The Wedding Song

Opening this weekend: The Wedding Song, written and directed by Karin Albou

Synopsis from AllMovie.com:

Two young women find that their differences bring them closer during a difficult time in this drama from writer and director Karin Albou. Nour (Olympe Borval) and Myriam (Lizzie Brochere) grew up in the same neighborhood in Tunis, and as they've grown into adulthood they've stayed close friends, even though Nour is a Muslim and Myriam is Jewish. It's 1942, and Tunis is under occupation by Axis forces, which has made life difficult for both women; the German authorities have prevented Khaled (Najib Oudghiri), Nour's fiancée, from getting a job, forcing them to postpone their wedding, while Myriam's family must pay exorbitant fines for being Jewish, which may lead her into a marriage of convenience to a wealthy physician (Simon Abkarian) many years her senior. While Myriam sees no way out of her desperate situation, Nour finds that the Nazi propaganda circulated throughout the community is piquing her worst suspicions about Jewish stereotypes. But as Nour and Myriam sink deeper into their personal crises, they begin to understand how badly they need one another's support.

Strigoi

Showing at the Austin Film Festival: Strigoi, directed by Faye Jackson

Synopsis from the film's website:

When the villagers killed Constantin Tirescu, they thought it was justice. Vlad Cozma thinks it was murder. Now Constantin thinks pickles might go nice with blood.

Strigoi is a Vampire movie that defies categorization. Shedding a fantastic light on a post-communist Romanian village, the film introduces us to an ancient myth: Strigoi, the souls that rise again after death to seek justice if they’ve been wronged, their appetites intensified by a hunger for blood.

Vlad (Catalin Paraschiv) investigates a mysterious death in his grandfather’s village that raises questions about land ownership in the community. The trail points to ex-communist bully Constantin Tirescu and his wife, but when Vlad confronts them, he discovers that the richest landowners in the village have become real bloodsuckers.

Torey's Distraction

Showing at the Austin Film Festival: Torey's Distraction, directed by Tisha Blood

Synopsis from the film's website:

In 1993, Torey Harrah was born with Apert syndrome: a rare genetic condition marked by a prematurely fused skull – resulting in skeletal mutation, severe craniofacial anomalies and potential lifelong brain damage.

Filmmaker Tisha Blood follows Torey and others like her throughout 10 years – providing an intimate glimpse into the transforming powers of science, family, humor, hope and compassion.

Myna Has Gone

Showing at the Austin Film Festival: Myna Has Gone, directed by Sonia Escolano and Sadrac González

Synopsis from the film's website:

Myna is a young illegal inmigrant woman from an eastern Country that is at war. She works as a home assistant for a marriage and their small son. When the parents go on a trip, Myna has to shoulder all the responsibility for the household and the child since the couple have left their trust in Myna. However, one night, the child has an accident and Myna, who knows that she can be deported if she goes to the hospital, decides to help the child in underground ways.

Houston We Have a Problem

Showing at the Austin Film Festival: Houston – We Have a Problem, directed by Nicole Torre

Synopsis from the film's website:

Houston — We Have a Problem steps inside the energy capital of the world to see the hard truths about oil, from the Texas oilmen themselves. For decades American presidents have cried the woes of our nation’s addiction to foreign oil. Hollow campaign promises project a future that can be independent and sustainable. Yet the truth is, the energy policy of the USA has only been a strategy of defense, not offense. We are fighting a cold war on energy, and both Wall Street and Main Street have no idea what to do. We will see a new form of wildcatting in alternatives, and learn how many oilmen believe that being shackled to cheap oil is only destroying our empire. Many old timers realize that the oil industry must change, advising that it is going to take everything to meet America’s future energy needs.

In 500 Words or Less

Showing at the Austin Film Festival: In 500 Words or Less, directed by Molly Fowler

Synopsis from the film's website:

Going to college is a rite of passage for many American high school students, but the process can be overwhelming: college fairs, tours, SATs, applications. And then there's the personal essay. How does a seventeen-year old define herself to total strangers when she's only beginning to discover who she really is? And how can she be expected to do it in an essay of 500 words or less? Point Made Films takes you on the journey to college with four very different young people as they spend their last year with their families trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be. Ride Molly's emotional roller coaster as she tries to balance her parents' expectations with her own dreams. Cheer Michael on as he steps out from behind his older sister's Ivy League shadow to discover his own priorities. Encourage Leo to fulfill his mother's American dream while trying to maintain ties to his Dominican heritage. And root for Lindsay as she searches for her next home while the one she's known for 17 years gets turned upside down by illness and loss. In 500 Words or Less serves as a portrait of four of the nearly 1.5 million families who go through this process each year. While race, geography and socio-economic status affected how they got here, their stories converge as they all juggle acceptance, rejection, decision-making and letting go.

Grown in Detroit

Showing at the Austin Film Festival: Grown in Detroit, directed by Mascha Poppenk and Manfred Poppenk

Synopsis from the Austin Film Festival website:

Teen moms becoming urban farmers. Utopia? Not in Detroit. Nature is taking over the city and the new generation is being taught to harvest its profit. The hometown of mass production is turning green once again. In the midst of the city, pregnant teens are being taught agricultural skills at the farm that sits next to their school. Through this process, the girls are learning about the value of independence and planning a better life. “Back to the roots” is a simple yet effective solution for a city that has to start all over again and perhaps a lesson to be learned for the rest of the world.

The film's website is here.