Festivals - FCAD 2024: A Competition Under the Sign of Emotion and Reflection

By Mulder, 09 august 2024

On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Deauville American Film Festival, the competition promises an edition rich in emotion and questioning. True to its commitment to promoting American independent cinema, the festival has selected fourteen feature-length films for this year's edition, including eight premieres. These works, marked by the upheavals of our times, tackle a variety of themes, but all converge on a central question: what is the legacy we are leaving to future generations?

Among the films in competition, Vincent Grashaw's Bang Bang tells the story of Bernard Bang Bang Rozyski, a retired boxer who decides to train his grandson, raising questions about his true motivations. David Fortune presents Color Book, a touching exploration of grief and parenthood through the journey of a father raising his Down's syndrome son alone.

Christie Hall's Daddio stands out for its intimate staging, where a simple conversation between a woman and a cab driver at JFK opens up a reflection on human relationships. Titus Kaphar's Exhibiting Forgiveness delves into the complexities of family relationships and the quest for redemption through art, while Ryan J. Sloan's Gazer explores the intricacies of time perception through the character of Frankie, a woman suffering from dyschronometry.

Themes of addiction and reconciliation with the past are also at the heart of Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio's In the Summers, which depicts the summer reunion of two sisters with their father. In La Cocina, Alonso Ruizpalacios plunges us into the chaos of a New York kitchen, where tensions rise as money disappears from the till.

The Civil War and the moral dilemmas of soldiers are addressed in Roberto Minervini's The Damned, while Tyler Taormina's Christmas at Miller's Point invites us to an Italian-American family reunion where tensions boil over on Christmas Eve.

In a more social register, Greg Kwedar's Sing Sing plunges us into the prison world and the redemptive possibilities offered by the dramatic arts. Nnamdi Asomugha's The Knife explores the boundaries of morality through a plot that blends mystery and family tensions.

The dystopian future depicted by Todd Wiseman Jr. in The School Duel highlights the tragic consequences of the proliferation of weapons in schools. Brandt Andersen's The Strangers' Case explores the repercussions of a Syrian family drama across several countries, weaving a complex web of human relationships.

Finally, Minhal Baig's We Grown Now takes us back to 1992 Chicago, where two young boys navigate between the innocence of childhood and the harsh realities of their environment, a poignant story of friendship and resilience.

This varied and poignant selection reaffirms the importance of the Deauville American Film Festival as a place to reflect on contemporary issues through the prism of independent cinema. The films in competition not only revisit the past, they also question the future, highlighting the values and legacies we pass on to future generations.

The list of films in competition : 

Bang Bang
Directed by Vincent Grashaw
Produced by Ran Namerode, Angelia Adzic, Cole Payne, Vincent Grashaw & Will Janowitz
Written by Will Janowitz
Starring  Tim Blake Nelson, Glenn Plummer, Kevin Corrigan, Nina Arianda, Andrew Liner, Erica Gimpel, Daniella Pineda
Music: James Wakefield, Henry Nelson & Will Curry
Director of photography: Pat Aldinger
Editing: Vincent Grashaw
Production companies: Randomix Productions, Traverse Media, Bad Grey, CinemaWerks, MooseBoy, Red Barn Fil
Distributed by : NC
Release date: NC
Running time: 104 minutes
Synopsis: Retired boxer Bernard Bang Bang Rozyski decides to train his grandson after reconnecting with him. As this new activity takes him out of the hole he lives in, everyone questions his true motives, including a former girlfriend who witnessed Bang Bang's meteoric rise in the 80s and his rivalry with boxer Darnell Washington. Does Bang Bang just want to pass on his rage, or has he become altruistic?

Color book 

Directed by David Fortune
Produced by Kiah Clingman, Kristen Uno, Autumn Bailey-Ford & David Fortune
Written by David Fortune
Starring Will Catlett, Jeremiah Daniels, Brandee Evans, Terri J. Vaughn, Njema Williams, Kia Shine Coleman, Joseph Curtis Callender
Music: Dabney Morris
Director of photography: Nikolaus Summerer
Editing: Oriana Soddu
Production companies: Color Book LLC.
Distributed by : NC
Release date: NC
Running time : 98 minutes
 Synopsis: After the death of his wife, a devoted father learns to raise his Down's syndrome son alone. While adjusting to their new life, they embark on a journey through the city of Atlanta to attend their first baseball game.

Daddio
 https://youtu.be/PJrr2amlFyc
Written and directed by Christie Hall
Produced by Ro Donnelly, Terry Dougas, Christy Hall, Dakota Johnson, Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis, Emma Tillinger Koskoff
Starring Dakota Johnson, Sean Penn, Marcos A. Gonzalez, Zola Lloyd, Shannon Gannon
Music: Dickon Hinchliffe          
Director of photography: Phedon Papamichael
Editing: Lisa Zeno Churgin       
Production companies: Hercules Film Fund, TeaTime Pictures, Raindrop Valley, Projected Picture Works, Rhea Films
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics (USA)
Release date: June 28, 2024 (U.S.)
Running time: 100 minutes
Synopsis: A woman taking a cab at JFK strikes up a conversation with the cab driver about the important relationships in their lives.

Exhibiting forgiveness
Directed by Titus Kaphar
Produced by Stephanie Allain, Derek Cianfrance, Jamie Patricof, Titus Kaphar & Sean Cotton
Written by Titus Kaphar
Starring  André Holland, John Earl Jelks, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Andra Day
Music: Jherek Bischoff
Director of photography: Lachlan Milne
Editing: Ron Patane
Production companies: Homegrown Pictures, Shade Pictures, Hunting Lane Films
Distributed by Roadside Attractions (USA)
Release date: October 18, 2024 (U.S.)
Running time: 112 minutes
Synopsis: A black artist who liberates himself from his past through his paintings finds his rise to success thwarted after an impromptu visit from his father, a former drug addict desperate to reconcile with his son. They struggle together and learn that it's harder to forget than to forgive.

Gazer

Directed by Ryan J. Sloan
Produced by Ryan J. Sloan & Ariella Mastroianni
Written by Ryan J. Sloan & Ariella Mastroianni
Starring Ariella Mastroianni, Marcia Debonis, Renee Gagner, Jack Alberts, Tommy Kang
Music: Steve Matthew Carter
Director of photography: Matheus Bastos
Editing: Ryan J. Sloan & Jordan Toussaint
Production companies: Telstar Films
Distributed by : NC
Release date: NC
Running time: 114 minutes
Synopsis: Frankie suffers from dyschronometry, a degenerative disease that prevents her from perceiving time correctly. Prone to paranoia and frequent blackouts, she records messages on cassette tapes to keep track of herself and ensure her safety. Unable to find steady work in her condition, and in search of money to regain custody of her young daughter, she accepts a mission proposed by a woman with murky intentions...

In the summers 

Directed by Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio
Produced by Alexander Dinelaris, Rob Quadrino, Fernando Rodriguez-Vila, Jan Suter, Daniel Tantalean, Janek Ambros, Lynette Coll, Sergio Alberto Lira, Cristóbal Güell, Cynthia Fernandez De La Cruz, Slava Vladimirov & Stephanie Yankwitt
Written by Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio
Starring  René Pérez Joglar, Sasha Calle, Lío Mehiel, Leslie Grace, Emma Ramos
Music: Eduardo Cabra
Director of photography: Alejandro Mejía
Editing: Adam Dicterow
Production company: Lexicon
Distributed by Music Box Films (USA)
Release date: NC
Running time: 95 minutes
Synopsis: Violeta and Eva visit their loving, reckless father Vicente every summer. He creates a wonderful world, but behind the playful facade, struggles with the addiction that is gradually eroding the magic. Vicente tries to repair the mistakes of the past, but the wounds are not easy to heal...

La cocina 

Directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios
Produced by Ramiro Ruiz, Gerardo Gatica, Alonso Ruizpalacios, Lauren Mann & Ivan Orlic
Written by Alonso Ruizpalacios
Starring  Raúl Briones, Rooney Mara, Anna Díaz, Motell Foste, Oded Fehr, James Waterson, Lee Sellars
Music: Tomás Barreiro
Director of photography: Juan Pablo Ramírez
Editing: Yibran Asuad
Production companies :
Distributed by Originals Factory
Release date: NC
Running time: 139 minutes
Synopsis: It's rush hour in the kitchen of the Grill, a bustling Manhattan restaurant. When money disappears from the cash register, service gets out of hand. Pedro, a dreamy, rebellious cook, tries to prove his love to Julia, while Estella, a new recruit just arrived from Mexico, must navigate the chaos.

The Damned

Written and directed by Roberto Minervini
Produced by Paolo Benzi, Denise Ping Lee, Roberto Minervini & Paolo Del Brocco
Starring Jeremiah Knupp, René W. Solomon, Cuyler Ballenger, Noah Carlson, Judah Carlson, Tim Carlson, Bill Gehring
Music: Carlos Alfonso Corral
Director of photography: Carlos Alfonso Corral
Editing: Marie-Hélène Dozo
Production companies: Okta Film, Pupa Film, Michigan Films, Rai Cinema, BeTV, Moonduckling Films
Distributed by Les Films du Losange (France)
Release date: NC
Running time: 89 minutes
Synopsis: Winter of 1862. During the American Civil War, the U.S. Army sends a company of volunteers west to patrol uncharted territory. As their mission changes course, they question the meaning of their commitment.

Christmas Eve in Miller's Point
Directed by Tyler Taormina
Produced by Michael Cera, Krista Minto, Tyler Taormina, David Croley Broyles, Duncan Sullivan
Written by Tyler Taormina & Eric Berger
Starring  Matilda Fleming, Michael Cera, Francesca Scorsese, Gregg Turkington, Elsie Fisher, Sawyer Spielberg, Maria Dizzia
Music: Sebastien Pan
Director of photography : Carson Lund
Editing: Kevin Anton
Production companies: Omnes Films, Crypto Castle Productions, Puente Films
Distributed by Paname Distribution
Release date: November 15, 2024 (U.S.)
Running time: 106 minutes
Synopsis: A New Year's Eve party brings together the members of a middle-class Italian-American family. As the night wears on and tensions flare, one of the teenage girls sneaks off with her boyfriend to conquer the wintry suburbs.

Sing sing

Directed by Greg Kwedar
Produced by Monique Walton, Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar
Written by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar
Story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John Divine G Whitfield
Based on The Sing Sing Follies by John H. Richardson, Breakin' The Mummy's Code by Brent Buell
Starring  Colman Domingo, Clarence Maclin, Sean San José, Paul Raci
Music: Bryce Dessner
Director of photography: Pat Scola
Editing: Parker Laramie
Production companies: Black Bear Pictures, Marfa Peach Company, Edith Productions
Distributed by A24 (USA)
Release date: July 12 (U.S.)
Running time: 105 minutes
Synopsis: Divine G, imprisoned in Sing Sing for a crime he didn't commit, finds purpose by performing in a theater troupe with other incarcerated men in this story of resilience, humanity and the transformative power of art.

The knife

Directed by Nnamdi Asomugha
Produced by Nnamdi Asomugha, Jonathan T. Baker & Ami Werge
Written by Mark Duplass & Nnamdi Asomugha
Starring Nnamdi Asomugha, Melissa Leo, Aja Naomi King, Manny Jacinto, Amari Price, Aiden Price, Lucinda Jenney
Music: Kyle Townsend
Director of photography: Alejandro Mejía
Editing: Dana Congdon
Production companies: Iam21 Entertainment
Distributed by : NC
Release date: NC
Running time: 82 minutes
Synopsis: Chris, a construction worker, is willing to do whatever it takes to provide a stable life for his family, but his plans are shattered when a mysterious woman bursts into their new home late at night. When the police arrive, the intruder lies unconscious on the kitchen floor with a knife in her hand, and it's up to the steadfast Inspector Carlsen to find out the truth.

The school duel

Written and directed by Todd Wiseman Jr.
Produced by Christa Boarini, Bryan Gaynor, Bobby Marinelli & Todd Wiseman Jr.
Starring  Kue Kellyn Lawrence, Christina Brucato, Oscar Nuñez, Clayton Royal Johnson, Eugenie Bondurant, Thomas Phillip O'Neill, Jim Kaplan, Kelsey Darragh
Music: Treevor Gureckis
Director of photography: Kyle Dietz
Editing: Bryan Gaynor
Production companies: NC
Distributed by NC
Release date: NC
Running time: 90 minutes
Synopsis: In the near future, the independent state of Florida has abolished gun control, and school shootings are at an all-time high. Sammy, a skinned 13-year-old in search of unhealthy notoriety, decides to enter a deadly competition called The School Duel.

The strangers' case

Written and directed by Brandt Andersen
Produced by Brandt Andersen, Ossama Bawardi, Ryan Busse & Charlie Endean
Starring Yasmine Al Massri, Yahya Mahayni, Omar Sy, Ziad Bakri, Constantine Markoulakis, Jason Beghe
Music: Nick Chuba
Director of photography: Jonathan Sela
Editing: Jeff Seibeneck
Production companies: The Reel Foundation, Karma Film Prod, Philistine Films, SPACE + ART Entertainment
Distributed by : NC
Release date: NC
Running time: 97 minutes
Synopsis: Tragedy strikes a Syrian family in Aleppo, setting off a chain reaction of events in four different countries involving people who are related to each other, including a doctor and her daughter, a soldier, a smuggler, a poet and a coastguard captain.

We grown now 

Written and directed by Minhal Baig
Produced by Joe Pirro & Minhal Baig
Starring Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Lil Rei Howery, Jurnee Smollett
Music: Jay Wadley
Director of photography: Pat Scola
Editing: Stephanie Filo
Production companies: Participant, Symbolic Exchange, Stage 6 Films
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, Stage 6 Films (USA)
Release date: April 19, 2024 (U.S.)
Running time: 93 minutes
Synopsis: Chicago, 1992. Malik and Eric, 9 years old, are two inseparable friends. Curious and imaginative, they roam the city to escape the banality of their school life and the difficulties of growing up in public housing. But at an age when they're just learning to cope with life, their unbreakable bond is called into question when tragedy strikes their community.

(Source : press release)