The Magnificent Seven (2016)

western, action

With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue, the desperate townspeople employ protection from seven outlaws

Wiener-Dog (2016)

comedy, drama

A dachshund passes from oddball owner to oddball owner, whose radically dysfunctional lives are all impacted by the pooch

Maggie's Plan (2015)

comedy

Greta Gerwig portrays Maggie Hardin, a vibrant and practical thirty-something New Yorker working at the New School

For The Love Of Spock (2016)

documentary

This documentary will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of "Star Trek" through the life of Leonard Nimoy and his most famous role of Mr. Spock

The Meddler (2015)

comedy, drama

Even though her husband’s death changed her life forever, that hasn’t stopped eternal optimist Marnie Minervini from doing the best she can to be there for her grown daughter

Miles Ahead (2015)

drama, biography

In the midst of a prolific career, Miles Davis disappears from public view for a period of five years in the late 1970s

Donald Cried (2016)

comedy, drama

With sudden passing of his grandmother, Peter Latang returns to his hometown and encounters his long lost, childhood friend

The Hollars (2016)

comedy, drama

Aspiring NYC artist John Hollar returns to his middle America hometown on the eve of his mother's brain surgery

Green Room (2015)

thriller

A band straying into a secluded part of the Pacific Northwest stumbles onto a horrific act of violence

Imperium (2016)

drama, thriller

Idealistic FBI agent Nate Foster goes undercover to take down a radical white supremacy terrorist group

El Ganzo (2015)

drama, romance, thriller

Identity and self-discovery evolve in an epic journey through the majesty of a Mexico rarely seen

Certain Women (2016)

drama

Certain Women drops us into a handful of intersecting lives across Montana

Born to Be Blue (2015)

drama, biography

Born to be Blue starring Ethan Hawke is a re-imagining of jazz trumpeter Chet Baker's life in the 60's

Frank & Lola (2016)

drama, mystery

A psychosexual noir love story set in Las Vegas and Paris about love, obsession, sex, betrayal, revenge and ultimately the search for redemption

Indignation (2016)

drama

Set in 1951, the story follows Marcus Messner, the idealistic son of a humble kosher butcher from Newark

Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015)

comedy, drama, romance

After a lifetime of being overlooked and ignored, a woman of a certain age finds her world turned upside down

Christine (2016)

drama, biography

The story of 1970s TV reporter Christine Chubbuck who commited suicide live on the air

In a Valley of Violence (2016)

western, action

A mysterious stranger and a random act of violence drag a town of misfits and nitwits into the bloody crosshairs of revenge

David Lynch: The Art Life (2016)

documentary

David Lynch takes us on an intimate journey through the formative years of his life

American Pastoral (2016)

drama, thriller

In 1968, a hardworking man, who's been a staple in his quaint community for years, watches his seemingly perfect middle class life fall apart

American Film Festival
AMFEST 2016

Amfest is a yearly parade of all things fresh and original made across the pond, a festival celebrating independent and auteur cinema of America. The 2016 edition of the festival can easily pride itself on the diversity of the wide-ranging program. New films by auteur titans like Todd Solondz or Kelly Reichardt proudly stand alongside strong works of talented first-timers like Matthew Ross or Christopher Avedisian. A daringly jazzy improvisation of a biopic, paying tribute to the restless ground-breaking spirit of its main character with audacity of its own, sits nicely next to family-friendly stories of female protagonists bravely retaining a taste for eventful lives well into advancing age. An adaptation of a work by American literary titan, a tragic real-life story that shocked the nation and unorthodox auteur love story are also among the things offered by Amfest 2016.

Another thing of note that’s spontaneously found itself on offer this year is a mini-retrospective of recent work by actor Ethan Hawke, a veteran of both independent and mainstream American cinema. That among those works are a fictionalized biopic of a jazz heavyweight, a gleefully smart romantic comedy set among New York intellectual elite and a darkly funny and violent revisionist western by an up-and-coming horror auteur speaks to the true range of both the actor and the strong cinematographic culture he and the festival both represent. A great meeting point between independent and mainstream cinema of America could be found in another film featuring Hawke, a new remake of the legendary western The Magnificent Seven. An Antoine Fuqua directed picture was chosen as the opening film of the festival; Russian Amfest audience will be the first to enjoy the film after its international premieres on high-profile festivals in Toronto and Venice.