Cinephiles tend to be reluctant to call a new movie a favorite, instead favoring tried and true paradigms, but It Follows is a rare contemporary film that immediately struck a wide swath of viewers — myself included — as a modern classic upon its release in 2014. Comfortingly familiar yet invigoratingly fresh, I’ve only come to appreciate it more since, and Second Sight Films’ new 4K Ultra HD edition proves it hasn’t lost any staying power after nearly a decade.
The plot is deceptively simple: after a sexual encounter, 19-year-old Jay begins being followed by… something. The supernatural force takes a human form but never sticks to one for long; it could be a familiar face, an obscene stranger, or anyone in between. The only recourse seems to be passing it on to someone else via sexual intercourse. Otherwise, it will kill her, then the person who gave it to her,...
The plot is deceptively simple: after a sexual encounter, 19-year-old Jay begins being followed by… something. The supernatural force takes a human form but never sticks to one for long; it could be a familiar face, an obscene stranger, or anyone in between. The only recourse seems to be passing it on to someone else via sexual intercourse. Otherwise, it will kill her, then the person who gave it to her,...
- 10/2/2023
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
A new video series called Modern Horror Movie Talk recently made its premiere on the Arrow in the Head Show YouTube channel, and with each episode of this show we’ll be joining host Tyler Nichols as he covers all new horror releases, the latest horror movie news, and new horror trailers. Films discussed in previous episodes of Modern Horror Movie Talk include Cocaine Bear, Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving, The Pope’s Exorcist (a couple times!), the newly released entry in the Children of the Corn franchise, The Blackening, Scream VI, 65, Infinity Pool, Terrifier 2, Knock at the Cabin, Renfield, and Evil Dead Rise. Now, for the eleventh episode, Tyler is joined by special guest Andrew Hatfield to discuss a trio of horror films that are currently available to watch on the Netflix streaming service: Mike Flanagan’s Stephen King adaptation Gerald’s Game, Gareth Evans’ Apostle, and David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows.
- 5/8/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Stars: Meagan Good, Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Erica Cerra, Joseph Sikora, Alvina August, Debs Howard, Lili Sepe, Lee Shorten, Carolyn Anderson, Caroline Muthoni Muita, Kurt Evans | Written by David Loughery | Directed by Deon Taylor
The Intruder, directed by Deon Taylor, is the latest conventional haunted house thriller tale that has a big bark but no bite. Denis Quaid stars as Charlie Peck, who sells his property to Annie and Scott Russell, played by Meagan Good and Michael Ealy, and slowly becomes obsessed with the couple. Begins to blur the lines of a psychopath and friendly neighbour.
Taylor’s recent effort had firm hopes to impress with a haunting trailer that wonderfully captured the dread and terror that such a thriller film should provoke. It is a rather tragic set of events that proceed the Sony logo, however, as the next one hundred and fifteen-minutes result in in a dull and often disastrous stifled thriller,...
The Intruder, directed by Deon Taylor, is the latest conventional haunted house thriller tale that has a big bark but no bite. Denis Quaid stars as Charlie Peck, who sells his property to Annie and Scott Russell, played by Meagan Good and Michael Ealy, and slowly becomes obsessed with the couple. Begins to blur the lines of a psychopath and friendly neighbour.
Taylor’s recent effort had firm hopes to impress with a haunting trailer that wonderfully captured the dread and terror that such a thriller film should provoke. It is a rather tragic set of events that proceed the Sony logo, however, as the next one hundred and fifteen-minutes result in in a dull and often disastrous stifled thriller,...
- 12/3/2019
- by Jak-Luke Sharp
- Nerdly
Stars: Meagan Good, Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Erica Cerra, Joseph Sikora, Alvina August, Debs Howard, Lili Sepe, Lee Shorten, Carolyn Anderson, Caroline Muthoni Muita, Kurt Evans | Written by David Loughery | Directed by Deon Taylor
The Intruder, directed by Deon Taylor, is the latest conventional haunted house thriller tale that has a big bark but no bite. Denis Quaid stars as Charlie Peck, who sells his property to Annie and Scott Russell, played by Meagan Good and Michael Ealy, and slowly becomes obsessed with the couple. Begins to blur the lines of a psychopath and friendly neighbour.
Taylor’s recent effort had firm hopes to impress with a haunting trailer that wonderfully captured the dread and terror that such a thriller film should provoke. It is a rather tragic set of events that proceed the Sony logo, however, as the next one hundred and fifteen-minutes result in in a dull and often disastrous stifled thriller,...
The Intruder, directed by Deon Taylor, is the latest conventional haunted house thriller tale that has a big bark but no bite. Denis Quaid stars as Charlie Peck, who sells his property to Annie and Scott Russell, played by Meagan Good and Michael Ealy, and slowly becomes obsessed with the couple. Begins to blur the lines of a psychopath and friendly neighbour.
Taylor’s recent effort had firm hopes to impress with a haunting trailer that wonderfully captured the dread and terror that such a thriller film should provoke. It is a rather tragic set of events that proceed the Sony logo, however, as the next one hundred and fifteen-minutes result in in a dull and often disastrous stifled thriller,...
- 7/29/2019
- by Jak-Luke Sharp
- Nerdly
"Your days of dropping by are over." Quaid gone mad! Screen Gems has debuted the second & final official trailer for the thriller The Intruder, opening in theaters next week - in case you need something else to go see aside from Avengers: Endgame for the fifth time. The "psychological thriller" is about a young married couple that buys a beautiful Napa Valley house, only to discover that the man they bought it from refuses to let go of and leave the property. The Intruder co-stars Michael Ealy and Meagan Good as the couple, with a full cast including Dennis Quaid, Joseph Sikora, Alvina August, Lili Sepe, and Lee Shorten. This looks pretty dang creepy, mostly due to that seriously deranged smile and evil twinkle in Quaid's eyes. Here's the second & final trailer (+ UK poster) for Deon Taylor's The Intruder, from Sony's YouTube: You can still watch the...
- 4/26/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
"Stay away from my wife." Screen Gems has debuted the first trailer for another home horror thriller titled The Intruder, a movie being released in late April next year. Sony seems to be positioning this as counter-programming to Marvel's Avengers 4 when it opens at the end of April as well. The "psychological thriller" is about a young married couple who buys a beautiful Napa Valley house on several acres of land only to find that the man they bought it from refuses to let go of and leave the property. The Intruder co-stars Michael Ealy and Meagan Good as the couple, with a full cast including Dennis Quaid, Joseph Sikora, Alvina August, Lili Sepe, and Lee Shorten. It looks like Quaid is really going on all out the creepiness in this. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Deon Taylor's The Intruder, direct from Sony's YouTube: When...
- 11/19/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Stars: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Linda Boston, Ruby Harris, Bailey Spry, Debbie Williams | Written and Directed by David Robert Mitchell
Horror is at its most affective when it takes real world situations and inserts the strange and unnatural into them. When that subtle little oddity stands out to the camera, suddenly nothing is safe and everything can be a danger. This is exactly why It Follows is one of the best horrors you’ll see this year.
When Jay (Maika Monroe) goes out on a date, everything seems fine until she finds herself tied to a chair and unable to move. As he tells her of a creature that is going to start following her, at first she doesn’t believe him, until she starts to notice its presence everywhere she goes. Often somebody she knows, or somebody odd enough to stand...
Horror is at its most affective when it takes real world situations and inserts the strange and unnatural into them. When that subtle little oddity stands out to the camera, suddenly nothing is safe and everything can be a danger. This is exactly why It Follows is one of the best horrors you’ll see this year.
When Jay (Maika Monroe) goes out on a date, everything seems fine until she finds herself tied to a chair and unable to move. As he tells her of a creature that is going to start following her, at first she doesn’t believe him, until she starts to notice its presence everywhere she goes. Often somebody she knows, or somebody odd enough to stand...
- 6/28/2015
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
There is finite number of themes from which to draw, so half the battle of making a compelling film is finding a new angle to tell a story already told countless times. David Robert Mitchell succeeds at this as writer and director of It Follows, a new horror film that’s receiving a level of artistic appreciation and acclaim rarely experienced by films true to this genre.
Set in suburban Detroit, the story follows Jay, a teenage girl who unwittingly becomes the target of an invisible evil force when she falls for a teenage boy who is not who he seems. Once the truth of the terror she has inherited sets in, she realizes she will never again be able to relax and enjoy her life, unless she can find a way to destroy the force compelled to follow her anywhere she goes. Accompanied by a handful of close friends,...
Set in suburban Detroit, the story follows Jay, a teenage girl who unwittingly becomes the target of an invisible evil force when she falls for a teenage boy who is not who he seems. Once the truth of the terror she has inherited sets in, she realizes she will never again be able to relax and enjoy her life, unless she can find a way to destroy the force compelled to follow her anywhere she goes. Accompanied by a handful of close friends,...
- 3/26/2015
- by Travis Keune
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
*full disclosure: an online screener of this film was provided by the Weinstein Company. **there are spoilers here. It would be best if you saw the film, before reading this review. Director/writer: David Robert Mitchell. Cast: Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe, Maika Monroe and Jake Weary. It Follows was developed from one of the director's nightmares. David Robert Mitchell has told interviewers that he dreamt of a figure, who relentlessly chased him. This is basically the plot for the film as one woman is constantly stalked by a strange, sexually transmitted entity. Jay is the chasee and she is also young girl changing into a woman, in this coming-of-age thriller. Mitchell captures all of the many chase sequences with an eye for both the viewer, the characters and even the shapeshifting villain. The directing techniques helped amplify the tension onscreen. As well, the ending is an open one,...
- 3/26/2015
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Chicago – There is a particular atmosphere in “It Follows,” that stalks a viewer long after the credits recede. That is a fine legacy for a horror film, which contains symbolic elements of life itself, and some graveyard humor that breaks the agitation. Yet it also relies on the same old, same old.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
The fascination with the walking “undead” or dream monsters or whatever the followers are in this film is approaching it’s expiration date (hyyy-ooh), but writer/director David Robert Mitchell does breathe some creativity into the state of things within the story, and it formulates a stark creepiness. His use of these followers also symbolizes the simple notion that death is stalking us all, and what sets off this path has much to do with our own biology and consciousness. Yes, you can get a lot out of “It Follows,” even if you just like naked zombies.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
The fascination with the walking “undead” or dream monsters or whatever the followers are in this film is approaching it’s expiration date (hyyy-ooh), but writer/director David Robert Mitchell does breathe some creativity into the state of things within the story, and it formulates a stark creepiness. His use of these followers also symbolizes the simple notion that death is stalking us all, and what sets off this path has much to do with our own biology and consciousness. Yes, you can get a lot out of “It Follows,” even if you just like naked zombies.
- 3/22/2015
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
After a strange sexual encounter, a teenager finds herself plagued by disturbing visions and the inescapable sense that something is following her. It Follows is now playing in New York and La. For 19-year-old Jay, fall should be about school, boys and weekends out at the lake. But after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, she finds herself plagued by strange visions and the inescapable sense that someone, or something, is following her. Faced with this burden, Jay and her teenage friends must find a way to escape the horrors that seem to be only a few steps behind. Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell (The Myth of the American Sleepover), It Follows stars Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Olivia Luccardi, Jake Weary, and Lili Sepe. The film will be released in...
- 3/15/2015
- by Pietro Filipponi
- The Daily BLAM!
This is a repost of our review from the 2014 Toronto Film Festival [Tiff 2014].
Thank you, David Robert Mitchell, because I now have a way of avoiding that awkward “Birds and the Bees” chat when the time comes for my bewildered offspring, as I’ll just pop on It Follows and let your sinisterly sexual horror flick work its magic!
We’ve all seen our fair share of high school slashers where hormone-ravaged teens can’t keep it in their pants long enough to evade the clutches of Jason, Freddy, Michael, or any of the usual suspects, but Mitchell’s hanky-panky fueled genre-bender creates a new game that turns premarital sex into an orgasmic death sentence. Being a slow-burn cat-and-mouse thriller in the simplest sense, It Follows trounces the vilest of STDs by creating a post-sex monster who hunts down the unluckiest of fornicators. There are rules to Mitchell’s scenario, rules...
Thank you, David Robert Mitchell, because I now have a way of avoiding that awkward “Birds and the Bees” chat when the time comes for my bewildered offspring, as I’ll just pop on It Follows and let your sinisterly sexual horror flick work its magic!
We’ve all seen our fair share of high school slashers where hormone-ravaged teens can’t keep it in their pants long enough to evade the clutches of Jason, Freddy, Michael, or any of the usual suspects, but Mitchell’s hanky-panky fueled genre-bender creates a new game that turns premarital sex into an orgasmic death sentence. Being a slow-burn cat-and-mouse thriller in the simplest sense, It Follows trounces the vilest of STDs by creating a post-sex monster who hunts down the unluckiest of fornicators. There are rules to Mitchell’s scenario, rules...
- 3/10/2015
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
Stars: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Linda Boston, Ruby Harris, Bailey Spry, Debbie Williams | Written and Directed by David Robert Mitchell
Over the last few months we have been spoilt for choice when it comes to interesting indie genre fare. The Guest, Predestination, The Babadook and Coherence all seem to have chimed with the very particular audiences they attract and David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows seems to be treading the same path. Debuting at Sundance last year, the film has built up a head of steam since and along with the aforementioned Babadook, it has been rather difficult to escape it on film related social media for the last little while. On the basis of the film itself, this is hard to understand.
The concept behind It Follows carries on the strong throughline of horror in having a threat metaphorically represent a...
Over the last few months we have been spoilt for choice when it comes to interesting indie genre fare. The Guest, Predestination, The Babadook and Coherence all seem to have chimed with the very particular audiences they attract and David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows seems to be treading the same path. Debuting at Sundance last year, the film has built up a head of steam since and along with the aforementioned Babadook, it has been rather difficult to escape it on film related social media for the last little while. On the basis of the film itself, this is hard to understand.
The concept behind It Follows carries on the strong throughline of horror in having a threat metaphorically represent a...
- 3/2/2015
- by Ian Loring
- Nerdly
#1. It Follows (March 13)(Film Page) Director: David Robert Mitchell Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe Criticwire Average: A- Why is it a "Must See"? Director David Robert Mitchell follows up "The Myth of the American Sleepover" with an expressionistic teen horror movie that's like nothing else. While "Myth of the American Sleepover" took the whiny young archetypes of a John Hughes movie in an expressionistic direction, "It Follows" turns to eighties teen slashers of the "Halloween" and "Nightmare on Elm Street" variety while elevating them to a more abstract plane, rendering the looming threat of adulthood in ominous terms. #2. While We're Young (March 27)(Film Page) Director: Noah Baumbach Cast: Ben Stiller, Amanda Seyfried, Naomi Watts, Charles Grodin Criticwire Average: B+ Why is it a "Must See"? Noah Baumbach's witty portrait of a documentarian coming...
- 3/1/2015
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
"It could look like someone you know, or it could be a stranger in a crowd. Whatever helps it get close to you. It can look like anyone... but there's only one of it." The sunny summer turns sinister for 19-year-old Jay when a creeping, transformative force enters her life in It Follows, the second film from The Myth of the American Sleepover writer/director David Robert Mitchell—one that, like his debut, takes place in Detroit. Ahead of the horror film's theatrical release on March (Friday the) 13th, a new clip has been released that teases the eerie end to Jay's date.
“For 19-year-old Jay (Monroe), the fall should be about school, boys and weekends at the lake. Yet, after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter she suddenly finds herself plagued by nightmarish visions; she can’t shake the sensation that someone, or something, is following her. As the threat closes in,...
“For 19-year-old Jay (Monroe), the fall should be about school, boys and weekends at the lake. Yet, after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter she suddenly finds herself plagued by nightmarish visions; she can’t shake the sensation that someone, or something, is following her. As the threat closes in,...
- 2/27/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
It Follows
Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell
USA, 2015
The first shot is striking and captivating. It unfolds in one long take as the camera pans around a quaint neighbourhood, when the peace is interrupted by a young woman running out of her house. She is distraught and fearful of something the audience, nor anyone around her, sees. She drives off, eventually ending up at a beach where she gives a heartfelt goodbye to her father. She knows something is coming for her, but what? The next morning she is dead on the beach, brutally murdered with her legs snapped up. The film by writer/director David Robert Mitchell follows 19-year old Jay (Maika Monroe), who, after having sex with Hugh (Jake Weary), finds herself having contracted an Std where a malevolent and unrelenting force pursues her, trying to kill her. The only way to get rid of it...
Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell
USA, 2015
The first shot is striking and captivating. It unfolds in one long take as the camera pans around a quaint neighbourhood, when the peace is interrupted by a young woman running out of her house. She is distraught and fearful of something the audience, nor anyone around her, sees. She drives off, eventually ending up at a beach where she gives a heartfelt goodbye to her father. She knows something is coming for her, but what? The next morning she is dead on the beach, brutally murdered with her legs snapped up. The film by writer/director David Robert Mitchell follows 19-year old Jay (Maika Monroe), who, after having sex with Hugh (Jake Weary), finds herself having contracted an Std where a malevolent and unrelenting force pursues her, trying to kill her. The only way to get rid of it...
- 2/5/2015
- by Dylan Griffin
- SoundOnSight
Welcome to another horror news round-up! This time around we have an update on the growing cast of Hannibal Season 3 and details on when you can expect to see Salem Season 2 on the small screen and the buzzed-about It Follows on the big screen.
TVLine reports that Glenn Fleshler (True Detective) will play Cordell Doemling, yet another familiar name to fans of Thomas Harris’ books and the Hannibal Lecter movies. For those unfamiliar, Cordell Doemling is the verbally abused medical aid to the wealthy, wicked, and mutilated Mason Verger, who will now be played on the TV series by Joe Anderson in place of Michael Pitt. In the 2001 film, Hannibal, Doemling was played by Željko Ivanek.
In other, previously announced Hannibal Season 3 casting news, it was recently revealed that Rutina Wesley, whom True Blood fans know as Tara Mae Thornton, will play the recurring role of Reba McClane, a blind...
TVLine reports that Glenn Fleshler (True Detective) will play Cordell Doemling, yet another familiar name to fans of Thomas Harris’ books and the Hannibal Lecter movies. For those unfamiliar, Cordell Doemling is the verbally abused medical aid to the wealthy, wicked, and mutilated Mason Verger, who will now be played on the TV series by Joe Anderson in place of Michael Pitt. In the 2001 film, Hannibal, Doemling was played by Željko Ivanek.
In other, previously announced Hannibal Season 3 casting news, it was recently revealed that Rutina Wesley, whom True Blood fans know as Tara Mae Thornton, will play the recurring role of Reba McClane, a blind...
- 1/29/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
It Follows UK Trailer 2. David Robert Mitchell‘s It Follows (2014) international movie trailer 2 stars Olivia Luccardi, Maika Monroe, Lili Sepe, Jake Weary, Debbie Williams. It Follows‘ plot synopsis: “For 19-year-old Jay, fall should be about school, boys and weekends out at the lake. But after a seemingly innocent [...]
Continue reading: It Follows (2014) International Movie Trailer 2: Horror Infects Maika Monroe...
Continue reading: It Follows (2014) International Movie Trailer 2: Horror Infects Maika Monroe...
- 1/25/2015
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
One of my main goals for the Sundance Film Festival this year is to see all of the horror movies that they have to offer. If you've been an avid reader of the site over the years, then you know I'm a huge horror movie buff.
It Follows was the first horror movie that I've seen so far. I heard a lot of great things about it before seeing it, I liked what I saw in the trailers, and lots of people have said it's one of the scariest movies they've seen in years. So the hype was built!
Well, the people who said those things must not watch that many horror movies because this one wasn't as terrifying as people made it out to be. I was way excited for this movie, but it ultimately let me down.
The concept for the film was awesome, and the idea behind it was freakin' brilliant,...
It Follows was the first horror movie that I've seen so far. I heard a lot of great things about it before seeing it, I liked what I saw in the trailers, and lots of people have said it's one of the scariest movies they've seen in years. So the hype was built!
Well, the people who said those things must not watch that many horror movies because this one wasn't as terrifying as people made it out to be. I was way excited for this movie, but it ultimately let me down.
The concept for the film was awesome, and the idea behind it was freakin' brilliant,...
- 1/24/2015
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
I am at my second Sundance Film Festival. These are my reviews.
Sundance Film Festival 2015 Reviews
It Follows
Director/Screenwriter: David Robert Mitchell
Principal Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto,
Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe
Plot (courtesy of Sundance): After a strange sexual encounter, a teenager finds herself haunted by nightmarish visions and the inescapable sense that something is after her.
Review: As a parent of a 2.4-year-old, I am nowhere near the “sex talk.” Hopefully, I will remember to make It Follows part of my educational material. The “it” in It Follows is a presence that transfers through (unprotected I assume) sex, and lingers with terrorizing results.
Horror films are typically at their best when they under explain exactly what and how the evil works. That’s just one of the things this film gets right. The music is spine-tingling techno that reminds me a little...
Sundance Film Festival 2015 Reviews
It Follows
Director/Screenwriter: David Robert Mitchell
Principal Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto,
Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe
Plot (courtesy of Sundance): After a strange sexual encounter, a teenager finds herself haunted by nightmarish visions and the inescapable sense that something is after her.
Review: As a parent of a 2.4-year-old, I am nowhere near the “sex talk.” Hopefully, I will remember to make It Follows part of my educational material. The “it” in It Follows is a presence that transfers through (unprotected I assume) sex, and lingers with terrorizing results.
Horror films are typically at their best when they under explain exactly what and how the evil works. That’s just one of the things this film gets right. The music is spine-tingling techno that reminds me a little...
- 1/24/2015
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
I'm currently up in Park City, Ut covering the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, and one of the films that I'm really looking forward to seeing is this horror flick called It Follows. We've posted a couple trailers for it already, but here's a new one for you to check out from the UK. I've been hearing great things about this movie, and I like everything that I've seen of it. I'll let you know how it is after I see it, but in the meantime, enjoy the latest heart-pounding trailer!
For 19-year-old Jay, fall should be about school, boys and weekends out at the lake. But after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, she finds herself plagued by strange visions and the inescapable sense that someone, or something, is following her. Faced with this burden, Jay and her friends must find a way to escape the horrors that seem to be only a few steps behind.
For 19-year-old Jay, fall should be about school, boys and weekends out at the lake. But after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, she finds herself plagued by strange visions and the inescapable sense that someone, or something, is following her. Faced with this burden, Jay and her friends must find a way to escape the horrors that seem to be only a few steps behind.
- 1/22/2015
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
We’re back with another trio of trailers. This time we have a new synthesizer-heavy look at It Follows, a preview of Joe Lynch’s Salma Hayek-starring action extravaganza Everly, and a tease of the upcoming Game of Thrones IMAX experience, as well as a snippet of Season 5.
“For 19-year-old Jay (Monroe), the fall should be about school, boys and weekends at the lake. Yet, after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter she suddenly finds herself plagued by nightmarish visions; she can’t shake the sensation that someone, or something, is following her. As the threat closes in, Jay and her friends must somehow escape the horrors that are only a few steps behind.”
RADiUS-twc have slated It Follows to hit U.S. theaters on March 27th, 2015. Penned and directed by David Robert Mitchell (The Myth of the American Sleepover), It Follows stars Maika Monroe (Labor Day), Keir Gilchrist (It...
“For 19-year-old Jay (Monroe), the fall should be about school, boys and weekends at the lake. Yet, after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter she suddenly finds herself plagued by nightmarish visions; she can’t shake the sensation that someone, or something, is following her. As the threat closes in, Jay and her friends must somehow escape the horrors that are only a few steps behind.”
RADiUS-twc have slated It Follows to hit U.S. theaters on March 27th, 2015. Penned and directed by David Robert Mitchell (The Myth of the American Sleepover), It Follows stars Maika Monroe (Labor Day), Keir Gilchrist (It...
- 1/21/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
A new trailer has been released for the upcoming horror It Follows.
David Robert Mitchell's Cannes hit starring Maika Monroe will be released at UK cinemas on February 27.
The Guest star Monroe plays 19-year-old Jay, who is forced into having a malevolent being following her wherever she goes.
It Follows also stars Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe, Baily Spry, Jake Weary and Daniel Zovatto.
The film debuted at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2014, and will be released in the Us on March 27, 2015.
David Robert Mitchell's Cannes hit starring Maika Monroe will be released at UK cinemas on February 27.
The Guest star Monroe plays 19-year-old Jay, who is forced into having a malevolent being following her wherever she goes.
It Follows also stars Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe, Baily Spry, Jake Weary and Daniel Zovatto.
The film debuted at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2014, and will be released in the Us on March 27, 2015.
- 1/21/2015
- Digital Spy
UK scare fans awaiting the terrifying times promised by David Robert Mitchell’s Cannes horror sensation It Follows only have to be patient a little while longer, as the film finally hits these shores next month. The new, slightly longer trailer has arrived to haunt the web.Beginning with footage that feels like a remixed version of the teaser we premiered exclusively last month, the new trailer takes viewers a little more deeply into the story, while still managing to leave much of what’s happening to the imagination.The Guest’s Maika Monroe is back in peril as Jay, a 19 year-old who has long romanticised the idea of love, relationships and sex. But now that she’s finally exploring such issues, she discovers something terrible. And soon enough she suspects – no, knows – that something malevolent is following her. She and her friends team up to get to the bottom of the threat,...
- 1/21/2015
- EmpireOnline
We have another trailer for the horror thriller It Follows. This movie looks really great! It has been making the film festival rounds, and it looks like it’s been getting a lot of positive buzz. It’s set to screen at next years Sundance Film Festival as well, and it’s definitely on my list of films to check out while I’m there. I can’t wait to see it!
For 19-year-old Jay, fall should be about school, boys and weekends out at the lake. But after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, she finds herself plagued by strange visions and the inescapable sense that someone, or something, is following her. Faced with this burden, Jay and her friends must find a way to escape the horrors that seem to be only a few steps behind.
The film comes from director and screenwriter David Robert Mitchell, and it stars Maika Monroe,...
For 19-year-old Jay, fall should be about school, boys and weekends out at the lake. But after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, she finds herself plagued by strange visions and the inescapable sense that someone, or something, is following her. Faced with this burden, Jay and her friends must find a way to escape the horrors that seem to be only a few steps behind.
The film comes from director and screenwriter David Robert Mitchell, and it stars Maika Monroe,...
- 12/22/2014
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
“This thing… it’s gonna follow you. Somebody gave it to me, and I passed it to you.” Along with Starry Eyes, It Follows is popping up in many discussions about the best horror movies of the year. Viewers who weren’t able to catch writer/director David Robert Mitchell’s new movie at festival screenings now have a release date to look forward to and can get a tease of what’s to come in the film’s new trailer.
RADiUS-twc have slated It Follows to hit U.S. theaters on March 27th, 2015. Penned and directed by David Robert Mitchell (The Myth of the American Sleepover), It Follows stars Maika Monroe (Labor Day), Keir Gilchrist (It’s Kind of a Funny Story), Daniel Zovatto (Beneath), Olivia Luccardi (Girls), Jake Weary (Zombeavers), and Lili Sepe (Spork).
“For 19-year-old Jay (Monroe), the fall should be about school, boys and weekends at the lake.
RADiUS-twc have slated It Follows to hit U.S. theaters on March 27th, 2015. Penned and directed by David Robert Mitchell (The Myth of the American Sleepover), It Follows stars Maika Monroe (Labor Day), Keir Gilchrist (It’s Kind of a Funny Story), Daniel Zovatto (Beneath), Olivia Luccardi (Girls), Jake Weary (Zombeavers), and Lili Sepe (Spork).
“For 19-year-old Jay (Monroe), the fall should be about school, boys and weekends at the lake.
- 12/18/2014
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Here's the teaser trailer for David Robert Mitchell's indie "It Follows", set for UK distribution on February 27. Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi and Lili Sepe all star. For 19-year-old Jay (Maika Monroe), the fall should be about school, boys and weekends at the lake. Yet after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter she suddenly finds herself plagued by nightmarish visions; she can't shake the sensation that someone, or something, is following her. As the threat closes in, Jay and her friends must somehow escape the horrors that are only a few steps behind....
- 12/17/2014
- www.ohmygore.com/
I've got an intriguing, heart-pounding trailer for an upcoming horror thriller called It Follows. The movie is set to show at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival, but it has already screened at Cannes, Fantastic Fest, and AFI festivals. Many of the reviews that I've seen for this film say that it's extremely terrifying. I came across the trailer at /Film, and they straight up said that it is "one of the scariest films" they've ever seen.
The film comes from director and screenwriter David Robert Mitchell, and the story follows a teenager who finds herself haunted by nightmarish visions and the inescapable sense that something is after her, after a strange sexual encounter.
The movie stars Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, and Lili Sepe. The trailer has French subtitles, and it's Nsfw as it has a couple of quick boob flashes. As of right now there is no release date.
The film comes from director and screenwriter David Robert Mitchell, and the story follows a teenager who finds herself haunted by nightmarish visions and the inescapable sense that something is after her, after a strange sexual encounter.
The movie stars Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, and Lili Sepe. The trailer has French subtitles, and it's Nsfw as it has a couple of quick boob flashes. As of right now there is no release date.
- 12/8/2014
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
It has been a very good year for horror fans tired of pointless remakes and low-budget found footage flicks. Away from the studio system we've seen the Aussie horror "The Babadook" earn major acclaim, "A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night" is a future cult classic in the making, and David Robert Mitchell's "It Follows" created major buzz at Cannes Critics' Week, where it premiered, and at Fantastic Fest, where it picked up Next Wave awards for Best Film and Best Screenplay. And now, the first international teaser trailer is here and it's great stuff. Starring the breakthrough Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, and Lili Sepe, the film comes loaded with a clever concept: after a romantic date, a teenage girl gets infected by a sexually transmitted haunting. By daylight, she is terrorized by phantoms only she can see, and whose sole mission is to kill her.
- 12/7/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Whenever I go to the Sundance Film Festival, the movies that I look forward to seeing most are the Park City At Midnight films. Those are the crazy fun genre movies that a lot of you would also enjoy watching. Sundance has announced the movie lineup for those film as well as the films in the Spotlight and New Frontier sections. It looks like there are a lot of cool movies that are going to be worth watching this year. Especially in the Park City At Midnight lineup. I'm really excited about going this year! Check out the Competition movie line-up here.
Park City At Midnight
From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake.
Cop Car / U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) — Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon,...
Park City At Midnight
From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake.
Cop Car / U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) — Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon,...
- 12/6/2014
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
John Nein was not always a Senior Programmer at the Sundance Film Festival — it’s only been eight years. When he began at Sundance in 2002 he was always watching movies of course. More than that, like John Cooper said, he just didn’t shut up when he was in the room; he was opinionated and spoke his opinions. He also always liked international cinema as he was born in Ireland and grew up in The Netherlands, Belgium and London where his father worked for international companies. When he was 12 he came to the U.S.
The programmers at Sundance do not have a strict formal assignment of areas they program; they see all the films of all the sections, but like his father, international was always of great interest. The same is true for myself, although out of the 118 feature films selected out of 4,105 feature length submissions, many of the U.S. films look great to me as well. For instance, I am so happy that Matt Sobel’s “ Take Me To The River ” which won the prize at Us in Progress this past November in Wroclaw, Poland at The American Film Festival is in the Next section.
John: This year on Day One, January 22, 2015, the Festival will feature one of each type of film shown at the Festival: one shorts program, a U.S. documentary, a U.S. dramatic, an international documentary and an international dramatic which will be the first ever Lithuanian film in Competition, a lesbian love story that is stylish and smartly directed by Alanté Kavaïté with two fantastic actors, Julija Steponaitytė and Aistė Diržiūtė. Actually " The Summer of Sangaile” is a coproduction of Lithuania, France, and Holland . I think Alanté lives in France.
There ares 29 countries represented and 45 first-time filmmakers.
Sydney: I know the Chileans love Sundance. Last year Alejandro Fernández Almendras said in our interview about “To Kill a Man” that Sundance is very important for Chile. I am also a longtime fan of Sebastian Silva since “The Maid”. Two years ago he had two films, “Crystal Fairy” and “Magic, Magic” in Sundance, so why is this Chilean film not in World Competition but in Next?
John: I’m glad Alejandro said that. Yes we like Chile too. They make many good films. But “Nasty Baby” by Sebastian Silva is a U.S. film, about people living in Brooklyn.
He lives in U.S. and has spent a lot of time here. He knows Brooklyn and yet his curiosity and his view of it is that of an outsider. He knows these people because he watches and listens so well. “
Sydney: “Bridesmaids” star and co-writer Kristen Wiig stars. A short promo of “Nasty Baby” was shown to buyers while it was in post-production in Cannes and Toronto. The Chilean production company of Juan de Dios Larrain and Pablo Larrain, Fabula, produced “No” as well as Sebastian’s later films. Papi Boye and Violaine Pichon’s production and international sales agent Versatile out of France along with the film’s international sales agent Funny Balloons — also based in France – helped finance this U.S. Production.
John: World Cinema is now 10 years old. Overall, the Competition sections have evolved over the years. We have a sense of emerging directors here. We have come of age.
All our films are of emerging filmmakers. Either first time directors or highly anticipated second or third features. Of all the festivals worldwide, Sundance has the strongest program of emerging talent. Watch these filmmakers over the next years. Like “Homesick” by Anna Sewitsky. Her previous film “Happy, Happy” showed at Sundance in 2011 and took the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema. “Happy, Happy” also became the Norwegian Official entry for the Academy Awards® .
Sydney: TrustNordisk sold “Happy, Happy” to more than 50 countries, so they must be poised to sell this one as well.
John: But not all the second and third films are from filmmakers whose first films were at Sundance, although Canada’s “ Chorus” director Francois Delisle showed “The Meteor” at Sundance two years ago.
And “Glassland”, was a very anticipated second film. The first film by director and screenwriter, Gerard Barrett, "Pilgrim Hill” won the Galway Film Festival and was very sought after and was signed with a U.S. agent then. “Sangaile" is also a second feature.
Look at the international films in the Premieres section and you will see some international filmmakers there, like “ Brooklyn” which is an immigrant story directed by John Crowley and written by Nick Hornby whose film “Wild” is now playing .
Sydney: I see from IMDbPro that Hanway has already sold Middle Eastern rights to Front Row Entertainment who must have pre-bought “Brooklyn” in Cannes or Toronto.
John: Of the 12 films in World Cinema the less expected films come from Turkey, “Ivy” by the talented director Tolga Karacelik. This is his second film. His first was “Toll Booth” which Global Initiative distributed in the U.S. The Dp on this was Nuri Bilge Ceylan (“Winter’s Sleep”)’s Dp on “Winter’s Sleep”, Gökhan Tiryaki. It is about guys stuck on a freighter whose company goes bankrupt. Power dynamics play out.
Sydney: Have there been Oscar nominated films in Sundance (Aside from “Whiplash” and “Boyhood”)?
John: Yes, “Man on Wire” was not last year but it was foreign. “Ida” was in Spotlight last year and maybe Sundance increased its visibility. Three others were in Sundance last year:
“To Kill a Man” is Chile’s submission, “Difret” which won the Audience Award is Ethiopia’s submission this year and “Liar’s Dice” from India was in World Competition last year. It is a very artful film. We knew it would do well with the critics, but it did extremely well with the audience too. A couple of films in Spotlight will probably be nominated next year. Watch for them.
Sydney : We haven’t even discussed the World documentaries.
John : Are there any that stand out for you?
Sydney: Yes, “Chuck Norris vs. Communism”, from U.K., Romania and Germany. Chuck Norris?
John: How interesting it is that something like Chuck Norris means something very different to others. It is a sign of cultural differences between us. Chuck Norris shows how independent films built a community of counter culture against an authoritarian government.
Sydney: I also notice that there are six docs from the U.K. Out of 12 films.
John: Yes we noticed and discussed that. U.K. really supports documentary filmmaking. Great work is coming out of the U.K. And many of the films are about different countries, so it doesn’t fit so simply into a U.K. pigeon hole.
Sydney : Yes I see “Chuck Norris” is about Romania, “Dreamcatcher” is about teenage prostitution, “How to Change the World” is about Greenpeace, “Listen to Me Marlon” is about a famous U.S. actor, “The Russian Woodpecker” is about a Ukrainian survivor of Chernobyl.
Thank you John for your insights. I think we have a lot to look at here. Thank you for taking this time to talk with me. See you at Sundance!
For a full list thus far of Sundance films, see below.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Advantageous / U.S.A. (Director: Jennifer Phang, Screenwriters: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang) — In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy, despite the instability surfacing in their world. Cast: Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Kim.
The Bronze / U.S.A. (Director: Bryan Buckley, Screenwriters: Melissa Rauch, Winston Rauch) — In 2004, Hope Ann Greggory became an American hero after winning the bronze medal for the women's gymnastics team. Today, she's still living in her small hometown, washed-up and embittered. Stuck in the past, Hope must reassess her life when a promising young gymnast threatens her local celebrity status.Cast: Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole, Thomas Middleditch, Sebastian Stan, Haley Lu Richardson, Cecily Strong. Day One Film
The D Train / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Jarrad Paul, Andrew Mogel) — With his 20th reunion looming, Dan can’t shake his high school insecurities. In a misguided mission to prove he's changed, Dan rekindles a friendship with the popular guy from his class and is left scrambling to protect more than just his reputation when a wild night takes an unexpected turn. Cast: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike White, Kyle Bornheimer.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Marielle Heller) — Minnie Goetze is a 15-year-old aspiring comic-book artist, coming of age in the haze of the 1970s in San Francisco. Insatiably curious about the world around her, Minnie is a pretty typical teenage girl. Oh, except that she's sleeping with her mother's boyfriend. Cast: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Christopher Meloni, Kristen Wiig.
Dope / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa) — Malcolm is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the Sat. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself. Cast: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, A$AP Rocky.
I Smile Back / U.S.A. (Director: Adam Salky, Screenwriters: Amy Koppelman, Paige Dylan) — All is not right in suburbia. Laney Brooks, a wife and mother on the edge, has stopped taking her meds, substituting recreational drugs and the wrong men. With the destruction of her family looming, Laney makes a last, desperate attempt at redemption. Cast: Sarah Silverman, Josh Charles, Thomas Sadoski, Mia Barron, Terry Kinney, Chris Sarandon.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl / U.S.A. (Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Screenwriter: Jesse Andrews) — Greg is coasting through senior year of high school as anonymously as possible, avoiding social interactions like the plague while secretly making spirited, bizarre films with Earl, his only friend. But both his anonymity and friendship threaten to unravel when his mother forces him to befriend a classmate with leukemia. Cast: Thomas Mann, Rj Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon.
The Overnight / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Patrick Brice) — Alex, Emily, and their son, Rj, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte, and Max. A family "playdate" becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on. Cast: Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godrèche.
People, Places, Things / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: James C. Strouse) — Will Henry is a newly single graphic novelist balancing being a parent to his young twin daughters and teaching a classroom full of college students, all the while trying to navigate the rich complexities of new love and letting go of the woman who left him. Cast: Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Stephanie Allynne, Jessica Williams, Gia Gadsby, Aundrea Gadsby.
Results / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski) — Two mismatched personal trainers' lives are upended by the actions of a new, wealthy client. Cast: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker.
Songs My Brothers Taught Me / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Chloé Zhao) — This complex portrait of modern-day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation explores the bond between a brother and his younger sister, who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home. Cast: John Reddy, Jashaun St. John, Irene Bedard, Taysha Fuller, Travis Lone Hill, Eléonore Hendricks.
The Stanford Prison Experiment / U.S.A. (Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Screenwriter: Tim Talbott) — This film is based on the actual events that took place in 1971 when Stanford professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo created what became one of the most shocking and famous social experiments of all time. Cast: Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, Tye Sheridan, Johnny Simmons, Olivia Thirlby.
Stockholm, Pennsylvania / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nikole Beckwith) — A young woman is returned home to her biological parents after living with her abductor for 17 years. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Cynthia Nixon, Jason Isaacs, David Warshofsky.
Unexpected / U.S.A. (Director: Kris Swanberg, Screenwriters: Kris Swanberg, Megan Mercier) — When Samantha Abbott begins her final semester teaching science at a Chicago high school, she faces some unexpected news: she's pregnant. Soon after, Samantha learns that one of her favorite students, Jasmine, has landed in a similar situation. Unexpected follows the two women as they embark on an unlikely friendship. Cast: Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, Elizabeth McGovern.
The Witch / U.S.A., Canada (Director and screenwriter: Robert Eggers) — New England in the 1630s: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassable wilderness. When their newborn son vanishes and crops fail, the family turns on one another. Beyond their worst fears, a supernatural evil lurks in the nearby wood. Cast: Anya Taylor Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Lucas Dawson, Ellie Grainger.
Z for Zachariah / U.S.A. (Director: Craig Zobel, Screenwriter: Nissar Modi) — In a post-apocalyptic world, a young woman who believes she is the last human on Earth meets a dying scientist searching for survivors. Their relationship becomes tenuous when another survivor appears. As the two men compete for the woman's affection, their primal urges begin to reveal their true nature. Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine.
U.S. Documentary Competition
Sixteen world-premiere American documentaries that illuminate the ideas, people, and events that shape the present day.
3½ Minutes / U.S.A. (Director: Marc Silver) — On November 23, 2012, unarmed 17-year-old Jordan Russell Davis was shot at a Jacksonville gas station by Michael David Dunn. 3½ Minutes explores the aftermath of Jordan's tragic death, the latent and often unseen effects of racism, and the contradictions of the American criminal justice system.
Being Evel / U.S.A. (Director: Daniel Junge) — An unprecedented, candid portrait of American icon Robert "Evel" Knievel and his legacy.
Best of Enemies / U.S.A. (Directors: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon) — Best of Enemies is a behind-the-scenes account of the explosive 1968 televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and their rancorous disagreements about politics, God, and sex.
Call Me Lucky / U.S.A. (Director: Bobcat Goldthwait) — Barry Crimmins was a volatile but brilliant bar comic who became an honored peace activist and influential political satirist. Famous comedians and others build a picture of a man who underwent an incredible transformation.
Cartel Land / U.S.A., Mexico (Director: Matthew Heineman) — In this classic Western set in the 21st century, vigilantes on both sides of the border fight the vicious Mexican drug cartels. With unprecedented access, this character-driven film provokes deep questions about lawlessness, the breakdown of order, and whether citizens should fight violence with violence.
City of Gold / U.S.A. (Director: Laura Gabbert) — Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jonathan Gold casts his light upon a vibrant and growing cultural movement in which he plays the dual roles of high-low priest and culinary geographer of his beloved Los Angeles.
Finders Keepers / U.S.A. (Directors: Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel) — Recovering addict and amputee John Wood finds himself in a stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction and believes it to therefore be his rightful property.
Hot Girls Wanted / U.S.A. (Directors: Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus) — Hot Girls Wanted is a first-ever look at the realities inside the world of the amateur porn industry and the steady stream of 18- and 19-year-old girls entering into it.
How to Dance in Ohio / U.S.A. (Director: Alexandra Shiva) — In Columbus, Ohio, a group of teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum prepare for an iconic American rite of passage — a spring formal. They spend 12 weeks practicing their social skills at a local nightclub in preparation for the dance.
Larry Kramer in Love and Anger / U.S.A. (Director: Jean Carlomusto) — Author, activist, and playwright Larry Kramer is one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary gay America, a political firebrand who gave voice to the outrage and grief that inspired gay men and lesbians to fight for their lives. At 78, this complicated man still commands our attention.
Meru / U.S.A. (Directors: Jimmy Chin, E. Chai Vasarhelyi) — Three elite mountain climbers sacrifice everything but their friendship as they struggle through heartbreaking loss and nature’s harshest elements to attempt the never-before-completed Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru, the most coveted first ascent in the dangerous game of Himalayan big wall climbing.
Racing Extinction / U.S.A. (Director: Louie Psihoyos) — Academy Award-winner Louie Psihoyos (The Cove) assembles a unique team to show the world never-before-seen images that expose issues surrounding endangered species and mass extinction. Whether infiltrating notorious black markets or exploring humans' effect on the environment, Racing Extinction will change the way you see the world.
(T)Error / U.S.A. (Directors: Lyric R. Cabral, David Felix Sutcliffe) — (T)Error is the first film to document on camera a covert counterterrorism sting as it unfolds. Through the perspective of *******, a 63-year-old Black revolutionary turned FBI informant, viewers are given an unprecedented glimpse of the government’s counterterrorism tactics, and the murky justifications behind them.
Welcome to Leith / U.S.A. (Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker) — A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota.
Western / U.S.A., Mexico (Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross) — For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life. Western portrays timeless American figures in the grip of unforgiving change.
The Wolfpack / U.S.A. (Director: Crystal Moselle) — Six bright teenage brothers have spent their entire lives locked away from society in a Manhattan housing project. All they know of the outside is gleaned from the movies they watch obsessively (and recreate meticulously). Yet as adolescence looms, they dream of escape, ever more urgently, into the beckoning world.
World Cinema Dramatic Competition
Twelve films from emerging filmmaking talents around the world offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.
Chlorine / Italy (Director: Lamberto Sanfelice, Screenwriters: Lamberto Sanfelice, Elisa Amoruso) — Jenny, 17, dreams of becoming a synchronized swimmer. Family events turn her life upside down and she is forced move to a remote area to look after her ill father and younger brother. It won't be long before Jenny starts pursuing her dreams again. Cast: Sara Serraiocco, Ivan Franek, Giorgio Colangeli, Anatol Sassi, Piera Degli Esposti, Andrea Vergoni. World Premiere
Chorus / Canada (Director and screenwriter: François Delisle) — A separated couple meet again after 10 years when the body of their missing son is found. Amid the guilt of losing a loved one, they hesitantly move toward affirmation of life, acceptance of death, and even the possibility of reconciliation. Cast: Sébastien Ricard, Fanny Mallette, Pierre Curzi, Genevieve Bujold. World Premiere
Glassland / Ireland (Director and screenwriter: Gerard Barrett) — In a desperate attempt to reunite his broken family, a young taxi driver becomes entangled in the criminal underworld. Cast: Jack Reynor, Toni Collette, Will Poulter, Michael Smiley. International Premiere
Homesick / Norway (Director: Anne Sewitsky, Screenwriters: Ragnhild Tronvoll, Anne Sewitsky) — When Charlotte, 27, meets her brother Henrik, 35, for the first time, two people who don't know what a normal family is begin an encounter without boundaries. How does sibling love manifest itself if you have never experienced it before?Cast: Ine Marie Wilmann, Simon J. Berger, Anneke von der Lippe, Silje Storstein, Oddgeir Thune, Kari Onstad. World Premiere. Isa: TrustNordisk
Ivy / Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Tolga Karaçelik) — Sarmasik is sailing to Egypt when the ship's owner goes bankrupt. The crew learns there is a lien on the ship, and key crew members must stay on board. Ivy is the story of these six men trapped on the ship for days. Cast: Nadir Sarıbacak, Özgür Emre Yıldırım, Hakan Karsak, Kadir Çermik, Osman Alkaş, Seyithan Özdemiroğlu. World Premiere
Partisan / Australia (Director: Ariel Kleiman, Screenwriters: Ariel Kleiman, Sarah Cyngler) — Alexander is like any other kid: playful, curious and naive. He is also a trained assassin. Raised in a hidden paradise, Alexander has grown up seeing the world filtered through his father, Gregori. As Alexander begins to think for himself, creeping fears take shape, and Gregori's idyllic world unravels. Cast: Vincent Cassel, Jeremy Chabriel, Florence Mezzara. World Premiere
Princess / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Tali Shalom Ezer) — While her mother is away from home, 12-year-old Adar’s role-playing games with her stepfather move into dangerous territory. Seeking an escape, Adar finds Alan, an ethereal boy that accompanies her on a dark journey between reality and fantasy. Cast: Keren Mor, Shira Haas, Ori Pfeffer, Adar Zohar Hanetz. International Premiere
The Second Mother / Brazil (Director and screenwriter: Anna Muylaert) — Having left her daughter, Jessica, to be raised by relatives in the north of Brazil, Val works as a loving nanny in São Paulo. When Jessica arrives for a visit 13 years later, she confronts her mother's slave-like attitude and everyone in the house is affected by her unexpected behavior. Cast: Regina Casé, Michel Joelsas, Camila Márdila, Karine Teles, Lourenço Mutarelli. World Premiere
Slow West / New Zealand (Director: John Maclean, Screenwriters: John Maclean, Michael Lesslie) — Set at the end of the nineteenth century, 16-year-old Jay Cavendish journeys across the American frontier in search of the woman he loves. He is joined by Silas, a mysterious traveler, and hotly pursued by an outlaw along the way. Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Rory McCann, Ben Mendelsohn, Brooke Williams, Caren Pistorius. World Premiere
Strangerland / Australia, Ireland (Director: Kim Farrant, Screenwriters: Fiona Seres, Michael Kinirons) — When Catherine and Matthew Parker's two teenage kids disappear into the remote Australian desert, the couple's relationship is pushed to the brink as they confront the mystery of their children's fate. Cast: Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes, Hugo Weaving, Lisa Flanagan, Meyne Wyatt, Maddison Brown. World Premiere
The Summer of Sangaile / Lithuania, France, Holland (Director and screenwriter: Alanté Kavaïté) — Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. She meets a girl her age at the summer aeronautical show, nearby her parents’ lakeside villa. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and in the process finds in her teenage love, the only person that truly encourages her to fly. Cast: Julija Steponaitytė, Aistė Diržiūtė. World Premiere. Isa: Films Distribution.
Umrika / India (Director and screenwriter: Prashant Nair) — When a young village boy discovers that his brother, long believed to be in America, has actually gone missing, he begins to invent letters on his behalf to save their mother from heartbreak, all the while searching for him. Cast: Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Smita Tambe, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang, Prateik Babbar. World Premiere
World Cinema Documentary Competition
Twelve documentaries by some of the most courageous and extraordinary international filmmakers working today.
The Amina Profile / Canada (Director: Sophie Deraspe) — During the Arab revolution, a love story between two women — a Canadian and a Syrian American — turns into an international sociopolitical thriller spotlighting media excesses and the thin line between truth and falsehood on the Internet. World Premiere
Censored Voices / Israel, Germany (Director: Mor Loushy) — One week after the 1967 Six-Day War, renowned author Amos Oz and editor Avraham Shapira recorded intimate conversations with soldiers returning from the battlefield. The Israeli army censored the recordings, allowing only a fragment of the conversations to be published. Censored Voices reveals these recordings for the first time. World Premiere
The Chinese Mayor / China (Director: Hao Zhou) — Mayor Geng Yanbo is determined to transform the coal-mining center of Datong, in China’s Shanxi province, into a tourism haven showcasing clean energy. In order to achieve that, however, he has to relocate 500,000 residences to make way for the restoration of the ancient city. World Premiere
Chuck Norris vs Communism / United Kingdom, Romania, Germany (Director: Ilinca Calugareanu) — In 1980s Romania, thousands of Western films smashed through the Iron Curtain, opening a window to the free world for those who dared to look. A black market VHS racketeer and courageous female translator brought the magic of film to the masses and sowed the seeds of a revolution. World Premiere. Producers Rep: UTA
Dark Horse / United Kingdom (Director: Louise Osmond) — Dark Horse is the inspirational true story of a group of friends from a workingman's club who decide to take on the elite "sport of kings" and breed themselves a racehorse. World Premiere
Dreamcatcher / United Kingdom (Director: Kim Longinotto) — Dreamcatcher takes us into a hidden world seen through the eyes of one of its survivors, Brenda Myers-Powell. A former teenage prostitute, Brenda defied the odds to become a powerful advocate for change in her community. With warmth and humor, Brenda gives hope to those who have none. World Premiere
How to Change the World / United Kingdom, Canada (Director: Jerry Rothwell) — In 1971, a group of friends sails into a nuclear test zone, and their protest captures the world’s imagination. Using rare, archival footage that brings their extraordinary world to life, How to Change the World is the story of the pioneers who founded Greenpeace and defined the modern green movement. World Premiere. Day One Film
Listen to Me Marlon / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stevan Riley, Co-writer: Peter Ettedgui) — With exclusive access to previously unheard audio archives, this is the definitive Marlon Brando cinema documentary. Charting his exceptional career and extraordinary life away from the stage and screen, the film fully explores the complexities of the man by telling the story uniquely in Marlon’s own voice. World Premiere
Pervert Park / Sweden, Denmark (Directors: Frida Barkfors, Lasse Barkfors) — Pervert Park follows the everyday lives of sex offenders in a Florida trailer park as they struggle to reintegrate into society, and try to understand who they are and how to break the cycle of sex crimes being committed. International Premiere
The Russian Woodpecker / United Kingdom (Director: Chad Gracia) — A Ukrainian victim of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster discovers a dark secret and must decide whether to risk his life by revealing it, amid growing clouds of revolution and war. World Premiere
Sembene! / U.S.A., Senegal (Directors: Samba Gadjigo, Jason Silverman) — In 1952, Ousmane Sembene, a Senegalese dockworker and fifth-grade dropout, began dreaming an impossible dream: to become the storyteller for a new Africa. This true story celebrates how the “father of African cinema,” against enormous odds, fought a monumental, 50-year-long battle to give Africans a voice. World Premiere
The Visit / Denmark, Austria, Ireland, Finland, Norway (Director: Michael Madsen) — “This film documents an event that has never taken place…” With unprecedented access to the United Nations' Office for Outer Space Affairs, leading space scientists and space agencies, The Visit explores humans' first encounter with alien intelligent life and thereby humanity itself. "Our scenario begins with the arrival. Your arrival." World Premiere
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Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this program. Digital technology paired with unfettered creativity promises that the films in this section will shape a “greater” next wave in American cinema. Presented by Adobe.
Bob and the Trees / U.S.A., France (Director: Diego Ongaro, Screenwriters: Diego Ongaro, Courtney Maum, Sasha Statman-Weil) — Bob, a 50-year-old logger in rural Massachusetts with a soft spot for golf and gangsta rap, is struggling to make ends meet in a changed economy. When his beloved cow is wounded and a job goes awry, Bob begins to heed the instincts of his ever-darkening self. Cast: Bob Tarasuk, Matt Gallagher, Polly MacIntyre, Winthrop Barrett, Nathaniel Gregory. World Premiere
Christmas, Again / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Charles Poekel) — A heartbroken Christmas tree salesman returns to New York, hoping to put the past year behind him. He spends the season living in a trailer and working the night shift, until a mysterious woman and some colorful customers rescue him from self-destruction. Cast: Kentucker Audley, Hannah Gross, Jason Shelton, Oona Roche. North American Premiere
Cronies / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Larnell) — Twenty-two-year-old Louis doesn’t know whether his childhood friendship with Jack will last beyond today. Cast: George Sample III, Zurich Buckner, Brian Kowalski. World Premiere
Entertainment / U.S.A. (Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Gregg Turkington, Tim Heidecker) — En route to meeting with his estranged daughter, in an attempt to revive his dwindling career, a broken, aging comedian plays a string of dead-end shows in the Mojave Desert. Cast: Gregg Turkington, John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan, Michael Cera, Amy Seimetz, Lotte Verbeek. World Premiere
H. / U.S.A., Argentina (Directors and screenwriters: Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia) — Two women, each named Helen, find their lives spinning out of control after a meteor allegedly explodes over their city of Troy, New York. Cast: Robin Bartlett, Rebecca Dayan, Will Janowitz, Julian Gamble, Roger Robinson. World Premiere
James White / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Josh Mond) — A young New Yorker struggles to take control of his reckless, self-destructive behavior in the face of momentous family challenges. Cast: Chris Abbott, Cynthia Nixon, Scott Mescudi, Makenzie Leigh, David Call. World Premiere
Nasty Baby / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sebastian Silva) — A gay couple try to have a baby with the help of their best friend, Polly. The trio navigates the idea of creating life while confronted by unexpected harassment from a neighborhood man called The Bishop. As their clashes grow increasingly aggressive, odds are someone is getting hurt. Cast: Sebastian Silva, Tunde Adebimpe, Kristin Wiig, Reg E. Cathey, Mark Margolis, Denis O'Hare. World Premiere
The Strongest Man / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kenny Riches) — An anxiety-ridden Cuban man who fancies himself the strongest man in the world attempts to recover his most prized possession, a stolen bicycle. On his quest, he finds and loses much more. Cast: Robert Lorie, Paul Chamberlain, Ashly Burch, Patrick Fugit, Lisa Banes. World Premiere
" Take Me To The River " / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matt Sobel) — A naive California teen plans to remain above the fray at his Nebraskan family reunion, but a strange encounter places him at the center of a long-buried family secret.Cast: Logan Miller, Robin Weigert, Josh Hamilton, Richard Schiff, Ursula Parker, Azura Skye. World Premiere. Producer rep: Cinetic Media
Tangerine / U.S.A. (Director: Sean Baker, Screenwriters: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch) — A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart. Cast: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O'Hagan, Alla Tumanyan, James Ransone. World Premiere
Spotlight
Regardless of where these films have played throughout the world, the Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love.
6 Desires: Dh Lawrence and Sardinia / United Kingdom, Italy (Director: Mark Cousins) — In winter 1921, Dh Lawrence and his wife journeyed to Sardinia, and he chronicled their experiences in Sea and Sardinia. Now, Mark Cousins retraces Lawrence’s footsteps. The film is conceived partly as a letter to Lawrence — or “Bert” — a detail that’s typical of the film’s inviting sense of conversational intimacy.International Premiere
'71 / United Kingdom (Director: Yann Demange, Screenwriter: Gregory Burke) — ‘71 takes place over a single night in the life of a young British soldier accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971. Unable to tell friend from foe, he must survive the night alone and find his way to safety. Cast: Jack O'Connell, Paul Anderson, Richard Dormer, Sean Harris, Barry Keoghan, Martin McCann.
99 Homes / U.S.A. (Director: Ramin Bahrani, Screenwriters: Ramin Bahrani, Amir Naderi, Bahareh Azimi) — A father struggles to get back the home that his family was evicted from by working for the greedy real-estate broker who's the source of his frustration. Cast: Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern, Tim Guinee, Cullen Moss, J.D. Evermore.
Aloft / Spain, France, Canada (Director and screenwriter: Claudia Llosa) — Aloft tells the story of a struggling mother, Nana, and her evolution to becoming a renowned healer. When a young artist tracks down Nana's son 20 years after she abandoned him, she sets in motion an encounter between the two that will bring the meaning of their lives into question. Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, Mélanie Laurent, William Shimell. North American Premiere
Eden / France (Director: Mia Hansen-løve, Screenwriters: Mia Hansen-løve, Sven Hansen-løve) — Mia Hansen-løve's electronic-dance-music epic follows the rise and fall of a DJ (based on her brother, Sven, a contemporary of Daft Punk) who gets into the rave scene in 1994 and spends the next 20 years navigating the French club scene. Cast: Félix de Givry, Pauline Etienne, Greta Gerwig, Brady Corbet, Arsinee Khanjian, Vincent Macaigne.
Girlhood / France (Director and screenwriter: Céline Sciamma) — Oppressed by her family, dead-end school prospects, and the boys law in the neighborhood, Marieme starts a new life after meeting a group of free-spirited girls. She changes her name and dress, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping to find a way to freedom. Cast: Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré, Idrissa Diabaté, Simina Soumaré.
The Tribe / Ukraine (Director and screenwriter: Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy) — Set at a Ukrainian boarding school for the deaf, the film’s narrative unfolds purely through sign language without the need for employing subtitles or voiceover, resulting in a unique, never-before-seen cinematic experience that engages the audience on a new level. Cast: Grigoriy Fesenko, Yana Novikova, Rosa Babiy, Alexander Dsiadevich.
White God / Hungary (Director: Kornél Mundruczó, Screenwriters: Kata Wéber, Kornél Mundruczó, Viktória Petrányi) — When young Lili is forced to give up her beloved dog, Hagen, because its mixed-breed heritage is deemed “unfit” by The State, she and the dog begin a dangerous journey back toward each other. Cast: Zsófia Psotta, Sandor Zsótér, Szabolcs Thuróczy, Lili Monori, László Gálffi, Lili Horváth. U.S. Premiere
Wild Tales / Argentina, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Damián Szifrón) — Inequality, injustice, and the demands of the world cause stress and depression for many people. Some of them, however, explode. This is a movie about those people. Vulnerable in the face of an unpredictable reality, the characters of Wild Tales cross the thin line dividing civilization and barbarism. Cast: Ricardo Darín, Julieta Zyberberg, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Darío Grandinetti, Erica Rivas, Oscar Martínez.
Park City At Midnight
From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake.
Cop Car / U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) — Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim. World Premiere
The Hallow / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Corin Hardy, Screenwriters: Corin Hardy, Felipe Marino) — When a London-based conservationist is sent to Ireland to survey an area of ancient forest believed by the superstitious locals to be hallowed ground, he unwittingly disturbs a horde of terrifying beings and must fight to protect his family. Cast: Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, Michael Smiley. World Premiere
Hellions / Canada (Director: Bruce McDonald, Screenwriter: Pascal Trottier) — Teenage Dora Vogel must survive a Halloween night from hell when malevolent trick-or-treaters come knocking at her door. Cast: Chloe Rose, Robert Patrick, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter DaCunha, Luke Bilyk. World Premiere
It Follows / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Robert Mitchell) — After a strange sexual encounter, a teenager finds herself haunted by nightmarish visions and the inescapable sense that something is after her. Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe.
Knock Knock / U.S.A. (Director: Eli Roth, Screenwriters: Eli Roth, Nicolas Lopez, Guillermo Amoedo) — Two beautiful young girls walk into a married man's life and turn a wild fantasy into his worst nightmare. Cast: Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana De Armas, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, Colleen Camp. World Premiere
The Nightmare / U.S.A. (Director: Rodney Ascher) — A documentary-horror film exploring the phenomenon of sleep paralysis through the eyes of eight people. They (and a surprisingly large number of others) often find themselves trapped between the sleeping and awake realms, unable to move but aware of their surroundings while subject to disturbing sights and sounds. World Premiere
Reversal / U.S.A. (Director: J.M Cravioto, Screenwriters: Rock Shaink, Keith Kjornes) — A gritty psychological thriller about a young woman chained in a basement of a sexual predator and manages to escape. However, right when she has a chance for freedom, she unravels a hard truth and decides to turn the tables on her captor. Cast: Tina Ivlev, Richard Tyson, Bianca Malinowski. World Premiere
Turbo Kid / Canada, New Zealand (Directors: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell, Screenwriters: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell) — In a post-apocalyptic future, The Kid, an orphaned outcast, meets a mysterious girl. They become friends until Zeus, the sadistic leader of the Wasteland, kidnaps her. The Kid must face his fears, and journey to rid the Wasteland of evil and save the girl. Cast: Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Michael Ironside, Aaron Jeffery, Edwin Wright. World Premiere
New Frontier Films
The Forbidden Room / Canada (Directors: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Screenwriters: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Robert Kotyk) — A submarine crew, a feared pack of forest bandits, a famous surgeon, and a battalion of child soldiers all get more than they bargained for as they wend their way toward progressive ideas on life and love. Cast: Geraldine Chaplin, Caroline Dhavernas, Roy Dupuis, Udo Kier, Charlotte Rampling, Karine Vanasse. World Premiere
Liveforever / Colombia, Mexico (Director: Carlos Moreno, Screenwriters: Alberto Ferreras, Alonso Torres, Carlos Moreno) — Driven by the music and dancing she finds along the way, a teenager leaves home willing to try anything her provocative and tolerant city has to offer, even if she burns out in the process. Inspired by the best-selling novel "Que viva la música" by Andres Caicedo. Cast: Paulina Davila, Alejandra Avila, Luis Arrieta, Juan Pablo Barragan, Nelson Camayo, Christian Tappan. World Premiere
The Royal Road / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jenni Olson) — This cinematic essay, a defense of remembering, offers up a primer on the Spanish colonization of California and the Mexican American War alongside intimate reflections on nostalgia, butch identity and Alfred Hitchcock'sVertigo — all against a contemplative backdrop of 16mm urban California landscapes. Cast: Jenni Olson, Tony Kushner. World Premiere
Sam Klemke's Time Machine / Australia (Director: Matthew Bate) — Sam Klemke has filmed and narrated 50 years of his life, creating a strange and intimate portrait of what it means to be human. World Premiere
Station to Station / U.S.A. (Director: Doug Aitken) — Station to Station is composed of 60 individual one-minute films featuring different artists, musicians, places, and perspectives. This revolutionary feature-length film reveals a larger narrative about modern creativity. World Premiere
Things of the Aimless Wanderer / Rwanda, United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Kivu Ruhorahoza) — A white man meets a black girl, then she disappears. The white man tries to understand what happened to her while also trying to finish a travelogue. Things of the Aimless Wanderer is a film about the sensitive topic of relations between “locals” and Westerners, about paranoia, mistrust, and misunderstandings. Cast: Justin Mullikin, Grace Nikuze, Ramadhan Bizimana, Eliane Umuhire, Wesley Ruzibiza, Matt Ray Brown. World Premiere
New Frontier Installations
1979 Revolution Game
Artists: Navid Khonsari, Vassiliki Khonsari
1979 Revolution Game presents an innovative approach to non-fiction storytelling. Designed to engage players with an immersive "on the ground" experience of the Iranian Revolution, the game integrates an emotionally impactful narrative with interactive moral choices and intuitive touchscreen gameplay while remaining true to history.
Assent
Artist: Oscar Raby
This immersive documentary uses virtual reality technology to put the user in the footsteps of Director Oscar Raby's father, who in 1973 was a 22-year-old army officer stationed in the north of Chile, on the day when the Caravan of Death came to his regiment.
Birdly
Artist: Max Rheiner
Flying is one of the oldest dreams of humankind. Birdly is an experiment to capture this dream, to simulate the experience of being a bird from a first-person perspective. This embodiment is conducted through a full-body virtual reality setup.
Dérive
Artist: François Quévillon
This interactive installation uses the audience’s body motions and positions to explore 3-D reconstructions of urban and natural spaces that are transformed according to live environmental data, including meteorological and astronomical phenomena.
Evolution of Verse
Artist: Chris Milk
Chris Milk, working with visual effects powerhouse Digital Domain and virtual reality production company Vrse.works, has created this photo-realistic CGI-rendered 3-D virtual reality film that takes the viewer on a journey from beginning to new beginning.
Kaiju Fury!
Artist: Ian Hunter
A dark energy experiment leads to a devastating attack by monstrous Kaiju, and you are standing at ground zero — all in 360-degree, stereoscopic 3-D cinematic virtual reality. You will "be there" as the beasts lay waste to a crumbling city and humanity makes its last stand. Cast: Susie Abromeit, Bill Lippincott, Daniel Martin, Brian Dodge, Vincient Chiantelli.
Paradise
Artist: Pleix
Paradise is certainly not paradisiacal if you look at it through our eyes. But neither is it totally devoid of humor, melancholy and absurdity. Perhaps it is first and foremost life as it is, and then a touch exaggerated in the digital overdrive.
Perspective; Chapter I: The Party
Artists: Rose Troche, Morris May
A young college woman attends a party with the intention of shedding her "shy girl" persona. At the same party, a young man is after a similar reinvention. They meet, drink, and misinterpreted signals turn into things that cannot be undone. Virtual reality simulators let viewers experience both characters. Cast: Tabitha Morella, Caleb Thomas, Zachary Zagoria, Anna Grace Barlow.
Possibilia
Artists: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
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The programmers at Sundance do not have a strict formal assignment of areas they program; they see all the films of all the sections, but like his father, international was always of great interest. The same is true for myself, although out of the 118 feature films selected out of 4,105 feature length submissions, many of the U.S. films look great to me as well. For instance, I am so happy that Matt Sobel’s “ Take Me To The River ” which won the prize at Us in Progress this past November in Wroclaw, Poland at The American Film Festival is in the Next section.
John: This year on Day One, January 22, 2015, the Festival will feature one of each type of film shown at the Festival: one shorts program, a U.S. documentary, a U.S. dramatic, an international documentary and an international dramatic which will be the first ever Lithuanian film in Competition, a lesbian love story that is stylish and smartly directed by Alanté Kavaïté with two fantastic actors, Julija Steponaitytė and Aistė Diržiūtė. Actually " The Summer of Sangaile” is a coproduction of Lithuania, France, and Holland . I think Alanté lives in France.
There ares 29 countries represented and 45 first-time filmmakers.
Sydney: I know the Chileans love Sundance. Last year Alejandro Fernández Almendras said in our interview about “To Kill a Man” that Sundance is very important for Chile. I am also a longtime fan of Sebastian Silva since “The Maid”. Two years ago he had two films, “Crystal Fairy” and “Magic, Magic” in Sundance, so why is this Chilean film not in World Competition but in Next?
John: I’m glad Alejandro said that. Yes we like Chile too. They make many good films. But “Nasty Baby” by Sebastian Silva is a U.S. film, about people living in Brooklyn.
He lives in U.S. and has spent a lot of time here. He knows Brooklyn and yet his curiosity and his view of it is that of an outsider. He knows these people because he watches and listens so well. “
Sydney: “Bridesmaids” star and co-writer Kristen Wiig stars. A short promo of “Nasty Baby” was shown to buyers while it was in post-production in Cannes and Toronto. The Chilean production company of Juan de Dios Larrain and Pablo Larrain, Fabula, produced “No” as well as Sebastian’s later films. Papi Boye and Violaine Pichon’s production and international sales agent Versatile out of France along with the film’s international sales agent Funny Balloons — also based in France – helped finance this U.S. Production.
John: World Cinema is now 10 years old. Overall, the Competition sections have evolved over the years. We have a sense of emerging directors here. We have come of age.
All our films are of emerging filmmakers. Either first time directors or highly anticipated second or third features. Of all the festivals worldwide, Sundance has the strongest program of emerging talent. Watch these filmmakers over the next years. Like “Homesick” by Anna Sewitsky. Her previous film “Happy, Happy” showed at Sundance in 2011 and took the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema. “Happy, Happy” also became the Norwegian Official entry for the Academy Awards® .
Sydney: TrustNordisk sold “Happy, Happy” to more than 50 countries, so they must be poised to sell this one as well.
John: But not all the second and third films are from filmmakers whose first films were at Sundance, although Canada’s “ Chorus” director Francois Delisle showed “The Meteor” at Sundance two years ago.
And “Glassland”, was a very anticipated second film. The first film by director and screenwriter, Gerard Barrett, "Pilgrim Hill” won the Galway Film Festival and was very sought after and was signed with a U.S. agent then. “Sangaile" is also a second feature.
Look at the international films in the Premieres section and you will see some international filmmakers there, like “ Brooklyn” which is an immigrant story directed by John Crowley and written by Nick Hornby whose film “Wild” is now playing .
Sydney: I see from IMDbPro that Hanway has already sold Middle Eastern rights to Front Row Entertainment who must have pre-bought “Brooklyn” in Cannes or Toronto.
John: Of the 12 films in World Cinema the less expected films come from Turkey, “Ivy” by the talented director Tolga Karacelik. This is his second film. His first was “Toll Booth” which Global Initiative distributed in the U.S. The Dp on this was Nuri Bilge Ceylan (“Winter’s Sleep”)’s Dp on “Winter’s Sleep”, Gökhan Tiryaki. It is about guys stuck on a freighter whose company goes bankrupt. Power dynamics play out.
Sydney: Have there been Oscar nominated films in Sundance (Aside from “Whiplash” and “Boyhood”)?
John: Yes, “Man on Wire” was not last year but it was foreign. “Ida” was in Spotlight last year and maybe Sundance increased its visibility. Three others were in Sundance last year:
“To Kill a Man” is Chile’s submission, “Difret” which won the Audience Award is Ethiopia’s submission this year and “Liar’s Dice” from India was in World Competition last year. It is a very artful film. We knew it would do well with the critics, but it did extremely well with the audience too. A couple of films in Spotlight will probably be nominated next year. Watch for them.
Sydney : We haven’t even discussed the World documentaries.
John : Are there any that stand out for you?
Sydney: Yes, “Chuck Norris vs. Communism”, from U.K., Romania and Germany. Chuck Norris?
John: How interesting it is that something like Chuck Norris means something very different to others. It is a sign of cultural differences between us. Chuck Norris shows how independent films built a community of counter culture against an authoritarian government.
Sydney: I also notice that there are six docs from the U.K. Out of 12 films.
John: Yes we noticed and discussed that. U.K. really supports documentary filmmaking. Great work is coming out of the U.K. And many of the films are about different countries, so it doesn’t fit so simply into a U.K. pigeon hole.
Sydney : Yes I see “Chuck Norris” is about Romania, “Dreamcatcher” is about teenage prostitution, “How to Change the World” is about Greenpeace, “Listen to Me Marlon” is about a famous U.S. actor, “The Russian Woodpecker” is about a Ukrainian survivor of Chernobyl.
Thank you John for your insights. I think we have a lot to look at here. Thank you for taking this time to talk with me. See you at Sundance!
For a full list thus far of Sundance films, see below.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Advantageous / U.S.A. (Director: Jennifer Phang, Screenwriters: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang) — In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy, despite the instability surfacing in their world. Cast: Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Kim.
The Bronze / U.S.A. (Director: Bryan Buckley, Screenwriters: Melissa Rauch, Winston Rauch) — In 2004, Hope Ann Greggory became an American hero after winning the bronze medal for the women's gymnastics team. Today, she's still living in her small hometown, washed-up and embittered. Stuck in the past, Hope must reassess her life when a promising young gymnast threatens her local celebrity status.Cast: Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole, Thomas Middleditch, Sebastian Stan, Haley Lu Richardson, Cecily Strong. Day One Film
The D Train / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Jarrad Paul, Andrew Mogel) — With his 20th reunion looming, Dan can’t shake his high school insecurities. In a misguided mission to prove he's changed, Dan rekindles a friendship with the popular guy from his class and is left scrambling to protect more than just his reputation when a wild night takes an unexpected turn. Cast: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike White, Kyle Bornheimer.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Marielle Heller) — Minnie Goetze is a 15-year-old aspiring comic-book artist, coming of age in the haze of the 1970s in San Francisco. Insatiably curious about the world around her, Minnie is a pretty typical teenage girl. Oh, except that she's sleeping with her mother's boyfriend. Cast: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Christopher Meloni, Kristen Wiig.
Dope / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa) — Malcolm is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the Sat. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself. Cast: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, A$AP Rocky.
I Smile Back / U.S.A. (Director: Adam Salky, Screenwriters: Amy Koppelman, Paige Dylan) — All is not right in suburbia. Laney Brooks, a wife and mother on the edge, has stopped taking her meds, substituting recreational drugs and the wrong men. With the destruction of her family looming, Laney makes a last, desperate attempt at redemption. Cast: Sarah Silverman, Josh Charles, Thomas Sadoski, Mia Barron, Terry Kinney, Chris Sarandon.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl / U.S.A. (Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Screenwriter: Jesse Andrews) — Greg is coasting through senior year of high school as anonymously as possible, avoiding social interactions like the plague while secretly making spirited, bizarre films with Earl, his only friend. But both his anonymity and friendship threaten to unravel when his mother forces him to befriend a classmate with leukemia. Cast: Thomas Mann, Rj Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon.
The Overnight / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Patrick Brice) — Alex, Emily, and their son, Rj, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte, and Max. A family "playdate" becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on. Cast: Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godrèche.
People, Places, Things / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: James C. Strouse) — Will Henry is a newly single graphic novelist balancing being a parent to his young twin daughters and teaching a classroom full of college students, all the while trying to navigate the rich complexities of new love and letting go of the woman who left him. Cast: Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Stephanie Allynne, Jessica Williams, Gia Gadsby, Aundrea Gadsby.
Results / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski) — Two mismatched personal trainers' lives are upended by the actions of a new, wealthy client. Cast: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker.
Songs My Brothers Taught Me / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Chloé Zhao) — This complex portrait of modern-day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation explores the bond between a brother and his younger sister, who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home. Cast: John Reddy, Jashaun St. John, Irene Bedard, Taysha Fuller, Travis Lone Hill, Eléonore Hendricks.
The Stanford Prison Experiment / U.S.A. (Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Screenwriter: Tim Talbott) — This film is based on the actual events that took place in 1971 when Stanford professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo created what became one of the most shocking and famous social experiments of all time. Cast: Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, Tye Sheridan, Johnny Simmons, Olivia Thirlby.
Stockholm, Pennsylvania / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nikole Beckwith) — A young woman is returned home to her biological parents after living with her abductor for 17 years. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Cynthia Nixon, Jason Isaacs, David Warshofsky.
Unexpected / U.S.A. (Director: Kris Swanberg, Screenwriters: Kris Swanberg, Megan Mercier) — When Samantha Abbott begins her final semester teaching science at a Chicago high school, she faces some unexpected news: she's pregnant. Soon after, Samantha learns that one of her favorite students, Jasmine, has landed in a similar situation. Unexpected follows the two women as they embark on an unlikely friendship. Cast: Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, Elizabeth McGovern.
The Witch / U.S.A., Canada (Director and screenwriter: Robert Eggers) — New England in the 1630s: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassable wilderness. When their newborn son vanishes and crops fail, the family turns on one another. Beyond their worst fears, a supernatural evil lurks in the nearby wood. Cast: Anya Taylor Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Lucas Dawson, Ellie Grainger.
Z for Zachariah / U.S.A. (Director: Craig Zobel, Screenwriter: Nissar Modi) — In a post-apocalyptic world, a young woman who believes she is the last human on Earth meets a dying scientist searching for survivors. Their relationship becomes tenuous when another survivor appears. As the two men compete for the woman's affection, their primal urges begin to reveal their true nature. Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine.
U.S. Documentary Competition
Sixteen world-premiere American documentaries that illuminate the ideas, people, and events that shape the present day.
3½ Minutes / U.S.A. (Director: Marc Silver) — On November 23, 2012, unarmed 17-year-old Jordan Russell Davis was shot at a Jacksonville gas station by Michael David Dunn. 3½ Minutes explores the aftermath of Jordan's tragic death, the latent and often unseen effects of racism, and the contradictions of the American criminal justice system.
Being Evel / U.S.A. (Director: Daniel Junge) — An unprecedented, candid portrait of American icon Robert "Evel" Knievel and his legacy.
Best of Enemies / U.S.A. (Directors: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon) — Best of Enemies is a behind-the-scenes account of the explosive 1968 televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and their rancorous disagreements about politics, God, and sex.
Call Me Lucky / U.S.A. (Director: Bobcat Goldthwait) — Barry Crimmins was a volatile but brilliant bar comic who became an honored peace activist and influential political satirist. Famous comedians and others build a picture of a man who underwent an incredible transformation.
Cartel Land / U.S.A., Mexico (Director: Matthew Heineman) — In this classic Western set in the 21st century, vigilantes on both sides of the border fight the vicious Mexican drug cartels. With unprecedented access, this character-driven film provokes deep questions about lawlessness, the breakdown of order, and whether citizens should fight violence with violence.
City of Gold / U.S.A. (Director: Laura Gabbert) — Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jonathan Gold casts his light upon a vibrant and growing cultural movement in which he plays the dual roles of high-low priest and culinary geographer of his beloved Los Angeles.
Finders Keepers / U.S.A. (Directors: Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel) — Recovering addict and amputee John Wood finds himself in a stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction and believes it to therefore be his rightful property.
Hot Girls Wanted / U.S.A. (Directors: Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus) — Hot Girls Wanted is a first-ever look at the realities inside the world of the amateur porn industry and the steady stream of 18- and 19-year-old girls entering into it.
How to Dance in Ohio / U.S.A. (Director: Alexandra Shiva) — In Columbus, Ohio, a group of teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum prepare for an iconic American rite of passage — a spring formal. They spend 12 weeks practicing their social skills at a local nightclub in preparation for the dance.
Larry Kramer in Love and Anger / U.S.A. (Director: Jean Carlomusto) — Author, activist, and playwright Larry Kramer is one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary gay America, a political firebrand who gave voice to the outrage and grief that inspired gay men and lesbians to fight for their lives. At 78, this complicated man still commands our attention.
Meru / U.S.A. (Directors: Jimmy Chin, E. Chai Vasarhelyi) — Three elite mountain climbers sacrifice everything but their friendship as they struggle through heartbreaking loss and nature’s harshest elements to attempt the never-before-completed Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru, the most coveted first ascent in the dangerous game of Himalayan big wall climbing.
Racing Extinction / U.S.A. (Director: Louie Psihoyos) — Academy Award-winner Louie Psihoyos (The Cove) assembles a unique team to show the world never-before-seen images that expose issues surrounding endangered species and mass extinction. Whether infiltrating notorious black markets or exploring humans' effect on the environment, Racing Extinction will change the way you see the world.
(T)Error / U.S.A. (Directors: Lyric R. Cabral, David Felix Sutcliffe) — (T)Error is the first film to document on camera a covert counterterrorism sting as it unfolds. Through the perspective of *******, a 63-year-old Black revolutionary turned FBI informant, viewers are given an unprecedented glimpse of the government’s counterterrorism tactics, and the murky justifications behind them.
Welcome to Leith / U.S.A. (Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker) — A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota.
Western / U.S.A., Mexico (Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross) — For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life. Western portrays timeless American figures in the grip of unforgiving change.
The Wolfpack / U.S.A. (Director: Crystal Moselle) — Six bright teenage brothers have spent their entire lives locked away from society in a Manhattan housing project. All they know of the outside is gleaned from the movies they watch obsessively (and recreate meticulously). Yet as adolescence looms, they dream of escape, ever more urgently, into the beckoning world.
World Cinema Dramatic Competition
Twelve films from emerging filmmaking talents around the world offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.
Chlorine / Italy (Director: Lamberto Sanfelice, Screenwriters: Lamberto Sanfelice, Elisa Amoruso) — Jenny, 17, dreams of becoming a synchronized swimmer. Family events turn her life upside down and she is forced move to a remote area to look after her ill father and younger brother. It won't be long before Jenny starts pursuing her dreams again. Cast: Sara Serraiocco, Ivan Franek, Giorgio Colangeli, Anatol Sassi, Piera Degli Esposti, Andrea Vergoni. World Premiere
Chorus / Canada (Director and screenwriter: François Delisle) — A separated couple meet again after 10 years when the body of their missing son is found. Amid the guilt of losing a loved one, they hesitantly move toward affirmation of life, acceptance of death, and even the possibility of reconciliation. Cast: Sébastien Ricard, Fanny Mallette, Pierre Curzi, Genevieve Bujold. World Premiere
Glassland / Ireland (Director and screenwriter: Gerard Barrett) — In a desperate attempt to reunite his broken family, a young taxi driver becomes entangled in the criminal underworld. Cast: Jack Reynor, Toni Collette, Will Poulter, Michael Smiley. International Premiere
Homesick / Norway (Director: Anne Sewitsky, Screenwriters: Ragnhild Tronvoll, Anne Sewitsky) — When Charlotte, 27, meets her brother Henrik, 35, for the first time, two people who don't know what a normal family is begin an encounter without boundaries. How does sibling love manifest itself if you have never experienced it before?Cast: Ine Marie Wilmann, Simon J. Berger, Anneke von der Lippe, Silje Storstein, Oddgeir Thune, Kari Onstad. World Premiere. Isa: TrustNordisk
Ivy / Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Tolga Karaçelik) — Sarmasik is sailing to Egypt when the ship's owner goes bankrupt. The crew learns there is a lien on the ship, and key crew members must stay on board. Ivy is the story of these six men trapped on the ship for days. Cast: Nadir Sarıbacak, Özgür Emre Yıldırım, Hakan Karsak, Kadir Çermik, Osman Alkaş, Seyithan Özdemiroğlu. World Premiere
Partisan / Australia (Director: Ariel Kleiman, Screenwriters: Ariel Kleiman, Sarah Cyngler) — Alexander is like any other kid: playful, curious and naive. He is also a trained assassin. Raised in a hidden paradise, Alexander has grown up seeing the world filtered through his father, Gregori. As Alexander begins to think for himself, creeping fears take shape, and Gregori's idyllic world unravels. Cast: Vincent Cassel, Jeremy Chabriel, Florence Mezzara. World Premiere
Princess / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Tali Shalom Ezer) — While her mother is away from home, 12-year-old Adar’s role-playing games with her stepfather move into dangerous territory. Seeking an escape, Adar finds Alan, an ethereal boy that accompanies her on a dark journey between reality and fantasy. Cast: Keren Mor, Shira Haas, Ori Pfeffer, Adar Zohar Hanetz. International Premiere
The Second Mother / Brazil (Director and screenwriter: Anna Muylaert) — Having left her daughter, Jessica, to be raised by relatives in the north of Brazil, Val works as a loving nanny in São Paulo. When Jessica arrives for a visit 13 years later, she confronts her mother's slave-like attitude and everyone in the house is affected by her unexpected behavior. Cast: Regina Casé, Michel Joelsas, Camila Márdila, Karine Teles, Lourenço Mutarelli. World Premiere
Slow West / New Zealand (Director: John Maclean, Screenwriters: John Maclean, Michael Lesslie) — Set at the end of the nineteenth century, 16-year-old Jay Cavendish journeys across the American frontier in search of the woman he loves. He is joined by Silas, a mysterious traveler, and hotly pursued by an outlaw along the way. Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Rory McCann, Ben Mendelsohn, Brooke Williams, Caren Pistorius. World Premiere
Strangerland / Australia, Ireland (Director: Kim Farrant, Screenwriters: Fiona Seres, Michael Kinirons) — When Catherine and Matthew Parker's two teenage kids disappear into the remote Australian desert, the couple's relationship is pushed to the brink as they confront the mystery of their children's fate. Cast: Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes, Hugo Weaving, Lisa Flanagan, Meyne Wyatt, Maddison Brown. World Premiere
The Summer of Sangaile / Lithuania, France, Holland (Director and screenwriter: Alanté Kavaïté) — Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. She meets a girl her age at the summer aeronautical show, nearby her parents’ lakeside villa. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and in the process finds in her teenage love, the only person that truly encourages her to fly. Cast: Julija Steponaitytė, Aistė Diržiūtė. World Premiere. Isa: Films Distribution.
Umrika / India (Director and screenwriter: Prashant Nair) — When a young village boy discovers that his brother, long believed to be in America, has actually gone missing, he begins to invent letters on his behalf to save their mother from heartbreak, all the while searching for him. Cast: Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Smita Tambe, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang, Prateik Babbar. World Premiere
World Cinema Documentary Competition
Twelve documentaries by some of the most courageous and extraordinary international filmmakers working today.
The Amina Profile / Canada (Director: Sophie Deraspe) — During the Arab revolution, a love story between two women — a Canadian and a Syrian American — turns into an international sociopolitical thriller spotlighting media excesses and the thin line between truth and falsehood on the Internet. World Premiere
Censored Voices / Israel, Germany (Director: Mor Loushy) — One week after the 1967 Six-Day War, renowned author Amos Oz and editor Avraham Shapira recorded intimate conversations with soldiers returning from the battlefield. The Israeli army censored the recordings, allowing only a fragment of the conversations to be published. Censored Voices reveals these recordings for the first time. World Premiere
The Chinese Mayor / China (Director: Hao Zhou) — Mayor Geng Yanbo is determined to transform the coal-mining center of Datong, in China’s Shanxi province, into a tourism haven showcasing clean energy. In order to achieve that, however, he has to relocate 500,000 residences to make way for the restoration of the ancient city. World Premiere
Chuck Norris vs Communism / United Kingdom, Romania, Germany (Director: Ilinca Calugareanu) — In 1980s Romania, thousands of Western films smashed through the Iron Curtain, opening a window to the free world for those who dared to look. A black market VHS racketeer and courageous female translator brought the magic of film to the masses and sowed the seeds of a revolution. World Premiere. Producers Rep: UTA
Dark Horse / United Kingdom (Director: Louise Osmond) — Dark Horse is the inspirational true story of a group of friends from a workingman's club who decide to take on the elite "sport of kings" and breed themselves a racehorse. World Premiere
Dreamcatcher / United Kingdom (Director: Kim Longinotto) — Dreamcatcher takes us into a hidden world seen through the eyes of one of its survivors, Brenda Myers-Powell. A former teenage prostitute, Brenda defied the odds to become a powerful advocate for change in her community. With warmth and humor, Brenda gives hope to those who have none. World Premiere
How to Change the World / United Kingdom, Canada (Director: Jerry Rothwell) — In 1971, a group of friends sails into a nuclear test zone, and their protest captures the world’s imagination. Using rare, archival footage that brings their extraordinary world to life, How to Change the World is the story of the pioneers who founded Greenpeace and defined the modern green movement. World Premiere. Day One Film
Listen to Me Marlon / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stevan Riley, Co-writer: Peter Ettedgui) — With exclusive access to previously unheard audio archives, this is the definitive Marlon Brando cinema documentary. Charting his exceptional career and extraordinary life away from the stage and screen, the film fully explores the complexities of the man by telling the story uniquely in Marlon’s own voice. World Premiere
Pervert Park / Sweden, Denmark (Directors: Frida Barkfors, Lasse Barkfors) — Pervert Park follows the everyday lives of sex offenders in a Florida trailer park as they struggle to reintegrate into society, and try to understand who they are and how to break the cycle of sex crimes being committed. International Premiere
The Russian Woodpecker / United Kingdom (Director: Chad Gracia) — A Ukrainian victim of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster discovers a dark secret and must decide whether to risk his life by revealing it, amid growing clouds of revolution and war. World Premiere
Sembene! / U.S.A., Senegal (Directors: Samba Gadjigo, Jason Silverman) — In 1952, Ousmane Sembene, a Senegalese dockworker and fifth-grade dropout, began dreaming an impossible dream: to become the storyteller for a new Africa. This true story celebrates how the “father of African cinema,” against enormous odds, fought a monumental, 50-year-long battle to give Africans a voice. World Premiere
The Visit / Denmark, Austria, Ireland, Finland, Norway (Director: Michael Madsen) — “This film documents an event that has never taken place…” With unprecedented access to the United Nations' Office for Outer Space Affairs, leading space scientists and space agencies, The Visit explores humans' first encounter with alien intelligent life and thereby humanity itself. "Our scenario begins with the arrival. Your arrival." World Premiere
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Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this program. Digital technology paired with unfettered creativity promises that the films in this section will shape a “greater” next wave in American cinema. Presented by Adobe.
Bob and the Trees / U.S.A., France (Director: Diego Ongaro, Screenwriters: Diego Ongaro, Courtney Maum, Sasha Statman-Weil) — Bob, a 50-year-old logger in rural Massachusetts with a soft spot for golf and gangsta rap, is struggling to make ends meet in a changed economy. When his beloved cow is wounded and a job goes awry, Bob begins to heed the instincts of his ever-darkening self. Cast: Bob Tarasuk, Matt Gallagher, Polly MacIntyre, Winthrop Barrett, Nathaniel Gregory. World Premiere
Christmas, Again / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Charles Poekel) — A heartbroken Christmas tree salesman returns to New York, hoping to put the past year behind him. He spends the season living in a trailer and working the night shift, until a mysterious woman and some colorful customers rescue him from self-destruction. Cast: Kentucker Audley, Hannah Gross, Jason Shelton, Oona Roche. North American Premiere
Cronies / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Larnell) — Twenty-two-year-old Louis doesn’t know whether his childhood friendship with Jack will last beyond today. Cast: George Sample III, Zurich Buckner, Brian Kowalski. World Premiere
Entertainment / U.S.A. (Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Gregg Turkington, Tim Heidecker) — En route to meeting with his estranged daughter, in an attempt to revive his dwindling career, a broken, aging comedian plays a string of dead-end shows in the Mojave Desert. Cast: Gregg Turkington, John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan, Michael Cera, Amy Seimetz, Lotte Verbeek. World Premiere
H. / U.S.A., Argentina (Directors and screenwriters: Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia) — Two women, each named Helen, find their lives spinning out of control after a meteor allegedly explodes over their city of Troy, New York. Cast: Robin Bartlett, Rebecca Dayan, Will Janowitz, Julian Gamble, Roger Robinson. World Premiere
James White / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Josh Mond) — A young New Yorker struggles to take control of his reckless, self-destructive behavior in the face of momentous family challenges. Cast: Chris Abbott, Cynthia Nixon, Scott Mescudi, Makenzie Leigh, David Call. World Premiere
Nasty Baby / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sebastian Silva) — A gay couple try to have a baby with the help of their best friend, Polly. The trio navigates the idea of creating life while confronted by unexpected harassment from a neighborhood man called The Bishop. As their clashes grow increasingly aggressive, odds are someone is getting hurt. Cast: Sebastian Silva, Tunde Adebimpe, Kristin Wiig, Reg E. Cathey, Mark Margolis, Denis O'Hare. World Premiere
The Strongest Man / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kenny Riches) — An anxiety-ridden Cuban man who fancies himself the strongest man in the world attempts to recover his most prized possession, a stolen bicycle. On his quest, he finds and loses much more. Cast: Robert Lorie, Paul Chamberlain, Ashly Burch, Patrick Fugit, Lisa Banes. World Premiere
" Take Me To The River " / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matt Sobel) — A naive California teen plans to remain above the fray at his Nebraskan family reunion, but a strange encounter places him at the center of a long-buried family secret.Cast: Logan Miller, Robin Weigert, Josh Hamilton, Richard Schiff, Ursula Parker, Azura Skye. World Premiere. Producer rep: Cinetic Media
Tangerine / U.S.A. (Director: Sean Baker, Screenwriters: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch) — A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart. Cast: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O'Hagan, Alla Tumanyan, James Ransone. World Premiere
Spotlight
Regardless of where these films have played throughout the world, the Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love.
6 Desires: Dh Lawrence and Sardinia / United Kingdom, Italy (Director: Mark Cousins) — In winter 1921, Dh Lawrence and his wife journeyed to Sardinia, and he chronicled their experiences in Sea and Sardinia. Now, Mark Cousins retraces Lawrence’s footsteps. The film is conceived partly as a letter to Lawrence — or “Bert” — a detail that’s typical of the film’s inviting sense of conversational intimacy.International Premiere
'71 / United Kingdom (Director: Yann Demange, Screenwriter: Gregory Burke) — ‘71 takes place over a single night in the life of a young British soldier accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971. Unable to tell friend from foe, he must survive the night alone and find his way to safety. Cast: Jack O'Connell, Paul Anderson, Richard Dormer, Sean Harris, Barry Keoghan, Martin McCann.
99 Homes / U.S.A. (Director: Ramin Bahrani, Screenwriters: Ramin Bahrani, Amir Naderi, Bahareh Azimi) — A father struggles to get back the home that his family was evicted from by working for the greedy real-estate broker who's the source of his frustration. Cast: Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern, Tim Guinee, Cullen Moss, J.D. Evermore.
Aloft / Spain, France, Canada (Director and screenwriter: Claudia Llosa) — Aloft tells the story of a struggling mother, Nana, and her evolution to becoming a renowned healer. When a young artist tracks down Nana's son 20 years after she abandoned him, she sets in motion an encounter between the two that will bring the meaning of their lives into question. Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, Mélanie Laurent, William Shimell. North American Premiere
Eden / France (Director: Mia Hansen-løve, Screenwriters: Mia Hansen-løve, Sven Hansen-løve) — Mia Hansen-løve's electronic-dance-music epic follows the rise and fall of a DJ (based on her brother, Sven, a contemporary of Daft Punk) who gets into the rave scene in 1994 and spends the next 20 years navigating the French club scene. Cast: Félix de Givry, Pauline Etienne, Greta Gerwig, Brady Corbet, Arsinee Khanjian, Vincent Macaigne.
Girlhood / France (Director and screenwriter: Céline Sciamma) — Oppressed by her family, dead-end school prospects, and the boys law in the neighborhood, Marieme starts a new life after meeting a group of free-spirited girls. She changes her name and dress, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping to find a way to freedom. Cast: Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré, Idrissa Diabaté, Simina Soumaré.
The Tribe / Ukraine (Director and screenwriter: Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy) — Set at a Ukrainian boarding school for the deaf, the film’s narrative unfolds purely through sign language without the need for employing subtitles or voiceover, resulting in a unique, never-before-seen cinematic experience that engages the audience on a new level. Cast: Grigoriy Fesenko, Yana Novikova, Rosa Babiy, Alexander Dsiadevich.
White God / Hungary (Director: Kornél Mundruczó, Screenwriters: Kata Wéber, Kornél Mundruczó, Viktória Petrányi) — When young Lili is forced to give up her beloved dog, Hagen, because its mixed-breed heritage is deemed “unfit” by The State, she and the dog begin a dangerous journey back toward each other. Cast: Zsófia Psotta, Sandor Zsótér, Szabolcs Thuróczy, Lili Monori, László Gálffi, Lili Horváth. U.S. Premiere
Wild Tales / Argentina, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Damián Szifrón) — Inequality, injustice, and the demands of the world cause stress and depression for many people. Some of them, however, explode. This is a movie about those people. Vulnerable in the face of an unpredictable reality, the characters of Wild Tales cross the thin line dividing civilization and barbarism. Cast: Ricardo Darín, Julieta Zyberberg, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Darío Grandinetti, Erica Rivas, Oscar Martínez.
Park City At Midnight
From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake.
Cop Car / U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) — Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim. World Premiere
The Hallow / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Corin Hardy, Screenwriters: Corin Hardy, Felipe Marino) — When a London-based conservationist is sent to Ireland to survey an area of ancient forest believed by the superstitious locals to be hallowed ground, he unwittingly disturbs a horde of terrifying beings and must fight to protect his family. Cast: Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, Michael Smiley. World Premiere
Hellions / Canada (Director: Bruce McDonald, Screenwriter: Pascal Trottier) — Teenage Dora Vogel must survive a Halloween night from hell when malevolent trick-or-treaters come knocking at her door. Cast: Chloe Rose, Robert Patrick, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter DaCunha, Luke Bilyk. World Premiere
It Follows / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Robert Mitchell) — After a strange sexual encounter, a teenager finds herself haunted by nightmarish visions and the inescapable sense that something is after her. Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe.
Knock Knock / U.S.A. (Director: Eli Roth, Screenwriters: Eli Roth, Nicolas Lopez, Guillermo Amoedo) — Two beautiful young girls walk into a married man's life and turn a wild fantasy into his worst nightmare. Cast: Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana De Armas, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, Colleen Camp. World Premiere
The Nightmare / U.S.A. (Director: Rodney Ascher) — A documentary-horror film exploring the phenomenon of sleep paralysis through the eyes of eight people. They (and a surprisingly large number of others) often find themselves trapped between the sleeping and awake realms, unable to move but aware of their surroundings while subject to disturbing sights and sounds. World Premiere
Reversal / U.S.A. (Director: J.M Cravioto, Screenwriters: Rock Shaink, Keith Kjornes) — A gritty psychological thriller about a young woman chained in a basement of a sexual predator and manages to escape. However, right when she has a chance for freedom, she unravels a hard truth and decides to turn the tables on her captor. Cast: Tina Ivlev, Richard Tyson, Bianca Malinowski. World Premiere
Turbo Kid / Canada, New Zealand (Directors: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell, Screenwriters: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell) — In a post-apocalyptic future, The Kid, an orphaned outcast, meets a mysterious girl. They become friends until Zeus, the sadistic leader of the Wasteland, kidnaps her. The Kid must face his fears, and journey to rid the Wasteland of evil and save the girl. Cast: Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Michael Ironside, Aaron Jeffery, Edwin Wright. World Premiere
New Frontier Films
The Forbidden Room / Canada (Directors: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Screenwriters: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Robert Kotyk) — A submarine crew, a feared pack of forest bandits, a famous surgeon, and a battalion of child soldiers all get more than they bargained for as they wend their way toward progressive ideas on life and love. Cast: Geraldine Chaplin, Caroline Dhavernas, Roy Dupuis, Udo Kier, Charlotte Rampling, Karine Vanasse. World Premiere
Liveforever / Colombia, Mexico (Director: Carlos Moreno, Screenwriters: Alberto Ferreras, Alonso Torres, Carlos Moreno) — Driven by the music and dancing she finds along the way, a teenager leaves home willing to try anything her provocative and tolerant city has to offer, even if she burns out in the process. Inspired by the best-selling novel "Que viva la música" by Andres Caicedo. Cast: Paulina Davila, Alejandra Avila, Luis Arrieta, Juan Pablo Barragan, Nelson Camayo, Christian Tappan. World Premiere
The Royal Road / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jenni Olson) — This cinematic essay, a defense of remembering, offers up a primer on the Spanish colonization of California and the Mexican American War alongside intimate reflections on nostalgia, butch identity and Alfred Hitchcock'sVertigo — all against a contemplative backdrop of 16mm urban California landscapes. Cast: Jenni Olson, Tony Kushner. World Premiere
Sam Klemke's Time Machine / Australia (Director: Matthew Bate) — Sam Klemke has filmed and narrated 50 years of his life, creating a strange and intimate portrait of what it means to be human. World Premiere
Station to Station / U.S.A. (Director: Doug Aitken) — Station to Station is composed of 60 individual one-minute films featuring different artists, musicians, places, and perspectives. This revolutionary feature-length film reveals a larger narrative about modern creativity. World Premiere
Things of the Aimless Wanderer / Rwanda, United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Kivu Ruhorahoza) — A white man meets a black girl, then she disappears. The white man tries to understand what happened to her while also trying to finish a travelogue. Things of the Aimless Wanderer is a film about the sensitive topic of relations between “locals” and Westerners, about paranoia, mistrust, and misunderstandings. Cast: Justin Mullikin, Grace Nikuze, Ramadhan Bizimana, Eliane Umuhire, Wesley Ruzibiza, Matt Ray Brown. World Premiere
New Frontier Installations
1979 Revolution Game
Artists: Navid Khonsari, Vassiliki Khonsari
1979 Revolution Game presents an innovative approach to non-fiction storytelling. Designed to engage players with an immersive "on the ground" experience of the Iranian Revolution, the game integrates an emotionally impactful narrative with interactive moral choices and intuitive touchscreen gameplay while remaining true to history.
Assent
Artist: Oscar Raby
This immersive documentary uses virtual reality technology to put the user in the footsteps of Director Oscar Raby's father, who in 1973 was a 22-year-old army officer stationed in the north of Chile, on the day when the Caravan of Death came to his regiment.
Birdly
Artist: Max Rheiner
Flying is one of the oldest dreams of humankind. Birdly is an experiment to capture this dream, to simulate the experience of being a bird from a first-person perspective. This embodiment is conducted through a full-body virtual reality setup.
Dérive
Artist: François Quévillon
This interactive installation uses the audience’s body motions and positions to explore 3-D reconstructions of urban and natural spaces that are transformed according to live environmental data, including meteorological and astronomical phenomena.
Evolution of Verse
Artist: Chris Milk
Chris Milk, working with visual effects powerhouse Digital Domain and virtual reality production company Vrse.works, has created this photo-realistic CGI-rendered 3-D virtual reality film that takes the viewer on a journey from beginning to new beginning.
Kaiju Fury!
Artist: Ian Hunter
A dark energy experiment leads to a devastating attack by monstrous Kaiju, and you are standing at ground zero — all in 360-degree, stereoscopic 3-D cinematic virtual reality. You will "be there" as the beasts lay waste to a crumbling city and humanity makes its last stand. Cast: Susie Abromeit, Bill Lippincott, Daniel Martin, Brian Dodge, Vincient Chiantelli.
Paradise
Artist: Pleix
Paradise is certainly not paradisiacal if you look at it through our eyes. But neither is it totally devoid of humor, melancholy and absurdity. Perhaps it is first and foremost life as it is, and then a touch exaggerated in the digital overdrive.
Perspective; Chapter I: The Party
Artists: Rose Troche, Morris May
A young college woman attends a party with the intention of shedding her "shy girl" persona. At the same party, a young man is after a similar reinvention. They meet, drink, and misinterpreted signals turn into things that cannot be undone. Virtual reality simulators let viewers experience both characters. Cast: Tabitha Morella, Caleb Thomas, Zachary Zagoria, Anna Grace Barlow.
Possibilia
Artists: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
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- 12/6/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Fans of writer/director Eli Roth have two very different films to look forward to: The Green Inferno, an homage to Italian cannibal movies, and Knock Knock, a home intrusion psychological thriller. While the theatrical release of the former is delayed, the latter, which stars Keanu Reeves, will make its world premiere as part of Sundance’s Park City at Midnight lineup, and the first batch of photos from the film have been unveiled.
“Two beautiful young girls walk into a married man’s life and turn a wild fantasy into his worst nightmare.”
Directed by Eli Roth off a script he wrote with Nicolas Lopez and Guillermo Amoedo, Knock Knock stars Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana De Armas, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, and Colleen Camp.
In addition to Knock Knock, the Park City at Midnight selections also include Hellions, It Follows, The Hallow, and more. The Sundance Film Festival...
“Two beautiful young girls walk into a married man’s life and turn a wild fantasy into his worst nightmare.”
Directed by Eli Roth off a script he wrote with Nicolas Lopez and Guillermo Amoedo, Knock Knock stars Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana De Armas, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, and Colleen Camp.
In addition to Knock Knock, the Park City at Midnight selections also include Hellions, It Follows, The Hallow, and more. The Sundance Film Festival...
- 12/5/2014
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
99 Homes
Following yesterday’s announcement of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival’s In-Competition films, the festival has released its lineup of Spotlight, Park City At Midnight and New Frontier Films.
Among the lineup is 99 Homes, Ramin Bahrani’s Middle-America drama on foreclosures starring Michael Shannon and Andrew Garfield. The film premiered at Toronto and Venice earlier this year and will finally get a release early in 2015. Joining it are the British Independent Film Award-nominated ’71, and the much hyped Eden from Mia Hansen-Løve and Girlhood from Céline Sciamma.
On the At Midnight circuit, the hot ticket is Knock Knock from Director Eli Roth and starring Keanu Reeves in what Deadline describes as a “psychosexual home invasion pic”.
Also included in this announcement is a lineup of New Frontier art installations that will be visible across Park City, including one called Way to Go by artist Vincent Morisset, a big collaborator with Arcade Fire.
Following yesterday’s announcement of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival’s In-Competition films, the festival has released its lineup of Spotlight, Park City At Midnight and New Frontier Films.
Among the lineup is 99 Homes, Ramin Bahrani’s Middle-America drama on foreclosures starring Michael Shannon and Andrew Garfield. The film premiered at Toronto and Venice earlier this year and will finally get a release early in 2015. Joining it are the British Independent Film Award-nominated ’71, and the much hyped Eden from Mia Hansen-Løve and Girlhood from Céline Sciamma.
On the At Midnight circuit, the hot ticket is Knock Knock from Director Eli Roth and starring Keanu Reeves in what Deadline describes as a “psychosexual home invasion pic”.
Also included in this announcement is a lineup of New Frontier art installations that will be visible across Park City, including one called Way to Go by artist Vincent Morisset, a big collaborator with Arcade Fire.
- 12/5/2014
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Last year’s batch of eight films included the almost critic-proof trio of Adam Wingard’s The Guest, Taika Waititi & Jemaine Clement’s What We Do in the Shadows and the major revelation in Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook. After showings at Cannes and Tiff, David Robert Mitchell finds his It Follows (see pic above) also landing at Sundance and being surrounded by seven world preem titles coming from a little bit everywhere on the planet. Here are the fearful eight:
Cop Car/ U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) —Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim.World Premiere
The Hallow/ Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Corin Hardy, Screenwriters: Corin Hardy, Felipe Marino) —When a London-based conservationist is sent to Ireland to survey an area of ancient forest believed by the superstitious locals to be hallowed ground,...
Cop Car/ U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) —Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim.World Premiere
The Hallow/ Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Corin Hardy, Screenwriters: Corin Hardy, Felipe Marino) —When a London-based conservationist is sent to Ireland to survey an area of ancient forest believed by the superstitious locals to be hallowed ground,...
- 12/4/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
It’s less than two months until the streets and theaters of Park City are going to be packed with filmmakers, film fans and buyers attending the 2015 Sundance Film Festival from January 22 to February 1. Yesterday the Robert Redford-founded fest announced its U.S. and World Cinema dramatic and documentary competition selections along with the pics in its Next section. Today, with some Andrew Garfield, Keanu Reeves, Greta Gerwig, Kevin Bacon and Charlotte Rampling starrers among them, Sundance revealed its non-competitive Spotlight and Park City At Midnight slates along with the films and installations of the New Frontier category - see the full list below.
Like yesterday’s slate announcements there are some big, big screen names appearing at Sundance this year. Garfield, who has that other gig as certain webslinger, is in the Ramin Bahrani-directed 99 Homes with Michael Shannon and Laura Dern. Having played at Tiff and Venice,...
Like yesterday’s slate announcements there are some big, big screen names appearing at Sundance this year. Garfield, who has that other gig as certain webslinger, is in the Ramin Bahrani-directed 99 Homes with Michael Shannon and Laura Dern. Having played at Tiff and Venice,...
- 12/4/2014
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline
Each year, the midnight shift at Sundance belongs to me, and that's the way I like it. I've had some of my most memorable experiences at the festival happen as part of the midnight screenings, and I look forward to this announcement every year. I'm surprised to see "It Follows" there. That's been playing festivals since Cannes, and while it's good, I wouldn't expect to see Sundance use one of the slots for a film that's been seen as much as this one has already. The hottest ticket will most likely be "Knock Knock," with Eli Roth directing Keanu Reeves. I like that Eli has fallen in with Nicolas Lopez and Guillermo Amoedo as his new constant collaborators, and this one sounds like it could be nasty fun, which is Eli's sweet spot. I'm excited about the Kevin Bacon movie, which sounds like a darker, actual-real-world-repercussions version of "Let's Be Cops,...
- 12/4/2014
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
The 2015 selection includes a strong Latin American flavour, led by Eli Roth’s Chilewood psychosexual Park City At Midnight entry Knock Knock starring Keanu Reeves and Lorenza Izzo.
Mexico-based Dark Factory’s thriller Reversal also premieres in the section, while the New Frontier film slate includes Carlos Moreno’s Liveforever from Colombia-Mexico.
Spotlight — Sundance programmers’ tribute to their favourite films of 2014 — includes Argentinean box office smash and Academy Awards submission Wild Tales (pictured) from Damián Szifrón.
Among the Midnight films are Rodney Ascher’s sleep paralysis documentary The Nightmare, Bruce McDonald’s Hellions from Canada, Cop Car from the Us starring Kevin Bacon and Irish-uk forest-set The Hallow from Corin Hardy.
Spotlight selections also feature Yann Demange’s feted UK thriller ‘71, Kornél Mundruczó’s Hungarian drama White God and Mia Hansen-Løve’s Eden from France. Canadian auteur Guy Maddin is back withThe Forbidden Room, which he co-directed with Evan Johnson, in New Frontier...
Mexico-based Dark Factory’s thriller Reversal also premieres in the section, while the New Frontier film slate includes Carlos Moreno’s Liveforever from Colombia-Mexico.
Spotlight — Sundance programmers’ tribute to their favourite films of 2014 — includes Argentinean box office smash and Academy Awards submission Wild Tales (pictured) from Damián Szifrón.
Among the Midnight films are Rodney Ascher’s sleep paralysis documentary The Nightmare, Bruce McDonald’s Hellions from Canada, Cop Car from the Us starring Kevin Bacon and Irish-uk forest-set The Hallow from Corin Hardy.
Spotlight selections also feature Yann Demange’s feted UK thriller ‘71, Kornél Mundruczó’s Hungarian drama White God and Mia Hansen-Løve’s Eden from France. Canadian auteur Guy Maddin is back withThe Forbidden Room, which he co-directed with Evan Johnson, in New Frontier...
- 12/4/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
This November, over 100 films will be screening at AFI Fest 2014 in Los Angeles and more than a few of those flicks will be of the horror variety. Attendees hungry for vampire humor, coming-of-age terror, and frights that hit close to home should be happy to hear that What We Do in the Shadows, It Follows, and Goodnight Mommy are a few of the horror movies screening at the festival.
AFI Fest 2014 runs from November 6th – 13th in Los Angeles. To learn more, visit:
http://www.afi.com/afifest/default.aspx
These are a handful of the horror films playing at the festival:
“Goodnight Mommy (Ich Seh Ich Seh) – Twin boys fear that their mother, whose face is masked with bandages after plastic surgery, has been subsumed by an evil being. Written and directed by aunt-nephew filmmakers Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala. Cast: Susanne Wuest, Elias Schwarz, Lucas Schwarz. Austria.
From...
AFI Fest 2014 runs from November 6th – 13th in Los Angeles. To learn more, visit:
http://www.afi.com/afifest/default.aspx
These are a handful of the horror films playing at the festival:
“Goodnight Mommy (Ich Seh Ich Seh) – Twin boys fear that their mother, whose face is masked with bandages after plastic surgery, has been subsumed by an evil being. Written and directed by aunt-nephew filmmakers Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala. Cast: Susanne Wuest, Elias Schwarz, Lucas Schwarz. Austria.
From...
- 10/30/2014
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Arriving in UK theatres tomorrow is Adam Wingard's 'The Guest'. The movie stars the gorgeous Maika Monroe and coincidentally Miss Monroe has just popped up on the latest poster for writer/director David Robert Mitchell's upcoming horror project 'It Follows'. The poster comes courtesy of Radius-twc who'll be handling the distribution of the movie, although they still haven't announced an official release plan. Maikia stars along with Keir Gilchrist ('The United States of Tara'), Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi ('Orange Is the New Black') and Lili Sepe. Check out the new poster below....
- 9/4/2014
- Horror Asylum
Another film playing as part of the BFI London Film Festival, as well as the Toronto International Film Festival, is It Follows; and right now we have the first clip along with stills and the official one-sheet which is clawing its way up from below. Check 'em out, and look for more to follow. See what we did there?
With a riveting central performance from Maika Monroe and a strikingly ominous electronic score by Disasterpeace, It Follows is an artful psychosexual thriller from David Robert Mitchell (whose The Myth of the American Sleepover premiered at Critics' Week in 2010).
The film also stars Keir Gilchrist ("The United States of Tara"), Daniel Zovatto (Laggies), Jake Weary ("Chicago Fire"), Olivia Luccardi ("Orange Is the New Black"), and Lili Sepe (Spork).
Synopsis
For 19-year-old Jay (Maika Monroe, At Any Price), the fall should be about school, boys, and weekends at the lake. Yet, after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter,...
With a riveting central performance from Maika Monroe and a strikingly ominous electronic score by Disasterpeace, It Follows is an artful psychosexual thriller from David Robert Mitchell (whose The Myth of the American Sleepover premiered at Critics' Week in 2010).
The film also stars Keir Gilchrist ("The United States of Tara"), Daniel Zovatto (Laggies), Jake Weary ("Chicago Fire"), Olivia Luccardi ("Orange Is the New Black"), and Lili Sepe (Spork).
Synopsis
For 19-year-old Jay (Maika Monroe, At Any Price), the fall should be about school, boys, and weekends at the lake. Yet, after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter,...
- 9/3/2014
- by Steve Barton
- DreadCentral.com
The 39th Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) runs September 4-14, 2014, and its Midnight Madness programme brings thrills, chills, and all sorts of kills to Festival audiences once again including Tusk, [Rec] 4: Apocalypse, The Guest, It Follows, and lots more!
From the Press Release:
Get your passports stamped and experience an international cinematic rollercoaster which includes: a Yakuza street gang hip-hop musical epic; spine-chilling Spanish zombies with insatiable appetites; a Finnish boy hunter rescuing the President of the United States from terrorists; and Flemish cub scouts trapped in the woods with sinister companions.
“Midnight Madness has been entertaining connoisseurs of the exquisitely explicit for over 25 years and is now an essential destination for cinematic masters of outrageous expression,” says Colin Geddes, International Programmer for the Festival. “After the sun sets on the Festival days, fearless audiences will converge at the Ryerson Theatre to be served a visual feast of the bizarre,...
From the Press Release:
Get your passports stamped and experience an international cinematic rollercoaster which includes: a Yakuza street gang hip-hop musical epic; spine-chilling Spanish zombies with insatiable appetites; a Finnish boy hunter rescuing the President of the United States from terrorists; and Flemish cub scouts trapped in the woods with sinister companions.
“Midnight Madness has been entertaining connoisseurs of the exquisitely explicit for over 25 years and is now an essential destination for cinematic masters of outrageous expression,” says Colin Geddes, International Programmer for the Festival. “After the sun sets on the Festival days, fearless audiences will converge at the Ryerson Theatre to be served a visual feast of the bizarre,...
- 7/29/2014
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
It looks like Midnight Madness programmer Colin Geddes might have been more inspired by what he might have seen elsewhere, than what was currently available for a potential fall fest break-out. A section commonly known for almost wall to wall world preems in the mix-up of genres and languages, is giving some inventory space to Sundance preemed Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement’s What We Do in the Shadows and Adam Wingard’s The Guest (Nicholas called it, “sleek, fun entertainment, a reminder of a bygone era when an influx of entertaining genre films existed in greater quantity“) which joins the Cannes Critics’ Week entry David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows. Sion Sono will open the section with Tokyo Tribe, but acquisition interest will go towards world preem titles of Jaume Balagueró’s [Rec] 4: Apocalypse, Jalmari Heleander’s Big Game and Jonas Govaerts’ Cub, while the A24 folks get to...
- 7/29/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Every year, we look forward to the Midnight Madness selection of the Toronto International Film Festival, which includes a great mix of upcoming horror films around the world. Once again, many of the titles are making their world premiere at Tiff, and we have the full list, which includes Kevin Smith’s Tusk and [Rec] 4:
“Toronto — The Toronto International Film Festival®’s Midnight Madness programme brings thrills, chills and all sorts of kills to Festival audiences once again. Get your passports stamped and experience an international cinematic rollercoaster which includes: a Yakuza street gang hip-hop musical epic; spine-chilling Spanish zombies with insatiable appetites; a Finnish boy hunter rescuing the President of the United States from terrorists; and Flemish cub scouts trapped in the woods with sinister companions.
“Midnight Madness has been entertaining connoisseurs of the exquisitely explicit for over 25 years, and is now an essential destination for cinematic masters of outrageous expression,...
“Toronto — The Toronto International Film Festival®’s Midnight Madness programme brings thrills, chills and all sorts of kills to Festival audiences once again. Get your passports stamped and experience an international cinematic rollercoaster which includes: a Yakuza street gang hip-hop musical epic; spine-chilling Spanish zombies with insatiable appetites; a Finnish boy hunter rescuing the President of the United States from terrorists; and Flemish cub scouts trapped in the woods with sinister companions.
“Midnight Madness has been entertaining connoisseurs of the exquisitely explicit for over 25 years, and is now an essential destination for cinematic masters of outrageous expression,...
- 7/29/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Sleepy Hollow
Fox has announced a Monday September 22nd 9/8c premiere date and time for the second season of its supernatural drama series "Sleepy Hollow". [Source: TV Guide]
Maleficent 2
Appearing at Shanghai's Art Deco Peninsula hotel, actress Angelina Jolie teased her interest in follow-up to Disney's "Maleficent" ahead of the film's Chinese release. Jolie says "It's kind of hard to top her, she was pretty fun. Maybe I’ll get the chance to play her again." [Source: THR]
It Follows
Radius-twc has acquired U.S. rights to David Robert Mitchell's horror film "It Follows" and are planning a Q1 2015 release.
The story follows strange sexual encounter that leaves a teenager plagued by disturbing visions and the inescapable sense that something is following her. Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi and Lili Sepe star. [Source: Heat Vision]
Blumhouse Productions
Universal Pictures has selected release dates for three new films from Blumhouse Productions. One is...
Fox has announced a Monday September 22nd 9/8c premiere date and time for the second season of its supernatural drama series "Sleepy Hollow". [Source: TV Guide]
Maleficent 2
Appearing at Shanghai's Art Deco Peninsula hotel, actress Angelina Jolie teased her interest in follow-up to Disney's "Maleficent" ahead of the film's Chinese release. Jolie says "It's kind of hard to top her, she was pretty fun. Maybe I’ll get the chance to play her again." [Source: THR]
It Follows
Radius-twc has acquired U.S. rights to David Robert Mitchell's horror film "It Follows" and are planning a Q1 2015 release.
The story follows strange sexual encounter that leaves a teenager plagued by disturbing visions and the inescapable sense that something is following her. Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi and Lili Sepe star. [Source: Heat Vision]
Blumhouse Productions
Universal Pictures has selected release dates for three new films from Blumhouse Productions. One is...
- 6/3/2014
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Following a much-talked-about screening in Cannes, it has been announced that RADiUS has acquired Us rights to It Follows, with plans to release the movie in early 2015:
“New York, NY (June 3, 2014) – RADiUS announced today that it has acquired U.S. rights to the critical horror hit It Follows written and directed by David Robert Mitchell (The Myth Of The American Sleepover) that recently screened in Cannes as part of Critics’ Week (RADiUS also bought When Animals Dream out of Critics’ Week). In It Follows – after a strange sexual encounter – a teenager finds herself plagued by disturbing visions and the inescapable sense that something is following her.
This will be the second time RADiUS has picked up the American favorite at Cannes after securing rights to breakout hit Blue Ruin last year.
Financed by Animal Kingdom and Northern Lights, the film was produced by Rebecca Green, Laura D. Smith, Mitchell,...
“New York, NY (June 3, 2014) – RADiUS announced today that it has acquired U.S. rights to the critical horror hit It Follows written and directed by David Robert Mitchell (The Myth Of The American Sleepover) that recently screened in Cannes as part of Critics’ Week (RADiUS also bought When Animals Dream out of Critics’ Week). In It Follows – after a strange sexual encounter – a teenager finds herself plagued by disturbing visions and the inescapable sense that something is following her.
This will be the second time RADiUS has picked up the American favorite at Cannes after securing rights to breakout hit Blue Ruin last year.
Financed by Animal Kingdom and Northern Lights, the film was produced by Rebecca Green, Laura D. Smith, Mitchell,...
- 6/3/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Radius has acquired U.S. rights to writer-director David Robert Mitchell's horror movie “It Follows” and plans a first quarter 2015 release. The film, which stars Maika Monroe (“The Guest”), was a critical hit at Cannes, where it screened as part of Critics’ Week. “It Follows” concerns a teenager who after a strange sexual encounter, finds herself plagued by disturbing visions and the inescapable sense that something is following her. Also read: Radius-twc Partners With Blumhouse, Duplass Brothers on ‘Creep’ Trilogy The movie also stars Keir Gilchrist (“It's Kind of a Funny Story”), Daniel Zovatto (“Laggies”), Jake Weary (“Zombeavers”), Olivia Luccardi...
- 6/3/2014
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
After screening in Cannes as part of Critics Week, David Robert Mitchell's It Follows has just been scooped up for distribution here in the States. Read on for all the details!
From the Press Release
RADiUS announced today that it has acquired U.S. rights to the critical horror hit It Follows written and directed by David Robert Mitchell (The Myth Of The American Sleepover) that recently screened in Cannes as part of Critics' Week (RADiUS also bought When Animals Dream out of Critics' Week). In It Follows - after a strange sexual encounter - a teenager finds herself plagued by disturbing visions and the inescapable sense that something is following her.
This will be the second time RADiUS has picked up the American favorite at Cannes after securing rights to breakout hit Blue Ruin last year.
Financed by Animal Kingdom and Northern Lights, the film was produced by Rebecca Green,...
From the Press Release
RADiUS announced today that it has acquired U.S. rights to the critical horror hit It Follows written and directed by David Robert Mitchell (The Myth Of The American Sleepover) that recently screened in Cannes as part of Critics' Week (RADiUS also bought When Animals Dream out of Critics' Week). In It Follows - after a strange sexual encounter - a teenager finds herself plagued by disturbing visions and the inescapable sense that something is following her.
This will be the second time RADiUS has picked up the American favorite at Cannes after securing rights to breakout hit Blue Ruin last year.
Financed by Animal Kingdom and Northern Lights, the film was produced by Rebecca Green,...
- 6/3/2014
- by John Squires
- DreadCentral.com
The Us rights deal to David Robert Mitchell’s follow-up to The Myth Of The American Sleepover closed after the recent world premiere in Critics’ Week.
Visit Films holds international rights to the story of a teenager’s bizarre sexual encounter that leaves her convinced she is being followed by an unknown entity.
Animal Kingdom and Northern Lights financed It Follows and Rebecca Green, Laura D Smith, Mitchell, David Kaplan and Erik Rommesmo produced.
Maika Monroe leads an ensemble cast of Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi and Lili Sepe.
RADiUS brokered the deal with Cinetic and Jen Dana and has scheduled a first quarter 2015 release.
Visit Films holds international rights to the story of a teenager’s bizarre sexual encounter that leaves her convinced she is being followed by an unknown entity.
Animal Kingdom and Northern Lights financed It Follows and Rebecca Green, Laura D Smith, Mitchell, David Kaplan and Erik Rommesmo produced.
Maika Monroe leads an ensemble cast of Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi and Lili Sepe.
RADiUS brokered the deal with Cinetic and Jen Dana and has scheduled a first quarter 2015 release.
- 6/3/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
RADiUS has acquired the U.S. rights to critical horror darling "It Follows," written and directed by David Robert Mitchell ("The Myth of the American Sleepover"). The film was well received at its world premiere at Cannes just a few weeks ago. This is great news for fans of intelligent indie horror, a rare subgenre. In his Indiewire review, Eric Kohn called the film a "strange and menacing supernatural story that offers its fair share of allegorical depth," admiringly adding, "Even its calculated scares come from a real place." "It Follows" features a fresh cast of up-and-comers, including Maika Monroe ("Labor Day"), Keir Gilchrist ("It's Kind of a Funny Story"), Daniel Zovatto ("Laggies"), Jake Weary ("Zombeavers"), Olivia Luccardi ("Girls") and Lili Sepe ("Spork"). It is set to be released in the first quarter of 2015.According to RADiUS co-president Tom Quinn, "American horror has an extraordinary new voice in David Robert Mitchell.
- 6/3/2014
- by Melina Gills
- Indiewire
Radius-twc has picked up the horror film It Follows - a 2015 release is being planned. Directed by The Myth of the American Sleepover's David Robert Mitchell, this chiller - which plays like The Ring meets the sexual themes of something like David Cronenberg's Shivers - stars Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi and Lili Sepe.
The post The Film You Should Be Eager for, It Follows, Lands U.S. Distribution appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post The Film You Should Be Eager for, It Follows, Lands U.S. Distribution appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 6/3/2014
- by Ryan Turek
- shocktillyoudrop.com
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