Today marks the opening of the 24th Annual Minneapolis/St.Paul International Film Festival with the local premiere of Al Franken: God Spoke (a title that, I have to admit, baffles me). The festival has come under some duress for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that these things are a bitch to get off the ground, and the staff is made up of very dedicated, underpaid people.
I have my own beefs regarding the MFA’s treatment of the Oak Street Cinema, but I also believe that it’s to everyone’s benefit to set that aside for the time being and get out the pon-pons and cheer on this remarkable event. For you’re not just supporting the true art-house film scene (foreign and independent films lacking the support of the giants and unable to break the Landmark’s glass ceiling) but you’re supporing a local scene that’s worth keeping.
I’ll do my best to review the films I’m able to check out in advance; otherwise, do your homework and get out to some of our city’s finest theaters to see some weird, intriguing, partially awful, partially incredible movies. A list of the films can be seen here.
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