Memoirs of a Geisha
Special thanks to Pamela Levy & Rick Crandall
USA, 138 min.
Rob Marshall directs.
Ziyi Zhang, Ken Wantanabe star.

Based on Arthur Golden's internationally acclaimed novel, Memoirs of a Geisha is an intimate epic set in a mysterious and exotic world that still casts a potent spell today. Spanning almost two decades, the story begins in the years before WWII when a penniless Japanese child is torn from her family to work as a maid in a geisha house. Despite a treacherous rival who nearly breaks her spirit, the girl blossoms into the legendary geisha Sayuri, played by Ziyi Zhang (House of Flying Daggers). Beautiful and accomplished, Sayuri captivates the most powerful men of her day, but is haunted by her secret love for the one man who is out of her reach (Ken Wantanabe). Directed by Academy Award® nominee Rob Marshall (Chicago), this eagerly anticipated screen adaptation is well worth the wait. (USA, 138 min. PG-13. Print courtesy of Columbia Pictures / Dreamwork Pictures / Spyglass Entertainment)

Paradise Now
Special thanks to Filmfest's Media Sponsors
Palestine/Netherlands/Germany/France, 90 min. With English subtitles.
Hany Abu-Assad directs.
Kais Nashef, Ali Suliman star.

From Tel Aviv to London, Baghdad to New York, the suicide bomber has become one of the sad, sorry symbols of our age. Now Dutch-based Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad (Rana's Wedding) brings us into the world of those who undertake those missions. Winner of several awards at the Berlin Film Festival, Paradise Now chronicles 48 hours in the lives of two young Palestinians recruited by a nameless organization for a bombing in Tel Aviv. Best friends since youth, Khaled and Saïd are pleased they will die together as martyrs. After spending a last evening with their families - to whom they're forbidden to say goodbye - they set off with the bombs strapped to their bodies. Beautifully acted and sensitively written, this film is another impressive example of the emerging Palestinian cinema. (Palestine/Netherlands/Germany/France, 90 min. With English subtitles. PG-13. Print courtesy of Warner Independent Pictures)

Murderball
Special thanks to Filmfest's Volunteers
USA, 86 min.
Henry-Alex Rubin, Dana Adam Shapiro direct.

Rugby is a rough sport. When quadriplegics play it, it's even rougher. Short listed for Oscar™ consideration for Best Documentary, Murderball is the combative, funny, and inspiring account of hypercompetitive, wheelchair-bound men who overcome unimaginable obstacles to become world-class athletes. Thanks to their unfettered access to locker rooms, bedrooms, hospitals, and hotels where these men live and play, directors Henry-Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro convey the strong personalities, petty confrontations, and genuine emotions that run high on and off the court. In addition to "quad rugby's" manic intensity, this richly rewarding film offers the main players' background stories, including their relationships with wives and girlfriends and, in one case, with the man responsible for putting one of the athletes in a wheelchair. (USA, 86 min. R. Print courtesy of THINKFilm)

The Matador
Special thanks to Steve & Jamie Tisch
USA, 97 min.
Richard Shepard directs.
Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear star.

Pierce Brosnan delivers a hilariously unexpected performance as Julian in this dark comedy about a chance encounter between two very different men. Julian, a swaggering vulgarian who's losing his edge as an international hit man, meets straight-laced, down-on-his-luck businessman Danny (Greg Kinnear) over late-night drinks in a Mexico City hotel bar. They form an unlikely bond, which leads to even unlikelier repercussions for both. With colorful dexterity, writer-director Richard Shepard laces humorous scenes with an undercurrent of threat, hinting that the gregarious Danny may have a darker, more mysterious side. Bold and boisterous, funny and oddly poignant, The Matador simultaneously spoofs the buddy flick and hit-man genre while plumbing the complexities of the human heart. This movie entertainment upends all sorts of expectations. (USA, 97 min. Not yet rated. Print courtesy of The Weinstein Company)

Rize
Special thanks to Jonathan Lewis
USA, 86 min.
David LaChapelle directs.

Celebrated still photographer David LaChapelle takes advantage of unprecedented access to document the phenomenon of "krumping," a groundbreaking dance trend exploding on the streets of South Central Los Angeles. Aggressive and visually stunning, African tribal dance rituals are being modernized by youth looking for an alternative to the street gangs and bling-bling hip-hop culture that surround them. Inspired by mentor Tommy the Clown and incorporating their own mind-blowing athletic movements, these young street artists have created a new breed of expression that captures and conveys their spirit, creativity, and pride. Filled with amazing physical feats and unexpected emotional journeys, Rize offers an intimate, completely fresh portrayal of dance as a powerful means of self-expression. LaChapelle's short film, Krumped, won Best Documentary at the 2004 Aspen Shortsfest. (USA, 86 min. PG-13. Print courtesy of Lions Gate Films)

Crash
Special thanks to Karen & Bayard Hollins
USA, 107 min.
Paul Haggis directs.
Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock star.

A Brentwood housewife and her DA husband. A shopkeeper. Two police detectives. A television director and his wife. A locksmith. Two car-jackers. A rookie cop. Within the space of 36 hours, these denizens of Los Angeles will all collide, in surprising and life-changing ways. In his directorial debut, Oscar®-nominated screenwriter Paul Haggis (Million Dollar Baby) offers a thought provoking look at the complex face of race in contemporary America. Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Esposito, and Matt Dillon are just a few of the actors who populate this multi-ethnic cast of characters struggling to overcome their fears as they careen in and out of one another's lives. Powerful, unpredictable, and hugely moving, Crash boldly holds up a mirror to the fragile dynamics of racial tolerance and the elusive glimmer of shared humanity. (USA, 107 min. R. Print courtesy of Lions Gate Films)

Hoodwinked
Special thanks to Neil & Susan Karbank
USA, 80 min.
Cory Edwards directs. Todd Edwards, Tony Leech co-direct.
Voices by Anne Hathaway, Glenn Close, Jim Belushi.

Little Red Riding Hood. A classic story, but there's more to every tale than meets the eye. Before you judge a book by its cover, you've got to flip through the pages. For this story, we begin at the end. Furry and feathered cops from the animal world investigate a domestic disturbance at Granny's cottage involving a girl, a wolf, and an axe. The charges are many: breaking and entering, disturbing the peace, intent to eat, and wielding an axe without a license. Not to mention, this case might be tied to the elusive "Goody Bandit" who has been stealing the recipes of goody shops everywhere. An animated comedy caper that finally reveals how Red (Anne Hathaway), Granny (Glenn Close), the Woodsman (Jim Belushi), and the Wolf (Patrick Warburton) all came together as criminal suspects in a case that almost hoodwinked the law. (USA, 80 min. PG. Print courtesy of The Weinstein Company)

The World's Fastest Indian
Special thanks to Mel & Paulette Blumenthal
and Morris & Fyrwald Real Estate
New Zealand, 131 min.
Roger Donaldson directs.
Sir Anthony Hopkins stars.

To be the fastest man on earth, that is New Zealander Burt Munro's dream of a lifetime. All the tinkering away on his ancient Indian Scout motorcycle at his little bunker of a house is aimed toward that single-minded goal. At the spry age of 72, the outgoing wayfarer (brilliantly played by Sir Anthony Hopkins) finally sets out to realize his highest ambition on the Salt Flats of Utah. Along his quest for speedy glory, Munro is aided by a high-spirited desert widow (Diane Ladd) and a San Fernando Valley car dealer (Paul Rodriguez), among others. Based on a true story, The World's Fastest Indian is as much about the journey as the challenge itself. Sir Anthony Hopkins turns in a sensational performance as Munro, the lively septuagenarian with an infectious laugh and spirit. (New Zealand, 131 min. Not yet rated. Print courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)

Mrs. Henderson Presents
Special thanks to Sentient Jet Membership
UK, 103 min.
Stephen Frears directs.
Dame Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins star.

Based on the true story of one of pre-WWII London's most eccentric society matrons, this wonderful musical comedy is a backstage period romp featuring two of England's most formidable stars. Following the death of her husband, the elderly yet feisty Mrs. Henderson (Dame Judi Dench) casts about for something stimulating to sink her teeth into, settling on a decaying theatre in London's Soho district. To manage the new enterprise she enlists the expertise of Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins) and together they make a combustible but wildly successful team, producing vaudeville-style revues in the vein of Paris's Moulin Rouge. Censorship laws prove inconvenient, but this determined duo finds clever ways around them. Christopher Guest also stars in this film from acclaimed British director Stephen Frears (Dirty Pretty Things, Dangerous Liaisons). (UK, 103 min. R. Print courtesy of The Weinstein Company)

The New World
Special thanks to Men's Journal
USA, approx. 140 min.
Terrence Malick directs.
Colin Farrell, Christopher Plummer star.

Inspired by the enduring legend of John Smith and Pocahontas, acclaimed filmmaker Terrence Malick (Badlands, Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line) transforms this classic story into a sweeping exploration of love, loss and discovery, both a celebration and an elegy of the America that was... and the America that was yet to come. The New World is a masterfully crafted tale of European and Native American cultures and their first encounters during the founding of Jamestown settlement in 1607. Colin Farrell stars as John Smith, an ambitious soldier of fortune caught between the requirements of civic duty and the inescapable demands of the heart. Farrell leads a distinguished international ensemble cast including Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale, David Thewlis and Wes Studi in this epic adventure. (USA, approx. 140 min. Not yet rated. Print courtesy of New Line Cinema)

Junebug
Special thanks to Melva Bucksbaum & Raymond Learsy
USA, 107 min.
Phil Morrison directs.
Amy Adams, Embeth Davidtz star.

Chicago-based, British-born art dealer Madeleine's (Embeth Davidtz) business trip to North Carolina in pursuit of a reclusive painter grows significantly complicated when she and her new, younger husband George decide to pay an introductory visit to his family. Madeleine receives a less-than-warm welcome from her Southern in-laws, with the exception of Ashley (an exuberant Amy Adams), the wife of George's embittered brother. Directed with subtlety and insight by Phil Morrison, Junebug explores the ways in which people communicate across great divides - cultural, emotional, and geographical. This contemplative gem earned Amy Adams a Special Dramatic Jury Acting Prize at Sundance and was a Critic's Week Selection at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. (USA, 107 minutes. R. Print courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics)

Fateless
Special thanks to The City of Aspen
Hungary/Germany/UK, 136 min. With English subtitles.
Lajos Koltai directs.
Marcell Nagy stars.

A powerful and moving adaptation of Nobel Prize-winning author Imre Kertész's contemporary classic, Fateless presents an unflinching account of the Holocaust and its aftermath, all through the innocent eyes of a young boy. Gyuri Koves is a fourteen-year-old Hungarian Jew captured unexpectedly in Budapest and deported to a concentration camp. Through rationalization and emotional detachment, he survives the brutality of Buchenwald and even achieves a sense of normalcy, until his liberation and return to Budapest. Facing embarrassment and even hostility from former neighbors and friends, Gyuri finds himself a stranger in a strange land, left alone to reflect on his experiences. Hungary's submission for Best Foreign Language Film, this stunning directorial debut from legendary cinematographer Lajos Koltai (Being Julia, Colonel Redl) broke box office records in its native country. (Hungary/Germany/UK, 136 min. With English subtitles. Not yet rated. Print courtesy of THINKFilm)

The Squid and the Whale
Special thanks to Reel People: The Friends of Aspen Filmfest
USA, 88 min.
Noah Baumbach directs.
Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney star.

Sixteen-year old Walt sees nothing wrong with creative plagiarism or treating his girlfriend dismissively. His 12-year old brother drinks beer and has the mouth of a sailor. Both are simply "acting out" in reaction to the sudden news that their parents are splitting up. Bernard (Jeff Daniels) is a literature professor and once-celebrated novelist; Joan (Laura Linney) is a writer whose star is on the rise. Caught in between these monumental egos, the two siblings grapple with their love, anger and divided loyalties. With remarkable insight and humor both painful and inescapable, writer-director Noah Baumbach deftly navigates the emotional waters of a family in transition. Featuring a superb ensemble cast, The Squid and the Whale won top accolades at the Sundance Film Festival. (USA, 88 min. R. Print courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films)

Breakfast on Pluto
Special thanks to Adam Lewis
Ireland/UK, 129 min.
Neil Jordan directs.
Cillian Murphy, Liam Neeson star.

Academy Award®:-winning director Neil Jordan (The Crying Game) serves up a coming of age story with a twist in this alternately humorous, moving, and magical adaptation of Patrick McCabe's novel. Breakfast on Pluto tracks the journey of Patrick Brady, an androgynous outcast with a penchant for female dress, from his hardscrabble Irish hometown through the punk rock streets of 1970s London. Searching for the mother who abandoned him as an infant, Patrick, a.k.a. "Kitten," greets with seemingly immutable optimism a harsh and aggressive world, along the way fashioning an identity that is uniquely his own. Rising star Cillian Murphy delivers a breakout performance as Patrick, surrounded by a powerhouse cast of Irish actors including Liam Neeson and Stephen Rea. (Ireland/UK, 129 min. R. Print courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics)

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
Special thanks to The Aspen Times
USA, 121 min.
Tommy Lee Jones directs and stars.

Tommy Lee Jones's stunning big screen directorial debut snagged him a Best Actor Award (he also stars) and writer Guillermo Arriaga (21 Grams) a Best Screenplay Award at Cannes. Jones plays Pete Perkins, a West Texas ranch foreman forced to pursue his own form of justice following the murder of his closest friend, an illegal immigrant who worked for him. Faced with the hostile indifference of local border patrol authorities, Perkins goes to extreme lengths, including a dangerous and grueling journey on horseback, to ensure his friend receives a proper burial in his Mexican hometown. The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada features a host of sometimes tough, sometimes tender but always intriguing characters in a deeply intelligent tale about the value of all human life, regardless of geopolitical circumstance. (USA, 121 min. R. Print courtesy of Sony Picture Classics)

Joyeux Noël
Special thanks to The Danny Kaye & Sylvia Fine Kaye Foundation
Belgium/France/Germany/Romania/UK, 115 min. With English subtitles.
Christian Carion directs.
Diane Krüger, Benno Fürmann star.

This superbly rendered wartime tale reveals how during one historic episode shared humanity triumphed over duty to country - even in the face of treason's consequences. A sweeping WWI drama populated by a host of compelling characters, Joyeux Noël puts a decidedly human face on a complex subject. When war broke out in the lull of summer 1914, millions of men took to arms - giddy about the prospect of going to war. By that winter, many suffered the grim realization that the war could drag on for months, even years. Based on actual battlefield events that took place on Christmas Eve 1914, the soldiers' stories unfold when something momentous happened. Screened as the Surprise Film at Filmfest 2005, this film by director Christian Carion delivers a powerful message with a clear relevance for today's world. (Belgium/France/Germany/Romania/UK, 115 min. With English subtitles. Not yet rated. Print courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics)

Tsotsi
Special thanks to Juliet Shield-Taylor & J. David Taylor
South Africa/UK, 94 min.
Gavin Hood directs.
Presley Chweneyagae stars.

A multiple award-winner on the international festival circuit, including the audience favorite at the Toronto and Edinburgh festivals, Tsotsi is a taut, deeply affecting tale of crime and redemption. Based on the novel by acclaimed South African playwright Athol Fugard, and shot on location in the ghetto townships surrounding Johannesburg, Tsotsi follows six days in the life of a ruthless young street thug (beautifully acted by Presley Chweneyagae), whose surprising discovery on a raid leads him to a young mother - the one person who can make Tsotsi confront his past. With the gradual excavation of Tsotsi's buried moral compass, director Gavin Hood takes audiences through an emotional arc of uncommon depth and power. This is South Africa's official entry for Best Foreign Language Film. (South Africa/UK, 94 min. R. Print courtesy of Miramax Films)

The White Countess
Special thanks to Aspen Peak Magazine
UK, 135 min.
James Ivory directs.
Natasha Richardson, Ralph Fiennes star.

1936 Shanghai is awash in political intrigue - a city teeming with refugees, international business dealings, gathering military forces, and a thriving underworld. Sofia (Natasha Richardson), a beautiful Russian countess, is forced to support her family as a bar girl and taxi dancer since their fortunes were reversed by the Bolshevik Revolution. She forges a bond with Jackson (Ralph Fiennes), a former diplomat who opens an elegant nightclub, The White Countess, in the hopes of shutting out the chaos of a tumultuous world. As Merchant Ivory (A Room with a View, Howard's End) fans know, if you combine the directorial eye of James Ivory, the writing talents of Kazuo Ishiguro (Remains of the Day), and the acting chops of an A-list British cast, you're bound to end up with a sumptuously nuanced feast of a film. The White Countess is just such a movie. (UK, 135 min. PG-13. Print courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics)

The Libertine
Special thanks to Greg & Marcia Abbott
USA, 115 min.
Laurence Dunmore directs.
Johnny Depp, John Malkovich star.

Johnny Depp steps easily into the fashionable heels of the charmingly wicked Earl of Rochester whose irreverent and ultimately moving adventures form the center of this Restoration-era portrait. A close confidante of the high-living King Charles II (John Malkovich in an inspired performance), the Earl delights in lampooning England's royals with his subversive wit and scandalizing the court with his sexual escapades - all the while reveling in getting away with anything he can. Proclaiming from the beginning that he is a character you will not like, he does nothing to disprove this. But then the Earl is thrown off balance, falling in love with his fiercely independent theatrical protégé (played by the beguiling Samantha Morton). Adapting Stephen Jeffreys' acclaimed play, first-time director Laurence Dunmore brings 1670's London to life in all its pestilent glory. (USA, 115 min. Not yet rated. Print courtesy of The Weinstein Company)

Transamerica
Special thanks to The Pearlstone Foundation
USA, 103 min.
Duncan Tucker directs.
Felicity Huffman stars.

In this funny, tartly off-color and surprisingly touching story, Felicity Huffman gives an extraordinary performance as Bree, a transsexual woman who is one week away from her biggest dream: completion of her sexual reassignment surgery. Unexpectedly forced to confront Toby, the son she never knew existed, Bree reluctantly agrees to embark on a cross-country road trip, which ultimately serves as a lesson in trust and a crash course in family. With heroic efforts to keep secrets from each other, the travelers undergo a quiet transformation of ultimate acceptance through the colorful characters and situations they encounter along the way. Writer-director Duncan Tucker expertly blends jaw-dropping humor with thoughtful insight, allowing Huffman (Desperate Housewives) plenty of room to shine in this emotionally powerful story of love, identity, and deep family ties. Graham Greene, Burt Young, and Fionnula Flanagan also star in this directorial debut produced by William H. Macy. (USA, 103 min. R. Print courtesy of The Weinstein Company)

Casanova
Special thanks to Cadillac
USA, 110 min.
Lasse Hallström directs.
Heath Ledger, Sienna Miller star.

He was the world's most notorious seducer. A swashbuckler, master of disguise and wit - it was said no woman could resist Casanova's amorous charms. Until now. For the first time in his life, the legendary Casanova (Heath Ledger) is about to meet his match, an alluring Venetian beauty, Francesca, who does the one thing he never thought possible: refuse him. Through a series of clever disguises and scheming ruses, he manages to get ever closer to Francesca (Sienna Miller). But he is playing a dangerous game... From Academy Award®-nominated director Lasse Hallström (Chocolat, The Cider House Rules) comes a rousing romantic comedy about Casanova's greatest adventure. The formidably strong cast also includes Jeremy Irons, Lena Olin and Oliver Platt. (USA, 110 min. R. Print courtesy of Touchstone Pictures)