Magnolia Pictured and Magnet Releasing are the biggest shippers to the OFCS. Every year, we receive an unadorned batch of screeners that feature some very interesting fare. The image at right includes the first ever batch of info cards to go with the bountiful DVDs received. Each film is outlined below starting with the narrative features (in alphabetical order) followed by the documentaries. With so many films, they don’t submit a list of categories to consider, though for all the documentaries, their obvious hopes is a Best Documentary Feature nomination.

Narrative Features

The Dead Lands

Stars: James Rolleston, Lawrence Makoare, Te Kohe Tuhaka, Xavier Horan, Raukura Turei, George Henare, Rena Owen, Pana Hema Taylor
Director: Toa Fraser
Premise: From IMDb: “After his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery, the teenage son of a slain Maori chieftain looks to avenge his father’s murder and bring peace and honor to the souls of his loved ones.”
Oscar Chances: None
Rotten Tomatoes:
66% (41 critics; as of 11/2/15)
Metacritic:
59 out of 100 (14 critics; as of 11/2/15)

Entertainment

Stars: Gregg Turkington, Tye Sheridan, Michael Cera, Lotte Verbeek, John C. Reilly, Dean Stockwell, Becktoria, Amy Seimetz, Tonantzin Carmelo, Mariann Gavelo, Tim Heidecker
Director: Rick Alverson
Premise: From IMDb: “En route to meet his estranged daughter and attempting to revive his dwindling career, a broken, aging comedian plays a string of dead-end shows in the Mojave desert.”
Oscar Chances: None
Rotten Tomatoes:
90% (10 critics; as of 11/2/15)
Metacritic:
73 out of 100 (6 critics; as of 11/2/15)

Experimenter

Stars: Winona Ryder, Taryn Manning, Peter Sarsgaard, Tom Bateman, Anton Yelchin, Kellan Lutz, Lori Singer, John Leguizamo, Anthony Edwards, Dennis Haysbert, Josh Hamilton, Jim Gaffigan, Vondie Curtis-Hall
Director: Michael Almereyda
Premise: From IMDb: “Famed social psychologist Stanley Milgram, in 1961 conducted a series of radical behavior experiments that tested ordinary humans willingness to obey authority.”
Oscar Chances: None
Rotten Tomatoes:
90% (48 critics; as of 11/2/15)
Metacritic:
81 out of 100 (20 critics; as of 11/2/15)

The Little Death

Stars: Bojana Novakovic, Damon Herriman, Ben Lawson, Josh Lawson, Patrick Brammall, Erin James, Kate Mulvany, Lisa McCune, T.J. Power, Lachy Hulme, Kate Box
Director: Josh Lawson
Premise: From IMDb: “The secret lives of five suburban couples living in Sydney reveal both the fetishes and the repercussions that come with sharing them.”
Oscar Chances: None
Rotten Tomatoes:
60% (45 critics; as of 11/2/15)
Metacritic:
46 out of 100 (11 critics; as of 11/2/15)

A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence

Stars: Holger Andersson, Nils Westblom, Charlotta Larsson, Viktor Gyllenberg, Lotti Törnros, Jonas Gerholm, Ola Stensson, Oscar Salomonsson, Roger Olsen Likvern
Director: Roy Andersson
Premise: From IMDb: “Sam and Jonathan, a pair of hapless novelty salesman, embark on a tour of the human condition in reality and fantasy that unfold in a series of absurdist episodes.”
Oscar Chances: Dark Horse: This existential picture is a bit bizarre, no more than Sweden’s past entries, which might give Oscar voters pause when writing down their selections. So, it’s a dark horse contender at best.
Rotten Tomatoes:
89% (76 critics; as of 11/2/15)
Metacritic:
81 out of 100 (23 critics; as of 11/2/15)

Results

Stars: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Brooklyn Decker, Anthony Michael Hall, Constance Zimmer, Tishuan Scott, Zoe Graham, David Bernon
Director: Andrew Bujalski
Premise: From IMDb: “Two mismatched personal trainers’ lives are upended by the actions of a new, wealthy client.”
Oscar Chances: None
Rotten Tomatoes:
81% (81 critics; as of 11/2/15)
Metacritic:
73 out of 100 (29 critics; as of 11/2/15)

Tangerine

Stars: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O’Hagan, James Ransone, Alla Tumanian, Luiza Nersisyan, Arsen Grigoryan, Ian Edwards, Clu Gulager
Director: Sean Baker
Premise: From IMDb: “A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart.”
Oscar Chances: None
Rotten Tomatoes:
95% (82 critics; as of 11/2/15)
Metacritic:
85 out of 100 (32 critics; as of 11/2/15)

White God

Stars: Zsófia Psotta, Sándor Zsótér, Lili Horváth, Szabolcs Thuróczy, Lili Monori, Gergely Bánki, Tamás Polgár
Director: Kornél Mundruczó
Premise: From IMDb: “Thirteen-year-old Lili fights to protect her dog Hagen. She is devastated when her father eventually sets Hagen free on the streets. Still innocently believing love can conquer any difficulty, Lili sets out to find her dog and save him.”
Oscar Chances: None: The film was submitted by Hungary last year for Best Foreign Language Film but did not make the semi-finals. It’s therefore eligible for Oscar consideration in other categories, but it won’t be considered.
Rotten Tomatoes:
92% (86 critics; as of 11/2/15)
Metacritic:
80 out of 100 (29 critics; as of 11/2/15)

Documentaries

Ballet 422

Director: Jody Lee Lipes
Premise: From IMDb: “From first rehearsal to world premiere, Ballet 422 takes us backstage at New York City Ballet as emerging choreographer Justin Peck crafts a new work.”
Oscar Chances: Unlikely: Response to the film hasn’t been exuberant and there’s been virtually no buzz surrounding it.
Rotten Tomatoes:
84% (37 critics; as of 11/2/15)
Metacritic:
74 out of 100 (16 critics; as of 11/2/15)

Best of Enemies

Director: Robert Gordon, Morgan Neville
Premise: From IMDb: “A documentary on the series of televised debates in 1968 between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr.”
Oscar Chances: Possible: The film has gotten solid notices and with the political nature of the documentary, even if it’s historical, it could get a small boost.
Rotten Tomatoes:
94% (94 critics; as of 11/2/15)
Metacritic:
77 out of 100 (25 critics; as of 11/2/15)

Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon

Director: Douglas Tirola
Premise: From IMDb: “A look at the history of the American comedy publication and production company, National Lampoon, from its beginning in the 1970s to 2010, featuring rare and never-before-seen footage.”
Oscar Chances: Unlikely: As fascinating a subject it may be, it’s not the kind of film that gets nominated for Oscars.
Rotten Tomatoes:
86% (49 critics; as of 11/2/15)
Metacritic:
74 out of 100 (18 critics; as of 11/2/15)

Iris

Director: Albert Maysles
Premise: From IMDb: “A documentary about fashion icon Iris Apfel from legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles.”
Oscar Chances: Uncertain: Fashion isn’t a big seller with the Academy, but Albert Maysles is a documentary legend.
Rotten Tomatoes:
97% (74 critics; as of 11/2/15)
Metacritic:
80 out of 100 (25 critics; as of 11/2/15)

Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine

Director: Alex Gibney
Premise: From IMDb: “A look at the personal and private life of the late Apple CEO, Steve Jobs.”
Oscar Chances: Weak: The documentary hasn’t gotten great notices, but the man, the myth and the legend seem to be a hot property right now. Alex Gibney is a well known documentarian, so that could be a benefit.
Rotten Tomatoes:
74% (66 critics; as of 11/2/15)
Metacritic:
72 out of 100 (20 critics; as of 11/2/15)

Sunshine Superman

Director: Marah Strauch
Premise: From IMDb: “A heart-racing documentary portrait of Carl Boenish, the father of the BASE jumping movement, whose early passion for skydiving led him to ever more spectacular -and dangerous- feats of foot-launched human flight.”
Oscar Chances: Unlikely: Another of those subject matters the Academy doesn’t typically embrace.
Rotten Tomatoes:
90% (49 critics; as of 11/2/15)
Metacritic:
70 out of 100 (20 critics; as of 11/2/15)

The Wolfpack

Director: Crystal Moselle
Premise: From IMDb: “Locked away from society in an apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the Angulo brothers learn about the outside world through the films that they watch. Nicknamed, ‘The Wolfpack,’ the brothers spend their childhood reenacting their favorite films using elaborate homemade props and costumes. Their world is shaken up when one of the brothers escapes and everything changes.”
Oscar Chances: Possible: The film-centered elements could give it a boost with the Academy. It’s unique subject matter makes it more interesting. Things could go well for the film with enough support from critics groups.
Rotten Tomatoes:
84% (112 critics; as of 11/2/15)
Metacritic:
75 out of 100 (29 critics; as of 11/2/15)

The Wrecking Crew

Director: Denny Tedesco
Premise: From IMDb: “A celebration of the musical work of a group of session musicians known as “The Wrecking Crew”, a band that provided back-up instrumentals to such legendary recording artists as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys and Bing Crosby.”
Oscar Chances: Ineligible: The film was not on the shortlist of eligible selections for this year’s Oscars.
Rotten Tomatoes:
93% (58 critics; as of 11/2/15)
Metacritic:
67 out of 100 (17 critics; as of 11/2/15)