The directors of the Driftless Film Festival proudly announce the selections for the 15th edition of DFF, which runs Nov. 1-9 at the Mineral Point Opera House.
FEATURE FILMS
Adrianne & The Castle
Illinois, 2024, 96m
Inventive and whimsical, Adrianne & The Castle is a true story of great love and loss. Alan St-George is a mascot-maker and artist in rural Illinois who hand-made an ornate castle with his late wife Adrianne. Since her death in 2006 he continues to put the finishing touches on Havencrest Castle, which stands as a “temple” dedicated to their transcendent love, and the creation of a truly authentic life. Acclaimed filmmaker Shannon Walsh (The Gig Is Up, Illusions Of Control) collaborates with Alan to tell his and Adrianne’s fairytale love story through fantastical musical re-enactments. In so doing, Alan grapples with his profound grief, revealing with lucidity and extraordinary candor his struggle to find a way forward without the love of his life.
Angels Of Dirt
Wisconsin, 2024, 96m
Equal parts inspiration and heartbreak, this film charts the life and career of the amazing Charlotte Kainz, a “small-town girl” who grows up among the racers and pit mechanics at a rural Wisconsin motorcycle track. Developing a taste for speed and a talent for Flat Track racing at age four, young Charlotte puts the pedal to the metal and never looks back. Shot over the course of 17 years, this intimate and engaging documentary is an all-encompassing portrait of a fearless young woman with an innate desire and knack for competing and succeeding in a sport very few women, much less young girls, ever thought to compete in. Charlotte’s story of triumph and tragedy (she lost her life in a racing accident at age 20) is told through a rich tapestry of personal archives, interviews with family and friends, fellow competitors, and the supportive community that is the Aztalan Cycle Club, the Wisconsin track where Charlotte learned to race.
Decoupling 脱钩
China, 2024, 64m
Decoupling was once a term primarily used in cosmology, but it has now taken on a geopolitical significance, referring to the deteriorating relationship between China and the United States. The film Decoupling is a story of a Chinese father reflecting on that changing relationship during his trip to Beijing to retrieve his 3-year-old daughter, who has been stranded because of the recent decoupling of the two countries. Born in China and living in the American Midwest, filmmaker Yinan Wang attempts to unpack his own experience of how a transnational migrant family deals with the distress caused by identity, nationalism, and geopolitics.
Just Above the Surface of the Earth (For a Coming Extinction)
Canada, 2024, 69m
A poetic portrait of contemporary wildlife conservation, the film reflects on empathy, agency, and the role of hope in the midst of a sixth mass extinction. This debut nonfiction feature examines scientists and citizen scientists who conduct surveys of frogs, which serve as an indicator species; study sea stars threatened by disease; track bats whose populations have been decimated by white-nose syndrome; and collect data on insects declining at unprecedented rates. Set primarily at night with portions filmed in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin, the film weaves together observational and lyrical sequences, texts written by authors including W.S. Merwin and Adam Nicolson, and an otherworldly soundscape. A visceral, sensory meditation on what it means to live in a broken world.
Love Differently
Wisconsin, 2024, 71m
What happens when an adoptee is all grown up? Love Differently explores the importance of identity, how it could help save a life, and why a name matters. Diana shares her unique adoption story and why she believes change is in order. Even those of us who are not adopted can find ways to relate.
Never Not Yours
Illinois, 2024, 82m
30ish siblings Michael, Ellie, and James drive to their family cabin to visit their parents Jonathan and Maddie. But when their mom and dad unexpectedly announce their divorce, chaos ensues.
String Theory: The Richard Davis Method
Wisconsin, 2024, 60m
A heartfelt and inspiring documentary that delves into the life and legacy of one of the greatest bass players in history, Richard Davis. Set against the backdrop of the renowned Richard Davis Bass Conference for Young Bassists in Madison, Wisconsin, the film captures the essence of Davis’s profound impact on the world of music. While Davis is most known for gracing the stages with music icons like Miles Davis, Van Morrison, and Eric Dolphy, his transition from a celebrated performer to a revered professor at the University of Wisconsin in the 1970s forms the crux of this story, highlighting his dedication to nurturing young talent.
Stronger Sun Prairie
Wisconsin, 2024, 53m
Five years after a gas explosion rocks a downtown community in South Central Wisconsin, those who were close to the devastation share their stories.
The Exchange. In White America. Kaukauna & King 50 Years Later
Wisconsin, 2024, 62m
This is the story of an exchange of Black and White high school students in Wisconsin. The schools are Rufus King High School in Milwaukee and Kaukauna High School in the Fox River Valley. This exchange happened in 1966, right in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement more than 50 years ago. The participants lived in each others’ homes, attended classes in each others’ schools and performed the groundbreaking play In White America in both cities. This is the story of the revival of the play 50 years later by a new generation of high school students in the same schools and communities.
SHORT FILMS
A Room Alive!
Wisconsin, 2024, 28m
A short student-made documentary exploring and showcasing UW-Madison’s Comics Room and the art community it has inspired. Featuring interviews with Lynda Barry, Jeff Butler, and Julia Tanenbaum.
Adágio
Illinois, 2024, 10m
Sylvia, a middle-age ballerina, navigates the simplicity of her day in the city as she considers her place amongst a profession and society that view her as an outlier.
As Easy As Closing Your Eyes
United States, 2024, 22m
The story of a grieving mother who battles her addiction to a black-market drug that gives her life-like dreams about the son she lost.
Beach Boi
Wisconsin, 2024, 13m
An influencer has a very, very bad day.
Black Strings
Wisconsin, 2022, 12m
Follow The Black String Triage Ensemble, a group of Black and Latinx musicians in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as it performs at crime scenes in the immediate aftermath of tragic events. Together, the group seeks to alter the notion of first responders.
Emerald City
Wisconsin, 2024, 21m
Two young men cross paths on the back roads of the American Southwest and despite their different backgrounds, find common ground along the Border. Emerald City is an lgbtqia+ story of two young men: one who has aged out of foster care where he was placed after his parents were deported, and the other on his way to join the border patrol. Each isolated in their own way, both seek a sense of community, of belonging, and meet on the back roads of the American Southwest, where they develop a tentative friendship that gradually becomes more.
In Her Wake
India, 2024, 12m
Creates a discourse around the filmmaker’s mother’s dreams with nature serving as the sole witness to these occurrences. The short film is a montage of her dreams and the director’s imagination. Her mother narrates her experience and thoughts about these dreams.
My Best Nut
Illinois, 2024, 22m
Jude isn’t the life of the party; he is the party. But this is only after he’s forced to spend his days in the hospital fighting cancer. Soon the patients around him look forward to seeing him as much as they don’t look forward to their next round of treatment.
My Fair Dairy
Wisconsin, 2024, 7m
An exclusive behind-the-scenes making-of the original production of My Fair Dairy, written and directed by Kenny Lamaunt! This short film explores the creation process of artists yielding to their creativity as well as the will of the funding of an industry.
Paint The City 2
Wisconsin, 2024, 19m
Tells the inspiring story of how local youth and volunteers created a large scale mural in Appleton, Wisconsin. It features the work of artist Neo Medina and an original score by acclaimed composer Ricardo Jimenez.
Ride More, Drift Less
Minnesota, 2024, 8m
One cyclist’s love letter to the thousands of miles of gravel roads that wind through the Minnesota quadrant of the Driftless Area.
Spark Plug
Wisconsin, 2024, 12m
The willfully neglected remains of a shattered relationship are tested when Emma has no choice but to ask for Oliver’s help to fix her car.
The Forgotten
Illinois, 2024, 12m
In a quiet suburban neighborhood, an elderly widow grapples with the profound loneliness that consumes her following the recent loss of her beloved husband. Haunted by memories of happier times, Maggi retreats into the solitude of her home, finding solace in the familiar routines of her daily life. However, her sanctuary is shattered when a group of mischievous neighborhood children begin tormenting her, breaking into her house and labeling it as a haunted house to scare each other. Despite Maggi’s attempts to confront them and plead for peace, the children continue their relentless harassment, fueling her sense of isolation and despair, but she finds unexpected solace and guidance.
The Ham Ridge Craft Competition
Wisconsin, 2024, 9m
A group of eclectic crafters take their hobby to the extreme in a competition. Watch as six of Ham Ridge’s most dedicated hobbyists sew, button, and glue their way to the top.
The Mistletoe Dart
Wisconsin, 2024, 11m
The tale of a jealous trickster god, a seemingly harmless plant, and a mother’s tireless efforts to save her son. A mischievous retelling of a Norse myth done with cut-paper stop-motion animation by the 4th and 5th graders at Crestwood Elementary school in Madison, WI.
The Short Stay
Wisconsin, 2024, 10m
An assassin’s journey through America’s heartland takes a dark turn when she seeks revenge at a remote motel, confronting an unsuspecting innkeeper with a hidden past.
When Death Arrives
Minnesota, 2024, 14m
Cindy is a grim reaper in the Department of Death. She’s had a rough stretch so far in her career, but eventually finds her footing by thinking outside the box. A fresh satire drawing inspiration from Office Space and Monty Python.
Note: Selections are subject to change. Individual screening dates and times TBA.