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14 Movies That Should Be On Your Radar After The Sundance Film Festival

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The Sundance Film Festival has come and gone, which leaves us scouring the lineup for this year's "Whiplash" or "Boyhood." Several titles could fill that role. Whether they'll drum on to a Best Picture nomination in 2016 is for the next 11 months to determine, but, for now, we've compiled the 14 films you should put on your post-Sundance radar. Plenty of excellent films emerged from the festival, but these are the buzziest breakouts that could find substantial niche audiences or become players in next year's Oscar race. Most don't have release dates yet, so put them on your cinematic back burner as their success continues:


This Might Be The Best SXSW Lineup In Years

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This year's South by Southwest Film Festival lineup will include some of the biggest names in Hollywood: Melissa McCarthy, Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Judd Apatow, Ryan Gosling, Paul Feig, Oscar Isaac, Russell Brand, Al Pacino, Lena Dunham, Steve Carell and Amy Schumer. But that robust lineup of stars fits with the huge festival itself: 145 total features, 60 titles from first-time filmmakers, 100 world premieres, 13 North American premieres and 11 U.S. premieres. South by Southwest saw a record number of submissions for 2015, with 7,335 in total.

"The final number is more than ever," Head of SXSW Film Janet Pierson said in an interview with HuffPost Entertainment. "It's kind of a mixed blessing for us. We were actually trying to cut back. We've been at around 133 features the last couple of years, and we were trying to cut it down to 125, but instead we went in the other direction. It's just because we saw too much that we liked. We saw too much that we felt like we had to show and that our audience will love. We programmed films with different things in mind: films that are so entertaining right off the bat, films that are so provocative, films that are the mark of a new filmmaker, films that are just a fascinating subject. There are all these different ways that we look at the work. Even at this increased number, we turned away a fair amount of high quality stuff."

Which is saying something based on the "stuff" actually screening at the Austin, Texas-based festival in March. In addition to previously announced films like "Ex Machina" (with the aforementioned Isaac), "Brand: The Second Coming" (a Russell Brand documentary) and "Hello, My Name Is Doris" (with Sally Field and Max Greenfield), SXSW 2015 will include premieres of high-profile studio comedies like "Get Hard" (with Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart) and "Spy" (with Melissa McCarthy). A work-in-progress cut of the Judd Apatow and Amy Schumer comedy "Trainwreck" will also screen. Other comedies include Sundance faves "The Overnight," "Results" and "Unexpected" and SXSW debuts like "Fresno" (with Natasha Lyonne) and "Night Owls" (with Adam Pally).

"I don't know that it feels different to us than normal," Pierson said when asked about the major comedy lineup. "There are plenty of films that are really serious here. I wouldn't say there has been an increase in comedies this year -- that's not true. But we certainly like them!"

ryan gosling lost river

Other major features screening at SXSW include Ryan Gosling's directorial debut, "Lost River," documentaries on Gamergate ("GTFO: Get The F% Out"), Steve Jobs ("Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine") and Kurt Cobain ("Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck"), and television series debuts such as "Angie Tribeca" (co-written and directed by Steve Carell) and "iZombie" (from "Veronica Mars" creator Rob Thomas). SXSW Keynotes will feature presentations from Ava DuVernay, Mark Duplass and RZA.

"We intentionally think about who's current, who has something to say about the industry or creativity that would work well for us now. We figured with someone like Ava, we so admire everything she's doing," Pierson said about the keynote speeches. "We knew she'd have something to say no matter how the last six months played out."

As a complement to having a bigger lineup than ever, SXSW also expanded its narrative and documentary competition sections from eight to 10 films. Highlights there include "6 Years" (with Taissa Farmiga), "Manson Family Vacation" (with Jay Duplass) and the documentary "She's The Best Thing In It," about Broadway legend Mary Louise Wilson.

The 2015 South by Southwest Film Festival runs from March 13 through March 21. Check out the feature and documentary lineup below, via a press release from SXSW. (The Midnighters feature section and the Short Film program will be announced on Feb. 10; the complete conference lineup and schedule is out Feb. 17.)

The 2015 SXSW Film Festival will feature:

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION
Ten world premieres, ten unique ways to celebrate the art of storytelling. Selected from 1,372 films submitted to SXSW 2015.

6 Years
Director/Screenwriter: Hannah Fidell
A young couple bound by a seemingly ideal love begins to unravel as unexpected opportunities spin them down a volatile and violent path and threaten the future they had always imagined. Cast: Taissa Farmiga, Ben Rosenfield, Lindsay Burdge, Joshua Leonard, Jennifer Lafleur, Peter Vack, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Molly McMichael, Jason Newman (World Premiere)

THE BOY
Director: Craig Macneill, Screenwriters: Craig Macneill, Clay McLeod Chapman
THE BOY is an intimate portrait of a 9-year-old sociopath's growing fascination with death. Cast: David Morse, Rainn Wilson, Jared Breeze, Bill Sage, Mike Vogel, Zuleikha Robinson, Aiden Lovekamp (World Premiere)

Creative Control
Director: Benjamin Dickinson, Screenwriters: Benjamin Dickinson, Micah Bloomberg
In near future Brooklyn, an ad executive uses a new Augmented Reality technology to conduct an affair with his best friend’s girlfriend...sort of. Cast: Benjamin Dickinson, Nora Zehetner, Dan Gill, Alexia Rasmussen, Reggie Watts, Gavin McInnes, Paul Manza, Himanshu Suri (World Premiere)

Funny Bunny
Director/Screenwriter: Alison Bagnall
Funny Bunny is a serious comedy about a friendless anti-obesity crusader and a trust fund manchild who vie for the heart of a reclusive animal activist and incest survivor, releasing her demons and forming an unlikely 'family' in the process. Cast: Kentucker Audley, Joslyn Jensen, Olly Alexander, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Josephine Decker, Louis Cancelmi, Grace Gonglewski, Nicholas Webber, Caridad de la Luz (World Premiere)

The Grief of Others
Director/Screenwriter: Patrick Wang
Based on Leah Hager Cohen’s critically-acclaimed novel, a family struggles with a tragic loss when an unexpected visitor arrives. She stirs the pain of past betrayals but might also offer an unforeseen gift: a way out of their isolating grief. Cast: Wendy Moniz, Trevor St. John, Oona Laurence, Jeremy Shinder, Sonya Harum, Mike Faist, Rachel Dratch, Chris Conroy (World Premiere)

KRISHA
Director/Screenwriter: Trey Edward Shults
When Krisha returns for a holiday gathering, the only things standing in her way are family, dogs, and turkey. Cast: Krisha Fairchild, Robyn Fairchild, Bill Wise, Chris Doubek, Olivia Grace Applegate, Chase Joliet, Alex Dobrenko, Bryan Casserly, Augustine Frizzell, Trey Edward Shults (World Premiere)

Manson Family Vacation
Director/Screenwriter: J. Davis
The story of two brothers: one who’s devoted to his family, the other who’s obsessed with the Manson Family. Cast: Jay Duplass, Linas Phillips, Leonora Pitts, Tobin Bell, Adam Chernick, Davie-Blue (World Premiere)

Quitters
Director: Noah Pritzker, Screenwriters: Noah Pritzker, Ben Tarnoff
A teenager's family falls apart, so he goes in search of a better one.
Cast: Benjamin Konigsberg, Mira Sorivno, Greg Germann, Kara Hayward, Kieran Culkin, Morgan Turner, Saffron Burrows, Scott Lawrence (World Premiere)

Sweaty Betty
Directors/Screenwriters: Joseph Frank, Zachary Reed
On the border of Washington DC, two stories of big dreams take place – a family is determined to turn their 1000 pound pig into the Redskins’ football team mascot, and two teenage fathers scheme a better life for themselves and their children. Cast: Rico Mitchell, Seth Dubose, Floyd Rich III, Chris Rich, Tarich Rich, Floyd Rich V, Chrissy Rich, Charlotte the Pig, Cassy the Dog (World Premiere)

Uncle John
Director: Steven Piet, Screenwriters: Erik Crary, Steven Piet
Uncle John is an intimately told story that revolves around the struggle to keep a mysterious disappearance unsolved. Cast: John Ashton, Alex Moffat, Jenna Lyng, Ronnie Gene Blevins (World Premiere)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
Selected from 1,018 submissions, ten world premieres, ten real world stories that demonstrate innovation, energy and bold voices.

Breaking a Monster
Director: Luke Meyer
Breaking a Monster chronicles the break-out year of the band Unlocking The Truth, as the 12 and 13-year-old members first encounter stardom and the music industry, transcending childhood to become the rock stars they always dreamed of being. (World Premiere)

Deep Time
Director: Noah Hutton
Ancient oceans teeming with life, Norwegian settlers, Native Americans and multinational oil corporations find intimacy in deep time. (World Premiere)

FRAME BY FRAME
Directors: Alexandria Bombach, Mo Scarpelli
After decades of war and an oppressive Taliban regime, four Afghan photojournalists face the realities of building a free press in a country left to stand on its own – reframing Afghanistan for the world and for themselves. (World Premiere)

Madina's Dream
Director: Andrew Berends
An unflinching and poetic glimpse into a forgotten war, Madina’s Dream tells the story of rebels and refugees fighting to survive in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains. (World Premiere)

Peace Officer
Directors: Scott Christopherson, Brad Barber
A former sheriff will stop at nothing to confront the SWAT team he founded. (World Premiere)

Poached
Director: Timothy Wheeler
Obsessive egg thieves rob the nests of rare birds while a UK national police force tries to stop them. Poached delves into the psychology of these criminals, showing that when passion turns it can destroy the very object of one's desire. (World Premiere)

The Sandwich Nazi (Canada)
Director: Lewis Bennett
Deli owner Salam Kahil is an art collector, a former male escort, an amateur musician, and a sandwich maker to the homeless in Vancouver's poorest neighbourhood but his true passion is talking about blowjobs. (World Premiere)

She's The Best Thing In It
Director: Ron Nyswaner
Broadway legend Mary Louise Wilson teaches her first acting class, smashing her students’ red carpet illusions. An examination of acting and the sacrifices required, featuring Frances McDormand, Melissa Leo, Tyne Daly, Valerie Harper and others. (World Premiere)

Twinsters
Directors: Samantha Futerman, Ryan Miyamoto
Imagine there was someone out there who you'd never met, looked exactly like you and was born on your birthday. Twinsters is the story of two strangers who discovered they were potentially twin sisters separated at birth. (World Premiere)

A Woman Like Me
Directors: Alex Sichel, Elizabeth Giamatti
By creating a fictional character based on herself, filmmaker Alex Sichel learns how to navigate a terminal disease with grace and humor. (World Premiere)

HEADLINERS
Big names, big talent: Headliners bring star power to SXSW, featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with major & rising names in cinema.

BRAND: A Second Coming (UK)
Director: Ondi Timoner
BRAND: A Second Coming follows comedian/author Russell Brand’s evolution from addict & Hollywood star to unexpected political disruptor & newfound hero to the underserved. Brand is criticized for egomaniacal self-interest as he calls for revolution. (World Premiere)

Ex Machina
Director/Screenwriter: Alex Garland
Alex Garland, writer of 28 Days Later and Sunshine, makes his directorial debut with the stylish and cerebral thriller Ex Machina, starring Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, and Alicia Vikander. Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander (North American Premiere)

Get Hard
Director: Etan Cohen, Screenwriters: Story By Adam McKay And Jay Martel & Ian Roberts, Screenplay By Jay Martel & Ian Roberts And Etan Cohen
With a ten-year stint in San Quentin hanging over his head, yuppie Brad hires city Darnell to toughen him up for prison life. Cast: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Tip "T.I." Harris, Alison Brie,
Craig T. Nelson. (World Premiere)

Hello, My Name is Doris
Director: Michael Showalter, Screenwriters: Laura Terruso, Michael Showalter
An isolated 60-year-old woman is motivated by a self-help seminar to romantically pursue a younger coworker, causing her to stumble into the spotlight of the local hipster social scene. Cast: Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs, Wendi Mclendon-Covey, Stephen Root, Elizabeth Reaser, Jack Antonoff, Natasha Lyonne, Tyne Daly. (World Premiere)

Love & Mercy
Director: Bill Pohlad, Screenwriters: Oren Moverman, Michael Alan Lerner
Love & Mercy presents an unconventional portrait of Brian Wilson, iconic leader of the Beach Boys. Cast: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti (U.S. Premiere)

Manglehorn
Director: David Gordon Green, Screenwriter: Paul Logan
Reclusive small town locksmith, A.J. Manglehorn, who has never recovered from his losing his true love embarks on a new tenuous relationship with a local woman he meets at the bank. Cast: Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Harmony Korine, Chris Messina (U.S. Premiere)

Spy
Director/Screenwriter: Paul Feig
Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) is an unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst, and the unsung hero behind the Agency’s most dangerous missions. But when her partner (Jude Law) falls off the grid and another top agent (Jason Statham) is compromised, she volunteers to go deep undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent a global disaster. Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, Peter Serafinowicz, Morena Baccarin and Jude Law (Premiere)

Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine
Director: Alex Gibney
An evocative portrait of the life and work of Steve Jobs that re-examines his legacy and our relationship with the computer. (World Premiere)

NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT
High profile narrative features receiving their World, North American or U.S. premieres at SXSW.

7 Chinese Brothers
Director/Screenwriter: Bob Byington
A man unaccustomed to telling the truth learns to at least describe it. Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Tunde Adebimpe, Eleanore Pienta, Olympia Dukakis, Stephen Root (World Premiere)

The Automatic Hate
Director: Justin Lerner, Screenwriters: Justin Lerner, Katharine O'Brien
When Davis Green's alluring young cousin Alexis shows up on his doorstep, he discovers a side of his family that had been kept secret his entire life. As the two get closer, they set out to uncover the shocking secret that tore their families apart. Cast: Joseph Cross, Adelaide Clemens, Richard Schiff, Yvonne Zima, Vanessa Zima, Catherine Carlen, Caitlin O'Connell,
Ricky Jay, Deborah Ann Woll (World Premiere)

Bone in the Throat (UK)
Director: Graham Henman, Screenwriters: Graham Henman, Mark Townend
Bone in the Throat based on celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain's novel of the same, is a gritty fast paced story about a young ambitious chef who is mixed up with the East End London mob. While showing off his culinary skills, he finds himself trapped. Cast: Ed Westwick, Tom Wilkinson, Rupert Graves, Vanessa Kirby, John Hannah, Steve Mackintosh, Andy Nyman (World Premiere)

The Final Girls
Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson, Screenwriters: M. A. Fortin, Joshua John Miller
Max and her friends are mysteriously transported into a famous 1980s horror movie that starred Max's mother, a celebrated scream queen. Reunited, they team up to fight the film's maniacal killer and find their way back home. Cast: Taissa Farmiga, Malin Akerman, Adam DeVine, Thomas Middleditch, Alia Shawkat, Alexander Ludwig, Nina Dobrev (World Premiere)

Fresno
Director: Jamie Babbit, Screenwriter: Karey Dornetto
Fresno is a comedy that follows lonely but stoic lesbian Martha (Natasha Lyonne), whose sister Shannon (Judy Greer), a sex addict with no impulse control and a long history of poor decisions, winds up back in Fresno cleaning hotel rooms with her. Cast: Natasha Lyonne, Judy Greer, Aubrey Plaza, Fred Armisen, Jessica St. Clair, Molly Shannon, Michael Hitchcock, Ron Livingston (World Premiere)

The Frontier
Director: Oren Shai, Screenwriters: Webb Wilcoxen, Oren Shai
A desperate young woman, on the run from the law, discovers a violent gang of thieves at a desert motel and hatches a plan to steal their loot. Cast: Jocelin Donahue, Kelly Lynch, Jim Beaver, Izabella Miko, Jamie Harris, AJ Bowen, Liam Aiken (World Premiere)

The Goob (UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Guy Myhill
The Goob combines the dirty roar of stock car thunder with the visceral vision of a teenage boy’s first love. Cast: Liam Walpole, Sean Harris, Sienna Guillory (North American Premiere)

I Dream Too Much
Director/Screenwriter: Katie Cokinos
Dora Welles is an imaginative college grad ready to experience all the excitement of life. Instead she finds herself in snowy upstate New York caring for her reclusive great aunt (who has lived a much more exciting life than anyone realizes). Cast: Eden Brolin, Diane Ladd, Danielle Brooks, James McCaffrey, Christina Rouner (World Premiere)

Ktown Cowboys
Director: Daniel (DPD) Park, Screenwriters: Danny Cho, Brian Chung
Against the alluring backdrop of LA’s Koreatown, 5 legendary partiers go out for one more night of “Ktown” debauchery, eventually growing up by throwing down like they did in their glory days. Cast: Danny Cho, Bobby Choy, Peter Jae, Sunn Wee, Shane Yoon, Eric Roberts, Steve Byrne, Kim Young Chul, Simon Rhee, Daniel Dae Kim (World Premiere)

Lamb
Director/Screenwriter: Ross Partridge
When a man meets a young girl in a parking lot he attempts to help her avoid a bleak destiny by initiating her into the beauty of the outside world. The journey shakes them in ways neither expects. Cast: Oona Laurence, Ross Partridge, Scoot McNairy, Jess Weixler, Lindsay
Pulsipher, Joel Murray, Tom Bower, Jennifer Lafleur (World Premiere)

Life in Color
Director/Screenwriter: Katharine Emmer
With no place to live, two strangers are stuck house sitting together. To get back on their feet, this odd couple reluctantly help each other overcome the very personal obstacles that are holding them back in life and from each other. Cast: Josh McDermitt, Katharine Emmer, Adam Lustick, Fortune Feimster, Jim O'Heir (World Premiere)

The Little Death (Australia)
Director/Screenwriter: Josh Lawson
An outrageous romantic comedy about sex; secrets; fate; fetish; told through the lives and desires of five ordinary couples. Cast: Bojana Novakovic, Josh Lawson, Damon Herriman, Kate Mulvany, Patrick Brammall, Kate Box, Alan Dukes, Lisa McCune, Erin James, TJ Power
(U.S. Premiere)

Mania Days
Director/Screenwriter: Paul Dalio
Two manic-depressive poets meet in a psychiatric hospital and begin a romance which brings out all the beauty and horror of their condition until they have to choose between sanity and love. Cast: Katie Holmes, Luke Kirby, Christine Lahti, Griffin Dunne, Bruce Altman
(World Premiere)

Night Owls
Director: Charles Hood, Screenwriters: Seth Goldsmith, Charles Hood
After Kevin has a one night stand with Madeline, he discovers she’s actually his boss’ jilted mistress. When she takes a bottle of sleeping pills, Kevin has to keep her awake... and over the course of the night they begin to fall for each other. Cast: Adam Pally, Rosa Salazar, Rob Huebel, Peter Krause, Tony Hale (World Premiere)

Wild Horses
Director/Screenwriter: Robert Duvall
A Texas ranch family's idyllic life unravels as the Texas Rangers reopen and investigate a 15 year-old missing person case. Cast: Robert Duvall, James Franco, Josh Hartnett, Luciana Duvall, Adriana Barraza, Jim Parrack, Angie Cepeda, Devon Abner (World Premiere)

DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT
Shining a light on new documentary features receiving their World, North American or U.S. premieres at SXSW.

Bikes vs Cars (Sweden)
Director/Screenwriter: Fredrik Gertten
The bicycle, an amazing tool for change. Activists and cities all over the world are moving towards a new system. But will the economic powers allow it? (World Premiere)

Bounce: How the Ball Taught the World to Play
Director: Jerome Thélia, Screenwriters: John Fox, Jerome Thélia
Bounce: How the Ball Taught the World to Play takes us to the far reaches of the globe and the deep recesses of our ancient past to answer the question: Why do we play ball?
(World Premiere)
* SXsports screening

A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story
Director: Sara Hirsh Bordo
From the producers of the most viewed TEDWomen event of 2013 comes A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story, a documentary following the inspiring journey of 25-year-old, 58-pound Lizzie from cyber-bullying victim to anti-bullying activist. (World Premiere)

Deep Web
Director/Screenwriter: Alex Winter
Deep Web gives the inside story of one of the the most important and riveting digital crime sagas of the century -- the arrest of Ross William Ulbricht, the entrepreneur alleged to be “Dread Pirate Roberts,” leader of online black market Silk Road. (World Premiere)

For Grace
Directors: Kevin Pang, Mark Helenowski
A documentary about food, family and sacrifice: The kitchen became Curtis Duffy's refuge after an unimaginable tragedy. Now as one of the country's most renowned chefs, he's building his dream restaurant - but at another point of personal crisis. (World Premiere)

For the Record
Director: Marc Greenberg
For the Record explores the “steno culture,” tracking several court reporters and captioners as they strive to attain the Guinness title of World's Fastest Court Reporter. (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening

GTFO: Get The F% Out
Director: Shannon Sun-Higginson
Almost half of all gamers are women; yet, female gamers are disproportionately subject to harassment and abuse. GTFO seeks to investigate misogyny in video game culture and questions the future of this 20 billion dollar industry. (World Premiere)

Kingdom of Shadows
Director: Bernardo Ruiz
The drug war casts a dark shadow on the lives of a Mexican nun, a U.S. Federal agent and a former drug smuggler who wrestle with the far-reaching repercussions on both sides of the
border. (World Premiere)

Knock Knock, It's Tig Notaro
Directors: Michael LaHaie, Christopher Wilcha
In Knock Knock, It's Tig Notaro, comedian Tig Notaro travels across the country in order to put on a series of performances in the homes, back yards, barns, and basements of her most loyal
fans. (World Premiere)

Out To Win (USA/Canada)
Director: Malcolm Ingram
Out to Win is a documentary film that serves as an overview and examination of lives and careers of aspiring and professional gay and lesbian athletes who have fought and struggled to represent the LGBT community and their true selves. (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening

Raiders!
Directors: Jeremy Coon, Tim Skousen
In 1982, two 11 year-olds in Mississippi set out to remake Raiders of the Lost Ark. After seven turbulent years, they finished every scene except one. 30 years later, they attempt to finally finish their fan film and realize their childhood dream. (World Premiere)

Rolling Papers
Director: Mitch Dickman
In 2014, recreational marijuana sales began in Colorado. With all eyes on ground zero of the green rush, The Denver Post appointed the world’s first marijuana editor. Pot is legal, journalism is ignited and The Cannabist is covering it as it unfolds. (World Premiere)

Sneakerheadz
Directors: David T. Friendly, Mick Partridge, Screenwriter: David T. Friendly
An in-depth look into the exploding subculture of sneaker collecting and the widespread influence it has had on popular culture around the world. (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening

Son of the Congo
Director/Screenwriter: Adam Hootnick
Serge Ibaka’s improbable journey has taken him from the violence of Congo to the top of the NBA. In Son of the Congo, Ibaka returns home, hoping his basketball success can help rebuild a country and inspire a new generation to dream of a better life. (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening

Stone Barn Castle
Director: Kevin Ford, Adrien Brody
Stone Barn Castle is a documentary portrayal of the pursuit of dreams and the distance one must travel to achieve them. (World Premiere)

Tab Hunter Confidential
Director: Jeffrey Schwarz
In the 1950s, Tab Hunter was number one at the box office and on the music charts. Nothing, it seems, can damage his skyrocketing career. Nothing, that is, except for the fact that Tab Hunter is secretly gay. (World Premiere)

T-Rex
Directors: Drea Cooper, Zackary Canepari
17-year-old Claressa 'T-Rex' Shields from Flint, Mich. dreams of being the first woman in history to win the gold medal in Olympic boxing. But in order for her to succeed, she'll need to stand her ground both inside and outside the ring. (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening

VISIONS
Visions filmmakers are audacious, risk-taking artists in the new cinema landscape who demonstrate raw innovation and creativity in documentary and narrative filmmaking.

Ava's Possessions
Director/Screenwriter: Jordan Galland
Ava is recovering from demonic possession. With no memory of the past month, she must attend a Spirit Possessions Anonymous support group to figure out what happened. Ava's life was hijacked by a demon, now it's time to get it back. Cast: Louisa Krause, Whitney Able, Deborah Rush, William Sadler, Zachary Booth, Wass Stevens, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, John Ventimiglia, Jemima Kirke, Stella Schnabel (World Premiere)

Babysitter
Director/Screenwriter: Morgan Krantz
A dysfunctional L.A. family hires a mysterious babysitter who changes their lives in this modern twist on the Mary Poppins narrative. Cast: Max Burkholder, Daniele Watts, Valerie Azlynn, Lesley Ann Warren, Amy Landecker, Kitty Patterson (World Premiere)

Barge (USA/New Zealand)
Director: Ben Powell
Dry land’s misfits find purpose and direction twenty-eight days at a time as the steady hands of a towboat due for the port of New Orleans. (World Premiere)

Disaster Playground (UK)
Director: Nelly Ben Hayoun
Hollywood relies on Bruce Willis to save the world in Armageddon, but who are the real-life heroes seeking to save our civilization from the next major asteroid impact? (World Premiere)

God Bless the Child
Directors: Robert Machoian, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck, Screenwriter: Robert Machoian
After their mother leaves at dawn, Harper, 13, spends the day looking after her four younger brothers, uncertain whether or not her mother will return. Cast: Harper Graham, Elias Graham, Arri Graham, Ezra Graham, Jonah Graham (World Premiere)

Honeytrap (UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Rebecca Johnson
Honeytrap is a tragic teen romance, set in London and inspired by true events. It tells the story of 15 year old Layla, who sets up the boy in love with her to be killed. Cast: Jessica Sula, Lucien Laviscount, Ntonga Mwanza, Naomi Ryan, Danielle Vitalis, Lauren Johns, Savannah Gordon-Liburd, Tosin Cole (North American Premiere)

Just Jim (UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Craig Roberts
In a small town where people talk to themselves we meet Jim. Sixteen,mediocre looking and frankly quite boring. Things change dramatically when Dean moves in next door. They quickly become friends and set on a journey together to help Jim come of age. Cast: Emile Hirsch, Craig Roberts (World Premiere)

Naz & Maalik
Director/Screenwriter: Jay Dockendorf
Two closeted Muslim teens have their Friday afternoon ruined by FBI surveillance when their secretive behavior and small-time scheming start to look like fledgling steps toward violent radicalism. Cast: Curtiss Cook Jr., Kerwin Johnson Jr., Annie Grier, Anderson Footman, Bradley Custer, Ashleigh Awusie (World Premiere)

Nina Forever (UK)
Directors/Screenwriters: Chris Blaine, Ben Blaine
A fucked up fairy tale. Holly loves Rob and tries to help him through his grief - even if it means contending with his dead girlfriend Nina, who comes back, bloody and broken, every time they make love. Cast: Abigail Hardingham, Cian Barry, Fiona O'Shaughnessy, Elizabeth Elvin, David Troughton (World Premiere)

The Nymphets
Director/Screenwriter: Gary Gardner
A well-to-do 30-something man invites two rowdy young girls to party in his loft, leading to a night of provocation and cruelty, all in the name of getting laid. Cast: Kip Pardue, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Jordan Lane Price, Paulina Singer (World Premiere)

One & Two
Director: Andrew Droz Palermo, Screenwriters: Andrew Droz Palermo, Neima Shahdadi
Two siblings discover a supernatural escape from a troubled home, but find their bond tested when reality threatens to tear their family apart. Cast: Kiernan Shipka, Timothee Chalamet, Elizabeth Reaser, Grant Bowler (World Premiere)

Petting Zoo (Germany/USA/Greece)
Director/Screenwriter: Micah Magee
A story of love, sex and teen pregnancy in San Antonio, Texas. Petting Zoo is the portrait of a young woman coming into her own, in an environment that does not always present ideal circumstances. Cast: Devon Keller, Austin Reed, Deztiny Gonzales, Kiowa Tucker (North American Premiere)

Planetary (UK/USA)
Director: Guy Reid, Screenwriter: Steve Watts Kennedy
A contemplative exploration into what it means to live on Earth, the roots of our current crises, and the change in perspective that could transform our shared future. (World Premiere)

Sailing A Sinking Sea
Director: Olivia Wyatt
Sailing a Sinking Sea is a feature-length experimental documentary exploring the culture of one of the smallest ethnic minority groups in Asia, the Moken of Thailand and Burma. (World Premiere)

Uncle Kent 2
Director: Todd Rohal, Screenwriter: Kent Osborne
In a desperate search to create a follow-up to Joe Swanberg's 2011 film Uncle Kent, Kent Osborne travels to a comic convention where he confronts the end of the world. Cast: Kent Osborne, Kate Herman, Lyndsay Hailey, Jennifer Prediger, Steve Little, Joe Swanberg (World Premiere)

Unfriended
Director: Leo Gabriadze, Screenwriter: Nelson Greaves
Ushering in a new era of horror, Universal Pictures’ Unfriended unfolds over a teenager’s computer screen as she and her friends are stalked by an unseen figure who seeks vengeance. Cast: Shelley Hennig, Moses Jacob Storm, Renee Olstead, Will Peltz, Jacob Wysocki, Courtney Halverson, Heather Sossaman (U.S. Premiere)

A Wonderful Cloud
Director/Screenwriter: Eugene Kotlyarenko
When Eugene’s ex-GF Katelyn lands in LA to disband their business, the two of them must negotiate between past tensions and future possibilities, in this raw bittersweet rom-com that walks the line between fiction and reality. Cast: Kate Lyn Sheil, Eugene Kotlyarenko, John Ennis, Vishwam Velandy, Rachel Lord, Lauren Avery, Elisha Drons, Niko Karamyan, Tierney Finster, Mikki Olson (World Premiere)

EPISODICS
Featuring innovative new work aimed squarely at the small screen, Episodic tunes in to the explosion of exciting material on non-theatrical platforms, including serialized TV, webisodes and beyond.

Angie Tribeca
Director: Steve Carell, Screenwriters: Steve Carell, Nancy Carell
From the minds of Steve & Nancy Carell comes the new TBS comedy Angie Tribeca, a wildly satirical take on police procedurals starring Rashida Jones, Hayes MacArthur, Jere Burns, Deon Cole and Andree Vermeulen. Cast: Rashida Jones, Hayes MacArthur, Deon Cole, Andree Vermeulen, Jere Burns (World Premiere)

The Comedians
Director: Larry Charles
Pilot Written by Ben Wexler, Matt Nix, Larry Charles, Billy Crystal
Episode Two Written By: Ben Wexler
In FX’s The Comedians, Billy Crystal plays a comedy legend who is reluctantly paired with Josh Gad, an edgier up-and-coming star, in an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes look at a fictional late night sketch comedy show where egos and generations collide. Cast: Billy Crystal, Josh Gad (World Premiere)

iZOMBIE
Director: Rob Thomas, Screenwriters: Rob Thomas, Diane Ruggiero-Wright
From Rob Thomas and based on the comic book, the CW Network’s iZOMBIE centers on Olivia “Liv” Moore, a bright young woman who’s also a newly turned zombie. She clings to her humanity by working in the city morgue and helping the police investigate unsolved murders. Cast: Rose McIver, Malcolm Goodwin, Rahul Kohli, Robert Buckley, David Anders (World Premiere)

Mr. Robot
Director: Sam Esmail
Mr. Robot is a psychological thriller about a young programmer who works as a cyber-security engineer by day and a vigilante hacker by night. The USA Network series stars Rami Malek (24) and Christian Slater (Adderall Diaries). Cast: Rami Malek, Christian Slater, Portia Doubleday, Carly Chaikin (World Premiere)

UnREAL
Director: Peter O’Fallon, Screenwriters: Marti Noxon, Sarah Gertrude Shapiro
From Co-Creators Marti Noxon (Mad Men) and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro (Sequin Raze), Lifetime’s highly-anticipated scripted series UnREAL is a provocative drama that gives a fictitious behind-the-scenes glimpse into the chaos surrounding the production of a dating competition program. Cast: Shiri Appleby, Constance Zimmer, Craig Bierko, Freddie Stroma (World Premiere)

24 BEATS PER SECOND
Showcasing the sounds, culture & influence of music & musicians, with an emphasis on documentary. New for 2015: Open to Music badgeholders.

808 (UK)
Director: Alexander Dunn, Screenwriters: Alexander Dunn, Luke Bainbridge
The heart of the beat that changed music. (World Premiere)

All Things Must Pass
Director: Colin Hanks, Screenwriter: Steven Leckart
All Things Must Pass is a feature documentary that explores the rise and fall of Tower Records, and the legacy forged by its rebellious founder, Russ Solomon. (World Premiere)

THE DAMNED: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead
Director: Wes Orshoski
From Lemmy filmmaker Wes Orshoski comes the story of the long-ignored pioneers of punk, The Damned. (World Premiere)

Danny Says
Director: Brendan Toller
Danny Says is a documentary unveiling the amazing journey of Danny Fields. Fields has played a pivotal role in music and culture with seminal acts including: the Doors, the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, MC5, Nico, the Ramones and beyond. (World Premiere)

Dominguinhos (Brazil)
Directors: Joaquim Castro, Eduardo Nazarian, Screenwriter: Di Moretti
Dominguinhos reveals this genius of Brazilian music, creator of a deeply authentic, universal and contemporary work. The film values the sensory cinematic experience, a journey driven by Dominguinhos himself. (U.S. Premiere)

The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson (UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Julien Temple
The most extraordinary rock 'n' roll story of recent times. A legendary musician diagnosed with incurable cancer who managed to defy his death sentence. (World Premiere)

Gloria (Mexico)
Director: Christian Keller, Screenwriter: Sabina Berman
A bold and compelling tale of ambition, betrayal and redemption, Gloria, based on a true story, chronicles the life of international pop star Gloria Trevi, the “Mexican Madonna.” Cast: Sofía Espinosa, Marco Pérez, Tatiana Del Real, Ximena Romo (U.S. Premiere)

Hot Sugar's Cold World
Director: Adam Bhala Lough
After a very public break-up with his internet-famous girlfriend, Nick Koenig (aka Hot Sugar) - a brilliant young musician - takes a magical journey around the world to find new sounds for his album, and find himself. (World Premiere)

JACO
Directors: Paul Marchand, Stephen Kijak, Screenwriters: Paul Marchand, Robert Trujillo
JACO tells the story of Jaco Pastorius, a self-taught, larger-than-life musician who changed the course of modern music. Never-before-seen archive unveils the story of Jaco’s life, his music, his demise, and the lasting victory of artistic genius. (World Premiere)

The Jones Family Will Make a Way
Director/Screenwriter: Alan Berg
A rural, Pentecostal preacher and a jaded rock critic form an unlikely alliance that pushes them both in unexpected ways. (World Premiere)

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
Director/Screenwriter: Brett Morgen
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck is a raw and visceral journey through Kurt Cobain’s life and his career with Nirvana through the lens of his home movies, recordings, artwork, photography, and journals.

Landfill Harmonic
Directors: Brad Allgood, Graham Townsley
Landfill Harmonic follows the Recycled Orchestra, a youth group that plays instruments made entirely from trash. When their story goes viral, they are catapulted into the world spotlight. However, a recent event could present their biggest challenge. (World Premiere)

Made in Japan (USA, Japan)
Director/Screenwriter: Josh Bishop
Made in Japan is the remarkable story of Tomi Fujiyama, the world’s first Japanese country music superstar. It is a funny yet poignant multi-cultural journey through music, marriage, and the impact of the corporate world on the dreams of one woman. (World Premiere)

Mavis!
Director: Jessica Edwards
Her family group, the Staple Singers, inspired millions and helped propel the civil rights movement with their music. After 60 years of performing, legendary singer Mavis Staples’ message of love and equality is needed now more than ever. (World Premiere)

A Poem Is A Naked Person
Director: Les Blank
A time capsule of Les Blank's take on Oklahoma in 1974 about Leon Russell and his band, with Willie Nelson, George Jones, and some amazing eccentric characters. At least two major critics have declared it the best film ever made on Rock and Roll. (World Premiere)

Sir Doug and the Honkey Texas Cosmic Groove
Director: Joe Nick Patoski, Screenwriters: Joe Nick Patoski, Jason Wehling
Wild hippie cowboy musician with too much music inside, takes his talent from San Antonio to San Francisco to Austin and the world. (World Premiere)

Theory of Obscurity: a film about The Residents
Director/Screenwriter: Don Hardy
Theory of Obscurity tells the story of the renegade sound and video collective The Residents. A story that spans over 40 years and is clouded in mystery. Many details surrounding the group are secret, including the identities of its members.(World Premiere)

They Will Have To Kill Us First (UK)
Director: Johanna Schwartz, Screenwriters: Johanna Schwartz, Andy Morgan
Islamic extremists have banned music in Mali, but its world-class musicians won’t give up without a fight. From conflict, to exile, to homecoming, this film follows the story of Mali’s musicians as they fight for their right to sing. (World Premiere)

We Like It Like That
Director: Mathew Ramirez Warren
We Like It Like That tells the story of Latin boogaloo, a colorful expression of 1960s New York City Latino soul. From its origins to its recent resurgence, it’s the story of a sound that redefined a generation and was too funky to keep down. (World Premiere)

Y/OUR MUSIC (Thailand/UK)
Directors: David Reeve, Waraluck Hiransrettawat Every
The sounds of Thailand from ricefield to leftfield. (North American Premiere)

SXGLOBAL
A diverse selection of International filmmaking talent, featuring innovative narratives, artful documentaries, premieres, festival favorites and more.

15 Corners of the World (Poland)
Director/Screenwriter: Zuzanna Solakiewicz
Imagine the sound that can be touched and seen by each of us. You can see unknown corners of the world. Just let your eyes follow your ears. (U.S. Premiere)

The Avian Kind (South Korea)
Director/Screenwriter: Shin Yeon-Shick
A novelist's search for his wife, who disappeared from view 15 years ago. Cast: KIM Jeong-Suk, Soy KIM, JUNG Han-Bi (North American Premiere)

The Ceremony (Sweden)
Director/Screenwriter: Lina Mannheimer
France's most famous dominatrix, two close friends and two lovers share their innermost thoughts about love, friendship, dominance and submission - as we meet the unusual and fascinating author Catherine Robbe-Grillet and her inner circle. (North American Premiere)

Free Entry (Hungary)
Director/Screenwriter: Yvonne Kerékgyártó
Free Entry is an adventurous journey to adulthood as two 16-year-old girls risk their first steps towards independence, in different ways at the biggest international summer festival of Hungary. Cast: Luca Pusztai, Ágnes Barta, Péter Sándor, Róbert Kardos, Ádám Kovács, Barnabás Janka, Tibor Szolár, Anna Nemes, Katica Nagy (North American Premiere)

Good Things Await (Denmark)
Director: Phie Ambo, Screenwriters: Phie Ambo, Maggie Olkuska
Niels is one of the last idealistic farmers in the agricultural country of Denmark. But Niels’ ways of farming in accordance with the planets and the primal instincts of the animals are not too popular with the authorities. (U.S. Premiere)

Invasion
Director: Abner Benaim
Invasion documents the US military siege of Panama that ousted dictator Noriega 25 years ago while wreaking untold collateral damage. It sets out to shatter the willful amnesia of a country all too eager to bury its troubled past.

Limbo (Germany)
Director/Screenwriter: Anna Sofie Hartmann
A small town on the outskirts of Denmark. Two women - a teenage girl and her schoolteacher - build a strange connection that transforms both of them. A subtle, beautiful, personal film on the state of youth and the uncertainty of being. Cast: Annika Nuka Mathiassen, Sofía Nolsøe (North American Premiere)

Monte Adentro (Colombia/Argentina)
Director/Screenwriter: Nicolás Macario Alonso
Monte Adentro explores the universe of one of the last muleteer families in Colombia and follows the lives and mule train of two brothers as they get together for an epic mule driving journey to the highest peaks of the Andes. (North American Premiere)

FESTIVAL FAVORITES
Acclaimed standouts & selected previous premieres from festivals around the world.

Adult Beginners (US Premiere)
Director: Ross Katz, Screenplay: Jeff Cox, Elizabeth Flahive
Cast: Rose Byrne, Nick Kroll, Bobby Cannavale
Out of a job after a disastrous product launch, a big-city yuppie retreats to his suburban childhood home, in this heart-warming and hilarious film about crashing hard, coming home and waking up. Cast: Nick Kroll, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Joel McHale (U.S. Premiere)

Being Evel
Director: Daniel Junge, Screenwriters: Daniel Junge, Davis Coombe
Millions know the man; few know his story. Academy Award-winning director Daniel Junge and producer Johnny Knoxville take a candid look at American daredevil Evel Knievel, while reflecting on our voracious public appetite for heroes and spectacle.
* SXsports screening

Best of Enemies
Directors: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon
Best of Enemies is a behind-the-scenes account of the explosive 1968 televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and their rancorous disagreements about politics, God, and sex.

City of Gold
Director: Laura Gabbert
City of Gold is a documentary portrait that takes us into Jonathan Gold’s universe to tell the improbable story of a revolution inspired by the pen, but driven by the palate.

Entertainment
Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Gregg Turkington
En route to meet his estranged daughter and attempt to revive his dwindling career, a broken, aging comedian plays a string of dead-end shows in the Mojave desert. Cast: Gregg Turkington, John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan

Finders Keepers
Directors: Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel
Finders Keepers follows recovering addict and amputee John Wood in his stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction.

Heaven Knows What
Directors: Joshua Safdie, Benny Safdie, Screenwriters: Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
Cast: Arielle Holmes, Caleb Landry Jones, Buddy Duress, Necro
The latest from acclaimed sibling directors Josh and Benny Safdie (Daddy Longlegs) blends fiction, formalism and raw documentary as it follows a young heroin addict who finds mad love in the streets of New York.

The Last Man on the Moon (UK)
Director: Mark Craig
One man's part in mankind's greatest adventure... (North American Premiere)

The Look of Silence (Denmark/Indonesia/Norway/Finland/UK)
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer
Director Joshua Oppenheimer's follow-up to the earth-shattering, Academy Award® nominated The Act of Killing.

Lost River
Director/Screenwriter: Ryan Gosling
A family tries to hold on to their home in the ruins of a disappearing city. Cast: Christina Hendricks, Iain De Caestecker, Saoirse Ronan, Matt Smith, Reda Kateb, Barbara Stele, Eva Mendes, Ben Mendelsohn (US Premiere)

Ned Rifle
Director/Screenwriter: Hal Hartley
Ned Rifle is the third and final chapter of Hal Hartley's tragicomic epic begun with Henry Fool (1998) and continued with Fay Grim (2007). In this swiftly paced and expansive conclusion, Henry and Fay's son, Ned, sets out to find and kill his father. Cast: Liam Aiken, Martin Donovan, Aubrey Plaza, Parker Posey, Thomas Jay Ryan, James Urbaniak, Robert John Burke, Bill Sage, Karen Sillas (US Premiere)

The Overnight
Director/Screenwriter: Patrick Brice
Two families meet at the park and set up a playdate that has unexpected outcomes for all. Cast: Adam Scott, Jason Schwartzman, Taylor Schilling, Judith Godrèche

Results
Director/Screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski
A take on self improvement culture in America - with all it's promise and absurdity - stuffed into a peculiar romantic comedy. Cast: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker, Constance Zimmer
* SXsports screening

Salt of the Earth (France)
Director: Wim Wenders, Juliano Riberio Salgado, Screenwriters: Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders
For the last 40 years, photographer Sebastião Salgado has been travelling through the continents, in the footsteps of an ever-changing humanity. He is now embarking on the discovery of pristine territories, which is a tribute to the planet’s beauty.

Unexpected
Director: Kris Swanberg, Screenwriters: Kris Swanberg, Megan Mercier
An inner-city high school teacher discovers she is pregnant at the same time as one of her most promising students and the two develop an unlikely friendship while struggling to navigate their unexpected pregnancies. Cast: Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, Elizabeth McGovern

The Visit (Denmark/Austria/Ireland/Finland/Norway)
Director/Screenwriter: Michael Madsen
This film documents an event that has never taken place – man’s first encounter with intelligent life from space.

Welcome to Leith
Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker
A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota.

Western
Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross
For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life.

SPECIAL EVENTS
Experiential cinema, cult re-issues & much more. Our Special Events section offers unusual, unexpected & unique one-off film events.

7 Days In Hell
Director: Jake Szymanski, Screenwriter: Murray Miller
A fictional documentary-style expose on the rivalry between two tennis stars who battled it out in a 1999 match that lasted seven days. Cast: Andy Samberg, Kit Harrington, Michael Sheen, Will Forte, Lena Dunham, Fred Armisen, Mary Steenburgen, Karen Gillan, John McEnroe, Serena Williams (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening

Doug Benson & Master Pancake interrupt Leprechaun 3 (1995)
Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith
“The directness with which this movie went to video is apparent in nearly every single element.” Tim Brayton, Antagony and Ecstasy. Cast: Warwick Davis, John Gatins, Lee Armstrong

Jonathan Demme Presents Made In Texas
Directors: Louis Black, Mark Rance
The restoration of six films made in Austin in the early 1980s including David Boone's Invasion of the Aluminum People. The program was originally curated by Jonathan Demme and presented at the Collective for Living Cinema in NYC. (World Premiere)

The Road Warrior (Australia)
Director: George Miller, Screenwriters: Terry Hayes, George Miller
In the post-apocalypse future, where humans fight over the few remaining stores of gasoline, Mad Max offers to drive a tanker through a gauntlet of psychos to safety on the coast. Special Q&A to follow with George Miller. Cast: Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Virginia Hey, Emil Minty, Kjell Nilsson, Max Phipps, Vernon Wells, David Slingsby, Steve J. Spears

A Space Program
Director: Van Neistat, Screenwriters: Van Neistat, Tom Sachs
The artist Tom Sachs and his team of bricoleurs build a handmade space program and send two female astronauts to Mars. Cast: Sam Ratanarat, Mary Eannarino, Tom Sachs, Evan Murphy, Chris Beeston, Pat McCarthy, Nick Doyle, Kevin Hand, Jeff Lurie, Jared Vandeusen (World Premiere)

Trainwreck
Director: Judd Apatow, Screenwriter: Amy Schumer
Blockbuster filmmaker Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, This Is 40) directs Universal Pictures’ Trainwreck, starring breakout comedic actress Amy Schumer (Inside Amy Schumer). Cast: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, Colin Quinn, Vanessa Bayer, Tilda Swinton, Lebron James, John Cena (Debut of a Work in Progress)

Vertical Cinema
Director: Sonic Acts
Vertical Cinema is a series of ten newly commissioned large-scale works by experimental filmmakers and audiovisual artists, which are presented on 35mm celluloid and projected vertically with a custom-built projector. (North American Premiere)

'Magic Mike XXL' Poster Is A Work Of Art

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The marketing team working on "Magic Mike XXL" is brilliant. The first poster for the film, due out July 1, is ... just ... perfect. Channing Tatum, respected Hollywood A-lister, is shirtless, wearing a bandana, flat brim and jeans. He's ... coming.

Look, but you can't touch...until tomorrow. Tune in to @theellenshow! #MagicMikeXXL

A photo posted by Channing Tatum (@channingtatum) on





The sequel also features Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Adam Rodriguez and Gabriel Iglesias, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Glover, Amber Heard, Jada Pinkett Smith, Andie MacDowell and Michael Strahan. They're coming too, we assume, and so is a trailer -- at least judging by Tatum's tease to watch "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on Wednesday.

J.K. Rowling Novel To Be Adapted For TV: Watch The First Trailer

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J.K. Rowling's first foray outside of the wizarding world was met with mixed reviews. Some thought The Casual Vacancy was dry and peopled by sketchy caricatures, while others thought her witty dialogue and world-building abilities were put to good use in a more realistic setting. Regardless, the BBC and HBO announced earlier this year that they'd team up to produce an adaptation.

Here's the skinny on the story: Barry Fairbrother, a member of the local city council in the fictional town of Pagford, has died suddenly. He grew up in a housing district called The Fields -- a place that stirs controversy when mentioned on the board -- and has long voted in support of the development. His absence makes room for a new council member, who could change the fate of The Fields and its inhabitants.

A petty drama, to be sure, but Rowling uses the platform to delve into the wicked motivations many of Pagford's residents harbor. The story could provide fodder for a juicy suburban drama à la "Desperate Housewives."

The first episode will air on BBC One on Feb. 15.

15 Nerdy Valentine's Day Cards For Adorkable Couples

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Nerdy couples, rejoice!

In years past, you may have been underwhelmed by the Valentine's Day card selection at your local supermarket. But this year, we've made it easy to find something cute and clever that more accurately sums up your special brand of nerd love. Whether your boo is a science geek, a video game fanatic, a Potterhead or a Whovian, we've got you covered.



Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Weddings on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Moving Photos Of Rescued Dogs And Their Tattooed Humans Remind Us To Ditch Stereotypes

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A couple of years ago, Nashville, Tennessee-based photographer Brian Batista started taking pictures of rescue dogs with tattooed humans -- and not just because they look decidedly awesome together.

He'd started "seeing the correlation" between how people treat homeless animals -- especially those whose heads have a certain kind of blocky shape -- and how they treat folks who sport a lot of ink.

"Some of the things people would say when they would see a heavily tattooed person walking with a pit bull for example were just absolutely ridiculous," says Batista. "They would have memorial tattoos of family members, art they loved, tattoos that tell stories of their lives and be walking with the happiest dogs you have ever seen. And people would yell at them saying 'That dog is a killer! Stay away from my family!'"

Batista, on the other hand, sees something different: He sees people who want to help these animals so much, they literally wear that love on their sleeve -- or sometimes on other parts of their bodies:

save them
Richard Burgess with his foster puppy Major, who'd been badly injured in a dog attack. Major is now living in Alabama "with a pit bull brother and sister, and two human siblings, and he is a very happy dog," says Batista, who plans to take some updated pics of the pup with his family. Photo credit: Brian Batista


In the 2 1/2 years since the Tattoos & Rescues series got started, Batista -- who has a couple of rescue pups of his own but, a little ironically, no tattoos -- hasn't run out of dogs or humans to shoot. Goals for 2015 include putting out a book and expanding his model lineup to include cats, birds, reptiles and other non-canines.

His first shoot of the year, all that said, is of a gorgeous pit bull named Lilly, who was recently named the 2015 face of Pit Bull Advocates of the United States, with her adoptive dad Steve Lawrence.

Lilly's loving, inked humans became dog advocates soon after adopting Lilly and discovering the world of prejudice surrounding their wiggling, affectionate bundle of love. Lawrence's wife, Misty, tells The Huffington Post that the smack of this prejudice came along with some harsh criticism she'd already encountered as part of an interracial couple.

Misty says she loves the photos -- and only in part because they help make a statement against the various kinds of hostilities her family encounters.

"I feel like they really show the love between a man and his dog," she says.

tattoos and rescues
Steve Lawrence with Lilly, who was adopted from Nashville's city shelter about a year after the shelter's ban on adopting out pits was lifted. Photo credit: Brian Batista


Lilly and her family, and the other dogs and families like them, were, and continue to be, Batista's inspiration.

"There are so many misunderstood breeds of dogs that are killed simply because of how they look, not how they act. That is wrong. It’s also wrong to judge a person or animal based on appearance alone. It’s bullying, plain and simple," says Batista. "I think that is the pure essence of what animals that need rescue are trying to say. If they could speak in any human language they would say 'Hey! What happens to us is not right!'

"But since they don’t have the ability to speak how we communicate then it’s up to us to listen to them, how they communicate."

tattoos and rescues
"Jeremy tattooing my fiancee’s arm while Mathilda holds her hand is definitely a proud moment for me because Mathilda reached out to do that, sort of like she knew getting a tattoo made her nervous," says Batista. Photo credit: Brian Batista


Check out more of Brian Batista's Tattoos & Rescues photo series on his website, where you can also find information about buying prints of the pictures.

And get in touch at arin.greenwood@huffingtonpost.com if you have an animal story to share!




Here's What A Depression-Era Cartoonist Had To Say About The Anti-Vaccination Movement

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Need proof that the anti-vaccination movement is hardly a new phenomenon? Behold:

vacc comic

(Photo: Imgur)


The comic above was posted to Reddit today with the caption, "History repeats itself. Anti-vac comic from the 1940s." According to an older post on Super I.T.C.H, a blog devoted to comic history, the illustration comes from a 1930 cartoon booklet titled "Health in Pictures."

A commenter on the same thread pointed to another cartoon by satirist James Gillray, this one dating back to the early 19th century. In it, British citizens receiving a cowpox inoculation in 1802 can be seen panicking about the vaccine's rumored effects (allegedly reported by opponents of the vaccination), namely that individuals were developing bovine features.

smallpox

(Photo: Wiki)


Yes, vaccination hysteria is at least two centuries old.

Now, compare these to the types of cartoons popping up in The New Yorker just this week.






Happy 2015.

Experimental Art Project Shows How, Like, So Unattached We Are To Material Things

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When we survey the objects randomly floating in our various drawers, bags or pockets, we don't typically process the wayward eye glasses, cell phones, lip balms or tubes of toothpaste as potential raw material for an experimental art project. That is, until now. Cue Moscow-based multimedia artist Dmitry Morozov -- also known as ::vtol::.

Morozov's newest interactive installation "oil" turns your humdrum belongings into an experimental soundscape, fusing the phenomena of creation and destruction. The piece features five hydraulic presses, all possessing the strength to crush virtually any object that may be on your person. "Oil" Participants are invited to place a rogue belonging of their choice atop the press, and as said belonging is mutilated and deformed, a microphone records the entire process. A computer algorithm then processes the recording and spits it back in the form of a 20-minute album.

Voila! Just like that, you're an ambient musician and, like, so unattached to material things.



"The project is intended to provoke visitors into spontaneously ridding themselves of material consumer objects for the sake of creating their own individual work of art via deprivation, divestment and destruction," explains the project description.

"Sound has been taken as the chief medium here with good reason, since sound art is perhaps the least material and most abstract of all genres in art. The technological aesthetic involved constitutes an ironic attempt to make the process of art production into a technological process, but the result, unlike that of mass production, demonstrates a contrary phenomenon –- this is a work involving programming and code in the context of generative art, with the potential to broaden the range of instruments at art’s disposal."

If you're familiar with Morozov's work, you know he has a knack for turning seemingly banal images into the stuff of mind-blowing artistic weirdness. In the past he's transformed barcodes into glitchy abstract artworks and created tattoos capable of producing music when scanned with an instrument of his design.

Listen to one of Morozov's object-made melodies here and visit his website for more information on his past work.

h/t Beautiful Decay

These Students Responded In The Best Way After A Racial Slur Was Painted Near Their School

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After a rock near South Pointe High School in Rock Hill, South Carolina, was vandalized over the weekend with hate speech, students at the school are responding with a message of hope and equality.

This past Sunday -- the first day of Black History Month -- a school custodian noticed that someone had painted a racial slur on a large rock on the high school campus. The custodian quickly painted over the rock, but images of it were already circulating on social media, Elaine Baker, director of information services for Rock Hill Schools, told The Huffington Post.

On Monday afternoon, after learning about the vandalism, a group of art students painted over the rock once again, Baker said. This time, the rock was painted with rainbow stripes and a message that reads “We Are All =,” as seen below:










"We saw that this happened to our spirit rock and we decided we needed to come out here and make it right," student Andrew Swiger told WCNC-TV about why he and his fellow art students decided to paint the rock.

"We have a diverse number of students that are predominately people of color, and I feel that everyone needs to be treated equally -- especially in our school system," student Madison Wightman told WCNC. "And with that appearing this weekend, I just really realized that we're not as equal as people say we are."

Police are currently investigating the situation and Baker says she is unaware of any suspects. The school has outdoor surveillance cameras, but Baker says she thinks it is "very unlikely that the surveillance picked up activity where the rock is."

Notably, the district recently celebrated a group of civil rights activists known as the Friendship Nine. In 1961, these nine African-American activists were arrested after they attempted to dine at a whites-only lunch counter in Rock Hill. For their crimes, they served 30 days of hard labor. Last week, a judge cleared the conviction from the activists' records.

“We had a big celebration in Rock Hill that [the arrests] wouldn’t happen now and shouldn’t have happened at all,” said Baker. “Whoever put this racial slur on the rock was somebody who decided that they don’t want to send a message like that, or who wanted to tarnish the successes that we have had.”

19 Hilariously NSFW Cross Stitches You Won't Find In Grandma's House

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When you think "cross stitch," you probably picture a dusty, framed piece of embroidery in your grandma's bathroom that says "Home Is Where The Heart Is."

These, however, are not those types of cross stitches.

Thanks to irony-loving hipsters, grandma's outdated wall-hangings have gone through quite the renaissance. Today's Etsy shops are full of sassy, NSFW and straight-up gangsta pieces of art that would look great hanging in your apartment. Just make sure to hide them whenever Nana visits.

Scroll down for 19 of our favorite modern day cross stitches and remember, home is where the @$#% is.

gangster
Source: Watty's Wall Stuff And Cross Stitchery

sex
Source: BossAsStitch

unicorn
Source: Small Stitch Shop

coke
Source: XStitches Be Crazy

crows
Source: XStitches Be Crazy

bed
Source: stephXstitch

broke
Source: stephXstitch

money
Source: BossAsStitch

sleep
Source: stephXstitch

scott
Source: Watty's Wall Stuff And Cross Stitchery

horse
Source: Oh My Werd

billy
Source: Watty's Wall Stuff And Cross Stitchery


pants
Source: stephXstitch

boo
Source: stephXstitch


tit
Source: BossAsStitch

police
Source: BossAsStitch

satan
Source: BossAsStitch

eat
Source: BossAsStitch

money
Source: jim jam crafts

These New Harry Potter Covers In GIF Form Are Magical

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Harry Potter first encounters Sirius Black when he opens an issue of the Daily Prophet, the wizarding world's most popular news source. "BLACK STILL AT LARGE" splashed across its front page, the issue featured an image of maniacal Black fleeing the prison. Rowling cleverly imbued media outlets in her world with a touch of magic by making the pictures in newspapers and family albums move. It's fitting, then, that The Guardian has turned the seven newly released Harry Potter covers into animated GIFs.

The designs, released last summer, were created by children's illustrator Jonny Duddle. The GIFs show each stage of the creation process, from rough sketches to polished covers.

Check out the magically GIF-ified Harry Potter covers, and take a look at the final designs:

hp1

hp2

hp3

H/T The Guardian

CORRECTION: A previous version of this post incorrectly quoted the Daily Prophet headline "MASS BREAK OUT FROM AZKABAN" as appearing when Sirius Black first escaped from Azkaban. The headline appeared in a later edition of the Daily Prophet. The post has been updated to quote the correct headline.

22 Things We Learned Hanging Out With Sam Smith

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The following article is provided by Rolling Stone.

By PATRICK DOYLE

For his current Rolling Stone cover story, Sam Smith gave hours of interviews, both on his home turf in London and in Atlanta as he prepared to launch his first arena tour, giving us so much material that we couldn't possibly print it all. Smith, 22, who is nominated for six Grammys this weekend, opened up about everything from his cross earrings to listening to Lana Del Rey in the bath. Here are 22 highlights:

1. He wasn't afraid to speak up for equality at his Catholic school.
"From what I can remember, they believe that you can be homosexual, but you just can't practice it, which is ridiculous," he says. "I would just say, 'I am proof that it's genetic. It has to be, because it wasn't a choice.' And that's it. That's my only argument, you know? You love who you love, and I can't help that I like guys."

2. He's not sure he ever wants to get married.
"My views on marriage actually don't come from what's going on in the gay community. They actually come from my mom and dad splitting up," Smith admits. "I'm a bit unsure as to whether I want to [get married]. I don't understand why you have to wear a wedding ring to warn people off. You should be able to be faithful to that person without anything on your body to show that you are with someone. You know what I mean? [But] I'm a 22-year-old boy, I have no idea what I want yet. In terms of marriage, I change my mind every week. I've changed my mind every week on what my type is. I change it all the time. But it depends on the person I've met. If I fall in love with someone who really wants to get married, then I think I'd do that for them."

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3. He's planning to go back to school.
"I want to go back to school for two months towards the end of next year, because I did film for [my] A-level [secondary school], and I just want to learn more about film and directing so that I can start directing my own shit. I think I'm going to go to New York." Smith says he'll go to NYU "if they'll have me" or otherwise "do a crash course with a director. It'd be interesting. I'm just very intrigued by that world."

4. He hasn't forgotten his days as a barback.
"Working in a bar for three years, I will always be so respectful of the people working behind the bar. People treat you like shit," he says. "Especially in the financial [district]. Rich men would just treat Tiffany [Smith's best friend, with whom he's lived for four years] like a piece of meat. And well, me, they just had no time."

5. He thought fame would make him less lonely.
"Me and Gaga were talking about this, actually: I always thought I was going to fit into this world. Growing up, being the only gay guy in my school and in this small village, my mom used to always say to me, 'You're going to find your people, Sam. You'll find your group of people.' And I thought if I would become really well known, then I'd find my group of people. But they're not my group of people. There's amazing people, but still, I'm still in search of my people.

[I have] an amazing team, I've got my best friends... But I haven't found that group of people that are just like me, going through exactly what I'm going through. And I think I've maybe come to terms with the fact that maybe I'm not going to find a group of people going trough what I'm going through, because maybe what I'm going through is really, really rare, you know?"

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6. When you stare at him, he's silently freaking out.
"I get really self-conscious about people staring at me. It sounds so weird. As a performer, as an artist, these should be the things that I'm used to. But that's not the case," Smith explains. "When people stare at me, I freak out. You know when everyone stares at you you're like, 'Oh, God'? It just feels really awkward. Especially when you're on a plane, because my hair goes funny every time I'm on a plane."

7. He's a huge "Lost" fan -- and actually liked the ending.
"I loved it, loved it. True 'Lost' fans like it."

8. He's been really getting into "The Real Housewives of Atlanta."
The day he kicked off his arena tour, Smith relaxed with two episodes of the Bravo series. His favorite cast member? "NeNe's amazing. She's great. Everyone loves her. She's amazing."

9. He has no time for pot.
"I can't handle weed. I'm way too emotional. Last time I took it, I thought I had clamps in my mouth. [I was like] 'No, no no!'"

10. He bought a French bulldog for $3,000, but had to give it back.
"I bought a dog and had to give it away two weeks later. I realized I just couldn't handle it. That was the most lavish thing I did, which backfired. I got it and then I freaked out."

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"I want to be a pop star that isn't really skinny, a pop star who doesn't have a perfectly even face. I want to change what a pop star is."

11. His mother, who was a trader for major brokerage firm Tullett Prebon, taught him to be ambitious and assertive.
"I think I'm a know-it-all. I get that from my mom, sometimes," Smith admits. "My mom can be a bit of a know-it-all. She'd even say that, too. I can see it when I'm with my band and my team. I know how to be authoritative. Even if I don't know what the fuck I'm doing, I pretend like I do. It's all for show. That's true for anyone, I think. You've gotta convince yourself that you know what you're talking about sometimes."

sam smith

12. Smith recently called some pop stars "just awful," but clarifies:
"I'll say this to you candidly, and please publish this: The pop stars I'm talking about are not the pop stars anyone would expect. And I'm not talking about 20, 30 people. There's probably a few people, here and there, over the last two years, they're not horrible, but they're just not very kind and not very supportive to up-and-coming artists. That was it. It was only a few people."

He adds, "I said to my dad on the phone, 'Who am I dissing here? Are all pop stars going to be offended by that comment?'" Because I think it's common knowledge that some people are dickheads, right? I could be a dickhead. People probably think I'm a dickhead, sometimes. But it's just common knowledge. I didn't think that was a bad thing to say. . .I hope that Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande don't think I've started dissing them, because I think they're lovely."

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13. He loves Nicki Minaj.
"She said something I actually really agreed with. She did a documentary for the Pink Friday tour. She said something like, 'When I'm assertive, I'm a bitch. When a man is assertive, he's a boss.' I could see where she comes from."

14. Rihanna's an idol – and a close friend.
"I fucking love Rihanna," Smith gushes. "She came to my show in L.A. She speaks to me all the time. For someone that famous, she's really real. Love her."

15. He really likes to take baths.
Smith says he listens to "a lot of Lana Del Rey in the bath. She's good bath music. Or the soundtrack to 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age.'" He adds, "I make time for a bath. No matter what happens in life, no matter how famous I get or how upset or sad I get, how lonely I get, how happy I get, how heartbroken I get, the one thing I can always go to sleep knowing is there will always be baths."

16. He considers himself spiritual.
"I believe in God, but I don't know what it is — if it's a he, she, a he-she, or anything. [Laughs] Who knows what it is. All I know is that I feel like there's something else there."

17. He has a specific way of describing his own incredible voice.
"It's not falsetto, it's just chest voice. I just power through. Sometimes I do head voice. It's hard to explain. I just sing. . .I am technical, but I don't know what it is because I've never heard it before with other guy singers. I belt in my high register. It's hard. It's quite operatic, the way I sing, sometimes."

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18. The Catholic Church influenced his style.
"I went to Catholic school 'til I was 18. There's a connection there, you know?" he says. "For a lot of things I do, it's a symbol. . .I used to change my earrings up all the time, every day. I'd have different pairs for each day. The day that I shot the acoustic video to 'Lay Me Down,' it just so happened that I wore cross earrings. And I remember when I watched the video back, I was like, 'That can be my thing.' There's a little meaning behind wearing crucifixes in my ears, you know? But I would never go into it."

19. He wants his overall style to be "iconic."
"That's all I want. I want what I wear to be iconic. Not even what I wear, the way I hold myself. I don't know, I like clean-cut things that are just iconic. I like wearing things that I would look at pictures of in 60 years' time and they'll still be in fashion, do you know what I mean? That's what I like."

20. Don't expect him to play Russia.
"I don't hate Russia, but I just will never go to Russia [because] what they do to gay people there is just disgusting and it makes me very angry," Smith says. "I've even said, no matter how many billions of pounds you could offer me, I just couldn't, which makes me sad because I have Russian fans. They contact me on Twitter, it makes me sad."

21. He wants his next album to be more personal than his first.
"I'm very passionate about being relatable. On my second record, instead of looking like I have more money, more airbrushing, I want to actually be more raw and more honest on my second album than my first," he says. "I want to be a pop star that isn't really skinny, a pop star who doesn't have a perfectly even face, where in my music video, I don't look my best, [but] I look raw and human. I want to change what a pop star is. I think that's deep down what I really want to do in music. I want to change that whole idea of, 'When I'm older, I want to be perfect.' I want to change people's idea of what perfection is. That's what I really want."

22. He's excited about a new song called "Scars," a letter to his parents.
"After 'In the Lonely Hour,' I was thinking, 'How do I become relatable when I'm not relatable?' [Most] people don't go to [fancy] restaurants, can't treat their families and take their sisters out. People don't have that. And how could I write an album that people can relate to when people can't relate to [me], you know what I mean?" Smith says. "It's really scary, and I had that moment where I was like, 'I could lose everything on my second album, because I'm no longer relatable.' And also [I had] that pressure of, 'OK, shit, now I need to fall in love. Something like that needs to happen for me to become relatable again.' Then I wrote that song ["Scars"] and every kid who has come from a divorced family is going to listen to that. And I feel weird, because I shouldn't give too much away. My album, it's going to be another year and a bit."

This Video Proves That A Terrible Album Cover Probably Means The Music Is Terrible, Too

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Even in a music industry where streaming services are becoming more and more prevalent, the album artwork still holds some power. While not as powerful as in the heyday of vinyl, a well-designed cover can make a big impact on those surfing random music blogs or mining the depths of Spotify and Soundcloud. Many artists can get away with a boring or uninspired album cover (see: hip hop), but a terrible cover is sure to scare away any and all potential listeners. YouTube user Jimbo Stephens has proof: He put together a video of the music behind some of the worst album covers to ever exist. Now know that -- nine times out of 10 -- we made the right choice to ignore.

Except for you Devastatin' Dave (The Turntable Slave), you're the best. (STAY IN SCHOOL!)

devastatin dave

H/T Digg

In Case You Were Wondering, Monet's Paintings Still Sell For Millions Of Dollars

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LONDON (AP) — A Venetian waterscape by Claude Monet has sold for more than $35 million at a London auction as the high-end art market shows resilience in a bumpy global economy.

"Le Grand Canal," fetched 23.7 million pounds ($35.6 million) at Sotheby's, though it didn't reach the top of its pre-sale estimate of 20 million pounds to 30 million pounds. Monet's "Poplars at Giverny," sold by New York's Museum of Modern Art, fetched 10.8 million pounds ($16.2 million).

Tuesday's Impressionist, Modern and Surrealist auction raised 186.4 million pounds ($280.2 million), the highest-ever total for a single sale in London.

Sotheby's said bidders came from 35 countries. Wealthy collectors from emerging markets such as Russia, China and the Middle East have helped buoy prices amid the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

Helena Newman of Sotheby's Impressionist and Modern department said the sale saw "collectors from Asia and Russia asserting themselves as a continued force in the market."

She said it was "a great night for Monet," with five works by the French artist netting a total of 55.7 million pounds ($83.8 million).

Standouts at the sale included Henri Matisse's "Odalisque in a Black Armchair," which sold well over its upper estimate at 15.8 million pounds ($23.8 million), and Pablo Picasso's maquette for a steel sculpture that stands outside Chicago's Richard J. Daley Center, which raised 8.9 million pounds ($13.4 million).

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's "In Bed: the Kiss" sold for 10.8 million pounds ($16.2 million), the second-highest price ever for the artist.

All the sale prices include a tax known as the buyer's premium.

Sotheby's rival, Christie's, holds its own banner sale Wednesday in London.

LOL So Beyoncé Will Be At The Grammys Too

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On Monday, after Taylor Swift announced that she wouldn't perform at this year's Grammys, we here at HuffPost Entertainment tweeted the following:




Two days later, how wrong we were! On the heels of news that Kanye West and Katy Perry have been added to the roster of performers, comes this gem: Beyoncé will be there too!



Us Weekly broke the news after speaking with Common, who will perform the Oscar-nominated song "Glory" from "Selma" with John Legend during the broadcast: "We do have an incredible introduction to our performance," Common said on Saturday. "A segue into our song 'Glory,' as a tribute to 'Selma,' being done by the great Beyoncé. That's one of the greatest talents you can have, helping us segue into it. To co-create a performance with someone like her. It's good."

Rumors that Beyoncé would perform were first reported by Billboard. According to both that site and Us, Beyoncé will sing "Take My Hand Precious Lord" as a tribute to "Selma," the Best Picture-nominated film about Martin Luther King Jr.

A representative for the Grammys was not immediately available for comment.

Lorne Michaels Isn't Sure 'SNL' Should Go On Without Him

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Lorne Michaels doesn't seem so confident in the future of "Saturday Night Live." In advance of the show's 40th anniversary special, set to air on Sunday, Feb. 15, the show creator opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about his succession plan. When Michaels, now 70, was asked if the sketch show should "go on without [him]," the producer revealed he wasn't sure.

I don't know. I'm going to keep doing it as long as I possibly can because I love it and because it's what I do. But there is more niche stuff [now]. Us doing 'Update' and giving it 10 minutes in a 90-minute show was a big deal, but Comedy Central and Jon Stewart, none of that existed then. So things have fragmented. The thing that I always find difficult about criticism of the show is that we're broadcast, which means there are people who like us in all 50 states. I'm incredibly proud of the show 'Portlandia' that I do, but it's designed for an audience that just wants that and loves that. So I don't know how long.


Michaels launched "Saturday Night Live" in 1975, and has since (with a brief hiatus) grown it into a talent-launching hub for the mainstream comedy world. Notable alums from throughout the series' run include Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Chris Rock, Tiny Fey and Amy Poehler (among dozens of others). Looking back on the show's history, Michaels also opened up about its much-noted transition from cutting edge to "family" friendly.

Some time in the '90s, I was overseas and there was a bunch of people who had kids there. I didn't have kids then, but they talked about watching the show -- they were baby boomers -- with their kids, and I went, 'Really?' I got back from the trip and we were doing a 'Wayne's World' truth-or-dare skit with Madonna, and I watched it at dress and I went, 'That's going to be a real squirm moment for parents and kids, so let's pull that back a little bit,' which we did. So it morphed into a family show, without having to compromise that much, frankly.


For the full interview with Michaels, head over to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Bottom Line: 'Funny Girl' By Nick Hornby

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Funny Girl
by Nick Hornby
Riverhead, $27.95
Published Feb. 3, 2015

The Bottom Line is a weekly review combining plot description and analysis with fun tidbits about the book.




What we think:



A Nick Hornby book has become a minor pop cultural event. His novels High Fidelity and About a Boy, and his memoir Fever Pitch, all inspired wildly popular film adaptations, and About a Boy was recently brought to the small screen in the form of a sitcom starring Minnie Driver. His digestible blend of pop nerdery and heartwarming relationship growth sets his books apart from the average dude lit, and seems to scratch an itch shared widely by mass culture aficionados.




Hornby’s books don’t aspire to the higher-brow end of the literary spectrum, but neither do they sink to the depths of rote formula and pedestrian prose that typifies mass market genre. They make it fun, funny and even a bit heartwarming to read about, say, an arrogant, self-involved guy who learns too late in life that having impeccable taste in music isn’t the most important thing. So his latest effort, a relatively hefty novel about the life and times of a Lucille-Ball-esque comedienne, Sophie Straw (née Barbara Packer), seems to promise a good time -- “funny” is right there in the title!




The book opens promisingly, with blonde bombshell Barbara reluctantly competing in her small town’s beauty pageant, a temporary diversion from her real plan of moving to London to pursue a career as an actress. The amusingly bleak scene, girls in candy-colored bathing suits parading around a cold, drizzly beach, showcases Barbara’s optimistic spirit and warm wit. “It’s a wonderful thing, a blind dad,” she deadpans to onlookers after her father bluntly states that she’s “miles prettier” than the other contestants.




By the second chapter, however, Barbara has vamoosed to London -- a very positive development for the ambitious character, but one that somehow sucks all the life out of the book. What follows are chapters and chapters of dull exposition delineating her transformation into the more fetchingly named Sophie Straw, her plum role on a major sitcom, her rise to immediate stardom, and her ultimate fading away into relative obscurity. Barbara/Sophie seems likable and pleasant, but Hornby’s continued insistence that she’s an exceptionally gifted comic seems like it would be strengthened by more showing than telling; the book suffers from a remarkable dearth of laughs.




Meanwhile, despite the length of the book, the heroine never seems to develop into more than a nice, jolly blonde. The titular funny girl seems neither funny nor particularly complex or three-dimensional. A surprise pregnancy results in her loss of a major role and the apparent fizzling of her career into something steady but unexciting. Her emotional response is not only insufficiently explored, but basically cut out of the story, which immediately jumps forward fifty years. Romances, career setbacks, success and failure are all faced with a preternatural aplomb more suited to an actual Barbie doll than a real woman, no matter how blonde and shapely.




The bland banality of Funny Girl hearkens back to another recent novel about film stardom. In 2012, Emma Straub’s much-anticipated debut novel, Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures, was published to general excitement. The book follows the career of a small-town girl who becomes a Hollywood star and ultimately fades from the spotlight. While Funny Girl profiles a driven, barrier-busting comic actress, a far cry from the quietly beautiful studio pawn in Laura Lamont, the books share more than general topic. They focus on actresses breaking into the film industry during times of booming innovation in entertainment, follow as the actresses’ initial fame dims and they find unexpected love with unconventionally attractive but kind entertainment industry men, and culminate with their now-elderly heroines reflecting on their long-distant days of glory.




The New York Times review of the book faintly praised Laura Lamont’s eloquent documentation of life behind the silver screen. And yet, reviewer Caryn James writes, “Laura Lamont feels rote, with the earnestness of a smart, dutiful student’s homework. It says nothing substantial or new about the dark underside of fame.” Despite the differences between the book -- Funny Girl doesn’t seem to reach for the deep insights about the gritty reality of fame that Laura Lamont strives for -- the criticism could also be applied easily to Hornby’s latest novel. The funny girl’s biography is earnestly, smoothly researched, constructed, and documented, but the character never comes to life, and Hornby doesn’t seem to have anything to say about what life she does have. Perhaps if he did, the novel would be not just pleasant, but as memorable as his earlier hits.




The Bottom Line:


A clean, pleasant, and utterly forgettable tale of a comedienne’s rise and fall in the industry.




What other reviewers think:


NPR: "Funny Girl showcases Hornby's charming light touch and his willingness to embrace emotions without the cloak of irony, even at the risk of sentimentality."




The Washington Post: "[A] book that invokes Barbra Streisand’s Academy Award-winning movie and Lucille Ball’s television reign probably should wind us up with at least one fit of eye-watering, gasping-for-breath, wet-ourselves laughter. Alas, Hornby is constantly asking us to take his word for it."




The Guardian: "The inescapably ephemeral nature of television, its reliance on both creating and capturing a momentary shared mood, is what this novel is about. But it never quite manages to translate that evanescent quality into another form, the novel."




Who wrote it?


Nick Hornby has written many novels and nonfiction books, including High Fidelity, Fever Pitch, and About a Boy, which were adapted into successful films. He’s also an accomplished essayist and screenwriter. He recently wrote the script for "Wild," the film adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s hit memoir.




Who will read it?


Fans of Nick Hornby, of course, but also readers who enjoy peeking behind the scenes of the entertainment industry and readers who love narratives about talented, rule-breaking women.




Opening lines:


“She didn’t want to be a beauty queen, but as luck would have it, she was about to become one.”




Notable passage:


“At which point Sophie walked in. She had Gaye Gambol’s WASP waist [sic], large bust, blonde hair, and big, fluttery eyelashes, and Tony and Bill burst out laughing.




Sophie and Clive ended up performing the script from beginning to end, mostly because Tony and Bill wanted to keep Sophie in the room. They loved her. She delivered her lines with an ease and a sense of timing that had been beyond the reach of every other actress they’d seen that week, and she even got a few laughs out of the script, much to Clive’s chagrin, although some of the laughs were derived from her decision to read Cicely in her Jean Metcalfe voice.”

Comedians Raise Funds For A Nancy Kerrigan-Tonya Harding 'Museum' In Their Hallway

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It’s not a campaign for potato salad, but this might be one of the more creative uses of Kickstarter we’ve seen yet.

After streaming ESPN’s “30 for 30” documentary spotlighting the 1994 Nancy Kerrigan-Tonya Harding Olympic figure skating scandal on Netflix, Brooklyn-based comedians Matt Harkins and Viviana Olen were apparently so inspired by the drama and intrigue of it all that they launched a Kickstarter campaign to convert a long hallway in their shared two-bedroom apartment into a “museum” dedicated to Kerrigan and Harding.

Just how serious are the two comedians about their endeavor? According to their Kickstarter bio, “very very serious." They echoed that sentiment to The Huffington Post, saying, "We are fully prepared to take this to the limit."

As of Wednesday, the two had surpassed their modest fundraising goal of $75, with almost double that donated to their endeavor. The campaign, which started Tuesday, will close on March 5.

nancy tonya kickstarter


According to the campaign, the funds will go toward “the enlargement of historical documents (Tonya and Nancy pix).” And if there is enough interest:
Matt and Viviana can begin acquiring artifacts, facilitate more public access, and curate grander exhibits. This includes people's crafting projects, wax figures, historical reenactments and other Tonya and Nancy related creations which can be deemed part of the cultural response to this event and therefore added to the museum's collection.


“They want to blow up pictures really big and hang them up in the hall,” the Kickstarter description reads. “Their favorite pictures are ones that have Nancy and Tonya together. Tonya is always looking at Nancy out of the corner of her eye."

In exchange, project-backers can enjoy a variety of perks, the page notes. Those who donate $1 will have their names written in a notebook under the title “Friend of the Museum,” while those who donate $100 will receive a 30-minute pass to the museum for two, two 8-ounce Diet Cokes and a guided tour.

Big-spender backers pledging $10,000 or more receive the “Olympic gold medal package,” including a weekend at the museum, guided tour, 24-pack of Diet Coke, high tea service for four, “permission to go through all of our things” and “a big party at a venue with cupcakes and a DJ following a TED talk about Tonya and Nancy given by the chief curators of the museum (Matt and Viviana).”

If the campaign is an even bigger hit, they say they’ll “quit their jobs for a year and dedicate themselves to the museum including more research and the possibility of a touring exhibition where they'll go to wherever Tonya lives and buy her a really nice dinner.”

In the past 24 hours, the comedians say they've gotten "more serious about letting more people inside."

"The first draft had a tour starting at $500, then all these people started talking about it and wanting to actually come. And we realized these aren't gonna be weird psychos; they're gonna be weirdos just like us! And who are we to make something cool and say people can't come?" the duo told HuffPost in a series of messages on Twitter. "But now that there's so much interest, the goal would be to get as much raised as possible to we could spend a year letting anyone who wanted come up! And have a big party!"

All that said, the pair said they haven't alerted their building super to their "museum" plans yet, so we'll have to see it to believe it.

The Precious Bond Between 2-Year-Old Libby And Her Pet Pig Named Pearl

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Two-year-old Libby and her 3-month-old pet pig Pearl have an undeniable bond, her mom Lindsey Bonnice told The Huffington Post. "Libby hangs out by her pen when she's not out and talks to her, and when she is out she always has to know where she is by calling 'Pearl Pearl where are you?' It's pretty much the cutest thing ever!"

The Pennsylvania mom and photographer documents her daughter's fun times with Pearl on Instagram, effectively creating one of the most adorable, pastel pink-filled accounts on the social media platform. From tea parties to pajama time, it really doesn't get much cuter than Libby and Pearl.

libby and pearl

Living in the same rural area where she grew up, Libby's mom Lindsey has always been "a huge animal lover" -- she nurtured baby lamb in high school and currently takes care of two rescued Babydoll sheep. When Lindsey and her husband Phil looked into adding another animal to their house, it wasn't hard to choose which kind they wanted to adopt.

"Libby has been obsessed with pigs for about six months now, always wanting to see pictures of them and watch videos on our phones," the mom said, adding, "So, after lots of research and hearing wonderful things about these sweet guys we decided that adding a pig to our family would be great."

While pigs have a pretty messy reputation, Lindsey says caring for Pearl is no more difficult than raising a puppy.

pearl and libby

For Lindsey, family is everything. After giving birth to a son named Noah in 2008, the mom decided she wanted to adopt her next child. In 2013, Lindsey, Phil, and Noah flew down to Florida to welcome baby Libby into the world and bring her home with them. "Adoption is tough, and very emotional, but also one of the most amazing things we've ever done!" the mom said.

Lindsey and Phil hope to adopt again someday and are in the process of starting a non-profit to raise awareness and funds for others looking to adopt. Through her Live Sweet photography and kids product business, the mom also donates a portion of profits to families who are adopting.

And when it comes to her Instagram, "I hope that Libby and Pearl will bring a smile or a chuckle and maybe lift someone's spirits! They both bring me so much joy and I'd like to share that with others!"

For more photos of the sweet duo and follow their adventures on Instagram.





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Picasso’s Granddaughter Plans to Sell Art, Worrying the Market

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MARSEILLE, France — Since Marina Picasso was a child, living on the edge of poverty and lingering at the gates of a French villa with her father to plead for an allowance from her grandfather, Pablo Picasso, she has struggled with the burden of that artist’s towering legacy.

When she was in her 20s and inherited the 19th-century villa, La Californie, as well as a vast trove of Picasso’s art treasures, she turned the paintings to face the walls in resentment. Through 15 years of therapy, she dissected bitter family memories of her grandfather’s perceived indifference and her brother’s suicide. In her 2001 memoir, “Picasso: My Grandfather,” she bared her pain and anger at the Picasso clan.
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