Category Archives: International

Shame and Money Wins World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance

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shame-and-moneyVisar Morina’s Shame and Money was awarded the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, marking a major moment for the filmmaker following his earlier Sundance entry Exile.

Set between rural Kosovo and the capital, the film follows a family forced to rebuild their lives after losing their livelihood, tracing how pride, financial pressure, and quiet desperation shape everyday choices. Morina approaches the story with restraint, letting tension build through small moments rather than spectacle.

The film stars Astrit Kabashi and Flonja Kodheli, whose performances anchor the story with emotional clarity and lived-in realism. Shame and Money represents Germany and Kosovo and continues its festival run following its Sundance win.

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Blades of the Guardians Heads to North American Theaters in February

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blades-of-the-guardiansWell Go USA Entertainment has acquired North American distribution rights to Blades of the Guardians, the large-scale historical action film directed by legendary martial arts filmmaker Yuen Woo-ping. The film is set for a theatrical release on February 17, 2026, timed to the Chinese New Year.

Based on the popular comic by Xianzhe Xu, Blades of the Guardians stars Wu Jing, who also serves as producer, alongside Jet Li, Nicholas Tse, Yosh Yu, and K-pop idols JUN (Seventeen) and Winwin (NCT).

Set during China’s Sui Dynasty, the film follows a mercenary tasked with escorting a mysterious mission across the Western Regions, only to find himself pulled into a dangerous political scheme.

With Yuen Woo-ping at the helm, the film leans heavily into classical martial arts spectacle, blending large-scale action choreography with historical intrigue. The release continues Well Go USA’s long-standing focus on bringing international action cinema to North American audiences.

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One Battle After Another Leads Online Film Critics Society Awards

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onebattle-after-anotherPaul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another emerged as a major winner at the 2025 Online Film Critics Society Awards, taking Best Picture and Best Director among five total wins. The film’s strong showing places it firmly among the most critically embraced releases of the year.

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners ultimately led the awards overall, collecting 10 wins across major categories including acting, writing, cinematography, score, and multiple technical honors. With more than 38 films recognized across 22 categories, this year’s OFCS awards reflected an unusually broad spread of genres, from studio releases to international and independent titles.

One notable takeaway from this year’s results is how concentrated the wins were at the top: just two films accounted for nearly half of all awards handed out, underscoring a rare level of consensus among the Society’s nearly 300 voting critics worldwide.

The organization also presented Lifetime Achievement Awards to Colleen Atwood, Jack Nicholson, Steven Spielberg, Vittorio Storaro, and Walter Murch, alongside Special Achievement Awards recognizing sustainability efforts in filmmaking and advocacy within the industry.

Here’s the complete list of Online Film Critics Society Award winners and nominations for 2025.

Continue reading →

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Levitating (Para Perasuk) Makes Its Sundance Debut at World Cinema Dramatic Competition Red Carpet

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Levitating (Para Perasuk) premiered today at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival as part of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, with a press line and red carpet held at The Yarrow Theatre in Park City ahead of its first public screening.

Director Wregas Bhanuteja appeared alongside cast members Angga Yunanda, Maudy Ayunda, Anggun, Bryan Domani, and Chicco Kurniawan, joined by producers and executive producers representing the film’s international production team. The group paused for photographs and brief press moments before heading inside for the morning screening.

Set in a town where trance possession is both ritual and livelihood, Levitating follows Bayu, a gifted spirit channeler whose flute music guides dancers into altered states as he struggles to protect his community and his home amid growing outside pressures. The film blends music, movement, and spirituality into a coming-of-age story rooted in tradition and collective survival.

The premiere marks Indonesia’s presence in this year’s competition lineup, with additional in-person and online screenings scheduled later in the festival’s run.

Photos from the red carpet capture the filmmakers and cast moments before the film’s Sundance journey officially began.

Photos: AIPImaging.com

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Big Girls Don’t Cry Premieres at Sundance World Cinema Dramatic Competition

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Big Girls Don’t Cry premiered Saturday, January 24, at the Sundance Film Festival, screening at The Ray Theatre in Park City as part of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. The afternoon screening was preceded by a red carpet press line, where the film’s creative team gathered for photos and interviews ahead of the first public showing.

In attendance were writer-director Paloma Schneideman, lead cast members Ani Palmer, Rain Spencer, and Noah Taylor, along with producers and executive producers connected to the project. The atmosphere reflected the film’s debut status, with the team marking its introduction to festival audiences following its New Zealand production.

Set in rural New Zealand in 2006, Big Girls Don’t Cry follows 14-year-old Sid Bookman over the course of a formative summer as she navigates early desire, shifting friendships, and the influence of the early internet. The film centers on observation rather than spectacle, placing its young protagonist in everyday situations that quietly shape her sense of identity and belonging.

The premiere screening in Park City was the film’s first stop at the festival, with additional in-person and online screenings scheduled as Sundance continues through the end of January.

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Filipiñana Debuts at Sundance with Red Carpet Screening in Park City

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Writer director Rafael Manuel

Rafael Manuel’s feature debut Filipiñana premiered at the Sundance Film Festival as part of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, screening at The Ray Theatre in Park City, Utah.

The screening was preceded by a red carpet event, where the filmmakers paused for photos and interviews ahead of the film’s first public showing.

The film stars Isabel Sicat and centers on a teenage girl working at an elite country club who becomes drawn to its powerful president, only to uncover a darker history beneath the institution’s polished surface. Set across multiple languages including Filipino, English, and Ilokano, Filipiñana explores class tension, identity, and inherited power through a stylized and unsettling lens.

In attendance at the premiere were writer-director Rafael Manuel, supporting cast member Isabel Sicat, producers Jeremy Chua and Alex Polunin, and executive producer Farhana Bhula. Filipiñana continues its Sundance run in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, with in-person and online screenings scheduled through the festival.

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Wregas Bhanuteja’s Levitating Set for World Premiere in Sundance World Cinema Competition

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levitatingLevitating (Para Perasuk), the latest film from award-winning Indonesian filmmaker Wregas Bhanuteja (Photocopier, Andragogy), will world premiere in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. A teaser trailer and poster for the film have been released ahead of the festival.

The film stars Angga Yunanda as Bayu, a young man living in Latas Village, a suburban community known for its traditional trance rituals passed down through generations. When the village’s sacred spring central to its spiritual practices, faces eviction, Bayu sets out to become a lead spirit channeler in hopes of raising funds to save it. His journey forces him to confront the limits of ambition and the deeper meaning of spiritual responsibility.

Levitating features a prominent Indonesian cast including international music icon Anggun in her acting debut, Maudy Ayunda in her first film role since Losmen Bu Broto, as well as Bryan Domani, Chicco Kurniawan, and veteran actor Indra Birowo.

Blending cultural ritual with coming-of-age drama, Levitating continues Bhanuteja’s exploration of identity, belief, and social pressure within contemporary Indonesian life.

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“We Shall Not Be Moved” Recognized as One of the Year’s Top International Films

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we-shall-not-be-movedWe Shall Not Be Moved (No nos moverán), Mexico’s official submission for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards®, has been named one of the year’s Best International Films by New York Film Critics Online. The recognition comes as the acclaimed debut feature from Mexican filmmaker Pierre Saint Martin continues its U.S. theatrical rollout.

Following a strong run in New York through Cinema Tropical, the dark dramedy will screen for one week at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco beginning December 18, before heading to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in January. A U.S. streaming release is expected to be announced soon.

Shot in black and white, the film follows Socorro, a 67-year-old retired lawyer played by Luisa Huertas, whose decades-long pursuit of the soldier responsible for her brother’s death during Mexico’s 1968 Tlatelolco massacre has consumed her life and fractured her family. When a new lead emerges, she risks everything to confront the past.

The film premiered at the Guadalajara International Film Festival, winning Best Mexican Film and the Audience Award, and went on to receive four Ariel Awards, including Best First Feature and Best Actress. It has screened at more than 40 international festivals and will also represent Mexico at Spain’s Goya Awards.

Saint Martin’s debut blends dark humor with an intimate exploration of memory, trauma, and political reckoning, offering a personal lens on one of Mexico’s most painful historical chapters.

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Colman, Lithgow, and Breakout Aud Mason-Hyde Anchor Tender Family Drama Jimpa

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JimpaOlivia Colman and John Lithgow lead Jimpa, a new queer family drama from filmmaker Sophie Hyde. The film follows Hannah, played by Colman, as she travels with her trans nonbinary teenager Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde) to Amsterdam to visit Frances’ gay grandfather, affectionately known as Jimpa, portrayed by Lithgow. What begins as a simple family trip turns into a deeper emotional journey when Frances expresses a desire to stay abroad for a year.

The film explores the shifting dynamics across three generations as Hannah confronts the stories she has long held about her family, Frances wrestles with the disappointment of discovering their heroes aren’t perfect, and Jimpa faces the realities of aging in a community that once never imagined growing old.

Inspired by Hyde’s own experiences in a queer family, Jimpa blends humor, tenderness, and lived authenticity. Hyde directs from a script co-written with Matthew Cormack, continuing her track record of intimate character-driven storytelling seen in works like Good Luck to You, Leo Grande and 52 Tuesdays.

The cast also includes Daniel Henshall, Kate Box, Eamon Farren, and Cody Fern. The film features cinematography by Matthew Chuang, editing by Bryan Mason, and music composed by Nick Ward.

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Diane Kruger Leads Psychological Thriller Visions, Opening December 12

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visionsDark Sky Films will release the French psychological thriller Visions on December 12, featuring Diane Kruger in the lead role. The film is directed by Yann Gozlan, known for Black Box and Burn Out.

Kruger stars as Estelle, an accomplished airline pilot whose stable life with her husband (Mathieu Kassovitz) begins to fracture when she enters a sudden, consuming affair with a woman from her past, played by Marta Nieto. The relationship sets off a chain of increasingly disorienting events, pushing Estelle to question what is real as her personal and professional worlds begin to unravel.

The film explores themes of desire, memory, and psychological instability, continuing Gozlan’s interest in high-tension, character-driven thrillers. Visions arrives with strong European pedigree, produced by SND, Eagle Team Entertainment, and 24 25 Films.

Visions will open in select theaters and debut on digital VOD on December 12.

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