The 12th annual Montclair Film Festival, taking place from October 20 to 29, has announced its lineup, including opening and closing night films, centerpiece selections, and honorees.
The festival’s opening night will feature Kristoffer Borgli’s “Dream Scenario,” a comedy starring Nicolas Cage, followed by a Q&A session. The closing night will showcase William Oldroyd’s period psychological thriller “Eileen,” starring Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie.
Centerpiece films include Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers,” Pablo Berger’s “Robot Dreams,” and Roger Ross Williams’ adaptation of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s New York Times bestseller “Stamped From the Beginning.”
Honorees at the 2023 festival include director Matthew Heineman, who will receive the Documentary Filmmaker Award, and Todd Haynes, who will receive the 2023 Director Award. Haynes’ new film “May December” will also be screened, followed by a Q&A moderated by Stephen Colbert.
Writer-director Raven Jackson’s visually-driven film “All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt” will be honored with the festival’s 2023 Breakthrough Writer Director Award, and Christian Friedel will receive the Breakthrough Performer Award.
Directors Heather Courtney, Princess A. Hairston, and Chelsea Hernandez will be honored with the David Carr Award for Truth in Filmmaking for their documentary “Breaking the News,” which focuses on The 19th, a digital news start-up.
The full program, including competition films, will be announced on September 29, with tickets going on sale to the public on October 6. The festival will take place at venues such as The Wellmont Theater, The Montclair Kimberley Academy Upper School, and The Clairidge.