Goodbye To Language
The Film
Jean-Luc Godard has gone 3D. A mix of fragmented narratives, musical quotes, costume drama and toilet humour, there's not much plot to speak of – but it's all seen through the eyes of a dog...
Why we’re excited to see it
When an arthouse giant like Godard decides to play around with 3D, everyone puts their glasses on.
A Second Chance
The Film
A routine police call turns emotional when a cop ( Game of Thrones ’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) discovers an abandoned baby.
Why we’re excited to see it
Aside from a proper, meaty role for Coster-Waldau, A Second Chance also marks the second LFF chance for Danish Oscar-winner Susanne Bier (after Serena ) - this time in her native language.
White Bird In A Blizzard
The Film
Sex, death and teenage angst collide as a mother (Eva Green) suddenly, unexpectedly, walks out on her young daughter (Shailene Woodley).
Why we’re excited to see it
Shortchanged by Spider Man (and, debatably, by Divergent ), Gregg Araki's meditative drama is Woodley's chance to get back into the indie arena.
The Drop
The Film
A gangland past catches up with a bartender (Tom Hardy) and his cousin (James Gandolfini) when he finds an abandoned puppy in the rubbish bin.
Why we’re excited to see it
Tom Hardy playing a tough nut, James Gandolfini in his final role and a New York Noir script written by Dennis Lehane ( Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone, Shutter Island ). Sold.
Kill Me Three Times
The Film
A moody assassin, a bent cop, a murderous dentist and a mechanic all cross paths and motives in the middle of the Australian desert.
Why we’re excited to see it
That moody assassin? Simon Pegg. Leading an Aussie low-fi Pulp Fiction ensemble with his darkest, barmiest role in years, Pegg looks like he's having a blast.
Monsters: Dark Continent
The Film
Gareth Godzilla Edwards' breakout 2010 indie gets a suitably low-fi sequel as debut director Tom Green takes the (background) action to the Middle East.
Why we’re excited to see it
Will it be the Aliens to the original's Alien ? Fingers crossed for more stripped-back mumblecore genre-blurring in what could become another career launchpad.
White God
The Film
A troubled teen goes to stay with her Dad just as a full-on DOG REVOLUTION starts. Think Planet Of The Apes ... with dogs.
Why we’re excited to see it
It sounds hokey, but Kornél Mundruczó's ambitious, visceral political allegory (featuring a cast of over 100 real dogs) won the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes.
The Dead Lands
The Film
An ancient maori take on the YA formula, a teenager sets out to avenge his father by pursuing a rival tribe through a forest full of of supernatural cannibals.
Why we’re excited to see it
Drawing comparison to Mel Gibson's 2006 Apocalypto , Toa Fraser's adventure thriller is one of only a handful of films to have ever been made in the maori language.
Far From Men
The Film
A “North African Western” set in '50s Algeria, based on a Camus story, Viggo Mortensen stars as a school teacher charged with escorting a man (Reda Kateb) over the mountains to face a murder trial.
Why we’re excited to see it
With a score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, a moody cowboy role for Mortensen and a serious existential bent, Far From Men could be this year's answer to The Proposition .
Black Coal, Thin Ice
The Film
A shabby Chinese detective (Liao Fan) follows a murder investigation for five years – even after he loses his job – before he realises that he might be able to solve the case.
Why we’re excited to see it
Winning the prestigious Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, Diao Yinan's lyrical, snow-bound procedural uses long takes, travelling shots and a chilly neon palate to unravel its tangled knots.
