May 11th, 2026
By Greg Carlson
Issues of gender reside at the heart of Rory Kennedy’s entertaining documentary “Queen of Chess,” available on Netflix following a January world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. In the feature, Kennedy explores the remarkable career and achievements of the phenomenal Judit Polgár. The Hungarian’s staggering stat line should pique the interest of any viewer. As the greatest female chess player of record, Polgár remains the only woman to be ranked on the…
May 11th, 2026
By Blaise Balas
If you asked a random person on the street if they could name a silent movie star, odds are one of the first they would come up with would be Buster Keaton. And for very good reason; famous for his expressive face, extraordinary physical abilities, and the talent to always do his own stunts — including, but not limited to, the infamous house gag that has been paid homage to countless times since it was first screened — Buster Keaton was truly one of the greatest stars…
May 4th, 2026
By Greg Carlson
Leagues more entertaining than its logline and/or trailer might initially suggest, Renny Harlin’s “Deep Water” smartly avoids taking itself too seriously by fully embracing its delightfully trashy pedigree as a genre-bending mashup of classic disaster movie and shark attack chiller. Coming together under the big umbrella of the survival formula, the result of the cross-pollination is a pleasing diversion for moviegoers looking to shut off their brains for the…
April 27th, 2026
By Greg Carlson
Kristen Stewart’s critically well-received directorial debut should do better in its second life on digital streaming platforms and VOD than it did during the very limited theatrical release it received stateside at the tail of end of 2025. For physical media collectors overseas (as well as those in the United States with region-free players), the British Film Institute’s Blu-ray became available on April 27, 2026. Shot on glorious 16mm by Corey C. Waters, “The…
April 20th, 2026
By Greg Carlson
Veteran documentary filmmaker Marina Zenovich has chronicled a number of powerful men in entertainment, politics and popular culture, including Roman Polanski (twice), Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, Lance Armstrong and Jerry Brown, so neither her most recent subject nor her methodological approach should surprise any viewers who have enjoyed her consistently watchable work. In “I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not,” Zenovich continues her pattern of grappling with a…
April 14th, 2026
By Blaise Balas
As many Fargoans will tell you, it is almost vanishingly rare that our town gets any kind of major recognition, let alone placement in a movie. Movies are reserved for New York, Chicago, Boston — you know, the big places. This is a rule to which there is one Oscar-winning exception: the Coen brothers’ 1996 masterpiece “Fargo.” Not only is the film named for our fine city, it was internationally recognized, won multiple awards and endures as a classic to this day.…
April 13th, 2026
By Greg Carlson
The Fargo Theatre’s Centennial Film Series opens this Tuesday evening (April 14) with a special 30th anniversary screening of “Fargo.” Nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, “Fargo” received two Academy Awards; Frances McDormand was named Best Actress in her role as indefatigable Brainerd Chief of Police Marge Gunderson and Best Screenplay honors went to brothers Joel and Ethan Coen.
In the film, Peter Stormare’s taciturn Gaear Grimsrud may not…
April 8th, 2026
By Alicia Underlee Nelson
Prairie Public and Indie Lens Pop-Up will host free screenings of “The Librarians” — a documentary from Oscar-nominated Director and Producer Kim A. Snyder and Executive Producer Sarah Jessica Parker — in April. The film follows librarians who are forced to consider how book bans will affect library collections and patrons when lawmakers review book lists.
Local screenings will be held at the Grand Forks Public Library (2110 Library Circle, Grand Forks) on…
April 8th, 2026
April 17-18, events begin at 10 a.m.
Fargo Theatre, 314 N Broadway, Fargo
The Northern Plains Indigenous Film Festival will be making its debut on April 17-18. Get ready to take in two days of a variety of films followed by filmmaker Q&As, professional development opportunities as well as the opportunity to become part of an ever evolving storytelling tradition.This is more than just a series of film screenings; it’s a community gathering and a tribute to cinema and the warmth of the…
April 8th, 2026
By Greg Carlson
“Forbidden Fruits” practically begs for the grammarian’s old “which witch is which” query, given that Meredith Alloway’s wildly uneven feature directorial debut bounces from one genre to another and never quite finds a consistent tone or gear. The filmmaker’s game cast members, channeling the sensibilities of inspirations from “Heathers” to “The Craft” to “Jawbreaker” to “Mean Girls,” stretch out the frequently thin satire with generous mock…
By Michael M. Miller Francie M. Berg, native of Hettinger, N.D., edited an impressive book, “Ethnic Heritage in North Dakota,” published in 1983. She grew up on a ranch near Miles City, Montana. Her son, Richard Berg, is…