Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival Returns for 4th Year
September 10–13
August 1,, 2009

Take an exquisite New England island, add fantastic films, parties, and invite lovers of both, and voila: it’s the Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival! Established in 2006, the festival’s annual theme is “Other Places,” and is reflected in this year’s slate. “We hope,” says festival director Richard Paradise, “everyone will be challenged to think broadly—about how huge the world of film is—and deeply, about the universal concerns and desires that unite us.” This year, Paradise adds, 10% of profits will be donated to causes depicted in the screened films, such as PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL (from Liberia) and GARBAGE DREAMS (Egypt).

With less congestion and usually great weather, September is the perfect time for a Vineyard visit, and that goes double on festival weekend. The film fest, in fact, was designed with relaxation in mind: most events are in the afternoon and evening, leaving hours open to explore the island’s beaches and towns.

This year’s festival films come from every corner of the globe: Palestine, Russia, China, India, Norway, France, Israel, Germany, Spain, Japan, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, and more. The opening night feature, though, is American-made (but India-inspired). SITA SINGS THE BLUES (“The Greatest Break-up Story Ever Told”) won the Cristal grand prix for best feature at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival. Its creator, Nina Paley, will speak at the opening night screening. Her time in India and the end of her marriage to an Indian man inspired her first feature. A syndicated cartoonist, she began making short films in 1998 and created SITA on her home computer.

Other notable films are RUDO Y CURSI, one of the top-grossing Mexican films of all time, and winner of the audience award at the Newport Beach Film Festival. WALTZ WITH BASHIR (Israel) is an innovative animated drama and was nominated for a 2009 Oscar (Best Documentary). LEMON TREE is based on the true story of a Palestinian widow who battles with her new neighbor, the Israeli defense minister, over the survival of her lemon grove, but finds a friend in his wife. At the Berlin International Film Festival, its star, Hiam Abbass, won Best Actress and the film received an audience award.

From Kazakhstan comes TULPAN, winner of the Cannes Film Festival Prix Un Certain Regard. It’s the tale of a dreamer who makes his way from the Russian navy to his hometown and, he hopes, a future with a mysterious local woman. A love story of another type is GONE WITH THE WOMAN (Norway), a fast-paced tale of a man and the woman who takes over his life.

The award-winning THE POPE’S TOILET (Argentina) is a comedy about the 1988 papal visit to a Uruguayan border town, whose residents anticipate great bounty from the anticipated 50,000 visitors. Another Argentine award-winner is THE MAID, which explores the netherworld of a long-time servant who is, and is not, part of the family. SIN NOMBRE (Mexico) is a socio-thriller set on the US border that won director Cary Fukunaga the 2009 New Director’s Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

One of the most anticipated films of the festival is MUNYURANGABO. It explores the Hutu-Tutsi genocide from the point of view of an orphaned teen and is the first film ever in the Kinyarwanda language. Among its many awards is the Grand Jury Prize at the American Film Institute festival.

CHERRY BLOSSOMS, directed by Doris Dorrie (How to Cook Your Life) comes courtesy of the Goethe Institute in Boston. When he loses his adored wife, Rudi discovers she once longed for a life in Japan. Off-balance, he leaves Germany for Tokyo. This clash of cultures film won Best Actor and Best Production at the Bavarian Film Festival. Japan is also the setting for OKURUBITO (this year's Oscar Winner for Foreign Language Film), the story of one man’s attempt to survive the financial recession by taking a career he never imagined he’d ever consider.

The MV International Film Festival is a success largely because of support from year-round and seasonal residents. This year that’s particularly true: BROOKE ADAMS, film and Broadway star, will premiere her new 20-minute short, PET PEEVES (co-produced with her husband, Tony Shalhoub, star of TV’s “Monk”). GERALDINE BROOKS will introduce a feature from her native Australia and comic writer extraordinaire MARTY NADLER (“Carol Burnett Show,” “Happy Days”) will introduce GONE WITH THE WOMAN. Loyal festival supporter BILL PLYMPTON returns with a slate of animated international shorts and nationally known cartoonist Paul Karasik designed this year’s festival poster. Local business ECO MV will keep the festival “green” with recycling bins and biodegradable cups, plates, and napkins. And LIZ WITHAM and KEN WENTWORTH of Film-Truth Production again present THINK GLOBALLY, SHOOT LOCALLY with new work by up-and-coming Island amateur filmmakers. (Two films from past TGSL forums, MOW CREW and HOUSE OF BONES, were completed and screened in 2009.)

Films are just the start. In addition to art gallery and meet-the-filmmaker gatherings, festival passholders will enjoy nightly parties and other special events. The opening night cocktail party on the Mansion House roof offers the island’s best harbor view and includes live jazz by ALB Jazz Trio, Southeast Asian-inspired food by Chef Robert Lionette, and drinks by festival sponsors French Rabbit wines, Charles de Fere Sparking wine, Sapporo Beer, and San Pellegrino waters. REEL FOOD MV, a special party/dinner/screening event will include a menu of locally grown cuisine at sumptuous Saltwater restaurant and a screening of international short films curated by festival director Paradise. Che’s Lounge will be the nighttime hot spot: on Friday, DJ Phillipe Borde provides the music for a Parisian theme party; on Saturday, DJ Carter Keith Hakala brings in a Caribbean beat. Boisset American's IDOL Vodka and Domaine de Canton host the open bars.
The festival rolls through Sunday and wraps up with THE END OF THE LINE, a British independent film and a party on the harbor with live blue grass by Ballywho, food from Blue Canoe, Home Port, and Net Result, and libations again by the festival sponsors.

This year's film festival poster was designed by Islander Paul Karasik
July 12, 2008

A big thank you to Paul for his eye-catching and fun design of this year's festival poster. For more information on Paul's unique talents check out his blog.

Wrapping things up for another year - the third annual film festival was a resounding success
September 29, 2008

The MV Film Society’s 3rd annual International Film Festival wrapped in mid-September, signaling a strong sense of a bright future. Of the over 2400 festival attendees, about 50% came from off-Island, and the festival’s attendance was at 85% overall capacity: It seems the festival's programming and events were very well received.

With a showcase of films from over 20 countries - the festival's central theme of "other places, other cultures" has given it a unique niche in the film festival market. Few US film festivals truly embrace the “international” the way that the Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival does.

The program featured many of the best global movies of the year: it opens with Frenchwoman Irena Salina's documentary on the global water crisis, Flow: For Love of Water, and also on the non-fiction front there is Canadian Yung Chang's superb Up the Yangtze, Brit Lucy Walker's compelling Blindsight, and Americans Tony Gerber and Randy Moss' wry portrait of an army training center's fake Iraqi village, Full Battle Rattle. On the narrative side, Norwegian Joachim Trier’s virtuosic debut Reprise, French enfant terrible Christophe Honore’s iconoclastic musical Chansons D’Amour and Israeli husband-and-wife team Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen’s poetic and moving Jellyfish entranced islanders.

The festival would not have been the success it was without our many volunteers and sponsors. With a team of over 50 volunteers putting in long hours to make things run smoothly; over 30 financial and in-kind sponsors also backed their efforts and commitment. Please show your thanks to our sponsors by visiting our sponsors’ page

We also want to recognize the continued support of local organizations, such as the MV Chamber of Commerce, the Tisbury Business Association, the MA Film Office, Film-Truth Productions, and Main Street merchants who came together to make our third festival a cultural success for the Vineyard.

We’re already at work on 2009 festival (mark your calendars for September 10–13!).

Happy Holidays and see you (lots, we hope) in 2009

DISPATCH FROM MARTHA'S VINEYARD | In Its Third Year, Festival Grows Beyond Local Event
by Cameron Yates, IndieWire
September 15, 2008

As September begins, Martha's Vineyard breathes a sigh of relief after 100,000 summer visitors have left, and the island's population returns to 15,000 year-round residents. The Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival, in its third year, is meant for those who remain, as Co-Directors Richard Paradise and Nevette Previd are quick to point out. "This place is known for clambakes and pretty beach walks," says Previd, "but the idea is to offer something different for local people. What makes Martha's Vineyard so special is that it is a destination, but it's also a microcosm of the world." Paradise adds, "It's about community, bringing together people and watching some great films from around the world."

Filmmakers and islanders gathered on the rooftop of the Mansion House in Vineyard Haven on Thursday evening to celebrate the Opening Night of the festival at a pre-screening reception for "FLOW" by Irena Salina. The slightly unfocused documentary highlights the current crises of clean drinking water shortages and the privatization of water around the world. And one of the film's main targets, Nestle Waters, is also one the festival's presenting sponsors; what "FLOW" lacked, the Q&A made up for, especially when a representative from Nestle spoke up to challenge some of the statistics in the documentary. Smoothing over any awkwardness, Paradise put it into perspective, "It's about water...but more than that, community and sharing and being good global citizens."

"Our overall theme is films about other places," says Previd, "and we try to get a film from each continent." Some of the highlights included Christophe Honore's polyamorous musical "Love Songs," Yung Chang's "Up the Yangtze," and Guy Maddin's "My Winnipeg." "Tuya's Marriage," with its breathtaking cinematography and naturalistic acting, looks at one woman's struggle to provide for her family in the harsh landscape of Inner Mongolia. And in "The Listening Project," filmmakers Dominic Howes and Joel Weber follow four Americans abroad as they find out what the rest of the world has to say about the US.

On a much lighter note, the weekend started out with a dose of Wizard Rock at a screening of "We Are Wizards," a doc focusing on musicians who sing about Harry Potter and artists who have been inspired by the series. Unlike other quirky obsessed fan portrait docs, "Wizards" gives its subjects a chance to tell their stories and effortlessly weaves interviews with animation and archival footage. Director Josh Koury, who himself may have had a healthy obsession with the books, made it clear, "We didn't want to poke fun at the fandom. The subjects of the film are great artists besides from being fans." "We Are Wizards" opens theatrically in New York City on November 14. From left: Festival Co-Director Richard Paradise, William E. Marks - author of "The Holy Order of Water and subject from the Opening Night Film "FLOW," and Festival Co-Director Nevette Previd at the Opening Night rooftop cocktail party. Photo by Cameron Yates.

Friday night in Town Hall saw a screening of shorts from the All Roads Film Project, a forum that aims to give indigenous storytellers a voice. "We have a huge Native American tribe on the island," says Previd, "and they were really involved with the screening." The centerpiece of the event was Billy Luther's "Miss Navajo", an intimate and touching portrait of the Miss Navajo Nation competition. After the film, Luther noted that when his mother won the title in 1966, the emphasis was on being able to speak English; now it's the opposite, on preserving the spoken Navajo language. "I hope that the film sparks some interest in Navajo culture," said Luther during the Q&A. "I think it's really important that we tell our own stories and we don't give the camera to National Geographic and say film us."

Echoing that sentiment was renowned cinematographer Ellen Kuras, there to present her lyrical directorial debut "The Betrayal." "One of the reasons I wanted to make this film is to give the Lao a voice, so they would be able to speak for themselves," said Kuras. This beautifully composed, moving documentary focuses on one family's exile in America, after leaving a war-torn Laos. Kuras followed her subject Thavisouk Phrasavath for 23 years, who became so involved in the making of the film that she gave him a co-director credit. "We talked about the ideas for so long... This film was about philosophy and death and life and what happens to people without land, in exile."

Beloved animator Bill Plympton, who designed the festival's poster, returned this year both to present the world premiere of his new short "Mexican Standoff" and to curate Animation Lollapalooza, a fast paced, quirky, not-for-kids shorts program. Plympton enthusiastically introduced the showcase on Saturday night, "I was here last year and I just had a ball, so I brought some animator friends of mine back to show their new work." Richard Paradise hopes that other filmmakers will fall in love with the island and the fest and come back each year. "We try to make sure our filmmakers are here for the whole weekend. That they don't just pop in for their screenings and leave."

"One of the goals of the festival is for the audience to interact with the filmmakers," said Nevette Previd, "so we've amped up the programs as far as filmmaker meet and greets." And this year, the fest launched Reel Food MV, celebrating local food, island farmers, and filmmakers with a raw bar, three-course dinner, and screening of shorts. As Previd put it, "One of the best ways to explore the Martha's Vineyard is through food." Another way was through Destination MV, a tour of the island arranged by The Trustees of the Preservation, exploring the beaches of Chappaquiddick and Cape Poge's lighthouse, and finally through Think Globally, Shoot Locally, a screening and discussion with local filmmakers. After showing a trailer for her doc "House of Bones," Torri Campbell compared her film to the Maysles' "Grey Gardens," with four generation of women in one West Chop house. Through photos and home video shot over the last few decades, Campbell focuses on her family's last summer on the Vineyard.

All in all, the festival in its third year and growing is maybe not just for the locals anymore. Previd concluded, "There were a lot more people who came in for the weekend and made it an event. They came here to see films and go to parties and check out Martha's Vineyard."

Make a Splash with Project WET at Owen Park Sponsored by Nestle Waters North America
September 8, 2008

This Saturday, September 13, from 10 am to 2 pm at Owen Park, Vineyard Haven , Join Project WET, an award-winning global education organization, to learn about water conservation, health and hydration, recycling and more at the Make a Splash Festival in Owen Park. Local non-profit organization Tisbury Waterways Incorporated will also be on site to share information and interactive education.

* Water Conservation: Find out why it's important to conserve water at home, school and in your community. Construct a water flow cup, and discover how water-saving devices work. Learn important water conservation tips.

* Health and Hydration: Determine why hydration is critical. Pretend you're a water molecule and travel through the human body. Which organ uses more water - your heart or your lungs? How much water should you drink in a day to maintain peak physical performance and mental acuity?

* 4Rs - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Renew: Learn what you can do at home, school and in your community to practice the 4Rs. What happens after you put a plastic bottle into the recycling bin? What innovative products have come from recycled materials?

* Ground Water: See how our actions above ground affect the quality of water below. Using a ground water flow model, watch as water moves through sand, clay and rock; witness the interaction of surface and ground water.

* Tisbury Waterways Inc.: Will be on hand and will have a demonstration of how catch basins work to clean the rainwater that goes into our storm drains. TWI also invites visitors to our Demonstration Garden in Owen Park that incorporates salt and drought tolerant local plants into an attractive seaside garden. Children and their parents will get a chance to help build "Flotsie Jetsam", our tireless beach-cleaning personality who is the mascot of our Adopt-a-Beach program.

An Overview of the International Film Festival 10 Days Out
September 1, 2008

The Third Annual Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival, produced by the MV Film Society, is a showcase for the best feature and short films from around the globe. As its exquisite setting would suggest, this is not your typical film festival - "Which is a good thing," says actor Hayden Christensen. "It has a laidback vibe to it, fitting for film and the industry."

Laidback or not, the days and nights of September 11 through 14 is still packed with excellent films, great parties, and many other special events. Festival co-directors Richard Paradise and Nevette Previd have selected over forty feature, short, and documentary films for this year's festival. Overall excellence was the main criteria, but also how well a film reflects the ongoing festival theme of "Other Places." On one level, as Previd puts it, "the concept of our festival is simple. Great global films, world music, and spectacular events, all on a beautiful island." But there's even more, adds Paradise. "Our mission is to shine a light on different cultures and places. Having an appreciation of others' hopes, dreams, lives makes us better global citizens."

Films chosen for the festival are almost all major award winners, and come from Europe, Central Europe, Asia, Africa, as well as North America. In addition to the movies, attendees will have daily opportunities for discussions with the creators of the showcased films as well as time to simply enjoy being on the Island. "They don't begin screening films until the afternoon, so you have the mornings to enjoy the Island - to get lost in its beauty," says producer Jared Goldman. The festival is centered on the main Island town of Vineyard Haven, with all major events within an easy stroll of the ferry and Main Street (excluding Saturday's after party at the Oyster Bar Grill in Oak Bluffs).

Among the films to be shown is REPISE, the winner of 12 international awards including the Discovery Award at Toronto International Film Festival; The Sundance favorite FLOW: FOR LOVE OF WATER and KASSIM THE DREAM, which premiered at Tribeca and won a Silverdocs award, are two other film bound to draw crowds, as is PERSEPOLIS, the acclaimed Iranian animated film. Other chosen films are MY WINNIPEG, Guy Maddin's award-winner, and the Israeli MEDUZOT (JELLYFISH), winner of the Camera D'Or at Cannes.

Japan is represented this year. The winner of a dozen awards in the past year, BUSHI NO ICHIBUN (LOVE AND HONOR) is the concluding film in director Yoji Yamada's acclaimed Samurai trilogy. There are two French entries: LES CHANSONS D'AMOUR (LOVES SONGS), the story of three lovers in Paris, has received four awards and raves for its musical score. HORS DE PRIX (PRICELESS) stars the enchanting Audrey Tautou (of AMELIE and DA VINCI CODE fame) as a modern day Holly Golightly. Two Italian entries are MIO FRATELLO E FIGLIO UNICO (MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD) and L'ORCHESTRA DI PIAZZA VITTORIO, the true story of a music lover who draws on Rome's immigrant community and creates a fabulous world music band.

The category of documentary films is particularly rich this year. The films to be screened include BEYOND THE CALL, the story of some modern-day knights in shining armor who travel the world to deliver aid; it's racked up over 30 festival awards already. BLINDSIGHT follows a group of blind monks as they scale Mt. Everest. THE LISTENING PROJECT, a captivating cinematic journey around the world in search of the meaning of America. National Geographic returns this year with four shorts from its ALL ROADS FILM PROJECT, which supports the work of filmmakers from indigenous or under-represented minority cultures. The tumultuous making of a Bollywood film is captured in SHOT IN BOMBAY, directed by Liz Mermin, who also did the festival hit BEAUTY ACADEMY OF KABUL.

Famed animator BILL PLYMPTON, a fan of the festival from year one, declared last year, "I'm telling all my animator friends in New York City - this is really a rock-in festival!" True to his word, Plympton returns this fall with some animator buddies and a program of animation shorts he curated, drawn from the works of animators from around the globe. (He also designed this year's festival poster, which is sure to become a collector's item.)

"Films are just the beginning," notes Previd. In addition to the popular nightly parties and the gallery walk, two new events are "Destination MV" and "REEL FOOD MV." The local Trustees of Reservations is this year's festival partner and "Destination MV" sponsor. Trustees specialists will be on hand to help festival-goers explore the Vineyard's exquisite and remote Cape Pogue Wildlife Refuge (and among other things offer expert suggestions on where the best fishing might be).

The second new feature of the festival is "REEL FOODS MV," a very special reserved-seating dinner created by SALTWATER, the new hip Vineyard Haven restaurant with spectacular salt water pond views. The menu will feature locally grown produce, meats, seafood, and produce. Dinner includes private screenings of some of the international shorts presented at the festival and a ticket to the after-party at Che Lounge.

This event-jammed festival with the laid-back air draws about half of its attendees from off-island (one reason that director Richard Paradise received the 2007 Governor's Award for Trade and Tourism). But it's also a favorite of the locals, perhaps not surprising given that the Martha's Vineyard community has long embraced the MV Film Society. After all, as director Doug Lyman observed, "A community that supports the arts on every level would of course support this film festival."

Opening Night Film - FLOW, FOR LOVE OF WATER will screen at both DNC and RNC in coming weeks
August 22, 2008

This Monday, August 25, the award-winning film, FLOW, will screen for the delegates at the Democratic National Convention. FLOW will screen at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis a week later. Local water author, William E. Marks, has a "significant presence" in FLOW, and has spoken and signed books after screenings at Sundance, Lincoln Center, and the DC Environmental Film Festival.

FLOW will be the opening night film for the MV International Film Festival on September 11, and will also screen at Noon on September 14. Join Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch - a nonprofit consumer organization working to ensure clean water and safe food around the world: http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/ and Author William Marks, "Water Voices from Around The World", voted 1st Place in the world's largest international book competition as: "Most Likely to Save the Planet"

Recently, Robert Redford released the following quote about FLOW: "Water is the sleeping giant issue of the 21st Century, and we all need to wake up about it. FLOW: For Love of Water, opens our eyes about the greatest threat of our time - the global water crisis. It is a compelling and passionate film. Its engaging narrative will grip the viewer."

MV International Film Festival Awarded MASS FILM OFFICE Grant
May, 2008

"The Martha's Vineyard Film Festival has come a long way in a short time. We were especially impressed with the Festival's THINK GLOBAL, SHOOT LOCAL initiative and we hope this award helps to make 2008 your most successful year ever. We are also grateful to Chairman Turkington for these important programs. Without his enthusiastic support, this grant--and the positive impact it has on the region--would not be possible."  --Nick Paleologos, Executive Director, Massachusetts Film Office

Click here for more information

MV International Film Festival introduces Destination MV
April 20, 2008

The Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival is excited to announce our new festival program DESTINATION MV. For your festival weekend, films are just the beginning. Explore the island and experience all that makes Martha's Vineyard a truly special place.

Our 2008 partner, The Trustees of the Reservation is offering Film Festival goers the opportunity to explore the remote parts of the magical island of Martha's Vineyard with an expert naturalist. The tour will travel via over-sand vehicles and foot where you will learn about barrier beach ecology, wildlife, and see Cape Poge's lighthouse, the natural wonders of diverse upland and marine habitats, and world-renowned fishing spots.

Click here for more information

Festival Wrap 2007
September, 2007

Martha's Vineyard is one of the most beautiful places on the Atlantic coast, a scenic haunt of the Kennedys and the Clintons full of rambling hills and quaint New England architecture that has taken a special place in the American imagination. It may seem strange, then, that the organizers of the Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival, which this weekend held its second annual run in the town of Vineyard Haven, would choose "Other Places" as their theme. Why bother with other places, when you're on Martha's Vineyard? "This is really an ideal place," says Nevette Previd, who runs the festival with co-chair Richard Paradise, "but in order to really appreciate it you have to leave, get away from your surroundings. And film can really take you somewhere else, even just for a few hours."

Festival Wrap 2006
September 2006

Four days filled with the best feature and short films from top-notch festivals (with a few undiscovered gems thrown in!), great evening events, provocative forums and live world music - all within the "Walking Festival District". And don't forget to enjoy the island's many beautiful beaches when visiting.