Film Finds 2024

Every year there are countless films that don't quite make the cut of the arbitrary list of BEST, but which are too good to forget- these are the FILM FINDS.

FAQ – This is the story of a young girl who has a bottle of rice wine send her messages. Just go with it

THELMA- an old lady is scammed and takes steps to get her money back

SHADOW- short horror film about the dangers of shadows-you’ll hate them when it’s done

THE PERFORMANCE Jeremy Piven rocks the pillars of heaven in the story of a dancer who gets a summons from the Nazi leadership who don’t know he’s Jewish

DRIVING MADELINE- an older lady and taxi driver spend a day together

BLOCKBUSTER- a short about blowing up a building

PUNISHMENT- A documentary about prisoners taking part in a  program using silent meditation

SIROCCO AND THE KINGDOM OF THE WINDS Think of this a modern day Yellow Submarine

BOXMAN nominally the story of a man who lives in a box but it is so much more

COCO FARM This is the story of a kid who starts an egg business. It was the sleeper hit of this years NYICFF

ROSI AND THE STONE TROLL A flower fairy overcomes her fears in a film that is unexpectedly glorious

FOOTSTEPS- is the footage of old Amsterdam that is part of a museum instillation but which is also playing festivals

SONGS FROM THE HOLE a look at a young man who found a future by performing songs behind prison walls.

SEW TORN - this is the wild tale about a woman, a sewing shop and the choices she is given

CALEB AND SARAH This is Matthew Kyle Levine’s masterful short about two people living out of their car and what happens.

95 SENSES- Nate Hood insisted I see this short about a man and his 95 senses...and it rocked my world

SUBJECT FILMMAKINGis the story of a filmmaker meeting up with the class he taught about filmmaking 55 years earlier

IO CAPITAINO the magical realistic tale of a man going from Africa to Europe

UNDERDOGGS Snoop Dog coaches football for young kids. This has no right to be this good.

PERFECT DAYS Wim Wenders film about a man cleaning toilets is nigh on perfect

EQUALIZER 3 – they should never have announced more films because this is the perfect ending to the series

FLATHEAD documentary and narrative mix in a film about an old man going home-glorious

I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU ALONE chilling horror film about a spirit which will never leave you

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE – this film has some of the greatest superhero moments ever put on film- no seriously

FACES creepy as hell story about an entity trying to find a face

CUCKOO a horror film from the maker of LUZ about an experiment that is worse than you imagine

BREAKING AND RE-ENTERING – magnificent caper about a robbery and he robbers who have to put the money back

CONQUEROR: HOLLYWOOD FALLOUT – a chilling look at the making of the ill fated Howard Hughes epic that gave everyone who worked on it cancer and the reasons for it.

LIZA- a warts and all look at Liza Minnelli

I"M YOUR VENUS – a look at the life and short times of Venus Xtravaganza a woman who was a focus of PIS IS BURNING  and changed a generation

REBEL COUNTRY a great look at the new crop of rebel country music stars reveals they are rebellious because they refuse to be anything but themselves.

STING spiders from space

LUTHER is a look a Luther Vandross is so good I saw it twice at Tribeca

INSTRUMENTS OF A BEATING HEART – a film about  first graders learning to play Ode To Joy.

QUILTERS – Ernie Stevens insisted I see this film about men who quilt in prison and he was right- it's on the Oscar short list.

VICE IS BROKEN -a look at the fallen Vice media empire that will entertain and inform you

FALLING SKY- the look at tribe in the Amazon as they celebrate the passing of one of their members and so much more

LIGHT DARKNESS LIGHT- This is a look at a priest who gets a computer implant that will allow him to see.

FOX CHASE BOY- one man’s story of growing up and over coming abuse – it starts off unremarkably and then turns hard into deeply moving

YALLA PARKUR a look at a young man who uses parkur to get away from war in Palestine

HARLEY FLANAGAN portrait of the front man for Cro-mag and how he managed to pull himself together

LITTLE, BIG AND FAR – Jem Cohen’s look at the universe

EMILIA PEREZ-Musical drama about a drug cartel leader who changes her life - still don't know what I think of it but it's bold and audacious and worth a watch