Friday, March 7
Recollection
SpIFF kicks off properly with the world premiere of Recollection. Crossing the memory-wiping technology of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with a conspiratorial thriller, Recollection finds a woman who believes she's erased her painful past suddenly having memory glitches. She soon joins up with a man who believes her memories might be the key to taking down the sinister tech company doing the mind wipes. Myrtle Woldson at 7 pm
Saturday, March 8
I Am Gitxsan + The Deer Divide
The documentary I Am Gitxsan centers on a recent high school graduate in British Columbia who reconnects with his Indigenous heritage by shining a harsh light on the murderous colonization committed by Canadians against the Native people of the land. It's paired with the short doc The Deer Divide, which follows folks fighting against a plan to kill thousands of deer on Catalina Island (just off the coast from Los Angeles) via sharpshooters in helicopters. Magic Lantern at 11:15 am
La Estrella Que Perdí
In this Argentinian dramedy, a great aging actress takes a role in a play she's not overly enthused about just as her daughter is planning to get married and move out. But an unexpected incident provides a chance for the long-distant mother and her daughter to have another chance at building a real relationship. Magic Lantern at 1:45 pm
The Birds Who Fear Death
When two greedy brothers find out that their dad left their expected inheritance to the Indigenous people of Bird in northern Canada, they venture to the wilds to try to get the money they think they're owed. Once they arrive, they begin to bond and learn from the residents, realizing their father's reasoning for giving away the money was more complex than they knew. Magic Lantern at 3:45 pm
Sunday, March 9
Battersea + My Last Martini
The indie drama Battersea finds two distant siblings reconvening for one final weekend at their childhood home after their mother's death and having conversations about their lives and long withheld secrets. It's paired with the short My Last Martini, which finds a frustrated writer having one too many martinis with an old woman who has a story to tell. Magic Lantern at 1:45 pm
Ultimate Citizens + 22 + Jan Beauboeuf: The Creative Spirit
The award-winning documentary Ultimate Citizens follows Jamshid Khajavi, an Iranian American public school counselor who helps kids from impoverished and immigrant backgrounds succeed through the sport of ultimate frisbee — even taking a team to the world's largest youth ultimate tournament. The doc is paired with the short docs 22, about an organization committed to preventing veteran suicides, and Jean Beauboeuf, a portrait of an elderly working artist in Louisiana. Magic Lantern at 4 pm ♦
