Bates Film Festival – The Mastermind
11:00am
doors at 10:30am
The Bates Film Festival is a Maine-based gathering where students and attendees engage in civic-minded conversations and experience thought-provoking movies in community. The 2026 BFF will focus on the arts and how their representation in film brings individuals together, promotes mutual respect and understanding, and heightens civic engagement.
All events are free and open to the public in order to welcome a broader audience. Our festival is unique in that it is organized and programmed by Bates College students under the direction of Professor Jon Cavallero.
The Mastermind (2025, dir. Kelly Reichardt)
James, a failed architect living in 1970s suburban Massachusetts, turns to robbing the local art museum to support his family. However, even after the initial success of the heist, the overall process turns out to be more difficult than expected and James and his family must face the consequences of his actions. (Written by Eli Greenwald, ’26)
Awards: Winner, Top Ten Independent Films, National Board of Review; Winner, Best Actor (Josh O’Connor), Florida Film Critics Circle Awards; Winner, British/Irish Performer of the Year (Josh O’Connor), London Critics Circle Film Awards