Category Archives: Film Festivals

Carla Simón Returns With Family Secrets Drama “Romería”

Posted on by

RomeriaA young woman with a camcorder shows up at her estranged grandparents’ house on the Galician coast, looking for answers her family doesn’t want to give.

That’s the setup for “Romería,” Carla Simón’s latest feature, opening June 26 at Film Forum in New York. The film follows 18-year-old Marina, a budding filmmaker who needs a signature from her paternal grandparents to attend university in Barcelona. But what starts as a bureaucratic errand becomes something deeper. Armed with her deceased mother’s diaries and her camera, Marina tries to piece together the truth about her parents and her father’s death. Her relatives welcome her, sort of, but dodge her questions at every turn.

Simón knows something about mining family history for story. Her debut “Summer 1993” was autobiographical and won three Goya Awards. Her follow-up “Alcarràs” took home the Golden Bear at Berlin and represented Spain at the Oscars. “Romería” premiered at Cannes last year and played the New York Film Festival.

Shot along rocky Galician coastlines with what critics are calling “sun-dappled” cinematography, the film tackles a universal question: what were your parents like before you knew them? For indie filmmakers building stories from personal history, that’s fertile ground.

Share

Gidi Dar’s Hasidic Comedy “The Wedding Entertainer” Premieres at Tribeca

Posted on by

A disgraced Jewish wedding comedian fights to save his reputation and marry off his daughter in “The Wedding Entertainer (The Tale of Moishe Badhan),” making its world premiere at Tribeca Festival next month.

Director Gidi Dar (“Ushpizin,” “Legend of Destruction”) brings together Shuli Rand and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star Elon Gold in what’s billed as a hilarious caper set in Jerusalem’s Hasidic community. Rand plays Moishe Striker, a former Badchan (a traditional Hasidic wedding MC and comedian) who lost everything to addiction. Now he needs one last gig to raise $20,000 for his daughter’s wedding.

The setup gets messy fast. Moishe convinces his childhood friend to let him co-host a ceremony alongside Meshulam (Gold), a younger, flashier performer already hired for the job. When the two Badchans clash, the whole thing spirals.

Malky Goldman from “Unorthodox” plays Moishe’s daughter, Sarah-Leah. Tal Friedman rounds out the cast.

The film screens June 4 at Village East by Angelika in New York. It’s a rare spotlight on a specific cultural tradition that doesn’t often make it to festival circuits, giving indie audiences something genuinely fresh.

Share

Zoey Deutch Chases Jon Hamm Through L.A. in David Wain’s Sundance Comedy

Posted on by

A small-town hairdresser’s quest to even the score after her fiancé sleeps with his celebrity pass gets wildly out of hand in Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass. The new comedy from David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models) stars Zoey Deutch as Gail, whose wedding plans implode when her high school sweetheart follows through on that infamous relationship agreement.

Her solution? Track down Jon Hamm in Los Angeles and claim her own celebrity pass. What starts as an impulsive road trip spirals into a full-blown Hollywood adventure involving a psychic’s advice, a talent agency assistant, a paparazzo, and actor John Slattery, who apparently helps her hunt down Hamm himself.

The film, written by Ken Marino and Wain, features a stacked cast including John Slattery, Marino, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Ben Wang, and Sabrina Impacciatore. Hamm appears as himself, which already feels like the kind of meta comedy Wain fans will eat up.

Gail Daughtry premiered at Sundance earlier this year and heads to Tribeca on June 10 before hitting theaters July 10 via Sony Pictures Classics. A teaser dropped this week, and judging by the premise alone, this one’s leaning into the absurd in the best way. For indie comedy lovers, Wain’s return to rom-com chaos feels overdue.

Share

Marcel Ruiz Makes His Screenwriting Debut With “Summer of Three” at Tribeca

Posted on by

Summer-of-threeMarcel Ruiz, best known for playing Alex Alvarez in Netflix’s One Day at a Time, is stepping behind the camera for the first time. His debut as a screenwriter and producer comes with Summer of Three, which world premieres at Tribeca Festival’s U.S. Narrative Competition in June.

The film is directed by his father, Carlitos Ruiz-Ruiz, whose debut Lovesickness premiered at Tribeca back in 2007. Now they’re back together with a deeply personal collaboration.

Summer of Three follows 17-year-old Javi, who returns to Puerto Rico after years away, first for his grandfather’s funeral. What starts as a reluctant trip turns into an unexpected homecoming when he meets Luife and Kiki, two misfits who pull him into a sultry love triangle. The film explores identity, grief, and belonging through a summer of heat, music, and emotional awakening.

The soundtrack blends reggaeton classics with Puerto Rico’s indie scene, grounding the story in the island’s youthful energy. Newcomers Kiki Montilla and Paolo Schoene join Ruiz in the cast.

This is exactly the kind of project Tribeca was built for: personal, bold, and rooted in cultural identity. A father-son collaboration premiering where the father’s career began? That’s the indie dream.

Share

SXSW Winner “Ceremony” Heads to Hot Docs Alongside Two World Premieres

Posted on by

ceremonyHot Docs is bringing three BC documentaries to Toronto, and they’re tackling everything from Indigenous erasure to Olympic boxing dreams.

The standout is Banchi Hanuse’s “Ceremony,” which already won the Audience Award at SXSW. It follows the Nuxalk Nation in Bella Coola as the vanished ooligan fish run exposes deeper wounds of colonial disruption. Hanuse mixes testimony, watercolor animation, and rare archival footage to immerse viewers in a Nuxalk worldview. The film screens April 30 and May 1, with more than 20 members of the Nuxalk Nation attending.

Two world premieres round out the lineup. “Constant Battles” follows Nyousha Nakhjiri’s journey to become the first Iranian-born female boxer at the Olympics. She’s number one in her weight class and uses the sport to manage ADHD and anxiety. The film also explores her mother’s past, a woman imprisoned at 16 for activism against the Islamic Republic. It screens April 25 and 26.

“təm kʷaθ nan – Namesake” documents the Tla’amin Nation’s request for Powell River to change its name. The city honors Israel Wood Powell, who established residential schools and banned the potlatch. The doc captures heated community debates around this reckoning. It screens April 29 and 30 before heading to DOXA in Vancouver.

Three stories about resilience, identity, and fighting for what’s been erased.

Share

Spike Lee’s Apartheid Story “Apart” Heads to Tribeca

Posted on by

apartSpike Lee co-wrote an animated short about friendship under apartheid, and it’s making its world premiere at Tribeca Festival next month.

“Apart” follows two boys, Themba and Joel, whose bond is tested by the violence and racism of apartheid-era South Africa. The film was directed by Pola Maneli, a South African artist whose work has appeared on the cover of The New Yorker and hangs in the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Grammy-winning South African musician Black Coffee supervised the music, while fashion designer Laduma Ngxokolo designed isiXhosa-inspired wardrobe for the characters.

The 15-minute short blends traditional 2D animation, cutout, 3D, and 2.5D techniques. Over 600 days, a crew of 266 people produced 18,000 frames using 14 different software tools. The animation style nods to woodcut prints, the DIY art form used to spread anti-apartheid messages and evade censorship.

The entire film was made by human artists, no AI involved.

“Apart” screens twice at Tribeca as part of the Animated Shorts program curated by Whoopi Goldberg: June 6 at Spring Studios and June 13 at AMC 19th Street East.

For indie creators, it’s a reminder that handmade animation still matters, especially when telling stories rooted in history and cultural resistance.

Share

DOXA Documentary Film Festival Returns for 25th Edition with 69 Films from 41 Countries

Posted on by

Western Canada’s largest documentary festival is back for a milestone year. DOXA Documentary Film Festival runs April 30 through May 10 in Vancouver, bringing 40 features and 29 shorts from filmmakers around the globe.

The lineup includes 27 Canadian films alongside international work from 41 countries. Four films will have their world premieres at the fest: *Under the Red Roof* by Yushi Nagamatsu, *Illustrated Legacies: Graveyard of the Pacific* by Tanner Zurkoski, *The Flower and the Flood* by Elisa González, and *Bubba* by Kayli Koonar.

“We are excited to celebrate 25 festival editions highlighting important, entertaining and relevant documentary films,” says Artistic Director Sarah Ouazzani. “This is an important milestone, and we are pleased to share a great program with the Vancouver film community once again this year.”

Opening night features *Bella Sutra*, a live cinematic performance directed and narrated by OK Pedersen. The piece reflects on life as an innkeeper in Bella Coola, BC, tackling the rural/urban divide and what Pedersen calls our current “communication crisis.” Musicians Eden Glasman and Jakob Tokarczyk will accompany the performance on April 30 at SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts.

The mid-week gala spotlights local talent with *Concrete Turned to Sand*, directed by Vancouver filmmakers Jessica Johnson and Ryan Ermacora. The doc follows oyster farmers on Cortes Island as they navigate ocean warming and acidification. Both directors will participate in an industry panel on May 2.

Sara Dosa’s *Time and Water* closes the festival on May 9. The Oscar-nominated director (*Fire of Love*) crafted a meditation on climate grief and memory, centered on Icelandic writer Andri Snær Magnason and built from home movies, photographs, and myths.

DOXA’s Justice Forum returns for its 16th year with *Saigon Story: Two Shootings in the Forest Kingdom* as its special presentation. The film explores the families connected to the famous Saigon Execution photograph. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Kim Nguyen will attend.

The festival is also highlighting South Korea as its Country of Honour, with guest curation by Byungwon Jang, Head Programmer of the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival. The program includes *Beyond Now, Nyein* and *Untold*, plus shorts *The Silent Bearers* and *Last May in Theatres*.

Other notable titles include Sundance selections *AMERICAN DOCTOR* and *The Oldest Person in the World*, TIFF premieres *Bouchra* and *Powwow People*, and Berlinale entry *Traces*.

Screenings happen at SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, The Cinematheque, and VIFF Centre. Forty filmmakers and industry leaders will be in attendance.

Tickets and festival passes are available now at doxafestival.ca.

Share

Tony Shalhoub to Appear at Lighthouse International Film Festival

Posted on by

Tony Shalhoub is set to attend this year’s Lighthouse International Film Festival, running June 10–14 on Long Beach Island, New Jersey.

The Emmy- and Tony-winning actor will take part in a post-screening conversation following a showing of the 1996 film Big Night, reflecting on his career and creative process. The discussion will be moderated by Jason Alexander, with co-director Campbell Scott also expected to attend.

Shalhoub is widely known for his work across film, television, and theater, including Monk, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and The Band’s Visit. His appearance adds to this year’s lineup, which highlights independent filmmaking and includes special programming like a multi-day masterclass led by Alexander.

Now in its 18th year, the festival continues to spotlight emerging voices while bringing established talent to a more intimate setting for audiences.

Share

Art House Cinema Week Kicks Off Across New York City

Posted on by

made-in-nyNew York City is shining a spotlight on independent film as the first-ever Art House Cinema Week New York begins today, running March 20–26.

The citywide initiative, backed by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and Art House New York, brings together nearly 30 independent theaters for a week of special programming, discounted tickets, and community-focused screenings.

The event also includes 5,000 free tickets funded by the city, aimed at making art house cinema more accessible. Additional perks include discounted memberships and concessions, with select groups—such as students, teachers, veterans, and SNAP/EBT cardholders—eligible for free admission at participating locations.

Designed to encourage audiences to reconnect with local theaters, the week highlights the role of independent cinemas as cultural and community hubs across the city.

More details and full programming are available at arthouseny.org.

Share

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

Posted on by

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.

Share
Page 1 of 16
1 2 … 16