A BRONY TALE (Directed by Brent Hodge)
Another look at the cult of dudes who are obsessed with the cartoon “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,” which was at least at first targeted toward young girls. This one follows Ashleigh Ball, who voices two of the ponies in the series, as well as several of the unexpected hardcore fans.
ALEX OF VENICE (Directed by Chris Messina; stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Messina, Don Johnson)
The directorial debut of the “Mindy Project” star is a low-key domestic dramedy that focuses on Winstead’s character, a suddenly single mother who has to deal with her demanding environmental law job as well as her son and potentially ailing father.
BEYOND THE BRICK
(Directed by Daniel Junge and Kief Davidson)
Another doc about adult fans of products initially intended for children, this one looks at the massive worldwide appeal — and obsession over — LEGOs. Well-timed with the “Lego Movie” animated hit, “Beyond the Brick” is more concerned with the hardcore fandom over broad comedy, diving into the competitions and other ways fans use and bond over the product.
ELECTRIC SLIDE
(Directed by Tristan Patterson;
stars Jim Sturgess, Chloe Sevigny, Patricia Arquette, Isabel Lucas)
Based on a true story from the early 80’s, Sturgess stars as a furniture salesman who decides to become a bank robber. He’s flashy, electric, alive, and also sort of ridiculous, which is where much of his appeal — despite his illegal activities — comes from.
EVERY SECRET THING
(Directed by Amy Berg, stars Elizabeth Banks, Diane Lane, Nate Parker, Dakota Fanning)
The fiction film debut of Oscar-winning documentarian Amy Berg, this drama (scripted by Nicole Holofcener) focuses on a child that goes missing, and a potential miscarriage of justice in the tragedy’s wake.
FISHTAIL
(Directed by Andrew Renzi)
Narrated by Harry Dean Stanton, this doc is a look at the rugged lifestyle of the few remaining American cowboys, specifically at the ones making a go of it during calving season in Montana’s Fishtail Basin Ranch.
FIVE STAR
(Directed by Keith Miller; stars James ‘Primo’ Grant, John Diaz)
A docudrama that features a real-life member of the Bloods gang in Brooklyn, this is an intense and honest look gang culture and family.
GOODBYE TO ALL THAT
(Directed by Angus MacLachlan; stars Paul Schneider, Heather Graham, Melanie Lynskey, Anna Camp)
Schneider stars as a married suburban dad, a graphic designer who has his head so far up in the clouds that he can’t see his wife pulling away. As he tries to recover and move on, he learns a lot about himself, women, and most importantly, his responsibilities as a dad.
KIDNAPPING MICHEL HOUELLEBECQ
(Directed by Guillaume Nicloux; stars Michel Houellebecq, Maria Bourjala, Luc Schwarz, Mathieu Nicourt, Maxime Lefrançois)
A French author mysteriously disappears during his book tour, never explains what happens… and then stars in a movie about it, without ever revealing the truth. Bizarre, but intriguing for sure.
LIFE PARTNERS
(Directed by Susanna Fogel;
stars Leighton Meester, Gillian Jacobs, Adam Brody)
Because these two best friends have each other, they don’t worry all that much about dating, and life is grand. Then, of course, one of them falls in love, and the most important relationship — the one between BFFs — is threatened. Life in your late 20’s can be dramatic, even when it’s couched in a friends rom-com.
MANOS SUCIAS
(Directed by Josef Kubota Wladyka;
stars Cristian Advincula, Jarlin Martinez, Manuel David Riascos, Hadder Blandon)
Executive produced by Spike Lee, this is an unflinching look at drug trafficking in South America, and the accompanying risks and warfare.
MATCH
(Directed by Stephen Belber; stars Patrick Stewart, Carla Gugino, Matthew Lillard)
Patrick Stewart plays a crusty old ballet instructor who gets a visit from a Seattle couple seeking all sorts of fun information about the good old days of dancing for a dissertation. It sounds simple, but this adaptation of a Tony-nominated play is far more complicated and deep than that.
POINT AND SHOOT
(Directed by Marshall Curry)
One day, you’re a shy kid from Baltimore with haunting OCD; the next, you’re in a jail cell in Libya after having fought with the rebels against the country’s brutal dictator. Wait, that’s never happened to you? Then check out this doc, about Matthew VanDyke, who went through the experience in 2011.
REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG
(Directed by Nancy Kates)
A deep look at a deeply important public intellectual, this doc delves into the life and work of Sontag and its great impact on society.
THE RISE AND RISE OF BITCOIN
(Directed by Nicolas Mross)
In this look at the unpredictable and sometimes-shady world of the online currency Bitcoin, director Nicolas Mross goes deep with some of the libertarian denomination’s biggest backers and tries to understand both how Bitcoin skyrocketed to prominence, and what its future holds.
STARRED UP
(Directed by David Mackenzie; stars Jack O’Connell, Ben Mendelsohn, Rupert Friend)
Rising star Jack O’Connell (who will star in Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken”) is an angry kid thrown into the bigger and angrier prison system. He wrestles with circumstances, the past, and opportunity in this stark and honest look at the gravely flawed system of incarceration in the United States.
TOMORROW WE DISAPPEAR
(Directed by Jim Goldblum and Adam Weber)
A narrative feature at a very real people and problem, this is a story of mystical Indian folk artists — puppeteers, performers, and magicians of the Kathputli colony in Delhi — and their fight for survival as their land is sold.
WHEN THE GARDEN WAS EDEN
(Directed by Michael Rapaport)
A love-letter to the 1970’s New York Knicks, actor and long-time fan Michael Rapaport’s doc is especially needed for hardcore Knicks supporters who are so down after such a bad year of basketball.
ABOUT ALEX
(Directed by Jesse Zwick;
stars Maggie Grace, Max Greenfield, Jane Levy, Max Minghella, Nate Parker, Aubrey Plaza, Jason Ritter)
A “Big Chill” for the social media generation, this is a well-cast dramedy about seven friends who reconnect after one has an emotional breakdown. First-time director Jesse Zwick wrote for “Parenthood” before making his feature debut.
