The innovative Viewpoints section celebrates the distinctively bold visions of underrepresented perspectives, styles and characters. Featuring 25 unique and fascinating viewpoints from 15 countries, films in this category vary from realised, hyperreal worlds such as in High-Rise, Equals, Nerdland and The Loner to real world perspectives including Syrian refugees in After Spring, solitary confinement inmates in Solitary and adult students at Night School.
Here are the films selected in this year’s Viewpoints:
Featuring ELLIOT (voiced by Patton Oswalt) and JOHN (voiced by PAUL RUDD) in the film NERDLAND.
Animator TITMOUSE INC. Director CHRIS PRYNOSKI.
Nerdland
Chris Prynoski (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative
Nerdland is an R-rated cartoon comedy about celebrity, excess, and two showbiz nobodies, John (Paul Rudd) and Elliott (Patton Oswalt), with a plan to become famous—or even infamous—by the end of the night. Featuring an army of comedy cameos including Hannibal Buress, Laraine Newman, Mike Judge, Kate Micucci, Riki Lindhome, and Molly Shannon.
Kathy in ABORTION: STORIES WOMEN TELL. Cinematographer: Kamau Bilal
Abortion: Stories Women Tell
Tracy Droz Tragos (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary
In 1973, the US Supreme court decision Roe v. Wade gave every woman the right to have an abortion. In 2016, abortion remains one of the most divisive issues in America, especially in Missouri. Award-winning director and Missouri native Tracy Droz Tragos sheds new light on the contentious issue by focusing on the women and their stories, rather than the debate. An HBO Documentary Film.
The casting: Arthur Martinez “Arthur,
Director Mike Ott, and Director Nathan Silver in ACTOR MARTINEZ. Photo by Adam J. Minnick
Actor Martinez
Nathan Silver and Mike Ott (USA) – North American Premiere, Narrative
Arthur Martinez is a computer repairman and aspiring actor who commissions indie directors Mike Ott and Nathan Silver to film his life. In the directors’ first collaboration, we see them follow Arthur as he goes to work, drives around, and auditions for a love interest (Lindsay Burdge), leading them to question the meaning of the project, and ultimately that of identity and stardom.
Jodie Whittaker as Anna in the film ADULT LIFE SKILLS.
Photographer: Jo Irvine
Adult Life Skills
Rachel Tunnard (UK) – World Premiere, Narrative
Anna (Jodie Whittaker) is stuck: she’s approaching 30, living in her mother’s shed, and spending her time making movies with her thumbs. Her mom wants her to move out; she just wants to be left alone. Adult Life Skills is an off-beat comedy about a woman who’s lost, finding herself. With Jodie Whittaker, Brett Goldstein, Lorraine Ashbourne, Alice Lowe, Edward Hogg, Eileen Davies, Rachael Deering, Ozzy Myers.
Photo Credit: Jason Graham Howell
13 year old Raghad in the Zaatari Refugee Camp, Jordan.
After Spring, Directed by Steph Ching & Ellen Martinez, Photo Credit: Jason Graham Howell
After Spring
Ellen Martinez and Steph Ching (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary
Close to 80,000 Syrian refugees live in the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan. After Spring immerses us in the rhythms of the camp, the role of the aid workers, and the daily lives of two families as they contemplate an uncertain future. Executive produced by Jon Stewart, this is a fascinating journey through the camp’s physical and human landscapes. In Arabic, English, Korean with subtitles.
Montassar Ayari as Bohr?ne (left) and Baya Medhaffer as Farah (right) in the film AS I OPEN MY EYES. Photo credit: Kino Lorber
As I Open My Eyes (À peine j’ouvre les yeux)
Leyla Bouzid (France, Tunisia, Belgium, United Arab Emirates) – North American Premiere, Narrative
As I Open My Eyes depicts the clash between culture and family as seen through the eyes of a young Tunisian woman balancing the traditional expectations of her family with her creative life as the singer in a politically charged rock band. Director Leyla Bouzid’s musical feature debut offers a nuanced portrait of the individual implications of the incipient Arab Spring. With Baya Medhaffer, Ghalia Benali, Montassar Ayari, Aymen Omrani, Lassaad Jamoussi, Deena Abdelwahed, Youssef Soltana, Marwen Soltana. In Arabic with subtitles. Presented in association with Venice Days.
Olivia Thirlby as Dianne and Ben Feldman as Henry in the film BETWEEN US.
Photographer: Aaron Epstein
Between Us
Rafael Palacio Illingworth (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative
Longtime couple Henry (Ben Feldman) and Dianne (Olivia Thirlby) are afraid that if they finally tie the knot it would mean the end of their days as free-spirited urbanites. But a whirlwind night apart involving temptations from a duo of strangers (Analeigh Tipton and Adam Goldberg) will either make them realize why they are together in the first place or finally drive them apart forever. With Scott Haze, Peter Bogdanovich, Lesley Ann Warren.
Clara Gallo as Estela and
Caio Horowicz as JM in the film CALIFÓRNIA. Photo by: Aline Arruda
Califórnia
Marina Person (Brazil) – North American Premiere, Documentary
Nostalgic, sweet, and at moments poignantly funny, Califórnia is a coming-of-age tale about a high school student, Estela, growing up in São Paulo in the 1980s. Estela is doing all she can to get to California to visit her glamorous and cultured uncle. While focused on keeping her grades up, her life is complicated by romance, sex, and social pressures. With Clara Gallo, Caio Blat, and Caio Horowicz. In Portuguese with subtitles.
Jaime Garcia “El Charro de Toluquilla” and Mare “La Paloma” in THE CHARRO OF TOLUQUILLA. Photographer: José Villalobos Romero
The Charro of Toluquilla (El Charro De Toluquilla)
Jose Villalobos Romero (Mexico) – International Premiere, Documentary
Jaime García appears to be the quintessentially machismo mariachi singer, yet beneath his magnetic confidence lies a man struggling to maintain a relationship with his estranged family while living as an HIV-positive man. In Jose Villalobos Romero’s remarkable cinematic debut, he utilises vivid tableaus and stylised perspective to paint a beautifully unique and emotional portrait of a man divided. With Analia Garcia Hernandez, Rocio Hernandez, La Paloma, Andrea Dominguez, Ventura Garcia. In Spanish with subtitles.
Actresses Rukiyat Masud (left) and Eli Cecilson (right) walking up the dirt road in a scene where
they visit a pastor’s camp in CHILDREN OF THE MOUNTAIN. Scene was shot in the Oyibi District of the Greater Accra region.
Photographer: Selasie Djameh
Children of the Mountain
Priscilla Anany (USA, Ghana) – World Premiere, Narrative
When a young woman gives birth to a deformed and sickly child, she becomes the victim of cruelty and superstition in her Ghanaian community. Discarded by her lover, she is convinced she suffers from a ‘dirty womb,’ and embarks on a journey to heal her son and create a future for them both. With Rukiyat Masud, Grace Omaboe, Akofa Edjeani, Adjetey Annang, Agbeko Mortty (Bex), Dzifa Glikpo, Mynna Otoo. In Twi with subtitles.
Emory Cohen as Johnny Ray in DETOUR. Photographer: Philip Yen
Detour
Christopher Smith (UK) – World Premiere, Narrative
After his mother ends up in a coma under suspicious circumstances, a law student (Tye Sheridan) decides to drown his sorrows at a seedy bar. The next morning, he wakes up to the realization that he may have hired a hitman (Emory Cohen) and his girlfriend (Bel Powley) to take out the suspected perpetrator (Stephen Moyer) of his mother’s life-threatening accident. With Theo James.
Kristen Stewart as Nia in the film EQUALS. Photo courtesy of A24.
Equals
Drake Doremus (USA) – US Premiere, Narrative
Set in a sleek and stylish future world, Drake Doremus’ sci-fi romance envisions an understated dystopia, where all human emotion is seen as a disease that must be treated and cured. Against this backdrop, coworkers Nia (Kristen Stewart) and Silas (Nicholas Hoult) begin to feel dangerous stirrings for one another.
Safety divers hover nearby during a low-altitude test of the StratEx spacesuit. From the film 14 MINUTES FROM EARTH. Photographer unknown.
14 Minutes from Earth
Jerry Kolber, Adam ‘Tex’ Davis, Trey Nelson and Erich Sturm (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary
On October 24th, 2014, a secret three-year mission by a small crew of engineers came to fruition deep in the desert of New Mexico. There, a human being (Alan Eustace) was launched higher than ever before without the aid of a spacecraft—shattering all records. This film documents the mission and its greater implications for the scientific community and stratospheric exploration.
Contestants prepare to fight the “supervillain” of Infertility in HAVEABABY.
Photo courtesy of Runaway Films.
haveababy
Amanda Micheli (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary
Amanda Micheli’s haveababy opens with a YouTube-based competition for a free round of in vitro fertilisation, courtesy of a Las Vegas fertility clinic. Through this controversial contest, Micheli explores the complexities of America’s burgeoning fertility industry and paints an intimate portrait of the many resilient couples determined to have a baby against all odds.
Tom Hiddleston as Robert Laing in HIGH RISE, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. Photo credit: Aidan Monaghan
High-Rise
Ben Wheatley (UK) – New York Premiere, Narrative
Based on J.G. Ballard’s novel of the same name, High-Rise stars Tom Hiddleston as Dr. Robert Lang, a newcomer to a recently constructed complex in which the residents are stratified by social class. But when the power goes out, the tenuous hierarchy rapidly descends into chaos. Luke Evans, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, and Elisabeth Moss co-star.
Film still from Houston, We Have a Problem! Cinematographer: Andrej Virc
Houston, We Have a Problem!
Žiga Virc (Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, Czech Republic, Qatar) – World Premiere, Documentary
The space race and NASA’s moon landing are as much part of our national identity as they are fodder for conspiracy theories. Houston, We Have a Problem! adds new material to the discussion on both fronts, as filmmaker Žiga Virc investigates the myth of a secret multi-billion-dollar deal involving America’s purchase of Yugoslavia’s space program in the early 1960s. In Croatian, English, Serbian, Slovene with subtitles.
Hector Medina (left) and Carlos Enrique Almirante (right) in THE HUMAN THING. Photo by: Eduardo Rodríguez
The Human Thing (La Cosa Humana)
Gerardo Chijona (Cuba) – International Premiere, Narrative
Gerardo Chijona’s (Ticket to Paradise) newest film opens with a thief breaking into the home of a famous writer, and unknowingly stealing what turns out to be the only manuscript of his upcoming story. In desperate need of money, he submits it to a contest, which will see him competing with the very writer he robbed. With Héctor Medina, Enrique Molina, Carlos Enrique Almirante, Vladimir Cruz, Miriel Cejas, Amarilis Núñez, Osvaldo Doimeadiós, Mario Guerra, Alejandro Rivera. In Spanish with subtitles. Presented in association with the Havana Film Festival New York.
Salmon River pregame. From KEEPERS OF THE GAME.(Cinematographer: Peter Eliot Buntaine)
Keepers of the Game
Judd Ehrlich (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary
Lacrosse is a sacred game for Native Americans, traditionally reserved for men. When a women’s varsity team forms in upstate New York, they aim to be the first Native women’s team to take the championship title away from their rivals Massena High. With the indigenous community torn, they find that more than just the championship is on the line.
Reza Sixo Safai as Behrouz in the film THE LONER.
Photographer: Steven Capitano Calitri
The Loner
Daniel Grove (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative
Daniel Grove’s neon-soaked feature debut follows reformed mobster Behrouz, who is haunted by memories of being a child soldier in Iran in the 1980s. As he pursues the American Dream in Los Angeles Behrouz finds it increasingly difficult to stay away from the seedy underbelly of the city. Grove’s neo-noir is a smart, action-packed, and colorful thriller with an electrifying score. With Reza Sixo Safai, Helena Mattsson, Parviz Sayyad, Julian Sands, Laura Harring, Dominic Rains.
Melissa Lewis in the film NIGHT SCHOOL. Photo by: Zachary Shields
Night School
Andrew Cohn (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary
Indianapolis has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country. For adult learners Greg, Melissa, and Shynika, a high school diploma could be a life-changing achievement. Andrew Cohn’s absorbing documentary observes their individual pursuits, fraught with the challenges of daily life and also the broader systemic roadblocks faced by many low income Americans, including wages and working conditions.
Last remaining archivist Jeff Roth searches the New York Times morgue.
Photographer: Ben Wolf
Obit
Vanessa Gould (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary
Within the storied walls of The New York Times, a team of writers is entrusted with reflecting upon the luminaries, icons, and world leaders of our day. Vanessa Gould’s fascinating documentary introduces us to those responsible for crafting the unequaled obituaries of the NYT. As we’re taken through their painstaking process we learn about the pressures accompanying a career spent shaping the story of a life.
Dov Tiefenbach as Samson Griggs in the film POOR BOY. Photo by Kyle Kaplan
Poor Boy
Robert Scott Wildes (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative
Romeo and Samson Griggs, two reckless, misfit brothers living on the outskirts of town, survive by hustling, gambling, and thieving. In an attempt to leave their lot behind for good, they design their most complex and financially rewarding long con yet. With Lou Taylor Pucci, Dov Tiefenbach, Michael Shannon, Justin Chatwin, and Amanda Crew.
Film still from THE RIDE.
Cinematrographer: Martin de Chabaneix
The Ride
Stéphanie Gillard (France) – World Premiere, Documentary
The Ride takes us along the annual 300-mile trek through the South Dakota Badlands. There, young men and women of the Lakota Sioux ride horseback and reflect upon the history of their ancestors. This intimate, stunningly photographed account captures the thoughts and emotions of the young riders and the adults who guide them along their journey.
Corrections officers escort an inmate into the prison on a cold, winter’s day. (Cinematographer: Nelson Hume).
Solitary
Kristi Jacobson (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary
With unprecedented access, director Kristi Jacobson offers a deeply moving portrait of life inside solitary confinement within a supermax prison. Filmed over the course of one year, this riveting film tells the story of the complex personalities that dwell on either side of a cell door while raising provocative questions about the nature of crime and punishment in America today. An HBO Documentary Film.
Anna Vasquez (L) and Cassie Rivera (R) in the film SOUTHWEST OF SALEM: THE STORY OF THE SAN ANTONIO FOUR. Photo Credit: San Antonio Four/Deborah S. Esquenazi
Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four
Deborah S. Esquenazi (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary
In 1994, four women were tried and convicted of a heinous assault on two young girls in a court case that was infused with homophobic prejudice and the Satanic Panic sweeping the nation at that time. Southwest of Salem is a fascinating true crime story that puts the trial of the San Antonio Four in context of their ongoing search for exoneration.
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