Middlebury film festival tweaks its storyline
June 26, 2025
by John Flowers
Late August is still two months away, but the county’s shire town is already being readied for its annual role as host of the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival (MNFF), a five-day showcase of some of the most exciting and thought-provoking work of both aspiring — and already established — movie makers.
With a decade under its belt, MNFF11 will burst onto big screens at five local venues Aug. 20-24 with 108 narrative and documentary features and shorts, all under the stewardship of a new executive director (Caitlin Boyle), Artistic Director and renowned filmmaker Jay Craven, and their supporting cast.
The festival will also offer a menu of curated films.
“I’m really excited about the program,” Boyle said during a recent interview. “A number of our films are going to be released this summer commercially, and this will be their only Vermont stop.”
The Independent will provide more info on specific film offerings, festival honorees, panel discussions and other MNFF11 features when those details become available. See accompanying sidebar for a sneak peek, courtesy of Craven.
What follows here is a report on how the festival — a massive undertaking — is coming together under new leadership with some new venues added to the mix.
Organizers this year made efforts to slightly streamline the festival program, emphasizing “the cream of the crop” and themes/genres that audiences have historically enjoyed. It’s a strategy that wouldn’t have been possible without the solid MNFF foundation built by former festival Producer (and founder) Lloyd Komesar and Craven, according to Boyle.
MNFF would like to thank John Flowers and Addison Independent for their continued coverage of the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival! Find the rest of this article, and others covering MNFF11, on their website: https://www.addisonindependent.com/2025/06/26/middlebury-film-festival-tweaks-its-storyline/