There’s a funny phenomenon called “the paradox of choice.” A psychologist named Barry Schwartz wrote a book and gave a TED talk about it. The premise: too much choice is actually a bad thing, causing decision paralysis and unhappiness. The last thing we want to cause with our  vast array of Festival films is unhappiness. That’s why we’ve asked programmers to share their picks. These suggestions from Festival Artistic Director David Ansen and Senior Programmer Maggie Mackay may help prevent such distress. In the coming days, we’ll share more picks from other members of our Festival programming team.

Stream of Love
“It’s a wonderful jaunt to a world with no cell phones and no computers—just love and sex.”—Maggie

Of Horses and Men
“It’s funny. It’s shocking. It’s visually magnificent. It’s not for kids. It’s pretty carnal too.”—David

Someone You Love
“What the director does with this story is incredibly moving and smart. It’s a film that really, really touches your heart and feels very true.”—David

Pamela Miller / Website & Grants Manager