Opening Night Film for the Annapolis Film Festival
The Annapolis Film Festival is thrilled to announce that its Opening Night Film for the March 27-30, 2025 festival is THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND from Focus Features, starring three-time Academy Award nominee, Carey Mulligan.
The Film Guide for the Annapolis Film Festival is now online. It displays nine distinct categories to help patrons identify the dates, times, and locations of films they want to see. A brief description is available for each film. More than 70 films will be shown during the festival. Primary categories include: Black Experience, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short, Environmental Showcase, Faith Experience, Jewish Experience, Narrative Feature, Sailing Showcase, and Shorts. The One to One description below exemplifies what you will find in the film guide.
Documentary Feature and Centerpiece
One to One: John & Yoko
An exploration of the seminal and transformative 18 months that one of music’s most famous couples — John Lennon and Yoko Ono — spent living in Greenwich Village, New York City during the turbulent era of the early 1970s.
On August 30, 1972, John and Yoko performed their only full-length concert after John left The Beatles—a vibrant, electrifying show at Madison Square Garden. Using impressive archival footage, the film uniquely captures the cultural climate of the era while also exploring John and Yoko’s personal and artistic evolution in the months leading up to this legendary performance. Far from a conventional biopic, this intimate film offers a fresh perspective on how The Beatles’ legacy shaped the cultural and artistic landscape of the time.
About The Opening Night Film for the Annapolis Film Festival
After agreeing to do a private gig on a remote island, international music superstar Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden) is perplexed to learn that he’ll be playing for an audience of one—eccentric millionaire Charles (Tim Key). But the surprises don’t end there. The hotel where he’ll be staying is, in fact, Charles’ historic home. The landline he needs to use after his mobile falls into the sea? That’s a pay phone far down the lane, just outside the area’s only shop. And the seaside concert he’s set to do? That’s actually a reunion show for McGwyer Mortimer, the folk-rock duo that shot him to stardom years before.
Reuniting with his old partner Nell (Carey Mulligan) after nearly a decade of estrangement brings up feelings Herb would prefer to leave behind, a situation made even more awkward with her husband Michael (Akemnji Ndifornyen) having accompanied her on the journey. As the musicians re-engage with their back catalog in preparation for the big show, Herb and Nell find their musical chemistry remains as strong as ever, but old wounds soon begin to resurface, jeopardizing the concert.
Somehow, amiable Charles must find a way to manage a collection of strong personalities if he’s to witness his dream performance, while Herb slowly begins to realize that his happiness might depend on his willingness to reconnect with his past.
From Focus Features and director James Griffiths (A Million Little Things, Episodes) comes a charming and affecting tale of miscommunication, lost love, and renewed hope. THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND stars Tom Basden, Tim Key, Sian Clifford, Akemnji Ndifornyen, and three-time Academy Award® -nominee Carey Mulligan. Based on the 2007 short The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island, the film is directed by James Griffiths from a screenplay by Basden and Key.
THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND is produced by Rupert Majendie; executive producers are Carey Mulligan, Tom Basden, Tim Key, James Griffiths, Sarah Monteith, Laurence Brown, Stephen Kelliher, and Yana Georgieva. Director of photography, G. Magni Agústsson; Editor, Quin Williams; Casting director, Catherine Willis, CDG; Production designer, Alexandra Toomey; Costume designer, Gabriela Yiaxis; Hair and make-up designer, Frances Hounsom. Focus Features’ THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND will be released only in theaters on March 28, 2025.
Opening Night at the Annapolis Film Festival
“We couldn’t be more excited to open this year’s festival with The Ballad of Wallis Island,” said Patti White, Festival Director. The screening will follow the Red Carpet at 7 PM on Thursday, March 27th, at Maryland Hall. The evening continues with the Opening Night After Party, where festivalgoers can celebrate with dancing, fusion cuisine compliments of The Palate Pleasers, and cocktails courtesy of TIto’s Vodka. Tickets on sale 3/7.
For more information about the Annapolis Film Festival and Film Society, including membership and upcoming events, please visit www.annapolisfilmfestival.org
Annapolis Film Festival Official Slate of Films
FEATURE FILMS:
76 Days Adrift (directed by Joe Wein)
Bad Shabbos (directed by Daniel Robbins)
Been Here Stay Here (directed by David Usui)
Beyond the Gaze: Jule Campbell’s Swimsuit Issue (directed by Jill Campbell)
Checkpoint Zoo (directed by Joshua Zeman)
Lilly (directed by Rachel Feldman)
Looking Up (directed by Elena Neuman)
Love, Danielle (directed by Marianna Palka)
Magic Hour (directed by Jacqueline Christy)
Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore (directed by Shoshannah Stern)
Midas Man (directed by Joe Stephenson)
Mistress Dispeller (directed by Elizabeth Lo)
Moses 13 Steps (directed by Michael Wech)
Move Ya Body: The Birth of House (directed by Elegance Bratton)
Never Alone (directed by Klaus Härö)
One to One: John & Yoko (directed by Kevin Macdonald, Sam Rice-Edwards)
Rule Breakers (directed by Bill Guttentag)
Sally (directed by Cristina Costantini)
Sheepdog (directed by Steven Grayhm)
Space Cowboy (directed by Bryce Leavitt, Marah Strauch)
SPEAK. (directed by Jennifer Tiexiera, Guy Mossman)
The Ballad of Wallis Island (directed by James Griffiths)
The King of Kings (directed by Seong-ho Jang)
The Marching Band (directed by Emmanuel Courcol)
The Moon is Upside Down (directed by Loren Taylor)
The Secret of Me (directed by Grace Hughes-Hallett)
The Summer Book (directed by Charlie McDowell)
The Threesome (directed by Chad Hartigan)
What’s Next (directed by Taylor Taglianetti)
SHORT FILMS:
26,000 Days (directed by Henry Charles Behel)
Azi (directed by Montana Mann)
Back to the Sky (directed by Amin El Siwi)
Beauty Queens (directed by Eva Chaitman)
Bolour (directed by Helia Behrooz)
Bowling, Alone (directed by Casey Baum)
Broad Daylight (directed by Alex Goldberg)
Broken Flight (directed by Erika Valenciana, Mitchell Wenkus)
Buscando Alma (directed by Melissa Fisher)
Complications (directed by Ivar Aase)
Don’t Bring Empanadas (directed by Salvatore Sutera)
Failure to Prepare (directed by Juda Goldstein)
Favourites (directed by Nick Russell)
Finger Food (directed by Jacob Dudman)
Fire F*cking Fire (directed by Julia Eringer, Rachel Paulson)
Georgie (directed by Jennie Butler)
Gratuity Not Included (directed by Odin Bercu, Campbell Beattie)
Hiding Place (directed by Jared Meyer)
How Did I Get Here (directed by Kate Hamilton)
I’m Not a Robot (directed by Victoria Warmerdam)
Invasion ’53 (directed by Danielle Weinberg)
Jane Austen’s Period Drama (directed by Julia Aks, Steve Pinder)
Listen With Your Eyes (directed by Sam Von Hagen)
Le Parrot (directed by Rachael Sonnenberg)
Little Thief (directed by Jason Hogan)
LoserDate Premium (directed by Ethan Hislop)
Medicine (directed by William Amos McKegg)
Out for Delivery (directed by Chelsea Christer)
Portland is the New Portland (directed by Christopher Scamurra)
PREVIEW (directed by Quinlan Orear)
Princeton’s In the Mix (directed by Jonathan DiMaio)
Reservations (directed by Ivar Aase)
Sandra (directed by Jannah Levy, Jen Chuck)
Scratch-Off (directed by Tara E. Sheffer)
SOKRANIA ’59 (directed by Abdallah Alkhatib)
Squeegee Boy (directed by Chung-Wei Huang)
Ten Times Better (directed by Jennifer Lin)
The Bride’s Curse (directed by Alex Kavutskiy, Jerzy Rose)
The Folly of Paris, or, The Original Snub (directed by Laura Lionetta)
The Ghost (directed by Allyson Morgan)
The Magic Ticket (directed by Yelena V. Krivosheyeva)
This is Not a Climate Film (directed by Hana M. Beach)
Unspoken (directed by Damian Walshe-Howling)
View from the Floor (directed by Megan Griffiths, Mindie Lind)
Wabi-Sabi (directed by Josephine Green Zhang)
When the Smoke Clears (directed by Misha Kaurin Kapany Schwarz, Maarya Asad Zafar)
The Annapolis Film Festival’s intimate and inclusive atmosphere truly makes it unique. Set against the picturesque backdrop of historic Annapolis, our walkable festival venues range from elegant theaters to charming local spaces, each contributing to the festival’s distinctively warm and inviting ambiance. Join us from March 27-30th and be part of a community where stories come alive. At the Annapolis Film Festival, every film invites us to see the world differently—and we can’t wait to share it with you. Thank you for supporting film year round! Purchase festival tickets.
