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Henry Jaglom’s ‘Sitting Ducks’ Gets 4K Restoration, Screens at Baltimore Fest

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A forgotten crime comedy from 1980 is getting new life in 4K.

Henry Jaglom’s “Sitting Ducks” screens at the New/Next Film Fest in Baltimore this weekend, freshly restored from the original 35mm camera negative. The film follows two small-time thieves who steal cash from the mob and head for Miami in a limousine, dreaming of escape to Costa Rica.

The restoration came together through a collaboration between Hope Runs High and Cinématographe, with help from the Academy Film Archive. Vinegar Syndrome handled the 4K scan in Connecticut, and Marcus Johnson of Emulsional Recovery completed frame-by-frame digital work and color grading.

Jaglom, who died in 2025, carved out his own strange corner of American independent cinema. He started in editing, helping Jack Nicholson cut “Easy Rider” in 1969, then went on to write and direct over 20 films. “Sitting Ducks” was his third feature and played Cannes back in the day. Time Out called it “an instantly likeable triumph of optimism over opportunism.”

The film screens Sunday at 5:45pm at the Charles Theatre.

This is the second Jaglom restoration to hit screens, with more on the way. For a generation of filmmakers who worked outside the system, these restorations matter. Jaglom’s work has been underseen for decades, and 4K brings it back where it belongs.

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BOT LOVE Documentary Asks If AI Intimacy Can Replace Human Connection

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A new documentary wants to know: if artificial intimacy feels real, does it matter that it isn’t?

BOT LOVE, from director Tyler Funk, premieres October 21 on CBC and CBC Gem. The film follows real people navigating relationships with AI companions, each for different reasons.

Nick, a young man on the autism spectrum, finds relief in an AI that offers consistency and patience where human relationships require exhausting effort. Denise turns to AI after painful experiences left her struggling to trust people. For both, this isn’t escapism. It’s survival.

The doc also tracks the developers building the systems that make this possible. Eugenia Kuyda created one of the world’s most popular AI companions. Anthony and Bryan Mitchell are fusing gaming, porn, and AI into an interactive sexual experience. Justin Harrison uses AI to reconstruct the dead so relationships can continue after loss.

“I never thought I’d see another technology transform our lives as quickly as the internet did,” Funk says. “AI has arrived with astonishing speed.” One developer told him AI could be “either the biggest existential threat or the most beautiful technology.” That tension runs through every frame.

Funk’s previous film, ANYTHING FOR FAME, premiered on Paramount+ and Showtime in 2024. This one feels more urgent. Millions of people are already using AI as a companion, advisor, or lover. BOT LOVE doesn’t judge them for it. It just asks what happens next.

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Lifetime’s Reunion Island and vertTV’s Bite Club Join Inaugural ALZA Festival Lineup

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alza festivalNew York’s ALZA Festival is loading up its first-ever microdrama celebration with nine new world premieres ahead of its October 16-18 debut.

The additions include Lifetime’s Reunion Island, a thriller about reality show contestants trapped in a deadly game at a Maui mansion. The cast features Felix Merback and Eric Guilmette, with direction by Gary and Edmund Entin.

Also joining the slate is vertTV’s supernatural horror Bite Club, which reunites horror legends Barbara Crampton and Russell Todd on the 40th anniversary of Chopping Mall. The series follows a student investigating her friend’s murder at a university hiding vampire bloodlines. Sam Irvin directs.

Other premieres include South African dramedy Confessions of a Gold Digger, workplace comedy Bandana Besties, and a trio of thrillers from Reelarc: Fatal Match, Splitlight, and Zero Point.

Beyond screenings, the festival is packing in conversations with industry experts Richard Lawson, Jeffrey Schenck, Jay Blumenfield, Todd Spicer, Jen Cooper, Phil Viardo, Rob McGillivray and Manny Ruiz about how vertical storytelling is reshaping entertainment. A special panel features the leading men of GammaTime microdramas sharing behind-the-scenes stories and debuting an exclusive teaser for The Summer I Turned My Sexiest 2.

“There is no better place than ALZA to hear directly from the people who are helping shape the way we consume entertainment,” says Pete Torres, founder and CEO of ALZA Festival.

Festival passes and tickets are available now at ALZAFestival.com/ticketing.

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Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s Project Hail Mary Wins Sloan Science in Cinema Prize

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project-hail-marySFFILM just handed its Sloan Science in Cinema Prize to Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s Project Hail Mary, and they’re backing it up with a $20,000 check and a splashy event.

The prize celebrates films that make science central to the story, not just window dressing. Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling as a lone science teacher on a spaceship racing to save Earth’s dying sun, fits the bill. The adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel leans hard into physics, astronomy, and microbiology to solve its interstellar crisis.

“This deeply entertaining and emotional film never skirts the scientific process, but instead fully embraces it at every turn,” says Anne Lai, SFFILM’s Executive Director.

The celebration happens October 28 at San Francisco’s Premier Theater at One Letterman. Lord, Miller, and screenwriter Drew Goddard will join VFX Supervisor Paul Lambert, Sound Designers Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn, and Dr. Ron Radeztsky, the astrophysical scientist who worked on the film’s astrometric modeling. Expect a deep dive into how they balanced spectacle with actual science.

Past winners include Oppenheimer, Twisters, Don’t Look Up, Hidden Figures, and The Martian. The Sloan Foundation has backed over 900 science and film projects, trying to close the gap between hard science and Hollywood storytelling.

For indie filmmakers chasing authenticity, this prize proves there’s an appetite for smart science on screen, not just CGI explosions.

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Kerry Washington and Omar Sy Go on the Run in Joe Carnahan’s “Shadow Force,” Now on 4K and Digital

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A former special forces power couple fights for their family in Shadow Force, the new action thriller from Joe Carnahan now available on 4K and Digital.

Kerry Washington and Golden Globe nominee Omar Sy star as Kyrah and Issac, ex-leaders of an elite multinational unit called Shadow Force. Their mistake? Falling in love. To protect their son, they vanished. But with a bounty on their heads and their former team closing in, their quiet life explodes into full-scale war.

Carnahan, who co-wrote the script with Leon Chills, brings his signature kinetic style to the 104-minute R-rated thriller. The cast also includes Mark Strong, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, and Jahleel Kamara.

Lionsgate’s home release comes loaded with extras, including an audio commentary with Carnahan and editor Kevin Hale, a making-of doc, location breakdowns, and a deep dive into the film’s final gunfight. There’s also a featurette on the leads’ stunt and weapons training.

Shadow Force delivers exactly what action fans want: a tight premise, a stacked cast, and a director who knows how to stage chaos.

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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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