Summer. Suburbia. Everyone is out having fun…except our 14-year-old hero, who in his pretentious precocity aims to write and stage the Great American Stage Drama. Even he gets distracted, however, once mom hires a hunky young handyman.
“Basically, it’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf meets American Beauty,” says the titular figure of his magnum opus Regrets of Autumn, a searing expose of the tarnished American Dream involving alcoholism, infidelity, and abortion. Rehearsals are just starting, but one senses the playwright probably already has that Pulitzer acceptance speech prepared. Trouble is…Griffin (Everett Blunck) remains as yet a pubescent suburban middle school student whose few friends and long-suffering mother (Melanie Lynskey) are already tired of his humorless devotion to the dramatic arts. While they reluctantly bend to his will, he faces distraction from "the work" this summer when mom hires young handyman Brad (Owen Teague, Eileen), who’s like a latter-day James Dean with better abdominal definition. Surprisingly, it turns out this monosyllabic hunk has theatrical ambitions, too. Nicholas Colia’s alternately hilarious and discomfiting debut combines an eccentrically singular coming-of-age (and coming out) story with elements of poignant insight.
Expected In Person Guest
Friday October 4, 2024 6:00pm - 7:30pm PDT
Rafael 3
MVFF47 honoree Mikey Madison’s breakthrough performance as a sex worker who impulsively marries a Russian oligarch’s son powers Sean Baker’s latest indie marvel, Cannes’ Palme d’Or winner.
The winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, Sean Baker’s latest indie marvel explores a familiar subject from the writer-director—the lives of sex workers—but in a far more propulsive and, ultimately, heartbreaking manner. Mikey Madison delivers a breakthrough performance as Anora, a New Yorker working at a strip club, who meets and impulsively weds young, rich Russian Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn). Anora’s Cinderella story seems destined for a happy ending until Ivan’s corrupt oligarch father sends his goons to annul the marriage. As it segues from screwball comedy to one-crazy-night thriller, Anora offers further proof that the auteur behind The Florida Project (MVFF40) and Red Rocket (MVFF44) has a distinctive perspective on those residing on the margins of American society, who fight to stay afloat while trying to reach their dreams. So hilarious, yet so sad—swooningly romantic, yet so sobering—the film is powered by Madison’s comedic, gripping turn. Few characters this year are more messily alive or more ferociously rendered.
Expected in person guest.
Friday October 4, 2024 6:00pm - 8:18pm PDT
Sequoia 1
Painter and sculptor Titus Kaphar brings his sense of wonder to the big screen with this affirming debut. The writer-director delivers a wrenching and deeply felt excavation of family, particularly the bonds that exist between fathers and sons.
André Holland delivers a tour de force performance as Tarrell Rodin, a successful painter, husband, and father haunted by nightmares of childhood abuse suffered at the hands of his hard-tasking father La’Ron (John Earl Jelks in a breakthrough performance). While preparing for a new gallery installation, Tarrell encounters a rude awakening when his father suddenly reappears in his life, a development that sends him spiraling. But with the insistence of his long-suffering mother Joyce (Oscar® nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) and support of his wife Aisha (Andra Day), Tarrell confronts buried memories in his path to healing. In observing Tarrell’s complicated journey to self, the film teases out the usefulness of art as a medium for breaking the cycle of generational trauma. Radiating pain and love, tenderness and bitterness, sometimes all in the same scene, Exhibiting Forgiveness confronts the limits of unconditional love while withholding judgment of its characters.
Expected In Person Guest
Friday October 4, 2024 7:00pm - 8:57pm PDT
Rafael 2
MVFF47 honoree Mikey Madison’s breakthrough performance as a sex worker who impulsively marries a Russian oligarch’s son powers Sean Baker’s latest indie marvel, Cannes’ Palme d’Or winner.
The winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, Sean Baker’s latest indie marvel explores a familiar subject from the writer-director—the lives of sex workers—but in a far more propulsive and, ultimately, heartbreaking manner. Mikey Madison delivers a breakthrough performance as Anora, a New Yorker working at a strip club, who meets and impulsively weds young, rich Russian Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn). Anora’s Cinderella story seems destined for a happy ending until Ivan’s corrupt oligarch father sends his goons to annul the marriage. As it segues from screwball comedy to one-crazy-night thriller, Anora offers further proof that the auteur behind The Florida Project (MVFF40) and Red Rocket (MVFF44) has a distinctive perspective on those residing on the margins of American society, who fight to stay afloat while trying to reach their dreams. So hilarious, yet so sad—swooningly romantic, yet so sobering—the film is powered by Madison’s comedic, gripping turn. Few characters this year are more messily alive or more ferociously rendered.
Friday October 4, 2024 7:30pm - 9:48pm PDT
Sequoia 2
Painter and sculptor Titus Kaphar brings his sense of wonder to the big screen with this affirming debut. The writer-director delivers a wrenching and deeply felt excavation of family, particularly the bonds that exist between fathers and sons.
André Holland delivers a tour de force performance as Tarrell Rodin, a successful painter, husband, and father haunted by nightmares of childhood abuse suffered at the hands of his hard-tasking father La’Ron (John Earl Jelks in a breakthrough performance). While preparing for a new gallery installation, Tarrell encounters a rude awakening when his father suddenly reappears in his life, a development that sends him spiraling. But with the insistence of his long-suffering mother Joyce (Oscar® nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) and support of his wife Aisha (Andra Day), Tarrell confronts buried memories in his path to healing. In observing Tarrell’s complicated journey to self, the film teases out the usefulness of art as a medium for breaking the cycle of generational trauma. Radiating pain and love, tenderness and bitterness, sometimes all in the same scene, Exhibiting Forgiveness confronts the limits of unconditional love while withholding judgment of its characters.
Expected In Person Guest
Saturday October 5, 2024 12:00pm - 1:57pm PDT
Rafael 3
After not-so-quietly quitting his restaurant job, aspiring rapper Khalid quits NYC for a paid gigolo gig in Bulgaria that he found on Facebook. Arriving in a seaside hamlet to spend some “adult time” with middle-aged Raya, he quickly discovers she’s neither available, nor alive. Undaunted, Khalid finds menial labor at the dock and gradually charms the locals with his charisma, all except for his foul-tempered boss Gyorgi. It doesn’t help that Khalid has taken a shine to Gyorgi’s winsome ex, Ina. With a winning combination of Bay Area bigheartedness, Brooklyn moxie, and a dollop of Eastern European humor, Tam High graduate Crystal Moselle (The Wolfpack) and codirector-breakout star Derrick B. Harden’s joyous fish-out-of-water tale is something to behold. With the sly sensibility of an early Jarmusch film and the ebullience and flow of a Spike Lee joint, The Black Sea is refreshing as a cool drink on a hot summer day.
Expected In Person Guest
Saturday October 5, 2024 4:30pm - 6:06pm PDT
Rafael 2
While searching on Facebook for her estranged father, a young woman finds a man (John Leguizamo) with the same name, a caring father figure, who also could use a friend.
An accidental connection blossoms into a loving father-daughter-like relationship in writer-director Tracie Laymon’s gentle and deeply personal feature debut. Upbeat Lily (Barbie Ferreira) strives to please everyone around her, including her narcissistic, deeply disinterested father Robert Trevino (French Stewart), a jerk who blames his daughter for everything wrong in his life and ghosts her. In desperate need of a real friend, Lily finds one when she discovers a different Bob Trevino (John Leguizamo) while searching for her estranged dad on Facebook. This Bob is the opposite of her difficult parent: a decent, ethical, and warm married man who could use a new friend himself. Ferreira and Leguizamo are wonderful together; their vulnerable performances touch the heart in a winning film that reminds us that the spontaneous bonds we make can be sometimes far more enriching and loving than the family ties we’ve been assigned.
Expected In Person Guest
Saturday October 5, 2024 5:00pm - 6:42pm PDT
Sequoia 1
A former US Army mechanic with PTSD (Sonequa Martin-Green) has a most unusual “best friend”—her late colleague (Natalie Morales) from a tour in Afghanistan, still a motor-mouthed constant companion despite the inconvenience of death.
Uneasily back in civilian life after an eight-year US Army hitch, Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green) has a BFF who’s maybe a little too “forever”: Fellow mechanic Zoe (Natalie Morales), her inseparable colleague during a tour in Afghanistan, one that Zoe ultimately did not survive. There’s a comedically supernatural—or perhaps just psychological—aspect to Merit’s wisecracking companion, whom no one else can hear or see. Merit has PTSD, which she copes with poorly by running from a veterans’ support group (led by counselor Morgan Freeman), ostensibly to deal with her crusty Vietnam vet grandfather’s (Ed Harris) weakening health. But her demons won’t leave Merit alone until she confronts them. Executive produced by Kansas City Chief Travis Kelce, Kyle Hausman-Stokes’ debut feature was inspired by his own Army experiences in Iraq—and by an ongoing epidemic of US military veteran suicides. Its engagingly singular mix of wit, warmth, and tough issues won the Audience Award at SXSW this year.
Expected In Person Guest
Saturday October 5, 2024 7:00pm - 8:41pm PDT
Sequoia 2
This beautifully understated Western is the story of a son raised by two fathers, one from the European East and one from the American West. On the cusp of the 20th century, somewhere on the American frontier, Igor, an immigrant and recent widower, struggles to raise his two-year-old son Ivo on his own. When his American friend and mentor Duncan decides to move his horse-breeding business and young family to California, Igor and Ivo join the wagon train headed West. Co-directors Biliana and Marina Grozdanova command the mise-en-scene with effortless elegance, and their mostly non-professional actors offer astonishing performances rich with verisimilitude and depth. The cast includes Igor Galijasevic, a Bosnian refugee, and his real-life young son Leo, as well as professional horse wrangler Duncan Vezain and his family, also playing versions of themselves transported in time. A tender and resonant tale of friendship, faith, and resolve.
Expected In Person Guest
Saturday October 5, 2024 7:30pm - 9:18pm PDT
Rafael 3
After her boyfriend dumps her, down-on-her-luck actress Laura Franco (Melissa Barrera, In the Heights) moves back into her family’s home and discovers that her imaginary childhood nemesis—the monster in her closet (Tommy Dewey, Casual)—is real. Abandoned by her man, mother, and best friend, Laura finds solace in the charming monster’s arms as her rage grows after her ex recasts her role in the musical they wrote together. Caroline Lindy’s delightful directorial debut spins a dark, whimsical tale of comedy, romance, and musical theater set to the beat of Broadway showtunes. Barrera dominates the screen of this beauty-and-the-beast fable as Laura taps into the monster lurking within her.
Expected In Person Guest
Saturday October 5, 2024 8:00pm - 9:43pm PDT
Lark Theatre
It’s 10pm on October 11th, 1975, and the Not Ready for Prime Time Players are definitely not ready. Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, Garrett Morris, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, and John Belushi (has anyone seen Belushi?) are in alternating states of confusion, excitement, rage, disbelief, and blissfully buzzed. If SNL producer Lorne Michaels can’t pull these impossibly loose ends together within 90 minutes, his career is over before it’s begun, and NBC’s risk-averse execs will be proven right: Live sketch comedy on TV can never beat old Johnny Carson reruns. Jason Reitman (MVFF Award Recipient 2009) delivers a deliciously dizzying behind-the-scenes panoptic view of the lights (some toppling onto the stage), cameras (like producer Dick Ebersol’s beloved Polaroids), and action (loads of it) leading up to the moment Chevy Chase broke late-night television’s fourth wall and proclaimed to the world, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”
Saturday October 5, 2024 9:00pm - 10:26pm PDT
Sequoia 1
It’s 10pm on October 11th, 1975, and the Not Ready for Prime Time Players are definitely not ready. Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, Garrett Morris, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, and John Belushi (has anyone seen Belushi?) are in alternating states of confusion, excitement, rage, disbelief, and blissfully buzzed. If SNL producer Lorne Michaels can’t pull these impossibly loose ends together within 90 minutes, his career is over before it’s begun, and NBC’s risk-averse execs will be proven right: Live sketch comedy on TV can never beat old Johnny Carson reruns. Jason Reitman (MVFF Award Recipient 2009) delivers a deliciously dizzying behind-the-scenes panoptic view of the lights (some toppling onto the stage), cameras (like producer Dick Ebersol’s beloved Polaroids), and action (loads of it) leading up to the moment Chevy Chase broke late-night television’s fourth wall and proclaimed to the world, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”
Sunday October 6, 2024 11:00am - 12:26pm PDT
Rafael 1
A former US Army mechanic with PTSD (Sonequa Martin-Green) has a most unusual “best friend”—her late colleague (Natalie Morales) from a tour in Afghanistan, still a motor-mouthed constant companion despite the inconvenience of death.
Uneasily back in civilian life after an eight-year US Army hitch, Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green) has a BFF who’s maybe a little too “forever”: Fellow mechanic Zoe (Natalie Morales), her inseparable colleague during a tour in Afghanistan, one that Zoe ultimately did not survive. There’s a comedically supernatural—or perhaps just psychological—aspect to Merit’s wisecracking companion, whom no one else can hear or see. Merit has PTSD, which she copes with poorly by running from a veterans’ support group (led by counselor Morgan Freeman), ostensibly to deal with her crusty Vietnam vet grandfather’s (Ed Harris) weakening health. But her demons won’t leave Merit alone until she confronts them. Executive produced by Kansas City Chief Travis Kelce, Kyle Hausman-Stokes’ debut feature was inspired by his own Army experiences in Iraq—and by an ongoing epidemic of US military veteran suicides. Its engagingly singular mix of wit, warmth, and tough issues won the Audience Award at SXSW this year.
Expected In Person Guest
Sunday October 6, 2024 11:30am - 1:11pm PDT
Sequoia 2
This beautifully understated Western is the story of a son raised by two fathers, one from the European East and one from the American West. On the cusp of the 20th century, somewhere on the American frontier, Igor, an immigrant and recent widower, struggles to raise his two-year-old son Ivo on his own. When his American friend and mentor Duncan decides to move his horse-breeding business and young family to California, Igor and Ivo join the wagon train headed West. Co-directors Biliana and Marina Grozdanova command the mise-en-scene with effortless elegance, and their mostly non-professional actors offer astonishing performances rich with verisimilitude and depth. The cast includes Igor Galijasevic, a Bosnian refugee, and his real-life young son Leo, as well as professional horse wrangler Duncan Vezain and his family, also playing versions of themselves transported in time. A tender and resonant tale of friendship, faith, and resolve.
Expected In Person Guest
Sunday October 6, 2024 12:00pm - 1:48pm PDT
Rafael 2
After her boyfriend dumps her, down-on-her-luck actress Laura Franco (Melissa Barrera, In the Heights) moves back into her family’s home and discovers that her imaginary childhood nemesis—the monster in her closet (Tommy Dewey, Casual)—is real. Abandoned by her man, mother, and best friend, Laura finds solace in the charming monster’s arms as her rage grows after her ex recasts her role in the musical they wrote together. Caroline Lindy’s delightful directorial debut spins a dark, whimsical tale of comedy, romance, and musical theater set to the beat of Broadway showtunes. Barrera dominates the screen of this beauty-and-the-beast fable as Laura taps into the monster lurking within her.
Expected In Person Guest
Sunday October 6, 2024 3:00pm - 4:43pm PDT
Sequoia 2
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
Sunday October 6, 2024 3:30pm - 5:12pm PDT
Rafael 2
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
Sunday October 6, 2024 6:30pm - 7:55pm PDT
Rafael 2
With an extraordinary acting ensemble and an astute sense of cinema, Malcolm Washington’s memorable directing debut continues his father Denzel Washington’s (Fences) project of adapting playwright August Wilson’s work to the screen. Set in 1936 during the depths of the Great Depression, Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize–winning story of siblings battling over legacy is riveting. Boy Willie (the director’s brother John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman), a sharecropper, wants to sell an heirloom piano in order to buy land that his family once worked as slaves. But his sister Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler, Till, MVFF45) insists on keeping the instrument, which is embellished with images carved by their enslaved great-grandfather of his wife and son. The inimitable Samuel L. Jackson costars as their Uncle Doaker, who attempts to mediate the dispute but is disturbed by ghosts of the past in this beautifully rendered, searing drama exploring identity, birthright, and generational trauma.
Expected In Person Guest
Sunday October 6, 2024 6:30pm - 8:35pm PDT
Sequoia 2
After not-so-quietly quitting his restaurant job, aspiring rapper Khalid quits NYC for a paid gigolo gig in Bulgaria that he found on Facebook. Arriving in a seaside hamlet to spend some “adult time” with middle-aged Raya, he quickly discovers she’s neither available, nor alive. Undaunted, Khalid finds menial labor at the dock and gradually charms the locals with his charisma, all except for his foul-tempered boss Gyorgi. It doesn’t help that Khalid has taken a shine to Gyorgi’s winsome ex, Ina. With a winning combination of Bay Area bigheartedness, Brooklyn moxie, and a dollop of Eastern European humor, Tam High graduate Crystal Moselle (The Wolfpack) and codirector-breakout star Derrick B. Harden’s joyous fish-out-of-water tale is something to behold. With the sly sensibility of an early Jarmusch film and the ebullience and flow of a Spike Lee joint, The Black Sea is refreshing as a cool drink on a hot summer day.
Expected In Person Guest
Monday October 7, 2024 2:00pm - 3:36pm PDT
Sequoia 2
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
Monday October 7, 2024 4:30pm - 6:12pm PDT
Rafael 2
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
Monday October 7, 2024 6:00pm - 7:25pm PDT
Rafael 3
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
Tuesday October 8, 2024 7:30pm - 9:01pm PDT
Rafael 2
MVFF47 honoree Jude Law delivers a resonant performance as Terry Husk, an FBI agent battling neo-Nazis in this harrowing 1980s-set drama inspired by true events. A recent transfer to the Pacific Northwest, Husk initially rejects deputy Jamie Bowen’s (Tye Sheridan) theory that a group of white supremacists are behind a recent string of bank robberies. That simply doesn’t track with what Husk knows about the local fascist community. But as the gang’s activities expand to include assassination, Husk takes the lead in pursuing an offshoot organization and its mastermind Bob Mathews (Nicholas Hoult), a man who conceals his vicious white nationalism under a mask of good-natured bonhomie. Director Justin Kurzel (Macbeth, MVFF38) brilliantly portrays the racist brutality hiding in plain sight amidst the Northwest’s bucolic beauty, while Jed Kurzel’s spare, droning score adds to the sense of growing unease in a thriller where the suspense builds inexorably from its first frames to its stunning climax.
Tuesday October 8, 2024 8:00pm - 9:56pm PDT
Rafael 1
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
Wednesday October 9, 2024 6:00pm - 7:31pm PDT
Rafael 3
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.
Wednesday October 9, 2024 6:30pm - 8:26pm PDT
Rafael 1
With an extraordinary acting ensemble and an astute sense of cinema, Malcolm Washington’s memorable directing debut continues his father Denzel Washington’s (Fences) project of adapting playwright August Wilson’s work to the screen. Set in 1936 during the depths of the Great Depression, Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize–winning story of siblings battling over legacy is riveting. Boy Willie (the director’s brother John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman), a sharecropper, wants to sell an heirloom piano in order to buy land that his family once worked as slaves. But his sister Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler, Till, MVFF45) insists on keeping the instrument, which is embellished with images carved by their enslaved great-grandfather of his wife and son. The inimitable Samuel L. Jackson costars as their Uncle Doaker, who attempts to mediate the dispute but is disturbed by ghosts of the past in this beautifully rendered, searing drama exploring identity, birthright, and generational trauma.
Expected In Person Guest
Thursday October 10, 2024 2:45pm - 4:50pm PDT
Sequoia 2
Two longtime friends, unpredictable and laidback Rickey and organized and anxious Glenn, embark on a road trip to scatter the ashes of Rickey’s father. Longtime best friends Glenn (Michael Cera, Molly’s Game, MVFF40) and Rickey (co-writer-director Michael Angarano) could not be more different. Glenn is organized and anxious; Rickey is unpredictable and laid-back. Glenn lives a quiet life with his wife preparing for the birth of his first child, while Rickey just got kicked out of a convalescent home and has nowhere to go. Despite their divergent paths, the pair have maintained a tight bond over the years. So, when Rickey suddenly appears in Glenn’s backyard, it’s not surprising that this unannounced visit leads to the two taking a spontaneous road trip to Sacramento to spread the ashes of Rickey’s father. Throughout the journey, the two explore the bounds of their friendship and finally learn to process their emotions. Kristen Stewart (Seberg, MVFF42) and Maya Erskine costar in this heartwarming and emotional comedy.
Michael Angarano is an Emmy-nominated actor who most recently appeared in the films Oppenheimer (2023) and Horizon (2024) and the Peacock series Laid (2024). He made his writing and directing debut in 2017 with Avenues (2017). He received a 2019 Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for an episode of This Is Us.
Thursday October 10, 2024 5:00pm - 6:24pm PDT
Sequoia 1
This exuberant, unconventional musical biopic of singer Robbie Williams blends extravagant song-and-dance sequences with a frank portrayal of the demons that accompanied his rise to worldwide acclaim.
Two decades before Harry Styles, there was Robbie Williams drawing the map Styles followed from boy-band fame to solo superstardom. This exuberant musical biopic charts Williams’ journey as a child raised to worship at the altar of Frank Sinatra who finds his own voice first as a teenager with Take That and later as a solo artist. No hagiography, the drama frankly portrays the addictions and demons that accompany Williams’ rise to acclaim as well as the impostor syndrome that vividly manifests as he performs. The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey’s sophomore feature contrasts Williams’ personal struggles with the absolute joy of his music, adding to the mix of recording sessions, club dates, and arena shows, extravagant and irresistible song-and-dance sequences. But the film’s biggest strengths are in its unconventional approach to an artist’s life and Jonno Davies’ soulful, cheeky, and self-lacerating performance that proves he is, indeed, a “better man,” as is Williams himself.
Expected in person guest.
Thursday October 10, 2024 6:00pm - 8:11pm PDT
Sequoia 2
This exuberant, unconventional musical biopic of singer Robbie Williams blends extravagant song-and-dance sequences with a frank portrayal of the demons that accompanied his rise to worldwide acclaim.
Two decades before Harry Styles, there was Robbie Williams drawing the map Styles followed from boy-band fame to solo superstardom. This exuberant musical biopic charts Williams’ journey as a child raised to worship at the altar of Frank Sinatra who finds his own voice first as a teenager with Take That and later as a solo artist. No hagiography, the drama frankly portrays the addictions and demons that accompany Williams’ rise to acclaim as well as the impostor syndrome that vividly manifests as he performs. The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey’s sophomore feature contrasts Williams’ personal struggles with the absolute joy of his music, adding to the mix of recording sessions, club dates, and arena shows, extravagant and irresistible song-and-dance sequences. But the film’s biggest strengths are in its unconventional approach to an artist’s life and Jonno Davies’ soulful, cheeky, and self-lacerating performance that proves he is, indeed, a “better man,” as is Williams himself.
Friday October 11, 2024 1:00pm - 3:11pm PDT
Sequoia 1
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.
Friday October 11, 2024 4:00pm - 5:56pm PDT
Rafael 1
While searching on Facebook for her estranged father, a young woman finds a man (John Leguizamo) with the same name, a caring father figure, who also could use a friend.
An accidental connection blossoms into a loving father-daughter-like relationship in writer-director Tracie Laymon’s gentle and deeply personal feature debut. Upbeat Lily (Barbie Ferreira) strives to please everyone around her, including her narcissistic, deeply disinterested father Robert Trevino (French Stewart), a jerk who blames his daughter for everything wrong in his life and ghosts her. In desperate need of a real friend, Lily finds one when she discovers a different Bob Trevino (John Leguizamo) while searching for her estranged dad on Facebook. This Bob is the opposite of her difficult parent: a decent, ethical, and warm married man who could use a new friend himself. Ferreira and Leguizamo are wonderful together; their vulnerable performances touch the heart in a winning film that reminds us that the spontaneous bonds we make can be sometimes far more enriching and loving than the family ties we’ve been assigned.
Expected In Person Guest
Friday October 11, 2024 6:00pm - 7:42pm PDT
Rafael 3
Summer. Suburbia. Everyone is out having fun…except our 14-year-old hero, who in his pretentious precocity aims to write and stage the Great American Stage Drama. Even he gets distracted, however, once mom hires a hunky young handyman.
“Basically, it’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf meets American Beauty,” says the titular figure of his magnum opus Regrets of Autumn, a searing expose of the tarnished American Dream involving alcoholism, infidelity, and abortion. Rehearsals are just starting, but one senses the playwright probably already has that Pulitzer acceptance speech prepared. Trouble is…Griffin (Everett Blunck) remains as yet a pubescent suburban middle school student whose few friends and long-suffering mother (Melanie Lynskey) are already tired of his humorless devotion to the dramatic arts. While they reluctantly bend to his will, he faces distraction from "the work" this summer when mom hires young handyman Brad (Owen Teague, Eileen), who’s like a latter-day James Dean with better abdominal definition. Surprisingly, it turns out this monosyllabic hunk has theatrical ambitions, too. Nicholas Colia’s alternately hilarious and discomfiting debut combines an eccentrically singular coming-of-age (and coming out) story with elements of poignant insight.
Expected In Person Guest
Saturday October 12, 2024 1:30pm - 3:00pm PDT
Rafael 2
How much hero worship is too much? Growing up in the heart of Silicon Valley, budding millennial Claudia Lerner only needs one aspirational model: Steve Jobs, whose products, career, image, and philosophy she idolizes from an early age. So much that at one point her mother (Judy Greer) asks, “Did you join a cult or something?” Viewed throughout her first couple decades of life, our heroine’s relentless drive to excel like guess-who isn’t necessarily a help as she must confront hurdles like her parents’ divorce and mom’s cancer diagnosis. Turns out, “What Would Steve Do?” isn’t a guiding principle that applies to everything in a teenage girl’s existence. In the autobiographically inspired seriocomedy of writer-director Kayci Lacob’s heartfelt debut feature, the irresistible force of Claudia’s ambition meets an unmovable object—reality—and she must learn “to become me,” not the Apple of an icon’s eye.
Expected In Person Guest
Saturday October 12, 2024 3:00pm - 4:31pm PDT
Lark Theatre
Two longtime friends, unpredictable and laidback Rickey and organized and anxious Glenn, embark on a road trip to scatter the ashes of Rickey’s father. Longtime best friends Glenn (Michael Cera, Molly’s Game, MVFF40) and Rickey (co-writer-director Michael Angarano) could not be more different. Glenn is organized and anxious; Rickey is unpredictable and laid-back. Glenn lives a quiet life with his wife preparing for the birth of his first child, while Rickey just got kicked out of a convalescent home and has nowhere to go. Despite their divergent paths, the pair have maintained a tight bond over the years. So, when Rickey suddenly appears in Glenn’s backyard, it’s not surprising that this unannounced visit leads to the two taking a spontaneous road trip to Sacramento to spread the ashes of Rickey’s father. Throughout the journey, the two explore the bounds of their friendship and finally learn to process their emotions. Kristen Stewart (Seberg, MVFF42) and Maya Erskine costar in this heartwarming and emotional comedy.
Michael Angarano is an Emmy-nominated actor who most recently appeared in the films Oppenheimer (2023) and Horizon (2024) and the Peacock series Laid (2024). He made his writing and directing debut in 2017 with Avenues (2017). He received a 2019 Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for an episode of This Is Us.
Saturday October 12, 2024 5:30pm - 6:54pm PDT
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What is the soundtrack of your life? Are there titles by artists that you didn’t connect with the first time round, but—pow!—one of their songs just hits you years later, and it’s love—albeit the second time around the turntable. Hi De Ho host extraordinaire John Goddard’s not-to-be-missed musings on music are an MVFF staple, as he veejays from his personal collection of musical wonders, this year unpacking titles from the grand era of Rock that he connected with sometimes decades after their initial release, often in random encounters. Like in the middle of a movie. Think Marc Bolan and T-Rex in Billy Elliot, or Queen in Revenge of the Nerds. Or seeing Patti Smith in a best-of SNL video. Expect the unexpected, as we come together for oddities from space, invaders from the UK, songs that are dirty, sweet—and quite eclectic. Be prepared to have your memory tweaked and your heart opened. It’s the Hi De Ho Show!
Expected In Person Guest
Saturday October 12, 2024 8:30pm - 11:00pm PDT
Sequoia 1
Marielle Heller’s (Can You Ever Forgive Me?, MVFF41) bold new film starring the impeccable Amy Adams (Arrival, MVFF39 Opening Night) explores the darker side of motherhood with mischievous humor and a dash of suspense. The unnamed protagonist (played by Adams) is a visual artist whose career goes by the wayside after she gives birth to her son, a rather hyperactive charmer now hitting his Terrible Twos. Beset by folks who want to simplify the difficulties of childrearing or insist on its joys, she imagines herself responding in violent verbal fashion. When she starts to have strange dreams involving wild dogs and notices her body and senses changing, the primal instincts at the root of motherhood take center stage. Heller’s script (adapted from a book by Rachel Yoder) has a tonal agility that bounces adeptly from comedy to drama, even dipping its tail into body horror, and Adams is similarly dexterous in her display of the manifold emotions lying just below the surface of her character. Amy Adams first appeared on the big screen in Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) and worked steadily on television and in such movies as The Slaughter Rule (2002) and Catch Me If You Can (2002) before achieving her breakthrough with Junebug (2005), for which she won a Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female and received her first Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The Oscar® nod was the first of six, followed by Doubt (2008), The Fighter (2010), The Master (2012), American Hustle (2013), and Vice (2018). Among her other notable films are Julie and Julia (2009), On the Road (MVFF45), Her (2013), Big Eyes (2014), Nocturnal Animals (2016), and Arrival (MVFF39 Opening Night film). She also received two Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and Outstanding Limited Series for Sharp Objects (2018).
We close out MVFF47 with Adams’ latest film, Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch, where we also honor Adams with an MVFF Award for her stellar career.
Expected in person guest.
Sunday October 13, 2024 5:00pm - 6:38pm PDT
Rafael 1
Marielle Heller’s (Can You Ever Forgive Me?, MVFF41) bold new film starring the impeccable Amy Adams (Arrival, MVFF39 Opening Night) explores the darker side of motherhood with mischievous humor and a dash of suspense. The unnamed protagonist (played by Adams) is a visual artist whose career goes by the wayside after she gives birth to her son, a rather hyperactive charmer now hitting his Terrible Twos. Beset by folks who want to simplify the difficulties of childrearing or insist on its joys, she imagines herself responding in violent verbal fashion. When she starts to have strange dreams involving wild dogs and notices her body and senses changing, the primal instincts at the root of motherhood take center stage. Heller’s script (adapted from a book by Rachel Yoder) has a tonal agility that bounces adeptly from comedy to drama, even dipping its tail into body horror, and Adams is similarly dexterous in her display of the manifold emotions lying just below the surface of her character. Amy Adams first appeared on the big screen in Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) and worked steadily on television and in such movies as The Slaughter Rule (2002) and Catch Me If You Can (2002) before achieving her breakthrough with Junebug (2005), for which she won a Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female and received her first Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The Oscar® nod was the first of six, followed by Doubt (2008), The Fighter (2010), The Master (2012), American Hustle (2013), and Vice (2018). Among her other notable films are Julie and Julia (2009), On the Road (MVFF45), Her (2013), Big Eyes (2014), Nocturnal Animals (2016), and Arrival (MVFF39 Opening Night film). She also received two Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and Outstanding Limited Series for Sharp Objects (2018).
We close out MVFF47 with Adams’ latest film, Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch, where we also honor Adams with an MVFF Award for her stellar career.
Expected in person guest.
Sunday October 13, 2024 5:00pm - 6:38pm PDT
Sequoia 1
