WHIDDY

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE A new “gold rush” shifts Europe’s focus to the large lithium reserves of Bolivia. Using breathtaking cinematography, filmmaker Jens Schanze observes, over six years, the complex web of European colonialism’s extractive nature and the fight of Bolivia’s laborers toward autonomy and justice. Through multiple perspectives and sawing through layers of bureaucracy, Schanze seeks to answer one basic question: why does the West always need to perpetrate cycles of colonialism in order to build itself a better future? - Bedatri D. Choudhury

The first and seconding screenings will be followed by a Q&A with director/producer Jens Schanze.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

US PREMIERE A sister and a brother, two Iranians amid the vastness of the American landscape and the tumultuous history of their homeland. The visceral and cerebral Into the Jaws of the Ogre tackles all this and more, poetically and musically, while benefiting its protagonist: an Iranian punk singer and rebel. Tender yet sprawling, the film is a portrait of a country in upheaval and a paean of love from a sister to her brother. - Murtada Elfadl

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Mahsa Karampour and protagonist Siavash Karampour.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE A chronicle of a real hero of our troubled times, this is the rare portrait documentary that places its protagonist's good deeds within their socio-economic and political milieu while taking a salient universal perspective. The Cord centers Carolina, a Venezuelan activist who helps pregnant women navigate a failing healthcare system. Highlighting Carolina’s courage, complex past, and deep compassion as she supports her community, filmmaker Nolwenn Hervé intimately and emotionally captures both her humanity and resilience. - Murtada Elfadl

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Nolwenn Hervé and producer Estelle Robin You.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

US PREMIERE A chronicle of the life of an ordinary French farm boy from the age of 8 to 18, Gabin perceptively tackles the growing up process head-on, beautifully showcasing how someone becomes able to make decisions, face responsibilities, and find their purpose. Filmmaker Maxence Voiseux's patient lens is attuned to the joys and vexes of everyday existence as well as the larger questions of maturing and moving on. - Murtada Elfadl

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with producer Cécile Lestrade.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE Three music creators find inspiration in the natural world and the enduring allure of folk songs in this lyrical exploration of the creative process. Filmed at sites of luminous beauty, Dryads immerses us in the spaces where music takes shape. Intimate conversations offer glimpses into the artists’ intentions, while music, silence, and natural sounds create a rich soundscape. This poetic yet accessible film invites us to experience musical creation uniquely and engagingly. - Karen McMullen

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Miguel Eek.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE A charming and affectionate tale of an introverted boy who seeks refuge from the world in a fantastical friendship with insects. Using piercing and ornate visuals, filmmaker Lucas Paleocrassas renders this world in both magical and realistic ways. Reminiscent of Steven Spielberg’s stories of young men coming into their own, Bugboy is also a narrative of how to form one’s personal sense of masculinity while under familial and environmental pressure. - Murtada Elfadl

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Lucas Paleocrassas.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.