Asian and Asian American titles announced at Mill Valley Film Festival

Presented by the California Film Institute, the 44^th Mill Valley Film Festival runs October 7-17, 2021. The MVFF is an acclaimed eleven-day cinema event celebrating the best in American independent and world cinema. Located just north of San Francisco, it's known as a filmmakers' festival, and the West Coast launch pad for many Academy Award®-winning films, annually showcasing 200+ films from over 50 countries. The MVFF creates a community that celebrates the best in international film as well as Tributes and Spotlights with major film talents. Below, we've got the whole roster of their Asian / Asian American film slate.

FEATURES

Anima (Mo Er Dao Ga) (China, narrative feature, dir. Jinling Cao) A tale of tested fraternal bonds and ecological catastrophe shot on location in Mongolia's national parklands, writer-director Cao Jinling's gorgeous, thrilling drama forces viewers to ask themselves: What happens when we disrupt the harmony of our world? And how can we restore the balance? In Chinese with English subtitles – West Coast Premiere

Drive My Car (Japan, narrative feature, dir. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi) In this enchanting narrative, a theater director reeling from family tragedy is invited to direct a production of Uncle Vanya in Hiroshima. He's assigned a driver, and during their time together, the two unburden themselves of their personal traumas. Winner of the Cannes Best Screenplay Award, Drive My Car is an exquisitely crafted mosaic about emotional connection. In Japanese with English subtitles. – West Coast Premiere

Found (US, documentary feature, dir. Amanda Lipitz) Three American teenagers, each a single daughter adopted from China, discover they are cousins through 23andMe, spurring them to confront long-withheld questions about their origins and lost histories. Filmmaker Amanda Lipitz artfully documents the girls' physical and emotional journeys as they travel together to China in search of answers.

A Hero (Iran, narrative feature, dir. Asghar Farhadi) Acclaimed filmmaker Asghar Farhadi returns with another gripping human drama, chronicling a man (Amir Jadidi) in prison for an unpaid debt who makes a plan for freedom. Brilliantly mapping out a moral dilemma and astutely examining our fascination with (and suspicion of) folk heroes, A Hero travels an unpredictable, unforgettable path. In Farsi with English subtitles

India Sweets and Spices(US, narrative feature, dir. Geeta Malik) Progressive firebrand college student Alia returns home for the summer and confronts the jarring reality that parents are people, too, when complicated family truths emerge in this lively coming-of-age dramedy that is also a biting portrayal of suburban snobbery. There are laughs aplenty, but this is a game-changing journey for Alia—and her parents.

The Last Film Show(India, narrative feature, dir. Pan Nalin) A movie about the magic of movies had better be magical, and this one truly is. In rural India, a spirited 9-year-old bribes his way into watching a summer's worth of on-screen wonders from a projection booth. This semi-autobiographical tale explores the nature of creation—and spins a love song to cinema. In Gujarati with English Subtitles – West Coast Premiere

Like a Rolling Stone: The Life and Times of Ben Fong-Torres(US, documentary feature, dir. Suzanne Joe Kai) With no shortage of rich material from his life and storied career, Suzanne Joe Kai's documentary presents an intimate portrait of the social activist and legendary rock critic, a Bay Area institution and one of the most essential journalists of the American counterculture. – Northern California Premiere

Marvelous and the Black Hole(US, narrative feature, dir. Kate Tsang) Teen delinquent Sammy (Miya Cech, Always Be My Maybe) finds a path through grief and family dysfunction by forming an unlikely friendship with Margot (Rhea Perlman, Cheers), a children's party magician giving off grumpy-but-wise grandma vibes. An uplifting coming-of-age story blazing with dark humor, fun fantasy, and charming magic. Age 11+ Please note: This film contains profanity, teenage smoking, comedic scenes of fantasized violence, and references to self-harm through stick-and-poke tattooing. – Bay Area Premiere

Memoria(Columbia/Mexico/France/UK/Thailand/Germany/China/Switzerland, narrative feature, dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul) Set in Colombia and starring Tilda Swinton, Apichatpong Weerasethakul's first feature film made outside of Thailand covers familiar thematic terrain for the veteran director in its exploration of the blurred boundaries between the natural world and spirit realm, and the way that collective traumas burrow deeply into those affected and those around them, emerging as memories or dreams. In English and Spanish with English subtitles.

Mission: Joy – Finding Happiness in Troubled Times (US, documentary feature, dirs. Louie Psihoyos, Peggy Callahan) A fascinating look at the friendship between the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, this doc from Peggy Callahan and Oscar®-winner Louie Psihoyos tackles big topics and big feelings. It's an engrossing portrait of two influential world leaders who share the ability to find hope––and even joy––in adversity.

The Rescue(US/UK, documentary feature, dirs. Jimmy Chin, E. Chai Vasarhelyi) The Oscar®-winning documentary duo behind Free Solo (MVFF 2018) returns with this pulse-pounding insider account of the miraculous 2018 rescue of a soccer team trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand. – Bay Area Premiere

Rickshaw Girl(Bangladesh, narrative feature, dir. Amitabh Reza Chowdhury) In Bangladesh, feisty teen artist Naima disguises herself as a boy and braves the dangers of the big city, driving a rickshaw to earn extra cash for her struggling family. But it's her vivid artwork that reveals her true calling. Based on the beloved young adult novel by Mitali Perkins. Age 11+ – North American Premiere

SHORTS

Beyond the Model (Erin Kökdil, US 2020, 5 min) After the assaults and discrimination of Asians because of COVID-19, this film shines a light on what it is like be a “model minority” in an increasingly divided America. – Youth Produced

Connection, (Ciara Lacy & Tracy Nguyen-Chung, US 2021, 8 mins) A lifelong angler, Autumn Harry had never fished beyond the waters of her reservation—until she picked up a fly rod.

The Fairy Tale (Seung jae Lee, Korea 2020, 15 min) When Eun-jung gets asked out by a classmate, she hands him a handmade book with a fairy tale of her own design that helps him to gradually understand the real reason she has rejected him.

Furthest From (Kyung Sok Kim, US 2020, 19 mins) The story of two best friends who must embrace change but separate from each other when their trailer park is evacuated due to a water contamination crisis.

God's Daughter Dances (Byun Sung-bin, South Korea 2020, 25 min) A trans dancer's efforts to opt out of mandatory military service forces a gutsy confrontation.

Golden Age Karate (Sindha Agha, US 2021, 5 mins) Jeff Wall is a teenage martial-arts pro excited to share his passion for the dojo with an unlikely group of students: senior citizens.

Kata (James Latimer, Japan 2021, 7 min) Introduces us to the incredible spirit and unique talent of tween Mahiro Takano, a national karate champion in Japan. In Japanese with English subtitles

My Little Hilton (Kevin Duncan Wong & Todd Sills, US 2019, 12 mins) After 25 years as an in-home caregiver, a Midwestern Black woman in her 60s strikes out for San Francisco to restart her music career.

SPECIAL EVENT

Masterclass | SCREENWRITING AND BEYOND
WRITING, DEVELOPING, AND CREATING RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON
Virtual Event

The collaborative processes that it takes to bring together a major film are addressed by key creatives from Raya and the Last Dragon. They'll unpack how screenwriting and storyboard artists work together; what cultural inspirations and research-informed the film; and the work done with Disney's in-house South East Asian artists and cultural trust. Bringing an insider's look into what it takes to bring a film to life, their insights inform filmmaking of all kinds. Invited Participants: