Hamptons International Film Festival Announces Full Slate for 2024 Edition

EAST HAMPTON, NY (September 12, 2024) – HamptonsFilm announced today the full slate of programming for the 2024 edition of the Hamptons International Festival (HIFF) presented by Regina K. Scully’s Artemis Rising Foundation, including additional Spotlight selections, and lineups for Narrative and Documentary Competition sections. The Festival also announced actor Clarence Maclin, star of this year’s SING SING, a film inspired by his own life story, will receive the festival’s Breakthrough Performer Award. The 32nd edition of the festival will feature a lineup of films that are 45% female-directed and represent 50 countries from around the world. The festival will screen 86 features and 61 shorts with 8 World Premieres, 5 North American Premieres, 11 US Premieres, 9 East Coast Premieres, and 20 New York Premieres.

 

HIFF announced that Clarence Maclin will receive this year’s Breakthrough Performer Award, following a Special Screening of A24’s SING SING on October 13. Directed by Greg Kwedar, the film tells the powerful story of Divine G (Academy Award-nominee Colman Domingo), imprisoned at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison for a crime he didn’t commit, who finds purpose by acting in a theatre crew with other inmates. When a wary outsider (Clarence Maclin) joins the group, the men decide to stage their first original comedy. SING SING marks the feature film debut of Maclin, where he portrays a younger version of himself. Maclin was incarcerated at Sing Sing Correctional Facility for 17 years, where he participated in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts prison arts program. Following his release, he has since served as a youth counselor, creative arts specialist, and gang intervention specialist at Lincoln Hall Boys Haven in Somers, NY; as well as a Rehabilitation Through the Arts consultant, representing the organization at speaking engagements, going into facilities, and working with RTA participants.

 

Additional programming announced includes:

 

Newly announced Spotlight screenings, sponsored by AUDI, include the New York Premiere of MUBI’s BIRD, directed by Andrea Arnold, following 12-year-old Bailey, who one day meets a stranger named Bird, an enigmatic and dreamlike character who becomes a part of her everyday life; Apple’s BLITZ, directed by Steve McQueen and set in London during World War II, where a defiant 9-year-old embarks on his perilous way home, while his distraught mother desperately searches for her missing son as the bombing rages on; the New York Premiere of Focus Features’ CONCLAVE, directed by Edward Berger, which follows the Cardinal tasked with running one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events – selecting the new Pope; Netflix’s EMILIA PÉREZ, directed by Jacques Audiard, which follows a fearsome cartel leader Emilia who enlists an unappreciated lawyer to help her fake her own death and look after her wife and their children so Emilia can finally live authentically as her true self; Roadside Attractions’ EXHIBITING FORGIVENESS, the directorial debut by renowned artist Titus Kaphar, a multidimensional personal drama about an artist on the path to success who is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father, desperate to reconcile; the New York Premiere of NEON’s THE END, directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, a Golden Age musical about one of the last families on Earth, who, after the sudden arrival of a stranger, begin to question their seemingly perfect existence; Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s THE FRIEND, which follows a New York writer in the aftermath of her lifelong mentor’s unexpected death; Bleecker Street’s HARD TRUTHS, directed by Mike Leigh, a tough but compassionate intimate study of family life; the World Premiere of Rachel Feldman’s LILLY, based on the remarkable life of fair pay activist Lilly Ledbetter and her long journey to justice after learning that for 20 years she’s been earning only half of what men with the same job are paid; Pablo Larraín’s MARIA, which tells the tumultuous, beautiful and tragic story of the life of the world’s greatest female opera singer, Maria Callas; the East Coast Premiere of Vertical’s THE ORDER, directed by Justin Kurzel, which follows an FBI agent and his team confronting the tangled world of white supremacists as they try to head off a violent uprising that could shatter the nation; the New York Premiere of NEON’s PRESENCE, directed by Steven Soderbergh, which chronicles a family who moves into a suburban house and become convinced they’re not alone; Sony Pictures Classics’ THE ROOM NEXT DOOR, directed by Pedro Almodóvar, following two women who, after years of being out of touch, meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation; Sony Pictures’ SATURDAY NIGHT, directed by Jason Reitman, based on the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live; and the North American Premiere of Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions’ SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE, directed by Tim Mielants, following a coal merchant who, after discovering disturbing secrets kept by the local convent, is forced to confront his past and the complicit silence of a small Irish town controlled by the Catholic Church. Previously announced Spotlight titles include A REAL PAIN, BAD SHABBOS, and WE LIVE IN TIME.

 

“Coming out of last year’s strikes, I’m thrilled for the festival to return in full force for 11 days of dynamic programming attended by prolific filmmakers and talent from around the world,” said HamptonsFilm Artistic Director David Nugent.  “With a slate inclusive of multiple World, North American, and US Premiere screenings, our team has curated an exciting lineup for East End audiences to be amongst the first to preview some of this year’s most compelling and buzzed-about films.”

 

The Narrative Competition section of this year’s festival, sponsored by Silvercup Studios, will also include the North American Premiere of IFC Films’ ARMAND, directed by Halfdan Ullman Tøndel, following a defamed actress who is abruptly called into a parent-teacher meeting after hours and is presented with scathing allegations that trigger a tangled web of accusations; the New York Premiere of Metrograph Pictures’ GAZER, directed by Ryan J. Sloan, following a young mother who takes a risky job from a mysterious woman to support her daughter, unaware of the dark consequences that await; the North American Premiere of Metrograph Pictures’ THE KINGDOM, directed by Julien Colonna, which chronicles a teenage girl’s relationship with her father as she reckons with his role in an mob war that erupts in 1995 Corsica; the US Premiere of Sideshow and Janus Films’ VERMIGLIO, directed by Maura Delpero, following a local teacher’s family in a high mountain village of the Italian Alps whose dynamic is disrupted by the arrival of a refugee soldier; and the New York Premiere of Anu Valia’s WE STRANGERS, which sees a commercial cleaner in Gary, Indiana approached with an offer to clean the homes of both a man and his mistress.

 

The Documentary Competition section of this year’s festival, sponsored by Silvercup Studios, will include the East Coast Premiere of Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane’s GRAND THEFT HAMLET, detailing the ridiculous, hilarious and moving adventure of two theatre actors staging a production of Hamlet in the online digital world of Grand Theft Auto; Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev’s PORCELAIN WAR, which follows three Ukrainian artists who defiantly find beauty as they defend their culture and country while creating intricate porcelain figurines; the US Premiere of Marah Strauch and Bryce Leavitt’s SPACE COWBOY, following skydiving cinematography pioneer Joe Jennings, who built a career capturing surreal, unbelievable images while plummeting mid-air; the US Premiere of VIKTOR, directed by Olivier Sarbil, about a young deaf man in Kharkiv, eagerly seeking purpose during the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; and the World Premiere of Heidi Levitt’s WALK WITH ME, profiling Levitt’s husband as he develops symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, and exploring the ways in which it has irrevocably changed their lives without letting it define them.

 

As part of the Films of Conflict and Resolution Signature Program, sponsored by Artemis Rising Foundation, the festival will screen ANTIDOTE, directed by James Jones, following three courageous subjects who have risked their lives to speak truth to power in Putin’s Russia; the East Coast Premiere of Lucian Read’s LIONS OF MESOPOTAMIA, telling the remarkable story of the Iraqi national soccer team’s journey to become Asian Cup champions in 2007 during the bloodiest days of their country’s civil war; and Kino Lorber’s SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D’ETAT, directed by Johan Grimonprez, interrogating the intersection of radical art and global politics within colonial history. PORCELAIN WAR, and the previously announced HOMEGROWN will also screen in the section.

 

The Air, Land, and Sea Signature Program, sponsored by Dragon Hemp, will also present the New York Premiere of Apple’s THE LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN, directed by Sue Kim, peering into what drives the haenyeo divers of South Korea young and old and documenting the women’s tight-knit friendships, savvy independence, and wonderfully infectious sense of empowerment; and the New York Premiere of THE WHITE HOUSE EFFECT, directed by Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk, and Pedro Kos, exploring the drama that unfolded inside the George H.W. Bush administration after scientists made headlines by proclaiming that significant climate change was underway. The festival previously announced that Grasshopper Film’s NOCTURNES, directed by Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan, will also screen as part of the Program.

 

The festival also previously announced the full feature lineup of the Compassion, Justice, and Animal Rights Signature Program, which includes the US Premiere of Todd Bieber’s AMERICAN CATS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE CUDDLY; Joshua Zeman’s CHECKPOINT ZOO; and the New York Premiere of Sally Atiken’s EVERY LITTLE THING.

 

In the World Cinema Documentary section, sponsored by Artemis Rising Foundation, the slate includes Petra Costa’s APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS, investigating the increasingly powerful grip of faith leaders over Brazil’s recent political turmoil; NEON’s BAD ACTOR: A HOLLYWOOD PONZI SCHEME, directed by David Darg, telling the juicy true story of Zach Horwtiz, a failed actor who ran one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in American history; National Geographic’s BLINK, directed by Daniel Roher and Edmund Stenson, following the Pelletier family, whose world changes forever when three of their four children are diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare, incurable disease that leads to severe visual impairment; Matthew Tyrnauer’s CARVILLE: WINNING IS EVERYTHING, STUPID, delving into James Carville’s political battles and surprising love story with Mary Matalin, revealing his influence from Clinton’s 1992 win to today’s Democratic struggles; MUBI’s DAHOMEY, directed by Mati Diop, telling the story of 26 royal treasures of the Kingdom of Dahomey preparing to leave Paris to return to their country of origin, the present-day Republic of Benin; the US Premiere of Pamela J. Hogan’s THE DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL, recounting when Icelandic women halted the country in 1975, striking for equal pay and labor rights, uniting to demand recognition and a better future; the World Premiere of Oren Rudavsky’s ELIE WIESEL: SOUL ON FIRE, seeking to understand, primarily through his own eloquent words, the man behind the searing and widely read memoir Night; Kimberly Reed’s I’M YOUR VENUS, picking up a trail gone cold of the murder of global trans icon, Venus Xtravaganza, as her two families—biological and ballroom—come together to honor her legacy, seek answers about her killing, and in the process find unexpected common ground; Bruce David Klein’s LIZA: A TRULY TERRIFIC ABSOLUTELY TRUE STORY, focusing on the dazzling but complex period of Liza Minnelli’s life in the 1970s after the tragic death of her mother, Judy Garland; Silje Evensmo Jacobsen’s A NEW KIND OF WILDERNESS, following the remarkable journey of the Payne family as they seek a wild and free existence in harmony with nature on a small farm in the Norwegian forest; the World Premiere of Charles Warburton’s and Gabrielle Blackwood’s NORMAN/NORMAN, following Norman, who after witnessing the brutal murder of his mother 30 years ago, travels to Jamaica to piece together what happened by confronting the murderer: his father; the New York Premiere of Neil Diamond and Catherine Bainbridge’s RED FEVER, exposing the profound yet hidden Indigenous influence on Western culture and identity by asking one simple question: why do they love us so much?; Sandi DuBowski’s SABBATH QUEEN, which empathetically captures Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie’s epic journey to discover what it means to be Jewish in a rapidly changing 21st century; the New York Premiere of Jeremy Workman’s SECRET MALL APARTMENT, following eight Rhode Islanders who surreptitiously created an apartment inside the Providence Place Mall in 2003, living in it for four years—and filming everything along the way; the North American Premiere of Errol Morris’ SEPARATED, confronting one of the darkest chapters in recent American history: family separations at the US-Mexico border; the New York Premiere of Jenny Carchman’s WHATEVER IT TAKES, recounting the alarming events in which a Fortune 500 company resorted to drastic criminal lengths to protect its CEO from a corporate raider; the New York Premiere of Magnolia Films’ THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ALLEE WILLIS, directed by Alexis Spraic, profiling award-winning songwriter/artist Allee Willis as she navigates her queerness and as true love pushes her to manifest her ultimate masterpiece: self-acceptance; and the East Coast Premiere of Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault’s ZURAWSKI V TEXAS, following three women who were denied critical care under Texas’s ambiguous and unforgiving abortion laws as they band together with the Center for Reproductive Rights to sue the state of Texas. The previously announced DAYTIME REVOLUTION and A MAN WITH SOLE: THE IMPACT OF KENNETH COLE will also screen in the section.

 

In the World Cinema Narrative section, sponsored by Sotheby’s, the slate includes Delaney Buffett’s ADULT BEST FRIENDS, following childhood pals Delaney and Katie as they face a rift when Katie’s engagement threatens their wild bond, leading to a nostalgic, hilarious trip filled with heart and unexpected encounters; Sideshow and Janus Film’s ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT, directed by Payal Kapadia, following Mumbai nurse Prabha and her roommate Anu as they seek solace and fulfillment during a transformative trip to a beach town; the New York Premiere of Roadside Attractions’ BOB TREVINO LIKES IT, directed by Tracie Laymon, following Lily Trevino as she finds unexpected healing and connection through an online friendship with a stranger sharing her father’s name in this heartwarming story of kindness and personal discovery; the US Premiere of Samuel Goldwyn Film’s THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, directed by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre De La Patellière, following Edmond Dantès, wrongfully imprisoned on his wedding day, who escaped after fourteen years, amassed great wealth, and seeks revenge as the Count of Monte Cristo on those who betrayed him; the East Coast Premiere of Sideshow and Janus Film’s FLOW, directed by Gints Zilbalodis, following a solitary cat after a devastating flood in an abandoned world who finds refuge on a boat with diverse animals, who together navigate mystical landscapes and adapt to their new reality; the US Premeire of MUBI’s THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE, directed by Magnus von Horn, following young pregnant factory worker Karoline navigating the bleak labor conditions of post-World War I Denmark; the New York Premiere of Strand Releasing’s HIGH TIDE, directed by Marco Calvani, following Brazilian immigrant Lourenço after the sudden departure of his American boyfriend leaves him adrift in Provincetown, MA, where an unexpected connection with vacationer Maurice challenges both to confront their uncertain futures; Sony Pictures Classics’ I’M STILL HERE, directed by Walter Salles, following the Paiva family in 1971 Rio de Janeiro as they struggle against a tightening military dictatorship, and mother Eunice reinvents herself to lead her family through a harsh new reality; Morrisa Maltz’s JAZZY, capturing the joys and heartbreaks of childhood friendship as young Jazzy navigates the challenges of growing up with her peers in South Dakota; the US Premiere of Leonardo Van Dijl’s JULIE KEEPS QUIET, in which Julie, a star player at an elite tennis academy, has her world upended when her coach is suspended under investigation, and she must choose whether to speak up or remain silent; the New York Premiere of Michael Schwartz and Tyler Nilson’s LOS FRIKIS, following 18-year-old Gustavo and his punk bandmates after their decision to inject themselves with HIV to escape extreme poverty in 1990s Cuba, gaining access to an unexpected utopia of freedom and ice cream with a heavy price; the US Premiere of LOVEABLE, directed by Lilja Ingolfsdottir, following Maria after her husband demands a divorce and she struggles to understand what went wrong, as those around her reveal a difficult truth about herself in this introspective and empowering journey; the New York Premiere of IFC Films’ MEMOIR OF A SNAIL, directed by Adam Elliot, following lonely misfit Grace Pudel after her separation from twin brother Gilbert, as she finds solace and inspiration in an enduring friendship with an elderly eccentric woman named Pinky; the East Coast Premiere of Ricardo de Montreuil’s MISTURA, following privileged Franco-Peruvian Norma after her husband’s departure and social ostracism as she opens a French restaurant in 1960s Lima, embarking on a transformative culinary journey with allies from previously disregarded communities; Roshan Sethi’s A NICE INDIAN BOY, following soft-spoken doctor Naveen and his white artist fiancé Jay as they navigate cultural clashes and family expectations while planning their Indian wedding; A24’s ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL, directed by Rungano Nyoni, following Shula after the discovery of her uncle’s body on the road, as she reconnects with her cousins during elaborate funeral proceedings to unearth buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family; the New York Premiere of Metrograph’s SANTOSH, directed by Sandhya Suri, which, after the death of her husband, sees young widow Santosh take his job as a police officer in rural India, where a charismatic female inspector guides her through a gritty investigation that reveals a world of crime and corruption; NEON’s THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG, directed by Mohammad Rasoulof, where a man and his family are thrust into the spotlight and exposed to political unrest and danger after he is named an investigating judge in Tehran; the New York Premiere of Mahdi Fleifel’s TO A LAND UNKNOWN, following refugees Chatila and Reda as they struggle to obtain fake passports in Athens, resorting to smuggling that escalates dangers as their desperate plan begins to unravel; and the US Premiere of Jiří Mádl’s WAVES, following Czechoslovak Radio during the Prague Spring of 1968, where young technician Tomáš faces pressure from the secret police to betray his colleagues to protect his rebellious brother.

 

HIFF also announced 11 programs of short films this year, including Narrative Competition; Documentary Competition; New York Women in Film & Television: Filmmakers Calling the Shots; University Short Films Showcase; Zoom! Shorts for All Ages; Sticky Situations; Between Here and There; Bodily Freedoms; Air, Land, and Sea; Conflict and Resolution; and the Views From Long Island sections.

 

In addition, the festival has announced the jury members for the 2024 festival.The Narrative Jury will include THE FEELING THAT THE TIME FOR DOING SOMETHING HAS PASSED (HIFF 2023) filmmaker, writer and actor Joanna Arnow; comedian and writer Wyatt Cenac, best known for his work on “The Daily Show;” and Sag Harbor Cinema Executive Director Genevive Villaflor. Sundance Institute Board Chair Ebs Burnough (THE CAPOTE TAPES, HIFF 2019) and documentary filmmaker Rachel Fleit (INTRODUCING, SELMA BLAIR, HIFF 2021) will make up this year’s Documentary Jury.

 

As previously announced, the festival will open on October 4 with the East Coast Premiere of R.J. Cutler’s documentary feature MARTHA, profiling American businesswoman and lifestyle personality Martha Stewart. The festival will also host the East Coast Premiere of Netflix’s THE PIANO LESSON as this year’s Centerpiece Film, set to screen on October 5. Directed and co-written by Malcolm Washington, and featuring an ensemble cast including honorary Academy Award winner Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, and Ray Fisher, the film is an adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name. The East Coast Premiere of Searchlight Pictures’ NIGHTBITCH will screen as the festival’s Closing Night presentation on October 13. From writer/director Marielle Heller and starring Academy Award nominee Amy Adams and Scoot McNairy, the film follows a woman who pauses her career to be a stay-at-home mom when her new domesticity takes a surreal turn.  This year’s “A Conversation With…” series will also feature discussions with Demi Moore, Liev Schreiber, and Andrew Garfield.

 

The 32nd annual Hamptons International Film Festival will run October 4-14, 2024, with in-person screenings and events taking place across the Hamptons. HIFF thanks this year’s festival sponsors: new Presenting Sponsor Regina K. Scully’s Artemis Rising Foundation; returning sponsors Premier Sponsor Audi; Signature Sponsors UBS, Naturopathica, and King & Spalding; official Media Partners WNBC, The Atlantic, The East Hampton Star, The Purist, and Variety; Contributing Sponsors Direct TV, Silvercup Studios, E11even Vodka, Netflix,  Assemble Media, Wolffer Estate,  Sotheby’s, il Buco, and Dragon Hemp; and foundation supporters New York State Council on the Arts and Suffolk County Film Commission. For more information, please visit www.hamptonsfilmfest.org.

 

 

2024 Hamptons International Film Festival Lineup:

 

OPENING NIGHT FILM

Sponsored by Audi

 

MARTHA
East Coast Premiere

dir. R.J. Cutler (USA), 2024

MARTHA is the definitive documentary on Martha Stewart, as told by the icon herself. From her early start on Wall Street to the launch of the lifestyle empire that made her the original influencer, Academy Award nominee R.J. Cutler (THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE) traces Stewart’s meteoric rise to success and the controversies and subsequent personal reinvention that followed. Stewart addresses the ups and downs of her groundbreaking career with frankness, transparency, and a sense of humor, sharing a personal and professional journey in which the perfect homemaker learns to embrace the imperfections that make us all human. A Netflix release.

 

 

CLOSING NIGHT FILM

Sponsored by UBS

 

NIGHTBITCH

East Coast Premiere

dir. Marielle Heller (USA), 2024

Academy Award nominee Amy Adams delivers a bold, transformative performance as a woman who pauses her successful career as an artist to become a stay-at-home mom to her toddler. As her husband (Scoot McNairy, HIFF Breakthrough Artist 2012) works long hours as the family’s sole breadwinner, the unrelenting demands of parenthood drag on, and her new domesticity begins to take a surreal turn. Based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Yoder, writer/director Marielle Heller’s (CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?, HIFF 2018) latest both frankly explores the aches and pains of being a parent and captures the innate wildness of womanhood. A Searchlight Pictures release. .

 

 

CENTERPIECE FILM

Sponsored by Naturopathica

 

THE PIANO LESSON

East Coast Premiere

dir. Malcolm Washington (USA), 2024

A battle is brewing in the Charles household, centered on a prized heirloom piano tearing two siblings apart. On one side, Boy Willie (Golden Globe nominee John David Washington) plans to build the family fortune by selling it. On the other, his sister Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler) will go to any lengths to hold onto the sole vestige of the family’s heritage. Their uncle (Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson) tries to mediate, but even he can’t hold back the ghosts of the past. In his feature debut, HIFF Breakthrough Director Malcolm Washington adapts August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork to explore the intergenerational dynamics of identity, resilience and transcendence—revealing startling truths about how we perceive the past and who gets to define our legacy. A Netflix release.

 

 

SPOTLIGHT FILMS

Sponsored by Audi

 

BAD SHABBOS

dir. Daniel Robbins (USA), 2024

Newly engaged couple David (Jon Bass) and Meg (Meghan Leathers) plan to introduce their parents for the first time over Shabbat dinner at David’s parents’ Upper West Side apartment. As the finishing touches for the evening come together, a dead body throws a wrench into this high-stakes affair. This day of rest is anything but, as David’s family must find a way to get rid of the body before their future in-laws arrive. Daniel Robbins’ winning interfaith comedy BAD SHABBOS boasts a hilarious cast (Kyra Sedgwick, Method Man, Catherine Curtin and David Paymer) and highly satisfying high jinks.

 

BIRD

New York Premiere

dir. Andrea Arnold (UK/USA/France/Germany), 2024

Twelve-year-old Bailey (newcomer Nykiya Adams) lives with her single dad Bug (Academy Award nominee Barry Keoghan, THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN) and brother Hunter (Jason Buda) in a squat in North Kent. Bug doesn’t have much time for his kids, and Bailey, who is approaching puberty, seeks attention and adventure elsewhere. One day, she meets a stranger named Bird (Franz Rogowski, PASSAGES), an enigmatic and dreamlike character who becomes a part of Bailey’s life. Academy Award winner Andrea Arnold compassionately crafts this tender coming-of-age story that blends the harsh truths of life with the enthralling fantasy of a child’s rich inner world. A MUBI release.

 

BLITZ

dir. Steve McQueen (UK), 2024

Set in London during World War II, BLITZ follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a defiant 9-year-old whose mother Rita (Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. Determined to return to his mother and grandfather (Paul Weller), George embarks on the perilous way home, while a distraught Rita desperately searches for her missing son and the bombing rages on. Academy and BAFTA Award winner Sir Steve McQueen (12 YEARS A SLAVE) returns to HIFF with this intense and emotional story of one family’s struggle to reunite during one of the world’s darkest eras. An Apple release.

 

CONCLAVE

New York Premiere

dir. Edward Berger (USA/UK), 2024

CONCLAVE follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events – selecting the new Pope. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence finds himself at the center of a conspiracy and discovers a secret that could shake the very foundation of the Church. A Focus Features release.

 

EMILIA PÉREZ

dir. Jacques Audiard (France), 2024

Through liberating song, dance, and bold visuals, EMILIA PÉREZ follows the interconnected journeys of four remarkable women in Mexico, each pursuing her own happiness. The fearsome cartel leader Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón) enlists Rita (Zoe Saldaña), an unappreciated lawyer stuck in a dead-end job, to help fake her death and look after her wife (Selena Gomez) and their children so Emilia can finally live authentically as her true self. Winner of the Jury Prize and a collective Best Actress Award at Cannes, renegade auteur and HIFF alum Jacques Audiard’s (RUST AND BONE, DHEEPAN) latest odyssey is an audacious fever dream that defies genres and expectations. A Netflix release.

 

THE END

New York Premiere

dir. Joshua Oppenheimer (Ireland/Germany/Sweden/Denmark/Italy/UK), 2024

Academy Award nominee Joshua Oppenheimer (THE ACT OF KILLING) returns to HIFF with his narrative feature debut, a Golden Age musical about one of the last families on Earth. A wealthy couple (Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton and Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon) escaped an apocalyptic event by retreating to their luxurious compound deep underground. After the sudden arrival of an outside survivor (Emmy Award Nominee Moses Ingram, The Queen’s Gambit), their son (George MacKay, 1917) begins to question their seemingly perfect existence. Expressive and surreal, THE END interrogates privilege and denial through dynamic original music and unforgettable performances from its stellar cast. A NEON release.

 

EXHIBITING FORGIVENESS

dir. Titus Kaphar (USA), 2024

Celebrated American painter Tarrell (André Holland, MOONLIGHT) excavates beauty from the anguish of his youth through his art, keeping past wounds at bay. His joyful life with his wife Aisha (Academy Award nominee Andra Day) and their young son is interrupted when his estranged father La’Ron (John Earl Jelks) returns home, desperate to reconcile. Pushed by his pious mother Joyce (Academy Award nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor), Tarrell reluctantly opens his heart to see if they can be a family once again. The feature debut from esteemed visual artist Titus Kaphar, EXHIBITING FORGIVENESS speaks through the raw language of art about the challenges and hope that come with letting go of the past. A Roadside Attractions release.

 

THE FRIEND

dir. Scott McGehee, David Siegel (USA), 2024

A New York writer (Academy Award nominee Naomi Watts) reels in the aftermath of the unexpected death of her lifelong mentor (Academy Award nominee Bill Murray). In the midst of mourning him, she finds that she is the one left to deal with his complicated literary legacy, three eccentric ex-wives, and a massive, brokenhearted Great Dane named Apollo. Based on Sigrid Nunez’s National Book Award-winning novel of the same name, THE FRIEND is a thoughtful, charming, and wryly humorous study on grief from filmmaker duo Scott McGehee and David Siegel, one that invites us all to find the silver lining in loss.

 

HARD TRUTHS

dir. Mike Leigh (UK/Spain), 2024

Seven-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Mike Leigh (MR. TURNER, HIFF 2014) returns with this tough but compassionate portrait of family life. A brilliant and deeply moving Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Academy Award nominee for Leigh’s SECRETS AND LIES) stars as Pansy, a woman navigating life in London with her husband, son, and sister while harboring a seemingly unexplainable resentment and anger toward the world around her. Undeniably honest and often sharply funny, HARD TRUTHS is an intricately executed character study that weaves unforgettable performances with masterful dialogue in a profound expression of human pathos. A Bleecker Street release.

 

LILLY

World Premiere

dir. Rachel Feldman (USA), 2024

When a hard-working Alabama factory supervisor discovers that her company has been paying her half of what her male counterparts received for 20 years, she begins a historic fight towards justice. Academy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson fiercely portrays the remarkable life of fair pay activist Lilly Ledbetter, who battles for equality all the way to the Supreme Court, through the power corridors of Congress, and ultimately, into The White House. Rachel Feldman’s empowering feature film debut, featuring supporting turns from Jon Benjamin Hickey and Thomas Sadoski, is an extraordinary journey of an ordinary woman who refuses to accept the sexist status quo.

 

MARIA
dir. Pablo Larraín (USA), 2024

Maria tells the tumultuous, beautiful and tragic story of the life of the world’s greatest female opera singer, relived and reimagined during her final days in 1970s Paris. A Netflix release.

 

THE ORDER

dir. Justin Kurzel (USA), 2024

For over a year, a series of bold daylight bank robberies and armored car heists leaves law enforcement baffled and the public panicked throughout the Pacific Northwest. As the attacks become increasingly violent, FBI agent Terry Husk (Academy Award® nominee Jude Law) becomes convinced that the robberies are the work of domestic terrorists that plan to use the loot to finance an armed uprising against the U.S. government. A taut thriller based on shocking real-life events, Justin Kurzel’s (MACBETH, HIFF 2015) latest follows Husk and his team into a tangled world of domestic terrorists whose ideas and actions laid the early groundwork for today’s political extremism. A Vertical release.

 

PRESENCE

New York Premiere

dir. Steven Soderbergh (USA), 2024

A mother (Lucy Liu) moves her husband, son, and daughter into a seemingly picture-perfect suburban house, but after a strange series of incidents, they soon become convinced they are not alone. As the family’s life in their new home unfolds, they must confront a haunting question: what are the intentions of this phantom presence? The latest collaboration from Academy Award winning director Steven Soderbergh (ERIN BROCKOVICH, TRAFFIC) and iconic screenwriter David Koepp (JURASSIC PARK, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE), PRESENCE awed audiences at Sundance, turning the classic ghost story inside out with its cinematic innovation and thrilling twists. A Neon release.

 

A REAL PAIN

dir. Jesse Eisenberg (USA/Poland), 2024

Academy Award nominee Jesse Eisenberg returns to HIFF with his sophomore film as a writer/director, in which mismatched cousins David (Eisenberg) and Benji (Emmy Award winner Kieran Culkin, Succession) reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd-couple’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. Featuring an unforgettable dynamic between Eisenberg and Culkin and a stellar supporting cast (including a wonderful Jennifer Grey), A REAL PAIN delivers a sharp yet poignant exploration of family ties, memory, and Jewish heritage. A Searchlight Pictures release.

 

THE ROOM NEXT DOOR

dir. Pedro Almodóvar (Spain), 2024

Celebrated auteur and HIFF Alum Pedro Almodóvar (JULIETA, PARALLEL MOTHERS) makes a splash with his English-language feature film debut. Ingrid (Academy Award winner Julianne Moore), an autofictional novelist, and Martha (Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton), a war reporter, reunite after years of estrangement. As they navigate an extreme but strangely sweet situation, the two women reflect on their lives and friendship. Based on Sigrid Nunez’s novel What Are You Going Through, and winner of the Venice FIlm Festival’s Golden Lion, THE ROOM NEXT DOOR showcases Almodóvar’s signature visual style, creating a colorful and lush character study on companionship. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

 

SATURDAY NIGHT

dir. Jason Reitman (USA), 2024

At 11:30pm on October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television – and culture – forever. Directed by Jason Reitman and written by Gil Kenan & Reitman, Saturday Night is based on the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Full of humor, chaos, and the magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, we count down the minutes in real time until we hear those famous words…(Note: the screening on 10/11 is the 49th anniversary of that fateful night.) A Sony Pictures release.

 

SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE

North American Premiere

dir. Tim Mielants (Ireland/Belgium), 2024

Devoted father Bill Furlong (Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy) works as a coal merchant to support his family. In the days leading up to Christmas, he discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent—and uncovers truths of his own—which force him to confront his past and the complicit silence of a small Irish town controlled by the Catholic Church. Based on Claire Keegan’s best-selling novel and anchored by a stunning performance by Murphy, Tim Mielants’ SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE elegantly captures a haunted man wrestling with his morality. A Lionsgate/Roadside release.

 

WE LIVE IN TIME

US Premiere

dir. John Crowley (UK/France), 2024

Recent divorcé Tobias (Tony Award winner Andrew Garfield) and gourmet chef Almut (Academy Award nominee Florence Pugh) meet in a surprise encounter that changes their lives. Through interwoven snapshots of their life together—falling for each other, building a home, becoming a family—a difficult truth reveals itself, rocking their foundation. As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they must learn to cherish each moment of their unconventional romance. Director John Crowley (BROOKLYN, 2015) returns to HIFF with this decade-spanning testament to the enduring nature of love, brought to vivid life by the magnetic chemistry between Garfield and Pugh. An A24 release.

 

 

AIR, LAND & SEA SIGNATURE PROGRAM

Sponsored by Dragon Hemp

 

THE LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN

New York Premiere

dir. Sue Kim (USA), 2024

Often called real-life mermaids, the haenyeo divers of South Korea’s Jeju Island are renowned for centuries of freediving to the ocean floor—without oxygen—to harvest seafood for their livelihood. Today, their way of life is in imminent danger from a changing climate and a modern world, but these fierce, funny and hardworking grandmothers refuse to give an inch, aided by a younger generation’s fight to revive their ancestral lifestyle through social media. Peering into what drives haenyeo young and old, THE LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN documents the women’s tight-knit friendships, savvy independence, and wonderfully infectious sense of empowerment. An Apple release.

 

NOCTURNES

dir. Anirban Dutta, Anupama Srinivasan (USA/India), 2024

In the dark of night, two curious observers shine a light on a secret universe – the nighttime lives of moths. Together, these scientists are on an expedition to decode these nocturnal creatures in a remote ecological “hot spot” on the border of India and Bhutan. The result transports audiences to a rarely-seen place and captures through rapturous visuals the stunning biodiversity of our natural world. Featuring unforgettable immersive sound design that won a Special Award for Craft at Sundance, NOCTURNES urges us all to look more closely at the hidden interconnections of nature and the whispered consequences of a changing climate. A Grasshopper Film release.

 

THE WHITE HOUSE EFFECT

New York Premiere

dir. Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk, Pedro Kos (USA), 2024

Spanning three decades, this documentary explores the drama that unfolded inside the George H.W. Bush administration after scientists made headlines by proclaiming that significant climate change was underway. THE WHITE HOUSE EFFECT investigates the nascent politicization of climate science, where industry power brokers held sway, in spite of ​​the public’s growing concerns and Bush’s environmentally-focused campaign promises. Using only archival materials, the film tells a harrowing story about the dangers of presidential power and how one man’s drive to remain in power over 30 years ago continues to shape our future and endanger the planet we call home.

 

 

COMPASSION, JUSTICE & ANIMAL RIGHTS SIGNATURE PROGRAM

Sponsored by Artemis Rising Foundation

 

AMERICAN CATS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE CUDDLY

US Premiere

dir. Todd Bieber (USA), 2024

This thought-provoking exposé (or expawsé) follows comedian Amy Hoggart (Full Frontal with Samantha Bee) as she dives into the controversial world of cat declawing in the United States. On the surface, it appears to be a simple, harmless surgery for the convenience of pet owners, but as Hoggart digs deeper, a disturbing nationwide conspiracy unfolds. Through interviews with veterinarians, activists, and pet owners, the documentary unveils a powerful industry lobby that profits from this cruel procedure. AMERICAN CATS challenges the ethical implications of our choices and calls for a nationwide reflection on our treatment of animals. It also has lots of jokes and cute kittens.

 

CHECKPOINT ZOO

dir. Joshua Zeman (USA/Ukraine), 2024

In the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, an animal sanctuary was caught in the crossfire, cut off from sufficient water and resources. Concerned for the welfare of the animals and the safety of nearby villages, a heroic team of zookeepers and volunteers risked their lives to achieve the impossible—evacuating thousands of animals trapped behind enemy lines. Featuring gripping footage from the rescue mission and firsthand accounts from those involved, Joshua Zeman’s CHECKPOINT ZOO is a tribute to the compassion and humanity that shine in the face of adversity and brutality, offering a powerful new perspective on the unintended consequences of war.

 

EVERY LITTLE THING

New York Premiere

dir. Sally Aitken (Australia), 2024

Winner of the US Documentary Festival Favorite Award at Sundance, EVERY LITTLE THING follows author and wildlife rehabber Terry Masear on her mission to single-handedly save every injured hummingbird in Los Angeles. With breathtakingly detailed cinematography, director Sally Aitken forges emotional connections with Terry’s avian patients, celebrating their small victories and lamenting their tiny tragedies. Through the eyes of America’s busiest bird rehabilitator, each bird becomes memorable, mighty, and heroic. Masear’s compassion and empathy serve as a shining reminder that in the smallest of acts, and in the most delicate of creatures, we all might find grace. A Kino Lorber release.

 

 

FILMS OF CONFLICT AND RESOLUTION SIGNATURE PROGRAM

Sponsored by Artemis Rising Foundation

 

ANTIDOTE

dir. James Jones (UK), 2024

This revelatory and chilling documentary follows three courageous subjects who have risked their lives to speak truth to power in Putin’s Russia: a whistleblower from inside Russia’s poison program as he attempts to escape; Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent political activist standing trial for treason with the support of his wife Evgenia; and Christo Grozev, the journalist exposing Putin’s murder machine, forced to go on the run himself. Emmy Award-winning filmmaker James Jones reveals the human cost of heroism in ANTIDOTE, with incredible access and insight into the lives of those fighting for change against a regime that will stop at nothing to maintain the status quo.

 

HOMEGROWN

New York Premiere

dir. Michael Premo (USA), 2024

In the summer of 2020, director Michael Premo follows three right-wing activists—a newly politicized father-to-be in New Jersey, an Air Force veteran organizing conservatives in New York City, and a charismatic activist from Texas—as they crisscross the country campaigning for Donald Trump and building a movement they hope will outlast him. When they become convinced that the election is stolen, they begin to organize with a new aim: taking their fight to the streets. Through startlingly intimate access to its subjects and riveting on-the-ground footage, HOMEGROWN seeks to understand the growing movement pushing American democracy to the brink.

 

LIONS OF MESOPOTAMIA

East Coast Premiere

dir. Lucian Read (USA), 2024

In 2007, during the bloodiest days of the civil war that developed in the wake of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Iraqi national soccer team defied all odds in their remarkable run towards the championship of the storied Asian Cup. Comprising the sons of sworn enemies, the national team came together to unite their country in its darkest hour. Reflecting back, the players share their two-decade journey to a victory only they believed was possible. Directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Lucian Read, this riveting untold story of war, football and redemption reminds us all that, even when all hope is lost, love and humanity can prevail.

 

PORCELAIN WAR

dir. Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev (Australia/USA/Ukraine)

Winner of the US Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, PORCELAIN WAR follows three Ukrainian artists who defiantly find beauty as they defend their culture and country. Amidst the chaos and destruction of the brutal Russian invasion, Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko, and Andrey Stefanov choose to stay behind, armed with their art, their cameras, and, for the first time in their lives, their guns. As the war intensifies, art and resistance intersect, and Andrey picks up his camera to document the delicate porcelain figurines that Anya and Slava create as a record of their idyllic past, uncertain present, and hope for Ukraine’s future.

*The film will also screen as part of the Documentary Competition lineup.

 

SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D’ETAT

dir. Johan Grimonprez (Belgium/France), 2024

United Nations, 1961: as the Global South ignites a political earthquake, the U.S. State Department sends jazz ambassador Louis Armstrong to the Congo to deflect attention from the CIA-backed coup. Jazz, colonialism, and espionage collide, constructing a riveting historical roller coaster that illuminates the political machinations behind the subsequent assassination of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba. Told entirely through interwoven archival material and featuring jazz icons and Cold War luminaries from Nina Simone to Nikita Khrushchev, Johan Grimonprez’s Sundance award-winning documentary brilliantly interrogates the intersection of radical art and global politics within colonial history to tell an urgent story highly resonant in today’s geopolitical climate. A Kino Lorber release.

 

 

VIEWS FROM LONG ISLAND

With support from the Suffolk County Film Commission

 

BARRON’S COVE

World Premiere

dir. Evan Ari Kelman (USA), 2024

Garrett Hedlund (MUDBOUND, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS) stars as a grieving father with a violent past who is shattered by the tragic death of his young son. Consumed with the need for answers, he kidnaps the child (Christian Convery) he believes is responsible for his son’s death, igniting a frenzied manhunt fueled by the kidnapped boy’s powerful politician father (Hamish Linklater). Writer/director Evan Ari Kelman’s twisty feature debut is a gripping thriller about a flawed father’s devotion to his son and the complicated nature of revenge.

 

CHRISTMAS EVE IN MILLER’S POINT

North American Premiere

dir. Tyler Taormina (USA), 2024

On Christmas Eve, the Balsano family gathers for what could be their last holiday in their ancestral home on Long Island. As the night wears on and generational tensions arise, teenager Emily (Matilda Fleming) and her cousin Michelle (Francesca Scorsese) sneak out with their friends to claim the wintry suburb for their own. In a comedy-drama packed to the brim with the glittering nostalgia of the holidays in the suburbs, director Tyler Taormina’s Cannes breakout hit weaves Christmas magic with a delightful ensemble cast, including Michael Cera, Maria Dizzia, Elsie Fisher, and Sawyer Spielberg. An IFC Films release.

 

THE PREMIERE

World Premiere

dirs. Sam Pezzullo, Christopher Bouckoms (USA), 2024

The feature debut from Sam Pezzullo and Christopher Bouckoms finds a fresh twist on the mockumentary format. Sam (Pezzullo himself) is a painfully narcissistic theater producer attempting to realize a delusional creative vision: a musical version of his favorite movie, SCREAM, staged at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, with an accompanying documentary chronicling what he believes will be an iconic journey. Along the way, he clashes with quirky characters played by beloved real-life locals, to awkward and outrageous results. Drawing inspiration from cringe comedy classics and crafted largely through improvisation, THE PREMIERE is a keen satire about the Hamptons with a biting love letter to the community at its core.

 

 

DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

Sponsored by Silvercup Studios

 

GRAND THEFT HAMLET

East Coast Premiere

dir. Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane (UK), 2024

Winner of the SXSW Jury Award, GRAND THEFT HAMLET captures the tenacity and innovation of a group of theater actors on a mission to share their art with the world when it has never felt more impossible. Out of work and stuck at home during the pandemic, Sam and Mark find an unexpected “public” space to hold their performances: the online digital world of Grand Theft Auto. The pair decide to stage a full production of Hamlet, embarking on a ridiculous, hilarious, and moving adventure as they clash with rogue gamers and discover surprising truths about life, human connection, and the enduring power of Shakespeare.

 

PORCELAIN WAR

dir. Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev (Australia/USA/Ukraine)

Winner of the US Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, PORCELAIN WAR follows three Ukrainian artists who defiantly find beauty as they defend their culture and country. Amidst the chaos and destruction of the brutal Russian invasion, Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko, and Andrey Stefanov choose to stay behind, armed with their art, their cameras, and, for the first time in their lives, their guns. As the war intensifies, art and resistance intersect, and Andrey picks up his camera to document the delicate porcelain figurines that Anya and Slava create as a record of their idyllic past, uncertain present, and hope for Ukraine’s future.

*The film will also screen as part of the Films of Conflict and Resolution Signature Program.

 

SPACE COWBOY

US Premiere

dir. Marah Strauch, Bryce Leavitt (USA), 2024

Skydiving cinematography pioneer Joe Jennings built a career capturing surreal, unbelievable images while plummeting mid-air. Now, at 62, he pushes his art to new extremes with one of his most daring stunts yet: the “flying car.” From extreme sports competitions to Super Bowl commercials and Hollywood blockbusters, Jennings opens up about his craft, his friendship with creative partner Rob Harris, and the shattering tragedy that changed the trajectory of his life. Directors Bryce Leavitt and Marah Strauch weave jaw-dropping archival footage with revelatory and touching interviews to uncover the challenge of balancing a life in the sky with the realities on the ground.

 

VIKTOR

US Premiere

dir. Olivier Sarbil (USA), 2024

Viktor, a young deaf man in Kharkiv, eagerly seeks purpose during the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A fan of samurai films and raised on stories of war, he dreams of joining the fight. When the army repeatedly denies his attempts to enlist, he embarks on a quest to find his place in the ongoing conflict. Directed by veteran war cinematographer Olivier Sarbil and one of the rare documentaries to premiere in TIFF’s prestigious Platform section, VIKTOR intricately weaves stunning black-and-white imagery with innovative sound design to interpret with profound veracity Viktor’s own experience of a war he cannot hear.

 

WALK WITH ME

World Premiere

dir. Heidi Levitt (USA), 2024

In 2019, casting director Heidi Levitt’s husband Charlie was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. As the symptoms crept in slowly, Levitt realized she had to do something to cope—to create a dialogue and to shed the stigma. She began filming. The resulting documentary depicts her family living with this disease and the ways in which it has irrevocably changed their lives without letting it define them. Levitt’s highly intimate approach captures how they cherish both the solid foundation they have built together and the generous community who walks with them. Ultimately, WALK WITH ME is a testament to the loving bonds that unite us even through the most challenging circumstances.

 

 

NARRATIVE COMPETITION

Sponsored by Silvercup Studios

 

ARMAND

North American Premiere

dir. Halfdan Ullman Tøndel (Norway/Netherlands/Sweden/Germany), 2024

When defamed actress Elisabeth (Renate Reinsve, THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD) is abruptly called into a parent-teacher meeting after hours, she is presented with scathing allegations against her son that trigger a tangled web of accusations between parents and faculty. As Elisabeth struggles to uncover the truth amid the empty school rooms and dark corridors, a chaotic fight for redemption arises where desire, madness and obsession prevail. In his debut feature, writer-director Halfdan Ullman Tøndel develops a gripping and surreal cinematic language that probes deeply into the human psyche. An IFC Films release.

 

GAZER

New York Premiere

dir. Ryan J. Sloan (USA), 2024

Frankie (Ariella Mastroianni) is a young mother with a rare condition that causes her to struggle to perceive time, forcing her to use self-recorded cassette tapes to help her navigate the world. Desperate to make ends meet in the middle of a tense custody battle, she takes a risky but high-paying job from a mysterious woman, unaware of the dark consequences that await. Shot on nights and weekends over two years, this paranoid Cannes thriller by first-time filmmaker Ryan J. Sloan and co-writer/star Mastroianni brings the neo-noir genre into wildly original new territory. A Metrograph Pictures release.

 

THE KINGDOM

North American Premiere

dir. Julien Colonna (France), 2024

Set in 1995 Corsica, 15-year-old Lesia’s (Ghjuvanna Benedetti) coming-of-age summer is interrupted when she must abruptly depart to the home of her crime boss father, Pierre-Paul (Saveriu Santucci). When danger erupts around them, she is forced to confront the role her father plays in a violent underground war now spinning out of control. Director Julien Colonna’s family crime drama gripped Cannes with his nuanced exploration of the parent-child bond. Thrillingly shot and deftly acted, THE KINGDOM tells the story of a family struggling to come together while the path they have chosen threatens to tear them apart. A Metrograph Pictures release.

 

VERMIGLIO

US Premiere

dir. Maura Delpero (Italy/Belgium/France), 2024

In Vermiglio, a high mountain village in the Italian Alps, World War II looms as a distant but constant threat. Lucia (Martina Scrinzi), the eldest daughter of the community’s schoolteacher, finds herself instantly drawn to the newly arrived refugee soldier Pietro (Giuseppe de Domenico). Before long, their bond disrupts her family’s quiet equilibrium forever. Told over the four seasons marking the end of the war, Maura Delpero’s enrapturing Venice premiere spills over with the warm imagery of a bygone time, as Lucia and her sisters seek their place in an irrevocably changed world. Winner of the Silver Lion Grand Jury Price at the Venice FIlm Festival.

 

WE STRANGERS

New York Premiere

dir. Anu Valia (USA), 2024

In Anu Valia’s enthralling feature directorial debut—developed in part at the HIFF Screenwriters Lab in 2018—the clever and adaptable Rayelle Martin (Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Killing Eve) accepts a new position as a housekeeper for wealthy clients. At first just an observer, Ray impulsively tells one small lie that fascinates her employers: she can speak to the dead. As Ray becomes entangled in her employers’ lives, she finds herself in odd and intoxicating positions of power. With a fresh voice and a keen eye, Valia has crafted a tense and provocative exploration of class and race in middle America.

 

 

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY

Sponsored by Artemis Rising Foundation

 

APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS

Petra Costa (Brazil/USA/Denmark), 2024

When does a democracy end, and a theocracy begin? Academy Award nominee Petra Costa’s (THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY) latest feature investigates the increasingly powerful grip of faith leaders over Brazil’s recent political turmoil. Costa gains extraordinary access to the country’s top political leaders, including President Lula, former President Bolsonaro, and Silas Malafaia, Brazil’s most famous televangelist, who played puppet master to the far-right leader. Weaving together past and present, APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS documents a time of profound confusion and despair with lucidity and a poetic eye.

 

BAD ACTOR: A HOLLYWOOD PONZI SCHEME

dir. David Darg (USA), 2024

Wannabe actor Zachary Horwitz moved to Los Angeles desperate to make it big as a movie star, but there was one thing stopping him: talent. Capitalizing on the dreams of others like himself seeking quick fame and fortune, Horwitz then launched what would become one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in American history. Through revelatory interviews with his victims and biting use of footage from his failed acting career, BAD ACTOR takes up the juicy true story of Horwitz’ rise and fall to articulate much deeper truths about the unexpected power of deception and denial. A NEON release.

 

BLINK

dir. Daniel Roher, Edmund Stenson (Canada/USA), 2024

When three of their four children are diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa—a rare, incurable disease that will eventually lead to severe visual impairment—the Pelletier family’s world is forever changed. Confronted with the impending challenges, the family of six embarks on a trip around the world, determined to see its wonders while they still can. As they fill their lives with breathtaking destinations and unforgettable encounters, their love and resilience prove that the uncertainty of their future does not define their present. From Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Roher (NAVALNY), BLINK tenderly captures one family’s heartfelt and undying spirit in the face of inevitable adversity. A National Geographic release.

 

CARVILLE: WINNING IS EVERYTHING, STUPID

dir. Matthew Tyrnauer (USA), 2024

Director Matthew Tyrnauer takes us on a deep dive into one of the most influential and combative political minds of our time. To truly understand the Ragin’ Cajun James Carville, we go from Bill Clinton’s stunning 1992 presidential upset up through Carville’s present-day efforts to shape the Democratic Party, in which he both takes on the ultra-progressive “woke” wing and aims to get Joe Biden to step aside—a high-stakes gambit that puts him at odds with the very establishment he helped build. Interwoven throughout is the unlikely love story of Carville and Mary Matalin—a union that defies political tribalism and offers a glimmer of hope in our highly polarized times. A CNN release.

 

DAHOMEY

dir. Mati Diop (Benin/France/Senegal), 2024

Winner of the Berlinale Golden Bear, HIFF alum Mati Diop (ATLANTIQUES, 2019) returns with her piercing and inventive documentary feature debut, following the restitution of twenty-six royal treasures of the Kingdom of Dahomey. Plundered by French colonial troops in 1892, these artifacts now make their way from Paris back to their country of origin, the present-day Republic of Benin. While the soul of the artifacts is freed, debate rages among students of the University of Abomey-Calavi, who explore how to adapt to these ancestors’ homecoming in a country that has had to forge ahead in their absence. A MUBI release.

 

THE DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL

US Premiere

dir. Pamela J. Hogan (Iceland/USA), 2024

In October 1975, the women of Iceland brought their country to a standstill, refusing to work, cook, or care for their children. Frustrated by unequal wages and labor conditions, they came together as a collective, demanding recognition and a better future. As we near the strike’s 50th anniversary, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Pamela Hogan shines a spotlight on this unprecedented act of civil disobedience, one that transformed Icelandic society and made it the “best place in the world to be a woman.” THE DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL blends playful animation with witty recollections from the movement’s activists, challenging us all to continue fighting for a truly equal world.

 

DAYTIME REVOLUTION

World Premiere

dir. Erik Nelson (USA), 2024

For one extraordinary week in February 1972, the revolution WAS televised when John Lennon and Yoko Ono co-hosted the massively popular Mike Douglas Show. John and Yoko invited a radical yet approachable vision of the future into the homes of everyday Americans through frank conversations with counterculture icons such as Chuck Berry, George Carlin, Yippie founder Jerry Rubin, Black Panther chairman Bobby Seale, and Ralph Nader. A document of the past that speaks to our turbulent present, DAYTIME REVOLUTION reminds us of art’s power to break down barriers, and the bravery of two artists who never took the easy way out as they fought for their dream of a better world. A Kino Lorber release.

 

ELIE WIESEL: SOUL ON FIRE

World Premiere

dir. Oren Rudavsky (USA), 2024

“Sometimes I’m afraid the tale might be forgotten. Sometimes I’m afraid it is forgotten already.” Told primarily through his own eloquent words, ELIE WIESEL: SOUL ON FIRE seeks to understand the man behind the searing and widely read memoir Night. Penetrating at the heart of the known and unknown, the film dives into the author’s legacy as one of the most influential survivors of the trauma of the Holocaust. With unique access to personal archives, original interviews, and hand-painted animation, Oren Rudavsky’s beautiful tribute illuminates Wiesel’s biography as a survivor, writer, and teacher.

 

I’M YOUR VENUS

dir. Kimberly Reed (USA), 2024

Venus Xtravaganza emerged as a global trans icon after being featured as a glamorous “ball walker” in the groundbreaking 1991 documentary PARIS IS BURNING. Before the film’s release, Venus was tragically murdered at the age of 23. Her killer was never found. Now, decades later, I’M YOUR VENUS picks up a trail gone cold as her two families— biological and ballroom— come together to honor her legacy, seek answers about her killing, and, in the process, find unexpected common ground. Kimberly Reed’s documentary is a fabulous celebration of Venus’ life and a testament to the power of the love of a chosen family in the ongoing fight for trans dignity and liberation.

 

The film will be preceded by a screening of the below short film:

 

SEAT 31: ZOOEY ZEPHYR

dir. Kimberly Reed (USA), 2024

After Zooey Zephyr’s expulsion from Montana’s Legislature for defending transgender medical care, she made a nearby bench her “office.”

 

LIZA: A TRULY TERRIFIC ABSOLUTELY TRUE STORY

dir. Bruce David Klein (USA), 2024

Bruce David Klein’s electrifying documentary focuses on the dazzling but complex period of Liza Minnelli’s life in the 1970s after the tragic death of her mother, Judy Garland. Over these years, Liza seeks out extraordinary mentors: Kay Thompson, Fred Ebb, Charles Aznavour, Halston, and Bob Fosse, who help her transform from a performer with boundless raw talent to a mature, beautifully polished triple-threat superstar and EGOT winner. Featuring heartwarming and insightful interviews from the icon herself, LIZA: A TRULY TERRIFIC ABSOLUTELY TRUE STORY celebrates her influence on fashion, nightlife, art, and culture—cementing her status as an undeniable living legend.

 

A MAN WITH SOLE: THE IMPACT OF KENNETH COLE

World Premiere

dir. Dori Berinstein (USA), 2024

More than just a global fashion icon, footwear designer Kenneth Cole has put cause before commerce for 40 years, driven by heart and ‘sole.’ Undoubtedly a trendsetter, Cole inspired and mobilized cultural norms and perceptions for the better as a pioneer of corporate social action; he advocated for social causes—from HIV/AIDS and homelessness to LGBTQIA+ rights and mental health—through his groundbreaking advertising campaigns. Featuring a treasure trove of archival footage and interviews with fashion leaders, global scientists, and longtime collaborators, Tony and Emmy Award winner Dori Bernstein celebrates Cole’s enduring legacy of combining style with social conscience.

 

A NEW KIND OF WILDERNESS

dir. Silje Evensmo Jacobsen (Norway), 2024

Winner of the Sundance World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize, A NEW KIND OF WILDERNESS follows the remarkable journey of the Payne family as they seek a wild and free existence in harmony with nature on a small farm in the Norwegian forest. When tragedy unexpectedly strikes, it upends their idyllic world and forces them to forge a new path into modern society. Through the Paynes’ triumphs and struggles, Silje Evensmo Jacobsen crafts an intimate and soulful portrait that invites reflection on our own life choices, our responsibility to the planet and our children, and how we navigate life after loss.

 

NORMAN/NORMAN

World Premiere

dir. Gabrielle Blackwood, Charles Warburton (USA/Jamaica), 2024

Norman, a doting father raising four daughters with his loving wife in New Jersey, carries an unresolved pain—as a child, he witnessed the brutal murder of his mother. Now, 30 years later, Norman travels to Jamaica to confront the murderer: his own father. Weaving together intimate verité footage with probing interviews, co-directors Gabrielle Blackwood and Charles Warburton follow one man’s journey to piece together the truth behind the tragic crime that shaped him. Insightful, moving, and empathetic, NORMAN/NORMAN offers a complex exploration of guilt, reconciliation, and the transformative power of forgiveness.

 

RED FEVER

New York Premiere

dir. Neil Diamond, Catherine Bainbridge (Canada), 2024

In the witty and entertaining RED FEVER, Cree co-director Neil Diamond sets out to expose the profound yet hidden Indigenous influence on Western culture and identity, asking one simple question: why do they love us so much? His search to explain this fascination with stereotypical imagery of Native people takes him across pop culture and modern society – from fashion to sports, from summer camps to democracy. Diamond’s playful and revelatory investigation both brings to light histories of appropriation and oppression and celebrates the undeniable influence of Indigenous cultures in today’s world. A Les Films du 3 Mars release.

 

SABBATH QUEEN

dir. Sandi DuBowski (USA), 2024

Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie is torn between rejecting and embracing his destiny—he is the dynastic heir of 38 generations of Orthodox rabbis, including the Chief Rabbis of Israel, but also a drag-queen rebel and founder of Lab/Shul, an everybody-friendly, artist-driven, experimental congregation. When he decides to return to conservative rabbinical school, he embarks on a quest to reconcile the radical and traditional aspects of his religion and identity. Weaving together a wealth of fascinating footage filmed over 21 years, director Sandi DuBowski empathetically captures Amichai’s epic journey to discover what it means to be Jewish in a rapidly changing 21st century.

 

SECRET MALL APARTMENT

New York Premiere

dir. Jeremy Workman (USA), 2024

Directed by Jeremy Workman (LILY TOPPLES THE WORLD, SummerDocs 2021) and executive produced by Jesse Eisenberg, SECRET MALL APARTMENT follows eight Rhode Islanders who surreptitiously created an apartment inside the Providence Place Mall in 2003. Living in it for four years—and filming everything along the way—they snuck in furniture, tapped into the mall’s electricity, and even constructed a wall, using over 2 tons of cinderblock they smuggled in. Far more than just a wild prank, the secret apartment became a deeply meaningful place for its inhabitants—a personal expression of defiance against local gentrification, a clubhouse to coordinate artistic charity, and finally, a 750-square foot “F you” to The Man.

 

SEPARATED

North American Premiere

dir. Errol Morris (USA), 2024

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Errol Morris confronts one of the darkest chapters in recent American history: family separations at the US-Mexico border. Based on Jacob Soboroff’s book Separated: Inside an American Tragedy, Morris merges bombshell interviews with government officials and artful narrative vignettes to trace one migrant family’s plight, revealing that the cruelty at the heart of this policy was its very purpose. Morris confronts the U.S. government’s role in this unthinkable violation of human rights, speaks for the hundreds of families that remain separated years later, and warns that the country is on the verge of allowing it all to happen again.

 

WHATEVER IT TAKES

New York Premiere

dir. Jenny Carchman (USA/UK), 2024

In 2019, a middle-aged couple were subjected to cyberstalking and bizarre deliveries of disturbing packages. As the harassment escalated, the police and FBI closed in on a Silicon Valley giant and some very unlikely suspects. WHATEVER IT TAKES recounts the alarming events in which a Fortune 500 company resorted to drastic criminal lengths to protect its CEO from a corporate raider—despite the company’s founding principle that “people are basically good.” Five-time Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker Jenny Carchman (ONE NATION UNDER DOG, HIFF 2012) tackles this shocking true crime story, exposing the disintegration of ethics in the tech industry and challenging corporate America to confront its own dark underbelly.

 

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ALLEE WILLIS

New York Premiere

dir. Alexis Spraic (USA), 2024

Shaped by her Jewish upbringing in the heart of Motown, award-winning songwriter/artist Allee Willis’s offbeat individuality made her an icon of 1980s Los Angeles, from star-studded parties at her real-life Pee-Wee’s Playhouse to her prolific career penning some of the most iconic pop songs of our time. But beneath the cacophony of prints and colors and her signature asymmetrical haircut, Allee struggled to accept her own queerness. She buried herself in her work, until true love pushed her to manifest her ultimate masterpiece: self-acceptance. Vibrant and touching, director Alexis Spraic’s film features revelatory interviews with some of Allee’s wide circle of iconic friends, including Paul Reubens, Lily Tomlin, Cyndi Lauper and Patti LaBelle. A Magnolia Films release.

 

ZURAWSKI V TEXAS

East Coast Premiere

dir. Maisie Crow, Abbie Perrault (USA), 2024

Three women who were denied critical care under Texas’s ambiguous and unforgiving abortion laws band together with the Center for Reproductive Rights to sue the state of Texas. While battling in court against the state and its immovable Attorney General, their traumatic experiences are revealed publicly as they wrestle to regain their reproductive rights and set a precedent for millions of other women and families. Directed by Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault, ZURAWSKI V TEXAS reveals the dire impact of losing access to healthcare—and the extraordinary efforts of the women and men fighting on the frontline for all Americans.

 

 

WORLD CINEMA NARRATIVE

Sponsored by Sotheby’s

 

ADULT BEST FRIENDS

dir. Delaney Buffett (USA), 2024

Delaney and Katie (writer/director Delaney Buffett and co-writer Katie Corwin) have had an intensely close bond since childhood, but as they enter their 30s, Delaney expects their fun and wild times to continue, while Katie is ready to settle down. When Katie’s boyfriend proposes, she plans a nostalgic trip to their childhood beach town to break the news to Delaney, leading to a whirlwind of hilarious and bizarre encounters. Funny, fresh, and full of heart, ADULT BEST FRIENDS is the first feature from the duo, who drew from their own relationship to capture the joy of life with a best friend and the angst of potentially growing apart.

 

ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT

dir. Payal Kapadia (France/India/Netherlands/Luxembourg), 2024

Winner of this year’s Cannes Grand Prix, director Payal Kapadia’s mesmerizing second feature follows Mumbai nurse Prabha (Kani Kusruti), whose routine is interrupted when she receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband. Meanwhile, her younger roommate Anu (Divya Prabha) tries in vain to find a clandestine spot in the city to be intimate with her Muslim boyfriend. When the two women embark on a trip to a beach town, they find space for their unspoken desires to manifest. Featuring delicate, enchanting cinematography and breakout performances from Kusruti and Prabha, ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT provides a dreamlike exploration of sisterhood and intimacy in an urbanized world. A Sideshow/Janus release.

 

BOB TREVINO LIKES IT

New York Premiere

dir. Tracie Laymon (USA), 2024

Lily Trevino (Barbie Ferreira, Euphoria) longs for familial connection, having been abandoned by her erratic and self-centered father Bob (French Stewart). When Lily stumbles across another Bob Trevino (Emmy Award winner John Leguizamo) online who is as lonely as she is, the two strike up an unexpected friendship that quickly becomes a vital source of healing in both their lives. Based on writer/director Tracie Laymon’s own story, and winner of the Narrative Feature Jury and Audience Awards at SXSW, BOB TREVINO LIKES IT is a funny and tender testament to the extraordinary power of small acts of kindness when you least expect them. A Roadside Attractions Pictures release.

 

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO

US Premiere

dir. Matthieu Delaporte, Alexandre De La Patellière (France), 2024

The target of a sinister plot, young Edmond Dantès (Pierre Niney), is arrested on his wedding day for a crime he did not commit. After fourteen years in an island prison, he manages a daring escape and claims the legendary treasure hidden on the isle of Monte Cristo. Now wealthy beyond his dreams, he hatches an extraordinary plan to exact vengeance on the three men who betrayed him. Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre De La Patellière’s epic Cannes adaption of Alexandre Dumas’ adventure novel delivers nonstop thrills with rapturous flair. A Samuel Goldwyn Films release.

 

FLOW

East Coast Premiere

dir. Gints Zilbalodis (Latvia/France/Belgium), 2024

Cat is a solitary animal who relies upon himself for survival in an abandoned world teeming with the remnants of a human presence. When his home is devastated by a great flood that threatens the entire world, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species. Despite their differences, the animals work together to sail through mystical overflowing landscapes, navigating the challenges and dangers of adapting to this new world. Through charming, expressive, and visually enrapturing 3D animation, director Gints Zilbalodis stunned audiences at Cannes with this heartwarming tale of friendship, teamwork, and adventure. A Sideshow/Janus release.

 

THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE

US Premiere

dir. Magnus von Horn (Denmark/Poland/Sweden), 2024

Young pregnant factory worker Karoline (Vic Carmen Sonne) navigates the bleak labor conditions of post-World War I Denmark. To escape poverty, she takes on a job as a wet nurse for a charismatic woman (Trine Dyrholm, QUEEN OF HEARTS) who runs an underground adoption agency helping poor mothers find foster homes for their unwanted infants—only to discover a devastating secret. Based on the true story behind one of the most infamous murder trials in Danish history, THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE wields stark black-and-white cinematography and gripping performances to deliver a tense interrogation of what it takes to survive the harshness of the human world. A MUBI release.

 

HIGH TIDE

New York Premiere

dir. Marco Calvani (USA), 2024

Lourenço (Marco Pigossi), a Brazilian immigrant whose visa is expiring, is heartbroken and adrift when his American boyfriend unexpectedly leaves him in Provincetown, MA. While doing odd jobs at the house of a local artist (Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei), his once hopeful future dims into a state of limbo. When he meets handsome vacationer Maurice (James Bland), they form an unexpected connection that challenges them both to reconcile their uncertain paths. With the visual magic of the seaside community as his backdrop, director Marco Calvani crafts a touching and intimate story of heartbreak, companionship, and self-discovery. A Strand Releasing release.

 

I’M STILL HERE

dir. Walter Salles (Brazil/France), 2024

Legendary Brazilian auteur Walter Salles’ (CENTRAL STATION, THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES) first narrative feature in over a decade follows the close-knit Paiva family in 1971 Rio de Janeiro as they navigate the tightening grip of a military dictatorship. When a violent and arbitrary act by the government threatens their life together, Eunice (a stirring Fernanda Torres) must reinvent herself to lead her family into a new reality. Based on the autobiographical book of the same name by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, I’M STILL HERE brings to light an obscured, painful chapter in Brazil’s history with remarkable resilience, empathy, and strength. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

 

JAZZY

dir. Morrisa Maltz (USA), 2024

Morrisa Maltz’s (THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY) latest feature captures childhood friendship’s euphoric highs and familiar lows, as Jazzy navigates the challenges of growing up with her peers in South Dakota. Filmed over six years and based on real stories from its two young leads (Jasmine Bearkiller Shangreux and Syriah Fool Head Means), the film follows Jazzy and Syriah as they deal with family tensions and dramatic changes in their friendship, including Syriah eventually moving away. Executive produced by Academy Award nominee Lily Gladstone and the Duplass brothers, JAZZY is a breezy and loving portrait of girlhood.

 

The film will be preceded by a screening of the below short film:

 

WINDING PATH

New York Premiere

dir. Alexandra Lazarowich, Ross Kauffman (USA), 2024
WINDING PATH follows 28-year-old Jenna Murray, who is Eastern Shoshone, and her journey through medical school as she copes with the death of her grandfather.

 

JULIE KEEPS QUIET

US Premiere

dir. Leonardo Van Dijl (Belgium/Sweden), 2024

As the star player at an elite Belgian tennis academy, Julie’s (Tessa Van de Broeck) life revolves around the game she loves. When her coach falls under investigation and is suddenly suspended, all of the club’s players are encouraged to speak up—but Julie decides to keep quiet. In his feature debut, Leonardo Van Dijl deftly crafts a tense and probing exploration of a teenage girl struggling with gender and power dynamics on and off the tennis court. Winner of a screenwriting prize at Cannes’ Critic Week, JULIE KEEPS QUIET is a masterclass in restraint, revealing just enough to depict Julie’s sometimes painful silence as a potentially vital means of survival.

 

LOS FRIKIS

New York Premiere

dir. Michael Schwartz, Tyler Nilson (USA), 2024

In 1990s Cuba, 18-year-old Gustavo (Eros de la Puente) idolizes his rebellious older brother Paco (Héctor Medina) and his punk bandmates. To escape their extreme poverty, they do the now unthinkable: deliberately inject themselves with HIV in order to live at a well-funded government-run sanatorium. There, they discover an unexpected utopia of ice cream, rock and roll, and freedom, run by the passionate nurse Maria (Adria Arjona, HIT MAN). Directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz (THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON) and inspired by true events, LOS FRIKIS is a powerful coming-of-age story that skillfully balances a youthful spirit of hope, the instability of an uncertain future, and an unwavering brotherly love.

 

LOVEABLE

US Premiere

dir. Lilja Ingolfsdottir (Norway), 2024

Years after a whirlwind romance, Maria (Helga Guren) finds herself lost and confused when her husband (Oddgeir Thunn) says that he wants a divorce. As she struggles to understand what went wrong, everyone around her—her ex, her children, and even her mother—indicate a truth she tries not to face: that the problem was herself. Featuring an outstanding, vulnerable performance from Guren, which earned her the Best Actress Award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, LOVEABLE is an introspective and ultimately empowering journey of self-knowledge, growth, and the complexities of womanhood.

 

MEMOIR OF A SNAIL

New York Premiere

dir. Adam Elliot (Australia), 2024

Grace (Emmy Award winner Sarah Snook, Succession) is a bookish misfit with an affinity for collecting ornamental snails. After being separated from her twin brother Gilbert (Academy Award nominee Kodi Smit-McPhee), her depression spirals. Inspiration emerges when she starts an enduring friendship with Pinky (Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver), an elderly eccentric with grit and a lust for life. Academy Award winner Adam Elliot’s (MARY AND MAX) latest stop-motion masterpiece MEMOIR OF A SNAIL is a poignant and sweet chronicle of an outsider finding her confidence and silver linings amongst the clutter of everyday life. An IFC Films release.

 

MISTURA

East Coast Premiere

dir. Ricardo de Montreuil (Peru), 2024

In 1960s Lima, the glamorous life of a privileged Franco-Peruvian woman, Norma (Barbara Mori), unravels after her husband leaves her for another woman, ostracizing her from elite society. Facing financial ruin, she decides to open an exclusive French restaurant in her home. After a lukewarm response, she embarks on a transformative culinary journey that challenges societal norms with the help of her newfound allies from the communities she was raised to disregard. Ricardo de Montreuil’s MISTURA deliciously celebrates Peru’s remarkably diverse cuisine and people.

 

A NICE INDIAN BOY

dir. Roshan Sethi (USA), 2024

While worshiping at a temple, soft-spoken doctor Naveen (Karan Soni) meets Jay (Tony Award winner Jonathan Groff), a white man adopted by Indian parents. When Naveen finally brings Jay home to meet his family as his fiancé, they must contend with accepting his white artist boyfriend and help the couple plan the Indian wedding of their dreams. Through comic misunderstandings, frank fights, and emotional revelations, Roshan Sethi creates a sweetly hilarious and moving portrait of an unexpected couple finding each other and a family attempting to reconcile their expectations and beliefs with the love they have for one another.

 

ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL

dir. Rungano Nyoni (Zambia/UK/Ireland), 2024

Driving home in the middle of the night, Shula (Susan Chardy) stumbles across the body of her uncle lying in the middle of the road. As elaborate funeral proceedings fall into motion around her, she reconnects with her cousins to unearth the buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family. Writer/director Rungano Nyoni’s (BAFTA Award Winner, I AM NOT A WITCH) surreal and vibrant sophomore feature captures the clash between tradition and modernity in this sharply funny and ultimately stirring reckoning with the lies we tell ourselves. An A24 release.

 

SANTOSH

New York Premiere

dir. Sandhya Suri (UK), 2024

A young widow now desperate to support herself, Santosh (Shahanna Goswam) accepts an opportunity to inherit her late husband’s job as a police officer in the rural badlands of India. Quickly taken under the wing of a charismatic and commanding older female inspector, she begins an investigation into a brutal murder that plunges her into a gritty underworld of crime and corruption. Driven by an astonishing lead performance, this immersive and layered Cannes drama confronts the temptation to become complicit in a broken law enforcement system. A Metrograph Pictures release.

 

THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG

dir. Mohammad Rasoulof (Iran/France/Germany), 2024

In Tehran, Iman’s (Missagh Zareh) exemplary family is tested by the dramatic events following a young woman’s death in police custody. When Iman is appointed as an investigating judge in Tehran, the entire family is thrust into the public eye. As political unrest erupts in the streets, Iman realizes that his job is even more dangerous than expected, making him increasingly paranoid and distrustful, even of his own wife and daughters. Shot entirely in secret from the government it criticizes, Mohammad Rasoulof’s multiple Cannes prize-winning thriller powerfully captures the clash of modern and traditional values in the face of Iran’s punishing political climate. A NEON release.

 

TO A LAND UNKNOWN

New York Premiere

dir. Mahdi Fleifel (UK/Palestine/France/Greece/Netherlands/Germany/Qatar/Saudi Arabia), 2024

Refugees Chatila (Mahmood Bakri) and Reda (Aram Sabbagh) exist in limbo in Athens, committing petty crimes to pay for fake passports to get into the EU. When Reda’s drug addiction loses them their hard-earned savings, Chatila hatches a risky plan: pose as smugglers to take advantage of people just like themselves. At first, their dream has never felt more possible, but the desperation they seek to exploit soon unlocks new dangers. Palestinian-Danish director Mahdi Fleifel’s debut narrative feature premiered to acclaim at Cannes, revealing through gripping storytelling and tender relationships the profound cost of the loss of a homeland.

 

WAVES

US Premiere

dir. Jiří Mádl (Czech Republic/Slovak Republic), 2024

Amidst the chaos of the Prague Spring in 1968, young technician Tomáš (Vojtěch Vodochodský) begins working at Czechoslovak Radio alongside a group of dedicated journalists broadcasting evidence of Communist censorship.  These brazen actions catch the attention of the insidious secret police, who pressure Tomáš to deliver intel on his coworkers in order to protect his rebellious younger brother. Winner of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Audience Award and based on true events, Jiří Mádl’s engrossing political thriller illustrates the inherent risks of resistance in the face of oppression.

 

 

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

 

GET SHORTY

dir. Barry Sonnenfeld (USA), 1995

When Chili Palmer (John Travolta), a charismatic Miami loan shark, is sent to Los Angeles to collect a debt from film producer Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman), he is immediately captivated by Hollywood. Determined to break into showbiz, Chili leverages his mob connections to produce a movie, navigating a colorful array of characters, including a B-movie actress (Rene Russo), a struggling actor (Danny DeVito), and rival gangsters. Blending sharp wit with crime drama, this 1995 Golden Globe Best Picture nominee offers a satirical look at the film industry. An MGM release. Screening in conjunction with Morning Talk with director Barry Sonnenfeld on October 6.

 

SING SING

dir. Greg Kwedar (USA), 2023

Divine G (Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo), imprisoned at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison for a crime he didn’t commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre crew with other inmates. When a wary outsider (Clarence Maclin, playing himself) joins the group, the men decide to stage their first original comedy. Based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program and starring an unforgettable ensemble cast of formerly incarcerated actors, this SXSW Audience Award Winner tells a story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art. An A24 release. Clarence Maclin will receive the Breakthrough Performer Award at this screening.

 

 

NARRATIVE SHORT FILM COMPETITION

 

BEAUTIFUL MEN

New York Premiere

dir. Nicolas Keppens (Belgium/France/Netherlands), 2024

Three brothers travel to Istanbul to get hair transplants. Away from their daily lives, their insecurities and interpersonal tensions rise to the surface.

 

FAVOURS

New York Premiere

dir. Agnes Skonare (Sweden), 2024

In a busy train station, Sonja desperately looks for the mother of an unattended baby.

 

IMMACULATA

North American Premiere

dir. Kim Lêa Sakkal (Germany/France), 2024

Derya is pregnant, but she hasn’t had sex. In the height of a dry summer, signs of the supernatural and the divine emerge, questioning the true origin of her mysterious pregnancy.

 

L’AVANCE

New York Premiere

dir. Djiby Kebe (France), 2024

After selling a painting of his dead mother to a respected collector, Ailou must contend with the hidden costs of this exchange.

 

THE MAN WHO COULD NOT REMAIN SILENT

East Coast Premiere

dir. Nebojša Slijepčević (Croatia/France/Bulgaria/Slovenia), 2024

February 27, 1993, Strpci, Bosnia and Herzegovina. A paramilitary operation intent on ethnic cleansing stops a full train, where one man decides to stand up for his beliefs.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM COMPETITION

 

MARUNGKA TJALATJUNU (DIPPED IN BLACK)

dir. Matthew Thorne, Derik Lynch (Australia), 2023

Yankunytjatjara man Derik Lynch road trips back home to his remote Anangu Community (Aputula) for spiritual healing, as memories from his childhood return.

 

PERCEBES

US Premiere

dir. Alexandra Ramires, Laura Gonçalves (Portugal/France), 2024

With the sea and urban Algarve as the backdrop, we follow the complete life cycle of a special shellfish called percebes, the goose barnacle.

 

PERFECTLY A STRANGENESS

US Premiere

dir. Alison McAlpine (Canada), 2024

In the dazzling incandescence of an unknown desert, three donkeys discover both an abandoned astronomical observatory and the universe.

 

SOL BÉNI

dir. Maky Margaridis, Tristan Feres (Belgium), 2024

Faced with the prospect of an impending farewell, two friends reunite on the soccer field where they grew up.

 

UNTIL HE’S BACK

New York Premiere

dir. Jacqueline Baylon (Morocco/Spain), 2023

After learning that his son has died at sea trying to reach Spain, a Moroccan man must find a way to get his son’s remains back home for a proper goodbye.

 

 

NEW YORK WOMEN IN FILM & TELEVISION: FILMMAKERS CALLING THE SHOTS

 

AS LONG AS WE CAN

New York Premiere

dir. Kristy Guevara-Flanagan (USA), 2024

Experience a day in the life of an Arizona reproductive health clinic trying to navigate the turbulent aftermath of the 2022 Dobbs decision.

 

BORDER CROSS

International Premiere

dir. Ilja Willems, Remco Bikkers (Netherlands), 2023

Dr. Corine Stern believes everyone deserves dignity in death, including those who die while attempting to cross the border.

 

CURA SANA

US Premiere

dir. Lucía G. Romero (Spain), 2024

During a routine trip to the food stamp office, two sisters in a situation of domestic violence begin to treat each other with love instead of anger.

 

INTERCEPTION: JAYNE KENNEDY – AMERICAN SPORTSCASTER

dir. Safiya Songhai (USA), 2024

The true story of Jayne Kennedy, the first Black woman in American sportscasting.

 

SHÉ (SNAKE)

New York Premiere

dir. Renee Zhan (UK), 2023

Fei, a 16-year-old British-Chinese girl, is the top violinist in an elite youth orchestra, but when a Chinese violinist arrives to challenge her position, Fei’s anxieties take monstrous physical form.

 

THE SOLACE OF SISTERHOOD

dir. Anna Andersen, Geneva Peschka (USA), 2023

The Caramel Curves are an all-Black female biker crew in New Orleans that defies societal norms by embracing their multifaceted identities.

 

 

UNIVERSITY SHORT FILMS SHOWCASE

 

BUG DINER

dir. Phoebe Jane Hart (USA), 2023

A dissatisfied marriage, a secret crush, and workplace fantasies come to a head in a diner run by a mole with a hot ass. (Warning: adult content.)

 

MY MORNING

World Premiere

dir. Liav Tamuz (Israel), 2024

On a chaotic and violent morning, Dana balances keeping her son safe while repelling her husband’s aggressive behavior.

 

PRAEIS

North American Premiere

dir. Dovydas Drakšas (Lithuania/UK), 2024

The daughter of a cigarette smuggler reevaluates the memories of her father, questioning the childhood myth she built around him and getting to know him anew.

 

TORNADO

World Premiere

dir. Jack Kendrick (USA), 2023

A struggling contractor risks his young sons’ wellbeing to cut a sweet deal.

 

THE TRUCK

East Coast Premiere

dir. Elizabeth Rao (USA), 2024

In the heat of young love, a Chinese-American 17-year-old traverses her rural town in post-Roe America in search of the morning after pill.

 

 

ZOOM! SHORTS FOR ALL AGES

 

AN ALMOST CHRISTMAS STORY

World Premiere

dir. David Lowery (USA), 2023

Moon, a curious young owl, unexpectedly finds himself in a Christmas tree destined for Rockefeller Plaza. Determined to make his way home, he embarks on an adventure full of magic and unlikely friendships.

 

BATTERY MOMMY

dir. Seungbae Jeon (South Korea), 2023

When Battery Mommy discovers that the Christmas tree is on fire at the children’s nursery where she works, she rushes to the rescue…

 

FILANTE

North American Premiere

dir. Marion Jamault (France), 2024

Paulette wishes upon a shooting star, hoping to find her mysteriously missing pet rat.

 

HAM

dir. Rudy Martinez (USA), 2023

Ham is the first chimp in space!

 

I ADOPT YOU! “PEDRO AND KUKY”

North American Premiere

dir. Maria Rosario Carlino, Ita Romero (Argentina/Chile/Colombia), 2023

When the reserve near his house is on fire, Pedro finds a scared dog and takes her home. While it isn’t easy to convince his parents, Kuky stays and the two become best friends.

 

MY NAME IS EDGAR AND I HAVE A COW

dir. Filip Diviak (Czech Republic), 2023

Edgar leads an utterly predictable life, spending his days nurturing his favorite plant, saving up for a new car and keeping his beloved mother company. After he witnesses the birth of a calf, nothing is the same.

 

THE SOUND COLLECTOR

dir. Chris Tichborne, Barry Purves (UK), 2023

Despite the fact that he is very hard of hearing, the Sound Collector spends his days discovering and using new sounds that he finds on his adventures.

 

THREE HARES

US Premiere

dir. Paloma Baeza (USA/UK), 2024

A mystical origin story of the ancient three hares, who must remind mankind to respect the earth in order to protect their future.

 

THREE TREES

dir. M.R. Horhager, Aaron Hong (Canada), 2023

Three trees grow and change over the course of a full year, with each of the trees experiencing the new seasons in their own unique way.

 

THE TORNADO OUTSIDE

dir. Maria Tomazou (UK), 2023

Anna lives in a perfect house, but on the edge of a tornado. When she ventures outside, she is forced to face the chaos.

 

 

STICKY SITUATIONS SHORTS

 

IS NOW A GOOD TIME

New York Premiere

dir. Jim Cummings (USA), 2024

A Marvel employee attends to the dying wish of a young child.

 

JANE AUSTEN’S PERIOD DRAMA

dir. Julia Aks, Steve Pinder (USA), 2023

In this totally unique “period drama” set in England in 1813, the arrival of a young woman’s period interrupts an engagement.

 

SAY HI AFTER YOU DIE

dir. Kate Jean Hollowell (USA), 2023

When her best friend dies, a young woman sees the reincarnation of her lost friend in the form of a portapotty.

 

TERMINALLY ILL

dir. Christopher J. Cole (USA), 2023

At his grandmother’s deathbed, a rapper engages in a mad-cap freestyle to prevent her passing.

 

WANDER TO WONDER

New York Premiere

dir. Nina Gantz (Netherlands/France/Belgium/UK), 2023

After the creator of an ‘80s kids’ TV series dies, the stars Mary, Billybud, and Fumbleton are left alone in the studio. Struggling to survive, they continue to make increasingly strange episodes for their fans.

 

WOACA

East Coast Premiere

dir. Mackenzie Davis (UK), 2023

Things go terribly wrong in one woman’s quest to reverse the signs of aging.

 

 

BETWEEN HERE AND THERE SHORTS

DREAMS LIKE PAPER BOATS

dir. Samuel Suffren (Haiti), 2024

Since his wife left five years ago, Edouard has been living in Port-au-Prince with his daughter Zara. After years of absence, what can we expect from a distant love?

 

MARION

dir. Finn Constantine, Joe Weiland (UK/FRANCE), 2024

Marion, the only female bull jumper in France, prepares for her performance in a packed arena.

 

MUNA

New York Premiere

dir. Warda Mohamed (UK), 2023

British-Somali teen Muna is desperate to go on the school trip—to have fun with her mates, escape the monotony of her household and provide the greatest playlist of all time. But her parents aren’t so sure.

 

TRAPPED

East Coast Premiere

dir. Sam Cutler-Kreutz, David Cutler-Kreutz (USA), 2024

A high school janitor runs into an unending series of obstacles.

WHAT YOU LEFT IN THE DITCH

dir. Tucker Bliss (USA), 2024

In this dark comedy about empathy and unspoken vanity, a woman is forced to face the lack of her attraction to her husband when he returns from war without lips.

 

BODILY FREEDOMS SHORTS

 

A BODY CALLED LIFE

dir. Spencer MacDonald (USA/Poland/Switzerland), 2023

A self-isolated young human known as “James” delves into the hidden world of microscopic organisms as he seeks to understand his own place in the cosmos and accept the scars of his past.

 

EQUAL PLAY

East Coast Premiere

dir. Lily Ahree Siegel (UK), 2024

Equal Play delves into the lives of disabled youth, uncovering the transformative power that sports can wield.

 

HELLO STRANGER

New York Premiere

dir. Amélie Hardy (Canada), 2024

Between loads of laundry at the corner laundromat, Cooper shares the story of her gender reassignment journey.

 

THE PUZZLE PALACE

New York Premiere

dir. Jenny Schweitzer Bell, Brian Bell (USA), 2023

In a Boca suburb, a couple retire into a second marriage of freedom, play, and the world’s largest puzzle collection.

 

A SWIM LESSON

East Coast Premiere

dir. Rashida Jones, Will McCormack (USA), 2023

Watching Bill Marsh teach children how to swim is like witnessing a great opera, one filled with intense agony and ecstasy, absurdism, fear, hope, despair, joy, connection, love, some vomit, and lots of belching.

 

 

AIR ,LAND, AND SEA SHORTS PROGRAM

 

THE FLY COLLECTORS

dir. Jeff Arak (Senegal/Niger/USA), 2023

A group of men in Senegal volunteer as human bait to catch flies that carry a parasite that once blinded hundreds of thousands of people throughout Africa.

 

SEAWEED STORIES

World Premiere

dir. Jake Sumner (Indonesia/South Korea/USA), 2024

Narrated by Forest Whitaker, this is a vibrant, global look at the wonders of seaweed and some of the extraordinary stories and characters orbiting this miraculous marine plant.

 

SLUDGE: A PFAS UPRISING

dir. Jeffrey Christian (USA), 2023

Doing the right thing cost them everything: farmers speak up about “forever chemicals” that poison their land, water, and livestock.

 

TERRA MATER

dir. Kantarama Gahigiri (Rwanda / Switzerland), 2023

An exploration of the impact of technology and waste on the land.

 

 

CONFLICT AND RESOLUTION SHORTS PROGRAM

 

DEATH BY NUMBERS

World Premiere

dir. Kim A Snyder (USA), 2024

Four years after being shot with an AR-15 in her high school, Samantha Fuentes reckons with existential questions of hatred and justice as she prepares to confront her shooter.

 

THE QUILTERS

New York Premiere

dir. Jenifer McShane (USA), 2024

THE QUILTERS follows a men’s quilting group inside a maximum security prison as they create personalized quilts for local foster children.

 

 

VIEWS FROM LONG ISLAND SHORTS PROGRAM

 

FARTHER

International Premiere

dir. Drew Maloney (USA), 2023

Lori King, Amanda Fenner, and a dedicated team of friends conquered a challenging, nearly 24-mile swim from Block Island to Montauk.

 

FISHBOWL

East Coast Premiere

dir. Isabel Perry, Adam Yates (USA), 2024

Two friends house-sit in the Hamptons, try to stay away from their exes, and attempt to keep a goldfish alive for the weekend.

 

LOSER

East Coast Premiere

dir. Colleen McGuinness (USA), 2024

22-year-old Alice, who works at a frozen yogurt shop, has what turns out to be an unforgettable day.

 

THE MOUNTAIN

East Coast Premiere

dir. Will Mayo, Ian Scott McGregor (USA), 2023

A married couple are rattled by a shocking truth before one of them heads into work as an evening news anchor.

 

PET STORE

dir. Joanna Rothkopf (USA), 2023

Larry Wallach insists that exotic pet ownership is safe and ethical, and anyone who disagrees should visit his petting zoo next to a freeway on Long Island to see for themselves.

 

WE’RE NOT DONE YET

World Premiere

dir. Joseph Longo, Sofia Camargo (USA), 2023

Bettina and her son Alex face unexpected challenges during a weekend trip to Bettina’s beach house.

 

 

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ABOUT HAMPTONSFILM

HamptonsFilm, home of the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) was founded in 1992 to celebrate the art of film and to introduce a unique and varied spectrum of international films and filmmakers to our audiences. A non-profit organization with year-round screenings of global narrative and documentary films, an annual Screenwriters Lab, a summer documentary showcase, and extensive educational initiatives, HamptonsFilm offers programs that enlighten, educate, and provide invaluable exposure for filmmakers, while also providing the East End of Long Island with an educational and cultural experience that enriches the lives of its citizens and contributes to the local economy. HIFF, celebrating its 32nd year, is an annual premiere film event in New York State, and an intimate showcase of some of the year’s best offerings in contemporary cinema from around the world. Awarding prizes to filmmakers in cash and goods and services of over $130,000 each year, with over $5 million awarded in competition funds and services over the decades, our program continues to play an important role during awards season. For more information, please visit hamptonsfilmfest.org.

 

Press Contacts

FRANK PR | 646.861.0843

Stephanie Davidson | [email protected]

Mark Duffy | [email protected]

Molly Kucharski | [email protected]