Submissions for the 2025 Fargo Film Festival have now closed. The 25th Fargo Film Festival will be held March 18-22, 2025.
Check back for announcements about our Official Selections in January.
Submissions for the 2026 Fargo Film Festival will open in summer 2025.
Join us on Saturday, March 22nd for a special screening of THE BREAKFAST CLUB followed by a conversation with Molly Ringwald live on stage during the 2025 Fargo Film Festival!
Molly Ringwald is an actor, singer and author. Her extensive film credits include Paul Mazursky’s “Tempest”, the iconic John Hughes films “Sixteen Candles”, “Pretty in Pink” and “The Breakfast Club”, the indie film “All These Small Moments” and Netflix’s “The Kissing Booth”. On stage, Ringwald has starred in numerous Broadway productions, including “Cabaret”, “Enchanted April” and “Sweet Charity” and her television credits include the hit series “Riverdale”, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” and “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”.
Tickets go on sale Friday, September 6, 10 a.m. A special online only presale is Thursday, September 5, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. Reserved seating tickets cost $69.50, $89.50 and $149. 50*. Additional fees may apply. Admission to THE BREAKFAST CLUB with Molly Ringwald is not included with Fargo Film Festival passes. The audience is invited to a Q&A with Molly Ringwald following the film. *A limited number of tickets includes a post-movie VIP meet-and-greet with Molly Ringwald.
She is the author of two bestselling books, “Getting the Pretty Back” and “When It Happens to You”, and the translator of the award-winning bestselling French novel “Lie With Me” by Philippe Besson and the memoir “My Cousin Maria Schneider” by Vanessa Schneider. Her essays have appeared in the “New York Times”, “The New Yorker”, “Vogue”, “Marie-Claire” and
Please note: this event will be ticketed separately from all other Fargo Film Festival programming. Admission to THE BREAKFAST CLUB with Molly Ringwald will not be included with Fargo Film Festival passes of any level.
The Fargo Film Festival is pleased to announce a special, satellite event featuring two celebrated voices in the world of pop culture and media arts.
Join us Thursday, July 25 at 7:00pm for a screening of Richard Linklater’s BEFORE SUNRISE, followed by an onstage conversation with authors Chuck Klosterman (Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, Fargo Rock City) and Melissa Maerz (Alright, Alright, Alright, editor at Spin and Rolling Stone). With their unique expertise and insight, Klosterman and Maerz will take a deep dive into movies, music, and the voices that shaped a generation. A meet and greet with Klosterman and Maerz will be held before the film, beginning at 6:15pm.
Chuck Klosterman is the bestselling author of eight nonfiction books and two novels (Downtown Owl and The Visible Man). He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, GQ, and Esquire. Klosterman served as the Ethicist for The New York Times Magazine for three years, appeared as himself in the LCD Soundsystem documentary Shut Up and Play the Hits, and was an original founder of the website Grantland with Bill Simmons.
Melissa Maerz has worked as an editor at Spin and Rolling Stone, a staff writer for Entertainment Weekly and the Los Angeles Times, and a supervising producer on HBO’s Vice News Tonight. She was a founding editor at New York magazine’s Vulture website. She lives in Portland, Oregon.
About BEFORE SUNRISE:
Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke star in BEFORE SUNRISE, the romantic classic from acclaimed director Richard Linklater. In the film, an American traveler and a French grad student meet on a train in Europe and decide to spend a day together in Vienna.
The Fargo Film Festival proudly and exclusively accepts entries on FilmFreeway, the world’s best way to enter film festivals.
With the exception of 2-Minute Movie Contest entries, films selected for the 2025 Fargo Film Festival must be provided in approved DCP format for exhibition.
The 25th Fargo Film Festival will be held March 18-22, 2025.
That’s a wrap on the 2024 Fargo Film Festival! On behalf of the entire team: THANK YOU! We are so grateful for the generosity of our sponsors who make this celebration of independent film possible. Over the course of five days, we screened 107 films (including two Oscar nominees) and welcomed more than 40 visiting filmmakers to the community. Thank you to our audiences for your passion and continued support.
Submissions for the 2025 Fargo Film Festival will open later in the spring.
Director Samuel-Ali Mirpoorian will attend the 2024 Fargo Film Festival with his critically acclaimed documentary”Green Pastures.” The film is the recipient of the Prairie Spirit Award and the Best Documentary Feature award. The documentary screens as part of the Saturday Morning Session on March 23rd. Mirpoorian will participate in a Q&A after the film and will serve as a panelist in the Character Driven Storytelling luncheon panel on Saturday at noon at the Radisson Blu.
About the film:
Greener Pastures captures the day-to-day lives of four small, multigenerational family farms over the course of four years. Through an intimate, observational lens we examine the various farm stressors, policies and politics farmers must maneuver to survive, connecting the dots between mental health, industrialization, food production and climate change. It is a story of perseverance, patience and determination that tackles nothing less than the future of farming in America.
About Samuel-Ali Mirpoorian:
Samuel-Ali Mirpoorian is an award-winning Iranian filmmaker exploring societal themes at the intersection of time, isolation, health, science, and introspection.
During his undergrad and grad studies at Indiana University, Samuel was a recipient of the Kodak Motion Picture Film Bronze Award for Excellence in Filmmaking. He produced three doc-shorts that played and won awards at Academy Award-qualifying film festivals such as Tribeca, Heartland International, St. Louis International, and others; his work has been released via Peacock/NBC, The Atlantic, PBS, and others.
Samuel’s debut feature documentary, Greener Pastures, is set to premiere in 2023 and is executive produced by Emmy Award-winners, David J. Cornfield and Linda A. Cornfield (THE SOCIAL DILEMMA, WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?, CHASING CORAL). Greener Pastures is also supported by the Catapult Film Fund, Doc Society, and Exposure Labs.
The Fargo Film Festival is proud to announce the winners of the Best in Show Awards for the 2024 Fargo Film Festival.
Best Picture: “Closing Dynasty” (Narrative Short)
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Best Director: Sean Wang for “Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó” (Documentary Short)
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Best Cinematography: Jeong-seok Park for “Children of Light” (Narrative Short)
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Pat Hansen Award for Best Screenplay: J.D. Shields for “Blue Hour” (Student)
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Best Actor: Jorge Martinez Colorado for “Coyote” (Narrative Feature)
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Best Actress: Jennifer Lafleur for “The Day Of” (Narrative Short)
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The Ruth Landfield Award is presented to “Show Her the Money” (Documentary Feature)
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The Prairie Spirit Award is presented to “Greener Pastures” (Documentary Feature)
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The Rusty Casselton Award is presented to “Mum’s Spaghetti” (Student)
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Congratulations to all of these talented artists from all of us at the Fargo Film Festival. Learn more about each of these titles in our 2024 Program.
The 2024 Fargo Film Festival Program is available now. Click the image below to open the program guide to read descriptions of each film and to plan your festival experience.
Feed your tummy and your mind at the Fargo Film Festival’s 2024 Luncheon Panel Discussions. Join us at the Blu Bar in the Radisson Blu Fargo (201 5th St. N) on Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23 for exciting conversations with special guests. Tickets are $15 and include lunch. Tickets are on sale now at the Fargo Theatre Box Office; remaining tickets will be available at the door.
Friday, March 22 at 12:00 noon
Cartoons aren’t just for kiddos! Join filmmakers Owen Dennis, Noelle Duddridge, Toby Jones, Zach Howatt, and Madeline Queripel as they explore the art of animation. Learn how different styles of animation can be used to tell stories and reach audiences of all ages.
Saturday, March 23 at 12:00 noon
Movies help us to see the world through the eyes and experiences of others. Festival guests Matt Klug, Sam Mirpoorian, and J.D. Shields discuss crafting personal narratives on film and creating connections with viewers.
Tickets and passes for the 2024 Fargo Film Festival are now on sale online and at the Fargo Theatre box office,
Please note that a service charge of $1.25 will be added to every ticket purchased online.
Festival Fanatic Pass – $150 (Only 25 passes for sale)
Description: This pass grants general admission to all Festival screening sessions and all three receptions/parties (see details below). Festival Fanatic pass holders receive two complimentary drink tickets and hors d’oeuvres at each reception. Festival Fanatic Pass holders also receive discounted admission ($10) to FFF luncheons.
Movie Lovers Pass – $100
Description: This pass grants general admission to all Festival screening sessions.
Morning or Afternoon Session Single Admission
$10 General, $5 Student
Evening Session Single Admission
$13 General, $5 Student
Luncheon Panel Discussions (Friday & Saturday at the Radisson Blu)
$15 – includes meal and entertaining conversations on film
2-Minute Movie Contest (Thursday, March 21 at 9:15pm)
$2
Admission to the 2-Minute Movie Contest is included with all Festival Passes and with the purchase of a Thursday Evening Session ticket.
Please note that seating is general admission, first come, first serve between the two auditoriums.
Fargo Film Festival 2024 receptions/parties (admission included with the Festival Fanatic Pass): Festival Fanatic pass holders receive two complimentary drink tickets and hors d’oeuvres at each reception. A cash bar will be available at all locations for additional beverage purchases.
Tuesday, March 19
5:30 – 7:00pm
Marge’s Diner
220 Broadway North
Fargo, ND
Friday, March 22
5:30 – 7:00pm
Jasper Hotel
215 Broadway N
Fargo, ND
Wrap Party
Saturday, March 23
9:15 – midnight
Radisson Blu, 84 Italian Steakhouse
201 5th St N
Fargo, ND