MĀRAMA 2025
“A phenomenal debut, a confident piece of work that takes a familiar genre and makes it feel perfect for the story it’s telling.” – Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com
Mārama is the striking directorial debut of Taratoa Stappard, a stunning period piece and an anti-colonial psychological horror story that confronts the brutal legacy of British oppression and its attempts to fracture culture. Yet at its core, the film is a powerful reflection on the strength, resilience, and enduring leadership of Maori women. Through fear and resistance, Marama reclaims space for ancestral knowledge, survival, and the force of women who continue to rise. (SIFF)
Sunday, May 3
Monday, May 4
Director: Taratoa Stappard
Starring: Ariaana Osbourne, Toby Stephens, Umi Meyers
Runtime: 89 min.
Language: English & Maori w/ English subtitles
$POSITIONS 2025
Blue-collar Midwesterner Mike Alvarado attempts to save his family from the throes of poverty by investing their savings into speculative cryptocurrencies. However, as his investment strategy decays into a full-blown gambling addiction, he sends his life into a nightmarish anxiety-inducing downward spiral, compromising his relationships with his girlfriend, his developmentally disabled brother, and his recovering addict cousin. A twitchy, hyper-contemporary comedy with equal doses of laughs and panic attacks. (SXSW)
Wednesday, May 27
Director: Brandon Daley
Starring: Michael Kunicki, Vinny Kress, Trevor Dawkins
Runtime: 97 min.
Language: English