Poster from “The Girl Who Was Cursed,” courtesy of Studio Ruba
Check out the diverse line-up at this month’s Slamdance Film Festival: Mascot by Remy van Heugten, The Girl Who Was Cursed by Zara Dwinger, and Sexual Healing by Elsbeth Fraanje—all thought-provoking films that deal with timely and challenging subjects. Find the schedule and festival passes here.
Teenager Jerry grows up in a small Dutch seaside town with his loving mother and sister, helping in a centre for mentally disabled people. But when the weekend comes he takes part in organised hooligan fights, liberating the sense of discontent boiling inside him. His ever growing drift towards extremism puts the stability of the whole family in danger.
Stoner girl Gizem spends most of her day smoking weed on the couch while spying on her neighbors through binoculars. When the quirky boy across the street disappears, she has to get out of her comfortable cloud of smoke to find out where he is. She gets caught up in a strange quest.
About Sexual Healing, directed by Elsbeth Fraanje
Evelien (53), spastic from birth, yearns for intimate contact and recognition for who she is. Sexual Healing follows her courageous quest for intimacy: touching, funny, sensual and rewarding. Naughty in all the nice ways. Sexual Healing is a tough, yet light-hearted universal film about the necessity of intimate contact for all of us human beings.
Slamdance has proven year after year that independent grassroots communities can take risks on bold talent and launch careers that change the industry. Our artist-led community continues to discover and nurture diverse, international creators through various programs throughout the year, focusing on new writers, digital and interactive art, grants and mentorship, DIY film education, film screenings and of course, the Slamdance Film Festival.