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MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS
Directed By: Josie Rourke
Studio: Focus Features
Official Synopsis: “Mary Queen of Scots” explores the turbulent life of the charismatic Mary Stuart (Ronan). Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. But Scotland and England fall under the rule of the compelling Elizabeth I (Robbie). Each young Queen beholds her “sister” in fear and fascination. Rivals in power and in love, and female regents in a masculine world, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence. Determined to rule as much more than a figurehead, Mary asserts her claim to the English throne, threatening Elizabeth’s sovereignty. Betrayal, rebellion, and conspiracies within each court imperil both thrones – and change the course of history.
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Jack Lowden, Joe Alwyn, David Tennant, and Guy Pearce
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VOX LUX
Directed By: Brady Corbet
Studio: Neon
Official Synopsis: VOX LUX, A 21st Century Portrait, begins in 1999 when teenage Celeste (Raffey Cassidy) survives a violent tragedy. After singing at a memorial service, Celeste transforms into a burgeoning pop star with the help of her songwriter sister (Stacy Martin) and talent manager (Jude Law). Celeste’s meteoric rise to fame dovetails with a personal and national loss of innocence, consequently elevating the young powerhouse to a new kind of celebrity: American icon, secular deity, global superstar. By 2017, adult Celeste (Natalie Portman) is mounting a comeback after a scandalous incident almost derailed her career. Touring in support of her sixth album, a compendium of sci-fi anthems entitled, “Vox Lux,” the indomitable, foul-mouthed pop savior must overcome her personal and familial struggles to navigate motherhood, madness and monolithic fame.
Starring: Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin and Jennifer Ehle
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BEN IS BACK
Directed By: Peter Hedges
Studio: LD Entertainment / Lionsgate / Roadside Attractions
Official Synopsis: 19 year-old Ben Burns (Lucas Hedges) unexpectedly returns home to his family’s suburban home on Christmas Eve morning. Ben’s mother, Holly (Julia Roberts), is relieved and welcoming but wary of her son staying clean. Over a turbulent 24 hours, new truths are revealed, and a mother’s undying love for her son is tested as she does everything in her power to keep him safe.
Starring: Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges, Courtney B. Vance, Kathryn Newton, and Alexandra Park
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DUMPLIN’
Directed By: Anne Fletcher
Studio: Netflix
Official Synopsis: Dumplin’ (Danielle Macdonald) is the plus-size, teenage daughter of a former beauty queen (Jennifer Aniston), who signs up for her mom’s pageant as a protest that escalates when other contestants follow her footsteps, revolutionizing the pageant and their small Texas town.
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Danielle Macdonald, Odeya Rush, and Dove Cameron
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BACK ROADS
Directed By: Alex Pettyfer
Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Official Synopsis: After his mother (a gritty Juliette Lewis) goes to jail for shooting and killing his abusive father, Harley Altmyer (Alex Pettyfer) is left to care for his three younger sisters in a rural Pennsylvania town. The uneducated Harley works two dead-end jobs to preserve what’s left of his family, including the rebellious, sexual 16-year-old Amber (Nicola Peltz). Angered and traumatized by his painful past, Harley finally begins to feel hope when he connects with an older, married woman (Jennifer Morrison), and they embark on an affair. When shocking family secrets emerge, Harley’s life begins to spiral downward, leading to a devastating conclusion that impacts the entire community.
Starring: Alex Pettyfer, Jennifer Morrison, Nicola Peltz, Chiara Aurelia, Hala Finley, June Carry, with Robert Patrick and Juliette Lewis
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TYREL
Directed By: Sebastián Silva
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
Official Synopsis: TYREL follows Tyler, who joins his friend on a trip to the Catskills for a weekend birthday party with several people he doesn’t know. As soon as they get there, it’s clear that (1) he’s the only black guy, and (2) it’s going to be a weekend of heavy drinking. Although Tyler is welcomed, he can’t help but feel uneasy in “Whitesville.” The combination of all the testosterone and alcohol starts to get out of hand, and Tyler’s precarious situation starts to feel like a nightmare.
Starring: Jason Mitchell, Christopher Abbott, Michael Cera, Caleb Landry Jones, Michael Zegen, Phillip Ettinger, Ann Dowd, and Reg E. Cathey
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AMAZING GRACE
Directed By: Sydney Pollack (partial)
Studio: Al’s Records and Tapes
Official Synopsis: Concert footage from 1972 of Aretha Franklin performing songs from the best-selling gospel album at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles.
Starring: Aretha Franklin, C.L. Franklin, Rev. James Cleveland, Bernard Pretty Purdie, Alonzo Atkins, and Chuck Rainey
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DIVIDE AND CONQUER: THE STORY OF ROGER AILES
Directed By: Alexis Bloom
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
Official Synopsis: DIVIDE AND CONQUER: THE STORY OF ROGER AILES sheds light on the current moment in American political life by following the arc of Roger Ailes: long-time Republican svengali and controversial founder of Fox News. By coaching an unrivaled stable of politicians over the course of fifty years, Ailes heavily influenced Republican politics, steering the conservative movement from Nixon, to the Tea Party, to Trump. Under his tutelage, anger and fear became the coin of the realm, both on the ballot and on national television. Diagnosed with hemophilia at an early age, it took someone intimate with fear to skillfully manipulate the fear of others. With Rupert Murdoch behind him, Roger Ailes started Fox News and turned it into a money-making juggernaut, with profits exceeding those of all its rivals combined. He discarded notions of traditional journalism and turned prime time television into flame-throwing TV. Short skirts and low necklines mesmerized his audience and, as long as Fox made money, there was little oversight of his fiefdom. But the carnival house mirror Ailes put up to America reflected his own distorted personal life. This is a story of serial cruelty, both on the public stage and in private life.
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SWIMMING WITH MEN
Directed By: Oliver Parker
Studio: Sundance Selects
Official Synopsis: His job is a drag, his wife may be cheating on him, and he’s not getting any younger. Accountant Eric (Rob Brydon) is simply treading water when he discovers a newfound sense of purpose thanks to an unexpected source: a group of similarly stuck-in-a-rut guys who have found camaraderie and self-worth through synchronized swimming. Sure, they may be a bit paunchy, but they’re determined to prove they have what it takes to be a whirling, twirling, scissor-kicking aquatic dream team. And they’ve set their sights on the ultimate prize: the world championship. Showcasing the sharp wit of The Trip series’ Rob Brydon, Swimming With Men is a big-hearted, delightfully offbeat ode to answering your calling, no matter where you are in life.
Starring: Rob Brydon, Jane Horrocks, Rupert Graves, Daniel Mays Thomas Turgoose, Jim Carter and Charlotte Riley
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GREAT GREAT GREAT
Directed By: Adam Garnet Jones
Studio: Ammo Content
Official Synopsis: In the span of Lauren and Tom’s five-year relationship, they’ve never had a fight. Their sex life is fine. They get along fine. Everything points to marriage, until Lauren suddenly sees a lifetime of “just fine” yawning ahead of her, and it immediately makes her hungry for a better, fuller future. She just has to decide what “better” really means. One moment Lauren resolves to double down on her commitment to Tom, and the next moment she is ready to blow the whole thing up. So, Lauren does what any reasonable person would do – she does not choose. She does both. In a doomed attempt to have everything she wants without giving anything up, Lauren simultaneously starts an affair with her boss, rents a bachelor apartment, and asks Tom to marry her. When they start to plan the wedding, and her no-strings affair gets complicated, Lauren struggles to save what is most important to her before she loses it all. Great Great Great is a deeply relatable portrait of a woman who makes us squirm with discomfort while asking us to love some of the most unlovable parts of ourselves.
Starring: Dan Beirne, Meredith Cheesbrough, Richard Clarkin, Lindsay Leese, Sarah Kolasky, and John Jarvis
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THE CHARMER
Directed By: Milad Alami
Studio: Film Movement
Official Synopsis: “The Charmer” is an intense psychological drama about Esmail, a young Iranian man who is desperately looking to meet women who can secure his stay in Denmark. As time is running out he falls in love with one woman as another woman’s husband sets out for revenge.
Starring: Ardalan Esmaili, Soho Rezanejad, Lars Brygmann, Susan Taslimi, and Stine Fischer Christensen
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ALL THE DEVIL’S MEN
Directed By: Matthew Hope
Studio: Saban Films
Official Synopsis: All The Devil’s Men follows a team of hardened military operatives on a relentless manhunt through the backstreets of London. The explosive action-thriller finds a battle-scarred mercenary in the War on Terror who is forced to go to London on a manhunt for a disavowed CIA operative, which leads him into a deadly running battle with a former military comrade and his private army.
Starring: William Fichtner, Sylvia Hoeks, Elliot Cowan, Milo Gibson, Gbenga Akinnagbe, and Joseph Millson
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CENTRAL PARK
Directed By: Justin Reinsilber
Studio: Feast & Bourbon Films
Official Synopsis: Central Park is a unique, genre bending thriller/horror film that spans one night in the worlds’ most famous park. Six best friends, high school students, prepare for a night of fun. School is boring, family life unbearable, and Harold and his friends have turned Central Park into their ‘spot’. Young and invincible; Harold and his crew own this city. Unbeknownst to them, a revenge-seeking executioner prepares to kill them off one by one to pay for the sins of the father.
Starring: Grace VanPatten, Marina Squerciati, Ruby Modine, Sarah Mezzanotte, and Michael J. Lombardi
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ASHER
Directed By: Michael Caton-Jones
Studio: Momentum Pictures
Official Synopsis: Asher (Ron Perlman) is a former Mossad agent turned gun for hire, living an austere life in an ever-changing Brooklyn. Approaching the end of his career, he breaks the oath he took as a young man when he meets Sophie (Famke Janssen) on a hit gone wrong. In order to have love in his life before it’s too late, he must kill the man he was, for a chance at becoming the man he wants to be.
Starring: Famke Janssen, Ron Perlman, Richard Dreyfuss, Jacqueline Bisset, and Peter Facinelli
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CLARA’S GHOST
Directed By: Bridey Elliott
Studio: Orion Classics
Official Synopsis: Set over the course of a single evening in the Reynolds family home in suburban Connecticut, Clara’s Ghost tells the story of Clara Reynolds who, fed up with constant ribbing from her self-absorbed showbiz family, finds solace in and guidance from the supernatural force she believes is haunting her.
Starring: Abby Elliott, Bridey Elliott, Chris Elliott, Isidora Goreshter, Haley Joel Osment, and Paula Niedert Elliott
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THE APPEARANCE
Directed By: Kurt Knight
Studio: Gravitas Ventures
Official Synopsis: Mateho the Inquisitor (Jake Stormoen, “The Outpost”) and his comrade (Kristian Nairn, “Game of Thrones”) are summoned to a monastery to investigate a series of mysterious murders and the alleged ‘witch’ accused of the horrific crimes. It soon becomes clear that something evil haunts the church and Mateho must act quickly to stop the dark vengeance from destroying everything in its path.
Starring: Jake Stormoen, Kristian Nairn, Adam Johnson, Baylee Self, and Michael Flynn
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ELEPHANTS
Directed By: Alexander Hanno
Studio: Indie Rights
Official Synopsis:After a three year stint in prison, the charming but hot-headed Lee Riley returns to Los Angeles to win back the girlfriend he left behind, alluring and headstrong Kate Caldwell. Despite having moved on and grown into an independent woman, Kate agrees to let him stay while he looks for an apartment and soon enough, the pair falls back into their old patterns, losing themselves in an ardent relationship once more. Yet, as the free-spirited nature of their romance starts to tear down the life Kate has built, she finds herself losing her new identity but unable to let Lee go. Likewise, Lee starts to wonder if the buoyant memories from their past are preventing him from growing up and becoming something more.
Starring: Luca Malacrino, Allison Blaize, Lauren Kelly, and Nathan Shaw
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HOSPITALITY
Directed By: Nick Chakwin & David Guglielmo
Studio: Kandoo Films
Official Synopsis: Former prostitute Donna (Emmanuelle Chriqui, Entourage) turned her brothel into a legitimate bed and breakfast, following the birth of her cognitively deficit son Jimmy (Conner McVicker, Vice Principals). Trouble comes knocking when ex-con Cam (Sam Trammell, True Blood) arrives to collect what he’s been hiding there for the past two decades. As it turns out, he’s not the only one looking for it. In a brutal fight for survival, Donna must protect Jimmy and her home from a crooked cop (JR Bourne, Teen Wolf) and a thug (Jim Beaver, Supernatural).
Starring: Emmanuelle Chriqui, JR Bourne, Jim Beaver, Sam Trammell, and Conner McVicker
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BERNIE THE DOLPHIN
Directed By: Kirk Harris
Studio: Lionsgate
Official Synopsis: Kevin and Holly love splashing and playing with their dolphin friend Bernie and his family. But when Bernie goes missing, the kids go looking for him. While searching, they discover a real-estate development plan that threatens the baby sea turtles on their favorite beach. Can the brave duo stop the developers while racing to reunite Bernie with his loved ones? This sunny family adventure stars Kevin Sorbo (TV’s “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”) and Patrick Muldoon (Starship Troopers).
Starring: Lola Sultan, Patrick Muldoon, Logan Allen, Stelio Savante, Dahlia Legault, and Lily Cardone
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TWICELAND
Directed By: Jin-young Park
Studio: CJ Entertainment America
Official Synopsis: K-pop girl group TWICE’s first official concert tour in a documentary format with special interviews and behind-the-scenes.
Starring: Twice Band Members
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REVIVAL!
Directed By: Danny Green
Studio: ArtMattan Films
Official Synopsis: Revival! is a thoroughly innovative celebration of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ through faith, film and theatre. A Gospel musical based on the poetic Book of John, Revival! is a letter from Jesus to a troubled and ever contemporary world. Our journey begins with a live Passion Play in a contemporary metropolis, and expands from there into a world of vibrant image and immersive sound. Revival! Is an authentic expression of Black Faith in form and intention. It is also a unique way to re-imagine a renewal of the everlasting and joyous creative spirit of the black church experience! We all know this story, but we’ve never seen it, heard it or felt it like this.
Starring: Paula Newsome and Robert Wisdom
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NONA
Directed By: Michael Polish
Studio: North of Two
Official Synopsis: In North of Two’s, NONA, the first production from Make Pictures, husband and wife team Kate Bosworth (Superman Returns) and director Michael Polish (Big Sur) tells the story of a girl from Honduras (Sulem Calderon) who meets a charming boy, Hecho (Jesy MCKinney), who promises to get her safely to America to reunite with her mother. Instead, Nona faces a perilous journey when he doesn’t deliver on that promise. Nona – short for No Name – will deliver a message to change the way the world is dealing with sex trafficking.
Starring: Sulem Calderon, Jesy McKinney, Kate Bosworth, Lilly Melgar, and Giancarlo Ruiz
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DRUG$
Directed By: Jonathan Marshall Thompson
Studio: Foxhound Productions
Official Synopsis: Narrated by Academy Award (R) Winner J.K. Simmons, “DRUG$” is a feature-length documentary about the soaring price of medicines in the U.S., featuring interviews with academics, patients, advocates and political leaders, including Senator Bernie Sanders and Congressman Elijah Cummings. In a titanic struggle against corporate greed, see how a diverse group of concerned Americans is fighting back to keep lifesaving medicines affordable for us all.
Starring: J.K. Simmons
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THE TAG-ALONG: THE DEVIL FISH
Directed By: David Chuang
Studio: China Lion Film Distribution
Official Synopsis: When a spirit medium is called to exorcise a demon from a possessed man, he is unknowingly captured in the act by two students looking to document the process. When the students accidentally release the devil fish demon into the world, it is up to them and the spirit medium to send it back to the hellish world from where it came.
Starring: Vivian Hsu and Jen-Shuo Cheng
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