JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE

Agathe, hopelessly clumsy yet charming and full of contradictions, finds herself in desperate singlehood. Her dream is to experience love akin to a Jane Austen novel and her ultimate aspiration is to become a writer. Instead, she spends her days selling books in the legendary British Bookshop, Shakespeare & Co, in Paris. Invited to the Jane Austen Writers’ Residency in England, she must confront her insecurities to finally fulfill her ambition of becoming a novelist and put an end to wasting her sentimental life.

“At a time when practically the entire rom-com genre has gravitated to streaming, this bilingual theatrical offering from Sony Pictures Classics feels like the best kind of throwback.” – Variety

LOVE (THE OSLO TRILOGY)

Marianne, a pragmatic doctor, and Tor, a compassionate nurse, are both avoiding conventional relationships. One evening, after a blind date, Marianne encounters Tor on the ferry. Tor, who often spends his nights there seeking casual encounters with men, shares his experiences of spontaneous intimacy. Intrigued by his perspective, Marianne begins to explore whether casual intimacy could also be an option for her.

OCEAN with David Attenborough

OCEAN WITH DAVID ATTENBOROUGH takes viewers on a breathtaking journey showing there is nowhere more vital for our survival, more full of life, wonder, or surprise, than the ocean.

The celebrated broadcaster and filmmaker reveals how his lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery. Through spectacular sequences featuring coral reefs, kelp forests and the open ocean, Attenborough shares why a healthy ocean keeps the entire planet stable and flourishing.

Stunning, immersive cinematography showcases the wonder of life under the seas and exposes the realities and challenges facing our ocean as never-before-seen, from destructive fishing techniques to mass coral reef bleaching. Yet the story is one of optimism, with Attenborough pointing to inspirational stories from around the world to deliver his greatest message: the ocean can recover to a glory beyond anything anyone alive has ever seen.

MICHELANGELO: LOVE AND DEATH

The spectacular sculptures and paintings of Michelangelo seem so familiar to us, but what do we really know about this Renaissance giant? Michelangelo’s genius is evident in everything he touched. Beautiful and diverse works such as the towering statue of David, the moving Pietà in the Papal Basilica of St. Peter and his tour-de-force, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, still leave us breathless today.

Spanning his 88 years, Michelangelo: Love and Death takes a cinematic journey through the print and drawing rooms of Europe through the great chapels and museums of Florence, Rome and the Vatican to seek out a deeper understanding of this legendary figure’s tempestuous life, his relationship with his contemporaries and his incredible legacy.

Through expert commentary, stunning visuals and Michelangelo’s own words, this film takes a fresh look at a master artist whose life and genius are celebrated in every mark he made. Returning to cinemas in 2025 to celebrate the 550th anniversary of this iconic artist’s birth.

JAWS @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story

Wendy Benchley will join us for a discussion following the June 22 event

The Martha’s Vineyard Film Society, in partnership with National Geographic and Amblin Documentaries, is proud to present an exclusive, members-only preview of JAWS @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, a powerful new documentary that dives deep into the making of a cultural phenomenon and the legacy it sparked for ocean conservation.

This officially authorized, behind-the-scenes documentary uncovers the untold stories of Jaws — from malfunctioning mechanical sharks and stormy seas to the creative genius that forever changed cinema and our collective relationship with sharks.

IT’S NEVER OVER: JEFF BUCKLEY

Followed by a discussion with filmmaker Amy Berg in person!

Rising musician Jeff Buckley had only released one album when he died suddenly in 1997. Now, never-before-seen footage, exclusive voice messages, and accounts from those closest to him offer a portrait of the captivating singer.

BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN

Becoming Led Zeppelin explores the origins of this iconic group and their meteoric rise in just one year against all the odds.

Powered by awe-inspiring, psychedelic, never-before-seen footage, performances, and music, Bernard MacMahon’s experiential cinematic odyssey explores Led Zeppelin’s creative, musical, and personal origin story. The film is told in Led Zeppelin’s own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group.

"The next great Rock n Roll documentary has arrived. Fantastic." - Fort Worth Report

ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO

An expansive and revelatory inside look at John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s life in Greenwich Village in the early 1970s, ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO delivers an immersive cinematic experience that brings to life electrifying, never-before-seen material and newly restored footage of John and Yoko’s only full-length concert. Featuring mind-blowing music newly remixed and produced by Sean Ono Lennon, the film is a seismic revelation that will challenge pre-existing notions of the iconic couple.

BROTHER VERSES BROTHER

From Executive Producer Francis Ford Coppola

Inspired by Francis Coppola's concept of Live Cinema, "Brother Verses Brother" is a radically personal musical odyssey. Combative twin musicians hunt for their dying poet father, in an improvisation performed by the director's own family, in a single unbroken shot through the streets of San Francisco. One brother seeks love and excitement, while the other seeks to disappear into his music. But as night falls and their father remains missing, their frantic safari leads them from the secret haunts of the Beat poets into the heart of their family. Their tale becomes a testament to the power of music, brotherhood, & the lifeblood of a city -- experienced by the viewer in real-time.

LIVINGSTON TAYLOR LIVE IN CONCERT

We are honored to to have Livingston Taylor performing for the first time at the MV Film Center. Livingston is a Martha’s Vineyard resident and when not performing can be found sometimes watching films at the Film Center as a film society member.

Livingston Taylor picked up his first guitar at the age of 13, which began a 50-year career that has encompassed performance, songwriting, and teaching. Born in Boston and raised in North Carolina, Livingston is the fourth child in a very musical family that includes Alex, James, Kate, and Hugh. Livingston recorded his first record at the age of 18 and has continued to create well crafted, introspective, and original songs that have earned him listeners worldwide.

STEVE HYTNER LIVE STAND UP COMEDY

LIVE STAND UP COMEDY PERFORMANCE BY STEVE HYTNER

AKA “Kenny Bania” from Seinfeld! “That’s Gold Jerry!”

Also seen in Modern Family, Two and a Half Men and iZombie

Steve Hytner has made an indelible impression on both the large and small screens.

LOST NATION

Followed by a discussion with filmmaker Jay Craven in person!

“Lost Nation” is a Revolutionary War-era action drama set in the early upstart Republic of Vermont.  “Lost Nation” stars Irish actor Kevin Ryan (“Copper,” Harry Wild”) as Vermont founding father and rebel schemer, Ethan Allen, who leads resistance to New Yorker land claims, launches an ill-fated attack on British forces in Montreal, and leads invasions by his Green Mountain Boys into Yorker strongholds of Guilford and Brattleboro. At every turn, Allen navigates thick entanglements with allies, enemies, and family. 

“Lost Nation’s” parallel and intersecting story features Kenyan actress Eva Ndachi (“Beautifully Broken”) as Lucy Terry Prince, whose poem, “Bars Fight,” about the 1746 Deerfield Massacre, is the first known work of African American literature. Enslaved in Western Massachusetts at the age of 3 - for 30 years - Terry then settled with her family on a Guilford homestead carved out of the forest by her husband, formerly enslaved frontier transport operator, Abijah Prince.  

Like Ethan Allen, the Princes found themselves caught up in turbulent times that threatened their prospects for the land and freedom they sought.  Like Allen, Lucy Prince upset the status quo in her assertive use of early Vermont’s legal and political systems to defend her family in the face of pressure and threats. 

MODERISM, INC: The Eliot Noyes Design Story

Followed by a live discussion with Fred Noyes, architect and son of Eliot Noyes

Mid-century architect and designer Eliot Noyes built the design programs for some of America’s most powerful postwar corporations. The film weaves Noyes’ story with the broader context of corporate America’s embrace of Modernism during the period of postwar economic expansion and culminates in the backlash against Noyes and his generation during the countercultural upheaval of the Vietnam era. The life and work of Eliot Noyes is a vehicle to explore the intersection of postwar business, technology and design – a story that continues to resonate in the contemporary context.

Jimmy Tingle: Humor and Hope for Humanity

Fresh off a NYC theatrical run of his newest critically acclaimed one person show Humor and Hope for Humanity at the SoHo Playhouse and the release of his new Comedy Documentary JIMMY TINGLE: The “Radical” Middle- Why Would a Comedian Run for Office?  Three time "Best of Boston" winner comedian Jimmy Tingle  makes his return to the Martha's Vineyard Film Center with one show only on Wednesday, August 20th.  

In Humor and Hope for Humanity Jimmy will take us on a very funny and soul-searching journey from his Boston roots as an aspiring comic and street performer to network television, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, a run for political office and up to the present 2025 moment.