American Dream Stories(2017)

Grey Eyes(es)

In a post-apocalyptic future, mankind is color blind. A brilliant scientist suddenly dies, leaving his precious briefcase-filled with a highly-addictive synthetic drug that allows people to see colors again-to Ana, a mere 12-year-old girl. Possession of the briefcase makes her the target of a doctor with wicked plans for the drug, and her only hope to escape his pursuit relies on the aid of the dead scientist's two devoted bodyguards. Together, their epic, perilous journey pivots on a tremendous secret: Ana herself could be the key to salvaging a world in ruins.

Six Hours: Surviving Typhoon Yolanda(en)

In the middle of a broadcast about Typhoon Yolanda's initial impact, reporter Jiggy Manicad was faced with the reality that he no longer had communication with his station. They were, for all intents and purposes, stranded in Tacloban. With little option, and his crew started the six hour walk to Alto, where the closest broadcast antenna was to be found. Letting the world know what was happening to was a priority, but they were driven by the need to let their families and friends know they were all still alive. Along the way, they encountered residents and victims of the massive typhoon, and with each step it became increasingly clear just how devastating this storm was. This was a storm that was going to change lives.

New(ru)

Outskirts of Moscow. A girl comes to an unfamiliar apartment to look after a dog. After a while, she realizes that the owner of the apartment has disappeared. She finds herself into a series of people that have been taking care of the dog for years in that same apartment, creating a weird community around this strange absence of the owner.

The Secret Six(en)

Bootlegger/cafe owner, Johnny Franks recruits crude working man Scorpio to join his gang, masterminded by crooked criminal defense lawyer Newton. Scorpio eventually takes over Frank's operation, beats a rival gang, becomes wealthy, and dominates the city for several years until a secret group of six masked businessmen have him prosecuted and sent to the electric chair.

Taxi(en)

An ordinary taxi driver has his life turned upside down by picking up an elegant old lady.

Red Sorghum(zh)

An old leper who owned a remote sorghum winery dies. Jiu'er, the wife bought by the leper, and her lover, identified only as "my Grandpa" by the narrator, take over the winery and set up an idealized quasi-matriarchal community headed by Jiu'er. When the Japanese invaders subject the area to their rule and cut down the sorghum to make way for a road, the community rises up and resists as the sorghum grows anew.

Meshes of the Afternoon(en)

A woman returning home falls asleep and has vivid dreams that may or may not be happening in reality. Through repetitive images and complete mismatching of the objective view of time and space, her dark inner desires play out on-screen.

Hanni & Nanni 3(de)

The Lindenhof School is expecting a busload of proper young English ladies as exchange students. The shock is great when the students turn out to be teenage boys! But while Mademoiselle Bertoux is delighted to stage “Romeo and Juliet” with real boys, both Hanni and her sister Nanni fall for their “Romeo,” Clyde.

Woken(en)

In a post-apocalyptic world, the isle provides a safe haven from a pandemic that has decimated earth. Anna wake up pregnant and unable to remember who her husband is. Nor does Anna recognize Helen and Peter who are supposedly helping her get her health back. Disbelief in what she is being told leads to a horrible revelation and Anna having to contend with existential issues brought on by man’s destruction of the planet.

The Devil, Probably(fr)

A group of disillusioned young Parisians look for satisfaction in political activism, religion, romance, music, and drugs.

Passport to Pimlico(en)

When an unexploded WWII bomb is accidentally detonated in Pimlico, it reveals a treasure trove and documents proving that the region is in fact part of Burgundy, France and thus foreign territory. The British government attempts to regain control by setting up border controls and cutting off services to the area.

Star(fr)

Star is a young graffiti writer, the best in his city, Paris. His reputation attracts him as much into art galleries than in the police precincts. Accused of vandalism, he faces jail. Despite the threat, he decides to go to Rome with his crew in search of the meaning of his art.

The Apollo of Gaza(fr)

In 2013, a 2,000-year-old statue of Apollo was found near Gaza, only to disappear all of a sudden. Apollo, god of art, beauty and divinations, incites all sorts of rumors, even the craziest ones. The Apollo of Gaza is at once an inquiry and a meditation on history, plunging us into the barely known reality of a territory that is still paying the price of wars and a merciless blockade, but where life also subsists, undefeated. By bringing a little light to the sky of Gaza, the statue and its stupefying story could return some dignity and hope to all people.

Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Reunited and It Feels So Deadly(en)

Aurora's high school reunion turns deadly when a body is found in the hotel pool. Aurora and her Real Murders Club help investigate which classmate was most likely to kill.

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.(ja)

Mothra and her fairies return to Japan to warn mankind that they must return Kiryu to the sea, for the dead must not be disturbed. However Godzilla has survived to menace Japan leaving Kiryu as the nation's only defense.

The Last Tycoon(en)

Monroe Stahr, a successful movie producer, pursues a beautiful and elusive young woman — all the while working himself to death.

Star(fr)

Star follows the path of Tito and Jay, two brothers living in the Montreal neighborhood of Park Extension. Accompanying these young people in their daily life marked by complicity and intimidation, Star tackles themes dear to teenagers: identity and friendship.

Monica and Friends: Lessons(pt)

In the sequel to Turma da Mônica: Laços, we follow Mônica, Jimmy Five, Maggy and Smudge dealing with the consequences of a mistake made at school. At the same time, they face transformations from childhood to adolescence and are about to discover the value of friendship.

East of Main Street: Asians Aloud(en)

In celebration of Asian Heritage Month, HBO presents a collection of perspectives from a diverse group of Asian Americans.

Multiple Maniacs(en)

The Cavalcade of Perversion, a traveling freak show, acts as a front for Divine, who is out for blood after discovering her lover's affair.

The Swamp(en)

A look behind the curtain of Washington politics following three "renegade" Republican Congressmen as they bring libertarian and conservative zeal to champion the President’s call to “drain the swamp.”

Sicko(en)

A documentary about the corrupt health care system in The United States who's main goal is to make profit even if it means losing people’s lives. "The more people you deny health insurance the more money we make" is the business model for health care providers in America.

Comitiva Esperança(pt)

Bowling for Columbine(en)

This is not a film about gun control. It is a film about the fearful heart and soul of the United States, and the 280 million Americans lucky enough to have the right to a constitutionally protected Uzi. From a look at the Columbine High School security camera tapes to the home of Oscar-winning NRA President Charlton Heston, from a young man who makes homemade napalm with The Anarchist's Cookbook to the murder of a six-year-old girl by another six-year-old. Bowling for Columbine is a journey through the US, through our past, hoping to discover why our pursuit of happiness is so riddled with violence.

Tarnation(en)

Filmmaker Jonathan Caouette's documentary on growing up with his schizophrenic mother -- a mixture of snapshots, Super-8, answering machine messages, video diaries, early short films, and more -- culled from 19 years of his life.

Railway Station(pl)

Kieslowski’s later film Dworzec (Station, 1980) portrays the atmosphere at Central Station in Warsaw after the rush hour.

The Corporate Coup D'État(en)

A democracy should protect its most vulnerable citizens, but increasingly the United States is failing to do so. This investigation blends the insights of experts with the experiences of citizens of the Rust Belt in the Midwest where the steel industry once flourished, but where closures and outsourcing have left urban areas desolate. It is here where Donald Trump finds some of his most fervent supporters.

Looking for the shed(fr)

In this documentary, Louanne searches for a blue shed built by her grandfather's brother, 46 years ago, on a Moroccan beach. This hunt rapidly becomes a quest for adventure, answers and friendship where memories from the past and hopes of the future get mixed...

Mergui(en)

Using nature shots with narration and a musical score, this documentary tells the story about the Moken, Myanmar's last sea nomads.

Státy států(cs)

Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies and the American Dream(en)

This film discusses the effect on how major American films in Hollywood were influenced by the Eastern European Jewish culture that most of the major movie moguls who controlled the studios shared. Through clips of various films, the filmmakers illustrate the dominant themes like that of the outsider, the outspoken American patriotism, and rooting for the underdog in society.

Uncounted(en)

UNCOUNTED exposes how the election fraud that altered the outcome of the 2004 election led to even greater fraud in 2006 and now looms as an unbridled threat to the outcome of the 2008 election. The controversial film examines in factual, logical, and yet startling terms how easy it is to change election outcomes and undermine election integrity across the U.S. Beyond increasing the public's awareness, UNCOUNTED inspires greater citizen involvement in fixing a broken electoral system.

All Governments Lie: Truth, Deception, and the Spirit of I.F. Stone(en)

Vancouver-based filmmaker and TV news veteran Fred Peabody explores the life and legacy of the maverick American journalist I.F. Stone, whose long one-man crusade against government deception lives on in the work of such contemporary filmmakers and journalists as Laura Poitras, Glenn Greenwald, David Corn, and Matt Taibbi.

The Musicians' Green Book: An Enduring Legacy(en)

Stories and music of Black artists who relied on an underground travel guide to navigate the injustices of racial segregation while on the road. The Negro Travelers’ Green Book was a directory of lodgings, restaurants, and entertainment venues where African Americans were welcomed. Features performances and interviews with vocalists, musicians, activists, historians, and others.

Compassing(en)

No one knows Just Passing Through like Cyrus Sutton. And in the latest chapter of Cy's adventures, he's customized his van for experiencing life on the road. Through cutting, sanding, welding, and staining, he's transformed his old van into a unique camper that's been helping him traverse the Western side of North America to seek out good waves and good people. Reef is proud to partner with Cy on his new project, "Compassing," a film chronicling his recent van travels.

Train Time(en)

A short documentary about the transportation of goods and livestock by train around the UK.

Dream Chasers(en)

Trip to Asia: The Quest for Harmony(de)

Journey with the musicians of the Berlin Philharmonic and their conductor Sir Simon Rattle on a breakneck concert tour of six metropolises across Asia: Beijing, Seoul, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei and Tokyo. Their artistic triumph onstage belies a dynamic and dramatic life backstage. The orchestra is a closed society that observes its own laws and traditions, and in the words of one of its musicians is, “an island, a democratic microcosm – almost without precedent in the music world - whose social structure and cohesion is not only founded on a common love for music but also informed by competition, compulsion and the pressure to perform to a high pitch of excellence... .” Never before has the Berlin Philharmonic allowed such intimate and exclusive access into its private world.

Hitchhiking to the Edge of Sanity(en)

A look at the turbulent social upheaval of the early 1970s which follows an idealistic writer and his soon-to-be-married photographer friend as they set out to find their purpose via a terrifying road trip across the Sahara Desert.

Pathway to Health(fr)

Olivier, Elise and Marine just finished their 6th year of their medical studies. Next year, they will begin their residency and they will be confronted to their professional life. But before taking the plunge, they decide to step back a little bit. They are going on an initiatory journey around the Mediterranean sea, where big civilisations have developed the medicine we know today. The three future doctors will cross Italy, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and Egypt to meet practicians of alternative medicine. Through their reflection, their meetings and some trip anecdote, this road movie is an opportunity to ask ourselves about our current medical practices. Will this journey change their futur practice? Official Selections 2017: Travel FilmFest, Festival Partir Autrement Paris, La Toile en Vrac & Clac Allaire.