MSPIFF Returns April 2-13

The Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival returns to the Twin Cities from April 2-13. Organized by the MSP Film Society and hosted at The Main Cinema and other local venues, the MSPIFF will showcase over 200 films from around the world. In addition to the usual panels, parties, and eclectic lineup of features and shorts, filmmaker Ang Lee will be in attendance for a conversation, as well as screenings of his films Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and Brokeback Mountain (2004). 

MSPIFF celebrates its 44th year in 2025 as one of the largest and longest-running film festivals in the United States. “We are firm and passionate believers in the power of the arts, and especially of film, to transport us, refresh our perspectives, enrich our understanding and connect,” wrote Susan Smoluchowski, the festival’s Executive Director. “If ever there were a time when we needed a chance to unite through shared interests, curiosities, aspirations and pursuits, this would be it.” 

Having attended MSPIFF for over 15 years, I always look forward to their lineup. Without fail, I see some of my favorite films of the year at the festival. This year, I will write about a cross-section of international, local, and independent cinema. For starters, I plan on catching up with several titles that played at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, including Miguel Gomes’ Grand Tour, winner of the Best Director prize. 

As usual, independent studios and mini-majors feature heavily in the schedule. A24 will premiere a couple of titles at the festival for their Minnesota debuts, including the much-anticipated cringe comedy Friendship, starring Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd, and the cute animal adventure The Legend of Ochi. Janus and Sideshow bring Alain Guiraudie’s thriller Misericordia to the festival. And Bleecker Street offers The Friend, a grief drama featuring Naomi Watts and Bill Murray, and also the 2025 remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 comedy The Wedding Banquet. 

Other films I’ll see include Bushido, Luz, Quisling: The Final Days, Never Alone, and Savages. I’m most excited to see the latest from Jia Zhangke, the renowned Sixth Generation Chinese filmmaker. Jia has been the subject of a recent “Filmmaker in Focus” series on Deep Focus Review’s Patreon, with an exclusive essay in The Definitives about Xiao Wu (1997) and reviews of The World (2004), A Touch of Sin (2013), Mountains May Depart (2015), and more. Set for release later this month by Janus and Sideshow, Jia’s new film, Caught by the Tides, features his wife and muse, Zhao Tao. It was assembled from footage Jia shot over the last two-and-a-half decades, blending fiction and documentary. 

Check DFR throughout the festival for my coverage, including festival dispatches with capsule reviews and some full-length reviews as well. Visit the MSPIFF website for the full lineup, or order tickets and passes here.