Mill Valley Film Fest: Famed event returns with its customary star power
Get ready, Bay Area. Some awfully big names are heading to Marin County this week.
Just take a gander at Mill Valley Film Festival’s flashy celebrity guest list: Ralph Fiennes, Amy Adams, Danielle Deadwyler, Jude Law, Mikey Madison, Jharrel Jerome, Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Adriana Paz and Édgar Ramirez, to name only a few.
They’ll be walking the red carpet with other noteworthy actors and filmmakers at the Oct. 3 through 13 festival, which is marking its 47th year with another deep and impressive lineup. Screenings span from San Rafael to Mill Valley and include Berkeley and Larkspur.
This year’s slate serves as a calling card for the upcoming award season, and that gets reflected in today’s opening selection, the papal-themed thriller “Conclave,” which is already collecting incredible awards season buzz. The festival ends Oct. 13 with another buzzy feature, the horror comedy “Nightbitch.”
In between there will be showings of other features and documentaries gaining awards traction, from Sean Baker’s “Anora” to Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer” and Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.”
Also in the mix are a variety of hidden gems, many with Bay Area ties and some getting their world premieres. There are awards and tributes, too.
We recommend these 14 MVFF films. For tickets, a full schedule and more information, visit mvff.com.
“Lost in Time: Druid Heights”: Iconic counterculture figures (philosophical writer Alan Watts, poet Gary Snyder, groundbreaking lesbian poet Elsa Gidlow and more) once flocked to a Utopian-like hideaway nestled in John Muir Woods. During its ‘60s-’70s heyday, Druid Heights served as a happening spot where renegades would zone out, dance, perform music, create, experiment with drugs, have loads of sex and walk around in the buff. Today, most structures are surrendering back to the natural environment. Director D. Damian Panetta’s podcast-like documentary does an exceptional job sifting through the raucous accounts of those who were there. In this world premiere, resident Ed Stiles serves as lead guide to all the outlandishness. Screenings: 8:30 p.m. Oct. 5, Rafael 2; 1 p.m. Oct. 11, The Lark.
“Chaperone”: Never count on Misha (Mitzi Akaha). The 29-year-old movie theater attendant is devoted to her aimlessness, a personality trait that annoys most everyone around her, including relatives miffed at how she neglects the house she’s inherited and lives in on the island of Hawaii. Misha does gain a purpose, but it’s hardly a responsible one when a 19-year-old high school athlete (the striking Laird Akeo) appears and assumes she, too, is a teen, a notion that Misha doesn’t discredit. Director/writer Zoe Eisenberg handles the cringeable relationship that ensues with candor, never letting Misha — one of the most indelible protagonists you’ll meet this year — off the hook. It’s a true-blue indie find. Screenings: 3:30 p.m. Oct. 6 and 4:30 p.m. Oct. 7, Rafael 2.
“Exhibiting Forgiveness”: The fallout from a horrendous childhood and the healing power of art carry the same weight in artist-turned-filmmaker Titus Kaphar’s emotionally charged family drama, a powder keg of a debut that refuses to relent to trite resolutions. André Holland convincingly channels inner turmoil as acclaimed painter Tarrell Rodin, a happily married father whose life grows complicated when his abusive dad (John Earl Jelks) resurfaces after decades away. With strong support from Andra Day as Tarrell’s singer wife and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as his ready-to-forgive mom, “Exhibiting Forgiveness” doesn’t flinch from illustrating how dysfunctional familial relationships wound and scar repeatedly. But the film itself isn’t cynical or bitter as it reveals how art can help us process, recover and transform. Screenings: 7 p.m. Oct. 4, Rafael 2; noon Oct. 5, Rafael 3.
“My Dead Friend Zoe”: Merit (a sensational Sonequa Martin-Green) juggles two demanding, often exasperating presences in her life. There’s Zoe (Natalie Morales), the bossy ghost who was her best friend and Army mechanic buddy during a tour in Afghanistan, and her veteran grandfather (Ed Harris) who’s in need of more full-time care. Cue the tears. Inspired in part by director/co-screenwriter Kyle Hausmann-Stokes’ own tour of duty in Iraq, this debut feature is one of the festival’s most moving, memorable comedy-dramas and anchors itself around three terrific performances. It works so well since it speaks from the heart and the soul. Screenings: 7 p.m. Oct. 5, Sequoia 2; 11:30 a.m. Oct. 6, Sequoia 2.
“Memoir of a Snail”: Should your animation tastes align more with the offbeat rather than the traditional, Adam Elliot’s dark but hopeful stop-motion fable is a must. This quirky delight concerns the wretched lives of 1970s Australian twins — Grace (Sarah Snook) and Gilbert (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Both weather rotten foster families after their father dies, with Gilbert’s new parents being mercilessly judgmental and devout. Elliot made the unforgettable 2009 “Mary and Max” and again creates a grim but heartfelt animated world that’ll give you the feels in unexpected ways. He justly receives a festival Spotlight. Screenings: 7 p.m. Oct. 12, Sequoia 2.
“Democracy Noir”: While Berkeley filmmaker Connie Field’s timely documentary takes place far from the U.S. borders — in Hungary — it serves as a dire warning to Americans on the dangers of strongarm political leaders. Framed from the perspectives of three vocal female critics of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán — a politician, a journalist and a medical worker — Field’s compelling documentary highlights how those who resist Orbán’s leadership and expose his corruption encounter push-back of their own. Sometimes it comes from within their families. Screenings: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11, Rafael 2; 1:30 p.m. Oct. 12, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.
“The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival”: Orinda filmmaker Julie Rubio shines a well-deserved light on the eventful life and work of one of the 20th century’s most ahead-of-her-time female painters — a hidden figure in the art world. De Lempicka’s life and career were simply extraordinary, from her hidden Jewish identity to her bisexuality and on to her bold Art Deco style. The late Polish artist is garnering more attention this year with a 2024 stage musical (“Lempicka”) and an eagerly awaited first American museum retrospective (Oct. 12-Feb. 9 at the de Young Museum in San Francisco). Rubio’s deep dive, receiving a world premiere, sifts through fascinating details about this one-of-a-kind artist and serves as an essential companion piece to the upcoming San Francisco exhibit. Screenings: 7 p.m. Oct. 11, Sequoia 2; 2 p.m. Oct. 13, The Lark Theater.
“On Becoming a Guinea Fowl”: Rungano Nyoni’s unshakeable follow-up to “I Am Not a Witch” is just as formidable as her stop-and-take-notice debut. There are many layers to peel back and ponder in her latest, particularly in its final, unforgettable scene. It fools us that it’ll be a quirky Zambia-set dramedy that revolves around a man being found dead on a road and then takes a serious turn, escalating into a damning portrait of a patriarchal society where few feel safe to raise collective voices and call out a legacy of injustices. From the evocative cinematography to the naturalistic acting (particularly Susan Chardy, as the main character Shula) and a sometimes alarming birdcall of a soundtrack, “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” cements Nyoni’s rep as a filmmaker with vision and conviction. Screenings: 4:30 p.m. Oct. 5, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive; 8 p.m., Oct. 12 Rafael 3.
“The Legend in Me”: Living in the wake of Canadian sports legend Lionel Conacher (1900-1954), an athlete accomplished in not one but five sports, can be daunting for any relative. But for non-binary great-grandchild Lionel IV — better known as Chas — the road to self-realization and acceptance inspires its own brand of courage and resolve. Director Calvin Hwang invites us into the family dynamics and history of the Conachers and tells of Chas’s own journey to love themself. It also illustrates how a Marin County father stands by Chas’s side and sees his own respect and love deepen for them. This world premiere celebrates standing up for who you are and being fully embraced for doing so. Screenings: 5:15 p.m. Oct. 8, Rafael 3; 1 p.m. Oct. 13, Rafael 3.
“Oceania: Journey to the Center”: The tranquil ebb and flow of life (exquisitely filmed) on the Pacific Island nation of Kiribati is barreling towards an expiration date, another casualty of climate change. In Fairfax director Natalie Zimmerman’s gorgeous, immersive sensory feature, inhabitants of what is predicted to turn into an uninhabitable region by 2030 open up about their cherished, but endangered, way of life. “Oceania: Journey to the Center” represents the costs of global warming incurred not only to the natural world but humanity itself. Screenings: 1 p.m. Oct. 5, Sequoia 1; 3:30 p.m. Oct. 6, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.
“The Order”: Jude Law (who will receive a festival tribute at 2 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Rafael 1) demonstrates his acting range — yet again (check out his expectational turn as Henry VIII in “Firebrand”) — as a tireless FBI agent entering the viper’s lair of a vicious ‘80s white supremacist group led by the charismatic Bob Matthews (Nicholas Hoult). Based on actual events, Aussie director Justin Kurzel’s Pacific Northwest-set dramatization is stunningly shot, per the filmmaker’s standards, and exposes the deep, entrenched roots of Neo-Nazism in America. It’s altogether gripping, with Kurzel handling the material in a refreshing way, culminating in an open-ended finale worth talking about afterwards. Screening: 8 p.m. Oct. 8, the Rafael 1.
“Bob Trevino Likes It”: Meet Lily (Barbie Ferreira, an actor destined to steal your heart away). She’s the ultimate people pleaser, forgiving those who’ve been cruel to her, including her narcissistic wart of a dad Bob Trevino (French Stewart). While searching for pops on Facebook, she encounters a much kinder Bob Trevino, played by John Leguizamo in one of his most tender performances. The two soon become friends, easing and healing the pains of deep losses in their lives. Director and screenwriter Tracie Laymon’s feature debut is a heartbreaker as well as a heart mender, and features two characters and actors you’ll fall intensely in love with. Screenings: 5 p.m. Oct. 5, the Sequoia 1; 6 p.m. Oct. 11, Rafael 3.
“Standing Above the Clouds”: Why did the planned construction of a huge telescope near the top of Mauna Kea on Hawaii encounter so much resistance? Berkeley director Jalena Keane-Lee uplifts the voices of a group of mothers and daughters committed to protecting their heritage and a most sacred mountain. Keane-Lee’s sorrow-tinged documentary enlightens even as it reflects how a mobilized, unwavering organized protest can help enact change. Screening: 3 p.m. Oct. 12, Rafael 1.
“Secret Mall Apartment”: Eight artists’ bold protest against gentrification leads to something truly unique – an abode they’ve set up hidden in a Providence, RI, mall. It went on to become the secret roosting spot for creative types for four years. Jeremy Workman’s documentary revisits those days and nights and features interviews 17 years later with the upstarts about how they pulled it off and how it all ended. Screenings: 6 p.m. Oct. 7, Sequoia 2; 3:30 p.m. Oct. 8, Rafael 2.
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.