Mindy Kaling's 'Late Night,' Stephen Colbert-Hosted 'Tolkien' Event Set for Montclair Film Festival

The New Jersey event, which the 'Late Show' host has long supported, also will feature screenings of 'Wild Rose,' 'Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am' and 'Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool.'

The Montclair Film Festival has announced the special event films screening at its eighth annual edition, running May 3-12.

The New Jersey event, which has long been supported by Late Show host Stephen Colbert, will feature screenings of both Amazon's Late Night and Fox Searchlight's upcoming Tolkien biopic, both of which will be followed by Colbert-hosted Q&As with the respective film's stars.

The Late Night screening, which will serve as Montclair's narrative centerpiece, is one of the first festival screenings of the film since it was acquired by Amazon out of this year's Sundance Film Festival and takes place roughly a month before the film hits theaters. Kaling, who wrote and stars alongside Emma Thompson in the Nisha Ganatra-directed movie, will participate in a post-screening Q&A with Colbert.

The Tolkien event will take place Tuesday, May 7, just days before the biopic of the Lord of the Rings author hits theaters May 10, and will feature Tolkien superfan Colbert sitting down with stars Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins and director Dome Karukoski after the screening. The Q&A will also broadcast live to select theaters across the country via Fathom Events.

The festival also set its opening night film — Tom Harper's Wild Rose, with star Jessie Buckley attending for a post-screening Q&A. Buckley will also receive the festival's 2019 breakthrough performer award. The closing night film, on Saturday, May 11, is Timothy Greenfield Sanders' Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, with the director in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. The Magnolia film follows the author from her childhood through her professional career, allowing her words and experience to provide a form of autobiography.

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, featuring newly released archival material and performance footage of the legendary musician, will serve as the documentary centerpiece; the screening will be preceded by a performance by students from Montclair Film partners Jazz House Kids and followed by a Q&A with director Stanley Nelson.