Cinematic Era: 2017 Vintage

In 2011, Maine State Prison launched a pioneering reform program to scale back its use of solitary confinement. Bafta and Emmy-winning film-maker Dan Edge and his co-director Lauren Mucciolo were given unprecedented access to the solitary unit - and filmed there for more than three years. The result is an extraordinary and harrowing portrait of life in solitary - and a unique document of a radical and risky experiment to reform a prison. The US is the world leader in solitary confinement. More than 80,000 American prisoners live in isolation, some have been there for years, even decades. Solitary is proven to cause mental illness, it is expensive, and it is condemned by many as torture. And yet for decades, it has been one of the central planks of the American criminal justice system.

After completing her training at a martial arts school in the mountains, the orphan Lixia returns to repay her benefactor Yuchi Dong. The equestrian competition organized by her benefactor is manipulated by a gambling group. Yuchi entrusts Xingyu Security Company to protect the riders and arranges for Lixia to join the company for internship.

An imagination of the last day of Peg Entwistle's life. An actress who, in the midst of the Great Depression, and on the verge of her own career breakthrough, leapt off the 'Hollywoodland' sign and into infamy.

A group of children is trying to prevent a new construction in a middle of a national park.

An ill man takes a trip on his boat to remember quietly his life. Unexpectedly, a girl takes cover on the same boat. When the man finds her, she asks him for help because she will be charged for a crime she did not commit. On the way, they'll have several problems, being the first one the police officer friend of the owner of the boat.

The friendship of five fun-loving youngsters and spreads the message that “the goodness in your heart never goes unrewarded”.

The 50+ time award-winning short film, MONDAY, follows a day in the life of a young hustler who ‘code-switches’ through disparate cliques while being everyone's one-stop-shop for all things illicit. His reasons for the hustle aren’t apparent, but as he maneuvers through his neighborhood, he’ll confront racism as well as question the morality of his occupation.

A gruesome entity attaches itself to an unsuspecting family.

After miraculously curing her patients, a nurse discovers that a mysterious stranger is actually the Roman centurion who stabbed Christ, as punishment he was sentenced to eternal life.

Sonia is sitting in a cafe drinking coffee and waiting for her daughter Paula to come from school. Everything is as usual until...

A brief history of the Cuban capital of Havana, backed by a vibrant soundtrack of son cubano, salsa, jazz, rumba, mambo and hip hop. Drawing on archive footage, animations, movie excerpts and interviews with Havana residents, eyewitnesses and experts, Habaneros runs through key moments in the city’s modern history, from the abolition of slavery at the end of the 19th century to the Spanish–American War, and from the dictatorship of General Batista to the revolution of Fidel Castro. The film concludes by wondering what the future holds. Many Havana locals are encouraged by President Obama’s relaxation of sanctions, but much uncertainty remains.

A comedy adventure about a resourceful cavemen who conceives one of the most over looked creations in human history, the stairs.

A young couple who are so poor that they have to work as hired killers.

A group of teenage friends who seeks the thrill of ghost-hunting, and stumbles upon an old camera. As they carelessly play with it, they unknowingly summon the demon that exists inside. The demon possesses one of them, thus setting off a chain of horrific events that could turn fatal for everyone.

Lolly has always searched for her father who abandoned her and her sister DeDe, believing that finding him will right all wrongs. Her quest leads her into an adult world, which it seems, is no place for a child. The answers Lolly seeks are secreted in the unspoken past. As the doors close on her efforts, Lolly is faced with the harshest of realities. Nobody’s Child is a coming of age story about a young girl searching for her identity.

A young boy and his paleontologist grandfather uncover a dinosaur egg which, when hatched, causes a series of unforeseeable events in a suburban neighborhood. Along for the ride is big game hunter Jackson Snide who will go to the farthest lengths to make sure a newly hatched dinosaur infant is in his possession. Can Grandpa Archie, David and his closest friends save this baby dinosaur before it's too late?

Times are tough for Jez .and his motley crew of car mechanics, scraping a dishonest living in a small town on the Essex coast. So when they hear on the grapevine that a million pounds in cash is being transported across town, Jez plans an elaborate heist. There's just one problem - the cash belongs to local crime kingpin.

Jason 'Poo Bear' Boyd is the man responsible for some of music’s biggest hits. He went from homeless to hit-maker, but now he must fight to stay relevant while navigating a merciless music industry.

Shayan (Pejman Bazeghi) is a successful lawyer, who falls in love with a woman and attempts to perform illegal actions on a case. Although he owes his success to his wife Diba (Leyla Otadi)...

Fantastic Shorts award-winner Jesse Atlas (RECORD/PLAY) returns to the section with an arresting sci-fi character study about a body-hopping assassin.

The Last Animals is a story about an extraordinary group of people who go to incredible lengths to save the planet's last animals. The documentary follows the conservationists, scientists and activists battling poachers and transnational trafficking syndicates to protect elephants and rhinos from extinction. From Africa's front lines to behind the scenes of Asian markets, the film takes an intense look at the global response to this slaughter and the desperate measures to genetically rescue the Northern White rhinos who are on the edge of extinction.

For eight years, a team of specialists created a whole world about which almost nothing was known. The world of Kievan Rus of the tenth century. They managed to make historical films with documentary accuracy. Icelandic sagas and the works of Oriental travelers, Byzantine books and, of course, ancient Russian chronicles were studied and researched. The oldest dated chronicle is kept in the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg. It was these texts that formed the basis of the script. Five built cities, hand—sewn costumes, forged weapons, a Viking ship — a drakkar — built according to the drawings of that time, complex computer graphics - all in order for the viewer to fully immerse himself in the atmosphere of the early Middle Ages of the Viking film.

Thirty years ago, the court issued a ban on martial law. Therefore, Jing Zhengen, the world's first assassin, incarnated as a suspended sword, sneaked into the palace and made a bet with the emperor: if he could escape by himself, the emperor would let go of the world's warriors. After breaking through the encirclement by virtue of "ten steps and one kill", the emperor promised to concentrate all the world's warriors in Wulin Village, and from then on the court and Wulin did not interfere with each other. Jing Zhengen gave his only son Jingxi to his old friend, the world's first thousand old Ponzi, and then disappeared.

Worn-down pavements, broken paving stones. Trees that jut out of the concrete, casting shadows on to crumbling façades. The centre of Tbilisi in the summer of 2013. Glimpses of side and main streets, over railings and under balconies, of an architectural cacophony. The voiceover spoken by Natja Brunckhorst reflects on the nature of streets and public spaces.

A searing example of boots-on-the-ground reportage follows the efforts of the internationally recognized White Helmets, an organization consisting of ordinary citizens who are the first to rush towards military strikes and attacks in the hope of saving lives. Incorporating moments of both heart-pounding suspense and improbable beauty, the documentary draws us into the lives of three of its founders — Khaled, Subhi, and Mahmoud — as they grapple with the chaos around them and struggle with an ever-present dilemma: do they flee or stay and fight for their country?

The story of how a group of unremarkable bungalows in Nashville Tennessee became the heart of the country music industry, and led to the city's title as Music City USA. The documentary focuses on the rise of the Grand Ole Opry and the subsequent opening of recording studios in the downtown area while reflecting on what this legendary Nashville street means today in the changing music business.

Pietro, Ivan and their friend Fabio, aka "Cosmic," live in the once-prosperous Po Valley. Post-crisis, this is a vast and alienating landscape of abandoned factories and petty crimes committed by the infamous Candelabra gang. The 19-year olds resist the authority of their parents and their teachers, and resign themselves to a listless fate of foreclosed opportunities. When news breaks of a large asteroid being monitored by the local astronomical station, the boys become convinced that it will collide with earth and destroy mankind.

A young girl, Ingrid (Sabrina Dickens) has been abused and disowned by her guardians and social workers. As she tries to get her life organised through the new social worker, Ms Murray (Anu Hasan) and a new friend Jade (Brigid Shine), Ingrid tries to build up courage to speak to males her own age, tries to talk and deal with her mental health and abuse.

In a poetic composition of song, narration, and images, this film follows Canadian soprano and orchestra conductor Barbara Hannigan, accompanied by the Ludwig Orchestra, as she records her album Crazy Girl Crazy. Why did she choose these three pieces, in essence so different, but which intimately resonate with her: Berio’s Sequenza III, Berg’s Lulu Suite, and Gershwin’s Girl Crazy? With this musical voyage peering into a world of precision and sharing, where a passionate woman brings forth a vocal tour de force, Mathieu Amalric, César winner for Best Actor in 2005 and 2008, shows us once more his talent behind the camera with this new opus that goes beyond a mere artist’s portrait.

A teenage girl living in an extreme Christian sect, is driven into psychological turmoil by her Elders, when she strikes up an innocent relationship with a boy.

Hostage in his own home, an incompetent Englishman is forced to team up with his captor to fight off the survivors of a fatal flu epidemic.

Ten-year old Agathe-Christine, or simply AC, prefers to be on her own. AC fancy mysteries, and from the basement in the building, where she has just moved in, she has established a small detective bureau. AC´s first mystery appears to be simple to solve, but before long AC finds herself involved in a much more complicated affair, than she could have ever foreseen.

Mariel and her husband, happily married and expecting a baby, are moving from the apartment they currently rent to a larger apartment they have just booked for purchase. She is an architect, and her boss left him in charge of designing how the illumination of a collection of works of art should be. Everything goes very well for Mariel, but at the last ultrasound something is not right. The gestation of his embryo was interrupted. She lives from now on with the death she carries inside.

A group of international students explores a basement that has been abandoned for years. But what starts off as an exploratory séance ends in bloody mayhem when a malicious entity is summoned.

Henry is having difficulty getting sleep. His attempts to rest by listening to a natural sounds radio station lead him to experience something truly disturbing.

The first railway line in Thailand was inaugurated in 1893 – a sign of progress and prosperity. Shot over eight years on every active line of the country's railway system, this wondrous documentary offers an unprecedented immersion into the country's past and present.

The young pig Gristina lives with her mother and siblings at a small country farm. But Gristina has greater ambitions in life. Her biggest dream is to become a beautiful human being. One day she decides to run away to a private hospital to fulfill her dreams but the consequences are devastating.

Tarik helps his father Elias transport illegal immigrants into the Netherlands. When an accident occurs, Tarik gains the acknowledgment from his father he has yearned for, but at a high price - the loss of his own innocence.

In a small rural Australian town in 2004, two teenage outcasts come into conflict with their families on the night Ruslana wins the Eurovision Song Contest for Ukraine. 17-year-old Todd faces awkward and unsubtle probing from his family about his sexuality, specifically whether or not he will take a girl to the upcoming school dance. Across town, Lesia Lysenko, the only girl from an immigrant family at Todd's conservative, Catholic High School, clashes with her strict, Ukrainian father, who insists that Lesia take her younger brother to chaperone her to that same school dance. As Lesia experiments with a newfound sense of rebellion, Todd is asked out by a clueless, smitten girl with a pet hate of pop music. He practises the dance moves from Ruslana's song in his family's tool shed and hatches a secret plan to get the song played at the disco. The film moves towards its fabulous, genuinely heartwarming climax as Lesia and Todd learn that life begins when you dance to your own beat.

As one-half of the Grammy award-winning duo "Deep Dish", Iranian-American Ali Shirazinia (aka 'Dubfire') has established himself as one of the world's most successful DJs and producers. But the road to success was not an easy one. With candid interviews from family, childhood friends, industry peers, and fellow artists, this film takes an intimate and honest look inside the nuanced world of dance music. This is an aspirational story about pursuing your passion, daring to dream big, and the challenges that come with success. It is an insider's look at what its like to be an electronic music artist from Above Ground Level.

A daughter comes home for Christmas to introduce her boyfriend to her weird family.

Moomal Rano previously titled Mohabbat Ki Aakhri Kahani is a Pakistani short film directed by Siraj-ul-Haque. It has Ahsan Khan and Saba Qamar as lead roles and is written by Zafar Meraj. The short film is being produced by Zee TV Production as part of the Zeal For Unity festival.

Ram Dass is one of the most important cultural figures from the 1960s and 70s. A pyschedelic pioneer, author of Be Here Now, beloved spiritual teacher, and outspoken advocate for death-and-dying awareness, Ram Dass is now himself approaching the end of life. Since suffering a life-changing stroke twenty years ago, he has been living at his home on Maui and deepening his spiritual practice — which is centered on love and his idea of merging with his surroundings and all living things. Shot in a nuanced cinematic style, the film is an intimate summary of his life learning and awareness, and is ultimately a poetic meditation on life, death, and the soul’s journey home.

Girls family objects when she falls in love with her stalker.

Nelson, a skeptical and disillusioned journalist, is having strange experiences. The old scientist who lives in his building tries to convince him that these events are linked to an old study of time travel. Nelson's wife Maria receives a logbook that reveals a timeless communication between them.

Movie depicts the later life of poet Issa Kobayashi. At the age of 50, he goes back to his hometown. Two years later, he marries 28-year-old Kiku. The couple go on to have three sons and one daughter, but their children all die at early ages. Due to inheritance issues with his father's property, Issa comes into conflict with his stepmother Satsu and his younger stepbrother Senroku.

Lazaro is a young gravedigger with a strange and unfortunate gift, he can see in people the crosses that announce the date of their imminent death. Inert before the immensity of death, he has learned to cope with his ability by being indifferent. The somber everyday life that Lazaro has submitted himself to accept is violently interrupted when a cross appears on the neck of the love of his life: Isaac. Lazaro faces his destiny; that of being consumed by the fact that he is only a spectator aware of the end of all those he loves.

Based on true events The Way Out is the story of Ryan, a successful Real estate developer which leads a double life until one night on a vacation with his family in Mexico he is forced to choose the life he wants to lead.

When Chris finds out his dead father's legacy is no more than a mysterious riddle only he can solve, he's not interested. He just wants to pay a flying visit to the remote Greek island where his estranged father died, sort out his belongings, and go. But it's not that simple. Meeting a beautiful, mysterious woman, Chris learns his father died investigating an ancient mystery and may have unearthed a valuable treasure. But some secrets are best left buried.

In this shockingly dark but utterly poignant comedy from Alison Becker and Kimmy Gatewood, a depressed woman contemplates ending her life, if she could just get everything in order first.

We are witnessing a generational transformation of audiovisual entertainment. Independent work by internet creators, who have already managed to take first places in the celebrity rankings, is competing with television production. Parents panic when their children spend the whole day frozen in front of laptop and smartphone screens. The most watched is a communication bridge between two generations. What does it actually mean to be a YouTuber? And why have YouTubers become a phenomenon that already has an undeniable influence on society today? The feature-length documentary reveals the secrets of their success and looks into the everyday lives that they keep away from the cameras. It hears the opinions of everyone who is affected by watching and creating YouTube videos. Parents of children, marketing specialists, sociologists, psychologists and the viewers themselves.

Someone’s been murdered and the police is investigating in a stadium, the crime spot. They have arrested the murder suspect and they just try to find out the murdering procedure, however, it is quite complicated and the friends of the murdered person are not to be very collaborative.

In the village, the boy offers help but is turned down by everyone. Later his friend asks him to help on their fish farm and take the motor to the neighbouring village afterwards. But he loses the key and is determined to find it although the tide is coming in.

chinese film

The CIA and a rogue assassin attempt to expose the source behind a corporate global intelligence ring inciting war for profit.

A government witness is locked inside an experimental halfway house with six violent criminals. Will they survive.

Documentary film about Martin Park, a homeless man living in Dublin, and his friendship with photographer and filmmaker Donal Moloney.