There will be a great selection of films at RIFF this fall, straight from the summer and fall film festivals. Here is a list of 10 specially selected films from the festival's attendees, all of which have attracted a lot of attention this year or won awards.
Azor – Gas Hawk
Set in the 1980s, this political conspiracy thriller follows a Swiss banker on a mission to Argentina, then under dictatorship, to search for a colleague who has disappeared without a trace. Characters are pawns in a game of power – no one is innocent in this gray world of self-interest.
Brighton 4th
Former Georgian wrestler Kakhi travels from Tbilisi to Brooklyn, where his son is in deep gambling debt. The hero resorts to the subtle trick of summoning his creditor Amir to the ring on the condition that the debt will be forgotten if George wins.
The Worst Person
The latest film by Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier, the Honorary Award winner, follows the four-year journey of Julia, a young woman who tries to sort out her love life but encounters obstacles along the way. The journey allows her to see herself in a new and more realistic light.
DOCUMENTARY PHOTOS
Gabi, from 8 to 13 years old
“Some people say I want to be a boy, but I don't, I just want to be Gabi.” Not that complicated, one would have thought, but something else comes out of the blue. Over a five-year period, the main character is followed in his search for identity in a gendered society.
Taming the Garden
A government official engages in the strange practice of uprooting centuries-old trees along the Georgian coast and planting them in his garden. The act has a profound impact on the trees' environment and the communities they belong to. The film follows this process, and at the same time paints a picture of Georgian society and its values, where "uprooting" has ambiguous meanings.
Zinder
Filmmaker Aicha Macky takes viewers into the world of the "Palais" gangs that rule the roost in her hometown of Zinder, Niger, West Africa. The life of crime provides purpose and respect, otherwise unemployment and misery await.
The most beautiful boy in the world
At the world premiere of the film "Death in Venice," Italian director Lucho Visconti (and one of the masters of neorealism) declared that his main character Tadzio was the most beautiful boy in the world. Fifty years later, this statement still leaves a deep mark on Björn Andrésen's life.
Sisters With Transistors – Smárasystur
The incredible and previously untold story of a female pioneer in the early days of electronic music, when theremins, synthesizers, and feedback machines were mind-blowing. The composers, including Delia Derbyshire (narrated by Laurie Anderson), transformed the way music is made and perceived today. A timely and beautiful ode to the pioneers of history.
a-ha The Movie – a-ha the movie
Norwegian band a-ha is followed on tour. These three young men have a distant dream of becoming international pop stars, and when the golden hit "Take on Me" reaches the top of the American Billboard charts, it seems like the goal has been achieved. What is it like to live the dream? This is a story of ambition, great music, broken hearts and, even, forgiveness.
Cartoons
Cryptozoo – The Cryptozoo
Zookeepers capture a rare mythical creature that feeds on dreams. They wonder what is right in the situation: should such a wonder be locked up, or is it better for it to continue living in hiding?
