A first run at the year’s movies

Akeelah and the Bee An 11-year-old girl from South L.A. displays a prodigious aptitude for spelling. With Keke Palmer, left, Angela Bassett, right, Laurence Fishburne, Curtis Armstrong, J.R. Villarreal, Sahara Garey, Sean Michael Afable, Erica Hubbard, Lee Thompson Young, Julito McCullum, Sara Niemietz and George Hornedo. Written and directed by Doug Atchison. Lionsgate, April 28

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Almodovar Film Festival The best of Pedro, from “Matador” and “Law of Desire” to “All About My Mother,” “Talk to Her” and “Bad Education,” get revivals. Sony Pictures Classics, April 21

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Alpha Dog The saga of a mid-level Southern California drug dealer who becomes the youngest person ever to make the FBI’s most wanted list. Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone star. Written and directed by Nick Cassavetes. New Line Cinema, TBA

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Annapolis James Franco stars as a local kid accepted into the Naval Academy who enters the Brigade Boxing Championship to prove himself. With Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Bewster, Donnie Wahlberg, Chi McBride and Vicellous Shannon. Justin Lin (“Better Luck Tomorrow”) directs. Touchstone Pictures, Jan. 27

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Ask the Dust Robert Towne’s adaptation of John Fante’s classic Depression-era L.A. novel stars Colin Farrell as a young Italian American who arrives with literary aspirations, and Salma Hayek as the Mexican waitress who obsesses him. Paramount Classics, March 30

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ATL Hip-hop and roller skating fuel the lives of four teens in working-class Atlanta. With Tip “T.I.” Harris, Lauren London, Mykelti Williamson and Keith David. Directed by Chris Robinson. Warner Bros., March 31

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Babel Writer Guillermo Arriaga and director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (“21 Grams” and “Amores Perros”) continue their collaboration with this story about the effect a rifle changing hands has on people around the world. Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, Elle Fanning and Koji Yakusho star. Paramount Pictures, fall

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Battle in Heaven Director Carlos Reygadas (“Japon”) looks at contemporary Mexico City through the plight of chauffeur, his and his wife’s ill-fated kidnapping of a baby, and his odd relationship with his boss’ troubled daughter. With Marcos Hernandez, Berta Ruiz and Anapola Mushkadiz. Tartan Pictures USA, Feb. 24

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Blood & Bones Takeshi “Beat” Kitano stars as a man who immigrates to Japan from Korea in 1923 and overcomes discrimination to become a successful businessman, but greed drives him into loan sharking. With Suzuki Kyoka. Directed by Yoshi Sai. Tartan Pictures USA, TBA

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Boys Briefs 4 An anthology of gay-themed shorts directed by Welby Ings, Armen Kazazian, Greg Atkins and Bastian Schweitzer. Picture This Entertainment, May

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Breaking & Entering Writer-director Anthony Minghella’s story about a landscape architect drawn into a darker world than he’s accustomed to. Jude Law, Juliette Binoche, Robin Wright Penn and Ray Winstone star. The Weinstein Co., fall

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Brick Contemporary noir set at a Southern California high school where an intrepid student (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) searches for his missing ex-girlfriend. With Nora Zehetner, Noah Fleiss, Matt O’Leary, Noah Segan, Meagan Good, Emilie de Ravin, Richard Roundtree and Lukas Haas. Written and directed by Rian Johnson. Focus Features, spring

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Brothers of the Head Conjoined twins (Luke and Harry Treadaway) are marketed as a novelty rock act in ‘70s Britain and become early punk sensations. Based on Brian Aldiss’ novel. Directed by Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe (“Lost in La Mancha”). IFC Films, July 28

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Bubble Director Steven Soderbergh uses people from the southern Ohio-West Virginia border region as actors in this stark tale about a romantic triangle that forms between workers at a desolate doll factory. With Debbie Doebereiner, Dustin James Ashley, Misty Dawn Wilkins and Decker Moody. Magnolia Pictures, Jan. 27

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Clean Maggie Cheung plays a drug addict who moves to Paris to straighten out her life after her fading rock-star husband overdoses. With Nick Nolte, Martha Henry and Beatrice Dalle. Directed by Olivier Assayas (“Irma Vep”). Palm Pictures, April

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Conversations With Other Women Aaron Eckhart and Helena Bonham Carter star as a couple who reignite old passions and regret when they meet again at a wedding reception. Directed by Hans Canosa. Fabrication Films, TBA

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The Death of Mr. Lazarescu A Bucharest man begins a long night’s journey into day with a call for an ambulance. With Ion Fiscuteanu and Luminita Gheorghiu. Directed by Cristi Puiu. Tartan Pictures USA, April 26

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Delwende A mother is ostracized from her village in Burkina Faso because the elders believe she is a witch responsible for the deaths of several children, but her daughter returns from an arranged marriage to stand up for her. With Blandine Yameogo, Claire Ilboudo and Celestin Zongo. Directed by S. Pierre Yameogo. New Yorker Films, March

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Dirty Two cops (Cuba Gooding Jr. and Clifton Collins Jr.) find it increasingly easy to stay clean even as an internal affairs investigation bears down on their unit. With Cole Hauser, Wyclef Jean, Keith David, Taboo, Wood Harris, Lobo Sebastian, Robert LaSardo and Aimee Garcia. Directed by Chris Fisher. Silver Nitrate, Feb. 24

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Don’t Come Knocking Sam Shepard scripted and stars as a washed-up movie actor, disgusted by his life, who sets out on a journey searching for his relationships, past, present and future. With Jessica Lange, Tim Roth, Gabriel Mann, Sarah Polley, Fairuza Balk, Eva Marie Saint, Tom F. Farrell. Directed by Wim Wenders. Sony Pictures Classics, March 17

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L’Enfant (The Child) A petty criminal living in a Belgian steel town with his young girlfriend sells their baby to black marketeers and then tries to undo his grave mistake. Jeremie Renier, Deborah Francois and Jeremie Segard star. Directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne. The 2005 Cannes Palme d’Or winner. Sony Pictures Classics, March 24

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Evil A Swedish teen expelled from his own school is sent to a sadistic boarding school where he rebels against the cycle of peer violence. With Andreas Wilson, Linda Zilliacus, Henrik Lundstrom, Marie Richardson, Johan Rabeus, Kjell Bergqvist, Gustaf Skarsgard, Magnus Roosman. Directed by Mikael Hafstrom (“Derailed”). Magnolia Pictures, March

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Fateless In 1944, a Jewish Hungarian teen is separated from his family and placed in a concentration camp where he experiences a surreal and adaptive disconnect from his circumstances. Directed by Lajos Koltai. ThinkFilm, Jan. 27

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Fierce People Diane Lane plays a working-class mom with a drug problem who moves with her teenage son (Anton Yelchin) to a country club suburb and into conflict with the natives. Donald Sutherland, Kristen Stewart, Elizabeth Perkins, Paz de la Huerta and Chris Evans costar. Directed by Griffin Dunne. Lionsgate, April

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Find Me Guilty Vin Diesel plays Giacomo “Jackie Dee” DiNorscio, who refused to testify against his friends and represented himself in the longest criminal case in U.S. history. Directed by Sidney Lumet. Yari Film Group Releasing, March 17

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Flicka Alison Lohman stars as a 16-year-old who sets out to break a wild mustang in this update of “My Friend Flicka.” With Tim McGraw, Maria Bello and Ryan Kwanten. Directed by Michael Mayer (“A Home at the End of the World”). 20th Century Fox, July 28

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Flight 93 Paul Greengrass (“Bloody Sunday”) wrote and directed this account of the plane that crashed in southwestern Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001. Universal Pictures, April 28

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The Forsaken Land Denizens of war-torn Sri Lanka endure the ennui of unemotional sex, simple interactions and meaningless patter. Directed by Vimukthi Jayasundara. New Yorker Films, June

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Free Zone Natalie Portman plays a lovesick Jewish American living in Jerusalem who joins a female Israeli cabbie (Hanna Laslo) in a custom-free and tax-free region where they encounter a Palestinian woman (Hiam Abbass). Directed by Amos Gitai. New Yorker Films, April / May

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Freedomland Based on Richard Price’s novel in which a mysterious carjacking tears apart a neighborhood. Julianne Moore, above, Samuel L. Jackson, Edie Falco, Ron Eldard, William Forsythe, Aunjanue Ellis and Anthony Mackie star. Directed by Joe Roth (“America’s Sweethearts”). Columbia / Revolution, Feb. 17

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Fur Nicole Kidman stars as photographer Diane Arbus in director Steven Shainberg’s (“Secretary”) fictionalized romance. Robert Downey Jr. costars. Picturehouse, October

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Goal! The Dream Begins A Mexican American from L.A. gets a shot at playing for Newcastle United in Britain’s top soccer league. Kuno Becker, Stephen Dillane, Anna Friel, Marcel Iures, Sean Pertwee and Alessandro Nivola star. Directed by Danny Cannon. Touchstone Pictures, winter

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Gridiron Gang The Rock and Xzibit play detention camp probation officers who try to teach the teenage inmates self-respect and social responsibility through football. Directed by Phil Joanou. Columbia Pictures, Sept. 15

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Gypo Dogme 95-style film chronicles a British working-class family’s deterioration after the daughter befriends a Czech refugee fleeing an abusive marriage. With Pauline McLynn, Paul McGann, Rula Lenska and Chloe Sirene. Directed by Jan Dunn. Wolfe, TBA

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The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things Asia Argento stars in and directs this story of a mother who drags her young son on a derelict’s tour of America. With Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Peter Fonda, Michael Pitt, Marilyn Manson, Kip Pardue, Ben Foster, John Robinson and Jeremy Renner. Based on J.T. LeRoy’s autobiographical novel. Palm Pictures, January

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Hidden Blade As the Edo period ends, a low-level samurai faces great changes, protects an abused young woman and must fight an old friend to prove his own innocence. With Masatoshi Nagase, Takako Matsu and Yukitoshi Ozawa. Directed by Yoji Yamada. Tartan Pictures USA, March 24

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The Hoax Richard Gere stars as Clifford Irving, the writer who claimed his biography of the reclusive Howard Hughes was based on one-on-one interviews but was proved a fraud. Alfred Molina and Marcia Gay Harden costar. Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Miramax Films, TBA

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The House of Sand A poor desert town in northern Brazil is home to three generations of women destined to remain there all their lives. Fernanda Montenegro and Fernanda Torres star. Directed by Andrucha Waddington. Sony Pictures Classics, TBA

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How to Eat Fried Worms The new school year starts off eventfully for a fifth-grader when he accepts a momentous dare. Thomas Cavanaugh, Kimberly Williams Paisley, Luke Benwald and Hallie Kate Eisenberg star. Directed by Bob Dolman (“The Banger Sisters”). New Line Cinema, Aug. 25

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Infamous Writer-director Douglas McGrath (“Emma”) delivers his take on Truman Capote (Toby Jones) and the writing of “In Cold Blood,” based on George Plimpton’s biography. Sandra Bullock, Daniel Craig, Peter Bogdanovich, Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, Gwyneth Paltrow, Isabella Rossellini, Juliet Stevenson and Sigourney Weaver also star. Warner Independent Pictures, Oct. 13

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The Inside Man Spike Lee assembles an imposing cast -- Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe, Chiwetel Ejiofor -- for a faceoff between a tough cop and a clever bank robber in a hostage situation. Universal Pictures, March 24

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The Intruder Director Claire Denis focuses on new beginnings in this story of a man who receives a heart transplant, then travels halfway around the world in search of a fresh start. With Michel Subor, Gregoire Colin and Katia Golubeva. Wellspring Media, TBA

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Invincible Mark Wahlberg, right, stars as a Philadelphia substitute teacher and part-time bartender who bucks the odds in the 1970s to play pro football. With Greg Kinnear, left, as Eagles Coach Dick Vermeil, Kevin Conway, Elizabeth Banks and Michael Rispoli. Directed by Ericson Core. Walt Disney Pictures, fall

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Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas) During World War I, an Anglican priest, a French lieutenant, a German tenor and his singing partner are affected by unexpected events. With Diane Kruger, Benno Furmann, Guillaume Canet, Gary Lewis, Danny Boon, Daniel Bruhl, Alex Ferns, Steven Robertson, Lucas Belvaux, Bernard Le Coq; songs performed by Nathalie Dessay and Rolando Villazon. Directed by Christian Carion (“The Girl From Paris”). Sony Pictures Classics, March 3

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The King A young man recently mustered out of the Navy seeks the father he never knew, now a successful pastor at a Baptist church, and develops a forbidden relationship with his half-sister. Gael Garcia Bernal, William Hurt, Pell James and Laura Harring star. Directed by James Marsh. ThinkFilm, May

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The Lake House Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves play time-separated lovers connected by the enigmatic residence they each lived in. With Dylan Walsh, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Christopher Plummer. Directed by Alejandro Agresti. Written by David Auburn (“Proof”). Warner Bros., June

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Land of the Blind In a totalitarian state, the saga of a revolutionary is recounted by a prisoner. Ralph Fiennes, Donald Sutherland and Lara Flynn Boyle star. Written and directed by Robert Edwards. Bauer Martinez, May 26

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The Last King of Scotland James McAvoy plays a Scottish doctor on a Ugandan medical mission who is handpicked to be newly self-appointed President Idi Amin’s (Forest Whitaker) personal physician. Kerry Washington and Gillian Anderson star. Directed by Kevin Macdonald (“One Day in September”). Fox Searchlight, TBA

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Lemming The marriage of a young engineer (Laurent Lucas) and his sweet wife (Charlotte Gainsbourg) begins to go badly following an unsettling visit from the engineer’s boss (Richard Pollock) and his aloof wife (Charlotte Rampling) and the later discovery of a mysterious rodent in the plumbing. Directed by Dominik Moll (“With a Friend Like Harry”). Strand Releasing, May

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Little Children Writer-director Todd Field (“In the Bedroom”) adapts a novel by Tom Perrotta (“Election”) about the dangerous interactions of a group of young marrieds in a small community. Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly and Patrick Wilson star. New Line Cinema, TBA

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Live and Become In a Sudanese refugee camp in 1984, a Christian mother makes her son pose as a Jew so he can be taken to the relative safety of Israel. With Yael Abecassis, Roschdy Zem, Moshe Agazai, Mosche Abebe, Sirak M. Sabahat, Roni Hadar. Directed by Radu Mihaileanu. Menemsha Entertainment, April 14

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London The title refers not to the city but to a woman (Jessica Biel) whose boyfriend (Chris Evans) discovers she’s leaving him and crashes her going-away party, bringing along an Englishman (Jason Statham) and a lot of cocaine. With Joy Bryant, Isla Fisher, Kelly Garner and Dane Cook. Written and directed by Hunter Richards. Destination Films / Samuel Goldwyn Films, Feb. 10

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Lower City Lazaro Ramos, Wagner Moura and Alice Braga form a passionate love triangle, as two best friends with a cargo boat and the beautiful passenger they pick up. Directed by Sergio Machado. Palm Pictures, June

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Lucky You Eric Bana stars as a professional poker player who hooks up with a struggling Vegas singer (Drew Barrymore) and faces off against his alienated father (Robert Duvall) at the World Series of Poker. Debra Messing also stars. Directed by Curtis Hanson. Warner Bros., TBA

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Manderlay In director Lars von Trier’s follow-up to “Dogville,” Bryce Dallas Howard takes over the role of Grace from Nicole Kidman and ventures to a plantation where slavery exists even though it’s 1933. With Danny Glover, Willem Dafoe, Lauren Bacall. IFC Films, Feb. 3

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Margaret A traffic accident triggers a response in a New York City high school student that she somehow inadvertently caused it. Anna Paquin, above, Matt Damon, Mark Ruffalo, J. Smith-Cameron, Matthew Broderick and Jean Reno star. Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan. Fox Searchlight, TBA

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Marie Antoinette Filmmaker Sofia Coppola’s tale of the Austrian princess (Kirsten Dunst) who joins the bacchanal of French aristocracy as King Louis XVI’s bride. Jason Schwartzman, Rip Torn, Judy Davis, Steve Coogan, Asia Argento, Danny Huston, Rose Byrne, Molly Shannon and Shirley Henderson costar. Based on a book by Antonia Fraser. Columbia Pictures, Oct. 13

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The Masseur A young Filipino man, a massage parlor employee, visits the province where his father died and begins to reconcile what’s important to him. With Coco Martin, Jaclyn Jose, Alan Paule and Katherine Luna. Directed by Brillante Mendoza. Picture This Entertainment, October

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Mirage A poetry contest allows a 12-year-old Macedonian boy an escape from his troubles but he’s also forced to come to some bitter realizations. With Marko Kovacevic, Mustafa Nadarevic, Vlado Jovnovski, Nikola Djuricko, Dejan Acimovic, Elena Mosevska, Slavica Manaskova, Nikola Hejko. Directed by Svetozar Ristovski. Picture This Entertainment, March

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Mountain Patrol: Kekexili A Beijing photojournalist chronicles the poaching of antelope along the Tibetan border. With Duo Bujie, Zhang Lei, Qi Liang, Zhao Xueying, Ma Zhanlin. Written and directed by Lu Chuan. Samuel Goldwyn Films / Columbia Pictures, April

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La Mujer de Mi Hermano Bored by her marriage of 10 years, a woman finds romance in the arms of her husband’s brother, triggering a cycle of secrets and revenge. With Angelica Aragon, Bruno Bichir, Manolo Cardona, Beto Cuevas, Gaby Espino, Christian Meier and Barbara Mori. Directed by Ricardo de Montreuil. Lionsgate, spring

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The Namesake An Indian family’s move from Calcutta to New York tests its ability to maintain its culture and heritage. With Kal Penn, Tabu, Irfan Khan, Jacinda Barrett, Zuleikha Robinson, Glenne Headley and Brooke Smith. Directed by Mira Nair. Fox Searchlight, TBA

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Notes on a Scandal An illicit affair at an art school bonds a teacher (Cate Blanchett, right) and her confidante (Judi Dench, left). Directed by Richard Eyre. Written by Patrick Marber (“Closer”). Fox Searchlight, TBA

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The Notorious Bettie Page Director Mary Harron re-teams with co-screenwriter Guinevere Turner (“American Psycho”) in this biopic of the popular 1950s pinup, played by Gretchen Moll. Lili Taylor, David Strathairn, Jonathan M. Woodward, Cara Seymour, Tara Subkoff and Kevin Carroll. Picturehouse, April 14

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On a Clear Day An unemployed, middle-age Glasgow shipbuilder with a strained family situation trains to swim the English Channel. Peter Mullan, Brenda Blethyn, Jamie Sives, Billy Boyd, Sean McGinley and Ron Cook. Directed by Gaby Dellal. Focus Features, April 7

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Opal Dream The unshakable faith of a south Australian girl in her two imaginary friends causes her to fall ill when they disappear. With Vince Colosimo, Jacqueline McKenzie, Christian Byers and Sapphire Boyce. Directed by Peter Cattaneo (“The Full Monty”). Focus Features, TBA

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The Painted Veil Naomi Watts and Edward Norton play a young English couple in 1920s China who grow apart but get a second chance during a dangerous adventure. Directed by John Curran (“We Don’t Live Here Anymore”). Based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham. Warner Independent Pictures, Nov. 17

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Pierrepoint Timothy Spall plays a man who ascends to the highest ranks of British executioner between 1934 and 1956. Juliet Stevenson also stars. Directed by Adrian Shergold. IFC Films, September

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Poster Boy Away at college and reveling in his sexual liberty, the gay son of a conservative U.S. senator becomes potential fodder for a gay activist. Matt Newton, Jack Noseworthy, Michael Lerner and Karen Allen star. Regent Releasing, June

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The Pursuit of Happyness Will Smith stars as a hard-luck salesman who assumes custody of his young son at a crucial point in his career. Directed by Gabriele Muccino (“L’Ultimo Baccio”). With Thandie Newton and Jaden Smith.Columbia Pictures, Dec. 15

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The Queen The British royal family is in crisis after the death of Princess Diana. With Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth, James Cromwell as Prince Phillip and Michael Sheen as Tony Blair. Directed by Stephen Frears. Miramax Films, TBA

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Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles An elderly Japanese man makes a trans-China journey to find a famous Chinese actor in hopes of reconciling with his own dying son. Directed by Zhang Yimou. With Ken Takakura, Terajima Shinobu, Nakai Kiichi. Sony Pictures Classics, TBA

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Running Scared Paul Walker plays a low-level gangster who must recover a gun used in a mob hit in order to protect his family. Directed by Wayne Kramer (“The Cooler”). Vera Farmiga, Cameron Bright and Chazz Palminteri also star. New Line Cinema, Feb. 24

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Running With Scissors An adaptation of Augusten Burrough’s bestselling memoir of growing up with wildly dysfunctional parents and being sent to live with an eccentric psychiatrist. Joseph Cross and Annette Bening, above, Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Evan Rachel Wood, Alec Baldwin and Jill Clayburgh star. Directed by Ryan Murphy (TV’s “Nip/Tuck”). TriStar Pictures, fall

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7 Virgins A juvenile delinquent on a two-day pass from a reform center to attend a wedding gets drunk, takes drugs and has sex while witnessing the collapse of his family and his neighborhood. With Juan Jose Ballesta, Jesus Carroza and Vicente Romero. Directed by Alberto Rodriguez. Picture This Entertainment, June

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Simon A traffic accident triggers a platonic relationship between a gay dentist (Marcel Hensema) and free-spirited cafe owner named Simon (Cees Geel). Directed by Eddy Terstall. Strand Releasing, April

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The Sisters Writer Richard Alfieri modernizes Chekhov’s trio of siblings, resetting their story of lies and a crumbling family in a college town. Elizabeth Banks, Maria Bello, Erika Christensen, Steven Culp, Tony Goldwyn, Mary Stuart Masterson, Eric McCormack, Allessandro Nivola, Chris O’Donnell and Rip Torn star. Directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman. A2 Entertainment, April 14

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Somersault A 16-year-old Australian girl escapes to a small ski village where she tries to reinvent herself, but bad habits resurface. With Abbie Cornish, Sam Worthington and Lynette Curran. Directed by Cate Shortland. Magnolia Pictures, April

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Sophie Scholl: The Final Days Julia Jentsch stars as the German college student who became a courageous freedom fighter and faced the wrath of the Nazis in World War II. With Alexander Held, Fabian Hinrichs and Johanna Gastdorf. Directed by Marc Rothemund. Zeitgeist Films, Feb. 24

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Stoned The life and times of Brian Jones (Leo Gregory) of the Rolling Stones come to a mysterious end in a swimming pool. With Paddy Considine, David Morrissey and Ben Whishaw. Directed by Stephen Wooley. Screen Media Films, March 24

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Stryker A turf war between two gangs in Winnipeg’s North End is fueled by the arrival of a young arsonist. Kyle Henry, Ryan Black and Deena Fontaine star. Directed by Noam Gonick. Strand Releasing, January

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Summer Storm A young German rower is disturbed by the feelings he has for his best friend and teammate. With Robert Stadlober, Kostja Ullman and Alicja Bachleda-Curus. Directed by Marco Kreuzpainter. Regent Releasing, March 17

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The Syrian Bride A young woman knows that once she weds she will never be able to return to her Druze village in the Golan Heights. With Hiam Abbass, Makram J. Khoury and Clara Khoury. Directed by Eran Riklis. Koch Lorber, March

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Take My Eyes A woman must come to terms with a new life after leaving her abusive husband. With Laia Marull and Luis Tosar. Directed by Iciar Bollain. New Yorker Films, March

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Take the Lead Antonio Banderas plays a professional dancer teaching in the New York public schools who, with his students, blends classical methods and hip-hop instincts to create new forms. With Alfre Woodard, Rob Brown and YaYa DeCosta. Directed by Liz Friedlander. New Line Cinema, April 7

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3 Needles Stories from around the world characterize the AIDS epidemic: In China, a woman (Lucy Liu) runs a black-market blood scheme that exposes an entire village; in Montreal, a porn actor keeps his HIV status a secret to continue working; and in Africa, three nuns (Chloe Sevigny, Olympia Dukakis and Sandra Oh) fight the spread of the disease. With Stockard Channing. Directed by Thom Fitzgerald (“The Hanging Garden”). Wolfe, TBA

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Time to Leave A successful fashion photographer learns he has a malignant brain tumor and hides the news from his boyfriend, but a visit with his grandmother and an encounter with a waitress change his outlook. Melvil Poupaud, Jeanne Moreau and Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi star. Directed by Francois Ozon. Strand Releasing, July

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Truth, Justice and the American Way Adrien Brody plays a private eye investigating the curious death of TV’s “Superman,” George Reeves (Ben Affleck), in the 1950s. With Diane Lane and Bob Hoskins. Directed by Allen Coulter. Focus Features, TBA

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Tsotsi In the Johannesburg townships of South Africa, a young gang leader steals a car -- unaware that a baby is in the backseat -- forever changing his life. With Presley Chweneyagae, above, Terry Pheto, Kenneth Nkosi, Mothusi Magano, Zenzo Ngqobe and Zola. Written and directed by Gavin Hood, based on the Athol Fugard novel. Miramax Films, Feb. 24

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Twelve and Holding Adolescents deal with the fallout when a friend is killed by bullies. With Conor Donovan, Jesse Camacho, Zoe Weizenbaum, Jeremy Renner, Annabella Sciorra. Directed by Michael Cuesta (“L.I.E.”). IFC Films, June 2

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Venus Peter O’Toole and Leslie Phillips play a couple of veteran thespians whose rituals are upset by the arrival of grand-niece. With Jodie Whittaker, Vanessa Redgrave and Richard Griffiths. Written by Hanif Kureishi. Directed by Roger Michell. Miramax Films, TBA

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Volver Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar looks at the way a small town humanizes its rituals of death and how that affects the inhabitants. With Yohana Cobo, Penelope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Duenas, Blanca Portillo. Sony Pictures Classics, June 23

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Wah-Wah A coming-of-age story set in 1969 Swaziland, South East Africa, as it prepares for independence and as a teenage boy’s family gradually dissolves. Gabriel Byrne, Emily Watson, Julie Walters, Nicholas Hoult and Miranda Richardson. Written and directed by Richard E. Grant. Samuel Goldwyn Films / Roadside Attractions, May 5

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Water Filmmaker Deepa Mehta’s elemental trilogy (“Fire,” “Earth”) concludes with this story of an 8-year-old girl sent to live in an ashram for Hindu widows in 1938 colonial India. With Lisa Ray, John Abraham, Seema Biswas and Sarala. Fox Searchlight, spring

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The Whore’s Son A Yugoslav immigrant grows up in Vienna thinking his mother is a waitress, and when she abandons him at 16 he becomes obsessed with finding her. With Stanislav Lisnic, Chulpan Khamatova, Miki Manojlovic, Ina Gogalova and Georg Friedrich. Directed by Michael Sturminger. Picture This Entertainment, April

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Winter Passing Playwright Adam Rapp’s debut feature follows a struggling actress (Zooey Deschanel) and her visit to her reclusive novelist father (Ed Harris), which reveals an unusual living arrangement and old secrets. With Amy Madigan, Will Ferrell and Amelia Warner. Yari Film Group Releasing, Feb. 17

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Woman Is the Future of Man Two Korean men, one an aspiring filmmaker, the other a university arts professor, reminisce about old times and a woman both knew. With Kim Taewoo, Yoo Jitae and Sung Hyunah. Directed by Hong Sang-soo. New Yorker Films, February

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World Trade Center Oliver Stone directed this story of two Port Authority policemen trapped in the rubble of the WTC on Sept. 11, 2001. Nicolas Cage, Michael Pena, Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal star. Paramount Pictures, August

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A Year Without Love Seeking to purge both the physical and emotional pain of AIDS, a Buenos Aires writer sets out to find true love. Directed by Anahi Berneri. Strand Releasing, January