Category Archives: Independent Films

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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New Clip: Eugène Green’s The Tree of Knowledge Premieres Tonight at Fantastic Fest 2025

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The-Tree-of-KnowledgeIn biblical terms, the “Tree of Knowledge” represents the beginning of free will. For filmmaker Eugène Green, it serves as a metaphor for spiritual awakening in The Tree of Knowledge, which premieres tonight at Fantastic Fest 2025.

The story centers on Gaspard (Rui Pedro Silva), a teenager ensnared by the Ogre, a man who has made a pact with the Devil and uses him to attract tourists, transforming them into animals before killing them. Gaspard escapes with a donkey and a dog and encounters the spirit of Queen Maria I of Portugal, while the Ogre sets off in pursuit.

Green, born in New York and based in France, is known for Toutes les Nuits and a body of films often shown at major festivals including Cannes, Locarno, and Berlin.

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Robert Redford, Hollywood Icon and Architect of Independent Cinema, Dies at 89

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By Armando

Robert Redford during the filming of The Sting (1973). Photo by Ken Dare, Los Angeles Times / Courtesy of the Dutch National Archives.

Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning actor, director, and visionary who built Sundance into the home of independent film, has died at his home in Utah. He was 89. Redford was first known as one of Hollywood’s most magnetic leading men, but his greatest impact came later, as he reshaped the future of filmmaking by giving independent voices a place to be heard.

Redford began his career in television and on Broadway before breaking through in film. His first leading role that brought him recognition was Barefoot in the Park (1967) opposite Jane Fonda. Two years later, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) made him a household name. His pairing with Paul Newman became one of the most beloved duos in film history. They reunited in The Sting (1973), which became a massive hit and earned Redford an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

An American Icon

In the 1970s, Redford wasn’t just a star. With his blond hair, windswept style, and natural charisma, he became a cultural symbol of American masculinity. But he quickly proved he was more than an image. In The Candidate (1972), Jeremiah Johnson (1972), Three Days of the Condor (1975), and All the President’s Men (1976), he pursued stories with political and social weight. By the end of the decade, he had become both a top box office draw and one of the most respected actors of his generation.

Behind the Camera

In 1980, Redford made his directing debut with Ordinary People, a family drama that went on to win four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The film marked his transformation from leading man to accomplished filmmaker and proved he could command just as much respect behind the camera.
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James Beard Winner Eric Wolfinger’s Doc Short “Blessed by Grace” Spotlights Chef Lisa Dahl, Expands Festival Run

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blessed-by-graceJames Beard Award-winning photographer Eric Wolfinger’s short documentary Blessed by Grace is set to screen at a number of festivals throughout 2025 following its award-winning debut.

The film, which tells the story of Sedona chef and restaurateur Lisa Dahl, premiered at the Sedona International Film Festival in March and has since won the Indiana Spotlight Award and Audience Choice Award at Indy Shorts. Upcoming stops include the Newport Beach Film Festival, Burning Man’s Playa Film Festival, the Cordillera Film Festival in Reno, and the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis.

Blessed by Grace traces Dahl’s personal and professional journey after the tragic loss of her son, Justin, in the 1990s. Channeling grief into her culinary career, she went on to build the Dahl Restaurant Group, now operating six acclaimed restaurants in Northern Arizona and employing more than 300 people.

The film highlights Dahl’s resilience, spirituality, and impact on the culinary world, while also capturing her broader philanthropic initiatives.

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Eric Roberts and Kenzie Ziegler Hit the Right Notes in Redemption Drama Shakey Grounds

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shakey-groundsGravitas Ventures will release Shakey Grounds on digital platforms September 16, 2025.

The 82-minute feature follows a troubled musician and his band as they navigate personal demons and a chance at redemption with a disgraced record executive. Together, they confront obstacles that ultimately draw them closer through music and camaraderie.

The film stars Academy Award nominee Eric Roberts (Runaway Train, The Dark Knight), Emmy and Tony Award winner Eric Nelsen (1883), Ella Cannon (Trees of Peace), Emmy Award winner Kelly Thiebaud (General Hospital), and singer/actor Kenzie Ziegler (Dance Moms). Johnny Danks, who also stars, produced alongside Gary Dankner and Jack Sattin.

Written by Trace Slobotkin and directed by Michael Garcia, Shakey Grounds had its world premiere at WorldFest Houston International Festival, where it won a Remi Award.

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