Martha's Vineyard Film Center
Film Archives
56 Up
UK | 2012 | 139 min. | Not Rated | Documentary“Give me the child until he is seven and I will give you the man.” Starting in 1964 with Seven Up, The UP Series has explored this Jesuit maxim. The original concept was to interview 14 children from diverse backgrounds from all over England, asking them about their lives and their dreams…
Searching for Sugar Man
USA | 2012 | 85 min. | Not Rated | DocumentarySearching for Sugar Man tells the incredible true story of Rodriguez, the greatest ’70s rock icon who never was. Discovered in a Detroit bar in the late ’60s by two celebrated producers struck by his soulful melodies and prophetic lyrics, they recorded an album which they believed would secure his reputation as…
midnight@ten series: TOUCH OF EVIL (Restored Director’s Cut)
USA | 1958 | 111 mins | Rated PG-13 | Drama, Film Noir, Mystery/SuspenseOrson Welles
Annette Insdorf – film scholar and author will be joining us on Saturday, July 27th screening of TOUCH OF EVIL for a special introduction. Ms. Insdorf is Director of Undergraduate Film Studies at Columbia University, and a Professor in the Graduate Film Division of the School of the Arts (for which she…
Bottle Rocket
USA | 1996 | 105 min. | Rated R | Comedy, DramaA Film by Wes Anderson
A bright, optimistic caper comedy from first-time director Wes Anderson, Bottle Rocket focuses on a group of young Texans aspiring to become master thieves. Their leader is Dignan (Owen C. Wilson, who also co-wrote the screenplay), an upbeat if naive charmer who convinces his friends Anthony (Wilson’s brother Luke Wilson) and Bob…
The Guard
Ireland | 2011 | 96 min. | Rated R | ComedyA Film by John Michael McDonagh
The Guard is a comedic fish-out-of-water tale of murder, blackmail, drug trafficking and rural police corruption. Two policemen must join forces to take on an international drug- smuggling gang – one, an unorthodox Irish policeman and the other, a straitlaced FBI agent. Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleason) is an eccentric small-town cop…
Parked
Ireland | 2010 | 94 min. | Not Rated | ComedyFred Daly returns to Ireland with nowhere to live but his car. Then dope-smoking 21-year-old Cathal parks beside him and brightens up his lonely world. Encouraged by Cathal, Fred meets attractive music teacher Jules. Growing closer, these three outsiders are set on a course that will change their lives forever. Possibly the…
The Quiet Man
Ireland, USA | 1952 | 129 min. | Rated G | Comedy, Drama, RomanceA Film by John Ford
Returning to the Ireland of his birth, director John Ford fashions an irresistible valentine to the “Auld Sod” in The Quiet Man. Irish-American boxer John Wayne, recovering from the trauma of having accidentally killed a man in the ring, arrives in the Irish village where he was born. Hoping to bury his…
Nairobi Half Life – introduced by Len Morris
Kenya | 2012 | 96 min. | Not Rated | DramaNAIROBI HALF LIFE, the feature directorial debut of Kenyan filmmaker Daniel “Tosh” Gitonga, follows Mwas (the incredible Joseph Wairimu), a young, aspiring actor from upcountry Kenya who dreams of becoming a success in the city of opportunity: Nairobi. Traveling to the crime-ridden Kenyan capital to follow his dreams, Mwas quickly understands why Nairobi…
Midnight@Ten series: Animal House (1978)
USA | 1978 | 109 min. | Rated R | ComedyJohn Landis
The talents of director John Landis and Saturday Night Live’s irrepressible John Belushi conspired to create a rambunctious, subversive college comedy that continues to resonate. Director John Landis put himself on the map with this low-budget, fabulously successful comedy, which made a then-astounding 62 million dollars and started a slew of careers…
Unfinished Song
UK | 2012 | 93 min. | Rated PG-13 | Comedy, DramaUNFINISHED SONG is the funny and uplifting story of Arthur (Terence Stamp), a curmudgeon old soul perfectly content with sticking to his dull daily routine until his beloved wife (Vanessa Redgrave) introduces him to a spirited local singing group led by the youthful and charming Elizabeth (Gemma Arterton). This unexpected friendship and…
midnight@ten: The Graduate
USA | 1967 | 106 min. | Not Rated | Comedy, Drama, RomanceA Film by Mike Nichols
If “The Graduate” were released today, it might not be in the form of a film. The pervasive angst on display in this classic might instead be catalogued as a series of tweets by a character I am going to christen @benjaminb46, and which I will imagine, briefly, for you now. June…
20 Feet From Stardom
USA | 2013 | 91 min. | Rated PG-13 | DocumentaryMillions know their voices, but no one knows their names. In his compelling new film 20 FEET FROM STARDOM, award-winning director Morgan Neville shines a spotlight on the untold true story of the backup singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century. Triumphant and heartbreaking in equal measure,…
midnight@ten: EASY RIDER
USA | 1969 | 95 | Rated R | Adventure, Comedy, DramaDirected by Dennis Hopper
With a soundtrack of contemporary rock songs by Jimi Hendrix, the Band, and Steppenwolf to complete the atmosphere, Easy Rider was hailed for capturing the increasingly violent Vietnam-era split between the counterculture and the repressive Establishment. Experiencing the “shock of recognition,” youth audiences embraced Easy Rider’s vision of both the attractions and…
Like Someone in Love
Japan | 2013 | 109 min. | Not Rated | DramaA Film by Abbas Kiarostami
When Akiko (Rin Takanashi), a lovely Tokyo student who moonlights as a call girl, is dispatched to a new client in the suburbs, she is surprised to find the shy and elderly Takashi (81-year-old stage actor Tadashi Okuno), a committed academic constantly distracted by work-related phone calls. The lonely widower seems far…
Walkabout
Australia | 1971 | 100 min. | Not Rated |A young sister and brother are abandoned in the harsh Australian outback and must learn to cope in the natural world, without their usual comforts, in this hypnotic masterpiece from Nicolas Roeg. Along the way, they meet a young aborigine on his “walkabout,” a rite of passage in which adolescent boys are…
Quartet
UK | 2013 | 97 min. | Rated PG-13 | Comedy, DramaA Film by Dustin Hoffman
Beecham House is abuzz. The rumor circling the halls is that the home for retired musicians is soon to play host to a new resident. Word is, it’s a star. For Reginald Paget (Tom Courtenay), Wilfred Bond (Billy Connolly) and Cecily Robson (Pauline Collins) this sort of talk is par for the…
The Thin Man
1934 | 91 min. | Rated PG | Comedy, Mystery/SuspenseFilmed on what MGM considered a B-picture budget and schedule (14 days, which at Universal or Columbia would have been considered extravagant), The Thin Man proved to be “sleeper,” spawning a popular film, radio, and television series. Contrary to popular belief, the title does not refer to star William Powell, but to…
Diva
France | 1981 | 117 min. | Rated R |The diva of the title is a famous black opera singer (Wilhelmina Wiggins-Fernandez) who steadfastly refuses to be recorded. The singer is idolized by young French mail-carrier Jules (Frederic Andrei), who sneaks a tape recorder into the theater and records her performance. This is witnessed by a pair of Taiwanese criminals, who…
Children of the Wind with special intro. by Nevin Sayre, Five-time U.S. Boardsailing Champion
Bonaire | 2013 | 95 min. | Not Rated | DocumentaryA Film by Daphne Schmon
Children of the Wind tells the story of the Bonaire windsurfers, a group of native kids, who under the remarkable mentorship of Elvis Martinus, founder of the Bonaire Aquaspeed windsurfing club, overcame insuperable odds to not only dominate an inherently elitist sport but to revolutionize it. The film focuses on brothers Tonky and Taty…
Raw Herring
Netherlands | 2013 | 90 min. | Not Rated | DocumentaryA Film by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich and Leonard Retel Helmrich
Fished for over a thousand years, the Hollandse Nieuwe (Dutch New Herring) is a phenomenon that has become a national cultural icon. More recently, the Dutch herring fleet has lost a great deal of its importance as only two vessels are now fishing for herring under the Dutch flag. Internationally known for…
2013 Manhattan Short Film Festival
hosted by the MV Film Society
International | 2013 | 105 minsAdventure, Animation, Comedy, Documentary, Drama
MANHATTAN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL ONE WORLD – ONE WEEK – ONE FESTIVAL The World’s First Global Film Festival FINALISTS ANNOUNCED 520 ENTRIES – FROM 49 COUNTRIES – 10 FINALISTS Film Lovers in Martha’s Vineyard can unite with an audience of over 100,000 Film Buffs in over 250 cities across 6 Continents during…
2013 Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival
International | ForeignOn Opening Night of the Festival, we will be holding a reception beginning at 5:30 PM on the beautiful Water front lawn adjacent to Saltwater, just off Beach Road in Vineyard Haven. We’ll be serving libations and appetizers while Jeremy Berlin, Eric Johnson, and Sheleigh Hackett play live jazz and pop tunes…
Opening Night: Reception and the film IN A WORLD
USA | 2013 | 93 min. | Rated R | ComedyA Film by Lake Bell
On Opening Night of the Festival, we will be holding a tented reception, from 5:30-7:30 PM, on the beautiful water-front lawn adjacent to Saltwater, just off Beach Road. We’ll be serving cocktails (sponsored by Bombay Sapphire), wines, beer (Stella Artois) and appetizers (provided by Saltwater Restaurant) while Jeremy Berlin, Eric Johnson, and…
The Gatekeepers
Israel | 2012 | 97 min. | Rated PG-13 | DocumentaryCharged with overseeing Israel’s war on terror-both Palestinian and Jewish- the head of the Shin Bet, Israel’s secret service is present at the crossroad of every decision made. For the first time ever six former heads of the agency agreed to share their insights and reflect publicly on their actions and decisions….
Reality
Italy | 2012 | 110 min. | Not Rated | Comedy, DramaA Film by Matteo Garrone
From acclaimed director Matteo Garrone, REALITY is a darkly comic look at Luciano, a charming and affable fishmonger whose unexpected and sudden obsession with being a contestant on the reality show “Big Brother” leads him down a rabbit hole of skewed perceptions and paranoia. So overcome by his dream of being on…
The Red Shoes
UK | 1948 | 133 min. | Not Rated | DramaThe Red Shoes, the singular fantasia from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, is cinema’s quintessential backstage drama, as well as one of the most glorious Technicolor feasts ever concocted for the screen. Moira Shearer is a rising star ballerina torn between an idealistic composer and a ruthless impresario intent on perfection. Featuring…
Before Midnight
USA | 2013 | 109 min. | Rated R | DramaA Film by Richard Linklater
The latest installment in Richard Linklater’s “Before” series, this film finds its protagonists, Celine and Jesse, in Greece. As ever, they explore the idyllic European setting while also looking inward, at themselves and their relationship. Linklater’s script is enlivened by the history shared not only between the characters, but by the actors…
No
Chile | 2012 | 118 min. | Rated R | Drama, ForeignA Film by Pablo Larraín
In 1988, Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet, due to international pressure, is forced to call a plebiscite on his presidency. The country will vote YES or NO to Pinochet extending his rule for another eight years. Opposition leaders for the NO persuade a brash young advertising executive, Rene Saavedra (Gael Garcia Bernal),…
Samsara
2011 | 102 min. | Rated PG-13 | DocumentaryA film by Ron Fricke
Prepare yourself for an unparalleled sensory experience. Samsara reunites director Ron Fricke and producer Mark Magidson, whose award-winning films Baraka and Chronos were acclaimed for combining visual and musical artistry. Samsara is a Sanskrit word that means “the ever turning wheel of life” and is the point of departure for the filmmakers…
People – The National Theatre Live
Award-winning writer Alan Bennett is reunited with director Nicholas Hytner and Olivier Award-winning actress Frances de la Tour, with whom he worked on The History Boys and The Habit of Art. People spoil things; there are so many of them and the last thing one wants is them traipsing through one’s house….