Friends, we made it! Here's what we have to look forward to tomorrow and the rest of the weekend.
Festival Hub opens at 10 AM
Come by and say hi! Pick up a program guide, purchase tickets, get recommendations for lunch or dinner. This is also the volunteer and filmmaker check in location. 5 East State Street, through the blue door. Thanks to The Bridge for hosting us!
MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART I - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW dir Julia Loktev
Russia | 2024 | Documentary | 324 min | Russian with English subtitles
THURSDAY, MARCH 11 | 12 PM | SAVOY UPSTAIRS
Program includes two 10-minute intermissions.
My Undesirable Friends is a cinéma vérité documentary providing access into the lives of independent Russian journalists as they fight for their country, their freedom of speech, their humanity, and their lives. In the spirit of Navalny (2022) and Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone (2022), My Undesirable Friends documents the lived experiences of real human beings as their lives and their work collide with the increasingly violent and despotic Russian Federation. Sprawling in scope and intimate in accessibility, the film succeeds in capturing the turmoil and the hope of those who fight against propaganda and cultural amnesia in their attempt to hold a federal government accountable to its myriad blatant human rights violations. This is a film that must be seen for its tender vulnerability, for its vital insight into Russia’s brutality, and for its inspiring subjects who encourage us all to carry on the work of speaking truth to power. Don’t be intimidated by its runtime, My Undesirable Friends will leave you wanting more.
What our screeners are saying:
"Chilling, thought-provoking, and told from a unique perspective most American audiences aren't used to seeing - Russian journalists trying to stand up for a better Russia."
"The women themselves are inspiring and entirely candid in regards to the camera, which makes for a fascinating and eye-opening look"
DREAMS IN NIGHTMARES dir Shatara Michelle Ford
USA, Taiwan, UK | 2024 | Fiction | 128 min | English | Vermont Premiere
THURSDAY, MARCH 12 | 3:30 PM | CAPITOL
Where do you belong when you belong nowhere? That’s the looming question for three friends as they embark on a cross country roadtrip in search of a long lost friend. From the vibrant streets of NYC to the rigid conformity of the Midwest, this trio of Black queer femmes find joy and heartache as they are confronted with who they are or rather, who they’ve been taught they should be. With beautiful scenic shots, vibrant color, and an electric score, this film from director Shatara Michelle Ford offers us a moment of tender self reflection, joy as a spiritual practice, and the ebbs and flows of navigating chosen family through turbulent times.
Content advisory: sexual content, nudity
What our screeners are saying:
"I loved the jazz/electronic score, it hooked me right from the beginning"
"A beautifully crafted film."
DREAMS IN NIGHTMARES is sponsored in part by Splash Naturals.
SUGAR ISLAND dir Johanne Gomez Terrero
Dominican Republic, Spain | 2024 | Fiction | 91 min | Haitian and Spanish with English subtitles | Vermont Premiere
THURSDAY, MARCH 12 | 6:15 PM | CAPITOL
Sugar Island blends the personal, political, and spiritual as the film follows Makenya, a teenager in the Dominican Republic, who is navigating an unwanted pregnancy. Makenya fights to gain documentation to pass along to her future child while she simultaneously advocates for her sugarcane-farming grandfather’s rights amid a mechanizing agricultural system. Featuring captivatingly naturalistic performances and mystical visions, Sugar Island is both grounded in daily life and soars beyond the limitations of Makenya’s material realm.
What our screeners are saying:
"Acting is so natural it almost reads like a documentary in some moments"
"This was a masterclass in filmmaking."
SUGAR ISLAND is sponsored in part by the Law Office of Sidney Collier PLC
THE SCOUT dir Paula González-Nasser
Opening Night Film
USA | 2025 | Fiction | 89 min | English
THURSDAY, MARCH 12 | 6:15 PM | SAVOY UPSTAIRS
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.
THE SCOUT is sponsored by Good Girl Production
TCB: THE TONI CADE BAMBARA SCHOOL OF ORGANIZING dir Louis Massiah, Monica Henriquez
USA | 2025 | Documentary | 105 min | English | Vermont Premiere
FRIDAY, MARCH 13 | 6:45 PM | SAVOY DOWNSTAIRS
Harlem-born writer, activist, teacher, and filmmaker Toni Cade Bambara deeply interrogated the role of the artist within a community. In her words, the “job is to make the revolution irresistible.” TCB: The Toni Cade Bambara School of Organizing charts the evolution of a vital thinker through archival recordings and stories told by her friends and colleagues including Nikki Finney, Haile Gerima, and Toni Morrison. Directors Louis Massiah and Monica Henriquez were themselves collaborators with Bambara on documentary projects in the 80s and 90s, and in their hands the material becomes a lesson on how to live a rigorously moral life as an artist and an ode to a woman who embodied that pursuit.
What our screeners are saying:
"I was very moved by this film."
"This is a very well made film which kept me engaged from start to finish."
TCB: THE TONI CADE BAMBARA SCHOOL OF ORGANIZING is sponsored in part by Rootstock Publishing
GMFF FESTIVAL KICKOFF MIXER
THURSDAY, MARCH 12 | 7 – 9 PM
Sponsored by Three Penny Taproom, 108 Main Street
No RSVP needed. Free. Bar and dinner service available.
Everyone is invited to join us at this casual mixer on the first night of our festival. Mingle with filmmakers, volunteers, filmgoers, and the community who make this annual event special. Complimentary appetizers while they last.
While you're planning your weekend, don't forget to RSVP for the 25 Years of GMFF event on Friday. (So our caterers know how many folks to plan for).
See you downtown!
