Category Archives: Indie

The Job of Songs – Embrace the Power of Irish Music Documentary Sets Release

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Tourists flock to the west coast of Ireland to take in the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, but the real treasure lies in the soulful, acoustic sounds wafting out of pubs and living rooms of Doolin, County Clare. The denizens of this unspoiled coastal village of tight-knit neighbors and unlocked doors revel in the passion and history of their traditional folk songs, using music as a thread through generations to create community, connection, and joy.

THE JOB OF SONGS was made by a crew of three women, who are first time feature filmmakers: LILA SCHMITZ (director, producer, editor), ANIKA KAN GREVSTAD (director of photography, producer), and FENGYI XU (producer). The film was made with the support of acclaimed documentarians double Oscar-winning writer-producer-director Bill Guttentag and Emmy and Grammy Award winning documentarian Doug Pray. The film has screened at numerous prestigious International Film Festivals including DOC NYC, Galway Film Fleadh, Newport Beach Film Festival, Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival, Milwaukee Film Festival, and many others. It won Best International Documentary at the Galway Film Fleadh.

Gravitas Ventures will release the film on digital platforms on November 21, 2023. The film has a running time of 74 minutes and will not be rated by the MPAA.

See the official trailer below:

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“Look Track” Trailer Premiere, Sets Release Date

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On the verge of a breakdown, a highly anxious man, sets off on a multi-day hike through the New Zealand wilderness to clear his head, per the films logline released by Dark Sky Films.

Written and directed by Thomas Sainsbury, the psychological thriller has set its release on digital platforms and VOD on December 1st, 2023.

The film follows Ian, a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown, disappears from the world and takes a hike in the New Zealand wilderness. His efforts to avoid other hikers are futile and he is drawn into their worlds, but he can never shake the feeling that they are being stalked by someone, or something, sinister.

As Ian’s paranoia grows, the other hikers become wary of him. He’s cagey about his past, he never sleeps, and his anxiety leads him to make concerning claims. Far from society, Ian starts to question his own sanity before plunging into a bloody battle for survival.

The film stars Thomas Sainsbury, Hayden J. Weal, Tawanda Manyimo.

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Sundance Institute and The Walt Disney Studios Launch Fund to Support Underrepresented Directors

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Today, the nonprofit Sundance Institute and The Walt Disney Studios are proud to announce the establishment of the Project Advancement and Completion Fund, an initiative designed to provide grants to fiction directors from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. This fund aims to empower and uplift filmmakers from diverse backgrounds and genres, fostering a more inclusive cinema landscape.

The Project Advancement and Completion Fund will support nine directors currently engaged in fiction features through Sundance Institute’s esteemed artist programs. These talented filmmakers, hailing from a range of traditionally underrepresented communities, including women, AAPI, Black, Indigenous/Native, Latinx, LGBTQIA+, disability-identifying, and religiously marginalized individuals, will be granted the resources needed to bring their unique visions to life.

“After working with several Sundance filmmakers, we know how important it is for directors to develop their first independent feature films in order to take on larger projects at the studio level and we couldn’t be more excited to collaborate with Sundance Institute in an effort to help them do just that,” said Mahin Ibrahim, Director, Creative Talent Pathways, Representation & Inclusion Strategies. “At Disney, we believe in the power of diverse voices and storytelling, and this initiative reaffirms our commitment to empowering underrepresented talent in the industry.”
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“All of Us Strangers” Leads Gotham Awards Nominations

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By Armando

Searchlight Pictures

The 2023 Gotham Awards, marking the start of the awards season, have just announced their list of nominees.

The nominees were announced by Gotham Film & Media Institute executive director Jeffrey Sharp and deputy director Kia Brooks.

Writer-director Andrew Haigh’s critically acclaimed romantic drama “All of Us Strangers” from Searchlight led with four nominations at the Gotham Awards, including a nod for Best International Feature. The Gotham Awards are touted as the first major awards show of the season.

“We are proud to announce this year’s Gotham Award nominees and look forward to celebrating these amazing storytellers in a few weeks,” Sharp said during the broadcast. “The Gotham Awards in many ways reflects the industry and community we serve. Seen by this year’s nominees, storytelling knows no boundaries as our industry continues to find new audiences across the globe.”

Along with “All of Us Strangers,” films up for best international feature include the French courtroom drama thriller “Anatomy of a Fall,” the black comedy fantasy film “Poor Things,” the family drama “Tótem” and historical drama film “The Zone of Interest”.

Past winners of the big prize at Gothams included “Spotlight” (2015), “Moonlight” (2016) and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (2022). All such films eventually won the the Academy Awards’ Best Picture Film in their respective years.

The Gotham Awards will be held live Monday, Nov. 27, in New York City at 7 p.m.

Here is the full list:

Best Feature
Passages — dir. Ira Sachs
Past Lives — dir. Celine Song
Reality — dir. Tina Satter
Showing Up — dir. Kelly Reichardt
A Thousand and One — dir. A.V. Rockwell
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TAAF and Sundance Institute Announce Second Cohort of AAPI Artists for Fellowship and Collab Scholarship

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The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) and the Sundance Institute are proud to return for the second year of the “Sundance Institute | The Asian American Foundation Fellowship and Collab Scholarship” to provide AAPI artists working in film and television with professional development opportunities and community building with like-minded creatives and mentors. This program supports artists across the spectrum of their career from emerging artists to more established ones with the goal of meaningfully increasing AAPI representation in independent media.

TAAF’s support for the program is part of its ongoing commitment to narrative change, an initiative focused on portraying AAPIs authentically to build belonging in America. “In order to see genuine depictions of AAPIs that reflect the nuances of our experiences and our intersectionalities, the diversity of talent behind the camera is as integral as that of those on screen,” said Norman Chen, CEO of TAAF. “TAAF is grateful to our philanthropic partners The MacArthur Foundation and Panda Express, whose support ensures that AAPI artists have the resources and mentorship to bring their stories to life.”

The fellowship offers six AAPI artists per year a year-round learning experience to advance their professional development in the arts. Through the fellowship, each artist receives creative and tactical support along with a $20,000 unrestricted grant. Six emerging AAPI creatives receive Collab Scholarships, which include a self-paced course on Sundance Collab, bespoke feedback on their current project, and engagement opportunities with Sundance staff and the creative community. Artists can be working in film or television across fiction or nonfiction.

“We’re so excited to continue uplifting Asian American and Pacific Islander voices through this collaboration with TAAF,” said Hajnal Molnar-Szakacs, Director, Artist Accelerator at Sundance Institute. “Last year’s fellowship and Sundance Collab scholarship bolstered our support of fresh diverse AAPI voices, and we look forward to discovering where these opportunities will lead another group of talented storytellers from the community.”
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Seven Filmmakers Selected For The 2023 Film Independent Producing Lab

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Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards, announced today the producers selected for its annual Producing Lab, now in its twenty-third year. This intensive program is designed to help creative, independent producers develop their skills and further their careers by introducing Fellows to film professionals who can advise them on both the craft and business of independent producing. Each Producing Lab Fellow will be paired with an experienced Creative Advisor with whom they’ll work to develop their project over the course of the program.

This year’s lead creative advisor is Rebecca Green and guest speakers include Jason Michael Berman, Apoorva Charan, Marissa Frobes, Nate Kamiya, Kristen Konvitz, Stephen Lee, Alex Lo, Lauren Mann, Jack Pearkes, Shira Rockowitz, Anita Surendran, Sheila Hanahan Taylor, Jeanette Volturno, Lena Vurma and Maria Zuckerman.

“We’re delighted to shepherd this group of devoted creative producers through the Producing Lab and give them a dedicated space to further their projects and careers. We’re thrilled to have feature films both in development and post-production in the program this year and be able to support producers at various stages of the filmmaking process,” said Dea Vazquez, Associate Director of Fiction Programs.

Film Independent is awarding a total of $80,000 across two grants – the Sloan Producers Grant and Sloan Distribution Grant – to outstanding projects whose screenplays integrate science or technology themes and characters into dramatic stories. The Grants are part of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s nationwide film program to advance public understanding of science and technology.
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North American Premiere of “All The Fires” at NewFest, OUTshine, Morelia, and GLAFF

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Following its acclaimed world premiere in the Cineasti del Presente competition at the Locarno Film Festival last August, All the Fires (Todos los incendios) will have its North American premiere in the Narrative Section at the 35th edition of NewFest, New York’s LGBTQ+ Film Festival, taking place in person and online, October 12-24, 2023.

The Mexican coming of age drama will also screen at the 15th edition of OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival in Fort Lauderdale, running October 19-29; at the 2023 edition of the GuadaLAjara Film Festival (GLAFF), taking place November 1-3 in Los Angeles. All the Fires will have its Mexican premiere in the main competition at the 21st edition of the Morelia Film Festival, October 20-29.

The debut feature by writer-director Mauricio Calderón Rico is an intimate and poignant queer coming-of-age drama starring newcomer Sebástian Rojano as Bruno, a teenage pyromaniac who is grieving his father’s death. Bruno is conflicted by his mother’s new relationship and his best friend’s crush on him. He escapes the city to search for a girl he meets online who will push him onto a tumultuous journey of self-exploration and rebellion against internalized homophobia, leaving a trail of fires in his wake.

A youtuber who burns things with his best friend to share online, Bruno begins an online relationship with one of his followers Daniela, who lived in the northern city of Durango. When he discovers his mother has begun dating following his fathers death, he runs away from home. With nowhere to go he travels across the country to Daniela where his world is turned upside down when he is introduced to Daniela’s queer, punk rock, community. In his search for answers, he must confront his past, his sexuality, and his feelings for his best friend, Ian.

A production of Colectivo Colmena, Calderón Rico’s elegantly-directed coming of age drama is a slow-burning portrait of young adulthood, queer Identity, and lingering loss.

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Horror-Comedy “Courtney Gets Possessed” Sets Release

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Horror-comedy “Courtney Gets Possessed” sets release on digital and on demand on Friday, November 3, 2023.

“Courtney Gets Possessed” is written and directed by Jono Mitchell and Madison Hatfield. Produced by Hatfield and Jordan Blair Brown. Executive Produced by Stephen Beehler, Jegor Jersov, and Jono Mitchell. Cinematography by Brett A. Frager. Composed by Jordan Bennett. A Peach Jam Pictures production.

See the full trailer below.

Here’s the film’s synopsis:
It’s the ultimate showdown between love and the underworld when bride-to-be Courtney runs into a bit of an ex problem: her old flame is none other than the Devil himself, and she knows he’s close.

With her nuptials on the line and the Prince of Darkness lurking close by, Courtney does her best to protect her childhood home on the eve of the wedding. But when her ne’er-do-well sister accidentally invites Satan inside (known more casually as Dave), he possesses Courtney – throwing a demonic wrench into her happily-ever-after plans. Courtney’s ragtag team of reluctant heroes including her sister, perfectionist best friend, and skeptical future sister-in-law must find a way to exorcise Dave, reclaim Courtney’s soul, and get her down the aisle with as little bloodshed as possible.

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“Herd”: Trailer Debut And Release Date Of Action-Driven Horror Film

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Herd Action Horror FilmThe horror action film from Dark Sky Films is set to be in theaters and on digital and VOD October 13th, with special screening and panel at New York Comic Con October 12th.

“Herd” is directed by Steven Pierce and written by. James Allerdyce & Steven Pierce. The film stars Ellen Adair (The Sinner, Homeland), Mitzi Akaha (Modern Love Tokyo), Jeremy Holm (House of Cards, Mr. Robot), Amanda Fuller (Starry Eyes, Last Man Standing), Dana Snyder (Aqua Teen Hunger Force), Brandon James Ellis (Iron Fist), Jeremy Lawson (TV’s Walker, TV’s The Real O’Neals), Corbin Bernsen (L.A. Law, Major League, The Dentist) and Timothy V. Murphy (Sons of Anarchy, Criminal Minds)

Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

When Jamie Miller and her wife, Alex Kanai, try to save their failing marriage by going on a canoe trip in rural Missouri, they find themselves stranded after an accident. Alex breaks her leg during a canoe flip and they must slowly make their way to the nearest small town for help. Upon arriving they find it has been overrun by virus-infected “Heps” and extreme right wing local militias who are battling them.

The leader of one of the groups, “Big John Gruber”, shuttles them to safety at his bunker where they are welcomed by a seemingly friendly group of locals, but after witnessing personal and gruesome horrors, the women know they must escape.

Jamie and Alex now find themselves on the run, caught between the group that saved them, a competing militia, and the growing infected Hep threat.

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“The Man In The White Van” World Premiere At ’23 Newport Beach Film Festival

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By Armando

The Man In The White Van World Premiere At 23 Newport Beach Film FestivalDirected by Warren Skeels, “The Man In The White Van” stars Madison Wolfe, Brec Bassinger, Skai Jackson, Ali Larter, and Sean Astin. It is set to have its world premiere at ’23 Newport Beach Film Festival on Saturday, October 14.

Inspired by a true story, “The Man in the White Van” follows the harrowing experience of young Annie Williams, a spirited girl whose carefree life is turned upside down as she becomes stalked by an ominous man in a white van. It delves into the eerie underbelly of a seemingly idyllic 1974 Florida town.

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 as she gets abducted.

“The Man in the White Van” is the feature debut of award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker Warren Skeels. It is based on actual events of the serial killer Billy Mansfield Jr., and captures a bone-chilling story of a young girl’s unimaginable horrors, and every parent’s worst nightmare.

“The Man In The White Van” is from Garrison Film and Legion M production, and is written by Sharon Y. Cobb and Warren Skeels. Executive producers include Gary Kompothecras, Michael Nole, Paul Scanlan, Jeff Annison, David Baxter, Sean Astin, and Ali Larter. Terri Lubaroff and Anne Marie Gillen are listed as producers. Other credits include: edited by Billy Gaggins; cinematography by Gareth Paul Cox; composed by Scott Borland.

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