Women in Cinema

After idealistic law student Luisa is convinced by her best friend to move into an Antifa commune in Berlin, she falls under the sway of charismatic radical Alfa and is soon surprised by the changing nature of her own convictions. This urgent drama details the many faces of activism and dissects the nature of justice in the face of extremism.

A striking and emotional blend of fiction and documentary that chronicles a woman and world in flux at the end of the Cold War.

An existential comedy about the mother of two young children who begins to spontaneously vomit toy blocks.

Buzzkill follows an adolescent girl as she desperately tries to fit in with a group of South Florida teenagers.

In this richly drawn portrait of real-life Czech faith healer Jan Mikolášek, who cured hundreds with natural remedies only to later be prosecuted for charlatanism, master filmmaker Agnieszka Holland shines a light on a singular, extraordinary figure and reveals the complexity of—and human susceptibility to—the political machinations of one’s times.

Shot on the streets of Hong Kong during the 2019 Extradition Bill protests, Comrades is a moving portrait of uprising and solidarity.

After an accident in the French countryside, a woman feverishly escapes to the woods in order to survive. She becomes The Doe.

Sofia’s anxiety attack becomes an intergalactic dialogue with the universe.

A group of tattered paper dolls daydream alternate realities and explore the hidden lives of their caregivers.

A blend of fiction and documentary creates a moving reflection about migration, home, and belonging.

Michael, a gay mouse in his twenties, sees an old jacket and begins to sorrowfully reminisce.

After 17 years apart, Walter’s wife Esther and daughter Sylvia arrive in New York from Angola; time apart has rendered them virtual strangers, and the three must find a way to reconnect. This beautifully conceived film captures the immigrant experience with complexity and nuance.

Through inspired re-enactments, archival clips, and interviews with famous fans, this poignant look at the life of improv impresario Del Close tracks the comedy trailblazer from “human torch” sideshow act to his influential rise at The Second City, where he mentored such greats as Bill Murray, John Candy, and Tina Fey.

A hilariously overprotective mother does her best to defend her daughter.

All of the animals of the forest gathering together for a great bicycle race as winter slowly approaches.

Meet Mama Gloria. Chicago’s Black transgender icon Gloria Allen emerged from the South Side’s drag ball culture in the 1960s to trailblaze a path for transgender youth to follow. With positivity and polish, she overcame prejudice and traumatic violence to become a proud leader in her community.

A wild blend of animation styles and techniques depict a young woman afraid of losing everything in this cosmic ode.

In this taut thriller set in the idyllic Swiss countryside, a single mom is raising her young daughter and running the family fish farm with the help of a farmhand-turned-friend. When his brother unexpectedly appears in search of debts owed, the specter of impending disaster looms large.

Adapted from the award-winning play of the same name, One Night in Miami is a fictional account of the incredible night in 1964 when underdog Cassius Clay, soon to be called Muhammad Ali (Eli Goree), defeats heavyweight champion Sonny Liston at the Miami Convention Hall—Clay memorialized the event with three of his friends: Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge).

A tender character study of a young Jamaican girl desperate to fit in.

A stunning hand-painted animation about a woman fascinated with the wilderness beyond the walls of her post-apocalyptic village.

The story of a gaming company’s hilariously fraught effort to educate children about the European Union.

After building a successful career in the U.S., gifted neurosurgeon Márta impulsively returns home to Hungary in pursuit of the man of her dreams, but when she tracks him down in Budapest, he claims they’ve never met. Is he spinning an elaborate deception or has her obsession trapped her in a world of illusions?

An aspiring artist discusses the challenges of finding affordable housing in a new city and the compromises she has to make with her spooky new roommates.

Radia is a shepherd and farmer whose childhood and circumstances prevented her from access to education. The film is an urgent observation about prescriptive fate, agency, and determination.

The Reversal arranges and animates thousands of stunning glass-plate photographs to ponder the reversal and transformation of the Chicago River.

Souvenir uses beautiful stop-motion animation to tell the story of a father, daughter, and an extraordinary journey through their memories.

A young girl with a yellow spot on her face begins to understand what it means to be a giraffe.

Writer-director Suzanne Lindon delivers an astonishingly assured turn as a restless Parisian teen bored by her peers and confronting her burgeoning sexuality. She embarks on a love affair with an actor 20 years her senior—only to wonder if the more innocent pleasures of youth are passing her by.

A sumptuously-drawn fable about the consequences of China’s one-child policy.

A futuristic dating app becomes a lifeline for an agoraphobic woman.

A couple’s kiss becomes an unforgettable, hypnotic study of human relationships.

Two characters search for missing pieces of themselves in a gloomy, surreal landscape.

This riveting exposé investigates the unlikely connection between Jews and evangelical Christians in the U.S. and Israel, uncovering a shocking alliance rooted in apocalyptic prophecy and driven in unprecedented ways by Donald Trump’s White House.

Inspired by true events, Umbrella tells the story of Joseph, a boy whose only dream is to have a yellow umbrella.

Hirokazu Kore-eda protégée Miwa Nishikawa (Dear Doctor) returns to the Festival with her compassionate yet pointed chronicle of an ex-con’s rough re-entry into society. Koji Yakusho (13 Assassins, Shall We Dance?) delivers a nuanced lead performance as former Yakuza Mikami, who struggles to secure both employment and a new sense of self after years of incarceration.

The people of the village Virago brace themselves for an unusually perilous 40th birthday celebration.

Sifting through old letters between his parents, Adam uncovers an extraordinary family secret.

A warm-hearted portrait of teenage summer days, When I Write It follows two young Oakland artists as they come to grips with the change all around them.

Slugs are having a hard time keeping up with the pace of the city insects. When the stock market hits rock bottom, the bees see only one solution.