New Chefs on the Block | Film Festival Today

Jay Berg’s AFI DOCS 2017 Top Five

July 9, 2017

“Naza” Chronicles Bibi’s Killing Spree
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
October 8, 2026
Naza (Yuval Abraham/Rachel Szor, 2026) 5 out of 5 stars By now in this increasingly horrific century of ours, quoting Orwell has become quite the cliché, so forgive me for citing these famous lines from his seminal dystopian novel 1984 (published in 1949): “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” There are so many real-world issues to wish this can apply, given the rise once ... >>
New/Next Review: “The Haunting of Pennhurst”
By Matt Patti
October 8, 2026
The Haunting of Pennhurst (Mike Attie/Katarina Poljak/Nathan R. Stenberg, 2026) 4 out of 5 stars As a haunted house enthusiast, I’ve visited most of the marquee attractions around the eastern Pennsylvania region. I remember when first learning about “Pennhurst Asylum” that I found the idea to be in poor taste. Holding a haunted attraction at the site of a former state institution that was notorious for the awful treatment of its residents and ... >>
TIFF Review: “Club Kid”
By Hannah Tran
September 22, 2026
Club Kid (Jordan Firstman, 2026) 5 out of 5 stars It’s an awe-inspiring feeling like no other to witness an artist create something they seem born to make. It’s even more remarkable if that thing is their debut. In Jordan Firstman’s Club Kid, in which Firstman is the writer, director, and lead actor—a combination at which I would usually raise an eyebrow for first-time feature filmmakers—it feels as if he has aligned every star by hand to create ... >>
TIFF Review: “Long Long Night”
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
September 20, 2026
Long Long Night (Youm Kyu-Bock, 2026) 3½ out of 5 stars South Korean director Youm Kyu-Bock’s debut feature, Long Long Night, is an adaptation of a 2021 prize-winning children’s book that was later turned into a stage musical. It tells the tale of the last white boulder rhinoceros on Earth, who protects—and journeys across the African continent with—a baby penguin. The film mixes gentle drama and humor with serious tragedy in a combination that ... >>
“The History of Concrete” Offers Hilarious Meditation
By Patrick Howard
September 18, 2026
The History of Concrete (John Wilson, 2026) 4½ out of 5 stars Have you ever heard of the old idiom “this is like watching paint dry”? A classic phrase to describe an act that will most certainly bore you to tears. With that idea in mind, hearing about filmmaker John Wilson’s new documentary The History of Concrete may send a shiver of tedium down your spine. Remarkably, John Wilson (HBO’s How to with John Wilson series) transforms material that ... >>

“Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother” Is a Meditation on Faith and Violence
In >> Breaking, Film Reviews, George W. Campbell, Spotlight
“Forgotten Island” Is Sweet, Frantic, and Full of Heart
In >> Breaking, Film Reviews, George W. Campbell, Spotlight
“Primetime” Explores Complicated Life of Chris Hansen
In >> Breaking, Film Reviews, Matt Patti, Spotlight
“Resident Evil” Is a (Mostly) Fun and Frightening Ride
In >> Breaking, Film Reviews, George W. Campbell, Spotlight

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September 30, 2026
Back for its fourth year, Baltimore’s New/Next Film ...>>
10 Picks for TIFF 2026
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The 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (or ...>>
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Five Films to See at Tribeca 2026
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5 Films to See at the 2026 Maryland Film Festival
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It’s April and the Maryland Film Festival (MdFF) is ...>>