Very rarely do you hear about the World Cinema competitions that comprise over a third of the festival's features. Generally, this is because they tend to be much weaker, featuring everything from the empty, tonal pieces (Burkina Faso's "Buried Dreams" and Russia's "The Island") to the blatantly misogynistic character studies (Brazil's "Drained"). So, while reporters, buyers and festival goers clamor over big budget indies like George Ratliff's brilliant narrative, "Joshua," I'm sifting through the international selections to find the diamonds in the rough, few and far between. And it is the films with the most emotional honesty that prove to be the strongest. (indiewire)