This Cinema Columbus 2023 block includes six short films accompanied by a post-show Q&A and Festival Awards Ceremony.

Country: United States, Japan
Language: English

From Illumination and Nintendo comes a new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros. Brooklyn plumber Mario, along with a princess named Peach and a mushroom named Toad, must travel through the Mushroom Kingdom to find his brother and save the world. Nominated for three Golden Awards, including Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.

Country: Pakistan
Language: Punjabi, Urdu

As a patriarchal family yearn for the birth of a baby boy to continue their family line, their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theatre and falls for a transgender starlet. Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and Queer Palm, 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards.

Country: United States
Language: English

Prodigy. Revolutionary. Legend. Inspired by an incredible true story, the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner rises to improbable heights in French society. World Premiere, 2022 Toronto International Film Festival

From his darkest fears comes the greatest adventure. A paranoid man embarks on an epic Kafkaesque odyssey to get home to his mother. Nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix). | Country: Canada, Finland, United States | Language: English

Country: United Kingdom
Language: English

Big trouble. Little sister. To save her sister from her impending marriage, martial artist-in-training Ria Khan enlists the help of her friends to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists. Official Selection, 2023 Sundance Film Festival

When her family moves from the city to the suburbs, 11-year-old Margaret navigates new friends, feelings, and the beginning of adolescence. The long-awaited screen adaptation of the beloved 1970 novel by Judy Blume. | Country: United States | Language: English

Humans and nature clash when San, a girl raised by wolves, must defend the forest against the encroaching people of Iron Town. A dazzling Academy Award-nominated masterpiece with breathtaking imagination, exhilarating battles, and deep humanity. | Country: Japan | Language: English; select screenings in Japanese with English subtitles

Art imitates life. On the verge of a career-changing exhibition, an artist finds inspiration in the chaos of life. Palme d’Or nominee, 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Winner of the Robert Altman Award  at the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards. | Country: United States | Language: English

Country: United States
Language: English, French, Russian

Time to look again. Explores the possibility for the global community to overcome challenges like climate change and reach a brighter future through the power of nuclear energy. Based on the book “A Bright Future” by Joshua S. Goldstein. World Premiere at the 2022 Venice Film Festival.

Country: United States
Language: English

She loved men… to death. A modern-day witch uses spells and magic to get men to fall in love with her, in a tribute to 1960s Technicolor thrillers.

Country: United States, Ireland, New Zealand
Language: English

Mommy loves you to death. Two sisters find an ancient book that gives birth to bloodthirsty demons that run amok in a Los Angeles apartment building. A return to the iconic horror franchise.

Country: Japan
Language: Japanese

On the other side of the door, was time in its entirety. On her way to school, 17-year-old Suzume meets a mysterious young man and embarks on a journey to prevent a calamity. From the director of Your Name (2016) and Weathering with You (2019). Official Selection, 2023 Berlin Film Festival. Nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards.

This is an act of self defense. A crew of environmental activists plot a daring plan to disrupt an oil pipeline in this taut and timely thriller that is part high-stakes heist, part radical exploration of the climate crisis. World Premiere, 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. Nominated for Best Editing at the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards. | Country: United States | Language: English

She’s not real. She’s more than that. A team of special agents discover a revolutionary new computer program to bait and trap online predators. After teaming up with the program’s troubled developer, they soon find that the AI is rapidly advancing beyond its original purpose. Best International Feature at the 2022 Fantasia Film Festival. Nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards. | Country: United States | Language: English

Country: United States
Language: Engilsh

Sucks to be him. Having grown sick and tired of his centuries as Dracula’s lackey, Renfield finds a new lease on life — and maybe even redemption — when he falls for feisty, perennially angry traffic cop Rebecca Quincy. World Premiere, 2023 Overlook Film Festival