Lady Puritan (DWF LA 2026) A striking generational reckoning

Lady Puritan

LadyPuritanField

Filmmakers Gustine Füdickar and Justin Streichman‘s DWF LA 2026 short film Lady Puritan will blow your mind. The story follows Meredith, a woman experiencing intense nightmares and excruciating physical pain. Upon the recommendation of a spiritual guide, Meredith undergoes a reckoning of past, present, and future.

Streichman’s editing is a wonder. A hallucinatory journey that makes sense even when it shouldn’t. The close-up work of flora is creepily unnerving. It immediately draws the eye to the smallest bits of decay. The unsettling nature of the film, no pun intended, ramps up tenfold from there.

Visually stunning, Füdickar and Streichman tease audiences with what must be a nod to Andrew Wyeth‘s 1948 painting, Christina’s World. If you know anything about art, the choice is simply brilliant. Throughout the film, particularly in the opening and closing credits, there are microscopic slides of what appear to be butterfly wings, adding an entirely new level of metaphor and a metamorphosis angle. Regardless of their specifics, the impact is astounding.

Füdickar’s physical work is exquisite, between fear, wrath, manic energy, and acceptance. You cannot walk away unchanged by this performance. All the building blocks are there for a feature. Lady Puritan is truly haunting. It manages to land squarely between terror and sensuality. It is a visual personification of feminine rage and generational trauma. For any audience member embracing their witchy era, this short will have you shaking with excitement.

Lady Puritan Dances with Films Site

WRITERS/DIRS: Gustine Füdickar & Justin Streichman
PROD: Justin Streichman
CAST: Gustine Füdickar, Dorothy Dubrule, Stacy Dawson Stearns

As dream life bleeds into waking reality, a woman haunted by her Puritan ancestor must confront the terror buried deep within her bloodline. Through ritual and violent trial of the body, she fractures the veil between worlds and is thrown into a fight for her life. Lady Puritan is a surreal psychological meditation on ancestral trauma and the intimate horror of what we are born carrying. Set against the shadow of American Puritanism, the film explores the tension between repression and embodied desire.

For more Dances With Films coverage, click here!

THE REVERB (DWF LA 2026) Y/A mystery pilot reels you in.

danceswithfilms generic logo

THE REVERB

2026-THE-REVERB

In the DWF LA 2026 series pilot, The Reverb, young college student Cassie unexpectedly reunites with her estranged best friend and famous indie band member when Aaron shows up on her doorstep late one night. Waking up to discover Aaron has been connected to the death of the band’s lead singer, Cassie must decide whether to trust her friend.

Filmmaking sisters Jordan and Janie Ruttert have set the stage for mystery with a young cast and drips of information. The Reverb pilot definitely left me wanting more. It is a solid teaser for a more fleshed-out story. It’s giving Pretty Little Liars vibes.

Mari Blake gives Cassie authentic ferocity that plays more like a documentary than a performance. You can see each beat transform her words and actions. She is simply spectacular. The Reverb could definitely benefit from a bigger budget, but Mari Blake is the Ruttert sisters’ golden ticket.

The Reverb

NORTH AMERICAN Premiere | USA, 2026, 30 min.
SERIES BLK 9 > SAT JUN 27 @ 4PM

The Reverb Trailer:

WRITER: Jordan Ruttert
DIRS: Jordan Ruttert & Janie Ruttert
PRODS: Jordan Ruttert, Janie Ruttert, Stephanie Ruttert, Doron Ruttert
CAST: Mari Blake, Matthew Assheton, Sofie Zamchick, Fia Thomson, Niya Je, Joseph Stewart, Mujeeb Rufai, Caroline Rutschilling, Dani Dorn, Noah Frankenfield

THE REVERB is a Y/A murder mystery that centers around the turbulent friendship, or rather ex-friendship, between Cassie, a young college student, and Aaron Blake, lead guitarist for the renowned indie rock band Entourage. Trouble follows Cassie home when Aaron mysteriously appears at her front door seeking refuge for the night. When she learns that Aaron is rumored to be linked to the murder of his bandmate and lead singer of Entourage, Skye Thomas, Cassie must decide whether to believe Aaron, despite their many years apart, or fight to uncover the truth.

For more Dances With Films coverage, click here!

What Is To Come (Tribeca 2026) Late-in-life self-discovery.

Tribeca 2026 poster

What Is To Come

Director Ruthy Pribar‘s sophomore film, What Is To Come, follows a sheltered 60-year-old woman who unexpectedly loses her husband and travels to Eilat, first to disappear, ut then to reclaim her identity.

what is to come tribeca 2026

The film begins with great darkness, as Yehudit’s husband Michael has decided they will commit suicide together. When Yehudit survives and hides the fact, she must contend with the emotional and financial fallout.

The reality of Yehudit’s existence becomes crystal clear almost immediately. She has lived a life of isolation and control. She had no idea Michael had borrowed so much money from others, so as debtors come looking for repayment, Yehudit runs. When the funds finally run out, the hotel manager’s kindness rekindles faith in herself.

Renting a small apartment in a not-so-great part of town, Yehudit comes face to face with a small refugee family who claim the apartment is theirs. They agree to share the space. Yehudit befriends the pregnant mother and her young child, while her relationship with her boss develops. But Yehudit’s past cannot stay hidden forever.

Ronit Yudkevitch is extraordinary as our leading lady. The range of emotions, the physical performance, all nuanced with elegance and female strength. It is a masterclass.

The sound editing is crisp and meaningful. The camera often follows Yehudit’s back, making the audience quite literally a companion on her journey. This is a story of self-discovery, a late-in-life coming of age. So many women find themselves financially hostage. Pribar creates an authentic portrait of a woman fumbling towards a new beginning. What Is To Come is a quietly revelatory story.

International Narrative Competition

Feature Narrative | Israel, United Kingdom | 82 MINUTES | Hebrew, English | English subtitles

tribeca 2026 banner

Stand Clear ‘ the Closing Doors (Tribeca 2026) Comedy of Humanity and Errors

Tribeca 2026 poster

Stand Clear ‘ the Closing Doors

stand clear main still tribeca 2026

Stacey Sargeant‘s Tribeca 2026 short film Stand Clear ‘ the Closing Doors is an absolutely genius illustration of intrusive thoughts. This is a quintessential New York story in every single way.

stand clear 2

It takes guts to thrive, hell even exist, in the city. We’ve all pushed past people to get off a train, moved cars because of a smell, and cried on the train at any given hour of the day. While Stand Clear ‘ the Closing Doors is a universal snapshot of public transportation, it is also one of humanity and connection found every minute in the melting pot of culture and stories in the greatest city in the world.

full_Stand_Clear_the_Closing_Doors-Clean-16x9-03

Thoughtfully shot by Timothy Naylor, if you are a local, you feel like you’re placed right next to Sargeant. She has managed to produce a living, breathing sense memory on film. Simultaneously funny, infuriating, and deeply moving, I cannot wait to see more from her.


Starring STACEY SARGEANT, GRACE REX, and CLAUDIA LOGAN
Directed by STACEY SARGEANT
Produced by STACEY SARGEANT and BECKY MORRISON
Executive Producers JEREMY KATZ, STACEY SARGEANT, and VERONA SARGEANT
Creative Producers ESTHER DE ROTHSCHILD and ADEPERO ODUYE
Cinematography TIMOTHY NAYLOR
Edited by JONATHAN ROGERS

SYNOPSIS

When a woman makes a simple request of a fellow NYC subway passenger, an everyday moment turns into a bizarre battle for space, peace, and dignity.

Comedy, Drama, New York, Women | 7 minutes | Not Rated | 2026 | English | USA

tribeca 2026 banner

For more Tribeca 2026, click here!

‘Switch’ (Tribeca 2026 short) Sexy shenanigans are only the beginning

Tribeca 2026 poster

SWITCH

switch

In the Tribeca 2026 television series Switch, two eager and very different women begin a relationship. Maxine is pragmatic and slightly guarded. Lena is full-speed-ahead passionate. Together, they perfectly balance each other. To ramp up the already existing spice, they deep dive into their sexual fantasies. Agreeing that labels are so passe, and since neither desires to remain monogamous for life, the search for a man to have a threesome with is officially on.
 
Sexy shenanigans ensue as each potential partner has his flaws. But Naxine and Lena will be damned if they don’t keep trying.
 
Coral Peña is charming, sarcastic, and quirky as Maxine. Pauline Chalamet is intense but sweet playing Lena. Their chemistry is genuinely fun. They share an authentic comic timing, the kind that comes when you’re actual friends or lovers. Writers and creators Isabelle Platt and Sofya Levitsky-Weitz deliver an equally sexy, funny, and appropriately cringeworthy series. I want more, no matter how awkward.
full_Switch_Alyssa-Brocato-Clean-16x9-02


Director: Isabelle Platt, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Jean Liu, & Jaki Bradley

Writer: Isabelle Platt & Sofya Levitsky-Weitz

Producers: Jean Liu, Benedetta Comito, & Coco Glickman

Cast: Pauline Chalamet, Coral Peña, Adam Shaukat, Benjamin Holtz, & Nikki Snipper


Remaining Screenings of Switch:

Sun June 14 – 2:15 PM
 AMC 19th St. East 6


tribeca 2026 bannerFor more Tribeca 2026, click here!


‘Time Warp’ (Tribeca 2026) Rocky Horror babies, rejoice! Queer joy is everyone’s joy in small-town theatre doc.

Tribeca 2026 posterTime Warp

time warpDirector Allison Sloan Berg‘s Tribeca 2026 doc Time Warp, and I see you shiver with Antici… pation. September 2022 in Rock Springs, Wyoming, a small theatre dares to put on a Shadow Cast production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Theatre director, producer, choreographer, house manager, and star of the show, Kenny Starling, brings us into the industrious, loving, and hardworking theatre company that delivers excitement and love to an otherwise quiet, conservative, and seemingly forgotten town.

full_Time_Warp-Clean-16x9-03Theatre has always been a safe space, long before that became a political buzzword. Time Warp appears relatively straightforward in its initial presentation. Berg features cast members’ backgrounds, rehearsals, and most surprisingly, a city council meeting that does not go the way we think it will.

It’s not an accident that Richard O’Brien‘s characters in Rocky Horror are aliens. The cast addresses the elephants in the room: mental health and coping mechanisms for LGBTQIA+ youth and adults. Statistics do not lie. Wyoming has the highest national rate of suicide among all its citizens, regardless of identity. Queer individuals are not safe. Violence and discrimination run rampant. Trans women are being murdered at an alarming rate. The film tackles these issues head on. 

full_Time_Warp-Clean-16x9-02Huge ups to music supervisor Doug Bernheim for the soundtrack, which features the OG Frank-N-Furter, Tim Curry, Siouxsie, Betty Davis, and Jobriath. Frank Keraudren’s editing, particularly the five-day-out rehearsal montage, opening night, and the credits, is delicious. Loved seeing huge Broadway stars line up as Executive Producers! Berg boasts Josh Gad, Billy Porter, and John Cameron Mitchell.

Witnessing the positive reactions from audience members will bring you to tears. Leave your assumptions at the door, but don’t forget to bring your joy. Time is fleeting. Take a page out of Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s book. Don’t Dream It, Be It. Time Warp, again and again.


Director: Allison Berg
Writers: Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren
Cast: Kenn Starling, Kaley Sikora, Gabriel Garcia, Dejanae Westbrook, Tim Robinson, Devin Manfull, Valerie McCoy, Tasha Seppie, Hana Tanaka, Em O’Lexey
Producers: Allison Berg, Susan Margolin, Jen Chaiken
Executive Producers: Josh Gad, Billy Porter, John Cameron Mitchell, Ida Darvish, DJ Gugenheim, Kevin Jennings, Kathy Rivkin Daum, Jen Rainin, Lisa Kleiner Chanoff, Gabrielle Fialkoff, Sally Klingenstein Martell. Josh Braun, Dan Braun, Ben Braun

 

tribeca 2026 bannerFor more Tribeca 2026, click here!

‘General Admission’ (Tribeca 2026 short) Confounding confessions and comedy make great bedfellows in this hilarious short.

Tribeca 2026 posterGeneral Admission
large_General_Admission-Clean-16x9-01 Tribeca 2026

Director Kaily Morgan Smith gets it. Tribeca 2026 short General Admission is a damn hit. In just under ten minutes, we meet a disaster of a woman attending her first anonymous meeting. Launching into her “Hi, my name is,” audiences already know they are in for a smirk-inducing ride.
 
Nina Dobrev is a comic genius here. Huge props to writer Sarah Adina. Surrounded by a slew of familiar television faces, Dobrev delivers a monologue that teeters between ridiculous and genuine. She nails each beat with 1000% commitment, and it is fantastic.
 
The brilliant ensemble keeps up the comedy with unforgettable one-liners. Anthony Kraus’ casting is perfection. Gorgeously shot by Patrick Jones, and aided by a punchy score by Chris Tilton, I would watch an entire series of Kelly in this group, week after week. I’m begging for a General Admission series. I’m already addicted.
GeneralAdmission_(Film Still)_1 (1)Remaining Tribeca screenings of General Admissions:
 
tribeca 2026 bannerFor more Tribeca 2026, click here!

‘The Haunting of Pennhurst’ (Tribeca 2026) Pulling back a dark curtain of cruelty to reclaim power. A doc that educates and enrages.

Tribeca 2026 posterThe Haunting of Pennhurst

The_Haunting_of_Pennhurst-Clean-16x9-01

In Pennsylvania, a looming brick building stands as a testament to a dark past. Today, artists create enormous monster builds, finely detailed costumes, and eerie sets inside the rooms of a former institution for individuals with disabilities. Part stark horror story and part empowering revisionist, filmmakers Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, and Katarina Poljak‘s The Haunting of Pennhurst lives up to its title every frame.

Veteran performers encourage their new seasonal actors to create in-depth character charts to instill motivation, but most of those who apply for the position don’t need to make things up. The cast consists of neurodiverse and disabled people.

full_The_Haunting_of_Pennhurst-Clean-16x9-02The film sucks you in by introducing the horrid history, but then allows the present attraction to act as a reclamation of power for the atrocities once committed there. Archival newspaper clips, alongside a perfectly ominous score, highlight the sickening language and mindset of Pennhurst’s 1907 origin. The film begins with a warning. Fifteen minutes in, the viewer will recognize its necessity. Read More →

‘Lucy Schulman’ (Tribeca 2026) A sweet and sour codependency cocktail

Tribeca 2026 posterLucy Schulman

Tribeca 2026 Lucy_Schulman-Clean-16x9-01

Ellie Sachs wears all the hats in her Tribeca 2026 film Lucy Schulman. The film follows a woman’s boy-crazy tendencies as they guide her life choices, and not for the better.

David Cross plays Lucy’s adorably kind father, Peter. Sachs and Cross share a chemistry that is cinematic magic. Their deliciously codependent relationship is like a warm hug of happy memories.

Lucy’s all-in approach to her love life slowly proves detrimental to her work and friendships, and eventually her partners. Her romantic hyperfocus becomes all-consuming, and little by little she chips away at every other relationship. Sometimes it takes everything falling apart to figure out how to get your shit together.

Read More →

‘Kids Like Me’ (Tribeca 2026) It’s no mystery why this is one of the year’s best films

Tribeca 2026 posterKids Like Me

large_Kids_Like_Me-Clean-16x9-01

Twelve-year-old Oliver lives with his seven-year-old-sister Willa, father Chad, and mother Casey in a small town in Massachusetts. Oliver’s obsession with mystery novels and detective shows inspires him to make his own movie. While his body finds physical challenges, the only real hurdle is the limits of his imagination. Welcome to Cynthia L and Jon Cohrs‘ Tribeca doc, Kids Like Me.

Oliver is a charming, endlessly creative, incredibly intelligent, brutally honest young man. You instantly fall in love with his infectious enthusiasm and acerbic wit. Chad and Casey have to navigate something I’m also very familiar with: a second child who is also an energetic and creative girl. The dynamics of fairness, attention, and concessions of a sibling who often feels second-rate to one with additional needs can be incredibly challenging, and, as a parent, you constantly feel like you are failing. Willa is unsurprisingly self-aware. The relationship between Oliver and Willa is complex in all the relatable ways.

Read More →

Tribeca 2026 overflows with greatness

TRIBECA 2026

Tribeca 2026 poster

Every year, just as summer creeps around the corner, New York City is buzzing with fresh storytelling ideas, and at Tribeca 2026, a whopping 103 World Premieres are taking place. One of the best aspects about the festival, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, is the reminder that cinephiles, both serious and casual, can mix and mingle and claim bragging rights to having seen “the” film everyone will be talking about all year. You might find yourself scoring a rush ticket, and accidentally ride the escalators alongside your favorite star or filmmaker. It really is that special and unexpected. Without exception, the fest boasts something for every moviegoer, and Tribeca 2026 promises to deliver the thrills, chills, laughs, tears, gasps, and gaffaws. Here are some of the films we are saving a seat for.

NARRATIVE FEATURES

Act One

large_Act_One-Clean-16x9-01 Tribeca 2026In this rhythmic psychological thriller, a lonely aspiring teen actress finds herself drawn to an acting teacher who pulls her into a web of desire and control, blurring the lines of seduction and obsession.


What Is To Come Tribeca 2026

what is to come tribeca 2026After backing out of a suicide pact that leaves her husband dead, a sheltered farmer’s wife flees the shame and hidden debts that destroyed their life together and disappears into the port city of Eilat, where an unexpected bond with migrants, refugees, and a compassionate hotel manager forces her to rebuild herself from nothing and discover a life beyond the one she was told to live.


Lucy Schulman

Tribeca 2026 Lucy_Schulman-Clean-16x9-01After a crushing breakup, Lucy moves back in with her eccentric single dad and dives into bad dates, false starts, and growing pains. Big-hearted and sharply funny, Lucy Schulman is a charming comedic coming-of-age story from multihyphenate Tribeca alum Ellie Sachs.


Ponderosa

Ponderosa-16x9-01 Tribeca 2026Synopsis: When the buffet where Zeke’s mom works closes down, he’s forced to entertain the wild advances of a rich regular who is weirdly and vehemently obsessed with becoming his father.


Deepfake

large_Deepfake-Clean-16x9-01 Tribeca 2026After a breakup, rudderless millennial Jane hires a team of Gen-Z consultants to reinvent her life. But what begins as a makeover soon spirals into a sharp social media satire about image, app culture, and the cost of becoming someone else.


DOCUMENTARY Tribeca 2026


Sara Bareilles: Good Grief

Tribeca 2026 Sarah_Bareilles_-_Good_Grief-Clean-16x9-01.jpgSeven years after her Grammy Award-winning Amidst the Chaos, Sara Bareilles reunites with her closest collaborators to record a new album. What emerges is an intimate, cinematic process that lays bare the musician’s deep connections and inspirations in Tribeca alum Josh Alexander’s moving music documentary.

Read More →

‘The Serpent’s Skin’ (2026) The sixth spooky and spellbinding film from Alice Maio Mackay.

darkstarlogo

The Serpent’s Skin

The Serpent's Skin poster

Alice Maio Mackay has established herself as a powerhouse in indie filmmaking, cranking out stylized horror films that capture your attention from the very first frame. In her 6th feature film, the 21-year-old trans director tackles queer horror romance. The Serpent’s Skin follows Anna, a young trans woman who finally left her judgmental parents and moved in with her sister in the city. But Anna’s meek exterior hides secret supernatural abilities she shares with her new lover and tattoo artist, Gen. Their passion accidentally summons a demon, making relationship building way more complicated.

Jordan Dulieu (Danny) gives us an emo rocker heartthrob and villainous mayhem with equal fire. He is genuinely mesmerizing. Avalon Fast (Gen) is great. Her delivery is so natural, you might think she’s in a documentary. Alexandra McVicker (Anna) brings innocent ingénue energy. The three have stellar chemistry. I not-so-secretly wanted a threesome scene between them. Shout out to Intimacy Coordinator, Zoe Taylor, for the overall hotness.

The Serpent's Skin 2MacKay has a neon-saturated visual calling card and always provides a kick-ass soundtrack. Another genius collab with The Adams Family in H6LLB6ND6ER. Iris Mcerlean‘s costumes are all effortless cool girl. Mackay tackles self-harm, identity, sex, and magic; it’s a lot to balance. If I’m being nitpicky, the film’s pacing slows slightly in the second act, making it feel a bit long before the momentum picks up again in the final Act, which cooks. High five to my girl, Vera Drew, for her editing. Can we discuss the connection between power and orgasm? Yes. The final two lines of The Serpent’s Skin are smirkworthy perfection.


The Serpent’s Skin Trailer:

Opening in: 
New York, March 27 | Los Angeles, April 3

** With filmmaker and special guests in attendance **
More dates below & to be announced

85 mins / Australia / 2025
Directed by: Alice Maio Mackay
Written by: Alice Maio Mackay, Benjamin Pahl Robinson
Produced by: Alice Maio Mackay, Louise Weard
Starring: Alexandra McVicker, Avalon Fast, Jordan Dulieu, Scott Major, Charlotte Chimes
Edited by: Vera Drew
Cinematography by: Aaron Schuppan
Composers: Alexander Taylor, Eduardo Daniel Victoria
Music by: H6LLB6ND6ER

Festivals: Beyond Fest, BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival, Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, Fantasia Film Festival, Frameline: San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival, Frightfest, Melbourne Queer Film Festival, NewFest – The New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival, SXSW Sydney, and more

The Serpent’s SkinThe Serpent’s SkinThe Serpent’s SkinThe Serpent’s SkinThe Serpent’s Skin

Dark Star Pictures has released the new theatrical trailer for Alice Maio Mackay’s The Serpent’s Skin ahead of its upcoming North American theatrical release, which kicks off on March 27 in New York City and on April 3 in Los Angeles

At only 21-years-old, the trans Australian filmmaker has announced herself as a talent to watch, and her latest film had a celebrated world premiere at San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ film festival Frameline and enjoyed a buzzy run with stops at Beyond FestFantasia Film Festival, London’s FrightfestNewFest, and more.

The Serpent’s Skin is Maio Mackay’s most ambitious film to date, combining her distinct filmmaking voice—known for channeling genre tropes through a trans lens, her innovative approach to aesthetics, and a unique wit—with a larger scope that leans into a darker storyline and a loving influence of 90s cult television like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed

The film will open in New York at the Alamo Drafthouse Downtown Brooklyn on March 27 and in Los Angeles at the Alamo Drafthouse DTLA on April 3—as part of a special Fantastic Fest Presents showcase—with Mackay and special guests in attendance for opening nights.

Additional screenings with director Q&As include the Roxie Theater in San Francisco on April 2 and Vidiots in Los Angeles on 4/4, with further cities and dates to be announced.

For more Alice Maio Mackay films, click here!

‘Seekers of Infinite Love’ (SXSW 2026) Unresolved sibling trauma on the road.

sxsw 2026 cartoon vectorSeekers of Infinite Love

seekers-of-infinite-love-363601

Products of wealthy narcissistic novelist parents, three siblings set out on a mission to rescue their sister from a woo-woo cult. Filmmaker Victoria Strouse delivers an oddball road movie in Seekers of Infinite Love.

Kayla is an anxiety-ridden writer. Wes is a gambling graphic novelist. Zack is a lawyer and aspiring songwriter. The fourth sibling, Scarlett, has joined a cult. Mom and Dad hired a deprogrammer to assist them. Following Kayla freaking out while boarding their flight, this eclectic group must drive halfway across the country to track down their missing sister before things get worse.

The Bachman siblings face absurd challenges along the way. Think The Hangover. As circumstances become more complicated, everyone’s insecurities are compounded by Rich’s extreme problem-solving suggestions. Three emotionally inept adults and one questionable weirdo must deal with their issues before they can approach Scarlett.

Justin Theroux plays our deprogrammer, Rich, a complex former cult member who now retrieves current victims for hire. His guru aura perfectly counters The Bachman’s manic energy, until his suspicious past changes the dynamic. Theroux is hilarious in this borderline caricature performance. Hannah Einbeinder, Griffin Gluck, and John Reynolds have an authentically charming chemistry.

Act Three features a surprising cameo as our cult leader. The script takes pages out of history’s doomsday cults, which is genuinely funny if they’re not happening to you. The overall tone of the film is goofy, and that’s the intent. The title serves as a clever double entendre in true dramedy fashion. At its heart, Seekers of Infinite Love is a story about the consequences of unresolved childhood trauma, the power of unconditional love, and proves that humor is the ultimate defense mechanism.


Seekers of Infinite Love
Director:Victoria Strouse
Executive Producer:Hannah Einbinder, Alexa Faigen, Nicole Flores, Hal Sadoff, Patrick Gogerchin, Tyler Zacharia, Gabby Zemer
Producer:Dylan Sellers, Chris Parker, Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey
Screenwriter:Victoria Strouse
Cinematographer:Tim Suhrstedt
Editor:Kheireddine El-Helou, Jess Brunetto, ACE
Production Designer:Rusty Smith
Cast:Hannah Einbinder, Justin Theroux, John Paul Reynolds, Griffin Gluck, Justine Lupe, Greg Kinnear
sxsw 2026 banner black white
For all things SXSW 2026, click here!

‘I Got Bombed At Harvey’s’ (SXSW2026) A truly explosive heist

sxsw 2026 cartoon vectorI Got Bombed At Harvey

i got bombed at Harvey'sSXSW 2026 true-crime doc I Got Bombed at Harvey’s tells the off-the-wall tale of a casino, a ransom note, a homemade bomb with 1000 pounds of dynamite, and 24 hrs. Your jaw will drop as one absolute narcissistic lunatic’s spiral brings his kids down with him.
 
The film follows the 1980 story of a giant bomb appearing inside a very busy Lake Tahoe casino office. With local law enforcement and nationwide news media coverage, the perpetrators were doomed, but not from the start. The film’s structure consists of archival reels, sit-down interviews with the bomb squad members, photographs, blueprints, physical evidence, and reenactments. Oh, and one of the men involved. The only crystal clear aspect of this crazy endeavor is the mastermind. The absolute havoc and ripple effect of one man’s ego is diabolical.
 
The footage is genuinely shocking. I jumped out of my seat at one point. The number of times I audibly exclaimed WTF should be outlawed. Without spoiling the outcome, I will say that the complexities of this case will have you shaking your head. This entire scheme sounds like a movie script. Motivated by spite, revenge, mental illness, addiction, trauma, and fear, I Got Bombed at Harvey’s gets wilder by the minute. Just when you think the story could not possibly get any nuttier, think again.
 
I Got Bombed at Harvey’s is a romp through madness, money, and mayhem worth your eyeballs.

I Got Bombed at Harvey’s

Director:
Amy Bandlien Storkel, Bryan Storkel
Executive Producer:
Chris Smith, Andrew Corkin, Howard Owens, Ben Silverman, Theo Love, Michael Driscoll, Robert Marshall, Brian Lazarte, James Lee Hernandez
Producer:
Bo Butterworth, Karen Bowlin
Cinematographer:
Britton Foster
Editor:
Evan Vetter, Scott Evans, Amy Storkel, Dava Whisenant, ACE
Production Designer:
Adam Henderson
Music:
Michael James Lee
Cast:
Igor Grbesic, Ethan Riley, Ian S. Peterson, Michael Solarez, Jennylyn Caterina, Marianne Wiedeman, William Swartzbaugh

sxsw 2026 banner black white

For all things SXSW 2026, click here!

‘And Her Body Was Never Found’ (SXSW 2026) Two people. Real danger?

sxsw 2026 cartoon vectorAnd Her Body Was Never Found

and her body was never found sxsw 2026

Real-life couple Polaris Banks and Mor Cohen create one of the most cringeworthy hybrid movies ever. When I use that term to describe their SXSW 2026 film And Her Body Was Never Found, it is a genuine compliment.

The audience follows Mor and Polaris, also the only two crew members, on an isolated camping trip, recreating their actual volatile discussions. Not since watching The Human Centipede have I felt this uncomfortable witnessing something so intensely personal on film. It’s the only film that similarly made my insides churn in a way I did not ask for.

The string-heavy score is reminiscent of Hitchcock. Although that’s not the only thing that leaves you with a spine-tingling sensation. Our leads pull the rug out from under the audience by suddenly breaking the fourth wall, plunging us into this meta horror aspect of their filmmaking. Blurring the lines is creepy as hell.

The film’s premiere comes at a particularly auspicious time as cases of “Alpine Divorce” are suddenly in the news. If you are unfamiliar with this phenomenon, I will explain. Men lead their significant others deep into the wilderness, then abandon them. The term comes from the 1893 short story “An Alpine Divorce” by Robert Barr, which follows a man plotting to murder his wife by leaving her on a Swiss Alp. More women are expressing on social media that this is happening to them. It is somehow insane, and yet entirely believable.

From a technical standpoint, it is incredibly impressive that each point of coverage maintains energy from cut to cut. As we pivot from movie-making mode to relationship mode, cell phone footage, framing, and jarring blackouts play mind games.

This is a shockingly visceral watch. Every beat is a glaring example of the vast differences in communication styles between genders. Semantics, blaming, gaslighting, lies, unresolved trauma, it all plays a part in the toxic cycles of arguing. It is impossible not to feel heated as you witness inevitably familiar turns of phrase and emotional escalation. And Her Body Was Never Found does its job, acting as a terrifyingly aggressive form of immersion therapy. By the end, I wanted to crawl out of my skin.


Director: Polaris Banks
Executive Producer: Tristan Barr, Josh Doke
Producer: Polaris Banks, Mor Cohen, Hilarion Banks
Screenwriter: Polaris Banks, Mor Cohen
Cinematographer: Polaris Banks, Mor Cohen
Editor: Polaris Banks
Production Designer: Polaris Banks
Sound: Zach Goheen
Music: Nathan Schram
Cast: Mor Cohen, Polaris Banks, Grae Drake
Crew: Camera Operator: Hilarion Banks, 1st Camera Assistant: Michael Schnick, Sound Recordist: Cruz Thomas, Hair and Make-Up: Kari Koerper, Re-Recording Mixer: Juan Campos, Score Mixer: Chris Botta
sxsw 2026 banner black white
For all things SXSW 2026, click here!

‘Same Same But Different’ (SXSW 2026) Fiercely funny coming-of-age

sxsw 2026 cartoon vectorSame Same But Different

same-same-but-different-352382In Lauren Noll’s SXSW 2026 dramedy, Same Same But Different, we follow three Persian childhood friends: a personal trainer, a lawyer, and an aspiring writer, grappling with identity and their ever-evolving relationships.

Rana has had her visa application denied three times. Working as a home care nurse in order to stay in the country. When her wealthy client’s son, and part-time hookup, agrees to marry her for her green card, Rana invites her best friends to Cape Cod to support her sham wedding. This beach house weekend brings drama and all the feelings as each woman deals with unresolved feelings.

This ensemble cast hits every beat. You will love each one of them. Screenwriter Dalia Rooni delivers equal parts authenticity and genuine wit. The entire Bachelorette party is hilarious perfection. It is genuinely a lovely balance of chaos and laughs.

Three different women. Three varying personalities. Three best friends. All the insecurities, baggage, and unfiltered honesty mix to create a beautiful portrait of identity and growth.

There’s a shared catharsis and joy that only shows itself in the purest of female relationships. Same Same But Different is about letting go of the good, the bad, and the ugly. Stick around for some hilarious bloopers during the credits. Brilliant.

When Rana’s visa application is denied, she faces the reality of returning home to Iran. That is, until Adam – her wealthy boss’s son and her summer fling – proposes a green card wedding. Wrestling with the implications of his offer, Rana enlists help from a questionable shaman, Adam’s pure-hearted mom, and most importantly her two Iranian best friends Nadia and Setareh, who arrive on Cape Cod for a wedding weekend full of opinions, chaos, and drama with their own American boyfriends. Just as total disaster approaches, the three women come together in a transformative moment of acceptance, growth, and coming of age – evolving this weekend into one that will change them all forever.

Same Same But Different Credits

Director:

Lauren Noll

Executive Producer:

Emily Reach White, Chris White

Producer:

Dalia Rooni, Lauren Noll, Zein Khleif, Medalion Rahimi, Emily Reach White

Screenwriter:

Dalia Rooni

Cinematographer:

Nathaniel Krause

Editor:

Stephanie Williams

Production Designer:

Sadra Tehrani

Sound:

Sam Costello

Music:

Neuman Jody Mannas

Cast:

Medalion Rahimi, Logan Miller, Layla Mohammadi, Dalia Rooni, Richie Moriarty, Michael Baszler, Danielle Pinnock, Lauren Noll, Nicholas Coombe, Kevin Nealon, Joey Lauren Adams


sxsw 2026 banner black whiteFor all things SXSW 2026, click here 

‘One Another’ (SXSW 2026) Exploring the evolution of friendships in universally relatable doc.

sxsw 2026 cartoon vectorOne Another

one another

Losing a relationship comes with aspects of anguish, emotional destabilizing moments, unresolved trauma, and, if we’re lucky, reconciliation. Amber Love’s SXSW 2026 documentary One Another follows the evolution of three friendships over the course of three years.
 
Joe, Giorgia, and Lorri confront the state of personal connections with longing, healing, and change. Featuring different generations deepens the viewers’ understanding that we are all so much more alike on the inside. You may find yourself nodding your head, reliving moments from your past (or present). One Another grabs you with its archival footage. We reminisce alongside our trio, gazing at photo albums and hand-written letters. It is beautifully nostalgic.

Read More →

SXSW 2026, a sneak peek at the films and TV you want to see

SXSW-2026-ArtworkSXSW 2026 Watchlist

Every year, I look forward to the incredible lineup at SXSW. This year feels particularly curated to my personal, off-the-wall taste, and I am here for it, Baby. Here are just 13 of the films and TV pilots I am stoked to get my eyeballs on starting this week!!

SXSW 2026 runs from March 12-18th. Do. Not. Miss. It.


THE SNAKE

the-snake-356394
When Jamie, ungovernable 40-something wild child collides with her venomous mother, Anne, her life blows up spectacularly leaving her evicted and single. This sends Jamie on a pig in a hurricane journey for “home”; breaking into her Nana’s house to prove it should be hers, a rejected bid to move in with her van-dwelling punk rock ex, and a stint in her best friends pied a terre, which ends with Jamie hooking up with her husband.

I like to think I am ungovernable, I whisper to myself as I go grocery shopping and run the PTO. I can surely live vicariously through Anne’s shenanigans. 


EDIE ARNOLD IS A LOSER

edie-arnold-is-a-loser-354886

Timid Catholic school dork Edie Arnold is dragged to a punk show where a mishap lands her on stage behind the drums. She’s mortified… but a natural. Convinced by her best friend, she secretly forms a band called The NunDead. Her newfound confidence leads to a date with the altar boy but also a fight that gets her suspended. Thinking she bailed on their first gig, her bandmates bust her out of the house just in time to win a Battle of the Bands. But when she faces expulsion and her mother’s wrath at a disciplinary hearing, footage of her kick-ass performance has an unexpected effect on her mom.

Hi! Former Catholic school kid here. Hi, former punk band member. Battle of the Bads? Almost. I hosted. In spirit, another film that makes beautiful misfits like me feel seen. Do not miss it.


NEVER AFTER DARK

never-after-dark-357381

A wandering medium, Airi spends her life guiding restless spirits out of the world of the living. Summoned to an isolated country house, she comes face to face with a grotesque apparition with powers that defy Airi’s experience. As she digs deeper into the house’s past, a secret comes to light — and Airi finds herself hunted by a far more unpredictable force. For the first time, her greatest adversary is not the supernatural, but the living.

Read More →

‘SAUNA SICKNESS’ (Sundance 2026 short) Hot and bothered.

Sundance 2026 LogoSauna Sickness

Sauna Sickness-Still_1

If you told me that Malin Barr had studied the DSM-5-TR before writing her short film Sauna Sickness, I would not bat an eye. Revealing it is based on a past relationship would carry equal weight in terms of its emotional impact. Barr is a master storyteller, regardless of inspiration. The film follows a woman staying at her mother’s country home on New Year’s Eve. After visiting the outdoor sauna with her boyfriend, they discover they are now locked out of the house with only their flimsy robes and clogs.
 
Immediately, Tobias blames Cleo. His visible annoyance quickly gives way to whining, shaming, and accusing. Cleo’s attempts to find a spare key are unsuccessful, but Tobias only offers cruelty. Sauna Sickness is a snapshot of narcissistic gaslighting bullshit. Tobias relies on her problem-solving skills to induce guilt. Cue the screaming, then crying. Once consoled, his tone softens, but not before a jab gets slipped into the conversation, just to subconsciously remind her she is not better than him.

Read More →

‘GLENDORA’ (DWF NY 2026) Small town history lesson for all.

DWFNY26 logoGLENDORA

Glendora still

The DWF NY 2026 documentary delivers a portrait of a small village in the Mississippi Delta. GLENDORA follows the lives of a community steeped in the true identity of America. It shows the good, the bad, the ugly, and the hope of a population often forgotten about.
 
Glendora is the epitome of tight-knit. They honor the past and present every single day. They cherish relationships on a level that Gilmore Girls fans would envy. Their annual event on May 30th finds the community celebrating with food, bounce houses, balloons, and music. The day is called J Day, named after a 23-year-old killed by violence. A group of young creatives in town makes music with the understanding that they are the sole purveyors of their success. Prom is celebrated with the same enthusiasm as a bustling city, complete with balloons and parade floats, even if only a few. The adults involved with Partners In Development (PID), a nonprofit organization in town focused on kids, see how early intervention can change everything.
 
Children playing in Isabelle Armand's GLENDORA (Credit_ Isabelle Armand)The oldest generation speaks about the legacy of Emmett Till and the importance of passing on that history from one generation to the next. Glendora created the Emmett Till museum in 2005 as a way to apologize to the Till family for their lack of engagement. They recount the abhorrent entitlement of white people and the aggression and violence they brought to the doorsteps of the African American community members.
 
Tamiris Lourenço‘s intimate editing and filmmaker Isabelle Armand‘s camerawork, the sit-down interviews on a front porch, the static shots on the corner of a room at PID, in a field, or at a wedding, all create a sense of affection for the townfolk. You feel as if you know them all. That’s what makes the film’s final moment hit the hardest. Armand includes an in memoriam list of locals, and the names and images are a one-two punch to the heart that ignites a deep contemplation.
 
Florida B. Smith in Isabelle Armand's GLENDORA (Credit_ Isabelle Armand)Glendora is a snapshot of America’s authentic history of racial atrocities and economic disparity, but the strength of Black culture, excellence, empathy, and community shine brightest in Glendora. Their genuine pride is infectious. This country can learn from its relentless spirit to equally honor the past and change the future.
 

Isabelle Armand’s powerful documentary GLENDORA will have its World Premiere at Dances With Films: NY THIS WEEK



Feature Documentary Film
(World Premiere, 74 mins)
A film by: Isabelle Armand and Glendora Collaborative

DWF: NY 2026 OFFICIAL SCREENINGS

Friday, January 16 at 4:45 PM
Location: Regal Union Square (850 Broadway, New York, NY 10003)

In the heart of the Mississippi Delta, the village of Glendora may seem quiet and remote. But beneath its stillness lies a vibrant, tightly knit African-American community whose strength, resilience, and creativity thrive despite chronic scarcity. GLENDORA is the result of five years of close collaboration between filmmaker and townspeople—an intimate portrait of life where economic fragility meets profound cultural wealth.

Told through the voices of multiple generations, the film weaves personal testimonies with daily rituals—birthdays, graduations, weddings, funerals— capturing the rhythm of a town that continuously rises above its circumstances. As the Mississippi landscape shifts, so do the stories, revealing both the universality of human experience and the distinct textures of rural Southern life.

More than a place, GLENDORA reflects a larger American history shaped by racial injustice, economic neglect, and structural inequality. The film underscores the community’s efforts to stay connected and shape its future amid ongoing challenges.

GLENDORA is a film made with—and by—the people who live there. It amplifies voices too often unheard, offering a powerful story of culture, resilience, creativity, and collective memory from a town long overlooked—but not easily forgotten.

ISABELLE ARMAND (Filmmaker, Cinematographer, Writer)

Isabelle Armand is a New York–based documentary photographer and filmmaker whose work interweaves photography, film, and oral testimonies to explore the complex layers of people whose histories, lives, and potential have long been undervalued. Her acclaimed book Levon and Kennedy: Mississippi Innocence Project (powerHouse Books, 2018), which documents the wrongful convictions of two men, has received wide recognition. Her images are held in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum, Akron Art Museum, and Portland Museum of Art. Armand’s work has been featured in The New York Times, Art in America, The Economist, The Daily Beast, and others. She recently completed her first feature documentary, Glendora, and is currently editing a photo book by the same title.

GLENDORA WEBSITE

Railroad Tracks in Isabelle Armand's GLENDORA (Credit_ Isabelle Armand)

For more DWF coverage, click here!