The Square - MVFF40
Scene from The Square. Photo: Plattform Produktion.

Organizers of the Mill Valley Film Festival have released the first slate of major film announcements.

It’s a lengthy reveal, featuring international and domestic entries. A quick scan suggests a quality line-up, including many stand-out titles, and performances. Of note the top Cannes award winners — Palme d’Or, Gran Prix, Prix du Jury — are all coming to the Bay Area in October.

Given the connection between Cannes and MVFF — executive director Mark Fishkin and programming director Zoe Elton make annual scouting missions to the French Riviera — it makes sense that several marquee films from the storied festival make their way to Mill Valley.

With MVFF40 about 5 weeks away, expect more news and updates to follow.

Yesterday, I previewed the festival here on Stark Insider, and shared some of the documentary and musical program highlights. Today, we’re diving even deeper, and even including some local content from San Francisco Bay Area filmmakers.

Ready? Grab a coffee. Or smoothie. Or just say, “Alexa, stop” and concentrate, distraction-free, on the first major reveal of the 40th edition of the Mill Valley Film Festival.

2018 Cannes Film Festivals films that will have screenings at MVFF40 include:

  • The Square (dir. Ruben Östlund) — Palme d’Or winner
  • 120 BPM (dir. Robin Campillo) — Gran Prix winner
  • Loveless (dir. Andrey Zvyagintsev) — Jury Prize winner
  • In the Fade (dir. Fatih Akin) — starring Diane Kruger
  • The Meyerowitz Stories (dir. Noah Baumbach) — with Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Elizabeth Marvel
Julianne Moore in Wonderstruck - Directed by Todd Haynes
Julianne Moore in Wonderstruck (dir. Todd Haynes)
  • Wonderstruck (dir. Todd Haynes) — Starring Julianne Moore. Director Todd Haynes will receive a special tribute at MVFF40.
  • Radiance (dir. Naomi Kawase)
  • Faces, Places (dir. Agnes Varda’s) — Golden Eye winner
  • The Desert Bride (dir. Cecilia Atán and Valeria Pivato)
  • The Florida Project (dir. Sean Baker) — Starring Willem Defoe

In addition, early confirmations from Sundance:

  • Call Me By Your Name
  • Mudbound

And from the Berlin International Film Festival:

  • A Fantastic Woman
  • In Syria
  • On the Beach At Night Alone
  • Vazante
  • Summer of 1993
  • The Other Side of Hope
  • Felicite

Finally, from local Bay Area filmmakers:

  • Alphago
  • André: The Voice of Wine
  • Arrangiarsi: Pizza… & the Art of Living
  • City of Joy
  • The Corridor
  • The Deep Sky
  • Earth Wisdom for a World in Crisis
  • Fourth Movement
  • Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution
  • Horn From the Heart: The Paul Butterfield Story
  • Just One Drop
  • Kim Swims
  • The Last Animals
  • The Long Shadow
  • The Mad Hannans
  • Mankiller
  • Mary Janes: The Women of Weed
  • Metamorphosis: Junior Year
  • The New Environmentalists
  • On the Sly: In Search of the Family Stone
  • Quest
  • A Sibling Mystery
  • Third Mind Blues
  • Torch

More soon. Stark Insider will, once again, be on the ground at MVFF covering the action. Quick tip: you can follow the action on Twitter using #MVFF40.

The Mill Valley Film Festival runs October 5-15, 2017.

See you there.

Clinton shoots videos for Stark Insider. San Francisco Bay Area arts, Ingmar Bergman and French New Wave, and chasing the perfect home espresso shot 25 seconds at a time (and failing). Peloton: ClintTheMint. Camera: Video Gear