PRESENTING PARTNER

9TH TAHOE FILM FEST PROGRAM

MAESTRO

MAESTRO

2023 (USA) 129 minutes

Directed by: Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan deliver stunning
performances as Leonard Bernstein and his wife, actress Felicia
Montealegre, in this intimate portrait of a marriage that spanned
more than 25 years. Bernstein was an indispensable figure in
the history of classical music, as a conductor, composer, pianist,
and educator. Certainly, the dominant American conductor of
the late 20th century, he accomplished as much as anyone in
making “serious” music intelligible to a broad audience. With
breathtaking sweep, Maestro reflects on Bernstein’s life, career,
and marriage with Felicia, which endured through his many
liaisons. The film marks Cooper’s return to the director’s chair
following his triumphant A STAR IS BORN. Co-scripting with
Josh Singer, he’s also among its producers along with Martin
Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. Against an evolving film canvas
of black-and-white and color, his extraordinary portrayal captures
Bernstein’s bold and charismatic conducting style, animated by
music from the maestro himself.

2023 Venice Film Festival
2023 New York Film Festival
2023 AFI Film Festival

Incline Village Cinema – November 30 – 5:30pm

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MAY DECEMBER

MAY DECEMBER

2023 (USA) 113 minutes

Directed by: Todd Haynes

In this sharp new romantic drama from director Todd Haynes, a sly battle of wills ensues when an actress (Natalie Portman) spends time with the housewife (Julianne Moore) she’s been hired to portray: a former tabloid queen whose shocking affair with an underage schoolboy made headlines 20 years earlier. The onceillicit lovers are married now, with a couple of kids, but the legacy of the scandal still stirs up a tangled web of emotions. Where is the line between research and flirtation, between naiveté and delusion? Where does assumption end and judgment begin? No stranger to the complexity of relationships, Haynes of Far from Heaven and Carol fame, once again resists easy answers, instead offering plenty of stunning revelations, with family secrets revealed, surprise motivations surfaced, and audience expectations engrossingly subverted.

2023 Cannes Film Festival – Nominated Palme d’Or
2023 New York Film Festival
2023 Chicago International Film Festival

Incline Village Cinema – December 1 – 6:00pm

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PERFECT DAYS

PERFECT DAYS

2023 (JAPAN) 125 minutes

Directed by: Wim Wenders

Kõji Yakusho mesmerizes as Hirayama, a contented middle aged man living a structured life as a Tokyo toilet cleaner in Wim Wenders’ poetic and contemplative new film. The drama weaves together short stories that reveal how Hirayama’s deep passion for music, books, and tree photography enriches his daily routine.
As the film elegantly unfolds, unexpected encounters add detail to the façade of Hirayama’s generosity and simplicity. Wenders’ delicate filmmaking captures Tokyo’s essence through carefully framed shots, enhancing the viewer’s connection with the city. Music, mainly 1960s pop, becomes a narrative thread, reflecting Hirayama’s emotional state. His moods resonate with classics from Nina Simone and Van Morrison, the Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun,” and even Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day.” It’s impossible not to be engrossed by Yakusho’s captivating, subtle, and passionate performance, for which he won the Best Actor award at this year’s Cannes, where the film also deservedly won the Ecumenical Jury Prize.

2023 Telluride Film Festival
2023 New York Film Festival
2023 Cannes Film Festival – Best Actor – Ecumenical Jury Prize

Official Selection from Japan in the Best International Feature Film category for the 2024 Academy Awards.

Incline Village Cinema – December 1 – 8:15pm

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EILEEN

EILEEN

2023 (USA) 97 minutes

Directed by: William Oldroyd

Based on the book of the same name by bestselling author,
Ottessa Moshfegh and set during a bitter 1964 Massachusetts
winter, EILEEN is the story of a young secretary named Eileen
(Thomasin McKenzie) who becomes enchanted by Rebecca
(Anne Hathaway), the glamorous new counselor at the prison
where she works. Their budding friendship takes a twisted turn
when Rebecca reveals a dark secret — throwing Eileen onto a
sinister path. William Oldroyd’s EILEEN is a neo-noir that upends
audience expectations with each new twist and turn, leading to
jaw-dropping revelations and an unforgettable finale.

2023 Sundance Film Festival

Northstar Village Cinema – December 2 – 6:00pm

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THE TASTE OF THINGS

THE TASTE OF THINGS

2023 (FRANCE) 145 minutes

Directed by: Tran Anh Hung

Trần Anh Hùng won Best Director at Cannes for this sumptuous and impossibly romantic film that pays tribute to love, food, and joie de vivre. Based on a Marcel Rouff novel, The Taste of Things stars Juliette Binoche as Eugénie, a renowned 19th-century chef who partners with the gourmet Dodin (Benoît Magimel) to create gustatory pleasures. They’ve become lovers over the years, but Eugénie refuses to marry him, citing a desire to maintain her independence. That tension brings additional spice to a film inclined to linger over delicious dishes, charting a nuanced and touching relationship between strong-willed, deeply affectionate individuals with intertwined yet separate lives. Trần (The Scent of Green Papaya, Norwegian Wood) deftly presents this culinary world as a reminder of how our passions give us meaning. The cast is superb, with Binoche especially divine as a witty, elegant cook who sees in every meal the possibility for creativity and personal expression. No wonder Dodin adores Eugénie so — viewers will feel the same.

2023 Cannes Film Festival – Best Director – Nom. – Palme d’Or

Official Selection from France in the Best International Feature
Film category for the 2024 Academy Awards.

Incline Village Cinema – December 2 – 6:00pm

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THE SHADOW OF THE SUN

THE SHADOW OF THE SUN

2023 (VENEZUELA, USA) 100 minutes

Directed by: Miguel Angel Ferrer

Leo (Carlos Manuel Gonzalez) is a blue collar worker with a musical past living in the remote city of Acarigua, nestled in the Venezuelan inland empire. Haunted by financial debt and problems at home, he does anything to stay afloat.

One day, his younger brother Alex (Anyelo Lopez) who has been deaf since birth, offers him a solution: to participate in a musical contest in the capital, Caracas, performing a song that he has written himself because the first prize may solve all his economic problems.

Forced by circumstance, Leo must take a leap of faith, unearth his dormant musical talent and do the impossible to change his and his brother’s future by joining their voices in an unforgettable journey.

2023 Monterrey International Film Festival – Best Film

Official Selection from Venezuela in the Best International Feature
category for the 2024 Academy Awards.

Incline Village Cinema – December 3 – 6:00pm

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EXTRAPOLATIONS

EXTRAPOLATIONS

2023 (USA) 4 60-minute episodes

Directed by: Scott Z. Burns

This series from Apple TV+ is a bracing drama from writer, director and executive director Scott Z. Burns that introduces a near future where the chaotic effects of climate change have become embedded into our everyday lives. Four interwoven stories about love, work, faith and family from across the globe will explore the intimate, life-altering choices that must be made when the planet is changing faster than the population. Every episode is different, but the fight for our future is universal. And when the fate of humanity is up against a ticking clock, the battle between courage and complacency has never been more urgent. Are we brave enough to become the solution to our own undoing before it’s too late?

Scott Z. Burns is a screenwriter, director, producer, and playwright. His work in film includes producing An Inconvenient Truth, as well as An Inconvenient Sequel and Sea Of Shadows. Burns’ writing credits include The Bourne Ultimatum, The Informant!, Contagion, Side Effects and The Laundromat. Burns’ credits as a director include PU-239 and The Report. On stage, Burns’ play The Library was produced at The Public Theater and was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New American Play.

Scott Z. Burns will be present to introduce this series as well as participate with a Q & A afterward.

2037: A RAVEN STORY
Directed by: Scott Z. Burns
As nations fight over the Earth’s fate, Rebecca (Sienna
Miller), Marshall (Daveed Diggs), and Junior (Matthew
Rhys) all see their plans go up in smoke.

Incline Village Cinema – December 9 – 2:00pm

2046: WHALE FALL
Directed by: Scott Z. Burns
Rebecca, a marine biologist, strives to connect with a
humpback whale (voiced by Meryl Streep) before it’s
too late.

Incline Village Cinema – December 9 – 3:00pm

2047: THE FIFTH QUESTION
Directed by: Gregory Jacobs
As Miami’s waters rise, Rabbi Zucker gets an intriguing
offer from the father (David Schwimmer) of a young
woman preparing for her bat mitzvah.

Incline Village Cinema – December 10 – 2:00pm

2066: LOLA
Directed by: Scott Z. Burns
Natasha (Gemma Chan), a single Mom in London,
braves the world of artificial companionship, until she
rents a partner (Tahar Rahim) she can’t forget.

Incline Village Cinema – December 10 – 3:00pm

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COMMON GROUND

COMMON GROUND

2023 (USA) 105 minutes

Directed by: Josh Tickell

A striking wake-up call for the entire world, this dramatic and gorgeously shot doc focuses on the power of regenerative farming to transform the Earth, and how soil health is the key to all health. Filmmakers Rebecca and Josh Tickell dig into the impact contemporary agriculture has on everyday lives, with celebrities including Laura Dern, Jason Momoa, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, and Donald Glover introducing us to farmers, scientists, and concerned citizens on the literal ground working to save the planet. The film delves into the financial and political drivers behind farming decisions, including a look at the unsettling racial history of American agriculture, the role of government lobbyists, and the influence of chemical companies like Monsanto. Ultimately it delivers a hopeful message as a growing number of innovative farmers find strategies to not only produce nutritional food, but also revive our faltering ecosystem.

2023 Tribeca Film Festival – Winner Human/Nature Award

Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room – December 2 – 4:00pm
Welk – Hyatt Vacation Club at Northstar Lodge – December 1 – 6:00pm

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DEEP RISING

DEEP RISING

2023 (USA) 93 minutes

Directed by: Matthieu Rytz

Director Matthieu Rytz presents a fascinating and compelling documentary about secret organizations mining metals in the sea floor, for use in green technology. As the world seeks solutions for the climate crisis, battery-powered vehicles have emerged as a key component to the solution. But these large batteries need valuable metals, and corporations are turning to deep sea mining in the Pacific Ocean to get these lucrative deposits. Deep Rising follows a mining startup as it attempts to open up swaths of the ocean floor to mining. Featuring incredible ocean photography alongside thought-provoking geopolitical, scientific, and corporate discussions, Rytz’s newest documentary examines every side of the green energy revolution. Narrated by Jason Momoa, Deep Rising illuminates the vital relationship between the deep ocean and sustaining life on Earth.

2023 Sundance Film Festival

Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room – December 2 – 2:00pm

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THE MISSION

THE MISSION

2023 (USA) 103 minutes

Directed by: Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss

John Chau, a young American missionary, went missing in 2018 while attempting to contact one of the world’s most isolated indigenous peoples on remote North Sentinel Island. Longtime collaborators and Emmy Award-winning directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss uncover the gripping story through
exclusive interviews and unprecedented access to Chau’s secret plans, personal diaries, and video archives. THE MISSION deftly examines the eternal mythology of exploration that inspired him, the evangelical community that supported his quest, and Chau’s father’s heartbreak when a youthful thirst for adventure became a dangerous obsession. A National Geographic release.

2023 Telluride Film Festival
2023 BFI London Film Festival

Incline Village Cinema – December 2 – 8:30pm

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THE GREAT DIVIDE

THE GREAT DIVIDE

2023 (USA) 89 minutes

Directed by: Tom Donahue

There is perhaps no more polarizing subject in American politics than the discussion around how to resolve our issues of gun violence and gun control throughout the country. An all-out war between rural vs. urban, left vs. right, and red states vs. blue states has been waged by politicians, lobbyists, and media outlets intent on making their point of view heard and felt — yet the country is no closer to finding a middle ground. “The Great Divide” takes on the hot-button topic by examining the origins of violence in America, from its roots in slavery and Native American genocide to the modern-day epidemic of mass shootings. The so-called red flag laws, also known as Extreme Risk Protection Orders, allow the state to restrict access or even remove firearms from people deemed a risk by “family or household member or a law enforcement officer established by clear and convincing evidence that a person poses a significant risk to self or others by having a firearm in his or her custody.”

2023 Aspen Film Festival
2023 RiverRun Film Festival

Incline Village Cinema – December 2 – 4:00pm

RATHER

RATHER

2023 (USA) 95 minutes

Directed by: Frank Marshall

Frank Marshall’s incisive documentary is a long-overdue tribute
to an icon of journalism, a late-in-life Twitter superstar, a father,
husband, and a voice of reason, compassion, and brilliance: Dan
Rather. To older generations, his name may be synonymous
with quality journalism and stalwart diplomacy, but to younger
audience members unfamiliar with his career, Rather provides
the opportunity to travel back in time through his remarkable
experiences and sharp-witted commentary. From his days
embedded in the Vietnam War to his on-the-ground coverage of
JFK’s assassination to his presence at the foot of the Berlin Wall
as it fell, Dan Rather has reported on an astonishing number of
iconic moments in history. Now, as a 92-year-old reflecting on
seven decades of service and looking to the future of democracy,
we meet a man freed from the auspices of any overarching
network or deadline — a big-hearted human fueled by a tireless
work ethic and dedication to the truth. Sprinkled with deadpan
humor and often with a tear in his eye, Rather narrates the stories
that define both him as a person and our nation’s alternately
shameful and celebratory recent past.

2023 Tribeca Film Festival

Incline Village Cinema – December 3 – 4:00pm

THE SPACE RACE

THE SPACE RACE

2023 (USA) 91 minutes

Directed by: Diego Hurtado de Mendoza and Lisa Cortés

From National Geographic Documentary Films comes The Space Race, an emotive and educational exploration of the experiences of the first Black astronauts. Featuring candid interviews from Ed Dwight, Guion Bluford, Charles Bolden, and Victor Glover, the documentary spotlights the oft-omitted racial injustice
narratives and present-day realities of these pioneers. This film weaves together archival footage of U.S. space expeditions, Afrofuturist cultural milestones, and stories told by Black astronauts into an enlightening dialogue about the expectations placed on trailblazers. Tackling defining moments of American history, from the Kennedy assassination to the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster to the George Floyd uprising, these dynamic discussions posit new meditations on the fight for equality. Asthe documentary transverses space and decades, it encourages a reclamation of the past as a way to create a limitless future.

2023 Tribeca Film Festival
2023 Chicago International Film Festival

Incline Village Cinema – December 3 – 2:00pm

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LAKOTA NATION VS.UNITED STATES

LAKOTA NATION VS.UNITED STATES

2022 (USA) 120 minutes

Directed by: Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli

It is the most sacred place on earth, the birthplace of the Lakota that has shaped thought, identity and philosophy for the Océti Šakówin since time immemorial–the life-giving land known as the Black Hills. Yet with the arrival of the first Europeans in 1492, the sacred land has been the site of conflict between the people it has nurtured and the settler state seeking to exploit and redefine it in its own image. Beginning with the Indian Wars of the 1800s, which saw the U.S. Army continually on the losing-end against Sioux and Arapaho warriors, and leading to the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 — one of many broken treaties separating the Oyate from their land — the Black Hills have witnessed a greed-driven gold rush, the systematic erasure of its original inhabitants, and the creation of a most ironic shrine to white supremacy, Mount Rushmore.

2023 Tribeca Film Festival
2023 Chicago International Film Festival

Incline Village Cinema – December 2 – 2:00pm

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CARLOS

CARLOS

2023 (USA) 87 minutes

Directed by: Rudy Valdez

At the age of 5, in his native Mexico, he learned to play the violin. At 8, he developed a lifelong love for the guitar. At 14, he honed those guitar virtuoso skills and his performance style working as a street musician, starting his own band not long after while still a teenager. And at 22 – just before his first album was released to acclaim – Carlos Santana became one of the major discoveries of Woodstock, anchoring the famous festival’s second afternoon on August 16, 1969. A music industry legend for 50 years and a 10-time Grammy winning global sensation, as well as a recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor and a Billboard Century Award, Santana continues to be one of the music world’s premiere artists, blending jazz, blues, and the Mariachi sound with rock n’ roll spirituality and a sense of connection to music’s primal connection to our deepest emotions. The electric documentary CARLOS utilizes new interviews with Santana and his family alongside extraordinary, never-before-seen archival footage – including home video recordings Santana himself made; concert footage; and behind-the scenes moments – as two time Emmy winning director Rudy Valdez creates an intimate, rich documentary about a man whose sound casts a spell on fans who love – as one of Santana’s famous titles says – “how his rhythm goes.”

2023 Tribeca Film Festival

Incline Village Cinema – November 30 – 8:00pm

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SAN FRANCISCO SOUNDS: A PLACE IN TIME

SAN FRANCISCO SOUNDS: A PLACE IN TIME

2023 (USA) – Episode 1 – 71 minutes – Episode 2 – 74 minutes

Directed by: Alison Ellwood and Anoosh Tertzakian

San Francisco Sounds: A Place in Time is a two-part docu-series that celebrates the musical and artistic renaissance that exploded in the San Francisco Bay Area from the mid-sixties to the mid-seventies. Told through first-hand accounts of artists who lived it, the series explores the creative spirit that led to the
emergence of psychedelic rock music, light shows and poster art; the origin of the rock concert with the Filmore and Avalon ballrooms; the birth of “freeform” radio; and the new rock journalism that defined a generation – and generations to come. The series is an intricately crafted musical journey that weaves
personal stories with never-before-seen archival footage, photos and audio. Featuring the music of Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, Steve Miller, Moby Grape, Santana, Sly and the Family Stone, the Doobie Brothers and many more.

Courtesy of Apple TV

Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room – December 2 – 6:00pm (Episode 1) & 7:30pm (Episode 2)

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JOAN BAEZ: I AM A NOISE

JOAN BAEZ: I AM A NOISE

2023 (USA) 113 minutes

Directed by: Miri Navasky, Maeve O’Boyle, Karen O’Connor

In her 20s, Joan Baez was the undisputed queen of folk music, one of the first people to recognize Bob Dylan’s talent and record his songs (the two would also make another kind of music together for a while), and someone who used her rising celebrity to fight for civil rights and justice and against the war in Vietnam. This entrancing documentary takes a long look back at Baez’s wild ride while following the longtime San Mateo County resident on her 2018/2019 Fare Thee Well Tour. The final Baez standing
after the deaths of her two sisters and her parents, Baez gives an account not just of her singular life of art and activism but also spins a complicated family story. Music, archival material, and oral history combine for a stunning glimpse into the voice of a generation.

2023 Berlin International Film Festival
2023 South by Southwest Film Festival
2023 San Francisco International Film Festival

Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room – November 30 – 8:00pm

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LET THE CANARY SING

LET THE CANARY SING

2023 (USA) 96 minutes

Directed by: Alison Ellwood

Cyndi Lauper anxiously rides in the backseat of a car stuck in
New York City traffic. In her distinctively thick New York accent,
she reflects on her career, saying “I didn’t want anyone to tell
me what I could and couldn’t do.” On her longevity and unique
ability to adapt to shifting social trends, she says “I never think
of it as reinvention. I want to learn.” Alison Ellwood’s spirited
documentary Let the Canary Sing takes the audience on a
nostalgic exploration of the life and career of legendary pop
icon Cyndi Lauper, with a boisterous narrative anchored by the
inimitable Lauper herself. The film traverses her upbringing in a
lower-class Queens neighborhood through her rebellious youth
pushing back against intolerance, all the way to her meteoric
rise in the music scene crafting classic songs that are vibrant and
catchy as well as socially resonant. Ellwood presents a revealing
and honest Lauper alongside lively archival footage of her cheeky
personality and many absorbing performances through the years.
The result is a film that captures Lauper’s body of work as an
outspoken feminist artist who has been a stalwart advocate and
champion for others.

2023 Tribeca Film Festival
2023 Edinburgh International Film Festival

Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room – December 1 – 6:30pm

IMMEDIATE FAMILY

IMMEDIATE FAMILY

2022 (USA) 102 minutes

Directed by: Denny Tedesco

From Denny Tedesco, the award-winning director of The Wrecking Crew!, comes a new documentary charting the journey of a group of close friends who became the premiere studio band for the musical icons of the ’70s and beyond. They may not be as familiar as the stars they collaborated with, but you’ll find their names in the liner notes of many favorite albums of the singer-songwriter era. These five talented musicians — Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar, Waddy Wachtel, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, and Steve Postell — musically clicked together and became the coveted session players for a new generation of hitmakers. Interviewees include their collaborators James Taylor, Don Henley, Lyle Lovett, Jackson Browne, Phil Collins, Carole King, Stevie Nicks, Keith Richards, Steve Jordan, and dozens more who take us behind the scenes on the songs that shaped an era. This is the up-close-and-personal story of the artists who shunned the spotlight but loved being on the road and in the studio with their heroes, steering the course of musical history to this day.

2023 Boulder International Film Festival – Best Documentary
2023 Calgary International Film Festival – Audience Award

Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room – December 1 – 8:30pm

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LOUIS ARMSTRONG'S BLACK & BLUES

LOUIS ARMSTRONG’S BLACK & BLUES

2022 (USA) 106 minutes

Directed by: Sacha Jenkins

Musician and documentary filmmaker Sacha Jenkins accessed the personal archive of legendary jazz trumpeter and singer Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong. Tapping into Louis’ own audio recordings, representing a meticulous account of his personal life, Jenkins offers insights into the man behind the music-his private conversations juxtaposed with his public persona as one of the most famous musicians and performers in the world. Archival footage and a soundtrack containing some of Satchmo’s bestknown songs and performances bring Louis to life and show him as a barrier-breaking Black entertainer who navigated the times he lived in to keep at his craft over a 50+-year career.

Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room – December 3 – 6:00pm

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Founding Partners

 
Crystal Bay Casino
Sierra Sun
TERC
RSO Foundation
NTCA
Northstar California
 

Signature Partners

 
Northstar Lodge
Best Western Truckee Tahoe
The Incline Lodge
Mourelatos
Sunnyside
Hampton Inn
Coldwell Banker
 

Business Partners

 
Tahoe Daves
Raleys
Tahoe Water Association
Plumas Bank
TART
IVCBA
Bonterra