Synopsis

This striking portrait chronicles the career of the elusive African American artist and provocateur David Hammons. Born in Springfield, Ill., Hammons emerged as a powerful aesthetic force out of L.A.’s Watts Rebellion in 1965 and grew to become a globally recognized, category-defying figure whose radical work—featuring, among other things, brown paper bags, fried chicken wings, and snowballs—was rooted in a deep critique of American society and the art world elite. As Manthia Diawara once wrote in Artforum, “Like the work of his heroes Sun Ra and Thelonious Monk, Hammons’ art is decidedly anti-art.” Featuring eminent artists and curators, a trove of archival footage and animated sequences, and an evocative soundscape, The Melt Goes on Forever paints a rich and illuminating picture of one of the most singular artists of our time.

Synopsis

In this atmospheric Northwoods-set romance-turned-ghost story,14-year-old Bastien is stalled between adolescence and adulthood. While vacationing with his family in rural Quebec, he falls head over heels with the macabre, rebellious Chloé, the 16-year-old daughter of some family friends. Desperate to win her affections, he awkwardly throws himself into her unfamiliar world of late-night parties and phantasmal visions until he’s in over his head. Shot with an eye for the lush, earthy tones and disquietude of a secluded summer in the woods, Falcon Lake is a tenderly-observed rumination on the restiveness of unrequited young love and otherworldly longing.

Winner

58th Chicago International Film Festival Gold Hugo. Learn more…

Synopsis

When their factory is bombed, a Syrian family flees Damascus and spends three years living as refugees. Eventually arriving in snow-covered rural Nova Scotia, the family must adapt to unfamiliar surroundings. With the help of some friendly locals (and to the chagrin of others), the family begins to rebuild their chocolate business and their lives. This heartwarming story of perseverance and human connection in the face of insurmountable odds is based on Tareq Hadhad’s real-life story.

Synopsis

Young and in her prime, Nadia decides to retire from her career as a world-class swimmer to escape a rigid and demanding life of sacrifice. After her very last race at the Tokyo Olympic games, Nadia drifts into nights of exploration and excess punctuated by episodes of self-doubt. But even this transitional numbness cannot conceal her true inner quest as she searches to define her identity outside the world of elite sports. An official selection of the 2020 Cannes Film Festival.