2016 San Diego International Film Festival
The San Diego International Film Festival
SEPT 28 - OCT 2, 2016 | [link]www.sdfilmfest.com[/link]
Honorees include: Annette Bening, Kate Beckinsale, Simon Helberg and Jason Mitchell
#SDiFF twit: @sdfilmfest insta: @sdfilmfestival
SEPT 28 - OCT 2, 2016 | [link]www.sdfilmfest.com[/link]
Honorees include: Annette Bening, Kate Beckinsale, Simon Helberg and Jason Mitchell
#SDiFF twit: @sdfilmfest insta: @sdfilmfestival
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93 titles
- DirectorChris KellyStarsJesse PlemonsMolly ShannonBradley WhitfordA struggling comedy writer, fresh off a breakup and in the midst of the worst year of his life, returns to Sacramento to care for his dying mother.Opening Night Film
- DirectorBen HenretigStarsImogen HeapTony LilliosTerri SchneiderCrossing Bhutan tells the story of four veteran athletes' journey to explore Bhutan's enigmatic policy of Gross National Happiness by making the first 485-mile, border-to-border crossing of this isolated kingdom entirely by foot and bike.San Diego Premiere
- DirectorJan VardoenStarsAli DjabbariPeter DrabløsGard B. EidsvoldA Persian refugee comes to Norway seeking asylum, and winds up at a quirky, secluded academy where he must pass a series of tests in order to stay.World Premiere
- DirectorCyrus TraffordStarsCharlotte LuxfordStella WillowLisa KayPsychologist David Rosenhan Ph.D - 'If sanity and insanity exist, how shall we know them?'
- DirectorDavid TellesStarsDan HortonIsaac LinaresFarrah MackenzieAlien come to earth from distant planets to contect the human race.
- DirectorPatrick VollrathStarsSimon SchwarzJulia PointnerMarion RottenhoferA divorced father picks up his eight-year-old daughter Lea. It seems pretty much like every second weekend, but after a while Lea can't help feeling that something isn't right. So begins a fateful journey.
- DirectorChristine TurnerStarsS. Epatha MerkersonCharlie TahanA school administrator talks down a troubled student.
- DirectorConstantine VenetopoulosStarsHolly HornerA woman explores her traumatic memories through therapy.
- DirectorDaniel FlorencioStarsGudmundur ThorvaldssonPatrick BaladiHilda PéterA photographer turned paparazzi is caught in the downward spiral of a fabricated tabloid story.N. America Premiere
- DirectorRafa Cano MéndezDaniel Martínez LaraIn a busy life, Copi is a father who tries to teach the right way to his son, Paste. But - What is the correct path?
- DirectorAlejandro RiosAfter his adoption, an alley cat should decide between the streets or the price of warmth at an old widower's place.
- DirectorOlga GrechanovaThis is the story about overcoming your fears and realizing you don't have to do everything by yourself. Our hero will be forced to leave the comfort of his home and face the huge world that lives by unknown laws and is filled with dangers. But what would happen if he opens his heart to this world?
- DirectorRobert KondoDaisuke 'Dice' TsutsumiStarsCourtney LockwoodIn a land where memories hold onto keepsakes, Moom and his mentor help their fellow memories let go of the objects. When a new memory captures Moom's interest, he is faced with the prospect of losing something that is precious to him.
- DirectorAndrew CoatsLou Hamou-LhadjStarsGreg DykstraNick PiteraSteve PurcellA weathered Sheriff returns to the remains of an accident he has spent a lifetime trying to forget. With each step forward, the memories come flooding back. Faced with his mistake once again, he must find the strength to carry on.
- DirectorTom E. BrownStarsJames Roday RodriguezRobin WeigertDanny GloverWhen a struggling writer, HIV positive for 20+ years, accidentally deposits a $100 birthday check, he is dropped from his health plan for earning too much. In this new era of sort-of universal care, can he take on a helpless bureaucracy or come up with $3000 a month to buy meds on his own?California Premiere
- DirectorJon CvackStarsMicah Joe ParkerRosalie McIntireLaurence FullerDrifter, Jack, pays a visit to an old friend Frank whose mundane life is upended after the two become involved in a strange and seemingly random murder and journey up to the Northern California Sierra in order to bury the body.West Coast Premiere
- DirectorVincent MascialeStarsLucas NeffCaitlin StaseyChristopher Rodriguez MarquetteA horror junkie and his friends sign up with a company that brings their customer's greatest fears to life.San Diego Premiere
- DirectorMatt EdwardsStarsFrederick LauWyatt RussellBrian CeponisTrapped behind German lines in the closing months of WWII, an American takes a young German hostage and forces him to lead the way back to safety.
- DirectorKatie MicayStarsHelena ClaussenSavannah Paige RaeMario SchugelA man, who is struggling to recover after his young daughter's unexpected death, is forced to confront his reality when an unlikely visitor breaks into his house.
- DirectorMichael FosterStarsRachel BarkerLuke BedsoleEric CasaliniClearly dealing with a troubled kid, Sadie is burning out, while Caleb makes her life a living hell. Is Sadie succumbing to the losing end of each interaction with Caleb or is there a method to her madness?
- DirectorJoey AllyStarsJen TullockHannah Pearl UttTy A. SmithWhen a slump in work/life Partners Kate and Leigh's sex life forces them to reconsider their relationship, they must confront how intertwined their lives have become, to humorous ends.
- DirectorDaniel HardingStarsNeil JamesKate WinterSteve LarkinCupid's arrow goes awry as two strangers are bound together for better or worse.
- DirectorXavier ManriqueStarsShiloh FernandezChris NothVictor CruzA cynical and clever coming-of-age film about first-time novelist Fenton Dillane, who returns to New York City unannounced to confront his family, his ex-girlfriend, and a few lingering childhood fears.West Coast Premiere
- DirectorBrian KlemesrudStarsElizabeth TullochGil BellowsMichael EklundSomeone knows about the 25 million and the plane to Mexico. Someone killed the getaway pilot. As loyalty turns to suspicion and friends become enemies, 4 criminals try to find the rat and escape their past - if they can survive the night.World Premiere
- DirectorDavid SalzbergChristian TureaudStarsJames Tyler BrownMartin ByrneJared ColsonCITIZEN SOLDIER is a dramatic feature film, told from the point of view of a group of Soldiers in the Oklahoma Army National Guard's 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, known since World War II as the "Thunderbirds." Set in one of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan at the height of the surge, it is a heart-pounding, heartfelt grunts' eye-view of the war. A modern day Band of Brothers, Citizen Soldier tells the true story of a group of Soldiers and their life-changing tour of duty in Afghanistan, offering an excruciatingly personal look into modern warfare, brotherhood, and patriotism. Using real footage from multiple cameras, including helmet cams, these Citizen Soldiers give the audience an intimate view into the chaos and horrors of combat and, in the process, display their bravery and valor under the most hellish of conditions.World Premiere
Citizen Soldier - DirectorJay RondotStarsPete GardnerMandy LevinJay RondotA homespun cocaine dealer takes to Facebook to expand his business, but things don't go as planned.
- DirectorSimon BerryStarsPriscilla GrayTony GoodallFifty years of marriage. Fifty years of love and happiness. Fifty years of lies. When Walter steps on a live land mine in a remote field in England, he finds himself at the mercy of his wife Diane, who has recently unearthed a deadly secret buried in their past. As the tension mounts and truths are unraveled, Walter and Diane's relationship speeds towards an explosive climax.
- DirectorMax WeilandStarsAlexis ZegermanJamie GoldbergMatt GoldbergIn this case refusing to ever let go. Leonard is trapped between his yearning for freedom and his deep tie to his mother. A Jewish boy railing against his mother he expresses both comfort under her wing but also a rage, a desire to cut loose. The presence of unconscious sexual and violent wishes begin to worm their way through his consciousness. A longing develops for a world in which the castrating mother's knife is turned the other way.
- DirectorRobert McKeonStarsAngeline BallLauryn CannyWallis DayAll is well in the Prendergast household. Or, at least, that is what Jonathan Prendergast would have you believe. But his relationships with his wife and teenage daughter, and his own sanity, are put to the test when he becomes maniacally obsessed with driving off his daughter's handsome new boyfriend.
- DirectorTim EllrichStarsStefan PohlSimon JaritzRainer WössThree brothers attempt to reenact a childhood photo as a gift for their mother's birthday.
- DirectorRemy AuberjonoisStarsChris SullivanRene AuberjonoisTom LipinskiThe trials and tribulations of a female combat veteran and her battle with vigorous PTSD.West Coast Premiere
- DirectorTim HytenStarsAndrew FoxGabe WhiteHolden GoyetteFour adventurous kids. One deadly snake. Ten quick minutes. Snake Bite.
- DirectorJake HonigStarsRichard KindDavid RysdahlA man tries to kill himself in a motel room.
- DirectorAndres Molano MoncadaStarsWilliam AguirreRaquel LeónReina SánchezRafael and a woman sleep pleasurably until an alarm cell interrupts them. He tries to get out of bed but she traps him between her arms while still asleep. Rafael must sneak away without waking her up to make breakfast. It's not easy; everything seems to be against him, even his love for her.
- DirectorParker HillStarsLaval Alsbrooks Jr.Roger GrunwaldMonty RenfrowA father and son baseball catch goes foul.
- DirectorWilfried MéanceStarsPhilippe du JanerandPablo PaulyLaure HennequartJean is waiting a interview for a job with Remi.
- DirectorNeil Patrick StevensStarsWhitney GriesDarrin StaffordNeil Patrick StevensA wife discovers her husbands search history and his obsession with a famous serial killer.
- DirectorDuke MerrimanStarsJanie BrookshirePatrick KennedyGeorge MerrickA dinner party goes painfully sour in this darkly comic take on the dual realities of friendship.
- DirectorSteph ChingEllen MartinezAfter Spring is a feature documentary that focuses on the Syrian refugee crisis. With the Syrian conflict entering its sixth year, millions of people continue to be displaced. This is the story of what happens next. By following two refugee families in transition and aid workers fighting to keep the camp running, viewers will experience what it is like to live in Zaatari, the largest camp for Syrian refugees. With no end in sight for the conflict or this refugee crisis, everyone must decide if they can rebuild their lives in a place that was never meant to be permanent.West Coast Premiere
- DirectorAnne HamiltonStarsPeyton KennedyRichard SchiffKip PardueAfter 11-year-old Gitty discovers a man who can grant wishes hiding in her family's silo, she is forced to choose between saving the man's life and protecting her family.West Coast Premiere
- DirectorPieter-Jan De PueStarsGholam NasirKhyrgyz BajNoorA gang of Afghan kids from the Kuchi tribe dig out old Soviet mines and sell the explosives to children working in a lapis lazuli mine. When not dreaming of the time when American troops finally withdraw from their land, another gang of children keeps tight control on the caravans smuggling the blue gemstones through the arid mountains of Pamir.West Coast Premiere
Cancelled due to "Technical Difficulties" - DirectorHelena TabernaStarsDaniel GraoJuana AcostaGoya ToledoA mass suicide involving members of a cult takes place in the Canary Islands. Gabriel's younger sister, Cordelia, who he hasn't seen for years, was one of the cult followers. Gabriel decides to travel there and find out what happened."The Cliff" - US Premiere
- DirectorRayka ZehtabchiStarsMary ApickNick ShakoourNina NayebiAn Iranian mother must decide whether to end or spare the life of her son's killer.
- DirectorJonathan SteinStarsAbraham AttahHannah AttahKobina Amissah-SamA brother and his sister seek closure after Ebola ravages their West African village.
- DirectorNick DixonStarsAndrew James DiazA shepherd in the war-torn Gaza Strip searches for his sheep after they were scattered by wolves. In his search, he steps on an old landmine and has to figure out how to step off without it detonating.
- DirectorIbrahim NadaStarsKaveh KavianAmielynn AbelleraEric B. AnthonyZaar is a suicide bomber who enters a random diner to bomb himself in a terrorist attack but listening and interacting with the innocent people around him makes him question his intent. Will he be able to do it?!!
- DirectorMarc Raymond WilkinsStarsStefan GubserAnnelore SarbachJay AbdoDuring a cruise on the mediterranean sea, Swiss holiday sailors encounter a sinking refugee boat.Best Narrative Short
- DirectorJon BetzTaggart SiegelStarsVandana ShivaAndrew KimbrellJane GoodallA film about the importance of heirloom seeds to the agriculture of the world, focusing on seed keepers and activists from around the world.San Diego Premiere
- DirectorStephen GyllenhaalStarsTalitha Eliana BatemanAlfre WoodardJohn HeardA young girl named Heidi, who lives with her mentally disabled mother, travels across the country to find out about her and her mother's past.San Diego Premiere
Best Narrative Feature - DirectorMax LewkowiczStarsLynsey AddarioJames EstrinMike ForsterAn HBO Documentary Film. Tony Vaccaro, a WWII infantryman, smuggled his $47.00 portable camera into battle to create one of the most comprehensive and intimate records of the war.West Coast Premiere
- DirectorKevin PollakStarsCharlotte McKinneyJohnny SimmonsBlake CooperThe story of an adult male who, after the successful removal of a benign tumor resting against his pituitary gland, experiences all the changes and effects of puberty over a three-week period.World Premiere
Best Comedy - DirectorSimon RumleyStarsSean Patrick FlaneryMike DoyleErin CummingsWhen a young man is executed for committing murder, he leaves behind a curse letter, promising vengeance for all those connected to his unfair trial.West Coast Premiere
- DirectorJonathan ParkerStarsParker PoseyJames FrainJohn Carroll LynchWhen a couple sets out to build their dream house, they enlist the services of an uncompromising modernist architect, who proceeds to build HIS dream house instead of theirs.California Premiere
- DirectorAdam SmithStarsMichael FassbenderBrendan GleesonLyndsey MarshalA man looks to find a way to escape the criminal ways of his outlaw family.West Coast Premiere
- DirectorGarth DavisStarsDev PatelNicole KidmanRooney MaraA five-year-old Indian boy is adopted by an Australian couple after getting lost hundreds of kilometers from home. 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.US Premiere
- DirectorGregori ViensStarsHenry PhillipsTig NotaroJ.K. SimmonsHapless satirical songwriter Henry Phillips is lured to LA when a veteran TV producer decides to make a show about the life of a loser.California Premiere
- DirectorAttila SzászStarsPatricia KovácsDorka GryllusLaura DöbrösiThe story of three women - a famous prostitute, her housekeeper and their new maid - living in Budapest of 1910s, whose passionate, bizarre and complex relationship can only lead to one thing: murder.California Premiere
- DirectorBrett RapkinStarsJosh DuhamelW. Earl BrownErnie HudsonStory of former MLB pitcher Bill 'Spaceman' Lee following his release by the Montreal Expos.San Diego Premiere
- DirectorSamuel Gonzalez Jr.StarsKit LangAmanda MennetoArturo CastroMichael Delucca, a Vietnam veteran broken by his struggle with post-traumatic stress, recollects his violent postwar life in a raw and touching memoir for the son he never knew.World Premiere
Best Military Film - DirectorTom E. BrownStarsJames Roday RodriguezRobin WeigertDanny GloverWhen a struggling writer, HIV positive for 20+ years, accidentally deposits a $100 birthday check, he is dropped from his health plan for earning too much. In this new era of sort-of universal care, can he take on a helpless bureaucracy or come up with $3000 a month to buy meds on his own?
- DirectorJulio MedemStarsPenélope CruzLuis TosarAsier EtxeandiaIn the aftermath of a tragedy a woman, Magda, reacts with a surge of newfound life that engulfs her circle of family and friends.San Diego Premiere
- DirectorKathleen Man GyllenhaalScientists converge to prove we're not what we think. New data explains why some face challenges from the start while others thrive. Prepare to be surprised, intrigued by what the future holds for you, your loved ones, and the human race.California Premiere
Breakthrough Documentary - DirectorNathan FrankowskiStarsQ'orianka KilcherGil BirminghamBrigid BrannaghTe Ata set her sights on Broadway and what she thought was her life's dream. Audition after audition she was rejected and began to wonder if she was cut out for the bright lights.West Coast Premiere
Kumeyaay Eagle Award - DirectorJonah MarkowitzTracy WaresStarsJackie GoldbergChristine KehoeSheila KuehlPolitical Animals is a powerful, award winning documentary about four California lawmakers -- all women -- who took the fight for equality from the streets into the halls of government to create lasting social justice and equality.San Diego Premiere
Best Documentary - DirectorRob SperaStarsChris MessinaAbigail SpencerBrian ShortallKenny Pantalio and Lolita Nowicki, each struggling with their own brand of demons, meet by chance in Chicago and form a pact to travel across the country to the Golden Gate Bridge to commit suicide together.US Premiere
- DirectorJaren HaymanStarsMikey AranaJustin BieberShamir BolivarExplore the secret world of the bodyguards who risk their lives to protect the rich, famous and powerful.World Premiere
- DirectorRobert HerzogStarsAlexandra GellnerEric GravezDoug HartwykWhen Kenny is passed over for a promotion, he makes a decisive choice that puts a co-worker into the hospital and leaves him to suffer with the moral consequences.
- DirectorVicram ChatterjeeStarsMatthew HixMeyani MontanoA story of an alcoholic man dealing with loss sheds light onto our subconscious when we've fallen into a state of desolation, and how we try ever so hard to reject the reality of the situation.
- DirectorBranko TomovicStarsBranko TomovicFrancesca FowlerDervla KirwanA damaged and guilt-ridden man who works in the underground world of illegal organ smuggling is looking for a way out.
- DirectorLee WilkofStarsZoe PerryGabriel ByrneFrances ConroyAging actor Lester Rosenthal (Gabriel Byrne), who has lost his way with his career, with his family, and with his friends (Nathan Lane, Frances Conroy, & Boyd Gaines) finds out that the way out is through.West Coast Premiere
- DirectorMatthew MansonStarsDavid BloomGabe HumphreyDonis Leonard Jr.New York City, 1991: In order to win over his crush, a neurotic Jewish boy must first impress her skeptical Jamaican family.
- DirectorVincent GallagherStarsCiarán HindsSeán T. Ó MeallaighBarry MurphyStruggling children's book writer Harold Finch gains an unexpected house guest in the form of an ageing, hyper-intelligent mosquito named Anabel.
- DirectorMark ManaloStarsBooboo StewartMatthew Yang KingJessica LuFaced with the mounting costs of her mother's cancer treatment, an unassuming yet enterprising college student conceives of a controversial business endeavor that could be her saving grace.
- DirectorSteven Lewis SimpsonStarsDave Bald EagleChristopher SweeneyRichard Ray WhitmanA Lakota elder summons a white writer to visit him and help him write a book about his people.N. America Premiere
- DirectorRita CoburnBob HerculesStarsCicely TysonGuy JohnsonDiahann CarrollThe first feature documentary about the remarkable writer, poet, actress, activist Maya Angelou.So. California Premiere
- DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsEmma SuárezAdriana UgarteDaniel GraoAfter a casual encounter, a brokenhearted woman decides to confront her life and the most important events involving her estranged daughter.California Premiere
Best International Film - DirectorHrund GunnsteinsdottirKristín ÓlafsdóttirStarsHrund GunnsteinsdottirKristín ÓlafsdóttirBill GeorgeA story of soul searching, science, nature, and creativity, "InnSæi" takes us on a global journey to uncover the art of connecting within in today's world of distraction and stress.West Coast Premiere
- DirectorJohn AsherStarsChristopher GorhamJulian FederKaitlin DoubledayAfter his wife dies of cancer, an overworked engineer struggles to care for his son with autism. His son in response to bullying regresses into a fantasy world escape.San Diego Premiere
Breakthrough Feature - DirectorMick JacksonStarsRachel WeiszTom WilkinsonTimothy SpallAcclaimed writer and historian Deborah E. Lipstadt must battle for historical truth to prove the Holocaust actually occurred when David Irving, a renowned denier, sues her for libel.US Premier
- DirectorIsaac RentzStarsLauren LapkusAnne HecheAlona TalA failed Broadway singer who now works as a production manager must save opening night on his new production by wrangling his eccentric cast and crew.San Diego Premiere
- DirectorLewis RoseStarsAmir BoutrousAndy LindenWaj AliAbout Yossi, a charismatic Kosher butcher who loses his job, cannot find work at other Kosher butchers, and therefore decides to pretend to be Muslim in order to get work at a Halal butchers.
- DirectorJennifer KramerStarsSayeed ShahidiMark CollierHope CervantesA young boy tries to reconcile with his father, who has returned from Iraq but is still haunted by his service.
- DirectorRebecca MurgaStarsAllegra AcostaSki CarrPatricio DorenJulie Sanchez, a soldier wounded in Afghanistan, flashes back to her childhood and the journey she takes as a young spunky Guatemalan girl driven by her late father's dream to become an American. Accompanied by a retired smuggler, they set out on a dangerous 2,000 mile journey through Mexico to reach the American border.
- DirectorMark VizcarraStarsJor-el VaasborgJake SharpScott Andrew LiebermanThe Flying Greek tells the remarkable journey of an immigrant's bond with his newly adopted country and his dream to fly. Little did he know such a passion could be so lethal."
- DirectorNicholas McNaughtonA group of veterans embark on a six day winter expedition into the Colorado wilderness hoping to use nature to nurture old wounds.
- DirectorPriscilla AnanyStarsRukiyat MasudAdjetey AnangBexA woman has a disabled child and goes through several challenges to get healing for child having being abandoned by the father.West Coast Premiere
- DirectorOtis MassStarsMarc BeneckeAndrea BlanchPhillip BlochWith a career spanning decades Photographer Rose Hartman is known for her Iconic Photos from Studio 54 and the fashion world, her boisterous personality and ever presence capturing the New York social scene.California Premiere
- DirectorKim Rocco ShieldsStarsBriana EviganTyler BlackburnKyla KenedyPrejudice. Human rights. Bullying. "Romeo and Juliet" meets "Crash" meets "Requiem for a Dream"...with a twist. Based on the multi-award winning short film of the same name.West Coast Premiere
- DirectorFrans de BackerMichael MaesStarsEllen CuylaertsMichael MaesFollow Ellen from overcoming her fear for water to becoming a shark advocate. A real life story about conquering fear and protecting endangered animals, seen through the eyes of a wildlife photographer and mother of an autistic family.California Premiere
- DirectorOtto BellStarsAisholpan NurgaivDaisy RidleyRys NurgaivThirteen-year-old Aisholpan trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her nomad family to become an eagle huntress.West Coast Premiere
- DirectorTheodore MelfiStarsTaraji P. HensonOctavia SpencerJanelle MonáeThe story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.First Look at Footage
- DirectorAndres Molano MoncadaStarsWilliam AguirreRaquel LeónReina SánchezRafael and a woman sleep pleasurably until an alarm cell interrupts them. He tries to get out of bed but she traps him between her arms while still asleep. Rafael must sneak away without waking her up to make breakfast. It's not easy; everything seems to be against him, even his love for her.
- DirectorJordan RobertsStarsVera FarmigaMarton CsokasJacob TremblayA family in emotional turmoil is taken by surprise in this quirky adventure where an eccentric 8-year-old American boy, Wes, has an existential epiphany - He believes that he is in fact a Mongolian goat herder.US Premiere