The fest, which will run Feb. 8-18, will open with Miranda’s Victim, one of 52 world premieres this year, and will close with the U.S. premiere of I Like Movies, one of 78 U.S. premieres this year.
It and will close with the U.S. premiere of I Like Movies, one of 78 U.S. premieres.
These are, of course, in addition to a slew of the career-retrospective tributes for which the fest is famous, which this year will celebrate the likes of Cate Blanchett, Brendan Fraser, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, as well as panels with breakthrough artists, artisans, directors, writers, producers, female creatives and international filmmakers.
“At a time where there’s a dwindling of movie theater attendance, the role of film festivals has never been more important,” SBIFF executive director Roger Durling said in a statement. “At SBIFF, with the 38th edition, our marching orders are clear: to celebrate movies and to nurture and exalt the film community, the artists as well as the cinephiles. It’s a great slate with 43 countries represented.”
Opener Miranda’s Victim recounts the story of an 18-year-old woman who was kidnapped and brutally raped in 1963, and whose fight to bring her attacker to justice triggers a law that transforms the nation. Directed by Michelle Danner, it stars Abigail Breslin, Ryan Phillippe, Luke Wilson, Donald Sutherland, Mireille Enos and Andy Garcia.
I Like Movies, the closer, tells the story of a 17-year-old cinephile who lands a job at a video store, where he forms a complicated friendship with his older female manager. Directed by Chandler Levack, it stars Isaiah Lehtinen, Romina D’Ugo, Krista Bridges and Percy Hynes White.
30 WORLD PREMIERE FEATURE FILMS (alphabetically)
21 Miles in Malibu
Directed by Nic Davis
United States
American Outlaws
Directed by Sean McEwen
United States
Bringing Back Our Wetland
Directed by Michael Love
United States
Bullets
Directed by Peter Pontikis
Sweden
Call Me Dancer
Directed by Leslie Shampaine, Pip Gilmour
United States
Commitment to Life
Directed by Jeffrey Schwarz
United States
Dancing With Mom
Directed by Trish Neufeld
Canada
The Dirty Divide
Directed by Paul Freedman
United States
Dr. Tony Fauci
Directed by Mark Mannucci
United States
Full Circle
Directed by Josh Berman
United States
Go On, Be Brave
Directed by Miriam McSpadden, Brian Beckman
United States
Grace Point
Directed by Rory Karpf
United States
The Harvest
Directed by Caylee So
United States
HELEN|BELIEVE
Directed by Dylan Mulick
United States
The House Band
Directed by Laura Brownson
United States
Ibiza Blue (La corriente)
Directed by Jesús Lloveras
Spain
Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection
Directed by Randy Martin
United States
Killing Me Softly With His Songs
Directed by Danny Gold
United States
The Legend of MexMan
Directed by Josh Polon
Miranda’s Victim
Directed by Michelle Danner
United States
Rachel Hendrix
Directed by Victor Nuñez
United States
Rachel’s Farm
Directed by Rachel Ward
Australia
The Right to Read
Directed by Jenny Mackenzie
United States
Samichay, in Search of Happiness (Samichay, en busca de la felicidad)
Directed by Mauricio Franco Tosso
Peru
The Team (El equipo)
Directed by Bernardo Ruiz
United States
Tove’s Room (Toves værelse)
Directed by Martin Zandvliet
Denmark
Vishniac
Directed by Laura Bialis
United States
Voices Rising: The Music of Wakanda Forever
Directed by Bernardo Ruiz
Wade in the Water: A Journey Into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture
Directed by David Mesfin
United States
53 U.S. PREMIERE FEATURE FILMS (alphabetically)
Alam
Directed by Firas Khoury
Palestine
Autobiography
Directed by Makbul Mubarak
Indonesia
Baby Ruby
Directed by Bess Wohl
United States
A Bit of Light
Directed by Stephen Moyer
United Kingdom
Black Mambas
Directed by Lena Karbe
Germany
Bones of Crows
Directed by Marie Clements
Canada
Bread and Salt (Chleb i sól)
Directed by Damian Kocur
Poland
A Bunch of Amateurs
Directed by Kim Hopkins
United Kingdom
The Chambermaid (Sluzka)
Directed by Mariana Čengel Solčanská
Slovakia
Directed by Katherine Jerkovic
Canada
Daughter of Rage (La hija de todas las rabias)
Directed by Laura Baumeister
Nicaragua
Dear Memories
Directed by Nahuel Lopez
Germany
Everybody Wants to Be Loved (Alle wollen geliebt werden)
Directed by Katharina Woll
Germany
Exodus
Directed by Abbe Hassan
Sweden
Fathers & Mothers (Fædre og mødre)
Directed by Paprika Steen
Denmark
Filip
Directed by Michał Kwiecinski
Poland
The Hotel (Lu guan)
Directed by Wáng Xiăoshuài
Chinese Hong Kong
How is Katia? (Yak Tam Katia?)
Directed by Christina Tynkevych
Ukraine
I Like Movies
Directed by Chandler Levack
United States
Into My Name (Nel mio nome)
Directed by Nicolò Bassetti
Italy
Jane Campion, The Cinema Woman (Jane Campion, la femme cinéma)
Directed by Julie Bertuccelli
France
La jauría
Directed by Andrés Ramírez Pulido
Colombia
Lakelands
Directed by Robert Higgins, Patrick McGivney
Ireland
Leila’s Brothers
Directed by Saeed Roustaee
Iran
A Letter from Helga (Svar við bréfi Helgu)
Directed by Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir
Iceland
Lyra
Directed by Alison Millar
Ireland
Maestro(s)
Directed by Bruno Chiche
France
A Man (Aru otoko)
Directed by Kei Ishikawa
Japan
Manuela
Directed by Clara Cullen
