11/8/16
2017 Documentary Competition | documentary feature | 104 min World Premiere On the day of the 2016 presidential election, filmmaker Jeff Deutchman surveys the thoughts and feelings of ordinary Americans as they head to the ballot box. Told in brief vignettes from across the …Directed by Duane Andersen, Yung Chang, Garth Donovan, Vikram Gandhi, Raul Gasteazoro, Jamie Goncalves, Andrew Beck Grace, Alma Har'el, Daniel Junge, Alison Klayman, Ciara Lacy, Martha Shane, Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Bassam Tariq, Don Argott, Sheena M. Joyce, Petra Epperlein, Michael Tucker,, Curated and Produced by Jeff Deutchman,,Executive Produced by Dana O'Keefe
116 CAMERAS
2017 Shorts Program | documentary short | 16 min With the assistance of innovative technology, Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss ensures she will be able to tell her story forever.Directed by Davina Pardo
15: A QUINCEAÑERA STORY
2017 Shorts Program | documentary short | 26 min World Premiere With the help of her trans-madrinas (godmothers), fifteen-year-old Zoey prepares for her Quinceanera celebration the older women were never able to have themselves.Directed by Matthew O'Neill, Thalia Sodi
ABSENT
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 16 min World Premiere Wearily resigned to caring for her bedridden mother, Zola sees a fleeting chance to break free from this tedious routine when she runs into an old crush.Directed by Sudarshan Suresh
AFTER LOUIE
2017 Spotlight | narrative feature | 100 min New York Premiere Still reeling from survivor’s guilt in the years following the AIDS epidemic, NYC artist Sam (Emmy®- and Golden Globe®-nominated actor Alan Cumming) spends his days working on a seemingly never- …Directed by Vincent Gagliostro
Anatomy of a Scene: GET OUT
2017 A Conversation With | panels and events | 60 min The 25th Anniversary will host a special event for Universal Pictures’ breakout hit GET OUT, from writer/director/producer Jordan Peele. The critically acclaimed speculative thriller tells the st …ARRHYTHMIA “Aritmiya”
2017 World Cinema | narrative feature | 116 min US Premiere ARRHYTHMIA, Boris Khlebnikov’s explosive portrait of a fractured marriage, follows the young, gifted paramedic Oleg (Alexander Yatsenko) and his wife Katya (Irina Gorbacheva), who works as a nurse …Directed by Boris Khlebnikov
BIRDLIME
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 11 min An exotic bird struggles to adapt to his new life in captivity.Directed by Evan DeRushie
BREATHE
2017 Opening, Closing, Centerpiece | narrative feature | 117 min US Premiere SUNDAY CENTERPIECE Best-known for his motion-capture work as Gollum in the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and Caesar in the PLANET OF THE APES series, Andy Serkis makes his directorial debut with the ins …Directed by Andy Serkis
THE BURDEN “Min Börda”
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 14 min US Premiere On the eve of what may be the apocalypse, the animal occupants of a lonely industrial park sing for liberation in this series of surreal, musical vignettes.Directed by Niki Lindroth von Bahr
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
2017 Spotlight | narrative feature | 130 min As another summer in his family’s Italian villa lazily drifts by for 17-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet, Variety’s 10 Actors To Watch), 24-year-old Oliver (Armie Hammer) seems at first to be l …Directed by Luca Guadagnino
CASTING
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 20 min North American Premiere A young, Polish woman is forced to choose between her family and her career as an actress.Directed by Katarzyna Iskra
THE CHINA HUSTLE
2017 Documentary Competition | documentary feature | 84 min US Premiere In the midst of the 2008 market crash, investors on the fringes of the financial world feverishly sought new alternatives for high-return investments in the global markets. With Chinese indexes demo …Directed by Jed Rothstein
A CIAMBRA
2017 World Cinema | narrative feature | 117 min US Premiere Adapted from his eponymous short film, filmmaker Jonas Carpignano returns to the southern Italian setting of his debut MEDITERRANEA (HIFF 2015) in this neo-realist coming-of-age story. Desperate to …Directed by Jonas Carpignano
COIN OPERATED
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 5 min To infinity and beyond, for only 25¢.Directed by Nicholas Arioli
COMMODITY CITY
2017 Shorts Program | documentary short | 10 min New York Premiere A meditative observation of the Yiwu Markets in China, the largest wholesale consumer market in the world.Directed by Jessica Kingdon
CONNECTION “Conectifai”
2017 Shorts Program | documentary short | 16 min New York Premiere Wi-Fi has come to Havana, and with it, new opportunities for Cubans to interact with one another.Directed by Zoe Garcia
A Conversation With Annette Bening
2017 A Conversation With | panels and events | 60 min Annette Bening is a four-time Academy Award nominee, two-time Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award winner. She was last seen in A24’s 20TH CENTURY WOMEN (HIFF 2016), directed by Mike Mills, …A Conversation With Patrick Stewart
2017 A Conversation With | panels and events | 60 min Variety Creative Impact in Acting Award Patrick Stewart is one of the most acclaimed and beloved performers working today, with numerous and varied roles on both stage and screen, earning Golden Glo …A Conversation With Rob Reiner
2017 A Conversation With | panels and events | 60 min Two-time Emmy® Award winner Rob Reiner first came to fame as an actor on the landmark television series All In The Family. He went on to become an acclaimed director of some of the most popular and …DAM! THE STORY OF KIT THE BEAVER
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 13 min The adventures of an inquisitive young beaver named Kit, and the valuable lessons about compassion and community she learns along the way. Featuring an original score performed by the Toronto Sympho …Directed by Kjell Boersma
DARKEST HOUR
2017 Spotlight | narrative feature | 125 min East Coast Premiere Joe Wright (PRIDE & PREJUDICE, ATONEMENT) returns with a thrilling drama centered on Winston Churchill—starring Academy Award® nominee, Gary Oldman in his most forceful and transformative rol …Directed by Joe Wright
THE DEAD NATION “Tara moarta”
2017 World Cinema | documentary feature | 83 min US Premiere Acclaimed narrative filmmaker Radu Jude explores Romania’s shifting identity throughout history in his first documentary, THE DEAD NATION. Using archival images found from the collection of a rura …Directed by Radu Jude
DEKALB ELEMENTARY
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 20 min New York Premiere A thrilling moment between two strangers—inspired by a real 911 call placed during a school shooting incident in Atlanta, Georgia.Directed by Reed Van Dyk
DISAPPEARANCE “Napadid Shodan”
2017 Narrative Competition | narrative feature | 88 min US Premiere Rising Iranian filmmaker Ali Asgari, whose short film THE SILENCE took home the Best Narrative Short Competition prize at HIFF 2016, returns to the festival with his mesmerizing feature debut. Set a …Directed by Ali Asgari
THE DIVINE ORDER “Die Göttliche Ordnung”
2017 World Cinema | narrative feature | 97 min In 1971, a quaint Swiss village, seemingly untouched by the cultural and social upheavals of the 1960s, anticipates the vote for women’s suffrage. Following her exposure to a women’s rights …Directed by Petra Volpe
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION AWARD WINNER
2017 Documentary Competition | documentary feature On Monday, October 9, we will screen the Documentary Competition Award winners, selected by our esteemed jury: the award-winning short will precede the award-winning feature film at 2:00pm.EARTH: ONE AMAZING DAY
2017 Air, Land & Sea | documentary feature | 95 min Narrated by Robert Redford and co-directed by Academy Award® nominee Peter Webber and BAFTA winner Richard Dale, EARTH: ONE AMAZING DAY takes us on a breathtakingly immersive voyage across the cont …Directed by Richard Dale, Lixin Fan, Peter Webber
EDITH+EDDIE
2017 Shorts Program | documentary short | 29 min New York Premiere The unusual and idyllic romance of Edith and Eddie—America’s oldest interracial newlyweds—is challenged by a family dispute that threatens to tear the couple apart.Directed by Laura Checkoway
EN EL SÉPTIMO DÍA
2017 World Cinema | narrative feature | 92 min Returning to feature filmmaking after a decade in television, indie veteran Jim McKay’s EN EL SÉPTIMO DÍA is a heartfelt, subtle, and captivating portrait of an undocumented Mexican immigran …Directed by Jim McKay
THE FAMILY I HAD
2017 World Cinema | documentary feature | 77 min In Katie Green and Carlye Rubin’s THE FAMILY I HAD, Charity Lee recalls the harrowing moment her teenage son shattered her family with one unthinkable act of violence. Ten years into the wake of t …Directed by Katie Green, Carlye Rubin
A FANTASTIC WOMAN “Una Mujer Fantástica”
2017 World Cinema | narrative feature | 103 min East Coast Premiere A shatteringly intimate and nuanced performance from newcomer Daniela Vega anchors Chilean director Sebastián Lelio’s latest film, A FANTASTIC WOMAN. In this Hitchcockian drama, transgender woman …Directed by Sebastián Lelio
FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL
2017 Spotlight | narrative feature | 105 min East Coast Premiere Adapted from British actor Peter Turner’s memoir of the same name, the late-life relationship between legendary Golden-era actress Gloria Grahame (Academy Award® nominee Annette Bening) and the s …Directed by Paul McGuigan
FILMWORKER
2017 World Cinema | documentary feature | 95 min At the age of 27, actor Leon Vitali met Stanley Kubrick during the filming of BARRY LYNDON. Despite having his own respected acting career, Vitali’s fascination with Kubrick led him to throw it aw …Directed by Tony Zierra
THE FIRST TO DO IT
2017 World Cinema | documentary feature | 88 min World Premiere In 1950, three years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in major league baseball, Earl Lloyd stepped onto an NBA basketball court and changed the game forever. During Lloyd’s 22-year NB …Directed by Coodie & Chike
THE FLORIDA PROJECT
2017 World Cinema | narrative feature | 115 min Sean Baker supplants the West Hollywood setting of his 2015 festival hit TANGERINE with the cheap motels laying in the shadow of a certain Orlando mouse-themed amusement park, in another free-flowin …Directed by Sean Baker
FLUFFY “Flafi”
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 24 min New York Premiere As a family deals with the emotional and logistical stress of packing up for a cross-continental move, things get even more complicated when an impossibly large teddy bear suddenly enters the equati …Directed by Lee Filipovski
FOREVER NOW
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 19 min New York Premiere After many years together, William and Cecilie’s relationship has come to an end. Unwilling to let go of each other just yet, the couple spend a drug-induced weekend together reliving the high …Directed by Kristian Håskjold
FRANKIE KEEPS TALKING
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 7 min New York Premiere Will someone please tell Frankie to shut up?Directed by Annabelle Attanasio
A FRIENDSHIP IN TOW/TOE “Até a pró/cima!”
2017 Shorts Program | documentary short | 10 min US Premiere An unlikely friendship blossoms between two strangers on the long, arduous journey up five flights of stairs.Directed by Atsushi Kuwayama
FROM THE ASHES
2017 Air, Land & Sea | documentary feature | 85 min Moving beyond the rhetoric that frequently muddies the debate, FROM THE ASHES reflects on the United States’ long and often fraught relationship to the coal and mining industry, and ponders its un …Directed by Michael Bonfiglio
FRY DAY
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 16 min A teenage girl comes of age against the backdrop of Ted Bundy’s execution.Directed by Laura Moss
FUCKING BUNNIES “Saatanan Kanit”
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 17 min New York Premiere One Finnish man’s comfortable suburban existence is disrupted when a boisterous, satanic sex-cult moves in next door.Directed by Teemu Niukkanen
GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN
2017 Opening, Closing, Centerpiece | narrative feature | 107 min North American Premiere FRIDAY CENTERPIECE Simon Curtis, director of MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (HIFF 2011), presents a heartfelt look into the complicated relationship between beloved children’s author A. A. Milne (Domhna …Directed by Simon Curtis
HAPPY END
2017 World Cinema | narrative feature | 107 min US Premiere While living out their days in a Calais mansion against the backdrop of the city’s increasingly turbulent refugee crisis, the well-off Laurents find themselves slowly torn apart by the surprise ar …Directed by Michael Haneke
HOLD ON
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 9 min New York Premiere Family bonds are put to the test when a young man is left to care for his ailing grandmother.Directed by Christine Turner
HOME SWIM HOME “Le Grand Bain”
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 16 min A recently divorced, former swimming champion finds new meaning in life upon learning that many of her new neighbors do not know how to swim.Directed by Valérie Leroy
HONDROS
2017 Conflict & Resolution | documentary feature | 93 min WINNER: 2017 BRIZZOLARA FAMILY FOUNDATION AWARD FOR FILMS OF CONFLICT & RESOLUTION Known for his probing and humane coverage of countries ravaged by conflict, Chris Hondros was one of the world …Directed by Greg Campbell
HUMAN FLOW
2017 Conflict & Resolution | documentary feature | 140 min East Coast Premiere Visionary artist Ai Weiwei’s haunting new documentary follows the plight of migrants displaced from their homelands by war, poverty, and climate change. A sprawling global odyssey, HUMAN FLOW was …Directed by Ai Weiwei
I AM EVIDENCE
2017 World Cinema | documentary feature | 86 min Produced by Mariska Hargitay (Law and Order: SVU), I AM EVIDENCE uncovers the many disturbing ways our criminal justice system neglects victims of sexual assault. In this revealing exposé, filmmake …Directed by Trish Adlesic, Geeta Gandbhir
I, TONYA
2017 Opening, Closing, Centerpiece | narrative feature | 121 min US Premiere CLOSING NIGHT FILM For many, the revelations following the attack on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan in the lead-up to the 1994 Winter Olympics cemented the legacy of Tonya Harding as one of the most i …Directed by Craig Gillespie
ICARUS
2017 Special Screenings | documentary feature | 121 min The ruthless worlds of international sports and politics rarely collide as spectacularly as they do in Bryan Fogel’s ICARUS. While investigating the furtive world of illegal doping in sports, he c …Directed by Bryan Fogel
IN THE FADE “Aus dem Nichts”
2017 Spotlight | narrative feature | 105 min US Premiere Selected as Germany’s official submission for the Academy Awards® Best Foreign Language Film, Fatih Akin’s tightly-wound revenge thriller stars Diane Kruger as a woman struggling to overcome he …Directed by Fatih Akin
ITZHAK
2017 Opening, Closing, Centerpiece | documentary feature | 82 min World Premiere OPENING NIGHT FILM Alison Chernick’s documentary ITZHAK examines the life and music of Itzhak Perlman, widely considered one of the world’s greatest living violinists. Exploring the ways in whic …Directed by Alison Chernick
JANE
2017 Compassion, Justice & Animal Rights | documentary feature | 90 min Culled from hundreds of hours of recently discovered 16mm archival footage, Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Brett Morgen crafts an enchanting portrait of legendary primatologist and activist Jan …Directed by Brett Morgen
JESSZILLA
2017 Shorts Program | documentary short | 7 min Ten-year-old Jesselyn “JessZilla” Silva dreams about becoming a professional boxer.Directed by Emily Sheskin
KILLER BEES
2017 Views From Long Island | documentary feature | 82 min World Premiere KILLER BEES spotlights the famed Bridgehampton basketball team as they prepare to defend their state championship title. Following the young men on and off the court, filmmakers Benjamin and Orson C …Directed by Benjamin Cummings, Orson Cummings
LA MANZANA
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 28 min New York Premiere In the days leading up to his departure from Cuba, a young boy prepares to say goodbye to the only home he has ever known.Directed by Henry Disotuar
LARGER THAN LIFE: THE KEVYN AUCOIN STORY
2017 World Cinema | documentary feature | 97 min World Premiere LARGER THAN LIFE: THE KEVYN AUCOIN STORY explores the life of the iconic make-up artist who transformed the profession into a prominent and influential art form. Director and fellow make-up artist T …Directed by Tiffany Bartok
THE LAST PIG
2017 Compassion, Justice & Animal Rights | documentary feature | 54 min New York Premiere WINNER: 2017 Zelda Penzel “Giving Voice to the Voiceless” Award A moving meditation on a man’s crisis of faith, THE LAST PIG follows Bob Comis as he concludes his last season as a pig farm …Directed by Allison Argo
LBJ
2017 Spotlight | narrative feature | 98 min New York Premiere Led by a thunderous lead performance by Woody Harrelson in the titular role, Rob Reiner helms this eye-opening study of the controversial political career of Lyndon B. Johnson, ranging from his days …Directed by Rob Reiner
LEGAL SMUGGLING WITH CHRISTINE CHOY
2017 Shorts Program | documentary short | 4 min Why would anyone go to Canada if not to smuggle cigarettes?Directed by Lewie Kloster
THE LEISURE SEEKER
2017 World Cinema | narrative feature | 112 min US Premiere Academy Award® winner Helen Mirren and two-time Golden-Globe® winner Donald Sutherland shine as Ella and John, an aging couple who embark on one final adventure in Paolo Virzi’s English-language …Directed by Paolo Virzì
LES MISERABLES
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 16 min In the modern-day Parisian district of Victor Hugo’s novel, a new transfer cop joins the neighborhood anti-crime brigade.Directed by Ladj Ly
LITTLE MANIFESTO AGAINST SOLEMN CINEMA “Pequeño manifiesto en contra del cine solemne”
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 14 min US Premiere The lifespan of one couple’s tumultuous relationship—composed entirely of clichéd film tropes.Directed by Roberto Porta
LITTLE POTATO
2017 Shorts Program | documentary short | 13 min The whirlwind autobiographical tale of a young gay boy, his mail-order-bride mother, and their adventurous escape from the Soviet Union in pursuit of a new life in America.Directed by Wes Hurley, Nathan M. Miller
LONG SHOT
2017 Shorts Program | documentary short | 38 min When Juan Catalan is arrested for a murder he did not commit, his lawyer must go to extraordinary lengths to prove his alibi.Directed by Jacob LaMendola
LOTS OF KIDS, A MONKEY AND A CASTLE
2017 Documentary Competition | documentary feature | 88 min New York Premiere Julita Salmerón’s biggest wishes in life were to have lots of children and a pet monkey, and to live in a castle. Gustavo Salmerón’s humorously candid film follows his mother, and the rest of …Directed by Gustavo Salmerón
LOVE MEANS ZERO
2017 Documentary Competition | documentary feature | 91 min New York Premiere With his notorious no-nonsense approach to coaching, Nick Bollettieri is regarded as a controversial figure in the world of tennis—but also, crucially, as a mentor with the know-how to push player …Directed by Jason Kohn
LOVE, CECIL
2017 World Cinema | documentary feature | 98 min East Coast Premiere Documentarian Lisa Immordino Vreeland (PEGGY GUGGENHEIM: ART ADDICT) presents an engaging portrait of the visionary Cecil Beaton. Known for his astounding work ethic and prickly personality, the cel …Directed by Lisa Immordino Vreeland
LOVELESS “Nelyubov”
2017 World Cinema | narrative feature | 127 min East Coast Premiere Boris and Zhenya’s (Alexey Rozin, Maryana Spivak) divorce has devolved into an endless series of arguments. Consumed with selling their apartment and beginning lives with new partners, their 12-ye …Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev
MANIVALD
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 13 min East Coast Premiere Manivald, 33, still lives at home with his overbearing mother—that is, until the arrival of a dashing repairman prompts him to make a change.Directed by Chintis Lundgren
MARSHALL
2017 Spotlight | narrative feature | 118 min Long before Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) sat on the U.S. Supreme Court, the NAACP sent the young, rabble-rousing attorney to defend a black chauffeur (Sterling K. Brown) against his wealthy …Directed by Reginald Hudlin
THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (NEW AND SELECTED)
2017 Spotlight | narrative feature | 113 min Content in living out their individual lives in separation from one another, the three middle-aged siblings of the Meyerowitz family find themselves uncomfortably reunited when they are forced to co …Directed by Noah Baumbach
THE MISOGYNISTS
2017 World Cinema | narrative feature | 85 min World Premiere In a single, fully-stocked hotel room on the night of the 2016 general election, two Trump supporters celebrate the unexpected results, in the latest from indie provocateur Onur Tukel. As the night …Directed by Onur Tukel
MOUNTAIN
2017 Documentary Competition | documentary feature | 73 min US Premiere Narrated by Willem Dafoe, MOUNTAIN takes the viewer on a sweeping journey to the most awe-inspiring summits on earth. A collaboration between BAFTA-nominated director Jennifer Peedom and Richard Tog …Directed by Jennifer Peedom
MOUNTAIN FEVER “Bergfieber”
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 8 min East Coast Premiere Belzinger is gone…Directed by Frédéric Hambalek
MR & MRS ADELMAN “Monsieur & Madame Adelman”
2017 World Cinema | narrative feature | 120 min East Coast Premiere In his directorial debut, Nicolas Bedos stars opposite co-writer Doria Tillier as a French couple intertwined, consumed with, and defined by each other in life and work: he, an accomplished writer; …Directed by Nicolas Bedos
MR. & MRS. KIM
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 15 min Feeling insecure about his parents’ dry cleaning business, Joshua invents an elaborate new profession for them.Directed by Jaehuen Chung
MUHI—GENERALLY TEMPORARY
2017 Conflict & Resolution | documentary feature | 87 min Jerusalem-based journalists Rina Castelnuovo and Tamir Elterman present MUHI—GENERALLY TEMPORARY, an enchanting portrait of a sweet boy from Gaza who finds himself trapped between two conflicting …Directed by Rina Castelnuovo, Tamir Elterman
MY DAUGHTER NORA “Ma Fille Nora”
2017 Shorts Program | documentary short | 15 min New York Premiere A mother tirelessly pursues her runaway teenage daughter, who left her home in Belgium to join the war against the infidels in Syria.Directed by Jasna Krajinovic
NAKO
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 18 min East Coast Premiere On their weekend getaway in the countryside, a young couple discovers they can only communicate through the air vents of the house.Directed by Nyima Cartier
NARRATIVE COMPETITION AWARD WINNER
2017 Narrative Competition | narrative feature On Monday, October 9, we will screen the Narrative Competition Award winners, selected by our esteemed jury: the award-winning short will precede the award-winning feature film at 4:30pm.NATURE: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
2017 Shorts Program | documentary short | 21 min East Coast Premiere As nature fades into the background of our increasingly urban world, a series of artificial simulations are ready to take its place.Directed by Sebastian Mulder
NEGATIVE SPACE
2017 Short Films | narrative short | 5 min East Coast Premiere A father and son connect through the efficiency, simplicity, and intimacy of packing luggage.Directed by Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata
THE NEST EGG
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 14 min The stories of a lonely widower and a precocious young girl unexpectedly converge with the help of a chicken suit.Directed by Lucy Patrick Ward
NEVADA
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 12 min East Coast Premiere A couple’s romantic weekend is abruptly interrupted by a birth control mishap.Directed by Emily Ann Hoffman
NIGHT
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 10 min The carefree dynamic between four friends suddenly shifts following an unpleasant encounter with a nightclub bouncer.Directed by Joosje Duk
NIGHT CALL
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 18 min World Premiere A newly promoted police officer is forced to make a life-altering decision when she encounters a familiar face on a routine patrol.Directed by Amanda Renee Knox
NOVITIATE
2017 World Cinema | narrative feature | 118 min East Coast Premiere Drawn in by the prospect of a higher calling despite her non-religious upbringing, Cathleen (Margaret Qualley), a teenager growing up in the early 1960s, soon finds herself among a group of young wo …Directed by Maggie Betts
OH, LUCY!
2017 Narrative Competition | narrative feature | 95 min US Premiere In this offbeat tale, OH LUCY! follows Setsuko Kawashima (Shinobu Terajima)—a lonely, chain-smoking introvert who is wasting away at her office job in Tokyo. Setsuko’s world is turned upside dow …Directed by Atsuko Hirayanagi
ONE OF US
2017 World Cinema | documentary feature | 94 min US Premiere In a borough defined by rapidly shifting identities and vastly increased visibility, Brooklyn’s Hasidic community exists as an anomaly—one virtually cut off from the change surrounding it and de …Directed by Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
Opening Night Party
2017 Opening Night Party | panels and events | 180 min Celebrate the 25th Anniversary Film Festival with us! The Opening Night Party will follow the Opening Night screening of ITZHAK in East Hampton. Limited tickets available. Join us all night long: …THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE “Toivon tuolla puolen”
2017 Conflict & Resolution | narrative feature | 101 min At the same time Syrian refugee Khaled emerges from the coal freighter on which he has stowed away and takes his first hopeful steps into Helsinki, travelling salesman Wikström makes his own foray …Directed by Aki Kaurismäki
PERCHED
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 10 min A grumpy hermit used to a life of isolation struggles to maintain equilibrium when an unwelcome visitor rocks his worldDirected by Liam Harris
RETOUCH
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 20 min When her husband suffers a serious accident, Maryam makes a fateful choice. > Interview with director Kaveh MazaheriDirected by Kaveh Mazaheri
SABAKU
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 3 min New York Premiere How far will you go to find a new friend?Directed by Marlies van der Wel
SCAFFOLD
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 15 min Two immigrant construction workers observe the neighborhood from their unique, precarious and ephemeral vantage point.Directed by Kazik Radwanski
SEARCHING FOR WIVES
2017 Shorts Program | documentary short | 12 min New York Premiere A migrant worker visits a Singaporean photo studio, hoping the professional portrait will be the ticket to finding him a bride back home.Directed by Zuki Juno Tobgye
THE SHAPE OF WATER
2017 Spotlight | narrative feature | 123 min East Coast Premiere As the Cold War reaches its peak in the early 1960s, Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a mute janitor working at a US government facility, finds a strange creature held deep within the laboratory. Guillermo de …Directed by Guillermo del Toro
SHORTS PROGRAM: COME TOGETHER
2017 Short Film Programs | 94 min Spanning multiple generations, these thoughtful and witty stories from around the world explore our universal desire for human connection.SHORTS PROGRAM: DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM COMPETITION (2017)
2017 Short Film Programs | 113 min Featuring an array of powerful subjects, the Short Documentary Competition honors new and distinctive voices in documentary filmmaking. The winner will receive a $500 cash prize and qualify for cons …SHORTS PROGRAM: I WILL BE ON MY WAY
2017 Short Film Programs | 99 min Upon finding themselves at a crossroads, the characters of these short films must each make a bold decision. The consequences, for better or for worse, will change the course of their lives forever.SHORTS PROGRAM: NARRATIVE SHORT FILM COMPETITION (2017)
2017 Short Film Programs | 82 min Featuring exceptional technique and storytelling, the Short Narrative Competition honors the fresh perspectives of up-and-coming filmmakers. The winner will receive a $500 cash prize and qualify for …SHORTS PROGRAM: NYWIFT WOMEN CALLING THE SHOTS (2017)
2017 Short Film Programs | 86 min We are very pleased to continue our partnership with New York Women in Film and Television for our fifteenth annual showcase of outstanding achievements by female filmmakers.SHORTS PROGRAM: SOAR! SHORTS FOR ALL AGES
2017 Short Film Programs | 64 min Calling all boys, girls and birds! The colorful characters in this family-friendly program remind us all to shoot for the stars.SHORTS PROGRAM: STUDENT SHORT FILMS SHOWCASE
2017 Short Film Programs | 102 min Selected from hundreds of submissions by a jury of industry professionals, these prize-winning short films showcase the extraordinary talent and achievements of five exceptional student filmmakers.SHORTS PROGRAM: TWIST AND SHOUT
2017 Short Film Programs | 81 min The madcap characters in this collection of comedic shorts are just trying to have a good time, thank you very much.SIGNATURE
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 13 min East Coast Premiere A young man wanders the busy streets of Tokyo, anxiously trying to memorize a phrase that could change his life.Directed by Kei Chikaura
SKYWARDS “आकाशकीओर”
2017 Short Films | documentary short | 5 min East Coast Premiere An ancient tradition takes place in the skies above the bustling streets of Old Delhi.Directed by Eva Weber
SPIELBERG
2017 World Cinema | documentary feature | 147 min Emerging out of the New Hollywood era to become the biggest name in blockbuster film for the last four decades, Steven Spielberg has been defined by both the countless classics he directed and the c …Directed by Susan Lacy
THE SQUARE
2017 World Cinema | narrative feature | 145 min Winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Ruben Östlund’s provocatively anarchic THE SQUARE follows Christian (Claes Bang), the suave director of a respected contemporary …Directed by Ruben Östlund
STRAD STYLE
2017 World Cinema | documentary feature | 104 min New York Premiere Out on the vast middle American steppe, an eccentric loner named Daniel Houck passes the time cruising social media and obsessively whittling away violins inspired by Old World masters like Guarneri …Directed by Stefan Avalos
STRONG ISLAND
2017 Views From Long Island | documentary feature | 107 min The dynamics of family, loss, and racial injustice converge in Yance Ford’s haunting meditation on the senseless death of his brother in 1992 and the judicial system’s failure to indict the kill …Directed by Yance Ford
SUMMER 1993
2017 Narrative Competition | narrative feature | 96 min New York Premiere Following the death of her parents in Barcelona, six-year-old Frida (the haunting Laia Artigas) is sent to her uncle’s (David Verdaguer) picturesque countryside home, in Carla Simon’s autobiogra …Directed by Carla Simón
THOROUGHBREDS
2017 Narrative Competition | narrative feature | 91 min East Coast Premiere Two wealthy teenage girls with violent impulses seek to inject excitement into their boring suburban lives in THOROUGHBREDS, Cory Finley’s deliciously twisted filmmaking debut. When Lily’s (Anya …Directed by Cory Finley
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
2017 Opening, Closing, Centerpiece | narrative feature | 115 min US Premiere SATURDAY CENTERPIECE With the local police force no closer to finding a culprit in the months following her daughter’s murder, Mildred (Academy Award® winner Frances McDormand) decides to make a …Directed by Martin McDonagh
TOGETHER ALONE “Nosotros Solos”
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 16 min US Premiere Facundo is inseparable from his deaf younger sister Débora. When presented with an opportunity to increase her independence, he struggles to come to grips with the changing dynamics of their relati …Directed by Mateo Bendesky
TOWARDS THE SUN “Hacia el Sol”
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 20 min New York Premiere Under the looming threat of deportation, a young girl living at an immigrant youth shelter in Texas confronts her past through her artwork.Directed by Monica Santis
THE TRIBES OF PALOS VERDES
2017 Spotlight | narrative feature | 104 min World Premiere When teenage Medina (Maika Monroe) moves with her family to the picture-perfect paradise of Palos Verdes, California, they seem headed for a happy new chapter in their lives. But old troubles soon c …Directed by Emmett Malloy, Brendan Malloy
UNDER THE TREE “Undir Trénu”
2017 Narrative Competition | narrative feature | 89 min East Coast Premiere “Love thy neighbor” does not apply in the Iceland suburbs of UNDER THE TREE. After his wife kicks him out of the house, Atli (Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson) stays with his parents—just as t …Directed by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson
VOYEUR
2017 World Cinema | documentary feature | 95 min In 2016, legendary journalist Gay Talese published in The New Yorker an excerpt from his upcoming book The Voyeur’s Motel, which quickly proved to be one of the most controversial stories of his c …Directed by Myles Kane, Josh Koury
WAITING FOR HASSANA
2017 Shorts Program | documentary short | 11 min New York Premiere The personal account of one girl’s harrowing escape from the imprisonment of Boko Haram.Directed by Ifunanya Maduka
WANDERLAND
2017 Views From Long Island | narrative feature | 90 min World Premiere In an effort to briefly escape his humdrum life of isolation in New York City, Alex (Tate Ellington) impulsively accepts an invitation from an online acquaintance (Dree Hemingway) to house-sit at he …Directed by Josh Klausner
Winick Talk: Meet the Competition Filmmakers
2017 Winick Talks | panels and events | 60 min The Competition section of the Festival recognizes the work of emerging directors from around the world in narrative feature, documentary feature, and short film. Join some of the highly innovative …Winick Talk: Meet Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch
2017 Winick Talks | panels and events | 60 min Join this year’s breakthrough performers for a lively discussion about what it takes to make it as a young actor (and maybe also writer, director, producer…) in today’s film industry. The …Winick Talk: Navigating the Streaming Era
2017 Winick Talks | panels and events | 60 min As the landscape of film distribution and exhibition continues to evolve at a rapid pace, an industry that once relied on physical prints has now evolved to allow for instant streaming of thousands …WOMEN&WINE “Kvinner&Cava”
2017 Shorts Program | narrative short | 22 min East Coast Premiere Fearing the distance that has started to creep into an old friendship, one woman impulsively tries to reassert her dominance.Directed by Liv Karin Dahlstrøm
WONDERSTRUCK
2017 Spotlight | narrative feature | 117 min Celebrated filmmaker Todd Haynes (CAROL, HIFF 2015) returns to the festival with a transcendent adaptation of Brian Selznick’s best-selling novel. Deftly alternating between two narratives set fif …Directed by Todd Haynes
THE WORK
2017 World Cinema | documentary feature | 87 min Twice a year, the maximum-security Folsom State Prison allows free citizens from the outside to participate in an intensive group therapy program with the incarcerated men on the inside. With unprec …Directed by Jairus McLeary, Gethin Aldous
THE YELLOW BIRDS
2017 Spotlight | narrative feature | 94 min East Coast Premiere In the midst of the Iraq War, Bartle (Alden Ehrenreich, soon to be Han Solo in an upcoming STAR WARS film) and Murph (Tye Sheridan), two young soldiers fresh out of training camp, find themselves wo …Directed by Alexandre Moors