Ten to see at the 2015 Kansas International Film Festival

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Since 2001, the Kansas International Film Festival — formerly known as Halfway to Hollywood — has given local movie fans a chance to sample upcoming Oscar contenders (Black Swan bowed here well before its national debut) and has brought legendary filmmakers (zombie pioneer George A. Romero and Canadian avant-garde master Guy Maddin, among others) to town. This year’s lineup features the usual robust blend of mainstream awards bait, worthy obscurities, haunting documentaries, and locally crafted bids for the big time. We’ve devised the list below based not on viewing — most of the entries were unavailable to screen in advance — but on a mathematical formula of curiosity plus filmmaker track record, divided by possible scheduling conflicts. KIFF runs from Friday, November 6, through Thursday, November 12, at the Glenwood Arts (3707 West 95th Street in Overland Park). Ticket prices range from $6.50 to $6.75; for tickets, a full schedule and synopses, see kansasfilm.com.

Brooklyn

7:35 p.m. Friday

Irish director John Crowley is known for his dark comedy Intermission and the underappreciated drama Boy A, which featured a breakout performance by future Spider-Man Andrew Garfield. This time around, Crowley has teamed up with British novelist and screenwriter Nick Hornby (An Education, Wild) to adapt Colm Toibin’s book about a young Irish girl (Saoirse Ronan) trying to make her way through 1950s New York. The deep cast includes Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent, Domhnall Gleeson, Julie Walters and Jessica Paré.

The House on Pine Street

7:45 p.m. Friday

In this entry from twin filmmakers Aaron and Austin Keeling, a young woman has the misfortune of dealing with a house full of malevolent spirits and an unwanted pregnancy. The film was shot entirely in Kansas City, and the brothers are on hand to present the film alongside collaborators Tisha Swart-Entwistle, Natalie Jones and Robert Jones.

No Greater Love

5:15 p.m. Saturday

Army chaplain Justin D. Roberts makes his filmmaking debut with this doc about the troops he served with in Afghanistan and the struggles they’ve had once back at home. Roberts will take part in a Q&A after the screening.

Shunned

5:30 p.m. Saturday

Janice Villarosa’s documentary follows a group of transgender women in the Philippines as they compete in a pageant. It has won awards at the Amsterdam International Film Festival, the Long Island International Film Expo and the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. The director is slated to be on hand to discuss the film.

Youth

7:30 p.m. Saturday

Italian writer-director Paolo Sorrentino won an Oscar for his 2013 movie, The Great Beauty. It’s hard to tell if lightning will strike twice, but he’s back with an English-language film featuring a who’s who of mature American and British talent. Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Paul Dano, Rachel Weisz and Jane Fonda star in this story about an orchestra conductor, now in retirement, who is surprised by an invitation to perform for Prince Philip’s birthday. Sorrentino’s latest was well-received at the Cannes and Toronto festivals.

Right Footed

7:45 p.m. Saturday

Jessica Cox has learned to fly a plane — a feat that doesn’t sound terribly remarkable until you consider that she was born without arms. She also types, drives and serves as a mentor to others. Cox and director Nick Spark are scheduled to attend the screening.

Dream On

12:15 p.m. Sunday

Politically savvy comedian John Fugelsang retraces 19th-century Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville’s journey across America. Back then, the observer was remarkably favorable toward the new nation he visited. Is there still reason for optimism? The new documentary from Roger Weisberg examines whether the hope that impressed de Tocqueville is alive and well.

I Saw the Light

2:25 p.m. Sunday

British actor Tom Hiddleston is best-known these days for playing the ultimate bad boy: Loki, the Norse god of mischief and a terrific spoiler in Marvel movies such as Thor and The Avengers. He plays a different sort of troublemaker in I Saw the Light: hard-drinking country troubadour Hank Williams. Hiddleston does his own singing and wears a cowboy hat with authority. Elizabeth Olsen and Maddie Hasson play the two women who married him. That’s a formidable number of spouses considering that Williams was only 29 when he died in 1953. Bonus: This is a very early preview, given that the movie’s release has been rescheduled for 2016.

All These Flowers

5:25 p.m. Wednesday

Director Kevin Bryce’s documentary explores how people with bipolar disorder overcome the stigma associated with the condition.

Woke Up This Mornin’ In the Arkansas Delta

7:30 p.m. Wednesday

Festival co-founder Benjamin Meade returns to KIFF with this look at life in the Arkansas Delta. It examines how racism has plagued the area, but it also celebrates the wonderful food and music that have emerged from there. Anyplace that gave the world the late Levon Helm can’t be all bad.