Anything of human interest lends itself to exploration in documentary film, so the capacious remit of 2014’s Salem Film Fest, which covers an awful lot of ground both thematically and geographically, is right on target. Omnidirectional, sympathetic curiosity is the governing principle here: from Alan Zweig’s 15 REASONS TO LIVE (US premiere), a wry, poignant evaluation of, well, why we bother, to WILLIAM AND THE WINDMILL (filmmaker Ben Nabors in attendance), a true parable about a young man in Malawi who built a power generator for his village out of the random junk he found lying around, these are films that seek to challenge, provoke, console and inspire us.

Come out, if you possibly can, to Salem this Thursday — and then hang around through next Thursday, because this latest iteration of SFF is an incredible opportunity to utterly immerse yourself in the culture of documentary filmmaking, from the local to the international, with dozens of films on offer (many of them premieres), panels and Q&As featuring a bevy of filmmakers (an approximate bevy), and after-screening parties and other events at which to compare notes and argue vociferously with your fellow film-freaks.

Hat’s off to CinemaSalem, the Peabody Essex Museum, and everyone else responsible for putting together this annual highlight of our region’s cultural calendar.

For more info and the full schedule, check out the Salem Film Fest homepage here.

CinemaSalem
1 East India Square
Salem, MA
01915
Adult $10 Child/StudentSenior $8 (per film)
Various Fest-passes are also available.