2013 Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival runs April 11-28
Ken Loach’s acclaimed The Angels’ Share will screen as part of the Opening Night Celebration.

Minneapolis, MN (March 5, 2013) – The Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, presented by The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul, will return to five screens of the St. Anthony Main Theatre April 11 through 28. The Festival will screen some 200 international independent feature length and short films representing over 60 countries in an array of new and returning programs and will feature visits from prominent international filmmakers and celebrities and a host of galas, events, parties, and panel discussions.

Director Ken Loach’s acclaimed The Angels’ Share, which opened and was awarded the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival last year, will screen on April 11 at 7:30 p.m. as the Festival’s Opening Night Celebration. The veteran British director’s bittersweet comedy tells the story of a young Scottish father determined to turn over a new leaf and forge a better life for himself and his son.

For more than three decades, the Festival has provided an opportunity for audiences to discover new cultures and ideas through the medium of film, and has welcomed numerous prominent filmmakers and personalities to tell their stories.

“The Festival allows you to see many non-commercial films you’d never otherwise have access to,” said Susan Smoluchowski, Executive Director of the The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul. “We give the community a rare chance to see these works on the big screen.”

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak agreed. “The Minneapolis St. Paul International film festival is one of the signature annual events that makes our city a great place to live, work, and visit, and solidifies our much-deserved reputation as one of America’s greatest cultural destinations,” he said.

A spirit of exploration is reflected in the 2013 Festival’s programming lineup, which this year features several notable sidebars and new programs curated by local and national industry authorities.

Opening Night Celebration Tickets to the Opening Night film will go on sale to Film Society members only ($40) on March 13. Tickets include admission to the Opening Night party at the Aster Café, located within St. Anthony Main, 115 SE Main Street in Minneapolis. The party, sponsored by the Aster Café and US Bank’s Private Client Reserve, begins immediately following the 7:30 screening of The Angel’s Share. For tickets, visit mspfilmsociety.org.