Here’s your lineup for the Boca Grande Film Fest
From the Italian Alps to San Quentin, the 2024 Boca Grande Film Festival lineup is full of inspirational stories, award winners and movie stars. Led by Artistic Director Jonathan Jackson and Lead Programmer Kerstin Larson, this year’s Boca Grande Film Festival will begin on the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 20 and run through Friday, Feb. 23.
Tuesday, February 20
The festival will begin with a Pre-Festival Kickoff at 6 p.m., followed by a free drive-in showing of “Jockey,” about an aging jockey hoping to win one last title. Bring a golf cart, lawn chairs or blankets to this outdoor film, open to all.
The movie is set to start at 6:45 p.m. at the Friends Pavilion, and food will be available for purchase from Newlin’s Mainly Gourmet.
Wednesday, Feb. 21
IT AIN’T OVER
2022 / 1hr 38m / 10 a.m. coffee & conversations
An intimate portrait of a misunderstood American icon, this emotional and uplifting documentary about Yogi Berra takes us beyond the caricatures and “Yogi-isms,” and into the heart of a sports legend whose unparalleled accomplishments on the baseball diamond were often overshadowed by his off-the-field persona. Telling the whole story, “It Ain’t Over,” gives Berra his due in following the life of a savvy, commanding, bad-ball-hitting catcher with a squat frame but also a D-Day veteran, loving husband and father and, yes, product endorser and originator (mostly) of his own brand of proverbs now ingrained into everyday life.
DIRECTOR | Sean Mullin
PRODUCER | Natalie Metzger, Matt Miller, Mike Sobiloff, Peter Sobiloff
SCREENWRITER | Sean Mullin
YOU HURT MY FEELINGS
2023 / 1hr 33m / In-person only screening 1 p.m.
From acclaimed filmmaker Nicole Holofcener comes a sharply observed comedy about a novelist whose long-standing marriage is suddenly upended when she overhears her husband give his honest reaction to her latest book. It’s a film about trust, lies and the things we say to the people we love most.
“A masterpiece. Smart, warm, and very, very funny.” – The Playlist
DIRECTOR | Nicole Holofcener
PRODUCER | Stefanie Azpiazu, Anthony Bregman, Nicole Holofcener, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
THE EIGHT MOUNTAINS
2022 / 2hr 27m / In-person only screening 3:30 p.m. / Italian with English Subtitles
“The Eight Mountains” tells the story of two childhood friends who reunite as adults in the Italian Alps to build a mountainside cottage that becomes a site of reflection and reconciliation. Winner of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize, the film uses exquisite beauty and grace to trace the life trajectories of two men whose peak moments and low ebb become one with the craggy landscape that has shaped them both.
DIRECTOR | Felix van Groeningen, Charlotte Vandermeersch
PRODUCER | Hans Everaert, Lorenzo Gangarossa, Mario Gianani, Louis Tisné
FERRARI
2023 / 2 hr 10m / In-person only screening 7 p.m.
“Ferrari” is set during the summer of 1957. Behind the spectacle and danger of 1950’s Formula 1 ex-racer, Enzo Ferrari, there is a crisis. Bankruptcy stalks the company he and his wife, Laura, built from nothing ten years earlier. Their tempestuous marriage struggles with the mourning for their one son. Ferrari struggles with the acknowledgement of another. His driver’s lust to win pushes them out to the edge. He wagers all in a roll of the dice on one race, the treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy, the iconic Mille Miglia.
DIRECTOR | Michael Mann
PRODUCER | Moto Pictures
SCREENWRITER | Troy Kennedy Martin
Thursday, February 22
MOM AND DAD’S NIPPLE
FACTORY
2023 / 1hr 21m / 10 a.m. Coffee & Conversations
This inspiring film shows the power of love, perseverance and innovation amidst cancer treatment and recovery. From a bedroom in Eau Claire, WI, director Justin “Justinsuperstar” Johnson’s parents pursue the perfect prosthetic nipple, transforming what began as an intimate labor of love into a “factory” with the power to change thousands of survivors’ lives in this fascinating tale of resilience, dignity and family.
DIRECTOR | Justin “Justinsuperstar” Johnson
PRODUCER | Jason Cohen, Noah Lang
26.2 TO LIFE
2022 / 1hr 30m / 1 p.m.
The San Quentin Prison Marathon has an unconventional route: 105 dizzying laps around a crowded prison yard. Winner of a dozen festival awards, “26.2 To Life” tells the story of incarcerated men who are members of the 1,000 Mile Club, the prison’s long-distance running club in which they train all year for this 26.2-mile race. For the men who take their places at the starting line on a cool, sunny November morning, completing the marathon means more than entrée into an elite group of athletes. It’s a chance to be defined by more than their crimes. “26.2 To Life” is a story of transformation and second chances and offers a rare glimpse into a world out of bounds, as the men navigating life sentences seek redemption and freedom… or something like it.
DIRECTOR | Christine Yoo
PRODUCER | Jennifer M. Kroot, Carolyn Mao, Sara Jane Sluke, Hella Winston, Christine Yoo
PAST LIVES
2023 / 1 hr 45m / In-person only screening 3:30 p.m.
Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrested apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.
“A movie that liberates your tears and makes you fall in love with it. It is almost assuredly predestined to be the single best movie you see this
year.” – Rolling Stone
DIRECTOR | Celine Song
PRODUCER | David Hinjosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon
LOREN & ROSE
2022 / 1hr 22m / 7 p.m.
Three courses and the conversation of a lifetime. A single meal frames this three-act story of the indelible bond between Loren, a promising filmmaker, and Rose, a storied actress looking to reinvigorate her career. From a lunch meeting to discuss a possible collaboration grows a years-long friendship between two people whose love of art, understanding of grief, and faith in life’s potential guide them through personal and creative hardships. Kelly Blatz and Jacqueline Bisset star with a chemistry that is at once authentic and intoxicating.
DIRECTOR | Russell Brown
PRODUCER | Valeria Lopez, Russell Brown
SCREENWRITER | Russell Brown
Friday, February 23
RÓISE & FRANK
2022 / 1hr 30m / 10 a.m. Coffee & Conversations / Gaelic with English Subtitles
“Róise & Frank” follows grief-stricken widow Róise, who becomes convinced that a stray dog is her husband Frank reincarnated. As Róise begins to open herself up to the outside world and regain her lost happiness, she allows her canine companion to coach the local children’s hurling team. Winner of the Audience Awards at the Santa Barbara and Sedona International Film Festivals, “Róise & Frank” is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
DIRECTOR | Rachael Moriarty, Peter Murphy
PRODUCER | Cúán Mac Conghail
SCREENWRITER | Rachael Moriarty, Peter Murphy
WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS
2023 / 1hr 51m / 1 p.m.
In 1970, “Blood, Sweat and Tears” was one of the biggest bands in the world. They had exploded on the scene with both daring and promise, selling millions of records, winning multiple Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and headlining the legendary Woodstock festival. In demand for concert and TV appearances, BS&T was a darling of the mainstream and rock press, icon of the counterculture and inspiration for a generation of horn-based bands. Their future was limitless. And then it all went wrong. Created with the full cooperation of Blood, Sweat and Tears, this feature documentary will overflow with great music, international political intrigue, compelling human moments, humor and fresh insight into this strange never-before-told story of a tangle with the Nixon administration, a controversial tour behind the Iron Curtain that put them in the crossfire of a polarized America, and a lost tour documentary that might just explain it all.
DIRECTOR | John Scheinfeld
PRODUCER | John Scheinfeld
The festival will wrap up with a closing reception and Audience Awards at the Friends Pavilion following the final film. Light hors d’oeuvres and a signature drink will be provided by Scarpa’s Coastal.
Special guests and exclusive events will be announced throughout the festival, and official festival shirts will be available for purchase
Festival FAQs:
When should I arrive to a screening?
Please arrive 30 minutes prior to showtime and no later than 10 minutes prior to start time to guarantee a seat. Beginning 10 minutes before the show, any empty seats will be sold to patrons in the door sale line. No refunds are available and no late entry allowed.
Can I purchase individual film tickets?
Individual film tickets will be sold based on availability at the door 15 minutes prior to each showing.
Why are my passes blue or yellow?
Official festival passes with current show times and film titles are color-coded. Yellow tickets grant entry into the Woman’s Club Theater, and blue tickets grant entry to the Auditorium Theater. Sponsor badges are also color coded to corresponding theaters.
Where can I pick up my official Festival Pass/Sponsor Badge?
Festival Passes and Sponsor Badges will be available for pickup in the Friends office beginning Monday, Jan. 29, from 9 a.m. 5 p.m.
How do I vote for films?
For on-site viewing, pick up a ballot as you enter the theater. After the showing, you will rate the film on a scale of 1 to 5 by tearing the ballot on your desired rating. Turn your ballot in as you exit the theater. To vote online, select your rating after the film by clicking a number from 1 to 5. One signifying poor, 5 signifying excellent.
Can I bring food or drink to the festival?
Complimentary popcorn will be available for all. No other outside food will be permitted inside the theaters. You may pack a lunch or snack and dine on the pavilion lawn between screenings.
How do I access the films through the online film hub?
For in-depth instructions visit: friendsofbocagrande.org/film-fest-faq/
When to watch:
Most films will be available on demand throughout the festival, starting on Wednesday, Feb. 21. A few titles have special restrictions and will only be available for in-person viewing. Those films are clearly marked in the film descriptions. Otherwise, passholders are free to watch films on demand throughout the festival. Once you start watching your movie, you’ll have 48 hours to complete it. The Boca Grande Film Festival virtual access turns into a pumpkin after 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Feb. 27, so be sure to watch films before then!
How do I vote for a film from home?
After you unlock and watch your film, you will have the option to select your rating on the film hub. For details on how to vote, visit the FAQ section at friendsofbocagrande.org/events/boca-grande-film-festival/
What if I have tech difficulties trying to set up and watch the film?
Please call the Friends office in advance of the opening of the festival, at (941) 964-0827 so our staff and/or tech specialist can walk you through getting set up!
