20 Days in Mariupol is the work of a team of Associated Press photographers, who cataloged the ferocious bombing of this Ukrainian city and its effect on the civilian population. “[A] salute to the enduring resilience of a people who refuse to surrender their home.” –Allan Hunter, Screen Daily

An appealing, naturalistic drama about a Palestinian-Israeli teen who comes to grips with his fraught heritage as a pretty, outspoken girl from his high school class catalyzes his political awakening. –Alissa Simon

An irreverent look at the incredible rise and stunning fall of the world’s first smartphone. Writer/director Matt Johnson is joined on screen by Jay Baruchel (This Is the End) and Glenn Howerton (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) in outstanding seriocomic turns that have us rooting for the doomed misfits behind this incredible true story.

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

Emre, a young and dedicated prosecutor, is newly appointed to a small town hit by a water crisis and political scandals. After an initial welcome, he experiences an increasing number of tense interactions and is reluctantly dragged into local politics. 

Architect Ben thinks of himself as a socially progressive, enlightened gay man. But an interaction with neighbors in his gritty south Tel Aviv neighborhood challenges his view of himself. A smartly crafted, multi-layered satire about racial privilege, xenophobia and identity. –Alissa Simon

Working in a style reminiscent of Aki Kaurismaki or Elia Suleiman, director Wissam Charaf finds a fresh and appealing approach to contemporary social issues, using minimalist drama and deadpan humor to depict the endearing love story of Mehdia, an Ethiopian economic migrant/domestic worker and Ahmed, a homeless Syrian refugee. –Alissa Simon

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

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

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

Lawrence not only loves movies, he dreams of becoming a film director just like his idols. But he hasn’t got any money, he’s losing friends with his obsession and vanity, and life just keeps pressing down on him. “A film that is small but not slight, sweet but not cloying, and the kind of thing that can make even a cynical critic like movies again.” –Katie Rife, IndieWire

Daniel E. Freeman, author of Josef Myslivecek, "Il Boemo," and Patrick Dewane, artist and performer of The Accidental Hero, will be in attendance on Sun, April 23rd for a post screening discussion.

This sumptuous period drama recreates the tragic life and sublime music of now-forgotten Czech-born composer Josef Myslivecek (1737-1781). The film is visually and musically vivid, with “Il Boemo”’’s compositions performed by the Collegium 1704 ensemble and an eminent cast of singers, including Simona Saturova as Italian diva La Gabrielli. –Alissa Simon

Acclaimed director Emanuele Crialese returns to the international festival circuit with his autobiographical coming-of-age story of a 12-year-old with gender dysphoria trying to navigate Rome in the 1970s, and a family coming apart at the seams. “A grand and vibrant work of art.” –Lena Wilson, The Wrap

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

One of the discoveries of last year’s Venice festival, this beguilingly goofy comedy contains a personal and very touching story about fathers and sons. When identical twin Ukrainian brothers of different temperaments hear that their long-absent father is sick in Luxembourg, they set out to see him one last time. –Alissa Simon

Best of Fest Encore Screening

And now for something completely different … an offbeat crime thriller set in medieval Tallinn. Handsome young apothecary Melchior is known for his skill in diagnosing illnesses and concocting medications, but in addition, he has a knack for solving grisly murders. Estonia’s most-viewed film this year. –Alissa Simon

Best of Fest Encore Screening

Finnish director Härö makes a poignant English-language debut with an Ireland-set drama about a retired sea captain whose late-life romance with a comely widow is threatened by his adult daughter. The heartfelt story, convincing performances and glorious coastal landscape will delight his many fans and draw tears. –Alissa Simon

French auteur Dominik Moll’s newest thriller debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and mesmerized audiences. Based on a true story, The Night of the 12th is a powerful police procedural that will haunt you for days. A six-time César Award winner, including Best Film and Best Director.

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?

Best of Fest Encore Screening

Do you miss Claude Chabrol’s sly, twisty thrillers? Then you will love this suspenseful, blackly funny tale of family fortunes and squabbling relatives where nothing is as it originally seems. Call My Agent’s Laure Calamy is the first among equals in a powerhouse cast. –Alissa Simon

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

An intimate coming-of-age documentary portrait of young pianists taking part in the legendary International Chopin Piano Competition. A unique chance of the lifetime portrayed from the backstage. An emotional rollercoaster with Chopin’s music in the background.

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.

From writer/director Cristian Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days), this gripping drama set in rural Transylvania looks at the ethnic conflicts, economic resentments and personal turmoil roiling a Romania still in thrall to some dangerous traditions and beliefs. The arrival of Sri Lankan migrants adds fuel to the fire. –Alissa Simon

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.

Winning awards at five different international film festivals–including Toronto and Busan–not to mention nominated for nine Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards, Anthony Shim’s semi autobiographical film Riceboy Sleeps is sure to astound American audiences as well. “[A]n affectionate, sharply-observed portrait of family life.” –Allan Hunter, Screen Daily

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. 

Celebrated photographer, creative director and filmmaker Anton Corbijn’s first feature documentary Squaring the Circle (the story of hipgnosis) tells the story of Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell, the creative geniuses behind the iconic album art design studio, Hipgnosis, responsible for some of the most recognizable album covers of all time.

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.

Eleven-year-old Tori and 16-year-old Lokita are vulnerable African migrants, trying to make their way In contemporary Belgium, but their already precarious circumstances grow more complicated when the government refuses to give Lokita residence papers. From the acclaimed Belgian filmmaking duo Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.

Three of international cinema’s greatest actresses–Laure Calamy, Olivia Côte and Oscar-nominee Kristin Scott Thomas–unite for this crowd-pleasing tale of friends taking the trip of a lifetime, which doesn’t go at all as planned. 

In this taut moral thriller a Ukrainian immigrant in the Czech Republic compromises her conscience to protect her son, triggering a tremor in the fault lines of a divided society. –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. 

A group of ultra-Orthodox Jews from Aix-les-Bains travel to Calabria to harvest citrons for their Sukkot celebrations. Fatefully, the rabbi’s daughter and the farm owner realize they are kindred souls, both bound by tradition and family, while longing for self-realization. –Alissa Simon

Houman Seyedi’s World War III, a searing social critique, captivated audiences at the 2022 La Biennale di Venezia, and was Iran’s surprise entry to this year’s Academy Awards. “Houman Seyedi’s startling, audacious and truly entrancing satire, World War III, deserved (Oscar) consideration…” –Frank J. Avella, Awards Daily