Philippines
Director: Sheron Dayoc

Solidarity, hope, and fear beget friendship in this tale of a perilous journey across the South China Sea. A motley group of individuals - from children hoping to be reunited with absent mothers and would-be prostitutes to human traffickers preying on the locals’ desperation - cross paths while waiting to be smuggled by boat, destination Malaysia. The possibilities for a bright future seem increasingly distant as they near the shore in this slow-burning, suspense-filled verité drama.

Filipino, Tagalog with subtitles, 78 min

Italy
Director: Mario Martone

Broken into four episodes, this sweeping historical epic follows the lives of three patriotic, fervent youth who devote their lives to the cause of Italy’s unification in the 19th century. Youthful idealism soon leads to disappointment, as the machinations of competing political factions come into play. With 2011 marking the 150th anniversary of Italy’s Risorgimento, this breathtaking tour de force traces the journey of sacrifice and tragedy taken to make Italy the country it is today.

Italian with subtitles, 170 min

Italy
Director: Nanni Moretti

What would happen if the Pope got cold feet? Multi-award-winning Italian master comic, actor and director Nanni Moretti’s comically poignant We Have a Pope, which finds newly elected Cardinal Melville (the legendary French actor Michel Piccoli) petrified by the idea of taking up the position. As the Cardinal agonizes over his ability to dispense religious and moral leadership, he sends the Vatican into a tailspin as they try to control their worst ecclesiastical and PR nightmare in this critically acclaimed Cannes Film Festival favorite.

Italian with subtitles, 102 min

UK
Director: Lynne Ramsay

In a tour-de-force performance, Tilda Swinton plays reluctant mother Eva grappling with her fraught relationship with troubled son Kevin (Ezra Miller). Based on Lionel Shriver’s eponymous novel and featuring a shining performance by Chicago’s very own John C. Reilly as Eva’s husband, Lynne Ramsay’s masterful psychological thriller presents a provocative tale, which crescendos to a chilling, unforgettable climax.

112 min

Canada
Director: Guy Édoin

Saddled with a guilt no teenager should have to bear, 17-year-old brooding Simon feels starkly out of place on his parents’ struggling dairy farm. Life on the farm is demanding, but no matter how hard Simon tries, he cannot live up to his father’s expectations.  Resentments simmer, so when a tragic accident hits close to home, the question of blame haunts the family and possibilities for forgiveness seem ever remote, in this captivating family drama.

French with subtitles, 111 min