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SCREENING TIME

THURSDAY 25 AUGUST 2022 | 19.00

CREDITS

Cast


Director
Producer
Executive Producer


Line Producer
Music
Cinematography
Film Editing
Casting
Production Design
Art Director
Country
Language

Run Time

David Earl
Chris Hayward
Louise Brealey
Jim Archer
Rupert Majendie
Mary Burke
Lauren Dark
Damian Jones
John Palfery Smith
Daniel Pemberton    
Murren Tullett
Jo Walker
Catherine Willis
Hannah Purdy Foggin
Jo Scholar
UK
English (with English subtitles)
90 minutes

FEATURE FILM

BRIAN AND
CHARLES

An endearing outlier, Brian lives alone in a Welsh valley, inventing oddball contraptions that seldom work. After finding a discarded mannequin head, Brian gets an idea. Three days, a washing machine, and sundry spare parts later, he’s invented Charles, an artificially intelligent robot who learns English from a dictionary and proves a charming, cheeky companion. Before long, however, Charles also develops autonomy. Intrigued by the wider world — or whatever lies beyond the cottage where Brian has hidden him away — Charles craves adventure.

Jim Archer’s imaginative, heartwarming comedy about loneliness and friendship works because its characters are emotionally layered and genuine. That we forget Charles isn’t “real” is testament to the physicality and voice of actor Chris Hayward, who co-wrote the screenplay. In building somebody to keep him company, Brian (British comedian and co-writer David Earl) ironically finds the self-worth to talk to Hazel, a timid neighbor he likes. But — with playful echoes of Frankenstein — he also fails to realize the emotional, developmental needs of his creation until it puts them all in danger.

MEET THE DIRECTOR

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Jim Archer

Jim Archer cut his teeth shooting comedy sketches with friends before writing and directing his debut short film in 2014. He went on to receive three Vimeo Staff Picks for his subsequent shorts alongside numerous other festival awards and nominations, culminating in winning gold at the Young Director Awards in Cannes for the short film version of Brian and Charles.

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SCREENING TIME

FRIDAY 26 AUGUST 2022 | 18.00

CREDITS

Cast


Director
Producer


Executive Producer





Co-Executive Producer
Archive Producer
Associate Producer

Music
Cinematography
Film Editing

Production Manager
Country
Language

Run Time

Miranda July
Katia Krafft
Maurice Krafft
Sara Dosa
Shane Boris
Sara Dosa
Ina Fichman
Carolyn Bernstein
Greg Boustead
Ben Braun
Dan Braun
Josh Braun
Jessica Harrop
Ben Schwartz
Nancy Marcotte
Amy Miller
Elijah Stevens
Nicolas Godin
Pablo Alvarez-Mesa    
Erin Casper
Jocelyne Chaput
Christine Rocheleau    
USA/Canada
French and English (with English subtitles)
93 minutes

DOCUMENTARY FILM

FIRE OF LOVE

Katia and Maurice Krafft loved two things — each other and volcanoes. For two decades, the daring French volcanologist couple were seduced by the thrill and danger of this elemental love triangle. They roamed the planet, chasing eruptions and their aftermath, documenting their discoveries in stunning photographs and breathtaking film to share with an increasingly curious public in media appearances and lecture tours. Ultimately, Katia and Maurice would lose their lives during a 1991 volcanic explosion on Japan’s Mount Unzen, but they would leave a legacy that would forever enrich our knowledge of the natural world.

Inspired by the French New Wave, director Sara Dosa and the filmmaking team fashion a lyrical and joyous celebration of the intrepid scientists’ love and their spirit of adventure, drawing from the Kraffts’ spectacular archive of indelible, often otherworldly images, set against a playful soundtrack. Narrated by the inquisitive, inimitable Miranda July, Fire of Love tells a story of primordial creation and destruction, following two bold explorers as they venture into the implacable unknown — all for the sake of love.

Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award: U.S. Documentary

MEET THE DIRECTOR

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Sara Dosa

Sara Dosa is an Independent Spirit Award–nominated documentary director and Peabody Award–winning producer based in San Francisco. Directing credits include The Seer and the Unseen (2019), Netflix’s Tricky Dick and the Man in Black (2018), and The Last Season (2015). She graduated from Wesleyan University and holds a master’s degree in anthropology from The London School of Economics and Political Science.

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SCREENING TIME

FRIDAY 26 AUGUST 2022 | 20.00

CREDITS

Cast



Director
Producer

Line Producer
Music
Cinematography
Film Editing
Production Design
Country
Language

Run Time

Sheila Francisco
Bong Cabrera
Rocky Salumbides
Anthony Falcon
Martika Ramirez Escobar
Mario Cornejo
Monster Jimenez
Rajiv Idnani
Alyana Cabral
Carlos Mauricio
Lawrence Ang
Eero Yves Francisco    
Philippines
Filipino and English (with English subtitles)
99 minutes

FEATURE FILM

LEONOR WILL
NEVER DIE

Leonor Reyes was once a major player in the Filipino film industry after creating a string of successful action films, but now her household struggles to pay the bills. When she reads an advertisement looking for screenplays, Leonor begins tinkering with an unfinished script about the quest of young, noble Ronwaldo, forced to avenge his brother’s murder at the hand of thugs. While her imagination provides some escape from reality, she goes all-in after an accident involving a television knocks her out, sends her into a coma, and transports her inside the incomplete movie. Now Leonor can play out her wildest dreams firsthand and discover the perfect ending to her story.

With her feature film debut, writer-director Martika Ramirez Escobar expresses a joyous love for cinema through the film’s irreverent form and the wide-eyed, endearing lead performance from Sheila Francisco. Ramirez Escobar concocts a winning mixture of zany misadventures, awesome period re-creations, and self-reflective storytelling while grounding the story in the genuine emotions of a family suddenly torn apart.

World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Innovative Spirit

MEET THE DIRECTOR

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Martika Ramirez
Escobar

Martika Ramirez Escobar is a filmmaker-cinematographer based in Manila. Most of her works are reflections on her relationship with cinema. After she graduated with honors from the University of the Philippines, her thesis film competed at the 19th Busan International Film Festival. She is an alumna of Berlinale Talents Tokyo, Asian Film Academy, and is a recipient of the Purin Pictures Film Fund.

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SCREENING TIME

SATURDAY 27 AUGUST 2022 | 16.30

CREDITS

Director
Producer



Editor


Composer

Executive Producers








Cinematographer
Line Producer
Co-Producer
Post-Production Supervisor
Country
Language


Run Time

Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing
Bob Moore
Ulla Lehmann
Mila Aung-Thwin
Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing
Mila Aung-Thwin
Ryan Mullins
Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing
Olivier Alary
Johannes Malfatti
Ken Pelletier
Shizuka Asakawa
Daniel Cross
Andrea Roggon
Erika Dilday
Justine Nagan
Chris White
Vijay Vaidyanathan
Inmaat Foundation
Soe Kyaw Htin Tun
Valerie Shamash
Katie McKay
Samantha Neboschizkij

Myanmar
Rohingya, Rakhine, Burmese (with English subtitles)
91 minutes

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

MIDWIVES

Hla and Nyo Nyo live in a country torn by conflict. Hla is a Buddhist and the owner of a makeshift medical clinic in western Myanmar, where the Rohingya (a Muslim minority community) are persecuted and denied basic rights. Nyo Nyo is a Muslim and an apprentice midwife who acts as an assistant and translator at the clinic. Her family has lived in the area for generations, yet they are still considered intruders. Encouraged and challenged by Hla, who risks her own safety daily by helping Muslim patients, Nyo Nyo is determined to become a steady health care provider for her community.

Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing’s remarkable feature debut was filmed over five turbulent years in a country that has long been exoticized and misunderstood. The filmmaker’s gentle, impartial gaze grants unique access to these courageous women who unite to bring forth life. Filled with love, empathy, and hope, Midwives offers a rare insight into the complex reality of Myanmar and its people.

World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award:
Excellence in Vérité Filmmaking

MEET THE DIRECTOR

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Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing

Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing has worked as a freelance filmmaker in Myanmar since 2006, acting as director, producer, editor, and sound recordist after attending film schools in both Myanmar and Germany. Her documentary short Burmese Butterfly played festivals in more than 20 countries, and PERIOD@PERIOD won for Best Short at the Wathann Film Festival. Midwives is her feature documentary debut.

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SCREENING TIME

SATURDAY 27 AUGUST 2022 | 19.00

CREDITS

Cast


Director
Producer




Co-Producer
Executive Producer











Music
Cinematography
Film Editing
Country
Language

Run Time

John Boyega
Nicole Beharie
Selenis Leyva
Abi Damaris Corbin
Salman Al-Rashid
Mackenzie Fargo
Sam Frohman
Ashley Levinson
Kevin Turen
Elena Bawiec
Joshuah Bearman
John Boyega
Abi Damaris Corbin
Joshua Davis
Will Greenfield
Harrison Huffman
Kwame Kwei-Armah
Sam Levinson
Femi Oguns
Arthur Spector
Jarrett R. Turner
Katia Washington
Michael Abels
Doug Emmett
Chris Witt
USA
English (with English subtitles)
103 minutes

FEATURE FILM

BREAKING

Living in a cheap motel in Atlanta and separated from his wife and child, former U.S. Marine veteran Brian Easley is desperate. Driven to the brink by forces beyond his control, the soft-spoken, kind man decides to rob a bank and hold hostages with a bomb. As police, media, and family members descend on the bank and Brian, it becomes clear he’s not after money — he wants to tell his story and have what is rightfully his, even if it costs him his life.

In her debut feature, director Abi Damaris Corbin hauntingly blends together the dramatic tension of a hostage negotiation standoff with the intimate emotional world of one life derailed by bureaucracy and a lack of resources. Based on a true story, Breaking showcases powerful performances by John Boyega, the late Michael K. Williams in his final screen role, and others who remind us of the social responsibility we have to our soldiers, colleagues, and families, and to strangers as well.

U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Ensemble Cast

MEET THE DIRECTOR

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Abi Damaris Corbin

Abi Damaris Corbin is a Boston-bred filmmaker. Her BAFTA-shortlisted short The Suitcase, which screened at festivals worldwide, was sponsored by George Lucas’s think tank — the ETC — alongside Disney, Universal, and Google. She entered college at age 14, graduating with an MA in Performance Studies, and is an MFA Grad of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and a Sony Directors program alumnus.

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SCREENING TIME

SUNDAY 18 AUGUST 2022 | 13.00

CREDITS

Cast





Director
Producer



Executive Producer

Music
Country
Language

Run Time

Tom Dang
Dom Dinh
Elyse Dinh
Ivan Mok
Dustin Vuong Nguyen
Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja
Ham Tran
Duy Ho
Anderson Le
Jenni Trang Le
Bao Nguyen
Tenten Wei
Juefang Zhang
Christopher Wong    
Vietnam
Vietnamese (with English subtitles)
108 minutes

FEATURE FILM

MAIKA

Things could be better for 8-year-old Hung, who is grieving the loss of his mother, who died a year ago. His relationship with his father is strained, his best friend is moving away, and to top it all off, a greedy landlord is bullying his father to force them out of their apartment. He finds solace by watching the night sky from the roof of his apartment building. One night, he witnesses a meteor shower and an errant falling star that lands in the nearby countryside. He investigates, but instead of finding a fallen star, he meets a new friend, and he decides to do everything he can to help her.

Written and directed by Sundance Film Festival alumnus Ham Tran (Journey from the Fall, 2006 Sundance Film Festival), Maika is inspired by the 1978 children’s TV show from Czechoslovakia of the same name. With gorgeous scenery, a fast-paced narrative, and charismatic performances, this Vietnamese sci-fi film for kids is a fun-filled adventure that touches on universal themes of friendship, family, and compassion.

MEET THE DIRECTOR

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Ham Tran

Ham Tran’s feature directorial debut, Journey from the Fall, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006. A child of Vietnamese refugees, Tran moved back to Vietnam in 2012, where he has become a prolific filmmaker, directing five feature films including rom-coms (How to Fight in Six Inch Heels), horror (Hollow), and crime (Bitcoin Heist). Maika (2022) is his first sci-fi film.

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SCREENING TIME

SUNDAY 28 AUGUST 2022 | 15.30

CREDITS

Director
Writer
Narrator
Producer

Executive Producer






Music
Film Editing
Country
Language

Run Time

Sierra Pettengill
Tobi Haslett
Charlene Modeste
Sara Archambault
Jamila Wignot
Michael Y. Chow
Charlotte Cook
Grace Lay
Liz Yong Lowe
Sumalee Montano
Jonathan Rapoport
Sue Turley
Jace Clayton
Nels Bangerter
USA
English (with English subtitles)
91 minutes

MEET THE DIRECTOR

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Sierra Pettengill

Sierra Pettengill’s films have played at Sundance, Locarno, True/False, on PBS, CNN, Netflix, and in festivals around the world. She also produced the Oscar-nominated Cutie and the Boxer. Pettengill is an archivist for many artists, including Jim Jarmusch and Adam Pendleton, and in 2018 was a Sundance Institute Art of Nonfiction Fellow. She is a board member of Screen Slate.

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DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

RIOTSVILLE, USA

RIOTSVILLE, USA is a poetic and furious reflection on the reaction of a nation’s citizens and institutions to the rebellions of the late 1960s. This artful, riveting documentary consists entirely of archival footage that was shot by the United States military or appeared on broadcast television.

Director Sierra Pettengill shifts our historic gaze from the rebellions in Chicago, Newark, and Detroit, focusing on unearthed military training footage of Army-built model towns called “Riotsvilles,” where military and police were trained to respond to domestic civil disorder.

Dissecting the anatomy of the Johnson administration’s Kerner Commission, which resulted in an explosive increase in federal funding for police, RIOTSVILLE, USA pulls focus on the machinations of American institutional control. Amid today’s shifting reckonings on power and identity, technology companies consolidating power, and a new generation’s coming-of-age, Pettengill delivers insight from a time similar to our own, urging us to understand how the machine of institutional power manages to rumble on.

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SCREENING TIME

SUNDAY 28 AUGUST 2022 | 18.00

CREDITS

Principal Cast


Director
Producer





Executive Producer
Co-Producer
Line Producer

Film Editing

Music
Cinematography
Casting


Country
Language


Run Time

Carla Juri
Takashi Ueno
Sachiko Ohshima
Bradley Rust Gray
Bradley Rust Gray
So Yong Kim
Jonathon Komack Martin
Alex Orlovsky
Elika Portnoy
David Urrutia
Blake Goza
Kiyoshi Inoue
Sólmundur Björnsson
Takaharu Inagaki
Bradley Rust Gray
Susan E. Kim
Daníel Bjarnason
Eric Lin
Jenny Jue
Kei Kawamura
Jessica Kelly
USA
English, Japanese, Icelandic, German (with English subtitles)
111 minutes

FEATURE FILM

BLOOD

Widow Chloe (Carla Juri) travels to Japan for work where she is welcomed by an old friend, Toshi (Takashi Ueno). Sliding between the melancholy of loss and the awe of perspectives changed, Chloe wanders an unfamiliar landscape where love has carved all the guiding grooves. blood explores the site where fragile love can emerge from immovable pain. With quiet restraint, fresh rhythm, and unforgettably rich performances, this subtle study of togetherness and apartness captures the vibrancy of internal life. Writer-director-producer Bradley Rust Gray observes the resilience of life and love, the surprise of desire, the barriers of language, and the staggering impact of relationship.

In this tacitly potent piece, Gray proves the gentle power of his directorial hand. Blood marks the return of partners and longtime collaborators Gray and So Yong Kim to the Sundance Film Festival after the world premiere of Lovesong (co-written by the duo and directed by Kim) in 2016. Their deft understanding of romance and finely tuned meditative style is displayed gorgeously by this new work.

U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Uncompromising
Artistic Vision

MEET THE DIRECTOR

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Bradley Rust Gray

Bradley Rust Gray’s short film hITCH appeared at Sundance and the New York Film Festival. His features include Salt (winner of Caligari Film Prize at the Berlin Film Festival), The Exploding Girl, and Jack & Diane. Gray also produced and co-edited four features made by his partner, So Yong Kim: In Between Days, Treeless Mountain, For Ellen, and Lovesong.

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