The Fits

When: June 3

Where:  Theaters

Director: Anna Rose Holmer

Cast: Royalty Hightower, Makyla Burnam

Why We’re Excited: Last year, emerging writer/director Anna Rose Holmer was named one of Filmmaker magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film.” Holmer makes her narrative feature debut with this dramatic portrait of an 11-year-old tomboy named Toni (Royalty Hightower, in her very first role) and the trials and tribulations she faces when she decides to join a highly competitive dance troupe. This psychological portrait of adolescence premiered at the Venice Film Festival and chronicles the desperation, insecurity and high-risk behavior of one pre-pubescent woman on the verge of hysteria. Describing it as a “meditation of movement,” Holmer’s film was one of 2015’s most buzzworthy festival indies. A truly daredevil filmmaker, Holmer even allowed the cast (most of whom are making their feature film debut) to change their own dialogue as they saw fit.

King Jack

When: June 10

Where: Theaters

Director: Felix Thompson

Starring: Charlie Plummer, Yainis Ynoa, Cory Nichols

Why We’re Excited: After much anticipation following the acclaim garnered for his short film projects, director Felix Thompson’s feature length debut King Jack is a wonderful adventure drama. It’s also the winner of the Kiehls’ Someone to Watch award at the 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards, as well as winner of the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. A coming-of-age story with heart, the movie follows fifteen-year-old Jack (the talented Charlie Plummer) over the course of a weekend as he confronts his rapidly-approaching adulthood. Jack sets of on an inspiring journey to find happiness while also preparing to rule the world. Film Independent Member Gabrielle Nadig produced the film, which went into production after being selected by the Sundance Institute for their Creative Producer’s Initiative.

Puerto Ricans in Paris

When: June 10

Where: Theaters

Director: Ian Edelman

Starring: Luis Guzman, Edgar Garcia, Rosario Dawson

Why We’re Excited: If you’re looking for an action-packed buddy comedy this summer but tend to favor art house fare over multiplex junk food, then we’ve got the perfect flick for you! Luis Guzman and Edgar Garcia star in Ian Edelman’s directorial debut as NYPD officers sent on an unthinkable mission: to track down a stolen handbag. It actually gets a bit more complicated than that, but we don’t want to give too much away. The film competed in the 2015 LA Film Festival, filling the theater with laughter and gasps during its premiere. While the big studios could have easily turned this material into a Hollywood cliché, director Edelman’s debut feature keeps the spirit of indie filmmaking alive, as it was shot on a modest budget in less than three weeks. The film also stars indie darlings Rosario Dawson and Rosie Perez.

The Music of Strangers

When: June 10

Where: Theaters

Director: Morgan Neville

Why We’re Excited: Spirit Award winning documentarian Morgan Neville continues to achieve success and garner praise with his latest effort. Having already proven himself as a prominent voice within the nonfiction genre, Neville’s latest venture into IRL cinema is an exploration of music and culture. Clearly music is a major passion for Neville; renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma is his new film’s main subject, along with an amazing collective he formed of international artists. “The Silk Road Ensemble,” as they’re dubbed, are fueled by passion as they discuss their thoughts on art, music and collaboration. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and will be playing this Thursday, June 2 at the LA Film Festival. We’re also proud to mention a handful of awesome Film Independent Members who all worked on the film, starting with director and producer Morgan Neville. Additional Members include executive producers Nancy Abraham and Sheila Nevins, producer Caitrin Rogers and associate producer Caryn Capotosto. The film opens in New York and LA on June 10 and is scheduled to play throughout the country for the rest of the summer. And if you’re in Los Angeles, the movie is playing June 2 at the LA Film Festival (click here for tickets!)

Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story)

When: June 17

Where: Theaters (VOD in July)

Director: Eva Husson

Starring: Finnegan Oldfield, Marilyn Lima

Why We’re Excited: First-time filmmaker Eva Husson certainly isn’t shy when it comes to introducing herself as a storyteller unafraid to take risks. Bang Gang is one of the year’s most provocative and explicit films, with the feel of a documentary or reality TV show. Husson’s screenplay is based on real events about a group of teenagers in France who started having after-school sex parties. Marilyn Lima stars as George, a sixteen-year-old girl in love with Alex (Finnegan Oldfield), who decides to push the boundaries of sexuality within their group of friends by starting a very X-rated game of “Truth or Dare.” While the film is rampant with nudity and graphic sex scenes, it isn’t strictly prurient. There are consequences. The racy French film competed at the Toronto International Film Festival and will be heating up theaters this month and VOD in July.

 

 

Midnight Special

When: June 21

Where: DVD/VOD

Director: Jeff Nichols

Starring: Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst, Joel Edgerton

Why We’re Excited: You may have missed one of the year’s best under-the-radar critical favorites while it was in theaters, but now Jeff Nichols’ sci-fi drama Midnight Special is coming to a home cinema near you. In Special, Spirit Award winner Nichols teams up with the great Michael Shannon for their fourth feature film together. Shannon plays the father of Alton Meyer (the young Jaeden Lieberher in a breakthrough role), a child with special abilities and powers who has become noticed by the wrong individuals. It’s an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride as the father and son duo flee, running from both the U.S. government and a cult, both of which are trying to obtain Alton for their own selfish agendas. The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival before playing at SXSW and features an all-star supporting cast including Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver and Sam Shepard.

 

 

The Neon Demon

When: June 24

Where: Theaters

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Starring: Elle Fanning, Keanu Reeves, Jena Malone

Why We’re Excited: If you’ve seen the trailer for visionary indie filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn’s latest, then it should be pretty evident that he’s taking it up another notch. His controversial new thriller premiered at Cannes, where it competed for the Palme d’Or, the Queer Palm and where it won the Cannes Soundtrack Award. Elle Fanning stars as a model starting out in the world of high fashion, caught up in dark realm that brews as a result of her new occupation. Refn’s film is colorful, boasts cool visual effects and serves as an imaginative depiction of an exciting industry that can also be so very dangerous. Film Independent Members Michel Litvak and Gary Michael Walters are executive producers of the suspenseful and erotic film, which is sure to stand out as one of the year’s most audacious and controversial indies.

 

 

Wiener-Dog

When: June 24

Where: Theaters

Director: Todd Solondz

Starring: Greta Gerwig, Danny DeVito, Ellen Burstyn

Why We’re Excited: Remember Dawn Wiener? If you’ve seen Todd Solondz’s uncomfortably bizarre black comedy Welcome to the Dollhouse from 1995, it’s impossible to forget her. Last year Solondz hinted at the possibility of a sequel, and in January the Wieners were back on the big screen at the Sundance Film Festival. Well, sort of. Greta Gerwig stars as Dawn (originally played by Heather Matarazzo), the painfully awkward, bullied teenager who we find now all grown up. However, it’s the family’s dog that is the real star, traveling across the country and provide the common thread between four separate short stories. Together, the four stories make up one highly unusual feature that will undoubtedly be anything but boring coming from the mind of Solondz. The cast also includes Spirit Award winner Ellen Burstyn, Zosia Mamet, Danny DeVito, Julie Delpy and Kieran Culkin.

 

 

Septembers of Shiraz

When: June 24

Where: Theaters

Director: Wayne Blair

Starring: Adrian Brody, Salma Hayek, Shohreh Aghdashloo

Why We’re Excited: Wayne Blair makes his directorial debut with this thrilling drama, based upon the international best-selling, based-on-true-events novel by Dalia Sofer. Academy Award winner Adrian Brody and Hollywood icon Salma Hayek (also one of the film’s executive producers) star as a married Jewish couple who must fight for their freedom in the wake of the 1979 Iranian revolution when religious fundamentalism sparks violence and upheaval. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and features Spirit Award winner Shohreh Aghdashloo, documenting a historical moment in Iranian culture that deserves to be remembered.

Hunt For The Wilderpeople

When: June 24

Where: Theaters

Director: Taika Waititi

Starring: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison

Why We’re Excited: The latest comedy from the uniquely clever mind of writer/director/actor Taika Waititi is creating much anticipatory buzz after recently playing major festivals such as SXSW, Tribeca and Sundance (where it premiered). Waititi’s screenplay is based on the book by Barry Crump and stars Sam Neill as the foster uncle of a rebellious youngster (Julian Dennison). Taking place in New Zealand, a manhunt is ordered to locate the unlikely duo when they go missing in the wilderness. The film broke New Zealand box office records, and has been received enthusiastically by critics and audiences alike. Following Eagle vs. Shark and What We Do In The Shadows, Waititi is shaping up to be a reliable source of good humor and undeniable spirit within the indie film community.

 

 

Key

   Film Independent Fellow or Member
   LA Film Festival Alum
   Film Independent Spirit Award Winner or Nominee
   First-time Filmmaker
   Microbudget 
   Female Filmmaker 
   Filmmaker or Lead Characters of Color  
   LGBT Filmmaker or Lead LGBT Characters