The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF), announced today that Netflix’s highly acclaimed drama “Mudbound”, directed by Dee Rees, will be the official closing night film at this year’s festival, which takes place December 10-17. The announcement was made by BIFF Founder and Executive Director Leslie Vanderpool.
Carey Mulligan, Mary J. Blige, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund, Jonathan Banks and Jason Mitchell lead the ensemble cast of “Mudbound.”
Set in the Mississippi Delta in the wake of World War II, Dee Rees’s gripping, award-winning drama follows the fates of a young woman newly transplanted from the big city and a pair of soldiers fresh from victory in Europe. Rising waters, racial tensions, and the jarring shift from wartime to peace render their rural community a battleground of a more personal nature.
Memphis native Laura McAllan (Carey Mulligan) struggles to adjust to life on her new husband's secluded cotton farm. As the swelling Delta waters threaten to swamp them, she scrambles to raise two children in a shack with neither electricity nor plumbing. Her brother-in-law, Jamie (Garrett Hedlund), returns from the war with a head full of nightmares, along with fellow veteran Ronsel Jackson (Jason Mitchell), son of the Black tenant farmers who live on the McAllan land. Overseas and in uniform, Ronsel was a war hero, but status is stripped from him once back within the harsh racial lines of his rural home.
Based on Hillary Jordan's award-winning novel, “Mudbound” is a powerfully moving story of how people navigate and try to transcend social codes. Drawing subtle but intensely detailed performances from her stellar cast, Rees makes a remarkable leap in scale from her acclaimed, low-budget “Pariah.” Made with heart, insight, and an impressive mastery of the language of film, “Mudbound” reveals racial fear as the crack in the foundation of America. No matter their colour or their circumstances, Rees' characters stand fixed in the mud of that conflict — weighed down, struggling, and whether they mean to or not, leaning on each other for support.
The official closing night screening of “Mudbound” will take place on Sunday, December 17th at the Baha Mar in the Jasime Lawn Nassau at 7:30pm.
Said Leslie Vanderpool, “The buzz around ‘Mudbound’ is amazing – which is just what you would expect from a Netflix film expected to play strong through the awards season. The masterful storytelling exhibited in this film provides a perfect close to our 14th edition and we’re excited to be hosting the Bahamian Premiere.”
About the Bahamas International Film Festival
The 2017 Bahamas International Film Festival will showcase more than 82 films from 28 countries, including 12 world premieres, 4 international premieres, and 57 Caribbean premieres. All of the films will be Bahamian premieres.
BIFF 2017 takes place from December 10-13 in Harbour Island and December 14-17 in Nassau. The Festival’s opening night in Harbour Island will begin with a screening of Sean Baker’s critically acclaimed drama 'The Florida Project’ starring Willem Dafoe.
The full BIFF lineup can be viewed at www.bintlfilmfest.com
The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) is a nonprofit organization committed to providing the local community and international festival-goers with a diverse presentation of films from The Bahamas and around the world. In addition to showcasing films that might not otherwise be released theatrically, BIFF provides unique cultural experiences, educational programs, and forums for exploring the past, present and future of cinema. BIFF aims to raise the level of filmmaking, participation and education throughout The Bahamas and the world.
BIFF has created a legacy of excellence in presenting The Bahamas as a premier film destination to the international cinematic community. Apart from showcasing 1000+ local and international films, we have introduced our culture to more than one million film professionals and enthusiasts from around the world.
BIFF has attracted A-List celebrities such as Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage, Laurence Fishburne, Chaz Ebert, Debra Messing, Danny Glover, Heather Graham, Alan Arkin, Sir Sean Connery, Roger Corman, Daryl Hannah, Sophie Okonedo, Anna Faris, Naomie Harris, Zoe Kravitz, Lenny Kravitz, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Roger Guenveur Smith, Lee Daniels and many more
For additional information, please visit www.bintlfilmfest.com.
