It’s almost time for the Houston Cinema Arts Society Film Festival! The 18th-annual film festival kicks off on October 1st with a packed lineup. It includes some incredible festival favorites, world cinema, and of course a Houston centric block as well. I decided to give you some films you should definitely check out during the fest. Make sure to pick up a badge or tickets HERE !
Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother
Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother has been on a festival high since TIFF earlier this month. The film will be at the festival with director Bassam Tariq doing a live Q&A.
” From writer-director Bassam Tariq, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother stars Mahershala Ali as Latif, a devoutly religious hitman who struggles to balance work, faith and fatherhood. When his wife dies, he embarks on a desperate journey across Houston to protect his children, confronting the forces closing in around him – and the beliefs threatening to unravel within.”
POSSIBLE LOVE
The winner of the Grand Jury prize at Venice Film Festival we have Lee Chang-dong’s new film Possible Love. It was also selected by South Korea as their entry into the Academy Awards next year.
“Possible Love follows the intertwined relationship of two married couples facing different paths and hidden desires. Mi-ok (Jeon Do-yeon) lives quietly with her laid-off husband Ho-seok (Sul Kyung-gu) and their young son Cheol until a funeral brings them into the orbit of Ye-ji (Cho Yeo-jeong), a documentary filmmaker chronicling laid-off workers, and her husband Sang-woo (Zo In-sung) — a couple whose affluent lifestyle stands in sharp contrast to their own. When Mi-ok agrees to be filmed, she grows close to Ye-ji, and finds herself uneasily drawn to the unreadable Sang-woo. As their worlds collide, fractures begin to appear in their daily existence. Marking his first release in eight years, highly acclaimed director Lee Chang-dong (Burning, Poetry, Secret Sunshine) brings his signature nuance to Possible Love, capturing shifting emotions, conflicts, and contrasting outlooks that shape these relationships.”
SHORTS: HOUSTON STORIES
You definitely have to take a moment to check out some Houston short films if you’re attending the fest. The shorts block for Houston Stories is programmed by Rachael Valentine Acosta and features Houston filmmakers.
“Houston Stories brings together short films by emerging Houston filmmakers, spanning documentary, narrative, animated, and experimental work. Across intimate family portraits, personal journeys, community stories, and imagined worlds, these films consider the places, people, histories, and experiences that shape our understanding of home. These films explore what we inherit, what we leave behind, what we hold onto, and what we build for ourselves. Together, they offer a collection of deeply personal perspectives on the spaces and relationships that shape life in and around Houston.”
Look Back
Look Back premiered at Venice where it won several awards. It’s based on a manga of the same name and has been building a good amount of buzz in its festival run.
“Fujino, a young girl with complete confidence in her talent for drawing manga, and Kyomoto, a reclusive classmate whose artistic ability far surpasses her own, are brought together by their shared passion for creating manga.”
LA GRADIVA
La Gradiva premiered at Cannes where it won the Grand Prize during critics week. It also went on to be nominated for several other awards. It is the feature debut of director Marine Atlan. It’s been praised for its incredible screenplay and direction from director Marine.
A group of French high-school students travel to Naples on a school trip to discover the ruins of Pompeii and the bodies petrified by Vesuvius. There, they are drawn into a dizzying descent. One by one, they are swept up in desire and anger, until they surrender to them completely. Winner of the top prize at this year’s Cannes’ Critics Week, Marine Atlan’s directorial debut is a tour-de-force examination of unrequited desire, remembrance, and self-image for a modern generation where nothing and everything matters all at once.
EVERYTIME
Everytime premiered at Cannes Un Certain Regard where it won the top prize. The film has since been gaining a lot of buzz following its screenings at several festivals. A lot of people are calling it a masterpiece of a film.
“A year after a tragic event, Ella and her daughter Melli develop a bond with teenage boy Lux over a shared trauma as they navigate expressions of grief. Melli spends extended time in virtual spaces, texting on her phone or roaming the landscapes and catacombs of Minecraft while her mother buried emotions for strength while coming to terms with her own senses of forgiveness. When the three decide to take a trip, their grief begins to materialize into the uncanny, all frozen in time. Winner of the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and beautifully shot by Gregory Oke (Aftersun), Everytime will surely be one of the most striking films of the year.”
The film festival is also packed with incredible workshops, creator meet ups, an opening reception, closing party, and so much more. Make sure to check out the official site for more information on individual tickets or an All Acess Pass!
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