28th Philadelphia Film Festival Program
Abortion Helpline: This Is Lisa
Counselors arrive each morning to answer non-stop calls from women seeking to end a pregnancy but unable to afford it.
ADAM (MOROCCO)
In this compassionate drama, a dour widow and her precocious daughter have their world shaken when a pregnant, homeless young woman shows up at their doorstep.
ADAM (US)
High schooler Adam navigates an unfamiliar world of gender and sexual difference when he spends the summer in NYC with his proudly queer sister in this coming-of-age comedy.
ADVOCATE
This riveting, multilayered documentary follows Israeli lawyer Lea Tsemel, who has spent nearly 50 years advocating for the rights of Palestinian defendants.
THE AERONAUTS
In this dazzling spectacle, a daredevil balloon pilot and a revolutionary scientist at the dawn of discovery in the Victorian age must fight to survive when they become trapped in the sky.
ALL CATS ARE GREY IN THE DARK
A man infatuated with his two cats yearns for a larger family, so he fertilizes his female feline with an exotic tomcat.
AND THEN THE BEAR
That night, houses will burn, men and women tremble, hordes of children come together and howl as they dance alone on the ashes like wild bears. It only takes one cry to awaken them all!
AND THEN WE DANCED
An ambitious dancer in Georgia’s National Ballet is forced to confront his desires and reevaluate his priorities after the arrival of a charming new troupe member.
ANIMATED SHORTS
Details
ATLANTICS
After a group of disenfranchised laborers leave Senegal in search of work, those left behind are plagued by mysterious fires, fevers, and nightly visits from restless souls.
AUDITION
In Takashi Miike’s subversive cult classic, a lonely widower seeks new love under the guise of a film audition and “casts” a mysterious woman as his future wife.
THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM
Indigenous Australian footballer Adam Goodes is the subject of this vital documentary about how one man’s stand against bigotry sparked a nationwide conversation on race.
AZIZA
A dynamic take on the life of Syrian refugees told through black comedy.
BACURAU
Set in a not-so-distant future, citizens of a rural Brazilian village must defend their home from sinister forces in this mind-bending, politically charged genre mash-up.
BEANPOLE
After the end of World War II, a shy woman with an unusual nickname is confronted with an ultimatum when her female comrade returns home to Leningrad demanding answers.
BETTY FEEDS THE ANIMALS
Betty loves animals. She loves them so much that every day she puts 30 bowls of food outside of her home to feed them.
BIKRAM: YOGI, GURU, PREDATOR
The true story behind one of the world’s most influential fitness gurus, this exposé details the rise and disturbing misdeeds of disgraced yogi Bikram Choudhury.
BLOW THE MAN DOWN
A night out quickly spins out of control for two sisters in a seaside town where long-buried secrets bubble to the surface in this taut and refreshing crime thriller.
BLUE VELVET
When a young college student returns to his quaint hometown, a discovered severed ear leads to awakened desires and the darkness that lies behind every white picket fence.
BROKEN ORCHESTRA
A look at the project working to get broken instruments back into Philadelphia students’ hands.
BY THE GRACE OF GOD
François Ozon delivers a ripped-from-the-headlines portrait of a group of men whose quest to expose the crimes of a predatory priest uncovered the misdeeds of France’s church leadership.
CEREMONY NIGHT
An hour before a funfair is opened, workers are forced to keep silent about a tragic event.
CLEMENCY
Alfre Woodard delivers a powerhouse performance as a conflicted death row warden in this searing drama, which won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
THE COIN
On her journey to a new country, a young woman loses a jar that contains the lucky coins she’s been collecting her whole life.
COLEWELL
In this nuanced drama featuring a moving performance from Karen Allen, a sleepy, rural Pennsylvania town is shaken by the closure of the de facto community center: the local post office.
COME AS YOU ARE
With a nurse chauffeur and overbearing parents on their trail, three men with disabilities go on an unusual road trip to visit a Montreal brothel that caters to clients with special needs.
COUNT YOUR CURSES
In a town filled with spirits, two roommates must seek out a new house spirit after theirs is devoured. Again.
CUNNINGHAM
This mesmerizing 3D doc brings to vivid life the work of Merce Cunningham, a radical choreographer who was at the forefront of modern dance for over 50 years.
DAUGHTER
A strained, emotional relationship between a father and daughter is examined in this beautiful stop-motion film.
DEERSKIN
In the latest uproariously bizarre film from director Quentin Dupieux (Rubber, PFF19), Academy Award-winner Jean Dujardin stars as a man hopelessly enraptured by a vintage deerskin jacket with a mind of its own.
DEFENDING YOUR LIFE
On his 39th birthday, Daniel Miller (Albert Brooks) gets hit by a bus and sent to the afterlife. There, he must defend his life on Earth and show that he’s conquered his fears.
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US AND THE SKY
Night, national road. Two young men meet as strangers at a gas station. One just came to gas up his bike, and the other is trying to find enough money to get home.
DIVINE LOVE
A bureaucratic woman in the divorce department of a near-future Brazil attempts to sway couples to join an unconventional therapy group with odd methods.
DOCKING
Trevor reflects on his fear of dating.
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
Details
DOGS DON'T WEAR PANTS
Black comedy, body horror, and tender drama merge in this twisted and deeply moving story of the complex relationship between a dominatrix and her grieving client.
DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME
Everything is made from trash in Philadelphia-based artist Lydia Ricci’s miniature, magical world.
ENTROPIA
A recently immigrated piano restorer is on a delivery when the prized instrument is stolen.
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SUDDEN BIRTH* (*BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK)
The Berkeley Police Department, the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands, and Mr. Spock are connected by one of the most disturbing educational films ever created.
EXTRA ORDINARY
A lonely driving instructor in rural Ireland must harness her supernatural abilities after a widowed man seeks her help with his unruly dead wife and possessed daughter.
FILMADELPHIA SHORTS
Details
FLATLAND
Two young women try to escape their pasts with a dogged detective hot on their trail in this rollicking, feminist neo-Western set in the wide-open deserts of South Africa.
FLESH
Five women, each in a different stage of their life, share experiences about their relationships to their bodies and how others perceive them.
FOURTEEN
Twentysomething New Yorker Mara confronts the challenges of adulthood while struggling to maintain her long-standing relationship with her erratic friend Jo in this lo-fi indie drama.
HARRIET
After escaping slavery, the heroic Harriet Tubman joins the Underground Railroad to ensure the freedom for hundreds of men and women in this revolutionary historical drama.
HEARTS AND BONES
An Australian photographer who has documented some of the world’s worst conflicts must reckon with his demons when one of his former subjects re-enters his life.
A HIDDEN LIFE
Based on the true story of a conscientious objector in Nazi-occupied Austria, this spiritual epic is a stirring, lushly-mounted return to form for Terrence Malick.
HONEY BOY
Loosely based on the life of writer and star Shia LaBeouf, this drama follows the relationship between a 12-year-old actor and his erratic, ex-rodeo-clown dad.
THE HUMAN FACTOR
Highlighting a history of tragic missed opportunities, The Human Factor examines America’s complicated role in 20 years of failed Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
HUMAN NATURE
In this world, it’s the humans who are domesticated and live like animals.
I LOST MY BODY
In this offbeat, award-winning feature debut from celebrated animation director Jérémy Clapin, a severed hand makes its way through a treacherous cityscape in search of its lost owner.
IDOL
From South Korea, this deliciously twisty neo-noir tracks the bloody fallout that ensues when a politician’s teenage son kills a man in a hit-and-run.
INVISIBLE LIFE
Two inseparable sisters in 1950s Brazil are forced to live apart in this lush, tropical melodrama that won Un Certain Regard at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
THE IRISHMAN
Martin Scorsese brings together the dream team of Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci to tell an amazing saga of crime and friendship across several decades.
IT MUST BE HEAVEN
Helmer Elia Suleiman lends his signature deadpan style to this autobiographical saga of a middle-aged director attempting to make a home in Palestine, Paris, and New York.
JALLIKATTU
A madcap hunt for a bull on the loose throws an entire Indian village into a frenzy, leading to a dangerous and visceral clash that can only end in violence in this wildly cinematic, jaw-dropping feature.
JOJO RABBIT
In this charming and poignant satire, a boy with a certain mustachioed imaginary friend learns the abhorrent truth about his Nazi idols when he discovers a young Jewish woman hiding in his home.
JUST MERCY
Deeply compelling and timely, Just Mercy chronicles the work of lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson to save the lives of dozens of innocent prisoners on death row and the case that ignited his career.
KNIVES OUT
When a renowned mystery writer winds up dead, an eccentric investigator suspects foul play from amongst his many heirs in this star-studded whodunit from Rian Johnson (Looper, Star Wars: The Last Jedi).
KNOCKSTRIKE
Two men accidentally exchange briefcases. One contains a videotape that will lead the new owner to embark on an unexpected journey.
LEFTOVER WOMEN
This intriguing documentary follows three single women in China who, according to societal conventions, have passed the appropriate age to marry and have children.
LES MISÉRABLES
First-time feature director Ladj Ly caused a stir at Cannes with this knockout debut, a thrilling and socially resonant crime drama set in Paris’s poorest suburbs.
LITIGANTE
A lawyer in the midst of a corruption scandal navigates single motherhood, the pitfalls of the dating world, and her most challenging case yet: her mother.
LITTLE MISS SUMO
Female sumo wrestling champion Hiyori confronts obstacles inside and outside the ring in an attempt to change Japan’s national sport forever.
LOCKDOWN
Struggling with feelings for her best friend, 14-year-old Marie stages an almost perfect plan.
THE LODGE
Two newly-motherless siblings spend the days leading up to Christmas in complete isolation with their soon-to-be stepmom who is haunted by her own demons.
LUCKY GRANDMA
After winning a large sum of money, a grouchy, chain-smoking grandmother finds herself mixed up with a seedy Chinatown gang in this wry, quirky comedy.
MAGNOLIA
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, this darkly hilarious, heartfelt, and life-affirming story of lost Angelinos stands the test of time on a gorgeous 35MM print.
THE MANILA LOVER
While visiting the Philippines, Norwegian Lars meets a woman he wants to share his life with.
MARRIAGE STORY
In this tour de force marital epic from Noah Baumbach, a New York theater actor and her director husband face the complications of divorce when she seeks to relocate with their son in tow.
MAYBE NEXT YEAR
This insightful documentary captures the lead-up to the Eagles’ historic Super Bowl victory, following the devoted fans who cheered for them every step of the way.
MILTON
Meeting your girlfriend’s family for the first time is hard enough. Try meeting them over the deathbed of her grandfather.
MISS BARTON'S FAMOUS CAKES
On a stormy night, two detectives come knocking on Miss Barton’s door looking for answers.
MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN
Edward Norton wrote, directed, and stars in this sprawling noir that follows a private eye whose investigation into a murder uncovers a vast web of corruption.
NARRATIVE SHORTS
Details
NINA WU
After being offered the role of a lifetime, an aspiring actress slowly descends into madness when confronted by the rampant sexual abuse within the film industry.
THE NOMADS
When school closures force a teacher to relocate to a North Philly high school, she uses rugby as a way to empower her disaffected students in this powerful drama based on a true story.
NOTHING FANCY: DIANA KENNEDY
Revered doyenne of Mexican cuisine Diana Kennedy is the subject of this saucy doc, which spotlights the chef’s fiery devotion to traditional cooking and sustainability.
OH MERCY!
On the crime-ridden streets of a decaying French city, a police chief’s investigation into the murder of an elderly woman on Christmas night leads him to two unlikely suspects.
PAPICHA
During the Algerian Civil War, an aspiring fashion design student plans a progressive fashion show in spite of the growing Islamist insurgency that threatens her independence.
PARADISE HILLS
A band of misfit girls plot to escape the fairytale island of Paradise when they realize that its picture-perfect exterior masks a far more sinister reality.
PARASITE
Bong Joon-ho’s Palme d’Or-winning masterpiece is the tragicomic saga of two families from different strata of Korean society whose lives become dangerously entwined.
THE PHYSICS OF SORROW
A man reflects on his life through poignant childhood memories in the first-ever animated film made entirely through encaustic painting.
THE PLACE OF NO WORDS
Philly native Mark Webber has crafted a reflective, adventurous meditation on childhood, family, and mortality with this unique fusion of fantasy and realist drama.
PLUCKED
This gripping doc follows the theft of one of the world’s most prized musical instruments, tracking each of the investigation’s shocking twists and turns.
PORNO
Five employees of a small Christian town’s movie theater discover an unmarked film reel, awakening a sexual demon seeking sacrifice in this ’90s-set gross-out horror comedy.
PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE
Unbridled passion is ablaze in Céline Sciamma’s triumphant period drama capturing the smoldering romance between a grieving young aristocrat and the woman hired to paint her portrait.
QUEEN OF HEARTS
Exquisitely composed, Queen of Hearts explores the taboo as a successful lawyer seduces her teenage stepson while stopping at nothing to protect her own reputation.
RED PENGUINS
The stranger-than-fiction, vastly entertaining odyssey of the brash American businessmen who attempted to revitalize Russia’s fabled national hockey team in the lawless, post-Cold War 1990s.
THE REPORT
Adam Driver stars in this scathing political drama as the Senate staffer charged with investigating the CIA’s use of “enhanced interrogation” in the wake of 9/11.
ROMEO AND JULIET
Perhaps the most beloved work by late cinematic maestro Franco Zeffirelli, this lush adaptation gave a much-needed jolt of youthful energy to the Bard’s timeless romantic tragedy.
SEBERG
In an acclaimed performance, Kristen Stewart stars as French New Wave icon Jean Seberg, whose life and career were derailed by the explosive political climate of the 1960s.
SHE RUNS
In an ordinary Chinese winter, a small city junior high student tries to quit her school aerobic dancing team.
SIBYL
This sexy, intelligent dramedy follows a successful but emotionally fragile therapist who becomes dangerously entangled in the messy romantic life of her unstable new client.
SLAY THE DRAGON
This informative, infuriating doc shines a light on the behind-closed-doors practice of gerrymandering and the inspiring grassroots movement fighting to change it.
SO LONG, MY SON
In this sprawling yet intimate epic from director Wang Xiaoshuai, the paths of two families affected by China’s one-child family policy intersect over three decades.
SORRY WE MISSED YOU
Ken Loach’s thought-provoking, emotionally wrenching new film follows a father whose decision to take a job as a delivery driver has devastating consequences for his family.
STALLONE: FRANK, THAT IS
Equal parts compelling and entertaining, Stallone: Frank, That Is, depicts the fascinating life and career of an unknown entertainer with one of the most famous names in Hollywood.
STAY CLOSE
The underdog story of a fencer from Brooklyn who overcomes a gauntlet of hardships on the road to the Olympics.
SUNSET OVER MULHOLLAND DRIVE
Tucked away at the end of Mulholland Drive, an unconventional retirement community is home to many of Hollywood’s early alumni, whose hopes and dreams are still thriving.
SWALLOW
Much to the concern of her upper-crust husband and in-laws, a young housewife develops a taste for inanimate objects in this dark, clever feminist comedy.
SYNONYMS
A young Israeli man renounces his identity and flees to Paris in this mesmerizing satirical drama, which took home the Golden Bear at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.
SYSTEM CRASHER
Young actress Helena Zengel delivers an unforgettable performance in this raw, heartrending portrait of a girl struggling to forge a family bond despite severe behavioral issues.
TEMBLORES
A married father is torn between his male lover and the pressures of his wealthy, zealously religious family in this drama from Ixcanul director Jayro Bustamante.
THROAT SINGING IN KANGIRSUK
Eva Kaukai and Manon Chamberland practice the Inuk art of throat singing in their small village of Kangirsuk, in their native Arctic land.
TO BE QUEEN
Two Latina high schoolers campaign to become Luling, Texas’s newest Watermelon Thump Queen.
THE TRUTH
In his follow to last-year’s award-winning Shoplifters, celebrated director Hirokazu Kore-eda journeys to France for this tale of an uneasy reunion between a mother and daughter, played by Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche.
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
This hilariously strange, proudly unreliable biopic of former Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King is a surprisingly kinky, eye-popping cinematic marvel.
THE TWO POPES
Led by astounding performances from Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce, this witty two-hander dramatizes a 2012 meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and the future Pope Francis.
THE UNKNOWN SAINT
In this delightfully droll comedy, a thief gets out of jail only to find that the fortune he buried years before has been covered up by a bizarre pilgrimage site.
VARDA BY AGNÈS
The final film by Agnès Varda, this documentary finds the legendary director reexamining her captivating life, storied career, and the fascinating interplay between the two.
THE VAST OF NIGHT
Set over the course of one uncanny night in 1950s New Mexico, this intelligent, entertaining sci-fi thriller follows two teens investigating a strange, supernatural frequency.
WALDO ON WEED
An intimate video diary about the man behind Fishtown’s Pizza Brain, his young son’s fight against cancer, and the controversial treatment that changed everything.
THE WAR ROOM
The Ragin’ Cajun James Carville and pretty boy George Stephanopoulos rally to win then-Governor Clinton the presidency in this unprecedented doc from the late D. A. Pennebaker.
THE WATER SONG
A nine-year-old gets a shiny pink bike for her birthday, but her domineering uncle is the only adult willing to teach her how to ride it.
WAVES
Driven by an eclectic soundtrack, the ambitious, critically acclaimed Waves is a dizzying and emotional foray into the lives of a Florida family pushed to their limits.
WE ARE LITTLE ZOMBIES
Four emotionless orphans become an overnight viral sensation when they form a zeitgeist-capturing chiptune rock band in this zany ode to the power of pop.
THE WHISTLERS
A corrupt Romanian cop travels to the Canary Islands to learn an ancient whistling language as part of a comically elaborate heist in this wildly clever caper from Corneliu Porumboiu.
A WHITE, WHITE DAY
A grieving widower becomes dangerously preoccupied with uncovering his late wife’s secrets in this powerful and hauntingly beautiful drama set in remote, rural Iceland.
THE WILD GOOSE LAKE
Diao Yinan’s rain-soaked, neon-lit noir follows an ill-fated gangster and mysterious prostitute hiding out in a sordid resort town overrun by criminals and corrupt cops.
WOUNDS
Under the Shadow director Babak Anvari has assembled an all-star cast including Armie Hammer, Dakota Johnson, and Zazie Beetz for this devilishly disturbing horror thriller.
YOU DESERVE A LOVER
In this intimate, empathetic showcase for director and star Hafsia Herzi, a young Parisian navigates her newly single status and explores her sexual freedom.
YOUNG AHMED
The Dardenne Brothers’ latest drama is the tense, unnerving story of a religiously obsessive teen who’s increasingly drawn toward violent radicalism by an older role model.