2017 Film Lineup

The 2017 Film Festival hosted 9 days of screenings from March 10-19, 2017. Browse the 2017 lineup featuring high caliber and diverse films—programming ranges from independent films by new filmmakers to Hollywood comedies and genre standouts.


About Films

 

For nine days in March, creatives of all stripes gather for the acclaimed SXSW Film Program to celebrate raw innovation and emerging talent from both behind and in front of the camera. Browse by selection:

Narrative Feature Competition | Documentary Feature Competition | Headliners | Narrative Spotlight | Documentary Spotlight | Visions | Midnighters | Episodic | 24 Beats Per Second | Global | Festival Favorites | Special Events | Narrative Shorts | Documentary Shorts | Animated Shorts | Midnight Shorts | Music Videos | Texas Shorts | Texas High School Shorts | VR | Excellence in Title Design

Narrative Feature Competition

 

Ten world premieres; ten unique ways to celebrate the art of storytelling. Selected from 1,407 narrative feature submissions in 2017.

A Bad Idea Gone Wrong (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Jason Headley
Two would-be thieves forge a surprising relationship with with an unexpected housesitter when they accidentally trap themselves in a house they just broke into. Cast: Matt Jones, Eleanore Pienta, Will Rogers, Jonny Mars, Sam Eidson, Jennymarie Jemison.

A Critically Endangered Species (Poland, United States) (World Premiere)
Directors/Screenwriters: Zachary Cotler, Magdalena Zyzak
An internationally respected poet announces she is going to kill herself and needs an heir and executor. Young writers drive up the mountain to compete for the position and are challenged intellectually, emotionally, and erotically. Cast: Lena Olin, Rosanna Arquette, Jordan Gavaris, Alexander Koch, Nathan Keyes, Chris Voss.

Dara Ju (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Anthony Onah
A young Nigerian-American financier struggles with love, family, and a prescription drug dependency as his ambitions steer him down a criminal path. Cast: Aml Ameen, Lucy Griffiths, Michael Hyatt, Peter Vack, Hope Olaidé Wilson, Souléymane Sy Savané, Craig muMs Grant, Bill Sage.

Fits and Starts (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Laura Terruso
A struggling writer can't seem to escape his wife's literary success. When a road trip to a publisher's salon takes an unexpected turn, he has to face his own creative shortcomings and find a way to regain control of his life and work. Cast: Wyatt Cenac, Greta Lee, Maria Dizzia, Alex Karpovsky, Ben Sinclair, Onur Turkel, John Rothman, Louis Cancelmi, Larry Murphy, Sam Seder.

La Barracuda (World Premiere)
Directors: Julia Halperin, Jason Cortlund, Screenwriter: Jason Cortlund
A strange woman comes to Texas to meet her half-sister and stake a claim to the family music legacy—one way or another. Cast: Allison Tolman, Sophie Reid, JoBeth Williams, Luis Bordonada, Larry Jack Dotson, Butch Hancock, Bob Livingston, The Mastersons.

The Light of the Moon (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Jessica M. Thompson
After her world is irrevocably changed, a successful New York City architect struggles to regain intimacy and control in her life. Cast: Stephanie Beatriz, Michael Stahl-David, Conrad Ricamora, Catherine Curtin, Olga Merediz, Cindy Cheung, Susan Hayward, Craig Walker, Cara Loften, Michael Cuomo.

Like Me World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Rob Mockler
A reckless loner, desperate for human connection, sets out on a crime spree that she broadcasts on social media. Her reality quickly splinters into a surreal nightmare as her exploits spiral out of control. Cast: Addison Timlin, Ian Nelson, Larry Fessenden, Jeremy Gardner, Stuart Rudin, Nicolette Pierini.

MFA (World Premiere)
Director: Natalia Leite, Screenwriter: Leah Mckendrick
The accidental death of her rapist sets an art student on a course for justice, fueling the inspiration for her thesis exhibition. Cast: Francesca Eastwood, Clifton Collins Jr, Peter Vack, Leah Mckendrick, Marlon Young, David Sullivan, Michael Welch.

Most Beautiful Island (Spain, United States) (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Ana Asensio
An undocumented young woman struggling to begin a new life in New York City is offered an opportunity she can’t pass up. But as day turns to night she discovers she’s been lured to the center of a dangerous game. Cast: Ana Asensio, Natasha Romanova, David Little, Nicholas Tucci, Larry Fessenden, Caprice Benedetti.

The Strange Ones (World Premiere)
Directors: Lauren Wolkstein, Christopher Radcliff, Screenwriter: Christopher Radcliff
Mysterious events surround the travels of two brothers as they make their way across a remote American landscape. On the surface all seems normal, but what appears to be a simple vacation soon gives way to dark and complex truths. Cast: Alex Pettyfer, James Freedson-Jackson, Emily Althaus, Gene Jones.

Documentary Feature Competition

 

Ten world premieres: ten real world stories that demonstrate innovation, energy and bold voices. Selected from 973 feature documentary submissions in 2017.

Bill Frisell, A Portrait (Australia) (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Emma Franz
An intimate, behind-the-music portrait of one of the most unassuming yet influential creative artists of our time, guitarist Bill Frisell. Frisell said of the film, "It’s like the inside of my brain!"

The Blood is at the Doorstep (World Premiere)
Director: Erik Ljung
After Dontre Hamilton, a black, unarmed man diagnosed with schizophrenia, was shot 14 times and killed by police in Milwaukee, his family embarks on a quest for answers, justice and reform as the investigation unfolds.

Dealt (World Premiere)
Director: Luke Korem, Screenwriters: Bradley Jackson, Luke Korem
Sixty-two year old Richard Turner is renowned as one of the world’s greatest card magicians, yet he is completely blind. This is an in-depth look at a complex character who is one of magic’s greatest hidden treasures.

I Am Another You (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Nanfu Wang
Through the eyes of a young drifter who rejects society's rules and intentionally chooses to live on the streets, Chinese filmmaker Nanfu Wang explores the meaning of personal freedom – and its limits.

Let There Be Light (Canada) (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Mila Aung-Thwin
Let There Be Light follows the story of dedicated scientists working to build a small sun on Earth, which would unleash perpetual, cheap, clean energy for mankind. After decades of failed attempts, a massive push is now underway to crack the holy grail of energy.

Maineland (China, United States) (World Premiere)
Director: Miao Wang
Chinese teenagers from the wealthy elite, with big American dreams, settle into a boarding school in small-town Maine. As their fuzzy visions of the American dream slowly gain more clarity, their relationship to home takes on a poignant new aspect.

Mommy Dead and Dearest (World Premiere)
Director: Erin Lee Carr
Child abuse, mental illness, and forbidden love converge in this mystery involving a mother and daughter who were thought to be living a fairy tale life that turned out to be a living nightmare.

Served Like A Girl (World Premiere)
Director: Lysa Heslov
Five women veterans who have endured unimaginable trauma in service create a shared sisterhood to help the rising number of stranded homeless women veterans by entering a competition that unexpectedly catalyzes moving events in their own lives.

The Secret Life of Lance Letscher (World Premiere)
Director: Sandra Adair
Witness the collision of memory, color, and chaos in this unprecedented journey through the visionary mind of collage artist Lance Letscher.

The Work (World Premiere)
Directors: Jairus McLeary, Gethin Aldous
Set entirely inside Folsom Prison, The Work follows three men during four days of intensive group therapy with convicts, revealing an intimate and powerful portrait of authentic human transformation that transcends what we think of as rehabilitation.

Headliners

 

Big names, big talent: Headliners bring star power to SXSW, featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with major and rising names in cinema.

Atomic Blonde (World Premiere) Director: David Leitch, Screenwriter: Kurt Johnstad, Based on the Oni Press graphic novel series by Antony Johnston Oscar® winner Charlize Theron explodes into summer in Atomic Blonde, a breakneck action-thriller that follows MI6’s most lethal assassin through a ticking time bomb of a city simmering with revolution and double-crossing hives of traitors. Cast: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Til Schweiger, Eddie Marsan, Sofia Boutella and Toby Jones.

Baby Driver (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Edgar Wright
A talented, young getaway driver relies on the beat of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game. But after being coerced into working for a crime boss, he must face the music when a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom. Cast: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Jon Bernthal, Eiza González, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx.

The Disaster Artist (Work-in-Progress)
Director: James Franco, Screenwriters: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber, Based on the book The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside the Room, The Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made
This is a true story about the making of The Room; the cult classic described as the Citizen Kane of bad movies Cast: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Josh Hutcherson, Ari Graynor, Jacki Weaver, Alison Brie.

Free Fire (UK) (U.S. Premiere)
Director: Ben Wheatley, Screenwriters: Ben Wheatley, Amy Jump
Bold, breathless and wickedly fun, Free Fire is an electrifying action comedy about an arms deal that goes spectacularly and explosively wrong. Directed by Ben Wheatley. Starring Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, Sharlto Copley, Jack Reynor. Cast: Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer, Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Jack Reynor, Babou Ceesay, Enzo Cilenti, Sam Riley, Michael Smiley, Noah Taylor.

Life (UK) (World Premiere) Director: Daniel Espinosa, Screenwriters: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick Life is a terrifying sci-fi thriller about a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station whose mission of discovery turns to one of primal fear when they find a rapidly evolving life form that caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth. Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, Olga Dihovichnaya

On The Road (UK) (North American Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Michael Winterbottom
Michael Winterbottom follows acclaimed British rock band and Grammy nominees Wolf Alice on their tour, recording their gigs as well as the romance and routine of their daily life backstage.

Song to Song (World Premiere)
Director: Terrence Malick
In this modern love story set against the Austin, Texas music scene, two entangled couples -- struggling songwriters Faye and BV, and music mogul Cook and the waitress whom he ensnares -- chase success through a rock ‘n’ roll landscape of seduction and betrayal. Cast: Rooney Mara, Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett.

Narrative Spotlight

 

High profile narrative features receiving their World, North American or U.S. premieres at SXSW.

The Archer (World Premiere)
Director: Valerie Weiss, Screenwriter: Casey Schroen
Archer champion Lauren Pierce escapes a corrupt juvenile correctional facility with Rebecca, a fierce but alluring inmate and together they must survive a desperate warden who is bow-hunting his prey to make sure his secret stays buried. Cast: Bailey Noble, Bill Sage, Jeanine Mason, Michael Grant Terry, Kurt Fuller, Dendrie Taylor, Grace Victoria Cox, Andrew Caldwell.

The Ballad of Lefty Brown (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Jared Moshé
Aging sidekick Lefty Brown (Bill Pullman) has ridden with Eddie Johnson (Peter Fonda) his entire life. But when a rustler kills Eddie, Lefty is forced from his partner’s shadow and must confront the ugly realities of frontier justice. Cast: Bill Pullman, Kathy Baker, Jim Caviezel, Tommy Flanagan, Peter Fonda, Joe Anderson, Diego Josef, Michael Speers, Lewis Pullman, Joseph Anderson.

Daphne (UK) (North American Premiere)
Director: Peter Mackie Burns, Screenwriter: Nico Mensinga
Daphne is London. Daphne is the crowd of faceless strangers we brush past everyday. Daphne is being young and always searching for more. Daphne is life, an unpredictable mixture of comedy and tragedy. Cast: Emily Beecham, Geraldine James, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Nathaniel Martello-White.

Easy Living (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Adam Keleman
Sherry Graham, a self-destructive makeup saleswoman, hopes a new man and business venture will provide her a fresh start. After her plans are foiled, she takes control of her life in a dramatic turn of events. Cast: Caroline Dhavernas, McCaleb Burnett, Elizabeth Marvel, Charlie Hofheimer, Jen Richards, Daniel Eric Gold, C.J. Wilson, Taylor Richardson, Mary Catherine Garrison.

Gemini (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Aaron Katz
A heinous crime tests the complex relationship between a tenacious personal assistant and her Hollywood starlet boss. As the assistant unravels the mystery, she must confront her own understanding of friendship, truth, and celebrity. Cast: Lola Kirke, Zoë Kravitz, John Cho, Greta Lee, Michelle Forbes, Nelson Franklin, Reeve Carney, Ricki Lake, Jessica Parker Kennedy, James Ransone.

Going to Brazil (France) (International Premiere)
Director: Patrick Mille, Screenwriters: Julien Lambroschini, Sabrina Amara, Patrick Mille
Four childhood friends are reunited at a wedding in Rio. But when they accidentally kill a young man during a party that gets out of hand, they are forced to flee the city in a crazy adventure. Cast: Alison Wheeler, Vanessa Guide, Margot Bancilhon, Philippine Stindel, Patrick Mille.

Hot Summer Nights (World Premiere)
Director: Elijah Bynum
A lonely teenage boy is sent away to Cape Cod where he befriends the town rebel, falls in love and becomes entangled in a drug ring all over the course of one summer in 1991. Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Maika Monroe, Alex Roe, Maia Mitchell, William Fichtner, Thomas Jane, Emory Cohen.

Hounds of Love (Australia) (North American Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Ben Young
In the mid 1980’s seventeen-year-old Vicki Maloney is randomly abducted from a suburban street by a disturbed couple. As she observes the dynamic between her captors she quickly realizes she must drive a wedge between them if she is to survive. Cast: Ashleigh Cummings, Emma Booth, Stephen Curry, Susie Porter, Damian de Montemas, Harrison Gilbertson, Fletcher Humphrys.

Lane 1974 (World Premiere)
Director: SJ Chiro, Screenwriters: SJ Chiro, Clane Hayward
At 13 years old and the eldest of three kids, Lane struggles to keep her family together as her iconoclast mother moves without warning through the communes and dusty back woods of Northern California. Cast: Sophia Mitri Schloss, Katherine Moennig, Sara Coats, Linas Phillips, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sarah-Eve Gazitt, Annette Toutonghi, Harry Curtis, Ronin West, Shayla Timbermoon.

Madre (Chile) (North American Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Aaron Burns
A pregnant woman, who is taking care of her son with development problems, is at her breaking point when a caregiver from the Philippines steps into her life. Diana suspects that she's using voodoo against her after the quick improvements of her son. Cast: Daniela Ramirez, Cristobal Tapia Montt, Aida Jabolin, Matias Bassi, Ignacia Allamand, Nicolás Durán.

Most Hated Woman In America (World Premiere)
Director: Tommy O'Haver, Screenwriters: Tommy O'Haver, Irene Turner
Darkly funny, true story of the rise and untimely demise of Madeline Murray O’Hair—crank, swindler, iconoclast, and America’s most outspoken atheist. Cast: Melissa Leo, Adam Scott, Juno Temple, Vincent Kartheiser, Josh Lucas, Peter Fonda.

Mr. Roosevelt (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Noël Wells
After a death in her family, struggling LA-based comedian Emily Martin returns to Austin. There she finds herself in the awkward position of staying with her ex and his new girlfriend until the funeral, while trying to close old doors from her past. Cast: Noël Wells, Nick Thune, Britt Lower, Daniella Pineda, Andre Hyland, Doug Benson, Armen Weitzman, Sergio Cilli.

Paris Can Wait (U.S. Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Eleanor Coppola
A devoted American wife (Diane Lane) with a workaholic inattentive husband (Alec Baldwin), takes an unexpected journey from Cannes to Paris with a charming Frenchman (Arnaud Viard) that reawakens her sense of self and joie de vivre. Cast: Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard, Alec Baldwin.

Small Crimes (World Premiere)
Director: Evan Katz, Screenwriters: Evan Katz, Macon Blair
Small Crimes is a delightfully suspenseful, blackly comic tale that follows a disgraced former cop, fresh off a six-year prison sentence for attempted murder, who returns home looking for redemption but winds up trapped in the mess he left behind. Cast: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Jacki Weaver, Robert Forster, Gary Cole, Molly Parker, Macon Blair, Pat Healy.

Small Town Crime (World Premiere)
Directors/Screenwriters: Ian Nelms, Eshom Nelms
Ex-cop, Mike Kendall, finds the body of a young woman and, in an act of self-redemption, becomes hellbent on finding the killer. While his uncouth, quirky detective style helps break the case, his dogged determination puts his family in danger. Cast: John Hawkes, Anthony Anderson, Octavia Spencer, Robert Forster, Clifton Collins, Jr., Michael Vartan, James Lafferty, Daniel Sunjata, Caity Lotz, Jeremy Ratchford.

This Is Your Death (World Premiere)
Director: Giancarlo Esposito, Screenwriters: Kenny Yakkel, Noah Pink
This Is Your Death is an unsettling look at reality T.V. where a disturbing hit game show has its contestants ending their lives for the public's enjoyment. It captures the sad truths about the world's desire to be famous. Cast: Josh Duhamel, Famke Janssen, Giancarlo Esposito, Sarah Wayne Callies, Caitlin Fitzgerald, James Franco.

Us and Them (UK) (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Joe Martin
Working class Danny aims to kick start a revolution by turning the tables on the establishment with a deadly game of chance. Cast: Jack Roth, Tim Bentinck, Andrew Tiernan, Daniel Kendrick, Sophie Colquhoun, Paul Westwood, Carolyn Backhouse, Louis Dempsey.

Win It All (World Premiere)
Director: Joe Swanberg, Screenwriters: Joe Swanberg, Jake Johnson
Small time Chicago gambler, Eddie Garrett, agrees to watch a duffel bag for an acquaintance who is heading to prison. When he discovers cash in the bag, he hatches a plan to win big, against the advice of his gambling sponsor and his brother. Cast: Jake Johnson, Aislinn Derbez, Joe Lo Truglio, Keegan-Michael Key.

Documentary Spotlight

 

Shining a light on new documentary features receiving their World, North American or U.S. premieres at SXSW.

Barbecue (Australia) (World Premiere)
Director: Matthew Salleh
Barbecue is about more than grilling a piece of meat. It’s a ritual performed religiously across the world. For some it's a path to salvation. It is the pride of nations. And the stories told around the fires become a way to bring the world together.

Bill Nye: Science Guy (World Premiere)
Directors/Screenwriters: David Alvarado, Jason Sussberg
A famous television personality struggles to restore science to its rightful place in a world hostile to evidence and reason.

Disgraced (World Premiere)
Director: Pat Kondelis
The untold story of the summer of 2003 at Baylor University that exposes the attempted cover-up, and the corruption that became the most bizarre scandal in college sports history.

Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web (New Zealand) (World Premiere)
Director: Annie Goldson
Discover the story of the most wanted man online.

Meth Storm: Arkansas USA (World Premiere)
Directors: Craig Renaud, Brent Renaud
With unparalleled access on both sides of the law, METH STORM: Arkansas USA is a thrilling non-fiction cops and robbers drama told from inside the American drug war.

Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo (UK) (World Premiere)
Director: David Fairhead, Screenwriters: David Fairhead, Keith Haviland
At the heart of the Apollo program was the special team in Mission Control who put a man on the moon and helped create the future.

Muppet Guys Talking - Secrets Behind the Show the Whole World Watched (World Premiere)
Director: Frank Oz
Five of the original Muppet performers come together for the first time ever to share behind-the-scenes secrets of the Muppets. Includes rare performance footage, surprising stories and insights into how Jim led his team to produce legendary work.

Pornocracy (France) (North American Premiere)
Director: Ovidie
Never before have we watched as much porn as today yet the traditional porn industry is dying. The arrival of web sites showing amateur clips has transformed the way porn is made and consumed. Behind this transformation lies one opaque multinational.

Spettacolo (World Premiere)
Directors: Jeff Malmberg, Chris Shellen, Screenwriter: Chris Shellen
Once upon a time there was a tiny hill town in Tuscany that found a remarkable way to confront their issues - they turned their lives into a play.

Stranger Fruit (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Jason Pollock
What happened on August 9th, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri? On that hot summer day, Officer Darren Wilson killed 18-year-old Michael Brown. Stranger Fruit is the unraveling of what took place that day, told through the eyes of Mike Brown’s family.

Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall (World Premiere)
Director: Katherine Fairfax Wright
After building an empire on YouTube, Todrick Hall leaps beyond his comfort zone and deep within his own backstory to create his most dazzling and vital work yet, but with only a few weeks and a few coins, will he crush it or will it crush him?

The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin (World Premiere)
Director: Jennifer M. Kroot
The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin celebrates one of the world’s most beloved storytellers, following his evolution from a conservative son of the Old South into a gay rights pioneer whose novels inspired millions to reclaim their lives.

Walk With Me (UK) (World Premiere)
Directors: Max Pugh, Marc J. Francis
Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch, Walk With Me is a cinematic journey into the world of a monastic community who practice the art of mindfulness with Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh.

Visions

 

Visions filmmakers are audacious, risk-taking artists in the new cinema landscape who demonstrate raw innovation and creativity in documentary and narrative filmmaking.

Assholes (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Peter Vack
Adah and Aaron are recovering addicts who are struggling to stay sober. After meeting in their psychoanalyst’s waiting room, they fall in love, relapse on poppers, and become the biggest assholes in New York City. Cast: Betsey Brown, Jack Dunphy, Peter Vack, Patrick LaBella, Jane Brown, Ron Brown, Eileen Dietz.

Becoming Bond (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Josh Greenbaum
The stranger-than-fiction true story of George Lazenby, a poor Australian car mechanic who, through an unbelievable set of circumstances, landed the role of James Bond despite having never acted a day in his life.

California Dreams (North American Premiere)
Director: Mike Ott
A look at how the American Dream and Hollywood affect those they touch. Cast: Cory Zacharia, Patrick Llaguno, Neil Harley, Kevin Gilger aka K-Nine Dog the Impersonator, Carolan J. Pinto, Mark Borchardt.

DRIB (Norway) (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Kristoffer Borgli
The inside story of how Amir (29) scammed his way to viral fame, fooled an advertising agency, and almost became the international face of a well-known energy drink - before everything went wrong. Cast: Amir Asgharnejad, Brett Gelman, Adam Pearson, Annie Hamilton, Alexandra Marzella, Hugo Armstrong, Joe Hartzler, Andrew Lauer.

Flesh and Blood (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Mark Webber
Mark Webber boldly explores family dynamics using his real family as the cast and real-life situations for the story. Combining reality with fiction he exposes a disturbing truth: his family tree is full of broken branches that may never be repaired. Cast: Mark Webber, Cheri Honkala, Guillermo Santos, Madeline Brewer.

Infinity Baby (World Premiere)
Director: Bob Byington, Screenwriter: Onur Tukel
A comedy about babies that don't age. Cast: Kieran Culkin, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Nick Offerman, Martin Starr, Kevin Corrigan, Megan Mullaly, Noel Wells, Stephen Root.

Inheritance (World Premiere)
Directors/Screenwriters: Laura E. Davis, Jessica Kaye
A woman learns her estranged father has died and returns with her brother and new lover to her childhood home of Belize, where she must face her past while fighting for intimacy in the present. Cast: Jessica Kaye, Daniel Ahearn, Mark Webber, Shamira Gill-Card, Myrna Manzanares, Louis Oberlander.

Lucky (World Premiere)
Director: John Carroll Lynch, Screenwriters: Logan Sparks, Drago Sumonja
Lucky follows the spiritual journey of a 90 year old atheist (Harry Dean Stanton), having outlived and out smoked his contemporaries, as he comes to terms with his own mortality, and searches for ever elusive enlightenment. Cast: Harry Dean Stanton, David Lynch, Ron Livingston, Ed Begley Jr., Tom Skerritt, Beth Grant, James Darren.

Paa Joe & The Lion (Ghana, United Kingdom) (North American Premiere)
Director: Benjamin Wigley
A true story about the art of love and death. A thought provoking and cinematic documentary film rooted in the universal themes of love, death and legacy set against one of the most beautiful art-forms in the world - Ghana’s very own fantasy coffin.

Porto (Portugal) (North American Premiere)
Director: Gabe Klinger, Screenwriters: Larry Gross, Gabe Klinger Jake and Mati are two outsiders in Porto who once experienced a brief connection. A mystery remains about the moments they shared, and in searching through memories, they relive the depths of a night uninhibited by the consequences of time. Cast: Anton Yelchin, Lucie Lucas, Fran Lebrun, Paulo Calatr.

Ramblin' Freak (World Premiere) Director: Parker Smith In the wake of a devastating personal tragedy, a struggling would-be filmmaker finds a revealing home video in an old camcorder purchased on eBay and takes off with his cat on a cross-country road trip to find its owner: “The Man Whose Arms Exploded" Cast: Parker Smith, Gregg Valentino

Rat Film
Director/Screenwriter: Theo Anthony
Across walls, fences, and alleys, rats not only expose our boundaries of separation but make homes in them. Rat Film is a feature-length documentary that uses the rat—as well as the humans that love them, live with them, and kill them.

The Relationtrip (World Premiere)
Directors: Renée Felice Smith, C.A. Gabriel, Screenwriters: C.A. Gabriel, Renée Felice Smith, Dana Scanlon
After bonding over their mutual disinterest in relationships, self-proclaimed loners, Beck and Liam, decide to go away together on a 'friend' trip where things get weird. Really, really weird. Cast: Renée Felice Smith, Matt Bush, Eric Christian Olsen, Linda Hunt, Nelson Franklin, Brandon Kyle Goodman, Sally Struthers, Georgia Mischak, Owain Rhys Davies.

Signature Move (World Premiere)
Director: Jennifer Reeder, Screenwriters: Fawzia Mirza, Lisa Donato
A secret new romance with Alma forces Zaynab to confront her complicated relationship with her recently widowed mother. In this coming-of-age Muslim melodrama, Zaynab copes by taking up Lucha-style wrestling. Cast: Fawzia Mirza, Shabana Azmi, Sari Sanchez, Audrey Francis, Charin Alvarez, Mark Hood, Molly Brennan.

Sylvio (World Premiere)
Directors: Albert Birney, Kentucker Audley, Screenwriters: Albert Birney, Kentucker Audley, Meghan Doherty
A small town gorilla joins a local TV program and a series of on-air mishaps threaten to shatter his identity, sending him on an adventure of self-discovery where reality and fantasy start to blend. Cast: Albert Birney, Kentucker Audley, Tallie Medel, Meghan Doherty.

Midnighters

 

Scary, funny, sexy, controversial and provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious.

68 Kill (World Premiere)
Director: Trent Haaga, Screenwriters: Trent Haaga based on the novel by Bryan Smith
Chip's problem is that he can't say no to beautiful women. This weakness gets him into a world of trouble when he agrees to help his girlfriend steal $68,000. Cast: Matthew Gray Gubler, Annalynne McCord, Alisha Boe, Sheila Vand, Sam Eidson, Lucy Faust, Eric Podner, Peter James, Hallie Grace Bradley, James Moses Black.

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon: 10th Anniversary Screening
Director: Scott Glosserman, Screenwriters: David Stieve, Scott Glosserman
At SXSW in 2006 AICN's Quint wrote: ...it just had its world premiere at the Alamo a few hours ago. I hope to see this one get picked up, but I guarantee this one will make it. Ten years after its 2007 theatrical, the 35mm print returns to the fest! Cast: Nathan Baesel, Angela Goethals, Robert Englund, Scott Wilson, Zelda Rubinstein, Kate Lang Johnson, Britain Spellings, Bridgett Newton, Ben Pace

Game of Death (Canada, France) (World Premiere)
Directors: Laurence "Baz" Morais, Sebastien Landry, Screenwriters: Laurence "Baz" Morais, Sebastien Landry, Edouard Bond and adapted by Philip Kalin-Hajdu
In the middle of small-town nowhere, seven friends are forced to kill or be killed when they play the Game of Death. When faced with their own mortality, will they turn on each other to survive? Cast: Sam Earle, Victoria Diamond, Emelia Hellman, Catherine Saindon, Nick Serino, Erniel Baez D., Thomas Vallieres, Jane Hackett.

The Honor Farm (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Karen Skloss
After prom night falls apart, Lucy finds herself at a very different kind of party...On a psychedelic trip that could be a dangerous trap. Cast: Olivia Applegate, Louis Hunter, Dora Madison, Liam Aiken, Katie Folger, Michael Eric Reid, Mackenzie Astin, Michelle Forbes, Josephine McAdam, Christina Parrish

Lake Bodom (UK)
Director: Taneli Mustonen, Screenwriters: Taneli Mustonen, Aleksi Hyvrinen
Reconstructing a legendary campsite murder turns fatal when the girls decide to rewrite history. As night falls, turns out not all of them are there to play. Cast: Nelly Hirst-Gee, Mimosa William, Mikael Gabriel, Santeri Mäntylä

Mayhem (World Premiere)
Director: Joe Lynch, Screenwriter: Matias Caruso
After being framed for corporate espionage on the same day that a mysterious virus is unleashed on his company, attorney Derek Cho is forced to savagely fight tooth and nail for not only his job but his life. Cast: Steven Yeun, Samara Weaving, Dallas Mark Roberts, Caroline Chikezie, Mark Stewart Frost, Kerry Fox, Lucy Chappell, Steven Brand.

Meatball Machine Kodoku (Japan) (World Premiere) Director: Yoshihiro Nishimura, Screenwriters: Yoshihiro Nishimura, Sakichi Sato
A long-awaited sequel to the internationally acclaimed full-throttle splatter sci-fi action horror Meatball Machine directed by Yoshihiko Nishimura, an acclaimed makeup artist and special effects designer (“Godzilla Resurgence”). Cast: Yoji Tanaka, Yurisa, Takumi Saito.

PIG: The Final Screenings (World Premiere) Director: Adam Mason A savage satire of gender politics in America, Adam Mason is guaranteed to shock and offend with Pig. Created with actor and long time collaborator Andrew Howard, Pig is a virtuoso piece of pure cinema. Cast: Andrew Howard, Guy Burnet, Lorry Stone, Juliet Quintin-Archard, Molly Black.

Tragedy Girls (Canada, USA) (World Premiere) Director: Tyler MacIntyre, Screenwriters: Chris Lee Hill, Tyler MacIntyre, based on an original screenplay by Justin Olson A twist on the slasher genre following two budding teenage sociopaths who use their online show about real-life tragedies to send their small midwestern town into a frenzy, cementing their legacy as modern horror legends. Cast: Brianna Hildebrand, Alexandra Shipp, Craig Robinson, Josh Hutcherson, Kevin Durand, Jack Quaid, Timothy V. Murphy, Nicky Whelan, Austin Abrams, Kerry Rhodes.

Two Pigeons (UK) (World Premiere)
Director: Dominic Bridges, Screenwriter: Rae Brunton
A wide-boy estate agent unknowingly shares his home with a malicious tenant, one with a totally surprising agenda. Two Pigeons is a dark urban morality tale with an underlying streak of jet black comedy. Cast: Mim Shaikh, Javier Botet, Mandeep Dhillon, Kola Bokinni, Michael McKella

Episodic

 

Featuring innovative new work aimed squarely at the small screen, Episodic tunes in to the explosion of exciting material on non-theatrical platforms, including serialized TV, webisodes and beyond. (New for 2017: Open to all badgeholders)

American Gods (World Premiere)
Director: David Slade, Screenwriters: Bryan Fuller, Michael Green
Adapted from Neil Gaiman's award-winning novel, American Gods follows Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) and Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane) in a hidden world where a battle is brewing between Old Gods and New. Cast: Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane, Emily Browning, Pablo Schreiber, Bruce Langley, Yetide Badaki, Jonathan Tucker, Mousa Kraish, Betty Gilpin, Gillian Anderson.

Dear White People (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Justin Simien
Based on the critically-acclaimed 2014 film by the same name, Dear White People is a send-up of the now post “post-racial” America that weaves together a universal story of finding one’s own identity, as told from a biting millennial point of view. Cast: Logan Browning, Brandon P. Bell, Antoinette Robertson, DeRon Horton, John Patrick Amedori.

I Love Bekka & Lucy (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Rachael Holder
Two inseparable and idiosyncratic best friends face the evolution of their friendship when one of them gets engaged. Cast: Jessica Parker Kennedy, Tanisha Long, Alexis Denisof, Christopher Nicholas Smith.

I'm Dying Up Here (World Premiere)
Director: Jonathan Levine, Screenwriter: Dave Flebotte
Set in L.A.’s celebrated, infamous stand-up comedy scene of the 1970s, this new series delves into the inspired and damaged psyches that inhabit the hilarious, but complex business of making an audience laugh. Executive produced by Jim Carrey. Cast: Melissa Leo, Ari Graynor, Clark Duke, Michael Angarano, Andrew Santino, Stephen Guarino, Erik Griffin, RJ Cyler, Al Madrigal, Dylan Baker.

Nobodies (World Premiere)
Showrunner, Director: Michael McDonald, Pilot Director: Ben Falcone, Screenwriters: Hugh Davidson, Larry Dorf, Rachel Ramras
The series is inspired by the real lives of Hugh Davidson, Larry Dorf and Rachel Ramras, who watched as their friends from The Groundlings went on to star in blockbuster comedies and win Oscars, while they were waiting for their one big break. Cast: Hugh Davidson, Larry Dorf, Rachel Ramras.

The Son (World Premiere)
Director: Tom Harper
Based on the New York Times best-selling and Pulitzer Prize finalist novel, The Son is a sweeping family saga that spans 150 years and three generations of the McCullough family. Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Jacob Lofland, Henry Garrett, Paola Nunez, Carlos Bardem, Zahn McClarnon, Jess Weixler, David Wilson Barnes, Sydney Lucas.

24 Beats Per Second

 

Showcasing the sounds, culture and influence of music & musicians, with an emphasis on documentary.

As I Walk Through The Valley (World Premiere)
Directors: Ronnie Garza, Charlie Vela
As I Walk Through The Valley is a journey into the underground music scene of Texas' southernmost border-region. Follow four generations of Valley musicians as they struggle to find a voice of their own in the land of charro beans and Tejano legends.

G-Funk (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Karam Gill
G-Funk is the untold story of three childhood friends from East Long Beach who helped commercialize hip hop by developing a sophisticated and melodic new approach - merging Gangsta Rap with elements of Motown, Funk, and R&B.

Give Me Future (aka Incoming Transmission) (United States, Cuba)
Director: Austin Peters
Cuba as you have never seen it before.

A Life in Waves (World Premiere)
Director: Brett Whitcomb, Screenwriter: Bradford Thomason
A Life in Waves explores the life and innovations of composer and electronic music pioneer, Suzanne Ciani.

Long Strange Trip Director: Amir Bar-Lev
Emerging from the Bay Area’s vibrant 1960s counterculture, the Grateful Dead were a motley crew whose unique sound sprang from an eclectic blend of influences: bluegrass, folk ballads, R&B, free-form jazz, classical, and jug band.

May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers (World Premiere)
Directors: Judd Apatow, Michael Bonfiglio
An intimate portrait of the acclaimed North Carolina band the Avett Brothers, as they create their hit album "True Sadness."

Patti Cake$ Director: Geremy Jasper
Straight out of Jersey comes Patricia Dombrowski, a.k.a. Killa P, a.k.a. Patti Cake$, an aspiring rapper fighting through a world of strip malls and strip clubs on an unlikely quest for glory. Cast: Danielle Macdonald, Bridget Everett, Siddharth Dhananjay, Mamoudou Athie, Cathy Moriarty.

Residente (Armenia, Burkina Faso, China, Georgia, Mongolia, Niger, Russian Federation, USA) (World Premiere)
Director: René Pérez Joglar
After taking a DNA test, Latin America’s most decorated artist - Rene Perez (AKA Residente), embarks on a global adventure, to trace the footsteps of his ancestors and record his latest album.

Song of Granite (Canada, Ireland) (North American Premiere)
Director: Pat Collins, Screenwriters: Pat Collins, Eoghan McGiolla Bhríde, Sharon Whooley Acclaimed filmmaker Pat Collins brings the dramatic life story of legendary seannós singer Joe Heaney to the screen in Song of Granite, an audacious exploration of the man and his music. Cast: Macdara Ó Fatharta, Mícheál Ó Chonfhaola, Jaren Cerf, Pól Ó Ceannabháín, Colm Seoighe.

Thank You, Friends: Big Star's Third Live... and More (World Premiere)
Director: Benno Nelson
A celebration of the musical legacy of Memphis' best-known secret - Big Star - performed by a collective featuring members of Big Star, the dB's, Let's Active, the Posies, R.E.M., Semisonic, Wilco and Yo La Tengo with the Kronos Quartet and more.

Global

 

A diverse selection of International filmmaking talent, featuring innovative narratives, artful documentaries, premieres, festival favorites and more.

Bad Lucky Goat (Colombia) (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Samir Oliveros
After accidentally killing a bearded goat with their father's pick-up truck, two incompatible siblings in their teenage years, embark on a journey of reconciliation. Cast: Honlenny Huffington, Kiara Howard, Elkin Robinson, Michel Robinson, Ambrosio Huffington, Jean Bush.

The Challenge (France, Italy) (North American Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter:Yuri Ancarani
In The Challenge, the director crosses the Persian Gulf to accompany a falconer to an important competition. Among SUVs, Lamborghini, private jets and Mad Max-like dune bashing contests, the film tells the story of an intense weekend in the desert.

The Cloud Forest (Mexico) (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Mónica Álvarez Franco
A small community in Veracruz is the guardian of one of the ecosystems facing the most risk: the cloud forest. By redesigning their needs, education and relationship with other people and with nature, they search for a simpler and sustainable life.

Divine Divas (Brazil) (North American Premiere)
Director: Leandra Leal, Screenwriters: Carol Benjamin, Leandra Leal, Lucas Paraizo, Natara Ney
Eight iconic performers of the first generation of Brazilian transvestite artists go on stage to celebrate their 50th career jubilee. The film depicts the human, personal dimension behind these icons, deconstructing gender stereotypes.

Inflame (Turkey) (North American Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Ceylan Ozgun Ozcelik
Her nightmare is reality, and the reality is a nightmare. Cast: Algi Eke, Ozgur Cevik, Kadir Cermik, Asiye Dincsoy, Selen Ucer, Ipek Turktan Kaynak.

Satan Said Dance (Poland) (North American Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Kasia Roslaniec
Satan Said Dance is an Instagram film in times of the selfie. A kaleidoscope of moments from life of Karolina - a scandalous writer obsessed with parties, drugs, sexuality and complex relationships, on her way to self-destruction. Cast: Magdalena Berus, Lukasz Simlat, Tygo Gernandt, Hanna Koczewska, Marta Nieradkiewicz, Danuta Stenka.

Tormentero (Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico) (U.S. Premiere)
Director: Rubén Imaz, Screenwriters: Fernando del Razo, Rubén Imaz
Romero Kantún is a retired fisherman, who lives mired in nostalgia, but feels that it is time to reclaim what he lost decades ago, when he discovered the great oilfield that ended fishing on his island and won him the fishermen’s rejection. Cast: José Carlos Ruiz, Gabino Rodríguez, Mónica Jiménez, Waldo Facco.

Win By Fall (Germany) (North American Premiere)
Director: Anna Koch, Screenwriters: Anna Koch, Julia Lemke
At the age of 12, Janny, Lisa, Debby and Michelle leave their home for a sports school in the East German province to become wrestlers. A documentary about coming-of-age between boarding school corridors, wrestling gyms and boy band posters.

Festival Favorites

 

Acclaimed standouts & selected previous premieres from festivals around the world.

The Big Sick
Director: Michael Showalter, Screenwriters: Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani
A couple deals with their cultural differences as their relationship grows. Cast: Kumail Nanjani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupani Euler, Zienobia Sfiroff, Adeel Akfitar, Bo Burnhani, Mary Aidy Bryant, Kurt Braunohler.

Chasing Coral
Director: Jeff Orlowski, Screenwriters: Davis Coombe, Vickie Curtis, Jeff Orlowski
Coral reefs around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented rate. A team of divers, photographers and scientists set out on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why and to reveal the underwater mystery to the world.

Colossal
Director/Screenwriter: Nacho Vigalondo
An unapologetic party girl (Anne Hathaway) dreams of a fresh start only to discover a mysterious and fantastical connection between herself and a city-wrecking monster on the other side of the globe. Cast: Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Dan Stevens, Austin Stowell, Tim Blake Nelson.

GORAN (Croatia) (U.S. Premiere)
Director: Nevio Marasović, Screenwriter: Gjermund Gisvold
Some good news leads to chaos. Cast: Franjo Dijak, Nataša Janjić, Janko Popović Volarić, Goran Bogdan, Milan Štrljić.

The Hero Director: Brett Haley, Screenwriters: Brett Haley, Marc Basch
The Hero tells the story of movie star Lee Hayden whose career high as Western film icon is now several decades in the past. Cast: Sam Elliott, Laura Prepon, Krysten Ritter, Nick Offerman, Katharine Ross.

Lemon Director: Janicza Bravo, Screenwriters: Janicza Bravo, Brett Gelman
A man watches his life unravel after he is left by his blind girlfriend. Cast: Brett Gelman, Judy Greer, Michael Cera, Nia Long, Shiri Appleby, Rhea Perlman, Fred Melamed, Gillian Jacobs, Martin Starr, David Paymer.

Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press
Director/Screenwriter: Brian Knappenberger
The trial between wrestler Hulk Hogan and Gawker Media pitted privacy rights against freedom of the press, but ended up as a case study in how big money can silence media through legal means. An examination of the free press in an age of inequality.

Person to Person
Director/Screenwriter: Dustin Guy Defa
A record collector hustles for a score while a lovelorn roommate regrets a dire mistake, a teenager bears witness to her friend’s new relationship, and a rookie reporter and her demanding boss chase clues to a homicide involving a jaded watchmaker. Cast: Abbi Jacobson, Michael Cera, Tavi Gevinson, Philip Baker Hall, Bene Coopersmith, George Sample III, Isiah Whitlock, Ben Rosenfeld, Olivia Luccardi.

Prevenge (UK) Director/Screenwriter: Alice Lowe
Alice Lowe (Sightseers) is a triple threat as the writer, director and star of this pitch-black comedy about a pregnant woman whose unborn child spurs her on to murder. Cast: Alice Lowe, Dan Renton Skinner, Jo Hartley, Tom Davis, Leila Hoffman, Kate Dickie, Kayvan Novak, Mike Wozniak, Tom Meeten, Gemma Whelan.

David Lynch - The Art Life Director: Jon Nguyen A film that deeply explores the experiences that shaped one of cinema's most distinctive voices: David Lynch. Presented by FilmStruck.

The Transfiguration (North American Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Michael O'Shea
This atmospheric New York tale about love, loss, and vampires follows Milo, a 14-year-old boy with a dark secret. The surprise of the Cannes Film Festival 2016. Cast: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine, Aaron Moten, Carter Redwood, Danny Flaherty, Larry Fessenden, Lloyd Kaufman.

Through the Repellent Fence: A Land Art Film
Director: Sam Wainwright Douglas Through The Repellent Fence: A Land Art Film follows art collective Postcommodity as they construct Repellent Fence, a two-mile long outdoor artwork that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border. Postcommodity consists of three artists who put land art in a tribal context. In 2015 the artists worked with communities on both sides to install a series of 28 huge inflatable spheres emblazoned with an insignia known as the “open eye” that has existed in Indigenous cultures from South America to Canada for thousands of years. The artwork crossed the border a mile in each direction and symbolized a suture stitching together cultures that have inhabited the land long before borders were drawn.

Trophy (USA, South Africa) Director: Shaul Schwarz, Screenwriter: Christina Clusiau
Endangered African species like elephants, rhinos, and lions march closer to extinction each year. Trophy investigates the powerhouse businesses of big game hunting, breeding, and wildlife conservation.

Unrest Director: Jennifer Brea
When Harvard PhD student Jennifer is struck down at 28 by a fever that leaves her bedridden, doctors tell her it’s “all in her head.” Determined to live, she turns her camera on herself and a hidden world of millions confined to their homes.

Walking Out Directors/Screenwriters: Andrew Smith, Alex Smith
Based on the masterpiece, American short story, Walking Out, follows David (Josh Wiggins), a typical teenage urbanite as he travels to rural Montana to go hunting with his estranged, 'off the grid' father, Cal (Matt Bomer). Cast: Matt Bomer, Josh Wiggins, Bill Pullman, Alex Neustaedter, Lily Gladstone, Ken White, Scott McMillion.

Special Events

 

Live soundtracks, cult re-issues & much more. Our Special Events section offers unusual, unexpected and unique one-off film events.

Alien
Director: Ridley Scott, Screenwriter: Dan O'Bannon
In space, no one can hear you scream. Cast: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto.

Cartoon Network Screening (U.S. Premiere)
Join Cartoon Network for fun, games and NEW, NEW, NEW, NEW episodes of The Amazing World of Gumball, We Bare Bears, Ben 10 and Teen Titans Go! But don’t go anywhere before the big surprise!!

Doug Benson Master Pancake Doug Benson returns in the continuing tradition of our annual St. Patrick's Day screening of the Leprechaun series. On March 17 we present Leprechaun 5: In The Hood, directed by Rob Spera.

Earth (with live score by DakhaBrakha) (Ukraine)
Director: Alexander Dovzhenko
Earth. This 1930's silent film tells the story of farmers resisting Stalin’s plan to collectivize their farms. This performance features DakhaBrakha playing their own live score for this classic of Soviet cinema.

Ghost in the Shell
Director: Mamoru Oshii
Ghost in the Shell questions human existence in the fast-paced world of the information age, this award-winning, cyber-tech thriller has established itself as one of the leading Japanese animation films of all time. Cast: Atsuku Tanaka, Akio Otuska, Koichi Yamadera, Yukaka Nakano, Tamio Oki, Tessho Genda, Namaki Masakazu, Iemasa Kayumi.

Helvetica: 10th Anniversary Screening Director: Gary Hustwit The pioneering design documentary Helvetica premiered at SXSW in 2007, and kickstarted a wave of dozens of design films that have been released since. Join director Gary Hustwit for this special 10th Anniversary screening of Helvetica.

Hype!: 20th Anniversary Screening
Director: Doug Pray
Hype! rocks the definitive story of the birth and explosion of the Pacific NW music scene known globally as “grunge.” With humor and intense live performances, “Hype!” immerses you in the vibrant subculture and media madness of early ‘90s Seattle.

Le Ride
Director: Phil Keoghan, Screenwriters: Phil Keoghan and Louise Keoghan
Television personality Phil Keoghan retraces the 1928 Tour de France riding an original vintage bicycle, with no gears, as he tells the forgotten ‘underdog’ story about the first English speaking team to take on the toughest sporting event on earth.

Narrative Shorts

 

A selection of original, well-crafted films that take advantage of the short form and exemplify distinctive and genuine storytelling.

Adult (Australia) (North American Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Jamieson Pearce
It is 1996. A middle-aged woman sits on a city bench on the wrong side of town. Waiting. Is anyone watching her? A pause in the traffic. The woman stands and shuffles across the road. The door to the Adult Store swings shut behind her. 

American Paradise Director/Screenwriter: Joe Talbot
Folk tale meets modern tragedy, American Paradise is the story of a man in Donald Trump's America who attempts to shift his fate with the perfect crime: a bank heist in a black-guy-mask.

Cla'am (UK) (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Nathaniel Martello-White A dark, surreal comedy about a local man who becomes convinced that a vast conspiracy is behind the impossibly rapid gentrification in his London area. But is it all in his head, or is the truth even darker than he imagines.

Cubs (Iceland) (North American Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir
A single father wants to fulfil his young daughter’s wish to throw a slumber party for her friends, but it turns out to be more of a challenge than he thought due to the rules of modern society.

DeKalb Elementary (North American Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Reed Van Dyk Inspired by a 911 call placed during a school shooting incident in Atlanta, Georgia.

Forever Now (Denmark) (World Premiere) Director: Kristian Håskjold, Screenwriters: Kristian Håskjold, Trille Cecilie Uldall-Spanner After several years together William and Cecilie break up. To treat the sorrow with love the same night they decide to do the drug, MDMA, together. This results in an emotional rollercoaster ride for better or worse over a whole weekend.

Fry Day (World Premiere) Director: Laura Moss, Screenwriters: Laura Moss, Brendan Brien An adolescent girl comes of age against the backdrop of serial killer Ted Bundy's execution in 1989.

Gamechanger (Netherlands) (World Premiere) Director: Christian van Duuren, Daan Gielis
On his way to another tour of duty abroad, thirty-year-old Max gets caught up in a game with the young boys next door. Max gradually loses sight of reality, and the boys lose their innocence.

I Know You From Somewhere Director/Screenwriter: Andrew Fitzgerald A young woman incurs the wrath of the internet after she inadvertently becomes a viral sensation.

Laps Director/Screenwriter: Charlotte Wells On a routine morning, a woman on a crowded New York City subway is sexually assaulted in plain sight.

Melon Rainbow (Denmark) (North American Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Laurits Flensted-Jensen Melon Rainbow is a young girl who yearns to be seen.

The Mess He Made (World Premiere) Director: Matthew Puccini A man spends 15 minutes waiting for the results of a Rapid HIV test in a small-town strip mall.

Mutt (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Erin Sanger A family's plan to stage an intervention unravels.

The Robbery Director: Jim Cummings, Screenwriter: Dustin Hahn Crystal robs a liquor store and it goes pretty ok.

Rubber Heart Director: Lizzy Sanford, Screenwriters: Lizzy Sanford, Anna Cordell A one night stand that just doesn't click.

Spring (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Laurel Parmet Amanda struggles as she spends the day taking pictures of her best friend.

Submarine (Lebanon) Director: Mounia Akl, Screenwriters: Mounia Akl, Clara Roque Under the imminent threat of Lebanon's garbage crisis, Hala, a wild child inside of a woman is the only one to refuse evacuation, clinging to whatever remains of home.

Documentary Shorts

 

Slices of life from across the documentary spectrum.

The Collection (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Adam Roffman Two friends stumble upon the mother lode of movie memorabilia in the most unexpected of places.

Foam Sweet Foam (World Premiere) Directors: Kelly Loudenberg, Jillian Mayer
Simplistic catalogue, shy-style photographs, sound design, and narration are used to create a moving portrait of the furniture made of solid foam in a vast stage where officers in training play out every disaster imaginable.

Gut Hack (World Premiere) Directors/Screenwriters: Kate Mclean, Mario Furloni A former NASA scientist turned bio-hacker attempts an experiment that makes him confront the multitudes inside.

Little Potato (World Premiere) Directors: Wes Hurley, Nathan M. Miller, Screenwriter: Wes Hurley An autobiographical doc that tells the story of Little Potato's journey growing up gay in the Soviet Union before and after the fall of communism and their eventual escape to America.

The Moderators (USA, Ireland) (World Premiere) Directors: Ciaran Cassidy, Adrian Chen A group of new employees at a consultancy in India are trained in their responsibilities as the moderating backbone of the Internet.

Nidal (World Premiere) Director: Tarek Turkey Born female, Nidal has identified as a boy since he was 9, coinciding with his family's escape from Syria. As he matures, he has to deal with the complexity in the confines of a refugee camp and a culture that cannot comprehend gender fluidity.

No Harm No Foul (World Premiere) Director: Cheng Zhang In the tendency to assume that science-based conclusions are objective and reliable, public health tragedies are allowed to occur repeatedly.

Perfectly Normal (North American Premiere) Director: Joris Debeij A high-functioning autistic man balancing reality with his imaginary world, proves that one can make deliberate choices to find stability and to be more present in life.

Raised by Krump (Germany, Sweden, USA) (U.S. Premiere) Director: Maceo Frost Raised by Krump is a 22-minute documentary film that explores the Compton/South Central, Los Angeles-born dance movement called Krumping, and the lives and emotional issues of some of the area's most influential and prolific dancers.

Refuge (U.S. Premiere) Director: Matthew K. Firpo Refuge is a multimedia project chronicling human stories from the European Refugee Crisis, focused on humanity and hope. Shot on location in Greece, January 2016.

Ubermensch (Denmark) (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Jesper Dalgaard Two transient young men break into an empty church by the sea to form a blood pact: to get rid of their childhood demons and escape the cycle of anxiety and authorities. "It's not really goth to be afraid of the darkness" they agree.

Waiting for Hassana (Nigeria, USA) Director/Screenwriter: Ifunanya "Funa" Maduka In 2014, 276 teenage girls came together for exams in Chibok, Nigeria -- by dawn, nearly all had disappeared and their school was burnt. Jessica, an escapee, shares her haunting account of a friendship violently interrupted by Boko Haram.

The Watchmaker (UK) (North American Premiere) Director: Maire-Cecile Embelton A poetic portrait of a Persian watchmaker, whose philosophical musings on his craft invite us to reflect on how we engage with time in a globalised, fast-paced world.

Animated Shorts

 

An assortment of stories told using traditional animation, computer-generated effects, stop-motion, and everything in-between.

Birdlime (Canada) (World Premiere) Director: Evan DeRushie A birds-eye-view of the exotic bird trade industry.

Bloop's Birthday (World Premiere)
Director: Julian Glander
Bloop's Birthday is the story of an odd little pink creature bouncing around an acid-pastel landscape in search of fun. The looming presence of a mysterious shadow figure makes things a little more complicated for the B-day gal and her friends.

Catherine (Belgium) (North American Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Britt Raes The bittersweet life story of a young girl, who grows up to be a crazy old cat lady.

Glucose (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Jeron Braxton Glucose is sweet, marketable, and easy to consume, but its surface satisfaction is a thin coating on the pain of many disenfranchised people.

Hot Dog Hands (World Premiere) Director: Matt Reynolds This woman can't stop growing fingers.

It Should Be Easy (Canada) (World Premiere) Director: Ben Meinhardt What happens when your mom calls for help with the computer.

Lou (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Dave Mullins When a toy stealing bully ruins recess for a playground full of kids, only one thing stands in his way: the Lost and Found box.

Pussy (Poland) Director/Screenwriter: Renata Gasiorowska A young girl spends the evening alone at home. She decides to have some sweet solo pleasure session, but not everything goes according to plan.

Summer Camp Island Director/Screenwriter: Julia Pott Oscar has to accept that his totally normal sleepover with Hedgehog isn't going to be totally normal.

Tough (UK) Director: Jennifer Zheng Some things can only be understood with maturity. New light is shed on childhood cultural misunderstandings when a Chinese mother and her British born daughter speak as adults for the first time.

Wednesday with Goddard (Canada) (U.S. Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Nicolas Menard A personal quest for spiritual enlightenment leads to romance and despair.

Midnight Shorts

 

Bite-sized bits for all of your sex, gore, and hilarity cravings.

Boss Bitch Director: Winona Regan Don't mess with a boss bitch. Dudes learn this the hard way in this animated short created by Winona Regan.

Coyanuscocksee (Canada) (World Premiere) Director: Gary Ye Koyaanisqatsi, but with dicks (pls don't sue).

Do No Harm (New Zealand) Director/Screenwriter: Roseanne Liang Save the patient. Nothing else.

foundfootagexx100n.s.1 (World Premiere) Director: Tony Grayson We take a poor human person, like you, and treat them like a pawn in our game. It will be candy for your tum tum. Watch as neuroscientist, Wallace L. Graybill, attempts to receive money coins from grants for his important research.

Hi Stranger (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Kirsten Lepore Hi Stranger. It's been a while...

It Began Without Warning (World Premiere) Directors/Screenwriters: Santiago C. Tapia, Jessica Curtright Change is coming.

Kisses (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Sean U'Ren
Walking home from school, two boys discuss their problems with girls.

Kookie (Canada) Director/Screenwriter: Justin Harding
Bree, a dishonest 9-year-old receives a terrifying visitor after a parenting lesson goes horribly wrong.

Mouse (World Premiere) Directors/Screenwriters: Celine Held, Logan George
Fueled by coke, Vanessa and Danny attempt to capitalize on an unlikely opportunity

Mr. Popular (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Charlie Mayforth A well-liked jock discovers the true dangers of his popularity when he encounters an obsessed classmate.

The Saurus Director/Screenwriter: Drew Maynard A man with a robust vocabulary must write a scornful letter to an old friend.

Summer's Puke is Winter's Delight (Japan) Director/Screenwriter: Sawako Kabuki Painful events become memories over time. Still, we vomit and eat again. Life is Eco.

The Suplex Duplex Complex (World Premiere) Director: Todd Rohal, Screenwriters: Todd Rohal, Zack Carlson, Bryan Connelly A neighboring pair of tag team wrestlers learn the downsides of life without a landlord.

Tickle Monster (UK) (U.S. Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Remi Weekes You better not giggle.

Whiskey Fist (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Gillian Wallace Horvat A branding intern loses the life he once had after an encounter with a mysterious blonde and her whiskey bottle -- magical realism ensues.

Music Videos

 

A range of classic, innovative, and stylish work showcasing the scope of music video culture.

Avalanches - 'Subways' (France) / The Directors/Screenwriters: Mrzyk and Moriceau

Beyonce - 'Formation' / Director: Melina Matsoukas

Blonde Redhead- 'Dripping' / Director: Eric Wareheim

BOKKA - 'Answer Me' (Poland) / Director: Katarzyna Sawicka

DJ Shadow ft. Run the Jewels - 'Nobody Speak' (UK) / Director: Sam Pilling

Frank Ocean - Nikes (UK) / Director: Tyrone Lebon

Hinds - 'Garden' (UK) / Director/Screenwriter: Pedro Martin-Calero

Khruangbin - 'Two Fish and an Elephant' (UK) / Director: Scott Dungate

Leon Bridges - 'River' Director/Screenwriter: Miles Jay

LORN - 'ANVIL' (France, UK) / Directors/Screenwriters: Hélène Jeudy, Antoine Caëcke

Millington - 'Being' (Australia) / Directors: Josh Thomas, Darcy Prendergast

Mykki Blanco ft. Woodkid - 'High School Never Ends' (Germany) / Director: Matt Lambert, Screenwriters: Matt Lambert, Mykki Blanco

Pussy Riot - 'Straight Outta Vagina' / Director: Phillip R Lopez

Roseau - 'Disintegrate' (UK) / Director: Hannah Jacobs

Run the Jewels ft. Gangsta Boo - 'Love Again' (UK, USA) / Director: Ninian Doff

Symbion Project -'Arcadian' / Director/Screenwriter: Sherif Alabede

Tame Impala - 'The Less I Know The Better' (Spain) / Director: CANADA

Tesla Boy - 'Circles' / Director: Ryan Patrick

Yeasayer -'I Am Chemistry' / Director/Screenwriter: New Media Ltd

Zeds Dead ft. Rivers Cuomo & Pusha T -'Too Young' (Canada) / Director: Chris Ullens, Screenwriters: Chris Ullens, Jade Bogue, Jamie Durand

Texas Shorts

 

An offshoot of our regular narrative shorts program, composed of work shot in, about, or somehow relating to the Lone Star state.

Beach Day (World Premiere) Directors: Matt Stryker, Dalton Allen On a slow day, Matt and Dalton decide to go to the beach.

Chasing Grace (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Julia Barnett A young woman reluctantly meets with her estranged father only to discover the truth about the events of the wild 70's summer that drove them apart.

Hold Me(Ca Caw Ca Caw) Director/Screenwriter: Renee Zhan Flap flap flap flap flap. A large bird and a small boy cohabit in an unhappy relationship, trapped by four walls and a mutual codependency.

Lucia, Before and After
Director/Screenwriter: Anu Valia After traveling 200 miles, a young woman waits out Texas's state-mandated 24-hour waiting period before her abortion can proceed.

Makeup
Director/Screenwriter: Hannah Whisenant
A young girl tries to get close to her absent mother by putting on her makeup, only to realize why she shouldn't emulate her.

The Rabbit Hunt Director: Patrick Bresnan, Screenwriter: Ivete Lucas
On the weekends during harvest season, 17-year-old Chris and his family hunt rabbits in the sugarcane fields of the Florida Everglades.

Robert Ellis - California Directors: Erica Alexandria Silverman, Cullen Kelly, Screenwriter: Erica Alexandria Silverman The moment you fall in love and the moment it falls apart. Life is ephemeral, but we are lucky it happens at all.

The Wait (Mexico, USA) Director/Screenwriter: Juan Pablo Gonzalez The Wait portrays at once the straits of immigrant life and the haunting soundscape of reprieve.

Texas High School Shorts

 

A preview of the next filmmaking generation, as Texas High Schoolers present shorts of 5 minutes or less.

After Thoughts Director: Xavier Hernandez, Screenwriters: Xavier Hernandez, Cooper Shapiro What goes through a teenagers mind after they have had intercourse? After Thoughts explores just that. Witness as a teenage woman and a teenage boy struggle to understand their feelings for each other.

All You Need Directors/Screenwriters: Taylor Butler, Raven Robinson Everyone's constantly searching for that one person who'll be there for them.

Be Anyone, Do Anything Director: Alyssa "Midori" Brown Be Anyone, Do Anything follows Krystle Starr at the 2016 Dallas Fan Expo and to her Comic Club at My Possibilities. She encourages nerd culture and shares advice along with James Enelow and Calen Hoffman to help those new to the convention scene.

Behind the Scenes Director/Screenwriter: Jake Billard A teenage with a film crew gets away with a robbery and murder.

Better Late Than Never Director/Screenwriter: Atheena Frizzell A teenage girl must figure out a way to keep a secret from her devout family.

Boxed In Directors/Screenwriters: Andrew Fleming, Nate Grizzell A young adult struggles with loss of his family. He sees no way to deal with his pain other than boxing.

Breakfast Director/Screenwriter: Rohun Vora Breakfast is a dramatic piece that explores a morning in the life of a broken marriage.

Chroma Director/Screenwriter: Demar Gunter A young girl must find courage within herself to rebel against an oppressive society.

Darcy's Quinceañera Director: Sam Cooper, Screenwriters: Sam Cooper, Jonathan Randall Darcy's Quinceañera is a 360 multimedia audio-visual xxx-perience.

Flightless Director: Sarah Fonville, Screenwriters: Max Wilson, Madison Duckworth, Brennan Guffey An injured bird of prey must figure out a way to take flight and soar to survive.

Game Room Director/Screenwriter: Siri Ketha A young girl has some family issues like no other. With intrusive parents and pressure to be perfect she is pushed over the edge. Like mother, like daughter, it's all just family matters.

Inge Director: Rachel Schlesinge Inge Stanton vowed to never return to Germany after she fled her home there days before World War II began. This film follows Inge as she returns to her hometown to show her children and grandchildren the world she escaped from as a little girl.

Jawn Otis's Wall Directors: Carmela Moreno, Daisy Cervantes, Screenwriter: Carmela Moreno Jawn Otis's Wall is about an 8 year old boy named Jawn Otis, who is abused by his single mother. Jawn escapes his home and gives us a glimpse into his daily routine to show us the true meaning of innocence.

La Mano Director/Screenwriter: Grace Snyder A tiny butler comes in handy.

Limbo Director/Screenwriter: Pierson Hawkins Limbo is an experimental film chronicling the struggles of a man after entering purgatory and his endless efforts to escape.

Newcomers Director/Screenwriter: Haley Bunn Newcomers is a documentary about refugee students at Anderson High School who come from various background and face many challenges upon living here.

One Directors/Screenwriters: Emily Ma, Grace Zhang A girl embarks on a physical exploration to seek the answer of an age-old question: Who am I?

Red Line Directors/Screenwriters: Quinn O'Brien, Arfa Chowdhary A little girl finds herself on a train to discover new places.

Roll for Initiative Directors/Screenwriters: Adam Weider, Cameron Potter Four adventurers journey into an unforgiving thieves' den.

The Silent Paracosm Director/Screenwriter: Dylan Banfield The Silent Paracosm is a silent horror film following Faust , a young blind boy coming to terms with events that with change him deeply.

Split Ends Director: Miranda Potter A film portraying female body hair in a different, untraditional way.

Stripped Directors/Screenwriters: Kendra Fogleman, Logan Sullivan Olivia, a senior in high school, takes advantage of an innocent freshman.

VR

 

Virtual reality and augmented reality technologies are finding new ways to enhance our ability to perceive the world that surrounds us, and in many instances they are redefining how we experience the world.  The 38 projects presented in our new Virtual Cinema emphasize storytelling, ingenuity and also showcase how other industries are embracing this new medium.

After Solitary (World Premiere) Directors: Cassandra Herrman, Lauren Mucciolo
After Solitary, a collaboration between Emblematic Group and PBS’ series FRONTLINE, allows viewers to experience interactively the story of 38-year-old Kenny Moore, a recently released inmate who spent years at a stretch in solitary confinement.

Amor de Abuela (A Grandmother's Love) (Australia, Guatemala, USA) (World Premiere) Director: Jessie Hughes A Guatemalan family's life is transformed when their grandmother gains access to electricity and light.

BattleScar (Spain, USA) Directors/Screenwriters: Nico Casavecchia, Martin Allais BattleScar is a linear short film with interactive components that follows a year in the life of Lupe, a Puerto Rican-American, living in the 1978 Punk rock scene of New York City.

Behind The Fence (World Premiere) Directors: Lindsay Branham, Jonathan Olinger The Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar must survive a Buddhist-led campaign to eliminate them.

Chocolate Director: Tyler Hurd Cats, champagne and joy overflows in Chocolate, a psychedelic VR Music video experience set in a chrome cat-centric world, for the song Chocolate by Giraffage. By acclaimed VR creator Tyler Hurd.

Cycling Pathways to Mars (World Premiere) Directors: Lex Halaby, Daniel Schechter, Guil Rambelli , Screenwriters: Buzz Aldrin, Andy Aldrin, Lex Halaby, Christina Korp Buzz Aldrin's Cycling Pathways to Mars is a volumetric VR experience that takes you on a journey from the moon to Mars with Aldrin's hologram as your guide, and brings his vision of cyclers, landers and rovers, to life.

Dear Pigeon Man (Netherlands) Director/Screenwriter: Daniël Ernst Dear Pigeon Man is a hand painted virtual reality experience. It is the fifth piece of the Shoebox Dioramas, a series of virtual stories. All the stories in the series overlap, as the series grows so will the world of the Shoebox Dioramas.

DeathTolls Experience (Islamic Republic of Iran) (U.S. Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Ali Eslami A virtual journey from the refugee crisis in Europe to the bloodbath in Syria, placing the dry "data reality" of the news in an emotional perspective.

Decay Theory (UK) Director/Screenwriter: Nick Pittom Decay Theory is an Episodic Sci-Fi Storytelling Experience, that follows the intergalactic adventures of SuRei, a young girl and FeiMa, the bio-mechanical horror that protects her.

Dreams of O (Canada) Directors: Félix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphaël, Screenwriters: Francois Blouin, Félix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphaël Dive into the hypnotic world of Dreams of O. Submerge yourself into a virtual reality universe comprised of aerial acrobatics, daring dives, and the surreal amphibious characters of the breathtaking aquatic masterpiece O by Cirque du Soleil.

Fistful of Stars (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Eliza McNitt Fistful of Stars is the world's first Virtual Reality exploration of the cosmos alongside the Hubble Telescope that transports you inside of the Orion Nebula and reveals the cosmic connections between humans and the stars.

The Giant (World Premiere) Director: New Media Ltd, Screenwriter: Mike Anderson A tale of a girl who never stops growing, her destructive plight, and ultimate transcendence.

In Harmony Director: Elliot Dillman, Screenwriters: Chris Collins, Elliot Dillman For some LA kids, music is not just a form of art, it’s the key to overcoming the odds. When Deonte and Amy's high schools cut their music programs, The Harmony Project steps in with mentoring and music training.

Life of Us Directors: Chris Milk, Aaron Koblin Life of Us is a shared VR journey from within that tells the complete story of the evolution of life on Earth. Created by Chris Milk & Aaron Koblin, with music by Pharrell Williams.

Mars 2030 (World Premiere) In partnership with NASA and MIT's Space Systems Laboratory, FusionVR welcomes you to Mars 2030. This immersive experience lets you play the role of one of the first scientists tasked with establishing a human presence on the Red Planet.

The Melody of Dust (World Premiere) Directors: Viacom NEXT, Hot Sugar A musical journey for the HTC Vive. Explore a mysterious world where every object contains a unique melody. From Viacom NEXT and musician Hot Sugar, this experience brings you inside the fantasies of a romantic composer.

Miyubi Directors: Félix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphaël Love in the age of obsolescence.

Movements Directors: Michael Catalano, Elliot Cole Movements is an interactive experience for virtual reality that gives you the thrill of conducting a live orchestra.

Museum of the Impossible Directors: Ben Vance, Kate Parsons Museum of The Impossible (MOTI) is a new type of museum for virtual reality that curates the best in immersive art.

Next Nature Habitat VR (Netherlands) (North American Premiere) Director: Koert van Mensvoort The natural habitat of the polar bear is the Arctic. The natural habitat of the scorpion is the dessert. How about humans? What is our natural habitat? As a species, we need to discover what it means to live in a world where the born and the made are.

Notes to My Father (India, UK, USA) (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter:Jayisha Patel Notes To My Father is a story of love, grief, and reconciliation, between father and daughter.

Out of the Blue (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Sophie Ansel A family of fishermen in Mexico sacrifice their livelihood to save open ocean sea life from extinction. Narration by Sylvia Earle.

The People’s House Directors: Félix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphaël An intimate tour of the White House that gives the viewer extraordinary access to explore the iconic institution's profound history - from the past eight years of the Obama administration to defining events of the last two centuries.

Playthings VR: Karaoke Cruise Director: George Michael Brower Playthings puts virtual drumsticks in your hands and sets you loose on a musical playground from another world.

Reinvent (World Premiere) Directors: Ian Forester, Sook-Lei Liew, Phd VR Playhouse has partnered with neuroscientist Dr. Sook-Lei Liew and her team at USC's Neural Plasticity and Neurorehabilitation Lab to create content for Reinvent, a new method that uses VR to promote motor recovery for victims of severe strokes.

Rise Above (World Premiere) Director: Ben Ross One girl's journey of empowerment as she confronts and overcomes abuse.

See Beyond Labels (World Premiere) Director: Sarah Hill, Screenwriter: StoryUP Studios An examination of bias through the stories of six people who are often seen through societal filters.

Show It 2 Me (World Premiere) Directors: Mark Brooks, Dylan Carter An interactive music video created using Tilt Brush's audio reactive brushes featuring Night Club's single, Show It 2 Me.

Spatium (UK) (World Premiere) Directors/Screenwriters: Roland Lane, Alex Lambert INITION and Roland Lane take you on a journey inspired by a famous hat by legendary designer Philip Treacy. In VR, structure and form are explored on a scale that escapes the bounds of the physical, creating a fantasy of light, sound and shadow.

Square the Circle (Netherlands) Directors: Harm van de Ven, Sara Kolster Square the Circle is an interactive experience which explores the possibilities of interacting with Touch controllers in room scale.

Synesthesia (Netherlands, USA) Director: Kaleidoscope VR Synesthesia is an interactive experience comprised of six movements each inspired by a different stage of life.

Use Your Imagination (World Premiere) Director: Roberto Drilea, Screenwriters: Roberto Drilea, Garth Herberg, Jason Weissbrod A VR musical written and performed by young artists on the autism spectrum.

Vestige (UK) Director: Aaron Bradbury Vestige is a journey into the mind of a man who lost his lover in a car accident.

Vibrant Matter (World Premiere) Director: FLOAT A Within Original Experience, Vibrant Matter invites you to step inside a new world pulsing with an original score by Toro Y Moi. Twist and play through memories as you explore this new dimension.

Waba Director: EDWON Waba is an interactive video game character, empathic petting simulator, and virtual wobble pet combined into one.

We Who Remain (Sudan, USA) (World Premiere) Directors: Sam Wolson, Trevor Snapp We Who Remain is an immersive live action documentary that explores life during a brutal fighting season in Sudan's decades long civil war.

Women on the Move (Niger, USA) (World Premiere) Director: Shannon Carroll, Screenwriters: Shannon Carroll, Kate Crosby, Brian Feagans, Raegan Hodge, Andisheh Nouraee A woman in Niger joins a local women’s savings group to fund previously unattainable opportunities for girls, including her own granddaughter.

Wonder Buffalo VR Director: Christine T. Berg, Screenwriters: Christine Berg, Simon Shterenberg Just another Saturday listening to records and drawing comics until Ann is challenged by an archnemisis: her mother. Tired of being called a fat lazy water buffalo, Ann stands up for herself. Find the hero within. The Wonder Buffalo VR Experience.

Excellence in Title Design

 

Inspired by an essential part of the theatrical experience, these are works of art in their own right. The 27 sequences selected represent the very best and most original of the past year.

Animal Kingdom / Company: Sarofsky / Designer: Erin Sarofsky and Duarte Elvas

Barbie Beach / Company: Coat of Arms / Designer: Courtney Dixon

The Crown / Company: Elastic / Designer: Patrick Clair

De 16 / Company: GRID VFX / Designer: Willem Wallyn

Dogma / Company: diecinueve36 / Designer: Maribel Martinez

Dr. Strange / Company: Sarofsky / Designer: Erin Sarofsky

El Rey Tuerto (The OneEyedKing) / Company: Pavlo Sánchez / Designer: Pablo Sánchez

Golden Life / Company: Digital Apes / Designer: Gergely Regula

Into the Badlands / Company: Huge Designs / Designers: Paul McDonnell, Hugo Moss, Ben Hanbury

Into The Current / Company: CR Moberg / Designers: Chris R Moberg and Jarod Young

IRA (Wrath) / Company: Pastrana Lab / Designers: Kike A. Pastrana and Ángel A. Pastrana

Jessica Jones / Company: Imaginary Forces / Designer: Michelle Dougherty

LOCA / Company: Gabaeff Pictures, The Creative Alliance / Designer: Robert Baek

New York City Blues / Company: Ian Glaum / Designer: Ian Glaum

OFFF By Night 2016 / Company: The Mill  / Designer: William Arnold

OFFF CDMX / Company/Designer: Outro Studio

Of Kings And Prophets / Company: Prologue Films / Designer: Kyle Cooper

Outsiders / Company: Shine / Designer: Michael Riley

PANICROOM 13 / Company: PanicProgram / Designer: Guido Ekker

Preacher / Company / Picturemill / Designer: William Lebeda

The Shannara Chronicles / Company: Huge Designs / Designers: Paul McDonnell, Hugo Moss, Ben Hanbury

St. Nickel / Company: Oily Film Company Inc. & Morro Creative / Designers: Jay Bond and Garry Tutte

Stranger Things / Company: Imaginary Forces / Designer: Michelle Dougherty

Style Frames Design Conference / Company: Hornet / Designer: Eran Hilleli

Voyages des Cleauvard / Designer: Federico Pessa

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