May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we are proud to have a number of our films in our Festival Lineup that touch on this important issue. Be sure to catch these incredible films during our festival, June 9th-12th.
AUTHOR: THE JT LEROY STORY
New York Magazine’s October 2005 issue sent shockwaves through the literary world when it unmasked “it boy” wunderkind JT LeRoy, whose tough prose about his sordid childhood had captivated icons and luminaries internationally. It turned out LeRoy didn’t actually exist. He was dreamed up by 40-year-old San Francisco punk rocker and phone sex operator, Laura Albert. Author: The JT LeRoy Story takes us down the infinitely fascinating rabbit hole of how Laura Albert—like a Cyrano de Bergerac on steroids—breathed not only words, but life, into her avatar for a decade.
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THE BAD KIDS
The Bad Kids is an eye-opening documentary detailing a group of teachers at a Mojave Desert high school as they take an unorthodox approach to better the lives of their students. Director Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe employ a naturalistic approach to showcase Principal Vonda Viland, as she mentors at-risk teens that the school system believes to be a waste of effort. Witness these dedicated educators give at-risk students command of their fates as they deal with poverty, sexual abuse, and other struggles.
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COMPLETE UNKNOWN
As Tom (Michael Shannon) celebrates his birthday with a group of close friends in Brooklyn, he is startled to see a woman from his distant past at the party. Jenny (Rachel Weisz) — or Alice, as she now calls herself — first denies even knowing Tom, but as the evening progresses, she reveals a shocking secret. After disappearing from Tom’s life 20 years earlier, she began to reinvent herself every few years, taking on a new name, a new career and a new life each time. After giving Tom a glimpse of what life could be like if he lets go of the safety and security he has so carefully created, Alice asks him to make a choice that will change everything.
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HIT IT HARD
David Fine and Gabe Spitzer direct this spirited documentary about famed everyman golfer, John Daly, who, with his blonde mullet and mustache, burst onto the scene in the early 90’s and immediately became one of the most polarizing figures in sports.Hit it Hard is a journey through Daly’s tumultuous career and illuminates how much he has changed through the divorces, rehabs, and relapses within the 25 years following his glory days.
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LEARNING TO SEE
This film tells the story of photographer Robert Oelman who leaves his psychology career in the early 1990s to pursue photography. He moves from the United States to Colombia and purchases a small farm in the hills. On his journeys through the rain forests of the Amazon Basin, he begins to take striking photographic images of undiscovered insects. After more than twenty years of traveling,chronicling, and photographing this special part of nature, his quest culminates in a New York City gallery show. Learning to See teaches us that these tiny creatures at the bottom of the food chain must conitinue to flourish and are critically important to all animal species including mankind.
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MOON IN THE 12th HOUSE
Separated as children by tragic circumstances, two sisters, Mira and Lenny are reunited again. This encounter leads them on a journey of self-discovery and healing. Moon in the 12th House is a coming of age story that features powerful and hypnotic performances from a solid ensemble cast.
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MON ROI (MY KING)
Following a ski accident, Tony (Emmanuelle Bercot, Best Actress, Cannes Film Festival) enters a facility where she lives for several months to rehabilitate her knee. Throughout her stay, the film intercuts between Tony and her husband, Georgio’s (Vincent Cassel, actor,Black Swan), passionate and tempestuous relationship and the upward trajectory of her progress at rehab. Once she gets over the worst of the pain and self-pity, she starts to improve steadily both emotionally and physically. My King is a dramatic story of love and friendship and the healing of a broken marriage.
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NEWTOWN
Filmed over the course of nearly three years, the filmmakers use unique access and never before heard testimonies to tell a story of the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting of school children in American history on 12/14/12. Newtown documents a traumatized community fractured by grief and driven toward a sense of purpose. Joining the ranks of a growing club to which no one wants to belong, a cast of characters interconnect to weave an intimate story of community resilience.
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