Award-Winning Doc Feature “Fairy Creek” to Debut at WFF

fairy-creekFairy Creek documents the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history; a blockade which made international headlines and broke records with nearly 1200 people arrested for protesting to protect BC’s last old-growth forests

Understory Films’ documentary feature film FAIRY CREEK will screen for audiences at home in BC for the first time at the Whistler Film Festival on December 7, 2024, 2024 at 3:45pm at the Village 8 Cinemas in Whistler. It was also recently announced that Cinema Politica boarded the film as distributor ahead of the film’s world premiere at Planet in Focus, where the film took home the Best Canadian Feature Award.

In FAIRY CREEK, director Jen Muranetz documents the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history, creating a searing portrait of contemporary environmental activism, bearing witness to the lengths activists are willing to go to protect British Columbia’s last old growth forests. With unique insider access, the team behind FAIRY CREEK follows the Ada’itsx (Fairy Creek) blockade from its early inception to its bittersweet ending through the lens of an ensemble cast of blockade vanguards and those who oppose them. Employing in-the-trenches cinema vérité, the film introduces spirited environmentalists embroiled in a series of often violent altercations with loggers and RCMP, all while trying to stop old-growth logging in the untouched Fairy Creek valley. The activists show unwavering dedication to their cause, while having compelling internal debates about whose voices are prioritized in the movement. By documenting this significant and contentious juncture in time, FAIRY CREEK calls attention to a much larger conversation: what does it take to find common ground in the fight for a climate-just future?
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New Poster And Clip For “Universal Language” Released

universal-languageWith over 15 festival wins, “Universal Language” continues to capture the hearts and minds of audiences worldwide. Universal Language is also Canada’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the upcoming 97th Academy Awards. The film is eligible for all 2024 honors, having completed a one-week qualifying run earlier this year.

Directed by Matthew Rankin and co-written with Pirouz Nemati and Ila Firouzabadi, Universal Language marks Rankin’s second feature after the critically acclaimed The Twentieth Century (2019).

In a mysterious and surreal interzone somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg, the lives of multiple characters interweave with each other in surprising and mysterious ways. Gradeschoolers Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen in the winter ice and try to claim it. Meanwhile, Massoud leads a group of increasingly-befuddled tourists through the monuments and historic sites of Winnipeg. Matthew quits his meaningless job in a Québecois government office and sets out upon an enigmatic journey to visit his mother. Space, time and personal identities crossfade, interweave and echo into a surreal comedy of misdirection.

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The Clock Strikes The Witching Hour In Season Two Of Critically Acclaimed Ongoing Series Nights

nightsThe clock strikes the witching hour in Season Two of the critically acclaimed supernatural series Nights, with a new upcoming arc of the ongoing comic book series that travels back in time to 1970s Las Vegas to explore the criminal origins of fan-favorite vampire girl Gray and her charismatic witch ex, Erik.

Beloved co-creators Wyatt Kennedy and Luigi Formisano and series editor Alana Fox are returning to the fantasy-horror series to pack a bloodier punch and plunge deeper into the darkness in this time-traveling storyline that is both a great jumping on point for new readers and a treat for longtime fans.

Launching in February 2025, Season Two will also present a new otherworldly antagonist, Moriel, and reveal the aftermath of the shocking events in the upcoming Season One finale issue, Nights #12, hitting shelves this January. Fans of anime like Studio Ghibli films will love this animation-influenced urban gothic series with equal measure of blood, heart, and humor.
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Frank Capra’s “Mr. Deeds Goes To Town” In 35mm at Film Forum

Mr.-Deeds-Goes-To-TownFrank Capra’s comedy-drama masterpiece “Mr. Deeds Goes To Town” (1936), starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur, will be screened in 35mm at Film Forum from Friday, December 27 through Thursday, January 2.

Nominated for five Academy Awards – winning Best Director for Capra – MR. DEEDS is one of eight collaborations between Capra and screenwriter Robert Riskin, who together are often credited with creating both the classic screwball and romantic comedy genres.

Cooper’s “pixilated” tuba-playing, greeting card versifying Vermonter Longfellow Deeds inherits $20 million — and then he’s whisked from Mandrake Falls to Park Avenue, as wisecracking reporter Jean Arthur dubs him the “Cinderella Man.” “Capra and Riskin’s crowning achievement… If I were to choose one film to be both the best and most representative of the decade, this would be it.” – David Shipman

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New Trailer For Vampire Horror Film “Bleeding”

bleedingBLEEDING follows Eric, a 17-year-old grieving the overdose death of his brother. When his cousin Sean, the hot-shot son of an alcoholic cop, gets pulled into the lucrative, deadly world of using and selling Blood, Eric will do whatever it takes to save him from the same fate that swallowed his brother whole.

With a debt to a vicious dealer and no way to pay it back, Eric and Sean break into an empty house and find a sleeping girl locked inside. What seems like an answer to their prayers brings new danger, a link to their past, and revelations that will test the bonds of blood and friendship.

“Bleeding delves into the raw and unfiltered realities of addiction, heartbreak, and hope. To me, it’s a personal reminder of the fragility and resilience of the human spirit, finding light in those moments of darkness, and I think it’s a message that’s needed now more than ever”, says producer Bofan Zhang.

BLEEDING is written, directed, and produced by Andrew Bell. Produced by Nicholas Payne Santos, Bofan Zhang, and Kenneth Green. Cinematography by Daniel Cho. Edited by Bell. Composed by Alex Symcox. A 88/90 production.

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Jerome Yoo’s MONGRELS Wins FIPRESCI Prize at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF)

mongrelsJerome Yoo’s debut feature film MONGRELS has won the prestigious FIPRESCI Critics Prize at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF). The award, which is presented by a jury from the International Federation of Film Critics, promotes film art and supports new and young cinema globally. MONGRELS was also presented with the First Feature Competition’s Special Jury Prize For the Cast. Vancouver and Seoul-based Yoo was present to accept the award at the PÖFF ceremony on November 23rd in Estonia.

This is the second festival and second award win for Yoo, who recently had a sold out world premiere of MONGRELS at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) where he was honoured with the Director’s Guild of Canada’s Horizon Award for emerging Canadian director. MONGRELS was one of five films in post-production selected to be highlighted at the Udine Far East Film Festival’s FOCUS ASIA.
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Trailer: Ving Rhames and Luise Grossmann in Boxing Drama “Uppercut”

Uppercut
Lionsgate has released a new trailer and poster for the upcoming boxing drama “Uppercut”, which stars Golden Globe winner Ving Rhames and Luise Grossmann.

The film follows Toni’s journey from seeking boxing training from Elliott, a gym owner, to becoming a pioneering female boxing manager guiding Payne to a championship fight, while drawing upon lessons learned from Elliott.

“Uppercut” comes to theaters, Digital, and On Demand on February 28, 2025.

Directed by Torsten Ruether, the film also stars Jordan E. Cooper and Jordan E. Cooper.

See the new trailer for “Uppercut” below:

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Apple reveals 45 app and game finalists for the 2024 App Store Awards

Apple-reveals-45-app-and-game-finalistsGlobal App Store Editors recognize developers who delivered the highest levels of user experience, design, and innovation

Every year, Apple honors the very best apps and games of the year through the App Store Awards — a recognition of exceptional user experience, design, and innovation from developers across the world. With 45 App Store Award finalists across 12 different categories, these apps and games have helped users accomplish more, be more creative, and better connect with friends and family.

This year, the App Store Awards include a new Apple Vision Pro category, highlighting stunning achievements in the world of spatial computing. App Store Award winners chosen from this distinguished group of app and game developers will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate this year’s App Store Award finalists, whose imagination and craftsmanship have produced amazing apps that users love,” said Carson Oliver, Apple’s head of Worldwide App Store. “From games that transport players to fantastical new worlds, to apps that fuel creativity, these developers are delivering remarkable experiences that captivate and inspire.”
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“The Girl With The Needle” From Director Magnus von Horn Sets Release

girl-with-the-needleMUBI is set to release THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE, an unflinching portrait of a desperate young woman in the aftermath of WWI struggling to find love and a sense of morality. THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE made its World Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and was an official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The film most recently won European Film Awards for best production design for Jagna Dobesz and best original score for Frederikke Hoffmeier (Puce Mary), with cinematography by Michael Dymek (A Real Pain, EO). The film was written by Magnus von Horn and Line Langebeck, who also produced.

Inspired by a true story and directed by Magnus von Horn, Variety’s 2025 ‘Director to Watch’ (The Here After, Sweat) THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE follows Karoline (Vic Carmen Sonne – Hlynur Pálmason’s Godland and Isabella Eklöf’s Holiday), a young factory worker, as she is struggling to survive in post WW1 Copenhagen. When she finds herself unemployed, abandoned and pregnant, she meets Dagmar (Trine Dyrholm), a charismatic woman running an underground adoption agency, helping mothers to find foster homes for their unwanted children. With nowhere else to turn, Karoline takes on the role of a wet-nurse. A strong connection is formed between the two women, but Karoline’s world shatters when she stumbles upon the shocking truth behind her work.

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Water Crisis Doc “Lead & Copper”

lead-and-copperFlint isn’t America’s first major lead crisis, and it will not be the last.

On April 24th, 2014, Flint, Michigan switched water sources to the Flint River, a cost-saving measure enacted by former Governor Rick Snyder and his appointed Emergency Manager. This decision poisoned a city that had already been neglected for decades.

Over the course of 8 years, through interviews of members of Congress, local officials, environmental and engineering scientists, former EPA employees, and the families affected by lead poisoning, LEAD & COPPER investigates how city, state, and federal policies contributed to environmental crises like those experienced in Flint, Newark, and Washington, D.C.

LEAD & COPPER is directed by William Hart. Produced by Patrick Letterii and Alex Olsen. Editing and Cinematography by Hart. Composed by Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach and William Sammons. A Vehicle City Films production.

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