North American Independents Program – MFF26
This showcase of modern independent cinema presents fiction exploring all corners of North America – works in which the “where” is just as important as the “who” and “what.”
Sponsored by: Wisconsin Public Radio
The Films
Blue Heron
Drama
MFF2018 alum Sophy Romvari's feature debut opens on a Hungarian-Canadian family of six as they adapt to a new home…
MFF2018 alum Sophy Romvari's feature debut opens on a Hungarian-Canadian family of six as they adapt to a new home on Vancouver Island in the late 1990s. Seen from the perspective of the youngest daughter Sasha, events range from the comfortably quotidian—family beach days and park outings, summer afternoon fun with trampolines and garden hoses—to those that take on a darker cast as the extent of the issues concerning one family member become clear.Community Partner: 'AnotherLook With Will And Corey' Podcast
Carolina Caroline
Drama
Crime
Romance
MFF2020 alum Adam Carter Rehmeier tells the story of Caroline (Samara Weaving) who joins a charming con man (Kyle Gallner)…
MFF2020 alum Adam Carter Rehmeier tells the story of Caroline (Samara Weaving) who joins a charming con man (Kyle Gallner) on the run, leaving a trail of crime and passion as they search for her estranged mother. "With what can at times be a ravishing romance, a clever con comedy, or a taut heist movie from scene to scene, it constantly diverts your attention, you only realize after how it’s run away with your heart." (Stephen Saito, Moveable Feast)
Erupcja
Drama
Romance
Closed Captions Available
While on vacation in Poland, Bethany (Charli XCX) breaks away from a romantic itinerary planned by her doting boyfriend, Rob…
While on vacation in Poland, Bethany (Charli XCX) breaks away from a romantic itinerary planned by her doting boyfriend, Rob (Will Madden), fearing that a marriage proposal is imminent. Reuniting instead with an old friend, Nel (Lena Góra), the two women rekindle a uniquely combustible and volcanic chemistry over the course of a few days in a chaste but burning tryst predicated on sapphic synchronicity and a mutual penchant for poetry.Community Partner: Europhile Podcast
I Want Your Sex
Comedy
Cult
When fresh-faced Elliot (Cooper Hoffman) lands a job with artist and provocateur Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde), his fantasies come true…
When fresh-faced Elliot (Cooper Hoffman) lands a job with artist and provocateur Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde), his fantasies come true as she taps him to become her sexual muse. Elliot finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal, and murder. Director Gregg Araki captured the voice of a generation in the 90s and he's using it to beg Gen Z to change their puritanical ways.
If I Go Will They Miss Me
Drama
Closed Captions Available
Twelve-year-old Lil Ant struggles to connect with his father when he begins to see surreal, almost spectral visions of boys…
Twelve-year-old Lil Ant struggles to connect with his father when he begins to see surreal, almost spectral visions of boys drifting around his neighborhood. Their presence reveals a link between father and son, laying bare the threads that bind family, legacy, and place. Featuring stellar performances from Danielle Brooks, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Bodhi Dell as well as from fellow supporting characters, this film illustrates the beauty and turmoil of when myth and reality collide.
Late Fame
Drama
In Kent Jones' marvelously witty second feature, a once-upon-a-time New York poet (Willem Dafoe) gets an ego boost when he…
In Kent Jones' marvelously witty second feature, a once-upon-a-time New York poet (Willem Dafoe) gets an ego boost when he is welcomed into the world of an emerging literary salon, but must reckon with the authenticity of his newfound circle of twentysomething admirers. "The classic theatricality of its characters juxtaposed with the modern world gives LATE FAME the feeling of a eulogy for an artistic world that young idealists desperately want to revive." (Jourdain Searles, RogerEbert.com)
Lucky Lu
Drama
Reminiscent of Vittorio De Sica's BICYCLE THIEVES, LUCKY LU trades Rome for New York City and the European post-WWII depression…
Reminiscent of Vittorio De Sica's BICYCLE THIEVES, LUCKY LU trades Rome for New York City and the European post-WWII depression for our modern gig economy. Anchored by CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON’s Chang Chen, Korean-Canadian writer-director and festival alum (MFF2024, CLOSING DYNASTY) Lloyd Lee Choi’s riveting feature debut encompasses the hardships faced by thousands of working-class immigrants by focusing on 48 nerve-wracking hours in the life of a single desperate man.
Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)
Drama
Comedy
MAD BILLS TO PAY (OR DESTINY DILES QUE NO SOY MALO) chronicles young Rico's summer of selling "Nuttys" on the…
MAD BILLS TO PAY (OR DESTINY DILES QUE NO SOY MALO) chronicles young Rico's summer of selling "Nuttys" on the NYC boardwalk, reckoning with becoming a parent alongside his teenage girlfriend, and ideas of what adulthood should look like. Writer-director Joel Alfonso Vargas turns the Bronx into a living, breathing backdrop for a story about young love and the fragile space between boyhood and adulthood. Working with non-traditional actors, Vargas fills the screen with humor, warmth, and authenticity.
Maddie's Secret
Comedy
Cult
MADDIE'S SECRET is the year's smartest comedy-melodrama featuring your favorite alternative millennial comedians, John Early, Kate Berlant, Vanessa Bayer, and…
MADDIE'S SECRET is the year's smartest comedy-melodrama featuring your favorite alternative millennial comedians, John Early, Kate Berlant, Vanessa Bayer, and Conner O'Malley. Early stars as Maddie, a charming food influencer whose online rise collides with a hidden struggle with bulimia. Blending sharp satire of social media culture with genuine emotional depth, this festival gem is a heartfelt combination of the filmmaking energies of John Waters and Todd Haynes.Preceded by ROACH TRIP | Dir. Clare McNulty
She's The He
Comedy
Before high school graduation, Ethan and Alex pose as trans women in a last ditch effort to squash gay rumors.…
Before high school graduation, Ethan and Alex pose as trans women in a last ditch effort to squash gay rumors. It's all a joke and a cringy dance of lies until Ethan (Misha Osherovich, in an Independent Spirit Award nominated performance) realizes a deeper truth: She really is trans. The two must reckon with their changing friendship, coming out, and coming-of-age in this over-the-top comedy destined to become a queer classic.
Space Cadet
Animation
Family
Young astronaut Celeste knows that her calling is in outer space. But when she gets the invitation to finally make…
Young astronaut Celeste knows that her calling is in outer space. But when she gets the invitation to finally make her dream a reality, she realizes that she must leave her guardian robot grounded on Earth. With zero dialogue but boundless heart, SPACE CADET (beautifully animated and soundtracked by Karen O) takes us on a futuristic adventure through not just space but also the unspoken intricacies of human existence.AGES 6+ sequences of animated peril/danger, potentially frightening (but cute) animated aliens, depictions of memory loss and griefCommunity Partner: Ian's Pizza
The Travel Companion
Comedy
Struggling documentarian Simon (Tristan Turner) relies on the unique perk of his roommate and best friend Bruce’s (Anthony Oberbeck) airline…
Struggling documentarian Simon (Tristan Turner) relies on the unique perk of his roommate and best friend Bruce’s (Anthony Oberbeck) airline job: free flights as his travel companion, which he indulges in frequently to shoot footage for his films. When Beatrice (Naomi Asa), a charming fellow up-and-coming filmmaker, enters their lives and starts to date Bruce, Simon fears his one advantage in the harsh world of the film industry may disappear before his eyes.
Vainilla (Vanilla)
Drama
Comedy
Closed Audio Description Available
Weaving in and out of rooms, one family of seven bold women find their own way out of the looming…
Weaving in and out of rooms, one family of seven bold women find their own way out of the looming inevitability of home foreclosure. Through the lens of 8-year-old Roberta, we see their relationship in the most dynamic and intimate of ways. Set in 1980s Mexico, this directorial debut explores the complexities of multi-generational relationships in a household with diverse feminine influences.Community Partner: Cultural Cloth
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