Earlier this year, we lamented the fact that Brooklyn’s BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) theater would no longer be running its excellent Sundance At Bam series. For those not in New York, Sundance at BAM took place in late May, early June and was an excellently curated greatest hits of Sundance for those that didn’t make the trip to Utah (us). It basically weeded out all the noise and then played about a dozen or more of the best Sundance films (we saw “Choke,” “American Teen,” “Anvil” and many other films way before their theatrical release last year).
But just as good if not better is the announcement of a new series called BAMcinemaFEST which runs June 17–July 2. The line-up is a good collection of films that have played at Sundance, SXSW and other festivals (like the Independent Film Festival in Boston this weekend). The centerpiece event will feature Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” (1927) with live accompaniment by Irish experimental rock group 3epkano & an all-night movie marathon on June 27.
Highlights of the fest include:
• “Big Fan” (dir. Robert Siegel) – The culture of celebrity is challenged in Siegel’s (writer of “The Wrestler”) debut film about a hardcore New York Giants fan.
• “Beeswax” (dir. Andrew Bujalski) – An intimate story of twin sisters set in Austin by the director of “Funny Ha Ha” and “Mutual Appreciation.”
• “Humpday” (dir. Lynn Shelton) – The ultimate indie film take on the bromantic comedy follows two straight friends who, on a dare, decide to have sex and film it.
• “William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe” (dirs. Sarah and Emily Kunstler) – An unconventional and personal portrait of William Kunstler, the prominent civil rights lawyer, made by his daughters Sarah and Emily.
• “Bronson” (dir. Nicholas Winding Refn) – This film is Refn’s (“Pusher” Trilogy) stylized portrait of Britain’s most notorious prisoner brilliantly incarnated by Tom Hardy (here’s the trailer).
• “In the Loop” (dir. Armando Iannucci) – A wry British comedy with James Gandolfini.
• “You Won’t Miss Me” (dir. Ry Russo-Young) – Russo-Young’s second feature, co-written by lead actress Stella Schnabel, follows the days and struggles of an intense young actress.
• “An Evening with Arnaud Desplechin,” on July 1 where the French filmmaker (“A Christmas Tale“) will present two of his personal favorites movies: Wes Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums” and François Truffaut’s “Mississippi Mermaid.”
• “What’s On Your Plate?” (dir. Catherine Gund) – A compelling food-justice documentary seen through the eyes of two pre-teen girls.
• “The Exploding Girl” (dir. Bradley Rust Gray) – This film is a quietly resonant indie character study.
Repertory Classics will include screenings of Jim Jarmusch’s classic existentialist Western, “Dead Man” (fans of that one will love “The Limits Of Control”), Spike Lee’s racially charged masterpiece “Do The Right Thing,” Luchino Visconti’s 1963 opus “The Leopard” (part of a tribute to critic Pauline Kael) and more.
The full line-up will be posted at BAM Cinematek site shortly. IndieWire has the full line-up if you’re looking for more.