The Twin Cities Film Fest (TCFF) is back again where you’ll be able to get a first look at the latest independent films from all across the country that star both well-known, award-winning actors and up-and-coming talent, as well as showcasing our own local, gifted filmmakers.
With an incredible lineup this year, TCFF will screen dozens of films at the Kerasotes ShowPlace ICON Theatres at the Shops at West End from October, 17–October, 27. Genres for this year include: your classics like Comedy, Drama, and Documentary, as well as LGBTQ, MN Connected, and the new 2018 Social Justice Cause: Animal Humanity – Changemaker, which will feature five powerful films that explore our connection with animals.
TCFF will also roll out the red carpet for some notable names that will attend Gala movie premieres during the festival.
(And you’ll definitely want to snag a ticket for these screenings as Gala premieres give you a sneak peak at major studio films before their mainstream release.)
- Opening night on Wednesday, October 17, TCFF will screen the premiere of “Time for Ilhan”, an eye-opening documentary that follows the 2016 MN House of Representatives campaign of Ilhan Omar, a Somalian immigrant who sets out to unseat a 43-year incumbent. Ilhan Omar will attend the screening along with award-winning Minnesota director Norah Shapiro and cinematographer Chris Newberry.
- Another well-known name that will be in attendance during the festival is Jon Heder, of Napoleon Dynamite fame, who stars in “When Jeff Tried to Save the World”, a film following the manager of an old-school bowling alley as he tries to pull himself out of the gutter in order to save the bowling alley from being sold. “When Jeff Tried to Save the World” will premiere on October 19.
- Actors David Arquette and Tom Arnold will also make appearances at the festival on October, 22 for the U.S. premiere screening of their film “Saving Flora”, which tells the story of an unbreakable bond between an elephant and a girl.
- Celebrity and Minnesota-based chef Andrew Zimmern will attend on October, 25 for the TCFF premiere of “Chef Flynn”, a documentary that follows the story of ten-year-old Flynn who sets out to take on the culinary world.
Along with these star-studded films, the Twin Cities Film Fest provides a unique opportunity and platform for Minnesota filmmakers to tell their stories.
In the MN Connected film series, there are a few films with Minnesota connections that you’ll want to make time for.
One MN Connected film is “Origin Story,” directed by Kulap Vilaysack, who grew up in Eagan, Minnesota. She shares her journey in a documentary about finding her biological father in Laos, and exploring her identity and tangled family tree. Another film to look out for is “Strange Nature”, a thriller that’s based on a true unsolved mystery in Minnesota.
Other Minnesota-connected films recommended by the TCFF Managing Director are “Wunderland,” directed by Steven Luke and starring Academy Award Nominee Tom Berenger in this retelling of the “Battle of Bulge” that was shot in Big Lake, Minnesota and “The Shingle Life,” a bromance comedy directed by Minnesota filmmaker Peter Marcy.
You can buy individual tickets to non-gala films for $12 and tickets to gala films for $20. You can also buy passes – silver, gold, and platinum – that will give you access to multiple films at a discounted rate.
For the full list of the fantastic lineup for this year’s Twin Cities Film Fest, head to their website where you’ll also be able to purchase your tickets and passes.
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