For 45 years, the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival has embraced an eclectic curation of international and independent films, celebrating the niche art of filmmaking without blockbuster extravagance. By prioritizing storytelling that exists outside the commercial mainstream, the festival serves as a dedicated space for diverse perspectives — from scrappy, locally produced gems to soaring narratives from around the globe.
MSPIFF runs April 8-19 at The Main Cinema along the Mississippi in Minneapolis, as well as at select theaters across the Twin Cities, including the Edina Theatre, the Capri Theater, and St. Paul’s Landmark Center. This year’s documentary slate features a strong mix of social and political reporting, rich cultural explorations, and nuanced meditations on what it means to be human. Among the fictional works, angst-ridden protagonists, plucky youngsters, metaphysical musings, and old-fashioned love stories make up the mix.
Related: 2025 Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival serves up wide range of offerings
I was able to preview a number of the films ahead of opening day. Here are a few recommendations. Unless otherwise noted, films are $19 at The Main, 115 SE Main St., Minneapolis.
“Why We Dance”: When Canku One Star dances, his limbs move at different rhythms and his colorful regalia swirls like a powerful wind. The fancy dancer and football coach is one of the central storytellers in this documentary exploring the role of dance in various Indigenous communities. Directed by Minnesota-based artist Oogie Push — who also appears as a featured dancer — the film highlights dance’s spiritual role in Indigeneity and its practice as a tool for resistance and a way of sustaining cultural identity. April 12 & 18 at The Main, with an additional discussion at 12:30 p.m. on April 18 at MSPIFF HQ, 65 SE Main St., Minneapolis. Also, One Star will dance before the first screening.
“The Travel Companion”: Filmmaker Travis Wood — a graduate of the University of Minnesota — co-wrote and directed this film with Brooklyn-based Alex Mallis about a character named Simon, who has been enjoying free airline travel perks thanks to his best friend and roommate, Bruce. Simon is a film school graduate and a bit lost; his world turns upside down when Bruce’s new romantic interest, Beatrice, threatens to upend his cushy perk. A terribly flawed and rather selfish character, Simon nevertheless proves endearing thanks to a charming performance by Tristan Turner. April 14 & 16 at The Main.
“Uncle Roy“: Minnesota-based filmmaker Keri Pickett has created a tender portrait of her uncle, Roy Blakey, in a film filled with detours and surprises as it unveils the process of saying goodbye to a loved one. Sharing her close relationship with her uncle — a gay former military man turned professional ice skater turned photographer — Pickett is unafraid to put herself into this loving send-off from one artist to another. You will fall in love with Roy at the end of this film, and you’ll likely want to check out his vast collection of ice dancing memorabilia and erotic photography. April 10 & 11 at The Main.
“Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story”: Judd Apatow, known for comedy films like “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Trainwreck,” has been exploring the minds of comics in a series of documentaries in recent years. Here, with co-director Neil Berkeley, he turns his attention to Duluth’s own Maria Bamford. With interviews with Conan O’Brien, Stephen Colbert, Tig Notaro, Zach Galifianakis and Patton Oswalt, as well as Bamford’s family members, Apatow highlights Bamford’s idiosyncratic genius and avant-garde flourish. He also illuminates her mental health struggles and the way she taps into painful parts of herself for her art. $47. April 8 at The Main.
“Barni”: A young cast commits fully to this tale of adventure, one that walks carefully between comedic misadventures and more serious dangers. When 9-year-old Barni (Shukri Cige) wanders off at a wedding, her sister Amina (Salma Ahmed) embarks with her friends to find her. Along the way, patriarchal violence threatens her quest, but ultimately this is a feel-good coming of age story set in Somalia, from Minnesota-based filmmaker Mohammed Sheikh. April 16 & 18 at The Main.
“Ky Nam Inn”: A saturated palette, artful framing, and a vintage look create a nostalgic feeling for this post-war Vietnam film. As a young man, Khang (Lien Binh Phat) — well-connected within the country’s new regime — works on a new translation of “The Little Prince.” When he meets Ky Nam (Đỗ Thị Hải Yến), a beautiful older widow, sparks fly in this lush romantic tale. April 13 & 14 at The Main.
“The Quiet Beekeeper”: The long arms of grief and trauma extend into the lives of Olof (Adam Lundgren) and his daughter Lise (Hedvig Nilsson). In this Swedish drama, the characters strive toward hope, even as an understated torment hovers below the surface. April 10 & 13 at The Main, April 18 at The Landmark Center.
“Diya”: Chadian music project Afrotronix, using a mix of auto-tune and electronic beats, provides a catchy soundtrack for this high-stakes drama, whose title translates to “blood debt.” Ferdinand Mbaïssané is terrific in the lead role of Dane, in a film by Achille Ronaimou. April 16 & 17 at The Main.
“Becoming Human”: The lingering scars of the Khmer Rouge serve as the backdrop for this poetic film about the agency of ghosts. Thida (a wonderful Savorn Serak) is the spirit guardian of an abandoned cinema, a relic of Cambodia’s once-thriving film industry, who, upon meeting Hai (Piseth Chhun), searches for a new path. April 10 & 16 at The Main.
“Gas Lit”: Jane Fonda narrates and rabble-rouses in this Greenpeace documentary aimed at the fossil fuel industry. From the oil fields of the Permian Basin in Texas to the polluted industrial corridor of “Cancer Alley” in Louisiana, Fonda speaks with activists taking on oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and plastics in a film meant to agitate the viewer to action. April 14 at The Main, April 15 at Edina Theatre.
“Honey”: A 12-year-old girl named Honey (Selma Dali Pape) searches for hidden truths in her family as she balances caretaking and pursuing her passions in this feel-good coming of age film. April 11 and 19 at The Main.
“Escalation”: In this revealing and important film, journalists from around the country — including a number who covered the Twin Cities’ unrest in 2020 and Operation Metro Surge in 2026 — describe increased dangers in a world that has grown more inhospitable to press freedom. April 18 at The Main.
“Comparsa”: Gorgeous cinematography adds to the beauty of this film about a circus arts organization in Guatemala that uses fire breathing, stilt-walking, and body paint as tools for healing in the wake of a deadly disaster. April 17 & 19 at The Main.
“Ruunta”: Set against the backdrop of Minneapolis’ vibrant murals and its immigrant-owned business areas, the sweet “Ruunta,” directed by Abdilatif Hassen, centers on a young man who finds himself faced with a moral dilemma. April 19 at The Main.
“Anda”: The complex plot of this surreal horror film, informed by Nordic mythology, compels with its intensity, though it can be difficult to follow. April 13 & 15 at The Main.
“The Boom”: Modern noir creates a frame for Native cosmology in this film that’s more layered than might first appear, by filmmaker Ajuawak Kapashesit. April 14 at The Main, April 18 at Film North.
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