The Florida Project and The Little Rascals

With Sean Baker in person

Sean Baker’s The Florida Project (2017, 115 mins. DCP. With Brooklynn Kimberly Prince, Willem Dafoe), preceded by Choo-Choo! (Dir. Robert McGowan. 1932, 20 mins. 16mm) and The First Round-Up (Dir. Gus Meins. 1934, 20 mins. Digital projection)

Set on a stretch of highway just outside Disney World, The Florida Project follows six-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince in a stunning breakout turn) and her rebellious mother Halley (Bria Vinaite, another major discovery) over the course of a single summer. The two live week-to-week at The Magic Castle; the precocious Moonee’s endless afternoons overflow with mischief and adventure. Vibrant, raw, and surprise-filled, The Florida Project was largely inspired by the 1930s Little Rascals shorts. Writer-director Sean Baker will present two of his favorites, Choo-Choo! And The Last Roundup, and discuss their influence on him before introducing his exhilarating and deeply moving new film. “I’ve been intrigued by the way The Little Rascals shorts show the harsh realities of life—in that case, the Great Depression,” said Baker, “but through the joyous viewpoint of children. And I thought, ‘I’m going to do this someday.’ I thought this would be my opportunity to make Little Rascals 2017.”

Tickets: $15 ($11.25 for members at the Film Lover and MoMI Kids Premium levels, free for Silver Screen members and above). Order tickets online. (Members may contact [email protected] with any questions regarding online reservations.)

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