The Trenton Film Society launches its 2014 International Film Festival Friday through Sunday, April 4 through 6, at the Mill Hill Playhouse in Trenton.
This year’s curator, Jed Rapfogel, film programmer for New York City Anthology Film Archives, notes that his goal was to put together a selection of contemporary foreign films that is as wide-ranging stylistically and tonally as the international community from which they come.
All films are in their native languages with English subtitles.
The festival’s Friday, April 4, opening is an 8 p.m. screening of “We Are the Best!” (Sweden 2013, 102 minutes). The latest feature by contemporary Swedish filmmaker Lukas Moodysson, the film is a 1980 coming-of-age tale centering on three teenage girls with dreams of punk-rock glory.
Events continue on Saturday, April 5, as follows:
3 p.m.: Katell Quillevere’s “Suzanne” (France, 2013, 94 minutes), a story of a tough-minded and troubled young woman who is straining her family supported by a widowed truck driver.
5 p.m.: Samuel Kishi’s “Somos Mari Pepi” or “We are Mari Pepi” (Mexico, 2013, 100 minutes) focuses on young punk rockers in the dead-end world of contemporary Guadalajara.
The 5 p.m. showing has the opportunity for dinner at the Settimo Cielo, the highly regarded Italian restaurant located one block from the Mill Hill Playhouse, $50 inclusive of $8 ticket, salad, entree, coffee/tea, tax, and gratuity.
7 p.m.: Kim Tae-Gon’s “The Sunshine Boys” (South Korea, 2012, 83 minutes), a coming of age comedy that involves two friends visiting their high school military pal to reluctantly deliver a Dear John letter.
9 p.m.: Jeremy Xido’s “Death Metal Angola” (US/Angola, 2013, 90 minutes) follows the efforts of a group of young Angolans who want to energize their war-torn community by mounting a death-metal concert.
The festival concludes on Sunday, April 6, with two films.
1:45 p.m.: Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Ida” (Poland” 2013, 80 minutes) is a 1960s period-piece about a young nun who before taking her final vows is sent to meet an aunt she’s never known and discovers a family secret.
3:30 p.m.: Mahdi Fleifel’s “A World Not Ours” (Lebanon, 2012, 93 minutes) documents the filmmaker’s return to the Palestinian refugee camp where he grew up.
Trenton International Film Festival, Mill Hill Playhouse, 205 East Front Street, Trenton. Friday through Saturday, April 4 through 6. $8, except for dinner and film ticket $50. www.trentonfilmsociety.org.
