The Duluth Superior Film Festival opens June 1-5, 2016 in venues across the Twin Ports and even up in the big city of Cook, Minnesota.
According to festival organizers, this year’s festival will have a distinctly local vibe:
Because of the outstanding rebate and tax incentive program in MN and on The Iron Range, much of this year’s festival will focus on regional productions. For 2016 as many as a dozen feature films and all of the short films will have some sort of regional influence.
The event is entirely free to attend, though donations will be accepted on a free will basis.
“DSFF will provide a relaxed and intimate setting for an international group of filmmakers, producers, directors, writers, media, students and film enthusiasts to enjoy the independent film scene,” said Richard Hansen, DSFF’s Festival Director, in a press release.
The opening night is Wednesday, June 1 at Clyde Iron Works. The film “The Seventh Fire” will play, with a post-screening reception. Doors open at 7 with the screening at 8 p.m.
More about “The Seventh Fire:
When Rob Brown, a Native American gang leader on the White Earth Reservation in Northwestern Minnesota, is sentenced to prison for a fifth time, he must confront his role in bringing violent drug culture into his beloved Ojibwe community. As Rob reckons with his past, his seventeen-year-old protégé, Kevin, dreams of the future: becoming the most powerful and feared Native gangster on the reservation. From Executive Producers Terrence Malick, Natalie Portman, and Chris Eyre comes this haunting and visually arresting nonfiction film about the Native American gang crisis.
According to the press release, “The Seventh Fire” was made in Minnesota and has screened at the most prestigious film festivals in the world including a World Premiere at The Berlin International Film Festival and Closing Night presentation at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival.
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Trailer:
One of the most anticipated films at the festival will be the Minnesota premiere of “American Fable,” a sort of gothic thriller that has some big names attached to it (Kip Pardue of “Remember the Titans” and Richard Schiff of “The West Wing.”)
“American Fable” will show at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 3 at the Zinema 2 theater in downtown Duluth. The film’s editor Amanda Griffin will be in attendance to discuss the movie.
About
About “American Fable”:
When 11-year-old Gitty discovers that her beloved father is hiding a wealthy man in her family’s silo in order to save their struggling farm, she is forced to choose between saving the man’s life or protecting her family from the consequences of their actions. AMERICAN FABLE is a fairytale thriller set in the 1980s rural Midwest about a courageous girl living in a dark, and sometimes magical world. Starring-Kip Pardue, Peyton Kennedy, Richard Schiff, Marci Miller, Gavin MacIntosh & Zuleikha Robinson
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The final major production of the festival will be the Minnesota premiere of “After The Reality,” which will be screened at the Comet Theater in Cook, near where the film was filmed in Virginia, Minnesota, and Crane Lake.
Starring Matthew Morrision of the show “Glee” and Sarah Chalke of “Scrubs” fame, “After the Reality” will show at 7 and 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 4 at the Comet. Director David Anderson will be on hand for discussion.
The Duluth Superior Film Festival believes very strongly in the economic importance of films of this magnitude getting produced in The Arrowhead region. DSFF supports both the MN Film and TV Board’s and The IRRRB’s incentive programs and want to shine as bright of a light on these undeniably excellent film productions.Productions like these are fun, good for the local economy, and have celebrities hanging out drinking at our dive bars. What is not to like? With the help of tax incentives and rebates, producing films in MN, and more specifically in the Arrowhead, has become more attractive than ever. This has always been an important part of DSFF’s mission and we are happy to celebrate it with this MN Premiere Screening of AFTER THE REALITY.
More about the “After the Reality”:
Scottie Olson is once again trying to find purpose in his life, this time by vying for a woman’s heart on “Young Bucks,” a hit reality TV dating show. After the sudden death of his father, Scottie is forced to quit the series and reunite with his estranged sister, Kate, who put her life on hold to be their father’s caretaker and who is grappling with her own life-changing secret. Moving back and forth between Scottie’s turn in the national spotlight and his time reconnecting with Kate at their family’s cabin, AFTER THE REALITY is a funny and poignant story about loss, reality show romance, and a brother and sister’s love for each other. Starring-Matthew Morrison, Sarah Chalke, Jon Dore, Laura Bell Bundy, Juan Pablo Di Pace, Isaiah Mustafa, Tony Cavalero, Aimee Garcia, with John Heard and Jayne Lynch
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Trailer:
These are merely the feature films. The full line-up of competition films, live music acts and special events is on the website. Films will show at Zinema, Teatro Zuccone; music acts at The Red Herring Lounge, and lounging in The Zeitgeist Atrium. Many films will have directors, producers, actors and film subjects in attendance.
Additional information can be found at the festival website: www.DS-FF.com.