MNPOST By Pamela Espeland | 10/13/15
Truly, we live in a land of 10,000 film festivals. Although the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF) won’t come back around until April 2016 (for you calendar markers, that’s April 7-23), plenty of other FFs are on the way.
The sixth annual Twin Cities Film Fest (TCFF) rolls into the ShowPlace ICON in St. Louis Park for 11 days starting Oct. 21 with 120 films, a theme (to support homeless youth) and ample Minnesota connections.
While MSPIFF is more about indie and art-house films, TCFF leans toward studios and stars. Among last year’s films were “The Imitation Game” (with Benedict Cumberbatch) and “Wild” (Reese Witherspoon). This year promises several blockbusters including “The 33,” starring Antonio Banderas and Juliette Binoche, based on the true story of the 2010 Chilean mining disaster, and “Anomalisa,” the first stop-motion film by Charlie Kaufman of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Being John Malkovich” fame.
Look for James Franco in “The Adderall Diaries,” Katie Holmes in “Touched with Fire,” Christopher Plummer in “Remember,” Michael Caine in “Youth” and Brie Larson, Joan Allen and William H. Macy in “Room,” based on the best-selling novel by Emma Donoghue.
The festival opener, “A New High,” is a documentary feature about a group of homeless people who literally climb out of homelessness on a mountain climbing expedition. Bring Kleenex. The closer is another documentary, “Thank You for Playing,” about a video game developer whose son has terminal cancer. More Kleenex.
TCFF is a festival, after all, so it’s more than just screenings. Other events include live music, Red Carpet galas, mixers, panel discussions and educational events.Through Oct. 31. Here’s the whole lineup and everything else you need to know.
Meanwhile, TCFF is looking to expand. Last week it won a $30,000 Knight Arts Challenge Grant to expand its footprint through year-round events and screenings in St. Paul venues.
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