Fablecore and More
Wednesday, October 14 – Monday, October 19
Handmade fantasy goes all the way back to the beginning of cinema and the trick films of Georges Méliès but the past few years have seen a surge in a certain kind of indie film made by young filmmakers who use fairy tale frameworks to tell DIY stories that reflect our own world in different ways. Often dealing with gender identity and/or sexual politics, these “Fablecore” films have a handmade feeling and are rooted in storytelling traditions—playfully recontextualizing fantasy tropes with a quirky, idiosyncratic gaze. We’ve gathered some of our favorite examples—including the never before theatrically screened in Boston 100 NIGHTS OF HERO—and we present them alongside some of the clear progenitors and earlier examples of this aesthetic.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
- Wed, Oct 14
- Sun, Oct 18
Director: Terry Gilliam Run Time: 126 min. Format: 35mm Film Release Year: 1988
Starring: Charles McKeown, Eric Idle, John Neville, Oliver Reed, Sarah Polley
Remarkable. Unbelievable. Impossible. And true.
I Saw the TV Glow
- Thu, Oct 15
Director: Jane Schoenbrun Run Time: 100 min. Format: DCP Release Year: 2024
Starring: Brigette Lundy-Paine, Helena Howard, Ian Foreman, Justice Smith, Lindsey Jordan
Merging handmade fantasy elements with a 90s Nickelodeon aesthetic adds just the right note of otherworldliness to Jane...
100 Nights of Hero
- Fri, Oct 16
- Sat, Oct 17
- Tue, Oct 20
Director: Julia Jackman Run Time: 91 min. Format: DCP Release Year: 2025
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Charli xcx, Emma Corrin, Maika Monroe, Nicholas Galitzine
Whatever the lady wants.
The Fall
- Fri, Oct 16
- Sat, Oct 17
Director: Tarsem Singh Run Time: 119 min. Format: DCP Release Year: 2008
Starring: Catinca Untaru, Jeetu Verma, Lee Pace, Leo Bill, Marcus Wesley
This magical love letter to the power of storytelling and human connection from the visionary filmmaker Tarsem stars...
Donkey Skin
- Sat, Oct 17
Director: Jacques Demy Run Time: 90 min. Format: DCP Release Year: 1970 Language: French
Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Delphine Seyrig, Fernand Ledoux, Jacques Perrin, Jean Marais
The skin of an animal hid her captivating beauty that only a prince could discover!
The Ugly Stepsister
- Sat, Oct 17
Director: Emilie Kristine Blichfeldt Run Time: 105 min. Format: DCP Release Year: 2025 Language: Norwegian with English subtitles
Starring: Ane Dahl Torp, Flo Fagerli, Isac Calmroth, Lea Mathilde Skar-Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss
In this warped and wonderful inversion of Cinderella, Lea Myren plays Elvira, THE UGLY STEPSISTER—one whose mother will...
Riddle of Fire
- Sun, Oct 18
Director: Weston Razooli Run Time: 113 min. Release Year: 2024
Starring: Charles Halford, Charlie Stover, Danielle Hoetmar, Lio Tipton, Lorelei Olivia Mote, Phoebe Ferro, Skyler Peters
A lot of fantasy narratives feel like a regular story that has been infused with fairy dust, but...
Innocence
- Sun, Oct 18
Director: Lucile Hadzihalilovic Run Time: 121 min. Format: 35mm Film Release Year: 2005 Language: French
Starring: Bérangère Haubruge, Hélène de Fougerolles, Lea Bridarolli, Marion Cotillard, Zoé Auclair
35mm Screening • The end of innocence... the beginning of life.
Paradise Hills
- Sun, Oct 18
Director: Alice Waddington Run Time: 95 min. Format: Digital Projection Release Year: 2019
Starring: Awkwafina, Danielle Macdonald, Eiza González, Emma Roberts, Milla Jovovich
Rebels Reign.
Piaffe
- Mon, Oct 19
Director: Ann Oren Run Time: 86 min. Format: DCP Release Year: 2023 Language: German
Starring: Josef Ostendorf, Lea Draeger, Sebastian Rudolph, Simon(è) Jaikiriuma Paetau, Simone Bucio
Introverted and unqualified, Eva is unexpectedly tasked with foleying the sound for a commercial featuring a horse. As...