The Independent Film Festival of Boston has announced their full lineup for the year (viewable here). When I lived in Boston, IFFBoston was an amazing experience, run by friendly people who had a passion for great film. I’d highly recommend checking it out if you are in the area.
Their full press release is below. Ty Burr from The Boston Globe has a rundown of highlights from this year’s program.
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Boston (April 10, 2017) – The Independent Film Festival Boston (IFFBoston) announced today the full lineup of films that will be screened at the 2017 festival. The fifteenth annual festival will take place April 26 – May 3, 2017. Tickets are on sale for the general public beginning on Tuesday, April 11th.
With over 100 films screening this year, IFFBoston will take place at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square, the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square, the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, and at UMass Boston. Events will include filmmaker Q&A sessions, panel discussions, visiting filmmakers, and parties as part of an overall event that showcases the best in current American and International cinema.
“STUMPED” directed by Robin Berghaus will open the 15th annual festival on April 26th at the Somerville Theatre. This documentary is a portrait of Will Lautzenheiser, a filmmaker and educator who became a quadrilateral amputee after suffering from a life threatening bacterial infection. It follows his extraordinary journey and recovery from forays into stand-up comedy to being the third patient to undergo double arm transplantation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
“BAND AID”, directed by Zoe Lister-Jones will close the festival on Wednesday May 3rd at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. It stars Lister-Jones, Adam Pally, Jessie Williams and Fred Armisen.
Other notable films screening at the festival include:
- Centerpiece Documentary Spotlight is THE B-SIDE: ELSA DORFMAN’S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY directed by Errol Morris. New England Premiere
- Centerpiece Narrative Spotlight is THE HERO directed by Brett Haley. New England Premiere. Starring Sam Eliott, Laura Prepon and Nick Offerman.
- Documentaries by local filmmakers include LETTING GO OF ADELE directed by Melissa Dowler; ANGELO UNWRITTEN directed by Alice Stone; OYATE directed by Dan Girmus
- PATTI CAKE$, starring Bridget Everett and Danielle McDonald.
- Joshua Z Weinstein’s critically acclaimed film, MENASHE.
- Janicza Bravo’s LEMON, starring Brett Gelman, Judy Greer and Michael Cera
- LANDLINE directed by Gillian Robespierre, and starring Milton’s own Jenny Slate.
- ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL directed by Steve James
- DEAN directed by Demetri Martin starring Martin and Kevin Kline
IFFBoston will team up with the Mass Production Coalition to present an inaugural Student Short Film Competition, whereshort films selected by local colleges will compete for a cash prize.
IFFBoston will again partner with the UMass Boston Film Series to present the 3rd Annual The Mass. Works-in-Progress Pitch Session. This competition spotlights local filmmakers at various stages in their careers and at different stages of production with their projects. The IFFBoston/UMB Film Series’ WIP event takes place before a general audience of filmgoers, potential funders, broadcasters, festival programmers, brand partners and industry insiders. The goal of the event is to create a unique coalition of awareness and support for local filmmakers.
There will be several panel discussions during the festival. All panel discussions will be free to the public and will take place at the Somerville Theatre. Panel topics and guests to be announced soon.
Among the Official Parties: The opening night party will take place at Orleans in Davis Square, Somerville. Saturday night’s Awards Party will be at Tasty Burger in Harvard Square, and the Closing Night Party will take place at Osaka Steak House in Brookline.
Among the awards to be presented on Saturday April 29th will be the 8th annual Karen Schmeer Award for Excellence in Documentary Editing. This award was created to honor the memory of beloved Boston documentary film editor Karen Schmeer who was tragically killed in a hit-and-run accident in January of 2010. This award is presented by The Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship.
Xfinity is the Presenting Cable Media Sponsor of the 2017 Independent Film Festival Boston.
90.9 WBUR is the Presenting Radio Media Sponsors of the 2017 Independent Film Festival Boston.
Rule/Boston Camera is a Presenting Technical Sponsor of the 2017 Independent Film Festival Boston.
Talamas is a Presenting Technical Sponsor of the 2017 Independent Film Festival Boston.
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL BOSTON (IFFBoston) 2017
Narrative Features
BAND AID directed by Zoe Lister-Jones
LA BARRACUDA directed by Jason Cortlund & Julia Halperin
BEACH RATS directed by Eliza Hittman
CHUCK directed by Philippe Falardeau
COLUMBUS directed by Kogonada
DARA JU directed by Anthony Onah
DAYVEON directed by Amman Abbasi
DEAN directed by Demetri Martin
GOOK directed by Justin Chon
HEDGEHOG directed by Lindsey Copeland
THE HERO directed by Brett Haley
HIGH LOW FORTY directed by Paddy Quinn
THE INCREDIBLE JESSICA JAMES directed by Jim Strouse
LANDLINE directed by Gillian Robespierre
LEMON directed by Janicza Bravo
THE LITTLE HOURS directed by Jeff Baena
LOST IN PARIS directed by Dominique Abel & Fiona Gordon
MENASHE directed by Joshua Z Weinstein
PATTI CAKE$ directed by Geremy Jasper
POLINA, DANSER SA VIE directed by Angelin Preljocaj
SYLVIO directed by Kentucker Audley & Albert Birney
THE STRANGE ONES directed by Christopher Radcliff & Lauren Wolkstein
TORMENTING THE HEN directed by Theodore Collatos
TRIP TO SPAIN directed by Michael Winterbottom
YOUTHMIN directed by Arielle Cimino & Jeffrey Ryan
Documentary Features
ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL directed by Steve James
ANGELO UNWRITTEN directed by Alice Stone
THE B-SIDE: ELSA DORFMAN’S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY directed by Errol Morris
BURDEN directed by Timothy Marrinan & Richard Dewey
CASSETTE: A DOCUMENTARY MIXTAPE directed by Zack Taylor
CITY OF GHOSTS directed by Matthew Heineman
THE CREST directed by Mark Christopher Covino
DEALT directed by Luke Korem
DINA directed by Antonio Santini & Dan Sickles
DOLORES directed by Peter Bratt
EDGAR ALLAN POE: BURIED ALIVE directed by Eric Stange
FINDING KUKAN directed by Robin Lung
FOR AHKEEM directed by Jeremy S. Levine & Landon Van Soest
THE FORCE directed by Peter Nicks
FURUSATO directed by Thorsten Trimpop
INTENT TO DESTROY directed by Joe Berlinger
LETTING GO OF ADELE directed by Melissa Dowler
MAINELAND directed by Miao Wang
THE MODERN JUNGLE directed by Charles Fairbanks & Saul Kak
ONE OCTOBER directed by Rachel Shuman
OYATE directed by Dan Girmus
RAT FILM directed by Theo Anthony
SPETTACOLO directed by Jeff Malmberg & Chris Shellen
STEP directed by Amanda Lipitz
STREET FIGHTING MEN directed by Andrew James
STUMPED directed by Robin Berghaus
SWIM TEAM directed by Lara Stolman
TROPHY directed by Christina Clusiau & Shaul Schwarz
WHOSE STREETS directed by Sabaah Folayan & Sabaah Jordan
Narrative Shorts
BAD DOG directed by Tom Putnam
CALL YOUR FATHER directed by Jordan Firstman
CLOUDY ALL DAY directed by Dylan Pasture
CTRL-Z directed by James Kennedy
CUBS directed by Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir
CYCLES directed by Joe Cobden
DOGS AND TACOS directed by Steve Bachrach
EINSTEIN-ROSEN directed by Olga Osorio
A FAVOR FOR JERRY directed by D.W. Young
GAME directed by Jeannie Donohoe
HUNT directed by Sean Temple
HUNTER directed by Jane Geisler
I’M IN HERE directed by Willy Berliner
ICARUS directed by Tom Teller
LAWMAN directed by Matthew Gentile
MEGAN’S SHIFT directed by Zeke Farrow
NIGHT directed by Joosje Duk
(OUT)CASTE directed by Shilpi Shikha Agrawal
THE PRIVATES directed by Dylan Allen
SLEEP TIGHT directed by Ani Simon-Kennedy
THE SNOW GIRL directed by Mixtape Club
SO IT GOES directed by Justin Carlton
STRAYS directed by Lance Edmands
THE SUB directed by Dan Samiljan
THEY CHARGE FOR THE SUN directed by Terence Nance
THRESHER directed by Alex Clark
WHEN JEFF TRIED TO SAVE THE WORLD directed by Kendall Goldberg
Documentary Shorts
BLIND SUSHI directed by Eric Heimbold
CIRCUS CITY, USA directed by Adam Wright
THE COLLECTION directed by Adam Roffman
CONFESSIONS OF A CANNABIS CONSULTANT directed by Mark Dugas
DETECTED directed by Seth Kramer, Daniel A. Miller & Jeremy Newberger
ELIAS’ STAND directed by Jyllian Gunther
FIBA ALLOW HIJAB directed by Tim O’Donnell & Jon Mercer
FOR YOU, ALEXIS directed by Douglas Gordon
THE GLORIOUS FUTURE directed by Laura Longsworth
GUIDED directed by Bridget Besaw
GUT HACK directed by Mario Furloni & Kate McLean
HAFE: THE STORY BEHIND directed by Sam Ketay
IF I DIDN’T MAKE IT directed by Casey Toth
IMAGINE KOLLE 37 directed by Michele Meek
JUANA directed by Navarro & Morales
LAVOYGER directed by Rachel Bardin
THE MEMORIES STATION directed by Derek Frank
NO HARM NO FOUL directed by Cheng Zhang
NOTHING COMPARES directed by Melissa Dowler
PIZZA BIRDY BATH WATERFALL directed by Tim O’Donnell
PREPARATIONS FOR THE FOREST directed by Daniel Mooney
RICH MAN DAN directed by Amy Augustino
SWIM FOR LIFE directed by Lise Balk King
TROLL: A SOUTHERN TALE directed by Marinah Janello
UBERMENSCH directed by Jesper Dalgaard
THE WATCHMAKER directed by Marie-Cécile Embleton
THE WIZARD OZ directed by Danny Yourd
WORKING STIFF directed by Sarah Hanssen
THE WORLD’S OLDEST MIME: A LIFE IN THREE ACTS directed by Riley Hooper & Noah Wagner
ZAIN’S SUMMER directed by Joshua Seftel