Director Kamila Andini calls Before, Now & Then, “a simple period film,” but Indonesia’s tragic history reverberates throughout this tale of a woman’s lost love and her eventual redemption. “[A]n intoxicating work that holds the viewer in a tight, loving embrace that won’t let go.” –Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter

The closeted homosexuality of a married tailor who falls for his apprentice in the medina of Salé makes for daring content; daring because same-sex sexual relationships are illegal in Morocco. This sensitive, humanist drama captured a critics’ award at Cannes as well as numerous audience awards during its festival travels.–Alissa Simon 

In 1988, closeted gym teacher Jean lives in fear of Section 28, a clause of the Local Government Act prohibiting “the promotion of homosexuality” by local authorities across the United Kingdom. Her out-and-proud girlfriend fails to sympathize. Soon, a new girl at school catalyzes a crisis. Winner, Audience Award, Venice Days, Venice Film Festival –Alissa Simon

Best of Fest Encore Screening

Recommended ages 12+

Shy Mina does a 180 and leaps into the audition for an Instagram-famous hip-hop dancer’s new crew. There’s only one small problem: she can’t dance! A solid gold mix of comedy and heart-warming entertainment, Dancing Queen is an inspiring celebration of the power of dance (with a wink to ABBA’s smash hit). –Deb Girdwood

Nicaraguan filmmaker Laura Baumeister’s moving study of a mother and daughter scraping out a living next to a landfill was a standout at the Discovery programme at the Toronto International Film Festival. The first fiction feature directed by a Nicaraguan woman, Daughter of Rage is an instant classic, a searing portrait of lower-class life and the unbreakable spirit of children.

Adapted from Paolo Cognetti’s acclaimed novel, this Cannes jury prize-winning film is an epic exploration of the lifelong friendship of two very different men against the backdrop of a remote valley in Italy. Their different choices lead them to question what they want in life as they inspire each other. –Alissa Simon

Best of Fest Encore Screening

Oscar-nominated director Maite Alberdi (The Mole Agent) returns to MSPIFF with this compassionate story of Augusto and Paulina, a loving, elderly couple struggling with Alzheimer’s. 

During a remarkably hot summer, psychotherapist Ina discovers something wrong with her. But as usual, she ignores her problem to focus on her husband, her patients, her daughter and even her 70-year-old mother. But who’s looking out for Ina? Katharina Woll’s debut won Best Screenplay at the Munich Film Festival. 

A thrilling and lush coming-of-age tale of first crushes, heartbreaks, and loss. Thirteen-year-old Bastien gets paired up with a reluctant Chloé (16) when their families come together for a summer holiday in a cabin by the lake. But with teenage hormones and ghost stories in the mix, lines get crossed. –Alissa Simon

Special introduction by Boriken Cultural Center including a music and dance demonstration

Noelia’s cancer has returned and, exhausted by years of treatments, she chooses to retreat to Vieques, an island in Puerto Rico. Poisoned by contamination from the U. S. Army, the whole island seems to suffer, and with Hurricane Irma coming, Noelia seeks answers, and a sort of grace. 

Flamin’ Hot is the inspiring true story of Richard Montañez, the Frito Lay janitor who channeled his Mexican American heritage and upbringing to turn the iconic Flamin’ Hot Cheetos into a snack that disrupted the food industry and became a global pop culture phenomenon. –Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

James Beard-winning Author/Chef Amy Thielen (The New Midwestern Table) joins Director Laura Gabbert in conversation following the 7:00pm screening on Wednesday, April 26th at The Main Cinema.

Filmmaker Laura Gabbert focuses her camera on Ruth Reichl, one of America’s most beloved food writers, whose work to save small farms, ranches and restaurants in the face of corporate takeover makes for an amazing documentary. “An invitation into caring about the truth of how we eat.” –Alissa Wilkinson, Vox

Having tackled familial dysfunction in her fiction feature debut Little Wing (2017) and romantic woe in her follow-up Stupid Young Heart (2018), Finnish writer-director Selma Vilhunen blends the two themes in her engaging polyamory drama Four Little Adults evoking the middle-class relationship sturm-und-drang of much of Ingmar Bergman’s work. –Alissa Simon

In this riveting documentary about World War II, director Julia Mintz weaves together archival footage and interviews with the Jewish partisans who took up arms, hunkered down in the forests, and fought the Nazi war machine. 

Newly retired, Alice and her husband Peter are ready to finally enjoy their life as seniors. But their pent-up marital problems bubble to the surface on a cruise through the Mediterranean. The spouses end up going on separate journeys of self-discovery, each finding unexpected ways to spend their golden years. –Alissa Simon

A few months prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, five young women and men participate in a unique stage production that attempts to relate their war experiences to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The Hamlet Syndrome is a powerful portrait of a vibrant young Ukrainian generation, the first one born after the collapse of the Soviet Union, shaped by the Maidan Revolution of 2013, empowered by political change and scarred by war. 

Unfolding in the injured city of Sarajevo, a testament to open wounds and past pains, the action is set during a day-long speed-dating event. Forty-year-old Asje is matched with 43-year-old Zoran. As they participate in the activities, it becomes clear that Zoran is not looking for love, but forgiveness. –Alissa Simon

Director Caylee So and Writer/Actor Doua Moua Attending.

Based Doua Moua’s own script, director Caylee So’s The Harvest is the rare feature focusing on a Hmong American family. According to Moua, “As an actor, I was told my type of Asian does not fit into the narrative of America, which led me to writing narratives that I wanted to tell.”

From Mounia Meddour, the director of the international, Cesar-award-winning Papicha (2019) comes Houria, featuring an astonishing performance from Lyna Khoudri as a dancer who must fight a devastating injury to join Algeria’s National Ballet.  

MSPIFF42 Closing Film | Director Alexandria Bombach Attending.

Blending 40 years of home movies, raw film archive, and intimate present-day verité, a poignant reflection from Amy Ray & Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls – the iconic folk rock duo. A timely look into the obstacles, activism, and life lessons of two queer friends who never expected to make it big.

Generations of readers have found themselves in a Judy Blume book. Her name alone launches a flood of memories for anyone who’s gripped one of her many paperbacks. With humor, sensitivity, and a healthy dose of adolescent cringe, Judy Blume Forever tells the story of the woman whose trail-blazing books changed the way millions of readers understand themselves, their sexuality, and what it means to grow up.

Central Appalachia is a place of mountains and myth. Director Elaine McMillion Sheldon knows this well, calling those mountains home. Coal has had a profound influence on this community’s identity, but Sheldon dares to consider what future stories might look like out of the shadow of coal, now that relationships to coal are changing. She takes us on an alluring cinematic journey through the past, present, and future of Appalachia.

This astonishing black-and-white documentary tells the incredible stories of four Black transgender sex workers in New York and Georgia. Two-time Grammy nominee D. Smith’s stunning directorial debut took Sundance by storm. “??A raucous compilation of charismatic storytellers gathered in the most lively way possible.” –Nick Allen, RogerEbert.com

Best of Fest Encore Screening

It is the most sacred place on earth, the birthplace of the Lakota that has shaped thought, identity and philosophy for the Océti Šakówi? since time immemorial--the life-giving land known as the Black Hills. Lakota Nation vs. United States is a lyrical and provocative testament to a land and a people who have survived removal, exploitation and genocide--and whose best days are yet to come.

Best of Fest Encore Screening

This is a bold, disquieting and psychologically complex study of a 12-year-old girl suddenly freed from years of captivity and sexual abuse at the hands of her father. Winner, FIPRESCI Prize, Cannes –Alissa Simon

A fun and irreverent Spanish dramedy about a devoted churchgoing grandmother who stumbles across an explicit website and finds herself exploring long buried desires. Director Patricia Ortega’s debut feature is a fantastic story about retaking control of one’s life – important at any age!

Best of Fest Encore Screening

Minnesota filmmaker and festival favorite Dawn Mikkelson (Risking Light, 2018 MSPIFF) returns with this rousing documentary following six fierce members of Minnesota Roller Derby as they fight to win the Hydra, the prize for the best women's flat track roller derby team in the entire world.

July Jung’s scathing examination of workplace ethics received a 7-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, and is highlighted by fierce performances from Kim Si-eun and Bae Doona. “Amid such a bleak and slow burn of a premise, Jung’s Next Sohee is surprisingly warm-hearted.” –Manuel Betancourt, Variety  

When Iris, one of a pair of twins, decides to leave the family’s precious and isolated island to go to the city in search of her father, life will never be the same in Ana Cristina Barragán’s evocative portrait of a reclusive family and their elemental relationship to the natural world.

Director Marie-Michele Jasmin-Belisle Attending!

Ojibwa Warrior is the stirring documentary about Indigenous leader Nowa Cumig, known as Dennis Banks. From Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag (Leech Lake Reservation, Minnesota), Banks was the co-founder of the American Indian Movement (AIM) in Minneapolis. Through its many actions, AIM changed the course of American history: the seizing of Alcatraz, the Custer Riots and Wounded Knee, among others, fighting for the rights of Indigenous people. Narrated by actor, artist and activist Michael Horse and based on Banks’ autobiography, “Ojibwa Warrior: Dennis Banks and the Rise of the American Indian Movement”, Ojibwa Warrior is a definitive retrospective of the life of the inspiring leader.

In an allegorically cinematic world divided among three classes–Leads, Supporting Characters, and Outtakes–Paula dreams of being a Lead, where her life may literally have color for a change. But as her eyes open to the injustice of this world, will Paula fight back and risk being an Outtake?

When dedicated high school teacher Rachel (Virginie Efira) falls in love with Ali (Roschdy Zem), it’s not long before she also falls for his 4-year-old daughter Leila. Rachel must decide whether to embrace the inherent entanglements of her current situation, including the looming presence of Ali’s ex-wife Alice (Chiara Mastroanni) or strike out again on her own. Other People’s Children becomes a soulful, sexy, and resolutely grown-up story of the elusive quest for agency and belonging.

Marie Cissé lives in peace. Working at a retirement home in rural France, she spends time with her best friend and loves her job. But when Father Patrick arrives from her homeland, Marie’s life is about to come completely apart. Babetida Sadjo puts in “simply the best performance of the year, blowing everything else out of the water.” –Jennie Kermode, Eye for Film

Directors Rachael Dyer and Scott Alexander Ruderman + Special Guests Attending.

Nearly two million Americans suffer from diabetes, and without insulin they’ll die. And yet, in the wealthiest nation on earth, too many people don’t have the money to pay for it. Directors Scott Ruderman (who has type 1 diabetes) and Rachael Dyer expose the affordability crisis in this stirring–and infuriating–documentary.

When Iris’ father, Jan, decides that he is through with life and wants to end it all, the young woman must face life’s ultimate absurdity in Floor van der Meulen’s wonderfully dry but very moving comedy. Starring Julia Akkerman, “who boasts a Buster Keaton-esque blank face in which any emotion can stumble across.” –Stephen Saito, The Movable Feast

MSPIFF Encore Starts April 28 at The Main Cinema - Tickets Coming Soon Here

A merry mash up of sisterly affection, parental disappointment and bold action, Polite Society follows martial artist-in-training Ria Khan who believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting the help of her friends, Ria attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.

After an idyllic date night full of red wine and a late-night motorcycle ride home, Mia (Virginie Efira) stops at a Parisian bistro to take shelter from a downpour. Her reprieve is shattered when a gunman opens fire. Inspired by her brother’s surviving the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks, director Alice Winocour’s moving and meditative Revoir Paris is a moving meditation on grief, healing, and the importance of connections forged in tragedy.

Best of Fest Encore Screening

Post-screening conversation following the 1:50pm screening on Saturday, April 22nd at The Main Cinema.

It’s an American civil rights story rarely discussed: the right to read. In Jenny Mackenzie’s startling documentary, she follows an activist and teacher from Oakland and two families from the South who are trying to help children–especially Black and brown kids–to have the skills they need to succeed. 

Black people made America rich -- yet building prosperity in Black communities has been a constant challenge. Acclaimed filmmakers Sam Pollard and Asako Gladsjo’s documentary portrait offers rays of hope, suggesting that a more equitable future may be possible. Rise and Rebuild: A Tale of Three Cities follows change-makers in Wilmington, Atlanta, and Chicago as they build economic justice through homeownership, local politics, urban farming, and entrepreneurship. 

Faced with a setback on one of her own films, Mitra Farahani works as a sort-of cinematic matchmaker, orchestrating a correspondence between beloved Iranian filmmaker Ebrahim Golestan and the legendary Jean-Luc Godard. “Like a drink with an old friend who never stopped thinking onscreen.” –Nicolas Rapold, The New York Times

This film is part of Young French Cinema, a program of Unifrance and Villa Albertine. 

A sculptor preparing to open a new show must balance her creative life with the daily dramas of family and friends, in Kelly Reichardt's vibrant and captivatingly funny portrait of art and craft. “Quiet, clever, and a whole lot of fun.” –Alissa Wilkinson, Vox

Director Jasmin Mara López attending.

In this stunning and poetic autobiographical documentary, director Jasmin Mara López explores generations of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of her grandfather, a Baptist minister. Generously allowing viewers along on this personal, cinematic journey, López bravely reveals a beautiful grace in the process of healing.

“Observations of a post-Tik Tok China” is how directors Huang Ji and Ryuji Otsuka summarize their newest film. Selected as part of the 2022 New York Film Festival, this cinematic study of a young woman freefalling through China’s hyper-capitalist economy “refuses to offer easy answers.” –Steph Green, IndieWire

Director Nisha Pahuja Attending.

In To Kill a Tiger, Ranjit, a farmer in Jharkhand, India, takes on the fight of his life when he demands justice for his 13-year-old daughter, the victim of a brutal gang rape. In India, where a rape is reported every 20 minutes and conviction rates are less than 30 percent, Ranjit’s decision to support his daughter is virtually unheard of, and his journey unprecedented.

From MSPIFF favorite Rima Das (Village Rockstars, Bulbul Can Sing) comes this poignant tale of a kindly man struggling to keep his life above water during the ravages of the COVID lockdown. “[A] documentary-style sense of life unfolding rather than engineered drama.” –Wendy Ide, Screen Daily

Director Laura Citarella Attending.

Laura Citarella’s ambitious, 260-minute, two-part feature perplexed and delighted audiences at the The Venice Biennale, and cemented Argentine director Laura Citarella’s place in the pantheon. “[W]ill send pulses racing like the best of cinema does.” –Zhuo-Ning Su, The Film Stage

From 2011 to 2013, tubas were stolen from Los Angeles high schools. This is not a story about thieves or missing tubas. Instead, it asks what it means to listen. d/Deaf filmmaker Alison O’Daniel creates a mind-bending work of autofiction in this wonderfully creative documentary. You will never see–nor experience–anything like The Tuba Thieves.

At a time when women must fight again for control of their bodies, this affecting, fact-based, period drama, about a rebellious teen forced into the Sprogø Women’s Home in the 1930s, contains extra resonance. Can Maren’s lively spirit survive the harsh administrators and the head doctor who supports eugenics-based sterilization? –Alissa Simon

In response to the 250th anniversary of James Cook’s second landing in Australia, ten Indigenous filmmakers created eight powerful short films, stories of hope that span a 1,000 years in the past to a millennium in the future. 

Best of Fest Encore Screening

From Oscar-winning filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Wild Life is a sweeping portrait of conservationists Kris and Doug Tompkins chronicling their fight to preserve one of the last truly wild places on earth. An epic, decades-spanning love story as wild as the landscapes they dedicated their lives to protecting.