The 30th annual Slamdance Film Festival, the upstart indie-movie event running parallel to the Sundance Film Festival, has announced the 32 feature films that will screen during its 2024 edition.
The festival will run Jan. 19-25 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Park City - The Yarrow, 1800 Park Ave., Park City — and online on the Slamdance Channel from Jan. 22 to 28.
Festival director Taylor Miller, in a statement Monday, called this year’s slate “a testament to filmmakers who dare to push their stories to the very edge of filmmaking, making it deeply personal yet globally resonant.”
Closing the festival on Jan. 25, the festival announced Monday, is “Invisible Nation,” a documentary by director Vanessa Hope that’s billed as “a bold, seven-year odyssey into the heart of Taiwan’s political arena. With unparalleled access to President Tsai Ing-wen, Hope highlights the struggle of the 23 million people of Taiwan who battle for autonomy and freedom.”
The opening-night film, previously announced, is the documentary “One Bullet,” Oscar-winning director Carol Dysinger’s documentary about the mother of an Afghan teenager who was shot in front of his house, and died of his wounds two years later. The film, which took 18 years to make, details the scars left on the family by the son’s injury and death.
Among the highlights of Slamdance’s feature slate is the return to Park City of maverick animator Bill Plympton, whose feature debut “The Tune” premiered at Sundance back in 1992. His new feature, “Slide,” is described by Slamdance progammers as “the wackiest, most surreal musical Western ever.”
Passes and tickets are available at slamdance.com.
Here are the 32 films playing at Slamdance, with synopses provided by the festival:
Narrative Features
“The Accident” (Italy) • “After being fired, Marcella, a gentle-hearted mother going through separation, buys a tow truck; she gets trapped deeper and deeper in a cynical and aggressive world until a terrible opportunity shines in front of her.” Directed by Giuseppe Garau; the cast includes Giulia Mazzarino, Anna Coppola, Alice Dente, Nathalie Bernardi, Elena Savio, Toni Pandolfo and Elisa Denti.
“African Giants” • “Over a weekend visit in Los Angeles, two first-generation Sierra Leonean American brothers navigate the changing dynamics of brotherhood after a surprise announcement.” Directed by Omar S. Kamara; the cast includes Dillon Daniel Mutyaba, Omete Anassi, Tanyell Waivers, Josh Lopez, Kathleen Kenny and Scott Bender.
“All I’ve Got & Then Some” • “Based on a true story, ‘All I’ve Got & Then Some’ follows a day in the life of Rasheed, a homeless stand-up comedian living out of his car in Los Angeles, giving everything he’s got to make his dreams come true.” Directed by Tehben Dean and Rasheed Stephens; the cast includes Stephens, Avis Parsons, Naiya Armour, Boo Kapone, Glen “Big Baby” Davis, Charles Constant and Armie Hicks Jr.
“The Bitcoin Car” (Norway) • “After pimping out her old Toyota with money she got when a crypto investor started bitcoin mining on her parents’ graves, a morally challenged goat farmer fears that activity at the mine is endangering everyone.” Directed by Trygve Luktvasslimo; the cast includes Sunniva Birkeland Johansen, Henrik Paus, Zoe Winther-Hansen, Johannes Winther Farstad, England Brooks, Espen Beranek Holm, Marianne Jakobsen and Irene Sundsfjord.
“Brando With the Glass Eye” (Greece, Australia) • “A talented method actor commits a heist that goes wrong; he befriends the critically injured victim and tries to reconcile his guilt before his one-shot scholarship audition in New York.” Directed by Antonis Tsonis; the cast includes Yiannis Niarros, Kostas Nikoulis, Xenia Dania, Alexandros Chrysanthopoulos, Maria Kallimani, Yiannis Tsortekis and Chara Mata Giannatou.
”The Complex Forms” (Italy) • “The anxious wait, in an elegant villa, of a group of desperate people who have sold their bodies to unknown creatures.” Directed by Fabio D’Orta; the cast includes David Richard White, Michele Venni, Cesare Bonomelli and Enzo Solazzi.
“Darla In Space” • “Darla Peterson teams up with a sentient orgasm-granting kombucha scoby named Mother to pay off a huge tax debt.” Directed by Susie Moon and Eric Laplante; the cast includes Alex E. Harris, Constance Shulman, Rasheda Crockett, Thomas Jay Ryan, Jenn Lyon, Woody Fu and J.S. Oliver.
“Hell of Se” (Japan) • “School girl ‘Momo Amano’ falls in love with her male classmate ‘Hayasaka,’ but he loves someone else. Amano’s best friend, ‘Yoshiyuki,’ is opposed to her love. ‘Hayasaka’ is a menstruophile, and one day he took all the used napkins in the school and ran away. From that day on, he never returned to class.” Directed by Sawa Kawakami; the cast includes Yura Tsuduri, Watashinoyouna Tenki, Himari Hitomi, Miu Kainuma, Rukapi, Itsuka Hashimura and Tengo Saito.
“Sam’s World” • “Sam — a nonbinary mid-20s sex worker — navigates romantic, sociality and an impending pregnancy-related decision over the course of a weekend in New York City.” Directed by Lily Lady; the cast includes Annie Conolly, Ajé Brown, Riley Mac, Quinn, Coco Gordon Moore, Maddie Vasquez and Aurora O’Greenfield.
“The Washer” (Germany) • “While doing the laundry, the young lawyer Jan discovers that the washing machine creates phenomena. The effect can be reproduced and he massively expands his experiments. The machines run 24/7. Is he the only one who knows about it?” Directed by Nils A. Witt; the cast includes Sebastian Bös, Loredana Linglauf, Stephanie Jost, Henry Meyer, Elikem Anyigba and Can Arduc.
Documentary Features
“Citizen Weiner” • “Zack Weiner is an actor residing on New York’s Upper West Side. When the film industry shut down due to COVID-19, Zack and his friend Joe embarked on a unique project: To make a film about running for city council, while actually running for New York’s city council.” Directed by Daniel Robbins; subjects include Zack Weiner, Joe Gallagher, Sarah Coffey, James Watson, Aaron Dalla Villa, Cherie Vogelstein and Dan Bright.
“The Death Tour” (Canada) • “The Death Tour follows wrestling hopefuls across remote indigenous communities in Canada’s far North on ‘the most grueling tour in pro wrestling.’ This test of strength and grit will show how far some are willing to go to live their dreams.” Directed by Stephan Peterson and Sonya Ballantyne; subjects include Tony Condello, Sage Morin, Sean Dunster, Dez Loreen and Sara McNicholl.
“Demon Mineral” • “An account of life in the wake of uranium mining on sacred lands. Shot over four years with Diné (Navajo) community oversight and guidance, the film examines the legacy of uranium extraction from the perspectives of both the landscape and its inhabitants.” Directed by Hadley Austin; subjects include Emma Robbins, Lisa Robbins, Jesse Holiday, Deb Haaland andTommy Rock.
“I’m ‘George Lucas’: A Connor Ratliff Story” • “Five years into performing as renowned filmmaker George Lucas in the NY cult comedy show ‘The George Lucas Talk Show,’ comedian Connor Ratliff questions the need for its continuation and his own drive for success and fulfillment in show business.” Directed by Ryan Jacobi; subjects include Connor Ratliff, Griffin Newman and Patrick Cotnoir.
“On The Way Home” (Georgia, United States) • “A documentary feature that follows two Georgian families, displaced by war, squatting in an abandoned former Soviet sanatorium as they await government housing.” Directed by Giorgi Kvelidze; subjects include Nikusha Berulava and Iamze Giorgadze.
“Petro” (Spain, Colombia, United States) • “A charismatic former guerrilla’s historic bid for president divides Colombia, a nation weary of conflict and yearning for change.” Directed by Sean Mattison.
“Punishment” (Norway) • “Four inmates on maximum security have chosen to enter a three-week Jesuit silent retreat in prison. They are guided by two priests. The film slowly observes this paradoxical situation, while looking beyond the question of religious belief: How do ethical exercises, rituals, and communal silence affect us? The setting evolves into a prism for gauging a portrait of the existential landscape of the convicted.” Directed by Øystein Mamen.
“Roll Bus Roll: A Jeffrey Lewis Documentary” • “Musician Jeffrey Lewis, one of the chief figures of NYC’s anti-folk scene, grapples with crippling anxieties and questions his sanity while embarking on a quest for love. Along the way, he explores the intersection of art and human existence.” Directed by Ilya Popenko; subjects include Jeffrey Lewis, Adam Green and Jim Testa.
Breakouts
“Anna’s Feelings” (Russia) • “The story of a simple worker in a provincial factory in Russia, who begins to hear the voices of extraterrestrial civilizations. Now she has to transmit the most important information for humanity.” Directed by Anna Melikyan; the cast includes Anna Mikhalkova, Timofei Tribuntsev and Oleg Yagodin.
“Bike Vessel” • “‘Bike Vessel’ follows a father and son, 70 and 35, as they cycle from St. Louis to Chicago. Film director Eric Seals’ father almost died after three open-heart surgeries. However, he makes a miraculous health recovery after discovering his love for cycling, bringing his son Eric along with him.” Directed by Eric D. Seals; subjects include Eric D. Seals, Donnie Seals Sr., Sharon Seals, Donnie Seals Jr. and Curtis Cotton.
“Chaperone” • “Alienated by friends and family for her lack of ambition, 29-year-old Misha finds a dangerous acceptance in a bright, 19-year-old athlete who mistakes her for a fellow student.” Directed by Zoe Eisenberg; the cast includes Mitzi Akaha, Laird Akeo, Kanoa Goo, Jessica Jade Andres, Krista Alvarez and Ioane Goodhue.
“Love And Work” • “Diane and Fox love to work. Unfortunately, they live in a polarized world where having a job is illegal.” Directed by Pete Ohs; the cast includes Stephanie Hunt, Will Madden, Frank Mosley, Alexi Pappas and John S. Davies.
“One Bullet” (Afghanistan) • “This story of female friendship forged amidst America’s longest war is told by a filmmaker who spent 18 years in-and-out of Afghanistan. In this war movie, the battlefield lies behind the curtains of an Afghan home as Bibi Hajji struggles to survive the loss of her youngest child, and the impact of a brother’s death on her remaining sons. A haunting image of that boy surviving a bullet wound prompted director Carol Dysinger to investigate, what happened to him, who fired the shot?”
“Slide” • “What if Clint Eastwood and Mel Brooks became cartoonists and united to create the wackiest, most surreal musical western ever? That’s ‘Slide.’” Directed by Bill Plympton; the cast includes Maureen McElheron, Jim Lujan, Tom Racine, Daniel Kaufman, Sasha Odesa, Ana Sophia Colon, Ken Mora and Simone McAlonen.
Spotlight Features
“Bliss” • “An opioid-addicted fugitive living off the grid in the desert canyons north of L.A. plays a twisted game of cat and mouse with a sexually repressed holy roller in search of her missing sister.” Directed by Joe Maggio; the cast includes Clint Jordan, Faryl Amadeus and Juan Fernandez.
“The Herricanes” • “The Houston Herricanes, a women’s professional full-tackle football team, find camaraderie and strength as they controversially open a new door in the world of sports.” Directed by Olivia Kuan.
“Invisible Nation” (United States, Taiwan) • “With unprecedented access to Taiwan’s first female president, Tsai Ing-wen, director Vanessa Hope crafts a fascinating portrait of Taiwan and the country’s struggle to preserve its hard-won democracy. ‘Invisible Nation’ is a living account of Tsai’s tightrope walk as she balances the hopes and dreams of her nation between the colossal geopolitical forces of the U.S. and China.” Subjects include Tsai Ing-wen (Taiwan’s president), Chen Chu (Human Rights Commissioner), Bi-khim Hsiao (Taiwan’s representative to the United States), Freddy Lim (legislator and heavy-metal rock star) and Wu Pei-yi (Taipei city councilor).
Unstoppable Features
“Daruma” • “Patrick (bitter wheelchair user) must enlist the help of his cantankerous neighbor, Robert (double amputee), to transport the 4-year-old daughter he never knew he had to live with her maternal grandparents on the other side of the country.” Directed by Alexander Yellen; the cast includes Tobias Forrest, John W. Lawson, Abigail Hawk, Barry Bostwick, Victoria Scott, Joy Nash, Sandi McCree and Austin Basis.
“Good, Bad Things” • “Danny, a young man with muscular dystrophy who is disillusioned by failed relationships, steps out of his comfort zone and into the world of online dating.” Directed by Shane D. Stanger; the cast includes Danny Kurtzman, Brett Dier, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Timothy Granaderos and Samantha Robinson.
“Leilani’s Fortune” (Canada) • “After a decade of struggling as an independent artist, ‘Leilani’s Fortune’ follows the blossoming career of queer, Ethiopian-Eritrean artist, Witch Prophet, who finally gets the validation and support she needs to create the album of her prophecies.” Directed by Loveleen Kaur; subjects include Witch Prophet and Sun Sun.
“Look At Me” • “A fictional autobiography about an insecure, awkward, and lonely actor who goes on an unwitting journey of self-love in the midst of an eating disorder relapse.” Directed by Taylor Olson; the cast includes Olson, Koumbie, Stephanie MacDonald and Sam Vigneault.
“Nina Is an Athlete” (Israel, United States) • “On the cusp of turning 40, wheelchair badminton champion Nina Gorodetsky aspires to conquer greater competitive heights by representing Israel in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. However, she also wants to conceive, which puts her at a critical career crossroad negotiating a ticking biological clock both as a mother and as an athlete.” Directed by Ravit Markus and Livi Kessel; subjects include Nina Gorodetsky, Dor Kessel, Leon Pugach, Boris Gorodetsky, Tamara Gorodetsky, Reuven Moses, Amir Levy and Ron Bolotin.
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For details on the Episodes program slate, the DIG (Digital Interactive Gaming) online slate, as well as the short film programs, go to slamdance.com.
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