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Home , Adam Driver, Alan Alda, Edward Norton, Felicity Jones, Isabelle Huppert, Joe Pesci

Seventh Annual Middleburg Film Festival Unveils Full 2019 Slate with 34 Narrative, Foreign Language and Documentary Films

Middleburg, VA, October 1, 2019 – The Middleburg Film Festival announced today the 34 films making up the full slate for the 2019 edition of the Festival. MFF, now in its seventh year, opens Thursday, October 17 with Academy Award-nominated filmmaker ’s , starring and . As previously announced, Baumbach will be honored with the Spotlight Director Award following a screening of his opening night film.

Screening the largest number of films in its history this year, MFF runs October 17 to October 20 in Virginia’s historic wine country located one hour from Washington, DC.

Individual tickets will go on sale today at www.middleburgfilm.org.

Middleburg Film Festival 2019 Full Slate

Opening Night

MARRIAGE STORY Director: Noah Baumbach Country: USA Genre: Narrative Starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, MARRIAGE STORY is an incisive and compassionate look at a marriage breaking up and a family staying together. The ensemble cast also includes , , , and Merritt Weaver.

Centerpiece Film

FORD v FERRARI Director: Country: USA Genre: Narrative Directed by James Mangold, the film is inspired by the remarkable true story of the visionary American car designer Carroll Shelby () and the fearless British driver Ken Miles (), who together battled corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.

Friday Spotlights

HARRIET Director: Country: USA Genre: Narrative Based on the inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, HARRIET tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and subsequent missions to free dozens of slaves through the Underground Railroad. Tony Award winning actress Cynthia Erivo stars in the title role alongside Leslie Odom Jr., Janelle Monae, Joe Alwyn, Jennifer Nettles and Clarke Peters.

WAVES Director: Country: USA Genre: Narrative WAVES traces the epic emotional journey of a suburban African-American family – led by a well-intentioned, domineering father – as they navigate life love, forgiveness, and coming together in the aftermath of a tragic loss. The film stars Sterling K. Brown, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and .

Closing Night Film

THE IRISHMAN Director: Country: USA Genre: Narrative Starring , and , is an epic saga of organized crime in post-war America told through the eyes of WWII veteran , a hustler and hitman who worked alongside some of the most notorious figures of the 20th century. Spanning decades, the film chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history, the disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa, and offers a monumental journey through the hidden corridors of organized crime.

Main Slate

THE AERONAUTS Director: Country: UK Genre: Narrative In 1862, daredevil balloon Amelia Wren () teams up with pioneering meteorologist () to advance human knowledge of the weather and higher than anyone in history. While breaking records and furthering scientific discovery, their voyage to the very edge of existence helps the unlikely pair find their place in the world. But they face physical and emotional challenges in the thin air, as the ascent becomes a fight for survival.

ATLANTICS Director: Country: France/Senegal/Belgium Genre: Foreign Language Narrative Along the Atlantic coast, in a suburb of Dakar, Senegal, construction workers have not been paid for months. They take to the dangerous seas in search of work in Spain. Among them is Souleiman, the lover of Ada, who is soon to be married to another man.

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD Director: Marielle Heller Country: USA Genre: Narrative portrays Mister Rogers in A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, a timely story of kindness triumphing over cynicism, based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod. After a jaded magazine writer (Emmy winner Matthew Rhys) is assigned a profile of Fred Rogers, he overcomes his skepticism, learning about kindness, love and forgiveness from America’s most beloved neighbor.

BLOW THE MAN DOWN Directors: Danielle Krudy, Bridget Savage Cole Country: USA Genre: Narrative Though reeling after the death of their mother, the Connolly sisters suddenly find they have a murder to cover up, leading them deep into the underbelly of their salty Maine fishing village.

THE CAPOTE TAPES Director: Ebs Burnough Country: UK Genre: Documentary Answered Prayers was meant to be Truman Capote's greatest masterpiece, an epic portrait of NYC's glittering jet-set society. Instead, it sparked his downfall. Through never before heard audio archive and interviews with Capote's friends and enemies, this intimate documentary reveals the rise and fall of America's most iconic gay writer.

THE CAVE Director: Feras Fayyad Country: Syria/Denmark/Germany/USA/Qatar Genre: Documentary Following his Academy Award-nominated documentary LAST MEN IN ALEPPO, director Feras Fayyad returns to his native Syria, a country still ravaged by an unrelenting war. In THE CAVE, Fayyad follows a dedicated team of female doctors who tirelessly treat casualties in an underground hospital while battling systemic sexism as they risk their lives to provide medical care to the besieged population.

CLEMENCY Director: Chinonye Chukwu Country: USA Genre: Narrative Years of carrying out death row executions have taken a toll on prison warden Bernadine Williams () who finds herself questioning her position and the ethical consequences of her work. As she prepares to execute another inmate, Bernadine must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to Anthony Woods (Aldis Hodge), the man she is sanctioned to kill.

COUP 53 Director: Taghi Amirani Country: UK/Iran/USA Genre: Documentary The story of the 1953 Anglo-American coup in Iran that overthrew the democratically elected Prime Minister Mossadegh and reinstalled the Shah. Featuring never before seen archival footage with firsthand witnesses.

FRANKIE Director: Ira Sachs Country: France/Portugal Genre: Narrative FRANKIE follows three generations of a family who have gathered for a vacation organized by the family matriarch Frankie () in the fabled resort town of Sintra, Portugal. Unfolding over the course of a single day, they’re unaware that this may be the family’s final gathering. The ensemble cast includes , Brendan Gleeson and ,

A HIDDEN LIFE Director: Terence Malick Country: USA/Germany Genre: Narrative Based on real events, from visionary writer-director , A HIDDEN LIFE is the story of an unsung hero, Franz Jägerstätter, who refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II. When the Austrian peasant farmer is faced with the threat of execution for treason, it is his unwavering faith and his love for his wife Fani and children that keeps his spirit alive.

THE HOY BOYS Presented by Press Freedom Partnership Director: David Simonds Country: USA Genre: Documentary Twin brothers Tom and Frank Hoy started in copyboy jobs in 1953 and later became White House news photographers for two major Washington DC newspapers – The Washington Post and The Evening Star. World Premiere

HONEY BOY Director: Alma Har’el Country: USA Genre: Narrative Written by Shia LaBeouf, HONEY BOY traces the life of Otis Lort as he rises from early sitcom success to a self-destructive Hollywood supernova. Based on LaBeouf’s own life, HONEY BOY weaves together two timelines as Otis (played by Noah Jupe and Lucas Hedges) struggles to come to terms with his ex-rodeo clown father, played by LaBeouf in a role inspired by his own father.

INVISIBLE LIFE Director: Karim Aïnouz Country: Brazil/Germany Genre: Narrative Foreign Language Winner of the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section at this year’s , INVISIBLE LIFE tells the story of two sisters born in Rio de Janeiro who make their way through life mistakenly believing the other is living out her dreams half a world away.

JOJO RABBIT Director: Country: USA Genre: Narrative Writer director Taika Waititi (THOR: RAGNAROK, HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE), brings his signature style of humor and pathos to his latest film, JOJO RABBIT, a World War II satire that follows a lonely German boy ( as JoJo) whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic. Aided only by his idiotic imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi), Jojo must confront his blind nationalism.

JUST MERCY Director: Destin Daniel Cretton Country: USA Genre: Narrative JUST MERCY is a powerful true story that follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice as he fights a merciless legal system stacked against him and his clients on death row. The film also stars , Rob Morgan, , Rafe Spall, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Karan Kendrick and .

THE KING Director: David Michod Country: UK Genre: Narrative Wayward prince and reluctant heir to the English throne Hal (Timothée Chalamet) has turned his back on royal life and is living among the people, including his hard-drinking mentor, Sir John Falstaff (). But when his tyrannical father dies, Hal is crowned King Henry V and is forced to embrace the life he had previously tried to escape and navigate palace politics, chaos and war.

KNIVES OUT Director: Country: USA Genre: Narrative Writer/Director Rian Johnson pays tribute to in , a fun, modern-day murder mystery where everyone is a suspect. When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey () is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, Detective Benoit Blanc () is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan's dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan's untimely death.

LES MISERABLES Director: Ladj Ly Country: France Genre: Foreign Language Narrative Starting his first day as a member of the Anti-Crime Squad in Montfermeil – the same suburb that Victor Hugo set as the location for his eponymous novel – Stéphane finds himself thrown into a community rife with tension and nearing a breaking point. When a surprise ambush breaks up an otherwise routine arrest, an act of spontaneous violence at the hands of one of Stéphane’s colleagues pushes them deep into the fractured realities of the neighborhood and immigrant communities they are meant to protect.

MOTHERLESS Director: Country: USA Genre: Narrative Set against the backdrop of 1950s New York, follows Lionel Essrog (Edward Norton), a lonely private detective living with Tourette Syndrome, as he ventures to solve the murder of his mentor and only friend, Frank Minna (). Armed only with a few clues and the engine of his obsessive mind, Lionel unravels closely-guarded secrets that hold the fate of the whole city in the balance.

OLIVER SACKS: HIS OWN LIFE Director: Ric Burns Country: USA Genre: Documentary Learning he has just months to live, renowned writer and neurologist Oliver Sacks reflects on his life and work, dreams and fears, and his abiding sense of wonder at the natural world and the place of human beings within it.

PARASITE Director: Bong Joon-ho Country: South Korea Genre: Foreign Language Narrative The struggling Kim family finds their world colliding with the wealthy Park family when a tutoring job presents itself and provides an opportunity to improve their standing. With a forged degree and a fake resume, their son secures the position and opens the door for the family to one-by-one scheme their way further into the home – only to soon realize that it may be more difficult to let go of their new lifestyles than they initially believed.

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE Director: Céline Sciamma Country: France Genre: Foreign Language Narrative Hired to paint a portrait ahead of a prospective marriage, an artist in 18th-century Brittany finds herself falling for the reclusive would-be bride.

THE REPORT Director: Scott Z. Burns Country: USA Genre: Narrative Assigned to lead the Senate’s investigation into the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program, Daniel Jones (Adam Driver) spent more than half a decade attempting to uncover the truth of the country’s use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” post-9/11. Facing incredible resistance, Jones’ work in collaboration with the Senate Intelligence Committee and Senator Dianne Feinstein () would turn the tide on the public’s understanding of the government’s use of torture.

THIS IS NOT A MOVIE Presented by The Washington Post Press Freedom Partnership Director: Yung Chang Country: Canada/Germany Genre: Documentary The groundbreaking and often game-changing reporting of legendary foreign correspondent and author Robert Fisk is profiled in the latest documentary feature from acclaimed filmmaker Yung Chang. US Premiere

THE TRAITOR Director: Country: Italy Genre: Foreign Language Narrative THE TRAITOR tells the true story of Tommaso Buscetta, the real-life mafia boss turned informer whose whistleblowing on his former colleagues led to the largest prosecution of the Sicilian Mafia in Italian history.

THE TRUTH Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda Country: France/Japan Genre: Foreign Language Narrative Acclaimed director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s first film made outside his native Japan stars as a famous French actress whose relationship with her estranged screenwriter daughter () is further tested when she publishes her memoir.

THE TWO POPES Director: Fernando Meirelles Country: UK Genre: Narrative With tour-de-force performances from and in their portrayals of Pope Francis and Pope Benedict, THE TWO POPES tells the story of the ideologically opposed pontiffs who work to find common ground in forging a new path for the .

VARDA BY AGNES Director: Agnès Varda Country: France Genre: Documentary The latest film from the late filmmaker Agnès Varda sheds light on her legendary career and life with her characteristic humor and vibrant energy. Taking a seat on a theatre stage, she uses film excerpts to provide insights into her unorthodox oeuvre.

WILLIE Director: Laurence Mathieu-Leger Country: USA Genre: Documentary The story of Willie O’Ree, the first African American hockey player to play in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Bruins during the 1957-58 and 1960-61 seasons.

The Coca-Cola Company and Gary and Christina Co Mather are the Middleburg Film Festival’s Presenting Sponsors. The Washington Post is MFF’s Founding Media Sponsor.

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About Middleburg Film Festival Middleburg Film Festival offers four days of fantastic films in a stunning setting, only 30 minutes from Dulles International Airport and just one hour from Washington, D.C. A carefully curated selection of narrative and documentary films screen in an intimate theatre environment, followed by fascinating Q&As with world-renowned filmmakers and actors. The films include Oscar contenders, festival favorites, foreign films, regional premieres, and both narrative and documentary films.

Festival attendees will also be able to experience the natural beauty, food, wine, and warm hospitality of Middleburg.

MFF Media Contact:

Dana Vazquez [email protected] (919) 302-7174