Climate Control
Director: Sarah Lasley
Country of Origin: United States
US PREMIERE
Synopsis: A director making a documentary about the perils of fossil fuel extraction is consistently subverted by an AI agent that wants to tell a generic love story. Moved by the sacrifice of youth activists in Lutzerath, Germany, Sierra and her team attempt to finish their no-budget documentary while warding off an AI agent empowered with toxic positivity. When the film’s crew is absorbed into the AI’s rom-com, Sierra fights for control over her project however she can. Made in collaboration with Gen Z film students at Cal Poly Humboldt, the film looks at generational responses to the climate crisis through an absurdist lens, connecting the extraction of natural resources to the extraction of our human data and the extraction of our attention in this post-information era.
The Invisible Crown
Director: Amelia Kramer
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis: The Invisible Crown follows Endometriosis warrior Hannah Lindgren as she wrestles with medical trauma and finds methods of healing mind and body. Abstract visuals painting the complexity of her inner emotions are paired with the outer reality she faces.
The Nose Knows: Foreignness and Fortune in China
Director: Bill Callahan and Kieran Hanson
Country of Origin: Singapore and United Kingdom
Synopsis: What can noses tell us about Chinese identity, and the PRC's increasingly important place in the world? There are so many different kinds of noses. But what can they tell us? Can they be political? Throughout Chinese history, noses have been used to separate Chinese people from foreigners. In the present day, they can also be the key to changing your destiny. If we know more about noses, perhaps we can better understand how China sees itself and its increasingly important place in the world.
Only One Glove
Director: Fotis Zampetakis
Country of Origin: Spain / Greece
US PREMIERE
Synopsis: "I thought of all those gloves I see here and there on the street and it's like they're waiting for someone to turn around, look for them, take them back". A tale on missing gloves, loss, absence, resilience and the journey to find our other half - or ourselves.