A look at all the films of 2019's Cinetopia Film Festival

Fiction & Other Realities
Bobby, a New York born and raised Korean American is a struggling singer-songwriter that still lives at home with his widowed Korean mother. Bobby is presented with the opportunity to travel on a world tour as a roadie for his best friend Billy’s electro-pop band. He abandons the tour upon reaching Seoul, Korea. In Korea he befriends INA who becomes his guide in Seoul and also a partner in music. They perform music together and begin to find success. Just as things are looking positive for the duo, things come to a halt and Bobby needs to decide what’s important to him. Returning to his old life or continuing his journey for self worth in Korea. His time in this land where everyone looks like him helps close certain gaps in his life that question his heritage and his inability to feel fully accepted at home in America. May 14th at the State Theatre with special guest appearance by director/star Bobby Choy! Tue, May 14 6:15 p.m.; Thu, May 16 9:00 p.m.

Jules of Light and Dark
In present-day Texas, Maya (Tallie Medel) and her on again, off again girlfriend Jules (Betsy Holt) total their car after a night of backwoods raving and teen mischief. They’re rescued from the wreckage by Freddy (Robert Longstreet), a divorced oil worker whose stoic facade crumbles as he comes to see himself, and his repressed desires, in Maya. As Jules recovers, Maya and Freddy develop a rapport that dulls the debilitating silence of their small-town lives. Together, they subtly encourage one another to chase after what they want the most (or at least figure out what that might be). JULES OF LIGHT AND DARK is an iridescent coming-of-age story boasting the rural isolation of Deb Shoval’s AWOL and the wanderlust of Andrea Arnold’s AMERICAN HONEY. Defined by earnest, full performances and a blue palette, Daniel Laabs’ first feature solidly articulates the universality of queer loneliness and uncertainty across genders and generations. With special guest appearance on May 18. Sun, May 12 9:15 p.m.; Sat, May 18 8:45 p.m.

Dirt
Part of the U-M Mavericks and Makers Symposium! Dolores Del Rosario (JULIETA ORTIZ) is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who works as a maid for wealthy New Yorkers. Treated patronizingly whenever she isn't simply ignored, she witnesses all her privileged employers' quirks and indiscretions, including affairs and other secrets. When she loses her highest-paying job because the family's political ambitions preclude employing an illegal immigrant, Dolores' neighbors, led by her best friend, Mona (YVETTE MERCEDES), come to her aid. Sat, May 11 12:30 p.m.

Dogfight
Part of the U-M Mavericks and Makers Symposium! A young Marine named Eddie Birdlace (RIVER PHOENIX) is set to spend his last night in San Francisco with his military friends before they are deployed to Vietnam in 1963. Eddie and his friends plan to attend a cruel bar event called a "dogfight," which requires Marines to bring unattractive dates who will be judged for their ugliness. Eddie encounters a shy, frumpy girl named Rose (LILI TAYLOR) whom he brings to the dogfight but finds himself falling for as the night goes on. Directed by NANCY SAVOCA (True Love), The New York Times calls this film "intelligent ... affecting ... astonishing," and the Wall Street Journal calls it "a delight ... a romance with heart." Sun, May 12 1:30 p.m.

Household Saints
Part of the U-M Mavericks and Makers Symposium!Household Saints is a leisurely-paced portrait of three different generations of working-class, New York-based, Italian women. Carmela Santangelo (JUDITH MALINA) is an elderly immigrant whose son (VINCENT D'ONOFRIO) wins a wife, Catherine Falconetti (TRACEY ULLMAN), during a pinochle game. The pair have a daughter, Teresa (LILI TAYLOR), who becomes obsessed with religion, eventually believing that she will become the bride of Christ. Fri, May 10 6:00 p.m.

Making Montgomery Clift
Montgomery Clift was one of the most influential actors in the history of cinema, bucking traditions on and off screen, but countless biographies have reduced him to labels like “tragically self-destructive” and “tormented.” Now, nephew Robert Clift and Hillary Demmon rigorously examine the flawed narratives that have come to define Monty’s legacy. Drawing on interviews with family and loved ones and a rich collection of unreleased archival materials from Monty and his brother, Brooks Clift, this fresh portrait of the actor’s passions, contributions and commitment to living and working in his own way gives one of Hollywood’s underappreciated legends his due. With special guest appearance by directors Hillary Demmon Clift & Robert Clift on Wednesday May 15th at the State Theatre. Sat, May 11 4:00 p.m.; Wed, May 15 3:30 p.m.; Fri, May 17 4:45 p.m.; Sat, May 18 6:00 p.m.

Midnight Traveler
In 2015, after HASSAN FAZILI’s documentary Peace aired on Afghan national television, the Taliban assassinated the film’s main subject and put a price on Hassan’s head. Hassan looked at his wife and his daughters, and he knew they had to flee their home. Over the course of their multi-year saga in search of safety, the family grasped onto the only means they had to assert control over their situation: their camera-phones. Midnight Traveler is a gripping vérité story made by a family on the run. Their unique access and artistic vision provide an intimate portrait of a loving family and the myriad fellow travelers they meet on their odyssey. Sat, May 11 6:15 p.m.; Wed, May 15 6:15 p.m.; Thu, May 16 4:45 p.m.; Sat, May 18 8:00 p.m.

Seattle Children's Film Festival Animation
PROGRAM #1: THROUGH THE RAINBOW - Dive into vibrant colors with this timeless collection of prizewinning and audience-favorite animated films from Children's Film Festival Seattle. These short films tell big stories and will take you on a trip around the world with stop-motion, hand-drawn, and other amazing animation techniques. During the program, you’ll see stories about animal friends, overcoming challenges, deep family love, and learning how to be the best you can be. The program is suitable for all ages. Sun, May 12 12:15 p.m.

Shoelaces (Srohim)
Part of the Jewish Film Festival!Enter the complicated relationship between an aging father and his special-needs son, whom he abandoned while he was still a young boy. Reuben’s (60) kidneys are failing and his son Gadi (35), wants to donate one of his own kidney’s to help save his father’s life. However, the transplant committee objects to the procedure claiming that Rueben, acting as Gadi’s sole legal guardian, does not have the right to authorize such an invasive procedure. Gadi, who recently lost his mother, is afraid of losing his father as well. He feels he finally has the chance to do something meaningful; to become a man and stand on his own. He’s furious with the committee’s decision and sets out to fight for his right to save his father’s life. Wed, May 15 8:00 p.m.

The Samuel Project
Part of the Jewish Film Festival!The comedic drama The Samuel Project is about a teenager (Ryan Ochoa) who gets to know his grandfather Samuel (Hal Linden) for the first time when he makes him the subject of a senior year animated art project. With dreams of becoming a professional artist, the teen discovers that his grandpa, a Jewish dry cleaner, was heroically saved from Nazi capture in Germany by a young woman when he was a boy. After hesitating, Samuel agrees to tell his story for the project—a story he hasn’t told in over 75 years. In the end Eli’s project makes the finals in a countywide art showcase where he unveils his animated ‘Samuel Project’ with the help of his unlikely friend Kasim, an electric guitar wielding school misfit. And after decades, three generations of Eli’s family finally connect with one another. Tue, May 14 5:00 p.m.

The Unorthodox
Part of the Jewish Film Festival!Tired of being pushed around, a disenfranchised Sephardic father launches an improvised campaign to establish influence in 1980s Israeli society, in this lively, crowd-pleaser. A Jerusalem widower with no money or connections, everyman Yaakov Cohen (Shuli Rand) is incited to act when his daughter is expelled from a prestigious religious school just for her ethnicity. Fueled by only willpower and a raging sense of inequity, Yaakov and his friends unite to form the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party. A nascent challenge to the ruling Ashkenazi establishment, their grassroots movement sets off one of the most strange, surprising and transformative elections Israel has ever had. Based on actual events, Eliran Malka's accomplished feature debut is animated with suspense and humor, relating a tale of underdog activism and dirty politics, which reshaped Israel and continues to reverberate today. Mon, May 13 2:00 p.m.

Yomeddine
Beshay – a man cured of leprosy – has never left the leper colony in the Egyptian desert where he has lived since childhood. Following the death of his wife, he finally decides to go in search of his roots. With his meagre possessions strapped to a donkey cart, he sets out. Quickly joined by Obama, the Nubian orphan he has taken under his wing, Beshay will cross Egypt and confront the world with all its sorrows, its hardships and moments of grace, in his quest for a family, a place to belong, a little humanity… Sat, May 11 3:45 p.m.; Sat, May 18 5:30 p.m.

Our Time Machine
43-year-old Maleonn is one of China’s most influential conceptual artists today. His father, Ma Ke, was the artistic director of the Shanghai Chinese Opera Theater. After being humiliated and forbidden from working for a decade during the Cultural Revolution, Ma Ke immersed himself in theater. The mysterious excitement of Ma Ke’s creative world inspired the young Maleonn, but his father’s absences stoked early feelings of resentment. When Ma Ke is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Maleonn pours everything into an ambitious new theater project: “Papa’s Time Machine,” a visually stunning time-travel adventure told with human-sized puppets. With special guest appearance by director S. Leo Chiang on Friday May 17th at Angell Hall. Fri, May 17 3:00 p.m.; Sun, May 19 11:00 a.m.

Man Made
MAN MADE takes us into the heart of transgender male (FTM) culture, revealing unexpected truths about gender, masculinity, humanity and love. Four trans men (who, like the film’s director, were born and raised female), take a variety of life paths toward stepping on stage at Trans FitCon, the only all-transgender bodybuilding competition in the world (held in Atlanta, GA). MAN MADE is a character-driven, intimate, and riveting verité-style competition film, but also a unique social justice narrative. It speaks to the ways in which we all choose to define and reshape ourselves, both figuratively and literally. With special guest appearances by onscreen subjects Mason Caminiti on Saturday May 11th at the State Theatre and Dominic Giovon Chilko on Thursday May 16th at Emagine Royal Oak. Sat, May 11 1:15 p.m.; Thu, May 16 7:00 p.m.; Fri, May 17 4:15 p.m.; Sat, May 18 5:00 p.m.

Jewish Shorts Program
Part of the Jewish Film Festival!A festival favorite returns. A variety of short films will be shown on a variety of subjects, back-to-back for the duration. Thu, May 16 5:00 p.m.

The Final Adventure of Kaktus Kid (Poslednja Avantura Kaktus Bate)
Aleksandar Zograf, a renowned cartoonist discovers an unusual comic book from World War II. The comic’s hero is Kaktus Kid – a small cactus trapped in his pot. Intrigued, Zograf investigates into the life of Kaktus Kid’s creator – little known artist Veljko Kockar. He soon discovers that Kockar was arrested just after the liberation of Belgrade in 1944. He was charged for being a Gestapo agent and executed. Zograf’s investigation reveals a far more complex story: Kockar’s identity and artistic works were stolen, he possibly has an affair with the girlfriend of a guerilla soldier and he drew anti-communist propaganda for the Nazis. As he explores the story and pieces together the scraps of evidence 70 years after it happened Zograf is faced with his own personal and artistic dilemmas: why do these little drawings have such power to give consolation but also lead to violence? With special guest appearance by director Djordje Markovic on Fri. May 17 and Sat. May 18; Fri, May 17 5:45 p.m.; Sat, May 18 5:45 p.m.

Remember Baghdad
This is the untold story of Iraq, an unmissable insight into how the country developed through the eyes of the Jews, Iraq’s first wave of refugees. From picnics on the Tigris and royal balls, to hangings and imprisonment, moving individual stories testify to the consequences of the monarchy imposed by the British, Nazi influence, and the creation of Israel. After 2,600 years living peacefully in the area, in one generation, the community vanishes. Using vivid testimony, home movies and news archive, we follow the lives of four families trying to make sense of turbulent times. Wed, May 15 5:00 p.m.

Before You Know It
Opening Night Film! Stage manager Rachel Gurner still lives in her childhood apartment — along with her off-kilter actress sister, Jackie; eccentric playwright father Mel; and deadpan preteen niece Dodge — above the tiny theatre they own and operate. Level-headed and turtleneck-wearing Rachel is the only thing standing between her family and utter chaos. Then, in the wake of a sudden family tragedy, Rachel and Jackie learn their presumed-deceased mother is actually alive and thriving as a soap-opera star. Now the sisters’ already-precarious balance turns upside down, and Rachel must figure out how to liberate herself from this surreal imbroglio. Followed by a Q&A with director/star/writer Hannah Pearl Utt and co-writer/co-star Jen Tullock. Fri, May 10 8:00 p.m.

Time Trial
TIME TRIAL gives us an exhilarating and terrifying place in the race, providing an immersive experience as close to actually competing as you will ever see on film. David Millar, shrouded in darkness, declares an intention to rise again. A sensory ride through the thrill and hardship of professional cycling. We are hurtled off a hillside, details blurring like watercolours. The euphoria and the fatigue, the highs and the lows. It’s as if it were ourselves struggling through the bumpy roads of France. David bluntly and fearlessly narrates his last season in the saddle, intimate and immediate, along with the intricate relationships of cyclist, road crew, fellow competitors, manic fans, and the media circus surrounding it all. Sun, May 12 3:15 p.m.; Sun, May 19 11:15 a.m.