The newly-added Episodic section features 'Deaddbeat', 'From Dusk Till Dawn', 'Halt and Catch Fire', 'Penny Dreadful", and 'Silicon Valley'.
- Jan 31, 2014
AceShowbiz - Movie selections for the upcoming 21st edition of the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, runs have been revealed. The Headliners section feature Jon Favreau's comedy "Chef (2014)", Nicolas Cage's gripping drama "Joe", Seth Rogen and Zac Efron's comedy's "Neighbors", Ethan Hawke's sci-fi "%Predestination%", and Kristen Bell's crowd-funded mystery drama "Veronica Mars".
The Festival Favorites section is filled with some of Sundance films like Michael Fassbender's offbeat comedy "Frank", Tom Hiddleston's vampire romance drama "Only Lovers Left Alive", Indonesia martial arts film "The Raid 2: Berandal", a behind-the-scene look inside the case to overturn California's ban on same-sex marriage, and documentary "The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz".
In addition to feature films and documentaries, the event that will run from March 7-15 adds a new screening section which features innovative new work aimed squarely at the small screen, Episodic tunes in to the explosion of exciting material on non-theatrical platforms, including serialized TV, webisodes and beyond.
In this section, there are National Geographic's "COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey", Hulu and Lionsgate TV's supernatural comedy "Deadbeat, Robert Rodriguez's "From Dusk Till Dawn" that will be broadcast on his newly-launched channel El Rey, AMC's period drama "Halt and Catch Fire", Showtime's psychological horror series "Penny Dreadful", and HBO's new sitcom "Silicon Valley".
More films will be announced when the Midnighters section gets announced along with the short films on February 5. Meanwhile, the complete conference programs will be unveiled on February 12.
HEADLINERS:
"Chef (2014)" Director/Screenwriter: Jon Favreau. It's a rich and vibrant comedy, the story of Carl Casper, who loses his chef job and cooks up a food truck business in hopes of reestablishing his artistic promise. At the same time, he tries to reconnect with his estranged family. Cast: Jon Favreau, Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson. (World Premiere)
"Joe" Director: David Gordon Green, Screenwriters: Larry Brown, Gary Hawkins. A gripping mix of friendship, violence and redemption erupts in the contemporary South in this adaptation of Larry Brown's novel. Cast: Nicolas Cage, Tye Sheridan. (U.S. Premiere)
"Neighbors" Director: Nicholas Stoller, Screenwriters: Andrew J. Cohen, Brendan O'Brien. A comedy about a young couple suffering from arrested development who are forced to live next to a fraternity house after the birth of their newborn baby. Cast: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne. (Worldwide Debut - work-in-progress)
"Predestination" (Australia) Directors/Screenwriters: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig. A riveting adventure through time centered on a secret government time traveling agency designed to prevent future killers and terrorists from committing their crimes. Cast: Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Noah Taylor. (World Premiere)
"Veronica Mars" Director/Screenwriter: Rob Thomas, Screenwriter: Diane Ruggiero. Years after walking away from her past as a teenage private eye, Veronica Mars gets pulled back to her hometown, an ex-boyfriend with baggage, and an unraveling murder mystery. Cast: Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Krysten Ritter. (World Premiere)
NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION:
"10,000KM" (Spain) Director: Carlos Marques Marcet, Screenwriters: Carlos Marques-Marcet, Clara Roquet Autonell. A year of a long distance relationship, two computers and two cities - Los Angeles and Barcelona, can love survive 6,000 miles? Cast: Natalia Tena, David Verdaguer. (World Premiere)
"Animals" Director: Collin Schiffli, Screenwriter: David Dastmalchian. Jude and Bobbie are a young, homeless couple who masterfully con and steal in an attempt to stay one step ahead of their addiction. They are ultimately forced to face the reality of their situation when one of them is hospitalized. Cast: David Dastmalchian, Kim Shaw, John Heard. (World Premiere)
"Before I Disappear" Director/Screenwriter: Shawn Christensen. Based on the 2013 Academy Award winning short film "Curfew". At the lowest point of his life, Richie gets a call from his estranged sister, asking him to look after his eleven-year-old niece, Sophia, for a few hours. Cast: Shawn Christensen, Fatima Ptacek, Emmy Rossum, Paul Wesley, Ron Perlman, Richard Schiff. (World Premiere)
"Fort Tilden" Directors/Screenwriters: Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers. It shouldn't be this hard for Allie and Harper to get to the beach. Cast: Bridey Elliott, Clare McNulty, Griffin Newman, Jeffrey Scaperrotta, Neil Casey. (World Premiere)
"The Heart Machine" Director/Screenwriter: Zachary Wigon. A man begins to suspect that his long-distance girlfriend, whom he met online but has never met in person, has been living in the same city the whole time and sets out to find her. Cast: John Gallagher Jr., Kate Lyn Sheil. (World Premiere)
"I Believe in Unicorns" Director/Screenwriter: Leah Meyerhoff. It follows the lyrical journey of an imaginative teenage girl who runs away from home with an older punk rock drifter, but not even unicorns can save her now. Cast: Natalia Dyer, Peter Vack. (World Premiere)
"The Mend" Director/Screenwriter: John Magary. A dark comedy about rage, doubt, lust, madness and other brotherly hand-me-downs. Cast: Josh Lucas, Stephen Plunkett, Lucy Owen, Mickey Sumner, Austin Pendleton. (World Premiere)
"Wild Canaries" Director/Screenwriter: Lawrence Michael Levine. When their elderly neighbor suddenly drops dead, a young Brooklyn couple investigates signs of foul play. Cast: Sophia Takal, Lawrence Michael Levine, Alia Shawkat, Annie Parisse, Jason Ritter. (World Premiere)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION:
"Beginning with the End" Director: David Marshall. It takes viewers on a profound, and profoundly moving, journey with a group of high school seniors working as trained hospice volunteers - a story of beginnings and endings in a year of self-discovery and awakening. (World Premiere)
"Born to Fly" Director: Catherine Gund. It pushes the boundaries between action and art, daring us to join choreographer Elizabeth Streb and her dancers in pursuit of human flight. (World Premiere) *SXsports screening
"The Great Invisible" Director: Margaret Brown. Penetrating the oil industry's secretive world, it examines the Deepwater Horizon disaster through the eyes of oil executives, explosion survivors and Gulf Coast residents who were left to pick up the pieces when the world moved on. (World Premiere)
"The Immortalists" Directors: Jason Sussberg, David Alvarado. Two eccentric scientists struggle to create eternal youth in a world they call "blind to the tragedy of old age." As they battle their own aging and suffer the losses of loved ones, their scientific journeys ultimately become personal. (World Premiere)
"Impossible Light" Director: Jeremy Ambers. It reveals the drama and the daring of artist Leo Villareal and a small team of visionaries who battle seemingly impossible challenges to turn a dream of creating the world's largest LED light sculpture into a glimmering reality. (World Premiere)
"Mateo" Director: Aaron I. Naar. It follows America's most notorious white mariachi singer on his misadventures in Cuba. (World Premiere)
"Print the Legend" Directors: Luis Lopez, Clay Tweel. The 3D Printing revolution has begun. Who will make it? (World Premiere)
"Vessel (2014)" Director: Diana Whitten. A fearless sea captain, Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, sails a ship through loopholes in international law, providing abortions on the high seas, and leaving in her wake a network of emboldened activists who trust women to handle abortion on their own terms. (World Premiere)
NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT:
"Break Point" Director: Jay Karas, Screenwriters: Gene Hong, Jeremy Sisto. Two estranged brothers reunite to make an improbable run at a grand slam tennis tournament. The mismatched pair, with some unlikely help from a precocious 11-year-old boy, re-discover their game and their brotherhood. Cast: Jeremy Sisto, David Walton, Joshua Rush, J.K. Simmons, Amy Smart (World Premiere) *SXsports screening
"Cesar Chavez" Director: Diego Luna, Screenwriters: Keir Pearson, Timothy J. Sexton. It chronicles the birth of a modern American movement led by famed civil rights leader and labor organizer, Cesar Chavez. Cast: Rosario Dawson, John Malkovich, Michael Pena, America Ferrera, Gabriel Mann. (North American Premiere)
"Faults" Director/Screenwriter: Riley Stearns. An expert on cults is hired by a mother and father to kidnap and deprogram their brainwashed daughter. He soon begins to suspect the parents may be more destructive than the cult he's being hired to save her from. Cast: Leland Orser, Mary Elizabeth Winstead. (World Premiere)
"The Frontier (2014)" Director/Screenwriter: Matt Rabinowitz, Screenwriter: Carlos Colungu. An estranged son travels back home to confront his overbearing father to see if there is any relationship left between them. Cast: Max Gail, Coleman Kelly, Anastassia Sendyk. (World Premiere)
"Kelly & Cal" Director: Jen McGowan, Screenwriter: Amy Lowe Starbin. It explores the heartfelt, somewhat absurd moments in our lives when we seek out a little bit of extra attention. Cast: Juliette Lewis, Jonny Weston, Josh Hopkins, Cybil Shepherd. (World Premiere)
"The Mule" (Australia) Directors: Angus Sampson, Tony Mahony, Screenwriters: Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson. In 1983, a naive man is detained by Australian Federal Police with lethal narcotics hidden in his stomach. Caught, 'The Mule' makes a desperate choice...to defy his bodily functions and withhold the evidence...literally. Cast: Hugo Weaving, Angus Sampson. (World Premiere)
"A Night in Old Mexico" (USA / Spain) Director: Emilio Aragon, Screenwriter: William D. Wittliff. Forced to give up his land and home, Texas rancher Red Bovie isn't about to retire quietly in a dismal trailer park. Instead he hits the road with his estranged grandson for one last adventure. Cast: Robert Duvall, Jeremy Irvine. (World Premiere)
"Patrick's Day" (Ireland) Director/Screenwriter: Terry McMahon. A young man with mental health issues becomes intimate with a suicidal air hostess but his obsessive mother enlists a dysfunctional cop to separate them. Cast: Kerry Fox, Moe Dunford. (World Premiere)
"Sequoia" Director: Andy Landen, Screenwriter: Andrew Rothschild. Faced with stage three cancer, a young woman sets out to end her life on her own terms, in Sequoia National Park. Cast: Aly Michalka, Dustin Milligan. (World Premiere)
"She's Lost Control" Director/Screenwriter: Anja Marquardt. Ronah's life unravels when she starts working with a new client, Johnny. Cast: Brooke Bloom, Marc Menchaca. (North American Premiere)
"Take Care" Director/Screenwriter: Liz Tuccillo. After being hit by a car, a woman comes home to realize her friends don't really want to take care of her. Desperate for help, she turns to an unlikely source. Cast: Leslie Bibb, Thomas Sadoski. (World Premiere)
"Thank You a Lot" Director/Screenwriter: Matt Muir. A struggling, two-bit music manager will lose his job unless he signs a reclusive country music singer, James Hand, who also happens to be his estranged father. Cast: Blake DeLong, James Hand. (World Premiere)
"Things People Do" Director: Saar Klein, Screenwriters: Joe Conway, Saar Klein. Bill Scanlin loses his job and embarks on a life of crime. As Bill stays ahead of the law, he discovers that sometimes the only thing worse than getting caught is getting away with it. Cast: Wes Bentley, Jason Isaacs. (North American Premiere)
"Two Step" Director/Screenwriter: Alex R. Johnson. Two Step is a fast-paced Texas thriller in which the lives of James, a directionless college dropout, and Webb, a career criminal with his back against the wall, violently collide. Cast: Beth Broderick, James Landry Hebert. (World Premiere)
"We'll Never Have Paris" Directors: Jocelyn Towne, Simon Helberg, Screenwriter: Simon Helberg. It is a clumsy and at once human account of screwing up on a transcontinental level in a noble effort to win back "the one." Cast: Simon Helberg, Maggie Grace. (World Premiere)
DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT: "Above All Else" Director: John Fiege. A former stuntman and high wire artist puts his family and future on the line when he rallies a group of East Texas landowners and activists to blockade the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. (World Premiere)
"Butterfly Girl" Director: Cary Bell. Abbie came of age in honky tonks, defying her life threatening disease, but all the while longing for an identity of her own. Now that she is 18, how much is she willing to sacrifice for her independence? (World Premiere)
"DamNation" Directors: Travis Rummel, Ben Knight. This powerful film odyssey across America explores the sea change in national attitude from pride in big dams as engineering wonders to the growing awareness that our own future is bound to the life and health of our rivers. (World Premiere)
"Doc of the Dead" Director: Alexandre O. Philippe. The definitive zombie culture documentary, from the makers of The People vs. George Lucas. Doc of the Dead traces the rise and evolution of the zombie genre, its influence on pop culture, and investigates the possibility of an actual zombie outbreak. (World Premiere)
"Harmontown" Director: Neil Berkeley. A comedic, brutally honest documentary following self-destructive TV writer Dan Harmon (NBC's Community) as he takes his live podcast on a national tour. (World Premiere)
"LADY VALOR: The Kristin Beck Story" Directors: Sandrine Orabona, Mark Herzog. A former U.S. Navy Seal seeks life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness living life as a transgender woman. (World Premiere)
"The Legend of Shorty" (UK) Directors: Angus MacQueen, Guillermo Galdos. The Legend of Shorty is the story of a man and a myth. (World Premiere)
"Manny" Directors: Ryan Moore, Leon Gast. From abject poverty to international hero, Manny Pacquiao rose to fame in the boxing ring. At the height of his career, Manny entered the political arena. As history's only boxing Congressman, Manny is faced with a new challenge. (World Premiere) *SXsports screening
"Seeds of Time" Director: Sandy McLeod. It follows agriculture pioneer Cary Fowler's global journey to save the eroding foundation of our food supply in a new era of climate change. (North American Premiere)
"Supermensch" Director: Mike Myers. Myers makes his directorial debut with this star-packed documentary about the legendary Shep Gordon, who managed the careers of Alice Cooper, Blondie, Luther Vandross, and Raquel Welch - and still had time to invent the "celebrity chef." (U.S. Premiere)
"That Guy Dick Miller" Director: Elijah Drenner. It is the incredible true story of the wannabe-writer, turned accidental character-actor. (World Premiere)
"Wicker Kittens" Director: Amy C. Elliott. Every January, the country's largest jigsaw puzzle contest is held in St. Paul, Minnesota. Wicker Kittens invites you to choose your favorite team and watch them try to put the pieces back together. (World Premiere) *SXsports screening
VISIONS: "Arlo and Julie" Director/Screenwriter: Steve Mims. A neurotic couple's obsession with a mysterious puzzle comically unravels their world, disconnecting them from reality and jeopardizing their fragile relationship. Cast: Alex Dobrenko, Ashley Spillers. (World Premiere)
"Beyond Clueless" (UK) Director: Charlie Lyne. Narrated by cult teen star Fairuza Balk, Beyond Clueless is a dizzying journey into the mind, body and soul of the teen movie, as seen through the eyes of over 200 modern coming-of-age classics. (World Premiere)
"Big Significant Things" Director/Screenwriter: Bryan Reisberg. A week before they move across the country together, Craig lies to his girlfriend in order to go on his first road trip - to the south. Alone. Cast: Harry Lloyd, Krista Kosonen. (World Premiere)
"Buzzard" Director/Screenwriter: Joel Potrykus. Devil masks, metal, video games, Mountain Dew, and a Party Zone. Scheming slackers of the world unite and take over! Cast: Joshua Burge, Joel Potrykus. (World Premiere)
"Creep" Director/Screenwriter: Patrick Brice, Screenwriter: Mark Duplass. When a videographer answers a Craigslist ad for a one-day job in a remote mountain town, he finds his client is not at all what he initially seems. Cast: Mark Duplass, Patrick Brice. (World Premiere)
"Cumbres" (Heights) (Mexico) Director/Screenwriter: Gabriel Nuncio. Due a tragedy, two sisters abruptly escape from their hometown in Northern Mexico. Their journey creates a bittersweet relationship marked by pain, guilt and love. Cast: Aglae Lingow, Ivanna Michel. (U.S. Premiere)
"The Dance of Reality" (Chile / France) Director/Screenwriter: Alejandro Jodorowsky. It is a 2013 independent autobiographical film written, produced and directed by Alejandro Jodorowosky. Cast: Brontis Jodorowsky, Pamela Flores. (U.S. Premiere)
"Evaporating Borders" (USA / Cyprus) Director: Iva Radivojevic. It is a poetically photographed and rendered film on tolerance and search for identity. Told through 5 vignettes portraying the lives of migrants on the island of Cyprus, it passionately weaves themes of displacement and belonging. (North American Premiere)
"Evolution of a Criminal" Director: Darius Clark Monroe. How does a 16 year-old evolve into a bank robber? (World Premiere)
"Housebound" (New Zealand) Director/Screenwriter: Gerard Johnstone. When Kylie Bucknell is sentenced to home detention, she's forced to come to terms with her unsociable behaviour, her blabbering mother and a hostile spirit who seems less than happy about the new living arrangement. Cast: Morgana O'Reilly, Rima Te Wiata. (World Premiere)
"The Infinite Man" (Australia) Director/Screenwriter: Hugh Sullivan. It is a time travel comedy-romance about a man whose attempts to construct the perfect romantic weekend backfire when he traps his lover in an infinite loop. Cast: Josh McConville, Hannah Marshall. (World Premiere)
"Open Windows" (Spain) Director/Screenwriter: Nacho Vigalondo. Nick's a lucky guy - he's having dinner with Jill Goddard, the hottest actress on earth. Then a guy named Chord calls: dinner's been canceled. And it's Jill's fault. But Chord's got something better... A 21st Century Rear Window. Cast: Elijah Wood, Sasha Grey. (World Premiere)
"Other Months" Director/Screenwriter: Nick Singer. Marking time as an itinerant plumber, and haunted by recurrent nightmares, Nash hungers for the fleeting ecstasies of nightclubs and bedrooms. Other Months is a stark, honest portrait of disconnection - a young man coming to face his paralysis. Cast: Christopher Bonewitz, Britannie Bond. (World Premiere)
"The Possibilities Are Endless" (UK) Directors: Edward Lovelace, James Hall. Scottish musician, Edwyn Collins' world was shattered by a devastating stroke. After fighting back from the brink of death, he discovers that life, love and language mean even more to him that he could ever have imagined. (World Premiere)
"Premature" Director/Screenwriter: Dan Beers, Screenwriter: Mathew Harawitz. On the most important day of his young life, a high school senior is forced to relive his failed attempt at losing his virginity over and over again, until he gets it right. Cast: John Karna, Katie Findlay (World Premiere)
"Song from the Forest" (Germany) Director: Michael Obert. A modern epic set between rainforest and skyscrapers. (North American Premiere)
"Space Station 76" Director/Screenwriter: Jack Plotnick, Screenwriters: Jennifer Cox, Sam Pancake, Kali Rocha, Michael Stoyanov. Welcome to the future of the past. Cast: Patrick Wilson, Liv Tyler, Matt Bomer, Marisa Coughlan, Kylie Rogers. (World Premiere)
"Surviving Cliffside" Director: Jon Matthews. A West Virginia family faces illness, addiction, and gun violence - while their daughter makes a run for Little Miss West Virginia. (World Premiere)
"The Wilderness of James" Director/Screenwriter: Michael Johnson. A restless teenager explores the wilderness of his city while struggling with the absence of his father. Cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Virginia Madsen. (World Premiere)
EPISODIC: (*New screening section)
"COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey" Directors: Brannon Braga, Bill Pope, Screenwriters: Ann Druyan, Steven Soter. It is a thrilling, 13-part adventure across the universe of space and time revealed by science, exploring humanity's heroic quest for a deeper understanding of nature. Narrator: Neil deGrasse Tyson.
"Deadbeat" Director: Troy Miller, Written And Co-Created By: Cody Heller, Brett Konner. Kevin Pacalioglu may have no money and no clue, but he does have one thing - he can see dead people. Faced with New York's most stubborn ghosts, our hapless medium goes to whatever lengths necessary to help finish their unfinished business. Cast: Tyler Labine, Cat Deeley. (World Premiere)
"From Dusk Till Dawn" - Pilot Director/Screenwriter: Robert Rodriguez. The Gecko Brothers are back. Based on the thrill-ride film, it is a supernatural crime saga from Creator, Director and EP Robert Rodriguez premiering March 11 on El Rey Network. Cast: D.J. Cotrona, Zane Holtz, Eiza Gonzalez, Jesse Garcia, Lane Garrison, and Wilmer Valderrama. (World Premiere)
"Halt and Catch Fire" Director: Juan Jose Campanella, Screenwriters: Christopher Cantwell, Christopher C. Rogers. Halt and Catch Fire captures the rise of the PC era in the early 1980s, during which an unlikely trio - a visionary, an engineer and a prodigy - take personal and professional risks in the race to build a computer that will change the world as they know it. Cast: Lee Pace, Scoot McNairy. (World Premiere)
"Penny Dreadful" (USA / UK) Directors: John Logan, Juan Antonio Bayona, Screenwriter: John Logan. It is a psychological horror series that re-imagines literature's most terrifying characters (Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray and iconic figures from the novel Dracula) in a whole new light. Cast: Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, Eva Green. (World Premiere)
"Silicon Valley" Director: Mike Judge, Created By: Mike Judge & John Altschuler & Dave Krinsky. Episode One Written By Mike Judge & John Altschuler & Dave Krinsky. Episode Two Written By Carson Mell. The new HBO series takes a comic look at the modern-day epicenter of the high-tech gold rush, where the people most qualified to succeed are the least capable of handling success. Cast: Thomas Middleditch, T.J. Miller. (World Premiere)
24 BEATS PER SECOND: "The 78 Project Movie" Director: Alex Steyermark. It is a journey to connect today's musicians with the recordings of the past. Using a 1930's Presto recorder, artists get one take to cut a 78rpm record anywhere, finding in that adventure a new connection to our shared cultural legacy. (World Premiere)
"American Interior" (Wales) Directors: Dylan Goch, Gruff Rhys. Two men. Two quests. Two centuries apart. Four ways to experience the search for a lost tribe. Film. Book. Album. App. (World Premiere)
"The Case of the Three Sided Dream" Director: Adam Kahan. The documentary film on the life and legacy of Rahsaan Roland Kirk - a one of a kind musician, personality, activist and windmill slayer who despite being blind, becoming paralyzed, and facing America's racial injustices - did not relent. (World Premiere)
"Deep City" Directors: Dennis Scholl, Marlon Johnson. It is an inspirational story that explores the early days of soul music in South Florida, the pioneers of that era and their lasting contributions to the broader American musical landscape. (World Premiere)
"God Help the Girl" (UK) Director/Screenwriter: Stuart Murdoch. An indie musical from Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian about two girls and a boy and the music they made one Glasgow summer. Cast: Emily Browning, Olly Alexander.
"Johnny Winter: Down & Dirty" Director: Greg Olliver. A documentary on the life and career of blues legend Johnny Winter, featuring Edgar Winter, James Cotton, Billy Gibbons, Warren Haynes, Luther Nallie, Tommy Shannon, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks and more. (World Premiere)
"Leave the World Behind" (UK) Director: Christian Larson. A documentary following the break-up of Swedish House Mafia and their subsequent One Last Tour. A rare look at the electronic scene, amazing live footage and the psychological drama of 3 guys who walked away from everything to save their friendship. (World Premiere)
"Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton (This Is Stones Throw Records)" Director: Jeff Broadway. It is a feature-length documentary about avant-garde Los Angeles-based record label Stones Throw Records.
"Que Caramba es la Vida" (Germany) Director: Doris Dorrie. In the macho world of Mariachi music, very few women can hold their own. Just like the songs they play, this film is a snapshot of life, death and the things in between - seen from a bird's-eye perspective. (World Premiere)
"Road to Austin" Director: Gary Fortin. It chronicles how Austin, Texas became the Live Music Capital of the World, dating from 1835 to present day. The film builds to a climax and weaves its way towards an all-star live performance led by Stephen Bruton and his 14-piece band. (World Premiere)
"Rubber Soul" Director/Screenwriter: Jon Lefkovitz. It reconstructs portions of two historical interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono based on available transcripts and audio, juxtaposing them in order to explore the dynamic nature of Lennon's identity over time. Cast: Joseph Bearor, Denice Lee, Dillon Porter, Andrew Perez. (World Premiere)
"Sheffield: Sex City" (UK) Director: Florian Habicht. Dylan said 'Don't Look Back' - but what happens if you do? (World Premiere)
"Soul Boys of the Western World" (UK) Director: George Hencken. A voyage through the heart of the 80s with one of the decade's most iconic bands, Spandau Ballet, this archive-only film tells the story of a group of working-class London lads who created a global music Empire, but at a price none of them imagined. (World Premiere)
"SVDDXNLY" Director: David Laven. It uncovers the young life and career of A$AP Rocky and the A$AP Mob, from humble Harlem beginnings to their rapid rise to fame. (World Premiere)
"Take Me to the River" Director: Martin Shore. It is a film about the soul of American music. The film follows the recording of a new album featuring legends from Stax records and Memphis mentoring and passing on their musical magic to stars and artists of today. (World Premiere)
"The Winding Stream" Director: Beth Harrington. It is the story of the American music dynasty, the Carters and Cashes, and their decades-long influence on popular music. (World Premiere)
SXGLOBAL: "The Desert" (Argentina) Director: Christoph Behl. The failed story of a love triangle in a post-apocalyptic world. Cast: Victoria Almeida, William Prociuk. (North American Premiere)
"For Those in Peril5" (UK) Director/Screenwriter: Paul Wright. In a remote Scottish town, a young man is the lone survivor of a strange fishing accident that claimed the lives of 5 men. Spurred on by sea-going folklore, the village blames him for this tragedy, making him an outcast amongst his own people. Cast: George Mackay, Michael Smiley. (North American Premiere)
"mThe Special Need%" (Germany / Italy / Austria) Director: Carlo Zoratti. Searching for "the first time" Alex, Carlo and their autistic friend Enea find a lot more than they were looking for... (North American Premiere)
"Ukraine Is Not a Brothel" (Australia) Director: Kitty Green. A feature documentary that reveals the truth behind Ukraine's topless feminist sensation, 'Femen.'
"Wetlands" (Germany) Director: David F. Wnendt, Screenwriters: Claus Falkenberg, David F. Wnendt. 18-year-old Helen has her very own view on life, hygiene and good sex. She loves to shock people with unexpected and un-girly behavior. Cast: Carla Juri, Christoph Letkowski.
"A Wolf at the Door" (Brazil) Director/Screenwriter: Fernando Coimbra. A nerve-rattling tale of a kidnapped child and the distraught parents left behind that captures the darkness that ensues when panic breeds suspicion and love turns to hate. Cast: Milhelm Cortaz, Leandra Leal. (U.S. Premiere)
FESTIVAL FAVORITES: "Bad Words" Director: Jason Bateman, Screenwriter: Andrew Dodge. Bateman's feature directorial debut is the subversive comedy Bad Words. Bateman stars as Guy, who finds a loophole in the rules of a national spelling bee and causes trouble by hijacking the competition. Cast: Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn.
"Boyhood" Director/Screenwriter: Richard Linklater. One family's journey shot over the course of 12 years. Cast: Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke.
"The Case Against 8" Directors: Ben Cotner, Ryan White. A behind-the-scenes look inside the case to overturn California's ban on same-sex marriage. Shot over five years, the film follows the unlikely team that took the first federal marriage equality lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"The Dog" Directors: Allison Berg, Frank Keraudren. An astonishing documentary portrait of the late John Wojtowicz, whose attempted robbery of a Brooklyn bank to finance his male lover's sex-reassignment surgery was the real-life inspiration for the classic Al Pacino film "Dog Day Afternoon."
"For No Good Reason" (England) Director: Charlie Paul. Johnny Depp pays a call on his friend and hero Ralph Steadman and we take off on a high-spirited, raging and kaleidoscopic journey discovering the life and works of one of the most distinctive radical artists of the last 50 years.
"Frank" Director: Lenny Abrahamson, Screenwriters: Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan. Frank is a comedy about a young wannabe musician, Jon, who discovers he's bitten off more than he can chew when he joins a band of eccentric musicians led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank and his terrifying sidekick, Clara. Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Fassbender.
"Hellion" Director/Screenwriter: Kat Candler. When 13-year-old Jacob's delinquent behavior results in the authorities placing his little brother Wes with their aunt, he and his emotionally absent father must finally take responsibility for their actions and each other in order to bring Wes home. Cast: Aaron Paul, Juliette Lewis.
"The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz" Director: Brian Knappenberger. The story of programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz, from the development of RSS and Reddit to his groundbreaking work in political organizing and the tragic taking of his own life at the age of 26.
"JIMI: All Is By My Side" Director/Screenwriter: John Ridley. Covering a year in Hendrix's life from 1966-67, the film presents an intimate portrait of the sensitive young musician on the verge of becoming a rock legend. Cast: Andre Benjamin, Hayley Atwell, Imogen Poots. (U.S. Premiere)
"Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter" Director/Screenwriter: David Zellner, Screenwriter: Nathan Zellner. A lonely Japanese woman abandons her structured life in Tokyo to seek a satchel of money rumored to be hidden in the Minnesota wilderness. Cast: Rinko Kikuchi, Nobuyuki Katsube.
"No No: A Dockumentary" Director: Jeffrey Radice. In the 1970s Dock Ellis pitched a no-hitter on LSD and courted conflict and controversy, but his latter years were spent helping others recover from addiction. "No No: A Dockumentary" weaves a surprising story of a life in and out of the spotlight. *SXsports screening
"Obvious Child" Director/Screenwriter: Gillian Robespierre. It is an unapologetically honest comedy about what happens when 27-year old Brooklyn stand-up comedian Donna Stern gets dumped, fired and pregnant just in time for Valentine's Day. Cast: Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy.
"Only Lovers Left Alive" Director/Screenwriter: Jim Jarmusch. A story centered on two vampires who have been in love for centuries. Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska, John Hurt, Anton Yelchin.
"Ping Pong Summer" Director/Screenwriter: Michael Tully. Coming soon...Summer 1985. Cast: Susan Sarandon, John Hannah, Lea Thompson, Amy Sedaris, Robert Longstreet.
"The Raid 2: Berandal" Director/Screenwriter: Gareth Evans. Picking up from right where the first film ends, it follows Rama as he goes undercover and infiltrates the ranks of a ruthless Jakarta crime syndicate in order to protect his family and uncover the corruption in the police force. Cast: Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Arifin Putra, Oka Antara, Tio Pakusadwo.
SPECIAL EVENTS: "All American High: Revisited" Director: Keva Rosenfeld. It is a time capsule of teen life in the 1980s, a long-lost documentary that captures an unforgettable era through the eyes of those who lived it.
"Double Play: James Benning and Richard Linklater" (France / Portugal / US) Director: Gabe Klinger. A documentary portrait of the friendship between the renowned filmmakers James Benning and Richard Linklater. (U.S. Premiere)
"Godzilla: The Japanese Original" (Japan) Director: Ishiro Honda, Screenwriters: Takeo Murata, Ishiro Honda. The 1954 classic that inspired the modern monster movie (national re-release from Rialto Pictures in April). Q&A with Gareth Edwards, director of the summer 2014 film Godzilla, from Warner Bros Pictures and Legendary Pictures. Cast: Takashi Shimura, Akira Takarada, Momoko Kochi.
"The Grand Budapest Hotel - Extended Q&A with Wes Anderson" Director/Screenwriter: Wes Anderson. The film recounts the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars; and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting; a raging battle for an enormous family fortune; a desperate chase on motorcycles, trains, sleds, and skis; and the sweetest confection of a love affair - all against the back-drop of a suddenly and dramatically changing Continent. Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jude Law, Tilda Swinton.
"The Texas Chain Saw Massacre - 40th Anniversary Screening" Director/Screenwriter: Tobe Hooper, Screenwriter: Kim Henkel. An idyllic summer afternoon becomes a terrifying nightmare for five young friends after they stumble upon the home of a depraved Texas clan. Cast: Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, Gunnar Hansen.
