I was fortunate to discover Alex Lehmann’s quiet and powerful feature debut at this year’s Toronto Film Festival. Blue Jay is a tender, bittersweet chamber drama, filmed in black and white and beautifully written by Mark Duplass. Duplass joins the luminous Sarah Paulson in stunningly nuanced performances as high school sweethearts who reconnect by sheer coincidence in their hometown after more than 20 years. As their history unfolds in a single evening, the film seizes on the actors’ powerful chemistry and improvisational skills as they traverse sentimental joy, the seduction of happiness, and the sting of mature heartbreak. – Karen Sloe Goodman, Programmer