It’s that time of year again. The Toronto International Film Festival is ready to start, and we’re ready to bring as much coverage as we can to our readers. And while people will be talking about the celebrities or any one of the 285 features selected for the festival, there’s another part of TIFF that deserves just as much attention. A whopping 108 short films will play this year, a much higher number compared to previous years. That’s because TIFF used to only have one programme dedicated to Canadian shorts. This year they’ve expanded things out to include international short films as well, a welcome addition to the festival.

We were lucky enough to catch some of the short films in both the Canadian and International programmes before the festival, and have written about some of our personal favourites. If you have the time, you should definitely check out some of the shorts programmes at TIFF. The festival groups films into several back-to-back marathons, each one uniting the selected shorts around an overall theme. It’s a chance to see some really great programming from the festival staff, and it offers the ability to watch some excellent shorts you may otherwise never see in the best possible viewing conditions.

To find out more about Short Cuts Canada, click here, and to find out more about the Short Cuts International programme click here. The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 4th to 14th in Toronto, Canada.

Canadian Shorts

CODA

Playing in Short Cuts Canada Programme 1

Denis Poulin and Martine Époque’s animation/motion capture of the finale of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring demands a viewing on the big screen. Using light, darkness and vivid colours to make their gorgeously abstract animations pop, the two directors create a truly original and exhilarating short film. [C.J.]

Last Night

Playing in Short Cuts Canada Programme 5

Ever call someone out on a lie, only to see them stubbornly refuse to admit their wrongdoing no matter how much the evidence stacks against them? Last Night is the short for you. When a man accuses his roommate of doing something terrible to him the night before (it’s best to discover the specific accusation for yourself), the roommate refuses to confess. What follows is one absurd development after another, and the way Last Night quickly veers off into absurdist comedy works like gangbusters. [C.J.]

Entangled

Playing in Short Cuts Canada Programme 4

A woman tries to find out what science experiment her now-catatonic lover was working on, and what she discovers leads to a fun piece of low-key science fiction.. Tony Elliott’s short may feel quite stuffed for its 15-minute runtime, but that’s a good thing; it has a great concept at its centre, one that feels like it could easily transition to feature-length without a problem. Fans of low budget science fiction like Primer or Coherence, as well as fans of Orphan Black (Elliott is a writer for the show) shouldn’t miss out on this one. [C.J.]

Take Me

Playing in Short Cuts Canada Programme 2

A hospital worker tasked with helping permanently disabled patients gets pushed to his limits when he has to help a husband and wife in “the intimacy room.” Take Me packs plenty of power in its short runtime. It’s a quiet, human drama bolstered by great performances. [C.J.]

Intruders

Playing in Short Cuts Canada Programme 5

A 9-minute short split into 3 different stories, Intruders certainly has ambition. The bookending segments work well as minimalist horror pieces, but it’s the second segment that stands out. A young boy pulls a Rear Window when he uses a telescope to spy on the apartment building across from him, and what he sees is the stuff of nightmares. The way this sequence combines real and surreal images only adds to how terrifying it is, making it one of the short programmes’ highlights. It’s also one of the best-looking short films in the lot too, with plenty of striking cinematography. [C.J.]

The Underground

Playing in Short Cuts Canada Programme 6

Inspired by Rawi Hage’s novel Cockroach, The Underground follows a young Iranian refugee barely scraping by in Canada. Alone and living in poverty, he begins imagining himself as a cockroach while he wanders the streets looking for food and supplies. Director Michelle Latimer’s short has plenty of style, but it never overpowers the heart of the film. It’s an impressive, evocative story anchored by an impressive performance from Omar Hady. [C.J.]

Running Season

Playing in Short Cuts Canada Programme 5

When his father dies, a man heads off to PEI to try to sell his house for a quick return. The only problem is that severed feet keep washing up on the town’s shore, a grisly piece of news that decreases the value of the house. Running Season is fantastic, the kind of showcase for director/co-writer Grayson Moore and writer Nigel Turgeon-Mannion to help move on to bigger and better things. The way Moore and Turgeon-Mannion strongly establish a character with a single line shows serious talent. The way someone says “Your father was a…consistent man” is all that’s needed to understand what kind of relationship the main character had with his father. The short’s centerpiece, a long conversation and negotiation over the house, is a brilliant piece of writing, starting out friendly before slowly generating a surprising amount of tension. Running Season might not be just the best short at TIFF; it might be one of the best things there, period. [C.J.]

Chamber Drama

Playing in Short Cuts Canada Programme 3

Megan, a young girl with hypersensitive hearing works as an intern at an acoustics lab, trying to impress her boss into letting her stay on instead of hiring a replacement once her internship ends. Chamber Drama is compelling all the way through, with some truly arresting images used to represent Megan’s hypersensitivity to sound. Out of what we’ve seen in the Canadian line-up, it’s definitely one of the programmes’ most assured short films. [C.J.]

A Tomb With a View

Playing in Short Cuts Canada Programme 4

At a scant 7 minutes, A Tomb With a View quickly covers a fascinating topic: the world’s tallest graveyard, a multi-storey necropolis looking more like an average apartment building than a cemetery. Director Ryan J. Noth exploits the disturbing quality of the graveyard before letting an architect explain why it’s such an unsettling sight; seeing the same structure people live most of their life in used as a monument to the dead provides a lot of bothersome associations. With nice cinematography and some brief but effective uses of music, A Tomb With a View benefits from its quick, no frills approach. [C.J.]

International Shorts

everything & everything & everything

Playing in Short Cuts International Programme 1

Take a Charlie Kaufman-esque premise, throw in some David Fincher and Paul Thomas Anderson and you might get an idea of what everything & everything & everything is like. An isolated man (Shane Carruth, Upstream Color) suddenly finds a glowing blue pyramid in his apartment. The only thing the pyramid does is generate a doorknob on command, something the man sees as a business opportunity. Director Alberto Roldan shows off major talent in this short, using montage and long takes in seriously impressive ways. Here’s hoping we don’t hear the last of him. [C.J.]

130919 • A Portrait Of Marina Abramović

Playing in Short Cuts International Programme 5

It’s tough to judge a 2D version of a 3D project, but if Matthu Placek’s 130919 has me excited about it in 2D, I can only imagine how amplified it will be on the big screen in 3D. Shot on location in a desolate warehouse (though “space-ground” is a term that comes more readily to mind), which will later turn into the Marina Abramović Institute in New York, this film is a single 6-minute swooping take of the embodiment of human body within space. If you’re not familiar with Abramović and her provocative post-modern performance pieces, do yourself a big favor and watch Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present. But whether you’re familiar with the artist or not, Placek’s portrait, with its haunting score and clenched sense of empowerment, will beguile you. [Nik]

Growing Pains

Playing in Short Cuts International Programme 2

The one that stuck out to me the most from the second programme in the International Short Cuts was Tor Fruergaard’s Growing Pains. It’s a horrific and fantastical sort of coming-of-age story, perfectly conceptualized for an animated world. When the opening sequence of the film is a young boy jacking off to a porn mag, you know you’re not watching a Pixar short. Watching stuff like this reminds me how Lars Von Trier put Denmark on the map, because his spirit is certainly felt; one close-up in particular will have all the men in the audience heave a collecting sigh of relief that this is, after all, just a cartoon. Of course, even when Felicia enters the picture and the story takes a curve into horror-fantasy, Growing Pains is much, much more than just a cartoon. [Nik]

(NULL)

Playing in Short Cuts International Programme 4

Unlikely to be outsmarted or outstyled in its programme, (NULL) is pure invention and in four short minutes provides probably the most exhilarating ride I’ve been on in terms of International Shorts appearing at TIFF. Directed by David Gesslbauer and Michael Lange, the film is reminiscent of an old-school Prodigy music video; the rabid, kinetic energy of a woman’s life as captured through a circular aspect ratio, with every manageable object (cups, fans, make-up, glasses, disco-balls, rolled-up dollar bills, washing machines, etc.) engulfing the edges and taking the “vicious circle” concept to literal and lively levels. Good news is; it all comes full circle in the end. (Couldn’t resist.) It’s placed alongside more formal shorts that deal with personal, political, and economic problems, but don’t be surprised if (NULL) ends up spinning the wheels in your head the most. [Nik]

The Warren

Playing in Short Cuts International Programme 1

James Adolphus makes his directing debut with his short film The Warren, which gets its World Premiere in TIFF’s new International Short Cuts programme. Together with his DP Guy Godfree, and editors Jarod Shannon and Bret Bachman, Adolphus successfully captures the pulsating anxiety and escalating fear of a midnight raid by the Israeli Defense Forces. During 11 gritty minutes, the viewer is paralyzed in the uncomfortable moments of a disturbing reality faced by thousands of refugees who have forgotten what safety feels like. The buildup concludes with a hair-raising moment of silence between oppressor and oppressed that will stay with the viewer for some time to come. [Nik]

Tricycle Thief

Playing in Short Cuts International Programme 3

A man is struggling to make ends meet as a tricycle cabbie in Macau, living in poverty and on the verge of getting his family evicted. Then, one night, a rejected customer steals his tricycle and the internal conflict of baser characteristics that are found in desperate men starts to bubble up. Maxim Bessmertnyi directs this mini odyssey set in the illuminated and rainy streets of a Macau night, and what struck my fancy the most with Tricycle Thief is the cinematography from Jordan Lavi Quellman (no doubt channeling some Wong Kar-Wai and Ming-liang Tsai imagery,) complimenting Bessmertnyi’s controlled pace so well. It makes for an absorbing watch, and the way that finale plays out with the wife, the sarcastic chuckle, and that music; it’s a positive sign that Maxim Bessmertnyi has a bright future ahead of him in the arthouse field of cinema if he keeps this up. [Nik]

Listen

Playing in Short Cuts International Programme 5

A Muslim woman comes to the police begging them to arrest her abusive husband, hoping they can put him away before he makes good on his promise to kill her and their son. The woman can’t speak Danish, making the police rely on a translator who purposely provides an incorrect translation of the woman’s pleas (“We’ll contact the imam. He’ll find a solution,” the translator tells the woman). Listen is deliberately frustrating, but its impact is undeniably powerful. [C.J.]

A Single Life

Playing in Short Cuts International Programme 2

In 2 minutes, directors Job, Joris & Marieke go through one woman’s entire life, no small feat for something no longer than your average commercial break. A woman finds a vinyl outside her apartment, and when she starts playing it she notices the record has a special power: time can go forwards or backwards depending on the position of the needle. It’s a cute animated short with a catchy song at the centre of it. And the ending provides a nice, morbidly funny touch to it all. [C.J.]

For all intents and purposes, Shane Carruth has completely disappeared off the filmmaking radar ever since his mind blowing indie sci-fi debut of Primer eight years ago. The only place his name has appeared since then was in the Thank You section of the credits in Looper. For Upstream Color the self-proclaimed “control freak” handles more than just the directorial duties as Carruth also; wrote, acted, co-edited, scored, and even self-distributed the film. At times Upstream Color will seem impenetrable and elusive, and at others it will make perfect sense; what remains constant is a mesmerizing and yet challenging film that explores the spirituality between humans and nature.

Near the beginning of the film, a creative professional named Kris (Amy Seimetz) is suddenly drugged by a mysterious thief (Thiago Martins) who uses a special maggot like creature that has a brainwashing effect. This leaves her in a hypnotic state where the thief has full control over her mind and what she does. Under his instructions, Kris empties out her entire savings account to him. A few days later she comes to her senses to find a long worm crawling under her skin. Another stranger takes her in, seemingly to help remove the worms, though ends up performing a surgery that exchanges fluids between her and a pig. It is nearly as bizarre as it sounds, although everything is done very technical and matter-of-factly that it looks believable in a sci-fi kind of way.

Soon after Kris realizes that she no longer has any money or her job, she runs into a man on a train who she has never met before yet is strangely drawn to. She learns that this man (Shane Carruth) suffered from a similar event that also left his past cloudy. Quickly, the two begin to bond as they share this intangible connection that they cannot quite figure out. This leads to the main plot of the film; their exploration into just how exactly their childhood experiences seem to blend as one.

The film itself plays out more like an abstract recollection of someone’s past than a straight dialog driven narrative. Beautifully lensed with outstanding stimulating visuals, Upstream Color perfectly illustrates the symbolizing connection between human and nature. Pairing wonderfully with the visuals is the masterful editing that keeps the pacing of the film in check. The editing here is extremely important as it cuts back and forth enough to simulate the kind of blurry state the characters themselves experience. The result is one of the better edited films of its kind in recent time.

Another part where the film excelled in was the score, which I mentioned before that Carruth himself wrote. The original music that he creates superbly compliments the eerie nature of the film. The score is ambient enough to not be overstated, but yet still noticeably enhances the tone the film aims for.

Upstream Color definitely calls for a second viewing to fully appreciate everything that is thrown at the viewer. But even then, I wonder if the film would still be fully realized. It is not that the film is impossible to decipher, but that it is shown in an abstract manner without a straightforward direction with somewhat dense storytelling. Perhaps a second viewing would also enhance the emotional relationship between Kris and Jeff, instead of the forced one that the viewer gets thrown suddenly into on the first watch.

By the time the credits roll, you will feel like you have just woken up for a multidimensional hypnotic state just like the characters in the film. There is definite method to its madness that purposely leaves the viewer a little puzzled with what exactly transpired. But the beauty of Upstream Color is that the film wants you to further explore all the themes, connections, and emotions on your own, and in order to do that, multiple viewings may be required.

Science fiction geeks fans and film critics cheered when the announcement was made that Shane Carruth’s sophomore film, Upstream Color, will be premiering at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in January. Not much is known yet about his new film, so it could be every bit as scientifically trippy as his first film, Primer. At the point, two teaser trailers have surfaced and yet the actual details of what the film is about remains mostly unknown. From watching the two introductory trailers, Upstream Color appears to contain the same kind of uniqueness as Primer, while still heavy with cryptic undertones.

Last week I posted a trailer to Terrence Malick’s To The Wonder and based purely on these trailers, the two films have the potential to make one remarkable double feature.

First teaser trailer for Upstream Color:

Second teaser trailer:

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.