This year, the Maryland Film Festival introduces Festival Journeys, curated tracks that invite festivalgoers through selections of film that will deepen their experiences of the festival and broaden or transform their ways of seeing. Festival Journeys are portals of discovery that provide festival goers the opportunity to immerse themselves in a range of stories that complement and sharpen each other, opening you up to varied reflections on identity, genre and perspective. As opposed to stringently imposed structures, the journeys function as exploratory threads. Dive deep into a single Journey, follow them all or jump between a few to create a more personal path through the festival’s lineup. MdFF’s programming team has curated four journeys: MdFF Pride, Black Voices, She/They Said and WTF.
MdFF PRIDE
The films on this path foreground queer life, spotlighting stories that work through the width and breadth of queer life across style and subject. The journey includes narrative films on intimate romances, found family and identity, as well as documentaries on groundbreaking artists, and communities trying to navigate an increasingly hazardous world.
MdFF PRIDE Highlight/ Spotlight On I WAS BORN THIS WAY
I WAS BORN THIS WAY explores the life and legacy of Archbishop Carl Bean, a trailblazing artist and activist whose eponymous 1977 disco hit ‘I Was Born This Way’ laid the foundation for queer representation in mainstream pop music. Through animation, musical sequences and appearances from Lady Gaga, Questlove, Billy Porter, and Dionne Warwick, the film celebrates Carl Bean’s life as a musician and activist. “I was researching a series on protest music which led me to Lady Gaga. When I found that her song [Born This Way] was an homage to an earlier song and an homage to the man who sang it …his story just stuck with me,” says the film’s co-director Daniel Junge.
Co-director, Sam Pollard, echoed similar sentiments on the importance of Carl Bean’s story: “Here’s is a piece of history that has been unsung, and what we’ve done is open the door to let people in so they can see that there was this amazing human being. He was not only very musically engaged, he was also very very politically and socially active, and you see his evolution and progression through this film. In a time where there is so much pessimism in the world, his optimistic attitude about everything is truly so refreshing.”
BLACK VOICES
This journey celebrates Black filmmaking in all of its depth and texture. It spans narrative investigations of the effects of incarceration, intricate coming of age stories, and tender romances. From documentaries on the lives of radical artists and community builders to a critical look at the past and present of the Electoral College, this journey reflects the density and complexity of Black lives and stories.
Spotlight on LISTEN TO ME
LISTEN TO ME is an affecting look at Black Maternal Health. Following three black women on their journey to motherhood, the film transcends statistics, immersing us in deeply personal stories and placing human faces on the core issues at the heart of an unjust maternal health system. We witness three women navigate pregnancy and attempt to reshape the maternal health landscape through advocacy and resilience.
Discussing her excitement about the screening of LISTEN TO ME at MdFF, Stephanie Etienne, who co-directed the film with Kanika Harris said, “The MdFF screenings bring the film to our home base. The film was conceived in the DMV, particularly in Baltimore, so this is like bringing our film home. We are excited – it’s very special to be showing the film to the people who helped us make it.”
When asked what they hoped people would take away from the film, Harris said, “We want people to take it and work with it to advance the issue of Black maternal health. We want to help raise awareness and bring new hearts, ears and minds to the issue. We want people to start advocating for themselves and on behalf of people who are going into the maternal health system.”
SHE/THEY SAID
Women and non-binary filmmakers come into focus in this wonderfully expansive cinematic journey. Spanning a wide range of innovations and styles, the collection explores everything from epic narratives about the Palestinian occupation to sharp, witty observations on the American dream and tender tales of romance, friendship and family. It also features compelling documentaries about self discovery, the lives and times of artists, activists and the building blocks of our political system.
Spotlight on ONE PERSON ONE VOTE
ONE PERSON ONE VOTE is an illuminating exploration of the Electoral College, its origins in slavery, its historical evolution, and its continued influence on American democracy today. Featuring four compelling electors from across the political spectrum, the film offers a rare inside look at an institution often shrouded in mystery. The film is a gripping and timely look at the hidden mechanics of American democracy.
On her inspiration for the film, director Maximina Juson says, “The idea came from recognizing a gap that cuts across every level of education in this country: most Americans don’t actually understand how the Electoral College works, or why it was created in the first place. This is the system we use to elect the highest office in the land! That disconnect felt unacceptable to me.”
Juson also discussed the film as it exists within our current political landscape. “I’m proud that I made this film for all Americans, no matter where they fall politically. It would have been easier to make a film that reinforces what one side already believes. The film leaves space for nuance and for the idea that disagreement does not require dehumanization. I wanted to leave room for the hope that we can still talk to one another, that dialogue is possible, and that listening is not surrender.”
WTF
This journey is an invitation into the unapologetically weird. MdFF invites you to immerse yourself in surreal genre-defying cinematic experiments and to take a journey through some outlandish dreamscapes and unforgettable awakenings.
This collection includes TWO WOMEN, a hilarious story about two women whose sexual escapades lead them to reconsider their lives as wives, mothers and workers, and FUCKTOYS a campy, raucous tale that follows a woman who goes on a journey to lift a curse and transform her fortune.
The festival’s line up presents endless possibilities for discovery. These journeys are only four of the wonderful paths waiting to be explored. For more about these journeys and the festival line up, visit the MdFF website. Have a great journey!
