The Universal Theory Die Theorie Von Allem
Synopsis
Not content to let Oppenheimer ask all of the big questions, German director Timm Kröger combines old Hollywood style with heady metaphysical substance in the intellectual thriller The Universal Theory. Set in 1962 at a quantum mechanics conference in an isolated lodge nestled amid the towering landscapes of the Swiss Alps, The Universal Theory is the story of a gifted young physicist, his curmudgeonly mentor, and an enigmatic jazz pianist who knows things about our wunderkind scientist that he’s never told another living soul.
Driven by mind-bending twists, improbable coincidences, and Hitchcockian suspense, The Universal Theory is a captivating nesting doll of a film that nods to the German masters of old Hollywood and considers the metaverse theory from a refreshingly intelligent point of view. Kröger — himself also a cinematographer — films his tale with an eye for the majestic natural beauty that surrounds our characters, effectively evoking both the paranoid postwar era and the brain-tickling complexity of theoretical physics.
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Film Credits
- Heino Deckert, Tina Börner, Viktoria Stolpe, Timm Kröger, Lixi Frank, David Bohun, Sarah Born, Rajko Jazbec, Dario Schoch
- Roderick Warich, Timm Kröger
- Jann Anderegg
- Roland Stuprich
- Jan Bülow, Olivia Ross, Hanns Zischler, Gottfried Breitfuss, David Bennent, Philippe Graber
- Diego Ramos Rodríguez
- Ma.ja.de Fiction, The Barricades, Panama Film, Catpics
Sponsors
International Competition Program Sponsor
John and Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Foundation
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The Crime is Mine Mon crime
Synopsis
In 1930s Paris, best friends Madeleine and Pauline — a penniless actress and an unemployed lawyer — struggle to pay their rent. It doesn’t help when, after an audition gone awry, Madeleine is accused of murdering a famous producer. Despite her innocence, Madeleine decides to plead guilty, as the friends spy an opportunity to step into the spotlight at the trial and put on the performance of a lifetime. After testifying that she did indeed kill the producer after he made unwanted advances, Madeleine is acquitted — to the court’s, and the public’s, surprise.
But Madeline and Pauline’s newfound fame and success is tenuous as long as the truth remains a secret, and an eccentric stranger (Isabelle Huppert) will arrive to upend their new lives. A quippy and hilarious caper, François Ozon’s The Crime is Mine is a clever nod to the #MeToo movement that takes a farcical stab at the courtroom drama genre.
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Media
Film Credits
- Éric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer
- François Ozon, Philippe Piazzo
- Laure Gardette
- Manu Dacosse
- Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Rebecca Marder, Isabelle Huppert
- Philippe Rombi
- Mandarin & Compagnie, FOZ
Sponsors
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Synopsis
Simon, a talented and carefree drag artist, is the rising star of his club, aided by his costume designer sister. When he meets new performer Olivier, their chemistry is immediate and undeniable. The two dive headfirst into a whirlwind romance combined with artistic collaboration, and their love and performance are both passionate and destructive. Meanwhile, Simon also finds hope in the promise of a renewed relationship with his estranged mother, a famous opera singer from whom he is desperate to receive love and artistic validation.
An increasingly controlling Olivier, a cold and distant mother, and Simon’s neglect of his supportive sister illuminate the toxic cycles of codependency and disappointment in his life, empowering him to realize that perhaps he shines most brightly as a solo act. Sophie Dupuis (Family First) returns to the festival with a vibrant and scintillating tale of self-actualization, with stunning drag performances that hold up a mirror between art and life.
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Film Credits
- Étienne Hensez
- Sophie Dupuis
- Marie-Pier Dupuis, Dominique Fortin, Maxim Rheault
- Mathieu Laverdière
- Théodore Pellerin, Félix Maritaud, Anne-Marie Cadieux, Alice Moreault
- Charles Lavoie
- BRAVO CHARLIE
Sponsors
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Sisterhood HLM Pussy
Synopsis
Fifteen-year-olds Amina, Djeneba, and Zineb have been an inseparable trio since childhood. When one of the girls is the victim of a predatory incident, an emboldened Amina posts a video of the assault on social media as a means of denouncing the assailant. The video unexpectedly goes viral, eliciting both widespread support and backlash from their community and the internet at large. Amina’s actions force a wedge into this formerly invincible friendship, shedding light on the divides in the girls’ race, class, and cultural privilege.
A poignant commentary on the act of speaking out in the age of the viral internet, Sisterhood takes a critical closer look at the complex factors at play that, all too often, force women and girls into silence in the face of gendered violence.
Screenings & Events
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Media
Film Credits
- Philippe Gompel
- Nora El Hourch
- Quentin Jourde d'Arzac
- Maxence Lemonnier
- Léah Aubert, Médina Diarra, Salma Takaline, Oscar Al Hafiane, Bérénice Bejo, Mounir Magroum
- Clément Tery
- Philippe Gompel
- Manny Films, La Prod
Sponsors
New Directors Program Sponsors
Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation
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Infested Vermines
Synopsis
Kaleb is a small-time grifter, selling sneakers to the residents of his building in the Paris suburbs and collecting exotic animals in his apartment. When he finds a large spider for sale in a neighborhood shop, he is fascinated by the creature and brings it home. But when the spider escapes from its shoe box, it begins to rapidly reproduce around the apartment and then the entire building, transforming the complex into an arachnid-infested web of nightmares. With the building sealed off from the outside world by the police, Kaleb and his friends must find a way to escape the hoard of spiders that not only keep multiplying, but are also growing exponentially in size.
Sébastien Vaniček’s debut feature is a creepy-crawly thriller set against the backdrop of a tight-knit community in the Paris suburbs. With spiders scuttling everywhere, Infested will leave you squirming in your seat.
Screenings & Events
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Film Credits
- Théo Christine, Finnegan Oldfield, Jérôme Niel, Sofia Lesaffre, Lisa Nyarko
- My Box Productions
Sponsors
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