The determined documentary from Tia Lesson and Carl Deal illustrates more than just a storm and its aftermath. Grand Jury Prize winner at 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Andrzej Fidyk proves there is more than one way to tell a story by layering film and stage techniques in this moving documentary.

A group of young teens play out a new kind of coming-of-age story in director Julian Richards's dark thriller.

It is 1950s Middle America. Conservatism, conformity, McCarthyism and paranoia are the order of the day.

Real high-schoolers face the forceful and fantastic complexities of survival. Scintillating storytelling from award-winning director Nanette Burstein.

Let's cut through the "bullshit" and "punk politicking" and talk about "the most unpredictable, the most chaotic and the least understood band in the whole Los Angeles punk rock scene," The Germs.

In a troubled Parisian high school, diffidence is the norm and discourse among the faculty leads to divisiveness. 2008 Palme d'Or winner.

In this Slovakian exploration of relationships between blind couples, Lehotsky's camera provides a viewpoint that seems voyeuristic at times.

Don't be fooled by the sweet reminiscences of a tryst in the greens. Director Guillaume Canet maintains a pulse-racing urgency.

Egoyan's film was awarded the Ecumenical Prize at the 2008 Festival de Cannes for aptly "exploring cultural intolerance and misinformation."

Wim - with his Palermo Shooting in competition at the 2008 festival - is a kind of Cannes ritual, if such is possible in today's festival politics. Review and retrospective.

Given the theme and circumstances, one would expect that Che, the "hottest ticket" in Cannes, would enchant rather than baffle. (Reviewed at its Cannes 2008 premiere.)

Add a haunting musical score to the striking visual scenery of the Romanian Danube delta and you have a creative work of film art that deserves recognition on multiple fronts.

The Dardenne brothers return to the illegal and criminal mileau in Liège for their latest film. Award winner at 2008 Festival de Cannes.

Quartered in a prison wing with other pregnant women, Julia - wrongly convicted of murder - is determined to raise her child herself.

With author-researcher Roberto Saviano currently living under police guard, Gomorra can lay claim to being the most authentic mafia film made. Award winner at 2008 Festival de Cannes.

Dominique (Dom) Abel and Fiona Gordon deftly pepper their Latino dance routines with comic deadpan mime and agile body maneuvers.

A painful family reunion takes place at Christmas, with animosity fueled by a family tragedy that happened years before.

Waltz with Bashir is the traumatic journey of the filmmaker himself into his own past as a young soldier during the Lebanon Crisis.

Ceylan fills his films with personal feelings, aesthetic convictions and a finely honed stylistic vision. Award winner at 2008 Festival de Cannes.

Meirelles's Blindness takes on a Sartre No Exit game of war between the good people and the bad people. Opening film, 2008 Festival de Cannes .

You're never too old to start over - unless you first have to get past the job interview.

Loss, friendship and hope are big themes explored in the small town of Jake's Corner when the town's owner brings his newly-orphaned nephew to live with him.

A passionate portrait of the power of the African mother to force sons and brothers to disarm.

Eco-activist/filmmaker Josh Tickell entertains (and educates) about the history, heritage and hoped-for potential of biodiesel.

Social outsider at prep school is pulled by peer and parent pressure as she prepares for her bat mitzvah.

Documentary takes a cross-country U.S. journey to ask many "men in the street" questions that strike at the fundamentals of what divides us.

Hit man begins to harbor feelings for his target, making his job more difficult as the deadline nears.

Two weeks in the life of film producer Art Linson, with plenty of laughs.

This road trip is more tribute than trial - a musing on where and what home means for different people at different times.

Within the shooting of Everything is Illuminated, actor/director Liev Schreiber offers an Iraqi film student an ultimately unappreciated opportunity to be involved in the Hollywood film industry.

As she starts to become possessed by the soul of the man buried in the house, a college student integrates the house's history into her college thesis.

Two brothers, one a communist and the other a fascist, passionately pursue their political causes - and the same lover.

Helmer Hollis showcases Bowling for Soup's music and the personalities responsible on the Texan band's European "Get Happy" tour.

Will roving reporters and newshounds will be forced to become manipulators of multi-media in the blogosphere?

In this small, quiet Texan town that got "sick of the dope dealers," justice got corrupted when people with localized power needed money.

With strong characters and social relevance, the film delivers a disturbing portrait of the meth problems that have ravaged America in general and rural towns in particular.

Docu reveals the truth and lies of George W's manufactured image from this "deep in the heart of Texas" town.

Capturing the added ambience of a costumed Halloween, the film voyeurs on the troubled sexual reminiscing of friends out on the town on the eve of one's wedding.

Unexpected travails put a curmudgeonly barber at risk of losing his "man's man" barbershop, until he finds an unlikely heroine in a pregnant, trailer-park-dwelling, unapologetic go-getter.

Created by a friend, the film is the legacy that a murdered father never had the chance to bequeath his son in person.

Conveyed with honest and humorous performances, this slice of life about a budding friendship feels simultaneously old-fashioned and contemporary.

Founded on the legend of La Llorona, a Latin version of the Media myth, this indie evokes a rich, rising tension.

The story of California Institute of Technology's (Caltech's) basketball team allows you to root for an underdog who's simultaneously somehow both a nerd and a jock.

Oppressed by the police state that reigned in Romania during the final years of Ceausescu's rule, two women's bold actions in defiance of the abortion laws seem like absolutely necessary sacrifices.

In a run-down, heavily immigrant district of Rome, Italian musicians and intellectuals strove to form a resident orchestra made up of neighborhood musicians, incorporating members of dozens of immigrant communities into one creative unit.

Lighter than a soufflé, the film centers on the lives of the tres riche and those who wish to join them as they make the rounds of parties, restaurants, shops and hotels in the South of France.

As Micah and Katie investigate the possibility of paranormal activity in their house, the audience's expectation of a paranormal event keeps the tension tightening toward...

Feature film shot documentary format, about documentary filmmakers filming a feature project about cops and kids in Brooklyn, New York. Crafted with the inventiveness digital camera technology facilitates.

A charming user leads the viewer on a joy-ride around L.A. to hit on a bunch of different characters in an effort to get the cash to pay for rehab.

Playboy novelist spends his days whittling away the hours with heavy drinking and drug-addled "actors-slash-models."

Profile of artist Vanessa Beecroft and how her obsession to adopt Sudanese twin orphans drives her marriage to a breaking point and fuels her controversial art.

With the authority imbued by a captain's hat discovered in the trash, a janitor regales poor neighborhood children with tales of his "travels" and helps steer them toward a more hopeful future. Filmed in Jordan.

Hilary Helstein's harrowing documentary bears witness to the art and illuminates the inspired soul of artists who created expressions of life from within the most oppressive man-slaughter in recent history.

In this story of a young mother who brings her adoped son to the spectacular coastal setting where she was raised, director Bayona creates a palpable tension while withholding visual horror from the film.

"Shadows" abound, from a young doctor who begins his career in the shadow of his mother, a respected doctor, to the visions of ghosts who daily walk his world and disappear into and out of shadows while they seek a final peace.

This tale of a circumcision is a serious, sometimes funny, semi-squeamish study of why this particular piece of skin goes "missing."

The documentary explores of one of Russia's most famous muses, the St. Petersburg ballerina.

Vistas of Central and South America, exceptionally beautiful actresses, and a meaningful message of cultural exploration and acceptance.

Seeking to audition for a role in a film about the Balkan conflict that is his real world, a young boy dreams of escapting that world of tough experiences, wrongdoings and emptiness - and, in this father/son love story, his father aches for him to succeed.

While the vengeful material of the wronged barber of Fleet Street is presented with more gore than fans of the Sondheim musical might be used to, the entertainment factor of the flick is greatly enhanced for a wider audience...

Marion Cotillard's resurrection of Piaf's torment and talent leaves us with a legacy worthy of legend, well-preserved by La Vie en Rose.

Bringing together a quirky crew of characters in a lucrative winner-takes-$10m "North American Indoor Poker League" tournament, director Zak Penn celebrates old-school Vegas.

Starring Daniel Day-Lewis and bssed on a novel by Upton Sinclair, the story of California's oil boom of the 1900s drips with a sense of historicity.

Seventy-nine-year-old Jamesie has long been considered the reigning monarch of the U.S. Virgin Islands' official music, "Scratch", with lyrics that give the true flavor of island life (like "Your jackass in me yard and I want you get him out"). 

From the playboy politics of the '80s comes this true story of Congressman Wilson, whose efforts that helped Afghanistan expel the Russians also helped bring the Cold War to a thaw.

Riots ensue when activists descend on Seattle, Washington, to protest a meeting of the World Trade Organization. Based on a true story.

Pregnant and unhappily married, pie-shop waitress Jenna looks to pie contest prize money and an unlikely relationship with her gynecologist as her chance at happiness.

Happy-go-lucky teen Darius Weems charges into a cross-country trip-of-a-lifetime with the companionship and support of close friends despite being stricken with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (which kills by age 30).

As she struggles to comprehend her anatomical uniqueness, high-schooler Dawn experiences both the pitfalls and the power of being a living example of the vagina dentata myth.

The Wild Horse Inmate Program puts prisoners through a unique rehab opportunity in which they quite literally track a parallel path to the mustang horses they're breaking.

An "orphaned" musical prodigy uses his very gift as a clue to find his parents, a promising musician and a brooding but romantic Irishman who had shared a one-night stand.

A rebellious teen finds purpose as he makes a docu for a short film contest with the help of a cantankerous retired gaffer.

The stunning splendor of the film's Himalayan setting holds the audience in thrall in this story of a family struggling to survive in a changed economic imperative.

Breast cancer survivors achieve new purpose as they develop their survivor support group into a competitive dragon boat team.

Go inside the world of TED, where ideas are big enough to change the world.

Robert Redford-Tom Cruise-Meryl Streep powerhouse depicts the classic right-wing-senator-versus-liberal-media fight, offering more questions than answers.

An entertaining tale of stalks and snacks shows us we are what we eat - and an awful lot of that is nutritionally stripped corn. 

Ryan Gosling is an emotionally delusional young man who works through relationship issues with a life-sized sex doll and a supportive small-town community, with unexpected absurdities and affirmation.

In a heart-wrenching documentary, directors Sean Fine and Andrea Nix share the stories of young refugee children competing in Uganda's Kampala Music Festival.

From director Ang Lee, a gripping story of an acting student in WWII-era China drafted by underground activists to seduce a Japanese collaborator into a lethal trap.

The title says it all.  With Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, and the sheer splendor of late-19th-century landscapes.

George Clooney plays a forward-thinking hustler who finds exit strategies from a variety of mangled scenarios, from disparate hit-and-runs to murder.

In Terry George's latest dramatic thriller, husband and wife (Joaquin Phoenix and Jennifer Connelly) search for solace and justice after losing their son.

Tense, taut, tough. A private detective seeks a little girl abducted from her addict mother.  Storytelling is great, baby, great in Ben Affleck's directing debut.

Given the choice of death or AA, a mob hitman moves from Buffalo to San Francisco to sober up.

Amir Bar Lev's documentary about the art phenomenon Marla Olmstead, who had fame, success and controversy by the ripe ol' age of 5.

A small Egyptian Police band arrives in Israel for the first time, and they must find their own way to a small, forgotten town somewhere in the desert where they have been commissioned to perform.

What happens to those who commit suicide?  Are there second chances for the already dead?

Quirky character comedy has two best friends battling over the same girl. Director Matt Bissonette delivers fresh vision (with substance, class and standout cinematography) on this timeless theme.

Lone Scherfig portrays a small town grappling with its conservative façade in the midst of chaos caused by a streaker.

Underlying the story of not-so-sweet-16 Juno, pregnancy is debated as being more dire-some to modern parents than DWIs, hard drugs or school expulsion.

An ambitious woman is the protagonist in Ken Loach's feature film built around the issues of immigration, corruption and ambition.

The Iraq crisis encapsulated in the personal story of one wounded young vet who had enlisted to fight following 9/ll. With original music from Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder.

Documentary explores the upside and downside of the silver screen's depiction of Chinese, from The Flower Drum Song to Charlie Chan.

A blind young man and the albino woman who awakened his senses - can their love survive when he regains his sight?

Director Brilliante Mendoza puts audiences right in the center of the gritty reality that is the slums of Manila.

Fluid portrayal of the paralyzed physique and quick wit of former editor Jean-Dominique Bauby from director Julian Schnabel.

The despair of dementia and the dramas of sibling dramatists descend on a grown family only now forging a familiarity. From director Tamara Jenkins.

Focusing his story on the Canadian UN peacekeepers in genocide-torn Rwanda, director Roger Spottiswoode explores the question: When there is no peace left to keep, then what?

On their first holiday away from the convent, four orphan boys find their friendship challenged as each is reminded of his need for family. (August 2007)

In this Camera d'Or winner (Cannes 2006), three richly-brought-to-life characters discuss on TV their part in deposing the dictatorial Ceausescu during Romania's revolution of December 22, 1989. (August 2007) 

Jason Connell examines the lives of background actors as they struggle to find work in Hollywood. 

Tony Kaye's documentary explores the nuances of the abortion issue, bringing to light the complexities and contradictions of being human. (August 2007)

J-Lo and husband Mark Anthony star in the couple's latest passion project, El Cantante, about Latin salsa singer Héctor Lavoé. (August 2007) 

Born to play ball, Roosevelt High's Darnellia Russell must overcome academic obstacles, and then the physical, societal and bureaucratic pressures of pregnancy, to fight for the right to compete on the court. (July 2007)

Two friends travel the world on the ultimate road trip and honor their recently deceased friend by scattering his ashes along the way. (July 2007)

After developing insomnia due to a devastating breakup with his girlfriend, Ben Willis gets a job at a local supermarket, where his overactive imagination runs wild. (July 2007)

A story of Lovable Losers framed within an absurdly quirky romantic comedy. (CineVegas 2007)

Michael Moore's eagerly anticipated documentary dissects the U.S. healthcare system. (Click here for photos from Cannes 2007)

Winterbottom's A Mighty Heart tracks the true-life events from WSJ reporter Daniel Pearl's kidnapping until his terrifying execution. Seen predomintantly through the eyes of Daniel's then-pregnant wife, Mariane Pearl (Angelina Jolie), and set predominantly in Pakistan, Winterbottom's thriller is a tale of terror, terrorism and the stubbornness of true love.

Director Jess Manafort's film captures accurate portrayals of social hierarchies and student stereotypes in a typical high school in the late ‘90s. (2007 LA Film Festival)

Delving into the concepts of happiness and belonging, Director Mike Mills offers an intimate look at fascinating, yet tragic, lives of individuals on the conflicted forefront of Japan's changing attitude toward depression. (2007 LA Film Festival)

Charlie Bartlett's sharp attention to the present day prompts critical minds to ponder whether Poll might be capturing today's young adult generation as well as John Hughes captured the '80s. (2007 LA Film Festival)

The distance between the U.S. and Cuba is more than 90 miles.  So goes the tag line for Shoot Down, winner of the 2007 Sonoma Valley Film Festival Jury Award Best Documentary. (June 2007)

In this powerfully poetic drama about a man's search for meaning amid the ache of despair, Finn, an English teacher played by David Strathairn, plunges into a mid-life crisis brought on by a recent tragedy for which he holds himself responsible. (June 2007)

An American wakes up in a hospital in Africa with no memory of who he is or how he got there, and must figure out his true identity before the local regime executes him for espionage. (2007 CineVegas)

The boys are back, to do what they do best.  Another heist twists and turns through a Las Vegas hotel. (Cannes 2007)