MVFF42 Program 2019 by CAFILM

PHOTOS l to r: Eddie Hernandez, Tommy Lau, Caity Ussery, Bobby Pin, Aaron Thompson, Eddie Hernandez

DOWNLOAD THE NEW APP FROM

PHOTO: CHRISTO P HER MARKISZ

D IRECTOR ’S N OTE

How will the movies survive? In recent months, the New York Times and IndieWire ran in-depth articles outlining the challenges facing films, both big and small: Hollywood, independent, and international. The dominance of blockbusters, the rise of streaming at the expense of theaters, and fewer opportunities for distribution are creating a perfect storm of uncertainty for filmmakers at a time when, ironically, more films are being made. That’s where the Mill Valley Film Festival comes in, to ease that anxiety.

The best hope for sustaining and growing a diverse climate for indie and arthouse films are festivals like Mill Valley, along with not-for-profit, mission-based community theaters. These are places that attract audiences hungry for a wide-ranging menu of films with ideas—that express a strong viewpoint, that are art, that reflect diversity.

By “diversity,” I don’t just mean race, ethnicity, and gender, although that is, of course, part of it. But I also mean that film is a panorama and MVFF reflects that, adding to the definition of diversity with a slate that is inclusive of narrative and documentary; English-language and subtitled foreign films; American indie films starring unknowns and Hollywood films starring, well, stars.

But as different as they all are, the ﬁlms at MVFF have a few things in common: They entertain and have something to say in creative ways; they connect us all as people, despite our differences; and the emotions and ideas they express are universal in nature.

As Roger Ebert says... movies are an empathy machine.

That empathy is reflected in a film like Harriet, Kasi Lemmons’ powerful dramatization of the life of Harriet Tubman, the slave-turned-conductor of the Underground Railroad, magnificently portrayed by Cynthia Erivo. Recently, The New York Times Magazine published The 1619 Project, an examination of the legacy of slavery in the US, published in conjunction with the 400th anniversary of the day African slaves first arrived on North American shores.

Harriet is clearly part of that legacy, and it is not alone. Two other dramas, Destin Daniel Cretton’s Just Mercy —starring Michael B. Jordan as famed civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson working to free an innocent man on death row—and Chinonye Chukwu’s Clemency —with Alfre Woodard as a warden buckling under the

pressure of her latest execution of a possibly innocent man— similarly ﬁt the 1619 narrative with their examinations of the criminal justice system’s injustice toward African Americans.

Expanding our scope beyond the lens of the US, what comes into focus is a world in turmoil. While Americans are increasingly consumed with the upcoming presidential election in 2020, the rest of the planet confronts its own issues. Cannes Jury Prize winner Bacurau blends genres, including thriller, sci-fi, and satire, to look at the encroachment of the world inspired by corruption and greed in the name of so-called “progress” (a film with even more resonance, given the recent Amazon fires). Last Men in Aleppo filmmaker Feras Fayyad’s latest documentary, The Cave, continues his examination of the ongoing tragedy of the Syrian civil war. The thriller Watch List explores the horror of Filipino strongman Rodrigo Duterte’s draconian war on drugs. In Sorry We Missed You, Ken Loach investigates the impact of the gig economy on the UK through one family’s experience.

But it is not all so serious. This year, MVFF is happy to present a whole range of ﬁlms about art and artists that entertain as they uplift. Among them is the late Agnès Varda’s entrancing swan song, Varda by Agnès, her own delightful summation of her singular career. Eddie Murphy dazzles as comedian Rudy Ray Moore in Craig Brewer’s hilarious Dolemite Is My Name Phil Tippett: Mad Dreams and Monsters focuses on the career of the stop-motion animator who created Return of the Jedi ’s Jabba the Hutt. The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash and You Gave Me a Song: The Life and Music of Alice Gerrard are fascinating documentaries recalling those exceptional musicians’ lives and works.

MVFF is also proud to kick off awards season in high style. Last year, we presented eventual Best Picture Oscar® winner Green Book. We may repeat with Honey Boy, written by and starring Shia LeBeouf and based on his own life; James Mangold’s racecar drama Ford v Ferrari; Pedro Almodóvar’s drama of a ﬁlmmaker at a low ebb, Pain and Glory ; Taika Waititi’s uproarious Nazi sendup Jojo Rabbit ; or one of our many other glittering titles, so often accompanied by glittering guests on our big nights.

I am proud of the work we do during the festival and with our year-round programming. I am proud that film lovers from the Bay Area and beyond know that they will always find films that enrich and entertain them here. Welcome to the 42 nd Mill Valley Film Festival, where movies don’t just survive; they thrive.

Mark Fishkin, MVFF Founder/Director

MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL SPONSORS

SIGNATURE

CHRISTOPHER B. AND JEANNIE MEG SMITH

MAJOR

OFFICIAL AIRLINE

SILVER CIRCLE

PREMIER MEDIA

MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL SPONSORS

M AJOR FOUNDATION SUPPORT

GRUBER FAMILY FOUNDATION

RESONANCE PHILANTHROPIES

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

FESTIVAL CIRCLE

DONOR CIRCLE

LEADERSHIP

Christopher B. and Jeannie Meg Smith

Jennifer Coslett MacCready

Nancy P. and Richard K. Robbins Family Foundation

Vickie Soulier

INVESTOR

Jim Boyce Trust and Kris Otis

Gruber Family Foundation

Gordon Radley

PL ATINUM

Resonance Philanthropies

Christine A. Schantz

Michael and Susan Schwartz Fund

Ken and Jackie Broad Family Fund

Kamala Geroux-Berry and David Berry

Genuine Article Pictures

Nancy Abodeely

Kenneth Birdwell

Susan Bolle

Alice Corning

Drusie and Jim Davis,

Drusie Davis Family Fund

Carol DiFeo

Stephanie DiMarco

Michael Dyett and Heidi Richardson

Vivian Kaufman Fund

Daniel Kenyon and

Michelle Marchetta Kenyon

Mobley Family Fund

SILVER

Egide Family Foundation

Dennis P. Fisco and Pamela Polite Fisco

Lorrie and Mark Fishkin

Linda Gomez

Griswold Family Fund,

Bob and Alex Griswold

Maureen Groper

Margaret E. Haas

Lynne Hale

Maggie O’Donnell and Josh Floum

Jonathan and Deborah Parker

The Jay Pritzker Foundation

Tom and Barbara Harrison

Andree and John Jansheski

Willa Jefferson-Stokes

Katz Family Foundation

Pat Kendall

Dr. Joe Keon

Margaret Keon

Marion Krott

K.C. and Steve Lauck

We thank this vital group of individuals who believe in the power of storytelling through film to inspire, educate and entertain. Their support advances the expression of independent voices of individuals and cultures from around the globe.

Kenneth and Vera Meislin

Stephen and Mary Mizroch

James Mochizuki

Linda Morgan

Andra Munteanu

Cathy and Robert Nourafshan

Anonymous (4)

Clara Basile

Jane Bay

Alletta Bayer

Dave and Ann Peckenpaugh Becker

Susan and William Beech

Inez Brooks-Myers

Marc and Robin Bussin

Anthony Campodonico

Jan Capper

Joe and Sue Carlomagno

Tom Cohen and Kristi Denton Cohen

Joel and Justine Coopersmith

Suzette deVogelaere

Gayle Donsky and Morton J. Stein

Julia Erickson and Art Rothstein

Catherine and Peter Flaxman

Janet Fox

Paragon Energy Capital

Gertrud Parker

Mary and Bill Poland

Eric Schwartz and Magda Wesslund

Jann Stanley and Soren Dalsager

BRONZE

Gerald L. and

Sheree A. Friedman

Michelle Grifﬁn and Tom Parker

Amy Miller Gross

Robin Hauser

Richard J. Idell and Susan Kornblatt Idell

Elisabeth and Howard Jaffe

Amy Keroes and Jeff Fisher

Thomas Koegel and Anne La Follette

The Kustel Family

Letty Ledbetter

Dawn Lyon

Cynthia Maram

Cindy and John McCauley

Catherine and Ted McKown

Rosemary and Kevin McNeely

Monahan Parker, Inc.

Suki and Russell Munsell

Alex Nourafshan

Mona Steinberg

Patricia Tanoury

Laura Tauber

Henry O. Timnick

Sue and Steve Weinswig

Paul Zaentz

Roberta O’Neale

Lorne and Ilona Parker

Henry Pilger and Mary Mewha

Tucky and John Pogue

Mark and Dorian Polite

Put and Pari

Carolyn Cavalier Rosenberg, Dr. Sanford Rosenberg and Media Research Associates

Karen and Harry Rosenbluth

Jack and Judy Sherman

Susan and Joel Sklar

Elliott and Shayna Stein

Carol Tabb

Mel and Lois Tukman

Karen Williams

Kate Wilson

Teresa Wolf

Zach and Marlies Zeisler

Mel and Patricia Ziegler

TICKET I NG

box oFFices

• Smith RAfAel film CeNteR, 1118 Fourth St, San Rafael

CFI Membership ticket sales begin:

Premier Patron & above Sept 8-9 4:00–8:00pm

Director’s Circle & above Sept 10 -11 4:00–8:00pm

All CFI members Sept 12–13 4:00–8:00pm

General public Sept 14–Oct 2 4:00–8:00pm

In-person and online sales begin at 4:00pm the first day for each tier listed above

Oct 3–13

One hour before first screening each day to 15 min after last show starts

• poet ANd the beNCh, 11 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley Sept 14–Oct 2 11:00am–3:00pm

• outdooR AR t Club, 1 W Blithedale Ave, Mill Valley Oct 3–13 One hour before first screening each day to 15 min after last show starts

• lARk the AteR, 549 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur

• CENTURY L ARKSPUR L ANDING, 500 Larkspur Landing Cir, Larkspur Open one hour before first screening each day

TICKET PRICES

General admission

CFI members

Seniors (65+)

Students

Educators

5@5 Programs

Youth (12 & under)

$16.50

$14.00

$15.00

$8.00 student ID required

$8.00 educator credential required

$10.50

$8.00

CONVENIENCE FEES: (All fees are nonrefundable)

Mail

Phone

$3.75 per order

$10.00 flat fee per order

In-person No service fee

Online No service fee

CFI MOBILE APP

The California Film Institute app connects you to all of the fantastic films, special events, and more happening year-round at the Smith Rafael Film Center, Mill Valley Film Festival, and DocLands Documentary Film Festival.

• Explore our diverse programs

• Create your own schedule

• Purchase tickets - NO ONLINE SERVICE FEES

• Exclusive app-only invitations and offers

Search “California Film Institute” or “CFI” on Google Play or the App Store

WILL CALL

You must bring a valid photo ID that corresponds with the name on the credit card used to purchase the tickets.

RUSH TICKETS

Rush tickets (day-of-show tickets) often become available 15 minutes prior to showtime for shows that no longer have advance tickets for sale. The Rush line forms outside each venue one hour before showtime. Rush tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis approximately 15 minutes prior to showtime. No discounts.

All ticket orders are final. No refunds, exchanges, substitutions, or reprints. MVFF is not responsible for lost, stolen, forgotten, or damaged tickets, or tickets misdirected by the post office.

consent to be photographed/ F il Med: California Film Institute and its representatives may photograph, film, and/or otherwise record attendees at all festival activities. By attending, you consent to such photography, filming and/or recording and to any use in any and all media throughout the universe in perpetuity and without compensation for the use of your appearance, voice, and name for promotional and/or advertising, or any other purpose by California Film Institute and its affiliates and representatives.

NAVIG ATI NG

THEATERS

CINÉARTS SEQUOIA 25 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley

SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER 1118 Fourth St, San Rafael

CENTURY L ARKSPUR LANDING 500 Larkspur Landing Cir, Larkspur

LARK THEATER 549 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur

BAMPFA 2155 Center St, Berkeley

gU idelines & rU les

• ARRIVE EARLY To guarantee admittance, ticket and pass holders must be in the appropriate line 30 minutes prior to published showtime. Doors typically open 30 minutes before showtime.

• With the exception of MVFF films shown at the BAMPFA venue, entry to theaters occurs in the following order:

• Seat saving is not allowed.

• Outside food and beverages are not permitted.

• All cell phones and devices must be turned off prior to program introduction.

• The use of cameras and other recording equipment is strictly prohibited during all screenings and programs.

• Take personal items and trash with you as you exit.

reser V ed seats

F ilMM aK erlo U nges

MILLVALLE Y

OUTDOOR ART CLUB, 1 West Blithedale Ave

Oct 4–12 10:00am—9:00pm

Oct 13 10:00am—5:00pm

SANRAFAEL

MARK FISHKIN ROOM, 1112 Fourth St

Oct 4–12 10:00am—9:00pm

Oct 13 10:00am—5:00pm

FILMMAKER CHECK-IN (Mill Valley only):

Oct 3–12 11:00am—5:00pm

FILMMAKER HAPPY HOUR: 5:00–7:00pm (both lounges)

FILMMAKER LOUNGE ACCESS: All badges with an “L”

b ag & pac K age p olicy

In an effort to enhance the safety and security of our guests and employees: Any bags or packages measuring larger than 12” x 12” x 6” will not be permitted into the theatre. Exception: Medical equipment bags and diaper bags.

Please DO NOT sit in a reserved seat unless it has been arranged for you. Please DO NOT stand near the reserved seats in hopes that they will be released. MVFF staff and volunteers will release reserved seats whenever possible, but it is not guaranteed, and the aisles need to remain clear while the theater is being seated.

ACCESSIBILIT Y

MVFF is excited to partner with the MARIN CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING to continually improve our efforts to ensure you have access to all Festival amenities. Please ask on-site staff if you need assistance with early seating and/or assisted-listening devices. If you require effective communication in the form of an ASL Interpreter, please contact us at info@cafilm.org at least 10 days prior to the screening you will be attending.

OPENING NIGHT C ENTERPIE CE

JUST MERCY

Expected Guests: JAMIE FOXX, TIM BL AK E NELSON, and ROB MORGAN

In Monroeville, Alabama—To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee’s lifelong home—African American Walter McMillian (O scar® winner Jamie Foxx) was sentenced to death for killing a white woman in 1988. As a result, a real-life, modern-day Atticus Finch in the form of recent Harvard Law grad Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) challenged a corrupt, racist system to free an innocent man. Foxx and Jordan deliver indelible performances alongside standout supporting cast members Brie Larson, T im Blake Nelson, and Rob Morgan in Destin Daniel Cretton’s (Short Term 12 ) gripping drama adapted from famed civil rights attorney Stevenson’s searing memoir.

US 2019, 136 min Director Destin Daniel Cretton

Thursday, October 3, 7:00pm

CinéArts Sequoia & Smith Rafael Film Center

Program & Gala: $110 member | $125 general

Program Only: $55 member | $60 general

Simulcast house: $40 member | $45 general

Gala Only: $55 member | $65 general

OPENING NIGHT SPONSOR

OPENING NIGHT GALA

9:00pm–Midnight | Marin Country Mart

2257 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur

Live music by The Soul Pros

OPENING NIGHT GALA SPONSOR

WAVES

Waves of closeness, distance, pain, and joy mark the swells of our most intimate relationships. T his is the subject of director Trey Edward S hults’ (Krisha, It Comes at Night ) impressive third feature, centering on the complicated family dynamics of three couples whose lives and loves hang in the balance. Catherine (Renée Elise Goldsberry, Altered Carbon ) and Ronald Williams (Sterling K. Brown of This Is Us in an incredibly powerful turn) have worked hard to build a comfortable life in Miami for their children Ty and Emily. When Ty’s girlfriend makes a decision that will permanently impact their futures, Ty reacts, with tragic consequences. T he story shifts to Emily and her growing intimacy with classmate Luke (a wonderfully understated Lucas Hedges). Saddled with the weight of unhealed family wounds, the two offer each other comforts neither can ﬁnd at home. With a fantastic score by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, Waves is an unﬂinching and delicately-crafted portrait of family and forgiveness

US 2019, 135 min Director Trey Edward Shults

Wednesday, October 9, 7:00pm | Smith Rafael Film Center Program & Reception: $75 member | $85 general Program Only: $40 member | $45 general

Post-screening Reception | Tam Commons Tap Room and Kitchen 1300 Fourth Street, San Rafael

Regular Screening: Friday, Oct 11, 11:30am Sequoia

EVENT SPONSOR

CL OSING NIGHT

FORD v FERR ARI

Expected Guest: JAMES MANGOLD

Academy Award ® winners Matt Damon and Christian Bale star in this energetic, fully loaded biographical drama from acclaimed director James Mangold (Logan ). Based on the remarkable true story of automotive designer Carroll Shelby and fearless driver Ken Miles, Ford v Ferrari details how an eccentric, underdog team of engineers battled corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build the revolutionary GT40 race car for Ford Motor Company. T heir purpose? To challenge the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans competition in France.

US 2019, 152 min Director James Mangold

Sunday, October 13, 4:30pm | Smith Rafael Film Center

MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN

Edward Norton makes a glorious, conﬁdent transition into the director’s chair with a stylish, engrossing adaptation of Jonathan Lethem’s acclaimed 1999 novel of the same name, an intricate, noir-ish story set in 1950s Brooklyn. When a deceptively routine case for a detective agency proves deadly, the team of gumshoes—led by Lionel Essrog, a man with Tourette’s syndrome and an uncanny photographic memory—dives head-ﬁrst into their investigation, uncovering a dangerous coverup and high-ranking corruption within the elected city planning committee of Brooklyn. Norton elicits effectively memorable turns from his prodigious A-list cast, which includes Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Gugu Mbathaw- Raw, Cherry Jones, and Willem Dafoe.

US 2019, 144 min Director Edward Norton

Sunday, October 13, 5:00pm | CinéArts Sequoia

CLOSING NIGHT SPONSOR

Program & Party: $85 member | $95 general

Program Only: $50 member | $55 general

Simulcast house: $40

CLOSING NIGHT PART Y SPONSOR

CLOSING NIGHT PARTY

7:00pm–10:00pm | San Rafael Elks Lodge 1312 Mission Ave, San Rafael

Live music by Quinn DeVeaux

IN D THE GAP AWA RD

ANNA SERNER

Recognized internationally as one of those in the forefront of the charge towards gender equity in film, Anna Serner has put her money where her mouth is. She was one of the first to commit to financing women’s and men’s films equally in her role as CEO of the Swedish Film Institute. Serner is a renowned speaker on this topic and has commissioned several studies, including the recent “T he Money I ssue,” which is the theme for this year’s Mind the Gap Summit (see page 22). In 2016, Serner presented the 50/50 by 2020 initiative at the Cannes Film Festival. T he movement has spread, inspiring the 50/50 Pledge launched at Cannes in 2018, signed by numerous international film festivals including M V FF. In honor of Serner’s work, M V FF42 has an Eye on Sweden focus (see page 28), and will be presenting Serner with the Mind the Gap Award at the screening of Gabriela Pichler’s Amateurs (see page 32)

AMATEURS (Amatörer )

O utsourcing and unemployment have come to the once-thriving Swedish hamlet of Lafors. To entice a German superstore into opening a new location there, the town council enlists a Stockholm ﬁlmmaker for a promo/puff-piece, with dubious results. When plucky local teenage BFFs Aida and Dana take matters into their own hands, it’s “lights, camera… action!”

Sweden 2018, 102 min Director Gabriela Pichler

Friday, October 4, 6:30pm | Smith Rafael Film Center

$14 member | $16.50 general

OLIVIA WILDE

Actress-producer-director Olivia Wilde soared onto the Hollywood scene in the early 2000s, starring in Alpha Dog, TRON: Legacy, Cowboys & Aliens, Butter, Drinking Buddies, Better Living Through Chemistry, and Her (among others), and recently received widespread acclaim for her directorial debut, Booksmart. Multi-hyphenate Wilde is also a board member of Artists for Peace and Justice and has executive produced several documentary shorts. Next up: a role in Clint Eastwood’s next feature and directing and starring in her sophomore ﬁlm, a psychological thriller called Don’t Worry, Darling

T his presentation with O livia Wilde will delve into the process of developing her recent successful feature film directorial debut Booksmart, a timely coming-of-age, whip-smart feminist comedy. The conversation will also explore her distinguished acting career and her personal activism. Wilde will discuss her experience as a firsttime director and how her experience working with other directors— among them, O scar ® winners Ron Howard, Stefan Ruzowitzky, and Paul Haggis—as an actor shaped her approach to Booksmart. A modern-day Renaissance woman of the film industry, M V FF is honored to spotlight the many facets of O livia Wilde.

Friday, October 4, 8:00pm | Smith Rafael Film Center

$40 member | $45 general

SPONSORED BY

SPOT L IGHT

ROBERT PATTINSON

Robert Pattinson’s brilliant career is a study in celebrity, strategy, and subtle genius. His meteoric rise to stardom launched by the juggernaut Twilight series, Pattinson opted to stretch his professional skills, leverage his status, and successfully embrace independent projects with a wide array of challenging roles from cinema’s ﬁnest auteurs including David Cronenberg (Maps to the Stars ), Claire Denis (High Life ), Werner Herzog (Queen of the Desert ), James Gray (The Lost City of Z ), and the Safdie brothers (Good Time ).

THE LIGHTHOUSE

In his eagerly anticipated follow-up to The Witch, director Robert Eggers enlists the prodigious talents of Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe for a stunning Gothic thriller—winner of the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes—set on a tumultuous isle off the coast of New England. Shot on stunning black-and-white 35mm ﬁlm and loosely inspired by the writings of Herman Melville and poet Sarah O rne Jewett as well as the diaries of late-19th century lighthouse keepers, Eggers sets the stage for a wildly impressive acting showdown between two powerhouse artists, who deliver riveting full-bodied performances that rank among the best of their careers.

US 2019, 110 min Director Robert Eggers

Saturday, October 5, 7:30pm | CinéArts Sequoia Program & Reception: $85 member | $95 general Post-screening Reception: Outdoor Art Club

1 W. Blithedale, Mill Valley

EVENT SPONSOR

RESTOR A TION

THOUSAND PIECES OF GOLD

Expected Guest: NANCY KELLY

Lauded by the LA Times ’ Michael Wilmington as “independent in the best sense of the word,” adding “the emotions are felt, the textures are true; the ﬁlm, rich and moving,” this beloved masterwork from director Nancy Kelly (her only narrative feature to date) is a harrowing and inspiring tale of resilience, survival, and unexpected romance. After being sold into marriage by her destitute father, Lalu (a ﬁercely commanding Rosalind Chao) is transported from China to the American O ld West against her will. Stranded far from home in a treacherous, alien land and pawned off from one male owner to the next, Lalu must learn to navigate her own independence while consistently being treated as property. Co-starring O scar ® winner Chris Cooper as a sympathetic saloon owner and set against the dusty yet sumptuous backdrop of a thriving Idaho gold-mining town at the turn of the 20th century, Thousand Pieces of Gold was based on the life of Chinese American pioneer Polly Bemis and adapted from San Francisco author Ruthanne Lum McCunn’s novel. Discover—or revisit—this sweeping epic as it was meant to be seen in this new 4K restoration by IndieCollect, under the supervision of director Nancy Kelly and Kenji Yamamoto.

US/UK 1990, 105 min Director Nancy Kelly

Sunday, October 6, 2:15pm | Century Larkspur $14 member | $16.50 general

INMATE #1: THE RISE OF DANNY TRE JO

Expected Guests: DANNY TRE JO and BRETT HARVE Y

With nearly 400 film and television credits, Danny Trejo is one of the most prolific and recognizable actors around. But his remarkable ascent to beloved Hollywood tough guy in Heat , Breaking Bad , and Machete was as hard-earned as it was unexpected. In this funny and revealing portrait, Trejo candidly traces his own sensational journey from troubled youth and San Quentin prison inmate, to ubiquitous film star, philanthropist, and role model. With testimonials from Robert Rodriguez, Cheech Marin, and Michelle Rodriguez, this affecting profile is as raw and intimate as it is a buoyant celebration of an exceptional life.

US PREM IE RE

Canada 2019, 108 min Director B rett Harvey

Sunday, October 6, 2:30pm | Smith Rafael Film Center

Program & Reception: $30 member | $35 general

Program: $20 member | $25 general

Simulcast houses: $14 member | $16.50 general

Post-screening Reception | San Rafael Elks Lodge Maple Lawn Terrace | 1312 Mission Avenue, San Rafael

ALFRE WOODARD

American actress, producer, and political activist Alfre Woodard is one of the most versatile and accomplished actors of her generation. S plitting her time between diverse roles on the big and small screens, her ﬁlm credits include her O scar ® -nominated turn in Cross Cree k, Passion Fish, Love & Basketball, and 12 Years a Slave. Woodard won her ﬁrst Emmy ® for Hill Street Blues and graced TV screens with recurring roles on True Blood , Luke Cage, and Desperate Housewives

CLEMENCY

Prison warden Bernadine Williams (Alfre Woodard) has presided over many executions. When a presumably innocent cop killer is slated to die, she ﬁnds herself reaching a breaking point. T his extraordinary death-row drama—the Grand Prize winner at Sundance—is one rawnerve look at the toll that taking a life takes on everyone involved and conﬁrms Woodard’s status as one of the greatest actors working today.

US 2019, 110 min Director Chinonye Chukwu

O ur Tribute program features an onstage conversation with Alfre Woodard and Chinonye Chukwu, a screening of Clemency, and the presentation of the M V FF Award.

Sunday, October 6, 5:00pm | CinéArts Sequoia Program & Reception: $75 member | $85 general Program Only: $40 member | $45 general

Post-screening Reception: Outdoor Art Club

SPONSORED BY

EVENT SPONSOR

SPOT L IGHT

KRISTEN STEWART

Kristen Stewart’s star was on a steady rise prior to the Twilight series pushing her career into overdrive, having appeared in numerous ﬁlms since age 8, including Panic Room and Into the Wild Stewart’s post-Twilight career has seen her achieve international acclaim, in ﬁlms like Certain Women, Personal Shopper, Lizzie, JT LeRoy, and Clouds of Sils Maria , for which she won a César Award (France’s O scar ® equivalent).

SEBERG

In a performance both shattering and captivating, Kristen Stewart transforms into tragic screen legend and fashion icon Jean Seberg, an American actress who became an instant international ﬁlm darling following Godard’s Breathless and whose progressive political ties to the Black Panther party made her a person of interest for the FBI. Echoes of both the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements rattle beneath every sumptuous frame of Rachel Morrison’s (Mudbound ) cinematography, as Seberg tries to stay aﬂoat amid a Hoover-era surveillance operation run by a promising rookie agent (a smoldering Jack O’Connell, Starred Up). In English and French with English subtitles

US/UK 2019, 96 min Director B enedict A ndrews

Our Spotlight program features an onstage conversation with Kristen Stewart, a screening of Seberg, and the presentation of the MVFF Award.

Monday, October 7, 7:00pm | Smith Rafael Film Center

$65 member | $75 general

Simulcast house: $30

Regular Screening: Tuesday, Oct 8, 3:30pm Sequoia

MICHAEL APTED

British director and producer Michael Apted is one of the most proliﬁc and dynamic directors of his generation, known for the ongoing Up documentary series and lauded narratives Enigma , Coal Miner’s Daughter, and Nell. Apted is equally acclaimed for creating impactful ﬁlms with a strong social message or ethical dilemma, including Gorky Park , Class Action, Gorillas in the Mist , and Extreme Measures He won two BAF TAs for various installations of the Up series.

63 UP

Michael Apted’s evolving masterwork, the U p series, has now reached its ninth installation: 63 Up. Unique in the annals of cinema and cultural history, 7 Up was created for British television in 1964, intended as a program that looked at education in the class system in England. Apted has revisited the group of young people he documented at that time every seven years—with varying degrees of cooperation as these kids grew up.

UK 2019, 138 min Director Michael A pted

O ur Tribute program features an onstage conversation with Michael Apted, a screening of 63 Up, and the presentation of the M V FF Award.

Tuesday, October 8, 6:30 pm | CinéArts Sequoia

$40 member | $45 general

SPONSORED BY

THE GREAT 14TH: TENZIN GYATSO, THE 14TH DALAI LAMA IN HIS OWN WORDS

Expected Guests: ROSEMARY R AWCLIFFE

and TENDZIN CHOEGYAL, the Dalai Lama’s youngest brother

How does one capture the essence of one of the most legendary lives of our time? A boundless and heroic life ﬁlled with extraordinary loss, resilience, and achievement—and a man whose philosophy of kindness continues to inspire millions of people around the world, regardless of faith or political persuasion? In this profound and inspiring portrait of the 14th Dalai Lama, the answer is: In his own words. T hrough intimate conversations and previously unreleased archival images, the Dalai Lama reveals his story and his experience of the personal, political, spiritual, and historical events that shaped his life. The Great 14th offers an extraordinary, unprecedented insight into the complexities of his life—from past lives of the 5th and 13th Dalai Lamas to his current life as the spiritual and former political leader of T ibet and as a tireless Nobel Peace Laureate. T his is a story—and a ﬁlm—for the ages, revealing the soul of the simple monk who aspires every day to walk the enlightened path of the Bodhisattva. WOR LD PREM IE RE

US 2019, 82 min Director Rosemary Rawcliffe

Thursday, October 10, 6:15 pm | Smith Rafael Film Center

$14 member | $16.50 general

Regular Screening: Saturday, Oct 12, 2:00pm Rafael

THE TRUTH (La vérité)

Master auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda, Palme d’O r winner for Shoplifters (M V FF 2018), directs his first film outside his native Japan, venturing to Paris for a contemplative family drama starring two of Gallic cinema’s biggest stars, Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche. As glamorous movie star Fabienne Dangeville (Deneuve) readies her latest film, a science-fiction drama about a mother who never ages seen through the lifecycle of her daughter and prepares to publish a highly fabricated memoir, her estranged daughter Lumir (a splendid Binoche) arrives with her struggling actor husband (Ethan Hawke) and child for a visit. Fabienne’s projects act as a catalyst, forcing the women to face longburied, painful truths, a confrontation that will either bring them closer or rupture their relationship completely. With keen knowledge of French cinema and literature, Kore-eda astutely lends the observant, tender eye his audiences have come to cherish to a Francophile’s dream project, the opener of this year’s Venice Film Festival. In French and English with English subtitles US PREM IE RE

France/Japan 2019, 106 min Director Hirokazu Kore-eda

Check MVFF.com for program and event information.

Post-screening Reception | Outdoor Art Club

1 W. Blithedale, Mill Valley

Regular Screening: Saturday, Oct 12, 2:45pm Rafael

NANCY P.

SPONSORED BY

and RICHARD K. ROBBINS FAMILY FO U NDAT ION

EVENT SPONSOR

LAUR A DERN

Laura Dern is having an incredible year. It’s a standout in a career marked by remarkable performances, from her indelible beginnings in Marin-based Smooth Talk (M V FF 1985) to her 2014 O scar ® -nominated role in Wild (M V FF Award 2014). Along the way are unforgettable moments: Being chased by dinosaurs (Jurassic Park) to hearing things (Blue Velvet) to the inimitable Admiral Hondo—pow!—in The Last Jedi In this onstage conversation, Dern delves into her art as an actor, looking particularly at her most recent works. T his year has seen: A reprise of her role as the deliciously intense, crazy-protective mom and tech honcho Renata Klein on Big Little Lies, a role which already won her both an Emmy ® and a Golden Globe ®; the compassionate but tough divorce lawyer in Noah Baumbach’s sublime Marriage Story ; and the ultimate mother of daughters, Marmee, in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women

What’s notable in all these roles is that Dern has become the master (should that be mistress?) of supporting roles—not just in awards jargon sense, but as an actor at the top of her game who delivers rich performances that demonstrate why she is such a revered and beloved actor: What shines through her work is not just her sheer mastery of the art and craft of acting, but the depth of the connection she makes with her fellow actors. S he understands how to support.

T he program will include the presentation of the Mind the Gap Award for Actor of the Year.

Saturday, October 12, 3:00pm | Smith Rafael Film Center

$20 member | $25 general

BLACKBIRD

Expected Guest: ROGER MICHELL

With unvarnished clarity, unﬂinching courage, and delicate grace, versatile British director Roger Michell (Tea with the Dames , Le Week-End , MV FF 2013) sensitively examines the complex strands of parental, sibling, and other intimate relationships as three generations of an American family gather over the course of a weekend to bid farewell to their matriarch Lily (Susan Sarandon), who has chosen to take control over her ﬁnal moments before end-stage AL S robs her of that dignity. Lily uses her indomitable will and her wicked sense of humor to counter the physical pain, but the idyllic weekend she envisioned is quickly sabotaged by her sparring adult daughters (Kate Winslet and Mia Wasikowska) who cast last minute doubts about her end-of-life decision.

US PREM IE RE

UK 2019, 138 min Director Roger Michell

Saturday, October 12, 4:30pm | CinéArts Sequoia Program & Reception: $30 member | $35 general Program Only: $20 member | $25 general

Post-screening Reception | Outdoor Art Club

1 W. Blithedale, Mill Valley

Regular Screening: Sunday, Oct 13, 11:15am Sequoia

DAYS OF THE BAGNOLD SUMMER

Expected Guests: SIMON BIR D and EARL CAVE

When plans to visit his father in Florida are abruptly canceled, 15-yearold Metallica superfan Daniel (Earl Cave, brilliant in his big-screen debut) begrudgingly spends the summer at home in the British ‘burbs with his cheery librarian mum, Sue (Monica Dolan, Pride ). O ver the course of the summer, each is pushed to the limits of their comfort zone, and both follow Sue’s longtime motto to “try something new.” With pitch-perfect performances by Dolan and Cave (and a wicked cameo by Rob Brydon) and set to a superb soundtrack by Belle & Sebastian, Simon Bird’s fabulous feature debut is an utterly delightful take on the coming-of-age comedy, hilariously and tenderly exploring the mother-son relationship with all its idiosyncrasies, heartache, and tenderness. N OR TH A MERIC AN PREM IE RE

UK 2019, 86 min Director Simon Bird

Saturday, October 12, 5:00pm | CinéArts Sequoia

Program & Reception: $30 member | $35 general Program Only: $20 member | $25 general

Post-screening Reception | Outdoor Art Club 1 W. Blithedale, Mill Valley

Regular Screening: Sunday, Oct 13, 11:00am Rafael

RESTOR A TION

THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING

Expected Guests: PHILIP KAUFMAN and LENA OLIN

Philip Kaufman’s sweeping, unforgettable adaptation of Milan Kundera’s classic novel, once thought to be unﬁlmable, ﬁnds Daniel Day-Lewis, Juliette Binoche, and Lena O lin at the height of their talents in an erotic and complex love triangle that spans years and countries. In the halcyon days leading up to the S oviet invasion of Prague in 1968, apolitical, skirt-chasing surgeon Tomas (Day-Lewis) enjoys a life free of the weight of emotional entanglements, particularly with his like-minded painter mistress Sabine (O lin). But when he meets shy waitress Tereza (Binoche), he decides to give “traditional marriage” a try before the three individuals get swept up in the Prague S pring. Grand in its scope and intimate in its detail (aided in no small part by Sven Nykvist’s masterful cinematography), The Unbearable Lightness of Being , which Kaufman (The Right Stuff ) adapted with Jean-Claude Carrière (Belle de jour ), is presented in a brand new, glorious 4K restoration by the Academy Film Archive and T he Film Foundation, with funding provided by the George Lucas Family Foundation.

US 1988, 171 min Director Philip K aufman

Saturday, October 12, 5:00pm | Smith Rafael Film Center

$14 member | $16.50 general

EVENT SPONSOR

SPONSORED BY

TRI B UTE

MARRIAGE STORY Ensemble

Writer-director Noah Baumbach is known for populating his ﬁlms with a rich, eclectic mix of Hollywood stars and beloved character actors who vividly bring his characters to life. And with key players Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Merritt Wever, and Julie Hagerty in the mix, Marriage Story is no exception.

MARRIAGE STORY

Returning to the themes of his acclaimed The Squid and the Whale, Noah Baumbach offers another alternately funny and deeply moving snapshot of a marriage in its ﬁnal stages. With divorce proceedings in full swing as the ﬁlm opens, a married couple (Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson) have promised to keep their separation amicable, but hurtful admissions and verbal spats quickly sour those ambitions.

US 2019, 136 min Director Noah Baumbach

Noah Baumbach will receive the MVFF Award on behalf of the ensemble cast of Marriage Story —with Laura Dern and others in attendance. Join us after the program for a celebratory reception at Intrepid Studios.

Saturday, October 12, 6:30pm | Smith Rafael Film Center

Program & Reception: $75 member | $85 general

Program Only: $40 member | $45 general

Simulcast house: $30

Post-screening Reception | Intrepid Studios

1115 Third Street, San Rafael

Regular Screening: Sunday, Oct 13, 11:00am Sequoia

BARBARA RUSH

A space-traveling scientist in When Worlds Collide, a mother ﬁghting for her family in Nicholas Ray’s groundbreaking 1950s substance abuse drama Bigger Than Life, and a delectably diabolical villainess in the 1960s Batman TV series—these are just a few of the characters played with panache by acclaimed actress, Barbara Rush. Few in Hollywood have had as diverse a career on both the big and small screens. Rush has excelled in genres as varied as drama, science ﬁction, westerns, horror, and comedy, and was featured in some of America’s most beloved television programs from the 1950s through the 1980s. She starred opposite legendary leading men like Paul Newman and James Mason and worked with celebrated directors including Douglas Sirk, Nicholas Ray, and Edward Dmytryk to name just a few.

MV FF is honored to present this tribute to the singularly talented actor, Barbara Rush. Join us for an onstage presentation featuring trailers from some of her best-known Hollywood ﬁlms and hear from Rush herself about her storied and eclectic career.

Sunday, October 13, 2:00pm | Lark Theater $14 member | $16.50 general

MVFF Music returns with another diverse series of concerts at the Sweetwater Music Hall. These eclectic nights of live music include performances by artists featured in MVFF ﬁlms, as well as local, national, and international musicians. Drop in and discover your new favorite act, or make a night of it and pair a screening about an artist with their corresponding live show!

JOHNNY & JUNE FOREVER: THE GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER SUNG

Come on down for a night of country, western, rhythm and blues, framed by the greatest love story ever sung! Just like Johnny and June Cash, Danny Evans and Essence Goldman were seasoned artists destined to meet and make beautiful music together. Reminiscent of many great male/female vocal duos, this pair is a powerful emerging voice on the Americana landscape. Their Johnny and June Forever tribute revue pays brilliant homage to their heroes and digs deep into their passion for roots music, featuring “I Walk the Line”, “Jackson”, “Ring of Fire”, and many more!

Double down on Cash! Pair this show with The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash, screening at the Sequoia in conjunction with this live show!

friday, Oct 4 • dOOrs 8:00pm | shOw 9:00pm advance tickets $22 | day Of shOw $24

presented in conjunction with hardly s trictly Out Of the park

HAYES CARLL

Grammy-nominated Texas native Hayes Carll brings a down-home Americana vibe to MVFF Music and Sweetwater Music Hall with roots-oriented songwriting acclaimed for its plainspoken poetry and barbed humor. Carll has performed on stages all over the world, including appearances on Austin City Limits and The Tonight Show, as well as producing four songs on the soundtrack for the 2010 film Country Strong , starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw. On tour with his latest release, What It Is, Carll is in fine, endearingly witty form with songs about finding new love and adjusting to mid-life in the modern age. This show is presented in conjunction with Hardly Strictly Out of the Park.

saturday, Oct 5 • dOOrs 7:00pm | shOw 8:00pm advance tickets $28 | day Of shOw $33 | age 21+

$1.00 per ticket goes to music in the schOOls tOday

sweetwater music hall 19 corte madera ave, mill valley

Tickets for all MVFF Music shows are available online at mvff.com/music and in person at the Sweetwater Music Hall box ofﬁce. MVFF Bronze, Silver, Select, Platinum, Investor / Leadership badges have access to MVFF Music shows with advance RSVP per availability. see mvff.cOm/music fOr updates

JOHNNY & JUNE FOREVER

HAY ES CARLL

ACE OF CUPS

ace Of cups & friends

The Ace of Cups formed in San Francisco in 1967 and have been acclaimed as one of the ﬁrst all-female rock bands. They found each other during the height of the Haight-Ashbury scene, making their mark in the burgeoning counterculture of the 1960’s with a psychedelic soul sound and soaring harmonies, sharing stages with Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and the Grateful Dead. They broke up four years later and never released an album…until now. Catch the original line-up on tour with their ﬁrst album – ever!

Our ‘Cups runneth over! See Ace of Cups in the ﬁlm You Say You Want a Revolution?, screening at the Sequoia in conjunction with this live show!

sunday, Oct 6 • dOOrs 7:00pm | shOw 8:00pm advance tickets $20 | day Of shOw $22

take-55 | the film tour featuring petra hansOn & gaijin a gO - gO

Gaijin à Go-Go brings an infectious Japanese pop sound to the rhythms of 1960s style go- go music. This Brooklyn-based band infuses infectious, offbeat charm into their music and live shows, bringing the arty with a capital P to every stage! Don’t miss this groovy night of history in the shaking!

Be sure to go-go to the 5@5 Stone Flower Shorts Program and grok the backstory to the creation of Gaijin à Go-Go in Petra Hanson’s short ﬁlm Xmas Cake-This American Shelf Life, screening at the Sequoia in conjunction with this live show!

mOnday, Oct 7 • dOOrs 7:00pm | shOw 8:00pm advance tickets $15 | day Of shOw $17

LITTLE HURRIC ANE

San Diego’s blues-driven Little Hurricane brings a heavy dose of restless rhythm and hooks to their lived-in vintage stage set soon to grace the Sweetwater stage. Tone and C.C, a male/female duo with a minimalist approach to their rocking, indie sound count Van Morrison, James Taylor, Paul Simon, and The Beatles among their inﬂuences. They’ve toured with The Specials, Manchester Orchestra, White Denim, and The Heartless Bastards and played at Austin City Limits Music Festival, Lollapalooza, and South by Southwest. Catch this down-and-dirty duo on the rise, sure to bring some ﬁery heat to Marin County!

tuesday, Oct 8 • dOOrs 7:00pm | shOw 8:00pm advance tickets $17 | day Of shOw $19

ALICE GERRARD & FRIENDS

Alice Gerrard has known, learned from, and performed with many of the old-time bluegrass greats and has earned worldwide respect for her own important contributions to the music. She is noted for her compelling, eclectic songwriting, instrumental mastery on rhythm guitar, banjo, and old-time ﬁddle, and her groundbreaking collaboration with Appalachian singer Hazel Dickens.

Don’t miss this soulful evening of folk, bluegrass, and the spirit of Appalachia. Harmonize your evening entertainment and catch You Gave Me A Song: The Life and Music of Alice Gerrard (see page 57), screening at the Sequoia in conjunction with this live show.

thursday, Oct 10 • dOOrs 7:00pm | shOw 8:00pm advance tickets $24 | day Of shOw $27

Queen meryl and mamma mia!

A book launch party and special screening! What better way to spend an afternoon than hearing the backstory of Erin Carlson’s new book, Queen Meryl: The Iconic Roles, Heroic Deeds, and Legendary Life of Meryl Streep, then bopping along with the Queen as she sings her way through the ABBA archives on a gorgeous Greek isle in Mamma Mia!? Get out your overalls and platform shoes, and add a little sparkle to your Saturday at the Sweetwater for a fabulous, intergenerational celebration! Book signing follows the screening.

saturday, OctOber 12, 1:00pm | free (TICKE T REQUIRED)

special free cOmmunity screening

fire in paradise

In honor of the anniversary of the Napa ﬁres, MVFF offers a special community screening of ﬁlmmakers Drea Cooper and Zachary Canepari’s moving look at the Camp Fire disaster. Beautifully conceived, Fire in Paradise grabs you from the very beginning and is a testament to the human spirit. Special guest presenters expected.

tuesday, OctOber 8, 2:30 pm | free (ticket reQuired)

GAIJIN A GO - GO

LITTLE HURRICANE

ALICE GERRARD

PANELS

BEHIND THE SCREENS

THE SCREENS

Panels | Master Classes | Workshops | VR

MIND THE GAP SUMMIT

The Money Issue: Money and Power, Money and Financing, Money and Pay Equity

Saturday, October 5 | 9:00am – 2:30pm | $40 Outdoor Art Club and Sweetwater Music Hall

Registration required* | To register, visit mvff.com/mind-the-gap *Limited number of scholarships available

Join us for an intensive session of presentations, discussions, panels and networking led by an extraordinary line-up of thought leaders and creatives in the ﬁlm industry. This is an amazing opportunity to engage, connect—and be inspired.

Register early as space is limited! See page XX for more information, and visit mvff.com/mind-the-gap for full schedule and speakers.

SCREENING

NO TIME TO WASTE BETTY REID SOSKIN PROGR AM

Panels | Master Classes | Workshops | VR BEHIND

WORKSHOP GET THE KIDS IN THE PICTURES!

ACTING, CASTING, AUDITIONING KIDS & TEENS

Sunday, October 6 | 2:45pm – 4:15pm | Outdoor Art Club

$16.50 adults; $8.00 youth | Parents are welcome to attend, but must be accompanied by a child or teen

“Never work with children and animals!” is an old film industry adage. Luckily, many great filmmakers disagree, and two of them are here to share their wisdom with local kids and teens who are seeking to break into acting on film. Get insider tips on the auditioning, casting, and directing processes, with do’s, don’ts, and best practices from the professional perspective of the decision makers on set.

INSTRUCTORS:

JULIO VINCENT GAMBUTO, director (Team Marco )

EMILY HARRIS, director (Carmilla )

PANEL

MIND THE GAP DIRECTORS FORUM

Saturday, October 5 | 2:45pm | Outdoor Art Club FREE (ticket required) See page 25 for details.

PANEL

THE STORY OF PLASTIC

Sunday, October 6 | 1:30pm – 3:00pm | Outdoor Art Club FREE (ticket required)

The Plastic Solutions: The ﬁlmmakers and heroes of The Story of Plastic delve into the global plastic pollution crisis from every aspect of the plastic life cycle, highlighting solutions. Moderated by Annie Leonard (Greenpeace, Story of Stuff ), the panel will take a deep dive into leverage points for systemic global change in culture and commerce as well as best practice tactics informed by the principles of conservation, equity, inclusivity and environmental justice. Don’t miss it!

MO DERATOR: ANNIE LEON ARD, Executive Director, Greenpeace USA; Founder, The Story of Stuff Project

PANELISTS:

YV ETTE A RELLA NO, Policy Research and Grassroots Advocate, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services

FROILA N GRATE, Executive Director, GAIA Philippines; President, Mother Earth Foundation

TIZA M AFIRA , Associate Director, Climate Policy Initiative (Indonesia)

EMMA PRIESTLA ND, Corporate Campaign Coordinator, #BreakFreeFromPlastic

DEIA SCHLOSBERG, Director Producer, The Story of Plastic

S TI V W ILSON, Producer, The Story of Plastic

Sunday, October 6 | 12:00-2:00pm | Sweetwater Music Hall

FREE (ticket required)

In 91 years of O scars ®, there have only ever been five—5!—women nominated in the Best Director category. In this one year at M V FF, we’ve assembled six potential Awards-track women directors in this forum alone, as well as the many others represented by their films throughout the festival—making up the 48% of M V FF directors who just happen to be women. This panel takes a deep dive into what it takes to sustain a career as a filmmaker—of fiction, animation, documentary—in 2019.

PARTICIPANTS:

ZABOU BREITMA N, The Swallows of Kabul

SIPPY CH ADA , Subira

CHINON YE CHUK WU, Clemency

KASI L EMM ONS, Harriet

PETRA COSTA , The Edge of Democracy

KRIS SAMUELSON, Life Overtakes Me

SPONSORED BY

PANEL

BEHIND THE SCREENS

Panels | Master Classes | Workshops | VR

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY:

THE PRODUCER’S PERSPECTIVE

Saturday, October 12 | 11:30am – 1:00pm | Rafael FREE (ticket required)

In June of this year, the New York Times interviewed several prominent Hollywood figures to answer questions like: “Can anything beyond blockbusters succeed in theaters?”; “Will the next generation care about movies?”; “Can greater opportunities for women and people of color save an industry in turmoil?” Indiewire responded with thoughts from several people in the independent exhibition, distribution, and non-profit community, highlighting the many differences between the Hollywood system and independent filmmakers, exhibitors, and distributors. At a time when there is significant change, anxiety, and fear within the industry as a whole, when more films are being made, but becoming harder to distribute, how do independent filmmakers make a return on their investment? Our panel of producers, directors, and industry insiders share their perspective on what it will take to sustain a diverse and sustainable film culture.

BOB BERNEY, Founder, Picturehouse, former head of Marketing and Distribution, Amazon, E xecutive Producer, The Women

TOM DOLBY, E xecutive Producer, Call Me By Your Name, Director, The Artist’s Wife

JOHN SLOSS, Founder, Cinetic Media, Producer, Last Flag Flying, Boyhood

MASTER CLASS LAUR A DERN

Saturday, October 12 | 3:00pm – 4:15pm | Rafael $20 CFI Members / $25 General Public

See page 17 for details.

ACTIVE CINEMA HIKE NET WORKING IN NATURE

WORKSHOP

FROM CONCEPT TO STORY TO SCREEN: SHORT FILM DEVELOPMENT FOR TEENS

Saturday, October 12, 2:30–4:30pm | Outdoor Art Club

$20 | Ages 14-18 only

Participants will work in small groups to create a short ﬁlm concept with limited resources and time. Starting with the same simple scenario and a current social issue, each group will develop, produce and perform a short story of their own making in order to see how similar storylines can be developed in a variety of ways—and how their own background, education, preferences, and experiences inﬂuence story development.

FACILITATORS:

IRIS TORRES, Producer, Just Between Us, MVFF 2019; Metamorphosis: Junior Year, MVFF 2017

TOM FRANCO, Producer, Metamorphosis: Junior Year

PANEL

VARIETY 10 SCREENWRITERS TO WATCH

Sunday, October 13 | 11:00am – 12:30pm | Outdoor Art Club

FREE (ticket required)

Variety has honored “10 Screenwriters to Watch” for over a decade and this year, the honorees will be showcased at the Mill Valley Film Festival. Whether reinventing big franchise action films or insuring inclusion of fresh and diverse voices, screenwriters’ contributions are an essential part of the filmmaking process, laying the foundation for storytelling through film. With Variety spotlighting the brightest and most promising writers of the year, the chance to meet and hear their stories first-hand in a casual and intimate setting makes this a must-attend discussion for both casual fans and aspiring filmmakers.

MO DER ATOR:

MALINA SAVAL, Variety Features Editor

10 SCREENWRITERS TO WATCH 2019:

KRYST Y WILSON CAIRNS, 1917

CHINONYE CHUKW U, Clemency

STEPHANY FOL SOM, Toy Story 4

SHAY HATTEN, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

DAN HERNANDEZ & BENJI SAMIT, Detective Pikachu

AMANDA IDOKO, Breaking News in Yuba County

SHIA LABEOUF, Honey Boy

ANDRE W L ANHAM, Just Mercy

EDWARD NORTON, Motherless Brooklyn

CAT VA SKO, Queen of the Air

Check mvff.com or download the CFI app for the screenwriters scheduled to join this panel.

SPONSORED BY

MVFF’s ¡Viva el Cine! initiative showcases prize-winning Spanishlanguage and Latin American ﬁlms that seek to engage and embrace our Spanish-speaking and -loving audiences. These screenings create a unique community where history, culture, and identity can be explored through the magic of movies. This year, we celebrate the program with extra fanfare on Sunday, October 6 featuring a packed day of exciting ﬁlms, including the US premiere of Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo

AUGUST (Cuba/Costa Rica)

BACUR AU (Brazil)

DE LO MIO (US)

EMA (Chile)

THE GASOLINE THIE VES (Mexico/US/Spain)

INMATE #1: THE RISE OF DANNY TREJO (C anada)

THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF EURÍDICE GUSMÃO (Brazil)

MARIGHELLA (Brazil)

PAIN AND GLORY (Spain)

THE PRINCE (Chile/A rgentina)

SONG WITHOUT A NAME (Peru/Spain/US/Chile)

¡VIVA LOS NIÑOS! (Shorts Program)

WINDOWS ON THE WORLD (US)

PAIN AND GLO RY

MEDIA SPONSOR

A forum for films that inspire people to take action to create positive change, MVFF’s Active Cinema films are united in their commitment to explore the world and its issues (both local and global), engage audiences, and transform ideas into action. Join us for screenings throughout the Festival, support the grassroots activism of the filmmakers, and engage with the admirable work of special guests, co-presenters, and partners.

THE DOG DOC

REWIND

RIGHT TO HARM

THE S TORY OF PLASTIC

THIS LITTLE L AND OF MINES

ACTIVE CINEMA HIKE: Networking in Nature

Saturday, October 12 | 10:00am | FREE

Meet at the Tennessee Valley trailhead parking lot

Get some fresh air and fresh ideas with filmmakers, friends, and cinephiles during this hour-long hike to the ocean through beautiful terrain. Join Festival staff and guests and exchange ideas and wisdom on filmmaking, filmmaker resources, and strategies for action. Bring water, sunblock, and wear good hiking shoes. All are welcome!

THIS LITTLE LAND OF MINES

Look for this icon to identify ¡Viva el Ciné! programs.

Look for this icon to identify Active Cinema programs.

Mind the Gap, our gender equity initiative, amplifies and champions work by women filmmakers, changing the narrative that shapes our culture. We are committed to the goal of 50/50 by 2020—50% women directors across all Festival sections by 2020. We found no shortage of amazing women making terrific films, and incredible female-forward storytelling for this year’s Festival: MVFF42 showcases 48% women directors. Learn more at mindthegapinfilm.com.

MIND THE GAP SUMMIT

The Money Issue: Money and Power, Money and Financing, Money and Pay Equity

Saturday, October 5 | 9:00am–4:00pm | Outdoor Art Club & Sweetwater Music Hall

Money: It drives our lives. It drives the business of film. And yet it’s often the thing we are most reluctant to talk about. For women particularly: Fundraising, pitching, financing, getting paid equally— it’s tough out there. Join us for an intensive session of presentations, discussions, panels, and networking led by an extraordinary line-up of thought leaders and creatives in the film industry. Speakers include Anna Serner, Swedish Film Institute; fiction filmmakers Kasi Lemmons and Olivia Wilde; documentary filmmakers Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Dawn Porter; Women and Hollywood founder Melissa Silverstein; representatives from Pixar, ReFrame, and Seed & Spark. This is an amazing opportunity to engage, connect—and be inspired. Space is limited—register early (fee includes lunch). See mvff.com/mind-the-gap for full schedule and speakers.

2019 MIND THE GAP AWARDS

NO TIME TO WASTE Film Screening and Award Presentation

BETT Y REID SOSKIN

Mind the Gap Award Trailblazer of the Century (Included in the MtG Summit Program)

Following lunch, the Summit is capped by the presentation of our Mind the Gap Award to Betty Reid Soskin and a screening of No Time to Waste, a new documentary that pays tribute to her life’s achievements, focusing on her legendary talks as a Ranger at the Rosie the Riveter/ World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, C alifornia. Soskin is an author, composer, singer, activist, entrepreneur, historian, blogger, and public speaker. A nd at age 98, she is the oldest National Park Ranger serving the United States. She is a true national treasure.

NOTE: The Betty Reid Soskin presentation and ﬁlm screening are included in Summit registration. A limited number of tickets are available to the general public.

The award honors people whose work has helped close the gender gap in the ﬁlm industry and in our lives. Recognizing talents both above and below the line, the Award celebrates their groundbreaking achievements and acknowledges their importance as role models.

Actor of the Year: LAURA DERN Visionary Leader of the Year: ANNA SERNER Trailblazer of the Century: BETTY

THE GAP SUPPORTERS

OFFICIAL AIRLINE MVFF & MIND THE GAP

Look for this icon to identify Mind the Gap programs.

LEA DERSHIP PART NER

CHRISTINE A. SCHANTZ

REID SOSKIN

MIND

EDUCATION AT MVFF

CFI Education turns the Festival into a classroom by bringing thousands of Bay Area students to the theaters and sending dozens of ﬁlmmakers out to local schools. All programs are offered free to participating schools, including bus transportation.

MVFF E DUCATION SCREENING S A curated series of weekday matinees of narrative features, documentaries, and shorts programs selected from the general Festival program for K-12 audiences, with special guests for post-screening Q&A’s and accompanying curriculum guides. This year’s program includes:

5@5 LIFE IS FOR LIVING AS THE WORLD TOONS CHUSKIT

FRESH & FEARLESS LEARNING TO SKATE IN A WARZONE (IF YOU’RE A GIRL)

MAKING WAVES: THE ART OF CINEMATIC SOUND RÉMI, NOBODY’S BOY

THE REMIX: HIP HOP X FASHION THE STORY OF PLASTIC SUBIRA TEAM MARCO ¡VIVA LOS NIÑOS! WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE NOW?

FILMMAKERS GO TO SCHOOL Local and guest filmmakers from around the world visit local classrooms to show their films and talk to students about the art, craft and business of filmmaking.

For more information on CFI Education programs or how to get your school involved, visit cﬁeducation.caﬁlm.org.

P. and RICHARD K. ROBBINS FAMILY F OU NDAT ION T HE HORACE W. GOLDSMI T H FO U NDAT ION

In honor of Ray

Kaliski, Senior

NANCY

FAMILY FILMS

FLOP (Fresh & Fearless)

We have another great line-up of ﬁlms and activities for kids and families with a bounty of shorts, animation, international storytelling, Spanish-language programming and free festivities—and a special world premiere! Check out the program descriptions on the following pages for this year’s Family Films:

5@5 LIFE IS FOR LIVING AS THE WORLD TOONS CHUSKIT FRESH & FEARLESS

RÉMI, NOBODY’S BOY

TEAM MARCO

¡VIVA LOS NIÑOS!

THE HOOPLA!

CORALINE

Free outdoor screening Friday, October 11, 7:00pm Old Mill Park, Mill Valley

Saturday, October 5 | 12:00–2:00pm | FREE admission | Marin Country Mart

Join us for family-friendly festivities after the screening of As the World Toons or before the screening of Fresh & Fearless, with food, beverages, live music, games, crafts, bubbles, balloons, henna, and (of course) hula hoops!

WORKSHOP GET THE KIDS IN THE PICTURES!

ACTING, CASTING, AUDITIONING KIDS & TEENS

Sunday, October 6 | 2:45–4:15pm | Outdoor Art Club

$16.50 adults; $8.00 youth | Parents are welcome to attend but must be accompanied by an aspiring actor under age 18

See page 22 for details.

WORKSHOP FROM CONCEPT TO STORYTO SCREEN SHORTFILM DEVELOPMENTFOR TEENS

Saturday, October 12, 2:30–4:30pm | Outdoor Art Club

$20 | Ages 14-18 only

See page 23 for details.

FAMILY

RÉMI, NOBODY ’S BOY

BELLY

FOCUS | EYE ON SWEDEN

A celebration of superb storytelling from emerging Swedish directors: fiction and nonfiction films that represent the range of contemporary cinema from the star of Scandinavia.

AMATEURS AND THEN WE DANCED SCHEME BIRDS

FOCUS | QUEER- ISH

Diverse stories of queer representation found in a genre-twisting, award-winning array of ﬁlms from across the globe.` AND THEN WE DANCED BL ACKBIRD BY THE GR ACE OF GOD

CARMILL A THE CONDUCTOR

EMA

PAIN AND GLORY

PORTR AIT OF A L ADY ON FIRE THE PRINCE

SONG WITHOUT A NAME SYNONYMS

WHERE’S MY ROY COHN? WHY CAN’T I BE ME? AROUND YOU

FOCUS | RESIST REVOLT REFORM

Rockin, raucous, and revealing reﬂections on society and culture, captured through the wide-angle and long lenses of established and emerging international ﬁlmmakers.

BACUR AU COUP 53 FROM WOUNDED KNEE TO STANDING ROCK: A REPORTER’S JOURNEY HARRIET

A HIDDEN LIFE LES MISÉR ABLES MARIGHELL A THE REFORMER. ZWINGLI: A LIFE’S PORTR AIT SEBERG THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING WATCH LIST YOU SAY YOU WANT A RE VOLUTION?

AND THEN WE DANCED

S ECTI ONS PR EMIE RES

WORLD CINEMA

Stories from six continents that foster a new understanding of our global neighbors and ourselves

U S CINEMA

A showcase of new ﬁlms by master and emerging A merican ﬁlmmakers who share a talent for independent storytelling

VALLEY OF THE DOCS

T he latest in non-fiction filmmaking, from heartfelt stories of activism to historical profiles, current events, and more

FAMILY FILMS

A sampling of stories, cultures, and adventures for new generations and old that inspire and nurture a love of ﬁlm

5@5

SH ORTS

Collections of short cinematic gems from every genre including narratives, documentaries, animation, family ﬁlms, and youth works

MU SIC F ILMS

T he Festival’s playlist of cinematic portraits of musical artists, featuring internationally renowned musicians and Bay A rea favorites

SUPPOR T ED BY

JIM BOYCE TRUS T and KRIS OT IS

39½

ARID CU T

FRO M WOU NDED KNEE TO STANDING ROCK: A REPOR TER’S JOURNEY

T HE GREAT 14TH: T ENZIN GYATSO, T HE 14TH DALAI

LAMA IN HIS OWN WOR DS

JOURNEY TO HOKUS AI

JOURNEYS BEYO ND THE COSMODRO ME

T HE LURE OF T HIS LAND

THE MISEDU CATIO N OF BIND U

THE STORY OF PLAS TIC

T EAM MARCO

W HAT DO YOU BEL IE V E NOW?

YOU SAY YOU WANT A RE VOLU TIO N?

NORT H AMERICAN

AMR A AND THE SECO ND MA RRIAGE

CARMILL A

DAYS OF THE BAGN OL D SU MMER

HAVA, MARYAM, AYE SHA ÖND ÖG

OU T STEA L ING HORSES

T HE PRINCE

SH OW M E W HAT YOU GOT SUBIRA

T HE SWA LLOWS OF KA BUL

TAK E M E SO MEWHERE NICE

37 SECO NDS

A ND T HEN W E DANCED

AU GUS T

BL ACKBIRD

T HE BO DY REMEM BERS

W HEN T HE WORL D BROK E O PEN

BY THE GR ACE OF GO D

CHERRY BLOSSO MS & DEM ONS

T HE CO ND U CTOR

EMA

FL AT L AND

F OUR TEEN

FR ANK IE

INMATE #1: T HE RISE OF DANNY TRE JO

T HE INVISIBL E LIFE OF EURÍDICE GUSMÃO

M Y FRIEND FELA

THE REFORMER . ZWINGL I: A LIFE’S P OR TR AI

T HE TRU TH

FR ANKIE

5@5 DAUGHTER OF THE NIGHT

Total Program 80 min

“You don’t know what it’s all about. You look to the left, you look to the right. The brightest day and the darkest night.” These international tales dive deep into the unknown and mysterious. Rocket (Christian Walsh, US 2018, 6 min), Diary 2013-2018 (Soyeon Kim, US 2018, 3 min), The Butcher (Tian Tang, US 2019, 9 min), Rumba azul (Ramazi Baranov, Mexico 2019, 2 min), Glitch (Shubham Yogi, India 2018, 15 min), Tragodia (Mehdi Tangestani, Iran 2019, 11 min), Trapped Ghost (Hui-Ying Hsieh, Taiwan 2019, 10 min), Storm (Will Kindrick, US 2019, 11 min), Yellow Jubilee P260-5 (Kate Lain, US 2019, 2 min).

Monday Oct 7 6:15pm Larkspur Tuesday Oct 8 9:00pm Rafael

5@5 F EELS L IKE F IRE

Total Program 65 min

“My way’s easy even if you’re fallen or you’re struggling. There’s still beauty in what we do.” A diverse array of animated shorts on display. Medium Rare (Luca Cioci, US/Italy 2018, 5 min), Intermission Expedition (Wiep Teeuwisse, Netherlands 2019, 8 min), There Were Four of Us (Cassie Shao, US/China 2019, 7 min), The Quintet of the Sunset (Jie Weng, China 2018, 8 min), Eve Of (Lauren Armstrong, US 2019, 5 min), Avarya (Gökalp Gönen, Turkey 2019, 20 min), Don’t You Forget About Me (Lydia Ricci, US 2018, 4 min), Under Covers (Michaela Olsen, US 2018, 7 min).

Friday Oct 4 6:00pm Larkspur

Wednesday Oct 9 6:00pm Larkspur

5@5 JUST I N T IME TO S EE THE SUN

Total Program 88 min

“Clouds roll past and leave their thunder—Just a warning, a warning to be heard.” Not everything is as it seems in this collection of powerful shorts. In Full Bloom (Maegan Houang, US 2018, 10 min), Ava in the End (Ursula Ellis, US 2019, 10 min), Runners (Paul Urcioli, US 2018, 16 min), Lefty/Righty (Max Walker-Silverman, US 2019, 12 min), Keep It Quiet (Ilya Simakov, US 2019, 14 min), Backpedal (Dani Pearce, Australia 2019, 5 min).

Thursday Oct 10 6:15pm Larkspur

Friday Oct 11 9:00pm Rafael

5@5 L IFE IS FOR L IVI NG

Total Program 92 min

“In this world, there is so much anger. Our lives are in danger. We are all living in fears. We’ve got to stop the tears.” We may be living in challenging times, but today’s teen filmmakers are using film purposefully—and creatively—to tell stories that both confront and counteract the darkness. In this peer-reviewed collection of youth-made shorts, no genre is left unturned, from sci-fi to superheroes, serial-killer comedy to animated adventure. Featuring films from as near as Novato and as far as Ukraine. Age 12+

Saturday Oct 5 11:00am Sequoia

5 @ 5 SHORTS

5@5 NIGHT HUN TI N G T IME

Total Program 80 min

“But I still can’t get no rest. Brain trapped on a roller coaster, got a pain in my chest.” The body and mind can be both fierce and fragile in this diverse array of shorts. Washed Away (Ben Kallam, US 2019, 12 min), Guilty (Alexia Maltner, Brazil 2018, 1 min), Wingmen (Nicole Emanuele, US 2019, 15 min), The Bumbry Encounter (Jay K. Raja, US 2018, 15 min), The Perfumer (Paloma Lingwei Chen, US 2019, 24 min), How to Be Alone (Kate Trefry, US 2018, 13 min).

Thursday Oct 10 8:45pm Rafael

Friday Oct 11 6:00pm Larkspur

5@5 S MOOTH

Total Program 69 min

“And it’s just like the ocean under the moon, it’s the same emotion that I get from you.”

Sometimes all a good story needs is two compelling characters, as each of these shorts deftly illustrates. Selma After the Rain (Loli Menezes, Brazil 2019, 11 min), Just Between Us (Kaily Smith Westbrook, US 2018, 14 min), May (Julian Turner, US 2018, 11 min), Lizard (Emily Gularte, Guatemala 2018, 8 min), It’s Been Too Long (Amber Schaefer, US 2019, 8 min), Prittyboi (Nicolas Collins, US 2019, 4 min), Evelyn x Evelyn (Eric Pumphrey, US 2019, 13 min).

Tuesday Oct 8 6:00pm Larkspur

Wednesday Oct 9 8:45pm Rafael

5@5 S TO N E F LOWER

Total Program 88 min

“All around there’s a feeling in the air that with the grace of time we’ll be getting closer there.” This year’s choice documentary festival shorts. Xmas Cake – This American Shelf-Life (May Yam, US 2018, 10 min), Guardians of Anja (Robin Hoskyns, UK 2017, 10 min), Walt Whitman: Citizen Poet (Haydn Reiss, US 2019, 11 min), That’s My Jazz (Ben Proudfoot, US 2018, 14 min), The Gender Line (T.J. Parsell, US 2019, 12 min), Charon (Cullen Parr, US 2019, 12 min), Still Plays with Trains (Ross Kauffman, US 2018, 16 min).

Friday Oct 4 9:30pm Rafael Monday Oct 7 5:30pm Sequoia*

*Live music event to follow at Sweetwater. Separate ticket required. See page 20 for details.

37 S ECO ND S

Japan 2019, 115 min Director Hikari

M Overprotected by her mother and exploited by her wannabe influencer cousin who claims Yuma’s drawings as her own, 23-year-old Yuma, an aspiring artist with cerebral palsy, craves a life of her own making. Yuma’s effort to create an erotic manga becomes an odyssey of discovery, one that’s at turns absurd, joyful, humorous, and deeply human. Berlin: Panorama Audience Award In Japanese with English subtitles • US Premiere

Thursday Oct 10 6:00pm Rafael Friday Oct 11 11:00am Lark

5 @ 5 SHORTS

US 2019, 71 min Director Kara Herold

M Kara is living her dream—making films in San Francisco, surrounded by art and friends. But as thirtysomething turns into almost 40, the ticking of her biological clock spurs her into a last-ditch attempt to have it all. Combining animation and absurdist comedy, this lighthearted autobiographical fiction examines what it means to be a woman artist today. • World Premiere

Saturday Oct 5 5:30pm Rafael

Sunday Oct 13 5:30pm Larkspur

THE AERO N AUTS

UK 2019, 101 min Director Tom Harper

Spontaneous pilot (Felicity Jones) and prudent meteorologist (Eddie Redmayne) rise to new heights in this entrancing tale of a 19th-century hot air balloon expedition from British directoron-the-rise Tom Harper ( Wild Rose ). Five years after The Theory of Everything (MVFF 2014), reunited stars Jones and Redmayne reignite their winning chemistry amid the film’s stunning visual effects, daring stunts, and rich spectacle.

Thursday Oct 10 9:00pm Rafael

Sunday Oct 13 2:15pm Sequoia

A MATEURS (Amatörer)

Sweden 2018, 102 min Director Gabriela Pichler

A MRA A ND THE S ECO ND M ARRIAGE

Saudi Arabia 2018, 95 min Director Mahmoud Sabbagh

Amra, a wife and mother of two girls, appears to acquiesce to her husband taking a second wife to provide him a male heir, but she finds subtly subversive ways of undermining him to hilarious effect. Mahmoud Sabbagh’s sophomore feature is a satirical and thought-provoking commentary on the state of the gender wars in modern-day Saudi Arabia. In Arabic with English subtitles • North Americ AN Premiere

Saturday Oct 5 12:00pm Rafael

Sunday Oct 13 2:45pm Larkspur

WORLD CINEMA

AND T HE N W E DA N CE D

Sweden/Georgia/France 2019, 113 min Director Levan Akin

FOCUS: EY E O N SW EDE N / Q UEE R-I SH In Tbilisi, Georgia, an ambitious teenage boy is determined to dance in the National Ensemble until the arrival of another male dancer— gifted with perfect form and equipped with a rebellious streak—upends his dedication to the company. And Then We Danced is a joyous journey of liberation, a coming-out and -of-age tale, and a vibrant celebration of the dance of life. Sarajevo: Best Actor In Georgian with English subtitles • US Premiere

Thursday Oct 10 6:00pm Lark

Friday Oct 11 2:45pm Sequoia

AN IMALS

Ireland/Australia/UK 2019, 109 min Director Sophie Hyde

M Holliday Grainger and Alia Shawkat play BFFs drinking and “medicating” their way through 21st-century Dublin. When one gets engaged to a concert pianist, their pleasure-fueled paradise falls apart. A millennial Withnail & I , this adaptation of Emma Jane Unsworth’s bestseller nails the bond of female friendships and the bleary-eyed moment you realize the party’s over.

Wednesday Oct 9 8:15pm Rafael

Friday Oct 11 8:30pm Larkspur

A RI D C UT

US 2019, 116 min Director Rob Nilsson

In the latest from Rob Nilsson, Sandy, the ever helpful Mother Teresa of 2nd St., suffers from seizures and lives in her car with her nephew, Rail, who came up on a motorcycle from San Diego, in search of the father he’s never met in a place called Arid Cut. But nobody knows where it is. • World Premiere

Saturday Oct 12 9:00pm Rafael

T HE A RTIST’S W IFE

US 2019, 94 min Director Tom Dolby

While preparing for his final exhibition, illustrious painter Richard Smythson (Bruce Dern) is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, shattering the comfortable life he leads with his loving wife Claire (Lena Olin). Having given up a career as an artist to support Richard, Claire begins to find solace in painting once again as Richard struggles to hold onto his identity.

Sunday Oct 13 1:30pm Rafael

A S THE W ORL D T OO NS

Total Program 77 min

Nonverbal and in English From Sweden to South Korea, the language of animation is universal—but the stories and styles are as unique as the countries themselves. This enchanting collection of shorts for all ages is a showcase of international imagination with a colorful cast of characters including robots, raccoons, dragons, and ducks. Age 6+

Saturday Oct 5 11:00am Larkspur*

Saturday Oct 12 11:15am Sequoia

*Followed by The Hoopla! (see page 27)

AUGUST (Agosto)

Cuba/Costa Rica/France 2019, 85 min Director Armando Capó

V Set in 1994 in Gibara, Cuba, this quietly affecting coming-of-age film tells the story of Carlos, his family, and friends during their last summer of innocence. A memoir of the director’s youth, August takes place against the turbulent backdrop of Cuba’s balseros (rafters) crisis of 1994, when mass emigration due to economic instability engulfed the island. In Spanish with English subtitles • US Premiere

Friday Oct 4 3:45pm Rafael

Saturday Oct 5 1:30pm Larkspur

AURORA

Finland 2019, 105 min Director Miia Tervo

M Hard-partying, commitment-phobic Aurora is true to her name—at once luminous and dark, beautiful and bound to burn out. In an unorthodox romcom twist, she meets-not-so-cute with Iranian asylum seeker Darian and discovers her purpose: to find him a wife so he can stay in Finland. But will he settle for a fake spouse, and will Aurora keep running away? Edinburgh: Best International Feature In Finnish, English, and Persian with English subtitles

Friday Oct 11 5:30pm PFA

Saturday Oct 12 11:45am Larkspur

AUTO N OMY

US 2019, 80 min Director Alex Horwitz

From its long-gestating evolution to its hotly debated current state to its still hazy future, one of the most awe-inspiring and controversial innovations of the century—the self-driving car—is given thorough, clear-eyed analysis in this fast-paced and illuminating documentary featuring and produced by author Malcolm Gladwell of The New Yorker In English and Japanese with English subtitles

Friday Oct 4 6:15pm Larkspur

Saturday Oct 5 6:00pm Rafael

Sponsored by Marin Convention & Visitors Bureau

WORLD CINEMA

FAMILY FILMS

WORLD CINEMA

BACURAU

Brazil/France 2019, 131 min Directors Kleber Mendonça Filho, Juliano Dornelles

V FOCUS: RES IS T RE VO LT REFORM This feverish mixture of sci-fi, western, and political satire offers blistering commentary on Brazil’s shifting political fortunes—alongside the occasional Spandau Ballet tune. Starring Sônia Braga and Udo Kier, Bacurau chronicles the strange happenings in a rural community that has curiously vanished from GPS trackers, within a world imperiled by corruption and greed in the name of so-called “progress.” Cannes: Jury Prize In Portuguese and English with English subtitles

Monday Oct 7 8:15pm Sequoia

Tuesday Oct 8 9:00pm Larkspur

BEA N POLE (Dylda)

Russia 2019, 130 min Director Kantemir Balagov

BLUE H OUR

Japan 2019, 92 min Director Yuko Hakota

T HE BO DY R EMEM B ERS W HE N THE W ORL D BROKE O PE N

Canada/Norway 2019, 105 min Directors Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Kathleen Hepburn

M Exceptionally filmed on gorgeous 16mm and told in real-time through a series of breathtaking long takes, this indelible character study follows a chance encounter between two Indigenous Canadian women who have been dealt very different hands in life. What ensues is a beautifully realized exploration of motherhood, violence against women, colorism, and class inequality. • US Premiere

Saturday Oct 5 8:30pm Rafael Monday Oct 7 6:00pm Larkspur

WORLD CINEMA

WORLD CINEMA

BY THE G RACE OF GOD (Grâce

à Dieu)

France/Belgium 2019, 137 min Director François Ozon

FOCUS: Q UEE R-I SH Based on a historic abuse scandal at a Catholic boys’ summer camp, in a blistering story still unfolding in France today, this gripping exposé follows three adult male survivors who band together against a heaven-gazing church hellbent on silence. Sensitively acted, tautly constructed, Ozon’s film is a laser-focused call to justice. Berlin: Silver Bear - Grand Jury Prize In French with English subtitles • US Premiere

Monday Oct 7 8:45pm Lark

Thursday Oct 10 2:45pm Sequoia

C ARMILLA

UK 2019, 96 min Director Emily Harris

M FOCUS: Q UEE R-I SH Much to the chagrin of her governess, Lara, a 19th-century teenager with a fascination for the macabre, develops an obsession with Carmilla, an enigmatic young woman recuperating in their home. When Lara falls ill in the same mysterious manner as other girls in the region, suspicions turn to Carmilla in this hauntingly beautiful gothic tale that draws you in like whispers in the night. • North Americ AN Premiere

Monday Oct 7 9:00pm Rafael

Tuesday Oct 8 11:30am Rafael

T HE C AT A ND THE M OO N

US 2019, 114 min Director Alex Wolff

Following last year’s Hereditary, Alex Wolff delivers another powerful performance as a resilient teenager, with a temperament that’s alternatively fragile and explosive, who is grappling with the death of his jazz musician father and his mother’s substance abuse. In his first outing as director, Wolff shows immense promise with this absorbing, measured, and deeply moving drama.

Friday Oct 11 11:00am Larkspur

Saturday Oct 12 3:00pm Larkspur

T HE C AVE

Syria/Denmark/Germany/US/Qatar 2019, 96 min Director Feras Fayyad

The Oscar ® -nominated team behind Last Men in Aleppo takes us to “The Cave,” an underground hospital in war-torn Syria. The camera is a mute witness to the heroic staff’s daily efforts keep a grasp on ordinary life even as they cope with an endless stream of grave obstacles. In Arabic and English with English subtitles

Friday Oct 4 5:15pm Sequoia

Friday Oct 11 3:00pm PFA

US CINEMA

WORLD CINEMA

C HERRY BLOSSOMS & DEMO N S (Kirschblüten & Dämonen)

Germany 2019, 115 min Director Doris Dörrie

M When everything in his life seems to be going wrong, downtrodden and alcohol-dependent Karl has a fateful encounter in Munich with Yu, a mysterious Japanese dancer from his father’s past. Unexpectedly, Yu begins to help Karl confront his demons (both literal and figurative) and begin to heal in this surreal, whimsical dramedy. In German, Japanese, and English with English subtitles • US Premiere

Monday Oct 7 6:00pm Rafael

Tuesday Oct 8 8:30pm Rafael

C HUSKIT

India 2018, 89 min Director Priya Ramasubban

M Chuskit tells the triumphant story of a physically disabled girl in rural India whose circumstances derail her dream of going to school. Nevertheless, she persists! Inspired by true events, this is an uplifting ode to girl power and celebration of a culture in which the value of human connection is prized above all. Age 9+ In Ladakhi, Tibetan, and Hindi with English subtitles

Saturday Oct 5 4:45pm Larkspur

Saturday Oct 12 12:30pm Rafael

T HE CO ND UCTOR

(De dirigent)

Netherlands 2018, 137 min Director Maria Peters

Sponsored by Jim Boyce Trust and Kris Otis

M FOCUS: Q UEE R-I SH Feminist icon Antonia Brico was—for those not (yet) familiar with her—the first woman to conduct the New York Philharmonic. This cinematically stunning and inspirational biopic tells the extraordinary story of a defiant and determined Dutch workingclass immigrant (and SF Bay Area transplant) who must choose between her passion to train as a conductor and a more tradition-bound life. In English, Dutch, and German with English subtitles • US Premiere

Saturday Oct 5 2:00pm Lark Sunday Oct 6 8:00pm Larkspur

C OUP 53

UK 2019, 120 min Director Taghi Amirani

DE L O M IO

US 2019, 73 min Director Diana Peralta

M V The Dominican Republic provides the backdrop and cultural core of this affecting family drama that follows three siblings navigating their shared past as they clear out their grandmother’s house before it’s sold and torn down. With a sharp attention to character detail, Diana Peralta’s stunning debut is a beautiful meditation on ties that bind and how we define where home is. In English and Spanish with English subtitles

Friday Oct 11 6:15pm Rafael

Saturday Oct 12 7:30pm Larkspur

T HE DOG DOC

US 2019, 101 min Director Cindy Meehl

A M Dr. Marty Goldstein is a pioneer of integrative veterinary medicine, treating his mostly canine patients holistically for 45 years. His practice has become a haven for animals that other vets have deemed beyond hope. The Dog Doc follows Goldstein and his patients over three years, showcasing the joy and heartbreak in the high-stakes world of animal healthcare.

Friday Oct 4 5:00pm Rafael

Monday Oct 7 11:30am Sequoia

Sponsored by The Grateful Dog, Doggy PlayCare & Wellness Center

DOLEMITE I S M Y NAME

US 2019, 118 min Director Craig Brewer

Eddie Murphy kills as Rudy Ray Moore, the wildly popular ‘70s-era comic entertainer who sought to conquer Hollywood with his smokin’, blue-jokin’ alter-ego “Dolemite.” Wesley Snipes, Keegan-Michael Key, Chris Rock, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph round out Hustle & Flow director Craig Brewer’s wild ride of a film, hilarious and empathetic as it reveals the twists and turns of one iconic entertainer’s life.

Saturday Oct 5 8:00pm Rafael

Friday Oct 11 5:00pm Sequoia

DRIVEWAYS

US 2019, 83 min Director Andrew Ahn

E MA

Chile 2019, 102 min Director Pablo Larraín

V FOCUS: Q UEE R-I SH Gael García Bernal reunites with Chilean provocateur Pablo Larraín ( Neruda ) for a bold cinematic portrait of a married couple at the heart of a volatile dance troupe whose lives are upended after a devastating incident. Exquisite, full-bodied turns from Bernal and newcomer Mariana Di Girolamo, stunning imagery, and an evocative score from Nicolas Jaar richly adorn Larraín’s tale of grief and redemption. In Spanish with English subtitles • US Premiere

Tuesday Oct 8 8:30pm Lark

Wednesday Oct 9 11:15am Rafael

A F IRST FAREWELL (Di yi ci de li bie)

China 2018, 88 min Director Lina Wang

M The ordinary lives of three Muslim Uighur children in rural China are disrupted by the increasingly strict enforcement of Mandarin language education, as they can only speak their native Uyghur language. By turns emotional, playful, and heartbreaking, this beautiful debut illustrates the challenges faced by traditional families caught in political currents beyond their control. Berlin: Crystal Bear In Uyghur and Mandarin with English subtitles

Friday Oct 11 8:00pm Larkspur

Sunday Oct 13 11:00am Larkspur

F LATLA ND

South Africa/Luxemburg/Germany 2019, 117 min Director Jenna Bass

F LESH O UT

Italy 2019, 94 min Director Michela Occhipinti

Sponsored by Jim Boyce Trust and Kris Otis

M By tradition, Mauritanian brides-to-be are subject to the gavage , a prolonged period when they must fatten up in order to appeal to their husbands. Italian director Michela Occhipinti’s documentary roots are evident in this evocative drama as she adapts the real-life story of one such bride for her sensitive, stunningly photographed fiction feature debut. In Hassaniya with English subtitles

Wednesday Oct 9 6:00pm Lark

Friday Oct 11 2:00pm Rafael

WORLD CINEMA

F OURTEE N

US 2019, 94 min Director Dan Sallitt

The latest from New York-based independent filmmaker and critic Dan Sallitt, Fourteen is an affecting and finely tuned portrait focusing on two vastly different young women. Mara and Jo navigate continued growing pains in their longtime friendship, which is often tested by Jo’s struggles with anxiety and stability. • US Premiere

Friday Oct 11 2:15pm Larkspur

Sunday Oct 13 2:15pm Larkspur

F RA N KIE

France/Portugal 2018, 100 min Director Ira Sachs

Renowned film and TV star Françoise “Frankie” Crémont, played by the incandescent Isabelle Huppert, invites her family and friends to the Portuguese resort town of Sintra for what may be their final trip together. American auteur Ira Sachs’ sumptuous ensemble drama also stars Marisa Tomei, Jérémie Renier, and Brendan Gleeson. In English, French, and Portuguese with English subtitles • US Premiere

Sunday Oct 6 12:00pm Lark

Thursday Oct 10 6:00pm Sequoia

F RESH & F EARLESS

Total Program 83 min

F ROM W OU ND ED KN EE TO S TA ND IN G ROCK: A R EPORTER’S JOUR N EY

US 2019, 90 min Director Kevin McKiernan

FOCUS: RES IS T RE VO LT REFORM At turns poignant and educational, Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist Kevin McKiernan’s documentary offers a meditative look into the complexities of revolution. Tracing the history of Native American activism from the 1970s to the present day, McKiernan repurposes archival footage to chronicle the longtime search for lost identity and reparations. • World Premiere

Wednesday Oct 9 5:15pm Rafael

Thursday Oct 10 8:45pm Larkspur

T HE G ASOLI N E T HIEVES (Huachicolero)

Mexico/US/UK/Spain 2019, 93 min Director Edgar Nito

V From the very first moments—when two huachicoleros (or gasoline thieves) murder a rival poacher—an unrelenting air of violence and dread hangs over this riveting debut feature. Director Edgar Nito’s gritty, unvarnished filmmaking heartbreakingly captures the ordinary tragedies of decent people struggling to survive in a broken system. Tribeca: Best New Narrative Director In Spanish with English subtitles

Friday Oct 4 6:00pm Rafael Saturday Oct 5 7:30pm Larkspur

T HE G IFT: T HE JOUR N EY OF JOH NN Y C ASH

US 2019, 94 min Director Thom Zimny

Johnny Cash’s musical legacy is epic, as is his love story with June Carter Cash and his political and spiritual consciousness. To have a single documentary cover so much territory with brevity, soulfulness, creative wisdom (from a diverse cast of musical legends including Bruce Springsteen and Emmylou Harris), and a rich selection of recordings and archival footage is nothing short of a Gift .

Friday Oct 4 5:00pm Sequoia*

Sunday Oct 6 9:00pm Lark

*Live music event to follow at Sweetwater. Separate ticket required. See page 20 for details.

A G IRL FROM M OGA D ISHU

Sponsored by Chambers & Chambers Architects

Ireland/Belgium 2019, 112 min Director Mary McGuckian

M Aja Naomi King stars in this inspiring story of Ifrah Ahmed, a Somalian refugee who rises to prominence as an international activist against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). King breathes life into Ahmed’s testimony with a powerful performance that balances humanity with vulnerability and demonstrates the impact of refugee stories. In English and Somali with English subtitles

Tuesday Oct 8 5:30pm Rafael Wednesday Oct 9 5:45pm Sequoia

Sponsored by Jim Boyce Trust and Kris Otis and Honoring Daraja Academy Educating Kenyan Girls of Need

H ARRIET

US 2019, 125 min Director Kasi Lemmons

M FOCUS: RES IS T RE VO LT REFO RM Harriet Tubman, the slave who freed herself only to return to the South to liberate others as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, comes to vivid life through Tony Award ® winner Cynthia Erivo’s powerhouse performance in Kasi Lemmons’ thrilling biopic. A dazzling achievement, Harriet evokes the tension and terror of a flight to freedom while paying homage to an extraordinary American hero.

Saturday Oct 5 7:00pm Sequoia

Wednesday Oct 9 2:30pm Sequoia

H AVA, M ARYAM, AYESHA

Afghanistan/Iran/France 2019, 86 min Director Sahraa Karimi

M The first woman in Afghanistan to earn a Ph.D. in Cinema, Sahraa Karimi goes behind the curtain of three women’s lives in Kabul in her narrative feature debut. Gripping and beautifully photographed, this triptych lifts the veil on these lives to reveal the complexity just underneath demographics, assumptions, and stereotypes. In Persian with English subtitles • North Americ AN Premiere

Sunday Oct 6 8:45pm Rafael Monday Oct 7 9:00pm Larkspur

T HE H I DE H O S HOW

US 2019, 90 min Director John Goddard

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of MVFF’s first Village Music show! Experience a fingersnapping extravaganza of music clips veejayed and hosted by the legendary John Goddard, whose eclectic knowledge expanded the musical minds of filmmakers (think: Lucas) and musicians (Costello) alike. For Hi De Ho newbies and longtime fans: Expect the unexpected, be there!

Saturday Oct 5 8:45pm Rafael Friday Oct 11 9:15pm Sequoia

A HI DD EN L IFE

Germany/US 2019, 173 min Director Terrence Malick

FOCUS: RES IS T RE VO LT REFORM Terrence Malick delivers one of his most impassioned works in this masterful return to form about the true story of a conscientious objector (an astonishing August Diehl), who chose prison over fighting for the Third Reich. Malick’s transporting, supremely thoughtful drama examines how individuals’ defiance in the face of fascism can (and can’t) change the world. In German and English with English subtitles

Saturday Oct 12 7:30pm Sequoia

Sunday Oct 13 5:00pm Lark

HON EY BOY

US 2019, 93 min Director Alma Har’el

M Powerful performances by writer/actor Shia LeBeouf, Noah Jupe, and Lucas Hedges drive this intimate and unflinching family drama, in which Otis, former child actor and current Hollywood train wreck, finds that reconciling with the memories of his nightmarish backstage father is a brutal but necessary path to confronting a legacy of abuse and addiction. Sundance: Special Jury Prize

Wednesday Oct 9 8:00pm Sequoia

Thursday Oct 10 2:15pm Sequoia

T HE INVISI B LE L IFE OF E URÍ D ICE GUSMÃO

(A Vida Invisível de Eurídice Gusmão)

Brazil/Germany 2019, 139 min Director Karim Aïnouz

V Karim Aïnouz’s moving melodrama details the life of two sisters in 1950s Rio de Janeiro, separated and thwarted by a system that discourages female progress. By turns sensuous and heartbreaking, Brazil’s official Oscar ® submission is fueled by impassioned performances and a visual palette so tropical that the screen nearly sweats. Cannes: Un Certain Regard Award In Portuguese with English subtitles • US Premiere

Sunday Oct 6 8:30pm Rafael

Monday Oct 7 8:45pm Larkspur

T HE I RISHMA N

US 2019, 210 min Director Martin Scorsese

Seething with incendiary street malice, Martin Scorsese’s epic saga of organized crime in postwar America divulges the controversial confessions of mob hitman Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran (Robert De Niro), his relationship to the infamous Bufalino crime family via Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci), and his involvement with the still-unsolved disappearance of notorious labor organizer Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino).

Tuesday Oct 8 6:30pm Rafael

JO J O RA BB IT

US 2019, 108 min Director Taika Waititi

Jojo longs to be a star in the Hitler Youth and please his imaginary best friend Adolf Hitler (director-actor Taika Waititi: Hilarious!), but fate (and the Fatherland) have other things in mind. Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell are pitch-perfect in this absurdist fable where the jabs at fascism come fast and Führer-ous.

Sunday Oct 6 5:30pm Rafael

Thursday Oct 10 3:15pm Rafael

JOUR N EY TO H OKUSAI

US 2019, 80 min Director Chikara Motomura

In this intimate exploration of the connection between artists from different worlds, woodblock printer Tom Killion sets out to Kyoto to realize his dream of learning the traditional Japanese method of printing by hand as practiced by his inspiration, 19th-century great Hokusai. Studying under a fifth-generation master printer, Killion discovers more about the history of printmaking and his artistic idol. In English and Japanese with English subtitles • World PREMIERE

Friday Oct 4 8:45pm Larkspur

Sunday Oct 6 12:00pm Rafael

US CINEMA

VALLEY OF THE DOCS

JOUR N EYS BEYO ND THE C OSMO D ROME

US 2019, 54 min Directors Jeanne C. Finley, in collaboration with Lyazzat Khanim

M This haunting, poetic film calls forth the dreams of nine teenage Kazakhstan orphans. Growing up next to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the world’s first and largest operational space launch facility, these young artists use words, pictures, and music to craft mesmerizing prophecies of what adulthood and independence will mean to them after leaving the orphanage. • World Premiere

Preceded by L EAR NIN

G TO S KATE B OAR D I N A WARZO N E (IF YOU’RE A GIRL)

US/UK 2019, 41 min Director: Carol Dysinger

Saturday Oct 5 11:15am Rafael

Wednesday Oct 9 7:00pm PFA

THE KI NG

UK/Hungary/Australia 2019, 133 min Director David Michôd

Director David Michôd ( Animal Kingdom ) and actor Joel Edgerton (MVFF Award 2018) ambitiously adapt Shakespeare’s texts to recount rebellious Prince Hal’s reluctant transformation into King Henry V. Timothée Chalamet delivers another rousing, dynamic performance as the newly crowned king of England, who is left to finish his father’s war with France despite his serious objections.

Thursday Oct 3 7:00pm Larkspur

T HE KIN GMAKER

US/Denmark 2019, 100 min Director Lauren Greenfield

M First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos became notorious for her lavish lifestyle while her country sank into unrest and economic turmoil, until she and her family were exiled in the 1986 revolution. She’s now back in the Philippines and in politics, a return captured in this unvarnished portrait of an iconic and divisive figure.

Friday Oct 4 8:45pm Lark

Sunday Oct 6 5:00pm PFA

KN IVES O UT

US 2019, 130 min Director Rian Johnson

With a playful hat tip to Agatha Christie and Sleuth and an impressive cast that includes Christopher Plummer, Toni Collette, and Jamie Lee Curtis, Rian Johnson ( Looper, Brick ) delivers a whodunit par excellence as a flamboyant detective (Daniel Craig) dives deep into the mystery surrounding a patriarch’s death, where nothing is as it seems.

Friday Oct 4 8:00pm Sequoia

Wednesday Oct 9 11:30am Sequoia

L ES MISÉRA B LES

France 2019, 102 min Director Ladj Ly

FOCUS: RES IS T RE VO LT REFORM In this explosive debut, race and class tensions come to a head when a trio of police officers in the poverty-stricken Parisian suburb of Montfermeil are tasked with returning a kidnapped lion cub to its rightful owner. This powerfully cinematic crime drama uses the eponymous Victor Hugo novel as a blueprint for a riveting portrait of 21st-century France. Cannes: Jury Prize In French with English subtitles

Friday Oct 11 8:00pm Rafael

Saturday Oct 12 2:15pm Sequoia

L ITTLE JOE

Austria/UK/Germany 2019, 105 min

Director Jessica Hausner

M In this surreal, smart science fiction tale reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick and Yorgos Lanthimos, Emily Beecham delivers an insightful and ever-so-slightly discomforting performance as an ambitious scientist who helps create a new breed of plant that, inexplicably, has the ability to make its owner happy. What initially seems like a money-making bonanza ends up having unexpected side effects. Cannes: Best Actress • US Premiere

Saturday Oct 5 6:00pm Lark

Friday Oct 11 2:00pm Lark

T HE L URE OF T HIS LA ND

US 2019, 67 min Director Alexandra Lexton

M A fascinating assortment of people in this illuminating documentary take a leap into the unknown to find belonging in Belize. The Central American nation allows them the freedom to live the way they choose, the untamed nature of the land and the peaceful multicultural society providing fertile soil for these creative iconoclasts to flourish. • World Premiere

Preceded by I T’S ON LY R OCK N’ R OLL ( Es solo Rock n’ Roll ) US 2018, 22 min

Directors: Ken Schneider, Marcia Jarmel

Saturday Oct 5 11:15am Lark

Friday Oct 11 3:30pm Rafael

M AKI N G WAVES: T HE A RT OF CIN EMATIC S OU ND

USA 2019, 95 min Director Midge Costin

M Synchronized sound revolutionized the film industry, and in this thoughtful account, the history of aural artistry goes hand-in-hand with an overview of how nuanced and complex sonic dimensions ground movies in emotional depths as well as any orchestra. Featuring interviews with David Lynch, Sofia Coppola, Ryan Coogler, and George Lucas.

Saturday Oct 5 2:15pm Rafael

Monday Oct 7 11:15am Sequoia

M ARIGHELLA

Brazil 2019, 155 min Director Wagner Moura

V FOCUS: RES IS T RE VO LT REFORM Acclaimed actor Wagner Moura ( Narcos ) makes his directorial debut with this first-class biopic of one of Brazil’s most divisive historical figures, the politician and Marxist insurrectionist Carlos Marighella, played by charismatic actor and musician Seu Jorge. Already controversial in Brazil, Moura’s no-holds-barred drama sends an urgent, timely message against authoritarianism. In Portuguese with English subtitles

Friday Oct 4 8:45pm Rafael

Saturday Oct 5 7:00pm PFA

T HE M IS ED UCATIO N OF BI ND U

US 2019, 92 min Director Prarthana Mohan

M All Bindu needs to test out of high school is $53.75—by seventh period. Then maybe she can convince her mom to move the family back to India and leave her annoying new American stepdad (David Arquette) behind in the US. Produced by the Duplass brothers, laughs abound in this rowdy and sweet feature debut from Prarthana Mohan. In English and Hindi with English subtitles • World Premiere

Wednesday Oct 9 8:45pm Lark

Thursday Oct 10 9:00pm Larkspur

M Y F RIE ND F ELA (Meu Amigo Fela)

Brazil 2019, 92 min Director Joel Zito Araújo

The definitive account of Nigerian musician and civil rights activist Fela Kuti, this exuberant portrait peels back the many layers of a complex and turbulent but brilliant mind. Through enlightening remembrances and stirring archival footage, director Joel Zito Araújo intimately resurrects one of the most influential figures in the Pan-African movement. In English and French with English subtitles • US Premiere

Tuesday Oct 8 5:30pm Sequoia

Sunday Oct 13 11:45am Larkspur

NOAH LA ND (Nuh Tepesi)

Turkey/Germany/US 2019, 109 min Director Cenk Ertürk

O LYMPIC DREAMS

US 2019, 83 min Director Jeremy Teicher

A lonely cross-country skier (Alexi Pappas) and a lovelorn dentist (Nick Kroll) meet-cute at the 2018 Winter Olympics in this charming and relatable romantic comedy. Shot behind the scenes at the actual Athletes’ Village in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Olympic Dreams is a witty and bittersweet look at two lost souls seeking connection while facing an uncertain future.

Saturday Oct 5 3:45pm Sequoia

Tuesday Oct 8 12:45pm Sequoia

Ö NDÖ G

Mongolia 2019, 97 min Director Wang Quan’an

Steeped in the mystery and mythos of the glorious rural Mongolian landscape, filmmaker Wang Quan’an ( Tuya’s Marriage ) majestically marries the ancient and the modern in this wise folktale of sweet, slow-burn strangeness about a murder, a rookie cop, and an exceedingly capable camel-riding herdswoman called “Dinosaur.” In Mongolian with English subtitles

• North Americ AN Premiere

Thursday Oct 10 8:30pm Sequoia

Saturday Oct 12 12:00pm Rafael

O UT S TEALI N G H ORSES (Ut og stjaele hester)

Norway/Sweden/Denmark 2019, 122 min Director Hans Petter Moland

Recently widowed Trond (Stellan Skarsgård) returns home to Norway, triggering painful and elegiac memories of an adolescent summer spent with his larger-than-life father in this superbly moving and entrancing adaptation of Per Petterson’s bestselling novel. Breathtaking cinematography brings to life this powerful saga of shared and split loyalties between fathers and sons, husbands and wives, neighbors and nations. Berlin: Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution In Norwegian and Swedish with English subtitles

• North Americ AN Premiere

Saturday Oct 5 11:15am Sequoia

Monday Oct 7 5:30pm Lark

PAI N A ND G LORY (Dolor y gloria)

Spain 2019, 113 min Director Pedro Almodóvar

PARASITE (Gisaengchung)

South Korea 2019, 132 min Director Bong Joon-ho

Dazzlingly unpredictable at every turn, Parasite follows an impoverished family that ingratiates itself with a wealthy clan, tricking them into hiring this gang of con artists for different household jobs. An expert chronicler of his characters’ messy humanity, Bong Joon-ho explores our haves-and-have-nots culture, delivering an eloquent treatise on life in this anxious modern age. Cannes: Palme d’Or In Korean with English subtitles

Sunday Oct 6 7:30pm Sequoia

Tuesday Oct 8 3:15pm Rafael

P HIL T IPPETT: MAD DREAMS A ND MON STERS

France 2019, 80 min Directors Gilles Penso, Alexandre Poncet

P OMEGRA N ATE S EE DS: VOICES A ND V ISIO N S FROM I RA N IA N W OME N

Total Program 87 min

M A very special collection of shorts observes the joys and struggles of daily life in Iran—all through the perceptive eyes of women directors. Slow Death (Amen Sahrael, 2019, 12 min), Amir Ali (Shiva Ghanbarian, 2019, 20 min), Hard Shadow (Neda Khanifar, 2019, 3 min), Hanged (Roqiye Tavakoli, 2019, 13 min), The Wall (Sara Ghafourian, 2019, 6 min), You’re Still Here (Katayoun Parmar & Mohammad Roohbakhsh, 2018, 20 min), Driving Lessons (Marziyeh Riahi, 2019, 13 min).

Saturday Oct 5 8:00pm Larkspur

Monday Oct 7 3:00pm Rafael

P ORTRAIT OF A LADY O N F IRE (Portrait

France 2019, 119 min Director Céline Sciamma

de la jeune fille en feu)

M FOCUS: Q UEE R-I SH Céline Sciamma’s fourth feature is a staggering masterwork of indelible artistry, uncompromising vision, and emotional power. Gifted painter Marianne (a revelatory Noémie Merlant) arrives on a remote island to render the wedding portrait of Héloïse (a haunting Adèle Haenel) without the latter’s knowledge or permission. As Marianne studies her subject’s movements and moods, an intense bond starts to take hold. Cannes: Best Screenplay, Queer Palm In French and Italian with English subtitles

Friday Oct 4 7:30pm Sequoia

Wednesday Oct 9 3:00pm Rafael

VALLEY OF THE DOCS

WORLD CINEMA

T HE P RI N CE (El príncipe)

Chile/Argentina/Belgium 2019, 96 min

Director Sebastián Muñoz

V FOCUS: Q UEE R-I SH A teenage boy in a 1970s Chilean prison is taken in by an older cellmate known as The Stud (Alfredo Castro, Tony Manero ), who rules this erotically charged male society with brutality and tenderness. With allusions to both Jean Genet and Derek Jarman, The Prince opens and closes in blood, but at its beating heart, it’s a sexy, unconventional love story. In Spanish with English subtitles • North Americ AN Premiere

Sunday Oct 6 5:45pm Rafael

THE REFORMER . Z WI N GLI: A LIFE’S PORTRAIT (Zwingli)

Switzerland 2019, 128 min Director Stefan Haupt

FOCUS: RES IS T RE VO LT REFORM Zurich, 1519. Arriving with nothing but his impassioned eloquence and radical ideas, a young priest sparks a revolution that challenges the Catholic stronghold over the people, reforming a faith, a nation, and the world. Based on the extraordinary life of Ulrich Zwingli, this sumptuous epic is also an incendiary romance set within a galvanizing moment in Occidental history. In Swiss German with English subtitles • US Premiere

Sunday Oct 6 1:15pm Sequoia

Monday Oct 7 2:30pm Rafael

R ÉMI, NO BODY’S BOY (Rémi sans famille)

France 2018, 108 min Director Antoine Blossier

Adapted from the classic 1878 French novel Sans famille by Hector Malot, Rémi, Nobody’s Boy transports audiences to an idealized 19th century world of verdant hills and medieval stone villages for the heartwarming hero’s journey of orphaned, 10-year-old Rémi, and the aging traveling performer, Vitalis (Daniel Auteuil), who takes him under his wing. Age 10+ In French with English subtitles

Sunday Oct 13 2:00pm Sequoia

Sponsored by Bellam Self Storage & Boxes

T HE R EMIX: H IP H OP X FASHIO N

US 2019, 67 min Directors Lisa Cortés, Farah X

M Filmmakers Lisa Cortés and Farah X remix the history of hip-hop fashion by shining a spotlight on the pioneering stylists and designers whose brilliant visions brought the indelible style, swagger, and savvy of African American culture and creativity to the music industry, the runway, and the masses.

Wednesday Oct 9 5:30pm Sequoia

Saturday Oct 12 9:00pm Larkspur

FAMILY FILMS

T HE R EPORT

US 2019, 118 min Director Scott Z. Burns

Like All the President’s Men for the modern age, The Report follows intelligence expert Daniel Jones (Adam Driver), tasked with studying the use of “enhanced interrogation” techniques in the War on Terror. But because “the United States does not torture,” it’s up to Jones and Senator Dianne Feinstein (a knockout Annette Bening) to make sure his ofﬁcial report doesn’t disappear.

Friday Oct 11 6:00pm Sequoia

Saturday Oct 12 5:15pm Lark

Sponsored by Marin Community Foundation & Wareham Development

Nancy P. and Richard K. Robbins Family Foundation

R EWI ND

US 2019, 87 min Director Sasha Joseph Neulinger

A More than 15 years since Capturing the Friedmans transfixed audiences with its groundbreaking chronicle of childhood sexual assault, Rewind is its natural successor. Sifting through troves of home videos, 30-year-old director Sasha Joseph Neulinger, both riveting protagonist and probing filmmaker, delves into his own victimization and the complex generational trauma wrought upon his family.

Saturday Oct 5 3:00pm Rafael

Sunday Oct 6 5:15pm Larkspur

R IGHT TO H ARM

US 2019, 76 min Directors Matt Wechsler, Annie Speicher

A M This riveting exposé explores the extreme effects of factory farming on five rural communities across the United States. Disturbing, illuminating, and inspiring at once, Right to Harm focuses on the real-life stories of people fighting against corporate farming interests for basic needs like clean air and water.

Preceded by C OU N TER M APPI NG US 2018, 9 min

Directors: Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, Adam Loften

Tuesday Oct 8 6:15pm Rafael Thursday Oct 10 2:45pm Rafael

S CHEME BIR DS

Sweden/UK 2019, 90 min Directors Ellen Fiske, Ellinor Hallin

S ERE ND IPITY

US 2019, 76 min Director Prune Nourry

M Women’s bodies and fertility are the themes that knit together multidisciplinary artist Prune Nourry’s work in a career that has traversed the globe with sculptural installations, solo shows, and performances. After a breast cancer diagnosis, Nourry’s themes remain, but her gaze and camera turn inward, with occasional aid and support from the great Agnès Varda. In English and French with English subtitles

Monday Oct 7 7:00pm Sequoia

Friday Oct 11 3:15pm Larkspur

S HOW M E W HAT YOU G OT

US 2019, 101 min Director Svetlana Cvetko

M Three late-twentysomethings create a wholehearted ménage à trois in this playfully erotic, black-and-white tale sparking with the restless energy of the French New Wave. Finding joy and release together, the trio explores sexuality, politics, and art while falling deeper into an unconventional amour—until a trip to Italy threatens the delicate balance of their relationship. In English, French, and Italian with English subtitles • North Americ AN Premiere

Sunday Oct 6 8:30pm Larkspur

SON G W ITHOUT A NAME

(Canción sin nombre)

Peru/Spain/US/Chile 2019, 97 min Director Melina León

M V FOCUS: Q UEE R-I SH In 1980s Peru a newborn disappears from a clinic shortly after her indigenous mother gives birth. Determined to find her daughter, the woman joins forces with a closeted reporter. Together, they uncover corruption at the highest levels of government. With a brooding score by Pauchi Sasaki, this astonishing debut was inspired by true events. In Spanish and Quechua with English subtitles

Tuesday Oct 8 6:15pm Larkspur

Wednesday Oct 9 1:00pm Sequoia

S ORRY W E M ISSE D YOU

UK/France/Belgium 2019, 100 min Director Ken Loach

Beloved director Ken Loach continues to chronicle working-class life with unmatched compassion and unflinching insight in this tale of a family struggling to survive in Britain’s 21st-century gig economy. With stripped-down realism, this heart-stopping drama crushingly illustrates how one family’s ills are inseparable from the ailment of an entire system.

Saturday Oct 5 5:00pm Rafael

Wednesday Oct 9 9:00pm Sequoia

WORLD CINEMA

US CINEMA

VALLEY OF THE DOCS

S OUTH M OU N TAI N

US 2019, 75 min Director Hilary Brougher

M When Lila ( Mad Men ’s Talia Balsam) sends her children off for the summer, she unexpectedly finds herself alone after her husband leaves her. Left to her own devices, she sets out to navigate her life with a sense of renewal, learning hard lessons through various missteps in her search for greater personal clarity.

Friday Oct 11 5:30pm Lark

Saturday Oct 12 11:00am Larkspur

S TOP THE P RESSES!: M EMOS FROM THE F OURTH E STATE

Total Program 87 min

M We are proud to present a selection of non-fiction films from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, widely regarded as one of the country’s best journalism programs. Brewed in Palestine (Emma Schwartz, US 2019, 17 min), All That Remains (Eva Rendle, US 2019, 20 min), The Desert (Bo Kovita, US 2019, 28 min), Theirstory (Sarah Cahlan, US 2019, 22 min).

Wednesday Oct 9 6:15pm Larkspur

Sunday Oct 13 2:00pm Rafael

T HE S TORY OF P LASTIC

US 2019, 89 min Director Deia Schlosberg

SUB IRA

Kenya 2018, 99 min Director Sippy Chadha

Sponsored by Wareham Development & Nancy P. and Richard K. Robbins Family Foundation

M “The ocean is for boys,” Subira is told, yet her dream is to dive into the beautiful Kenyan sea. When an arranged marriage brings her to an upper-class home in Nairobi, instead of learning how to cook, she purloins some fabric and sews her own burkini. A buoyant, empowering, and energetic first feature, refreshing as a splash of cool, clear water. In English and Swahili with English subtitles • North Americ AN Premiere

Sunday Oct 6 6:00pm Rafael

Wednesday Oct 9 2:15pm Rafael

Sponsored by Jim Boyce Trust and Kris Otis

VALLEY OF THE DOCS

US CINEMA

T HE S WALLOWS OF KAB UL

(Les hirondelles de Kaboul)

France 2019, 82 min Directors Zabou Breitman, Eléa Gobbé-Mévellec

M Two married couples in Kabul, living under the callous rule of the Afghan Taliban, find their destinies intertwined in this beautifully-rendered animated feature based on the eponymous international bestselling book. Acclaimed actor and director Zabou Breitman teams with animator Eléa Gobbé-Mévellec for this exquisitely cinematic and deeply moving tale of injustice, hope, love, and survival. In French with English subtitles • North Americ AN Premiere

Friday Oct 4 6:00pm Lark

Saturday Oct 5 11:15am Larkspur

SYNON YMS (Synonymes)

France/Israel/Germany 2019, 123 min Director Nadav Lapid

FOCUS: Q UEE R-I SH In one of 2019’s most exciting and unpredictable cinematic rides, this brilliant, caustically funny film follows an Israeli ex-soldier as he arrives in Paris intent on shedding his native language, heritage, and self. Featuring a tour-de-force performance from newcomer Tom Mercier, Synonyms is boldly iconoclastic: a tragi-comedic social critique that spits in the face of nationalism. Berlin: Golden Bear In French, Hebrew, and English with English subtitles

Saturday Oct 5 11:00am Rafael

Sunday Oct 6 8:30pm Sequoia

TAKE M E S OMEWHERE NICE

Netherlands/Bosnia and Herzegovina 2019, 91 min Director Ena Sendijarević

M When her estranged father becomes ill, teenage Alma travels alone from her mother’s house in the Netherlands back to her native Bosnia to visit him. Alma quickly finds herself entangled in a series of increasingly strange misadventures along the way in this gorgeous, absurdist, and provocative coming-of-age tale. Sarajevo: Best Feature Film In Bosnian and Dutch with English subtitles • North Americ AN Premiere

Thursday Oct 10 9:00pm Lark Friday Oct 11 2:00pm Sequoia

T EAM M ARCO

US 2019, 92 min Director Julio Vincent Gambuto

T HIS L ITTLE LA ND OF MIN ES

US 2019, 64 min Director Erin McGoff

A M Eighty million unexploded bombs dot Laos’ countryside, leftovers from the Vietnam War that continue to injure and kill in accidental detonations decades after the end of the conflict. This illuminating and inspiring documentary shines a light on the resilience of the everyday Laotians working to rid their country of this lingering danger. In English and Lao with English subtitles

Preceded by T HE

NEW EN VIRO N ME N TALISTS: F ROM LIB ERIA TO MON GOLIA

US 2019, 37 min Directors: Will Parrinello, John Antonelli, Matt Yamashita

Friday Oct 11 4:45pm Rafael

Saturday Oct 12 2:00pm Larkspur

T HE T RAITOR (Il traditore)

Italy/France/Brazil/Germany 2019, 145 min Director Marco Bellocchio

Veteran auteur Marco Bellocchio tackles the stranger-than-fiction tale of Tommaso Buscetta (Pierfrancesco Favino), a Sicilian crime boss who became the late 20th century’s most famous state’s witness against the Mafia. Masterfully juggling crime drama, politics, and gripping courtroom intrigue, Bellocchio brings impressive dramatic flourishes to this epic saga, placing it alongside canonical masterworks of the genre like Gomorrah and The Godfather. In Italian, Portuguese, and English with English subtitles

Tuesday Oct 8 8:00pm Sequoia

Thursday Oct 10 11:00am Sequoia

A T RAMWAY I N JERUSALEM

Israel/France 2018, 94 min Director Amos Gitai

T HE T WO P OPES

US/UK/Italy/Argentina 2019, 125 min Director Fernando Meirelles

One pontiff’s unexpected departure and another’s reluctant ascension is the crux of this endlessly fascinating film that explores the Catholic Church’s relationship with history, morality, politics, and truth. Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce shine in this compassionate portrait of two richly complex figures seeking connection across a fierce ideological divide. In English, Spanish, and Italian with English subtitles

Friday Oct 11 6:30pm Rafael

Saturday Oct 12 11:00am Sequoia

WORLD CINEMA

VAR DA B Y AGN ÈS

(Varda par Agnès)

France 2019, 115 min Director Agnès Varda

M Spend an afternoon with a legend of French cinema. An institution unto herself, the delightfully irreverent Agnès Varda ( Faces Places , MVFF 2017) conducts, in the last of her prodigious life’s work, a personal career retrospective as only she can, with accomplished skill, inimitable charm, wit, reverie, and copious wonder. In French and English with English subtitles

Sunday Oct 6 6:00pm Lark

Saturday Oct 12 3:15pm PFA

¡V IVA LOS NIÑOS!

Total Program 86 min

V Nonverbal and in Spanish with English subtitles A celebration of Spanish-language and Latin American films and stories, MVFF’s ¡Viva el Cine! initiative is also a family affair as illustrated by this special collection of kid-centric short films from Mexico, Spain, Guatemala, and Colombia. For and about families of all kinds, this multigenerational medley is accessible for both Spanish and English speakers alike. Age 8+

Sunday Oct 6 11:00am Rafael

Sunday Oct 13 1:45pm Rafael

WATCH L IST

US/Philippines/Canada 2019, 96 min Director Ben Rekhi

FOCUS: RES IS T RE VO LT REFORM In the aftermath of her husband’s murder, Maria descends into the dark world of Philippine government corruption in her quest for answers. Her efforts only entrench her deeper into the sordid side of Duterte’s war on drugs, as she struggles to protect her children from Manila’s worst criminals, cops and drugs. But is she being watched...? In Tagalog with English subtitles

Friday Oct 4 8:15pm Larkspur

Saturday Oct 5 4:30pm Larkspur

W HAT DO YOU BELIEVE NOW?

US 2019, 68 min Director Sarah Feinbloom

M Seventeen years after interviewing six teenagers of diverse faiths for her documentary What Do You Believe? (MVFF 2002), filmmaker Sarah Feinbloom poses questions anew to her subjects. The shocking jump cut from adolescence to adulthood as they discuss their lives’ journeys forms the heart of this touching look at spirituality and identity. • World Premiere

Sunday Oct 6 2:00pm Sequoia*

Wednesday Oct 9 6:00pm Rafael

*Screening followed by a special reception at the Outdoor Art Club including guided interfaith conversations. Free to ﬁlm ticket holders.

W HERE’S M Y R OY C OH N?

US 2019, 97 min Director Matt Tyrnauer

FOCUS: Q UEE R-I SH Roy Cohn loved power, and this former right-hand man to Joseph McCarthy spent his legal career living by a simple credo: Never apologize, attack. Matt Tyrnauer ( Studio 54 ) gives us the definitive look at one of the most divisive figures of the 20th century—a man who befriended celebrities and presidents, represented Mafia capos, and gave the world Donald Trump.

Saturday Oct 5 4:45pm Sequoia

Tuesday Oct 8 12:00pm Sequoia

T HE W HISTLERS (La Gomera)

Romania/France/Germany/Sweden 2019, 97 min Director Corneliu Porumboiu

W HY CAN ’T I BE M E? A ROU ND YOU

US 2019, 93 min Director Harrod Blank

WI ND OWS O N THE W ORL D

US 2019, 109 min Director Michael D. Olmos

V When an undocumented worker on the top floor of the World Trade Center goes missing on the tragic morning of September 11, 2001, his son makes a difficult journey from Mexico to New York City in search of his father, coming face-to-face with the realities of what is means to be an immigrant in America. Ryan Guzman and Edward James Olmos star in this emotionally stirring, socially relevant film.

Monday Oct 7 2:30pm Sequoia

This screening is free to CFI members. Reception to follow. Get your complimentary tickets at mvff.com.

Sponsored by Tacolist.com Latino Classiﬁeds

VALLEY OF THE DOCS

WORLD CINEMA

VALLEY OF THE DOCS

YOU G AVE M E A SONG:

HE L IFE A ND M USIC OF A LICE G ERRAR D

US 2019, 78 min Director Kenny Dalsheimer

A pioneer of the traditional music canon, Alice Gerrard is perhaps best known for her longtime collaboration with Hazel Dickens—a duo thought to be the first female bluegrass bandleaders. This film follows the more than 50-year career of an unstoppable musical force—nominated for a Grammy ® at 80—who blazed a path for new generations of women to follow.

Thursday Oct 10 5:15pm Sequoia* Sunday Oct 13 11:30am Rafael

*Live music event to follow at Sweetwater. Separate ticket required. See page 21 for details.

YOU S AY YOU WAN T A R EVOLUTIO N?

UK 2019, 80 min Director Emily Harris

M FOCUS: RES IS T RE VO LT REFORM Capturing the heart of the revolutionary ‘60s, this magical mystery tour is rooted in a brilliant exhibition at London’s V&A Museum. Bay Area futurists and cultural avatars Stewart Brand and Peter Coyote bringing their experiences to bear on the present, prescribing worldwide transformation—with or without LSD—to cure our conformity, consumerism, and capitulation to the status quo. • World Premiere

Sunday Oct 6 4:30pm Sequoia*

Tuesday Oct 8 2:30pm Rafael

*Live music with Ace of Cups to follow at Sweetwater. Separate ticket required. See page 20 for details.

DOWNLOAD THE NEW APP FROM CFI

VALLEY OF THE DOCS

MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL SPONSORS

MAJOR MEDIA

HOTELS

MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL SPONSORS

EVENTS & VENUE PARTNERS

CFI BOARD O F DI RE C TORS

EX

ECUTIVE

DIR ECTOR/FOUNDER

FOUNDING BOARD

EMERITUS BOARD

GARY

ADVISORY BOARD

B ARBARA B OXER ST EWART B OXER

DRUS IE DAVI S JEFF FI SH ER

PE TER FL A XM AN

R OB ERT GR EBER

LINDA GRUB ER

PEGGY H AAS

JE SS I CA IGOE

ROX ANN E KLEI N KC LAUCK

ANDR EW MCGU IRE

MARY P OL AN D

ER IC SCH WARTZ

MI CHA EL SCH WARTZ

SKIP WH I TN EY

CFI

EXECUT I VE D IREC TOR/ F OUNDER

MV FF F OUNDER/D IREC TOR

Mark Fishkin

DIREC TOR O F PROGRAMM ING

Zoë Elton

PROGRAMMING

SENI OR PROGRAMMER

Karen Davis

WOR LD CINEMA PROGRAMMER

João Federici

DO CUMENTARY PROGRAMMER

Kelly Clement

US IND IES PROGRAMMER

Mimi Brody

PROGRAMM ING MANAGER / SHORTS PROGRAMMER

Sterling Hedgpeth

PROGRAMM ING ASSO CI ATE

Celeste Truffaut-Wong

PROGRAMM ING ASSISTANT

Ali Giordani

FAM ILY FIL MS PROGRAMMER

Joanne Parsont

MUSIC FIL MS PROGRAMMER

Charles Dickey

ANI MAT I ON PROGRAMMER

Amanda Todd

BEHIND THE SC REENS MANAGER

Shakira Refos

MIND THE GAP PROJEC T MANAGER

Susan Murdy

ACTI VE CINEMA M ANAGER

Maribel Guevara

US IND IE PROGRAMM ING COMM I TTEE

Faridah Gbadamosi

Angie MacKenzie

Rafael Prieto

Regina Tsasis

CFI | MV FF STA FF

PROGRAMM ING RESEARC HERS

Margherita Ghetti

Diana Sanchez Maciel

Isabella Sanders Miller

Kirk Mudle

AJ Stella

C LIPS EDI TOR

Marcus Pun

FESTIVAL OPERATIONS

DIREC TOR O F OPERAT I ONS

Jeromy Zajonc

OPERAT I ONS MANAGER

Dave Feiferis

OPERAT I ONS COORD INATOR

Skyler Bingham

VO LUNTEER MANAGER

Faridah Gbadamosi

VO LUNTEER COORD INATOR

Angelica Fonseca

FRONT DESK PRODU CTI ON ASSISTANT

Stephanie Lytle

M USIC M ANAGERS

Madison Flach

Aaron Kayce

TECHNICAL OPERATIONS &

PRODUCTION

TEC HN IC AL D IREC TOR

Dan Zastrow

EXH IBITI ON MED I A MANAGER

Jesse Dubus

PRODU CTI ON MANAGER

Paul Hegarty

PRODU CTI ON ASSISTANTS

Anthony Doyle

Paul Kellogg

THEATER OPERATIONS

THEATER OPERAT I ONS MANAGER

Kaitlyn Ryan

THEATER OPERAT I ONS COORD INATOR

Ben Ziemke

THEATER OPERAT I ONS ASSISTANT

Phoebe Cooper

VENUE MANAGERS

Jacqueline Carlson

Rachel Cox

Christa Lynn Luckenbach

Alex Mills

HOUSE MANAGERS

Ruby Flores

Kelli Fox

Eileen Level

Willita Mahone

Kacey Meyer

Andrea Nilosek

Derek Petrillo

Muhammad El Quessny

Daniela Weinreich

LINE MANAGERS

Maggie Coorigan

Katie Jenkins

Tori Markham

Michael McIlraith

Jon Olsen

Katie Shinsato

Lauren Skager

Julie Velazquez

PROJECTI ONISTS

Jono Clay

Kat Cory

Erica Gleichman

Phil Hoffman

Eric Humphrey

Peter Matheny-Schuster

Cassady O’Brian

Luis Reyes

Emily Shurtz

Cody Silva

Josh Stithem

Bryce Warren

GUEST & TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

GUEST SERV IC ES MANAGER

Joanny Rivera

GUEST SERV IC ES COORD INATORS

Brenda Berliner

Erin McInnis

GUEST SERV IC ES ASSISTANT

Katie Schnell

TRANSPORTAT I ON MANAGER

Albert Chow

TRANSPORTAT I ON COORD INATORS

Jacob Neuhauser

Kyle Smith

FESTIVAL BOX OFFICE

T IC KET ING SERV IC ES PROV I DED BY BOX CUBED

Ben Armington

Natasha Hoover

Mitch Vaughn

BOX O FFIC E STA FF

Ryan Baker

Tatiana Bookbinder

Tiffany Collins

Morgan Davis

Tess Howell

Lucy Laird

Marya Mayer

Danica Mladenovic

Annie Moore

Hilda Schmelling

Julie Stallone

Suki Van Arsdale

SPECIAL EVENTS

SPECI AL EVENTS MANAGER

Yvonne Fox

OPENING & CLOSING N I GHT MANAGER

Mimi Cunningham

EVENTS COORD INATOR

Christa Gatewood

OUTDOOR ART CLUB MANAGER

Aileen Fowler

FIL MMAKER LOUNGE MANAGER

Bobby Pin

SAN RA FAEL FIL MMAKER LOUNGE ASSISTANT

Alec Estes

M ILL VA LL EY FIL MMAKER LOUNGE ASSISTANT

Jill Brooke

Sarah Escalante

MARKETING AND PUBLICITY

DIREC TOR O F MARKET ING & PUBLICI TY

Shelley Spicer

CFI MARKET ING & COMMUNIC AT IONS MANAGER

Leah LoSchiavo

SO CI AL MED I A MANAGER

Chris Markisz

MV FF MARKET ING, PUBLICI TY, & PROMOT I ONS MANAGER

Michele Tharp

CFI | MV FF S TA FF

GRAPHIC DESI GNER

Brian Lehman

PRODU CTI ON ART IST

Richard Denney

PUBLIC AT I ONS MANAGING ED I TOR

Joe Bowman

PUBLIC AT I ONS PRODU CTI ON, PREPRESS

Richard Repas

COPY ED I TOR

Pam Grady

DEVELOPMENT

DIREC TOR O F DEVELOPMENT

Liana Bender

CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Beau Blanchard

MAJOR GIF TS AND F OUNDAT IONS MANAGER

Katy Hogan

CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT ASSO CI ATE

Nick Friedman

MEMBERSH IP MANAGER

Doreen Aviv

MEMBERSH IP ASSO CI ATE

Alyssa Cox

SPONSORSH IP ACTI VAT I ON COORD INATOR

Kim McGinnis

DEVELOPMENT DONOR COORD INATOR

Sydney Ridder

DEVELOPMENT INTERNS

Louise Ledour

Sara Wallace

Christian Schultz

Isabel Witchel

CFI EDUCATION

DIREC TOR O F EDU C AT I ON

Joanne Parsont

EDU C AT I ON PROGRAM MANAGER

Melanie Nichols

EDU C AT I ON OUTREAC H MANAGER

Shakira Refos

EXECUTIVE

EXECUT I VE ASSISTANT

Maureen Galliani

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

DEPUTY D IREC TOR

Dane Callihan

FINAN C E MANAGER

Connie Chang

FINAN C E ASSO CI ATE

Laura Austin

I T & OPERAT I ONS MANAGER

Norman Mello

CHRISTOPHER B. SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER

DIREC TOR O F PROGRAMM ING

Richard Peterson

GENERA L MANAGER

Dan Zastrow

RA FAEL PROGRAM ASSO CI ATE

Alexandra Cantin

PROGRAM CONSU LTANT

Jan Klingelhofer

ASSISTANT MANAGER

Grifﬁn Coullard

SH IF T MANAGERS

Brianna Cady

Madeleine Recinos

SM I TH RA FAEL FIL M C ENTER STA FF

Jason Ashe

Pablo Bartone-Garcia

Mason Bell

Myles Cohen

Nick Ginwala

Jude Hick

Rosin Keogh

Julian Lasher

Thalia Loppies

Tatiana Oliver

Andy Reeds

Zack Shinnick

Liam Shore

Matthew Stranzl

Jaidev Thomas

Brianna Thompson

Eli Wilson

Mia Yun

THURSDAY OCT 3

RAFAEL

7:00pm Just Mercy 161 min page 10

SEQUOIA

7:00pm Just Mercy 161 min page 10

LARKS PU RL ANDING

7:00pm The King 133 min

FRIDAY OCT 4

RAFAEL

3:45pm August 85 min

5:00pm The Dog Doc 101 min

6:00pm The Gasoline Thieves 93 min

6:30pm Amateurs 102 min

8:00pm Spotlight: Conversation with Olivia Wilde 90 min page 12

8:45pm Marighella 155 min

9:30pm 5@5 Stone Flower 88 min

SEQUOIA

5:00pm The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash 94 min

5:15pm The Cave 96 min

7:30pm Portrait of a Lady on Fire 119 min

8:00pm Knives Out 130 min

LAR K THEA TR E

6:00pm The Swallows of Kabul 82 min

8:45pm The Kingmaker 100 min

LARKS PU R L ANDING

6:00pm 5@5 Feels Like Fire 65 min

6:15pm Autonomy 80 min

8:15pm Watch List 96 min

8:45pm Journey to Hokusai 80 min

RAFAEL

11:00am Synonyms 123 min

11:15am Journeys Beyond the Cosmodrome 95 min

12:00pm Amra and the 2nd Marriage 95 min

2:15pm Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound 95 min

2:45pm Blue Hour 92 min

3:00pm Rewind 87 min

5:00pm Sorry We Missed You 100 min

5:30pm 39½ 71 min

6:00pm Autonomy 80 min

8:00pm Dolemite Is My Name 118 min

8:30pm The Body Remembers ... 105 min

8:45pm The Hi De Ho Show 90 min

SEQUOIA

11:00am 5@5 Life is for Living 92 min

11:15am Out Stealing Horses 122 min

1:45pm The Whistlers 97 min

3:45pm Olympic Dreams 83 min

4:45pm Where’s My Roy Cohn? 97 min

7:00pm Harriet 125 min

7:30pm The Lighthouse 140 min page 13

LAR K THEA TR E

11:15am The Lure of This Land 90 min

2:00pm The Conductor 137 min

6:00pm Little Joe 105 min

8:45pm A Tramway in Jerusalem 94 min

LARKS PU R L ANDING

11:00am As the World Toons 77 min 11:15am The Swallows of Kabul 82 min

1:30pm August 85 min

2:00pm Fresh & Fearless 83 min

4:30pm Watch List 96 min

4:45pm Chuskit 89 min

7:30pm The Gasoline Thieves 93 min

8:00pm Pomegranate Seeds... 89 min

P ACIFIC F ILM ARCHIVE

4:30pm Why Can’t I Be Me?... 93 min

7:00PM Marighella 155 min

OUT DOO R ART C LUB

9:00am Mind the Gap Summit (start) 2:45pm No Time to Waste 75 min

RAFAEL

11:00am ¡Viva los Niños! 86 min

11:45am Team Marco 92 min

12:00pm Journey to Hokusai 80 min

2:30pm Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo 133 min page 14

5:30pm Jojo Rabbit 108 min

5:45pm The Prince 96 min

6:00pm Subira 99 min

8:15pm Pain and Glory 113 min

8:30pm The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão 139 min

8:45pm Hava, Maryam, Ayesha 86 min

SEQUOIA

11:15am The Story of Plastic 89 min

1:15pm The Reformer. Zwingli:... 128 min

2:00pm What Do You Believe Now? 68 min

4:30pm You Say You Want a Revolution? 80 min

5:00pm Clemency 143 min page 14

7:30pm Parasite 132 min

8:30pm Synonyms 123 min

LAR K THEA TR E

12:00pm Frankie 100 min

3:15pm Driveways 83 min

6:00pm Varda by Agnès 115 min

9:00pm The Gift: ...Johnny Cash 94 min

LARKS PU R L ANDING

12:30pm Phil Tippett: Mad Dreams... 80 min

2:15pm Thousand Pieces of Gold 105 min page 13

3:00pm A Tramway in Jerusalem 94 min

5:15pm Rewind 87 min

5:45pm Noah Land 109 min

8:00pm The Conductor 137 min

8:30pm Show Me What You Got 101 min

P ACIFIC F ILM ARCHIVE

5:00pm The Kingmaker 100 min

7:30pm The Whistlers 97 min

OUT DOO R ART C LUB

11:30am Panel: The Story of Plastic 90 min

2:45pm Workshop: Get the Kids in the Pictures! 90 min

MONDAY OCT 7

RAFAEL

2:30pm The Reformer. Zwingli: A Life’s Portrait 128 min

3:00pm Pomegranate Seeds: Voices and Visions from Iranian Women 89 min

4:00pm Clemency 113 min

6:00pm Cherry Blossoms & Demons 115 min

7:00pm Seberg 126 min page 15

9:00pm Carmilla 96 min

SEQUOIA

11:15am Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound 95 min

11:30am The Dog Doc 101 min

2:30pm Windows on the World 109 min

5:30pm 5@5 Stone Flower 88 min

7:00pm Serendipity 76 min

8:00pm Bacurau 131 min

LAR K THEA TR E

5:30pm Out Stealing Horses 122 min

8:45pm By the Grace of God 137 min

LARKS PU R L ANDING

6:00pm The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open 105 min

6:15pm 5@5 Daughter of the Night 69 min

8:45pm The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão 139 min

9:00pm Hava, Maryam, Ayesha 86 min

TUESDAY

RAFAEL

11:30am Carmilla 96 min

2:30pm You Say You Want a Revolution? 80 min

3:00pm The Story of Plastic 89 min

3:15pm Parasite 132 min

5:30pm A Girl from Mogadishu 112 min

6:15pm Right to Harm 86 min

6:30pm The Irishman 210 min

8:30pm Cherry Blossoms & Demons 115 min

9:00pm 5@5 Daughter of the Night 69 min

SEQUOIA

12:00pm Where’s My Roy Cohn? 97 min

12:45pm Olympic Dreams 83 min

2:30pm Pain and Glory 113 min

3:30pm Seberg 96 min

5:30pm My Friend Fela 92 min

6:30pm 63 Up 163 min page 15

8:00pm The Traitor 145 min

LAR K THEA TR E

6:00pm Scheme Birds 90 min

8:30pm Ema 102 min

LARKS PU R L ANDING

6:00pm 5@5 Smooth 69 min

6:15pm Song Without a Name 97 min

9:00pm Bacurau 131 min

WEDNESDAY

RAFAEL

11:15am Ema 102 min

2:15pm Subira 99 min

3:00pm Portrait of a Lady on Fire 119 min

5:15pm From Wounded Knee to Standing Rock: A Reporter’s Journey 90 min

6:00pm What Do You Believe Now? 68 min

7:00pm Waves 160 min page 10

8:15pm Animals 109 min

8:45pm 5@5 Smooth 69 min

SEQUOIA

11:30am Knives Out 130 min

1:00pm Song Without a Name 97 min

2:30pm Harriet 125 min

5:30pm The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion 67 min

5:45pm A Girl from Mogadishu 112 min

8:00pm Honey Boy 93 min

9:00pm Sorry We Missed You 100 min

LAR K THEA TR E

6:00pm Flesh Out 94 min

8:45pm The MisEducation of Bindu 92 min

LARKS PU R L ANDING

6:00pm 5@5 Feels Like Fire 65 min

6:15pm Stop the Presses!: Memos from the Fourth Estate 87 min

8:15pm Beanpole 130 min

9:00pm Amateurs 102 min

P ACIFIC F ILM ARCHIVE

7:00pm Journeys Beyond the Cosmodrome 95 min

THURSDAY

RAFAEL

2:45pm Right to Harm 86 min

3:15pm Jojo Rabbit 108 min

6:00pm 37 Seconds 115 min

6:15pm The Great 14th: Tenzin Gyatso, The Dalai Lama in His Own Words 82 min page 16

8:45pm 5@5 Night Hunting Time 80 min

9:00pm The Aeronauts 101 min

9:15pm Blue Hour 92 min

SEQUOIA

11:00am The Traitor 145 min

11:45am Scheme Birds 90 min

2:15pm Honey Boy 93 min

2:45pm By the Grace of God 137 min

5:15pm You Gave Me a Song: The Life and Music of Alice Gerrard 78 min

6:00pm Frankie 100 min

8:00pm Coup 53 120 min

8:30pm Öndög 97 min

LAR K THEA TR E

6:00pm And Then We Danced 113 min

9:00pm Take Me Somewhere Nice 91 min

LARKS PU R L ANDING

6:00pm Flatland 117 min

6:15pm 5@5 Just in Time to See the Sun 67 min

8:45pm From Wounded Knee to Standing Rock: A Reporter’s Journey 90 min

9:00pm The MisEducation of Bindu 92 min

RAFAEL

FRIDAY

2:00pm Flesh Out 94 min

3:30pm The Lure of This Land 90 min

4:45pm This Little Land of Mines 102 min

6:15pm De Lo Mio 73 min

6:30pm The Two Popes 125 min

8:00pm Les misérables 102 min

9:00pm 5@5 Just in Time to See the Sun 67 min

SEQUOIA

11:30am Waves 135 min

2:00pm Take Me Somewhere Nice 91 min

2:45pm And Then We Danced 113 min

5:00pm Dolemite Is My Name 118 min

6:00pm The Report 118 min

8:00pm The Truth 106 min page 16

9:15pm The Hi De Ho Show 90 min

LAR K THEA TR E

11:00am 37 Seconds 115 min

2:00pm Little Joe 105 min

5:30pm South Mountain 75 min

8:00pm Beanpole 130 min

LARKS PU R L ANDING

11:00am The Cat and the Moon 114 min

2:15pm Fourteen 94 min

3:15pm Serendipity 76min

5:00pm Noah Land 109 min

6:00pm 5@5 Night Hunting Time 80 min

8:00pm A First Farewell 88 min

8:30pm Animals 109 min

P ACIFIC F ILM ARCHIVE

3:00pm The Cave 96 min

5:30pm Aurora 105 min

OLD MILL PA RK

7:00pm Coraline 100 min

SATURDAY

RAFAEL

11:30am State of the Industry Panel 90min

12:00pm Öndög 97 min

12:30pm Chuskit 89 min

2:00pm The Great 14th... 82 min

2:45pm The Truth 106 min

3:00pm Master Class: Laura Dern 75 min page 17

5:00pm The Unbearable Lightness of Being 171 min page 18

6:30pm Marriage Story 166 min page 19

9:00pm Arid Cut 116 min

SEQUOIA

11:00am The Two Popes 125 min

11:15am As the World Toons 77 min

1:45pm Team Marco 92 min

2:15pm Les misérables 102 min

4:30pm Blackbird 122 min page 17

5:00pm Days of the Bagnold Summer 111 min page 18

7:30pm A Hidden Life 173 min

LAR K THEA TR E

2:00pm Flatland 117 min

5:15pm The Report 118 min

8:15pm Why Can’t I Be Me?... 93 min

LARKS PU R L ANDING

11:00am South Mountain 75 min

11:45am Aurora 105 min

2:00pm This Little Land of Mines 102 min

3:00pm The Cat and the Moon 114 min

6:15pm Driveways 83 min

7:30pm De Lo Mio 73 min

9:00pm The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion 67 min

P ACIFIC F ILM ARCHIVE

12:00pm Coup 53 120 min

3:15pm Varda by Agnès 115 min

OUT DOO R ART C LUB

2:30pm Workshop: From Concept to Story to Screen 120 min

TENNESSEE V ALLEY T R AIL

10:00am Active Cinema Hike

RAFAEL

11:00am Days of the Bagnold Summer 86 min

11:15am Fresh & Fearless 83 min

11:30am You Gave Me a Song: The Life and Music of Alice Gerrard 78 min

1:30pm The Artist’s Wife 94 min

1:45pm ¡Viva los Niños! 86 min

2:00pm Stop the Presses!: Memos from the Fourth Estate 87 min

4:30pm Ford v Ferrari 177 min page 11

SEQUOIA

11:00am Marriage Story 136 min

11:15am Blackbird 97 min

2:00pm Rémi, Nobody’s Boy 108 min

2:00pm The Aeronauts 101 min

5:00pm Motherless Brooklyn 169 min page 11

LAR K THEA TR E

11:00am Phil Tippett: Mad Dreams and Monsters 80 min

2:00pm A Conversation with Barbara Rush 75 min page 19

5:00pm A Hidden Life 173 min

LARKS PU R L ANDING

11:00am A First Farewell 88 min

11:45am My Friend Fela 92 min

2:15pm Fourteen 94 min

2:45pm Amra and the Second Marriage 95 min

5:15pm 5@5 Festival Faves 100 min

5:30pm 39½ 71 min

OUT DOO R ART C LUB

11:00am Variety Screenwriters to Watch 90 min

FRIDAY OCT 4

CONCERT - Johnny & June Forever 9:00pm (doors open 8pm)

SATURDAY OCT 5

MIND THE GAP SUMMIT (con’d) - 10:00am

CONCERT - Hayes Carll 9:00pm (doors open 8pm)

SUN DAY OCT 6

DIRECTOR’S FORUM - 12:00pm

CONCERT - Ace of Cups & Friends 8:00pm (doors open 7pm)

MONDAY OCT 7

CONCERT - Petra Hanson & Gaijin a Go-Go 8:00pm (doors open 7pm)

TUESDAY OCT 8

CONCERT - Little Hurricane 8:00pm (doors open 7pm)

WEDNESDAY OCT 9

CONCERT - TBA 8:00pm (doors open 7pm)

THURSDAY OCT 10

CONCERT - Alice Gerrard & Friends 8:00pm (doors open 7pm)

FRIDAY OCT 11

CONCERT - TBA 8:00pm (doors open 7pm)

SATURDAY OCT 12

FREE SCREENING - 1:00pm Mamma Mia! (108 min)

CONCERT - TBA 8:00pm (doors open 7pm)

TI T LE I NDEX

Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo 14

Intermission E xpedition ........ 30

The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão 43

The Irishman 43

It’s Been Too L ong 31

It’s Only Rock N’ Roll ............. 45

Jojo Rabbit.............................. 43

Journey to Hokusai ................ 43

Journeys Beyond the Cosmodrome 44

Just Between Us..................... 31

Just Mercy............................... 10

A Kalabanda Ate My Homework 34 Keep It Quiet .......................... 30 The King .................................. 44

The Kingmaker 44

Kitten Witch ............................ 40

Knives Out 44

Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl) .................................... 44

L efty/Righty 30

L es misérables ........................ 45

The L ighthouse 13

Like an Elephant in a China Shop 34

Little Joe ................................. 45

L izard 31

The Lure of This L and ............ 45

Mahalia Melts in the Rain ...... 40

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound 45

Mamma Mia! 21

Margot 30

Marighella ............................... 46

Marooned ............................... 34

Marriage Story 19

May 31

Medium Rare 30

Mi abuelita 55

The MisEducation of Bindu .. 46

Motherless Brooklyn 11

My Brother L uca 55

My Friend Fela ........................ 46

The New Environmentalists: From Liberia to Mongolia 54

No Time to Waste: The Urgent Mission of Betty Reid Soskin ........... 25

Noah L

PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER MARKISZ