by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer

The Philadelphia Film Festival (PFF), October 17-27, offers the opportunity to see many of the Oscar-baiting films this season, as well as some of the submissions for the Best International Film Oscar. And while I expect I will see several films from column A and column B, I also hope to catch some films I might never see anywhere else. That’s what I enjoy most about a film festival—the opportunity to take a chance and discover a gem.

Here are five films that I am most excited to see at this year’s Philadelphia Film Festival.

I’m Still Here
Directed by Walter Salles
Premieres October 19
Tickets here

Brazil’s Oscar submission, directed by Walter Salles—his first film since 2012’s On the Road—received rapturous reviews at Venice and speaks to my interest in Latin American politics and the impact that it has on individuals. In this film, the story, based on Rubens Paiva’s book, recounts the experiences his family has after Paiva, a former congressman, is disappeared. I love the actresses who play Paiva’s wife Eunice—Fernanda Torres and Fernanda Montenegro—as well as every films I’ve seen by Salles—Central Station, which starred Montenegro in an Oscar-nominated performance, Behind the Sun, and The Motorcycle Diaries. As such, I am most keen to see this one.

The Count of Monte Cristo
Directed by Alexandre de La Patellière
Premieres October 20
Tickets here

I wasn’t able to get a screener for this film—arguable the most expensive French production ever made—out of Cannes, so I am glad I will get the chance to see this sweeping new adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ classic now. While I am embarrassed to admit I never read the book, I did see the 2002 film version (with Jim Cazaviel and Guy Pearce) and loved the story, so I’m anxious to see this adaptation. Moreover, I admire Pierre Niney who takes the title role.

The Brutalist
Directed by Brady Corbet
Premieres October 19
Tickets here

A four-hour epic about a Hungarian architect coming to America in the post-war years? Sign me up! Actor-turned-director Brady Corbet has become a pretty masterful filmmaker as his previous features The Childhood of a Leader and Vox Lux attest, so this one is high on my list. The cast is incredible, too—Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Alessandro Nivola, and Isaach De Bankolé.

It's Not Me + Silent Trilogy
Directed by Leos Carax and Juho Kuosmanen
Premieres October 20
Tickets here

Leos Carax, the mastermind behind Holy Motors made a short self-portrait about his work, so I’m all in for that. But wait, there’s more! Finish filmmaker Juho Kuosmanen, who made the excellent Compartment No. 6, has three silent shorts playing with the Carax. As someone who teaches and curates shorts, these films are on my must list.

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found
Directed by Raoul Peck
Premieres October 25
Tickets here

I don’t know Ernest Cole’s work, but I do know what Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) is going to be the perfect guide to introduce me to this South African photographer who captured apartheid on camera. Peck brilliantly dissects issues of race, and the images are sure to be as potent and the narrative.

Find the entire PFF line-up here and stay tuned for additional coverage here during the fest from your friendly MovieJawn staff.