Screenings Hosted by Beach House, Animal Collective, and Conner O’Malley
New/Next Film Festival, presented by Baltimore Public Media and taking place October 3-6, 2024 in Baltimore’s 5-screen Charles Theatre, revealed 10 more titles from its lineup today.
Comedian Conner O’Malley will host a screening of his found-footage comedy Rap World, documenting the efforts to record a landmark hip-hop album over the course of an evening in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania in 2009. O’Malley co-stars in the film, co-directed by Danny Scharar. Deakin and Geologist of Animal Collective will present the emerging observational documentary Jetty, which they scored, alongside its director Sam Fleischner. And continuing a New/Next tradition, Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally of Beach House will host a revival screening of a film they curated, this year selecting Gabriel Axel’s 1987 sensory-rich paean to artistic creation, Babette’s Feast.
Today’s announcement followed last week’s reveal of New/Next 2024’s opening night film, the world premiere of writer/director/star Alexi Wasser’s Messy, co-starring Adam Goldberg, Mario Cantone, Ione Skye, Thomas Middleditch, Jack Kilmer, Ruby McCollister, and Merlot.
The Ten Titles Announced Today for New/Next Today Are:
Babette’s Feast (Gabriel Axel, 1987) At once a rousing paean to artistic creation, a delicate evocation of divine grace, and the ultimate film about food, the Oscar-winning Babette’s Feast is the lovingly layered tale of a French housekeeper with a mysterious past who brings quiet revolution in the form of one exquisite meal to a circle of starkly pious villagers in late nineteenth-century Denmark. Narrative feature. Presented by Beach House.
Days of Happiness (Chloé Robichaud) Emma, a talented conductor and rising star on the Montreal stage, has a complicated relationship with her father and agent Patrick. She must confront her emotions and decide if she wants to succeed in navigating her career and her romantic relationship with Naëlle, a newly separated cellist and mother of a young boy. Narrative feature.
Eephus (Carson Lund) As an imminent construction project looms over their beloved small-town baseball field, a pair of New England Sunday league teams face off for the last time over the course of a day. Tensions flare up and ceremonial laughs are shared as an era of camaraderie and escapism fades into an uncertain future. Narrative feature.
Fantasy A Gets a Mattress (Noah Zoltan Sofian and David Norman Lewis) Kicked out of his group home, autistic Seattle rapper Fantasy A sets off on an odyssey to achieve fame and find a good mattress to sleep on. Narrative feature.
Guián (Nicole Chi Amén) After grandma Guián passes away, director Nicole decides to go to China for the first time to look for the house Guián left when she emigrated to Costa Rica. This becomes a journey to answer the questions Nicole was never able to ask her because she never learned Chinese, and her grandma never learned Spanish. Documentary feature.
The Hobby (Simon Ennis) From ancient Mesopotamia to the World Series of Board Games on the Vegas strip, “The Hobby” is an affectionate, character-driven portrait of the massive and diverse subculture of board games–exploring the value of leisure time, and uncovering the deep meaning found in “meaningless” pursuits. Documentary feature.
The Human Surge 3 (Eduardo Williams) In the follow-up to the maverick 2016 experimental feature, different groups of friends wander in a rainy, windy, dark world. They spend time together, trying to get away from their depressing jobs, meandering constantly towards the mystery of new possibilities. No, there isn’t a Human Surge 2 (at least not yet). Experimental feature.
Jetty (Sam Fleischner) Patiently documenting the installation of new coastal infrastructure in the Rockaways, this observational process story was recorded on 16mm film and features an original score by Animal Collective. Documentary feature.
Rap World (Conner O’Malley, Danny Scharar) In 2009, four friends living in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania document their attempt to record a rap album over the course of one eventful night. Narrative feature.
Vulcanizadora (Joel Potrykus) Two friends, Marty and Derek, trudge through a Michigan forest with the intention of following through on a disturbing pact. After they fail to see it through, one of them must return home to deal with the legal and emotional repercussions. Narrative feature.
New/Next Film Festival’s lineup announcements will continue over the next two weeks. All-access passes to the festival are now on sale, as well as individual tickets to Opening Night (Alexi Wasser’s Messy) and Beach House’s guest-curated screening of Babette’s Feast. Individual tickets for all remaining shows will follow the full lineup reveal. For updates, please visit newnextfilmfest.com | Twitter and Instagram: @NewNextFilmFest
Support for New/Next Film Fest comes from the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, creator of the Baker Artist Portfolios; The Abell Foundation; The Baltimore Community Foundation; The State of Maryland; The Leidy Foundation, Maryland Film Office, Royal Books and The Maryland State Arts Council.
