MVFF47 Program

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

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. Do you have any accessibility requests for this screening or event? Please let us know what you need in the checkout form while you are purchasing your tickets or by emailing accessibility@cafilm.org directly. We will work to accommodate all requests, but please note not all events have closed captioning or audio description available.

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.

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 and Sequoia Cinema, presents DocLands Documentary Film Festival, and offers CAFILM Education programs throughout the year.

Recently, I meant to thank a donor to our organization. Only he beat me to the punch, thanking me and all of us at the Mill Valley Film Festival and CAFILM for the work that we do.

“When an organization can add value to a community’s appeal we all benefit” the donor told me.

Not only is this a wonderful accolade, but in a sense, it describes, in general, what we do and we do this through film. We affect a lot of communities along the way, whether it’s parents bringing their youngest child to one of our family films, or an older sibling going through one of our summer programs, or whether it’s you, seeing an impactful film that stimulates your creativity or that you appreciated for its art or for the way it informs you about the world.

We open our 47th edition with Conclave, an Oscar ® hopeful starring Ralph Fiennes as a weary cardinal arranging for the titular gathering to determine the next pope. In a way, MVFF is its own conclave. We do this with our festival awards and tributes, which this year includes, among others, a salute to Jude Law’s career and a celebration of Amy Adams, who stars in our closing night film Marielle Heller’s (Can You Ever Forgive Me?, MVFF41) Nightbitch.

But our community is involved, too. While we bring you films like Sean Baker’s (Red Rocket, MVFF44) Cannes Palme d’Or winner Anora and Jacques Audiard’s (Dheepan, MVFF36) ensemble winner Emilia Pérez that showcase the work of veteran directors and the first features of up-and-coming auteurs, such as Malcolm Washington’s The Piano Lesson and Lin Jianjie’s Brief History of a Family, you become the

arbiters of what is best in fest. Long before the critics or the Academy weighs in with year-end accolades, our Mill Valley Film Festival goers will have weighed in with their audience award ballots. Perhaps there is no wisp of white smoke to announce the winners, but I like to think they create their own kind of fire.

We have plenty of reasons to celebrate in this, our 47th year, the anniversary in which we celebrate our first festival not just as the owner but operator of the Sequoia Cinema.

I am optimistic about the future. Film is here to stay. And there are people out there who not only want film to stay and the industry to stay, but also want to see films that affect people's lives, that give them not only joy, but allow them to engage in subjects that they may not even know they were interested in and

feel emotions that very few other mediums can give them.

Cinema is one of the greatest mediums in the world and I am overjoyed to be able to share it with our Mill Valley Film Festival community. Thank you to our board, sponsors, partners, and our audience for making these 11 magical days possible. Happy viewing!

Mark Fishkin Executive Director | Founder California Film Institute

TICKETS + NAVIGATION

VENUES

SEQUOIA CINEMA

25 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley

SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER

1118 Fourth Street, San Rafael

OUTDOOR ART CLUB

1 W Blithedale Avenue, Mill Valley

LARK THEATER

549 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur

BAMPFA

2155 Center Street, Berkeley

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 while screenings are scheduled. Purchase tickets anytime at mvff.com/tickets

SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER

1118 Fourth Street, San Rafael

OUTDOOR ART CLUB

1 W Blithedale Avenue, Mill Valley

LARK THEATER

549 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur

BAMPFA

2155 Center Street, Berkeley

Purchase tickets anytime at mvff.com/tickets

MEMBER

& INDIVIDUAL TICKET ON-SALE DATES

Bronze, Silver & Donor Circle – Sept. 12, 2024 • Noon

Premier Patron members and Above – Sept. 14, 2024 • Noon

Directors Circle members and Above – Sept. 15, 2024 • Noon

All CAFILM Members – Sept. 16, 2024 • Noon

General Public – Sept. 18, 2024 • 4:00pm

TICKET PRICES

General

CAFILM Members

Seniors (65+)

Students (student ID required)

Shorts Programs

Youth (12 and under)

$18.50

$16.00

$17.00

$9.00

$11.50

$9.00

Special events priced specific to each event

RUSH TICKETS

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.

REFUND POLICY

All ticket orders are final. No refunds, exchanges, substitutions, or reprints. MVFF is not responsible for lost, stolen, forgotten, or damaged tickets. We will refund your ticket(s) if you are unable to attend a screening due to your (or someone in your household) COVID-19 exposure, or due to community conditions that require a screening or event cancellation. Please contact help@cafilm.org to request a refund.

AVAILABLE FILMS

Visit MVFF.org/available for films with remaining tickets.

BADGE PICKUP

If you have arranged for a Festival Badge, we encourage you to pick-up the badge before the Festival starts. All Badges will be available for pick-up during the specified locations and times below:

Pre-festival

SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER

1118 Fourth Street, San Rafael Sunday, Sept 29: 2:00 - 6:00pm Monday Sept 30 - Wednesday, Oct 2: 5:00 - 9:00pm Metered street parking is available on surrounding the Rafael. Find more about nearby Public Parking Garages here

During festival:

OUTDOOR ART CLUB

1 W Blithedale Avenue, Mill Valley Thursday, Oct 3 – Sunday, Oct 13: Normal box office hours

GUIDELINES + RULES

To ensure the best experience possible, please arrive early and be in line at least 30 minutes prior for all of your scheduled screenings and events. Lines open one hour before the film’s scheduled start time. Seat saving is not allowed. All programs, except those at BAMPFA, have a priority seating ingress in the following order: A / B / C / RUSH

LINE A: Investor, Leadership, Platinum, Select, Silve, and Bronze Pass Levels

LINE B: CAFILM Member, Filmmaker, Guest, Industry, Press, Publicist, and Sponsor Levels

LINE C: General Admission Line (no badge required, but a valid ticket is required for entry)

RUSH LINE: Just before showtime, pending space inside the theater, we will sell available tickets to the RUSH Line.

The back of MVFF47 Badges provide details regarding access and benefits for that pass type. Please note: If your badge does not indicate Ticketless Admission, a valid ticket is required to join the line and enter the theater for your chosen screening

Outside food and beverage is not permitted in any of our venues. BAMPFA has a zero food and beverage policy.

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

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 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. Standing in the back of theater spaces or sitting in aisleways or stairs is prohibited..

FILMMAKER LOUNGES

SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER 1112 Fourth St. San Rafael

OUTDOOR ART CLUB 1 W Blithedale Ave, Mill Valley

LOUNGE HOURS: Friday, Oct 4 - Saturday, Oct 12; 12pm –8pm; Happy Hour 4pm-6pm

LOUNGE ACCESS: All MVFF47 Festival badges with L

All MVFF47 Tickets with an L Day Passes with an L

AUDIENCE AWARD VOTING

We're excited to announce that the Mill Valley Film Festival is moving to electronic voting, making it easier than ever to participate in the MVFF Audience Awards. After each screening, you can rate films directly within your digital ticket on your mobile device or by logging in to your Agile Ticketing account on the MVFF/Vote page. This ensures every film is celebrated equally, with audience votes determining the people’s choice favorites. VOTE HERE.

CONTENT ADVISORY

Please bear in mind that our films are making their first entrances into the world before public audiences. Note that, unlike commercial cinema, the majority of our films are not yet rated. We thank you for bearing that in mind as you make your choices.

HEALTH, SAFETY, & COVID-19 INFORMATION

We no longer require that guests show proof of vaccination. Masks are no longer required, but encouraged.

OPENING NIGHT CONCLAVE

Father Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) wants to resign. But resignation is not an option: The Pope has just died and the future of the Catholic Church depends on Lawrence. He must convene the College of Cardinals to select the papal successor; the conclave is his duty. The clergy assemble, all doors are sealed, and proceedings are set to begin. But with the arrival of an uninvited guest—the Cardinal of Kabul—Lawrence begins to suspect something is afoot. Based on Robert Harris’s novel, director Edward Berger's ( All Quiet on the Western Front ) drama is a taut tale of power, corruption, betrayal, and a secret that can upend all Christendom. Led by Fiennes’ brilliant embodiment of the world-weary Lawrence, the stellar supporting cast includes Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Lucian Msamati as rivalrous cardinals and Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes, the omniscient overseer of the Vatican’s guest chambers. —K.D. Davis

DIRECTOR

Edward Berger

UK/US 2024 120 min IN PERSON

Edward Berger

Ralph Fiennes

SECTION

WORLD

FILM + PARTY: $130 Member | $140 General

FILM ONLY: $65 Member | $70 General

SIMULCAST + PARTY: $105 Member | $115 General

SIMULCAST ONLY: $40 Member | $45 General

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

Party Sponsored by

Sponsored by

Thursday, October 3 . 6:30pm . Sequoia . Rafael

SPOTLIGHT: MIKEY MADISON ANORA

The winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, Sean Baker’s latest indie marvel explores a familiar subject from the writer-director—the lives of sex workers—but in a far more propulsive and, ultimately, heartbreaking manner. Mikey Madison delivers a breakthrough performance as Anora, a New Yorker working at a strip club, who meets and impulsively weds young, rich Russian Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn). Anora’s Cinderella story seems destined for a happy ending until Ivan’s corrupt oligarch father sends his goons to annul the marriage. As it segues from screwball comedy to one-crazy-night thriller, Anora offers further proof that the auteur behind The Florida Project (MVFF40) and Red Rocket (MVFF44) has a distinctive perspective on those residing on the margins of American society, who fight to stay afloat while trying to reach their dreams. So hilarious, yet so sad—swooningly romantic, yet so sobering—the film is powered by Madison’s comedic, gripping turn. Few characters this year are more messily alive or more ferociously rendered. —Tim Grierson

It’s been less than 10 years since Mikey Madison made her feature debut at 16, playing the titular lead in American indie Liza, Liza: Skies Are Grey . Since then she has continued to build her career with notable roles as Pamela Adlon’s daughter in the FX series Better Things , Manson Family member Sadie in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood , the Ghostface killer in the latest iteration of Scream , and most recently, as Natalie Portman’s friend in the Apple+ crime series Lady in the Lake . But she has created her biggest splash and put herself in awards season contention with her vibrant role as a sex worker involved with an oligarch’s son in Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or -winning Anora .

DIRECTOR

Friday, October 4

SPOTLIGHT: MVFF AWARD – ENSEMBLE

EMILIA PÉREZ

Can a radical transformation change one's destiny? Jacques Audiard’s ( Dheepan , MVFF36) narco trans musical explores this question with a unique, wonderful blend: crime thriller-meets-exuberant musical, complete with production numbers. Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Paz star in this story of ruthless cartel boss Manitas Del Monte, who hires lawyer Rita Moro Castro (Saldaña) to manage his sex change to become Emilia Pérez (Gascón) while his family relocates to Switzerland. Awarded Cannes’ best actress jury prize for its ensemble, the film brings women to the forefront of the traditionally male-dominated gangster movie. Audiard enhances the genre's visual and tonal hallmarks with a liberating sense of expression through song and dance, making Emilia Pérez a standout in contemporary cinema with its engaging and compelling narrative and stellar performances. In Spanish with English subtitles — João Federici

DIRECTOR

Jacques Audiard

France 2024 132 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Zoe Saldaña

Karla Sofia Gascón

SECTION

WORLD

Reception Sponsored by

Saturday, October 5 . 7:00pm . Rafael Monday, October 7 . 3:45pm . Sequoia (regular screening) FILM + RECEPTION: $65 Member | $70 General FILM PROGRAM ONLY: $35 Member | $40 General

Sponsored by DANIEL KENYON and MICHELLE MARCHETTA

KENYON Support provided by

CONSULATE GENERAL OF FRANCE IN SAN FRANCISCO

SPOTLIGHT: DANIELLE DEADWYLER MVFF AWARD

THE PIANO LESSON

With an extraordinary acting ensemble and an astute sense of cinema, Malcolm Washington's memorable directing debut continues his father Denzel Washington’s ( Fences ) project of adapting playwright August Wilson’s work to the screen. Set in 1936 during the depths of the Great Depression, Wilson's Pulitzer Prize winning story of siblings battling over legacy is riveting. Boy Willie (the director’s brother John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman ), a sharecropper, wants to sell an heirloom piano in order to buy land that his family once worked as slaves. But his sister Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler, Till , MVFF45) insists on keeping the instrument, which is embellished with images carved by their enslaved great-grandfather of his wife and son. The inimitable Samuel L. Jackson costars as their Uncle Doaker, who attempts to mediate the dispute but is disturbed by ghosts of the past in this beautifully rendered, searing drama exploring identity, birthright, and generational trauma.

Danielle Deadwyler began her career in native Atlanta on stage before making her screen debut in A Cross to Bear (2012). Over the next decade, she acted in both features and shorts, as well as television series, where she recurred in the long-running series To Have and Have Not , was a series regular on Paradise Lost (2020), and starred in two miniseries Station 11 (2021–22) and From Scratch (2022). Her feature films include The Harder They Fall (2021), I Saw the TV Glow (2024), and Till (2022), a film honored at MVFF45 and for which she received BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for her riveting performance as Emmett Till’s mother Mamie.

DIRECTOR

Malcolm Washington US 2024 125 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Danielle Deadwyler

Malcolm Washington SECTION US CINEMA

FILM + RECEPTION: $65 Member | $70 General

FILM PROGRAM ONLY: $35 Member | $40 General

Sunday, October 6 . 6:30pm . Sequoia

Thursday, October 10 . 2:45pm . Sequoia (regular screening)

Sponsored by

and MICHELLE MARCHETTA KENYON

DANIEL KENYON

SPECIAL SCREENING UNSTOPPABLE

Unstoppable is the inspiring true story of Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) who was born with one leg but whose indomitable spirit and unbreakable resolve empowered him to defy the odds and pursue his dreams. With the unwavering love and support of his devoted mother Judy (Jennifer Lopez) and the encouragement of his coaches, Anthony fights through adversity to earn a spot on the Arizona State Wrestling team. But it will demand everything he has, physically and mentally, to achieve his ultimate quest to become an NCAA Champion.

DIRECTOR

William Goldenberg

US 2024 116 min

WEST COAST DEBUT

SECTION US CINEMA

Sponsored by

FILM + RECEPTION: $60 Member | $65 General

FILM PROGRAM ONLY: $30 Member | $35 General

Reception Sponsored by

Wednesday, October 9 . 6:30pm . Rafael Friday, October 11 . 4:00pm . Rafael (regular screening)

VICKIE SOULIER

CENTERPIECE BETTER MAN

Two decades before Harry Styles, there was Robbie Williams drawing the map Styles followed from boy-band fame to solo superstardom. This exuberant musical biopic charts Williams’ journey as a child raised to worship at the altar of Frank Sinatra who finds his own voice first as a teenager with Take That and later as a solo artist. No hagiography, the drama frankly portrays the addictions and demons that accompany Williams’ rise to acclaim as well as the impostor syndrome that vividly manifests as he performs. The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey’s sophomore feature contrasts Williams’ personal struggles with the absolute joy of his music, adding to the mix of recording sessions, club dates, arena shows, and extravagant and irresistible song-and-dance sequences. But the film’s biggest strengths are in its unconventional approach to an artist’s life, and Jonno Davies’ soulful, cheeky, and self-lacerating performance that proves he is, indeed, a “better man,” as is Williams himself. —Pam Grady

FILM + RECEPTION: $60 Member | $65 General FILM PROGRAM ONLY: $30 Member | $35 General Sponsored by

Thursday, October 10 . 6:00pm . Sequoia Friday, October 11 . 1:00pm . Sequoia (regular screening)

SPOTLIGHT: PAYAL KAPADIA MIND THE GAP AWARD

ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT

Crafted with visual poetry and emotional empathy, this 2024 Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix winner from MVFF Mind the Gap Award honoree Payal Kapadia shines a light on three nurses as they negotiate love and life in the teeming Mumbai metropolis. Prabha has a husband living overseas, her younger roommate Anu is carrying on a secret relationship with a Muslim boy, and Parvati plans to leave the big city after her husband dies. Without the support of men, these women forge bonds of mutual support while dispensing much-needed information and advice to their female patients. Cinematographer Ranabir Das tracks their days from work to home with a shimmering beauty, especially in the nighttime scenes. As the film moves from city to country in its second half, the women’s relationships shift and deepen as Kapadia finds the small but wondrous epiphanies in everyday lives. In Malayalam and Hindi with English subtitles —Rod Armstrong

Payal Kapadia is a Mumbai-based filmmaker and MVFF47 Mind the Gap Award winner. She studied film direction at the Film and Television Institute of India. Her short films Afternoon Clouds (2017) and And What Is The Summer Saying (2018) premiered, respectively, at the Cinéfondation and the Berlinale. Her first feature film A Night of Knowing Nothing premiered at Cannes 2021 Directors’ Fortnight, where it won the Golden Eye. Her second feature film and narrative debut, All We Imagine as Light , won the Grand Prix at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

DIRECTOR

Payal Kapadia

India, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg 2024 118 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Payal Kapadia

SECTION

WORLD

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

STRAND SPIRIT

FILM + RECEPTION: $55 Member | $60 General

FILM PROGRAM ONLY: $25 Member | $30 General

Reception Sponsored by

Friday, October 11 . 7:00pm . Rafael Saturday, October 12 . 7:00pm . BAMPFA (regular screening)

Sponsored by

MacCREADY

SPOTLIGHT: ADAM ELLIOT MEMOIR OF A SNAIL

Director Adam Elliot’s exquisitely crafted, beautifully scripted stop-motion animation geared to an adult audience is a basket of wonders, from Elena Kats-Chernin’s brilliant musical score to the voiceover talents of Australian luminaries Sarah Snook (Succession), Eric Bana ( Full Frontal ) and Kodi Smit-McPhee ( The Power of the Dog , MVFF44). It's Australia, 1970s. Life is no bowl of cherries for young Grace Pudel and her twin brother Gilbert. Bullied at school, Grace imagines growing a shell, curling her soft center into a ball of protection—just like her beloved pet snail, Sylvia. After their street musician dad dies in a busking accident, Grace is left alone when the twins are shunted off to separate parts of the continent. Enter Pinkie, an ebullient, cigar smoking octogenarian whose colorful past includes stints as an exotic dancer in a schnitzel bar, ping pong matches with Fidel Castro, and now, a leading role in Grace’s life as her first human friend. Whimsical, irreverent, totally charming. And: Unforgettably sub(s)lime! —K.D. Davis

Adam Elliot grew up on a shrimp farm in southern Australia and went on to study at Victorian College of the Arts, where he began a trilogy of award-winning short films, Uncle (1996), Cousin (1999), and Brother (2000). His other shorts include Harvie Krumpet (2003), for which he won a Best Animated Short Oscar ® and Ernie Biscuit (2015). He made his feature debut with Mary and Max (2009), winner of a Crystal Bear Special Mention at the Berlin International Film Festival, an Australian Directors Guild Award for Best Direction in a Feature Film, and the Cristal Award for Best Feature at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival. For his latest feature, Memoir of a Snail , Elliot becomes the first animation director to receive an MVFF Award.

FILM + RECEPTION: $55 Member | $60 General FILM PROGRAM ONLY: $25 Member | $30 General

Saturday, October 12 . 7:00pm . Sequoia

Sponsored by CHRISTOPHER and JEANNIE SMITH

TRIBUTE JUDE LAW

In the realm of cinema, few actors possess the captivating allure and versatile talent of Jude Law.

With a career spanning decades—a BAFTA winner and Oscar®, Tony®, and Olivier Award-nominated actor—Law has left an indelible mark on the landscape of film, enchanting audiences with his magnetic presence and commanding performances. This Tribute will revisit key moments from his films and examine his unique portrayal of Henry VIII in Firebrand , a testament to his remarkable and diverse career.

In 2024 in addition to Firebrand , Law leads the Disney+ series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew , Ron Howard’s Eden , and Justin Kurzel’s The Order , produced by Law’s production company Riff Raff. He is currently in production on the Netflix series Black Rabbit , in which he stars opposite Jason Bateman, who also directs and executive produces under Riff Raff. Our tribute program honors lifetime achievement, and will feature a conversation with Jude Law, and the presentation of the MVFF Award.

CLOSING NIGHT

SPOTLIGHT: AMY ADAMS NIGHTBITCH

Marielle Heller’s ( Can You Ever Forgive Me? , MVFF41) bold new film starring the impeccable Amy Adams ( Arrival , MVFF39 Opening NIght) explores the darker side of motherhood with mischievous humor and a dash of suspense. The unnamed protagonist (played by Adams) is a visual artist whose career goes by the wayside after she gives birth to her son, a rather hyperactive charmer now hitting his Terrible Twos. Beset by folks who want to simplify the difficulties of childrearing or insist on its joys, she imagines herself responding in violent verbal fashion. When she starts to have strange dreams involving wild dogs and notices her body and senses changing, the primal instincts at the root of motherhood take center stage. Heller’s script (adapted from a book by Rachel Yoder) has a tonal agility that bounces adeptly from comedy to drama, even dipping its tail into body horror, and Adams is similarly dexterous in her display of the manifold emotions lying just below the surface of her character, —Rod Armstrong

Amy Adams first appeared on the big screen in Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) and worked steadily on television and in such movies as The Slaughter Rule (2002) and Catch Me If You Can (2002) before achieving her breakthrough with Junebug (2005), for which she won a Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female and received her first Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The Oscar® nod was the first of six, followed by Doubt (2008), The Fighter (2010), The Master (2012), American Hustle (2013), and Vice (2018). Among her other notable films are Julie and Julia (2009), On the Road (MVFF45), Her (2013), Big Eyes (2014), Nocturnal Animals (2016), and Arrival (MVFF39 Opening Night film). She also received two Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and Outstanding Limited Series for Sharp Objects (2018). We close out MVFF47 with Adams’ latest film, Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch , where we also honor Adams with an MVFF Award for her stellar career.

DIRECTOR

Marielle Heller

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

FILM + PARTY: $130 Member | $140 General

FILM ONLY: $65 Member | $70 General

SIMULCAST + PARTY: $105 Member | $115 General

SIMULCAST ONLY: $40 Member | $45 General

PARTY LOCATION: San Rafael Elks Lodge 7:00 - 10:00 PM

Sponsored by

Sunday, October 13 . 5:00pm . Sequoia . Rafael

2073

The year is 2073—a not-so-distant dystopian future—and the setting is New San Francisco, the scorched-earth tech-dominant police state where democracy and personal freedom have been well and truly obliterated. Academy Award®-winning director Asif Kapadia's ( Amy , 2015; The Warrior , MVFF25) experimental drama-documentary is a mind-bending stunner that gives The Last of Us vibes mixed with the familiar horror of watching humanity collapse in real time on our phones. Inspired by Chris Marker’s classic 1962 French New Wave sci-fi short La Jetée , which was constructed entirely of blackand-white still photos, 2073 takes a wildly daring approach that uses actual international news footage, photography, and journalist interviews to create a terrifyingly plausible timeline of events from the early 1990s to our present and beyond. Samantha Morton ( The Whale , MVFF45; The Walking Dead ) anchors the narrative in voiceover and as the silent protagonist who embodies the film’s imperative message (perfectly timed for election season): Time is ticking; we must act while we can. —D. Quinones

DIRECTOR

Asif Kapadia

UK 2024 85 min

US PREMIERE SECTION DOCS

Sponsored by

Saturday, October 12 . 3:00pm . Sequoia Sunday, October 13 . 8:00pm . Rafael

AMERICAN CATS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE CUDDLY

Rhetoric around “childless cat ladies” be danged, Americans love their kitties—there are by some estimates nearly 100 million of them here. Yet, while most people would certainly consider themselves pro-animal welfare, there remains one practice routine amongst US pet owners that’s considered “barbaric” almost everywhere else. That would be declawing, the surgery that’s promoted as healthy for cats (not to mention your furniture) but is really an “amputation” that can leave them crippled, in pain, and more likely to bite. It’s also a lucrative procedure for the veterinary industry, which has lobbied against laws banning it. Todd Bieber’s documentary follows comedienne Amy Hoggart from reality TV spoof Almost Royal and Full Frontal With Samantha Bee on the investigative trail. She probes both sides of a divisive issue, while also glimpsing myriad other points of interest—from domestication history to today’s celebrity cats—within the feline universe. —Dennis Harvey

DIRECTOR

Todd Bieber

US 2024 91 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Grace Leeson

SECTION DOCS

STRAND

HEART

LAUGH

Thursday, October 10 . 6:30pm . Rafael

Sunday, October 13 . 1:30pm . Sequoia

ARMAND

When six-year-old Armand is accused of crossing boundaries with his best friend Jon at school, it sets off a chain of events that drags parents and school staff into a gripping battle for redemption. Winner of this year's Caméra d'Or at Cannes, Norwegian writer-director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, grandson of Ingmar Bergman and Liv Ullmann, masterfully constructs a narrative that slowly unveils its secrets as the incident remains shrouded in mystery. No one truly knows what happened between the boys, and as perceptions shift, the story keeps you on the edge of your seat, observing every subtle expression and gesture. Renate Reinsve ( The Worst Person in The World ) delivers a stunning performance as Armand's mother. With perfect pacing and a foreboding atmosphere, Armand is a captivating exploration of human nature and the complexities of parenthood. Enhanced by an evocative score and striking cinematography, this stylistically gripping debut promises to leave you breathless. In Norwegian with English subtitles —João Federici

DIRECTOR

Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel

Norway, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden

2024 117 min

IN PERSON

Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel

SECTION

WORLD

Wedneday, October 9 . 8:00pm . Sequoia Friday, October 11 . 7:00pm . BAMPFA

Support provided by BARBRO OSHER PRO SUECIA FOUNDATION and CONSULATE GENERAL OF SWEDEN IN SAN FRANCISCO

BILLY PRESTON: THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT

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

DIRECTOR

Paris Barclay

US 2024 106 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Stepanie Allain

Jeanne Elfant

SECTION DOCS

STRAND HEART

Sunday, October 6 . 7:00pm . Rafael

Monday, October 7 . 7:30pm . Sequoia

Sponsored by JONATHAN and DEBORAH PARKER

BIRD

With an extraordinary acting ensemble and an astute sense of cinema, Malcolm Washington's memorable directing debut adds another film to producer Denzel Washington’s ( Fences ) ongoing project of adapting playwright August Wilson’s 10-play The Century Cycle to the screen. Her dad, Bug (Barry Keoghan, Saltburn , MVFF46), is focused on his upcoming wedding while her mom lives in a seedy part of town with an abusive boyfriend. Bailey’s favorite activity is wandering the countryside, filming animals, especially birds, on her phone. When she meets a free spirit in a skirt looking for his parents and coincidentally named Bird ( Franz Rogowski ; Undine , MVFF43), a bond forms and an adventure begins. Adams shines in the lead role, veering from petulance to empathy with grace, and Arnold deftly develops Bailey’s burgeoning friendship with Bird to explore various tensions within adolescent life, most importantly the guidance and nurturing that folks on the cusp of adulthood need. —Rod Armstrong

DIRECTOR

Andrea Arnold

UK, US, France, Germany 2024 119 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE SECTION WORLD

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

Friday, October 4 . 7:00pm . BAMPFA

Sunday, October 6 . 3:00pm . Lark

THE BLACK SEA

After not-so-quietly quitting his restaurant job, aspiring rapper Khalid quits NYC for a paid gigolo gig in Bulgaria that he found on Facebook. Arriving in a seaside hamlet to spend some “adult time” with middle-aged Raya, he quickly discovers she’s neither available, nor alive. Undaunted, Khalid finds menial labor at the dock and gradually charms the locals with his charisma, all except for his foul-tempered boss Gyorgi. It doesn’t help that Khalid has taken a shine to Gyorgi’s winsome ex, Ina. With a winning combination of Bay Area bigheartedness, Brooklyn moxie, and a dollop of Eastern European humor, Tam High graduate Crystal Moselle ( The Wolf Pack ) and codirector/breakout star Derrick B. Harden’s joyous fish-out-of-water tale is something to behold. With the sly sensibility of an early Jarmusch film and the ebullience and flow of a Spike Lee joint, The Black Sea is refreshing as a cool drink on a hot summer day. —K.D. Davis

DIRECTORS

Crystal Moselle

Derrick B. Harde

US 2024 96 min

BAY AREA PREMIERE SECTION US CINEMA

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

STRAND LAUGH

Saturday, October 5 . 4:30pm . Rafael

Monday, October 7 . 2:00pm . Sequoia

BLITZ

With a gripping visual prelude, Oscar®-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen ( 12 Years a Slav e, MVFF36) brilliantly captures the on-the-ground drama of WW2 London during the Blitz. As the bombardments escalate, young mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn , MVFF38; Lady Bird , MVFF40 ) makes the painful decision to evacuate her nine-year-old son George (Elliott Heffernan making an indelible screen debut) to the English countryside for safety. Only the lad will have none of that, jumping off the train to find his way back home and reunite with his mum and beloved piano-playing granddad Gerald (musician Paul Weller). In an adventure increasingly fraught and filled with danger, he navigates the war-torn streets and Underground tunnels of London—complete with characters reminiscent of Dickens. Rita, meanwhile, frantically searches for her wayward child. With an impeccable sense of time, place and humanity, McQueen turns his attention to the perils everyday British civilians faced in the chaos and violence of the War with stunning, unforgettable results.

DIRECTOR

Saturday, October 12 . 7:30pm . Rafael

Sunday, October 13 . 7:00pm . BAMPFA

BOB TREVINO LIKES IT

An accidental connection blossoms into a loving father-daughter-like relationship in writer-director Tracie Laymon’s gentle and deeply personal feature debut. Upbeat Lily (Barbie Ferreira) strives to please everyone around her, including her narcissistic, deeply disinterested father Robert Trevino (French Stewart), a jerk who blames his daughter for everything wrong in his life and ghosts her. In desperate need of a real friend, Lily finds one when she discovers a different Bob Trevino (John Leguizamo) while searching for her estranged dad on Facebook. This Bob is the opposite of her difficult parent: a decent, ethical, and warm married man who could use a new friend himself. Ferreira and Leguizamo are wonderful together; their vulnerable performances touch the heart in a winning film that reminds us that the spontaneous bonds we make can be sometimes far more enriching and loving than the family ties we’ve been assigned. —Randy Myers

DIRECTOR

Tracie Laymon

US 2024 102 min

CALIFORNIA PREMIERE IN PERSON

Tracie Laymon

SECTION US CINEMA

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

STRAND HEART

Saturday, October 5 . 5:00pm . Sequoia

Friday, October 11 . 6:00pm . Rafael

THE BOOKS OF JOBS

How much hero worship is too much? Growing up in the heart of Silicon Valley, budding Millennial Claudia Lerner only needs one aspirational model: Steve Jobs, whose products, career, image, and philosophy she idolizes from an early age. So much that at one point her mother (Judy Greer) asks, “Did you join a cult or something?” Viewed throughout her first couple decades of life, our heroine’s relentless drive to excel like guess-who isn’t necessarily a help as she must confront hurdles like her parents’ divorce and mom’s cancer diagnosis. Turns out, “What Would Steve Do?” isn’t a guiding principle that applies to everything in a teenage girl’s existence. In the autobiographically inspired seriocomedy of writer-director Kayci Lacob’s heartfelt debut feature, the irresistible force of Claudia’s ambition meets an unmovable object—reality—and she must learn “to become me,” not the Apple of an icon’s eye. ––Dennis Harvey

DIRECTOR

Kayci Lacob US 2024 91 min WORLD PREMIERE IN PERSON

Kayci Lacob

SECTION US CINEMA

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

Saturday, October 12 . 3:00pm . Lark

BORDERLAND: THE LINE WITHIN

The war on immigrants is happening. The realities of deportation, jail, and even death are but a few of the obstacles that organizer Gabriela Castañeda and activist and asylum seeker Kaxh Mura'l, participants in Borderland: The Line Within , confront while battling the United States’ border/industrial complex. Filmmaker Pamela Yates focuses on how anti-immigrant US policies upend lives and how law enforcement not only apprehends immigrants making the dangerous crossing over the border but also those who assist them. The film exposes the human toll of these policies as well as the business side of this war, exposing the politics of the situation and the politicians who benefit from the status quo. At a time when the undocumented are demonized and pols recklessly talk of mass deportations, this vital documentary puts the topic into perspective. It’s not a red or blue debate: this is a human issue. In English and Spanish with English subtitles — Erin Lim

La deportación, la cárcel e incluso la muerte no son más que algunos de los obstáculos a los que la organizadora Gabriela Castañeda y el activista y solicitante de asilo Kaxh Mura’l, participantes en “Frontera Adentro”, se enfrentan mientras luchan contra el complejo fronterizo e industrial de los Estados Unidos. La cineasta Pamela Yates se centra en cómo las políticas anti-inmigrantes estadounidenses transforman las vidas de muchas personas y cómo las fuerzas del orden no sólo detienen a los inmigrantes que cruzan la peligrosa frontera sino también a quienes les ayudan. La película revela el costo humano de estas políticas, así como el aspecto comercial de esta guerra, desenmascarando la situación política y a los políticos que se benefician del statu quo. En un momento en el que los indocumentados son demonizados y los políticos hablan imprudentemente de deportaciones masivas, este documental pone el tema en perspectiva. No se trata de un debate de rojo o azul: es una cuestión humana. —Erin Lim

DIRECTOR

Pamela Yates

US 2024 77 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Pamela Yates Paco de onis

SECTION DOCS

INITIATIVES ACTIVE CINEMA MIND THE GAP

¡VIVA EL CINE!

STRAND TRAILBLAZERS

Wedneday, October 9 . 7:00pm . Sequoia

Sunday, October 13 . 11:00am . Rafael

BRIEF HISTORY OF A FAMILY

In his scintillating directorial debut, Lin Jianjie invites us into the home of a middle-class Beijing family, where an alteration to routine disturbs the equilibrium, revealing a microcosm of socio-political intricacies in a post-one-child China. The only son of well-to-do urbanites, Wei befriends Shuo, a mysterious classmate. As the young man’s enigmatic persona leaves a strong impression on Wei and his parents, a bond forms between Shuo and the family. In particular, Wei’s cell biologist father is taken by the boy’s apparently studious nature, so different from his slacker son’s. As the relationship between Shuo and the family deepens, he begins to integrate into their household dynamic in the most precarious of ways. With shades of Joseph Losey’s The Servant and Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite , Lin embarks on a microscopic examination of the infiltration of a familial cell within a larger national membrane. In Mandarin with English subtitles —Jordan Klein

DIRECTOR

Lin Jianjie

China, France, Denmark, Qatar 2024 99 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE SECTION WORLD

STRAND SPIRIT

Friday, October 4 . 3:15pm . Sequoia

Friday, October 11 . 4:30pm . BAMPFA

BRING THEM HOME/ AISKÓTÁHKAPIYAAYA

It is said that Native Americans of the Great Plains had “over 500 purposes for the buffalo body,” including lodging, clothing, bedding, and food—no part went unused. There was also a spiritual element to the tribes’ connection to these magnificent creatures. When the US and Canadian governments sought to seize traditional tribal lands, they encouraged extermination of the species to help eradicate the pre-existing human populace. Within a short period, only one thousand buffalo remained out of a population that previously numbered 30 million. This stunningly photographed documentary, narrated by recent Oscar® nominee Lily Gladstone ( Killers of the Flower Moon ), chronicles latter day efforts by her Blackfoot peoples to re-introduce wild herds into landscapes that haven’t seen their like in generations. It’s a long, labored process beset by political and logistical challenges. But the spectacular views of Glacier National Park and other locations near our northern border make even that struggle a joy to behold. —Dennis Harvey

DIRECTORS

Ivan MacDonald

Ivy MacDonald

Daniel Glick

UK 2024 85 min

BAY AREA PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Sarah Clarke

Melissa Grumhaus

Nik Dehejia

SECTION

WORLD

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

STRAND GROW

Friday, October 4 . 4:15pm . Sequoia

Friday, October 11 . 12:00pm . Sequoia

Sponsored

CHAPERONE

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

DIRECTOR

Zoë Eisenberg

US 2024 102 min

US PREMIERE IN PERSON

Zoë Eisenberg

Alison Week

SECTION US CINEMA

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

STRAND SPIRIT

Sunday, October 6 . 3:30pm . Rafael

Monday, October 7 . 4:30pm . Rafael

CHECKPOINT ZOO

Feldman EcoPark, located in the woods outside Kharkiv, was home to 5,000 creatures cared for by 100 employees. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the inhabitants found themselves behind the front lines and buffeted by bombardment. Oleksander Feldman, the wealthy businessman who created the zoo, realized that a mass evacuation was the only way to save the animals from further physical injury and psychological anguish. The sight of several species settling at his sprawling estate is touchingly surreal, but lions, tigers, and bears prove a bigger challenge. Checkpoint Zoo records the yeoman efforts of volunteers like neophyte veterinarian Tymofii, who returned from abroad when the war began, and recovering addict Andrii, who found a job, a home, and a calling at EcoPark. Their extraordinary endeavor, marked by stunning triumph and shocking tragedy, embodies the noblest characteristics of our species: compassion, cooperation, courage, and a dedication to the preservation of civilization. In English and Ukrainian with English subtitles —Michael Fox

DIRECTOR

Joshua Zeman US 2024 109 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Joashua Zeman

Adrianne Owings

SECTION DOCS

Saturday, October 5 . 12:45pm . Rafael

Wedneday, October 9 . 4:00pm . Sequoia

Sponsored

CHEECH & CHONG'S LAST MOVIE

The kings of stoner comedy drive through the desert, remembering the good times and rehashing decades-old arguments, searching for a place called “The Joint.” One is a Chinese Canadian musician who recorded songs for Motown. The other is a Mexican American from LA who moved to Vancouver, BC, to avoid the draft and make pottery. Fate—and an improv group based in a topless bar—brought Tommy Chong and Richard “Cheech” Marin together to become the “hard-rock comedy” team Cheech & Chong. Framed within that contemporary road trip interspersed with plenty of archival material, David Bushell’s profile of the most successful stand-up duo of the 1970s and ‘80s charts their rise from hippie-club headliners to countercultural icons with chart-topping albums to movie stars, before the combo of ego, fame, and an imbalance of power made their career temporarily go up in smoke. You couldn’t ask for a funnier, more moving documentary on the guys who invented, like, pot humor, man! —David Fear

DIRECTOR

David Bushell

US 2024 122 min

BAY AREA PREMIERE IN PERSON

David Bushell

Robbi Chong

SECTION DOCS

INITIATIVE ¡VIVA EL CINE!

STRAND LAUGH

Sponsored by

Friday, October 4 . 7:30pm . Rafael

Wedneday, October 9 . 3:00pm . Rafael

DAHOMEY

French-Senegalese filmmaker Mati Diop follows up her sensational narrative debut Atlantics with this imaginative and pointed hybrid documentary about artistic repatriation and colonialism that took the top prize at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival. In presenting the story of 26 antiquities returned to Benin (which contained the Kingdom of Dahomey) by its former colonizer, France, the film sensuously details the packing up and shipping of these cultural artifacts in coruscating fashion. There’s the work of the curators in both countries sending, receiving, and detailing the work; there’s Beninese students’ impassioned reaction to this “too-little-too-late” French apologia; and then there’s the imagined dialogue from one of the pieces, a magisterial wood-carved statue of King Gezo, as he travels back to his homeland. Brimming with insight and inferred hope for future reparations, Diop memorably depicts this perhaps small but nevertheless singular moment of cultural exchange and apology. In French with English subtitles —Rod Armstrong

DIRECTOR

Mati Diop

France, Senegal, Benin 2024 68 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE SECTION WORLD

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP STRAND CREATE

With support from

Friday, October 11 . 5:00pm . Rafael Saturday, October 12 . 4:30pm . BAMPFA

MVFF FRENCH CINEMA SPONSOR

THE DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL

Iceland is known for its glaciers, volcanoes, and leading nearly the whole damn world in women’s rights and gender equality. How did this Nordic island nation manage to achieve what so few superpower countries have been able to? Zero in on October 24, 1975, when 90% of Iceland’s women—completely fed up with being disregarded, underpaid, and unrecognized in the workplace and in the home—walked off their jobs and brought the country to a standstill. This remarkable true story is told here for the first time in a vibrant mix of interviews with those who organized and participated in the massive “women’s day off” event and color-soaked animation recreating key moments in the movement. The spark was ignited that day and, with continued effort and powerful collaboration, real change followed. Perfectly timed with the lead-up to the strike’s 50th anniversary, this doc is subversive, funny, and fist-pumpingly galvanizing. In English and Icelandic with English subtitles —D. Quinones

DIRECTOR

Pamela J Hogan

US, Iceland 2024 71 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Pamela J Hogan Hrabba Gunnarsdóttir

SECTION DOCS

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

STRAND TRAILBLAZERS

Saturday, October 12 . 4:30pm . Rafael

Sunday, October 13 . 8:00pm . Rafael

DEMOCRACY NOIR

Tracking the parallel struggles of a politician, a journalist, and a medical professional, all female, in their resistance to the authoritarian regime of Hungary's autocratic leader, Viktor Orbán, director Connie Field's ( The Whistleblower of My Lai , MVFF41) riveting documentary is part political thriller, part character drama, and part clarion call to action. While there are a lot of big ideas at play, Fields expertly knows when to narrow her focus and when to broaden it, allowing for an absorbing experience that feels painfully real and exceedingly personal while never losing sight of the larger stakes for the country should these women fail. What makes Democracy Noir especially effective is its universality. The situation in Hungary isn't an abstract thing that occurred in the distant past. It's happening right now, and as the film makes clear, it could happen anywhere. Democracy Noir feels especially relevant for this particularly fraught political moment, all while pointing out larger social truths that remain timeless. In English and Hungarian with English subtitles —Zaki Hasan

DIRECTOR

Connie Field

US, Denmark, Germany, Hungary 2024 90 min

US PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Connie Field

Pierre Divenyi

SECTION DOCS

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

Friday, October 11 . 7:30pm . Rafael Saturday, October 12 . 1:30pm . BAMPFA

EASTERN WESTERN

This beautifully understated Western is the story of a son raised by two fathers, one from the European East and one from the American West. On the cusp of the 20th century, somewhere on the American frontier, Igor, an immigrant and recent widower, struggles to raise his two-year-old son Ivo on his own. When his American friend and mentor Duncan decides to move his horse-breeding business and young family to California, Igor and Ivo join the wagon train headed West. Co-directors Biliana and Marina Grozdanova command the mise-en-scene with effortless elegance, and their mostly non-professional actors offer astonishing performances rich with verisimilitude and depth. The cast includes Igor Galijasevic, a Bosnian refugee, and his real-life young son Leo, as well as professional horse wrangler Duncan Vezain and his family, also playing versions of themselves transported in time. A tender and resonant tale of friendship, faith, and resolve.

—K.D. Davis

Saturday, October 5 . 7:30pm . Rafael

Sunday, October 6 . 12:00pm . Rafael

DIRECTORS

Biliana Grozdanova

Marina Grozdanova

US 2024 108 min

WORLD PREMIERE IN PERSON

Biliana Grozdanova

Marina Grozdanova

SECTION US CINEMA

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

STRAND SPIRIT

EVERYBODY LOVES TOUDA

Nisrin Erradi dazzles as the charismatic Touda, a single mother determined to earn her living as a singer of Bedouin Aita, poetry defiantly written by women at a time when they were forbidden a voice. The challenges of her particular ambition are excruciatingly clear from the start when men, who see her only as a commodity they might purchase for cheap or take for free, sour her joy in performing. The camera moves in close as she persists, overcoming obstacles subtle and overt, not only for herself but also to give her deaf son a better life. Co-written by director Nabil Ayouch ( Much Loved ) and Maryam Touzani ( The Blue Caftan , MVFF45), it is the latest powerful work from the longtime collaborators, whose work is always empathetic to women facing worlds hostile to their desires. In Everybody Loves Touda , they avoid sentimentality while suffusing their drama with an exuberance and complexity equaled by Touda’s songs. In Arabic with English subtitles —Shari Kizirian

DIRECTOR

Nabil Ayouch

France, Morocco, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands

2024 102 min

SECTION

WORLD

Sunday, October 6 . 7:00pm . Lark

Tuesday, October 8 . 4:00pm . Sequoia Support provided by

EXHIBITING FORGIVENESS

André Holland delivers a tour de force performance as Tarrell Rodin, a successful painter, husband, and father haunted by nightmares of childhood abuse suffered at the hands of his hard-tasking father La’Ron (John Earl Jelks in a breakthrough performance). While preparing for a new gallery installation, Tarrell encounters a rude awakening when his father suddenly reappears in his life, a development that sends him spiraling. But with the insistence of his long-suffering mother Joyce (Oscar ® nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) and support of his wife Aisha (Andra Day), Tarrell confronts buried memories in his path to healing. In observing Tarrell’s complicated journey to self, the film teases out the usefulness of art as a medium for breaking the cycle of generational trauma. Radiating pain and love, tenderness and bitterness, sometimes all in the same scene, Exhibiting Forgiveness confronts the limits of unconditional love while withholding judgment of its characters. —Wilfred Okiche

Sponsored by

Friday, October 4 . 7:00pm . Rafael

Saturday, October 5 . 12:00pm . Rafael

FAMILIAR TOUCH

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

DIRECTOR

Sarah Friedland US 2024 85 min

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE IN PERSON

Sarah Freidland

Kathleen Chalfant

SECTION US CINEMA

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

STRAND SPIRIT

Sunday, October 6 . 6:30pm . Rafael

Monday, October 7 . 6:00pm . Rafael

FOOLS' PARADISE (LOST?)

A filmmaker who late in life acquired an organic apple farm, Alexandra Lexton found herself searching for “stories of others who’d reconnected with nature in different ways, then brought their experiences in some meaningful way into the world.” This beautifully photographed documentary elicits wisdom from 10 such interviewees, including a globetrotting photographer, a journalist, a Navajo scholar, an ecotherapist, Marin’s famed “planetwalker” Dr. John Francis, and experts in mindfulness and climate change. They explore how one person can indeed make a difference amidst escalating planetary crises, and how reversing the trend that replaces knowledge of nature with cellphone-focused insularity can help heal addiction, grief, depression, and other human ails. Sprawling from an orchard meditation class to a Tanzanian tribe’s foraging terrain, The film is a personal journey inviting viewers to “defend and protect and celebrate” our “sacred bond” with Mother Earth—before that opportunity is, indeed, a Fools' Paradise (lost?) —Dennis Harvey

DIRECTOR

Alexandra Lexton

US 2024 90 min

WORLD PREMIERE IN PERSON

Alexandra Lexton

Linda Peckham SECTION DOCS

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

Saturday, October 12 . 5:00pm . Sequoia

GLORIA!

The mysterious arrival of a piano at a Catholic shelter near Venice in the early 1800s sets progressive and orthodox musical outlooks ablaze in this rousing musical drama. When the imperious chapel master Perlina announces that the institute’s choir will have the honor of playing for Pope Pius VII, his conservative opinions about composition and singing butt up against those of women who have bolder ideas. Preeminent among these is Teresa—nicknamed The Mute because of her seeming inability to speak—who evinces a prodigious and forward-thinking talent at the piano. When Perlina discovers Teresa’s gift, tensions rise and sides are chosen. Director Magherita Vicario is a wellknown singer-songwriter and brings a playful harmony to a story that looks frankly at patriarchal and religious stifling of female talent. And once the climactic performance hits its first notes, it’s nearly impossible not to hum along. In Italian with English subtitles —Rod Armstrong

DIRECTOR

Margherita Vicario

Italy, Switzerland 2024 106 min

CALIFORNIA PREMIERE IN PERSON

Galatea Bellugi

SECTION WORLD

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP STRAND CREATE

Thursday, October 10 . 8:00pm . Sequoia Friday, October 11 . 1:45pm . Rafael

GOOD MEN

“Man does not ask questions that he cannot answer.” With that bracing quote from Karl Marx, writer-director Bobby Roth ( Berkeley , MVFF28) opens this thoughtful and personal documentary about what constitutes a good man. The filmmaker finds a multitude of responses along with sometimes poignant reflections to queries about masculinity, femininity, and whether we have the power to change. Roth’s deep dive into a multifaceted topic draws touching testimony from 4343 actors, among them the Bay Area’s Peter Coyote (whom Roth directed in 1984’s Heartbreakers ), Ming-Na Wen, Henry Winkler, and Eric Dane; filmmakers that include MVFF favorite Rob Nilsson, Taylor Hackford, and Michael Mann; rabbis, psychotherapists, and even a lawyer. Nearly 40 people provide rich, sometimes painful, and candid answers that suggest that in order to become a good man, one must become a compassionate and reflective person first. —Randy Myers

DIRECTOR

Bobby Roth US 2024 90 min

WORLD PREMIERE IN PERSON

Bobby Roth

Jesse Kane SECTION DOCS

STRAND SPIRIT

Friday, October 4 . 4:00pm . Rafael

Sunday, October 6 . 7:30pm . Rafael

GRIFFIN IN SUMMER

“Basically, it’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf meets American Beauty ,” says the titular figure of his magnum opus, Regrets of Autumn , a searing expose of the tarnished American Dream involving alcoholism, infidelity, and abortion. Rehearsals are just starting, but one senses the playwright probably already has that Pulitzer acceptance speech prepared. Trouble is…Griffin (Everett Blunck) remains as yet a pubescent suburban middle school student whose few friends and long-suffering mother (Melanie Lynskey) are already tired of his humorless devotion to the dramatic arts. While they reluctantly bend to his will, he faces distraction from "the work" this summer when mom hires young handyman Brad (Owen Teague, Eileen ), who’s like a latter-day James Dean with better abdominal definition. Surprisingly, it turns out this monosyllabic hunk has theatrical ambitions, too. Nicholas Colia’s alternately hilarious and discomfiting debut combines an eccentrically singular coming-of-age (and coming out) story with elements of poignant insight. —Dennis Harvey

DIRECTOR

Nicholas Colia

US 2024 90 min

WETS COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Nicholas Colia Owen Teague

SECTION US CINEMA

STRAND CREATE

Friday, October 4 . 6:00pm . Rafael Saturday, October 12 . 1:30pm . Rafael

HARD TRUTHS

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

THE HI DE HO SHOW

What is the soundtrack of your life? Are there titles by artists that you didn’t connect with the first time round, but—pow!—one of their songs just hits you years later, and it’s love—albeit the second time around the turntable. Hi De Ho host extraordinaire John Goddard’s not-to-be-missed musings on music are an MVFF staple, as he veejays from his personal collection of musical wonders, this year unpacking titles from the grand era of Rock that he connected with sometimes decades after their initial release, often in random encounters. Like in the middle of a movie. Think Marc Bolan and T-Rex in Billy Elliot , or Queen in Revenge of the Nerds . Or seeing Patti Smith in a best-of SNL video. Expect the unexpected, as we come together for oddities from space, invaders from the UK, songs that are dirty, sweet—and quite eclectic. Be prepared to have your memory tweaked and your heart opened. It’s the Hi De Ho Show ! —Zoë

Elton

HOST

John Goddard

Total program

150 min

HOLY COW

In Louise Courvoisier's feature film debut, a teenager’s carefree days of drinking beers and partying in the idyllic French countryside are interrupted when he must care for his 7-year-old sister and find a way to support the two of them. His solution? To craft the best Comté cheese and win 30,000 euros, along with a prestigious gold medal, at an agricultural competition. Holy Cow is a sweet and uplifting coming-of-age story, capturing the essence of friendship, first love, and the struggles of growing up without parents. Courvoisier's masterful simplicity and authenticity bring a refreshing comedic touch to themes often steeped in drama. The film delves into youth culture, employment challenges, and the cherished traditions of cheese-making, all while highlighting the importance of family, friendship, and love. With its engaging narrative and relatable characters, this winner of the Prix de la Jeunesse at Cannes is a perfect film to enchant all audiences. In French with English subtitles —João Federici

DIRECTOR

Louise Courvoisier

France 2024 90 min

US PREMIERE

SECTION WORLD

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

STRAND GROW / HEART

Sunday, October 6 . 7:30pm . Sequoia

Thursday, October 10 . 3:00pm . Rafael

Sponsored by JIM BOYCE TRUST and KRIS OTIS

Support provided by CONSULATE GENERAL OF FRANCE IN SAN FRANCISCO

HOMEGROWN

An unexpectedly nuanced cinema verité portrait emerges in Michael Premo’s look at three impassioned right-wing activists. Having won their trust in the lead-up to the 2020 election, the Brooklyn filmmaker follows them through election night, the January 6 riot, and beyond. Contradictions abound—Thad (from Texas) attends Trump rallies with Black Lives Matter activist Jacarri; Chris (from New Jersey) participates in a “Back the Blue” march yet charges the line of police defending the Capitol—but their commitment to a particular red, white, and blue vision of America can’t be denied. Each is a combustible mix of delusional cosplayer, stalwart patriot, and potential threat, with the line between blood and bluster further blurred by cameos from Enrique Tarrio and Roger Stone. For all its madness, January 6 isn’t the film’s climax but a turning point in its protagonists’ political and personal evolutions. Yet the chant echoes: “I am a Western chauvinist/And I refuse to apologize/For creating the modern world/We’re all Proud Boys.” —Michael Fox

DIRECTOR

Michael Premo

US 2024 108 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Michael Premo

Rachel Falcone SECTION DOCS

INITIATIVE ACTIVE CINEMA

Saturday, October 12 . 7:00pm . Lark

Sunday, October 13 . 1:00pm . BAMPFA

I'M STILL HERE

The idyllic life of a happy family in Rio de Janeiro takes a devastating turn when agents of Brazil’s military regime seize former congressman Rubens Paiva (Shelton Mello), leaving his wife Eunice (a stirring Fernanda Torres) alone with their five children. As Rubens disappears into the shadows of the country’s savage penal system, Eunice navigates the perilous waters of the police state and transforms into a relentless advocate for justice, her voice becoming a beacon in the fight against government atrocities. Based on Marcelo Paiva’s memoir and using actual family photos as inspiration, director Walter Salles ( The Motorcycle Diaries ; On the Road , MVFF35) brings us a haunting portrayal of a family's tragic transformation under a brutal dictatorship. Eunice Paiva’s journey is a powerful testament to the enduring scars of forced disappearances and the unyielding search for truth. The film, anchored by a stellar cast that includes Fernanda Montenegro (Salles’s Central Station ) and Maeve Jinkings, resonates with the pain and resilience of those left behind. In Portuguese with English subtitles —João Federici

DIRECTOR

Walter Salles

Brazil 2024 136 min

US PREMIERE

Friday, October 11 . 3:00pm . Sequoia

Sunday, October 13 . 8:00pm . Rafael

INEDIA

In Latin, “inedia” is the word for fasting. In our contemporary world, it is the name given to a pseudoscience that asserts that people can survive on energy absorbed from sunlight alone with no need for other nourishment. In writer-director Liz Cairns’ fascinating feature debut, the word is also the name of a commune living the theory that adopts a new member, Cora (Amy Forsyth). When her debilitating allergies—which may be psychological—escalate to the point where she’s unable to hold down most food and rashes pepper her body, she’s ripe for Inedia leader Joanna’s (Susanne Wuest) teachings and drawn to the community’s stable family vibe. But Cora begins to sense darkness at the center of Joanna’s “light feeds us” philosophy in a film that begins with a sense of foreboding and continually ratchets up the tension. In secluded, nature-bound Inedia, Cora believes she’s found her true home … if she can survive it. —Celia Peters

DIRECTOR

Elizabeth Cairns

Canada 2024 108 min WORLD PREMIERE IN PERSON

Elizabeth Cairns

Jennifer Chui

SECTION WORLD

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

STRAND SPIRIT

Saturday, October 5 . 2:00pm . Sequoia

Sunday, October 6 . 4:00pm . Rafael

INTO THE HEART OF THE MOUNTAIN

Take the rare and extraordinary opportunity to walk beside Zen Buddhist priest and social activist Roshi Joan Halifax on her path to empower women and indigenous people. This visually magnificent and emotionally bracing documentary charts an intimate pilgrimage with the Nomads Clinic—a team of Western, Nepali, and Tibetan healthcare workers— to deliver free medical care in the most remote regions of the Himalayas. Halifax, in her late 70s, spends 28 days hiking arduous miles, sharing wisdom and practical guidance with her team, and fostering cultural and spiritual exchange with the communities they serve. She also turns directly to the camera to deliver hard truths about gender equality and the relatable “kind of wrath” awakened in her as she observes increasingly selfish and harmful behavior in our societies. Like Joan, the film inspires a desire for peace and a spur toward positive action through service, generosity, and fearlessness. In English and Nepali with English subtitles —D. Quinones

DIRECTOR

Annegré Bosman

US 2024 97 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Joan Halifax

Charles McDonald

Wendy Lau

Elizabeth Callard

SECTION DOCS

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

Friday, October 11 . 5:00pm . Sequoia

Sunday, October 13 . 12:00pm . Sequoia

Jesselyn Silva (self-named “JessZilla”) is a 16 year old with a mischievous megawatt smile and undeniably one of the world’s best dads, Pedro. Academically gifted and athletically oriented, she became hooked on boxing as a tot after making herself a fixture in her dad’s gym—not as a spectator, but as a passionate participant in the sport. From Jess’s first fights in the ring at age seven, director Emily Sheskin has followed the pint-sized pugilist on her journey toward winning the gold belt as a three-time national champion, with further triumphs on her way, ready to compete in the Junior Olympics. But Jesselyn’s challenges don’t stop there: As she enters her teenage years, the first opponent she’s totally unprepared for enters her life and her greatest fight begins. JessZilla is an inspiring story of endurance, faith, and the love between a father and an extraordinary daughter: A knockout! —K.D. Davis

DIRECTOR

Emily Sheskin

US 2022 90 min SECTION

FAMILY

INITIATIVE

¡VIVA EL CINE! MIND THE GAP

STRAND HEART TRAILBLAZERS

Sunday, October 6 . 1:00pm . Rafael

Saturday, October 12 . 12:00pm . Rafael

JESSZILLA

THE LEGEND IN ME

“I come from a family of great athletes” says young Lionel Conacher IV. Their great grandfather—LC the first, also known as “The Big Train”—was such a phenomenon that he won 11 championships and was inducted into five different sports’ Halls of Fame. But the competitive “ideal man” he represented for many, and which Lionels II and III also personified, is not exactly a mold that fits this latest Conacher. After a rocky adolescence marked by “fear of being a sissy” and prescription-drug addiction, Lionel IV has embraced an identity that is queer and non-binary, with a penchant for performance well off the playing field. This documentary draws on bounteous archival footage to chronicle a great Canadian family legacy in athletics, including interviews with Wayne Gretzky and other hockey legends. But it also makes room on the trophy shelf for a new generation’s different priorities and goals, with Lionel IV’s dad fully supportive of Junior’s “gender journey.” —Dennis Harvey

DIRECTOR

Calvin Hwang

Tuesday, October 8 . 5:15pm . Rafael

Sunday, October 13 . 1:00pm . Rafael

Calvin Hwang

Chas Conacher

Lionel Conacher

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

Sponsored by KURT MOBLEY

LOST IN TIME: DRUID HEIGHTS

Tucked inside Muir Woods near Mill Valley lies crumbling Druid Heights, a once-thriving bohemian enclave. Founded by famed lesbian poet Elsa Gidlow and Roger Somers, a gifted carpenter who made “wibbly, wobbly architecture” inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and others, Druid Heights today is in danger of falling under a National Park Service wrecking ball. Ed Stiles, a longtime resident and skilled furniture maker, gives an oral history of the property, recounting its rich influence on Beats such as Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac; philosopher Alan Watts, whose book The Way of Zen was instrumental in spreading the popularity of Buddhism in the United States; and rock artists including Neil Young and Graham Nash. With archival footage of the burgeoning hub and contemporary video of its slow decline into disrepair, Stiles takes the viewer on a tour through some of the biggest cultural movements of the 20th century, and Druid Heights’ place in them. —David Riedel

DIRECTOR

D. Damian Panetta

US 2023 75 min

WORLD PREMIERE IN PERSON

D. Damian Panetta

Echo Heron

Ed Stiles

Jan Van Vlaenderen

Josh Winchell

SECTION DOCS

STRAND CREATE

Sponsored by

Saturday, October 5 . 8:30pm . Rafael

Friday, October 11 . 1:00pm . Lark

A former actress grapples with the shadows of her past in Pedro Freire’s riveting drama that captures a turbulent life. At 50, Malu resides in a dilapidated Rio de Janeiro slum with her staunchly traditional mother, Lili, while attempting to mend a fragile relationship with her daughter, Joana. The film delves deep into generational trauma, illustrating how past political upheavals, including Brazil's military dictatorship, have left lasting scars on this dysfunctional family. Malu's close bond with her queer friend Tibira further strains her relationship with Lili, exposing deep-seated prejudices and conflicts. Inspired by the real-life experiences of Freire's own mother, Malu Rocha, the film boasts a spectacular script and phenomenal performances that illuminate the complexities of family ties and personal resilience. Filmed in a Cassavetes-esque style that emphasizes character relationships and creates a cinema vérité feel, the must-see Malu delivers a profoundly moving portrayal of three women navigating the tumultuous waters of shared history. In Portuguese with English subtitles —João Federici

Saturday, October 12 . 7:00pm . Rafael

Sunday, October 13 . 6:30pm . Lark

MILONGA

Amidst a suburban existence, a woman struggles with the ghosts of her troubled marriage in this quiet but emotional and full-bodied indie. Rosa is a middle-aged widow living on her own with her beloved dog Coquita but still in thrall to her former life. The story starts quietly, in an unassuming way that mirrors Rosa herself—except there is turbulence deep below the surface. Her incarcerated son Sergio refuses her visits, while her daughter-in-law Alejandra won’t see her or allow her near her grandson Sebas. Rosa’s life receives an unexpected spark when a friend introduces her to the world of tango, igniting a passion she shares with recent acquaintance Juan. Along the way, there are fissures that hint at truths Rosa has buried deep. And as so often with life, things flip. Rosa receives jarring revelations about the people around her but, ultimately, the biggest surprise is what she learns about herself. In Spanish with English subtitles

—Celia Peters

Wedneday, October 9 . 7:00pm . Rafael Thursday, October 10 . 2:30pm . BAMPFA

DIRECTOR

Laura González

Uruguay, Argentina 2024 106 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE

IN PERSON

Laura González

SECTION WORLD

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP ¡VIVA EL CINE!

MISTURA

The Paris-born trophy wife of a Peruvian politician, Norma (Barbara Mori) finds her station in the highest echelons of mid-1960s Lima society falling apart when he leaves her for a younger woman. It’s a public scandal duly noted by both hypocritical friends and hungry creditors. Once the initial rage and helplessness burn off, however, survival instincts emerge from beneath Norma’s Liz Taylor-esque veneer of pampered glamour. Chauffeur Oscar (jazz percussionist Pudy Ballumbrosio in his acting debut), a man whose own talents have been constricted by race and class, suggests she revive a long-dormant dream to open an upscale restaurant. Writer-director Ricardo de Montreuil’s astute drama blends the sensory joys of a foodie movie with the psychological lift of seeing characters join forces to cast off limitations they thought were their lot in life. It’s a forward-looking flashback set in an era of rapid change. In Spanish with English subtitles

—Dennis Harvey

Tuesday, October 8 . 6:15pm . Sequoia Wedneday, October 9 . 2:00pm . Rafael

DIRECTOR

Ricardo de Montreuil

PERU 2024 101 min

WORLD PREMIERE IN PERSON

Ricardo de Montreuil

Christian Meier

Ivan Orlilcz

SECTION WORLD

INITIATIVE ¡VIVA EL CINE!

STRAND TRAILBLAZERS

MOLLIE’S PACK

Once on the brink of extinction in the American West, the gray wolf’s comeback is astonishing, an incredible true story with many heroes, and one crucial heroine. Emmy-winning director Tom Winston’s ( Epic Yellowstone ) enthralling IMAX documentary incorporates recently recovered 16mm footage, shot in 1995 and long thought lost, to draw attention to the legacy of the late Mollie Beattie. The first woman, and first forester, to head the US Fish and Wildlife Service, during her short tenure she shepherded the wolf reintroduction project through tricky political terrain with such tenacity and finesse that one of the wolfpacks was named in her honor. A colorful and articulate band of personalities who served under Beattie’s leadership share the often nail-biting process of returning these unfairly maligned predators to their natural habitat, along the way demonstrating how essential the animals are to the ecosystem and how essential the Endangered Species Act is to reversing centuries of ecological damage. —Shari Kizirian

DIRECTOR

Thomas Winston

US 2024 90 min

WORLD PREMIERE IN PERSON

Thomas Winston

Avela Grenier

Dash Hammerstein

SECTION DOCS

INITIATIVE ACTIVE CINEMA

STRAND TRAILBLAZERS

Saturday, October 12 . 2:00pm . Sequoia

Sunday, October 13 . 8:00pm . Sequoia

MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE

My Dead Friend Zoe is a dark comedy drama that follows the journey of Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green), a U.S. Army Afghanistan veteran who is at odds with her family thanks to the presence of Zoe (Natalie Morales), her dead best friend from the Army. Despite the persistence of her VA group counselor (Morgan Freeman), the tough love of her mother (Gloria Reuben) and the levity of an unexpected love interest, Merit's cozy-dysfunctional friendship with Zoe keeps the duo insulated from the world. That is until Merit's estranged grandfather (Ed Harris) -- holed up at the family's ancestral lake house -- begins to lose his way and needs the one thing he refuses... help. At its core, this is a buddy film about a complicated friendship, a divided family, and the complex ways in which we process grief.

The film won the Audience Award at SXSW this year and is executive produced by Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce.

DIRECTOR

Kyle Hausmann-Stokes

US 2024 101 min

BAY AREA PREMIERE IN PERSON

Kyle Hausmann-Stokes

Paul Scanlan Ray Maiello

SECTION US CINEMA

STRAND HEART

Saturday, October 5 . 7:00pm . Sequoia

Sunday, October 6 . 11:30am . Sequoia

NORAH

The eponymous protagonist of this dramatic and moving debut feature yearns to escape the strictures of the repressive environment of ‘90s-era rural Saudi Arabia. Residing with her aunt and younger brother in a small village after a family tragedy, Norah buys contraband magazines from the local store and dreams of returning to the city where she was raised. In a country where printed and drawn images are forbidden, she longs to find some representation of herself. Enter Nader, a tall and quiet man brought to teach at the small school. After her brother wins a class competition and brings home a drawing made by Nader, Norah decides that she will try anything to have her portrait done by this kind and gentle stranger. Winner of a Special Jury Mention in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard , the film expertly portrays the rising tensions that swirl around and between these two characters hoping to see and be seen. In Arabic with English subtitles —Rod Armstrong

DIRECTOR Tawfik

Friday, October 4 . 3:30pm . Rafael Friday, October 11 . 4:00pm . Lark

Sponsored by GORDON RADLEY

OCEANIA: JOURNEY TO THE CENTER

The brutal impact of climate change drives this beautiful, intense documentary from Bay Area filmmaker Natalie Zimmerman. As sea levels rise, the Pacific Island nation of Kiribati faces predictions that it will be uninhabitable by 2030. Oceania weaves breathtaking natural footage with the struggles of people navigating an environment that is slipping away. Koyaanisqatsi director Godfrey Reggio executive produced this urgent film that tracks the devastating changes to the island over eight years. We follow along as the population wrestles with indisputable scientific data and struggles with the emotional dimensions of this fast-moving emergency. As the story unfolds, we learn more about the fragmented histories and disparate experiences of the people affected by the calamity. Highlighting the overwhelming truths all around, the film asks serious questions and ponders realistic calls to action as a community struggles to stay afloat. —Brendan Peterson

DIRECTOR

Natalie Zimmerman US 2023 75 min

WORLD PREMIERE IN PERSON

Natalie Zimmerman

Guetty Felin

Ariel Arrechea

SECTION DOCS

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

STRAND GROW

Saturday, October 5 . 1:00pm . Sequoia Sunday, October 6 . 3:30pm . BAMPFA

ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL

Death and secrets permeate writer-director Rungano Nyoni’s dazzling second feature, the winner of Best Director in the Un Certain Regard sidebar at the Cannes Film Festival. Driving through the night after a party, Shula (Susan Chardy) happens across the corpse of her Uncle Fred. That she’s learned that he’s dead isn’t shocking—that she doesn’t care at all is. A portrait of Zambia’s matriarchal society and the lingering emotional scars left behind by sexual abuse, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl combines dark comedy and bruising drama—absurdism and stripped-down realism—to investigate lies that have smothered Shula’s family for years. The filmmaker of 2017’s equally stellar I Am Not a Witch continues to demonstrate an ability to craft modern parables that grapple with both history and a younger generation’s desire to break free from the sins of the past. Funerals have rarely been so cathartic. In English and Bembawith English subtitles Tim Grierson

DIRECTOR

Rungano Nyoni

Zambia, UK, Ireland

2024 95 min

SECTION WORLD

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

Saturday, October 5 . 4:30pm . BAMPFA

Saturday, October 12 . 8:00pm . Rafael

THE ORDER

MVFF47 honoree Jude Law delivers a resonant performance as Terry Husk, an FBI agent battling Neo-Nazis in this harrowing,1980s-set drama inspired by true events. A recent transfer to the Pacific Northwest, Husk initially rejects deputy Jamie Bowen’s (Tye Sheridan) theory that a group of white supremacists are behind a recent string of bank robberies. That simply doesn’t track with what Husk knows about the local fascist community. But as the gang’s activities expand to include assassination, Husk takes the lead in pursuing an offshoot organization and its mastermind Bob Mathews (Nicholas Hoult), a man who conceals his vicious white nationalism under a mask of good-natured bonhomie. Director Justin Kurzel ( Macbeth , MVFF38) brilliantly portrays the racist brutality hiding in plain sight amidst the Northwest’s bucolic beauty, while Jed Kurzel’s spare, droning score adds to the sense of growing unease in a thriller where the suspense builds inexorably from its first frames to its stunning climax. —Pam Grady

DIRECTOR

Sponsored by

Tuesday, October 8 . 8:00pm . Rafael

OUT OF MY MIND

Melody Brooks, a sixth grader with cerebral palsy, has a quick wit and a sharp mind, but because she is non-verbal and uses a wheelchair, others often view her with pity and discomfort. Though she has fierce advocates in her parents, Melody yearns to be seen and heard by the world around her. When a young educator notices Melody’s untapped potential, she encourages Melody to participate in mainstream education. Against numerous odds and challenges, Melody leads her school’s quiz team to success. Along the way, Melody uses her newfound voice to inspire courage in her family, her principal and peers, an eccentric neighbor, and even the family goldfish. Based on the best-selling novel by Sharon M. Draper and directed by Amber Sealey, Out of My Mind stars Phoebe-Rae Taylor as Melody, alongside Rosemarie DeWitt, Luke Kirby, Judith Light, Michael Chernus, Courtney Taylor, and Jennifer Aniston (as Melody’s inner voice).

INITIATIVE

Sunday, October 6 . 2:45pm . Rafael

Sunday, October 13 . 11:00am . Lark

PIMPINERO: BLOOD AND OIL

With intense action, raw emotion, and stunning visuals, Pimpinero: Blood and Oil captures the collision of moral, ethical, and human boundaries in a lawless land where only the ruthless thrive. Directed by Andrés Baiz, the visionary behind global hits like Narcos and Griselda, this electrifying thriller plunges us into the dangerous world of gasoline smugglers known as “pimpineros,” who toil their trade along the volatile Colombia-Venezuela border. Set in the early 2010s, against a sun-scorched desert, the film follows Juan (Alejandro Speitzer), the youngest of three brothers entwined in this treacherous business, as a deadly rivalry threatens to unravel his family and everything they hold dear—including his love for the fiery Diana (rising star Laura Osma), his partner in everything. Colombian music legend Juanes, Alberto Guerra, and Osma deliver gripping performances as the stakes rise for Juan and his kin, bringing to life a tale of betrayal, greed, and survival. In Spanish with English subtitles —João Federici

Con acción intensa, emoción cruda y efectos visuales impresionantes, “Pimpinero: Sangre y Gasolina” captura el conflicto de límites morales, éticos y humanos en una tierra sin ley donde sólo los despiadados prosperan. Dirigida por Andrés Baiz, el autor visionario detrás de éxitos globales como Narcos y Griselda, este electrizante thriller nos sumerge en el peligroso mundo de los contrabandistas de gasolina conocidos como “pimpineros”, que hacen negocio a lo largo de la volátil frontera entre Colombia y Venezuela. Ambientada a principios de la década de 2010, en un desierto abrasado por el sol, la película sigue a Juan (Alejandro Speitzer), el menor de tres hermanos enredados en este traicionero negocio, mientras una rivalidad mortal amenaza con destruir a su familia y todo lo que aprecian, incluido su amor por la impulsiva Diana (la futura estrella Laura Osma), quien es su socia en todo. La leyenda de la música colombiana Juanes, junto con Alberto Guerra y Osma, ofrecen actuaciones apasionantes a medida que aumentan los riesgos para Juan y sus familiares, dando vida a un relato de traición, codicia y supervivencia. —João Federici

Tuesday, October 8 . 3:00pm . Sequoia Friday, October 11 . 7:00pm . Lark

QUEENS (REINAS)

Experience a poignant journey through the eyes of a family living under the shadow of Alberto Fujimori’s authoritarian regime in 1992 Lima, Peru. The film delves deep into the emotional bonds within a matriarchal family, presenting an intimate, dazzling portrayal of two adolescent sisters and their mother as they prepare to leave the country amidst the turbulence while their estranged father attempts to reconnect with his daughters before their departure. Filmmaker Klaudia Reynicke masterfully weaves her childhood memories into the narrative, showcasing a meticulous reconstruction of history-laden domestic worlds as the story transitions seamlessly between a touching coming-of-age tale and a powerful socio-political commentary. With strong performances, exceptional art direction, and evocative costumes, this film stands out as a delicate and moving drama that captures the essence of personal and collective struggle. Don’t miss this compelling story that resonates with both heart and history, highlighting the resilience and strength of women in times of adversity. In Spanish with English subtitles —João Federici

Haga un viaje conmovedor a través de los ojos de una familia que vive bajo la sombra del régimen autoritario de Alberto Fujimori en 1992, en Lima, Perú. La película profundiza en los lazos emocionales dentro de una familia matriarcal, presentando un retrato íntimo y deslumbrante de dos hermanas adolescentes y su madre mientras se preparan para abandonar el país en medio de la turbulencia a la vez que su distanciado padre intenta volver a conectarse con las hijas antes de su partida. La cineasta Klaudia Reynicke entrelaza magistralmente los recuerdos de su infancia en la narrativa, ofreciendo una reconstrucción meticulosa de un mundo doméstico cargado de historia. A medida que la película avanza, se convierte en un conmovedor relato sobre el paso a la madurez y un poderoso comentario sociopolítico. Con excelentes interpretaciones, una dirección de arte excepcional y un vestuario evocador, esta película se destaca como un drama delicado y conmovedor que captura la esencia de la lucha personal y colectiva. No se pierda esta cautivadora historia que resuena tanto con el corazón como con la mente, destacando la resiliencia y fortaleza de las mujeres en tiempos de adversidad. —João Federici

DIRECTOR

Klaudia ReynickeCandeloro

Switzerland, Spain, Peru

2024 104 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Klaudia ReynickeCandeloro

Britta Rindelaub

SECTION WORLD

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

¡VIVA EL CINE! STRAND HEART

Support provided by

CONSULATE GENERAL of SWITZERLAND in SAN FRANCISCO

Friday, October 11 . 8:00pm . Sequoia Sunday, October 13 . 4:00pm . BAMPFA

Transporting us to the dives and roach motels of 1950s Mexico City with a palpable sensuousness and eroticism, Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Luca Guadagnino ( Call Me by Your Name , MVFF40) may be the ideal interpreter of Beat legend William S. Burroughs’ novel. Daniel Craig ( Glass Onion , MVFF45 Opening Night) is magnificent as William Lee, a queer American ex-pat and writer in his late 40s (and Burroughs’ autobiographical alter ego). Leading a solitary, seedy life, Lee’s days and (mostly) nights are spent drinking, drugging, and on the prowl for pickups. His hedonistic haze is aided and abetted by his friend Joe—an Allen Ginsburg-ian character played by an almost unrecognizable Jason Schwartzman ( The French Dispatch , MVFF44 Closing Night). But the arrival in town of Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey, The Hate U Give , MVFF41), a handsome bi-curious student from Oklahoma stirs William into an intoxication more romantic, finally establishing a meaningful connection with someone as his hallucinogenic journey becomes steeped in desire. —Lily Buchanan QUEER Wednesday, October 9 . 5:00pm . Sequoia

DIRECTOR

Luca Guadagnino

Italy, US 2024 135 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE SECTION WORLD

Sponsored by CHRISTINE A. SCHANTZ

RED BOAT CROSSING

THE SHIP THAT TURNED BACK

RED BOAT

CROSSING

+ THE SHIP THAT TURNED BACK

Two treasured longtime Bay Area filmmakers’ new mid-length films memorialize family members’ tumultuous experiences during World War II. Jeanne C. Finley’s Red Boat Crossing (39 min) utilizes archival footage, miniatures, narration, onscreen text, and experimental techniques to recreate her mother Cecily Barker’s service as a psychiatric social worker for the battle-wounded on a Red Cross vessel. It’s an admiring tribute to quiet heroism that’s equal parts documentary and poetical reverie. Oscar® and Emmy winner Allie Light’s The Ship That Turned Back (34 min) also draws on a mix of elements in letting late husband/collaborator Irving Saraf recall his Jewish family’s harrowing flight from Nazi-occupied Poland. It took them from Vienna to Trieste to Malta, then finally Palestine, dodging bombs and the custody of opposing armies en route. These “nerve-wracking adventures” (as his father put it) somehow left the then-7-yearold Saraf’s humor intact, as his playful recollections attest. ––Dennis Harvey

DIRECTORS

Jeanne C. Finley

Allie Light

US 2024

Total program 73 min

IN PERSON

Jim McKee

SECTION DOCS

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

Thursday, October 10 . 7:30pm . Rafael

THE ROOM NEXT DOOR

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

DIRECTOR

Pedro Almodóvar

Spain 2024 110 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE

SECTION WORLD

INITIATIVE

¡VIVA EL CINE!

Sponsored by

Sunday, October 6 . 4:15pm . Sequoia

Monday, October 7 . 4:00pm . Rafael

SACRAMENTO

Longtime best friends Glenn (Michael Cera, Molly’s Game , MVFF40) and Rickey (cowriter-director Michael Angarano) could not be more different. Glenn is organized and anxious; Rickey is unpredictable and laid back. Glenn lives a quiet life with his wife preparing for the birth of his first child, while Rickey just got kicked out of a convalescent home and has nowhere to go. Despite their divergent paths, the pair have maintained a tight bond over the years. So, when Rickey suddenly appears in Glenn’s backyard, it’s not surprising that this unannounced visit leads to the two taking a spontaneous road trip to Sacramento to spread the ashes of Rickey’s father. Throughout the journey, the two explore the bonds of their friendship and finally learn to process their emotions. Kristen Stewart ( Seberg , MVFF42) and Maya Erskine costar in this heartwarming and emotional comedy. —Bri’anna Moore

DIRECTOR

Michael Angarano US 2024 84 min WEST COAST PREMIERE SECTION

Thursday, October 10 . 5:00pm . Sequoia

Saturday, October 12 . 5:30pm . Rafael

SATURDAY NIGHT

It’s 10pm on October 11, 1975, and the Not Ready For Prime Time Players are definitely not ready. Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, Garrett Morris, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, and John Belushi (has anyone seen Belushi?) are in alternating states of confusion, excitement, rage, disbelief, and blissfully buzzed. If SNL producer Lorne Michaels can’t pull these impossibly loose ends together within 90 minutes, his career is over before it’s begun, and NBC’s risk-averse execs will be proven right: Live sketch comedy on TV can never beat old Johnny Carson reruns. Jason Reitman (MVFF Award Recipient 2009) delivers a deliciously dizzying behind-the-scenes panoptic view of the lights (some toppling onto the stage), cameras (like producer Dick Ebersol’s beloved Polaroids), and action (loads of it) leading up to the moment Chevy Chase broke late-night television’s fourth wall and proclaimed to the world, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!” —K.D. Davis

Saturday, October 5 . 9:00pm . Sequoia

Sunday, October 6 . 11:00am . Rafael

SECRET MALL APARTMENT

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

DIRECTOR

Jeremy Workman

US 2024 92 min

CALIFORNIA PREMIERE IN PERSON

Jeremy Workman

Michael Townsend SECTION DOCS

STRAND CREATE

Monday, October 7 . 6:00pm . Sequoia (Member Screening)

Tuesday, October 8 . 3:30pm . Rafael

SEED OF THE SACRED FIG

Iranian writer-director Mohammad Rasoulof won the FIPRESCI prize and a special jury award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for this gripping drama about the paranoia that slowly eats away at one Tehran family. Misagh Zareh stars as Iman, a seemingly honorable man recently promoted to investigating judge, which brings with it a hefty raise and a bigger apartment for him, his wife, and daughters. But he soon realizes he’s made a Faustian bargain—his new job requires him to sign the death warrants of protesters— which angers the women in his family. Meticulously building in tension until it becomes a harrowing thriller, the film is the latest act of defiance from Rasoulof ( There Is No Evil ), jailed several times by Iranian authorities for his politically outspoken films. (In fact, he fled the country to avoid imprisonment prior to Sacred Fig ’s premiere.) The filmmaker’s fury and sorrow suffuse his latest stunner, which brilliantly details how an oppressive regime obliterates the souls of its citizens. In Farsi with English subtitles —Tim Grierson

DIRECTOR

Mohammad Rasoulof

Germany, France, Iran 2024 167 min

CALIFORNIA PREMIERE SECTION WORLD

Saturday, October 5 . 7:00pm . BAMPFA

Sunday, October 6 . 12:30pm . Sequoia

Sponsored by GORDON RADLEY

SHORTS: FREEDOM

“I had my ups and downs, but I always find the inner strength to pull myself up.” In this shorts program, we present a collection of true-life tales about extraordinary individuals and cultural change makers from around the world. There hasn't been a lesbian bar in San Francisco for almost a decade but Bay Area filmmakers Meg Shutzer and Brandon Yadegari Moreno’s MOTHER (US 2023, 23 min) introduces us to Malia Spanyol, a self-identified dyke who sets out to build one for the next generation of women and femmes. In the thought-provoking ALOK (US 2024, 19 min), director Alex Hedison delivers a compelling portrait of Alok Vaid-Menon, the internationally acclaimed non-binary author, poet, comedian, and public speaker who challenges societal norms and explores the limitless expression of self. Sarah Klein and Tom Mason’s OUT OF THE DARK: CAL CALAMIA (US 2024, 8 min) provides an intimate look at the journey of professional athlete Cal Calamia, a transgender marathon runner who's advocating for inclusion in the running world. Part memoir-style reflection and part prayer, Kirthi Nath’s PARAMITA (2024, 24 min) reveals Prajna Paramita Choudhury’s 25-year coming out process with her traditional Bangladeshi mother employing Buddhist practices and nature as gateways for intergenerational healing. —Kelly Clement

DIRECTORS

Meg Shutzer

Brandon Yadegari Morenos

Alex Hedison

Sarah Klein

Tom Mason

Kirthi Nath

Total program 73 min

Saturday, October 5 . 3:00pm . Rafael

Wedneday, October 9 . 3:30pm . Rafael

SHORTS: I WAS HERE

“You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.” In this program indigenous filmmakers embody this belief expressed by Vice President Kamala Harris in their explorations of how where and who we came from informs the person we are today. Phumi Morare’s WHY THE CATTLE WAIT (South Africa 2024, 21 min) is the intimate tale of a goddess who tries to win back the affection of her former lover who has moved on in life without her. Three generations of women in a Sámi family have connected over time through practicing joik—a Sámi oral tradition that combines music and storytelling in Radio-Jus Sunná, Sunná Nousuniemi, Guhtur Niillas Rita Duomis, and Tuomas Kumpulaine’s ÁHKUIN (Finland 2024, 19 min). Filmmaker Lansana Mansaray documents his returns home in FROM GOD TO MAN ( MA AYE KA MASAALA A SE KA W M TI ) (Sierra Leone 2024, 15 min). In Laha Mebow’s coming-of-age film TAYAL FOREST CLUB (Taiwan 2024, 19 min), it’s through the help of their ancestors that two Atayal teens manage to find not only their way home but also themselves. Rana Nazzal Hamadeh's WE WOULD BE FREER (Canada/Palestine 2023, 9 min) reflects on the connection between colonization and nature through the use of sumac by a Palestinian refugee and a woman from the Mohawk community of Kahnawá:ke. In Alex Nystorm’s FOUR NIGHTS AND A FUNERAL (USA 2023, 12min), a fire is kept alive for four nights while an Ojibwe man processes the death of his father who’s spirit, unbeknownst to him, is watching on.—Bri’anna Moore

October 8 . 8:30pm . Rafael

DIRECTORS

Phumi Morare

Radio-Jus Sunná

Sunná Nousuniemi

Guhtur Niillas Rita Duomi

Tuomas Kumpulaine

Lansana Mansaray

Laha Mebow

Rana Nazzal Hamadeh

Alex Nystrom

Total program 83 min

SHORTS: LOVEHAPPY (YOUTH WORKS)

"The ups and downs are worth it. Long way to go, but we're workin’." This year's collection of peer-reviewed, youth-produced short films showcases storytellers who are redefining humor in comedies, personal stories in documentaries, and murder in thrillers. It's an inspiring display of emerging young talent: PRACTICAL RABBIT HUNTING STRATEGIES FOR THE MODERN MAN (Rishan Sathiyaa, US 2024 , 11 min), MINUS DAISY (Samuel Green, US 2024, 5 min), LIKE A STONE OR FLOWER (Kaiya Ming Jordan, US 2024, 10 min), FOREVER MINE (Isabella DeWitt, US 2024, 3 min), KILLER LOVE (Jace Skinnell, US 2024, 8 min), BICKERING (Gabrielle Hanson Chong, US 2024, 1 min), THE LAST SUPPER (Trudy Flashford, Canada 2024, 4 min), THE CHIHUAHUA SHAKE (Chase Olivera, US 2024, 14 min), THE ALIEN (Maxwell Warner, US 2024, 10 min), GUIDING LIGHT (India Anne Mitchell, US 2024, 5 min), APPA TALES: STORIES FROM MY GRANDFATHER (Noah Shin, US 2024, 6 min), SOLE SISTA (Emerie Elise Boone, Australia 2024, 6 min), DREAMKEEPING (Mimi Muhle, US 2024, 5 min). –– Diana Sánchez Maciel

Age 14+

Saturday, October 12 . 12:00pm . Sequoia

DIRECTORS

Rishan Sathiyaa

Samuel Green

Kaiya Ming Jordan

Isabella DeWitt

Jace Skinnell

Gabrielle Hanson Chong

Trudy Flashford

Chase Olivera

Maxwell Warner

India Anne Mitchell

Noah Shin

Emerie Elise Boone

Mimi Mühle

Total program 88 min

SHORTS: RING THE ALARM

"Tell me how should I feel when I know what I know." This international collection is a vivid exploration of families who are confronted with some very harsh truths. In Marek Čermák's EVERYTHING WILL BE OK AGAIN (Czech Republic 2023, 20 min), a mother must come to terms with her son's character when he unexpectedly makes the local news. In Juan Paulo Laserna's NOT MY NAME (Colombia 2024, 19 min), a family goes on a treacherous road trip when their country is beset by political violence. In Drew McCoy and Anthony Gilmore's THERE WILL BE HURT (US 2024, 18 min), the release from prison of a man responsible for a young woman's death sets her family reeling with its own set of questions and struggles. And in Talia Light Rake's THE CAPTIVES (US 2024, 14 min), a mother and daughter learn some surprising insights when they have a candid face-to-face. These stories remind us that a family’s complex dynamics can strike some very familiar chords. —Sterling Hedgpeth

DIRECTORS

Marek Čermák

Juan Paulo Laserna

Drew McCoy

Anthony Gilmore

Talia Light Rake

Total program 71 min

Monday, October 7 . 3:00pm . Rafael

Wedneday, October 9 . 9:00pm . Rafael

SHORTS: SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS

Who says that watching Saturday morning cartoons with the family ended with the 20th century? Not us! Join us for this fun frenzy of animated wonders for kids of all ages, presented in collaboration with the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival. Films include: Martha Grant’s LLAMAS AT THE LAUNDROMAT (Canada 2023, 2 min), a delightful musical starring dancing llamas in fashionable attire; Annastacia Henry-Ramos’s LUNAR POWER (US 2024, 3 min), in which video game nut Miguel has a cheeky chat with his older, wiser Cousin Amaya; Venus Jones’s LIL RED IS RIDING THE WRONG WAY in the Hood (US 2023, 8 min), a rap fairytale filled with valuable life lessons; Paperface’s THINK TOO MUCH (UK 2023, 4 min), a musical journey through a landscape of broccoli; Peter Gardner’s ADVENTURES WITH THE CARETAKER (US 2022, 25 min), featuring Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Abominable Snowman; Alex Ross’s THE SOCIAL CHAMELEON (US 2022, 9 min), an inspiring story about finding your true colors and Guillermo Gomes’s THE CROW AND THE SQUIRREL (US 2018, 4 min), a beautiful lesson in communication and compassion. – K.D. Davis

Ages 7+

Saturday, October 5 . 11:00am . Sequoia

Saturday, October 12 . 11:00am . Lark

DIRECTORS

Martha Grant

Annastacia Henry-Ramos

Venus Jones Paperface

Peter Gardner

Alex Ross

Guillermo Gomez

Total program 55 min

SECTION FAMILY

STRAND LAUGH

SHORTS: SUPERPOWER

"When I'm standing in this mirror, after all these years, what I'm viewing is a little different." These shorts immerse themselves—and the adventurous viewer—in entertaining flights of fancy. In Kara Herold's THE CALLBACK (US 2024, 13 min), an ambitious actress finds her way, and herself, on the road to building a character. Cassie Shao's beautifully surreal landscape is the entrancing hook to the animated THIS IS A STORY WITHOUT A PLAN (US 2023, 8 min). A deep dive into micro-biology is the core of Jesseca Ynez Simmons's remarkable experimental film HEAVEN IN A WILD FLOWER (US 2024, 6 min). In Alexander Seltzer's film, a grieving couple find a bizarre portal when they deal with loss and THE DOOR (Canada 2024, 14 min). The arrival of aliens dovetails nicely with a dissatisfied wife's wishes in Timothy Michael Cooper's KNEAD (US 2024, 11 min). And finding your true identity sometimes means revisiting ghosts from the past in Skye Schoenhoeft's touching THE CURTAINS GLOW AT NIGHT (US 2024, 13 min). —Sterling Hedgpeth

DIRECTORS

Kara Herold

Cassie Shao

Jesseca Ynez Simmons

Alexander Seltzer

Timothy Michael Cooper

Skye Schoenhoeft

Total program 65 min

Thursday, October 10 . 2:30pm . Rafael Friday, October 11 . 8:45pm . Rafael

MEET ME AT THE CREEK

SHORTS: SWEET DREAMS

“Can you hold my hands and be my guide? Clouds filled with stars cover your skies.” This documentary shorts program reflects on the value of intergenerational community, love, and activism. In Yoontaek Hong’s SUNCHONG (US 2024, 14 min), an 89-year-old Korean immigrant who volunteers at a senior center reflects on his life’s journey with his beloved wife. An Indigenous women’s motorcycle group rides to end the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women while a member of their community searches for a missing sister in Prairie Rose Seminole and Katrina Lillian Sorrentino’s We Ride for Her (US 2023, 18 min). Derek Knowles’s THE BIRD RESCUE CENTER (US 2023, 13 min) captures the people at a Northern California bird rescue who give wildlife a second chance. In Loren Waters’s ( MEET ME AT THE CREEK ) (US 2023, 9 min), a Cherokee Nation citizen, a Waterkeeper Warrior, leads the effort to restore Oklahoma’s Tar Creek. From Iowa to Guam, an aspiring costume designer visits their homeland to make costumes for a children’s theater and reconnect with distanced parents in Hao Zhou’s WOULDN'T MAKE IT ANY OTHER WAY (US 2024, 20 min). ––Diana Sánchez Maciel

Monday, October 7 . 9:00pm . Rafael Tuesday, October 8 . 2:00pm . Rafael

DIRECTORS

Yoontaek Hong

Prairie Rose Seminole

Katrina Lillian Sorrentino

Derek Knowles

Loren Waters

Hao Zhou

Total program 74 min

SHORTS:

TIME TO COME HOME

“Words can’t express what I feel inside of my flesh.” Whether they’re new partners or soulmates, these stories of love and attraction run the gamut of experiences both fresh and familiar. Steve Sanders’ CRAB CLAW (US 2024, 9 min) features an incredibly awkward marriage counseling session. In Lucy Teitler’s KEEP IT OPEN (US 2023, 10 min), the prospect of a ménage à trois does not quite go as expected. An old flame and trans friend discover that the road to identity can be beautifully fluid in Nadia Johnson and Ben Snyder’s SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING PINK (US 2024, 10 min). A young man and his cat find their household in upheaval when a new girlfriend appears in Britney Fan’s animated THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE... (US 2024, 3 min). Being the object of attention yields some surprising responses for a young girl in Scott Burkhardt’s EXUVIA (US 2024, 12 min). A queer teen finds herself at a crossroads when her choices are challenged by religious dogma in Naomi Iwamoto’s SIXTEEN (US 2024, 14 min). And a moment and a lifetime are encapsulated in a single, hypnotic point of view in Paula Levine’s amazing FIVE MINUTES TO FIVE YEARS (US 2024, 11 min). Don’t miss this collection that has a lot of laughs and a surplus of heart. —Sterling Hedgpeth

DIRECTORS

Steve Sanders

Lucy Teitler

Nadia Johnson

Ben Snyder

Britney Fan

Scott Burkhardt

Naomi Iwamoto

Paula Levine

Total program 69 min

STRAND HEART

Thursday, October 10 . 8:30pm . Rafael

Friday, October 11 . 3:00pm . Rafael

STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS

Up above the clouds, on the highest mountain from the seafloor, a group of women fight to defend the sacred mountain of Mauna Kea from the world’s largest telescope. Filmmaker Jalena Keane-Lee focuses on native Hawai’ian families’ efforts to block the installment of the giant instrument on hallowed land in a captivating documentary that interweaves breathtaking images of stunning locations with intimate portraits of colorful people. The fascinating story combines complex courtroom events with intimate moments that capture the ongoing tension between technological progress and historical identity. Despite rollercoaster political encounters, including arrests, the small but mighty community pursues an inspirational grassroots effort to protect culture and tradition. Standing Above the Clouds , the winner of the 2022 DocPitch Industry Award and Hot Docs' Bill Nemlin Award for Best Social Impact Documentary, illuminates the ongoing struggles of indigenous people battling to save ancestral lands and preserve an irreplaceable culture. In English and Hawaiian with English subtitles —Brendan Peterson

DIRECTOR

Jalena Keane-Lee

US 2024 82 min

BAY AREA PREMIERE IN PERSON

Jalena Keane-Lee

Amber Espinosa-Jones

SECTION DOCS

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

STRAND GROW / SPIRIT

Saturday, October 12 . 3:00pm . Rafael

THELMA'S PERFECT BIRTHDAY

Thelma is a penguin who lives in the Land of Ice. She’s four years old and she’ll turn five in five days—or at least she hopes she will. Will her birthday ever come? And what if she’s not there when the Birthday arrives—will she be forever stuck at age four? But Thelma is an adventurer and a mischief-maker, too. With her parents distracted by their computer screens, she sneaks away to find her friends Wilhelm the flying cat and Sofija the dancing mouse in the Great Forest, far from home. She hopes to meet the Birthday in person, with her magical candles in hand. Director Reinis Kalnaellis’s stunning watercolor palette and captivating animation bring to life a universal story of self-acceptance, friendship, courage, and the true meaning of growing up. An ageless story, perfect for all ages. —K.D.

Davis

DIRECTOR

Reinis Kalnaellis

TO KILL A WOLF

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

DIRECTOR

Kelsey Taylor

US 2024 91 min

US PREMIERE IN PERSON

Kelsey Taylor

Adam Lee

SECTION US CINEMA

INTIATIVE MIND THE GAP

Tuesday, October 8 . 8:30pm . Rafael Wednesday, October 9 . 6:00pm . Rafael

A TRAVELER'S NEEDS

Isabelle Huppert is Iris, a woman abroad in Seoul, teaching French and English in an idiosyncratic fashion that allows her to pursue her own philosophical and personal interests. Through four encounters over a single day, Iris probes students and strangers for information about poetry, their own histories, and their relationship to their egos. Director Hong Sang-Soo’s delight in repetition is in play as Iris’s pedagogical catechism takes almost the same form in the first two sequences but deepens when she takes her tutelage outdoors with a married couple and visits a younger man with whom she shares an apartment. Huppert, in her third collaboration with Hong, is puckish and sprightly as the open-eyed and questioning Iris, supported by an impeccable group of performers whom her character knocks up against. Linguistic collisions are Hong’s stock in trade and the revelations that happen here as people converse in artificially constructed circumstances are a delight to behold. In English, French, Korean with English subtitles —Rod Armstrong

DIRECTOR

Hong Sangsoo Republic of Korea (South Korea) 2024 90 min

WEST COEAST PREMIERE SECTION WORLD

STRAND LAUGH

Sunday, October 6 . 6:00pm . BAMPFA

Saturday, October 12 . 11:00am . Rafael

Image: © 2024

Tamara de Lempicka Estate, LLC / Adagp, Paris / Ars, NY

THE TRUE STORY OF TAMARA DE LEMPICKA & THE ART OF SURVIVAL

Long celebrated in Europe, the US is just discovering one of the 20th century’s defining artists, Tamara de Lempicka. Working mother, feminist, style icon, and bisexual libertine, Lempicka embodied Art Deco’s spirit and portrayed high society women in boldly erotic terms that broke the male gaze. Encouraged by her grandmother, young Tamara emerged as a prodigious talent who combined cubism, classicism, and surrealism to reinvent the female figure, not as object but as protagonist. In this riveting documentary, Bay Area filmmaker Julie Rubio fills in the surprising contours of a remarkable life and talent with never-seen-before home movies and other artifacts, while descendants, curators, and art historians cite reinvention as the survival strategy of the artist who painted the modern woman into being. Fleeing war and authoritarianism, she supported herself and her daughter by living true to her own vision. This documentary is a must-see while anticipating Lempicka’s first major US retrospective at the de Young Museum in October. —Carol Harada

DIRECTOR

Julie Colleen Rubio

US 2024 96 min

WORLD PREMIERE IN PERSON

Julie Colleen Rubio

Blake Wellen SECTION DOCS

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

STRAND CREATE

Friday, October 11 . 7:00pm . Sequoia

Sunday, October 13 . 2:00pm . Lark

TUMMY TOM AND THE LOST TEDDY BEAR (Dikkie Dik en de Verdwenen Knuffel)

Tummy Tom, a good-natured, well-intentioned and slightly gangly ginger cat, is a prime example of his species—he’s curious, mischievous, a bit lazy, and most of all, he loves to curl up for catnaps with his favorite stuffed teddy. But one day, “cat-astrophe” strikes: Jumping into his basket for a snooze, he discovers…Bear is missing! Fortunately for Tummy Tom, his BFF, a graceful gray named Cat-Mouse, springs into action and feline hijinks ensue as the duo encounter Squirrel, Sheep, and other animal friends ready to assist in the hunt for Bear. Tummy Tom first appeared on Sesamstraat (Dutch Sesame Street ) in 1978, and co-directors Joost Van Den Bosch and Erik Verkerk’s new sing-along animation is an interactive delight for kids from age 2 to 200 (that’s in cat-years). Shown with THE ANCHOR & THE KITE (Jeff O’Brien Myers and Forest Blakk. US 2024, 3 min) and THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE (Britney Fan, US 2024, 3 min). —K.D. Davis

DIRECTORS

Joost Van Den Bosch

Erik Verkerk

PREMIERE

Erik Verkerk

Digna van der Put

WAVES

In the heady days of the 1968 Prague Spring, a group of Czechoslovak Radio journalists risk not just their careers but their lives to distribute independent news amidst national and regional tumult in this thrilling historical drama. Central to the story are two orphaned brothers caught in the struggle for freedom. The elder, Tomáš (Vojtěch Vodochodský), is a radio technician working at the station that is committed to defying the Communist Party’s censorship, overwhelming propaganda, and police harassment. When security forces pressure him to spy for them, Tomáš finds himself in a bind where he has to choose between betraying his colleagues or protecting his teenage sibling. This Karlovy Vary International Film Festival’s Právo Audience Award winner depicts the heroism of ordinary Czechs against the Soviet puppet regime, intertwining personal stories with well-known historical events. Waves is a gripping ode to press freedom and a timely reminder of the dangers of censorship. In Czech with English subtitles —Wilfred Okiche

DIRECTOR

Jirí Mádl

Czech Republic, Slovakia 2024 80 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE SECTION WORLD

STRAND TRAILBLAZERS

Saturday, October 5 . 1:15pm . Rafael

Tuesday, October 8 . 4:30pm . Rafael

Sponsored by HENRY TIMNICK

WE LIVE IN TIME

In We Live in Time , Florence Pugh ( The Wonder , MVFF45) and Andrew Garfield (MVFF Award: Breathe , MVFF40) prove great foils for each other: Their punchy repartee and irresistible connection makes them one of the most memorable of recent cinematic couples. When an accidental encounter brings together up-and-coming, ambitious chef and restaurant owner Almut (Pugh) and recent divorcée (Garfield)—who also happens to be a Weetabix spokesperson—what might seem like an unlikely match evolves into something neither might have imagined for themselves. With humor, warmth, love, romance, and a tad contentiousness, their bonds become deeper with every moment. Moments that range from life-changing (giving birth in a completely unexpected location) to the seemingly mundane (the best way to crack an egg). Director John Crowley’s ( Brooklyn , MVFF38) beautifully paced production of Nick Payne’s innovative script spans three distinct chronologies that unfold and inform our understanding of key moments in the couple’s time together. It’s a life-affirming journey that’s both defined by and transcends time. —Zoë Elton

Saturday, October 5 . 4:00pm . Rafael

Sponsored by JIM BOYCE TRUST and KRIS OTIS

WILD DIAMOND

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

DIRECTOR

Agathe Riedinger

France

WEST COAST PREMIERE

Monday, October 7 . 8:00pm . Rafael

Thursday, October 10 . 5:45pm . Rafael

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

Ten-year-old Percy Boy Collins is one of the fastest runners in school, but he never fails to arrive late for class. A smart-talking Aboriginal child in a white-dominated environment, Percy Boy has few allies ‘til he befriends Keithy Cobb, the new kid at school. The schoolmates join forces to fend off the fifth-grade bullies known as The Wolf Pack. Joining them is little Daisy Hawkins, the fiercest and scariest third grader around. The three share a common goal: for Percy Boy to defeat the Wolf Pack in the running competition at the school carnival. But while he trains for the race, Percy Boy also begins to see visions from the afterworld, including those who perished in the bush fire that claimed the lives of his parents. Indigenous Australian director Tanith Glynn-Maloney’s first feature is an inspirational celebration of the bonds that tie us to our family, our friends, and our heritage. —K.D. Davis

DIRECTOR

Tanith Glynn-Maloney

Australia 2024 80 min

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE SECTION FAMILY

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

STRAND SPIRIT

Saturday, October 12 . 11:30am . Rafael

YOUR MONSTER

After her boyfriend dumps her, down-on-her-luck actress Laura Franco (Melissa Barrera, In the Heights ) moves back into her family’s home and discovers that her imaginary childhood nemesis—the monster in her closet (Tommy Dewey, Casual )—is real. Abandoned by her man, mother, and best friend, Laura finds solace in the charming monster’s arms as her rage grows after her ex recasts her role in the musical they wrote together. Caroline Lindy’s delightful directorial debut spins a dark, whimsical tale of comedy, romance, and musical theater set to the beat of Broadway showtunes. Barrera dominates the screen of this beauty-and-the-beast fable as Laura taps into the monster lurking within her. —Katelyn Howard

DIRECTOR

Caroline Lindy US 2024 103 min

WEST COAST PREMIERE IN PERSON

Kayla Foster

SECTION US CINEMA

INITIATIVE MIND THE GAP

STRAND LAUGH

Saturday, October 5 . 8:00pm . Lark

Sunday, October 6 . 3:00pm . Sequoia

ZURAWSKI V TEXAS

This urgent documentary reveals the devastation inflicted on pregnant Texans, effectively barred from emergency obstetric care, due to the state’s draconian post-Roe abortion ban. Women push back, giving their suffering purpose by engaging in an epic legal battle with the state, With a maternal instinct to protect others, the three phenomenal women profiled in this indelible film share harrowing stories of loss and survival. The plaintiffs unite as they heal and move forward in their unique mothering journeys, while their attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights challenges the Texas Supreme Court to clarify medical exemptions that allow patients and their doctors to make informed choices based on medicine, not fear of retaliation. A blend of verité scenes and courtroom footage underline the high stakes involved, especially for poor women. The movement for reproductive justice for all is gaining momentum, and these lawsuits are just the beginning. —Carol

Harada

Tuesday, October 8 . 7:15pm . Sequoia

Thursday, October 10 . 4:00pm . Rafael

DIRECTORS

Maisie Crow

Abbie Perrault

US 2024 90 min

CALIFORNIA PREMIERE IN PERSON

Maisie Crow

Amanda Zurawski

Abbie Perrault

Guest Moderator: Jennifer Siebel Newsom

SECTION DOCS

INITIATIVE ACTIVE CINEMA MIND THE GAP STRAND TRAILBLAZERS

SATURDAY OCT 5

SUNDAY OCT 6

MONDAY OCT 7

TUESDAY OCT 8

WEDNESDAY OCT 9

THURSDAY OCT 10

FRIDAY OCT 11

SATURDAY OCT 12

SUNDAY OCT 13

PLEASE

Times, dates, and venues subject to change or adjustments. Consult mvff.com for up-to-the-minute information.

WORLD CINEMA

Stories from six continents that foster a new understanding of our global neighbors and ourselves

Sponsored by JIM BOYCE TRUST and KRIS OTIS

US CINEMA

A showcase of new films by master and emerging American film- makers who share a talent for independent storytelling

DOCS

FAMILY FILMS

Sponsored by + NANCY P. and RICHARD K. ROBBINS FAMILY FOUNDATION

The latest in non-fiction filmmaking, from heartfelt stories of activism to historical profiles, current events, and more

Sponsored by + NANCY P. and RICHARD K. ROBBINS FAMILY FOUNDATION

A sampling of stories, cultures, and adventures for new generations and old that inspire and nurture a love of film

Sponsored by

SHORTS

Collections of short cinematic gems from every genre including narratives, documentaries, animation, family films, and youth works

INITIATIVES

Film has the power to inspire and activate. MVFF Initiatives are a call to action through screenings, panels, partnerships, masterclasses, and mentorship opportunities.

MIND THE GAP

A platform for inclusion and equity, committed to helping marginalized filmmakers break through the gatekeeping that has long made the industry exclusionary and help undo a harmful history of defaults

Sponsored by CHRISTINE A. SCHANTZ

¡VIVA EL CINE!

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

Sponsored by DANIEL KENYON and MICHELLE MARCHETTA KENYON

Support provided by CONSULATE GENERAL OF BRAZIL

ACTIVE CINEMA

A forum for films united in their commitment to explore the world and its issues, engage audiences, and transform ideas into action

ZURAWSKI V TEXAS MILONGA

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.

AMERICAN CATS: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY BORDERLAND: THE LAND WITHIN BRING THEM HOME/AISKÓTÁHKAPIYAAYA HOMEGROWN INTO THE HEART OF THE MOUNTAIN

MOLLIE'S PACK

OCEANIA: JOURNEY TO THE CENTER STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS

ZURAWSKI V TEXAS

ACTIVE CINEMA HIKE: NETWORKING IN NATURE

Saturday Oct 12, 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.

VIVA EL CINE!

!Viva el Cine! celebrates the richness of Ibero-American cinema, encompassing films in Spanish and Portuguese languages and Latinx and Latin American cinema from around the world. Our initiative curates a selection of films that resonate deeply with these communities, bringing the finest international and independent films to the screen. We create a space through cinema where history, culture, and identity come alive.

!Viva el Cine celebra la riqueza del cine iberoamericano, abarcando películas en español y portugués, así como el cine latino y latinoamericano de todo el mundo. Nuestra iniciativa selecciona cuidadosamente una colección de películas que resuenan profundamente con estas comunidades, trayendo a la pantalla lo mejor del cine internacional e independiente. Creamos un espacio a través del cine donde la historia, la cultura y la identidad cobran vida.

Features

BORDERLAND: THE LINE WITHIN (US)

CHEECH & CHONG’S LAST MOVIE (US)

EMILIA PÉREZ (France, Mexico)

I’M STILL HERE (AINDA ESTOU AQUI) (Brazil, France)

JESSZILLA (US)

MALU (Brazil)

MILONGA (Uruguay, Argentina)

MISTURA (Peru)

PIMPINERO: BLOOD AND OIL (Columbia)

THE ROOM NEXT DOOR (Spain)

QUEENS (REINAS) (Peru, Switzerland)

Shorts

LUNAR POWER (US)

THE CROW AND THE SQUIRREL (US)

NOT MY NAME (NO ES MI NOMBRE) (Colombia)

Support provided by CONSULATE GENERAL OF BRAZIL and

DANIEL KENYON and MICHELLE MARCHETTA KENYON

QUEENS

MALU

STRANDS

CREATE

Art. Dance. Music. Theater. Creative minds.

DAHOMEY

EXHIBITING FORGIVENESS

GLORIA!

GRIFFIN IN SUMMER

LOST IN TIME: DRUID HEIGHTS

SECRET MALL APARTMENT

THE TRUE STORY OF TAMARA DE LEMPICKA & THE ART OF SURVIVAL

GROW

Ecology. Geography. Environment. The human relationship with the natural world

BRING THEM HOME / AISKÓTÁHKAPIYAAYA

HOLY COW

OCEANIA: JOURNEY TO THE CENTER STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS

HEART

Love. Like. Lust. Passion. Romance.

AMERICAN CATS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE CUDDLY BILLY PRESTON: THAT'S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT

BOB TREVINO LIKES IT

HOLY COW

JESSZILLA

MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE

QUEENS (REINAS)

SHORTS: TIME TO COME HOME

LAUGH

Humor. Wit. Satire. Irony.

Comedy. From LOL to WTF.

AMERICAN CATS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE CUDDLY THE BLACK SEA

CHEECH & CHONG'S LAST MOVIE

SACRAMENTO

SHORTS: SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS

A TRAVELER'S NEEDS

TUMMY TOM AND THE LOST TEDDY BEAR YOUR MONSTER

THE TRUE STORY OF TAMARA DE LEMPICKA HOLY COW

SPIRIT

Body. Soul. The wholeness of being human.

ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT BRIEF HISTORY OF A FAMILY CHAPERONE

EASTERN WESTERN FAMILIAR TOUCH

GOOD MEN

INEDIA

MALU

STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS WINDCATCHER

TRAILBLAZERS

Portraits of courage, vision, talent, and guts.

BORDERLAND: THE LINE WITHIN DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL, THE I'M STILL HERE

JESSZILLA

MOLLIE'S PACK

OUT OF MY MIND

WAVES

ZURAWSKI V TEXAS

MIND THE GAP

As the world around us shifts in new and unexpected ways, we look to cinema and its makers to tell the stories of our time. Mind the Gap continues to proudly champion the bold female and nonbinary filmmakers telling these stories. Their clarity of vision empowers us, and their audacious work helps us find our way forward. This year, our program features a wave of exceptional emerging talent shaping the future of film and our collective imagination. We hope our screenings and conversations inspire you, and look forward to seeing you at the festival.

MIND THE GAP DAY

Saturday, October 5, 9:00am-10:00pm

Outdoor Art Club, Sequoia Cinema, Smith Rafael Film Center

Join us as we celebrate the incredible work of female and nonbinary filmmakers from around the world! Mind the Gap Day is a celebration of their filmmaking and creativity through a series of curated events. Attendees are invited to immerse themselves in a diverse lineup of programming, including films, conversations, and activities centering female and nonbinary voices in the industry. The day’s festivities include a summit and networking lunch, film screenings, access to the filmmaker lounge, and a happy hour. This event is a space for the local and film communities to come together, engage with Mind the Gap and the Mill Valley Film Festival, and forge meaningful relationships to advance our mission of gender equity in the industry.

MIND THE GAP SUMMIT

Saturday, October 5, 9:00am-12:30pm Outdoor Art Club, Redwood Grove | Free Ticket required The Mind the Gap Summit is a half-day intensive session featuring presentations, discussions, and master classes led by an extraordinary line-up of creatives and thought leaders. Following the summit, attendees are invited to a networking luncheon on site providing an opportunity to connect with each other, share insights, and celebrate the

power of community. The Summit and Networking Lunch are a highlight of Mind the Gap Day.

KEYNOTE CONVERSATION with RACHEL MORRISON

Outdoor Art Club, Redwood Grove

Director, cinematographer and Mind the Gap honoree Rachel Morrison will open this year's Summit in a special keynote address.

Rachel Morrison has long been a source of inspiration as one of the rare women to make and maintain a distinguished career as a cinematographer. With iconic films like Fruitvale Station, Mudbound (MVFF40), and Black Panther, she has made a significant contribution to recent cinema. This year, she adds to an already notable career as she makes her directorial debut with The Fire Inside, to be released in December.

FAMILIAR TOUCH: THE CREATIVE PROCESS

Outdoor Art Club, Redwood Grove

Sarah Friedland’s debut feature film, Familiar Touch, is a beautiful, poignant story about a woman who “comes of old age” as she adjusts to her new life in a retirement home. This conversation will explore the film’s creation, Sarah’s artistic process, and filmmaking as a space for community and connection.

Sarah Friedland, Familiar Touch

Moderator | Osinachi Ibe, Programmer & Mind the Gap Manager

MIND THE GAP DIRECTORS FORUM

Outdoor Art Club, Redwood Grove

Creative collaboration can drive the art of filmmaking: but who are key collaborators and allies, especially for a first-time narrative filmmaker? Unpacking this and more, a panel of up and coming filmmakers will share insights, experiences and inspirations from

working on their debut features.

Invited Guests: Liz Cairns, Inedia; Biliana Grozdanova and Marina Grozdanova, Eastern Western; Alex Hedison, Alok

Moderator: Zoë Elton, MVFF and Mind The Gap Director of Programming

IMAGES ON SCREEN

Outdoor Art Club, Redwood Grove

The images we see onscreen can influence our attitudes about each other, can inspire identification and recognition of who we are, can provide role models. A group of creatives look at the way women and non-binary characters are represented on screen, and the importance of those images in our lives.

Invited Guests: Natalie Morales and Sonequa Martin-Green, My Dead Friend Zoe; (More panelists to be announced.)

Moderator | TBA

MIND THE GAP AWARD PRESENTATION to RACHEL MORRISON

Outdoor Art Club, Redwood Grove

A celebration of the work of cinematographer and director Rachel Morrison, recipient of the Mind the Gap Award.

MIND THE GAP DAY NETWORKING LUNCH

Outdoor Art Club, Front Patio, 12:35pm $30.00 or complementary w/ MTG Day Pass

Following the summit, attendees are invited to a networking luncheon providing an opportunity to connect with each other, share insights, and celebrate the power of community.

BAY AREA COMMUNITY MIXER: THE FUTURE OF FILMMAKING IN THE BAY AREA

Outdoor Art Club, October 12, 4:00-6:00pm Free, Ticket

Join us for an evening of connection and conversation with filmmakers and film lovers from across the Bay Area! Whether you’re here to reconnect or make new contacts, this is the place to be. The mixer will kick off with a dynamic panel discussion about the future of filmmaking in the Bay Area, the recently passed Oakland Film Rebate, and how the community can support the current Bay Area film movement. Afterwards, attendees are invited to enjoy a happy hour, network with fellow creatives, and catch exciting updates from local film organizations. If you’re a filmmaker, part of a film company, or simply passionate about film, don’t miss this chance to be part of the Bay Area’s vibrant film scene!

Presented by Mill Valley Film Festival, BAVC Media, Cinemama, and #MakeItBay

Panelists: Bianca Beyrouti, Independent Filmmaker & Produce; Bianca Beyrouti (she/they) is a seasoned Bay Area born-and-bred independent filmmaker and producer with a decade’s worth of experience across narrative and documentary formats. Her notable narrative producing credits include the dramatic feature Bring Me an Avocado and the comedic short La Macana (streaming on Tubi and HBO Max, respectively). Her documentary producing portfolio includes commissioned client work with Actual Films as well as the award-winning series Independent Lens, the latter for which she helped package over 100 features as well as the acclaimed docuseries Philly D.A. for PBS broadcast. She is currently producing the ITVSsupported documentary hybrid short Harvest Party at Camp Two. Her films have screened at numerous festivals throughout the U.S. and she has served as a panelist, juror and reviewer for organizations like BAVC Media, Frameline, New Orleans Film Society, Creative

MIND THE GAP

Capital and Chicken & Egg. She is also a Board member for the Arab Film and Media Institute (AFMI), one of the founding organizers of the Bay Area Media Makers Summit (BAMMS) and a member of Brown Girls Doc Mafia (BGDM).

Niema Jordan, Award Winning Filmmaker, Writer and Speaker & Co-Director of Cinemama. Niema Jordan is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and speaker from Oakland, CA, with a passion for telling character-driven stories. Niema began her career in New York’s media scene, starting at Essence, before returning to the Bay Area to earn graduate degrees in journalism and public health. Her work has been featured in leading publications like Ebony and Glamour, and her production credits include Oasis, The Chosen Life, Bobby Kennedy for President, The Me You Can’t See, Eyes On The Prize: Hallowed Ground, and Bree Wayy: Promise, Witness, Remembrance.

She is the founder of Marie Media and Consulting and co-director of Cinemamama, an Oakland-based nonprofit supporting the local film community. She holds degrees from Northwestern University and UC Berkeley, is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and serves on the Board of Directors for Oakland Kids First.

Grace Porras, Emmy Winning Producer, Co Director #MakeItBay. Grace Porras is an Emmy award-winning TV producer hailing from Hayward, CA, with a diverse career across three major media markets: New York, Los Angeles, and now Oakland. With a proven track record of excellence, Grace most recently served as Head of Production at Who Knows Best, the production company led by W. Kamau Bell, where she played a pivotal role in launching the East Bay Film Collective. As the inaugural Co Director of the #MakeItBay initiative, Grace is at the forefront of revitalizing the East Bay film industry. Her deep belief in the strength of community has been central to her journey, and she credits The Bay as the foundation for her career successes.

Dawn Valadez, Filmmaker & Director of Youth & Artist Development at BAVC Media. Dawn Valadez is a secondgeneration Xicana, fiercely independent, queer filmmaker,

artist, and resource wrangler. Along with her Co-Director Rodrigo Reyes their film Untitled Lorena (in production) won the 2024 DocLands Jury Prize for their recorded pitch. Dawn is the Producer/Co-director of The Pushouts (with Katie Galloway, 2018), earning the 2019 Imagen Best Documentary award. Working as a producer/co-producer on films such as Vivien’s Wild Ride (Hillgrove, in production), All We Carry (Voge, 2024), Hummingbirds (Castaños & Contreras, 2023), and Manzanar, Diverted (Kaneko, 2021), she supports filmmakers nationwide. Her work has received support from the Ford Foundation/Just Films, Sundance/SKOLL Stories of Change Fund, Tribeca All Access, Catapult, California Humanities, the Rainin Foundation, and many others. Dawn is the treasurer of the International Access Consortium - an organization dedicated to supporting disabled filmmakers from around the world. She is also a board member of the Berkeley Film Foundation - supporting local filmmakers in fiction and nonfiction.

Dawn is stepping into creative and consulting producing of fiction films including a queer rom-com, a campy horror film, and a family road trip adventure. Dawn D. Valadez is the Director of Youth & Artist Development at BAVC Media. She is responsible for the youth programs in San Francisco and the East Bay including Reel Stories. Dawn co-directs national artistic programming such as the Media Maker Fellowship.

Moderator | Osinachi Ibe, Programmer & Mind the Gap Manager

MIND THE GAP DAY HAPPY HOUR

Outdoor Art Club, Redwood Grove, 4:00-6:00pm | Free, Ticket required. Cash bar for Summit attendees w/o badge; Free w/ badge or MTG Day Pass

Mind the Gap Day participants will settle in for drinks, appetizers, and good conversation with fellow participants, filmmakers, and other guests attending the festival.

MIND THE GAP DAY SCREENINGS

Oceania: Journey to the Center (dir. Natalie Zimmerman) 1:00pm | Mill Valley, Sequoia Cinema

Inedia (dir. Liz Cairns)

2:00pm | Mill Valley, Sequoia Cinema

The Black Sea (dir. Crystal Moselle, Derrick B. Harden)

4:00pm | San Rafael, Smith Rafael Film Center

Bob Trevino Likes It (dir. Tracie Laymon)

5:00pm | Mill Valley, Sequoia Cinema

Eastern Western (dir. Biliana Grozdanova, Marina Grozdanova)

7:30pm | San Rafael, Smith Rafael Film Center

Your Monster (dir. Caroline Lindy)

8:00pm | Larkspur, The Lark Theater

MIND THE GAP PROGRAMMING THROUGHOUT MVFF47

THE NEXT WAVE: MIND THE GAP FILMMAKER ROUNDTABLE

Monday, October 7, 4:00-5:00pm

Outdoor Art Club | Free for badgeholders

Free, Ticket required admission.

Cash bar for non-badgeholders

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

Kelsey Taylor, To Kill A Wolf ; Zoe Eisenberg, Chaperone; Biliana Grozdanova and Marina Grozdanova, Eastern Western; Kelsey Taylor, To Kill A Wolf ; Moderator | Osinachi Ibe, Programmer and Mind the Gap Manager

MIND THE GAP AWARDS

This year, filmmaker Payal Kapadia, All We Imagine As Light and director and cinematographer Rachel Morrison will receive the Mind the Gap Award. This award honors those whose work has helped close the gender gap in the film industry and in our lives through their art and advocacy. With it, we celebrate groundbreaking achievements and the recipients’ importance as role models.

MIND THE GAP CREATION PRIZE

The Mind the Gap Creation Prize is given to a featurelength narrative or documentary film directed by a first- or second-time female filmmaker. The award recognizes exciting new voices in cinema that demonstrate creativity of vision and exceptional use of the film medium. The Creation Prize recipient is selected by a jury made up of key Mind the Gap supporters and film industry members. The director of the winning film receives a $10,000 grant that can be used at their discretion.

2024 Finalists: Liz Cairns, Inedia; Sarah Friedland, Familiar Touch; Kelsey Taylor, To Kill A Wolf

2024 Jury: Rivkah Beth Medow, Director & Producer; Betsy Tsai, Director & Producer; Christine Schantz, Mind the Gap Executive Advisor & Creation Prize Underwriter

Mind the Gap sponsored by CHRISTINE A. SCHANTZ

Mind the Gap Summit sponsored by EGIDE FAMILY FOUNDATION

DANIEL KENYON and MICHELLE MARCHETTA KENYON PERCEPTION GRID

BEHIND THE SCREENS

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

AUDIENCE ENTHUSIASM ENERGIZES

A RESURGENT INDEPENDENT FILM WORLD

Saturday, October 12, 11:30am | OAC | Free (ticketed)

At a recent online gathering supported by the Film Festival Alliance, the enthusiasm was palpable among nearly 60 attendees during their biweekly Zoom meeting.

The data clearly indicates a resurgence in the independent film industry, both in festivals and theatrical presentations. While there is still some cause for concern as the world continues to recover from the lingering effects of COVID, there is renewed optimism.

One undeniable aspect in all of this is the dedication to promoting what I refer to as Cinema of Merit and ensuring its ongoing viability. The passion exhibited by filmmakers, actors, executives—spanning from seasoned professionals to emerging talents—is truly motivating.

The key missing element, the secret ingredient in this concoction, is the audience: you, the public, who support the films showcased at the Mill Valley Film Festival, the Smith Rafael Film Center, and the Sequoia Cinema. Your involvement (and feedback) is crucial for the success and sustainability of this cinematic art form. Your opinions are vital to the industry. What works for you? What inspires you to make the investment in time and money in the theatrical film experience?

Join our panel of industry experts who collaborate with filmmakers, exhibitors, distributors, and technical professionals to ensure that the films we cherish— including documentaries, American independent

productions, and world cinema—not only survive but thrive well into the 21st century and beyond.

Invited guests: Producer Albert Berger (Election, Cold Mountain, Little Miss Sunshine, Nebraska); Director Jalena Keane-Lee, Standing Above the Clouds; Director. Peter Baxter, Co-Founder, Slamdance. Moderator: Mark Fishkin, California Film Institute Executive Director

THE FUTURE OF ENTERTAINMENT: SYNERGY OF TECHNOLOGY AND STORYTELLING

Saturday, October 12 | 1:30 | OAC | Free (ticketed)

Join us to explore how emerging technologies are transforming storytelling across film, television, experiential entertainment, and more. This panel will discuss the diverse perspectives — academic, technological, and creative shaping the future of narrative experiences, and give a real behind-thescenes look at how creative teams work to combine technology with story on major films.

Sponsored by

ACTIVE CINEMA HIKE: NETWORKING IN NATURE

Saturday Oct 12, 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.

EDUCATION

CAFILM Education has offered free education programs to Bay Area schools for more than 30 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 throughout 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 brings 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 cafilmedu.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 | Destino Fund

Photo: Tommy Lau

FAMILY FILMS

MVFF Family Films are for kids and folks of all ages who enjoy a great story and often a good laugh. Our selection this year has something for everyone!

JESSZILLA (Age 11+)

OUT OF MY MIND (Age 11+)

Q&A with director Amber Sealey after 10/6 screening

SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS (Age 7+)

Q&A with filmmakers after both screenings

SHORTS: YOUTH WORKS (Age 13+)

Q&A with local youth filmmakers and our Young Curators

THELMA’S PERFECT BIRTHDAY (Age 5+)

TUMMY TOM AND THE LOST TEDDY BEAR (Age 5+)

Q&A with co-director Erik Verkerk and other special guests

WINDCATCHER (Age 9+)

There are many more hidden gems in the Festival program for families to view together. Here are just a few to get you started:

AMERICAN CATS; THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE CUDDLY (14+)

THE BOOK OF JOBS (14+)

BRING THEM HOME/AISKÓTÁHKAPLYAAYA (15+)

CHECKPOINT ZOO (16+)

GRIFFIN IN SUMMER (16+)

INTO THE HEART OF THE MOUNTAIN (14+)

MEMOIR OF A SNAIL (14+)

MOLLIE’S PACK (14+)

OCEANIA: JOURNEY TO THE CENTER (14+)

QUEENS (REINAS) (14+):

STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS (14+)

Sponsored by

With CAFILM membership every night is an

Occasion

The California Film Institute relies on the support of our wonderful members to produce the Mill Valley Film Festival, show amazing films year-round at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center and Sequoia Cinema, 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 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

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

CINEMA BENEFACTOR Get behind-thescenes 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 VISIT CAFILM.ORG/MEMBERSHIP

DONOR CIRCLE

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.

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

CAFILM DONOR CIRCLE

The following donors help 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 an impact nationwide. Thank you to our Donor Circle supporters!

LEADERSHIP

CHRIS and JEANNIE SMITH

VICKIE SOULIER

JENNIFER COSLETT M ac CREADY

NANCY P. and RICHARD K. ROBBINS FAMILY FOUNDATION

DANIEL KENYON and MICHELLE MARCHETTA KENYON

INVESTOR

J IM BOYCE TRUST and KRIS OTIS

DESTINO FUND

GRUBER FAMILY FOUNDATION

GORDON RADLEY

MOBLEY FAMILY FUND

MAGGIE O'DONNELL and JOSH FLOUM

JONATHAN and DEBORAH PARKER

GORDON RADLEY

CHRISTINE A. SCHANTZ

MICHAEL and SUSAN SCHWARTZ FUND

HENRY O. TIMNICK

PLATINUM

KEN and JACKIE BROAD FAMILY FUND

BLAIRE and BENNO DORER FOUNDATION

KAMALA GEROUX-BERRY and DAVID BERRY

KHR McNEELY FAMILY FUND

JAMES MOCHIZUKI of FRIENDS PRODUCTIONS

SILVER

NANCY ABODEELY

BAKER SISTERS FAMILY FUND

JEAN BOLTE and CARL FREDERICK

ALICE CORNING

SUZETTE DEVOGELAERE

STEPHANIE DIMARCO

GRISWOLD FAMILY FUND, BOB and ALEX GRISWOLD

MAUREEN GROPER

MARGARET HAAS

TOM and BARBARA HARRISON

ANDREE and JOHN JANSHESKI

WILLA JEFFERSON-STOKES

K.C. and STEVE LAUCK

JANICE and JESSICA LINK

JACQUI LOPEZ

KENNETH and VERA MEISLIN

HARRISON MILLER

STEPHEN and MARY MIZROCH

ALEXANDER NOURAFSHAN

CATHY and ROBERT NOURAFSHAN

CONSTANCE OCLASSEN

DEBORAH and PAUL SAGUES

SUSIE SARLO

ERIC SCHWARTZ and MAGDA WESSLUND

MONA STEINBERG

LIVIA STONE

PATRICIA TANOURY

PAUL ZAENTZ

BRONZE

VICKI ABELES

MIRIAM ATTIES

JANE BAY

THE NEWTON and ROCHELLE BECKER

CHARITABLE TRUST | ANN PECKENPAUGH BECKER and DAVID BECKER

SUSAN and WILLIAM BEECH

CHINA and BRUCE BOTSFORD

INEZ BROOKS-MYERS

JOE and SUE CARLOMAGNO

JEANNE CAHILL

KEVIN and CHRISTINE CHESSEN

JOY CHIK and TOM LARSON

TOM COHEN and

KRISTI DENTON COHEN

CHRISTINA COOK

DRUSIE and JIM DAVIS

BRONYA FELDMAN

DENNIS P. FISCO and PAMELA POLITE FISCO

CATHERINE and PETER FLAXMAN

BARBARA GALYEN

RICHARD J. IDELL and SUSAN KORNBLATT IDELL

JODIE SILBERMAN and DONNA ISRASKLY FUND

ELISABETH and HOWARD JAFFE

LETTY LEDBETTER

RAY and CARLA KALISKI

JOE KEON

PEGGY KEON

AMY KEROES

KRISTINE KLUSSMAN

THOMAS KOEGEL

SANDRA KURTZIG

CAROLINE LABE

TESS M c CAMY-MILLER

CINDY and JOHN M c CAULEY

CATHERINE and TED McKOWN

ROSEMARY and KEVIN M c NEELY

CAROL and EZRA MERSEY

ROBERTA O’NEALE

LORNE and ILONA PARKER

JASON and CHERITY PAYNE

DENNIS and PAM POLITE FISCO

DR. SANFORD ROSENBERG and MEDIA RESEARCH ASSOCIATES

STEVE RIFFKIN

SUSAN and JOEL SKLAR

ELLIOTT and SHAYNA STEIN

MEL and PATRICIA ZIEGLER

MAJOR FOUNDATION SUPPORT

THE BERNARD OSHER FOUNDATION

EMA FOUNDATION

FENWICK FOUNDATION

HELLMAN FOUNDATION

MARIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

THE MIRANDA LUX FOUNDATION

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT for the ARTS

SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER DONORS

The following donors supported the capital campaign to renovate the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center to become a state-of-the-art, three-screen theater that showcases diverse and thought-provoking, independent US and world cinema, foreign-language films, documentaries, youth education programs, and special community events with filmmaker guests. Thank you to our Smith Rafael Film Center Capital Campaign supporters!

DIRECTORS CHAIR

CHRISTOPHER B. SMITH

JENNIFER COSLETT MACCREADY

HENRY TIMNICK

DISTINGUISHED BENEFACTOR

MARIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

SAN RAFAEL REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY

BENEFACTOR

MARCIA LUCAS

LUCASFILM LTD

PACIFIC THEATRES CORPORATION

PATRON

MARGARET E. HAAS

HENSEL PHELPS CONSTRUCTION CO

KATZ FAMILY FOUNDATION

CONTRIBUTOR

BELLEBYRON FOUNDATION

ED and SUSAN LOWE

THE BERNARD OSHER FOUNDATION

MEL and LOIS TUKMAN

DOLBY LABORATORIESS

SUPPORTER

BANK OF MARIN

THE FRED GELLERT FAMILY FOUNDATION

GRUBER FAMILY FOUNDATION

DON and DONNA KELLEHER

MARIN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

MICHAEL and SUSAN SCHWARTZ

KEN and JACKIE BROAD FAMILY FUND

FRIEND

AUTODESK, INC

BANK OF AMERICA FOUNDATION

BLOCKBUSTER, INC

DOUG CARLSTON and TOMI PIERCE

MARK CAZENAVE II

TOM and DIANE DURST

SUNITA DUTT

CHINOOK RESTAURANT

LEONARD and ROBIN EBER

DOUG and JANE FERGUSON

HAMBRECHT and QUIST

THE HAYDON FAMILY IL DAVIDE RESTAURANT

DAN HELLER

GERALD G. HOYTT

NANCY K. HUDSON

J. PATRICK and IRENE M. HUNT

MICHAEL and ROXANNE KLEIN

ELLEN JANE KUTTEN

KATHRYN E. JOHNSON and PETER CULVER

K.C. and STEVE LAUCK

BARBARA BROWN LEIBERT

LUTHER BURBANK SAVINGS

MARIN AIRPORTER

NORTHERN TRUST

PACIFIC TELESIS

JOSEPH and EDA PELL

PINEWOOD FOUNDATION

THE EGAN FAMILY RAFAEL CONVALESCENT HOSPITAL

PHILIP A. SCHAEFER

JIN and LINDA ZIDELL

SUSAN and RICHARD IDELL

JOHN and BETH ALLEN

ANDREW and KATHLEEN VARLOW

NANCY and RICH ROBBINS

MACQUARIE GROUP FOUNDATION

CARLA EMIL and RICH SILVERSTEIN

PETER and CATHERINE FLAXMAN

ERIC A. SCHWARTZ

BILL and MARY POLAND

SEQUOIA CINEMA

FRIENDS

JACLYN J. and KENNETH F. BROAD

JOSH and STEPHANIE FELSER

JANE and DOUGLAS FERGUSON

RICHARD and SUSAN IDELL

KATZ FAMILY FOUNDATION

JENNIFER COSLETT M ac CREADY

NANCY and RICH ROBBINS

DANIEL L. SCHER

SCOTT/FERGUSON TRUST

CHRISTOPHER B. and JEANNIE MEG SMITH

DONORS

KEN BROAD

LYNN HALE

RICHARD and SUSAN IDELL

DANIEL and MICHELLE KENYON

AMY KEROES and JEFF FISHER

MAIDA LYNN

JENNIFER COSLETT M ac CREADY

KURT and TAMRA MOBLEY

JANN MOORHEAD

CATHY and ROB NOURAFSHAN

MAGGIE O’DONNELL and JOSH FLOUM

JONATHAN and DEBORAH PARKER

RICH ROBBINS

SUSAN and MICHAEL SCHWARTZ

DR. JOEL SKLAR and SUSAN SKLAR

STEVE and SUE WEINSWIG

SPONSORS

SPONSOR OF CAFILM EDUCATION WELLNESS INITIATIVE

OFFICIAL HOTEL of CAFILM

OFFICIAL AIRLINE OF CAFILM

VAN and LYDIA MAROEVICH

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT

CHRISTINE A. SCHANTZ

CHRISTOPHER and JEANNIE SMITH

DANIEL KENYON and MICHELLE MARCHETTA KENYON

DESTINO FUND

GORDON RADLEY

HENRY TIMNICK

JENNIFER COSLETT Mac CREADY

JIM BOYCE TRUST and KRIS OTIS

KURT MOBLEY

MICHAEL and SUSAN SCHWARTZ

NANCY P. and RICHARD K. ROBBINS FAMILY FOUNDATION

RESONANCE PHILANTHROPIES (SHERI SOBRATO)

STACEY EGIDE

VICKIE SOULIER

SPONSORS

GRUBER FAMILY FOUNDATION

HELLMAN FOUNDATION

COMMUNITY CIRCLE

NANCY P. and RICHARD K. ROBBINS FAMILY FOUNDATION

MVFF FRENCH CINEMA SPONSOR

MAJOR MEDIA

HOTEL PARTNERS

San Rafael Marin County

SPONSORS

BARBRO OSHER PRO SUECIA FOUNDATION

CONSULATE GENERAL OF BRAZIL

SPECIAL SUPPORT

CONSULATE GENERAL OF FRANCE IN SAN FRANCISCO

CONSULATE GENERAL OF SWITZERLAND IN SAN FRANCISCO

CONSULATE GENERAL OF SWEDEN IN SAN FRANCISCO

ISTITUTO ITALIANO CULTURA SF

OFFICIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS

CREATIVE PARTNERS

PROMOTIONAL PARTNERS

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

7X7

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

SAN FRANCISCO

ASIAN AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MARIN

ASIAN ART MUSEUM

BIRD RESCUE CENTER

BUDDHIST FILM FOUNDATION

CANAL ALLIANCE

FILM FATALES

FRAMELINE FILM FESTIVAL

LA RAZA COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER

MARIN WOMEN’S POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE

THE MEXICAN MUSEUM

MILL VALLEY PUBLIC LIBRARY

RED DEVIL RECORDS

SOUTHERN DOCUMENTARY FUND

VILLA ALBERTINE

WOMEN IN FILM – SF BAY AREA

EVENTS PARTNERS SPONSORS

A FORK FULL OF EARTH

BARTENDERS UNLIMITED

BELLY DELI

BOB'S DONUTS

CASABLANCA MOROCCAN and MEDITERRANEAN FOOD TRUCK

CASA MANANA

COPPERFIELDS BOOKS

CRACKERJACK DJS

CREEKSIDE PIZZA & TAPROOM

EL HUARACHE LOCO

ELKS LODGE SAN RAFAEL

EO PRODUCTS

FAIRYTALE BROWNIES

FEVER TREE

FRANCIS FORD

COPPOLA WINERY

GALLO WINE

GOOD EARTH

NATURAL FOODS

GREEN MARY

ILLUMINATE EVENTS

JAM BARS

LAGUNITAS BEER

LILAC & LIME

LITTLE LOUIE'S

CAFE & CATERING

LOS MOLES

LOVESKI DELI MAKE IT HOME

MARIN EVENT LIGHTING

OLLIE'S ARTISAN PIZZA

PIAZZA D'ANGELO

SCHRAMSBERG

SPRARKLING WINE

SEAGER GRAY GALLERY

STATE ROOM

SOUVLA

VIN ANTICO

WEST END NURSERY

YET WAH

EXECUTIVE

MARK FISHKIN

MVFF Founder + Director

CAFILM Executive Director + Founder

DANE CALLIHAN

Deputy Director

JULIE RAMOS

Executive Assistant

DEVELOPMENT

LIANA BENDER

Chief Development Officer

BEAU BLANCHARD

Associate Director of Institutional Giving

MAUREEN GALLIANI

Major Donor Stewardship Manager

CHRISTINE FUJIKI

Development Operations and Communications Manager

DERRICK DOVER

Development Relationship Manager

CHRISTINE HARVEY

Development Database Manager

ALIX ASKER

Patron Support Associate

JAMES FAHEY

Development Associate

LIZ SCHOENFELD

Sponsorship Assistant

FINANCE

JIM MEYERING

Finance Manager

SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER + SEQUOIA CINEMA

DAN ZASTROW

General Manager

NORMAN MELLO

IT Manager

GRIFFIN COUILLARD

Assistant Manager

PROGRAMMING

ZOË ELTON

Director of Programming

STERLING HEDGPETH

Programming Manager + Shorts Programmer

JOÃO FEDERICI

Senior Programmer: World Cinema + ¡Viva el cine! Manager

BRI’ANNA MOORE

Programmer + Programming Associate

KELLY CLEMENT

Senior Programmer, Documentaries

KAREN DAVIS

Emeritus Senior Programmer, Family Films

MARIBEL GUEVARA

Active Cinema Manager

OSINACHI IBE

Programmer + Mind the Gap Manager

KATELYN HOWARD

Programming + Panels Coordinator

MARCUS PUN

Clips Editor

CAFILM EDUCATION

ANGELA COLABELLA

Director of Education

DIANA SÁNCHEZ MACIEL

Education Program Manager

JEANNE MAGGI

Curriculum Developer

DIEGO BORBA

Curriculum Support

MARIA JANELLI

Ed Tech Consultant

OPERATIONS

JULIET POKORNY

General Manager, MVFF Operations

RINA Z. NEIMAN

Guest Services Manager

SAOIRSE JOHNSTON-DICK

Guest Services Coordinator

KRIS FLEMING

Guest Services Coordinator

NORMAN MELLO

IT Manager

GEOFF ALLEN

Badge Manager / Line Manager

JACQUELINE CARLSON

Theater Operations Coordinator

JOHANNA JENNEMAN

Box Office Manager

SAOIRSE KEOGH

Assistant Box Office Manager

JOHANNA WONG

Box Officer

JILLIAN MUNYON

Box Officer

JACOB J. RODRIGUEZ

Volunteer Manager

DAN ZASTROW

Technical Director

KARYN BARNETT

Theater Operations Manager

JESSE DUBUS

Exhibition Media Manager

PAUL HEGARTY

Production Manager

ANTHONY DOYLE

Production Assistant

PAUL KELLOGG

Production Assistant

COLA ENGEL

House Manager

PARTICK FRY

House Manager

MICHAEL KIRBY

House Manager

JON OLSEN

House Manager

KARL HERRERA

House Manager

NAT REESE

House Manager

COURNEY BAKER

House Manager

SAMI CHAN

House Manager

VERONICA JACQUES

House Manager

DANIEL FEDER-JOHNSON

Line Manager

RYAN COLEGROVE

Line Manager

DARWIN SAQUILAYAN

Line Manager

MAIA PEAY

Line Manager

CHLOEY GARZA

Line Manager

CASEY HERMANN

Line Manager

EVENTS

YVONNE FOX

Senior Event Producer

MIMI CUNNINGHAM

Opening + Closing Night Manager

ANGY FONSECA

Festival Hub Manager

SARA HECKADON

Filmmaker Lounge Manager

DAMIAN BURFORD

Mill Valley Lounge Coordinator

ELLIE LEWIS

San Rafael Lounge Coordinator

EVENTS SUPPORT

MARIELL RAHMANI

Event Manager

CHRISTA GATEWOOD

Event Manager

RACHEL GOLD

Event Coordinator

RYAN KNUDSEN

Event Assistant

HUDSON HITCHCOCK

Event Assistant

MARKETING + PUBLICITY

SHELLEY SPICER

Director, Marketing + Publicity + Studio Relations

SHAYNA YASUHARA

Marketing + Audience Engagement Manager

BETTY B.

Design + Brand Manager

GÖZDA EFE

Creative Production Assistant

BRIAN LEHMAN

Publications

KATIE WOODRUFF

Community Outreach + Promotions Manager

PAM GRADY

Publications Managing Editor

WRITERS

ROD ARMSTRONG

KELLY CLEMENT

KD DAVIS

ZOË ELTON

DAVID FEAR

JOÃO FEDERICI

ISABEL FONDEVILA

MICHAEL FOX

PAM GRADY

TIM GRIERSON

CAROL HARADA

DENNIS HARVEY

ZAKI HASAN

STERLING HEDGPETH

KATELYN HOWARD

OSINACHI IBE

JORDAN KLEIN

ELLIE LEWIS

ERIN LIM

BRI’ANNA MOORE

RANDY MYERS

WILFRED OKICHE

CELIA C. PETERS

BRENDAN PETERSON

DEANNA QUINONES

DAVID RIEDEL DIANA SÁNCHEZ MACIEL

CAFILM BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

MARK FISHKIN

2023 BOARD

WELLINGTON BOWLER

CHRISTINA COOK ( Treasurer)

RICHARD J. IDELL (Secretary)

DANIEL KENYON

AMY KEROES

JACQUI LOPEZ

JENNIFER COSLETT M ac CREADY (Chair)

KURT MOBLEY

CATHY NOURAFSHAN

MAGGIE O’DONNELL (President )

JONATHAN PARKER (C o -Vice President )

SUSAN SCHWARTZ

DR. JOEL SKLAR (C o -Vice President )

ZACH ZEISLER ( Treasurer)

EMERITUS BOARD

ANN BREBNER (1923-2017)

RITA CAHILL

SID GANIS

BRUCE KATZ (1947-2022)

GARY MEYER

GORDON RADLEY

CHRISTOPHER B. SMITH

HENRY TIMNICK

FOUNDING BOARD

RITA CAHILL

MARK FISHKIN

LOIS KOHL SHORE

HONORARY ADVISORY BOARD

HONORABLE BARBARA BOXER

STEWART BOXER

DRUSIE DAVIS

JEFF FISHER

PETER FLAXMAN

ROBERT GREBER

LINDA GRUBER

PEGGY HAAS

MICHAEL KLEIN

ROXANNE KLEIN

KC LAUCK

ANDREW M c GUIRE

MARY POLAND

ERIC SCHWARTZ

MICHAEL SCHWARTZ

SKIP WHITNEY