Category Archives: Independent Films

2025 Sundance Film Festival Unveils Short Film Program Presented by Vimeo

Posted on by

2025-Sundance-Film-Festival-Unveils-Short-Film-Program-Presented-by-Vimeo

Top L–R: View From the Floor, THE LILY (เดอะลิลลี่), Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites, Hold Me Close
Center Row L-R: Azi, Debaters, Platanero, Sweetheart
Bottom L–R: Somebody Cares, Hoops, Hopes & Dreams, Entre le Feu et le Clair de Lune, Inkwo for When the Starving Return

Today the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the 57 short films being presented at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. These shorts will screen as part of eight curated Short Film Programs presented by Vimeo that will include fiction, nonfiction, and animated titles from the U.S. and globally. The Festival will take place from January 23–February 2, 2025, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, with a selection of titles available online from January 30–February 2, 2025, for audiences across the country to discover bold independent storytelling. Access to watch almost all the short films on-demand (January 30–February 2) is available by purchasing a Short Films Pass: Online, now on sale. Single Film Tickets for in-person and online go on sale January 16 at 10 a.m. MT. Members have access to a Single Film Ticket pre-sale. Visit the Sundance Film Festival site for more information: festival.sundance.org.

“Our program would never be complete without a curation of outstanding short films, and we’re excited to share the 2025 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Program today,” said Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. “These projects are varied in style and substance, but across all categories they represent the power of short-form storytelling beautifully.”

“Our Short Film Program celebrates fresh styles and unique stories. The short run time encourages innovation,” said Mike Plante, Senior Programmer, Short Film. “Audiences will find much of the next generation of film talent here, with raw, exciting and inspired filmmaking from around the world in each of our eight programs.”

The 57 short films selected for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival were chosen from 11,153 submissions. Of these submissions, 4,909 were from the U.S. and 6,244 were international. Work from 28 countries and territories represented in this upcoming year’s program.
Continue reading →

Share

A.I. from METROPOLIS to EX MACHINA | 30+ Film Festival Runs January 3-23 at Film Forum

Posted on by

AI-from-Metropolis-to-Ex-Machina-film-forumA.I. FROM METROPOLIS TO EX MACHINA…, a three-week festival of movies that helped introduce the world to the concept of “artificial intelligence” (a term not coined until the 1950s), will run at Film Forum from Friday, January 3 to Thursday, January 23. The series includes more than 30 films, most of them offering a dystopian view of a society run by A.I., along with profound ethical and existential questions.

Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent masterpiece METROPOLIS (written by his wife Thea von Harbou, who adapted it from her own 1925 novel), broke new ground in science fiction storytelling, with the creation of Maria, a robot designed to look human and control the workers in an underground city. Gort, a massive robot that serves as enforcer for an alien peace mission in Robert Wise’s THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951), provided an early example of a machine with a higher purpose.

Five years later, Robby the Robot of FORBIDDEN PLANET (based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest!) both defined what a “robot” looked like for generations and offered a more benign depiction of what would later be called “artificial intelligence.” Later lovable movie robots include Johnny 5 in SHORT CIRCUIT, R2D2 in the Star Wars movies, and Wall-E in the Pixar movie of that name. The “Emerac” computer in the Tracy-Hepburn comedy DESK SET is also less malevolent, merely threatening to take jobs away from humans – probably the first film to raise that possibility.
Continue reading →

Share

2025 Sundance Film Festival Features & Episodic Lineup Announced

Posted on by

sundance-2025-featuers-and-episodic-lineup

Top L–R: The Legend of Ochi, Rabbit Trap, East of Wall, Seeds Center Row L–R: Rebuilding, Together, Love, Brooklyn, Jimpa Bottom L–R: Hal & Harper, Selena y Los Dinos, The Dating Game, Brides

Today the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the 87 feature films and six episodic projects selected for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, revealing a lineup full of bold independent storytelling. The Festival will take place from January 23–February 2, 2025, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, with all of the competition films and more available online from January 30–February 2, 2025, for audiences across the country. Single Film Tickets for in-person and online screenings go on sale January 16 at 10 a.m. MT. Members have access to a Single Film Ticket pre-sale, and limited quantities of passes and packages remain on sale. Visit the Sundance Film Festival site for more information: festival.sundance.org.

The 2025 Festival will kick off on Thursday, January 23, with premieres in Park City every day through the end of Tuesday, January 28. Additional showings will take place in Park City and Salt Lake City throughout the Festival until Sunday, February 2. Over 11 days, world debuts of projects across program categories will highlight fresh voices, entertaining stories, and groundbreaking works.

Beginning January 30, more than half the feature program will be available online for audiences nationwide to watch from home at festival.sundance.org. The curated online program will include all competition titles (U.S. Dramatic, U.S. Documentary, World Cinema Dramatic, World Cinema Documentary, and NEXT presented by Adobe), as well as additional selections from the feature, episodic, and Short Film Program presented by Vimeo.

“The Sundance Film Festival remains steadfast in its commitment to elevating unique and urgent voices in independent storytelling. Audiences can expect a 2025 program that showcases varied and vibrant filmmaking globally,” said Robert Redford, Sundance Institute Founder and President.
Continue reading →

Share

Festival Hit “Birdeater” Sets Release Date

Posted on by

birdeaterDark Sky Films has set the upcoming release of BIRDEATER, the psychological thriller from Australian directing duo Jack Clark and Jim Weir.

Written by Jack Clark, the film is set for release in theaters and on digital platforms on January 10.

A bride-to-be is invited to join her own fiancé’s bachelor party on a remote property in the Australian outback. But as the festivities spiral into beer-soaked chaos, uncomfortable details about their relationship are exposed, and the celebration soon becomes a feral nightmare.

The Dark Sky Film thriller stars Mackenzie Fearnley, Shabana Azeez, Ben Hunter, Jack Bannister, Clementine Anderson, Alfie Gledhill, Harley Wilson and Caroline McQuade.

Share

Film Feature: “The Man in the White Van” Poster and Trailer

Posted on by

the-man-in-the-white-vanDirected and xo-written by Warren Skeels, the suspense thriller film stars Madison Wolfe, Brec Bassinger, Skai Jackson, Ali Larter, and Sean Astin.

Based on a true story, “The Man in the White Van” delves into the eerie underbelly of a seemingly idyllic 1975 Florida town, and follows the harrowing experience of young Annie Williams, a spirited girl whose carefree existence is turned upside down as she becomes stalked by an ominous man in a white van.

The tranquility of Annie’s world, from her love of horseback riding to her leisurely strolls home from school in the nearby woods, begins to crumble as the menacing white van inches closer and closer. As her parents’ skepticism increasingly grows, Annie finds herself psychologically isolated, and on Halloween night her worst fears materialize into a full-blown nightmare.

The film is set for release in select US theaters on Friday, December 13.

Share

AGBO Has Announced 2024 Winner Of The “Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum”

Posted on by

agboAGBO and the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) has announced “My Kind of People,” directed by Joe Picozzi, as the winner of the 2024 Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum (RBIAFF). Earlier this year, five filmmakers received $10,000 production grants to create short films based on concepts exploring the Italian American experience. From these exceptional works, “My Kind of People” has been selected as the top prize winner and will receive an additional $10,000 grant, along with access to the AGBO Storytellers Collective. Picozzi’s short film tells the story of a proud paesano who, after a DNA test reveals his father’s adoption, must grapple with the devastating realization that he’s not genetically Italian. As the foundation of his identity crumbles and his familial bonds fracture, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery, wrestling with the meaning of heritage, belonging, and identity.

Since its inception in 2017, RBIAFF has supported emerging voices in cinema by awarding over $400,000 in grants to more than 50 talented filmmakers. This year marks a continued celebration of Italian American culture, language, and heritage through the lens of creative storytelling.

The winner was chosen by a selection committee composed of the AGBO creative team, ISDA leadership, and a distinguished panel of judges that included AGBO Co-Founders and Partners Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, AGBO’s Chief Creative Officer Angela Russo-Otstot, and ISDA National President Basil Russo, and ISDA representative Patricia Russo. The program’s mission remains steadfast: to elevate authentic, compelling narratives that highlight the richness of the Italian American experience.
Continue reading →

Share

Winners of the 34th Edition of The Gothams Announced

Posted on by

thegothamsThe Gotham Film & Media Institute announced today the winners of the 34th edition of The Gothams at a ceremony held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

The Gothams provide early recognition and media attention for outstanding and groundbreaking storytellers, including writers, directors, producers and actors. Nominees were selected by independent committees of film critics, journalists, festival programmers, and film curators. Separate independent juries independent of writers, directors, actors, producers, editors, and other film industry professionals determined the final recipients of The Gothams.

The Gothams Tributes, the organization’s highest honors celebrating outstanding achievement in film, were also presented at the ceremony. The Tributes recognize the industry’s most accomplished creators and performers whose work has made an indelible impact on both the art form and popular culture.

The winner for Best Feature was A Different Man.
The winner for Best International Feature was All We Imagine as Light.
The winner for Best Documentary Feature was presented to No Other Land.
The winner for Best Director was RaMell Ross for Nickel Boys.
The winner for Best Screenplay was Azazel Jacobs for His Three Daughters.
The winner for Breakthrough Director Gotham was Vera Drew for The People’s Joker.
The winner for Outstanding Lead Performance was Colman Domingo in Sing Sing.
The winner for Outstanding Supporting Performance was Clarence Maclin in Sing Sing.
The winner for Breakthrough Performer was Brandon Wilson in Nickel Boys.
Continue reading →

Share

Award-Winning Doc Feature “Fairy Creek” to Debut at WFF

Posted on by

fairy-creekFairy Creek documents the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history; a blockade which made international headlines and broke records with nearly 1200 people arrested for protesting to protect BC’s last old-growth forests

Understory Films’ documentary feature film FAIRY CREEK will screen for audiences at home in BC for the first time at the Whistler Film Festival on December 7, 2024, 2024 at 3:45pm at the Village 8 Cinemas in Whistler. It was also recently announced that Cinema Politica boarded the film as distributor ahead of the film’s world premiere at Planet in Focus, where the film took home the Best Canadian Feature Award.

In FAIRY CREEK, director Jen Muranetz documents the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history, creating a searing portrait of contemporary environmental activism, bearing witness to the lengths activists are willing to go to protect British Columbia’s last old growth forests. With unique insider access, the team behind FAIRY CREEK follows the Ada’itsx (Fairy Creek) blockade from its early inception to its bittersweet ending through the lens of an ensemble cast of blockade vanguards and those who oppose them. Employing in-the-trenches cinema vérité, the film introduces spirited environmentalists embroiled in a series of often violent altercations with loggers and RCMP, all while trying to stop old-growth logging in the untouched Fairy Creek valley. The activists show unwavering dedication to their cause, while having compelling internal debates about whose voices are prioritized in the movement. By documenting this significant and contentious juncture in time, FAIRY CREEK calls attention to a much larger conversation: what does it take to find common ground in the fight for a climate-just future?
Continue reading →

Share

New Poster And Clip For “Universal Language” Released

Posted on by

universal-languageWith over 15 festival wins, “Universal Language” continues to capture the hearts and minds of audiences worldwide. Universal Language is also Canada’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the upcoming 97th Academy Awards. The film is eligible for all 2024 honors, having completed a one-week qualifying run earlier this year.

Directed by Matthew Rankin and co-written with Pirouz Nemati and Ila Firouzabadi, Universal Language marks Rankin’s second feature after the critically acclaimed The Twentieth Century (2019).

In a mysterious and surreal interzone somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg, the lives of multiple characters interweave with each other in surprising and mysterious ways. Gradeschoolers Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen in the winter ice and try to claim it. Meanwhile, Massoud leads a group of increasingly-befuddled tourists through the monuments and historic sites of Winnipeg. Matthew quits his meaningless job in a Québecois government office and sets out upon an enigmatic journey to visit his mother. Space, time and personal identities crossfade, interweave and echo into a surreal comedy of misdirection.

Share

New Trailer For Vampire Horror Film “Bleeding”

Posted on by

bleedingBLEEDING follows Eric, a 17-year-old grieving the overdose death of his brother. When his cousin Sean, the hot-shot son of an alcoholic cop, gets pulled into the lucrative, deadly world of using and selling Blood, Eric will do whatever it takes to save him from the same fate that swallowed his brother whole.

With a debt to a vicious dealer and no way to pay it back, Eric and Sean break into an empty house and find a sleeping girl locked inside. What seems like an answer to their prayers brings new danger, a link to their past, and revelations that will test the bonds of blood and friendship.

“Bleeding delves into the raw and unfiltered realities of addiction, heartbreak, and hope. To me, it’s a personal reminder of the fragility and resilience of the human spirit, finding light in those moments of darkness, and I think it’s a message that’s needed now more than ever”, says producer Bofan Zhang.

BLEEDING is written, directed, and produced by Andrew Bell. Produced by Nicholas Payne Santos, Bofan Zhang, and Kenneth Green. Cinematography by Daniel Cho. Edited by Bell. Composed by Alex Symcox. A 88/90 production.

Share
Page 1 of 6
1 2 … 6