Programmers' Picks: A Look at the Lesser Known Best Films of 2015

By JBFC Marketing Assistant, Sarah Soliman

Every December, movie fans find themselves going through Best Of lists. It’s a ritual that gives us a chance to take stock of the year, but also gives us suggestions for the year ahead. It’s a way to learn what’s still out there for us to discover. This month at the JBFC, we’re running Programmers’ Picks, a series of films from 2015, chosen by our programmers because they want audiences to get a chance to watch these underseen or overlooked films in a theater.

Programmers’ Picks opens on Feb. 1 with the Hungarian film White God, in which a group of dogs, mistreated because they are mixed, rather than purebred, rise up against the humans who abuse them. This distressing but captivating film won the Prize Un Certain Regard at Cannes.

We’re also showing Tangerine, a critic favorite in 2015. Tangerine combines technological innovation—the stunning look of the film is the result of it being shot on iPhones—with old-fashioned comedy, and engrossing characters. The heart of the film is the friendship between Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriquez) and Alexandra (Mya Taylor), two transgender prostitutes in LA, who, over the course of a day, find out how far their loyalties to each other really go.

I’m most excited to see Güeros, the debut feature from Mexican filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios, for a second time. The arrival of teenager Tomás injects some much needed variety into his older brother Sombra’s slacker lifestyle. <a href=”https://en.wikipedia cheap Generic nolvadex.org/wiki/1999_UNAM_strike”>While students at their university are on strike, Sombra and his friend Santos sit around, putting effort only into their attempts to steal electricity from their downstairs neighbor. When Tomás convinces them to go in search of his favorite musician, they’re forced to engage with the world, and in particular, their fellow students involved in the strike. As a Mexican comedy populated by meandering young men, with a road trip plot (albeit a road trip that never leaves Mexico City), Güeros invites comparisons to Y Tu Mamá También, but its style and depiction of youth—both revolutionary and disenchanted—look to the French New Wave for inspiration.

Each of the nine films screening as part of Programmers’ Picks offers a unique perspective from some of contemporary cinema’s most original filmmakers. Read about all the films in this series, and get tickets here.