Movies from around the world: Santa Fe International Film Festival announces first 17 features

Sep. 24—Less than a month away and the Santa Fe International Film Festival announced its first 17 feature films.

According to organizers, SFiFF will announce its full schedule of competition films, short films, industry discussions, panels, and events later this month.

The festival takes place over five days at six theaters as well as restaurants and businesses in Downtown Santa Fe.

"Reservation Dogs" co-creator, Sterlin Harjo, will receive the Visionary Award on Oct. 21, at the Lensic Performing Arts Center.

According to Jacques Paisner, SFiff artistic director, the line up represents some of the best in film from around the world.

"About Dry Grasses" directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan.

The film follows a young teacher, Samet, as he hopes to be appointed to Istanbul after mandatory duty at a small village in Eastern Anatolia.

"All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt" directed by Raven Jackson

The feature debut from award-winning poet, photographer and filmmaker Raven Jackson is a haunting and richly layered portrait, a beautiful ode to the generations of people and places that shape us.

"Anatomy of a Fall" directed by Justine Triet

For the past year, Sandra, her husband Samuel, and their 11-year-old son, Daniel, have lived a secluded life in a remote town in the French Alps. When Samuel is found dead in the snow below their chalet, the police question whether he was murdered or committed suicide.

"Anselm" directed by Wim Wenders

This unique cinematic experience dives deep into an artist's work and reveals his life path, inspiration, and creative process. It explores his fascination with myth and history.

"The Delinquents" directed by Rodrigo Moreno

Bank employee Morán schemes to steal enough money to liberate himself from corporate monotony, then confesses and serves prison time while his co-worker hides the cash.

"Eileen" directed by William Oldroyd

Based on the book of the same name by bestselling author, Ottessa Moshfegh. Set during a bitter 1964 Massachusetts winter, young secretary Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie) becomes enchanted by Rebecca (Anne Hathaway), the glamorous new counselor at the prison where she works.

"Fallen Leaves" directed by Aki Kaurismäki

Two lonely strangers meet by chance in the Helsinki night, in search of the first, only, and ultimate love of their lives. However, their paths to happiness are clouded by the man's alcoholism, lost phone numbers, not knowing each others' names.

"Foe" directed by Garth Davis

Academy Award nominees Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal star in the haunting exploration of marriage and identity set in an uncertain world.

"Frybread Face and Me" directed by Billy Luther

It's 1990. Benny is a Native American boy growing up in San Diego who plays with dolls and listens to Fleetwood Mac. Everything Benny thinks he knows about himself and his family is turned upside down when his parents force him to spend the summer at his Grandma Lorraine's sheep ranch on the reservation in Arizona.

"Here" directed by Bas Devos

The film follows Stefan, a Romanian construction worker living in Brussels who is about to return home to visit his mother, and maybe stay longer. Using the leftovers from his fridge, he cooks up a big pot of soup and begins handing it out as farewell gifts to friends and family. But while waiting for his car to be fixed, he meets Shuxiu, a Belgian-Chinese woman preparing a doctorate on mosses.

"In Our Day" directed by Hong Sangsoo

A woman in her early 40s is temporarily living at the home of a friend, who is raising a cat, and another person, a man in his 70s living alone, had his cat die of old age. Each of them receives a visitor, with serious questions to ask.

"It's Only Life After All" directed by Alexandria Bombach

With 40 years of making music as the iconic folk-rock band Indigo Girls, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have made their mark as musicians, songwriters, and dedicated activists. They have represented radical self-acceptance to many — leading now multiple generations of fans to say, "the Indigo Girls saved my life." Still, Amy and Emily battled misogyny, homophobia, and a harsh cultural climate chastising them for not fitting into a female pop star mold.

"The Mission" directed by Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss

In 2018, a shocking event made headlines around the world: a young American missionary, John Chau, was killed by arrows while attempting to contact one of the world's most isolated Indigenous peoples on remote North Sentinel Island.

"Monster" directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda

After discovering that a teacher is responsible for her young son's sudden change of behavior, a mother storms into the school demanding to know what's going on. As the story unfolds through the eyes of the mother, teacher, and child, the truth gradually emerges.

"Music" directed by Angela Schanelec

On a stormy night in the mountains of Greece, a pair of wayward young people abandon their newborn child. Taken in by a family of farmers, Jon grows up without knowing his father or mother. Years later, after a tragic accident, he is sent to prison, where he meets Iro. The two form a connection, expressed through music, that will, by turns, haunt them and uphold them the rest of their days.

"Perfect Days" directed by Wim Wenders

Hirayama seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo. Outside of his very structured everyday routine he enjoys his passion for music and for books. And he loves trees and takes photos of them.

"The Promised Land" directed by Nikolaj Arcel

Starring Mads Mikkelsen and Amanda Collin, the film brings viewers to 1755, on Denmark's barren Jutland heath. The poor soldier Ludvig Kahlen arrives with a single goal: to follow the king's call to cultivate the land and thereby achieve wealth and honor himself.