An upside to the Never Ending Winter of 2014: You won’t miss any spring weather as you spend the whole weekend in the darkened indoors of the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival. Scanning the festival’s list of 200-some screenings and events, you could watch a feature-length film in the time it could take you to create your “to-watch” list. Simplify the decision by taking a local angle on the global offerings.
The Starfish Throwers
Quinton mentioned this Minnesota-made film in his April A&E picks. It follows three individuals who are working to right hunger around the world, as the starfish metaphor goes, one individual at a time.
Brave Miss World
This documentary follows former Miss Israel Linor Abargil, who was raped just 6 weeks before winning the Miss World competition at age 18. Her story is accompanied by those of many other sexual assault victims, including Joan Collins, Fran Drescher, and Minnesotan Berit Francis (full disclosure: we’re related). The film was directed by Cecelia Peck (she’s the daughter of Gregory Peck and is married to a Minnesota native), who will be in town this Sunday for the screening and Q&A.
My Last Days: Zach Sobiech
Part of the Shorts 4: The Artist Within screening, this 23-minute film documents the inspiring life of a Minnesota teenager who began writing music after his diagnoses of bone cancer. His song “Clouds,” went viral before his death last year.
Jungle Encounters
As part of Shorts 3: Stage to Screen, the Jungle Theater’s founding artistic director Bain Boehlke goes behind the scenes and interviews a passel of actors who have trod its stage.
Shorts 10: Minnesota Made Music Videos
This roundup includes Dessa, Poliça, and the Marijuana Deathsquads.
Shorts 11: Forecast Public Art/IFP MN
The Twin Cities–based public art nonprofit has its own series that includes a six-minute bit by local poet Todd Boss who is launching a project to project poetry films on the façade of the St. Paul Union Depot.
After you’ve seen your fill, hit the Minnesota Made Party next Thursday evening at Red Stag Supperclub to mingle with those involved in the local film industry.