The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today the lineup for this year’s AFI FEST, taking place in Los Angeles from October 25 to October 29.
AFI highlights include the World Premiere of Albert Brooks: Defending My Life directed by Academy Award nominee Rob Reiner, All of Us Strangers directed by Andrew Haigh, American Fiction directed by Cord Jefferson, The Bike Riders directed by Jeff Nichols, The End We Start From directed by Mahalia Belo, Fingernails directed by Christos Nikou, the World Premiere of Freud’s Last Session directed by Matthew Brown, Memory directed by Michel Franco, Quiz Lady directed by Academy Award winner Jessica Yu, and Society of the Snow directed by J.A. Bayona, which will all screen in the Special Screenings section.
This year’s AFI FEST program is set to feature an expanded selection of features and shorts compared to last year, offering 141 titles for the public to enjoy across five days. The program includes 3 Red Carpet Premieres, 10 Special Screenings, 15 Luminaries, 12 Discovery, 16 World Cinema, 13 Documentary, 42 Short Film Competition, and 30 films in the AFI Conservatory Showcase presented by AMC Networks.
Of the official AFI FEST selections, 44% are directed by women, 37% are directed by BIPOC filmmakers and 18% by LGBTQIA+ filmmakers. There are 4 World Premieres, 3 North American Premieres and 4 U.S. Premieres.
This year’s AFI FEST program represents 49 countries and includes 18 Best International Feature Oscar submissions, including About Dry Grasses (Turkey), The Captain (Italy), Do Not Expect Too Much From The End of The World (Romania), Fallen Leaves (Finland), Four Daughters (Tunisia), Inshallah A Boy (Jordan), The Peasants (Poland), Perfect Days (Japan), Pictures of Ghosts (Brazil), The Promised Land (Denmark), The Settlers (Chile), Shayda (Australia), Slow (Lithuania), Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (Estonia), Society of the Snow (Spain), The Taste of Things (France), The Teacher’s Lounge (Germany) and Tótem (Mexico).
“Everyone on the AFI FEST team is proud to share this year’s selection of outstanding films from around the world with the audiences of Los Angeles,” said Todd Hitchcock, Director of AFI FEST. “Cinema is truly a global language, and the diversity of screen artistry represented here will widen the horizons for all moviegoers.”
The AFFI FEST program will also feature a panel celebrating the greatest film books of all time moderated by The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg. Some 300 of the world’s most noted filmmakers, film executives, authors and cultural tastemakers have cast ballots to determine a list of the 100 greatest books about film, which The Hollywood Reporter will reveal in a special issue on October 11. AFI FEST will gather many of them on October 28 for a historic, engaging discussion.
AFI FEST Red Carpet Premieres
As previously announced, the World Premiere of Leave the World Behind, written and directed by Sam Esmail (AFI Class of 2004), will open AFI FEST on October 25. Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Rumaan Alam, the highly anticipated apocalyptic thriller stars Academy Award winner Julia Roberts, Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali, Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke, Myha’la, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans and Kevin Bacon.
Bradley Cooper’s Maestro will close AFI FEST 2023 on October 29. Maestro is a towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan). A love letter to life and art, Maestro at its core is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love.
The film reunites Cooper with Oscar-nominated cinematographer Matthew Libatique (AFI Class of 1992) and is co-written by Cooper and Oscar winner Josh Singer (Spotlight). Producing alongside Cooper and AFI Life Achievement Award recipients Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg are Fred Berner, Amy Durning and Kristie Macosko Krieger.
The World Premiere of Maxine’s Baby: A Tyler Perry Story will screen as the Centerpiece film. Directed by Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz, the film grants the audience unfettered access to the inner world of Tyler Perry, whose story has never fully been told, as he becomes a father and a media mogul with a mission to pave his own road to the top.
The film is a profound lesson on remembering where you came from to know where you want to go. Bekele produced the film under her Bekele Films banner alongside Jasmine K. White and Asante White.
AFI FEST Special Screenings
Showcasing the most acclaimed films of the season from an exciting combination of international auteurs and emerging talents, this section features unparalleled and unforgettable stories, characters and performances.
ALBERT BROOKS: DEFENDING MY LIFE
Lifelong friends, Rob Reiner and Albert Brooks, enjoy an intimate conversation about Brooks’ life and career. DIR Rob Reiner. USA
ALL OF US STRANGERS
The latest from director Andrew Haigh (45 YEARS, WEEKEND) is a moving, metaphysical ghost story that explores love, loss and memory. DIR Andrew Haigh. SCR Andrew Haigh. CAST Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Jamie Bell, Claire Foy. UK
AMERICAN FICTION
Cord Jefferson’s (Succession, Watchmen) hilarious directorial debut stars Jeffrey Wright in a razor smart satire that confronts our culture’s obsession with reducing people to outrageous stereotypes. DIR Cord Jefferson. SCR Cord Jefferson. CAST Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown. USA
THE BIKERIDERS
The rise and fall of a Chicago motorcycle gang is given epic treatment in Jeff Nichols’ magnificent The Bikeriders, featuring Tom Hardy, Austin Butler and Jodie Comer in career-best performances. DIR Jeff Nichols. SCR Jeff Nichols. CAST Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, Norman Reedus. USA
THE END WE START FROM
BAFTA award-winning British director Mahalia Belo (The Long Song) makes her feature debut with a tense and unexpected survival thriller starring Jodie Comer, Joel Fry, Mark Strong, Katherine Waterston and Benedict Cumberbatch. DIR Mahalia Belo. SCR Alice Birch. CAST Jodie Comer, Joel Fry, Katherine Waterston, Gina Mckee, Nina Sosanya, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch. UK
FINGERNAILS
Greek director Christos Nikou makes a bold English-language debut with this charming lo-fi sci-fi about the clash between our over-reliance on technology and the primal drive to find true love. DIR Christos Nikou. SCR Christos Nikou, Sam Steiner, Stavros Raptis. CAST Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed, Jeremy Allen White, Luke Wilson, Annie Murphy. USA
FREUD’S LAST SESSION
Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Goode deliver crafty performances as Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis, two great minds whose intellectual sparring demonstrates both men’s formidable strengths and emotional vulnerabilities. DIR Matthew Brown. SCR Mark St. Germain. CAST Anthony Hopkins, Matthew Goode. USA
MEMORY
Haunted by their past, Sylvia (Jessica Chastain) and Saul (Peter Sarsgaard) have a chance encounter that opens new possibilities for their future in this heart-wrenching melodrama by Mexican provocateur Michel Franco. DIR Michel Franco. SCR Michel Franco. CAST Jessica Chastain, Peter Sarsgaard, Brooke Timber, Merritt Wever, Jessica Harper, Josh Charles. USA, Mexico
QUIZ LADY
In this heartfelt and hilarious comedy, Awkwafina and Sandra Oh star as mismatched sisters who go on a cross-country road trip to appear on the legendary game show CAN’T STOP THE QUIZ. DIR Jessica Yu. SCR Jen D’Angelo. CAST Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, Jason Schwartzman, Holland Taylor, Tony Hale, Will Ferrell. USA
SOCIETY OF THE SNOW (LA SOCIEDAD DE LA NIEVE)
Triumphantly returning to Spanish language cinema, J.A. Bayona brings breathless thrills and emotional gravitas to the tragic, true story of the crashed Uruguayan Flight 571 in this ferocious survival epic. Spain’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature. DIR J.A. Bayona. SCR J.A. Bayona, Bernat Vilaplana, Jaime Marques, Nicolás Casariego. CAST Enzo Vogrincic, Agustín Pardella, Matías Recalt, Esteban Bigliardi, Diego Vegezzi. Uruguay, Spain
Luminaries
A selection of the latest films from world-renowned filmmakers whose work continues to challenge and inspire.
ABOUT DRY GRASSES (KURU OTLAR ÜSTÜNE)
In a remote village in Eastern Anatolia, art teacher Samet is consumed by bitterness. Now in his fourth and final year of mandatory placement, his favorite student accuses him of inappropriate behavior. Turkey’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature. DIR Nuri Bilge Ceylan. SCR Akin Aksu, Ebru Ceylan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan. CAST Deniz Celiloğlu, Merve Dizdar, Musab Ekici, Ece Bağci, Erdem Şenocak. Turkey, France, Germany
THE BOOK OF SOLUTIONS (LE LIVRE DES SOLUTIONS)
Oscar-winning filmmaker Michel Gondry returns with this deliciously meta, hilariously self-aware – and semi-autobiographical – portrait of a DIY filmmaker wrestling with creative and personal demons to complete his latest film. DIR Michel Gondry. SCR Michel Gondry. CAST Pierre Niney, Blanche Gardin, Frankie Wallach, Camille Rutherford, Vincent Elbaz. France
THE CAPTAIN (IO CAPITANO)
Matteo Garrone won Venice’s Best Director award for this epic tale of two Senegalese teenagers’ dangerous journey across the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in pursuit of better lives. Italy’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature. DIR Matteo Garrone. SCR Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso, Massimo Ceccherini, Andrea Tagliaferri. CAST Seydou Sarr, Moustapha Fall, Issaka Sawadogo, Hichem Yacoubi, Doodou Sagna. Italy, Belgium, France
CLOSE YOUR EYES (CERRAR LOS OJOS)
Marking Víctor Erice’s long-awaited return to cinema, a filmmaker revisits his abandoned film and the disappearance of his lead actor in this hauntingly personal reflection on memory and art. DIR Victor Erice. SCR Victor Erice. CAST Manolo Solo, José Coronado, Ana Torrent, Petra Martínez, María León. Spain
COBWEB (GEOMIJIP)
Set in the ‘70s as South Korea faces heavy censorship, Song Kang-ho (PARASITE) delights as a struggling director looking for a comeback in this metatextual farce on filmmaking. DIR Kim Jee-Woon. SCR Shin Yeon-Shick. CAST Song Kang-Ho, Lim Soo-Jung, Oh Jung-Se, Jeon Yeo-Been, Krystal Jung. South Korea
EVIL DOES NOT EXIST (AKU WA SONZAI SHINAI)
Following the Oscar-winning DRIVE MY CAR, Ryusuke Hamaguchi reins in a pensive, enigmatic eco-drama about a father-daughter duo whose routine is disrupted by a proposed glamping site in their village. DIR Ryusuke Hamaguchi. SCR Ryusuke Hamaguchi. CAST Hitoshi Omika, Ryo Nishikawa, Ryuji Kosaka, Ayaka Shibutani, Hazuki Kikuchi. Japan
FALLEN LEAVES (KUOLLEET LEHDET)
This delightfully deadpan tragicomedy from Aki Kaurismäki follows two lonely, working-class Helsinkians struggling to find love, acceptance and stability. Winner of the Jury Prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and Finland’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature. DIR Aki Kaurismaki. SCR Aki Kaurismäki. CAST Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen, Janne Hyytiäinen, Nuppu Koivu. Finland, Germany
GREEN BORDER (ZIELONA GRANICA)
Academy Award nominee Agnieszka Holland depicts the contemporary humanitarian crisis at the Belarus-Poland border from the intertwined perspectives of a family of Syrian refugees, a conflicted Polish border guard and a divided group of activists. DIR Agnieszka Holland. SCR Maciej Pisuk, Gabriela Łazarkiewicz-Sieczko, Agnieszka Holland. CAST Jalal Altawil, Maja Ostaszewska, Behi Djanati Atai, Mohamad Al Rashi, Dalia Naous. Poland, France, Czech Republic, Belgium
IN OUR DAY
Tears are shed, a cat goes missing and spicy ramyun is prepared. In Our Day finds Hong back in semi-autobiographical mode with this charming diptych, illuminating the parallels between art and artist. DIR Hong Sang-soo. SCR Hong Sang-soo. CAST Ki Joobong, Kim Minhee, Song Sunmi, Park Miso, Ha Seongguk. South Korea
IN WATER (MUL-AN-E-SEO)
Hoping to make a film, Seongmo drags two friends to Jeju Island looking for inspiration. Prolific Korean master Hong Sang-soo experiments with focus, constructing impressionistic vistas and melancholic musings in this bite-sized gem. DIR Hong Sang-soo. SCR Hong Sang-soo. CAST Shin Seokho, Ha Seongguk, Kim Seungyun. South Korea
KIDNAPPED (RAPITO)
Marco Bellocchio’s riveting portrait of power and faith tells the true story of a Jewish boy forcibly taken from his family and raised under the care of Pope Pius IX. DIR Marco Bellocchio. SCR Marco Bellocchio, Susanna Nicchiarelli. CAST Paolo Pierobon, Fausto Russo Alesi, Barbara Ronchi, Enea Sala, Leonardo Maltese. Italy, France, Germany
LA CHIMERA
Josh O’Connor stars as a seedy, heartbroken English archaeologist slumming around with Etruscan graverobbers in 1980s Tuscany in this funny, folkloric, romantic and thought-provoking film from Italy’s Alice Rohrwacher. DIR Alice Rohrwacher. Italy, France, Switzerland
LAST SUMMER (L’ÉTÉ DERNIER)
Anne’s relatively uneventful suburban existence is disrupted when her troubled stepson returns home, igniting an impossible-to-resist sexual attraction that threatens both career and family. DIR Catherine Breillat. SCR Catherine Breillat, Pascal Bonitzer. CAST Léa Drucker, Samuel Kircher, Olivier Rabourdin, Clotilde Courau, Serena Hu. France, Norway
OCCUPIED CITY
Steve McQueen’s rigorous documentary explores Amsterdam under Nazi occupation. Rejecting archival footage, the film excavates history one address at a time, drawing powerful connections between past and present. DIR Steve McQueen. SCR Bianca Stigter. CAST Melanie Hyams. UK, Netherlands
PERFECT DAYS
Cannes Best Actor award-winner Kōji Yakusho portrays a Tokyo public toilet cleaner who performs his job duties like a dedicated master craftsman in Wim Wenders’ sweetly meditative drama. Japan’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature. DIR Wim Wenders. SCR Wim Wenders, Takuma Takasaki. CAST Kôji Yakusho, Min Tanaka, Tokio Emoto, Aoi Yamada, Sayuri Ishikawa. Japan
DISCOVERY
Bursting onto the scene with astounding force, these exciting new voices push the boundaries of contemporary cinema with cutting-edge themes and profound original visions.
20,000 SPECIES OF BEES (20.000 ESPECIES DE ABEJAS)
In this sun-soaked, sublimely sensitive debut, an eight-year-old experiences a gender identity crisis over one uncertain summer vacation in Basque Country, where three generations of women in her family reside together. DIR Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren. SCR Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren. CAST Sofía Otero, Patricia López Arnaiz, Ane Gabarain, Itziar Lazkano. Spain
ALL DIRT ROADS TASTE OF SALT
Raven Jackson’s feature debut (produced by Barry Jenkins) is a poetic chronicle that weaves through time to capture intimate, meditative moments in the life of a young Black woman from Mississippi. DIR Raven Jackson. SCR Raven Jackson. CAST Charleen McClure, Reginald Helms Jr., Moses Ingram, Zainab Jah, with Sheila Atim and Chris Chalk. USA
CITY OF WIND (SER SER SALHI)
In this remarkably assured feature debut, Ze, a studious 17-year-old village shaman, is diverted from the straight and narrow when he meets wide-eyed rebel Maralaa. DIR Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir. SCR Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir. CAST Tergel Bold-Erdene, Nomin-Erdene Ariunbyamba. France, Mongolia
THE FEELING THAT THE TIME FOR DOING SOMETHING HAS PASSED
As Ann awkwardly shuffles from her low-level, corporate job through a series of carefully orchestrated, though just as self-effacing, submissive sexual encounters, dissociation gives way to hints of self-conscious introspection. DIR Joanna Arnow. SCR Joanna Arnow. CAST Scott Cohen, Babak Tafti, Joanna Arnow, Alysia Reiner. USA
INSHALLAH A BOY (INSHALLAH WALAD)
When Nawal’s husband suddenly dies, she begins an insufferable battle against her in-laws to save her home and keep herself and her young daughter from destitution in contemporary Jordan. Jordan’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature. DIR Amjad Al Rasheed. SCR Amjad Al Rasheed, Rula Nasser, Delphine Agut. CAST Mouna Hawa, Haitham Omari, Yumna Marwan, Salwa Nakkara. Jordan
LITTLE GIRL BLUE
Marion Cotillard stars in this remarkable hybrid documentary/psychodrama, exploring the life of filmmaker Mona Achache’s mother Carole, a writer who took her own life in 2016. DIR Mona Achache. SCR Mona Achache. CAST Marion Cotillard. France
MOUNTAINS
Haitian-American filmmaker Monica Sorelle makes her debut with this lovingly crafted portrait of the immigrant experience, set against the backdrop of Miami’s vibrant yet gentrifying Little Haiti. DIR Monica Sorelle. SCR Monica Sorelle, Robert Colom. CAST Atibon Nazaire, Sheila Anozier, Chris Renois. USA
THE SETTLERS (LOS COLONOS)
In this striking debut, three hired travelers trek through the Chilean Patagonia on a covert colonizing expedition. Indigenous sharpshooter Segundo resists violence but is forced to cooperate. Chile’s Oscars submission for Best International Feature. DIR Felipe Galvez. SCR Felipe Gálvez, Antonia Girardi. CAST Mark Stanley, Camilo Arancibia, Benjamín Westfall, Alfredo Castro, Mishell Guaña. Chile, Argentina, UK, Taiwan, France, Denmark, Sweden, Germany
SHAYDA
Executive produced by Cate Blanchett, Noora Niasari’s poignant debut feature follows the evolution of Shayda, an Iranian transplant in Australia, as she breaks free from her husband’s abusive control. Australia’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature. DIR Noora Niasari. SCR Noora Niasari. CAST Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Osamah Sami, Mojean Aria, Jillian Nguyen, Rina Mousavi. Australia, Iran
SLOW
The whirlwind romance between sex-positive dancer Elena and soft-spoken sign language interpreter Dovyda unfolds as Elena attempts to understand Dovyda’s asexuality. Lithuania’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature. DIR Marija Kavtaradze. SCR Marija Kavtaradze. CAST Greta Grinevičiūtė, Kęstutis Cicėnas. Lithuania, Spain, Sweden
TIGER STRIPES
Precocious 12-year-old Zaffan experiences grotesque transformations to her body after her first period in this genre-bending coming-of-age debut feature and winner of the Cannes Critics’ Week Grand Prize. DIR Amanda Nell Eu. SCR Amanda Nell Eu. CAST Zafreen Zairizal, Deena Ezral, Piqa, Shaheizy Sam, Jun Lojong. France, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, Netherlands, Qatar, Singapore, Taiwan
THE UNIVERSAL THEORY (DIE THEORIE VON ALLEM)
Timm Kröger’s visionary sci-fi fable explores post-World War II German guilt, Atomic Age anxiety and Cold War intrigue in a web of secrets and lies reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock crossed with David Lynch. DIR Timm Kröger. SCR Roderick Warich, Timm Kröger. CAST Jan Bülow, Olivia Ross, Hanns Zischler, Gottfried Breitfuß, David Bennent, Philippe Graber. Germany, Austria, Switzerland
WORLD CINEMA
Here in the movie capital of the world, we celebrate the contributions of global cinema. Bringing to our city the best films from around the globe, this section presents the depth and diversity of human culture as seen through the universal language of the motion picture.
THE BURITI FLOWER (CROWRÃ)
Shot in the Krahôlandia Indigenous Land, this hybrid documentary depicts key events in Krahô history, alongside their contemporary struggle to combat the long-reaching legacy of colonialism in Brazil. DIR João Salaviza, Renée Nader Messora. SCR João Salaviza, Renée Nader Messora, IIda Patpro Kraho, Francisco Hyjno Kraho, Henrique Ihjac Kraho. CAST IIda Patpro Kraho, Francisco Hyjno Kraho, Solane Tehtikwyj Kraho, Raene Koto Kraho, Debora Sodre, Luzia Cruwakwyj Kraho. Brazil, Portugal
DO NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM THE END OF THE WORLD
Radu Jude’s latest feature is an outlandish, satirical critique of Romanian society following a hectic day in the life of Angela, an overworked and underpaid production assistant. Romania’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR Radu Jude. SCR Radu Jude. CAST Ilinca Manolache, Ovidiu Pîrșan, Nina Hoss, Dorina Lazăr, Lászlo Mike, Katie Pascariu. Romania, Luxembourg, France, Croatia
HERE
In this drifting, delicate journey on human connections, a Romanian construction worker and a Belgian-Chinese botanist form an unexpected kinship from a random encounter in Brussels. DIR Bas Devos. SCR Bas Devos. CAST Stefan Gota, Liyo Gong, Cedric Luvuezo, Teodor Corban, Saadia Bentaïeb, Alina Constantin, ShuHuang Wang. Belgium
LOST IN THE NIGHT (PERDIDOS EN LA NOCHE)
In this noir-tinged revenge thriller, a young laborer becomes entangled in a web of labor disputes, corrupt police and criminal gangs while seeking justice for his vanished activist mother. DIR Amat Escalante. SCR Amat Escalante, Martin Escalante. CAST Juan Daniel García, Ester Expósito, Bárbara Mori, Fernando Bonilla, María Fernanda Osio. Mexico
MAMBAR PIERRETTE
With her incisive narrative debut, expert documentarian Rosine Mbakam tracks our eponymous hero as she grapples with raising three children and running a dressmaking business in Cameroon’s city of Douala. DIR Rosine Mbakam. CAST Pierrette Aboheu Njeuthat, Marguerite Mbakop, Duval Franklin Nwodu Chinedu, Léonce Sonia Bangoub. Belgium, Cameroon
MIDWIVES (SAGES-FEMMES)
On their first day as professional midwives in a French hospital, two lifelong friends are faced with a whirlwind of scant resources, difficult births and tough decisions that threaten their resolve and friendship. DIR Léa Fehner. SCR Catherine Paillé, Léa Fehner. CAST Khadija Kouyate, Héloïse Janjaud, Myriem Akheddiou, Quentin Vernede, Tarik Kariouh. France
MUSIC with THE DAUGHTERS OF FIRE (AS FILHAS DO FOGO)
MUSIC
A contemporized adaptation of Socrates’ Oedipus Rex and a transfixing addition to the output of Germany’s most uncompromising filmmaker, Angela Schanelec, marking her most visually and sonically pleasing film to date. DIR Angela Schanelec. SCR Angela Schanelec. CAST Aliocha Schneider, Agathe Bonitzer, Marisha Triantafyllidou, Argyris Xafis, Frida Tarana, Ninel Skrzypczyk, Miriam Jakob, Wolfgang Michael, Finn-Henry Reyels. Germany, France, Serbia
Preceded by:
THE DAUGHTERS OF FIRE (AS FILHAS DO FOGO)
Acclaimed Portuguese filmmaker Pedro Costa crafts a haunting, layered triptych of three women singing in chorus, expressing their deep existential suffering against the backdrop of a blazing inferno. DIR Pedro Costa. Portugal
THE PEASANTS (CHLOPI)
Made up of over 40,000 oil paintings, this awe-inspiring adaptation of Władysław Reymont’s Nobel Prize-winning novel is the latest film from Oscar-nominated directors DK Welchman and Hugh Welchman (LOVING VINCENT). Poland’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature. DIR DK Welchman, Hugh Welchman. SCR DK Welchman, Hugh Welchman. CAST Kamila Urzędowska, Robert Gulaczyk, Mirosław Baka, Sonia Mietielica, Ewa Kasprzyk, Cezary Łukaszewicz, Małgorzata Kożuchowska, Sonia Bohosiewicz, Dorota Stalińska, Andrzej Konopka, Mateusz Rusin, Maciej Musiał. Poland, Serbia, Lithuania
THE PROMISED LAND (BASTARDEN)
Denmark,18th century. Ludvig von Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) makes a deal with the King: settle the Jutland’s land and ascend to nobility. A rollicking period Danish Western filled with romance, intrigue and revenge. Denmark’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature. DIR Nikolaj Arcel. SCR Anders Thomas Jensen, Nikolaj Arcel. CAST Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin, Simon Bennebjerg, Kristine Kujath Thorp, Gustav Lindh. Denmark, Germany, Sweden
THE SUMMER WITH CARMEN (TO KALOKAIRI TIS KARMEN)
Best friends Demos and Nikitas spend the day on a queer nude beach soaking in the Greek summer sun as they brainstorm a script based on the lively events of last summer. DIR Zacharias Mavroeidis. SCR Zacharias Mavroeidis, Xenofondas Chalatsis. CAST Yorgos Tsiantoulas, Andreas Lampropoulos, Nikolas Mihas, Roubini Vasilakopoulou, Vasilis Tsigristaris. Greece
THE TASTE OF THINGS
Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel star in this rapturous ode to French gastronomy from Cannes Best Director award-winner Trần Anh Hùng (The Scent of Green Papaya, Cyclo, Norwegian Wood). France’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature. DIR Trần Anh Hùng. SCR Trần Anh Hùng. CAST Juliet Binoche, Benoít Magimel. France
THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE (DAS LEHRERZIMMER)
A spate of thefts in a German middle school leads to mistrust, strong-arm tactics, wrongful accusations and the near collapse of authority in İlker Çatak’s masterfully controlled allegory. Germany’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR İlker Çatak. SCR İlker Çatak, Johannes Duncker. CAST Leonie Benesch, Michael Klammer, Rafael Stachoviak, Anne-Kathrin Gummich, Eva Löbau, Kathrin Wehlisch, Sarah Bauerett, Leo Stettnisch, Oscar Zickur, Antonia Luise Krämer, Elsa Krieger, Vincent Stachowiak, Can Rodenbostel, Padmé Hamdemir, Lisa Marie Trense. Germany
TERRESTRIAL VERSES (AYEH HAYE ZAMINI)
This galvanizing, intrepid film from directors Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami critiques Iran’s oppressively strict society via vignettes of ordinary people confronting authority figures and their increasingly absurd demands. DIR Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami. SCR Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami. CAST Bahram Ark, Arghavan Shabani, Servin Zabetian. Iran
TÓTEM
Unfurling in a single chaotic day through the perspective of seven-year-old Sol, an extended family prepares for a farewell celebration veiled as a birthday party for its young patriarch. Mexico’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. DIR Lila Avilés. SCR Lila Avilés. CAST Naíma Sentíes, Montserrat Marañon, Marisol Gasé, Saori Gurza, Mateo García Elizondo, Teresita Sánchez, Juan Francisco Maldonado, Iazua Larios, Alberto Amador. Mexico, Denmark, France
WE GROWN NOW
Set against the backdrop of the Cabrini-Green public housing complex in 1992 Chicago, the latest film from Minhal Baig (HALA, AFI FEST 2019) charts the prepubescent friendship between two boys, Malik and Eric. DIR Minhal Baig. SCR Minhal Baig. CAST Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Lil Rel Howery, Jurnee Smollett. USA
AFI FEST Documentaries
Presenting some of the most engaging and powerful real-life stories depicted in global documentary film. With subjects and themes both profound and impactful, these works are sure to enlighten, educate and entertain.
ANSELM
Wim Wenders brings depth to this 3D portrait of German artist Anselm Kiefer, creating a collage of the artists past and present to fashion an immersive exploration of his spirit. DIR Wim Wenders. CAST Anselm Kiefer, Daniel Kiefer, Anton Wenders. Germany
COPA ’71
Executive produced by Venus and Serena Williams, COPA ‘71 spotlights a long-forgotten and electrifying women’s soccer tournament held in August 1971, decades before FIFA debuted their Women’s World Cup. DIR Rachel Ramsay, James Erskine. SCR Rachel Ramsay, James Erskine, Victoria Gregory. CAST Brandi Chastain, Nicole Mangas, Silvia Zaragoza, Carol Wilson, Elena Schiavo, Ann Stengard, Birte Kjems, Elvira Aracen, Elba Selva, Chris Lockwood, Alex Morgan. USA
THE ECHO (EL ECO)
Mexican-Salvadoran filmmaker Tatiana Huezo makes a visually arresting return to nonfiction filmmaking with this immersive portrait of multi-generational family life in the remote Mexican highlands. DIR Tatiana Huezo. SCR Tatiana Huezo. CAST Montserrat Hernández Hernández, Luz María Vázquez González, Sarahí Rojas Hernández, María de los Ángeles Pacheco Tapia. Mexico, Germany
FOUR DAUGHTERS (LES FILLES D’OLFA)
Winner of Cannes’ Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary, FOUR DAUGHTERS unravels years of trauma and animosity in a family of women through staged reenactments of their lives. Tunisia’s Oscar®submission for Best International Feature. DIR Kaouther Ben Hania. SCR Kaouther Ben Hania. CAST Eya Chikhaoui, Tayssir Chikhaoui, Olfa Hamrouni, Nour Karoui, Ichrak Matar, Majd Mastoura, Hind Sabri, Kal Naga. France, Tunisia, Germany, Saudi Arabia
GOING VARSITY IN MARIACHI
In South Texas, Edinburg North High School’s prized mariachi team prepares to compete against their rivals, equipped with a mix of determined seniors and rookie musicians in this spirited documentary. DIR Alejandra Vasquez, Sam Osborn. CAST Edinburg North High School’s Mariachi Oro. USA
MENUS-PLAISIRS – LES TROISGROS
Frederick Wiseman’s delectable, multi-layered documentary on Michelin Guide three-starred restaurant La Maison Troisgros, presents a business, an experience and a philosophy, each shaped by the family at its center. DIR Frederick Wiseman. USA, France
MILISUTHANDO
A poetic interweaving of archival material and in-depth interviews, Milisuthando Bongela’s incisive personal essay examines identity construction through a historical lens, investigating the impact of racism and colonialism on herself and her loved ones. DIR Milisuthando Bongela. SCR Milisuthando Bongela. CAST Milisuthando Bongela. South Africa, Colombia
ORLANDO, MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY (ORLANDO, MA BIOGRAPHIE POLITIQUE)
Inspired by Virginia Woolf’s “Orlando: A Biography,” Paul B. Preciado, with 26 trans and non-binary people, constructs a manifold and beautiful image of transness, one that is both broadening and unifying, devastating and joyful. DIR Paul B. Preciado. SCR Paul B. Preciado. France
PICTURES OF GHOSTS (RETRATOS FANTASMAS)
Weaving together home movies, contemporary footage and scenes from his films, Kleber Mendonça Filho crafts an infectious love letter to his hometown of Recife and the lasting legacy of cinema. Brazil’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature. DIR Kleber Mendonça Filho. SCR Kleber Mendonça Filho. Brazil
RYUICHI SAKAMOTO | OPUS
This final solo concert and knowing farewell from legendary composer Ryuichi Sakamoto features an intimate, heartrending performance of 20 hand-selected scores. DIR Neo Sora. CAST Ryuichi Sakamoto. Japan
SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD
Tucked away in a forest in southern Estonia, a group of women gather seasonally in a communal smoke sauna. Their traditional practice offers a look into the healing powers of solidarity and sisterhood. Estonia’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature. DIR Anna Hints. SCR Anna Hints. Estonia, France, Iceland
STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING
Adapting the celebrated book by historian and National Book Award-winning author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, award-winning director Roger Ross Williams cinematically explicates Kendi’s groundbreaking scholarship on structural anti-Black racism in the U.S. DIR Roger Ross Williams. SCR David Teague. CAST Dr. Ibram X Kendi, Dr. Angela Davis, Dr. Autumn Womack, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Brittney Cooper, Dr. Carol Anderson. USA
THEY SHOT THE PIANO PLAYER
Animator Javier Mariscal and director Fernando Trueba reunite after CHICO & RITA for a Bossa Nova-inflected documentary about the mysterious disappearance of virtuoso Brazilian pianist Francisco Tenório Júnior in 1976 Argentina. DIR Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal. SCR Fernando Trueba. CAST Jeff Goldblum, Tony Ramos, Abel Ayala, Roberta Wallach, Ângela Rabelo, Stephen Hughes, Alejandra Flechner. Spain, France, Netherlands
Short Film Competition
The short film program highlights unique voices from around the world. From both emerging and established filmmakers, these shorts push the form of storytelling in inventive, challenging and sometimes hilarious ways – all in 40 minutes or less.
ALPHA KINGS
From a rented mansion in suburban Texas, a group of young men sell a hyperbolic, alpha male version of themselves on the internet. DIR Enrique Pedraza Botero, Faye Tsakas. USA
BASRI & SALMA IN A NEVER-ENDING COMEDY
A husband and wife own an Odong-Odong at the carnival together, spending their days entertaining and taking care of other people’s children without any of their own. Between meddling relatives, self-doubt and an explosive confrontation, they uncover why they have not been blessed with a child. DIR Khozy Rizal. Indonesia
BEEN THERE
Weekend trips, city breaks, a detour into nature or once around the world. Barely a few days off, and you’re already gone. Never before has the desire to travel been so widespread and visited places so overcrowded. What do we get out of it, other than the picture proof that we’ve been there? DIR Corina Schwingruber Ilić. Switzerland
BEYOND THE SEA
Lady Casca, a drag queen in her sixties, is about to go on stage at her cabaret for the last time. The next day, retirement by the sea awaits her. But her son Thomas, whom she has not seen for a long time, interrupts the festivities. DIR Hippolyte Leibovici. Belgium
CHUTES
A young girl struggles to be present in her life while navigating the arbitrary rules of society, capitalism and consumerism through the lens of childhood toys. DIR Kenzie Sutton. USA
CLOSING DYNASTY
On a school day, a seven-year-old hustles strangers for money on the streets of New York City. DIR Lloyd Lee Choi. USA
A CRAB IN THE POOL (UN TROU DANS LA POITRINE)
Zoe and her little brother Theo are left to fend for themselves on a scorching summer day. They will have to burst the abscess of their relationship so as not to lose each other. DIR Alexandra Myotte, Jean-Sébastien Hamel. Canada
DAYDREAMING SO VIVIDLY ABOUT OUR SPANISH HOLIDAYS (LA HERIDA LUMINOSA)
Sun-starved teenagers take a dreamy trip to the Balearic Islands in the pursuit of light and warmth. They must absorb it and be a vessel in order to transport it back to their heavy clouded kingdom. DIR Christian Avilés. Spain
DILDOTECTONICS (DILDOTECTÓNICA)
Today, Rebeca attempts to create a collection of non-phallic ceramic dildos. During the Inquisition, Josefa finds a dildo that is used in a forbidden love relationship with Maria. Although in different timelines, the paths of Rebeca and Josefa end up crossing. DIR Tomás Paula Marques. Portugal
EEVA
It’s pouring down rain at a funeral. There’s a lot of crying, too much wine, several woodpeckers and a couple of dreams that fill in the gaps. DIR Lucija Mrzljak, Morten Tšinakov. Estonia
FLESHWORK
At a butcher shop in Jeromesville, Ohio, four meat processors situate their labor within their own minds and bodies. DIR Lydia Cornett. USA
FRATELLI CARBONAI
As Italy lurches to the far right, a Malian migrant finds a place amongst a family of charcoal burners in the remote Calabrian mountains. DIR Joshua Hughes, Felix Bazalgette. UK
FRIDAY NIGHT BLIND
The Milwaukee Beer Barrels Blind Bowling League is an eclectic mix of visually impaired and sighted bowlers with a simple focus: making friends, having fun and taking life one frame at a time. DIR Scott Krahn, Robb Fischer. USA
GEORGE-PETERLAND (GÖSTA PETTER-LAND)
Five eight-year-olds found the imaginary world “George-Peterland,” a dreamy forest land with cute chickens you can travel to just by shutting your eyes. When rules take over the imaginary world, it becomes a nightmare. DIR Christer Wahlberg, Sebastian Rudolph Jensen. Sweden
GO FOR GRANDMA
Inspired by the iconic ‘80s fantasy films we all grew up on, Go for Grandma is a magical journey into the mind of a young boy who escapes a neglectful home life through his grandmother’s love and the power of his imagination. DIR Sabrina Doyle. USA
HAFEKASI
Mona is a 10-year-old Tongan-Australian girl who begins to realize she’s different from her single, white mum and family. Both mother and daughter navigate identity and belonging in Melbourne suburbia during the ‘90s. DIR Annelise Hickey. Australia
HONOLULU
Flaming lobsters and menstruation woes plague 12-year-old Yuki’s doomed Hawai’ian beach vacation. As tensions boil over, she, her aloof father and elegant grandmother battle bright red sunburns and the seemingly mundane family scuffles that manage to leave behind the deepest scars. DIR Maya Tanaka. USA
A KIND OF TESTAMENT (UN GENRE DE TESTAMENT)
A young woman comes across animations on the internet that have clearly been created from her private selfies. An unknown female with the same name confesses to identity theft. DIR. Stephen Vuillemin. France
LA PERRA
In Bogota, a bird-girl leaves behind the family home, her domineering mother and a faithful dog to go and explore her sexuality. DIR Carla Melo Gampert. France, Colombia
MADDEN
MADDEN tells a story about relating to your herd, duty versus longing, high-heeled shoes stepping in dung and heavy animal bodies thundering across a Scandinavian landscape – a forest of tall tree trunks between our protagonist and the outside world. DIR Malin Ingrid Johansson. Sweden
MARUNGKA TJALATJUNU (DIPPED IN BLACK)
An Anangu man road trips back to Aputula as memories from his childhood return, journeying from the oppression of white city life in Adelaide to seek spiritual healing and perform on sacred Inma ground. DIR Matthew Thorne, Derik Lynch. Australia
MERMAN
A 58-year-old Black queer man speaks about his life as an emergency nurse, leather title holder and civil rights advocate. DIR Sterling Hampton IV. USA
MIISUFY
Digital pet cat Miisu gets tired of her owner and starts to revolt. Inspired by Tamagotchi, MIISUFY observes the world through the eyes of digital pets. DIR Liisi Grünberg. Estonia
THE MIRACLE
Forty-year-old Irma goes on a vacation to an all-inclusive resort. Soon after her arrival she realizes the place is meant for young families, and Irma has to find her own place in this holiday paradise. DIR Nienke Deutz. Belgium
MY NAME IS EDGAR AND I HAVE A COW (JMENUJU SE EDGAR A MÁM KRÁVU)
Edgar’s ordinary life is disrupted by a newborn calf he sees at a slaughterhouse. DIR Filip Diviak. Czech Republic
NǍI NAI & WÀI PÓ (GRANDMA & GRANDMA) (奶奶跟外婆)
Nǎi Nai is my grandma. Wài Pó is also my grandma. Together, they are a grandma super team that dances, stretches and farts their sorrows away. DIR Sean Wang. USA
THE OLD YOUNG CROW
An Iranian boy befriends an old Japanese woman at a graveyard in Tokyo. DIR Liam LoPinto. USA
PRIMETIME MOTHER
The willpower of a mother is tested as she endures the tedious and degrading audition process of a popular Philippine game show. DIR Sonny Calvento. Philippines
PUFFLING
Over the course of one night, teenagers Birta and Selma exchange nighttime parties for nocturnal puffin rescues – saving lost pufflings, whilst also grappling with their own uncertain futures. A coming-of-age documentary about growing up, making choices and dealing with encroaching environmental pressures, Puffling explores the delicate interplay between wildlife, our surroundings and human life. DIR Jessica Bishopp. UK, Iceland
QUIET AS IT’S KEPT
Quiet as it’s Kept is a cinematic response to Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.” An evocative illustration of the everyday particulars of colorism, the film collages direct animation, super 8 and 16mm film footage and repurposed social media clips to consider themes of internalized and externalized anti-blackness in contemporary culture. DIR Ja’Tovia M. Gary. USA
SANDWICH CAT
David lives alone with his kitty, Sandwich Cat. It seemed like an ordinary day, but an unexpected visit will lead him to a crucial reflection on humanity. DIR David Fidalgo. Spain
SAVI THE CAT
When a devoted Kenyan husband surprises his new Black American wife with an adorable kitten, neither are prepared for the destruction it wields upon their home, their life and ultimately their marriage. DIR Bryan Tucker, Netsanet Tjirongo. USA
SÈT LAM
In the midst of a trance ritual, a young girl is paralyzed by fear, scared her loved ones may be hurt or disappear. It is then that her grandmother tells her the strange tale of Edwardo, the first one of his kin to have seen and fought death. The child is captivated, feeling there is a reason her grandmother is recounting this tale. DIR Vincent Fontano. France, Reunion Island
THE SKATES (LES PATINS)
Mina loves to skate. Today, her father, recently divorced from her mother, accompanies her to her first figure skating lesson. An ordinary day is derailed when something happens to her skates. DIR Halima Ouardiri. Canada
SKIN
Winner of a 2023 Student Academy Award, Skin is a poetic exploration of self-discovery, using symbolism to depict a woman’s transformation into a man. Aided by her inner manifestation, she sheds her old skin and embraces her true identity. DIR Leo Behrens. USA
STARLING
The spirit of a little girl shoots down from the heavens to spend her birthday with her family. DIR Mitra Shahidi. USA
SWEET LIKE LEMONS
Sweet Like Lemons is a visual reflection on getting out of a harmful relationship and moving on. The title is a play on the saying “when life gives you lemons make lemonade,” only in this case there is no lemonade to be made but the lemons still taste sweeter than what you left behind. DIR Jenny Jokela. UK, Finland
TANGO IS CONSCIOUS!
A cat randomly becomes conscious one day and, like the rest of us, has to get a job. DIR Maddie Wu. USA
THRIVING: A DISSOCIATED REVERIE
Thriving: A DIssociated Reverie is a surrealist exploration of dissociative identity disorder (DID) based on the lived experience of Black, non-binary, disabled emerging multidisciplinary performance artist and former sex worker Kitoko Mai. DIR Nicole Bazuin. Canada
THURSDAY (CZWARTEK)
Maria is an actress with secret plans for Thursday, but her day takes an unexpected turn. DIR Bren Cukier. Poland
UR HEINOUS HABIT
A blackmail email prompts a filmmaker to explore the intersection of shame and masturbation through a series of Zoom conversations with his friends. DIR Eugene Kolb. USA
THE WAITING
Karen Lips is a researcher living in a tiny little shack in Costa Rica observing frogs. When she leaves the cloud forest and returns, the frogs are gone. All of them. Karen sets out to find them – and encounters a horrible truth. DIR Volker Schlecht. Germany
REELated:
AFI CONSERVATORY SHOWCASE PRESENTED BY AMC NETWORKS
A collection of short fiction films from the most recent graduates of the world-renowned AFI Conservatory.
ARO’S WORLD
After losing his father, Adi, a grief-stricken preteen boy, befriends sock-puppet ARO who mysteriously operates from his hand while his older brother Marcus becomes his caretaker. DIR Vibha Kulkarni, SCREENWRITER Vibha Kulkarni, Austin Williams, PRODUCER Austin Williams, Yuqin Hong, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Maryn McGaw, EDITOR Praboo Arivananthan and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Suneha Balasubramanya. USA
BACKBONE
Cole, a teenager with a broken back, lives with Len, his domineering alcoholic mother who cannot retire because of his condition. Cole will have to deal with the consequences of her actions at the expense of his own health. DIR Lucas Hames, SCR Lucas Hames, Deaniera Wibisono, PRODUCER Adrien Hoppenot, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Natalie Jones, EDITOR Jazmin Jamias and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Taylor Liyucan Chen. USA
BIENVENIDO JUANITO
Three years after being separated following an attempted border-crossing, Fernanda is reunited with her 12-year-old son Juan. But the small child she knew is now a teenage boy. DIR Anna Lo Westin
SCR David Orantes, Anna Lo Westin, PRODUCER Zixin Cindy Zhang, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Augusto Garcia, EDITOR Lari Stang and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Yibo Kou. USA
THE BULLFIGHTER
A farcical comedy about ex-bullfighter, Felipe Fernando de la Fernand, a once extraordinary figure now trapped in an ordinary world. He gets a job as a parking attendant to stage one final bullfight… triggering a past he’s yet to reckon with. DIR Giselle Bonilla, SCR Giselle Bonilla, Cesar Jaramillo, PRODUCER Colt Kozal, Wuliang Zhang, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Sharon Pulwer, EDITOR Alejandra Armijo and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Eleanora Figueroa-Steiner. USA
CAIRN
In contemporary Georgia, a new groundskeeper Ada is surprised by a weekend getaway of the owner Wyatt and his friends. After discovering a bloody earring and a massive field of cairns, Ada suspects Wyatt of causing harm. DIR Joshua Nathan, Gia-Rayne Harris, SCR Anna Vecellio, PRODUCER Xuepeng Laze Huang, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Akanksha Shyam, EDITOR Jessica Petersen and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Masha Lyass. USA
CARCASS
Gabriel is an outcast from society forced to serve as executioner after being branded a thief. When Travis, a young street urchin, is arrested, Gabriel is forced to examine his role in the system. Will he be able to break the cycle and save Travis or meet the fate that all those branded face? DIR Eric Wang Schwager, SCR Eric Wang Schwager, Cyrus Yalda, PRODUCER Haley Beasley, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Logan Floyd, EDITOR Christine Ho and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Abbie Vance. USA
CAROLINE
A young auto mechanic learns his mother has unexpectedly died, forcing him to pick up her car and complete a series of painful, yet banal tasks that sets the stage for a confrontation with the past. DIR Jack Highberger, SCR Jim Bulluck, Jack Highberger, PRODUCER Jim Bulluck, Findlay Brown, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Keith Nixon, EDITOR Aaron Dsouza and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Rachel Miu. USA
CHERRY KOMPOT
Cherry Kompot is a family dramedy that follows Lev, a stubborn Jewish-Ukrainian senior, who refuses to sit shiva in the wake of his wife Sonia’s death. When his growing hysteria drives all the guests away, he is confronted with his truest fear: to find himself alone. DIR Teddy Schaffer
SCR Camille Tsalik, PRODUCER Lara Marks, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Santiago Serrano, EDITOR Jonathan Villegas and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Alex Santo Spirito. USA
COLORS OF SOLACE
Colors of Solace is a story about a black cop wrestling with his identity and the redemption he finds in this struggle when he is tasked with helping his son harness his own inner powers. DIR Davis Northern, SCR Kenya Cummins, Davis Northern, PRODUCER Tata Chen, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Nan Li, EDITOR Guanqing Lin, Ivanka Lawrence and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Camila Rodriguez. USA
DAD’S JOURNAL
Charlie finds his long-absent father’s journal and goes hunting for answers with the help of the family dog. DIR Henry Choa, SCR Henry Choa, PRODUCER Bohan “Crystal” Yang, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Mufeng Han, EDITOR Chris Spatola and PRODUCTION DESIGNER John Huang. USA
DOSH
When her son’s life is put at risk at their family’s pre-wedding ritual, a hard-of-hearing mother must decide how to seek help for her husband in order to keep her family safe. DIR Radha Mehta, SCR Noorah Al-Eidi, Radha Mehta, PRODUCER Gabriel Gutierrez, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Isue Shin, EDITOR Joseph Murphy and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Sandra Rodriguez. USA
FISHMONGER
Fishmonger follows the story of Christie O’Mallaghan, a pathetic Irish fishmonger who must survive a sex pact with an ancient fish creature in order to save his mother’s soul from burning in hell. DIR Neil Ferron, SCR Neil Ferron, Alexandra Dennis-Renner, PRODUCER Jordan Wilcox, Valerie Steinberg, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jack McDonald, EDITOR Augustine So and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Xiyu Lin. USA
FULL MOON
It’s a full moon outside and Mikey just wants to spend his night alone on the couch with some chicken. But when he comes home to a surprise birthday party thrown by his girlfriend, he becomes conflicted about revealing his secret identity as a werewolf. DIR Shrayek Kapil, SCR Justin Horowitz, PRODUCER Joe Gonzales, Dahlia Hamdan, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Matt Smith, EDITOR Stanley Joseph, and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Noel Dombrowski. USA
THE GARDEN OF EDETTE
An elderly Creole woman’s life is bound to her flesh-eating garden. When Edette unexpectedly befriends a young girl before her next sacrifice, she must choose between killing her new friend or dying alongside her beloved garden. DIR Guinevere Thomas, SCR Guinevere Thomas, Chiara Campelli, Melisande McLaughlin, PRODUCER Lauren Milan Rausaw, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Matt Kleppner, EDITOR Sam Vallone and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Jolien Louis. USA
HOT SODA
When the company fracking their hometown is approved to double their operations, a restaurant family is at odds when the CEO and his bodyguard come in to dine. DIR Nello DiGiandomenico, SCR Nello DiGiandomenico, PRODUCER Olia Zimarova, Yulia Safonova, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Matt Smith, EDITOR Jiehan Mercury Song, Chris Spatola and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Armaan Pujani. USA
IN WONDERLAND
When Nina, a resilient and tenacious eight-year-old Mexican girl is granted asylum in the U.S. and forced to stay in the custody of her estranged aunt, she rejects her new family and escapes inside the fantasy world of her book, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” DIR Andrea Camacho McCracken
SCR Nora Alameddin, PRODUCER Shuqi Li, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Ellin Aldana, EDITOR Guanqing Lin and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Cyrum A. Ramirez, Mehdi Bennani. USA
LA BRUJA
On the night of his eighth birthday, Pablito mourns the loss of his Amá. However, his spirits are lifted when his Abuela tells him a fairytale about La Bruja Del Mar, a mystical witch longing for a son. DIR Alex Villareal, SCR Claudia Rivera, PRODUCER Simone Kirlew, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Andrew Danger Charles, EDITOR Jackie Lang and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Georgina Gutierrez. USA
LUCKY MARKET
After years working at a small Asian grocery store, Min has agreed to move in with her son’s family several hours away. On her supposed last day of work, she takes stock of the home and family she has built and realizes that she is unable to leave. DIR Eric Wang Schwager, SCR Rebecca Leo, Eric Wang Schwager, PRODUCER Zixin Cindy Zhang, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Rayana Rasamee, EDITOR Spencer Shiffman and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Sandra Rodriguez. USA
THE MINERS
After complete automation of human work has led to the collapse of American civilization, the war for work begins. Mae, a fourth-generation miner, searches for her missing father and uncovers an unexpected truth that makes her question her purpose in life. DIR Morgen Whiteman, SCR Morgen Whiteman, PRODUCER Nagee Brown, Tianmin Shen, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Praveen Elankumaran, EDITOR Jazmin Jamias and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Jolien Louis. USA
MIS-ALIGNMENT
Roberta Statero is a burnt-out engineer in charge of the humane destruction of misaligned androids. When she encounters Ved-A, an android with a severe case of misalignment that includes self-harming, Roberta’s routine is disrupted. DIR Pablo Riesgo Almonacid, SCR Pablo Riesgo Almonacid, Lucy Mastrullo, PRODUCER Santi Naidoo, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Audrey Biche, EDITOR Joseph Murphy and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Armaan Pujani. USA
MOIRA’S MEATS
A hopeless romantic at heart, Janay is looking for Mr. Right. But her lofty expectations for a potential partner come straight out of a cheesy romance novel. DIR Elijah Brewer, SCR Kyle Baughman, Elijah Brewer, PRODUCER Molvatu Sae-Ue, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Kyle Baughman, EDITOR James Li and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Ekaterina Moysov. USA
NAHUAL
Victoria, an emotionally isolated artist, must prove she is a fit guardian for her orphaned sister, but as CPS threatens to take her sister away, Victoria contemplates whether to unleash Nahual, an indigenous monster with a mysterious connection to Victoria. DIRECTOR Jacob Holmquist-Franco, SCR Jacob Holmquist-Franco, PRODUCER William Serri, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Kyle Baughman, EDITOR Jiehan Mercury Song and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Evan Black. USA
OBJECT OF DESIRE
When Vivien, an aspiring Asian American singer, takes a karaoke hostess job for some quick cash to recover her impounded car, she must confront a slew of clients with a blatant Asian fetish. DIR Naomi Christie Trantu, SCR Deanna Esposito, Naomi Christi Trantu, PRODUCER Seb Steinberger, Shunchao Xu, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Gregorio Acuna, EDITOR Edward Sun and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Ziwei Zoe Ouyang. USA
PAEONIA
Fai is a guilt-ridden scientist conducting genetic experiments on a deserted desert planet to create a species of peony that can survive the harsh environment. His life changes when a mysterious man arrives at his base claiming to be his brother. DIR Pedro Henrique Xavier Buson, SCR Pedro Henrique Xavier Buson, Yuzhong Philip Ge, PRODUCER Bohan Crystal Yang, Yuzhong Philip Ge, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Augusto Garcia, EDITOR Edward Sun and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Yijie EJ Li. USA
RAIN
When a mysterious orange light starts infecting the air, a young mother-to-be attempts to alert her family to its impending danger, whilst wrestling against their overbearing traditions and expectations of her future. DIR Imogen McCluskey, SCR Imogen McCluskey, PRODUCER Austin Chen, Chris Crema, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Luisa Dale, EDITOR Judith Zhu and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Mehdi Bennani. USA
A ROADSIDE BANQUET
Eleven-year-old Chinese girl Mai attends her baby brother’s first birthday party, where she gradually realizes everyone only has eyes for her new brother. DIR Peiqi Peng, SCR Peiqi Peng, PRODUCER Ziqi Gao, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Tianyi Liu, EDITOR Christine Ho and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Yijie EJ Li, Ye Yara Wang. USA
SOME KIND OF PARADISE
Tyler lives a quiet, unremarkable life in the small Arkansas town of Paradise. That is, until the day that a Hollywood film crew rolls into town, and he matches with actor Raphael on Grindr. DIR Nicholas Finegan, SCR Nicholas Finegan, Talisha Elger, PRODUCER Tianyu Yang, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Sharon Pulwer, EDITOR Richard Bai and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Mojo Wen. USA
STALLED
After being expelled from his medical residency program, Imran finds himself stranded in the vast California desert, his car breaking down just hours before reuniting with his family on Chaand Raat, the eve of Eid. DIR Michael Lazovsky, SCR Christopher Ostendorf, Sheheryar Ahsan, PRODUCER Sheheryar Ahsan, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Yuchan Deng, EDITOR Jackie Lang and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Tianhao Gao. USA
WAKE
At his mother’s wake, Cooper becomes overwhelmed with the sudden outreach from his small-town community. He escapes into the forest and attempts to live in solitude, but each night those same people from his neighborhood sleepwalk to him. DIR Conner De Mita, SCR Ari Jacobson, PRODUCER Seb Steinberger, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Nathan Podshadley, EDITOR Spencer Shiffman and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Renna Pilar. USA
WE MET AT CAMP
Hayden is new to camp and doesn’t fit in with the other girls. She’d rather spend time with her counselor Alison, but in an attempt not to feel like a total loser, she invents a fake crush on the oddball music teacher, Mr. Kyle. DIR MC Plaschke, SCR MC Plaschke, PRODUCER Alex Heller, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jenny Leavitt, EDITOR Abbey Letizia and PRODUCTION DESIGNER Paige Schaeffer. USA
AFI FEST 2023 will take place exclusively in person in Los Angeles from October 25 to October 29. AFI members receive discounts on tickets and other exclusive benefits. To become an AFI member, visit AFI.com/join/.
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