Courtesy of David Snow
Press photo for MSPIFF 2018
MSPIFF 2017
Now more than ever, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival’s emphasis on “international” seems powerful. In a year riddled with threats of border walls and travel bans, it feels like we need the diverse voices MSPIFF brings to the Twin Cities each April. And that’s not all that this year’s festival puts on the table. In light of the #MeToo/Time’s Up movements, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Society’s 2018 program focuses on Women & Film, and Chasms & Bridges: Cinema and the Search for Common Ground. This year’s MSPIFF—the 37th (!!!)—is more than a celebration. It’s a gathering of artistic voices from 75 countries, calling on audiences to help build a better world. “Film is a very powerful medium,” says Susan Smoluchowski, Executive Director at MSPFS. “And it’s also a very democratic medium…we’ve found that the conversations that these films engender during our festival are really stimulating, and people from different backgrounds come to the festival, meet, and talk about world affairs.”
For the MSPIFF newbies: From April 12–28th, over 250 feature and short films from emerging and veteran filmmakers—selected by MSP Film Society curators from festivals all over the world—will screen at various venues across the Twin Cities. That averages out to more than 15 movies a day, so don’t plan on catching them all. Of course, there’s a downside to having nearly endless freedom of choice. How do you know which movies to watch? Are you allowed in if you never took film studies? What if you choose the wrong movie and miss the breakout film of the year? Put your FOMO fears to bed: We combed through the full lineup and talked to Susan to get the lowdown on the must-see flicks for this year’s fest. Here’s our expert-approved list of the 13 movies you should watch at MSPIFF 2018.
Opening Night, April 12th: RGB (USA)
It all kicks off with RBG, an acclaimed documentary about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. In recent times, Ginsberg has become something of a millennial folk hero—a smart, sassy, 84-year-old feminist gearing up for another 80 years in court. Forget about Kate McKinnon’s SNL impression (which RBG loves): this in-depth doc by co-directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West goes deep into Ginsberg’s Brooklyn upbringing, her early fights for civil rights, her surprising friendship with Justice Antonin Scalia, and even her love life. West will be in attendance for the opening night screening, which includes a reception party in the St. Anthony lobby. 97 mins | April 12, 7:00 p.m. | Tickets $50–$60 | St. Anthony Main Theatre
Photo courtesy of Film Collaborative
Press photo for Crime + Punishment
Crime + Punishment (USA)
A documentary that confronts a pressurized issue in American society, Crime + Punishment made waves at Sundance 2018 with its investigation of corruption within the New York City Police Department. Director and cinematographer Stephen Maing follows a group of 12 NYPD officers determined to expose the department’s corrupt arrest-quota system, which unfairly targets Hispanic and African-American New Yorkers (at least one victim, Eric Garner, was killed). Prepare for high blood pressure. “[It’s an issue that’s] very much in the news right now…I think it’s going to be one that will attract a lot of attention,” Susan says. 112 mins | April 27, 7:00 p.m.; April 28, 1:20 p.m. | Tickets $8–$14 | Capri Theater, St. Anthony Main Theatre
A Moment in the Reeds (Finland, UK)
A wistful LGBTQ coming of age story similar to Call Me By Your Name, Mikko Makela’s A Moment in the Reeds follows Finnish literature student Leevi, who returns from studying in Paris to help his father fix and sell the family lake house. Upon his return, he meets Tareq, a Syrian asylum seeker employed by Leevi’s father. When Dad heads into town, it’s just Leevi, Tareq, and a gorgeous midsummer in Finland. If you enjoy watching organic love and self-discovery blossom against the backdrop of beautiful European scenery, this one’s for you. 108 mins | April 27, 7:00 p.m.; April 28, 4:00 p.m. | Tickets $8–$14 | St. Anthony Main Theatre
Disobedience (UK, Ireland, USA)
Sebastián Lelio just won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film with 2017’s A Fantastic Woman. Looks like he’s a fast worker. Disobedience stars Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, and Alessandro Nivola as childhood friends reunited in the London Orthodox Jewish community where they grew up. Ronit (Weisz) returns to London from New York following her father’s death. There, she’s reunited with Dovit (Nivola) and Esti (McAdams), who have since married. As the friends get reacquainted, strict bonds of religion, sexuality, and tradition begin to unravel for all three characters. If you liked McAdams as a repressed lover in the American South—yes, we’re talking about The Notebook—get ready for an emotional rollercoaster. 114 mins | April 25, 7:00 p.m. | Tickets $8–$14 | St. Anthony Main Theatre
The Blessed (Algeria, Belgium, France)
How can a country move forward from the trauma of civil war? Especially when the war’s effects still dominate everyday life? Those questions engulf Sofia Djama’s debut feature, which tracks 24 hours in the lives of several characters living in Algiers, Algeria. The film, set in 2008, takes place in the fallout of the Algerian Civil War, which ended in 2002 following the deaths of thousands of Algerian citizens. With a loose plot following a couple—trying to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary—and their teenage son, Djama’s film examines the strangeness of living somewhere with a harrowing past and a troubled future. Don’t expect to leave with dry eyes. 102 mins | April 14, 7:05 p.m.; April 15, 7:00 p.m.; April 27, 4:40 p.m. | Tickets $8–$14 | St. Anthony Main Theatre
Don’t Get Trouble in Your Mind: The Carolina Chocolate Drops’ Story (USA)
Competing for the 2018 Minnesota Made Award, Don’t Get Trouble in Your Mind: The Carolina Chocolate Drops’ Story investigates the titular string band out of North Carolina that shocked the world with its 2010 Grammy-winning album, Genuine Negro Jig. Directed by former Twin Cities Public Television producer John Whitehead, Don’t Get Trouble in Your Mind tracks the band’s rise to stardom, its relationship with legendary African-American fiddler Joe Thompson, and the African origins of roots music. “Our programmer, who selected [the film], is just raving about it,” Susan says. 85 mins | April 14, 4:00 p.m.; April 26, 9:25 p.m. | Tickets $8–$14 | Capri Theater, St. Anthony Main Theatre
Leave No Trace (USA)
Debra Granik’s last feature, 2010’s Winter’s Bone, introduced the world to a sparkplug actress you may have seen since. (It's Jennifer Lawrence). Now, Granik’s back, with another drama set deep in the American wilderness. PTSD-ridden veteran Will (Hell or High Water’s Ben Foster) and his daughter, Tom (Thomasin McKenzie), live in a mountainous state park outside of Portland. But while Will wants to keep as far away from society as possible, Tom yearns for the company of other people. Unlike Winter’s Bone, Leave No Trace isn’t a thriller. Like Winter’s Bone, Granik’s filmmaking may have created another superstar actress. Go to this one so you can say “I told you so” when Thomasin wins her first Oscar. 108 mins | April 20, 7:05 p.m. | Tickets $8–$14 | St. Anthony Main Theatre
On Chesil Beach (UK)
If you loved Ladybird—well, we’re not sure how much that matters. But if you love Saoirse Ronan, you won’t want to miss On Chesil Beach. Dominic Cooke’s adaptation of Ian McEwan’s 2007 novel follows Florence (Ronan) and Eddy (Dunkirk’s Billy Howle), as they fall in love, get married, and descend into immediate struggles with sex and intimacy during their honeymoon. Simultaneously heartbreaking and hopeful, On Chesil Beach’s investigation of love and sexuality remains relevant beyond its 1962 setting, and critics say Ronan puts in yet another great performance. 105 mins | April 18, 7:00 p.m. | Tickets $8–$14 | St. Anthony Main Theatre
Tully (USA)
Good things happen when Jason Reitman and Minnesota’s own Diablo Cody team up. Good things like Juno, Young Adult, and now, Tully. Charlize Theron plays Marlo, a mother of three ready to explode under the constant and thankless stress of, well, being a mother of three. Enter Tully, a free-spirited nanny who arrives like an angel to help Marlo sleep, relax, and maybe even have some fun. In typical Diablo fashion, things get a little more interesting when Tully does things like, say, offer to sleep with Marlo’s husband (Ron Livingston). 94 mins | April 14, 7:00 p.m. | Tickets $8–$14 | St. Anthony Main Theatre
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (USA)
There’s never a bad time to celebrate Mr. Rogers, but 2018—the 50th anniversary of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood—has been chockfull of remembrances for PBS’s brightest star. In Minneapolis, we had a puppet-based reimagining of Mister Rogers' neighborhood. Now, on the silver screen, we’ve got a documentary all about America’s best role model. 20 Feet From Stardom director Morgan Neville’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor? brings Fred Rogers back to life with famous clips and rare footage that will make you miss the man more than ever. Susan’s recommendation: “what [Neville] says about Mister Rogers and the way he says it…he looks at [Mister Rogers] in a very novel way, which is great.” 94 mins | April 15, 4:20 p.m.; April 24, 7:15 p.m. | Tickets $8–$14 | St. Anthony Main Theatre
Dragonfly Eyes (China)
Innovative visual artist Xu Bing is mostly known for his enormous printmaking and installation pieces. Now, he’s venturing into film, with similarly mind-blowing results. “This is the first time [Xu Bing’s] ever made a feature-length film, and he made it all using many, many hours of surveillance footage, and he turned it into a narrative that’s a love story,” Susan says. “I mean, how interesting is that? Our curator who selected that one, and who is an expert in Asian film, says that she’s never seen anything like it in its inventiveness.” Sounds about right. 81 mins | April 13, 6:30 p.m.; April 20, 9:30 p.m.; April 25, 7:15 p.m. | Tickets $8–$14 | Mia, St. Anthony Main Theatre
Killing Jesús (Colombia/Argentina)
Director Laura Mora’s second feature film took home the Eroski Youth Prize at the 2017 San Sebastian Film Festival with its tragic tale of loss and revenge in the city of Medellín, Colombia. Based on events in Mora’s life and starring first-time actor Natasha Jaramillo, “it’s the story of a university student whose father is a left-leaning dissident professor and how they get tied up in a [crime] ring,” Susan says. “It’s a beautiful story about this young girl and how she handles the grief that comes with some of the things that happen over the course of the story. I would highly recommend you take a look at that one.” 99 mins | April 15, 4:45 p.m.; April 26, 7:10 p.m. | Tickets $8 - $14 | St. Anthony Main Theatre
Closing Night (April 28th): The Rider (USA)
Chloé Zhao’s feature debut, The Rider, blends reality and fiction as it follows Lakota rodeo star Brady Blackburn through external and internal crisis on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Inspired by the director’s time on the Reservation with first-time actor Brady Jandreau, The Rider landed four Independent Spirit Award nominations and a spot on Variety’s “10 Best Films of 2017” list. The closing night ticket package also includes admission to the official MSPIFF closing night festivities at A-Mill Artists Lofts. Celebrate yet another MSPIFF done right with Indeed Brewing and Chowgirls Catering, and try not to think about the fact that it’ll be an entire year before you can cram 250 films into two weeks again. 103 mins | April 28, 7:00 p.m. | Tickets $25 - $30 | St. Anthony Main Theatre
