NH Film Festival to take over Portsmouth for 21st year

There’s no business like show business. And with light at the end of the tunnel for the industry-wide strikes we’ve all seen in the news, it’ll be lights, camera, action again soon.  As if its timing were kismet, the 21st Annual New Hampshire Film Festival is set to bow on October 12-15 throughout downtown Portsmouth featuring over 100 exciting new films into which viewers of all kinds can immerse themselves.  With the Seacoast city marking its 400th anniversary, combined with the film industry looking a bit brighter, extraordinary celebration will fill the fall film festival air this year.

The mission of the nonprofit New Hampshire Film Festival is to inspire audiences with thought-provoking cinematic stories from visionary talents in independent filmmaking, and to provide a platform for emerging artists to advance their craft, engage with the community and promote to industry leaders. The festival is regularly ranked as one of the Top 50 Film Festivals by MovieMaker Magazine and was named an Academy Award-qualifying festival for the Short Film Awards by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Thousands of attendees enjoy screenings of carefully curated films, lively panels and buzzworthy events in addition to the multitude of dining and sights Portsmouth offers.

According to co-founder Nicole Gregg, “This year’s lineup is sure to inspire, challenge and impact our audiences. We have so many amazing documentaries, feature-length films and short films that cover an array of topics and storytelling. Over the course of four days and four different venues, the public is able to see top-quality films that are not beholden to big movie studios; this allows for a different level of creativity, and we welcome all to enjoy one or many films during the festival in Portsmouth.”

Carrie Forbes, Sponsorship and Marketing Director; Nicole Gregg, Executive Director; and Dan Hannon, Industry Director of the NH Film Festival. (Courtesy photo)

A great film festival is more than just fun films of all sizes, shapes and lengths up on a silver screen. It’s the chance to break through that silver screen, talk movies with like-minded cinephile strangers and more-often-than-not hear firsthand from the filmmakers themselves in attendance for the festivities. This year’s slate has several feature films hot off their appearances at the likes of Sundance and Cannes filled with stars and hubbub, and it’s also chock full of first-time premieres from eager new directors carving their artistic path into the brave new world.

Nearly 40 films in the roster, mostly shorts, have ties to New Hampshire.  The community of narrative and documentary filmmakers coming from right here at home is impressive, a clear indicator that the seed of show business in the state is growing like a weed — even if it’s still a side hustle or passion project.  The New Hampshire Film Festival is a beacon for these filmmakers, like a bright bulb over a nursery of fresh seedlings whose goal is to mature into the next great storytellers.

Thursday, October 12

Highlights include the world premieres of two films from New Hampshire filmmakers.  “Merry Good Enough” is a comedy about a young woman in a complicated relationship with her dysfunctional family.  When her mother disappears on Christmas Eve, she must bring her family back together again, whether she knows it or not.  “Sara’s Circus” is a touching documentary following a 20-year circus industry veteran with a big dream: to start her own tented circus.  As the summer moves along on Weirs Beach, she faces serious obstacles in fulfilling her dream, and in sharing that dream with her ailing step-mother, to whom her show was dedicated.

Friday, October 13

Highlights include the New England premiere of “Invisible Nation,” a new documentary from director Vanessa Hope and legendary producer Ted Hope. With unprecedented access to Taiwan’s sitting head of state, the film investigates the election and tenure of the first female president of Taiwan as she balances the hopes and dreams of her nation between the colossal geopolitical forces of the U.S. and China.  Ending the night is “Eileen,” a new feature film from director William Oldroyd starring Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie. Set during a bitter 1964 Massachusetts winter, a young secretary becomes enchanted by the glamorous new counselor at the prison where she works. Their budding friendship takes a twisted turn when a dark secret is revealed — throwing everything onto a sinister path.

Saturday, October 14

A highlight is the world premiere of “In the Whale” from award-winning filmmaker and Boston Globe journalist David Abel.  It’s a documentary about arguably the greatest fish story ever told, though this one is true.  It’s the unbelievable account of a man who survived to tell the tale of being swallowed by a whale while scuba diving for lobster in the waters off Cape Cod, and what happened after he was spit out.  To close the evening is “A Little Prayer,” a family drama from director Angus MacLachlan that stars David Strathairn and Jane Levy.  Strathairn portrays a Vietnam veteran living in suburban Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for decades with his wife who confronts the limits of patriarchal power while parenting his adult children — both of whom are experiencing personal difficulties.

Sunday, October 15

Standing out on this day is a new documentary that falls perfectly on the heels of last year’s six-time Academy Award-nominated film “Tār” starring Cate Blanchett.  The film is called “Maestra” and follows five incredible women from around the world who are boldly breaking glass ceilings in the male-dominated world of orchestral conducting.

Courtesy photo

The festival ends with a showing of director Wim Wenders’ new film “Perfect Days,” which could be destined for an Academy Award nomination. The story follows a man who seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo. However, a series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal more of his past in this deeply poetic reflection on finding beauty in the everyday world around us.

All of this is just scratching at the surface of the depth within the New Hampshire Film Festival.  Whether you catch one film, a whole day of films or all four days of incredible cinema, you’re guaranteed an experience you’ll pencil into your calendar each year. An impressive collection of new independent films, an historic setting, top-rated restaurants, beautiful venues, and a gorgeous New England fall backdrop make the New Hampshire Film Festival a truly unique experience.

For more information on the festival and to purchase tickets, visit nhfilmfestival.com.