Female lead

Bunny Yeager, once heralded as the world’s prettiest photographer, had a huge influence in 20th-century pop culture though few people know her name. Whether by popularizing the bikini, helping discover Bettie Page, shaping the image of Playboy or inventing the selfie, Bunny was a trailblazer whose work bucked against conservative 1950s America and helped pave the way for both the feminist movement and the sexual revolution. Yet the very changes she helped usher in would soon render her a forgotten relic…till now. Dennis Scholl’s incisive, entertaining documentary, with comments from Yeager’s adult children and testimonies from cultural icons such as photographer Bruce Weber, Dita von Teese, and Larry King, and (of course) chock full of her work, reinstates Bunny as an iconic artist and portrays the evolution of women’s autonomy in postwar America.

In Attendance: Dennis Scholl, Director; Kareem Tabsch, Producer

At once a celebration and playful subversion of the action genre and a soulful exploration of aging and autonomy, Sundance hit Thelma is a showcase for our oldest generation, those rarely centered in life let alone on-screen. When 93-year-old Thelma Post (June Squibb) gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city, with the help of her good friend Ben (the late Richard Roundtree) to reclaim what she lost. The path to the perpetrator is anything but straight as Thelma must make an important stop or two and she encounters complications along the way. For first-time feature writer/director Josh Margolin, the film serves as a love letter to the exploits of his real-life grandmother. And after 70+ years of acting (perhaps most memorably as the henpecking wife in Nebraska) Thelma gives June Squibb, in a memorable performance, her first starring role to become the year’s oldest action hero.

In Attendance: Josh Margolin, Director; Zoë Worth, Co-Producer (April 7 only)

Florida Premiere. When celebrity chef Susan Feniger decides to open her own restaurant without her longtime business partner Mary Sue Milliken, the task is daunting. With no support from their co-owned restaurant kitchens and staff, Feniger must use her home to test brand new recipes, figure out design and construction, gather the team, and basically start over like a “newbie.” Her dream is to open a new Los Angeles restaurant serving global street food: Susan Feniger’s STREET. Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and Feniger’s spouse Liz Lachman, a constant companion on her journey, follows Feniger across the globe tasting street food and bonding with the street stand owners, and all the way back home where she tackles the logistics of the opening. In this wildly entertaining film, Lachman covers Feniger’s passions and struggles in a business where often it’s not about IF one fails…but HOW.

Florida Premiere. Nestled amongst the falling feathers of a chicken factory in industrial North Wales—and featuring the perennially uplifting music of Neil Diamond, Janis Ian, and Minnie Riperton—Chuck Chuck Baby follows Helen (Louise Brealey), a thirty-something woman packaging poultry by night and caring for her dying ex-mother-in-law by day. Her mundane routine is jolted when Joanne (Annabel Scholey), her secret childhood crush, returns home. As they reconnect, their romance begins to flourish, but can they move on from the weight of their pasts? With plenty of heart, director Janis Pugh delivers a joyful, honest story about finding the courage to let go and allow love to prevail.

In this lyrical, truly original coming of age story two women from different generations, have more in common than they are willing to admit. An empathic, young plant doctor gifted with extrasensory powers and an emotionally fragile, isolated artist must rescue each other to rediscover the essence of living. The two women have the potential to help each other, if they are open enough and see what’s right in front of them. Natalie McMahon’s gentle direction pushes the two main actress, and the others in the 100% female cast, to develop an equally gentle, strong rapport to explore their emotional connections with nature and each other.

East Coast Premiere. Bloom is a drama that follows the past and present life of Kate (a marvelous Kate Braun) and her poodle, Storm. Stirred by the desire to flee her small town Indiana life, this ambling Midwest tale begins with Kate in her 60s, on the eve of an impromptu vacation that quickly snowballs into an adventure across America. Driven by memories from her past, we come to learn how Kate once broke free from her hometown and toured with a band on the road. Unfortunately, this dream came to an abrupt end leaving her right back in the stagnant, small town life she so desperately yearned to escape from. With her children’s inadvertent guidance, Kate’s attempt to fulfill her freedom is met face to face with her life’s deepest regret. Surrounded by an interesting array of characters amid the changing backdrop of the Midwest, Great Plains and Southwest, Bloom takes us on a spiritual and quietly emotional journey through Kate’s open eyes and search for a new life.

Fashion model Kelly-Anne (played to chillingly icy perfection by Juliette Gariépy)  wakes up every morning by the courthouse to secure a seat at the high-profile trial of Ludovic Chevalier, a serial killer commanding her attention. As days go by, the young woman bonds with another groupie (Laurie Babin), which momentarily breaks her out of her loneliness. But as the

proceedings drag on and she spends more time in the courtroom with the victims’ families, Kelly-Anne finds it increasingly difficult to maintain her psychological balance and assume her morbid fixation with the killer. She will then do whatever it takes to get her hands on the final piece of the puzzle: the missing video of a murdered girl, to whom Kelly-Anne bears a disturbing resemblance. Director Pascal Plante updates the psychological horror thriller to today’s tech world and weaves a nuanced, wonderfully creepy tale of the dark web, obsession, the seamy side of social media.

Liv Ullmann – A Road Less Traveled explores the actress’ multifaceted life and her extraordinary international career spanning over 66 years. This is the story of an ever-evolving human being full of openness and curiosity, who embraces possibilities and uncertainties, demonstrates what it means to be a woman in a male-dominated world and shows how to find and use one’s voice without losing one’s integrity, sense of humor or friends. From her early days in acting to her life with Ingmar Bergman and beyond, Ullmann openly reflects on her life, accompanied by clips from her films, news footage and intimate contributions from some of Liv’s close companions and admirers such as Kate Winslet, Jessica Chastain and John Lithgow. Liv Ullmann – A Road Less Traveled delves deep into the core values underneath her universal appeal and longevity and celebrates one of the world’s most respected and revered artists.

Florida Premiere. New Jersey’s Jesselyn Silva, a three-time national boxing champion, is on her way to superstardom, dominating the junior ranks at the age of 15. With her every step of the way is her father, Pedro, a single parent who helps her navigate coaches, training schedules, and the angst of teenage life. She doesn’t believe anything will ever be too hard for her. The teenager has been training hard since she was seven to reach the top in a male-dominated world, and she’s confident that she’s as tough as the best of them. Pedro also knows how tough she is, which only makes him worry about her more when she’s in the ring. When a devastating diagnosis threatens the father-daughter tandem, the pair turn to each other to fight their greatest opponent yet: cancer. With great access to Jesselyn and her father, director Emily Sheskin tells a multi-year, incredibly moving story of passion, determination and resilience that goes beyond the ring.

Florida Premiere. This intimate documentary reveals the story of a fierce rock ‘n’ roller, actress, muse to Brian Jones, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and mother who rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s. Using the words of her unpublished memoir, Anita brings us deep into her world, with the help of a supporting cast that includes her family – Marlon, Angela, their father Richards, Marianne Faithfull and others drawn to her unique appeal. Never-seen-before home movies and family photographs show life with the Rolling Stones: this is a bittersweet tale of adventure and misadventure. From the set of Barbarella to the Swiss Alps to New York’s Lower East Side, Anita Pallenberg was a woman ahead of her time.

In Attendance: Co-Director Svetlana Zill

A Woman’s Look at the world of Skydiving, BASE jumping, and Wingsuit Flying