Dark 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.
Directed 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.
AGBO 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 →
The 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 →
Fairy 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 →
With 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.
BLEEDING 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.
Jerome Yoo’s debut feature film MONGRELS has won the prestigious FIPRESCI Critics Prize at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF). The award, which is presented by a jury from the International Federation of Film Critics, promotes film art and supports new and young cinema globally. MONGRELS was also presented with the First Feature Competition’s Special Jury Prize For the Cast. Vancouver and Seoul-based Yoo was present to accept the award at the PÖFF ceremony on November 23rd in Estonia.
This is the second festival and second award win for Yoo, who recently had a sold out world premiere of MONGRELS at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) where he was honoured with the Director’s Guild of Canada’s Horizon Award for emerging Canadian director. MONGRELS was one of five films in post-production selected to be highlighted at the Udine Far East Film Festival’s FOCUS ASIA. Continue reading →
Writer and director Peter Klausner is set to push horror audiences to their limits with “Stomach It,” a psychological body horror film making its New York premiere on December 6, 2024, at the NYC Horror Film Festival. The screening will take place at LOOK Dine-In Cinema on West 57th Street, with a newly released clip daring viewers to ask, Can you stomach it?
Starring Jon Lee Richardson (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F), the film follows Joel, a crime scene cleaner who struggles to detach emotionally from the personal possessions of the deceased. During a late-night job, his repressed emotions manifest into a monstrous presence, forcing him to confront his trauma in the most grotesque and literal way possible.
Stomach It continues its festival run after premiering at the Oscar-qualifying Nashville Film Festival, Screamfest, Atlanta Horror Film Festival, Chicago Horror Film Festival, and Mórbido Fest, earning strong early reviews. Bloody Flicks called it “fear and nausea from the very beginning,” while Horror Fuel praised Klausner for creating “an eerie atmosphere and gory body horror.”
Produced by Klausner and Torey Rubin (RWBY, Zall Good) under ISOTRE Films, the film examines how grief and emotional detachment can fester until they become something monstrous.
“I became fascinated by the psychological aspects of crime scene cleaners and how you are expected to emotionally detach,” said Klausner. “This story goes to the core of the most raw and visceral parts of the human psyche and aims to connect with audiences at the deepest levels.”
Stomach It asks what happens when emotions are buried instead of healed, turning trauma into something both terrifying and cathartic.
“Drive Back” is set to open in select theaters and on digital/VOD this Friday, November 8th.
Directed by Cody Ashford, the film is from the producers of The Gallows, and has been a fan favorite at festivals this year.
In the film, comic artist, Reid and his pregnant fiancée, Olivia celebrate their new engagement at a remote cabin. But after a near car accident leaves them lost in the woods, they find themselves trapped on a hidden shortcut. Facing violent visions, lost memories, and a troubled hitchhiker, they discover a terrifying killer is hunting them and that the shortcut is darker and more personal than they realized.
The film stars Zack Gold, Whit Kunschik, Tammy Kaitz, Robert Stephenson, Madonna Young Magee, Jim Tuck, Crystal Foster.
The film is set to open in Los Angeles: Laemmle Glendale (11/8) and on Fresno: Regal Cinemas River Park Fresno (11/7), and on digital: Apple TV, Fandango at Home (US), Google Play (US & CA), Microsoft Movies & TV (US & CA) and Prime Video (US).
Dark Sky Films has set the upcoming release of BIRDEATER, the psychological thriller from Australian directing duo Jack Clark and Jim Weir. 
