BAD RIVER, narrated by Quannah ChasingHorse and Academy-Award nominee, Edward Norton, is produced by Grant Hill (owner of the Atlanta Hawks), Allison Abner (writer for Narcos and West Wing) and award-winning filmmaker, Mary Mazzio. The film chronicles the Wisconsin-based Bad River Band and the Band's ongoing fight for sovereignty, which unfolds in a groundbreaking way through a series of shocking revelations, devastating losses, and a powerful legacy of defiance and resilience. This inspiring project brings us through the epic sweep of history into the present, with a David and Goliath battle over a 70-year-old pipeline on the brink of rupture into Lake Superior, the largest freshwater resource in America. As Eldred Corbine, a Bad River Tribal Elder declares in the film... "we gotta protect it... die for it, if we have to." Executive producer Mato Wayuhi (Reservation Dogs) wrote several hip-hop tracks for the film; Grammy-winning producer, Shep Crawford (producer/writer for Whitney Houston, Tamia, Boyz II Men) wrote and produced an original score; Executive Producer Taylor Hensel (Reservation Dogs, Reciprocity Project), worked on both the story and strategy for the project; Alec Sokolow (Toy Story) worked closely with Abner and Mazzio on all aspects of the narrative, and Bad River students created original artwork for the animation team at PunkRobot, an Academy Award winning shop (Bear Story).

With her debut novel, The Country Girls, Edna O’Brien emerged as one of Ireland’s most brilliant and controversial writers. Director Sinéad O’Shea’s sweeping documentary examines the writer and the woman, featuring take-no-prisoners interviews with O’Brien herself, whose diamond-clear intelligence and cutting wit make her one of the most fascinating people you will ever meet. Published when she was 30, The Country Girls met with intense critical backlash and was banned in Ireland for exposing the country’s sexual taboos. But it was an international hit, and she was quickly a part of Ireland’s literary firmament. Blue Road, featuring interviews with O’Brien and her sons, among others, paints a cinematic portrait of one of the greatest artists–novelist, diarist, screenwriter and bon vivant–of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Divorced in a country where this was frowned upon, O’Brien was a provocative person, who entertained celebrities, had numerous affairs, and faced life on her terms, and her terms only. Even if you’ve never read an O’Brien novel, time with her is time well spent.

The discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.

BOB TREVINO LIKES IT is inspired by the true friendship that writer/director Tracie Laymon found with a stranger in real life while looking for her father online. Often playing the role of caretaker to people like her father, who should be caring for her, Lily Trevino longs for familial connection. When her father, Robert, finally checks out of her life, Lily looks for him on the internet. She tries to “friend” a man she believes is her father on Facebook. But instead of finding Robert Trevino, she finds Bob Trevino instead. Bob Trevino works long, hours at a construction company to support his wife Jeanie’s elaborate scrapbooking habit. The couple has endured a lot in the past decade, and Bob has prioritized his wife’s healing to the point of ignoring his feelings and sense of loneliness. When Bob gets an unexpected Facebook message from a stranger named Lily Trevino, he discerns she needs a friend as much as he does. Lily and Bob’s blossoming friendship becomes a vital source of connection and healing for both, holding the power to change each of their lives forever. Winner of an astounding thirteen film festival audience awards, BOB TREVINO LIKES IT retains the optimism that big tech can still provide human connection and that true friendship is a powerful kind of love and perhaps the family we need most in today’s world.

Teenage Maise is a punk-loving girl who takes after her late mother, Carolyn. She lives in Brooklyn with her artist-dad Kurt, where they’ve created a comforting life for themselves. But when Kurt’s father dies it’s a surprise to Maise, since he told her that his old man was already dead as a promise to Carolyn, who hated his abusive dad. With this news, the pair embark on a journey to rural Minnesota. In this small lake town, Maise meets her extended family for the first time. But once the pleasantries have ended, Kurt is eager to return to Brooklyn and the life they’ve left behind. Problem is, Maise has bonded with a local girl, her grandmother Gail wants to spend more time with her, and her aunt Emma reminds her of Carolyn, so now she wants to stay. Directors Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen’s warmhearted film stars Jensen and their daughter Sadie Jensen-Blank, and was filmed in the Twin Cities and around Lake Minnetonka. W/ Post-film Q&A with the filmmakers

Burly Bluffs is bringing amateur night back to Rochester! This will be our second rendition of “Next Gen Gems” and boy is this show bursting with talent featuring burlesque artists from Rochester, the Twin Cities, and Dubuque, IA! Doors open at 7:00pm, so get there early to get a good spot! This is a Queer-centered, anti-oppressive event meant to lift up our community as we focus on resilience and shining bright! All identities and allies welcome; Pop’s is also wheelchair accessible. Emcee/Producer - GG Delish (Twin Cities) Feature Performer - Lola Honey (Twin Cities) Performer - Gaia Gasm (Twin Cities) Performer - Rosebud Ragdoll (Dubuque) Performer - The Velvet Goblin (Rochester) Performer - Casey Spade (Twin Cities) Performer - Silas Nightingale (Rochester) Performer - Gatina Jones(Twin Cities) Performer - Skelehore (Dubuque) Performer - Sedusa L’Amore (Twin Cities) Performer - Shayla N’ Femme (Rochester) Kitten - Faerie Goth Mother (Rochester) Kitten - Bae Switch (Rochester) Kitten - Circus Freak (Rochester) Dollar Babe - Velvet Goblin (Rochester) Dollar Babe - Rosebud Ragdoll (Dubuque) **Accessibility - it is important to us that all audience members are given what they need to remain comfortable during our entire production. If you have any accessibility needs, please email GG at [email protected] to reserve some seating and/or request other access! This would be my first time seeing Drag and/or Burlesque; what should I know? **We are so excited for you! Burly Bluffs makes a point to celebrate our 2SLGBTQIA+ community; all identities and allies are celebrated at our shows and you see this representation on stage, as well. Drag and Burlesque performers do love cash tips (singles are perfect!) and also digital tips.

Yôko Yamanaka’s second feature follows a 21-year-old Japanese woman (Yuumi Kawai) with erratic humor as she ghosts one boyfriend after another. A beautician with little commitment to her work and no real desire to achieve anything, she burns every bridge she whips up and runs from, accumulating broken hearts in her wake. After unconvincing doctors diagnose her with bipolar disorder, it’s unclear what has changed. Her cruelty seems intact; she now seems to run in place. With its dry editing and zooms, Desert of Namibia conveys the disarray and destructiveness of a young woman pushing against a rigid and patriarchal Tokyo with few paths of resonance to offer her.

Ahmet is a teenage shepherd from North Macedonia, a young man who loves music and is frustrated by his father’s short-sightedness and community’s limitations. Falling hard for Aya, a girl in the village, he discovers her dance troupe is performing in the village festival. With his younger brother’s help, our hero transforms into DJ Ahmet, in Georgi M. Unkovski’s magical feature debut. With its young cast, colorful cinematography and infectious music, DJ Ahmet is a celebration, a film that both honors the past and embraces the present, and this crowd pleaser won a Special Jury Prize and an Audience Award at 2025 Sundance.

Henry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.

It tells the story of Janice, the mother of a teenager who shot and killed three of his classmates.

Afflicted with a rare and fatal condition that affects her ability to perceive time and causes sudden blackouts, single mother Frankie Rhodes relies on self-recorded cassette tapes to help her navigate the world. Desperate to make ends meet while she fights for custody of her young daughter, she accepts a risky but high-paying job from a mysterious woman, which draws her into a world of paranoid conspiracies that threatens to swallow her whole.

The aftermath of the Oxygen Destroyer brings forth Destoroyah, a beast intent on killing Godzilla, who is on the verge of a nuclear meltdown.

Catherine Coulson is an international cult sensation in the groundbreaking television series Twin Peaks. 25 years later her lifelong friend David Lynch announces its return for a new season. Within weeks Catherine is diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Can she live long enough to play the iconic Log Lady one last time?

As an actress begins to adopt the persona of her character in a film, her world becomes nightmarish and surreal.

**Post-Film Q&A with director Josh Roush** Long Lonesome Highway: The Story of Michael Parks is an unflinching and intimate portrayal of the life and career of actor Michael Parks, a man whose journey through the Hollywood system was as unpredictable and unique as the roles he portrayed. Once dubbed “the greatest living actor” by Quentin Tarantino, Michael’s career swung the pendulum between the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. When “discovered” by Lew Wasserman, Michael starred in some of the biggest blockbusters of the time, however, when he bit the hand that fed him, Wasserman had him relegated to TV, and later to having no career at all. Michael’s answer? Pivot to music, where he recorded several gold albums, performed with Johnny Cash, and on the Ed Sullivan show. Despite living on the outside of the movie industry for decades, Michael continued to take the work where he could get it, resulting in dozens of small, yet incredibly noteworthy performances in B-movies and TV. All this hard work culminated in the resurrection of his career at the hands of filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Mark Frost, Kevin Smith, and many more. Michael first met filmmaker Josh Roush on the set of Kevin Smith’s movie Tusk, where Josh was working as a behind the scenes cameraman. Due to Michael’s declining health at the time, Kevin asked Josh to change gears and be his personal assistant throughout the shoot. Though the older curmudgeonly actor and the young brash Punk Rocker had little aesthetically in common, the two struck up an immediate friendship that lasted until Michael’s passing, and resulted in Josh creating this documentary in his honor. This decade in the making tribute to both the man and his work features notable interviews with actors such as Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Mickey Rourke, Leonard Maltin, Haley Joel Osment, Justin Long, Robert Rodriguez, Mark Frost, Jim Mickle, Matt Pinfield, Kevin Smith, Ralph Garman, his son James Parks, and many others.

The teasingly entwined ambiguities of love and death continue to fascinate Alain Guiraudie (Stranger by the Lake), who returns with a sharp, sinister, yet slyly funny thriller. Set in an autumnal, woodsy village in his native region of Occitanie, his latest follows the meandering exploits of Jérémie (Félix Kysyl), an out-of-work baker who has drifted back to his hometown after the death of his beloved former boss, a bakery owner. Staying long after the funeral, the seemingly benign Jérémie begins to casually insinuate himself into his mentor’s family, including his kind-hearted widow (Catherine Frot) and venomously angry son (Jean-Baptiste Durand), while making an increasingly surprising—and ultimately beneficial—friendship with an oddly cheerful local priest (Jacques Develay). In Guiraudie’s quietly carnal world, violence and eroticism explode with little anticipation, and criminal behavior can seem like a natural extension of physical desire. The French director is at the top of his game in Misericordia, again upending all genre expectations.

This film made by a Palestinian-Israeli collective shows the destruction of the occupied West Bank's Masafer Yatta by Israeli soldiers and the alliance which develops between the Palestinian activist Basel and Israeli journalist Yuval.

Channeling something of a Will and Harper vibe, Odd Fish is an endearing dramedy that follows childhood friends Hjalti (Björn Jörundur) and Björn (newcomer Arna Magnea Danks), who run a seafood restaurant in their hometown in the scenic Westfjords during the summer. The pair are polar opposites. Front of house Hjalti is a confident family man and a big fish in town, who also heads the maritime museum, whereas cook Björn is a reserved, single guy who has always lived in his parents’ house. When the pair suddenly get an opportunity to keep their fish restaurant going all year round, Björn comes out as a trans woman and will be known as Birna from now on. These changes test their friendship, and both must face life with a new perspective to preserve what matters most. –AS

On August 30, 1972, in New York City, John Lennon played his only full-length show after leaving The Beatles, the One to One benefit concert at Madison Square Garden, a rollicking, dazzling performance from him and Yoko Ono. Macdonald’s riveting documentary takes that legendary musical event and uses it as the starting point to explore eighteen defining months in the lives of John and Yoko. By 1971 the couple was newly arrived in the United States— living in a tiny apartment in Greenwich Village and watching a huge amount of American television. The film uses a riotous mélange of American TV to conjure the era through what the two would have been seeing on the screen: the Vietnam War, The Price is Right, Nixon, Coca-Cola ads, Cronkite, The Waltons. As they experience a year of love and transformation in the US, John and Yoko begin to change their approach to protest — ultimately leading to the One to One concert, which was inspired by a Geraldo Rivera exposé they watched on TV. Filmed in a meticulously faithful reproduction of the NYC apartment the duo shared, ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO offers a bold new take on a seminal time in the lives of two of history’s most influential artists.

Based on the propaganda film from 1936 that has become a cult hit, Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical is the height of camp entertainment! Framed as a documentary, a straight-laced high school principal (Alan Cumming) seeks to impart his wisdom about the demon weed by telling a frightful tale about the fate of two innocent teens who fall under the spell of the drugs. Filled with outrageously funny musical performances by Neve Campbell, Christian Campbell, Kristen Bell and Steven Weber, Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical is the feel good event of the year!

Souleymane is a Guinean immigrant in Paris, whose every waking second is spent fighting against the clock, working as a delivery driver to make his quota, getting back in time to secure a bed at the shelter, filling out paperwork on a deadline as he tries desperately to get asylum. Boris Lojkine’s thrilling feature sees the eponymous Souleymane fight life over 48 hours as he tries to scrape together a living, tries to plant himself legally in France, and maintain a semblance of dignity, sanity, and grace. First-time actor Abou Sangaré won the Un Certain Regard prize for Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Fabled English record producer Mark Pritchard, luminary songwriter Thom Yorke and groundbreaking visual artist Jonathan Zawada present Tall Tales – a debut collaborative visual and audio cinema experience a decade in the making. Landscapes of synth-pop, prog, dub, 70s synth, Joe Meek, Ivor Cutler, Library, kraut and classic Warp™? – Tall Tales sounds like musicians meeting in the Hinterland. Transmitted by Australian visual artist Jonathan Zawada, Tall Tales is a fairy tale for the modern world; depicting rising tides, kings & queens, amazon logistics and robotic arms under iridescent skies. We wanted computers to do our accounting – instead, they try to paint our pictures and sing our songs. Like all good fairy tales – this work edges light with the dark as Thom’s echoed chants intertwine with Mark’s shimmering electronics. On Tall Tales, we hear seasoned musicians continue down the path of experimentation. A prophetic visual album, Tall Tales has been years in the making, but delivered right on time.

Based on the novel Memory by Donald E. Westlake, The Actor finds Paul Cole (Holland) stranded in a mysterious small town with no memory of who he is or how he got here. Without a sense of identity or purpose, he starts from scratch and begins courting a local costume designer Edna (Chan). As bits and pieces of his past slowly emerge, he attempts to find his way home, but time is slippery, appearances can’t be trusted, and it’s unclear which of his identities is real.

THE ASSESSMENT follows Mia (Olsen) and Aaryan (Patel), a successful couple who hope to become parents in a near future where resources are extremely limited and the government keeps firm control over reproduction. They are assigned an assessor named Virginia (Vikander), who moves into their home for seven days to evaluate whether they deserve to move forward in their parenting journey. What Mia and Aaryan are hoping is a routine test quickly unravels into a psychological nightmare, forcing them to question the very foundations of their society and what it truly means to be human.

Dr. Frederic Treves (Anthony Hopkins) discovers Joseph (John) Merrick (John Hurt) in a sideshow. Born with a congenital disorder, Merrick uses his disfigurement to earn a living as the "Elephant Man." Treves brings Merrick into his home, discovering that his rough exterior hides a refined soul, and that Merrick can teach the stodgy British upper class of the time a lesson about dignity. Merrick becomes the toast of London and charms a caring actress (Anne Bancroft) before his death at 27.

When a group of students at Columbia University in New York launch a movement protesting the war in Gaza, they spark a nationwide uprising in solidarity with the people of Gaza. Encampments spring up at hundreds of campuses as students object to their own university’s investment in the US and Israeli arms industry. Featuring detained student activist Mahmoud Khalil, The Encampments takes viewers inside America’s student uprising with incredible intimacy and urgency. Professors, whistleblowers, and student activists shed light on a moment that captivated the nation’s attention and continues to make headlines today.

Jawu lives with her son in a waterfront community in Lagos dubiously scheduled for demolition. When she chances on a hidden fortune, she uses the money to fight to save her home. Based on true events of forced eviction, The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos is a harrowing yet rapturous film from Nigeria’s Agbajowo Collective giving viewers a Lagos they’ve never seen before. Temi Ami-Williams puts in a stunning performance as Jawu, a single mother trying to keep her and her son afloat, literally, figuratively and especially financially. Living in a floating slum in Lagos’ vast lagoon, Jawu discovers a cache of money hidden by a corrupt politician, and so she sets aside using the money for herself and works to battle for her community. Shot over the course of seven years, The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos is a furious cinematic achievement from the Agbajowo Collective, a group of filmmakers from around the world and young storytellers from slums across Lagos, exposing the brutality and injustice of forced evictions of urban poor communities.

After a devastating sandstorm wrecks their ability to herd sheep, a Mongolian family must now move into Ulaanbaatar to find work, upending their family and their spiritual connection to the land. Gabrielle Brady’s film fuses searing documentary with re-creations that deepen the story. Daava and Zaya raise their four children in the Gobi desert, where life is tough, but infused with meaning. Generations of shepherds before them have carried on this tradition, which they share with their children in the form of stories, and the work itself. But when a catastrophic sandstorm wipes out their herd, and faced with the inevitable, the family relocates to Mongolia’s largest city. There, life becomes complicated and alienating, as the family lives in temporary shelters on the outskirts of the city. Director Gabrielle Brady visited the family after their lives had been upended, and recreated their life before the storm, with devastating results.

A young FBI agent disappears while investigating a murder miles from Twin Peaks that may be related to the future murder of Laura Palmer; the last week of the life of Laura Palmer is chronicled.

Alyssa is an outgoing 19-year-old; Mehdi is a 23-year-old introvert and art prodigy. Life in Tunis is weighing them down, so when Alyssa hears of an art contest in a neighboring town, she secretly enrolls her friend in the hopes that the prize–a trip to Germany–will help them realize their dreams. Director Amel Guellaty’s debut feature is a patient and lovely character study, revealing a post Arab Spring Tunisia rarely seen in cinema. Coaxing winning performances from Eya Bellagha and Slim Baccar, as Alyssa and Mehdi respectively, and with a wonderful score made up of indie bands from Tunis, Guellaty’s film is sure to be a festival favorite, as it was at Sundance.

Young lovers Sailor and Lula run from the variety of weirdos that Lula's mom has hired to kill Sailor.