4 Little GirlsSYNOPSIS
4 Little Girls powerfully portrays the people and events leading up to the violent bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama on September 15, 1963, that took the lives of four young Black girls.
6FT.PREMIERE DESIGNATION
United States
SYNOPSIS
6FT is a surreal fever-dream of a short film, in which an isolated creature struggles to break free from the safety and suffocation of its forced seclusion. Created as a collaboration between artists in Brooklyn and London, 6FT. is about loneliness, connection, and our separate-but-shared quarantine experiences.
A Beautiful NightmarePREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Daniel, a highly accomplished but troubled dancer, comes home from college only to find himself entangled in a psychological battle between himself and his concerned father.
Alaskan NetsPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Off the coast of Alaska lies a remote island that’s home to the Tsimshian Indians of Alaska’s last native reserve, Metlakatla. For more than a century, two sacred traditions have defined Metlakatla: fishing and basketball. In an improbable journey, two cousins lead their team and town in search of their first state championship in more than thirty years—the only thing that will bring life back to an island that has been rocked by tragedy.
Amuse BouchePREMIERE DESIGNATION
United States
SYNOPSIS
A peculiar relationship develops between a mukbang Youtuber and her entranced editor.
Annah la JavanaisePREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
In 1893, a 13-year-old girl came to work for French painter Paul Gauguin as his maid and model. They called her Annah la Javanaise. This is a reimagining of her story.
Storm LakePREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
The people of rural Storm Lake, Iowa confront a changing and precarious existence. Enter Art Cullen and his family members who deliver local news and editorials on a shoestring budget for their 3,000 readers of the Storm Lake Times. This paper offers a fighting chance for their beloved hometown, and by hook or by crook, the Cullens make the most of it. There’s simply too much at stake.
The Ants & The GrasshopperPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
WINNER
Gaia Prize for Environmental Filmmaking
SYNOPSIS
How do you change someone’s mind about the most important thing in the world? Anita Chitaya has a gift – she can help bring abundant food from dead soil, she can make men fight for gender equality, and she can end child hunger in her village. Now, to save her home from extreme weather, she faces her greatest challenge – persuading Americans that climate change is real.
An Occurrence At ArvernePREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
A man arrives at an unknown home with an unknown agenda.
At the ReadyPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
Ten miles from the Mexican border, students at Horizon High School in El Paso (many of whom are Latinx) train to become police officers and Border Patrol agents. As they discover that the realities of their dream jobs may be at odds with the truths and people they hold most dear, they grapple with their place in their communities at the intersection of identity, immigration, and personal politics.
The BadgerPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
Right before Soodeh Sharifzadegan’s second marriage, her 11-year-old son, Matiar, is kidnapped. After considerable effort, Soodeh is forced to ask for the ransom money from her ex-husband, Peyman. After Matiar’s release, Soodeh comes to the sudden realization that the entire event was her son’s plan to lay the groundwork for his father’s return.
BBQ&A With Billy DayPREMIERE DESIGNATION
World
SYNOPSIS
It’s the year 2040, just days before the US Census results come out. Billy hasn’t given the census much thought, until halfway through his call-in cooking program, a worried caller confronts him with a question he simply can’t ignore.
Best Summer EverSYNOPSIS
Sage and Anthony have had the best summer ever after falling in love at a dance camp in Vermont. Not expecting to reunite until the following summer, Sage arrives unexpectedly at Anthony’s high school. Now faced with high school cliques, an evil cheerleader, and an illegal secret keeping Sage’s family on the move, they must reevaluate their relationship as Tony struggles to be both a high school football star and the dancer he’s always wanted to be.
Burning The VillagePREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Burning The Village delicately weaves the stories of three families struggling after the births of their children. Delving beyond “baby blues,” the film illustrates the challenges sparked by new parenthood. Psychologists, authors, and educators highlight the lack of social and policy supports. Burning The Village raises awareness and offers guidance to those suffering, all in the hope of building stronger villages.
Burnt ToastPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
Galen Paul Dively III lives on a remote mountaintop in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and makes his living selling “novelty toast art”. Burnt Toast follows Galen on a day in the life and explores the evolution of his company Burnt Impressions from the Jesus Toaster to the Selfie Toaster, while he entertains a future beyond the world of toast.
Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the WatersSYNOPSIS
Beginning in 1980s New York City, this film chronicles the love story between dancers Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane, the diverse dance company they founded, and the painful devastation of AIDS on the arts community, as told through the company’s signature performance piece D-Man in the Waters.
The Celine ArchivePREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Adulteress, traitor, heroine, or prey? In 1932, Celine Navarro was buried alive by her Filipino community in Northern California. This film digs up her story. The filmmaker, a grieving mother with a long-term commitment to exploring race, gender and immigration, exhumes Celine Navarro’s story, exposing silences that haunt Filipin@x American communities today, along with Celine Navarro’s family, community members and scholars who know different details about this largely untold event in American history.
Cell 364PREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
While Germany sees itself as one of the major democratic models of government, an ex-prisoner of the Stasi, the former East Germany’s notorious secret police, delivers from his former cell a frightening testimony that questions the sustainability of our contemporary democracies.
Chinese BoxSYNOPSIS
Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons stars as John, a British journalist living in Hong Kong. John has John, a British journalist living in Hong Kong, has fallen in love with Vivian, a bartender with a jaded past. Vivian is eager to secure her position in Hong Kong society and wants her successful boyfriend Chang to marry her. When Chang proves to be indecisive about their relationship, Vivian turns to John. Starring Jeremy Irons and Gong-Li.
The Cho StoriesPREMIERE DESIGNATION
World
SYNOPSIS
A Korean American immigrant mother’s addiction shatters her family. After the mother’s unexpected death, her sister, Kyung-Hee, becomes the caregiver to the motherless children. Their father, Mr. Cho, struggling to pay back the gambling debt his wife left behind, works two jobs back to back. With barely enough money to feed his family, his problems deepen when his boss turns on him.
Cigarette GirlPREMIERE DESIGNATION
North American
SYNOPSIS
In a future society similar to ours, small things have changed: the ways we interact with each other and manage our emotions have shifted, and new jobs have emerged. Eva, the cigarette girl, meets Leo outside a pub. They sleep together and he falls for her, but Eva vanishes as swiftly as she appeared, leaving no trace behind but her cigarette pack. It soon becomes clear that things are not what they seemed at first sight.
Cirque du CambodiaPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Cirque du Cambodia is about two young Cambodians who learned about the circus at a special school program in their village. After watching a Cirque du Soleil video, they became determined to be the first from their country to take the stage with the world-famous circus company and they moved to Montreal – where Cirque du Soleil’s headquarters is located – to chase their dream.
ClearingPREMIERE DESIGNATION
World
SYNOPSIS
Waking up one morning in quiet solitude to a lush Canadian snowfall, everything seemingly pandemic feels torn apart. Flurries converge with the turmoil of motherhood, isolation, aging, identity and change. Inspired by the serendipitous elements, the dancer’s emotions and union with self becomes complicit with finding peace in challenging times.
ClownPREMIERE DESIGNATION
United States
SYNOPSIS
A seasoned professional clown on the eve of retirement reflects on a lifetime of adoration and rejection, humour and heartbreak. Clown is a short documentary that delves into the hidden customs and quirks of the clowning community and tells the story of a life spent trying to make people laugh.
The Club of AngelsPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Over the years, seven friends saw the monthly meetings of their brotherhood turn from rituals of power to melancholic gatherings of failures. The group seems destined to end – until a mysterious chef appears with majestic banquets. Suddenly, friendship bonds are back, celebrating life through gluttony. However, after each dinner, a member of the group winds up dead. Is there an actual reason for the deaths? And why do the survivors keep returning to these dinners?
Come Find MePREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
After a single car accident claims the life of her baby sister, Sophia yearns for a mother now broken by grief and trauma. Her father, too, absorbed in his wife’s pain and his own, cannot give Sophia the support she craves. As Sophia’s mother begins to recover, it seems all she wants is to start everything anew. Sophia sees herself as left behind, and soothes her loneliness in a world of fantasy.
Compositions for Understanding RelationshipsSYNOPSIS
“Compositions for Understanding Relationships” is a short animated film that takes the shape of a “love letter.” This concept is examined as various forms of relationships are brought on throughout the film. Taken in and out of the romantic context, the viewer gazes upon the dynamic play of the variables of composition such as color, form, balance, proportion, and unity.
The Couple Next DoorPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
The Couple Next Door follows a single American woman whose emotions stir when an eccentric African couple moves into her building. Against her better judgement, she finds herself falling for a married man that reignites desires for a life she has always wanted.
Dear DublinPREMIERE DESIGNATION
World
SYNOPSIS
When Cara, a bored and inquisitive teenager in Dublin, Ireland, finds a lost diary in a quiet park, her curiosity gets the best of her. She decides to read the diary and wander through Dublin, in an effort to find the diary’s owner, and hopefully an adventure or even a friend as well.
The Disaster DreamsPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
In the spring of 2020, New York City was the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the midst of fear, uncertainty and chaos, local teenagers began to record and recount their nightly dreams. The Disaster Dreams brings these unconscious imaginings to life with animation, original score, and the voice acting of an all-star cast. With haunting depictions, The Disaster Dreams reveals the anxious bubblings that dominated the minds of Gen Z during this unprecedented time.
Eating SoilPREMIERE DESIGNATION
North American
SYNOPSIS
Erde essen/Eating Soil is an essay film that tells the stories of Colombian women, originating from director Laura Weissenberger’s memories of and projections on her home country. It explores Colombian narrative culture based on the stories of a fictional family, which metaphorically represent a society. Structured like a memory itself, the viewer encounters topics involving migration, hopes, regrets and approaches to life.
Election DayPREMIERE DESIGNATION
World
SYNOPSIS
Election Day documents the daily life of a family over the course of the 2020 presidential election. By contrasting the monotony of life during the coronavirus pandemic with the historical significance of the election, the film aims to capture the unique feeling of stagnancy that is brought on by confinement and detachment from the outside world.
End of the Line: The Women of Standing RockPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
The incredible story of a group of indigenous women who risk their lives to stop the Dakota Access oil pipeline construction that desecrated their ancient burial and prayer sites and threatens their land, water, and very existence. In the process, they must face the personal costs of leadership, even as their own lives and identities are left transformed by one of the great political and cultural events of the early 21st century.
Events Transpiring Before, During, and After a High School Basketball GamePREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
It’s 1999 and the Middleview Ducks high school basketball team are about to play the most low-stakes game of their lives. As the team prepares for another certain loss, the dramas around the game become more of a focus than the score. Pot-smoking, existentialism, radical theatre kid protests, and a dog on the loose all unfold before, during, and after the high school basketball game.
The Exit PlanPREMIERE DESIGNATION
United States
SYNOPSIS
In an overpopulated future, an elderly woman is visited by a young government official to check that she is complying with the “Exit Plan” policy. However, when the agent interrogates her further, he soon realizes she has something ‘planned’ for him.
The FatherSYNOPSIS
A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality. Stars Anthony Hopkins, who won the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.
FirefliesPREMIERE DESIGNATION
United States
SYNOPSIS
“Fireflies” is a fabulated ethnography of the night at Flamengo’s Park in Rio de Janeiro, illustrating how the flora and fauna of Roberto Burle Marx’s gardens are inhabited by visitors while the city falls asleep.
Forget Me NotPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
As 3-year-old Emilio is ready to start school, his family finds itself cornered in the United States’ most discriminatory education system – New York City public schools. Fighting for their right to an inclusive education, they investigate personal and inspiring stories that expose injustices against children with disabilities, a reality for more than 93 million children worldwide and nearly half of them are not in school.
Freedom & Unity: Vermont Teen Film ShowcaseSYNOPSISFreedom & Unity: A collection of 12 short films from local Vermont teens, selected from the winners of the statewide Freedom and Unity TV Competition. The films illuminate their lives, passions, and interests and serve as a kaleidoscopic beacon toward all that is hopeful. In the midst of challenging times, these young filmmakers redefined community Read More…
Full CirclePREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Full Circle is an insightful film that celebrates one woman’s triumph in conservation: the Great Gull Island Project, Helen Hays’ 50-year quest to save two species of threatened seabirds. During her long term study, she vastly increased the numbers of nesting Roseate and Common Terns on a small, uninhabited island in Long Island Sound.
GanefPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
London 1962. A little girl, spooked by a dark tale from her mother’s wartime past, starts to imagine their beloved family cleaner is a thief. Ganef (Yiddish for ‘thief’) explores how trauma can be passed from one generation to the next.
Garage RomanticPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
A big dreamer from the small town of Togliatti in Russia ponders life’s purpose while building a rocket powered sled made from discarded trash.
Gloves OffPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
Gloves Off follows the story of Tiara Brown, a young police officer who forges new ways to serve her community by day, then laces up and fights to make a name for herself in the boxing ring by night. As she works to excel in two worlds where she has often been told she doesn’t belong, Tiara perseveres, not only for herself but for everyone like her.
Henet WardPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Halima, a Sudanese henna painter living in Egypt, goes to one of Giza’s local areas to prepare a bride for her wedding. Her seven year old daughter Ward accompanies her, and starts to wander around and discover the place. Eventually, the peaceful atmosphere is shattered by a sudden turn of events.
Her ReleasePREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
A woman reaching for love and connection ultimately surrenders everything in this blackly comic absurdist nightmare.
HollyShorts ShowcaseSYNOPSIS
HollyShorts Film Festival is devoted to showcasing the best and brightest short films from around the globe. MNFF is proud to be screening this special collection of HollyShorts films, including an Oscar winner and two Oscar nominees.
HooptiesPREMIERE DESIGNATION
World
SYNOPSIS
Hoopties is the story of three teams of maniacs, daring to finish a professional 24 hour endurance race in cars that cost less than $500. These racers dare to push the limits of mechanics, physics, and common sense, all while united by a passion for cars and their community.
How the Monuments Came DownPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Virginia has more Confederate monuments than any other state—including five large tributes on a mansion-lined stretch of the capital. Through family stories and rich archival sources, this penetrating film uncovers the 150 years of Black resistance to Richmond’s Confederate statues and the white supremacy they represent. Through thoughtful and emotional interviews, voices of long-time Richmonders, activists, elected officials, journalists, and historians explain the forces that kept the monuments up—and the protests that took them down.
I Work At The CemeteryPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
Sasha, a man of about 35, manages a firm that installs tombstones at the cemetery. He has many customers, each of whom experiences a personal tragedy. Sasha meets a young businesswoman who has just buried her son, and a lonely old man who has ordered a tombstone for himself. Amidst this whirl of personal tragedies and criminal clashes, it gradually becomes clear that Sasha has severe psychological trauma due to his own past.
I’m Free Now, You Are FreePREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
When Mike Africa Jr. was born in prison, he spent just three days with his mother Debbie Africa, a formerly incarcerated political prisoner of the MOVE9, before prison guards wrenched him away. They spent the next 40 years struggling for freedom and for each other. I’m Free Now, You Are Free reflects on their reunion, and meditates on Black family preservation as resistance against state violence.
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost ArkSYNOPSIS
In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before Adolf Hitler’s Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.
InheritancePREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
On Norra’s 25th birthday, she and her brother inherit the deed to their family’s small cabin. With this auspicious birthday, she starts seeing the spirits that have been haunting her brother and father for years.
Izzy’s DemonsPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
Izzy is a person who struggles with the decision to reconnect with an old friend. As she gives into her jealousy for her friend’s success, she makes a decision that her subconscious does not let her get away with so easily.
Jump, DarlingPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
At a crossroads in his life, Russell flees his straight-laced boyfriend and sputtering drag career for refuge at his loving grandmother’s house, only to find she is on a downward spiral of her own. With the brilliant Cloris Leachman in her final role before her death in 2021, Jump, Darling pairs love of drag with an aging iconic diva to ask the questions about what inspires us to carry on.
Just Being HerePREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont [non-virtual]
SYNOPSIS
Walter lives alone on a wooded property and hasn’t ventured more than a half-mile from his house, but this is where he seeks peace. He walks the same paths, reads the same books and, yet, finds a new presence every time. Walter teaches us vulnerability and compassion through a special friendship.
The Last OutPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
From Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sami Khan (St. Louis Superman) and Michael Gassert comes a gripping documentary about the shadowy nexus between the migrant trail and pro sports. Three Cuban baseball players leave their families and risk exile to train in Central America and chase their dream of making it to America’s Major Leagues.
The Last VaquitaPREMIERE DESIGNATION
United States
SYNOPSIS
A pair of brothers head to Mexico where they join a crew of ocean conservationists, Sea Shepherd, who are fighting to save the most endangered marine mammal on the planet, the Vaquita porpoise.
The Last Villains, Mad Dog & The ButcherPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
The Last Villains is the larger-than-life story of the legendary Vachon family of pro wrestlers, as recounted by the only surviving member, Paul “The Butcher” Vachon. The movie draws a touching parallel between 80-year-old Paul’s oddly nomadic present-day lifestyle, crisscrossing North America with his third wife to peddle his autobiographies to his ever-devoted fans, and the glory years when he and his brother Maurice “Mad Dog” Vachon were kings of the ring.
The Longest Day of the YearPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
The Longest Day of the Year is a comedic look at three roommates as they navigate the trials, tribulations, and innate loneliness inherent to quarantine.
Machine AgePREMIERE DESIGNATION
United States
SYNOPSIS
Machine Age is a visceral experience of the mechanized world of industrial egg production. Using investigative material, this short film immerses us into the sights and sounds of life behind the walls of a factory farm.
Manzanar, Diverted: When Water Becomes DustPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS>
From the majestic peaks of the snow-capped Sierras to the now parched Eastern California valley of Payahuunadü (Owens Valley), “the land of flowing water,” Manzanar, Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust poetically weaves together memories and insights of intergenerational women from three communities. Native Americans, Japanese American World War II incarcerees and environmentalists form an unexpected alliance to defend their land and water from the insatiable thirst of Los Angeles.
Me To PlayPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Dan Moran and Chris Jones are veteran New York actors with debilitating, incurable Parkinson’s disease who decide to stage an off-Broadway production of Samuel Beckett’s comic but difficult masterpiece, Endgame, as the swan song to their decades-long professional lives. The play, which Beckett wrote as a metaphor for life with Parkinson’s after his mother died of the disease, makes the case that “nothing’s funnier than unhappiness.” Dan, Chris, and this movie prove it.
MLK/FBISYNOPSIS
MLK/FBI is the first film to uncover the extent of the FBI’s surveillance and harassment of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Based on newly discovered and declassified files, utilizing a trove of documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and unsealed by the National Archives, as well as revelatory restored footage, the documentary explores the government’s history of targeting Black activists, and the contested meaning behind some of our most cherished ideals.
Mom & MPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Mom & M is an intimate portrait of modern American parenthood. Meet Nikki, a transgender writer; Elise, a social media influencer; and Sansa, their adopted daughter who battles leukemia. Together they navigate what happens when your partner comes out as transgender while caring for an ill child and that remission is not the end to life’s challenges. The Richard family offers a deep-seated glimpse of love’s power in surviving extraordinary circumstances.
Mother’s DayPREMIERE DESIGNATION
World
SYNOPSIS
Ellen’s ability to keep her traumatic past at bay is challenged when she discovers her adopted child’s periods have started. Battling with memories, she must navigate her own damaged self-perception to offer up support to those she loves.
No Crying At The Dinner TablePREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Filmmaker Carol Nguyen interviews her own family to craft an emotionally complex and meticulously composed portrait of intergenerational trauma, grief, and secrets in this cathartic documentary about things left unsaid.
No Visible TraumaPREMIERE DESIGNATION
United States
SYNOPSIS
Amidst the global uprising against police violence, No Visible Trauma is a searing investigation of the deeply troubled police department in the Canadian city of Calgary, which shot and killed more people than the New York or Chicago police departments in 2018. From the kidnapping and beating of a young African immigrant, to a “wellness check” turned fatal, the film exposes extreme police brutality and a justice system that refuses to hold officers accountable.
Now Return Us To NormalPREMIERE DESIGNATION
World
SYNOPSIS
Pressing ahead to alleviate her PTSD from her time at a reform boarding school, a filmmaker asks questions for which there likely will be no answers, attempting to connect the dots of her disjointed memories. She speaks with her parents, classmates and school staff who have varied recollections. She questions what kind of youth deserves this treatment for mental illness, if any. Will she ever be a reliable narrator of her own story?
Nomad Meets The CityPREMIERE DESIGNATION
United States
WINNER
AICEF Prize for Cross-Cultural Filmmaking
SYNOPSIS
Former herder Tumurbaatar works tirelessly as a garbage truck driver in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar, striving to better his daughter’s education and compete in the modern economy. Torn between life in the city and his home and family in a countryside town, the pressures of distance and separation take a toll. An intimate portrait of one family navigating a changing world.
NubivagantPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
In the summer of 2018, an American climbing team completed a free ascent of the Pico Cão Grande tower in São Tomé & Principe. The climbing objective was to make the first free ascent of Nubivagant (“Wandering in the Clouds”), a 15-pitch, 455m route graded 5.13d. Pico Cão Grande is a volcanic tower. At the time of planning the trip, a free ascent of Nubivagant would have marked the first free ascent of the tower.
The OrderPREMIERE DESIGNATION
World
YNOPSIS
Two soldiers – Liu and Zhao – capture Fei, a young girl stealing bread from their remote outpost. Suddenly, the soldiers receive an order to kill her. The Order witnesses Liu’s transformation from innocence to a murderer, representing the cruel indifference of war. Liu and Zhao are a simulacrum of the Chinese Civil War itself, inheritors of trauma destined for mutual destruction. Much like Fei, the innocents were caught in the midst of it all.
The Other SidePREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
WINNER
Best Narrative Short Award
SYNOPSIS
Days before his 18th birthday, Abel (Ethan Herisse, “When They See Us”) finds himself about to age out of his orphanage and leave his younger brother, Kiya, behind. But when a prospective adopting couple threatens to break their relationship apart, the brothers wrestle with the reality that they will never be adopted. Inspired by a true story.
Part of the PackPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
Part of the Pack is an immersive conservation documentary that focuses on an endangered species – the African Wild Dog. The film highlights the organizations who dedicate their lives to make a difference for this species as well as the challenges and life-threatening situations that African Wild Dogs face on a daily basis.
Playing With Sharks: The Valerie Taylor StorySYNOPSIS
Valerie Taylor is a living legend in the underwater world. A glamorous shark hunter in the 1950s, she was a champion slayer with ruthless aim, before a personal epiphany transformed her into a passionate marine conservationist.
Plot 9PREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
While Alice seeks an escape from the world, she discovers a homeless man sleeping in the greenhouse on her mother’s allotment. Will the need for human connection overcome her initial prejudice and fear, and enable them to help each other?
PoserPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
YNOPSIS
Lennon Gates is a quiet and observant podcaster, but when she meets the charismatic musician Bobbi Kitten, her deceptive intentions surface. As their friendship forms, Lennon quickly spirals into obsession as she struggles with an unchecked search for creative identity.
The Price of SafetyPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
The Price of Safety explores national conversations of over-policing and racial bias as they unfold in the quaint community of Vergennes, Vermont—far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. While the Black Lives Matter movement is often seen playing out in more urban spaces, this film watches a mostly white community grapple with a startling fact: their police force has some of the worst racial bias in the state and possibly the country.
Prime Time: A Rapper Battles the MachinePREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Riding high after a contentious campaign and city council election victory against 36-year incumbent Pat O’Connor, former battle rapper and son of Guatemalan immigrants Andre Vasquez prepares to take office as Chicago’s 40th Ward Alderman. Now, this democratic socialist organizer and father is using his voice in a battle to change Chicago’s corrupt political establishment from within.
Le Prince OubliéPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
Through a twist of time and fate, a young con artist is faced with the decision of whether or not to preserve the legacy of the motion picture and its original inventor.
Rebel HeartsSYNOPSIS
In 1960s Los Angeles, a trailblazing group of nuns, The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, bravely stood up to the patriarchy of the Catholic Church. Their bold acts of faith, defiance and activism turned the Church upside down, helping to reshape our society in ways that continue to resonate today. From marching in Selma in 1965 to the Women’s March in 2018, they challenged the notion of what a nun and a woman were supposed to be.
Requiems: El Paso and BeyondPREMIERE DESIGNATION
World
SYNOPSIS
On August 3, 2019, a white supremacist targeted “Mexicans” at the El Paso Walmart, killing 23 and injuring 26 people. This somber tribute by photographer John Willis who was in El Paso at the time, poet Robin Behn, and composer Matan Rubinstein, honors the memory of those lost in this hate crime and reminds us of the countless others who continue to suffer from gun violence in America.
RIP SeniPREMIERE DESIGNATION
United States
SYNOPSIS
Overnight on 24th June 2020, graffiti reading ‘RIP SENI’ appeared on a public artwork outside Bethlem Royal Hospital, London. The spray-painted letters called attention to Seni Lewis, a 23-year-old black man who died at the hands of police officers while in the care of the hospital in 2010. This film is a reaction to that graffiti, exploring mental health, public art and injustice.
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For ItSYNOPSIS
A look at the life and work of Rita Moreno from her humble beginnings in Puerto Rico to her success on Broadway and in Hollywood.
The Rose of ManilaPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
An imagining of the formative years of Imelda Marcos in the Philippines, who, as one half of the Marcos regime, would become infamous for embezzling billions from the country to sustain her extravagant lifestyle. Here, the fate of a young girl and an entire nation become entangled as the absent mother of a country is born.
Selfie #VooDooChallengePREMIERE DESIGNATION
World
SYNOPSIS
After gaining notoriety from an appearance on a daytime talk show, an out-of-control teenager participates in a dangerous social media challenge.
ShopPREMIERE DESIGNATION
United States
SYNOPSIS
Linda is addicted to shopping. It leads herself and her daughter – who suffers from diabetes – from a loving life to a situation of despair. Will Linda be able to make the sacrifices required to get herself and her daughter out of the situation? Or will she seek another, more desperate solution?
SiloSYNOPSIS
Disaster strikes when teenager Cody Rose is entrapped in a 50-foot-tall grain bin. When the corn turns to quicksand, family, neighbors and first responders must put aside their differences to rescue Cody from drowning in the crop that has sustained their community for generations.
SPECIAL NOTE
This screening will be hosted by prominent local actor Jeremy Holm, who stars in the film.
Sleeze Lake: Vanlife at its Lowest & BestPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
Set among the foggy memories and ephemera of the world’s largest custom van club, Sleeze Lake tells the improbable but true story of a wild van party thrown in the middle of a fictitious resort town and the people who dreamt it up.
Some Kind of HeavenSYNOPSIS
Director Lance Oppenheim cracks the manicured facade of The Villages, America’s largest retirement community – a massive, self-contained utopia located in Central Florida. Behind the gates of this palm tree-lined fantasyland, Some Kind Of Heaven invests in the dreams and desires of a small group of Villages residents – and one interloper – who are unable to find happiness within the community’s pre-packaged paradise.
Some Kinda LovePREMIERE DESIGNATION
World
YNOPSIS
Some Kinda Love explores the growing pains of love and friendship as childhood best friends, Jules and Joey, roam around their small Vermont town one night.
sống ở đây | to live herePREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Exploring the intimacy of the mundane, sống ở đây focuses on the lives of Vietnamese shrimpers and elderly farmers in New Orleans, understanding the reverberations of the past, present in day to day labor.
Sophie JonesSYNOPSIS
After her mother’s death sixteen-year-old Sophie Jones is trying everything she can to feel something After her mother’s death, sixteen-year-old Sophie Jones is trying everything she can to feel something again and make it through high school.
SPECIAL NOTE
This screening is presented by the Vermont International Film Festival [VTIFF] and will be hosted by Orly Yadin, its Executive Director.
StarmanSYNOPSIS
Starman is John Carpenter’s classic 1984 American science fiction/ suspense/romance film that tells the story of a non-corporeal alien named Star Man who has come to Earth and cloned a human body, in response to an invitation found on a gold phonograph record installed on the Voyager 2 space probe.
SPECIAL NOTE
This special screening of Starman is part of a tribute to MNFF Honoree Karen Allen, who stars with Jeff Bridges in the film.
Stay For TeaSYNOPSIS
As his memories evaporate from dementia, an elderly man is haunted by what he believes are ghosts. Attempting to restore his fading identity, he confronts a message from a special visitor.
Sugar on the Weaver’s ChairPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
WINNER
AICEF Prize for Cross-Cultural Filmmaking
SYNOPSIS
Three women in three different regions of Indonesia face problems with their status as a woman in a male dominated society. Through necessity and their own personal convictions, they find the strength to address the inequality, challenge traditional rights and imposed limitations to transform and empower themselves and those around them.
Summer of SoulSYNOPSIS
Summer of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is a feature documentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African American music and culture, and promoted Black pride and unity.
Swan SongSYNOPSIS
Retired hairdresser Pat Pitsenbarger escapes the confines of his small-town Sandusky, Ohio nursing home after learning of his former client’s dying wish for him to style her final hairdo. Soon, Pat embarks on an odyssey to confront the ghosts of his past — and collect the beauty supplies necessary for the job. Swan Song is a comical and bittersweet journey about rediscovering one’s sparkle, and looking gorgeous while doing so.
Tanagokoro: A Culinary PortraitPREMIERE DESIGNATION
World
WINNER
Best Documentary Short Award
SYNOPSIS
When Japanese chef Yoshinori Ishii is dismayed by the quality of fish in London, he takes it upon himself to investigate why. Through skill, ethics and passion, he sparks a fish consumption revolution in the United Kingdom.
Tangled RootsPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
Tangled Roots follows Attica Scott, the only black woman in the Kentucky state legislature, as she fights to dismantle a system of discrimination against black people penalized for something seemingly innocuous – their hair.
This is Joanne and BillPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
This Is Joanne and Bill takes a sentimental look back at the 60 year marriage of William and Joanne Osley, more specifically, a challenging period between 1960-1970, when William was serving in Vietnam and Joanne was looking after their two children.
TodayPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
Today is November 19th, 1969, and this young successful couple find themselves in a vicious cycle, trapped within an impenetrable void. He regularly wields his power and entitlement like weapons. How can she distinguish one day from another, and can she survive?
TomPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
Tom was just a normal dog when he went to space with his human, Mei. When she leaves for a space walk and doesn’t come back, Tom has to take control of the International Space Station to keep it working while he waits for Mei’s return, and the return to his life as it was before.
The Truffle HuntersSYNOPSIS
Deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy, a handful of men hunt for the rare and expensive white Alba Deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy, a handful of men hunt for the rare and expensive white Alba truffle—which to date has resisted all of modern science’s efforts at cultivation. As a result of climate change, deforestation, and the lack of young people taking up the mantle, the truffle hunters’ secrets are more coveted than ever. However, these aging men may hold something much more valuable than even this prized delicacy: the secret to a rich and meaningful life.
Two BalloonsPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Two Balloons was the 2019 Vermont Symphony Award winner. The film is being screened in conjunction with a special performance by the VSO as part of a larger event.
SYNOPSIS
Two adventurous lemurs navigate their dirigibles halfway around the world to a place where happenstance and fate threaten to disrupt their reunion.
UnapologeticPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
During the height of the Movement for Black Lives in Chicago, Unapologetic captures a community of millennial organizers confronting an administration complicit in state violence against its Black residents. Janaé and Bella, two Black queer women organizers, provide an intimate peek into the personal and political battles that transformed Chicago, from the police murder of Rekia Boyd to the election of mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Unsung Heroes of InkPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
Shining a light on the previously unexplored role of paper in ink painting, Beijing-based artists Liu Dan and Shao Fan explain how paper shapes their work. Their collaborators are craftspeople in China’s remote Anhui Province, who observe ancient, labour-intensive methods to hand-produce paper. These craftspeople, who have spent a lifetime honing their skills, are the “unsung heroes of ink”.
Walk a MilePREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Grumpy old Russ lives next door to a noisy family, whom he hates. But when something disquieting happens to his neighbors, he changes his mind.
WE ARE NOT CONTENT!PREMIERE DESIGNATION
World
SYNOPSIS
Kiseki Kaneda quits his videography job and moves to NYC to pursue his artistic ideals, though he can barely pay rent. Luckily, he meets Clara Muller, an amateur puppeteer, who agrees to help him make a movie. As their money runs out, however, it becomes apparent that their goals for the project do not match, and the artistic ideals that Kiseki has clung to so dearly may not be sustainable at all.
Wet HousePREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Wet House offers an unflinching look at life on the fringe for residents in America’s largest harm reduction facility for chronic alcoholics. Inherently controversial, “wet houses” provide residents stipends and the ability to drink on-premises, while aiming to save taxpayer dollars by keeping alcoholics out of detox, shelters, emergency rooms and jails. By observing humanity amid harrowing reality, the film makes the case for a highly accommodating care model for a disease with complex, individual manifestations.
While the Cat’s Away . . .PREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Sarah receives a message that her beloved will be late coming home tonight. What will she do to pass the time? Whatever she wants…
WhirlybirdSYNOPSIS
Flying high above Los Angeles in a whirling news helicopter, Marika Gerrard and Zoey Tur (known then as Bob) captured some of the city’s most epic breaking news stories. The two recount the salacious details of their career as a husband-and-wife journalist team doing whatever it took to catch an unfolding story. A wholly unique take on the story of Los Angeles told through stunning aerial footage and remarkable home videos, Whirlybird reframes many of the city’s pivotal moments of the 1990s.
Without Getting Killed or CaughtSYNOPSIS
Without Getting Killed or Caught follows Guy Clark, Susanna Clark, and Townes Van Zandt as they rise from obscurity to reverence: Guy, the Pancho to Van Zandt’s Lefty, struggling to establish himself as the Dylan Thomas of American music, while Susanna pens hit songs and paints album covers for top artists, and Townes spirals in self-destruction after writing some of Americana music’s most enduring and influential ballads.
Women of the EarthPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Two sisters in the Hudson Valley draw on their familial farming practices, using hemp to heal soil while blazing a trail in regenerative agriculture.
Wood On WaterPREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
Experience forty days canoe tripping in the deepest Canadian wilderness with twelve young women, nine of whom are teenagers. Understand the significance of a counter-cultural summer spent exploring their physical surroundings and inner selves free from mainstream society’s expectations. And ask this question: Can one of the oldest operating summer camps in North America, established over a century ago to promote manliness and “roughing it in the woods,” still be relevant for teenage girls today?
You Are Always 20PREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
YNOPSIS
The director gets hold of an old feature film from 2001, that he and his best friend made when they were 19. When he looks at it he remembers his youth and understands why their friendship is lost.
You Should Get Out MorePREMIERE DESIGNATION
New England
SYNOPSIS
A pair of feet move throughout their day of caregiving.
Yuan Yuan and the Hollow MonsterPREMIERE DESIGNATION
Vermont
SYNOPSIS
Eight-year-old Jackie is determined to protect her newest pet, a tiny turtle named Lucy, at all costs – even if it means chasing down a massive hurricane called the Hollow Monster. This is a personal story, centered on the director’s Chinese American childhood, with characters based on family members and memories from Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, Charley, Ivan, and Frances from 2004 – 2005.
