Renoir

“An impeccably crafted, tenderly felt period piece.” –Screen International
The Côte d’Azur, 1915: a free-spirited young woman enters the world of Auguste Renoir—still mourning the death of his wife—and his son, the aspiring artist Jean. Andree, blazing with life and radiantly beautiful, is the model of his dreams. As Jean recovers from his war wounds, he too falls under her spell. Director Gilles Bourdos paints a gorgeous, meditative but emotionally deep film about aging, mortality, inspiration and the force of the creative spirit. (France, 2012, 111m, 35mm, Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Starts May 24
French Film Salon Thursday, May 23 at 7:00p!

Midnight's Children

“An epic, visually pleasing tale weaving politics, colorful splendor, romantic love and magic.” –Toronto Star
Saleem was born at the exact moment when India declared independence from England, and his life is appropriately tumultuous. Deepa Mehta’s adaptation of Salman Rushdie’s novel—generally considered one of the best of the century—follows as he is wapped into a wealthy family at birth, learns to use his telepathic powers and finds himself in the thick of the conflicts, magic and tragedies of modern India. It is an astonishing combination of family chronicle, political allegory and magical-realism. (Canada-Sri Lanka, 2012, 149m)

Starts May 31

Francis Ha

“Exhilarating, smart and delightful … a terrific new film that's incredibly rich to watch. Greta Gerwig is embraceable, unpredictable and possessed of gifts for physical comedy.” –Hollywood Reporter
Noah Baumbach’s valentine to the youthful energy of New York City stars Greta Gerwig (LOLA VERSUS, TO ROME WITH LOVE). In a wildly inventive comic performance, she brings the story of a woman in search of opportunity, or at least a good apartment and job. With dreams that cannot be fulfilled, a best friend who she rarely speaks to and limited prospects, Frances still lives life with unaccountable joy and lightness. This modern comic fable explores friendship, class, ambition, failure and redemption. (U.S., 2012, 86m, digital video)

Starts May 31

Gene Youngblood presents

Secession from the Broadcast:

The Internet and the Crisis of Social Control

Today’s alternative media environment surpasses the wildest utopian dreams of twentieth-century media activism. This lecture by legendary theorist and critic Gene Youngblood (Expanded Cinema) explores the epic struggle for control of the Internet, and what we must do to release its revolutionary potential.

7:30p Friday, May 31 • $5 Suggested Donation

Tiger Eyes

“The rarest of family films, smart and nuanced … a passion project and it shows.” ­ –Filmmaker Magazine
A 17 year‐old girl (Willa Holland) sets out on a journey from heartbreak and confusion to transformation as she discovers love and life after tragedy. Lawrence Blume’s film, winner of awards at the Palm Beach and Boston film festivals, marks the first major motion picture adaptation from the work of iconic author Judy Blume, and also stars the late Russell Means and his son Tatanka Means and was shot in New Mexico. (U.S., 2012, 92m)

Starts June 7

Becoming Traviata

“Riveting … a treat for fans of opera.” –Variety
Director Philippe Béziat follows the legendary soprano Natalie Dessay —who first sang Violetta at the Santa Fe Opera in 2009—as she works with diligence and inspiration on the way to opening night of La Traviata at France’s Aix-en-Provence Festival. Dessay, director Jean-François Sivadier and musical director Louis Langrée pore over Verdi’s classic, trying to find clues that will allow a richer interpretation, and the film shows the production from all angles, leading towards a triumphant opening night. (France, 2012, 108m, digital video, mTuckman Media)

Starts June 7

Reality

“Invigorating …If Luis Buñuel were alive today, this is roughly what I'd expect him to be up to.” –Scott Tobias, AV Club
Director Matteo Garrone follows his acclaimed GOMORRAH (which, like REALITY, won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes) with a darkly comic look at Luciano, a charming and affable fishmonger whose unexpected and sudden obsession with being a contestant on the reality show "Big Brother" leads him down a rabbit hole of skewed perceptions and paranoia. Overcome by his dream of being on reality TV, Luciano's spirals out of control. Think Scorsese’s KING OF COMEDY for a new era. (Italy, 2012, 110m, Oscilloscope)

Starts June 7

Santa Fe International Folk Art Market presents:

Folk/Art/Cinema

Central Station

“A richly tender and moving experience … Salles, like De Sica and Renoir, displays a pure and unpatronizing feel for the poetry of broken lives. His movie is really about that most everyday of miracles: the rebirth of hope.” –Entertainment Weekly
In Rio, the callous Dora (the legendary Fernanda Montenegro, nominated for an Oscar) writes letters for a parade of the poor and the illiterate. After hearing the story of a recently orphaned nine-year-old boy, she decides to take him on a search through the countryside for his father. In this Golden Globe-winning road movie, Walter Salles (MOTORCYCLE DIARIES, ON THE ROAD) shows us the peoples and cultures of Brazil—both traditional and modern—as you’ve never seen them, and celebrates our potential for rebirth. (Brazil, 1998, 113m, 35mm print courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics)

7:00p Wednesday, June 12
Tickets: $12, no passes

Shadow Dancer

“Gripping … a textbook demonstration of visual storytelling … a labyrinthine tale of cat and mouse, of deception and double cross, of betrayal and confused allegiances.” –The Guardian
Clive Owen, Gillian Anderson and remarkable newcomer Andrea Riseborough (winner, Best Actress, British Oscars) star in this gripping, propellant and at times disorienting feature film by Oscar-winning director James Marsh (MAN ON WIRE). After an aborted bomb attempt in London, an IRA activist falls into the hands of an MI5 officer who offers her a deal: turn informant or go to prison. Fearing for her son's welfare, she returns to Belfast and, as she betrays family and beliefs, she feels the net closing in on her. (U.K., 2012, 105m, 35mm, Magnolia Pictures)

Starts June 14

Santa Fe Jewish Film Festival presents Hava Nagila

"A toe-tapping, entertaining celebration.” –San Francisco Chronicle
Roberta Grossman’s documentary romp shares the history, mystery and meaning of the great Jewish standard, featuring interviews with Harry Belafonte, Leonard Nimoy, Connie Francis, Glen Campbell and Regina Spektor, and following the ubiquitous party song on its fascinating journey from the shtetls of Eastern Europe to the kibbutzim of Palestine to the cul-de-sacs of America. (U.S., 2013, 78m, digital video)

7:15p Sunday, June 16

Much Ado About Nothing

“The first great contemporary Shakespeare since Baz Luhrmann's ‘Romeo and Juliet.’” –The Guardian
From the creator of the cult TV shows Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the blockbuster THE AVENGERS comes … Shakespeare! The legendary Joss Whedon turns his focus to the Bard’s beloved comedy, telling the story of sparring lovers Beatrice and Benedick. Filled with wonderful performances and with a few modern twists, Whedon’s labor of love, shot quickly (in his own L.A. mansion) and with fidelity to Shakespeare’s play, is a dark, sexy and delightfully absurd view of the intricate game of love. (U.S., 2012, 108m, 35mm, Roadside Attractions)

Starts June 21

20 Feet From Stardom

“Rollicking, totally engaging … an unexpectedly moving, often joyous triumph” ­–Indiewire
Millions know their voices, but no one knows their names. Award-winning director Morgan Neville shines a spotlight on the untold true story of the backup singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century. Both triumphant and heartbreaking, STARDOM celebrates the unsung voices and reveals the conflicts and sacrifices of a life spent harmonizing to another musician’s tunes. Opening Night Film, Sundance Film Festival. (U.S., 2013, 90m, Radius)

Starts June 28

Dirty Wars

Barack Obama, assassin? War journalist Jeremy Scahill investigates the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), a once-covert unit he believes is executing those on the President’s secret “kill list” of alleged enemies of the state. A reporter for the Nation and author of the bestselling Blackwater (which revealed U.S. corruption in Iraq), Scahill visits an Afghan village where U.S. forces killed a family, including pregnant women, and scrubbed the scene of evidence. Then, after JSOC’s successful raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound, it targets an American citizen who has turned to radical Islam. Astonishing and dramatic—a real-life ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN—Richard Rowley’s film builds a deeply troubling case that the “global war on terror” has spread beyond borders and spun out of control. (U.S., 2013, 90m, digital video)

Starts June 28

Pandora's Promise

“When was the last time you saw a documentary that fundamentally changed the way you think?” ­–Entertainment Weekly
Oscar-nominated director Robert Stone asks that we rethink nuclear power. Is it really sending us towards global environmental disaster? Or is it a possible solution for the dead-end of increasing energy consumption? Using environmentalists and thinkers including Stewart Brand, Richard Rhodes and Michael Shellenberger as his guides, Stone challenges the environmental orthodoxy—nuclear is expensive, toxic and potentially catastrophic—with a point-by-point exploration of the issues at hand. A landmark documentary, it should come with a warning: may alter the way you view the world. (U.S., 2013, 80m)

Starts July 5

Listz's Dance with the Devil

Ophra Yerushalmi’s documentary focuses on the inner duel between the virtuoso and the composer, the seduction of glamour and the quest for spirituality that took place throughout Franz Liszt's life. Featuring interviews and performances with musical and literary luminaries, this is a film filled with revelations about the life of the artist.

7:30p Saturday, July 6

Fill The Void

“An enthralling, stirring tale, directed with a sure, delicate tough and great intimacy.” ­­–New York Times
Winner of seven Israeli Academy Awards, prizes for Best Actress at Venice and Israel’s Oscar entry, Rama Burshtein’s debut feature follows the path of an 18-year-old girl from an Orthodox family. On the verge of an engagement to a suitor her own age, she is promised to an older man, forcing her to weigh her own happiness against that of her family. (Israel, 2013, 90m, Sony Pictures Classics)

Starts July 12