The 20th edition of the Camden Intl. Film Festival, kicking off Sept. 12, features a lineup full of political, hot button documentaries fresh off showings at Toronto, Venice and Telluride. The Maine-based film festival will unfold in a hybrid format, with both in-person events over a four-day period concluding Sept. 15, and online screenings available from Sept. 16 to Sept. 30 for audiences across the U.S.
This year’s CIFF highlights include: Steve Pink’s “The Last Republican,” about former U.S. Representative Adam Kinzinger during his last year in office when he attempted to hold his own party accountable through his work on the Jan. 6 Committee. The docu will have its world premiere at TIFF. Also screening is Michael Premo’s “Homegrown, which follows a group of right-wing activists from the 2020 campaign trail all the way to the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The film will debut in the Venice Film Festival’s first-time filmmaker sidebar Venice Critics’ Week. “No Other Land,” about the resistance of Palestinian activists against forced displacement and settler expansion in the West Bank community of Masafer Yatta, premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in February where it won the best documentary award.
Related Stories
Another CIFF 2024 title focusing on politics is Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk and Pedro Kos’ “The White House Effect” – an immersive, all-archival investigation of how the first Bush administration navigated the early days of the climate crisis.
Popular on Variety
The 20th edition of the doc fest will feature two world premieres: Adam Sekuler’s “The Flamingo,” a portrait of a woman in her mid-sixties as she rediscovers her agency and sexuality through the BDSM community and Matthew Wolkow and Jean-Jacques Martinod’s “Eastern Anthems,”an epistolary essay doc about the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CIFF will open with Petra Costa’s “Apocalypse in the Tropics,” the director’s follow-up to her Oscar-nominated feature “The Edge of Democracy.” An investigation into the influence of the evangelical movement on contemporary Brazilian politics, “Apocalypse in the Tropics” will debut at the Venice Film Festival. Lola Arias’ “Reas,” a hybrid musical made with people formerly incarcerated in one of Argentina’s largest women’s prisons, will also screen on opening night.
In total, CIFF, a key campaign spot for documentaries seeking Oscar recognition, will feature 31 features, 22 short films, and two immersive experiences from 37 countries. Sixty percent of the program features doc titles making either their U.S., North American or world premieres.
In January Ben Fowlie, CIFF executive and artistic director of the Points North Institute and CIFF founder stepped down from his position after 20 years with the organization. Fowlie co-founded the Points North Institute, which produces the fall festival, with CIFF program director Sean Flynn and fest board chair Caroline von Kuhn. This year, in addition to continuing his leadership of artist programs and fellowships, Flynn expanded his role to include overseeing the 20th edition of the doc fest.
“The 20th edition of CIFF will be a space to celebrate the enduring power and ever-expanding possibility of the documentary form — and to imagine how we might collectively fortify its future.” says Flynn. “At a time when basic democratic values like freedom of expression, equality and pluralism seem to be at risk, the filmmakers in this year’s program remind us why artistic independence is so vital to our culture. Their films take bold creative risks, introduce us to perspectives missing from public discourse, and offer refracted visions of both the world we inhabit and the more free worlds we can build.”
Along with Flynn, this year’s CIFF was curated by Milton Guillén, Zaina Bseiso, and Cam Howard.
Other festival feature doc hightlights include: Daniel Roher (“Navalny”) and Edmund Stenson’s National Geographic doc “Blink” about a Canadian family embarking on a round-the-world adventure after learning that three of their four children will soon be blind due to a genetic condition; Elizabeth Lo’s “Mistress Dispeller,” about a woman in China attempting to save her marriage by hiring an undercover professional to break up her husband’s affair; and Ted Passion’s “Patrice: The Movie,” a love story that centers the ongoing struggles for disability justice and marriage equality.
Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó’s “Agent of Happiness,” Josh Greenbaum’s “Will & Harper,” Johan Grimonprez’s “Soundtrack To A Coup D’etat,” Gary Hustwit’s “Eno,” Jazmin Renée Jones’s feature debut “Seeking Mavis Beacon,” Stephen Maing and Brett Story’s “Union” are the six Sundance 2024 docus screening at CIFF.
Similar to prior years, CIFF will run concurrently with Points North’s six artist programs fellowships, which support 26 documentary features and shorts in development from around the world through mentor-led retreats and industry access opportunities. Jones, Bhattarai and Zurbó are alumni of the organization’s long-running Points North Fellowship, which helps early-career filmmakers launch their projects through the festival’s popular Points North Pitch. Fellow Points North alumni, Nesa Azimi will be at the 20th CIFF with “Driver,” which premiered at Tribeca in June.
In total, close to 70 fellows will be on the ground at CIFF via partnerships with other artist fellowships and labs from American Film Showcase, Bay Area Video Coalition, American Documentary | POV and Chicken & Egg Pictures.
The complete list of CIFF’s features and short films can be found below.
Features
“Agent Of Happiness” Arun Bhattarai, Dorottya Zurbó | Bhutan, Hungary
How can you measure happiness? The country of Bhutan invented Gross National Happiness to do just that, and Amber is one of the agents who travels door to door to meet people and measure how happy they really are. He is still living with his elderly mother at the age of 40, but nevertheless, a hopeless romantic who dreams of finding love: a happiness agent who is in search of his own happiness. We embark with Amber on a cross-country road trip meeting citizens from all walks of life, reminding us of the fragility and beauty of our own happiness. No matter where we live.
“Apocalypse In The Tropics” Petra Costa Brazil, USA, Denmark
Filmmaker Petra Costa explores Brazil’s complex political landscape, focusing on the alliance between televangelists like Silas Malafaia and former President Jair Bolsonaro. The film chronicles Brazil’s tumultuous recent history, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the attempted coup in 2023, revealing the intertwining of religious fervor and political extremism. Through a blend of direct cinema and essay, Costa weaves a narrative that’s both uniquely Brazilian and universally relevant. With unprecedented access to top politicians, “Apocalypse in the Tropics” serves as a cautionary tale, exposing the fragility of democracies and the power of religious narratives in shaping global political discourse.
“Apple Cider Vinegar” Sofie Benoot Belgium, Netherlands North American Premiere
Stones are at once the most foundational and the most overlooked parts of our lifeworld. When a retired nature documentary narrator passes a kidney stone, she decides to tell one more story about this forgotten world of stone. A hypnotic essay film asking urgent ecological questions, Apple Cider Vinegar takes the viewer on a journey meeting Palestinian quarry workers, passionate British Geologist and people living on the lava fields of Fogo.
“Blink” Daniel Roher, Edmund Stenson USA
When three of their four children are diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare, incurable disease that leads to severe visual impairment, the Pelletier family’s world changes forever. In the face of this life-altering news, Edith Lemay, Sébastien Pelletier and their children set out on a trip around the world to experience all its beauty while they still can. As they fill their memories with breathtaking destinations and once-in-a-lifetime encounters, the family’s love, resilience, and unshakeable sense of wonder ensure that their uncertain future does not define their present.
“Dahomey”Mati Diop France, Senegal, Benin
US Premiere
Dahomey chronicles the 2021 return of 26 royal treasures to Benin from France, 61 years post-independence. Filmmaker Mati Diop blends observational footage and hybrid techniques to capture this pivotal moment in post-colonial cultural politics. Following the artifacts’ journey from Paris to Benin, the film incorporates the voice of King Gezo’s statue speaking in Fon. Through poetic visuals and debates among Beninese students, Diop explores questions of cultural identity, historical trauma, and colonial redress, offering a multifaceted reflection on whether the looting can ever be repaid. (mg)
“Driver” Nesa Azimi USA
After losing everything, Desiree Wood takes a second lease on life as a long-haul truck driver. Alongside an irreverent group of women truckers, she fights for a life on the road.
“Eastern Anthem” Matthew Wolkow, Jean-Jacques Martinod Canada, USA, Ecuador
World Premiere
An unfinished film is passed along from one friend to another. The dialog between them is a journey crossed by the swarming of the Great Eastern Brood X of periodical cicadas that prophetically emerge every 17 years in the United States, invoking a reflection of a post-pandemic present and our shared futures. A road movie composed of a chorus of voices (both human and non-human), the warnings of history, the power of nature and rebirth.
“Eno” Gary Hustwit USA
Visionary musician and artist Brian Eno — known for producing David Bowie, U2, Talking Heads, among many others; pioneering the genre of ambient music; and releasing over 40 solo and collaboration albums — reveals his creative processes in this groundbreaking generative documentary: a film that’s different every time it’s shown.
“A Fidai Film” Kamal AlJafari Germany, Palestine, Qatar, Brasil, France
US Premiere
Investigating the looting of Palestinian films which took place in Beirut in 1982, the film uses this event as a premise in order to make visible materials hidden in Israeli archives, and proposes a counter-narrative of a continuous history of appropriation.
“The Flamingo” Adam Sekuler USA
World Premiere
The Flamingo is an observational film that follows a woman in her 60s as she pursues sexual exploration, intimate relationships and aging with pleasure.
“Homegrown” Michael PremoUSA
North American Premiere
Homegrown is an unflinching chronicle of Americans at war with each other, offering an unprecedented look at right-wing activists as they search for purpose and power – with dire consequences.
“I’m Not Everything I Want To Be” Klára Tasovskà Czechia, Slovakia, Austria
US Premiere
After the Soviet invasion of Prague, a young female photographer strives to break free from the constraints of Czechoslovakian normalization and embarks on a wild journey towards freedom, capturing her experiences through thousands of photographs.
“Kix” Bálint Révész, Dávid Mikulán Hungary, France, Croatia
North American Premiere
At 8, Sanyi rummages through Budapest’s gritty streets with his skateboard, escaping his cramped-up apartment. As the years go by, some hard lessons are learned but others not so much. As his actions transform from innocent pranks to long-lasting consequences, the country turns its gaze into him, as a symbol of national tragedy.
“The Last Republican” Steve Pink USA US Premiere
Congressman Adam Kinzinger is the first Republican to hold President Trump accountable for the Jan. 6th Insurrection. It costs him friends, family, and his career. While documenting Adam’s last year in Congress, director/comedian Steve Pink, a far-left progressive, forms a surprising and humorous friendship with his conservative counterpart.
“Mistress Dispeller” Elizabeth Lo China, USA
US Premiere
Desperate to save her marriage, a woman in China hires a professional to go undercover and break up her husband’s affair. With strikingly intimate access, Mistress Dispeller follows this unfolding family drama from all corners of a love triangle.
“Mother Vera” Cécile Embleton, Alys Tomlinson United Kingdom
North American Premiere
From the thick snow of the Belarusian forest to the heat of the reeds in the French Camargue, Mother Vera is the story of a young Orthodox nun; her turbulent past, and fragile future.
“No Other Land” Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor Palestine, Norway
The alliance between a young Palestinian activist in the occupied West Bank and an Israeli journalist provides a unique and human insight into a decades-old conflict, as the two fight against the forced expulsion of the Masafer Yatta community. A film created by a Palestinian-Israeli collective.
“Oasis” Tamara Uribe, Felipe Morgado Chile
North American Premiere After an unprecedented social uprising, Chile chooses to write a New Constitution. A colorful assembly will be in charge of writing down the dreams of dignity and social justice of an entire people. What could go wrong?
“Patrice: The Movie” Ted Passon USA
US Premiere
A documentary rom-com about the next phase of marriage equality: disability.
“Reas” Lola Arias Argentina, Germany, Switzerland
US Premiere
Yoseli has a tattoo of the Eiffel Tower on her back and has always wanted to travel, but she was arrested at the airport for drug trafficking. Nacho is a trans man who was arrested for swindling and started a rock band in jail. Gentle or rough, blonde or shaved, cis or trans, long-term inmates or newly admitted: in this hybrid musical, they all re-enact their lives in a Buenos Aires prison.
“Rising Up At Night (Tongo Saa)” Nelson Makengo Democratic Republic of Congo, Belgium, Germany, Burkina Faso, Qatar
Between hope, disappointment and religious faith, Rising up at Night (Tongo Saa) is a subtle and fragmented portrait of a population that, despite its challenges, is sublimated by the beauty of Kinshasa’s nights.
“Seeking Mavis Beacon” Jazmin Renée Jones USA
The most recognizable woman in technology lives in our collective imagination. Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing taught millions globally, but the software’s Haitian-born cover model vanished decades ago. Two DIY detectives search for the model while posing questions about identity and artificial intelligence.
“Soundtrack To A Coup D’etat” Johan Grimonprez | Belgium
Amidst the Cold War, jazz icons like Louis Armstrong and Nina Simone become unwitting pawns in a power struggle over Congolese independence. As their music conceals a covert CIA operation leading to Patrice Lumumba’s assassination, they confront their roles in a world where decolonization and political intrigue collide.
“The Stimming Pool” The Neurocultures Collective: Sam Chown Ahern, Georgia Bradburn, Benjamin Brown, Robin Elliott-Knowles, Lucy Walker; Steven Eastwood UK
US Premiere
The Stimming Pool, co-created by neurodiverse directors and artist-filmmaker Steven Eastwood, follows diverse characters navigating environments through an autistic lens, striving to find space in a world free from societal norms.
“Two Strangers Trying Not To Kill Each Other” Jacob Perlmutter, Manon Ouimet UK, Denmark,
USA North American Premiere
Life, death and making meaning are the heart of a beautiful and often very funny film about Maggie Barrett and Joel Meyerowitz, an aging artist couple who, after an accident, face the inevitability of impermanence and seek a deep peace in their relationship while they still can.
“Union” Stephen Maing & Brett Storey USA
The Amazon Labor Union (ALU) — a group of current and former Amazon workers in New York City’s Staten Island — takes on one of the world’s largest and most powerful companies in the fight to unionize. Chronicling the historic efforts of the ALU, Union is an intimate and surprising story of dogged determination, unorthodox tactics, and speaking up despite David vs. Goliath odds.
“Welcome Interplanetary And Sidereal Space Conquerors (Bienvenidos Conquistadores Interplanetarios Y Del Espacio Sidereal)” Andrés Jurado Colombia, Portugal
US Premiere
Astronauts lost in the Darien are surprised by an indigenous person, did they think they were going to be eaten by a wild cannibal? A deconstruction of propaganda archives from tropical survival training challenges the colonial narrative inscribed in the conquest of space.
“The White House Effect” Bonni Cohen, Jonathan Shenk, Pedro Kos USA
Using exclusively archival materials, The White House Effect tells the dramatic origin story of the climate crisis — how the science came into focus, the way politics overtook the issue in our country, and the role the American people played in the escalating drama. Focused on the pivotal years of 1977-1992, the film cuts through today’s headlines, immersing the audience in an experience of history unfolding in real-time, creating an immediate and gripping drama with the highest possible stakes.
“Wilfred Buck” Lisa Jackson Canada
US Premiere
Moving between earth and stars, past and present, this rollicking hybrid documentary follows the extraordinary life of Wilfred Buck, a charismatic and irreverent Cree Elder who overcame a harrowing history by reclaiming ancestral star knowledge and ceremony.
“Will & Harper” Josh Greenbaum USA
When Will Ferrell finds out his close friend of 30 years is coming out as a trans woman, the two decide to embark on a cross-country road trip to process this new stage of their relationship in an intimate portrait of friendship, transition, and America. A Netflix release
“Yintah” Jennifer Wickham, Brenda Michell, Michael Toledano Canada
Yintah, meaning “land”, is a feature-length documentary on the Wet’suwet’en nation’s fight for sovereignty. Spanning more than a decade, the film follows Howilhkat Freda Huson and Sleydo’ Molly Wickham as their nation reoccupies and protects their ancestral lands from several of the largest fossil fuel companies on earth.
Shorts
A Body Called Life | Spencer MacDonald | USA, Switzerland, Poland
Adura Baba Mi | Juliana O. Kasumu | Nigeria, Jamaica, United Kingdom | World Premiere
Bisagras | Luis Arnías | USA, Senegal, Brazil The Comeback Mill | Josh Gerritsen | USA
Contractions | Lynne Sachs | USA
Diary Of A Sky | Lawrence Abu Hamdan | Lebanon | North American Premiere
Dull Spots Of Greenish Colours | Sasha Svirsky | Germany | North American Premiere
An Extraordinary Place | Tom Bell | USA
Familia | Picho García, Gabriela Pena | Chile
Four Holes | Daniela Muñoz Barroso | Cuba, France
The Great Big Nothingness: Conversations with Creators | Chase Overland | USA | World Premier
Heritable | Eli Kao | USA
History Is Written At Night | Alejandro Alonso | Cuba, France
Meditations On Silence | Sebastián Quiroz | Chile | International Premiere
Motorcycle Mary | Haley Watson | USA
One Night At Babes | Angelo Madsen Minax | USA
Perfectly A Strangeness | Alison McAlpine | Canada | US Premiere
Take me to the Ocean | Elena Mozzhelina | USA
The Tengu Club | Hilary Hutcheson, Britton Caillouette | USA | World Premiere
Through The Storm | Charles Frank, Fritz Bitsoie | USA
Two Refusals (Would We Recognize Ourselves Unbroken?) | Suneil
Sanzgiri | India, Portugal, USA
Waldo County Woodshed | Julia Dunlavey | USA
You Can’t Get What You Want But You Can Get Me | Samira Elagoz, Z Walsh | Netherlands, Finland
