U.S. Theatrical Release of the Puerto Rican Sundance Film “The Fishbowl”

thefishbowlMonument Releasing has announced the North American theatrical release for the acclaimed Puerto Rican ecofeminist drama The Fishbowl (La pecera), the striking feature debut by interdisciplinary artist Glorimar Marrero Sánchez. The film, which made history as the first Puerto Rican-produced feature to premiere at Sundance, is set to debut in U.S. theaters in March 2025, coinciding with Puerto Rican Emancipation Day on March 21. A streaming release will follow on May 21, 2025.

Set on the island of Vieques—a U.S. military testing ground for toxic munitions like napalm, depleted uranium, and Agent Orange—The Fishbowl tells the story of Noelia (Isel Rodríguez in an elegant performance), a 40-year-old artist grappling with terminal cancer. Determined to use her remaining time resisting the ecological and social consequences of U.S. colonialism, Noelia’s journey unfolds as both a personal and collective act of resilience.

After discovering her cancer has returned and metastasized, Noelia retreats to her home in Vieques, where she reconnects with her mother and her community. Choosing to keep her illness a secret in the absence of local medical care, she devotes herself to protesting the enduring environmental devastation caused by military activity. As a hurricane looms and her health deteriorates, she rekindles a past romance and faces a profound decision: to leave and seek treatment or to remain with her people and her cause.

Featuring a predominantly female cast and crew, The Fishbowl is both a compelling character study and a poignant commentary on environmental racism, colonialism, and resilience. Marrero Sánchez emerges as a vital voice in Puerto Rican cinema, creating a film that resonates far beyond its setting.

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“Under The Burning Sun” Premiere At 2025 Slamdance Film Festival

under-the-burning-sun“Under The Burning Sun” is written and directed by Yun Xie. Produced by Aaron Linjun Yu and Jera Wang. Cinematography by Tianyi Wang. Edited by Bowei Yue and Christopher Ma. Music by Dong Liu. A Narval Films production.

Says the film’s synopsis: In a barren, desolate land where abortion is outlawed, Mowanza struggles with an unwanted pregnancy. When she hears of a distant land with a lenient abortion policy, Mowanza, armed with only a half-empty water bottle and a battered car, embarks on a journey across the desert towards the lush land of Iropus.

“Our protagonist, Mowanza, never had the agency to make choices about her own body,” says Yu Xie.

“She is trapped in a cycle of anguish and anger, with freedom always just out of reach—like a distant oasis she can never quite grasp. Through Mowanza’s journey, the world we’ve crafted, and the struggles she endures, I hope we can inch closer to understanding the complex realities of womanhood—ones that remain unresolved, but deserve to be told.”

“Under The Burning Sun” is set to have its world premiere at 2025 Slamdance Film Festival where it plays on these dates:
Saturday Feb 22 – 1:30pm at LA Times Theater – Quixote Studios
Monday Feb 24 – 3:45pm at LA Times Theater – Quixote Studios

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Lou Ye’s Docufiction AN UNFINISHED FILM + Four Ye Features | Opening March 14 at Film Forum

an-unfinished-filmFilm Forum has announce the US theatrical premiere of Lou Ye’s AN UNFINISHED FILM on Friday, March 14.

Using outtakes and on-set footage from SUZHOU RIVER and other films (SPRING FEVER, MYSTERY, THE SHADOW PLAY), and casting real actors from these films to play themselves, Lou creates an intense yet playful catharsis for filmmakers, artists, and, ultimately, all of us — a chance to revisit that time, and to heal.

In this enthralling, poignant docufiction, director Lou Ye (SUZHOU RIVER) and his crew reunite in Wuhan in January 2020 to complete a film started a decade earlier. When the first wave of COVID precipitates lockdown and fear, this story of revived artistic vision pivots to a thriller-paced account of the early spread of the virus — both the devastation and the deep connections borne of shared isolation.

AN UNFINISHED FILM had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in the Special Screenings section and was an official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival, MoMA Doc Fortnight, and more.


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Theatrical Release of the Cannes Doc “The Falling Sky”

the-falling-skyKimStim has announced the North American theatrical release of The Falling Sky (A Queda do Céu), the immersive and lyrical Brazilian documentary co-directed by acclaimed documentarian Eryk Rocha (Cinema Novo) and first-time director Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha.

Inspired by the 2010 book of the same name by Yanomami shaman Davi Kopenawa—who serves as both protagonist and narrator—and French anthropologist Bruce Albert, this breathtaking and collaborative film gives voice to the remote Yanomami and Watoriki communities as they issue a dire warning to the world: environmental catastrophe is imminent, driven by the greed of industrialized nations.

A standout at major international festivals—including Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, DOC NYC, and Doclisboa—this powerful and award-winning portrait of Indigenous resilience will open with a one-week theatrical engagement at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City on Friday, March 7, followed by a theatrical release at Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles beginning Friday, April 2, with additional cities to be announced.
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“Trigger Happy” Quirky Comedic Satire Inspired by the 1950s

trigger-happy“Trigger Happy” stars Tyler Poelle (Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS: LA), Elsha Kim (The Garcias), Christina Kirkman (All That!, Ambitions), Matt Lowe (Hart of Dixie, Blood of Zeus), Chau Long (Interior Chinatown, PEN15), Zak Steiner (Euphoria, White Men Can’t Jump), Kevin Kreider (Bling Empire, The Traitors), Jacob Wysocki (Pitch Perfect, Unfriended, Terri), and Michele Selene Ang (13 Reasons Why). The film was directed by Tiffany Kim Stevens with a screenplay by Daniel Moya and produced by Kyle Herman.

“Trigger Happy” had its World Premiere at 2024 Cinequest where it won the Audience Award for Best Sci-Fi and Thriller. It also had a sold-out screening at the Newport Beach Film Festival 2024. The film has a running time of 86 minutes and will not be rated by the MPAA. Gravitas Ventures will release “Trigger Happy” on digital platforms on February 25, 2025.

In “Trigger Happy” George Decker has a dream of escaping his life and jetting to the Bahamas, but getting there will mean finding a way to rid himself of his wife, his crushing debts, his demeaning nine-to-six job, and an American culture that he feels has been specifically designed to torture him. Annie Decker, George’s wife, has a dream, too: booking the lead role in an infomercial for the “WOW! Sponge,” which is the most watched television program in America. As Annie’s acting career approaches new heights, George’s frustrations send him plummeting towards rock bottom, and the lives of these selfish, striving people intersect in ways that are hilarious, violent, and spectacularly unpredictable.

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Sideshow and Janus Films Acquire All North American Rights to Ira Sachs’s Sundance Standout PETER HUJAR’S DAY

peter-hujars-daySideshow and Janus Films announced today that they have acquired North American rights to PETER HUJAR’S DAY, the highly acclaimed new film by Ira Sachs (PASSAGES, KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, LOVE IS STRANGE) which was a standout at the Sundance Film Festival where it screened in the Premieres section. It stars Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall. The film will next show at the Berlinale in Panorama. Sideshow and Janus Films are planning a Fall theatrical release for the film. SBS will be handling international sales for the film.

The deal was negotiated by Sideshow and Janus Films with WME Independent. PETER HUJAR’S DAY was produced by Jordan Drake and Jonah Disend, and co-produced by Fred Burle and Aaron Craig. The film is a Complementary Colors, Blink Productions & Primo Content Presentation in association with We Are Films & Materia Cinema, and a Jordan Drake & One Two Films Production based on the book Peter Hujar’s Day by Linda Rosenkrantz.

Ira Sachs said, “Sideshow and Janus Films represent a commitment to the kind of cinema that has meant the most to me, as audience and as filmmaker.” He continued, “To be a part of their future makes me feel both young and old, and full of hope both for this film and for the movies.”
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Berlinale: World Premiere of PUNKU by J.D. Fernández Molero

PUNKUPunku, the latest film by Peruvian Rotterdam Tiger Award-winning writer-director J.D. Fernández Molero [Videophilia (and Other Viral Syndromes)], will have its world premiere in the Forum section of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, running from February 13 to 23, 2025. This one-of-a-kind, playfully genre-blending film was shot in 16mm, Super 8, and digital formats, and it will be screened on 35mm in its world premiere at the Berlinale.

Set deep in the Peruvian Amazon lowlands and the tropical city of Quillabamba in the Cusco region of Peru, Punku—which means “gateway” in Quechua—follows an unlikely pair on a foreboding journey that artfully threads together the fantasy and Surrealism of fairy tales with the harsh shadow of trauma in a shared search for belonging and safety.

Meshia, a Matsigenka Indigenous teenager, finds a young boy, Ivan, who vanished two years ago and was presumed dead. Determined to rescue him, she leads him on a journey upriver into the mountains toward the city for a surgery urgently needed to stop the infection that is progressively consuming his sight.
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Come See Me in the Good Light Wins Festival Favorite Award at 2025 Sundance Film Festival

sundance-20252026 Sundance Film Festival Dates Also Revealed.

Today the Sundance Film Festival announced its final award for the 2025 edition: Come See Me in the Good Light in the Premieres category received the Festival Favorite Award, voted for by the audiences from all the new feature films presented at the 2025 Festival. Other award winners were previously announced at a ceremony at The Ray Theatre in Park City, Utah, on January 31.

Looking ahead to next year, Sundance Institute also announced today the dates for the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, taking place in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, from January 22–February 1, 2026.

“The past 11 days of the Festival have been a meaningful opportunity to connect as a community in support of independent storytelling,” said Amanda Kelso, Acting CEO, Sundance Institute. “We look forward to being reunited with audiences, artists, industry, and press next January for another edition of the Festival.”
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2025 Sundance Film Festival Award Winners Announced

sundance-film-festival-award-winners-2025Today the 2025 Sundance Film Festival awards were presented at a ceremony for the jury and audience award–winning films at The Ray Theatre in Park City, where independent storytelling was celebrated ahead of the Festival’s conclusion. The 2025 Festival, taking place now through February 2, has featured premieres, screenings, talks, events, and more in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah. All feature award-winning films are available online nationwide now through February 2. Select award-winning films will screen in person for ticketholders and passholders. Tickets can be purchased at festival.sundance.org/tickets.

Grand Jury Prizes went to Atropia (U.S. Dramatic Competition), Seeds (U.S. Documentary Competition), Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) (World Cinema Dramatic Competition), and Cutting Through Rocks (اوزاک یوللار) (World Cinema Documentary Competition). The NEXT Innovator Award presented by Adobe was given to Zodiac Killer Project.

Audience awards for films in competition were presented by Acura to Twinless (U.S. Dramatic Competition) and André is an Idiot (U.S. Documentary Competition) and presented by United Airlines to DJ Ahmet (World Cinema Dramatic Competition) and Prime Minister (World Cinema Documentary Competition). East of Wall won the audience award for NEXT presented by Adobe. Awards for the Short Film Program Presented by Vimeo were announced at a ceremony on January 28 at The Park in Park City, Utah.
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Josh Stewart & Juddah Lewis Star In “Lifeline”

lifelineDark Sky Films has announced the upcoming release of LIFELINE in select theaters and digital platforms on February 21st. See the trailer debut below.

Directed by Feras Alfuqaha and produced by Leal Naim, “Lifeline” is and written by Brian Price and Brady Morell.

The thriller mystery stars Josh Steward (The Collector, Criminal Minds, The Punisher, The Dark Knight Rises), Judah Lewis (Demolition, The Babysitter, The Christmas Chronicles) and Brecken Merrill (Yellowstone, This Is Us).

Here’s the film’s official synopsis:
A late-night suicide hotline operator receives a disturbing call from someone claiming to be him, knowing personal details only he would know. The caller threatens to end his life within the hour, forcing the operator into a tense, emotional race against time. As the clock ticks down, he must confront his deepest fears and uncover the truth before it’s too late to save “himself”.

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