Hi friends, we are finalizing the last details on this year's program. But we just couldn't wait to tell you about our opening and closing films in the 2026 GMFF program. Summaries and comments are provided from members of the screening committee.
This 25th festival takes place March 12-15, 2026 in Downtown Montpelier. Tickets are on sale March 1.
THE SCOUT dir Paula González-Nasser
THE SCOUT
Directed by Paula González-Nasser
USA | 2025 | Fiction | 89 min | English | Vermont Premiere?
Opening Night Film
Over the course of one day, Sofia, a TV location scout, scrambles throughout New York City visiting apartment after apartment, interacting with a flux of personalities and enduring the stress of an unsatisfied film crew. Based on her own experience of being a location scout for seven years, Producer, Writer, and Director Paula Andrea González-Nasser viscerally captures the reality of working behind the scenes in the film industry; the loneliness, the mundanity, and ultimately the blurred lines between the personable and the professional. Sofia’s intimate, fleeting interactions with strangers contrast with a general sense of distance and disconnect from her own personal world. González-Nasser’s quiet and reflective work reveals the paradox of following a dream and the inner truth that comes from unraveling. -KP
What our screeners are saying:
"Really beautiful ode to the grind/NYC"
"Loved everything about this film, every aspect, worked perfectly"
THE SCOUT is sponsored by Good Girl Production
CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS dirs Sara Khaki, Mohammad Reza Eyni
CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS
Directed by Sara Khaki, Mohammad Reza Eyni
Iran, Qatar, Chile, Canada, Netherlands, Germany, USA | 2025 | Documentary | 95 min | Turkish and Farsi with English Subtitles
Closing Night Film
Sara Shahverdi rides a motorcycle, recently got divorced, and just won a local election in her small Iranian village. As the first woman to ever hold this office, Sara proceeds to work for the rights of fellow women with tenacity, ingenuity, and humor. With a campaign to end child marriages, teach girls to ride motorcycles, and give women rights to their land, Sara begins to powerfully alter her village. But Sara’s progress is threatening to some, and she suddenly finds her identity under attack. Cutting Through Rocks is a stirring documentary about the power of one person standing up for her community and shows how being fiercely yourself can pave the way for others to be free. -SK
What our screeners are saying:
"This is the best documentary of the bunch"
"Totally gorgeous and inspiring"
CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS is sponsored by North Country Federal Credit Union
Thank you to the sponsors of our showcase films
>> Tickets go on sale March 1st! <<
Stay tuned for our full program coming soon
Special thanks to our Directors Circle Sponsors
The 25th Green Mountain Film Festival is presented by The Bridge and Greenway
