Twenty-five year old Shubhashish Bhutiani makes his debut as a director with this impressive, soulful comedy/drama. Warmed by the amazing location cinematography, with wide shots of the Ganges, and rich, colorful backdrop of Varanasi, its people, boats and rituals, this is an end of life story. According to Hindu beliefs, people go to this holy city to die and attain salvation, and faced with his father’s wish to die there, his straight-laced accountant son struggles to meet this demand. India 2016 (102 minutes)

An interesting hybrid of documentary and fiction, this film is about a brooding stranger who arrives and unsettles an isolated Scottish town, disrupting the town by the mystery and darkness surrounding him. Bodkin, the stranger is played by a professional actor while everyone else is local, real people, playing themselves in all their quirky and unforgettable glory. Looking to build a new life, Bodkin secures a job, a group of friends and a girlfriend, but his dark past catches up with him. Winner, FIPRESCI Award, Rotterdam Film Festival. UK 2016 (79 minutes)

In the stunned aftermath of a fatal car accident, a directionless 16-year-old half-Maori runaway drifts, with unpredictable consequences, into the lives of strangers. The ruggedly beautiful landscapes of New Zealand’s isolated Otago region on the South Island provide the scenic backdrop to a story where relationships blur and boundaries are tested in a beautifully nuanced film about a teenager searching to belong. An assured and darkly powerful feature debut from Jackie van Beek–one of New Zealand’s most promising cinematic voices. New Zealand 2017 (80 minutes)

Reminiscent in theme to “Rosemary’s Baby,” this new thriller is sure to sneak into your dreams—or nightmares. A British couple expecting their first child discover their new downstairs neighbors are also about to become first-time parents. The friendship that develops between the two couples has eerie consequences. Written and directed by David Farr, who wrote the script for “The Night Manager.” UK 2015, (87 minutes)

Part detective story/ part crime thriller, this visually arresting film explores a currently hot topic: the human trafficking of young Asian women tricked into a life of prostitution. When one of these migrant women goes missing, an indigenous Aussie detective partners with a sharply dressed local cop to find her. Director Ivan Sen makes excellent use of shots of the vast Australian Outback. The detectives run up against the town’s brassy mayor, who bakes apple pies while putting the screws to her constituents and is unforgettably played by two-time Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver (“Animal Kingdom” and “Silver Linings Playbook’) in a platinum wig and scarlet lips. Australia 2016 (110 minutes)

The most intriguing and original festival entry, this pseudo -documentary (also known as a mockumentary) follows the fate of the title character who lives in a reverse timeframe. He has no recollection of past events but is able to remember future endeavors. The film’s narrator is a neuropsychologist who speaks into the camera about her relationship with the strange Otto Bloom, who appears out of nowhere in Melbourne with no memory of where he came from. The narrator is sufficiently intrigued to eventually become his lover. In a nice touch of casting she’s played as a young woman by Matilda Brown and as an older woman by Brown’s actual mother, Rachel Ward. (Dad is Bryan Brown, which means the whole family is featured in the Australian Spotlight.) The film, a first from Australian director Cris Jones, follows Otto through a passionate affair with a rock star. He then becomes a latter-day prophet, able to challenge notions of life, death and time. Australia 2016 (85 minutes)