7:00 PM // Wild Rose
DESCRIPTION
Celebrated film and television director Tom Harper's latest dramedy, Wild Rose, is the story of one Glasgow musician Rose-Lynn Harlan (played by the fabulous Jessie Buckley). Rose-Lynn dreams of jetting to Nashville to pursue a career as a country music star. She's certainly got the chops, but her rebellious nature has so far kept her from achieving the life she wants.
As the film opens, we find Rose-Lynn being released from a short stint in prison. Dispirited but still bent on success, the mother of two relies on her ever-patient mother (Julie Walters) for support, eventually finding work as the housekeeper for Susannah (the marvelous Sophie Okonedo), who sees something special in the young woman. To Rose-Lynn's surprise, Susannah offers to help with her Nashville dreams, and so begins the dynamo songstress' chase-your-dream-at-all-costs road to stardom.
DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY
BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Tom Harper was born on January 7th, 1980. His filmography includes work for cinema and television, such as The Scouting Book for Boys (09), Netflix's Peaky Blinders and BBC's War & Peace.
PRESS
"A happy-sad drama of starstruck fever that lifts you up and sweeps you along, touching you down in a puddle of well-earned tears." - Variety
9:15 PM // Mr. Jimmy
DESCRIPTION
Peter Michael Dowd's documentary Mr. Jimmy centers on Akio Sakura, who grew up in Tokamachi, Japan listening to and studying Led Zeppelin. Upon moving to Tokyo, Akio made a living as a kimono salesman by day, but at night he donned a different persona. Known as "Mr. Jimmy." Akio performed throughout the Tokyo club circuit, meticulously recreating Zeppelin concerts note-for-note after the talents and influence of rock legend Jimmy Page. Akio rocked his Mr. Jimmy persona for over 35 years until one fateful night changed the course of his life forever–the actual Jimmy Page came to see him perform, prompting Aikio to pack up and fly to Los Angeles in pursuit of a career in rock-n-roll. Once there, Akio joins a band called "Led Zepagain" and appears to be well on his way to music fame, but is this American dream all it appears?
DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY
Peter Michael Dowd's award-winning short documentary The King of Size screened at numerous festivals including MSPIFF. Previously, Dowd was the Curator of Film at the Museum of the Moving Image and Film Programmer at George Eastman House.
MSPIFF is Minnesota’s largest film event and one of the longest running film festivals in the country. Showcasing the latest international independent documentary and fiction films from around the globe, #MSPIFF offers audiences countless opportunities to engage with visiting filmmakers and stars from around the world.