Independent - Movies

The Dish & the Spoon

Independent

This quirky romantic comedy follows Rose (Greta Gerwig), whose life changes after discovering her husband's affair. Devastated and reeling, she soon crosses paths with a marooned British teenager (Olly Alexander) in a boarded-up Delaware beach town, and the two begin a peculiar friendship. As they drink their way through town, act out dream scenarios, and get to know each other’s pasts, this eccentric and insightful film illustrates how we navigate change and loneliness, for better and worse.

Prince of Broadway

Independent

A raw, disarmingly moving slice of neorealism, this early-career triumph from DIY auteur Sean Baker plunges into the world of West African immigrant Lucky (Prince Adu) and his Armenian Lebanese boss Levon (Karren Karagulian), two unlikely friends who peddle knockoff designer goods in Manhattan’s wholesale district. When a long-forgotten ex forces him to take care of a young son he didn’t even know he had, Lucky must figure out how to become a father without losing his edge in the counterfeit-merch game. Capturing the chaos of urban life through expressive handheld camera work, remarkably naturalistic performances, and flashes of manic humor, PRINCE OF BROADWAY is one of Baker’s most vivid explorations of the illusory nature of the American dream.

Lara Beitz: Stoppable

Independent

Lara Beitz’s Stoppable is a raw, hilarious ride through the chaos of everyday life. With her mix of sharp wit and personal storytelling, Lara tackles family, addiction, relationships, and more- all through her unflinching, relatable lens that will have you laughing out loud from start to finish.

Sometimes I Think About Dying

Independent

Lost on the dreary Oregon coast, Fran finds solace in her cubicle, listening to the constant hum of officemates and occasionally daydreaming to pass the time. She is ghosting through life, unable to pop her bubble of isolation, when a friendly new coworker, Robert, persistently tries to connect with her. Though it goes against every fiber of her being, she may have to give this guy a chance. Director Rachel Lambert and team craft beautiful cinema for this delicately told story of love for the socially awkward and emotionally challenged. The film is made all the more human by its lovely cast, most prominent in the penetrating eyes of lead actress/producer, Daisy Ridley, and the caring smile of lead actor, Dave Merheje. SOMETIMES I THINK ABOUT DYING is an unexpected fable on the virtues of living.

Distress Signals

Independent

When a fall down a steep rock face separates her from her friends, Caroline finds herself stranded. Now, alone and with a dislocated shoulder, she must make her way out of the woods—and contend with how she got there.

Is This the Real World

Independent

Forever Young… Mark Blazey (Sean Keenan) is a high school kid who’s going to stay young …even if it kills him. Mark’s world is divided between school and home. At school he skirmishes for the respect of his friends. But the real battle is with the steely vice principal, Mr. Rickard (Greg Stone). The boy is determined to stay free. The teacher equally determined to enforce the rules. And neither is willing to back down. At home Mark is dealing with a family on the edge of collapse. His erratic mother (Susie Porter) doesn’t find nurturing all that natural. His troubled brother (Matt Colwell – 360) is dicing with the law. The bedrock of their security, the grandmother (Julia Blake) is fighting for her life. And into this already complicated world comes love; in the form of Mr. Rickard’s daughter, Kim (Charlotte Best). And love changes everything.

Dark Meridian

Independent

A corrupt New Orleans detective gets caught up in a fight between two criminal gangs while on a stake out. To survive the night, he must find a killer on the run and take him out before the killer reaches his other targets.

Dawn

Independent

Palestine in 1947, during the British mandate period. The Zionists are fighting for the establishment of a Jewish state. A member of the armed Jewish underground has been sentenced to death by the British authorities. In return, the resistance has kidnapped a British officer, trying to redeem their friend. The insurgents spend the night together, waiting for the outcome of the negotiation. If the British hang their friend at dawn, one of them will shoot the British officer held as a hostage. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel.

The Hero

Independent

In this psychologically rich character study, written and directed by Satyajit Ray, Bengali film star Uttam Kumar draws on his real-world celebrity to play Arindam Mukherjee, a matinee idol on the brink of his first flop. When Mukherjee boards an overnight train to Delhi to accept an award, a journalist (Sharmila Tagore) approaches him seeking an exclusive interview, which initiates a conversation that sends the actor reeling down a path of self-examination. Seamlessly integrating rueful flashbacks and surreal dream sequences with the quietly revelatory stories of the train’s other passengers, The Hero is a graceful meditation on art, fame, and regret from one of world cinema’s most keenly perceptive filmmakers.

Exhibition

Independent

When D (Viv Albertine) and H (Liam Gillick) decide to sell the home they have loved and lived in for two decades, they begin a process of saying goodbye to their shared history under the same roof. The upheaval causes anxieties to surface, and wife and performance artist D struggles to control the personal and creative aspects of her life with H. Dreams, memories, and fears have all imprinted themselves on their home, which exists as a container for their lives and has played such an important role in their relationship.

A Life Not to Follow

Independent

A Neo-Noir film told in three interlacing chapters: Eric is a dead man and he knows it. Death is imminent and he must make amends for his past sins, by killing those who wronged him, no matter the price: A wiseguy willing to do anything to move up in the world must now make the ultimate sacrifice. He must kill his best friend or in turn be killed: An F.B.I. agent turned P.I. is on the trail of a missing girl. In his long search for her he comes face to face with a host of unsavory characters who will lead him to perdition or salvation.

William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe

Independent

The late civil rights attorney William Kunstler was one of the most famous and controversial lawyers of the 20th century. He represented civil rights and anti-war activists, as well as accused terrorists and murderers. In William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe, filmmakers Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler explore their father’s life, from middle-class family man, to movement lawyer, to the most hated lawyer in America.

That’s Not Us

Independent

Three twenty-something couples – gay, lesbian and straight – travel to a beach house to enjoy the last days of summer, but what was meant to be a fun, carefree retreat transforms into an intimate exploration of sex and commitment. Moment-to-moment, relationships are tested as tensions between the couples and friends begin to simmer. THAT’S NOT US is a romantic comedy that questions what it takes to sustain a healthy long-term partnership. While gender and sexuality may vary, the struggles to make love last do not.

American Sausage Standoff

Independent

Set in the small-town of Gutterbee, two hopeless dreamers join forces in a quest to erect the ultimate German sausage restaurant much to the irritation of the town’s residents who want to keep Gutterbee wholly American.

Little Feet

Independent

Determined to set their pet goldfish free, Lana and Nico embark on a magical urban odyssey from their Los Angeles home to the ocean. Their adventure, seen through the eyes of the brother/sister team, is filled with an array of wild and sometimes frightening encounters! Little Feet is a the return of director Alexandre Rockwell to his black and white 16mm roots that won him a Grand Jury Prize at The Sundance Film Festival with In The Soup. Little Feet's cinematography shows the poetic side of Los Angeles one rarely sees and stands as an homage of sorts to the very first films shot in the city. Directed, Written and Edited by Alexandre Rockwell Cinematography by David Walter Lech and Alexandre Rockwell Produced by Alexandre Rockwell, Laurel Parmet and Flannery Lunsford Starring: Lana Rockwell, Nico Rockwell and Rene Cuante Festivals: Toronto International Film Festival, Rome International Film Festival, Mar De Plata International Film Festival, Vienna International Film Festival and Valladolid International Film Festival Press "Ladles of charm and a tender poignancy, "Little Feet" is a quixotic poem to youthful resourcefulness." -Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times "Little Feet is the first great film of 2014" -Eric Kohn, Indiewire "Affair of the heart that's never precious or obnoxious, but tender and moving and occasionally explosive in its intrinsic emotion." -Nick Prigge, Slant Magazine "Plunges directly into the wildly unpredictable logic of childhood with this black-and-white gem." -Ronnie Scheib.

Tommy Battles the Silver Sea Dragon

Independent

In a courtroom filled with his biggest demons, a man must reckon with the guilt of his mother's death before it destroys him and the ones he loves.

Footprints

Independent

From award-winning writer Steven Peros, author of the play and screenplay for Lionsgate’s The Cat’s Meow (starring Kirsten Dunst, directed by Peter Bogdanovich) and twice-published Samuel French playwright, comes FOOTPRINTS, a haunting, hopeful and unforgettable mystery. The film chronicles a young woman’s journey of discovery on Hollywood Boulevard in one day, from sunrise to sunset. Some of America’s most important film critics have praised FOOTPRINTS: “One of the Ten Best Films So Far This Year” Armond White (Chairman of the New York Film Critics Circle) “A Strong Original Piece of Work!” Mick LaSalle (San Francisco Chronicle) “A Delightful Hollywood Fairy Tale!” Kevin Thomas (Los Angeles Times) “A Wondferful Indie!” F.X. Feeney (Variety, Movieline) Sybil Temtchine (Ten Benny, opposite Oscar winner Adrien Brody, Passion of Ayn Rand, opposite Oscar winner Helen Mirren) stars as a young woman who wakes up at dawn on the famed footprints and handprints of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood with no idea who she or how she got there. Upon awakening, she wonders if she isn’t, in fact, lost in a dream. And perhaps she is. Regardless of whether she is dreaming or wide awake, our Mystery Woman sets off on her journey, from one person to the next, one famous locale after the other. Among the Hollywood fringe denizens with whom she comes into contact are a pair of tour guides (Charley Rossman, John Brickner), two super hero impersonators (Catherine Bruhier, Riley Weston), a Scientology auditor (Joe Roseto), and a poster shop owner (R.J. Cantu). She also finds herself disquietingly followed by a Stranger (Kirk Bovill) who may be real or a figment of her unsteady imagination. In their award-nominated portrayals of two veterans of the boulevard and all it represents, FOOTPRINTS marks the return to the big screen of Pippa Scott (John Ford’s The Searchers, opposite John Wayne, Auntie Mame) and H. M. Wynant (The Twilight Zone, Sam Fuller’s Run of the Arrow, It Happened at the World’s Fair, opposite Elvis Presley). Although our Mystery Woman’s feet only fleetingly leave Hollywood Boulevard, by sundown she will piece together the revelatory truth about her existence and the reason for her awakening, forcing her to make choices that will literally result in either her life… or death.

The Hunting

Independent

A group of hunters search for their missing leader who disappeared while tracking a legendary creature on a mysterious island. The hunters struggle through rough terrain and unexpected obstacles as they attempt their rescue mission. As the journey becomes increasingly dangerous, the hunters find themselves becoming the prey of an unseen force.

Coldwater

Independent

Brad Lunders is a teenager forcefully abducted from his home in the middle of the night by his mother’s consent to a harsh wilderness reform facility. There is no contact with the outside world and the retired war colonel in charge prides himself on breaking an inmate’s spirit in order to correct delinquent behavior. As we learn of the tragic events that led to Brad’s arrival, unforeseen circumstances threaten to tear the already eroding reform facility apart, forcing Brad to confront not only his fellow inmates and the personnel in charge, but finally his own sense of what is right and what is wrong

Tamashii

Independent

Chronicling a trip to Japan made by a small group of friends, this enviro-social documentary aims to question our dependence on technology these days and its affects on future outdoor and social engagement.

Independent Movies