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Clark Duke’s Crime Thriller STRANGLEHOLD Hits Digital This Friday

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Clark Duke returns to his Arkansas roots with STRANGLEHOLD, a gritty crime thriller about desperation and bad decisions hitting digital platforms and VOD this Friday.

Ashley Benson stars as Bailey, a small-town Arkansas stripper tired of scraping by. With Christmas approaching and an infant daughter to think about, she hatches a plan to rob the club where she works. Her accomplice? Ex-military husband Tim, played by Jake Lacy. It’s a scheme fueled by Instagram envy and the desire to give their kid something better than barely getting by.

Duke, who made his directorial debut with the Vince Vaughn crime drama Arkansas, co-wrote STRANGLEHOLD with Chandler Duke and Billington Garrett. The cast includes Justin Long, Ron Perlman, Elle King, David Arquette, Brian Posehn, and Chris Redd.

For Duke, this marks his second feature behind the camera. Before directing, he built a career as an actor in projects like The Office, Hot Tub Time Machine, and Kick-Ass. He’s already prepping his third feature, an adaptation of Jonathan Lethem’s novel You Don’t Love Me Yet.

STRANGLEHOLD arrives at a moment when stories about economic struggle and morally messy characters feel especially urgent. Duke knows this territory, he’s from Arkansas, and he’s not afraid to show the ugly side of chasing the American dream.

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Sundance Hands Out Over $1 Million to 19 Doc Projects as Program Nears 25 Years

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Sundance Institute just dropped over $1 million across 19 documentary projects from 14 countries. The grants support filmmakers at every stage, from early development through final edits.

The Documentary Film Program turns 25 next year. Since launching in 2002, it’s become a lifeline for nonfiction storytellers navigating everything from funding gaps to censorship threats. This year’s slate spans topics from Indigenous activism to internet preservation,gorilla communication to undocumented queer poets.

Nearly 65% of proposals came from outside the U.S. Projects have roots in Canada, Denmark, France, India, Iran, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Romania, Tunisia, the U.K., the U.S., and South Korea.

Several familiar names landed grants. Julian Brave NoiseCat, whose Sugarcane became the first Indigenous-directed doc nominated for an Oscar, returns with Alcatraz is an Idea about the 1969 occupation. Emmy winner Drew Xanthopoulos got support for My Friend the Bear. David Alvarado’s All Shall Be Saved follows his Luis Valdez doc that won the Library of Congress prize earlier this year.

The mix includes first-timers too. Thirty-seven percent of grantees are directing their first feature doc.

Past Sundance Doc Fund projects include All That Breathes, Crip Camp, No Other Land, Sugarcane, and The Territory. The program is backed by Open Society Foundations, John Templeton Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and Free People.

For indie filmmakers working outside the system, this kind of unrestricted funding can mean the difference between finishing a film and abandoning it halfway through.

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Two Weeks of Love, Two Cities Apart: ‘In Spite of Ourselves’ Hits Theaters Friday

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in-spite-of-ourselvesThey meet. They fall hard. Then reality kicks in.

In Spite of Ourselves, a new indie romantic comedy from writer-director Josh Loeb, follows Hannah, a baker in Portland, and Archie, a comedian based in LA, as they navigate what happens after an intense two-week romance ends and distance forces them back to their separate lives. The film opens Friday at New York’s Quad Cinema, with Portland and LA dates rolling out in the following weeks.

The story leans into the messy, relatable side of modern relationships. Chemistry is easy. Commitment, not so much. According to festival reviews, the film delivers both laughs and heart, with Unseen Films calling it “an absolute gem” and Film Snob Reviews praising the leads’ chemistry and gorgeous direction.

Brett Dier and Conor Leslie star, supported by Mo Mandel, Alyssa Limperis, and Glenn Morshower. Loeb produced alongside Michelle Lewitt, Gabe Mayhan, and Tim Harms, with cinematography also by Mayhan.

*In Spite of Ourselves* premiered earlier this year at Cinequest and made the rounds at Heartland, Portland, and Mystic film festivals. It’s the kind of small-scale romantic comedy that used to fill theaters before studios mostly abandoned the genre. For indie filmmakers still making them, that’s exactly the point.

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Sundance Institute Grants Over $1 Million to 19 Documentary Projects

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Nineteen documentary filmmakers from 14 countries are getting some serious financial backing from Sundance Institute’s Documentary Fund. The organization just announced over $1 million in unrestricted grants for nonfiction projects at every stage of production.

The timing matters. The Documentary Film Program turns 25 next year. Since 2002, it’s been a lifeline for indie doc makers, offering money, creative support, and industry connections without the usual strings attached.

This year’s slate spans from development to post-production. Four projects are still in early stages, 12 are actively shooting, and three are in post. The geographic spread is impressive. Almost 65% of proposals came from outside the U.S., with funded projects rooted in Canada, Denmark, France, India, Iran, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Romania, Tunisia, the U.K., the U.S., and South Korea.

The themes cut deep. Memory, archives, borders, environmental collapse, generational trauma. Several filmmakers are using science to blur the lines between human and nature.

Notable names include Julian Brave NoiseCat, whose Sugarcane made history as the first Oscar-nominated documentary feature directed by a North American Indigenous filmmaker. Emmy-nominated director Drew Xanthopoulos returns with My Friend the Bear after his Emmy-winning Fathom. David Alvarado’s All Shall Be Saved follows his 2025 Library of Congress prize winner American Pachuco.

Paola Mottura and Kristin Feeley, who run the Documentary Film Program, say the group reflects “the inventive and varied nonfiction work that continues to push the form forward.”

For indie doc makers fighting to get their stories seen, that million bucks isn’t just funding. It’s validation.

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NYC’s First Vertical Film Festival Names Five “Made in NY” Award Finalists

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ALZA-FestivalNew York is about to give a vertical storyteller the same award previously handed to Darren Aronofsky and Michelle Buteau.

ALZA Festival, launching October 16-18 at AMC 19th St. East 6, just announced five NYC-based creators competing for the iconic “Made in NY” honor. It’s the first time the award has gone to vertical filmmakers, and the public gets to vote at nyc.gov/CreatedinNY starting now.

The finalists: Melissa Becraft and Sarah Pribis with *Investigator Investigator*, a comedy about Broadway stars moonlighting as private eyes. Jesse Fisher and Sasha Herman’s thriller *Watch Hill*, where a third date turns dangerous. Kyle C. Mumford’s *Kyle Has Tourette’s*, a heartfelt comedy based on his own life. Christina Richardson’s *Besties*, about platonic friends navigating blurred boundaries. And Romel Rodriguez’s *The Super NYC*, following a superintendent dealing with eccentric tenants.

All five will premiere new work at the festival’s “Created in NY” showcase, presented with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.

“Storytelling is changing, and a new format should mean new recognition for the people creating great work,” says MOME Commissioner Rafael Espinal.

ALZA is the first festival dedicated entirely to microdramas and vertical series. Founder Pete Torres, former COO of Tribeca Festival, is betting that digital-native storytelling deserves real-world celebration. The winner gets announced on the festival’s final day.

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Cassie Workman Takes on Occultism With Puppets, Practical Effects, and Punk Energy in New YouTube Series

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A comedy series about magic, demons, and tarot cards just dropped on YouTube, and it’s got Lilly Wachowski’s stamp of approval.

CASSIE WORKMAN IS WITCHY AF is an eight-part adult comedy documentary that dives into occultism through the lens of a fictional bookstore. Creator and host Cassie Workman guides viewers through ritual magic, death, and identity, covering figures like Aleister Crowley and John Dee alongside Hollywood’s secret occult history and Santa Muerte.

The series uses puppetry from Direct Message and practical SFX makeup from the team behind Smile 2 and Hocus Pocus. Guest stars include Garbage’s Shirley Manson, comedian Ben Russell, and what the press release calls “an all-star cast of demons and evil puppets.”

It’s a co-production between ETCH and Anarchists United Studios, the production company founded by Wachowski with Sarah Marie Flores and Lawrence Mattis. The company focuses on elevated genre work from underrepresented creators. Wachowski called the series “wickedly delightful” and said she’s proud to call Workman a friend.

Workman is an Australian writer, actor, comedian, poet, and musician known for surreal, emotionally raw performances. Her 2019 show Giantess, which explored gender identity, earned a nomination for Most Outstanding Show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and won Best Show at Sydney Comedy Festival. Her 2021 theater piece Aberdeen won a Fringe First Award at Edinburgh in 2022.

The series was shot entirely in Asbury Park, New Jersey, at Wolfe & Kron bookstore and Georgies, the town’s oldest gay bar. The cast and crew were predominantly women, queer, and LGBTQIA+.

New episodes drop weekly on YouTube. For indie creators looking to blend comedy, philosophy, and practical chaos, this one’s worth the watch.

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The Ludocrats Brings Monty Python Chaos to High Fantasy Comics

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What happens when you throw Monty Python into a blender with Dune? You get The Ludocrats, a completely unhinged new trade paperback from Image Comics that makes being ridiculous a literal virtue.

The series comes from New York Times bestselling writer Kieron Gillen (The Wicked + The Divine, Die), game designer Jim Rossignol (Sir, You Are Being Haunted), and artist Jeff Stokely (The Spire). It’s available now, collecting issues 1-5.

At the center is Baron Otto Von Subertan, a main character so excessive he makes the Queen of Hearts look reasonable. Alongside his deadpan companion Professor Hades Zero-K, he defends their bizarre civilization against the ultimate enemies: banality and boredom.

Think I Hate Fairyland humor meets The Silmarillion’s elaborate world-building. The creative team loads every page with aristocratic customs, impossible architecture, sexual jokes, and visual gags. Colorist Tamra Bonvillain and letterer Clayton Cowles round out the team.

Critics are calling it “pure, bonkers joy” and praising Stokely’s art as the real highlight. One reviewer compared it to Matt Groening’s Disenchantment mixed with H.P. Lovecraft.

The Ludocrats proves indie comics can take massive swings at genre satire. For readers tired of straight-faced fantasy epics, this absurdist ride offers a welcome antidote.

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Spanish Zombie Sequel “Apocalypse Z: New World” Hits Prime Video This October

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The zombie outbreak continues. Prime Video is releasing Apocalypse Z: Part II (original title: Apocalipsis Z: Nuevo Mundo), the second installment in the Spanish post-apocalyptic franchise, on October 30. The film will premiere in the U.S. at Screamfest Horror Festival LA on October 13.

Director Carles Torrens returns to the franchise, working from a script by Ángel Agudo, adapted from novels by Manel Loureiro. The sequel picks up in the Canary Islands, now Europe’s last safe zone after the TSJ virus ravages the mainland. When a team ventures back to the continent for supplies, Roberto tags along with his own agenda. The mission quickly spirals into chaos, trapped between infected hordes and fractured loyalties.

The cast includes Carlos Alcaide (Killer Book Club), Julia Martínez (Subsuelo), Jose María Yazpik (Narcos), Berta Vázquez (Vis a Vis), and Mónica López (Rapa). Núria Valls and Adrián Guerra produce.

At its core, the film asks a timeless question: do you save yourself, or risk everything to hold onto what’s left of your humanity? For genre fans looking for fresh international horror, this one’s landing just in time for Halloween.

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New Doc Digs Into the Spectacular Failure of Exorcist II

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After Point Blank and Deliverance made him a bankable name, John Boorman got the gig of a lifetime: directing the sequel to The Exorcist for Warner Brothers. What followed became one of Hollywood’s most legendary disasters, a bomb so complete it nearly killed his career and changed how studios greenlit projects.

Now there’s a documentary about it. Boorman and the Devil, directed by David Kittredge, pulls Boorman himself out of retirement to talk about what went wrong, along with Linda Blair, Louise Fletcher, and filmmakers like Karyn Kusama, Mike Flanagan, and Joe Dante. The film digs into the wreckage, but it’s not a hit piece. It’s about ambition, risk-taking, and what happens when artists swing for the fences and miss.

Critics are calling it riveting, funny, and surprisingly poignant. IndieWire said it’s “magical” and “dazzling.” The Wall Street Journal called it “altogether fascinating.” Even Time Out weighed in: this doc “exorcises the demons of cinema’s biggest film failures.”

It’s available now on Prime, Apple, Google Play, and Fandango. For indie filmmakers, it’s a reminder that failure’s part of the deal, and sometimes the most interesting stories come from the biggest crashes.

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Southern Slasher “Hellbilly Hollow” Hits Theaters After Hollywood Premiere

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A slasher film shot inside a real Alabama haunted attraction is now playing in select theaters nationwide.

“Hellbilly Hollow” opened Friday in eight cities after a packed premiere on LA’s Sunset Strip. The film is the first ever shot at the actual Hellbilly Hollow haunt in Vincent, Alabama, a venue that’s been scaring visitors for years with its haunted barn and backwoods hayride.

Director Kevin Wayne got the idea while shooting a commercial at the attraction. Instead of rebuilding it on a soundstage, they filmed on location. Every corner fans recognize from the real haunt made it into the movie.

The story follows paranormal YouTubers who show up to film the night before Halloween. They quickly learn the scares aren’t staged. Killer siblings Tickles, a disfigured clown, and Bull, his manipulative brother, are real, and they’re hunting.

The film stars Kurt Deimer and Kevin Wayne, with an original score by metal drummer Roy Mayorga. Deimer’s Bald Man Films produced alongside Todd Slater of Convoke Media. Atlas Distribution is handling the U.S. release, with Jinga Films covering international sales.

“Hellbilly Hollow” is playing in Birmingham, Cincinnati, Columbus, Jacksonville, LA, Omaha and Orlando. Regal Edwards Long Beach is hosting a public Q&A after the 7:40 p.m. screening Friday.

For indie horror filmmakers, it’s proof you can turn a regional attraction into a theatrical release.

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