FILMS A-Z

Rock icon Marianne Faithfull makes her final artistic statement in this experimental documentary that takes us through her six decades of music, fame, and reinvention. Tilda Swinton, George MacKay, and Nick Cave are among the supporting cast.

In director Steven Soderbergh’s latest razor-sharp comedy-drama, the estranged children of a once‑renowned artist hire a struggling forger to complete their father’s unfinished paintings, in hopes of profiting from his legacy.

In this joyful, heartwarming, and genuinely sweet documentary, girlhood and ambition collide as four young girls strive to be crowned the top-selling “Cookie Queen” during Girl Scout Cookie season.

Followed by a discussion with director Alysa Nahmias and film subjects who are members of the Girl Scouts of America; filmmaker Dawn Porter will moderate on Saturday, and Brooke Hardman Ditchfield, director of the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, will do so on Sunday

This short-film program pairs two candid portraits of place-based communities shaped by labor, environment, and shared values. When Dishwashers Were Kings captures Telluride’s disappearing ski bum culture, while Si La Isla Quiere (Island Willing) explores life on Chile’s remote Robinson Crusoe Island.

Followed by a discussion with director Cece King

A recent winner of a Sundance special jury award for civil resistance, this urgent documentary chronicles how one Scottish neighborhood came together to prevent two of its residents from being deported.

This intimate documentary follows singer, actor, and activist Harry Belafonte in the final twelve years of his life, as he mentors a new generation of civil-rights defenders while continuing his lifelong fight for justice.

Followed by a discussion with film subject, activist, and Dream Defenders co-founder Phillip Agnew, activist and Barrios Unidos founder Nane Alejandrez, and director and producer Susanne Rostock; author, activist, and educator Mathea Morais will moderate

Shot entirely on Martha’s Vineyard, this emotionally resonant sci-fi drama follows a grieving woman who attempts to save her husband from becoming trapped in a digital world.

Followed by a discussion with directors Miriam Louise Arens and Mitchell Arens; Brian Ditchfield, executive director of Circuit Arts, will moderate on Thursday, and Danielle Mulcahy, creative director of Circuit Arts and art director of Heartworm, will do so on Friday

In 1968, a teacher in rural Iowa launched a bold classroom experiment that would change her life and the national conversation on race. This timely documentary reveals how her work continues to challenge and provoke in a divided world.

Grounded in her own words, this intimate documentary looks at the life and legacy of the bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet whose deep attention to nature continues to offer comfort to millions and has reshaped how people connect to poetry.

Followed by a discussion with director Sasha Waters; Fan Ogilvie, a Vineyard-based poet who is publishing her fifth book, will moderate

This short-film program brings together four stories that explore ambition, memory, resilience, and connection. From a young athlete facing a defining moment, to a refugee’s life recalled through animation, to an artist confronting unexpected limitations, and a father rediscovering his sense of purpose, these films reflect the quiet courage found in everyday struggles.

Followed by a discussion with directors Trina Baker and Cole Whitaker

In Churchill, Manitoba, also known as the “polar bear capital of the world,” a migrating bear becomes more than a nuisance, forcing us to question who owns the wild. This immersive documentary, guided by an Inuit narrator, won a grand-jury prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Followed by a discussion with directors and producers Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman; Samantha Look, executive director of the Vineyard Conservation Society, will moderate

Blurring the line between performance and personal struggle, this intimate documentary follows the brilliantly funny comedian, actor, and bestselling author as she transforms her experiences with mental illness into fearless, boundary-pushing comedy.

Followed by a discussion with co-director Neil Berkeley and film subject Maria Bamford

In this sharp yet tender comedy, two inseparable college seniors see their lifelong bond tested when they both fall for the same older woman, drawing her into a complicated web of love, rivalry, and reinvention.

When police raid the offices of a century-old, independent weekly newspaper in Kansas, it sets off a fierce debate over press freedom and constitutional rights. This Sundance award-nominated documentary reveals how a small-town newsroom can become a battleground for democracy itself.

A discussion with director Sharon Liese will follow the Saturday screening; Bill Eville, editor of the Vineyard Gazette, will moderate

A romantic thriller from Oscar-winning director Daniel Roher (Navalny), this film follows a piano tuner whose unusually acute ear helps him discover an unexpected talent for cracking safes, pulling him into a risky new world that tests his ambition, relationships, and moral limits.

The short films in this program celebrate the Island’s history, culture, and seasonal rhythms in all their quirky, enduring, and extraordinary forms. From the epic solo ocean voyage in Pacific Lady, to Indigenous women restoring traditions in Women of Wampum, these films highlight stories of resilience, connection, and creativity. The stop-motion animation of The Off Season, Episode 1 brings humor and handmade charm, while local legends, community events, and the working waterfront come alive in The Crunch and Circuit Films’ The Gateway to Martha’s Vineyard.

Followed by a discussion with directors Ollie Becker, Henry Danielson, Sophia Kolak, Kelsey Leonard, Tim Persinko, and Indaia Whitcombe

A 1983 Baltimore school murder led to three teens' wrongful imprisonment for 36 years. In this compelling new documentary, author Ta-Nehisi Coates investigates how this case affected the accused, witnesses, and their community.

Followed by a discussion with director and producer Dawn Porter and film subjects Alfred Chestnut, Ransom Watkins, and Andrew Stewart; educator and youth advocate Dhakir Warren will moderate