Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival announces 2024 lineup
Apr. 10—JIM THORPE — The Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival (JTIFF) returns for its seventh season from April 18 to 21 at the historic Mauch Chunk Opera House.
Nestled in the Victorian town of Jim Thorpe, this four-day cinematic and musical event boasts nine new first-run features and seventy-five short films from around the world along with sensational live music, courtesy of the festival's partner — Great Circles.
The Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival maintains their place on the "Top 100 Best Reviewed Festivals"out of more than 5,000 on FilmFreeway.
The annual celebration is run by husband and wife team, Todd and Jocelyn Morris. They're thrilled to present incredible films from Sundance, SXSW, Toronto, Cannes, and Berlin to the JTIFF audience, with directors flying in to represent their work.
"As filmmakers, when we settled in Jim Thorpe, we just knew it was the ideal spot for a film festival," said Todd and Jocelyn Morris in an email with The Weekender. "There's something magical about bringing together filmmakers and audiences. In a world that often feels isolated, our event breaks through those barriers, uniting people in an incredibly heartfelt way that fosters community growth and sparks meaningful connections. We absolutely love being part of it."
ENTERTAINMENT LINEUP
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The opening night music-focused feature, "Dandelion," premiered just weeks ago at SXSW to glowing four-star reviews. Writer/Director Nicole Riegel shares a story that centers around Dandelion, a desperate Cincinnati singer-songwriter, who takes a last-ditch gig at a motorcycle rally in South Dakota. The experience moves Dandelion from a narrow view of success to a deeper appreciation of her artistic journey, and the discovery of a voice that's authentically her own. JTIFF's Opening Night screening marks the film's Pennsylvania premiere, and Riegel will be attending in person.
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Many films presented by JTIFF derive from other prestigious pageants. For instance, "Tiger Stripes," is an original female coming-of-age horror film from Malaysia. It was written and directed by Amanda Nell Eu, and premiered at Cannes Critics' Week and took home the Grand Jury Prize.
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Next is "Property," directed by Daniel Bandeira, which tells a tense, disturbing tale of class struggle in Brazil. The film premiered last year at the Berlin Film Festival and won Best Picture at Fantastic Fest.
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"Ghostlight," directed by Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson, was a tender and funny hit at this year's SXSW and Sundance Film Festivals. It tells the tale of a grieving construction worker who unwittingly joins a local theater production, and the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life.
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There is the French-Canadian thriller, "Hunting Daze", written and directed by Annick Blanc. It is another SXSW premiere centering around a tempestuous young woman named Nina who joins a group of hunters at a remote mountain cabin. In this male micro-society, she finally feels a newfound sense of belonging. However, the arrival of a mysterious stranger threatens the newfound balance of their pack. Blanc will be in person at the festival.
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Their closing feature film is '"Hey, Viktor!," directed by Cody Lightning. This project originally premiered last year at TriBeCa and TIFF. Twenty-five years after his time in the limelight, Cody, a former child actor, tries to revive his fame with a self-produced sequel to "Smoke Signals". When his friends stage an intervention, Cody seizes the moment — and camera crew — to take one last shot at producing Smoke Signals 2. This film is an indigenous subject, comic meta mockumentary that is full of raucous and raunchy, but yet heartfelt, content.
"Following each screening, you'll have the chance to engage in lively Q&A sessions with these talented filmmakers. These discussions about film, life, art and the human spirit always leave us feeling inspired and with a fresh perspective on the world," said Todd and Jocelyn Morris.
In addition to the never-before-shown-in-Pennsylvania feature films being presented, there are seventy-four short films from around the world that make up the bulk of the weekend's programming.
Despite the festival's international flavor, JTIFF also continues to encourage talent from their own backyard to create and take part in the festival, including a block for PA Student Films and another for Local Heroes.
The acclaimed film festival welcomes films of all genres/budgets and feature dozens of world premieres each season. Part of their mission is promoting films by women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, and student filmmakers.
Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival also recognizes how crucial filmmaker networking is within the industry, and so they provide a potpourri of parties to facilitate that task. The Opening Night After Party takes place April 18 at Marion Hose Bar. Then, April 19 marks the Filmmaker Gala held at the Mauch Chunk Ballroom. Lastly, there is the Closing Night Wrap Party on April 21, located at Ouros — and commences after the Awards Ceremony.
Book tickets and view the full 2024 schedule on the Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival website.
