I Am Not a Hipster

Things are not looking good for Brook, a young, talented singer/songwriter who has become the clichéd tortured artist. Slow to come to terms with the death of his mother, Brook is self-absorbed, aggressive, and the major obstruction to his own career success. His isolation is lifted when his three sisters and estranged father come to spread his mother’s ashes. Brook’s loving sisters have a magical effect on his anger and apathy, suggesting there may be hope for the misanthropic musician after all.

Writer/director Destin Daniel Cretton (whose short film Short Term 12 won the Jury Prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival) returns to the Festival with an extraordinarily moving debut feature. Set in a wannabe-cool, art-and-indie rock scene, I Am Not a Hipster is true to its title. Not tragically hip but, rather, emotionally rich, this portrait of a man in pain celebrates the healing power of family love. It aims straight for the heart and hits it. –Sundance Film Festival