Mammoth Lakes Film Festival to Honor Marlee Matlin and Close With ‘Nuisance Bear’

The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival has announced the lineup for its 12th annual event, which runs May 20-24 in the California mountain resort town. The festival will open with the Sierra Spirit Award being presented to Oscar winning actress Marlee Matlin, along with a 40th anniversary screening of “Children of a Lesser God.” The festival will close on May 24 with a screening of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner “Nuisance Bear,” followed by a Q&A with director Jack Weisman.

Related Stories

Comcast Adds Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max to Xfinity StreamSaver Bundles, Offering Discounts of Up to 45%

In addition to 12 West Coast, U.S., international and world premieres, the festival will also present 32 narrative shorts, 15 documentary shorts and 16 animated shorts as well as music videos and a screenplay competition. New this year is Reel Flavors & Fine Vines, a wine and food pairing event with winemaker Rachel Stellareese Davies of Stellareese Wine of Napa Valley and food from the chef at the new Limelight Mammoth Hotel & Residences.

“We are honored to celebrate this year’s Sierra Spirit Award recipient Marlee Matlin, whose groundbreaking career has redefined representation and expanded what is possible in film,” said Festival Director Shira Dubrovner. “In addition to her recognition, this year’s program features bold, award-winning films from top-tier festivals alongside boundary-pushing new discoveries — reflecting the same spirit of storytelling that Marlee has always championed.”
  
Director of Programming Paul Sbrizzi added, “Even as our country and the world move through a dark time of violence and political upheavals, the steady stream of fascinating, personal, innovative expression in film endures. We are committed to finding the cream of the crop, evaluating each film on its own merits and bringing together a community of inspired, inspiring, visionary filmmakers.”   

The  feature film  line-up includes:   
  
  North American  Narrative Features:  
“Danny Is My Boyfriend” (USA) – When her new boyfriend Danny asks her to dog-sit while he’s out of town helping his sister prepare for her baby’s non-denominational circumcision party, it feels like a major milestone: proof that her relationship (and life) is on track. But the illusion shatters when a stranger on the street recognizes the dog… as HER boyfriend Danny’s dog. Featuring Brooke Smith from “Silence of the Lambs.” Directed and written by Lucy Sandler & Mechi Lakatos.
“Debt to the Dead” (Mexico) A thrilling, deeply human and wildly stylish black and white neo-noir. Cipriano Zuzunaga (Gerardo Trejo Luna) is a worn-out policeman whose best days are behind him. When Juan Perea—the son of a prominent congressman—is kidnapped, Zuzunaga is assigned to carry out a solitary investigation in a city neighborhood teeming with suspects. Directed and written by Daniel Castro Zimbrón. International Premiere.
“Mono 222” (USA) – A gorgeously colorful, kaleidoscopic, semi-documentary look at the world of curious and creative multicultural 20ish-year olds, loving, fighting and lighting up the night in Los Angeles. A snapshot of a generation learning, losing, and longing in the restless heart of the city. Directed and written by Quinton Dominguez. World Premiere 
“Ten Will” (USA) – One of the boldest films of this year, Ten Will is a comedy-drama that follows a newly-released sex offender as he tries to survive on the streets of Los Angeles, rejected even by other homeless people, and proposes to a woman who wrote to him in prison. DeFalco has a unique style involving dynamic zooms, high-stakes scenes with characters talking over each other and a comedic sensibility that lands somewhere between Harmony Korine and John Waters. Directed and written by Max DeFalco. 
“Toronto Apartment” (Canada) – A madcap low-fi comedy anchored by a spectacular lead performance from writer-director Tristan Wheeler; an absurdist, satirical take on the struggle to survive in the big city — reminiscent of Boots Riley’s sensibility and classic Jim Carrey comedies. Directed and written by Tristan Wheeler. World Premiere.

International Narrative Features:  
“Dreaming of Lions” (Brazil/Portugal/Spain) – A raw, touching, surreal and hilarious story of a Brazilian woman (Denise Fraga) with terminal cancer who seeks to die with dignity and connects with a much younger kindred spirit as she becomes involved with a dubious clandestine euthanasia organization. Directed and written by Paolo Marinou-Blanco. West Coast Premiere
“Memory of Princess Mumbi” (Kenya, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia) – Swiss-Kenyan director Damien Hauser takes us into Africa like you’ve never seen it before: in 2093, filmmaker Kuve visits Umata to document life after a war banned modern tech. Local filmmaker Mumbi challenges him to create without AI, leading him to discover beauty in life’s simple moments. Directed and written by Damien Hauser.
“Noir” (Turkey) – A dark, bold and wryly funny portrait of a violent, matriarchal Turkish family whose suspicions about an outsider escalate in the wake of the death of a family member. A true auteur film with stunning, innovative visuals and searing performances. Directed and written by Ragip Ergun.

International Premiere
“Spring Came on Laughing” (Egypt) – This black comedy anthology presents four tales and a captivating finale. From a chaotic brunch-turned-marriage-proposal to a raging birthday bash, misunderstandings and chaos escalate. Accusations of theft shake a hair salon, while a wedding day turns into a nightmare. As the seasons shift, the autumn finale brings hope for rejuvenation. Directed and written by Noha Adel. N. American Premiere
“Tony Odyssey” (Brazil) – Tony and his best friend Ivy plan to rob the bar where he’s trapped in servitude, stealing a reality-altering drug that launches them into a psychedelic odyssey. As they navigate extravagant, surreal visions and shattered memories, Tony searches for answers and the power to rewrite his fate—facing his past and confronting God himself. Directed and written by Thales Banzai.

Documentary Features:  
“I Got Bombed At Harvey’s” (USA) – In 1980, a 1,000-pound dynamite bomb is wheeled into Harvey’s Wagon Wheel Casino in Lake Tahoe with a $3 million ransom note demanding payment in 24 hours. As the bomb squad works to disarm it, FBI rushes to catch the extortionists. Directed by Amy Bandlien Storkel and Bryan Storkel. West Coast Premiere
“The Moths & The Flame” (USA) – A touching observational documentary about young, playful, caring Black fathers in Florida experiencing the inevitable life changes around starting a family. It subverts stereotypes about young Black men, using a rigorous visual aesthetic, exploring the vulnerability and humor of its subjects. Premiered at Berlinale 2026. Directed by Kevin Contento. North American Premiere
“Nuisance Bear” (Canada, USA, UK) – Closing night film. A polar bear’s traditional migration path leads it into populated areas, sparking conflict between human interests and wild nature as the animal struggles to survive in a changing world. Directed by Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman.  Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner — US Documentary Competition.
“Sugarfly” (USA) – A shockingly intimate and revealing portrait of two Native American drug addicts living in Seattle — both of them highly creative and intelligent old souls. A palpable emotional bond between the two men and the filmmaker allows us to witness the beauty of their spirits and the depth of their struggles with inner demons with great empathy, employing an unsettlingly stark visual approach. Directed by Max Schoenfeld. World Premiere  
“Welded Together” (Belarus) – A strikingly intimate and poetic verité look at 18-year-old Katya, whose life as a welder is full of daily struggles and harsh realities. She’s determined to protect her little sister from her alcoholic mother and child protective services, working hard for a better future for the both of them. Directed by Anastasiya Miroshnichenko. West Coast Premiere

Spotlight Presentations:  
Opening Night Sierra Spirit Award Presentation: Marlee Matlin – The festival’s highest honor, the Sierra Spirit Award, is given to someone who has forged a unique, independent path in the world of film and television. The 40th anniversary screening of “Children of a Lesser God” will include a moderated conversation about her career.

“Inborn” (USA) – Simple, shocking, darkly beautiful imagery and an extreme performance dramatize the psyche of a man deeply disappointed with his childhood, who seeks to recreate it by any means possible. Directed and written by Joey Hirsh. World Premiere
“Mountains of the Moon” (USA) – The unseen connections between sport, life, music, and the living earth are set to the timeless tunes of the Grateful Dead. Captured almost entirely at night using cutting-edge cinematography, the film takes viewers on a surreal journey through ocean, river, and mountain landscapes. Featuring some of the world’s greatest athletes, adventurers and thinkers. Directed and written by Chris Benchetler. World Premiere
“One in a Million” (USA, UK, Germany) – A sweeping epic shot over ten years, about a Syrian girl’s journey to Germany and back, as she and her family face the challenges of war and life as refugees, and experience culture shock — particularly around women’s role in society. Directed by Itab Azzam and Jack Macinnes. The film is a Sundance World Cinema Documentary Competition Audience Award Winner.