Discover the 2025 Independent Film Festival Boston 🎥 A Cinematic Celebration
The Independent Film Festival Boston (IFFBoston) is back for its 22nd year, running from April 23 to April 30, 2025. With over 90 films, this festival transforms Boston’s historic venues—Somerville Theatre in Davis Square, Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square, and Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline—into hubs of storytelling. Here’s why IFFBoston 2025 is a must for film lovers.
A Lineup That Sparks Curiosity
The festival opens with Come See Me in the Good Light by Ryan White on April 23 at Somerville Theatre. This documentary follows poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley as they face an incurable diagnosis with humor and heart. White, a festival favorite with past works like Pelada and Ask Dr. Ruth, will attend for a Q&A. The night ends with a party at the Crystal Ballroom, open to all opening night attendees.
The festival closes on April 30 at Coolidge Corner Theatre with Sorry, Baby by Eva Victor. This A24-backed narrative feature explores Agnes’s struggle to move forward after a traumatic event. Victor will be on hand to discuss her work.
A centerpiece screening, Pavements by Alex Ross Perry, hits the Brattle Theatre on April 26. This hybrid film blends documentary, narrative, and musical elements to chronicle the 90s indie band Pavements, their 2022 reunion tour, and a fictionalized biopic. It’s a layered look at music and memory, courtesy of Utopia.
Standout Films to Watch
IFFBoston’s 2025 lineup spans narrative features, documentaries, and shorts. Here are some highlights:
Friendship: Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd, and Kate Mara star in this comedy about a suburban dad obsessed with his charismatic neighbor.
Caught by the Tides:
Deaf President Now!: Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim revisit the 1988 Gallaudet University protests for a Deaf president.
My Sweet Land: Sareen Hairabedian’s debut documentary, a coming-of-age tale set in the Caucasus Mountains, screens for Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.
Night Fight: Khary Saeed Jones’s Massachusetts-made film dives into race, survival, and memory.
The Arborist: Andrew Mudge’s Cambridge-shot feature about a grieving arborist awakening a dark spirit.
Free Leonard Peltier: Jesse Short Bull and David France document Native activists’ fight for Peltier’s freedom.
2000 Meters to Andriivka: Oscar-winner Mstyslav Chernov’s latest, from GBH Frontline.
Zoo: A tribute to local legend Frederick Wiseman with his 1993 documentary.
The festival also showcases 11 short film programs, including Dreams Spun From the Same Web, a collection of indigenous documentary shorts, and the Eighth Annual Student Short Film Showcase, free to the public.
More Than Movies
IFFBoston is a community experience. Filmmaker Q&As, panel discussions, and parties create space for connection. The 15th annual Karen Schmeer Award for Excellence in Documentary Editing, honoring the late Boston editor, will be presented on April 26. Venues are accessible via MBTA, making it easy to hop between screenings.
Plan Your Visit
Tickets go on sale April 9 via iffboston.org. Memberships with priority access are available now. For media credentials, apply by April 18 at press.iffboston.org. Early registration by April 8 ensures better seat selection.
Why IFFBoston Matters
Since 2003, IFFBoston has championed independent cinema in Boston’s arthouse theaters. Run by the Independent Film Society of Boston, a volunteer-led nonprofit, it’s a festival by film fans, for film fans. Whether you’re into documentaries, narratives, or shorts, IFFBoston 2025 offers stories that challenge, entertain, and inspire.
