Documentary Feature
World Cinema Documentary
98 min
World Premiere
More than just a global fashion icon, footwear designer Kenneth Cole has put cause before commerce for 40 years, driven by heart and 'sole.' Undoubtedly a trendsetter, Cole inspired and mobilized cultural norms and perceptions for the better as a pioneer of corporate social action; he advocated for social causes—from HIV/AIDS…
Directed By Dori Berinstein
Narrative Feature
Spotlight
84 min
Newly engaged couple David (Jon Bass) and Meg (Meghan Leathers) plan to introduce their parents for the first time over Shabbat dinner at David's parents’ Upper West Side apartment. As the finishing touches for the evening come together, a dead body throws a wrench into this high-stakes affair. This day of rest is anything but,…
Directed By Daniel Robbins
Narrative Feature
Views from Long Island
106 min
North American Premiere
On Christmas Eve, the Balsano family gathers for what could be their last holiday in their ancestral home on Long Island. As the night wears on and generational tensions arise, teenager Emily (Matilda Fleming) and her cousin Michelle (Francesca Scorsese) sneak out with their friends to claim the wintry suburb for their own. In…
Directed By Tyler Taormina
Documentary Feature
Conflict & Resolution
109 min
New York Premiere
In the summer of 2020, director Michael Premo follows three right-wing activists—a newly politicized father-to-be in New Jersey, an Air Force veteran organizing conservatives in New York City, and a charismatic activist from Texas—as they crisscross the country campaigning for Donald Trump and building a movement they hope will…
Directed By Michael Premo
Documentary Feature
World Cinema Documentary
85 min
Venus Xtravaganza emerged as a global trans icon after being featured as a glamorous "ball walker" in the groundbreaking 1991 documentary PARIS IS BURNING. Before the film's release, Venus was tragically murdered at the age of 23. Her killer was never found. Now, decades later, I'M YOUR VENUS picks up a trail gone cold as her…
Directed By Kimberly Reed
Documentary Feature
World Cinema Documentary
104 min
Bruce David Klein's electrifying documentary focuses on the dazzling but complex period of Liza Minnelli's life in the 1970s after the tragic death of her mother, Judy Garland. Over these years, Liza seeks out extraordinary mentors: Kay Thompson, Fred Ebb, Charles Aznavour, Halston, and Bob Fosse, who help her transform from a…
Directed By Bruce David Klein
Documentary Feature
Opening Night
114 min
East Coast Premiere
MARTHA is the definitive documentary on Martha Stewart, as told by the icon herself. From her early start on Wall Street to the launch of the lifestyle empire that made her the original influencer, Academy Award Nominee R.J. Cutler (THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE) traces Stewart’s meteoric rise to success and the controversies and…
Directed By RJ Cutler
Narrative Feature
Spotlight
104 min
At 11:30pm on October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television and culture forever. Academy Award®-nominated writer-director Jason Reitman (JUNO, UP IN THE AIR) and co-writer Gil Kenan bring to life the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first…
Directed By Jason Reitman
Narrative Feature
Views from Long Island
108 min
World Premiere
The feature debut from Sam Pezzullo and Christopher Bouckoms finds a fresh twist on the mockumentary format. Sam (Pezzullo himself) is a painfully narcissistic theater producer attempting to realize a delusional creative vision: a musical version of his favorite movie, SCREAM, staged at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, with an…
Directed By Sam Pezzullo, Christopher Bouckoms
Narrative Feature
Spotlight
107 min
Celebrated auteur and HIFF Alum Pedro Almodóvar (JULIETA, PARALLEL MOTHERS) makes a splash with his English-language feature film debut. Ingrid (Academy Award winner Julianne Moore), an autofictional novelist, and Martha (Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton), a war reporter, reunite after years of estrangement. As they navigate…
Directed By Pedro Almodóvar