Fargo Film Festival Kicks Off 2023 Edition
BY SCOTTIE KNOLLIN
The 2023 Fargo Film Festival takes place March 21 to March 25 at the historic Fargo Theatre. The annual event celebrating films and filmmakers from around the world is the theatre’s largest fundraising event of the year.
This year’s iteration includes several high-profile in-person events featuring well-known filmmakers and performers, like Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel, who may best be known by audiences as two of the artists behind Netflix’s “The Haunting of Hill House.” Flanagan first attended the Fargo Film Festival in 2011 for the world premiere of his feature film, “Absentia.” Also in attendance this year is Cary Elwes, star of hit fan-favorite film, “The Princess Bride.”
Among the films lighting up the big screens, some of the more anticipated titles include: “A Dire Strait,” “Kassandra,” “The Diamond,” and opening night film, “JessZilla,” which will be accompanied by director Emily Sheskin and producer Ben Kainz.
Several NDFS members are heavily involved in bringing the festival to life this year. NDFS co-founder Greg Carlson serves as this year’s Animation jury chair. He’s also produced the 2-Minute Movie Contest for several years at the festival. Sean Volk serves as a programmer for the festival.
Events
In addition to the packed schedule of films being screened, several special events will taking place throughout the festival:
2-Minute Movie Contest
Thursday, March 23 at 9:15 p.m. - Featuring films by Nicolas Andrew Silva, Shihyun Wang, Maddie Lee, Andrew Payne, Zareh Tjeknavorian, Toby Jones, and others
Heists, Cons, and Murders: True Crime in Media
Friday, March 24 at 12:00 p.m. - Featuring documentarian Allison Otto, journalist/filmmaker Tracy Briggs, and producer/podcaster James Wolner
Writing for the Screen
Saturday, March 25 at 12:00 p.m. - Featuring several artists discussing their writing processes and the transition from script to screen.
Screening Schedule
Tuesday Afternoon, March 21, Theatre 1
1:30pm Luce and the Rock
1:45pm Black Slide
1:55pm The Record
2:05pm Rips
2:20pm Red Line
2:35pm Steakhouse
2:45pm Chaperone
3:00pm Break
3:10pm Kassandra
3:30pm Triggered
3:50pm Legs
4:05pm Blue Room
4:20pm The Queen of the Foxes
4:30pm I’m Late
4:40pm Act of God
Tuesday Afternoon, March 21, Theatre 2
1:30pm Menina Casilda
3:00pm Break
3:10pm Stranger at the Gate
3:40pm Oyate
Tuesday Evening, March 21, Theatre 1
7:00pm JessZilla
Wednesday Morning, March 22, Theatre 1
10:00am Ed’s Last Will
10:05am Rockin’ Baker
10:20am Western Exit
10:35am Negatives
10:50am SONAR
10:55am The Ever Hours
11:05am Stalking the Bogeyman
11:15am A Night in the Cósmico
11:30am Wei Lai
11:45am Past Life
Wednesday Morning, March 22, Theatre 2
10:00am Aaron With 2 A’s
10:20am Brutal Season
Wednesday Afternoon, March 22, Theatre 1
1:30pm Lii Bufloo Aen Loo Kishkishiw
1:45pm Rerouted
1:55pm Cruise
2:05pm Bring Back the Whistle Dog
2:20pm The Long Rider
3:50pm Break
4:00pm The Merry Widow
4:10pm CANS Can’t Stand
4:30pm The Panola Project
4:45pm Eco-Hack!
Wednesday Afternoon, March 22, Theatre 2
1:30pm Loren & Rose
2:50pm Break
3:00pm An Umbrella in Case It Rains
3:15pm La Corriente
Wednesday Evening, March 22, Theatre 1
7:00pm Period Drama
7:05pm Night of the Living Dread
7:15pm In Search of Boozers and Schmucks
7:30pm Can’t Stop Me
7:45pm AJ Goes to the Dog Park: Part One
8:15pm Brutal
8:30pm The Diamond
Thursday Morning, March 23, Theatre 1
10:00am Babel
10:10am The Color of Life
10:30am blk
10:35am Demi-Gods
10:40am Tear
10:50am Light Leak
11:00am Beware of Trains
11:15am Blue Room
11:25am Ouroboros
11:30am Country Roads
11:40am 2:26 p.m.
11:45am House of the Unholy
Thursday Morning, March 23, Theatre 2
10:00am Eating the Silence
10:25am Dear Audrey
Thursday Afternoon, March 23, Theatre 1
1:30pm My Hatton
1:45pm Liquid Gold: From the Midwest to the Mediterranean
2:40pm 13th Ave Fargo Mine Cart
2:55pm Break
3:05pm How Small!
3:15pm A Bite of Bone
3:25pm The Voice Actress
3:40pm Long Line of Ladies
4:05pm Big Crow
Thursday Afternoon, March 23, Theatre 2
1:30pm Free to Care
1:40pm Jack Has a Plan
2:55pm Break
3:05pm Escape
3:20pm Aperio
3:35pm A Dire Strait
4:00pm I’m Lina
4:20pm You Forgot Your Wallet?
4:35pm Sunshine State
4:40pm All That Glitters
5:05pm The Boy Who Couldn’t Feel Pain
Thursday Evening, March 23, Theatre 1
7:00pm Iron Opera
9:15pm 2-Minute Movie Contest
Friday Morning, March 24, Theatre 1
10:00am Runelight
10:05am Murder Tongue
10:25am Dismay
10:55am Freedom Swimmer
11:10am The Hunt
11:35am Black
Friday Morning, March 24, Theatre 2
10:00am A Peculiar and Unfortunate Birth
10:10am Moles
10:25am Wild Card
10:35am The Family We Chose
10:45am All Is Vanity
Friday Afternoon, March 24, Theatre 1
1:30pm The Thief Collector
3:20pm Break
3:30pm A Mind Cannot Touch
3:55pm Red Line
4:10pm CANS Can’t Stand
4:30pm In Search of Boozers and Schmucks
4:40pm Past Life
4:50pm Hey Toby Hey Owen: This Is Not Sponsored by Valvoline
Friday Afternoon, March 24, Theatre 2
1:30pm You’ll Be Happier
1:50pm Dismay
2:20pm Living All of Life
2:50pm The Concubine
3:10pm Sparrow Song
3:20pm Break
3:30pm blk
3:35pm Kylie
3:40pm The Merry Widow
3:50pm I’m Late
4:00pm Queen of Hearts
Friday Evening, March 24, Theatre 1
7:00pm The Princess Bride: An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes
Saturday Morning, March 25, Theatre 1
10:00am Kylie
10:05am The Voice Actress
10:20am Legs
10:35am Chaperone
10:50am Kassandra
11:10am Steakhouse
11:20am All That Glitters
11:45am The Panola Project
Saturday Morning, March 25, Theatre 2
10:00am Amerikatsi
Saturday Afternoon, March 25, Theatre 1
1:30pm Northern Shade
3:25pm Break
3:35pm Presentation of the Margie Bailly Volunteer Spirit Award to Dinah Goldenberg
3:43pm 2-Minute Movie Contest Winner
3:45pm Black Slide
3:55pm Rips
4:20pm Freedom Swimmer
4:35pm Stranger at the Gate
5:05pm Warsha
Saturday Afternoon, March 25, Theatre 2
1:30pm Every Diaspora Poem Is About Mangos
1:35pm The Record
1:45pm The Queen of the Foxes
1:55pm The Boy Who Couldn’t Feel Pain
2:15pm Long Line of Ladies
2:35pm Act of God
2:55pm Night of the Living Dread
3:10pm The Diamond
3:25pm Break
3:35pm Everybody Wants to Be Loved
Saturday Evening, March 25, Theatre 1
7:00pm An Evening with Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel
