Tribeca 2025: “This Land” Documentary Short Film to Have NY Premiere

Posted on May 6, 2025 by admin

“This Land,” a documentary short film directed by Mike Bradley, will have its New York premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. The film is included in the Shorts: Common Ground program and will be screened on June 9, 14, and 15. The director is scheduled to attend all three screenings in person.

The film documents the formation of Ganienkeh, a self-governed Mohawk community in upstate New York.

Here’s the doc’s synopsis:

In 1974, a group of Mohawk Indians occupied a defunct girls’ camp in New York’s Adirondack Mountains and established a community they called Ganienkeh. Aiming to practice a more traditional lifestyle and asserting aboriginal title to the land, they stayed for three years, with occasional violent clashes with local residents.

In 1977, they negotiated a land swap with the State of New York and agreed to relocate to a permanent settlement near Plattsburgh, where the community remains. Ganienkeh is one of the only known examples of an Indigenous people reclaiming land from the United States, but it may not be the last.

World Premiere of ESTA ISLA in the U.S. Competition at the Tribeca Festival

Posted on May 4, 2025 by admin

Esta Isla (This Island), the powerful debut narrative feature from Puerto Rican filmmakers Lorraine Jones Molina and Cristian Carretero, will have its world premiere in the U.S. Narrative Competition at the 2025 Tribeca Festival, taking place June 4–14 in New York City.

Starring Zion Ortiz, Fabiola Brown, Xavier Morales, Teófilo Torres, and Audicio Robles, the gripping yet tender drama unfolds in a small seaside town in Puerto Rico. Bebo, a teenager living with his older brother in a public housing complex, fishes to survive. As economic pressures mount, the brothers turn to illicit means for quick money. When a deal goes awry, Bebo is forced to flee with Lola, his girlfriend from a wealthy but troubled family.

Their escape into Puerto Rico’s mountainous interior becomes a journey into the island’s living past. Taken in by Cora in a rural community, Bebo and Lola uncover buried family histories intertwined with the pro-independence movement and Taino traditions. But even in the mountains, danger lurks. With hitmen in pursuit and the sea—their former lifeline—looming as a possible grave, the young couple must face their inner demons and decide whether redemption is possible.
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SFFILM Announces Golden Gate Award and Audience Award Winners at the 68th San Francisco International Film Festival

Posted on May 1, 2025 by admin

L to R, top row: New Directors Awardee: INK WASH, Global Visions Awardee: ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU. L to R, bottom row: Cine Latino Awardee: BELOVED TROPIC, Kirby Walker Documentary Award Awardee: SEEDS Seeds. Courtesy of SFFILM and rights holders.

Today, SFFILM announced the winners of the juried Golden Gate Awards competition and the Audience Awards at the 68th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM Festival). Since the Festival’s first edition in 1957, the prestigious Golden Gate Awards have served as a launching pad for internationally renowned filmmakers who are early in their careers and have grown to include Audience Awards as well as serving as a qualifier for films under 40 minutes for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). In 2025, Academy Award-qualifying honors presented at the Festival included Narrative Short, Documentary Short, and Animated Short.

Golden Gate Awards were given in the feature film categories of New Directors–Ink Wash, Global Visions–All That’s Left of You, Cine Latino–Beloved Tropic, and the newly named Kirby Walker Documentary Award–Seeds.

Honoring the best documentary feature, the Kirby Walker Documentary Award celebrates the legacy of Kirby Walker, beloved Bay Area activist and filmmaker, whose profound curiosity about the lives of others and the world in general sparked a lasting love and respect for documentary filmmaking that allows audiences to develop their own informed viewpoint.
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Sundance Film Festival: CDMX 2025 Announced

Posted on April 30, 2025 by admin

Cinépolis, the leading film exhibition company in Mexico and Latin America, and the Sundance Institute, the nonprofit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences and host of the Sundance Film Festival, have partnered for the second edition of Sundance Film Festival: CDMX 2025, as well as upcoming editions in 2026 and 2027. This year’s festival will take place from May 29 to June 1, 2025 in Mexico City, with Cinépolis Diana as the main venue, complemented by Cinépolis Carso, Cinépolis Mítikah, and Cinépolis Oasis Coyoacán.

“Following the launch of Sundance Film Festival: CDMX last year, we are delighted to be returning to audiences in Mexico City and further engaging with the local film community,” said Amanda Kelso, Sundance Institute Acting CEO. “Along with our valued partner Cinépolis, it is an honor to be celebrating independent cinema together again in 2025, and for upcoming editions, as we present this remarkable convening of artists and audiences to discover visionary voices and participate in compelling conversations.”

“The Sundance Film Festival’s return to CDMX in 2025 showcases Cinépolis’ dedication to fostering environments where independent films can reach broader audiences,” said Alejandro Ramírez, CEO of Cinépolis. “We are motivated by the chance for these exceptional movies to inspire future filmmakers and to broaden the dialogue around cinema as a powerful medium for expression and change. And we are proud that our partnership with the Sundance Institute to host Sundance Film Festival: CDMX is extending through 2027.”
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Dark Sky Films Neo-Noir/Horror “A Desert” Sets Premiere

Posted on April 18, 2025 by admin

The Dark Sky horror/thriller has set its LA Premiere at the American Cinematheque Los Feliz 3 – May 1st (with the cast in attendance), New York City: Roxy Cinema – Tribeca May 2nd, Los Angeles, Leammle Glendale on May 2nd.

“A Desert” is described as a sun-bleached neo-noir horror film about time, the chaos of our world, and the relevance of images in the cultural desert we are faced with today.

In the movie, a past his prime photographer heads out on a road trip across the American Southwest to recapture the magic and success of his previous work. Instead, he finds himself thrust into the dark and chaotic underbelly of America and unwittingly drags his wife and a shady private detective down into this nightmare world with him.

With music by Ty Segall whose new album Possession comes out May 30th, A DESERT stars David Yow (Dinner in America, I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore), Kai Lennox (Green Room, The Girl from Plainville), Sarah Lind (A Wounded Fawn, Die, My Love), Zachary Ray Sherman (Under the Banner of Heaven, The CW’s 90210) and Ashley B. Smith (Off Ramp, Extremity).

“A Desert” is the first feature film from director Joshua Erkman, a writer, director, and musician living and working in Los Angeles. He has directed a number of music videos for various rock ‘n roll/punk groups, which have been featured in Rolling Stone, Spin, and Pitchfork.

The film stars David Yow (Dinner in America, I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore), Kai Lennox (Green Room, The Girl from Plainville), Sarah Lind (A Wounded Fawn, Die, My Love), Zachary Ray Sherman (Under the Banner of Heaven, The CW’s 90210), Ashley B. Smith (Off Ramp, Extremity), Rob Zabrecky (Lost River, A Ghost Story) & S.A Griffin (Free LSD, California Scheming).

Official Trailer for “Winter Spring Summer Or Fall”

Posted on April 14, 2025 by admin

Paramount Movies has released an official trailer for an indie romance film titled Winter Spring Summer or Fall.

The film reunites former Wednesday actors Jenna Ortega and Percy Hynes White, and marks the feature directorial debut of writer Tiffany Paulsen.

The film follows Remi and Barnes, two very different teenagers, who meet by chance in the winter of their senior year, then spend four days together over the course of a year that will change their lives forever.

It stars Jenna Ortega, Percy Hynes White, Adam Rodriguez, Marisol Nichols, Elias Kacavas, Jacqueline Emerson, John Raymond Barker, Kate Rachesky, Alireza Mirmontazeri, Kylee Anderson.

“Winter Spring Summer Or Fall” had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Festival on June 6, 2024.

David Mamet’s New Feature Film “Henry Johnson” Sets Release

Posted on April 3, 2025 by admin

Starting Friday May 9th, the film is set to open at the Aero Theatre in Los Angeles, as well as to rent on HenryJohnsonMovie.com. Additional theater listings is set to follow.

The film star Evan Jonigkeit, Shia LaBeouf, Chris Bauer, Dominic Hoffman. The film adaptation is Pulitzer Prize winner’s first movie in a decade.

Written and Directed by Pulitzer Prize winner David Mamet, HENRY JOHNSON follows the title character (Jonigkeit) as he navigates his search for a moral center, after an act of compassion upends his life. Looking to authority figures he encounters along the way — including his eventual cellmate, Gene (LaBeouf) — Henry’s journey leads him down a road of manipulation and ethical uncertainty. The film is an exploration of power, justice and the consequences of letting others choose your path for you.

David Mamet is an award-winning playwright, filmmaker and author. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Glengarry Glen Ross — currently on Broadway in a revival starring Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk and Bill Burr — as well as Academy Award nominations for his screenplays of Wag the Dog and The Verdict. His feature film directorial credits include The Spanish Prisoner, Oleanna, House of Games, State and Main, Heist, Spartan, The Winslow Boy, Redbelt and Phil Spector.

“Call of the Void” Trailer And Release Date

Posted on April 1, 2025 by admin

Gravitas Ventures will release CALL OF THE VOID on digital platforms on April 15, 2025. The film premiered at the Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival.

CALL OF THE VOID is a folk horror tale featuring songs from the Appalachian folk songbook performed live by the cast. Horror fans will be treated to a thrill both new and unexpected while drawing from the works of cosmic horror author, H.P. Lovecraft.

The film stars Caitlin Carver (Chicago Fire, I Tonya, Netflix’s Dear White People), Mina Sundwall (Netflix’s Lost In Space, Jesus Revolution), Christian Antidormi (Starz’s Spartacus, Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer), and Ethan Herisse (Nickel Boys, When They See Us).

It was written and directed by James B. Cox (Hacked, Grey Matter, based on a short story by Stephen King).

Here’s the film’s synopsis:
After the tragic death of her brother, Moray retreats to a remote mountain cabin to try and escape her work, her family, and her old life. However, her quiet retreat is quickly diverted by a college band moving into the unit next door and a suspicious professor studying a local phenomenon involving a mysterious hum. She discovers that the Hum is a gateway to something otherworldly, unnameable, and once heard–there is no return. The Hum is a sonic experience that asks the question: How can you escape your own senses?

Watch the trailer below for “Call of the Void”:

SFFILM Announces the Lineup for the 68th San Francisco International Film Festival

Posted on March 29, 2025 by admin

L to R top row: Josh O’Connor, Lily LaTorre in REBUILDING. Nicole Beharie, André Holland in LOVE, BROOKLYN. Asia Kate Dillon, Ridley Asha Bateman in OUTERLANDS. L to R, bottom row: filmmaker Chris Columbus, and actor André Holland. Top row photos and A. Holland headshot courtesy of rights holders. C. Columbus photo courtesy of Netflix; photo by Giles Keyte.

Today, SFFILM announced the full lineup for the 68th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM Festival), the longest-running film festival in the Americas. Taking place April 17-27, the Festival returns to its full 11-day run bringing the best of this year’s global filmmaking to Bay Area audiences in theaters across San Francisco’s Marina and Presidio neighborhoods, the Mission, and in Berkeley. The festival lineup includes over 150 films from more than 50 countries including 11 World Premieres, 10 International Premieres, 10 North American Premieres, and six US Premieres. All feature films in competition, special events, and Marquee sections are California premieres. In addition to many filmmakers returning to the Festival, the program also includes 11 SFFILM Supported titles which are projects that received support from the organization’s youth education and artist development programs as grants, residencies, or funding, reflecting the year round mission of SFFILM.

“I am over the moon that we are back with 11 days of screenings, special Tributes, Awards, free talks, our annual Industry Days Conference, parties, city tours, and much more. It has been a delight to curate over 150 films for this year’s festival and we cannot wait to welcome local and international creatives to the city by the Bay,” said Jessie Fairbanks, SFFILM’s Director of Programming. “The program is packed with discovery titles, emerging storytellers, buzzy new films, A-list talent, and a special horror retrospective—that will be sure to delight audiences and filmmakers alike.”

The Festival opens with Max Walker-Silverman’s Rebuilding, a poignant exploration of communal love and resilience in the wake of devastating wildfires. This intimate, timely drama stars Josh O’Connor (Challengers, La Chimera, The Crown) as a man determined to restore his family’s ranch and rediscover his purpose. The Centerpiece presentation is Rachael Abigail Holder’s Love, Brooklyn, a layered romantic comedy exploring urban isolation and Black life in the modern age. Executive produced by Steven Soderbergh and starring André Holland, Nicole Beharie, and DeWanda Wise, the film generates plenty of sparks and humor. The Centerpiece film is presented alongside a Festival Tribute celebrating the career and craft of André Holland (Selma, Moonlight, Passing) who has been dazzling audiences on stage, television, and screen over the past two decades. Alongside the Centerpiece film, Holland offers a remarkable performance in Andre Gaines’s The Dutchman in the Marquee spotlight.
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Sundance Institute Announces Boulder, Colorado, as the New Home for the Sundance Film Festival Beginning in 2027

Posted on March 28, 2025 by admin

Sundance Institute’s Board of Trustees has announced that Boulder, Colorado, will become the Festival’s home beginning in 2027.

“This decision was informed by a detailed evaluation of the key components essential to creating our Festival. During the process, it became clear that Boulder is the ideal location in which to build our Festival’s future, marking a key strategic step in its natural evolution,” said Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute Board Chair. “We have a profound appreciation for the finalist cities and their communities — including Boulder, Colorado, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Salt Lake City, Utah — who presented overwhelmingly strong proposals and dedicated their time, passion, and commitment every step of the way. We have deep respect and gratitude to these communities for their hard work and partnership throughout the past year. Additionally, we sincerely value the steadfast support from our staff and board as we have ventured on this exploration together.”

The Sundance Film Festival is the largest artist program of the nonprofit Sundance Institute. Its Artist Programs cultivate a vibrant ecosystem, supporting artists and connecting their work with audiences. The Festival stands as the pre-eminent gathering of original storytellers and audiences seeking new voices, fresh perspectives, and a celebration of independent film and storytelling.

“The Sundance Film Festival is a catalyst for innovation, creative expression, and the discovery of groundbreaking independent films that inspire and shape the future of storytelling. This process provided the opportunity to imagine how we design the Festival while staying true to our programming and mission. We extend our appreciation to the staff, artists, partners, volunteers, and audiences who have and continue to support that mission,” said Amanda Kelso, Sundance Institute Acting CEO. “Boulder is an art town, tech town, mountain town, and college town. It is a place where the Festival can build and flourish. This is the beginning of a bold, new journey as we invite everyone to be part of our community and to be entertained and inspired. We can’t imagine a better fit than Boulder.”