Dedicated to the discovery and support of emerging artists, New Directors/New Films has earned an international reputation as the premiere festival for works that break or re-cast the cinematic mold. Twenty-six features and six shorts, handpicked by curators of the Film Society of Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art, made the cut this year, as the 37th edition of this non-competitive program spotlights the very best in the current class of new directors, actors, producers, writers, cinematographers, editors, and more.
Curated by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and MoMA team, the films in the 2008 festival represent 17 countries: Argentina, China, France, Greece, Haiti, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, the Philippines, Rwanda, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Venezuela, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
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Lee Isaac Chung-MUNYURANGABO
Highlights:
Set in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, Lee Isaac Chung’s impressive debut feature, MUNYURANGABO is story of two young men—one a Tutsi, the other a Hutu—trying to create futures by putting their pasts behind them. For Munyurangabo, this means seeking justice for his parents, who were killed during the fighting. For his friend Sangwa, resolution might come once he’s able to re-visit the lands he fled so long before. The two reach the home of Sangwa’s parents, but the parents are scared of the intentions of their son’s companion—after all, “Hutus and Tutsi are supposed to be enemies.” Chung, a Korean-American, traveled to Rwanda with a small crew and a nine-page script outline. Working with the cast, he completed his script with their real experiences. The result is fresh, immediate and utterly authentic.
Happenings:
A son of Korean immigrants, Lee Isaac Chung grew up on a small farm in rural Arkansas. He studied biology at Yale University, before abandoning his plans for medical school to pursue filmmaking. Munyurangabo is his debut feature.
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Make sure to stay tuned for our exclusive interviews with CÉLINE SCIAMMA (Water Lilies), MICHELANGE QUAY (Eat, for This Is My Body), NAOKO OGIGAMI (Megane), DANIELLE ARBID (A Lost Man) LUCIA PUENZO (XXY), SERGE BOZON (La France), CONRAD CLARK (Soul Carriage), CHADI ZENEDDINE (Falling from Earth), and THANOS ANASTOPOULOS (Correction).
LANCE HAMMER (Ballast), AZAZEL JACOBS (Momma's Man), ALEX RIVERA (Sleep Dealer), JACKIE REEM SALLOUM (Slingshot Hip Hop), EMILY HUBLEY (The Toe Tactic), and CARL DEAL and TIA LESSIN (Trouble the Water) were also highlighted at New Directors/New Films. We caught up with them at the Sundance and South by Southwest Film Festivals but their interviews are not to be missed.
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