Independent Film Company and Shudder Acquire Natalie Erika James’ Saccharine Ahead of Sundance Premiere

SaccharineIndependent Film Company and Shudder have acquired North American and UK rights to Saccharine, the latest feature from filmmaker Natalie Erika James, ahead of its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

Written and directed by James, Saccharine is described as a supernatural body horror film and marks her third feature following Relic and Apartment 7A. The film stars Midori Francis, Danielle Macdonald, and Madeleine Madden. It is slated for a theatrical release before streaming on Shudder later in 2026.

The story follows Hana, a medical student whose involvement in an extreme weight-loss trend leads to increasingly disturbing consequences after she consumes human ashes. The film continues James’ interest in horror rooted in psychological and physical transformation.

Saccharine was produced by James alongside Anna McLeish and Sarah Shaw, with financing from Screen Australia in partnership with XYZ Films, IPR.VC, Stan, and VicScreen. XYZ Films handled the sale, which was finalized ahead of the film’s Sundance debut.

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Tedeschi Trucks Band Announce Future Soul Album and 2026 Tour

tedeschi-trucks-bandTedeschi Trucks Band have announced Future Soul, their sixth studio album, set for release on March 20 via Fantasy Records, alongside plans for a wide-ranging 2026 tour. The band has also shared the album’s first single, “I Got You,” which is out now.

Led by Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, the 12-piece ensemble recorded Future Soul at their own Swamp Raga Recording studio in Florida, as well as Phantom Studios in Tennessee. The album follows 2022’s ambitious I Am The Moon project and continues the band’s collaborative, full-band approach to songwriting, drawing from blues, soul, rock, funk, and gospel influences.

The Future Soul Tour will begin this spring following the band’s annual residency at New York’s Beacon Theatre. The tour includes stops across North America through the fall, with shows at major venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheatre and multiple multi-night runs. Select dates will feature co-headlining performances and special guests, including Alabama Shakes, Sheryl Crow, and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit.

Pre-sale tickets begin January 27, with general on-sale opening January 30.

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Filipiñana Debuts at Sundance with Red Carpet Screening in Park City

Rafael Manuel’s feature debut Filipiñana premiered at the Sundance Film Festival as part of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, screening at The Ray Theatre in Park City, Utah.

The screening was preceded by a red carpet event, where the filmmakers paused for photos and interviews ahead of the film’s first public showing.

The film stars Isabel Sicat and centers on a teenage girl working at an elite country club who becomes drawn to its powerful president, only to uncover a darker history beneath the institution’s polished surface. Set across multiple languages including Filipino, English, and Ilokano, Filipiñana explores class tension, identity, and inherited power through a stylized and unsettling lens.

In attendance at the premiere were writer-director Rafael Manuel, supporting cast member Isabel Sicat, producers Jeremy Chua and Alex Polunin, and executive producer Farhana Bhula. Filipiñana continues its Sundance run in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, with in-person and online screenings scheduled through the festival.

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Extra Geography Premieres at Sundance 2026 in World Cinema Dramatic Competition

Extra Geography premiered Friday, January 23, at the Sundance Film Festival, screening at The Library Theatre in Park City as part of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. The screening was preceded by a red carpet appearance from director Molly Manners and members of the cast, marking the film’s first public showing.

The debut feature, written by Miriam Battye, centers on two high-achieving students at a British girls’ boarding school whose tightly controlled routines are disrupted by a self-imposed summer project to fall in love.

The film stars Marni Duggan and Galaxie Clear, with Alice Englert and Aoife Riddell also appearing. Extra Geography is Manners’ first feature following her work in television, including the Netflix series One Day.

Following its premiere night in Park City, the film continues its Sundance run with additional public screenings in Park City and Salt Lake City through February 1, giving festival audiences multiple opportunities to catch the film during the final days of the festival.

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Hot Water Premieres at Sundance 2026 With Red Carpet Debut in Park City

Hot Water writer-director Ramzi Bashour

Ramzi Bashour’s feature debut Hot Water premiered Friday, January 23, in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival, screening at Eccles Theatre in Park City, Utah. The premiere was accompanied by a red carpet appearance from the filmmaker and members of the creative team, marking the film’s first public unveiling.

Starring Lubna Azabal (Incendies) and Daniel Zolghadri (Funny Pages, Lurker), Hot Water centers on a Lebanese mother and her American teenage son who set out on a cross-country drive after the boy is expelled from high school. What begins as a reluctant journey gradually opens into a series of encounters that test their relationship and challenge their sense of home. Dale Dickey appears in a supporting role.

Shot across multiple states, the production moved through new locations week by week before wrapping in California. Around the Sundance premiere, members of the creative team spoke about the intensity of the schedule and the collaborative effort behind making a first feature under lean conditions, with the emphasis throughout remaining on the script rather than any assumptions about where the film might land.

Hot Water marks Bashour’s debut as a writer-director and unfolds as a restrained road comedy, using everyday spaces, highways, motels, diners, to explore family tension, cultural distance, and uneasy connection. The film moves between English, Arabic, and French, reflecting the layered identities at the center of the story.

The film continues its Sundance run as part of the festival’s U.S. Dramatic Competition lineup.

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Blood Barn Brings Campy ’80s Horror Energy in New Trailer

blood-barnA new trailer has dropped for Blood Barn, a throwback horror-comedy that leans hard into summer-camp chaos, practical effects, and unapologetic camp.

Set in the summer of 1985, the film follows Josie, a camp counselor who gathers her closest friends for one last weekend together at her family’s remote barn before everyone heads off to college. It’s meant to be nostalgic. It isn’t. The barn has a past, the vibes are off almost immediately, and things unravel fast once curiosity turns into something darker.

Starring Chloe Cherry alongside Lena Redford, Bambina, and Sam Lanier, Blood Barn doesn’t shy away from excess. It plays like a love letter to ’80s slashers and low-budget horror comedies, complete with wild energy, bad decisions, and a body count that escalates quickly once whatever’s lurking in the barn wakes up.

Written and directed by Gabriel Bernini (with co-writer Alexandra Jade), the film embraces practical effects and group-watch chaos over polish. At just over 75 minutes, Blood Barn looks built for midnight screenings, festival crowds, and horror fans who like their scares mixed with laughs.

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Returns to NYC in New 4K Restoration: Can She Bake a Cherry Pie

can-she-bakeHenry Jaglom’s quietly offbeat 1983 film Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? is getting a new 4K restoration and a theatrical run at Metrograph beginning February 20.

Shot entirely on the Upper West Side, the film stars Karen Black as a woman navigating love and loneliness in Jaglom’s loose, conversational style. The movie favors lived-in moments over plot, letting scenes wander in ways that feel more like real life than scripted drama.

The film has picked up cult status over the years, helped by an unusual supporting cast that includes Orson Welles, Frances Fisher, and a pre-Seinfeld Larry David. The new restoration, sourced from a 4K scan of the original 35mm materials, preserves the film’s rough, intimate feel while giving it new clarity on the big screen.

For fans of New York–set cinema and indie films that play by their own rules, Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? is a welcome return.

 

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‘Spacewoman’ Trailer Arrives Ahead of March Theatrical Release

spacewomanA new documentary centered on astronaut Eileen Collins is headed to theaters this spring. ‘Spacewoman’ , directed by Hannah Berryman, opens in cinemas beginning March 20, 2026, with an official trailer now released.

The film traces Collins’ career as the first woman to both pilot and command a Space Shuttle, following her path from a working-class upbringing in upstate New York to four increasingly complex NASA missions. Along the way, SPACEWOMAN looks not just at professional milestones, but at the personal cost of pushing into high-risk territory, for Collins and for the people closest to her.

Built around archival footage and first-hand interviews, the documentary features Collins alongside fellow astronauts, engineers, and family members, offering a grounded look at decision-making, responsibility, and the realities behind historic achievements. The score is composed by Marcelo Zarvos.

‘Spacewoman’ has already screened at several major festivals, including DOC NYC, CPH:DOX, Athena Film Festival, and the Boulder International Film Festival.

The film is produced by Keith Haviland and Natasha Dack Ojumu, with Berryman also credited as writer. Collins and Berryman are expected to participate in select interviews ahead of the release.

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Pitbull Brings the Party Back to North America with Lil Jon on ‘I’m Back’ Tour

pitbullPitbull is heading back out on the road across North America with a new tour fittingly titled I’m Back, and he’s bringing Lil Jon along for the ride. The run marks one of his biggest regional outings yet, leaning fully into the high-energy, crowd-first approach that’s defined his live shows for years.

The tour kicks off May 14 in West Palm Beach, Florida, and stretches through the summer, hitting major amphitheaters and stadiums across the U.S. and Canada before wrapping up in late September. Stops include venues like the Hollywood Bowl, Hersheypark Stadium, and Jones Beach, among others.

Pitbull’s live reputation has been built on consistency and scale, his tours regularly rank among the highest-grossing, and his last run, Party After Dark, was the biggest solo tour of his career. Adding Lil Jon to the lineup signals a clear direction for this tour: loud, familiar, and unapologetically built for mass participation.

The North American dates follow a large Europe and UK leg, continuing a touring strategy that keeps Pitbull firmly in the global live circuit nearly two decades into his career.

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Sundance Institute Announces 2026 Screenwriters Lab and Intensive Fellows

sundance-screenwritersAs Sundance 2026 approaches, the Institute has revealed its latest group of writers selected for its Screenwriters Lab and Screenwriters Intensive, two long-running programs focused on helping emerging filmmakers shape their first and second features.

The Screenwriters Lab, held January 17 to 21 at Sundance Mountain Resort in Utah, will bring together 11 projects chosen from more than 3,800 submissions. Writers will spend the week workshopping original scripts in a small, collaborative setting, guided by a group of established filmmakers and writers. This year’s lab also doubles as a nod to Sundance’s roots, honoring founder Robert Redford and the program’s origins in the early 1980s.

Running separately in March, the Screenwriters Intensive will support nine projects from 13 writers, offering a more focused, online development experience aimed at first time fiction features.

Together, the selected projects reflect a wide range of voices and genres, from intimate family dramas and political thrillers to speculative stories and dark comedies, continuing Sundance’s long-standing emphasis on risk-taking and personal storytelling.
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