DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
This year's 16 films were selected from 879 submissions. Each film is a world premiere.
The films screening in Documentary Competition are:
Art & Copy (Director: Doug Pray; Screenwriter: Timothy J. Sexton)Rare interviews with the most influential advertising creative minds of our age illustrate the wide-reaching effect advertising and creativity have on modern culture.
Boy Interrupted (Director: Dana Perry) An intimate look at the life, mental illness and death of a young man told from the point of view of the filmmaker: his mother.
Sergio (Director: Greg Barker)"Sergio" examines the role of the United Nations and the international community through the life and experiences of Sergio Vieira de Mello, the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Human Rights, including interviews with those who knew and worked with him over the course of his extraordinary career.
The Cove (Director: Louie Psihoyos; Screenwriter: Mark Monroe)Dolphins are dying, whales are disappearing, and the oceans are growing sick. The horrors of a secret cove nestled off a small, coastal village in Japan are revealed by a group of activists led by Ric OBarry, the man behind Flipper.
Crude (Director: Joe Berlinger)The inside story of the Amazon Chernobyl case in the rainforest of Ecuador, the largest oil-related environmental lawsuit in the world.
Dirt the Movie (Directors: Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow)The story of the relationship between humans and dirt, “Dirt The Movie" humorously details how humans are rapidly destroying the last natural resource on earth.
The General ("El General") (Director: Natalia Almada)As great-granddaughter of Mexican President Plutarco Elias Calles, one of Mexicos most controversial revolutionary figures, filmmaker Natalia Almada paints an intimate portrait of Mexico.
Good Hair (Director: Jeff Stilson)Comedian Chris Rock turns documentary filmmaker when he sets out to examine the culture of African-American hair and hairstyles.
Over the Hills and Far Away (Director: Michel Scott)"Over the Hills and Far Away" chronicles the journey of the Isaacson family as they travel through Mongolia in search of a mysterious shaman they believe can heal their autistic son.
The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal Court (Director: Pamela Yates)A battle of monumental proportions unfolds as International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo faces down warlords, genocidal dictators and world superpowers in bringing perpetrators of crimes against humanity to justice.
Reporter (Director: Eric Daniel Metzgar)Set in Africa, this documentary chronicles, in verit fashion, the haunting, physically grueling and shocking voyage of Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, Nicholas Kristof.
The September Issue (Director: R.J. Cutler)With unprecedented access, director R.J. Cutler and his crew shot for nine months as they captured Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour and her team preparing the 2007 Vogue September issue, widely accepted as the “fashion bible" for the year's trends.
Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech (Director: Liz Garbus)An exploration of the history and current state of free speech in America narrated by the filmmaker's father, First Amendment attorney Martin Garbus.
We Live in Public (Director: Ondi Timoner)"We Live in Public" is the story of the Internets revolutionary impact on human interaction as told through the eyes of maverick web pioneer, Josh Harris and his transgressive art project that shocked New York.
When You're Strange (Director: Tom DiCillo)The first feature documentary about The Doors, “When You're Strange" enters the dark and dangerous world of one of Americas most influential bands using only footage shot between 1966 and 1971.
William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe (Directors: Sarah Kunstler and Emily Kunstler)With clients including Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and the Chicago 10, the late civil rights attorney William Kunstler was one of the most famous lawyers of the 20th century. Filmmakers Emily and Sarah Kunstler explore their fathers life from movement hero to the most hated lawyer in America.
U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION
This year's 16 films were selected from 1,026 submissions.
The films screening in Dramatic Competition are:
Adam (Director and Screenwriter: Max Mayer)A strange and lyrical love story between a somewhat socially dysfunctional young man and the woman of his dreams. Cast: Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison.
Amreeka (Director and Screenwriter: Cherien Dabis)When a divorced Palestinian woman and her teenage son move to rural Illinois at the outset of the Iraq war, they find their new lives replete with challenges. Cast: Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Alia Shawkat.
Big Fan (Director and Screenwriter: Robert Siegel)The world of a parking garage attendant who happens to be the New York Giants' biggest fan is turned upside down after an altercation with his favorite player. Cast: Patton Oswalt, Michael Rapaport, Kevin Corrigan, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Matt Servitto.
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (Director and Screenwriter: John Krasinski)When her boyfriend leaves with little explanation, a doctoral candidate in anthropology tries to remedy her heartache by interviewing men about their behavior. Cast: Julianne Nicholson, John Krasinski, Timothy Hutton, Dominic Cooper, Christopher Meloni, Rashida Jones.
Cold Souls (Director and Screenwrtier: Sophie Barthes)In the midst of an existential crisis, a famous American actor explores soul extraction as a relief from the burdens of daily life. Cast: Paul Giamatti, Dina Korzun, David Strathairn, Emily Watson, Lauren Ambrose, Oksana Lada.
Dare (Director: Adam Salky; Screenwriter: David Brind)Three very different teenagers discover that, even in the safe world of a suburban prep school, no one is who she or he appears to be. Cast: Emmy Rossum, Zach Gilford, Ashley Springer, Ana Gasteyer, Alan Cumming, Sandra Bernhard, Rooney Mara.
Don't Let Me Drown (Director: Cruz Angeles; Screenwriters: Cruz Angeles and Maria Topete)Two Latino teens whose lives are affected by the attack on the World Trade Center discover that love is the only thing that keeps them from drowning. Cast: E.J. Bonilla, Gleendilys Inoa, Damin Alczar, Ricardo Chavira, Gina Torres.
Arlen Faber (Director and Screenwriter: John Hindman)A reclusive author of a groundbreaking spiritual book awakens to new truths when two strangers enter his life. Cast: Jeff Daniels, Lauren Graham, Lou Pucci, Olivia Thirlby. *(Originally listed as “Dream of the Romans")
The Greatest (Director and Screenwriter: Shana Feste) After the tragic loss of their teenage son, a family is again thrown into turmoil by the arrival of a young woman. Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon, Carey Mulligan, Johnny Simmons, Aaron Johnson, Zo Kravitz.
Humpday (Director and Screenwriter: Lynn Shelton)A farcical comedy about straight male bonding gone a little too far. Cast: Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, Alycia Delmore, Lynn Shelton, Trina Willard.
Paper Heart (Director: Nicolas Jasenovec)Even though performer Charlyne Yi doesn't believe in love, she bravely embarks on a quest to discover its true nature--a journey that takes on surprising urgency when she meets unlikely fellow traveler, actor Michael Cera. Cast: Charlyne Yi, Michael Cera, Nicolas Jasenovec, Jake Johnson.
Peter and Vandy (Director and Screenwriter: Jay DiPietro)Juxtaposing a couple's romantic beginnings with the twisted-manipulative-regular couple they have become, “Peter and Vandy" is a contemporary Manhattan love story with no beginning and no end. Cast: Jess Weixler, Jason Ritter, Jesse L. Martin, Tracie Thoms.
Push (Director and Screenwriter: Lee Daniels)Based on the acclaimed, best-selling novel by Sapphire, “Push" is the redemptive story of Precious Jones, a young girl in Harlem struggling to overcome tremendous obstacles and discover her own voice. Cast: Gabourey Gabby Sidibe, Paula Patton, MoNique Imes, Lenny Kravitz.
Sin Nombre/U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Cary Fukunaga)A teenaged Mexican gang member maneuvers to outrun his violent past and elude unforgiving former associates in this thriller set among Central American migrants seeking to cross over to the United States. Cast: Paulina Gaitan, Diana Garcia, Damayanti Quintanar, Karl Braun.
Taking Chance (Director: Ross Katz; Screenwriters: Ross Katz, Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, USMC (Ret.))Based on real-life events, Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, a volunteer military escort officer, accompanies the body of 19-year-old Marine Chance Phelps back to his hometown of Dubois, Wyoming. Cast: Kevin Bacon.
Toe to Toe (Director and Screenwriter: Emily Abt)The story of an inter-racial friendship put to the test by the intense pressures of a competitive Washington, D.C. prep school. Cast: Sonequa Martin, Louisa Krause, Silvestre Rasuk, Anwan Glover, Gaius Charles.
WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY
This year's 16 films were selected from 744 submissions.
Films screening in World Cinema Documentary Competition are:
