Gem is a heart-warming yet vulnerable short from Jim Muntisov that shows the importance of finding that person to connect with, even if it is someone to bear your soul to. Gem hits all the right notes.
Tag: films
![Here [Epilogue] – BFI Flare 2023 (Short Film)](https://i0.wp.com/upcomingonscreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/here-epilogue-ramos-andersen-2022-soft-crash.00_00_18_22.still005.jpg?fit=1170%2C658&ssl=1)
Here [Epilogue] – BFI Flare 2023 (Short Film)
Conceived in the spirit of clandestine messages that queer people in Puerto Rico would leave in late-night music videos during the 90s and early 2000s, “Here [Epilogue]” presents the story of “Cüirtopia”, a supposed archipelago free from imposed norms of gender and sexuality. The scrolling text over a framed view
Write Here ★★★★ BFI Flare 2023 (Short Film)
Write Here is an excellent short – sensitive story; you are placed into the mind and heart of a character whose dream is to never forget. Jake Muñoz Consing is an almighty talent to keep an eye on. Eddie, An ageing gay man living alone with Alzheimer’s, struggles to hold
Eating Papaw On The Seashore ★★★ BFI Flare 2023 (Short Film)
Eating Papaw On The Seashore is a tender, poetic tale of finding attraction beyond the laws of your country. A film that keeps it simple to amplify its story; there is a lot to like here. Asim and Hasani – gay teenagers from the Guyanese Countryside struggle with attraction to
Gaia ★★★ 1/2 BFI Flare 2023 (Short Film)
Life on the road isn’t quite what Ella and her girlfriend Katie dreamed of when they quit their jobs and drove off in pursuit of the #VanLife dream. The pressure of churning out sponsored social media posts to fund their new lifestyle has taken its toll on their relationship, and
When Spring Came to Bucha ★★★★★ – Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2023
An important and heart-piercing documentary, When Spring Came to Bucha provides a glimpse of the war destruction Russia is leaving in Ukraine, a film that fills you with not only sorrow, but hope – a vital film. In early 2022, the Russian army occupied the small Ukrainian town of Bucha
Safe Place ★★★★ 1/2 – Glasgow Film Festival 2023
Juraj Lerotić’s impressive debut Safe Place is a gut-wrenching film. A purposely challenging viewing experience as we watch a mother and son pick up the shattered pieces of their family. Set over the course of one day, Bruno, alongside his mother, sets out to help his brother, Damir, who has
Seven Winters in Tehran ★★★★★ – Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2023
Seven Winters in Tehran hits you like a tonne of bricks. This utterly fantastic documentary shows the medium’s power, providing us with a glimpse at a resilient and inspirational woman—an impactful and unforgettable film. In 2007, Reyhaneh Jabbari, 19, was sentenced to death in Iran for the murder of a man who
Rubikon ★★★ watchAUT Austrian Film Festival
A gorgeous-looking film, Rubikon struggles with a lack of urgency and a script that doesn’t quite engage as you desperately want it to. It remains a thoughtful science fiction film but a frustrating one.
The Fox – ★★★★ watchAUT Austrian Film Festival
For a multitude of reasons, sometimes we simply cannot convey what we want to say, but in animals, somehow we can pour our souls out to them without realising it; Adrian Goiginger presents this beautifully in his profound film The Fox.
I Like Movies ★★★ 1/2 – Glasgow Film Festival 2023
A charming dramedy, I Like Movies knows knows precisely how to get that goofy smile out of a cinephile who grew up in the same era, while doing more than enough for those who weren’t. A great indie film that won’t disappoint. and is full of heart. Socially inept 17-year-old
Pawnshop – ★★★ 1/2 – Kinoteka 2023
A bittersweet documentary, Pawnshop shows that even in the most difficult of moments, kindness always prevails for a community – an unexpected treat of a film. Wiesek runs Poland’s largest Pawnshop with his wife Jola. It used to be a profitable business, but times have changed, and they are struggling –
I Didn’t See You There ★★★★ – Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2023
A remarkably affecting film, Reid Davenport’s I Didn’t See You There places us in the frustrated position of seeing what the daily struggles are for wheelchair users. A bold and hopefully eye-opening film. When a circus tent is put up outside his apartment, filmmaker Reid Davenport, a wheelchair user, reflects
No U-Turn ★★★ 1/2 – Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2023
Engaging from beginning to end, Ike Nnaebue’s No U-Turn details the journey that many West Africans take to get into Europe. We listen to moving stories from those trying to make the journey, showing the determination of those who feel they have no other options left to them. As a
Category: Woman ★★★★ – Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2023
Category: Woman is a powerful and vital viewing, shedding light on the urgent issue regarding the humiliating discrimination female athletes are having to endure just to compete in the sport they love.
Delikado ★★★★★ – Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2023
The feeling of anger doesn’t leave you long after watching Delikado. Karl Malakunas’ documentary refuses to hold back as it pointedly shows us the violence both to humans and nature on the island of Palawan. A documentary that shows the bravery of those willing to protect nature and how low
The Hamlet Syndrome ★★★★ 1/2 – Kinoteka 2023
The Hamlet Syndrome, by filmmakers Elwira Biewiera and Piotr Rosołowski, is a raw documentary that brilliantly captures the pain that young people in Ukraine have been experiencing for years. A film that will stay with you. A group of young Ukrainians are preparing a modern stage version of Hamlet. Their
Ramona ★★★ 1/2 – Glasgow Film Festival 2023
Ramona is an engaging debut feature from writer/director Andrea Bagney. This (mostly) black-and-white love letter to French New Wave hits all the right notes with a particularly strong performance from Lourdes Hernández. Aspiring actor Ramona (Lourdes Hernández) passes a lazy afternoon in a bar, striking up a lively conversation with
Woman on the Roof ★★★ 1/2 – Kinoteka 2023
Anna Jadowska’s character study of an older woman neglected by her loved ones in Woman on the Roof is a compelling, if bleak watch. A quiet film that shows us that life after your children have grown up is not as rosy as we hope it will be. Mira, a
F*cking Bornholm ★★★ – Kinoteka 2023
Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the Agnieszka Grochowska show in Anna Kazejak’s dark, dramedy F*cking Bornholm. A film that has chaos etched into its core, a film rife with discontent while managing to sneak in the right amount of laughs to keep us engaged. An entertaining storm
Bread and Salt – ★★★ Kinoteka 2023
A promising debut from director Damian Kocur, Bread and Salt is a fly-on-the-wall story of xenophobia that, for the most part, is highly effective. It doesn’t wholly stick the landing, but there are a lot of positives layered in throughout to know he has a strong career ahead. When Tymek,
Beautiful Beings – ★★★★
Full of tenderness, heartache & cruelty, Beautiful Beings is a must-watch film that offers a portrait of friendship despite abandonment. You will gain something with each viewing – brutally fantastic.
Horror films to watch: Letter P (Part One)
Welcome back to our horror list! We have moved onto the first part of the letter P, we have some great ones in here and maybe a surprise or two as well. Enjoy. Poltergeist (1982) The film where everyone has an open suspicion that Spielberg wanted to direct a horror
Award-Winning, Nerve-Rattling Crime Drama Emily The Criminal Comes To UK In The New Year
23rd November 2022, London UK – Mediumrare Entertainment announces the crime drama EMILY THE CRIMINAL is being released on DVD and Blu-ray on 16 January 2023. An extraordinarily assured debut from writer/director John Patton Ford, EMILY THE CRIMINAL sees Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) as a young woman driven to credit card fraud in Los Angeles. Plaza is
The Runner – ★★★
Edouard Philipponnat is outstanding as the doomed Aiden in Michelle Danner’s solid The Runner. A film that does some great work at making her latest a warning for those tempted by the allure of drugs.
To Leslie – ★★★★ (Raindance 2022)
An empathetic glance at the damage of addiction, To Leslie like its lead Andrea Riseborough, transfix you. Careful and powerful, there is so much to love about Michael Morris’ film, making it one that should not be ignored.
Anonymous Club – ★★★★ (Raindance 2022)
Much like Courtney Barnett’s music, there is a fantastic personal touch to Danny Cohen’s documentary Anonymous Club that entices you. He captures an artist in her purest and most honest form – a wonderfully thoughtful doc.
Most Horrible Things – ★★ 1/2
What should be a standard mystery thriller, Most Horrible Things becomes a muddled endeavour. A film that never really gets going the way you want it to, and by the time it tries, it is far too late. When six young strangers are invited to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – an exclusive dinner
Roving Woman – ★★★ 1/2 (Raindance 2022)
What could spiral into a chaotic film, Roving Woman actually ends up becoming an insightful meditative piece. A breakup road trip movie that, at times, wanders rather aimlessly but, like its lead character, finds its way in the end. A breakup leaves Sara reeling and directionless, standing alone on her ex’s doorstep
Relative – ★★★★★ (Raindance 2022)
As important a documentary as you will see this year, Tracey Arcabasso Smith’s Relative knocks you clear off your feet. Harrowing and brave, she gives sexual abuse survivors the voice they may have lost long ago in this unforgettable film that leaves you stunned. Unravelling a complex tapestry of vulnerability,
Falcon Lake – ★★★★★ (Raindance 2022)
A gorgeous debut from Charlotte Le Bon, Falcon Lake is a haunting coming-of-age tale. She has created a stunning, emotional and captivating film that you won’t soon forget – you will love this film. Bastien (Joseph Engel) and Chloé (Sara Montpetit) spend their summer vacation with their families at a
Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game – ★★★★ (Raindance 2022)
Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game is as fresh and confident a film as you will see. With bags of charm throughout, there is so much to love in Austin and Meredith Braggs directorial feature debut that you have a massive smile planted on your face. An unsettled writer with a fantastic
Erin’s Guide to Kissing Girls – ★★★★ (Raindance 2022)
Writer/director Julianna Notten has nailed it with her feature debut, Erin’s Guide to Kissing Girls, a positively refreshing, funny and authentic tale. An integral coming-of-age story for young LGBTQ+ people, but most importantly, just a really good film. As middle school comes to an end, Erin (Elliot Stocking), the only out
Paloma – ★★★ 1/2 (Raindance 2022)
Paloma feels like a daydream slowly eroding into reality; Marcelo Gomes’ film will affect you a great deal. This is a tender yet painful film about a woman fighting for her place in society.
Something in the Dirt – ★★★★
Another gem of a picture from Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, Something in the Dirt, is possibly their biggest triumph. A film that fans of the duo will wholeheartedly adore. With it also becoming a wonderful jumping-in point for new audiences. Benson and Moorhead have firmly cemented themselves as the filmmakers to watch with
The Sleep Experiment – ★★ 1/2
The Sleep Experiment is a frustrating watch. Some moments work very well, yet the faults are sadly too front and centre to ignore. A film that hinders itself when it has everything going for it. Two detectives begin investigating the ethics involved in the top-secret research facility, Porton Down. One
The Deep House – ★★★ 3/4
A fantastically effective horror, The Deep House works on your fears of being underwater with limited oxygen and amplifies it tenfold with a haunted house. As fresh as it comes, this isn’t one to miss.
Ghostwatch – (Blu-Ray) ★★★★ 1/2
The BBC gives over a whole evening to an ‘investigation into the supernatural’. Four respected presenters and a camera crew attempt to discover the truth behind ‘The most haunted house in Britain’, expecting a light-hearted scare or two and probably the uncovering of a hoax. They think they are in
Ashkal ★★★ 1/2 – London Film Festival 2022
The sense of dread has a firm grasp of you throughout Youssef Chebbi’s Ashkal. A haunting film that never reveals its hand too much, it is one that will undoubtedly linger in your mind. In the Gardens of Carthage, a district of Tunis initiated by the former Regime whose construction
Censor – ★★★★ (Blu-Ray)
Of all the horror films that came out last year, Censor was perhaps the most striking. Prano Bailey-Bond’s film has been given an unbelievable Blu-ray release from Second Sight, making an already must-buy film an absolute essential purchase. Enid (Niamh Algar) spends her days meticulously watching and assessing gruesomely violent and disturbing movies, taking
Honey (Madhu) ★★★★ London Film Festival 2022
For 13 perfect minutes, Honey (Madhu) has you, becoming the type of short with a situation and characters you yearn to have more time with. However, Tanmay and Tanvi Chowdhary know exactly what they are doing and instead give us a wonderful glance at the longing that can exist in
Human Flowers of Flesh ★★★ New York Film Festival 2022
Like an artist painting a picture leisurely yet with a strong purpose, Helena Wittmann’s Human Flowers of Flesh never hurries itself while it absorbs you with its gorgeous textures. Ida lives on a sailing yacht with a crew of five men. While on shore leave in Marseilles, she becomes fascinated
Haulout (Short Film) ★★★★ London Film Festival 2022
Haulout is a powerful documentary that shows the sheer overwhelming scale of the consequences of climate change on beautiful animals in the Arctic. Tragic and sobering, Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev’s film is essential viewing. A lonely man waits to witness an ancient gathering on a remote coast of the
The Adventures of Gigi the Law ★★★ New York Film Festival
A quasi-documentary that is as charming as it is contemplative, The Adventures of Gigi the Law has some very strong moments of emotion that catch you off guard. Alessandro Comodin has made a film that you can’t help but gravitate towards. Gigi, a good-natured, contemplative policeman in a small village
Birds (Short Film) ★★★★★ London Film Festival 2022
A film of discovery, Katherine Propper’s Birds is a lovely look at a time when summer could feel like a never-ending dream. A wonderful exploration into connection with friends, love, nature and everything in between. You can’t but adore this film. Moments in the lives of Austin teenagers during the
Groom (Short Film) ★★★★ London Film Festival 2022
Through some top-notch performances and cinematography, Leyla Josephine Coll-O’Reilly’s Groom is a cautionary tale that hits home for those who wanted to fit in when they were teenagers – a great debut
My Year of Dicks (Short Film) ★★★★ London Film Festival 2022
As relatable a story about your sexual awakening as you will see, My Year of Dicks is a wonderful short film that tells a sincere, funny and honest tale. A female-driven animation than harmonises exceptionally well with the story – a must-watch. It’s 1991, and Pam is trying very hard
Dry Ground Burning ★★★ 1/2 TIFF
Dry Ground Burning is an absorbing film with a lot to say and punches each of those points home without hesitation. Bold throughout, this hybrid documentary is a film like a few others. Sisters Chitara and Léa are the leaders of an all-female gang who steal oil from pipelines to
Pennywise: The Story of IT ★★★ 1/2
Filmmakers John Campopiano and Chris Griffiths present audiences with their definitive look back at the much-loved IT miniseries in Pennywise: The Story of IT. Full of details the avid fan will love, there is a lot here to enjoy. Exploring the 1990 miniseries, based on Stephen King’s iconic novel IT,
Blonde ★ 1/2
Instead of mourning the tragedy of Marilyn Monroe’s death in Blonde, Andrew Dominik revels in her misery. Never does he appear interested in the woman and more just the despair she faces. While Blonde looks fantastic and has a passionate performance from Ana de Armas yet thise can’t save this tasteless, exhausting endeavour that never lets you in.
Leonor Will Never Die ★★★ 1/2 TIFF 2022
Absurd, funny, chaotic, self-aware and most importantly heartwarming, Martika Ramirez Escobar’s Leonor Will Never Die an absolute treat for those who love cinema – a clever film that takes you by delightful surprise. After creating a string of successful action films, Leonor Reyes was once a major player in the
The Banshees of Inisherin ★★★★ TIFF
The trio of Martin McDonagh, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson strike gold again with the utterly fantastic The Banshees of Inisherin. A sublime film, it knows precisely what it is doing. Quite possibly the filmmaker’s best film yet. On a remote island off the coast of Ireland, Pádraic (Colin Farrell)
To Kill A Tiger ★★★★ 1/2 TIFF 2022
A film that strikes you at your core Nisha Pahuja’s harrowing and uncomfortable To Kill A Tiger shows us that hope can always grow, even in the most hopeless of situations -utterly fantastic.
The Colour of Ink ★★★ 1/2 TIFF 2022
As much a history lesson about ink processes as it is a humanist journey via art, The Colour of Ink is an unexpected treat of curiosity for a craft we are perhaps willfully ignorant to. What an absolute must-watch. Ink is our primal medium. It has always been with us,
Canary (Short Film) ★★★★ TIFF 2022
A lovely story about escaping one’s situation for something brighter, Canary switches up its light-hearted tone for something all the more serious and never misses a step in doing so. A gorgeous and affecting short film. In 1922, a young boy named Sonny worked in an underground coal mine with
It’s What Each Person Needs ★★★★ (Short) TIFF 2022
There is an evocative command to Sophy Romvari’s It’s What Each Person Needs that engrosses you with the greatest of ease. She has perfectly encapsulated the power and importance of connecting with another person – just a fantastic short. A portrait of a young woman providing companionship for juxtaposing demographics. Conversations come in
Sweet As ★★★ 1/2 – TIFF 2022
Healing is never easy, and in Jub Clerc’s Sweet As , we see how a young group try to figure that out in the gorgeous setting of Pilbara. A sentimental coming-of-age film that hits all the right notes.
Ever Deadly ★★★★ TIFF 2022
An immersive experience that is much more than a biographical music documentary Ever Deadly is as much an education as it is a look into Tanya Tagaq’s life. You will undoubtedly come away with something meaningful here. Tanya Tagaq is an avant-garde Inuit throat singer who continually explores sound transformation
Skin Deep ★★★★ Venice Film Festival
A compelling, intimate gender identity drama, Alex Schaad’s feature directorial debut Skin Deep offers a fascinating look at relationships. With complex pitch-perfect performances, Skin Deep is a profound viewing. At first glance, Leyla (Mala Emde) and Tristan (Jonas Dassler) seem like a happy young couple. But when they travel to
The Flying Sailor (Short) TIFF 2022
Like our titular character, Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis have thrown a mixture of animation stylings up into the air and meshed them together in their excellent meditative short The Flying Sailor. Two ships collide in a harbour, an explosion shatters a city, and a sailor is blasted skyward. Then,
Goliath ★★★★ Venice Film Festival
The stunning scenery of southern Kazakhstan is the setting for an emotionally bruising Euro-Asian western in Adilkhan Yerzhanov’s powerful Goliath. A film that grabs your interest and only pulls you in further as it goes along. The Kazakh village Karatas has long been subjugated by a criminal boss called Poshaev
Dogborn ★★★★ 1/2 Venice Film Festival
Dogborn shows us that no matter how low a position you feel you are in life, there is always another level, and even just to escape your own situation, there is usually the cruellest of prices. The question is whether your humanity is worth risking to get there. Isabella Carbonell
Bite ★★★ FrightFest 2022
An ambitious film that does stretch itself a tad too thin at times, Bite is still a great watch that warmly embraces its horror to provide quite a few inducing moments. James Owen’s debut feature is one that satisfies. Nina (Shian Denovan) is desperate to put her life back on
The Eyes Below ★★★★ 1/2 FrightFest 2022
Just when you thought that silly childhood fear of something alone in your bedroom had left, Alexis Bruchon comes along with his film The Eyes Below to shatter it all. A simple concept is carried out so effectively that you are left as astonished as you are spooked—a truly sensational
Burial ★★★ FrightFest 2022
Burial is a period thriller that hits enough of the right notes to leave you satisfied while never striking just the right chord. It remains a compelling film with great performances from Charlotte Vega and Tom Felton. London, 1991. The home of an old woman (Harriet Walter), who watches the
End Zone 2 – FrightFest 2022
The remaining two acts of End Zone 2 are presented to audiences after the terrific The Once and Future Smash, a brutally authentic 70s trash horror that will leave you wondering just how good that missing 3rd act really was. Fifteen years after the events of End Zone, Smash-Mouth is
Horror films to watch starting with O
Opera (1987) Dario Argento comes back again to the list with this vicious film. What strikes you most about Opera is just how visually stunning it is, and considering how overlooked this is amongst Argento’s work, that becomes a surprise. Of course, Argento’s weaknesses come to the fore here, but
Her Way ★★★ 1/2
Laure Calamy owns every second of Her Way, pulling herself every which way emotionally as the exhausted single-parent sex worker. Cécile Ducrocq’s debut is a strong and memorable one full of humanity. Marie (Laure Calamy) is a confident, optimistic sex worker in Strasbourg who is determined to provide a better
Aurinko in Adagio ★★★★★ HollyShorts Film Festival
A rather beautiful look at honing a craft and being lifted by the support of your family, Aurinko in Adagio is a joy. Elisee Junior St Preux has a wonderful touch as a filmmaker, with his film hitting you close to the heart with its effectiveness. Director: Elisee Junior St
MINK! ★★★ 1/2 HollyShorts Film Festival
MINK! is an open and informative documentary that is well worth 20 minutes of your day. We need more documentaries about people like Patsy Takemoto Mink for it shows the good that there is and that progress never stops. You can watch it below in the link provided at the
Dog Soldiers – Standard and Limited Edition 4K UHD/Blu-ray (Second Sight Films)
Neil Marshalls Dog Soldiers has gotten a glorious special release from Second Sight Films. The top-notch werewolf horror still packs a punch with how effective it is and has barely aged a day. During a routine training mission in the Scottish Highlands, a small squad of happy-go-lucky British soldiers, including
Moshari ★★★★ 1/2 HollyShorts Film Festival
A never ending sense of dread envelopes Moshari, & never lets go. Wonderful filmmaking from Nuhash Humayun that has you immediately standing up & taking notice. A must watch from a filmmaker on a fast ascent. Director: Nuhash Humayun Cast: Sunerah Binte Kamal, Nairah Onora Saif IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17499740 It’s the end of
Skin & Bone ★★★★ HollyShorts Film Festival
Weird and wonderful, Eli Powers atmospheric Skin & Bone is an unsettling short that isn’t afraid to hold its card close to its chest. Amanda Seyfried & Thomas Sadoski excel in a film that commands your attention. Director: Eli Powers Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Thomas Sadoski, Nick Verdi, McCaleb Burnett IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20783516 After taking
Return to Sender ★★★ HollyShorts Film Festival
Return to Sender is a strong thriller that grabs onto our fears of being watched. With the increasing dependency on the digital world, Russell Goldman shows how we are losing the control we crave for our own lives. Director: Russell Goldman Cast: Allison Tolman, Emma Pasarow, IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15225028 When recovering alcoholic Julia
Paper Thin ★★★★★ HollyShorts Film Festival
An excellent short film, Paper Thin, focuses on the feelings that run through you when you are losing a loved one. Running at a mere six minutes, Neil Dua and Thomas Archer have made a pitch-perfect and faultless film. Director: Neil Dua Cast: Thomas Archer, Jimi Hernandez IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21415680/ An intimate exchange between two unlikely strangers
When I Consume You ★★★
When Perry Blackshear focuses his latest film on the trauma and bleakness of his character’s situation, When I Consume You excels as a psychological thriller. The sense of dread is rife throughout the film, it loses itself when it tries to do too much. Nevertheless, this film affects you with
Love, Dad ★★★★ HollyShorts Film Festival
For 13 minutes, you are heart-wrenchingly moved in Diana Cam Van Nguyen’s Love, Dad. Told through voiceover and paper animation, we are struck by how affecting her film is, as if we are seeing a form of therapy bared before us on screen. Director: Diana Cam Van Nguyen IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14972316/
Work ★★★★ HollyShorts Film Festival
Breakups can be messy endeavours, and for Marisela Zumbado’s Gabi, she needs to shake things up in April Maxey’s relatable film Work. This melancholy piece explores that longing for a connection with another person. Director: April Maxey Cast: Marisela Zumbado, Darlisa Ali, Star Amerasu, Elaine Whae, Jay Dathorne, Sarah Gordon
Elsa ★★★★ 1/2 HollyShorts Film Festival
Cameron S. Mitchell’s documentary Elsa perfectly captures a woman who will not be defined and forces you to take her seriously. Elsa engrosses and becomes a shot in the arm to make representation in the world fairer. Director: Cameron S. Mitchell Elsa Sjunneson is a DeafBlind professor, media critic, skilled
Anaïs in Love ★★★ 1/2
Entertaining throughout, Anaïs Demoustier charms the life out of you in Anaïs in Love – a directorial debut from Charline Bourgeous-Tacquet, this is a wonderful portrait of a woman at the crossroads in her life. Anaïs (Anaïs Demoustier) careers from one lover to the next while trying to find some
How Do You Measure a Year ★★★★ 1/2 HollyShorts Film Festival
How do you measure a year? is fabulous, a brilliant love letter to the relationship between a father and daughter—a beautiful look at the experience of growing up. Director: Jay Rosenblatt Cast: Ella Rosenblatt IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15026956 From the time she was two years old, and until she turned 18, they had
Triggered ★★★★ 1/2 HollyShorts Film Festival
A powerful and tough watch, Tara Westwood’s Triggered is a shattering look at loss and its painful consequences. A film that lingers with you long after the credits have rolled. Director: Tara Westwood Cast: Isiah Whitlock Jr., Caitlin Mehner, Robert John Burke, Tara Westwood IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15301336 A US Senator faces
Troy ★★★ 1/2 – HollyShorts Film Festival
Troy is a film that you cannot help but love, a wonderful breath of comedic fresh air for one reason: we would most likely (almost definitely) be like Thea and Charlie. Mike Donahue’s film knocks it out of the park.
Sandstorm (Mulaqat) ★★★★ HollyShorts Film Festival
Seemab Gul looks at how social indoctrination still impacts Pakistani teens in her latest film, Sandstorm (Mulaqat). Gul ensures that our young protagonist is not someone who will play the role of the victim for long. A poignant and contemplative film. Director: Seemab Gul Cast: Ayesha Shoaib Ahmed, Qasim Ali,
Elevate ★★★ 1/2 HollyShorts Film Festival
A sombre and considerate piece that showcases the importance of compassion and the human touch, Elevate is a striking short that works on you emotionally, accumulating in a powerful ending. Director: Dylan Boom Cast: Tracie Thoms, Jason Butler Harner, Rickey Eugene Brown, Gwyn LaRee IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15699084 Tiffany (Tracie Thoms) works the
Act of God ★★★★ HollyShorts Film Festival
Act of God ‘s authentic charm is what drives this excellent observational short. Unexpectedly funny and poignant, Park Smith and Spencer Cook have made a refreshing and welcome film that shows disability in all of its complex forms. A disabled man’s commute is interrupted by a $100 bill lying on
Shark ★★★ 3/4 HollyShort Film Festival
Shark is a dark comedy that knows when to pull the rug on our fun having newlyweds. Nash Edgerton’s latest short is a deliciously dark delight.
Bump ★★★★ – HollyShorts Film Festival
Rory Keenan’s debut film, Bump, is a rounding success, ably bringing some biting comedy while finding the perfect chance to wipe that smile clean off our faces. A strong start to a promising career as a director. Director: Rory Keenan, Cast: Gemma Arterton, Macy Nyman, Nylah Sweeney IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12435324 Heavily pregnant
I Call Upon Thee – (Short Film) Small Gauge Trauma – Fantasia International Film Festival
Michael Kratochvil successfully unsettles his audience once his film I Call Upon Thee gets going. With strong performances from the young actresses, this is a short you won’t soon forget. “It’s not, dad. It’s worse.” Two young sisters in an unhappy home perform an incantation to summon… something… anything in
The Last Son – ★★★
A great premise with impactful moments The Last Son has all the makings to be a great Western. Sadly it stumbles in the middle act, but importantly never falls. There is a lot to like about the film including Worthington and Colson. It’s the bleakest of winters, and LeMay (Sam
The Breach ★★★ 1/2 Fantasia International Film Festival
The Breach may tread down familiar paths but does so with great confidence. The focus on the story is what shines through here. Though it doesn’t hurt that when the film wants to get gruesome, it does so with glee.
Cult Hero ★★★ Fantasia International Film Festival
Dale Domazar (Ry Barrett) is a washed-up private investigator and “cult-buster” whose last cult bust resulted in a mass suicide. Kallie Jones (Liv Collins) is a realtor who needs to control everything. With her husband Brad (Justin Bott) sleepwalking through life, Kallie is certain a stay at Master Jagori’s (Tony
King Knight – ★★★ Digital Release
With a tremendous opening act Richard Bates, Jr’s King Knight should be a home run of a comedy. Its farcical premise falls away in the middle, yet the warmness of the characters & story keep you watching and laughing along.
The Fight Machine ★★★★ Fantasia International Film Festival
The Fight Machine is a film that connects throughout; combining two stories is a bold choice from Andrew Thomas Hunt, but it works marvellously here. Fantastically cast from top to bottom, this is a fight drama you do not want to miss. Paul (Greg Hovanessian) and Rob (Dempsey Bryk) come from
