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ANNOUNCING THE
21st ANNUAL
MARTHA'S VINEYARD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Vineyard Haven, MA – What can happen when we look at the world through someone else’s eyes? At the 21st Annual Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival, the answer unfolds one film at a time.
Taking place September 8-13, at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center, the six-day festival brings audiences an acclaimed and eclectic selection of narrative, documentary, and short films from around the globe. With its recurring theme of “Other Places, Other People,” the festival invites viewers to discover cultures, perspectives, voices, and communities rarely represented on American screens. Each film offers a chance to discover universal stories that can connect us all.
The world of film is enormous. The festival encourages audiences to think broadly about the perspectives and cultures of anyone they encounter, while showing the universal joys and concerns that touch everyone.
About 95% of the festival selections are non-US productions, reflecting the long-standing mission of promoting cross-cultural understanding through film. Curated from major international festivals including Sundance, Berlin, and Cannes, the lineup travels from Iran and the Philippines to Brazil, Nigeria, France, Japan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Italy. While the films represent different cultures and circumstances, many explore themes that transcend borders.
A story set in Tehran can illuminate questions of freedom and identity. A tale from Manila can show the tensions of wealth inequality. A journey through the Amazon can become a story of independence and aging. A family drama in Nigeria can cross generations and continents to speak to complicated parent-child relationships. A Japanese film can approach grief and love through science fiction. And a story from Italy can make audiences consider what happens when a place loved by the world becomes increasingly difficult for its own people to inhabit.
These are the “other places” and “other people” with their hopes, dreams, fears, and conflicts, reminding us that so much of the human experience is shared.
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OPENING NIGHT PARTY & FILM:
CALLE MALAGA
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On Opening Night of the Festival, enjoy meeting fellow festival attendees and special guests inside a tented reception, from 5:30-7:00 PM, on the beautiful waterfront lawn adjacent to Lagoon Pond, just off Beach Road at the Tisbury Marketplace.
We’ll be serving sparkling rosé champagne, wine, beer and Goldie’s Rotisserie Truck provides the delicious Moroccan inspired appetizers and buffet meal, with wonderful live musical accompaniment. And for an extra dreamy treat, Mad Martha’s Ice Cream will be serving cones or cups.
OPENING NIGHT MENU
Passed Appetizers (5:30 pm)
Harissa steak skewers with yogurt sauce
Puff pastry with roasted carrots and feta
Zaalouk (Moroccan eggplant dip) with pita
Chermoula grilled shrimp
Mains on Buffet Table (5:30 pm - 7:00 pm)
Chicken tagine, apricots, dates, slivered almonds, green olives,
Moroccan chickpea stew with carrots and swiss chard
Basmati rice with toasted almonds, dried fruit, parsley
Cucumber tomato salad with lemon, mint, red onion, sumac
Labneh
Mad Martha’s Ice Cream
After the reception, guests will be invited to make their way to the Film Center for a special OPENING NIGHT screening of CALLE MALAGA
The film begins at 7:30 pm.
Your ticket is good for both the OPENING NIGHT reception and the OPENING NIGHT FILM.
*There will be no tickets sold for our Opening Night film separately.
CALLE MALAGA
(MOROCCO)
Thursday, September 10th @ 7:30pm
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An aging Spanish woman in Tangier resists her daughter’s decision to sell her home. Determined to stay, she does everything she can to keep her place and reclaim the belongings of a lifetime. Along the way, she rediscovers love and desire.
“Touzani’s ‘Calle Málaga’ is a reminder to savor the days we have in the places and communities we hold dear.” – RogerEbert.com
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CLOSING NIGHT PARTY
at THE WAVE MV & FILM:
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THE SIEGE OF PARADISE
(ITALY)
Sunday, September 13th @ 4:30pm
MV Film Center
| In Cinque Terre on Italy’s northern Riviera, fewer than 3,000 locals endure over four million tourists each summer. Across one chaotic season, six very different lives play out in parallel, revealing a sharply funny and surprisingly tender story of paradise under pressure in the age of social media driven tourism. | |
Join us to celebrate the final festival film and bring another wonderful festival to a triumphant end. Following the Closing Night Film, the Italian documentary THE SIEGE OF PARADISE, we will reconvene on the porch at THE WAVE MV, 52 Beach Road in Vineyard Haven, for our Closing Night Party. Your ticket includes both the closing night film and admittance to the party at THE WAVE MV. Enjoy wonderful food, libations and live music from DJ Smooth-B. Dancing is encouraged!
*There will be no tickets sold for our Closing Night film separately.
| | Sterling Bishop, a.k.a. DJ Smooth B, is Martha’s Vineyard’s trusted DJ for epic celebrations, unforgettable weddings, and the Island’s best parties. Originally from Boston, Sterling has spent over two decades bringing his energetic open-format style to the Vineyard, effortlessly blending Motown, funk, hip-hop, R&B, reggae, and today’s hits. | | |
The Wave is a coastal restaurant at the edge of Vineyard Haven, where the food is rooted in what arrives fresh and what the season allows. No fanfare — just careful cooking and good hospitality.
We source locally where we can, and every dish is built around restraint: a few good things, treated well.
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The All-Access pass gets you into every party and movie playing during the festival (LIMITED SUPPLY).
Once you buy a pass, please email michael@mvfilmsociety.com and let us know which films you plan to attend. We will fulfill these requests and send you an email confirmation.
Passes: $275 per person
$265 for MV Film Society Members
- General Admission to any film program during the festival (however pass holder must pre-select movie tickets in advance with our staff. Please arrive 15 minutes before start time to guarantee a seat for yourself)
- Admission to “Spotlight” films on Tuesday and Wednesday nights (7:30PM), September 8th and 9th at MV Film Center.
- Admission to OPENING NIGHT GALA and Film with live music, tasty bites, and libations, plus premiere screening at MV Film Center on September 10th.
- Complimentary 2026 Film Festival T-shirt, festival badge and lanyard.
- Admission to CLOSING NIGHT party at THE WAVE MV (on Beach Road in Vineyard Haven) with live music and seafood, preceded by closing night film at 4:30 PM at Martha’s Vineyard Film Center on September 13th.
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READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN
(IRAN/ITALY)
Tuesday, September 8th @ 4:00pm
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The screen adaptation of Azar Nafisi's beloved memoir tells the true story of a literature professor in revolutionary Iran who, amidst censorship and religious extremism, gathers seven of her most dedicated female students to immerse themselves in banned literary classics. A film by Eran Riklis starring Golshifteh Farahani (Paterson), Zar Amir (Holy Spider), and Mina Kavani (No Bears).
"Warmly transposing Nafisi’s experience in the post-revolution Iran onto the screen with sensitivity.”
- Variety
“Vivid and gripping… Truly a film for these times.”
- The Atlantic
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FILIPIÑANA
(PHILIPPINES)
Tuesday, September 8th @ 7:30pm
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Tee girl Isabel feels strangely drawn to Dr. Palanca, the president of the country club where she works. However, after piecing together a violent picture of what lies beneath the club’s pristine surface, she realizes that what began as an innocent infatuation is actually rooted in a sinister shared history.
“[A] mesmerizing, ultimately moving, class satire… Both everything and nothing happens in ‘Filipiñana,’ the cutting, confident, and ultimately formally captivating feature debut from writer-director Rafael Manuel…” — THE WRAP
“An invigorating dose of arch formalism in a sea of mainstream sincerity…In Filipiñana, the angle of a golf club can evoke suspense, a piece of fruit on the ground can feel like a tragedy, and a casual glance can take your breath away…” — VULTURE
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FRANZ
(CZECH REPUBLIC/GERMANY/POLAND)
Wednesday, September 9th @ 4:00pm
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Three time Academy Award-nominated director Agnieszka Holland embarks on her most ambitious project to date, a biopic of the iconic 20th-century Czech writer Franz Kafka. Conceived as a kaleidoscopic mosaic, the film follows the imprint Kafka left on the world from his birth in 19th-century Prague to his death in post-WW1 Vienna. FRANZ gives audiences a brand new perspective on the life of the man behind the literary giant.
“It truly feels Kafka-esque” – The Daily Planet
“One of the most unconventional biopics in recent years.” – Loud and Clear Reviews
“A must-see for fans of director Agnieszka Holland, modern classic literature, German history, biopics, and historical dramas. – That Shelf
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THE BLUE TRAIL
(BRAZIL)
Wednesday, September 9th @ 7:30pm
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In a not-so-distant dystopian future where the government sends seniors to isolated colonies under the guise of boosting the economy, 77-year-old Tereza (Denise Weinberg) decides her story is far from over. Refusing to surrender her independence, she embarks on a journey to pursue the dreams she is not yet ready to abandon. Along the way, she discovers freedom, companionship, and the joys of going wherever the river takes her. Winner of the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, the latest from director Gabriel Mascaro (Neon Bull, Divine Love) is an inspiring reminder that it’s never too late to take flight.
“this weird and defiantly original picture is quite a trip.” – Observer (UK)
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COMPLAINT NO. 713317
(EGYPT)
Friday, September 11th @ 1:00pm
| | Magdy and Sama, a retired couple in their 60s, live quietly in their Cairo apartment. Their calm routine is disrupted, when their fridge breaks down. What should be a simple repair spirals into a bizarre, months-long battle with a shady maintenance company. As the fridge remains unfixed, so does everything else, pushing them to confront not only the cracks in the system but also in their own sense of purpose. | | |
HANGING BY A WIRE
(PAKISTAN)
Friday, September 11th @ 4:00pm
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Hanging by a Wire recounts the true story of a routine school commute that turned terrifying when a makeshift cable car’s wire snapped, leaving eight passengers — including six schoolboys — suspended hundreds of feet above a ravine in the remote Himalayan foothills. With the clock ticking before the remaining cable was expected to fail, an unlikely band of local rescuers raced against time to bring them home safely. Drawing on firsthand testimony and remarkable on-the-ground footage, the film is a tense, true-life portrait of courage, community, and the class divides that complicated the rescue effort.
“An edge-of-your-seat true rescue story with with a razor-edged social sting.” – Screen Zealots
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SHORT FILMS JURIED COMPETITION
(INTERNATIONAL)
Friday, September 11th @ 7:30pm
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From more than 250 entries our festival selection committee has chosen 9 finalists. We will screen each short film and our jury will select the “Best Overall” film at the conclusion of the program.
See our web site for Short Film details
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LIFE IS LIFE
(ITALY)
Saturday, September 12th @ 1:00pm
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Inspired by a true story, this Italian box office hit comedy from Riccardo Milani sees two different sets of ideals collide on an unspoiled stretch of coastline in southern Sardinia.
Efisio is a solitary shepherd who lives in the small house where he was born, a silent guardian of a time that seems to no longer exist. Meanwhile Giacomo (Diego Abatantuono), the president of a powerful Milanese real estate group, is determined to transform the picturesque coast into a luxury resort alongside construction site manager Mariano (Aldo Baglio) who is tasked with convincing Efisio to sell his land. Caught between these irreconcilable worlds is Efisio’s daughter Francesca (Virginia Raffaele), who is torn between the call of change and her deep attachment to her homeland.
But when Efisio refuses yet another multi-million offer, negotiations turn into a legal battle. As pressure mounts and the community fractures, Efisio’s unwavering ‘no’ takes on collective meaning in this David versus Goliath tale about courage, cultural identity and the environment.
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MY FATHER'S SHADOW
(UK/NIGERIA)
Saturday, September 12th @ 4:00pm
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The UK’s Best International Feature Film entry to the 98th Academy Awards® and recipient of the Caméra d’Or Special Mention at Cannes, Akinola Davis Jr.’s MY FATHER’S SHADOW is a poetic, tender portrait of father-son bonds. Framed by the political landscape of 1993 Lagos, the film follows a father and his two young sons as they journey into and around the vibrantly rendered Nigerian metropolis, quietly reckoning with their relationship while navigating a city on the precipice of democratic crisis. Brothers and collaborators Akinola Davis Jr. and Wale Davies bring us a groundbreaking feature debut — centering an award-winning performance by Sopé Dìrísù (Slow Horses, Gangs of London) — that reveals the profound depths of what families leave unspoken.
” This is an absolutely beautiful and mesmerizing film.” – Filmweek
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SHEEP IN THE BOX
(JAPAN)
Saturday, September 12th @ 7:30pm
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A Film by Koreeda Hirokazu
In the near future, Otone and Kensuke, a grieving couple who have lost their son, take into their lives a humanoid identical to their late child.
“Few filmmakers are as attuned to human emotion and interaction as Koreeda” – The Gate
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COLORS OF TIME
(FRANCE)
Sunday, September 13th @ 12:00pm
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS
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A group of strangers, all descendants of a woman named Adèle Meunier, are gathered in Normandy. The town would like to purchase her long-abandoned property, and four “cousins” are tasked with overseeing the transaction. Thus begins a genealogical journey into the past, taking us to 1895 Paris, with the City of Light on the brink of an industrial and cultural revolution. Aptly entitled “The Coming of the Future” in French, Colors of Time literally plunges us into a moment in time when Parisian creativity is at its apex… when not only electricity and technology, but photography and Impressionism in painting and music are creating a spark that’s about to erupt into a movement far beyond anyone’s expectations. Cédric Klapisch‘s endearing new comedy is nothing less than a soul-stirring, time-traveling – at times, hallucinogenic – trip for lovers of the arts everywhere.
“A charming, visually rich time-travel fantasia” – Algo Más Que Cine
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UNIDENTIFIED
(SAUDI ARABIA)
Sunday, September 13th @ 2:30pm
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Sparked by the discovery of the lifeless body of a teenage girl in the desert; When no one claims the body, Noelle Al Saffan, a newly divorced, true crime aficionado who recently lost a child of her own, gets obsessively involved. Despite a ticking clock that seemingly guarantees the girl’s senseless death will be discarded as a cold case, Noelle is determined to identify the body and uncover the truth. She slowly unravels a mystery entangled within a traditional society in transition, where women are learning to create more space for themselves and to take control of their own destinies.
“both thrilling and wondrous” – The New Yorker
| | The Martha's Vineyard Film Society, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural arts organization celebrating 28 years of service. Although our main activity consists of the operation of the award-winning Martha's Vineyard Film Center, our programming offers much more than films. We produce special community events in collaboration with numerous Island non-profits, host live performances, stream MET Opera live from NYC, and offer Youth Programming year-round, including our Summer Camp with MVTV and Featherstone Center for the Arts. We hope you, our patrons and members, found this newsletter a glimpse into our continued efforts to fulfill our mission and enliven our Island’s cultural arts scene. | | | | |
