This program presents two films appearing in our Short List: Shorts section recognizing some of the top documentary shorts films of the year. THE GIRL AND THE PICTURE DIR: Vanessa Roth 80 years ago, Xia Shuqin witnessed the murder of her family during the Nanjing Massacre. The Girl and the Picture uncovers how an American […]
NYC PREMIERE Romance traditionally has been the domain of humans. Silicone Soul, however, shows it is possible between men and the life-size dolls. Disarmingly candid interviews highlight the bonds formed between synthetic beings and lonely souls who have struggled to find the “one,” while other subjects profiled reveal unexpected attachments to eerily lifelike dolls. Melody […]
NYC PREMIERE Marina has barely spoken to her sister, Tatiana, in 20 years, ever since Tatiana left Jerusalem to follow spiritual leader Gerondas to a monastery in Greece and became a nun. Wishing to understand her sister’s choice to surrender her freedom to a religious order, and compelled to reconnect, Marina seeks out Tatiana and […]
In 1980, a complete coincidence brought together identical strangers Bobby Shafran and Eddy Galland, 19 year olds who realized they were separated at birth. The subsequent press coverage led to the startling discovery of a third young man, David Kellman. They were actually identical triplets, each adopted by a different family. Instant media sensations, the […]
WORLD PREMIERE Filmmaker Maxine Trump turns the camera on herself and her close circle of family and friends as she confronts the idea of not having kids. While exploring the cultural pressures and harsh criticism child-free women regularly experience, as well as the personal impact this decision may have on her own relationship, Maxine meets […]
NYC PREMIERE While his father serves a prison sentence, Tre, 13, has his own run-ins with the law. Maison, a hyperactive 11-year-old with Asperger’s, is raised by his grandmother while his beloved dad is behind bars. Finally reunited with his mother, six-year-old Dasan must confront the truth behind her time away. This compelling portrait of […]
NYC PREMIERE Joel-Peter Witkin is a celebrated photographer, known for dark tableaux full of disturbing images. His identical twin brother Jerome is an equally acclaimed figurative painter, whose work explores sociohistorical themes. These two gifted artists rarely communicate with one another, maintaining separate lives despite their shared upbringing. Told almost entirely by the women in their […]
NYC PREMIERE Kim is a young mother raising two boys with her partner Matt, a tattoo artist. The problem is that she just doesn’t feel motherly, something that troubles her deeply. Eager to make sense of her conflicted feelings around parenthood, Kim embarks on a reflective journey to explore her past, learning about the impact […]
Life, animated. Santa Is a Psychedelic Mushroom (USA, 6 min., Matthew Salton) embraces the shamanistic side of Christmas. Music & Clowns (UK, 7 min., Alex Widdowson) are Jamie’s greatest passions. Hiroshima survivor Akiko Takakura receives the spirits of her parents and is haunted by memories during Obon (Germany, 15 min., Andre Hoermann, Anna Samo). A […]
The hopes and dreams of the youngest generation. A nine-year-old explains the feeling of being stricken with the world’s oldest infliction—True Love in Pueblo Texti (Cuba/Spain/USA, 5 min., Horatio Baltz). New Orleans high school student Chasity investigates the safety of her neighborhood, Station 15 (USA, 15 min., Kira Akerman, Sophie Tintori), hard hit by Hurricane […]