Alexander Valley Film Festival

Schedule of Events:

11:00 AM: Green Border

Master filmmaker Agnieszka Holland turns her lens to the refugee crisis at the Polish-Belarusian border in her straight-shooting and soul-shattering drama Green Border. Beautifully crafted in stunning black and white, the film follows a group of African and Middle Eastern migrants traveling through the swampy forests of Belarus as they attempt to enter the European Union. Their journey is harrowing, and just when we feel as trapped, desperate, and repeatedly victimized as the refugees, the lens changes to the point-of-view of the border guards, and then to a group of Polish citizens trying to ensure that all people are provided with basic human rights. Holland's film is a poignant and essential clarion call that opens our eyes and pulls at our heartstrings, challenging viewers to reflect on the moral choices that ordinary people make every day.

Location: Longboard

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2:00 PM: The Unredacted

Meg Smaker’s captivating and controversial documentary, formerly titled Jihad Rehab, follows a group of former Guantanamo Bay detainees who were held without a trial or charge for their associations with Al Qaida or the Taliban. After 15 years of detention, the US Government handed the men over to Saudi Arabia to undergo a ‘deradicalization’ program for terrorists in the world’s first rehabilitation center for extremists. Expertly crafted and featuring extraordinary access to the men as well as the Saudi center, the film examines the men’s personal histories and contemporary world views in a way that will both illuminate and provoke the film’s viewers. Debuting in competition at the Sundance Film Festival, the film has become a lightning rod on the international festival circuit and generated significant debate in the global press.

Director Meg Smaker will be in conversation at the screening.

Location: Longboard

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5:00 PM: Closing Night - Ghostlight

Come close the Festival with GHOSTLIGHT, a moving tale of love, healing, and family. After the screening, join us at The Matheson for the Closing Night Awards.

Writer/Director Kelly O’Sullivan, Co-Director Alex Thompson, and lead actors Keith Kupferer, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, and Tara Mallen are expected to be in conversation at the screening.

5:00PM - Film
7:00PM - Closing Night reception & Awards

Closing Night reception with ample bites, beer, and wine, plus the screening are included in the ticket price. This event is included in PLATINUM, GOLD & CLOSING WEEKEND PASSES.

FILM SYNOPSIS:

Plagued by grief after a devastating family tragedy, Dan (Keith Kupferer), a middle-aged construction worker, finds it increasingly difficult to connect with his devoted wife and troubled daughter until one day when he unexpectedly and inadvertently falls into the company of a group of misfit thespians. Aimless and looking for ways to avoid confrontation with his family, he reluctantly agrees to participate in a table reading of Romeo and Juliet until the scene-stealing Rita (Dolly De Leon of Triangle of Sadness) convinces him to join the company. What follows is a testament to the healing and cathartic power of live theatre, exquisitely realized by a pitch-perfect script penned by co-directors Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan. Masterfully crafted with heart and humor, Ghostlight is an independent gem that continues to resonate long after the curtain closes.

Location: Longboard

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