Tickets and Passes to All Screenings and Events are Available Online
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Los Angeles, CA, October 19, 2020 — The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today that AFI FEST 2020 presented by Audi has added an encore screening of the Amazon Original film I’M YOUR WOMAN on Thursday, October 22. The World Premiere of the film opened the festival on Thursday, October 15, and due to an overwhelming demand from festival goers to see the film the additional screening has been added to the schedule. Passes and tickets are now available at FEST.AFI.com.
Directed by Julia Hart and written by Hart and Academy Award® nominee Jordan Horowitz, the 1970s set crime drama follows a woman who is forced to go on the run after her husband betrays his partners, sending her and her baby on a dangerous journey. The film stars Golden Globe® and Emmy® winner Rachel Brosnahan, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Arinzé Kene, James McMenamin, Marceline Hugot, Frankie Faison and Bill Heck. Horowitz and Brosnahan produced the film.
Suburban housewife Jean (Rachel Brosnahan) lives a seemingly easy life, supported by husband Eddie’s (Bill Heck) career as a thief. But when Eddie betrays his partners, Jean and her baby are forced to go on the run, and Eddie’s old friend Cal (Arinzé Kene) is tasked with the job of keeping them safe. After Cal mysteriously disappears, Jean befriends Teri (Marsha Stephanie Blake), and the two women set out on a perilous journey into the heart of Eddie’s criminal underworld. A decidedly female take on crime dramas of the 1970s, I’M YOUR WOMAN is a tale of love, betrayal, motherhood, family and what it takes to claim your life as your own.
AFI FEST 2020 run online through October 22, 2020. The festival opened with the World Premiere of I’M YOUR WOMAN (DIR Julia Hart) and will close with the World Premiere of MY PSYCHEDELIC LOVE STORY (DIR Errol Morris). The complete program includes 125 titles (55 features, 3 episodic, 33 shorts, 19 Meet the Press Film Festival at AFI FEST shorts and 15 AFI Conservatory Showcase shorts) of which 53% are directed by women, 39% are directed by BIPOC and 17% are directed by LBGTQ+. This year’s program represents 35 countries and includes 7 World Premieres. The total film breakdown by section is: Special Presentations (8), Centerpiece Drive-in (1), Tributes (4), World Cinema (16) New Auteurs (14), Documentary (15), Cinema’s Legacy (4), Short Films (33), Meet the Press Film Festival at AFI FEST (19) and AFI Conservatory Showcase (15).
Audi returns for the 17th year as the exclusive Presenting Sponsor of AFI FEST, enabling the festival to host the very best of world cinema. Audi and their visionary support reflect a continuing commitment to create opportunities for equality in film and television. Audi also supports AFI through the Audi Fellowship for Women, a full-tuition scholarship created in 2017 to support promising female directors entering the AFI Conservatory. This Fellowship is part of the Audi commitment to drive progress and a landmark investment in the future of the storytelling community.
Audi is the exclusive presenting sponsor of AFI FEST 2020. Additional top sponsors include AT&T and APPLE.
Passes and tickets are now available at FEST.AFI.com.
About the American Film Institute (AFI)
Established in 1967, the American Film Institute is the nation’s non-profit organization dedicated to educating and inspiring artists and audiences through initiatives that champion the past, present and future of the moving image. AFI’s pioneering programs include filmmaker training at the AFI Conservatory; year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center and at AFI Festivals across the nation; workshops aimed at increasing diversity in the storytelling community; honoring today’s masters through the AFI Life Achievement Award and AFI AWARDS; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films that uphold film history for future generations. Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow us on social media at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, youtube.com/AFI, twitter.com/American Film and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.
About AFI FEST presented by Audi
Now in its 34th year, AFI FEST presented by Audi is a world-class event, showcasing the best films from across the globe. With an innovative slate of programming, the eight-day festival historically presents screenings, panels and conversations, featuring both master filmmakers and new voices to enthusiastic audiences in Los Angeles. This year’s edition takes place online October 15-22, 2020, and is a diverse program of cinematic excellence that drives progress in filmmaking and film viewing. The festival includes Special Presentations consisting of appointment viewings of high-profile films with live virtual Q&As featuring the films’ cast and crew and a robust lineup of fiction and nonfiction features and shorts presented in established AFI FEST sections. Additional information
About Audi of America Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands, delivering about 1.845 million vehicles globally in 2019. In the U.S., Audi of America sold just over 224,000 vehicles in 2019 and launched the brand’s first fully electric vehicle, the Audi e-tron – one of four fully electric models coming to the U.S. market in the next two years. Globally, the brand aims to be CO2 neutral by 2050. Visit audiusa.com or media.audiusa.com for more information regarding Audi vehicles and business topics.
Fund Supports Thesis Productions By Black Fellows At AFI Conservatory
AFI Alumni Award Winners Revealed
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Los Angeles, CA, October 16, 2020 – The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today the establishment of the Black Production Fund in partnership with AMC Networks. The fund will provide grants for thesis productions by Black Fellows in their second year at the AFI Conservatory. The Black Production Fund, along with the recently announced Thomas P. Pollock Endowed Scholarship for promising diverse AFI Producing Fellows, is part of AFI’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiatives dedicated to increasing Black voices in storytelling.
“At this pivotal moment in America’s history, the revolutionary power of visual storytelling to inspire change has never been more critical – and there is no better way to support underrepresented voices than to help fund the films they make to tell their own stories,” said Susan Ruskin, Dean of the AFI Conservatory and EVP of the American Film Institute. “This support for our Fellows with their thesis films is transformational. We want to thank AMC Networks for their leadership in creating opportunities for Black storytellers.”
Beyond the fund, AMC Networks has committed to distributing select AFI Conservatory films on UMC, AMC Networks’ streaming VOD platform exclusively dedicated to showcasing Black film and television, beginning with THE FIRST STONE, directed by Kaisan Rei (AFI Class of 2016); GUMMI BEAR, directed by RJ Dawson (AFI Class of 2019); and YELLOW GIRL AND ME, directed and written by Isabella Issa (AFI Class of 2019).
“AMC Networks is proud to support the Black Production Fund – a vehicle to break down barriers for Black artists to tell stories that build a more inclusive culture,” said Josh Sapan, CEO of AMC Networks. “With UMC, we are also proud to provide a home to showcase some of these outstanding projects.”
In its continuing efforts to honor excellence in the art of the moving image, AFI also awarded the AFI Alumni Awards, which recognize outstanding achievement in directing and screenwriting, to members of the Class of 2019 during a private virtual alumni reception at this year’s AFI FEST presented by Audi.
The William J. Fadiman Award for Screenwriting ($15,000) went to Christina Kingsleigh Licud for her screenplay “The Daughters.” The Richard P. Rogers Spirit of Excellence Award ($10,000) was awarded to Isabella Issa for her thesis film YELLOW GIRL AND ME; and The Franklin J. Schaffner Fellow Award for Directing ($20,000) went to Haohao Yan for her thesis film THE SPEECH. The first Thomas P. Pollock Fellows, Haley Beasley (Producing, Class of 2022) and Nagee Brown (Producing, Class of 2022), were also feted at the reception.
About the American Film Institute (AFI) Established in 1967, the American Film Institute is the nation’s non-profit organization dedicated to educating and inspiring artists and audiences through initiatives that champion the past, present and future of the moving image. AFI’s pioneering programs include filmmaker training at the AFI Conservatory; year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center and at AFI Festivals across the nation; workshops aimed at increasing diversity in the storytelling community; honoring today’s masters through the AFI Life Achievement Award and AFI AWARDS; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films that uphold film history for future generations. Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow us on social media
at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, YouTube.com/AFI, Twitter.com/AmericanFilm, and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.
About the AFI Conservatory
The AFI Conservatory opened its doors in 1969 to an inaugural class that included Terrence Malick, Caleb Deschanel and Paul Schrader. Today, the Conservatory offers a two-year MFA degree in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design, and Screenwriting. In a collaborative production environment, AFI Fellows learn to master the art of storytelling, collectively creating up to 175 films a year. Fellows actively participate in the entire life cycle of a film, from development through production and exhibition.
Alumni of this elite program, ranging from modern masters to bold new voices defining the state of the art form, including Andrea Arnold, Darren Aronofsky, Ari Aster, Sam Esmail, Brad Falchuk, Liz Hannah, Patty Jenkins, Janusz Kamiński, Matthew Libatique, David Lynch, Melina Matsoukas, Polly Morgan, Rachel Morrison, and Wally Pfister, among others.
About the AFI Alumni Awards
The William J. Fadiman Award recognizes outstanding achievement in screenwriting in honor of the distinguished story editor and AFI Conservatory faculty member, William J. Fadiman (THE LAST FRONTIER).
The Richard P. Rogers Spirit of Excellence Award is given annually to directors whose performance at AFI embodies the independent filmmaking spirit of celebrated documentarian Richard P. Rogers (PICTURES FROM A REVOLUTION), filmmaker, teacher, mentor and friend who passed away on July 14, 2001 at the age of 57. The William J. Fadiman Award and the Richard P. Rogers Spirit of Excellence Award were established by an alumnus who has chosen to give back to AFI in honor of those who have inspired generations of AFI Conservatory Fellows.
The Franklin J. Schaffner Fellow Award is presented to an exceptional Directing alum in memory of Franklin J. Schaffner (PATTON, PLANET OF THE APES), a longtime champion of AFI and former chair of the AFI Conservatory Advisory Committee. The Schaffner Fellow Award was established in 1991 by Jean Schaffner to celebrate her husband’s creative legacy and dedication to fostering new talent. This award is funded by the Franklin and Jean Schaffner Foundation.
About AMC Networks
Known for its groundbreaking and celebrated original content, AMC Networks (NASDAQ:AMCX) is the company behind the award-winning brands AMC, BBC AMERICA, IFC, SundanceTV, WE tv, and IFC Films. Its diverse line-up of popular and critically-acclaimed series and independent films include Killing Eve, Better Call Saul and The Walking Dead, which has been the #1 show on ad-supported cable television for ten consecutive years, as well as Documentary Now!, Brockmire, Love After Lockup, and the films Boyhood, Death of Stalin, and many more. Its original series Mad Men and Breaking Bad are widely recognized as being among the most influential and acclaimed shows in the history of TV. The Company also operates AMC Studios, its production business; AMC Networks International, its international programming business; the subscription streaming services Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, and UMC; RLJE Films; and Levity Entertainment Group, the Company’s production services and comedy venues business. For more information, visit http://www.amcnetworks.com.
Exclusive Clips and In-Depth Conversations with Filmmakers From Netflix and HBO Max
Tickets and Passes to All Screenings and Events are Available Online
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Los Angeles, CA, October 15, 2020 — The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today that AFI FEST 2020 presented by Audi will feature extended clips and in-depth conversations with filmmakers from three of the year’s most anticipated titles. This year’s festival will take online on October 15-22, 2020. Visit FEST.AFI.com to view this year’s lineup.
HILLBILLY ELEGY: A Conversation with Ron Howard, Amy Adams, and Glenn Close
An exclusive conversation with director Ron Howard, Amy Adams, and Glenn Close of HILLBILLY ELEGY presented by Netflix. Based on the bestselling memoir by J.D. Vance, HILLBILLY ELEGY is a modern exploration of the American Dream and three generations of an Appalachian family as told by its youngest member, a Yale Law student forced to return to his hometown.
THE WHITE TIGER: A Conversation with Ramin Bahrani, Moderated by Werner Herzog
An exclusive conversation and sneak preview of THE WHITE TIGER, written, directed, and produced by Ramin Bahrani presented by Netflix. THE WHITE TIGER is the epic journey of a poor Indian driver who must use his wit and cunning to break free from servitude to his rich masters and rise to the top of the heap. Based on the New York Times bestseller and 2008 Man Booker Prize-winning novel.
THE WITCHES: A Conversation with Director Robert Zemeckis, producer Jack Rapke and co-producer Derek Hogue, and cast members including Anne Hathaway and Octavia Spencer.
An exclusive conversation with filmmakers and cast of THE WITCHES presented by HBO Max. Reimagining Roald Dahl’s beloved story for a modern audience, THE WITCHES is a visually innovative film telling the darkly humorous and heartwarming tale of a young orphaned boy who, in late 1967, goes to live with his loving Grandma in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis.
AS PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED
AFI FEST 2020 will take place online October 15-22, 2020, and will open with the World Premiere of I’M YOUR WOMAN (DIR Julia Hart) and close with the World Premiere of MY PSYCHEDELIC LOVE STORY (DIR Errol Morris). The complete program includes 125 titles (55 features, 3 episodic, 33 shorts, 19 Meet the Press Film Festival at AFI FEST shorts and 15 AFI Conservatory Showcase shorts) of which 53% are directed by women, 39% are directed by BIPOC and 17% are directed by LBGTQ+. This year’s program represents 35 countries and includes 7 World Premieres. The total film breakdown by section is Special Presentations (8), Centerpiece Drive-in (1), Tributes (4), World Cinema (16) New Auteurs (14), Documentary (15), Cinema’s Legacy (4), Short Films (33), Meet the Press Film Festival at AFI FEST (19) and AFI Conservatory Showcase (15).
Audi returns for the 17th year as the exclusive Presenting Sponsor of AFI FEST, enabling the festival to host the very best of world cinema. Audi and their visionary support reflect a continuing commitment to create opportunities for equality in film and television. Audi also supports AFI through the Audi Fellowship for Women, a full-tuition scholarship created in 2017 to support promising female directors entering the AFI Conservatory. This Fellowship is part of the Audi commitment to drive progress and a landmark investment in the future of the storytelling community.
Audi is the exclusive presenting sponsor of AFI FEST 2020. Additional top sponsors include AT&T and APPLE.
Passes and tickets are now available at FEST.AFI.com.
About the American Film Institute (AFI)
Established in 1967, the American Film Institute is the nation’s non-profit organization dedicated to educating and inspiring artists and audiences through initiatives that champion the past, present and future of the moving image. AFI’s pioneering programs include filmmaker training at the AFI Conservatory; year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center and at AFI Festivals across the nation; workshops aimed at increasing diversity in the storytelling community; honoring today’s masters through the AFI Life Achievement Award and AFI AWARDS; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films that uphold film history for future generations. Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow us on social media at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, youtube.com/AFI, twitter.com/American Film and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.
About AFI FEST presented by Audi
Now in its 34th year, AFI FEST presented by Audi is a world-class event, showcasing the best films from across the globe. With an innovative slate of programming, the eight-day festival historically presents screenings, panels and conversations, featuring both master filmmakers and new voices to enthusiastic audiences in Los Angeles. This year’s edition takes place online October 15-22, 2020, and is a diverse program of cinematic excellence that drives progress in filmmaking and film viewing. The festival includes Special Presentations consisting of appointment viewings of high-profile films with live virtual Q&As featuring the films’ cast and crew and a robust lineup of fiction and nonfiction features and shorts presented in established AFI FEST sections. Additional information about AFI FEST is available at FEST.AFI.com. Connect with AFI FEST at Facebook.com/AFIFEST, Twitter.com/AFIFEST, Instagram/AmericanFilmInstitute and YouTube.com/AFI.
About Audi of America
Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands, delivering about 1.845 million vehicles globally in 2019. In the U.S., Audi of America sold just over 224,000 vehicles in 2019 and launched the brand’s first fully electric vehicle, the Audi e-tron – one of four fully electric models coming to the U.S. market in the next two years. Globally, the brand aims to be CO2 neutral by 2050. Visit audiusa.com or media.audiusa.com for more information regarding Audi vehicles and business topics.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Los Angeles, CA, October 13, 2020 — The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today the sponsors and cultural supporters for AFI FEST 2020 presented by Audi, which will take place online October 15-22. Visit FEST.AFI.com to view this year’s lineup.
Audi returns for the 17th year as the exclusive Presenting Sponsor of AFI FEST, allowing the festival to continue to put the spotlight on new voices and new stories, and highlighting Audi’s commitment to inclusivity amid global and industry-wide challenges. Audi welcomes guests to this year’s festival with the Opening Night World Premiere presentation of I’M YOUR WOMAN and is also sponsoring the festival’s Centerpiece event – a Drive-In screening of Academy Award® winner Regina King’s feature film directorial debut, ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI.
Audi is also investing in the future at the AFI Conservatory with its Audi Fellowship for Women program, which supports promising female directors with full-tuition scholarships. This year’s Audi Fellow Nicole Mejia will take over AFI’s Instagram account to host the Audi DriveProgress IG Live Series, where she’ll interview festival filmmakers and AFI Summit panelists about their latest work and perspectives on a variety of issues facing the entertainment community.
In addition, Audi is providing festival audiences with a viewing guide to all of the films directed by women screening at this year’s festival.
AT&T, returning as a Premium Sponsor, continues its commitment to all filmmakers at this year’s virtual festival and will be providing a platform for AFI FEST’s filmmakers to connect, share and celebrate each other’s work. AT&T is sponsoring two Special Presentations: REALLY LOVE and A SUITABLE BOY. In addition, AT&T is supporting the festival’s HOW TO FEST guide on the AFI FEST platform. HOW TO FEST Powered by AT&T will serve as a central hub for festival audiences to navigate the film festival and learn more about this year’s films and filmmakers with film highlights, filmmaker clips, and additional content.
AT&T is inviting AFI FEST filmmakers and industry insiders to a Virtual Equality Lounge – a series of conversations hosted by The Female Quotient. The series will explore the most pressing topics of today through an equality lens. Industry leaders and influencers will be joined by rising stars and diverse talent in film and television.
Apple Original Films returns as a Premium Sponsor of the festival for the second year.
Festival sponsors include Netflix and Amazon Studios.
Sustaining sponsors include ESPN Films, with director Bao Nguyen from the ESPN film BE WATER joining the DOC Roundtable and The National Endowment for the Arts supporting the Cinema’s Legacy section.
Festival underwriters, whose generous philanthropy supports the festival and the limitless power of the moving image, include Anne Dougherty and David Dobrikin, Mike Gonzalez, K Period Media, Joseph Kaufman and John Wendell and Mark Okun.
Los Angeles Times is the Primary Media Partner. Wall Street Journal, Meet the Press, Variety, Deadline and Entertainment Weekly are the Official Media Partners. LA Weekly, KCRW, The Wrap, LAist + KPCC, IndieWire, IDA and LA Confidential are the Affiliate Media Partners. The Hollywood Reporter is the Media Partner of the Indie Contenders Roundtable, Meet the Press is the Media Partner of THE REAGANS, WHIRLYBIRD and the Meet the Press Film Festival. Variety is the Media Partner of the AFI Conservatory Showcase.
This year’s cultural sponsors include the Farhang Foundation and SAGindie. The festival’s cultural partners include the Consulate General of Switzerland, the Consulate General of France, European Languages and Movies in America (ELMA), Istituto Italiano di Cultura (IIC), Luce Cinecittà and the Polish Film Institute.
AS PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED
AFI FEST 2020 will take place online October 15-22, 2020, and will open with the World Premiere of I’M YOUR WOMAN (DIR Julia Hart) and close with the World Premiere of MY PSYCHEDELIC LOVE STORY (DIR Errol Morris). The complete program includes 125 titles (55 features, 3 episodic, 33 shorts, 19 Meet the Press Film Festival at AFI FEST shorts and 15 AFI Conservatory Showcase shorts) of which 53% are directed by women, 39% are directed by BIPOC and 17% are directed by LBGTQ+. This year’s program represents 35 countries and includes 7 World Premieres. The total film breakdown by section is: Special Presentations (8), Centerpiece Drive-in (1), Tributes (4), World Cinema (16) New Auteurs (14), Documentary (15), Cinema’s Legacy (4), Short Films (33), Meet the Press Film Festival at AFI FEST (19) and AFI Conservatory Showcase (15).
The full line-up can be found here. Passes and tickets are now available at FEST.AFI.com.
About the American Film Institute (AFI)
Established in 1967, the American Film Institute is the nation’s non-profit organization dedicated to educating and inspiring artists and audiences through initiatives that champion the past, present and future of the moving image. AFI’s pioneering programs include filmmaker training at the AFI Conservatory; year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center and at AFI Festivals across the nation; workshops aimed at increasing diversity in the storytelling community; honoring today’s masters through the AFI Life Achievement Award and AFI AWARDS; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films that uphold film history for future generations. Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow us on social media at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, youtube.com/AFI, twitter.com/American Film and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.
About AFI FEST presented by Audi
Now in its 34th year, AFI FEST presented by Audi is a world-class event, showcasing the best films from across the globe. With an innovative slate of programming, the eight-day festival historically presents screenings, panels and conversations, featuring both master filmmakers and new voices to enthusiastic audiences in Los Angeles. This year’s edition takes place online October 15-22, 2020, and is a diverse program of cinematic excellence that drives progress in filmmaking and film viewing. The festival includes Special Presentations consisting of appointment viewings of high-profile films with live virtual Q&As featuring the films’ cast and crew and a robust lineup of fiction and nonfiction features and shorts presented in established AFI FEST sections. Additional information
About Audi of America Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands, delivering about 1.845 million vehicles globally in 2019. In the U.S., Audi of America sold just over 224,000 vehicles in 2019 and launched the brand’s first fully electric vehicle, the Audi e-tron – one of four fully electric models coming to the U.S. market in the next two years. Globally, the brand aims to be CO2 neutral by 2050. Visit audiusa.com or media.audiusa.com for more information regarding Audi vehicles and business topics.
The 51st Nashville Film Festival’s Special Presentation, O Brother Where Art Thou? Twentieth Anniversary Music Tribute presented by Variety and Peer Music, epitomizes “what the Nashville Film Festival is all about – the importance of film, music, and culture.” Those were the words echoed by the Nashville Film Festival’s Executive Director, Jason Padgitt, as he and Heather Cook, Nashville Film Festival’s Senior Music Event Producer, and Director, Marketing and Brands, peermusic, both introduced the hour and fifty-two-minute special presentation. In my experience, no truer words were ever spoken.
The film, O’ Brother Where Art Thou?, is a loose interpretation of the Homeric epic poem, The Odyssey. O’ Brother Where Art Thou? was directed and produced by the Coen Brothers, Ethan and Joel, and followed their 1990s films Fargo and The Big Lebowski. Fargo received critical acclaim earning the brothers an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay while The Big Lebowski received mixed reviews at release. But no one could have predicted what Entertainment Tonight (ET) had to say about O Brother Where Art Thou? As the film was released in January of 2000, ET claimed it was the worst film of the year. And, since it was a new decade, ET called it the worst film of the decade. And since it was a new century and new millennium….well, you get the idea.
Yet, over the years, the Coen Brothers’ film has become known as a film classic as it deals with racial tensions, poverty, the need for criminal justice reform, greedy evangelicals, and government overreach. In addition, O’ Brother Where Art Thou?, set in the Deep South during the Depression years, quickly turned the tables for the Americana movement musically. O’ Brother Where Art Thou?‘s music was drawn primarily from songs written in the 1920s and 1930s by the Carter family and other older folk songs that have stood the test of time. Surprisingly, the music was selected first (before filming) with Producer/songwriter T-Bone Burnett brought in to oversee the recording and consequently, the dubbing process. And, as history would have it, the genesis of the Americana folk music movement flashed across America’s screens with the soundtrack from O’ Brother Where Art Thou? Americana had always been in the ether but now it becomes official following the release of O’ Brother Where Art Thou? And, with the formation of the Americana Music Association Foundation in June of 2000, new music labels, careers, and performers were spawned.
To propel and heighten the Americana movement into the mainstream, the T-Bone Burnett produced soundtrack from O Brother took home Album of the Year at the 2002 Grammys. In addition, Dr. Ralph Stanley garnered Best Male Country Vocal Performance for “O Death,” and Harley Allen, Pat Enright, and Dan Tyminski (The Soggy Bottom Boys) captured Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for “I am a Man of Constant Sorrow.” Moreover, at the Country Music Association Awards, the album took home the Album of the Year (the second soundtrack ever to do so) and Single of the Year Award for “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow.” O’ Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack also won the Academy of Country Music Awards’ Album of the Year and garnered Album of the Year and Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year with Allison Krause and Gillian Welch on “I’ll Fly Away.” Interestingly, the album continues in popularity today as it has been streamed more than 200 million times since 2006 and has sold ten million album copies.
And, anyone who’s been to Nashville knows every singer/songwriter has a story behind the song he/she is about to sing. You can call it a part of Southern Hospitality. And, Dan Tyminski is no exception. Mr. Tyminiski was the first performer of the tribute and sat on a barstool and spoke about his rendition of “I am a Man of Constant Sorrow,” and then proceeded to perform the song. The acoustics and recording system in the bar was excellent and later in the tribute, Carlene Carter, daughter of June Carter Cash, Tiffany Anastasia Lowe, grandaughter of June Carter Cash, performed “Keep On The Sunny Side.” Carlene Carter mesmerized with her deep, compelling, and resonate voice. Other performances included Dualtone Records & peermusic Recording Artist Kathleen Edwards’ rendition of “You Are My Sunshine,” Actor/musician Chris Thomas King performed “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues,” and “Didn’t Leave Nobody but the Baby,” received the vocal excellence of Allison Krause, Gillian Welch, and Emmylou Harris.
Left to right, Emmylou Haris, Gillian Welch, and Allison Krause performing “Didn’t Leave Nobody but the Baby,” during O’ Brother Where Art Thou? Twentieth Anniversary Tribute screening virtually at the 51st Nashville Film Festival, October 1, 2020,
As wonderful as the performers were and are, it was the space in-between with conversations between Variety Executive Vice President, Global Content, Steven Gaydos led with T-Bone Burnett, with actors John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, and George Clooney, with Emmylou Harris, with Actor/musician Chris Thomas King, with Elizabeth Ann Peer, Creative Administrator, peermusic and Peer Family Genealogist, with Rita Forrester, Granddaughter of A.P. and Sara Carter, and with Scott Robinson, CEO/Co-Founder, Dualtone music, that elevated the O’ Brother Where Art Thou? Twentieth Anniversary Music Tribute. A must-see selection!
New York, NY (October 12, 2020) – Leading national entertainment group Knitting Factory Entertainment (KFE) will present a curated KNITTING FACTORY FALL FESTIVAL, a “mini film festival” of five feature films from Kino Lorber, the veteran and well-respected theatrical, educational and home entertainment distributor of independent, foreign and classic films, further expanding Kino’s leading position in the new world of “virtual cinema.”
Beginning October 9, 2020, viewers at home anywhere can watch the five films as much as they want during a 30-day period from launch with a $US20.00 pass. Individual films are available for one-week rentals for $8.00 each. The five films for the Knitting Factory Fall Festival are:
• GORDON LIGHTFOOT: IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND is co-directors Martha Kehoe and Joan Tosoni’s exploration of the career, music, and influence of legendary Canadian musical icon Gordon Lightfoot. With unprecedented access to the artist, their documentary follows Lightfoot’s evolution from Christian choirboy to troubled troubadour to international star and beloved Canadian icon. (2019; TRT: 90 minutes; Canada; English with English Closed Captions)
• AIN’T IN IT FOR MY HEALTH: A FILM ABOUT LEVON HELM. Director Jacob Hatley’s intimate documentary finds Levon Helm at home in Woodstock, NY, in the midst of creating his first studio album in 25 years. Shot during the course of more than two, this highly anticipated film focuses in on the four-time Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member after his 2007 comeback album, Dirt Farmer, brought him back to the spotlight after his years of success with The Band. (2010; TRT: 83 minutes; US; English)
• GRACE JONES: BLOODLIGHT AND BAMI. This electrifying journey through the public and private worlds of pop culture mega-icon Grace Jones contrasts musical sequences with intimate personal footage, all the while brimming with Jones’s bold aesthetic. Sophie Fiennes’s documentary goes beyond the traditional music biography, offering a portrait as stylish and unconventional as its subject: a larger-than-life entertainer, an androgynous glam-pop diva, and an enduring, unpredictable media presence. (2018; TRT: 115 minutes; U.K., Ireland; English)
• SONJA: THE WHITE SWAN. Directed by Anne Sewitsky, SONJA is the story of Sonja Henie, one of the world’s greatest athletes and the inventor of modern figure skating, who decides to go to Hollywood in 1936 to become a movie star. Her first film is a box office smash, selling the most tickets in the world in 1937. She becomes one of the richest women of her time, always surrounded by fans, lovers, and family, and never has a moment alone. As she gets older the spotlight begins to fade, but she refuses to quit. (2018; TRT: 113 minutes; Norway; Norwegian, subtitled in English)
• THE GREY FOX. After decades in prison, stagecoach robber Bill Miner (Richard Farnsworth) emerges in 1901 a free man without a place in 20th-century society…until he sees The Great Train Robbery and is inspired to once again do what he does best. THE GREY FOX is the only narrative in the series, coming from director Phillip Borsos. (1982; TRT: 92 minutes; Canada; English with English Closed Captions)
KFE has also curated several first-run Kino Lorber films as a bespoke offering, tailored to their community. This program began in June 2020 with the Justin Pemberton documentary CAPITAL IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY and Abel Ferrara’s 2019 Cannes Selection TOMMASO. Starring Willem Dafoe. These films were offered to the KFE audience prior to a virtual theatrical release to art houses and independent cinemas around the country. Going forward, Kino Lorber is planning to offer both more KFE-presented film and Knitting Factory-selected playlists of films from their vast library viewers can rent or own via their streaming platform Kino Now www.kinonow.com.
In this partnership, KFE joins a prestigious lineup of current and new curatorial groups, including The French Institute/Alliance Francaise and legendary news publication The New Republic, presenting a selection of classic films on KinoNow, which will be available to digitally rent or own.
“We’re living in a new world,” said KFE president/CEO Morgan Margolis. “To be able to continue providing entertainment to the public while supporting independent artists, we’re all going to have to be creative thinkers and Kino Lorber is providing a great platform for our new entertainment landscape.”
“As a brand, Knitting Factory has always stood for cutting-edge entertainment,” said Kino Lorber president and CEO Richard Lorber, “and the world in which we find ourselves requires the kind of agility that KFE has always brought to their business.”Knitting Factory Entertainment and Kino Lorber have some history together. Kino distributed the KFE-produced FINDING FELA, Alex Gibney’s 2014 documentary merging the life of the Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti with the genesis, Broadway run and tour of the musical Fela! KFE has produced other filmed entertainment as well, including THEY WILL HAVE TO KILL US FIRST: Malian Music in Exile, which follows Malian musicians’ fight to keep music alive after jihadist banned all forms of music in parts of the country starting in 2012; a limited rock & roll reality series Rock City LA; and a rock musician interview show.
About Knitting Factory Entertainment
Founded in 1987 with its first venue opening in New York City, Knitting Factory Entertainment (www.knittingfactory.com) is a creative producer, manager and distributor of universal music content, film/TV and theatrical events.
Today, Today, KFE comprises: The Federal gastropub in Los Angeles; three Knitting Factory concert venues; partnerships with Boomtown Brewery, The Regent Theatre and Arrive Hotel Palm Springs; a partnership with The Buckhead Group in five restaurants and bars; and is currently develop a Coors Field-adjacent property in Denver into three brand-new bar and restaurant concepts: El Tejano, Loaded, and Smash Face Brewery & Tap Room with Filmore Capital Partners.
KFE boasts partnerships with Brooklyn-based indie label Partisan Records; Knitting Factory Management; Selby Artist Management; Giant Step Marketing and Media, and the Connect Group. KFE also owns the tastemaker web property, The Talkhouse.
KFE’s national touring and promotions arm Knitting Factory Presents has also expanded its footprint. Booking national acts across multiple states including, but not limited to Memorial Stadium, Idaho and Big Sky Brewery Amphitheatre in Montana, these two venues present approximately 25 shows and serve more than 100k fans outdoors annually. KFP also serves Slowdown, NE; The Myth, MN; Criterion OKC, OK; and Elevation 27, VA, as a talent buyer. Other partnerships have also included Rachel Ray’s Feedback in Chicago, Hortons Hayride in California, the Maha Festival in Omaha, the Desert Daze Festival in Moreno Valley, CMoore Concerts in the Pacific Northwest, and many others.
About KINO LORBER
With a library of over 4,000 titles, Kino Lorber Inc. has been a leader in independent art-house distribution for 35 years, releasing 30 films per year theatrically under its Kino Lorber, Kino Repertory, and Alive Mind Cinema banners, garnering seven Academy Award® nominations in nine years. In addition, the company brings over 350 titles yearly to the home entertainment and educational markets through physical and digital media releases. With an expanding family of distributed labels, Kino Lorber handles releases in ancillary media for Zeitgeist Films, Carlotta USA, Adopt Films, Greenwich Entertainment, Raro Video, and others, placing physical titles through all wholesale, retail, and direct to consumer channels, as well as direct digital distribution through over 40 OTT services including all major TVOD and SVOD platforms. In 2019, the company launched its new art house digital channel Kino Now which features over 1000 titles from the acclaimed Kino Lorber library. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kino Marquee initiative was launched in 2020 pioneering “virtual theatrical” releases of art house films with revenue shares that allows audiences to support almost 400 local independent theaters.
(Source: Press release provided by Henry Eshelman, PMG)
Reviewed by Larry Gleeson as part of the Opening Night Presentation of the virtual 51st Nashville Film Festival “featuring the finest in films, music, and culture.”
During the Disco Era of the late 1970s, no one was bigger than the Bee Gees (the Brothers Gibb), a band composed of brothers Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb. They seemed to be everywhere – on the radio, in the theatre (with six of ten songs on the second-biggest selling soundtrack of all-time from the 1977 film, Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta), guest appearances on television talk shows, and…..their music was danced to several times a night in disco clubs across the globe.
The film opens with archival footage of the Bee Gees’ performance at the Oakland Coliseum in 1979 at arguably the pinnacle of their career success. From here Marshall explores who the Bee Gees are and what they embodied as performers. The film is very reflective in a non-linear manner. Drawing heavily from voice-over narration, archival footage, along with black and white stills, Marshall etches a portrait of the young Gibb brothers fascinated by the fame and popularity of the Beatles and captures the arrival of the Bee Gees’ first album, “Spicks and Specks,” recorded in Australia.
With a nice touch, Marshall adds Noel Gallagher, of the global supergroup, Oasis, and more recently, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, to provide some insightful commentary on early Bee Gee music as classical 60’s guitar pop sound and the remarkable resemblance to the Beatles. Yet, Gallagher adds a poetic comment citing the vocal gift of brothers singing in harmony – “an added instrumentation that no one else can buy” of the uniqueness of the brothers’ familial harmonized vocals. “You can’t buy it. It’s not like you can go down to the shop and buy it like a Stratocaster and run Buddy Holly through it.” In a direct testimonial, Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers also adds insight into performing and living with brothers and “the heightened emotionality that comes into play.”
In a series of interviews from 1999, the Brothers Gibb open up reflecting on their career as brotherly musicians that spanned four decades at the time of the interviews. Barry, the oldest brother, and fun-loving brother, Robin, had a very public sibling rivalry leading to Robin quitting the band on March 19th, 1969. Brother Maurice dubbed himself “the peacemaker, as he was often made into “the go-between.” Marshall utilizes a montage of newspaper headlines combined with voice-over narration from the brothers to help explain what was happening and how they were feeling about the situation.
Deftly, Marshall repeats an earlier technique in having Noel Gallagher comment on the fraternal dynamic as being a band’s greatest strength and its greatest weakness. The band suffered immensely during this time and seemed to be treading water until reinventing its sound in America with a 1975 album Main Course that topped the Canadian music charts and peaked in the US at number 14. The group’s popularity surged with its 1976, follow-up, Platinum-selling album, Children of the World, and with the 1977 Saturday Night Fever, the roof came off. The run culminated with the 1979 album Spirits Having Flown, a best-selling, chart-topper in the US, Canada, and the UK.
In addition to Gallagher and Jonas, other noteworthy performers interviewed on the music and band were musician/actor/producer Justin Timberlake, Coldplay frontman, Chris Martin, solo performer of Fleetwood Mac heydays, Lindsay Buckingham, Alice Cooper, and band manager Robert Stigwood. Timberlake provided a commentary of the Bee Gee’s vocals as brass instrumentation. Martin spoke to the backlash that derailed the Bee Gee’s phenomenal global superstardom – the first band to achieve the status according to martin. Cooper and Buckingham delivered timely remarks on the music culture during the Bee Gee’s heyday as the “Kings of Disco.” Stigwood addressed the business side of managing the band and the small number of songs radio stations played in rotation – one of the vital components leading to the over-saturation and ultimate backlash of the Bee Gee’s culminating in Chicago disc jockey Chris Dahl blowing up disco tapes and records to a massive crowd at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois.
The backlash took a heavy toll on the band as they never regained their popularity. In a 2019 pensive and soul-searching clip of Barry Gibb walking a narrative, voice-over echoes the price of fame. Perception is reality as Barry often feels alone as his bandmates and brothers have all passed away including youngest brother, Andy Gibb. Andy idolized his brothers and Barry helped Andy get his solo career off the ground. Andy Gibb had an explosive solo career mimicking his brothers’ disco style and his number one Billboard hit, “Shadow Dancing,” could easily pass for a Bee Gees song. Andy Gibb died in 1988 at the age of 30.
The Bee Gees: How Do You Mend A Broken Heart is informative, entertaining, and heartwrenching. Frank Marshall reveals not only the heart and soul of the band and its music but also the power dynamic that shaped and molded the group’s enormous and impactful musical legacy. Highly recommended.
TO SCREEN MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020, 7:30 AT THE ROSE BOWL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — October 9, 2020, Los Angeles, CA — Today, the American Film Institute (AFI) announced that the 34th edition of AFI FEST 2020 presented by Audi has added a Centerpiece Drive-in screening to this year’s festival line-up. The Amazon Original film ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI… will screen at the Rose Bowl on Monday, October 19. Directed by Academy Award® winner Regina King, the film takes place over one night with icons Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown examining the civil rights movement. Written by Olivier-nominated Kemp Powers, based on his 2013 stage play, ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI… is produced by Jess Wu Calder, Keith Calder, and Jody Klein, and King and Powers are executive producers. The film stars Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, and Leslie Odom Jr.
“Regina King’s directorial debut is a knock-out,” said Michael Lumpkin, Director of AFI Festivals. “And AFI is proud to celebrate her boundless talents in a setting larger than life.”
About the film
On one incredible night in 1964, four icons of sports, music, and activism gathered to celebrate one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. When underdog Cassius Clay, soon to be called Muhammad Ali, (Eli Goree), defeats heavyweight champion Sonny Liston at the Miami Convention Hall, Clay memorialized the event with three of his friends: Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge).
Based on the award-winning play of the same name, and directed by Regina King, ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI… is a fictional account inspired by the historic night these four formidable figures spent together. It looks at the struggles these men faced and the vital role they each played in the civil rights movement and cultural upheaval of the 1960s. More than 40 years later, their conversations on racial injustice, religion, and personal responsibility still resonate. Amazon Studios will release ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI… in select U.S. theaters on December 25, 2020, and launching globally on Amazon Prime Video on January 15, 2021.
AS PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED
AFI FEST 2020 will take place online October 15-22, 2020, and will open with the World Premiere of I’M YOUR WOMAN (DIR Julia Hart) and close with the World Premiere of MY PSYCHEDELIC LOVE STORY (DIR Errol Morris). The rest of the line-up can be found here.
Audi returns for the 17th year as the exclusive Presenting Sponsor of AFI FEST, enabling the festival to host the very best of world cinema. Audi and their visionary support reflect a continuing commitment to create opportunities for equality in film and television. Audi also supports AFI through the Audi Fellowship for Women, a full-tuition scholarship created in 2017 to support promising female directors entering the AFI Conservatory. This Fellowship is part of the Audi commitment to drive progress and a landmark investment in the future of the storytelling community.
Audi is the exclusive presenting sponsor of AFI FEST 2020. Additional top sponsors include AT&T and APPLE.
The full festival lineup and schedule will be unveiled in October. Passes will be available at FEST.AFI.com on September 28. Individual tickets will be available for purchase for AFI members and for the general public on October 7.
About the American Film Institute (AFI)
Established in 1967, the American Film Institute is the nation’s non-profit organization dedicated to educating and inspiring artists and audiences through initiatives that champion the past, present and future of the moving image. AFI’s pioneering programs include filmmaker training at the AFI Conservatory; year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center and at AFI Festivals across the nation; workshops aimed at increasing diversity in the storytelling community; honoring today’s masters through the AFI Life Achievement Award and AFI AWARDS; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films that uphold film history for future generations. Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow us on social media at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, youtube.com/AFI, twitter.com/American Film and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.
About AFI FEST presented by Audi
Now in its 34th year, AFI FEST presented by Audi is a world-class event, showcasing the best films from across the globe. With an innovative slate of programming, the eight-day festival historically presents screenings, panels and conversations, featuring both master filmmakers and new voices to enthusiastic audiences in Los Angeles. This year’s edition takes place online October 15-22, 2020, and is a diverse program of cinematic excellence that drives progress in filmmaking and film viewing. The festival includes Special Presentations consisting of appointment viewings of high-profile films with live virtual Q&As featuring the films’ cast and crew and a robust lineup of fiction and nonfiction features and shorts presented in established AFI FEST sections. Additional information about AFI FEST is available at FEST.AFI.com. Connect with AFI FEST at Facebook.com/AFIFEST, Twitter.com/AFIFEST, Instagram/AmericanFilmInstitute and YouTube.com/AFI.
About Audi of America Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands, delivering about 1.845 million vehicles globally in 2019. In the U.S., Audi of America sold just over 224,000 vehicles in 2019 and launched the brand’s first fully electric vehicle, the Audi e-tron – one of four fully electric models coming to the U.S. market in the next two years. Globally, the brand aims to be CO2 neutral by 2050. Visit audiusa.com or media.audiusa.com for more information regarding Audi vehicles and business topics.
300 Initial Exhibitors Confirmed from Around the World
80+ Sessions Include Programming from Leading Industry Organizations
Online Campus to Present Unique, Interactive Networking Experiences
Los Angeles, CA – October 6, 2020 – The American Film Market today announced more details about AFM 2020 Online, including early exhibitors, plans for its biggest programming initiative to date, and its online platform that features highly engaging networking opportunities. The event will take place wholly online and is set for November 9-13, 8:00AM – 8:00PM PST.
More than 300 exhibitors from 35+ countries have already registered, including such sales companies as AGC Studios, Arclight Films, Cornerstone, Fantawild Animation Inc., Filmexport Group, Film France, GAGA Corporation, Gaumont, Highland Film Group, Lionsgate, Millennium Media, Mister Smith Entertainment, Protagonist Pictures, Screen Media, Sierra/Affinity, Solstice Studios, STUDIOCANAL, The Exchange, TrustNordisk, and XYZ Films. The United States has the biggest exhibitor presence with 132 companies followed by Russia (26), the United Kingdom (22), France (14) and Germany (12). The current list of exhibitors can be viewed here.
The AFM is also bringing its renowned Conference and educational programming online. Attendees will be presented with a record 80+ live sessions and over 200 speakers who will partake in conferences, panels, workshops, conversations and presentations throughout the run of the market as well as have the opportunity to experience anything they miss with on-demand replays.
In keeping with its mission to provide timely guidance, insight, and knowledge, the AFM will present sessions centered on opportunities and solutions for finance, production and distribution in the wake of the pandemic.
Panels and presentations in partnership with some of the film industry’s most distinguished organizations and institutions will also take center stage, including AAFCA, BFI, The Film Collaborative, NAACP, NALIP, Outfest, SAG-AFTRA, SAGindie, The Black List, USC Annenberg Hollywood, Health & Society, WGAW, and Winston Baker.
AFM 2020 Online will present an interactive Market experience featuring eight dedicated areas. The Networking Pavilion experience will be a truly unique and engaging destination for attendees as they can explore and join over 100 video discussions with small groups every hour offering tremendous opportunities for the types of “face-to-face” meetings and connections that happen organically on the AFM floor.
Other highlights of the AFM Campus include:
MyAFM (Where participants create profiles, discover other participants, send messages, and have Zoom meetings from inside the platform)
Industry Offices (where Sales and Production Companies are located),
LocationEXPO (home to Film Commissions and Production Facilities);
On-Demand Theatre (to watch Market Screenings);
AFM Stages (for Conferences and Programming);
Info Center (Video chat with AFM customer service team).
As previously announced, all accredited Buyers will receive complimentary credentials to AFM 2020 Online until October 23. Today, more than 1,000 Buyers from 70 countries are confirmed.
More details will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information and registration, please visit americanfilmmarket.com.
About the American Film Market® (AFM®)
The AFM is the most efficient film acquisition, development, and networking event in the world. More than US$1 billion in production and distribution deals are closed every year — on both completed films and those in every stage of development and production. Over five days in November, 7,000+ professionals from 70+ countries access the entire global catalog of available films and projects, attend world-class conferences, and connect with decision-makers. The AFM is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance.
(Source: AFM press release provided by Jennifer Garrick, VP, Communications, Independent Film & Television Alliance)
Passes are currently on sale at FEST.AFI.com. Individual tickets are available Wednesday, October 7.
HollywoodGlee celebrating the start of the 2019 AFI FEST presented by Audi. (Photo credit: Larry Gleeson)
Check it out! The full lineup for this year’s virtual AFI Fest presented by Audi! The festival features 124 titles – 53% are directed by women, 39% are directed by BIPOC and 17% are directed by LBGTQ+. This year’s reimagined virtual festival runs online Oct. 15-22.
The newly announced films will play in the World Cinema, New Auteurs, Documentary, Cinema’s Legacy, Short Film Competition, Meet the Press Film Festival at AFI FEST and the AFI Conservatory Showcase sections at FEST. The Grand Jury Award winners for Live Action and Animated Short will be eligible for the 2021 Best Live Action Short and Best Animated Short Academy Awards®. Short Film Competition Jurors this year are film critic Carlos Aguilar, filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison and Film Festival Alliance Executive Director Lela Meadow-Conner.
World Cinema
A collection of diverse narrative feature films from celebrated storytellers across the world.
À L’ABORDAGE
After a whirlwind one-night romance, Felix and his friends follow Alma 300 miles to a riverside town as a surprise. There, they will come to embrace the bittersweetness of young love and passing summer. DIR Guillaume Brac. SCR Catherine Paillé, Guillaume Brac. CAST Eric Nantchouang, Salif Cissé, Edouard Sulpice, Asma Messaoudene, Ana Blagojevic, Lucie Gallo. France
FAREWELL AMOR
After 17 years apart, a reunited Angolan family faces a struggle to assimilate while holding onto their culture and finds the distances that have formed between them impossible to bridge. DIR Ekwa Msangi. SCR Ekwa Msangi. CAST Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Zainab Jah, Jayme Lawson, Joie Lee, Marcus Scribner, Nana Mensah. USA
HOPPER/WELLES
Each having turned their generation of moviemaking on its head, Orson Welles and Dennis Hopper share a monumental extended conversation, traversing an impossible-to-predict range of topics, from equally incendiary, opposite perspectives. DIR Orson Welles. CAST Dennis Hopper, Orson Welles. USA
I CARRY YOU WITH ME
Director Heidi Ewing cleverly blends fictional characters with their real-life counterparts in this artful love story that spans decades, crosses borders and artfully weaves in poignant commentary on immigration, injustice and homophobia. DIR Heidi Ewing. SCR Heidi Ewing, Alan Page Arriaga. CAST Armando Espitia, Christian Vázquez, Michelle Rodríguez, Ángeles Cruz, Raúl Briones, Arcelia Ramírez. Mexico, USA
INDUSTRY
In the latest drama series from HBO, an ambitious group of graduates compete for a permanent role at a top London bank. DIR Lena Dunham, Tinge Krishnan, Ed Lilly. SCR Mickey Down, Konrad Kay, Sam H. Freeman, Kate Verghese. CAST Myha’la Herrold, Marisa Abela, Harry Lawtey, David Jonsson, Nabhaan Rizwan, Conor MacNeill. USA, UK
MY DONKEY, MY LOVER AND I
When Antoinette’s secret lover cancels their romantic getaway for a preplanned six-day hike with his wife and daughter in the French mountains, Antoinette impulsively decides to follow and surprise him. DIR Caroline Vignal. SCR Caroline Vignal. CAST Laure Calamy, Benjamin Lavernhe, Olivia Côte. France
MY LITTLE SISTER
Berlin-born twin siblings Lisa (Nina Hoss) and Sven (Lars Eidinger) have a lifelong shared passion for theater. When Sven is diagnosed with leukemia, Lisa begins to dramatically re-evaluate her life. DIR Stéphanie Chuat, Véronique Reymond. SCR Stéphanie Chuat, Véronique Reymond. CAST Nina Hoss, Lars Eidinger, Marthe Keller, Jens Albinus, Thomas Ostermeier. Switzerland – Switzerland’s Best International Feature Film Submission
NEW ORDER (NUEVO ORDEN)
The social order has combusted. The gulf between the haves and have-nots has reached incendiary proportions in this brilliant and harrowing tale of a revolutionary attempt set against the backdrop of a society wedding. DIR Michel Franco. SCR Michel Franco. CAST Naian González Norvind, Diego Boneta, Mónica del Carmen, Fernando Cuautle, Darío Yazbek, Eligio Meléndez. Mexico
OUT OF THE BLUE
This 4K restoration of Dennis Hopper’s too-long unavailable punk-rock masterpiece is a raw image of teenage rebellion that surpasses cult credentials and stands as a monument to the late Linda Manz. DIR Dennis Hopper. SCR Leonard Yakir, Brenda Nielson. CAST Linda Manz, Dennis Hopper, Sharon Farrell, Don Gordon, Raymond Burr. USA
SOUND OF METAL
A recovering drug addict and heavy-metal drummer begins to lose his hearing and must face the complicated changes to his identity and passion. DIR Darius Marder. SCR Darius Marder, Abraham Marder. CAST Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff, Mathieu Almaric. USA
THERE IS NO EVIL (SHEYTAN VOJUD NADARAD)
Banned from making films since 2017, Iranian auteur Mohammad Rasoulof’s Golden Bear-winning four-part anthology is an epic examination of morality under an oppressive regime. DIR Mohammad Rasoulof. SCR Mohammad Rasoulof. CAST Ehsan Mirhosseini, Kaveh Ahangar, Mahtab Servati, Mohammad Valizadegan, Shaghayegh Shourian, Alireza Zareparast. Germany, Iran
TRAGIC JUNGLE (SELVA TRÁGICA)
A Belizean woman desperately trying to get away from a white British landowner heads deep into the Mayan rainforest, but will her presence awaken a mythical spirit, Xtabay, who seeks revenge on those who have harmed the land? DIR Yulene Olaizola. SCR Rubén Imaz, Yulene Olaizola. CAST Indira Andrewin, Gilberto Barraza, Mariano Tun Xool, Lázaro Gabino Rodríguez, Eligio Meléndez. Mexico, France, Colombia
UNCLE FRANK
When a death in the family strikes, Beth and her uncle Frank set out on a road trip to their hometown to confront their family and their pasts. DIR Alan Ball. SCR Alan Ball. CAST Paul Bettany, Sophia Lillis, Carson Holmes, Peter Macdissi, Steve Zahn, Judy Greer. USA
UNDER THE OPEN SKY
Masao Mikami (Koji Yakusho) is released from prison and struggles to find his place in today’s everchanging Japan. Veteran director Miwa Nishikawa’s drama is a heartfelt exploration of redemption. DIR Miwa Nishikawa. SCR Miwa Nishikawa. CAST Koji Yakusho, Taiga Nakano, Masami Nagasawa. Japan
WANDER DARKLY
A troubled relationship is further shaken by a traumatic event. New parents Adrienne (Sienna Miller) and Matteo (Diego Luna) retrace pivotal moments of their romance from a surreal perspective and a time-bending narrative structure. DIR Tara Miele. SCR Tara Miele. CAST Sienna Miller, Diego Luna, Beth Grant, Aimee Carrero, Tory Kittles, Vanessa Bayer. USA
WOLFWALKERS
Robyn befriends wild girl Mebh while exploring the magical forest outside an Irish town’s walls and undergoes a transformation in this adventurous animated film from THE SECRET OF KELLS creators, Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart. DIR Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart. SCR Will Collins. CAST Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Sean Bean, Simon McBurney, Tommy Tiernan, Maria Doyle Kennedy. Luxembourg, Ireland, USA
New Auteurs
A platform for new voices and new stories, these exciting narrative works push the boundaries of contemporary cinema.
APPLES
A deadpan amnesiac attempts to navigate a world where memory loss is spreading virally, suddenly and without warning. Director Christos Nikou’s debut feature is a somber, surreal and soulful meditation on recollection and grief. DIR Christos Nikou. SCR Christos Nikou, Stavros Raptis. CAST Aris Servetalis, Sofia Georgovasili, Anna Kalaitzidou, Argiris Bakirtzis. Greece, Poland, Slovenia
THE BOY BEHIND THE DOOR
Twelve-year-old Bobby and best friend Kevin have been kidnapped, but proving ever-resourceful, Bobby escapes and now must rescue his friend in this cunningly assembled thriller that upends tropes and expectations. DIR David Charbonier, Justin Powell. SCR David Charbonier, Justin Powell. CAST Lonnie Chavis, Ezra Dewey, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Micah Hauptman, Scott Michael Foster, Rich Ceraulo Ko. USA
EYIMOFE (THIS IS MY DESIRE)
Passports, visas and other travel documents are the mainstay of this engaging Nigerian immigration drama, which weaves a compelling tale of two families in Lagos in a strikingly inventive and compassionate fashion. DIR Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri. SCR Chuko Esiri. CAST Tomiwa Edun, Jude Akuwudike, Cynthia Ebijie, Temiloluwa Ami-Williams. Nigeria
THE INTRUDER
A would-be relaxing holiday for voice actor Inés (Érica Rivas) is cut short by an unexpected horror. As she readjusts to her former routine, her sense of reality becomes increasingly precarious. DIR Natalia Meta. SCR Natalia Meta. CAST Érica Rivas, Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Cecilia Roth, Daniel Hendler. Argentina, México
JUMBO
JUMBO tells the story of Jeanne who falls in love with a carnival ride. Director Zoé Wittock delivers a compassionate and heartfelt retelling of this quirky inspired-by-a-true-story tale. DIR Zoé Wittock. SCR Zoé Wittock. CAST Noémie Merlant, Emmanuelle Bercot, Sam Louwyck. France, Belgium, Luxembourg
LUXOR
Hana, a British aid worker, arrives in ancient Luxor seeking solace after working on the Syrian border. Upon running into a former lover, Hana’s nostalgic trip becomes a meditative journey on trauma and choices. DIR Zeina Durra. SCR Zeina Durra. CAST Andrea Riseborough, Karim Saleh. Egypt, UK
NASIR
For Nasir, the minor setbacks of the day to day are surmountable, but he lives in Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India where Hindu nationalism is pervasive and violent extremism is on the rise. DIR Arun Karthick. SCR Arun Karthick. CAST Koumarane Valavane, Sudha Ranganathan, Yasmin Rahman, Sabari, Bakkiyam Sankar. India, Netherlands
NINE DAYS
A science fiction thriller with a spiritual bent in which a mysterious man (Winston Duke) interviews five unborn souls in a quest to determine which one of them will be given life on Earth. DIR Edson Oda. SCR Edson Oda. CAST Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz, Benedict Wong, Tony Hale, Bill Skarsgård, David Rysdahl. USA
PIEDRA SOLA
In the remote Argentinian mountainside, a llama herder whose stock is being annihilated by an unseen puma must embark upon a spiritual journey to present the puma with an offering. DIR Alejandro Telémaco Tarraf. SCR Alejandro Telémaco Tarraf, Lucas Distefano. CAST Ricardo Tolaba, Lucia Bautista, Mayco Tolaba, Gregorio Ramos. Argentina
RIVAL (RIVALE)
RIVAL (RIVALE) weaves a compelling narrative largely from the perspective of a child. A suspenseful tale of a young Ukrainian boy, his mom and her German employer takes unexpected twists and turns. DIR Marcus Lenz. SCR Marcus Lenz, Lars Hubrich. CAST Yelizar Nazarenko, Maria Bruni, Udo Samel. Germany
SHADOW IN THE CLOUD
A World War II pilot (Chloë Grace Moretz) with top secret cargo boards a bomber with an all-male crew and a sinister stowaway in this exciting horror film. DIR Roseanne Liang. SCR Roseanne Liang. CAST Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Callan Mulvey. New Zealand
SHE PARADISE
A Trinidadian girl’s world is upended when she meets a group of Soca dancers in this engaging and vibrant coming-of-age film about sisterhood and the joy of dance. DIR Maya Cozier. SCR Maya Cozier, Melina Brown. CAST Onessa Nestor, Kimberly Crichton, Chelsey Rampersad, Denisia Lactchman, Kern Mollineau, Michael Cherrie. Trinidad, USA. World Premiere
SHOULD THE WIND DROP (SI LE VENT TOMBE)
Alain, an airport auditor, is sent to evaluate the airport in a small breakaway country and becomes enmeshed with the lives of the local people, making his job more complicated than he anticipated. DIR Nora Martirosyan. SCR Nora Martirosyan, Emmanuelle Pagano, Olivier Torres, Guillaume André. CAST Grégoire Colin, Hayk Bakhryan. Armenia, France, Belgium
WILDLAND
A destructive familial cycle of crime is explored in this engrossing Danish gangster thriller centered on a teenage girl who goes to live with her maternal, but menacing, aunt and a trio of violent cousins. DIR Jeanette Nordahl. SCR Ingeborg Topsøe. CAST Sandra Kampp, Sidse Babette Knudsen, Joachim Fjeldstrup, Elliott Grosset Hove, Besir Zeciri. Denmark
Documentary
A presentation of the most engaging and powerful real-life stories depicted in global nonfiction cinema that enlighten, educate and entertain.
40 YEARS A PRISONER
In this timely and urgent documentary, Tommy Oliver revisits the 1978 confrontation between the Black liberation group MOVE and the Philadelphia Police Department and follows Michael Davis Africa, Jr. on his quest for justice. DIR Tommy Oliver. SCR Tommy Oliver. FEATURING Mike Africa Jr. USA
76 DAYS
January 23, 2020: Wuhan, China, a city of 11 million, goes on complete lockdown to combat COVID-19. Filming inside Wuhan’s hospitals, 76 DAYS provides an unforgettable look at a city’s fight for survival. DIR Hao Wu, Weixi Chen, Anonymous. China
THE AMERICAN SECTOR
The fall of the Berlin Wall marked the end of the Cold War. Thirty years later, two filmmakers comb the U.S. in search of fragments of the wall and what it represents. DIR Courtney Stephens, Pacho Velez. USA
BELUSHI
Using previously unheard audiotapes from friends, family and collaborators, documentary filmmaker R.J. Cutler captures the spirit of an American icon in this portrait of the too-short life of John Belushi. DIR R.J. Cutler. SCR R.J. Cutler. FEATURING John Belushi, Jim Belushi, Chevy Chase, Carrie Fisher, Dan Aykroyd, Penny Marshall. USA
THE BIG SCARY “S” WORD
A fascinating blend of historical and contemporary documentary storytelling, THE BIG SCARY “S” WORD re-examines socialism in a U.S. context and finds it to be as American as apple pie. DIR Yael Bridge. FEATURING Adaner Usmani, Eric Foner, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Cornel West, Vivek Chibber, John Nichols. USA
CITIZEN PENN
Avoiding the pitfalls of the celebrity-as-savior portrait, this stirring documentary focuses on Sean Penn’s nonprofit Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE) and its multi-year relief work in Haiti following the country’s devastating 2010 earthquake. DIR Don Hardy. SCR Don Hardy. FEATURING Sean Penn, Anderson Cooper, Ann Lee. USA
COLLECTIVE (COLLECTIV)
When a fire at the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest, Romania, killed 27 people in 2015, the tragedy was just beginning. This riveting documentary uncovers the truth behind the deadly government scandals that followed. DIR Alexander Nanau. SCR Antoaneta Opriș. FEATURING Cătălin Tolontan, Camelia Roiu, Tedy Ursuleanu, Mirela Neag, Vlad Voiculescu, Răzvan Luțac. Romania, Luxembourg
DOWNSTREAM TO KINSHASA
Filmmaker Dieudo Hamadi follows a group of severely injured survivors of Congo’s Six-Day War on a harrowing journey down the Congo River to the capital as they seek government compensation for their injuries. DIR Dieudo Hamadi. SCR Dieudo Hamadi. Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, Belgium
JACINTA
The camera follows Jacinta, mid-twenties, everywhere – in prison, at the sober house and in the car looking to score. This beautifully crafted, slice-of-life documentary will leave you shaken and profoundly moved. DIR Jessica Earnshaw. USA
THE NEW CORPORATION: THE UNFORTUNATELY NECESSARY SEQUEL
The filmmakers behind 2003’s penetrating documentary THE CORPORATION return with an incredibly timely and urgently needed sequel that lays bare the psychosis of the corporation and what can be done about it. DIR Joel Bakan, Jennifer Abbott. SCR Joel Bakan. FEATURING Charles Officer (narrator). Canada
NO ORDINARY MAN
NO ORDINARY MAN is an in-depth look at the life of musician and trans culture icon Billy Tipton. Complicated, beautiful and historically unrivaled, this groundbreaking film shows what is possible when a community collaborates to honor the legacy of an unlikely hero. DIR Aisling Chin-Yee, Chase Joynt. SCR Aisling Chin-Yee, Amos Mac. Canada
NOTTURNO
Gianfranco Rosi follows up his Academy Award®-nominated FIRE AT SEA with this breathtaking masterpiece, the culmination of a three-year cinematic journey through war-torn Iraq, Kurdistan, Syria and Lebanon. DIR Gianfranco Rosi. SCR Gianfranco Rosi. Italy, France, Germany
ON THE RECORD
Presented in association with AFI FEST’s tribute to Kirby Dick, this free showing of the powerful documentary ON THE RECORD gives voice to former A&R executive Drew Dixon, who alleges sexual abuse by hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. DIR Kirby Dick, Amy Ziering. SCR Kirby Dick, Sara Newens, Amy Ziering. FEATURING Drew Dixon, Sil Lai Abrams, Sheri Sher. USA
SISTERS WITH TRANSISTORS
A glorious ode to the women who helped shape electronic music and the contemporary soundscape as we know it, using poetic narration and extraordinary archival footage to trace the unsung history of electronic music. DIR Lisa Rovner. SCR Lisa Rovner. NARRATED BY Laurie Anderson . USA, UK. World Premiere
WHIRLYBIRD
In the 1980s and ‘90s, Marika Gerrard and Zoey Tur (known then as Bob) flew high above Los Angeles in their own news helicopter, redefining “action” journalism but at a huge personal cost. DIR Matt Yoka. SCR Matt Yoka. FEATURING Zoey Tur, Marika Gerrard, Katy Tur, James Tur, Lawrence Welk III. USA
Cinema’s Legacy
The Cinema’s Legacy section is devoted to celebrating the history of the motion picture. It is a unique opportunity to discover lesser known titles for the first time, as well as to recognize and revisit significant films from the diverse and expansive history of filmmaking. Guest curated by Racquel Gates.
DEAD PRESIDENTS
The Hughes Brothers’ classic 1995 crime thriller centers on a young Black Vietnam vet who returns home to the Bronx and finds it hard to find make his way, turning to crime out of desperation. DIR Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes. SCR Michael Henry Brown, Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes. CAST Larenz Tate, Keith David, Chris Tucker. USA
JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T.
Growing up middle-class in Brooklyn in the ‘90s, 17-year-old Chantal is on the road to fulfilling her med school ambitions, but her upward trajectory is derailed when she receives unwelcome news. DIR Leslie Harris. SCR Leslie Harris. CAST Ariyān A. Johnson, Kevin Thigpen, Ebony Jerido, Jerard Washington, Chequita Jackson, Kisha Richardson. USA
POSSE
Mario Van Peebles directs this rousing tribute to African American heroes of the Old West, re-envisioning and reclaiming the western to reflect historical reality, where a third of the population was Black. DIR Mario Van Peebles. SCR Sy Richardson, Dario Scardapane. CAST Stephen Baldwin, Lawrence Cook, Richard Gant, Pam Grier, Isaac Hayes, Robert Hooks. USA
THE WATERMELON WOMAN
Aspiring filmmaker Cheryl is embarking on a documentary project tracing the unwritten history of a Black actress spotted in a number of films from the ‘30s and ‘40s. DIR Cheryl Dunye. SCR Cheryl Dunye. CAST Cheryl Dunye, Valarie Walker, Guinevere Turner, Lisa Marie Branson, Irene Dunye. USA
Short Film Competition
Curated from thousands of entries, these short films highlight unique voices from around the world. These films are from emerging and established filmmakers pushing the form of storytelling in inventive, challenging and sometimes hilarious ways — all in 40 minutes or less.
A 1984 PERIOD PIECE IN PRESENT DAY
2020 USA 17 MIN – DIRECTOR Sean Glass
A couple stop through a motel in unfamiliar territory. An unreliable memory reveals the irrelevance of identity.
BLACK GOAT
2019 USA | Nepal 11 MIN – DIRECTOR Yi Tang
Pasang, a new girl at a nunnery, has her first period after hearing a late-night ghost story. She keeps it secret until she bleeds at a prayer session. She believes that she has been cursed and needs to sacrifice a black goat to avoid further misfortune.
BLOCKS
2020 USA 11 MIN – DIRECTOR Bridget Moloney
An existential comedy about the mother of two young children who begins to spontaneously vomit toy blocks.
BREAKING GROUND
2020 Rwanda 13 MIN – DIRECTOR Ines Girihirwe
Mistreated in her relationship, a young woman decides to change the course of her life, let go for once and do as she pleases.
THE CHICKEN
2020 USA 13 MIN – DIRECTOR Neo Sora
On an unseasonably hot day in November, a Japanese immigrant in New York City and his visiting cousin decide to butcher a live chicken for dinner.
CHILD OF THE LAND (KAMA’ĀINA)
2019 USA 16 MIN – DIRECTOR Kimi Howl Lee
After suffering abuse from her stepfather, a queer 16-year-old girl, Mahina, must navigate life on the streets until she eventually finds refuge at Hawaiʻi’s largest organized homeless encampment.
CHINESE WALL
2020 Argentina 17 MIN – DIRECTOR Santiago Barzi
Fernando receives some baffling news which upsets him profoundly, but when he shares it with his loved ones, their reactions are not as he expected. An odd debate ensues, affecting everyone involved.
CLAIRE AT SEVEN MONTHS
2019 USA 19 MIN – DIRECTOR Jacob Halpren
A pregnant woman heads down to her family’s beach condo in Florida to get away for the weekend.
CORRESPONDENCIA
2020 Spain | Chile 19 MIN – DIRECTOR Carla Simón, Dominga Sotomayor
Two young filmmakers discuss present and past family, heritage, maternity and film. The personal and profound reflections are suddenly echoed by the political emergency of a country.
DAVID
2020 USA 11 MIN – DIRECTOR Zach Woods
David needs help.
DUSTIN
2020 France 20 MIN – DIRECTOR Naïla Guiguet
In a warehouse club we meet Dustin, a young transgender and their crew. As the night draws on, collective hysteria morphs into sweet melancholy and euphoria into yearning for tenderness.
THE END OF SUFFERING (A PROPOSAL)
2020 Greece 14 MIN – DIRECTOR Jacqueline Lentzou
Sofia is panicky, again. The Universe decides to contact her. An other-wordly dialogue. A planet symphony.
THE FEELING
2019 USA 17 MIN – DIRECTOR Bridey Elliott
Brandi and Alex are sibling realtors at the top of their game… until they meet their biggest fan and everything they care about is put in jeopardy.
FOREVER
2020 USA 7 MIN – DIRECTOR Mitch McGlocklin
AI judgement causes a period of introspection.
GRAMERCY
2019 USA 22 MIN – DIRECTOR Pat Heywood, Jamil McGinnis
A young New Jersey native returns to his hometown where his ongoing battle with depression becomes a poetic exploration of brotherhood and personal struggle.
HEADING SOUTH (雁南飞)
2020 USA | China 12 MIN – DIRECTOR Yuan Yuan
Eight-year-old Chasuna travels from her home on grassland to visit her father in the big city. During her father’s birthday party, Chasuna finds out he has remarried to a Chinese woman.
IN FRANCE MICHELLE IS A MAN’S NAME
2020 USA 12 MIN – DIRECTOR Em Weinstein
Michael, a young trans man, returns home to the rural American West after years of estrangement from his parents.
IN SUDDEN DARKNESS
2020 USA 13 MIN – DIRECTOR Tayler Montague
A slice of life film set in the Bronx, New York. A working-class family tries to stay afloat in the midst of a city-wide blackout.
L.A. ROLL
2019 USA 17 MIN – DIRECTOR Helki Frantzen
L.A. ROLL follows members of Sk8 Mafia, a crew of Los Angeles-based dance skaters, as they reflect on the closure of their beloved home rink and seek out a new rink despite adversity and setbacks.
LITTLE CHIEF
2019 USA | Seneca | Cayuga Nation 11 MIN – DIRECTOR Erica Tremblay
It’s just another typical day at a rural elementary school on a reservation in Oklahoma. It’s a world that is stacked against them, but Sharon shows up each day to guide her fifth grade students through it.
LONELY BLUE NIGHT
2020 USA 15 MIN – DIRECTOR Johnson Cheng
The consequences of a mother’s decision to leave her daughter in the care of an American homestay family are unearthed when they reunite for a dinner on one lonely blue night.
MAALBEEK
2020 France 15 MIN – DIRECTOR Ismaël Joffroy Chandoutis
Sabine is looking for a missing image: a day that has left its mark forever and that everyone remembers but her. But maybe this absence is what allows her to move on with her life?
NOUR
2020 TUNISIA 14 MIN – DIRECTOR Rim Nakhli
Nour and Adem set off in search of their father who they have not seen him for a long time. They cross the city to arrive at the appointment place.
PILLARS
2019 USA 18 MIN – DIRECTOR Haley Elizabeth Anderson
One Sunday at church, 12-year-old Amber experiences her first kiss, a moment of innocence that triggers a series of awakenings: sexual, emotional and religious.
POSTPARTUM (WOCHENBETT)
2020 Germany 4 MIN – DIRECTOR Henriette Rietz
The animated film POSTPARTUM is about the chaotic phase in the life of a new mother. Pumped up with hormones and lacking sleep, this intense time has burned deep into the protagonist’s heart.
RUBBED IN PINK
2019 Colombia 11 MIN – DIRECTOR Kathy Esquenazi Mitrani
The daughter of a fashion photographer is starting to discover her femininity. When she follows her mother’s footsteps, she notices an unexpected change in her body.
SWIMMER (BADAREN)
2020 Sweden 13 MIN – DIRECTOR Jonatan Etzler
There’s a man floating around in an indoor swimming pool. The police order him to get out, to be arrested, but the man refuses. SWIMMER is a humorous short film about a dramatic arrest that turns into an anticlimax.
T
2019 USA 14 MIN – DIRECTOR Keisha Rae Witherspoon
A film crew follows three grieving participants of Miami’s annual T Ball, where folks assemble to model R.I.P. T-shirts and innovative costumes designed in honor of their dead.
THERE’S CAKE (SENSE POSTRE)
2020 Spain 13 MIN – DIRECTOR Clàudia Vernis
Marina is surrounded by food, and it also occupies many of her passing thoughts. Today is Saint John – and the hottest and longest day of the summer. Her mother has made chocolate cake to celebrate.
THEY SALIVATE (ILS SALIVENT)
2020 France 19 MIN – DIRECTOR Ariane Boukerche
THEY SALIVATE is the story of a kiss. A couple kiss each other in their deserted living room. The party begins and one guest drinks the couple’s last kiss.
TIGER AND OX (호랑이와 소)
2019 South Korea 8 MIN – DIRECTOR Seunghee Kim
What does divorce mean to women in Korean patriarchal society? Is a fatherless family a failure? In order to find the answer to these questions, a single mother and her daughter start a conversation.
UMBILICAL
2019 USA 6 MIN – DIRECTOR Danski Tang
An animated documentary exploring how the filmmaker’s mother’s abusive relationship with her father shaped her own experiences in a boarding school in China.
THE VISIT
2019 Iran 14 MIN – DIRECTOR Azadeh Moussavi
After six months, Elaheh is finally allowed to visit her husband, who is a political prisoner. Elaheh and her little daughter Tara have one single day to prepare for this important meeting.
Meet The Press Film Festival at AFI FEST
A partnership with NBC’s Meet the Press, this showcase of short documentaries features a wide range of compelling stories and highlights some of the most pressing issues facing our society. Each shorts program has a Q&A moderated by an NBC News journalist.
BLACKFEET BOXING: NOT INVISIBLE
2020 USA 29 MIN – DIRECTOR Kristen Lappas, Tom Rinaldi
As the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women epidemic affects tribal communities, a group of Blackfeet women tackle the threat head-on by practicing and training in self-defense.
BREACH OF TRUST
2019 USA 24 MIN – DIRECTOR Mishal Mahmud
BREACH OF TRUST explores the University of Southern California’s institutional cover-up involving the sexual misconduct of former full-time gynecologist George Tyndall. The story is anchored by the survivors, who after being wronged by the university continue their fight for institutional change.
CHURCH AND THE FOURTH ESTATE
2020 USA 32 MIN – DIRECTOR Brian Knappenberger
A reporter uncovers a file that reveals a shocking series of child-abuse allegations in Idaho’s Boy Scouts, which rattles the community and implicates the Mormon church. The story reveals long-running crimes that threaten to bankrupt the Boy Scouts.
DO NOT SPLIT
2020 USA | Norway 20 MIN – DIRECTOR Anders Hammer
During the 2019 protests in Hong Kong, a series of evening demonstrations escalate into conflict when heavily armed police appear on the scene.
GAMES OF SURVIVAL: A CULTURE PRESERVED IN ICE
2019 USA 16 MIN – DIRECTOR Nicholas Natale
The events at the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics — like the Four Man Carry and the Knuckle Hop — won’t be familiar to most Americans in the Lower 48, but they are rooted in traditional Eskimo culture and pure Americana.
GLOVES OFF
2020 USA 15 MIN – DIRECTOR Ugonna Okpalaoka, Nadine Natour
GLOVES OFF follows the story of Tiara Brown, a young police officer who forges new ways to serve her community by day, then laces up and fights to make a name for herself in the boxing ring by night.
LIONS IN THE CORNER
2019 USA 9 MIN – DIRECTOR Paul Hairston
In Virginia, Scarface started Streetbeefs in his backyard to combat gun and knife violence in the area. Soon, it turned into something much more.
THE LOST ASTRONAUT
2019 USA 12 MIN – DIRECTOR Ben Proudfoot
In 1963, Ed Dwight Jr. was poised to be NASA’s first African-American astronaut, until suddenly he wasn’t.
MY BROTHER’S KEEPER
2020 UK 21 MIN – DIRECTOR Laurence Topham
MY BROTHER’S KEEPER is about the remarkable friendship between former Guantánamo detainee, Mohamedou Ould Salahi, and his one-time American prison guard, Steve Wood, who gradually became convinced of his innocence.
OIL & WATER
2020 Canada 14 MIN – DIRECTOR Anjali Nayar
Facing imminent takeover of ancestral lands, the women in the Turkana region of Kenya stand up against oil giant Tullow. Despite resistance from the men in their community, they continue to fight for their way of life.
A PRAYER FOR JOSHUA JACKSON
2018 USA 21 MIN – DIRECTOR Ryan Heffernan, Grayson Schaffer and Kahlil Hudson
What do you do when someone says your dream is over? Race car driver Joshua Jackson went through something that would break even the toughest of souls, but Jackson managed to come out even more determined.
STATUS PENDING
2020 USA 26 MIN – DIRECTOR Priscilla Gonzalez Sainz
With immigration law under attack, five first-generation immigration lawyers — who call themselves “The Tribe” — strive to help immigrants obtain safety and status in the United States.
SUSTAINED OUTRAGE
2019 USA 26 MIN – DIRECTOR Gabriela Cavanagh
Eight months after the family-owned Charleston Gazette-Mail won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting, the Gazette-Mail grappled with a painful reality: bankruptcy ahead of a sale.
TALL TALES WITH TRUE QUEENS
2020 USA 10 MIN – DIRECTOR Kristina Budelis, Leandro Badalotti
Drag Queen Story Hour features drag queens reading stories to kids in libraries and schools. Amidst a building controversy, we learn that kids and drag queens have more in common than you might think.
TANGLED ROOTS
2020 USA 19 MIN – DIRECTOR Samantha Knowles
TANGLED ROOTS follows Kentucky State Representative Attica Scott as she fights to pass a bill that would dismantle a system of discrimination against black people who are penalized for something seemingly innocuous — their hair.
THE TORTURE LETTERS
2020 USA 12 MIN – DIRECTOR Laurence Ralph
One of Laurence Ralph’s first memories of the police is when a plainclothes officer harassed his family. Now a Princeton anthropology professor, Ralph traces his story to the entrenched practices of torture by the Chicago Police.
UNITED STATES OF JOE’S
2019 USA 21 MIN – DIRECTOR Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen
In rural Utah, a valley of world-class bouldering is nestled among a conservative community of Mormons, cowboys and coal miners. When punk rock climbers show up, cultures clash, but the story doesn’t end there.
VOTE NEIL
2020 USA 18 MIN – DIRECTOR Honora Talbott
Neil is a first-time politician running for State House. Mike is his fiancé and campaign manager searching for purpose. An intimate portrait about politics, the Southern LGBTQ experience and one incredible love story.
WHEN THE NEWS HITS HOME: A YEAR INSIDE THE CAPITAL GAZETTE
2019 USA 21 MIN – DIRECTOR Moises Saman
The 2018 shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper left five people dead, exposing not only the danger many journalists face but reminding the public of the essential role local journalism plays in communities large and small.
AFI Conservatory Showcase
A collection of 15 short fiction films from the most recent graduates of the AFI Conservatory.
DÍA DE LAS CARPAS
A group of boys help an undocumented girl get to the beach to reunite with her family, unaware of her magical secret that will change their lives forever. DIR João Dall’Stella. SCR Marina Kato Hoag. CAST Tony Garcia, Camila Olivera, Hector Atreyu Ruiz. USA
ELLE
In the midst of her sexual awakening, 16-year-old Elle finds herself in love with her best girlfriend who is about to move out of town. DIR Nicole Vanden Broeck. SCR Asher Jelinsky, Nicole Vanden Broeck. CAST Sarah Sawyer, Ron Dadon. USA
FLECK
An Asian-American teenager at a traditional prep school longing to fit in is forced to choose between her morality or belonging to the school’s elite. DIR Jing Ai Ng. SCR Jing Ai Ng. CAST Stacy Chu, Alyssa Latson, Sami Sandzimier. USA
FURTHEST FROM
In 1999, Novato, California, Jessie is enjoying what little time she has left with her best friend, Lucas. The trailer park they live in will be forced to evacuate as a result of MTBE water contamination. DIR Kyung Sok Kim. SCR Rex Xavier Reyes II. CAST Amanda Christine, Tucker Chandler. USA
JULIET
A transgender teenager battles prejudice and her own self-doubt to audition for the female lead in her high school’s play. DIR Ira Storozhenko. SCR Wilandrea Blair. CAST Reise Alexander, Marc Hills, Trew Mullen. USA
LUCE
In a synesthesia of classical music, death and sex, Adriano finds love in a time of grief. DIR Ciro Apicella. SCR Ciro Apicella. CAST Josh Brodis, Elise Silver, Peter Elbling. USA
MI AMIGO
A hitman attends the funeral of the crime associate and best friend he executed as he searches for forgiveness. After being taunted by his corpse victim in a living room death tableau, he instead finds street justice. DIR Darius Dawson. SCR Veronica Felicity Johnson. CAST Leonardo Santiati, Michael Flores, Cesar Hernandez. USA
THE SPEECH
May 2003, Beijing, China. Under pressure from the WHO, the Chinese government announced the SARS outbreak is real. During the ensuing lockdown, three eight-year-old girls have to find a way to make sense of the world. DIR Haohao Yan. SCR Haohao Yan. CAST Harmonie He, Gloria Xiong, Chedi Chang. USA
A STRANGE CALM
When 12-year-old Rosie and Miles encounter a strange man on the 4th of July in 1974, their journey to watch the fireworks on the outskirts of town becomes an unexpected fight for survival. DIR Austin Rourke. SCR Austin Rourke. CAST Giovanna Bush, Jacob Sandler, Price Carson. USA
TAPE
A 16-year-old ice hockey player on an all girls’ high school team tries to repair her relationship with her teammate, while preparing for the team’s pre-qualifying game. DIR Jojo Erholtz. SCR Shuhan Fan. CAST Brittany Giles, Sarah Sawyer, Joe Coffey. USA
TIL LIFE DO US PART
Two 70-year-old best friends with a pact to kill themselves by their 71st birthday learn that life is worth living with a great friend. DIR Aaron Goldenberg. SCR Ariane Hahusseau, Aaron Goldenberg. CAST G.W. Bailey, Miles Anderson. USA
VEIL
When Leila, a Muslim teenager, shows up to her senior prom in a conservative and modest dress, her beliefs, culture and sense of identity gets tested. DIR Zahra Golafshani. SCR Zahra Golafshani. CAST Jennalyn Ponraj, Danielle Larracuente, Christopher Avila. USA
WITCHIN
Ridiculed in the witch world and sent to the human world to find the elusive BDE, a young witch confronts her biggest tormentor – her kind spirit. DIR Christina Diamantara. SCR Christina Diamantara. CAST Madeleine Coghlan, Genevieve Kennedy, Keli Daniels. USA
THE WORLD AS SHE KNOWS IT
Mia’s father is having an affair. She does not know whether to confront her father, tell her mother, or keep the secret to herself. DIR/SCR Chris Kingsleigh. CAST Alyssa Latson, Jhey Castles, Joshua McHugh. USA
YOUR ONE AND ONLY
Returning home after an abortion, Sophie finds her husband cheating on her. Overwhelmed, she invites his mistress to lunch in order to take her revenge. DIR Olesia Biletska. SCR Olesia Biletska. CAST Caitlin Gerard, Travis Hammer, Chloe Ray Warmoth. USA
AFI FEST 2020 presented by Audi runs online Oct. 15-22. Get passes and tickets at FEST.AFI.com.
