NYC PREMIERE Jonas Mekas, godfather of avant-garde cinema, emigrated to New York in 1949 and over the next 70 years drove the rise of the independent film scene. Filmmaker KD Davison allows Mekas (who died in 2019) to tell much of his own story, as he creates his celebrated diary films and searches for those […]
US PREMIERE Folk singer-songwriter turned activist and philanthropist, Buffy Sainte-Marie’s 60-year career includes winning the first Academy Award for an Indigenous person, the first internet album, and an FBI file. Fearless and ahead of her time, a vibrant 80-year-old Buffy —aided by her fellow folk-singing icon Joni Mitchell—tells her own story as an abuse survivor, […]
WORLD PREMIERE On Martha’s Vineyard, three-time Tony-winning playwright and director James Lapine (Into the Woods, Falsettos, Passion) meets Rose Styron, the widow of the great American novelist William Styron. Over six years of periodic meetings, Rose shares the fascinating story of her complex life as a poet, journalist, human rights activist, and life partner to […]
WORLD PREMIERE With the devastating economic impact of the pandemic and city redevelopment, Chinatowns in New York, Montreal and Vancouver search for innovative ways and resistance to keep their communities thriving. With lush verité footage of bustling Lunar New Year celebrations and warm social gatherings, filmmaker Karen Cho celebrates the vibrance of Chinatown communities. – […]
US PREMIERE An exquisite and piercing essay film about the director’s father, one of the most recognized Korean artists of his generation. Kim Tschang-Yeul’s fascinations and brilliant obstinacy become a fertile landscape to explore the relationship between a father and a son while reflecting on their differences in culture, age, and temperament. Following the traces […]
NYC PREMIERE A village in Japan populates its empty town with scarecrows to keep its aging inhabitants company. A quiet look into how a community lives, dies, and must ultimately adapt to changing times. – Elyse Wang This screening will be followed by a Q&A with Director Dan Hodgson and Producer Julia Alcamo. This film is […]
This block explores grief and how we grapple with loss. (Total Running Time: 91 MIN) 3:07 | Director: Megan Miller A personal expression of transformation, as a mother turns her grief and silence around a stillbirth into an expression of remembrance. – Elyse Wang (UK, 12 MIN) The Final Touch | Director: Claire Maske A […]
NYC PREMIERE From belly dancing to synchronized swimming and golf: everything that a pensioner’s heart desires is offered at The Villages, the world’s largest retirement community. Valerie Blankenbyl’s enthralling and amusing portrait of the fastest growing “town” in the US—soon to be four times the size of Manhattan—explores its complexities and contradictions while shedding light […]
NYC PREMIERE Chock- full of rich archival footage of old Philadelphia and NYC, this everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-automats film is a lighthearted trip through the history of Horn & Hardart’s iconic and innovative eateries. Led by the irrepressible Mel Brooks, the film also features an impressive roster of celebrities (Colin Powell, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Carl Reiner, to name […]
US PREMIERE A peek into the vibrant lives of an assortment of centenarians from across the globe—an antique seller, a practicing physician, a former comedian, a drummer, a farmer, and a sex therapist. Filmmaker Heddy Honigmann shares the stories, histories, and life philosophies of these delightful, active, sharp-minded elders. In our youth-obsessed culture, this engaging […]