Slamdance Announces 2023 Feature Lineup With ‘Free LSD’ as Closing Night Film

Michaela Zee
·6 min read

Slamdance has announced its feature lineup and “Free LSD” as the closing night film for the 29th Slamdance Film Festival.

This year’s lineup was chosen from 7,600 submissions — 1, 522 of which were features — and represents projects from 13 different countries. The selections for the Narrative Features and Documentary Features competition categories are directorial debuts without U.S. distribution, with budgets of less than $1 million.

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In addition to Slamdance’s opening night film Moby’s “Punk Rock Vegan Movie,” the festival will also showcase two additional Spotlight Feature screenings: “Downwind” and “Free LSD,” which follows one man’s inter-dimensional journey where, after using an experimental drug, he is provided a glimpse into a parallel universe. The film features appearances from Keith Morris and Jack Black.

“From the streets of Seattle to the psychedelic skies of a unicorn-run dystopia, our filmmakers are transporting audiences to new dimensions with stories that explore the nuance of disability, immigration and gender,” festival manager Lily Yasuda said in a statement. “This year’s lineup represents a generation of new directors who are breaking boundaries and redefining what filmmaking looks like in 2023.”

Slamdance will take place in person from Jan. 20-26 and online via the Slamdance Channel from Jan. 23-29.

See the 2023 Feature Film lineup below:

Spotlight Feature Screenings

“Downwind” (USA) World Premiere

Hiroshima. Nagasaki. Mercury, Nevada? The latter was the site for the testing of 928 nuclear weapons on American soil from 1951 to 1992. The fallout is still lethally impacting Americans today. Martin Sheen narrates this harrowing exposé of the United States’ disregard for everyone living.

Directors: Mark Shapiro and Douglas Brian Miller; Screenwriters: Warren Etheredge and Mark Shapiro; Producers: Matthew Modine, Adam Rackoff, Mark Shapiro

Cast: Michael Douglas, Lewis Black, Ian Zabarte, Darlene Graham, Mary Dickson, Claudia Peterson

“Free LSD” (USA) World Premiere – Closing Night Film

Keith, a defeated adult store owner, falls for a younger woman who visits his shop looking for a gift. When their relationship turns physical, Keith’s failure to perform leads him to a strange doctor who offers hope in the form of a new experimental drug.

Writer / Director: Dimitri Coats; Producers: Kurt Kittleson, Dimitri Coats, Inge De Bruyn

Cast: Keith Morris, Dimitri Coats, Autry Fulbright II, DH Peligro, David Yow, Chelsea Debo, Jack Black, James Duval, Dana Gould, Barry Del Sherman, Chloe Dykstra, Chris D., E.R. Ruiz, Davey Havok, Gill Gayle, S.A. Griffin, Don Nguyen, Angelo Moore, Zander Schloss, Don Bolles, Bree Essrig, Sydnie Mancini, Nathaniel Moore. Cody Renee Cameron, Aleshya Uthappa, Heidi Luo, Jeffrey Damnit, Trent Haaga, Rob Zabrecky, Pete Weiss, Kyle Vogt, Kelly Nugent, Laura James, Chris Hernandez

Narrative Feature Competition

“The Girl Who Was Cursed” – (The Netherlands) North American Premiere

Stoner girl Gizem spends most of her day smoking weed on the couch while spying on her neighbors through binoculars. When the quirky boy across the street disappears, she has to get out of her comfortable cloud of smoke to find out where he is.

Director: Zara Dwinger; Screenwriter: Zara Dwinger; Producers: Layla Meijman & Maarten van der Ven

Cast: Sinem Kavuz, Victor Ijdens, Frieda Barnhard, Ilker Delikaya

“Love Dump” – (USA) U.S. Premiere

Trash-filled love ensues when a quirky antique shop owner searches for her missing father, and falls for a determined dog lawyer along the way.

Director: Jason Avezzano; Screenwriters: Leila Gorstein and Jesse Kendall; Producers: Emily Diego, Matt Mahaffey, Leila Gorstein, Jesse Kendall

Cast: Leila Gorstein, Jesse Kendall, Rob Grabowski, EJ Cameron, Zoe Agapinan, George Elrod, Lauren Summers, Tyler Davis

“Mind My Goofiness: The Self Portrait” – (USA) World Premiere

A strange dream; favors for friends; the end of the world. It’s just one of those days for Alex as he runs errands he never needed to, all while making sense of a recurring deja vu throughout the journey of his day.

Director: Alex Michel; Screenwriter: Alex Michel; Producer: Alex Michel

Cast: Alex Michel, Duante Wingham, Symone Holmes, Rob Rice, Perry Goeders, Ian Peterson, Juice Wood, Emara Vee

“Mad Cats” – (Japan) World Premiere

Taka, a shiftless young man, sets off on a quest to find his brother Mune. Teaming up with a quirky new friend and an edgy, mysterious young girl along the way, Taka finds himself taking on a pack of vicious monster cats determined to execute unscrupulous pet shop owners.

Director: Reiki Tsuno; Screenwriter: Reiki Tsuno; Producers: Daisuke Urano, Reiki Tsuno, Takahiro Fukuya

Cast: Sho Mineo, Yuya Matsuura, Ayane, Michael Aaron Stone, So Yamanaka

“New Religion” – (Japan) North American Premiere

Miyabi lost her only daughter in an accident. One day, she meets a strange man. The man demands that she let him take a picture of her spine.

Director: Keishi Kondo; Screenwriter: Keishi Kondo; Producer: Keishi Kondo

Cast: Kaho Seto, Ryuseigun Saionji, Satoshi Oka

“Nut Jobs” – (Canada) U.S. Premiere

Benjamin tells his ex-girlfriend, Angie, that he joined a cell of left-wing terrorists to get revenge on her former boss, who owns a right-wing radio station. His story blends conceptual artists, amateur theater troupes, hallucinogenic vinyl record and other magical powers. All that nonsense leave Angie wondering if he made that up only to win her back.

Director: Alexandre Leblanc; Screenwriter: Alexandre Leblanc; Producer: Alexandre Leblanc

Cast: Jean-Sébastien Courchesne, Sophie Desmarais, Benoit Bourbonnais, Annie St-Pierre, Richard Fréchette, Mathieu Bourque

“A Perfect Day for Caribou” – (USA) North American Premiere

An estranged father and son spend the day ambling around a cemetery, wandering the wilderness, searching for family, and stumbling through disharmony and heartache.

Director: Jeff Rutherford; Screenwriter: Jeff Rutherford; Producers: Kyra Bailey, Joseph Longo, Jeff Rutherford

Cast: Charlie Plummer, Jeb Berrier, Oellis Levine, Dana Millican, Wrick Jones, Rachael Perrell Fosket, Connor Brenes

“Stars in the Ordinary Universe” – (South Korea) World Premiere

Three stories from three different earths in the multiverse…

Director: Bowon Kim; Screenwriter: Bowon Kim; Producers: Han Jung, Minji Kim, Dongho Shin

Cast: Seoyoon Park, Gyoho Shim, Dongmin Oh

“Unicorn Boy” – (USA) World Premiere

When a heartbroken young artist is sucked into a unicorn-run alternate dimension, they must help conquer a dark force in order to bring peace to the kingdom and themselves.

Director: Matt Kiel; Screenwriter: Matt Kiel; Producer: Neil Garguilo p.g.a.

Cast: Matt Kiel, Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford, Harold Perrineau, Sarah Natochenny, Katie Leclerc, Brett Davern, Parvesh Cheena

“Waiting for the Light to Change” – (USA)

Over the course of a week-long beachside getaway, Amy, having recently undergone dramatic weight loss, finds herself wrestling between loyalty to her best friend Kim and her attraction to Kim’s new boyfriend.

Director: Linh Tran; Screenwriters: Linh Tran, Jewells Santos, Delia Van Praag; Producers: Sam Straley, Jake Rotger, Jewells Santos

Cast: Jin Park, Joyce Ha, Qun Chi, Sam Straley, Erik Barrientos

“Where the Road Leads” – (Serbia) World Premiere

Jana runs to save a life of a foreigner who can take her far away from her home town.

Director: Nina Ognjanović; Screenwriter: Nina Ognjanović; Producer: David Jovanović

Cast: Jana Bjelica, Zlatan Vidović, Vladimir Maksimović, Ninoslav Ćulum, Igor Filipović, Svetozar Cvetković, Branislava Stefanović, Eva Ras

Documentary Feature Competition

“Cash Cow” – (USA) World Premiere

In the Fall of 2020, a financially struggling actor camps and explores early Mormon historical sites as he anxiously awaits national broadcast for his Domino’s Pizza commercial.

Director: Matt Barats; Screenwriter: Matt Barats; Producers: Whit Conway & Matt Barats

“Cisco Kid” – (USA) U.S. Premiere

In a queer portrait of the contemporary American West, Eileen–a young, solitary maverick–forges a life among the discarded remnants and lingering memories of a desert ghost town called Cisco.

Director: Emily Kaye Allen; Producers: Shannon Fitzpatrick, Elise McCave

“The Mad Writer” – (USA) World Premiere

With his star on the rise, Hip Hop phenom, L’Orange, confronts a stunning diagnosis that threatens both his hearing and his burgeoning career.

Director: Zach Kashkett; Screenwriter: Zach Kashkett; Producers: Jon Webb, Zach Kashkett, Trevor Metscher, Katherine LeBlond, James Haygood, Michael Raimondi, Michael Tolle

“Motel Drive” – (USA) World Premiere

Within a community of motels infamous for illicit activity, the Shaw Family grapples with housing insecurity and addiction while trying to raise their young son.

Director: Brendan Geraghty; Screenwriter: Brendan Geraghty; Producers: Brendan Geraghty. Josh Polon

“Silent Love” – (Poland, Germany) U.S. Premiere

After their mother’s death, 35-year-old Aga has to take care of her teenage brother, Milosz. There is one thing she isn’t telling him about: her ongoing relationship with Maja. An unconventional family is being born in a small, conservative Polish village.

Director: Marek Kozakiewicz; Screenwriter: Marek Kozakiewicz; Producers: Agnieszka Skalska, Alex Tondowski, Ira Tondowski

“Space Happy: Phil Thomas Katt and The Uncharted Zone” – (USA) World Premiere

A feature-length documentary about a group of ragtag artists making “so bad it’s good” music and videos in Pensacola, Florida under the direction of the eccentric Phil Thomas Katt.

Director: Louis Crisitello; Producers: Louis Crisitello, John Nobbs, Rose Crisitello, Mike Castronova

“Starring Jerry as Himself” – (USA) World Premiere

A family documents how their immigrant father Jerry, a recently divorced and retired Florida man, was recruited by the Chinese police to be an undercover agent.

Director: Law Chen; Screenwriters: Jerry Hsu and Law Chen; Producers: Jonathan Hsu, Law Chen

“Sweetheart Deal” – (USA)

Four sex workers caught in the spiral of addiction turn to a self-proclaimed healer offering friendship and a path to salvation from the streets inside his roadside RV. But just as they begin to rebuild their lives, a shocking betrayal comes to light that will change them all.

Directors: Elisa Levine & Gabriel Miller; Screenwriter: Karen KH Sim; Producers: Peggy Case, Elisa Levine

“With Peter Bradley” – (USA) World Premiere

Seventy-nine years old and overlooked since the 1970’s, abstract artist Peter Bradley reflects on life and shares his artistic process on the cusp of his rediscovery.

Director: Alex Rappoport; Producer: Alex Rappoport

Breakouts

“The Art of Silence” – (Switzerland, Germany)

The first feature documentary about the legendary pantomime Marcel Marceau. He inspires several generations of artists, among them his grandson and family, who cast a new light on his life’s work.

Director: Maurizius Staerkle Drux; Screenwriter: Maurizius Staerkle Drux; Producers: Aline Schmid, Adrian Blaser, Carl-Ludwig Rettinger, Maurizius Staerkle Drux

Cast: Marcel Marceau, Anne Sicco, Camille Marceau, Aurélia Marceau, Louis Chevalier, Rob Mermin, Georges Loinger, Daniel Loinger, Christoph Staerkle

“Fuzzy Head” – (USA) U.S. Premiere

Insomnia-ridden Marla is on the run after the murder of her mother. Now, Marla must confront her everlasting void to find out the truth of what really happened and at last, undo all that’s been done.

Director: Wendy McColm; Screenwriter: Wendy McColm; Producers: Rhianon Jones, Frank Oz, Santiago Cervantes, Cooper Oznowicz

Cast: Alicia Witt, Wendy McColm, Jonathan Tolliver, Numa Perrier, Fred Melamed, Cassidy Butler, Richard Riehle, and Rain Phoenix

“Mascot” – (The Netherlands, Belgium) World Premiere

With his radical behavior, teenager Jerry endangers not only himself but his entire family.

Director: Remy van Heugten; Screenwriter: Gustaaf Peek; Producers: Joram Willink, Piet-Harm Sterk, Bart van Langendonck, Robert Kievit

Cast: Liam Jeans, Maartje Remmers, Leopold Witte, Geert van Rampelberg, Frederike van Oordt, Mouad Nineb, Joes Brauers

“Onlookers” – (USA, Laos) World Premiere

“Onlookers” offers a visually striking, immersive meditation on travel and tourism in Laos, reflecting on how we all live as observers.

Director: Kimi Takesue; Producers: Kimi Takesue, Richard Beenen, Sophie Luo

“The Underbug” – (India) World Premiere

As India is ravaged by sectarian violence on the eve of its Independence Day, two rioters take refuge in an abandoned house. An eerie presence in the house, however, haunts the men to the edge of sanity.

Director: Shujaat Saudagar; Screenwriters: Shujaat Saudagar, Abas Dalal, Hussain Dalal; Producers: Vikesh Bhutani, Shujaat Saudagar, Aman Mann

Cast: Ali Fazal, Hussain Dalal, Areenah fatima

“What is the Lie?” – (Philippines) World Premiere

Hopeless romantic Janzen Torres finds another chance at love when she matches with the handsome and seemingly perfect Theo Balmaceda on a dating app. Unfortunately, on the day of their meet-up, Theo ghosts her, leading Janzen into an intricate web of deceit, lies, and catfishing led by sociopathic mastermind Beanie Landridos.

Director: Quark Henares; Screenwriters: Quark Henares, John Bedia; Producers: Armi Rae Cacanindin, Pauline Zamora, Bianca Balbuena-Liew, Ian Monsod

Cast: Maris Racal, EJ Jallorina, Royce Cabrera

Unstoppable Features

“American Pot Story: Oaksterdam” – (USA) World Premiere

“American Pot Story: Oaksterdam” tells the unknown origin story of how a handful of underdogs risked everything to spark the current worldwide revolution in cannabis policy.

Director: Dan Katzir & Ravit Markus; Screenwriter: Dan Katzir; Producers: Ravit Markus, Dan Katzir, Yael Katzir, Lati Grobman, Rick Rosenthal, Dahlia Guigui, Asher Alkoby, Eviatar Dotan, Ayal Nitzan

Cast: Dale Sky Jones, Richard Lee, Jeff Jones, Salwa Ibrahim, Governor Gavin Newson

“OKAY! (The ASD Band Film)” – (Canada)

Four performers on the autism spectrum form a band and take on the challenge of writing and performing their first album of original songs.

Director: Mark Bone; Screenwriters: Greg Rosati, Andrew Simon; Producers: Andrew Simon, Tamara Sulliman, David Bodanis

Cast: Ron Adea, Jackson Begley, Rawan Tuffaha, Spenser Murray, Maury LaFoy

“Sexual Healing” – (Netherlands) U.S. Premiere

Evelien (53), spastic from birth, yearns for intimate contact and recognition for who she is. “Sexual Healing” follows her courageous quest for intimacy: touching, funny, sensual and rewarding.

Director: Elsbeth Fraanje; Screenwriter: Elsbeth Fraanje; Producers: Nienke Korthof, Willem Baptist

“Sign the Show” – (USA)

“Sign the Show” immerses the viewer in conversations with entertainers (including Kelly Clarkson, D.L. Hughley and André 3000), the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, and popular American Sign.

Director: Cat Brewer; Producers: Cat Brewer, Matt Maxey, Waka Flocka, Sara Hirsh Bordo, Claudia Lin Cunningham

Cast: Waka Flocka, Kelly Clarkson, André 3000, D.L. Hughley, Camryn Manheim, Matt Maxey, Nyle DiMarco, Camryn Manheim,

“Wisdom Gone Wild” – (USA)

In this moving and original reflection on aging, mortality, and transformation, Rea Tajiri partners with her mother, Rose Tajiri Noda, to create a film about the final sixteen years of Rose’s life as a person living with dementia.

Director: Rea Tajiri; Screenwriter: Rea Tajiri; Producers: Rea Tajiri, Sian Evans

Cast: Rose Tajiri, Rea Tajiri

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