Savanah Leaf’s ‘Earth Mama’, Sundance Prize Winner ‘Mutt’ To Bookend New Directors/New Films

Film at Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art have set Savanah Leaf’s Earth Mama and Vuk Lungulov-Klotz’s Sundance Special Jury Award winner Mutt, both debut features, as opening and closing film at the 52st edition of their collaboration, New Directors/New Films, running March 29–April 9 in NYC.

The festival will introduce will showcase 27 features and 11 shorts from 41 directors at theaters in both venues.

Mutt star Lio Mehial was awarded a U.S. Special Jury Award for acting at Sundance Film festival for his portrayal of Feña, a twentysomething trans man contending with an onslaught of aggravation, surprise encounters and emotional choices over the course of a single hectic day in New York City. “We were charmed, seduced, and compelled by this fresh new performer as we watched them navigating the intimate complexities of their everyday life and relationships in his search for acceptance,” the jury citation said. Deadline review here.

A24’s Earth Mama, which also premiered at Sundance, is a devastating and evocative portrait of motherhood refracted through the prisms of race and class. It stars Tia Nomore as Gia, a young mother fighting for her children.

Selections also include coming of age drama Metronom, which won Best Director for Alexandru Belc at Cannes, Un Certain Regard. Portuguese filmmaker Carlos Conceição’s drama of the Angolan War of Independence, Tommy Guns, won the Europa Cinemas Label as Best European film at the Locarno Film Festival. Joyland by Saim Sadiq took the Queer Palm and Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at Cannes.

As is usual for ND/NF, the lineup showcases work from a broad geographic range, with films from Angola, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Mozambique, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, the UK and the US.

The program “brings together new directors from all over the world presenting works that make bold and creative statements on everything from identity and family to political repression and postcolonial discourse. The power of cinema to inspire imagination and explore perspectives is evident in the wide range of styles, ideas, and voices in the selection,” said La Frances Hui, curator, Department of Film at MoMA and ND/NF co-chair.

“We strongly believe that the future of cinema is in the hands of these brilliant directors and cannot wait to share their unique creations with our audience.” Florence Almozini, ND/NF co-chair and FLC’s Director of Programming.

Here’s the complete 2023 New Directors/New Films lineup:

Features
Absence dir. Wu Lang

Almost Entirely a Slight Disaster dir. Umut Subaşi

Arnold is a Model Student dir. Sorayos Prapapann

Earth Mama dir. Savanah Leaf

Astrakan dir. David Depesseville

Ashkal: The Tunisian Investigation dir. Youssef Chebbi

Chile ’76 dir. Manuela Martelli

Coconut Head Generation dir. Alain Kassanda

Disco Boy dir. Giacomo Abbruzzese

Family Time dir. Tia Kouvo

Gush dir. Fox Maxy

Have You Seen This Woman? dir. Dušan Zorić and Matija Gluščević

Metronom dir. Alexandru Belc

MILISUTHANDO dir. Milisuthando Bongela

Mutt dir. Vuk Lungulov-Klotz

Maputo Nakuzandza dir. Ariadne Zampaulo

Joyland dir. Saim Sadiq

Leila’s Brothers dir. Saeed Roustaee

Pamfir dir. Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk

Petrol dir. Alena Kodkina

Remembering Every Night dir. Yui Kiyohara

The Face of the Jellyfish dir. Melisa Liebenthal

The Maiden dir. Graham Foy

Shorts
48 Hours dir. Azadeh Moussavi

Aqueronte dir. Manuel Muñoz Rivas

Center, Ring, Mall dir. Mateo Vega

Civic dir. Dwayne LeBlanc

Safe Place dir. Juraj Lerotić

Serafina dir. Noa Epars, Anna Simonetti

The Kidnapping of the Bride dir. Sophia Mocorrea

Human Nature dir. Mónica Lima

Tommy Guns dir. Carlos Conceicao

Jitterbug dir. Ayo Akingbade

Chomp It! dir. Mark Chua and Lam Li Shuen

Escasso dir. Gabriela Gaia Meirelles, Clara Anastácia

Totem, dir Lila Avilés