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U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic Winner | Josephine

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United States2025120 min
U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic Winner | Josephine

After 8-year-old Josephine accidentally witnesses a crime in Golden Gate Park, she acts out in search of a way to regain control of her safety while adults are helpless to console her.

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After 8-year-old Josephine accidentally witnesses a crime in Golden Gate Park, she acts out in search of a way to regain control of her safety while adults are helpless to console her.

Writer-director Beth de Araújo creates a tense, devastating, and transcendently empathetic portrait of a young girl wrestling with a newly discovered fear and anger she can neither escape nor fully comprehend after her encounter with violence. Greta Zozula’s precise cinematography escalates the unease, frequently placing us in Josephine’s vulnerable, frustrated perspective as the film finds a bold and unique visual language to represent how the experience continues to haunt her.

Mason Reeves delivers a searching, tender performance as Josephine. As her fiercely protective father and sensitive mom, Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan give keenly felt turns as parents who are totally devoted to their struggling, beloved child but are ill-equipped to navigate the upheaval their family faces. Philip Ettinger does unforgettable work in a crucial, complex supporting role. — HZ

The following film contains mature content and is not recommended for audiences 17 and under.

Award WinnersAll FeaturesU.S. Only- less

Credits

  • Director(s)

    Beth de Araújo

    Meet the Artist

    Panelist Name

    Beth de Araújo

      Beth de Araújo’s debut feature film, Soft & Quiet, premiered in 2022 at SXSW and was acquired by Blumhouse. She was nominated for the 2022 Gotham Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award.

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      Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic Winner | Josephine

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      After 8-year-old Josephine accidentally witnesses a crime in Golden Gate Park, she acts out in search of a way to regain control of her safety while adults are helpless to console her.

      (2hrs)

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