October 2019

“Frankie”

Directed by: Ira Sachs

Cast: Marisa Tomei, Brendan Gleeson, Greg Kinnear, Isabelle Huppert, Jérémie Renier, Vinette Robinson, Ariyon Bakare  

Synopsis: Unfolding over the course of a late summer's day in the fabled resort town of Sintra, Portugal, FRANKIE follows three generations who have gathered for a vacation organized by the family matriarch (Isabelle Huppert). In this fairy tale setting, husbands and wives, parents and children, friends and lovers - stirred by their romantic impulses - discover the cracks between them, as well as unexpected depth of feeling.

September 2019

“The Goldfinch”

Directed by: John Crowley

Cast: Sarah Paulson, Ansel Elgort, Nicole Kidman, Finn Wolfhard

Synopsis: Theodore Decker was 13 years old when his mother was killed in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The tragedy changes the course of his life, sending him on a stirring odyssey of grief and guilt, reinvention and redemption, and even love. Through it all, he holds on to one tangible piece of hope from that terrible day...a painting of a tiny bird chained to its perch. The Goldfinch.

September 2019

“Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice”

Directed by: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman

Cast: Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne

Synopsis: In LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE, Ronstadt is our guide through her early years of singing Mexican canciones with her family; her folk days with the Stone Poneys; and her reign as the "rock queen" of the '70s and early '80s. She was a pioneer for women in the male-dominated music industry; an early advocate for human rights, and had a high-profile romance with California governor Jerry Brown. Ultimately, her incredible voice was lost to Parkinson's disease, but her music and influence remain as timeless as ever. With moving performance footage and appearances by collaborators including Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne, LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE celebrates an artist whose desire to share the music she loved made generations of fans fall in love with her - and the sound of her voice.

August 2019

“The Peanut Butter Falcon”

Directed by: Tyler Nilson, Mike Schwartz

Cast: Jon Bernthal, Dakota Johnson, Shia LaBeouf, Bruce Dern, John Hawkes

Synopsis: A modern Mark Twain style adventure story, THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON tells the story of Zak (Gottsagen), a young man with Down syndrome, who runs away from a residential nursing home to follow his dream of attending the professional wrestling school of his idol, The Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church). A strange turn of events pairs him on the road with Tyler (LaBeouf), a small time outlaw on the run, who becomes Zak's unlikely coach and ally. Together they wind through deltas, elude capture, drink whisky, find God, catch fish, and convince Eleanor (Johnson), a kind nursing home employee charged with Zak's return, to join them on their journey.

August 2019

“After the Wedding”

Directed by: Bart Freundlich

Cast: Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore, Billy Crudup, Abby Quinn

Synopsis: As if driven by an inescapable force, Isabel (Michelle Williams) has devoted her life to running an orphanage in a Calcutta slum. With funds running dry, a potential donor, who requires she travel from India to New York, to deliver a presentation in-person, contacts Isabel. At first balking at the demand of an uncommitted philanthropist, she relents, and travels to a city she deliberately hasn't returned to in over two decades.

Once in New York, Isabel lands uncomfortably in the sight line of the orphanage's possible benefactor, Theresa Young (Julianne Moore), a multimillionaire media mogul accustomed to getting what she wants. From the glittering skyscraper where she runs her successful business, to the glorious Oyster Bay estate, where she lives happily with her artist husband, Oscar Carlson (Billy Crudup), 21-year-old daughter, Grace (Abby Quinn), and eightyear-old twins, Theo and Otto, Theresa's life couldn't appear to be more perfect and different from Isabel’s. But appearances are only skin deep and the two women have more in common than meets the eye.

While Isabel thinks she'll soon be returning to her beloved orphanage, Theresa has other plans. She insists Isabel attend Grace's wedding at the family's estate. The joyful event becomes a catalyst for a revelation that upends the lives of both women, and the people who love them most.

July 2019

“One Child Nation”

Grand Jury Prize Winner at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival

Directed by: Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang

Synopsis: China’s One Child Policy, the extreme population control measure that made it illegal for couples to have more than one child, may have ended in 2015, but the process of dealing with the trauma of its brutal enforcement is only just beginning. From award-winning documentarian Nanfu Wang (Hooligan Sparrow, I Am Another You) and Jialing Zhang, the sweeping One Child Nation explores the ripple effect of this devastating social experiment, uncovering one shocking human rights violation after another - from abandoned newborns, to forced sterilizations and abortions, and government abductions. Wang digs fearlessly into her own personal life, weaving her experience as a new mother and the firsthand accounts of her family members into archival propaganda material and testimony from victims and perpetrators alike, yielding a revelatory and essential record of this chilling, unprecedented moment in human civilization.

One Child Nation is a stunning, nuanced indictment of the mindset that prioritizes national agenda over human life, and serves as a first-of-its-kind oral history of this collective tragedy - bearing witness to the truth as China has already begun to erase the horrors of its “population war” from public record and memory. 

July 2019

Blinded by the Light

Directed by: Gurinder Chadha

Cast:  Viveik Kalra, Kulvinder Ghir, Meera Ganatra, Aaron Phagura, Dean-Charles Chapman

Synopsis: "Blinded by the Light" is a joyful story of courage, love, hope, family and the unique ability of music to lift the human spirit. The film tells the story of Javed (Viveik Kalra) a British teen of Pakistani descent, growing up in the town of Luton, England, in 1987. Amidst the racial and economic turmoil of the times, he writes poetry as a means to escape the intolerance of his hometown and the inflexibility of his traditional father. But when a classmate introduces him to the music of The Boss, Javed sees parallels to his working-class life in Springsteen's powerful lyrics. As Javed discovers a cathartic outlet for his own pent-up dreams, he also begins to find the courage to express himself in his own unique voice.

June 2019

“Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love”

Directed by: Nick Broomfield

Synopsis: Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love is renowned filmmaker Nick Broomfield's most personal and romantic film of his storied career. The documentary starts on the Greek island of Hydra in 1960, where Leonard Cohen, then a struggling and unknown fiction writer, and Marianne Ihlen, a single mother with a young son, became part of community of expat artists, writers and musicians. Never-before-seen footage shot by Broomfield and legendary documentarian D.A. Pennebaker make for a unique portrait of an idyllic 1960's bohemia. It was a time that left a lasting imprint on both Marianne and Leonard, whose friendship would last another fifty years before their deaths in 2016.

June 2019

“Leonard Soloway’s Broadway”

Directed by: Jeff Wolk

Synopsis: Leonard Soloway is an American original and a Broadway legend. In a career that has spanned more than 70 years, Soloway has helped bring to the stage nearly 150 productions that have collected more than 40 Tony Awards, 21 Drama Desk Awards and two Pulitzer Prizes. And at age 90, Leonard is not done, still working to put together yet another show.

Now this extraordinary story is told in LEONARD SOLOWAY’S BROADWAY, a feature-length documentary that goes behind the scenes to show how a master producer brings shows to life, coaxing creativity out of chaos. The movie tells the story of Leonard, at age 87, energetically working to produce Tappin Thru Life, a musical memoir starring veteran dancer and actor Maurice Hines. The movie shows just exactly what a producer does to get a show ready for its New York premiere, and the backstage drama that it takes to keep it alive once it gets there. Interspersed with scenes from the show and backstage are interviews with Broadway luminaries who have worked with Leonard over the years, including John Slattery, Olympia Dukakis, Elizabeth Ashley and others.

Narrated by Campbell Scott, the film is a delightful ride through Broadway’s golden age, illuminated by Leonard’s dry wit and including never-before-heard stories of Marlene Dietrich, Carol Channing, Jason Robards, Lauren Bacall, Bernadette Peters, Elaine Stritch and many other stars of the stage and screen. Leonard also tells stories of his personal journey as a proudly out gay man in an era when a “don’t ask, don’t tell” mentality was the rule, even in many theatrical circles.

June 2019

5B

Directed by: Paul Haggis, Dan Krauss

Synopsis: 5B is the inspirational story of everyday heroes who took extraordinary action to comfort, protect and care for the patients of the first AIDS ward unit in the United States. 5B is stirringly told through first-person testimony of the nurses and caregivers who built Ward 5B at San Francisco General Hospital in 1983, their patients, loved ones, and hospital staff who volunteered to create care practices based in humanity and holistic well-being. The result is an uplifting yet bittersweet monument to a pivotal moment in American history and a celebration of quiet heroes worthy of remembrance and renewed recognition.

May 2019

Late Night

Directed by:  Nisha Ganatra

Cast: Emma Thompson, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Amy Ryan, Max Casella, Mindy Kaling

Synopsis: Emma Thompson plays Katherine Newbury, who is a legendary late-night talk show host, whose world is turned upside down when she hires her only female staff writer played by Kaling. Originally intended to smooth over diversity concerns, her decision has unexpectedly hilarious consequences as two women separated by culture and generation are united by their love of a biting punchline.

March 2019

“Storm Boy”

Directed by: Shawn Seet

Cast: Jai Courtney, Geoffrey Rush, David Gulpilil

Synopsis: A beautiful and contemporary retelling of Colin Thiele's classic Australian tale. 'Storm Boy' has grown up to be Michael Kingley, a successful retired businessman and grandfather. When Kingley starts to see images from his past that he can't explain, he is forced to remember his long-forgotten childhood, growing up on an isolated coastline with his father. He recounts to his grand-daughter the story of how, as a boy, he rescued and raised an extraordinary orphaned pelican, Mr Percival. Their remarkable adventures and very special bond has a profound effect on all their lives. Based on the beloved book, Storm Boy is a timeless story of an unusual and unconditional friendship.

March 2019

“Hotel Mumbai”

Directed by: Kevin Lima, Anthony Maras

Cast: Armie Hammer, Jason Isaacs, Nazanin Boniadi, Dev Patel, Anupam Kher

Synopsis: A gripping true story of humanity and heroism, HOTEL MUMBAI vividly recounts the 2008 siege of the famed Taj Hotel by a group of terrorists in Mumbai, India. Refusing to leave their guests, the renowned chef Hemant Oberoiand a waiter choose to risk their lives to keep everyone safe. As the world watches on, a desperate couple is forced to make unthinkable sacrifices to protect their newborn child.

February 2019

“The Wedding Guest”

Directed by: Michael Winterbottom

Cast: Dev Patel, Radhika Apte, Jim Sarbh         

Synopsis: This propulsive, globetrotting thriller from acclaimed director Michael Winterbottom is a breathless tour through the shadowy underworlds and hidden realms of Pakistan and India. Jay is a man with a secret who travels from Britain to Pakistan to attend a wedding - armed with duct tape, a shotgun, and a plan to kidnap the bride-to-be. Despite his cool efficiency, the plot quickly spirals out of control, sending Jay and his hostage on the run across the border and through the railway stations, back alleys, and black markets of New Delhi - as all the while attractions simmer, loyalties shift, and explosive secrets are revealed. Pulsating with the sights and sounds of the Indian subcontinent, The Wedding Guest conjures a colorful world where danger lurks at every turn and nothing is as it seems.

February 2019

“Greta”

Directed by: Neil Jordan

Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Chloë Grace Moretz, Maika Monroe, Colm Feore, Stephen Rea

Synopsis: A sweet, naïve young woman trying to make it on her own in New York City, Frances (Chloë Grace Moretz) doesn’t think twice about returning the handbag she finds on the subway to its rightful owner. That owner is Greta (Isabelle Huppert), an eccentric French piano teacher with a love for classical music and an aching loneliness.  Having recently lost her mother, Frances quickly grows closer to widowed Greta. The two become fast friends — but Greta’s maternal charms begin to dissolve and grow increasingly disturbing as Frances discovers that nothing in Greta’s life is what it seems in this suspense thriller from Academy Award®-winning director Neil Jordan.

January 2019

“Arctic”

Directed by: Joe Penna

Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Maria Thelma Smáradóttir

Synopsis: The sole survivor of a plane crash in an icy wasteland lives by his wits as he waits for help to arrive. But when a long-awaited rescue effort fails, he faces a life-or-death decision: remain in the relative safety of his camp and hope to be found, or embark on an arduous trek that may be the only hope for both him and a critically injured stranger. An official selection of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, Arctic marks the feature debut of writer and director Joe Penna, creator of the innovative and popular YouTube channel MysteryGuitarMan.

Mads Mikkelsen (The Hunt, Casino Royale) delivers an engrossing tour de force performance as Overgård, a resourceful yet increasingly desperate man stranded in a remote, snow-covered wilderness. Filmed in Iceland under grueling conditions, Arctic is a captivating, white knuckle cinematic experience that explores our insurmountable will to survive and overcome.

January 2019

“Stan & Ollie”

Directed by: Jon S. Baird

Cast: Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly, Nina Arianda, Shirley Henderson

Synopsis: Laurel & Hardy, one of the world’s great comedy teams, set out on a variety hall tour of Britain in 1953. Diminished by age and with their golden era as the kings of Hollywood comedy now behind them, they face an uncertain future. As the charm and beauty of their performances shines through, they re-connect with their adoring fans.

The tour becomes a hit, but Stan & Ollie can’t quite shake the specter of Laurel and Hardy’s past; the long-buried ghosts, coupled with Oliver’s failing health, start to threaten their precious partnership. A portrait of the most tender and poignant of creative marriages, they are aware that they may be approaching their swan song, trying to rediscover just how much they mean to each other.

December 2018

Directed by: Joe Chappelle

Cast: Tika Sumpter, Jamie Lee Curtis

Synopsis: She was the ultimate patriot. Now, what she knows could bring down the government. Libby Lamm (Tika Sumpter) is a former top national security advisor who, while working with Rachel Burke (Jamie Lee Curtis), a ruthless, steely-willed political veteran, signed off on a controversial military action that was supposed to end the war on terror. The problem: thousands died under false pretenses. Haunted by what she knows, Libby sets out to tell the truth, risking treason—and her own life—to expose a cover-up that stretches all the way to the highest levels of government. This gripping saga of lies, conspiracy, and betrayal is an explosive look at what it takes to do the right thing—even if that means going up against your own country.

December 2018

On The Basis of Sex

Directed by: Mimi Leder

Cast: Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux, Kathy Bates, Sam Waterston

Synopsis: The film tells an inspiring and spirited true story that follows young lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she teams with her husband Marty to bring a groundbreaking case before the Supreme Court and overturn a century of gender discrimination. The feature will premiere in 2018 in line with Justice Ginsburg's 25th anniversary on the Supreme Court.

December 2018

Ben is Back

Directed by: Peter Hedges

Cast: Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges, Courtney B. Vance, Kathryn Newton

Synopsis: 19 year-old Ben Burns (Lucas Hedges) unexpectedly returns home to his family's suburban home on Christmas Eve morning. Ben's mother, Holly (Julia Roberts), is relieved and welcoming but wary of her son staying clean. Over a turbulent 24 hours, new truths are revealed, and a mother's undying love for her son is tested as she does everything in her power to keep him safe.