“We Shall Not Be Moved” Recognized as One of the Year’s Top International Films

Posted on December 11, 2025 by admin

We Shall Not Be Moved (No nos moverán), Mexico’s official submission for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards®, has been named one of the year’s Best International Films by New York Film Critics Online. The recognition comes as the acclaimed debut feature from Mexican filmmaker Pierre Saint Martin continues its U.S. theatrical rollout.

Following a strong run in New York through Cinema Tropical, the dark dramedy will screen for one week at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco beginning December 18, before heading to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in January. A U.S. streaming release is expected to be announced soon.

Shot in black and white, the film follows Socorro, a 67-year-old retired lawyer played by Luisa Huertas, whose decades-long pursuit of the soldier responsible for her brother’s death during Mexico’s 1968 Tlatelolco massacre has consumed her life and fractured her family. When a new lead emerges, she risks everything to confront the past.

The film premiered at the Guadalajara International Film Festival, winning Best Mexican Film and the Audience Award, and went on to receive four Ariel Awards, including Best First Feature and Best Actress. It has screened at more than 40 international festivals and will also represent Mexico at Spain’s Goya Awards.

Saint Martin’s debut blends dark humor with an intimate exploration of memory, trauma, and political reckoning, offering a personal lens on one of Mexico’s most painful historical chapters.

Slamdance Sets Alexandre Rockwell’s The Projectionist as Opening Night Film for 2026 Festival

Posted on December 10, 2025 by admin

The Slamdance Film Festival has named Alexandre Rockwell’s The Projectionist as the opening night film for its 32nd edition, marking the film’s world premiere. The artist-led festival returns to Los Angeles for a second year, running in person from February 19–25, 2026, with virtual screenings continuing through March 6 on the Slamdance Channel.

Produced by Quentin Tarantino and Jack Auen, The Projectionist centers on a reclusive cinema projectionist haunted by a wrongful conviction and personal loss, living in isolation inside a fading arthouse theater until his past resurfaces. The film stars Vondie Curtis-Hall, Karyn Parsons, Kasi Lemmons, David Proval, Kevin Corrigan, and Michael Buscemi.

The festival also announced a new partnership with independent studio Utopia, which will offer theatrical distribution to at least one 2026 Slamdance Grand Prize winner. Additional distribution and digital aggregation opportunities will be made available to competition films through Utopia’s platform.

Also screening in the festival’s Spotlight section is The Untitled Ruby Slippers Documentary, directed by Seth Gordon and Nikki Calabrese, a long-gestating project tied to Gordon’s early Slamdance roots.

Slamdance will once again host Market Monday on February 23, featuring panels and workshops focused on filmmaking, distribution, and audience development. The full festival lineup will be announced at a later date.

Shelly Hong to Direct and Co-Write Feature Adaptation of Getting Rid of Rosie

Posted on December 9, 2025 by admin

Filmmaker Shelly J. Hong will make her feature debut with Get Over It, a supernatural comedy based on Lynda Simmons’ novel Getting Rid of Rosie. The project, developed by Ontario-based I Crone Productions, recently completed a proof-of-concept shoot in Toronto with Tina Jung, Donald MacLean Jr., and Mimi Kuzyk. Hong co-wrote the screenplay with Simmons, expanding their partnership after the short film Ed & Alfie.

Hong, fresh from the Whistler Film Festival Screenwriters Lab, was drawn to the novel’s mix of humor and emotional depth. The film follows Samantha Choi, who must choose the life she truly wants before midnight, guided by Karma and confronted by the ghost of Rosie Fisk, the best friend who once upended everything and refuses to move on.

An award-winning Korean-Canadian filmmaker, Hong has directed four internationally screened shorts and previously worked across acting, production, writing, and directing. Her original feature script BEAST was selected for the 2025 Whistler Screenwriters Lab.

Author Lynda Simmons, known for her work with Harlequin and Penguin, transitioned into filmmaking in 2023 and partnered with Hong on Ed & Alfie. Their latest collaboration features cinematography by Lainie Knox (Children Ruin Everything, Tallboyz).

Colman, Lithgow, and Breakout Aud Mason-Hyde Anchor Tender Family Drama Jimpa

Posted on December 9, 2025 by admin

Olivia Colman and John Lithgow lead Jimpa, a new queer family drama from filmmaker Sophie Hyde. The film follows Hannah, played by Colman, as she travels with her trans nonbinary teenager Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde) to Amsterdam to visit Frances’ gay grandfather, affectionately known as Jimpa, portrayed by Lithgow. What begins as a simple family trip turns into a deeper emotional journey when Frances expresses a desire to stay abroad for a year.

The film explores the shifting dynamics across three generations as Hannah confronts the stories she has long held about her family, Frances wrestles with the disappointment of discovering their heroes aren’t perfect, and Jimpa faces the realities of aging in a community that once never imagined growing old.

Inspired by Hyde’s own experiences in a queer family, Jimpa blends humor, tenderness, and lived authenticity. Hyde directs from a script co-written with Matthew Cormack, continuing her track record of intimate character-driven storytelling seen in works like Good Luck to You, Leo Grande and 52 Tuesdays.

The cast also includes Daniel Henshall, Kate Box, Eamon Farren, and Cody Fern. The film features cinematography by Matthew Chuang, editing by Bryan Mason, and music composed by Nick Ward.

“One Battle After Another” Dominates National Board of Review Awards

Posted on December 6, 2025 by admin

Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another continued its awards-season surge, leading the 2025 National Board of Review honors with five major wins, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio, Best Supporting Actor for Benicio Del Toro, and Breakthrough Performance for Chase Infiniti.

The strong showing follows the film’s recent victories at both the Gotham Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle, positioning the Warner Bros. title as one of this season’s most formidable contenders.

Rose Byrne was named Best Actress for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, continuing her streak across multiple critics groups. Other notable winners included Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for Sentimental Value, Ryan Coogler for Sinners (Best Original Screenplay), and Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar for Train Dreams (Best Adapted Screenplay).

NBR also recognized Arco as Best Animated Feature, It Was Just an Accident as Best International Film, and Cover-Up as Best Documentary. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning earned the group’s stunt artistry honor, while Sinners cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw received Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography.

As usual, the organization released additional top-ten lists spanning films, international selections, documentaries, and independent features, which continue to serve as an early barometer of industry consensus.

The winners will be celebrated at the NBR’s annual gala on January 13, 2026, in New York City.

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

Posted on December 3, 2025 by admin

EKKL 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.

Documentary Fantasy Hybrid ‘Adrianne & The Castle’ to Debut on VOD

Posted on November 23, 2025 by admin

A genre-blending portrait of love, grief, and artistic devotion, Adrianne & The Castle will be released on VOD beginning December 5, 2025. Directed by Shannon Walsh, the film follows Illinois artist Alan St-George as he continues work on Havencrest Castle, the elaborate, hand-built home he created with his late wife, Adrianne.

Part documentary and part musical fantasy, the film recounts the couple’s decades-long partnership, their shared creative world, and the ornate, theatrical environment they constructed together. After Adrianne’s passing in 2006, St-George continued their project, transforming the castle into both a memorial and an evolving work of art.

Walsh incorporates staged musical sequences and fantastical imagery alongside archival material and interviews, creating a tone often described as a real-life fairytale. The film explores St-George’s process, his coping with loss, and the way imagination shapes his ongoing tribute.

Adrianne & The Castle will be available on digital platforms starting December 5.

Time-Loop Horror Manor of Darkness Sets December Digital Release

Posted on November 19, 2025 by admin

The indie horror film Manor of Darkness will arrive on U.S. digital platforms on December 9. Directed by Blake Ridder and produced by Ridder Films in association with Lucas A. Ferrara, the feature blends supernatural mystery with a repeating-day structure.

The film follows Laura, who reconnects with her estranged brother for a last-ditch plan to steal a rumored artifact from a secluded English manor. Posing as a documentary crew, the group gains access to the estate and meets the reclusive owner, whose stories hint at a troubled past. After breaking open a sealed chest in the basement, the crew becomes trapped in a time loop as an unseen force begins to tighten its grip.

Only Laura remembers each reset, pushing her toward the truth behind the manor’s curse as the group relives escalating variations of the same day.

Ridder, who also appears in the film, describes the project as an exploration of psychological repetition and dread rather than straightforward scares. Producer Lucas A. Ferrara calls the film a tension-driven “meta-horror” that plays with the anxieties inherent in filmmaking and ambition.

Manor of Darkness stars Sarah Alexandra Marks, Kim Lysette Spearman, Louis James, Blake Ridder, and Stuart Wolfe Murray. The film will be available through Amazon, Google Play, and YouTube Movies.

Short Documentary The Hemingway Offers an Unfiltered Look at Life With ALS

Posted on November 19, 2025 by admin

A new short documentary titled The Hemingway is drawing attention on the festival circuit for its candid, darkly humorous portrayal of life with ALS. The nine-minute film centers on Patrick Sean O’Brien, who lives with near-total paralysis but maintains an active, sharply observant internal monologue.

The film uses Patrick’s private thoughts as a narrative device, contrasting the difficult physical realities of ALS with his blunt, often funny inner commentary on daily routines, relationships, and moments of vulnerability. The result is a portrait that blends honesty and irreverence, avoiding sentimentality while highlighting the emotional complexities of the disease.

The Hemingway features O’Brien alongside J.R. Reed, Scott Murphy, Rose Julien, and Paula Mackael. It was written by O’Brien, directed by O’Brien and Evan Mathis, and edited by Doug Pray.

O’Brien, known for the autobiographical documentary TransFatty Lives, continues to create work despite living with advanced ALS, while Mathis brings a background in Emmy-winning creative direction.

The Hemingway is currently screening at festivals worldwide.

Award-Winning Animated Documentary Endless Cookie Opens in NY and LA Theaters December 5

Posted on November 13, 2025 by admin

The acclaimed animated documentary Endless Cookie, created over eight years by brothers Seth and Peter Scriver, arrives in New York and Los Angeles theaters on December 5 from Obscured Releasing.

The film is a vivid, surreal portrait of the Scriver family, blending autobiography, memory, and playful imagination. Through colorful, shifting animation, the brothers revisit their upbringing in Toronto’s Kensington Market and Peter’s current life in a remote First Nations community in Northern Manitoba. Their stories overlap with family recollections, turning the film into both a family chronicle and a meditation on creativity.

Seth is a Toronto-based artist and animator known for the TIFF-winning feature Asphalt Watches. Peter is a First Nations carver, poet, mechanic, and storyteller whose real-life heroism in rescuing a neighbor from a house fire underscores the film’s themes of resilience and connection.

Endless Cookie has earned major honors worldwide, including the Golden Alexander at Thessaloniki, the Contrechamp Jury Award at Annecy, the Rogers Audience Award at Hot Docs 2025, and awards or mentions from Sitges, Dok Leipzig, Guadalajara, and Calgary Underground Film Festival.