Category Archives: Independent Films

James Badge Dale, Ben Foster, and Melissa Leo Star in John Swab’s Crime Epic “King Ivory”

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King-IvoryThe official trailer and poster have debuted for King Ivory, the latest feature from filmmaker John Swab (Candy Land, Body Brokers), which opens in theaters nationwide on November 14.

The crime thriller, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival and later screened as a Centerpiece selection at the 2025 Newport Beach Film Festival, stars James Badge Dale, Ben Foster, Michael Mando, Rory Cochrane, Ritchie Coster, George Carroll, Graham Greene, Melissa Leo, and Sam Quartin.

Set amid the fentanyl epidemic, King Ivory follows Tulsa drug cop Layne West (Dale), whose personal and professional worlds collide after his son becomes addicted to the deadly opioid. Determined to dismantle the local network responsible, West targets a chain of criminals that includes a cartel enforcer (Mando), a prison-based Native gang leader (Greene), and an Irish Mob family led by Foster and Leo.

Written and directed by Swab and produced by Jeremy M. Rosen, the film explores the human cost and complexity of America’s opioid crisis through intersecting lives across law enforcement, organized crime, and addiction.

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Jack Black Boards Pirate Radio Documentary “40 Watts From Nowhere” as Executive Producer

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Jack Black has boarded 40 Watts From Nowhere as executive producer. The music documentary from journalist and filmmaker Sue Carpenter chronicles the rise and fall of her 1990s Los Angeles pirate radio station, KBLT.

The film premiered at the 30th anniversary Slamdance Film Festival and later screened as a Centerpiece selection at Newport Beach. It features interviews with Tom Morello, Mike Watt, Don Bolles, and pirate radio activist Stephen Dunifer. Global sales are handled by Alex Nohe and Blood Sweat Honey.

Based on Carpenter’s 2004 memoir, the documentary revisits the Silver Lake scene through archival footage shot in 1998, when Carpenter ran her 40-watt station from an apartment closet, attracting guests like Mazzy Star and the Red Hot Chili Peppers before an FCC shutdown.

40 Watts From Nowhere marks Carpenter’s directorial debut. Black, a longtime figure in the Silver Lake music community, is represented by Ocean Avenue and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.

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Allen Danziger Returns to Horror in Satirical Slasher “The Weedhacker Massacre”

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The-Weedhacker-MassacreBuffalo 8 will release The Weedhacker Massacre on digital platforms October 17. The meta-horror comedy, directed by Jody Stelzig, follows a film crew shooting a remake of a notorious slasher movie at the site of the original murders—only to find the masked killer has returned.

The film stars David Treviño (Rent Free), Molly Sakonchick (Storage Locker), Bobbie Grace (Fear the Walking Dead), Sean Reyna, Parrish Randall (Circus of the Dead), and Allen Danziger of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre fame, who also co-created and executive produced the project. The script was written and produced by Ray Spivey.

Following its world premiere at the Golden State Film Festival, The Weedhacker Massacre earned multiple awards at international festivals, including Best Comedy at the New York International Film Awards. The 95-minute feature is unrated.

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Albert Birney’s Retro Sci-Fi Thriller Obex Set for Theatrical Release in January

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ObexFilmmaker Albert Birney’s new feature Obex will open in theaters on January 9, 2026, following its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

Written by Birney and Pete Ohs (Erupcja), the black-and-white fantasy is set in 1987, where a reclusive man and his dog become ensnared in a mysterious computer game that turns their analog world into a surreal digital nightmare. The film stars Birney alongside Callie Hernandez, Paisley Isaacs, Frank Mosley, and Tyler Davis, with music by Josh Dibb (Deakin of Animal Collective).

Described as a lo-fi vision of early computing and isolation, Obex blends nostalgic visuals with psychological tension to explore the blurring line between technology and reality. The film is produced by Emma Hannaway, Birney, James Belfer, and Ohs, with cinematography by Ohs.

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Bushwick Film Festival Returns Oct. 1 to 5 With Nearly 100 Films, Including 10 World Premieres

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Bushwick-Film-FestivalThe 18th Annual Bushwick Film Festival will take place October 1 to 5 across Brooklyn, showcasing nearly 100 films from emerging indie voices in New York and around the world.

This year’s lineup features 10 world premieres, 11 East Coast premieres, and 24 New York premieres. Highlights include Chilean thriller Todos Somos Justos, among other international and local selections.

Founded in 2007, the festival has become a platform for independent cinema with a focus on underrepresented voices. The 2025 edition carries the theme “Meet Us at the Movies,” encouraging audiences to gather in person to experience films together.

Program details and ticket information are available at bushwickfilmfestival.com

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‘Akashi’ and ‘The Art of Adventure’ to World Premiere at Vancouver International Film Festival

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viff-org-2025

Pender PR has announced its fall festival roster, led by two world premieres at the Vancouver International Film Festival on October 5: Akashi, directed by Mayumi Yoshida, and Alison Reid’s documentary The Art of Adventure.

Akashi stars Yoshida alongside Bun Kimura (Rental Family), Hana Kino (Faceless), Chieko Matsubara (Tokyo Drifter), Kunio Murai (Godzilla vs. Gigan), Hiro Kanagawa (Shōgun), and Ryo Tajima (Avalanche). Reid’s sophomore feature centers Canadian wildlife artist Robert Bateman and environmentalist Bristol Foster.

Other Canadian titles in the slate include Ava Maria Safai’s horror Foreigner, Omorose Osagie’s Lost Wax, Jon Chiang’s Spring After Spring, and Luke Gleeson’s documentary Wədzįh Nəne’ | Caribou Country, among others set to premiere at VIFF, Sitges, Brooklyn Horror, Whistler, ReelWorld, and additional festivals this fall.

Ticket information for Akashi, The Art of Adventure, and other VIFF screenings is available at viff.org
.

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

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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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“She Loved Blossoms More”: Yannis Veslemes Blends Sci-Fi, Horror and Dark Comedy in Surreal Tale of Grief

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She-Loved-Blossoms-MoreDark Sky Films and Yellow Veil Pictures will release Yannis Veslemes’ She Loved Blossoms More on VOD and digital platforms October 3.

The film, which premiered at Tribeca, follows three brothers who construct a time machine to bring their late mother back to life. Their efforts spiral out of control when their unstable father reappears, sending them into a surreal blend of past and present.

Described as a mix of science fiction, body horror, and dark comedy, the film stars Panos Papadopoulos, Julio Giorgos Katsis, Aris Balis, and Dominique Pinon.

Veslemes co-wrote the script with Dimitris Emmanouilidis and directed.

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Gabriel Byrne Confronts Mortality and Leonard Cohen’s Ghosts in Death of a Ladies’ Man

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death-of-a-ladies-manGabriel Byrne headlines Death of a Ladies’ Man, Matthew Bissonnette’s surreal dramedy arriving on VOD September 26.

The film follows Samuel O’Shea (Byrne), a hard-drinking, twice-divorced professor whose life unravels after a terminal diagnosis. Haunted by visions of his long-dead father (Brian Gleeson) and strangers breaking into Leonard Cohen songs, Samuel retreats to his family’s Irish cottage where he confronts memory, regret, and the possibility of redemption through an unexpected romance (Jessica Paré).

The film blends dark humor, poetic visuals, and the music of Leonard Cohen, offering a meditation on mortality and second chances. Rounding out the cast are Antoine Olivier Pilon, Karelle Tremblay, and Suzanne Clément.

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Allen Danziger’s The Weedhacker Massacre Brings Meta-Horror to Digital

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weedhackerBuffalo 8 will release The Weedhacker Massacre on digital platforms October 17.

The horror-comedy, co-created by Texas Chainsaw Massacre actor Allen Danziger and Ray Spivey, follows a cast and crew making a low-budget horror film at the site of past murders, only to encounter the masked killer once more.

Danziger appears in the film as Sheriff Danzinshoos, with a cast that includes David Treviño (Rent Free), Molly Sakonchick (Storage Locker), Bobbie Grace (Fear the Walking Dead), Sean Reyna, and Parrish Randall (Circus of the Dead). Jody Stelzig directs from a script by Spivey, who also produced.

The film premiered at the Golden State Film Festival and has earned recognition on the indie circuit, winning Best Comedy at the New York International Film Awards and multiple acting and screenplay honors.

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