“The Art of Adventure” Doc on Robert Bateman to World Premiere at Vancouver International Film Festival

Posted on September 2, 2025 by admin

Alison Reid’s new documentary The Art of Adventure will make its world premiere at the 2025 Vancouver International Film Festival. The feature follows acclaimed Canadian wildlife painter Robert Bateman and biologist Bristol Foster, revisiting their 1957 global expedition and decades of work at the intersection of art and environmental activism.

Screenings are set for October 5 at the Vancouver Playhouse and October 7 at the Granville Island Stage, with Reid, Bateman, and Foster scheduled to attend.

The film traces Bateman and Foster’s early journey in their Land Rover, “The Grizzly Torque,” across Africa and Asia, weaving in Bristol’s original 16mm footage and Bateman’s paintings. It also explores their lasting impact as artists, naturalists, and advocates for conservation.

The Art of Adventure is directed and produced by Reid, whose credits include The Woman Who Loves Giraffes. The film also features appearances by Wade Davis, David Suzuki, Guujaaw, Briony Penn, and others.

Marion Cotillard Leads Hadžihalilović’s Surreal Drama The Ice Tower

Posted on August 30, 2025 by admin

Acclaimed French filmmaker Lucile Hadžihalilović (Innocence, Evolution, Earwig) returns with her fourth feature, The Ice Tower, which is set to open in theaters on October 3, 2025. The film stars Marion Cotillard, Clara Pacini, August Diehl, and Gaspar Noé.

Co-written with Geoff Cox, The Ice Tower premiered earlier this year at the Berlin Film Festival. The project reunites Hadžihalilović with Cotillard, who also starred in her 2004 debut feature Innocence. Known for her surreal and unsettling narratives, the director brings her distinctive style to another collaboration with long-time creative partner Noé, with whom she co-founded the production company Les Cinémas de la Zone in the early 1990s.

Hadžihalilović’s work has previously received recognition at international festivals including San Sebastián, Toronto, and Cannes. The Ice Tower continues her exploration of atmospheric, psychological storytelling, blending elements of fantasy and existential unease.

The film will be released in U.S. theaters on October 3.

Hawai’i Drama Chaperone Sets Theatrical Run and Digital Release Dates

Posted on August 29, 2025 by admin

Chaperone, the debut feature from writer-director Zoë Eisenberg, will screen in Hawai’i theaters from September 11–28, 2025, before arriving on digital and VOD platforms October 3.

Set in rural Hawai’i and featuring an entirely AANHPI cast, the drama centers on 29-year-old Misha Miyamoto, who lives alone in her grandmother’s house and resists pressures from family, work, and relationships to change her unambitious lifestyle. When Misha befriends Jake, an 18-year-old athlete who mistakes her for a high school student, their growing relationship draws her into increasingly reckless behavior.

The film, which explores themes of alienation, identity, and unconventional connection, stars a predominantly local cast and features original music by Taimane. It is produced by Alison Week and Devin Murphy, with executive producers Adam Wong, Lauran Bromley, Gill Holland, and Gerard Elmore.

Eisenberg, a Hawai’i-based filmmaker, has described Chaperone as a story about “finding dangerous comfort in places that reflect what we’re running from.”

Fantastic Fest to Host World Premiere of Brooke H. Cellars’ “The Cramps: A Period Piece”

Posted on August 16, 2025 by admin

Fantastic Fest 2025 will present the world premiere of The Cramps: A Period Piece, the debut feature from filmmaker Brooke H. Cellars. Produced under Warped Witch Cinema, the 89-minute film blends comedy, fantastical horror, and surrealist flourishes.

The story follows Agnes Applewhite (Lauren Kitchen), a young woman who takes a job as a shampoo girl at a bustling beauty salon against her family’s wishes. As she pursues independence and self-discovery, Agnes suffers from intense menstrual cramps that distort her perception of reality, creating a nightmarish collision of body and psyche for herself and those around her.

Described as a mix of John Waters’ irreverence, Mario Bava’s horror aesthetics, and the dreamlike style of Federico Fellini, the film stars Kitchen alongside Brooklyn Woods, Harlie Madison, Martini Bear, Wicken Taylor, and Michelle Malentina.

Cellars, who has directed eight short films since 2018, has built a reputation in the horror festival circuit. Her short The Chills won Best Screenplay at Houston Horror Fest in 2020, and her most recent work Violet Butterfield: Makeup Artist for the Dead screened at over 30 festivals worldwide, earning multiple jury and audience awards.

Documentary Highlights Wildlife and Water Challenges in the American Southwest

Posted on August 7, 2025 by admin

The official trailer has been released for The American Southwest, a visually rich documentary from Fin and Fur Films and NativesOutdoors, narrated by climate advocate and model Quannah ChasingHorse. The film takes audiences on a journey along the Colorado River, capturing the landscapes, wildlife, and human connections that define the region, while addressing urgent challenges like water scarcity, habitat loss, and climate change.

Directed by Ben Masters (The River and the Wall, Deep in the Heart), the documentary follows the river from its headwaters to its delta, featuring species such as beavers, elk, and jaguars alongside the stories of those who have lived with and stewarded the river for generations. The project was developed in collaboration with NativesOutdoors and producer Len Necefer, Ph.D., ensuring cultural and ecological perspectives are central to the narrative.

The film opens September 5, 2025, in both commercial and independent theaters across Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, California, Texas, and Colorado. Select screenings will include community events, educational programs, and Q&As with conservationists and Indigenous leaders. A digital release will follow later in the fall.

Psychological Horror “Lilly Lives Alone” to Hit Theaters and VOD

Posted on August 5, 2025 by admin

Dark Sky Films has set an August 22 release date for Lilly Lives Alone, a psychological horror feature from first-time director Martin Melnick. The film will be available both in theaters and via digital platforms, in collaboration with indie distributor Yellow Veil Pictures.

The story follows Lilly (Shannon Beeby), a woman grappling with the trauma of losing her daughter a decade earlier. As the anniversary of her child’s death approaches, Lilly begins to experience hallucinations that blur the line between psychological distress and possible supernatural events. The arrival of a new acquaintance, Jed (Ryan Jonze), coincides with a period of increased instability, forcing her to confront unresolved grief and buried memories.

The film also features Jeffrey Combs, known for his work in genre classics like Re-Animator, and Erin Way (The Handmaid’s Tale). Melnick also co-produced the film alongside Sarah Johnston.

Lilly Lives Alone will be available on major digital rental and purchase platforms starting August 22.

“Preparation for the Next Life” Explores Love, Survival, and Displacement in a Divided City

Posted on August 4, 2025 by admin

By Armando

Director Bing Liu’s narrative debut Preparation for the Next Life will open in select U.S. theaters on September 5, 2025, with a newly released trailer offering a first look at the drama’s intimate focus on immigration, trauma, and connection.

Based on the acclaimed novel by Atticus Lish and adapted by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Martyna Majok, the film follows Aishe (Sebiye Behtiyar), a Uyghur woman working in the margins of New York City’s Chinatown. There, she meets Skinner (Fred Hechinger), a recently discharged U.S. soldier struggling to re-adjust after three tours in the Middle East.

The film centers on their evolving relationship, two people shaped by violence, displacement, and invisibility, who begin to imagine the possibility of a life different from the one they expected. Rather than offering a traditional romance, Preparation for the Next Life studies how love can exist amid precarity, revealing the quiet resilience of people surviving in the cracks of a divided city.

Liu, best known for his Oscar-nominated documentary Minding the Gap, brings a vérité sensibility to the story, blending documentary texture with deeply cinematic storytelling. His approach captures New York with an almost tactile realism, where each street corner feels lived-in and every moment carries emotional weight.

Produced by Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, and Barry Jenkins, the film reflects Liu’s signature blend of empathy and social observation, balancing raw intimacy with political awareness.

Watch the trailer for Preparation for the Next Life below.

Dylan O’Brien and James Sweeney Star in Offbeat Grief Comedy Twinless, In Theaters This Fall

Posted on August 2, 2025 by admin

The official trailer has dropped for Twinless, an offbeat dark comedy centered on twin loss and the strange connections that form in its wake. Written and directed by James Sweeney (Straight Up), the film arrives in theaters on September 5, 2025, distributed by Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate.

Dylan O’Brien stars as Roman, a reserved man grappling with the death of his identical twin, Rocky. When he joins a support group for twin bereavement, he meets Dennis (played by Sweeney), another recent twin loss survivor. As the two grow closer, their bond blurs the lines between friendship, identity, and unresolved grief.

Though the film leans into humor, the trailer hints at more unsettling undercurrents, with both men harboring secrets that could threaten the fragile connection they’ve formed. The cast includes Lauren Graham, Aisling Franciosi, Chris Perfetti, Tasha Smith, and Wrenn Schmidt.

After earning the Audience Award at Sundance 2025, Twinless garnered attention for both its performances and its willingness to explore complicated emotional territory with sharp, often uncomfortable wit.

Watch the official trailer for Twinless below.

Jungle Horror “River of Blood” Sets Release

Posted on July 19, 2025 by admin

River of Blood, a survival horror film set in the depths of a remote jungle, is set for release on August 1, 2025.

Directed by Howard J Ford and written by Tom Boyle, the film stars Louis James, Sarah Alexandra Marks, and Joseph Millson.

The story follows two couples on a luxury holiday who hire a local guide for a kayaking trip. When one of them goes missing, the group ventures deeper into the jungle, only to find themselves on the territory of a cannibalistic tribe with a history of violent rituals. What begins as a getaway quickly turns into a struggle to stay alive.

Filmed in a lush, isolated setting, River of Blood blends traditional horror elements with survival thriller tropes, emphasizing atmosphere, physical tension, and isolation.

Production Underway on 1980s Crime Thriller “Mercy Mercy Me” from Wes Miller

Posted on July 16, 2025 by admin

Filmmaker Wes Miller (A Day to Die, Black Heat) has begun production of, Mercy Mercy Me, a crime action thriller set in 1985. The film is written and directed by Miller and features a lead cast including Lil Mama, Jason Mitchell (Mudbound, Straight Outta Compton), and Carlos Ponce (Couples Retreat, Ice Age: Collision Course).

Produced by BLacklight, the film follows two former outlaws, Mercy (Lil Mama) and Khaos (Mitchell), who are drawn back into criminal life for one final job. Their mission puts them in conflict with organized crime, a corrupt detective (Ponce), and unresolved personal histories. Miller describes the story as a reflection on “grief, guilt, and the struggle to find forgiveness,” influenced by themes of generational pain and redemption.

Mercy Mercy Me is financed by Blacklight, with Andrew van den Houten and Miller producing, Joseph O’Connor and Lloyd Watts co-producing, and Jessie Jalee and Chad Ghiron serving as executive producers. Sales for both domestic and international markets are being handled by 79th & Broadway Entertainment.

Known for blending socially conscious narratives with genre storytelling, Miller continues his focus on character-driven plots set against stylized backdrops. His past work includes River Runs Red, Call Her King, and Black Heat.