We (Ellen and Richard) have been going to this film festival for about the last 10 years. A friend from my childhood lives in Philly and was part of the founding of this festival. We enjoy seeing her, her husband, and several ‘new’ friends we’ve met over the years as we go from one film to the next. For the last three years, our good friend for more than 50 years, DP from has joined us from Atlanta.

Unlike the more well known and popular film festivals, this one has delighted us because we’ve been able to see every film of interest to us without the hassle of waiting in long lines, even for the most popular ones. For one fee, you can get a pass for the entire festival (usually about 10 days), and this pass allows you to get into each film with a minimum of waiting. We’ve never been shut out of a film here.

Sometimes we see up to four films as day – this year we saw 15/16 over a five day period (one Ellen and I separated for and saw different films).

We were unable to attend the beginning of the festival this year and so missed some of the highly recommended ones (e.g., ANORA, CONCLAVE, THE NICKEL BOYS), which we will definitely see in the commercial theaters. Also, MARIA, THE BRUTALIST, A REAL PAIN, and UNSTOPPABLE we’ll try to see if any of them come to a local theater.

Here then are the films we saw and a link to information about each one:

TIER ONE – All of these films we thoroughly enjoyed and can recommend unreservedly.

Blitz

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/director-steve-mcqueen-shows-war-through-childs-eyes-new-film-blitz-2024-10-30/

The Room Next Door

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/oct/23/the-room-next-door-review-almodovars-english-language-debut-is-extravagant-and-engrossing

The Order

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-order-review-jude-law-justin-kurzel-1235988678/

The Seed of the Sacred Fig

https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/may/24/the-seed-of-the-sacred-fig-review-mohammad-rasoulofs-arresting-tale-of-violence-and-paranoia-in-iran

I’m Still Here

https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2024/films/im-still-here/

My Favorite  Cake

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/my_favourite_cake

The Knife

https://www.thecinemen.com/2024/10/26/the-knife-austin-film-festival-review

Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other – Won Philly’s Film Festival’s Jury Award for Best Documentary

https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/two-strangers-tryikng-not-to kill-each-other-review-1235943

TIER TWO – Not in the same top category as those above but may be worth your checking out the reviews.

Superboys of Malegaon

https://tiff.net/events/superboys-of-malegaon

All We Imagine as Light

https://www.filmlinc.org/films/all-we-imagine-as-light/

The Last Showgirl

https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/the-last-showgirl-
review-pamela-anderson-1236159496/

Antidote

https://tribecafilm.com/films/antidote-2024

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found

https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/f/ernest-cole-lost-and- found/

The New Year that Never Came

https://variety.com/2024/film/global/in-the-new-year-that- never-came-bogdan-muresanu-trailer-1236121362/

Bound In Heaven – Won Philly Film Festival’s Award for Best Narrative Feature

https://tiff.net/events/bound-in-heaven

Is baseball back?

The playoffs this year were certainly entertaining, even if your team wasn’t involved.

I haven’t seen any figures about TV audience numbers, but I hope you saw some of the games.

As for the winners of the MillersTime Baseball Contests, here are the results:

CONTEST # 1 – Are you a ‘Homer’ or not?

Contestants Jeff Friedman, Rob Higdon, Joe Higdon, Maurray Maniff, Jesse Maniff, Nick Nyhart, Brandt Tilis, Matt Wax-Krell, and Dawn Wilson all ‘proved’ they were not Homers. The rest of you need to sharpen up a bit on your objectivity. A few of you need a lot of work.

Dawn Wilson is the winner. Her answers about the Dodgers were spot on, except she slightly overestimated their regular season record (104-58 vs 98-64). She will get a copy of either Joe Posnanski’s The Baseball 100 or his new book, Why We love Baseball. (Let me know which you’d prefer and your mailing address, Dawn)

Contest # 2 – True / False Questions

No one got all five of the questions right, most missing the first one: One of these two teams will NOT make it to the World Series: La Bums or New York Yunkees..

Four of you got four of the five questions correct: Jeff Friedman, Mary L, Nick Nyhart, and Brandt Tilis

Jeff Friedman is the winner as he was the first one to submit that answer, two days ahead of Mary L, and three weeks ahead of last minute submissions by Nick Nyhart and Brandt Tilis.

If Jeff can make it to DC for a Nats game, I’ll get the tickets, and he’ll buy the food and drinks. If he’d rather go to a game at Fenway, we can arrange that.

Contest # 3 – Name Division winners in each league

The best anyone was able to do was to get four of the six winners correct.

Nick Fels is the winner over Elizabeth Tilis as he submitted his choices four days ahead of Elizabeth’s.

He will get a copy of either Joe Posnanski’s The Baseball 100 or his new book, Why We love Baseball. (Let me know which you’d prefer and your mailing address, Nick.)

Contest # 4 – Five questions about the 2024 playoffs

Jeff Friedman, Zach Haile and Nick Nyhart had the Dodgers winning over the Orioles in six. Brian Steinbach had the Dodgers over the Rangers in six. Dawn Wilson, Elizabeth Tilis & David Price all had the Dodgers over the Astros. Ed Scholl thought the Braves would beat the Yankees. Jesse Maniff had the Yankees beating the Braves in six. But No One had the Yankees and the Dodgers in the WS.

By the power invested in me by me, I declare NO Winner in this category this year.

Contest # 5 – Make a specific, detailed, and prescient prediction about the 2024 MLB season. I’m still working on this question and will winnow the answers down to the finalists. The actual winner will then be chosen by 2024 MillersTime contestants.