Category Archives: FFF News

Vote for Pedro: Efren Ramirez Interview

Interview by Greg Carlson

Bonafide modern classic “Napoleon Dynamite” celebrates fifteen years of sweet jumps with a victory tour featuring stars Jon Heder and Efren Ramirez. As part of the 2019 Fargo Film Festival, Jade Presents will bring the film to the Fargo Theatre on Thursday, March 21. Heder and Ramirez will participate in an on-stage discussion following the movie.

Ramirez spoke to High Plains Reader film editor Greg Carlson about becoming an accidental icon.

GC: Have you ever been to North Dakota?

ER: No, I never have. I’ve done a couple tours, traveling to promote a series or a feature film or when I DJ or speak at schools, but I’ve never been to North Dakota. I’m excited to spend some time getting to know the town and the people.

GC: You were born in Los Angeles and got into performance when you were pretty young.

ER: I did. It gave my parents the ability to show my brothers and me that we didn’t have to beat each other up at home. We could do other things in life.  

GC: Did you take theatre classes?

ER: We went to a private school that had after-school programs in drama and theatre. So, maybe, as I’m thinking about this, my mom and dad just wanted to get rid of us. I grew up with four brothers. Five guys destroying each other and destroying the house. We would drive my mom crazy. So she said, “How about the theatre? You can put your drama on stage.”

I never knew then that it would lead to where I am now. It wasn’t a serious thing, because you’re a kid and you do theatre because there was nothing else to do! I grew up in a rough neighborhood and my parents wanted us to do something different, which was understandable, and very fortunate for us.

For me, it made me who I am now. It was only in college when I started to do auditions for plays in Hollywood and do theatre there. I got an agent and got sent out for commercial auditions and small parts in TV shows. I started to land some jobs and things just started to get bigger and bigger. It became my profession and now it’s my career.

GC: What was the gig that made you say “This is what I want to do for a living”?

ER: I did a movie called “Kazaam.”

GC: With Shaq!

ER: With Shaquille O’Neal. Shaquille O’Neal playing a genie. I remember booking the movie and hearing, “You’ll be working for several weeks.” I thought, “Wow! I’m going to be in a film! Shaquille O’Neal plays for the Lakers and he’s going to be a genie! Alright!”

We had to work with his schedule, which was all over the place. So we were on the film for quite some time. I remember that it wasn’t just the joy of acting, but the joy of being on a set. A film set.

On a commercial you work for a day or two, but when you’re working on a film, you observe directors, producers, the other actors, the writers, the crew, and you see all the challenges of making a feature film. I liked learning what cinema does. I liked filmmaking.

I was studying Stella Adler then and part of the homework was watching two films every week. You move from film noir to films of the 70s to drama to comedy to musicals. I was really fascinated by this. Exploring different characters, I learned to be versatile, so I was fortunate to spend this time studying before that moment of “Napoleon Dynamite.”

GC: Which of those films stood out?

ER: “Taxi Driver,” “Easy Rider,” “Midnight Cowboy,” “On the Waterfront,” “The Godfather.” When you watch movies at home, you turn on the TV, you flip through the channels, and they appear. You may not be taking the time to really study them. But in school, you watch these movies for what they really are and learn how these stories get told.  

The films of the 1970s opened up a curious eye for me. I started to see what these actors were doing. What does it mean for me and what can I do? As a young actor on stage, you might do Tennessee Williams, some Shakespeare, and think, “This is possible, I can play Hamlet. Let’s see what happens next.”

GC: If not Hamlet, what is your dream role?

ER: Oh, man. Maybe the life of Emiliano Zapata. Or maybe the life of Salvador Dali.

I have recently been working on a show with Sir Ben Kingsley and Luis Guzman and they are mind-blowing. I feel very lucky because of “Napoleon Dynamite.” You play such an iconic character and some actors go, “I’m never going to work again. That’s it.” But for me, the challenges of auditions and screen tests allow an opportunity to take on stuff that’s completely different.

GC: When did you realize that “Napoleon Dynamite” was going to be special?

ER: I was doing “Italian American Reconciliation” here in Los Angeles and my friends and I decided we were going to visit the mall. Hot Topic had the exclusive rights to sell a bunch of “Napoleon Dynamite” stuff. I just got bombarded. People started shouting, “It’s Pedro!” It became a madhouse! It was insane. I had never experienced anything like that. It just got bigger and bigger.

To this day, it’s surprising and it’s fun. I go to middle schools, high schools, and college campuses and I talk to students about education. Even after all these years, the kids go bananas.

GC: You take the responsibility of Pedro seriously.

ER: You have to take comedy very seriously. And you take the drama with an ounce of comedy. Because if you can’t laugh about it, you’re screwed.

GC: How did you get into DJing? Were you a record collector as a kid?

ER: My older brothers used to be DJs in the LA scene, so I would carry their crates of records when I was a teenager. I quickly moved up from playing with Transformers toys to exploring an interest in girls. Oh, she likes Prince? I like Prince too. She likes Depeche Mode? I like Depeche Mode.

My brothers taught me how to DJ, and I would learn different genres. To this day, I have my records of the Cure, the Smiths, the Cult, Siouxsie and the Banshees. Later, Nine Inch Nails. Old school LL Cool J and Run-DMC. I love to mix genres when the beats match, even though my brothers told me to never mix genres.

GC: What’s your go-to song?

ER: In a bar, it’s always “Sweet Child o’ Mine.” Who doesn’t love Guns N’ Roses? Come on, man! For newer stuff, I might put on Greta Van Fleet. People get pulled into it and I’m like, “Heck yes!” For hip-hop, you can play anything by Public Enemy or Kendrick Lamar. There’s so much great music now, and people are open to the mix of new and old. I really like that.

GC: I saw a picture of you DJing and you were wearing a “Game of Thrones” shirt. Are you House Stark or House Lannister?

ER: There are so many great TV shows on! “Game of Thrones” is awesome. “The Walking Dead” is awesome. I really want to see the third season of “True Detective.” I have a few friends on “Narcos.” When I read a script, I ask “Is this character driven? Is this plot driven?” And the next question I ask is, “Can I play this person?”

Some roles are harder than others. I don’t know if I could do a Neil LaBute play. It’s so dark! Or anything by George Bernard Shaw. How many words did this guy write?

Sometimes I think, “I’m not there yet.” And that’s the honest truth. I may tell the director, “I’m afraid, can you help me with this?” Other times I say, “I’m not going to be Cartel Member Number 4. Don’t offer me that part. Give me something where you can see the character’s life in their eyes.” That’s what is interesting to me.

GC: How has Los Angeles changed since you were a kid?

ER: Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, I saw “Miami Vice,” “Knight Rider,” “CHiPs.” They’re shooting in my neighborhood! How do I get involved? How do I do that?

And now as I listen to you speak, what crosses my mind is “Donnie Darko.” It is one of my favorite films, because Donnie sacrifices his life for another person. And the tone and the setting in the 1980s, and it also has that noir feel to it. And the mystery. I liked the possibility that there was something more out there.

I would have liked to have someone come to me and say, “They are no different from you. They are just another version of you. And you can do it. You just have to find your path.” That’s all I needed.

GC: I love the idea of “Just another version of you.” I learned about it from the Norman Lear documentary.

ER: Your biggest nemesis is yourself. I was lucky landing “Napoleon Dynamite” at the very moment when I was wondering, “Where am I going? What am I doing? Is there going to be a result?” The result was always there. A black belt doesn’t realize he’s a black belt until he starts kicking ass.

GC: What is the best thing about touring with “Napoleon Dynamite”?

ER: That after fifteen years there can be almost sold-out shows and you see kids who are seven to ten years old wearing Vote for Pedro shirts. Parents who were in their twenties and weren’t married then go back with their children now. And the kids and the parents are quoting Napoleon or quoting Pedro. The movie connects how different we are to how similar we are. “Napoleon Dynamite” gives us the permission that it’s OK. We’re all trying our hardest to do something good.

GC: When you visit the Fargo Theatre in March, I will be one of those parents with kids wearing Vote for Pedro shirts.

ER: So cool, so cool. My question to you is, can we walk around Fargo and find William H. Macy as he scrapes his windshield?

Tickets for Napoleon Dynamite: A Conversation with Jon Heder and Efren Ramirez are available now at Jade Presents.

WGA Winner Bathtubs Over Broadway to Open 2019 Fargo Film Festival

The Fargo Film Festival is proud to announce “Bathtubs Over Broadway” as the opening night showcase, with special guests Dava Whisenant and Steve Young in attendance.

This highly acclaimed, crowd-pleasing documentary won awards at both the Tribeca and Palm Springs Film Festivals. It also recently took home the Writers Guild of America’s Award for Best Documentary Screenplay.

Synopsis:
In this musical documentary, comedy writer Steve Young’s assignment to scour bargain-bin vinyl for a “Late Night” segment becomes an unexpected, decades-spanning obsession when he stumbles upon the strange and hilarious world of corporate musicals.

Bizarre cast recordings – marked “internal use only” – revealed Broadway-style musical shows about some of the most recognizable corporations in America. These productions frequently featured writers and performers that would become legends, such as Chita Rivera, Kander and Ebb, Florence Henderson, and Bob Fosse.

“Bathtubs Over Broadway” follows Young on his quest to uncover all he can about this fascinating hidden world. The movie features David Letterman, Martin Short, Chita Rivera, Susan Stroman, Florence Henderson, and more.

Steve Young (Featured Subject)
Steve Young is a New York-based comedy writer, author, songwriter, and lecturer. His writing credits include “Late Night” and “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Simpsons,” “Maya and Marty,” and the animated holiday special “Olive the Other Reindeer,” which also featured his song lyrics. He is the co-author of “Everything’s Coming Up Profits: The Golden Age of Industrial Musicals.” Young is also an instructor at New York University, teaching television history.

Dava Whisenant (Director/Producer/Co-Writer/Editor)
Dava Whisenant is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker making her directorial debut with “Bathtubs Over Broadway.” She was the co-
producer and editor of “Two Trains Runnin,” a Grammy-nominated blues and civil rights documentary. Dava was also an editor for the 3D documentary “Under the Electric Sky” (Sundance 2014). Her diverse experience includes serving as supervising producer for
BBC Worldwide, an editing assistant to Steven Soderbergh, and several years as an editor at “The Late Show With David
Letterman.” Dava is a 2016 Sundance Fellow.

“Bathtubs Over Broadway” will screen at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19 at the Fargo Theatre.

Director Dava Whisenant and star Steve Young will participate in a Q and A following the screening.

FFF19 Announces Screening Schedule

The Fargo Film Festival is proud to announce the screening schedule for 2019. We look forward to sharing the incredible work of so many brilliant filmmakers and storytellers with you March 19-23.

FFF 2019 Screening Schedule

TUESDAY, MARCH 19

Afternoon Session Theatre 1
1:30 You Are the Captain
1:40 Rosewood Ledge
2:05  Midnight Girl
2:20  Amal
2:35  Small Talk
3:05  Ablution
3:20  A Craftsman
3:30 Break
3:40  The Liar
4:00  Wild Honey

Afternoon Session Theatre 2
1:30  Are You Glad I’m Here
2:55 Break
3:05  One Small Step
3:20 Resilient
3:35 Don’t Get Trouble in Your Mind

Evening Session Theatre 1
7:00  Bathtubs Over Broadway

+++++

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20

Morning Session Theatre 1
10:00 Pygmalion
10:35 Maj Doris

Morning Session Theatre 2
10:00  Tuesday Crowd
10:20  Isabelle

Afternoon Session Theatre 1
1:30  Who Killed Lt. Van Dorn?
3:05  Break
3:15  Medium Rare
3:20  The Equatorial Calms
3:25  Public Domain
3:30  I Never Really Left
3:35  Water Lily
3:55  Egg
4:05  Coyote
4:15  Divulge
4:25  Practice
4:35  Letters from Eniwetok
4:50  The Suitor

Afternoon Session Theatre 2
1:30  Ask for Jane
3:20  Break
3:30  Chroma
4:00  Prussia

Evening Session Theatre 1
7:00  My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes
7:15  Riplist

+++++

THURSDAY, MARCH 21

Morning Session Theatre 1
10:00  Dulce
10:10  We Are Still Here
11:00  Hoan Alone
11:15  bOObs: The War on Women’s Breasts

Morning Session Theatre 2
10:00  Between the Lines
10:05  Bristled
10:10  The Dancing Dogs of Dombrova

Afternoon Session Theatre 1
1:30  Ada
2:15  Echoes
2:30  Shadow Animals
2:50  Knock at the Door
3:00  Hair Wolf
3:15  Ghost Light

Afternoon Session Theatre 2
1:30 An Acceptable Loss
3:30  Seder-Masochism

Evening Session Theatre 1
7:00  Napoleon Dynamite:  A Conversation with Jon Heder and Efren Ramirez

+++++

FRIDAY, MARCH 22

Morning Session Theatre 1
10:00  Bernie Langille Wants to Know… Who Killed Bernie Langille
10:15  Behind the Curve

Morning Session Theatre 2
10:00 Qwerty
10:10  Zoo

Afternoon Session Theatre 1
1:30  Puppet Master
1:35  Sitting Shiva
2:05  End of the Line
2:20  Papa
2:45  Hula Girl
2:55  Happy Animals
3:20  Break
3:30  My Country No More

Afternoon Session Theatre 2
1:30  Double Date
1:55  The Night of All Nights
3:30  Carlotta’s Face
3:35 Bloeistraat 11
3:45  Matria
4:05  A Gentle Night
4:20  This Is Your Cuba
4:40  Elsewhere

Evening Session Theatre 1
7:00  An Evening with Richard Edlund
9:00  2-Minute Movie Contest

+++++

SATURDAY, MARCH 23

Morning Session Theatre 1
10:00  Lost and Found
10:10  Beebox
10:25  Your Call Is Important to Us
10:40  Sac de Merde
11:05  Mickey’s Pets
11:20  Fragments 83

Morning Session Theatre 2
10:00  Hybrids
10:10  Prospect

Afternoon Session Theatre 1
1:30  Aeternitas
2:00  Three Pages
2:15  Weekends
2:30  Fauve
2:45  Break
3:00 To the Stars

Afternoon Session Theatre 2
1:30  Silicone Soul
3:15  Badlands Girl
3:40  Ham
4:05  Dissection of a Rose
4:30  To Ana
4:45  Magic Alps
5:00  Mammoth

Evening Session Theatre 1
7:00 Presentation of the Margie Bailly Volunteer Spirit Award
7:10  2-Minute Movie Contest Winner
7:12  The Driver Is Red
7:40  Beneath the Ink
8:05  Caroline
8:15  Little Woods

Celebrate Napoleon Dynamite at the Fargo Film Festival

Jade Presents and the Fargo Film Festival are proud to bring Napoleon Dynamite: A Conversation with Jon Heder and Efren Ramirez to the stage of the Historic Fargo Theatre on March 21, 2019.

This unique “bring your own tots” event includes a full screening of the classic film followed by a lively, freewheeling, moderated discussion with stars Heder (Napoleon) and Ramirez (Pedro).

6 p.m. Doors
7 p.m. Show
All Ages Welcome
Reserved Seating

Tickets are on sale now for this special Fargo Film Festival event offered by Jade Presents.

Reserved seating: $35

VIP seating: $89.50 – includes premium seating and meet-and-greet with Jon Heder and Efren Ramirez. Additional fees may apply.

Admission to this event is also included as part of the Fargo Film Festival All Access Pass.

MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT: https://jadepresents.com/event/2019-napoleon-dynamite-fargo/

Richard Edlund to Receive 2019 Ted M. Larson Award

The Fargo Film Festival is proud to announce Richard Edlund as the 2019 recipient of the Ted M. Larson Award.

Given in recognition of an outstanding career in film production, film preservation, and/or film education, the Ted M. Larson Award is the festival’s highest honor. Mr. Edlund will receive the award during the session An Evening with Richard Edlund, a live, on-stage conversation about his remarkable life, career, and artistic achievements that will take place on Friday, March 22, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. at the Historic Fargo Theatre.

Richard Edlund, ASC
Edlund was born in Fargo, North Dakota. After a Naval tour, USC Film School brought him to Los Angeles. In 1975, fellow VFX enthusiast John Dykstra assembled the team for a startup called Industrial Light and Magic (ILM). Edlund was one of the first to join the group whose mission was to go where no filmmaker had gone before – with visual effects for a movie called Star Wars. When the new technology clicked, Edlund moved to Marin County to supervise visual effects for the next two episodes of Star Wars, as well as Raiders of the Lost Ark and Poltergeist.

Looking for an even greater challenge, Edlund returned to Los Angeles where his company Boss Films became a star in the visual effects world. Boss’s pioneering VFX technology went on to create stunning imagery for over 40 features, including Ghostbusters, Die Hard, Ghost, Poltergeist 2, Alien 3, Species, Multiplicity, Air Force One, Cliffhanger, Batman Returns, Starship Troopers and many other high-profile projects. The company achieved ten Academy Award nominations over a fourteen-year period.

Edlund is a four-time Academy Award visual effects winner – for Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Return of the Jedi, and was nominated for Poltergeist, 2010, Ghostbusters, Poltergeist II: The Other Side, Die Hard, and Alien 3. He’s won three Academy Technical Awards and the British Academy Award for Poltergeist and Return of the Jedi.

He earned an Emmy for creating the visual effects for the original television miniseries Battlestar Galactica and received another nomination for Mike Nichols’ Angels in America. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored him with their John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation in recognition of his contributions to the Academy. The ASC (American Society of Cinematographers) presented him with their esteemed Presidents Award in 2008. He has also received top accolades from the Visual Effects Society, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, and numerous other organizations.

Tickets for An Evening with Richard Edlund go on sale at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, March 4, 2019 at the Fargo Theatre box office. General admission seating.

2-Minute Movie Contest Returns to FFF19

The 2-Minute Movie Contest returns to the Fargo Film Festival on Friday, March 22, 2019.

Admission to the screening is two dollars.

Submissions to the 2-Minute Movie Contest remain open until Thursday, February 14, 2019. There is no cost to enter.

Moviemakers may submit only one film for consideration, and there is no guarantee of exhibition.

Entrants can email a link to a downloadable Vimeo file with “FFF19 2-Minute Movie Contest” to gregcarlson1[at]gmail[dot]com by 5 p.m. on Thursday, February 14, 2019.

Total running time for entries may not exceed 120 seconds, including any credits, and all moviemakers must provide a title for their movie.

Special Radisson Rates for FFF19 Visitors

The Fargo Radisson is offering discounted rooms for film festival guests again this year.

To book a room in the Fargo Film Festival discount block, guests can use one of the following methods:

  1. Call the hotel directly at 701.232.7363 and ask for the Fargo Film Festival rate.
  2. Go to www.radissonfargo.com and enter FFILMF in the promotional code field after selecting the appropriate dates.

Guests need to book by March 1, 2019 to get the promotional rate.

FFF19 Official Selections and Category Winners Announced

Animation
Winner: The Driver Is Red (Randall Christopher)

Honorable Mention: Hybrids (Florian Brauch, Matthieu Pujol, Kim Tailhades, Yohan Thireau, Romain Thirion)

Honorable Mention: Weekends (Trevor Jimenez)

Official Selections
Beebox (Cable Hardin)
Between the Lines (Maria Koneva)
Bloeistraat 11 (Nienke Deutz)
Bristled (Scott Farrell)
Carlotta’s Face (Valentin Riedl, Frédéric Schuld)
Coyote (Lorenz Wunderle)
Egg (Martina Scarpelli)
Qwerty (John McAmis)
Seder-Masochism (Nina Paley)

Documentary Feature
Winner: Bathtubs Over Broadway (Dava Whisenant)

Honorable Mention: Behind the Curve (Daniel J. Clark)

Honorable Mention: Silicone Soul (Melody Gilbert)

Official Selections
Don’t Get Trouble in Your Mind (John Whitehead)
Maj Doris (Jon Blahed)
My Country No More (Rita Baghdadi, Jeremiah Hammerling)
The Night of All Nights (Yasemin Samdereli)
Who Killed Lt. Van Dorn? (Zachary Stauffer)

Documentary Short
Winner: Beneath the Ink (Cy Dodson)

Honorable Mention: Bernie Langille Wants to Know… Who Killed Bernie Langille (Jackie Torrens)

Honorable Mention: Happy Animals (David Freid)

Official Selections
bOObs: The War on Women’s Breasts (Megan S. Smith)
Dulce (Guille Isa, Angello Faccini)
Hoan Alone: Personal Stories from the Bridge (Aaron Johnson)
Hula Girl (Amy Hill, Chris Riess)
My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes (Charlie Tyrell)
We Are Still Here (Lizbeth Chappell)

Experimental
Winner: Fragments 83 (Richard Millen, Corentin Koskas)

Honorable Mention: Dissection of a Rose (Austin Page)

Honorable Mention: Medium Rare (Luca Cioci)

Official Selections
Ada (Christine Margaret)
Divulge (Haven Nutt)
The Equatorial Calms (Derek Taylor)
Letters from Eniwetok (Ed Carter)
Public Domain (Jason Britski)

Invited Films
Chroma (Caren McCaleb, Mary Trunk)
I Never Really Left (Izaak Love)
Lost and Found (Andrew Goldsmith and Bradley Slabe) 
Prussia (Jim Manney, Cody Rogness)
Riplist (Mike Scholtz)
Sac de Merde (Greg Chwerchak)

Narrative Feature
Winner: Little Woods (Nia DaCosta)

Honorable Mention: Prospect (Christopher Caldwell, Zeek Earl)

Official Selections
An Acceptable Loss (Joe Chappelle)
Are You Glad I’m Here (Noor Gharzeddine)
Ask for Jane (Rachel Carey)
The Dancing Dogs of Dombrova (Zack Bernbaum)
Ghost Light (John Stimpson)
Isabelle (Rob Heydon)
Wild Honey (Francis Stokes)
Zoo (Colin McIvor)

Narrative Short
Winner: Caroline (Logan George, Celine Held)

Honorable Mention: Fauve (Jeremy Comte)

Honorable Mention: Three Pages (Roger Gariepy)

Official Selections
Aeternitas (Gordie Haakstad)
The Badlands Girl (Evan Ari Kelman)
A Craftsman (Sanford Jenkins Jr.)
Double Date (Vania Smrkovski)
Echoes (Mark Kerins, Elliot Mayen)
Elsewhere (Andy Berriman)
End of the Line (Jessica Sanders)
Esta Es Tu Cuba (Brian Robau)
A Gentle Night (Qiu Yang)
Hair Wolf (Mariama Diallo)
Ham (Zachary Wentz)
Knock at the Door (Michael Constable)
Magic Alps (Andrea Brusa, Marco Scotuzzi)
Matria (Álvaro Gago)
Midnight Girl (Christina Yoon)
Papa (Christophe Switzer)
The Puppet Master (Cal Brunker)
Pygmalion (André Hoven)
Rosewood Ledge (Trey Chapman)
Shadow Animals (Jerry Carlsson)
The Suitor (Álvaro Congosto)
To Ana (Simone LeClaire)
You Are the Captain (Dan Samiljan)
Your Call Is Important to Us (TJ Power)

Student
Winner: Mammoth (Ariel Heller)

Honorable Mention: Tuesday Crowd (William Kioultzopoulos)

Official Selections
Ablution (Omar Al Dakheel)
Amal (Dilek Ince)
The Liar (Jack Salvadori)
Mickey’s Pets (Ashley S. Brandon)
One Small Step (Aqsa Altaf)
Practice (Iyabo Kwayana)
Resilient (Aloiz Krisak)
Sitting Shiva (Heather Shapiro)
Small Talk (Steven G. Warkel)
Water Lily (Sierra Obioha)


Alan Abel (1924-2018)

The Fargo Film Festival mourns the death of the inimitable Alan Abel, one of our all-time favorite guests and the subject of “Abel Raises Cain.”

The entire Fargo Film Festival family extends our sympathy and love to Jeanne Abel, Jenny Abel, and their entire family.

You can read about Mr. Abel’s remarkable life here.

Oh Hai, Mark

Grindflicks and the Fargo Film Festival are proud to announce “Oh Hai, Mark,” an evening with special guest Greg Sestero.

The Friday, November 9, 2018 event will include screenings of Sestero’s latest films “BEST F(R)IENDS” volumes 1 & 2, followed by an on stage conversation with Sestero.

In 2003 writer/actor/director Tommy Wiseau released his masterpiece: an independent picture called “The Room.” Centered around best friends Johnny (Wiseau) and Mark (Sestero), the film explores love, betrayal, and heartbreak through Wiseau’s singular, peculiar lens. It would eventually become one of the most popular cult films of all time. The film’s legend continues to grow. In 2013 Sestero co-authored the best selling book “The Disaster Artist.” The book captured Wiseau and Sestero’s unique friendship and the bizarre process of producing “The Room.” In 2017, James Franco and Dave Franco portrayed Wiseau and Sestero in the highly acclaimed film adaptation “The Disaster Artist.”

Fifteen years later, Tommy and Greg return to the silver screen in “BEST F(R)IENDS.” Based on a series of true-to-life anecdotes sourced from two decades of shared experiences, “BEST F(R)IENDS” is a unique two-volume cinematic saga that interweaves mystery, intrigue, and more than a few dark laughs into the long-awaited reunion of the cult icons. Step into this surrealist tale and learn a lesson about friendship and loyalty.

“BEST F(R)IENDS: Volume 1” will screen at 5:15 p.m.

“BEST F(R)IENDS: Volume 2” will screen at 7:30 p.m. and will be immediately followed by a live, on-stage conversation and audience Q&A with Greg Sestero.

Tickets go on sale at 4:00 p.m. on October 29 at the Fargo Theatre box office (314 Broadway, Fargo, ND 58102).

General admission seating. In person sales only. 18+ only.

Tickets:
Both Volumes w/Q&A – $20
Volume 2 w/Q&A – $15