Fall is right around the corner and that means film season is upon us! There are so many film festivals currently happening all over the world. This September two of the largest festivals, The New York Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, are screening films that will likely be nominated this year at the Oscars. Piscataway Public library has a number of films available for checkout that first premiered at these festivals. As the weather’s getting colder, plan a cozy movie night.
New York Film Festival
1. Burning (Pŏning) Directed by Lee Chang-dong (2018)
A South Korean man bumps into a forgotten childhood classmate one day and an aromantic tryst immediately follows. Leaving for Africa in a few days, the classmate asks her rediscovered friend to feed her cat while she is away. The situation quickly becomes complicated, however, when she returns from Africa with a mystery man who seems to be a dangerous trouble maker. This film can also be streamed on Hoopla.
2. 20th Century Women Directed by Mike Mills (2016)
“The story of a teenage boy, his mother, and two other women who help raise him
among the love and freedom of Southern California of 1979″–IMDb. This film can also
be streamed on Hoopla.
3. Whiplash Directed by Damien Chazelle (2014)
Andrew Neyman is an ambitious young jazz drummer, single-minded in his pursuit to rise to the top of his elite east coast music conservatory. Terence Fletcher, an instructor equally well-known for his teaching talents as for his terrifying methods, transfers the aspiring drummer into his band.
4. Gone Girl Directed by David Fincher (2014)
Based on the bestselling book, Nick Dunne reports that his wife, Amy, has gone missing. Under pressure from the police and a growing media frenzy, Nick’s portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble as the media wonders if he was the one behind his wife’s disappearance.
5. Birdman: or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (2014)
A black comedy story of an actor famous for portraying an iconic superhero as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself.
6. Life of Pi Directed by Ang Lee (2012)
A young Pi Patel, overcoming a cataclysmic shipwreck, finds himself stranded on a lifeboat with the last survivor, a ferocious Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.
7. The Social Network Directed by David Fincher (2010)
On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes the global social network and revolution in communication known as Facebook.
8. Mystic River Directed by Clint Eastwood (2003)
Boston childhood friends Jimmy, Sean and Dave are reunited after a murder. Jimmy and
Sean soon suspect their old pal Dave, who now lives a quiet life, but harbors some disturbing secrets.
Toronto International Film Festival
1. JoJo Rabbit Directed by Taika Waititi (2019)
A World War II satire that follows a lonely German boy named Jojo whose worldview is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother is hiding a young Jewish girl in their attic.
2. I, Tonya Directed by Craig Gillespie (2017)
Based on the true story of Tonya Harding, the film follows her rise to figure skating champion and her association with the attack on Nancy Kerrigan at the Olympics in Lillehammer.
3. The Disaster Artist Directed by James Franco (2017)
The story of the mysteriously wealthy misfit, Tommy Wiseau, the producer, director, and star of The Room, which became an international cult film despite making no money at the box office.
4. Lion Directed by Garth Davis (2016)
Five-year-old Saroo gets lost on a train which takes him thousands of kilometers across India, away from home and family. Twenty-five years later, armed with only a handful of memories, his unwavering determination, and a revolutionary technology known as Google Earth, he sets out to find his lost family and finally return to his first home.
5. Room Directed by Lenny Abrahamson (2015)
After five-year old Jack and his mother escape from the enclosed environment that Jack has known his entire life, the boy makes a miraculous discovery: the outside world. This film can also be streamed on Hoopla.
6. The King’s Speech Directed by Tom Hooper (2010)
The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.
7. Black Swan Directed by Darren Aronofsky (2010)
In this psychological thriller set in the world of New York City ballet, an insecure ballet dancer wins the lead in Swan Lake. But she slowly loses her grip on reality with the ever-increasing pressure of perfection and direct competition from a seductive newcomer
8. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Directed by Ang Lee (2000)
Set in 19th-century China, two master warriors are faced with their greatest challenge when the treasured Green Destiny sword is stolen.