Mill Valley Film Festival 48 (Oct. 2-12, 2025)

[Chris Knipp]

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Mill Valley Film Festival 48 (Oct. 2-12, 2025)

The Mill Valley is one of America's best small film fests, and not really so small: it features some of the season's most important films. It's traditionally has showcased a curated selection of independent films, including international features, documentaries, and shorts, often with a focus on gender equity and social issues. This year's festival, #48, runs from October 2 to October 12, 2025, opening with Chloé Zhao's HAMNET and featuring a tribute to Spike Lee. The festival also includes various programs like Mind the Gap for gender equity and Active Cinema for impactful documentaries, along with panels, workshops, and networking opportunities for attendees.

Mark Fishkin was the founder and longtime director of the Mill Valley Film Festival since its founding in 1977 until recently, but has now stepped back to a part-time role. Under his directorship it grew to an internationally noted event, always with a great selection of many of the best new films of the festival year and interesting local offerings in the shorts category (omitted here).

Highlights include Cannes winners IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (Palme d’Or), SENTIMENTAL VALUE (Grand Jury Prize), THE SECRET AGENT (Best Director, Best Actor), SIRAT and SOUND OF FALLING (Jury Prize), plus THE PRESIDENT'S CAKE, AFTER THE HUNT, BLUE MOON, SPRINGSTEEN: DELIER ME FROM NOWHERE, BUGONIA, THE MASTERMIND, NO OTHER CHOICE, IS THIS THING ON?, WAKE UP DEAD MAN, ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA and more.

Chloé Zhao’s HAMNET and Hikari’s RENTAL FAMILY will topline the 48th Mill Valley Film Festival, as the lineup was announced by Founder/Director Mark Fishkin and Director of Programming Zoë Elton this week.

This year’s lineup features 138 films from 40 countries, with 52% of the films directed or co-directed by women or non-binary filmmakers.

[Chris Knipp]

MILL VALLEY

MVFF film list

SOURCE

Opening Night: HAMNET (Chloé Zhao) (Oct. 2)
Centerpiece: METALLICA SAVED MY LIFE (Jonas Åkerlund), (Oct. 9)
Closing Film: RENTAL FAMILY (Hikari) (Oct. 12)

Feature Length Films (listed in alphabetical order)

AFTER THE HUNT (Dir. Luca Guadagnino | US/Italy, 2025 | Narrative Feature | US Cinema) In Luca Guadagnino’s thriller, written by Nora Garrett, a devastating campus accusation unleashes a torrent of public and personal chaos that blurs the truth of what really happened beyond recognition. Secrets, deceptions, furies, and mixed agendas for the film’s five central characters soon collide in the morality tale that is After The Hunt. And as the tension mounts, the film becomes an intentional provocation, a mirror on this modern moment, probing the dynamics of power, privilege, community—and how they interplay with a whole host of human frailties.

AKIKO, THE FLYING MONKEY (Dir. Veit Helmer | Germany, 2024 | Narrative Feature | Family Films) When young monkey Akiko escapes from the zoo, he embarks on an adventurous and joyful journey, forming an unlikely alliance with an eagle, a raccoon, and a chameleon. Together, they will help him achieve his goal: to reunite with his family and help free all the animals in the city. ~ North American Premiere

THE ALABAMA SOLUTION (Dir. Andrew Jarecki, Charlotte Kaufman | US, 2025 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) – In 2019, filmmakers visiting an Alabama prison to film a revival meeting are met with whispered warnings of hidden abuses, sparking a six-year investigation into the nation’s deadliest prison system. With unprecedented access, they uncover a suspicious death that proves far from isolated, exposing brutality, corruption, and systemic collapse. As the truth unfolds in real time, incarcerated men fight not only for survival but also to mount a campaign of resistance against all odds. ~ California Premiere

ANDRÉ IS AN IDIOT (Dir. Tony Benna | US, 2025 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) André, a brilliant idiot, is dying because he didn't get a colonoscopy. His sobering diagnosis, complete irreverence, and insatiable curiosity send him on an unexpected journey learning how to die happily and ridiculously without losing his sense of humor. ~ Bay Area Premiere

ANIMAL FARM (Dir. Andy Serkis | UK, 2025 | Animated Feature | Family Films) When a group of farm animals rebel and kick their neglectful farmer off the land, life is good and the dream of a free, equitable future is within sight. But power struggles among some of literature’s most infamous characters ensue and the realities of living in a world designed for mankind complicates and corrupts the satirical and allegorical Animal Farm. Based on George Orwell’s classic novella of the same name, Animal Farm stars Seth Rogan, Gaten Matarazzo, Laverne Cox, Iman Vellani, Kieran Culkin, Jim Parsons, Woody Harrelson, Steve Buscemi, Glenn Close, Andy Serkis, and Kathleen Turner. Animal Farm is a feature length animated family comedy directed by Andy Serkis, written by Nick Stoller, and produced by Aniventure and Imaginarium, with CG production by Cinesite. Animal Farm: Four legs good, two legs bad.

ARCO (Dir. Ugo Bienvenu | France, 2025 | Animated Feature | Family Films) A magical and beautifully animated journey through time, Arco is a dazzling adventure about a 10-year-old boy from a peaceful, distant future who accidentally travels back to the year 2075 and discovers a world in peril. As Arco develops a charming and touching friendship with a young girl named Iris, they band together and along with her trusted robot caretaker Mikki, set out on a quest to get Arco home, while the two children may also be the only ones who can save our planet. A wondrous odyssey filled with hope and optimism for our future, Arco is an enchanting fable from breakout filmmaker Ugo Bienvenu, produced by Remembers’ Bienvenu and Felix de Givry, and mountainA’s Natalie Portman and Sophie Mas. ~ California Premiere

ARREST THE MIDWIFE (Dir. Elaine Epstein | US, 2025 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) The arrest of trusted midwives ignites an unexpected rebellion, as Amish and Mennonite women break from tradition and emerge as fierce political activists — joining the broader fight for reproductive justice.
BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER (Dir. Edward Berger | Germany, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) When his past and his debts start to catch up with him, a high-stakes gambler laying low in Macau encounters a kindred spirit who might just hold the key to his salvation

BLUE MOON (Dir. Richard Linklater | US, 2025 | Narrative Feature | US Cinema) On the evening of March 31, 1943, legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart confronts his shattered self-confidence in Sardi’s bar as his former collaborator Richard Rodgers celebrates the opening night of his ground-breaking hit musical “Oklahoma!”.

BROTHER VERSES BROTHER (Dir. Ari Gold | US, 2025 | Narrative Feature | US Cinema) Inspired by Francis Coppola's concept of Live Cinema, Brother Verses Brother is a radically personal musical odyssey following combative twin musicians as they search for their dying poet father. Performed in an improvisation by the director’s own family and captured in a single unbroken shot through the streets of San Francisco, the story contrasts one brother’s longing for love and excitement with the other’s desire to disappear into his music. As night falls and their father remains missing, their frantic journey leads them from the hidden haunts of the Beat poets into the heart of their family, becoming a testament to the power of music, brotherhood, and the lifeblood of a city—experienced by the viewer in real time.~ California Premiere

BUGONIA (Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos | Ireland, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) From visionary director Yorgos Lanthimos comes Bugonia, an explosive psychological thriller that offers a pitch-black comic window into our modern age of madness. Provocative and subversive, the film follows two conspiracy obsessed young men as they burst out of their online rabbit holes and kidnap Michelle, a high-powered CEO they believe to be an alien who has come to destroy us. After the pair chain her in a basement and come face-to-face with the enemy, the two sides — the tinfoil-hat basement dwellers and the steely, soulless corporate executive — soon find themselves pitched in a battle as viscerally unpredictable as it is unexpectedly moving. Anchored by powerhouse performances from Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, and newcomer Aidan Delbis, along with a devilishly sharp script from Will Tracy, Lanthimos constructs an audaciously original portrait of what it means to laugh, cry, and recoil in the fate of humanity.

CALLE MALAGA (Dir. Maryam Touzani | Spain, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) Maria Angeles, a 79-year-old Spanish woman, lives alone in Tangier, Morocco, and enjoys her daily routine. However, her life is turned upside down when her daughter arrives from Madrid to sell the apartment in which she has always lived. Determined to stay, she does everything she can to get her home and her belongings back and, unexpectedly, rediscovers love and sensuality. Language: In Spanish, Arabic with English Subtitles ~ West Coast Premiere

CASE 137 (DOSSIER 137) (Dir. Dominik Moll | France, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) Stéphanie, a police officer working for Internal Affairs, is assigned to a case involving a young man severely wounded during a tense and chaotic demonstration in Paris. While she finds no evidence of illegitimate police violence, the case takes a personal turn when she discovers the victim is from her hometown. Language: in French with English Subtitles ~ US Premiere

CHARLIEBIRD (Dir. Libby Ewing | US, 2025 | Narrative Feature | US Cinema) Al (Samantha Smart) works as a music therapist at a children’s hospital, taking things day by day and trying to make ends meet. Charlie (Gabriela Ochoa Perez) comes into her life as a patient, an ever immovable and unmotivated teenager. As their worlds collide following the revelation of a secret passion project, Al and the pessimistic young Charlie become a source of strength and love for each other whilst they chart a course through an unknown future. ~ West Coast Premiere

CHILDREN IN THE FIRE (Dir. Evgeny Afineevsky | US, 2025 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) In this inspiring documentary, Ukrainian children prove age and size have no bearing on inner strength. The 2022 Russian invasion changed their lives, yet they continue to pursue their dreams. Part live-action, part animation. Language: in Ukrainian with English Subtitles ~ North American Premiere

THE CHORAL (Dir. Nicholas Hytner | UK, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) 1916. As war rages on the Western Front, the Choral Society in Ramsden, Yorkshire, has lost most of its men to the army. The Choral’s ambitious committee, determined to press ahead, decides to recruit local young males to swell their ranks. They must also engage a new chorus master, and despite their suspicions that he has something to hide, their best bet seems to be Dr. Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes) – driven, uncompromising, and recently returned from a career in Germany. As conscription papers start to arrive, the whole community discovers that the best response to the chaos that is laying waste to their lives is to make music together. ~ West Coast Premiere

CONFIDANTE (CONFIDENTE) (Dir. Çağla Zencirci & Guillaume Giovanetti | Turkey, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) Ankara, 1999. Arzu works in an erotic call center. When a sudden earthquake hits Istanbul, a young man she’s been on the phone with is trapped under rubble and begs her to save him. Arzu knows who to call... but at the risk of her own life. Language: In Turkish with English Subtitles ~ West Coast Premiere
DIAMOND DIPLOMACY (Dir. Yuriko Gamo Romer | US, 2025 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) Diamond Diplomacy explores the long and complex relationship between the U.S. and Japan through the shared love of baseball, revealing a moving diplomatic history that spans generations. The film features a cross-cultural lineup of baseball legends, including Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Ichiro Suzuki (newly inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this summer), and Shohei Ohtani, and makes a powerful case for sports as a conduit for international healing, connection, and resilience. Language: in English, Japanese with English Subtitles ~ World Premiere

EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU FOR MONEY (Dir. Ben McKenzie | US, 2025 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) Everyone Is Lying to You for Money is a gonzo dive into the bizarre world of cryptocurrency, based on Ben McKenzie’s NY Times bestseller Easy Money. Actor-turned-sleuth McKenzie traces crypto’s unsettling rise from fringe internet fetish to multi-trillion-dollar market, asking one simple question: could it all be a scam? Armed with an undergraduate econ degree and a sharp BS detector, he confronts so-called financial wunderkind Sam Bankman-Fried, journeys to El Salvador in search of a supposed crypto-El Dorado, and uncovers a landscape of tall tales, empty promises, and rampant fraud. As even U.S. Presidents cash in on crypto scams and the industry seeps deeper into global markets, McKenzie’s directorial debut becomes an urgent interrogation of a dubious system built on desperation and false promises of financial freedom—ultimately exposing the uncomfortable truth that sometimes the biggest lie is the one we tell ourselves.

EVERYWHERE MAN: THE LIVES AND TIMES OF PETER ASHER (Dir. Dan Geller & Dayna Goldfine | US, 2025 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) Blending documentary and musical memoir, Everywhere Man tells the extraordinary life story of Peter Asher—pop star, producer, manager, and confidant to legends from Paul McCartney to James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, and many more—across six decades at the heart of rock and roll history.

FOREVER YOUNG (Dir. David Donnelly | US, 2025 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) Forever Young takes you inside the labs where scientists are cracking the code of aging, meeting the pioneers racing to extend human life and the skeptics calling out the hype. Through intimate stories and a glimpse into our near future, the film asks the questions that matter: If we can live decades longer, how will that change the trajectory of our lives? Will everyone benefit, or just an elite few? And what will become of love, purpose, and meaning when our life story stretches on into perpetuity? The end of aging has just begun. ~ World Premiere

HAMNET (Dir. Chloe Zhao | UK, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) From Academy Award® winning writer/director Chloé Zhao, Hamnet tells the powerful love story that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY (Dir. Sarah Goher | Egypt, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) Eight-year-old maid Toha goes to great lengths to ensure that her best friend Nelly, the daughter of her wealthy employer, has a successful birthday party in this poignant debut feature exploring classism in modern-day Cairo. Language: Arabic with English Subtitles ~ West Coast Premiere

HOLA FRIDA (Dir. Andre Kadi & Karine Vezina | France, 2024 | Narrative Feature | Family Films) Little Frida is a bright-eyed girl who loves exploring in her Mexican village and playing with friends. When a polio diagnosis casts a cloud over her spirit, she is forced into the solitude of her bedroom. There, she finds solace in her imagination, brimming with possibilities. Hola Frida recreates the early life of famed artist Frida Kahlo and highlights the saving power of imagination.

HONEYJOON (Dir. Lilian T. Mehrel | US, 2025 | Narrative Feature | US Cinema) A sexy, darkly funny, life-affirming film. Persian-Kurdish Lela (Amira Casar) and her sensual daughter June (Ayden Mayeri) take a trip to the romantic Azores after their big loss — with opposite ideas about why they're there, how to grieve, and June’s tiny bikini. Between honeymooners, Woman Life Freedom, and their hot philosophical-surfer tour guide João (José Condessa), they find each other… coming back to life.~ California Premiere

IF I HAD LEGS I'D KICK YOU (Dir. Mary Bronstein | US, 2024 | Narrative Feature | US Cinema) With her life crashing down around her, Linda (Rose Byrne) attempts to navigate her child's mysterious illness, her absent husband, a missing person, and an increasingly hostile relationship with her therapist. ~ Bay Area Premiere

IS THIS THING ON? (Dir. Bradley Cooper | US, 2025 | Narrative Feature | US Cinema) As their marriage quietly unravels, Alex (Will Arnett) faces middle age and an impending divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene while Tess (Laura Dern) confronts the sacrifices she made for their family—forcing them to navigate co-parenting, identity, and whether love can take a new form.

IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (Dir. Jafar Panahi | Iran, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) Vahid, an unassuming mechanic, is suddenly reminded of his time in an Iranian prison when he has a chance encounter with Eghbal, a man he strongly suspects to be his sadistic jailhouse captor. Panicked, Vahid gathers several former prisoners, all abused by that same captor, to try and confirm Eghbal's identity. As the diverse and bickering group drive around Tehran with the captive Eghbal, they must confront how far to take matters into their own hands with their presumed tormentor. Master filmmaker Jafar Panahi creates a deeply felt moral thriller, where high stakes tension combines with unexpected flurries of humor and thoughtful, sometimes devastating questions regarding persecution and revenge versus compassion and understanding. Reflecting on his past experiences as an Iranian prisoner, Panahi has made at once an incisely political yet deeply human film, turning his personal dissonance into a profound and galvanizing work of art. Language: In Persian with English Subtitles ~ West Coast Premiere

JOHN CANDY: I LIKE ME (Dir. Colin Hanks | US, 2025 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) From director Colin Hanks and lifelong fan Ryan Reynolds comes John Candy: I Like Me, an exploration of the life of John Candy the Canadian comedic icon. This film documents his on- and off-camera existence, featuring never-before-seen home videos, intimate access to his family, and candid recollections from collaborators to paint a bigger picture of one of the brightest stars of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. It’s the story of a son, husband, father, friend, and professional driven to bring joy to audiences and loved ones while battling personal ghosts and Hollywood pressures.

KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN (Dir. Bill Condon | US, 2025 | Narrative Feature | US Cinema) Dreamgirls and Beauty and the Beast director Bill Condon returns to the movie musical in this dazzling Technicolor-hued fantasy. Valentín (Diego Luna), a political prisoner, shares a cell with Molina (Tonatiuh), a window dresser convicted of public indecency. The two form an unlikely bond as Molina recounts the plot of a Hollywood musical starring his favorite silver screen diva, Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez). Based on the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical hit. Language: In English and Spanish with English Subtitles

LA GRAZIA (Dir. Paolo Sorrentino | Italy, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) Oscar winner Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty, Il Divo) returns to the baroque world of Italian presidential politics, crafting an elegantly restrained portrait of a fictional ruler (Toni Servillo) reckoning with age, power, and moral obligation as his term comes to a close. Language: In Italian with English Subtitles ~ West Coast Premiere

LEFT-HANDED GIRL (Dir. Shih-Ching Tsou | Taiwan, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) A single mother and her two daughters return to Taipei after several years of living in the countryside to open a stand at a buzzing night market. Each in their way will have to adapt to this new environment to make ends meet and maintain the family unity. But when their traditional grandfather forbids his youngest left-handed granddaughter from using her "devil hand," generations of family secrets begin to unravel. Language: In Mandarin with English Subtitles

LIVING THE LAND (SHENG XI ZHI DI) (Dir. Huo Meng | China, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) In 1991, as China undergoes sweeping socio-economic changes that drive many to leave their rural villages in pursuit of work in the cities, 10-year-old Chuang, the third child of his family, must remain in the village due to family plans. Against the backdrop of modernization, as the advent of technology reshapes their traditional way of life, cycles of births, deaths, marriages, and funerals reveal the enduring weight of tradition and the pressures of balancing familial responsibilities with a rapidly changing world. Language: in Chinese with English Subtitles

LOVE + WAR (Dir. E. Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin | US, 2025 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) Pulitzer Prize-winning Lynsey Addario has risked her life to capture the stark realities of war — from the Middle East and Afghanistan to Ukraine. From National Geographic Documentary Films and Academy Award®-winning filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Love+War chronicles Addario’s ascent in the male-dominated world of conflict photography. But her work comes at a steep personal cost — each assignment means stepping into danger and leaving behind her husband and two young sons. Behind the camera, Addario is torn between her unwavering commitment to the essential work of journalism and the powerful, competing demands of motherhood, grappling with what it truly means to follow your passion when it threatens everything you love

THE LOVE THAT REMAINS (Ástin sem eftir e) (Dir. Hlynur Pálmason | Iceland, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) The film tenderly captures a year in the life of a family as the parents navigate their separation. Through both playful and heartfelt moments, the film portrays the bittersweet essence of faded love and shared memories amidst the changing seasons. Language: In Icelandic, English, Swedish, French with English subtitles ~ West Coast Premiere

LUCKY LU (Dir. Lloyd Lee Choi | Canada, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) Lucky Lu follows a New York City delivery rider whose world is turned upside down when he loses his only source of income. With his long-estranged family finally on their way from Asia, Lu is forced to navigate the unforgiving city and fight to protect the fragile life he’s spent all these years building. Language: In Mandarin with English Subtitles ~ US Premiere

A LUMINOUS LIFE (A Vida Luminosa) (Dir. João Rosas | Portugal, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) Springtime in Lisbon, and Nicolau turns 24, but doesn’t celebrate. Living at his parents’ house, hostage to a dream of becoming a musician that never comes true and trapped in the ideal image of an ex-girlfriend who left him a year ago and never came back, Nicolau feels unable of moving forward and inventing a life of his own. He takes odd jobs that don’t allow him to leave his parents’ house, until the day he discovers that his mother is just as unsatisfied with her life as he is. Nicolau is shaken, but doesn’t fall. On the contrary, he moves forward. He gets a job in a stationery store, moves into a shared house, and life starts rolling again. And with life, his dreams, and his heart. Up ahead, a girl and an island. Language: In Portuguese with English Subtitles

MAMA (Dir. Or Sinai | Poland, Italy, Israel, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) Spending 15 years apart from her family in order to build their future, Mila has become comfortable in the wealthy landscape of her employer. When an accident sends her unexpectedly back home to rural Poland, Mila has to face a new truth: her husband and daughter’s lives have been moving on without her. Language: In Polish, Hebrew with English Subtitles

THE MASTERMIND (Dir. Kelly Reichardt | US, 2025 | Narrative Feature | US Cinema) In a sedate corner of Massachusetts circa 1970, JB Mooney (Josh O'Connor) an unemployed carpenter turned amateur art thief, plans his first big heist. When things go haywire, his life unravels. ~ West Coast Premiere

THE MESSAGE (El Mensaje) (Dir. Ivan Fund | Argentina, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) On the dusty roads of the Argentinian countryside, a young girl’s gift pushes her opportunistic guardians to sell pet medium consultations to make a living. Whether magic or fraud, one thing is certain: the service is real – and innocence is a treasure. Language: In Spanish with English Subtitles ~ West Coast Premiere

METALLICA SAVED MY LIFE (Dir. Jonas Åkerlund | UK, 2925 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) Metallica Saved My Life documents the incredible stories of family, identity, redemption, loss, and salvation that make Metallica’s fans perhaps the most recognized example of why music matters to the world, and of why Metallica is the kind of band that can literally save lives, including their own. Directed by Jonas Akerlund the movie includes deeply intimate stories from the band and features an incredibly diverse and delightful cast of Metallica fans from around the world. Infused with the power of Metallica’s music and legendary live performances, this film will make us laugh, cry, rock out, and inhale music’s fundamental place in the human experience. ~ West Coast Premiere

MY FATHER'S SHADOW (Dir. Akinola Davies, Jr. | Nigeria, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) - A semi-autobiographical tale set over the course of a single day in the Nigerian metropolis Lagos during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis. The story follows a father, estranged from his two young sons, as they travel through the massive city while political unrest threatens their journey home. Language: In English, Yoruba with English Subtitles ~ West Coast Premiere

THE MYSTERIOUS GAZE OF THE FLAMINGO (La Misteriosa Mirada del Flamenco) (Dir. Diego Cespedes | Chile, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) In the early 80s, in the Chilean desert, eleven-year-old Lidia grows up in a loving queer family pushed on the edge of an unwelcoming dusty mining town. They are blamed for a mysterious illness that's starting to spread - said to be passed through a single gaze, when one man falls in love with another. In this modern western, Lidia leads a quest for vengeance, facing violence, fear, and hatred, where family is her only refuge and love might be the real danger. Language: In Spanish with English Subtitles ~ US Premiere
NO OTHER CHOICE (Dir. Park Chan-Wook | South Korea, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) - From director Park Chan-wook and based on Donald E. Westlake's novel THE AX, the story follows Man-su on his desperate hunt for a new job after his abrupt layoff from the paper company he served for 25 years. Language: In Korean with English Subtitles ~ West Coast Premiere

NOSEEUMS (Dir. Raven DeShay Carter | US, 2025 | Narrative Feature | US Cinema) Fresh from her toxic relationship, a curious college student, Ember, reluctantly agrees to a weekend trip with her roommate and wealthy white “friends” to a secluded lake house in the Florida backwoods. Once she arrives at this unsettling land, it becomes familiar as she unearths troubled spirits that owned it and seeks to reclaim it.

NOUVELLE VAGUE (Dir. Richard Linklater | France, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) Nouvelle Vague is Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklater’s love letter to the spellbinding magic of French cinema, reimagining the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s revolutionary Breathless, which ultimately cemented Godard as a pioneer of the French New Wave. As critic-turned-director Godard makes and breaks the rules, a mix of fresh faces and daring talents — including Zoey Deutch as Jean Seberg, Aubry Dullin as Jean-Paul Belmondo, and Guillaume Marbeck as Godard himself — bring his spontaneous, electric film to life. Capturing the youthful dynamism and creative chaos at the heart of one of the world’s most beloved and influential movies, Nouvelle Vague transports us to the streets of 1959 Paris for an ode to the power of cinema to transform our lives. Language: In English, French with English Subtitles

ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA (Dir. Tarzan Nasser & Arab Nasser | Palestine, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) Gaza, 2007. Yahya, a young student, forges a friendship with Osama, a charismatic restaurant owner with a big heart. Together, they start peddling drugs while delivering falafel sandwiches, but they are soon forced to grapple with a corrupt cop and his oversized ego. Language: Arabic with English Subtitles

ORPHAN (Arva) (Dir. Laszlo Nemes | Hungary, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) 1957. In Budapest, after the uprising against the Communist regime, a young Jewish boy, Andor, raised by his mother with idealized tales of his deceased father, has his world turned upside down when a brutish man appears, claiming to be his true father. Language: In Hungarian with English Subtitles ~ West Coast Premiere

THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR (Dir. Geeta Gandbhir | US, 2025 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) Using bodycam footage from dozens of police visits, The Perfect Neighbor bears witness to a tight-knit community navigating one neighbor’s relentless harassment. But her hostility takes a sinister turn when it escalates into a fatal crime. ~ Bay Area Premiere

PERPETUAL ADOLESCENT (La Eterna Adolescente) (Dir. Eduardo Esquivel | Mexico, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) Gema's alarming melancholy brings her three children together on the eve of an unusually cold Christmas in Guadalajara. After years of treating each other as strangers, the dusty family archive makes them confront their family's most painful hidden memory. During a spontaneous and cathartic weekend, the three siblings restore the bonds they thought they had lost. Language: In Spanish with English Subtitles

PETER HUJAR'S DAY (Dir. Ira Sachs | US, 2024 | Narrative Feature | US Cinema) Ira Sachs’s new film, Peter Hujar’s Day, stars Ben Wishaw and Rebecca Hall in a richly cinematic rendering of a conversation recorded in 1974 between photographer Peter Hujar and writer Linda Rosenkrantz. Their talk that day focused on a single 24 hours in the life of Hujar, the brilliant and famously uncompromising artist who was one of the most important figures in downtown New York’s legendary cultural scene of the 70s and 80s. Set entirely in Linda’s Manhattan apartment, the film freely and imaginatively recreates that long-ago afternoon and the wonderfully discursive exchange between these two singular individuals. As the photographer vividly describes interactions with leading cultural figures of the day, including Allen Ginsberg and Susan Sontag, as well the challenges of living on limited financial resources in 70s New York, Peter Hujar’s Day transforms unexpectedly into a Bloomsday-like rumination on both an artist’s life and time itself.

THE PLAGUE (Dir. Charlie Polinger | Australia, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) A Lord of the Flies-like atmosphere settles over a boys’ water polo camp in writer-director Charlie Polinger’s arresting first feature, in which a kid’s mysterious skin affliction gives his teammates license to bully. That’s the situation that greets Ben (Everett Blunck, Griffin in Summer, MVFF47) as he joins the camp. The insecure tween is desperate to win the approval of the cool clique but more than water polo, the true sport these young athletes enjoy is picking on Eli (Kenny Rasmussen), a misfit with a vibrant rash his teammates claim is contagious. Ben can join in the abuse or defend Eli—at the risk of becoming the bullies’ next target. The young cast is simply extraordinary, joined by Joel Edgerton as the camp’s checked-out coach, in a drama that builds its unease from our childhood fears of not fitting in, throwing us into the deep end alongside Ben. —Tim Grierson

THE PRESIDENT'S CAKE (Dir. Hasan Hadi | Iraq, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) While people across 1990s Iraq struggle to survive the war and food shortages, the President requires each school in the country to prepare a cake to celebrate his birthday. Despite her efforts to avoid getting picked, 9-year-old Lamia is chosen among her classmates. The young girl must now use her wits and imagination to gather ingredients and prepare the mandatory cake in The President's Cake. Language: In Arabic with English Subtitles

A PRIVATE LIFE (Vie Privee) (Dir. Rebecca Zlotowski | France, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) A Private Life is a frisky, feminine, film noir about psychoanalysis and many other things… Renowned psychiatrist Lilian Steiner (Jodie Foster in a kinetic performance) is deeply troubled by the sudden death of one of her patients. Convinced that it was murder, she decides to investigate. Language: In French, English with English Subtitles

PROMISED SKY (Promis le Ciel) (Dir. Erige Sehiri | Tunisia, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) Marie, an Ivorian pastor and former journalist, has lived in Tunisia for ten years. Her home becomes a refuge for Naney, a young mother seeking a better future, and Jolie, a strong-willed student carrying her family’s hopes. The arrival of a little orphan girl challenges their sense of solidarity in a tense social climate, revealing both their fragility and strength. Language: In Arabic, French with English Subtitles
THE RAMBA EFFECT (Dir. Claire Sandberg | US, 2024 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) Guided by compassionate experts and a devoted team of volunteers, Ramba, an Asian elephant who endured 50 years of isolation in a Chilean circus, embarks on an extraordinary 2,550-mile journey to her new home at Elephant Sanctuary Brazil. ~ West Coast Premiere

RENTAL FAMILY (Dir. Hikari | Japan, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) Set in modern-day Tokyo, Rental Family follows an American actor (Brendan Fraser) who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese "rental family" agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection.

ROADS OF FIRE (Dir. Nathaniel Lezra | US, 2024 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) Roads of Fire is a 115 minute feature documentary that brings the camera to the beating heart of the South America-USA asylum seeker experience, examining in intimate detail an accelerating humanitarian crisis from three interwoven perspectives.

RUNA SIMI (Dir. Augusto Andrés Zegarra Pineda-Arce | Peru, 2024 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) Filmmaker Augusto Zegarra makes a powerful debut with this engrossing documentary about fatherhood, identity, and the soul of a language. The film follows Fernando, a single father and radio host in Cusco, Peru, who shares a modest yet endearing hobby with his son: dubbing classic animated clips into Quechua, an Indigenous language spoken by a relatively small number of people. When one of their dubs unexpectedly goes viral, a private passion transforms into something far more ambitious and meaningful. What began as a playful bonding activity becomes a remarkable act of cultural preservation—and a compelling journey in its own right. With a deft and subtle touch, Zegarra allows the emotions to unfold naturally, avoiding grandstanding or dramatic speeches. The winner of the Albert Maysles Award at the Tribeca Film Festival, Runa Simi is a quiet story that speaks volumes, reminding us that language is more than a tool for communication; it is a vessel for memory and identity. —Zaki Hasan Language: In Quechua, Spanish with English subtitles ~ Bay Area Premiere

THE SCOUT (Dir. Paula Gonzalez-Nasser | US, 2024 | Narrative Feature | US Cinema) Over the course of one day, a location scout connects with a handful of New York City residents as she struggles to lock down shooting locations for a TV show. ~ California Premiere

THE SECRET AGENT (O Agente Secreto) (Dir. Kleber Mendonca Filho | Brazil, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) Amid the raucous revelry of Carnival week, a widower named Marcelo (Wagner Moura) arrives in 1977 in Recife, Brazil, a city as vibrant as it is violent. A technology researcher who suddenly finds himself an unwitting target in the heart of the dictatorship's political maelstrom, Marcelo is a man on the run from mercenary killers, from ghosts of the past and from the ruthless, mischievously militant spirit of Brazil in 1977. In the midst of these mounting threats, Marcelo, with the help of a mysterious woman named Elza and her compatriots in the country's growing underground resistance, remains primarily focused on escaping Brazil with his young son. Master filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho teams up with renowned actor Wagner Moura - giving an extraordinary, career-defining performance - to craft a thrillingly unpredictable, playfully shape-shifting epic steeped in history even as it feels remarkably contemporary, paying affectionate tribute to the movies of Filho’s youth while unfolding against the backdrop of political turmoil and palpable danger. Language: Portuguese with English Subtitles

SENTIMENTAL VALUE (Affeksjonsverdi) (Dir. Joachim Trier | Norway, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) From award-winning filmmaker Joachim Trier (The Worst Person in the World), Sentimental Value follows sisters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) as they reconnect with their estranged father, Gustav (Stellan Skarsgärd), a once-celebrated director eager to reclaim his former glory. When Gustav offers Nora the lead role in his long-awaited comeback film, she refuses, only to learn that he has given the part to a rising Hollywood star (Elle Fanning). As shooting begins, old wounds resurface, and the presence of the American star forces the family to confront their fragile family dynamics. Language: In Norwegian, English with English Subtitles

SIRÂT (Dir. Oliver Laxe | Spain, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) A father (Sergi López) and his son arrive at a rave deep in the mountains of southern Morocco. They are searching for Mar — daughter and sister — who vanished months ago at one of these endless, sleepless parties. Surrounded by electronic music and a raw, unfamiliar sense of freedom, they hand out her photo again and again. Hope is fading, but they push through and follow a group of ravers heading to one last party in the desert. As they venture deeper into the burning wilderness, the journey forces them to confront their own limits. Language: In Spanish, French, English, Arabic, with English Subtitles

SOUND OF FALLING (In die Sonne Schauen) (Dir. Mascha Schilinski | Germany, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) Four girls, Alma, Erika, Angelika, and Lenka, each spend their youth on the same farm in northern Germany. As the home evolves over a century, echoes of the past linger in its walls. Though separated by time, their lives begin to mirror each other. Language: In German with English Subtitles ~ West Coast Premiere

SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE (Dir. Scott Cooper | US, 2025 | Narrative Feature | US Cinema) Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere showcases a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom, struggling to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past.

STATE OF FIRSTS (Dir. Chase Joynt | US, 2025 | Documentary Feature) A portrait of Sarah McBride’s historic run to become the first trans Member of Congress, the backlash that ensues, and her fight for change amidst intensifying political extremism. ~ West Coast Premiere

STEAL THIS STORY, PLEASE! (Dir. Tia Lessin, Carl Deal | US, 2025 | Documentary Feature) Fiercely independent journalist Amy Goodman has spent three decades holding the powerful to account, reporting from conflict zones and the Democracy Now! newsroom. In Steal This Story, Please!, Oscar-nominated filmmakers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin craft a riveting portrait of journalism’s power – and peril – in an era of corporate control and political attacks on truth.

STEVE SCHAPIRO: BEING EVERYWHERE (Dir. Maura Smith | US, 2025 | Documentary Feature) Shot shortly before his passing in 2022, Steve Schapiro: Being Everywhere is a loving tribute to one of the most important photographers of the mid-20th century. ~ California Premiere

SUMMER BEATS (Dir. Lise Akoka & Romane Gueret | France, 2025 | Narrative Feature | World Cinema) Growing up in a less well-off area of Paris, 19-year-old Shai and Djeneba have always been inseparable. For one summer, the two headstrong girls escape their tower blocks to work at a summer camp in the southeast of France, where they attempt to supervise an unruly tribe of exasperating, unique and endearing kids. Their adventure will put the girls’ friendship to the test and reshuffle the cards of their dreams and desires, prompting them to reconsider what the future holds. Language: In French with English Subtitles ~ West Coast Premiere

SUN RA: DO THE IMPOSSIBLE (Dir. Christine Turner | US, 2025 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) A kaleidoscopic portrait of the visionary jazz musician, composer, and poet known as Sun Ra and the musical, historical, and philosophical currents that shaped him. ~ Bay Area Premiere

TRAIN DREAMS (Dir. Clint Bentley | US, 2025 | Narrative Feature | US Cinema) Based on the beloved novella by Denis Johnson, Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier (Golden Globe-nominee Joel Edgerton), whose life unfolds during an era of unprecedented change in early 20th century America. Orphaned at a young age, Robert grows into adulthood among the towering forests of the Pacific Northwest, where he helps expand the nation’s railroad empire alongside men as unforgettable as the landscapes they inhabit.

UNDERLAND (Dir. Robert Petit | UK, 2025 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) Based on Robert Macfarlane’s bestseller, UNDERLAND is a cinematic voyage beneath the surface of the earth. ~ California Premiere

VALENTINA (Dir. Tatti Ribeiro | US, 2025 | Narrative Feature | US Cinema) A series of bureaucratic mishaps plagues Valentina as she tries to tackle a simple to-do list at the El Paso-Juarez border. Language: English & Spanish with English Subtitles ~ World Premiere

WAKE UP DEAD MAN (Dir. Rian Johnson | US, 2025 | Narrative Feature | US Cinema) Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns for his most dangerous case yet in the third and darkest chapter of Rian Johnson’s murder mystery opus. When young priest Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) is sent to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), it’s clear that all is not well in the pews. Wicks’s modest-but-devoted flock includes devout church lady Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), circumspect groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church), tightly-wound lawyer Vera Draven, Esq. (Kerry Washington), aspiring politician Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack), town doctor Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), best-selling author Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), and concert cellist Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny). After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) to join forces with renowned detective Benoit Blanc to unravel a mystery that defies all logic. Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Rian Johnson writes and directs Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, and assembles another all-star, award-winning cast.

YANUNI (Dir. Richard Ladkani | Austria, 2025 | Documentary Feature | Valley of the Docs) Yanuni is a cinematic portrait of Juma Xipaia, an Indigenous chief from the Brazilian Amazon who rises from a remote village to the frontlines of climate justice. After surviving six assassination attempts, she is appointed Brazil’s first Secretary of Indigenous Rights—while her husband, a federal IBAMA agent, leads dangerous operations against illegal gold miners. As Juma navigates political power, growing threats, and impending motherhood, she is forced to confront the personal cost of resistance. At once intimate and epic, Yanuni is a powerful story of Indigenous sovereignty, love, and the urgent fight to protect the planet we call home. Language: In English, Portuguese with English subtitles ~ West Coast Premiere

[Chris Knipp]

MVFF: Links to Capsule Reviews

BLUE MOON (Richard Linklater 2025)
CASE 137 (Dominik Moll 2025)
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (Jafar Panahi 2025)
METALLICA SAVED MY LIFE (Jonas Åkerlund 2025)
A PRIVATE LIFE (Rebecca Zlotkowski 2025)
THE SECRET AGENT (Kleber Mendonça Filho 2025)
SIRÂT (Oliver Laxe 2025)

[Chris Knipp]

One more:

CASE 137 (Dominik Moll 2025)

[Chris Knipp]

F.I.N
You can scroll through and read all seven of my Mill Valley '25 capsule reviews, starting HERE.