“I, Origins” – The festival’s opening night film is a mind-tripping doozy from writer/director Mike Cahill, who made “Another Earth” a few years back. Michael Pitt plays a molecular biologist who thinks he’s found the answer to the mysteries of the cosmos in his lover’s eyes. Think “Inception” meets “The Tree of Life.” (July 17)
“Life After Beth” – The end of the festival offers a stark contrast to the beginning: the closing night film is a zombie romantic comedy featuring rising stars Dane DeHaan (“Chronicle”) and Aubrey Plaza (“Parks and Recreation”). Teenage romance blooms until Beth dies tragically … but then, miraculously, she comes back! And this time not only is she hungry for love, but also human flesh. Co-starring John C. Reilly and Anna Kendrick. (July 26)
“Bluebird” – This bleak, mournful drama set in frigid Maine features Amy Morton as a school bus driver who makes a terrible mistake that imperils the life of a small boy and the stability of her entire family. Reminiscent of “Winter’s Bone.” The powerhouse cast includes John Slattery (“Mad Men”), Margo Martindale (“August: Osage County”), Adam Driver (“Girls”), Louisa Krause and Emily Meade. (July 24 and 26)
“Tu Seras un Homme (You’ll Be a Man)” – A tender coming-of-age dramedy, this French film examines the growing friendship between a shy 10-year-old boy and the troublemaker 20-year-old who walks into his life and nudges him out of his shell. Heartwarming, funny and off-beat. (July 20 and 25)
“Point and Shoot” – This fascinating documentary follows the harrowing real-life adventures of filmmaker/journalist Matthew VanDyke, who decided to go on a post-grad school motorcycle jaunt through the Arab countries for “a crash course in manhood.” Instead, he found himself a front-lines combatant in the Libyan revolution of 2011. Eventually he is captured and held in solitary confinement for six months. (July 21 and 26)
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