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# Film Festival Today

Founded by Jeremy Taylor

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## Posts

- [Victoria Reviews "The Odds"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/victoria-alexander/odds) - Bravo! A Herculean effort to deliver a highly original two-character horror movie. You want to write a screenplay. What is the current number one advice for first-time screenwriters? Write a horror movie. No one is going to read your 145 page script (Steve Zaillian’s script for THE IRISHMAN). Unless you have a story about a disabled
- [Film Review: "Asteroid City” Is Narratology At Its Best](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-asteroid-city-is-narratology-at-its-best) - Asteroid City (Wes Anderson, 2023) 3½ out of 4 stars. The director Wes Anderson has been going strong now for nigh on 30 years, starting with his first feature, Bottle Rocket, in 1996, and continuing through his latest, Asteroid City. Known for his whimsical mise-en-scène (which detractors might call “twee”) and meticulously crafted production design,
- [Film Review: “Bad Girl Boogey” Can’t Quite Find Its Groove](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-bad-girl-boogey-cant-quite-find-its-groove) - Bad Girl Boogey (Alice Maio Mackay, 2022) 2 out of 4 stars. Have you ever wondered about the powers of inanimate objects? Do you believe that some objects are cursed or transmit special abilities to those who touch them? Is it possible that some objects can change the way we think or even enhance our
- [Film Review: Messy but Fun “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” Ends Well](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-messy-but-fun-indiana-jones-and-the-dial-of-destiny-ends-well) - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (James Mangold, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. Ever since the first Indiana Jones film, the 1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark, came out, I have held out hope that other movies might hold the same exciting mix of action, adventure, comedy, and romance that so inspired me
- [Tribeca Interview with “Every Body” Director Julie Cohen](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/tribeca-interview-with-every-body-director-julie-cohen) - Filmmaker Julie Cohen has long worked alongside colleague Betsy West to deliver such terrific documentaries as Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down, Julia, My Name Is Pauli Murray, and RBG. Her latest film, Every Body, just premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival (where I reviewed it), and this time, she is alone in the directing
- [Tribeca Review: In Intersex Documentary “Every Body,” Love and Strength Are Everything](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tribeca-review-in-intersex-documentary-every-body-love-and-strength-are-everything) - Every Body (Julie Cohen, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. The American evangelical right-wing movement is filled with people who fundamentally fail to understand the message of the god in whom they profess to believe. Love is, as far as my own Christian upbringing tells me, the prime directive. Anything else comes from a false
- [Christopher Llewellyn Reed’s Look Back at Tribeca 2023 Immersive Offerings](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/christopher-llewellyn-reeds-look-back-at-tribeca-2023-immersive-offerings) - Back at SXSW 2023, they called it XR (for enhanced reality). The 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, however, exhibited all of their VR and AR experiences under the heading “immersive.” It’s still a brave new world, and everyone has a unique spin on it. I was lucky to be able to spend a little under half
- [Film Review: “Love Gets a Room” Tells a Beautiful Story in Horrific Circumstances](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-love-gets-a-room-tells-a-beautiful-story-in-horrific-circumstances) - Love Gets a Room (Rodrigo Cortés, 2021) 3 out of 4 stars. That old saying “the show must go on” has rarely felt more relevant than in Rodrigo Cortés’ Love Gets a Room, which follows a group of actors in real-time as they perform a musical stage play in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War
- [Interview with Director Grant Sputore and Stars Clara Rugaard and Hilary Swank of "I Am Mother"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-director-grant-sputore-and-stars-clara-rugaard-and-hilary-swank-of-i-am-mother) - I met with director Grant Sputore at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival to discuss his debut feature I Am Mother (now playing on Netflix, and which I reviewed for Hammer to Nail). I also took part, on the same day, in a press roundtable with stars Clara Rugaard and Hilary Swank. The movie offers a post-apocalyptic
- [Film Review: “Revoir Paris” Heals the Soul](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-revoir-paris-heals-the-soul) - Revoir Paris (Alice Winocour, 2022) 3½ out of 4 stars. The November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, France, came as a shock to a nation that was by no means new to grief. Earlier that same year, the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were the site of equally horrendous violence. In her latest
- [That’s a Wrap at DC/DOX 2023](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/thats-a-wrap-at-dc-dox-2023) - As advertised in my curtain raiser last week, I attended a little bit of the inaugural DC/DOX festival in Washington, DC, catching three features and one short. Here are my brief thoughts on each. Enjoy! The Body Politic (Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough) Baltimore has had it rough for a while, beginning in the 1980s with
- [Christopher Llewellyn Reed’s Seven Films to See at DC/DOX 2023](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/christopher-llewellyn-reeds-seven-films-to-see-at-dc-dox-2023) - Now that the once-annual Washington, DC-based AFI DOCS is no more (for now), our center of government has an open spot in June for a documentary festival. Enter the new DC/DOX, which runs June 15-18 in its inaugural run. Here is the brief history of its inception, according to the website: “Industry veterans Jamie Shor
- [Tribeca Review: “Rather” Proves a Great History Lesson](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tribeca-review-rather-proves-a-great-history-lesson) - Rather (Frank Marshall, 2023) 3½ out of 4 stars. The longtime broadcast journalist Dan Rather may have stepped down in 2005 as lead anchor of the CBS Evening News—a position he held for 24 years—but he has hardly gone away. Born in Texas in 1931, the nonagenarian has found a new, and much younger, audience
- [Film Review: “The Blackening” Tackles Big Truths, to Funny, If Mixed, Results](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-blackening-tackles-big-truths-to-funny-if-mixed-results) - The Blackening (Tim Story, 2022) 2½ out of 4 stars. I wish I liked The Blackening more. But though it takes a while to get going, it does eventually hit some kind of cinematic stride. At a mere 96 minutes, however, the film still has a lot of dead weight. Directed by Tim Story (Shaft),
- [Film Review: Creative Flame Burns Bright in “Elemental”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-creative-flame-burns-bright-in-elemental) - Elemental (Peter Sohn, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony … oh, wait, wrong element-related animated property. Sorry! But I can’t be the only one that immediately thought of Avatar: The Last Airbender when viewing the trailer for Disney/Pixar’s newest animated feature, Elemental.
- [Film Review: While Fun and Engaging, “The Flash” Quickly Runs Aground](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-while-fun-and-engaging-the-flash-quickly-runs-aground) - The Flash (Andy Muschietti, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. As the DC Comics universe gears up for major transformations by executive producer James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), one last remnant of the current (and terribly flawed) cinematic universe makes its way to the screen during this summer’s blockbuster season. Director Andy
- [Tribeca Review: Twisted Dark Comedy “Maggie Moore(s)” Sometimes Satisfies](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tribeca-review-twisted-dark-comedy-maggie-moores-sometimes-satisfies) - Maggie Moore(s) (John Slattery, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. "Some of this actually happened.” So begins Maggie Moore(s), actor John Slattery’s first feature as director since his 2014 God’s Pocket. And it turns out that something quite like the events in the film did, in fact, happen, in 2000 in Texas, when two women
- [Film Review: “Scooby-Doo” meets “Big Mouth” in New animated Feature “The Weird Kidz”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-scooby-doo-meets-big-mouth-in-new-animated-feature-the-weird-kidz) - The Weird Kidz (Zach Passero, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. France’s annual Annecy International Animation Film Festival is in full swing currently, taking place in the titular town of Annecy every June since 1998. The festival was created all the way back in 1960 but originally ran only every other year. It is a
- [Tribeca Review: “Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive” Delivers Great Cinematic Catharsis](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tribeca-review-gloria-gaynor-i-will-survive-delivers-great-cinematic-catharsis) - Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive (Betsy Schechter, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. By now, 45 years after it took the music world by storm, the 1978 hit “I Will Survive”—the one and only disco song to win a Grammy—has become firmly embedded in global consciousness. We hear those opening lyrics, “At first I was
- [“Murder in Glitterball City” Offers More Than Meets the Eye](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/murder-in-glitterball-city-offers-more-than-meets-the-eye) - Murder in Glitterball City (Fenton Bailey/Randy Barbato, 2026) 3½ out of 5 stars The first thing you see in HBO’s two-part Murder in Glitterball City is the face of a man named Joey Banis. He sits down in front of a webcam, eyes darting offscreen, staying uncomfortably silent. Banis reads off a piece of paper
- [Paris Barclay Gives Icon His Due with “Billy Preston: That’s The Way God Planned It”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/paris-barclay-gives-icon-his-due-with-billy-preston-thats-the-way-god-planned-it) - Billy Preston: That’s The Way God Planned It (Paris Barclay, 2024) 4½ out of 5 stars If you’re familiar with singer/songwriter Billy Preston, you probably know him for his collaborations with the Beatles, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, and many more. But how much do you really know about Billy Preston as a person? That’s the
- [2011 Sundance Film Festival Announces Films In Competition](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/2011-sundance-film-festival-announces-films-in-competition) - PARK CITY, UT — Sundance Institute announced today the lineup of films selected to screen in the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions for the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. In addition to the four Competition Categories, the Festival presents films in six out-of-competition sections to be announced on December 2. The 2011 Sundance
- [Middleburg Film Festival 2017](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/middleburg-film-festival-2017) - Christopher Llewellyn Reed reviews the 2017 Middleburg Film Festival
- [Sundance Review: “All About the Money”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-all-about-the-money) - All About the Money (Sinéad O'Shea, 2026) 3½ out of 5 stars If you had more money than you could possibly know what to do with, how would you spend it? Fergie Chambers doesn’t have to imagine. As the heir to the Cox Enterprises empire (yes, that Cox) he has access to generational wealth on
- [Sundance Review: “Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-ha-chan-shake-your-booty) - Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! (Josef Kubota Wladyka, 2026) 3 out of 5 stars You might not expect a film entitled Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! to be about grief, yet Josef Kubota Wladyka’s movie manages to be just as silly as its name suggests while also attempting a somber portrait of one woman’s healing process after
- [Sundance Review: “Public Access”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-public-access) - Public Access (David Shadrack Smith, 2026) 3 out of 5 stars I believed I had a vague understanding of what public-access television was. Then I saw David Shadrack Smith’s documentary about it, and I realized I had no idea. Created at the beginning of the 1970s, public-access TV was mandated to ensure democratic ideals during
- [Sundance Interview: “Cookie Queens” Director Alysa Nahmias](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/sundance-interview-cookie-queens-director-alysa-nahmias) - Director Alysa Nahmias (Art & Krimes by Krimes) just premiered her newest documentary, Cookie Queens, at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival (out of which I reviewed it). The film follows four girls— Olive (age 12), Nikki (9), Shannon Elizabeth (8), and Ara (5)—as they each do their best to sell Girls Scout cookies according to
- [Sundance Review: “undertone”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-undertone) - undertone (Ian Tuason, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars The latest entry in A24’s horror catalog once again proves that genuine terror has very little to do with budget size. undertone, directed by Ian Tuason in his feature debut, is a single-location story that spends the majority of its runtime with a single character. The
- [Sundance Review: “Josephine”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-josephine) - Josephine (Beth de Araújo, 2026) 4½ out of 5 stars The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic winner from this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Beth de Araújo’s Josephine also happened to be my personal favorite. And yet, it is simultaneously the one I am most hesitant to recommend. It opens on Josephine, an ordinary eight-year-old whose
- [Luc Besson’s “Dracula” Barely Breaks Skin](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/luc-bessons-dracula-barely-breaks-skin) - Dracula (Luc Besson, 2025) 2 out of 5 stars Riding the wave of gothic-horror films released over the last few years (with Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein just out at the end of 2025), director Luc Besson (Dogman) takes his stab at the classic vampire masterpiece with Dracula. Loosely following the Bram Stoker novel, Besson’s adaptation
- [Toronto Film Festival Announces Its Upcoming Slate](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/toronto-film-festival-announces-its-upcoming-slate) - In the first of several announcements in the coming weeks, the Toronto Film Festival, arguably the most important international film event after Cannes, will play host to a number of high profile films. The Festival will open on September 8 with FROM THE SKY DOWN, a documentary about the rock group U2, directed by Davis
- [Cohen Group Picks Up Burma Biopic](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/cohen-group-picks-up-burma-biopic) - The Cohen Media Group (CMG) has picked up U.S. distribution rights to French director Luc Besson’s newest film, THE LADY, from sales agent Europa Corp. The biopic stars Michelle Yeoh as Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, and details her personal struggle for political expression in one of
- [Tribeca Film Institute and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Announce First-Ever Recipient of $50,000 Student Grand Jury Prize for Screenwriting](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/tribeca-film-institute-and-the-alfred-p-sloan-foundation-announce-first-ever-recipient-of-50000-student-grand-jury-prize-for-screenwriting) - TRIBECA FILM INSTITUTE AND THE ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE FIRST-EVER RECIPIENT OF $50,000 STUDENT GRAND JURY PRIZE FOR SCREENWRITING Robert Cohen of New York University to Receive Financial Support, Supervision and Guidance from the Tribeca Film Institute as the Inaugural Winner of Sloan’s Best of Best Prize for Science-Themed Screenplay Sloan has Awarded over
- [Workshops Announced at ShowBiz Expo LA](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/workshops-announced-at-showbiz-expo-la) - ShowBiz Expo Los Angeles Saturday May 7, 2011 10AM - 6PM Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall B To register to attend SHOWBIZ EXPO for FREE, visit https://secure.theregsite.com/showLA WORKSHOPS Book a workshop before March 1st & save 25%! Use discount code: WORKSHOP 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM BRAND U: Find your TYPE, CREATE your BRAND
- [Rose Kuo: A Californian In New York](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/rose-kuo-a-californian-in-new-york) - When the surprise announcement came last summer that Mara Manus, the Executive Director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, was leaving her post after less than two years on the job, all eyes turned to a Californian who was to be her successor. While Rose Kuo was well known to the film industry in
- [AFI Fest Coming On Strong In Los Angeles](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/afi-fest-coming-on-strong-in-los-angeles) - The AFI Fest, sponsored and organized by the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, is a sprawling affair that is linked to the American Film Market event that brings together independent producers and distributors from around the globe. The Festival’s programming is decidedly arthouse and international in scope but with a nod to its hometown
- [Films In Competition At Rome International Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/films-in-competition-at-rome-international-film-festival) - Fifteen films will screen in competition in the Official Selection of the sixth edition of the International Rome Film Festival (October 27 to November 4). The films up for awards include HOTEL LUX (Leander Haussmann, BABYCALL (Pål Sletaune), HYSTERIA (Tanya Wexler), POONGSAN (Juhn Jaihong), THE EYE OF THE STORM (Fred Schepisi), UNE VIE MEILLURE (Cédric
- [Luc Besson’s Biopic To Open Rome Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/luc-besson’s-biopic-to-open-rome-film-festival) - THE LADY, the latest film from veteran French director Luc Besson will open the sixth edition of the Rome Film Festival, which runs this year from October 27 to November 4 in the Eternal City. The film, presented out of competition, recounts the political and personal odyssey of Aung San Suu Kyi (played by Michelle
- [Sundance Review: “Filipiñana”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-filipinana) - Filipiñana (Rafael Manuel, 2026) 4½ out of 5 stars Between the exquisite cinematography and beautifully restrained performances, it’s hard to choose exactly what makes Filipiñana so special. A deceptively gentle examination of social-class hierarchies and wealth disparities, the film turns into a sharp-edged critique of both by the end, without ever losing its outward calm.
- [Sundance Review: “Seized”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-seized) - Seized (Sharon Liese, 2026) 3½ out of 5 stars On August 11, 2023, police in Marion, Kansas, raided not only the office of the local newspaper The Marion Record, but the home of its editor, Eric Meyer, which he shared with his 98-year mother, Joan. Together they both owned the publication, though sadly Joan (pronounced
- [Welcome to the relaunched FilmFestivalToday.com!](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/welcom-to-relaunched-filmfestivaltoday) - Since its inception in 2001, FilmFestivalToday.com (FFT) has covered the film and entertainment industry with expert reporting and insight, maintaining a complete devotion to the industry and its players. Over the past decade, the media landscape has changed dramatically, along with the film industry, both of which have grown exponentially, incorporating unprecedented and innovative methods of delivery.
- [Industry Powerhouses NEA and Comcast Invest in SnagFilms](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/industry-powerhouses-nea-and-comcast-invest-in-snagfilms) - SnagFilms announced today it has received $10 million in growth capital from new investors New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Comcast Interactive Capital (CIC). Existing investors, including Ted Leonsis (SnagFilms' Founder) and Steve Case, also participated. The financing will be used to expand its distribution of independent films – including, for the first time, fictional independent
- [Winners of The Golden Globes Announced](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/winners-of-the-golden-globes-announced) - The Hollywood Foreign Press Association met at the Beverly Hills Hilton Sunday night and announced the winners of The Golden Globes as follows: BEST PICTURE, DRAMA The Social Network BEST PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL The Kids Are All Right ACTOR, DRAMA Colin Firth - The King's Speech ACTRESS, DRAMA Natalie Portman - The Black Swan
- [Screenwriting Deadlines](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/screenwriting-deadlines) - DEADLINES APPROACHING! Hey guys, HAPPY NEW YEAR! We're kicking it off with some big DEADLINES! Enjoy! The I.S.A. FINAL DEADLINE - JANUARY 15th Screenwriting competition for great script openings. The first ten pages of a script tell a lot about the story, the characters, the tone and the overall writing ability of the writer. Enter
- [Consumer Electronics Show 2011](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/consumer-electronics-show-2011) - The International Consumer Electronics Show 2011 Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, Nevada January 6-10, 2011 The world’s largest consumer technology showcase and tradeshow wrapped last week in Las Vegas. It united more than 120,000 industry professionals from 130 countries. The first CES took place in New York City in June of 1967 with 250
- [Best of TV Webcast Takes DEXTER Audience Behind the Scenes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/best-of-tv-webcast-takes-dexter-audience-behind-the-scenes) - Director-DP Romeo Tirone and Editor Louis Cioffi, ACE,Give Blow by Blow of Showtime’s Hit Show January 12, 2010 (Burbank, CA) Createasphere continues its successful series of behind-the-scenes webcasts, The Best of TV: Dexter, on Saturday, January 29th. “Dexter,” compelling and popular, follows Dexter Morgan, brilliantly played by Michael C Hall, as a Miami Metro Police
- [“Grizzly Night” Entertains and Informs](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/grizzly-night-entertains-and-informs) - Grizzly Night (Burke Doeren, 2026) 3 out of 5 stars Back in the 1960s, grizzly bears, and bears of any kind in fact, were not thought of as they are today. There were many notions about bears that turned out to be false that many hikers, campers, and even wildlife experts held to be true.
- [“Shelter” Falters Where It Counts](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/shelter-falters-where-it-counts) - Shelter (Ric Roman Waugh, 2026) 2 out of 5 stars Who doesn’t love Jason Statham? The man is a true action star, his career filled with one entertaining romp after another, often filled with impressive fight choreography. My favorites include The Transporter (2002) + sequels, The Italian Job (2003), The Bank Job (2008), and some
- [Review: Spy](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/breaking/review-spy) - A satire of spy movies is nothing new. Between the “Naked Gun” and “Austin Powers” movies, you’d think that the concept would be officially exhausted by now. If Director Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy taught us anything with “Bridesmaids” and “The Heat,” though, it’s that you should never judge a movie by its poster. “Spy”
- [Review: Furious 7](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/breaking/review-furious-7) - When “The Fast and the Furious” came out almost a decade and a half ago, nobody probably thought it would spawn six sequels. While the franchise’s longevity is surprising, what’s even more unexpected is its boost in quality over the years. Most series officially run out of gas by the third entry. “Fast & Furious,”
- [Open Road Makes First Cannes Deal](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/open-road-makes-first-cannes-deal) - Cannes Film Festival Jury President Robert De Niro is associated with one of first deals to be announced at this year's Festival. Recently formed Open Road Pictures announced on the first day of the Festival that it has acquired U.S. rights to THE KILLER ELITE, an action film, to be directed by first-time director Gary
- [Hot Berlin Market Opens Despite Freezing Temperatures](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/hot-berlin-market-opens-despite-freezing-temperatures) - Despite bone-chilling temperatures, the European Film Market has its official opening today, with the historic Martin Gropius Bau as its epicenter, along with a number of satellite hotels in the area of Potsdamer Platz. The market, expected to be the busiest in a number of years, is bursting with a mix of private sales companies
- [CBS Films Taps Shooman](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/cbs-films-taps-shooman) - CBS Films has named Scott Shooman as its new Executive Vice President of Acquisitions. He will be responsible for the studio’s acquisitions operations. Shooman joins CBS Films following a decade at Sony Pictures where he rose to Vice President of Acquisitions and Productions. He was directly responsible for the studio’s horror hit INSIDIOUS, as well
- [Sundance Review: “Cookie Queens”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-cookie-queens) - Cookie Queens (Alysa Nahmias, 2026) 4 out of 5 stars According to the title cards in Cookie Queens, the new documentary from director Alysa Nahmias (Art & Krimes by Krimes), the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) sell about 250 million boxes of Girl Scout Cookies annually over the course of six weeks. That’s roughly
- [“Mercy” Zooms and Lurches Forward](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/mercy-zooms-and-lurches-forward) - Mercy (Timur Bekmambetov, 2026) 3 out of 5 stars One can only imagine a world where artificial intelligence determines the fate of a person accused of committing a serious crime. Such is the plot behind Timur Bekmambetov’s Mercy, with actor Chris Pratt (Jurassic World: Dominion) playing the role of Detective Chris Raven, one of the
- [10 Films to Watch at Sundance 2026](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/10-films-to-watch-at-sundance-2026) - The 2026 Sundance Film Festival runs live and in-person from January 22 to February 1 (with some films available online starting January 29). This year, there are 90 features, plus additional episodic premieres and short films. You can check out the full program on the festival website. Hannah Tran will again be in Park City
- [Locarno Film Festival Opens Tonight](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/locarno-film-festival-opens-tonight) - Oh….to be in the lake resort of Locarno, Switzerland with its beautiful azure waters and snow-capped mountains in the distance. And starting this evening, a banquet of film treats as the 64th edition of the Locarno Film Festival opens with the European premiere of SUPER 8 by J.J. Abrams as an open-air screening in the
- [Tribeca FF Jurors](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/tribeca-ff-jurors) - The Tribeca Film Festival has recruited a diverse group of 39 individuals, including award-winning filmmakers, writers and producers, acclaimed actors, respected critics and global business leaders, to serve as jurors for this year’s event. Irwin Winkler has been named President of the Jury. The Jury will be divided among the six competitive Festival categories and
- [RIP Arthur Penn](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/rip-arthur-penn) - Arthur Penn, the stage, television and motion picture director whose revolutionary treatment of sex and violence in the 1967 film "Bonnie and Clyde" transformed the American film industry, died Tuesday night of congestive heart failure at his home in Manhattan, the day after he turned 88
- [RIP Tony Curtis (1925-2010)](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/rip-tony-curtis-1925-2010) - The legendary Tony Curtis -- the nervy, blunt-spoken Bronx street guy who had a great movie-star run from 1952 to 1968 or thereabouts -- died of a heart attack last night about 9:25 Pacific. He was 85,and known for his unforgettable performances in Some Like It Hot / The Defiant Ones / and The Great
- [New York: HBO’s Sheila Nevins documentary programming](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/new-york-hbo’s-sheila-nevins-documentary-programming) - In the US and overseas two organizations have become more prominent over the last few years at film and television festivals: the French-German consortium arte, and the U.S. based HBO. A growing number of their productions have been selected and received a disproportionate number of awards. HBO and arte are now leading funders and producers
- [PLASTIC PLANET Opens in NY on January 14](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/plastic-planet-opens-in-ny-on-january-14) - Opens at Cinema Village in New York on January 14, 2011 We live in the age of plastic. It’s cheap and practical, and it’s everywhere – even in our blood. But is it a danger to us? The plastic industry annually generates hundreds of billions of dollars. Every industrial sector in the world today is
- [Winners 2010 Toronto International Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/winners-2010-toronto-international-film-festival) - The complete list of winners at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival are below. Cadillac People’s Choice Award: The King’s Speech Directed by Tom Hooper Runner-Up The First Grader directed by Justin Chadwick Cadillac People’s Choice Award For Documentary: Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie Directed by Sturla Gunnarsson Runner-Up: Nostalgia For The Light Directed by
- [TIFF Film In Focus: MAMMA GOGO](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/tiff-film-in-focus-mamma-gogo) - When a filmmaker draws on his own experience to the extent that Icelandic director Fridrik Thor Fridriksson has done in his wonderful memory film MAMMA GOGO, the intimacy of the revelations is almost disarmingly intimate. The prolific director, probably the best known from his native country and one of the most consistent in Scandinavia cinema, takes
- [Dubai FF Announces Film Market Expansion](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/dubai-ff-announces-film-market-expansion) - The Toronto International Film Festival has become one of the prime meeting places for film professionals from all over the map. So, not only are films seen, bought and sold, but the Festival is also an important place to make important new announcements about upcoming productions and initiatives. Therefore, it was completely appropriate that the
- [A French Accent At TIFF](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/a-french-accent-at-tiff) - French filmmakers, film stars and business professionals are everywhere here at the Toronto International Film Festival, giving this year's a definite French accent. This is a long-running love story, with this city's film buffs in l'amour fou with French cinema, during TIFF and throughout the year. The Gala Presentations at the Festival, arguably the most
- [Joaquin Phoenix Doc: Is It A Hoax?](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/joaquin-phoenix-doc-is-it-a-hoax) - I'M STILL HERE, the not-very-flattering documentary by actor-turned-director Casey Affleck of his brother-in-law and best friend Joaquin Phoenix has been provoking controversy since it world premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Is the film, which had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this week, a true portrait of the actor's
- [New York, European Film Promotion (EFP) Industry Screening, June 28-29](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/new-york-european-film-promotion-efp-industry-screening-june-28-29) - As distinct from public agencies in the United States which provide virtually no support for the development and marketing of American films, the European Union has through its refined network of funding agencies been supporting films made in Europe. This includes but is not restricted to the Brussels based MEDIA program, the European Film Promotion,
- [New York: Expanding the Queens Museum of the Moving Image](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/new-york-expanding-the-queens-museum-of-the-moving-image) - As the chairman of the Museum Herb Schlosser emphasized at a recent meeting when presenting a status report on the expansion project, the visual media have developed many new production and distribution technologies, expanded their reach by providing more differentiated programs, and grown in their popularity as distinct from the print media. Thus it is
- [The Complete Clint Eastwood](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-complete-clint-eastwood) - Actor, director, screenwriter, jazz musician, music composer, politician, philanthropist, film legend.....these attributes could describe a cadre of people, but when they all wrapped into one outsized personality, it is truly impressive. Such is the career of Clint Eastwood, a television and film master who remains at the top of his professional game at 80 years
- [Book Shelf: Producer to Producer - A Step-By-Step Guide To Low Budget Independent Film Production](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/book-shelf-producer-to-producer-a-step-by-step-guide-to-low-budget-independent-film-production) - Producer to Producer A Step-By-Step Guide To Low Budget Independent Film Production By Maureen A. Ryan Michael Wiese Productions Studio City, CA 91604 2010 One of the “Indie World’s” most highly respected producers, Maureen A. Ryan (Academy Award- winning Man on Wire) offers a tour de force guide to producing low-budget features. Ryan’s agenda is comprehensive
- [WHO KILLED NANCY - Opens July 30, 2010 - New York City](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/who-killed-nancy-opens-july-30-2010-new-york-city) - Peace Arch Entertainment Presents WHO KILLED NANCY A Film By Alan G. Parker Based On The Best-Selling Book SID VICIOUS: NO ONE IS INNOCENT Opening In New York At The Cinema Village July 30, 2010 WHO KILLED NANCY, a new documentary by Alan G. Parker looking into the demise of Nancy Spungen – was it
- [New York: Tribeca 2010 Documentaries](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/new-york-tribeca-2010-documentaries) - Documentaries screened at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival tended to be superior to the feature films in its program an assessment not disputed by its creative director Geoff Gilmore. In one of the seminars Gilmore acknowledged that the Sundance festival which he had directed before coming to New York experienced the same discrepancy. Similar to
- [The Glories of Czech Cinema](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-glories-of-czech-cinema) - For its 50th anniversary celebrations, the Zlin Film Festival, which climaxes with its Awards Ceremony this evening, has been a treasure trove of cinematic gems from the past 50 years. Aside from the better known films from the Czech canon (incuding such award winners as THE SHOP ON MAIN STREET, CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS, FANTASTIC PLANET,
- [Dennis Hopper , R.I.P.(1936-2010)](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/dennis-hopper-rip1936-2010) - One of the great iconoclasts of American independent cinema left us May 29th. His first significant acting role was in Rebel Without A Cause(1955) and he was traumatized by James Dean’s sudden death in 1955. His role as director of the countercultural classic Easy Rider(1969)sealed his legendary status as a cool maverick. His performance in
- [English Actress Carey Mulligan Gets An Education and Award Noms](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/english-actress-carey-mulligan-gets-an-education-and-award-noms) - With An Education, the 24-year-old British actress Carey Mulligan has come out of nowhere to garner the kind of critical acclaim and award notice that few receive so quickly -- she's up for a Golden Globe for example. But her performance as 16-year-old Jenny in Danish director Lone Scherfig's version of Lynne Barber's story (adapted by writer Nick Hornby), not only
- [Game-Changing DAM Developments Set for Debut at Createasphere Conference](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/game-changing-dam-developments-set-for-debut-at-createasphere-conference) -  dpBestflow, Media Monetization and Revolutionizing MetaData Explored in Eye-Opening Sessions February 4, 2010 (Burbank, CA) The Createasphere DAM conference, set for February 17th & 18th in Los Angeles, will feature a full compliment of quality education aimed at experts, novices and managers. Over the course of two days of conferences, Createasphere DAM will also
- [Book Shelf | 3-D Moviemaking: Stereoscopic Digital Cinema from Script to Screen](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/book-shelf-3-d-moviemaking-stereoscopic-digital-cinema-from-script-to-screen) - By Bernard Mendiburu Focal Press Boston 2009 “Eventually 3D will make its way into mainstream cinema the way color and sound did” observes visual effects artist and digital cinema engineer Bernard Mendiburu in his comprehensive and essential primer on this latest and most significant technological breakthrough in filmmaking. “By reducing the effort involved in the
- [Director Paul Schrader's Controversial Holocaust Film Is Presented At The Israel Film Fest](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/director-paul-schraders-controversial-holocaust-film-is-presented-at-the-israel-film-fest) - For veteran director/screenwriter Paul Schrader, seeing his film Adam Resurrected appear in this year's Israel Film Festival in New York is a little like coming around full circle. Originally released here almost a year ago, his strange surreal little black comedy of a film stars Jeff Goldblum as a concentration camp survivor recovering his sanity in an Israeli
- [Market Wrap Up For European Cinema](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/market-wrap-up-for-european-cinema) - With 2009 coming to a close, which represented a challenge to the specialty distribution market in North America (and everywhere else), French cinema was the sole bright light in what has become a shrinking market for European quality film. While there were some celebrated films from Germany (The Baader Meinhof Complex), Spain (Broken Embraces), Italy
- [Louis Malle: The Fire Within](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/louis-malle-the-fire-within) - Louis Malle, the legendary French director whose career spanned three decades and whose influence on the language of cinema continues to grow in stature, will be the subject of a mini-retrospective starting New Year’s Day at the Walter Reade Theater in New York, the flagship venue of the Film Society of Lincoln Center. The week-long
- [Brittany Murphy RIP (1977-2009)](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/brittany-murphy-rip-1977-2009) - What a tragic waste of young talent. News reports say actress Brittany Murphy went into cardiac arrest this morning at age 32. I always found her performances fresh in both comedies like Clueless, Just Married and Little Black Book,Spun and dramas like 8 Mile, Don't Say A Word, Uptown Girl, and Sin City. She was
- [SoHo International Film Festival launches in NYC in Feb., 2010](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/soho-international-film-festival-launches-in-nyc-in-feb-2010) - Founder Jorge Ballos, one of New York's top talent agents, announced the launch of the first SoHo International Film Festival, which will run February 18-21, 2010 in the heart of SoHo, New York City. This new festival will celebrate the cutting-edge of digital technology while honoring traditional forms of storytelling with a presentation of at
- [Mexico – Expresion en Corto July 20 – August 2 2009…. and the budget crisis](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/mexico-expresion-en-corto-july-20-august-2-2009-and-the-budget-crisis) - A scarcity of Mexican production and the absence of exhibition platforms prompted Sarah Hoch to establish the festival Expresion en Corto twelve years ago which she has helmed ever since. As a publicly funded film festival, Expresion en Corto had a primary focus on short films. By 2009 it has morphed into one of the
- [Finding The Normal In Amsterdam???](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/finding-the-normal-in-amsterdam) -  Amsterdam has a rather valid reputation as a refuge for the not completely normal. Misfits from across the continent and across the seas find the city's open nature and history of tolerance a welcoming invitation. So, when an Amsterdam institution like IDFA, the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, announces a program entitled "Not Normal", the
- [ASCAP Membership Group Promotes Shawn Lemone To Lead Film & Television Music Department](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/ascap-membership-group-promotes-shawn-lemone-to-lead-film-a-television-music-department) - New York, NY: November 23, 2009: Randall Grimmett, Senior Vice President, Domestic Membership of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) announced today that Shawn LeMone has been promoted to Vice President, Membership – Film & TV. Based in ASCAP's Los Angeles office, LeMone is responsible for the oversight and daily operational management
- [The New Home For International Cinema](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-new-home-for-international-cinema) - With foreign-language films (with "dreaded" sub-titles) becoming more and more difficult to find theatrical distribution, the action has moved to the home screen for even films that have been major presences on the international film festival circuit. IFC Films, which still does do day-and-date simultaneous openings in theaters and on its on-demand television network, is
- [Gabby Sidibe Proves to Be The Girl for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/gabby-sidibe-proves-to-be-the-girl-for-precious-based-on-the-novel-push-by-sapphire) - For a total newcomer like Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe to find a starring role in any film was beyond comprehension. But to find one where her ultra plus-sized frame proved to be an asset was more than extraordinary. Nonetheless, this daughter of R&B/gospel singer Alice Tan Ridley and Senegalese father Ibnou Sidibe got the lead role
- [India Comes To New York](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/india-comes-to-new-york) - New York City prides itself as being the "capital of the world", as it has attracted immigrants from all over the globe and set up individual communities within the city's urban grid. For the past few decades, the communities of South Asia, particularly India and Pakisatan, have become vibrant parts of the city's mosaic, producing
- [Italian Neorealism At New York's Lincoln Center](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/italian-neorealism-at-new-yorks-lincoln-center) - It doesn’t get much better than this…..the Film Society of Lincoln Center, which presents the New York Film Festival each Fall, is in the midst of a revelatory review of one of the major film movements of the 20th century, presenting a list of acknowledged classics along with previously unknown (at least to me) gems.
- [Top 10 Cool Things That Must Be Seen at HD EXPO - Createasphere](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/top-10-cool-things-that-must-be-seen-at-hd-expo-createasphere) - Entertainment Technology Event Presents Compelling List of What’s Hot October 26, 2009 (Burbank, CA) - With November’s 4-5 HD EXPO – Createasphere right around the corner, experts from the popular industry event have identified ten products and events that are “too cool to miss,” for attendees seeking mission-critical information. The Top Ten list represents innovative
- [HD EXPO – Createasphere Gears-Up!](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/hd-expo-createasphere-gears-up) - Gear Alley Brings in the Pros for In-Depth Discussions on the Latest Equipment October 15, 2009 (Burbank, CA) - Gear Alley will debut at HD EXPO – Createasphere on November 4th where the latest production gear including cameras, cranes, dollies, rigs, and lighting will be presented and demo’ed for attendees. “Hard Core, Revolutionary or Indispensable
- [REDeducation Community Day October 15, 2009](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/rededucation-community-day-october-15-2009) - An Event for Everything and Everyone RED WHEN Thursday, October 15th, 2009 1:00 PM – 6:30 PM WHERE LA Center Studios 1201 W. 5th St. Los Angeles 90017 WHAT RED Tech and RED Post bookend RED Community day, an event for everything and everyone RED. 35 Vendor booths, 10 thirty-minute presentations, lunch, and an opportunity
- [Discovering The World Of Guru Dutt](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/discovering-the-world-of-guru-dutt) - With the continued appeal of Bollywood and last year’s Oscar win by SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, the history of Indian cinema is en vogue. This year as part of its Masterworks section, the New York Film Festival is offering the first compete New York retrospective of the works of Indian film artist Guru Dutt. Born in 1925,
- [Checking The Pulse Of European Cinema](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/checking-the-pulse-of-european-cinema) - The New York Film Festival, which enters its final weekend today, has presented a program with a large emphasis on European cinema. With a strong showing of films from Portugal and France, the Festival finds that contemporary European cinema from other nations not only has a strong pulse but is definitely on the rise. Lars
- [Woodstock Film Festival Award Winners](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/woodstock-film-festival-award-winners) - Filmmakers, industry mavens, film critics and local film buffs gathered last evening at the historic Backstage Productions Arts and Entertainment Complex in Kingston, NY for the awards ceremonies of the 10th edition of the Woodstock Film Festival. The film event closes today, celebrating 10 years of exceptional independent film, panels, concerts, events and parties, with the
- [Views From The Avant Garde At NYFF 2009](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/views-from-the-avant-garde-at-nyff-2009) - The New York Film Festival, which features the latest works from established masters, also is a vehicle for introducing curious audiences to more challenging work by new film artists. This weekend, the Festival is hosting its annual avant-garde showcase that holds some of this event's most memorable programming. The 13th edition of VIEWS FROM THE
- [HBO Films Directors Dialogues At NYFF](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/hbo-films-directors-dialogues-at-nyff) - The New York Film Festival provides extraordinary access to some of world cinema's most interesting film talents via the HBO Films Directors Dialogue Series. Among those who are participating (all of whom have films in the festival proper): MARCO BELLOCCHIO With a career that spans the heyday of 60s Italian art cinema (Fists in
- [Film In Focus: Lebanon](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/film-in-focus-lebanon) - The horrors of war and the toll that it takes on both civilians and the soldiers themselves are film topics that, unfortunately, never go out of style. While it can be argued that audiences tend to stay away from such strong fare, a film that brings the audience to the center of the action and
- [Sundance Institute Renews Film Forward Program](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/sundance-institute-renews-film-forward-program) - Following the success of last year’s inaugural Film Forward: Advancing Cultural Dialogue initiative, the Sundance Institute and the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities have announced the renewal of the program. Film Forward is an initiative of Sundance Institute in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities,
- [Miami FF Prize Winners](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/miami-ff-prize-winners) - After 9 days of film screenings and special events, the 29th edition of the Miami International Film Festival presented its closing awards ceremony at the historic Olympia Theater of The Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami. A special A special screening of the US Premiere of Sebastián Borensztein’s CHINESE TAKE-AWAY, starring Argentine
- [“Been Here Stay Here” Portrays Vanishing Island](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/been-here-stay-here-portrays-vanishing-island) - Been Here Stay Here (David Usui, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Director David Usui makes his solo-feature debut with Been Here Stay Here, a documentary portrait of Tangier Island, located in Virginia’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay. Since the mid-1800s, the island has lost two-thirds of its land mass and is projected to essentially
- [“I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not” Showcases Subject’s Range of Qualities](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/im-chevy-chase-and-youre-not-showcases-subjects-range-of-qualities) - I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not (Marina Zenovich, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars Born in 1943, actor and writer Chevy Chase became an overnight sensation with the unexpected success of the sketch-comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL), thanks to the “Weekend Update” segment he created and headlined. Though he would only stay on SNL
- [Chris Reed's Top 10 Films of 2025](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/chris-reeds-top-10-films-of-2025) - It always amazes me how different a given year’s selection of films can be. Sometimes, I find the bulk of the big-studio offerings unbearable and so my Top 10, as a result, features many more indie and foreign selections, while at other times my picks run more of a gamut. In 2014, I even had
- [Sundance Review: "Teenage Wasteland"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-middletown) - Teenage Wasteland (Amanda McBaine/Jesse Moss, 2025)* 5 out of 5 stars As a rule, people in power never welcome investigation; at least, none directed at them. Witness what happens when journalists or prosecutors probe corruption in various government bodies: obfuscation, lies, and threats. Expect a lot more of that here at home in the years ahead,
- [Hannah Tran’s Top 10 Films of 2025](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/hannah-trans-top-10-films-of-2025) - Whether in narrative or documentary, few years have produced so many films with such unique approaches to the beauty, violence, and pain of our world. And though there were perhaps fewer notable films that I loved, there was probably more than an average amount that I really liked. It was a wonderful year for horror,
- [Matt Patti’s Top 10 Films of 2025](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/matt-pattis-top-10-films-of-2025) - Another year has come and passed and here we are at the end of 2025; it is once again time for me to share my annual Top 10 film list. These past 12 months have been very busy for me personally—getting married, going on my honeymoon, and so on and so forth—so I admit with
- [“Happy and You Know It” Offers Good Cheer](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/happy-and-you-know-it-offers-good-cheer) - Happy and You Know It (Penny Lane, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars Writing meaningful music for children is not easy. Just ask the composers/performers featured in Happy and You Know It, the latest documentary from Penny Lane (Listening to Kenny G), which come out Christmas Day on HBO. It’s a worthy profession, however, no
- [Patrick Howard’s Top 10 Films of 2025](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/patrick-howards-top-10-films-of-2025) - Where I have previously reviewed the film (in this case, there is just one), the title is hyperlinked to that review. Where I have not, I have written a short description of the movie to help explain why I chose it. 1. Wake Up Dead Man (Rian Johnson): We are three movies into Rian Johnson’s
- [“The Testament of Ann Lee” Fails to Inspire](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-testament-of-ann-lee-fails-to-inspire) - The Testament of Ann Lee (Mona Fastvold, 2025) 1 out of 5 stars Writer/director Mona Fastvold has already proven she is capable of solid work, whether on her own (The World to Come) or with her partner, Brady Corbet (The Brutalist). Which makes her latest effort, The Testament of Ann Lee, all the more disappointing.
- [Adam Vaughn’s Top 10 Films of 2025](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/adam-vaughns-top-10-films-of-2025) - 2025 was a year that continued to solidify the reign of the I.P. (intellectual property): story reboots upon sequels upon installments of franchises permeated the cinematic experience. Yet, amongst the rising I.P. epidemic were some truly captivating works and some original concepts from the horror movie genre that took the film industry by storm. While
- [“The Housemaid” Is Laughably Inept](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-housemaid-is-laughably-inept) - The Housemaid (Paul Feig, 2025) ½ out of 5 stars Watching The Housemaid, an adaptation of Freida McFadden’s eponymous 2022 novel, it’s hard not to wonder whether anyone involved in its production has ever made a movie before. The flow of shots is so chaotic, the script so outrageously dumb, the performances so clumsy, and
- [“Dust Bunny” Isn’t Imaginative Enough](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/dust-bunny-isnt-imaginative-enough) - Dust Bunny (Bryan Fuller, 2025) 2½ out of 5 stars After years spent creating offbeat and terrifying characters on TV, acclaimed showrunner Bryan Fuller (Paramount+’s Star Trek: Discovery series) makes his feature directorial debut with Dust Bunny. We follow Aurora (Sophie Sloan), a young girl convinced that a monster under her bed ate her family.
- [“Ella McCay” Is a Painful Mess](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/ella-mccay-is-a-painful-mess) - Ella McCay (James L. Brooks, 2025) 1 out of 5 stars Born in 1940, James L. Brooks has been around for a while, making a deserved name with hit 1970s shows such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spinoff, Rhoda, and then with movies like the 1983 Terms of Endearment (for which he
- [Twisty and Tense “Turbulence” Thrills](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/twisty-and-tense-turbulence-thrills) - Turbulence (Claudio Fäh, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars Anyone have a fear of heights? It’s a common phobia, and for good reason. However, we humans have gone up and up more and more into the atmosphere over our history, and keep getting higher and higher. Whether at the level of a skyscraper, an amusement-park
- [London Film Critics Nods](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/london-film-critics-nods) - With London’s position as one of the most film-friendly environs on the planet, it is interesting to see the films and performances that the London Film Critics Circle has selected for their end of year nods. Most reflect their American counterparts and the recent Golden Globe nomination announcements, but there is a definite English bent
- [The Flowering Of A Film Artist](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-flowering-of-a-film-artist) - Perhaps no other film this season is sparking the kind of intrigue as SHAME, the latest from British artist-turned-director Steve McQueen. In only two feature films, HUNGER (2008) and the current SHAME, he has become a major film presence, with a career that could be long and productive and continually fascinating. His artistic influences are
- [Von Trier Awards Upset](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/von-trier-awards-upset) - The National Society of Film Critics, the last critics group to name its top awards of the year, surprised the film community by naming MELANCHOLIA, Danish director Lars von Trier's meditation on the end of the world, as the Best Film Of The Year. The equally meditative Cannes Palme d’Or winner THE TREE OF LIFE
- [2025 WAFCA Award Winners](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/2025-wafca-award-winners) - The Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), of which I am a member, just released its best-of-the-year list for 2025. Below is the official tally of nominees and winners, with Ryan Coogler’s Sinners receiving the most awards (10). Where a movie has been reviewed for this site, I link to that review in the
- [“Zootopia 2” Rinses and Repeats](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/zootopia-2-rinses-and-repeats) - Zootopia 2 (Jared Bush/Byron Howard, 2025) 2½ out of 5 stars Though not nearly as narratively complex as its 2016 predecessor—and filled with far too many cheap and easy references to other movies—Zootopia 2 nevertheless manages to provide passable entertainment. If this seems like damnation via faint phrase, it is, but the truth is that
- [“Eternity” Proves New and Nostalgic](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/eternity-proves-new-and-nostalgic) - Eternity (David Freyne, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars In David Freyne’s Eternity, the prospect of dying is far less frightening than what follows: a train junction where the newly departed must choose where, and with whom, to spend the rest of their afterlives. For Joan, this means choosing between the man she built her
- [“American Sasquatch” Engrosses](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/american-sasquatch-engrosses) - American Sasquatch: Man, Myth, or Monster (Gabe Torres, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars Bigfoot. Sasquatch. Skunk Ape. There are many names throughout America that describe this mythical creature: a tall, hairy being that walks on two legs and is found throughout dense forests in the U.S. Whatever your local area calls it, this urban
- [The Return of Joshua Marston](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-return-of-joshua-marston) - Writer/director Joshua Marston made a strong impression way back in 2004 with the indie film MARIA FULL OF GRACE, which made a star of its young lead Catalina Sandino Moreno, who was nominated for an Oscar and won the Silver Bear acting award that year at the Berlin Film Festival. However, as with most promising
- [Foreign Language Oscar Mix](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/foreign-language-oscar-mix) - 63 countries will have films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 84th Academy Awards. The films are nominated by their home countries in an often contentious process that often rewards smaller films to the expense of films by more recognizable international names. This year, such world cinema auteurs as Pedro Almodovar
- [Fox Searchlight Pictures Acquires “Martha Marcy May Marlene”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/fox-searchlight-pictures-acquires-“martha-marcy-may-marlene”) - Specialty Arm Acquires Worldwide Rights PARK CITY, UT – Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents Nancy Utley and Stephen Gilula announced today that the company has acquired worldwide rights to the suspenseful drama MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE. Written and directed by Sean Durkin, MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE stars Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes and Hugh Dancy. 
- [Hudson Valley Film Opens Woodstock FF Tomorrow](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/hudson-valley-film-opens-woodstock-ff-tomorrow) - PEACE, LOVE & MISUNDERSTANDING, a family comedy shot entirely in the Hudson Valley, will open the 2011 edition of the Woodstock Film Festival. The film, directed by Bruce Beresford, features an all-star cast including Jane Fonda, Catherine Keener, Nat Wolff, Elizabeth Olsen, Kyle MacLachlan, Rosanna Arquette, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Chace Crawford. The story is
- [Gotham Awards Nominees](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/gotham-awards-nominees) - The Gotham Awards, one of the first events of the awards season, have announced the nominees for their 21st edition. The big winners were THE DESCENDANTS (Alexander Payne) and MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE (Sean Durkin), which each led the pack with three nominations each. Films nominated in the top category of Best Feature include THE
- [Fox Searchlight Pacts With Borderline Films](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/fox-searchlight-pacts-with-borderline-films) - Fox Searchlight Pictures have signed a two-year, first look deal with Borderline Films, the creative team behind the critically acclaimed psychological thriller MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE. Borderline Films is the partnership team of Antonio Campos, Sean Durkin and Josh Mond, who met at New York University’s Film School in 2003, and who rotate roles as
- [Awards Season Roundup](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/awards-season-roundup) - Winners from critics groups during this hectic awards season have been fast and furious in the past week. While the top contenders are certainly emerging for top films and best performances, there is no clear consensus winner. This is adding to the excitement and the mystery of who is actually the frontrunner for this year’s
- [IFC Films Having A Busy Sundance](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/ifc-films-having-a-busy-sundance) - IFC Films is having a typically busy Sundance, with three high profile acquisitions announced so far. IFC has closed the deal to buy American rights to SIMON KILLER, the controversial psychological thriller by New York wunderkind Antonio Campos. The film stars Brady Corbet as a heartbroken American college grad adrift in Paris after breaking up
- [An Olsen Sister In The Spotlight](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/an-olsen-sister-in-the-spotlight) - Even if you don’t watch the nightly tabloid magazine shows or read the gossip columns, it would be hard to avoid being aware of the Olsen Twins. The two sisters, Mary-Kate and Ashley, who started as child stars, are constantly in the tabloids for their private exploits, their spotty cinema careers and their growing fashion
- [Elizabeth Olsen Has Set Sights On French Classic For Next Role](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/elizabeth-olsen-has-set-sights-on-french-classic-for-next-role) - Elizabeth Olsen, who is stirring Oscar buzz for her debut feature role as the troubled teenager in the American indie hit MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, has signed on for her next film. The ingénue actress will star opposite screen veteran Glenn Close in an updated version of THERESE RAQUIN, one of the enduring novels of
- [“Wicked: For Good” Offers Confusifying Part 2](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/wicked-for-good-offers-confusifying-part-2) - Wicked: For Good (Jon M. Chu, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars Wicked: For Good had to have been one of the most anticipated movies in the musical theater sphere; the trailer alone amassed excitement among even the newest fans of the Wicked franchise. It goes without saying that the expectations were extremely high, Everyone
- [Interview with “Rebuilding” Director Max Walker-Silverman](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-rebuilding-director-max-walker-silverman) - Max Walker-Silverman’s debut feature, A Love Song, impressed with its combination of gorgeous cinematography and heartfelt performances. His follow-up, Rebuilding (which I reviewed out of the 2025 Middleburg Film Festival), showcases identical strengths in a brand-new story, set as before in the director’s native Colorado. Starring Josh O’Connor (La Chimera) as Dusty, a divorced dad
- [In “The Carpenter’s Son,” Jesus Wrestles with Divinity](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/in-the-carpenters-son-jesus-wrestles-with-divinity) - The Carpenter’s Son (Lotfy Nathan, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars After a hundred years' worth of depictions of Jesus Christ in film, the ones that highlight a young man contending with his human and divine selves stand out among the rest. It’s a type of story that is not without its controversy. As you
- [The Unserious Genius of “Serious People”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-unserious-genius-of-serious-people) - Serious People (Pasqual Gutierrez/Ben Mullinkosson, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars Would you rather have to set healthy work-life boundaries or create a casting call, hire a lookalike, and coach them to impersonate you at work so you don’t have a conflict with your personal life? When music video director Pasqual’s opportunity to direct the
- [“The Running Man” Entertains Without Innovation](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-running-man-entertains-without-innovation) - The Running Man (Edgar Wright, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars Following successes such as The World’s End, Baby Driver, and Last Night in Soho, director Edgar Wright revives a classic Stephen King tale, previously brought to the big screen in 1987 by director Paul Michael Glaser in a version starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Now, The
- [MdFF Review: “Love Chaos Kin”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/mdff-review-love-chaos-kin) - Love Chaos Kin (Chithra Jeyaram, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars A thoughtful documentary protagonist is a boon to a filmmaker, able to elevate even the simplest of subjects beyond its narrative limitations. In Love Chaos Kin, from director Chithra Jeyaram (Foreign Puzzle), the topic at hand is full of layered complexities, though at its
- [“Predator: Badlands” Rocks Hard](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/predator-badlands-rocks-hard) - Predator: Badlands (Dan Trachtenberg, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars After breathing new life into the long-running Predator series with his 2022 Prey, director Dan Trachtenberg returns with Predator: Badlands. Working within established lore while enriching the narrative through exciting original details and characters, Trachtenberg also continues the merging of the Alien universe to this
- [5 Films to See at the 2025 Maryland Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/5-films-to-see-at-the-2025-maryland-film-festival) - Though traditionally held in the spring, the 2025 Maryland Film Festival (MdFF) takes place in the fall, running November 5-9 (in 2026, it returns to the spring, with dates in April). Its home is Baltimore’s restored Parkway Theater. Over the course of 5 days, the event will present 134 short films and 29 features. In
- [Tickets available now for Draupadi - Will my spirit live on? - 11th Annual NEW YORK INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL - Film Submission Deadline February 25](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured-specialty/tickets-available-now-for-draupadi-will-my-spirit-live-on-11th-annual-new-york-indian-film-festival-film-submission-deadline-february-25) - NEW YORK’S INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL Eleventh Annual IAAC Film Festival: May 4-8, 2011 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS Deadline for submissions: February 25, 2011. Submit a film ___________________________________________ INDO-AMERICAN ARTS COUNCIL Presents Draupadi – Will my spirit live on? (a Shivani Wazir Pasrich Production) Roy Arias Theatre, NYC. March 16-20, 2011 To purchase tickets for
- [Entertaining “Bugonia” Spoils Premise](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/entertaining-bugonia-spoils-premise) - Bugonia (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars Yorgos Lanthimos (Kinds of Kindness) is back with another tale of obsessives navigating the world through arcane rules that make sense only within their hermetic universe. Here, the protagonists are Teddy (Jesse Plemons, Antlers), Don (Aidan Delbis), and Michelle (Emma Stone, Poor Things), the first two
- [Middleburg Interview with "Left-Handed Girl” Director Shih-Ching Tsou](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/middleburg-interview-with-left-handed-girl-director-shih-ching-tsou) - Filmmaker Shih-Ching Tsou is a longtime collaborator of Sean Baker’s. In her first helming effort, the 2004 Take Out, she shared directorial duties with Baker. Since then, Tsou has produced many of his later films, including the 2021 Red Rocket. She and Baker co-wrote the screenplay for Left-Handed Girl, though Tsou is the sole director
- [Middleburg Interview with "Hedda" Star Nina Hoss](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/middleburg-interview-with-hedda-star-nina-hoss) - In the new film Hedda, from director Nia DaCosta (Candyman), German actress Nina Hoss (TÁR) plays Eileen Lovborg, former lover of the main character and now professional rival to that person’s new husband. An adaptation of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s 1891 play Hedda Gabler, the movie switches Eileen’s original gender from male to female (he
- [Middleburg Interview with "Come See Me in the Good Light” Director Ryan White](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/middleburg-interview-with-come-see-me-in-the-good-light-director-ryan-white) - Documentarian Ryan White is nothing if not prolific, tackling a great variety of issues as he goes. In his latest movie, Come See Me in the Good Light, he profiles the late spoken-word poet Andrea Gibson (who was non-binary and used they/them pronouns), who died on July 14 of this year, fours years after receiving
- [Sundance Selects Projects for Its June Labs](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/sundance-selects-projects-for-its-june-labs) - At the Sundance Resort in Utah through June 28, thirteen new film projects from around the world are receiving mentoring assistance as part of the annual June Directors and Screenwriters Labs. This year's program include emerging filmmakers and projects from the United States, Italy, Romania, Australia, Algeria, France, Chile and the UK. Directors Lab Fellows
- [Kino Lorber Acquires Rights to Isabelle Huppert Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/kino-lorber-acquires-rights-to-isabelle-huppert-film) - French actress Isabelle Huppert will be much in the news in the coming months when her supporting role as the troubled daughter of two aging parents in the Cannes Palme d’Or winner AMOUR, a film that will certainly be one of the most talked about films of the year. Yet Ms. Huppert will not be
- [An Independent Film Festival Grows in Brooklyn](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/an-independent-film-festival-grows-in-brooklyn) - In just three short years, the Brooklyn Academy Of Music has established a world-class festival for indie films under the banner of BAMcinemaFest. Now coming into its fourth year later this month, the Festival is hosting the New York premieres of films that have made waves at previous festivals such as Sundance, Cannes, SXSW, Slamdance
- [Cannes Welcomes a Rocker and a Rapper](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/cannes-welcomes-a-rocker-and-a-rapper) - Straying from their natural element, a rocker and a rapper will make the scene in Cannes this week. Shock rocker Marilyn Manson will walk the red carpet for the film WRONG COPS, directed by his friend Quentin Dupieux. A 13 minute installment will make its Cannes debut as part of the Directors Fortnight section. The
- [The Best of Turkish Cinema at Lincoln Center](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-best-of-turkish-cinema-at-lincoln-center) - Starting this past Friday and running through May 10, the Film Society of Lincoln Center is presenting an ambitious survey of contemporary and classic cinema from Turkey. The Space Between: A Panorama of Cinema in Turkey is the largest retrospective of films from Turkey to be presented in the United States. The retrospective is produced
- [Oscilloscope to Release Music Documentary](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/oscilloscope-to-release-music-documentary) - Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired North American rights to SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS, a Pulse Films production directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, which documents the final days of the pioneering electronica music group LCD Soundsystem. One year ago, the group played its final show at New York’s Madison Square Garden. LCD frontman
- [Connecticut Film Festival Offered Creative Mix](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/connecticut-film-festival-offered-creative-mix) - The Connecticut Film Festival, which took place this past weekend in Danbury and Bethel, Connecticut, offered a creative mix of programming, educational seminars and special events. In all, some 75 films were showcased at the 4 day event. An extensive boot camp of educational seminars was geared to local and visiting filmmakers, new media entrepreneurs
- [Harnessing the Creative](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/harnessing-the-creative) - What is creativity and how can it be cultivated and enhanced? This was the provocative set of questions at the heart of the Advancing Creative Thinking: Imagination To Innovation conference held in Ridgefield, CT this past weekend. The 2-day event, co-presented by the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, the Ridgfield Library and the Ridgefield Arts Council,
- [Let’s Dance at Tribeca Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/lets-dance-at-tribeca-film-festival) - The theme of the dance is alive in 3 feature films premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival. From Denmark comes BALLROOM DANCER, an intimate romance set against the World Latin American Dance Championship. BAM 150 goes behind the scenes of the famed Brooklyn Academy Of Music, which has been a prime showcase of modern dance
- [A French Flavor at Tribeca FF](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/a-french-flavor-at-tribeca-ff) - New Yorkers’ continued love affair with French cinema is evidenced by a strong representation of French films at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Among the feature highlights are 2 DAYS IN NEW YORK, actress/director Julie Delpy’s comedy of cultural errors that co-stars Chris Rock; A BETTER LIFE, a gritty romance about the passionate love of
- [Jewish Themes at Tribeca FF](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/jewish-themes-at-tribeca-ff) - With one of the world’s largest and most diverse Jewish communities, there is always interest in New York in films that look at different dimensions of the Jewish experience. At this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, a diverse group of films have that Jewish feel. ALL IN is a stylish romantic comedy set in Buenos Aires’
- [Demy Directorial Debut](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/demy-directorial-debut) - AMERICANO, the feature directorial debut of writer/director/actor Mathieu Demy opens in New York on Friday, June 15 prior to a national rollout. The fictional film draws on some autobiographical references, since Demy is the son of famed filmmakers Agnès Varda and Jacques Demy. In fact, the younger Demy started his film career as a child
- [The New Hannibal Lecter](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-new-hannibal-lecter) - Just one week after winning the Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in THE HUNT, word comes out of Hollywood that Danish actor Mads Mikkelson will play the lead character in NBC's upcoming HANNIBAL, portraying cinematic cannibal Hannibal Lecter in his younger years. The famed Lecter in the Oscar winning
- [IFC Midnight Goes Erotic With Korean Drama](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/ifc-midnight-goes-erotic-with-korean-drama) - IFC Midnight has acquired the North American rights to THE TASTE OF MONEY from celebrated Korean writer-director Im Sang-soo that premiered last month in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. The film centers on the sexual desires and power struggles in a rich Korean family, with themes similar to the director’s previous film THE HOUSEMAID,
- [Cinedigm Expanding Its Distribution Reach](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/cinedigm-expanding-its-distribution-reach) - Digital exhibition company Cinedigm is rapidly expanding its distribution reach. Last month, the company, whose main business has been introducing digital technology into existing theater chains, acquired New Video, a 30-year-old distribution company for digital home entertainment that includes a 5000 title library of many classic American indie and international titles. The company, led by
- [Jailed Actor Misses Cannes Red Carpet Premiere](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/jailed-actor-misses-cannes-red-carpet-premiere) - Aniello Arena, one of the stars of the Cannes competition entry REALITY, was a no show at the film’s red carpet gala premiere this past weekend……for good reason. For the past 20 years, he has been incarcerated in an Italian prison where he is serving a life sentence for murder. Speaking to the press following
- [Memoir Of Roman Polanski](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/memoir-of-roman-polanski) - One of the few high profile documentaries in official sections at the Cannes Film Festival is a potent film memoir of one of the world’s most celebrated yet controversial figures. ROMAN POLANSKI: A FILM MEMOIR has the director narrating his extraordinary life story with the film’s producer Andrew Braunsberg. In this intimate setting, Polanski shares
- [Cannes Deals Keep Coming](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/cannes-deals-keep-coming) - In spite of what has been, so far, a rather quiet deal making season at the Cannes Film Festival, there have been a significant number of announcements made. With only a few days more before the industry begins to leave in droves, there could be more last minute announcements added to these. For the most
- [Canadian Film Sold At Cannes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/canadian-film-sold-at-cannes) - A Canadian film being promoted by Telefilm Canada has been picked up for international distribution. THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ROSALIND LEIGH, an indie pic starring Vanessa Redgrave, Aaron Poole, Julian Richings, Stephen Eric McIntyre and Charlotte Sullivan, has been bought for international rights by new distribution shingle Raven Banner Entertainment. Rue Morgue Cinema’s
- [Brainstorm Media To Distribute Solondz Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/brainstorm-media-to-distribute-solondz-film) - Brainstorm Media is entering into theatrical distribution with the newest film from award-winning cult director Todd Solondz (WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE). Brainstorm will release the film, a dysfunctional family drama that stars Justin Bartha (THE HANGOVER), Selma Blair (CRUEL INTENTIONS), Mia Farrow (ROSEMARY’S BABY), Christopher Walken (THE DEER HUNTER) and newcomer Jordan Gelber (BOARDWALK EMPIRE),
- [Korean American Film Festival Starts Tonight](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/korean-american-film-festival-starts-tonight) - In the melting pot that is New York City, every immigrant group has its own unique glow, resonance and perspective. Immigrants and their American-born offspring from Korea have been part of the Big Apple urban mix for several decades. Yet how do these hyphenates, who are part of the essence of the contemporary American dream
- [Indomina Group Buys Rights To Leos Carax Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/indomina-group-buys-rights-to-leos-carax-film) - The Indomina Group has acquired U.S. distribution rights to French director Leos Carax's HOLY MOTORS, one of the strangest and most divisive films to screen in the main competition at this year's Cannes Film Festival. The wildly experimental film drew scattered boos but also wild enthusiasm when it screened midway through the festival. The chronicle
- [Oscilloscope Gets Real With Italian Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/oscilloscope-gets-real-with-italian-film) - Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired U.S. rights to Italian director Matteo Garrone's REALITY, a film in the Cannes main competition about a Neapolitan fishmonger whose life is turned upside-down when he thinks he's going to appear on a reality-television show. The film went on to win the Grand Prix award at the Festival and generated a
- [Magnolia Pictures Goes On The Hunt](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/magnolia-pictures-goes-on-the-hunt) - Magnolia Pictures had picked up the U.S. distribution rights for THE HUNT, the latest film from Danish dogme director Thomas Vinterberg. The film, which screened in the competition section at the Cannes Film Festival, won a Best Actor prize for its lead, Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen. In the film, he stars as an ordinary man
- [Sundance Selects Has Busy Cannes Buying Season](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/sundance-selects-has-busy-cannes-buying-season) - Sundance Selects has had a busy buying season at the Cannes Film Festival. The company, a specialty arm of IFC Films, has acquired some of the Festival’s most notable titles. Its latest pickup is SOMEONE IN LOVE by Iranian director and former Palme d’Or winner Abbas Kiarostami. The film, which made its world premiere in
- [Reality Show Dreams](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/reality-show-dreams) - While there remain strong differences in the world, a common theme in these economically challenging times is the dream of simple people who, stuck in their difficult circumstances, dream of a way out. And yet, if you have no discernible talents to sing, dance, write, cure cancer or some other feat, the only way through
- [Cannes’ Wildest Experiment](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/cannes-wildest-experiment) - HOLY MOTORS, the latest film fantasmagoria from French director Leos Carax, was probably one of the strangest and most divisive films at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. A true love-it-or-hate-it art film, the wildly experimental film drew scattered boos but also wild enthusiasm when it screened midway through the festival. The chronicle of a man
- [NY Indian FF Awards](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/ny-indian-ff-awards) - After five days of red carpet screenings, industry panels, and networking parties, the 12th annual New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) ended on a high note Sunday night with the world premiere of Anurag Kashyap’s GANGS OF WASSEYPUR, which just days before had received a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. The screening was
- [The Talents Of An Austrian Auteur](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-talents-of-an-austrian-auteur) - With his win this past weekend of a second Palme d’Or in less than 3 years, director Michael Haneke has assuredly climbed into the pantheon of great directors. Not that this prolific auteur has not been hailed for many seasons already, but with the almost unprecedented back to back wins for this year’s AMOUR and
- [Mexico-Set Drama Wins Top Prize At Cannes Critics Week](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/mexico-set-drama-wins-top-prize-at-cannes-critics-week) - ACQUI Y ALLA, a US/Spanish co-production set in Mexico, took top honors at the International Critics Week, the oldest parallel section at the Cannes Film Festival. The film by director Antonio Mendez Esparza was given the prize by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics, who for the past 51 years has organized the parallel section
- [Student Films Win Top Honors At Cinefondation](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/student-films-win-top-honors-at-cinefondation) - Student films from Russia, Cuba and New York's New York University have won the major prizes in the 15th Cinefondation section at the Cannes Film Festival. DOROGA NA (The Road To), a Russian film from Taisia Igumentseva of the VGIK school, was awarded first place, which includes a 15,000 Euro cash prize. NYU student Matthew
- [FIPRESCI Awards Critic Prizes At Cannes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/fipresci-awards-critic-prizes-at-cannes) - FIPRESCI, the International Federation of Film Critics, has given its top Cannes prizes to Russian director Sergei Loznitsa's IN THE FOG, American indie Benh Zeitlin's Sundance sensation BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD and the French film RENGAINE (Hold Back) from director Rachid Djaidani. IN THE FOG, a drama set in German-occupied Russia in 1942, was
- [Top Prize Winner At Cannes Directors Fortnight](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/top-prize-winner-at-cannes-directors-fortnight) - The prestigious Directors Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival, which has introduced myriad film talents over the past two decades, chose the Chilean director Pablo Larrian for his political drama NO as the best film of the section this year. The film, which looks at the dramatic public referendum that ended Chilean dictator Augusto
- [IFC Films Buys Rights To Directors Fortnight Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/ifc-films-buys-rights-to-directors-fortnight-film) - IFC Films has acquired North American rights to SIGHTSEERS, a British comedy by Ben Wheatley that had its world premiere earlier this week in the Directors Fortnight section at Cannes. Wheatley, the director of critically acclaimed films KILL LIST and DOWN TERRACE, also co-wrote the screenplay about a couple on an ill-fated van trip through
- [Interview with "Mistress Dispeller” Director Elizabeth Lo](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-mistress-dispeller-director-elizabeth-lo) - The documentary Mistress Dispeller premiered at the 2024 Venice Film Festival (I reviewed it out of Toronto) and is now finally, in 2025, coming out in theaters via Oscilloscope (released October 22 in New York and today, October 24, in Los Angeles). In the movie, Lo (Stray) examines the titular Chinese profession, where someone (usually
- ["Regretting You” Is Too Goofy for Its Own Good](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/regretting-you-is-too-goofy-for-its-own-good) - Regretting You (Josh Boone, 2025) 2 out of 5 stars After the controversial It Ends with Us, author Colleen Hoover returns to the big screen with another adaptation of her work, Regretting You. Thankfully, this film is more bizarre than offensive. There is not a single human being in this film, just a collection of
- [An American Original](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured-specialty/an-american-original) - George Plimpton, author/athlete/aesthete/social critic, was an American original. A new film on his romantic and discursive life is having its world premiere this week at the AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival, one of the most prestigious showcases for non-fiction film in the world. Lesser known now than in his heyday, Plimpton lived a diverse life
- [Protagonist Pictures Takes Rights To Sundance Doc](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/sundance/protagonist-pictures-takes-rights-to-sundance-doc) - UK based sales company Protagonist Pictures has announced that it is handling international sales for Malik Bendjelloul's debut feature SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN, which will have its world premiere as the Opening Night Film of the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the Sundance Film Festival next month. Produced by Simon Chinn (PROJECT NIM, MAN ON
- [Festival Scope’s San Francisco FF Titles](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/festival-scope’s-san-francisco-ff-titles) - Festival Scope, an online viewing site for film professionals, has partnered with its first film festival in the United States. A select number of films that screened at last month’s San Francisco International Film Festival will be available to the site’s restricted members of buyers and festival programmers. The bulk of the films screened in
- [25 New Faces Of Independent Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured-specialty/25-new-faces-of-independent-film) - For this week’s choice for Person Of The Week, we focus on the plural and introduce Filmmaker Magazine’s choice for the 25 New Faces of Independent Film. For the past 14 years, the magazine’s editors have selected a group of emerging filmmakers who may not be known at the moment they were announced, but who
- [A Tale Of Two Cannes Sensations](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/a-tale-of-two-cannes-sensations) - The 64th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is now history, but two standout personalities on opposite poles of the spectrum have defined this year as one of the most unusual in memory. In one corner, we have the Danish filmmaker provocateur Lars Von Trier whose verbal missteps about Nazism at his press conference led
- [The Cinema Of The Real](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-cinema-of-the-real) - The New York Film Festival has always been a generous and charitable home for exciting new documentaries. This year is no exception, with some of the strongest films in the line-up adding renewed excitement to the non-fiction form. As is the case with the burgeoning of documentaries on both the big and small screen, the
- [IDFA vs. Iran Doc Fest](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/idfa-vs-iran-doc-fest) - IDFA, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, the largest and most prestigious film event devoted to the non-fiction form, has taken the rare tack of advising international filmmakers to boycott a fellow documentary film festival. Iran's Cinema Verité Festival is a government-sanctioned and officially sponsored documentary festival that showcases works from the Arab world and
- [A Personal Drama From Iran](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/a-personal-drama-from-iran) - The political rhetoric has been ramping up between the United States and Iran for years now and the Persian nation is fast becoming enemy number one in the eyes of the US and our allies. However, far from the halls of non-diplomacy, film audiences have seen a different side to the Iranian nation, a highly
- [American Indies Compete in Montreal](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/american-indies-compete-in-montreal) - Premiering in the Competition section of the Montreal World Film Festival this week are two American independent producers from directors with long histories in the indie arena. TWELVE THIRTY, the latest film from writer/director Jeff Lipsky, whose films have been major hits at film festivals worldwide. TWELVE THIRTY is drama about a family with adult children that
- [Return of Jeff Lipsky](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/return-of-jeff-lipsky) - Adopt Films, the new distribution shingle co-headed by former October Films founder Jeff Lipsky, had a veritable shopping spree at the recently concluded Berlin International Film Festival, where the newbie company, co-managed with Tim Grady, picked up U.S. rights to some of the Festival’s top award winners. The company announced pickups of CAESAR MUST DIE,
- [Middleburg Review: “Hamnet”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/middleburg-review-hamnet) - Hamnet (Chloé Zhao, 2025) 2½ out of 5 stars Hamnet is the kind of movie where one feels terrible when not moved as much as the onscreen characters. They wail and proclaim their grief, making quite the intense spectacle. Give me more films like director Chloé Zhao’s Oscar-winning Nomadland, instead, please, where the struggle to
- [Women’s Media Center Video Spotlights Serious Gender Disparity in Film Industry](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/women’s-media-center-video-spotlights-serious-gender-disparity-in-film-industry) - This article originally appeared on the Women’s Media Center Blog New York City: The Women’s Media Center (WMC) released a video it produced during the Sundance Film Festival to spotlight the serious gender disparity in media. The video highlights stark gender statistics from the news and entertainment industries, and features the team of girl journalists
- [Middleburg Review: “Come See Me in the Good Light”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/middleburg-review-come-see-me-in-the-good-light) - Come See Me in the Good Light (Ryan White, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars Spoken-word poet Andrea Gibson died on July 14 of this year, at the age of 49, of ovarian cancer, leaving behind their partner—fellow poet Megan Falley—a number of pets, and a formidable body of work. In Ryan White’s latest documentary,
- [Middleburg Review: “Left-Handed Girl”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/middleburg-review-left-handed-girl) - Left-Handed Girl (Shih-Ching Tsou, 2025) 4½ out of 5 stars First-time solo director Shih-Ching Tsou has been working with filmmaker Sean Baker since the early aughts, beginning with a movie they co-directed, the 2004 Take Out. After that, she produced his 2012 Starlet, 2015 Tangerine, 2016 short film Snowbird, 2017 The Florida Project, and 2021
- [Stars Come Out To Celebrate Independent Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/stars-come-out-to-celebrate-independent-film) - On Tuesday evening, The Creative Coalition, the premiere non-profit advocacy organization for the arts and entertainment community, held its annual Spotlight Initiative Awards Gala at the HSBC Bank Building in New York City. Awards were presented to theater, television and film actress Blythe Danner , director Doug Liman, actor/director Griffin Dunne and Golden Globe-winning actor
- [Creative Coalition Spotlight Awards](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/creative-coalition-spotlight-awards) - It has become a tradition at the Sundance Film Festival that The Creative Coalition, the advocacy group that promotes arts education and protection for the arts community, salutes its own with its annual dinner gala The Spotlight Initiative Awards. This year’s gala, which takes place on Sunday evening, January 22nd, will fete such artists as
- [SXSW Doc Competition](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/sxsw-doc-competition) - As at most film festivals, the documentary features at the South By Southwest Film Festival and Conference generate strong interest from assembled buyers and programmers. The consistency of documentary programs is generally higher than their narrative brothers. So, here are the 8 documentary features, each a world premiere by an American director, debuting in Austin
- [Meet The SXSW Narrative and Documentary Juries](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/meet-the-sxsw-narrative-and-documentary-juries) - The SXSW Narrative Feature Competition Jury includes Jane Schoettle, an international programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival; famed film critic J. Hoberman, who writes on film for a variety of publications; and Lisa Hintelmann, Editorial Projects Director at Esquire, overseeing entertainment coverage. The jurors for the Documentary Feature Competition are Catherine Shoard, editor for
- [SXSW Narrative Competition](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/sxsw-narrative-competition) - Over the course of nine days, 130 features will screen at SXSW 2012. The program features 51 films from first-time filmmakers, and consists of 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. These films were selected from a record 1,957 feature-length film submissions, composed of 1,387 U.S. and 570 international feature-length films.
- [Music Box Goes Starry Eyed With SXSW Pickup](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/music-box-goes-starry-eyed-with-sxsw-pickup) - Music Box Films has acquired all North American rights to STARLET, an indie drama by Sean Baker that had its world premiere in competition at the SXSW Film Festival in March. STARLET stars newcomer Dree Hemingway as a young adult-film actress who befriends an octogenarian after they have a confrontation at a yard sale and
- [Middleburg Review: “Rebuilding”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/middleburg-review-rebuilding) - Rebuilding (Max Walker-Silverman, 2025) 4½ out of 5 stars In his 2022 feature debut, A Love Song, writer/director Max Walker-Silverman demonstrated a gentle, but assured, confidence behind the camera that made of the movie a poignant study of late-in-life romance. Lead performers Dale Dickey and Wes Studi brought their A games to the project, as
- [5 Films to See at Middleburg 2025](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/5-films-to-see-at-middleburg-2025) - The 13th iteration of the annual Middleburg Film Festival—which takes place in Middleburg, Virginia—runs from Thursday, October 16, to Sunday, October 19, with 47 feature films, a documentary series, and assorted presentations and panels all coming together in a vibrant cinematic mix. As always, what makes Middleburg special is the programming and the fact that
- [Screamfest Review: “Big Baby”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/screamfest-review-big-baby) - Big Baby (Spider One, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars As a writer myself, I am always interested in and drawn to films about the process, as it were: the use of imagination to create ideas and the ability to take those ideas and turn them into a cohesive, engaging, and authentic story. Lots of
- [“Solvent” Has Splatter and Guts](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/solvent-has-splatter-and-guts) - Solvent (Johannes Grenzfurthner, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars While searching for Nazi documents in an Austrian farmhouse, a team of experts uncovers a hidden secret buried in its bowels. American expatriate Gunner S. Holbrook becomes obsessed with solving the mystery, and as his sanity wanes, he must confront an insatiable evil. Can he find
- [5 Films to See at New/Next 2025](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/5-films-to-see-at-new-next-2025) - The New/Next Film Fest is back for its third iteration, running October 2-5, with over 30 features and many more shorts. Presented by Baltimore Public Media, the fest debuted in August 2023 and has already become a staple of the local arts scene. Below are five films I am either excited to see or, in
- [“Roofman” Stumbles in Second Half](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/roofman-stumbles-in-second-half) - Roofman (Derek Cianfrance, 2025) 2½ out of 5 stars The first half of Roofman, a new film (based on a true story) from director Derek Cianfrance (The Light Between the Oceans), is a terrific ride. Featuring comic hijinks amid high-risk situations, it mixes humor and danger in highly engaging fashion. Unfortunately, the second half is
- [Film Review: "The Light Between Oceans"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-light-between-oceans) - Christopher Llewellyn Reed reviews The Light Between Oceans
- [Honda Fellowship Supports Diversity and Innovation in Filmmaking](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/honda-fellowship-supports-diversity-and-innovation-in-filmmaking) - Honda Fellowship Supports Diversity and Innovation in Filmmaking Sundance Institute Directors Lab Fellow to Receive Funding LOS ANGELES, CA -- – In celebration and support of diversity and innovation in independent filmmaking, the and Honda have formed The Honda Power of Dreams Lab Fellowship to recognize an outstanding filmmaker participating in the Institute’s renowned Feature
- [Bradley Cooper Is Red Hot](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/bradley-cooper-is-red-hot) - If there was any doubt before that Bradley Cooper is now a full-fledged movie star, the first few months of 2011 have wiped that away. He took an underdog genre picture LIMITLESS to an impressive gross of nearly $150 million worldwide, mainly on his name (who was that co-star of his? Some guy named De
- [25 New Faces Of Indie Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/25-new-faces-of-indie-film) - One of the anticipated events of the summer in the indie world is the annual unveiling by Filmmaker Magazine of its "25 New Faces of Independent Film". The 15th edition of the list includes an eclectic list of traditional storytellers, new technology communicators, web series producers and curators transitioning to making films themselves. As in
- [“Kiss of the Spider Woman” Has Had Its Day](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/kiss-of-the-spider-woman-has-had-its-day) - Kiss of the Spider Woman (Bill Condon, 2025) 1½ out of 5 stars Published in 1976, the novel Kiss of the Spider Woman, by Argentine writer Manuel Puig, was first adapted (by the author) to another medium—a stage play—in 1983. Then, in 1985, Brazilian director Hector Babenco made a film of it, winning an Oscar
- [New/Next Review: “OBEX”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/new-next-review-obex) - OBEX (Albert Birney, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars The films of director Albert Birney—be they of the live action variety (Strawberry Mansion) or animated (Tux and Fanny)—are always loving tributes to the meticulous process of artistic creation. Each shot within each scene is composed with great consideration, the visual components beautifully coming together while
- [Film Review: Breathtaking “Prayers for the Stolen” Laments Lost Innocence](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-breathtaking-prayers-for-the-stolen-laments-lost-innocence) - Prayers for the Stolen (Tatiana Huezo, 2021) 4 out of 4 stars. Out of tragic circumstances can come beautiful art, and Tatiana Huezo’s Prayers for the Stolen (“Noche de fuego” in Spanish) shows us how it’s done. Adapted from Jennifer Clement’s eponymous 2014 novel, the film marks the director’s first fiction feature, though she hasPrayers for the Stolen (Tatiana Huezo, 2021) 4 out of 4 stars. Out of tragic circumstances can come beautiful art, and Tatiana Huezo’s Prayers for the Stolen (“Noche de fuego” in Spanish) shows us how it’s done. Adapted from Jennifer Clement’s eponymous 2014 novel, the film marks the director’s first fiction feature, though she has |
- [Heartfelt Spirit Elevates “Good Boy”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/heartfelt-spirit-elevates-good-boy) - Good Boy (Ben Leonberg, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars October launches with a unique horror film centered around one of the most original and adorable lead characters of the genre: a dog! Good Boy (not to be confused with the TIFF 2025-premiering Good Boy reviewed recently by FFT Editor Chris Reed) follows Indy (playing
- [Marc Maron Moves Forward in “Are We Good?”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/marc-maron-moves-forward-in-are-we-good) - Are We Good? (Steven Feinartz, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars In the world of modern comedy, few folks have carved out a niche like Marc Maron. Over the last three decades, he’s built a reputation for being an irascible curmudgeon with good taste. It may seem rude, at first, but after enough time listening
- [“Time Travel Is Dangerous" and Also Nonsense](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/time-travel-is-dangerous-and-also-nonsense) - Time Travel Is Dangerous (Chris Reading, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars United Kingdom-based director Chris Reading takes us on a wild ride of a comedy about time travel that is both simplistic and, inevitably, ludicrous. Time Travel Is Dangerous follows Ruth and Megan (Ruth Syratt and Megan Stevenson, respectively), two pawn-shop owners who hit
- [“The Man in the White Van” Misses Exit](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-man-in-the-white-van-misses-exit) - The Man in the White Van (Warren Skeels, 2023) 2 out of 5 stars What is it with white vans? Not the shoe of social-media fame, but the actual vehicles? Why is it that they are often associated with being driven by violent murderers or predators? Is there a correlation? If the plan, back in
- [“Boorman and the Devil” Compels You](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/boorman-and-the-devil-compels-you) - Boorman and the Devil (David Kittredge, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars Of this I am certain: one need not be a fan of a movie to enjoy its making-of tale. Especially when that documentary is more than a compendium of trivia, becoming instead a rumination on art and its place in the world. Such
- [Strong Performances Can’t Save “All the Devils Are Here”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/strong-performances-cant-save-all-the-devils-are-here) - All the Devils Are Here (Barnaby Roper, 2025) 2½ out of 5 stars If you live in a world of thieves and murderers, most of the people you meet are pretty unsavory. So imagine being trapped in a safe house with three of them while you wait out a heist gone wrong. That’s where we
- [“Him” Offers Freakish Social Insights](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/him-offers-freakish-social-insights) - Him (Justin Tipping, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars With the backing of producer Jordan Peele, director Justin Tipping (Kicks) crafts a twisted and impactful look at the price of being a football superstar. Him is a wonderful mixture of nightmarish sequences, powerful social commentary, and electrifying characters that are taken on a bloodthirsty joyride
- [“Doin’ It” Doesn’t Do It](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/doin-it-doesnt-do-it) - Doin’ It (Sara Zandieh, 2024) 2 out of 5 stars There are, upon occasion, good teen sex comedies. It probably helps to be a teenager when you watch the film targeted at your generation—we all have those favs from our own era—but the best humor is universal in its aspirations while being specific in its
- [TIFF Review: “A Private Life”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-a-private-life) - A Private Life (Rebecca Zlotowski, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars There is one primary reason to see A Private Life, from director Rebecca Zlotowski (Just the Two of Us), and that is Jodie Foster (Nyad), whose riveting performance is further enhanced by the fact that she speaks French throughout. Well, make that two reasons,
- [TIFF Review: “A Pale View of Hills”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-a-pale-view-of-hills) - A Pale View of Hills (Kei Ishikawa, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars Born in 1954 in Nagasaki, Japan, Nobel-prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro emigrated to England in 1960. His subsequent bicultural upbringing has given him a unique perspective on the world that has informed much of his writing, specializing in the emotional reserve that humans
- [TIFF Interview: “Steal Away” Co-Writer Tamara Berger and Director Clement Virgo](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/tiff-interview-steal-away-co-writer-tamara-berger-and-director-clement-virgo) - Toronto-based director Clement Virgo just premiered his latest feature, Steal Away, which he co-wrote with wife Tamara Berger, at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (where I reviewed it). They previously collaborated on the 2005 Lie with Me. This new project is an adaptation of Karolyn Smardz Frost’s 2017 nonfiction book Steal Away Home and
- [TIFF Review: “Steal Away”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-steal-away) - Steal Away (Clement Virgo, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars Set in a land that exists outside of a specific era and place, yet suggestive of many different locations and moments (including the here and now), director Clement Virgo’s Steal Away plunges the viewer into a simultaneous idyll and nightmare. The freshness of youth—and youthful
- [Dull Atmosphere Clouds “Rabbit Trap”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/dull-atmosphere-clouds-rabbit-trap) - Rabbit Trap (Bryn Chainey, 2025) 2½ out of 5 stars Director Bryn Chainey, making his feature-film debut, leads us into a cryptic and often abstract journey with Rabbit Trap. Dev Patel (The Wedding Guest) and Rosy McEwen (Vesper) play Darcy and Daphne, a couple who has just purchased a nice cottage home to further their
- [Film Review: “The Wedding Guest” Delivers Taut Thrills, Until the End](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-wedding-guest-delivers-taut-thrills-until-the-end) - The Wedding Guest (Michael Winterbottom, 2018) 3 out of 4 stars. For two-thirds of its length, The Wedding Guest is a taut thriller featuring a performance from Dev Patel (Lion) unlike any we’ve seen him give before. Lean and mean, he is Jay, a predatory gunman on the prowl, stalking his prey with skill and precision.
- [In Moving "Lion," Dev Patel Roars](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/in-moving-lion-dev-patel-roars) - Christopher Llewellyn Reed reviews Lion
- [Review: Mistress America](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/review-mistress-america) - Mistress America (Noah Baumbach, 2015) 3½ out of 4 stars Greta Gerwig is one of the most underrated talents working in movies today. Not only has she given one great performance after another, but she’s also consistently taking on roles that define Generation Y. She acted as the co-writer and star of Frances Ha, playing
- [IFC Films Takes On Soft Core Porn Flick](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/ifc-films-takes-on-soft-core-porn-flick) - IFC Films is acquiring North American rights to acclaimed author Stephen Elliott’s directorial debut CHERRY. The film stars Ashley Hinshaw, Dev Patel, Heather Graham, and James Franco. CHERRY premiered earlier this year at the 2012 Berlin Film Festival. It will have its North American premiere on April 24th at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
- [TIFF Review: “Eleanor the Great”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-eleanor-the-great) - Eleanor the Great (Scarlett Johansson, 2025) 2½ out of 5 stars Eleanor the Great, actress Scarlett Johansson’s feature-directorial debut, begins with a heartwarming (and heartbreaking) image of best friends growing old together. They are Bessie (Rita Zohar, Unspoken) and Eleanor (June Squibb, Thelma), both widows who enjoy their senior years as roommates in the sunny
- [TIFF Review: “The Man in My Basement”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-the-man-in-my-basement) - The Man in My Basement (Nadia Latif, 2025) 2 out of 5 stars As a fan of Walter Mosley’s writing, I had high hopes for director Nadia Latif’s feature debut, The Man in My Basement, based on his 2004 eponymous novel. Unfortunately, despite a promising first half and strong performances, the movie devolves into well-intentioned
- [TIFF Review: “Sirât”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-sirat) - Sirât (Oliver Laxe, 2025) 2 out of 5 stars There is something that happens in the second act of Sirât that is brutal and shocking, completely transforming what had been an engaging metaphysical journey through obsession and self-determination into an exploitation fest. It’s a narrative transition that ruins the excellent cinematography and performances. There’s no returning
- [TIFF Review: “Franz”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-franz) - Franz (Agnieszka Holland, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars The writer Franz Kafka (1883-1924), though he died far too young (of tuberculosis), left behind a literary legacy that has lasted into our present. Works such as his story “In the Penal Colony,” his novella The Metamorphosis, and his novel The Trial have proved enormously influential,
- [TIFF Review: “Wake Up Dead Man”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-wake-up-dead-man) - Wake Up Dead Man (Rian Johnson, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars With the 2019 film Knives Out, writer/director Rian Johnson (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) added the whodunit to his repertoire, continuing with the 2022 sequel, Glass Onion, and now the 2025 follow-up, Wake Up Dead Man. All three movies tell entirely standalone stories,
- [TIFF Review: “Good Boy”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-good-boy) - Good Boy (Jan Komasa, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars Tommy is a problem child (young adult, really, at 19). A hard-drinking and drug-taking bully—violent and oversexed, to boot—he provides no service to the world beyond making a mess that others have to clean up. So if he were to vanish, who would miss him?
- [IFC FILMS AND SONY PICTURES WORLDWIDE ACQUISITIONS JOIN TO TAKE NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS TO GEORGE RATLIFF’S SALVATION BOULEVARD](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/ifc-films-and-sony-pictures-worldwide-acquisitions-join-to-take-north-american-rights-to-george-ratliff’s-salvation-boulevard) - IFC FILMS AND SONY PICTURES WORLDWIDE ACQUISITIONS JOIN TO TAKE NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS TO GEORGE RATLIFF’S SALVATION BOULEVARD SALVATION BOULEVARD author Larry Beinhardt Park City, UT – IFC Films and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) announced from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival that the companies are partnering to acquire North American rights to George
- ["Death and Other Details" Updates Classic Whodunits](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/breaking/death-and-other-details-updates-classic-whodunnits) - Death and Other Details (Heidi Cole McAdams/Mike Weiss, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars* The Golden Age of Detective Fiction is seeing a resurgence, both in direct adaptations (Kenneth Branagh’s 2022 Death on the Nile) and in homage, carrying all the same tropes and mystery “rules” into the present (Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion, also from 2022).
- [Film Review: “Knives Out” Delivers a Sharp Comic Caper](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-knives-out-delivers-a-sharp-comic-caper) - Knives Out (Rian Johnson, 2019) 3½ out of 4 stars. There are so many winning performances in Rian Johnson’s new film, an uproarious whodunnit, that to name them all and sing the praises of each would take up half the review. Let us start with one, however: Daniel Craig (Spectre). There is no scene the
- [TIFF Review: “Sentimental Value”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-sentimental-value) - Sentimental Value (Joachim Trier, 2025) 4½ out of 5 stars Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier (The Worst Person in the World) won the Grand Prix (or second-place award) at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for his latest, Sentimental Value, which just had its Canadian premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. Starring his frequent muse,
- [“Splitsville” Is Best When Funny](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/splitsville-is-best-when-funny) - Splitsville (Michael Angelo Covino, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars Good friends Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin have co-written, and star, in Covino’s sophomore directorial effort, Splitsville (their first such collaboration was the 2019 The Climb). They play two men caught in a ménage à trois (or ménage à many, from a certain point
- [“The Cut” Isn’t a Total K.O.](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-cut-isnt-a-total-k-o) - The Cut (Sean Ellis, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars Over the long history of boxing films, there has always been one consistent trait: men willing to put themselves through hell for a shot at greatness. Director Sean Ellis’ newest film, The Cut, adds a new spin on the genre, aiming for a Rocky-meets-Whiplash approach.
- [Sundance Review: “Eight for Silver” [now "The Cursed"] Doesn’t Quite Make Cinematic Gold, but Still Offers Some Fine Treasures](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-eight-for-silver-doesnt-quite-make-cinematic-gold-but-still-offers-some-fine-treasures) - Eight for Silver (Sean Ellis, 2021) 2½ out of 4 stars. Writer/director Sean Ellis (Anthropoid) reinvents the werewolf genre in ways both exciting and not in his latest film, Eight for Silver. With a marvelous eye for the grotesquely unusual, he gives us a monster unlike any we have seen before, wrapped up in a
- [Sundance Interview with “Eight for Silver” [now "The Cursed"] Director Sean Ellis](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/sundance-interview-with-eight-for-silver-director-sean-ellis) - Just before this year’s Sundance Film Festival started, I had a chance to remotely interview director Sean Ellis (Anthropoid) about his latest work, the eerie werewolf movie Eight for Silver (which I also reviewed). Though I have some issues with the script, I was deeply impressed by the creature design. That, the casting and the
- [The Films Of Francesco Rosi at BAM](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-films-of-francesco-rosi-at-bam) - One of the last living legends of Italian cinema, 88-year-old Francesco Rosi is one of the few remaining masters of a pinnacle in Italian postwar movie culture. New York audiences will have a chance to reacquaint themselves with this film giant with a 16-film retrospective at BAMCinematek throughout the month of August. Starting out as
- [Puppets Rule At BAM Retrospective Series](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/puppets-rule-at-bam-retrospective-series) - The continued fascination of the public with films featuring puppets will be peaked when Brooklyn’s BAMcinematek presents an extensive program of 54 films (19 features and 35 shorts) over two weekends in November in a series entitled Puppets on Film. It is the most complete survey of live puppetry in cinema ever compiled for both
- [John Turturro’s Neapolitan Passion](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/john-turturro’s-neapolitan-passion) - As Americans (and by extension immigrants, no matter when our ancestors happened to come here), we seem perpetually fascinated by our roots. Perhaps by exploring where one comes from, one can get the sharpest sense of who one is and where one is going. This seems to be the driving spirit behind PASSIONE, the actor/director
- [Music In The Air At Jacob Burns Film Center](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/music-in-the-air-at-jacob-burns-film-center) - As part of its 10th anniversary celebrations, the Jacob Burns Film Center in Westchester County north of New York City is making music…..documentaries that is. Starting last evening, the Center is presenting a summerlong festival of music documentaries under the headline of Sounds Of Summer. Festivities began with the local premiere last night of PHIL
- [Lousy Weather Bringing Damper To Cannes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/lousy-weather-bringing-damper-to-cannes) - What one generally expects at Cannes, and what one certainly hopes for, is the brilliant sunshine and amazing light that is unique to the South of France. However, the weather has not been cooperating as the world’s most luxe festival copies with torrential rain, thunderstorms and howling winds. Umbrellas are a rare sight for celebrities
- [Cannes Producers On The Move](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/cannes-producers-on-the-move-2) - As part of its on-going tradition of the past 13 years, the European Film Promotion (EFP), a pan-European agency that represents European film promotion agencies, has selected 25 emerging young European producers for the Producers on the Move networking initiative, which is being held in Cannes this week. For the first time, this year’s line-up
- [Shia LaBeouf Brings His Short Film To Cannes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/shia-labeouf-brings-his-short-film-to-cannes) - Shia LaBeouf (TRANSFORMERS) will serve double duty in Cannes, when the busy actor presents his short film Howard Cantour.com during International Critics Week, one of the Festival’s notable sidebars. Howard Cantour.com is the story of a film critic played by Jim Gaffigan, revealing LaBeouf’s own quirky critique of film critics. The actor has previously produced
- [Meet The Jury For Cannes Un Certain Regard](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/meet-the-jury-for-cannes-un-certain-regard) - Un Certain Regard, the official sidebar section of the Cannes Film Festival, has finalized its jury. British actor/director Tim Roth is serving as the Jury President, and will be joined by French actress Leïla Bekhti, French director and producer Tonie Marshall, Argentine film critic Luciano Monteagudo, and Sylvie Pras, who serves as both head of
- [Venice FF To Host Parallel Film Market](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/venice-ff-to-host-parallel-film-market-2) - Just what the world of film needs…..another film market. The venerable Venice Film Festival, which recently hired Alberto Barbera as Artistic Director, has announced that it will present an official Film Market during its late August, early September dates. Pascal Diot, a respected producer and international sales agent, has been tapped to head the new
- [A Restored Print Of Cinema’s Great Anti-War Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/a-restored-print-of-cinemas-great-anti-war-film) - The Film Forum in New York is presenting a newly restored version of cinema’s great anti-war film starting today. Jean Renoir's masterpiece GRAND ILLUSION (1937) will be shown in a spectacular new 4K restoration, in honor of its 75th anniversary, for the next two weeks. Set in a POW camp during World War I, the
- [Teen Romcom Picked Up By Sony Worldwide](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/teen-romcom-picked-up-by-sony-worldwide-2) - Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) has acquired all U.S. rights and Canadian ancillary rights to the teen romancer and 2012 Sundance Film Festival crowd pleaser THE FIRST TIME, produced by producers Martin Shafer and Liz Glotzer (FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS). THE FIRST TIME is written and directed by Jonathan Kasdan (IN THE LAND OF WOMEN) and
- [Retrospective Of Nanni Moretti In New York](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/retrospective-of-nanni-moretti-in-new-york-2) - On the eve of the release of his newest film WE HAVE A POPE, a satire on the behind the scenes drama and shenanigans of the Vatican, the IFC Film Center in lower Manhattan is presenting a retrospective of the director Nanni Moretti’s work, entitled La Vita E Cinema: The Films Of Nanni Moretti. The
- [Rooftop Films Kicks Off Summer Open Air Season](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/rooftop-films-kicks-off-summer-open-air-season) - Also kicking off today is Rooftop Cinema’s 16th Annual Summer Series presented by AT&T, featuring over 45 outdoor screenings with live music, spectacular venues and the best in new, independent, and foreign films. This year's edition premieres tonight with some of the greatest new short films from all around the world, to be shown at
- [Toasting Noel Coward At Lincoln Center](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/toasting-noel-coward-at-lincoln-center) - Theater and film bon vivant Noel Coward would have loved his gilt-edged tribute at the Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York this weekend. COWARD ON FILM, which runs May 11 to 13, will run in conjunction with the ongoing citywide festival STAR QUALITY: THE WORLD OF NOËL COWARD, honoring the British playwright, actor,
- [Fundraiser For Haiti Relief At Cannes Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/fundraiser-for-haiti-relief-at-cannes-film-festival) - In a rare move for a film event notorious for not working with others, the Cannes Film Festival will host a gala dinner to benefit humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti. The "Carnival in Cannes" gala dinner on Friday, May 18 will be hosted by Sean Penn, Paul Haggis, Petra Nemcova and Giorgio Armani and funds
- [Oscars At Dolby Theatre](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/oscars-at-dolby-theatre) - Amidst speculation over whether the Academy Awards would move their ceremonies from the Kodak Theater, now that the financially beleaguered company decided due to its own financial pressures to stop payments to the complex and take its logo off the building, news comes out of Los Angeles that the Oscars will remain in the same
- [DocVille Award Winners](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/docville-award-winners) - The 8th edition of the International Documentary Film Festival DOCVILLE in Belgium has come to an end after presenting over 120 screenings and events, industry meetings and numerous Q&A's with directors from Belgium and abroad. The winners of the 2012 edition were announced during at the closing gala awards ceremony. The CANVAS Jury Award for
- [Familiar Faces, New Shingles](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/familiar-faces-new-shingles) - In the ever revolving circle of new and old companies that will be setting up shop at the Cannes Film Festival next week, several Festival veterans will be back on the Croisette, albeit with new shingles. Summit Entertainment co-founder David Garrett, who resigned from the company following its merger with Lionsgate, announced the launch of
- [Marilyn Monroe At Cannes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/marilyn-monroe-at-cannes) - I am not sure if movie starlet Marilyn Monroe ever physically visited the Cannes Film Festival, but her films certainly did, and her old style movie glamour still does permeate the French coastal town that hosts the world’s most prestigious film festival. Well, Marilyn is back in Cannes, with the revelation of the film poster
- [Alamo Drafthouse Cinema To Open Manhattan Location](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/alamo-drafthouse-cinema-to-open-manhattan-location) - Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, a food and cinema indie theater chain that has been a major success in its home base of Austin, Texas has unveiled plans for its first location in New York. The five-screen Manhattan-area theater will be owned and operated by Alamo Drafthouse and located on the Upper West Side, occupying the former
- [Sony Pictures Classics Has Acquired New Haneke Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/sony-pictures-classics-has-acquired-new-haneke-film) - Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all North American rights to the latest film from Oscar nominee Michael Haneke. The Austrian director’s latest film AMOUR stars Jean-Louis Trintignant (Z, THE CONFORMIST), Emmanuelle Riva (HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR), and Isabelle Huppert (THE PIANO TEACHER, 8 WOMEN). In the film, Georges (Trintignant) and Anne (Riva) are in their eighties.
- [Steve Jobs Biopic Heading Into Production](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/steve-jobs-biopic-heading-into-production) - A biopic of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is inching towards production with a rule-breaking Texas businessman getting the project off the ground. Mark Hulme has never produced a movie, lives thousands of miles from Hollywood in Dallas and had no personal connection to the late Apple sage. As the founder of Five Star Institute, a
- [Amos Vogel: Indie Pioneer](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/amos-vogel-indie-pioneer) - Long before indie was a name brand and events like Sundance and Tribeca creates red carpet media mania for the indie superstars, independent film was called underground cinema, and had a delicious if shadowy reputation in a domain then completely dominated by the Hollywood studios. It is worth remembering that those who committed themselves to
- [Palm Beach Film Festival Award Winners](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/palm-beach-film-festival-award-winners) - Celebrating its 17th anniversary and thriving despite local economic malaise, the Palm Beach International Film Festival presented an eclectic program of indie and international films during its 9 day run last month. At the Festival’s closing night bash, award winners in various competition categories were announced. The Award for Best Feature Film went to TIGER
- [Sarasota Film Festival Tips Hat To Prize Winners](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/sarasota-film-festival-tips-hat-to-prize-winners) - The 2012 Sarasota Film Festival (www.sarasotafilmfestival.com) praised the winners of its jury and audience award winners at the historic Sarasota Opera House in downtown Sarasota. ELENA, a sensitive and dramatic Russian film about the tension in a contemporary marriage, took home this year’s Narrative Feature Jury prize. BIG BOYS GONE BANANAS!* by Swedish director Fredrik
- [Tiziana Rocca Takes Over Helm Of Taormina Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/tiziana-rocca-takes-over-helm-of-taormina-film-festival) - Public relations specialist and film festival circuit regular Tiziana Rocca has taken the top job at the Taormina Film Festival just a few months before the 58th edition of the Sicilian event which is held in late June. The Festival, best known for its picturesque location and its use of a 2,700-year-old Greek-era amphitheater for
- [Sundance Standout Receives Inaugural Leggat Prize](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/sundance-standout-receives-inaugural-leggat-prize) - At a ceremony held last week, the San Francisco Film Society honored debut filmmaker Ben Zeitlin, director of the highly imaginative Sundance Film Festival Grand Prize Winner BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD with the inaugural Graham Leggat Award. Leggat, the former executive director of the Film Society who passed away last August, was a pivotal
- [Golden Gate Award Winners](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/golden-gate-award-winners) - The San Francisco International Film Festival (festival.sffs.org), the oldest in North America, has reached the finish line of its nearly two week marathon of film premieres, special events and chic soirees with the announcement of the winners of this year’s Golden Gate Awards. The ceremony was held at the Rasselas Jazz Club and Restaurant in
- [Hot Docs’ Hot Guests](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/hot-docs-hot-guests) - The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (www.hotdocs.ca) continues through May 6 and has been a hotbed of intriguing documentaries and personalities this year. The Festival has welcomed a number of special guests, including rock star Rick Springfield, director Jennifer Lynch, video game creator Phil Fish, war photographer Don McCullin, artist and Pee-wee’s Playhouse puppeteer
- [Miller Film To Close Cannes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/miller-film-to-close-cannes) - The last film of Claude Miller, the veteran French filmmaker who died last month, will have its premiere as the closing night film of this year's Cannes Film Festival. The film, an adaptation of the novel Thérèse Desqueyroux by Francois Mauriac, stars audience favorite Audrey Tautou (AMELIE) in the title role, a woman in 1920's
- [Lindsay Lohan As Liz Taylor?](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/lindsay-lohan-as-liz-taylor) - Tabloid tyro Lindsay Lohan as “queen of the screen” Elizabeth Taylor? Word comes out of the hills of Beverly that Lindsay Lohan has officially signed on to play Elizabeth Taylor in the Lifetime biopic LIZ & DICK. Production on the film, which will focus on Taylor's long-running, on-and-off relationship with Richard Burton, begins production in
- [Zeitgeist Acquires Chinese Boxing Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/zeitgeist-acquires-chinese-boxing-film) - Zeitgeist Films has acquired U. S. rights to CHINA HEAVYWEIGHT, the latest film from Chinese director Yung Chang, whose celebrated film UP THE YANGTZE was also distributed by Zeitgeist. The film is set in southwestern China, where a master coach recruits poor rural teenagers and turns them into Western-style boxing champions. Through hard work and
- [Morricone To Head Jury At Rome Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/morricone-to-head-jury-at-rome-film-festival) - Oscar-winning composer Ennio Morricone has been appointed President of the Jury of the International Rome Film Festival, which will run in the Italian capitol from October 27 to November 4. Morricone, a musician of international renown, has received numerous honors and awards, including an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement and many individual nominations, as well as
- [Rome Film Festival Award Winners](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/rome-film-festival-award-winners) - Prizes were announced this past weekend for the Rome International Film Festival. The International Jury, which included such luminaries as composer Ennio Morricone, director Susanne Bier, producer David Puttnam and actress Debra Winger, selected UN CUENTO CHINO (Chinese Takeaway) by Sebastián Borensztein as the winner of the Marc' Aurelio Jury Award for Best Film. The
- [10 Picks for TIFF 2025](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/10-picks-for-tiff-2025) - The 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (or TIFF) runs September 4-14 and marks this annual event’s 50thanniversary. I will be on the ground for part of the time, as I have been for some years now. With a great variety of films to choose from, it’s difficult to pick what to see. Below, I list
- [French Authorities Drop Charges Against von Trier](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/french-authorities-drop-charges-against-von-trier) - The public prosecutor from the French city of Grasse (just north of Cannes) has officially dropped defamation charges against Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier, following his outspoken comments during the Cannes Film Festival press conference for his film MELANCHOLIA. Grasse’s public prosecutor Jean-Michel Cailleau has said that "the case has been officially closed" and that
- [Zlin Film Festival Award Winners](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/zlin-film-festival-award-winners) - The 51st International Film Festival for Children and Youth Zlin, one of the oldest and most prestigious devoted to films for the youth market, announced its winners on Saturday evening at a gala awards ceremony at ultramodern Congress Centre. A total number of 76 competitive films were judged by seven juries and 15 awards were
- [Raul Ruiz: A Film Era Ends](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/raul-ruiz-a-film-era-ends) - An era of European filmmaking has now passed with the death last week of director Raul Ruiz. Although born in Chile, he spent most of his career working in France and in Europe, bringing together a kind of old world and new world sensibility in more than 100 films, an astonishing number for someone who
- [Burma Biopic To Open Rome Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/burma-biopic-to-open-rome-film-festival) - THE LADY, a biopic of Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi, which had its world premiere last week at the Toronto International Film Festival, will make its European premiere at the sixth edition of the Rome Film Festival, which runs from October 27 to November 4 in the Eternal City. The film is directed by
- [IDA Documentary Awards](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/ida-documentary-awards) - NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT by Patricio Guzman was the top winner at the International Documentary Association Documentary Awards this week. The film, a French/Chile/German co-production, is set in Chile's Atacama Desert, where astronomers peer deep into the cosmos in search for answers concerning the origins of life, while nearby, a group of women sift through
- [German Film Critics’ Awards Announced In Berlin](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/german-film-critics-awards-announced-in-berlin) - The 2012 German Film Critics’ Awards were handed out at a special ceremony in Berlin on Monday night during the Berlin International Film Festival. Germany’s film critics have picked STOPPED ON TRACK by director Andreas Dresen as the German Film Of The Year. The film is a harrowing but humorous look at a man dying
- [European Film Awards](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/european-film-awards) - With awards season in full swing in the US, it is worth noting that the European film community had its big celebration this past weekend with the European Film Awards in Berlin, Germany. Some of the winners are Oscar also-rans, but a few may turn up in this year’s awards season across the pond as
- [European Film Awards Nominations](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/european-film-awards-nominations) - Controversial director Lars von Trier's apocalyptic drama MELANCHOLIA was the big winner with 8 nominations for this year’s European Film Awards, where it will compete for the top prize with Michel Hazanavicius's black-and-white silent film THE ARTIST, the Dardenne Brothers' THE KID WITH A BIKE, Aki Kaurismaki’s LE HAVRE and two past Oscar winners, Susanne
- [A Dashing Villain Honored At European Film Awards](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/a-dashing-villain-honored-at-european-film-awards) - Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen will receive the European Achievement In World Cinema Award at next month’s European Film Awards, in recognition of his unique contribution to European cinema. Beginning his acting career in his native Denmark, he made a strong impression with his debut in director Nicolas Winding Refn’s crime films PUSHER (1996) and PUSHER
- [MELANCHOLIA](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/victoria-alexander/melancholia) - The story is straightforward. My interpretation challenges the notion that it is von Trier’s apocalyptic film. his mother and aunt. With his father, Leo eagerly charts Melancholia’s path. As Melancholia gets closer to Earth, Justine becomes more stable. Now its Claire’s turn. She goes hysterical knowing they only have a few days left. She must
- [The Norwegian Film Invasion Of New York](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/the-norwegian-film-invasion-of-new-york) - The Film Society of Lincoln Center is getting ready for a Norwegian invasion of New York this week. THE FAR SIDE OF PARADISE: New Films From Norway includes a mix of comedies, thrillers, experimental films, cinema classics, and rousing crowd-pleasers that runs through May 4 at the Walter Reade Theater. Kicking things off on Wednesday
- [“Griffin in Summer” Deserves Spotlight](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/griffin-in-summer-deserves-spotlight) - Griffin in Summer (Nicholas Colia, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars It’s summer, and while other kids are off to camp, away on family vacation, or simply relishing their break from school, 14-year-old Griffin Nafly is holed up in his house trying to produce a full-length play. And this isn’t your average high-school production; Griffin
- [“The Toxic Avenger” Offers Absurd Heart](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-toxic-avenger-offers-absurd-heart) - The Toxic Avenger (Macon Blair, 2023) 3½ out of 5 stars Evildoers beware! Legendary Entertainment resurrects a 1980s gem, probably forgotten by most people, The Toxic Avenger. Peter Dinklage (Cyrano) plays Winston Gooze, a downtrodden janitor for an evil corporation led by Kevin Bacon (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F). After a failed attempt to steal
- [Mixed “The Roses” Showcases Stars](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/mixed-the-roses-showcases-stars) - The Roses (Jay Roach, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars The late writer Warren Adler published his novel The War of the Roses in 1981. Danny DeVito directed an adaptation of it in 1989, starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, with a script by Michael Leeson (The Survivors). 36 years later, Jay Roach (Bombshell) delivers
- [“Somnium” Dreams Big and (Mostly) Delivers](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/somnium-dreams-big-and-mostly-delivers) - Somnium (Racheal Cain, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars Racheal Cain’s debut film, Somnium, opens with a fleeting glimpse of a monster, fleshy, bony, and gray. It abruptly cuts to a candy-colored Los Angeles apartment, and the monster fades into the subconscious. We meet Gemma, an aspiring actress from a small town who gets a
- [Vashon Island Review: “Racewalkers”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/vashon-island-review-racewalkers) - Racewalkers (Kevin Claydon/Phil Moniz, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars There’s something so joyful about the Canadian crowd-pleaser Racewalkers, from lifelong friends and filmmaking duo Kevin Claydon and Phil Moniz. It’s both a breath of fresh air and a throwback to the sports comedies of the ’90s that many in my generation grew up quoting and
- [“Descendent” Features Effective Storytelling](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/descendent-features-effective-storytelling) - Descendent (Peter Cilella, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars Sean, played by The Walking Dead’s Ross Marquand, and his wife, Andrea (Sarah Bolger, Things Will Be Different) await the arrival of their first child. As Sean struggles to meet his own standards of being a reliable provider and avoiding the unsolicited advice of family members,
- [“Boys Go to Jupiter” Is Animation Standout](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/boys-go-to-jupiter-is-animation-standout) - Boys Go to Jupiter (Julian Glander, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars The medium of animation has seen an embarrassment of riches in the past few years, with filmmakers exploring new techniques and styles, opening up vast possibilities for audience experiences. Boys Go to Jupiter is no exception. Written and directed by Julian Glander in
- [“My Mother’s Wedding” Is Charming, Bumpy Affair](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/my-mothers-wedding-is-charming-bumpy-affair) - My Mother’s Wedding (Kristin Scott Thomas, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars Kristin Scott Thomas has been acting for four decades; she debuted on the big screen in Prince’s 1986 Under the Cherry Moon. With My Mother’s Wedding—which premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival as “North Star”—she finally steps behind the camera. Though
- [“Weapons” Is One Wild Ride](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/weapons-is-one-wild-ride) - Weapons (Zach Cregger, 2025) 4½ out of 5 stars Zach Cregger is really making a name for himself. The actor recently made a career turn into directing, and it’s panning out beautifully. Barbarian (2022) put Cregger on the map in terms of horror a few years ago; his latest film, Weapons, should likely launch him
- [Film Review: “Non-Fiction” Offers Brilliant Cinematic Fiction](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-non-fiction-offers-brilliant-cinematic-fiction) - Non-Fiction (Olivier Assayas, 2018) 4 out of 4 stars. Though I have not seen the entirety of French director Olivier Assayas’ œuvre, I have watched enough to recognize his recurring obsession with duality and doppelgängers (figurative and real). In the 2000 Les destinées sentimentales, Assays examines the fate of a protestant minister who pursues two
- [“Architecton” Reflects on Architecture](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/architecton-reflects-on-architecture) - Architecton (Victor Kossakovsky, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars From documentarian Victor Kossakovsky (Gunda) comes an elliptical film that unites seemingly disparate sequences via a common theme. Described in its press notes as “an extraordinary journey through the material that makes up our habitat: concrete, and its ancestor, stone,” Architecton features Kossakovsky’s usual array of gorgeous
- [“The Naked Gun” Is a Mostly Fun Farce](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-naked-gun-is-a-mostly-fun-farce) - The Naked Gun (Akiva Schaffer, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars Akiva Schaffer returns to theaters with The Naked Gun, the latest installment in the Police Squad franchise. We follow Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson, In the Land of Saints and Sinners), son of Leslie Nielsen’s character from the original Naked Gun trilogy. Like
- ["She Rides Shotgun" Traumatizes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/she-rides-shotgun-traumatizes) - She Rides Shotgun (Nick Rowland, 2025) 1½ out of 5 stars If you enjoy seeing kids suffer enormous trauma, have I got a film for you. Director Nick Rowland’s She Rides Shotgun—an adaptation of Jordan Harper’s eponymous 2017 novel—takes its 10-year-old protagonist, Polly, and puts her through enormous hell, over and over. If one is
- [“To Kill a Wolf” Kills the Mood](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/to-kill-a-wolf-kills-the-mood) - To Kill a Wolf (Kelsey Taylor, 2024) 2 out of 5 stars Kelsey Taylor, the director of the 2019 short film Alien: Specimen, makes her feature debut with To Kill a Wolf, which pays thematic homage to the classic Little Red Riding Hood story, albeit with a realistic twist. It tells the story of a
- [Woods Hole Review: “Folktales”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/woods-hole-review-folktales) - Folktales (Heidi Ewing/Rachel Grady, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars What I would have given for something like Pasvik Folk High School when I was a kid. Growing up in the rural South, and also being a summer-camp kid, I was pre-disposed to working in and around nature. I’ve been able to build a fire
- [“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” Is Good Summer Fun](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-fantastic-four-first-steps-is-good-summer-fun) - The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Matt Shakman, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars Though Matt Shakman has previously only made one feature film (the 2014 Cut Bank), he has long worked in the television arena, most notably as the director and executive producer of the 2021 Marvel series WandaVision. A former child actor (the late
- [Review: Fantastic Four](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/breaking/review-fantastic-four) - If you have read any of my other reviews you’d know that I'm a comic book fan. I had a huge comic book collection until my mother decided to clean up my room but let's not go into that again. The original Fantastic Four movie that came out in 2005 and Fantastic Four: Rise of
- [“House on Eden” Is Passably Spooky](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/house-on-eden-is-passably-spooky) - House on Eden (Kris Collins, 2025) 2½ out of 5 stars TikTok stars Kris Collins and Celina Myers, along with their longtime editor Jason-Christopher Mayer, pool their internet clout and influence to take a stab at the once-popular horror subgenre: found footage. In House on Eden, directed and written by Collins, we are placed into
- [“AJ Goes to the Dog Park” Is Fun but Nonsensical](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/aj-goes-to-the-dog-park-is-fun-but-nonsensical) - Releasing. It is important to understand that AJ Goes to the Dog Park is not really concerned with its plot. This is an intentionally absurd film that does whatever is funniest in the moment. Additionally, the whole production has a homemade aesthetic with lots of DIY special effects and editing tricks. A standout Looney Tunes-style
- [Fantasia Review: “Noise”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/fantasia-review-noise) - Noise (Kim Soo-jin, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars It pains me to say, as a top-tier horror geek, that I was late to the J-horror movement. Sure, I watched the American remakes, but I was well into my late twenties before I dove into the massive catalogue of J-horror films that were released in
- [Fantasia Review: “Sweetness”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/fantasia-review-sweetness) - Sweetness (Emma Higgins, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars Let me MapQuest this for you (yes, I’m old): • Turn left on Fatal Attraction Boulevard • Go 10-miles and take a right on Resolution Way • Go four-miles and take a slight left on Eighth Grade Street • Go 0.5 miles and you have reached
- [Interview with “Shari & Lamb Chop” Director Lisa D’Apolito](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-shari-lamb-chop-director-lisa-dapolito) - In her latest documentary, Shari & Lamb Chop (which I reviewed out of DOC NYC 2023), director Lisa D’Apolito—whose previous documentary, Love, Gilda, is about the late actress and comedian Gilda Radner—explores the life of Shari Lewis, famous for her various television stints that began in the 1950s and ran until close her to death
- [Films to See at Fantasia 2025](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/films-to-see-at-fantasia-2025) - • https://twitter.com/FantasiaFest • https://www.facebook.com/FantasiaFilmFestival
- [Film Review: "Unfinished Business"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/review-unfinished-business) - Ten years ago, Vince Vaughn peaked as a comedic actor with “Wedding Crashers,” subsequent to several other memorable roles in “Swingers,” “Old School,” and “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.” Then he made “Fred Claus,” “Four Christmases,” “Couples Retreat,” “The Watch,” “The Dilemma,” “The Internship,” and “Delivery Man.” Did I miss any other stinkers? Oh well,
- [James Franco Thesis Film To Premiere In New York](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/james-franco-thesis-film-to-premiere-in-new-york) - As many people already know, the busy actor James Franco is a kind of renaissance man…..starring in feature films, writing essays and novels and even going to graduate school full time. His thesis film from New York University will have its theatrical release beginning April 27, 2012 at the IFC Center in New York City.
- [BAM Spotlights Cult Horror Director](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/bam-spotlights-cult-horror-director) - He may not be as well known as his contemporaries Wes Craven, George Romero or John Carpenter, but horror mavens know that one of the most distinctive auteurs in the genre was writer/director Dan O’Bannon. This often-overlooked horror honcho will be given the full shock treatment with Shock Value: Dan O’Bannon, which runs at the
- [“Superman” Only Occasionally Soars](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/superman-only-occasionally-soars) - Superman (James Gunn, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars The new Superman begins with a bang. Or, rather, a bolt from the sky. Actually, it starts with onscreen words, in an unnecessary bit of exposition that offers nothing that wouldn’t be understood from subsequent context (plus some additional language about “metahumans”). It’s an inauspicious intro
- [EXPERIENCE CINEQUEST 21-MEMORABLE FILMS](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/experience-cinequest-21-memorable-films) - Edie Falco, Jenna Fischer, Edward James Olmos, Uma Thurman, Dennis Quaid, Gerard Depardieu, Catherine Deneuve Star In Spotlight Films SAN JOSE, CA - Cinequest Film Festival 21, March 1 - 13 unveils 173 memorable films in state-of-the-art and palatial venues to audiences expected to near 100,000. Memorable films captivate the mind and imagination while delivering
- [Experience Cinequest 21 - Spectacular People](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/experience-cinequest-21-spectacular-people) - EXPERIENCE CINEQUEST 21-SPECTACULAR PEOPLE Edward James Olmos, Jon Chu, James Russo and Jaime Murray added to lineup of Stars attending CinequestSAN JOSE, CA - The stars will roll into Cinequest Film Festival, always a bastion for the discovery of new and emerging talent and innovations, at the palatial California Theatre for their premieres. Previous Maverick
- [Experience Cinequest 21 -- Amazing Innovations](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/festivals/experience-cinequest-21-amazing-innovations) - EXPERIENCE CINEQUEST 21-AMAZING INNOVATIONS SAN JOSE, CA - The art of cinema has always relied on technology to take vision to screens and audiences. Holding a unique position of bringing the worlds of the Silicon Valley and motion pictures together, Cinequest has consistently showcased and championed innovations that empower creativity first. Previous Cinequest firsts: First
- [SUNDANCE INSTITUTE LAUNCHES NEW PROGRAM](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/sundance-institute-launches-new-program) - SUNDANCE INSTITUTE LAUNCHES NEW PROGRAM TO CONNECT ARTISTS WITH AUDIENCES *Three-Year Plan with Kickstarter as Creative Funding Collaborator* *Facebook® to Provide Guidance to Institute Alumni* PARK CITY, UT --Sundance Institute today announced a new program to connect its artists with audiences by offering access to top-tier creative funding and marketing backed by the Institute’s promotional
- [Ford Foundation Launches $50 Million Fund for Next Generation of Documentary Filmmakers](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/ford-foundation-launches-50-million-fund-for-next-generation-of-documentary-filmmakers) - Building on Legacy of Leadership, JustFilms Will Focus on Stories with Social Purpose — A Major New Source of Funds for Documentaries Around the World — Partnerships with Sundance Institute and other Leading Organizations Will Expand Reach NEW YORK, 19 January 2011 – One day before the start of the Sundance Film Festival, a program
- [Help Save Indie Film! IFP & the U.N.'s ENVISION, IFP & Power to the Pixel's CROSS-MEDIA FORUM](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/help-save-indie-film-ifp-the-u-n-s-envision-ifp-power-to-the-pixels-cross-media-forum) - IFP and Power to the Pixel’s first annual Cross-Media ForumNYC is the place to connect to the leading thinkers, practitioners and innovators who develop new business and creative opportunities for film, media, and new technologies. With projects traversing many platforms to further engage their audiences – in all the venues they consume media – IFP
- [IFP and United Nations Present Doc Conference](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/ifp-and-united-nations-present-doc-conference) - The Independent Feature Project (IFP), one of the largest filmmaker membership organizations in the United States, is joining forces with the United Nations Department of Public Information to present a one-day conference on the effect of documentaries as a tool to understanding world problems. The second annual "Envision: Addressing Global Issues through Documentaries" forum will
- [Rock Doc Opens Toronto Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/rock-doc-opens-toronto-film-festival) - Music was in the air and on the red carpet last evening as the 36th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) kicked off in high style with FROM THE SKY DOWN, a music documentary about the legendary Irish rock band U2. Directed by Davis Guggenheim, an Oscar winner for the education expose WAITING
- [Those We Lost In 2011](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/those-we-lost-in-2011) - It is a customary ritual at this time of the year to reflect on the persons and personalities who left us in the past year, remembering their careers, both brief and lengthy, and honors their accomplishments as we mark the passage from the old year to the new. There are a few true legends on
- [Oak Cliff Review: “No Sleep Till”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/oak-cliff-review-no-sleep-till) - [New Film Festival Today writer Billy Ray Brewton continues his coverage of the 2025 Oak Cliff Festival.] No Sleep Till (Alexandra Simpson, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars Over the past several years, writer/director/producer Tyler Taormina has essentially been creating a new kind of cinema, sprung from the legacy of mumblecore, but far more interested
- [Oak Cliff Review: “Videoheaven”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/oak-cliff-review-videoheaven) - [New Film Festival Today writer Billy Ray Brewton continues his coverage of the 2025 Oak Cliff Festival.] Videoheaven (Alex Ross Perry, 2025) 2 out of 5 stars I am nostalgia in human form. It’s basically my entire brand. If you are pop culture from the 1980s or ‘90s, the likelihood is high that I have
- [Oak Cliff Review: "The Spirit of Halloweentown”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/oak-cliff-review-the-spirit-of-halloweentown) - [Billy Ray Brewton, no stranger to film criticism and filmmaking, joins Film Festival Today for coverage of the 2025 Oak Cliff Film Festival.] Now in its fourteenth year, Dallas’s Oak Cliff Film Festival has continued to expand its reputation as one of the most eclectic, filmmaker-forward festivals on the circuit. Consistently ranked as one of the best
- [“The Old Guard 2” Feels Old, Indeed](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-old-guard-2-feels-old-indeed) - The Old Guard 2 (Victoria Mahoney, 2025) 1½ out of 5 stars Director Gina Prince-Bythewood’s 2020 adaptation of Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez’s graphic-novel series, The Old Guard, was, in the main, well-written, well-shot, and an all-around good time, featuring adrenaline-fueled action and blood-soaked violence. Charlize Theron (Long Shot) led an appealing cast through their
- [Chris Reed's Top Five Narrative Fiction Films from TIFF 2018](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/chris-reeds-top-five-narrative-fiction-films-from-tiff-2018) - Following my piece on my favorite documentaries at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), here are my Top 5 favorite fiction features, in alphabetical order, again with brief capsule reviews of each, most of which are adaptations of longer reviews I wrote for Hammer to Nail. Christopher Llewellyn Reed's Top 5 Narrative Features: 3
- [Film Review: “The Old Guard” Mostly Delivers on Its Promising Premise](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-old-guard-mostly-delivers-on-its-promising-premise) - The Old Guard (Gina Prince-Bythewood, 2020) 3 out of 4 stars. Based on the eponymous graphic novel by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez, The Old Guard bursts on the screen in a paroxysm of blood-letting that rarely lets up, its profile of a band of mercenaries splattered with the entrails of those who stand in
- [Film Review: “Coming 2 America” Has Jokes, but Not Enough Laughter](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-coming-2-america-has-jokes-but-not-enough-laughter) - Coming 2 America (Craig Brewer, 2021) 2 out of 4 stars. Coming to America was released in 1988 and it can boggle the mind to process just how young its star, Eddie Murphy, still was at that time. Born in 1961, he rose to meteoric fame in the early 1980s thanks to the combination of
- [Empty “F1: The Movie” Still Dazzles](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/empty-f1-the-movie-still-dazzles) - F1: The Movie (Joseph Kosinski, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars Let me preface this review by saying that the racing scenes in F1: The Movie are fantastic. As a longtime fan of director Joseph Kosinski’s work, I am happy to say that he nails the thrill of rushing down a track at 200 MPH.
- [“M3GAN 2.0” Takes a Different Path](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/m3gan-2-0-takes-a-different-path) - M3GAN 2.0 (Gerard Johnstone, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars In a world where seemingly every movie gets a sequel these days, I still couldn’t believe 2022’s M3GAN was getting a sequel when I first heard about it. I enjoyed M3GAN, a unique fusion of humor and horror (you can read my full thoughts on
- [Czech series @ Walter Reade Theater](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured-specialty/czech-series-walter-reade-theater) - 16 Films Many Special Guests October 23-29 The Film Society of Lincoln Center and Laura Blum, in collaboration with the Czech Film Center and Czech Center New York, will present a series to mark the 20th anniversary of Czech freedom, "The Ironic Curtain: Czech Cinema since the Velvet Revolution," from Friday, October 23 through Thursday,
- [Woody Targets Copenhagen](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/woody-targets-copenhagen) - Woody Allen could be looking to continue his tour of great European capitals, a critically acclaimed and financially successful late phase in his astonishing film career. The Oscar-winning director, who just won an award last month for his original screenplay for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (the biggest box office of his career), is reportedly eyeing Copenhagen
- [ROME INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL – AWARDS 2011](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/rome-international-film-festival-awards-2011) - RIFF AWARDS 2011 TEN YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE From March 18 to 25 at the Nuovo Cinema Aquila in Rome The 10th Rome Independent Film Festival Italy’s new generation directors: Dominedò, Rocchetti, Zampino, Albanesi. In the Jury: Fariborz Kamkari RIFF AWARDS 2011- March 18-25, 2011 at the Nuovo Cinema Aquila - this year celebrates a decade
- [Ron Howard Joins Burns Film Center Board](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/ron-howard-joins-burns-film-center-board) - Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard (A BEAUTIFUL MIND) has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC), the non-profit film and education institution in Westchester County north of New York City. Howard is a local resident who has been involved with the Center since its beginnings a decade ago.
- [Warren Beatty Returns With Howard Hughes Biopic](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/warren-beatty-returns-with-howard-hughes-biopic) - Oscar winning director Warren Beatty (REDS) will be making his first film in almost 10 years with the as-yet-unnamed biopic about the reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. The film, which was recently dropped by Paramount Pictures and moves to New Regency, has Beatt, starring in, producing and directing the film. New Regency is partly owned by
- [Bryce Dallas Howard’s Sundance Short Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/bryce-dallas-howards-sundance-short-film) - This has been a banner year for actress Bryce Dallas Howard. Not only did she win acclaim for her portrayal of a Southern snob in the Oscar-bound THE HELP, but she has directed her first short film, which made its international bow at last week’s Sundance Film Festival. WHEN YOU FIND ME is directed Ms.
- [Brad Pitt’s Newest Film Is Not Anti-Capitalist](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/brad-pitts-newest-film-is-not-anti-capitalist) - Brad Pitt, certainly the biggest star so far to grace the soggy Cannes red carpet, has denied that his newest film, the gangster saga KILLING THEM SOFTLY is a chronicle of the failures of capitalism and an attack on America and the failed promise of Barack Obama's presidency. At a press conference immediately following the
- [Interview with “Union” Co-Director Stephen Maing](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-union-co-director-stephen-maing) - In the new documentary Union, directors Stephen Maing (Crime + Punishment) and Brett Story (The Hottest August) collaborate on an in-depth portrait of workers at an Amazon warehouse on New York’s Staten Island attempting to unionize in 2021 and 2022. With impressive access and sharp filmmaking skills, the two create a nonfiction thriller with high
- [Stephen King Fantasy Film Off Track (For Now)](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/stephen-king-fantasy-film-off-track-for-now) - Novelist Stephen King is in the news again this week with the surprise announcement that Universal Pictures has passed on the big screen adaptation of his popular novel series THE DARK TOWER, which was to be produced and directed by Oscar winner Ron Howard. The studio chose not to get involved in the possible franchise,
- [Tribeca FF Documentaries](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/tribeca-ff-documentaries) - A strong contingent of international documentaries is making their premieres at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival, which begins next week in New York. The 12 films of this year’s World Documentary Competition cover a wide range of topics, aesthetics and filmmaking styles, drawing from both American and international sources. This year’s lineup of American documentaries
- [Tribeca Review: “A Tree Fell in the Woods”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tribeca-review-a-tree-fell-in-the-woods) - A Tree Fell in the Woods (Nora Kirkpatrick, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars There’s a lot of fraught and frantic activity in A Tree Fell in the Woods, writer/director Nora Kirkpatrick’s feature debut. Some of it proves comically effective, while other parts come across as merely hyperactive. When the magic works and the ensemble
- [“28 Years Later” Memorializes the Dead](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/28-years-later-memorializes-the-dead) - 28 Years Later (Danny Boyle, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars If one is looking purely for a gorefest, director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland’s follow-up to their seminal 2002 zombie flick 28 Days Later may disappoint. Though filled with some nightmarish images and ideas, it limits the blood flow, unlike its predecessor. Instead,
- [Film Fresh: Inside Job, Next Three Days, 127 Hours, Fish Tank](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/film-fresh-inside-job-next-three-days-127-hours-fish-tank) - This just in... Best Documentary from this year's Academy Awards: Charles Ferguson's INSIDE JOB, which tells the tale of the financial meltdown from a populist perspective, pointing out the (rich) guilty parties. On the other side, accusations abound in THE NEXT THREE DAYS, Paul Haggis' film about an innocent woman charged with murder. Starring Russell
- [Tribeca Buys Keanu Reeves Digital Doc](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/tribeca-buys-keanu-reeves-digital-doc) - Tribeca Film has announced that it has acquired North American rights to SIDE BY SIDE, a provocative documentary journey through the technical and aesthetic implications of the transition from traditional film to digital technology. The film is produced and presented by actor Keanu Reeves and was directed by Chris Kenneally. The actor serves an illuminating
- [Acting Masters From Different Generations](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/acting-masters-from-different-generations) - Up until now, there has not been a logical link between the Scottish actor Ewan McGregor and the veteran Canadian actor Christopher Plummer. Both have had strong acting careers in a mix of big-budget and smaller indie projects and both have been generally praised for their contributions in even mediocre films. However, these two actors,
- [Tribeca Review: “Widow Champion”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tribeca-review-widow-champion) - Widow Champion (Zippy Kimundu, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars Throughout human history and across cultures, the institution of marriage has almost always been a means by which property is carefully controlled (usually by men). Amongst royals and the nobility, such title transfers might involve vast estates, territories, or even entire countries. In poorer communities,
- [Tribeca Review: “Oh, Hi!”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tribeca-review-oh-hi) - Oh, Hi! (Sophie Brooks, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars At the start of Sophie Brooks’ sophomore feature, a young woman, Iris (Molly Gordon, Theater Camp), frantically greets a friend, Max (Geraldine Viswanathan, Thunderbolts, who has come to the door late at night, apparently in answer to a summons for help. So when we then
- [A Peek At Portuguese Cinema At New York Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/a-peek-at-portuguese-cinema-at-new-york-film-festival) - Portugese cinema has had a bit of a low profile of late (overshadowed by its Iberian neighbor Spain) but this year's New York Film Festival has a surprising number of new films from Portugal that are among the highlights of this year's film gathering. Reaching one's 100th birthday is an accomplishment for anyone anywhere, but
- [Pulp Cinema: Raymond Chandler On Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/pulp-cinema-raymond-chandler-on-film) - The New York Film Festival, which is in full swing following a busy weekend of films and premieres, will be presenting a number of special presentations in the days ahead. One of the more intriguing takes place this Wednesday evening. Chandleresque: Raymond Chandler on Film and Television is an illustrated lecture by Film London CEO
- [Romania Still On A Roll At NYFF](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/romania-still-on-a-roll-at-nyff) - The global film industry is a road map of national cinemas that are viewed in ascendancy or in decline, sometimes both. In the past few years, there has been a good amount of attention paid to the emerging auteurs from Romania. Corneliu Porumboiu has been of the "Romanian new wave" stars, with his debut feature
- [Getting the Money – It’s All in How You Ask: A Plan for Writing Business Plans](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/getting-the-money-its-all-in-how-you-ask-a-plan-for-writing-business-plans) - Jeremy Juuso’s Getting the Money is a step-by-step instruction booklet to writing a film business plan. The book reads largely like an instruction manual, but in a sense that is exactly what it is. Juuso puts things into perspective while at the same time encouraging the reader. It is a competitive world out there and
- [The French Invade New York](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-french-invade-new-york) - With French film master Alain Resnais kicking off the 47th edition of the New York Film Festival last evening with his Cannes Film Festival winner WILD GRASS, this year's event is another example of the New York audience love affair with French cinema. With French filmmakers and actors in town for the Festival, the premiere
- [Macao, China International Digital Cinema Festival & Entertainment Technology Expo Makes Bow in December](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/macao-china-international-digital-cinema-festival-a-entertainment-technology-expo-makes-bow-in-december) - Createasphere, Burma Road & Randall Dark Productions Announce First Ever Film Fest & Tech Expo in Macao, China September 24, 2009 (Burbank, CA) On December 3-5, 2009 in China’s glamorous Macao, filmmakers, broadcasters, experts and technology companies will gather for the country’s first ever content creator-entertainment technology centered event. China has recently begun to broadcast in high
- [A Film Master Walks Among Us](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/a-film-master-walks-among-us) - There are not too many film masters whose works have influenced the length and the breadth of the "seventh art" who are still walking among us. However, today in New York, a true living legend not only is in our midst, but is presenting his latest film, which opens the prestigious New York Film Festival
- [Bad Boy Author Tucker Max Serves Up Sex And Cinema](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/tucker-max-will-be-drinking-beer-in-hell) - Web phenomenon, book author and now film producer Tucker Max became an accidental Bad Boy through a combination of drink, smoke, willing women, too much testosterone and the internet. Nonetheless, bad boy he became rather than a corporate lawyer. In his callow youth, he swaggered his way through a law education(at Duke) and reflected a
- [REDucation Returns to LA Center Studios Dates Announced for the Only RED Approved, Fully Immersive, Hands-on Education and Training](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/reducation-returns-to-la-center-studios-dates-announced-for-the-only-red-approved-fully-immersive-hands-on-education-and-training) - September 8, 2009 (Burbank, CA) - Premiering to a powerful and positive response in July, the second presentation of REDucation is set for October 12-18, 2009 at LA Center Studios in downtown Los Angeles. REDucation is the first and only RED sponsored, immersive production and postproduction training that focuses on the RED camera. REDucation presents
- [BULLETPROOF SALESMAN Acquired by First Run Features](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/bulletproof-salesman-acquired-by-first-run-features) - Theatrical Release Planned for Early 2010 First Run Features announced today that it has acquired Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein's feature documentary BULLETPROOF SALESMAN, about war profiteer Fidelis Cloer. An early 2010 theatrical release is planned, with home video and broadcast releases to follow. Fidelis Cloer is a self-confessed war profiteer. In a career spanning
- [Jim Carroll , R.I.P.(1950-2009)](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/jim-carroll-rip1950-2009) - I was saddened by the sudden and unexpected death of poet, punk musician (“People Who Died”) and author , Jim Carroll, at the premature age of 59, of a massive heart attack. He was best known for his autobiographical “The Basketball Diaries” which was made into the 1995 film of the same name, starring Leonardo
- [Book Shelf: After Effects Illusionist](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/book-shelf-after-effects-illusionist) - Review of AFTER EFFECTS ILLUSIONIST by Chad Perkins (Focal Press, 2009) After Effects Illusionist has the feel of a friendly, helpful guide through the potentially confusing myriad of effects included in the software package. Chad Perkins' approach is professional and complete, but it is also very personal; he manages to walk a fine line between general discussion and detailed, step-by-step instruction. It is written
- [Keeping the Independent Flame - 30 Years of First Run Features](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/keeping-the-independent-flame-30-years-of-first-run-features) - Keeping the Independent Flame: The Film Society of Lincoln Center Honors 30 YEARS OF FIRST RUN FEATURES 19 Films Celebrating the Trailblazing Indie Film Distributor August 26-September 4 The Film Society of Lincoln Center is celebrating the 30th anniversary of distributor First Run Features and its long-time President, Seymour Wishman, with the series Keeping the Independent Flame:
- [Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program Announces New Grants](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/sundance-institute-documentary-film-program-announces-new-grants) - Record Number of Proposals Received for Spring Deadline Los Angeles, CA – Today, the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program announced documentary film projects to receive grant awards and creative support from the Sundance Documentary Fund. A record number of proposal submissions were received and considered for this round, totaling close to 900 applicants working
- [Manhatan Edit Workshop and Evan Schechtman Present Retool Bootcamp at HD Expo](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/manhatan-edit-workshop-and-evan-schechtman-present-retool-bootcamp-at-hd-expo) - Createasphere Popular Session Offers Critical Knowledge for Content Creators August 4, 2009 (New York, NY) Manhattan Edit Workshop and Evan Schechtman will present Retool Bootcamp: From Broadcast to Broadband during the upcoming HD EXPO - Createasphere event slated for September 17th at the New Yorker Hotel. Retool Bootcamp is an intensive three-hour seminar that demystifies key areas of the digital media pipeline and fills in knowledge gaps along the way. With
- [Capitalism: A Love Story](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/capitalism-a-love-story) - American filmmaker Michael Moore marks the 20th anniversary of his debut film "Roger and Me," which won the Toronto Film Festival's People's Choice award back in 1989, with a new documentary: "Capitalism, a love story." Back then, Moore targeted General Motors. In his latest project, he takes aim at "the whole system." "It's a crime story," Michael Moore
- [Dominick Dunne R.I.P. (1925-2009)](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/dominick-dunne-rip-1925-2009) - Though his contributions to cinema fell second to his journalistic accomplishments, Dominick Dunne acted as producer on three significant films from the 70s: adaptations of his sister-in-law Joan Didion's novels Panic in Needle Park and Play It As It Lays, as well as William Friedkin's The Boys in the Band. His daughter Dominique was the
- [36th Telluride Film Festival and The Library Of America Announce A Special 2009 Festival Program "The Celebration Of Manny Farber"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/36th-telluride-film-festival-and-the-library-of-america-announce-a-special-2009-festival-program-qthe-celebration-of-manny-farberq) - Events to include a bookstore signing of “FARBER ON FILM The Complete Film Writings of Manny Farber” with editor Robert Polito and Patricia Patterson Audience conversation with panel guests Jean-Pierre Gorin, Kent Jones, Greil Marcus, Patricia Patterson, Robert Polito, David Thomson and Robert Walsh Specially programmed film event with surprise guests in attendance Telluride Film
- [Open Society Institute Awards $5 Million to Support Sundance Institute and Documentary Films](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/open-society-institute-awards-5-million-to-support-sundance-institute-and-documentary-films) - NEW YORK – The Sundance Institute will receive a $5 million grant for its Documentary Film Program to help raise awareness on human rights, the Open Society Institute announced today. "Films can play a powerful role in inspiring action on human rights, justice, accountability, and other open society issues,” said Aryeh Neier, president of
- [International Cinema Highlights Main Competition At Era New Horizons International Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/international-cinema-highlights-main-competition-at-era-new-horizons-international-film-festival) - Thursday, July 16-----The heart of the 9th edition of the ERA NEW HORIZONS International Film Festival, which begins its 11-day marathon of film premieres, special events and music concerts on July 23, is the NEW HORIZONS International Competition. This year’s program includes a selection of 14 premieres of a truly international roster of filmmakers,
- [REDucation Premieres July 20th at LA CENTER STUDIOS](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/reducation-premieres-july-20th-at-la-center-studios) - Quality, In-Depth Education Leads First Ever RED Sanctioned Training July 16, 2009 (Burbank, CA) REDucation, the first RED sanctioned, immersive production and post production training focusing on the RED camera, takes place later this month at LA Center Studios in downtown Los Angeles. REDucation LA debuts the first of four REDucation events slated for 2009.
- [Exploring Wroclaw, Poland](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/exploring-wroclaw-poland) - To the untrained ear, Wroclaw, Poland, the site of the ERA NEW HORIZONS International Film Festival which begins next week, is generally mispronounced as "ro-claw". I've been learning to offer the correct pronunciation, which is more like "rotz-vav". The former German city known as Breslau has been on-again and off-again part of the Polish empire
- [The Swedish Invasion of Poland](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-swedish-invasion-of-poland) - First, a little history……..In the 17th century, Sweden waged a series of invasions against Poland which included a five year occupation known in Polish as Potop Szwedzki, "the Swedish Deluge”. The Poles successfully drove back the Swedish invaders in 1656 and celebrate with a holiday to commemorate their victory. Well, the Swedish are back,
- [New Swedish Cinema At The ERA New Horizons International Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/new-swedish-cinema-at-the-era-new-horizons-international-film-festival) - The ERA New Horizons International Film Festival, taking place this week in Wroclaw, Poland is shining the spotlight on contemporary Swedish cinema in the program Kino Szwecji: Cinema of Sweden, which is introducing Polish audiences to a new generation of film talents. “Darling” is a survey of the empty consumerist lives of a group of young women in contemporary
- [Manhattan Edit Workshop Announces David Salter for Artist in Residence Summer 2009](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/manhattan-edit-workshop-announces-david-salter-for-artist-in-residence-summer-2009) - July 23, 2009 (New York, NY) — David Salter, editor of “Finding Nemo,” “Standard Operating Procedure,” “Toy Story 2” and contributing editor for a number of features including “A Bugs Life,“ brings his varied experience and wisdom to Manhattan Edit Workshop’s Artist In Residence Program this summer. Film editor and USC Film School alumni Salter got his start assisting on the iconic TV series, “NYPD Blue,” moving on to features via
- [Screaming in Silence: Guy Maddin](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/screaming-in-silence-guy-maddin) - The Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin is the subject of a Festival Retrospective at the 9th edition of the ERA New Horizons International Film Festival in Wroclaw, Poland this week. His magnum opus BRAIN UPON THE BRAIN was presented last evening at the Wroclaw Opera House, with a chamber orchestra, foley sound artists, individual vocalists and a narrator. The
- [Northern Lights: New Canadian Cinema](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/northern-lights-new-canadian-cinema) - Wroclaw, Poland------Canada’s reputation often is overwhelmed by the sheer size and influence of its neighbor to the south. While Canadians may seem interchangeable with Americans to outsiders, it is very far from the truth. The differences are particularly clear in the Canadian film industry, where active governmental subsidy systems have nurtured the careers of such
- [Book Shelf: The Hollywood Standard, 2nd Edition](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/book-shelf-the-hollywood-standard-2nd-edition) - The Hollywood Standard, 2nd Edition - The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Script Format and StyleBy Christopher RileyMichael Wiese ProductionsStudio City, California2009 If you are a screenwriter, from neophyte to expert, who has ever had a question about how to format a screenplay or television script then this is the book you need by
- [Manhattan Edit Workshop Set to Deliver Final Cut Pro Training](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/manhattan-edit-workshop-set-to-deliver-final-cut-pro-training) - FCP 7 Certification set for HD EXPO – Createasphere August 13, 2009 (New York, NY) Manhattan Edit Workshop (MEWShop), a full service Apple, Avid and Adobe Authorized Training Center specializing in the art and technique of editing, will provide FCP 7 Certification during September’s HD EXPO – Createasphere. The FCP Certification Workshop, a specially priced 2-day workshop and
- [2009 SILVERDOCS Award Winners](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/2009-silverdocs-award-winners) - Coming to a climax after a week full of screening premieres, information sessions, special events and networking parties, the 2009 SILVERDOCS Documentary Film Festival, co-presented by the American Film Institute and The Discovery Channel, announces its award winners on Sunday, spreading the wealth amongst a diverse group of documentary titles. This year, the Festival screened
- [EditFestNY Makes Its Dynamic Premiere In Manhattan](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/editfestny-makes-its-dynamic-premiere-in-manhattan) - June 22, 2009 (Los Angeles, CA & New York, NY) EditFest NY, the east coast version of American Cinema Editor’s successful EditFest series, launched last weekend at The Director’s Guild Theater in Manhattan. Kicking off at the DGA on June12 & 13th, the event was followed by Certification Sunday at Manhattan Edit Workshop on Sunday.
- [Visionfest 09 Announces Award Winners](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/visionfest-09-announces-award-winners) - Mira Sorvino and Barry Pepper lead DANDELION's big win at VISIONFEST 09's Awards Ceremony; Paul Osborne crowned with Domani Vision Film Society 'Filmmaker of the Year' Award for his OFFICIAL REJECTION Adam Mason's BLOOD RIVER landed wins for Andrew Howard's performance and Stuart Brereton's cinematography - two of the film festival's "special awards." Directing honors
- [Israel Film Festival Wraps With Great Success](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/israel-film-festival-wraps-with-great-success) - 24th ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL WRAPS WITH HIGHEST ATTENDANCE RATE AND GROSSES IN A DECADE Eight Israeli Film School Students Were Presented Production Scholarships The Israel Film Festival, the largest showcase of Israeli films in the United States, concluded its Los Angeles two week run with a new 19,000+ attendance record for the decade and box
- [Iranian-born Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo Speaks Loudly and Passionately About The Stoning of Soraya M.](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/iranian-born-actress-shohreh-aghdashloo-speaks-loudly-and-passionately-about-the-stoning-of-soraya-m) - Rarely has a film's release dovetailed with an earth-shattering event so that, by its very existence, it CAN contribute to radically altering world affairs. The Stoning of Soraya M. is such a film--especially since it highlights the plight of the women of Iran. It tells the tale of Soraya Marnò, who refuses to divorce her
- [Karl Malden, R.I.P.](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/karl-malden-rip) - The legendary actor, Karl Malden, passed on today at age 97. Not a bad run for the Academy-Award winning American actor. In a career that spanned over seven decades, he was featured in classic Marlon Brando films such as A Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront and One-Eyed Jacks. Among other notable film roles
- [Spotlight On Andrei Tarkovsky](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/spotlight-on-andrei-tarkovsky) - There are few filmmakers more controversial or more "difficult" for mainstream audiences to appreciate than the Russian existential master Andrei Tarkovsky. His films are indeed an acquired taste, but for those willing to take the complex cinematic journeys, there are many rewards to be had. A Tarkovsky fan is indeed a Tarkovsky fanatic, and the
- [The Anti-Blockbuster: European Films On American Screens](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/the-anti-blockbuster-european-films-on-american-screens) - Summer is the traditional time at movie multiplexes for blockbuster films from the Hollywood studios that tend to focus more on explosions and special effects than effective storylines. While there is no denying the box office clout of such films as TRANSFORMERS, TERMINATOR SALVATION and WOLVERINE, there are some less deafening art films that are also being released
- [Sundance Institute Expands Support For Indie Film Producers With Creative Producing Initiative](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/sundance-institute-expands-support-for-indie-film-producers-with-creative-producing-initiative) - New Documentary Creative Producing Lab Added; Feature and Documentary Film Fellows Announced LOS ANGELES, CA – Sundance Institute announced today the expansion of its Creative Producing Initiative designed to nurture emerging independent producers in both narrative and documentary fields. For 2009-2010, the Initiative will include the re-conceived Creative Producing Summit (formerly the Independent Producers
- [Sundance Institute Announces Six Fellows for the 2009 Sundance Institute Composers Lab](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/sundance-institute-announces-six-fellows-for-the-2009-sundance-institute-composers-lab) - Fellows Span the Musical Spectrum with Unique Backgrounds in Jazz, Funk, Big Band, and Classical Creative Advisors Include Three-Time Academy Award Winner Walter Murch and Golden Globe Winner Harry Gregson-Williams Los Angeles, CA -- Today, Sundance Institute announced the six musicians selected for the 2009 Sundance Institute Composers Lab, which runs from July 15
- [International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival - October 15-18, 2009](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/international-horror-a-sci-fi-film-festival-october-15-18-2009) - Arizona’s Premier Genre Film Festival wants you! From the producers of the Phoenix Film Festival, the International Horror & Sci Fi Film Festival is now accepting Horror & Sci Fi Feature and Short submissions, as well as Screenplays and Student Shorts! The International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival is Arizona's largest genre Film Festival featuring competition
- [Star Alums Come Out To Support Gen Art](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/star-alums-come-out-to-support-gen-art) - ADRIAN GRENIER, ZAC POSEN, NICK CANNON, ADRIEN BRODY, GEORGINA CHAPMAN, WILLIAM H. MACY, JOHN LEGUIZAMO, REBECCA TAYLOR & ALAN CUMMING TO CHAIR I ♥ Gen Art: 15th Anniversary Benefit Event Aims to Raise $250,000 to Help Save Gen Art (NEW YORK, NY – June 24, 2009) On Wednesday, June 24, 2009, stars such as Zac
- [Florida Film Festival Opens with U.S. Premier of Management](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/florida-film-festival-opens-with-us-premier-of-management) - The Florida Film Festival became an adult this year. It celebrated its eighteenth year in the community, and the opening night party set the tone. Guests were treated to fare from several Orlando area restaurants, prudently selected wines and conversation about the recently screened premier of Jennifer Aniston’s new “indy” film, Management. On March
- [Sundance Film Festival Reaches Record Economic Impact](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/sundance-film-festival-reaches-record-economic-impact) - SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL REACHES RECORD ECONOMIC IMPACT OF $92.1 MILLION 10-DAY EVENT BOOSTS UTAH ECONOMY; SUPPORTS 1,968 JOBS; GENERATES NEARLY $4 MILLION IN STATE TAX REVENUE; ATTRACTS WORLDWIDE MEDIA EXPOSURE IN EXCESS OF $18 MILLION Report Shows Festival Consistent, Significant Generator of Economic Activity Park City, UT – The 2009 Sundance Film Festival generated an
- [Cinevegas Announces Winners for 11th Annual Festival (2009)](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/cinevegas-announces-winners-for-11th-annual-festival-2009) - Easier with Practice Receives Grand Jury Prize Godspeed and Etienne! Receive Special Jury Awards All In: The Poker Movie Awarded Documentary Jury Award Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo Wins Special Documentary Jury Award The Revenant receives Dramatic Audience Award and Documentary Audience Award awarded to Winnebago Man Las Vegas, NV (June 15, 2009) – The
- [The Challenge of Human Rights](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-challenge-of-human-rights-2) - These challenging times call for courage, determination and a selflessness that was woefully out of fashion in the Me-Me-Me Decade that preceded the worldwide economic collapse. That there is potential for the global community to learn from its mistakes is always a hopeful sign (although let us remember that the Great Depression was followed almost
- [European Views at New York Gay Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/european-views-at-new-york-gay-film-festival) - New York audiences interested in a uniquely gay European point of view have several films to sample at the NewFest, New York's key gay and lesbian film festival event. The Festival obviously values this European perspective, having chosen a UK film as its Opening Night attraction. MR. RIGHT, written and directed by Jacqui Morris, was
- [David Carradine R.I.P. (1936-2009)](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/david-carradine-rip-1936-2009) - To quote the great film critic of New York Magazine, David Edelstein, seems like the appropriate thing to do as we celebrate the life of the late David Carradine “When we talk about an actor being hip, it’s often subjective: He or she embodies what we’re not but on some level long to be. To
- [Newsworthy Titles from First Run Features](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/newsworthy-titles-from-first-run-features) - AMERICA BETRAYED The U.S. government will soon wrap up its defense against a landmark lawsuit, accusing its Army Corps of Engineers of failing to build an adequate infrastructure to protect the residents of New Orleans from catastrophic flooding. As more than 50 lawyers from 20 law firms around the country represent the plaintiffs in
- [Top Notch Talent To Visit Berlinale Talent Campus](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/top-notch-talent-to-visit-berlinale-talent-campus) - The Berlinale Talent Campus, which will take place from February 11 to 16, is a kind of mini film school intensive for 350 lucky young filmmakers who will be paired with industry mentors and participate in a series of networking sessions, training workshops and panel discussions. Some high profile directing and acting talents will participate,
- [Final Savoring Of Silverdocs, Part 2](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/final-savoring-of-silverdocs-part-2) - OTHER FILMS SCREENED “Beauty is Embarrassing” (*** - 89 minutes) Director Neil Berkely creates a lively profile of artist Wayne White who received his big break creating visual work on the set of 1980's "Peewee's Playhouse", and is currently successful with word paintings where he humorously places words across existing landscape paintings. The artist has perform in multiple artistic
- [Final Savoring Of Silverdocs](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/final-savoring-of-silverdocs) - It is hard to believe that ten years have passed since "My Architect" (Nathaniel Kahn's brilliant, touching film about his journey to learn about his absent biological father, noted architect Louis Kahn) walked away with the grand prize at this phenomenal film fest. The doc went on to be nominated for an Academy Award in
- [Fiercely Independent Woodstock Film Festival In Full Flower (Power)](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/fiercely-independent-woodstock-film-festival-in-full-flower-power) - The 12th edition of the Woodstock Film Festival, an event that takes seriously its reputation for being “fiercely independent” is in full flower (power) this weekend in the center of Woodstock, New York and neighboring towns through Sunday, September 25. For this year’s edition, the Festival is presenting nearly 150 films, along with a series
- [2011 NY Peace Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/2011-ny-peace-film-festival) - NY Peace Film Festival Features Peace Efforts in 10 Countries New York, NY - The Fourth Annual New York Peace Film Festival (NYPFF) starts with a kickoff party Friday, March 11 at 7pm at All Souls Unitarian Church, 1157 Lexington Avenue (at 80th Street), followed by two days of screenings at the same location. The
- [Tribeca Review: “Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tribeca-review-dear-ms-a-revolution-in-print) - Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print (Cecilia Aldarondo/Alice Gu/Salima Koroma, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars The groundbreaking, feminist Ms. magazine (groundbreaking because it was feminist), founded in 1971, changed the media landscape by bringing women’s concerns directly into the mainstream (where they should always have been). Though the publication faced some initial misogynist pushback,
- [Interview with "Prime Minister” Directors Lindsay Utz and Michelle Walshe](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-prime-minister-directors-lindsay-utz-and-michelle-walshe) - In Prime Minister (which I reviewed at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival), directors Lindsay Utz and Michelle Walshe craft an engaging portrait of former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Using a wealth of archival material—much of it captured by Utz (and her husband) and Ardern’s partner (now husband), Clark Gayford, over the years—Utz and
- [This “How to Train Your Dragon” Has No Reason to Exist](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/this-how-to-train-your-dragon-has-no-reason-to-exist) - How to Train Your Dragon (Dean DeBlois, 2025) 1 out of 5 stars Though I have not read the source text (nor its sequels/prequels/companion volumes) by Cressida Cowell, I thoroughly enjoyed the animated How to Train Your Dragon film series. It was a trilogy (with associated made-for-TV supporting shows) featuring some of the most gorgeous
- ["Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore" Interview with Director and Star](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/marlee-matlin-not-alone-anymore-interview-with-director-and-star) - Director Shoshannah Stern makes her feature debut with a moving, intimate portrait of Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin in the aptly titled Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore (which I reviewed out of this year’s Sundance Film Festival). The film is right now playing at the Tribeca Festival, and I was fortunate to be able to chat
- [“House of Abraham” Intrigues and Disturbs](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/house-of-abraham-intrigues-and-disturbs) - House of Abraham (Lisa Belcher, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars I’d like to start off this review by giving a trigger warning, as the film mentioned here involves one of the most difficult and touchy subjects out there in the world today: suicide.* It’s something we hear about in the news but hope doesn’t
- [Tribeca Review: “Boy George & Culture Club”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tribeca-review-boy-george-culture-club) - Boy George & Culture Club (Alison Ellwood, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars In Boy George & Culture Club, director Alison Ellwood (The Go-Go’s) brings us back in time to the 1980s, when George O’Dowd (aka, “Boy George”) and his Culture Club bandmates Mikey Craig (bass), Roy Hay (guitar and keyboards), and Jon Moss (drums
- [LINCOLN](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/lincoln) - Long, cheesy political monologues and crucifies the Lincoln legacy. What a torture! Director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner turn the hallowed figure of Abraham Lincoln into a dreary sop. The list of well-established actors who show up in cameos must have quickly sized up Daniel Day-Lewis’s portrayal as Lincoln. The only thing they could
- [“Bleeding” Attempts a New Vampire Story](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/bleeding-attempts-a-new-vampire-story) - Bleeding (Andrew Bell, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars Director Andrew Bell’s Bleeding launches us into a world where blood creates vampires as synthetic drug beings, not too differently from how smoking marijuana or snorting cocaine makes you high. The story follows Eric and Sean, one who is addicted, the other who watched his older
- [Noomi Rapace is "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/noomi-rapace-is-the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo) - When I saw the many copies of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo being read on my every subway ride, I knew there was something epochal about it. Eventually, I picked up one and started reading but I put it down and didn't finished. Thankfully, the Swedish movie version came out last weekend and I heartily recommend
- [“The Phoenician Scheme” Is a Hot Mess](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-phoenician-scheme-is-a-hot-mess) - The Phoenician Scheme (Wes Anderson, 2025) 1 out of 5 stars The films of auteurist director Wes Anderson are hit or miss for me. Aesthetically, he traffics in a distinctive style that sometimes serves the story and other times merely his whimsy. When both impulses unite, the result can be delightful and deeply meaningful, as
- [“Ballerina” Sticks the Landing](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/ballerina-sticks-the-landing) - Ballerina (Len Wiseman, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars After her scene-stealing turn as rookie agent Paloma in No Time to Die, Ana de Armas returns to the action genre with Ballerina, the first theatrical spinoff of the John Wick franchise. Set in between John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Chapter 4, the story
- [“The Ritual” Is Repetitive and Routine](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-ritual-is-repetitive-and-routine) - The Ritual (David Midell, 2025) 1½ out of 5 stars An exorcism is a fascinating practice that many films and stories revolve around. Yet it seems that ever since the original Exorcist film, most other possession movies fail. There are plenty of reasons why, but it is a shame that such an inherently intriguing concept
- [Israel Film Festival Announces Full Slate, June 3 - 18 in Los Angeles](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/israel-film-festival-announces-full-slate-june-3-18-in-los-angeles) - 24th ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL IN LOS ANGELES ANNOUNCES DOCUMENTARY AND TV DRAMA SLATE June 3 – 18, 2009 Winners of IFF Student Scholarships Announced Today; Eight Award Winning Student Films Will Premiere Docs/TV Dramas Include Four World Premieres, Four US Premieres and Five West Coast Premieres Films Will Screen at Fine Arts ( Beverly Hills)
- [Interview with Mustang Journey of Transformation Director Will Parrinello](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-mustang-journey-of-transformation-director-will-parrinello) - An Interview with the Director and Writer of “Mustang Journey of transformation” Will Parrinello. The interview was held a the Tribeca Film Festival 2009. An Interview with the Director and Writer of “Mustang Journey of transformation” Will Parrinello. The interview was held a the Tribeca Film Festival 2009.
- [Interview with Yodok Director Andrzej Fidyk and Producer Torstein Grude](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-yodok-director-andrzej-fidyk-and-producer-torstein-grude) - An Interview with “Yodok” Director Andrzej Fidyk and Producer Torstein Grude. The interview was held at the Tribeca Film Festival 2009. An Interview with the Producer of “Yodok” Torstein Grude. The interview was held at the Tribeca Film Festival 2009.
- [Interview with Libby Spears, Director of Playground The Child Sex Trade in America](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-libby-spears-director-of-playground-the-child-sex-trade-in-america) - An Interview with the Director of “Playground the child sex trade in America”. The interview was held at the Tribeca Film Festival 2009. An Interview with the Director of “Playground the child sex trade in America”. The interview was held at the Tribeca Film Festival 2009.
- [U.Va. Names Jody Kielbasa to Head Virginia Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/uva-names-jody-kielbasa-to-head-virginia-film-festival) - May 26, 2009 - Veteran film festival director, filmmaker and actor Jody Kielbasa has joined the University of Virginia's College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences as the new director of the Virginia Film Festival. He took up the post on May 11, succeeding Richard Herskowitz, who stepped down in November after 15 years
- [Oscar-winning Actress Geena Davis Reappears and Makes Accidents Happen](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/oscar-winning-actress-geena-davis-reappears-and-makes-accidents-happen) - Every film festival yields an unexpected treat and this year's Tribeca Film Festival is no exception. With the premiere of Accidents Happen, the 51 year old actor Geena Davis steps into the spotlight again, this time by doing a quirky little indie--the feature directorial debut of composer and short filmmaker Andrew Lancaster--shot in Australia but
- [Festival De Cannes: 2009 Awards](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/festival-de-cannes-2009-awards) - Winners at Cannes #62: Full list of winners: Palme d’Or: “The White Ribbon” (Das Weisse Band), directed by Michael Haneke Grand Prix (runner-up): “A Prophet” (Un Prophete), directed by Jacques Audiard Prix Exceptional du Jury (Special Jury Prize): Alain Resnais, director of “Wild Grass” Prix de la Mise en Scene (best director): Brillante Mendoza, director
- [Full Sail University Announces Show Production Bachelor of Science Degree](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/full-sail-university-announces-show-production-bachelor-of-science-degree) - WINTER PARK, FL, May 20, 2009 – Full Sail University (www.fullsail.edu), an award-winning entertainment media institution near Orlando, FL, is proud to announce the expansion of their Show Production Associate’s Program into a redesigned Show Production Bachelor of Science Degree Program in July 2009. The new 21-month Show Production Bachelor’s Degree offers students the real
- [American Cinema Editors EDIT FEST NY - June 12 and 13, 2009](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/american-cinema-editors-edit-fest-ny-june-12-and-13-2009) - Oscar Winners, Experts and Icons Set for EditFest NY Launch American Cinema Editors, Manhattan Edit Workshop Premiere Weekend-Long Event May 19, 2009 (New York, NY) On the weekend of June 12 & 13, EditFest NY makes its east coast debut at the Directors Guild of America, 110 W. 57 Street, New York. EditFest, presented by
- [The Ultimate Filmmaker Competition](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-ultimate-filmmaker-competition) - The Slamdance Feature Screenplay Competition is currently accepting submissions! Final Deadline: June 15, 2009. WIN THE ULTIMATE FILMMAKING PRIZE! - Your Feature Film Produced and Distributed with this dynamic, all-inclusive filmmaking competition that will launch and/or establish your life as a filmmaker. The winning entrant will receive a minimum $200,000 cash grant along with resources
- [Sundance Institute Names 2009 Native Filmmaking Fellows](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/sundance-institute-names-2009-native-filmmaking-fellows) - FOUR NATIVE FILMMAKERS TO RECEIVE FORD FOUNDATION FILM FELLOWSHIPS: ATTEND SUNDANCE LAB ON HOMELANDS OF MESCALERO APACHE TRIBE, RECEIVE YEAR-ROUND SUPPORT AND MENTORING Allison Anders, Sterlin Harjo, Kasi Lemmons, and Merata Mita to Serve as Advisors Los Angeles, CA – Sundance Institute today announced the four Fellows and projects selected for the 2009 Sundance Institute
- [Documenta Madrid 2009 Award Winners](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/documenta-madrid-2009-award-winners) - "Los que se Quedan", wins the First Prize of the Jury for Original Full-length Film • The First Prize of the Jury for Best Original Documentary Short Film has been awarded to the film La Chirola, the Cuban-Bolivian co-production by Diego Antonio Mondaca. • En Enero, Quizás by Diogo Costa Amarante has received the First
- [Book Shelf: Directing the Documentary, Fifth Edition](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/book-shelf-directing-the-documentary-fifth-edition) - Directing the Documentary, Fifth Edition By Michael Rabinger Focal Press/Elsevier Boston 2009 If you are seeking the conceptual knowledge and the technical know-how of making documentary films then look no further than this Fifth Edition of “Directing the Documentary” by Michael Rabinger. Rabinger, who now holds the prestigious title of Professor Emeritus, was once a
- [Book Shelf: You Can Act](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/book-shelf-you-can-act) - You Can Act By D.W. Brown Michael Wiese Productions Studio City, CA 91604 2009 D.W. Brown is a master acting teacher who teaches in one of the finest acting schools in L.A. He has now written a most accessible and definitive acting handbook that provides you with much of the same experience you would get
- [Interview with REPORTER Director Eric Daniel Metzgar](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-director-eric-daniel-metzgar) - A video interview with the director of REPORTER Eric Daniel Metzgar. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. A video interview with the director of REPORTER Eric Daniel Metzgar. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
- [International Festival of Films on Art - 27th Edition](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/festival-international-du-film-sur-lart-fifa) - THE WORLD'S BIGGEST ART FILM FESTIVAL - MONTREAL The world's biggest art film festival has just ended in Montreal. The 27th edition of FIFA (Festival International du Film sur l’Art--FIFA, at www.artififa.com), attracts over 270 films from 35 countries, in an eclectic range of categories. Founder-director of FIFA, the indefatigable René Rozon, and his team
- [Interview with AFGHAN STAR Director Havana Marking](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-director-havana-marking) - A video interview with the director of AFGHAN STAR Havana Marking. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. A video interview with the director of AFGHAN STAR Havana Marking. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
- [Interview with QUEST FOR HONOR Director Mary Ann Bruni](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-director-mary-ann-bruni) - A video interview with the director of QUEST FOR HONOR Mary Ann Bruni. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. A video interview with the director of QUEST FOR HONOR Mary Ann Bruni. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
- [Interview with TIBET IN SONG Writer/Director Ngawang Choephel](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-writer-ngawang-choephel) - A video interview with the writer of TIBET IN SONG Ngawang Choephel. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. A video interview with the writer of TIBET IN SONG Ngawang Choephel. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
- [Interview with I KNEW IT WAS YOU Producer Stacey Reiss and Director Richard Shepard](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-producer-stacey-reiss) - A video interview with the producer of I KNEW IT WAS YOU Stacey Reiss and director Richard Shepard. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. A video interview with the producer of I KNEW IT WAS YOU Stacey Reiss and director Richard Shepard. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance
- [Interview with THE END OF THE LINE Director Rupert Murray](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-director-rupert-murray) - A video interview with the director of THE END OF THE LINE Rupert Murray. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. A video interview with the director of THE END OF THE LINE Rupert Murray. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
- [Interview with THE RECKONING Director Pamela Yates and Producer Paco de Onís](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-director-pamela-yates) - A video interview with the director of THE RECKONING Pamela Yates and Producer Paco de Onís. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. A video interview with the director of THE RECKONING Pamela Yates and producer Paco de Onís. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
- [Viva French Cinema](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/viva-french-cinema) - New Yorkers have the opportunity to fall madly in love with French cinema (again) as the 17th edition of the annual Rendez-Vous with French Cinema festival will take place for 10 days starting March 1. Hosted by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and Unifrance Films, the event will showcase more than 24 French films,
- [Can Movies Make a Difference?](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/can-movies-make-a-difference) - In 1994, Quentin Taratino wrote a fictional story about Mickey & Mallory Knox, a honeymoon couple who, as a perverse aphrodisiac, randomly shot and killed over 50 people. Oliver Stone directed the film and the week it opened, a real young couple in the Midwest went on a rampage killing 4-5 strangers. When apprehended by
- [World-Class Artists Donate Works to 2011 Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards Program Sponsored By Chanel](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/world-class-artists-donate-works-to-2011-tribeca-film-festival-artists-awards-program-sponsored-by-chanel) - WORLD-CLASS ARTISTS DONATE WORKS TO 2011 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL ARTISTS AWARDS PROGRAM SPONSORED BY CHANEL Roster Includes Robert De Niro Sr., Inka Essenhigh, Stephen Hannock, Mark Innerst, Tom Otterness, Will Ryman, Clifford Ross, Taryn Simon and Nate Lowman Art to be Exhibited Before Being Presented to Winning Filmmakers at 10th TFF New York, NY –
- [The Summer Of Mark Duplass](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-summer-of-mark-duplass) - Summer 2012 is turning out to be the summer of indie hyphenate (actor/writer/co-director) Mark Duplass. The highly prolific Duplass has had a new film coming out almost every week since May. The actor, who usually works as a filmmaking duo with his brother Jay on such breakthrough movies as THE PUFFY CHAIR and JEFF WHO
- [Interview With Mark Duplass](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-mark-duplass) - The brothers Jay and Mark Duplass are independent filmmakers who are breaking out of micro-budget filmmaking into the mainstream. They have been associated with a branch of DIY (Do It Yourself) filmmaking named “mumblecore” by a sound recordist. The roots of "mumblecore" are often attributed to filmmakers such as John Cassavetes, Richard Linklater, and Andrew
- [Learn the Importance of a Newsletter for Your Business - And How to Create One!](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/learn-the-importance-of-a-newsletter-for-your-business-and-how-to-create-one) - Why You Need a Newsletter: Why You Need a Newsletter Generating traffic to your website is like generating revenue and it should be the first priority to building a successful online business. Without traffic, you won't have customers. Without customers, you won't earn revenue. Unfortunately a new visitor may not purchase on their first visit.
- [Jonathan’s Demme’s Neil Young Connection](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/jonathan’s-demme’s-neil-young-connection) - NEIL YOUNG’S JOURNEY, a concert film by Jonathan Demme that has its world premiere this week at the Toronto International Film Festival, is the fourth collaboration between the veteran singer/songwriter and the Oscar winning film director. The long-time friends have joined forces for three concert films, including the earlier NEIL YOUNG: HEART OF GOLD and
- [Honoring Shirley MacLaine](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/honoring-shirley-maclaine) - One of Hollywood’s great survivors, actress Shirley MacLaine, has been selected to receive the American Film Institute’s 40th Life Achievement Award, the AFI’s highest honor for a career in film. MacLaine, a dynamic 77, will receive her award at a gala tribute on June 7. TV Land will broadcast the tribute sometime later that month.
- [The Boss Will Keynote SXSW Music Conference](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/the-boss-will-keynote-sxsw-music-conference) - Bruce Springsteen, the Boss, will be the keynote speaker for the South By Southwest Music and Media Conference and Festival, the music component of the multi-media event that begins with its film program later this week. Springsteen will speak to the throngs on Thursday, March 15 at the Austin Convention Center, the hub of SXSW
- [The Meteoric Rise Of Michael Fassbender](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-meteoric-rise-of-michael-fassbender) - To call an actor’s rise meteoric is a bit of a cliché, but such is not the case when it comes to actor Michael Fassbender. In three short years, with this year especially, he has emerged as Hollywood’s hot new thing, with major performances in both big budget spectacles and edgy independent films that make
- [Tribute To French Film Queen](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/tribute-to-french-film-queen) - The stars and star-struck admirers came out on Monday evening as the Film Society of Lincoln Center bestowed its annual Chaplin Award tribute to iconic French actress Catherine Deneuve. Oscar winning actress Susan Sarandon served as Honorary Chair for this year’s Gala, which raises money for the year round film society, and presenters included such
- [Celebrity Presenters At Academy Awards](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/celebrity-presenters-at-academy-awards) - Look for celebrities not only among the winners at Sunday night’s Oscar telecast….the presenters are pretty starry themselves. The top four acting winners from last year will all be present, including Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo. Others gracing the stage of the Kodak Theater as presenters include (in alphabetical order) Halle
- [Tom Hanks Film To Close Singapore Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/tom-hanks-film-to-close-singapore-film-festival) - The board of the inaugural ScreenSingapore Festival, which will have its inaugural session next month, announced at the Cannes Film Festival that its Closing Night Gala will be LARRY CROWNE, the latest directorial effort from Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks. The actor stars opposite Julia Roberts in a topical tale of corporate downsizing. Hanks stars as
- [Tom Hanks: The Nice Guy Workaholic](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/tom-hanks-the-nice-guy-workaholic) - Tom Hanks hardly needs any more publicity from me. The prolific actor/director/writer/producer is one of Hollywood’s heavyweights while still, amazingly, retaining an image of being one of the nicest and easiest people to work with in Tinseltown. He has made a career of playing amiable, non-threatening types on screen, but don’t be fooled…..he is not
- [Mira Nair’s Shining Moment](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/mira-nairs-shining-moment) - It is no small thing for a filmmaker to have their film open a prestigious international showcase like the Venice Film Festival. And that is exactly what is happening later this week in the canal city for Mira Nair and her new film THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST. It is not the first Ms. Nair has a
- [This Year’s Shooting Stars Lighting Berlin Skies](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/this-years-shooting-stars-lighting-berlin-skies) - Shooting Stars, the promotion initiative by pan-European promotion body European Film Promotion, focuses on a new generation of European actors who are on the cusp of international recognition. The 15th edition of the initiative is in full gear at the Berlin International Film Festival, where a select group of ten of Europe's most talented young
- [Tribeca Film Festival Jury Members](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/tribeca-film-festival-jury-members) - A cross-section of filmmakers, actors and industry types will sit on the various competition juries for the Tribeca Film Festival, which opens on Wednesday evening. The 38 filmmakers, screenwriters, actors, journalists and media peers include David O. Russell, David Gordon Green, Dianne Wiest, Souleymane Cissé, Whoopi Goldberg, Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Rainn Wilson, Anna Kendrick,
- [Tribeca Alumnus Wins Heineken Audience Prize](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/tribeca-alumnus-wins-heineken-audience-prize) - The documentary GIVE UP TOMORROW by Michael Collins, which was initially supported by the Tribeca Film Institute’s Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund, has won the Heineken Audience Award at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Collins takes home a $25,000 cash prize for the film, which details the story of culinary student Paco Larrañaga, who was falsely
- [A Documentary Deluge](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/a-documentary-deluge) - For reasons that are both clear yet still mysterious, a deluge of documentaries is currently awash on film screens. Not that I am complaining. The increased prominence and box office clout of documentaries is something to celebrate. Relegated for too many years to the small screen, a number of pioneering documentaries over the past decade
- [Vera Farmiga Drama Finds International Distribution](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/vera-farmiga-drama-finds-international-distribution) - One of the most significant deals announced at this week’s European Film Market in Berlin is the one that Sony Pictures Classics has signed for a multi-territory deal with The Exchange, a new sales outfit headed by Brain O’Shea, for HIGHER GROUND, the directorial debut of actress Vera Farmiga (UP IN THE AIR). Under the
- [Turn Your 15 Pages into Over $15,000 in Prizes Plus Unparalleled Access!!](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/turn-your-15-pages-into-over-15000-in-prizes-plus-unparalleled-access) - Break out your scriptwriting software and get to work, because the Industry Insider Screenwriting Contest gives you the unique opportunity to spin this idea into solid spec screenplay that could be your ticket to Hollywood success. The Industry Insider Screenwriting Contest is an International competition that facilitates relationships between new writers and Industry leaders looking
- [Terrence Malick: The Reclusive Auteur](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/terrence-malick-the-reclusive-auteur) - Director Terrence Malick is one of cinema’s mysteries, a reclusive auteur who has made only five films in a career that stretches back nearly 40 years. He is known as a perfectionist who has little patience for Hollywood’s glitz and glamour and the bottom line concerns of industryites. In many ways, he has patterned his
- [Oliver Stone’s All-Star Pot Thriller](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/oliver-stone’s-all-star-pot-thriller) - Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone begins shooting next month on SAVAGES, a New York Times best-seller on California pot growers. Novelist Don Wislow has adapted the screenplay of his novel which focuses on a couple of Laguna, California-based pot growers who are muscled by a Mexican drug cartel that kidnaps a young woman who's their best
- [Oscar Outcry](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/oscar-outcry) - The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, which monitors the rules for submission for the Oscars, has ruled to exclude movies made in Puerto Rico from competing in the category of Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. Declaring that since Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and therefore part of the U.S., making it ineligible.
- [Hot Pre-Sales Market Predicted For Cannes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/hot-pre-sales-market-predicted-for-cannes) - Even with hundreds of completed films available to be screened at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival and its parallel Cannes Film Market, the biggest headlines come from the pre-sales activity on films yet to be produced. This year, with an improved international economy, the pre-sales market is expected to be especially active. Foreign sales companies
- [Alliance Films Unveils First Look Deal With Rhombus Media & Premieres "Hobo With A Shotgun" In Sundance](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/alliance-films-unveils-first-look-deal-with-rhombus-media-premieres-hobo-with-a-shotgun-in-sundance) - Alliance pre-emptively acquires Sundance titles including The Son of No One, The Troll Hunter, The Guard and Flypaper MONTREAL-- Alliance Films, one of the top five international independent filmed entertainment companies in the world which also encompasses Momentum Pictures (UK) and Aurum Productions (Spain) have inked a first look deal with producer Niv Fichman’s (The
- [Oscilloscope Nabs Rights To Sundance Sleeper](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/oscilloscope-nabs-rights-to-sundance-sleeper) - Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired North American rights to Todd Louiso’s HELLO I MUST BE GOING, the comedy that had its world premiere in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at Sundance Film Festival 2012. HELLO I MUST BE GOING stars acclaimed actress Melanie Lynskey (WIN WIN, UP IN THE AIR, 2 AND A HALF MEN) in her
- [Four Late Entry Films Added To Sundance Slate](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/four-late-entry-films-added-to-sundance-slate) - It is not unusual for late entry films to be added to the Sundance slate. This is no reflection of their quality, with such indie gems as Miranda July’s THE FUTURE and Lisa Cholodenko’s THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT also added after the initial announcements were made. This year, four films have just made the bus.
- [PR Veteran Swartz Setting Up Her Own Shingle](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/pr-veteran-swartz-setting-up-her-own-shingle) - Cynthia Swartz, a veteran Oscar strategist who worked with The Weinsteins on many of their most successful titles and who since 2005 has been a partner at pr powerhouse agency 42West is finalizing a deal to leave the company and set up her own public relations company. The announcement comes just days before the start
- [Netflix UK Deal](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/netflix-uk-deal) - Netflix’s U.K. and Ireland offerings expanded further as the online video streaming giant sealed a deal with Miramax to bring titles such as PULP FICTION, CHICAGO, THE ENGLISH PATIENT and other Oscar winners to the two countries. There is still no hard launch date for the Netflix service to be offered in those countries, but
- [Liddell Entertainment To Distribute](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/liddell-entertainment-to-distribute) - Liddell Entertainment is launching LD Distribution, a new indie distribution company, bringing in industry veteran David Dinerstein as president. Dinerstein has long been involved with specialty distribution, having served as co-founder and former president of Paramount Classics, senior VP of marketing at Fox Searchlight and head of marketing at Miramax Films. Most recently he was
- [Janet Pierson: The Indie’s Indie](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/janet-pierson-the-indies-indie) - You don’t get much more indie than Janet Pierson, the current head honcho of the film division of the South By Southwest Film and Media Conference. Pierson has been partnered with her husband John Pierson, an indie pioneer, since 1986. The latter Pierson gained a reputation as one of the indie industry’s most provocative producers
- [Meet The New Kings Of Hollywood](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/meet-the-new-kings-of-hollywood) - When your movie defies the odds and sweeps the major categories at the Oscars (as in Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Screenplay), there is no question that as a producer you see your stock rise. For the trio of producers of THE KING'S SPEECH, a decidedly indie film with a budget of
- [Green Day Musical To Become A Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/green-day-musical-to-become-a-film) - The Broadway musical AMERICAN IDIOT is in its final weeks on New York's "great white way" before it begins an international tour. The theatrical show, based on punk rock group Green Day's 2004 album, is in the works to become a big screen musical. Dustin Lance Black, the young screenwriter who won an Oscar for
- [Abel Ferrara: The Last Rebel](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/abel-ferrara-the-last-rebel) - It is a well known trick of the trade that American artists are sometimes more appreciated outside of their home country than in it. The past two centuries are littered with the names of famous American painters, musicians, dancers and filmmakers who had to travel the pond to Europe in order to receive recognition (and
- [Gen Art Film Festival Is Back](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/gen-art-film-festival-is-back) - It’s been a rough year for Gen Art, the multi-disciplinary arts organization that has hosted premieres from the worlds of film, fashion and music. Over a year ago following its traditional April dates in New York for the Gen Art Film Festival, news came from the parent organization that they were closing their doors. The
- [Steve James’ Top Ten](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/steve-james’-top-ten) - Following in the tradition of previous guest programmers Werner Herzog, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Ulrich Seidl and Pirjo Honkasalo, this year’s IDFA: International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam has selected award-winning American documentarian Steve James to program his own personal Top Ten documentary series of films that have influenced him personally and professionally. James, who broke through in
- [Cinema Eye Winks At Steve James’ Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/cinema-eye-winks-at-steve-james-film) - At the 5th Annual Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens on Wednesday night, the top winner of the evening was THE INTERRUPTERS, director Steve James’ portrait of violence mediators in Chicago. The film took the two top awards of the evening, winning both Outstanding Achievement
- [Catherine Deneuve: French Film Goddess](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/catherine-deneuve-french-film-goddess) - The name itself evokes the legend. Catherine Deneuve is, by all definitions, a French film goddess. For over 50 years, she has reigned supreme as an iconic beauty, a cinema legend and a model of a particular French style of aging gracefully. Over the years, when I have seen her in person at film festivals
- [The Newest French Heartthrob](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-newest-french-heartthrob) - Say bienvenue to the latest heartthrob from France……actor Jean Dujardin does not utter a single word of dialogue in the contemporary silent film THE ARTIST, but he is already inspiring fan clubs around the world, as well as serious buzz about Golden Globe and Oscar nominations later this year. Following his win as Best Actor
- [Heading For Oscar Gold](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/heading-for-oscar-gold) - One of the more controversial sections of the Academy Awards has always been the Best Documentary Film race. The rules surrounding what films are eligible and what films are not, the stringent imperatives that now demand that films in consideration both open theatrically and receive reviews in either the New York Times or the Los
- [Is This Award Winning Film French Or American Indie?](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/is-this-award-winning-film-french-or-american-indie) - Chalk one up to the ferocious ambition and consummate skill of awards impresario Harvey Weinstein. THE ARTIST, a film that all the world knows to be French, was the surprise winner at the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, an event organized to celebrate and promote American independent cinema. The film was considered eligible in
- [MPAA Rating Being Challenged On Bullying Doc](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/mpaa-rating-being-challenged-on-bullying-doc) - The Weinstein Company, riding high with its Oscar wins for THE ARTIST and THE IRON LADY, has got a battle on its hands for its upcoming release of the documentary film BULLY. The film, directed by Lee Hirsch, just received an R-rating from the notoriously conservative MPAA ratings board, which will effectively limit its audience
- [GLAAD Gets Involved in Ratings Controversy](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/glaad-gets-involved-in-ratings-controversy) - As The Weinstein Company continues its plan of attack to force a change in the R rating given to the documentary BULLY which opens in the next few weeks, a gay rights organization is adding some fuel to the fire. GLAAD, the nation's lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, has announced
- [Ridley Scott: Back To The Future](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/ridley-scott-back-to-the-future) - Ninety million dollars in two weeks……not bad for a 75 year old filmmaker who continues to astonish with his technical prowess. Ridley Scott’s futuristic sci-fi horror film PROMETHEUS saw an impressive $50 million take at the U.S. box office this past weekend, on top of the $40 million it has made overseas. The film, Scott’s
- [George Clooney To Produce Pulitzer Prize Winner](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/george-clooney-to-produce-pulitzer-prize-winner) - George Clooney and Smoke House Pictures partner Grant Heslov will produce the film adaptation of AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, the Pulitzer Prize winning play by Tracy Letts. The dark comedy, which chronicles the women of the Weston Family, made its Broadway debut in 2007 and went on to win a Tony Award for Best Play. Meryl
- [IFC Films and Sony Pictures Worldwide Take NA Rights to SALVATION BOULEVARD](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/ifc-films-and-sony-pictures-worldwide-take-na-rights-to-salvation-boulevard) - IFC FILMS AND SONY PICTURES WORLDWIDE ACQUISITIONS JOIN TO TAKE NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS TO GEORGE RATLIFF’S SALVATION BOULEVARD Park City, UT – IFC Films and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) announced today from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival that the companies are partnering to acquire North American rights to George Ratliff’s SALVATION BOULEVARD, which premiered
- [DocuWeeks In NY and LA](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/docuweeks-in-ny-and-la) - The 2012 edition of DocuWeeks, sponsored by the International Documentary Association, will present seventeen feature films and eleven short films in both New York and Los Angeles, giving the films a qualifying run for Oscar and other awards consideration, and the public to catch some of the best documentary films of the years. Screening from
- [Oscar-nominated Actress Natalie Portman Launches Into The Making of Film Web Portal Makingof.com](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/oscar-nominated-actress-natalie-portman-launches-into-the-making-of-film-web-portal-makingofcom) - Oscar-nominated actress Natalie Portman joined her business partner and film developer/new media entrepreneur Christine Aylward to discuss the launch of their new website, www.makingof.com, at a special event in the Filmmaker's Lounge during the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival. As they explained, the site is meant to be a gathering place and resource for filmmakers and
- [Wes Anderson Film Heading To Focus Features](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/wes-anderson-film-heading-to-focus-features) - MOONRISE KINGDOM, the latest film from director Wes Anderson, has been acquired for worldwide rights by Focus Features. The film, which stars Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Jason Schwartzman, has a script co-written by Anderson and Roman Coppola. The story is set on an island off the coast of
- [The Mournful Maturity of Miranda July](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/the-mournful-maturity-of-miranda-july) - For 37-year-old performance artist, writer and filmmaker Miranda July, life is a series of lessons about loss, mortality and the inescapable feeling that time is slipping away. And yet, despite these heavy themes, her depiction of a kind of blank and ironic human comedy has been the hallmark of her style. This maddeningly passivity has
- [Jolie And Swinton Confirmed For Cannes Red Carpet](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/jolie-and-swinton-confirmed-for-cannes-red-carpet) - Actresses and fashionistas Angelina Jolie and Tilda Swinton will both be among the stellar talents walking the Cannes red carpet this year. Jolie does not have a film at the Festival, but her fiancé Brad Pitt does. The couple, who have a sprawling compound only miles away from town, will be among the paparazzi favorites
- [Locarno Festival To Honor Producer Arnon Milchan](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/industry-news/locarno-festival-to-honor-producer-arnon-milchan) - At the 65th edition of the Festival del film Locarno, to be held from August 1-11 in the beautiful resort town in southern Switzerland, the Premio Raimondo Rezzonico (Best Producer Award) will be presented to Arnon Milchan, one of the most prolific and successful American independent film producer of the past 25 years. Milchan, with
- [Interview with HOT DOG Director Bill Plympton](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-director-bill-plympton) - A video interview with the director of HOT DOG Bill Plympton. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. A video interview with the director of HOT DOG Bill Plympton. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
- [Interview with THE COVE Director Louie Psihoyos](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-george-s-clinton-2009-sundance-film-festival-ii-2) - A video interview with the director of THE COVE Louie Psihoyos. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. A video interview with the director of THE COVE Louie Psihoyos. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
- [Interview with DIRT! THE MOVIE Director Gene Rosow](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-george-s-clinton-2009-sundance-film-festival-ii) - A video interview with the co-director of DIRT! THE MOVIE Gene Rosow . The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. A video interview with the co-director of DIRT! THE MOVIE Gene Rosow . The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
- [Marilyn Chambers, RIP](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/marilyn-chambers-rip) - Marilyn Chambers, who has died aged 56, traded her wholesome image as an all-American pin-up girl for notoriety as a porn star. Quotable "Sex is not a fad like the hula-hoop -- it's here to stay." -Marilyn Chambers (1952-2009), Cannes, 1983
- [Interview with Composer George S. Clinton](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-george-s-clinton-2009-sundance-film-festival) - A video interview with the composer George S. Clinton. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. A video interview with the composer George S. Clinton. The interview was held during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
- [Exclusive: Tibetan Film "Leaving Fear Behind"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/exclusive-tibetan-film-qleaving-fear-behindq-ii) - A video interview with the director of "The End of the Line," Rupert Murray. The interview was held during The Sundance Film Festival 2009. The End of the Line A video interview with the director of "The End of the Line," Rupert Murray. The interview was held during The Sundance Film Festival 2009. Producer: Jeremy
- [Book Shelf: The Invisible Cut: How Editors Make Movie Magic](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/book-shelf-the-invisible-cut-how-editors-make-movie-magic) - The Invisible CutBy Bobbie O’Steen Michael Wiese Productions Studio City, California 2009 Editing is the only craft unique to filmmaking and Bobbie O’Steen’s book is a unique way to learn how editors make movie magic. By analyzing scenes and frame grabs from nine classic films, O’Steen helps the beginning editor create an overall strategy for
- [HD Expo Transitions To CREATESPHERE](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/hd-expo-transitions-to-createsphere) - Expansion Aimed at the Broadening Needs & Interests of Content Creators February 17, 2009 (Burbank, CA) 2009 has ushered in a year of transformation for HD EXPO, the well-known industry trade show and conference, as it enters the “Createasphere.” Starting at the beginning of 2009, HD EXPO will expand from its trade show roots supporting
- [Q & A: Sean Penn and Gus Van Sant Pour Out Their Heart about MILK](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/q-a-a-sean-penn-and-gus-van-sant-pour-out-their-heart-about-milk) - A diffident, and at times, defiant, hour-long press conference took place with cast members of Milk—Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Allison Pill and Emile Hirsch plus director Gus Van Sant and writer Dustin Lance Black--but it didn't yield much of a sustained discussion on the film's talking points. Yet that was okay, since Milk
- [MIAAC 2008: New York’s Indian Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/miaac-2008-new-yorks-indian-film-festival) - One day after the historic election that promised to dewax America’s ears, New Yorkers amped up the global love-in with a celebration of Indian cinema. The eighth Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council Film Festival, running November 5-9, features independent arthouse fare made on Indian soil as well as Indian-themed productions made abroad, either by Indian or
- [Michael Haneke's Remake of Funny Games](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/michael-hanekes-remake-of-funny-games) - It is a very rare thing indeed for a European director to have the opportunity to remake a small art film in another language (the only other recent example was Dutch director George Sluizer’s THE VANISHING). But Michael Haneke is that rare director. The English-language version of his domestic thriller FUNNY GAMES, originally shot in
- [Wes Anderson Film To Open Cannes FF](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/wes-anderson-film-to-open-cannes-ff) - MOONRISE KINGDOM, the new film by American director Wes Anderson, will open the 65th Festival de Cannes on Wednesday, May 16. Produced by Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson for Focus Features and Indian Paintbrush, MOONRISE KINGDOM features an all-star cast that includes Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda
- [The Resurrection of Wes Anderson](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/the-resurrection-of-wes-anderson) - The above is, granted, a little extreme. Wes Anderson has not in fact been away, and therefore news of his resurrection is greatly exaggerated. However, after a very promising and prolific early start to his career, he had a few films that faltered. But the mojo is definitely back with Anderson’s newest film set to
- [Five Films to See at Tribeca 2025](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/five-films-to-see-at-tribeca-2025) - This year, as always at the Tribeca Festival (formerly the “Tribeca Film Festival”), I will have feet on site and coverage to follow. The 2025 event is the 24th iteration, so far, and starts today, June 4, and runs through June 15. 188 feature films from all over the world will be screened, and there
- [“Bring Her Back” Grips Without Scares](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/bring-her-back-grips-without-scares) - Bring Her Back (Danny Philippou/Michael Philippou, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars The Philippou brothers are back. The masterminds behind 2022’s Talk To Me, Danny and Michael Philippou, have returned to the directors’ chair and now bring us another disturbing horror film from down under. YouTubers-turned-horror-filmmakers, the Australian duo’s latest endeavor, Bring Her Back, features
- [Gorgeous Visuals Can’t Save “The New Boy”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/gorgeous-visuals-cant-save-the-new-boy) - The New Boy (Warwick Thornton, 2023) 2 out of 5 stars The New Boy—the latest film from Warwick Thornton (Sweet Country)—boasts a seemingly unreal visual depiction of the Australian outback, but its pursuit of dense images of even denser religious symbolism creates a near-impenetrable barrier between the audience and whatever its emotional message might be.
- [“Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning”: Imperfect, Impressive, Impossible](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-imperfect-impressive-impossible) - Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (Christopher McQuarrie, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars Ethan Hunt has been saving the world for the last thirty years. From the cobblestoned streets of Prague to the icy reaches of the Arctic, the ever dependable and dependably good Hunt and his IMF team have left a lasting mark
- [“The Ruse” Lives Up to Its Title](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-ruse-lives-up-to-its-title) - The Ruse (Steven Mena, 2024) 2 out of 5 stars Titling a movie is a delicate endeavor. When I was in film school, I often found the most difficult part of the production was coming up with its title. How can one possibly find just a few words—or, in some instances, just one word—to describe
- [Spruced-Up Shakespeare Can’t Save “Juliet & Romeo”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/spruced-up-shakespeare-cant-save-juliet-romeo) - Juliet & Romeo (Timothy Scott Bogart, 2025) 2 out of 5 stars What better way to reintroduce a tale as old as time than to give it a modernized, hip-hop-centered musical twist? In Juliet & Romeo, director Timothy Scott Bogart (Spinning Gold) delivers one of William Shakespeare’s most beloved tales of love, passion, violence, and
- [“Fight or Flight” Delivers Ridiculous Fun](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/fight-or-flight-delivers-ridiculous-fun) - Fight or Flight (James Madigan, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars The latest film to place its setting 30,000 feet. in the air, director James Madigan’s first feature film brings a brisk combination of action and violence and blends it with crisp comedic timing and a splash of deep, thoughtful messages. The action-comedy follows a
- [Film Review: “Most Wanted” Offers an Entertaining, if Flawed, Crazy Real-Life Tale](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-most-wanted-offers-an-entertaining-if-flawed-crazy-real-life-tale) - Most Wanted (Daniel Roby, 2020) 2½ out of 4 stars. Though director Daniel Roby’s cautionary tale about government overreach in Canada’s 1980s drug-war competition with the U.S. drags in places, is occasionally consumed by its own self-importance, and would have been better served keeping its original title—“Target Number One”—rather than its generic new one, Most
- [Strong Story of “Words of War” Needs Better Script](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/strong-story-of-words-of-war-needs-better-script) - Words of War (James Strong, 2025) 2½ out of 5 stars Born in 1958 and murdered in 2006, Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya was an extremely brave and uncompromising human being. A frequent and fierce critic of Russian leader Vladimir Putin from the moment he came on the scene, she was never afraid to call him
- [“Thunderbolts*” Is Fun but Frantic](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/thunderbolts-is-fun-but-frantic) - Thunderbolts* (Jake Schreier, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars The Marvel Cinematic Universe has at times faltered following the end of the wildly popular “Infinity Saga” (aka, Phases One, Two, and Three), its output still pleasing many but perhaps not scoring quite as high among fans as did earlier films (per Rotten Tomatoes). The latest,
- [Film Review: “Girls Just Wanna Have Blood” Is Tactless, Terrible and Technically Flawed](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-girls-just-wanna-have-blood-is-tactless-terrible-and-technically-flawed) - Girls Just Wanna Have Blood (Anthony Catanese, 2019) ½ out of 4 Stars. When one is viewing a film that fails at almost all levels, what is one to do? One could suffer through it, nitpicking through every terrible choice and pointing out every flawed aspect; or, one could sit back, relax, and enjoy the
- [“The Trouble with Jessica” Needs More Trouble](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-trouble-with-jessica-needs-more-trouble) - The Trouble with Jessica (Matt Winn, 2023) 2½ out of 5 stars Director Matt Winn’s The Trouble with Jessica features some amusing moments that bounce around the screen with occasionally frenetic energy. When not careening out of control, the plot settles into a paradoxical monotony. Is this drama? Is this comedy? Does it know? There
- [“Free for All: The Public Library” Is Worth Checking Out](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/free-for-all-the-public-library-is-worth-checking-out) - Free for All: The Public Library (Lucie Faulknor/Dawn Logsdon, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars You may not realize how revolutionary the American public-library system was, or you may not realize how the American public library generated revolution, but go to any public library, and you can find out for free, no special status or
- [“The Legend of Ochi” Fails to Entrance](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-legend-of-ochi-fails-to-entrance) - The Legend of Ochi (Isaiah Saxon, 2025) 2 out of 5 stars Writer/director Isaiah Saxon makes his feature debut with an ambitious story about humanity’s interaction with the natural world. Sometimes joyous, often fearful, our feelings about the creatures beyond civilization’s doorstep have long been the subject of myth and fantasy. In The Legend of
- [Victoria Reviews "Love"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/victoria-alexander/victoria-reviews-love) - LOVE Karl Glusman has a future in Hollywood. I did not see LOVE in 3D. That would have been some experience since the film begins with a close-up of Murphy (Karl Glusman) ejaculating. LOVE is available for pre-order in a Blu-ray/DVD combo on Amazon for $19.99 beginning March 15, 2016. Gaspar Noé’s LOVE has been
- [Season 2 of “Andor” Inspires Rebellion](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/breaking/season-2-of-andor-inspires-rebellion) - Andor – Season 2 (Tony Gilroy, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars A fascist empire brooks no dissent, whether in science fiction or real life. In the Star Wars series Andor’s first season, we watched the titular character become radicalized as little by little the universe around him grew ever more authoritarian. In the second
- [Film Review: “Monday” Is a Near-Charmless Glimpse into a Charming Summer](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-monday-is-a-near-charmless-glimpse-into-a-charming-summer) - Monday (Argyris Papadimitropoulos, 2020) 1½ out of 4 stars. Chloe and Mickey are two thirty-something Americans in Athens. The former is a responsible lawyer about to return home, while the latter is a boyish DJ tethered to the city for reasons beyond its inviting nightlife. But one fateful night, they meet and quickly tangle together,
- [“Sinners” Mixes Blues and Supernatural](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sinners-mixes-blues-and-supernatural) - Sinners (Ryan Coogler, 2025) 5 out of 5 stars Ever since his debut feature, Fruitvale Station, Ryan Coogler has built a reputation for telling nuanced stories about Black communities. Even as he entered major franchises like Creed and Black Panther, Coogler kept that same perspective intact. But with his newest feature, Sinners, Coogler crafts his
- [“The Shrouds” Veils Best Features](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-shrouds-veils-best-features) - The Shrouds (David Cronenberg, 2025) 2½ out of 5 stars One of the masters of macabre and shocking imagery, director David Cronenberg (Crimes of the Future) brings his newest feature to the screen, dabbling with the ideas of connecting with our loved ones after death, or at least, with their corpses. The Shrouds tells the
- [“The President’s Wife” Mostly Shines](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-presidents-wife-mostly-shines) - The President’s Wife (Léa Domenach, 2023) 3½ out of 5 stars Born in 1932, Jacques Chirac was elected to the French presidency in 1995, serving two terms, the second one ending in 2007. A conservative lawmaker, he followed the socialist François Mitterand, whose prime minister he had been under a divided “cohabitation” government between from
- [“Drop” Proves Stressful](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/drop-proves-stressful) - Drop (Christopher Landon, 2025) 2½ out of 5 stars There is a moment in the final climax of Drop where one of the primary antagonists removes his mask. We cut from his now-revealed face to that of the surprised protagonist. The film pauses for her surprise. But our reaction is more than muted. Who the
- [“Freaky Tales” Is a Fun Bay Area Cult Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/freaky-tales-is-a-fun-bay-area-cult-film) - Freaky Tales (Anna Boden/Ryan Fleck, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Full disclosure: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s new feature Freaky Tales feels made for me, as someone who grew up watching 1980s movies. Narrated by Bay Area rapper Too $hort, Freaky Tales is an anthology film set in Oakland, California, during the summer of
- [“The Penguin Lessons” Proves Poignant](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-penguin-lessons-proves-poignant) - The Penguin Lessons (Peter Cattaneo, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars In this current era of rising and established dictators, it behooves each and every one of us to study history as a reminder of what has come before and how folks have chosen, or chosen not to, fight back. The thing about fascism is
- ["Cannibal Mukbang" Appetizes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/cannibal-mukbang-appetizes) - Cannibal Mukbang (Aimee Kuge, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars The “mukbang”—also known as an “eating broadcast”—originated in South Korea in the late 2000s. The concept features a host eating large quantities of food on video and chatting with their audience at the same time. Most of these are live-streamed, with the viewer watching the
- ["Devils Stay" Gives Familiar Scares](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/devils-stay-gives-familiar-scares) - Devils Stay (Hyun Moon-seop, 2024) 2 out of 5 stars The horror of exorcism has reached its ceiling in film. What can make this subgenre feel fresh again? Do these films need to do something absurd to draw in crowds, or is the search for innovation a lost cause? Hyun Moon-seop’s Devils Stay brandishes a
- [Interview with "Who by Fire” Director Philippe Lesage](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-who-by-fire-director-philippe-lesage) - Québécois director Philippe Lesage’s Who by Fire offers a “coming-of-age tale in which the adults are as much in need of growth as the youth (if not more so),” as I write in my review. Set in the northern wilderness, the film features as much hiking, hunting, and canoeing through rapids as it does conversation
- [Interview with "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" Director Mohammad Rasoulof](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-the-seed-of-the-sacred-fig-director-mohammad-rasoulof) - Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof (Evil Does Not Exist) premiered his latest feature, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. I reviewed it out of the Toronto International Film Festival, in September. As he discusses in the press notes, the film almost landed him in prison for 8 years, given its
- ["Who by Fire" Offers Urgent Truths](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/who-by-fire-offers-urgent-truths) - Who by Fire (Philippe Lesage, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars A sprawling (but almost never excessive) coming-of-age tale in which the adults are as much in need of growth as the youth (if not more so), Who by Fire, from Québécois director Philippe Lesage (Genesis), examines inter- and intragenerational relationships with sensitivity and not
- [“Black Bag” Is Stylish, Mysterious, and Fun](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/black-bag-is-stylish-mysterious-and-fun) - Black Bag (Steven Soderbergh, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars After a brief venture into horror with Presence, acclaimed filmmaker Steven Soderbergh returns to the big screen with Black Bag, a fun, stylish spy thriller. Reteaming with screenwriter David Koepp, Soderbergh creates a world of deception where trust is the most valuable commodity. Imbued with
- [“Novocaine” Is Painfully Entertaining](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/novocaine-is-painfully-entertaining) - Novocaine (Dan Berk/Robert Olsen, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars The somber words of R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts” may set the stage for Novocaine, but their irony doesn’t fully hit until we meet main character Nathan Caine, a man who proves that not everybody does, in fact, hurt. Living with CIPA, a rare condition that prevents
- [Brazen “Borderline” Is a Bizarro Ball](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/brazen-borderline-is-a-bizarro-ball) - Borderline (Jimmy Warden, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars Can you imagine what it’s like to be a celebrity? Many have dreamed of it: to be world-famous and a household name. What some folks don’t consider, however, is the dark side to that fame. The ability to be instantly recognized comes with its fair share
- [“Control Freak” Doesn’t Quite Scratch Its Horror Itch](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/control-freak-doesnt-quite-scratch-its-horror-itch) - Control Freak (Shal Ngo, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars Negative self-talk is one of the most common feelings in the world. It can be a constant weight around people’s necks, holding them back from accomplishing their goals. But in writer/director Shal Ngo’s new film Control Freak, it’s much more literal. In his world, we
- [“Queen of the Ring” Offers Powerful Concepts, Weak Storytelling](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/queen-of-the-ring-offers-powerful-concepts-weak-storytelling) - Queen of the Ring (Ash Avildsen, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars The latest from Ash Avildsen (American Satan) tackles the hot topic of the “first million dollar female athlete in history,” telling the story of female pro wrestler Mildred Burke (Emily Bett Rickards, Autumn and the Black Jaguar), and how she rose to dominate
- [“Rule Breakers” Rises Above Ordinary](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/rule-breakers-rises-above-ordinary) - Rule Breakers (Bill Guttentag, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars Based on a true story—as an opening title card informs us—Rule Breakers, from director Bill Guttentag (Spyral), offers an inspiring story dressed up in rather conventional cinematic clothing. We’ve seen films about iconoclasts making a difference before; it’s almost a genre unto itself. But that
- [“Bloat” Is Full of Hot Air](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/bloat-is-full-of-hot-air) - Bloat (Pablo Absento, 2025) 2 out of 5 stars Screenlife thrillers are growing in popularity. The hottest new subgenre in film involves movies that take place entirely on a computer screen. The plot is presented via texts, phone calls, and a plethora of web searches. Films like 2014’s Unfriended and 2018’s Searching helped this trend
- ["Stockade" Offers Taut Thrills](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/stockade-offers-taut-thrills) - Stockade (Eric McGinty, 2023) 4 out of 5 stars With Stockade, director Eric McGinty skillfully crafts a thriller reminiscent of taut 1970s cinema. The narrative revolves around Ahlam (Sarah Bitar), a Lebanese painter striving to secure her visa. To make ends meet, she takes on various odd jobs while creating artwork that she hopes will
- ["Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse" Goes by the Numbers](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/art-spiegelman-disaster-is-my-muse-goes-by-the-numbers) - Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse (Molly Bernstein/Philip Dolin, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars Surprisingly impersonal, Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse can be a fascinating glimpse into the world of a prolific artist, but that glimpse becomes nothing more than just that. To those readers unfamiliar with the comic-book industry, Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer
- [Berlinale Review: "Lesbian Space Princess"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/berlinale-review-lesbian-space-princess) - Lesbian Space Princess (Emma Hough Hobbs/Leela Varghese, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars Directors Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese make their feature debut with Lesbian Space Princess, an animated romp through coming-of-age tropes as filtered through the dynamic prism of queer culture. Following the titular character, named Saira, in all her adventures and misadventures,
- ["Armand" Needs Discipline](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/armand-needs-discipline) - Armand (Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, 2024) 2 out of 5 stars I became a fan of Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve after seeing her in The Worst Person in the World, and then A Different Man, in both of which films she offered fully engaged performances of complex characters. She delivers an equally intricate interpretation of her
- [“A Different Man” Puts New Face on Old Theme](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/a-different-man-puts-new-face-on-old-theme) - A Different Man (Aaron Schimberg, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars Actor Adam Pearson (Ruby Splinter) has neurofibromatosis, an incurable disorder that can result in benign tumors on the face. Both he and his condition are at the forefront of A Different Man, the new film from director Aaron Schimberg (Chained for Life, which also
- [“Captain America: Brave New World” Struggles with New Status Quo](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/captain-america-brave-new-world-struggles-with-new-status-quo) - Captain America: Brave New World (Julius Onah, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars After six years away from the big screen, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie, If You Were the Last) takes the lead in director Julius Onah’s Captain America: Brave New World. Having spent eleven years as the Falcon, Anthony Mackie is officially the new
- [“Paddington in Peru” Embraces Adventure](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/paddington-in-peru-embraces-adventure) - Paddington in Peru (Dougal Wilson, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars The bear is back, and just in time. In an era of seemingly never-ending horrors, both domestic and international, what we all need is a rollicking cinematic adventure where good triumphs over evil. And if the villains end up being comically incompetent, all the
- [“My Husband the Cyborg” Needs New Algorithm](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/my-husband-the-cyborg-needs-new-algorithm) - My Husband the Cyborg (Susanna Cappellaro, 2025) 2 out of 5 stars Susanna Cappellaro’s debut documentary feature My Husband the Cyborg is everything the on-the-nose title suggests. Cappellaro follows her husband Scott Cohen’s procedure of linking a compass magnet to his chest, allowing him to physically feel a sensation when his body points north. As
- [Sundance Review: "Deaf President Now!"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-deaf-president-now) - Deaf President Now! (Nyle DiMarco/Davis Guggenheim, 2025) 4½ out of 5 stars If you ever need reassurances about the power of protest, look no further than Deaf President Now! Based on the 1988 protest of the same name, this invigorating documentary tells the story of how students at Gallaudet University, the oldest university designed specifically
- ["One Night in Tokyo" Delivers Romance](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/one-night-in-tokyo-delivers-romance) - One Night in Tokyo (Joshua Woodcock, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars Sam (Reza Emamiyeh, Immortal Hero) arrives in Tokyo to celebrate his birthday with his girlfriend, only to discover she’s ending their relationship. With Sam’s plans in disarray, his friend Jun (Shinichiro Watanabe) suggests he join his ex-girlfriend Ayaka (Tokiko Kitagawa) and her friends
- [Looks Deceive in "I Love You Forever"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/looks-deceive-in-i-love-you-forever) - I Love You Forever (Cazzie David/Elisa Kalani, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars The initial stages of any relationship can be an intoxicating experience. If you meet someone you truly connect with, it feels overwhelming, especially if you aren’t used to affection. However, that infatuation may blind you to the other person’s flaws. This is
- [Sundance Review: "Together"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-together) - Together (Michael Shanks, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars Commitment is scary for many, but in Michael Shanks’ Together, it turns into an actual horror movie. While it’s nearly impossible to commend the film without spoiling its twisty conceit, be prepared for equal parts romance and disgust. While it sounds like the kind of idea
- [Enjoy Valentine's with "Heart Eyes"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/enjoy-valentines-with-heart-eyes) - Heart Eyes (Josh Ruben, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars Heart Eyes follows the tradition of merging horror and comedy together to create a wildly fun narrative about an infamous “Heart Eyes Killer,” who strikes specifically on Valentine’s Day, targeting couples as they get together for dates, proposals, and everything in between. As the film
- [Sundance Review: "Last Days"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-last-days) - Last Days (Justin Lin, 2025) 2 out of 5 stars If you didn’t hear about the death of John Allen Chau in 2018, you can probably imagine the discourse that followed. Chau was the 26-year-old evangelical missionary who was killed when he illegally travelled to North Sentinel Island in an attempt to convert the isolated
- [Sundance Review: "Prime Minister"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-prime-minister) - Prime Minister (Lindsay Utz/Michelle Walshe, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars Born in 1980, Jacinda Ardern was elected Prime Minister of New Zealand in 2017. She was both the first woman to serve in that office and the youngest in over a century-and-a-half. A progressive politician—head of the Labour Party—she led her country via a
- [Sundance Review: "Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-marlee-matlin-not-alone-anymore) - Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore (Shoshannah Stern, 2025) 4½ out of 5 stars Marlee Matlin is both the only deaf actress to win an Oscar for Best Actress and also the youngest actress overall to claim the award. This was for the 1986 film Children of a Lesser God (CoaLG), directed by Randa Haines and
- [Sundance Review: "All That's Left of You"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-all-thats-left-of-you) - All That's Left of You (Cherien Dabis, 2025) 4½ out of 5 stars It may be impossible to condense a history that feels as vast and complex as Palestine’s into a single story. But through the lens of a family, All That’s Left of You—from director Cherien Dabis (Amreeka)—reminds us how storytelling can stir all-encompassing
- [Sundance Review: "The Things You Kill"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-the-things-you-kill) - The Things You Kill (Alireza Khatami, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars In The Things You Kill, director Alireza Khatami (Oblivion Verses) crafts an allegorical thriller filled with metaphysical mystery. Using deft cinematic strokes, he creates a patriarchal landscape where crimes repeat from one generation to the next, his characters prisoners of a behavior they
- [Sundance Review: "Predators"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-predators) - Predators (David Osit, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars The notion that a film has no idea where it’s going would typically be seen as a criticism. In the case of David Osit’s Predators, it becomes the documentary’s cardinal virtue. Osit (Mayor) dives into the rise, fall, and eventual fallout of To Catch a Predator,
- [TIFF Review: “I’m Still Here”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-im-still-here) - I’m Still Here (Walter Salles, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars Brazil’s military dictatorship lasted 21 years, from 1964-1985. Starting in the 1970s, the government began to crack down with greater force than before on the voices of dissent, or even just on those perceived to offer potential resistance. Many such unfortunates were "disappeared," their
- [Sundance Review: “Life After”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-life-after) - Life After (Reid Davenport, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars Director Reid Davenport (I Didn’t See You There) has cerebral palsy, which makes him an ideal documentarian to examine societal attitudes towards people with disabilities. That’s not all he takes on, however, in Life After, his latest film. Though he begins with a 40-year-old case
- [“Like Father Like Son” Falls Short](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/like-father-like-son-falls-short) - Like Father Like Son (Barry Jay, 2025) 2 out of 5 stars Most movie patrons would likely agree that the number-one reason why an individual would watch a film would be their personal interest in the plot. Sure, there are some who may flock to theaters to see their favorite director or favorite actor’s latest
- [Our Coverage of 2025 Oscar Nominees](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/our-coverage-of-2025-oscar-nominees) - Last week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced their nominees for the 2025 Oscars. Over the course of 2024, we here at Film Festival Today have covered some of those potential winners. So, below you will find the complete list of all nominations, with the titles of films that we have reviewed
- [“Inheritance” Is Far Too Generic](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/inheritance-is-far-too-generic) - Inheritance (Neil Burger, 2025) 2½ out of 5 stars Director Neil Burger (Voyagers) starts the year by pursuing a more independent approach to cinema, deviating from past blockbusters like Divergent and The Illusionist and relying on camera technique and composition with his new feature, Inheritance. The film follows Maya (Phoebe Dynevor, Netflix’s Bridgerton series), who,
- [10 Films to Watch at Sundance 2025](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/10-films-to-watch-at-sundance-2025) - The 2025 Sundance Film Festival runs in-person January 23-February 2 (with some films available online from January 30-February 2). There are, as always, many fine works to choose from, among them close to 100 features and 57 shorts. You can check out the full program on the fest’s website. Hannah Tran will once again be
- [10 Films to Watch at Sundance 2024](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/10-films-to-watch-at-sundance-2024) - The 2024 Sundance Film Festival runs in person January 18-28 (with some films also available online January 25-28). There are, as always, close to 100 features (and 58 shorts), meaning that there is most likely something to suit every taste. Since this is also the 40th anniversary of the fest, expect plenty of celebratory events
- [“One of Them Days” Has Throwback Charm](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/one-of-them-days-has-throwback-charm) - One of Them Days (Lawrence Lamont, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars One of Them Days is one of the rare bright spots in the oft-dreary moviegoing month of January. A classic female buddy-comedy, it follows the misadventures of two best friends and roommates: Dreux, a career-oriented go-getter, and Alyssa, a free-spirited artist. Together, they
- ["Autumn and the Black Jaguar" Lacks Adventure](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/autumn-and-the-black-jaguar-lacks-adventure) - Autumn and the Black Jaguar (Gilles de Maistre, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars Autumn, played by Lumi Pollack (The Fallout), is a girl who adopts a black jaguar while her family lives in Peru. Sadly, her mother is killed by poachers, and she and her father must move back to New York after the
- ["Wolf Man" Is Almost A Cut Above](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/wolf-man-is-almost-a-cut-above) - Wolf Man (Leigh Whannell, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars Universal Studios’ Classic Monsters are some of the most beloved figures in film history. Ever since Universal failed to reintroduce the characters through their Dark Universe in the 2010s, the studio has taken a more measured approach to reinterpretations. In 2020, veteran horror director Leigh
- ["Hard Truths" Stagnates in Gloom](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/hard-truths-stagnates-in-gloom) - Hard Truths (Mike Leigh, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars The British actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste (The Book of Clarence) is a powerhouse performer, bringing deep wells of emotion to each role and transforming herself as required. Deservedly Oscar-nominated for her previous collaboration with director Mike Leigh—the 1996 Secrets & Lies—she approaches the new part he
- ["The Room Next Door" Remains Closed](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-room-next-door-remains-closed) - The Room Next Door (Pedro Almodóvar, 2024) 1 out of 5 stars Renowned Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language feature, The Room Next Door, is a major disappointment. Although the subject here—death—is nothing new for the cineaste, whose recent films, including the 2021 Parallel Mothers and 2019 Pain and Glory, have demonstrated an increasing awareness
- [Mental Horror Shines in "The Damned"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/mental-horror-shines-in-the-damned) - The Damned (Thordur Palsson, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars The Damned is a bleak horror film that explores the theme of choice and its repercussions. Eva (Odessa Young, Shirley) leads a remote fishing community in Iceland. When the residents witness a ship sinking off the coast, they must confront a harrowing decision. As they
- ["Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl" Serves Series Well](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/wallace-gromit-vengeance-most-fowl-serves-series-well) - Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Merlin Crossingham/Nick Park, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars The last feature-length Wallace & Gromit film—The Curse of the Were-Rabbit—came out in 2005. Until now, it was the one-and-only such movie, as all previous adventures of the animated duo were in short format. Getting ready to stream on Netflix
- [“Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” Is Savory Enough](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/chicken-run-dawn-of-the-nugget-is-savory-enough) - Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (Sam Fell, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. Mel Gibson and Julia Sawalha may be gone as the voices of Rocky and Ginger, but the new sequel to Aardman Animations' 2000 Chicken Run—entitled Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget—still has occasional spunk, if not as much as its predecessor.
- [Chris Reed's Top 10 Films of 2024](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/chris-reeds-top-10-films-of-2024) - This was another good year for movies, though perhaps not as good as 2023, which saw the release of Past Lives, a film I absolutely adored. As is frequently the case, the bigger-budget extravaganzas, though entertaining, did not quite rise to the level of major cinematic accomplishment for me and so are not here; that said,
- [Matt Patti’s Top 10 Films of 2024](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/matt-pattis-top-10-films-of-2024) - 2024 will be a year remembered for many reasons. There was plenty of good and bad that occurred around the world this year, making it one of the more notable years in recent memory. Thankfully, one area in which 2024 clearly exceeded expectations was in its film releases. For my money, 2024 is the best
- [Hannah Tran’s Top 10 Films of 2024](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/hannah-trans-top-10-films-of-2024) - I have never wrestled so much over what was going to end up on my end-of-year list. While there may have been fewer movies that deeply moved me, the level of talent and craft were abundant. There were surprisingly fun larger movies—like Fly Me to the Moon, Civil War, and Sonic 3—and also some less
- [Patrick Howard’s Top 10 Films of 2024](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/patrick-howards-top-10-films-of-2024) - Where I have previously reviewed the film (in this case, there is just one), the title is hyperlinked to that review. Where I have not, I have written a short description of the movie to help explain why I chose it. 1. Nosferatu (Robert Eggers): No one does a hard-hitting period piece like Robert Eggers!
- [Adam Vaughn’s Top 10 Films of 2024](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/adam-vaughns-top-10-films-of-2024) - The year 2024 continued to support the idea that Hollywood and independent filmmaking could not be more different in their scope of content, with major studios embracing IP storytelling and independent filmmakers continuing to explore new concepts, for better or worse. Admittedly, my selection of viewed films was at an all-time low this year, both
- [Patrick Howard’s Top 10 Films of 2023](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/patrick-howards-top-10-films-of-2023) - 1. Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan): What makes this film standout in the biopic genre is its frequent dabble in experimentation. Director Christopher Nolan impressively sidesteps the boring tropes one finds in so many movies about larger-than-life figures or events. He takes the horrific and detrimental effects of the work done by J. Robert Oppenheimer and his
- ["Babygirl" Thrills but Unfulfills](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/babygirl-thrills-but-unfulfills) - Babygirl (Halina Reijn, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars Babygirl is anything but a love story. It centers on Romy Mathis (Nicole Kidman, The Northman), the powerful CEO of a major robotics company, who becomes entangled in a web of infidelity and power dynamics when she begins a submissive relationship with Samuel (Harris Dickinson, The
- ["A Complete Unknown" Shines Like Star](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/a-complete-unknown-shines-like-star) - A Complete Unknown (James Mangold, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars Born in 1941, singer-songwriter Bob Dylan made quite the splash when he arrived on the music scene in the early 1960s. Though initially taken for the bright young champion that the American folk scene needed to keep the flame going, he eventually broke away
- [Interview with "Santosh” Director Sandhya Suri](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-santosh-director-sandhya-suri) - Director Sandhya Suri premiered her debut narrative feature, Santosh, at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. I reviewed it at the Toronto International Film Festival, in September. As I wrote in that review, “The titular lead character [Shahana Goswami, Zwigato] is a woman forced to navigate the patriarchal demands of the workplace after her husband, a
- [“Red One” Is a Cool Christmas Caper](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/red-one-is-a-cool-christmas-caper) - Red One (Jake Kasdan, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars An intriguing trend in the past few years has been the Christmas action movie. While there are several films that take place during Christmastime that are full of fights and fury (Die Hard, anyone?), there is a much more recent push to involve popular Christmas
- ["The Brutalist" Awes and Inspires](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-brutalist-awes-and-inspires) - The Brutalist (Brady Corbet, 2024) 4½ out of 5 stars To use a word like monumental in describing a film that runs 215 minutes seems like an exercise in stating the obvious. Even if the concept flops, we can assume that the filmmaker’s intentions with such a length is to tell a story of some
- ["Sonic the Hedgehog 3" Is Fast, Fun, and Sincere](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-is-fast-fun-and-sincere)
- [“Mufasa: The Lion King” Delivers Magic](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/mufasa-the-lion-king-delivers-magic) - Mufasa: The Lion King (Barry Jenkins, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars With a director like Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk), it is no surprise that Mufasa: The Lion King is imbued with magnificent cinematic value. After 2019’s vividly beautiful but narratively flat The Lion King that did not quite live up
- ["Listen Carefully" Falls Prey to Oddity](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/listen-carefully-falls-prey-to-oddity) - Listen Carefully (Ryan Barton-Grimley, 2024) 2 out of 5 stars In his newest film, Listen Carefully, director and lead actor Ryan Barton-Grimley (Hawk and Rev: Vampire Slayers) tells a story about Andy McNeary (Barton-Grimley), a failing bank manager and father who is tasked with babysitting his daughter while his wife (Simone Barton-Grimley) takes off for
- [Interview with "Super/Man” Co-Director Peter Ettedgui](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-super-man-co-director-peter-ettedgui) - Directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui collaborated on what is one of the most powerful documentaries of the year, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (which I reviewed out of DC/DOX). In it, they chronicle the highs and lows of actor Christopher Reeve’s life, including both before and after the tragic 1995 horse-riding that paralyzed him
- ["Moana 2" Joyfully Inspires](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/moana-2-joyfully-inspires) - Moana 2 (David G. Derrick Jr./Jason Hand/Dana Ledoux Miller, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars The first Moana came out in 2016, offering a delightful mix of traditional Disney tropes and updated cultural mores. The music wasn’t bad, either. Now comes its sequel, and while the new melodies don’t quite pop in the same way
- [SXSW Review: “Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sxsw-review-billy-molly-an-otter-love-story) - Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (Charlie Hamilton James, 2024) 4½ out of 5 stars There are few wild animals as cute as otters. I will fight anyone who disagrees. With their expressive faces, playful demeanor, and rich fur coat, they charm those fortunate enough to spot them in their natural habitat. In some
- [An Icon Made Vulnerable in "Elton John: Never Too Late"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/an-icon-is-vulnerable-in-elton-john-never-too-late) - Elton John: Never Too Late (R.J. Cutler/David Furnish, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars As someone who did not hear much Elton John growing up, I came into this documentary without much context. I had heard some of his big hits like “Rocket Man” and “Crocodile Rock,” but I knew little about his actual life
- [As Looney As It Gets: "The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/as-looney-as-it-gets-the-day-the-earth-blew-up-a-looney-tunes-movie) - The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (Peter Browngardt, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars The first feature-length Looney Tunes movie promises a nostalgic good time and delivers on that promise. The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie gives us Daffy Duck and Porky Pig—with Petunia Pig added in
- [Romance Meets Coming-of-Age in “Young Werther”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/romance-meets-coming-of-age-in-young-werther) - Young Werther (José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars It doesn’t matter whether or not you’ve heard of the 1774 novella The Sorrows of Young Werther, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, to get swept up in its lavish modernization, Young Werther. Written and directed by José Lourenço in his feature-film debut,
- [“Nickel Boys” Both Stuns and Baffles](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/nickel-boys-both-stuns-and-baffles) - Nickel Boys (RaMell Ross, 2024) 2 out of 5 stars RaMell Ross (Hale County This Morning, This Evening) is a filmmaker of no small visual talent, capable of bringing forth evocative images of uncommon beauty. In Nickel Boys—an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s 2019 The Nickel Boys novel, and Ross’s fiction-feature debut—he exercises his directorial muscles
- ["Scrap" Is Beautifully Relatable](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/scrap-is-beautifully-relatable) - Scrap (Vivian Kerr, 2022) 3½ out of 5 stars In Scrap, homeless and jobless single-mother Beth (Vivian Kerr, Séance) struggles to keep up appearances to her brother, Ben (Anthony Rapp, Paramount’s Star Trek: Discovery series), and his wife, Stacy (Lana Parrilla, Atlas). The couple are in the midst of a third round of IVF treatment
- [Familiar Scares Frighten in "Chateau"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/familiar-scares-frighten-in-chateau) - Chateau (Luke Genton, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars Chateau initially appears to be yet another entry in the found-footage horror genre. The film centers on James (Cathy Marks, The Bell Keeper), who takes on a job restoring a French chateau. Upon discovering that the location may be a magnet for the supernatural, James secretly
- [“Y2K” Succumbs to Virus](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/y2k-succumbs-to-virus) - Y2K (Kyle Mooney, 2024) 1 out of 5 stars Those of us who were alive and conscious at the end of the last millennium well remember the rising panic, as the year 2000 approached, over the potential for mass computer mayhem. How so? A good number of people worried over an ostensible computer bug, dubbed
- ["The Taste of Mango" Savors Ambiguity](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-taste-of-mango-savors-ambiguity) - The Taste of Mango (Chloe Abrahams, 2023) 3½ out of 5 stars Tammy Wynette’s famous 1968 song “Stand by Your Man” was released in 1968 at a time of growing feminist consciousness and became both immediately popular and mired in some controversy about the significance of its lyrics. In her second verse, Wynette sings, “But
- [“Sweethearts” Starts Raunchy, Ends Sweet](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sweethearts-starts-raunchy-ends-sweet) - Sweethearts (Jordan Weiss, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars In my experience, maintaining any relationship after high school, whether platonic or romantic, is an incredibly difficult task. Your lives are moving in different directions and remaining close becomes difficult. But what if you realize you’re holding on so tight that you aren’t forming new relationships?
- [In "Moana," Disney Offers a Powerful and Delightful Fantasy of Female Derring-Do](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/in-moana-disney-offers-a-powerful-and-delightful-fantasy-of-female-derring-do) - Christopher Llewellyn Reed reviews Moana
- ["Wicked" Delivers a Thrillifying First Part](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/wicked-delivers-a-thrillifying-first-part) - Wicked (Jon M. Chu, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars Wicked has grandiose “slippers” to fill as an adaptation of Wicked The Musical, one of the most acclaimed theater productions that is still running to this day. With that said, this film is only the first half of the story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo, Harriet),
- [Baltimore Mayor Is “The Body Politic”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/baltimore-mayor-is-the-body-politic) - The Body Politic (Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough, 2023) 4 out of 5 stars In The Body Politic, director Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough makes his feature debut with a documentary about the early days of Baltimore’s current mayor, Brandon Scott. It’s no easy task running a metropolis that has long struggled with the related issues of
- ["Blitz" Mostly Hits Dramatic Target](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/blitz-mostly-hits-dramatic-target) - Blitz (Steve McQueen, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars In Blitz, British director Steve McQueen (Widows) places us in the middle of the eponymous Nazi campaign of bombings over the city of London (from September, 1940, to May, 1941). He centers the narrative on a mother and son, Rita and George, played respectively by Saoirse
- ["Never Look Away" Holds Our Gaze](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/never-look-away-holds-our-gaze) - Never Look Away (Lucy Lawless, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Photojournalist Margaret Moth (1951-2010) lived about as full a life as one could hope for, in terms of adventures had and risks taken. An adrenaline junkie, she looked a bit like Joan Jett (who was younger, so maybe she stole Moth’s look …) and
- [“Gladiator II” Is Set Against Itself](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/gladiator-ii-is-set-against-itself) - Gladiator II (Ridley Scott, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars Step back into Ridley Scott’s arena in the long-anticipated Gladiator II, where its predecessor’s gallant heroes, creative combat, and lingering questions about power and freedom endure. Set sixteen years after the original, this version of Rome, now ruled by chaotic twin emperors, seems to have
- [DOC NYC Review: "Space Cowboy"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/doc-nyc-review-space-cowboy) - Space Cowboy (Bryce Leavitt/Marah Strauch, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars Sometimes, boys with toys grow up to be men with even larger toys. In the new documentary Space Cowboy, from directors Bryce Leavitt and Marah Strauch (Sunshine Superman), we meet one such lucky gent, Joe Jennings, who has built a life throwing large objects
- [“The Fix” Is Incoherent but Intrigues](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-fix-is-incoherent-but-intrigues) - The Fix (Kelsey Egan, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars In a world where climate change, air quality, and environmental issues are hot topics, director Kelsey Egan (Glasshouse) delivers a fast-paced tale about a world where humans need either one of two things to breathe: a filtered mask or a drug that detoxifies the air.
- ["Bogart: Life Comes in Flashes" Delivers Goods](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/bogart-life-comes-in-flashes-delivers-goods) - Bogart: Life Comes in Flashes (Kathryn Ferguson, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Born on Christmas Day in 1899, Humphrey DeForest Bogart would grow up to become, eventually, one of the most celebrated actors of Hollywood’s classic period. The American Film Institute lists him at the top of their Top 25 Male Stars of the
- [“Heretic” Turns Doubt into Dread](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/heretic-turns-doubt-into-dread) - Heretic (Scott Beck/Bryan Woods, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars “I am a Mormon / And, dang it, a Mormon just believes,” sings Elder Price in The Book of Mormon, the musical comedy that is probably the most widely-known portrayal of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. That is, until now. In Heretic,
- [Middleburg Review: “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/middleburg-review-on-becoming-a-guinea-fowl) - On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (Rungano Nyoni, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Despite its increasingly distressing revelations as it goes along, the new film On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, from writer/director Rungano Nyoni (I Am Not a Witch), is filled with many small moments of quiet humor, courtesy of fine performances and sharp dialogue.
- [Middleburg Interview: Michael Gracey of “Better Man”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/middleburg-interview-michael-gracey-of-better-man) - Director Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) has a background in visual effects, and it shows in his latest project, the musical biopic Better Man, which tells the rags-to-riches, success-to-crisis-to-success-again tale of British pop star Robbie Williams, who got his start in the British boy band Take That. In it, he imagines Williams as a chimpanzee
- [Middleburg Interview: Shiori Ito of "Black Box Diaries"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/middleburg-interview-shiori-ito-of-black-box-diaries) - Japanese director Shiori Ito makes her feature debut with the documentary Black Box Diaries, which chronicles her long struggle to obtain justice for her 2015 rape at the hands of one her country’s most prominent journalists, Noriyuki Yamaguchi. Following the 2017 publication of her book, Black Box, Ito became the face of Japan’s MeToo movement,
- [“The Graduates” Earns Its Authenticity](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-graduates-earns-its-authenticity) - The Graduates (Hannah Peterson, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars In the United States, we live in an unfortunate reality where students going to school can’t feel entirely safe due to the ever-present threat of a mass shooting. It’s a grim thing to think about, many don’t like to talk about it, and folks can’t
- [Middleburg Review: "Better Man"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/middleburg-review-better-man) - Better Man (Michael Gracey, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Born in 1974, British pop star Robbie Williams first came to fame in the 1990s boy band Take That. Williams left the band in 1995, eventually becoming quite the hitmaker, himself. Now 50, the man can perhaps look back on his journey with some perspective,
- ["The Herricanes" Is a Win](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-herricanes-is-a-win) - The Herricanes (Olivia Kuan, 2023) 4½ out of 5 stars The Herricanes is an enthralling blend of history, sports drama, and rallying cry. Just as director Olivia Kuan (Catfish Killer) asks current-day female football players, so I ask you: “Did you know there was a women’s football league in the 1970s?” If not, this film
- ["Venom: The Last Dance" Sinks Trilogy](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/venom-the-last-dance-sinks-trilogy) - Venom: The Last Dance (Kelly Marcel, 2024) 1 out of 5 stars Sad to say that, after a mixed-up-yet-entertaining run, the “Venom” trilogy comes to a close by smashing all its last thoughts into a jumbled, messy conclusion. Venom: The Last Dance picks up with Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy, The Bikeriders) and Venom on the
- [“A New Kind of Wilderness” Is Somber but Beautiful](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/a-new-kind-of-wilderness-is-somber-but-beautiful) - A New Kind of Wilderness (Silje Evensmo Jacobsen, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars In A New Kind of Wilderness, director Silje Evensmo Jacobsen (Faith Can Move Mountains) along with a team of highly talented cinematographers, captures one family’s evolution through adventure, loss, compromise, and healing. Within the first few minutes, we’re introduced to Maria
- [Grief Leads to Art in “Adrianne & the Castle”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/grief-leads-to-art-in-adrianne-the-castle) - Adrianne & the Castle (Shannon Walsh, 2024) 5 out of 5 stars Adrianne Blue Wakefield St. George, the self-proclaimed Midwestern artist of glitz and glam, is the subject of Shannon Walsh's documentary Adrianne & the Castle. Adrianne was not only a muse to herself, but also to her husband, Alan St. George. Now, nearly two
- [Middleburg Review: “All We Imagine As Light”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/middleburg-review-all-we-imagine-as-light) - All We Imagine As Light (Payal Kapadia, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars Meditative cinema, when done well, immerses us in the slow unfolding of the seemingly mundane details of existence that, upon closer inspection, prove to be anything but ordinary. Even if familiar in contours, the universality of subject gains specificity as we approach
- [Middleburg Review: “Memoir of a Snail”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/middleburg-review-memoir-of-a-snail) - Memoir of a Snail (Adam Elliot, 2024) 4½ out of 5 stars Animation comes in as great a variety as any other storytelling format. It is not strictly for children, nor has it ever been. Even the first Walt Disney short to star Mickey Mouse, “Steamboat Willie,” features content that veers towards the mean-spirited and
- [Middleburg Review: “Black Box Diaries”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/middleburg-review-black-box-diaries) - Black Box Diaries (Shiori Ito, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars In 2017, young journalist Shiori Ito effectively launched the Japanese #MeToo movement with the publication of her book Black Box, which recounts her 2015 rape by Noriyuki Yamaguchi, an older, more established figure in the profession. Beyond the ordeal of the assault, Ito also
- [“Smile 2” Terrifies](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/smile-2-terrifies) - Smile 2 (Parker Finn, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Taking place directly after the events of 2022’s Smile, Smile 2 brings back our favorite spirit, who promises to spread more grins on more faces than ever before! I thoroughly enjoyed the original Smile film, finding it to be both compelling and creepy. So, I
- [5 Films to See at Middleburg 2024](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/5-films-to-see-at-middleburg-2024) - This year’s Middleburg Film Festival—held annually in Middleburg, Virginia—is the 12th iteration of what has become one of the DC region’s important fall events (at least for cinephiles). Running from Thursday, October 17, to Sunday, October 20, with 44 feature films screened, plus assorted conferences and panels (such as one with veteran actress Isabella Rossellini),
- [“Daddy’s Head” Waxes Strange](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/daddys-head-waxes-strange) - Daddy’s Head (Benjamin Barfoot, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Daddy’s Head, from director Benjamin Barfoot (Double Dates), tells the story of Isaac (Rupert Turnbull) and his somewhat estranged stepmother, Laura (Julia Brown, Jessie and the Elf Boy), as they both equally mourn the death of Isaac’s father/Laura’s husband (Charles Aitken, Red Sandra), who dies
- [Slight "Saturday Night" Delivers Fun](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/slight-saturday-night-delivers-fun) - Saturday Night (Jason Reitman, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars NBC’s long-running sketch-comedy show Saturday Night Live debuted on October 11, 1975, as just “Saturday Night.” Since then, the weekly broadcast has been a mainstay of cultural discourse, with various of the rotating casts more popular and successful than others. Created by Lorne Michaels—who remains
- [In “Bad Genius,” Smart Teens Break Bad](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/in-bad-genius-smart-teens-break-bad) - Bad Genius (J.C. Lee, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars For many first-generation American teenagers, following their dreams can feel like a privilege. Parents leave everything they know behind to give their children a better life, so they are under increased pressure to succeed. But what would happen if one of these teens decided to
- [TIFF Review: “The Wild Robot”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-the-wild-robot) - The Wild Robot (Chris Sanders, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars An adaptation of Peter Brown’s eponymous illustrated children's series, The Wild Robot features DreamWorks’ trademark beautiful images and a bevy of fine voice talent. Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon) directs, with Lupita Nyong’o (A Quiet Place: Day One) in the titular role.
- [“The Veil” Embraces Enigma](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-veil-embraces-enigma) - The Veil (Cameron Beyl, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars Despite its brief length, Cameron Beyl’s The Veil makes a distinct impression. This tale of fate and redemption follows retired priest Douglas as he tries to atone for a moment in his youth when he abandoned a terrified Amish woman on the roadside. Now, while
- [“Leap of Faith” Is Visually Bold](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/leap-of-faith-is-visually-bold) - Leap of Faith (Nicholas Ma, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars I grew up in the Episcopal Church, attending services every Sunday as a member of the St. David’s boys’ choir in Baltimore, MD. I loved following the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) system and singing the anthems, hymns, and more complex liturgical compositions,
- ["Joker: Folie à Deux" Misses the Jest](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/joker-folie-a-deux-misses-the-jest) - Joker: Folie à Deux (Todd Phillips, 2024) 2.5 out of 5 stars I went into Joker: Folie à Deux with the highest of hopes that director Todd Phillips, along with Joaquin Phoenix, would continue to deliver powerful cinematic work with the much anticipated sequel to the 2019 Joker, reinforced by an amazingly versatile Lady Gaga
- ["Hold Your Breath" Delivers on Title](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/hold-your-breath-delivers-on-title) - Hold Your Breath (Karrie Crouse/William Joines, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars 1930s Oklahoma: dust storms sweep the region causing crop shortages, famine, and dire health conditions. Residents can’t even go outside at certain points without wearing a mask and even then still might be endangered in one of these swirls of debris. The outlook
- [“Notice to Quit” Blends Chaos, Intrigue, and Family Drama](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/notice-to-quit-blends-chaos-intrigue-and-family-drama) - Notice to Quit (Simon Hacker, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars In his feature film debut, Notice to Quit, director and writer Simon Hacker offers up the story of a particularly hot and stifling day in New York City. Andy (Michael Zegen, The Stand In), a harried and not-so-talented real-estate agent, feebly attempts to climb
- [“Megalopolis” Is a Mega Mess](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/megalopolis-is-a-mega-mess) - Megalopolis (Francis Ford Coppola, 2024) 1½ out of 5 stars Francis Ford Coppola, the celebrated auteur who made his name in the 1970s with such Hollywood New Wave classics as The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, The Conversation, and Apocalypse Now, is out with a new movie, Megalopolis, which he wrote as well as directed.
- [“Azrael” Uses Gore As Crutch](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/azrael-uses-gore-as-crutch) - Azrael (E.L. Katz, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars Samara Weaving (Ready or Not) plays the titular Azrael, a woman who has just escaped the clutches of a female-led cult of religious zealots. Azrael lives in a world where no one speaks a single word. She must survive on her own or be captured again
- [“Lee” Misses the Mark](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/lee-misses-the-mark) - Lee (Ellen Kuras, 2023) 2 out 5 stars American photographer Lee Miller played an important role in documenting both military activities and Nazi atrocities during World War II, even if her work remained largely unknown during her lifetime. After her death, at 70, in 1977, her son, Antony Penrose, discovered her long-hidden treasure trove of
- ["Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal" Bewitches](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/breaking/out-there-crimes-of-the-paranormal-bewitches) - Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal (Mark Duplass/Jay Duplass, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars There is a plethora of cold cases around the world left untouched for decades. This is nothing new, and many TV shows have taken advantage of these and attempted to explore them further. Many of such cases have spawned wild
- [Victoria reviews "Anatomy of a Scandal"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/victoria-alexander/anatofscandal) - Another standardized Kelley production with enough twists to keep one watching. I’ll admit it. I binged on all of ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL in one sitting. Based on the novel by Sarah Vaughan, it is another David E. Kelley production. I’m also watching his series BIG SKY (only because I love Lagertha). Kelley’s outrageous productivity
- [TIFF Interview: Anastasiia Bortuali and Dmitrii Novoseltsev of "Temporary Shelter"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/tiff-interview-anastasiia-bortuali-and-dmitrii-novoseltsev-of-temporary-shelter) - First-time filmmaker Anastasiia Bortuali just premiered her documentary Temporary Shelter at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival—aka TIFF—where I reviewed it. The movie follows her journey out of Ukraine after Russia invaded her homeland in early 2022. She, along with family members and compatriots, chose the island nation of Iceland as their destination, finding a
- [“Wolfs” Succeeds When Stars Shine](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/wolfs-succeeds-when-stars-shine) - Wolfs (Jon Watts, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars For the last several decades, the idea of the “fixer” has been accepted as commonplace in modern media: a meticulous lone wolf who is the best there is at making things go away, as seen in films like La Femme Nikita or Pulp Fiction. In his
- ["The Featherweight" Breaks No New Ground](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-featherweight-breaks-no-new-ground) - The Featherweight (Robert Kolodny, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars Robert Kolodny’s The Featherweight delivers a mockumentary following one of the most accomplished featherweight boxing champions of our time. Starring James Madio (Boon) as that boxer, Willie Pep (a real-life figure), the story starts with him at the top, with a decorated career and about
- [TIFF Interview: Gabrielle Brady of “The Wolves Always Come at Night”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/tiff-interview-gabrielle-brady-of-the-wolves-always-come-at-night) - Documentarian Gabrielle Brady (Island of the Hungry Ghosts) has a new film out, The Wolves Always Come at Night, which just premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival—aka TIFF—where I reviewed it. The movie is made using hybrid fiction/non-fiction techniques, with the primary subjects, Davaasuren Dagvasuren (Davaa) and Otgonzaya Dashzeveg (Zaya), working with Brady
- [TIFF Review: "The Wolves Always Come at Night"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-the-wolves-always-come-at-night) - The Wolves Always Come at Night (Gabrielle Brady, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars There are many causes for concern on our 21st-century planet, foremost among them the increasing disruptions caused by climate change. Beyond the existential threats to the human race, there is the seemingly less consequential (on the surface, if not in reality)
- [TIFF Review: “Santosh”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-santosh) - Santosh (Sandhya Suri, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Director Sandhya Suri (Around India with a Movie) moves into narrative filmmaking with Santosh, her fiction debut. The titular lead character is a woman forced to navigate the patriarchal demands of the workplace after her husband, a constable, is killed during a riot. At risk of
- ["Subservience" Replicates](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/subservience-replicates) - Subservience (S.K. Dale, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars In an age of artificial intelligence, director S.K. Dale introduces the latest idea of a world where A.I. beings walk among us. Sound familiar? That is because Subservience introduces the familiar concept of machines gone wrong, and the dangers of tampering with technological forces beyond our
- ["Speak No Evil" Mixes Fright and Fun](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/speak-no-evil-mixes-fright-and-fun) - Speak No Evil (James Watkins, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars James McAvoy is at it again. The Scottish actor has stepped into yet another unsettling, uber-creepy role. I myself first discovered McAvoy in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as Mr. Tumnus. I also appreciate his role as the
- [McKellen and Arterton Save “The Critic”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/mckellen-and-arterton-save-the-critic) - The Critic (Anand Tucker, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars Ian McKellen, an acting giant of stage and screen, fills the shoes of Jimmy Erskine, a powerful 1930s London-based theatre critic in Anand Tucker’s new thriller, The Critic. McKellen’s Erskine is a man with flamboyant tastes who takes immense pleasure in savagely destroying any actor
- [“Girls Will Be Girls” Finds Honesty in Uncomfortable Moments](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/girls-will-be-girls-finds-honesty-in-uncomfortable-moments) - Girls Will Be Girls (Shuchi Talati, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars In choosing the title for Girls Will Be Girls, writer/director Shuchi Talati (A Period Piece) takes a well-known phrase designed to excuse young men’s unruly behavior and flips it on its head. You will be pleased to learn that this is an apt
- ["Here After" Intrigues a Bit Too Late](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/here-after-intrigues-a-bit-too-late) - Here After (Robert Salerno, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars A scenario that seems to be on the rise lately in the horror world is that of the “back from the dead” person. In this situation, someone important to the main character (usually their child) dies, but only for a short bit of time, and
- [“Beetlejuice 2” Is a Funny Mess](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/beetlejuice-2-is-a-funny-mess) - Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Tim Burton, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars Tim Burton and Michael Keaton, arguably Burton’s muse before Johnny Depp, reunite to take audiences back to the deranged, colorful and surprisingly corporate afterlife in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Keaton returns as the ghost with the most, Beetlejuice, and his undying love for Lydia Deetz, played again
- [TIFF Review: “Temporary Shelter”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-temporary-shelter) - Temporary Shelter (Anastasiia Bortuali, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to widespread trauma inside the latter country, once linked to its larger neighbor through empire. Actually, the first large-scale Slavic state was centered in Kiev (now the capital of Ukraine), though in the centuries following the downfall of Kievan
- [TIFF Review: "The Seed of the Sacred Fig"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-the-seed-of-the-sacred-fig) - The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Mohammad Rasoulof, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars It’s one thing to suffer for your art; it’s something else entirely to put your life and freedom on the line. Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof (There Is No Evil) was sentenced to 8 years in prison, with flogging on top of
- [TIFF Review: "Mistress Dispeller"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-mistress-dispeller) - Mistress Dispeller (Elizabeth Lo, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars There is a profession in China known as a “mistress dispeller,” where the role is to end a romantic affair that a husband is having outside of marriage. If done well, the business is concluded without undue drama, though feelings will most certainly be hurt.
- [10 Films to See at TIFF 2024](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/10-films-to-see-at-tiff-2024) - The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (or TIFF) runs September 5-15. It’s the 49th edition of the event (the 50th anniversary next year should be amazing). Once again, I am on the ground for the first four days (and then some). With 278 films to choose from, it’s hard to know what to see. Below,
- [“Out Come the Wolves” Satisfies](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/out-come-the-wolves-satisfies) - Out Come the Wolves (Adam MacDonald, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Nothing says the great outdoors like being attacked by a group of hungry, territorial wolves. Such is the catalyst for Adam MacDonald’s Out Come the Wolves, which profiles a struggle for survival in the wilderness between a newly engaged couple Sophie (Missy Peregrym,
- ["The Wasp" Withholds Its Sting](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-wasp-withholds-its-sting) - The Wasp (Guillem Morales, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars Has a friend ever asked you how much money it would take for you to do something unbelievable? Have they proposed a preposterous scenario, wondering what amount of financial gain would make you embark on a ridiculous task? As kids, this was often a commonplace
- [“Lore” Pleasantly Surprises](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/lore-pleasantly-surprises) - Lore (James Bushe/Patrick Michael Ryder/Greig Johnson, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars Do you enjoy sitting around a campfire sharing scary stories? Most of us have likely partaken in this age-old camping tradition. The atmosphere of being in the middle of the woods at night lends itself to the occasion. But what if you would
- [Absurdity and Romance Shine in “The Becomers”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/absurdity-and-romance-shine-in-the-becomers) - The Becomers (Zach Clark, 2023) 4 out of 5 stars The Becomers is an absurdist tale of love and assimilation that defies common expectations and categorization. Writer/director Zach Clark (Little Sister) takes the familiar concept of extraterrestrials emigrating to Earth (à la District 9and Alien Nation) and adds intentional awkwardness and weirdness, to outstanding effect.The
- [Elliot Page Makes “Close to You” Work](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/elliot-page-makes-close-to-you-work) - Close to You (Dominic Savage, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars In wintery small-town Canada, Sam visits home for one of the first times since transitioning to a man. While he feels more himself than ever, he must reassert his identity while his well-meaning family offers clumsy support and unpack the years that led up
- [“Alien: Romulus” Mostly Awes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/alien-romulus-mostly-awes) - Alien: Romulus (Fede Alvarez, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars With a chilling new take on Evil Dead and the fresh and original Don’t Breathe under his belt, director Fede Alvarez now tackles one of the most acclaimed sci-fi horror franchises in cinema. Alien: Romulus squeezes itself in on the timeline between the original Alien
- [“It Ends with Us” Needs Pruning](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/it-ends-with-us-needs-pruning) - It Ends with Us (Justin Baldoni, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars Armed with the power of BookTok and Taylor Swift, It Ends with Us—the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 smash hit—is perfectly primed to become your next girl’s night out. And with its likable stars, engaging storytelling, and dramatic twists and turns, it’s a
- [“Longlegs” Offers Fresh Retro Horror](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/longlegs-offers-fresh-retro-horror) - Longlegs (Oz Perkins, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars Arriving in time to deliver a cool thrill during the hot summer, director Oz Perkins’ Longlegs is one of the best horror films to incorporate crime and drama into its principal story since The Silence of the Lambs. The movie is chilling at times, surreal at
- [Film Review: Powerful “Parasite” Offers Class Parable for Our Time](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-powerful-parasite-offers-class-parable-for-our-time) - Parasite (Bong Joon-ho, 2019) 4 out of 4 stars. Parasite, from South Korean director Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer), is a film with, and about, many layers. A parable about the wages of capitalist sins masquerading as a story of a long con, it goes about its initial business with great cinematic guile, setting up the gut
- [Horror Gives Way to Drama in "The Beast Within"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/horror-gives-way-to-drama-in-the-beast-within) - The Beast Within (Alexander J. Farrell, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars Director Alexander Farrell’s latest film gives a new spin to a popular horror trope, updating the classic concept of lycanthropy and giving it a dramatic, intimate tone. The Beast Within introduces Kit Harington (Eternals) as a husband and father by day, but something much
- ["Join or Die" Makes the Case, If Not for Itself](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/join-or-die-makes-the-case-if-not-for-itself) - Join or Die (Pete Davis/Rebecca Davis, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars Could the key to America’s most unsolvable problems be as straightforward as joining a club? A quarter of a century ago, Robert Putnam’s 2000 book Bowling Alone argued just that. Examining the decline of community connection since the 1960s, Putnam urged Americans to
- ["Fly Me to the Moon" Launches Well](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/fly-me-to-the-moon-launches-well) - Fly Me to the Moon (Greg Berlanti, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars On the upcoming July 16, it will have been 55 years since the Apollo 11 mission set off into space. The year was 1969, and on July 20, two of the three astronauts—Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin—became the first humans to set
- [“Lumina” Brings Heavy Drama to Sci-Fi](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/lumina-brings-heavy-drama-to-sci-fi) - Lumina (Gino McKoy, 2024) 2 out of 5 stars Writer/director Gino McKoy promises a sci-fi/horror blend, delving into the world of alien abduction with commentary on conspiracies and how much we can trust our own government. Lumina follows a group of friends looking for a missing member of their group, after a house party is
- [“Mother, Couch” Needs a Better Pattern](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/mother-couch-needs-a-better-pattern) - Mother, Couch (Niclas Larsson, 2023) 2 out of 5 stars Swedish writer/director Niclas Larsson makes his feature debut with Mother, Couch. It’s an adaptation of author Jerker Virdborg’s 2020 novel Mamma i soffa. Throughout the movie, Larsson demonstrates a strong aesthetic in both his mise-en-scène and the actors’ performances. Unfortunately, much of these skills are
- ["Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/breaking/mastermind-to-think-like-a-killer) - Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer (Abigail Fuller, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Notorious serial killers have terrified and riveted Americans for decades. Household names such as Ted Bundy and Ed Kemper live in infamy for the crimes they committed. The mere mention of those folks and others sends a shiver down our spines.
- [“Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” Leans into Nostalgia](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/beverly-hills-cop-axel-f-leans-into-nostalgia) - Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (Mark Molloy, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars The first Beverly Hills Cop movie came out in 1984, and was the top grosser of the year. Starring Eddie Murphy as maverick cop Axel Foley, the film cemented the actor as one of the decade’s megastars. It was followed in 1987
- [Tribeca Review: “The Gullspång Miracle” Probes Deep Mysteries](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tribeca-review-the-gullspang-miracle-probes-deep-mysteries) - The Gullspång Miracle (Maria Fredriksson, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. When Norwegian sisters Kari and May go on the hunt for a house to buy in Gullspång, Sweden (where Kari already lives), they are shocked to discover that the realtor looks exactly like their deceased older sister would were she still alive. Dead from
- ["Kinds of Kindness" Never Quite Gels](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/kinds-of-kindness-never-quite-gels) - Kinds of Kindness (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars With a single exception—The Killing of a Sacred Deer—I have until now thoroughly enjoyed the films of Yorgos Lanthimos, including the two examples from his Greek period I’ve seen, Dogtooth and Alps. A master of the bizarre, he has often explored a clear obsession
- [“A Quiet Place: Day One” Excels](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/a-quiet-place-day-one-triumphs) - A Quiet Place: Day One (Michael Sarnoski, 2024) 5 out of 5 stars Before the world went quiet in 2018’s A Quiet Place, something catastrophic occured to cause those events. We’ve seen flashes of this and heard anecdotes about exactly what happened on the day that would change the world forever, but it was never
- [Sweet “Thelma” Delivers Offbeat Charm](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sweet-thelma-delivers-offbeat-charm) - Thelma (Josh Margolin, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Based on what we see during Thelma’s end credits—offering the real-life footage that inspired this story—writer/director Josh Margolin (marking his feature debut) loves his grandmother. And if she’s anything like the titular character here, played by June Squibb (The Humans), there’s a lot to love. She
- [Quirky “Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person” Engages but Still Needs Something More](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/quirky-humanist-vampire-seeking-consenting-suicidal-person-engages-but-still-needs-something-more) - Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (Ariane Louis-Seize, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars A film titled Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person with a runtime of a little over 90 minutes offers a lot of condensed narrative promise. French director Ariane Louis-Seize (making her feature debut) tackles sensitive topics like depression and suicide while
- [“The Bikeriders” Numbs the Mind](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-bikeriders-numbs-the-mind) - The Bikeriders (Jeff Nichols, 2024) 1½ out of 5 stars From 1963 to 1967, photojournalist Danny Lyon embedded himself with the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club, taking pictures of, and recording interviews with, the club (more like a gang) members. In 1968, he published the result of all that hands-on research in a photobook entitled The
- [That’s a Wrap at DC/DOX 2024](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/thats-a-wrap-at-dc-dox-2024) - As advertised in my curtain raiser last week, I attended some of the second iteration of the new DC/DOX film festival in Washington, DC, catching a total of six features. I reviewed one of them in full: Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. Here are my brief thoughts on the other films I watched at the
- [“Queen Rising” Never Soars](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/queen-rising-never-soars) - Queen Rising (Princeton James, 2023) 1½ out of 5 stars For any low-budget movie to exist, there has to have almost certainly been a respectable amount of passion and dedication that drove it forward. Queen Rising, the debut film of Memphis filmmaker Princeton James, is undeniably an example of such passion. It centers on Madison,
- [Tribeca Review: “Antidote”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tribeca-review-antidote) - Antidote (James Jones, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars The reasons behind Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s rise are not that complicated. The 1990s were a time of extreme economic chaos and deep social anxiety in the dissolved Soviet Union’s republics. For countries on the periphery that had long chafed at Russian domination, dating back to the
- [DC/DOX Review: “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/dc-dox-review-super-man-the-christopher-reeve-story) - Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Ian Bonhôte/Peter Ettedgui, 2024) 5 out of 5 stars To those of us who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, actor Christopher Reeve will forever be our Man of Steel. Born in 1952, he was but 26 when the first major studio film with a superhero at its center—the
- [Efira Shines in “Just the Two of Us”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/efira-shines-in-just-the-two-of-us) - Just the Two of Us (Valérie Donzelli, 2023) 3½ out of 5 stars There is truly not much that Belgian-French actress Virginie Efira cannot do. In movies such as Paul Verhoeven’s Benedetta, Rebecca Zlotowski’s Other People’s Children, and Alice Winocour’s Revoir Paris, all released in the last 3 years, she has demonstrated wide-ranging skill in
- [“Latency” Leaves Much to Be Desired](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/latency-leaves-much-to-be-desired) - Latency (James Croke, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars In an ever-evolving technological world, James Croke’s first feature film, Latency, plays with the idea of virtual reality gone awry, exploring the physical and psychological repercussions of letting a machine into your mind and body. The story follows professional gamer Hana (Sasha Luss, Sheroes), an expert
- [“Inside Out 2” Teaches Via Familiarity](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/inside-out-2-teaches-via-familiarity) - Inside Out 2 (Kelsey Mann, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars When Pixar released the first Inside Out film in 2015, I was amazed by how Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen were able to visually simplify the importance of intermingling of emotions to an audience under the age of 12. While I am not
- [Five Films to See at DC/DOX 2024](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/five-films-to-see-at-dc-dox-2024) - DC/DOX returns for Round 2, running June 13-16 in its sophomore iteration. Last year’s fest featured a terrific variety of films from around the globe. This year promises to do the same. According to a May 1 press release, there are 51 full-length movies and 47 short films “from 17 countries, with 12 World Premieres,
- [Tribeca Review: “America’s Burning”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tribeca-review-americas-burning) - America’s Burning (David Smick, 2024) 1 out of 5 stars The United States of America feels more divided than ever, with people on the right and left of the political spectrum at each other’s throats. Would that we could all come together and be, as our country’s aspirational name requests, unified around a common mission.
- [Tribeca Review: “The Devil’s Bath”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tribeca-review-the-devils-bath) - The Devil’s Bath (Severin Fiala/Veronika Franz, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Not for the faint of heart, The Devil’s Bath, from the filmmaking pair Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz (The Lodge), is set in Upper Austria in 1750, a time and place where religion and superstition co-exist in feverish fellowship. The opening alone proves
- [Tribeca Review: “Shelf Life”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tribeca-review-shelf-life) - Shelf Life (Ian Cheney, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Cheese has been with us, in all its delightful shapes, smells, and flavors, for millennia, and although its exact origins remain unknown, what is not a mystery is how almost every region of the world has developed specific specialties. This is especially remarkable if we
- [Tribeca Review: "The Dog Thief"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tribeca-review-the-dog-thief) - The Dog Thief (Vinko Tomičić Salinas, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars A quiet, unpredictable tale about an orphaned teenager looking for a father figure, Chilean writer/director Vinko Tomičić Salinas’ The Dog Thief sets up a fraught situation that it refuses to completely resolve, as homage perhaps to the Italian Neorealist tropes so clearly references
- [Tribeca Review: "Checkpoint Zoo"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tribeca-review-checkpoint-zoo) - Checkpoint Zoo (Joshua Zeman, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars Animals and children are the ultimate innocents, and seeing them suffer or die usually raises the stakes of any narrative where they feature. Time and again, those of us who think and write about movies hear from others how deeply the death of an animal
- [“Heart of an Oak” Technologically Wows](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/heart-of-an-oak-technologically-wows) - Heart of an Oak (Laurent Charbonnier/Michel Seydoux, 2022) 4 out of 5 stars Most people today need to heed the concept of a world within a world. While we march, sidestep, and weave through the simultaneous minutiae and complexities of our universe, we can forget that there is another world dimension of complexity, dangers, and
- [Five Films to See at Tribeca 2024](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/five-films-to-see-at-tribeca-2024) - This year’s Tribeca Film Festival will take place from June 5 to June 16. The program showcases well over 100 feature films, including 86 world premieres. It’s the 23rd iteration of this annual event that was founded in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on lower Manhattan. I’ve been fortunate to see a number
- [“Guy Friends” Offers Feminist Fable](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/guy-friends-offers-feminist-fable) - Guy Friends (Jonathan Smith, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Jonathan Smith’s newest film tackles the ultimate dilemma for women: how the heck does a woman deal with her guy friends? When Jaime (Kavita Jariwala) and her boyfriend, Patrick (Michael Dahlgren), decide to take a break from each other, Jaime’s numerous male friends waste no
- [“In a Violent Nature” Slashes POV](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/in-a-violent-nature-slashes-pov) - In a Violent Nature (Chris Nash, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars Slasher films are a dime a dozen and have been for quite some time. They were all the rage way back in the 1970s and ‘80s with franchises like Halloween and Friday the 13th popularizing the unstoppable, undead killer trope. Most of these
- [“American Mileage” Is a Wild and Panoramic Ride](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/american-mileage-is-a-wild-and-panoramic-ride) - American Mileage (Tim Hardiman, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars While the expression “one-man band” can often be used in a general, even metaphorical manner, nomadic busker Cam Cole is the real deal. The new documentary American Mileage showcases the musician’s rise to notoriety, dabbles in his backstory, and chronicles his tour through the American
- [“The Young Wife” Cries Empty Tears](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-young-wife-cries-empty-tears) - The Young Wife (Tayarisha Poe, 2023) 2 out of 5 stars A work of evident artistic ambition and some occasional flashes of visual wit to match, The Young Wife nevertheless suffers from the cinematic sin of over-intellectualizing the mundane. The protagonist is a bride-to-be experiencing doubts about not only her marriage but her place in
- [In Memoriam: Morgan Spurlock](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/in-memoriam-morgan-spurlock) - When I heard about the passing of documentarian Morgan Spurlock* (Super Size Me), the first thing that came to mind was that here’s another example of the good dying young. I first met Morgan at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. He was very approachable. I found him to be a cool, down-to-earth
- [“The Garfield Movie” Is a Bit Cheesy](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-garfield-movie-is-a-bit-cheesy) - The Garfield Movie (Mark Dindal, 2024) 2 out of 5 stars Mark Dindal’s The Garfield Movie had some major shoes to fill. Revisiting such a classic set of characters and putting a modern spin on their antics to adapt to today’s young audiences is now a common move in Hollywood, but a bold one, nonetheless.
- [“Furiosa” Commands the Screen](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/furiosa-commands-the-screen) - Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (George Miller, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars You’d be forgiven if, upon hearing that a film runs 148 minutes, you emit a low growl of apprehension. Fortunately, director George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga—a prequel to his 2015 Mad Max: Fury Road—only begins to lose some kind of
- [Maryland Film Festival Review: “Sujo”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/maryland-film-festival-review-sujo) - Sujo (Astrid Rondero/Fernanda Valadez, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars It’s not easy to escape the tyranny of tribal loyalties. “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in,” laments Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part III. His fate—or that of his family—is pretty much sealed by previous misdeeds. There’s
- [“House of Screaming Glass” Fails to Make Impact](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/house-of-screaming-glass-fails-to-make-impact) - House of Screaming Glass (David R. Williams, 2024) 1½ out of 5 stars An endearing quality found in a horror film is the ability to create terrifying frights with little to no money; it might as well be a cornerstone of the genre. John Carpenter redefined the slasher subgenre with Halloween and that film had
- [“Back to Black” Needs Rehab](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/back-to-black-needs-rehab) - Back to Black (Sam Taylor-Johnson, 2024) 1½ out of 5 stars If you want to watch a compelling biopic about the late, great singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, I can recommend, with all my heart, the Oscar-winning 2015 documentary by Asif Kapadia, Amy. Unfortunately, the new dramatization of her life, Back to Black, starring relative newcomer Marisa
- [“Nightwatch: Demons are Forever” Ups the Ante](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/nightwatch-demons-are-forever-ups-the-ante) - Nightwatch: Demons are Forever (Ole Bornedal, 2023) 3½ out of 5 stars A sequel 30 years in the making, Nightwatch: Demons are Forever sees Danish filmmaker Ole Bornedal return as writer and director several decades after the original 1994 film’s release. Bornedal also directed an English-language remake with the same title only three years later,
- [“Mind Body Spirit” Is Lacking](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/mind-body-spirit-is-lacking) - Mind Body Spirit (Alex Henes/Matthew Merenda, 2023) 2½ out of 5 stars Namaste, movie goers! A new horror film rolls out this spring, promising to unite the invigorating powers of meditation and yoga with the forces of supernatural evil. In Mind Body Spirit, their feature debut, directors Alex Henes and Matthew Merenda tell the story
- [Worlds Collide in "Evil Does Not Exist"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/worlds-collide-in-evil-does-not-exist) - Evil Does Not Exist (Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Japanese director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi returns to the screen with his first film after the lovely 2021 Drive My Car. And though Evil Does Not Exist never reaches the same cinematic heights as its predecessor, many treasures still await inside this fable of a
- [“The Fall Guy” Is a Fun Mess](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-fall-guy-is-a-fun-mess) - The Fall Guy (David Leitch, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars Stuntman-turned-director David Leitch (Bullet Train) gives us the movie he seems born to direct with The Fall Guy. This romantic action-comedy centers on Colt Seavers, an injured Hollywood stunt performer, as he attempts to rekindle a relationship with his former fling, Jody, by being
- [“Jeanne du Barry” Remains a Cipher](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/jeanne-du-barry-remains-a-cipher) - Jeanne du Barry (Maïwenn, 2023) 2 out of 5 stars The French do costume dramas well. Given the nicely preserved locations from their past, it’s no wonder that period pieces seem to come so easily. Still, there’s more to making an engaging work of cinema than merely placing it within an accurately reproduced historical backdrop.
- [Maryland Film Festival Celebrates 25](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/maryland-film-festival-celebrates-25) - After a hiatus in 2023, the Maryland Film Festival (MdFF) returns in 2024 to celebrate its 25th anniversary, running May 2-5. On offer is a great variety of content, from shorts and feature-length films (new and older) to VR, AR, games, and more. It should make for an exciting mix of options for any and
- [“Infested” Offers Sick Thrills](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/infested-offers-sick-thrills) - Infested (Sébastien Vanicek, 2023) 3½ out of 5 stars Spiders are a vital part of our ecosystem, and in recent years I have fought against my earlier tendencies to kill them inside the home. Still, I wish they could avoid building webs across my walkway, as there’s something particularly unsettling about stepping through those sticky
- [“Max Beyond” Is Thrilling If Clunky](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/max-beyond-is-thrilling-if-clunky) - Max Beyond (Hasraf Dulull, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars As feature films based on video games continue to proliferate, director Hasraf “HAZ” Dulull (2036 Origin Unknown) deviates from the mainstream trend to bring a cinematic rendition of a more obscure but fascinating such game. The movie takes place in the distant future, where a
- [“Abigail” Delights with Jokes and Gore](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/abigail-delights-with-jokes-and-gore) - Abigail (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin/Tyler Gillett, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, two founding members of the filmmaking collective Radio Silence, bring their unique blend of light-hearted laughs and splattering gore to the unhinged delight of their newest film, Abigail. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett (Ready or Not) put us into the perspective
- [“Dusk for a Hitman” Mostly Hits Target](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/dusk-for-a-hitman-mostly-hits-target) - Dusk for a Hitman (Raymond St-Jean, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars The hitman phenomenon keeps on churning as more and more films involving assassins come out year after year. Audiences can’t seem to get enough of taking an inside look into one of the vilest professions in the world. While many of these films
- [Interview with “Sting” Director Kiah Roache-Turner](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-sting-director-kiah-roache-turner) - Kiah Roache-Turner, a filmmaker who is no stranger to blood and guts, dabbles in the tried-and-true, and always entertaining, genre of the creature feature. His new film, Sting (which I reviewed last week), employs the terror of both arachnophobia and claustrophobia with a giant spider running amok in a rundown apartment building. I had the
- [So-So Beats Weaken “The Greatest Hits”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/so-so-beats-weaken-the-greatest-hits) - The Greatest Hits (Ned Benson, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars Letting go of the past is never easy, especially where trauma is involved. It becomes even harder when certain triggers plunge us back into previous memories, preventing us from recovering and moving on. This is the dilemma that Harriet, the protagonist of The Greatest
- [“Sting” Offers Compelling Allegory](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sting-offers-compelling-allegory) - Sting (Kiah Roache-Turner, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars The killer shark is never just a shark. The unstoppable alien loose in a spaceship is never just an alien. And the giant spider that is roaming within the walls of an apartment building in Kiah Roache-Turner’s creature feature, Sting, is not just a giant spider.
- [“The Beast” Has No Bite](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-beast-has-no-bite) - The Beast (Bertrand Bonello, 2023) 2 out of 5 stars Inspired by Henry James’ 1903 novella The Beast in the Jungle, French director Bertrand Bonello’s The Beast follows a star-crossed couple through time and space as they manage to never quite consummate their relationship. A meditation on love, loneliness, the meaning of emotion and our
- [“Civil War” Delivers Dark Thrills](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/civil-war-delivers-dark-thrills) - Civil War (Alex Garland, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars As usual for an Alex Garland film, there are ideas aplenty in Civil War, and many finely wrought cinematic sequences. Imagination is this director’s strong suit, along with an eye for complexity of character. Also the norm in a Garland (Annihilation) work, not everything quite
- [“Fallen Fruit” Is Relatable but Circular](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/fallen-fruit-is-relatable-but-circular) - Fallen Fruit (Chris Molina, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars Fallen Fruit, the feature film debut of director/writer Chris Molina, tells a familiar coming-of-age tale of heartbreak, identity, and the overall struggle of one’s early twenties. Alex (Ramiro Batista, Little Boxes), leaves New York after a shattering breakup with his boyfriend and moves back in
- [“Strictly Confidential” Ends Well](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/strictly-confidential-ends-well) - Strictly Confidential (Damian Hurley, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars Can you truly trust anyone around you? Even those closest to us that we think we know well could possibly be hiding a monumental, unrevealed truth. How do you really know if someone is who you think they are? It’s a scary train of thought
- [“Wicked Little Letters” Wins with Wit](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/wicked-little-letters-wins-with-wit) - Wicked Little Letters (Thea Sharrock, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars "This is more true than you'd think." So states an opening title card in Wicked Little Letters, the second film in a row out from director Thea Sharrock (on the heels of last week’s The Beautiful Game). Whether that text is more figurative than
- [“In the Land of Saints and Sinners” Surprisingly Satisfies](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/in-the-land-of-saints-and-sinners-surprisingly-satisfies) - In the Land of Saints and Sinners (Robert Lorenz, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars Liam Neeson (The Ice Road) is back at it again. He’s lived a dangerous life full of violence but is looking to finally settle down when an unfortunate incident calls him back to his roots. Using his very specific set
- [“The Beautiful Game” Scores a Win](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-beautiful-game-scores-a-win) - The Beautiful Game (Thea Sharrock, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars The Homeless World Cup, begun in 2003, is a week-long international football (aka soccer) tournament that offers homeless people an opportunity to represent their countries in much the same way that players do in that other, professional World Cup that takes place every four
- [“Godzilla x Kong” Has Cartoon Energy](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/godzilla-x-kong-has-cartoon-energy) - Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (Adam Wingard, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars When the official trailer for the newest entry in the Warner Brothers monster-movie series, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, dropped online on December 3, 2023, a passionate line of discourse permeated social-media sites. What tone should an iconic and cinematic
- [Caleb Landry Jones Shines in "DogMan"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/caleb-landry-jones-shines-in-dogman) - DogMan (Luc Besson, 2023) 3½ out of 5 stars The last film I saw by French sci-fi/action auteur Luc Besson was his 2017 Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. I did not like it. Nor did I particularly love his 2014 Lucy (though parts of the film have slightly grown on me since).
- [Uneven "The Shift" Is Still Powerful](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/uneven-the-shift-is-still-powerful) - The Shift (Brock Heasley, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars The Shift tells the story of Kevin Garner (Kristoffer Polaha, Jurassic World: Dominion), a man who has lived a happy, blessed life overall, in love with his beautiful wife Molly (Elizabeth Tabish, Honor Among Thieves). But when Kevin and Molly lose their first-born son, things
- [“Shirley” Suffers Defeat](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/shirley-suffers-defeat) - Shirley (John Ridley, 2024) 2 out of 5 stars Shirley Chisolm (1924-2005) was a woman of some impressive firsts: the first Black woman to be elected to Congress, in 1968 (representing New York’s 12th congressional district); and both the first African American to run for President via one of the two major parties, in 1972,
- ["You’ll Never Find Me” Induces Anxiety](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/youll-never-find-me-induces-anxiety) - You’ll Never Find Me (Josiah Allen/Indianna Bell, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars From a young age, most of us are taught to stay away from strangers. As life goes on, we may become a bit warmer to random folks around us, but many people are still wary to talk to people they don’t know.
- [SXSW Interview: Charlie Hamilton James and Jeff Wilson of "Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/sxsw-interview-charlie-hamilton-james-and-jeff-wilson-of-billy-molly-an-otter-love-story) - I love animal-rescue films, both short and feature-length. I am almost ashamed (but not really) to admit how much of an addict of the Dodo channel I have become. I am especially prone to watching tales of a cute animal getting a second chance at life. And now here comes Molly, an orphaned otter from
- [5 Films to Watch at SXSW 2024](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/5-films-to-watch-at-sxsw-2024) - It’s once more time for SXSW Film & TV, and I return to Austin, Texas, for part of the festival, which runs March 8-16. It’s a great place to be every year, showcasing not only films, but also episodic series and immersive experiences (as in VR, AR, XR, etc.). There’s also the concurrent music festival,
- [SXSW Review: "My Dead Friend Zoe"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sxsw-review-my-dead-friend-zoe) - My Dead Friend Zoe (Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars Director Kyle Hausmann-Stokes makes his feature debut with My Dead Friend Zoe, a poignant exploration of friendship and loss that also examines the many ways that post-traumatic stress disorder (aka PTSD) can manifest. With a strong and diverse ensemble—headlined by Sonequa Martin-Green (The Outside
- [“Shift” Entrances Until It Doesn’t](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/shift-entrances-until-it-doesnt) - Shift (Max Neace, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars A noir thriller taking place in a single location, Shift is the feature-directorial debut of Max Neace, who is also the writer. Neace previously worked on the producing side of things, with many roles as both associate producer and producer on a few films in the
- [“Knox Goes Away” Is Keaton Vs. Keaton](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/knox-goes-away-is-keaton-vs-keaton) - Knox Goes Away (Michael Keaton, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars There’s a certain cool confidence that few actors portray better than Michael Keaton (The Protégé). The paradoxical quality of careful effortlessness gives him what I imagine is an aspirational edge for many men his age. In his second directorial effort, Knox Goes Away, Keaton
- [SXSW Review: “Arcadian”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sxsw-review-arcadian) - Arcadian (Benjamin Brewer, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars Arcadian, the solo feature-directorial debut of Benjamin Brewer (The Trust), who also does many of the film’s visual effects (which he also created for the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once), has some pretty nifty monsters. Hidden, at first—known only by sound—they later reveal themselves in
- ["Remembering Gene Wilder" Offers Moving Tribute](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/remembering-gene-wilder-offers-moving-tribute) - Remembering Gene Wilder (Ron Frank, 2023) 4 out of 5 stars Gene Wilder was “an actor who had an ability to be funny,” says Carol Kane, one of the many interviewees in Remembering Gene Wilder. This film largely focuses on Wilder’s career, including his roles as an actor, comedian, and artist. Only a few specific
- [SXSW Review: “Magpie”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sxsw-review-magpie) - Magpie (Sam Yates, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars. Magpie, from director Sam Yates (making his feature debut) and actor-turned-screenwriter Tom Bateman (Death on the Nile), is the kind of film that takes its own cleverness very seriously. With a bold ending reveal meant to send shivers down the viewer’s spine, it twists and feints
- [Fascinating “The Animal Kingdom” Proves Moving](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/fascinating-the-animal-kingdom-proves-moving) - The Animal Kingdom (Thomas Cailley, 2023) 3½ out of 5 stars Right on the cusp of spring, director Thomas Cailley delivers a bizarre concept: a world where humans, seemingly selected at random, slowly turn into various types of animals. Humanity lives in a world where the normalization of such humans into “creatures”—half human, half animal—
- [SXSW Review: “She Looks Like Me”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sxsw-review-she-looks-like-me) - She Looks Like Me (Torquil Jones, 2024) 5 out of 5 stars Jennifer (or Jen) Bricker was raised in a loving family, with three older brothers, by parents who taught her that there was nothing she couldn’t do. Taking this lesson to heart, she has pursued her dreams and is now an acrobat and aerial
- [“Kung Fu Panda 4” Really, Really Tries](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/kung-fu-panda-4-really-really-tries) - Kung Fu Panda 4 (Mike Mitchell, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars Director Mike Mitchell has some distinguished titles under his belt: from Shrek Forever After to Trolls, Mitchell is no stranger to animation and what it takes to make a classic. Some of the most iconic elements of the Kung Fu Panda series are
- [“Cabrini” Is an Adequate Biopic](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/cabrini-is-an-adequate-biopic) - Cabrini (Alejandro Monteverde, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Following his controversial, yet powerful, 2023 film The Sound of Freedom, director Alejandro Monteverde dials back the polarizing content to bring us a much less charged narrative about a prominent Catholic figure. Cabrini follows the compelling story of Francesca Cabrini, an Italian nun who is sent
- [“Spaceman” Hits Home](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/spaceman-hits-home) - Spaceman (Johan Renck, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars Director Johan Renck’s Spaceman had a limited theatrical run for a week before its release on Netflix. The novel that inspired the film, entitled Spaceman of Bohemia (by Jaroslav Kalfar), centers around a Czech astronaut’s ambition and self-discovery while in solitude among the stars. Now, seven
- [“Dune: Part Two” Triumphs](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/dune-part-two-triumphs) - Dune: Part Two (Dennis Villeneuve, 2024) 4½ out of 5 stars Having been immensely pleased by the aesthetic, sound design, and visual wonders of Villeneuve’s Dune, I was absolutely wowed by the second installment. Villeneuve takes everything that worked from his first go-around and continues to build on his craft to make the second Dune
- [Ukrainian Spirit Endures in “Veselka”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/ukrainian-spirit-endures-in-veselka) - Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World (Michael Fiore, 2024) 5 out of 5 stars If you ever visit the popular New York City grub spot, Veselka, you will find a rich and delicious menu of Ukrainian cuisine. Director Michael Fiore (Floyd Norman: An Animated Life) and his cinematographer, Bill
- [“Drive-Away Dolls” Goes Astray](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/drive-away-dolls-goes-astray) - Drive-Away Dolls (Ethan Coen, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars Between 1984 and 2018, from Blood Simple to The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, brothers Joel and Ethan Coen made 18 feature-length films together. Since that last movie, they have worked separately on other projects. Among them have been Joel’s 2021 The Tragedy of Macbeth and
- [“Midnight Peepshow” Fails to Satisfy](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/midnight-peepshow-fails-to-satisfy) - Midnight Peepshow (Andy Edwards/Airell Anthony Hayles/Ludovica Musumeci/Jake West, 2022) 2 out of 5 stars Midnight Peepshow wants to be the piece of art that pushes boundaries of sexual fantasies, as depicted in the film, but these fantasies are comprised of nothing more than just the basic violence seen in gruesome slashers of yesteryear. In the
- [Sundance Review: “Animalia” Explores Unsettling Beauty](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-animalia-explores-unsettling-beauty) - Animalia (Sofia Alaoui, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Director Sofia Alaoui’s debut feature, Animalia, is often a deliriously enigmatic work of art, weaving in and out of direct confrontations with meaning in ways both tantalizing and frustrating. Buoyed by a gripping central performance from actress Oumaïma Barid, the movie places her character, Itto, in dire
- [Meditative “Onlookers” Mesmerizes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/meditative-onlookers-mesmerizes) - Onlookers (Kimi Takesue, 2023) 4 out of 5 stars A cross between a travelogue and a tone poem, director Kimi Takesue’s Onlookers takes the viewer on a journey through Laos, her camera capturing evocative images of a country that sits comfortably betwixt tradition and modernity. Tourists enjoy both tubing and temples, their vacations (as well
- ["Bob Marley: One Love" Somewhat Inspires](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/bob-marley-one-love-somewhat-inspires) - Bob Marley: One Love (Reinaldo Marcus Green, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars Unlike the majority of biopic films, which mostly follow a chronological sequence, Bob Marley: One Love launches the viewer right into the thick of the most influential part of its subject’s life, where Marley’s music and fame were strongest. Green makes a
- [Sundance Review: "Ibelin"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-ibelin) - Sundance review of IBELIN
- [Sundance Review: “Skywalkers: A Love Story”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-skywalkers-a-love-story) - Skywalkers: A Love Story (Jeff Zimbalist/Maria Bukhonina, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars Similar to the couple at its center, Skywalkers: A Love Story knows no bounds. This anxiety-inducing documentary delves into the world of “rooftopping,” the social-media-induced phenomenon where people attempt to scale tall structures to obtain the perfect photograph. It focuses on a Film review of Skywalkers: A Love Story
- [“Out of Darkness” Will Divide](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/out-of-darkness-will-divide) - Film review Out of Darkness
- ["Lisa Frankenstein" Unearths a Chuckle](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/lisa-frankenstein-unearths-a-chuckle) - Lisa Frankenstein (Zelda Williams, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars After working in shorts and music videos, director Zelda Williams makes her feature debut with Lisa Frankenstein, which premieres just in time for every couple’s favorite holiday. The film follows Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton, Freaky), a shy and reclusive high-school girl whose mother is murdered.
- [“The Monk and the Gun” Showcases Bhutan's Beauty](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-monk-and-the-gun-showcases-bhutans-beauty) - Christopher Llewellyn Reed film review of The Monk and the Gun
- [Sundance Review: “Power”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-power) - Power (Yance Ford, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars* With his 2017 documentary Strong Island, director Yance Ford announced himself as a filmmaker to watch. Combining the personal and the polemical, that movie featured a brilliant visual aesthetic to match its compelling thesis. As in his debut (and there has been more work since), Ford
- [Sundance Review: “Love Machina”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-love-machina) - Love Machina (Peter Sillen, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars* Martine and Bina Rothblatt (or MarBina, as they call themselves) have been married since 1982, and were in love long before then. They each have a child from a previous relationship and then two children together. Martine—a trans woman—is a serial entrepreneur, founding companies, among
- [Sundance Review: “A Real Pain”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-a-real-pain) - A Real Pain (Jesse Eisenberg, 2024) 5 out of 5 stars* While we’re all familiar with Jesse Eisenberg the actor, less of us are familiar with Jesse Eisenberg the writer and director. His 2022 film When You Finish Saving the World is a funny, charming, and underrated debut. His sophomore effort, A Real Pain, which
- [Hannah Tran’s Top 10 Films of 2022](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/hannah-trans-top-10-films-of-2022) - At the end of each year, I am earnestly taken aback by the amount of joy a year’s worth of movies were able to provide me. This year, perhaps, I feel this even more than usual. Ranging from a neo-Western alien movie to a cannibal love story to Hollywood’s largest blockbuster, the movies of 2022
- [Sundance Review: “Luther: Never Too Much”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-luther-never-too-much) - Luther: Never Too Much (Dawn Porter, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars* Multi-hyphenate pop star Luther Vandross (1951-2005) may have departed this Earth too soon, but he left behind a musical legacy that should last far beyond our own lifetimes. A prolific songwriter, he cut his teeth on Sesame Street and, later, TV jingles before
- [Bloated “Argylle” Needs Trimming](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/bloated-argylle-needs-trimming) - Argylle (Matthew Vaughn, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars* Overlong and overstuffed, Argylle nevertheless has enough enjoyable moments to sometimes help you forget the frequent mess within. Unfortunately, a mess it very much is, though it’s also occasionally good fun. With a top-notch cast and a few choice bon mots, there’s charm to spare. Perhaps
- [Story Mutes Beauty of "The Peasants"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/story-mutes-beauty-of-the-peasants) - The Peasants (DK Welchman/Hugh Welchman, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars* Much as with D.K. and Hugh Welchman’s 2017 animated marvel Loving Vincent, it’s impossible not to verbally acknowledge the sheer beauty and incomprehensible talent of the painters who transformed each frame of their new film, The Peasants, into breathtaking oil paintings. As Kamila Urzedowska’s
- [Sundance Review: "Sue Bird: In the Clutch"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-sue-bird-in-the-clutch) - Sue Bird: In the Clutch (Sarah Dowland, 2024) 2 out of 5 stars* If there is any question about whether Seattle Storms point guard Sue Bird is a basketball legend, the Sundance documentary Sue Bird: In the Clutch makes it clear. Sarah Dowland, making her feature directorial debut, creates a solid introduction to Bird’s life
- [Sundance Review: "Every Little Thing"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-every-little-thing) - Every Little Thing (Sally Aitken, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars* “All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all.” – Cecil Frances Alexander I may have long ago left my Episcopalian childhood behind, but the opening lines of Cecil Frances Alexander’s delightful,
- [Sundance Review: "Will & Harper"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-will-harper) - Will & Harper (Josh Greenbaum, 2024) 4½ out of 5 stars* For a festival known for its boundary-pushing documentaries, this year’s Sundance slate has been particularly impressive. One of the standouts was a simple and understated road-trip film about Will Ferrell and his longtime collaborator and friend Harper Steele, who came out as a trans
- [Sundance Review: "àma Gloria"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-ama-gloria) - àma Gloria (Marie Amachoukeli, 2023) 4 out of 5 stars* In àma Gloria, her solo-feature directorial debut, French filmmaker Marie Amachoukeli (Party Girl) creates an affecting meditation on love and loss, as seen through the eyes of its two central characters, the one a 6-year-old girl, the other a woman approaching middle age. Cléo is
- [“Book of Clarence” Revives Bible Epic](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/book-of-clarence-revives-bible-epic) - The Book of Clarence (Jeymes Samuel, 2023) 3½ out of 5 stars* Director Jeymes Samuel (The Harder They Fall) is no stranger to the use of satire, comedy, and wicked period detail to get his story across on the big screen. With his newest film, Samuel tackles the era of the Bible epic, parodying the
- [Victoria Reviews "Those Who Wish Me Dead"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/victoria-alexander/victoria-reviews-those-who-wish-me-dead) - It’s best seen at a movie theater. It’s Angelina Jolie’s return to films, though she has not been absent from the media. Wisely, with her epic dis-entanglement from her spouse followed with rapt interest and expensive multiple lawyers, she chose a starring role as a non-glamorous, ordinary, experienced smoke jumper. In director Taylor Sheridan’s adaptation
- ["Laced" Hooks You Despite Issues](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/laced-hooks-you-despite-issues) - Laced (Kyle Butenhoff, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars* Have you ever had the perfect plan? If so, has that plan ever fallen apart completely? Have even the loose ends you thought you tied up come back to haunt you? Or, worse, has an unexplained, external factor caused your ploy to go up in flames
- [TIFF Review: “Nanny” Proves Pointedly Poignant](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tiff-review-nanny-proves-pointedly-poignant) - Nanny (Nikyatu Jusu, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. Though Nikyatu Jusu’s debut feature, Nanny, sometimes strikes its messaging notes with a heavy hand, the film’s overall design and execution prove mostly mesmerizing. And even if the ending rushes through an unspeakable tragedy, inadvertently seeming to minimize its impact, the gravity of the central conflict
- [Matt Patti’s Top 10 Films of 2023](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/matt-pattis-top-10-films-of-2023) - 2023 is almost at a close, and as usual I’m always excited to reflect on the best films of the year. This was a very busy year in my personal life, so I had a lot of catching up to do near the end of it to make sure I was able to watch films
- [Film Review: "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" Webslings Its Way into Greatness](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-spider-man-into-the-spider-verse-webslings-its-way-into-greatness) - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Bob Persichetti/Peter Ramsey/Rodney Rothman, 2018) 4 out of 4 stars. Created in 1962 by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, Spider-Man has long been a mainstay of the Marvel Comics universe, changing over time in ways both large and small yet remaining mostly true to the central premise of an ordinary
- [Christopher Llewellyn Reed's Top 10 Films of 2023](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/christopher-llewellyn-reeds-top-10-films-of-2023) - This was a very good year for cinema, especially (to me) of the lower- and middle-budget variety. For some reason, the much-ballyhooed bigger movies of 2023 left me a little cold, even if I may have liked some of them well enough. Below you will find 10 films—as always, 5 documentaries and 5 fiction—taken from
- [Adam Vaughn’s Top 10 Films of 2023](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/adam-vaughns-top-10-films-of-2023) - What a tremendous year for cinema! As opposed to the past few years’ abundance of sequels, reboots, and continuations of already established franchises, in 2023 the most impactful storytelling was found in original adaptations. Towards the top of my list are renditions of powerful literature and historical figures, and towards the end are the numerous
- [Hannah Tran’s Top 10 Films of 2023](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/hannah-trans-top-10-films-of-2023) - This year was the perfect balance between film legends doing what they do best and newer talents giving us a few wonderful surprises. Many of my most anticipated films not only emerged as some of the year’s most popular, they also exceeded my expectations in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I’m surprised by how weighty
- [“The Color Purple” Sings Mixed Notes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-color-purple-sings-mixed-notes) - The Color Purple (Blitz Bazawule, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. Alice Walker’s 1982 novel The Color Purple was first adapted for the screen in 1985, courtesy of director Steven Spielberg. Then, in 2005, it made it to Broadway as a musical, written by Marsha Norman. Now, in 2023, the story comes to us once
- ["The Boys in the Boat" Wins Hearts](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-boys-in-the-boat-wins-hearts) - The Boys in the Boat (George Clooney, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. While George Clooney’s The Boys in the Boat, an adaptation of Daniel James Brown’s 2013 nonfiction book, offers nothing particularly novel in its approach to storytelling, the narrative is crafted with enough skill to engage throughout. A period piece set during America’s
- [“Aquaman 2” Copies and Pastes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/aquaman-2-copies-and-pastes) - Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom review
- ["The Iron Claw" Grips Us with Tragedy](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-iron-claw-grips-us-with-tragedy) - The Iron Claw (Sean Durkin, 2023) 3½ out of 4 stars. If The Iron Claw’s modern American tragedy of the Von Erich wrestling family wasn’t true, it would be unbelievable. In reality, director Sean Durkin (The Nest) cut out an entire member of the family to make their decline just slightly more palatable for the
- [Film Review: "Beautiful Boy"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-beautiful-boy-2) - Beautiful Boy (Felix Van Groeningan, 2018) 1½ out of 4 stars. Felix Van Groeningan’s biographical drama, Beautiful Boy, is one that blindly embodies the same shortcomings of its titular character: it continuously promises the audience of its potential but is invariably bogged down by its own inescapable cycle. That character, played by rising star Timothée
- [Adam Vaughn’s Top 10 Films of 2022](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/adam-vaughns-top-10-films-of-2022) - One of the most interesting things about 2022 is the vast wave of remakes, sequels, and reboots that have emerged. From films such as Halloween Ends and Scream 5, as well as the continuation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe into more of Phrase 4 with Thor: Love and Thunder and Dr. Strange: Multiverse of Madness,
- [“Poor Things” Offers Rich Feast](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/poor-things-offers-rich-feast) - Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Based on the eponymous 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray, Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos’ newest film, Poor Things, is filled with big ideas and spectacular production design. Throw in some fully committed performances from Emma Stone (Cruella), Mark Ruffalo (The Adam Project), Willem Dafoe (Gonzo Girl),
- [“Leave the World Behind” Fizzles Out](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/leave-the-world-behind-fizzles-out) - Leave the World Behind (Sam Esmail, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. There is a delightfully eerie atmosphere of defamiliarization in the first half of Sam Esmail’s Leave the World Behind that propels what is a slight narrative through many engaging twists and turns. Unfortunately, the eventual revelations about the central mystery prove less than
- [“The Boy and the Heron” Enchants](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-boy-and-the-heron-enchants) - The Boy and the Heron (Hayao Miyazaki, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. The godfather of Japanese animation, Hayao Miyazaki, is out of retirement with his twelfth film, The Boy and the Heron, an Alice in Wonderland-esque journey of a boy named Mahito, who goes to live with his aunt in the countryside after his
- ["Waitress: The Musical" Sings True](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/waitress-the-musical-sings-true) - Waitress: The Musical (Diane Paulus/Bret Sullivan, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Based on the late Adrienne Shelley's 2007 film of the same name, Waitress: The Musical began as a theater production in 2013, with music and lyrics written by Sara Bareilles, directed by Diane Paulus. Now comes a live recording of a handful of 2021 performances
- [Listless Writing Slows “Fast Charlie”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/listless-writing-slows-fast-charlie) - Fast Charlie (Phillip Noyce, 2023) 1½ out of 4 stars. The archetype of the hitman is experiencing a lucrative Hollywood renaissance. The fourth installment in the John Wick action series was released this spring and was met with a generous flow of critical and commercial success. There are many reasons behind this box-office triumph, but
- [Film Review: Gripping “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” Warns Against Dystopia](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-gripping-capital-in-the-twenty-first-century-warns-against-dystopia) - Capital in the Twenty-First Century (Justin Pemberton, 2019) 4 out of 4 stars. A rollicking journey through the history of capitalist exploitation of the working and middle classes, along with the rise and fall of safeguards against such exploitation by the financial elite, Justin Pemberton’s new documentary, Capital in the Twenty-First Century, takes a potentially
- [Actors in "May December" Entrance](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/actors-in-may-december-entrance) - May December (Todd Haynes, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. In 1997, 35-year-old grade-school teacher Mary Kay Letourneau was arrested for raping a 13-year-old former student of hers, Vili Fualaau. She gave birth to a child from that union later that spring, while still waiting to be sentenced. She would only serve 6 months for
- [“Mediha” Offers Healing from Trauma](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/mediha-offers-healing-from-trauma) - Mediha (Hasan Oswald, 2023) 3½ out of 4 stars. I would be lying if I said I didn’t have trauma fatigue when it comes to certain documentary subjects. But what is one viewer’s discomfort and exhaustion compared to real-world horror and its impact on survivors. Assuming I am not unique in my aversion to repeated
- [“Wish” Upon a Screenplay](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/wish-upon-a-screenplay) - Wish (Chris Buck/Fawn Veerasunthorn, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. The best part of the new Disney film, Wish, is its story. Though somewhat cobbled together from past films about plucky protagonists triumphing despite seemingly insurmountable odds, it features a strong central character and a three-dimensional villain. The narrative through line engages from start to
- ["Yours in Freedom, Bill Baird" Stirs](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/yours-in-freedom-bill-baird-stirs) - Yours in Freedom, Bill Baird (Rebecca Cammisa, 2023) 3½ out of 4 stars. Sometimes the best kind of biographical documentaries are the ones that introduce us to unsung heroes of the past. Though they may have been celebrated (or not) in their day, time has weakened their cultural prominence. What makes director Rebecca Cammisa’s newest
- [“Next Goal Wins” Warms the Heart](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/next-goal-wins-warms-the-heart) - Next Goal Wins (Taika Waititi, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Taika Waititi is a Maori-Jewish actor-director best known for his clever and comedic works, ranging from the dark comedy film Jojo Rabbit to the Marvel hit Thor: Ragnarok. Though his works tend to all be eclectic in their own right, what makes each of
- [Despite Obstacles, “Rustin” Succeeds](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/despite-obstacles-rustin-succeeds) - Rustin (George C. Wolfe, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. The first thing that most people no doubt recall when they think of the August 28, 1963, March on Washington is the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Spoken in front of 250,000 people, those words inspired many in
- [“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” Is Two-Thirds Excellent](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-hunger-games-the-ballad-of-songbirds-and-snakes-is-two-thirds-excellent) - The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Francis Lawrence, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. More than a decade after The Hunger Games was first brought to theater screens worldwide, a return to Panem is in store for those interested this fall. Though the original saga ended in 2015 with The Hunger Games:
- [“Shari & Lamb Chop” Is a Delight](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/shari-lamb-chop-is-a-delight) - Shari & Lamb Chop (Lisa D'Apolito, 2023) 3½ out of 4 stars. I am simultaneously too young and too old to have ever experienced Shari Lewis in her two television broadcast eras: from the late 1950s through early 1960s, and then from 1992 until her death from cancer in 1998 at the age of 65.
- ["Pay or Die" Enrages but Enlightens](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/pay-or-die-enrages-but-enlightens) - Pay or Die (Rachael Dyer/Scott Alexander Ruderman, 2023) 4 out of 4 stars. The cost of insulin has long plagued Type 1 diabetics in the United States. The substance vital to their survival is outlandishly priced, especially in comparison to other countries that offer the exact same quantity and quality. This disparity has made life
- ["Lucha: A Wrestling Tale" Wins Hearts](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/lucha-a-wrestling-tale-wins-hearts) - Lucha: A Wrestling Tale (Marco Ricci, 2024) 3½ out of 4 stars. In documentary cinema, there is a grand tradition of competition films, which follow teams or individuals on the road to transformational success, be it in sports or other arenas. Political-campaign movies are not dissimilar in their trajectories. Quite often, we follow the protagonist(s)
- [“Jezabel” Troubles and Tantalizes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/jezabel-troubles-and-tantalizes) - Jezabel (Hernán Jabes Águila, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. Hernán Jabes Águila’s ambitious film Jezabel unfolds against the tumultuous backdrop of 2017 Caracas, where affluent teenagers—Lolo, Cacá, Eli, and Alain—escape the boredom of their existence and the surrounding sociopolitical nightmare through a hedonist lifestyle of sex, drugs, and depraved games. Their world comes crashing
- [“Dream Scenario” Needs Less Nightmare](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/dream-scenario-needs-less-nightmare) - Dream Scenario (Kristoffer Borgli, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. There’s nothing wrong with Dream Scenario that a little Charlie Kaufman couldn’t fix. Writer/director Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself) has a fascinating premise and an initially strong development of it, but can’t write himself out of a desperate third act. And given that star Nicolas
- [“The Marvels” Does MCU No Favors](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-marvels-does-mcu-no-favors) - The Marvels (Nia DaCosta, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. After a recent lineage of less-than-desirable post-Endgame Marvel films, director Nia DaCosta (Candyman) and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) team continue the trend of producing mediocre narratives. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with The Marvels as a whole, one cannot help but think that DaCosta
- [“The Holdovers” Holds Back Excellence](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-holdovers-holds-back-excellence) - The Holdovers (Alexander Payne, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. Director Alexander Payne returns to the silver screen six years after his last film, the 2017 Downsizing, failed to garner much critical or audience support. This time, working off a script by David Hemingson (ABC’s Whiskey Cavalier series), he reunites with Paul Giamatti, star of
- [“The Loch Ness Horror” Drowns Itself](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-loch-ness-horror-drowns-itself) - The Loch Ness Horror (Tyler-James, 2023) 1½ out of 4 stars. The Loch Ness Monster has always been a fascinating mystery, not only to folks of Scotland but around the world in general. Something about that infamous eerie photo of a dinosaur-like creature in a lake in the Scottish Highlands has unnerved and intrigued people
- [“Nyad” Dives into Engaging Dramedy](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/nyad-dives-into-engaging-dramedy) - Nyad (Jimmy Chin/Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. A little over 35 years after her first attempt, Marathon swimmer Diana Nyad finally completed the 110-mile swim from Havana, Cuba, to Key West, Florida, which had long been a dream of hers. What she could not do at the age of 28, she
- [“Thunder” Is a Liberating Force](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/thunder-is-a-liberating-force) - Thunder (Carmen Jaquier, 2022) 4 out of 4 stars. Swiss writer/director Carmen Jaquier’s Thunder tackles a combination of subjects fraught with danger: teens, sexuality, and religion. Anytime faith and desire collide, there’s sure to be trouble. Add the further complication of youth, and suddenly one raises the stakes even higher. So many adults in our
- [“Divinity” Marvels in the Details](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/divinity-marvels-in-the-details) - Divinity (Eddie Alcazar, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Writer/director Eddie Alcazar (Perfect) has a lot of visual tricks up his cinematic sleeve in Divinity, a raucous black-and-white sci-fi film that is a showcase for experimental techniques used in the service of an elliptical narrative. With a strong cast fully committed to the experience, the
- [“Priscilla” Is Dramatically Inert](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/priscilla-is-dramatically-inert) - Priscilla (Sofia Coppola, 2023) 1½ out of 4 stars. The most dramatically riveting aspect of writer/director Sofia Coppola’s surprisingly inert new film, the biopic Priscilla (based on Priscilla Presley and Sandra Harmon’s 1985 book Elvis and Me), is how much of a complete creep it paints the “King of Rock N' Roll” to be. I
- [“Five Nights at Freddy’s” Isn’t What You Expect](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/five-nights-at-freddys-isnt-what-you-expect) - Five Nights at Freddy’s (Emma Tammi, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. Yet another popular video-game franchise heads to the big screen with director Emma Tammi’s Five Nights at Freddy’s. The game of the same name involves an overnight security guard working at an abandoned Chuck-E-Cheese-style restaurant and family-fun center. The guard soon finds that
- [“Saltburn” Rubs Itself into Our Wounds](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/saltburn-rubs-itself-into-our-wounds) - Saltburn (Emerald Fennell, 2023) 1½ out of 4 stars. In her second feature film, writer/director Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) crafts an occasionally fascinating and often frustrating hot mess of a movie. With shades of Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley series, it also manages to feel derivative, what originality it offers overshadowed by familiarity. Despite these shortcomings,
- [“Deep Rising“ Offers Few Solutions](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/deep-rising-offers-few-solutions) - Deep Rising (Matthieu Rytz, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. Who owns the sea? This is the interrogative statement voiced by Jason Momoa (Aquaman) while fantastical footage of undersea life fills the screen in Matthieu Rytz’s second environmentally conscious documentary (following the 2018 Anote’s Ark), Deep Rising. As countries around the world try to figure
- [Film Review: "Can You Ever Forgive Me" (For Liking This So Much)?](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-can-you-ever-forgive-me-for-liking-this-so-much) - Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Marielle Heller, 2018) 4 out of 4 stars. Oh, what it would be like to be one of the greats. It’s a feeling that most artists have probably wondered to themselves at some point or other. The allure of achieving a godlike status in your creative endeavors and the apparent
- [Demons Go Viral in "When Evil Lurks"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/demons-go-viral-in-when-evil-lurks) - When Evil Lurks (Demián Rugna, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Argentinian writer/director Demián Rugna is back at it again. Rugna thrust himself into the limelight with his paranormal horror film Terrified, which won Best Picture in the “horror features competition” at Fantastic Fest in 2017. He returned to America’s largest genre festival this year
- [“The Taste of Things” Savors Time](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-taste-of-things-savors-time) - The Taste of Things (Trần Anh Hùng, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. The Vietnamese-French director Trần Anh Hùng returns to the screen after a seven-year hiatus with The Taste of Things (in French, “La passion de Dodin Bouffant"), for which he also wrote the screenplay. The central character, Dodin Bouffant, is inspired by Marcel
- [“The Zone of Interest” Loses Interest](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-zone-of-interest-loses-interest) - The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. Possibly the most interesting aspect of writer/director Jonathan Glazer’s new film, The Zone of Interest, is how little it has in common with its ostensible source text, Martin Amis’ 2014 eponymous novel (the title refers to a euphemism for Auschwitz). In that, it
- [“Killers of the Flower Moon” Enthralls](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/killers-of-the-flower-moon-enthralls) - Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese, 2023) 4 out of 4 stars. There’s really no need to explain the genius of Martin Scorsese. In his latest work, Killers of the Flower Moon, he showcases his brilliance once again. Based on the 2017 book by David Grann, this film details the profoundly tragic true story
- [Sundance Review: “Fancy Dance” Swings a Moving Dramatic Thriller](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-fancy-dance-swings-a-moving-dramatic-thriller) - Fancy Dance (Erica Tremblay, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Jax is probably not most people’s idea of an ideal role model. An ex-con who served time for drug dealing, she makes ends meet on the Seneca-Cayuga Reservation in Oklahoma through some not-so-petty theft (such as stealing a vehicle), often accompanied by her teenage niece,
- [5 Films to See at Middleburg 2023](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/5-films-to-see-at-middleburg-2023) - The annual Middleburg Film Festival, held in Middleburg, Virginia, is back for the 11th time, the 2023 iteration running Thursday, October 19, to Sunday, October 22, with almost 40 exciting feature films to choose from, along with the usual number of exciting other events, including panels and an outdoor concert. Highlights of this year’s festival
- [“Cat Person” Doesn’t Land on Its Feet](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/cat-person-doesnt-land-on-its-feet) - Cat Person (Susanna Fogel, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. I remember the day that “Cat Person” was published (in 2017), and I remember the days after. There was something about Kristen Roupenian’s New Yorker short story that managed to capture a piece of the cultural climate so authentically that the internet was astonishingly overtaken
- [“The Bell Keeper” Rings No Bells](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-bell-keeper-rings-no-bells) - The Bell Keeper (Colton Tran, 2023) 1 out of 4 stars. Usually, a film’s main goal is to draw interest and the investment of its viewers, be it through interesting characters, an interesting narrative, or even simply interesting world-building. Ultimately, the goal is for the viewer to feel something, and unfortunately for director Colton Tran,
- [“The Burial” Raises Important Truths](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-burial-raises-important-truths) - The Burial (Maggie Betts, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. Based on a news article by Jonathan Harr that appeared in the November 1, 1999, edition of The New Yorker, The Burial comes with that veneer of veracity announced in an opening title card reading “inspired by true events.” The key word, as always, is
- [“The Fall of the House of Usher” Honors Poe](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/the-fall-of-the-house-of-usher-honors-poe) - The Fall of the House of Usher (Mike Flanagan, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. In the midst of spooky-season October comes Mike Flanagan’s newest horror series, of which episodes 1 and 2 (out of 8) premiered at this year’s Fantastic Fest. After his success with Midnight Mass and the two Haunting series (Hill House
- [Film Review: Uneven "Atomic Blonde" Works Best When Charlize Is in Charge](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-uneven-atomic-blonde-works-best-when-charlize-is-in-charge) - Christopher Llewellyn Reed reviews "Atomic Blonde"
- [“Bark” Thrills with Simplicity](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/bark-thrills-with-simplicity) - Bark (Marc Schölermann, 2023) 3 out of 4 Stars. Marc Schölermann’s Bark takes its simplicity and runs with it beautifully. Set in the middle of a vast forest, it follows Nolan (Michael Weston, Adam) as he wakes up tied to the base of a tree, left without food, water, or shelter of any kind. Struggling
- [“Sri Asih” Offers New and Old](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sri-asih-offers-new-and-old) - Sri Asih: The Warrior (Upi Avianto, 2022) 2½ out of 4 stars. In an era where Hollywood superhero films run rampant, director Upi Avianto (who goes by “Upi”) brings a renowned Indonesian comic book to life. The fresh perspective and storytelling contrast a very saturated genre. Sri Asih: The Warrior tells the story of Alana,
- [Matt Patti’s Fantastic Fest 2023 Recap](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/matt-pattis-fantastic-fest-2023-recap) - Fantastic Fest 2023 just wrapped, concluding a week of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy premieres. The annual event was founded in 2005 and is America’s largest genre festival, held in Austin, Texas. This year, it ran from September 21stto September 28th; I had the opportunity to cover it remotely. Since the selection of films available for
- [In “Strange Darling,” Looks Deceive](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/in-strange-darling-looks-deceive) - Strange Darling (JT Mollner, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. The art of deception can be a filmmaker’s greatest asset. A director chooses exactly what they want the audience to see, and therein lies the power of suggestion. A twist may or may not be revealed in the third act, but nonetheless, in most movies
- [“Totally Killer” Lives It Up](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/totally-killer-lives-it-up) - Totally Killer (Nahnatchka Khan, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. What do Back to the Future, Scream, and Mean Girls have in common? They all come together in Totally Killer, the new film from director Nahnatchka Khan (Always Be My Maybe). And though the movie has its share of problems—including the usual ones that plague
- ["The Exorcist: Believer" Raises Doubt](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-exorcist-believer-raises-doubt) - The Exorcist: Believer (David Gordon Green, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. Legacy sequels seem to be all the rage in horror nowadays. The premise of having a sequel some 30 to 40 years after the first film and involving an actor or actress from that initial entry is one that sells. The idea attracts
- [David Gordon Green Curates His Personal Favorites](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/david-gordon-green-curates-his-personal-favorites) - American Indie auteur David Gordon Green has curated a six film series at the BAMcinematek, highlighting films from the 1980s that have shaped his persona film aesthetic. From December 7 to 11, the Brooklyn arthouse will present Adventures in the 80s with David Gordon Green, a short primer on the young director’s cinematic inspirations from
- [“Past Lives” Moves Deeply](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/past-lives-moves-deeply) - Past Lives (Celine Song, 2023) 4 out of 4 stars. Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Celine Song, Past Lives tells a poignant story of immigration, assimilation, aspiration, love, and regret. Starring the moving trio of Greta Lee (Fits and Starts), Teo Yoo (Decision to Leave), and John Magaro (First Cow), the movie follows
- [“SPOOKTACULAR!” Is Mostly Spectacular](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/spooktacular-is-mostly-spectacular) - SPOOKTACULAR! (Quinn Monahan, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Halloween season is fast approaching, and many Americans are likely already planning their trips to a haunted attraction. A good number of these haunts are not just staged in a single house, though, but in multiple houses and mazes in one location combined into one larger
- [“The Creator” Lacks a Plan](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-creator-lacks-a-plan) - The Creator (Gareth Edwards, 2023) 1 out of 4 stars. The only thing worse than watching a film where none of the characters resonate is watching that very kind of film filled with scenes of unearned emotional bleating. The more the filmmakers strive to pull on our heartstrings, the less we care, so flimsy is
- [“Cassandro” Wins the Match](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/cassandro-wins-the-match) - Cassandro (Roger Ross Williams, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Born in El Paso, Texas, in 1970, Mexican American Saúl Armendáriz long dreamed of becoming a “luchador,” or professional wrestler, on the Mexican “lucha libre” circuit. Openly gay from his teenage years, he embraced the persona of an “exotico,” or drag wrestler, named Cassandro, breaking
- [TIFF Interview: Axel Petersén and Joel Spira of “Shame on Dry Land”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/tiff-interview-axel-petersen-and-joel-spira-of-shame-on-dry-land) - In Shame on Dry Land, Swedish director Axel Petersén (The Real Estate) crafts, in his own words, a “Mediterranean noir” set on the island nation of Malta. Starring Joel Spira (Orca) as Dimman, it tells the story of a reformed (or not) con man struggling to repair the damaged relationship with his erstwhile best friend,
- [Film Review: “Stockholm” Is Worth a Brief Visit, If Not a Long Stay](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-stockholm-is-worth-a-brief-visit-if-not-a-long-stay) - Stockholm (Robert Budreau, 2018) 2½ out of 4 stars. Based on the failed real-life 1973 bank robbery that led to the coining of the term “stockholm syndrome,” writer/director Robert Budreau’s Stockholm explores the strange psychological phenomenon of captives bonding with their captors. Or at least Budreau (Born to Be Blue) seems to want to do that, but
- [“Summer Qamp” Celebrates Queer Youth](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/summer-qamp-celebrates-queer-youth) - Summer Qamp (Jen Markowitz, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Despite what one might think upon a quick glance at the title, the new documentary Summer Qamp is not about a group of kids learning the latest QAnon conspiracy theory. Rather, the “Q” here stands for something much nicer. The subject is the Canadian province
- [What to See at the 2023 Annapolis Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/what-to-see-at-the-2023-annapolis-film-festival) - The 2023 Annapolis Film Festival kicks off tonight, March 23, with a screening of Stephen Williams’ Chevalier, based on the true story of 18th-century French composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the son of a French plantation owner and enslaved African woman. Starring the versatile Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Cyrano), the movie is a rousing take
- [“La Chimera” Charms with Raw Magic](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/la-chimera-charms-with-raw-magic) - La Chimera (Alice Rohrwacher, 2023) 3½ out of 4 stars. Italian director Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera is, at its most simple, a prolonged cinematic meditation on grief. Fortunately for the viewer, that construct is wrapped in an intriguingly lyrical plot about a group of graverobbers and their misadventures. The result is a charming and poignant
- [“Remembering Every Night” Dreams On](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/remembering-every-night-dreams-on) - Remembering Every Night (Yui Kiyohara, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. The camera and narrative both drift amiably from frame to frame in Remembering Every Night, the second feature from Japanese writer/director Yui Kiyohara (Our House). There are three protagonists, though it takes the viewer a while to meet each of them. As if in
- ["Elevator Game" Rises Above Challenges](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/elevator-game-rises-above-challenges) - Elevator Game (Rebekah McKendry, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. Whether it’s using a Ouija Board or attempting to summon Bloody Mary in a bathroom mirror, humans have always been fascinated with bizarre games that offer a glimpse of our worst nightmares. While many of these come from long ago, a more modern ritual is
- [“Dumb Money” Pays Off](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/dumb-money-pays-off) - Dumb Money (Craig Gillespie, 2023) 3½ out of 4 stars Remember when a little subreddit could shake the pillars of Wall Street? If not, Craig Gillespie’s Dumb Money does a great job explaining the meme-infested world of “tendies” and “diamond hands” that made r/wallstreetbets an unlikely player in modern finance. Focusing on several key figures
- ["Shame on Dry Land" Stands Proud](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/shame-on-dry-land-stands-proud) - Shame on Dry Land (Axel Petersén, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. There are enough double-crosses in Swedish director Axel Petersén’s Shame on Dry Land to justify him calling it, as he does in the press notes, a “Mediterranean noir.” Set on the island nation of Malta, the movie is a crime thriller with, at
- [“Woman of the Hour” Compels](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/woman-of-the-hour-compels) - Woman of the Hour (Anna Kendrick, 2023) 3½ out of 4 stars. Anna Kendrick (Alice, Darling) moves into the director’s chair with Woman of the Hour, a harrowing examination of serial killer Rodney Alcala, who may have killed up to 130 women over the course of the 1970s (even if he was eventually convicted of
- ["The Dead Don’t Hurt" Burns with Slow Grace](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-dead-dont-hurt-burns-with-slow-grace) - The Dead Don’t Hurt (Viggo Mortensen, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Written and directed by its star, Viggo Mortensen (Green Book), The Dead Don’t Hurt is a gorgeous slow-burn of a romantic Western, its gentle pace belying the roiling emotional drama. Great performances by Mortensen and the other star, Vicky Krieps (Bergman Island)—along with
- [“Gonzo Girl” Can’t Escape Subject](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/gonzo-girl-cant-escape-subject) - Gonzo Girl (Patricia Arquette, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. Despite solid mise-en-scène, evocative cinematography, and committed performances from the cast, Gonzo Girl never rises above a tiresome portrait of a man best relegated to a previous era. Based on the eponymous novel by Cheryl Della Pietra—itself a dramatization of the author’s time spent in
- [5 Films to See at TIFF 2023](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/5-films-to-see-at-tiff-2023) - The Toronto International Film Festival (or TIFF) returns for its second fully in-person post-pandemic year, running September 7-17, 2023. Even with the continuing strikes by two of Hollywood’s most powerful unions—SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and the WGA (Writers Guild of America)—we can expect to see some stars
- [Interviews Save "King on Screen"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/interviews-save-king-on-screen) - King on Screen (Daphné Baiwir, 2022) 2½ out of 4 stars. World-renowned author Stephen King has a knack for writing intriguing stories that make for memorable adaptations on the big screen. His books have gone on to be the source material of countless films, from The Shining to It (and so much more). Every year
- [Music and Visuals Soar in "Ernest & Celestine: : A Trip to Gibberitia"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/music-and-visuals-soar-in-ernest-celestine-a-trip-to-gibberitia) - Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia (Julien Chheng/Jean-Christophe Roger, 2022) 3½ out of 4 stars. Though Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia is a sequel to 2012’s Ernest & Celestine, and an adaptation of Gabrielle Vincent’s books, this film very much stands on its own. While it doesn’t explain how or why the
- [Six at New/Next 2023](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/six-at-new-next-2023) - This year’s inaugural New/Next Film Fest ran August 18-20 at Baltimore’s Charles Theatre. While at the festival, I watched 6 films I had not yet seen. Below are brief capsule reviews of each. I also wrote two full-length reviews (one for this site and one for Hammer to Nail) of Carpet Cowboys (for which I
- [New/Next “Carpet Cowboys” Interview](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/new-next-carpet-cowboys-interview) - Documentary directors Emily Mackenzie and Noah Collier just premiered their debut feature, Carpet Cowboys, at Baltimore’s inaugural New/Next Film Fest (where I reviewed it). The film examines the carpet industry in Dalton, Georgia, the “carpet capital of the world,” following a fascinating cast of characters, foremost among them designer Roderick James. I chatted with Mackenzie
- [Bad Dialogue Spoils “That’s a Wrap”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/bad-dialogue-spoils-thats-a-wrap) - That’s a Wrap (Marcel Walz, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. Horror movies centered around filmmaking and/or that involve a “film within a film” have been around for some time. The Scream franchise comes to mind in terms of this kind of genre, also offering many mentions of popular classic-horror cinema throughout the saga. In
- [“The Dive” Ultimately Sinks](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-dive-ultimately-sinks) - The Dive (Maximilian Erlenwein, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. What better movie to wrap the summer up than a story about a pair of sisters scuba diving in a remote area of the world? Director Maximilian Erlenwein’s The Dive is exactly this, the tale of May (Louisa Krause, Maggie Moore(s)) and Drew (Sophie Lowe,
- ["Carpet Cowboys” Weaves Strong Threads](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/carpet-cowboys-weaves-strong-threads) - Carpet Cowboys just had its world premiere at the inaugural run of the New/Next Film Fest, located in Baltimore, MD. Carpet Cowboys (Emily Mackenzie/Noah Collier, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Here’s a fun fact that many, if not most, people probably don’t know: the city of Dalton, Georgia, is the “carpet capital of the world,” producing
- [These “Strays” Need Rescuing](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/these-strays-need-rescuing) - Strays (Josh Greenbaum, 2023) 1½ out of 4 stars. It would be false to claim that Strays—a new CGI-enhanced film about stray dogs from director Josh Greenbaum (Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar) and writer Dan Perrault (Netflix’s American Vandal series)—has no redeeming value. There are jokes that land and sentiments that move
- [What’s Next? Baltimore’s New/Next!](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/whats-next-baltimores-new-next) - This year’s Maryland Film Festival (MdFF) never happened, much to the disappointment of Charm City’s cinephiles. The plan is for that event to come back in 2024 for its 25th anniversary (fingers crossed!). In the meantime, we need more movies! Not to fear, then, for there’s a new show in town to fill the void.
- [In Fun “Blue Beetle,” Family Is Key](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/in-fun-blue-beetle-family-is-key) - Blue Beetle (Angel Manuel Soto, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. As always with certain superhero films, I find myself at an initial disadvantage given my ignorance of most comic-book lore. Other than some early childhood experiences reading mainly DC volumes at random, the bulk of what I know stems from a period in my
- [“King Coal” Triumphs](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/king-coal-triumphs) - King Coal (Elaine McMillion Sheldon, 2023) 4 out of 4 stars. From Appalachian filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon (Recovery Boys) comes King Coal, a complex ode to her regional roots—here represented by Southwest Pennsylvania, Eastern Kentucky, Southwestern Virginia, Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, and the entirety of West Virginia—in which the history of coal exploitation mingles with
- [Film Review: Addicts Struggle to Survive in Powerful "Recovery Boys"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-addicts-struggle-to-survive-in-powerful-recovery-boys) - Recovery Boys (Elaine McMillion Sheldon, 2018) 3½ out of 4 stars. From Elaine McMillion Sheldon, who just last year gave us the Oscar-nominated Netflix-released short documentary Heroin(e), about the opioid epidemic ravaging West Virginia (and much of the rest of the country), comes a new film, Recovery Boys—a feature, also on Netflix—about the same subject,
- [“TMNT: Mutant Mayhem” Oozes Charm](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tmnt-mutant-mayhem-oozes-charm) - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Jeff Rowe, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem isn’t the first time we’ve met Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael. They're the four turtle brothers who were turned into humanoid beings by a mutagen they call “the ooze.” This latest iteration works in a
- [Film Review: “Haunted Mansion” Is Fun](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-haunted-mansion-is-fun) - Haunted Mansion (Justin Simien, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. 20 years after the release of Disney’s original The Haunted Mansion comes a film with a similar title but a different premise. Director Justin Simien’s 2023 Haunted Mansion takes inspiration from the classic Disney ride, as did the 2003 film. However, Simien’s film follows a
- [Film Review: Have No “Sympathy for the Devil”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-have-no-sympathy-for-the-devil) - Sympathy for the Devil (Yuval Adler, 2023) 1 out of 4 stars. Collateral meets A History of Violence in director Yuval Adler’s latest, Sympathy for the Devil. Working off a script by Luke Paradise, Adler (The Secrets We Keep) gives us the by-now-expected manic Nicolas Cage (Renfield) and a nearly soporific Joel Kinnaman (The Suicide
- [Film Review: “Talk to Me” Impresses](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-talk-to-me-speaks-chaos-into-existence) - Talk to Me (Danny Philippou/Michael Philippou, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. A24’s newest horror release, Talk to Me, is an Australian film directed by brothers Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou (also known as Racka Racka). When I first saw the trailers circulating, I thought it looked like a run-of-the-mill possession flick. Then I remembered
- [Film Review: “Oppenheimer” Stuns](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-oppenheimer-stuns) - Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan, 2023) 3½ out of 4 stars. Director Christopher Nolan’s biopic, Oppenheimer, about the man responsible for the creation of the atomic bomb, is delivered through abstract visuals, creative cinematography, and stellar performances. The leads include Cillian Murphy (A Quiet Place Part II), Robert Downey Jr. (Avengers: Endgame), Emily Blunt (Mary Poppins Returns),
- [Film Review: "Fear the Night” Is Flawed Yet Fulfilling](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-fear-the-night-is-flawed-yet-fulfilling) - Fear the Night (Neil LaBute, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. Bachelor/bachelorette parties can quickly turn wild. Anyone who has been to one knows this, though it varies from person to person. They’re billed by some as a “last night of freedom” before marriage, but that freedom sometimes goes too far. No matter what antics
- [Film Review: Exposition Ruins “Barbie”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-exposition-ruins-barbie) - Barbie (Greta Gerwig, 2023) 1½ out of 4 stars. How much is too much? In the case of exposition, very little goes a long way. Unfortunately, in her new film, Barbie, director Greta Gerwig (Little Women)—working with her co-screenwriter (and romantic partner) Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story)—ruins every good idea and amusing premise with an overabundance
- [Film Review: “The Miracle Club” Needs Divine Intervention](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-miracle-club-needs-divine-intervention) - The Miracle Club (Thaddeus O'Sullivan, 2023) 1½ out of 4 stars. At the center of The Miracle Club’s treacle lies a moving narrative about loss and reconciliation. Unfortunately, the film’s worthy impulses too often sink beneath the mush of hackneyed sentimentality. Good intentions are not enough in this world; you have to deliver the actual
- [Film Review: “The Flood” Is a Natural and Cinematic Disaster](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-flood-is-a-natural-and-cinematic-disaster) - The Flood (Brandon Slagle, 2023) 1 out of 4 stars. I was initially intrigued by director Brandon Slagle’s premise of man vs. beast, since I had previously enjoyed the 2019 Crawl, a film similar in nature featuring hungry alligators. The Flood once again pits humans against the ferocious reptiles, this time involving a group of
- [Film Review: Movie Magic Comes Alive in “Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-movie-magic-comes-alive-in-mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-part-one) - Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (Christopher McQuarrie, 2023) 3½ out of 4 stars. There are not many movie stars who are willing to die onscreen for the movies. For better or worse, Tom Cruise is one of them. After last year’s ball-of-fire-success, Top Gun: Maverick, was literally attributed with “saving the movies,” Cruise
- [Film Review: “Insidious: The Red Door” Is an Unnecessary Sequel](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-insidious-the-red-door-is-an-unnecessary-sequel) - Insidious: The Red Door (Patrick Wilson, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. Though I’m an avid fan of most horror genres, back when I was a child I was mostly limited to slasher flicks when it came to scary movies. For some reason, I was always far too scared to watch anything involving the paranormal
- [Film Review: “Amanda” Finds an Antihero in Existential Crisis](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-amanda-finds-an-antihero-in-existential-crisis) - Amanda (Carolina Cavalli, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. There isn’t much to Carolina Cavalli’s Amanda besides Amanda, but that’s okay. This Italian directorial debut gets by largely thanks to the charm of its lead character, the relatably lost and lonely titular 25-year-old who has just returned to her affluent family after finishing school. Wonderfully
- [Film Review: “Joy Ride” Is Mostly a Wild (Raunchy, Sexy, Hilarious) Good Time](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-joy-ride-is-mostly-a-wild-raunchy-sexy-hilarious-good-time) - Joy Ride (Adele Lim, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. A rowdy, horny journey of self-discovery, cultural pride, and above all, friendship, Joy Ride takes the viewer out for a good time and rarely deviates from that mission. Four friends—Asian and Asian American—give it their all as they plow their way through China, then to
- [Film Review: “Biosphere” Is Too Bizarre to Be So Bland](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-biosphere-is-too-bizarre-to-be-so-bland) - Biosphere (Mel Eslyn, 2022) 2 out of 4 stars. When the movie Jurassic Park came out thirty years ago, Jeff Goldblum stammered out that now meme-famous line, “Life, uh, finds a way.” Now, mumblecore producer Mel Eslyn (Spin Me Round) makes her directorial debut with the small-scale sci-fi Biosphere, a film whose core existence seems
- [Film Review: “The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster” Takes on Frankenstein](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-angry-black-girl-and-her-monster-takes-on-frankenstein) - The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (Bomani J. Story, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. In his feature debut, director Bomani J. Story brings us a unique vision of Mary Shelley’s classic Frankenstein. The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster not only brings one of literature's most terrifying creatures to life, but also manages
- [Christopher Llewellyn Reed’s Five Films to See at Tribeca 2023](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/christopher-llewellyn-reeds-five-films-to-see-at-tribeca-2023) - The Tribeca Film Festival was founded in response to the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City, which had an especially devastating effect on the southern part of Manhattan (TriBeCa stands for “Triangle Below Canal Street”). For close to 20 years, the fest took place at the end of April, sometimes spilling into May, but
- [Film Review: “Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis)” Captures a Specific Moment in Music History](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-squaring-the-circle-the-story-of-hipgnosis-captures-a-specific-moment-in-music-history) - Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis) (Anton Corbijn, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. The music industry, like many of those associated with the arts, is an ever-changing one. Each generation brings new voices and perspectives, new technology and styles, and thus has a resulting impact on the world around it. Squaring the Circle
- [Film Review: “Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story” Adequately Tells Its Tale](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-hollywood-dreams-nightmares-the-robert-englund-story-adequately-tells-its-tale) - Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story (Christopher Griffiths/Gary Smart, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. After almost 50 years of performances in his acting career, Robert Englund inevitably deserved a documentary biopic. Everyone’s favorite nightmare slasher gets to relate his Hollywood experiences and how his career led to playing the role of Freddy
- [Film Review: “Shoplifters of the World” Offers a Specific, Yet Universal, Viewing Experience](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-shoplifters-of-the-world-offers-a-specific-yet-universal-viewing-experience) - Shoplifters of the World (Stephen Kijak, 2021) 3 out of 4 stars. The film and television landscape is currently replete with 1980s material, but Shoplifters of the World offers an intentional, unique approach by focusing not on the decade itself or its aesthetic, but on the shocking breakup of British band The Smiths. Turns out, though,
- [Film Review: Occasionally Engaging “Simulant” Simulates Better Films](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-occasionally-engaging-simulant-simulates-better-films) - Simulant (April Mullen, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. The new sci-fi film Simulant, based on a script by Ryan Christopher Churchill and directed by April Mullen (Wander), takes a bit to coalesce into something somewhat coherent. Once it does, there’s no question that it tackles engaging philosophical questions about artificial intelligence (AI) and the
- [Film Review: “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” Is Only Half a Movie, and a Long One at That](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-spider-man-across-the-spider-verse-is-only-half-a-movie-and-a-long-one-at-that) - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Joaquim Dos Santos/Kemp Powers/Justin K. Thompson, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. I absolutely adored the 2018 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, finding it a delightfully fresh take on a well-trod mythos. A funny thing happened on the way to its sequel, however: the filmmakers lost sight of the narrative. That’s not
- [Film Review: New “The Little Mermaid” Both Sparkles and Drags](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-new-the-little-mermaid-both-sparkles-and-drags) - The Little Mermaid (Rob Marshall, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. As ever when the Walt Disney Company decides to update one of their earlier animated films with a newer, “live-action” version (that descriptor is in quotes given the vast amount of digital animation still present), I question the need. What was truly added to
- [Film Review: Another Fumble for the Fast and Furious Franchise, “Fast X” Is Disastrous](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-another-fumble-for-the-fast-and-furious-franchise-fast-x-is-disastrous) - Fast X (Louis Leterrier, 2023) 1 out of 4 stars. My most recent “Fast and Furious” experience proved to be one of great disappointment. Lo and behold, the franchise continues to dive off the deep end with ludicrous sequences, lack of storytelling, and overall lazy idea. Director Louis Leterrier (The Takedown) heads the newest entry
- [Film Review: "STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie" Offers Delightful Homage](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-still-a-michael-j-fox-movie) - STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie (Davis Guggenheim, 2023) 3½ out of 4 stars. Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim has made many fine documentaries, including the 2006 Oscar-winning An Inconvenient Truth, a justly celebrated examination of the perils of climate change, featuring former Vice President Al Gore. Despite those credentials, he also directed the 2010 Waiting for
- [Film Review: “Anxious Nation” Offers Fine Cinematic Therapy](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-anxious-nation-offers-fine-cinematic-therapy) - Anxious Nation (Laura Morton/Vanessa Roth, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. In the new documentary Anxious Nation, directors Laura Morton (a best-selling author making her feature-film debut) and Vanessa Roth (Mary J Blige's My Life) explore the many different ways in which children and young adults suffer from anxiety in our modern world. Morton is
- [Film Review: “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” Achieves Comedy Without Romance](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-whats-love-got-to-do-with-it-achieves-comedy-without-romance) - What’s Love Got to Do with It? (Shekhar Kapur, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. The cover’s classic rom-com trappings may suggest a by-the-numbers romance, but Indian director Shekar Kapur’s What’s Love Got to Do with It? bites off a bit more, asking its title’s central question in regard to the larger topic of arranged,
- [Film Review: Emotionally Wrenching “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” Is a Winner](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-emotionally-wrenching-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-3-is-a-winner) - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (James Gunn, 2023) 3½ out of 4 stars. For behold, I bring you tidings of great joy! The third Guardians of the Galaxy film is a vast improvement over its predecessor, grounding the franchise’s proverbial (and welcome) silliness in an emotionally wrenching narrative. Though the second film in the
- [Christopher Llewellyn Reed’s SXSW 2023 Wrap-Up](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/christopher-llewellyn-reeds-sxsw-2023-wrap-up) - Pardon my delay in writing this, but on the day I flew out of Austin, Texas, to return home I began to feel unwell (fortunately for everyone else, I masked on the plane). That evening, sure enough, I tested positive for COVID-19. And though my symptoms have improved after a miserable weekend, I remain afflicted.
- [Film Review: “Clock” Is Initially Brilliant, Then Crumbles](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-clock-is-initially-brilliant-then-crumbles) - Clock (Alexis Jacknow, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. Hulu’s newest feature centers around the concept of motherhood: the social pressures of becoming a mother, the fear of childbirth, and the notion of creating the next generation. Such are the themes in Alexis Jacknow’s Clock, a film about architect and wife Ella (Dianna Agron, Acidman),
- [Film Review: “Fear” Lacks Nightmare Fuel](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-fear-lacks-nightmare-fuel) - Fear (Deon Taylor, 2023) 1½ out of 4 stars. What are you afraid of? In Deon Taylor’s horror film Fear, the director attempts to explore a few different phobias. In the film, a group of friends head up to a cabin for a weekend getaway. The idea comes from Rom (Joseph Sikora, Jacob’s Ladder), who
- [Film Review: “To Catch a Killer” Intrigues but Fails to Fully Capture Audience](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-to-catch-a-killer-intrigues-but-fails-to-fully-capture-audience) - To Catch a Killer (Damián Szifron, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. The steady increase of mass shootings in the United States is a horrific trend as of late, causing raucous uproar in communities and fierce political battles over gun control. Such indescribable events cause horror and anguish in a short amount of time. Luckily,
- [Film Review: Supported by Guts and Gore, “Evil Dead Rise” Goes Through Motions of Horror](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-supported-by-guts-and-gore-evil-dead-rise-goes-through-motions-of-horror) - Evil Dead Rise (Lee Cronin, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. Director Lee Cronin (The Hole in the Ground) keeps the Evil Dead franchise on its feet with the newest installment, Evil Dead Rise. He aims to revamp the series, originally conceived by Sam Raimi (Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), by giving the
- [Film Review: “Beau Is Afraid” But Not Quite Compelling Enough](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-beau-is-afraid-but-not-quite-compelling-enough) - Beau Is Afraid (Ari Aster, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. Though the presence of an oversized talking penis might lead one to label Beau Is Afraid an entirely masturbatory exercise, there is more to director Ari Aster’s third feature than just that. How much more lies no doubt in the eye of the cinematic
- [Film Review: “Renfield” Is Bloody Enough Fun](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-renfield-is-bloody-enough-fun) - Renfield (Chris McKay, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. A fast-paced mix of high-octane violence and raucous comedy, Renfield may not be perfect but it does mostly entertain, offering a great starring vehicle for Nicholas Hoult (The Menu) in the title role. With strong support from a cast that includes Nicolas Cage (Prisoners of the
- [Film Review: Noble Intentions of “Wild Life” Lost in Muddle of Hagiography](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-noble-intentions-of-wild-life-lost-in-muddle-of-hagiography) - Wild Life (Jimmy Chin/Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, 2023) 1 out of 4 stars. The Earth approaches irreversible catastrophe, climate change is real, and the time to act is now; nay, yesterday. Any and all efforts to fix our current existential crisis should be lauded. It would be hard to argue against the preservation of pristine wilderness
- [Film Review: “One True Loves” Provides Only Surface-Level Romance](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-one-true-loves-provides-only-surface-level-romance) - One True Loves (Andy Fickman, 2023) 1½ out of 4 stars. One True Loves asks, “Can you be in love with two people equally and at the same time?” Adventurous and starry-eyed couple Emma (Phillipa Soo, The Broken Hearts Gallery) and Jesse (Luke Bracey, Maybe I Do) are living their best lives, trotting the globe
- [Film Review: In Compelling “Imagining the Indian,” Native American Mascots Must Go](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-in-compelling-imagining-the-indian-native-american-mascots-must-go) - Imagining the Indian: The Fight Against Native American Mascoting (Aviva Kempner/Ben West, 2021) 3 out of 4 stars. Sports teams serve an important function in the modern world, sublimating societal aggression into something more benign than actual martial conflict. That’s the idea of their purpose, anyway, even if fans occasionally have other notions (I see
- [Film Review: “Air” Soars on Charm and Wit](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-air-soars-on-charm-and-wit) - Air (Ben Affleck, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Michael Jordan, considered the best basketball player of all time, got his proper cinematic due with director Jason Hehir’s 10-part 2020 docuseries The Last Dance. Now comes a treatment of the story behind the shoe that bears his name. Focusing almost exclusively on the Nike employees
- [Film Review: “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” Is a Proper Ode to Its Video-Game Roots](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-super-mario-bros-movie-is-a-proper-ode-to-its-video-game-roots) - The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Aaron Horvath/Michael Jelenic, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Let’s-A-Go! The worldwide video-game phenomenon Super Mario Bros. finally makes its return to the big screen, bringing all the colorful and exotic visuals to life. After the last grim and disappointing film three decades ago, Nintendo has combined with Illumination to
- [Series Review: “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields” Offers Insight and Inspiration](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured-specialty/series-review-pretty-baby-brooke-shields-offers-insight-and-inspiration) - Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (Lana Wilson, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. The two-part documentary Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, from director Lana Wilson (Miss Americana), is both a fan’s dream and a solid, in-depth look at the actor’s life and career. Following Brooke Shields from infancy to the present, the series (if we can call
- [Film Review: “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” Satisfies but Doesn’t Impress](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-dungeons-dragons-honor-among-thieves-satisfies-but-doesnt-impress) - Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (John Francis Daley/Jonathan Goldstein, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. I suppose, in due time, Hasbro was going to continue to give us toy/game products turned into cinema blockbusters, and one of its most popular games finally makes its way to the big screen. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among
- [Film Review: “The Worst Ones” Offers Raw, Emotional Complexity](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-worst-ones-offers-raw-emotional-complexity) - The Worst Ones (Lise Akoka/Romane Gueret, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Laid out in a gripping opening sequence of “auditions,” The Worst Ones follows four teens from a poor neighborhood in France after they are cast in a film by Belgian director Gabriel, who gives them roles that amplify their reputation as troubled kids.
- [Film Review: “John Wick: Chapter 4” Proves an Adequate and Entertaining Series Conclusion](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-john-wick-chapter-4-proves-an-adequate-and-entertaining-series-conclusion) - John Wick: Chapter 4 (Chad Stahelski, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. To my surprise, I finally get to see a rare moment in Hollywood where a franchise knows when to quit, and the exciting conclusion of the John Wick films is clear proof that director Chad Stahelski is self-aware and chooses to end the
- [What to See at the 2022 Annapolis Film Festival (It’s 10th Anniversary Time!)](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/what-to-see-at-the-2022-annapolis-film-festival-its-10th-anniversary-time) - After two years of pandemic-caused virtual screenings, the Annapolis Film Festival—which runs March 31 to April 3—returns for its 2022 iteration with an in-person, live vengeance. With 30 feature-length films (17 narratives and 13 documentaries), plus 7 shorts programs (of 42 short films, with an additional short screened before one of the features), the viewing
- [XR Beats from SXSW 2023](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/xr-beats-from-sxsw-2023) - VR, AR, MR … XR … so many acronyms to describe a form of enhanced reality that is very much still in flux in this now-third decade of the 21st century. Many film and technology festivals have, for at least about 10 years now, been showcasing the state of the art as its stands in the
- [SXSW Interview with “Fancy Dance” Director Erica Tremblay](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/sxsw-interview-with-fancy-dance-director-erica-tremblay) - Director Erica Tremblay’s Fancy Dance premiered at Sundance 2023 (where I reviewed it), and tells the story of Jax (Lily Gladstone) and her niece, Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) as they simultaneously look for Roki’s missing mother, Tawi, while evading officials from Child Protective Services on their way to an annual powwow. Tremblay hails from the Seneca-Cayuga
- [SXSW Interview with “Queendom” Director Agniia Galdanova and Producer Igor Myakotin](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/sxsw-interview-with-queendom-director-agniia-galdanova-and-producer-igor-myakotin) - Director Agniia Galdanova’s new documentary, Queendom, just premiered at SXSW 2023 (where I reviewed it). It follows transgender Russian performance artist and activist Gena (known as Gena Marvin on social media) from Magadan in Russia’s Far East, where she grew up, to Moscow and beyond as she struggles against her country’s prejudices and growing crackdown
- [Film Review: “Supercell” Delivers a Surprisingly Cinematic Adventure](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-supercell-delivers-a-surprisingly-cinematic-adventure) - Supercell (Herbert James Winterstern, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Every year, extreme weather ravages much of our lovely planet, leaving destruction in its wake. Hurricanes, blizzards, and tsunamis cause widespread damage, but these storms can be seen coming from miles away, and most of the time alerts are sent out well in advance to
- [Film Review: “Unwelcome” Starts Strong and Then Crumbles](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-unwelcome-starts-strong-and-then-crumbles) - Unwelcome (Jon Wright, 2022) 2 out of 4 stars. Just as the film starts to get insightful and intuitive, director Jon Wright’s horror/fantasy feature quickly descends into chaos and stupidity, as a story about an interracial couple looking for acceptance into society slowly turns into…. something about elves? Unwelcome starts as newlyweds Maya (Hannah John-Kamen,
- [SXSW Review: “If You Were the Last” Goes from Lost to Saved in a Lovely Final Act](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sxsw-review-if-you-were-the-last-goes-from-lost-to-saved-in-a-lovely-final-act) - If You Were the Last (Kristian Mercado, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. If You Were the Last, from director Kristian Mercado and writer Angela Bourassa—both making their feature-film debuts—is the rare kind of film that turns tired clichés into something surprisingly fresh, reinventing itself in the final act to become something quite lovely. Depending
- [SXSW Review: "Flamin’ Hot" Delightfully Romps Through a Maybe True Story](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sxsw-review-flamin-hot-delightfully-romps-through-a-maybe-true-story) - Flamin’ Hot (Eva Longoria, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Whether or not the story of how Richard Montañez created the Flamin’ Hot® line of Frito-Lay’s Cheetos® contains much, little, or no truth (according to the company, the treat was developed by an executive named Lynne Greenfield), the new film that bears the name of
- [SXSW Review: In “Queendom,” Her Russian Majesty Steps Out, Danger Be Damned](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sxsw-review-in-queendom-her-russian-majesty-steps-out-danger-be-damned) - Queendom (Agniia Galdanova, 2023) 3½ out of 4 stars. A work of tremendous bravery—both cinematic and otherwise—director Agniia Galdanova’s new documentary feature, Queendom, offers an intimate portrait of a transgender Russian artist in her journey of dangerous self-actualization. Just that phrase “transgender Russian artist” should send shivers of apprehension down the prospective viewer’s spine. As bad
- [Film Review: “Scream VI” Shines, Even Without Sidney](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-scream-vi-shines-even-without-sidney) - Scream VI (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin/Tyler Gillett, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. When it was announced that scream queen Neve Campbell did not sign on for the Scream franchise's sixth installment, there was a collective panic amongst diehard fans, this writer included. Campbell plays Sidney Prescott in the franchise’s first five entries, the main protagonist and
- [Christopher Llewellyn Reed’s Picks for SXSW 2023](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/chris-reeds-picks-for-sxsw-2023) - It will be nice to head back to SXSW in person this year; the last time I traveled to Austin was in 2019. That was my sixth visit to Texas’ capital, and then COVID happened and I haven’t back until this year. Running March 10-19, the festival (which also includes music and tech, among other
- [Film Review: “Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist” Shines an Honest, Detailed Light on the Iconic Horror Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-leap-of-faith-william-friedkin-on-the-exorcist-shines-an-honest-detailed-light-on-the-iconic-horror-film) - Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist (Alexandre O. Philippe, 2019) 3 out of 4 stars. 47 years ago, a landmark horror film first hit theaters: on the day after Christmas, December 26, 1973, an odd date for a horror film’s release, The Exorcist was unleashed on the public, frightening many moviegoers who had
- [And the 2023 Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film Goes to…](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/and-the-2023-oscar-for-best-live-action-short-film-goes-to) - The Red Suitcase (Cyrus Neshvad, Luxembourg, 18 min.): An excellent short film about a 16-year-old Iranian girl who is shipped off by her father for an arranged marriage to an Iranian man living in Luxembourg. When she lands at the airport, she does everything to avoid meeting him, including removing her hijab and hiding on
- [Film Review: New “Children of the Corn” Is, Overall, Atrocious](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-new-children-of-the-corn-is-overall-atrocious) - Children of the Corn (Kurt Wimmer, 2023) 1 out of 4 stars. I am always on the lookout for Stephen King’s works to make it to the silver screen, be it cinema inspired by his full novels or films adapted from short stories. King’s short story Children of the Corn has certainly been favored by
- [Film Review: “Creed III” Stands on Its Own by Unanimous Decision](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-creed-iii-stands-on-its-own-by-unanimous-decision) - Creed III (Michael B. Jordan, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. All hail Jonathan Majors, one of the premier actors of the millennial generation. Ever since he wowed us through his supporting turn in 2019’s The Last Black Man in San Francisco, he has pulled the spectator’s gaze inexorably towards him. Fresh off his role
- [Film Review: “American Murderer” Is Compelling Crime Drama](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-american-murderer-is-compelling-crime-drama) - American Murderer (Matthew Gentile, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. A strong cast and some very well-scripted moments make American Murderer, from writer/director Matthew Gentile (making his feature debut as an adaptation of his own 2019 short), a thrill ride through a very cold case. Notorious con man Jason Derek Brown has been wanted for
- [Searchlight Pictures’ “Chevalier” to Open 11th Annual Annapolis Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/searchlight-pictures-chevalier-to-open-11th-annual-annapolis-film-festival) - Annapolis, MD (February 24, 2023) [all text courtesy of Lee Meltzer | Nida Karnani | Leah Sandford, R&CPMK] – The 11th Annual Annapolis Film Festival announced today that Searchlight Pictures’ critically-acclaimed Chevalier will open this year’s festival on Thursday, March 23rd at 7:15 PM in Maryland Hall’s Main Theatre. The evening will begin with a red carpet featuring
- [Film Review: “Wolf Garden” Has Promise but Overuses Conventions](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-wolf-garden-has-promise-but-overuses-conventions) - Wolf Garden (Wayne David, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. As an avid movie monster fan, the concept of first-time feature director Wayne David’s Wolf Garden struck me as innovative and artistic. The film’s subtle, low concept take on the werewolf myth promises a creative exploration, deviating from a special-effects-heavy tone and taking a direction
- [Film Review: “The Quiet Girl” Is a Profound Emotional Experience](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-quiet-girl-is-a-profound-emotional-experience) - The Quiet Girl (Colm Bairéad, 2022) 4 out of 4 stars. In the days and hours since watching Irish director Colm Bairéad’s exquisite The Quiet Girl, I have found myself bursting into gentle tears at the most unexpected moments, the memory of its painful beauty still fresh. Replete with simultaneously sad and joyful truths about
- [Film Review: Picturesque “Juniper” Runs the Gamut of Emotions](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-picturesque-juniper-runs-the-gamut-of-emotions) - Juniper (Matthew J. Saville, 2021) 3 out of 4 stars. Set amidst the ever-breathtaking backdrop of rural New Zealand, Juniper follows Sam (relative newcomer George Ferrier), a young man adrift after the loss of his mother. His fractured relationship with his father, Robert (Marton Csokas, The Last Duel), is further strained when Ruth (Charlotte Rampling,
- [Film Review: “Emily” Offers a Glimpse of the Most Elusive Brontë](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-emily-offers-a-glimpse-of-the-most-elusive-bronte) - Emily (Frances O'Connor, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. The Brontë family is as mysterious as it was artistically prolific: sisters Emily, Charlotte, and Anne Brontë are some of the most influential Victorian novelists, yet very little is actually known about their private thoughts and feelings. This is especially true for Emily Brontë, author of
- [Film Review: Mostly Entertaining “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” Is a Lot to Handle](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-mostly-entertaining-ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-is-a-lot-to-handle) - Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Peyton Reed, 2023) 2½ out of 4 stars. It can be tough to keep up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but if one is on top of the vast saga, the new Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which launches “Phase 5,” has a lot to offer, even if not all
- [Film Review: “Marlowe” Breathes Color into Neo-Noir”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-marlowe-breathes-color-into-neo-noir) - Marlowe (Neil Jordan, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. The most famous incarnation of the character Philip Marlowe—hard-boiled, philosophical, femme-fatale-immune detective—is in Raymond Chandler’s 1939 novel The Big Sleep. Neil Jordan’s new film Marlowe is an adaptation of Benjamin Black’s 2014 novel The Black-Eyed Blonde. It features an older, more mature Philip Marlowe, here played
- [Film Review: For Better or Worse, “Vampus Horror Tales” Plays Like a 72-Hour Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-for-better-or-worse-vampus-horror-tales-plays-like-a-72-hour-film-festival) - Vampus Horror Tales (Isaac Berrocal/Erika Elizalde/Manuel Martínez Velasco/Víctor Matellano/Piter Moreira, 2020) 2 out of 4 stars. This Valentine’s Day, do you want to spend the holiday reflecting on the horrors of love? With Spanish horror anthology Vampus Horror Tales, you can! This compilation of four tales of romance-gone-wrong may leave couples a bit worried …
- [Film Review: It’s Love vs. Art in Predictable “Somebody I Used to Know”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-its-love-vs-art-in-predictable-somebody-i-used-to-know) - Somebody I Used to Know (Dave Franco, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. While Somebody I Used to Know is a not-so-subtle retread of the 1997 My Best Friend’s Wedding, made evident by its trailer alone, there is a bit more to be discovered here than you might expect. But it’s a small bit. Written
- [Series Review: “Stolen Youth” Captivates but Fails Its Duty of Care](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/breaking/series-review-stolen-youth-captivates-but-fails-its-duty-of-care) - Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence (Zach Heinzerling, 2023) 1 out of 4 stars. Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence covers the crimes of Lawrence Grecco—more commonly known as Larry Ray—perpetrated against a group of college students whom he trapped in a cult. So much about the docuseries is extremely well
- [Interview with "Aurora’s Sunrise" Director Inna Sahakyan](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-auroras-sunrise-director-inna-sahakyan) - Before the end of 2022, I reviewed Armenian director Inna Sahakyan’s animated documentary Aurora’s Sunrise, which tells the tale of Aurora Mardiganian (née Arshaluys), who at 17 escaped the Ottoman genocide of Armenians and came to the United States to spread the harrowing news. Shortly after writing her story for an American newspaper, she was
- [Film Review: “The Last Deal” Starts Strong but Goes Amiss](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-last-deal-starts-strong-but-goes-amiss) - The Last Deal (Jonathan Salemi, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. At first glance, I found The Last Deal a fascinating, potentially ambitious look at modern society, in a world where marijuana goes from underground drug to fully legal medicinal entity. Director Jonathan Salemi’s suspenseful drama about changing times finds its main character, Vincent (Anthony
- [Film Review: Impressive Third Act Lifts “They Wait in the Dark”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-impressive-third-act-lifts-they-wait-in-the-dark) - They Wait in the Dark (Patrick Rea, 2022) 2½ out of 4 stars. I’ve always been a fan of films with dual conflicts. I’d argue that every film has multiple conflicts contained within but I’m specifically referring to films that feature two (or more) large extrinsic antagonists that are both coming for our protagonist. My
- [Sundance Review: The All-Too-Real Comedy of “You Hurt My Feelings” Is Genius](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-the-all-too-real-comedy-of-you-hurt-my-feelings-is-genius) - You Hurt My Feelings (Nicole Holofcener, 2023) 3½ out of 4 stars. If ever there was a movie premise created to start an argument between romantic partners, it might be that of Nicole Holofcener’s latest film, You Hurt My Feelings, which asks the question of whether you can love someone if you don’t love the
- [Sundance Review: “Infinity Pool” Playfully Wades Through Perversion](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-infinity-pool-playfully-wades-through-perversion) - Infinity Pool (Brandon Cronenberg, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. I had the great displeasure of seeing Brandon Cronenberg’s previous film, Possessor, at 2020’s Sundance Film Festival. It’s not that I disliked the story about an assassin who invades others’ bodies from afar to fulfill her kills; I simply couldn’t stomach the gore-fest as it
- [Film Review: Great Performance Can’t Quite Save “Knock at the Cabin”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-great-performance-cant-quite-save-knock-at-the-cabin) - Knock at the Cabin (M. Night Shyamalan, 2023) 2 out of 4 stars. The end is nigh, even if none of us know it. Blissfully going about our daily lives, we miss the signs of impending apocalypse. Only what if there were no signs? What if the random messengers of doom chosen by some unseen
- [Zlin Film In Focus: TOMBOY](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/zlin-film-in-focus-tomboy) - The Zlin Film Festival is most definitely a showcase for emerging directors. There is in fact a competition exclusively devoted to European filmmakers making their first films. However, strong early efforts are studded throughout the program, and none heralds as exciting new talent as French writer/director Céline Sciamma who is presenting her second feature film TOMBOY
- [Sundance Interview with "Jamojaya" Director Justin Chon](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/sundance-interview-with-jamojaya-director-justin-chon) - In only a few short years, actor-turned-director Justin Chon has established himself as a major voice within independent filmmaking. Following his first three feature films—Gook, Ms. Purple, and Blue Bayou—Chon is back with Jamojaya, a lush, meditative tale about the power struggle between a young Indonesian rapper and his father as they attempt to navigate
- [Film Review: While Informative and Moving, “Pamela: A Love Story” Is Also Self-Limiting](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-while-informative-and-moving-pamela-a-love-story-is-also-self-limiting) - Pamela: A Love Story (Ryan White, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. The time is right for Pamela Anderson, the famous actress, to come out of her isolation to bring us an in-depth exploration of her life, rise to fame as a model, and the troubles that arose from her sexualized popularity and past relationships.
- [Sundance Review: Gentle “Blueback” Is a Call to Environmental Arms](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-gentle-blueback-is-a-call-to-environmental-arms) - Blueback (Robert Connolly, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. Based on Australian author Tim Winton’s 1997 novella of the same name, the new film Blueback, from writer/director Robert Connolly (The Dry), offers a gentle, occasionally thrilling, paean to nature conservation that is now more needed than ever. We jump back and forth between the present
- [Sundance Review: Mockumentary “Theater Camp” Is Hilarious and Heartfelt](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-mockumentary-theater-camp-is-hilarious-and-heartfelt) - Theater Camp (Molly Gordon/Nick Lieberman, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. It’s a weird feeling to be in the middle of watching a movie for the first time and already get the sense that it’s destined to be a cult classic, but that’s exactly what I felt when watching the co-directorial debut of Nick Lieberman
- [Four Documentaries from Slamdance 2023](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/four-documentaries-from-slamdance-2023) - The 2023 Slamdance Film Festival began on Friday, January 20, and ends on Sunday, January 29 (tomorrow). While my attention has been focused more on the concurrent Sundance Film Festival (I am covering both virtually), I nevertheless managed to catch four documentaries, two of which just won awards. What follows are brief capsule reviews of
- [Sundance Review: “Fair Play” Is an Uncomfortable but Gripping Take on Gender and Careerism](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-fair-play-is-an-uncomfortable-but-gripping-take-on-gender-and-careerism) - Fair Play (Chloe Domont, 2023) 3½ out of 4 stars. Luke and Emily are two ambitious young professionals at the same cutthroat hedge fund. They are also in a secret relationship. Following an unexpected promotion, Luke and Emily’s relationship unravels with extreme consequences. This is the story of writer/director Chloe Domont’s Fair Play. Led by
- [Christopher Llewellyn Reed’s TIFF 2022 Wrap-Up](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/christopher-llewellyn-reeds-tiff-2022-wrap-up) - The Toronto International Film Festival (or TIFF) wrapped a week ago, on September 18, and though I am late to the wrap party, I still want to offer my favs from among what I watched. To take a look at the award-winners, check out the fest website (amazingly, I only saw one of them, While
- [10 Films to See at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/10-films-to-see-at-the-2022-toronto-international-film-festival) - Courtesy of TIFF My Sailor, My Love (Klaus Härö) Finnish director Klaus Härö (The Fencer) offers this alternately grim and romantic drama about the fraught relationship between a retired Irish naval captain and his middle-aged daughter. When he takes as his lover the very housekeeper she hired for him, a full lifetime of bitterness and
- [Middleburg Film Festival Celebrates Its 10th Year! Here Are Five Films to See](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/middleburg-film-festival-celebrates-its-10th-year-here-are-five-films-to-see) - The annual Middleburg Film Festival returns for its 2022 iteration—which just happens to be its 10thanniversary—with over 40 exciting feature films to choose from, as well as a number of exciting special events. This year’s fest runs October 13-16, beginning with a Thursday afternoon preview screening of the upcoming Tár, followed by the official opening-night
- [Sundance Review: “In My Mother’s Skin” Is Bloody Real](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-in-my-mothers-skin-is-bloody-real) - In My Mother’s Skin (Kenneth Dagatan, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. The year is 1945, and the Japanese still occupy the Philippines. As two children, a sister and brother, watch a soldier and Filipino collaborator enter their sumptuous home accompanied by their father, the girl tells a tale she heard of how a Japanese
- [Sundance Review: “Little Richard: I Am Everything” Showcases the True Architect of Rock & Roll](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-little-richard-i-am-everything-showcases-the-true-architect-of-rock-roll) - Little Richard: I Am Everything (Lisa Cortés, 2023) 4 out of 4 stars.* Richard Wayne Penniman (1932-2020), otherwise known as Little Richard, is one of the 20th-century’s greatest musicians, yet has never yet received a documentary treatment. Thanks to director Lisa Cortés (All In: The Fight for Democracy), that error is now rectified. Her profile
- [Sundance Review: In “Kim’s Video,” Art and Life Are One and the Same](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/sundance-review-in-kims-video-art-and-life-are-one-and-the-same) - Kim’s Video (David Redmon/Ashley Sabin, 2023) 3½ out of 4 stars.* Any cinephile who lived in New York City in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s (the latter two were my era) remembers well the wonderful video-rental chain Kim’s Video. Stocked with a wide variety of options—initially on VHS, then also on DVD—Kim’s was a
- [Film Review: “The Ghosts of Monday” Leaves the Audience with the Monday Blues](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-ghosts-of-monday-leaves-the-audience-with-the-monday-blues) - The Ghosts of Monday (Francesco Cinquemani) 1½ out of 4 stars. The “Monday Blues” have affected all of us at some point. Many of us come off a fun or relaxing weekend only to be disappointed that we have to go back to work on Monday. Furthermore, many folks go into a week with high
- [Film Review: Friends Come Through in “Alice, Darling”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-friends-come-through-in-alice-darling) - Alice, Darling (Mary Nighy, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. As Alice and her two besties, Sophie and Tess, approach 30, they each find themselves at different stages of adulthood. Of the three, Alice is the only one in a serious relationship. Unfortunately, though her boyfriend, Simon, may be a semi-successful painter, he’s also a
- [British Actress Emily Blunt Reigns In "The Young Victoria"](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/british-actress-emily-blunt-goes-royal-in-the-young-victoria) - One of the great things about English actress Emily Blunt is that she carries no vestige of her characters beyond the set -- especially not when she’s playing the British Queen Victoria. At her roundtables for The Young Victoria, she showed no royal imperiousness, no contempt of the masses, no unwillingness to answer questions that
- [Series Review: “The Silence” Is a Grim but Defiant Portrait of Human Trafficking](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured-specialty/series-review-the-silence-is-a-grim-but-defiant-portrait-of-human-trafficking) - The Silence (Dalibor Matanic, 2021) 3½ out of 4 stars. [Content warning: while not gratuitous, The Silence contains graphic depictions of sexual assault against teenage girls.] The Silence opens in Osijek, Croatia, where a veteran with acute PTSD rides a bicycle along a peaceful river. He’s horrified to see that the river is full of
- [10 Films to Watch at Sundance 2023](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/10-films-to-watch-at-sundance-2023) - The 2023 Sundance Film Festival offers over 100 feature films and 60 shorts in this year’s program, about 28% of which are by first-time feature directors (according to the official data). As always, this means that anyone attending in person or online (both options are available) can expect a slate with as much variety as
- [Films to Watch (Once Again Virtually) at Sundance 2022](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/films-to-watch-once-again-virtually-at-sundance-2022) - This year’s Sundance Film Festival was supposed to take place both in person and virtually, building on the success of 2021’s remote portal, which proved easy to use and brought the great film selections directly into our homes. Sadly, though the organizers had every intent of holding a hybrid event in 2022, Covid’s Omicron variant
- [Film Review: "Booksmart" Gets an 'A' from Me](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/booksmart-gets-an-a-from-me) - Booksmart (Olivia Wilde, 2019) 3½ out of 4 stars. Among the line of popular coming of age stories that have been circulating through our cinemas over the last few years, Booksmart stands out for its playfully raunchy approach of redefining what it means to be a teenager. Following two school-obsessed best friends about to graduate
- [Sundance Review: The Fresh and Poignant Perspective of "Ms. Purple"  ](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/the-fresh-and-poignant-perspective-of-ms-purple) - Ms. Purple (Justin Chon, 2019) 3 out of 4 stars. Kasie is split between two worlds: caretaker of her father by day and karaoke bar doumi by night. Her life revolves around helping the men around her, whether it be changing their bandages or keeping a smile on her face as she watches them party.
- [Film Review: “On the Trail of Bigfoot: Last Frontier” Explores Bigfoot and Beyond](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-on-the-trail-of-bigfoot-last-frontier-explores-bigfoot-and-beyond) - On the Trail of Bigfoot: Last Frontier (Seth Breedlove, 2022) 2½ out of 4 stars. Seth Breedlove is a writer, director, and producer of several documentaries involving urban legends. He has covered subjects ranging from the Mothman to skinwalkers to the Bell Witch. Breedlove has produced and directed several films involving Bigfoot, as well, all
- [Series Review: “The Price of Glee” Is a Thorough but Impartial Dive into the Past](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/breaking/series-review-the-price-of-glee-is-a-thorough-but-impartial-dive-into-the-past) - The Price of Glee (discovery+) 2 out of 4 stars. The three-part limited series The Price of Glee delves into the dark history of the titular musical comedy-drama seriesthat ran from 2009 to 2015. Documented here is the rise of the show’s popularity, the overwhelming fame heaped upon the stars, severe working conditions for cast
- [Film Review: Electrifying Mother-Daughter Mystery of “Missing” Lights up the Screen](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-electrifying-mother-daughter-mystery-of-missing-lights-up-the-screen) - Missing (Nicholas D. Johnson/Will Merrick, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. There have been only a handful of times when a movie has literally put me on the edge of my seat. 2018’s Searching was one of them. This year, its standalone sequel, Missing, was no different. With a story from Searching’s original writing-directing duo,
- [Film Review: “M3GAN” Fuses Humor and Horror](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-m3gan-fuses-humor-and-horror) - M3GAN (Gerard Johnstone, 2022) 2½ out of 4 stars. Artificial intelligence (A.I.) is a fascinating phenomenon that many people around the world are eager to explore. Humans have long been obsessed with the idea, specifically filmmakers, as movies dating all the way back to the 1920s have toyed with the concept of robots. Now, it
- [Series Review: “Kaleidoscope” Weaves a Catchy Web, Despite Clichés](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/breaking/series-review-kaleidoscope-weaves-a-catchy-web-despite-cliches) - Kaleidoscope (Eric Garcia, 2023) 3 out of 4 stars. Kaleidoscope tells the story of Leo Papp (Giancarlo Esposito, Beauty) as he attempts to rob the vault of wealthy businessman—and his ex-best friend—Roger Sales (Rufus Sewell, Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle series). As the story progresses, we learn about the nature of the heist,
- [Christopher Llewellyn Reed's Top 10 Films of 2022](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/christopher-llewellyn-reeds-top-10-films-of-2022) - Although the in-person box-office returns may not be what they once were, pre-pandemic, I was definitely one of the folks returning to theaters this year, whether for press screenings, film festivals, or even as a paying customer. While I may not have quite averaged a movie a day, I still watched close to 300 works
- [Film Review: Let the Sun Set on “The Sunlit Night,” Please!](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-let-the-sun-set-on-the-sunlit-night-please) - The Sunlit Night (David Wnendt, 2019) 1 out of 4 stars. Though actress Jenny Slate (Landline) is an always-interesting screen presence, none of her usual charm can save The Sunlit Night, the new film from director David Wnendt (Wetlands). Based on the eponymous 2015 novel by Rebecca Dinerstein Knight, the movie follows Slate’s down-on-her-luck art
- [Film Review: “Three Minutes: A Lengthening” Memorializes Those Lost to Nazi Crimes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-three-minutes-a-lengthening-memorializes-those-lost-to-nazi-crimes) - Three Minutes: A Lengthening (Bianca Stigter, 2021) 4 out of 4 stars. On Wednesday, August 4, 1938, in the town of Nasielsk, Poland, a visitor, born there but long since emigrated to America, arrived with a small Kodachrome camera and captured a little over three minutes of footage in both color and black and white. He
- [Film Review: “A Man Called Otto” Earns Its Joyful Tears](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-a-man-called-otto-earns-its-joyful-tears) - A Man Called Otto (Marc Forster, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. Swedish author Fredrik Backman’s 2012 book A Man Called Ove was previously adapted for the screen, in its native tongue, in 2015. Now comes the English-language version, starring Tom Hanks (Elvis) as “Otto,” the name changed to make it less foreign to American
- [The American Film Institute (AFI) Announces Dates for 2020 AFI DOCS Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/the-american-film-institute-afi-announces-dates-for-2020-afi-docs-film-festival) - Established in 1967, the American Film Institute is the nation’s non-profit organization dedicated to educating and inspiring artists and audiences through initiatives that champion the past, present and future of the moving image. AFI’s pioneering programs include filmmaker training at the AFI Conservatory; year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center and at
- [In Memoriam Rob Goald (1948-2022)](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/in-memoriam-rob-goald-1948-2022) - Film Festival Today’s beloved Senior Editor Rob Goald has passed away. I met Bobby about 22 years ago in Park City, Utah, during the Sundance Film Festival. His excitement to write for our magazine, back when we were in print, and introducing me to writers who wanted to contribute, was invaluable. Rob inspired me to
- [Matt Patti’s Top 10 Films of 2022](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/matt-pattis-top-10-films-of-2022) - 2022 was one of the best years for films in recent memory. Maybe it’s because the last few years, specifically because of the Coronavirus, have not been as great, but 2022 feels better than even some years preceding the pandemic. Or perhaps it’s because I found myself with much more free time this year than
- [Middleburg Review: “Triangle of Sadness” Delights Through Excess](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-triangle-of-sadness-delights-through-excess) - Triangle of Sadness (Ruben Östlund, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. A satire of the upper classes and those who aspire to join them, Swedish director Ruben Östlund’s latest work, Triangle of Sadness, is both outrageously funny and guilty of the same sins of excess of those it lampoons. It’s a wild ride of a
- [Film Review: “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” Mostly Proves Its Case](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-glass-onion-a-knives-out-mystery-mostly-proves-its-case) - Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Rian Johnson, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. A good whodunit is a joy to behold. Director Rian Johnson’s 2019 Knives Out more than pleased the viewer with a series of topsy-turvy narrative convolutions that never failed to entertain, thanks not only to the writing but to the phenomenal
- [Film Review: “The Pale Blue Eye” Too Often Sleepwalks Through Its Mystery](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-pale-blue-eye-too-often-sleepwalks-through-its-mystery) - The Pale Blue Eye (Scott Cooper, 2022) 2 out of 4 stars. There are, surprisingly, two films released in 2022 that feature 19th-century writer Edgar Allan Poe as a young man during his time at West Point. Raven’s Hollow came out on Shudder in September, and now The Pale Blue Eye drops on Netflix on
- [Film Review: This “Babylon” Overflows with Dramatic Decadence](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-this-babylon-overflows-with-dramatic-decadence) - Babylon (Damien Chazelle, 2022) ½ out of 4 stars. The first hour of Babylon holds a certain kind of wild, if nauseating, appeal, while the second sees that charm, such as it was, quickly wasted and the third offers nothing but unbearable narrative chaos. By the end, whatever good will director Damien Chazelle (First Man)
- [Film Review: The Armenian Genocide Comes to Vivid Life in Beautiful “Aurora’s Sunrise”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-armenian-genocide-comes-to-vivid-life-in-beautiful-auroras-sunrise) - Aurora’s Sunrise (Inna Sahakyan, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. In Hollywood in 1919, Aurora Mardiganian (née Arshaluys), a 17-year-old escapee from the Ottoman genocide of its Armenian population, starred in a silent adaptation of Ravished Armenia, her own retelling of what she experienced. That movie, Auction of Souls (also known as “Ravished Armenia,” as
- [Film Review: In “Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths,” the Director Swallows His Own Tale*](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-in-bardo-false-chronicle-of-a-handful-of-truths-the-director-swallows-his-own-tale) - Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (Alejandro G. Iñárritu, 2022) 2 out of 4 stars. Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths marks Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s cinematic return to his homeland, his first film made there since his auspicious 2000 debut, Amores Perros (still among my favorites of his œuvre).
- [Film Review: The Many Themes of “Empire of Light” Lurk in Dramatic Shadow](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-many-themes-of-empire-of-light-lurk-in-dramatic-shadow) - Empire of Light (Sam Mendes, 2022) 2 out of 4 stars. There is a lot to recommend in Empire of Light, the new film from writer/director Sam Mendes (1917). Chief among the plusses are the performances of Olivia Colman (The Father) and Micheal Ward (Beauty). Less impressive is the script, which takes on many different
- [Series Review: “Sonic Prime” Is a Fun, Safe, Family-Friendly Good Time](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/breaking/series-review-sonic-prime-is-a-fun-safe-family-friendly-good-time) - Sonic Prime (Eric Wiese, 2022) 2½ out of 4 stars. The fury blue hedgehog is back, coming to Netflix in his new show, Sonic Prime. In this series, Sonic accidentally shatters a magic crystal called the Paradox Prism, sending himself, and all of his friends (and foes!) into alternate dimensions with twisted realities. In order
- [Film Review: “Avatar: The Way of Water” Drowns in Incoherence](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-avatar-the-way-of-water-drowns-in-incoherence) - Avatar: The Way of Water (James Cameron, 2022) 1 out of 4 stars. Since (and including) his debut solo feature in 1984, The Terminator, multi-hyphenate filmmaker James Cameron has crafted a number of movies that I admire and enjoy, among them one of my favorite sequels of all time, the 1986 Aliens (his 1991 Terminator
- [Interview with “Second Chance” Director Ramin Bahrani](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-second-chance-director-ramin-bahrani) - In his first-ever feature documentary, Second Chance (which I reviewed out of DOC NYC), longtime indie veteran Ramin Bahrani profiles the ups and downs of Richard Davis, founder of Second Chance Body Armorand inventor of a bulletproof vest that proved extremely effective at saving many lives over many years. He is also known for shooting
- [Film Review: “Peace by Chocolate” Offers a Delicious Taste of Harmony](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-peace-by-chocolate-offers-a-delicious-taste-of-harmony) - Peace by Chocolate (Jonathan Keijser, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. A true story brought to dramatic life with a combination of genuine humor and deep pathos, Peace by Chocolate tackles the weighty issues of our present with a healthy dose of whimsy. A tale of refugees who make good, it follows the odyssey of
- [Film Review: Though “Retrograde” Often Stuns, It Needs Retrofitting](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-though-retrograde-often-stuns-it-needs-retrofitting) - Retrograde (Matthew Heineman, 2022) 2 out of 4 stars. Documentarian Matthew Heineman (City of Ghosts) is nothing if not a physically courageous man, throwing his life on the line for the sake of his art. In his Oscar-nominated 2015 Cartel Land, he placed himself in serious danger while following raids on Mexican drug cartels. He’s
- [Film Review: “Christmas Bloody Christmas” Brings All the Blood, but not Enough Christmas](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-christmas-bloody-christmas-brings-all-the-blood-but-not-enough-christmas) - Christmas Bloody Christmas (Joe Begos, 2022) 2 out of 4 stars. December 2022 seems to be the month of extremely bloody, gruesome Christmas movies. Director Tommy Wirkola’s Violent Night, involving a good-hearted-but-kickass Santa Claus fighting thieves, hit theatres on December 2. As so happens, one week later a film containing exactly the opposite is here:
- [Film Review: “Scrooge: A Christmas Carol” May Not Impress, but It Mostly Diverts](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-scrooge-a-christmas-carol-may-not-impress-but-it-mostly-diverts) - Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (Stephen Donnelly, 2022) 2½ out of 4 stars. In 1970, the late British composer Leslie Bricusse (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory) adapted Charles Dickens’ classic 1843 novella A Christmas Carol for the screen, delivering the songs for Ronald Neame’s Scrooge, starring Albert Finney in the title role. Now, 52 years
- [Film Review: “Violent Night” Is a Holly, Jolly, Bloody Good Time](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-violent-night-is-a-holly-jolly-bloody-good-time) - Violent Night (Tommy Wirkola, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars It’s the most wonderful time of the year! That’s what the songs seem to claim, anyway. The holidays appear very polarizing these days, with some folks yearning for the warmth of the holiday season and others dreading the stress that comes with it. Just like
- [DOC NYC Review: Redemption Is on Offer in Fascinating “2nd Chance”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/doc-nyc-review-redemption-is-on-offer-in-fascinating-2nd-chance) - 2nd Chance (Ramin Bahrani, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. America’s obsession with guns is nothing new, dating back to our frontier past and a Bill of Rights Amendment of wildly diverging interpretations. While there are weapons galore out there in the world, however, it is understandable that some folks—in particular, law-enforcement officers—might long for extra
- [DOC NYC Review: “Fragments of Paradise” Comes Close to Cinematic Heaven](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/doc-nyc-review-fragments-of-paradise-comes-close-to-cinematic-heaven) - Fragments of Paradise (KD Davison, 2022) 3½ out of 4 stars. Lithuanian-born Jonas Mekas (1922-2019) came to the United States in 1949. By the mid-1950s, he and his brother Adolfas had firmly established themselves in the American avant-garde film movement, starting Film Culture magazine in 1954. Mekas would go on to develop a well-earned reputation
- [Interview with “Good Night Oppy” Director Ryan White](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-good-night-oppy-director-ryan-white) - I reviewed director Ryan White’s newest documentary, Good Night Oppy, out of the 2022 Middleburg Film Festival. It came out in theaters on November 4 and now, today, is available through Amazon Prime. The film tells the tale of the twin Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity (or “Oppy”), which were meant to last 90 days
- [Film Review: “The Fabelmans” Is Spielberg's Love Poem to the Art of Cinema](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-fabelmans-is-spielbergs-love-poem-to-the-art-of-cinema) - The Fabelmans (Steven Spielberg, 2022) 3½ out of 4 stars. At the end of The Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg’s charming homage to his own childhood, the protagonist, Sam Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle, The Predator), meets his directing idol, a grizzled veteran of Hollywood’s golden years, who offers him a gruff few sentences on how to make a
- [DOC NYC Review: Jerry Brown Disrupts in Lively “Jerry Brown: The Disrupter”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/doc-nyc-review-jerry-brown-disrupts-in-lively-jerry-brown-the-disrupter) - Jerry Brown: The Disrupter (Marina Zenovich, 2022) 3½ out of 4 stars. Born in 1938, Edmund G. Brown Jr. (aka “Jerry” Brown) would go on to serve as Democratic governor of California in two very different eras, the first time from 1975 to 1983 and the second from 2011 to 2019. Given the sobriquet “Governor
- [Series Review: “Rivals: Ohio State vs. Michigan” Breaks Down a Classic Rivalry](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured-specialty/series-review-rivals-ohio-state-vs-michigan-breaks-down-a-classic-rivalry) - Rivals: Ohio State vs Michigan (Peter Karl, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. Rivalries are commonplace in almost every aspect of life: Republicans vs. Democrats; Apple vs. Microsoft; McDonald’s vs. Burger King. These bitter rivals work hard to one-up each other and are in constant battle. Perhaps the greatest rivalries in the world, though, are
- [Film Review: “The Menu” Serves Bland Satire and Half-Baked Characters](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-menu-serves-bland-satire-and-half-baked-characters) - The Menu (Mark Mylod, 2022) 2 out of 4 stars. The Menu is far from the first movie in recent memory to mount a takedown of the rich. Focused on a mysterious young woman who is invited to a secluded island for dinner at an acclaimed chef’s highly exclusive molecular gastronomy restaurant, its premise is
- [Film Review: In “Tubular Bells 50th Anniversary Tour Documentary,” Art Is Timeless](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-in-tubular-bells-50th-anniversary-tour-documentary-art-is-timeless) - Tubular Bells 50th Anniversary Tour Documentary (Matt Hargraves, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. In 1973, at the age of 19, British musician Mike Oldfield released what would become a seminal progressive-rock album of that decade, entitled Tubular Bells. With his use of the opening section in his horror film The Exorcist, director William Friedkin
- [Film Review: “Mickey: The Story of a Mouse” Is an Optimistic Ride Through History](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-mickey-the-story-of-a-mouse-is-an-optimistic-ride-through-history) - Mickey: The Story of a Mouse (Jeff Malmberg, 2022) 2½ out of 4 stars. Mickey: The Story of a Mouse chronicles the history of Mickey Mouse from inception to present day. The movie plays all the hits: Steamboat Wille, Fantasia, and Mickey and the Beanstalk, along with the Mickey Mouse Club, Disneyland, and the more
- [Film Review: “Love, Charlie” Savors the Sweet and Bitter Sides of Its Fascinating Subject](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-love-charlie-savors-the-sweet-and-bitter-sides-of-its-fascinating-subject) - Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter (Rebecca Halpern, 2021) 3 out of 4 stars. You may not be familiar with Charlie Trotter, but Rebecca Halpern’s documentary about the celebrity chef who dominated the Chicago restaurant scene for almost 25 years will make you wonder how you could ever not be. His
- [Film Review: The Newest Willie Boy Story, “The Last Manhunt,” Is Anything but Incredible](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-newest-willie-boy-story-the-last-manhunt-is-anything-but-incredible) - The Last Manhunt (Christian Camargo, 2022) 2½ out of 4 stars. The newest to join the Western genre community is Christian Camargo’s The Last Manhunt, which evokes the story of Willie Boy (Martin Sensmeier, 9 Bullets), the famous Chemehuevi tribe member who fled to the deep West with his lover, Carlotta (Mainei Kinimaka, Kapō). After
- [Film Review: “She Said” Offers Solidarity Over Suffering](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-she-said-offers-solidarity-over-suffering) - She Said (Maria Schrader, 2022) 3½ out of 4 stars. Based on the book of the same title by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, She Said chronicles the investigation of sexual assault in Hollywood. It was Kantor (Zoe Kazan, The Kindness of Strangers) and Twohey (Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman) who originally broke the story
- [Film Review: “The Friendship Game” Tests Viewers’ Loyalty as Much as the Friendships Within](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-friendship-game-tests-viewers-loyalty-as-much-as-the-friendships-within) - The Friendship Game (Scooter Corkle, 2022) 2 out of 4 stars. How strong are your friendships? If you’re like most people, you may find that you have some very strong connections and some that are less powerful and a bit shakier. Most of us are able to identify our “best friends,” but sometimes lines can
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- [Film Review: “Aftersun” Glows with Gentle Beauty](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-aftersun-glows-with-gentle-beauty) - Aftersun (Charlotte Wells, 2022) 3½ out of 4 stars. The halcyon days of childhood can glow with increasing brightness the older we get, their nostalgic magic proving ever more magical with each passing year. But memories also elicit pain and sorrow, particularly when they remind us of that which is gone forever. Cinema is the
- [Film Review: “Enola Holmes 2” Solves the Riddle of a Great Sequel](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-enola-holmes-2-solves-the-riddle-of-a-great-sequel) - Enola Holmes 2 (Harry Bradbeer, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. The game is not only afoot in Netflix’s follow-up to the adventures of our favorite smart-but-scrappy teen detective, Enola Holmes, it is at a full-on sprint. With a heightened sense of scale and an emphasis on its action-adventure elements, Enola Holmes 2 is a
- [Film Review: “The Banshees of Inisherin” Sings a Moving Tune](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-the-banshees-of-inisherin-sings-a-moving-tune) - The Banshees of Inisherin (Martin McDonagh, 2022) 3½ out of 4 stars. In 2008, Irish playwright Martin McDonagh (The Lonesome West) made his feature-film debut with In Bruges, pairing actors Colin Farrell (Widows) and Brendan Gleeson (The Tragedy of Macbeth) together in what proved to be a winning combination. In his newest movie, The Banshees
- [Film Review: With Riveting Storytelling, “Nocebo” Overcomes Horror Conventions](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-with-riveting-storytelling-nocebo-overcomes-horror-conventions) - Nocebo (Lorcan Finnegan, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. Premiering just after the Halloween season is Nocebo, a horror thriller from director Lorcan Finnegan. It’s a story about a woman whose seemingly hospitable new caretaker has deadly secrets waiting to be unveiled. Fashion designer Christine (Eva Green, Dumbo) starts to experience an overwhelming illness, untreatable
- [Film Review: In “Armageddon Time,” The Catastrophe Is in the Script](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-in-armageddon-time-the-catastrophe-is-in-the-script) - Armageddon Time (James Gray, 2022) 1 out of 4 stars. An overweening fable about white privilege and racism, James Gray’s Armageddon Time is filled with good intentions and not much else. It’s a movie that might have seemed daring in the time it takes place (the eve of Ronald Reagan’s 1980 election as president)—or perhaps
- [Film Review: “Meet Me in the Bathroom” Paints a Loving but Incomplete Portrait](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-meet-me-in-the-bathroom-paints-a-loving-but-incomplete-portrait) - Meet Me in the Bathroom (Will Lovelace/Dylan Southern, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. One of the first striking things about Meet Me in the Bathroom, from directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern (Shut Up and Play the Hits), is that much of the footage has an intensely personal feeling to it. Because it covers
- [Film Review: Expect the Unexpected in “All That Breathes”](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-expect-the-unexpected-in-all-that-breathes) - All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen, 2022) 3½ out of 4 stars. All That Breathes focuses on “the kite brothers,” Nadeem Shehzad and Mohammad Saud, along with friend and volunteer Salik Rehman, who rescue injured and sick birds—black kites—in their home of New Delhi, India. Rather than a clinical dive into the birds’ anatomy, however, or
- [Series Review: “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” Showcases the Serial Killer’s Horrific Actions and the Enthralling Aftermath](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/featured/series-review-dahmer-monster-the-jeffrey-dahmer-story-showcases-the-serial-killers-horrific-actions-and-the-enthralling-aftermath) - Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Ian Brennan/Ryan Murphy, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. One of America’s most notorious serial killers, Jeffrey Dahmer killed seventeen men between 1978 and 1991. Dahmer's main targets were gay Black men, with many of whom he’d explored sexual relationships. This disturbed individual would often dismember his victims,
- [Film Review: “Holy Spider” Weaves Poor Narrative Web](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/film-review-holy-spider-weaves-poor-narrative-web) - Holy Spider (Ali Abbasi, 2022) 2 out of 4 stars. “Every man shall meet what he wishes to avoid.” So begins Holy Spider with this epigraph from Imam Ali. The same sentiment could be expressed about director Ali Abbasi, himself, who takes a solid central premise and somehow crafts it into the opposite of what

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- [cairo me](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/cairo-me)
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- [adventureland](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/adventureland)
- [precious: based on a novel by sapphire](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/precious-based-on-a-novel-by-sapphire)
- [lee daniels](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/lee-daniels)
- [do not let me drown](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/do-not-let-me-drown)
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- [uma thurman](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/uma-thurman)
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- [motherhood](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/motherhood)
- [the private lives of pippa lee](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-private-lives-of-pippa-lee)
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- [life during wartime](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/life-during-wartime)
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- [nightmare](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/nightmare)
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- [an english man in new york](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/an-english-man-in-new-york)
- [quentin crisp](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/quentin-crisp)
- [the naked civil servant](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-naked-civil-servant)
- [beyond the pole](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/beyond-the-pole)
- [italians](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/italians)
- [Matthew Broderick](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/matthew-broderick)
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- [Mafia](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/mafia)
- [public](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/public)
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- [new American Indie film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/new-american-indie-film)
- [CHICAGO OVERCOAT](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/chicago-overcoat)
- [FFT Film Festival Coverage: 2009 Fort Lauderdale Internatioanl Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/fft-film-festival-coverage-2009-fort-lauderdale-internatioanl-film-festival)
- [fort laurderdale international film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/fort-laurderdale-international-film-festival)
- [adela](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/adela)
- [the chaser](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-chaser)
- [not by chance](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/not-by-chance)
- [in my sleep](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/in-my-sleep)
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- [action](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/action)
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- [idfa](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/idfa)
- [International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/international-documentary-film-festival-amsterdam)
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- [war games and the man who stopped them](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/war-games-and-the-man-who-stopped-them)
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- [Frederick Wiseman](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/frederick-wiseman)
- [Award](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/award)
- [eyal sivan](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/eyal-sivan)
- [film festivals](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/film-festivals)
- [IDFA International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/idfa-international-documentary-film-festival-amsterdam)
- [to shoot an elephant](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/to-shoot-an-elephant)
- [to see if i am smiling](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/to-see-if-i-am-smiling)
- [transcendent man](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/transcendent-man)
- [the shock doctrine](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-shock-doctrine)
- [talhotblonde](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/talhotblonde)
- [Nominees](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/nominees)
- [u.n. me](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/u-n-me)
- [ami horowitz](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/ami-horowitz)
- [matthew groff](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/matthew-groff)
- [cinemania](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/cinemania)
- [ridm](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/ridm)
- [2010 sundance film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/2010-sundance-film-festival)
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- [WEDDING IN BESSARABIA](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/wedding-in-bessarabia)
- [POFF](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/poff)
- [the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival - Articles](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-tallinn-black-nights-film-festival-articles)
- [Blues Legend](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/blues-legend)
- [Sugar Blue](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/sugar-blue)
- [Tallinn FF](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/tallinn-ff)
- [estonia](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/estonia)
- [tallinn black nights film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/tallinn-black-nights-film-festival)
- [latvia](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/latvia)
- [tina lokk](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/tina-lokk)
- [the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-tallinn-black-nights-film-festival)
- [my suicide](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/my-suicide)
- [untitled](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/untitled)
- [awards](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/awards-2)
- [sundance 2010](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/sundance-2010)
- [sundance film festival usa](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/sundance-film-festival-usa)
- [american film market](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/american-film-market)
- [american film institute film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/american-film-institute-film-festival)
- [afi](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/afi)
- [afm](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/afm)
- [2010 Sundance](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/2010-sundance)
- [Jury Members](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/jury-members)
- [music4peace](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/music4peace)
- [music for peace](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/music-for-peace)
- [method fest](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/method-fest)
- [calabasas](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/calabasas)
- [jean renoir](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/jean-renoir)
- [the river](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-river)
- [Berlinale](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/berlinale)
- [jolly fellows](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/jolly-fellows)
- [russian](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/russian)
- [drag queens](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/drag-queens)
- [together apart](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/together-apart)
- [apart together](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/apart-together)
- [2010 Berlin Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/2010-berlin-film-festival)
- [blue valentine](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/blue-valentine)
- [2010](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/2010)
- [Berlin Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/berlin-film-festival)
- [howl](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/howl)
- [soho](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/soho)
- [soho international film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/soho-international-film-festival)
- [shrek](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/shrek)
- [gen art film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/gen-art-film-festival)
- [ziegfeld theatre](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/ziegfeld-theatre)
- [Wieland Speck](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/wieland-speck)
- [Dieter Kosslick](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/dieter kosslick)
- [happythankyoumoreplease](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/happythankyoumoreplease)
- [josh radnor](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/josh-radnor)
- [new directors](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/new-directors)
- [new films](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/new-films)
- [28th Fifa](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/28th-fifa)
- [FIFA--Festival International du Film sur l Art](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/fifa-festival-international-du-film-sur-l-art)
- [premier art film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/premier-art-film-festival)
- [Havana Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/havana-film-festival)
- [April 16-23](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/april-16-23)
- [2010 Nashville Film Festival Awards](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/2010-nashville-film-festival-awards)
- [european films](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/european-films)
- [Palm Beach Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/palm-beach-film-festival)
- [tribeca 2010](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/tribeca-2010)
- [manhattan](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/manhattan)
- [visionfest](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/visionfest)
- [petr koliha](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/petr-koliha)
- [50th Anniversary Jubilee Edition](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/50th-anniversary-jubilee-edition)
- [manyar parwani](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/manyar-parwani)
- [shorts](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/shorts)
- [freakonomics](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/freakonomics)
- [discovery channel](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/discovery-channel)
- [goodpitch](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/goodpitch)
- [film new york](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/film-new-york-2)
- [dilverdocs](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/dilverdocs)
- [maryland film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/maryland-film-festival)
- [baltimore](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/baltimore)
- [new york film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/new-york-film)
- [human rights](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/human-rights)
- [film fetivals](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/film-fetivals)
- [japan cuts](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/japan-cuts)
- [asian film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/asian-film)
- [asian film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/asian-film-festival)
- [mountain thief](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/mountain-thief)
- [asian american int film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/asian-american-int-film-festival)
- [LA shorts](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/la-shorts)
- [winners](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/winners)
- [oscar nomination](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/oscar-nomination)
- [asian fusion](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/asian-fusion)
- [winter vacation](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/winter-vacation)
- [locarno film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/locarno-film-festival)
- [montreal world film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/montreal-world-film-festival)
- [canada](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/canada)
- [2010 Montreal World Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/2010-montreal-world-film-festival)
- [2010 festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/2010-festival)
- [new orleans film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/new-orleans-film-festival)
- [welcome to the rileys](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/welcome-to-the-rileys)
- [venice film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/venice-film-festival)
- [venice lion](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/venice-lion)
- [sofia coppola](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/sofia-coppola)
- [expresion en corto](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/expresion-en-corto)
- [international film festival of guanajuato](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/international-film-festival-of-guanajuato)
- [nyff 2010](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/nyff-2010)
- [Sundance Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/sundance-film-festival)
- [sundance 2011](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/sundance-2011)
- [silverdocs 2010](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/silverdocs-2010)
- [silverdocs awards](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/silverdocs-awards)
- [Tibet](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/tibet)
- [China](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/china)
- [End Of The Line](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/end-of-the-line)
- [Rupert Murray](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/rupert-murray)
- [sirak sabahat](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/sirak-sabahat)
- [live and become](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/live-and-become)
- [Kate Winslet](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/kate-winslet)
- [The Reader](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-reader)
- [Golden Globes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/golden-globes)
- [Bernhard](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/bernhard)
- [Schlink](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/schlink)
- [MILK](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/milk)
- [Sean Penn](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/sean-penn)
- [Gus Van Sant](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/gus-van-sant)
- [Harvey Milk](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/harvey-milk)
- [Natalie Portman](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/natalie-portman)
- [Christine Aylward](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/christine-aylward)
- [Tribeca](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/tribeca)
- [makingof.com](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/makingof-com)
- [Geena Davis](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/geena-davis)
- [Accidents Happen](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/accidents-happen)
- [Andrew Lancaster](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/andrew-lancaster)
- [shohreh aghdashloo](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/shohreh-aghdashloo)
- [the stoning of soraya m.](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-stoning-of-soraya-m)
- [jim caviezel](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/jim-caviezel)
- [freidoune sahebjam](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/freidoune-sahebjam)
- [cyrus nowrasteh](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/cyrus-nowrasteh)
- [tucker max](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/tucker-max)
- [i hope they server beer in hell](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/i-hope-they-server-beer-in-hell)
- [duke](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/duke)
- [Gabby Sidibe](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/gabby-sidibe)
- [Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/based-on-the-novel-push-by-sapphire)
- [lenny kravitz](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/lenny-kravitz)
- [emily blunt](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/emily-blunt)
- [the young victoria](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-young-victoria)
- [Paul Schrader](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/paul-schrader)
- [Controversial Holocaust Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/controversial-holocaust-film)
- [Israel Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/israel-film-festival)
- [adam resurrected](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/adam-resurrected)
- [wall street: money never sleeps](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/wall-street-money-never-sleeps)
- [mark duplass](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/mark-duplass)
- [cyrus](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/cyrus)
- [diy](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/diy)
- [mumblecore](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/mumblecore)
- [people](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/people)
- [Alyssa Milano](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/alyssa-milano)
- [Steward Rahr](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/steward-rahr)
- [National Kidney Foundation](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/national-kidney-foundation)
- [The Wachowski Brothers](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-wachowski-brothers)
- [Larry Wachowski](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/larry-wachowski)
- [Ninja Assassin](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/ninja-assassin)
- [Shaolin Cowboy](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/shaolin-cowboy)
- [cannes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/cannes)
- [Golden Palm](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/golden-palm)
- [news](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/news-2)
- [Gilles Jacobs](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/gilles-jacobs)
- [Festival De Cannes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/festival-de-cannes)
- [woodstock](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/woodstock)
- [the beats](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-beats)
- [kill your darlings](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/kill-your-darlings)
- [christin vachon](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/christin-vachon)
- [on the road](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/on-the-road)
- [francis coppola](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/francis-coppola)
- [pacific](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/pacific)
- [call for entries](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/call-for-entries)
- [tahiti](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/tahiti)
- [madoff](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/madoff)
- [ponzi](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/ponzi)
- [mockumentary](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/mockumentary)
- [scheme](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/scheme)
- [change your life](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/change-your-life)
- [adam chirsting](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/adam-chirsting)
- [showest 2009](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/showest-2009)
- [earth](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/earth)
- [man on wire](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/man-on-wire)
- [chorus line](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/chorus-line)
- [tyson](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/tyson)
- [tom bernard](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/tom-bernard)
- [sony pictures classics](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/sony-pictures-classics)
- [Mike Plante](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/mike-plante)
- [programming](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/programming)
- [benefit](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/benefit)
- [gen art](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/gen-art)
- [jeffrey abramson](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/jeffrey-abramson)
- [Nas](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/nas)
- [JayZ](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/jayz)
- [Sam Jackson](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/sam-jackson)
- [new media art](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/new-media-art)
- [oldest film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/oldest-film-festival)
- [Count Giuseppe Volpi di Misurata](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/count-giuseppe-volpi-di-misurata)
- [island of the Lido](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/island-of-the-lido)
- [Palazzo del Cinema on the Lungomare Marconi](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/palazzo-del-cinema-on-the-lungomare-marconi)
- [world](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/world)
- [Venice Biennale](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/venice-biennale)
- [Melbourne International Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/melbourne-international-film-festival)
- [online ticket sales](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/online-ticket-sales)
- [Chinese hackers](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/chinese-hackers)
- [screening](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/screening)
- [exiled](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/exiled)
- [Uighur](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/uighur)
- [leader](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/leader)
- [Rebiya Kadeer.](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/rebiya-kadeer)
- [greenwriter.com](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/greenwriter-com)
- [screenwriters](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/screenwriters)
- [screenplay](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/screenplay)
- [screenplays](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/screenplays)
- [production companies](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/production-companies)
- [studios](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/studios)
- [showcase](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/showcase)
- [american independent film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/american-independent-film)
- [troia international film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/troia-international-film-festival)
- [the good guy](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-good-guy)
- [the narrows](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-narrows)
- [the missing person](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-missing-person)
- [at the movies](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/at-the-movies)
- [ben lyons](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/ben-lyons)
- [ben mankiewicz](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/ben-mankiewicz)
- [michael phillips](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/michael-phillips)
- [a. o. scott](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/a-o-scott)
- [john cooper](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/john-cooper)
- [no bugdet](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/no-bugdet)
- [500 days of summer](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/500-days-of-summer)
- [moon](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/moon)
- [french director](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/french-director)
- [christian poveda](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/christian-poveda)
- [la vida loca](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/la-vida-loca)
- [el salvador](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/el-salvador)
- [Friars Club](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/friars-club)
- [Comedy Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/comedy-festival)
- [Michael Madsen](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/michael-madsen)
- [troia](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/troia)
- [disposable](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/disposable)
- [topp twins](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/topp-twins)
- [the loved ones](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-loved-ones)
- [micmacs](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/micmacs)
- [PULP FICTION](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/pulp-fiction)
- [Tarantino](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/tarantino)
- [Highest Grossing Film Ever](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/highest-grossing-film-ever)
- [Critics](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/critics)
- [Survey](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/survey)
- [Internation](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/internation)
- [trevor groth](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/trevor-groth)
- [robin greenspun](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/robin-greenspun)
- [arrest](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/arrest)
- [the pianist](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-pianist)
- [comedy](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/comedy)
- [friar's](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/friars)
- [mspot](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/mspot)
- [mobile movies](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/mobile-movies)
- [paramount](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/paramount)
- [universal](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/universal)
- [weinstein](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/weinstein)
- [bernard henri-levy](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/bernard-henri-levy)
- [petition](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/petition)
- [docurama](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/docurama)
- [films](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/films)
- [digital distributor](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/digital-distributor)
- [dvds](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/dvds)
- [robert drew](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/robert-drew)
- [hope ryden](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/hope-ryden)
- [d. a. pennebaker](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/d-a-pennebaker)
- [michael jai white](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/michael-jai-white)
- [kym whitley](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/kym-whitley)
- [tommy davidson](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/tommy-davidson)
- [damon wayans](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/damon-wayans)
- [premiere](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/premiere)
- [todd solondz](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/todd-solondz)
- [happiness](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/happiness)
- [palindromes](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/palindromes)
- [Slamdance Film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/slamdance-film-festival)
- [Paranormal Activity](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/paranormal-activity)
- [blair witch project](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/blair-witch-project)
- [IFP](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/ifp)
- [film makers](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/film-makers)
- [independent feature project](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/independent-feature-project)
- [association of independent video and filmmakers](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/association-of-independent-video-and-filmmakers)
- [hd expo](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/hd-expo)
- [createasphere](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/createasphere)
- [gamma and density](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/gamma-and-density)
- [workshops](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/workshops)
- [digital imaging](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/digital-imaging)
- [the case of kasztner](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-case-of-kasztner)
- [rezso kasztner](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/rezso-kasztner)
- [cinema village](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/cinema-village)
- [holocaust](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/holocaust)
- [19th Annual Gotham Independent Film Award nominees](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/19th-annual-gotham-independent-film-award-nominees)
- [where the wild things are](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/where-the-wild-things-are)
- [lance acord](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/lance-acord)
- [los angeles hd expo](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/los-angeles-hd-expo)
- [Disney](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/disney)
- [usa](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/usa)
- [sundance film festival u.s.a.](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/sundance-film-festival-u-s-a)
- [fort lauderdale](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/fort-lauderdale)
- [sundance institute](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/sundance-institute)
- [Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/sundancenhk-international-filmmakers-award)
- [park city utah](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/park-city-utah)
- [elliott gould](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/elliott-gould)
- [israeli cinema](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/israeli-cinema)
- [don krim](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/don-krim)
- [a matter of size](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/a-matter-of-size)
- [burma vj](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/burma-vj)
- [oscar doc shortlist](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/oscar-doc-shortlist)
- [pathe](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/pathe)
- [documentary label](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/documentary-label)
- [pathe docs](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/pathe-docs)
- [clearwater film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/clearwater-film-festival)
- [international film festival summit](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/international-film-festival-summit)
- [education](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/education-2)
- [festival programming](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/festival-programming)
- [community](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/community)
- [last train home](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/last-train-home)
- [docummentay](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/docummentay)
- [spirit awards](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/spirit-awards)
- [independent movies](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/independent-movies)
- [nominations](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/nominations)
- [oscars](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/oscars)
- [next](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/next)
- [soho international film festival 2010](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/soho-international-film-festival-2010)
- [new york film critics](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/new-york-film-critics)
- [grants](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/grants)
- [film projects](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/film-projects)
- [golden globe awards](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/golden-globe-awards)
- [the sun behind the clouds](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-sun-behind-the-clouds)
- [Soho International Film Festival NYC](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/soho-international-film-festival-nyc)
- [Top 10](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/top-10)
- [the hurt locker](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-hurt-locker)
- [Inglorious Basterds](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/inglorious-basterds)
- [world's gratest dad](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/worlds-gratest-dad)
- [new york jewish film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/new-york-jewish-film-festival)
- [russian filmmakers](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/russian-filmmakers)
- [cec artslink](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/cec-artslink)
- [eyes wide open](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/eyes-wide-open)
- [israeli filmmaker](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/israeli-filmmaker)
- [the creative coalition](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-creative-coalition)
- [arts](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/arts)
- [humanities](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/humanities)
- [los angeles](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/los-angeles)
- [italia](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/italia)
- [docmiami](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/docmiami)
- [doc miami](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/doc-miami)
- [doral](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/doral)
- [tribeca enterprises](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/tribeca-enterprises)
- [independent spirit awards](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/independent-spirit-awards)
- [school of visual arts](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/school-of-visual-arts)
- [dusty film and animation festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/dusty-film-and-animation-festival)
- [french cinema](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/french-cinema)
- [2010 tribeca film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/2010-tribeca-film-festival)
- [short film selections](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/short-film-selections)
- [noah baumbach](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/noah-baumbach)
- [greenberg](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/greenberg)
- [ben stiller](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/ben-stiller)
- [moma](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/moma)
- [indiepix](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/indiepix)
- [women without men](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/women-without-men)
- [shirin neshat](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/shirin-neshat)
- [film festival zlin](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/film-festival-zlin)
- [rainbow marble](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/rainbow-marble)
- [zlin](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/zlin)
- [europe](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/europe)
- [International Film Festival for Children And Youth](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/international-film-festival-for-children-and-youth)
- [Global Peace Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/global-peace-film-festival)
- [orlando](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/orlando)
- [Iranian Director Jafar Panahi](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/iranian-director-jafar-panahi)
- [american film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/american-film-festival)
- [rush](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/rush)
- [beyond the lighted stage](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/beyond-the-lighted-stage)
- [cannes 2010](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/cannes-2010)
- [the perfect age of rock n roll](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-perfect-age-of-rock-n-roll)
- [Foreign Language Films](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/foreign-language-films)
- [US market](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/us-market)
- [camera](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/camera)
- [mekanism](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/mekanism)
- [malcolm murray](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/malcolm-murray)
- [los angeles film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/los-angeles-film-festival)
- [german films](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/german-films)
- [downfall](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/downfall)
- [elephant eye](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/elephant-eye)
- [winner](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/winner)
- [palme d or](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/palme-d-or)
- [uncle boonmee](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/uncle-boonmee)
- [Joan Rivers](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/joan-rivers)
- [A Piece Of Work](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/a-piece-of-work)
- [rose kuo](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/rose-kuo)
- [film society of lincoln center](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/film-society-of-lincoln-center)
- [afi fest](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/afi-fest)
- [swiss arrest](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/swiss-arrest)
- [red](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/red)
- [trailer](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/trailer)
- [enemies of the people](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/enemies-of-the-people)
- [cambodia](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/cambodia)
- [polish festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/polish-festival)
- [Venice Days](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/venice-days)
- [Jafahi Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/jafahi-film)
- [gerard depardieu](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/gerard-depardieu)
- [serge losique](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/serge-losique)
- [basquiat](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/basquiat)
- [the radiant child](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-radiant-child)
- [tamra davis](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/tamra-davis)
- [pretty pictures](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/pretty-pictures)
- [julian schnabel](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/julian-schnabel)
- [eric rohmer](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/eric-rohmer)
- [retrospective](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/retrospective)
- [naomi watts](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/naomi-watts)
- [fair game](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/fair-game)
- [Balthazar](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/balthazar)
- [Dave Annable](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/dave-annable)
- [and James Van Der Beek](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/and-james-van-der-beek)
- [asian cinema](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/asian-cinema)
- [boobs and blood](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/boobs-and-blood)
- [eugene hernandez](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/eugene-hernandez)
- [indiewire](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/indiewire)
- [Academy Awards](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/academy-awards)
- [83rd Academy Awards](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/83rd-academy-awards)
- [dj spooky](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/dj-spooky)
- [gotham awards nominees](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/gotham-awards-nominees)
- [david carradine](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/david-carradine)
- [karl malden](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/karl-malden)
- [marlon brando](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/marlon-brando)
- [on the waterfront](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/on-the-waterfront)
- [one-eyed jacks](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/one-eyed-jacks)
- [baby doll](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/baby-doll)
- [patton](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/patton)
- [dominick dunne](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/dominick-dunne)
- [panic in needle park](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/panic-in-needle-park)
- [jim carroll](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/jim-carroll)
- [punk musician](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/punk-musician)
- [author](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/author)
- [the basketball diaries](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/the-basketball-diaries)
- [Brittany Murphy](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/brittany-murphy)
- [clueless](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/clueless)
- [just married](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/just-married)
- [little black book](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/little-black-book)
- [Dennis Hopper](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/dennis-hopper)
- [R.I.P.(1936-2010)](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/r-i-p-1936-2010)
- [claude chabrol](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/claude-chabrol)
- [french new wave](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/french-new-wave)
- [arthur penn](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/arthur-penn)
- [bony and clyde](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/bony-and-clyde)
- [tony curtis](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/tony-curtis)
- [Native Filmmakers](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/native-filmmakers)
- [Fellowship](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/fellowship)
- [virginia film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/virginia-film-festival)
- [jody kielbasa](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/jody-kielbasa)
- [university of virginia](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/university-of-virginia)
- [First Run Features](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/first-run-features)
- [america betrayed](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/america-betrayed)
- [in the family](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/in-the-family)
- [economic impact](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/economic-impact)
- [press release](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/press-release)
- [independent film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/independent-film)
- [fellows](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/fellows)
- [composers](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/composers)
- [Kim Carroll](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/kim-carroll)
- [Chanda Dancy](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/chanda-dancy)
- [Magda Giannikou](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/magda-giannikou)
- [Lili Haydn](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/lili-haydn)
- [Christopher Lord](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/christopher-lord)
- [and David Poe](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/and-david-poe)
- [phoenix](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/phoenix)
- [horror](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/horror)
- [sci-fi](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/sci-fi)
- [open society institute](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/open-society-institute)
- [justice](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/justice)
- [creativity](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/creativity)
- [limitation](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/limitation)
- [manny farber](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/manny-farber)
- [BULLETPROOF SALESMAN](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/bulletproof-salesman)
- [michael tucker](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/michael-tucker)
- [fidelis cloer](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/fidelis-cloer)
- [Weapons](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/weapons)
- [armor](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/armor)
- [ascap](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/ascap)
- [shawn lemone](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/shawn-lemone)
- [television](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/television)
- [Createsphere](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/createsphere)
- [editfest](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/editfest)
- [bill pankow](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/bill-pankow)
- [workshop](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/workshop)
- [american cinema editors](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/american-cinema-editors)
- [red camera](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/red-camera)
- [technology](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/technology)
- [la center studios](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/la-center-studios)
- [reducation](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/reducation)
- [david salter](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/david-salter)
- [artist](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/artist)
- [video edit](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/video-edit)
- [josh apter](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/josh-apter)
- [Manhattan Edit Workshop](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/manhattan-edit-workshop)
- [MEWShop](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/mewshop)
- [Apple](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/apple)
- [Avid](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/avid)
- [Adobe Authorized Training Center](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/adobe-authorized-training-center)
- [art](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/art)
- [technique](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/technique)
- [editing](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/editing)
- [Certification](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/certification)
- [September](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/september)
- [evan schechtman](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/evan-schechtman)
- [retool bootcamp](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/retool-bootcamp)
- [red traning](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/red-traning)
- [macao](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/macao)
- [expo](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/expo)
- [seminar](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/seminar)
- [conference](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/conference)
- [burbank](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/burbank)
- [gear alley](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/gear-alley)
- [imaging](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/imaging)
- [postproduction](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/postproduction)
- [technology event](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/technology-event)
- [canon eos-1d](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/canon-eos-1d)
- [Tupelo](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/tupelo)
- [Tupelo Film Commission](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/tupelo-film-commission)
- [Mississippi](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/mississippi)
- [mahindra](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/mahindra)
- [new york's indian film festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/new-yorks-indian-film-festival)
- [miaac 2008](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/miaac-2008)
- [Rendezvous](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/rendezvous)
- [Alice Tully Hall](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/alice-tully-hall)
- [newfest](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/tag/newfest)

## Picture tag

- [Film](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/ngg_tag/film)
- [Celebrities](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/ngg_tag/celebrities)
- [topics](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/ngg_tag/topics)
- [topi](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/ngg_tag/topi)
- [Music](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/ngg_tag/music)
- [Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/ngg_tag/festival)
- [Music Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/ngg_tag/music-festival)
- [Entertainment Event](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/ngg_tag/entertainment-event)
- [2016 Sundance Film Festival](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/ngg_tag/2016-sundance-film-festival)
- [Egyptian Theater](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/ngg_tag/egyptian-theater)
- [Roberd Redford](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/ngg_tag/roberd-redford)
- [John Cooper](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/ngg_tag/john-cooper)
- [John Underkoffler](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/ngg_tag/john-underkoffler)
- [La La Land](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/ngg_tag/la-la-land)
- [Loving](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/ngg_tag/loving)
- [The Eagle Huntress](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/ngg_tag/the-eagle-huntress)
- [Middleburg Film Festival 2016](https://filmfestivaltoday.com/ngg_tag/middleburg-film-festival-2016)