MVFF47 - RSVP Guide

Celebrating the next wave of exceptional female and nonbinary filmmakers! This exciting roundtable discussion will feature up and coming Mind the Gap filmmakers in conversation about their careers, what it takes to make an independent film, and their experiences navigating the current state of the film industry.

PANELISTS:
Zoe Eisenberg, Chaperone
Biliana Grozdanova, Eastern Western
Marina Grozdanova, Eastern Western
Kelsey Taylor, To Kill A Wolf 

Moderator | Osinachi Ibe, Programmer & Mind the Gap Manager

One of the most memorable films of the season, maestro Pedro Almodóvar's first English-language film explores territory familiar in his work: the complex personal intimacies of women who find that they have more in common with each other than they realize. When a chance encounter reconnects New York writer Ingrid (Julianne Moore) with former war correspondent Martha (Tilda Swinton), a friend from her past, the two are thrown into a journey both profound and unexpected. As their bond grows stronger, it is beset sometimes by bravery, sometimes panic, and as issues of propriety and legality emerge, they retain a remarkable warmth and compassion. Anchored by two fantastic lead performances (and with wonderful support from John Turturro), this adaptation of a Sigrid Nunez novel is deeply touching. Visually striking, and with an atmospheric score by frequent collaborator Alberto Iglesias, Almodóvar and his terrific cast deliver a generous supply of laughter, tears, thoughtfulness—and surprise.

A high school jock mistakes a 29-year-old slacker for a fellow teen in this Slamdance Breakouts grand jury prizewinner that stars an Asian American and Pacific Islander cast.

Blithe 29-year-old Misha insists that she is content as she goes through life making unorthodox choices that keep her alienated from her loved ones. Supported by a family inheritance and responsible for the neglected house her grandmother bequeathed her, Misha barely tends to its needs, as she leads a casual life free of any serious commitments. She appears self-possessed, but when a sweet, handsome 19-year-old high school athlete mistakes her for a fellow teenager Misha’s bad decisions pile up and her self-assurance begins to crack. Shot in beautiful Hilo, Hawai’i, Zoe Eisenberg’s first solo feature is a sincere portrait of the dangers that arise when aimlessness meets ambiguity.

Expected In Person Guest

In Sarah Friedland’s poetic debut feature, Kathleen Chalfant stars an octogenarian struggling to hold on to her memories and identity in a refreshing depiction of aging that celebrates the persistence of self.

This poetic debut feature by Sarah Friedland is an intimate exploration of the beauty and pain of transformation later in life. Kathleen Chalfant plays Ruth, an octogenarian struggling to hold on to her memories and identity as she transitions into an assisted living facility. As Ruth experiences cognitive decline, she balances her conflicting desires that are at once transient and immediate. Chalfant’s arresting performance reveals Ruth’s multitudes as she reaches for her past and present life. Friedland’s graceful writing and naturalistic direction paints an honest portrait of dementia that centers the person experiencing it and honors their spirit and humanity. Familiar Touch is a refreshing depiction of aging that celebrates the persistence of self and reminds us that we are always coming of age.

Expected In Person Guest

Home is where the mall is. Once touted as a convenient destination, meeting needs for shopping, dining, entertainment, and hanging out, the American mall truly became a home away from home for many. Eight imaginative artists carried the idea further: They created a secret apartment hidden within the shadows of a Providence, Rhode Island mall and squatted there for four years. Seventeen years later, the participants recall how they—partly in protest over gentrification—snuck in and set up a comfy domicile, complete with PlayStation and couches, in an out-of-the-way section in the mall. Filmmaker Jeremy Workman (Lily Topples the World) chronicles the project through the artists’ archival videos and in illuminating interviews in which they recall their close calls and the work they created in their clandestine dwelling. For its utterly fascinating glimpse at the intersection of art, civil disobedience, and mall culture, Secret Mall Apartment is worth a visit.

Nearly 30 years after Secrets & Lies, British auteur Mike Leigh reunites with Marianne Jean-Baptiste for this compelling drama. The actress delivers an indelible tour de force performance as an angry woman who takes out her frustrations on her family.

A director reunites with a muse and the results are spectacular. Nearly 30 years ago British auteur Mike Leigh cast Marianne Jean-Baptiste in Secrets & Lies (MVFF19’s opening night film), a collaboration that netted five Oscar® nominations, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Jean-Baptiste. History may just strike twice with this riveting intimate drama. Jean-Baptiste is Pansy, an antagonizing (and always antagonized) woman who hits out at everyone in her orbit. She is simply angry and aggrieved. All the time. It is an exhausting situation for husband Curtley (David Webber), son Moses (Tuwaine Barrett), sister Chantal (Michele Austin), and anyone Pansy encounters but for the audience, it is gripping. Jean-Baptiste delivers a tour de force as this bitter, challenging ball of rage. Like Naked’s Johnny, Pansy is dark and damaged and always compelling, an indelible character.

This riveting documentary examines Billy Preston’s extraordinary career and life and pays soulful homage to the musical genius who blazed through the 1960s-‘70s music scene like a supernova.

Billy Preston blazed through the 1960s-‘70s music scene like a supernova, shining brightly until brought down by personal demons and changing tastes. In this riveting documentary, Paris Barclay examines the late musician’s extraordinary career and life. Raised in the Black church, Preston was a child prodigy, playing organ on tour with Mahalia Jackson at 10. As a solo artist, he scored number one hits, but the singer-songwriter-keyboardist might be better known for his collaborations: The Beatles considered him one of them, he recorded and toured with The Rolling Stones, and he played with Little Richard, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Sly Stone, and many others. But there was a dark side to Preston’s success as he wrestled with his sexuality, financial mismanagement, and substance abuse. With archival interviews, testimony from famous friends, and best of all, scads of incandescent performance footage demonstrating Preston’s charisma and monumental talent, Barclay’s doc pays soulful homage to a musical genius.

Wild Diamond explores the relentless pursuit of fame through the eyes of Liane, a fiery 19-year-old. Living with a dysfunctional mother and caring for her younger sister in the sun-drenched town of Fréjus, Liane is determined to escape grim reality. Her weapon of choice? Beauty. With a fierce resolve and harboring the belief that desirability equals power, she shapes herself to become irresistible. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she auditions for Miracle Island, a reality show she sees as her ticket to validation and love. Shot in an immersive 4:3 aspect ratio, the film draws you into Liane’s world, capturing the intensity of her gaze and the desperation behind her Instagram-perfect facade. Agathe Riedinger’s empathetic direction in her feature debut reveals the raw, often painful, reality of a young woman caught between the harshness of life and the seductive allure of superficial success. Wild Diamond is a gripping exploration of identity, self-worth, and the cost of being seen.

Caterer: Big Jim's BBQ; details TBA

“Can you hold my hands and be my guide? Clouds filled with stars cover your skies.” This documentary shorts program reflects on the value of intergenerational community, love, and activism. In Yoontaek Hong’s Sunchong (US 2024, 14 min), an 89-year-old Korean immigrant who volunteers at a senior center reflects on his life’s journey with his beloved wife. An Indigenous women’s motorcycle group rides to end the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women while a member of their community searches for a missing sister in Prairie Rose Seminole and Katrina Lillian Sorrentino’s We Ride for Her (US 2023, 18 min). Derek Knowles’ The Bird Rescue Center (US 2023, 13 min) captures the people at a Northern California bird rescue who give wildlife a second chance. In Loren Waters’ ᏗᏂᏠᎯ ᎤᏪᏯ (Meet Me at the Creek) (US 2023, 9 min), a Cherokee Nation citizen, a Waterkeeper Warrior, leads the effort to restore Oklahoma’s Tar Creek. From Iowa to Guam, an aspiring costume designer visits their homeland to make costumes for a children’s theater and reconnect with distanced parents in Hao Zhou’s Wouldn’t Make It Any Other Way (US 2024, 20 min).

Expected In Person Guest