Film Fest Hidden Gems
Written by Mimi Gatto. Graphic by Laura Garcia Gomez.
‘Tis the season! Film Fest is upon us, and although some of us are already lining up for “Frankenstein” or “KPop Demon Hunters”, there are a lot of underrated treasures that will be showcasing their work. Need a tour guide for this stimulating schedule? Look no further! I have listed out these show-stopping events in chronological order.
- Don Bluth: Somewhere Out There
Studying animation? Or maybe just interested in it? It’s not a bad idea to go see “Don Bluth: Somewhere Out There”, showing at the Lucas. Known for filmmaking and animating, “Anastasia”, “The Land Before Time”, “All Dogs Go to Heaven”, “Thumbelina” (my favorite) and many more. This screening is part of the 20th anniversary of the Don Bluth Collection at SCAD, which is an animation archive presented by Bluth himself. The collection includes animation drawings, storyboards, color models and even video games. In this documentary, we get to see home videos and archivefootage to get a better sense of this visionary. Plus, after the show, the directors Chad Walker, Dave LaMattina and the one and only Don Bluth will be answering questions about the film. I don’t know about you guys, but these films are extremely nostalgic for me, and I remember being mesmerized by the magical animation and coloring.
2. Yanuni
The documentary feature, “Yanuni”, is a “cinematic portrait” painted for Juma Xipaia, the first woman to serve as chief of the Middle Xingu region, Indigenous Brazilian activist, as well as leader of the Xipaya people. If you want to learn about a real-life superhero, this is the screening to go to. After surviving six –yes six– assassination attempts, Xipaia is appointed Brazil’s Secretary of Indigenous Rights, while her federal IBAMA agent husband fights to prevent illegal gold miners’ plans. “As Juma navigates political power, growing threats and impending motherhood, she is forced to confront the personal cost of resistance.” (taken from SCAD Film Festival description). Not only is this documentary about her life and hardship, but Xipaia also produced the film! What can’t she do? Following this epic feature, SCAD Museum of Art will host director, producer and writer Richard Ladkani for a Q&A.
3. Wait, Your Car?
Reece Feldman, filmmaker and content creator who filmed BTS for “The Summer I Turned Pretty”, as well as”Superman” (2025), will be at SCAD! Don’t miss him at the Shorts Spotlight: After Dark, where chilling horror short films will be featured, including his own directorial debut: “Wait, Your Car?”. Feldman rose to fame via TikTok and Instagram, under his handle, @guywithamoviecamera, which has 3 million followers. He began as a production assistant on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”. He started posting behind-the-scenes footage of the show on social media that quickly gained traction. As he gained recognition, Feldman started participating in high-profile events in entertainment, such as the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and the Met Gala. Not only am I excited to see his film, but I’m also excited to see the other spooky shorts in the collection.
4. Freeman Vines
Before the cautionary tale of “The Librarians”, “Freeman Vines”, a 14-minute short, will premiere. The description of this short film is so haunting and mysterious that it cannot help but pull you in. An 82-year-old man, Freeman Vines, has been hand-carving guitars, desperately trying to replicate a familiar sound that captivated him. Along with that, he is battling multiple myeloma and suffering from diabetes. No matter what, he persists, surrounded by his tools and materials that remind him of his lifelong conflict with racism.
5. The Librarians
“To Kill a Mockingbird”. “The Bluest Eye”. “Fahrenheit 451”. The list of banned books grows every day, it seems. But what do the librarians have to say? Well, now you can find out through the documentary feature, “The Librarians”. Our unlikely heroes join forces to fight for our literary freedom and First Amendment rights. Even when receiving threats and harassment, the librarians stay strong to defend what they believe in, which isn’t that radical, to read what they want to read. A Q&A follows the screening with Academy Award-nominated and Peabody Award-winning director and producer Kim A. Snyder. So there you go, two powerful back-to-back pieces that will make you ponder.
6. I Love LA
Rachel Sennott. She is known for “Bottoms”, “Saturday Night”, “Bodies Bodies Bodies” and overall just being super cool. If you are free on Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m., come on down to the Trustees Theater, where her new HBO series “I Love LA” will premiere on the big screen. “I Love LA” is about a friend group reconnecting after years apart, facing new challenges like relationships, ambition and how time has changed them. The Trustees Theatre will host a Q&A with creator, executive producer, director, and actor Rachel Sennott, along with more actors from the show, including Josh Hutcherson, Odessa A’zion and True Whitaker.
It hurt me to just pick out a handful of films that I deem “must-watchers,” since there are so many fantastic films being shown at the festival this year. In fact, this was the hardest article I have written for District (which isn’t saying much since it’s only my second article), but you get it. It’s the film student in me to tell you to go to everything you can see, but I know that isn’t fully realistic, so I will say this: support art in any way you can, whether that be going to see a movie in a theater or even walking through an art gallery. I believe it is so important to expose ourselves to this underrated educational tool. And I’ll say it, it’s fun!
