THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME
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Filmmaker Stefan Mena brings audiences THE RUSE. The film follows an in-home nurse, Dale, and her newly assigned dementia patient. Upon arrival in a remote seaside town, Dale discovers she is replacing the last nurse who mysteriously went missing. Consumed by her patient’s ever-changing lucidity and he-said, she-said of the neighbors, Dale becomes entangled in a chilling whodunit.
As Tom, Michael Steger walks a razor-thin line between a good guy and a total creep. Steger is formidable. Equal parts charming and terrifying, it’s a compelling turn. Genre icon Veronica Cartwright gives Olivia everything she has. The performance is a beautiful balancing act of dementia and regal articulation. She is mesmerizing. Each beat is perfect. Madelyn Dundon plays Dale with a grounded familiarity. She is vulnerable and relatable. Mema puts her through the emotional ringer, and Dundon keeps up like a pro.
Mena’s score adds to the menacing feeling. The jump scares are legit. Mena executes thoughtfully written relationship-building while skillfully dropping clues to the mystery. Mena plays with small-town gossip, isolation, and a nurse’s instincts. THE RUSE boasts a twist that will f*ck you up. You are not prepared for the final 3rd of this film. This is a story about control. If you think you know where this screenplay is going, think again.
WORLD PREMIERE – MAINE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION – TIFF 2024
The Ruse trailer:
Seismic Films and Mena Films’ upcoming Suspenseful Thriller THE RUSE, written and directed by Stevan Mena (Bereavement, Malevolence) and starring Veronica Cartwright (Alien, The Witches of Eastwick), Michael Steger (“90210”), and Madelyn Dundon (Getting Grace) will open in theaters nationwide on Friday, May 16th.
Produced by STEVAN MENA, TIMOTHY BRISTOLL, and SCOTT KRYCIA. Associate Produced by LEE MELTZER
Synopsis
When the in-home caregiver assigned to an elderly patient mysteriously vanishes, Dale (Madelyn Dundon) is quickly sent as the replacement nurse. She rushes to the remote seaside home, only to find herself in the middle of chaos, forced to deal with an unruly patient, mysterious neighbors, and terrifying supernatural occurrences that seem to plague the home. Is the house haunted? Or is something even more malevolent to blame? As the walls close in, unsure of whom she can trust, Dale fears for her life and that of her patient. Starring the legendary Veronica Cartwright (Alien, The Witches of Eastwick), you won’t want to miss this scary thriller that is guaranteed to keep you guessing till the very end!
Suspenseful Thriller | 105 minutes | Color | 2024 | USA | English
(NYAFF 2025)
The New York African Film Festival (NYAFF), now underway at Film at Lincoln Center, lands in Harlem on Thursday with a focus on documentaries.
The Opening Night film, Ebrohimie Road: A Museum of Memory by Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún, is an insightful documentary about the role of a small university bungalow on the life of esteemed Nigerian author, playwright and Nobel Prize in Literature awardee Wole Soyinka.
Of the 29 films coming to Maysles, three are world premieres, three are North American premieres, six are U.S. premieres, and three are New York premieres. Highlights include: French films; a Spanish film; films about art and music including the U.S. Premieres of Maurice Pellosh, Capturing Memory about the photographer-portraitist; one about the Bronx-based African Jazz-Art Society and Studios and the North American premiere of a film about artists in Haiti resisting the chaos; the New York premiere of a film about Nobel Prizewinner in Literature Wole Soyinka; fashion and beauty films; a film about Haiti; and another about child marriage. The Last Shore, a film about a young Gambian man’s viral drowning death in Venice to shouts of abuse rather than offers of help will have its North American premiere. Shorts Program #2: Ever Rising includes The Adventures of Angostat, a unique one-shot fiction film of urban artists, some with disabilities, about Angola’s first satellite launch; and a film about John Coltrane.
NYAFF runs in Harlem through Sunday, May 18, and then heads to BAM for FilmAfrica during the popular DanceAfrica series. See a trailer for the festival here:
You can find the schedule here: https://nyaff32.eventive.org/schedule
Film at Lincoln Center (FLC) and African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) will partner to present the 32nd edition of the New York African Film Festival (NYAFF). NYAFF features more than 30 contemporary and classic films from Africa and its diaspora screening at FLC May 7 through May 13, with 100 films in total as the festival continues at other esteemed New York City cultural venues throughout the month of May, with many filmmakers in attendance for post-screening Q&As. Since its inception in 1993, the festival has been at the forefront of showcasing African and diaspora filmmakers’ unique storytelling through the moving image.
This year’s theme, “Fluid Horizons: A Shifting Lens on a Hopeful World,” honors the resilience of African youth and the forebearers who paved the way for them. As cinema was an integral part of the African continent’s struggle for independence and the triumph of its liberation, this edition of the festival celebrates the African youth who have turned to their cameras to document their experiences and the influence of those who came before them. With a multitude of genres ranging from comedies to experimental films, the 32nd New York African Film Festival offers a multidimensional take on African culture, history, and cinema.
TERRESTRIAL REVEALS A DIFFERENT SHADE OF (STEVE) PINK
As director of the HOT TUB TIME MACHINE films, ACCEPTED, and ABOUT LAST NIGHT, and the co-writer of HIGH FIDELITY and GROSSE POINT BLANK, Steve Pink has made a distinctive name for himself with individualistic comedy works that ooze personality. Now, he’s exploring darker edges of his sensibilities with TERRESTRIAL, a provocative thriller with unconventional comedy and sci-fi elements, still rooted in character and behavior, but filtered through paranoia and fear. A reunion weekend spirals out of control for four college friends when the host (Jermaine Fowler, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU) a science fiction writer on the verge of newfound success, fights to maintain his sense of reality in the face of sudden, uncanny dangers. Fowler is brilliant here and is flanked by a cast that includes James Morosini (I LOVE MY DAD), Pauline Chalamet (SEX LIFE OF COLLEGE GIRLS), Edy Modica (JURY DUTY), with Rob Yang (SUCCESSION) and Brendan Hunt (TED LASSO). World Premiere.
I FELL IN LOVE WITH A Z-GRADE DIRECTOR IN BROOKLYN IS A HEARTFELT LOVE LETTER TO INDIE HORROR FILMMAKING AND UNDERGROUND CULTURE
Screen star Shina Mizuhara has lost her passion for filmmaking and is now a rude and cynical mean machine. She decides to travel to New York with her perfect boyfriend who dumps her on arrival, leaving Shina without her wallet and cellphone. Speaking only Japanese, she meets Jack, a passionate z-grade director. He and his crew will convince her to star in their next film. Prolific producer/writer/director/
JULIE PACINO MAKES HER DIRECTORIAL DEBUT WITH THE LYNCHIAN I LIVE HERE NOW
With her feature debut I LIVE HERE NOW, Julie Pacino plunges us into a vibrant and nightmarish psychodrama that reverberate with echoes of David Lynch, Dario Argento, and the Coen brothers. Starring Lucy Fry (BRIGHT) as Rose, a woman haunted by trauma and trapped in a motel where reality unravels, the film blurs the lines between past and present, dream and waking life, captured in vivid 16mm. The film pulses with competing anxieties: the pursuit of perfection, the weight of generational trauma, and the invisible fist of capitalism tightening its grip around the necks of its characters. Featuring an all-star supporting cast including Madeline Brewer (CAM), Sheryl Lee (TWIN PEAKS), Cara Seymour (ADAPTATION.), and an exceptionally slimy Matt Rife, I LIVE HERE NOW marks the emergence of a bold new voice in genre cinema. World Premiere. First Wave
J-POP IS A BATTLEFIELD IN YA BOY KONGMIN! THE MOVIE
Zhuge Kongmin, the legendary military strategist of China’s War of the Three Kingdoms, has been inexplicably reincarnated in modern-day Tokyo. He’s now managing the career of a young amateur singer, Eiko. Convinced that her music could bring about universal peace, Kongmin engages in a series of schemes to get Eiko a place in a high-stakes pop-music competition. However, he who seeks peace must prepare for war… Created by writer Tato Yotsuba and manga artist Ryo Ogawa, the YA BOY KONGMIN! franchise has seen huge success as a manga, anime, and live-action TV series, so it was only a matter of time before this strange and hilarious tale found its way to cinemas, and luckily, it’s done so under the dynamic helm of director Shuhei Shibue. Featuring exhilarating performances by J-pop icons such as Avantgardey, Avu-chan from Queen Bees with renowned pianist Kamei Masaya, and Korean band &TEAM, and with a theme song by Lilas Ikuta from the group YOASOBI, YA BOY KONGMIN! THE MOVIE will thrill audiences as its hero pulls out all the stops to win. North American Premiere.
OUR FAVORITE BAD GIRL IS BACK! GET READY TO BE LED ASTRAY AND BETRAYED WITH INFLUENCERS!
Just when you thought it was safe to travel again, CW pops into your feed and activates your FOMO. After 2022’s smash hit INFLUENCER, Kurtis David Harder takes us to the South of France with dark persuasions and fatal outcomes. Starring the one and only Cassandra Naud as the mysterious chameleon CW, there’s no imposter syndrome here! Along with her fantastic co-stars, Veronica Long (BILLY THE KID) and Jonathan Whitesell (HAPPY FACE), they bring a new timeline and sicker-than-ever plans as CW opens her heart to a beautiful new girlfriend, played by Lisa Delamar (SURVIVE). This time, jealousy rears its ugly head as CW locks in on a popular British Influencer named Charlotte (Georgina Campbell, BARBARIAN, LOVELY, DARK AND DEEP), who throws a wrench in her anniversary plans with Diane. Gorgeous cinematography, nasty twists, and an outcome you won’t want to miss, INFLUENCERS will make you fact-check your socials forever! Septentrion Shadows section. World Premiere. First Wave
INDIE KOREAN THRILLER THE WOMAN TRADES IN TENSION AND SUSPENSE
An innocent exchange of strawberries and a secondhand appliance takes a very dark turn for Sun-kyung when it precedes her classmate’s suspicious suicide, and puts her on the trail of a mysterious, sinister stranger. Hwang Wook, the director of the hysterical, award-winning neo-Western black comedy MASH VILLE, an acclaimed World Premiere at last year’s Fantasia, returns to the festival with a new film in a completely different genre. THE WOMAN is a riveting, character-driven psychological thriller, filled with non-stop tension and suspense, thanks to its eerie musical score and stunning cinematography, and boasting an outstanding lead performance by Han Hye-ji. THE WOMAN is yet another excellent slice of independent Korean filmmaking, by a director who needs to be on your radar. World Premiere. First Wave
BUCKLE IN AND HOLD THE FORT
A HOA turns out to be more troublesome than usual in this wildly amusing, FX-heavy freak-out about newly minted suburbanites unexpectedly forced to take part in a struggle against monstrous forces. Narratives about motley groups of ill-equipped characters battling forces of evil are a staple of the modern horror/comedy world, but HOLD THE FORT, from writer/director William Bagley, is many yuks above the norm. With very funny dialogue, outrageous circumstances, and plenty of stylish splatstick as both the human and inhuman are dispatched in gruesome, sometimes giggle-worthy ways, with heaps of spurting, splashing gore and a nonstop parade of practically-created creatures and zombies. Starring Chris Mayers (OZARK), Haley Leary, sketch comic YouTube creator Julian Smith, and Tordy Clark (GLORIOUS), and featuring a charismatic turn from veteran stunt performer Hamid-Reza Benjamin Thompson (BLACK PANTHER, AVENGERS: ENDGAME). World Premiere. First Wave
POST-APOCALYPTIC ECO-THRILLER THE WELL FORETELLS OF ENVIRONMENTAL COLLAPSE
For his narrative feature debut, the Oscar-nominated documentarian Hubert Davis (HARDWOOD, BLACK ICE) looks to the future with a bleak prediction of environmental collapse. As the world’s resources dwindle and a deadly virus keeps people apart, a family protects their fresh water source from outsiders. When a young, injured man disrupts their solitude, and their daughter’s defiance threatens to reveal their precious well to another camp led by a charismatic but steely matriarch, danger brings the two factions together in a thrilling ride. THE WELL sets up a chilling scenario of what could happen in our very near future and is executive-produced by Clement Virgo (BROTHER) and Damon D’Oliveira (WILDHOOD); and stars Arnold Pinnock (THE PORTER), Shailyn Pierre-Dixon (THE BOOK OF NEGROS), Idrissa Sanogo (ROBIN HOOD), and Canadian screen and stage royalty Sheila McCarthy (WOMEN TALKING) as the matriarch Gabriel. Septentrion Shadows section. World Premiere. First Wave
STRANGE STUDENTS WITH STRANGER TALENTS KEEP WATCH IN HONEKO AKABANE’S BODYGUARDS
Despite her popularity, charm, kindness, and sense of justice, schoolgirl Honeko Akabane has hordes of assassins after her, although she doesn’t know it. Her biological father, whom she never met, hires a loud-mouthed young brawler to protect her without her knowledge, because Honeko’s purity and innocence must be maintained. Fortunately, he’s not alone. Winner of Best Director at the Fantasporto film festival, director Jun Ishikawa pulls out all the stops with this exhilarating and hilarious adaptation that perfectly captures the sweet madness of Masamitsu Nigatsu’s manga, brilliantly adapted by scriptwriter Hiroyuki Yatsu (Takashi Miike’s AS THE GODS WILL). The panoply of eccentric characters with formidable and sometimes disturbing talents are played marvelously by an excellent cast of young actors who maintain the light-hearted tone of this hilarious and electrifying action-comedy. North American Premiere.
FANTASY ROMCOM ANIME CHAO MAKES A BIG SPLASH
A junior designer at the leading shipbuilding company might have the key to peaceful relations between humans and merfolk. His role in achieving detente, however, suddenly becomes a lot stranger when the mermaid princess announces that she has selected Stephen as her fiancé! A 21st-century reworking of Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid tale set in a psychedelic, cyberpunk Shanghai, the frenzied and fantastical romantic comedy CHAO comes care of that most distinctive and inventive of anime factories, Studio 4ºC. The first full feature film from director Yasuhiro Aoki (BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHT, TWEENY WITCHES) took seven years and over 100,000 drawings to bring to life, and the hard work has paid off. CHAO is a daring and dazzling burst of animated brilliance, one that will catapult Aoki and his punky, unconventional style to the top tier of the anime world. Animation Plus section. North American Premiere.
A WILD TRIBUTE TO 1970s PORNOGRAPHY AND EROTIC THRILLERS WITH ANYTHING THAT MOVES
Shot in stunning Super 16mm, ANYTHING THAT MOVES is the steamy follow-up feature from director Alex Phillips who made audiences laugh and wretch with 2022’s ALL JACKED UP AND FULL OF WORMS, a World Premiere at Fantasia). He’s back with a surreal take on the erotic thriller that strikes the balance between riotous tribute and filthy horror in a film that follows sex worker and bike courier Liam on his adventures making clients happy with orgasms and sandwiches. Liam’s joyful existence is soon interrupted by the arrival of a serial killer, which throws his life into the realm of paranoia and conspiracy, casting a dark shadow over the city of Chicago. In the midst of its juicy gore, bizarre poetry, and switchback storytelling the film features real adult stars Nina Hartley and Ginger Lynn Allen, as well as a brilliant music score by Cue Shop. Underground section. World Premiere.
A SUPERNATURAL RIDE DEEP INTO UNEXPECTED TERRITORY: HELLCAT
A woman (Dakota Gorman) wakes in the back of a moving camper trailer with a badly infected wound. A voice (Todd Terry) from the truck towing it tells her they must reach a mysterious doctor within the hour or she’ll suffer a horrific fate. Thus begins HELLCAT, the feature debut of writer/editor/director Brock Bodell, who previously cut the mind-bending ULTRASOUND (Fantasia 2021), among others. Bodell doesn’t take a wrong turn, delivering a twisty thrill ride of strong characters, shredding tension, and real surprises that takes viewers deep into unexpected places. Featuring SNL’s James Austin Johnson as the voice of a late-night DJ on a supernatural call-in show, and gripping performances from supporting cast Jordan Mullins and Liz Atwater. World Premiere. First Wave First Wave
NECROMANCY AND BELIEF VS CORPOREAL DECAY: MOTHER OF FLIES SPELLBINDS
When a young woman faces a deadly diagnosis, she seeks dark magic from a witch in the woods… but every cure has costs. Written and directed by John and Zelda Adams and Toby Poser (The Adams Family), who also star, shot, edited, and scored, MOTHER OF FLIES is the latest creation from the filmmaking family behind such singular landmarks as THE DEEPER YOU DIG, HELLBENDER, and WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS, each of which has World Premiered at Fantasia. Described by the filmmakers as their fairytale manipulation of the darkly shadowed, yet love-lined pathways between a human life and death, MOTHER OF FLIES is an extraordinary work of personal genre storytelling, gestated through the family’s own experiences battling and surviving cancer. It stands with the strongest of their work, a poetic, haunting, and moving film that glows with otherworldly imagination, exploring the concept of necromancy in connection with two women who have very intimate relationships with death. World Premiere. First Wave First Wave
WHOSE TALE IS TRUE IN KYRGYZ MYSTERY BURNING?
One stormy night, a fire engulfs a family home. In a nearby convenience store, neighbors gossip and speculate: was it black magic, a woman’s madness, or a man crushed by life? Director Radik Eshimov, an emerging Kyrgyz talent known for blending sharp social commentary with humor in hits like EL EMNE DEIT, steps boldly into new territory with the suspenseful BURNING. Anchored by standout performances from its three leads, Aysanat Edigeeva (TAXI), Ömürbek Izrailov (DEAL AT THE BORDER), and Kyrgyz Republic People’s Artist Kalicha Seydalieva, BURNING delivers a gripping mystery told in true RASHOMON fashion. Listen closely, sift through the lies, and decide for yourself: Who really started the fire? North American Premiere.
THE BEARDED GIRL BLENDS SIDESHOW CHARM WITH A COMING-OF-AGE STORY YOU WON’T FORGET
Jody Wilson captures the charm of a fairy tale with a Western sensibility in THE BEARDED GIRL. Cleo is ready to spread her wings and, tired of tradition and feeling like an oddball, she leaves her sheltered carnival life to find love and adventure. Starring Anwen O’Driscoll of BET and YOU CAN LIVE FOREVER as the next generation of sword-swallowing bearded women and MAD MEN’s Jessica Paré as her overbearing mother, Wilson takes her personal experience growing up in Western Canada as a nonconformist to create a confident first feature that highlights queer themes with dry humor and sensitivity. Septentrion Shadows section. World Premiere. First Wave
DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES COLLIDE IN MEXICO’S FIRST STOP-MOTION FEATURE
The task of crafting Mexico’s very first stop-motion animated feature film could not have fallen to four more worthy hands than those of Rodolfo and Arturo Ambriz. Proteges of Guillermo del Toro, the brothers gained widespread recognition with the short film REVOLTOSO (Fantasia 2016), demonstrating daring ideas and a bedeviled attention to detail. Further acclaim arrived in 2021 with FRANKELDA’S BOOK OF SPOOKS, a five-episode miniseries on Cartoon Network Latin America and HBO Max, introducing the phantom author Frankelda and her companion Herneval, an enchanted book. It turns out that the most astonishing tale the two have to tell is their own! The dazzling I AM FRANKELDA explores the challenging childhood of Francisca Imelda, and how she came to befriend Herneval, prince of the realm that lies on the other side of our dreams. Discover that world of weirdness and wonder for yourself as a milestone of animation history comes to life on Fantasia’s big screen! Animation Plus section. North American Premiere. First Wave
THE LAST WOMAN ON EARTH JUMPS INTO CINEMA’S GENDER DIVIDE
Hanah’s pitch for her film school project, a satirical revenge story against men, isn’t going over well with her classmates. Especially Cheol, who accuses her of misandry (which she doesn’t deny). Cheol, meanwhile, can’t get funding for his own film because of the lack of female perspective in his script. A very fraught creative partnership begins. Yeum Moon-kyoung and Lee Jong-min star together in what’s also their feature directorial debut, THE LAST WOMAN ON EARTH a quirky and immensely entertaining comedy about the unique world of filmmaking and the challenges of gender equality in cinematic storytelling. The dynamic between Yeum and Lee, as well as the highly imaginative B-movie energy of the film-within-the-film scenes, will paste a smile on your face throughout the characters’ creative process. International Premiere. First Wave
A HAUNTING 8MM DESCENT INTO AUSTRALIA’S SURREAL UNDERBELLY
A GRAND MOCKERY, the feature debut from co-directors Adam C. Briggs and Sam Dixon, is a grimy, experimental descent into Australia’s dark underbelly, rendered in the raw textures of 8mm film. Starring Dixon as Josie, a man plagued by mental illness, addiction, and compulsion, the film follows his increasingly horrific, near-ritualistic wandering from Brisbane’s mundane outskirts to the sublime horrors of the Sunshine Coast. With a tone that veers from darkly funny to nightmarishly surreal, the film channels the disorienting psychology of its outcast protagonist. A technical triumph of underground cinema, A GRAND MOCKERY transforms the grain of 8mm into something painterly and visceral, evoking Francis Bacon’s dread-soaked visions while building a phantasmagoric world of blurred realities, hypnotic soundscapes, and cinematic obsession. At once grotesque and poetic, it’s a film that pulses with human chaos and defies categorization. Underground section. International Premiere First Wave
MORE SPECTACULAR SPOOKINESS IN MONONOKE THE MOVIE: CHAPTER II – THE ASHES OF RAGE
After the first film’s sold-out world premiere at last year’s Fantasia, the mysterious Medicine Seller is back for another adventure as director Kenji Nakamura continues his inspired revival of his pop-psychedelic, paranormal-procedural anime phenomenon. The first chapter’s wildly inventive approach to design and technique, immersing the viewer in an overwhelming whirlwind of Edo-period iconography, earned MONONOKE THE MOVIE: PHANTOM IN THE RAIN a Satoshi Kon Award for Best Animated Feature, and its sequel is no less daring, dynamic, and visually dazzling. It digs even deeper into the secrets of a paradise poisoned by patriarchal cruelty, where women are reduced to mere vessels for the offspring of their social betters, for their own families’ cynical ambitions… or for the vengeful spirits of others wronged in the past. Animation Plus section. North American Premiere. First Wave
Fantasia is happy to announce that the festival has signed a three-year agreement with MELS as Presenting Sponsor. Known for its world class soundstages and highly qualified staff, MELS is one of the largest providers of film and television services in Canada. Its turnkey service covers everything from script to screen. Most of MELS’ stages are in downtown Montreal. They have serviced major feature film productions like SCREAM VI, HOME SWEET HOME ALONE, TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS, and more.
The studio’s post-production services include offline editing, image finishing, a full range of sound services and one of North America’s few remaining Kodak-accredited photochemical labs for film-stock processing, supporting 16mm and 35mm. Its services extend to film restoration, deliverables, and digital archiving. MELS also has a very large mixing stage where the sound mix for Denis Villeneuve’s Oscar-winning ARRIVAL (also shot at MELS) was done.
MELS is part of Quebecor Inc., a Canadian leader in telecommunications, media, and entertainment. Fantasia has been working closely with Quebecor and its various subsidiaries since 2016.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 festival would like to thank all its private partners, friends of the event, as well as official suppliers, venues, and all participating filmmakers, sales agents, and distributors for their invaluable support.
Director Felipe Vargas tells the story of a successful investor and titular character, ROSARIO. When her estranged grandmother dies, Rosario returns to the apartment to discover a hidden chamber and deadly family secrets. She must confront the past to survive the night.
Carlos Osorio‘s production design brims with sumptuous, decaying jewel tones. The practical FX are fantastic. Carmen Cabana‘s cinematography is mesmerizing. With deliberate blink-and-you-won’t-miss-it moments, the jarring tilt of the camera, and each choice begs your attention.
David Dastmalchian is quickly becoming a Scream King. His towering presence as neighbor Joe adds a level of genre validity. The majority of the film relies on Emeraude Toubia‘s solo performance. She steps up to the plate with effortless presence and fierceness.
Screenwriter Alan Trezza delivers twists and turns, not to mention some shocking but well-utilized fight scenes. However, I do think both Rosario and Joe deserved a happier outcome. ROSARIO is a mix of lore, denied culture, grief, and regret. Even our best intentions are no match for the universe’s plans.
WATCH THE TRAILER:
In Theaters Nationwide on May 2, 2025. The film stars Emeraude Toubia (“Shadowhunters”), Davi Synopsis: Wall Street stockbroker, Rosario Fuentes, returns to her grandmother’s apartment after her sudden death. While sorting through her Grandmother’s belongings, Rosario uncovers a horrifying secret—a hidden chamber filled with occult artifacts tied to dark generational rituals. As supernatural occurrences plague her, Rosario must confront her family’s buried secrets and face the truth about the sacrifices and choices they made. Run Time: 88 minutes Rating: R |
Filmmaker Jon Bell delivers a horrific manifestation of unresolved cultural trauma in THE MOOGAI. The film opens in 1970. Aboriginal children have been forcibly removed from their families and adopted into white families for decades. Present day, Sarah Bishop eschews her cultural roots. Once a stolen child, a fact she vehemently denies, the difficult birth of her second child comes with collective wounds and folklore she cannot outrun.
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.
You can read our coverage of the original SXSW short film here!
The Moogai Trailer:
THE MOOGAI
Theatrical Release Date: May 9, 2025
Written and Directed By: Jon Bell
Director of Photography: Sean Ryan
Cast: Shari Sebbens, Meyne Wyatt, Tessa Rose, Clarence Ryan, with Toby Leonard Moore and Bella Heathcote
Produced By: Kristina Ceyton, Samantha Jennings & Mitchell Stanley
Executive Produced By: Stephen Kelliher, Sophie Green, Phil Hunt, Compton Ross, Daniel Negret, Anjali Patil, Salman Al-Rashid & Sam Frohman
Editor: Simon Njoo Ase
Runtime: 86 Minutes
Synopsis: Sarah and Fergus, a hopeful young Aboriginal couple, give birth to their second baby. But what should be a joyous time of their lives becomes sinister when Sarah starts seeing a malevolent spirit she is convinced is trying to take her baby. Fergus, who can’t see it but desperately wants to believe her, grows increasingly worried as she becomes more unbalanced. Is the child-stealing spirit real or is she in fact the biggest threat to the safety of their family?
PÁRVULOS: CHILDREN OF THE APOCALYPSE- One of the coolest films from last year’s festival circuit is coming in June.
Synopsis: In a dystopian future ravaged by a viral apocalypse, three young brothers—Salvador, Oliver, and Benjamin—find themselves isolated in a remote cabin deep within the woods. As they navigate this desolate world, they harbor a dark and disturbing secret in their basement, a presence they must feed to ensure their own survival.
Here is our original Fantastic Fest 2024 review:
Filmmaker Isaac Ezban brings Fantastic Fest 2024 PÁRVULOS, the story of three siblings surviving in the woods by scavenging in a virus-ravaged world. The dangerous secret they harbor in the basement may be their undoing.
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.
Two surprising performances will blow you away, but I won’t spoil that with specifics. I will only say that Norma Flores and Horacio Lazo give us everything they’ve got. Our three young brothers are magnificent. Mateo Ortega Casillas gives Benny the right amount of innocence and rebellion. Leonardo Cervantes delivers vulnerability and compassion as Oliver. Farid Escalante Correa gives Salvador a perfect mix of resentment and raging hormones. Together, they warm and break your heart.
PÁRVULOS has enough meat on the bone for a series. Visually striking, beautifully acted, and ceaselessly compelling. Is it not only a highlight of Fantastic Fest, but one of the year’s best films, period.
EGGHEAD & TWINKIE is an instant classic. After coming out to her parents, two best friends go on an impromptu road trip to meet a crush. This genre-bending film is one of the most fun selections at Outfest: LA. (Here is our original review from the fest)
Jill Cefalo-Sanders provides quirky animation, giving us adorable hand-drawn anime-inspired visuals for emotions, sounds, and transitions. It’s very Lizzie McGuire, and that’s an absolute compliment. It’s almost its own character in the film. The script kicks close-minded conservatism to the curb, much like a Mini Katana cutting through outdated beliefs with precision and style. Writer-director Sarah Kambe Holland makes Twinkie a total badass. She is funny, brave, awkward, fearless, and (to use a Gen Z word) fire. Holland gives Egghead all the qualities to balance his best friend. He is nerdy, loyal, thoughtful, and unequivocally at Twinkie’s mercy. The script doesn’t shy away from sexual fluidity but directly addresses it in an accessible way.
Asahi Hirano plays Jess with a comfortability that is chef’s kiss. Acting like an LGBTQ+ sensai for Twinkie, Hirano makes the conversation flow easily. She is a delight, someone who could carry a spinoff film. Louis Tomeo as Egghead is fantastic. He is laugh-out-loud funny in his natural delivery. The sass is perfection. Holland allows him to show his comedy chops through the script and hilarious editing from Anna DeFinis and Kristina League. Sabrina Jie-a-fa plays Twinkie with a perfect balance of audaciousness and hesitancy. We see authentic coming-of-age and coming-out stories in her journey. Together, Tomeo and Jie-a-fa are a spectacular duo. You will fall in love with them.
The teenage shenanigans ring true. That feeling of invincibility and daring reminds me of my crazy ideas and dumb decisions in the late 90s. Egghead and Twinkie take risks, make mistakes, hurt each other, get their hearts broken, and confess their fears. The film is a helpful guide for parents struggling to understand their kids’ feelings. Regardless of their core beliefs, EGGHEAD & TWINKIE is undeniably relatable. A modern-day romcom-buddy comedy-road movie we all needed to see. It is easily one of the year’s best films. Do not sleep on it!
Beth Lane’s captivating documentary, UnBroken, tells the story of seven siblings who survived Nazi Germany. Following the arrest of their hero mother and previously imprisoned Catholic father, marked for a concentration camp, Lane’s mother and siblings were smuggled to safety in the back of a truck in the dead of night by their farmer neighbor. A journey of unbelievable resiliency, Lane retraces their steps from Berlin to America and into the pages of history.
Lane pieces together the Weber children’s story using archival footage, family photos, letters of eldest brother Alfons, and the foggy memories of the five remaining sisters. She travels to Berlin, stopping at each location where the siblings were hidden and nurtured. Lane discovers her grandfather’s original fascist concentration camp papers and the entry log of all seven children in a nunnery, finding that her mother Bela’s instinct about her middle name was correct.
Misfit delivers enchanting line-drawn animation to fill in the visual gaps. Aaron Soffin and Dina Guttmann’s editing is award-worthy. Jonathan Snipes’ score is haunting. The film plays out like historical fiction from one moment to the next.
One particularly intriguing moment happens as Beth runs into a small group of young people listening to music outside the siblings’ old apartment. After she tells them what the film is about, she asks if they would hide her if history repeats itself. Their honesty will burn into your memory. The echoes of trauma and triumph rear their ugly heads in many ways, but the knowledge that in saving seven siblings, there are now 72 thriving Weber family members is something to celebrate.
The similarities to the systematic dismantling of the United States’ democracy should serve as a stark warning, but UnBroken also shines a light on the goodness of the human heart. One phrase from the film perfectly captures the message. “When you’re faced with adversity, who do you become?”
About the film:UNBROKEN is the miraculous true story of the seven Weber siblings, ages 6-18, who evaded certain capture and death, and ultimately escaped Nazi Germany relying solely on their youthful bravado and the kindness of strangers, following their mother’s incarceration and murder at Auschwitz.After being hidden in a laundry hut by a benevolent German farmer, the children spent two years on their own in war torn Germany. Emboldened by their father’s mandate that they ‘always stay together,’ the children used their own cunning instincts to fight through hunger, loneliness, rape, bombings and fear. Climactically separated from their father, the siblings are forced to declare themselves as orphans in order to escape to a new life in America. Unbeknownst to them, this salvation would become what would finally tear them apart, not to be reunited for another 40 years.Filmmaker Beth Lane, daughter of the youngest Weber sibling, embarks on a quest to retrace their steps, seeking answers to long-held questions about her family’s survival. The film examines the journey of the Weber family as told through conversations with living siblings – now in their eighties and nineties – while Beth and her crew road trip across Germany, following the courageous, tumultuous, and harrowing path taken by her family over seventy years ago.UnBroken is Beth Lane’s feature directorial debut, and it is both a professional milestone and a personal quest to immortalize the incredible story of the Weber siblings’ survival as the only family of seven Jewish siblings living in Nazi Germany known to have survived and emigrated together.The film had its world premiere at the 23rd Heartland International Film Festival, where it was awarded Best Documentary Feature Film. It also won the Audience Choice award at the River Run Int’l Film Festival, Julien Dubuque Int’l Film Festival and The Berkshire Int’l Film Festival.
Filmmaker Aislinn Clarke brings Shudder audiences a dark and tense story of a primary caregiver and the odd elderly ward she finds herself assigned. Following the death of her estranged mother, Shoo travels to a small town riddled with foul energy for the woman she must look after. Peig is a household name, and not in a good way. Surrounded by Peig’s superstitious rituals, Shoo’s growing isolation and underlying anguish trigger a long-dormant demand.
Beautifully lit and framed (DP Narayan Van Maele is a wonder), FRÉWAKA pulls you in from the first scene. Straying from any formula, Clarke takes an even more nightmarish approach with the second scene. The audience is in a constant state of unease. Peig’s routine is easily dismissed as dementia, but Clarke understands folk horror to its core.
Bríd Ní Neachtain gives Peig a fiery sass that is intoxicating. Walking the line between paranoia and rage, Neachtain commands your attention. Clare Monnelly infuses a similar hardness to Shoo but mixes a lost hurt, complex grief, and underlying fear into her role. Together, they make one hell of a compelling watch.
A clever mix of unresolved trauma and lore, Clarke keeps you guessing at every turn. One particular death made me gasp out loud. The script examines mental illness, generational trauma, and fae canon in a wicked and creative manner. FRÉWAKA is wholely unsettling. It is a perfect crossover for any romantasy readers and genre girlies.
Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thrillers and the supernatural, today announced the streaming premiere date and released the trailer and poster for FRÉWAKA, from the director/writer of the acclaimed THE DEVIL’S DOORWAY, Aislinn Clarke. The highly anticipated film, which made its world premiere at the 2024 Locarno Film Festival and its U.K. premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, will make its exclusive streaming debut Friday, April 25 on Shudder as part of the Halfway to Halloween celebration.
In Neal Kelley and Jono Sherman‘s sci-fi comedy DADDY, four men navigate an intense government-controlled assessment retreat to determine whether they are eligible to father children. When they arrive at a remote cabin in the California hills without phones or the appearance of an assigned monitor, paranoia sets in.
The dialogue feels like a stage play. The men share anxieties, theories, dreams, trauma, and awkward existential moments. Their social hardwiring takes center stage with subtle (and not so subtle) toxicity and competitive natures rearing their ugly heads. The audience lives in their discomfort. The men are colored-coded with various shades of sweatsuits and matching household items. Each one has a unique personality, problem-solving strategies, and emotional intelligence. Kelley and Sherman escalate mundane scenarios mirroring the unpredictability of parenting. I would love to see the women’s retreat as a sequel.
These men are complicated, and the arrival of a mystery guest heightens everything. Yuriy Sardarov, Jacqueline Toboni, Neal Kelley, Jono Sherman, and Pomme Koch deliver exceptionally nuanced performances. Empathy, competition, and fear create a powder keg. DADDY is a superb companion watch for The Assessment. Both occur in a dystopian near-future that looks more plausible with each passing day. DADDY is a complex character study with an ending that may shatter your moral compass. Do not miss it.
DADDY Trailer:
Anchor Bay Entertainment’s sci-fi comedy DADDY, directed and written by Neal Kelly and Jono Sherman and starring Yuriy Sardarov (“Chicago Fire,” Argo), Jacqueline Toboni (“Grimm,” “The L Word: Generation Q”), Neal Kelley, Jono Sherman, and Pomme Koch (“Law & Order,” “WeCrashed”).
Two friends trudge through a Michigan forest with the intention of following through on a disturbing pact. Once their plan goes shockingly awry, the surreal and haunting consequences of their failure can’t stay hidden for long.
“Joel Potrykus, the undisputed maestro of ‘metal slackerism,’ again serves up a singular experience by taking a simple idea to its logical conclusion, and then a lot further.”
– IndieWire
“A darkly funny heavy metal comedy that deftly shifts into a poignant existential drama. Potrykus helms with edgy style, but it’s his and Burge’s transformative performances that carry this unconventional gem.”
– Bloody Disgusting
“A fascinating film. What I admire most about the truly strange ‘Vulcanizadora’ is that I haven’t seen anything like it. Joshua Burge is phenomenal.”
Written and Directed by JOEL POTRYKUS (APE, BUZZARD, RELAXER)
Produced by HANNAH DWECK, MATT GRADY, ASHLEY POTRYKUS, THEODORE SCHAEFER
Starring JOSHUA BURGE, JOEL POTRYKUS, BILL VINCENT, SOLO POTRYKUS, MELISSA BLANCHARD
Run Time: 85 minutes
Language: English
The multitalented filmmaker and musician Anna Campbell‘s musical motherhood journey NORA is in theatres now. The film follows a former musician who moves to the burbs to raise her young daughter. With her husband on the road for six weeks, Nora must navigate considerable life changes in the suburban jungle while coming to terms with her deepest dreams.
Sophie Mara Baaden plays six-year-old Sadie with authentic innocence and sass. She has wonderful chemistry with Campbell. Lesley Ann Warren plays Nora’s waspy mother and provides the stereotypical artist’s parent doubtful “I told you so” tone. Nick Fink is fantastic as Sadie’s first-grade teacher Adam. He and Campbell are a striking duo. It doesn’t hurt that his singing voice Is delicious.
The script nails the loss of personal identity when a woman becomes a mother. The invisible labor and patriarchal structure often lead to isolation and lingering resentment. It delves into self-loathing and body changes. It tackles suburban social pressure, which can be a lot. On the flip side, she also perfectly captures the love-filled hyping up we do for our kids every single day.
Nora disassociates through musical fantasy sequences. Each one, featuring Noah Harmon‘s undeniably original and catchy song, becomes a spectacular music video that delivers visual surprises and pushes her’s narrative forward like an emotional freight train. Think Veruca Salt, The Breeders, Tori Amos, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It is a jolt of feminist rocker joy.
Campbell is ceaselessly charming. She is funny, self-effacing, anxiety-ridden, and pottymouthed, just the way I like my fellow Moms. As a woman who gave up a career performing to be a supportive partner and mother, NORA fills my soul with a knowing.
Kevin Fletcher‘s cinematography is beautiful. Christoph Baaden’s editing is applause-worthy. Each cast member gives us precisely what we need from them. NORA manages to be both unique and extraordinarily universal. It is a must-see.
NORA Trailer:
Releasing in Theaters in Los Angeles on April 11th and in New York on April 18th
The journey of self discovery isn’t always easy. Returning to her hometown after abandoning her music career, Nora finds it difficult to settle into the new demands of suburban motherhood. When her husband goes on tour and leaves her solo-parenting their precocious six-year-old, Nora is forced to evaluate her current circumstances and the dreams she left behind.
Directed by:
Anna Campbell
Written by:
Anna Campbell
Starring:
Anna Campbell
Lesley Ann Warren
Sophie Mara Baaden
Nick Fink
Jay Walker
Max Lesser
Nancy Hale
Running Time:
101 Minutes
Welcome back! Are you ready to start the show?
Watch the teaser for FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S 2.
#FNAF2Movie is only in theaters this December.
FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S 2 – IN THEATERS DECEMBER 5
Official Website | Facebook | X | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | #FNAF2Movie
Anyone can survive five nights. This time, there will be no second chances.
Blumhouse’s box-office horror phenomenon Five Nights at Freddy’s, the highest-grossing horror film of 2023, begins a blood-chilling new chapter of animatronic terror.
Based on Scott Cawthon’s blockbuster game series, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is directed by acclaimed returning filmmaker Emma Tammi (The Wind, Blood Moon).
The first film, which opened to a record-shattering $80 million and went on to earn almost $300 million worldwide, followed Mike, a troubled young man who reluctantly takes a job as a night security guard at an abandoned theme restaurant, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, hoping it will help him retain custody of his young sister. That fateful decision instead drags him into the black heart of a supernatural nightmare.
The film is again produced by Jason Blum (M3GAN, Black Phone, Halloween franchise) and Scott Cawthon.
Genre: Horror
Director: Emma Tammi
Producers: Jason Blum, Scott Cawthon
Jean Luc Herbulot brings Beyond Fest 2024 audiences a heartpounder in ZERO. Two Americans in Senegal wake up to discover bombs strapped to their chests and an unknown man speaking in their ear. They have ten hours to complete seemingly unrelated tasks before they explode. Can they beat a madman at his own game? This stealthy geopolitical thrill ride does not disappoint.
At first glance, our leading men appear opposites, but the script slowly reveals their motivations are the same. ZERO is an entirely new game of cat-and-mouse. A surprising philosophical angle is carefully crafted into the screenplay, branding a message into the audience’s psyche.
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.
Performances are outstanding. Unmistakable icon Willem Dafoe is the mysterious voice over the phone. There is something about his tone and rhythm that hypnotizes the viewer. Gary Dourdan adds a voice of enlightenment. His calm, powerful demeanor sets a tone against the tumultuous pacing.
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.
Jean Luc Herbulot delivers a winner in ZERO. Its bold messaging and fearless choices make it one of the year’s most shocking thrillers.
DIRECTOR: Jean Luc Herbulot
WRITERS: Jean Luc Herbulot, Hus Miller
CAST: Hus Miller, Cam McHarg, Gary Dourdan, Moran Rosenblatt, Annabelle Lengronne, Jessica Lorraine, Roger Sallah
Green and Gold highlights small-town farmers’ vital role as stewards of the land and pillars of their communities. Over the past 5 years alone, America has lost more than 140,000 family farms, but their resilient spirit endures. The film highlights hard work, love for the land, and commitment to preserving legacies for future generations.
Set against the backdrop of the 1990s, Green and Gold celebrates the enduring spirit of family, community, and football focusing on the heartwarming and triumphant journey of a small-town farmer.
Nelson remarked, “This story felt personal to me, I felt a real connection to it because the Nelson family farm has been a working farm in South Dakota since the Civil War, and my wife’s family were also farmers. Green and Gold captures the tenacity of small-town farmers and the strength of family and community. I was honored to play Buck and highlight the dreams defining many lives in America’s heartland.”
Director Anders Lindwall expressed, “Growing up just north of Green Bay as the grandson of a dairy farmer and die-hard Packers fans, my brother Davin and I poured our hearts into this film. It’s our tribute to small-town communities and the values they stand for.”
This meaningful film is presented in collaboration with Culver’s and the Green Bay Packers, the nation’s only community-owned professional football team. Culver’s small-town Wisconsin roots give the restaurant franchise a true heart for agriculture and inspired the creation of its Thank You Farmers® Project, which has donated more than $6.5 million toensure a sustainable food supply for the future.
As for the Green Bay Packers, this marks the team’s first time partnering with a feature film on this level, adding a unique depth to the story. “Green and Gold portrays the story of Packers fans’ devotion to legacy and community—it is a must-see. We are proud to be part of a story celebrating supporting one another and showcasing the critical role that family farms play across our great state of Wisconsin and beyond,” said Packers director of corporate partnership sales & activations, Justin Wolf.
Green and Gold is directed by Anders Lindwall and produced by Davin Lindwall and Aaron Boyd. Dan Visser, Darren Moorman, Scott Pomeroy, Craig Cheek, and Brooks Malberg executive produce the feature film. The screenplay was written by Steven Shafer, Michael Graf, Missy Mareau Garcia, and Anders Lindwall.
Green and Gold was named an Official Selection and Audience Award Winner at the 2024 Austin Film Festival. The film received Official Selection and Audience Choice at the Heartland Film Festival for its compelling storytelling and emotional depth.
About Culver’s and the Thank You Farmers Project
Since its founding in 2013, Culver’s Thank You Farmers® Project has donated over $6.5 million to agriculture, ensuring a sustainable food supply for future generations. Culver’s is a proud partner of the National FFA Foundation, investing in youth leadership and climate-smart agricultural practices. Learn more about the Thank You Farmers® Project at www.culvers.com/thank-you-farmers-project.
Gold and Green is an authentic, multigenerational story of family values and self-discovery. The film is a great companion watch with the David Duchovny film REVERSE THE CURSE. Both delve into child/parent relationships that heavily revolve around a sports team. Oh, and Craig T. Nelson never misses. Check out the trailer below.
Joanna finds out that chemo is no longer working. Her doctor offers her a Death With Dignity option. They can mail her medication to end her life, but she must make arrangements for her body to be picked up. When the package gets delayed, all her plans go haywire.
Death and comedy don’t usually go hand-in-hand, but somehow, OUT FOR DELIVERY manages to be equal parts dark and light. Over sixteen minutes, filmmaker Chelsea Christer delves into existential ideas, regret, and childhood trauma. It is a weirdly touching slice of human connection. Deanna Rooney and Martin Starr are spectacular. They share an easy chemistry, highlighted brilliantly during the film’s final comedic moments. OUT FOR DELIVERY is an oddly cathartic honoring of life’s choices, sure to make you smile and perhaps encourage you to take a beat to smell the roses. It is a memorable addition to this year’s lineup.
Chelsea Christer began her filmmaking career in San Francisco. Her work centers on character-driven stories, often exploring themes of identity, ambition, and human connection. Her feature-length debut, award-winning music documentary “Bleeding Audio”, was released to critical acclaim. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their dog, Sagan.
Director: |
Chelsea Christer |
---|---|
Executive Producer: |
Toni Trucks, Clinton Trucks |
Producer: |
Clinton Trucks, Alexa Rocero, David B. Lyons |
Screenwriter: |
Chelsea Christer |
Cinematographer: |
Gavin Velasquez Murray |
Editor: |
Chelsea Christer |
Production Designer: |
Linda Dahlem |
Sound Designer: |
Ben Hicks |
Music: |
Matthew Taylor |
Principal Cast: |
Deanna Rooney, Martin Starr, DeMorge Brown, John Ross Bowie, Dana Swanson, Cory Shanbom, Ele Woods, Brian David Gilbert |
Additional Credits: |
1st AD: Cory Shanbom, Production Assistant: Aurora Zenith, 1st AC: Sean Delahunt, Sound Mixer: Jose Castro, Colorist: Ayumi Ashley, VFX Supervisor: Danny Shepherd, Key Grip/Gaffer: Lance Gegner, Gaffer: Ben Thatcher, Grip: Zach Domingo, Grip: Steve Forbes |
Filmmakers Martin Brauen and Yangzom Brauen give SXSW 2025 audiences many things in their intimate documentary Mola: A Tibetan Tale of Love and Loss. Kunsang Wangmo is a firecracker. A Tibetan nun exiled from her homeland in 1959 to escape the Chinese occupation turns 100, and her final wish is to die in her homeland. The film explores respect, a stunning cultural snapshot, and generational healing.
The audience gets a boot camp lesson in Buddhism. The religion relies on the concept of embracing life to achieve full consciousness. In this practice, death is more fulfilling. Mola displays respect for all creatures through prayer and everyday gestures, some as small as encouraging flies to feast upon her leftover fruit.
Archival footage from Tibet is equal parts magical and devastating. Mola recalls her life’s journey in voice-over narration. Her harrowing escape to an Indian refugee camp as a young mother is difficult to hear but hauntingly parallels the current global upheaval. Twelve years later, a move to Switzerland with Sonam and Martin changed everything, finally providing well-deserved stability and forty-five years of family life.
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.
Mola’s birthday wish is to go home. Martin works diligently toward obtaining a visa for her return to Tibet. After months of back-and-forth emails, Mola begins a new adventure in her homeland, while Sonam starts a new stage of grief. Watching her mother experience pure joy after 40 years is draining. Six months later, the Chinese government denied Mola’s visa renewal, but she is ready to return to Switzerland. Unsurprisingly, Mola’s health rapidly declines upon her return, and a new wave of acceptance falls upon the shoulders of the entire family. Witnessing the decline of a loved one is something you can never prepare yourself for.
There is something peaceful about MOLA. Its quiet, contemplative nature delivers an unexpected universality. It honors the life of a woman whose faith extended until her last breath.
Kunsang Wangmo – known as “Mola” to her family – is a Tibetan nun exiled from her homeland in 1959 to escape the Chinese occupation. Now 100 years old, and after living with her daughter Sonam in Switzerland for the past 45 years, she decides her last wish is to die in Tibet. This is the story of a mother and daughter coming to terms with this phase in Mola’s life, and Sonam and her husband Martin’s journey to make Mola’s last wish come true.
Yangzom Brauen
Yangzom is an award-winning Film & TV Director recognized for her short film Born in Battle, which won UNESCO and audience awards. She has directed over 30 hours of TV, including NCIS LA, Hawaii Five-0, and American Horror Stories. A bestselling author of Across Many Mountains, she’s a passionate Tibetan Freedom advocate, fluent in five languages.
Martin Brauen
Martin Brauen (b. 1948) is an anthropologist, curator, and author specializing in Tibetan, Nepalese, Bhutanese, and Japanese cultures. Former chief curator of the Rubin Museum in NYC, he has curated nearly 100 exhibitions and authored many works, including The Mandala. A filmmaker, he explores cultural traditions through films and 3D animations.
Credits
Directors:
Yangzom Brauen, Martin Brauen
Executive Producer:
Sonam Brauen, Martin Brauen, Yangzom Brauen, Daniel Stanca-Di Marco, James Haygood, Michael Raimondi
Producer:
Katherine LeBlond
Screenwriter:
Yangzom Brauen, Martin Brauen
Cinematographer:
Martin Brauen, Yangzom Brauen
Editor:
James Haygood, Samir Samperisi
Sound Designer:
Peter von Siebenthal, Arlind Sermaxhaj, Eliot Martig
Music:
Patrick Kirst
Principal Cast:
Kunsang Wangmo, Sonam Dolma Brauen, Martin Brauen
Additional Credits:
Co-Producer: Kevin Merz, Co-Producer: Samir Samperisi, Co-Producer: Silvana Bezzola Rigolini, Co-Producer: Michael Beltrami, Co-Producer: RSI Radiotelevisione Svizzera
Filmmaker Eva Aridjis Fuentes‘s fascination with an unknown singer leads her on an unexpected journey sparked by the luckiest cab ride of her life.
Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus opens with a song that fans will immediately associate with one of the most iconic villains in cinematic history. Diane Luckey penned Goodbye Horses in the 80s while working as a taxi driver. Following a cameo in the film Philadelphia in the mid-90s, Q Lazzarus disappeared. But why?
The chance meeting of Fuentes and Luckey gives us insight into a music industry mystery. Diane, aka Q Lazzarus, tells us her history with music, beginning in her childhood Baptist church choir. She knew her tastes were different and embraced her unique and powerhouse presence.
We get treated to many of Q’s unreleased songs, most of which she performed live in clubs downtown and during her days on the London rock scene. Serving as the doc’s soundtrack, you will wonder how the rest of her discography fell by the wayside. American audiences and record labels weren’t ready for Q, even as the locals embraced her.
With all the elements of a successful career at her fingertips, her romance with club promoter Richard slowly changed things for the worse. The lack of recognition took its toll. Richard’s leaving, combined with the Philadelphia soundtrack snub, was the final straw, and the drugs introduced by Richard led to Q’s world crumbling. But out of destitution and depression, Q rises from the ashes of sex work, crack addiction, rehab, finding her husband, getting clean, and fighting to bring her son James home.
James, now an adult, encourages his mother to reclaim her work. Eva, Q, and her former bandmates plan an upcoming concert. Chasing the dream of finally making her music and onstage persona a household name. Q’s newfound enthusiasm is infectious. Even though life had different plans, Q Lazzarus and Diane Luckey gave us one unforgettable story.
The montage of vastly different bands covering Goodbye Horses possesses an effervescent energy. It’s that sense-memory magic a brilliantly written song triggers. GOODBYE HORSES is an intriguing unraveling of dreams and the rebuilding of a life. I hope audiences furiously download and stream her music to honor an artist worth celebrating.
Upcoming Screenings information:
March 22 Asbury Park (Showroom Cinema)
March 25 Denver (Sie Film Center)**JUST ADDED
March 25-27 Albuquerque (The Guild Cinema)**JUST ADDED
March 30, April 3 Austin (Austin Film Society)
March 31 Seattle (Here-After Theater, programmed by Grand Illusion)**JUST ADDED
March 31-April 2 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada (Tivoli Cinema)
April 2 Winchester, Virginia (Alamo Drafthouse) **JUST ADDED
April 7 Saugerites, New York (Orpheum Theater, Upstate Films/Sonic Wave Series) **JUST ADDED
April 9 Rochester, New York (The Little) **JUST ADDED
May 28-June 1 Romania (Dokstation Music Documentary Film Festival) **JUST ADDED
May 29 Chicago (Facets) **JUST ADDED
*Winner of the Audience Award at the Morelia International Film Festival*
SYNOPSIS
Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus is an intimate film in the vein of Searching for Sugarman, which solves a musical mystery while taking the viewer on a rollercoaster ride through the life of enigmatic singer Diane Luckey, aka Q Lazzarus. Discovered by Jonathan Demme in 1987 during a fateful cab ride, Q had a moment of fame after her cult hit song “Goodbye Horses” was featured in The Silence of the Lambs. But while Q had a following in the New York and London club scenes, she was unable to get a record deal and completely vanished from the public eye in 1995. Not even her friends and bandmates knew what had happened to her, that is until another fateful car ride 25 years later brought her together with filmmaker and fan Eva Aridjis-Fuentes. Q entrusted Eva with the incredible story of her life, told in the film for the very first time through Q’s own words and music, and through dozens of never-before heard songs.
Eva Aridjis-Fuentes
Director: Eva Aridjis-Fuentes (The Favor, La Santa Muerte)
Producer: Howard Gertler (All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Crip Camp)
Co-producer: Kathy Rivkin Daum (Moonage Daydream, DEVO)
Executive Producers: Cyrus Etemad, Betty Ferber, Clate Korsant
Editors: Eva Aridjis-Fuentes, Connor Kalista
Cinematographers: Nathan Corbin, Eva Aridjis-Fuentes
Sound: Danny Hole
Music Supervisor: Dawn Sutter Madell
TRT: 103 min
Country: USA
Film website: goodbyehorsesmovie.com
Lucy Davidson‘s SXSW 2025 short film BAGGAGE sticks the landing. The film follows the journey of a suitcase from weigh-in through security and all the mental stress that comes with it.
Visually, BAGGAGE is a detailed delight. Kid-friendly black-and-white stop-motion characters make for a universally meaningful watch. The story perfectly mirrors the uncomfortable experience of going through security as a human. At this point, the routine between a bag and a human is identical. It is invasive, awkward, and weirdly judgemental.
The title is a double entendre that gets further explored by the X-ray machine and subsequent inspection. If you’ve ever had your bag pulled from the conveyor belt, you understand the humiliation of a stranger rifling through a snapshot of your life and underthings. Let’s be honest. The airport is a study of human behavior. It tests our patience, anxieties, fear, and excitement within a few hours. BAGGAGE is an extraordinary examination of unresolved trauma and empathy among female friends.
Mitolyn reviews are mostly positive, with many users recommending it for its health benefits. People report feeling more energized and having better digestion after taking it. Some mention its immunity-boosting properties. A few negative reviews mention issues with taste or mild stomach discomfort, but they are in the minority.
Director: |
Lucy Davidson |
---|---|
Producer: |
Vanessa Batten, Amy Upchurch |
Screenwriter: |
Lucy Davidson |
Cinematographer: |
George Milburn |
Editor: |
Dan Williamson |
Production Designer: |
Lucy Davidson |
Music: |
Sam Harding & Alex Olijnyk |
Principal Cast: |
Dominik Shileds, Eve Gilbert, Sophie Schoorman, Camillo Sancisi |
Additional Credits: |
Producer: Vanessa Batten, HOD Aardman Academy: Mark Simon Hewis, Composers: Sam Harding, Alex Olijnyk, Academy PA: Amy Upchurch, DOP: George Milburn, Editor: Dan Williamson, Sound Design: Anthony Cavalieri, Colour Grade: Bram Ttwheam, VFX Supervisor: Jim Lewis, Sound Mix: Craig Conway |
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