The 2005 AFI FEST gala screenings — James Mangold's Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon; Tommy Lee Jones' modern-day Western The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada; the Anthony Hopkins vehicle The World's Fastest Indian, directed and written by Roger Donaldson; and Lasse Hallström's Casanova, with Heath Ledger in the title role — seem considerably less interesting than most of the other promising fare scheduled for this year's AFI FEST presented by Audi. Those include:
Al otro lado / On the Other Side (Mexico). Written and directed by Gustavo Loza, Al otro lado / On the Other Side depicts the plight of three children — one Mexican, one Cuban, one Moroccan — who have been left behind by their respective emigrant fathers. Carmen Maura makes a welcome appearance in Mexico's official submission for this year's best foreign-language film Academy Award. (Sun. 6, 6:15pm; Mon. 7, 3:30pm)
Neil Jordan's Breakfast on Pluto (U.K.) stars Cillian Murphy as a transvestite growing up in the Ireland of the 1960s and 1970s, eventually moving to London where he becomes a cabaret singer. Also in the cast, Liam Neeson and Stephen Rea. (Sat. 12, 7:00pm)
Bunhongsin/ The Red Shoes (South Korea) is a new (and darker) take on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. Directed by Yong-gyun Kim, this horror-fantasy film stars Hye-su Kim and Seong-su Kim. (Wed. 9, 10pm; Fri. 11, 9:45pm)
Caché / Hidden (Austria / Italy / Germany / France) stars Juliette Binoche and Daniel Auteuil as a bourgeois French couple who have their complacent lives turned upside down when they start receiving in the mail strange, violent drawings accompanied by videotapes depicting their family life. Michael Haneke directs from his own screenplay.(Sat. 12, 10pm; Sun. 13, 2:30pm)
Marcelo Gomes' Cinema, Aspirina e Urubus / Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures (The Netherlands / Brazil), a comedy-drama set in 1942, revolves around the grudging friendship that develops between a German immigrant/war refugee (Peter Ketnath) and a Brazilian peasant (João Miguel) in Brazil's arid Northeast. (Thu. 10, 9:45pm; Sat. 12, 12:00pm)
Mrs. Henderson Presents (U.K.), directed by Stephen Frears and written by Martin Sherman, stars Judy Dench as Laura Henderson, a real-life pre-World War II London society lady who founded the landmark Windmill Theatre. Bob Hoskins co-stars. (Sat. 12, 7:15pm)
7 vírgenes / 7 Virgins (Spain) is Alberto Rodríguez's tale of a teenager who is given a 48-hour pass from a juvenile reform center so he can attend his brother's wedding. Star Juan José Ballesta won the best actor award at this year's San Sebastián International Film Festival. (Sun. 6, 9:30pm; Tue. 8, 4:15pm)
Sophie Scholl – Die letzten Tage / Sophie Scholl – The Final Days (Germany) won director Marc Rothemund and actress Julia Jentsch top prizes at this year's Berlin Film Festival. Sophie Scholl was a young German who, along with her brother, led an underground resistance movement against the Nazis. Fabian Hinrichs co-stars in
Germany's official submission for this year's best foreign-language film Academy Award.(Fri. 4, 7pm; Sat. 5, 3:15pm)
Transamerica (U.S.) tells the story of a Los Angeles transsexual (Felicity Huffman) who, right when she's about to become a de facto woman, receives a call notifying her of a young man who claims she's his father. Directed and written by Duncan Tucker. (Sun 6, 6:30pm)
Tsotsi (South Africa / U.K.) was directed and written by Gavin Hood, from the novel by Athol Fugard. A gang leader rediscovers his humanity while helping a young mother take care of her baby. Presley Chweneyagae stars in the title role. Tsotsi is South Africa's official submission for this year's best foreign-language film Academy Award. (Fri 4, 7:15pm; Sat. 5, 3:00pm)
The recently restored 1960 Elia Kazan social drama Wild River (U.S.) stars Montgomery Clift, Lee Remick, and 46-year-old Jo Van Fleet, playing an old woman who refuses to abandon her property despite pressure from the Tennessee Valley Authority. (Thu. 10, 4:00pm)
And there's much, much more. For more details, check out the 2005 AFI FEST film schedule.