Hey, the weather’s been nice for a while now. There’s no reason why you should spend your April basking in the sunlight we’ve already enjoyed for weeks. Especially since the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul just announced the list of movies playing during this year’s three-week-long Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival.
Yes, I did say three weeks, not two. Yes, the Film Society is out of its mind. But so long as we’re reaping the benefits, keep on being your crazy bad self, MSPIFF organizers.
There were more than 250 titles revealed on the festival’s website over the weekend, a tally that certainly bests the record-setting flood of movies that played the festival last year.
Of course, even half that many features and programs would keep the most voracious of cinephiles too busy to sleep.
This year, the festival presents The Intouchables as its opening night selection. The second-biggest hit ever in France (behind, as it turns out, 1997′s Titanic), Intouchables has proven to be as controversial as it is beloved in its native country. While its depiction of the relationship between a handicapped millionaire and the Senegalese man who serves as his caretaker has delighted throngs, some have called it an evasive sham on class structures. (One blogger likened its reception to that which greeted The Help stateside.) Judge for yourself April 12.
The festival will close May 3 (of this year) with a screening of Caramel director Nadine Labaki’s new film Where Do We Go Now?, a Lebanese hit that looks at the effects of war on a group of persevering women.
We’ll have more coverage of the MSPIFF as it approaches, but until then, know that Film Society members can start purchasing tickets on Tuesday after 4 p.m. Non-members have to wait until Thursday. More information here.
