THE MVFF’S FALL FILM SHOWCASE
THE APPRENTICE
Friday, October 4, at 7 PM
The Grange Hall, West Tisbury
Dir. Ali Abbasi | Drama | Canada / Denmark / Ireland | 2024 | 2 hrs. | Rated R
Determined to emerge from his father's shadow and make a name for himself in 1970s New York real estate, a young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) comes under the spell of the cutthroat attorney and political fixer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), who sees him as the perfect protégé—someone with raw ambition, a hunger for success, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to win. Cohn teaches his new acolyte how to amass wealth and power through deception, intimidation, and media manipulation. The rest is history. This controversial drama was nominated for the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
SATURDAY NIGHT
Saturday, October 5, at 7 PM
The Grange Hall, West Tisbury
Dir. Jason Reitman | Comedy / Drama | U.S.A. | 2024 | 1 hr. 49 min. | Rated R
At 11:30 p.m. on October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television—and American pop culture—forever. Based on the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of the late-night sketch comedy show that became Saturday Night Live, this film is full of the humor, chaos, and magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t. Its large ensemble cast is led by Gabrielle LaBelle (The Fabelmans) and Rachel Sennott (Bottoms), and includes great turns by Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, J.K. Simmons, and Jon Batiste (who also composed the film’s music).
ENO
Thursday, October 10, at 7 PM
The Grange Hall, West Tisbury
Dir. Gary Hustwit | Documentary | U.K. / U.S.A. | 2024 | 1 hr. 25 min.
This dynamic experimental documentary explores the life, work, and creative processes of influential British musician and artist Brian Eno, known for pioneering the genre of ambient music, releasing over 40 solo and collaborative albums, and producing David Bowie, Devo, U2, Coldplay, and Talking Heads, among many others. Thanks to generative filmmaking software specially developed for this film, it continuously reconfigures itself, offering a unique viewing experience with each screening by rearranging scenes, music, and archival footage. There are 52 quintillion possible versions! In that way, it not only captures the essence of Eno’s groundbreaking impact on music, art, and technology over the past five decades, but also mirrors his own methods of composing music.
THE ROOM NEXT DOOR
Friday, October 11, at 7 PM
The Grange Hall, West Tisbury
Dir. Pedro Almodóvar | Drama | Spain / U.S.A. | 2024 | 1 hr. 47 min. | Rated PG-13
Winner of the Golden Lion best-film award at the recent Venice Film Festival, Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar's latest masterpiece (and first English-language feature film) stirs the heart with incredible performances by Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore, and John Turturro. An adaptation of Sigrid Nunez’s novel What Are You Going Through, it follows two former colleagues, a novelist (Moore) and war reporter (Swinton), who reconnect under dramatic circumstances. Their reunion revives old memories while revealing new layers of their friendship.
MARTHA
Sunday, October 12, at 7 PM
The Grange Hall, West Tisbury
Dir. R.J. Cutler | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2024 | 1 hr. 55 min.
Emmy-winning and BAFTA-nominated director R.J. Cutler (Belushi, The September Issue) explores the life and career of Martha Stewart, charting her transformation from homemaker to cultural icon and business mogul. Through interviews, archival footage, and never-before-seen photos, letters, and diary entries, this documentary examines her rise to fame, the challenges and legal troubles she’s faced, and her outsized impact on lifestyle and home design.
RUNNING ON SAND
Sunday, October 13, at 7 PM
The Grange Hall, West Tisbury
Dir. Adar Shafran | Comedy / Drama | Israel | 2023 | 1 hr. 44 min. | Hebrew, with English subtitles
A four-time Israeli Film Academy award nominee, this film is a heartwarming comedy about mistaken identity. It follows Aumari, a young Eritrean refugee who is mistaken for a professional soccer player and ends up revitalizing the struggling Israeli team he joins. As he also falls for the team owner's daughter, he grapples with the fear of his true identity being discovered. Starring up-and-coming Israeli-Congolese actor Chancela Mongoza and other African migrants, the film combines humor with a poignant glimpse into the life of immigrants.
