‘04 flickers into view

Adored -- Diary of a Male Porn Star. A gay actor reconnects with his estranged brother at their father’s funeral. Marco Filiberti writes, directs and stars. Wolfe, April.

Against the Ropes. Meg Ryan stars in this fictionalized take on the career of boxing manager Jackie Kallen. With Omar Epps. Charles S. Dutton directs and costars. Paramount, Feb. 20

Almost Peaceful. Parisian Jews try to resume their lives in the months after World War II. Directed by Michel Deville (“La Lectrice”). Empire Pictures, spring.

Around the Bend. Men from four generations embark on a search for a family secret. Michael Caine, Christopher Walken, Josh Lucas and Jonah Bobo star. Written and directed by Jordan Roberts. Warner Independent Pictures, Oct. 15.

The Aviator. Martin Scorsese looks at the colorful life of Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio), focusing on the late ‘20s through the 1940s, when he was directing movies, romancing starlets and designing innovative aviation equipment. With Cate Blanchett, John C. Reilly, Kate Beckinsale and Jude Law. Warner Bros., Dec. 17.

Baadasssss. Mario Van Peebles salutes his father, Melvin, with an account of the madcap making of his early-’70s cult blaxploitation landmark “Sweet Sweetback’s Baad Asssss Song.” With Rainn Wilson, David Alan Grier and Nia Long. Sony Pictures Classics, May 28.

Bad Education. Director Pedro Almodovar follows two boys through their 1960s church-schooling in Spain through adulthood. With Javier Camara (“Talk to Her”) and Gael Garcia Bernal (“Y Tu Mama Tambien”). Sony Pictures Classics, fall.

Beautiful Country. A Vietnamese-American boy heads for a new life when he stows away on an America-bound ship. Nick Nolte and Bai Ling star. Directed by Hans Petter Molland (“Aberdeen”). Sony Pictures Classics, TBA.

Being Julia. Stage diva Annette Bening plots retaliation against the young American (Shaun Evans) who has used her in his social climb in director Istvan Szabo’s “Dangerous Liaisons” scenario set in 1930s London. Jeremy Irons also stars. Sony Pictures Classics, fall.

The Best of Youth. Follows two brothers’ winding paths through four turbulent decades of Italian history. Directed by Marco Tullio Giordano. Miramax, July 2.

Beyond the Sea. Kevin Spacey directs and stars in his dream project: the story of singer Bobby Darin. Kate Bosworth plays Sandra Dee. Lions Gate, TBA.

Birth. Nicole Kidman plays a young widow disconcerted when a 10-year-old boy tells her that he’s her late husband’s reincarnation. With Cameron Bright and Danny Huston. Directed by “Sexy Beast’s” Jonathan Glazer. New Line, TBA.

Blind Shaft. Itinerant Chinese miners pull a desperate scam, underscoring the struggle between laborers and management. Directed by Li Yang. Kino International, March 19.

Bon Voyage. A cross-section of Paris society convenes at a Bordeaux hotel, escaping the Nazi-occupied capital. Isabelle Adjani, Gerard Depardieu, Virginie Ledoyen, Gregori Derangere and Peter Coyote star. Directed by Jean-Paul Rappeneau (“Cyrano de Bergerac”). Sony Pictures Classics, March 5.

Broken Wings. A widow (Orli Zilberschatz-Banai) and her children are the focus of an intimate look at the day-to-day life of an Israeli family. Directed by Nir Bergman. Sony Pictures Classics, March 12.

Bulgarian Lovers. Eloy de la Iglesia directs and stars as a conservative man whose new lover turns out to be more dangerous than advertised. TLA Releasing, April 23.

Carandiru. Life inside an

unusual Brazilian prison where rules are made and power is wielded by the inmates themselves. Hector Babenco (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”) directs. Sony Pictures Classics,

May 7.

Cinderella Man. “A Beautiful Mind” director Ron Howard reunites with star Russell Crowe and writer Akiva Goldsman for the true-life tale of boxer Jim Braddock, whose underdog exploits inspired Depression-era America. Renee Zellweger also stars. Universal, Dec. 17.

Closer. Mike Nichols directs this adaptation of Patrick Marber’s play about the romantic complications and permutations cooked up by Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen. Columbia, December.

Coach Carter. Based on the story of a high school basketball coach who benched his whole team, with Samuel L. Jackson as the principled man who placed academics over winning. Directed by Thomas Carter (“Save the Last Dance”). Paramount, TBA.

Code 46. Tim Robbins’ romantic obsession with Samantha Morton runs afoul of the severe travel restrictions in force in the near future. The prolific Michael Winterbottom (“In This World,” “24-Hour Party People”) directs. United Artists, Aug. 6.

Crimson Gold. A troubled pizza deliveryman in Tehran is driven to a violent act by the HIS? frustration of the injustices around him. Written by Abbas Kiarostami. Jafar Panahi directs. Wellspring, Feb. 6.

Distant. A melancholy Istanbul photographer is plagued by a visit from an imposing relative. Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. New Yorker Films, TBA.

Dogville. Nicole Kidman, a woman with a secret who is on the run from gangsters, takes refuge in the town of Dogville. Lars von Trier (“Dancer in the Dark”) directs. Lions Gate, March 26.

The Door in the Floor. A children’s book author (Jeff Bridges) and his wife (Kim Basinger) face a crucial point in their marriage during a summer in East Hampton. Written and directed by Tod Williams (“The Adventures of Sebastian Cole”). Focus Features, TBA.

The Dreamers. Bernardo Bertolucci directs this story of three youths in Paris exploring sexuality and politics against the backdrop of the 1968 student revolts. With Michael Pitt, Eva Green and Louis Garrel. Fox Searchlight, Feb. 6.

Facing Window. A young wife unravels the mysteries of an elderly man’s life while fantasizing about her handsome neighbor. With Giovanno Mezzogiorno, Massimo Girotti, Raoul Bova and Filippo Nigro. Directed by Ferzan Ozpetek (“Steam: The Turkish Bath”). Sony Pictures Classics, June 11.

Friday Night Lights. Peter Berg (“Very Bad Things”) directs this adaptation of H.G. Bissinger’s best-selling chronicle of a 1988 Odessa, Texas, high school football team and its fight for the state championship, and the town’s increased reliance on the team for comfort and inspiration during tough times. Universal, fall.

A Home at the End of the World. Michael Cunningham’s (“The Hours”) novel charting 12 years in the lives of close friends Colin Farrell and Dallas Roberts whose relationship is complicated by an older woman (Sissy Spacek). Robin Wright Penn also stars. Broadway vet Michael Mayer directs. Warner Independent Pictures, July 23.

I’m Not Scared. A sinister discovery interrupts a boy’s summer in a remote Italian village. Gabriel Salvatores (“Mediterraneo”) directs. Miramax, April 9.

I Vitelloni. A new print of Federico Fellini’s reputation-establishing 1953 study of indolent young men in a provincial town -- Italian slackers. Kino International, March 26.

The Intended. A woman (Janet McTeer) and her younger lover (J.J. Field) embark on an ill-fated sojourn to a Malaysian ivory trading post. Directed by Kristian Levring (“The King is Alive”). IFC, June.

Intermission. Cillian Murphy’s (“28 Days Later”) clumsy breakup with his girlfriend (Kelly Macdonald) sets in motion a series of romantic complications among those in their lives. With Colin Farrell, Colm Meaney and Shirley Henderson. Directed by John Crowley. IFC, March 19.

J.M. Barrie’s Neverland. Follows the author (Johnny Depp) as he conceives and develops his tale of Peter Pan. With Kate Winslet and Dustin Hoffman. Directed by Marc Forster (“Monster’s Ball”) Miramax, Oct. 8.

Junked. Bisexual hustler Thomas Jane, his drug dealer pal and hooker sister try to survive on the crime-ridden streets. Directed by Lance Lane. Hollywood Independents, March.

Kinsey. Writer-director Bill Condon’s (“Gods and Monsters”) decades-spanning biography of the pioneering sex researcher Alfred Kinsey (Liam Neeson). With Laura Linney and Peter Sarsgaard (“Shattered Glass”). Fox Searchlight, September.

Memoirs of a Geisha. Arthur Golden’s bestselling novel about a fisherman’s daughter who rises to the heights of Kyoto’s geisha world may finally reach theaters under the direction of Rob Marshall (“Chicago”). Columbia, TBA.

Miracle. The underdog U.S. hockey team faces the mighty Soviet machine in the 1980 Winter Olympics. Kurt Russell stars as coach Herb Brooks. Directed by Gavin O’Connor. Walt Disney, Feb. 6.

The Mother. A widowed grandmother (Anne Reid) joins her grown children in London and sets off a string of romantic convolutions. Daniel Craig (“Road to Perdition”) also stars. Roger Michell (“Notting Hill”) directs. Sony Pictures Classics, May 28.

Noi Albinoi. An introverted Icelandic teenager starts coming out of his shell when he gets a look at the bookstore owner’s daughter. Directed by Dagur Kari. Palm Pictures, March.

Novo. Eduardo Noriega (“Open Your Eyes”) plays a man whose short-term memory issues make every romantic encounter a first-time liaison. With Anna Mouglalis (“Merci Pour le Chocolat”) and Nathalie Richard (“Irma Vep”). Directed by Jean-Pierre Limosin (“Tokyo Eyes”). IFC, August.

The Reckoning. An itinerant acting troupe in 14th century England challenges the ruling nobility when it reveals the truth about a child’s murder. Willem Dafoe, Paul Bettany and Brian Cox star. Paul McGuigan (“The Acid House”) directs. Paramount Classics, March 5.

Reconstruction. Nikolaj Lie Kaas (“Open Hearts”) and Marie Bonnevie’s illicit liaison has a powerful impact on their lives. Directed by Christoffer Boe. Palm Pictures, May 28.

Rose and the Snake. Rebecca Miller (“Personal Velocity”) directs husband Daniel Day-Lewis as a dying man who brings his former lover (Catherine Keener) and her sons to his isolated home to help prepare his teenage daughter for the larger world. IFC, TBA.

Rosenstrasse. An aging widow’s suddenly strict observance of Jewish custom prompts her daughter to seek a buried secret from her past. Katja Reimann and Maria Schrader star. Directed by Margarethe von Trotta (“Marianne and Juliane”). Samuel Goldwyn, May 7.

Saraband. Ingmar Bergman catches up with the characters from “Scenes From a Marriage” as Liv Ullman’s reunion with her former husband (Erland Josephson) stirs emotions and reveals complex family bonds. Sony Pictures Classics, fall.

The Singing Forest. Two gay lovers executed by Nazis meet again in their reincarnated forms. Directed by Jorge Ameer. Hollywood Independents, March 6.

A Slipping Down Life. Lili Taylor is a timid woman who strikes up an obsessive relationship with struggling musician Guy Pearce. Written and directed by Toni Kalem. Lions Gate, May 14.

Spartan. Hardened military man Val Kilmer is paired with young Derek Luke (“Antwone Fisher”) to find a government official’s abducted daughter (Kristen Bell), leading to the prospect of a widespread, high-level conspiracy. With William H. Macy. David Mamet writes and directs. Warner Bros., March 12.

Stander. A white South African police officer (Thomas Jane) has a crisis of conscience over Apartheid in the early 1980s and becomes a bank robber. Bronwen Hughes (“Forces of Nature”) directs. Newmarket Films, TBA.

Stateside. Young Marine on leave Jonathan Tucker falls for troubled musician Rachael Leigh Cook. Directed by Reverge Anselmo. First Look, May 21.

The Story of the Weeping Camel. A Mongolian film about Gobi herdsmen summoning a musician to coax a mother camel into nursing her calf. Directed by Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni. ThinkFilm, June 4.

Swimming Upstream. A young Australian (Jesse Spencer) struggles against family problems in 1950s Brisbane to become an Olympic champion. With Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis. Directed by Russell Mulcahy (“Highlander”). MGM, TBA.

Therese. Period piece on the life of Therese of Lisieux, a.k.a. St. Theresa, played by Lindsay Younce. Directed by Leonardo Defilippis. Luke Films, Oct. 1.

The Trilogy: On the Run; An Amazing Couple; After the Life. Filmmaker Lucas Belvaux’s Kieslowski-inspired trio features an escaped convict, a deceitful couple, a drug-addict teacher and her policeman husband in separate but linked movies. With Ornella Muti, Francois Morel and Catherine Frot. Magnolia Pictures, March.

Two Brothers. The siblings are a pair of tiger cubs who are separated and ultimately brought together in unexpected fashion. Guy Pearce stars. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud (“The Bear”). Universal, July 9.

An Unfinished Life. Retired rancher Robert Redford’s quiet life is interrupted by the arrival of his widowed daughter-in-law (Jennifer Lopez) and a granddaughter he didn’t know existed. With Morgan Freeman. Lasse Hallstrom directs. Miramax, Dec. 24.

The United States of Leland. Aspiring author Don Cheadle traces the impact of a shocking crime committed by the son (Ryan Gosling) of a famous writer (Kevin Spacey). Written and directed by Matthew Ryan Hoge. Paramount Classics, April.

Untitled Charles Shyer Project. Jude Law stars in this update of 1966’s “Alfie” as the womanizing young man obligated to reexamine his choices. Shyer (“Baby Boom”) directs. Paramount, TBA.

Valentin. Director Alejandro Agresti’s coming-of-age story about a 10-year-old boy estranged from his eccentric parents in 1969 Argentina. Miramax, May 7.

A Very Long Engagement. Audrey Tautou searches for her soldier fiance during World War I in this reunion with “Amelie” director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. With Gaspard Ulliel, Dominique Pinon and Jodie Foster. Warner Independent Pictures, Nov. 26.

La Vie Promise. A prostitute (Isabelle Huppert) and her estranged daughter (Maud Forget) head toward a reunion with the rest of their family. Directed by Olivier Dahan. Empire Pictures, spring.

Way Off Broadway. Five friends navigate the pitfalls of life as young artists in Manhattan. Written and directed by Dan Kay. Small Planet Pictures, TBA.

A Way Through the Woods. Emily Watson and Tom Wilkinson’s seemingly perfect marriage in an idyllic village is disrupted by the arrival of Rupert Everett and a tragic accident. Oscar-winning writer Julian Fellowes (“Gosford Park”) makes his directing bow. Fox Searchlight, third quarter.

Wicker Park. Josh Hartnett searches obsessively for his vanished lover. With Rose Byrne and Matthew Lillard. Paul McGuigan (“Gangster No. 1”) directs. MGM, TBA.

Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself. Two Glasgow brothers with very different outlooks on life fall in love with Shirley Henderson. Lone Scherfig (“Italian for Beginners”) directs. ThinkFilm, March 26.

You’ll Get Over It. It’s rough going for a French teenager when he’s outed by his schoolmates. Directed by Fabrice Cazaneuve. Picture This Entertainment!, summer.

Zhou Yu’s Train. Gong Li’s love affair with a shy poet (Tony Leung Ka-fai) is overtaken by uncertainty and betrayal. Directed by Sun Zhou. Sony Pictures Classics, July 2.

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Editor -- Kinsey Lowe

Capsules -- Richard Cromelin and Kevin Crust