Centerpiece Screenings

U.S. CENTERPIECE

POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA

Dir. Wes Hurley, USA, 2021, 95 mins

Obsessed with old Hollywood movies and concerned for her son’s future in 1980s USSR, Lena becomes a mail-order bride and moves to the United States. Though she hopes to give her son Potato a better life, things veer off course when his burgeoning sexuality and love of New Queer Cinema clash with his new father’s political and religious points of view. Stylized and deliciously campy, POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA conjures a portrayal of the American dream that is as hopeful and hilarious as it is dizzying. Featuring a starstudded LGBTQ+ cast including Lea DeLaria (ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK) and Jonathan Bennett (MEAN GIRLS), writer/director Wes Hurley’s autobiographical crowd-pleaser is sure to spark whimsical wonder.

Writer: Wes Hurley Cast: Tyler Bocock, Hersh Powers, Lea DeLaria, Dan Lauria, Jonathan Bennett

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INTERNATIONAL CENTERPIECE

A DISTANT PLACE

Dir. Park Kun-young, South Korea, 2020, 115 mins

Jin Woo lives a simple country life, spending his days working on a local farm and keeping a watchful eye on his adventurous young daughter. When his city-dwelling lover comes to visit, Jin Woo starts to envision their future as a family before the surprise arrival of his twin sister threatens to complicate his dream. A family drama full of surprises around every corner, director Kun-Young Park’s beautiful second feature A DISTANT PLACE cements his position as an auteur to watch.

Writer: Park Kun-young Cast: Kang Gil-woo, Hong Kyung, Lee Sang-hee, Ki Joo-bong

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NEW YORK CENTERPIECE

PASSING

Dir. Rebecca Hall, USA, 2021, 98 mins

On a stifling summer day in 1920s New York City, Irene Redfield (Tessa Thompson) unexpectedly reunites with her old school acquaintance Clare Bellew (Academy Award nominee Ruth Negga). With the simple unzipping of a dress and a furtive glance, a Pandora’s box of temptation clicks open in this Sundance Film Festival sensation. Adapted from Nella Larsen’s beloved 1929 novel, PASSING is a Harlem Renaissance masterpiece 15 years in the making. Full of seduction and psychological drama, director Rebecca Hall’s debut feature explores the mutability of identity and just how easily a once unshakeable truth can unravel.

Writer: Rebecca Hall Cast: Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, André Holland, Bill Camp, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Antoinette CroweLegacy, Alexander Skarsgård

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DOCUMENTARY CENTERPIECE

INVISIBLE: GAY WOMEN IN SOUTHERN MUSIC

Dir. T.J. Parsell, USA, 2021, 107 mins

Deeply moving and triumphant, INVISIBLE gives center stage to the lesbian women who have long been hidden behind the curtain of the country music industry, all while working with big-name artists and making major contributions to the scene. Filling in the gaps of this untold history, director T.J. Parsell spotlights the stories of these talented and persevering women — singers, songwriters, and producers — in heartfelt interviews and through their music. Featuring Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Chely Wright, Ruthie Foster, Bonnie Baker, Dianne Davidson, Mary Gauthier, and more, INVISIBLE stirs the soul while plucking at guitars and heartstrings.

Cast: Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Pam Tillis, Chely Wright, Mary Gauthier, Kye Fleming, Bonnie Baker, Jess Leary, Ruthie Foster, Cidny Bullens (formerly Cindy Bullens), Gretchen Peters, Dianne Davidson, Maryann Kennedy, Pam Rose, Cheryl Wheeler, Virginia Team

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