TWIN CITIES FILM FEST UNVEILS 2020 LINEUP WITH 70+ MOVIES SET TO SCREEN AND STREAM ONLINE; TORONTO STANDOUT NOMADLAND NAMED CLOSING NIGHT TITLE, CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED BLACK BOYS TO OPEN FEST OCT. 22
For first time ever, TCFF to showcase catalog of premieres, documentaries and Midwestern productions via hybrid model that includes physically-distanced screenings, live-stream exclusives as well as digital on-demand. 2020 program to include special series dedicated to technology, female filmmakers and BIPOC communities
Minneapolis, Minnesota (October 1, 2020) — The Twin Cities Film Fest, presented by VumaTV, announced its full 2020 film schedule Thursday, set to screen Oct. 22-31 via a ‘Hybrid’ format that will include online on-demand streaming through TwinCitiesFilmFest.org as well as select distanced screenings at the Kerasotes ShowPlace ICON Theatres at The Shops at West End. TCFF 2020 marks the organization’s 11th anniversary and arrives at a time where many visual arts organizations are struggling to stay open and continue providing their service of bringing communities together.
“There was never a doubt that TCFF was going to take place this year,” said Jatin Setia, TCFF’s Executive Director. “We know the positive impact that film arts, independent storytelling, and unique perspectives can have on the fabric of our culture and community. We wanted to lean into the opportunities and hit ‘fast forward’ on what our organization could bring to the wider arts conversation during this most difficult year. I’m so proud of my team and our supporters in making sure that TCFF not only happens this unprecedented year, but it leaps forward and innovates new ways to bring a cinematic community together to share a vision — and a conversation.”
The festival opens Oct. 22 with the acclaimed documentary Black Boys, an intimate, inter-generational story that offers profound insight into black identity and opportunity at the nexus of sports, education and criminal justice. Director Sonia Lowman will appear in a pre-recorded conversation.
This year’s closing night selection is Nomadland, Chloé Zhao’s festival award-winning drama starring Frances McDormand as a displaced widow who chooses a nomadic lifestyle. The film won the coveted people’s choice award at the Toronto International Film Festival, instantly catapulting it into the Oscar conversation.
Other notable 2020 selections: Sound of Metal, Darius Marder’s directorial debut, which features a powerful performance from actor, rapper, and activist Riz Ahmed; Sylvie’s Love, Eugene Ashe’s new Harlem romance starring Tessa Thompson; and Uncle Frank, a comedy featuring an all-star cast including Paul Bettany, Steve Zahn and Sophia Lillis.
The majority of this year’s festival selections will be available via the TCFF STREAMS platform at TwinCitiesFilmFest.org, a new TCFF initiative that launched earlier this year to give a platform to MN Connected filmmakers. The online platform will feature premieres of award winning narratives, documentaries and shorts curated from all across the country. Several notable film categories include TECH Series, HER Series, MN Connected films, and the newly launched EMPOWER Series focused on BIPOC stories and storytellers.
Every year, the Twin Cities Film Fest identifies a Social Justice Cause and programs a special series of films to call attention to a specific social issue. This year’s cause is “affordable living” and the film series includes stories spotlighting housing, healthcare, childcare and eldercare. Through the generosity of local companies (Spire Credit Union, Dominium Apartments, City of St. Louis Park and AARP Minnesota), all films in the Changemaker Series will be presented free to all viewers. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is being presented with the 2020 TCFF Changemaker Award at the festivals’ Virtual Gala (Oct 2nd – 4th) in recognition of her work towards affordability.
TCFF’s complete 2020 schedule is listed below. Tickets are on-sale starting tomorrow, Oct 2nd. All of the In-Person theater screenings at the ICON Theaters will be reserved for TCFF Donors, Members and Sponsors on a first come first served limited capacity. To learn more about how to attend these screenings, please visit www.twincitiesfilmfest.org. For all of the ONLINE films, simply check out the lineup on the website and purchase the films. All films will be available for purchase for $9/film with a few offered for free. An ‘All Access STREAMING Pass’ is also available for $50 on the website providing access to ALL of the 70+ films online.
For more information on films and attendees, or to book your reserved seats, visit www.twincitiesfilmfest.org
ABOUT TWIN CITIES FILM FEST
Twin Cities Film Fest (TCFF) is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization founded by Executive Director, Jatin Setia. The Twin Cities Film Fest is an annual mainstream film festival that caters to the general public with one simple goal: To offer audiences access to the best films the global industry has to offer, to stimulate economic activity in the Twin Cities and to offer filmmakers a premiere venue at which to premiere their work. TCFF welcomes donations throughout the year from members, individual donors, volunteers, or corporations. To learn more about TCFF, events, film submissions or to donate, visit twincitiesfilmfest.org.
ABOUT KERASOTES SHOWPLACE ICON THEATRES AND LOBBY LOUNGE
Founded in 1909 with a single storefront nickelodeon, Chicago-based Kerasotes Showplace Theatres introduced a “new era of moviegoing” with its Showplace ICON Theatres. Owned and operated by third generation family, Tony and Dean Kerasotes, the Company plans to debut Showplace ICON Theatres in additional major U.S. markets, including Boston, Mass.; Washington D.C. and surrounding suburbs; and Laguna Hills and the Silicon Valley in Cal. For more information, please visit us online at http://www.showplaceicon.com.
ABOUT THE SHOPS AT WEST END
The Shops at West End is an exciting mixed-use development located in the highly affluent suburb of St. Louis Park, just minutes from downtown Minneapolis. Located at the intersection of I-394 & 100, The Shops at West End features restaurants such as CRAVE and THE LOCAL, and various retailers. It is a joint-venture development of Duke Realty, Inc. and Jeffrey R. Anderson Real Estate, Inc. For a complete list of West End tenants, please visit www.TheShopsAtWestEnd.com.
ABOUT VumaTV
Vuma’s name quite literally means “all together” and that meaning fluently translates into the mission of the streaming platform: to bring authentic multicultural content into the global limelight. Led by Founder and CEO Alberto Marzan, VumaTV’s vision is to provide curated content for an underserved global multicultural audience— but the platform isn’t meant to promote differences in a way that encourages those audiences to wall themselves off from the rest of the world. On the contrary, Vuma strives to provide a streaming service without borders, sharing content that intentionally recognizes and celebrates race, ethnicity, and intellect around the globe. The VumaTV app is available for download and streaming on iOs, Android, AppleTV, AndroidTV, Amazon FireTV, Roku, and www.vumatv.com.
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2020 TWIN CITIES FILM FEST SCHEDULE
In Theater Films: ICON Theaters
(Only Available to Sponsors, Donors and Members)
(Reservation Required)
Thursday Oct 22nd
Black Boys, Sonia Lowman – 6pm and 8pm
Friday Oct 23rd
Sound of Metal, Darius Marder – 6pm and 8:45pm
Saturday Oct 24th
Sylvie’s Love, Eugene Ashe – 6pm and 8:45pm
Friday Oct 30th
Herself, Phyllida Lloyd – 6:30pm
Uncle Frank, Alan Ball – 8:30pm
Saturday Oct 31st
Nomadland, Chloé Zhao – 6pm and 8:30pm
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Special Streaming Events on TCFF Website
Sunday Oct 25th
Inside Lets Deal Live, Steve Zahn/Rick Gomez – 5:30pm
The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel, Jennifer Abbott/Joel Bakan – 7pm
Monday Oct 26th
Definition Please, Sujata Day – 7pm
Tuesday Oct 27th
Hollywood Fringe, Megan Huber, Wyatt McDill – 7pm
Wednesday Oct 28th
Through The Night, Loira Limbal – 7pm
Thursday Oct 29th
Women In Blue, Deirdre Fishel – 7pm
Saturday Oct 31st
Black Boys, Sonia Lowman – 5pm
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ONLINE Features available on TCFF Website Oct 22nd – 31st
| An Answer From Akron, W. Drew Perkins |
| At The Video Store, James Westby |
| Bias, Robin Hauser |
| Born Just Now, Robert Adanto |
| Burren Girl, Rita Davern |
| Can You Hear My Voice, Bill Brummel |
| CARE, Deirdre Fishel |
| CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap, Robin Hauser |
| Coded Bias, Shalini Kantayya |
| Cohabitation, Lauren Barker |
| Critical Condition, Ky Dickens |
| Diagnosing Healthcare, Paul Roberts |
| Flint, Anthony Baxter |
| For Justice Forgotten, Phillip “Prospers” McGraw |
| Fresh Tracks, Hans Rosenwinkel |
| Gossamer Folds, Lisa Donato |
| In Case of Emergency, Carolyn Jones |
| Land of My Father, Matthew Koshmrl |
| Marcel Duchamp, Matthew Taylor |
| Next_Gen, Tyler Eichorst |
| Normie, Kurt Neale |
| Our Water, Ryan Busch |
| Paper Spiders, Inon Shampanier |
| Personhood, Jo Ardinger |
| PUSH, Frederik Gertten |
| Revival, Josefina Rotman Lyons |
| Shit Saves The World, Troy Hale |
| Snatchers, John Kingman |
| Sold Out – Affordable Housing At Risk, Kevin Dragseth |
| Sold Out, Tim Dahlseid |
| Stranger/Sister, Kirsten Kelly & Katie Taber |
| Take Out Girl, Hisonni Mustafa |
| Thank You 5, Michael Barnard/Reid Estreicher |
| The Falconer, Annie Kaempfer |
| The Father, Jonathan Oster |
| The Horror Crowd, Ruben Pla |
| The Last Christmas Party, Julian C. Santos |
| The Last Days of Capitalism, Adam Mervis |
| The Reunited States, Ben Rekhi |
| The Subject, Lanie Zipoy |
| They Call Me Dr. Miami, Jean-Simon Chartier |
| Thin Skin, Charles Mudede |
| Voices from the Barrens, Nancy Ghertner |
| What Doesn’t Kill Us, Zach Schlapkohl/Jacob Kiesling/Ethan Cartwright |
