IMDb Picks: 5 Movies on Our Indie Radar

In 1964, the New York Times reported the murder of Kitty Genovese on the streets of New York. The official account included the disturbing detail that there were 38 bystanders to the crime and that none of them did anything. More than 50 years later, William Genovese, Kitty's brother, seeks to uncover the truth of what really happened that night, in an attempt not only to shake the ghosts of what has continued to be an unsettled personal history but also to understand the motivations and intentions of the 38 witnesses who after the passage of many years have been written off as uncaring observers. This crime documentary looks to be more than just a whodunnit, exploring questions about news reporting, civic responsibility, personal forgiveness, and grief. — Bret

Opens Friday, June 3, in limited release.

By all indications of the reviews I've read, it seems like writer/director Anna Rose Holmer and star Royalty Hightower (name of the year) might want to seek out another project at some point in their respective futures; together, they seem to have created a character study/mood piece that is completely their own unique collaboration. For Holmer, who is also a producer and cinematographer, her directorial debut is poised to take a confident step off the festival platform and into general release. — Arno

Opens Friday, June 3, in limited release

In 1998 world famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma established Silkroad, a non-profit artists' collective designed to bring together musicians from across the globe in the spirit of free cultural exchange. This documentary, helmed by Morgan Nevile, traces the various personal and musical journeys of the artists assembled by Silkroad, in addition to the complex collaborations that arise from the convergence of disparate cultures and perspectives. There's no doubt our world is getting smaller. Here's a movie, framed by the aspirations of one of the world's foremost musicians, that may help us to understand what this really means on a personal level. — Bret

Opens Friday, June 10, in limited release.

I wasn't quite sure I'd even need to see another version of this story since Luis Buñuel's 1964 film will always be the definitive version. But one look at Léa Seydoux in the trailer, and I was seduced, albeit with slightly low expectations for anything aside from a nasty summertime romp with the material. — Arno

Opens Friday, June 17, in New York City

Zero offense to all the wonderful music, visual art, and fashion documentaries that have become en vogue over the past several years, but it's great to see one on this genre master who delivered some fine, fine work throughout the 1970s and '80s. It's also cool to see that Jake Paltrow and Noah Baumbach co-directed the documentary. — Arno

Opens Friday, June 17, in limited release