April showers bring May flowers. But what April also brings is the annual Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF, pronounced "EM-spiff”), which is celebrating its forty-fifth year of showcasing an eclectic range of films to Minnesota moviegoers. In my brief time attending the festival, the programming has only gotten stronger, and so has the festival's attendance and its place within the great cinema landscape. Of course, the majority of the 200 films within the lineup will be screened at The Main Cinema, which was recently renovated with new seating in a few of its theaters. Other venues for select screenings include the Edina Theatre, Pop’s Art Theater, Capri Theater, Landmark Center, and FilmNorth.

Opening the festivities on April 8th is a screening of the documentary feature Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story, which focuses on the Duluth-born comedian and her inspiring story about struggling with mental health. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival back in January and is co-directed by Judd Apatow and Neil Berkeley. The latter will be in attendance with Bamford herself for an introduction and post-screening conversation. Also screening at the same time is another timely documentary, called Everybody to Kenmure Street, about protestors disrupting illegal immigration enforcement.

One of MSPIFF’s biggest selling points is its consolidation of many notable independent and foreign language films released in the late spring and early summer. Debuting in Minnesota now, after world premiering at the Cannes Film Festival last May, are Two Prosecutors, Young Mothers, The Little Sister, Exit 8, Renoir, Eagles of the Republic, Romería, and Mother and Child. Each was met with positive acclaim and came from notable filmmakers who have rarely steered audiences wrong.

There’s also plenty to offer for those looking for some late-night, genre features. Premiering in the Midnight Madness section at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival were Obsession and Normal. The former became the talk of the festival with its dark, supernatural twist on unconditional love. The latter stars Bob Odenkirk as the new police chief of a quaint Minnesota town that harbors many secrets underneath its blanket of snow. Adam Scott stars in Hokum as a horror writer who is haunted by a witch at a creepy Irish inn. And writer/director François Ozon adapts the famed novel The Stranger, about a man who exacts a series of unfeeling crimes.

Upping the star wattage throughout the eleven days will be screenings of The Christophers, directed by Steven Soderbegerh and starring Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel; Late Fame, starring Willem Dafoe and Greta Lee; Silent Friend, starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Léa Seydoux; Power Ballad, with Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas; and Rose of Nevada, with Callum Turner and George MacKay. After becoming a box office sensation back home in the UK and nabbing several awards at the BAFTAs, the inspirational real-life drama I Swear finally lands in American theaters.

After honoring legends such as Roger Deakins and Ang Lee in the past, this year’s Milgrom Tribute is being bestowed upon cinematographer Dean Cundey. With a career spanning nearly 50 years and collaborations with directors such as John Carpenter, Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg, and Ron Howard, Cundey has been the eyes for many of Hollywood’s defining films. He’ll accept the award during a conversation about his career on April 12th. It will then be followed by screenings of two of his films: Escape from New York and Jurassic Park. Cundey will conduct a Q&A session following the screening of the latter film.

To access the full list of films and secure tickets, you can visit the MSP Film Society website. In addition, there will be several panels hosted by industry insiders, and parties to network with fellow cinephiles.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival runs from April 08-19th at The Main Cinema.