MVFF FALL FAVORITES
The Grange Hall, West Tisbury
Dir. Celine Song | Drama | U.S.A. / South Korea | 2023 | 1 hr. 45 min. | Rated PG-13 | English and Korean with English subtitles
Childhood friends Na Young and Hae Sung are torn apart when her family emigrates from South Korea. During one fateful week two decades later, they reunite in New York and grapple with notions of love, destiny, culture, and the pivotal choices that have shaped their lives. Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro star in this nuanced Sundance favorite that was also nominated for best film at the Berlin International Film Festival and is sure to be an Oscar contender.
PAST LIVES
The Grange Hall, West Tisbury
Dir. Andrew Durham | Drama | U.S.A. / France | 2023 | 1 hr. 54 min.
Discussion to follow (via Zoom) with director Andrew Durham and executive producer Alysia Abbott
Reeling from her mother’s death in a car accident, a young girl and her father move to 1970s San Francisco, where he soon comes out as gay. Their unconventional life clashes with societal norms, but as the years pass, they face other challenges, including the AIDS crisis. Based on the memoir by Alysia Abbott, this film is anchored by strong performances from Emilia Jones (a breakout star of last year’s Oscar winner Coda) and Scoot McNairy (Argo, 12 Years a Slave).
FAIRYLAND
The Grange Hall, West Tisbury
Dir. A.V. Rockwell | Drama | U.S.A. | 2023 | 1 hr. 57 min. | Rated R
A grand jury prize winner at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, this film has a central performance that’s also bound to be nominated for an Oscar. Up-and-coming actor Teyana Taylor stars as Inez, a woman who boldly kidnaps her 6-year-old son from the foster care system in mid-’90s New York and sets out to reclaim their senses of place, identity, and a stable home in a rapidly gentrifying city.
A THOUSAND AND ONE