MSPIFF 42 Begins

Whether a long-time film society member or new to the scene, film buffs all over the Twin Cities and beyond are getting ready for the 42nd Minneapolis Saint Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF) running April 13-27 at the Main Cinema, 115 SE Main St. in Minneapolis. Films are also being shown at the Capri in North Minneapolis, the Landmark Center in Saint Paul and in Rochester. Full passes to the festival are available for $400 to film society members, $500 to the public and $75 for students.
MSPIFF will also be taking over Pracna next door during the festival and have beer, wine and other drinks available, as well as food.
The opening night film, “Dreamin’ Wild” is very mournful, haunting and quite beautiful, according to MSP Film Society Executive Director Susan Smoluchowski. “It’s based on a true story about the Emerson Brothers, who were creating music in the ‘70s in their basement. Their music just never got the kind of attention they wanted, and they came to terms with that.”
However, their music was picked up online 40 years later, and a cult following developed. “They were overlooked and undervalued and went on with their lives,” Smoluchowski said. “The movie looks at what happens when their music resurfaces all these years later.” Pohlad has produced numerous Oscar-winning films over the years and has recently returned to directing. He will be present on opening night to discuss the film.
The closing night film at MSPIFF is also music-related. “It’s Only Life, After All” directed by Alexandria Bombach tells the story of the Indigo Girls. “The documentary reveals how they stayed true to who they were as artists and people,” Smoluchowski said. They are also great activists and worked closely with Winona LaDuke. Smoluchowski said the director will be present closing night, and if LaDuke’s schedule allows it, so will she.
Smoluchowski highlighted several other films that will be shown during the festival. Jimmy Chen and Chai Vasarhelyi have directed “Wild Life,” a film about Patagonia, the company, and about the extraordinary generosity of the founders of that company. “They took an exceptional interest in the environment and did what they could to save parts of our world that were ruined by development,” Smoluchowski said.
Another documentary, “Being Mary Tyler Moore,” features Moore’s famous hat and the house in Minneapolis she lived in. “It’s just a very moving documentary about her,” Smoluchowski said. She also pointed to a film called “Food and Country,” directed by Laura Gabbert and focusing on how the food industry was affected by the pandemic. New York Times food writer Ruth Reichlis is featured, as she reaches out to food producers across political divides to explore how they have tried to survive independently during the pandemic and beyond.
Smoluchowski also recommended “20 Days in Mariupol,” a film depicting journalists from the Associated Press during the earliest days of the Ukraine-Russian war and the ferocious bombing of the city of Mariupol. “It shows the horrors of the attack and how the citizens rallied to survive these attacks,” she said.
“Il Boemo” is a period drama about long-forgotten Czech-born composer Josef Myslivecek who lived during the 1700s. “He was a mentor to Mozart,” Smoluchowski said. “The film is a social romp, very appealing to our audiences.”
A story of the unlikely lifelong friendship between two men is told in the Italian film “Eight Mountains.” Another Italian film, “L’Immensita,” stars Penelope Cruz and is a coming-of-age feature. “It’s about a family who goes to the seaside every summer, and their daughter who is questioning her gender,” Smoluchowski said.
A film from Pakistan that is also notable, according to Smoluchowski, is “Joyland,” a film that was shown at Cannes and describes a typical family from Lahore who become involved with transgender performers. And finally, she described the “Gods of Mexico” as a film that has no dialogue, only spectacular photography.
This year’s MSPIFF will present a small number of films online during the Best of Fest, which runs some of the most popular films immediately following the festival. “At this point in time, most distributors want their films to be seen on the big screen,” Smoluchowski explained. “It’s more difficult to negotiate online screening, and we are glad of that. We want to encourage people to come back and be together in the theater.”
It has been a year since the MSP Film Society took over use of all five theaters at the Main location, and Smoluchowski said it is both exciting and a little challenging, as people test re-entry to public events after the pandemic.
Avid cinephiles have appreciated that the Main is a part of their community. One film society member said he had moved to the area so that he could be close enough to walk to the theater.
“We have been showing a range of films,” Smoluchowski said.
See a full schedule of the films being shown at the festival at www.mspfilm.org.