The Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival is rolling back into downtown for its 45th year, opening April 8 at The Main Cinema with a hometown-friendly, star-powered kickoff. Running through April 19, the two-week showcase brings more than 200 international and independent films to big screens downtown and at neighborhood venues, complete with visiting filmmakers, panel talks, and parties that turn Main Street into a full-on festival corridor.
According to MSP Film, MSPIFF45 will anchor most screenings at The Main Cinema while also popping up at satellite spots like the Edina Theatre, the Capri, and the Landmark Center in St. Paul. The organization is rolling out All-Access passes, member discounts, and a packed lineup of special events tied to marquee films and shorts programs.
Standouts And Themes
MinnPost’s Artscape column is already flagging "plucky kids, love stories and troubled Swedes" among this year’s standouts, hinting at a slate that mixes hyper-local storytelling with far-flung perspectives, as reported by MinnPost. That preview points to titles like Barni and The Quiet Beekeeper and underlines the festival’s taste for intimate dramas and punchy short films. Themes of migration, community and creative survival run through the lineup.
Festival listings confirm that Judd Apatow and Neil Berkeley’s Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story opens MSPIFF45 with a Main Cinema screening on April 8, per MSP Film. The program also slots Escalation, a short that examines attacks on journalists, on April 18 with a post-screening discussion, an event the Star Tribune notes is keyed to ongoing local concerns. Ruunta and a solid lineup of Minnesota-made shorts round out the homegrown side of the festival.
Plan Your Visit
Most MSPIFF screenings take place at The Main Cinema, 115 SE Main Street, where festival headquarters also handle box office services alongside online sales. Ticket prices vary by program, and MinnPost reports standard Main screenings at around $19, with premium events like opening night priced higher. For the complete schedule and all venue details, check the festival listing on Explore Minnesota or visit the MSPIFF page.
