The Incident

Jane Linfoot : 2015

A successful young couple see their comfortable lives disrupted and their relationship unravel when they each make a decision to ignore the plight of a troubled teenage girl. Lily enters the lives of Annabel and Joe a stranger, setting off a chain of events that challenges them to dig beneath the surface and examine who they really are, but when she leaves Lily is inextricably linked to Annabel, Joe and their unborn child. A tense and emotionally haunting psychological drama that brings together characters from opposing social backgrounds and explores the shattering consequences when their worlds collide. Jane Linfoot's feature debut premiered in competition at Edinburgh International Film Festival 2015.

Lumea e a mea

Nicolae Constantin Tănase : 2015
The World is Mine

Larisa is 16 and lives in a city by the Black Sea. It's a small city, where gossip and news spread fast. It's a city where your image and influence, "manelele", money and power are all that matters. And Larisa, wants it all. And even if she doesn't have it, she fights for it. Larisa believes in herself. She knows that she deserves better. She is convinced that it's worth doing everything it takes to fulfil her dreams. And for her courage and recklessness – we love her. Once she's up there, riding the wave, living her dreams of money, lover, friends, notoriousness – Larisa loses her world. She grows up. Nicolae Constantin Tănase's feature debut was winner of the Best First Feature Award when it premiered at Transilvania International Film Festival 2015, and received the East of the West Special Jury Mention at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2015.

One & Two

Andrew Droz Palermo : 2015

Brother and sister Zak and Eva live with their parents in a strange world. The family runs their small farm using methods that are over 150 years old. They work without machines, tractors or electricity. Hay is turned with a pitchfork, laundry washed on a washboard and their waggon is drawn by horses. The siblings endure their father's strict regime by exploring their mysterious abilities under the cover of night-time. But when their mother falls gravely ill, it sets in motion a series of events and deep-seated conflicts that will reveal dark family secrets and stretch the pair's bonds to the limit. Andrew Droz Palermo's narrative feature debut premiered in the Generation section at Berlin International Film Festival 2015, and had its UK premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival 2015.

Iona

Scott Graham : 2015

Named after her birthplace, Iona returns to the island with her teenage son to seek refuge from a violent crime in Glasgow. Iona's return exposes her tormented son, Bull, to a way of life she rejected when she left the island as a teenager, and sends a shockwave through the family she left behind. Part coming-of-age story and part returning-home drama, the film weaves a tale that takes in family traumas, religion, domestic violence and pastoral glory, set against the stunning backdrop of the Inner Hebrides island of Iona. Scott Graham's second feature premiered at Edinburgh International Film Festival 2015.

16 Years till Summer

Lou McLoughlan : 2015

When Uisdean returns home to nurse his dying father, he brings a dangerous mix of troubled past and big ambition into the lives of those that love him. After spending 16 years in prison, he attempts to re-build a normal life in his home village. Set in a remote, church-going village in the Scottish Highlands, the film explores themes of redemption, but the main focus is on the trusting relationships Uisdean builds with his father and girlfriend; both of whom are inspired by the 'new start' he promises to share with them. But is Uisdean able to change his destructive ways? Lou McLoughlan's feature documentary premiered in competition in the Regard Neuf section at Visions du Réel 2015, and had its UK premiere at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2015.

Mu-roe-han

Oh Seung-uk : 2015
The Shameless

Homicide detective Jung Jae-gon is chasing after a suspect of a murder case. He knew his suspect would get in touch with his lover Kim Hye-kyung, who is a madam at a third-rate bar. Jung goes undercover as the suspect's former cellmate and becomes the floor manager at the bar where Hye-kyung works, and watches her every move. But as Jung spends more time with her, he feels a strange sense of guilt and his resolve to catch the suspect is shaken. Having dedicated his life to police work, Jung doesn't understand the feeling he feels towards Hye-kyung. On the other hand, Hye-kyung waits tirelessly for her lover to come back to her, but she begins to open up to Jung, who is always by her side. Oh Seung-uk's feature premiered in competition in the Un Certain Regard section at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Nahid

Ida Panahandeh : 2015

Nahid, a young divorcee living with her son in a small northern city of Iran, wants to marry the man she has fallen in love with. According to the current rules, the father has the custody of children; however, her ex-husband has granted her that right on the condition that she doesn't remarry. Struggling to keep both of her beloved ones, Nahid has to think about the third option: Temporary Marriage (Sighe). However, this will get her into a predicament, as despite its being legal, Sighe is not well-received by the society at all. Would temporary marriage be a good solution for her? Ida Panahandeh's feature debut was co-winner of the Prix de l'Avenir when it premiered in competition in the Un Certain Regard section at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Shan he gu ren

Jia Zhangke : 2015
Mountains May Depart

China, in late 1999. Tao, a young girl of Fenyang, and the town beauty, is courted by two childhood friends, Zhang and Liangzi. Zhang, the owner of a service station, is destined for a bright future, while Liang is working in a coal mine. Her heart torn between the two men, Tao will have to make a choice that will seal the rest of her life and that of her future son, Dollar. From China to Australia, spanning a quarter of a century, the story follows the lives, loves, hopes and disillusions of a family over two generations in a society changing at breakneck speed. Jia Zhangke's feature premiered in competition at Festival de Cannes 2015.

O Piseu

Hong Won-chan : 2015
Office

An exemplary office worker and head of his family Kim Byung-guk murdered his entire family without any provocation and disappeared into thin air. Homicide detective Jong-hoon immediately begins his investigation at Kim's office but all of Kim's colleagues seem to be hiding something. He realises that Kim and an intern named Mirae were close and suspects something out of the ordinary. During his investigation, Jong-hoon obtains CCTV footage of Kim entering the office parking lot immediately following the murder of his family but he was never seen exiting. Meanwhile, Kim's colleagues are all on the edge, fearing that Kim may come after them for various reasons. Hong Won-chan's feature debut premiered, out of competition, in the Séances de minuit at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Madonna

Shin Su-won : 2015

Hye-rim, a 35-year-old woman, finds a job at a hospital as a caregiver assigned to a quadriplegic VIP patient who practically owns the hospital. For the past 10 years, the patient's son Sang-woo has been desperately keeping him alive for money, ordering the doctors to perform several heart transplants despite recurrent heart failures. In need of another one, Sang-woo takes a brain dead unidentified woman as a donor and asks Hye-rim to look into her background. She discovers that the woman was once a prostitute known as 'Madonna' who has experienced a lifetime of abuse, and that she is pregnant. In an attempt to save Madonna's unborn child, Hye-rim goes against Sang-woo's orders and searches for the baby's father. Shin Su-won's third feature premiered in competition in the Un Certain Regard section at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Masaan

Neeraj Ghaywan : 2015
Fly Away Solo

Benares, the holy city on the banks of the Ganges, reserves a cruel punishment for those who play with moral traditions. Deepak, a young man from a poor neighbourhood, falls hopelessly in love with a young girl from a different caste. Devi, a young student who's gone off the rails, is tortured by feelings of guilt following the disappearance of her first lover. Devi's father Pathak, a victim of police corruption, has lost his moral compass because of money, while a young boy, Jhonta, is in search of a family. These characters are all seeking a better future, whilst buffeted between the demands of modern life and an attachment to tradition. And their paths are about to cross. Neeraj Ghaywan's feature debut was winner of the FIPRESCI Prize and co-winner of the Prix de l'Avenir when it premiered in competition in the Un Certain Regard section at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Je suis un soldat

Laurent Larivière : 2015
I am a Soldier

Sandrine, 30 years old, is forced to return home in Roubaix to live with her mother. Unable to work out what she really wants, she is constantly subjected to the will of others. She is unemployed and accepts a job with her uncle in a kennel, which turns out to be a hub for dog trafficking from Eastern Europe. Sandrine rapidly acquires authority and respect in this world dominated by men, and earns the money that could provide her with her freedom. But sometimes even good soldiers stop taking orders. A film about the search for one's identity and of the role we can play in the world. Laurent Larivière's feature debut premiered in competition in the Un Certain Regard section at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Rak ti Khon Kaen

Apichatpong Weerasethakul : 2015
Cemetery of Splendour

Soldiers with a mysterious sleeping sickness are transferred to a temporary clinic in a former school. The memory-filled space becomes a revelatory world for housewife and volunteer Jenjira, as she watches over Itt, a handsome soldier with no family visitors. Jen befriends young medium Keng who uses her psychic powers to help loved ones communicate with the comatose men. Doctors explore ways, including coloured light therapy, to ease the men's troubled dreams. Jen discovers Itt's cryptic notebook of strange writings and blueprint sketches. There may be a connection between the soldiers' enigmatic syndrome and the mythic ancient site that lies beneath the clinic. Magic, healing, romance and dreams are all part of Jen's tender path to a deeper awareness of herself and the world around her. Apichatpong Weerasethakul's feature premiered in competition in the Un Certain Regard section at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Umimachi Diary

Kore-eda Hirokazu : 2015
Our Little Sister

Three sisters, Sachi, Yoshino and Chika, live together in an old large house in the city of Kamakura. When their father – absent from the family home for the last 15 years – dies, they travel to the countryside for his funeral. There, they discover the existence of Suzu, a shy 13-year-old half-sister. Bonding quickly with the orphaned Suzu, they invite her to live with them. Suzu eagerly agrees, and a new life of joyful discovery begins for the four siblings. Based on the original graphic novel by Akimi Yoshida, the film chronicles four seasons of the sisters in their beautiful seaside home near Tokyo. By portraying the ripples of life with all the rituals and traditions of the family, the director lets the audience witness the quiet, yet turbulent, emotional turmoil of these sisters who learn to embrace the world and themselves. Kore-eda Hirokazu's feature premiered in competition at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Dheepan

Jacques Audiard : 2015

Dheepan is a Tamil freedom fighter, a Tiger. In Sri Lanka, the civil war is reaching its end, and defeat is near. Dheepan decides to flee, taking with him two strangers – a woman and a little girl – hoping that they will make it easier for him to claim asylum in Europe, even though they barely know one another. Arriving in Paris, posing as a family, they move from one temporary home to another until Dheepan finds work as the caretaker of a run-down housing project in the suburbs. He works to build a new life and a real home for his 'wife' and his 'daughter', but the daily violence he confronts quickly reopens his war wounds, and Dheepan is forced to reconnect with his warrior's instincts to protect the people he hopes will become his true family. Jacques Audiard's feature was winner of the Palme d'Or when it premiered in competition at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Un etaj mai jos

Radu Muntean : 2015
One Floor Below

Whilst Sandu Patrascu is focused on his small car hire business, his dog and his diet, this rather ordinary man's life is turned upside down by an event which takes place in the building where he lives with his wife and young son Matei. One day he overhears a stormy row between two of his neighbours, a woman and a man, from the flat below. A few hours later, the woman is dead and the police are on the scene. Was it an accident? Has a crime been committed? No one knows and Sandu keeps quiet about what he witnessed. His silence slowly but surely works away at him, just like he works away at the neighbour he suspects. A tense relationship, characterised by not breathing a word, is forged between the two men, troubling Sandu even more deeply. Radu Muntean's slow-burning psychodrama premiered in competition in the Un Certain Regard section at Festival de Cannes 2015.

An

Naomi Kawase : 2015
Sweet Red Bean Paste

Sentaro runs a small bakery that serves dorayakis – pastries filled with sweet red bean paste, "an". When an old lady, Tokue, offers to help in the kitchen he reluctantly accepts. But Tokue proves to have magic in her hands when it comes to making "an". Thanks to her secret recipe, the little business soon flourishes. And with time, Sentaro and Tokue will open their hearts to reveal old wounds. An adaption of the original novel by Tetsuya Akikawa, the film evokes the regrets of a lifetime, the self-destruction that goes hand in hand with despair, the distress of feeling useless in the world – but despite that, or because of it, placing so much hope in the future. Naomi Kawase's feature premiered in competition in the Un Certain Regard section at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Nadeshda

Anna Frances Ewert & Falk Müller : 2014

The Bulgarian city of Sliven has 95,000 inhabitants. Over a quarter of them are Romani. Most of them live in a ghetto called Nadeshda situated on the edge of the city. Nadeshda is one of Bulgaria's biggest Roma ghettos, a closed town within a town. The place has its own particular rules and problems and there are few chances to escape. The children Misho, Zorka and Tsveti appear to have little chance of breaking the cycle of prejudice, stigma and discrimination. Yet they dream of becoming professional classical musicians, far from the ghetto's walls and its confining traditions. This will be no easy task, especially for the girls. The children and their parents will need to overcome the suspicions of their own community as well as the hostility of the outside world. Anna Frances Ewert and Falk Müller's film was winner of the Best Documentary Award of the International Student Competition at Montréal World Film Festival 2014, and screened at International Documentary Film Festival Munich 2015.

Mon roi

Maïwenn : 2015

Tony has just been admitted to a rehabilitation centre in the south-west after a major knee injury, resulting from a serious ski accident. It will take time to learn to walk, time to regain her balance. Dependent on the medical staff and pain relievers, she looks back on a turbulent relationship that she experienced with Georgio. Why did they love each other? Who is this man that she loved so deeply? How did she allow herself to submit to this suffocating and destructive passion? For Tony, a difficult process of healing is in front of her, physical work which may finally set her free. Maïwenn's feature premiered in competition at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Amnesia

Barbet Schroeder : 2015

Ibiza, the early nineties. Jo is a twenty-five-year-old music composer. He has come over from Berlin and wants to be part of the nascent electronic music revolution, ideally by getting a job first as a DJ in the new nightclub on the island, Amnesia. Martha has been living alone in her house facing the sea for forty years. One night Jo knocks on her door. Her solitude intrigues him. They become friends even as the mysteries around her accumulate: that cello in the corner she refuses to play, the German language she refuses to speak. As Jo draws her into his world of techno music, Martha puts everything she had previously lived by into question. Barbet Schroeder's feature premiered in the Séances Spéciales at Festival de Cannes 2015.

A Tale of Love and Darkness

Natalie Portman : 2015
Sipur al Ahava ve Choshech

A drama based on the memoir of Amos Oz, writer, journalist and advocate of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The story of Oz's youth at the end of the British Mandate for Palestine and the early years of the State of Israel. The film details the young Amos's relationship with his mother and his birth as a writer, looking at what happens when the stories we tell, become the stories we live. Natalie Portman's directorial debut premiered in competition in the Séances Spéciales at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Crache coeur

Julia Kowalski : 2015
Raging Rose

Józef, a Polish man in his fifties, arrives in France not only to work in construction, but also to find his son Roman whom he had abandoned fifteen years earlier. The construction foreman's daughter, Rose, a teenager in the tumult of sexual awakening, recognises Roman as the most popular boy at her school and offers to help Józef in his search. But this lost adolescent ends up falling hopelessly in love with Roman, and uses the information about the lost son for her own quest. Their encounter will have an unexpected impact on both their teenage lives. A film about searching for one's family and place in the world, about coming of age and about the strong, often ambiguous and bittersweet emotions that accompany this transition. Julia Kowalski's feature debut premiered at L'ACID au Festival de Cannes 2015.

Panama

Pavle Vučković : 2015

Jovan is a young man who is, among other girls, dating Maja, a seemingly ordinary young woman. He treats her casually, with no strings attached. Slowly, her mysterious and shady behaviour intrigues him. Following videos and clues over the social networks, he finds indications of Maja's parallel life. Whilst confused about why he feels bothered by it, Jovan becomes insecure about Maja's feelings, hurting her in order to bring her true emotions to the surface. As the video clips gradually merge with reality, Jovan loses himself, desperately trying to understand who Maja really is. A thriller depicting coming of age through a destructive love affair, it is a labyrinth of the emotional and subconscious levels of this kind of relationship. Pavle Vučković's feature debut premiered in competition in the Séances Spéciales at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Alias María

José Luis Rugeles Gracia : 2015

María, a 13-year-old guerrilla fighter, has to accomplish a mission with three other child soldiers: to bring their commander's newborn baby to safety in a neighbouring town. But nobody knows the secret she is hiding: María is pregnant, and having a child is forbidden in the guerrilla. During the mission her secret is revealed and she runs away to avoid being forced to abort. Through María's eyes we experience the devastating results of Colombia's armed conflict: towns ravaged by massacres, peasants trapped in the cross-fire, parents who have lost their children, and kids trying to grow up normally amid the carnage. Thanks to a new instinct born inside her, María will find the strength to look for a new life. José Luis Rugeles Gracia's second feature premiered in competition in the Un Certain Regard section at Festival de Cannes 2015.

The Paradise Suite

Joost van Ginkel : 2015

A mosaic drama with five storylines about a variety of colourful characters that have moved, voluntarily or involuntarily, to Amsterdam in pursuit of a better future. The lives that they are leading now are not what they hoped for, but instead of settling for the situation, they choose to change it. Each individual's decision has a strong impact on the life of another, which then influences the next character and so on. By confronting their dark past and insisting on their humanity within, they make the choice to fight for their dreams and for the ones they love. Joost van Ginkel's second feature is an intense and energetic exhibition of human strength and the appreciation of life.

Fatima

Philippe Faucon : 2015

Fatima lives alone with her two daughters, Souad, 15, a rebellious teenager, and Nesrine, 18, who is starting medical school. Fatima doesn't speak French well, a great frustration to her in her daily relations with her daughters. At the same time, her girls are her motivation and her pride as well as a source of worry to her. In order to give them the best possible future, Fatima works irregular hours as a house cleaner. One day, she falls down a flight of stairs. Whilst she is off work, Fatima starts writing to her daughters in Arabic, telling them everything she hasn't been able to express in French. Philippe Faucon's feature premiered at the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Mustang

Deniz Gamze Ergüven : 2015

Early summer. In a village in northern Turkey, Lale and her four sisters are walking home from school, playing innocently with some boys. The immorality of their play sets off a scandal that has unexpected consequences. The family home is progressively transformed into a prison, instruction in homemaking replaces school and marriages start being arranged. The five sisters who share a common passion for freedom, find ways of getting around the constraints imposed on them. Deniz Gamze Ergüven's feature debut was winner of the Europa Cinemas Label Prize when it premiered at the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Efterskalv

Magnus von Horn : 2015
The Here After

When John returns home to his father after serving time in prison, he is looking forward to starting his life afresh. However, in the local community, his crime is neither forgotten nor forgiven. John's presence brings out the worst in everyone around him and a lynch-mob atmosphere slowly takes shape. Feeling abandoned by his former friends and the people he loves, John loses hope and the same aggressions that previously sent him to prison start building up again. Unable to leave the past behind, he decides to confront it. Magnus von Horn's feature debut premiered at the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Peace to Us in Our Dreams

Šarūnas Bartas : 2015

One summer day, a man, his new girlfriend and his daughter arrive at their countryside house to spend a weekend. After the death of her mother, the sixteen-year-old daughter lives with her father, whose attention she lacks and she feels lonely and estranged. He is tired of his daily routine at work and does not know how to find strength to carry on living. His girlfriend, a violinist, does not feel any joy of life, as she is confused in her priorities – music, love and career. Despite the fact they love each other, their relationship is tensed and is on the brink of collapse. The daughter meets up with a boy, a friend from childhood. They go for walks, swim in the lake, talk. One day, the boy steals an optical sight rifle from the local hunters. A big chase commences in the countryside and the troubles and the drama really begin. Šarūnas Bartas's feature premiered at the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Alles wird gut

Patrick Vollrath : 2015
Everything will be okay

A divorced father picks up his eight-year-old daughter Lea. It seems pretty much like every second weekend, but after a while Lea can't help feeling that something isn't right. So begins a fateful journey, leading to an inevitable catastrophe. Patrick Vollrath's short had its international premiere in competition at the Semaine de la Critique at Festival de Cannes 2015.

La tierra y la sombra

César Augusto Acevedo : 2015
Land and Shade

Alfonso comes back to his home after 17 years of absence because of the serious sickness his son is suffering. When he arrives he discovers that everything he once knew is no longer there, as the single crop planting of sugar cane took over all the farms of the region. The only thing that is almost as intact as his memory of it is his home. Alfonso must face that he returns much like a stranger, as his family long before stopped waiting for his return. César Augusto Acevedo's feature debut was winner of the Caméra d'Or, as well as the Visionary Award and the SACD Prize when it premiered in competition at the Semaine de la Critique at Festival de Cannes 2015.