AFI Announces 2025 Honorees Across Film and Television

Posted on December 5, 2025 by admin

The American Film Institute has unveiled its selections for the 2025 AFI Awards, recognizing ten films and ten television programs that the organization deems the year’s most significant artistic achievements. One additional project, It Was Just an Accident, received the annual Special Award, given to works outside AFI’s standard eligibility.

This year’s film lineup spans major studio releases, acclaimed auteurs, and international literary adaptations, with titles including Avatar: Fire and Ash, Bugonia, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Jay Kelly, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sinners, Train Dreams, and Wicked: For Good.

On the television side, the honorees reflect a broad mix of prestige drama, genre storytelling, and serialized world-building. The 2025 selections include Adolescence, Andor, Death by Lightning, The Diplomat, The Lowdown, The Pitt, Pluribus, Severance, The Studio, and Task.

AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale emphasized the awards’ long-standing focus on celebrating collective achievement rather than competition. Honorees will be recognized at AFI’s annual luncheon on January 9, 2026, a gathering known for bringing filmmakers and television creators together in an informal, industry-wide celebration of the year’s work.

The AFI Awards have become a consistent bellwether for awards-season momentum, often overlapping significantly with later Oscar and Emmy nominations.

New Distributor EKKL Entertainment Launches With “She Dances,” Hitting Theaters in March 2026

Posted on December 3, 2025 by admin

EKKL Entertainment, a newly formed distribution banner focused on values-driven, audience-friendly filmmaking, has officially launched with its first acquisition: She Dances, the feature debut of writer-director Rick Gomez. The film, co-written with Steve Zahn, will receive a North American theatrical release in March 2026.

The family drama stars Steve Zahn, Audrey Zahn, Mackenzie Ziegler, Rosemarie DeWitt, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Ethan Hawke. After premiering at Tribeca earlier this year, the film drew strong audience reaction and was recently added to the 2026 Palm Springs International Film Festival lineup.

EKKL is led by producer Michael Scott, known for helping establish the modern faith-based boxoffice landscape. The company plans to release roughly eight theatrical titles annually, aiming to serve audiences looking for uplifting, character-driven storytelling.

In a joint statement, Gomez and Zahn said they were “thrilled” the film would play in theaters, noting that its emotional impact is strongest when shared communally.

She Dances centers on a strained father-daughter relationship navigating loss and reconciliation during a regional youth dance competition, an intimate portrait of grief, resilience, and rediscovery.

Glen Powell Leads Dark Inheritance Thriller ‘How to Make a Killing,’ Arriving February 2026

Posted on November 30, 2025 by admin

A24 has unveiled the first trailer for How to Make a Killing, a darkly comic thriller led by Glen Powell and set to hit theaters on February 20, 2026.

Powell stars as Becket Redfellow, a working-class outsider who was cut off from his wealthy family long before he had the chance to inherit anything. After the death of his mother, he decides to claim the fortune he believes should have been his and devises a lethal plan to eliminate the relatives who stand between him and the estate. The film follows Becket’s increasingly brazen efforts to move up the family line, while navigating complicated relationships with a devoted girlfriend and a flirtatious figure from his past.

The cast also includes Margaret Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Bill Camp, Zach Woods, Topher Grace, and Ed Harris.

John Patton Ford, who earned acclaim for Emily the Criminal, writes and directs the feature. The story draws loose inspiration from the classic 1949 film Kind Hearts and Coronets.

How to Make a Killing opens in theaters nationwide on February 20, 2026.

Diane Kruger Leads Psychological Thriller Visions, Opening December 12

Posted on November 28, 2025 by admin

Dark 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.

‘Tron: Ares’ Sets Digital Release for December 2, Physical Release in January

Posted on November 25, 2025 by admin

Disney’s Tron: Ares, the latest installment in the long-running sci-fi franchise, will arrive on digital platforms December 2, with a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and DVD release set for January 6, 2026.

Directed by Joachim Rønning, the film continues the world introduced in Tron (1982) and Tron: Legacy (2010), shifting the saga into a new conflict between AI programs and humanity. Jared Leto stars as Ares, a program sent into the real world on a high-stakes mission. The film features cinematography by Jeff Cronenweth and a score by Nine Inch Nails.

A limited-edition SteelBook and a three-film Tron collection, including Tron, Tron: Legacy, and Tron: Ares, will also be available for collectors.

Tron: Ares will be available digitally through Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.

Uruguay Selects Don’t You Let Me Go as Its Oscar Submission

Posted on November 22, 2025 by admin

Uruguay has chosen Don’t You Let Me Go (Agarrame fuerte), the latest feature from filmmakers Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge, as its official entry for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards. The film previously premiered at the Tribeca Festival, where it won the Nora Ephron Award, and later earned a nomination for Best Ibero-American Film at Spain’s Goya Awards.

Produced by Agustina Chiarino’s Bocacha Films, the 74-minute drama centers on Adela, a woman grieving the sudden death of her closest friend. During the funeral, she slips into an otherworldly journey that takes her back a decade, where she reunites with her younger friend group for one final weekend together. Through its mix of intimate realism and gentle fantasy, the film explores memory, loss, and the enduring bonds that shape women’s lives.

Featuring performances by Chiara Hourcade, Victoria Jorge, and Eva Dans, the film continues the longtime collaboration between Guevara, Jorge, and Chiarino, and underscores their focus on female-driven stories both in front of and behind the camera.

International sales are handled by Alpha Violet.

Bruce Campbell Joins New Animated Holiday Film A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas

Posted on November 20, 2025 by admin

A new animated holiday adventure set in the Hundred Acre Wood is arriving this season, with A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas set to debut on streaming and on-demand platforms November 21. The film features Bruce Campbell in a key voice role, bringing a new interpretation to the classic world inspired by A.A. Milne’s characters.

In the story, Pooh and his friends wake up to find their Christmas presents missing, prompting a winter quest filled with Heffalumps, Woozles, and snowy detours as the group tries to restore the holiday spirit. The film aims to introduce a fresh, contemporary take on the beloved characters while keeping the focus on community, friendship, and seasonal warmth.

The project also marks the start of a planned series of family-oriented seasonal titles from The Asylum, which is developing additional holiday-themed adventures featuring Pooh and his friends.

Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas will be available to stream and rent starting November 21.

SFFILM Names 2025 Awards Night Honorees

Posted on November 20, 2025 by admin

L to R: Scott Cooper, 20th Century Studios. Benicio Del Toro, Warner Bros. Discovery, Wunmi Mosaku, Warner Bros. Discovery, Kristen Stewart, Emily Soto.

SFFILM has announced the recipients of its 2025 Awards Night honors, recognizing four artists whose work has had a major impact on contemporary cinema. This year’s event will celebrate filmmaker Scott Cooper, actors Benicio Del Toro and Wunmi Mosaku, and actor-filmmaker Kristen Stewart. The ceremony will take place December 8 at San Francisco’s Gateway Pavilion.

Cooper will receive the Irving M. Levin Award for Film Direction, joining past honorees including Denis Villeneuve, Greta Gerwig, and Ryan Coogler. Del Toro will receive the Maria Manetti Shrem Award for Acting, presented by Regina Hall, acknowledging a career that includes an Academy Award, a Cannes Best Actor win, and collaborations with many major directors.

The George Gund III Award for Virtuosity will be presented to Mosaku, whose recent work includes Sinners, Lovecraft Country, and the MCU. Actor Delroy Lindo will present the honor. Stewart will receive the Nion McEvoy & Leslie Berriman Award for Storytelling, recognizing her evolving work as both performer and filmmaker, including her feature directorial debut The Chronology of Water.

Proceeds from Awards Night support SFFILM’s year-round programming and artist development initiatives.

Time-Loop Horror Manor of Darkness Sets December Digital Release

Posted on November 19, 2025 by admin

The indie horror film Manor of Darkness will arrive on U.S. digital platforms on December 9. Directed by Blake Ridder and produced by Ridder Films in association with Lucas A. Ferrara, the feature blends supernatural mystery with a repeating-day structure.

The film follows Laura, who reconnects with her estranged brother for a last-ditch plan to steal a rumored artifact from a secluded English manor. Posing as a documentary crew, the group gains access to the estate and meets the reclusive owner, whose stories hint at a troubled past. After breaking open a sealed chest in the basement, the crew becomes trapped in a time loop as an unseen force begins to tighten its grip.

Only Laura remembers each reset, pushing her toward the truth behind the manor’s curse as the group relives escalating variations of the same day.

Ridder, who also appears in the film, describes the project as an exploration of psychological repetition and dread rather than straightforward scares. Producer Lucas A. Ferrara calls the film a tension-driven “meta-horror” that plays with the anxieties inherent in filmmaking and ambition.

Manor of Darkness stars Sarah Alexandra Marks, Kim Lysette Spearman, Louis James, Blake Ridder, and Stuart Wolfe Murray. The film will be available through Amazon, Google Play, and YouTube Movies.

Short Documentary The Hemingway Offers an Unfiltered Look at Life With ALS

Posted on November 19, 2025 by admin

A new short documentary titled The Hemingway is drawing attention on the festival circuit for its candid, darkly humorous portrayal of life with ALS. The nine-minute film centers on Patrick Sean O’Brien, who lives with near-total paralysis but maintains an active, sharply observant internal monologue.

The film uses Patrick’s private thoughts as a narrative device, contrasting the difficult physical realities of ALS with his blunt, often funny inner commentary on daily routines, relationships, and moments of vulnerability. The result is a portrait that blends honesty and irreverence, avoiding sentimentality while highlighting the emotional complexities of the disease.

The Hemingway features O’Brien alongside J.R. Reed, Scott Murphy, Rose Julien, and Paula Mackael. It was written by O’Brien, directed by O’Brien and Evan Mathis, and edited by Doug Pray.

O’Brien, known for the autobiographical documentary TransFatty Lives, continues to create work despite living with advanced ALS, while Mathis brings a background in Emmy-winning creative direction.

The Hemingway is currently screening at festivals worldwide.