It’s less than 10 days until the Minnesota film festivities begin with the opening of the 2023 Twin Cities Film Fest (TCFF)!  A few weeks ago, TCFF unveiled the complete lineup which once again is filled with exciting buzz-worthy films amongst the 140+ movies (features and shorts) that will screen Oct. 19-28 in a hybrid format. For those who don’t live in the Twin Cities area, you can still support our local festival as more than 50 films will simultaneously debut online via the TCFF STREAMS platform at twincitiesfilmfest.org.

I love that TCFF is a huge champion of indie films and indie filmmakers. So while I can’t wait to see some of the bigger studio-backed movies (i.e. The Holdovers, American Fiction), every year I’m always looking forward to discovering small hidden gems that one can only find at film festivals. So with that in mind, I’m going to highlight 10 indie films you can’t miss during the film fest. As I do every year, I’m placing a special focus on female-focused and female-directed films (marked with * next to the title), so here they are in alphabetical order:

1. A Binding Truth (doc)*

Directed by: Louise Woehrle

Two former high school classmates, one black and one white, explore a complicated familial history in A Binding Truth.

I’m thrilled to see that Louise Woehrle made another documentary, I love her WWII documentary Stalag Luft III which premiered at MSPIFF in 2019. This time she brings us another poignant true story about two high school classmates in 1965 who uncovered buried secrets decades later. In a climate where social and racial conflicts abound, a story of healing and reconciliation is definitely what we need.

For more info + to get your ticket » https://twincitiesfilmfest.org/film-fest-movie/a-binding-truth

2. A View of the World from Fifth Avenue*

Directed by: Fiona Roberts

A young woman risks being ostracized from an insular New York clique led by her socialite best friend when she falls for a charming photographer.

There’s not much info about this film to glean from but I was intrigued by the title and the fact that it’s made by two sisters, Fiona and Sophia Robert (who co-wrote the script). I found out from this article that both of them studied at NYU Tisch for acting but wanted to create their own work. This is their sophomore debut after The Country Club which is now on VOD. All of that is fascinating and somehow they’re able to get Whit Stillman (writer/director of Love & Friendship) as one of their cast!

For more info + to get your ticket » https://twincitiesfilmfest.org/film-fest-movie/a-view-of-the-world-from-fifth-avenue/

3. A Winter Love*

Directed by: Rhiana Yazzie

A Navajo, singer-songwriter has lost her creative spark while making her way through another frigid Minneapolis winter. When she meets a young Lakota, law school dropout, she feels like she may have regained her edge. A Winter Love is a quirky rom-com and inter-tribal love story.

I have seen the multi-hyphenated Navajo playwright/filmmaker/director/performer/producer talk about her filmmaking journey in a few film festival events, so I’m always looking forward to seeing Yazzie’s films. I love that she always features Indigenous stories and talents in her work. While we’ve seen a ton of inter-racial romance in the movies, it’s rare to see inter-tribal love stories being depicted on screen.

For more info + to get your ticket » https://twincitiesfilmfest.org/film-fest-movie/a-winter-love

4. Black Barbie: A Documentary*

Directed by: Lagueria Davis

Love her or hate her, almost everyone has a Barbie story. Even if they don’t have a story, there’s a story as to why they don’t have a story. In this film, we tell the story behind the first Black Barbie, because yes, she has a story too. It started with the filmmaker’s 83-year old aunt, Beulah Mae Mitchell and a seemingly simple question, “Why not make a Barbie that looks like me?”

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie was such a phenomenal blockbuster of the year, which makes me curious to learn from women of color about their perspectives on the famous dolls. I’m perhaps one of the few women who did not grow up with Barbie, but one can’t deny how influential the Mattel dolls are in terms of representation.

For more info + to get your ticket » https://twincitiesfilmfest.org/film-fest-movie/black-barbie

5. Downtown Owl*

Directed by: Hamish Linklater, Lily Rabe

Based on the novel by Chuck Klosterman, Downtown Owl is a sparkle dark Reagan Era comedy set in the fictional town of Owl, North Dakota in the leading days up to the region’s blizzard in Minnesota’s century.

There’s no poster nor trailer yet but Minnesotans likely have heard of this movie because it was filmed here in St. Paul. The cast is quite astounding… Ed Harris, Henry Golding, Vanessa Hudgens, and Lily Rabe herself. A few people I know are in the movie so I’m excited to see them in this, especially Charlotte Kodner who plays Harris’ wife.

For more info + to get your ticket » https://twincitiesfilmfest.org/film-fest-movie/downtown-owl

6. Greener Pastures (doc)

Directed by: Samuel-Ali Mirpoorian

Greener Pastures captures the day-to-day lives of four small, multigenerational family farms over the course of four years. Through an intimate, observational lens we examine the various farm stressors, policies and politics farmers must maneuver to survive, connecting the dots between mental health, industrialization, food production and climate change. It is a story of perseverance, patience and determination that tackles nothing less than the future of farming in America.

I have such a huge blindspot about farming in America, so insightful documentaries like this one serve as eye-opening viewing. I also missed this one at MSPIFF earlier this year so I’m glad I got another chance to view it. Filmmaker Samuel-Ali Mirpoorian is an award-winning Iranian-American filmmaker with a focus on societal themes at the intersection of time, isolation, health, science, and introspection. One of the farmers that was filmed is in Minnesota, and nearly all of them directly or indirectly related to suicide, which is so heart-wrenching. I listened to this IPM interview about the filmmaker which gives you an insight into what goes into making this film. Despite the bleak subject matter, the film is deeply rooted in a multigenerational pride in what it means to be a steward of the land.

For more info + to get your ticket » https://twincitiesfilmfest.org/film-fest-movie/greener-pastures

7. Loren & Rose

Directed by: Russell Brown

Rose is a legendary actress trying to revive her career. Loren is a promising filmmaker. Over the course of their many encounters, a deep friendship evolves as their love of art, understanding of grief, and faith in life’s potential guide them through personal and creative transformations. Kelly Blatz and Jacqueline Bisset star with a chemistry that is at once authentic and intoxicating.

The eternally stunning Jacqueline Bisset is nearly 80 years old but of course, you’d never know it by looking at her. She’s definitely the reason to see this and playing a legendary actress trying to revive her career sounds like a role tailor-made for her, though Bisset herself seems to still be on top of her game.

For more info + to get your ticket » https://twincitiesfilmfest.org/film-fest-movie/loren-rose

8. Mom and Dad’s Nipple Factory (doc)

Directed by: Justinsuperstar (Justin Johnson)

When Randi is diagnosed with breast cancer, her husband Brian, a conservative Midwest family man, embarks on an extraordinary journey to boost her morale and builds a homespun prosthetic nipple business that’s kept secret from their friends, their church and their five children.

I had missed this documentary at MSPIFF so I’m definitely not going to pass up seeing this on the big screen! I have to admit I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw the title, but when I saw the trailer it just warmed my heart to see how a man’s love for his wife drives his innovative spirit and his creation ends up helping out other people who share his wife’s condition. It’s nice to see their Christian faith highlighted as well in ways that inspire and uplift, which is a rarity in today’s hostile climate.

For more info + to get your ticket » https://twincitiesfilmfest.org/film-fest-movie/mom-dads-nipple-factory/

9. Still Working 9-5 (doc)*

Directed by: Camille Hardman, Gary Lane

When #1 comedy, 9 to 5, starring Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, Dabney Coleman and Lily Tomlin, exploded on the screens in 1980, the laughs hid a serious message about women in the office. Still Working 9 to 5 explores 40 years of inequality.

I actually have not seen the original movie 9 To 5 but I plan on watching it this week (thankfully it’s on MAX). I’m always up for seeing perspectives and deep dives about gender inequality as to this day, there are things that still have not come long enough for women in the workplace. Awesome that the three leading ladies are still with us today so we get to hear their perspectives 43 years after the movie was released.

For more info + to get your ticket » https://twincitiesfilmfest.org/film-fest-movie/still-working-9-to-5

10. The Nana Project*

Directed by: Robin Givens

Set in the competitive world of chess, we follow Nana (Academy Award Winner Mercedes Ruehl) in a heartwarming feel-good comedy about reuniting her grandsons (Will Peltz and Nolan Gould) and supporting her retirement community.

I have to admit I did a double-take when I saw the name of the director. I knew Robin Givens as an actress and Mike Tyson’s ex-wife, but apparently she had been directing quite a few movies and TV episodes. I haven’t seen Mercedes Ruehl for quite some time so it’s lovely to see her portray a feisty chessmaster in what’s billed as a mockumentary-style comedy. The movie also has famous 80s star Morgan Fairchild amongst the cast.

For more info + to get your ticket » https://twincitiesfilmfest.org/film-fest-movie/the-nana-project

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Tickets and the 2023 Twin Cities Film Fest Pass are now ON SALE!! Members receive 25% OFF select passes.

Don’t miss out, a few screenings are already sold out!

BROWSE THE FULL 2023 LINEUP »

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Any thoughts about the movies listed above? Let’s hear it!

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