2023 San Diego International Film Festival
SDIFF | Oct 18-22, 2023
Entries subject to change until after the festival.
https://sdfilmfest.com/film-festival-2023/
Entries subject to change until after the festival.
https://sdfilmfest.com/film-festival-2023/
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72 titles
- DirectorAlexander PayneStarsPaul GiamattiDa'Vine Joy RandolphDominic SessaA cranky history teacher at a prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a grieving cook and a troubled student who has no place to go.Opening Night Film
- DirectorKristoffer BorgliStarsLily BirdNicolas CageJulianne NicholsonAn ordinary family man finds his life turned upside down when strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams.Gala
- DirectorRaoul PeckStarsJohn C. BarnettClassie CurleyMelvin DavisA Black family in North Carolina has been harassed for decades by land developers attempting to take their waterfront property.Gala
- DirectorOlivier DahanStarsElsa ZylbersteinRebecca MarderÉlodie BouchezExplores the life of Simone Veil -- the famous French figure who survived the Holocaust and went on to become a leading politician, human rights campaigner, and feminist -- through a series of non-chronological memoriesGala
- DirectorAnh Hung TranStarsJuliette BinocheBenoît MagimelEmmanuel SalingerThe story of Eugenie, an esteemed cook, and Dodin - the fine gourmet chef she has been working for over the last 20 years.Gala
- DirectorMichael FosterStarsBeth GallagherEric CasaliniJosefina Trigueros AguilarWhen a woman estranged from her husband meets with him as a last-ditch effort to save their marriage, they read through the 36 Questions To Fall in Love and she discovers that their love might not be enough to keep them together.
- DirectorÁsa Helga HjörleifsdóttirStarsThorvaldur KristjanssonHera HilmarAníta BriemIn a remote fjord in 1940's Iceland, young farmer Bjarni and aspiring poet Helga begin a passionate, forbidden affair, emotions running as wild as the ocean waves that surround them.
- DirectorSing J. LeeStarsHiep Tran NghiaDustin NguyenDali BenssalahDuring a routine pickup, an elderly Vietnamese cab driver is taken hostage at gunpoint by three recently escaped Orange County convicts.
- DirectorGabriela CowperthwaiteStarsErtharin CousinLee GunnNathan HalversonAn investigative journalist uncovers the money, influence, and alarming rationale behind covert efforts to control the most vital resource on the planet.WINNER - Best Documentary
- DirectorDamian HarrisStarsJared HarrisJamie HarrisNicholas HamiltonHomeless teen, Nate, struggles to find the courage to confront the darkness of his past. When a popular drama teacher takes on the troubled kid, he's not quite prepared for the journey he's undertaking, nor the dark secrets Nate is hiding.
- DirectorHarriet MarinStarsTimuel BlackDanaé CapdevielleHarriet JonesA European filmmaker searches for the truth about her grandfather, the most famous Policy Kings of all times, who rose to the heights of financial and political prominence in Chicago in the 30s, despite discrimination.
- DirectorDan ClarkStarsPatrick BaladiKelly WenhamJack Parry-JonesA young, broke couple kidnap a sleazy politician who decides he can spin the story to his own advantage.WINNER - Best Comedy
- DirectorSean WainsteimStarsRichard ColeJ.J. GreenbergLiam HillAfter festival rejections, a director revises his intensely personal short film about trauma, suicide, and the Holocaust, and transforms it into a painful, blunt and funny dissection of the film and his life.
- DirectorPaloma NozickaStarsCher AlvarezPaloma NozickaJosh BywaterIn the midst of setting up for a mysterious party, a woman tries to stop her flighty younger sister from making a devastating choice.
- DirectorWesley WangStarsDavid MazouzLily CheeEli D GossA graduating high schooler navigates a world of seemingly inevitable chaos by finding order in the number 7.
- DirectorJina MiaoStarsAnna HouScott HuChen Chen JulianA young girl growing up in a Shanghainese gambling den, must protect her friend and survive the violent world of petty gangsters by relying only on her wits.
- DirectorChristina YoonStarsTiffany ChuHong KyungKim Tae-wooLeah, a Korean adoptee raised in America, returns to Korea to search for her birth mother. Leah is met with secrecy from the adoption agency as well as her own family but remains relentless on her solo journey, driven by her longing to discover the truth of her origins.
- DirectorMauricio Rodriguez-PonsAlmudena ToralStarsBaseerLynzy BillingHadiAn Afghan journalist embarks on a journey to find out who murdered her family 30 years ago, only to uncover hundreds of civilians killed in a secretive American-backed program.
- DirectorBen ProudfootStarsNoah CoxJohnny ReyesElda Torres
- DirectorWill N. MillerEd OuStarsWei ZitongOn any given night, tens of thousands of fishermen in China's distant-water squid fleet perform an industrial ballet thousands of miles out on the high seas. With unprecedented access to the extremely remote fishing grounds, SQUID FLEET is a poetic exploration of the motivations of the fishermen, the brutality of systemic labor abuses in the Chinese fishing industry, and the destruction wrought by the commodification of people and nature in our globalized world. It is based on two years of rigorous investigative journalism from the Pulitzer Prize-winning team of The Outlaw Ocean Project.WINNER - Best Short Doc
- DirectorShawn Antoine IIStarsTerry CooperKevin JosephMichelle SmallsKINGDOME explores the remarkable journey of Terry 'Huncho' Cooper and his legendary Harlem basketball tournament.
- DirectorSimon RossStarsNatalia Cordova-BuckleyRyan KwantenVirginia MadsenAfter her husband is devastated by a tragic accident, a devoted wife obsesses over a mysterious portrait that resembles him as he was; but when it starts to terrorize her, she must decide if it's possessed or if she's losing her mind.
- DirectorTyler DavisStarsZae JordanD.J. MausnerAlise Morales
- DirectorMichael GabrieleStarsAngela AielloLaShon BartonBrittanie BoeckWhen a sound guy's attempt to capture "room tone" is constantly thwarted by the noisy antics of his coworkers, he takes extreme measures to achieve silence.
- DirectorLaura LeeStarsPatrick BreenMarceline HugotDaniel SimonsenTrundle is a goblin who sweats a borscht so delicious it has made Mr. Murray's deli world famous, so Murray keeps Trundle in his basement. When Trundle hears that a Regular wants to meet the chef, he hatches a plan to work the counter.
- DirectorBrian LedermanStarsJosh TobinJuan Carlos DiazTomas DelgadoA man's life is upended by increasingly threatening phone calls demanding he leave a review for a paperweight purchased online.
- DirectorKamran RathodStarsBobby August Jr.Natalia DominguezA man takes on a roommate, only his roommate thinks she lives alone.
- DirectorAlessandro StiglianoStarsIsabell AndénHåkan ThebaA frustrated, underappreciated programmer is struggling to balance work and being father to a toddler. When his boss disrespects him once again in front of his colleagues, he finds a new way to channel all that built up rage - baking.
- DirectorSteve SpremoStarsIgor ObradovicEsteban SchembergBrian BollerA Day in the Life of a recent immigrant, where no one understands anyone else, and a trip to buy ice cream triggers a series of absurd misadventures.
- DirectorSara NodjoumiTill SchauderStarsNicky NodjoumiSara NodjoumiNahid HagigatSara Nodjoumi delves into the mystery surrounding the disappearance of more than 100 "treasonous" paintings by her father, seminal Iranian modern artist Nickzad Nodjoumi.
- DirectorBeatriz LuengoStarsYotuel Romero
- DirectorClaire DixStarsBarry WardLiam CarneyMaureen BeattieA recovering addict who is caring for his terminally ill sponsor.
- DirectorDiego VicentiniStarsChristian McGaffneyJana NawartschiLuis SilvaSimón, a Venezuelan freedom fighter exiled in Miami, copes not only with trauma, but also deep guilt over a choice he must make: stay in Miami and start a new life, or return home to the losing fight against a tyrannical regime.
- DirectorSteven KanterHenry LoevnerStarsClaudia RestrepoDerrick Joseph DeBlasisBen ColemanAn emotionally adrift young woman forges an unexpected friendship with a wilderness guide when she and her fiancé take a summer holiday in Jackson Hole, WY
- DirectorJennifer EspositoStarsJennifer EspositoAnnabella SciorraOdessa A'zionFollows the story of the loyal women of an organized crime family that dominated some of the boroughs of New York City in the late 20th century.WINNER - Artistic Director's Award
- DirectorVincent LambeStarsDanielle GalliganSameer BalochJohn DalessandroA petrol station attendant is drawn into the harsh world of a trafficked immigrant car washer, torn between speaking out at the risk of losing everything.
- DirectorAhmad AlyaseerStarsKamel El BashaShafeqa Al-TalMoataz AllabadiA father and mother are faced with the painful task of washing and shrouding their deceased transgender daughter. When no one agrees to wash her, how far is the father willing to go to make sure his "son" is washed?
- DirectorBanchi HanuseStarsLogan Red CrowKitana ArcandJayme Big SnakeBanchi Hanuse's doc takes us to the golden plains of Blackfoot Territory to the home of Logan Red Crow, a young Siksika woman whose passion is the Indian Relay. A sport for the truly brave, the Relay's bareback riders vault from horse to horse in short, exhilarating races. Gentle and reflective, yet unshakable in her determination, Logan is a champion in the making. Besides her skill and sheer grit, she has a loving family, an elite group of horses, and a home on her ancestral lands. Those are invaluable, but this rider will need more for victory. As Hanuse follows her through one competition after another, we see courage put to the test, and also get a picture of the other factors involved in the sport-including blind circumstance. Aitamaako'tamisskapi Natosi: Before the Sun offers the dual pleasures of serenity and suspense: we get leisurely, lyrical immersion in rural life as well as the thrill of rooting for victory. Logan's bond with her horses is palpable, and Hanuse shows us her tender interactions with them contrasted with gripping races. The animals are beautiful in their mute strength, and the director honours them with loving, graceful images. The connections explored here are profound and lasting: those between Father and Daughter, animal and human, family and community, ancestral tradition and contemporary life. Graceful, compelling and uplifting, this is an inspirational gem. It offers, through Logan, her horses, her family and her Nation, a portrait of radiant heroism.WINNER - Kumeyaay Award
- DirectorPieter De CnuddeStarsViolet BraeckmanGeert Van Rampelberg
- DirectorDaniel SinclairStarsGreta LeeBen SinclairKristin SlaysmanJane and Teddy are on the brink of divorce - but when their marital problems come to a sticking point, they have an unexpected breakthrough.
- DirectorStephanie KaznochaStarsCarol HermanEve SigallAfter the death of a friend, two nuns in their golden years contemplate what their future holds. One confession leads to another and before they know it, they're embarking on an adventure.
- DirectorMichelle DannerStarsEmily VanCampKyle MacLachlanAbigail BreslinPatricia "Trish" Weir is committed to putting her kidnapper and rapist Ernesto Miranda in prison, while her life is destroyed by the legal system.WINNER - Best Women's Film Series
- DirectorBryan GreenbergStarsSophia BushJamie ChungMichaela ConlinJunction addresses the modern day opioid crisis in America, and asks how did this happen, from three different points of view. The CEO of a pharmaceutical company, a doctor, and a patient.WINNER - Best Drama
- DirectorBrendan BeachmanStarsHugo ArmstrongMegan StognerScott KuzaFor newlyweds Brad and Jill, it seems the honeymoon's over before it began. When an eccentric stranger stumbles into the couples first argument as man and wife, the day takes an abrupt turn and changes their lives forever.
- DirectorMehrnoush AliaStarsMirsaeed MolavianMojde DaieEbrahim AziziFired from his job, behind on his rent and abandoned by his wife, a burnt-out Uber driver gets an unusual passenger.
- DirectorJonatan Egholm KeisStarsCarla Viola ThurøeLucas Lynggaard TønnesenJohannes KuhnkeA woman robs a gas station with her nearly-blind younger brother and catapults herself into a claustrophobic tick-of-the-clock race for a new set of lenses for his eyes.
- DirectorRamazan KilicStarsElanur KiliçReyhan KiliçSukran AktiA little Kurdish girl tries to put a smile back on her grandmother's face after the disappearance of her television, her only window into the world.WINNER - Best Short Narrative
- DirectorDamián RomayStarsDiane LaddMary Stuart MastersonSam RobardsWhen actress Carmen Crawford suffers a stroke and awakens thinking she's living in the past, her estranged daughter Victoria hopes to understand their broken bond before Carmen recovers her memory.
- DirectorTyler DoehringStarsJonathan BennoNick CurtolaCiro OlivaFollows chef Ciro Oliva, who runs the pizzeria Concettina ai Tre Santi and wishes for it to become the first of its kind to receive a coveted Michelin Star, but with the notoriously secretive organization, that's not easy to achieve.
- DirectorJulian Felix AaronsonStarsJulian Felix AaronsonDavid Lee AndersonMargaret FallFraught with insecurities over sexuality, self-acceptance, and gender, a sleep-deprived teenager explains various smells.WINNER - Best Student Film
- DirectorAshlynn JudyStarsChristine HughesPeter LarneyGoran IvanovMac is a horny Christian girl on a mission to lose her virginity. After getting rejected by her sexy church crush, Satan offers her the guy of her dreams - but when dealing with the devil, there's always a catch.
- DirectorEva NeuwirthStarsNicolás BlancoBabe HowardEmily JamesTwo twenty somethings find a connection at a bar while waiting for their app dates to arrive.
- DirectorRaphaël HernandezStarsCharlie ArcherZevi KhairdeanRamona Von PuschPaul and his family are going for a fun rickshaw ride when a sudden encounter stops them on their way back home.
- DirectorBruno UrziStarsSara Wilson-SoppittA care robot looks after an elderly woman, played by Sara Wilson-Soppitt.
- DirectorJosh GreeneA Jewish surfer confronts the dark, anti-semitic history of the sport he once found solace in.
- DirectorSungbin ByunStarsChoi HaejunKo Jae-hyunKim Woo-kyumA transgender Korean lady who has been living and working in Seoul as a dancer must deal with her father's passing and the expectations placed on her to take part in a traditional, gendered memorial dance.
- DirectorRod BlackhurstStarsScoot McNairyKit HaringtonJosh LucasCliff, a traveling salesman drowning under the weight of providing for his family and the myth of the American dream, finds himself on a dangerous path after a chance encounter with Ricky, a colleague from a dark past.WINNER - Best Feature
- DirectorSandra MitrovicStarsSlobodan 'Boda' NinkovicJelisaveta 'Seka' SablicDragan JovanovicFollowing the comical adventures of the tenants in a seemingly ordinary building in Belgrade, situation culminates thanks to bad pipes and the mysterious underground waters to a temptation that, in the end, catches them all unprepared.
- DirectorEmma DavieStarsRachael AlexanderKevin AndersonEmeka EmemboluThe Oil Machine explores our economic, historical and emotional entanglement with oil by looking at the conflicting imperatives around North Sea oil.
- DirectorAlison MurrayStarsCristina BanegasRaphael Grosz-HarveyHeinz K. KrattigerA brother and sister return to the country of their birth, Argentina, for the first time in their adult lives they fall in love with tango and uncover dark family secrets.WINNER - Best International Feature
- DirectorAdam LevyStarsAlfred MolinaJerry, an awkwardly plump hummingbird, desperately tries to fit in with his siblings. But more often than not, he only weighs them down, literally. After accidentally destroying the family nest, Jerry is exiled to an old dead tree, never to be seen or heard from again. Family always sticks together though. So when a hungry house cat attempts to turn his siblings into a three-course meal, Jerry must set his sorrows aside and be the bird he was born to be in order to save his family.
- DirectorIman ZawahryStarsWaseem AlzerJannah EbeidZaydaan FarookiAs Saamidah, a young Palestinian-American girl, anxiously starts her first day of school, she finds her identity in question when faced with a world map that doesn't include her homeland.
- DirectorChristopher Hills EatonA sailor survives the attack on Pearl Harbor by clinging to a floating driftwood log, and when he's finally rescued, he refuses to let go, leading to a lifelong relationship of love, sacrifice, and respect.
- DirectorHjalti HjalmarssonIn an energy-scarce dystopia, an old destitute man breaks into a battery factory but soon finds himself confronted by a deadly security droid and no way out.
- DirectorVishavjit SinghRyan WestraParamjeet SinghStarsVishavjit SinghThe true and unlikely story of an American born, turban-wearing Sikh man, Vishavjit Singh, who after a lifetime of facing prejudice, self-doubt and violence, finally finds acceptance in a superhero costume.WINNER - Best Animation
- DirectorSam ShahidStarsVince AlettiDon BachardyVincent CianniAn intimate look at a pioneering, openly gay artist, who took radically explicit photographs of the male nude.WINNER - Breakthrough Documentary
- DirectorGeorge NicholasStarsGustavo CruzJorge Domínguez CerdáLeah FinityManuel is a 16-year-old living in Tijuana, Mexico with his grandfather while his mom works in the U.S. When he meets a girl, he sees an opportunity to assert his independence, but what he doesn't know about her will push him to the limit.
- DirectorJake RademacherIn Brothers After War, Jake Rademacher reconnects with his brothers and soldiers he embedded with in Iraq. He creates a unique "then and now" journey into the toll of war and a never before seen look at war fighters and the veterans they become.WINNER - Best Military Film
- DirectorCord JeffersonStarsJeffrey WrightTracee Ellis RossJohn OrtizA novelist who's fed up with the establishment profiting from Black entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of the hypocrisy and madness he claims to disdain.WINNER - Best Gala Film
- DirectorStephen GyllenhaalStarsDan PallotaEdward NortonRudy EspinozaShowing how our charitable traditions and prejudices have suffocated the charitable sector and prevent it from leading the charge to truly change the world.
- DirectorDominic GillStarsNixon AndyEdison LucitanteMorelia MeduaAcross the Amazon, Indigenous guards are unarmed patrols that peacefully defend ancestral territories against threats like oil, mining and poaching. They use diverse technologies to monitor their lands, and when necessary, force out illegal operations and actors. Most of this daily work, which involves lengthy hikes and patient observation, goes unseen. This film depicts the process of the Indigenous Guard: its patrols, its watchful vigilance over the landscape, and its support of the community. Their work as guards helps ensure that destruction in the Amazon doesn't advance, and that their community has the vital space it needs to live life on their own terms.
- DirectorKatie McNeiceStarsPat ShorttFiach KunzJohanna O'BrienA young dad in rural Ireland must face his own anxiety around gender and bullying when his baby is born intersex.