2026 Program

Opening Night: Retrospective screening & Visionary Award® presentation to Oscar-nominated screenwriter, Randall Wallace.

Director: Mel Gibson

DIFF Rating: R 🔴

Genre:  Historical, Epic, War Drama

DIFF Notes:  USA / 2h58m  (War/Battle violence)

Synopsis: William Wallace is the medieval Scottish patriot who is spurred into revolt against the English when the love of his life is slaughtered. Leading his army into battles that become a war, his advance into England threatens King Edward I’s throne before he is captured and executed, but not before becoming a symbol for a free Scotland.

EVENT: Opening Night
DATE: FRI, Sept 25th
TIME: 5:00PM – 10:00PM
DETAILS: Red Carpet, Screening, Q&A, Visionary Award®
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Isabel Hagen

Rating: R

Genre:  Dramedy

DIFF Notes:  USA / 1h18m  (Brief nudity, mild language)

Synopsis: A Juilliard-trained violist navigates the New York City freelance classical musician scene, playing gigs that often draw her into the personal lives of strangers, all while living in her oddball family’s NYC apartment.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 7:00PM – 9:00PM
THEATER: 4
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Dmitry Nikolenko

DIFF Rating: PG-13

Genre:  Romance / Fantasy

DIFF Notes:  RUSSIA / 1h20m / Foreign language (Russian)

Synopsis: Vika is an unusual girl. Only she can see the enchanted guy in the mannequin, the son of the mall owner who disappeared a year ago. By putting a magical mask on him, she brought Radmir back to life, but even he didn’t believe Vika. Let alone the people around them, who, under the influence of ancient magic, can’t see or hear Radmir. Vika proves to him that magic is real, and they team up to break the spell.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 10:00AM – 11:50AM
THEATER: 4
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Sunny Zhao

DIFF Rating: PG-13

Genre:  Drama, Experimental

DIFF Notes: USA / 1h27m

Synopsis: In this extraordinary tale of love, tragedy, and friendship, a mysterious piano connects two children from opposite sides of the world, leading to a journey of a lifetime in pursuit of truth and the love of music.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 3:05PM – 5:00PM
THEATER: 5
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Farzad Ranjbar-Nazari

DIFF Rating: PG-13

Genre: Drama, Family

DIFF Notes: IRAN / 20m / Foreign language (Persian)

Synopsis: Haunted by guilt, Hamed revisits a funfair, only to be confronted by the visions of his deceased wife and daughter. As he faces the ghosts of his past, he must confront the choices that led to their tragic fate.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 10:00AM – 11:50AM
THEATER: 4
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Asa Bailey

DIFF Rating: PG-13

Genre: Drama

DIFF Notes: UK / 14m

Synopsis:When a bullied young boy discovers an older man quietly affixing painted eggshells to a forgotten brick wall in their neighborhood, an unlikely friendship forms — and he begins to understand how even the smallest, “pointless” acts can leave behind something transformative and lasting.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 3:10PM – 5:05PM
THEATER: 5
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Directors: Eric William Davis, Lapka Dolma Tamang

DIFF Rating: PG-13+  (Violence, Abuse) 🔴

Genre: Drama, Social Impact, Based on True Events

DIFF Notes:  NEPAL / 26m / Foreign language (Nepali)

Synopsis: In Firebird, a true story unfolds as Dolma, a Nepali survivor of sex trafficking, crosses the border back to the Indian brothel where her childhood was stolen. Past and present blur together as she retraces the promises that trapped her, the violence that silenced her, the single voice that helped her break free. Now she carries that same hope to girls still inside. Starring Dolma and her real niece, the film is a rare act of survivor-led defiance that confronts not only her past, but her family’s present.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
EVENT: Rise UP Initiative
TIME: 7:10PM – 9:00PM
THEATER: 5
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Annetta Marion

DIFF Rating: PG-13

Genre: Drama

DIFF Notes: USA / 9m

Synopsis: A high school teacher is confronted by what trouble means and who gets to define it.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 1:00PM – 3:05PM
THEATER: 5 (SHORTS BLOCK)
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Valerian Zamel

DIFF Rating: PG-13

Genre: Psychological ,Drama

DIFF Notes: USA / 15m

Synopsis: Six months after her son’s death, a grieving mother receives a late night phone call from a voice claiming to be him, speaking from an “in between” place. As the conversation grows darker, she is forced to confront the depths of grief, memory, and the fragile line between reality and deception.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 1:00PM – 3:05PM
THEATER: 5 (SHORTS BLOCK)
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Elvira Ibragimova

DIFF Rating: PG-13

Genre: Comedy

DIFF Notes:  USA / 24m (New media) 

Synopsis:After leaving his job and suing his boss for discrimination, a tired old man just wants revenge. He sets out to make a movie about his boss with the help of his only friends, a group of IDD artists and a young film student named Dexter.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 7:00PM – 9:00PM
THEATER: 4
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Mia Mango (Petrovic)

DIFF Rating: PG-13

Genre: Coming of Age, Drama

DIFF Notes: CANADA / 9m

Synopsis: A short story about two boys who suit up in homemade armor and use a walkie-talkie to coordinate a mission against a monster in a closet, where an ordinary pile of laundry comes to life through imagination, and Daniel fights and defeats the beast with Peter cheering him on.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 1:00PM – 3:05PM
THEATER: 5 (SHORTS BLOCK)
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Lauro Rocha

Genre/Theme: Healing, Music, Hero’s Journey

DIFF Notes: RUSSIAN / 1h09m

Synopsis: When a catastrophic stroke destroys the creative half of his brain days before his international breakthrough, a celebrated rebellious Russian performer wakes paralyzed – unable to walk, speak, swallow, or sing. Filmed over several years, WILL POWER follows his fragile and nonlinear rehabilitation as fame fades and his family turns away. What begins as a medical recovery becomes something deeper: a dramatic confrontation with identity, limitation, and choice. Challenging the certainty of prognosis, the film explores the possibility that the boundaries defined by science are not always the limits of human will.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 10:00AM – 11:10AM
THEATER: 5
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Caroline Cory

Genre/Theme: Science, Lifestyle, Paranormal, New Science, human potential, inspirational

DIFF Notes: USA / 1h15m

Synopsis:  When blind individuals unexpectedly begin to perceive without sight, a scientific investigation into their abilities raises a profound question: are we only beginning to understand the true nature of reality — and the potential of the human mind?

Featuring individuals with extraordinary cognitive and perceptual abilities, the series explores phenomena that challenge current scientific understanding — rare anomalies, or evidence that our understanding of the human mind is incomplete.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 5:10PM – 7:00PM
THEATER: 5
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Andrew H. Brown

Genre/Theme: Cultural, History

DIFF Notes: KENYA / 1h30m  / Foreign language (English, Swahili)

Synopsis: In Kenya’s tea highlands, one man’s claim to his family’s stolen land sets Mr. Mungai against a multinational giant. His fight draws a local news producer into a battle that exposes buried histories, family secrets, and the unfinished business of colonial power.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 11:15AM – 12:50PM
THEATER: 5
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Directors: Conor Purcel, Jackson Kingsley, Ollie Prichard-Barrett

Genre/Theme: Sport

DIFF Noes:  UK / 40m

Synopsis: After a snowboarder suffers a life-changing injury training for the Olympics he sets out on a 10-year mission to become the fastest person ever on a snowboard. Enlisting the help of a Hollywood stunt driver they set out to find the perfect location and fastest vehicle to achieve the record. Jamie survives 2 of the fastest snowboard crashes in history and goes on to reach a new world record of over 200kph on a perilous frozen lake in Norway.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 12:00PM – 2:30PM
THEATER: 4 (RecFest™ Block)
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Dominic Russo

DIFF Rating: 16+  (language) 🔴

Genre/Theme: Healing, Comedy, Overcoming

DIFF Notes:  USA / 1h48m

Synopsis: Directed by Dominic Russo and written by podcaster Bryan “Bald Bryan” Bishop, this feature documentary chronicles Bishop’s personal battle with a brain tumor. It explores the healing power of humor and the vital role of caretakers, featuring appearances from comedian Adam Carolla and Dr. Drew Pinsky. It won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Cinequest Film Festival.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 4:45PM – 6:50PM
THEATER: 4
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Christopher Hoerdemann

Genre/Theme: Avation, Education

DIFF Notes: USA / 8m

Synopsis:Chicago Public Schools JROTC students get exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to the Chicago Air & Water Show! Watch as they meet the iconic U.S. Navy Blue Angels, interact with pilots and crew, and experience firsthand what it takes to put on their legendary aerial demonstration. Don’t miss this inspiring chance to experience the thrill of military aviation through their eyes.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 1:00PM – 3:05PM
THEATER: 5 (SHORTS BLOCK)
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director(s): Leevi Heino Einari Oramo

Genre/Theme:  Music, Inspirational

DIFF Notes: FRENCH / 17m / Foreign language (French)

Synopsis: FOUR HANDS explores the intimate relationship between legendary French classical pianist Philippe Entremont and his young Japanese protégé, Gen Tomuro, through their rehearsals and musical exchanges, as the maestro prepares for his final concert at the age of 90.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 5:10PM – 7:00PM
THEATER: 5
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Ivica Kostelić

Genre/Theme: Sport, Mountaineering

DIFF Notes:  CROATIA / 11m / Foreign language (polygot film)

Synopsis: Freedom takes us into beautiful landscapes, where skiers enjoy the peace and magnificence that nature offers. Along the way, we may discover an answer to a fundamental yet simple question: What is freedom—and how do we embrace it?

SPECIAL SHOWCASE: RecFest™ 
DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 12:00PM – 2:40PM
THEATER: 4
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Sebastian Bechtel

Genre/Themes: Sport, Surfing, Portrait

DIFF Notes:  GERMANY / 16m

Synopsis: NOTHING BUT BLUE is an intimate 16-minute documentary following 21-year-old German Olympic surfer Tim Elter as he pursues the primal, high-risk art of tube riding. Moving beyond traditional surf films, the cinematic portrait captures Tim’s psychological and physical boundaries—highlighting his vulnerability, recovery from injury, and paradoxical addiction to danger. Anchored by a spontaneous trip to tackle Ireland’s infamous, heavy-water wave “Aileen’s,” the film ultimately explores the existential balance between risk and freedom, revealing a young athlete who finds his deepest peace in the eye of the storm.

SPECIAL SHOWCASE: RecFest™ 
DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 12:00PM – 2:40PM
THEATER: 4
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Sunny Stroeer

Genre/Theme: Sport, Adventure, Climbing

DIFF Notes:  Canada / 7m

Synopsis: A 7-minute portrait of climber Paul returning to Baffin Island three decades after a life-defining epic, reckoning with risk, age, and the grace of walking away—while still preserving his lifelong love of climbing and adventure.

SPECIAL SHOWCASE: RecFest™ 
DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 12:00PM – 2:40PM
THEATER: 4
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Julien Nadiras

Genre/Themes: Sport, Rock Climbing, Friends

DIFF Notes: SWITZERLAND / 30m / Foreign Language (French)

Synopsis:  When Katherine Choong invites her friend Eline Le Menestrel to climb “Zahir”, a classic multi-pitch route in the Swiss Alps and one of the country’s most challenging, Eline agrees, but on one condition : they must travel using only eco-friendly means.

As the days pass on the wall, they realize just how ambitious their project is. The long distance between bolts, the tiny holds, and the exhaustion from cycling push them to their limits. Fueled by determination and enthusiasm, will Eline and Katherine find their own Zahir?

SPECIAL SHOWCASE: RecFest™ 
DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 12:00PM – 2:40PM
THEATER: 4
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Louis Lhomel

Genre/Theme: Sport, XGames, Biking

DIFF Notes:  CANADA / 26m / (coarse language)

Synopsis: This video documents the making of Matt Macduff’s 2024 X games Part. Watch the crew over come the cold weather and many set backs as they battle to get enough shots to complete a video submission for X games real mtb.

SPECIAL SHOWCASE: RecFest™ 
DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 12:00PM – 2:40PM
THEATER: 4
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director:Mateo Barrenengoa

Genre/Themes: Culture, Climbing

DIFF Notes:  ANGOLA / 30m / Foreign language (Portuguese)

Synopsis: Cumbira II In a small village in the center of Angola, Africa. A pair of brothers, ages 10 and 14, are preparing to climb the highest mountain in the area and hope to leave their country’s flag at the top. An important event for the community, as they will be the first local people to climb this difficult rock wall more than 300 meters high. The beautiful daily life of an African village is interrupted by an event that could change the course of its inhabitants forever.

DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 1:00PM – 3:05PM
THEATER: 5 (SHORTS BLOCK)
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

COMPETING:  DIFFdocs & RecFest

Directors: Edward Knowles, Timo Bruun

Genre/Themes: Culture, Sport, Olympics

DIFF Notes:  GERMANY / 9m

Synopsis: Ghana’s Akwasi Frimpong faces the ultimate physical test at the IBSF World Championships. Racing at speeds of 130km/h and enduring forces of up to 5g, he must remain calm under immense pressure. One mistake could cost him his career.

SPECIAL SHOWCASE: RecFest™ 
DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 12:00PM – 2:40PM
THEATER: 4
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Jeremy Belack

Genre/Themes: Sport, Running

DIFF Notes: USA/ 5m

Synopsis: Mi’randa Villanueva connects to her indigenous roots through runs in the desert. Her drive to set an example for her community is an inspiration to runners of all forms.

SPECIAL SHOWCASE: RecFest™ 
DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 12:00PM – 2:40PM
THEATER: 4
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA

Director: Ryan M Cleek

Genre/Theme: Sport, Mountain Biking, Lifestyle

DIFF Notes: USA / 3m

Synopsis: Growing up across from the legendary Post Office Jumps in Aptos, Connor Gallart became a standout dirt jumper as a teenager. After high school, he stepped away from riding and joined the military. Nearly a decade later, we unexpectedly crossed paths during a Tahoe shoot in March 2025. Connor was returning to riding full-time, and that reunion became the starting point for this film. Blending archival photos with new footage, Return to Sender follows his path back to the sport and place that helped shape him.

SPECIAL SHOWCASE: RecFest™ 
DATE: SAT, Sept 26th
TIME: 12:00PM – 2:40PM
THEATER: 4
LOCATION: AMC, The Grove LA