The Wind Rises: Studio Ghibli does it again, in this gorgeous film chronicaling the extraordinary life of Jiro Horikoshi. As a boy, he dreamt of being a pilot, but after numerous setbacks, he grew up to design fighter pilots during World War II.

Omar: Omar and Nadja are in love, but everyday, Omar has to scale a wall so they can be together. When an Israeli soldier is killed, Omar’s life is changed forever. Suddenly, he must question his convictions in order to stay alive. Omar is nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film.

In Secret: Émile Zola’s Thérèse Raquin once again comes to the silver screen with as much intrigue as ever. Trapped in a loveless marriage, life passes Thérèse slowly, until Laurent, her husband’s passionate childhood friend comes to live with them. Their affair grows more and more dangerous, until it is decided that her husband must die in order for it to continue. They soon learn that their problems did not disappear with the dead.

Highway:  After being kidnapped just days before her wedding, a woman finds herself identifying with her oppressors more and more as the days pass. And with each passing day, she finds she is more and more free of the life she lived before.  

Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me: Bold, brash, and vulnerable at the the same time, Elaine Stritch lets cameras into her life as never before. The star of stage and screen has still got it, as evidenced by this documentary--an audience favorite at TFF 2013.