This year’s New Orleans Film Festival highlights local stories

By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer

Filmmakers and other industry professionals in Southeast Louisiana are preparing to take the centerstage next week as the New Orleans Film Society brings back its signature festival.

The 33rd Annual New Orleans Film Festival will run at various venues across the area from Nov. 3-8 with virtual screenings extending through Nov. 13. And, as with every year, the festival continues to showcase local and regional film talent.

“Half of the lineup is made up of Southern films and we are proud to shine a light on filmmakers from the region and around the world who are shifting mainstream narratives and pushing artistic boundaries,” said Kiyoko McCrae, Director of Documentary Programming and Filmmaker Labs at the New Orleans Film Society, in a press release.

Here are some local films that might interest festival-goers this year:

Sports fans might be interested in the documentary Algiers, America. The festival will screen the pilot episode of what will be a five-part series from ESPN. It tells the story of Edna Karr’s football team and their coach, Brice Brown, in their efforts to win a fifth state championship in six years. The documentary is about more than football, though, as it also tackles issues like gun violence, death, incarceration and the importance of community. It is executive produced by the creators of the acclaimed documentary “OJ: Made in America.” It will play on Friday, November 4, at 7 p.m. at Second Line Stages.

Local music will be showcased in the festival’s lineup as well. “Louis Armstrong’s Black and Blues” is a documentary about the life and work of the New Orleans icon. The film features never-before-heard home recordings and personal conversations. It will play at the Prytania Uptown on Friday, November 4 at 7:15 p.m.

The closing night film, “Music Pictures: New Orleans,” provides documentary portraits of New Orleans musical legends Irma Thomas, Little Freddie King, Ellis Marsalis, and the Treme Brass Band. The film will screen on Tuesday, November 8, at 8:15 p.m. at the New Orleans Jazz Market. Thomas will be in attendance along with the film’s director, Ben Chace.

One of the festival’s spotlight films is “Causeway,” starring Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence. The film was shot locally and tells the story of a soldier (Lawrence) who sustained a head injury in Afghanistan and struggles to adjust to civilian life after returning home to the Crescent City. It will play on Sunday, November 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the Prytania Uptown.

“Causeway” will not be the only film at the festival featuring Oscar-winning talent. “Empire of Light” is directed by Sam Mendes, who won an Oscar for “American Beauty,” and stars Olivia Colman, who won an Oscar for “The Favourite.” Colman plays a middle-aged British woman working at an old-school movie palace in a small English town in the early 1980s. She then forms an unlikely kinship with a young Black man (Micheal Ward) who starts working at the theater. “Empire of Light” will play on Monday, November 7, at 8:30 p.m. at the New Orleans Jazz Market.

“Women Talking” stars Frances McDormand, who has won the Oscar for Best Actress a whopping three times. The film, directed by Sarah Polley, tells the story of women in an isolated religious community whose faith is challenged by a series of assaults against women in the community. The film will play on Monday, November 7, at 7:30 at the Prytania Uptown.

For viewers looking for lighter fare, the Lifetime Network’s original film, “A New Orleans Noel,” will premiere at the festival. It’s a romantic comedy about a young man and woman who discover love while working for a New Orleans praline business during the holiday season. It will play on Saturday, November 5, at 5 p.m. at Second Line Stages.

For more information about the schedule and to purchase tickets, visit the website at www.NewOrleansFilmSociety.org.

This article originally published in the October 31, 2022 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.