YANUNI
From producer Leonardo DiCaprio and director Richard Ladkani, YANUNI closes out Tribeca 2025 with a call to action and the story of a feminist hero who should be a household name. Juma Xipaia has survived six assassination attempts as the first female Indigenous chief of her people in the Middle Xingu. She and her husband are fierce environmental warriors in a raging battle for ownership of the Amazon.
Ladkani’s camerawork and sound design are immersive. You can feel each unnerving protest moment in your bones. Footage in Juma’s home is viscerally spiritual and powerfully juxtaposed with the devastating destruction of the surrounding forests. Illegal mining pits are poisoning the water, and the criminals invading the lands are raping and murdering the villagers.
Juma and her people are emotionally, physically, and spiritually drained. Juma’s safety keeps her separated from her children, and her relentless speaking schedule wears her down. It is no surprise that it is a woman, a mother, who stands to protect others. The most successful governing bodies have female leadership. “With great power comes great responsibility,” and Yuma accepts all that entails.
The film follows the 2022 Brazilian elections. The volatility in the streets is palpable. Speaking to eligible voters is life-threatening. While the outcome of the election is positive for the progression of the country, new roles for both Yuma and her husband, Hugo Loss, put them in even more danger than before.
Ladkani takes us inside the infiltration of an illegal mining operation and its subsequent controlled burn destruction. Their missions are high-risk and heavily armed on both sides.
Juma’s action mirrors every indigenous population’s fight against deeper colonization and capitalism. The film premieres at Tribeca during a particularly auspicious time in America, on the same day nearly 11 million people took to the streets for the No Kings protests. But Juma has had to fight for many more generations to protect her people, territory, and culture. The fight continues.
YANUNI is the type of educational feature that deserves to loop on IMAX screens in every museum. It is an inspiring war cry for climate justice. Juma Xipaia is a role model for every young person. She is the personification of Mother Earth. Her bravery and passion serve as an example. She is all of us.
YANUNI –
Director: Richard Ladkani
Producer: Juma Xipaia, Leonardo DiCaprio, Anita Ladkani, Richard Ladkani, Jennifer Davisson, Phillip Watson
Screenwriter: Richard Ladkani
Cinematographer: Richard Ladkani
Composer: H. Scott Salinas
Editor: Georg Michael Fischer
Executive Producer: Dax Dasilva, Joanna Natasegara, Laura Nix, Eric Terena, Martin Choroba, Philipp Schall
Second Camera: Fábio Nascimento
Original Title Song: Katú Mirim
Vocals: Djuena Tikuna
Cast: Juma Xipaia, Hugo Loss YANUNI
The jury is exceptional as they move through measured recall to furious shouting matches. Their diligence in tracking down evidence and looking at all sides gives me hope that jurors take their duties seriously. Jack Thornton’s editing is a feat. The choice to keep Krieps in the frame for longer than seems normal has a chilling effect. RE-CREATION is akin to live theatre. It is an improvisation session strapped to a ticking time bomb. The audience is the 13th jury member. Sheridan provides newsreel footage, newspaper clippings, video testimony, and audio recordings at the precise times we might feel lost. It is a real-time exploration of possibilities. 
Jim Sheridan also plays Juror #1, serving as a guide and sounding board. Sheridan’s attention to detail is award-worthy. Going as far as to take the jury on a tour of the key locations in the investigation. It’s hard to discern where Sheridan lies on the guilty spectrum personally. His extensive knowledge never feels coercive. He and Merriman skillfully make a case for confusion and conflict, mirroring the state of the evidence.
José Condessa creates a vibrant and charming character. He is sensitive and caring, everything a woman desires in a man. Condessa is dazzling. Ayden Mayeri gives June a true egocentric millennial with an unresolved emotional trauma vibe, which is precisely what Lilian T. Mehrel intended. Mayeri effortlessly glides into June’s arc. Amira Casar takes on Lela with a lived-in authenticity and passion. She holds each frame with her powerful presence. These two women share gorgeous chemistry. 
It becomes clear early on that fear and unresolved trauma impede Mel’s release. He lashes out to prolong his release. Getting polar opposite advice from Mark and Warren, Mel enters a quiet tailspin of decision-making as the clock runs down. 
Guy Pearce is a legend. Warren’s goal is emotional redemption for past transgressions, but reality outside forces him to save the only soul he can on the inside. Pearce is a quiet storm. His masterful ability to speak volumes with nothing but a breath proves vital to Warren’s arc. He is an unconventional guardian angel. Vincent Miller captivates as our young leading man. He comes with an unusually mature sense of self, and his comfort in front of the screen and alongside other screen titans is beyond impressive. 
Filmmaker Nayra Ilic Garcia brings Tribeca 2025 audiences CUERPO CELESTE, a film about the inevitability of change, for better or worse.
Eshaghian and Jafari use the investigative narrative as a thread throughout the film. The film opens with the discovery of the body and the subsequent search for who and how. Crime photos are relatively tame if you are an avid Discovery ID watcher.
Defying all the odds and the lawyers’ advice, Fernando gathers a local Quechua cast, including little Dylan as young Simba, creating a dazzling version of the beloved tale in his studio. The result is a triumph.
Directed by: Steven Feinartz
Director: Oscar Boyson
Directed by: Lauren Meyering
Directed by: Cindy Meehl
While waiting at the airport for her husband, Aya (Sarah Adler) is mistaken for someone else. Intrigued, she decides to pick up a complete stranger (Ulrich Thomsen) on a whim. Their encounter sparks an unexpected intimacy that unsettles Aya’s sense of certainty and awakens a yearning she neither fully understands nor knows how to fulfill. Her quiet search for meaning unfolds in a hotel room, a customer service chat and in subtle disruptions to her daily routine, as we are taken through a woman’s delicate and honest search for something meaningful.
Directed by: Rick Gomez
Director: Karam Gill 
Director: Amy Scott
TERRESTRIAL REVEALS A DIFFERENT SHADE OF (STEVE) PINK
I FELL IN LOVE WITH A Z-GRADE DIRECTOR IN BROOKLYN IS A HEARTFELT LOVE LETTER TO INDIE HORROR FILMMAKING AND UNDERGROUND CULTURE
JULIE PACINO MAKES HER DIRECTORIAL DEBUT WITH THE LYNCHIAN I LIVE HERE NOW
J-POP IS A BATTLEFIELD IN YA BOY KONGMIN! THE MOVIE
OUR FAVORITE BAD GIRL IS BACK! GET READY TO BE LED ASTRAY AND BETRAYED WITH INFLUENCERS!
INDIE KOREAN THRILLER THE WOMAN TRADES IN TENSION AND SUSPENSE
BUCKLE IN AND HOLD THE FORT
POST-APOCALYPTIC ECO-THRILLER THE WELL FORETELLS OF ENVIRONMENTAL COLLAPSE
STRANGE STUDENTS WITH STRANGER TALENTS KEEP WATCH IN HONEKO AKABANE’S BODYGUARDS
FANTASY ROMCOM ANIME CHAO MAKES A BIG SPLASH
A WILD TRIBUTE TO 1970s PORNOGRAPHY AND EROTIC THRILLERS WITH ANYTHING THAT MOVES
A SUPERNATURAL RIDE DEEP INTO UNEXPECTED TERRITORY: HELLCAT
NECROMANCY AND BELIEF VS CORPOREAL DECAY: MOTHER OF FLIES SPELLBINDS
WHOSE TALE IS TRUE IN KYRGYZ MYSTERY BURNING?
THE BEARDED GIRL BLENDS SIDESHOW CHARM WITH A COMING-OF-AGE STORY YOU WON’T FORGET
DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES COLLIDE IN MEXICO’S FIRST STOP-MOTION FEATURE
THE LAST WOMAN ON EARTH JUMPS INTO CINEMA’S GENDER DIVIDE
A HAUNTING 8MM DESCENT INTO AUSTRALIA’S SURREAL UNDERBELLY
MORE SPECTACULAR SPOOKINESS IN MONONOKE THE MOVIE: CHAPTER II – THE ASHES OF RAGE
The 29th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival is presented by MELS in collaboration with Concordia University and made possible by the financial support of Telefilm Canada, the Société́ de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC), the Ministère du Tourisme, the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation, the city of Montreal, the Conseil des arts de Montréal, Tourisme Montréal, and the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC).
THE MOOGAI
Barely tolerating her birthmother, Ruth, Sarah’s whitewashed existence comes to a halt when an ancient entity rears its ugly head. Sarah’s aggression heightens as her delusions increase. She quickly spirals out of control in every aspect of her life. Sarah’s husband, Fergus, embraces his culture and does his best to navigate his familial deterioration.
The break between Sarah and her first child, Chloe, is heartbreaking. There’s no denying her resemblance to Fergus has something to do with Sarah’s icy response. The connection between Chloe, Fergus, and Ruth burns Sarah’s limited understanding of her absent culture. Ruth tries her best to protect her family, but Sarah’s relentless resistance to her roots only makes them manifest quicker as lore becomes reality and history repeats itself.
Jahdeana Mary brings earnest innocence and hurt to Chloe. You want to hug her. Meyne Wyatt is great playing Fergus. He is charming and protective. He’s a real highlight. Tessa Rose is spectacular as Ruth, giving audiences lived-in knowledge and fear. She is the heart of the film. Shari Sebbens gives Sarah everything from elitism to postpartum depression, unbridled rage to superstitious anxiety. You simultaneously loathe and feel for her. Sebbens is truly a revelation.
Practical FX, makeup, and jump scares are solid. THE MOOGAI keenly delves into medical gaslighting and the pressure on women to “do it all.” While the film is also a creature feature, Jon Bell never shies away from showing viewers that the scariest monsters are humans. It is a surprising cultural reclamation.
The cinematography is something to behold. The sepia-toned lens locks you into a compelling plot. It creates this magical, borderline eerie feeling. The production design team is aces with children’s drawings and makeshift inventions. The post-apocalyptic aspects are relatively subtle but incredibly effective. The end credits are outstanding. The original song “Our People Need Our Help” is a certified banger.
ZERO
Fast-paced editing and augmented sound effects keep you engaged from the first frame. The concept combines the adrenaline of SAW and SPEED, but it’s funnier and inevitably much darker. The soundtrack is fantastic. Gregory Turbellier‘s camerawork is immersive and sharp.
Leading players Hus Miller (who also co-writes) and Cam McHarg have fiery chemistry, each delivering fully flushed-out characters even if we know the most basic information about them. They make a great on-screen team. I would love to see this entire crew create more projects together.
For more Beyond Fest 2024, 
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However, the underlying generational trauma manifests in a contentious mother-daughter relationship. Mola uses humor and cutting words as shields. Patrick Kirst‘s score captures each beat, whether melancholy or joy. Sonam wishes for her to stay for all the reasons one would expect a loved one to feel.
Credits
Life Coaching has become a rather broad term in our culture, akin to “Wellness.” Director Annie St-Pierre explores the various methods in her SXSW 2025 film YOUR HIGHER SELF. Everyone is looking for enlightenment, even if it means wading through the good, the bad, and the ridiculous.
SXSW 2025 documentary DEAR TOMORROW delves into the epidemic of loneliness. Filmmaker Kaspar Astrup Schröder follows two Japanese citizens who suffer from severe loneliness. Schröder quietly observes them through their physical and emotional isolation and a subsequent few conversations with the mental health hotline, “A Place For You.”
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