Heaven Knows What When: Now Where: Theaters Directors: Ben & Joshua Safdie Starring: Arielle Holmes, Caleb Landry Jones Why We’re Excited: Brothers Ben and Joshua Safdie have been making a splash in the indie film world, building a name for themselves with their innovative, low-budget films and documentaries. The Los Angeles Film Festival alums have had their shorts and features win awards at Sundance, Venice International and SXSW fests, and in 2011 the duo took home the John Cassavetes Award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards for Go Get Some Rosemary. Their latest film is even further proof these guys have a knack for audacious storytelling, with this intense and graphic portrait of a young woman’s addiction to heroin. Watch out Coen Brothers, looks like you’ve got some sibling rivalry!
Before You Know It When: Now Where: Netflix (available on DVD June 29) Director: PJ Raval Why We’re Excited: Documentary filmmaker and Film Independent Fellow PJ Raval caught the attention of many when his film Trinidad premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2008. His latest award-winning doc, which premiered at SXSW, introduces audiences to three senior citizens who open up about their life experiences and struggles growing older as gay men. Given so much progress has been made in LGBT culture since they came out, it’s a fascinating perspective and moving portrait.
The Yes Men Are Revolting When: June 12 Where: Theaters Directors: Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonnano, Laura Nix Starring: Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonnano Why We’re Excited: The Yes Men are back! The comedic duo is at it again with their social activist pranks and genius media tactics. In their latest, the hilarious Andy and Mike decide to take on topics such as environmental dangers and corporate greed. As usual, they’re up to no good to do good, raising awareness through sarcasm and of course by pulling the rug out from under their targets. Film Independent Fellow Laura Nix co-directed and produced the film, and it’s also the first time in the director chair for Yes Man himself, Mike Bonnano.
The Tribe When: June 17 Where: Theaters Director: Miroslav Slaboshpitsky Starring: Grigoriy Fesenko, Yana Novikova, Rosa Babiy Why We’re Excited: Miroslav Slaboshpitsky’s feature film debut is already being buzzed about as one of the year’s best films. This provocative and controversial drama follows a deaf teenager as he struggles to fit into boarding school, thus getting involved in a very wild secret society. The film is certainly daring for a first time filmmaker; working with a cast of young, deaf actors and shooting some really graphic material. Racy as it may be, the film had a huge festival run, winning countless awards including three of the top honors at Cannes, where it premiered.
Infinitely Polar Bear When: June 19 Where: Theaters Director: Maya Forbes Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana Why We’re Excited: We love having a new female filmmaker to be excited about, and this month audiences get to experience this heartwarming and bittersweet debut from Maya Forbes. Mark Ruffalo is getting some early Oscar-buzz for his performance as a man struggling with bipolar disorder, as he tries to care for his two daughters while his wife attends grad school. Based on her own childhood, Forbes infuses comedy with the realities of having a loved one with a mental illness. Word on the street is you’ll fall in love with the little girls that star in the film. It also doesn’t hurt to have Zoe Saldana on-screen. You can catch the film in theaters, or when it screens at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 14.
Dope When: June 19 Where: Theaters Director: Rick Famuyiwa Starring: Forest Whitaker, Zoe Kravitz, Shameik Moore Why We’re Excited: For writer/director Michael James Johnson, the buzz is just getting started with his latest film. We love a good outcast story, with a central character worth rooting for, and Johnson’s dramedy features a breakthrough performance from Shameik Moore, as the hip-hop loving underdog who is trying to survive in a harsh Los Angeles neighborhood. Narrated/co-produced by Spirit Award Winner Forest Whitaker, the film premiered at Sundance, and was in competition for the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival. Don’t worry if you’re not one of the lucky attendees to catch the special screening June 8 at the Los Angeles Film Festival–it opens later in the month and will likely expand to a wide release.
The Overnight When: June 19 Where: Theaters Director: Patrick Brice Starring: Adam Scott, Jason Schwartzman, Taylor Schilling Why We’re Excited: It may only be his second feature, but it’s already pretty clear that Patrick Brice has affection toward all things weird. We think that’s a good thing, as indie films tend to introduce unconventional characters, telling unfamiliar stories. In this dark comedy, debauchery ensues when two married couples have a “play date” and all sorts of wild shenanigans ensue once the kids are in bed. Adam Scott and Jason Schwartzman get their bromance on in this official selection of the Los Angeles Film Festival that was shot in less than two weeks, for less than a million dollars.
Timbuktu When: June 23 Where: DVD Director: Abderrahmane Sissako Starring: Ibrahim Ahmed Why We’re Excited: Can you imagine living in a country where music, laughter, cigarettes and sports are banned? In the ancient Malian city of Timbuktu, a cattle herder fights for his family’s well-being and strives to prevent them from succumbing to the suffering around them. If you didn’t get a chance to catch one of 2014’s most acclaimed films, you can when it hits DVD this month. Award-winning director Abderrahmane Sissako’s powerful, life-affirming drama was an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film, won two awards at the Cannes Film Festival and swept the César Awards in France, winning a handful of honors–including Best Picture.
Runoff When: June 26 Where: Theaters Director: Kimberly Levin Starring: Joanne Kelly Why We’re Excited: Here’s another great film featured in this year’s Los Angeles Film Festival, where it is in competition for Best Dramatic Feature. It’s the story of how far one woman will go to save her family when they are threatened with being forced off the land they live. A strong female character is brought to life by a strong female filmmaker, as Kimberly Levin makes her directorial debut. The film makes its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival with screenings on June 12 and 15–or you can catch it when it hits theaters later in the month.
Chris Lombardi / Film Independent Blogger
Key Film Independent Fellow or Member Los Angeles Film Festival Alum Spirit Award Winner First-time Filmmaker Microbudget Female Filmmaker Filmmaker of Color LGBT Filmmaker
title: “Don T Miss Indies What To Watch In June” ShowToc: true date: “2024-05-18” author: “Stephen Dees”
LET THE SUNSHINE IN (Un beau soleil intérieur)
When You Can Watch: Now Where You Can Watch: Theaters (limited) Director: Claire Denis Cast: Juliette Binoche, Xavier Beauvois, Philippe Katerine, Gérard Depardieu Why We’re Excited: An icon of modern French cinema, writer/director Claire Denis (a Film Independent Spirit Award nominee for 1996’s Nenette and Boni) returns once again to examine the surprisingly still-taboo topic of the sexuality of middle-aged women. Adapted from A Lover’s Discourse: Fragments, a 1977 academic work by French literary theorist Roland Barthes, the film won the Author’s Society award at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. The romantic drama follows Isabella (Binoche), an accomplished visual artist and divorced single mother, as she goes through a string of paramours, contemplating her age and whether or not society expects her to give up on love and desire. At one point she seeks the counsel of a spiritual healer (Depardieu), who advises her thusly: “Live what you have to live. Tend to what matters most: yourself. Try to let the sunshine in.”
UPGRADE
When You Can Watch: Now Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Leigh Whannell Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Richard Anastasios, Harrison Gilbertson Why We’re Excited: Reminiscent of ‘80s cult classics like Terminator and Robocop, this sci-fi revenge thriller from Blumhouse’s new microbudget-leaning Tilt shingle is Australian writer/director Leigh Whannell’s (screenwriter, Saw and Insidious) second feature as director, having premiered at SXSW this past March. Upgrade follows vintage car customizer Grey Trace (Marshall-Green), whose wife is killed in a suspicious car crash that also renders him a quadriplegic. Months later, there are still no leads in the case but an eccentric young tech billionaire (Gilbertson) swoops in and offers to surgically implant a computer chip into his spine to restore his full mobility. With newfound superhuman abilities, Trace sets out on a bloody quest to track down the criminals who murdered his wife. Producer—and Blumhouse namesake—Jason Blum recently won the Best Feature Spirit Award for Jordan Peele’s Get Out back in March.
STRANGERS ON THE EARTH
When You Can Watch: Now Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Tristan Cook Why We’re Excited: One of the major Christian pilgrimage routes, the Camino de Santiago (“The Way of St. James”) cuts a path through the eastern Pyrenees all the way up to Galicia in northwestern Spain to the final resting place of the Apostle St. James, in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. This 96-minute documentary follows American cellist Dane Johansen as he hikes the entirety of the route carrying a cello on his back, stopping at various points to perform Bach’s Cello Suites in 36 different ancient churches along the way. Throughout the arduous-yet-inspiring journey, Johansen is joined by fellow travelers, whose reflections are heard in voiceover set to footage of the enchanting Spanish landscape. As the film itself says: “The end is sometimes anti-climactic. It’s the process, the route and who you become as a consequence, that’s more important than whether you actually get to Santiago.”
NANCY
When You Can Watch: June 8 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Christina Choe Cast:mAndrea Riseborough, Steve Buscemi, Ann Dowd, J. Smith-Cameron Why We’re Excited: Dejected and disheveled, Nancy (Riseborough) is a 35-year-old temp worker at a rundown mall still living with her mother (Dowd), when one day she comes across a grieving couple being interviewed on the evening news (Buscemi and Smith-Cameron) pleading for leads into their daughter’s kidnapping—a cold case from decades earlier. Nancy pretends to be their long lost daughter, abducted from a mall in the ‘80s. Or… maybe she’s telling the truth? Developed through Film Independent’s 2015 Directing Lab, writer/director Choe’s debut feature won the illustrious Waldo Salt Award for Screenwriting at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Film Independent Member Mynette Louie is also one of the executive producers. To read our full interview with Choe about the film and her Directing Lab experience, click here.
HEREDITARY
When You Can Watch: June 8 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Ari Aster Cast: Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd, and Gabriel Byrne Why We’re Excited: When Ellen Graham’s (Collette) reclusive mother dies, a series of bone-chillingly horrific secrets about the family’s past begin to unravel. Ari Aster’s feature directorial debut has all the requisite elements of classic supernatural horror, designed to jolt you out of your skin and leave your quaking in your boots: visions of a dead grandmother smiling eerily as she’s engulfed in an inferno; a young girl nonchalantly scissoring off a bird’s head; and finally, unexplained beheadings (yes, plural—more than one beheading!). Rolling Stone called the film “The scariest movie of 2018” and Vulture’s Davie Edelstein has this to say of the lead: “Toni Collette in a performance so raw it’s as if she’s being flayed before your eyes.” Yikes!
THE WORKERS CUP
When You Can Watch: June 8 Where You Can Watch: Theaters (limited) Director: Adam Sobel Why We’re Excited: With a population of 2.27 million citizens, Qatar is (as of November 2017) the richest country in the world, with a GDP of $124,930/person according to a 2017 Fortune magazine article. This is juxtaposed against a modern-day slavery scheme built to exploit the migrant workers helping build the nation’s wealth. Sobel’s directorial debut gives unprecedented access into the lives of migrants working to build soccer stadiums in advance of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted by Qatar—workers from Ghana, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and more, have left their home countries with high hopes for a better future only to be enslaved in grueling working and living conditions, their passports confiscated by their employers. Sobel hears from numerous demoralized young men, lamenting the prison in which they have found themselves. The only possible way out? Fighting to earn a spot as an athlete on the annual Qatar Workers Cup in the hope that maybe, just maybe, a scout will come around to select a player or two, giving them a way out.
GABRIEL AND THE MOUNTAIN (Gabriel e a montanha)
When You Can Watch: June 15 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Fellipe Gamarano Barbosa Cast: João Pedro Zappa, Caroline Abras, Alex Alembe Why We’re Excited: Writer/director Barbosa’s sophomore feature (following his 2014 drama Casa Grande) is based on his real life friend from school, Gabriel Buchmann, whose backpacking trip around the world ended when he died on Mount Mulanje in Malawi, 10 months after his trek commenced, the trip intended to be his last hoorah before starting a doctorate at UCLA. In this Brazilian-French drama, Gabriel (Zappa) traverses a portion of the journey accompanied by his girlfriend Cristina (Abras), meeting up in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania days after Buchmann successfully climbs Mount Kilimanjaro. Some of the travelers he meets on the journey appears as themselves in the film, offering honest recollections along the way via voiceovers. The film won the France 4 Visionary Award at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.
THE CATCHER WAS A SPY
When You Can Watch: June 22 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Ben Lewin Cast: Paul Rudd, Hiroyuki Sanada, Mark Strong, Sienna Miller, Guy Pierce, Jeff Daniels Why We’re Excited: Adapted from the 1994 biography by Nicholas Dawidoff, Australian filmmaker Ben Lewin’s new espionage thriller is based on the true story of Moe Berg, a catcher for the Boston Red Sox before he became a CIA spy during WWII (Berg is played in the film by Paul Rudd). One of Berg’s missions is to thwart the Nazi effort to develop nuclear technology by assassinating German physicist Werner Heisenberg (Strong). Berg’s legal training (from Columbia Law School) and language skills (speaking seven languages) entices the U.S. Government to enlist his services. Premiering at this year’s Sundance, the film marks Lewin’s third feature since 2012’s Spirit Award winning The Sessions. Film Independent Members Judi Levine and Jim Young serve as co-producer and producer, respectively.
I, CLAUDE MONET
When You Can Watch: June 25 Where You Can Watch: Theaters (limited) Director: Phil Grabsky Why We’re Excited: As part of director Grabsky’s “Exhibition On Screen” series that so far has covered other Western art giants like Cezanne, Van Gogh, Vermeer and Manet, this art history documentary elucidates some of the mysteries behind one of the most influential founders of French Impressionism, told entirely in the painter’s own words, pulled from 2,500+ letters and other private correspondence. Interspersed with images of his paintings, readings of his letters and lots of tantalizing landscapes shot in Paris, London, Normandy and Venice, the film paints a portrait (no pun intended) of a genius riddled by insecurities and depression. “The future seems very black. Doubt has overtaken me. I think I’m lost,” he says in one dark moment.
THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS
When You Can Watch: June 29 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Tim Wardle Cast: Eddy Galland, David Kellman, Robert Shafran Why We’re Excited: Sometimes things happen in a way that makes it so clear that fate or destiny must exist. In 1980, a young man named Robert Shafran arrives on the campus of Sullivan County Community College in the Catskills and is repeatedly mistaken for a young man named Eddy. Eventually, he and Eddy Galland discover they are in fact “twins” separated at birth. But the story takes another dramatic turn as a third man—David Kellman—sees this in the New York papers and realizes he’s the third of a set of triplet. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Sundance 2018, this gripping documentary unravels the mystery behind how three families became unwitting subjects to a decades-long psychological and behavioral experiment by Dr. Peter Neubauer, a psychoanalyst who oversaw the “research” in conjunction with the adoption agency.
KEY
Film Independent Fellow or Member
LA Film Festival Alum
Film Independent Spirit Award Winner or Nominee
First-time Filmmaker
Microbudget
Female Filmmaker
Filmmaker or Lead Characters of Color
LGBT Filmmaker or Lead LGBT Characters
title: “Don T Miss Indies What To Watch In June” ShowToc: true date: “2024-04-21” author: “Doug Havens”
THE SOUVENIR
When You Can Watch: Now Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Joanna Hogg Cast: Honor Swinton Byrne, Tom Burke, Tilda Swinton, Richard Ayoade Why We’re Excited: Winner of the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema at Sundance, writer-director Hogg’s latest film is partly based on her own experiences as a young woman and aspiring filmmaker in early 1980s London. Julie (Swinton Byrne, daughter of Tilda) is the would-be film student, riddled with conundrums of life vs. art. Soon after she meets an older Foreign Office employee named Anthony (Burke), a whirlwind romance commences. But it’s not long before the relationship starts to crack at the seams, as the normally dapper Anthony begin to unravel from the secret drug addiction he’s been hiding—stealing Julie’s money and alienating her friends and family. Hogg’s film made such an impression that “Part Two” is currently in production, with Robert Pattinson attached to co-star.
ADELE AND EVERYTHING AFTER
When You Can Watch: Now Director: Melissa Dowler Featuring: Marty Harris, Darlene Sullivan, James Januzzi Why We’re Excited: What started out as a three-minute fundraising video by digital studio Long Haul Films has now been expanded into a feature-length documentary about the world’s first cardiac alert service dog. Marty Harris has suffered from an untreatable heart condition her entire life, fainting up to 20-30 times in a single day. Until, that is, she meets her canine soulmate, Adele, who has the innate ability to sense her cardiac signals and take action to let her master know (by rubbing her leg, for instance) to stand still, sit down or lay down to prevent Marty from passing out. And so begins a nine-year partnership, wherein Marty goes from a person who can’t even walk around the block without fainting to becoming a wife and mother leading a full, active life. Also, the director and producer Tom Dowler are Film Independent Members.
LETO
When You Can Watch: June 7 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Kirill Serebrennikov Cast: Teo Yoo, Irina Starshenbaum, Roman Bilyk Why We’re Excited: This Russian-language music biopic chronicles Leningrad’s underground rock scene of the early 1980s, shining the spotlight on Soviet-Korean singer-songwriter—and co-founder of rock band “Kino”—Viktor Tsoi. Competing for the Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, the film focuses on the relationship between Tsoi (played by German-born Korean actor Teo Yoo), his protégé Mike Naumenko (Bilyk) and Tsoi’s wife, Natalia (Starshenbaum.) Despite being placed under house arrest by the Russian government for charges of alleged fraud and corruption toward the end of production, director Serebrennikov nevertheless managed to finish the film without violating court orders, working via a computer (with no internet access) while his team finished new scenes based on his prior notes and rehearsals.
THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO
When You Can Watch: June 7 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Joe Talbot Cast: Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Danny Glover, Mike Epps, Thora Birch Why We’re Excited: Premiering in Park City earlier this year, this race-centric drama scored Sundance prizes for Best Directing and a Special Jury Prize for Creative Collaboration, taking audiences on a gritty tour of the Golden City that most tourists never catch a glimpse of. For his feature directorial debut, Talbot co-wrote the script with longtime friend and actor Jimmie Fails, who partly based the story on his own experiences growing up in SF amid runaway gentrification. The film centers on the challenges of being a black homeowner in the Bay Area, as Fails (playing a version of himself) tries to reclaim a Victorian home built by his grandfather in the historic Fillmore District. A troop of Film Independent Members are part of the production team, including: Rob Richert, writer; Dede Gardner, producer; Jeremy Kleiner, producer; Sydney Lowe, associate producer; and Maya E. Rudolph, associate producer. Film Independent Fellows Involved in the project include executive producer Kimberly Parker (Fast Track, 2018) and associate producer Sydney Lowe (Project Involve, 2019.)
LATE NIGHT
When You Can Watch: June 7 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Nisha Ganatra Cast: Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, John Lithgow
BEING FRANK
When You Can Watch: June 14 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Miranda Bailey Cast: Jim Gaffigan, Logan Miller, Samantha Mathis Why We’re Excited: A 2016 Film Independent Spirit Award winner (as a producer) for the quirky 2015 teenage sexual odyssey The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Miranda Bailey’s feature directorial debut not only sheds light on, but also humanizes (sort of) the plight of a secret bigamist. Tearing through spring break at a lakeside resort town, 17-year-old Phillip (Miller, of Love, Simon and Veronica Mars fame) bumps into his own father, living a totally different life in another town with a seemingly happier family. Talk about a buzzkill! Stand-up darling Jim Gaffigan (Netflix comedy specials Beyond the Pale and Obsessed) is dad Frank, who runs a family ketchup factory and sneaks off to live his other life under the guise of extended business trips.
THE REPORTS ON SARAH AND SALEEM
When You Can Watch: June 12 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Muayad Alayan Featuring: Adeeb Safadi, Sivane Kretchner, Maisa Abd Elhadi Why We’re Excited: Told in Arabic, Hebrew and English, Palestinian director Alayan’s sophomore feature doubles down on the flashpoint nature of living in modern-day Jerusalem. Written by Alayan’s brother Rami, the story opens with a smoldering in flagrante delicto: we see Palestinian delivery driver Saleem (Safadi) with Sarah (Kretchner), who runs a café in West Jerusalem. First problem: he’s married, with a baby on the way. Second problem: they’re on opposite sides of everything—religiously and politically, literally living on opposite sides of Jerusalem. When they’re caught together in the Palestinian-controlled West Bank while delivering black market goods, the affair soon erupts into a larger crisis, with Saleem being tortured by the secret police and Sarah pondering her future—or lack thereof—with a political prisoner.
HEAD COUNT
When You Can Watch: June 14 Where You Can Watch: Theaters, VOD Director: Elle Callahan Featuring: Isaac Jay, Ashleigh Morghan, Bevin Bru Why We’re Excited: Debuting in the genre-focused “Nightfall” section of last year’s LA Film Festival, this inventive new horror film centers around teenager Evan (Jay), who sets out to enjoy a weekend getaway with friends out in Joshua Tree. After telling ghost stories around a campfire, Evan recites a spooky incantation—that he finds on the internet, naturally—and inadvertently summons a shape-shifting demon that begins picking them off, one by one. Not only is the indie fright flick Callahan’s first outing as feature director, she also co-wrote the script with frequent short film collaborator Michael Nader. The film also nabbed a Nightfall Special Jury Prize at the festival for actor Ashleigh Morghan, who plays “Zoe” in the film.
THE DEAD DON’T DIE
When You Can Watch: June 14 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Jim Jarmusch Cast: Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Selena Gomez, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Tilda Swinton, Tom Waits, Danny Glover, Rosie Perez Why We’re Excited: Yet another horror pic—albeit a funny one—gracing the summer movie season to provide some quirky counterprogramming to the studio blockbusters, The Dead Don’t Die is a star-studded zombie comedy, which premiered just last month on The Croisette in Cannes. If you’ve ever wanted to see Bill Murray battle to the death against an army of zombie invaders (and haven’t already seen Zombieland), then here’s the summer escapist flick for you. In the sleepy town of Centerville, the dead start rising from their graves to feast on the living, and the town’s police force have their work cut out for them. Director/writer Jamusch is a five-time Spirit Award nominee, including for the 2013 gothic romance Only Lovers Left Alive, which tackled vampires.
THE CHAMBERMAID (La Camarista)
When You Can Watch: June 26 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Lila Avilés Cast: Gabriela Cartol, Teresa Sánchez Why We’re Excited: Marking theater director Avilés’ feature debut, this Spanish-language drama juxtaposes the overindulgences of the moneyed affluent against the meager existences of those who serve them. Twenty-four-year-old single mother Eve (Cartol) toils away every day at one of the most luxurious hotels in Mexico City, dreaming of the day when she works her way up to cleaning one of the executive floors. She enrolls in the hotel’s adult education program hoping to make a better life for herself, but soon finds that diligence alone won’t get her promoted. Reminiscent of Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma in its unflinching look at the social stratification of Mexico City, the film has screened all over the world, including Toronto, San Sebastian and AFI Fest. Executive producer Jana Diaz Juhl is a 2011 Project Involve Fellow.
KEY
Film Independent Fellow or Member
Film Independent Spirit Award Winner or Nominee
First-time Filmmaker
Microbudget
Female Filmmaker
Filmmaker or Lead Characters of Color
LGBT Filmmaker or Lead LGBT Characters
LA Film Festival Alum (Header: Late Night)
title: “Don T Miss Indies What To Watch In June” ShowToc: true date: “2024-05-19” author: “Grace Duncan”
UNDINE
When You Can Watch: June 4 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Christian Petzold Cast: Paula Beer, Franz Rogowski, Jacob Matschenz, Maryam Zaree Why We’re Excited: After dazzling us with the emotionally wrenching refugee drama Transit in 2018, director Christian Petzold’s newest offering is a German-French supernatural drama, which won lead actress Paula Beer the Silver Bear at last year’s Berlin Film Festival. By all accounts, Undine Wibeau (Beer) appears to be a regular woman; a historian at the Berlin City Museum, she resides in her own apartment and is in love with boyfriend Johannes (Matschenz)–until one day, when he breaks up with her at their usual café across the street from the museum. “If you leave me, I’ll have to kill you,” Undine declares. It’s only then that we find out [SPOILERS] that she’s actually a water sprite who can only hang on to her human form by falling in love with a man. But here’s the kicker: the man has to remain faithful to her or he will be killed. Not to complicate things, but this is also when she meets industrial diver Christoph (Beer’s Transit co-star Franz Rogowski), who begins a relentless courtship.
AWAKE
When You Can Watch: June 9 Where You Can Watch: Netflix Director: Mark Raso Cast: Gina Rodriguez, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ariana Greenblatt Why We’re Excited: Taking place in a world devoid of all electronics, Netflix’s new thriller is helmed by writer-director Raso (Kodachrome, Copenhagen), which he co-wrote with brother Joseph Raso (Disney Channel’s Z-O-M-B-I-E-S franchise) and Greg Poirier (The Spy Next Door). Not only did a mysterious global catastrophe wipe out all electronics, it also somehow took away the ability for everyone to sleep–yes, the eight-hour daily rejuvenation period that we all take for granted for most of our lives. As the world races to find a cure for widespread and ongoing insomnia, former soldier Jill (Rodriguez, of Jane The Virgin fame) discovers that her pre-teen daughter might hold the solution in her delicate hands.
IN THE HEIGHTS
When You Can Watch: June 11 Where You Can Watch: Theaters, HBO Max Director: Jon M. Chu Cast: Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Jimmy Smits Why We’re Excited: Based on the stage musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) and screenwriter Quiara Alegría Hudes–which debuted on Broadway in 2008 and won four Tony Awards–In the Heights is inspired by Miranda’s memories of growing up in New York’s vibrant Washington Heights neighborhood. Film Independent Fellow and director Chu (Crazy Rich Asian, G.I. Joe: Retaliation) first signed on to direct this feature adaptation in 2016, but it’s taken 13 years for the film to get made. Along the way, Warner Bros built a backlot bodega complete with piragua carts to tell the story of shop owner Usnavi (Ramos), who is conflicted about his dream to close up the bodega and move back to the Dominican Republic.
12 MIGHTY ORPHANS
When You Can Watch: June 11 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Ty Roberts Cast: Luke Wilson, Vinessa Shaw, Wayne Knight, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen Why We’re Excited: Co-written by writer-director Roberts, a Texas native, this sports drama is based on the bestselling nonfiction book Twelve Mighty Orphans: The Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites Who Ruled Texas Football, by Jim Dent. During the Great Depression, legendary high school coach Rusty Russell (Wilson, another Texas native) took a ragtag football team from a Fort Worth orphanage–the Masonic Home established to raise the orphans of the Texas Freemasons–all the way to the Texas State Championships. Not bad for a group of players who didn’t even have shoes when they started! Shot in various parts of Texas in the fall of 2019, the film is set for wide release beginning June 18. Here’s an interesting note for fans of Apocalypse Now: this is the first time that veteran actors Duvall and Sheen appear together in a film since the 1979 Francis Ford Coppola classic. What’s more, Co-Producer Camille Scioli-McNamara is a Film Independent Member.
SUBLET
When You Can Watch: June 11 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Eytan Fox Cast: John Benjamin Hickey, Niv Nissim, Lihi Kornowski, Peter Spears Why We’re Excited: Premiering at last year’s virtual Tribeca Film Festival, this Israeli LGBTQ drama from writer-director Eytan Fox (the 2002 gay military romance Yossi & Jagger) centers on an unexpected May-December love affair. Fifty-something New York Times travel writer Michael (Tony Award winning stage actor Hickey) arrives in Tel Aviv after a tragedy. Billed as “a visually seductive love letter to Tel Aviv and its vibrant street life” by The Hollywood Reporter, the Hebrew/English bilingual drama features the debut of newcomer Niv Nissim, who plays Tomer–the much younger film student who sublets his apartment in a hip neighborhood to the very buttoned-up Michael. Tomer volunteers to show Michael the more authentic side of the city… and their relationship soon blossoms into much more.
PRAY AWAY
When You Can Watch: June 16 (Tribeca, AFI Docs) Where You Can Watch: Netflix (August, release TBD) Director: Kristine Stolakis Why We’re Excited: Premiering at the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival this (Pride) month, this unflinching documentary about gay conversion therapy is director Kristine Stolakis’s feature debut. An inside look at the “pray away the gay” movement, the film takes a deep dive into the conversion therapy practice, which dates back to the 1970s when five gay men started a Bible study group in their Evangelical church, hoping to gain the strength to leave the “homosexual lifestyle” behind. Soon after, the group received 25,000 letters from folks asking for help, and Exodus International–the largest gay conversion therapy organization in the world–was birthed. The film examines the harm that has been caused by the movement: years later, former leaders of the movement admit to the trauma left behind by the controversial treatments. Besides Jason Blumhouse and Ryan Murphy, the executive producer team also includes Film Independent Member Regina K. Scully.
SUMMER OF ’85
When You Can Watch: June 18 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: François Ozon Cast: Félix Lefebvre, Benjamin Voisin, Philippine Velge Why We’re Excited: This French-Belgian drama opens with Alex (Lefebvre) being arrested, supposedly in connection with the death of his “best friend” David (Voisin). Then, we begin to delve into some context… It’s the mid-1980s, just before the AIDS crisis has emerged. Sixteen-year-old Alex and his family have recently moved to the sleepy seaside town of Treport in Normandy, where he meets 18-year-old David. The two soon become fast friends–and much more. Partly based on the 1982 novel Dance on My Grave by British YA author Aidan Chambers, director Ozon’s adaptation has been loosely compared to the 2017 multilingual gay coming-of-age drama Call Me By Your Name.
FATHERHOOD
When You Can Watch: June 18 Where You Can Watch: Netflix Director: Paul Weitz Cast: Kevin Hart, Alfre Woodard, Lil Rel Howery, Paul Reiser Why We’re Excited: “If you could have only one parent, I wish you could’ve had your mom, ‘cause she would’ve been better at it,” laments recently widowed dad Matthew “Matt” Logelin (Hart) to baby Maddy. After the unexpected death of his wife shortly after childbirth, single dad Matt is determined to wade through the maze of parenthood on his own–even though he lives alone in Boston, far away from his family in Minneapolis. Partly shot in 2019, director Weitz (a Film Independent Spirit Award nominee for 1999’s Chuck & Buck) co-wrote the film based on the 2011 memoir, Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love by Matthew Logelin. Yet another in a long line of COVID-19 “movie victims,” Fatherhood was initially slated for a theatrical release by Sony Pictures, but recently acquired by Netflix. Film Independent Member Aaron Gilbert is one of the film’s executive producers.
THE SPARKS BROTHERS
When You Can Watch: June 18 Where You Can Watch: Theaters, Free Members-Only Screening Director: Edgar Wright Why We’re Excited: Premiering earlier this year at Sundance, British filmmaker Edgar Wright’s (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Baby Driver) debut feature doc takes us through five decades of quirky and inspiring tales concerning American siblings–and Sparks pop and rock duo members–Ron and Russell Mael. Including commentary from celebrity fans the likes of Flea, Beck, Jack Antonoff, Jason Schwartzman, Neil Gaiman and more, production for the film began in 2018 when Wright covered the band’s concert at the O2 Forum Kentish Town. Contrary to the usual tales of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll of many storied bands, Wright’s biography is more about perseverance. Sparks has gone through its share of commercial successes and flops, through the releases of 25 albums over 50 years. If you’ve always loved the tunes This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us and When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way,’ this is the music documentary for you!
PROGRAMMER’S PICK: I CARRY YOU WITH ME
When You Can Watch: June 18 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director:Heidi Ewing Why We’re Excited: From Jennifer Wilson, Film Independent Senior Programmer: “The magnificent I Carry You With Me (Spirit Award nominated in 2021 for Best Editing and Best First Feature) is documentarian Heidi Ewing’s scripted feature directing debut. The film tells the touching story of two gay Mexican men, Ivan and Gerardo, who meet, fall in love, and decide to cross illegally into the US to make a life in New York. After 20 years of struggle, Ivan and Gerardo are finally successful in the US, but Ivan begins to have extreme sadness over being undocumented and therefore not allowed to return to Mexico for a visit to see all the people he left behind there. The tremendously evocative lead performances by Armando Espitia and Christian Vazquez, and the beautiful cinematography make this a love story not just between two people, but also between undocumented immigrants and their former country that still lives on so vibrantly in their memories.” Ewing and Producer Mynette Louie are both Film Independent Members.
KEY
Film Independent Fellow or Member
LA Film Festival Alum
Film Independent Spirit Award Winner or Nominee
First-time Filmmaker
Microbudget
Female Filmmaker
Filmmaker or Lead Characters of Color
LGBT Filmmaker or Lead LGBT Characters (Header: Undine)
title: “Don T Miss Indies What To Watch In June” ShowToc: true date: “2024-05-14” author: “Wendy Flores”
UNDONE, SEASON 2
When You Can Watch: Now Creator: Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Kate Purdy Cast: Rosa Salazar, Angelique Cabral, Constance Marie, Siddharth Dhananjay, Daveed Diggs, Bob Odenkirk
CRIMES OF THE FUTURE
When You Can Watch: June 3 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: David Cronenberg Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, Don McKellar, Scott Speedman Why We’re Excited: Legendary Canadian writer/director and body-horror king David Cronenberg (The Fly, Scanners, Videodrome) returns with his much anticipated 22nd feature, his first since 2014’s Maps to the Stars. Crimes of the Future (which shares a title with Cronenberg’s 1970 featurette but is not a remake) also marks Cronenberg’s first foray into sci-fi and horror—the two genres he primarily explored for the first three decades of his career—since 1999’s eXistenZ. The film is sure to be a polarizing one, highlighted by the fact that it prompted walkouts by some audience members at May’s Cannes Film Festival, but also a six-minute standing ovation for those who stuck around. The film tells the story of a world-renowned performance artist couple, played by frequent Cronenberg collaborator Viggo Mortensen and first timer Léa Seydoux, living in a world decimated by climate change who possess the ability to grow and remove new organs on stage for the sole purpose of entertaining their audience. Kristen Stewart, Don McKellar and Scott Speedman also make appearances. All that, plus Film Independent Member Jeff Deutchman is one of the film’s executive producers.
FIRE ISLAND
When You Can Watch: June 3 Where You Can Watch: Hulu Director: Andrew Ahn Cast: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Margaret Cho, Conrad Ricamora, James Scully Why We’re Excited: Director Andrew Ahn rides the wave of momentum created by 2019’s critically acclaimed and Spirit Awards nominated Driveways and 2016’s John Cassavetes Award winning Spa Night to bring the star-studded romantic comedy Fire Island to Hulu this Pride Month. Joel Kim Booster, who rose to prominence with the release of his 2017 Comedy Central stand-up special, wrote the script and stars in the film, inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Fire Island tells the story of two friends embarking on a vacation to the renowned Long Island gay escape destination of the same name. The premise is simple, allowing the talents and chemistry of Ahn’s eclectic cast to shine, Comedy heavy hitters including SNL’s Bowen Yang and veteran stand-up Margaret Cho star in the film alongside Booster, Conrad Ricamora and James Scully. Fire Island received a great reception at a Film Independent Members-only screening last month with director Andrew Ahn in-person… and we think you’ll enjoy it too!
WATCHER
When You Can Watch: June 3 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Chloe Okuno Cast: Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, Burn Gorman Why We’re Excited: Watcher, IFC Midnight and Shudder’s latest buzzy thriller, was a project approximately six years in the making when it finally premiered and competed in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival in January. The first sole feature directorial venture for Chloe Okuno (she previously directed the V/H/S/94 segment “Storm Drain”) tells the story of an American actress who moves to Bucharest with her boyfriend and struggles to assimilate into daily Romanian life due to her inability to speak the language. The actress, played by It Follows and Honey Boy standout Maika Monroe, also suffers from the paranoia that she is being constantly watched by an ominous neighbor, played by Game of Thrones actor Burn Gorman. The cast is rounded out by Karl Glusman who plays Monroe’s boyfriend and has already appeared in projects by great directors such as Gaspar Noé, Alex Garland and Nicolas Winding Refn so far in his young career.
AFTER BLUE
When You Can Watch: June 3 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Bertrand Mandico Cast: Elina Löwensohn, Paula Luna, Vimala Pons, Agata Buzek Why We’re Excited: French experimental director Bertrand Mandico’s follow-up to his 2018 debut The Wild Boys—“Film of the Year” according to long-running French film magazine Cahiers du Cinéma, which also starred Blue‘s Elina Löwensohn and Vimala Ponslooks—looks to be just as bold and original as his previous feature. The fantasy/sci-fi movie is set in a distant future on the eponymous planet of “After Blue” in a parallel galaxy, where due to a mysterious atmospheric effect on hair the planet is only hospitable to women. A lonely teenager whose mother is the colony’s hairdresser frees a notorious criminal buried in the sand in exchange for the promise of having three wishes granted. When the criminal wreaks havoc on the community, the teenager and her mother are exiled and forced to track down the escapee to reverse the damaging decision. The film also apparently contains numerous Kate Bush references (according to Letterboxd users) so I personally think that alone makes it a must see!
THE JANES
When You Can Watch: June 8 Where You Can Watch: HBO Max Director: Tia Lessin, Emma Pildes Why We’re Excited: Timely may be an understatement when searching for words to describe The Janes, an HBO Max documentary about a group of women who put their personal and professional lives on the line to assist other women in gaining access to safe and affordable abortions before the 1973 Supreme Court Case Roe v. Wade made abortion more accessible nationwide. The documentary recounts the story of seven women, who all used the code name “Jane” to conceal their real identities, arrested in 1973 for creating this underground service, of which 11,000 women benefitted from in the state of Illinois. The Janes includes first-hand accounts from the women involved, including some who were speaking publicly about their experiences for the first time. Directing duo Tia Lessin who was nominated for an Oscar for Trouble the Water and Emma Pildes who was nominated for an Emmy for Jane Fonda in Five Acts helm the project. Film Independent Members involved with the project include Executive Producers Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller, as well as Senior Producer Sara Rodriguez.
CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH
When You Can Watch: June 17 Where You Can Watch: Theaters, Apple TV+, Fi Presents Director: Cooper Raiff Cast: Cooper Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Vanessa Burghardt, Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett Why We’re Excited: With Cha Cha Real Smooth, Cooper Raiff has written, directed, produced and starred in a film that competed at Sundance and had its distribution rights sold to Apple TV+ for $15 million. This is impressive for a creative at any age, but even more impressive when you consider the fact that Raiff is barely entering his mid-20s. Here, he gathers a stacked cast including Dakota Johnson (also a co-producer), Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett and Vanessa Burghardt to bring this comedy-drama to life. Cha Cha Real Smooth is a film about a young man working as a Bar Mitzvah host who befriends a mother and her autistic daughter. Acclaim for the film has been practically universal with a rare 4.0 average score on Letterboxd and a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Film Independent Members can take advantage of a free screening of the film and conversation with Raiff in-person Film Independent Presents screening of the film June 6 at the Harmony Gold Preview House.
MY FAKE BOYFRIEND
When You Can Watch: June 17 Director: Rose Troche Cast: Keiynan Lonsdale, Dylan Sprouse, Sarah Hyland
MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON
When You Can Watch: June 24 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Dean Fleischer-Camp Cast: Jenny Slate, Dean Fleischer-Camp, Isabella Rossellini, Rosa Salazar, Nathan Fielder, Conan O’Brien, Andy Richter, Brian Williams Why We’re Excited: Indie film powerhouse A24 has covered quite a bit of ground in their roughly decade of existence, but delving into the animated space is something new. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On originated as a highly praised 2010 short stop-motion animated series that achieved viral internet video status and screened at various film festivals around the world—including AFI, Sundance and the New York International Children’s Film Festival. Two sequels (with accompanying storybooks) and 12 years later and director/writer/voice actor Dean Fleischer-Camp has turned the concept into a live-action/animated coming-of-age mockumentary comedy feature that enlists co-creator Jenny Slate as the voice of the titular one-inch tall shell. The impressive voice cast also includes Rosa Salazar, Isabella Rossellini, Nathan Fielder, Conan O’Brien, Andy Richter and Brian Williams, among others. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On follows the mollusk on his journey to search for his family with the help of a documentary filmmaker voiced by Fleischer-Camp himself.
FLUX GOURMET
When You Can Watch: June 24 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Peter Strickland Cast: Asa Butterfield, Gwendoline Christie, Ariane Labed, Fatma Mohammed, Leo Bill, Richard Bremmer Why We’re Excited: The always adventurous and unpredictable British horror director Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio, The Duke of Burgundy) follows up 2018’s In Fabric with another wild-looking effort that, like Crimes of the Future, centers on a group of experimental performance artists. Flux Gourmet—categorized as a black comedy horror film—focuses on a group of outsider artists who engage in a process known as “sonic catering” where unnerving, disturbing sounds are extracted from various food items. This group of artists decides to move to an isolated, remote location and begin living together in an institution run by an inscrutable director. An outsider is brought in to simply observe the group’s day-to-day activities but unexpectedly becomes immersed in the group’s lifestyle. IFC Films acquired North American distribution rights and will release the film theatrically June 24.
PROGRAMMERS PICK BRIAN AND CHARLES
When You Can Watch: June 17 Where You Can Watch: Theaters, Fi Presents Director: Jim Archer Cast: David Earl, Chris Hayward, Louise Brealey Why We’re Excited: From Film Independent Senior Programmer Jenn Wilson: “Lonely introvert Brian is an inventor who lives in a rural English village. His inventions are kind of bizarre and don’t work that well, which is why it’s a bit of surprise when Brian builds an actual functioning robot companion for himself that he names Charles. Charles is a mix of absurdity (his torso is a re-purposed clothes dryer) and sophistication. You can’t really say much for his looks, but he is mobile, and as it turns out, extremely smart and communicative. Everything goes pretty well between the two until it becomes apparent that, just like any human child, Charles is going through a rite of passage called puberty. Where once Charles was a curious and cheerful robot, now he’s a rebellious and sometimes not-very-cooperative robot, giving Brian a complete run for his money. A coming-of-age comedy for the pandemic era, Brian and Charles is laugh-out-funny and heartwarming as all heck, but it’s also an insightful commentary on the humiliations and difficulties we all face in our attempts at relationship- building. Actor David Earl who also co-wrote the script gives one of the most amazing performances yet this year as Brian. If you need something to cheer you up (and I know you do) then take yourself out the movies to see this one, it’s totally worth it.”
KEY
Film Independent Fellow or Member
Film Independent Presents Screening, Q&A
Microbudget
Filmmaker or Lead Characters of Color
Film Independent Spirit Award Winner or Nominee
Female Filmmaker
LGBT Filmmaker or Lead LGBT Characters
First-time Filmmaker (Header: Fire Island)
title: “Don T Miss Indies What To Watch In June” ShowToc: true date: “2024-04-11” author: “Ramon Cisneros”
PADRE PIO
When You Can Watch: Now Where You Can Watch: Theaters (Limited) Director: Abel Ferrara Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Cristina Chiriac, Marco Leonardi Why We’re Excited: A two-time Film Independent Spirit Award nominee for Bad Lieutenant (1992) and The Funeral (1996), indie veteran Abel Ferrara’s new biographical drama is based on the IRL story of Italian Franciscan Capuchin friar and priest Francesco Forgione, who was venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church in 1999. It’s after the end of WWI and young Italian soldiers are returning from the war to the broken village of San Giovanni Rotondo, an impoverished and violent town under Church and landowner rule. It is in these tumultuous times that the titular padre—Spirit Award nominee Shia LaBeouf (Honey Boy, The Peanut Butter Falcon)—arrives to begin his ministry at a remote Capuchin monastery. Struggling with his own personal demons, Pio presides over the community as the first free elections in modern Italian history set the stage for an impending massacre.
DALÍLAND
When You Can Watch: June 9 Where You Can Watch: Theaters (Limited) Director: Mary Harron Cast: Ben Kingsley, Barbara Sukowa, Ezra Miller, Christopher Briney, Rupert Graves Why We’re Excited: A Spirit Award Best First Feature nominee for her debut I Shot Andy Warhol, Canadian filmmaker Mary Harron is perhaps best known for 2000’s American Psycho and her television work on Fox’s The Following and Netflix’s Alias Grace. Based on a true story, her new film chronicles the tumultuous relationship between the eccentric and mercurial surrealist artist Salvador Dalí (Sir Ben Kingsley, Spirit Award nominated for House of Sand and Fog) and his wife Gala (German actress Barbara Sukowa, Gloria Bell.) The relationship is examined through the lens of Dalí’s assistant James (newcomer Christopher Briney), who helps the artist prepare for an upcoming gallery show amidst endless parties, procrastination, and creative block.
USERS
When You Can Watch: June 9 Where You Can Watch: Theaters (Limited) Creator: Natalia Almada Why We’re Excited: Winner of the U.S. Documentary Directing Award at Sundance two years ago, this sprawling visual odyssey by Mexican-American filmmaker Natalia Almada (Todo lo demás, El Velador, Al orto lado) examines the unintended consequences of unbridled technological domination in the present and future worlds, pondering how tech and the new era of global industrialization have impacted our society and the human experience. Examining these issues through the lens of a mother’s macro concern for her children, the project is a family affair: Almada’s husband Dave Cerf is on music and sound design, her brother-in-law Bennett Cerf is the cinematographer, and her two young boys providing a crucial element of the film.
BLUE JEAN
When You Can Watch: June 9 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Georgia Oakley Cast: Rosy McEwen, Kerrie Hayes, Lucy Halliday Why We’re Excited: Winning four awards at last year’s British Independent Film Awards and scoring a BAFTA nomination for Outstanding Debut, writer-director Georgia Oakley’s first feature is a queer drama set in 1988 England. Semi-closeted lesbian gym teacher Jean (McEwen from The Alienist) lives a double life with girlfriend Viv (Hayes, from UK TV series The English Game and The Frankenstein Chronicles) in Thatcher-era Newcastle. When new student Lois (Halliday, in her first movie) recognizes Jean at a gay bar, she threatens to expose her sexuality, forcing Jean to go to great lengths to maintain her livelihood and security.
THE ANGRY BLACK GIRL AND HER MONSTER
When You Can Watch: June 9 Where You Can Watch: Theaters, VOD (June 23) Director: Bomani J. Story Cast: Laya DeLeon Hayes, Chad L. Coleman, Denzel Whitaker Why We’re Excited: Filmmaker Bomani J. Story’s feature debut, this sci-fi horror is a loose reimagining of Mary Shelley’s immortal Frankenstein. Seventeen-year-old STEM prodigy Vicaria (Hayes, who also plays Queen Latifah’s daughter in the CBS procedural The Equalizer) lives in a world filled to the brim with violence, crime, and drug abuse. Having already lost her mother, Vicaria is sent over the edge when she loses her brother to murder. In shock, she begins to believe that death is a curable disease. Still reeling from grief, she decides to resurrect her brother from the dead… only to find him returning as a monster bent on revenge. The film premiered at SXSW in March.
ASTEROID CITY
When You Can Watch: June 16 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Wes Anderson Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Liev Schreiber Why We’re Excited: Five-time Spirit Awards nominee—and Best Director winner for 1998’s Rushmore—Wes Anderson’s 11th feature is a sci-fi dramedy, fresh from competing for the Palme d’Or at Cannes two weeks ago. The all-star cast is also rife with Spirit Awards winners and nominees, including Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story and Manny & Lo), Liev Schreiber (Spotlight), and Tilda Swinton (Suspiria, Only Lovers Left Alive, The Deep End.) Also returning is Anderson’s frequent collaborator, composer Alexandre Desplat. The movie-within-a-movie conceit takes place at an annual Junior Stargazers/Space Cadet convention in 1955, where parents accompany their brainiac kids to the science competition in the fictional American desert town of Asteroid City. When an (un?)expected visitor descends from the skies, everyone is forced to quarantine together in the remote town as dramas both human and cosmic continue to unravel.
PAST LIVES
When You Can Watch: June 23 Where You Can Watch: Theaters (Limited) Director: Celine Song Cast: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro
BLACK MIRROR (SEASON 6)
When You Can Watch: June 15 Where You Can Watch: Netflix Creator: Charlie Brooker Cast: Aaron Paul, Anjana Vasan, Annie Murphy, Auden Thornton, Ben Barnes, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara Why We’re Excited: After a four-year hiatus—the last season came out a lifetime ago in the pre-pandemic world of June 2019—the Emmy-winning British anthology series finally returns with its sixth season on Netflix. Widely acclaimed as one of the best television series to emerge from the 2010s, each episode is a standalone story set in alternate dystopian near-future worlds, presenting a myriad of nightmares, hallucinations and rabbit-holes in which to indulge. Inspired by Rod Serling’s classic sci-fi horror anthology series The Twilight Zone, Brooker’s dark vision often depicts the negative aspects of unrestrained technological advancement at the expense of humanity. Amongst the cast gracing this season include Spirit Award alums Anjana Vasan (We Are Lady Parts), Kate Mara (A Teacher) and Auden Thornton (Beauty Mark.)
NEVER HAVE I EVER (SEASON 4)
https://youtu.be/EPRG8MUzaqo When You Can Watch: June 8 Where You Can Watch: Netflix Creator: Mindy Kaling , Lang Fisher Cast: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani, Darren Barnet, Jaren Lewison Why We’re Excited: Despite being loosely based on creator Mindy Kaling’s own upbringing in the Boston area, this dramedy is set in the Los Angeles suburb of Sherman Oaks, following the trials and tribulations of high school overachiever Devi (Ramakrishnan, a 2021 Spirit Award nominee for the show in the Best Female Performance in a Scripted Series category.) The series opener first found her immediately after the sudden death of her father, Mohan. In the intervening years, we’ve seen her contemplating a move to India with her mother and being torn between long-time crush Paxton (Barnet) and frenemy Ben (Lewison). Last season ended [SPOILERS!] with Devi finally hooking up with Ben. In this fourth and final season, we will follow her through all the requisite milestones of senior year—prom, graduation, and maybe even a potential new new romance…
PROGRAMMER’S PICK UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS
When You Can Watch: Now Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Juan Felipe Zuleta Cast: Sarah Hay, Matthew Jeffers, Roy Abramsohn Why We’re Excited: From Jenn Wilson, Film Independent Senior Programmer: “This unconventional road movie is Juan Felipe Zuleta’s feature debut, and it marks him as a new director to watch, for sure. In the film, Peter (Matthew Jeffers, absolutely wonderful in this role) is enlisted by his (unhinged?) neighbor Winona (Sarah Hay) to drive her cross-country to meet up with some aliens (?) that she claims have contacted her to join them. Yes, like the ones from outer space. Peter, an extremely bitter, gay little person with a boatload of his own sorrows isn’t really buying it, but he needs the money. And so the two embark on a hilarious, weird and surprisingly heartfelt trip that neither of them really wanted to be on. Will the two end up besties for life or mortal enemies? Ah, but you have to go to the movies and find out!” Additionally, Film Independent Members on the producing team include Story/Writer/Producer Leland Frankel and Executive Producer Chad Shields.
KEY
Film Independent Fellow or Member
Film Independent Presents Screening, Q&A
Microbudget
Filmmaker or Lead Characters of Color
Film Independent Spirit Award Winner or Nominee
Female Filmmaker
LGBT Filmmaker or Lead LGBT Characters
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