MVFF46 Program by MVFF

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The California Film Institute and Mill Valley Film Festival are located in Marin County, California, on the traditional, ancestral, and contemporary homelands of the Coast Miwok, Pomo, and Wappo peoples. This includes the Southern Pomo and Graton Rancheria Tribes. These tribes were removed or displaced from their lands. We recognize this history and the harm to present-day Coast Miwok, Pomo, and Wappo peoples and to their ancestors. The California Film Institute commits to moving forward from a place of authenticity and working with present-day tribes to elevate their stories, history, and present-day legacy through film.

ACCESSIBILITY The Mill Valley Film Festival is dedicated to using physical venues that are accessible to all of our attendees and invited guests, as well as accessible screening content both in-person and through our streaming services. MVFF communicates directly with studios, distributors, and filmmakers about accessibility features with their films. This process takes time, and MVFF is committed to verifying that accessibility features do exist and screen properly. As we receive content and verify, the below lists will be updated. Please note that accessibility features for films may be verified and updated after tickets go on sale to the public. If you wish to communicate an accessibility need, please fill out THIS FORM or email accessibility@cafilm.org directly. If you need ASL interpretation, please contact us at least 10 days prior to the screening you will need it for. CONSENT TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED California Film Institute (CAFILM) and its representatives may photograph, film, and/or otherwise record attendees at all festival activities. By attending, you consent to such photography, filming, and/or recording and to any use in any and all media throughout the universe in perpetuity and without compensation for the use of your appearance, voice, and name for promotional and/or advertising, or any other purpose by CAFILM and its affiliates and representatives.

FROM THE DIRECTOR............................................... 4

DONOR CIRCLE......................................................... 38

OPENING NIGHT: DAY OF THE FIGHT..................... 7

SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER DONORS.................. 40

SPECIAL SCREENING: THE ZONE OF INTEREST..... 9

FESTIVAL OVERVIEW................................................. 42

SPECIAL SCREENING: FAST CHARLIE...................... 11

INITIATIVES................................................................. 48

TRIBUTE: LYNN HERSHMAN LEESON...................... 13

SECTIONS................................................................... 49

SPOTLIGHT: GEORGE C. WOLFE (RUSTIN).............. 15

BEHIND THE SCREENS.............................................. 50

SPOTLIGHT: JEFF NICHOLS (THE BIKERIDERS)....... 17

MVFF MUSIC.............................................................. 53

SPOTLIGHT: EMERALD FENNELL (SALTBURN)........ 19

MIND THE GAP.......................................................... 54

CENTERPIECE: AMERICAN FICTION........................ 21

ACTIVE CINEMA........................................................ 58

CENTERPIECE: PRISCILLA......................................... 23

¡VIVA EL CINE!............................................................ 59

TRIBUTE: TODD HAYNES + CHRISTINE VACHON (MAY DECEMBER)................................................ 25

MVFF EDUCATION..................................................... 60

DIRECTORS NIGHT: FANCY DANCE......................... 27 DIRECTORS NIGHT: NYAD........................................ 29 CLOSING NIGHT: MAESTRO..................................... 31 TICKETS + NAVIGATION........................................... 33 CAFILM MEMBERSHIP............................................... 34 SPONSORS................................................................. 36

FAMILY FILMS............................................................. 61 STRANDS.................................................................... 62 FILM NOTES............................................................... 65 SPONSORS................................................................. 230 MVFF46 STAFF........................................................... 234 CAFILM BOARD OF DIRECTORS............................... 236

The Mill Valley Film Festival is presented by the California Film Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that also owns and operates the Smith Rafael Film Center, presents DocLands Documentary Film Festival each May, and offers CAFILM Education programs throughout the year. © Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. No portion of the Mill Valley Film Festival program may be duplicated in any form without written consent from the Mill Valley Film Festival and/or the California Film Institute.

FROM THE DIRECTOR Before the first Mill Valley Film Festival in 1978, I made a presentation to the Mill Valley Arts Commission and walked away with $500. A drop in the bucket now, but then it was the first money I raised for what has grown from that small event into the premier festival of the fall movie season it is today. It was a different world then, with only a handful of film festivals in the United States. We weren’t at all sure people would understand what we were doing or if there was an audience for it. But the crowds arrived. They came to that first festival and have shown up ever since, attracted by our programming of the most anticipated awards-season movies, sublime documentaries, irresistible indies, tributes, panel discussions, and other special events. Are there challenges? Sure, some are as minor as wrangling celebrity guests; others, not so trivial. After three years, we are still dealing with the ramifications of COVID that so affected our movie-going habits. Yes, I remain optimistic that there is an appetite for arthouse and inde-

pendent fare. Film festivals, Mill Valley in particular, are here to satisfy that hunger. This year we will feed your appetite starting with a startling work by an actor turned auteur as Jack Huston – grandson of legendary director John – unveils his first feature, Day of the Fight, on opening night. And we'll wrap up with a film that's generating major Oscar® buzz – we'll reveal the title soon, so stay tuned! In between: a glittering array of movies and events you’ll be discussing for months to come. The director is the star this year, as several of our special events attest. The Bay Area’s own Lynn Hershman Leeson is our Mind the Gap Lifetime Achievement awardee as we screen her Cyborgian Rhapsody series, while Emerald Fennell, following up Promising Young Woman with Saltburn, is our Mind the Gap Filmmaker of the Year. In our tribute to Todd Haynes’ May December, we bestow our first ever award for collaboration to the director along with producer Christine Vachon, who will discuss their extraordinary partnership

on stage. There are many more tributes but I want to call out one last one, our spotlight on the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, with a screening of Rustin, about that event’s organizer, and a tribute to the film’s director, the legendary George C. Wolfe (a Tony winner for Angels in America). We’re pleased to present the one-two punch of the two top Cannes award winners, both starring German actor Sandra Hüller: Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winner Anatomy of a Fall and Grand Prize winner Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest. The latter, an adaptation of Martin Amis’ novel, presents the Holocaust in a way never seen before in cinemas, with the notorious Auschwitz commandant’s family living their daily lives in the midst of horror. The Zone of Interest will be followed by a special discussion. The festival offers a second Holocaust drama with Richmond filmmaker Finn Taylor’s Avenue of the Giants, starring Stephen Lang as an Auschwitz survivor confronting the past he’s kept hidden for 50 years. Among other

films from Bay Area makers are Marlo McKenzie and Jonathan Parker’s Carol Doda Topless at the Condor, exploring the life of the world-changing icon; the great Maureen Gosling profiling another great with The 9 Lives of Barbara Dane, about the Berkeley singer; and Oscar® winners Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s irresistible celebration of Cuban musicians and the US volunteers helping a music school thrive, Música!. There are too many films to mention, which is a wonderful problem to have. I just want to add that we could not do any of this without our board, sponsors, partners, and you, our audience. Thank you all. Enjoy the festival.

Mark Fishkin Executive Director | Founder California Film Institute

OPENING NIGHT

DAY OF THE FIGHT MVFF returns to its roots as a heavyweight champion of independent filmmaking with the North American premiere of renowned actor Jack Huston’s (Kill Your Darlings, American Hustle) extraordinary writing/directing debut. With a loving nod to Stanley Kubrick’s 1951 documentary of the same name, Huston (of famed lineage: Walter, John, Anjelica et al) flips the script on the boxing-film genre with this exquisitely composed, delicate, and understated portrait of a complicated man coming to grips with his past. Replacing violence and brutality with tenderness and sensitivity, Huston’s deft, musical approach to the material is revelatory. Featuring stunning performances from Michael Pitt as former middleweight champ Mikey Flannigan, Nicolette Robinson as his estranged lover, Ron Perlman as his coach, and an unforgettable Joe Pesci as Mikey’s wordless and ailing dad, Day of the Fight pulls no punches whatsoever with its aesthetic beauty and a deeply felt emotional resonance. Truly a knock-out. – KD Davis

FILM + PARTY: FILM ONLY: SIMULCAST HOUSE: SIMULCAST + PARTY: PARTY ONLY:

PARTY LOCATION:

Marin Country Mart | 9:00-11:30pm

Thursday, October 5 . 7:00pm . Sequoia . Rafael

DIRECTOR

Jack Huston

US 2023 139 min NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE IN PERSON

Jack Huston Jai Stefan SECTION

Sponsored by JENNIFER COSLETT MacCREADY 7

SPECIAL SCREENING

THE ZONE OF INTEREST An extraordinary examination of evil, The Zone of Interest finds a startling new way to depict the Holocaust, avoiding exploitation or intellectualization while portraying the tragedy through the blinkered perspective of the monsters who orchestrated it. Under the Skin filmmaker Jonathan Glazer adapts Martin Amis’ novel, chronicling a family, led by SS officer Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel), living right outside Auschwitz, their deceptively ordinary existence on occasion mildly interrupted by atrocities in the distance. Glazer gives the film a clinical remove: Cinematographer Łukasz Żal shoots scenes with icy stillness, as if to evoke dispassionate surveillance footage, and the performances contain the same malevolent passivity. (Sandra Hüller, equally excellent in MVFF46 selection Anatomy of a Fall, is a marvel as Höss’ wife.) Highlighted by Mica Levi’s remarkable score, The Zone of Interest won the Grand Prix at Cannes; it’s a stunning experience, challenging both the strictures of the Holocaust drama and our assumptions about how cinema can (or can’t) memorialize history’s greatest crime. —Tim Grierson

FILM + RECEPTION: FILM ONLY:

$55 Member | $60 General $35 Member | $40 General

Friday, October 6 . 7:00 . Rafael

DIRECTOR

Jonathan Glazer UK/Poland 2023 105 min BAY AREA PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Christian Friedel SECTION

World

Sponsored by

TRIBUTE

LYNN HERSHMAN LEESON A long-time fascination with AI—its potentials, both creative and invasive; its uses and abuses—is at the heart of San Francisco artist, filmmaker, and visionary Lynn Hershman Leeson’s four-film cycle created over several decades, culminating with Cyborgian Rhapsody – Immortality (2023). Ever the innovator, Hershman Leeson’s latest is written and performed by an actual Cyborg—a GPT 3 Chatbot—in the image of its/her creator, Hershman Leeson herself. Others in the quartet of short films feature human performers: Seduction of a Cyborg (1994), a poetic metaphor about the invasion of technology into an unsuspecting body, features Joanne Green Levine. In Shadow Stalker (2018), Tessa Thompson (Passing, MVFF44) unpacks the dubious outcomes of AI usage—identity theft, predictive policing, inherent racism; and the award-winning Logic Paralyzes the Heart (2022) features Joan Chen’s (Lust, Caution, MVFF32) graceful portrayal of a cyborg facing, essentially, her midlife crisis. So, what is a cyborg? What is AI? Cyborgian Rhapsody gives an artist’s eye view of this brave new world. —Zoē Elton

DIRECTOR

Lynn Hershman Leeson US 2023 139 min WORLD PREMIERE IN PERSON

Lynn Hershman Leeson SECTION

MIND THE GAP AWARD VISIONARY ARTIST/LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENTS

The celebration of Lynn Hershman Leeson continues at the Smith Rafael Film Center the week of October 16.

FILM + RECEPTION: FILM ONLY:

$60 Member | $65 General $20 Member | $25 General

Sunday, October 8 . 4:00 . Rafael 13

SPOTLIGHT: GEORGE C. WOLFE

RUSTIN

Emmy winner Colman Domingo’s (If Beale Street Could Talk, MVFF41) fully immersive performance animates this rousing and intimate portrait of gay Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin. This insightful biopic chronicles Rustin’s leadership in conceiving and co-organizing the 1963 March on Washington in just a matter of weeks, while exploring his deep yet complicated friendship with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Aml Ameen), the challenges he faced in convening so many Civil Rights groups for the event, and the racist and homophobic backlash he endured. Tony winner George C. Wolfe deftly directs Julian Breece and Oscar® winner Dustin Lance Black’s sharp screenplay depicting this monumental history. Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions, the drama draws much vitality from Domingo’s phenomenal turn, as he tenderly portrays the passion, pain, and joy of Rustin’s life and activism. —Celeste Wong

DIRECTOR

George C. Wolfe US 2023 99 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

IN PERSON

George C. Wolfe SECTION

MVFF AWARD: DIRECTING

Sponsored by FILM + RECEPTION: FILM ONLY:

$50 Member | $55 General $25 Member | $30 General

Sunday, October 8 . 6:45 . Rafael Tuesday, October 10 . 4:00 . Rafael (Regular Screening: $14/$16.50)

Reception sponsored by

SPOTLIGHT: JEFF NICHOLS

THE BIKERIDERS

Anchored by phenomenal performances from Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, and Austin Butler, this latest feature from indie auteur Jeff Nichols (Loving, MVFF39) chronicles a fictional biker gang in mid-’60s Chicago. Inspired by Danny Lyon’s book cataloging his own reflections on being in a gang, Nichols creates the Vandals, a fictional brotherhood of leather-jacketed men bonded by beers, bikes, and brawls. In this macho culture, tears aren’t permitted and repression can fuel hasty acts of violence. Butler plays Benny, the gang’s most charismatic member, who comes across as a mix of Marlon Brando and James Dean. Hardy fully inhabits his role of Johnny, the gang’s ringleader who develops an intimate connection with Benny. And Comer demonstrates her versatility as Benny’s working-class wife, Kathy, whose outside-looking-in perspective offers an illuminating framework for the story. Rich in production and period detail and photographed with grit and style by Adam Stone, The Bikeriders explores the visceral stimulation as well as the limitations of an archetypically masculine life. It’s Nichols’ most ambitious film yet, continuing his string of great cinematic successes. —Randy Myers

DIRECTOR

Jeff Nichols

US 2022 102 min

IN PERSON

Jeff Nichols SECTION

MVFF AWARD: DIRECTING

FILM + RECEPTION: FILM ONLY:

Sponsored by DANIEL KENYON and MICHELLE MARCHETTA KENYON $55 Member | $60 General $35 Member | $40 General

Monday, October 9 . 7:15 . Rafael Saturday, October 14 . 11:00am . Sequoia (Regular Screening: $14/$16.50)

Reception Sponsored by

SPOTLIGHT: EMERALD FENNELL

SALTBURN Be prepared! With Saltburn, Emerald Fennell has created an extraordinary act of cinema, giving full rein to those talents (writer, director, producer) evident in her Oscar®-winning first feature, Promising Young Woman (MVFF43). Somewhere between revenge comedy and erotic thriller, and just plain brilliant, the wily and wickedly funny story centers on Oliver (Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin, MVFF45), a scholarship student at Oxford University. An unlikely friendship with the aristocratic, self-assured Felix (Jacob Elordi) bridges class divides and leads to a summer sojourn at the opulent Saltburn, Felix's family’s estate. And what a family. Fennell’s pitch-perfect script and excellent cast nail English eccentricity with cut-to-the-quick wit: as the matriarch of the tight-knit clan, Rosamund Pike’s (A Private War, MVFF41) one-liners are, well, to die for. Corridors are explored, bathtubs are fair game, and partying runs to excess as Oliver insinuates himself into their lives in ways charming and disarming, seductive and pernicious. Watch out for Barry Keoghan as you’ve never seen him before. —Zoë Elton

DIRECTOR

Emerald Fennell US/UK 2023 127 min

IN PERSON

Emerald Fennell SECTION

World

INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap

MIND THE GAP AWARD: FILMMAKER OF THE YEAR

FILM + RECEPTION: FILM ONLY:

$55 Member | $60 General (Reception @ AC Marriott) $35 Member | $40 General

Tuesday, October 10 . 7:00 . Rafael Wednesday, October 11 . 2:30 . Rafael (Regular Screening: $14/$16.50) 19

CENTERPIECE

AMERICAN FICTION After making a name for himself in journalism and TV, writer Cord Jefferson (The Good Place, Watchmen) proves a director to watch with this adaptation of Percival Everett’s Erasure, a satirical and thought-provoking examination of the publishing industry and how it consumes marginalized voices. Jeffrey Wright (The French Dispatch, MVFF44) delivers a compelling performance as author and professor Thelonius “Monk” Ellison, whose life is falling apart. Ousted from his college and struggling to sell books, he’s forced by a family emergency to retreat for an extended period to his hometown. There, Monk channels his frustration into writing a lampoon of the popular Black books on the market, publishing under a pseudonym and becoming, to his chagrin, an overnight success. A stellar supporting cast joins Wright, including Sterling K. Brown in a standout role unlike anything you’ve seen him in before. —Bri’anna Moore

DIRECTOR

Cord Jefferson US 2023 117 min

IN PERSON

Cord Jefferson SECTION

STRAND

Laugh

MVFF AWARD: BREAKTHROUGH DIRECTING

FILM + RECEPTION: FILM ONLY:

$60 Member | $65 General $35 Member | $40 General

Wednesday, October 11 . 6:30 . Sequoia Friday, October 13 . 3:00 . Rafael (Regular Screening: $14/$16.50)

Sponsored by

Daniel Kenyon and Michelle Marchetta Kenyon 21

CENTERPIECE

PRISCILLA

September 1959. A shy, ponytailed fourteen-year-old sips her soft drink at an American-style diner on a West German air base. Who could’ve guessed this homesick and impressionable Texas transplant would soon encounter a King and become rockand-roll’s first Queen? Director Sofia Coppola’s exquisite gift for depicting the complex psychology of young women (The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation) is in ample evidence in Priscilla, along with her extraordinary ability to express the ambiance and milieu of an era. Based on Priscilla Presley’s best-selling memoir, Elvis and Me, the film tracks Elvis’s ascent from teen heartthrob to international superstardom, while centering the drama on a young woman facing powerful challenges as she’s swept up in the turbulent wake of a mercurial and over-medicated icon. Cailee Spaeny, in a riveting performance as Priscilla, and mega-talent Jacob Elordi as Elvis lead an exemplary cast in this superb star-crossed love story. —KD Davis MVFF AWARD: FILMMAKING

FILM + RECEPTION: FILM ONLY:

DIRECTOR

Sofia Coppola US 2023 113 min BAY AREA PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Sofia Coppola SECTION

INTIATIVE

Mind the Gap

$60 Member | $65 General $35 Member | $40 General

Wednesday, October 11 . 12:00 . Sequoia (Regular Screening: $14/$16.50) Wednesday, October 11 . 7:00 . Sequoia 23

TRIBUTE: TODD HAYNES + CHRISTINE VACHON

MAY DECEMBER In this sharp new romantic drama from director Todd Haynes (Tribute, MVFF40), a sly battle of wills ensues when an actress (Natalie Portman) spends time with the housewife (Julianne Moore) she’s been hired to portray: a former tabloid queen whose shocking affair with an underage schoolboy made headlines 20 years earlier. The once-illicit lovers are married now, with a couple of kids, but the legacy of the scandal still stirs up a tangled web of emotions. Where is the line between research and flirtation, between naivete and delusion? Where does assumption end and judgment begin? No stranger to the complexity of relationships, Haynes — of Far from Heaven and Carol (MVFF38) fame — once again resists easy answers, instead offering plenty of stunning revelations, with family secrets revealed, surprise motivations surfaced, and audience expectations engrossingly subverted. —Sterling Hedgpeth

DIRECTOR

Todd Haynes

US 2023 113 min WEST COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Todd Haynes Christine Vachon SECTION

MVFF AWARD: LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT FOR COLLABORATION

FILM + RECEPTION: FILM ONLY:

$65 Member | $70 General (Reception @ AC Marriott) $40 Member | $45 General

Thursday, October 12 . 6:30 . Rafael Friday, October 13 . 3:00 . Sequoia (Regular Screening: $14/$16.50)

Sponsored by

DIRECTORS NIGHT

FANCY DANCE

Erica Tremblay’s moving narrative debut, set on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma, focuses on Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson), a teenager whose mom has vanished, and her Aunt Jax (Lily Gladstone, The Unknown Country, MVFF45). With Jax’s custody of her niece under threat, the pair hit the road to search for their missing relative, and participate in a nearby powwow. The hasty trip doesn’t sit well with local government officials or with Roki’s grandfather (Shea Whigham), who sets off in pursuit to disrupt their plans. With a sure hand and a light touch, Tremblay shines a light into the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women while telling a moving story of adolescence and maternal bonds. Highlighted by the two leads’ effortless charisma and a keen eye for the backroads and byways of rural America, Fancy Dance is grounded in cultural specificity and beautifully rounded characters. —Rod Armstrong

DIRECTOR

Erica Tremblay US 2023 90 min BAY AREA PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Erica Tremblay SECTION

INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap

FILM + RECEPTION: FILM ONLY:

$35 Member | $40 General $14 Member | $16.50 General

Friday, October 13 . 7:30 . Sequoia Saturday, October 14 . 7:00 . BAMPFA (Regular Screening: $14/$16.50) 27

DIRECTORS NIGHT

NYAD

In 1978, at the age of 28, renowned long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad attempted a record-setting 110-mile open-water swim from Havana, Cuba, to Key West, Florida. She was unsuccessful. In 2013, at the age of 64, she decided to shoot for her dream once again — this time navigating the shark-infested waters with no cage for protection. Oscar®-winning documentarians Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (Free Solo, MVFF41; The Rescue, MVFF44) make their narrative feature debut with this extraordinary true story of fortitude and female friendship. Annette Bening and Jodie Foster are an indomitable duo as Nyad and Bonnie Stoll, her coach and longtime friend. Nyad is a prickly powerhouse with a short fuse and a singular focus; Bonnie is her stalwart supporter and the vital voice of reason. Together, with a small but mighty crew, they take on the ocean, the elements, and a swarm of poisonous jellyfish to make a seemingly implausible dream a remarkable reality. —Joanne Parsont

DIRECTORS

Jimmy Chin Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi US 2023 121 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and others SECTION

INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap

FILM + RECEPTION: FILM ONLY:

$50 Member | $55 General $25 Member | $30 General

Friday, October 13 . 6:15 . Sequoia Sunday, October 15 . 7:00 . Lark (Regular Screening: $14/$16.50)

Sponsored by

CLOSING NIGHT

MAESTRO

Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan deliver stunning performances as Leonard Bernstein and his wife, actress Felicia Montealegre, in this intimate portrait of a marriage that spanned more than 25 years. Bernstein was an indispensable figure in the history of classical music, as a conductor, composer, pianist, and educator. Certainly the dominant American conductor of the late 20th century, he accomplished as much as anyone in making “serious” music intelligible to a broad audience. With breathtaking sweep, Maestro reflects on Bernstein’s life, career, and marriage with Felicia, which endured through his many liaisons. The film marks Cooper’s return to the director’s chair, following his triumphant A Star Is Born, and, co-scripting with Josh Singer, he’s also among its producers along with Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. Against an evolving film canvas of black-and-white and color, his extraordinary portrayal captures Bernstein’s bold and charismatic conducting style, animated by music from the maestro himself. —Richard Peterson

DIRECTOR

Bradley Cooper US 2023 127 min

SECTION

Closing Night sponsored by

FILM + PARTY: FILM ONLY: SIMULCAST HOUSE: SIMULCAST + PARTY: PARTY ONLY:

PARTY:

Downtown San Rafael | 7:00 - 10:00pm

Closing Night Party sponsored by

Sunday, October 15 . 5:00 . Sequoia . Rafael 31

TICKETS + NAVIGATING MVFF46 VENUES

SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER 1118 Fourth St. San Rafael CINÉARTS SEQUOIA 25 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley OUTDOOR ART CLUB 1 W Blithedale Ave, Mill Valley SWEETWATER MUSIC HALL 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley LARK THEATER 549 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur ROXIE THEATER 3117 16th St, San Francisco BAMPFA 2155 Center St, Berkeley

The use of cameras or recording devices is strictly prohibited during screenings and events and may result in removal from the venue. Oversized bags, with the exception of medical equipment and childcare bags, will not be allowed inside of any of our venues. All bags 12” x 12” x 6” and smaller will be permitted in. Please plan appropriately. Reserved Seats: Please DO NOT sit in a reserved seat unless it has been arranged for you by name, badge type, or specific indication on your ticket. Please DO NOT stand next to a reserved seat in hopes of them being released. For venue safety and fire code, all aisles must be clear unless actively walking to or from your seat. BOX OFFICES

Festival Box Offices open one hour prior to the first screening start time of the day and close 15 minutes past the last screening start time of the day, at each respective venue GUIDELINES + RULES To ensure the best experience possible and guarantee your while screenings are scheduled. Purchase tickets anytime at admittance, please arrive and be in line at least 30 minutes prior mvff.com/tickets for all of your scheduled screenings and events. Seat saving SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER is not allowed. All programs except those at BAMPFA, Roxie 1118 Fourth St. San Rafael Theater, and Sweetwater Music Hall have a priority seating in OUTDOOR ART CLUB the following order:

A B C RUSH

1 W Blithedale Ave, Mill Valley LARK THEATER

Outside food and beverage is not permitted in any of our 549 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur venues. BAMPFA has a zero food and beverage policy. ROXIE THEATER

3117 16th St, San Francisco

Cell phones and other notification devices should be turned BAMPFA completely off while attending screenings or events.

2155 Center St, Berkeley

CAFILM MEMBER TICKET SALES

FILMMAKER LOUNGES

Online Only at mvff.com/tickets

OUTDOOR ART CLUB 1 W Blithedale Ave, Mill Valley

PREMIER PATRON + ABOVE Sept 8 4:00pm DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE + ABOVE Sept 9 4:00pm ALL CAFILM MEMBERS Sept 10 4:00pm GENERAL PUBLIC Sept 12 4:00pm

AC MARRIOTT HOTEL 1201 Fifth St. San Rafael

ACCESS TO LOUNGES: All MVFF46 badges, tickets and CAFILM Day Passes with an enjoy access

TICKET PRICES

RUSH TICKETS

General $16.50 CAFILM Members $14.00 Seniors (65+) $15.00 Students (student ID required) $8.00 Shorts Programs $10.00 Youth (12 and under) $8.00 Special events priced specific to each event

REFUND POLICY

When a screening’s advanced tickets are no longer available for purchase, RUSH tickets may become available the day of the show as soon as 15 minutes prior to the show’s scheduled start time. RUSH tickets are not guaranteed and are only available on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. Vouchers are not valid for RUSH tickets, and they are only available in-person at the venue.

All ticket orders are final. No refunds, exchanges, substitutions, or reprints. MVFF is not responsible for lost, stolen, forgotten, or ONLINE PROGRAM damaged tickets. We will refund your ticket(s) if you are unable to Stream our online program on your computer, laptop, iPad, attend a screening due to your (or someone in your household) tablet, or mobile device at watch.cafilm.org or download the COVID-19 exposure, or due to community conditions that require a CAFILM App on your Roku, AppleTV, or Amazon Firestick. screening or event cancellation, or lack of accessibility features for CAFILM Streaming Room open to California residents only the desired screening. Please contact help@cafilm.org to request a refund.

The MVFF46 Online Pass offers access to the festival’s online program of 20+ films, filmmaker conversations, and Q&As. Act CONTENT ADVISORY fast! Some films may have limited capacity and therefore have Please bear in mind that our films are making their first entrances into the world before public audiences. Note that, unlike commercial the potential to sell out. Premier Patron, Cinema Benefactor, and Donor Circle receive a complimentary Online Pass. Single film online admission: General $8 | CAFILM Members $6

cinema, the majority of our films are not yet rated. We thank you for bearing that in mind as you make your choices.

BADGE PICKUP

Oct 1 - 4 Oct 7 - 14 Oct 15

11:00am - 5:00pm Smith Rafael Film Center 10:00am - 8:00pm Outdoor Art Club 10:00am - 5:00pm Outdoor Art Club

CAFILM MEMBERSHIP With membership to the California Film Institute every night is an

Occasion

The California Film Institute relies on the support of our wonderful members to run the Mill Valley Film Festival, show amazing films year-round at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, and promote exceptional independent filmmakers in our community. Become a CAFILM member to keep the magic going all year long with free screenings of upcoming films, access to exclusive member events, and our lowest ticket prices on films and events!

ASSOCIATE

DONOR CIRCLE

Perfect for the solo film lover, who loves watching films at the Smith Rafael Film Center or online, and receiving invitations to our exclusive member screenings. $80

Want even more? Explore our All-Access levels in the Donor’s Circle. By joining the vibrant Donor Circle community you will deepen your knowledge and appreciation of independent film through exclusive access and opportunities, while supporting a world-class independent film nonprofit organization.

FILM FAN

All of the perks of Associate membership, but for two! Perfect for couples or two friends who love to see amazing films together. $130 DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE

For the festival fan, Director’s Circle members receive even earlier access to MVFF tickets and a place in our early entry line, along with all the perks of Film Fan membership. $345 PREMIER PATRON

Premier Patrons receive all of the benefits of Director’s Circle, plus earliest access to film tickets, invitations to exclusive events, and entry into the MVFF Filmmaker Lounge. $680

Your involvement at the Donor Circle level enables CAFILM to provide a platform for internationally acclaimed, established and emerging filmmakers to share their stories with our community, offer free programs to thousands of diverse Bay Area students each year, deliver tangible results in gender equity in film, support the sustainability, maintenance, and programming of a historic art house theater, and champion independent filmmakers to make impact nationwide.

To learn more about our Donor Circle levels visit cafilm.org/donor

CINEMA BENEFACTOR

Get behind-the-scenes access! With all of the Premier Patron perks, plus invitations to even more events, free tickets to films, and complimentary concession coupons at the Rafael Film Center. $1,300

Sponsored by

ALL BEHIND THE SCREENS EVENTS ARE FREE TICKET REQUIRED

MVFF MUSIC PERFORMANCES IN CELEBRATION OF AN AMERICAN HERO THE 9 LIVES OF BARBARA DANE

AN EVENING OF EAST AND WEST COAST RENEGADE RADIO FEAST YOUR EARS

A special one-of-a-kind tribute concert honoring the legendary Barbara Dane and the much-anticipated premiere screening of Maureen Gosling's captivating documentary, The 9 Lives of Barbara Dane. Brace yourself for an explosion of talent with mesmerizing performances that span genres and generations. Guest artists Holly Near and Willie Chambers (Chambers Brothers), will join Barbara Dane’s son from Cuba, Pablo Menendez (Mezcla) who will lead Barbara’s band featuring members Tammy Hall (piano), Ruth Davies (bass) and Daria Johnson (drums), with cameo appearances by Barbara’s eldest son Jesse Cahn and her Cuban rockstar grandson Osamu. This electrifying celebration promises an unforgettable night of music, memories, and a deep appreciation for a legacy that has touched lives across the globe.

Following the California premiere of Jay Schlossberg’s documentary feature film Feast Your Ears: The Story of WHFS 102.3, we're turning up the heat with a live concert that's all about celebrating the iconic independent radio stations that kept us jamming through the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s – WHFS on the East Coast and KSAN on the West Coast. Hosted by the legendary Ben Fong-Torres, this night is gonna rock as we bring you performances by Taj Mahal, Jesse Colin Young, members of the Firesign Theater, David Ossman, and Phil Proctor, a reunion of former DJs from both KSAN and WHFS Radio, including Jonathan Gilbert, and other surprise guests that will have you grooving to the tunes. We are truly sorry to announce that due to a family emergency, Taj Mahal won't be able to join us at the Sweetwater Music Hall. In his absence, we're thrilled to have his longtime collaborator, Maria Muldaur and her band, joining Jesse Colin Young, members of the Firesign Theater, and DJs from both KSAN and WHFS Radio all hosted by Ben Fong-Torres.

Both performances are benefits for California Film Institute

Sponsored by

ACTIVE CINEMA A forum for films united in their commitment to explore the world and its issues (both local and global), engage audiences, and transform ideas into action for positive change. Join us for screenings throughout the Festival, support the grassroots activism of the filmmakers, and engage with the admirable work of special guests, co-presenters, and partners.

ADRIFT ANOTHER BODY FARMING WHILE BLACK

PATROL THE RIGHT TO READ

ACTIVE CINEMA HIKE: NETWORKING IN NATURE Saturday Oct 14, 10am | Free Come and enjoy some fresh air and fresh ideas with filmmakers, friends, festival staff and cinephiles during this hour-long hike to the ocean through beautiful terrain. Exchange ideas on filmmaking, filmmaker resources, activism, and strategies for engagement. Bring water and sunblock, and wear good hiking shoes. All welcome! Meet at Tennessee Valley Trailhead parking lot.

PATROL

İVIVA EL CINE! MVFF’s ¡Viva el cine! initiative is a showcase of Latin American, Latinx, and Spanish-language stories, connecting audiences with a diversity of cultures, identities, and histories explored through the magic of cinema. ¡Viva el cine! es una iniciativa de MVFF que celebra historias latinoamericanas, latines y en español, conectando a las audiencias con una diversidad de culturas, identidades e historias exploradas a través de la magia del cine. Features HEARTBEAT (Mexico) MOUNTAINS (US) MÚSICA (US) PATROL (Nicaragua, US) RADICAL (US) RIVER OF DESIRE (Brazil) ROBOT DREAMS (Spain) THE SETTLERS (Chile) (Spain) SKIN OF GLASS (US) SOCIETY OF THE SNOW (Uruguay, Chile) THEY SHOT THE PIANO PLAYER TOTEM (Mexico) WATER FOR LIFE (US)

Shorts CLEO & NINA (Costa Rica) THE DANCE (Colombia) LA CALESITA (Argentina) LA PIÑATA (Mexico) EL MOÑO (US) MIST (Colombia) NO MORE LONGING (US) OPERATION FRANKENSTEIN (Spain) STRAWBERRY PICKER (US) UNDER THE SAME SKY (Mexico) WITH A WOOL BALL (Argentina)

SKIN OF GLASS

Support provided by

MVFF EDUCATION CAFILM Education has offered free education programs to Bay Area schools for more than 35 years, welcoming thousands of students to participate in the Festival each year by viewing new films and meeting filmmakers from around the world. We continue this tradition with two free programs available exclusively to K-12 schools in the Bay Area and across the country. SCHOOL SCREENINGS

A selection of narrative features, documentaries, and shorts programs is carefully curated from the general Festival program and offered for free to all participating schools as weekday matinees in the theater and following the Festival online. Screenings are followed by Q&As with filmmakers and subject experts, and supplemented by free curriculum resources including film-analysis toolkits, lesson plans, and discussion guides to help teachers incorporate the films into their class curriculum. FILMMAKERS GO TO SCHOOL

For those schools and students unable to travel to the theater, we offer an additional interactive experience through our Filmmakers Go to School program. Throughout the Festival (and often beyond), CAFILM Education staff bring filmmaker guests into the community to meet with students in their classrooms and school auditoriums, or at nearby venues, for in-depth discussions about the art and craft of filmmaking. For more information about CAFILM Education programs or how to get your school involved, visit cfieducation.org.

Support provided by Pixar | Nancy P. and Richard K. Robbins Family Foundation | Project No. 9

EMA Foundation | Fenwick Foundation | Miranda Lux Foundation | Marin Charitable 60

Photo: Tommy Lau

faMILY FilmS We’re making every Family Film event a reason for celebration this year! Join us for a diverse selection of only-at-MVFF film screenings that both kids and parents will enjoy, followed by a host of free activities, gifts and goodies. FRYBREAD FACE AND ME (Age 10+) Q&A with director Billy Luther after both screenings

SHORTS: ¡VIVA EL CINE INFANTIL! (Age 6+) Free churros and piñata party after the Oct 14 screening.

ROSA AND THE STONE TROLL (Age 5+) Free face painting and Fairytale Brownies after both screenings—and wear your fairy wings to the theater to get a free small popcorn (ages 12 and under).

SHORTS: YOUTH WORKS (Age 13+) Q&A with local youth filmmakers and our Young Curators

SIROCCO AND THE KINGDOM OF THE WINDS (Age 8+) Free Sweetly Cali Desserts, face painting, balloon art, and a special children’s book raffle after both screenings. SHORTS: MONSTERS, MOVIES & THE MOON (Age 9+) Q&A with director Benjamin Mulholland (The Lake Merritt Monster) and other special guests after both screenings, plus a free monster make-up demo after the Oct 8 screening.

There are many more hidden gems in the festival program for families to view together. Here are just a few to get you started: FANCY DANCE (Age 15+) I AM HOPE (Age 9+) MUSICÁ! (Age 11+)

MUSTACHE (Age 12+)

ONE WITH THE WHALE (Age 13+) PERIODICAL (Age 14+)

THE RIGHT TO READ (Age 10+) ROBOT DREAMS (Age 10+)

Sponsored by

ROSA AND THE STONE TROLL NOTE: We provide age recommendations for Family Film programs to assist parents in making appropriate film selections. These recommendations cannot adequately reflect the standards of every parent or the needs of every child, so please plan your movie-going experience accordingly.

STRANDS CREATE

HEART

THE 9 LIVES OF BARBARA DANE CAROL DODA TOPLESS AT THE CONDOR FEAST YOUR EARS MILLI VANILLI MÙSICA! ROBOT DREAMS SIROCCO AND THE KINGDOM OF THE WINDS THEY SHOT THE PIANO PLAYER

ÖTE NATIONAL ANTHEM FALLEN LEAVES HEARTBEAT RIVER OF DESIRE THE FORTUNATE ONES THE TASTE OF THE THINGS

Art. Dance. Music. Theater. Creative minds.

GROW

Ecology. Geography. Environment. The human relationship with the natural world COMMON GROUND DEMON MINERAL EVIL DOES NOT EXIST FARMING WHILE BLACK ONE WITH THE WHALE PATROL WATER FOR LIFE

Love. Like. Lust. Passion. Romance.

LAUGH

Humor. Wit. Satire. Irony. Comedy. From LOL to WTF. AMERICAN FICTION THE CRIME IS MINE FRYBREAD FACE AND ME THE HYPNOSIS LA CHIMERA MUSTACHE THE NATURE OF LOVE SLIDE TERRESTRIAL VERSES

SPIRIT

Body. Soul. The wholeness of being human. ADRIFT GOODBYE, JULIA I AM HOPE INSHALLAH A BOY KIDNAPPED MONSTER PERFECT DAYS THE RIGHT TO READ SOCIETY OF THE SNOW TOTEM

FARMING WHILE BLACK

TRAILBLAZERS Portraits of courage, vision, talent, and guts.

ANOTHER BODY A DOUBLE LIFE FARMING WHILE BLACK HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS IF ONLY I COULD HIBERNATE INVISIBLE NATION PERIODICAL RADICAL SKIN OF GLASS

FEAST YOUR EARS

THE 9 LIVES OF BARBARA DANE

For decades Barbara Dane lent her stellar singing voice to social-justice movements in the Bay Area and beyond, garnering an impressive FBI file along the way. Deeply respected by fellow luminaries in folk, blues, and jazz, Dane built a far-reaching legacy with music, activism, and love. As Maureen Gosling’s (This Ain't No Mouse Music, MVFF36) celebratory portrait reveals, early solidarity with those suffering racial and economic injustice sparked Dane’s passion to use her talent to sustain marginalized people. Rather than chase stardom, she followed her own maternal instincts to root herself and her family among generations of activist performers. Bonnie Raitt, Jane Fonda, and other notables attest to Dane’s unique way of shaping and being shaped by tumultuous social revolutions from the 1950s on. Nearing 90, Dane triumphantly tours with piano virtuoso Tammy Hall to celebrate a life of staying awake and connected, true to her ideals. One star among many illuminates so much. — Carol Harada

DIRECTOR

Maureen Gosling US 2023 107 min WORLD PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Barbara Dane Maureen Gosling Jed Riffe Nina Menéndez SECTION

Docs

STRAND

Create

INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap

Tuesday, October 10 . 5:00 . Sequoia Saturday, October 14 . 3:00 . Lark

MVFF Music Venue Sponsor 65

ADRIFT

With an estimated 35 million people currently displaced from their homes, the world now has more refugees than at any other time since World War II. While media reports thrive on sensationalism and populist politicians adopt fear-mongering campaigns, the lives of people fleeing deadly conflict hang in the balance. Without diminishing the extent of the crisis, Adrift contextualizes the debate around migration, highlighting the historical basis of the world’s engagement with refugees. No stranger to the big issues of American life, veteran filmmaker Rory Kennedy traces the US and global response to major conflicts including recent humanitarian crises in Ukraine and Syria, while also supporting a unified and compassionate response that centers dignity. With Adrift, Kennedy delivers an arresting, evidence-driven work of advocacy for the rights of refugees around the world. —Wilfred Okiche

DIRECTOR

Rory Kennedy US 2023 98 min WORLD PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Rory Kennedy, Mustafa Alio Judy Korin SECTION

Docs

STRAND

Spirit

INITIATIVE

Active Cinema Mind the Gap

Friday, October 6 . 6:00 . Sequoia Saturday, October 7 . 3:30 . Rafael 67

ALL HAPPY FAMILIES

Haroula Rose's charming dramedy stars How I Met Your Mother's Josh Radnor as Graham, an actor and writer in a slump and still waiting for his big break while his hugely successful brother Will (Rob Huebel) stars in his own sitcom. On the weekend before new tenant Dana (Chandra Russell) is due to move into their childhood home, the siblings and their parents find themselves unexpectedly under the same roof again, where every corner reveals secrets and surprises and the family airs out longheld resentments. This slice-of-life film features a terrific ensemble cast, including the pitch-perfect Becky Ann Baker as Sue, the matriarch who’s tired of having to hold everything together. With a heartfelt and witty script co-written by Coburn Goss, Rose delicately weaves a deeply relatable portrait of family dysfunction, with all of its delightfully entertaining mess coming to the surface over the course of one eventful and unforgettable weekend. —Celeste Wong

DIRECTOR

Haroula Rose

US 2023 90 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Haroula Rose SECTION

INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap

Saturday, October 14 . 3:00 . Rafael Sunday, October 15 . 12:00 . Sequoia 69

AMERICAN FICTION

After making a name for himself in journalism and TV, writer Cord Jefferson (The Good Place, Watchmen) proves a director to watch with this adaptation of Percival Everett’s Erasure, a satirical and thought-provoking examination of the publishing industry and how it consumes marginalized voices. Jeffrey Wright (The French Disptach, MVFF44) delivers a compelling performance as author and professor Thelonius “Monk” Ellison, whose life is falling apart. Ousted from his college and struggling to sell books, he’s forced by a family emergency to retreat for an extended period to his hometown. There, Monk channels his frustration into writing a lampoon of the popular Black books on the market, publishing under a pseudonym and becoming, to his chagrin, an overnight success. A stellar supporting cast joins Wright, including Sterling K. Brown in a standout role unlike anything you’ve seen him in before. — Bri’anna Moore

DIRECTOR

Cord Jefferson US 2023 117 min

IN PERSON

Cord Jefferson SECTION

STRAND

Laugh

Sponsored by

Wednesday, October 11 . 6:30 . Sequoia Friday, October 13 . 3:00 . Rafael

Daniel Kenyon and Michelle Marchetta Kenyon 71

ANATOMY OF A FALL

Did he jump or was he pushed? That question haunts Anatomy of a Fall, a gripping procedural that won the prestigious Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Sandra Hüller, also superb in MVFF46 selection The Zone of Interest, stars as Sandra, an aloof writer the police suspect killed her husband Vincent (Swann Arlaud). The dueling implications of suicide and murder drive French director Justine Triet’s fascinating mixture of marriage story and courtroom drama. Through flashbacks, the filmmaker (Sibyl) paints Sandra as a mother and wife full of contradictions, seeking the truth of Vincent’s death but, just as doggedly, trying to unravel the complexities that define so many relationships. Here the answers are never clear-cut, but Hüller’s beautifully enigmatic performance suggests that, in love, no one’s entirely innocent. —Tim Grierson

Saturday, October 7 . 2:30 . Sequoia Sunday, October 15 . 6:30 . BAMPFA

DIRECTOR

Justine Triet

France 2023 150 min CALIFORNIA PREMIERE

SECTION

World

Sponsored by

THE BIKERIDERS

Monday, October 9 . 7:15 . Rafael Saturday, October 14 . 11:00am . Sequoia

DIRECTOR

Jeff Nichols

US 2023 102 min

IN PERSON

Jeff Nichols SECTION

Sponsored by DANIEL KENYON and MICHELLE MARCHETTA KENYON 79

THE BOY AND THE HERON (KIMITACHI WA DÔ IKIRU KA) In the aftermath of World War II, a Japanese boy, Mahito, must settle into a new home with his newly married father. But Mahito remains isolated, friendless, and haunted by the death of his mother. So begins the fantasy whirlwind of the newest film from animation master Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke). And because it is Miyazaki, the experience involves mysterious passages and stairways, as well as bizarre creatures, some of whom may be malevolent, or perhaps just mischievous. Mahito embarks on a mission tied to his family that brings him into an extraordinary alternate universe where nothing is as it appears. Like so many Miyazaki heroes, he finds that his expected fate may directly conflict with far more urgent and intimate issues, forcing him to discover his personal moral compass. Full of the storied auteur’s remarkable visual imagery — beautiful, surreal, disturbing — this is one adventure you will never forget. —Sterling Hedgpeth

Monday, October 9 . 7:30 . Sequoia Tuesday, October 10 . 2:00 . Sequoia Friday, October 13 . 7:30 . Lark

DIRECTOR

Hayao Miyazaki Japan 2023 124 min WEST COAST PREMIERE SECTION

World

Sponsored by

Saturday, October 7 . 11:30am . Rafael 87

THE CRIME IS MINE (MON CRIME)

French director François Ozon (By the Grace of God, MVFF42) is at his most playful in this retro confection, derived from the same play that inspired the 1937 Carole Lombard screwball comedy True Confession. Nadia Tereszkiewicz and Rebecca Marder play impoverished Parisian flatmates struggling to start careers as actress and lawyer. Their luck changes when one is implicated in a murder — and they decide not to argue her (actual) innocence, instead pleading self-defense for publicity’s sake. Notoriety is achieved… but what if the real killer turns up to steal back that ill-gotten fame? Plush period trappings, rising young Gallic stars, and several welcome familiar faces adorn this antic soufflé that puts a distinct MeToo-era spin on satire reminiscent of Chicago. Arriving to the party fashionably late is Isabelle Huppert in rare form as “Madame Odette,” a flamboyant gorgon who’s like an Erté (or Edward Gorey) drawing come to life. —Dennis Harvey

DIRECTOR

François Ozon France 2023 102 min US PREMIERE

SECTION

World

STRAND

Laugh

Sponsored by

Monday, October 9 . 3:30 . Rafael Saturday, October 14 . 7:15 . Sequoia 89

DAY OF THE FIGHT

MVFF returns to its roots as a heavyweight champion of independent filmmaking with the North American premiere of renowned actor Jack Huston’s (Kill Your Darlings, American Hustle) extraordinary writing/directing debut. With a loving nod to Stanley Kubrick’s 1951 documentary of the same name, Huston (of famed lineage: Walter, John, Anjelica et al) flips the script on the boxing-film genre with this exquisitely composed, delicate, and understated portrait of a complicated man coming to grips with his past. Replacing violence and brutality with tenderness and sensitivity, Huston’s deft, musical approach to the material is revelatory. Featuring stunning performances from Michael Pitt as former middleweight champ Mikey Flannigan, Nicolette Robinson as his estranged lover, Ron Perlman as his coach, and an unforgettable Joe Pesci as Mikey’s wordless and ailing dad, Day of the Fight pulls no punches whatsoever with its aesthetic beauty and a deeply felt emotional resonance. Truly a knock-out. – KD Davis

DIRECTOR

Jack Huston

US 2023 139 min NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE IN PERSON

Jack Huston Jai Stefan SECTION

Thursday, October 5 . 7:00pm . Sequoia . Rafael 91

DEMON MINERAL

A penetrating look at the radioactive desert of the Navajo Reservation suffering from the effects of decades of uranium mining, Demon Mineral paints a devastating portrait of bureaucratic inaction and its long-term impact on human life. This fascinating documentary, directed by Hadley Austin and produced by Dr. Tommy Rock, employs an array of well-sourced scientific data, coupled with archival and on-the-ground footage, to bring into vivid focus the heartbreaking toll of omnipresent radiation on the Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah Indigenous population. With few avenues available to offset their suffering — compounded by sustained apathy from politicians who might be able to help — a group of Indigenous scientists, elders, and activists strive to reclaim Diné Bikeyah, the sacred land of the Navajo, and gain compensation for their contaminated lands. The illuminating Demon Mineral is an essential vehicle for those directly impacted by this dire situation to draw attention to their plight. — Zaki Hasan

DIRECTOR

Hadley Austin US 2023 88 min US PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Hadley Austin Yoni Goldstein Teracita Keyanna Lisa Robbins SECTION

Docs

STRAND

Grow

INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap

Saturday, October 14 . 6:00 . Rafael Sunday, October 15 . 12:00 . Rafael 93

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE

This beautifully crafted documentary, about the life and work of the author of the best-selling 1976 Hite Report on Female Sexuality, stays close to the source, foregrounding sexologist Shere Hite’s writing and numerous television appearances to tell her story. Combined with a treasure trove of home movies, photographs, and interviews with fellow scholars, activists, and friends, it follows Hite’s trajectory from hardworking history student to history maker who revolutionized the cultural conversation about sex. Sharing information gleaned from thousands of candid anonymous responses to questionnaires she designed, Hite showed that the sex and love lives of American women were quite different from those represented in popular culture and the scientific studies of the time. Along with exultation and praise for the liberating potential of her work, the insidious backlash Hite endured is all too familiar in an era when many states are radically curtailing the rights of women. —Kate MacKay

DIRECTOR

Nicole Newnham US 2022 116 min

IN PERSON

Nicole Newnham SECTION

Docs

INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap

Saturday, October 7 . 8:00 . Sequoia Sunday, October 8 . 1:00 . BAMPFA 95

A DOUBLE LIFE

The grim news made international headlines: On August 21, 1971, prison authorities discovered a gun on famed Soledad Brother author, activist, and San Quentin inmate George Jackson. A shootout ensued, killing Jackson, two other inmates, and three guards, and wounding three more correction officers. Authorities asserted that only lawyer Stephen Bingham could have smuggled the weapon into the prison. Fearing that a conviction for abetting the guards’ deaths would lead to his own murder, the attorney fled, beginning a long, strange odyssey of pseudonymous exile. Strange indeed for the Yale-graduate scion of politically prominent New England elites. Told largely in Bingham’s own words half a century later, Catherine Masud’s documentary is both an absorbing flashback to a heyday of Bay Area radical activism, and an indictment of officials willing to frame an innocent party in order to quickly close the books on a high-profile case. —Dennis Harvey

DIRECTOR

Catherine Masud US 2023 85 min WORLD PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Catherine Masud Abby Ginzberg Steve Bingham SECTION

Docs

STRAND

Trailblazers INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap

Sunday, October 8 . 2:45 . Rafael Sunday, October 15 . 11:30am . Rafael 97

EVIL DOES NOT EXIST (AKU WA SONZAI SHINAI) Oscar®-winning director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car, MVFF44) builds his beautifully evocative, poetic, and unequivocally political film around the most pressing issues of our time: corporate greed vs. environmental protection; centralized power vs. community control. The drama unfolds as residents of Mizubiki Village, including odd-jobber Takumi and his young daughter Hana, discover plans to build a “glamping” compound in the middle of their forested hamlet. Their water quality is at risk, and residents have been consulted neither about the building plans, nor the incursion of tourism to follow. When the community demands face-to-face accountability from the project developers, they deploy a public-relations firm instead to ply the villagers with unconvincing platitudes. With echoes of Agnieszka Holland’s Spoor and a titular nod to Mohammad Rasoulof’s There Is No Evil, Hamaguchi’s unforgettable drama is a poignant reminder that Nature always casts the deciding vote. —KD Davis

DIRECTOR

Ryûsuke Hamaguchi Japan 2023 105 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

SECTION

World

STRAND

Grow

Tuesday, October 10 . 8:00 . Sequoia Thursday, October 12 . 11:00am . Rafael 99

100

FALLEN LEAVES (KUOLLEET LEHDET)

Finnish writer-director Aki Kaurismäki reasserts himself as the master of the wry, melancholy comedy with his first film in six years, the winner of the Cannes Film Festival’s jury prize. Jussi Vatanen and Alma Pöysti star as two lonely souls living in Helsinki who find their possible love connection thwarted when he accidentally loses her number. Those enamored with Kaurismäki’s previous gems, such as The Man Without a Past and Le Havre, will find much to savor in this lovely portrait of downbeat individuals who haven’t given up on happy endings. The performances are precisely calibrated for maximum deadpan pleasure in a movie that contains plenty of winking nods to world-class filmmakers such as Yasujirō Ozu and Jim Jarmusch. But as always with Kaurismäki, the droll tone is offset by piercing sympathy for his characters, who battle alcoholism, working-class drudgery, and painful pasts as they try to forge a bond. As its title suggests, Fallen Leaves exudes a crisp, autumnal air — its quiet beauty as natural and effortless as the change of seasons. —Tim Grierson

DIRECTOR

Aki Kaurismäki Finland/Germany 2023 81 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

SECTION

World

STRAND

Heart

Friday, October 13 . 7:15 . BAMPFA Saturday, October 14 . 2:45 . Sequoia 101

102

FANCY DANCE

Friday, October 13 . 7:30 . Sequoia Saturday, October 14 . 7:00 . BAMPFA

DIRECTOR

Erica Tremblay US 2023 90 min BAY AREA PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Erica Tremblay SECTION

INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap

Sponsored by

103

104

FARMING WHILE BLACK

In 1910, Black farmers owned 14 percent of all American farmland. Over the intervening decades, that number fell to two percent, the result of racism, discrimination, and dispossession. Mark Decena’s visually eloquent documentary chronicles Leah Penniman and two other Black farmers’ efforts to reclaim their agricultural heritage. Collectively, their work has a major impact, as each is a leader in sustainable agriculture and food justice movements. Decena outlines their contributions to regenerative agricultural practices, his watchful camera following the trio as they grow food, build community, advocate for themselves, repair the wounds of the past, and create a prosperous future. A rich guide to a world of activists, storytellers, healers, and change-makers, Farming While Black manifests alternate visions of humanity’s relationship to the land. —Wilfred Okiche

DIRECTOR

Mark Decena

US 2023 77 min WORLD PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Mark Decena Liz Lupino Decena SECTION

Docs

STRAND

Grow

INITIATIVE

Active Cinema

Saturday, October 7 . 3:00 . Rafael Sunday, October 15 . 4:00 . BAMPFA

Sponsored by

105

106

FAST CHARLIE

DIRECTOR

Phillip Noyce

US 2023 90 min WORLD PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Phillip Noyce Fil Eisler Scott Allen Perry Warren Thompson Victor Gaschler INVITED GUEST

Pierce Brosnan SECTION

Saturday, October 7 . 7:30 . Rafael Monday, October 9 . 2:00 . Sequoia

Sponsored by

107

108

FEAST YOUR EARS: THE STORY OF WHFS 102.3 FM Built out of “a pile of radio junk,” Bethesda, Maryland’s WHFS was a music fan’s dream of a radio station: the place on the dial to hear music listeners loved and new tunes they soon would, all with an anything-goes mentality and an ear for the sounds of social change. This doc pays loving tribute to free-form radio and WHFS’s influence over FM stations across the US from the 1960s to the 1980s. All good things come to an end, and so did the disc-jockey-driven format that WHFS pioneered and made successful, but its legacy lives on. The station’s DJs relate its history with passion in this film that captures the tenor of an era, abetted by reminiscences of performers including Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Jesse Colin Young, and others whose music found its way to ears and minds eager for something more than the same old Top 40 programming. —David Riedel

DIRECTOR

Jay Schlossberg US 2023 96 min CALIFORNIA PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Jay Schlossberg Dick Bangham SECTION

Docs

STRAND

Create

Sponsored by

Friday, October 13 . 4:45 . Sequoia Saturday, October 14 . 1:00 . Rafael 109

110

FINGERNAILS

At the “Love Institute,” couples come to reduce the risks of romance. No more uncertainty, no more wondering whether you’ve chosen the right person. Director Christos Nikou (Apples, MVFF43) brilliantly creates worlds that are both distant from our own yet somehow painfully, achingly familiar. In Fingernails, he asks if we can ever be sure whether our chosen partners have chosen us in return. And if there were a biometric test to prove the veracity of our partner’s desire, would we really want to know the results? Anna (Jessie Buckley, Women Talking, MVFF45) and Ryan (Jeremy Allen White, The Bear) are a couple convinced of their compatibility, having already passed “The Test.” But when Anna takes a job at the Love Institute, her encounter with researcher Amir (Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal, MVFF43) calls everything into question. “Heart symptoms first appear in the nail,” reads the poster on the Institute’s wall, and Fingernails hits it right on the head. —KD Davis

DIRECTOR

Christos Nikou US 2023 113 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Christos Nikou SECTION

Thursday, October 12 . 7:00 . Sequoia Sunday, October 15 . 8:00 . Sequoia 111

112

THE FORTUNATE ONES (O VENTO ASSOBIANDO NAS GRUAS) Raised without parents in an isolated mansion on Portugal’s southernmost coast, Milene (Rita Cabaco) turned out a sort of adult wild child — impulsive, often withdrawn, prone to hysterical outbursts. When her grandmother-minder dies, the stuffy relatives who ignored Milene until now must decide what to “do with” her. Institutionalization? Some menial job? They don’t reckon she might have her own firm ideas on the matter, especially after she meets construction worker Antonino (Milton Lopes), who’s part of a much warmer clan living on the grounds of the shuttered factory that once enriched her own family. The heart wants what it wants…but will anyone respect Milene’s desires? Veteran Swiss writer-director Jeanne Waltz has crafted a delicate yet sturdy and flavorful drama that treats a challenged mental-health status with hope and humor, minus sentimentality or condescension. —Dennis Harvey

DIRECTOR

Jeanne Waltz

Portugal/Switzerland 2023 93 min WORLD PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Jeanne Waltz SECTION

World

STRAND

Heart

INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap

Saturday, October 7 . 4:30 . Rafael Wednesday, October 11 . 2:00 . Sequoia 113

114

FRYBREAD FACE AND ME

Director Billy Luther’s wistfully funny debut spins the tender coming-of-age tale of 11-year-old Benny. Sent from his San Diego home to live with his grandmother on the Navajo reservation in the summer of 1990, he soon bonds with his cousin Dawn, AKA “Frybread Face.” Framed as a fond remembrance narrated by the adult Benny, the film depicts an initially rocky relationship that blossoms into friendship in a drama that lives at the inviting crossroads of American pop culture and Navajo tradition. Luther’s take on the familiar arc of a city kid uncovering his true heritage — complete with amusingly prickly family dynamics — thrives on low-key warmth. Produced by the visionary Taika Waititi, this genuine charmer and its affectionate insights slyly reminds us how important kin can be in a child’s self-discovery. —Ananya Kumar-Banerjee

DIRECTOR

Age 10+

STRAND

Billy Luther

US 2023 83 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Billy Luther Peter Simonite SECTION

Family Laugh

Sponsored by

Saturday, October 7 . 11:00am . Sequoia Monday, October 9 . 5:00 . Rafael 115

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GOODBYE JULIA (WADAEAN JULIA)

Sudan’s first film at Cannes — and at MVFF — is a powerful drama set against its 2011 split into two countries, the story of two extraordinary women brought together by the violence of men and racist politics. Mona (Eiman Yousif) is a Muslim woman who, when driving while distracted, accidentally hits a young boy and drives off in a panic. The boy’s mother is the titular Julia (Siren Riak), a Christian woman from the south, whose family is facing religious prejudice despite temporary peace accords. In the wake of tragic events brought about by the hit-and-run, Julia goes to work for Mona, and a fragile friendship develops despite their differences in religion and social standing. Buried deceptions are at play, however, involving Julia’s husband’s disappearance and Mona’s thankless marriage. In addition to eliciting two riveting central performances, debut director Mohamed Kordofani seamlessly interweaves personal and political themes, unifying these elements in vibrant and resonant fashion. —Rod Armstrong

DIRECTOR

Mohamed Kordofani Sudan/Egypt/Germany/ France/Saudi Arabia/ Sweden 2023 120 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

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World

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Spirit

Sponsored by

Thursday, October 12 .12:00 . Sequoia Friday, October 13 . 11:30am . Sequoia

Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation 117

118

HEARTBEAT (LATIDO)

When one wants a baby but can’t conceive and another is pregnant and doesn’t want the baby, the solution to each woman’s problem seems simple. But the situation is not as clear-cut as it appears. In Mexico City-based director Katina Medina Mora’s third film to portray the complications of intimacy, two distinct realities converge over how it feels not to have control over your body. The newly separated Leonor (Marina de Tavira) comes from the monied class, while 16-year-old aspiring ballerina Emilia (Camila Calónico) does not. They begin a tense pas de deux waiting out Emilia’s pregnancy in a remote country home, isolated from the world and each other. Nur Rubio Sherwell’s dreamy subjective camerawork culminates in a breathtaking “Dance of the Young Swans” scene at the ballet — and common ground finally found. Recognizable to American audiences for her Oscar®-nominated appearance as the newly separated mom in Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, de Tavira also executive-produces this welcome feature focused on layered relationships between women. — Shari Kizirian En Ciudad de México, Leonor quiere un bebé pero no puede concebir, mientras que Emilia, aspirante a bailarina de 16 años, está embarazada y no quiere el bebé. La solución parece sencilla pero la realidad es más complicada. La delicada película de la directora Katina Medina Mora retrata hábilmente a dos mujeres que negocian las complejidades que conlleva forjar nuevos tipos de intimidad. Traducido por Isabel Fondevila

DIRECTOR

Katina Medina Mora Mexico 2023 93 min WORLD PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Katina Medina Mora SECTION

World

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Heart

INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap ¡Viva el cine!

Sunday, October 8 . 7:30 . Rafael Sunday, October 15 . 8:30 . Rafael 119

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THE HI DE HO SHOW

Who put the bomp in the bomp-bah-bomp-bah-bomp? Who put the ram in the rama-lama-ding-dong? Well, the grand maestro of rock, roll, and everything in between, John Goddard — of Mill Valley’s legendary Village Music — has some ideas! John again brings his inimitable insights and compendium-like knowledge of music and pop culture to this year’s evening of delights curated from his personal archive of music videos. The Birth of Rock ’n’ Roll is this year’s theme: Before the British Invasion, there was America! There was a spontaneous combustion of cross-cultural influences in music (B.B. King listening to the Grand Ole Opry, the young Carl Perkins picking cotton and hearing gospel), and a generation of teenagers (a whole new concept) ready to engage. This promises to be a who’s-who of the movers and shakers (Little Richard! Elvis! Wanda Jackson!) and a what’s-up of the backstories and gossip behind the movement that, back in the mid-20th century, changed the world forever. —Zoë Elton

HOST

John Goddard US 2023 90 min WORLD PREMIERE

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Saturday, October 14 . 8:30 . Sequoia 121

122

THE HOLDOVERS

An endearing ode to the power of unlikely friendships, Alexander Payne’s latest brings us back to 1971 at an elite boarding school where curmudgeonly Professor Hunham (Paul Giamatti) finds himself with the responsibility of staying on campus over winter break to supervise those few kids unable to go home for the holidays. One of those students, Angus (Dominic Sessa), is an antagonistic teen whose disappointment in his neglectful parents is matched only by his utter hatred of his professor. Joining them is kind cafeteria manager, Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dolemite is My Name, MVFF42), who recently lost her son. Brought together by circumstance in the vast empty halls of an exclusive institution, three lonely outsiders find connection where they least expect it. Giamatti, Sessa, and Randolph are outstanding, with effortless chemistry, in Payne’s deeply moving and delightfully funny film — a heartwarming reminder that community can happen where you least expect it, and that we’re better off facing the world together than alone. —Celeste Wong

Tuesday, October 10 . 7:00 . Sequoia Thursday, October 12 . 3:00 . Rafael

DIRECTOR

Alexander Payne US 2023 133 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

SECTION

Sponsored by

Friday, October 13 . 2:00 . Sequoia Saturday, October 14 . 12:00 . Sequoia

Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation 127

128

I AM HOPE

Through fly-on-the-wall footage and insightful interviews, director ShakaJamal chronicles the effort to create a first-of-its-kind yoga and mindfulness program for Oakland Unified School District middle schools. Aimed at expanding students’ awareness and refining their goals, the initiative has been a unique success, and I Am Hope offers a poignant portrait of the day-to-day struggles of diverse young people united in their desire to pursue big dreams. As both director and interview subject, ShakaJamal’s presence is felt in front of and behind the camera, not only in terms of where he chooses to focus his lens but also in his discussions of the project’s origins and hopes for its future. “I’m passionate about your goals because you’re going to be the ones leading,” says the filmmaker to one of his students, and that zeal is plain to see in this heartfelt profile of a special program. —Zaki Hasan

DIRECTOR

Shown with FOUNDER GIRLS Director Contessa Gayles | US 2023 | 26 min In this kaleidoscopic ode to girlhood, young campers find freedom, sisterhood, and themselves at a historically Black summer camp.

SECTION

Following October 13 screening: Education Workshop: Mindfulness in the Classroom

INITIATIVE

ShakaJamal

US 2023 64 min BAY AREA PREMIERE Total program 90 min

IN PERSON

Contessa Gayles Ramsey Gayles Docs

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Spirit

Mind the Gap

W. Kamau Bell in conversation with Ericka Huggins and Shaka Jamal.

Saturday, October 7 . 1:00 . Sequoia Friday, October 13 . 4:30 . Rafael

Sponsored by

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130

IF ONLY I COULD HIBERNATE (BAAVGAI BOLOHSON) A teenage physics prodigy juggles familial and academic responsibilities in Zoljargal Purevdash’s moving directorial debut. Growing up in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Ulzii is one of four kids of an illiterate, widowed mother ill-equipped to provide for her family. His new physics teacher recognizes the boy’s talents and recommends him for a scholarship competition that could lead to a brighter future, but his mom’s desire to move back to the countryside results in a series of decisions that put significant pressure on him and his two siblings who stay behind. Purevdash's lovely film creates great empathy for her protagonist and effortlessly establishes the warm relationship Ulzii has with his younger brother and sister. As he’s thrust into the role of family provider, his struggles reveal how tattered the social fabric is for impoverished people in a drama that deftly demonstrates the role that socioeconomics can play in advancing a person’s life. —Rod Armstrong

DIRECTOR

Zoljargal Purevdash Mongolia 2023 98 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

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World

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Trailblazers INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap

Sponsored by

Friday, October 13 . 12:00 . Rafae Saturday, October 14 . 4:45 . Rafael l

JIM BOYCE TRUST and KRIS OTIS

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INSHALLAH A BOY (INSHALLAH WALAD) After her husband Adnan’s sudden death, Nawal and her daughter are threatened with the loss of their home in this suspenseful and devastating look at a woman driven to desperate extremes by Iran’s patriarchal marital laws. With Adnan’s grave still warm, his brother claims ownership of the property since Nawal isn’t listed as co-owner and doesn’t have a male heir, so she pulls a rabbit out of her hat and claims to be pregnant to buy time. The increasingly complicated web she must construct in order to delay the process enmeshes her with the wealthy family she works for and brings her face to face with the misogyny of her country — as well as the benefits that can be gained if one has enough money. Director Amjad Al Rasheed based elements of his story on a female relative’s experience in this superlative feature debut that powerfully tackles social injustice within an unforgettable and constantly surprising narrative framework. — Rod Armstrong

DIRECTOR

Amjad Al Rasheed Jordan/France 2023 113 min US PREMIERE

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World

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Spirit

Monday, October 9 . 6:30 . Rafael Sunday, October 15 . 3:00 . Lark 133

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INVISIBLE NATION

Taiwan’s live-free-or-die spirit is embodied by progressive President Tsai Ing-wen and youth activists who’ve shaped the country’s flourishing democracy. Under increasing threat of military invasion by totalitarian China, Taiwan seeks peaceful coexistence and the same support for its free sovereign state that Ukraine has gathered from the West. Xi Jinping’s regime insists on absorbing Taiwan in its One China policy, while the island nation asserts its independence and a pluralistic culture aligned with freedom movements around the world. Vanessa Hope’s (All Eyes and Ears, MVFF38) arresting documentary reveals how one East Asian democratic linchpin fights for global voice and visibility while its bigger neighbor pressures its allies, the US included, to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan and exclude it from global organizations. With urgency and verve, the film offers a deep dive into Taiwan’s — and democracy’s — urgent fight for survival. —Carol Harada

DIRECTOR

Vanessa Hope US 2023 85 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Shawna Yang Ryan Michelle Kuo Cassandra Jabola Arie Thompson SECTION

Docs

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Trailblazers INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap

Friday, October 6 . 5:00 . Rafael Saturday, October 7 . 11:00am . Rafael 135

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KIDNAPPED (RAPITO)

Marco Bellocchio’s (Blood of My Blood, The Traitor (MVFF42)) riveting historical drama is based on the true story of Edgardo Mortara, a young Jewish boy in 1857 Bologna secretly baptized in his cradle by a Christian maid. Six years later, authorities become aware of the baptism and rip the child away from his family, in accordance with Papal States norms. But Mortara never forgets his faith, practicing Judaism in secret even as he is raised in a Catholic environment. His parents’ quest to reclaim their son intertwines with a broader political conflict, and Pope Pius IX decides to take it as a personal cause. Mortara’s harrowing journey navigates the intricate balance between faith and dogma. This poignant film authentically portrays universal emotions while paying homage to 19th-century aesthetics. Bellocchio’s skill shines once more in an essential and unexpected classic. —João Federici

DIRECTOR

Marco Bellocchio Italy/France/Germany 2023 134 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

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World

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Spirit

Friday, October 6 . 3:00 . Rafael Thursday, October 12 . 6:00 . Rafael 137

138

MAESTRO

DIRECTOR

Bradley Cooper US 2023 127 min

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Sunday, October 15 . 5:00 . Sequoia . Rafael 139

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MAY DECEMBER

In this sharp new romantic drama from director Todd Haynes (Tribute, MVFF40), a sly battle of wills ensues when an actress (Natalie Portman) spends time with the housewife (Julianne Moore) she’s been hired to portray: a former tabloid queen whose shocking affair with an underage schoolboy made headlines 20 years earlier. The once-illicit lovers are married now, with a couple of kids, but the legacy of the scandal still stirs up a tangled web of emotions. Where is the line between research and flirtation, between naivete and delusion? Where does assumption end and judgment begin? No stranger to the complexity of relationships, Haynes — of Far from Heaven and Carol (MVFF 38) fame — once again resists easy answers, instead offering plenty of stunning revelations, with family secrets revealed, surprise motivations surfaced, and audience expectations engrossingly subverted. —Sterling Hedgpeth

DIRECTOR

Todd Haynes

US 2023 113 min WEST COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Samy Burch SECTION

Thursday, October 12 . 6:30 . Rafael Friday, October 13 . 3:00 . Sequoia 141

142

MILLI VANILLI

Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus were singer-dancer-models trying to make ends meet in Munich when German producer Frank Farian made them an offer they couldn’t refuse: He wanted them to be the photogenic faces — but not the voices — behind his concept for a new pop act. They became Milli Vanilli, and, well, we all know the rest…or maybe we don’t? Luke Korem’s eye-opening documentary on the ’80s duo that gave us “Girl You Know It’s True” retells the triumph-to-tragedy story from Morvan’s perspective (and archival interviews with Pilatus, who died in 1998), and traces the group’s steep rise and post-Grammy-win fall in a way that refuses to treat Milli Vanilli as a punchline. It’s both a reclamation of a career that turned Rob and Fab from superstars to pop-music pariahs and a sharp indictment of a music industry that screwed them over, the actual singers, and fans before getting away scot-free. —David Fear

DIRECTOR

Luke Korem

US 2023 106 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Luke Korem Fab Morvan SECTION

Docs

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Create

Friday, October 13 . 7:00 . Rafael Sunday, October 15 . 2:00 . Rafael

Sponsored by

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MONSTER

The truth depends on who you ask in Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda’s affecting new drama, a Rashomon-like tale of a troubling school incident that proves much less clear-cut than initially believed. Sakura Andō, who previously starred in the director’s acclaimed Shoplifters (MVFF41), plays Saori, a single mother who notices her son Minato (Sōya Kurokawa) acting oddly. Could a recent school punishment be the cause? Why was Minato disciplined? And how is classmate Yori (Hinata Hiiragi) involved? This Cannes Film Festival screenplay winner offers a study of bullying and youthful yearning from different perspectives, each version providing not just new information but also illustrating how life can be confusing to both adults and children. The result is exceptionally moving, with delicate twists and turns accentuated by a gorgeous score from Oscar®-winner Ryuichi Sakamoto, who died in March at the age of 71. —Tim Grierson

DIRECTOR

Hirokazu Kore-eda Japan 2023 126 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

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World

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Spirit

Saturday, October 7 . 3:00 . BAMPFA Thursday, October 12 . 4:00 . Rafael 145

146

MOUNTAINS

Monica Sorelle’s breathtaking first feature sneaks up on you. Unfolding as a hypnotic slow burn of one family’s struggles, the story focuses on a Haitian demolition worker witnessing the gentrification of his Miami neighborhood. Xavier is a father and husband becoming tired of days spent tearing down properties for future mansions. His wife, Esperance, works as a crossing guard and dressmaker, while their Americanized son, Junior, dreams of a life in show business. As the family navigates a world that is not overtly welcoming, cracks open in their psyches and in the strength of their connection. Sorelle communicates so much with intimate character moments and beautiful camera work, focused on the mesmerizing streets, people, and colors of Miami. A deeply powerful, brilliantly subtle exploration of a family finding its way in a complex time and place, the drama presents an eye-opening observation of the attraction and challenge of the American dream. —Brendan Peterson

DIRECTOR

Monica Sorelle US 2023 95 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Monica Sorelle SECTION

INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap ¡Viva el cine!

El impresionante primer largometraje de Monica Sorelle revela las dificultades por las que pasa una familia de manera lenta e hipnótica, centrándose en un trabajador de demolición haitiano que percibe la gentrificación de su vecindario de Miami. Este drama profundamente poderoso y brillantemente sutil presenta una reveladora observación de la atracción y el desafío del sueño americano. Traducido por Isabel Fondevila

Saturday, October 7 . 8:00 . Rafael Friday, October 13 . 5:00 . BAMPFA 147

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MÚSICA!

The latest from Oscar®-winning Bay Area documentarians Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (The Celluloid Closet, Common Threads (MVFF12)) paints a joyful portrait of an exceptional partnership. Founded 120 years ago, the Amadeo Roldan Conservatory of Music trains the crème de la crème among aspiring young Cuban musicians — enrollment is so competitive, the school accepts only about one in a hundred applicants. Yet even this prestigious institution in a musically rich culture suffers from its nation’s political isolation. Enter Horns to Havana, a volunteer organization of US artisans that makes regular pilgrimages to deliver strings and other basic supplies and teach instrument-repair workshops. The film goes beyond the depiction of this alliance to provide an intimate portrait of some remarkable formative talents, many seen drinking in living jazz history during a rare “field trip” to New Orleans. Shot over several years, Mùsica! allows us to witness these performers embarking on professional careers that may well prove stellar. —Dennis Harvey

DIRECTORS

Rob Epstein Jeffery Friedman US 2023 72 min CALIFORNIA PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Rob Epstein Jeffrey Friedman Susan Fanshel SECTION

Docs

STRAND

Desde 2011, músicos y artesanos estadounidenses han viajado a Cuba como voluntarios para regalar materiales muy necesarios y ayudar a reparar instrumentos en esa nación aislada. Lo último de los venerados documentalistas del Área de la Bahía, Rob Epstein y Jeffrey Friedman, celebra no solo este esfuerzo de colaboración, sino también las ricas tradiciones musicales y los jóvenes intérpretes en ciernes que ayuda a sostener. Traducido por Isabel Fondevila

Create

INITIATIVE

¡Viva el cine!

Sponsored by

Monday, October 9 . 5:00 . Sequoia (MEMBER SCREENING) Tuesday, October 10 . 6:30 . Roxie 149

150

MUSTACHE

It’s not easy being a teen, no matter where or when you grow up. This is the central truth underlying writer-director Imran J. Khan’s confident feature debut, a humorous look at the Pakistani-American immigrant experience. Set in Silicon Valley in the 1990s, this SXSW audience award winner follows the travails of 13-year-old Ilyas (Atharva Verma), already struggling with his Muslim identity when he’s forced to switch from private school to public. Suddenly, Ilyas faces a whole new social hierarchy and circle of friends just as a wholly unwelcome bit of hair sprouts on his upper lip. In addition to its young lead’s endearing breakout performance, Mustache also boasts a solid ensemble including Alicia Silverstone, Hasan Minhaj, and Rizwan Manji. Finding the universality in a specific cultural experience can be tough, but Khan's heartwarming and hilarious film rises to the challenge, speaking to our collective insecurities while also acknowledging the many ways these experiences make us stronger. —Zaki Hasan

DIRECTOR

Imran J. Khan US 2023 81 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Imran J. Khan Christina Won Jessica Sittig SECTION

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Laugh Oct 7 Screening: Shown with I'M HIP Director John Musker | US 2023 | 4 min A comedic musical tribute to a jazz standard.

Friday, October 6 . 7:30 . Rafael Saturday, October 7 . 7:00 . Rafael Monday, October 9 . 9:00 . Roxie 151

152

NATIONAL ANTHEM

Twenty-one-year-old Dylan (Charlie Plummer) is a country boy grinding away as a day laborer. But scant employment opportunities in this New Mexico backwater aren’t the only things trapping him: His dissolute single mother (Robyn Lively) expects him to pay the bills and parent his younger brother, too. Dylan’s horizons widen, however, once he’s introduced to a remote ranch where the West is still wild, albeit now in the exuberant realms of gender fluidity and open relationships. His guide to both is the alluring Sky (Eve Lindley), along with an endlessly endearing community of other queer rodeo performers. Luke Gilford’s scenic and sensuous debut feature provides an open-hearted coming-out party for a shy cowpoke — and a southwestern ranch romance for the 21st-century. —Dennis Harvey

DIRECTOR

Luke Gilford

US 2023 99 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

SECTION

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Heart

Thursday, October 12 . 7:30 . Rafael Friday, October 13 . 4:00 . Rafael 153

154

THE NATURE OF LOVE (SIMPLE COMME SYLVAIN) Sophia (luminous Magalie Lépine-Blondeau), at the cusp of 40, is lively, erudite, and bored. A university lecturer awaiting her chance at a tenure-track post (“probably not before menopause sets in”), she teaches courses for seniors part-time on the philosophical nature of love. Spinoza: desire is life; Socrates: we desire what we do not possess. When sent by her long-time partner Xavier (Francis-William Rhéaume) to supervise renovations at their country chalet, Sophia meets general contractor Sylvain (Pierre-Yves Cardinal), and their erotic coup de foudre threatens to scorch all bystanders within range. But working-class Sylvain is not as “simple” as privileged Sophia fantasizes him to be. His presence in her world exposes her judgmental side, and her presence in his reveals the misogyny and xenophobia of his social milieu. Triple-threat writer-director-actor Monia Chokri (Heartbeats, MVFF33) expertly weaves the delicate threads of love into sparkling patterns of human desire. — KD Davis

DIRECTOR

Monia Chokri

Canada/France 2023 111 min US PREMIERE

SECTION

World

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Laugh

INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap

Tuesday, October 10 . 4:00 . Sequoia Saturday, October 14 . 12:00 . Rafael 155

156

NYAD

DIRECTORS

Jimmy Chin Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi US 2023 121 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

SECTION

INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap

Sponsored by

Friday, October 13 . 6:15 . Sequoia Sunday, October 15 . 7:00 . Lark 157

158

ONE WITH THE WHALE

Modern technology confronts ancient ritual in this profound and moving documentary. Teenager Chris Apassingok and his Yupik family live in Gambell, Alaska, a tiny village on St. Lawrence island in the Bering Sea. Life there differs vastly from the rest of the US – for one, hunting whales holds the key to the islanders’ survival. Conflict emerges after Chris kills a whale that will feed Gambell’s townspeople for months – and news of the successful hunt reaches the outside world. Facebook trolls and animal-rights activists attack from afar, captured in Pete Chelkowski and environmental journalist Jim Wickens’ captivating film that delves into environmental issues, cultural and generational challenges, and cyberspace hysteria. Fueled by breathtaking shots of stunning Alaskan vistas, footage of Chris’ daily life, and electrifying action scenes, One with the Whale brilliantly elucidates the various cultural pressures on one community’s way of life. —Brendan Peterson

DIRECTORS

Pete Chelkowski Jim Wickens US 2023 80 min WEST COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Pete Chelkowski Jim Wickens Nalu Apassingok SECTION

Docs

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Grow

Tuesday, October 10 . 7:45 . Rafael Wednesday, October 11 . 2:00 . Rafael 159

160

ÖTE

In this quietly beguiling film, Lela (Iman Artwell-Freeman), an adventurous Black American woman, backpacks through Turkey on her way to meet a friend in Armenia. Lela is a lovely oddity in Turkey (there’s a lot of staring), but people open up to her winning charm. At times she’s surprisingly trusting for a woman traveling alone, but this isn’t a film about worst-case scenarios; it’s about unexpected connection. When Lela reaches her final stop before crossing the border, she stays at a family-owned inn where she becomes quickly enmeshed in the lives of two cousins. They each see something in her that they want — and she, in turn, responds soulfully. When all is said and done, Öte reminds us that the world is huge and the experience of being human is beautifully universal. —Celia C. Peters

DIRECTORS

Malik Isasis Esra Saydam

US 2023 106 min WEST COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Malik Isasis

SECTION

STRAND

Heart

INTIATIVE

Mind the Gap

Saturday, October 7 . 12:00 . Rafael Thursday, October 12 . 2:30 . Rafael 161

162

PATROL

A lush green canopy of tropical vegetation stretches out as far as the eye can see along the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, home to the Rama and Kriol peoples who have coexisted in this land for centuries. But among the cavorting monkeys, swooping macaws, stealthy jaguars, and mud-loving tapirs of this rainforest is a nefarious invasive species heedlessly destroying the region’s fragile balance: cattle ranchers. Despite holding territorial rights, the Rama-Kriol are on their own against this threat to not only their way of life but also to an entire ecosystem. Ranchers claim the land illegally, raising cattle to meet the insatiable demand of the international beef market and leaving behind a landscape of ruinous scabs that will take decades to heal. Shot in eye-opening widescreen, this documentary conveys the full scope of what stands to be lost and the urgency of the Rama-Kriols’ mission, as they gather evidence to compel the Nicaraguan government to act. —Shari Kizirian La ganadería ilegal representa una amenaza existencial para la Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz en Nicaragua, una de las regiones con mayor biodiversidad de Centroamérica. Este conmovedor documental sigue a los pueblos Rama-Kriol, los legítimos administradores de la selva tropical, mientras reúnen pruebas contra los ganaderos con la esperanza de salvar este precioso ecosistema antes de que sea demasiado tarde. Traducido por Isabel Fondevila

DIRECTORS

Camilo de Castro Belli Brad Allgood Nicaragua/US 2023 83 min CALIFORNIA PREMIERE IN PERSON

Brad Allgood Camilo de Castro Belli SECTION

Docs

STRAND

Grow

INTIATIVE

Active Cinema ¡Viva el cine!

Sunday, October 8 . 3:00 . Sequoia Monday, October 9 . 11:00am . Rafael 163

164

PERFECT DAYS

Kōji Yakusho mesmerizes as Hirayama, a contented middle-aged man living a structured life as a Tokyo toilet cleaner in Wim Wenders’ poetic and contemplative new film. The drama weaves together short stories that reveal how Hirayama’s deep passion for music, books, and tree photography enriches his daily routine. As the film elegantly unfolds, unexpected encounters add detail to the façade of Hirayama’s generosity and simplicity. Wenders’ delicate filmmaking captures Tokyo’s essence through carefully framed shots, enhancing the viewer’s connection with the city. Music, mainly 1960s pop, becomes a narrative thread, reflecting Hirayama’s emotional state. His moods resonate with classics from Nina Simone and Van Morrison, the Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun,” and even Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day.” It’s impossible not to be engrossed by Yakusho's captivating, subtle, and passionate performance, for which he won the Best Actor award at this year’s Cannes, where the film also deservedly won the Ecumenical Jury Prize. —João Federici

DIRECTOR

Wim Wenders Japan 2023 125 min CALIFORNIA PREMIERE

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World

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Spirit

Sponsored by

Thursday, October 12 . 3:30 . Sequoia Saturday, October 14 . 12:00 . Lark

Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation 175

176

RADICAL

A sixth-grade teacher in a Mexican border town upends convention so that his students might realize their potential in this engrossing, fact-based drama. Paloma lives next door to a dump and dreams of being an astronaut. Quick-witted Nico shares a seaside shack with an older brother, both seemingly destined as fodder in the illegal drug trade. Observant and kind, Lupita cannot even begin to imagine a future for herself as she raises her younger siblings. These are the impoverished students whose lives Sergio (Eugenio Derbez, CODA’s charismatic music teacher) intends to change. Tired of public education failing kids, he ditches the standard curriculum in favor of improvisation, adopting student-centered learning in his classes. Adapted from a Wired story and produced by the founders of Epic magazine, publisher of the photo essay that inspired the series Little America, this Sundance audience favorite raises the question: Why don’t all schoolrooms already look like Sergio’s? —Shari Kizirian Este favorito del público de Sundance 2023 dramatiza cómo un maestro de escuela en México descartó las reglas para que sus alumnos de sexto grado pudieran ver su verdadero potencial. De los fundadores de la revista Epic, cuyo trabajo descubriendo historias inspiradoras de la vida real también resultó en Argo y Little America, Radical humaniza el argumento para cambiar el aprendizaje a uno centrado en el estudiante Traducido por Isabel Fondevila

DIRECTOR

Christopher Zalla US 2022 125 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Eugenio Derbez SECTION

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Trailblazers INITIATIVE

¡Viva el cine!

Sponsored by

Sunday, October 8 . 11:15am . Rafael Monday, October 9 . 6:20 . Roxie

JIM BOYCE TRUST and KRIS OTIS

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THE RIGHT TO READ

Why is it that reading levels, particularly for children of color, continue to plummet, and what decisive steps can be taken to reverse this distressing trend? Emmy Award®-winning director Jenny Mackenzie’s topical documentary, executive produced by reading advocate and actor LeVar Burton, asks and thoughtfully answers these pertinent questions. As Mackenzie’s inspirational eye-opener illustrates, those with the power to change this broken system — in which learning modules prove not only outdated but ineffective — aren’t just government officials, advocates, and school administrators, but actively engaged parents, too. Mackenzie centers The Right to Read on the efforts of tireless Bay Area education game-changers, including the Oakland NAACP’s Kareem Weaver and first-grade teacher Sabrina Causey, as well as two hard-working American families — all of whom play a part in giving kids a brighter future complete with a deeper understanding and love of reading. —Randy Myers

DIRECTOR

Jenny Mackenzie US 2023 79 min BAY AREA PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Jenny Mackenzie Kareem Weaver SECTION

Docs

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Spirit

INITIATIVE

Active Cinema Mind the Gap

Saturday, October 14 . 4:15 . Sequoia Sunday, October 15 . 12:00 . Lark

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RIVER OF DESIRE (O RIO DO DESEJO)

Evoking sensual 1980s noirs, and accompanied by an absorbing original score, Sérgio Machado’s sultry and riveting drama delves into desire, passion, and jealousy at their most intense. The acclaimed Brazilian writer-director, known for Cannes winner Lower City and The Violin Teacher, sets his highly anticipated new movie amidst the lush expanse of the Amazon River, where Brazil, Peru, and Colombia converge. The film follows three brothers (Daniel de Oliveira, Gabriel Leone, and Rômulo Braga) who find themselves sharing a home with the alluring new wife (Sophie Charlotte) of the middle sibling. As they become infatuated with the same woman, a complex and enthralling tale ensues in this tropical paradise. Outstanding performances breathe life into the captivating narrative, based on Milton Hatoum’s short story Farewell Captain, with sun-drenched cinematography and impeccable art direction immersing us in the opulent natural surroundings. —João Federici

DIRECTOR

Sérgio Machado Brazil 2022 107 min NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

SECTION

World

STRAND

Heart

INITIATIVE

Exuberantemente ambientado en la Amazonía brasileña, el sensual drama del aclamado guionista y director Sérgio Machado sigue a tres hermanos enredados en una espinosa convivencia con la nueva esposa del hermano del medio. Basada en una historia de Milton Hatoum, esta fascinante película indaga en el deseo, la pasión y los celos en sus formas más intensas. Traducido por Isabel Fondevila

¡Viva el cine!

Friday, October 6 . 4:00 . Sequoia Tuesday, October 10 . 4:30 . Rafael 181

182

ROBOT DREAMS

A poignant animated tale of friendship in 1980s Manhattan unfolds in this adaptation of Sara Varon’s graphic novel, scripted by the author in collaboration with award-winning director Pablo Berger (Blancanieves). After Dog, a lonely canine, purchases Robot, their bond thrives in a vibrant city populated by funny anthropomorphized animals in the subways, bars, movie theaters, and streets. What begins as a tale of inseparable friendship takes a bittersweet turn when circumstances force Dog, with a heavy heart, to leave Robot on a moonlit beach, illuminating their nascent connection’s fragility. Set against old New York’s melancholic beauty, this hand-drawn tragicomedy resonates with themes of acceptance, diversity, and enduring companionship. It also makes fine use of the music and sounds of the era, creating an enchanting and moving ode to companionship while leaving a lasting cinematic impression. —João Federici El director Pablo Berger (Blancanieves) y Sara Varón adaptan la novela gráfica de Varón sobre el vínculo entre un canino solitario y un robot en el Manhattan de los años 80. Acentuada por la música y los sonidos de esa época, esta obra dibujada a mano de melancólica belleza resuena con temas de aceptación, diversidad y compañerismo duradero. Traducido por Isabel Fondevila

DIRECTOR

Pablo Berger

Spain/France 2023 103 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

SECTION

World

STRAND

Create

INITIATIVE

¡Viva el cine!

Oct 8 Screening: Shown with I'M HIP Director John Musker | US 2023 | 4 min A comedic musical tribute to a jazz standard.

Sunday, October 8 . 12:00 . Sequoia Sunday, October 15 . 8:00 . Rafael 183

184

ROSA AND THE STONE TROLL (ROSELIL OG STENTROLDEN) Swoop into Summerland, a magical forest where adventure awaits a timid fairy who’s about to discover her first true friend—and the courage she never knew she had. Good-hearted Rosa joyfully tends wildflowers with her magic wand, but she longs for companionship. When she meets Silk, a curious, fearless butterfly, the two become inseparable. But soon Rosa and Silk, along with some pie-loving mice, a shimmering Elf King, a wise old owl, and a wisecracking troll, uncover a perilous mystery that leads to a dangerous confrontation with an evil Stone Troll. Rosa must find a way to put her fears aside and save the day. With friendship as her guiding light, she surprises even herself by opening her heart to all the possibilities within and around her. This sweet delight features lush animation, giggly humor, and a heartwarming message for us all. —Deanna Quinones

DIRECTOR

Karla Holmbäck Denmark 2023 75 min US PREMIERE In English

SECTION

Family

INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap Age 5+ Free face painting and Fairytale Brownies after both screenings—and wear your fairy wings to the theater to get a free small popcorn (ages 12 and under)

Sunday, October 8 . 11:00am . Sequoia Saturday, October 14 . 11:00am . Rafael 185

186

RUSTIN

Emmy® winner Colman Domingo’s (If Beale Street Could Talk, MVFF41) fully immersive performance animates this rousing and intimate portrait of gay Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin. This insightful biopic chronicles Rustin’s leadership in conceiving and co-organizing the 1963 March on Washington in just a matter of weeks, while exploring his deep yet complicated friendship with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Aml Ameen), the challenges he faced in convening so many Civil Rights groups for the event, and the racist and homophobic backlash he endured. Tony winner George C. Wolfe deftly directs Julian Breece and Oscar® winner Dustin Lance Black’s sharp screenplay depicting this monumental history. Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions, the drama draws much vitality from Domingo’s phenomenal turn, as he tenderly portrays the passion, pain, and joy of Rustin’s life and activism. —Celeste Wong

DIRECTOR

George C. Wolfe US 2023 99 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

IN PERSON

George C. Wolfe SECTION

Sunday, October 8 . 6:45 . Rafael Tuesday, October 10 . 4:00 . Rafael 187

188

SALTBURN

Be prepared! With Saltburn, Emerald Fennell has created an extraordinary act of cinema, giving full rein to those talents (writer, director, producer) evident in her Oscar®-winning first feature, Promising Young Woman (MVFF43). Somewhere between revenge comedy and erotic thriller, and just plain brilliant, the wily and wickedly funny story centers on Oliver (Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin, MVFF45), a scholarship student at Oxford University. An unlikely friendship with the aristocratic, self-assured Felix (Jacob Elordi) bridges class divides and leads to a summer sojourn at the opulent Saltburn, Felix's family’s estate. And what a family. Fennell’s pitch-perfect script and excellent cast nail English eccentricity with cut-to-the-quick wit: as the matriarch of the tight-knit clan, Rosamund Pike’s (A Private War, MVFF41) one-liners are, well, to die for. Corridors are explored, bathtubs are fair game, and partying runs to excess as Oliver insinuates himself into their lives in ways charming and disarming, seductive and pernicious. Watch out for Barry Keoghan as you’ve never seen him before. —Zoë Elton

Tuesday, October 10 . 7:00 . Rafael Wednesday, October 11 . 2:30 . Rafael

DIRECTOR

Emerald Fennell US/UK 2023 127 min

SECTION

World

INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap

Sponsored by JENNIFER COSLETT MacCREADY 189

190

THE SETTLERS (LOS COLONOS)

This ambitious debut charts the depredations visited on Indigenous people in Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of the Americas. It’s 1901 in Chilean Patagonia, where a ruthless landowner contracts with a Scottish army man and a Texan mercenary to clear a path for livestock transportation, regardless of the Native peoples who also call the place home. A mixed-race guide serves as the pair’s interpreter and marksman — and the drama’s moral compass. Director Felipe Gálvez balances western tropes with modern conceits including lurid chapter headings, a palpable affinity for the story’s victims, and a seven-year flash-forward that puts matters in further context. The Settlers is carefully and expertly crafted, from Harry Allouche’s evocative score to Simone D’Arcangelo’s haunting cinematography to the film’s fearless portraits of depraved men. The story it tells may not be pretty, but the result is beautiful indeed. —Rod Armstrong Con una sensibilidad refrescante y moderna, una cinematografía inquietante y una banda sonora evocadora, el ambicioso y hábilmente elaborado debut del cineasta Felipe Gálvez muestra la devastación que sufrieron los pueblos indígenas en Tierra del Fuego en 1901. Traducido por Isabel Fondevila

DIRECTOR

Felipe Gálvez Chile/Argentina/FR Denmark/UK/Taiwan Sweden/Germany 2023 97 min WEST COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Felipe Gálvez SECTION

World

INITIATIVE

¡Viva el cine!

Friday, October 6 . 7:00 . Sequoia Wednesday, October 11 . 3:30 . Sequoia 191

192

A CONVERSATION IN PASSING

SHORTS: THE CIRCLE GAME

“And the seasons, they go round and round. And the painted ponies go up and down. We're captive on the carousel of time.” Themes of memory, legacy, and family unify this shorts collection. Sally Eckhoff's animated THE INNOCENT BYSTANDER is an affectionate tribute to the late San Francisco musician Dan Hicks (US 2023, 6 min). Liz Sargent's touching TAKE ME HOME forces two sisters to confront the reality of a major change in their lives (US 2022, 15 min). A father faces some difficult truths when he revisits the past with his daughter in Josh Hundermark's deeply compassionate FARTHER (South Africa 2022, 15 min). An artist finds herself in a disorienting painting session in Cara Yeates’ GONE BEFORE YOUR EYES (US/Canada 2023, 12 min). A heavenly body finds itself on an Earth-bound trajectory in Mitra Shahidi's sweet, animated fable STARLING (US 2023, 9 min). And two strangers find themselves in a surreal chat in Matthew Segal’s funny A CONVERSATION IN PASSING (Canada 2023, 12 min). Don’t miss this assembly of shorts with its share of laughs, surprises, and maybe a few tears. —Sterling Hedgpeth

IN PERSON

Gone Before Your Eyes Cara Yeates Sergio Maza Jane Ives A Conversation in Passing Matthew Sega Ben Sudduth Konstantina Mantelos Innocent Bystander Sally Eckhoff

Total program 70 min

Wednesday, October 11 . 8:00 . Rafael Thursday, October 12 . 1:30 . Rafael 193

194

GABY'S HILLS

SHORTS: EMMA LEE

“Women’s ways — you never know how they gonna do it. Women’s ways — there’s really nothing to it.” Women write and/or direct women-centered stories in this fun assembly of shorts. Puberty rears its head unexpectedly for one girl as she navigates relationships with male schoolmates in Zoé Pelchat’s savvy coming-of-age drama GABY’S HILLS (Canada 2023, 21 min). An immersion into the exquisite tactility of housekeeping finds expression and rebellion in Amanda Rowan’s irresistibly lush PLACE SETTING (US 2022, 7 min). A woman experiences a sexual reawakening when she finds herself in a surprise hookup in Tali Barde’s delightfully surreal THE LAMPBOY, OR THE UNIVERSE BETWEEN US (Germany 2022, 14 min). Maternal longings go viral within a woman’s social circle as she tries to navigate around the B WORD (US 2023, 15 min) in Honora Talbott’s comedy. And a reunion with a romantic partner spurs a moment of reflection for a woman in Lilan Bowden’s poetic ONCE WAS (US 2023, 11 min). Be sure to check out this wonderful variety of Mind the Gap tales. —Sterling Hedgpeth

IN PERSON

Place Setting Amanda Rowan Leslie Rowan B Word Honora Talbott

Total program 70 min

Monday, October 9 . 8:00 . Rafael Tuesday, October 10 . 2:00 . Rafael 195

196

PRIPYAT HORSE

SHORTS: EVENTUALLY

“And I know that the future depends on you and me; I hope we can work it out — eventually.” In this shorts program, we present a collection of true-life tales about extraordinary individuals from around the world. In Toshikazu Hosoki’s CIRCLE OF DONUTS (US 2023, 10 min), we meet a Japanese immigrant who traveled across the world at a young age and paved a unique path to success. Sally Patrica Pearce shares a moment of mourning — for a friend, and for the Earth — in PRIPYAT HORSE (UK 2023, 2 min). Imagine putting on a blindfold on a busy Berkeley street corner and inviting strangers to dance with you. That’s what Gabriel Diamond did in DANCE WITH ME (US 2020, 5 min). When photographer and writer Cig Harvey discovers her best friend has leukemia, she sets out to fill her world with color and light in River Autumn Finlay’s EAT FLOWERS (US 2023, 15 min). In FOR THE SKEPTICAL (US 2023, 3 min), Dawn Westlake asks us to stop autocracy in its tracks, with facts. Kirk Horton’s LIGHT BEAMS FOR HELENA (US 2023, 10 min) explores a woman’s journey with depression, and what diving into the darkness of deep water has taught her about life and light. Gary Weimberg offers a wordless contemplation of longevity in HOW TO LIVE 100 YEARS (OR MORE) ( US 2023, 4 min). And Joshua Harding, Adam Hobbs, and Matt Klug introduce us to an unforgettable eccentric artist from rural Alabama in CHASIN' BUTTERFLIES (US 2022, 20 min). —Kelly Clement

IN PERSON

Circle of Donuts Toshikazu Hosoki Goran Zaneti Chasin' Butterflies Matt Klug Joshua Harding Dance with Me Gabriel Diamond Candice Holdorf Eat Flowers River Finlay Ashley Rodholm William Ryan Fritch Light Beams for Helena Helena Bourdillon Jeff Panella

Total program 70 min

Friday, October 6 . 5:30 . Rafael Friday, October 13 . 2:00 . Rafael 197

198

TRACING HISTORY

SHORTS: IT'S MY WAY

“I’ve got my own seeds, I’ve got my own weeds, I’ve got my own harvest that I’ve sown.” This documentary shorts program with strong Bay Area ties follows exceptional individuals bravely delving into their roots. In Jalena Keane-Lee’s TRACING HISTORY (US 2022, 13 min), a Chinese-American filmmaker and her mother contemplate loss and legacy while visiting sites where their Chinese ancestors labored. San Francisco printmaker and social activist Juan R. Fuentes reflects on generations of struggle and resilience in the Chicano art community in Eugenia Renteria’s STRAWBERRY PICKER (US 2023, 20 min). Nicolas Collins and Alex Zajicek’s SWIMMING THE ROCK (US 2023, 7 min) captures a man overcoming his grief by swimming to shore from Alcatraz. In Andrew Nadkarni’s BETWEEN EARTH & SKY (US 2023, 25 min), renowned ecologist Nalini Nadkarni must turn her research onto herself in order to understand the effects of disturbance and recovery throughout her life. Markelle Taylor runs the Dipsea, America’s oldest trail race, in Alex Massey’s FROM THE SHADOW OF A MOUNTAIN (US 2022, 6 min). From Brazil to California and four years after starting testosterone, Jaime Jobim searches for his new voice in Connor Lee O'Keefe’s NO MORE LONGING (US 2023, 16 min). ––Diana Sánchez Maciel

IN PERSON

From the Shadow of a Mountain Alex Massey Rob Schanz Strawberry Picker Eugenia Renteria Maria Cano Tracing History Jalena Keane-Lee Swimming the Rock Nicolas Collins Alex Zajicek Between Earth & Sky Andrew Nadkarni Derek Knowles

Total program 85 min

Monday, October 9 . 1:00 . Rafael Saturday, October 14 . 8:30 . Rafael 199

200

GUGU NAGOGO

SHORTS: MONSTERS, MOVIES, & THE MOON Take a wild ride from Oakland to Zimbabwe in this fun and fanciful collection of stories filled with crazy monsters, classic movies, and magical trips to the moon. In WEIRDOS (Paul Hollingsworth, US 2023, 6 min), middle-school frenemies join together to stop a monster invasion, while a trio of mischievous siblings in OPERATION FRANKENSTEIN (José María Fernández de Vega, Spain 2022, 11 min) scheme to build their own creature, and an Oakland teen attempts to find his mother after she’s abducted in THE LAKE MERRITT MONSTER (Benjamin Mulholland, US 2022, 16 min). In A LIFE IN TECHNICOLOR (Alex Ramirez, US 2022, 19 min), a young movie lover takes us on a tour through film history when her world suddenly turns black-and-white. It’s the moon that connects 12-year-old Gugu in Australia with her beloved grandmother in Zimbabwe in GUGU NAGOGO (Taku Mbudzi, Australia 2022, 20 min), and that illuminates the dreams of young Jay Jay and his mother Edie on a warm summer night in NEW MOON (Jeff Le Bars & Jérémie Balais, US 2022, 11 min). —Joanne Parsont Total Program 83 min

IN PERSON

Gugu Nagogo Diana Ward The Lake Merritt Monster Benjamin MulHolland Debra Wilson Rajal Pitroda David Morales Ciclady Rodriguez Weirdos Paul Hollingsworth David Kelly A Life in Technicolor Alex Ramirez New Moon Colman Domingo Raúl Domingo

Ages 9+ Q&A with director Benjamin Mulholland (The Lake Merritt Monster) and other special guests after both screenings, plus a free monster make-up demo after the Oct 8 screening

Sunday, October 8 . 1:30 . Sequoia Sunday, October 15 . 11:00am . Rafael 201

202

LA PIÑATA

SHORTS: ¡VIVE EL CINE INFANTIL!

As part of MVFF’s ¡Viva el cine! programming, we invite families and younger viewers to join our annual celebration of Spanish-language and Latinx films, stories, and storytellers with this festive collection of kid-centric animated and narrative short films. From merry-go-rounds to missing socks and pet pigs to piñata contests, it is a visual feast for Spanish and English speakers alike: EL MOÑO (Luis Fernando Puente & Lizde Arias, US 2022, 8 min), CLEO & NINA (Manrique Cortés Castro, Costa Rica 2021, 2 min), THE DANCE (EL BAILE) (Pedro Pablo Vega Reyes, Colombia 2021, 15 min), MIST (NIEBLA) (Leonardo Romero Zarza, Colombia 2020, 10 min), LA PIÑATA (Verónica Ramírez, Mexico 2021, 13 min), WITH A WOOL BALL (CON UN OVILLO DE LANA) (Belén Ricardes, Argentina 2022, 5 min), UNDER THE SAME SKY (Ana Laura Calderón, Mexico 2023, 15 min), La Calesita (Augusto Schillaci, Argentina 2022, 10 min). —Joanne Parsont

INITIATIVE

¡Viva el cine!

In Spanish with English subtitles Total Program 78 min Ages 6+ Free churros and piñata party after the Oct 14 screening. Como parte del programa ¡Viva el cine! del MVFF, invitamos a las familias y a los espectadores más jóvenes a unirse a nuestra celebración anual de películas e historias latinas y en español con esta festiva colección de cortometrajes narrativos y animados centrados en los niños. Desde tiovivos hasta calcetines perdidos, puercos mascota y concursos de piñatas, es un festín visual tanto para los hispanohablantes como para los angloparlantes. Edades 6+ Todos los cortometrajes están en Español con subtítulos en inglés. Se ofrecerán churros y piñatas gratuitas después de la función del 14 de Octubre

Saturday, October 14 . 1:30 . Rafael Sunday, October 15 . 2:45 . Rafael 203

204

AN ORDINARY DAY

SHORTS: YOU GOT TO RUN

“You learn to be your own best friend, and you learn how and you learn when, to take a chance….” Kindred spirits find joy, comfort, and support in these short films that celebrate friendships, both new and seasoned, in lovely detail. Physically separated by COVID, two girls form a touching bond via their adjoining rooftops in Ana Laura Calderón’s UNDER THE SAME SKY (Mexico 2023, 15 min). A woman faces the reality that maybe her roommate needs different things in their relationship in LaTajh A. Weaver's delightful COMPANION (US 2023, 5 min). A chance encounter between an Israeli boy and a mysterious stranger yields something special in Liel Simon’s SEAWEED (Israel/Germany 2023, 22 min). An Iranian youth finds fierce loyalty and solidarity among her two closest friends in Mostafa Keshvari’s powerful FOR HER (Canada 2023, 15 min). Two female friends — one blind, the other in a wheelchair — find that time they decided to spend together is anything but AN ORDINARY DAY (South Korea 2023, 19 min), a beautiful film from Ju-yeon Gim. Don’t miss this remarkable international assortment of stories, full of heart and some real surprises. —Sterling Hedgpeth

IN PERSON

An Ordinary Day Ju-yeon Gim Companion LaTajh Weaver

Total program 75 min

Tuesday, October 10 . 8:30 . Rafael Wednesday, October 11 . 1:00 . Rafael 205

206

DAVID'S DOODLES

SHORTS: YOUTH WORKS

This year’s collection of peer-reviewed, youth-produced short films showcases an international cohort of storytellers who span genres from animation to documentary, comedy, horror, and drama. It’s an inspiring display of emerging young talent from as close to home as San Rafael and San Francisco and as far afield as Australia, Belgium, and Belarus: CLOWNIN' (Samantha Jimenez Garcia, US 2023, 6 min), DAVID'S DOODLES (Michelle Tang, US 2023, 5 min), DAISIES (Ana Testas, US 2023, 6 min) BESTIARY (Paul Van der Stegen, France 2023, 13 min), BLOODY RIVER (Polina Bai, Belarus 2023, 1 min), GOOSE TOWN (Gaspard Choquet, US 2023, 9 min), MOUNTAIN MAN (Otis Monteny, Belgium 2023, 5 min), BINARY. (Milan Mackenzie Wood & Maddie Barbiee, US 2023, 14 min), BURNOUT (Jonathon Charlie Copson-Pacal, Australia 2023, 4 min), MY SISTERS IN THE STARS: THE STORY OF LEE YONG-SOO (Ian Kim, US 2023, 10 min), BETTER LATE THAN NEVER (Estevan Evaristo Garcia, US 2022, 1 min), ROOM (Ian Dani Kim, US 2022, 9 min), YESTERDAY, AGAIN (Noah Shin, US 2022, 10 min). —Joanne Parsont

IN PERSON

Binary Milan Wood Harper Miller Clownin' Samantha Jimenez Goose Town Gaspard Choquet Maximillian Colombano Alexander Luce

Note: This program contains some profanity and references to teen suicide and teen alcohol/drug use. Total Program 93 min In English, French, and Korean with English subtitles Ages 13+

Sunday, October 15 . 11:00am . Sequoia 207

208

SIROCCO AND THE KINGDOM OF THE WINDS (SIROCCO ET LE ROYAUME DES COURANTS D'AIR) Echoes of everything from Little Nemo in Slumberland to The Wizard of Oz to Howl’s Moving Castle hold this animated fantasy aloft. When an author of children’s books babysits her friend’s two young daughters for the weekend, she’s just pulled a writing all-nighter and needs a nap. Unsupervised, the girls promptly tumble into trouble — somehow entering the world of their minder’s fictional creations. There, Carmen and Juliette ally with ethereal singing star Selma as they flee the realm’s mean mayor and his Goodie Gobblers. The trio is wary of the great sorcerer Sirocco, whose moods are literally stormy…but he may also be the key to the kiddies — who’ve magically transformed into kitties! — getting home. Charming and surreal, this vividly colored whimsy finds our wee heroines coping with various bizarre perils as if naturally suited to it. As Selma says, “Adventure is like riding a bike — you never forget.” In French with English subtitles. —Dennis Harvey

DIRECTOR

Benoît Chieux France/Belgium 2023 80 min NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE In French with English subtitles

SECTION

Family Age 8+ Free Sweetly Cali Desserts, face painting, balloon art, and a special children’s book raffle after both screenings.

STRAND

Create

Saturday, October 7 . 2:00 . Rafael Saturday, October 14 . 2:00 . Sequoia 209

210

SKIN OF GLASS (PELE DE VIDRO)

When she learns that squatters occupy the landmark São Paulo skyscraper her late father, Roger, designed in the early 1960s, Bay Area documentarian Denise Zmekhol (Children of the Amazon, MVFF31) returns to her hometown to investigate — and make peace with her dad’s memory. The Edifício Wilton Paes de Almeida, nicknamed the “Pele de Vidro (Skin of Glass)” for its windowed façade, was the first building of its kind in South America, a shiny symbol of Brazil’s promising future. Zmekhol recalls an idyllic childhood that would give way to eventual estrangement from the man whose innovative structure would become a dilapidated eyesore in a film that weaves together family photographs, archival material, testimonials from friends and colleagues, and impressive drone footage of the decaying high-rise. Not simply the story of a family and a building, the documentary also relates how the Skin of Glass has come to symbolize the escalating inequities of Brazil — the so-called “Once and Future Country.” —Shari Kizirian La “Piel de Vidrio” de São Paulo, de 24 pisos y apodado así por su fachada de ventanas, fue una vez un símbolo del prometedor futuro de Brasil. Cuando se entera de que hay okupas en el ahora dilapidado edificio que diseñó su difunto padre, la documentalista del Área de la Bahía Denise Zmekhol regresa a casa para investigar y hacer las paces con su padre. Traducido por Isabel Fondevila

DIRECTOR

Denise Zmekhol US 2023 90 min US PREMIERE IN PERSON

Beto Villares SECTION

Docs

STRAND

Trailblazers INITIATIVE

¡Viva el cine! Mind the Gap

Live performance by Beto Villares, Kash Killion and Sandy Poindexter follows screening on Saturday Oct 14

Saturday, October 14 . 5:15 . Sequoia Sunday, October 15 . 1:30 . BAMPFA

Sponsored by

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SOCIETY OF THE SNOW (LA SOCIEDAD DE LA NIEVE) Society of the Snow is a gripping thriller, an unforgettable cinematic experience that moves and enthralls. When a Uruguayan flight carrying 45 passengers and crew, including a Catholic college rugby team, smashes into an Andes mountain, the nightmarish crash is only the beginning. Stranded in freezing temperatures more than two miles above sea level without food or shelter for 72 harrowing days, only 16 people will survive. J.A. Bayona (A Monster Calls, MVFF39) adapts Pablo Vierci’s book, the astonishing true story of the 1972 air disaster, first brought to the big screen in the 1993 English-language drama Alive, starring Ethan Hawke. Despite experiencing an unimaginable tragedy, the survivors transcend near impossible odds with a courageous endurance that continues to inspire as the “Miracle of the Andes.” —João Federici

DIRECTOR

J.A. Bayona

Uruguay/Spain/Chile 2023 144 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

SECTION

World

STRAND

Spirit Basado en la historia real del accidente aéreo en los Andes de un avión Uruguayo en 1972, este apasionante thriller uruguayo-español del director J. A. Bayona adapta el libro de Pablo Vierci y narra la crónica de 16 supervivientes varados en temperaturas gélidas sin comida ni refugio durante 72 días. A pesar de vivir una tragedia inimaginable, su valiente resistencia nos inspira en una inolvidable experiencia cinematográfica. Traducido por Isabel Fondevila

INITIATIVE

¡Viva el cine!

Thursday, October 12 . 6:00 . Sequoia Friday, October 13 . 4:00 . Lark 213

214

SUMMER SOLSTICE

Bobbi Salvör Menuez is luminous as Leo, a young trans man weekending in the countryside with Eleanor, his cis straight crush from college. Their seemingly carefree youth collides with the realities of adulting, forcing the actor and nomadic photographer to question whether they still belong together as kindred spirits and chosen family. In his burgeoning acting career and love life, Leo is impatient to be wholly accepted. Not current with the intricacies of Leo’s transition, Eleanor feels shut out and reverts to wild abandon, expecting Leo to tag along. Made vivid by Marianne Rendón, Eleanor is loath to face her own artistic and romantic disappointments, and rehearsing an emotional family scene for Leo’s audition frames a long overdue reckoning. In their first narrative feature, writer-director Noah Schamus takes an assured dive into the challenges of two creatives seeking home with each other in a relationship that’s shifting and changing. —Carol Harada

DIRECTOR

Noah Schamus US 2023 81 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Noah Schamus SECTION

INITIATIVE

Mind the Gap .

Wednesday, October 11 . 5:15 . Rafael Sunday, October 15 . 2:15 . Rafael 215

216

THE TASTE OF THINGS (LA PASSION DE DODIN BOUFFANT) Trân Anh Hùng won Best Director at Cannes for this sumptuous and impossibly romantic film that pays tribute to love, food, and joie de vivre. Based on a Marcel Rouff novel, The Taste of Things stars Juliette Binoche as Eugénie, a renowned 19th-century chef who partners with the gourmet Dodin (Benoît Magimel) to create gustatory pleasures. They’ve become lovers over the years, but Eugénie refuses to marry him, citing a desire to maintain her independence. That tension brings additional spice to a film inclined to linger over delicious dishes, charting a nuanced and touching relationship between strong-willed, deeply affectionate individuals with intertwined yet separate lives. Trân (The Scent of Green Papaya, Norwegian Wood) deftly presents this culinary world as a reminder of how our passions give us meaning. The cast is superb, with Binoche especially divine as a witty, elegant cook who sees in every meal the possibility for creativity and personal expression. No wonder Dodin adores Eugénie so — viewers will feel the same. —Tim Grierson

DIRECTOR

Trân Anh Hùng France 2023 145 min

IN PERSON

Trân Anh Hùng SECTION

World

STRAND

Heart

Sponsored by

Wednesday, October 11 . 6:00 . Rafael Thursday, October 12 . 3:00 . BAMPFA

JIM BOYCE TRUST and KRIS OTIS

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THE TEACHERS' LOUNGE

The classroom serves as a microcosm for society at large in this gripping drama from German director İlker Çatak. Leonie Benesch is superb as Carla, a middle-school teacher who believes she can make a difference in her students’ lives. When an innocent boy faces accusations in a series of thefts, Carla decides to investigate further, leading to a split-second decision that brings her idealism crashing down. Çatak’s nuanced story examines racism and bureaucracy, exploring all the ways in which our institutional foundations fail those most in need. But Benesch’s brittlely brilliant performance twists the knife further, hinting at how even the well-intentioned can cause harm, their seemingly noble actions creating unimagined repercussions. Featuring Marvin Miller’s nerve-jangling score, Çatak’s incisive character study isn’t a thriller, per se, but it puts you through an emotional and moral wringer — not to mention delivering a reminder about the challenges and heartaches teachers face every single day. —Tim Grierson

DIRECTOR

İlker Çatak

Germany 2023 94 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

SECTION

World

Sunday, October 8 . 7:00 . BAMPFA Tuesday, October 10 . 11:00am . Rafael 219

220

TERRESTRIAL VERSES

A satirical take on the mundane absurdities of life in modern-day Iran, these nine vignettes illuminate the lighter side of enduring under authoritarian rule. Whether choosing a name for a newborn, graduating from grade school, getting a driver’s license, applying for a job, or seeking approval for a film script, if you live in Iran, you best come fluent in Orwellian discourse. Progressing along a rough timeline from birth to death, each story is shot in a static camera angle as a single petitioner negotiates with an authority figure hovering just outside of frame, who is practiced in the language of doublespeak. With their film’s title, co-directors Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami pay fitting tribute to the revered poet and filmmaker Forough Farrokhzad, whose documentary The House Is Black was a harbinger of the Iranian New Wave. While she died more than a decade before the Islamic Revolution, Farrokhzad knew well the experience of having the whole of allowable existence circumscribed by the relentlessly narrow-minded, and expressed it in stanzas as spare, vivid, and human as these nine stories. —Shari Kizirian

DIRECTORS

Ali Asgari Alireza Khatami Iran 2023 77 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

SECTION

World

STRAND

Laugh

Friday, October 6 . 2:00 . Sequoia Tuesday, October 10 . 5:30 . Rafael 221

222

THEY SHOT THE PIANO PLAYER

Jeff Goldblum’s voice alluringly leads this animated jewel from Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal (the genius duo behind Chico & Rita), as a New York music journalist investigating Brazilian piano virtuoso Francisco Tenório Júnior's 1976 disappearance in Argentina. The film sets forth on a captivating odyssey, gathering luminaries like João Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, Vinicius de Moraes, and Chico Buarque, and weaving their musical prowess into the rich tapestry of Tenório's brilliance. The narrative flourishes as a vibrant celebration of bossa nova set against the 1960s and ’70s, when Brazil and Argentina edged toward dictatorships. With innovative and colorful animation, and no shortage of history-altering music, Trueba and Mariscal’s film pays moving tribute to a brilliant creative life, tragically curtailed, while crystallizing a pivotal era of creative emancipation in Brazil. —João Federici

DIRECTORS

Javier Mariscal Fernando Trueba Spain/France/Netherlands 2023 103 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

SECTION

World

STRAND

La voz de Jeff Goldblum lidera de manera seductora esta joya animada de Fernando Trueba y Javier Mariscal, como un periodista musical de Nueva York que investiga la desaparición en 1976 del virtuoso del piano brasileño Francisco Tenório Júnior. Los sonidos de la bossa nova, interpretados por algunos de los luminarios musicales más importantes de la época, dan vida a la brillantez de Tenório y su intrigante historia. Traducido por Isabel Fondevila

Create

INITIATIVE

¡Viva el cine!

Monday, October 9 . 3:30 . Sequoia Friday, October 13 . 7:30 . Rafael 223

224

TÓTEM

Lila Avilés follows up her excellent 2018 debut The Chambermaid with this similarly impressionistic tale that places a child at the center of a family in crisis. Over the course of a single day, seven-year-old Sol (Naíma Sentíes) musters all her will in wishing her dying father back to health, while lively preparations for his final birthday celebration go on around her. Nothing is explained as Avilés burrows deep into the beautifully textured intimacies of this large, lived-in hive of a home. Aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, pets, and insects come and go to a homebound soundtrack of clinking dishes, giggling children, whispered worries, sudden anger, and the padded thuds of farewell hugs. As Sol eavesdrops into the nooks and crannies of the adult world, listening for word of her father’s salvation, we eavesdrop, too, until what at first seems fragmentary accumulates into the full weight of Sol’s joy and sorrow, now also substantial within us. —Shari Kizirian

DIRECTOR

Lila Avilés

Mexico/Denmark/France 2023 95 min WEST COAST PREMIERE

SECTION

World

STRAND

Spirit

INITIATIVE

Ganador del Premio del Jurado Ecuménico en el Festival Internacional de Cine de Berlín, el drama impresionista de Lila Avilés observa las intimidades de una familia de clase media en crisis a través de los ojos de una niña. Mientras sus familiares preparan la última celebración del cumpleaños de su moribundo padre, Sol, de siete años, navega por su caótico mundo, preguntándose cómo detener lo inevitable Traducido por Isabel Fondevila

Mind the Gap ¡Viva el cine!

Friday, October 13 . 8:00 . Rafael Saturday, October 14 . 4:30 . BAMPFA 225

226

WATER FOR LIFE

Cash-rich, Goliath-like corporations with government backing rapaciously seek to privatize natural resources wherever in the world they can. Marin director Will Parrinello (The New Environmentalists, MVFF) reports from the frontlines of the resistance, following Alberto Curamil, a Mapuche chief in Chile; Francisco Pineda, a corn-grower in El Salvador; and the late Berta Cáceres, of the Lenca in Honduras, each facing overwhelming odds to simply keep the water clean for their people. Letting these defenders speak for themselves, Parrinello gets astonishingly close as he captures not only the logistics of the trio’s work and visceral dangers they face, but also the beauty of the natural world they’re trying to preserve. Living under the constant threat of harm with the smallest victories paid for in blood, they persevere. As any one of them might say, considering the stakes, it would be even more perilous not to fight. What other choice is there? Narrated by Diego Luna. End music by Lila Downs and Daniela Millaleo Montano. —Shari Kizirian

DIRECTOR

Will Parrinello US 2023 89 min WORLD PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Will Parrinello Bertha Zúñiga Cáceres Ricardo Navarro Francisco Pineda SECTION

Docs

STRAND

El documentalista Will Parrinello consigue capturar los esfuerzos de tres defensores ambientales en Chile, El Salvador y Honduras, todos luchando por agua potable. Enfrentándose a poderosas corporaciones globales y sus patrocinadores gubernamentales, el trío persiste a pesar del peligro, pero los costos casi siempre se cobran con sangre. Traducido por Isabel Fondevila

Grow

INITIATIVE

¡Viva el cine!

Monday, October 9 . 6:30 . Sequoia Saturday, October 14 . 7:30 . Rafael 227

228

THE ZONE OF INTEREST

An extraordinary examination of evil, The Zone of Interest finds a startling new way to depict the Holocaust, avoiding exploitation or intellectualization while portraying the tragedy through the blinkered perspective of the monsters who orchestrated it. Under the Skin filmmaker Jonathan Glazer adapts Martin Amis’ novel, chronicling a family, led by SS officer Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel), living right outside Auschwitz, their deceptively ordinary existence on occasion mildly interrupted by atrocities in the distance. Glazer gives the film a clinical remove: Cinematographer Łukasz Żal shoots scenes with icy stillness, as if to evoke dispassionate surveillance footage, and the performances contain the same malevolent passivity. (Sandra Hüller, equally excellent in MVFF46 selection Anatomy of a Fall, is a marvel as Höss’ wife.) Highlighted by Mica Levi’s remarkable score, The Zone of Interest won the Grand Prix at Cannes; it’s a stunning experience, challenging both the strictures of the Holocaust drama and our assumptions about how cinema can (or can’t) memorialize history’s greatest crime. —Tim Grierson

Friday, October 6 . 7:00 . Rafael

DIRECTOR

Jonathan Glazer UK/Poland 2023 105 min BAY AREA PREMIERE SECTION

World