Directed by: David Borenstein, Pavel Talankin
Starring: Pavel Talankin, David Borenstein
Synopsis: A Russian teacher secretly documents his small town school's transformation into a war recruitment center during the Ukraine invasion, revealing the ethical dilemmas educators face amid propaganda and militarization.
Directed by: Kelsey Taylor
Starring: Maddison Brown, Ivan Martin, Kaitlin Doubleday, Michael Esper, Dana Millican, David Knell
Synopsis: In a modern re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood, a social pariah discovers a teenage runaway in the Oregon Wilderness and does his best to help her find a way home - a troubling exploration of trauma and redemption.
Directed by: Joshua Zeman
Starring: Oleksandr Feldman, Oleksii Husak, Vitalii Ilchenko, Andrii Kharchenko, Tymofii Kharchenko, Andrii Kolesnikov, Serhii Kolesnikov
Synopsis: Checkpoint Zoo documents a daring rescue led by a heroic team of zookeepers and volunteers, who risked their lives to save thousands of animals trapped in a zoo behind enemy lines in the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.
Directed by: Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss
Starring: Isaac Levi Anthony, Varda Appleton, David Birmingham, Carly Cannata, Jeffrey Dutemple, Fred Isseks
Synopsis: A teacher inspires a group of teenagers in the early 1990s to make a student film and they uncover a conspiracy that is poisoning their community. Thirty years later they revisit this transformative experience.
Directed by: Kaouther Ben Hania
Starring: Saja Kilani, Motaz Malhees, Clara Khoury, Amer Hlehel
Synopsis: Red Crescent volunteers receive an emergency call. A 6-year old girl is trapped in a car under IDF fire in Gaza, pleading for rescue. While trying to keep her on the line, they do everything they can to get an ambulance to her.
Directed by: Harry Lighton
Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Lesley Sharp, Harry Melling, Douglas Hodge, Anthony Welsh, Jake Shears, Miranda Bell, Billy King
Synopsis: A directionless man is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker takes him on as his submissive.
Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, Asim Chaudhry, and Juno Temple
Synopsis: .A man claiming to be from the future takes the patrons of an iconic Los Angeles diner hostage in search of unlikely recruits in a quest to save the world.
Directed by: Joe Burke
Starring: Catlin Adams, Burton Berger, Oliver Cooper, Mike Decaro, John Karna, Steven Levy
Synopsis: Burt, an aging street musician with Parkinson's, welcomes a young stranger who claims to be his son, leading to a life-changing weekend that challenges both men's understanding of family and connection.
Directed by: Brendan Harty
Starring: Brad Ledwith, Nolan Ledwith, Ben Ledwith, Trevor Baptiste, Gavin Herr
Synopsis: In Morgan Hill, California, a small but determined group of parents and young athletes set out to build something from the ground up—a thriving lacrosse community where none had existed before. What began as a grassroots passion project soon grew into a full-fledged movement, culminating in the creation of both boys' and girls' high school varsity programs.
Directed by: Cherien Dabis
Starring: Cherien Dabis, Saleh Bakri, Maria Zriek, Mohammad Bakri, Adam Bakri
Synopsis: A deeply moving, multigenerational drama, ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU follows a Palestinian teenager who gets swept into a protest in the Occupied West Bank and experiences a moment of violence that rocks his family. The film unfolds as his mother recounts the political and emotional threads that led to that fateful moment. Spanning seven decades, the film traces the hopes and heartaches of one uprooted family, bearing witness to the scars of dispossession and the enduring legacy of survival. Jordan's Official Selection for the 98th Academy Awards.
Directed by: Annemarie Jacir
Starring: Saleh Bakri as Khalid, Hiam Abbass as Hanan,7 Jeremy Irons as High Commissioner Wauchope, Yasmine Al-Massri, Robert Aramayo, Karim Daoud Anaya, Billy Howle, Dhafer L’Abidine, Liam Cunningham
Synopsis: .In 1936, as the British Empire tightens its grip on Palestine, Yusuf is caught between his village home and his work in Jerusalem. Amidst an anti-colonial revolt, and Jewish refugees fleeing persecution from Europe, all sides converge in a decisive moment for the entire region. Palestine's Official Selection for the 98th Academy Awards.
Directed by: Jonah Feingold
Starring: Jonah Feingold, Sarah Coffey, Jackie Sandler, Dale Moss, Caroline Aaron, Jared Freid, Catherine Cohen, Larry Owens, Lori Tan Chinn, Judy Gold, Djouliet Amara
Synopsis: When a Jewish film director who makes Christmas movies in New York City decides to have his Bar Mitzvah at the age of 31, he must navigate situationships, exes, and family to complete his Mitzvah project and impress his childhood camp crush. Inspired by Jonah Feingold’s life, 31 Candles is a heartwarming rom-com about love, identity, and growing up—eventually.
Directed by: Dylan Southern
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, David Thewlis, Sam Spruell, Jessie Cave, Tim Plester, Adam Basil, Garry Cooper, Leo Bill, Vinette Robinson
Synopsis: A young father's hold on reality crumbles following his wife’s death as a strange presence begins to stalk him from the shadowy recesses of the apartment he shares with his two young sons. This mysterious creature, known as “Crow”, seemingly brought to life from the pages of his work as an illustrator, becomes a very real part of all their lives, ultimately guiding them towards the new shape family must take.
Directed by: Urska Djukic
Starring: Jara Sofija Ostan, Mina Svajger, Sasa Tabakovió
Synopsis: At her mother’s urging, introverted 16-year-old Lucia joins her Catholic school’s all-girls choir, where she befriends Ana-Maria, a popular older student. When the choir travels to a countryside convent for a weekend retreat of intensive rehearsals, Lucia navigates the unfamiliar surroundings, complex teenage social structures, and her own awakening sexuality. A series of initiations, including an eye-opening experience with a dark-eyed construction worker, test Lucia’s friendship with Ana-Maria and the other girls, as she begins to question her beliefs and disrupt the harmony within the choir.
Directed by: David Michôd
Starring: Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, Sydney Sweeney, Katy O'Brian, Ethan Embry, Tony Cavalero, Jess Gabor, Chad L Coleman
Synopsis: Christy Martin (Sydney Sweeney) never imagined life beyond her small-town roots in West Virginia—until she discovered a knack for knocking people out. Fueled by grit, raw determination, and an unshakable desire to win, she charges into the world of boxing under the guidance of her trainer and manager-turned-husband, Jim (Ben Foster). But while Christy flaunts a fiery persona in the ring, her toughest battles unfold outside it—confronting family, identity, and a relationship that just might become life-or-death. Based on remarkable true events, Christy Martin’s story is one of resilience, courage, and the fight to reclaim one’s life.
Directed by: Paula Ortiz
Starring: Liev Schreiber, Matilda de Angelis, Josh Hutcherson, Laura Morante, Danny Huston
Synopsis: As WWII ends, Col. Cantwell, a witty war hero, confronts terminal illness. Seeking solace in Venice, he commandeers a driver for a final trip. Amid unraveling plans, a chance encounter with a countess offers hope and redemption against the backdrop of war. Hemingway's themes of love, youth, and age resonate in "Across the River and Into the Trees.
Directed by: Matt Whitaker
Starring: Ewan Horrocks, Rupert Evans, Ferdinand McKay, Daf Thomas
Synopsis: As World War II rages, a teenage boy in Germany is forced to confront a terrible truth—loyalty to his country now means loyalty to a lie. When his trusted bishop urges obedience to the Nazi regime, he begins to question everything. And after his Jewish friend is taken away, he secretly listens to banned radio broadcasts and launches a resistance, exposing the truth. But in a nation ruled by fear, defiance comes at a cost—and as the regime closes in, he must decide what it truly means to be a good German.
Directed by: Janine Hosking
Synopsis: Winx, a champion Australian racehorse, cements her place as a legend in racing history with an incredible 33-race winning streak, and becomes known as the people's horse at the height of her popularity.
Directed by: Reid Davenport
Synopsis: LIFE AFTER is a gripping investigative documentary that exposes the tangled web of moral dilemmas and profit motives surrounding assisted dying. Disabled filmmaker Reid Davenport uncovers shocking abuses of power while amplifying the voices of the disability community fighting for justice and dignity in an unfolding matter of life and death.
Directed by: Scarlett Johansson
Starring: Will Price, Erin Kellyman, Jessica Hecht, Rita Zohar, June Squibb, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Synopsis: In Eleanor The Great, June Squibb brings to vivid life the witty and proudly troublesome 94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein, who after a devastating loss, tells a tale that takes on a dangerous life of its own. Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut is a comically poignant exploration of how the stories we hear become the stories we tell.
Phoenix Film Foundation
7000 E. Mayo Blvd., #1059
Phoenix, AZ 85054 480-513-3195
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The Phoenix Film Society is a program under the 501(c)3 non-profit organization Phoenix Film Foundation, and is a sibling of Phoenix Film Festival, International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival, IFP/Phoenix, Arizona Student Film Festival, Peoria Film Fest and Phoenix Critics Circle. The Phoenix Film Foundation is dedicated to promoting diversity and education in the arts, elevating underrepresented voices, and driving the growth of independent film in Arizona. Through film showcases and accessible educational initiatives, we cultivate a vibrant, inclusive cinematic community, utilizing it as a catalyst for personal growth, creative expression, and positive social change.