Political/Social Commentary

MN Sneak Preview | Director Mara Pelecis Present

Lyrical, intimate, and sometimes humorous, Souvenirs is a moving eulogy in film. Following her father’s suicide, director Mara Pelecis reveals the hidden layers of Ivars ‘Andy’ Pelecis’ elusive mental health, as his case for service related mental illness is reopened post-mortem.

Filmmakers Present!

This documentary feature explores the social, economic and legislative issues that led to the decline of conventional public housing in America, and the city centers in which they resided, while tracing the personal and poignant narratives of several of the residents of the notorious Pruitt-Igoe public housing complex in St. Louis.

Why hasn't Tibet been freed? Who is keeping the movement from going forward? From director Dirk Simon, When The Dragon Swallowed The Sunis a groundbreaking documentary that examines these questions in a quest to understand why the world is still dealing with unsettled issues like the Tibetan cause and what can really be done to eradicate them.

Viva Riva! is unique in both its gritty and frank depictions of the Congolese crime world and in its cinematic and technical beauty as a film originating from one of the poorest countries in the world.  Director Djo Munga's first feature tells the story of corrupt operator Riva looking to cash in on a secret stash of oil in the petrol-strapped city of Kinshasa.  Trouble looms for the protagonist as his previously spurned employer has military officers hot on his heels.

This film fest favorite is a not-to-be-missed riotous, ingeniously inventive, one-of-a-kind romp. 

Producer Rich Garella Present

With all eyes on Egypt in the months following its recent democratic revolution, one of Egypt’s most prominent screenwriters, Mohamed Diab, presents a darker side of Egypt rarely seen by the outside world in his fifth and latest written feature, and directorial debut, completed just before the sweeping January protests.

Austrian documentarian Elisabeth Scharang makes the difficult transition to fiction filmmaking look easy as she tackles the already challenging subject of the closing days of World War II. 

Relentlessly incriminating, this hard-hitting film by Andrei Nekrasov and his recently deceased wife Olga Konskaya tells a vastly complicated geopolitical story... - Variety

U.S. Premiere

The 2010 box office hit of the year in Mexico. El Infierno’s director Luis Estrada has this to say about the bicentennial of his home country:  “Mexico 2010: Hell. Nothing to celebrate.”