The Refocus Film Festival announced its 2024 opening night film selection in Iowa City on Tuesday.
Dozens of film lovers gathered at FilmScene on The Ped Mall for a reveal party that culminated with the announcement that Nightbitch, starring Amy Adams, will kick off the festival. Based on the 2021 novel of the same name by Iowa City author Rachel Yoder, the film will screen on Thursday, Oct. 17, at the Englert Theatre.
The third annual Refocus Film Festival is set to take place Oct. 17-20 in downtown Iowa City. A celebration of the art of adaptation, the four-day event is curated and produced by FilmScene, Iowa City’s nonprofit cinema.
‘A ridiculous book to adapt’
Part horror, part comedy, Nightbitch sees Adams take on a shapeshifting role that is part maternal, part canine. Using the style of magical realism — and inspired, in part, by Yoder’s own experiences of becoming a mother — Nightbitch tells the story of a stay-at-home mom who becomes convinced she is turning into a dog.
Marielle Heller, director of the Oscar-nominated films Can You Ever Forgive Me? and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, penned the screenplay and directed the film. Refocus Film Festival Programming Director Ben Delgado said Heller’s past work has showcased her unique ability to transform a story from page to screen.
"Directing just her fourth feature, Marielle Heller has already proven to be among the best at adapting off-beat, clever stories with panache,” Delgado said. “We're super excited to be able to open the festival with her latest."
Yoder took part in Tuesday’s reveal party, where she spoke about the process of seeing her novel adapted.
“This book is a ridiculous book to adapt into a film because it’s very internal. It really takes place in the main character’s mind for a lot of the book,” Yoder said. “That’s why I love writing novels, because you can have that internal access, and that’s a little trickier when you have to show, not tell.”
Yoder, who is also an assistant professor of cinematic arts at the University of Iowa, described Heller’s striking use of humor in the movie.
“The film, to me, is really a dark comedy. It’s very funny, and it’s really leaning into the humor, in a way that the book maybe isn’t,” Yoder explained. “And I think that was a great choice since the topic and the themes can get really heavy. So having that really strong humor aspect running through the whole thing lightens the load.”
Opening night and beyond
Refocus Film Festival Executive Director Andrew Sherburne said the festival is thrilled to present the new adaptation of Yoder’s novel to an Iowa City audience.
“One of this festival’s guiding principles is celebrating Iowa’s incredible contributions to the world of storytelling,” Sherburne said. “There’s no better way to honor Iowa City’s artistic talent than by showcasing the cinematic adaptation of Rachel’s electric novel Nightbitch. We’re so excited to see this on the big screen.”
In addition to revealing the opening night film, the Refocus Film Festival previously announced that guitarist Marc Ribot will perform a live score to accompany a screening of the 1924 silent Soviet film Aelita: Queen of Mars. The festival will announce the remaining films and events for the 2024 program in late September. Passes to attend the festival are available for purchase online.
Clinton Olsasky contributed to this story.
FilmScene and Refocus Film Festival are sponsors of Iowa Public Radio.
