AFI FEST 2023

AFI FEST 2023 ANNOUNCES FULL FESTIVAL LINEUP

World Premieres of FREUD’S LAST SESSION and ALBERT BROOKS: DEFENDING MY LIFE directed by Academy Award® Nominee Rob Reiner to Screen at Festival

Special Screenings Include ALL OF US STRANGERS, AMERICAN FICTION, THE BIKERIDERS, THE END WE START FROM, FINGERNAILS and MEMORY

Official Selections Include 20 Best International Feature Oscar® Submissions

The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today the lineup for this year’s AFI FEST, taking place in Los Angeles from October 25 to October 29. Highlights include the World Premiere of ALBERT BROOKS: DEFENDING MY LIFE directed by Academy Award® nominee Rob Reiner, ALL OF US STRANGERS directed by Andrew Haigh, AMERICAN FICTION directed by Cord Jefferson, THE BIKERIDERS directed by Jeff Nichols, THE END WE START FROM directed by Mahalia Belo, FINGERNAILS directed by Christos Nikou, the World Premiere of FREUD’S LAST SESSION directed by Matthew Brown, MEMORY directed by Michel Franco, QUIZ LADY directed by Academy Award® winner Jessica Yu, and SOCIETY OF THE SNOW directed by J.A. Bayona, which will all screen in the Special Screenings section. Passes are now available at FEST.AFI.com. AFI FEST 6-Ticket Bundles will be available starting October 2, and individual tickets for all screenings will be available starting October 3.

This year’s AFI FEST program is set to feature an expanded selection of features and shorts compared to last year, offering 141 titles for the public to enjoy across five days. The program includes 3 Red Carpet Premieres, 10 Special Screenings, 15 Luminaries, 12 Discovery, 16 World Cinema, 13 Documentary, 42 Short Film Competition, and 30 films in the AFI Conservatory Showcase presented by AMC Networks. Of the official selections, 44% are directed by women, 37% are directed by BIPOC filmmakers and 18% by LGBTQIA+ filmmakers. There are 4 World Premieres, 3 North American Premieres and 4 U.S. Premieres. This year’s program represents 49 countries and includes 18 Best International Feature Oscar® submissions, including ABOUT DRY GRASSES (Turkey), ME, CAPTAIN (Italy), DO NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM THE END OF THE WORLD (Romania), FALLEN LEAVES (Finland), FOUR DAUGHTERS (Tunisia), INSHALLAH A BOY (Jordan), THE PEASANTS (Poland), PERFECT DAYS (Japan), PICTURES OF GHOSTS (Brazil), THE PROMISED LAND (Denmark), THE SETTLERS (Chile),  SHAYDA (Australia), SLOW (Lithuania), SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD (Estonia), SOCIETY OF THE SNOW (Spain), THE TASTE OF THINGS (France), THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE (Germany) and TÓTEM (Mexico).

“Everyone on the AFI FEST team is proud to share this year’s selection of outstanding films from around the world with the audiences of Los Angeles,” said Todd Hitchcock, Director of AFI FEST. “Cinema is truly a global language, and the diversity of screen artistry represented here will widen the horizons for all moviegoers.”

The program will also feature a panel celebrating the greatest film books of all time moderated by The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg. Some 300 of the world’s most noted filmmakers, film executives, authors and cultural tastemakers have cast ballots to determine a list of the 100 greatest books about film, which The Hollywood Reporter will reveal in a special issue on October 11. AFI FEST will gather many of them on October 28 for an historic, engaging discussion.

AFI FEST 2023 will take place exclusively in person in Los Angeles from October 25 to October 29. AFI members receive discounts on tickets and other exclusive benefits. To become an AFI member, visit AFI.com/join/.

Top Sponsors for AFI FEST 2023 include Apple Original Films, Canva, AMC Networks and Participant.

   

As previously announced, the World Premiere of LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND, written and directed by Sam Esmail (AFI Class of 2004), will open AFI FEST on October 25. Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Rumaan Alam, the highly anticipated apocalyptic thriller stars Academy Award® winner Julia Roberts, Academy Award® winner Mahershala Ali, Academy Award® nominee Ethan Hawke, Myha’la, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans and Kevin Bacon.

Bradley Cooper’s MAESTRO will close AFI FEST 2023 on October 29. MAESTRO is a towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan). A love letter to life and art, MAESTRO at its core is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love. The film reunites Cooper with Oscar®-nominated cinematographer Matthew Libatique (AFI Class of 1992) and is co-written by Cooper and Oscar® winner Josh Singer (SPOTLIGHT). Producing alongside Cooper and AFI Life Achievement Award recipients Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg are Fred Berner, Amy Durning and Kristie Macosko Krieger.

The World Premiere of MAXINE’S BABY: THE TYLER PERRY STORY will screen as the Centerpiece film. Directed by Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz, the film grants the audience unfettered access to the inner world of Tyler Perry, whose story has never fully been told, as he becomes a father and a media mogul with a mission to pave his own road to the top. The film is a profound lesson on remembering where you came from to know where you want to go. Bekele produced the film under her Bekele Films banner alongside Jasmine K. White and Asante White.

RED CARPET PREMIERES

AFI rolls out the red carpet for the most anticipated films of the festival. Sure to be an exciting celebration of the best in film, the section delivers world-class filmmakers and artisans, and a dose of Hollywood magic that can only be found at the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre.

LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND

In this apocalyptic thriller from award-winning writer and director Sam Esmail (MR. ROBOT), Amanda (Julia Roberts) and her husband Clay (Ethan Hawke), rent a luxurious home for the weekend with their kids, Archie (Charlie Evans) and Rose (Farrah Mackenzie). Their vacation is soon upended when two strangers — G.H. (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la) — arrive in the night, bearing news of a mysterious cyberattack and seeking refuge in the house they claim is theirs. The two families reckon with a looming disaster that grows more terrifying by the minute, forcing everyone to come to terms with their places in a collapsing world. DIR Sam Esmail. SCR Sam Esmail. CAST Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans, Kevin Bacon. USA

MAESTRO

MAESTRO is a towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan). A love letter to life and art, MAESTRO at its core is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love. The film reunites Cooper with Oscar®-nominated cinematographer Matthew Libatique (AFI Class of 1992) and is co-written by Cooper and Oscar® winner Josh Singer (SPOTLIGHT). Produced by Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Cooper, Fred Berner and Amy Durning. DIR Bradley Cooper. SCR Bradley Cooper, Josh Singer. CAST Carey Mulligan, Bradley Cooper, Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, Sarah Silverman, Josh Hamilton, Scott Ellis, Gideon Glick, Sam Nivola, Alexa Swinton, Miriam Shor. USA

MAXINE’S BABY: THE TYLER PERRY STORY

MAXINE’S BABY: THE TYLER PERRY STORY, directed by Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz, grants the audience unfettered access to the inner world of Tyler Perry, whose story has never fully been told, as he becomes a father and a media mogul with a mission to pave his own road to the top. The film is a profound lesson on remembering where you came from to know where you want to go. Bekele produced the film under her Bekele Films banner alongside Jasmine K. White and Asante White. DIR Gelila Bekele, Armani Ortiz. SCR Gelila Bekele. USA

       

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

Showcasing the most acclaimed films of the season from an exciting combination of international auteurs and emerging talents, this section features unparalleled and unforgettable stories, characters and performances.

ALBERT BROOKS: DEFENDING MY LIFE

Lifelong friends, Rob Reiner and Albert Brooks, enjoy an intimate conversation about Brooks’ life and career. DIR Rob Reiner. USA

ALL OF US STRANGERS

The latest from director Andrew Haigh (45 YEARS, WEEKEND) is a moving, metaphysical ghost story that explores love, loss and memory. DIR Andrew Haigh. SCR Andrew Haigh. CAST Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Jamie Bell, Claire Foy. UK

AMERICAN FICTION

Cord Jefferson’s (SUCCESSION, WATCHMEN) hilarious directorial debut stars Jeffrey Wright in a razor smart satire which confronts our culture’s obsession with reducing people to outrageous stereotypes. DIR Cord Jefferson. SCR Cord Jefferson. CAST Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown. USA

THE BIKERIDERS

The rise and fall of a Chicago motorcycle gang is given epic treatment in Jeff Nichols’ magnificent THE BIKERIDERS, featuring Tom Hardy, Austin Butler and Jodie Comer in career-best performances. DIR Jeff Nichols. SCR Jeff Nichols. CAST Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, Norman Reedus. USA

THE END WE START FROM

BAFTA award-winning British director Mahalia Belo (THE LONG SONG) makes her feature debut with a tense and unexpected survival thriller starring Jodie Comer, Joel Fry, Mark Strong, Katherine Waterston and Benedict Cumberbatch. DIR Mahalia Belo. SCR Alice Birch. CAST Jodie Comer, Joel Fry, Katherine Waterston, Gina Mckee, Nina Sosanya, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch. UK

FINGERNAILS

Greek director Christos Nikou makes a bold English-language debut with this charming lo-fi sci-fi about the clash between our over-reliance on technology and the primal drive to find true love. DIR Christos Nikou. SCR Christos Nikou, Sam Steiner, Stavros Raptis. CAST Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed, Jeremy Allen White, Luke Wilson, Annie Murphy. USA

FREUD’S LAST SESSION

Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Goode deliver crafty performances as Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis, two great minds whose intellectual sparring demonstrates both men’s formidable strengths and emotional vulnerabilities. DIR Matthew Brown. SCR Mark St. Germain. CAST Anthony Hopkins, Matthew Goode. USA

MEMORY

Haunted by their past, Sylvia (Jessica Chastain) and Saul (Peter Sarsgaard) have a chance encounter that opens new possibilities for their future in this heart-wrenching melodrama by Mexican provocateur Michel Franco. DIR Michel Franco. SCR Michel Franco. CAST Jessica Chastain, Peter Sarsgaard, Brooke Timber, Merritt Wever, Jessica Harper, Josh Charles. USA, Mexico

QUIZ LADY

In this heartfelt and hilarious comedy, Awkwafina and Sandra Oh star as mismatched sisters who go on a cross-country road trip to appear on the legendary game show CAN’T STOP THE QUIZ. DIR Jessica Yu. SCR Jen D’Angelo. CAST Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, Jason Schwartzman, Holland Taylor, Tony Hale, Will Ferrell. USA

SOCIETY OF THE SNOW (LA SOCIEDAD DE LA NIEVE)

Triumphantly returning to Spanish language cinema, J.A. Bayona brings breathless thrills and emotional gravitas to the tragic, true story of the crashed Uruguayan Flight 571 in this ferocious survival epic. Spain’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR J.A. Bayona. SCR J.A. Bayona, Bernat Vilaplana, Jaime Marques, Nicolás Casariego. CAST Enzo Vogrincic, Agustín Pardella, Matías Recalt, Esteban Bigliardi, Diego Vegezzi. Uruguay, Spain

 

LUMINARIES

A selection of the latest films from world-renowned filmmakers whose work continues to challenge and inspire.

ABOUT DRY GRASSES (KURU OTLAR ÜSTÜNE)

In a remote village in Eastern Anatolia, art teacher Samet is consumed by bitterness. Now in his fourth and final year of mandatory placement, his favorite student accuses him of inappropriate behavior. Turkey’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR Nuri Bilge Ceylan. SCR Akin Aksu, Ebru Ceylan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan. CAST Deniz Celiloğlu, Merve Dizdar, Musab Ekici, Ece Bağci, Erdem Şenocak. Turkey, France, Germany

THE BOOK OF SOLUTIONS (LE LIVRE DES SOLUTIONS)

Oscar®-winning filmmaker Michel Gondry returns with this deliciously meta, hilariously self-aware – and semi-autobiographical – portrait of a DIY filmmaker wrestling with creative and personal demons to complete his latest film. DIR Michel Gondry. SCR Michel Gondry. CAST Pierre Niney, Blanche Gardin, Frankie Wallach, Camille Rutherford, Vincent Elbaz. France

THE CAPTAIN (IO CAPITANO)

Matteo Garrone won Venice’s Best Director award for this epic tale of two Senegalese teenagers’ dangerous journey across the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in pursuit of better lives. Italy’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR Matteo Garrone. SCR Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso, Massimo Ceccherini, Andrea Tagliaferri. CAST Seydou Sarr, Moustapha Fall, Issaka Sawadogo, Hichem Yacoubi, Doodou Sagna. Italy, Belgium, France

CLOSE YOUR EYES (CERRAR LOS OJOS)

Marking Víctor Erice’s long-awaited return to cinema, a filmmaker revisits his abandoned film and the disappearance of his lead actor in this hauntingly personal reflection on memory and art. DIR Victor Erice. SCR Victor Erice. CAST Manolo Solo, José Coronado, Ana Torrent, Petra Martínez, María León. Spain

COBWEB (GEOMIJIP)

Set in the ‘70s as South Korea faces heavy censorship, Song Kang-ho (PARASITE) delights as a struggling director looking for a comeback in this metatextual farce on filmmaking. DIR Kim Jee-Woon. SCR Shin Yeon-Shick. CAST Song Kang-Ho, Lim Soo-Jung, Oh Jung-Se, Jeon Yeo-Been, Krystal Jung. South Korea

EVIL DOES NOT EXIST (AKU WA SONZAI SHINAI)

Following the Oscar®-winning DRIVE MY CAR, Ryusuke Hamaguchi reins in a pensive, enigmatic eco-drama about a father-daughter duo whose routine is disrupted by a proposed glamping site in their village. DIR Ryusuke Hamaguchi. SCR Ryusuke Hamaguchi. CAST Hitoshi Omika, Ryo Nishikawa, Ryuji Kosaka, Ayaka Shibutani, Hazuki Kikuchi. Japan

FALLEN LEAVES (KUOLLEET LEHDET)

This delightfully deadpan tragicomedy from Aki Kaurismäki follows two lonely, working-class Helsinkians struggling to find love, acceptance and stability. Winner of the Jury Prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and Finland’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR Aki Kaurismaki. SCR Aki Kaurismäki. CAST Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen, Janne Hyytiäinen, Nuppu Koivu. Finland, Germany

GREEN BORDER (ZIELONA GRANICA)

Academy Award® nominee Agnieszka Holland depicts the contemporary humanitarian crisis at the Belarus-Poland border from the intertwined perspectives of a family of Syrian refugees, a conflicted Polish border guard and a divided group of activists. DIR Agnieszka Holland. SCR Maciej Pisuk, Gabriela Łazarkiewicz-Sieczko, Agnieszka Holland. CAST Jalal Altawil, Maja Ostaszewska, Behi Djanati Atai, Mohamad Al Rashi, Dalia Naous. Poland, France, Czech Republic, Belgium

IN OUR DAY

Tears are shed, a cat goes missing and spicy ramyun is prepared. IN OUR DAY finds Hong back in semi-autobiographical mode with this charming diptych, illuminating the parallels between art and artist. DIR Hong Sang-soo. SCR Hong Sang-soo. CAST Ki Joobong, Kim Minhee, Song Sunmi, Park Miso, Ha Seongguk. South Korea

IN WATER (MUL-AN-E-SEO)

Hoping to make a film, Seongmo drags two friends to Jeju Island looking for inspiration. Prolific Korean master Hong Sang-soo experiments with focus, constructing impressionistic vistas and melancholic musings in this bite-sized gem. DIR Hong Sang-soo. SCR Hong Sang-soo. CAST Shin Seokho, Ha Seongguk, Kim Seungyun. South Korea

KIDNAPPED (RAPITO)

Marco Bellocchio’s riveting portrait of power and faith tells the true story of a Jewish boy forcibly taken from his family and raised under the care of Pope Pius IX. DIR Marco Bellocchio. SCR Marco Bellocchio, Susanna Nicchiarelli. CAST Paolo Pierobon, Fausto Russo Alesi, Barbara Ronchi, Enea Sala, Leonardo Maltese. Italy, France, Germany

LA CHIMERA

Josh O’Connor stars as a seedy, heartbroken English archaeologist slumming around with Etruscan graverobbers in 1980s Tuscany in this funny, folkloric, romantic and thought-provoking film from Italy’s Alice Rohrwacher. DIR Alice Rohrwacher. Italy, France, Switzerland

LAST SUMMER (L’ÉTÉ DERNIER)

Anne’s relatively uneventful suburban existence is disrupted when her troubled stepson returns home, igniting an impossible-to-resist sexual attraction that threatens both career and family. DIR Catherine Breillat. SCR Catherine Breillat, Pascal Bonitzer. CAST Léa Drucker, Samuel Kircher, Olivier Rabourdin, Clotilde Courau, Serena Hu. France, Norway

OCCUPIED CITY

Steve McQueen’s rigorous documentary explores Amsterdam under Nazi occupation. Rejecting archival footage, the film excavates history one address at a time, drawing powerful connections between past and present. DIR Steve McQueen. SCR Bianca Stigter. CAST Melanie Hyams. UK, Netherlands

PERFECT DAYS

Cannes Best Actor award-winner Kōji Yakusho portrays a Tokyo public toilet cleaner who performs his job duties like a dedicated master craftsman in Wim Wenders’ sweetly meditative drama. Japan’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR Wim Wenders. SCR Wim Wenders, Takuma Takasaki. CAST Kôji Yakusho, Min Tanaka, Tokio Emoto, Aoi Yamada, Sayuri Ishikawa. Japan

DISCOVERY

Bursting onto the scene with astounding force, these exciting new voices push the boundaries of contemporary cinema with cutting-edge themes and profound original visions.

20,000 SPECIES OF BEES (20.000 ESPECIES DE ABEJAS)

In this sun-soaked, sublimely sensitive debut, an eight-year-old experiences a gender identity crisis over one uncertain summer vacation in Basque Country, where three generations of women in her family reside together. DIR Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren. SCR Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren. CAST Sofía Otero, Patricia López Arnaiz, Ane Gabarain, Itziar Lazkano. Spain

ALL DIRT ROADS TASTE OF SALT

Raven Jackson’s feature debut (produced by Barry Jenkins) is a poetic chronicle that weaves through time to capture intimate, meditative moments in the life of a young Black woman from Mississippi. DIR Raven Jackson. SCR Raven Jackson. CAST Charleen McClure, Reginald Helms Jr., Moses Ingram, Zainab Jah, with Sheila Atim and Chris Chalk. USA

CITY OF WIND (SER SER SALHI)

In this remarkably assured feature debut, Ze, a studious 17-year-old village shaman, is diverted from the straight and narrow when he meets wide-eyed rebel Maralaa. DIR Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir. SCR Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir. CAST Tergel Bold-Erdene, Nomin-Erdene Ariunbyamba. France, Mongolia

THE FEELING THAT THE TIME FOR DOING SOMETHING HAS PASSED

As Ann awkwardly shuffles from her low-level, corporate job through a series of carefully orchestrated, though just as self-effacing, submissive sexual encounters, dissociation gives way to hints of self-conscious introspection. DIR Joanna Arnow. SCR Joanna Arnow. CAST Scott Cohen, Babak Tafti, Joanna Arnow, Alysia Reiner. USA

INSHALLAH A BOY (INSHALLAH WALAD)

When Nawal’s husband suddenly dies, she begins an insufferable battle against her in-laws to save her home and keep herself and her young daughter from destitution in contemporary Jordan. Jordan’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR Amjad Al Rasheed. SCR Amjad Al Rasheed, Rula Nasser, Delphine Agut. CAST Mouna Hawa, Haitham Omari, Yumna Marwan, Salwa Nakkara. Jordan

LITTLE GIRL BLUE

Marion Cotillard stars in this remarkable hybrid documentary/psychodrama, exploring the life of filmmaker Mona Achache’s mother Carole, a writer who took her own life in 2016. DIR Mona Achache. SCR Mona Achache. CAST Marion Cotillard. France

MOUNTAINS

Haitian American filmmaker Monica Sorelle makes her debut with this lovingly crafted portrait of the immigrant experience, set against the backdrop of Miami’s vibrant yet gentrifying Little Haiti. DIR Monica Sorelle. SCR Monica Sorelle, Robert Colom. CAST Atibon Nazaire, Sheila Anozier, Chris Renois. USA

THE SETTLERS (LOS COLONOS)

In this striking debut, three hired travelers trek through the Chilean Patagonia on a covert colonizing expedition. Indigenous sharpshooter Segundo resists violence but is forced to cooperate. Chile’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR Felipe Galvez. SCR Felipe Gálvez, Antonia Girardi. CAST Mark Stanley, Camilo Arancibia, Benjamín Westfall, Alfredo Castro, Mishell Guaña. Chile, Argentina, UK, Taiwan, France, Denmark, Sweden, Germany

SHAYDA

Executive produced by Cate Blanchett, Noora Niasari’s poignant debut feature follows the evolution of Shayda, an Iranian transplant in Australia, as she breaks free from her husband’s abusive control. Australia’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR Noora Niasari. SCR Noora Niasari. CAST Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Osamah Sami, Mojean Aria, Jillian Nguyen, Rina Mousavi. Australia, Iran

SLOW

The whirlwind romance between sex positive dancer Elena and soft-spoken sign language interpreter Dovyda unfolds as Elena attempts to understand Dovyda’s asexuality. Lithuania’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR Marija Kavtaradze. SCR Marija Kavtaradze. CAST Greta Grinevičiūtė, Kęstutis Cicėnas. Lithuania, Spain, Sweden

TIGER STRIPES

Precocious 12-year-old Zaffan experiences grotesque transformations to her body after her first period in this genre-bending coming-of-age debut feature and winner of the Cannes Critics’ Week Grand Prize. DIR Amanda Nell Eu. SCR Amanda Nell Eu. CAST Zafreen Zairizal, Deena Ezral, Piqa, Shaheizy Sam, Jun Lojong. France, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, Netherlands, Qatar, Singapore, Taiwan

THE UNIVERSAL THEORY (DIE THEORIE VON ALLEM)

Timm Kröger’s visionary sci-fi fable explores post-World War II German guilt, Atomic Age anxiety and Cold War intrigue in a web of secrets and lies reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock crossed with David Lynch. DIR Timm Kröger. SCR Roderick Warich, Timm Kröger. CAST Jan Bülow, Olivia Ross, Hanns Zischler, Gottfried Breitfuß, David Bennent, Philippe Graber. Germany, Austria, Switzerland

WORLD CINEMA

Here in the movie capital of the world, we celebrate the contributions of global cinema. Bringing to our city the best films from around the globe, this section presents the depth and diversity of human culture as seen through the universal language of the motion picture.

THE BURITI FLOWER (CROWRÃ)

Shot in the Krahôlandia Indigenous Land, this hybrid documentary depicts key events in Krahô history, alongside their contemporary struggle to combat the long-reaching legacy of colonialism in Brazil. DIR João Salaviza, Renée Nader Messora. SCR João Salaviza, Renée Nader Messora, IIda Patpro Kraho, Francisco Hyjno Kraho, Henrique Ihjac Kraho. CAST IIda Patpro Kraho, Francisco Hyjno Kraho, Solane Tehtikwyj Kraho, Raene Koto Kraho, Debora Sodre, Luzia Cruwakwyj Kraho. Brazil, Portugal

DO NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM THE END OF THE WORLD

Radu Jude’s latest feature is an outlandish, satirical critique of Romanian society following a hectic day in the life of Angela, an overworked and underpaid production assistant. Romania’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR Radu Jude. SCR Radu Jude. CAST Ilinca Manolache, Ovidiu Pîrșan, Nina Hoss, Dorina Lazăr, Lászlo Mike, Katie Pascariu. Romania, Luxembourg, France, Croatia

HERE

In this drifting, delicate journey on human connections, a Romanian construction worker and a Belgian-Chinese botanist form an unexpected kinship from a random encounter in Brussels. DIR Bas Devos. SCR Bas Devos. CAST Stefan Gota, Liyo Gong, Cedric Luvuezo, Teodor Corban, Saadia Bentaïeb, Alina Constantin, ShuHuang Wang. Belgium

LOST IN THE NIGHT (PERDIDOS EN LA NOCHE)

In this noir-tinged revenge thriller, a young laborer becomes entangled in a web of labor disputes, corrupt police and criminal gangs while seeking justice for his vanished activist mother. DIR Amat Escalante. SCR Amat Escalante, Martin Escalante. CAST Juan Daniel García, Ester Expósito, Bárbara Mori, Fernando Bonilla, María Fernanda Osio. Mexico

MAMBAR PIERRETTE

With her incisive narrative debut, expert documentarian Rosine Mbakam tracks our eponymous hero as she grapples with raising three children and running a dressmaking business in Cameroon’s city of Douala. DIR Rosine Mbakam. CAST Pierrette Aboheu Njeuthat, Marguerite Mbakop, Duval Franklin Nwodu Chinedu, Léonce Sonia Bangoub. Belgium, Cameroon

MIDWIVES (SAGES-FEMMES)

On their first day as professional midwives in a French hospital, two lifelong friends are faced with a whirlwind of scant resources, difficult births and tough decisions that threaten their resolve and friendship. DIR Léa Fehner. SCR Catherine Paillé, Léa Fehner. CAST Khadija Kouyate, Héloïse Janjaud, Myriem Akheddiou, Quentin Vernede, Tarik Kariouh. France

MUSIC with THE DAUGHTERS OF FIRE (AS FILHAS DO FOGO)

MUSIC

A contemporized adaptation of Socrates’ “Oedipus Rex” and a transfixing addition to the output of Germany’s most uncompromising filmmaker, Angela Schanelec, marking her most visually and sonically pleasing film to date. DIR Angela Schanelec. SCR Angela Schanelec. CAST Aliocha Schneider, Agathe Bonitzer, Marisha Triantafyllidou, Argyris Xafis, Frida Tarana, Ninel Skrzypczyk, Miriam Jakob, Wolfgang Michael, Finn-Henry Reyels. Germany, France, Serbia

Preceded by: THE DAUGHTERS OF FIRE (AS FILHAS DO FOGO)

Acclaimed Portuguese filmmaker Pedro Costa crafts a haunting, layered triptych of three women singing in chorus, expressing their deep existential suffering against the backdrop of a blazing inferno. DIR Pedro Costa. Portugal

THE PEASANTS (CHLOPI)

Made up of over 40,000 oil paintings, this awe-inspiring adaptation of Władysław Reymont’s Nobel Prize-winning novel is the latest film from Oscar®-nominated directors DK Welchman and Hugh Welchman (LOVING VINCENT). Poland’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR DK Welchman, Hugh Welchman. SCR DK Welchman, Hugh Welchman. CAST Kamila Urzędowska, Robert Gulaczyk, Mirosław Baka, Sonia Mietielica, Ewa Kasprzyk, Cezary Łukaszewicz, Małgorzata Kożuchowska, Sonia Bohosiewicz, Dorota Stalińska, Andrzej Konopka, Mateusz Rusin, Maciej Musiał. Poland, Serbia, Lithuania

THE PROMISED LAND (BASTARDEN)

Denmark,18th century. Ludvig von Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) makes a deal with the King: settle the Jutland’s land and ascend to nobility. A rollicking period Danish Western filled with romance, intrigue and revenge. Denmark’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR Nikolaj Arcel. SCR Anders Thomas Jensen, Nikolaj Arcel. CAST Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin, Simon Bennebjerg, Kristine Kujath Thorp, Gustav Lindh. Denmark, Germany, Sweden

THE SUMMER WITH CARMEN (TO KALOKAIRI TIS KARMEN)

Best friends Demos and Nikitas spend the day on a queer nude beach soaking in the Greek summer sun as they brainstorm a script based on the lively events of last summer. DIR Zacharias Mavroeidis. SCR Zacharias Mavroeidis, Xenofondas Chalatsis. CAST Yorgos Tsiantoulas, Andreas Lampropoulos, Nikolas Mihas, Roubini Vasilakopoulou, Vasilis Tsigristaris. Greece

THE TASTE OF THINGS

Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel star in this rapturous ode to French gastronomy from Cannes Best Director award-winner Trần Anh Hùng (THE SCENT OF GREEN PAPAYA, CYCLO, NORWEGIAN WOOD). France’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR Trần Anh Hùng. SCR Trần Anh Hùng. CAST Juliet Binoche, Benoít Magimel. France

THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE (DAS LEHRERZIMMER)

A spate of thefts in a German middle school leads to mistrust, strong-arm tactics, wrongful accusations and the near collapse of authority in İlker Çatak’s masterfully controlled allegory. Germany’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR İlker Çatak. SCR İlker Çatak, Johannes Duncker. CAST Leonie Benesch, Michael Klammer, Rafael Stachoviak, Anne-Kathrin Gummich, Eva Löbau, Kathrin Wehlisch, Sarah Bauerett, Leo Stettnisch, Oscar Zickur, Antonia Luise Krämer, Elsa Krieger, Vincent Stachowiak, Can Rodenbostel, Padmé Hamdemir, Lisa Marie Trense. Germany

TERRESTRIAL VERSES (AYEH HAYE ZAMINI)

This galvanizing, intrepid film from directors Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami critiques Iran’s oppressively strict society via vignettes of ordinary people confronting authority figures and their increasingly absurd demands. DIR Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami. SCR Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami. CAST Bahram Ark, Arghavan Shabani, Servin Zabetian. Iran

TÓTEM

Unfurling in a single chaotic day through the perspective of seven-year-old Sol, an extended family prepares for a farewell celebration veiled as a birthday party for its young patriarch. Mexico’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR Lila Avilés. SCR Lila Avilés. CAST Naíma Sentíes, Montserrat Marañon, Marisol Gasé, Saori Gurza, Mateo García Elizondo, Teresita Sánchez, Juan Francisco Maldonado, Iazua Larios, Alberto Amador. Mexico, Denmark, France

WE GROWN NOW

Set against the backdrop of the Cabrini-Green public housing complex in 1992 Chicago, the latest film from Minhal Baig (HALA, AFI FEST 2019) charts the prepubescent friendship between two boys, Malik and Eric. DIR Minhal Baig. SCR Minhal Baig. CAST Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Lil Rel Howery, Jurnee Smollett. USA

 

DOCUMENTARY

Presenting some of the most engaging and powerful real-life stories depicted in global documentary film. With subjects and themes both profound and impactful, these works are sure to enlighten, educate and entertain.

ANSELM

Wim Wenders brings depth to this 3D portrait of German artist Anselm Kiefer, creating a collage of the artists past and present to fashion an immersive exploration of his spirit. DIR Wim Wenders. CAST Anselm Kiefer, Daniel Kiefer, Anton Wenders. Germany

COPA ’71

Executive produced by Venus and Serena Williams, COPA ‘71 spotlights a long-forgotten and electrifying women’s soccer tournament held in August 1971, decades before FIFA debuted their Women’s World Cup. DIR Rachel Ramsay, James Erskine. SCR Rachel Ramsay, James Erskine, Victoria Gregory. CAST Brandi Chastain, Nicole Mangas, Silvia Zaragoza, Carol Wilson, Elena Schiavo, Ann Stengard, Birte Kjems, Elvira Aracen, Elba Selva, Chris Lockwood, Alex Morgan. USA

THE ECHO (EL ECO)

Mexican-Salvadoran filmmaker Tatiana Huezo makes a visually arresting return to nonfiction filmmaking with this immersive portrait of multi-generational family life in the remote Mexican highlands. DIR Tatiana Huezo. SCR Tatiana Huezo. CAST Montserrat Hernández Hernández, Luz María Vázquez González, Sarahí Rojas Hernández, María de los Ángeles Pacheco Tapia. Mexico, Germany

FOUR DAUGHTERS (LES FILLES D’OLFA)

Winner of Cannes’ Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary, FOUR DAUGHTERS unravels years of trauma and animosity in a family of women through staged reenactments of their lives. Tunisia’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR Kaouther Ben Hania. SCR Kaouther Ben Hania. CAST Eya Chikhaoui, Tayssir Chikhaoui, Olfa Hamrouni, Nour Karoui, Ichrak Matar, Majd Mastoura, Hind Sabri, Kal Naga. France, Tunisia, Germany, Saudi Arabia

GOING VARSITY IN MARIACHI

In South Texas, Edinburg North High School’s prized mariachi team prepares to compete against their rivals, equipped with a mix of determined seniors and rookie musicians in this spirited documentary. DIR Alejandra Vasquez, Sam Osborn. CAST Edinburg North High School’s Mariachi Oro. USA

MENUS-PLAISIRS – LES TROISGROS

Frederick Wiseman’s delectable, multi-layered documentary on Michelin Guide three-starred restaurant La Maison Troisgros, presents a business, an experience and a philosophy, each shaped by the family at its center. DIR Frederick Wiseman. USA, France

MILISUTHANDO

A poetic interweaving of archival material and in-depth interviews, Milisuthando Bongela’s incisive personal essay examines identity construction through a historical lens, investigating the impact of racism and colonialism on herself and her loved ones. DIR Milisuthando Bongela. SCR Milisuthando Bongela. CAST Milisuthando Bongela. South Africa, Colombia

ORLANDO, MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY (ORLANDO, MA BIOGRAPHIE POLITIQUE)

Inspired by Virginia Woolf’s “Orlando: A Biography,” Paul B. Preciado, with 26 trans and non-binary people, constructs a manifold and beautiful image of transness, one that is both broadening and unifying, devastating and joyful. DIR Paul B. Preciado. SCR Paul B. Preciado. France

PICTURES OF GHOSTS (RETRATOS FANTASMAS)

Weaving together home movies, contemporary footage and scenes from his films, Kleber Mendonça Filho crafts an infectious love letter to his hometown of Recife and the lasting legacy of cinema. Brazil’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR Kleber Mendonça Filho. SCR Kleber Mendonça Filho. Brazil

RYUICHI SAKAMOTO | OPUS

This final solo concert and knowing farewell from legendary composer Ryuichi Sakamoto features an intimate, heartrending performance of 20 hand-selected scores. DIR Neo Sora. CAST Ryuichi Sakamoto. Japan

SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD

Tucked away in a forest in southern Estonia, a group of women gather seasonally in a communal smoke sauna. Their traditional practice offers a look into the healing powers of solidarity and sisterhood. Estonia’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR Anna Hints. SCR Anna Hints. Estonia, France, Iceland

STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING

Adapting the celebrated book by historian and National Book Award-winning author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, award-winning director Roger Ross Williams cinematically explicates Kendi’s groundbreaking scholarship on structural anti-Black racism in the U.S. DIR Roger Ross Williams. SCR David Teague. CAST Dr. Ibram X Kendi, Dr. Angela Davis, Dr. Autumn Womack, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Brittney Cooper, Dr. Carol Anderson. USA

THEY SHOT THE PIANO PLAYER

Animator Javier Mariscal and director Fernando Trueba reunite after CHICO & RITA for a Bossa Nova-inflected documentary about the mysterious disappearance of virtuoso Brazilian pianist Francisco Tenório Júnior in 1976 Argentina. DIR Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal. SCR Fernando Trueba. CAST Jeff Goldblum, Tony Ramos, Abel Ayala, Roberta Wallach, Ângela Rabelo, Stephen Hughes, Alejandra Flechner. Spain, France, Netherlands