Category Archives: Festival

Alfonso Cuarón Joins How to Clean a House in Ten Easy Steps Ahead of True/False World Premiere

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how-to-clean-a-house-in-ten-easy-stepsA new hybrid documentary backed by Alfonso Cuarón is set to debut at the 2026 True/False Film Festival.

How to Clean a House in Ten Easy Steps, the debut feature from director Carolina González Valencia, will have its world premiere at the 23rd edition of the festival, taking place March 5–8 in Columbia, Missouri. The film is executive produced by the Academy Award–winning filmmaker alongside labor leader Ai-jen Poo, president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

The documentary follows Beatriz Valencia, a Colombian-born domestic worker living in the United States, and her daughter Carolina — the filmmaker herself — as they create a fictional alter ego together: a writer. Blending documentary storytelling with elements of fiction, the film explores immigration, labor, family separation, and the power of imagination to reclaim personal narratives.

Structured in ten chapters, the film shifts between everyday routines, docu-fiction, and surreal moments as mother and daughter confront questions of identity, migration, and belonging.

The project was also selected as the 2026 recipient of the True Life Fund, a philanthropic initiative connected to the True/False Film Festival that supports documentary subjects.

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Dave Matthews Band, Twenty One Pilots and Mumford & Sons to Headline Oceans Calling Festival 2026

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oceans-callingThe Oceans Calling Festival is returning to Ocean City, Maryland, with Dave Matthews Band, Twenty One Pilots, and Mumford & Sons set to headline the 2026 edition.

The three-day music festival will take place September 25–27 at Ocean City Inlet Beach, featuring more than 40 artists across three stages along the boardwalk. Other performers announced for the lineup include Gwen Stefani, Hootie & The Blowfish, Matchbox Twenty, Goo Goo Dolls, Ludacris, Caamp, My Morning Jacket, The Head and The Heart, Shaggy, Yellowcard, Liz Phair, Third Eye Blind, All Time Low, 311, Dashboard Confessional, Violent Femmes, Hanson, OK Go, Susan Hoffs, and Jet.

In addition to music, the festival will spotlight the region’s culinary scene with live cooking demonstrations from chefs Robert Irvine and Antonia Lofaso, hosted by actor Jason Biggs.

Festivalgoers will also have access to Ocean City’s iconic boardwalk attractions, including the Jolly Roger at the Pier amusement park, which will be located within the festival grounds.

A presale begins March 5 at 10 a.m. ET, with the public ticket sale opening later that day at 11 a.m. ET.

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Daughters of the Forest Set for SXSW North American Premiere After CPH:DOX Debut

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daughters-of-the-forrestThe documentary Daughters of the Forest (Hijas del bosque), directed by Otilia Portillo Padua, is set for its North American premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas, following its world premiere at CPH:DOX.

The film will first debut in competition for the Dox Award at CPH:DOX (March 11–22) before screening in the Visions section at SXSW (March 12–18).

Daughters of the Forest follows Lis and Juli, two Indigenous women and trained mycologists from communities in Oaxaca and Mexico State who study the complex ecosystems of mushrooms in the forests where they live. As environmental pressures and deforestation threaten their surroundings, the pair work to bridge scientific research with ancestral knowledge to better understand and protect the fungi that sustain their communities.

Blending documentary storytelling with speculative elements, the film explores the connections between humans, nature, and knowledge systems, offering a reflective look at coexistence and ecological resilience.

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Sundance Producers Celebration Honors Apoorva Guru Charan and Dawne Langford

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sundanceThe 2026 Sundance Film Festival Producers Celebration took place January 25 in Park City, bringing together filmmakers and industry guests to recognize producing excellence across this year’s festival lineup. Presented in partnership with Amazon MGM Studios, the event was held at The Park and centered on the Sundance Institute Producers Awards.

Two producers were honored with $10,000 grants during the ceremony. Apoorva Guru Charan received the Fiction Producers Award for Take Me Home, premiering in the U.S. Dramatic Competition, while Dawne Langford was awarded the Nonfiction Producers Award for Who Killed Alex Odeh?, debuting in the U.S. Documentary Competition. Both films are part of the 2026 Sundance program.

The celebration also featured a keynote from producer Shane Boris, whose recent work includes Navalny and Fire of Love. Boris spoke about collaboration, uncertainty, and the often unseen role producers play in sustaining creative work. The event highlighted producers as connective forces within independent filmmaking, emphasizing long-term relationships and shared risk rather than outcomes or accolades.

The Producers Celebration is an annual Sundance tradition, offering a moment to pause amid premieres and screenings to spotlight the behind-the-scenes work that brings films to the festival.

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Wregas Bhanuteja’s Levitating Set for World Premiere in Sundance World Cinema Competition

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levitatingLevitating (Para Perasuk), the latest film from award-winning Indonesian filmmaker Wregas Bhanuteja (Photocopier, Andragogy), will world premiere in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. A teaser trailer and poster for the film have been released ahead of the festival.

The film stars Angga Yunanda as Bayu, a young man living in Latas Village, a suburban community known for its traditional trance rituals passed down through generations. When the village’s sacred spring central to its spiritual practices, faces eviction, Bayu sets out to become a lead spirit channeler in hopes of raising funds to save it. His journey forces him to confront the limits of ambition and the deeper meaning of spiritual responsibility.

Levitating features a prominent Indonesian cast including international music icon Anggun in her acting debut, Maudy Ayunda in her first film role since Losmen Bu Broto, as well as Bryan Domani, Chicco Kurniawan, and veteran actor Indra Birowo.

Blending cultural ritual with coming-of-age drama, Levitating continues Bhanuteja’s exploration of identity, belief, and social pressure within contemporary Indonesian life.

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New Distributor EKKL Entertainment Launches With “She Dances,” Hitting Theaters in March 2026

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She-DancesEKKL Entertainment, a newly formed distribution banner focused on values-driven, audience-friendly filmmaking, has officially launched with its first acquisition: She Dances, the feature debut of writer-director Rick Gomez. The film, co-written with Steve Zahn, will receive a North American theatrical release in March 2026.

The family drama stars Steve Zahn, Audrey Zahn, Mackenzie Ziegler, Rosemarie DeWitt, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Ethan Hawke. After premiering at Tribeca earlier this year, the film drew strong audience reaction and was recently added to the 2026 Palm Springs International Film Festival lineup.

EKKL is led by producer Michael Scott, known for helping establish the modern faith-based boxoffice landscape. The company plans to release roughly eight theatrical titles annually, aiming to serve audiences looking for uplifting, character-driven storytelling.

In a joint statement, Gomez and Zahn said they were “thrilled” the film would play in theaters, noting that its emotional impact is strongest when shared communally.

She Dances centers on a strained father-daughter relationship navigating loss and reconciliation during a regional youth dance competition, an intimate portrait of grief, resilience, and rediscovery.

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Documentary “More Than Santa Baby” Honors Composer Philip Springer

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The new documentary short More Than Santa Baby shines a spotlight on the remarkable life of composer Philip Springer, best known for writing the holiday classic “Santa Baby.” Directed by his daughter, Tamar Springer, the film reveals an artist whose career stretches across eight decades and far beyond his most famous song.

Running 39 minutes, the film blends archival footage, rare recordings, and interviews to trace Springer’s creative journey from 1940s Tin Pan Alley to the studio eras of New York and Hollywood. Along the way, his work connected with icons including Eartha Kitt, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Judy Garland.

The documentary has quickly become a festival favorite, premiering at Dances With Films in Los Angeles, winning the Documentary Short Audience Award, and continuing with a successful multi-city run, including the Big Apple Film Festival.

Set partly in New York City, the film serves as both a tribute to the Golden Age of American songwriting and a personal look at resilience, legacy, and lifelong creativity. Now 99, Springer continues to compose, making the film a timely portrait of enduring artistry.

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

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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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Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys Star in Babak Anvari’s Psychological Thriller “Hallow Road”

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Hallow-RoadGolden Globe and Emmy winner Rosamund Pike (Saltburn, Gone Girl) and Emmy and Critics Choice Award winner Matthew Rhys (The Americans) lead the cast of “Hallow Road,” the latest feature from writer-director Babak Anvari (Under the Shadow, I Came By). The film opens exclusively in AMC theaters on October 31 as part of a Halloween Double Feature presentation alongside Vincent Must Die.

Premiering at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival in March, Hallow Road has since screened at major international festivals including Brussels, Melbourne, Munich, Leiden, New Horizons, and Neuchâtel, earning early acclaim for its unnerving atmosphere and emotional precision.

The psychological thriller follows parents (Pike and Rhys) who receive a late-night call from their daughter after she accidentally strikes another young woman while driving her father’s car. As they race to protect their family and contain the fallout, the night unravels into a series of chilling revelations that expose deeper secrets, and the fear that they may not be the only ones on Hallow Road.

Produced by Ian Henry, Lucan Toh, Aram Tertzakian, Nate Bolotin, and Richard Bolger, the film marks another step in Anvari’s exploration of guilt, dread, and human fragility through genre storytelling. The filmmaker, also attached to Paramount’s upcoming Cloverfield project, continues his distinctive blend of grounded realism and supernatural unease.

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Horror Short ‘Terroir’ Screens at Festivals Across October

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terroirThe new short horror film Terroir, written, directed, produced, and edited by Casey Rogerson, is screening at multiple film festivals this October. A directing fellow at the American Film Institute Conservatory, Rogerson brings a sharp genre sensibility to the 13-minute thriller.

The film follows a young wine critic (Madison Hu) who returns to a French vineyard one year after giving it a bad review, only to find herself and her friends stalked by a masked killer. Terroir stars Madison Hu (The Brothers Sun, The Boogeyman, Bizaardvark), along with Leenya Rideout, Naomi Rubin, João Santos, and John R. Howle (Bleeding).

Terroir recently screened at the New York Shorts International Film Festival and Screamfest, and continues its festival run this month with the following showings:

San Diego International Film Festival – October 16 at 6:15 p.m. and October 19 at 11:00 a.m. (AMC UTC 14)
Vancouver Horror Show – October 17 at 2:00 p.m. (Vancouver Film School)

The film will also be shown throughout October at Amalthea Cellars, pairing screenings with wine tastings.
For tickets and screening information, visit: https://linktr.ee/terroirfilm

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