Director: Sangman Kim
G REPUBLIC OF KOREA
BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM - LYÉ-BUHL
An ascetic monk who follows Buddhist teaching confronts agony between the world of Color(Phenomena) and the world of Void(Fundamental).
The two worlds exhibit stark contrast with one another like nature and man-made, past and present, day and night, eternity and moment, Nirvana and Anguish.
The monk strives to disentangle himself from the world of Color as he strides towards Nirvana, the world of Void.
In the end, he realizes that both worlds are inseparable as much as they are a resonant pair, and that his anguish ultimately comes from obsession.
World Premiere
Day 7
Director: Frannie Williams
PG-13 USA
A timid housewife confronts her husband about the disappearance of her best friend.
World Premiere
Day 7
Director: Jed Rapp Goldstein
PG-13 INDIA/USA
In the idyllic jungles of Goa, Vinay (Tanmay Dhanania) is a wellness teacher who is deeply unwell. When Alice (Andrea Monte Warren), an American student, senses something amiss, she follows Vinay after class and attempts to hold her instructor to his own lofty standards. Shot on location in India with AFI cinematographer Daryl Gilmore, After Class is an examination of enlightenment, projection, and the walls we place between ourselves and human connection.
Los Angeles Premiere
Day 7
Director: Jake Hart
PG-13 USA
A telepathic intelligence operative is being interrogated by her handler for connecting with the minds of unsanctioned targets. It was made with Some Assembly Required, a micro-production company in Los Angeles, which starts its process by having writers pulling ideas out of a bucket. Voices started with a piece of paper from that bucket that read: "tell a story where nobody speaks the same language."
Shoshannah Stern (Weeds, Supernatural, Jericho) plays the lead. Her role on Grey's Anatomy was the first recurring deaf doctor role on a network series in prime time. Shoshannah using American Sign Language helped ensure that this film accurately depicted how a person who has never actually heard spoken language in her life would react and be changed by suddenly hearing other people's voices in her head.
Los Angeles Premiere
Day 7
Director: Todd Lien
PG USA
1, 2, 3. Children are always given 3 seconds to make a decision. And yes, life has its own mysterious way to challenge us for a decision we make within 3 seconds of our lives, and the decisions these three girls in the film make will challenge their outlook on life by forcing them to face themselves more honestly.
This story of three aspiring young Chinese actresses is a product of world-wide collaboration. It's written by Taiwanese director, Todd Lien, with his vision brought to life by the talented Filipino American Actress, Anthea Best, and the unique blend of K-pop dance choreography from well-known choreographer Marvin Brown, of London.
World Premiere
Day 7
Director: Paul Taublieb
PG USA
BEST DOCUMENTARY - No Regrets (JB Mauney)
Perhaps the greatest cowboy ever to sit on the back of an angry 2000 pound bull, JB's approach has never been to play it safe, never take the easy way, and even if it cost him big time - from championships to injuries - by picking the toughest bull around. He did things his way and has never looked back. It's earned him two world-championships but more importantly, the respect of PBR fans worldwide and a constant evolving legacy as a true cowboy. There ain't no "looking off" for the easy way out as a bull, and for JB, and that's pure Monster.
IFS L.A. Film Festival Premiere
Day 7