Duration: November 6-16 Venue: ArcLight Theaters City: Hollywood Country: USA Edition: 2003 Web: AFI FEST 2003

This year's edition of AFI Fest was quite strong, with a fairly solid selection of good films. Takeshi Kitano's Dolls and Dagur Karis' Noi Albino—which remind you that cinema is an art before an entertainment medium—as well as Bolivian debut Sexual Dependency, were undoubtedly the highlights of the festival. Denis Arcand's Barbarian Invasions was probably the richest in themes and tones.

60 Spins Around the Sun 60 Spins Around the Sun chronicles the hyper kinetic life of Randy Credico, a comedian with a mission for unsung causes, from the Sandanistas and Jimmy Hoffa, Jr. to his battles against New York's Rockefeller Drug Laws and racial profiling in Tulia, Texas.

Adam & Eve Can a romantic comedy be funny, a bit poetic and have a thematic edge? This answer is yes, at least in Germany where censorship and frigid conservatism don't get in the way of making films for adults.

An Almost Ordinary Story The Serbian romantic comedy An Almost Ordinary Story takes place in a modern, urban Belgrade whose embers of war and dictatorship have burned out, giving rise to a Phoenix of American pop culture and lifestyle.

At Five in the Afternoon Iranian filmmaker Samira Makhmalbaf's third film, At 5 in the Afternoon, joins the segment she directed for the film 11'09'01, offering a pessimistic report on women in Afghan society.

Joy of Madness Hana Makhmalbaf, the daughter of renowned Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf (Kandahar) and sister of Samira Makhmalbaf (11'09''01 September 11), followed Samira and her crew as they were scouting Afghanistan, looking for actors to be featured in her latest film, At Five in the Afternoon. The result is a candid look at a country still haunted by the menacing ghost of the Taliban.

The Barbarian Invasions Sixteen years after the release of The Decline of the American Empire, the first Québecois film to attract an international audience, Denys Arcand revives his characters in The Barbarian Invasions, a humorous, cynical and heart-warming drama that mocks the shadow of death.

Bodysong A furious kaleidoscope of the human experience during the last century, Bodysong celebrates the glories and cruelties of human beings. And there are many.

Bon Voyage Jean-Paul Rappenau pays homage to some old French classics in Bon Voyage, offering the perfect mix of comedy, action, romance and historical references with a strong and glamorous ensemble cast.

The Company The Company can certainly be credited for showing a facet of Robert Altman we have rarely seen before: his use of a camera as a tool to capture beauty.

Double Agent Double Agent examines the inside work and psychological struggle of double agent Lim (Han Suk-kyu) who infiltrates the South Korean secret services.

Fassbinder in Hollywood Fassbinder in Hollywood focuses on the relationship between Hollywood—and the US to an extent—and German filmmaker Werner Fassbinder.

Go Further Rather than just portraying the problem and offering no solution, in Go Further, director Ron Mann chronicles Woody Harrelson's consciousness-raising tour about sustainable living on a hemp fueled bus, offering viable solutions that can help make the world a little better.

Kamchatka Kamchatka is a heartrending drama set during Argentina's dirty war in 1976.

Live Forever Unofficially filling the gap between 24 Hour Party People's exciting Madchester retrospective and today's musical vacuum, Live Forever offers a documentary look at Britpop in the 90's focusing on the influence of major emblematic bands such as Oasis (hence the title), Blur and Pulp.

Nicotina Nicotina is a Mexican version of a 60's diamond heist film wrapped in a comforting quilt of Quentin Tarantino/Guy Ritchie black comedy. As seen through a sultry haze of cigarette smoke.

Nói Albinó Bathed in a saturated bleaching light, scarce in dialogue and advancing slowly, Nói Albinó is a meticulously crafted dreamlike world, injected with highly precise doses of oddity, poetry and humor.

Old, New, Borrowed and Blue In Old, New, Borrowed and Blue director Natasha Arthy begins the film with a signed certificate of authenticity from the Dogma school.

Sansa In Sansa, artist/writer/director Siegfried follows a street hustler/artist (Roschdy Zen) who makes his way from Paris to Russia using his street smarts.

Sexual Dependency Sexual Dependency, the first feature from Bolivian director Rodrigo Bellot, follows the intertwined paths of 5 teenagers, from Bolivia to the US. Shot in split screen, the film follows each character, as a distinctive act, giving them a chance to be in the spotlight.

The Triplettes of Belleville The Triplettes of Belleville, Sylvain Chomet's first full-length film, is undoubtedly a good surprise: Action, humour, poetry and incredible technical control.

Two Friends The adaptation of a play, Two Friends evolves around the unlikely friendship between two roommates, Nunzio, a simpleton affected by a chronic cough and Pino, a hitman working for the Sicilian mob.