What to Watch in May – Some of Our Faves from NHFF 2017

It’s finally spring, which means prep for the 2018 New Hampshire Film Festival has officially begun! While we wait anxiously for the announcement of this year’s selected films, we’re catching up on some of our favorites from 2017.

Here are three movies we just can’t get out of our heads — all of which are available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

The Florida Project, 2017

Set in the shadows of Disney World, The Florida Project follows six-year-old Moonee and her friends as they engage in mischief over the course of one summer. The film also showcases the struggles of Moonee’s mother, Halley, and the other adults in their motel community.

Named one of the Top Ten Films of the Year by the American Film Institute, The Florida Project received an overwhelming amount of critical acclaim and audience approval after its release in May 2017. Willem Dafoe was even nominated for an Academy Award.

Drama

Director:

Sean Baker

Producers:

Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch, Kevin Chinoy, Andrew Duncan, Alex Saks, Francesca Silvestri, Shih-Ching Tsou

Starring:

Willem Dafoe, Brooklyn Prince, Valeria Cotto, Bria Vinaite

Available on: Amazon Prime

Sylvio, 2017

Sylvio is a small-town gorilla, stuck in a dead-end job at a debt collection agency. After he accidentally joins a local TV show, a series of on-air mishaps threaten to shatter his identity and leads him on a journey to self-discovery. If this all sounds too weird for you, the film is worth a watch even if it’s just to see a man in a gorilla costume break a bunch of stuff.

Fun fact: The character of Sylvio was born on Vine (RIP). He had over 500,000 followers and over 100 million loops!

Comedy

Directors:

Kentucker Audley, Albert Birney

Producer:

Meghan Doherty

Starring:

Albert Birney, Kentucker Audley, Tallie Medel, Meghan Doherty

Available on: Amazon Prime

Thirst Street, 2017

No film festival is complete without some kind of love triangle/thriller/drama/emotional rollercoaster. In Thirst Street, Gina is an American flight attendant on a layover in Paris. After hooking up with a bartender, Jerome, Gina falls deeper and deeper into lust and decides to stay in France. She was already emotionally fragile before all of this, so when Jerome’s ex-girlfriend makes an appearance Gina is sent on a downward spiral.

Drama

Director:

Nathan Silver

Producers:

Ruben Amar, Louise Bellicaud, Joshua Blum, Claire Charles-Gervais, Jordan Goldnadel, Elsa Leeb, Josh Mandel, David Solal, Katie Stern, C. Mason Wells

Starring:

Lindsay Burdge, Damien Bonnard, Esther Garrel, Anjelica Huston

Available on: Amazon Prime