Posted by Larry Gleeson

AFI FEST 2025 PRESENTED BY CANVA ANNOUNCES FULL FESTIVAL LINEUP

Global Cinema Spotlights Include Films by Paolo Sorrentino, Werner Herzog, Kaouther Ben-Hania, Ildikó Enyedi, and Charlie Kaufman, Plus World Premieres by William Means, Joan Bofill Amargós as Part of a Program of More Than 160 Films

Official Selections Represent 56 Countries and Include 19 Best International Feature Oscar^® Submissions   

Passes and Ticket Bundles Available Now

Tickets on Sale October 6

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Los Angeles, CA, September 30, 2025 — Today, the American Film Institute (AFI) unveiled the full lineup of 161 films screening at this year’s AFI FEST presented by Canva, taking place in Los Angeles from October 22-26. Passes are now available at FEST.AFI.com. 10-ticket bundles are also on sale, with ticket selection opening Friday, October 3. Individual tickets will be available starting Monday, October 6.

This year’s festival lineup includes 7 Red Carpet Premieres, 12 Special Screenings, 14 Luminaries selections, 15 Discovery films, 20 World Cinema selections, 15 Documentaries, 6 After Dark titles, 44 films in the Short Film Competition, and 23 films from the AFI Conservatory Showcase presented by AMC Networks. There are 5 World Premieres, 5 North American Premieres and 5 U.S. Premieres. Of the official selections, 39% are directed by women and 29% are directed by BIPOC filmmakers.

 

 

Rounding out the impressive slate of already announced titles are highlights such as Jim Jarmusch’s Venice Golden Lion Winner FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER; Kaouther Ben-Hania’s Venice Silver Lion Jury Prize winner THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB; Werner Herzog’s  GHOST ELEPHANTS; Charlie Kaufman’s highly anticipated short film HOW TO SHOOT A GHOST, starring Oscar^®-nominee Jessie Buckley; Paolo Sorrentino’s LA GRAZIA; Mascha Schilinski’s SOUND OF FALLING; Charlie Polinger’s (AFI Class of 2017) THE PLAGUE, starring Joel Edgerton; Ildikó Enyedi’s SILENT FRIEND; Shih-Ching Tsou’s LEFT-HANDED GIRL, co-produced, co-written and edited by Sean Baker; plus the World Premieres of William Means’ (AFI Class of 2021) feature debut JUNKIE, executive produced by Patty Jenkins (AFI Class of 2000), and Joan Bofill Amargós’ documentary THE HANGING OF STUART CORNFELD, a portrait of film producer Stuart Cornfeld (AFI Class of 2000) featuring close friends and collaborators, including Jack Black, Mel Brooks, David Cronenberg, Guillermo del Toro, David Lynch, Steven Soderbergh and Ben Stiller.

 

 

Additional highlights include several highly anticipated international titles making their U.S. or North American Premieres, including Singaporean filmmaker Siyou Tan’s (AFI DWW+ Class of 2019) Toronto-premiered debut feature AMOEBA; Iranian filmmaker Ali Asgari’s Venice-debuted DIVINE COMEDY; Thai filmmaker Pen-Ek Ratanaruang’s San Sebastián-premiered MORTE CUCINA; Armenian filmmaker Tamara Stepanyan’s MY ARMENIAN PHANTOMS, Armenia’s Best International Feature Oscar^® submission; Mexican filmmaker Fernando Eimbcke’s Berlin-debuted OLMO, produced by Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Eréndira Núñez Larios; Oscar^®-nominated documentarian Daniel Raim’s (AFI Class of 1999) Venice-premiered THE OZU DIARIES; German filmmaker Julian Radlmaier’s Locarno-premiered PHANTOMS OF JULY; UK filmmaker Oscar Hudson’s Venice Critics’ Week Award Winner STRAIGHT CIRCLE; and French filmmaker Stéphane Demoustier’s Cannes-debuted THE GREAT ARCH, starring Claes Bang, Xavier Dolan and Swann Arlaud.

 

 

This year’s edition will also include new works from top auteurs like Fatih Akin (AMRUM), Cherien Dabis (ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU), Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (YOUNG MOTHERS), Lav Diaz (MAGELLAN), Annemarie Jacir (PALESTINE 36), Radu Jude (KONTINENTAL ‘25), Nadav Lapid (YES), Sergei Loznitsa (TWO PROSECUTORS), László Nemes (ORPHAN), François Ozon (THE STRANGER), Amanda Kramer (BY DESIGN), Hylnur Pálmason (THE LOVE THAT REMAINS), Christian Petzold (MIROIRS NO. 3), Ira Sachs (PETER HUJAR’S DAY), Lee Sang-il (KOKUHO), Hong Sang-soo (WHAT DOES THAT NATURE SAY TO YOU), Erige Sehiri (PROMISED SKY) and Carla Simón (ROMERÍA).

 

 

Among the other high-profile documentary selections screening at this year’s festival are Clay Tweel’s ANDY KAUFMAN IS ME; Gianfranco Rosi’s BELOW THE CLOUDS; Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus COVER-UP; Ben Proudfoot’s THE EYES OF GHANA; Brandon Kramer’s HOLDING LIAT; Daniel Junge and Sam Pollard’s I WAS BORN THIS WAY; Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s LOVE+WAR; Tamara Kotevska’s THE TALE OF SILYAN; plus Brittany Shyne’s SEEDS and Isabel Castro’s SELENA Y LOS DINOS, both Sundance award winners.

 

 

This year’s program represents 56 countries and includes 19 Best International Feature Oscar^® submissions, including ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU (Jordan), EAGLES OF THE REPUBLIC (Sweden), FIUME OR DEATH! (Croatia), HAPPY BIRTHDAY (Egypt), KOKUHO (Japan), LEFT-HANDED GIRL (Taiwan), THE LOVE THAT REMAINS (Iceland), MAGELLAN (Philippines), MY ARMENIAN PHANTOMS (Armenia), THE MYSTERIOUS GAZE OF THE FLAMINGO (Chile), ORPHAN (Hungary), PALESTINE 36 (Palestine), A POET (Colombia), THE PRESIDENT’S CAKE (Iraq), SOUND OF FALLING (Germany), THE TALE OF SILYAN (North Macedonia), A USEFUL GHOST (Thailand, THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB (Tunisia), and YOUNG MOTHERS (Belgium).

 

“With more than 90 features and nearly 70 shorts, AFI FEST 2025 will be our biggest program in recent memory,” said Todd Hitchcock, Director of AFI FEST and the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. “But more importantly, this year’s selection reflects a diversity of viewpoints, artistry and daring from filmmakers across the globe.”

 

“AFI FEST’s unique mix of red carpet premieres, major works from established auteurs and impressive debuts from new talents makes for an action-packed five days of great cinema, which will spark conversation and stir imagination,” said Abbie Algar, Director of Programming, AFI FEST and AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. “We look forward to welcoming the film lovers of Los Angeles back to the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre, as well as, this year, The Egyptian Theatre.”

Canva is the exclusive Presenting Sponsor of AFI FEST. FIJI Water is the festival’s Official Water Sponsor.

 

As previously announced, Academy Award^®-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro will serve as Guest Artistic Director of this year’s festival. Del Toro’s selected screenings will include Stanley Kubrick’s BARRY LYNDON (1975), Federico Fellini’s CASANOVA (1976), Ridley Scott’s THE DUELLISTS (1977), and Pupi Avati’s ARCANE SORCERER (1996). The festival will open on October 22 with SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE and will close on Sunday, October 26 with the World Premiere of SONG SUNG BLUE. Gala Screenings include JAY KELLY on Thursday, October 23, NUREMBERG on Friday, October 24, DEAD MAN’S WIRE on the afternoon of Saturday, October 25, and CHRISTY on the evening of Saturday, October 25 and the World Premiere of THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS on the afternoon of Sunday, October 26.

 

 

AFI also announced the lineup for the Special Screenings section, which will include BAD APPLES, BUGONIA, THE CHORAL, THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER, IS THIS THING ON?, A MAGNIFICENT LIFE, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, the World Premiere of NEBRASKA LIVE, REBUILDING, RENTAL FAMILY, THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE and TRAIN DREAMS.

 

 

Passes to AFI FEST 2025 are now available for purchase online at FEST.AFI.com. Festivalgoers have the opportunity to purchase a Star Pass or upgrade to a Patron Pass. The AFI FEST Star Pass is a five-day pass with access to all screenings (excluding Red Carpet Premieres), early screening selection before individual tickets go on sale, priority theater access, entry to the festival lounge, invitation to the festival mixer to mingle with filmmakers and guests, a complimentary AFI FEST tote and free Rush Line access to all screenings. The AFI FEST Patron Pass features all the benefits of the Star Pass plus two tickets to each of the star-studded Red Carpet Premieres held at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre and priority screening selection before Star passholders.

AFI FEST is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival for the Live Action, Animated and Documentary Short Film categories for the annual Academy Awards^®. AFI FEST is also a qualifying festival for consideration for the British Short Film categories of both the BAFTA Film Awards and the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA).

AFI is a nonprofit, donor-powered organization. Join AFI’s Premiere Circle to support the American Film Institute and enjoy access to exclusive one-of-a-kind opportunities at AFI events, including AFI FEST. To learn more, email Advancement@AFI.com.

Canva, the all-in-one visual communication and collaboration platform, returns as the exclusive Presenting Sponsor of AFI FEST 2025. Designed to empower entertainment professionals to visualize their ideas into impactful film and TV projects, Canva will be integrated throughout AFI FEST including hosting industry networking events, hands-on training workshops for filmmakers, and powering the festival’s digital and printed materials. Entertainment professionals can explore resources to pitch projects, plan shoots, and bring creative visions to life at canva.com/entertainment.

 

 

Red Carpet Premieres

AFI rolls out the red carpet for some of the biggest films of the festival. Sure to be an exciting celebration of the best in film, the section delivers world-class filmmakers and artisans, and a dose of Hollywood magic that can only be found at the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre.

CHRISTY
In David Michôd’s stirring biopic CHRISTY, Christy Martin (Sydney Sweeney) never imagined life beyond her small-town roots in West Virginia—until she discovered a knack for knocking people out. Fueled by grit, raw determination, and an unshakable desire to win, she charges into the world of boxing under the guidance of her trainer and manager-turned-husband, Jim (Ben Foster). But while Christy flaunts a fiery persona in the ring, her toughest battles unfold outside it—confronting family, identity, and a relationship that just might become life-or-death. Based on remarkable true events, Christy Martin’s story is one of resilience, courage, and the fight to reclaim one’s life. DIR David Michôd. SCR Mirrah Foulkes, David Michôd. CAST Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, Katy O’Brian, Chad L. Coleman. USA

DEAD MAN’S WIRE
Gus Van Sant returns with the incredible true story of an infamous 1977 kidnapping and ransom over a business deal gone bad, with the kidnapper (Bill Skarsgård) demanding restitution and an apology from the mortgage broker whose company ripped him off. DIR Gus Van Sant. SCR Austin Kolodney. CAST Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, Cary Elwes, Myha’la, Colman Domingo, Al Pacino. USA

JAY KELLY
JAY KELLY, the new film from Academy Award nominee Noah Baumbach, follows famous movie actor, Jay Kelly (George Clooney), as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery confronting both his past and present, accompanied by his devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler). Poignant and humor filled, epic and intimate, JAY KELLY is pitched at the intersection of life’s regrets and notable glories. DIR Noah Baumbach. SCR Noah Baumbach, Emily Mortimer. CAST George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Greta Gerwig, Emily Mortimer. USA

NUREMBERG
NUREMBERG chronicles the true story of the war crimes trials held by the Allies against the defeated Nazi regime. The film centers on American psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek), who is tasked with determining whether Nazi prisoners are fit to stand trial for their atrocities and finds himself in a complex battle of wits with former Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe), Hitler’s right-hand man. DIR James Vanderbilt. SCR James Vanderbilt. CAST Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Michael Shannon, Richard E. Grant, Leo Woodall, John Slattery. USA

SONG SUNG BLUE
Based on a true story, two down-on-their-luck musicians (Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson) form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band, proving it’s never too late to find love and follow your dreams. Written, directed and produced by Craig Brewer. DIR Craig Brewer. SCR Craig Brewer. CAST Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi. USA

SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE
SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE chronicles the making of Bruce Springsteen’s legendary 1982 acoustic album “Nebraska,” written and recorded at a pivotal time in the young musician’s life, on the cusp of global superstardom. Starring Jeremy Allen White as the Boss and Jeremy Strong as his manager Jon Landau. DIR Scott Cooper. SCR Scott Cooper. CAST Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, Odessa Young. USA

THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS
Arrrr you ready? SpongeBob and his Bikini Bottom friends set sail in their biggest adventure yet, THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS. Desperate to be a big guy, SpongeBob sets out to prove his bravery to Mr. Krabs by following The Flying Dutchman — a mysterious swashbuckling ghost pirate — on a seafaring comedy-adventure that takes him to the deepest depths of the deep sea, where no Sponge has gone before. DIR Derek Drymon. SCR Pam Brady, Matt Lieberman. CAST Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence. USA

* PRECEDED BY: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: CHROME ALONE 2 — LOST IN NEW JERSEY
When a mysterious toy company exploits the Turtles’ newfound fame, the brothers follow the clues to New Jersey where they stumble upon a shocking discovery. DIR Kent Seki. USA

Special Screenings

Highlighting the most acclaimed films of the season from both master filmmakers and emerging talents, these films stand apart for their artistry and unforgettable stories, characters and performances.

BAD APPLES
In this delectably dark satire, an exquisite Saoirse Ronan plays an overworked schoolteacher whose pupils’ studies improve after she removes a foulmouthed and violent student from her classroom — by inadvertently kidnapping and locking him up in her basement. DIR Jonatan Etzler. SCR Jess O’Kane. CAST Saoirse Ronan, Eddie Waller, Nia Brown, Jacob Anderson, Rakie Ayola, Robert Emms, Sean Gilder. UK

BUGONIA
Two conspiracy-obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth. DIR Yorgos Lanthimos. SCR Will Tracy. CAST Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, Alicia Silverstone. UK

IS THIS THING ON?
Bradley Cooper’s beautifully affecting comedic drama stars Will Arnett and Laura Dern in standout performances as a New York couple whose separation leads to major midlife self-reckoning and reinvention. When Arnett’s character attempts open-mic standup at a comedy club with confessional, self-deprecating material, a whole new world opens for him. DIR Bradley Cooper. SCR Bradley Cooper, Will Arnett, Mark Chappell. CAST Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Andra Day, Bradley Cooper, Amy Sedaris, Sean Hayes, Christine Ebersole, Ciarán Hinds, Scott Icenogle. USA

A MAGNIFICENT LIFE (MARCEL ET MONSIEUR PAGNOL)
In 1955, 60-year-old Marcel Pagnol is a well-known and acclaimed playwright and filmmaker. When the editor-in-chief of ELLE magazine commissions a weekly column about Pagnol’s childhood, he sees this as a great opportunity to go back to his artistic roots: writing. Realizing his memory is failing him and deeply affected by the disappointing results of his last two plays, Pagnol starts doubting his ability to pursue his work. That is, until Little Marcel – the young boy he used to be – appears to him as if by magic. Together, they will explore Marcel Pagnol’s incredible life and bring back to life his most cherished encounters and memories. DIR Sylvain Chomet. SCR Sylvain Chomet. CAST Matthew Gravelle, Lu Corfield, Jonathan Keeble, Celyn Jones, Jess Nesling, Flora Montgomery. France, Luxembourg, Belgium

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG
Spanning three decades, Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Merrily We Roll Along charts the turbulent relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two lifelong friends — writer Mary and lyricist & playwright Charley. Originally produced on Broadway in 1981, then becoming an inventive cult-classic ahead of its time, Merrily We Roll Along features some of Stephen Sondheim’s most celebrated and personal songs. DIR Maria Friedman. SCR Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by George Furth, based on the original play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. CAST Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez, Crystal Joy Brown, Katie Rose Clarke, Reg Rogers. USA

NEBRASKA LIVE
Bruce Springsteen performs the songs from his 1982 album “Nebraska” for the first time ever in its entirety in an intimate soundstage setting. Shot in moody black-and-white, the film is directed by Springsteen’s longtime filmic collaborator Thom Zimny. DIR Thom Zimny. CAST Bruce Springsteen. USA

REBUILDING
Divorced and displaced Colorado rancher Dusty (Josh O’Connor) re-enters the lives of his ex-wife Ruby (Meghann Fahy) and young daughter when he loses his family ranch to a devastating wildfire. DIR Max Walker-Silverman. SCR Max Walker-Silverman. CAST Josh O’Connor, Meghann Fahy, Amy Madigan, Kali Reis, Lily LaTorre, Nancy Morlan, Zeilyanna Martinez. USA

RENTAL FAMILY
Academy Award^® winner Brendan Fraser plays an American actor in modern-day Tokyo hired by a “rental family” agency to serve as a stand-in for clients. As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection. DIR HIKARI. SCR HIKARI, Stephen Blahut. CAST Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Gorman, Akira Emoto. USA, Japan

THE CHORAL
1916. As war rages on the Western Front, the Choral Society in Ramsden, Yorkshire has lost most of its men to the army. The Choral’s ambitious committee, determined to press ahead, decides to recruit local young males to swell their ranks. They must also engage a new chorus master, and despite their suspicions that he has something to hide, their best bet seems to be Dr. Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes) – driven, uncompromising, and recently returned from a career in Germany. As conscription papers start to arrive, the whole community discovers that the best response to the chaos that is laying waste to their lives is to make music together. DIR Nicholas Hytner. SCR Alan Bennett. CAST Ralph Fiennes, Roger Allam, Mark Addy, Alun Armstrong, Robert Emms, Lyndsey Marshal, Ron Cook, Amara Okereke, Emily Fairn, Shaun Thomas, Jacob Dudman, Oliver Briscombe, Taylor Uttley, Simon Russell Beale. UK

THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER
Kristen Stewart’s staggering directorial debut adapts Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir of abuse and healing, anchored by a raw and revelatory performance from Imogen Poots. DIR Kristen Stewart. SCR Kristen Stewart. CAST Imogen Poots, Thora Birch, Earl Cave, Kim Gordon, Jim Belushi, Tom Sturridge. USA, France, Latvia

THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE
A bold colonial-era musical, THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE follows visionary Shaker leader Ann Lee as she builds a radical utopian faith in 18th century America. Amanda Seyfried stars as Lee in a career-defining role. Academy Award^® winner Daniel Blumberg composed the score and original songs for the film. DIR Mona Fastvold. SCR Mona Fastvold, Brady Corbet. CAST Amanda Seyfried, Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Tim Blake Nelson, Christopher Abbott. UK

TRAIN DREAMS
Based on Denis Johnson’s beloved novella, Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly changing America of the early 20th Century. DIR Clint Bentley. SCR Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar. CAST Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Kerry Condon, William H. Macy, Nathaniel Arcand, Clifton Collins Jr., John Diehl, Paul Schneider. USA

Luminaries

The latest films from world-renowned filmmakers whose work continues to challenge and inspire.

AMRUM
Germany, 1945: a 12-year-old boy on the isolated North Sea Island of Amrum begins to learn the truth about his country, which is on the precipice of total defeat, despite the propaganda fed to him. Fatih Akin directs, from an autobiographical screenplay by octogenarian filmmaker Hark Bohm. DIR Fatih Akin. SCR Hark Bohm, Fatih Akin. CAST Jasper Billerbeck, Laura Tonke, Lisa Hagmeister, Kian Köppke, Diane Kruger. Germany

FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER
Winner of the Golden Lion at this year’s Venice International Film Festival and starring Tom Waits, Adam Driver and Cate Blanchett, legendary indie auteur Jim Jarmusch’s newest work is a wry gem about the timeworn drift of familial intimacy. DIR Jim Jarmusch. SCR Jim Jarmusch. CAST Tom Waits, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Indya Moore, Luka Sabbat. USA, Ireland, France

GHOST ELEPHANTS
Part nature detective documentary, part fever dream, Werner Herzog’s latest documentary journeys into Angola’s remote highlands, alongside National Geographic explorer Dr. Steve Boyes, on a quest to document the existence of the mythic “ghost elephant.” DIR Werner Herzog. SCR Werner Herzog. CAST Steve Boyes, Werner Herzog. USA

HOW TO SHOOT A GHOST
This impressionistic short film, from visionary director Charlie Kaufman, stars Jessie Buckley as a ghost roaming the streets of Athens in search of the city’s past and present. DIR Charlie Kaufman. SCR Eva H.D.. CAST Jessie Buckley, Josef Akiki, Eva H.D.. USA, Greece

KONTINENTAL ’25
Radu Jude won the Best Screenplay award at the 2025 Berlin Film Festival for this scabrous black comedy about a guilt-wracked civil servant’s effort to clear her conscience, instead discovering that guilt is only a relative concept in contemporary Romania. DIR Radu Jude. SCR Radu Jude. CAST Eszter Tompa, Gabriel Spahiu, Adonis Tanța, Oana Mardare, Șerban Pavl. Romania

LA GRAZIA
Filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino reunites with actor Toni Servillo in this parable-like tale of parliamentary politics and ethical decisions, where Servillo’s aging, depressive president must weigh up and decide on a series of increasingly difficult legal dilemmas. DIR Paolo Sorrentino. SCR Paolo Sorrentino. CAST Toni Servillo, Anna Ferzetti, Massimo Venturiello. Italy

MAGELLAN (MAGALHÃES)
Gael García Bernal stars as infamous navigator Ferdinand Magellan in Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz’s monumental story of colonialism and resistance. DIR Lav Diaz. SCR Lav Diaz. CAST Gael García Bernal, Ângela Azevedo, Amado Arjay Babon, Ronnie Lazaro, Hazel Orencio. Portugal, Spain, France, Philippines, Taiwan

MIROIRS NO. 3
The survivor of a car crash is taken in by a nearby family in this drama of mysterious connections from director Christian Petzold and his frequent collaborator, actress Paula Beer. DIR Christian Petzold. SCR Christian Petzold. CAST Paula Beer, Barbara Auer, Matthias Brandt, Enno Trebs. Germany

PETER HUJAR’S DAY
Legendary photographer Peter Hujar (Ben Whishaw) spends an afternoon with writer Linda Rosenkrantz (Rebecca Hall), regaling her with the minute, gossip-filled details of his previous day. Recorded in 1974, the re-discovered transcript serves as the basis for Ira Sach’s luminous ode to a bygone New York. DIR Ira Sachs. SCR Ira Sachs. CAST Rebecca Hall, Ben Whishaw. USA, Germany

SILENT FRIEND
This century-spanning drama from Ildikó Enyedi (ON BODY AND SOUL) unites the stories of three researchers, from the same university but separated by generations, who study the inner life of plants and expand their sense of time and perception in the process. DIR Ildikó Enyedi. SCR Ildikó Enyedi. CAST Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Luna Wedler, Enzo Brumm, Sylvester Groth, Martin Wuttke. Germany, France, Hungary

THE STRANGER (L’ÉTRANGER)
François Ozon brings Albert Camus’ acclaimed 1942 novel to the big screen as a sun-baked, black-and-white neo-noir, a potent blend of psychological thriller and anti-colonial critique. DIR François Ozon. SCR François Ozon. CAST Benjamin Voisin, Rebecca Marder, Pierre Lottin, Swann Arlaud, Denis Lavant. France, Belgium, Morocco

TWO PROSECUTORS
Set in 1937 at the peak of Josef Stalin’s Great Purge — yet chillingly relevant today — Sergei Loznitsa’s dark parable of tyranny is based on a short story by the dissident writer and scientist Georgy Demidov, who was himself imprisoned for nearly 20 years. DIR Sergei Loznitsa. SCR Sergei Loznitsa. CAST Aleksandr Kuznetsov, Aleksandr Filippenko, Anatoli Beliy, Andris Keišs, Vytautas Kaniušonis. France, Germany, Netherlands, Latvia, Romania, Lithuania

WHAT DOES THAT NATURE SAY TO YOU
Tensions arise when a struggling, idealistic poet meets his girlfriend’s family at their idyllic, hillside countryside home in Hong Sang-soo’s latest feature — a quietly profound meditation on the complexities of filial love and familial strife. DIR Hong Sang-soo. SCR Hong Sang-soo. CAST Ha Seongguk, Kwon Haehyo, Cho Yunhee, Kang Soyi, Park Miso. South Korea

YOUNG MOTHERS (JEUNES MÈRES)
In a Liège group home, five teenage mothers navigate abandonment, fractured families, and the steep learning curve of parenthood — finding unexpected strength and solace in each other’s company in this tender, unflinching drama from the Dardenne brothers. DIR Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne. SCR Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne. CAST Babette Verbeek, Elsa Houben, Janaina Halloy Fokan, Lucie Laruelle, Samia Hilmi. Belgium, France

Discovery

A showcase for exciting new voices that push the boundaries of contemporary cinema with cutting-edge themes and original visions.

A POET (UN POETA)
Winner of Cannes’ Un Certain Regard Jury Prize, Colombian director Simón Mesa Soto’s delightfully deadpan sophomore feature is an absurdist tragicomedy about a washed-up poet mentoring a gifted teen writer. DIR Simón Mesa Soto. SCR Simón Mesa Soto. CAST Ubeimar Rios, Rebeca Andrade, Guillermo Cardona, Allison Correa, Margarita Soto. Colombia, Germany, Sweden

A USEFUL GHOST (PEE CHAI DAI KA)
When Academic Ladyboy calls a repairman to fix his possessed vacuum cleaner, two interconnected stories of reincarnation unearth a heartfelt plea for the remembrance of personal history and a biting proclamation for collective labor dissent in Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s absurdist feature debut. DIR Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke. SCR Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke. CAST Davika Hoorne, Witsarut Himmarat, Apasiri Nitibhon, Wanlop Rungkumjad, Wisarut Homhuan. Thailand, Singapore, France, Germany

AMOEBA
At an elite all-girls Chinese school in Singapore, 16-year-old Choo and her gang of misfits challenge the authoritarian faculty and the strict doctrines that bind them in this sharp-witted debut from rising filmmaker Siyou Tan (AFI DWW Class of 2019). DIR Tan Siyou. SCR Tan Siyou. CAST Ranice Tay, Nicole Lee, Lim Shi-An, Genevieve Tan, Jack Kao. Singapore, Netherlands, France, Spain, South Korea

FANTASY LIFE
Recently laid-off Sam Stein is a lifelong neurotic who struggles with panic attacks, but his mental state starts changing for the better when he begins babysitting the grandchildren of his psychiatrist. DIR Matthew Shear. SCR Matthew Shear. CAST Amanda Peet, Matthew Shear, Alessandro Nivola, Judd Hirsch, Bob Balaban. USA

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Toha — the child maid of an upper-class Cairo family — forges an unlikely bond with her employer’s daughter Nelly and becomes fixated on planning her new friend’s ninth birthday celebration. DIR Sarah Goher. SCR Sarah Goher, Mohamed Diab. CAST Doha Ramadan, Nelly Karim, Hanan Motawie, Hanan Youssef. Egypt

HONEYJOON
In the beautiful Azorean Islands, an American woman and her Persian-Kurdish mother reckon with memory, exile and the complicated bond between them. HONEYJOON mixes humor, heartbreak and stunning landscapes to reveal how loss can fracture — and ultimately renew — the ties that hold us together. DIR Lilian T. Mehrel. SCR Lilian T. Mehrel. CAST Ayden Mayeri, Amira Casar, José Condessa. USA

JUNKIE
AFI Conservatory alum William Means’ (AFI Class of 2021) spirited debut is an eccentric odyssey through rural America — following meth-addicted, perpetual screwup Stevie (Rocky Shay) on a quest to evade rehab, repay her debts and reconcile with her estranged son. DIR William Means. SCR William Means. CAST Rocky Shay, Jessica Lea Risco, Kian Morr, Rett Keeter, Drew Faulkner. USA

LUCKY LU
After his e-bike gets stolen, delivery driver Lu goes on a desperate journey across New York’s Chinatown in this visceral social realist drama about the cost of the American Dream. DIR Lloyd Lee Choi. SCR Lloyd Lee Choi. CAST Chang Chen, Fala Chen, Carabelle Manna Wei. USA, Canada

MY FATHER’S SHADOW
In 1993 Lagos, on the day of the first election in a decade, young brothers Akin and Remi reunite with their absent father on a hasty road trip. History, memory and nostalgia blends into a vividly realized work of autofiction in Nigeria’s first ever Cannes selection. DIR Akinola Davies Jr.. SCR Wale Davies, Akinola Davies Jr.. CAST Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Chibuike Marvellous Egbo, Godwin Egbo. Nigeria, UK

SILENT REBELLION (A BRAS-LE-CORPS)
Set in neutral Switzerland during World War II, this triumphant debut feature is a feminist coming-of-age drama that weighs the costs of courage on two fronts: the neighboring war and a young woman’s refusal to lead a life she never wanted. DIR Marie-Elsa Sgualdo. SCR Marie-Elsa Sgualdo, Nadine Lamari. CAST Lila Gueneau, Sasha Gravat Harsch, Cyril Metzger. Switzerland, Belgium, France

SOUND OF FALLING (IN DIE SONNE SCHAUEN)
Mascha Schilinski’s stunning sophomore feature is a hypnotic, time-traversing portrait of four generations of women living in the same isolated German farmhouse over the course of a century. DIR Mascha Schilinski. SCR Louise Peter, Mascha Schilinski. CAST Hanna Heckt, Lena Urzendowsky, Laeni Geiseler, Lea Drinda, Susanne Wuest. Germany

THE MYSTERIOUS GAZE OF THE FLAMINGO (LA MISTERIOSA MIRADA DEL FLAMENCO)
Queer love shines with contradicting exuberance in Diego Céspedes’ audacious Cannes prize-winning debut about a commune of crossdressers set in a reimagined desert town in Chile during the dawn of the AIDS epidemic. DIR Diego Céspedes. SCR Diego Céspedes. CAST Tamara Cortés, Matías Catalán, Paula Dinamarca, Claudia Cabezas, Luis Dubó. Chile, France, Germany, Spain, Belgium

THE PLAGUE
AFI Conservatory Alum Charlie Polinger (AFI Class of 2017) makes his striking feature debut with this toxic story of pre-teen posturing at an all-boys’ water polo camp. Equal parts hilarious and disturbing (puberty in a nutshell), Polinger melds body horror with a razor-sharp insight into the subconscious psyche of adolescence. DIR Charlie Polinger. SCR Charlie Polinger. CAST Joel Edgerton, Everett Blunck, Kayo Martin, Kenny Rasmussen, Lucas Adler. USA, Romania

THE PRESIDENT’S CAKE (MAMLAKET AL-QASAB)
Set in 1990s Iraq under Saddam Hussein’s authoritarian rule, Hasan Hadi’s Cannes award-winning debut follows a young girl’s perilous quest to bake a cake to mark her school’s mandatory Presidential birthday celebrations. DIR Hasan Hadi. SCR Hasan Hadi. CAST Baneen Ahmed Nayyef, Sajad Mohamad Qasem, Waheeda Thabet Khreibat, Rahim AlHaj. Iraq, USA, Qatar

WE BELIEVE YOU (ON VOUS CROIT)
Family secrets unravel over the course of a crucial day as a mother fights for her children in a tense custody battle in this astutely layered, gripping debut feature. DIR Charlotte Devillers, Arnaud Dufeys. SCR Charlotte Devillers, Arnaud Dufeys. CAST Myriem Akheddiou, Laurent Capelluto, Natali Broods, Ulysse Goffin, Adèle Pinckaers. Belgium

World Cinema

The best in global cinema comes to the movie capital of the world, celebrating the diversity of world culture through the shared language of cinema.

1001 FRAMES
Actresses in an audition for Scheherazade in “A Thousand and One Nights” endure increasingly confrontational and innuendo-laden questioning from their male director in Iranian American filmmaker Mehrnoush Alia’s provocative debut feature. DIR Mehrnoush Alia. SCR Mehrnoush Alia. CAST Mohammad Aghebati, Mahin Sadri, Leili Rashidi, Mahsa Rezaei, Behafarid Ghaffarian. Iran, USA

ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU (اللي باقي منك)
In the Occupied West Bank of the 1980s, a Palestinian teenager is swept into a protest that changes the course of his family’s life. Reeling from its aftermath, his mother, Hanan, shares the story that led them to that fateful moment. Spanning seven decades, this epic drama traces the hopes and heartaches of one uprooted family, revealing not only the scars of displacement, but the unbreakable spirit of survival. DIR Cherien Dabis. SCR Cherien Dabis. CAST Saleh Bakri, Cherien Dabis, Adam Bakri, Maria Zreik, Mohammad Bakri. Germany, Cyprus, Palestine, Jordan, Greece, Qatar, Saudi Arabia

CASE 137 (DOSSIER 137)
A tenacious internal affairs investigator in Paris confronts police brutality, political pressure and personal doubt when she takes on a controversial case involving a protester gravely injured by riot police. DIR Dominik Moll. SCR Dominik Moll, Gilles Marchand. CAST Léa Drucker, Yoann Blanc, Guslagie Malanda. France

DIVINE COMEDY (KOMEDIE ELAHI)
Notable Iranian filmmaker Ali Asgari (TERRESTRIAL VERSES) blurs the lines between fiction and reality in his latest feature, which follows filmmaker Bahram Ark and producer Sadaf Asgari (as thinly veiled versions of themselves) on a mission to screen their banned film for a local audience in Iran. DIR Ali Asgari. SCR Alireza Khatami, Bahram Ark, Ali Asgari. CAST Hossein Soleimani, Mohammad Soori, Amirreza Ranjbaran, Faezeh Rad. Iran, Italy, France, Germany, Turkey

EAGLES OF THE REPUBLIC
Tarik Saleh’s latest political thriller stars Fares Fares as the most famous actor in Egypt, who is offered a role he can’t refuse: portraying current president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi as a heroic soldier. DIR Tarik Saleh. SCR Tarik Saleh. CAST Fares Fares, Lyna Khoudri, Zineb Triki, Amr Waked, Cherien Dabis. Sweden, France, Denmark

KOKUHO
Sang-il Lee’s sumptuous epic tells a decades-spanning tale of devotion and sacrifice for the revered craft of Kabuki. Beginning in 1964 Nagasaki and unfolding over the next 50 years, young Kikuo (Soya Kurokawa) is taken under the wing of renowned Kabuki maestro Hanjiro Hanai (Ken Watanabe) after his yakuza father was slain. DIR Sang-il Lee. SCR Satoko Okudera. CAST Ryo Yoshizawa, Ryusei Yokohama, Mitsuki Takahata, Shinobu Terajima, Nana Mori. Japan

LEFT-HANDED GIRL
Shih-Ching Tsou’s solo debut, co-written and produced by longtime collaborator Sean Baker, is a vibrant iPhone-shot portrait of Taipei as seen through the eyes of three generations of women navigating family, tradition and independence. DIR Shih-Ching Tsou. SCR Shih-Ching Tsou, Sean Baker. CAST Shih-Yuan Ma, Janel Tsai, Nina Ye, Teng-Hui Huang. Taiwan, France, USA, UK

LIVING THE LAND (SHENG XI ZHI DI)
Young director Huo Meng (Best Director, 2025 Berlin Film Festival) confirms his talent with this epic tale of a farm family navigating life-changing events in ‘90s rural China, recalling the work of both early Zhang Yimou and Meng’s mentor, Jia Zhangke. DIR Huo Meng. SCR Huo Meng. CAST Wang Shang, Zhang Chuwen, Zhang Yanrong, Zhang Caixia, Cao Lingzhi. China

OLMO
In this heartfelt coming-of-age story set in 1979 New Mexico, a teen navigates family duty and first love on his quest to beg, borrow and steal his way to a neighborhood party. DIR Fernando Eimbcke. SCR Fernando Eimbcke, Vanesa Garnica. CAST Aivan Uttapa, Gustavo Sánchez Parra, Andrea Suárez Paz, Rosa Armendariz, Melanie Frometa. USA, Mexico

ORPHAN (ÁRVA)
László Nemes, an Oscar^® winner for 2015’s SON OF SAUL, returns with another trenchant exploration of Hungary’s 20th century history — this time set in 1957, just one year after the USSR brutally suppressed the Hungarian Uprising. Andor (Bojtorján Barabas) longs for the return of his father, missing since the war, but his mother suggests his father may actually be another man. DIR László Nemes. SCR László Nemes, Clara Royer. CAST Bojtorján Barabas, Andrea Waskovics, Grégory Gadebois, Elíz Szabó, Soma Sándor, Hermina Fátyol. Hungary, UK, France, Germany

PALESTINE 36
Annemarie Jacir’s sweeping, timely and deeply affecting historical epic brings to life a pivotal period in Palestinian history in the months leading up to the Arab Revolt of 1936. DIR Annemarie Jacir. SCR Annemarie Jacir. CAST Hiam Abbass, Kamel Al Basha, Yasmine Al Massri, Jalal Altawil, Liam Cunningham, Jeremy Irons. France, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UK

PHANTOMS OF JULY (SEHNSUCHT IN SANGERHAUSEN)
An ethereal, intoxicating comedy, Julian Radlmaier’s fifth feature is as light as a summer breeze, but its simple pleasures hide profound truths about the ghosts of the past and the mysteries of the present in the sleepy East German village of Sangerhausen. DIR Julian Radlmaier. SCR Julian Radlmaier. CAST Clara Schwinning, Maral Keshavarz, Henriette Confurius, Paula Schindler, Ghazal Shojaei, Kyung-Taek Lie. Germany

PIN DE FARTIE
Adapting Samuel Beckett’s iconic 1957 play “Endgame” with gleeful, reckless abandon, maverick Argentine filmmaker Alejo Moguillansky discovers moments of magic in the registers and resonances of Beckett’s text as repetitions, refractions, music and dance crescendo into a glittering, literary and formal masterwork. DIR Alejo Moguillansky. SCR Luciana Acuña, Alejo Moguillansky, Mariano Llinás. CAST Santiago Gobernori, Cleo Moguillansky, Laura Paredes, Marcos Ferrante, Luciana Acuña, Maxi Prietto. Argentina

PROMISED SKY (PROMIS LE CIEL)
In this gorgeously crafted and heartfelt drama from Erige Sehiri, three Ivorian women’s close-knit bonds are tested when the Tunisian government ramps up an immigration crackdown that could target each of them. DIR Erige Sehiri. SCR Erige Sehiri, Malika Cécile Louati, Anna Ciennik. CAST Aïssa Maiga, Debora Lobe Naney, Laetitia Ky, Estelle Kenza Dogbo, Foued Zaazaa. Tunisia, France, Qatar

ROMERÍA
Orphaned at a young age, Marina arrives in the glittering Galician port city of Vigo ready to meet her father’s family for the first time. Acclaimed Spanish auteur Carla Simón’s return to the fervent ground of her childhood is a deeply personal meditation on memory, identity and familial myth making. DIR Carla Simón. SCR Carla Simón. CAST Llúcia Garcia, Mitch, Tristán Ulloa, Alberto Gracia, Miryam Gallego. Spain, Germany

THE CURRENTS (LAS CORRIENTES)
After jumping into a frigid Swiss lake on a work trip, fashion designer Lina returns to Buenos Aires a changed woman. Now deathly afraid of water, she sleepwalks through life unable to explain her malaise. With surreal flourishes and bursts of absurdity, filmmaker Milagros Mumenthaler casts a beguiling, dreamlike spell that delicately examines motherhood, class and identity. DIR Milagros Mumenthaler. SCR Milagros Mumenthaler. CAST Isabel Aimé González Sola, Esteban Bigliardi, Claudia Sánchez, Ernestina Gatti, Jazmín Carballo. Switzerland, Argentina

THE GREAT ARCH (L’INCONNU DE LA GRANDE ARCHE)
Stéphane Demoustier’s THE GREAT ARCH dramatizes the true story of Danish architect Johan Otto von Spreckelsen (played brilliantly by Claes Bang), whose improbable 1980s design for Paris’s La Défense arch sets off battles over artistic vision and obsession versus French bureaucracy. DIR Stéphane Demoustier. SCR Stéphane Demoustier. CAST Claes Bang, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Xavier Dolan, Swann Arlaud, Michel Fou. France

THE LOVE THAT REMAINS (ÁSTIN SEM EFTIR ER)
Set against the majestic grandeur of Iceland’s rugged landscape, filmmaker Hlynur Pálmason (GODLAND, AFI FEST 2022) pens a surprisingly sensitive and poignant exploration of a crumbling marriage on the brink of ending. DIR Hlynur Pálmason. SCR Hlynur Pálmason. CAST Saga Garðarsdóttir, Sverrir Guðnason, Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir, Grímur Hlynsson, Þorgils Hlynsson. Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, France

THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB
The latest film from filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, and Tunisia’s Oscar^® entry for Best International Feature, is a bold and inspired drama that blurs the lines between fiction and documentary to recount the heartbreaking story of five-year-old Hind Rajab, a Palestinian girl murdered during Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip. DIR Kaouther Ben Hania. SCR Kaouther Ben Hania. CAST Saja Kilani, Motaz Malhees, Clara Khoury, Amer Hlehel. Tunisia, France

YES
Financially struggling musician Y has been tasked with composing a new anthem for a nation he morally opposes. Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid’s latest tour de force is an absurdist, boldly surprising condemnation of his homeland. DIR Nadav Lapid. SCR Nadav Lapid. CAST Ariel Bronz, Efrat Dor, Naama Preis, Alexey Serebryakov. France, Israel, Cyprus, Germany

Documentary

Powerful real-life stories bravely told: the subjects and themes explored in documentary filmmaking are profound, and these insightful works are sure to enlighten, educate and entertain.

ANDY KAUFMAN IS ME
Equal parts icon and enigma, comedian Andy Kaufman defied convention — and this illuminating documentary dives deep into the life and art of one of the most ingenious entertainers of our time. DIR Clay Tweel. SCR Clay Tweel, Luis Lopez, Shannon E. Riggs. CAST Michael Kaufman, Carol Kaufman, David Letterman, Carol Kane, Tim Heidecker, Eric Andre, Kristin Schaal. USA

BELOW THE CLOUDS (SOTTO LE NUVOLE)
Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, documentary master Gianfrano Rosi (SACRO GRA, FIRE AT SEA) explores the city and surroundings of Naples, Italy, a place where every day, thousands of years of history echo and resonate for its people. DIR Gianfranco Rosi. SCR Gianfranco Rosi, Marie-Pierre Muller, Carmelo Marabello. Italy

COVER-UP
Oscar^® winner Laura Poitras and veteran documentarian Mark Obenhaus explore Pulitzer-winning journalist Seymour Hersh’s fearless exposés of U.S. power abuses — from My Lai to Abu Ghraib — blending biography, political thriller and urgent reflection on truth and press freedom. DIR Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus. CAST Seymour Hersh. USA

FIUME O MORTE!
Winner of both the Tiger Award and the FIPRESCI prize at this year’s Rotterdam Film Festival, Croatian director Igor Bezinović’s inventive hybrid documentary re-enacts scenes from Gabriele D’Annunzio’s siege and occupation of the Adriatic seaport of Fiume (now Croatia’s Rijeka) in the aftermath of World War I. DIR Igor Bezinović. SCR Igor Bezinović. CAST Izet Medošević, Ćenan Beljulji, Albano Vučetić, Tihomir Buterin, Andrea Marsanich. Croatia, Italy, Slovenia

HOLDING LIAT
Brandon Kramer’s profile of an Israeli family seeking the return of their kidnapped loved ones who were abducted during the October 7 Hamas attack won the award for Best Documentary at the Berlin Film Festival. Executive produced by AFI Alum Darren Aronofsky. DIR Brandon Kramer. CAST Yehuda Beinin, Liat Beinin Atzili, Chaya Beinin, Tal Beinin. USA

I WAS BORN THIS WAY
The cultural impact of singer Carl Bean extends far beyond his 1977 gay anthem “I Was Born This Way.” Award-winning filmmaker duo Sam Pollard and Daniel Junge dive into the untold legacy of this uniquely inspirational artist whose outspoken voice and lyrics influenced a generation. DIR Daniel Junge, Sam Pollard. CAST Archbishop Carl Bean, Billy Porter, Questlove, Lady Gaga, Dionne Warwick, Rep. Maxine Waters. USA

LOVE+WAR
This gripping portrait of New York Times war photographer Lynsey Addario explores her fearless work — from the frontlines of Ukraine to the Middle East and beyond — and the tension between motherhood and a life spent documenting conflict. DIR Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin. CAST Lynsey Addario. USA

MY ARMENIAN PHANTOMS (MES FANTÔMES ARMÉNIENS)
Personal memoirs and collective cinematic nostalgia converge in Tamara Stepanyan’s tender love letter to her late father and a faded past of Soviet Armenia. DIR Tamara Stepanyan. SCR Tamara Stepanyan, Jean-Christophe Ferrari. France, Armenia

SEEDS
Winner of the U.S. Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, this black-and-white, engrossing and profoundly feature debut from Brittany Shyne explores the lives of a multi-generational family of Black farmers whose agrarian way of life is threatened by historic injustices. DIR Brittany Shyne. USA

SELENA Y LOS DINOS
The life and legacy of Selena, the “Queen of Tejano Music,” is recounted in this affectionate documentary utilizing never-before-seen archival footage from the family’s extensive personal collection. DIR Isabel Castro. USA

THE EYES OF GHANA
Two-time Oscar^®-winning director Ben Proudfoot reteams with the Obamas’ Higher Grounds Productions for this documentary spotlighting the remarkable yet under-recognized Ghanaian filmmaker Chris Hesse, who captured essential footage — previously thought to be lost — of the African independence movements as a personal cameraman to revolutionary leader Kwame Nkrumah. DIR Ben Proudfoot. CAST Chris Hesse, Anita Afonu, Edmund Addo. USA

THE HANGING OF STUART CORNFELD
Stuart Cornfeld (AFI Class of 1975) looks back on his colorful career as a creative producer, collaborating with Anne Bancroft, Mel Brooks, David Lynch, Steven Soderbergh, David Cronenberg, Guillermo Del Toro and Ben Stiller, among others. Featuring a wealth of interviews, Joan Bonfill’s intimate and insightful documentary portrait delves into the mysterious chemistry of creative collaboration. DIR Joan Bofill Amargós. SCR Joan Bofill Amargós, Joan Marimón. CAST Stuart Cornfeld, Jack Black, Mel Brooks, David Cronenberg, Guillermo del Toro, David Lynch, Steven Soderbergh, Ben Stiller. USA, Spain

THE KING OF COLOR
A compelling tribute to Larry Herbert, the visionary mind behind the Pantone Matching System, which not only standardized color across industries, but rippled out to change commerce, culture and perception itself. DIR Patrick Creadon. CAST Larry Herbert. USA

THE OZU DIARIES
Drawing from a treasure trove of archival materials — journals, photographs, interviews and unseen home movies — Academy Award^®-nominated filmmaker Daniel Raim offers both an intimate biography and revelatory portrait of prolific Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu, one of cinema’s most original and enduring auteurs. DIR Daniel Raim. SCR Daniel Raim. CAST Yasujiro Ozu, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Wim Wenders, Luc Dardenne, Tsai Ming-liang, Kyoko Kagawa. USA

THE TALE OF SILYAN
In a Macedonian village, Nikola, a fledgling middle-aged farmer, is left behind after his family immigrates to Germany, and soon forms a poignant bond with an injured stork. Tamara Kotevska (HONEYLAND) weaves folklore, striking images and intimate observation into a poetic documentary about loss, resilience, and the delicate thread binding humans to nature. DIR Tamara Kotevska. CAST Nikola Conev, Jana Coneva, Aleksandra Coneva, Aleksandar Conev, Ilina Coneva. North Macedonia

After Dark

Take a walk on the wild side and tune in to the late-night vibes of these adventurous selections, celebrating the pleasures of genre cinema and uncategorizable originality.

BY DESIGN
In Amanda Kramer’s fantastical, avant-garde curiosity BY DESIGN, Camille (Juliette Lewis) — motivated by deep-seated envy — makes a fateful wish to be just as desirable as an exquisitely expensive wooden chair. DIR Amanda Kramer. SCR Amanda Kramer. CAST Juliette Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Samantha Mathis, Robin Tunney, Clifton Collins Jr. USA

ENDLESS COOKIE
Written and directed by half-brothers Seth and Peter Scriver, one a resident of Toronto, the other a resident of Shamattawa First Nation in the far north of Manitoba, ENDLESS COOKIE is a kooky, ramshackle rumination on collective remembering and family bonds. Fans of Adult Swim will delight in its surreal animation and subversive humor. DIR Seth Scriver, Peter Scriver. SCR Seth Scriver, Peter Scriver. CAST Seth Scriver, Peter Scriver, Kristin “Cookie” Scriver, Dezray “Dez” Scriver, Ada Scriver. Canada

FUCKTOYS
Sex worker A.P. (played by breakout writer/director/producer/star Annapurna Sriram) needs a thousand dollars and a baby lamb to break a curse, setting her on a quest for a few quick paydays and a whole lot of misadventure in Trashtown, USA. DIR Annapurna Sriram. SCR Annapurna Sriram. CAST Annapurna Sriram, Sadie Scott, Francois Arnaud, Big Freedia, Brandon Flynn. USA

MĀRAMA
Taratoa Stappard’s haunting and visceral debut feature — a gothic revenge horror filtered through a Māori lens — melds the chills of a haunted house thriller with a stark exploration of Britain’s dark colonial legacy. DIR Taratoa Stappard. SCR Taratoa Stappard. CAST Ariāna Osborne, Toby Stephens, Umi Myers, Evelyn Towersey, Erroll Shand. New Zealand

MORTE CUCINA
Deliciously tense with sumptuous cinematography by Christopher Doyle, Thai New Wave writer/director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang’s (LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE) latest feature is an innovative, culinary take on the rape-revenge thriller. DIR Pen-Ek Ratanaruang. SCR Pen-ek Ratanaruang. CAST Bella Boonsang, Kris Srepoomseth, Punika Ranschaya, Nopachai Chaiyanam, Wisit Junloon. Thailand

STRAIGHT CIRCLE
Winner of the top prize at Venice Critics’ Week, Oscar Hudson’s debut feature is a surrealist anti-war satire about two soldiers stationed at a fictional desert border who lose their grip on reality. DIR Oscar Hudson. SCR Oscar Hudson. CAST Elliott Tittensor, Luke Tittensor, Neil Maskell. UK

Guest Artistic Director

In a special Spotlight section, AFI FEST honors Oscar^®-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro — who most recently wrote and directed his spectacular re-imagining of Mary Shelley’s gothic horror story FRANKENSTEIN — and who has selected four of his favorite films to present to AFI FEST audiences: BARRY LYNDON, FELLINI’S CASANOVA, THE DUELLISTS and ARCANE SORCERER. Films will screen throughout the festival, with introductions by del Toro.

BARRY LYNDON

Stanley Kubrick’s visually stunning, Academy Award^®-winning 18th-century epic — which marks its 50th anniversary this year — follows the rise of a reluctant conscript (Ryan O’Neal) through war, romance and intrigue across Europe. DIR Stanley Kubrick. SCR Stanley Kubrick. CAST Ryan O’Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Hardy Kruger, Diana Koerner, Gay Hamilton. USA

 

FELLINI’S CASANOVA

Federico Fellini’s infamous 1976 take on Giacomo Casanova’s tale is a visual and sonic spectacle — a lavish, hallucinatory reimagining of the legendary Venetian seducer’s life, starring Donald Sutherland and set to an unforgettable score by Nino Rota. DIR Federico Fellini, SCR Federico Fellini, Bernardino Zapponi. CAST Donald Sutherland, Tina Aumont. Italy

THE ARCANE SORCERER
A personal favorite of Guillermo del Toro, this richly atmospheric, spiritual horror film follows a disgraced seminary student as he takes refuge with an excommunicated monsignor with a penchant for the occult. Forced to participate in increasingly macabre rituals and tests, Giacomo is consumed by the sinister — as apparitions, ghosts and deadly rumors start to accumulate.DIR Pupi Avati, SCR Pupi Avati, CAST Carlo Cecchi, Stefano Dionisi, Arnaldo Ninchi, Andrea Scorzoni, Consuelo Ferrara. Italy

THE DUELLISTS
Ridley Scott’s striking Cannes prize-winning debut feature is a visually arresting tale of honor, obsession and pride chronicling the 16-year feud between two French officers (Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel) against the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars. DIR Ridley Scott, SCR Gerald Vaughan-Hughes, CAST Harvey Keitel, Keith Carradine, Albert Finney, Edward Fox, Cristina Raines. USA

Short Film Competition

The short film program highlights unique voices from around the world, from both emerging and established filmmakers. These short films push the form of storytelling in inventive, challenging and unexpected ways – all in 40 minutes or less.

After Dark Shorts

MY WONDERFUL LIFE
Grace Lee, an overworked mom in Singapore, collapses at work. She gets admitted into the hospital where she finds newfound freedom as a patient. DIR Calleen Koh. Singapore

LAST CALL
Claudia, a fast-riding motorcycle rebel, indulges in her worst vices to avoid confrontation with a mysterious serpent woman who taps into her most grotesque fantasies. DIR Winnie Cheung. USA

THE FISHERMAN
A devout fisherman has his faith tested as a series of supernatural phenomena plague him and his family. DIR Calvin Brown. USA

WATER SPORTS
Jelson and Ipe, students deeply in love, undergo trials of the mind and body as they prepare to survive a world devastated by climate change. DIR Whammy Alcazaren. Philippines

MR. OGRE’S CASTLE
A group of teenagers enjoys an illicit stay at a luxurious villa while the mysterious owner is away. Their party gets spoiled when a CCTV camera operator calls to inform the police. DIR Maxime Chudeau. USA

DEMONS TO DIAMONDS
In the cold business district of La Défense, where steel towers pierce a restless sky and CCTV watches every shadow, a wave of suicides exposes the fractures of a crumbling society. DIR Valentin Noujaïm. France

Animation Shorts 1

OSTRICH
A sparrow sees images of ostriches everywhere. In awe of the ostriches with their long necks, dazzling eyes and muscular legs, the little bird wants to be just like them. DIR Marie Kenov. Switzerland

CARCASSONNE-ACAPULCO
As flight 7836 reaches cruising speed above the Atlantic Ocean, the pilot, co-pilot and flight attendant are startled by an unexpected knock at the door — causing chaos and confusion to ensue. DIR Marjorie Caup, Olivier Héraud. France

APPLE GATHERERS
APPLE GATHERERS shows the loneliness and dissatisfaction in a labour-intensive world and the brief reprieve we have in moments of real human connection. The moment is fleeting, yet powerful. DIR Danielle Rhoda Addae-Boateng. UK

SNOW BEAR
Set in a rapidly changing world, SNOW BEAR tells the story of a polar bear in an unforgiving environment on his quest to find a friend. DIR Aaron Blaise. USA

PETRA AND THE SUN (PETRA Y EL SOL)

During a heavy snowmelt in the Andes, Petra discovers the perfectly preserved corpse of a lost mountaineer — bringing him to her wooden chalet and sparking an unexpected romantic story. DIR Malu Furche, Stefania Malacchini. Chile

S THE WOLF
A middle-aged man reflects on his tumultuous adolescence through intricate and deeply personal musings all tied to his hair growing or receding. Over time, we accumulate meaning into the larger journey of his life. DIR Sameh Alaa. France

DOLLHOUSE ELEPHANT
In a world that demands community participation, individual desires inevitably collide. A group of neighbors, each focused on their own goals, must learn to communicate and consider one another. DIR Jenny Jokela. Finland

9 MILLION COLORS (9 MILIONŮ BAREV)
The ocean is paradise for Fran the shrimp. For blind fish Milva, it’s a fight to survive. Fran sees Milva as beautiful and wants her to see the ocean in the same way. DIR Bára Anna. Czech Republic, Germany, Norway

Animation Shorts 2

DORMILÓN
In a quest to become the performer of his dreams, Dormilón, a starry-eyed and middle-aged janitor living in an abandoned theater, must confront his nightmares face-to-face. DIR Olivia Marie Valdez. USA

DOG ALONE (CÃO SOZINHO)
After the death of its owner and its companions, a dog is left alone. Howls day and night disturbing all the neighborhood. In the house next door, a widowed man’s granddaughter returns from London. DIR Marta Reis Andrade. Portugal | France

FOREVERGREEN
A joyful adventure featuring an orphaned bear cub and a fatherly tree turns serious when the cub is tempted by the allure of easy food. DIR Nathan Engelhardt, Jeremy Spears. USA

MINE!
In the early 20th century Midwest USA, deep underground, a group of coal miners make an incredible discovery. DIR Lou Morton. USA

DESI OON
Through the story of Balu Mama and his revered flock of Deccani sheep, Desi Oon contrasts a rich heritage with the modern neglect of India’s native sheep and wool industry. DIR Suresh Eriyat. India

AMARELO BANANA
After yet another night of insomnia, a man comes across a strange community living in his building and discovers an elaborate illusion they have created. DIR Alexandre Sousa. Portugal, Hungary

ONCE IN A BODY
While dealing with a strange being that lives inside of her, a woman seeks reconciliation with her sister over an incident from their adolescence. DIR María Cristina Pérez González. Colombia

MURMURATION (ZWERMEN)
An elderly man realizes that he’s suddenly turning into a bird. DIR Janneke Swinkels, Tim Frijsinger. Netherlands

Documentary Shorts 1
MY MEMORY-WALLS (MES MURS-MÉMOIRE)
Rose G. Lévesque, an almost nonagenarian painter and poet, painted the story of her life on her house’s walls to transform it into a museum. DIR Axel Robin. Canada

LOCAL ONE
The Amazon Labor Union launches a nationwide strike during peak holiday shopping season. LOCAL ONE takes us into the first days of the strike at two Amazon warehouses in NYC. DIR Stephen Maing, Brett Story. USA

MEMENTO MORI (ZINC)
As rhythmic machines press zinc sheets into coffins, factory workers reflect on their own mortality. Does daily contact with death heighten their awareness of life’s impermanence? DIR Ainara Vera. USA

BENEATH WHICH RIVERS FLOW (ابراهيم)
Ibrahim is tethered to the river, reeds and buffalo he tends, but as the rivers dry and the landscape withers, he faces unrelenting forces threatening the only life he’s ever known. DIR Ali Yahya. Iraq

BIG MONEY: A SPIRITUAL MANIFESTO
Oscar^® and Grammy^®-winning musician Jon Batiste crafts an album with legendary producer No ID — blending joy, lineage, alchemy and protest into something deeply personal. DIR David Henry Gerson. USA

WELCOME HOME FRECKLES
After four years apart, a daughter returns home to confront the unresolved family conflicts and violence that plagued her childhood, discovering the generational cycle of abuse only she can break. DIR Huiju Park. UK, South Korea

Documentary Shorts 2
PAVILHÃO
Set in Rio de Janeiro, Aleksia wanders on a journey through time — unveiling the origins of samba and its emergence from resilience, joy, spirituality and resistance of her Afro-Brazilian community. DIR Victoria Fiore. Brazil

CORRECT ME IF I’M WRONG (如你所愿)
In a struggle of love, legacy and belief, a southwest Chinese family tries to purge an unwanted entity from their queer heir. DIR Hao Zhou. Germany, USA

LONG LIVE LIVIA
An animator discusses a scene from the TV series, THE SOPRANOS, while meticulously crafting stop-motion recreations of his family’s home movies. DIR Zach Dorn. USA

LAB MAN
LAB MAN is a docu-portrait about Arturo Arnold, a master of emulsion who processes all the 8mm and 16mm motion picture film for a busy film lab in North Hollywood. DIR Neil Butler. USA

SHANTI RIDES SHOTGUN
On Manhattan’s jam-packed streets, NYC’s most iconic driving instructor prepares students for the road ahead. DIR Charles Frank. USA

AL BASATEEN (THE ORCHARDS)
In 2015, the Basateen al-Razi district of Damascus was destroyed as punishment for the population’s uprising against Bashar al-Assad’s regime. A decade later, memories are awakened, resisting deliberate erasure. DIR Antoine Chapon. France

Live Action Shorts
POSTER BOY
In the cutthroat world of 1990s boy bands, a desperate 16-year-old dancer betrays his best friend and bandmates in a misguided attempt to secure his spot in the limelight. DIR India Opzoomer. Canada

NERVOUS ENERGY
On the cusp of success/failure, two unhinged female filmmakers decide to break up with their boyfriends and for once, make a bold decision with their lives. DIR Eve Liu. USA

STRANGER, BROTHER
When self-absorbed and lonely millennial Adam wakes to find his estranged half-brother on his doorstep one morning, he must face the family he’s been running from. DIR Annelise Hickey. Australia

COYOTES
A Palestinian surgeon drives home after a long night shift, but little does she know that a commute through a desolate West Bank road will change her forever. DIRECTOR Said Zagha. France, Palestine, Jordan

CASI SEPTIEMBRE
Alejandra struggles with the fear of abandonment. Living year-round with her family in a camping resort, a blossoming romance with a tourist brings her latent insecurities to the surface. DIR Lucía G. Romero. Spain

Live Action Shorts 2
THE SINGERS
In this film adaptation of a 19th-century short story written by Ivan Turgenev, downtrodden patrons commiserating at a lowly pub connect unexpectedly through an impromptu sing-off. DIR Sam Davis. USA

THE MAN OF SHIT (L’HOMME DE MERDE)
Between college and her luxury hotel job, Fernanda wonders if she’ll ever achieve something meaningful in life. The arrival of The Man of Shit will give her an unexpected opportunity. DIR Sorel França. France

RED EGG & GINGER
Hannah, a half-white, half-Chinese teenager, meets her newborn, 100% Chinese half-sister at a traditional Chinese event, forcing Hannah to question her cultural identity and where she fits in her family. DIR Olivia Owyeung. UK

MAJONEZË
Elyria follows the strict rules imposed by her father, hiding her anger with obedience. A powerful desire for rebellion grows in her day by day that leads to a necessary act of revolution. DIR Giulia Grandinetti. Italy

MERMAIDS (GORGONES)
Summer holidays in Greece. Under the scorched sun, a flirt pushes two opposite friend groups on a journey of sexual discovery, lust, consent and complete transformation. DIR Dimitris Tsakaleas, Lida Vartzioti. Greece

AFI Conservatory Showcase

A collection of short narrative films from the most recent graduates of the world-renowned AFI Conservatory.

CONSERVATORY SHOWCASE 1

THE APPLE PICKER’S SON
Afaaq, a Kashmiri boy with supernatural powers, learns his father will be picking apples in a war-torn region of Kashmir. Afaaq must stop him from leaving before the apples ripen and the harvest begins. DIR Yang Zimik. SCRYang Zimik, Dulguun Bayasgalan, PRODUCER Cathy Ni, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Liz Mealey, EDITOR Shiyi Xie and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Oscar O’Neill. USA

JIA
Jia loves her bestie Nina more than anything, but when Nina tells Jia she wants to attend the school dance with a boy and not with Jia as planned, a choice is made that changes their friendship forever. DIR Samantha Mandich, SCRSamantha Mandich, PRODUCER Paloma Pinto, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Rebecca Richard, EDITOR Sydney Sullivan, and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Natalie Peracchio. USA

PATAKHA
Radha, an 11-year-old girl in rural India, loses her backpack on her first day of work at a factory. She journeys to retrieve the school bag and with it, her dreams for the future. DIR Rohit Relan, SCR Umut Ipek, PRODUCER Tiffany Wu, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Brooke Mueller, EDITOR Siddharth Lal and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Reem Alshaini. USA

BEWARE THE WOLVES
During an extended stay, Carlisle and his older sister endure strict treatment from their grandmother and ailing grandfather. When Carlisle witnesses a disturbing violation, he must forge a path for their escape. DIR Alex Bush, SCR Alex Bush, Annabel Newland, PRODUCER Ilias Kyriakidis, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Matthew Rove Roveto, EDITOR Vaishnavi Upadhyay and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Demie Cao. USA

CONSERVATORY SHOWCASE 2

DOG SEES GOD
When a meteor lands in his backyard, killing his beloved dog, suburban misfit Atticus channels his grief into his garage-punk band as he wrestles with teenage angst, fractured family dynamics and a growing government presence in his neighborhood. DIR Yana Gladkikh, SCR Alex Bush, Ilias Kyriakidis, PRODUCER Andrew Svistunov, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Junxiong Joshua Zhu, EDITOR Zheyu Ian Jiang
and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Shengtao Anakin Li. USA

AZUL
Struggling to cope with her sister’s unexpected passing, 17-year-old Azul finds solace in an unexpected place: a lady Lowrider Car Club. DIR Santos Arrué, SCR Santos Arrué, PRODUCER Yoko Chen, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Alexandra Geneviève Agar, EDITOR Lu Li and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Jessica Burnam. USA

BEHIND THE MASK
After a famous actor’s death, his estranged daughter looks for closure at his house. She discovers a magical theater mask that whisks her back in time to a grand stage where she comes face-to-face with him as a young man. DIR Catherine Andre, SCR Catherine Andre, PRODUCER Becca E. Davis, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Simran Sawhney, EDITOR Matthew Gelzer and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Irena Weaver. USA

OLDMAN’S BLUES
Grappling with dementia, eighty-year-old Kang longs to return to China. When a yellow crane appears, memory and reality blur — guiding his spirit home in a final goodbye seen only by his granddaughter. DIR Ziyi Zeng, SCR Ziyi Zeng, PRODUCER Tianyu Yang, Ali Buckner, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Keren Paldi, EDITOR Ann Zhao and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Tang Hu. USA

TEEN MARY
Teen Mary gets pregnant by Nazareth’s biggest player, Gabriel. Facing death, she and her gay BFF Joseph hatch a plan: convince everyone that God is the father, turning scandal into scripture to survive. DIR Ali Rosenthal, SCR Ali Rosenthal, PRODUCER Bridger Zadina, Hector Martinez, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jodi Savitz, EDITOR Carter Huang and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Abbie Vance. USA

CONSERVATORY SHOWCASE 3

MARASCHINO
When a former centerfold suffers a breakdown on her partner’s birthday, she must outwit her smart home device on a blood-soaked path to having her own cake and eating it, too. DIR Alyssa Cody Garcia, SCR Alyssa Cody Garcia, Simona Galant, PRODUCER Simona Galant, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Mads Fridolin Vejlby, EDITOR Qiqi Deng and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Maui McDonald. USA

POOLBOY
Kaspar is a medical tech diagnosed with terminal cancer and six months to live. Confronting mortality, he quits his job to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a Los Angeles pool boy. DIRHaoran Ma, SCR Ben Keeshin, PRODUCER Zhedan Deng, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Simon Gulergun, EDITOR Yu Sun and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Xuefei Rong. USA

FINDING YIYI
After losing her mother’s cherished dumpling recipe, 65-year-old YiYi embarks on a journey to piece it back together, leading her to reconnect with a childhood friend and explore the relationship they never had. DIR Kim Caicedo, SCR Kim Caicedo, Bao Le Cheok, PRODUCER Michelle Levinger, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Bao Le Cheok, EDITOR Attila Tayefeh and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Zaina Tripp. USA

CLUB RATS
When young golfer Penny wins the club championship on a dubious hole-in-one, her status and reputation are called into question. Leading the charge is Penny’s former lover and fiercest rival, causing her to doubt the truth. DIR Grace Francis Godvin, SCR Grace Francis Godvin, PRODUCER Chenning Yang, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jasper Khadjenouri, EDITOR Daniel Elder and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Juliana Newman. USA

NIGHT FEEDS
An Arab American mother struggles with postpartum as a night nurse unsettles her, and war floods her screens. This psychological horror where nightmare bleeds into reality paints a visceral portrait of motherhood in our time. DIR Rana Roy, SCR Rana Roy, PRODUCER Adia Ivey, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Julia Maixer, EDITOR Joan Mao and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Janhvi Gupta. USA

CONSERVATORY SHOWCASE 4

SONG OF SILENCE
In a war-torn 2071 America, Greta must protect a deadly secret in a hidden village of women, forcing her to choose between her only son’s life and the safety of her community. DIR Vasilisa Kuzmina, SCR Vasilisa Kuzmina, Daisy Anderson, PRODUCER Qiuping Han, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Dominika Podczaska, EDITOR Yuntong Hazel Dai and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Elli Kypriadis. USA

THE END IS AT HAND
A reclusive phone repairman discovers a pulsing, slime-covered organism growing inside a mysterious device. When it disappears from his desk, he searches for it — but the more he looks, the more he dreads what he’ll find. DIR Japhet Velazquez
SCR Sam Gallen, PRODUCER Sam Gallen, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Diana Dahllund, EDITOR Junwu Tan and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Yuheng Kuang. USA

BEST EYES
While commuting between her inner city neighborhood and elite private school, a biracial teen forms a friendship that challenges the version of herself her mother believes will keep her safe — leading her toward self-acceptance. DIR Kira Powell, SCR Kira Powell, Lauren Thomas, PRODUCER Tara Austin, Bonnie von Duyke, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Udit Nijhawan, EDITOR Sharon Shen and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Disha Shah. USA

YOU & ME, CHAZ & RODNEY
Best friends Elisa and Valerie set out on an adventure to Rodney’s house with plans to hook up for the first time. But as the night progresses, the curious 13-year-olds are confronted by their own shifting friendship. DIR Lillian Lion, SCR Lillian Lion, Cecilia Cereijido-Bloche, PRODUCER Yang Qian, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jessica Hayes, EDITOR Elise Beers and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Nicole Baroudi. USA

IRON LAKE
On a scouting trip in the 1990s, a volatile teenager expresses secret feelings for another boy. When he’s rejected, he’ll go to dark lengths to keep his secret hidden. DIR Grant Swanson, SCR Grant Swanson, PRODUCER Annine Fan Zhang, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Ioana Vasile, EDITOR Yuchen Bobby Fang and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Emily Henninger. USA

CONSERVATORY SHOWCASE 5

JOE HUNT
After his father’s mysterious death, thirteen-year-old William turns to his imaginary hero, Joe Hunt, for guidance. As they search for answers, the line between protector and menace blurs, forcing William to question who he can truly trust. DIR Matthew Genecov, SCR Matthew Genecov, PRODUCER Muqing Evelyn Tang, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Yoshihisa Toda, EDITOR Yiming Wang and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Zixi Roey Zhang. USA

TĀ 他
In a bleak, dystopian modern city, an agent of the underworld intersects with the lives of those lost in despair — guiding them on a surreal, transformative journey into death and beyond. DIR Jiyuan Ler, SCR Jiyuan Ler, Jack Ruefli, PRODUCER Jack Ruefli, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Arman Meinecke, EDITOR Anushri Srinivasan and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Jing Chen. USA

PAPER BOY
An artist escapes into a fragile paper world. As his imagination grows into vast cities and impossible creatures, fantasy blurs with reality. As it collapses, he must face the truths he’s hidden and the weight they carry. DIR Saulius Baradinskas, SCR Saulius Baradinskas, Juan-Arturo Maldonado, PRODUCER Ella Danna, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Nyssa Glück, EDITOR Wenzhe Brandon Li and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Bing Yi Liao. USA

DANDELION
In 1970s Los Angeles, rebellious queer teen Margaret gets thrown out of yet another foster placement and finds herself in the company of a social worker tasked with finding her a new home. DIR Fiona Obertinca, SCR Corey Pinchoff, PRODUCER Tori Ichikowitz, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Bruce Wang, EDITOR Jing Ace Wang and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Ana Visuetti.

 

About the American Film Institute (AFI)  

The American Film Institute (AFI) is a nonprofit organization with a mandate to champion the moving image as an art form. Established in 1967, AFI launched the first comprehensive history of American film and sparked the movement for film preservation in the United States. In 1969, AFI opened the doors of the AFI Conservatory, a graduate-level program to train narrative filmmakers. The Conservatory, which counts Deniese Davis, Affonso Gonçalves, Susannah Grant, Matthew Libatique, David Lynch, Melina Matsoukas and Rachel Morrison as Alumni, is ranked as one of the top film schools in America. AFI’s enduring traditions include the AFI Life Achievement Award, which honors the masters for work that has stood the test of time; AFI AWARDS, which celebrates the creative ensembles of the most outstanding screen stories of the year; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and the AFI Archive that preserve film history for future generations. AFI exhibition programs include AFI FEST Presented by Canva and year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Maryland. AFI Movie Club is a destination for movie lovers from around the world to celebrate and engage with the art form every day. Other pioneering programs include workshops aimed at elevating emerging storytellers and technology, including AFI DWW+ and the AFI Cinematography Intensive Workshop. Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow us on social media at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, YouTube.com/AFI, X.com/AmericanFilm, TikTok.com/@americanfilminstitute and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.

About AFI FEST
Now in its 39th year, AFI FEST is a world-class event, showcasing the best films from across the globe. This year’s edition takes place in Los Angeles from October 22-26, 2025. With an innovative slate of programming, the five-day festival presents screenings, panels and conversations, featuring both master filmmakers and new cinematic voices. AFI FEST includes high-profile films with Q&As featuring the films’ cast and crew and a robust lineup of fiction and nonfiction features and shorts, providing a one-of-a-kind experience for movie fans. Additional information is available at FEST.AFI.com. Connect with AFI’s film festival at Facebook.com/AFIFEST, Twitter.com/AFIFEST, Instagram/AmericanFilmInstitute, TikTok/@AmericanFilmInstitute and YouTube.com/AFI.

About Canva
Launched in 2013, Canva is the world’s leading all-in-one platform for visual communication and collaboration. Built to empower everyone to design, the company serves the creative and design needs of enterprises, small businesses, consumers, and students in more than 190 countries worldwide. Whether you’re a novice taking your first steps in design, or a creative professional seeking powerful tools, Canva ensures users have what they need to transform an idea into something beautiful. Underpinned by the world’s most comprehensive library of designer-made content, Canva is powered by a suite of products and proprietary AI tools which elevate how individuals and teams create, collaborate, and communicate with ease.

Press contact:

American Film Institute

Shari Mesulam  shari@themesulamgroup.com