Cinequest Film Festival 2021 Feature Line-Up
This is the complete feature line-up for The Cinequest 2021 Film Festival hosted on Cinejoy, running from 20-30 March.
List activity
360 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
101 titles
- DirectorMartin Garde AbildgaardStarsMark StrepanOlivia VinallIben HjejleOn an island struck with a sleeping phenomenon, a rogue visitor falls for one of the inhabitants, not realising the personal danger it brings
- DirectorJakob ZapfStarsJürgen ProchnowMilena PribakAnja SchiffelThe morose Konrad (85) pushes everyone away, but little Thurba (12) manages to break through his wall.
- DirectorHazartStarsGavin WarrenCatherine Haena KimJohnny BerchtoldWhile packing up his childhood home after the death of his mother, Ian struggles to reconnect with his estranged sister. Along with the help of a stranger, Ian processes his past and comes to terms with his future.
- DirectorFelipe Torres UrsoStarsKaren MaruyamaHannah van der WesthuysenJames TarpeyIn this outrageous comedy, a group of high school Seniors juggle between old loves and new flings on the shores of a beautiful Italian town.
- DirectorBen ShaniStarsEli ShamirArtist Eli Shamir paints the view from his studio balcony - fields stretching to the horizon, ancient oak trees, and a generation of farmers that is disappearing from the vistas of the Jezreel Valley. His large oils are treasured by collectors worldwide. It was director Ben Shani's encounter with one of Shamir's works that spawned the idea of documenting the artist at work. Neither of them had any idea that everything would change as the filming progressed, as an unforeseen danger threatened to rob Shamir of his talent. Filmed over the course of ten years, A lullaby for the Valley focuses on the fascinating figure of Eli Shamir and his paintings. As time passes, like the endless fields of the valley, they are transformed before our very eyes.
- DirectorAlex LiuStarsLaurie BetitoKristen GilbertDonal GodfreyTo right the wrongs of his all-American sex education, a 36-year-old goes on a quest to uncover naked truths and hard facts - no matter how awkward it gets. He's on a mission to strip away his sexual shame by meeting with the researchers and educators who are helping us build a healthier, sexier future.
- DirectorAimee LongStarsKenny LeuCiara RenéeFiona FuA Chinese-American police officer's life unravels after he accidentally shoots an innocent Black man. Facing trial, he wades through his guilt as he navigates the complicated worlds of media, justice, racial politics and his own morality.
- DirectorJoe ChienStarsJen-Shuo ChengHerman Du PlessisAggie HsiehWhile at sea, it is not only raging storms, waves the size of tankers that prove dangerous, deep sea creatures and gargantuan aquatic spiders have a tendency of also making life on the sea treacherous.
- DirectorJay BuimStarsKhan BaykalAsia Lee BoostaniDrew FreedA sex-cult settles in the Catskills to build community and spread knowledge, led by their mystical female founder. Their mission is to prioritize pleasure through a ritual called Jilling Off, which they believe will heal Mother Earth.
- DirectorMona Zandi HaqiqiStarsFatemah Motamed-AriaSaeed AghakhaniReza BabakWhen Fereydoun's children put him in a nursing home, his ex-wife Shokoo takes him to her house although her new husband does not quite approve.
- DirectorMiguel López ValdiviaCa SilvaStarsLizzy AunaAxel Arenas
- DirectorChris ShimojimaStarsAlejandro SantoniJulie VoshellRami MargronAlberto Buenaventura is that increasingly common breed - a digital nomad living on the road, unattached. But not much else is common about him. He's not only a successful photojournalist; he befriends strangers and gets involved in unusual whimsical adventures, often fancying himself a hero. Then just as quickly, he's off to the next place, following the spontaneous current of life. Leaving NYC, however, proves to be a different type of beast. Al's attempts to find a way out lead him all over the 5 boroughs, forcing him to deal with various groups of colorful characters that complicate the process and in some cases, make him re-examine his lifestyle - Will he escape the lure of the city?
- DirectorArnold LimStarsMelanie Rose WilsonAdam LolacherCeline StubelWhen a seventeen-year-old girl learns dark secrets about her father's past, she must reconcile the father she thought she knew and the man he may actually be.
- DirectorMiguel SilveiraStarsCoco MonroeKhadim DiopBen BecherA teen hacker seeking revenge for his father's murder becomes a pawn in a plot to derail the 2016 presidential elections.
- DirectorHolly TuckettThe story focuses on the passion and grit of women in wildland firefighting - women fighting infernos and a culture of discrimination that leaves them at risk for assault. They're also driving change to create a future with more equity.
- DirectorGreg MitchellStarsOsamu InoueDennis PredovicRob BurgosLong suppressed footage of the human suffering caused by the US nuclear bombing of two Japanese cities in August of 1945.
- DirectorTracey DeerStarsKiawentiioRainbow DickersonViolah BeauvaisBased on true events, Tracey Deer's debut feature chronicles the 78-day standoff between two Mohawk communities and government forces in 1990 Quebec.
- DirectorNani Li YangStarsAh-Lei GuaKathy WuDemi KeAfter her son is jailed, Mrs. Woo, a matriarch with high expectations, struggles to uphold her family's remaining reputation by parenting her estranged daughter, with whom Woo and her son's two unmanageable teenagers must seek shelter in the U.S.
- DirectorVirginia AbramovichStarsFiona GrahamLuke RobinsonSebastian DeeryIt's about a woman's pursuit to join her missing lover by crossing into a parallel dimension.
- DirectorJack Lawrence MayerStarsPaige CollinsAlbert HuberJacob Hurwitz-GoodmanTwo sisters, two boyfriends, one simple birthday weekend getaway. Or it would have been, if not for the threesome, the love affair, the unexpected arrival of a fiancé, and the ensuing ridiculous dinner role play charade everyone is forced to participate in just to keep from getting caught.
- DirectorAnthony RiazziStarsJuliet LopezBrenden RobertsAlejandro Montoya MarínIn spite of the apparent risk, a young and ambitious news reporter jumps at the opportunity to investigate a mysterious location in the New Mexico desert where people are disappearing.
- DirectorMalik IsasisStarsAmina Ben IsmaïlSoraïa ScicchitanoKenneth BrowningBitter Sugar follows two dancers balancing ambition, and friendship in the extremely competitive world of dance.
- DirectorAmanda McBaineJesse MossStarsBen FeinsteinSteven GarzaRobert MacDougallA thousand 17-year-old boys from Texas join together to build a representative government from the ground up.
- DirectorTimo VergauwenStarsJoel LudfordAnna MossFolk musicians Anna and Joel built a solar-powered stage on the roof of their veggie-oil-propelled tour bus. Their dream of driving the bus from Arkansas to Argentina comes to an abrupt end when two cars smash into them head-on .
- DirectorJoel SouzaStarsThomas JaneLuke KleintankJosh HopkinsFollows one memorable night in the life of LAPD officer Ray Mandel as he hunts two cop killers on the loose.
- DirectorMatt BissonnetteStarsGabriel ByrneJessica ParéBrian GleesonA carousing college professor's life takes a series of unimaginable turns, and all the old stories are given a new twist, when he begins to have surreal hallucinations and learns he may not be long for this world.
- DirectorRöckët StährStarsAbby AhmadRöckët Stähr"Yellow Submarine" meets "Rocky Horror Picture Show" meets "Tommy" meets "Jesus Christ Superstar" in this fun, colorful, subversive, love letter to classic rock n' roll and 20th century American pop culture.
- DirectorGeorge Louis BartlettStarsJemma RedgraveGary BeadleDavid SchaalWhen an unpaid train fine comes back to haunt him, office worker Ralph flees London to a forest motel where a temporary hideout becomes a nightmarish purgatory, and emerging ghosts of the past force him to confront the loss of his father.
- DirectorPeter HsiehStarsYutaka TakeuchiLexy HammondsSarah DumontDrive All Night follows Dave, a reclusive swing-shift taxi driver, whose night takes an unexpected turn after he picks up a mysterious passenger, Cara, a young woman hiding a dark secret. She makes him drive around the city without a clear destination or motive, and has him accompany her on a number of bizarre excursions - each one stranger than the next. Things get increasingly more surreal the further into the night they go, as Dave begins to learn about Cara and her troubled past. Unbeknownst to the pair, Lenny, an obsessive hitman, is hunting them, guided by strange visions and instructions from a powerful mob boss. Every place he visits brings him one step closer. Will Lenny catch up to Dave and Cara? What happens when the night ends?
- DirectorJohn CarlucciBrandon LaGankeStarsCharlie TahanKara HaywardPineapple TangaroaA directionless, young campus bus driver and a security guard strike up a strange friendship.
- DirectorTommy LlorensStarsKen AppledornRuth ArmasNieves BravoJordi travels to La Palma to fulfill a promise, there he will meet Linda - They will never leave the island.
- DirectorNicholas WoodsStarsMichaella RussellHeston HorwinChase CargillAn immigrant travels from Sedona to Los Angeles to seek revenge against the immigration lawyer who ruined her life.
- DirectorTed StensonStarsAndrew PhungPaul CowlingJay MorbergStudents, coaches, and players interact at a high school on the evening of a basketball game.
- DirectorMylissa FitzsimmonsStarsHugo de SousaBergdis Julia JohannsdottirLilja ÞórisdóttirStranded in a small village during Earth's final days, a man seeks solace in the brief human connections he encounters.
- DirectorViggo MortensenStarsViggo MortensenLance HenriksenLaura LinneyJohn Peterson lives with his partner Eric and their adopted daughter in Southern California. When he is visited by his aging father who is searching for a place to retire, their two very different worlds collide.
- DirectorNam-Won ParkStarsKim FeelOh Jung-yeonChoi Moon-kyungAfter her husband falls into a vegetative state, a woman does everything in her power to make ends meet - even if that means cutting chickens' heads or becoming a hit woman.
- DirectorAbid KhanStarsAntonio AakeelÓscar CasasQuintessa SwindellIn Granada, Spain a British tourist struggles with a broken heart as he befriends a group of young foreigners and crashes into the heart of the international student scene.
- DirectorBlake RidderStarsEmily RedpathSarah Alexandra MarksLouis JamesA young woman's life turns chaotic when she uncovers a deadly secret about her friend.
- DirectorJelle NesnaStarsJuna de LeeuwRivka de LeonJudith DopAfter the sudden death of her older sister, a successful singer-songwriter finds herself facing their family's darkest memories as she fights to win custody over her adolescent niece from the girl's lawful but long-absent father.
- DirectorMegan HuberWyatt McDillStarsKarine BagoumianShaughn BuchholzFrank CappelloTwo married, down-on-their-luck, actors decide to put on a site-specific play about their unsuccessful life in Hollywood.
- DirectorTaylor GutersonStarsJohn GreenBen CockmanChris WilliamsA film that skillfully melds the worlds of narrative feature and documentary to capture this portrait of a broken man obsessively pursuing personal and professional redemption in a world where many of those close to him think he's crazy.
- DirectorJohn Clayton DoyleStarsDoug McCorkleRegina McCorkleCesar ValentinoThis documentary-narrative hybrid tells the story of DOUG McCORKLE, a buttoned- up, mild-mannered corporate accountant. After retiring at age 60, Doug puts his marriage and life savings on the line to chase his wildest dream.
- DirectorTony AhedoStarsParker PadgettDevon HalesJulia DentonAfter learning his new girlfriend Ana is pregnant, Sam, a teenage skateboarder, faces the reality of adulthood and struggles to become the father he never had.
- DirectorNicholas MihmA group of mothers discover that the Santa Susana Field Laboratory was the site of one of the largest nuclear accidents in United States history; and may have exposed their children and their community to cancer-causing hazardous waste.
- DirectorErdem TepegözStarsNuman AcarVedat ErincinAhmet Melih YilmazIn a dystopia of undefined place and time, dominated by primitive technology, a group of people is being controlled by an omnipresent surveillance system. When one of them contracts a mysterious disease, out of fear to lose his job he tries to contact the Officials. Doubts arise about the structure he is working in.
- DirectorManoj Leonel JasonShyam SunderStarsKalaiyarasanAadhira PandilakshmiAnjali PatilHorse tail This movie made me to think lots of thoughts and movie have a lots of stuff of culture thoughts.
- DirectorSean GannetStarsNeil Brown Jr.Nicky WhelanJeremy SistoWhen a New York lawyer returns to his Boston hometown to reunite his dying friend with his young son, he is forced to finally confront a childhood trauma.
- DirectorBrad RiddellSanford SternsheinStarsDavid WaltonMajandra DelfinoFrancis GuinanNostalgic for his glory days, a frustrated stay-at-home dad invites all of his high school Facebook friends to an 80s-themed surprise party for his exhausted corporate wife.
- DirectorJudith HelfandDavid CohenStarsJudith HelfandSeven months after helping her terminally ill mother during the end of her life in home-hospice, filmmaker Judith Helfand becomes a "new old" single mother at 50. Overnight, she's pushed to deal with her stuff: 63 boxes of her parent's heirlooms overwhelming her office-turned-future-baby's room, the weight her mother had begged her to lose, and the reality of being a half century older than her daughter.
- DirectorAviva Armour-OstroffArturo Pérez TorresStarsAlanna BaleVlad AlexisAviva Armour-OstroffA daughter must navigate the impacts of her mom's bipolar disorder.
- DirectorMichael CanzonieroStarsDan FoglerSteven RandazzoJuliette BennettA has-been character actor attempts to complete a movie honoring his deceased wife, when divine intervention leads him to a free-spirited actress who just might be his perfect leading lady.
- DirectorPaul Michael AngellStarsStan BrockA documentary adventure recounting the incredible life story of British-born Amazonian cowboy turned US TV star Stan Brock, who sacrificed everything for his unwavering mission to unite a nation and resolve the US healthcare crisis.
- DirectorDavid Ben AriStarsNimrod BergmanMoshik CohenKim HenTwo very different men find themselves sharing a night of danger and suspense: 19-year-old Ami, a killer turned state witness, and 52-year-old Itzhak, head of a religious yeshiva. They have to combine forces if they are to save the woman they both love, 17-year-old Moriya, Itzhak's daughter. Moriya has been kidnapped by the felons against whom Ami is supposed to testify. During this long night of twists and turns, Ami and Itzhak discover that they are more similar than they ever could have imagined.
- DirectorVivian WintherStarsJimmy CarterRosalynn CarterSam DonaldsonA new documentary film, Miss Lillian, tells the inspiring story of LILLIAN CARTER, matriarch of Atlanta's storied Carter family and mother to Jimmy Carter, the oldest living United States President. The film centers around rare interviews with historical figures of the Carter era, including former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, Los Angeles Dodger legend Tommy Lasorda, longtime ABC White House correspondent Sam Donaldson - and of course her son Jimmy, who at 96, no longer sits for interviews. In candid moments, President Carter reflects on his remarkable mother, who passed her deeply held humanitarian values on to her children, the eldest of whom would become the 39th President of the United States. The film offers a revealing and intimate study of a pioneering American woman, exploring how her life as a nurse in the rural south shaped her views on race, ultimately impacting a nation through her influence on Jimmy - first as the Governor of Georgia and later as the President during the tumultuous 1970s.
- DirectorPeter FuntStarsCarol BurnettFannie FlaggGlenn HammerThe story of the life and career of comical genius Allen Funt, and his legacy as the mastermind of the Candid Camera radio and TV shows.
- DirectorCalogero CarucciStarsMelanie LittleNoah ForrestAaron Smallwood Jr.A family tragedy during the recession of 2008, catalyzed by unemployment, personal crisis, and illness.
- DirectorPhil GrabskyShoaib SharifiStarsTony BlairLyse DoucetRobert GatesAward-winning filmmakers, Phil Grabsky and Shoaib Sharifi, present a real-life epic of boyhood and manhood, filmed across twenty years in one of the most embattled corners of the globe.
- DirectorAnouk FortunierStarsJohan HeldenberghSavannah VandendriesscheHilde De BaerdemaekerA father leaves his unhappy job at a bank to pursue an acting career.
- DirectorD. MitryStarsEmma KennedyB.J. MitchellMorgan LindholmAngie Goodwin runs away after a horrific car crash to make her dream of becoming a superhero come true.
- DirectorJulie DelpyStarsJulie DelpyRichard ArmitageDaniel BrühlA divorced mother looks to protect her daughter after an unexpected tragedy.
- DirectorLaura PlancarteA Native/Non Native couple in Montana, ahead of their wedding. Through their struggles we explore how gender and identity issues affect different generations in Montana.
- DirectorDeirdre O'ConnorStarsDanny AielloAdria TennorFrankie IngrassiaMiddle-age siblings struggle to manage their lives while caring for their recently widowed aging father. Welcome to the "sandwich generation."
- DirectorAmy AckerJames CarpinelloStarsAmy AckerJames CarpinelloImprisoned at home during quarantine, a woman longs to be outside, but is prevented from leaving by her controlling husband. As her mental state unravels, she questions her husband's motives and the true nature of the threat outside.
- DirectorTristen StaffordStarsCameron BakerDeborah BlomSean CanellosFed up with being losers, Jasper, Hannah, and Nick create fake identities to lie, steal, and scheme their way through vacation in this sun-drenched LGBTQ beach themed comedy.
- DirectorGrímur HákonarsonStarsSigurður SigurjónssonTheodór JúlíussonCharlotte BøvingIn a remote Icelandic farming valley, two brothers who haven't spoken in 40 years have to come together in order to save what's dearest to them - their sheep.
- DirectorKyle ThomasStarsAlana Hawley PurvisJoe PerryNicole de BoerWhen her parents are killed in a sudden car accident, television actor Frankie King (Alana Hawley Purvis) returns to her hometown in rural Alberta to face this tragedy after being estranged from her family for 20 years.
- DirectorKen'ichi UganaStarsOto AbeMasahiko AokiMinori Hagiwara
- DirectorWeixi ChenHao WuAnonymousRaw and intimate, this documentary captures the struggles of patients and frontline medical professionals battling the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan.
- DirectorDiana ZurosStarsSabina AkhmedovaAntoinette AbbamonteAshton ClineA young recovering drug addict confronts her demons by befriending the grief-stricken deaf mother she mysteriously spies on, but instead forges a much deeper friendship than she ever anticipated.
- DirectorAndy GoddardStarsNigel LindsayJudi DenchEddie IzzardUK, Aug. 15, 1939: 17 days before WWII, an English teacher and his camera disappear from a coastal boarding school with 20 German teen girls. Miller gets the job six days later, secretly trying to find out what happened.
- DirectorJeremiah KippStarsAugust MaturoMike ManningLibe BarerA boy deals with the loss of his mother by creating a dangerous relationship with a monster rumored to live in the woods.
- DirectorJohn GutierrezStarsRoberto KyleMarlon SwartsBrendon DanielsIn a small fishing community on the outskirts of Cape Town, Gabriel discovers a dead body and two bags of valuable abalone. His brother, Mikhail, convinces him they must take it for themselves. But when a corrupt government worker pursues them, they embark on a journey into the mountains and are driven to the ends of the Cape of Good Hope for the survival of their relationship and their lives.
- DirectorHillary ShakespeareStarsScarlett MarshallGino WilsonJamal HadjkuraA coming of age story of a boy and girl growing up in London in the noughties, dealing with the everyday insecurities that make your world implode at sixteen.
- DirectorCarlos López EstradaStarsAustin AntoineMarquesha BabersBryce BanksOver the course of a hot summer day in Los Angeles, the lives of 25 young Angelinos intersect.
- DirectorArnold MwanjilaStarsOlwenya MainaMwajuma BelleJoseph OmariA poor but ambitious fisherman enslaves a mermaid-like water spirit and exploits her and her abilities for wealth and power.
- DirectorGanesh VinayakStarsAbarnathiTharunkumarThaen is based on the real-life incident of an economically-backward husband who carried his dead wife to the cremation ground as he was unable to pay for the mortuary van.
- DirectorJonathan SchroderThe Boys in Red Hats documents the controversial encounter between students of Covington Catholic and a Native American elder on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on January 18, 2019.
- DirectorMatti HarariArik LubetzkiStarsIshai GolanOleg LevinOded MenasterEmma and Gregory, Russian immigrants, are having a hard time adapting in Israel. They cross paths with Alon, an amateur artist and owner of a high-tech company who is in crisis with his wife Yael.
- DirectorCristiane OliveiraStarsLetícia KacperskiIsabela BressaneJoana VieiraJoana, 13, wants to find out why her great-aunt died at 70 without ever having dated anyone. As she confronts the values of her community in Southern Brazil, Joana realizes that all the women in her family have a secret, while something hidden inside her also reveals.
- DirectorJennifer AbbottStarsJessa Abbott BalintTahlea Abbott BalintSarah BaikieFilmmaker Jennifer Abbott explores the emotional and psychological dimensions of the climate crisis and the relationship between grief and hope in times of personal and planetary change.
- DirectorMichelle DannerStarsEric BalfourElisabeth RöhmEdouard PhilipponnatAfter being busted for drug possession, Aiden, a troubled teenager, is forced by the cops to go undercover and risk his life to bring down a dangerous drug king pin.
- DirectorCyril ThomasSabrina Van TasselStarsNorma Jean FarleyPeter GilmanBobby LucioMelissa Lucio was the first Hispanic woman sentenced to death in Texas. For ten years she has been awaiting her fate, and now faces her last appeal.
- DirectorStéphanie GillardStarsJean-Michel AulasLorena AzzaroSelma BachaThe Olympique Lyonnais women's football team has over the years become one of the best football teams in the world. From training sessions to competitive matches, from doubts to victories, this documentary takes an up-close look at these exceptional players and their daily lives. An invitation to see women's sports and the place they hold in professional sports under a new light: a universe where the values of respect and open-mindedness are indispensable mainstays in working towards equality.
- DirectorJonathan SafirStarsEmile BerlingFélix CohenSophie DumontLooking out for his brother, Ruben gets hooked into the criminal organization he is trying to eliminate.
- DirectorLee DanielsStarsAndra DayTrevante RhodesGarrett HedlundFollows Holiday during her career as she is targeted by the Federal Department of Narcotics with an undercover sting operation led by black Federal Agent Jimmy Fletcher, with whom she has a tumultuous affair.
- DirectorK PontutiStarsAlexandra LorethJoe MullinsJeanne O'ConnorThe horror of a woman suffering from hysteria.
- DirectorTalia LugacyStarsFrances FisherDanny RamirezSam AdegokeA ragtag group of veterans in New York deal with the aftermath of war by creating unusual art.
- DirectorNikole BeckwithStarsPatti HarrisonEd HelmsRosalind ChaoWhen a young loner becomes the gestational surrogate for a single man in his 40s, the two strangers come to realize this unexpected relationship will challenge their perceptions of connection, boundaries and the particulars of love.
- DirectorStacey MaltinStarsStacey MaltinJay DeYonkerMARSA relationship between three best friends-on the verge of their Broadway debut-is put to the test when diverging dreams meet the realities of adulthood.
- DirectorAlexander Milo BischofStarsRuth KearneyDylan EdwardsMolly GromadzkiA couple's relationship threatens to collapse under the pressures of life.
- DirectorIsabel del RosalStarsDevin Dunne CannonBridget BarkanDaniel FoxWalk With Me follows the emotional journey of a young mother who leaves her husband to find her footing in the world. As she finds her way, she stumbles into unexpected love with another woman.
- DirectorLissette FelicianoStarsLorenza IzzoBryan CraigChrissie FitIn 1960s San Francisco, a once-promising catholic school girl, Celina Guerrera, sets out to rise above the oppression of poverty and invest in a future for herself that sets new precedents for the time.
- DirectorDorie BartonStarsRichard FollinDillon DouglassonKeegan GarantAn invitation to a mysterious theatre piece, "The Show," sends four best friends down a rabbit hole of mistrust and madness as they try to figure out who are the actors, who is the audience, who is doing this to them, and why.
- DirectorVanya RoseStarsHelene JoyLiane BalabanGabrielle LazureAnne seems to have it all but when her stepson returns to Montreal with a beautiful young woman, Anne develops an obsession with the stranger who she fears could destroy her privileged life.
- DirectorIván Mora ManzanoStarsAlejandra CormanAlejandro FajardoPablo LópezYellow sunglasses is a tragicomic look at Julia's universe and her quest to find her own intimate reinvention.
- DirectorFrédéric FonteyneAnne PaulicevichStarsSara ForestierNoémie LvovskyAnnabelle LengronneEvery day, three sex workers cross the border from France into Belgium to practice their trade. At the end of one particularly hot summer, all three share a secret that will bind them together forever.