“The Holdovers” will be shown on opening night of the WinterFest at the Dietrich.
With award season upon us, the Dietrich Theater in historic downtown Tunkhannock, is celebrating acclaimed foreign, independent and art films with Winter Fest 2024. Kicking off on Feb. 16 and running through March 7, the Dietrich’s Winter Fest will showcase 20 films in 21 days. The film extravaganza will launch with an Opening Night Gala on Friday, Feb. 16, with two films – “The Boys on the Boat,” an inspiring true story directed by George Clooney, and “The Holdovers,” starring Golden Globe winners Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph; snacks and dessert by T & C Grill/bakery 420, wine and beer by Nimble Hill and good fun. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets to Opening Night are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. They can be purchased by calling the theater at 570-836-1022 x3.
According to Dietrich Theater Film Booker and General Manager Ronnie Harvey, who curated the films in WinterFest with Dietrich Theater Film Buyer Jeffrey Jacobs, “Each festival I try to find a common theme that spreads throughout the festival to see what films are trying to say in any given year. For this WinterFest, I noticed a pattern of action against adversity. So many films deal with a challenge that either an individual or group must tackle. Whether it is The Boys in the Boat about crew mates working as a team to defy the odds, Next Goal Wins featuring a soccer team that must go beyond their bad reputation and achieve greatness, The Iron Claw, highlighting brothers trying to rise up to the high standards put on them by an overbearing father, to Radical, a social drama about facing a crisis in the education system in Mexico. These films all deal with the consequences of unrealistic expectations and what it means to truly be great and who gets to decide that.”
In addition to the two films featured on Opening Night, the other eighteen WinterFest movies include All of Us Strangers; Anatomy of a Fall; The Boy and the Heron; Dream Scenario; Fallen Leaves; Ferrari; Four Daughters; Freud’s Last Session; The Iron Claw; Joan Baez: I Am a Noise; Maestro; The Mission, My Sailor, My Love; Next Goal Wins; The Persian Version; Pianoforte; Radical; and Smoke Sauna Sisterhood.
All are invited to see the trailers of all twenty films in festival on Preview Day at the Dietrich Theater which will be held on Thursday, February 1 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Dietrich Theater. Admission is free and concession items will be discounted.
Admission to all movies shown in WinterFest is $8.50 each. Film synopsis and show times for movies in Winter Fest are shown below and can also be found at DietrichTheater.com.
All of Us Strangers
Show times: Feb. 17 at 12:00 p.m., Feb. 19 at 2:15 p.m., Feb. 22 at 5:00 p.m., Feb. 26 at 4:30 p.m., Feb. 29 at 4:30 p.m., March 5 at 2:30 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 105 minutes
Language: English
Directed by: Andrew Haigh
Starring: Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy
All of Us Strangers starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal follows Adam who has a chance encounter with a mysterious neighbor, which punctures the rhythm of his everyday life. As a relationship develops between them, Adam is preoccupied with memories of the past and finds himself drawn back to the childhood home where his parents appear to be living, just as they were on the day they died, 30 years before. All of Us Strangers examines grief and love through a fantastical lens, one that transcends time and space.
Anatomy of a Fall
Show times: Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 21 at 2:15 p.m., Feb. 23 at 9:30 p.m., Feb. 25 at 12:00 p.m., March 1 at 2:30 p.m., March 6 at 7:15 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 151 minutes
Language: French, German, English with subtitles
Directed by: Justine Triet
Starring: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado Graner
Nominated for Best International Feature at the Golden Globes, Anatomy of a Fall follows Sandra, her husband Samuel, and their eleven-year-old son who have lived a secluded life in a remote town in the French Alps. When Samuel is found dead in the snow below their chalet, the police question whether he was murdered or committed suicide. What follows is not just an investigation into the circumstances of his death but an unsettling psychological journey into the depths of their conflicted relationship.
The Boy and the Heron
Show times: Feb. 20 at 12:00 p.m., Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 28 at 2:30 p.m., March 1 at 9:30 p.m., March 5 at 12:00 p.m., March 7 at 12:00 p.m.
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 124 minutes
Language: Japanese with subtitles
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring: Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Kô Shibasaki
Nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Golden Globes and from Academy Award winning director Hayao Miyazaki, The Boy and the Heron follows Mahito, who after losing his mother during the war moves to his family’s estate in the countryside. There, a series of mysterious events lead him to a secluded tower, home to a mischievous gray heron. Mahito follows the gray heron into the tower, and enters a fantastic world shared by the living and the dead. As he embarks on an epic journey with the heron as his guide, Mahito must uncover the secrets of this world, and the truth about himself.
The Boys in the Boat
Show times: Feb. 16 – Opening Night, Feb. 18 at 5 p.m., Feb. 20 at 7 p.m., Feb. 24 at 2 p.m., Feb. 26 at noon, March 1 at 5 p.m., March 4 at 4:30 p.m.
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 124 minutes
Language: English
Directed by: George Clooney
Starring: Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner, Peter Guinness
Directed by George Clooney, The Boys in the Boat is a sports drama based on the #1 New York Times bestselling non-fiction novel of the same name. The film follows the 1936 University of Washington rowing team that competed for gold at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. This inspirational true story follows a group of underdogs at the height of the Great Depression as they are thrust into the spotlight and take on elite rivals from around the world.
Dream Scenario
Show times: Feb. 20 at 2:45 p.m., Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 24 at 9:30 p.m., Feb. 26 at noon, Feb. 29 at noon, March 2 at 9:30 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 102 minutes
Language: English
Directed by: Kristoffer Borgli
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Michael Cera, Julianne Nicholson
Featuring a career-defining performance from Nicolas Cage, Dream Scenario follows a hapless family man who finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. When his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, he is forced to navigate his newfound stardom, in this wickedly entertaining comedy.
Fallen Leaves
Show times: Feb. 20 at 2:45 p.m., Feb. 26 at 2:30 p.m., Feb. 29 at noon, March 4 at noon.
Rated: not rated
Runtime: 81 minutes
Language: Finnish, Arabic with subtitles
Directed by: Aki Kaurismäki
Starring: Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen, Martti Suosalo
Nominated for Best International Feature at the Golden Globes, Fallen Leaves follows two lonely souls in search of love who meet by chance in a local karaoke bar in Helsinki. However, the pair’s path to happiness is beset by numerous obstacles — from lost numbers to mistaken addresses, alcoholism, and a charming stray dog. Fallen Leaves is a quirky and life-affirming tale of star-crossed lovers.
Ferrari
Show times: Feb. 17 at 2:15 p.m., Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 25 at 5:00 p.m., Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m., March 3 at 2:15 p.m., March 7 at 2:00 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 130 minutes
Language: English
Directed by: Michael Mann
Starring: Adam Driver, Shailene Woodley, Penélope Cruz
Starring Adam Driver and directed by Michael Mann, Ferrari is set during the summer of 1957. Behind the spectacle and danger of Formula 1, ex-racer Enzo Ferrari is in crisis. Bankruptcy stalks the company he and his wife, Laura, built from nothing ten years earlier. Their tempestuous marriage struggles with the mourning for their one son and Ferrari struggles with the acknowledgement of another. His drivers’ lust to win pushes them out to the edge when he wagers everything on one race, a treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy.
Four Daughters
Show times: Feb. 20 at 12:00 p.m., Feb. 27 at 2:00 p.m., Feb. 29 at 2:30 p.m., March 3 at 12:00 p.m., March 7 at 4 p.m.
Rated: not rated
Runtime: 107 minutes
Language: Arabic, French, English with subtitles
Directed by: Kaouther Ben Hania
Four Daughters is a riveting exploration of rebellion, memory, and sisterhood that reconstructs the story of Olfa and her four daughters, unpacking a complex family history through intimate interviews and performance to examine how the Tunisian woman’s two eldest were radicalized by Islamic extremists. Casting professional actresses as the missing daughters, restages pivotal moments in the family’s life. Four Daughters is a compelling portrait of five women and a unique and ambitious work of nonfiction cinema that explores the nature of memory, the weight of inherited trauma, and the ties that bind mothers and daughters.
Freud’s Last Session
Show times: Feb. 18 at noon, Feb. 22 at 2:15 p.m., Feb. 24 at 7:15 p.m., Feb. 27 at 2:30 p.m., March 4 at noon, March 7 at 12:00 p.m.
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 108 minutes
Language: English
Directed by: Matt Brown
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Matthew Goode, Jodi Balfour
Starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Goode, Freud’s Last Session follows two of the greatest minds of the twentieth century, C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud who converge on their own personal battle over the existence of God. Freud’s Last Session interweaves the lives of Freud and Lewis, past, present, and through fantasy, bursting from the confines of Freud’s study on a dynamic journey.
The Holdovers
Show times: Feb. 16 – Opening Night, Feb. 18 at 2:15 p.m., Feb. 22 at 2:15 p.m., Feb. 24 at 4:30 p.m., Feb. 26 at 7 p.m., Feb. 28 at 5 p.m., March 1 at noon, March 3 at 5 p.m., March 5 at 2:30 p.m., March 7 at 7:00 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 133 minutes
Language: English
Directed by: Alexander Payne
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa
From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, starring Paul Giamatti and nominated for 3 Golden Globes including Best Picture, The Holdovers follows a curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with two of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker and the school’s head cook. Their bond helps them deal with their own personal traumas and connects them in unexpected ways.
The Iron Claw
Show times: Feb. 17 at 9:30 p.m., Feb. 23 at 4:30 p.m., Feb. 27 at 12:00 p.m., March 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 130 minutes
Language: English
Directed by: Sean Durkin
Starring: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson
Starring Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White and Harris Dickinson, The Iron Claw tells the true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.
Joan Baez: I Am a Noise
Show times: Feb. 22 at noon, Feb. 28 at noon, March 2 at 2:15 p.m., March 4 at 2 p.m.,
Rated: not rated
Runtime: 113 minutes
Language: English
Directed by: Miri Navasky, Maeve O’Boyle, Karen O’Connor
Joan Baez: I Am a Noise is a raw and intimate portrait of the legendary folk singer and activist that shifts back and forth through time as it follows Joan on her final tour and delves into her extraordinary archive, including newly discovered home movies, diaries, and audio recordings. Baez is remarkably revealing about her life on and off stage — from her lifelong emotional struggles to her civil rights work with MLK. A searingly honest look at a living legend, this film is a compelling and deeply personal exploration of an iconic artist who has never told the full truth of her life until now.
Maestro
Show times: Feb. 17 at 7 p.m., Feb. 19 at 2:15 p.m., Feb. 21 at 5 p.m., Feb. 23 at noon, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m., March 2 at 4:30 p.m., March 4 at 2:00 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 129 minutes
Language: in English
Directed by: Bradley Cooper
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Bradley Cooper, Matt Bomer
Nominated for 4 Golden Globes including Best Picture and directed by and starring Bradley Cooper, Maestro is a towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between legendary composer Leonard Bernstein and actress Felicia Montealegre Bernstein. A love letter to life and art, Maestro at its core is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love.
The Mission
Show times: Feb. 19 at 4:30 p.m., Feb. 23 at 2:30 p.m., Feb. 26 at 2:30 p.m., Feb. 29 at 2:15 p.m., March 6 at 5:00 p.m.
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 103 minutes
Language: in English
Directed by: Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss
The Mission follows the shocking event that made headlines around the world: a young American missionary, was killed by arrows while attempting to contact one of the world’s most isolated Indigenous peoples on remote North Sentinel Island. The Mission uncovers the gripping story beyond the headlines through exclusive interviews and with unprecedented access to personal diaries and video archives. The Mission examines the mythology of exploration that inspired him, the evangelical community that supported his quest, and reveals his own father’s heartbreak as his youthful thirst for adventure became a fatal obsession.
My Sailor, My Love
Show times: Feb. 20 at 4:30 p.m., Feb. 24 at 12:00 p.m., Feb. 29 at 7 p.m., March 5 at noon.
Rated: not rated
Runtime: 103 minutes
Language: English
Directed by: Klaus Härö
Starring: James Cosmo, Brid Brennan, Catherine Walker
My Sailor, My Love follows Howard, a retired sailor and widower who lives in a house by the sea. His adult daughter, Grace, hires a caretaker, Annie, a lady in her mature years. Recluse and stubborn, he eventually opens his heart and gives love a chance. Grace has her own crisis to unravel and finds her father’s romance difficult. Annie must face their complex father-daughter relationship, while Howard and Grace must realize their own imperfections. My Sailor, My Love is a gentle story about love and aging told with wisdom and vulnerability.
Next Goal Wins
Show times: Feb. 17 at 5 p.m., Feb. 19 at noon, Feb. 22 at 7:15 p.m., Feb. 25 at 2:45 p.m., March 1 at noon, March 2 at 7:15 p.m., March 6 at noon.
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 104 minutes
Language: in English
Directed by: Taika Waititi
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Taika Waititi, Will Arnett
Directed by Academy Award Winner Taika Waititi and starring Michael Fassbender, Next Goal Wins follows the American Samoa soccer team, infamous for their brutal 31-0 FIFA loss in 2001. With the World Cup Qualifiers approaching, the team hires down-on-his-luck, maverick coach Thomas Rongen, hoping he will turn the world’s worst soccer team around in this heartfelt underdog comedy.
The Persian Version
Show times: Feb. 19 at 7 p.m., Feb. 23 at 2:30 p.m., March 2 at noon. March 6 at 2:30 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 107 minutes
Language: English, Persian with subtitles
Directed by: Maryam Keshavarz
Starring: Layla Mohammadi, Niousha Noor, Kamand Shafieisabet
The Persian Version follows Leila, an Iranian American woman who strives to find balance and embrace her opposing cultures. When her large family reunites in New York City for her father’s heart transplant, she keeps everyone at arm’s length — until a secret is revealed that challenges them all. The Persian Version is a vibrant portrait of culture clashes and generation gaps told with charm and wit.
Pianoforte
Show times: Feb. 22 at noon, Feb. 27 at noon, March 1 at 7:30 p.m., March 7 at 2:15 p.m.
Rated: not rated
Runtime: 91 minutes
Language: in Slovenian, Polish, English, Chinese, Italian, Russian with subtitles
Director: Jakub Piatek
Pianoforte follows the world’s most talented young pianists who are competing in the International Chopin Piano Competition, held every five years in Warsaw, Poland. A rare behind the scenes look at the triumphant highs and crushing lows of competition, Pianoforte is both a testament to the remarkable power of music and an intimate coming-of-age portrait.
Radical
Show times: Feb. 21 at noon, March 1 at 2:30 p.m., March 4 at 7:15 p.m., March 5 at 5 p.m.,
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 125 minutes
Language: Spanish with subtitles
Directed by: Christopher Zalla
Starring: Eugenio Derbez, Daniel Haddad, Jennifer Trejo
Starring one of Mexico’s most successful actors Eugenio Derbez, Radical is a stirring and heartfelt drama about one teacher’s mission to make all the difference in his students lives. Radical tells the true story of a Mexican border town plagued by neglect, corruption, and violence. A frustrated teacher tries a radical new method to break through his students’ apathy and unlock their curiosity, potential and maybe even genius.
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood
Show times: Feb. 19 at noon, Feb. 23 at noon, Feb. 27 at 5 p.m., March 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Rated: not rated
Runtime: 89 minutes
Language: Estonian with subtitles
Directed by: Anna Hints
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood follows women who share their innermost secrets and intimate experiences in the darkness of a smoke sauna in Estonia. Through a sense of communion, women wash off the shame trapped in their bodies and regain their strength by revealing things they never have before shielded by the smoke and by the bond that they share in each other’s company.
