Category Archives: Movies

‘Bouchra’ Directors Orian Barki & Meriem Bennani Spotlighted at NYFF and on New York Magazine Cover

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By Armando

bouchraFilmmakers Orian Barki and Meriem Bennani are having a standout festival moment with their feature Bouchra, which continues to draw acclaim at the New York Film Festival (NYFF) following its U.S. premiere in the Currents section.

The film’s warm reception comes alongside the duo’s appearance on the print cover of New York Magazine’s Look Book, released October 1. The feature highlights their creative partnership behind Bouchra, an 85-minute narrative exploring memory, artistic paralysis, and identity through the story of a Moroccan filmmaker in New York.

Produced by 2 Lizards, the film was financed by Fondazione Prada and executive produced by Hi Production. It marks a new chapter for Barki and Bennani, whose acclaimed animated series 2 Lizards premiered on Instagram in 2020 and was later added to the MoMA and Whitney Museum collections.

Bouchra follows its titular character as a phone call with her mother in Casablanca stirs buried memories and creative renewal. Told across Moroccan Arabic, French, and English, the film examines the intersections of family, migration, and the creative process.

The production team includes Cécile Winckler, Octavia Peissel, Ella Bishop, Pau Suris, with John Michael Boling and Jason Coombs serving as creative producers.

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James Badge Dale, Ben Foster, and Melissa Leo Star in John Swab’s Crime Epic “King Ivory”

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King-IvoryThe official trailer and poster have debuted for King Ivory, the latest feature from filmmaker John Swab (Candy Land, Body Brokers), which opens in theaters nationwide on November 14.

The crime thriller, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival and later screened as a Centerpiece selection at the 2025 Newport Beach Film Festival, stars James Badge Dale, Ben Foster, Michael Mando, Rory Cochrane, Ritchie Coster, George Carroll, Graham Greene, Melissa Leo, and Sam Quartin.

Set amid the fentanyl epidemic, King Ivory follows Tulsa drug cop Layne West (Dale), whose personal and professional worlds collide after his son becomes addicted to the deadly opioid. Determined to dismantle the local network responsible, West targets a chain of criminals that includes a cartel enforcer (Mando), a prison-based Native gang leader (Greene), and an Irish Mob family led by Foster and Leo.

Written and directed by Swab and produced by Jeremy M. Rosen, the film explores the human cost and complexity of America’s opioid crisis through intersecting lives across law enforcement, organized crime, and addiction.

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Allen Danziger Returns to Horror in Satirical Slasher “The Weedhacker Massacre”

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The-Weedhacker-MassacreBuffalo 8 will release The Weedhacker Massacre on digital platforms October 17. The meta-horror comedy, directed by Jody Stelzig, follows a film crew shooting a remake of a notorious slasher movie at the site of the original murders, only to find the masked killer has returned.

The film stars David Treviño (Rent Free), Molly Sakonchick (Storage Locker), Bobbie Grace (Fear the Walking Dead), Sean Reyna, Parrish Randall (Circus of the Dead), and Allen Danziger of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre fame, who also co-created and executive produced the project. The script was written and produced by Ray Spivey.

Following its world premiere at the Golden State Film Festival, The Weedhacker Massacre earned multiple awards at international festivals, including Best Comedy at the New York International Film Awards. The 95-minute feature is unrated.

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Albert Birney’s Retro Sci-Fi Thriller Obex Set for Theatrical Release in January

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ObexFilmmaker Albert Birney’s new feature Obex will open in theaters on January 9, 2026, following its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

Written by Birney and Pete Ohs (Erupcja), the black-and-white fantasy is set in 1987, where a reclusive man and his dog become ensnared in a mysterious computer game that turns their analog world into a surreal digital nightmare. The film stars Birney alongside Callie Hernandez, Paisley Isaacs, Frank Mosley, and Tyler Davis, with music by Josh Dibb (Deakin of Animal Collective).

Described as a lo-fi vision of early computing and isolation, Obex blends nostalgic visuals with psychological tension to explore the blurring line between technology and reality. The film is produced by Emma Hannaway, Birney, James Belfer, and Ohs, with cinematography by Ohs.

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Sally Kirkland Stars in Hollywood Satire Sallywood

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sallywoodBuffalo 8 will release Sallywood on digital platforms November 14. The comedy-drama, written and directed by Xaque Gruber, stars Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Sally Kirkland in a role inspired by her own career.

Based on a true story, the film follows Zack, a young writer from rural Maine who drives to Los Angeles to pursue his Hollywood ambitions. By chance, he meets Kirkland, who hires him as her assistant. As Zack becomes immersed in her chaotic world, he works to revive her fading career.

The ensemble includes Tyler Steelman, Tom Connolly, Eric Roberts, Michael Lerner, Keith Carradine, Jennifer Tilly, Maria Conchita Alonso, Kay Lenz, and the late Lenny Von Dohlen. The film features songs by Rufus Wainwright, Toni Basil, and Smokey Miles.

Sallywood premiered on the festival circuit, where it won more than 50 awards. The 90-minute feature will be released unrated by the MPAA.

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Bushwick Film Festival Returns Oct. 1 to 5 With Nearly 100 Films, Including 10 World Premieres

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Bushwick-Film-FestivalThe 18th Annual Bushwick Film Festival will take place October 1 to 5 across Brooklyn, showcasing nearly 100 films from emerging indie voices in New York and around the world.

This year’s lineup features 10 world premieres, 11 East Coast premieres, and 24 New York premieres. Highlights include Chilean thriller Todos Somos Justos, among other international and local selections.

Founded in 2007, the festival has become a platform for independent cinema with a focus on underrepresented voices. The 2025 edition carries the theme “Meet Us at the Movies,” encouraging audiences to gather in person to experience films together.

Program details and ticket information are available at bushwickfilmfestival.com

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Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller, Kadir Nelson Join Jessica Alba for Lucas Museum Panel at L.A. Comic Con

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Rendering of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art offered fans an early look at its 2026 opening during a panel at Los Angeles Comic Con, where filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, comic creator Frank Miller, and painter-illustrator Kadir Nelson joined moderator Jessica Alba for a discussion on the power of visual storytelling.

The conversation explored the impact of comics, cinema, and illustration as forms of “narrative art,” a term the museum’s founders George Lucas and Mellody Hobson use to describe popular visual storytelling across cultures and eras. A preview video showcased renderings of the museum, selections from its collection, and a recorded message from the founders.

Set to open in Los Angeles in 2026, the Lucas Museum will be the first institution dedicated to narrative art, presenting works ranging from ancient cave drawings to comic books, magazine illustrations, and digital media.

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‘Akashi’ and ‘The Art of Adventure’ to World Premiere at Vancouver International Film Festival

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viff-org-2025

Pender PR has announced its fall festival roster, led by two world premieres at the Vancouver International Film Festival on October 5: Akashi, directed by Mayumi Yoshida, and Alison Reid’s documentary The Art of Adventure.

Akashi stars Yoshida alongside Bun Kimura (Rental Family), Hana Kino (Faceless), Chieko Matsubara (Tokyo Drifter), Kunio Murai (Godzilla vs. Gigan), Hiro Kanagawa (Shōgun), and Ryo Tajima (Avalanche). Reid’s sophomore feature centers Canadian wildlife artist Robert Bateman and environmentalist Bristol Foster.

Other Canadian titles in the slate include Ava Maria Safai’s horror Foreigner, Omorose Osagie’s Lost Wax, Jon Chiang’s Spring After Spring, and Luke Gleeson’s documentary Wədzįh Nəne’ | Caribou Country, among others set to premiere at VIFF, Sitges, Brooklyn Horror, Whistler, ReelWorld, and additional festivals this fall.

Ticket information for Akashi, The Art of Adventure, and other VIFF screenings is available at viff.org
.

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Emile Hirsch, Inbar Lavi Lead Holocaust Drama “Bau, Artist at War”

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bau-artist-at-warSean McNamara’s Holocaust drama Bau, Artist at War will open in theaters across the United States and Canada on September 26 through ShowBiz Direct and Republic Pictures.

Based on the memoir of Joseph Bau, the film follows the true story of a Holocaust survivor and artist who used his skills as a forger to help fellow prisoners endure life in Nazi concentration camps while finding love with fellow prisoner Rebecca.

The film stars Emile Hirsch as Bau and Inbar Lavi as Rebecca, alongside Yan Tual (Outlander), Adam Tsekhman (Legends of Tomorrow), and Josh Zuckerman (School Spirits), with Edward Foy, Chris Cope, Josh Blacker, Eugene Lipinski, Dalias Blake, Pam Kearns, and Tori Griffith rounding out the cast.

McNamara, known for Soul Surfer and Reagan, directed from a script by Deborah Smerecnik, Ron Bass, and Sonia Kifferstein. Producers include McNamara, Smerecnik, David Brookwell, Marc Griffith, and Michelle P. Griffith.

Bau, Artist at War had its world premiere on September 21 at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, where cast, crew, and special guests including Jon Voight were in attendance.

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Gabriel Byrne Confronts Mortality and Leonard Cohen’s Ghosts in Death of a Ladies’ Man

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death-of-a-ladies-manGabriel Byrne headlines Death of a Ladies’ Man, Matthew Bissonnette’s surreal dramedy arriving on VOD September 26.

The film follows Samuel O’Shea (Byrne), a hard-drinking, twice-divorced professor whose life unravels after a terminal diagnosis. Haunted by visions of his long-dead father (Brian Gleeson) and strangers breaking into Leonard Cohen songs, Samuel retreats to his family’s Irish cottage where he confronts memory, regret, and the possibility of redemption through an unexpected romance (Jessica Paré).

The film blends dark humor, poetic visuals, and the music of Leonard Cohen, offering a meditation on mortality and second chances. Rounding out the cast are Antoine Olivier Pilon, Karelle Tremblay, and Suzanne Clément.

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