If one wants to experience the best independent cinema the year has to offer this summer, one of your best bets is the well-curated line-up at Brooklyn’s BAMcinémaFest. They’ve now unveiled this year’s slate for the festival running from June 14-25, including some of of my favorite films of the year thus far (A Ghost Story, Golden Exits, Columbus, Marjorie Prime, and Landline) as well as highly-anticipated others (the SXSW hit Gemini and Stephen Cone‘s Princess Cyd come to mind).
“I’m incredibly proud of the program our team has put together,” says Gina Duncan, Associate Vice President, Cinema. “From the endearing comedy The Big Sick to the micro-budget Princess Cyd and Lemon, the audacious first feature from Janicza Bravo, the line-up truly reflects the breadth of American independent cinema today. Other highlights include the world premiere of Jim McKay’s, En el Séptimo Día an instant classic all the more powerful for its relevance, Aaron Katz’s sophisticated genre piece, Gemini, Common Carrier, a cinematic mixtape from the Bushwick based filmmaker, James N. Kienitz Wilkins, and for the first time, two features from the same filmmaker, Michael Almereyda—Escapes and Marjorie Prime.”
Check out the line-up, including links to full reviews, and see more details on their site.
Opening Night Film:
Gemini (Dir. Aaron Katz, New York Premiere)
Centerpiece Film:
En el Séptimo Día (Dir. Jim McKay, World Premiere)
Spotlight Films:
Landline (Dir. Gillian Robespierre, New York Premiere)
A Ghost Story (Dir. David Lowery, New York Premiere)
Closing Night Film:
Golden Exits (Dir. Alex Ross Perry, New York Premiere)
Main Slate:
The Big Sick (Dir. Michael Showalter, New York Premiere)
Bitch (Dir. Marianna Palka, New York Premiere)
Columbus (Dir. Kogonada, New York Premiere)
Common Carrier (Dir. James N. Kienitz Wilkins, North American Premiere)
Dina (Dir. Dan Sickles & Antonio Santini, New York Premiere)
Escapes (Dir. Michael Almereyda, New York Premiere)
The Force (Dir. Peter Nicks, New York Premiere)
I Am Another You (Dir. Nanfu Wang, New York Premiere)
The Incredible Jessica James (Dir. Jim Strouse, New York Premiere)
Ingrid Goes West (Dir. Matt Spicer, New York Premiere)
Lemon (Dir. Janicza Bravo, New York Premiere)
Marjorie Prime (Dir. Michael Almereyda, New York Premiere)
Most Beautiful Island (Dir. Ana Asensio, New York Premiere)
Princess Cyd (Dir. Stephen Cone, New York Premiere)
Signature Move (Dir. Jennifer Reeder, New York Premiere)
Snowy Bing Bongs (Dir. Rachel Wolther & Alex H. Fischer, World Premiere)
The Strange Ones (Dir. Lauren Wolkstein & Christopher Radcliff, New York Premiere)
Walking Out (Dir. Alex Smith & Andrew Smith, New York Premiere)
Where is Kyra? (Dir. Andrew Dosunmu, New York Premiere)
Whose Streets? (Dir. Sabaah Folayan, New York Premiere)
The Work (Dir. Jairus McLeary & Gethin Aldous, New York Premiere)
Wind River (Dir. Taylor Sheridan, New York Premiere)
Shorts:
All Good Things (Dir. Chloe Domont, New York Premiere)
Dear Renzo (Dir. Agostina Gálvez & Francisco Lezama, New York Premiere)
Educators (Dir. Jay Giampietro, World Premiere)
Hardware (Dir. Stephen Jacobson, New York Premiere)
Harvest (Dir. Kevin Byrnes, New York Premiere)
Have No Fear (Dir. Beata Calinska & Sarah Jacobson, New York Premiere)
Innards (Dir. Tyler Rubenfeld, World Premiere)
Lance Lizardi (Dir. Xander Robin, New York Premiere)
Men (Dir. Dane Mainella, World Premiere)
Outdoor Repertory Screening:
Our Song (Dir. Jim McKay)