42nd Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival - APRIL 13-27, 2023MSPIFF41 Programs
PROGRAMS

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
With big stars, top directors, and prime positioning, these new high-profile films from around the world are making their mark and staking their claim as the year’s splashiest movies.
ASIAN FRONTIERS
Behold cinematic visions that are as diverse as they are discerning. This section elevates Asian independent voices that bring stories, both real and imagined, brilliantly to life.
CINE LATINO
Celebrates the cinematic history and rich tapestry of Spanish and Portuguese language film, and the powerful and captivating cinematic storytelling emerging from three continents and nine countries.
DARK OUT
Covering action, horror, mystery, and sometimes a mix of all three, the thrills and chills of this program transcend borders with undeniable international flair.
IMAGES OF AFRICA
As rich and varied as the continent itself, African cinema is formative and historic, nascent and unconventional, blazing a trail of innovation and identity.
MIDNIGHT SUN
Take in the sights and sounds of the Northern European climes where, for at least a few days each year, the sun never sets. This selection of fiction and documentaries from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland shines with new Nordic cinema.
NEW AMERICAN VISIONS
Celebrate the maverick visions of American auteurs and nonfiction masters, whether they are one step away from Hollywood or fiercely independent.
NEXTWAVE
NEXTWAVE at the film festival celebrates films about and by today’s youth generation. The Nextwave program includes an international showcase of coming of age, family, and young adult features, a youth short film competition, and youth-focused events and opportunities throughout MSPIFF.
WORLD CINEMA
Travel the globe and rediscover it from a multitude of perspectives in this showcase of new fiction and documentary films from dozens of countries.COMPETITIONS

DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
This juried competition recognizes national and international non-fiction filmmaking that exemplifies the very best in presentation, diversity, innovation, and powerful storytelling in the documentary form.
EMERGING FILMMAKER COMPETITION
This juried competition recognizes new and up-and-coming filmmakers from around the world for their achievements in feature fiction filmmaking. The award is given to a film and filmmaker that demonstrates excellence in creativity, storytelling, technique, and innovation in the dramatic form.
SHORTS COMPETITION
This juried competition recognizes national, international, and local short form filmmaking in both fiction and documentary, exemplifying the very best in presentation, diversity, innovation, and powerful storytelling.SPECIAL INTERESTS

WOMEN & FILM INITIATIVE
The Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival recognizes the historic and current gender inequities in the film industry, and our support for women industry professionals is stronger than ever. MSPIFF’s showcase of outstanding works of fiction and documentary cinema by women creatives from around the globe continues to grow every year. The 2022 program presents 82 feature and short film projects directed by women.
LGBTQ+ CURRENTS
LGBTQ+ Currents explores the broad horizons of queer cinema and the diverse voices and personalities that refuse to be silent. Throughout the world, LGBTQ+ issues are more political and present than ever. These stories reverberate on the global stage of cinema, where vibrant experiences from around the world--both real and imagined--unfold on our screens.
MINNESOTA MADE
Representative of the abundance of talent and diversity of vision in local filmmaking, Minnesota Made returns with a slate of new must-see feature length and short films from Minnesota-based and Minnesota-native filmmakers.LUMINARIES TRIBUTE
