Emmy-Winning Filmmaker Nick Davis Explores Acts of Courage in Documentary “This Ordinary Thing”

this-ordinary-thingEmmy-winning filmmaker Nick Davis brings together an extraordinary cast to tell a story of courage and compassion in his new documentary This Ordinary Thing, opening December 5 at Cinema Village in New York City, with a wider theatrical and VOD release to follow.

The film revisits the real stories of non-Jewish individuals who risked their lives to save Jewish people across Europe during the Holocaust. Blending archival footage with readings performed by some of the world’s most celebrated actors, the documentary illuminates acts of quiet heroism from those who never considered themselves heroes at all.

The ensemble cast includes Helen Mirren, F. Murray Abraham, Jeremy Irons, Ellen Burstyn, Carrie Coon, Stephen Fry, and more than thirty others, collectively representing dozens of Oscars, Emmys, and Tonys. Each voice performs excerpts from original testimonies that reveal moments of moral clarity amid overwhelming fear.

This Ordinary Thing poses a question that still resonates today: What would you have done? With music composed by Tony Award winner Adam Guettel, the film underscores the power of empathy and the capacity for good in the darkest of times.

Directed by Nick Davis (You Had to Be There) and executive produced by Albert M. Tapper, the film joins a growing body of contemporary Holocaust documentaries focused on individual moral choices and human connection.

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Mexico’s Oscar Entry “We Shall Not Be Moved” Explores Legacy of the 1968 Student Movement

We-Shall-Not-Be-MovedWe Shall Not Be Moved (No nos moverán), Mexico’s official submission for the 98th Academy Awards, will begin its U.S. theatrical run on November 28 at Cinema Village in New York City, presented by Cinema Tropical. The film will then expand to additional cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Tucson, and Houston.

The debut feature by Pierre Saint-Martin Castellanos, the film is a dark dramedy about memory, loss, and the legacy of Mexico’s 1968 student movement, one of the nation’s most significant and tragic historical events. Shot in striking black and white, it stars Luisa Huertas as Socorro, a 67-year-old retired lawyer haunted by her brother’s death during the Tlatelolco massacre. Decades later, she sets out on a dangerous mission to confront the man responsible, forcing her family and herself to reckon with the past.

We Shall Not Be Moved premiered at the Guadalajara International Film Festival, where it won Best Mexican Film and the Audience Award. It went on to receive four Ariel Awards for Best First Feature, Screenplay, Actress, and Breakthrough Actor, and has screened at over 40 international film festivals. The film has also achieved a remarkable 14-week theatrical run in Mexico, the longest of any Mexican film this year, and will represent Mexico at the Goya Awards.

Director Pierre Saint-Martin Castellanos and lead actress Luisa Huertas are available for interviews.

We Shall Not Be Moved is both a personal and political exploration of how the wounds of violence and resistance continue to shape families and national identity in modern Mexico.

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

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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Award-Winning Composer Joe Clark and Writer Kyle Higgins Explore Jazz and Americana in Graphic Novel Deep Cuts

deep-cutsImage Comics has released Deep Cuts, a sweeping, six-decade journey through jazz history and American culture from award-winning composer Joe Clark and bestselling writer Kyle Higgins (Radiant Black). The Eisner-nominated graphic novel explores ambition, heartbreak, and the rhythm of a changing nation through interconnected stories of musicians whose forgotten legacies shaped modern music.

From 1917 New Orleans to 1968 Los Angeles, Deep Cuts blends fiction and real musical history, drawing inspiration from legends like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and Nat “King” Cole. Clark’s background as a celebrated jazz composer lends the book authenticity, with real musical influences woven throughout.

Featuring art by Danilo Beyruth, Juni Ba, Ramón K. Pérez, Helena Masellis, Diego Greco, and others, the book is a visual and emotional ode to jazz’s enduring spirit. The paperback also includes original song lead sheets by Chicago jazz composers, connecting music and storytelling on the page.

Deep Cuts is available now from Image Comics in print and digital formats at comic shops, bookstores, and online retailers.

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Roberta Grossman’s “Extinguished Lives” to Premiere at DOC NYC

Extinguished-LivesAward-winning filmmaker Roberta Grossman will debut her new documentary short Extinguished Lives at DOC NYC on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. at the IFC Center in New York.

Presented by DOC NYC and The Lost Shtetl Museum, the film explores a little-known chapter of the Holocaust, focusing on the massacre of Lithuanian Jews by Nazis and local collaborators during World War II. Blending documentary and narrative elements, Extinguished Lives tells the story of a young bride who, after fleeing the Nazi invasion, discovers that the greatest danger lies not with the invaders but with her former neighbors.

Based on survivor testimony, the film reflects Grossman’s ongoing commitment to uncovering overlooked stories of resilience and tragedy. Following the screening, DOC NYC Executive Director Raphaela Neihausen will moderate a panel discussion featuring Grossman, Dr. Jolanta Mickute (The Lost Shtetl Museum), filmmaker Denis Dobrovna (The Consequences of Truth), and exhibit designer Büke Kumyol (RAA).

Tickets are available through DOC NYC and the IFC Center.

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

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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Scott Adkins Battles for Survival in WWII Drama “Prisoner of War”

prisoner-of-warScott Adkins leads the upcoming World War II action drama Prisoner of War, which will debut in select theaters and on VOD September 19. Directed by Louis Mandylor, the film follows British SAS officer James Wright (Adkins), who is captured by Japanese forces and imprisoned in a Philippine POW camp.

As Wright and his fellow captives face the looming Bataan Death March, they are forced into violent death matches staged for the entertainment of their captors. The story charts their struggle for survival and the possibility of escape in the face of brutal conditions.

The film is written by Mark Clebanoff and Adkins, with additional contributions from Peter Shinkoda and Michael Copon, who also appear in the cast. Alongside Adkins, the ensemble includes Shinkoda (Falling Skies) and Copon (One Tree Hill).

Prisoner of War is set for release from WellGo USA Entertainment.

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Historical Drama Nuremberg Set for November Theatrical Release

Nuremberg-posterSony Pictures Classics has announced a November 7 theatrical release for Nuremberg, a World War II courtroom drama starring Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, and Michael Shannon. Written and directed by James Vanderbilt (Zodiac), the film revisits the Nuremberg Trials through the perspective of U.S. Army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Malek), who is assigned to assess the mental state of captured Nazi leaders.

The story centers on Kelley’s psychological standoff with Hermann Göring (Crowe), Hitler’s former second-in-command, as prosecutors prepare to put the Nazi regime on trial for war crimes. Shannon portrays chief prosecutor Robert H. Jackson, tasked with bringing the atrocities of the Holocaust to light before an international tribunal.

Nuremberg is based on Jack El-Hai’s nonfiction book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist and was filmed as a historical thriller with a focus on character dynamics inside the prison and courtroom. The cast also includes Leo Woodall, Richard E. Grant, John Slattery, Colin Hanks, and Wrenn Schmidt.

The film is produced by Walden Media and Bluestone Entertainment and was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics earlier this year. Its release is timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the historic trials.

Watch the official teaser trailer for Nuremberg below:

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Spartacus: House of Ashur Panel Brings Blood, Memory, and Laughter to Comic-Con 2025

By Armando

Spartacus: House of Ashur Panel Brings Blood, Memory, and Laughter to Comic-Con 2025 © aipimaging.com

On Saturday, July 26, 2025, Spartacus: House of Ashur stormed into San Diego Comic-Con with a packed panel in the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront. The event featured showrunner Steven S. DeKnight alongside stars Nick E. Tarabay (Ashur), Graham McTavish (Korris), Tenika Davis (Achillia), Jordi Webber (Tarchon), Jamaica Vaughan (Hilara), and Jaime Slater (Cornelia). Liam McIntyre, who played Spartacus in the original series, served as moderator.
McIntyre opened the panel by asking the audience for a round of applause in honor of Andy Whitfield, the original Spartacus who passed away in 2011, to which fans responded with a long ovation.

The teaser trailer for the series revealed Ashur’s return in an alternate history where his betrayal earned him ownership of the ludus. “What if betrayal wasn’t a sin, but currency?” DeKnight teased, hinting at the show’s mix of gladiatorial spectacle and political intrigue.

Asked whether the new series would match the notorious tone of the original, DeKnight smirked: “If you’re wondering if House of Ashur is going to be as sexy as Spartacus… I think you already know the answer.”

The panel mixed heartfelt tributes with bawdy jokes and playful banter among the cast, giving fans a taste of the chaotic energy they can expect when Spartacus: House of Ashur premieres on Starz this winter.

photos: AIPimaging.com

AIP Imaging - Comiccon 2025

AIP Imaging - Comic-con 2025

AIP Imaging - Comiccon 2025

AIP Imaging - Comic-con 2025

AIP Imaging - Comic-con 2025

AIP Imaging - Comic-con 2025

 

AIP Imaging - Comiccon 2025

AIP Imaging - Comic-con 2025

AIP Imaging - Comiccon 2025

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