Shame and Money Wins World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance

Posted on January 31, 2026 by admin

Visar Morina’s Shame and Money was awarded the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, marking a major moment for the filmmaker following his earlier Sundance entry Exile.

Set between rural Kosovo and the capital, the film follows a family forced to rebuild their lives after losing their livelihood, tracing how pride, financial pressure, and quiet desperation shape everyday choices. Morina approaches the story with restraint, letting tension build through small moments rather than spectacle.

The film stars Astrit Kabashi and Flonja Kodheli, whose performances anchor the story with emotional clarity and lived-in realism. Shame and Money represents Germany and Kosovo and continues its festival run following its Sundance win.

Vans Warped Tour Launches 2026 Lineup Rollout With “30ish Days of Warped”

Posted on January 30, 2026 by admin

Vans Warped Tour is officially back for 2026 and kicking things off with its signature slow-burn lineup reveal, launching “30ish Days of Warped” across its social platforms.

After three sold-out U.S. dates last year, Warped expands in a big way with five two-day festivals set for Washington, D.C., Long Beach, Orlando, plus new international stops in Montreal and Mexico City. Partnering with Insomniac, the tour blends its classic DIY spirit with a larger, global footprint.

More than 100 artists spanning rock, pop punk, emo, hip-hop, ska, and alternative will appear across the festivals, with multiple artist announcements dropping daily over the next month. As always, the full lineup will be revealed alphabetically, keeping the focus on discovery rather than headliners.

In addition to the main festivals, Warped will host pop-up events in each city, featuring surprise performances and local activations designed to connect directly with fans and communities.

Founded in 1995 by Kevin Lyman, Vans Warped Tour remains one of the most influential platforms in music and skate culture, known for launching and elevating artists while keeping accessibility and community at its core.

Weekend passes are currently available via VansWarpedTour.com.

2026 Sundance Film Festival Announces Award Winners

Posted on January 30, 2026 by admin

The 2026 Sundance Film Festival revealed its award winners during a ceremony at The Ray Theatre in Park City, Utah, honoring standout films across U.S., international, documentary, and NEXT categories ahead of the festival’s final weekend.

Top Grand Jury Prizes went to Josephine (U.S. Dramatic Competition), Nuisance Bear (U.S. Documentary Competition), Shame and Money (World Cinema Dramatic Competition), and To Hold a Mountain (World Cinema Documentary Competition). The festival’s NEXT Innovator Award, presented by Adobe, was awarded to The Incomer, while TheyDream received the NEXT Special Jury Award.

Audience Awards reflected strong viewer engagement across categories. Josephine also claimed the Audience Award for U.S. Dramatic, alongside American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez for U.S. Documentary. International audience honors went to HOLD ONTO ME (Κράτα Με) and One In A Million, with Aanikoobijigan [ancestor/great-grandparent/great-grandchild] taking the NEXT Audience Award.

This year’s festival showcased 97 feature-length projects and 54 short films, selected from more than 16,000 submissions, underscoring Sundance’s continued role as a launchpad for emerging voices and bold storytelling. Award-winning films remain available online nationwide through February 1, with select titles screening in person for passholders.

The 2026 edition also marks one of the final Sundance gatherings in Utah, ahead of the festival’s planned move to Boulder, Colorado in 2027.
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Brandy, Kirk Franklin, and Pharrell Williams Honored at Recording Academy Honors

Posted on January 30, 2026 by admin

Brandy, Kirk Franklin, and Pharrell Williams were honored Thursday night at the fourth annual Recording Academy Honors presented by the Black Music Collective, held January 29 in Santa Monica ahead of the Grammy Awards.Brandy and Franklin each received the Black Music Icon Award, recognizing their lasting artistic influence and cultural impact, while Williams was presented with the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award for his contributions to music, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy.

The ceremony featured tribute performances from Coco Jones, Kehlani, FLO, John Legend, Lecrae, PJ Morton, Tamela Mann, and others, with appearances by Dr. Dre, Tyler the Creator, and Justin Timberlake. Both Brandy and Franklin also performed during the evening. In a notable moment, Eve was formally awarded a Grammy for her performance on The Roots’ “You Got Me,” correcting a long-standing credit oversight from the song’s original win in 2000.

The Black Music Collective event continues to spotlight Black artists and industry leaders while supporting future generations through scholarship initiatives and mentorship.

Inception, Clueless, and Before Sunrise Added to the National Film Registry

Posted on January 29, 2026 by admin

Christopher Nolan’s Inception, Amy Heckerling’s Clueless, and Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise are among 25 films newly selected for preservation by the National Film Registry, the Library of Congress announced.

The annual list recognizes films deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant,” with this year’s selections spanning more than a century of cinema. Additions range from silent-era works dating back to 1896 to modern classics like The Truman Show, The Incredibles, and Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Notable inclusions also feature Glory, Philadelphia, The Karate Kid, Frida, and The Big Chill, alongside six silent films, several of which were recently restored or rediscovered. With this year’s additions, the National Film Registry now contains 925 titles.

Turner Classic Movies will mark the announcement with a televised special on March 19, showcasing select new entries from the 2025 class.

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Guillermo del Toro Returns to Sundance With Cronos Restoration

Posted on January 28, 2026 by admin

Director Guillermo del Toro at Sundance 2026

Guillermo del Toro made a low-key appearance Tuesday night at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival for a Park City Legacy screening of Cronos, his 1994 debut feature, at The Ray Theatre in Park City. The screening coincided with the presentation of a newly restored 4K version of the film, more than 30 years after it first premiered at Sundance.

The Academy Award winning director, appeared in good spirits and posed for photographers during a press line ahead of the screening.

Originally released in the early 1990s, Cronos follows an antique dealer who discovers an ancient device promising eternal life, setting off a quiet but unsettling chain of consequences.

The film has long been viewed as an early blueprint for del Toro’s recurring themes: mortality, monstrosity, and tenderness existing side by side.

Blades of the Guardians Heads to North American Theaters in February

Posted on January 27, 2026 by admin

Well Go USA Entertainment has acquired North American distribution rights to Blades of the Guardians, the large-scale historical action film directed by legendary martial arts filmmaker Yuen Woo-ping. The film is set for a theatrical release on February 17, 2026, timed to the Chinese New Year.

Based on the popular comic by Xianzhe Xu, Blades of the Guardians stars Wu Jing, who also serves as producer, alongside Jet Li, Nicholas Tse, Yosh Yu, and K-pop idols JUN (Seventeen) and Winwin (NCT).

Set during China’s Sui Dynasty, the film follows a mercenary tasked with escorting a mysterious mission across the Western Regions, only to find himself pulled into a dangerous political scheme.

With Yuen Woo-ping at the helm, the film leans heavily into classical martial arts spectacle, blending large-scale action choreography with historical intrigue. The release continues Well Go USA’s long-standing focus on bringing international action cinema to North American audiences.

Pinnacle Peak Pictures has acquired North Am theatrical rights to sci-fi dramedy Matter of Time

Posted on January 27, 2026 by admin

Pinnacle Peak Pictures has acquired North American theatrical rights to Matter of Time, a sci-fi dramedy from filmmaker Jeremy Snead, with an exclusive theatrical release set for February 27, 2026.

The film follows Charlie Fleck, a 29-year-old aspiring video game designer who stumbles upon a device that can stop time, giving him the chance to chase the ambitions he has always put off. What starts as a dream scenario slowly turns more complicated, as the ability to pause life forces Charlie to confront the cost of control, ambition, and the people caught in between.

Matter of Time stars Myles Erlick alongside Sean Astin, with Ali Astin and Jamie Alexander appearing in supporting roles. The film marks a rare on-screen reunion for Sean Astin and his daughter Ali Astin, their first shared appearance since The Lord of the Rings era. Directed by Snead, the film blends emotional character drama with genre-forward sci-fi elements, pulling from themes of creativity, grief, friendship, and gaming culture.

The film premiered at the Dallas International Film Festival in 2025 and later screened internationally at SCI-FI-LONDON. Pinnacle Peak Pictures plans a targeted theatrical rollout in partnership with IGN Entertainment, aiming to connect the film directly with audiences drawn to narrative-driven games, science fiction, and creator-led storytelling.

Kid Cudi Announces The Rebel Ragers Tour With M.I.A., Big Boi, and More

Posted on January 27, 2026 by admin

Kid Cudi is returning to the road in 2026 with The Rebel Ragers Tour, a North American run featuring a rotating lineup of special guests including M.I.A., Big Boi, A-Trak, me n ü, and Dot Da Genius on select dates.

Produced by Live Nation, the tour kicks off April 28 in Phoenix and spans more than 30 cities, with stops in Atlanta, Toronto, Los Angeles, New York, and beyond before wrapping up June 27 in Chula Vista, California.

The tour pulls from across Cudi’s catalog, touching on early breakout tracks like “Day ’N’ Nite” and “Mr. Rager” while also incorporating newer material from recent releases.

The run reflects Cudi’s long-standing connection with his fanbase and his continued evolution across music and culture. Tickets go on sale January 30 via LiveNation.com, with presales beginning earlier in the week.

Time and Water Premieres January 27 at Sundance in Park City

Posted on January 27, 2026 by admin

Time and Water premiered on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at the Park City Library Theater as part of the Premieres section of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.

The screening was preceded by a press line attended by director Sara Dosa and Icelandic writer and subject Andri Snær Magnason, along with producers Shane Boris, Jameka Autry, and Elijah Stevens.

The documentary centers on Magnason as he confronts parallel forms of loss, the disappearance of Iceland’s glaciers and the fading presence of family memory. Using personal archives, photographs, writing, and folklore, the film approaches climate change through intimacy rather than scale, grounding global urgency in lived experience. The atmosphere surrounding the premiere reflected that tone, measured, quiet, and reflective rather than overtly ceremonial.

The Sundance screening marked the film’s first public presentation. Time and Water continues its festival run with additional in-person and online screenings through February 1.