Minnesota Film Festival in Duluth to features films from Lake Superior to Korea
The Minnesota Film Festival lasts from March 29 through April 2 this year. The festival features local and international films at the Zeitgeist Zinema theater in Duluth.
Program Director Beth Chatelain joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about how the festival has been going so far and what audiences can look forward to.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
CATHY WURZER: The Minnesota Film Festival is in full swing in Duluth today. It started yesterday at the Zeitgeist Zinema Theater and features international films as well as films made right here in Minnesota. To talk about how the festival has been going so far and what folks can look forward to, we're joined by Beth Chatelain. Beth is the festival's program director. Hey, welcome to the program, Beth. How are you?
BETH CHATELAIN: Hi. I'm good. How are you doing, Cathy?
CATHY WURZER: Good. It's been a busy day. Thanks for being here. So I understand that the festival started last night at the Zeitgeist. How has it been going?
BETH CHATELAIN: Yeah, it's been going really great. Last night we had our opening night screening of Daniel's Gotta Die and it sold out in two of our theaters. And that was written by a local screenwriter, Matthew Dressel. And then after that, we had a packed comedy stand-up session from Mary Lynn Rajskub, who was also a part of Daniel's Gotta Die. So yeah, it's been going great so far.
CATHY WURZER: What films are you most excited about?
BETH CHATELAIN: We have a lot of great films coming in. One I'm really excited about is Finding Her Beat, which is a documentary that actually is from Minneapolis. It's about a taiko drumming group of all women, and they all come together in Minneapolis for this big performance. And so that one's a really great one.
And then we have another one called A Winter Love, which is also out of Minneapolis, which is an Indigenous filmmaker. And it's a love story between a Navajo singer/songwriter and a Lakota law school dropout, and it's sort of a dramedy. And yeah, so that one's really-- that's a great one too, excited about that one as well.
CATHY WURZER: Looks like a series of shorts are also on the docket from Indigenous filmmakers.
BETH CHATELAIN: Yes. Yeah, we have a number of films. I think we have about 8 to 10 films that are in one block, and then we also have other films that are scattered throughout other blocks as well. And that one is playing on Saturday afternoon, and then throughout the festival. Yeah.
CATHY WURZER: I love the international flavor to this, too. I know you have some guests who came all the way from Korea for their film, Her Fifth Room.
BETH CHATELAIN: Mm-hmm, yeah. Yes, we're very excited about that as well. It's a wonderful, intimate story of a family and a mother who kind of finds independence after years of carrying this-- this family on her shoulders. So that one we're really excited about the filmmaker being here and being able to speak to her experience, because it's also a personal documentary. So we're really excited about that.
CATHY WURZER: OK, speaking of personal, I know you're a filmmaker with a film that takes place in Minnesota. Excellent. Tell us about it.
BETH CHATELAIN: Yeah, so it's called Paper Geese, and it's really about a young girl who goes on a hunt with her father and kind of comes to realize that her father is not the-- the man that she had idolized for so long. And the environment is very much a part of the story. It happens in the winter in Minnesota, and so that very much affects and becomes almost its own character in the story.
CATHY WURZER: Excellent. By the way, is that being shown as well?
BETH CHATELAIN: It is, yes. It's actually showing today at 5:30.
CATHY WURZER: So how's your stomach feel right now? I always get a little-- some butterflies when I've done this in the past. I've been-- I've been, well, lucky to be a producer of some documentaries and there's always this little feeling like I'm going to let my baby out and people will see it. And I hope they like it, you know? How do you feel right now?
BETH CHATELAIN: Yeah. I mean, I'm definitely a little nervous. You know, you're always a little nervous before screenings. But you just kind of have to-- have to let it go and see how it's received. And I mean, that's really a part of making art as well-- is that you want to share it with people. You want people to view it. so yeah, I'm excited and also nervous at the same time, so--
CATHY WURZER: Well, good luck. Beth, I appreciate your time. Thank you so much, and best of luck with the festival.
BETH CHATELAIN: Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.
CATHY WURZER: Beth Chatelain has been with us. She's with the Minnesota Film Festival in Duluth. It's happening right now. You can learn more about the films that will play through the weekend at zeitgeistarts.com. By the way, our arts coverage is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendments Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
BETH CHATELAIN: Hi. I'm good. How are you doing, Cathy?
CATHY WURZER: Good. It's been a busy day. Thanks for being here. So I understand that the festival started last night at the Zeitgeist. How has it been going?
BETH CHATELAIN: Yeah, it's been going really great. Last night we had our opening night screening of Daniel's Gotta Die and it sold out in two of our theaters. And that was written by a local screenwriter, Matthew Dressel. And then after that, we had a packed comedy stand-up session from Mary Lynn Rajskub, who was also a part of Daniel's Gotta Die. So yeah, it's been going great so far.
CATHY WURZER: What films are you most excited about?
BETH CHATELAIN: We have a lot of great films coming in. One I'm really excited about is Finding Her Beat, which is a documentary that actually is from Minneapolis. It's about a taiko drumming group of all women, and they all come together in Minneapolis for this big performance. And so that one's a really great one.
And then we have another one called A Winter Love, which is also out of Minneapolis, which is an Indigenous filmmaker. And it's a love story between a Navajo singer/songwriter and a Lakota law school dropout, and it's sort of a dramedy. And yeah, so that one's really-- that's a great one too, excited about that one as well.
CATHY WURZER: Looks like a series of shorts are also on the docket from Indigenous filmmakers.
BETH CHATELAIN: Yes. Yeah, we have a number of films. I think we have about 8 to 10 films that are in one block, and then we also have other films that are scattered throughout other blocks as well. And that one is playing on Saturday afternoon, and then throughout the festival. Yeah.
CATHY WURZER: I love the international flavor to this, too. I know you have some guests who came all the way from Korea for their film, Her Fifth Room.
BETH CHATELAIN: Mm-hmm, yeah. Yes, we're very excited about that as well. It's a wonderful, intimate story of a family and a mother who kind of finds independence after years of carrying this-- this family on her shoulders. So that one we're really excited about the filmmaker being here and being able to speak to her experience, because it's also a personal documentary. So we're really excited about that.
CATHY WURZER: OK, speaking of personal, I know you're a filmmaker with a film that takes place in Minnesota. Excellent. Tell us about it.
BETH CHATELAIN: Yeah, so it's called Paper Geese, and it's really about a young girl who goes on a hunt with her father and kind of comes to realize that her father is not the-- the man that she had idolized for so long. And the environment is very much a part of the story. It happens in the winter in Minnesota, and so that very much affects and becomes almost its own character in the story.
CATHY WURZER: Excellent. By the way, is that being shown as well?
BETH CHATELAIN: It is, yes. It's actually showing today at 5:30.
CATHY WURZER: So how's your stomach feel right now? I always get a little-- some butterflies when I've done this in the past. I've been-- I've been, well, lucky to be a producer of some documentaries and there's always this little feeling like I'm going to let my baby out and people will see it. And I hope they like it, you know? How do you feel right now?
BETH CHATELAIN: Yeah. I mean, I'm definitely a little nervous. You know, you're always a little nervous before screenings. But you just kind of have to-- have to let it go and see how it's received. And I mean, that's really a part of making art as well-- is that you want to share it with people. You want people to view it. so yeah, I'm excited and also nervous at the same time, so--
CATHY WURZER: Well, good luck. Beth, I appreciate your time. Thank you so much, and best of luck with the festival.
BETH CHATELAIN: Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.
CATHY WURZER: Beth Chatelain has been with us. She's with the Minnesota Film Festival in Duluth. It's happening right now. You can learn more about the films that will play through the weekend at zeitgeistarts.com. By the way, our arts coverage is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendments Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
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