The New Orleans Film Festis back and bigger than ever. Its 28th incarnation will run from Wednesday, October 11 to Thursday, October 19. The festival will again feature many films by local filmmakers and films that are especially of local interest, plus a few with music as their focus. Plus, with 53% of films by female directors and 45% by directors of color, 2017 boasts the most diverse line-up in the festival’s history.
In addition to the full-length features listed below, the festival includes a large number of Louisiana shorts, music videos, and other productions.
Horace Tapscott: Musical Griot
A poetic meditation on the strength of African American music and activism embodied in the history of Los Angeles through the life of musician, composer, and community activist Horace Tapscott (1934-1999).
Olancho
Olancho Manuel, a farmer from Olancho, Honduras, seeks fame by making music for the region's drug cartels. When some of his song lyrics get him in trouble, he must make the most difficult decision of his life: continue the quest for fame, or flee.
Do U Want It?
An exploration and celebration of the musical culture of New Orleans, and the complex nature of success, through the story of beloved New Orleans band Papa Grows Funk.
Local Interest Films
AS IS
Director Evan Falbaum spent 12 months in Shreveport, Louisiana with visual artist Nick Cave and captured the profound way in which he delivered his message of change to the Shreveport community.
Cut Off
Struggling with his new life in New Orleans, Clive follows Trevor, a former professor, to his country home on the bayou to gain a new perspective. While Trevor helps Clive deal with his demons, Clive is sucked into a mission to kill.
Fat Tuesday
Behind the mask of Mardi Gras, something sinister stalks the streets of New Orleans. Filmed on-location during the final days of carnival, a group of friends is picked off one by one by a mysterious killer.
Hate Crime
As a killer is executed for murdering a young gay man, two sets of parents struggle to deal with the consequences of fear and repression.
Inselños, a Root of America
A travel in time throughout North American history, dealing with a community in St. Bernard Parish largely unknown by the general public with significant and unique influence on politics, arts, war conflicts, and American society.
On Our Watch
Louisiana is facing a coastal land loss crisis. If nothing is done, Louisiana's wetlands, industries, people, and culture are in danger of being washed away forever.
Sick to Death!
After drinking radioactive iodine to kill her overactive thyroid, filmmaker Maggie Hadleigh-West catapults into illness only to run smack into the medical corruption that is shredding the fabric of millions of lives all over the world.
Small Town Rage: Fighting Back in the Deep South
Examines the work and influence of the AIDS activist group, ACT UP Shreveport, and the challenges that come with advocating for people living with AIDS in the conservative Deep South.
The Power of Glove
Released by Mattel in 1989, the Power Glove was hyped as a device that would change the way humans interact with computers. Thirty years later, a small but dedicated fanbase has brougth new life to the Power Glove by hacking and repurposing it.
Woke
College students Brandon and Maisha try to maintain their relationship as he struggles to deal with the residual effects of his past. Their involvement in a justice movement puts Brandon at odds with his parents, and eventually puts them at odds with each other.
