This year’s Maryland Film Festival will celebrate its 25th anniversary from May 2-5. Centered around the iconic Stavros Niarchos Foundation Parkway Theatre in Baltimore’s Station North Arts District (5 W. North Ave.), the festival will feature a lineup of films punctuated with complementary events with some of the film industry’s most influential people to create a one-of-a-kind Charm City experience.

Weaving in art, music, tech, food, receptions and dance parties, and spreading out to neighborhood haunts, the 25th MdFF is a milestone event designed to reflect a rich tapestry of artistic expression and appeal to a diverse audience. Highlights include:

Regional Premiere: “LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH”
7:30 p.m. Thurs. May 2 ($50)
Celebrate Opening Night with director Dawn Porter and other VIP guests with screening of documentary on the “Velvet Voice” Luther Vandross, followed by a Q&A, reception and Luther Vandross tribute afterparty with special performances. “Luther: Never Too Much” explores the formative years of Vandross’s musical career, back to the epicenter of Black culture, Harlem’s very own Apollo Theater.

John Waters Presents “BUTT BOY”
7 p.m. Fri. May 3 ($30)
“A jaw-dropping, deadpan, bowel-bonkers thriller about a heterosexual dad who after a routine visit to his proctologist becomes a serial killer,” said Waters.

World Premiere: “MORE THAN HYPE”
9:30 p.m. Fri. May 3 ($30 screening + afterparty; $20 afterparty with limited tickets)
Afterparty: One Night at the Dox 11:30 p.m. @ The Garage
Baltimore Club dance party with performances from Big Ria, Rye Rye, DDM, DJ Class, Rod Lee, DJ Rod Braxton, DJ Say Wut and other artists from MORE THAN HYPE and hosted by Pork Chop and Buckshot. Larry “Whaddup” Caudle, a creative entrepreneur working in Baltimore and CEO of The Br8eak Media LLC interviews the movers and shakers behind the Baltimore hip-hop scene from past to present. From Scottie B to Kevin Liles, Caudle pieces together a personal history that is often overlooked or forgotten, while finding a way to bridge the gap in a city with a not so solid industry.

Silent Film + Live Score: Oscar Micheaux’s BODY AND SOUL
11:00 a.m. Sat. May 4 ($30)
This 1925 silent film was produced, written, directed and distributed by the legendary African American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux and stars Paul Robeson in his motion picture debut. Presented from a 35mm restoration print, the screening will be introduced by local film historian Diedre Thompson and scored live by Baltimore musician Aaron Hill.

Trans Shorts Under the Stars with Mickey R. Mahoney and Lilly Wachowski
8:15 p.m. Sat. May 4 @ Current Space
($30 screening + afterparty; $10 afterparty)
Afterparty: DJ duo GRLPWR performs at 10 p.m. @ The Crown.
Mickey R. Mahoney and Lilly Wachowski guest curated and present an evening of Trans Shorts Under the Stars. This collection of works is filled with trans and queer joy, love, artistry, and excellence that celebrate a vital movement of trans and nonbinary filmmaking. Outdoor screening followed by a dance party and a special drag performance by Pussy Noir.