The 2011 Maryland Film Festival is taking place May 5 – 8 at the Charles Theater and other locations around Baltimore, and the line-up includes everything from shorts to documentaries to feature-length films, something for all movie lovers’ tastes. The festival has become well-known for not being like other film festivals like Sundance, Tribeca or Toronto, which have become showplaces for major Hollywood productions. The Maryland Film Festival organizers take pride in showcasing smaller, independent films and documentaries that normally don’t get much attention or wide theatrical releases. The festival also includes screenings of classic films and special events hosted by critics, celebrities and the filmmakers themselves. The closing night film, a documentary, will also be hosted by a living legend.
With well over 100 films scheduled to screen over the course of the weekend, there’s not enough space to cover them all but if you plan on attending – or want to keep an eye out for these films if they come to your area (or the eventual DVD release) – here are a few highlights:
- Each year, the Festival presents a classic silent film with live musical accompaniment by the Alloy Orchestra. This year, the Alloy Orchestra will be presenting Masters of Slapstick, a collection of short films with original scores. The films include Easy Street with Charlie Chaplin, Back Stage with Fatty Arbuckle, One Week with Buster Keaton and a special surprise title.
- Bad Fever, directed and hosted by Dustin Guy Defa, features a humor-challenged man as he drags his mother and the object of his affections into his dreams of making it as a stand-up comic.
- Better This World – Two young Texas activists are arrested on terrorism charges at the 2008 Republican National Convention — but this investigative documentary takes us beyond the headlines into a story full of friendship, betrayal, and, quite possibly, entrapment.
- The Catechism Cataclysm – Father William Smoortser drops his bible into a toilet at a rest stop just before embarking on a day-long canoe trip, breaking loose all glorious hell. David Gordon Green, Jody Hill, and Danny McBride produce Todd Rohal‘s ecstatically deranged comedy. Hosted by director Todd Rohal and cast members Steve Little and Robert Longstreet.
- Curling – In rural Quebec, a single dad who works in a desolate bowling alley lives together with his homeschooled, overprotected daughter — and begins to realize the life he’s chosen has scarred both of them.
- The Dish & the Spoon – Emotionally wrecked after discovering her husband’s affair, a young woman (Greta Gerwig) forms an unusual friendship with a British teenager (Olly Alexander) in and around Rehobeth, Delaware. Hosted by director Alison Bagnall.
- Domaine – a coming-of-age story that explores a young man’s emerging sexuality and his developing relationships with the adult world. Hosted by director John Waters.
- Frankenstein – A rare opportunity to see the National Theatre‘s production of Frankenstein, with stage direction by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire).
- Hospitalité – A couple runs a small printing shop together in Tokyo, but their harmonious life together is disrupted when a mysterious man begins making bizarre impositions on their business and home.
- Meek’s Cutoff – Kelly Reichardt (Old Joy, Wendy and Lucy) takes the Western genre into gripping, existential art-film territory in telling the story of a wagon expedition facing a crossroads. The all-star cast includes Michelle Williams, Will Patton, Bruce Greenwood, Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Shirley Henderson.
- The Oregonian – A young, bloody woman from Oregon wanders the mysterious Northwest in this experimental, nightmarish feature with notes of hallucinatory horror. Hosted by director Calvin Reeder and cast members Lindsay Pulsipher and Robert Longstreet.
- Septien – A bearded young man returns to live with his eccentric brothers on their family farm just as suddenly as he disappeared eighteen years earlier, occasionally slipping away to make quick cash as a sports hustler. Notes of Desperate Living-era John Waters collide with modern art film in this dark comedy from Michael Tully, beautifully shot by Jeremy Saulnier (Hamilton, Putty Hill). Presented by director Michael Tully and cast members Robert Longstreet (a busy guy!) and Onur Tukel.
- Silver Bullets – The making of a werewolf film plunges the lead actress, her director, and the people around them into a world of confusion, heartbreak, and madness. Hosted by director Joe Swanberg.
- Stranger Wore a Gun – Maryland Film Festival’s tradition of presenting a different vintage 3-D each year continues with Andre de Toth‘s 1953 Western 3-D The Strange Wore a Gun! Presented by Baltimore Sun scribe and 3-D expert Chris Kaltenbach.
- Terri – From the director of Momma’s Man (MFF 2008) comes this offbeat comedy about a high-school underdog (Jacob Wysocki) who forms a unique friendship with his school’s vice principal (John C. Reilly). Hosted by director Azazel Jacobs.
- Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives – Winner of the 2010 Palme d’Or at Cannes, this mysterious Thai drama from the director of MFF 2007’s Syndromes and a Century explores notions of love, loss, and reincarnation — each reel of film unfolding in a different visual style.
- We Were Here – The early days of the AIDS crisis in San Francisco — and the stories of friends and lovers lost — are movingly recalled by survivors in this emotional, expertly told documentary. Hosted by director David Weissman.
- Weekend – Two young gay men get to know each other in the wake of a one-night-stand that threatens to turn into something more meaningful in this UK drama from Andrew Haigh (of MFF 2009’s Greek Pete).
- Wuss – This Solondz-esque dark comedy follows Mitch (Nate Rubin), who has returned to work as a substitute teacher at his former high school, only to find himself at the mercy of the school’s much-changed student body. Arrested Development‘s Tony Hale co-stars alongside Tiny Furniture‘s Alex Karpovsky. Hosted by director Clay Lifford and star Nate Rubin.
- And the closing night presentation, Sing Your Song will be presented by the legendary Harry Belafonte – Actor/activist/singer. Big words, each one more than enough for a full career. Harry Belafonte is all three, but somehow even all three words don’t do justice.
There are many, many more films to choose from and if you’re planning to attend the festival, a full calendar of events and information about tickets is available on the website, www.md-filmfest.com.
Photo Credit: Maryland Film Festival
