A music-mad 16-year-old outcast at rugby-mad boarding school forms an unlikely friendship with his dashing new roommate, in this funny and observant coming-of-age tale from Irish novelist and filmmaker John Butler. This tender look at the travails of teenage life is the story of the worst thing Ned (Fionn O'Shea) ever did. It's also the story of the best thing that ever happened to Ned. With his dyed hair, willowy build, and penchant for sexually ambivalent pop and rock from generations past, 16-year-old Ned has never fit in at the rugby-mad boarding school his father insists he attend. Determined to simply keep his nose down and weather another year of loneliness and bullying, Ned is pleasantly surprised when he develops a friendship with his dashing new roommate, Conor (Nicholas Galitzine), a rugby virtuoso with issues of his own. The boys bond over music and start to practice guitar together. At the encouragement of their English teacher (Andrew Scott), Ned and Conor enter a talent show at a local girls' school. As both talent show and rugby season loom, however, the pressure on Conor to choose between manly athletic discipline and more artistic pursuits threatens to tear him apart — while Ned is increasingly tempted to betray Conor's trust in order to save his own skin. This funny, observant coming-of-age film from Irish novelist and filmmaker John Butler — whose feature debut, The Stag, screened at the Festival in 2013 — reminds us that bravery and loyalty are not innate traits. They're qualities we earn under pressure. Ned and Conor both make mistakes, but in the end, what truly matters is that each learns to speak in his own voice. Desc. courtesy of the Toronto International Film Festival.

Filmed with vérité intimacy over the course of a decade, the documentary feature debut of director Jonathan Olshefski is a portrait of a family living in North Philadelphia. Set against the backdrop of a country engulfed in turmoil, and a neighborhood assaulted by inequality and neglect, it follows Christopher “Quest” Rainey, and his wife Christine’a, “Ma Quest,” as they raise their children and nurture the creative sanctuary offered by their home music studio. The family evolves before our eyes, and what began as a tender depiction of an American family develops into a stunning illumination of race, class, and community. Quest begs viewers to take notice. The Rainey clan will have audiences clutching their hearts in a visceral display of admiration. Ultimately, Quest reflects the profound beauty of one family whose journey is a testament to love and healing and whose resilience provides hope for a nation torn apart. Desc. courtesy of the Sundance Film Festival.

Featuring films by a selection of new talents, this year's lineup of shorts includes lyrical works from Turkey and Iran, a pair of brilliant shorts in French from Switzerland and Canada, and a bittersweet goodbye story from Italy.