The 24th MVFF
Films A-Z

March 20—24, 2024

76 DAYS

Dir. Joe Wein | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2024 | 1 hr. 47 min.

Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway co-founder Nat Benjamin will moderate a discussion to follow with film subject Steven Callahan and executive producer Robert Sennott

In this gripping documentary about survival and resilience in extraordinary circumstances, sailor Steven Callahan recounts his 76 days adrift in the Atlantic after being shipwrecked during a solo voyage.

ÀMA GLORIA

Dir. Marie Amachoukeli | Drama | France | 2023 | 1 hr. 23 min. | Kabuverdianu and French with English subtitles

A six-year-old French girl loves her Cape Verdean nanny, but when the latter must return home to care for her own children, the two must make the most of their last summer together.

BABES

Dir. Pamela Adlon | Comedy | U.S.A. | 2024 | 1 hr. 49 min.

In this feature directorial debut by Better Things creator and star Pamela Adlon, an aggressively single woman (Ilana Glazer) becomes pregnant after a one-night stand and must depend on the guidance of her married best friend (Michelle Buteau).

THE BODY POLITIC

Dir. Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2023 | 1 hr. 30 min.

Followed by a discussion with director and producer Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough and film subjects Erricka Bridgeford and Dante Johnson

Baltimore's young Black mayor, Brandon Scott, puts his personal and political future on the line in order to save his beloved city from chronic violence.

CALL ME DANCER

Dirs. Pip Gilmour and Leslie Shampaine | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2023 | 1 hr. 24 min. | English and Hindi with English subtitles

Followed by a discussion with film subject Manish Chauhan

A young Indian, Manish, struggles against his parents' insistence that he follow a traditional path, but meets a curmudgeonly Israeli ballet master who helps him pursue his dream to be a professional dancer.

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS

1 hr. 1 min.

Followed by a discussion with producer Minoo Allen

Each of these short documentary films provides unique insight into the transformative power of nature. Through compelling and heartfelt stories, they illuminate the essential relationship between people and the environments in which they live.

BETWEEN EARTH AND SKY

Dir. Andrew Nadkarni | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2023 | 25 min.

After surviving a life-threatening fall from a tree on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, renowned rainforest ecologist Nalini Nadkarni returns to the site and reflects on her life.

SEEDS OF CHANGE

Dir. Maximilian Armstrong | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2023 | 26 min.

An organic farmer in Charleston, Maine, sets out to reform the prison food system.

WINDING PATH

Dirs. Alexandra Lazarowich and Ross Kauffman | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2023 | 10 min.

Eastern Shoshone medical student Jenna Murray spent summers on the Wind River reservation, helping her grandfather in any way she could. When he suddenly dies, she must find a way to heal before realizing her dream of a life in medicine.

GHOSTLIGHT

Dirs. Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson | Drama / Comedy | U.S.A. | 2024 | 1 hr. 55 min.

When a Chicago construction worker unexpectedly joins a local community theater production of a Shakespeare play, the drama onstage starts to mirror that of his own life.

THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM

Through dreamlike sand animation, narration blending memoir and poetry, and riveting music, this show by the Guy Mendilow Ensemble renders a mother’s letter to her daughter, bringing to life the vibrant Mediterranean world that existed during the Ottoman Empire.

GREAT PONDS: FINDING A BETTER BALANCE

Dir. Ollie Becker | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2023 | 40 min.

Followed by a discussion with director Ollie Becker, Vineyard Conservation Society executive director Samantha Look, Great Pond Foundation executive director Emily Reddington, and others

The second episode of Circuit Films’ Great Ponds series documents the continuing efforts to combat climate change and nitrogen pollution in Martha’s Vineyard’s coastal ponds, and urges public action to reduce carbon and nitrogen footprints.

IBELIN

Dir. Benjamin Ree | Documentary | Norway | 2024 | 1 hr. 41 min. | Norwegian with English subtitles

Mats Steen, a Norwegian gamer, died of a degenerative muscular disease at the age of 25. His parents mourned what they thought had been a lonely, isolated life, until they started receiving messages from their son’s online friends around the world.

INTERPRETERS WANTED

Afghan brothers and interpreters Saifullah and Ismail Haqmal form a lasting bond with American soldier Robert Ham, who documents their struggle to escape the Taliban and immigrate to the U.S.

LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH

Dir. Dawn Porter | Documentary | U.K. / U.S.A. | 2024 | 1 hr. 41 min.

Followed by a discussion with director Dawn Porter

Filmmaker Dawn Porter (The Lady Bird Diaries) chronicles the life, work, and personal struggles of American soul and R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer Luther Vandross.

THE MONKEY HOUSE

In this witty literary thriller from acclaimed Israeli filmmaker Avi Nesher, a fading novelist (Adir Miller) enlists a reckless actress to execute an inventive scam that takes the film from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and Rome.

NAME ME LAWAND

Void of any language or true sense of self, deaf six-year-old Kurdish refugee Lawand is challenged to adapt to his new home in England, learn British Sign Language, and finally communicate with the world.

NARRATIVE SHORTS

39 min.

Followed by a discussion with director Àlex Lora

This short-film program explores human connection in a variety of contexts. From comedic exchanges between an older homeowner and younger homebuyers, to addressing climate change through lighthearted animation, all of these films underscore the importance of empathy in navigating life's challenges and differences. Two also won awards at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, including the jury prize for best short film.

DEAR OWNER

Dir. Jonathan Thomas Coleman | Narrative Short | U.S.A. | 2023 | 9 min.

When a young married couple meet the owner of the home they hope to buy, they soon learn the meaning of the phrase “Buyer beware.”

THE MASTERPIECE

Dir. Àlex Lora Cercos | Narrative Short | Spain | 2024 | 20 min. | Spanish with English subtitles

Leo and Diana, a wealthy couple, meet two scrap dealers, Salif and Yousef, at a recycling center. Offering them more junk, Diana invites them to her mansion, but the immigrants actually might be the ones with something she wants.

WHAT'S UP WITH THE SKY?

Dir. Irene Iborra | Animated Narrative Short | Spain | 2022 | 10 min.

As the sun rises, humanity awakens to pursue its daily activities. Yet, amidst the natural beauty on Earth, there exists a troubling reality: trees are felled, structures are erected without purpose, and pollution taints the air. The universe observes, its patience wearing thin.

THE OLD OAK

Dir. Ken Loach | Drama | U.K. / Belgium / France | 2023 | 1 hr. 53 min. | English and Arabic with English subtitles

In this film by the acclaimed director of the British social realist dramas I, Daniel Blake and Sorry We Missed You, villagers in Northeast England react to the arrival of Syrian refugees in their former coal mining community.

A SECRET SCREENING

Followed by a discussion, via Zoom, with one of the film’s directors

Join us for a death-defying documentary film you won’t forget!

A TATTOO ON MY BRAIN

Dirs. Kate Davis and David Heilbroner | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2023 | 32 min.

For his entire career, neurologist Daniel Gibbs was daunted by the poor prognoses of early-onset Alzheimer’s patients. Now, diagnosed with the disease himself, he commits to researching and writing about his symptoms.

TUESDAY

A mother (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and her terminally ill teenage daughter (Lola Petticrew) confront Death when it arrives in the form of an astonishing, talking parrot.

UNDERWATER PROJECTS

Dirs. dream hampton and Liz Havstad | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2024

Followed by a discussion with director dream hampton and and executive producer and climate activist Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr.

Home to the world’s largest naval base, Norfolk, Virginia, is sinking. It is more vulnerable than even New Orleans. The insufficient flood walls end where a housing project and a historic African American community begins. This film mixes animation with live action, to profile the area’s local leaders as they rush to create climate resilience plans while facing an uncertain future.

VINEYARD SHORTS

30 min.

Followed by a discussion with directors J. Michael Hayes and Zack O’Connor, director of photography Emerson Mahoney, and film subject Alex Palmer

This program features the work of Island residents J. Michael Hayes, Zack O’Connor, and Simon Werdmüller von Elgg, whose three thought-provoking short films showcase the diverse voices and creativity of Martha’s Vineyard’s filmmaking community.

GOLF BALL GUY

Dir. Simon Werdmüller von Elgg | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2024 | 9 min.

After dealing with some medical issues, 75-year-old Island resident Alex Palmer returns to his passion—hunting for golf balls. With a lifetime of experience and a decades-long career as a golf ball hunter, he shares wisdom about life, connecting with your inner child, and, of course, golf balls.

SUBMERGE

Dir. J. Michael Hayes | Fantasy | U.S.A. | 2024 | 6 min.

On a remote island inhabited by mystical people, a gifted young woman seeks guidance from an oracle in order to prepare for a journey symbolizing growth and transformation.

WHITE NOSE

Dir. Zack O’Connor | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2024 | 11 min.

Luanne Johnson is the director and founder of Island conservation organization BiodiversityWorks. She and her coworkers are leading the charge in researching what she has called “one of the most significant wildlife disasters of the century”: white-nose syndrome. The cause of death for over 90% of bats in North America, it has ravaged the species, but that hasn’t stopped Luanne and her team. They continue to research and study, the better to learn about the mechanisms of the disease and discover how Island bat populations have been able to recover.