See the 2025 awarding winning films before everyone else. What are the hottest new films coming out? Tune in to our latest episode with that highlight films that will be all the talk of award season 2025! October 18 to 27, the 2024 Montclair Film Festival will present over 100 incredible films many that have Oscar buzz. Tom Hall, the festival’s Co-Head and Artistic Director, joins us in an exclusive episode to share insider tips on the must-see films and can’t-miss events. Plus, enjoy fascinating movie trivia along the way!
Over 100 films, events, and panels will be happening at this year’s festival. We’ve listed everything below along with a few trailers.
PODCAST SUMMARY
Montclair Film Festival 2023: A Sneak Peek
The Montclair Film Festival is just around the corner, and this year’s lineup promises to be an exciting mix of films, documentaries, and special events. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect from this year’s festival.
Festival Overview
The festival kicks off on Friday, October 18th, and runs through Sunday, October 27th. With approximately 130 to 140 films scheduled, including features and shorts, attendees will have plenty of options to choose from.
Opening Night Film: Conclave
This year’s opening night film is Conclave, directed by Edward Berger, known for his acclaimed adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front. The film stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow, and revolves around the process of selecting a new pope following the death of the current one. The film promises to be a gripping political drama that will spark conversations among viewers.
Family Centerpiece: Flow
The family centerpiece this year is Flow, a no-dialogue animated film suitable for all ages. The story follows a cat navigating a post-environmental catastrophe world, delivering a powerful environmental message through its adventure. The festival will also feature a sensory-friendly screening to accommodate children of all abilities.
Documentary Spotlight: Between the Mountain and the Sky
This moving documentary tells the story of Maggie Duane, a New Jersey native who founded a school and orphanage in Nepal. The film explores her journey and the challenges she faces while building a life for herself and the children she cares for. Maggie and some of the children will be present for a Q&A session after the screening.
Special Screening: Unstoppable
Unstoppable features Jarell Jerome as a high school wrestler born with one leg, navigating the challenges of collegiate wrestling. The film, produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, is a feel-good story about perseverance and triumph over adversity. The director, William Goldenberg, is expected to attend the screening.
Culinary Conversations: Ina Garten and Martha Stewart
This year, the festival will integrate television storytelling with a conversation featuring Ina Garten discussing her new memoir. Following that, a documentary about Martha Stewart will be screened, showcasing her life and career. Both events promise to be engaging and insightful.
International Highlights: Iranian Cinema
The festival will showcase two notable Iranian films. The Seed of the Sacred Fig by Mohamed Rasseloff addresses state violence in Iran, while Universal Language presents a unique blend of Canadian and Iranian culture through a nostalgic lens. Both films highlight the rich storytelling tradition of Iranian cinema.
Closing Night Film: The Piano Lesson
The festival will conclude with The Piano Lesson, an adaptation of August Wilson’s play. Directed by Malcolm Washington, the film features a stellar cast, including Denzel Washington and Danielle Deadweiler. The story revolves around a family’s moral dilemma regarding their ancestral piano, which holds their family history.
Panels and Discussions
In addition to film screenings, the festival will host panels featuring industry experts from Ankler, covering topics such as AI in filmmaking and the awards season. These sessions are free and open to the public, providing valuable insights into the film industry.
Conclusion
The Montclair Film Festival 2023 promises to be a vibrant celebration of cinema, featuring a diverse array of films and engaging discussions. Whether you’re a film enthusiast or just looking for a fun outing, there’s something for everyone at this year’s festival. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to experience these incredible films and connect with filmmakers!
ALL FEATURED FILMS
Bolded films are discussed in the podcast and ⭐ indicate it already has Oscar buzz
- 2073, directed by Asif Kapadia
- ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT, directed by Payal Kapadia
- AND SO IT BEGINS, directed by Ramona Diaz
- ⭐ ANORA, directed by Sean Baker
- APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS, directed by Petra Costa
- ARMAND, directed by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
- BETWEEN THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SKY, directed by Jeremy Power Regimbal
- BEYOND THE GAZE: JULE CAMPBELL’S
- SWIMSUIT ISSUE, directed by Jill Campbell
- BIRD, directed by Andrea Arnold
- ⭐ BLITZ, directed by Steve McQueen
- CAUGHT BY THE TIDES, directed by Jia Zhang-Ke
- CHRISTMAS EVE IN MILLER’S POINT, directed by Tyler Taormina
- LA COCINA, directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios
- ⭐ CONCLAVE, directed by Edward Berger
- DAHOMEY, directed by Mati Diop
- EEPHUS, directed by Carson Lund
- EMILIA PÉREZ, directed by Jacques Audiard
- THE END, directed by Joshua Oppenheimer
- ERNEST COLE: LOST AND FOUND, directed by Raul Peck
- EVERY LITTLE THING, directed by Sally Aitken
- EXTREMELY UNIQUE DYNAMIC, directed by Ivan Leung, Harrison Xu, Katherine Dudas
- FLOW, directed by Gints Zilbalodis
- GAZER, directed by Ryan J. Sloan
- THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE, directed by Magnus von Horn
- GRAND TOUR, directed by Miguel Gomes
- HARD TRUTHS, directed by Mike Leigh
- HOMEGROWN, directed by Michael Premo
- I WILL BUILD THIS WORLD FROM LOVE, directed by John Block
- I’M STILL HERE, directed by Walter Salles
- MARTHA, directed by R.J. Cutler
- MEMOIR OF A SNAIL, directed by Adam Elliot
- MEN OF WAR, directed by Billy Corbern and Jen Gatien
- MICRO BUDGET, directed by Morgan Evans
- MISERICORDIA, directed by Alain Guiraudie
- A NEW KIND OF WILDERNESS, directed by Silje Evensmo Jacobsen
- NIGHT IS NOT ETERNAL, directed by Nanfu Wang (World Premiere)
- ⭐ NIGHT BITCH, directed by Marielle Heller
- ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL, directed by Rungano Nyoni
- THE ORDER, directed by Justin Kurzel
- PAINT ME A ROAD OUT OF HERE, directed by Catherine Gund
- PAVEMENTS, directed by Alex Ross Perry
- THE PIANO LESSON, directed by Malcolm Washington
- POLITICS IS A MOTHER, RAISING HELL IS
- PART OF THE JOB, directed by Francine Weinberg Groff
- RATIFIED, directed by Sabaah Folayan and Deborah Riley Draper
- THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF IBELIN, directed by Benjamin Ree
- THE ROOM NEXT DOOR, directed by Pedro Almodóvar
- SABBATH QUEEN, directed by Sandi Simcha Dubowski
- THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG, directed by Mohammad Rasoulof
- THE SHEPHERD AND THE BEAR, directed by Max Keegan
- SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE, directed by Tim Mielants
- SONGS FROM THE HOLE, directed by Contessa Gayles
- SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D’ETAT, directed by Johan Grimonpez
- SPACE COWBOY, directed by Bryce Leavitt and Marah Strauch
- SWAMP DOGG GETS HIS POOL PAINTED, directed by Isaac Gale and Ryan Olson, co-directed by David McMurry
- TWO STRANGERS TRYING NOT TO KILL
- EACH OTHER, directed by Manon Ouimet and Jacob Perlmutter
- UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE, directed by Matthew Rankin
- UNSTOPPABLE, directed by WIlliam Goldenberg
- VERMIGLIO, directed by Maura Delpero
- WITCHES, directed by Elizabeth Sankey
- THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ALLEE WILLIS, directed by Alexis Manya Spraic
- YOUNG HEARTS, directed by Anthony Schatteman
- ZURAWSKI V TEXAS, directed by Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault
ALL SHORT FILMS
- ’98 HONDA, directed by Christian Banda
- 51ST STATE, directed by Hannah Rosenzweig
- ALL THINGS METAL, directed by Motoki Otsuka
- AN ALMOST CHRISTMAS STORY, directed by David Lowery
- ALOK, directed by Alex Hedison
- AMERICAN GRAIL: A QUEST FOR THE IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER, directed by Andy Sarjahani
- ANUJA, directed by Adam Graves
- THE BELIEVERS, directed by Evan Newman
- BREAK/FIX, directed by Amanda Pinto
- THE BROWN DOG, directed by Jame-James Medina and Nadia Hallgren
- CHRISTMAS, EVERY DAY, directed by Faye Tsakas
- DEATH BY NUMBERS, directed by Kim A. Snyder
- DEEP IN MY HEART IS A SONG, directed by Jonathan Pickett
- DEEP TISH, directed by Dave Paige
- DENIAL, directed by Paul Moakley and Daniel Lombroso
- DISSOLUTION, directed by Anthony Saxe
- DIVINERS, directed by Brian Watkins
- DON’T CRY FOR ME ALL YOU DRAG QUEENS, directed by Kristal Sotomayor
- DREAM CAR WASH, directed by Edoardo Brighenti
- DUSK, directed by Emilio Monarrez
- ECHOES OF POMEGRANATE, directed by Alex Bijan Zandi
- FACING THE FALLS, directed by Celia Aniskovich
- FEMALE CAPTIVE, directed by Brit Crawshaw and Josh Hayward
- THE FOREST (A FLORESTA), directed by Brooks Dierdorff
- FREERIDE IN C, directed by Edmunds Jansons
- GOOD GUY WITH A PUN, directed by Dmitry Milkin
- GRACE, directed by Natalie Jasmine Harris
- HENRIETTA FINDS A NEST, directed by Hannah McNally
- I CAN’T BE SORRY, directed by Robert Machoian
- ILY, BYE, directed by Taylor James
- INCOMING CALL, directed by Lisa Molinaro
- JEDO’S DEAD, directed by Sara Nimeh
- KASBI, directed by Farah Jabir
- LITTLE BIRD, directed by Kirsty O’Donnell
- LIVESTREAMS WITH GRANDMAPUZZLES, directed by Emily Sheskin
- LOFT AND FOUND, directed by Pete O’Hare and Phillip Kibbe
- LYRICAL, directed by Carter M. Stewart
- MEAN ENDS, directed by Émile Lavoie
- MEEK, directed by Hannah Sperling
- ᏗᏂᏠᎯ ᎤᏪᏯ (MEET ME AT THE CREEK), directed by Loren Waters
- THE MEETING SPOT, directed by Lauren Sick
- A MOVE, directed by Elahe Esmaili
- MY BACK PAGES, directed by Nick Canfield and Paul Lovelace
- MY BEST FRIEND, directed by Elina Street
- MY DEAD DAD, directed by Abby Ellis and Erik Osterholm
- OUT OF THE DARK: CAL CALAMIA, directed by Tom Mason and Sarah Klein
- PENN F—ING STATION, directed by Claire Read
- PENTATARMEX RABITULAR, directed by Casey Friedman
- THE PERFECT TOMATO, directed by Cristobal Abugaber
- PERSONAL MYTHOLOGIES, directed by Susan O’Brien
- PUNTER, directed by Jason Adam Maselle
- RAT!, directed by Neal Suresh Mulani
- REALLY GOOD DRIVER, directed by Alex Song-Xia
- RELATIONSHIP TO PATIENT, directed by Caroline Creaghead
- REPLAY, directed by Phil Mazo
- THE SACRIFICE, directed by Christopher Werner
- SANGRE VIOLENTA / SANGRE VIOLETA, directed by Edna Diaz and Arturo Jiménez
- SHINER, directed by Nora Marris
- SHIT ON YOUR LIP, directed by Elvira Ibragimova
- SLEEPING ALONE, directed by Kelsea Bauman-Murphy
- SOMETHING BLUE, directed by Jinsui Song
- STATUES ALSO DIE , directed by Alain Resnais, Chris Marker and Ghislain Cloquet
- STAY HERE, directed by Marley RankinSTEADY, directed by Joey Rogoff and
- Brian Yuran
- STRANGE CREATURES, directed by Nicholas Payne Santos
- TESSA, directed by Megan Dahl
- THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE…, directed by Britney Fan
- TR(OL)L, directed by Yourgo Artsitas
- TRAGEDY BABES, directed by Christa Haley
- VELO LOVE, directed by Carlos Cruz and Sam Méndez
- WHAT WE DISCOVER ALONG THE WAY, directed by Rose Vincelli Gustine
- WORKERS’ COMP, directed by Philip Steiger
- WORKING SUMMER, directed by LIly Weisberg
- YELLOW DAISY BUTTERFLY, directed by Diek Grobler
CONVERSATIONS, PANELS, & SPECIAL EVENTS
- Ina Garten, Hosted by Stephen Colbert
- Anker: Hollywood Awards Season: Who Wins and Why It Matters
- Montclair’s Own Series: About Those Miscarriages and Other Messes I’ve Made
- Montclair’s Own Series: StorySLAM
- Montclair’s Own Series: Improv
- Ankler: State of The Film Industry
- In Conversation: Artists, Audiences & Artificial Intelligence
- Special Screening: The Rocky Horror Picture Show