Perhaps it's inevitable that the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF) dishes up great music-centered films year after year. After all, It's hard not to with—as of this year's count—roughly 200 feature and short films from over 60 countries. Still, 2023's festival seems particularly rife for Current listeners; in fact, both its opening and closing features are about musicians.

Check out some of the options below, and head over to The Main Cinema in Minneapolis from April 13-27, with additional screenings at the Capri Theater and the Landmark Center in St. Paul.

Dreamin' Wild

Apr 13 at The Main

MSPIFF's opening feature is a family drama based on musician Donnie Emerson's late-found success after he and his brother's 1970s recordings were discovered decades later by record collector Jack Fleischer. The cast includes Casey Affleck, Noah Jupe, and Zooey Deschanel, and Minnesota-based Bill Pohlad directs. Pohlad will also be there if you want to say hello and compliment him on, say, Brokeback Mountain (executive producer), 12 Years a Slave (producer), The Tree of Life (Academy Award-nominated producer), or Love & Mercy (director). After the film, head over to the Machine Shop for the opening night party.

Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes

Apr 14 at the Capri Theater and Apr 19 & 23 at The Main

American jazz drummer and composer Max Roach expanded what drumming was. Across his career from the 1940s to the early 2000s, he became one of the first drummers to play in the bebop style; performed with bands led by musicians including Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Thelonious Monk; raised awareness for Afro-Caribbean music; proved that one percussionist could satisfy a whole concert hall; and ended his career with collaborations including the Boston Symphony, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Fab Five Freddy and the New York Break Dancers. The documentary is co-directed by Sam Pollard, who is the recipient of this year's Milgrom Tribute, an honor named after MSP Film Society founder, the late Al Milgrom.

Two Trains Runnin'

Apr 14 at the Capri Theater

This 2017 Grammy-nominated documentary is also directed by Sam Pollard, and it focuses on the Freedom Summer of 1964, when two groups of men both traveled to Mississippi to find old blues singers Son House and Skip James. Get into the mood by listening to the music of Gary Clark Jr., whose songs are featured in the film. Unlike Max Roach, it's only on the MSPIFF docket once, so don't miss out.

Chevalier

Apr 16 at The Main

This historic drama is inspired by the true story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, who was the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner in the late 1700s. This Searchlight Pictures film is also coming to theaters April 21, but only at MSPIFF will it be seen alongside Il Boemo, a period drama around the Czech-born composer Josef Mysivecek (mid-1700s) and Pianoforte, a documentary following the highs and lows of young adults competing in the International Chopin Competition.

Dusty & Stones

Apr 16 at the Capri Theater and Apr 18 & 24 at The Main

The country duo Dusty & Stones (Gazi "Dusty" Simelane and Linda "Stones" Msibi) may have made their Nashville recording debut in 2017, but 2023 will mark their documentary's Minnesota premiere. The story follows their unexpected journey from Eswatini to Nashville, and then to Texas, where they competed in a battle of the bands against a hostile opponent.

Squaring the Circle (the Story of Hipgnosis)

Apr 18 & 22 at The Main

Even if you don't know Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey "Po" Powell of Hipgnosis, you know the album covers they designed: Dark Side of the Moon, Houses of the Holy, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, and so many more iconic images. In this documentary, relive what the documentary describes as "the maddest, funniest, and most creative era in the history of popular music."

The Sales Girl

Apr 20 at the Main

Instead of being focused on music or a musician, this Mongolian coming-of-age story starts when nuclear physics student Saruul has to take over her roommate's job at a sex shop. There, she meets the former dancer Katya, who shows her a new perspective on life. The film won best feature at the 2022 New York Asian Film Festival, and its score is by indie rocker Dulguun Bayasgalan (performed by his band Magnolian, who also make a cameo in the film). (For a film featuring local musician Dessa, though, consider Minnesota Mean, a documentary on the state's roller derby league directed by Dawn Mikkelson — anyone remember her film Finding Her Beat from Sound Unseen?)

Cue the Strings - A Film About Low

April 21 & 22 at The Main

Duluth-based, minimalist rock band Low featured Alan Sparhawk on guitar and vocals and the late Mimi Parker on drums and vocals. (And if you haven't heard of them, take a listen to "Lullaby.") Even before Low's debut album came out in 1993, Philip Harder was there with them, translating their songs into music videos and short films. Now, Harder has gone through his decades of footage to compile a visual mosaic leading up to the band's final show in September 2022. If you can, block off time April 22 at 2 p.m. for a chat between Sparhawk; Harder, who is also the film's director; and former Current host Mary Lucia.

The Tuba Thieves

April 22, 24 & 26 at The Main

This creative nonfiction film by d/Deaf director Alison O'Daniel explores the impact of stolen tubas in Southern California schools. With sketches of people and moments, O'Daniel describes what sound looks like written down to those who can't hear it and reimagines what sound is to those who can.

It's Only Life After All

April 27 at the Main

MSPIFF's closing night film uses 40 years of home movies, film archives, and present-day verité to look at Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, also known as the Indigo Girls. While hits like "Closer to Fine," "Galileo," and "Shame on You," propelled them to radio success, fans also fell in love with their authenticity and their activism around causes including LGBTQ+, women's, and Native American rights. Director Alexandria Bombach will be at the screening, and after, you can head to the post-screening party at the Riverplace. (If you want to look more at politics through the eyes of a musician, consider Bobi Wine: The People's President, which follows the pop star's presidential campaign in Uganda.)