Published at: Feb. 5, 2006, 9:10 p.m. CST by staff
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with the full film line-up for this year's South By Southwest Film Festival, which runs March 10-18th. The line-up this year is especially good. Geek stuff like SLITHER and V FOR VENDETTA, Sundance entries that I'm dying to see like THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED, and some cool sounding flicks like A.K.A TOMMY CHONG, FIRED!, BROTHERS OF THE HEAD and TALES OF THE RAT-FINK! I am told that AICN will have some surprises in store this year in conjunction with our 10th Anniversary, so keep an eye out for info on that in the near future...
Check out the list for yourselves and hopefully we'll be seeing you around the fest next month!
Spotlight Premieres
95 Miles to Go Dir: Tom Caltabiano; Cast: Ray Romano,
Tom Caltabiano, Roger Lay, Jr. Sitcom star Ray Romano
documents his unpredictable stand-up comedy tour
through Middle America. (WORLD PREMIERE)
A Prairie Home Companion Dir: Robert Altman; Cast:
Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Garrison Keillor,
Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan. An adaptation of the
popular radio program by Garrison Keillor, featuring
an all-star cast. This is the Opening Night Film for
SXSW 2006. (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
Al Franken in God Spoke Dir: Nick Doob and Chris
Hegedus; A cinema verite pursuit of Al Franken, shot
over the course of two years, the film follows the
former SNL writer turned political attack dog from his
feud with Bill O'Reilly to the 2004 Presidential
election. (WORLD PREMIERE)
American Dreamz Dir: Paul Weitz; Cast: Hugh Grant,
Dennis Quaid, Marcia Gay Harden, Mandy Moore, Willem
Dafoe. A satire about American identity, set around a
popular television singing contest called "American
Dreamz."
Brothers of the Head Dir: Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe;
Cast: Luke Treadway, Harry Treadway, Tania Emery, Sean
Harris, Bryan Dick. The feverish, mind-bending odyssey
of conjoined twins Tom and Barry Howe, who were
plucked from obscurity by a 1970s music promoter and
groomed into a boy band. (U.S. PREMIERE)
The Cassidy Kids Dir: Jacob Vaughan; Cast: Kadeem
Hardison, Anne Ramsay, Judah Friedlander. A group of
adults reunite when their real-life murder mystery
becomes a nostalgic kids' show success. (WORLD
PREMIERE)
Even Money Dir: Mark Rydell; Cast: Kim Basinger, Danny
DeVito, Kelsey Grammer, Nick Cannon, Ray Liotta,
Forest Whitaker, Carla Gugino, Grant Sullivan, Jay
Mohr. Gambling addiction bring the stories of three
otherwise unconnected people together as it destroys
each of their lives. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Fired! Dir: Chris Bradley and Kyle LaBrache;
Featuring: Annabelle Gurwitch, David Cross, Illeana
Douglas, Bob Odenkirk, Jeff Garlin, Andy Dick. After
being fired by Woody Allen, Gurwitch set out - with
the help of some famous faces - to look at what it
means to be both hired and fired as an American worker
in the global economy. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Gretchen Dir: Steve Collins; Cast: Courtney Davis,
John Merriman, Stephen Root. A misunderstood teen-age
girl faces a serious of misadventures on her way to
finding love, and her father. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Heavens Fall Dir: Terry Green; Cast: Timothy Hutton,
David Strathairn, Anthony Mackie, Leelee Sobieski.
Based on the "Scottsboro Boys" trial of the 1930s, a
lawyer meets obstacles and injustice while defending
the accused. (WORLD PREMIERE)
The King Dir: James Marsh; Cast: Gael Garcia Bernal,
Pell James, William Hurt. A small-town family is torn
apart by tradition, romance, and murder. (NORTH
AMERICAN PREMIERE)
The Life of Reilly Dir: Barry Poltermann and Frank
Anderson. Popular character actor and TV staple,
Charles Nelson Reilly, delivers the final performance
of his touching and hilarious one-man show. (WORLD
PREMIERE)
Nobelity Dir: Turk Pipkin. Pipkin travels the world
chatting with living Nobel Prize winners, to get their
perspective on the world today. (WORLD PREMIERE)
The Notorious Bettie Page Dir: Mary Harron; Cast:
Gretchen Mol, Lili Taylor, David Strathairn, Cara
Seymour. The story of Bettie Page, uber-successful
1950's pin-up model, one of the first sex icons in
America, and the target of a Senate investigation.
(U.S. PREMIERE)
The Oh in Ohio Dir: Billy Kent; Cast: Parkey Posey,
Paul Rudd, Mischa Barton, Danny DeVito, and Liza
Minnelli. Priscilla Chase seemed to have everything
going for her with one small private exception.... She
never thought much of sex. When her husband
unexpectedly leaves her to regain his manhood she
embarks on a wild journey that leads her to
satisfaction and love in the most unlikely place.
(WORLD PREMIERE)
Patriot Act Dir: Jeffrey Ross. A stand-up comedian
documents his trip to Iraq when he and other
entertainers make their way abroad for a USO tour.
(U.S. PREMIERE)
Tales of the Rat Fink Dir: Ron Mann; Cast: In this fun
and comprehensive history, John Goodman narrates a
journey through the cult status and international
influence of hot- rod designer Ed "Big Daddy" Roth,
creator of the popular "Rat Fink" character. (WORLD
PREMIERE)
Who the $#%& is Jackson Pollock? Dir: Harry Moses. A
documentary following the adventures of a 73 year-old
truck driver, after she buys what some believe is a
Jackson Pollock painting, for five dollars at a thrift
shop. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Documentary Feature Competition
Autumn's Eyes Dir: Paola Mendoza & Gabriel Noble. This
is life through the eyes of a 3-year-old girl as she
tries to navigate her way through a life of poverty,
her teenage mother's incarceration, and foster care.
(WORLD PREMIERE)
Darkon Dir: Andrew Neel & Luke Meyer. A serious look
into the bizarre and fascinating world of Darkon, a
full-contact medieval fantasy group, active in the
Baltimore area since 1985. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Jam Dir: Mark Woollen. The story of the American
Roller Derby League, a group of over-the- hill roller
derby skaters from the '50s, '60s, and '70s who are
determined to reclaim their former glory. (WORLD
PREMIERE)
Maxed Out Dir: James Scurlock. A disturbing and
hilarious glimpse at what makes Americans addicted to
credit card debt. (WORLD PREMIERE)
My Country, My Country Dir: Laura Poitras. The
agonizing predicament and gradual descent of one man
caught in the middle of the tragic contradictions of
US occupation in Iraq and its project to spread
democracy in the Middle East. (WORLD PREMIERE)
OilCrash Dir: Basil Gepke & Ray McCormack. A stylish
and sobering exploration of the dwindling oil
resources of the world, and what the globe's experts
predict for the future. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Shadow Company Dir: Nick Bicanic. A candid look at the
world of private militaries around the world, as
corporations increasingly hire modern-day mercenaries
to fight wars. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Summercamp! Dir: Bradley Beesley & Sarah Price. Within
the subculture of the unusual Swift Nature Camp, the
filmmakers capture raw emotions through rituals,
homesickness, and counselor mutiny. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Narrative Feature Competition
Americanese Dir: Eric Byler; Cast: Chris Tashima,
Allison Sie, Joan Chen, Kelly Hu, Ben Shenkman, Sab
Shimono. After a break-up, two adults find themselves
locked between racial identity, meddling friends, and
mismatched ideals. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Bondage Dir: Eric Allen; Cast: Michael Angarano,
Illeana Douglas, Griffin Dunne, Eric Lange, Evan
Ellingson, Mae Whitman. An Orange County youth escapes
an abusive home only to find himself forced to survive
a psychiatric ward. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Dance Party, USA Dir: Aaron Katz; Cast: Anna Kavan,
Cole Pensinger, Ryan White, Sarah Bing. Two aimless
teenagers connect with each other at a 4th of July
party and go their separate ways when a dark secret is
revealed. (WORLD PREMIERE)
The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael Dir: Thomas
Clay; Cast: Danny Dyer, Lesley Manville, Dan Spencer,
Ryan Winsley, Charles Mnene. A group of English
teenagers try to transcend the dull and bleak
surroundings of a country at war, with some very
disturbing activities. (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
Inner Circle Line Dir: Eunhee Cho; Cast: Eunyong
Yongkun, Yumi Jung, Soyun Jang. A woman and a man, who
share the same name, lie at the center of a circle of
young adults in Seoul whose intertwined relationships
cause them to revolve through cycles of love, loss,
and rebirth. (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
The Last Romantic Dir: Aaron & Adam Nee; Cast: Aaron
Nee, James Urbaniak, Shalom Harlow, Jane Bradbury.
Fancying himself a poet, Calvin Wizzig moves to New
York, with aspirations of making his mark on the
world. Unfortunately, the world is not particularly
keen on having marks made on it. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Live Free or Die Dir: Andy Robin & Gregg Kavet; Cast:
Aaron Stanford, Paul Schneider, Zooey Deschanel,
Michael Rapaport, Judah Friedlander, Kevin Dunn. A
would-be criminal finds himself in real trouble when
he teams up with a dim-witted friend and attempts to
prove his chops as a local outlaw. (WORLD PREMIERE)
LOL Dir: Joe Swanberg; Cast: Kevin Bewersdorf, Joe
Swanberg, C. Mason Wells, Tipper Newton, Brigid
Reagan. Alex, Tim, and Chris all view the women in
their lives through the dimensions of a computer
screen or the lens of a camera-phone, but they must
learn to balance their online fantasies and addictions
with the demands of real life. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Emerging Visions
Apart From That Dir: Jennifer Shainin & Randy Walker;
Cast: Kathleen McNearney, Kyle Conyers, Toan Le, Tony
Cladoosby, Alice Ellingson, Michelle Sheiman. A Native
American road striper, a student beautician, a
Vietnamese banker, his adopted son and an elderly
exhibitionist attempt to find their footing in a world
of miscommunication and unmet expectations. (WORLD
PREMIERE)
Bata-ville: We Are Not Afraid of the Future Dir: Nina
Pope & Karen Guthrie. A bittersweet record of a road
trip (with many former employees) to the origins of
the Bata shoe empire in the Czech Republic. (NORTH
AMERICAN PREMIERE)
Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas Dir: Scott Lew; Cast:
Patrick Fugit, Olivia Wilde. A college comedy about
the misadventures of Bickford Shmeckler, a brilliant
but troubled freshman whose prized journal full of
"cool ideas" is stolen.
Champions Dir: David Wike; Cast: Kevin Corrigan, Ebon
Moss Bachrach, Clea DuVall, David Wike. A comedy about
three men who leave town to spend a weekend in the
countryside at the house of an eccentric uncle. (WORLD
PREMIERE)
Cocaine Angel Dir: Michael Tully; Cast: Damian Lahey,
Kelly Forester, Brenda Benfield. A charming young man,
rendered weary by years of substance abuse, reaches
the end of the line one unforgettable week in the
harsh, suffocating climate of Jacksonville, Florida.
(NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
Cruel and Unusual Dir: Janet Baus, Dan Hunt, and Reid
Williams. An unflinching look at the lives of
male-to-female transsexual women in men's prisons in
the United States. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Danny Roane: First Time Director Dir: Andy Dick; Cast:
Andy Dick, Sara Rue, Bob Odenkirk, Ben Stiller, Paul
Henderson, James Van Der Beek, Anthony Rapp, Maura
Tierney. A bittersweet, yet comical look at new
filmmaker, Danny Roane (Andy Dick), as he struggles
with alcoholism while making his first feature film.
(WORLD PREMIERE)
High Score Dir: Jeremy Mack. Although technology has
left them behind, a group of die-hard gamers still
struggles to set high scores on classic arcade games
in this entertaining documentary. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Lifelike Dir: Tally Abecassis. A documentary look at
the fascinating and increasingly-mainstream world of
stuffing and mounting dead animals. (U.S. PREMIERE)
The Lost Dir: Chris Siverston; Cast: Marc Senter, Shay
Astar, Alex Frost, Megan Henning, Robin Sydney. Based
on the novel by Jack Ketchum, this is the dark tale of
a loner who faces arrest and destruction when the
events of a murder come back to haunt him. (WORLD
PREMIERE)
Manhattan, Kansas Dir: Tara Wray. A first-person
documentary feature told from the POV of a daughter
coping with her mentally unstable mother. (WORLD
PREMIERE)
Puppy Dir: Kieran Galvin; Cast: Nadia Townsend,
Bernard Curry, Sally Bull. A love story about a
resourceful young woman, a seriously delusional man,
and two dead dogs. (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
Things that Hang from Trees Dir: Ido Mizrahy; Cast:
Deborah Kara Unger, Daniel von Bargen, Ray McKinnon,
Peter Gerety. An eight-year-old boy's wish to see the
fireworks from atop the city's lighthouse is
complicated by his odd neighbors, abusive peers, and
hopeless parents. (WORLD PREMIERE)
24 Beats Per Second
Air Guitar Nation Dir: Alexandra Lipsitz From New York
to L.A. all the way to Northern Finland, this is a
chronicle of the rise of the U.S. Air Guitar
Championships through the eyes of former world
champions, fans, and media. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Awesome: I Fuckin' Shot That! Dir: Nathaniel
Hornblower; Featuring: The Beastie Boys. A live
performance creatively captured by audience members
during a Beastie Boys concert at Madison Square
Garden.
Before the Music Dies Dir: Andrew Shapter; Featuring:
Erykah Badu, Dave Matthews, Bonnie Raitt, Eric
Clapton. Two music fans use insight from musicians and
industry to investigate American music: it's rich
past, troubled present, and bright future. (WORLD
PREMIERE)
Crazy Again Dir: Zalman King; Featuring: Dale Watson,
Hank Williams III. Texas Music Hall of Fame inductee
Dale Watson reveals the story of going crazy with
grief after the death of his girlfriend. (WORLD
PREMIERE)
Danielson: A Family Movie Dir: JL Aronson; Featuring:
Danielson Famile, Sufjan Stevens. A songwriter leads
his family to indie rock stardom, eventually facing
the struggles of a solo career and a protege who finds
greater commercial success. (WORLD PREMIERE)
East of Havana Dir: Jauretsi Saizabitoria & Emilia
Menocal. An unflinching close-up on the lives and
friendship of three young rappers compelled to address
their generation's future from the confines of a Cuban
ghetto. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Herbie Hancock: Possibilities Dir: Alex Gibney;
Featuring: Herbie Hancock, Sting, Annie Lennox, Carlos
Santana. This is a look at jazz legend Herbie Hancock,
as he collaborates with an all-star roster to record a
new project, while reflecting on his history and
influence. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Los Lonely Boys: Cottonfields and Crossroads Dir:
Hector Galan. Three Mexican-American brothers from
West Texas rock their way out of poverty, determined
to fulfill their father's dream. (WORLD PREMIERE)
LoudQUIETloud: A Film about the Pixies Dir: Steve
Cantor & Matt Galkin. This documentary chronicles the
highly-anticipated and rather unlikely 2005 reunion
tour of one of indie rock's most beloved bands. (WORLD
PREMIERE)
Metal: A Headbandger's Journey Dir: Sam Dunn, Scot
McFadyen, Jessica Joy Wise; Featuring: Tony Iommi, Rob
Zombie, Alice Cooper, Dee Snider, Vince Neil, Lemmy,
Lamb of God, Slipknot. A window for the outsider into
a culture that has been consistently stereotyped and
widely dismissed, yet passionately loved by millions.
(U.S. PREMIERE)
The Passing Show Dir: Rupert Williams & James Mackie;
Featuring: Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, Ian McLagan.
A comprehensive look at Small Faces member Ronnie Lane
as an entertainer, songwriter, and legend. (WORLD
PREMIERE)
Pick Up The Mic Dir: Alex Hinton; Featuring: Juba
Kalamka, Dutchboy, Johnny Dangerous. A startling and
fast-paced documentary on the world of gay, lesbian,
and trans-gendered rappers.
Punk Like Me Dir: Zach Merck. When a man cons his way
onto the Warped Tour, as a 37 year-old amateur punk
rock singer, he finally gets to fulfill his rock star
fantasies. (WORLD PREMIERE)
The Refugee All-Stars Dir: Zach Niles & Banker White;
Featuring: Rueben M. Koroma, Efuh Grace Ampomah,
Francis John Langba. The story of a group of six
musicians from Sierra Leone who come together to form
a band while living as refugees in the West African
nation of Guinea.
Suffering & Smiling Dir: Dan Ollman; Featuring: Femi
Kuti. A provocative document of legendary African
musicians Fela and Femi Kuti, and their impact on the
Nigerian Government. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Lone Star States
2 A.M. Dir: Korey Coleman; Cast: Travis Ammons, Korey
Coleman, Jeremy Denzlinger, Billy Brooks, Robert
Henry. For five friends who are still awake when the
bars close, the night is not over: some need to keep
the party going, others need to fix whatever trouble
they've started. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Jumping Off Bridges Dir: Kat Candler; Cast: Bryan
Chafin, Glen Powell Jr., Savannah Welch, Katie Lemon.
Carefree and adventurous, three teen-age friends
escape their everyday lives, until a tragic event
divides their friendships and brings childhood secrets
to light. (WORLD PREMIERE)
La Tragedia de Macario Dir: Pablo Veliz; Cast: Rogelio
Ramos, Milicent Figueroa, Tina Rodriguez . A peasant
in Mexico struggles with thoughts of crossing the
border into an unknown world.
Letters From the Other Side Dir: Heather Courtney.
Video letters carried across the US/Mexico border by
the film's director with the personal stories of women
left behind in post-NAFTA Mexico.
Motorcycle Dir: Paul Gordon; Cast: Chris Pratt, Paula
Resler, Brandi Perkins. Three people - a young man in
search of a girlfriend, a young female bicycle
messenger in search of enlightenment, and a teenage
girl weary of small town life - find themselves riding
the same motorcycle.
The Other Side Dir: Bill Brown. A two thousand-mile
roadtrip along the US-Mexico border, happening in an
age of homeland insecurity. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Slam Planet: War of the Words Dir: Mike Henry & Kyle
Fuller. Film crews follow various slam poetry teams,
as they become bound and determined to win the
national competition. (WORLD PREMIERE)
State vs. Reed Dir: Ryan Polomski, Frank Bustoz. A
captivating look at one man's battle with the legal
system. (WORLD PREMIERE)
TV Junkie Dir: Michael Cain & Matt Radecki. A
Texas-based "extreme sports" reporter records 3,000
hours of his dizzying and conflicted life, split
between a happy family and troubling secret.
'Round Midnight
American Hardcore Dir: Paul Rachman. This documentary
is a comprehensive and chaotic visual history of the
underground scene of the American hardcore punk
movement.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon Dir: Scott
Glosserman; Cast: Leslie Vernon, the great
psycho-slasher upstart, has given a documentary crew
exclusive access to his life as he plans his reign of
terror over the next unfortunate little town. (WORLD
PREMIERE)
District 13 Dir: Pierre Morel; Cast: Cyril Raffaelli,
David Belle, Tony D'Amario, Bibi Naceri. District 13
is a violent Paris slum that is so out-of-control that
the authorities have constructed a giant wall around
it, allowing the occupants to fight it out for
themselves inside.
Fuck Dir: Steve Anderson; Featuring: Alanis
Morissette, Drew Carey, Sam Donaldson, Alan Keyes,
Chuck D, Pat Boone, Bill Maher. A documentary look at
the infamous "F word," from both the liberal and
conservative perspective.
Population 436 Dir: Michelle McLaren; Cast: Jeremy
Sisto, Fred Durst, Charlotte Sullivan, Peter
Outerbridge. Census worker Steve Kady is sent to
Rockwell Falls to uncover the error that has caused
the town's population to be recorded as 436 for over
100 years. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Slither Dir: James Gunn; Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Nathan
Fillion, Michael Rooker. A small town is taken over by
an alien plague, turning residents into zombies and
all forms of mutant monsters.
This Film Is Not Yet Rated Dir: Kirby Dick. This
documentary is a provocative investigation of the
people, places, and decisions that constitute the
movie ratings board.
Special Screenings
51 Birch Street Dir: Doug Block. Do we ever really
know our parents? And if we were suddenly given the
chance to know all about them, would we take it?
A/K/A TOMMY CHONG Dir: Josh Gilbert; Featuring: Tommy
Chong, Cheech Marin, Shelby Chong, Bill Maher, Jay
Leno. The tragic and absurd journey of legendary
counter-culture comedian Tommy Chong who was indicted
in a drug paraphernalia sting.
American Gun Dir: Aric Avellano; Cast: Donald
Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Marcia Gay Harden, Linda
Cardellini. A powerful series of interwoven storylines
that brings to light how the proliferation of guns in
America dramatically affects the lives of every day
citizens.
Beethoven's Hair Dir: Larry Weinstein. The unlikely
journey of a lock of hair cut from Beethoven's corpse
and unravels the mystery of his tortured life and
death.
Conversations with Other Women Dir: Hans Canosa; Cast:
Helena Bonham Carter, Aaron Eckhart, Nora Zehetner.
The compelling story of a couple whose reunion at a
wedding reception ignites a mysterious attraction for
each other that is deeper and more emotionally
perilous than they are willing to admit.
Disappearances Dir: Jay Craven; Cast: Kris
Kristofferson, Genevieve Bujold. A schemer and dreamer
resorts to whiskey-smuggling in an attempt to save his
endangered herd through the rapidly approaching
winter. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Don't Come Knocking Dir: Wim Wenders; Cast: Sam
Shepard, Jessica Lange, Tim Roth, Gabriel Mann, Sarah
Polley. At the age of 60, former movie star Howard
uses drugs, alcohol and young girls to avoid the
painful truth that there are only supporting roles
left for him to play.
Forgiving the Franklins Dir: Jay Floyd; Cast: Teresa
Willis, Robertson Dean, Aviva, Vince Pavia. A God
fearing Southern family is spiritually altered by an
auto accident, having their deeply rooted shame
divinely removed.
Friends with Money Dir: Nicole Holofcener; Cast:
Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Keener, Jason Isaacs, Timm
Sharp, Joan Cusack. A comedy/drama about how money,
and the lack of it, affects and distorts relationships
among a small group of Los Angeles friends.
Gabrielle Dir: Patrice Chereau; Cast: Isabelle
Huppert, Pascal Greggory, Claudia Coli. Based on a
Joseph Conrad story, this is tale of a marital
breakdown that overwhelms a middle aged bourgeois
couple.
Hard Candy Dir: David Slade; Cast: Patrick Wilson,
Ellen Page, Sandra Oh. An online predator is taken
captive by a resourceful young girl in this kinetic
thriller.
The Heart of the Game Dir: Ward Serrill. A documentary
capturing the passion of a Seattle high school girls'
basketball team.
The Hidden Blade Dir: Yoji Yamada; Cast: Masatoshi
Nagase, Takako Matsu, Yukitoshi Ozawa. An honest,
low-ranking samurai finds himself locked in the
confusion of old and new in 19th-century Japan.
In My Father's Den Dir: Brad McGann; Cast: Matthew
MacFadyen, Miranda Otto, Colin Moy. A disillusioned
war journalist is implicated in the mysterious
disappearance of a teenage girl.
Infamy Dir: Doug Pray. Without seeking to glorify it
or chronicle its history, a documentary filmmaker
turns to visual street culture, traveling into the
lives and minds of seven people obsessed with
graffiti.
Johanna Dir: Kornel Mundruczo; Cast: Orsi Toth, Zsolt
Trill. A young girl is rushed to the hospital after a
bus crash. She suffers total amnesia, and is healed of
her drug dependency. In place of her old life and
habits, she feels only the presence of God, to whom
she now belongs entirely.
Kinky Boots Dir: Julian Jarrold; Cast: Joel Edgerton,
Chiwetel Ejiofor. A shoe factory in working-class
England reluctantly finds its niche in shoewear for
cross-dressing performers.
L'Enfant Dir: Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne;
Cast: Jeremie Renier, Deborah Francois, Fabrizio
Rongione. Bruno and Sonia, a young couple living off
her benefit and the thefts committed by his gang, have
a new source of money: their newborn son.
The Last Western Dir: Chris Deaux. A documentary on
the bygone era of the B-western and the colorful
citizens of Pioneertown, a dusty outpost on the edge
of the Mojave Desert in the shadow of Los Angeles.
(WORLD PREMIERE)
Lower City Dir: Sergio Machado; Cast: Alice Braga,
Lazaro Ramos, Wagner Moura. Two men and one woman are
propelled into a world of crime, sex, and love while
mastering the complexities of modern-day Brazil.
Music is My Life, Politics My Mistress Dir: donnie
betts. A documentary look at the life of musician,
playwright, and civil rights activist Oscar Brown, Jr.
Neil Young: Heart of Gold Dir: Jonathan Demme. Demme
chronicles a historic concert performed by legendary
singer- songwriter Neil Young.
Old Joy Dir: Kelly Reichardt; Cast: Will Oldham,
Daniel London. This film is a minimalist story of
friendship, loss, and alienation in the Bush era.
Sisters in Law Dir: Kim Longinotto & Florence Ayisi.
This documentary examines the little town of Kumba,
Cameroon, and the fgact that here have been no
convictions in spousal abuse cases for 17 years.
Thanks to a tough-minded state prosecutor and court
president, things may be starting to change.
Small Town Gay Bar Dir: Malcolm Ingram. In the face of
cruelty, ridicule, and even violence, American
homosexuals manage to find sanctuary in the only place
they are offered within hundreds of miles: gay bars.
This documentary tells their story.
Thank You For Smoking Dir: Jason Reitman; Cast: Aaron
Eckhart, Maria Bello, Cameron Bright, Adam Brody, Sam
Elliot, Katie Holmes. Nick Naylor, chief spokesman for
Big Tobacco, makes his living defending the rights of
smokers and cigarette makers in today's neo-
puritanical culture.
The Treasures of Long Gone John Dir: Gregg Gibbs. A
chronicle of the eccentric art and musical obsessions
of a self- described anti-mogul of the music industry,
indie record producer Long Gone John.
V For Vendetta Dir: James McTeigue; Cast: Natalie
Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea. In the futuristic
landscape of totalitarian Britain, a man cloaked in
mystery ignites a revolution and finds an unlikely
ally in a seemingly mild mannered young woman.
Wah-Wah Dir: Richard E. Grant; Cast: Gabriel Byrne,
Miranda Richardson, Emily Watson. A young boy comes of
age in 1960s Swaziland, centered around his parents'
divorce and a new stepmother.
Wide Awake Dir: Alan Berliner. Acclaimed documentary
filmmaker Berlin examines his years-long bout with insomnia.