From outspoken explorations of societies in crisis to ironic portrayals of the perils of fame, the films selected for this section represent a broad range of work, primarily by debuting directors, with a few titles by more established international film artists.
- The Architect
Based on Scottish playwright David Greig's The Architect, Tauber's debut feature pits an architect (Anthony LaPaglia) against a female community resident who lives in a dangerous housing project that he designed. By contrasting two Chicago families in divergent economic circumstances, The Architect ably explores political, sexual, and class issues. - Choking Man
The social anxiety of a morbidly shy Ecuadorian dishwasher working in a Queens diner provides the psychological engine that powers this intense blend of drama and magical realism from the famed music video director. - Colour Me Kubrick
John Malkovich gives a hilarious tour-de-force as Alan Conway, a conman who successfully passed himself off as the famed and notoriously reclusive director for the last decade or so of the filmmaker's life. - Holiday Makers
A vacation based on a tour package to a seaside hotel in Croatia turns into a wild party when an eclectic mix of Czech tourists arrive by bus at the hotel. Slapstick humor and heartwarming moments abound in this classic Czech comedy. - Love for Share
Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world, and polygamy is a deeply rooted and controversial tradition. This film addresses the tradition and its malcontents by interweaving the stories of three very different women, each of whom has developed her own living response to polygamy.
International Documentary Competition
The International Documentary Competition represents a broad range of style and substance, including two films shot in post-invasion Iraq -from Iraqi and American perspectives, respectively – offering an unusual number of cinematically inventive in-depth explorations of a wide range of headline-making issues.
- The Bridge
In this bold and thought-provoking documentary about suicide and its complex aftermath, Steel spends from dusk until dawn filming the Golden Gate Bridge everyday for a year, capturing nearly two dozen suicides that occurred in 2004. Interviews with the family and friends of the deceased are incorporated into the film. - From Dust
Filmed in post-tsunami Sri Lanka, From Dust follows two survivors and an aid worker, who face a new Sri Lankan law restricting the rebuilding of homes. This sensitive and hard-hitting documentary asks why a natural disaster can create opportunities for some and suffering for others. In English and Sinhala. - MAQUILAPOLIS: city of factories
Just over the border in Mexico is an area peppered with maquiladoras: massive sweatshops often owned by the world's largest multinational corporations. Carmen and Lourdes work at maquiladoras in Tijuana, and it is there that they try to balance the struggle for survival with their own radicalization in this hard-hitting and ultra-relevant documentary. - The War Tapes
Called up for service in Iraq, several members of the National Guard were given digital video cameras. This astonishing film, edited from their footage, provides an unimaginably vivid perspective on an extremely complex and troubled conflict.
Shorts in Competition
"People have a tendency to stereotype shorts as simply being a filmmakers' means to an end of eventually producing a full-length feature," said Peter Scarlet, executive director of the Festival. "On the contrary, these short films, by both emerging and established
filmmakers, stand on their own."
- Contents Under Pressure
There's no such thing as a normal day for the characters in these very visual shorts. - Private Property
This short program mixes morality and mortality with a dash of day-to-day life. - West Side Highway
This year our NY, NY shorts program travels from downtown to uptown, with a couple of emotional stops in between.
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