Starring: Mick McCleery, Sasha Graham, Scooter McCrea, Joel D. Wynkoop, Michael Gingold
“An oddball anthology stitched together by alien paranoia.”
The year is 2030, and Earth is already screwed. A lone, time-traveling survivor uncovers the truth: the alien invasion didn’t begin with war, it started years earlier, buried deep inside our human bodies. Alien doubles, flesh eating worms, and a string of other bizarre encounters prove that our planet was marked for annihilation long before it happened.
Directed by renowned SOV veterans Kevin J. Lindenmuth and Mick McCleery, The Alien Agenda: Out of the Darkness is a quintessential slice of late-era shot-on-video sci-fi horror, mixing the popular anthology trope of the era with the mainstream X-Files mania that swept the nation. It’s moody, experimental structure and grassroots production design make it a raw and fascinating artifact of regional DIY cinema—where the limitations become part of the aesthetic, and its high-minded sci-fi ideas shove their way right past those lo-fi trappings.
For six decades, Jimmy Grashow’s intricate woodcuts and fantastical sculptures have graced museums and galleries, iconic album covers and over a thousand publications. As Jimmy approaches 80, he is given the commission of a lifetime that proves to be both exhilarating and daunting. As he obsessively carves his magnum opus, Jimmy searches for the meaning behind this profound and sacred piece to which he devotes every moment. But life is full of surprises and Jimmy is faced with a difficult decision. Navigating through the unexpected twists and turns with humor and trepidation, he experiences the true agony and ecstasy of being an artist. Jimmy & The Demons is an unforgettable reminder that life can be a chaotic struggle, but the power of love, kindness and courage is undeniable.
Starring: Megan Seely, Dan Bakkedahl, Mamoudou Athie, James Urbaniak, Danny Deferrari, Bethany Kay, Benjamin Norris
The FOFIF presents a Brooklyn screening of its new release, Megan Seely’s debut feature Puddysticks, as part of its THREE FILMS, FIVE CITIES project. The Wednesday screening includes a Q&A with Seely and cast members and the weekend brunch screenings include special introductions. To make an additional $10 donation to The Future of Film is Female, select the “Event + Donation” ticket on the checkout screen.
Puddysticks follows anxious video-game designer Liz and her therapeutic odyssey into a secret society of adults who play like they are little kids. Led by the alluring Sylvester Cromwell, the society compels each member to reveal their most shameful memory, with the promise of psychological healing through childlike play. But when Liz finally gains the courage to share her own darkest trauma, her world turns upside down and she must find her own way to free herself of her past.
Megan Seely’s debut feature is a joyously twisted dark comedy produced by Oscar-winner Alex Coco (Anora).
Part of The Future of Film is Female’s THREE FILMS, FIVE CITIES project.
Starring: Ryan Wuestewald, Hans Christopher, Nikki DeParis
The FOFIF presents a Brooklyn screening of its new release, Yana Alliata’s debut feature Reeling, as part of its THREE FILMS, FIVE CITIES project. The Tuesday screening includes a Q&A with Alliata and cast members and the weekend brunch screenings include special introductions. To make an additional $10 donation to The Future of Film is Female, select the “Event + Donation” ticket on the checkout screen.
Reeling, the striking debut feature by Yana Alliata, is a lyrical and emotionally charged exploration of memory, trauma, and belonging set against the idyllic family property on Oahu’s windward side. After a life-altering accident, Ryan returns to his family’s homestead for a birthday luau, attempting to reconnect with old friends and relatives who now feel like strangers. As the pig roasts slowly in the imu pit and the atmosphere turns festive, buried tensions simmer beneath the surface as Ryan uncovers the secret of when things took a tragic turn.
Executive Produced by the singular Werner Herzog.
Part of The Future of Film is Female’s THREE FILMS, FIVE CITIES project.
Pre-party in Lo-Res 7-9pm with DJ Rok One
A journey into the past and the future of Italo Disco music through the stories of the original 80’s heroes and cult DJs and the voice of a new generation of artists, radio broadcasters and fans ready to carry on the Italo Disco Legacy.
Featuring rare and original 80s footage, live takes and interviews with Fred Ventura, Rago & Farina, Flemming Dalum, Steen Gjerulff (Body Electric), The Hacker, DJ Hell, Alexander Robotnick, Scotch, Albert One, Ken Laszlo, Martinelli, P. Lion, Koto, Brian Ice, Fancy, Brand Image, Marcello Catalano, Linda Jo Rizzo, Italove, Surf Dancer, Roberto Turatti, Sandro Codazzi, Daniele Baldelli, Beppe Loda, Marcello D’Azzurro, I-F, Otto Kraanen (Bordello a Parigi), Intergalactic Gary, David Vunk, Alden Tyrell, DJ Overdose, Tero & Kristiina Männikkö, Gwen De Bats (Radio Stad Den Haag), Mark du Mosch, Black Devil Disco Club, Francisco, Lorenzo Cibrario (Red Gallery London).
New York premiere
Heavy Healing dives into the worlds of metal, hardcore punk, and underground hip-hop to reveal how loud music scenes become lifelines for people navigating disability, illness, trauma, and mental health challenges. Through raw, personal stories from musicians, fans, and industry voices, the film pushes back against clichés of “aggressive” music and spotlights community care, creative survival, and the deep bonds forged in packed rooms where volume becomes connection. Featuring voices linked to Bowling for Soup, Killswitch Engage, Sick of It All, Agnostic Front, and more, the film reframes heavy music as a space of resilience, belonging, and shared healing.
Starring: Gloria Swanson, Walter Byron, Seena Owen, Tully Marshall
4K restoration
It should have been a dream collaboration: a glamorous world-famous movie star (Gloria Swanson) and her financier lover (Joseph P. Kennedy) hire a celebrated director (Erich von Stroheim) to make a groundbreaking masterpiece. Instead, Queen Kelly was canceled mid-production and became the most infamous unfinished film in cinema history. Von Stroheim’s baroque and obsessive drama opens in a European country ruled by a mad Queen (Seena Owen) obsessed with her feckless fiancé, “Wild” Prince Wolfram (Walter Byron). The dissolute prince falls for an innocent but flirtatious convent girl, Patricia Kelly (Swanson), kidnaps her, and brings her to his rooms. When the Queen discovers the lovers, she horsewhips the girl. Returning to the convent, Kelly receives a telegram, summoning her to German East Africa, where her dying aunt begs the girl to wed the syphilitic owner, Jan (Tully Marshall) of the seedy brothel. Basing his reconstruction on von Stroheim’s original scripts, Dennis Doros has employed multiple techniques to recreate the film’s lurid dénouement. Featuring a new orchestral score by Eli Denson.
This is the story of 7 graff hunters, individuals addicted to photographing and sharing graffiti in NYC and the world. Relentless and passionate about their obsession, they discuss why they do it, and why they can’t stop.
Pasha Talankin is an unlikely hero—a beloved Russian primary school teacher, known as a mentor and prankster who offers students a safe haven in his office. After Russia invades Ukraine, Pasha’s role in the school changes dramatically as he is reluctantly drawn into Putin’s propaganda machine. Forced to promote state-sanctioned messages and horrified by the transformation of his school and community, he struggles with guilt and a sense of powerlessness, leading him to become an international whistleblower.
As the school’s videographer, Pasha documents intimate and revealing footage of Putin’s regime, capturing the rise of militarized children’s groups, repressive laws, fervent nationalism, and the recruitment of graduating students to fight in the war. When he learns his own life may be at risk, Pasha is forced to plan a dangerous escape from Russia.
Directed by David Borenstein and co-directed by Pasha Talankin, this uniquely collaborative film is as captivating and joyful as it is eye-opening and sobering. Mr. Nobody Against Putin showcases rare footage that reveals the profound impact of Putin’s regime on the lives of everyday Russians, particularly its children.
A comeback story with grit and groove. New York’s 1980’s Dance pioneers Rockers Revenge reunite decades later to finally record their debut album, transforming nostalgia into a powerful journey of friendship, resilience, and unfinished dreams. From the frontlines of New York’s COVID crisis to the pulse of Black Lives Matter, their music channels loss, hope, and defiance.
Directed by legendary DJ and music producer Arthur Baker – whose collaborations with New Order, Afrika Bambaataa, Bruce Springsteen and Al Green defined an era – this film spans 30 years yet feels urgently of the moment – a testament to survival, second chances, and the unstoppable spirit of Rockers Revenge.
