almost guarantee that Interstellar will, ahem, take us further into space and story than we can even imagine. The film releases on Nov. 7th, which seems like forever. [Ananda]

#2 – Birdman

Despite some slight foreboding after watching the trailer for Birdman, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s new film is still one of my personal must-see films of the year, mainly for two reasons. Firstly, Iñárritu has yet to truly disappoint me (yes, I even liked Babel) and perhaps I’m even more inclined towards his new film because his last one, Biutiful, was so undeservedly neglected by many. Secondly, this is cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki’s first post-Gravity project to see release and he’s a guy who knows how to make pretty pictures, plus there’s reports of more long take wizardry in Birdman. Add to that the ensemble cast of Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis and Naomi Watts all lead by a resurgent Michael Keaton, and there’s really no need to go any further. The film will open the Venice Film festival, play the New York Film Festival, and then unspool for the public on October 17th. [Nik]

#1 – Gone Girl

Top of the list is the latest from a perennial favorite, David Fincher. Not only is he master of the book to film adaptation, but he excels when working with crooked characters. And Gillian Flynn’s bestselling novel Gone Girl is a character-study in marital crookedness. In the film, Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne, a man whose wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), goes missing on their 5th wedding anniversary. When her disappearance goes public, Nick finds himself the primary suspect and the most hated man in the country, and as detectives uncover more around the case, Nick begins to question just how well he knew his own wife. I predict the sort of character mastery we’ve seen in House of Cards and Social Network combined with the nerve-fraying plot development of Se7en and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Rumor has it the ending is slightly different than the book, co-written by Flynn and thus having her blessing, so even those of us familiar with the novel should be in for some new twists come October 3 when the film is released. It’s going to be a dark and twisty fall, and we can’t wait. [Ananda]

Check out the first trailer for Sundance hit Dear White People, written and directed by Justin Simien. The film stars Tyler James Williams and Tessa Thompson as black students at a primarily white Ivy League college during a time of racial discontent.

By the looks of the trailer, Dear White People seems to be a sharp comedy that actually tackles some difficult questions. It’s difficult for a film to take on the subject of race without feeling overly angry or completely washed-over, so the film may be a welcome attempt to seriously talk about race in the quote-unquote post-racial modern era. We had positive things to say about Dear White People at its LAFF premiere last month.

Dear White People opens in theaters on October 17.

Dear White People trailer

Before Wednesday’s Los Angeles Film Festival Gala Screening of Dear White People, director Justin Simien, along with exec-producer Stephanie Allain, told white members of the audience that they were absolutely “allowed to laugh”. An ominous sort of joke, but considering the deep satire contained within this Sundance favorite, it was a joke entirely in keeping with the film’s mood.

Set on the fictional Ivy League campus of Winchester University, where different residential halls reflect certain stereotypes, race, and class distinctions, the film follows four black students with four different perspectives and different experiences dealing with the people surrounding them in our so-called (by some) post-racial society. Samantha White (Tessa Thompson, whom Veronica Mars fans will recognize), a bi-racial radical, hosts a radio show called “Dear White People” where she regularly offers sarcastic advice to white people on their interactions with black people. Her opening joke being that the acceptable number of black friends to have so as not to appear racist has just been raised to two, and your weed provider doesn’t count. Interspersed throughout the film, her jokes add a harsh but effective humor.

Next we have Troy (Brandon Bell), son to the college’s Dean (Dennis Haysbert) and all around go-getter, he holds the title of Head of House over the historically black resident hall Parker/Armstrong. When the house’s election is sabotaged by Samantha’s friend Reggie (Marque Richardson), she ends up winning against Troy, bringing with her all the aggressive views she holds on the diversification of their house. Immediately she bans non-residents from eating in their hall, mostly meaning white students, and victoriously throws the privileged President’s son, Kurt (Kyle Gallner, another Veronica Mars star) and his comedy troupe Pastiche, out of the hall. Wishing she had as many YouTube views as Samantha is Colandrea ‘Coco’ Conners (Teyonah Parris), whose attention seeking ways have her vying for a spot on a reality show while doing her best to fit in with the white crowd. And last is Lionel Higgins (Tyler James Williams of Everybody Hates Chris), who is asked to write a piece on the racial tensions brewing on campus though internally he doesn’t believe he fits into either the black or the white crowd.

The film shows the different ways these black students, and indeed anyone of any race, approach their own identity. Samantha, the anarchist seeks mostly to show the holes in society and the barriers we have yet to overcome. Troy, the somewhat two-faced people-pleaser, becomes what most impresses those in his vicinity. Coco compromises herself for the sake of fitting in. Lionel wants recognition for his writing abilities, not his race, while writing a piece on a culture he hardly understands despite belonging to it. All of their various experiences come to a head when one of the residence halls on campus decides to throw an African-American themed party with atrocious stereotypes in abundance and white people showcasing their insensitivity.

Claiming a love for Robert Altman in the Q&A after the film, Simien similarly handles the heavy task of directing an ensemble cast with excellent results. The film is sharply written, out to prove that black films can feature intelligence and self-awareness and still be funny without any wigs, fat suits, or Tyler Perry tropes. Some of the story elements are slightly contrived, characters being the most extreme versions of themselves, but satire aims at showcasing ridiculousness and none of the more melodramatic choices Simien opted for detracts from the film’s social criticism.

Progressive and humorous, the film teems with talent all around, but more than anything is a perfect catalyst for conversation.

Way Too Indie loves Film Independent and their support of independent cinema, so we’re quite excited to see the line-up announcement for this year’s Los Angeles Film Festival. This year marks 20 years of the festival and to mark the occasion they are showcasing films inspired by the city.

The festival kicks off with the North American première of Bong Joon-Ho’s Chris Evans helmed, sci-fi action film, Snowpiercer and will close with the première of Clint Eastwood’s Jersey Boys, based on the hit musical and starring Christopher Walken. Gala screenings include Ira Sachs’ Love Is Strange, which stars John Lithgow and Alfred Molina as longtime companions who finally get to marry only to be separated by housing issues, Justin Simien’s Dear White People about black students at Winchester University who take action over a racist frat party, and Hossein Amini’s The Two Faces of January, starring Viggo Mortenson and Kirsten Dunst as misguided tourists caught up in a murder mystery.

A few of the competing categories below and the full list and press release here.

Competing in the Narrative category

10 Minutes, Dir. Lee Yong-Seung, South Korea
Comet, Dir. Sam Esmail, USA.
Lake Los Angeles, Dir. Mike Ott, USA.
Man From Reno, Dir. Dave Boyle,  USA
Recommended By Enrique, Dir. Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia, USA/Argentina/France
Runoff, Dir. Kimberly Levin, USA
Someone You Love, Dir. Pernille Fischer Christensen, Denmark
Uncertain Terms, Dir. Nathan Silver, USA
The Young Kieslowski, Dir. Kerem Sanga, USA

Competing in the Documentary category

Billy Mize and the Bakersfield Sound, Dir. William J. Saunders, USA
The Life and Mind of Mark DeFriest, Dir. Gabriel London, USA/Canada
Meet the Patels, Dirs. Geeta V. Patel, Ravi V. Patel, USA/India
My Name Is Salt, Dir. Farida Pacha, Switzerland/India
Out in the Night, Dir. blair dorosh-walther, USA
Sound of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story, Dir. N.C. Heikin, USA
Stray Dog, Dir. Debra Granik, USA
Walking Under Water, Dir. Eliza Kubarska, Poland/Germany/UK