The tenth annual Montclair Film Festival is around the corner, taking place from October 21st – October 30th. The Festival will bring film lovers, actors, and industry professionals to the heart of Montclair for ten days of viewing independent films, comedies, documentaries, panels, family events, and work by emerging artists. Read on for all of the details of this year’s Montclair Film Festival.
When, Where, + How to Purchase Tickets
Tickets must be purchased online at Montclairfilm.org.
Member Pre-sale begins Monday, September 27th at 10AM
General Public Sales begin Friday, October 1st at 10AM
Pricing
Opening film: $25 regular/$20 member (reserved seating)
Centerpiece screenings: $20 regular/$18 member
Conversations: $25 regular/$20 member
Panels: free (with advanced registration)
Regular screenings: $15 regular/$13 member
Matinee screenings: $10 regular/$8 member (weekdays only before 5PM)
Virtual screenings: $10 regular/$8 member
The physical box office at Montclair Film/Cinema 505 is currently closed due to the flood damage from Hurricane Ida and the lobby at The Clairidge is not ready to open at the moment. Email at boxoffice@montclairfilm.org or call at (973) 783-6435 with any questions in the meantime.
For shows with no online tickets available, there is a high probability that tickets will become available via the Standby Line beginning five minutes prior to show time on a first-come, first-served basis at the venue. Standby Lines will form 30 minutes prior to showtime. Ticket holders must arrive no later than 10 minutes prior to the event start time to guarantee entrance. Any available seats will be released to the Standby Line at that time. Please note: All Standby tickets will be sold at regular pricing only. Box Office will only accept cash during standby.
Venue box offices will open thirty minutes before the first screening and close fifteen minutes after the start of the last screening.
Read More: SOPAC Announces Additional 11-Week Closure Due to Ida
The Movie Lineup
Thursday, October 21st at 7:30PM: The Wellmont Theater presents Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch.” The film stars Benicio Del Toro, Frances McDormand, Adrien Brody, Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Jeffrey Wright, and Owen Wilson.
Friday, October 22nd at 7:30PM: The Wellmont Theater presents Jeymes Samuel’s “The Harder They Fall,” the festival’s fiction centerpiece. The stars include Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Edi Gathegi, R.J. Cyler, Regina King, and LaKeith Stanfield.
Friday, October 22nd at 6:30PM: Lackawanna Plaza presents “The Mitchells vs. The Machines” as the festival’s family centerpiece.
Saturday, October 23rd at 4PM: The Wellmont Theater in partnership with Out Montclair presents “Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over,” a documentary about the life of New Jersey native artist Warwick.
Saturday, October 30th at 4:30PM: The Montclair Kimberley Academy Upper School in partnership with Out Montclair presents Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dogs,” the festival’s closing film.
Saturday, October 30th at 9PM: The Clairidge presents “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” with the live debut of The Ordinary Kids Floor Show.
The Fiction Feature Competition films: “Great Freedom,” directed by Sebastian Meise; “A Hero,” directed by Asghar Farhadi; “MEMORIA,” directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul; “The Souvenir Part II,” directed by Joanna Hogg; and “The Worst Person in the World,” directed by Joachim Trier.
The Fiction Film Highlights: Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast;” Mike Mills’ “C’mon, C’mon,” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Gaby Hoffmann; “The Electrical Life of Louis Wain,” directed by Will Sharpe and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy; Céline Sciamma’s “Petite Maman;” Rebecca Hall’s “Passing,” starring Ruth Negga, Tessa Thompson and André Holland; and Pablo Larrain’s “Spoencer,” starring Kristen Stewart.
The Documentary Film Competition films: “Bernstein’s Wall,” directed by Douglas Tirola; “A Cop Movie,” directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios; “The First Wave,” directed by Matthew Heineman; “Flee,” directed by Jonas Roher Rasmussen; and “President,” directed by Camilla Nielsson.
The Documentary Feature Highlights: “Carterland,” directed by The Pattiz Brothers; “Cow,” directed by Andrea Arnold; “Listening to Kenny G,” directed by Penny Lane; “Paper & Glue” a JR Project; and “River, directed by Jennifer Peedom and Joseph Nizeti.
See More: A Guide to Acting Studios + Theater Groups in Essex County
The Celebrity Line-Up
Actor Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is receiving the film festival’s breakthrough director and writer award, will be in conversation with Stephen Colbert at Montclair Kimberley Academy Upper School on Oct. 24, the day her film “The Lost Daughter” is screened at the festival, Montclair Local reported. Other celebrity actors attending the festival will include Dagmara Dominczyk from “Succession” and Tenafly’s Ed Harris – both who also happen to be Montclair residents.
Dionne Warwick, the iconic singer who lives in South Orange will be at the festival on October 23rd in honor of her new documentary “Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over,” and will participate in a Q+A. Other celebrity actors are expected to make an appearance as well.
Tickets must be purchased online at Montclairfilm.org.
