International Film Festival – MAS

The Marshall Artists Series kicks off its 89th season with the beloved International Film Festival spanning across three days: Thursday, September 25, Friday September 25, and Saturday September 26 at the Joan C. Edwards Playhouse. Experience six critically acclaimed and award-winning films where cultures converge on the big screen. Featured films include Souleymane’s Story (France), the Oscar-winning best animated feature film Flow (Latvia), All We Imagine As Light (India), Waiting for Dali (Spain), the Best International Feature Oscar winner I’m Still Here (Brazil), and A Radical Act: Renee Montgomery (USA).

Souleymane’s Story: Racing through the streets of Paris on his bicycle, Guinean immigrant Souleymane, works as an undocumented gig worker as he prepares for his asylum application interview. Winner of the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival, this film stands as one of the year’s most suspenseful and gut-wrenchingly honest films. The New Yorker says, “The relevance of “Souleymane’s Story”—what it evokes and illuminates about the hurdles that undocumented immigrants face the world over—is not merely undeniable but also inextricable from the circumstances of the film’s creation,” referencing first-time actor Abou Sangaré’s background which mirrors his character. (In French with English Subtitles, 1 hr. 33 mins.)

Souleymane’s Story shows on Thursday, Sept. 25 @ 5:30 p.m.

All We Imagine As Light: This winner of the Grand Prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival explores and celebrates the lives and textures of contemporary, working-class Mumbai. Centered around three women who work together at a city hospital, the film is a soulful study of the transformative power of friendship and sisterhood, in all its complexities and richness. The New York Times says, “it’s worth mentioning upfront that it is also flat-out wonderful, one of finest of the year.” (In Malayalam with English subtitles, 2 hrs. 3 mins.)

All We Imagine As Light shows on Thursday, Sept. 25 @ 7:30 p.m.

A Radical Act: Renee Montgomery: This inspirational documentary chronicles the life of Renee Montgomery–the first former WNBA player to become both a co-owner and an executive of a WNBA team (the Atlanta Dream)–this film follows the experiences that shaped Renee’s character, from growing up in West Virginia to winning a national title at the University of Connecticut, then going on to capture two WNBA titles with the Minnesota Lynx. In her journey from player to front office, family and community helped turn Renee’s integrity into a game changer. (In English, 1 hr. 44 mins.)

A Radical Act: Renee Montgomery shows on Friday, Sept. 26 @ 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 27 @ 5:30 p.m.

I’m Still Here: When her husband disappears at the hands of Brazil’s military dictatorship in 1971, Eunice Paiva protects her close-knit family with courage and dignity. This overwhelming, richly realized political drama stays tightly wedded to the perspective of Ruben’s wife, whose indefatigable search for the truth about her husband would stretch out for decades. The New York Times says, “But this is not just a movie about a strong woman, though it certainly is that. It’s also about what authoritarian regimes do to keep people in line, the totalitarian tactic of making people doubt what they know they’ve seen by insisting on unabashed lies.” (In Portuguese with English Subtitles, 2 hr. 15 mins.)

 I’m Still Here shows on Friday, Sept. 26 @ 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 27 @ 2:30 p.m.

 Flow The festival’s only non-language film follows a courageous cat on a wondrous journey after his home is devastated by a great flood. Teaming up with a capybara, a lemur, a bird, and a dog to navigate a boat in search of dry land, they must rely on trust, courage, and wits to survive the perils of a newly aquatic planet. The New York Times says, ““Flow,” an animated adventure film with a touch of magical realism, is a welcome entrant in the cat-movie canon, exuding a profound affection for our four-legged friends. (No Language, 1 hr. 25 mins.)

 Flow shows on Saturday, Sept. 27 @ 12:30 p.m.

Waiting for Dalí: This film follows a culinary duo fleeing political turmoil in Barcelona and seeking refuge in the enchanting town of Cadaqès, the residence of the renowned artist Salvador Dalí. Finding work at the whimsical restaurant El Surreal, they craft extravagant dining experiences in hopes of luring the renowned artist to visit, in this fanciful tale of love, art, and revolution. (In Spanish with English subtitles, 1 hr. 54 mins.)

 Waiting for Dali shows on Saturday, Sept. 27 @ 7:30 p.m.