Our Time Is Up
USA
Ever wonder what your therapist really thinks? When a psychiatrist learns he has six weeks to live, he decides to change the therapy method with his patients, and recieves hilarious results. The 2006 Academy Award nominated film was written and directed by Rob Pearlstein in his parents’ house. Principal cast: Kevin Pollack (The Usual Suspects), Johnny Messner (The O.C.), Jorge Garcia (Lost), Vivian Bang, Kathryn Winnick and Rick Hoffman.
– To learn more about the film, go to ourtimeisup.com.

One Too Many
Spain
Utterly useless lay-abouts Joaquim and his son find they can’t cope on their own when “mom” dumps both their lazy butts and leaves them for good. Joaquim concocts a devious plan for domestic rescue, becoming perhaps the first man in history to want his mother-in-law to move in with him. But the wily old lady has a trick up her own sleeve. A dead pan comedy written and directed by Borja Cobeaga and nominated for a 2007 Academy Award for best short film. Principal cast: Ramon Barea, Marivi Bilbao and Alejandro Tejeria.
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The Dreamer
England
In a dark vision of the future where human clones are manufactured and discarded for the latest model, a male and female clone nervously await their fate in a grim termination room. The male clone decides to take matters into his own hands and experiences the full gamut of human emotions, while being hunted down by his human creators. An evocative, provocative and hauntingly beautiful drama produced by Ivor Powell and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Principal cast: Joerg Stadler and Indra Ove.
– Watch the film again, below.

Alive In Joburg
South Africa/ Canada
Edited in a documentary style, this highly original sci-fi drama takes on discrimination (with a twist). Persecuted extraterrestrials have left their planet only to find themselves in 1990 South Africa during apartheid. Their large space ships can be seen hovering above Johannesburg and sucking power from the nuclear power plants. At first, the aliens are welcomed, but are forced to live amongst the already-oppressed black population. The growing tensions between the blacks, the white Afrikaners and the aliens escalate… Written and directed by Neill Blomkamp. He has been selected to direct the upcoming Halo film (based on the popular game).
– Watch the film again, below.
– To learn more about this film, go to en.wikipedia.org.

Watch The Dreamer again:

http://player.vimeo.com/video/55460151

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Hibernation
England
1985 in a secret tree house. Two children dressed in animal costumes conduct scientific experiments in an attempt to revive a bee. But their true intention is to bring back something much bigger. A magical and moving tale about the beauty of innocent minds. Written and directed by John Williams. John started making stop animation films at the age of 11. He has gone on to direct music videos by the Offspring and Coldplay. The film has won numerous international awards. Principal cast: Adam Arnold, Sonny Rooney, Peter Reynolds and Adam Paroussos.
– Watch the film again, below.

The Youth in Us
USA
A young couple confronts a painful future by looking to the past for courage. Written and directed by Joshua Leonard, who first garnered attention for his memorable role in the thriller The Blair Witch Project. This award winning film is his narrative directorial debut. Principal cast: Lukas Haas and Kelli Garner.
– Watch the film again, below.

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Dilemma
Holland
A jogger and a boy on a bicycle challenge each other to a race. The runner stops at a busy intersection a truck approaches. The runner stops but the small boy pedals on. For a couple of minutes the world comes to a stand still as the jogger discovers he has the power over life and death – but whatever he decides comes with a price. Written and directed by Boris Pavel Conen. Principal cast: Marcel Hensema, Thom Van Seijen and Jack Bontekoe.

The Messenger
Holland
Jimmy lives with his mother in a big tenement building. In his room at night, he is tormented by an apparition that tries to communicate with him. When he tells his best friend and neighbor, he is surprised to find that he, too, has been visited by the same ghost. Only when fate bangs on the door does its meaning become clear. Written and directed by Diederik Van Rooijen. Principal cast: Dylan Boissevain, Edo Brunner and Milusha Birge.

Gridlock
Belgium
On a cold winter evening, a stressed-out businessman gets stuck in rush hour traffic on his way home from work. He uses his brand new cell phone to call his wife to tell her he will be late, and instead he gets his young daughter. He asks her what mommy is doing and the answer he gets gives him the surprise of his life. This wicked comedy features equal parts drama, humor and suspense. Directed by Dirk Belien, the film was nominated for an Academy Award. Principal cast: Tom Van Dyck, Ellen Van Cutsem, Aza Declerq.

Gray Zone
Austria
George is driving his mentally disabled brother back to the institution. Unbeknownst to him, there is a dead body of a young boy in the road. George gets distracted driving and hits the dead boy. Thinking he has killed the boy, he tries to cover his tracks. The cops arrive. Not knowing he is innocent of a crime he did not in fact did not commit, his erratic behavior makes the cops very suspicious. Tensions rise and guns get drawn. Writer/director Karl Bretschneider made his first short film at the age of 11. Principle cast: Georg Friedrich, Martin Philadelphy, Birgit Stauber and Ali Anton Nouri.

Who Do You Love?
England
Little Heather loves her mom, but does her mum even know what love is? Heather wakes up with the shakes from being starved. Her mother wakes up with the shakes as well — but not for the same reason. Her mom needs to score to feed her drug habit. Shoplifting and car theft test the 10-year-old’s love, but the biggest test is yet to come. Unforgettable performances compose this gritty look at addiction and family ties. This is Jim McRoberts’ first film as a writer/director. Cast: Heather Keenan, Kate Dickie, Alan Robertson and John Comerford.

In the Morning
USA
When a young Turkish woman is brutally attacked, the responsibility of dealing with the criminal act and restoring her family’s honor is left to her 13 year-old brother. Based on a true story, this shocker was written and directed by Danielle Lurie. Danielle graduated from Stanford with a degree in philosophy. Set in Turkey but shot in the filmmaker’s Los Angeles apartment, Lurie’s dramatic and compelling piece brings much needed attention to what has become an urgent and global human rights issue. Cast: Anais Thomassian, JJ Darwish, Al No’mani, Joseph Meieux, Ludwig Manukian and Enrique Renaldo.

Victoria for Chino
USA
Based on a true story, in May 2003, a refrigerated truck carrying more than 80 illegal immigrants drove across the Mexican border into the heartland of Texas with horrifying results. Writer/director Cary Joji Fukunaga graduated from the University of Santa Clara with a degree in history and went on to study film at NYU. This compelling film won an honorable mention at Sundance in 2005. Cast: Aldo de Anda, William McClintark, Domingo Jose Cruz Delgado and Alma Morales.

Three Minutes of Torture
Wales
A disturbing and powerful film based on the true story of a family being held captive by the Nazis in occupied France during World War II. Written and directed by Christopher Morris. Cast: Eddie Ladd, Sharon Morgan, William Thomas.

Terminal
Wales
The first signs of infidelity: secretive behavior, uncharacteristic changes in appearance, a marked decrease in sexual interest, but probably the most telling sign is they seem a lot happier than you. Michael is learning the hard way about cheating spouses. As a young boy his father told him to learn from other people’s mistakes? because there is no way you can live long enough to make them all yourself. Will he be wise enough to take this sage advice to heart? Written and directed by Steve Judge. Cast: Tim Dutton, Vanessa Spiro and Markus Napier.
– Watch the film again, below.

Take Me Somewhere Else
Spain
Jorge and Patricia are a married couple whose relationship has seen better days. As they drive down the highway, she decides to break the rut they are in by playing a game. She sees a hitchhiker along the road and urges Jorge to offer him a ride. Little does she know the ramifications of her action. Sometimes, when one peels away the layers to get to the truth, there is nothing but darkness. Directed by David Martin de los Santos and starting Jose Luis Garcia-Perez and Belen Lopez.

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Fueling the Fire
USA
Two cars, one containing a white woman with kids and the other with an elderly African American couple, pull up at the same time to fill up at the gas station. Both become witnesses to a robbery and murder. Influenced by their social backgrounds, prejudices and life experiences, each has a different view of what went down. Although both are convinced of what they saw, do either of their views have any connection to reality? Writer/director Tanja Mairitsch produced commercials in her native Austria before coming to America to attend film school at UCLA and the American Film Institute. The film won a Director’s Guild of America Award and stars Amy Moon and Darrow Igus.

Car Park
Australia
Life is absurd — so let’s go shopping! Are you fed up with modern relationships? Why is it so hard to communicate with your partner? And why can’t you find a parking space when you really need one? An everyday jaunt to the mall results in a dramatic change in two couples’ lives as they get separated in the parking lot maze. When the adventure ends, will they both have gotten what they came for? Directed by Darcy Yuille. Principle cast: Alison Standen, Morgan O’Neill, Jack Finsterer and Justine Clarke.
– Watch the film again, below.

Watch Car Park again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRCsSLOeyGc

Clutch
Australia
Everything that ends up at Brian’s car repair shop is broken down including his relationship with his father, ex-partner and his little daughter. Wise to his procrastination, his ex hands over their five year old daughter, Rosie, to stay with Daddy until the clutch is fixed. He’s behind in his work, he can’t get the part for a few days and a mechanic’s workshop is no place for a fairy princess — or is it? Directed by Jackie Shulz. Cast: Brendan Cowell, Tony Barry, Anna Lise Phillips and Claudia Silvia.

Rain Is Falling
Germany
Based on a short story by Iranian author Mahtab Ebrahimzadeh, a young girl goes to extraordinary means to care for her sick mother. In a time in which all borders of ethnic, religious and cultural differences are being questioned, this beautifully shot film reveals that we all want the same thing. With humanity and quiet grace, this eloquent and deceptively simple film speaks volumes about love and devotion. The actions taken when no one is looking uncover the true power of humanity. Director Holger Ernst shot the award winning film in Morocco. Cast: Fadma Ettagoum, Zehra Ettagoum and Abdellah Ettagoum.

More Than the World
Argentina
A poor hunter has only known the love of his faithful companion dog. That is, until the day he meets the girl of his dreams. But this love comes with a high price. The award winning film was written, directed and edited by Lautaro Nunez De Arco. Cast: Jose Luis Nunez, Betun, Nadia Cristaldo, Victor Hugo Carrizo and Italo Damiano.
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Everything in this Country Must
USA / Ireland / England
Set against the backdrop of British occupation of Northern Ireland in 1985, an Irish farmer struggles to save his drowning horse as his daughter looks on. The teenage girl must choose between allegiance to her Catholic father and gratitude to the British soldiers who save the family horse. This 2005 Academy Award nominated film is a moving portrait of personal loss and humiliation amid political conflict. Director Gary McKendry states, “Most stories about these conflicts are written by outsiders who try to see it as a case of right and wrong — good and evil — black and white. None of us are really guilty. None of us are completely innocent. Black and white becomes gray under the crushing weight of history.” Based on the critically acclaimed short story by Colum McCann. Principle cast: Sam Spruell, Carly Greene and Gerry Dougherty.
– Watch the film again, below.

Billy’s Day Out
England
It’s a special day for 14-month old Billy. Mommy has packed a picnic. Older sister Suzie, daddy and granny are all excited as they pile into the car. It has all the markings for a great bonding experience. It is never too early to start teaching children the important lessons in life. If it takes a village to raise a child – stay out of this village. Directed by Iain B. MacDonald. This is his first dramatic film. Principle cast: Lee Ross, Jo McInnes and Steph Bramwell.

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The Five Cent Curve
USA
When life comes crashing down around you, will you be strong enough to pick up the pieces? Three different perspectives: those of a suicidal mother, a young deaf boy and a pregnant teenager. All three are riddled with guilt and are unable to clear their consciences. Their lives simultaneous unfold and overlap and result in a most surprising outcome. Coincidence? You be the judge. Director Brendan Hayward attended film school at USC. Principle cast: Deidre West, Jeffrey Lorenzo, Jacquie Willey, Stewart Skelton and Zoe Yeoman.

Barrier Device
USA
What do you use for protection? A researcher for a female condom study loses all objectivity when she realizes that her subject is dating her ex-boyfriend. This Student Academy Award winning film is written and directed by UCLA film grad Grace Lee and stars Sandra Oh (Sideways, Grey’s Anatomy) and Suzy Nakamura in a poignant drama about obsession and loyalty between women.