MVFF47 - RSVP Guide

Stunning shots of a forest and a haunting soundtrack set the stage for this contemporary riff on Little Red Riding Hood. First-time feature writer-director Kelsey Taylor explores what might have inspired the original fairy tale: the Woodsman (Ivan Martin) lives a simple life, clinging to routine in his cabin nestled deep in the fog-cloaked pines of the Oregon Cascades. Isolated in his nearly off-grid property, he is hidden from his past and the outside community—until a half-frozen Dani (Maddison Brown) appears on his doorstep. Taylor’s fascination with fairy tales and their deeper meaning shines through this thriller that reveals not only Dani and the Woodsman’s difficult pasts but also what wolves they are fleeing. But the wolves may not be who we expect them to be—and neither are the ones working so hard to keep them at bay.

Expected In Person Guest

Oscar®-winning film editor William Goldenberg makes an indelible directing debut with this thrilling underdog sports drama focused on the life of wrestler Anthony Robles. Jharrel Jerome (Moonlight, MVFF39; I’m a Virgo) stars as Robles, introduced as a high school senior whose record ought to have college wrestling programs scrambling to recruit him. But the teen was born with one leg and the wrestling powerhouses passed on him. Ultimately, he chooses to walk on at Arizona State University and compete for a non-scholarship spot. Balancing wrestling, school, a job in airplane maintenance, and support of his younger siblings and mother (Jennifer Lopez) as she navigates an abusive relationship with his prison-guard stepfather (Bobby Cannavale) is a challenge, but Robles strives to attain his goal to not just wrestle but win a national championship. Michael Peña and Don Cheadle offer empathetic support as his coaches in an electrifying film that, like its hero, has the heart of a champion.