Category Archives: Drama

Nicholas Hytner’s “The Choral” Sets New York Advance Screenings Ahead of December 25 Theatrical Release

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the-choralFalco Ink has announced two advance New York screenings for The Choral, the new period drama from BAFTA, Olivier, and Tony Award winner Nicholas Hytner (The History Boys, The Lady in the Van). The film, written by Alan Bennett, will open in theaters nationwide on December 25.

The screenings will be held at the Sony Screening Room (25 Madison Avenue, New York City) on Thursday, November 6 at 5 PM ET and Wednesday, November 12 at 2 PM ET. RSVP is required via AlexPelchar@FalcoInk.com.

Set in Yorkshire during World War I, The Choral follows a small-town choir struggling to survive as war empties its ranks. When the committee hires a mysterious new chorus master, Dr. Henry Guthrie (played by Ralph Fiennes), the community discovers that music can become an act of resistance and hope amid the chaos of war.

The film also stars Roger Allam, Amara Okereke, Simon Russell Beale, and Thomas Howes, and is produced by Kevin Loader, Nicholas Hytner, and Damian Jones.

The Choral made its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and went on to screen at multiple international festivals, including Hamptons, AFI Fest, BFI London, Mill Valley, Russell Hobbs British, Coronado Island, and Virginia Film Festival.

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Rising Sun Media Brings Yakutian Cinema to Amazon Prime Video with Four Landmark Films

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Rising-Sun-MediaFour acclaimed films by Yakutian filmmaker Stepan Burnashev (Black Snow, Our Winter, Cursed Land-Fate, and Aita) are now streaming globally on Amazon Prime Video through Rising Sun Media, marking a milestone for Sakhawood, the independent film movement from Russia’s Sakha Republic in Siberia.

Known for their emotional depth, poetic realism, and Indigenous storytelling, Burnashev’s works are often created on small budgets with local non-professional actors. His films explore survival, identity, and spiritual resilience set against the stark Siberian landscape.

Among the four titles, Aita stands out for its political resonance. It was banned in Russia in 2023 for being “contrary to the principles of the unity of the peoples of Russia,” which Burnashev described as proof of the film’s power to “disturb systems of silence.”

“This is what independent filmmaking is about,” said Nadav Streett of Rising Sun Media. “Creating despite the odds and finding new audiences who are ready to listen to voices from the periphery.”

Founded in 2007 in Los Angeles, Rising Sun Media is known for bringing bold international and independent films to major digital platforms.

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SFFILM to Honor Park Chan-wook With Career Tribute and Screening of ‘No Other Choice’

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Park-Chan-wook

L to R. Director Park Chan-wook. Actor Lee Byung Hun in NO OTHER CHOICE. Photos: NEON.

San Francisco’s SFFILM will celebrate acclaimed South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook with a Career Tribute and special screening of his new film No Other Choice on November 20 at the Phyllis Wattis Theater at SFMOMA.

The event will feature an onstage conversation with Park and a showing of No Other Choice, his first film since Decision to Leave. The film, from NEON, reunites Park with Lee Byung Hun (Joint Security Area) in a darkly comic satire about a man’s descent into desperation after losing his corporate job.

“With No Other Choice, Director Park returns to the sharp social commentary of Sympathy for Lady Vengeance and Stoker,” said Jessie Fairbanks, SFFILM’s Director of Programming. “It’s a brilliantly savage look at capitalism, masculinity, and ambition—another masterful addition to his career.”

SFFILM Executive Director Anne Lai called the tribute “a deep honor,” noting Park’s global influence and the organization’s commitment to international cinema.

Park, best known for Oldboy, The Handmaiden, and Thirst, has won multiple Cannes awards and remains one of contemporary cinema’s most influential auteurs. No Other Choice, adapted from Donald E. Westlake’s The Ax, opens in select theaters December 25 via NEON and expands nationwide January 2026. Tickets: Available for SFFILM members October 30 and general audiences October 31 at sffilm.org
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“Junkie” from AFI Alum William Means to World Premiere at AFI Fest 2025

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JunkieAFI alum William Means will debut his feature film Junkie at the 2025 AFI Fest on October 26, followed by a conversation with Means, executive producer Patty Jenkins, and members of the cast and crew.

Produced by Rachel Weise, Thayer Juergens, and Abra Salazarte, the gritty yet darkly funny Southern drama stars newcomer Rocky Shay in a breakout performance alongside Rett Keeter, Jessica Lea Risco, Kian Morr, and Christina Reynolds. Means, known for his short films Blue Square Heart and King of the Forest, wrote and directed the project.

Junkie follows Stevie, a meth-addicted mother who escapes rehab and embarks on a chaotic odyssey through the Southern underbelly, desperate to reconcile with her estranged son before fleeing town for good. Inspired by Shay’s real-life experiences and Means’ own family struggles, the film blends physical comedy with raw honesty in exploring addiction, identity, and redemption.

Shot by cinematographer Jay Swuen and edited by Noam Klement, Junkie marks Means’ feature debut and continues AFI’s tradition of spotlighting bold new voices in American independent cinema.

Watch the AFI Fest premiere listing here.

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Vertical Acquires Sundance Winner “Atropia” Starring Alia Shawkat and Callum Turner for December Release

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Atropia

Alia Shawkat | Courtesy: Vertical

Vertical has acquired North American rights to Hailey Gates’ feature directorial debut “Atropia,” winner of the U.S. Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Feature at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. The film, starring Alia Shawkat (Severance) and Callum Turner (Masters of the Air), will open in theaters this December.

The ensemble cast includes Chloë Sevigny, Jane Levy, Tim Heidecker, Lola Kirke, Zahra Alzubaidi, and Jamie McShane. Produced by Luca Guadagnino, Naima Abed, Emilie Georges, Lana Kim, and Jett Steiger, the film marks Gates’ transition from documentary to narrative storytelling.

In Atropia, an aspiring actress (Shawkat) working at a simulated military training facility falls for a soldier (Turner) cast as an insurgent, blurring the line between reality and performance. Inspired by real-life desert role-play camps, Gates conceived the idea after visiting similar installations in California.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled that it’s found a home with Vertical, a company that takes bold creative swings,” said Gates. Vertical Partner Peter Jarowey added, “Hailey has created an impressive debut led by an outstanding cast and set in a world rarely seen on screen.”

The deal was negotiated by Jarowey and Tony Piantedosi for Vertical, with UTA Independent Film Group and WME Independent representing the filmmakers.

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BayView Entertainment to Release French New Wave-Inspired Film “Everyone Asked About You”

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everyone-asked-about-youBayView Entertainment, Inc. has acquired global distribution rights to Everyone Asked About You, the new independent feature from writer-director John Lacy (Rosebud Lane), inspired by the spirit of the French New Wave. The film will debut across TVOD and digital platforms throughout North America on October 28, 2025, with a global rollout to follow.

Starring Rachel Bailit (Festival in Cannes), John Lacy, Michael Wiles, Khrystyne Haje, Brea Bee, Patrick Gallagher, Werner Daehn, Kelly Mullis, and indie icon Henry Jaglom, the film examines fame, power dynamics, and identity in Hollywood through the story of a former child star confronting the industry’s exploitative systems.

Shot by Denis Maloney, ASC, and edited by Giovanni Mocibob, the feature combines vivid color cinematography with black-and-white flashbacks. The project is produced by Bailit, Lacy, and Ursula Rudorfer, with executive producer Hana Wagner.

The film screens at the Chelsea Film Festival on October 19 ahead of its digital release. BayView President Peter Castro praised the film’s message, saying its “courageous approach to shining a light on this crucial matter deeply moved us.”

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‘House of David’ Sets Digital and DVD Release Following Strong Prime Video Debut

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House-of-DavidAfter drawing strong viewership on Prime Video, Lionsgate’s biblical drama House of David is expanding its reach with a digital release available now and a DVD launch set for October 28.

Created by Jon Erwin (I Can Only Imagine) and Jon Gunn, the series brings the Old Testament story of David and Goliath to life with a modern cinematic approach. The first season follows the fall of King Saul and the unlikely rise of David, a young outcast anointed to lead Israel.

Since its debut earlier this year, House of David has attracted more than 40 million viewers worldwide, including 22 million in its first 17 days on Prime Video—placing it among the streamer’s top 10 new series debuts in the U.S.

The cast features newcomer Michael Iskander as David, alongside Ali Suliman (Lone Survivor), Stephen Lang (Avatar), Ayelet Zurer (Daredevil: Born Again), Indy Lewis (Industry), and Oded Fehr (Star Trek: Discovery).

Season 2 is set to premiere exclusively for Wonder Project subscribers on Prime Video October 5, before a wider release on the platform later this year.

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Emile Hirsch, Inbar Lavi Lead Holocaust Drama “Bau, Artist at War”

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bau-artist-at-warSean McNamara’s Holocaust drama Bau, Artist at War will open in theaters across the United States and Canada on September 26 through ShowBiz Direct and Republic Pictures.

Based on the memoir of Joseph Bau, the film follows the true story of a Holocaust survivor and artist who used his skills as a forger to help fellow prisoners endure life in Nazi concentration camps while finding love with fellow prisoner Rebecca.

The film stars Emile Hirsch as Bau and Inbar Lavi as Rebecca, alongside Yan Tual (Outlander), Adam Tsekhman (Legends of Tomorrow), and Josh Zuckerman (School Spirits), with Edward Foy, Chris Cope, Josh Blacker, Eugene Lipinski, Dalias Blake, Pam Kearns, and Tori Griffith rounding out the cast.

McNamara, known for Soul Surfer and Reagan, directed from a script by Deborah Smerecnik, Ron Bass, and Sonia Kifferstein. Producers include McNamara, Smerecnik, David Brookwell, Marc Griffith, and Michelle P. Griffith.

Bau, Artist at War had its world premiere on September 21 at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, where cast, crew, and special guests including Jon Voight were in attendance.

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Gabriel Byrne Confronts Mortality and Leonard Cohen’s Ghosts in Death of a Ladies’ Man

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death-of-a-ladies-manGabriel Byrne headlines Death of a Ladies’ Man, Matthew Bissonnette’s surreal dramedy arriving on VOD September 26.

The film follows Samuel O’Shea (Byrne), a hard-drinking, twice-divorced professor whose life unravels after a terminal diagnosis. Haunted by visions of his long-dead father (Brian Gleeson) and strangers breaking into Leonard Cohen songs, Samuel retreats to his family’s Irish cottage where he confronts memory, regret, and the possibility of redemption through an unexpected romance (Jessica Paré).

The film blends dark humor, poetic visuals, and the music of Leonard Cohen, offering a meditation on mortality and second chances. Rounding out the cast are Antoine Olivier Pilon, Karelle Tremblay, and Suzanne Clément.

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Eric Roberts and Kenzie Ziegler Hit the Right Notes in Redemption Drama Shakey Grounds

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shakey-groundsGravitas Ventures will release Shakey Grounds on digital platforms September 16, 2025.

The 82-minute feature follows a troubled musician and his band as they navigate personal demons and a chance at redemption with a disgraced record executive. Together, they confront obstacles that ultimately draw them closer through music and camaraderie.

The film stars Academy Award nominee Eric Roberts (Runaway Train, The Dark Knight), Emmy and Tony Award winner Eric Nelsen (1883), Ella Cannon (Trees of Peace), Emmy Award winner Kelly Thiebaud (General Hospital), and singer/actor Kenzie Ziegler (Dance Moms). Johnny Danks, who also stars, produced alongside Gary Dankner and Jack Sattin.

Written by Trace Slobotkin and directed by Michael Garcia, Shakey Grounds had its world premiere at WorldFest Houston International Festival, where it won a Remi Award.

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