Review: ‘ SOMETHING YOU SAID LAST NIGHT’ is a completely fresh take on trans storytelling.

A Film by Luis De Filippis


Ren, an aspiring writer and mid-twenty-something, accompanies her parents, Mona and Guido, and her younger sister, Siena, on a beach resort holiday in cottage country. As Ren navigates the resort, she struggles to cope with her parents’ loving yet overbearing nature, and tries to balance the yearning for independence with the comfort of being taken care of. The realities of being a stunted millennial and a trans woman coalesce in Ren not wanting to be perceived as a burden. Looming in the back of Ren’s mind is the secret of her recent dismissal from work, and that once the holiday is over, she will need to rely even more on her family’s support.


SOMETHING YOU SAID LAST NIGHT centers on sisters Ren and Siena and their parents on vacation. Emotional turmoil, family drama, and love make this an exceptional indie.

The cast is phenomenal. Focusing on our leading lady, Carmen Madonia, gives Renata an often aloof attitude, hiding a lost mindset. She’s soft-spoken, outwardly feeling othered by her sister’s personality. But little is said. Madonia’s face replaces any unneeded dialogue.

The family chemistry is deliciously authentic. Each fully fleshed-out member has their quirks and distinct personality traits. What makes this script particularly special is the approach to transgender storytelling. They let Ren exist, merely hinting at her identity for the first time 30 minutes in. It’s never directly addressed. The juxtaposition of a pair of aggressive little boys is genius. The sound editing is a character unto itself. What we hear in the background speaks volumes. At times, Ren is almost an ancillary character. It’s undeniably intriguing filmmaking. 

SOMETHING YOU SAID LAST NIGHT takes trans storytelling in a fresh direction. Representation matters. Moreover, seeing a loving dynamic in the life of a trans woman is essential.


Opening in NY / The Quad on September 22
and LA / The Culver Theater on September 29

SOMETHING YOU SAID LAST NIGHT is based on director Luis De Filippis’s short film, “For Nonna Anna”, which premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival and received the Special Jury Prize at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. The film was awarded Outfest’s Grand Jury Award, TIFF’s Changemaker Award, and Rotterdam International Film Festival’s Youth Jury Award.

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Luis De Filippis
PRODUCED BY Jessica Adams, Michael Graf, Harry Cherniak, Rhea Plangg, Michela Pini, Luis De Filippis
EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY Julia Fox, Francesca Silvestri, Kevin Chinoy, Andrew Adams, Jennifer Konawal, Jeremy Smith, Omar Chalabi, Charlie Hidalgo
STARRING Carmen Madonia, Ramona Milano, Paige Evans, Joey Parro, Augustus Oicle, Mi’de Woon-A-Tai, Carmelo Nelson
CINEMATOGRAPHY BY Norm Li, csc
EDITED BY Noemi Preiswerk
MUSIC BY Ella Van Der Woude


 

TIFF 2023 review: ‘BYE BYE TIBERIAS’ honors four generations of strong women.

BYE BYE TIBERIAS

“Don’t open the gate to past sorrows,” was the response filmmaker Lina Soualem received when asking her mother, actress Hiam Abbass (Succession), about where she came from. In the TIFF 2023 documentary BYE BYE TIBERIAS, audiences journey into the past through the crumbling walls of healing trauma and treasured connections.

The film consists of informal sit-down interviews, extensive personal writings, archival footage, and plenty of home videos of the generations of strong women in the family. We discover the hurt from Hiam’s past, the emotional baggage of leaving behind the turmoil of Palestine, but also the treasured connections of the women who shaped her. Hiam’s letters and poems serve as both insight and narration. They are intensely affecting.

Lina takes Hiam to her childhood home in Tiberias. As we witness Hiam wade through the complexities of guilt and grief, the film exposes a universality I was not expecting. BYE BYE TIBERIAS captures the heartship of carving a path that defies the patriarchal structure. One often defined by social and political forces beyond our control.

Hiam and her family love one another with their whole hearts. They have no filters when speaking to each other, and their words of affirmation are something to aspire to. Lina Soualem captures all of this in an elegant edit. The film is beautifully intimate. It’s a loving commentary on memory, identity, and honoring your past.


Bye Bye Tiberias
Bye Bye Tibériade
Lina Soualem
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
France, Belgium, Qatar, Palestine | 2023 | 82m | French, Arabic
 
 

TIFF 2023 review: Jen Markowitz’s doc ‘SUMMER QAMP’ is beautifully eye-opening and life-affirming.

SUMMER QAMP

Jen Markowitz‘s TIFF 2023 documentary SUMMER QAMP follows a group of kids attending a queer sleepaway camp in Canada. This celebration of individualism is essential viewing.

We witness walls breaking down through small pods of campers and mentors, campfire storytelling, and creative and traditional class selections. Former campers and artists in residence encourage each kid to take chances, but only as long as they are comfortable. There is no hidden agenda here. Camp Firefly exists to help these kids make it to adulthood. A brilliant and creative outlet for fear, anxiety, identity, and community connection, Camp Firefly is a safe space for queer youth to flourish. Camp is a place to heal, be accepted, and feel free. The world needs more of this. Just think of how many suicides we could prevent if we allowed everyone to be themselves, fully and unapologetically.

The overwhelming joy of hearing these kids laugh is infectious. SUMMER QAMP is an education, through and through. As a former theatre kid and current creative adult with two kids, I strive to understand how identity plays a part in overall confidence. I grew up with often crippling anxiety, a stranglehold of perfectionism, and feeling othered. It doesn’t feel good. My job is to protect my kids from the same overwhelming feelings of chaos any way I can.

SUMMER QAMP‘S brave kids allow the audience into their personal lives. They may not fully appreciate how fearless they are. Campers share their gender identity journey, the good, the bad, and the emotionally ugly. This film provides a conversation starter for understanding gender dysphoria from those experiencing it firsthand. It’s an aha of a film.

Leave your judgment at the door. Better yet, rid yourself of it altogether. The biggest takeaway from SUMMER QAMP? Just let kids be kids. They will figure it out in the end. And love should be unconditional.


WORLD PREMIERE – 2023 Toronto International Film Festival

About Director Jen Markowitz

Writer, director, and producer Jen Markowitz has worked in nearly every facet of Canadian television. Starting in scripted, moving to casting, and eventually landing in unscripted/non-fiction, they recently earned three Canadian Screen Awards for writing and producing Canada’s Drag Race, as well as a People’s Choice Award nomination and an Imagen award for producing Shine True, Vice/Fuse TV’s limited series about non-binary youth. Throughout their career, Jen has built a reputation on prioritizing authenticity in their storytelling and pursuing narratives with a balance of tenacity and tenderness. Identifying as queer non-binary, Jen brings their passion for celebrating, protecting, and properly portraying queer and trans communities into their work with deep respect and relentless devotion.

Mins 80 | Language English | Year 2023 | Country Canada

TIFF Website

Instagram: @summerqamp


 

TIFF 2023 review: ‘IRENA’S VOW’ is harrowing, engrossing, and timely film.

IRENA’S VOW

Based on the true story of Polish nurse Irena Gut Opdyke, director Louise Archambault brings TIFF 2023 audiences IRENA’S VOW, a harrowing tale of a young woman’s relentless bravery during WW2.

Feeling an overwhelming need to protect a group of Jewish workers during the Nazi regime, Irena hatches a plan to hide them in plain sight. Under the watchful eye of a vile general and the comings and goings of those who would have them all killed on a whim, one woman saves the lives of strangers, making way for change. Opdyke’s meticulously choreographed schedule of maneuvering workers and her wards is breathtaking. Her sacrifices will bowl you over. Sophie Nélisse breathes life into Irena. She is equal parts heroic and vulnerable. I didn’t even recognize her from her brilliant work on Yellowjackets. She transforms into Irena with an elegance that is perfection.

The costumes and sets place you back in time, making you feel claustrophobic within the walls of a mansion. Bravo to the production design team. The storytelling is authentic, brutal, heartrending, and inspiring. IRENA’S VOW displays how quickly evil permeates a culture, how goodness can overcome those forces, and the importance of standing up for what’s right in the world. Timely and crucial in the face of ignorance and hate, IRENA’S VOW is a triumph in this year’s lineup.


Monday, September 11
Scotiabank Theatre Torontolocation_on

Review: Jacqueline Castel’s ‘MY ANIMAL’ is the small-town sapphic monster movie we all needed.

MY ANIMAL

Heather, an outcast teenage goalie, falls for newcomer Jonny, an alluring but tormented figure skater. As their relationship deepens, Heather’s growing desires clash with her darkest secret, forcing her to control the animal within.

Jacqueline Castel gives us an incredibly nuanced and modern twist on the classic monster movie.  Heather is already a loner, with small-town gossip labeling her damaged goods based on her mother’s alcoholism. The film opens with a fantastic backstory of that scenario. One of the most intriguing aspects of the family dynamic has to be the calm acceptance of the curse but the loathsome attitude towards Heather’s sexuality. This clever dichotomy deepens our emotional investment in her happiness. MY ANIMAL transfixes with an almost slow-burn feel and the lack of gore. 

Stephen McHattie, a genre legend, plays Heather’s dedicated father, Henry. He is genuinely caring, encouraging, and a brilliant addition to this film. It’s a lovely turn. Amandla Stenberg plays Jonny with a fiery energy. She has an effortlessly commanding presence. Bobbi Salvör Menuez gives Heather award-worthy vulnerability. They bring fearless intention from beginning to end. Their chemistry with Stenberg is organic, keeping the audience emotionally invested.

Augustus Muller‘s synth-heavy score serves a dual purpose in establishing the period and eliciting an ominous horror vibe. The constant presence of red gel lighting and the handheld camerawork are hypnotizing. The film has one of the most erotic and masterfully crafted love scenes. Bravo to intimacy coordinator Mimi Côté. MY ANIMAL is a slick metaphor for the isolation and ostracization of small-town LGBTQIA+ individuals. Horror elements aside, being different might feel like a curse some days. MY ANIMAL shows the power of owning one’s individuality.


MY ANIMAL is in select Theaters on September 8, 2023 and on Digital September 15, 2023.


DIRECTED BY: Jacqueline Castel
WRITTEN BY: Jae Matthews
PRODUCED BY: Andrew Bronfman, Michael Solomon
CAST: Bobbi Salvör Menuez, Amandla Stenberg, Heidi von Palleske, Cory Lipman, Charlie & Harrison Halpenny, Joe Apollonio, Scott Thompson, Dean McDermott and Stephen McHattie

SYNOPSIS: Bobbi Salvör Menuez (Euphoria) and Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies) ignite in this genre-bending supernatural love story. Tormented by a hidden family curse, Heather is forced to live a secluded life on the outskirts of a small town. When she falls for the rebellious Jonny, their connection threatens to unravel Heather’s suppressed desires, tempting her to unleash the animal within.


RUN TIME: 103 minutes
RATING: R for language throughout, sexual content, nudity, some drug use and violence
GENRE: Horror, Romance
DISTRIBUTOR: Paramount Global Content Distribution


 

Ooh, la, la! Nicola Rose’s charming indie ‘GOODBYE, PETRUSHKA’ has potential for days.

GOODBYE, PETRUSHKA

Awkward, puppet-loving Claire takes a leap of faith and moves to Paris to pursue her dreams and change the life of a French figure skater. Yup. You read that correctly. GOODBYE, PETRUSHKA exemplifies indie filmmaking with its uniqueness while simultaneously grounding itself in solid fairytale elements. Fall in love with Claire and her authentic and innocent outlook on life.

Joëlle Haddad-Champeyroux plays innumerable ancillary characters. It is a fantastic running joke. Thomas Vieljeux gives Thibaut a melancholy and wounded self-esteem that suits the narrative. It also places Claire in an unexpected hero role.

Casey Landman is Gen Z perfection as Claire’s best friend, Julia. She settles into her privilege and fashionista vibe like a pro. Landman is a spectacular foil for Claire. She is the delightful and necessary comic relief that counters the overall arc.

Lizzie Kehoe is hilarious as Claire. She’s the quirky yet emotionally stunted girl who is genuinely charming. Her giddy exuberance is infectious. Kehoe gives it her all as we wade through an increasingly complex coming-of-age story.

The script never takes itself too seriously and lives in its unapologetic campiness. The dialogue is quippy and laugh-out-loud funny. Each character is memorable. The animated sequences are adorable. I would have loved to see it integrated from the beginning. They enhance the genuine sweetness in the story.

The film’s only fault is perhaps its length. It could use a trim on some of the lingering shots. On the other hand, the story would benefit from being fleshed out and turned into a miniseries. I think the characters earn backstories and an even deeper emotional investment. GOODBYE, PETRUSHKA would make an accessible YA series. Writer-director Nicola Rose covers a lot of ground in an hour and forty minutes. Hidden beneath a classic meets modern fairytale structure lies political commentary, gender dynamics, emotional manipulation, and celebrated individuality. GOODBYE, PETRUSHKA has solid development potential. Rose has a voice, and there is an undoubtedly hungry audience for what she’s serving.


Indie feature GOODBYE, PETRUSHKA, world-premiered at Dances with Films in LA and is now streaming on Amazon, Tubi, and other platforms

We’re kicking off the fall festival season with our TIFF 2023 curtain raiser!

Thu, Sep 7, 2023, 3:30 PM – Sun, Sep 17, 2023

TIFF 2023 is coming for you and the films are eclectic as usual. Promising big stars, buzzy indies, cool series, new filmmakers to discover,  and my personal favorite, in the form of the sinister Midnight Madness section, TIFF has all the films you’ll be hearing about come awards season. Here are a handful of things on our radar this year. Look for coverage from us and our main man Steve Kopian at Unseen Films.


 RIDDLE OF FIRE- (Midnight Madness Closing Night feature)Riddle of Fire still

Directed by Weston Razooli
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
United States of America | 2023 | 113m | English
 
The movie follows three mischievous children as they embark on an odyssey when their mother asks them to run an errand.
 
Screenings:
Saturday, September 16 Royal Alexandra Theatre 11:59pm
Sunday, September 17 TIFF Bell Lightbox 11:30 am


EPISODIC CONTENT

 BAD BOY -World Premiere – Primetime Programme 

 From Ron Leshem (Executive producer of HBO’s Euphoria, Creator of the original Israeli Euphoria series off which the US series is based) and Hagar Ben-Asher (Bosch, City on a Hill)  

Created alongside Daniel Chen, Roee Florentin, Moshe Malka, Amit Cohen (No Man’s LandFalse Flag), Daniel Amsel (EuphoriaValley of Tears).

Starring Bat Hen Sabag, Amjad Shawa, Guy Menaster, Havtamo Parada, Neta Plotnik, Liraz Chamami, Ishay Lalush, Daniel Hen, Ben Sultan

 BAD BOY is a gripping true story about a young boy imprisoned in a chaotic and colorful juvenile detention facility. While in jail, DEAN bonds with ZORO, a mysterious fellow inmate who grows to be his closest friend and lifeline despite the fact that Zoro is serving time for cold-blooded murder. In order to survive the harsh reality behind bars, Dean learns to harness his unique creativity and humor – all while battling his own inner demons. Twenty years later, these traits still define Dean as a star comedian, while his time in jail is a secret that constantly threatens to resurface and tear his life apart.

 Episode Count: 8×40


LIMBO (North American Premiere*)

Section: Centrepiece

North American Premiere

Australia/104 min/English

Directed by: Ivan Sen

Starring: Simon Baker, Rob Collins, Natasha Wanganeen, Nicholas Hope

*LIMBO World Premired at Berlinale Film Festival 2023

Synopsis:

Travis, a jaded detective, arrives in the remote outback town of Limbo to investigate the cold case murder of local Indigenous girl Charlotte Hayes 20 years ago. As truths about the murder begin to unfold, the detective gains a new insight into the unsolved case from the victim’s fractured family, the surviving witnesses, and the reclusive brother of the chief suspect. A poignant, intimate journey into the complexities of loss and the impact of the justice system on Aboriginal families in Australia.

Screening times:

September 12 5:45 pm Public screening Scotiabank 3

September 13 3:45 pm Public screening Scotiabank 9


BACKSPOT – World Premiere – Discovery 

 Directed by: D.W. Waterson

Written by: Joanne Sarazen, Story by: D.W. Waterson

Produced by: Alona Metzer, D.W. Waterson, Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs, Martin Katz

Executive Produced by: Elliot Page, Matt Jordan Smith, J.C. Davidson, Katisha Shaw

Starring: Devery Jacobs (“Reservation Dogs”), Evan Rachel Wood (“Westworld”), Shannyn Sossamon (A Knight’s Tale), Kudakwashe Rutendo, Thomas Antony Olajide, Wendy Crewson

 Synopsis:

A driven cheerleader (Devery Jacobs) struggles to handle the pressure when she and her girlfriend are both selected for an elite cheer squad, in D.W. Waterson’s feature directorial debut.

 RT: 93 Minutes

 Public Screenings

Friday, September 8 at 8:30PM at the TIFF Bell Lightbox

Monday, September 11 at 3:00PM at the TIFF Bell Lightbox

Friday, September 15 at 9:45PM at Scotiabank Theatre


THE CRITIC – World Premiere – Special Presentations 

Directed By: Anand Tucker (Hilary and Jackie)

Written by: Patrick Marber (Notes on a Scandal)

Starring: Ian McKellen (The Good Liar), Gemma Arterton (Summerland), Mark Strong (1917), Romola Garai (Suffragette), Ben Barnes (Westworld) and Alfred Enoch (Foundation

 Gemma Arterton and Sir Ian McKellen star as adversaries forced to take desperate measures to save their careers, in this scintillating tale of ambition and deceit in the theatre world.

 RT: 95 minutes

 Public Screenings

Monday, September 11 at 12:00PM at the Princess of Wales

Wednesday, September 13 at 4:00PM at Scotiabank 2

Saturday, September 16 at 3:00PM at Scotiabank 2


IRENA’S VOW (Quiver Distribution) – World Premiere – Centerpiece Program 

 Directed by: Louise Archambault (Atomic Saké, Familia)

Written by: Dan Gordon (Passenger 57, Wyatt Earp)

Starring: Sophie Nélisse (“Yellowjackets,” 47 Meters Down: Uncaged), Dougray Scott (Mission: Impossible 2, “Batwoman”), Andrzej Seweryn, and Maciek Nawrocki

Produced by: Nicholas Tabarrok, p.g.a, Beata Pisula, Tim Ringuette, Berry Meyerowitz and Jeff Sackman

Through the eyes of a strong-willed woman comes the remarkable true story of Irena Gut Opdyke and the triumphs of the human spirit over devastating tragedy. 19-year-old Irena Gut is promoted to housekeeper in the home of a highly respected Nazi officer when she finds out that the Jewish ghetto is about to be liquidated. Determined to help twelve Jewish workers, she decides to shelter them in the safest place she can think of: the basement of the German commandant’s house. Over the next two years, Irena uses her wit, humor, and courage to hide her friends until the end of the German occupation, concealing them in the midst of countless Nazi parties, a blackmail scheme, and even the birth of a child. Her story is one of the most inspiring of our time.

 RT: 121 Minutes

 Public Screenings

Sunday, September 10 at 3:15PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox Cinema 1

Monday, September 11 at 3:35PM at Scotiabank 11


KNOX GOES AWAY – World Premiere – Special Presentations 

 

Directed by: Michael Keaton

Written By: Gregory Poirier (Rosewood)

Starring: Michael Keaton (Birdman), James Marsden (“Jury Duty”), Al Pacino (The Godfather), and Marcia Gay Harden (Mystic RIver)

 Michael Keaton directs and plays Knox, a hitman losing his memory, putting him in a race against time to help his estranged son (James Marsden) cover up a messy crime.

 RT: 114 minutes

 Public Screenings

Sunday, September 10 at 9:45 PM at The Princess of Wales Theatre

Monday, September 11 at 5:30 PM at Roy Thomson Hall


SUMMER QAMPWORLD PREMIERE – 2023 Toronto International Film Festival

Directed by Jen Markowitz

Mins 80 | Language English | Year 2023 | Country Canada

SUMMER QAMP is a moving, compelling and joyful documentary following a group of LGBTQ+ youth at an idyllic lakeside camp in Alberta, Canada – CAMP fYrefly. The campers enjoy the traditional summer camp experience in a safe, affirming environment where they deepen their connections with their own community and themselves.

Screenings:

World Premiere – Saturday, September 9 at 12:15 PM at Scotiabank 13 

Sunday, September 10 at 4:30 PM at Scotiabank 12


For more information on TIFF 2023 click here!

The 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival takes place Thursday, September 7—17, 2023.


 

Review: ‘KING ON SCREEN’ is a treat for all horror fans.

KING ON SCREEN

King On Screen Poster


Filmmaker Daphné Baiwir taps into our love of horror through the lens and pages of Stephen King. Her new documentary KING ON SCREEN gives audiences all the insider goodies, things we heard through the grapevine and never before explored details from relationships with King and some of our favorite filmmakers who dared to translate his words for cinephiles.

The number of King’s books that jumped from page to screen is astounding. As a kid in the 80s, like many of the filmmakers in the doc, I grew up seeing King’s books on my family’s shelf but immersed myself in the films first. The kids in Stand By Me and IT became my peers. I rented The Shining, Creepshow, and Pet Sementary ad nauseum. By the time 1996 rolled around, I remembered the glee I experienced when I discovered The Green Mile in the grocery store checkout aisle.

While we don’t hear from King directly, we see stills and videos of Stephen on the sets of his adaptations. Filmmakers like Greg Nicotero, Mike Flanagan, David Carson, Taylor Hackford, Tom Holland, John Harrison, Mick Garris, and Frank Darabont share how King’s books inspired their work. They speak to the overwhelming readability of small-town horror. King singlehandedly made Maine an unlikely horror destination. I love that everyone addresses The Shining controversy. Behind-the-scenes footage and anecdotes explain the breakdown between the book and the film. Kubrick obliterates Jack Torrance’s humanity that fans of the book (King, most of all) hate.

King’s deep dive into the political landscape has always existed. The film explores his ability to explore universal truths, whether religion, race, or greed, and make characters lovable or loathsome based on their moral compass. In the same way, we joke about The Simpsons‘ writers predicting the future, Stephen King uses the global landscape to create villains and heroes that shake us to our core. Translating that from page to screen sometimes takes a slight adjustment. The best filmmakers always ask Steve first.

For horror fans, KING ON SCREEN is like a kid coming home with a Halloween candy haul that would put you in a coma. For fans of his books, it’s like changing costumes and going out for round two. It’s delicious fun, no matter how cliche you might find the Easter egg-filled bookend scenes. They play like a Where’s Waldo for readers and genre fans alike. (I loved it.) So, turn the lights down and make popcorn. KING ON SCREEN scares up our nostalgia and celebrates a storytelling master.

 

The horror documentary KING ON SCREEN will be in Theaters on August 11th

and available On Demand and Blu-Ray on September 8th.

 

The film is directed by Daphné Baiwir (Deauville and the American dream) and features interviews with Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Walking Dead), Mick Garris (The Stand, Sleepwalkers), Mike Flanagan (“Midnight Mass,” Doctor Sleep), Tom Holland (The Langoliers, Chucky), Vincenzo Natali (Cube, In the Tall Grass), Greg Nicotero (“The Walking Dead,” “Creepshow”), Mark L. Lester (Commando, Firestarter), Taylor Hackford (Dolores Claiborne, Ray), Dee Wallace (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Cujo), Tim Curry (Congo, The Rocky Horror Picture Show) and James Caan (The Godfather, Misery).


 

Fantasia 2023 shorts program review: The biting brilliance in ‘BORN OF WOMAN’ wows again.

Fantasia Festival 2023 logo

BORN OF WOMAN

(2023 shorts program)

Born of Woman 2023 banner

Fantasia’s top-tier showcase of intimate auteur genre visions returns with eight works from six countries that will leave you shaken and amazed. 


Sayani

A crashed pilot seeks a way out of her unfamiliar and harsh surroundings. As her hopes of rescue fade, memories become her saving grace and doom. This beautifully lit short takes advantage of its pace. A final reveal shocks.


Se Dit D’un Cerf Qui Quitte Son (Said of a Deer That Sheds Its Antlers)

A black comedy version of The Lottery, this film kills off its eldest family members, and everyone is cool with it. This laugh-out-loud absurdist short had me grinning uncontrollably. Salomé Crickx has a real winner here.

Only Yourself To Blame

In a sharp look at rape trauma and its eternal demons, filmmaker Noomi Yates‘ 8-minute short creates a powerful statement that speaks volumes.

Sweet Tooth poster 2023Les Dents Du Bonheur (Sweet Tooth)

What begins as a bring your daughter to work story quickly spirals to a darkly absurdist commentary on class. The production design and cinematography have you believe this short is a timeless French narrative drama. Director Joséphibe Darcy Hopkins takes us down the rabbit hole of deranged power structure, revenge, and respect.

The Taster

A near-future scenario plays the backdrop for director Sophia Bierend‘s Fantasia short. A young woman becomes the official taster for a high-ranking general. Learning about the recent demise of her predecessor, her insight into the fearmongering of her new environment grows clearer. Mandy Peterat‘s production design is top-notch. THE TASTER is one hell of a treatment for a feature. It screams franchise development.

Madeline Brewer in PRUNING
PRUNING

Nian

Racism and folklore come together for a sweet tongue-in-cheek revenge tale from Michelle Krusiec. It is a satisfyingly smirk-inducing addition to the program.

Mancha

Writer-director Nicole Mejia‘s visual metaphor for generational trauma comes to life through a beautiful combination of Seth Macmillian’s camerawork, Alain Emile’s music, and performances. Its inevitability haunts you.


Fantasia 2023 review: ‘PIAFFE’ is a surprising tale of obsession, sexual awakening, and otherness.

Fantasia Festival 2023 logo

PIAFFE

Piaffe posterEva takes over as a Foley artist for her hospitalized sibling Zara. With no knowledge or self-esteem for the task, Eva endures shockingly abusive behavior from every angle; Zara, her boss, and the hospital nurse. When threatened with dismissal from Zara’s position, she becomes obsessed with the assigned commercial clip.

The video features a horse. Upon visiting a stable for research, Eva’s determination to perfect the audio ignites an immersive approach. Her relentless work ethic causes Eva to grow a horsetail. As she embraces her newfound appendage, Eva becomes entangled with a Botonist who opens her eyes to different forms of pleasure, increasing her confidence and sparking her sexual awakening.

PIAFFE gives audiences a fever dream of imagery and sound. Music is an eclectic Giallo-inspired mix of ominous cello and techno. The color Red features symbolically in lipstick, a telephone, tinsel, roses, and lighting. Simone Bucio is fearless as Eva. Her palpable anxiety and social awkwardness pour off the screen, making her relatable in the most unexpected ways.

The real star of PIAFFE is Robert Hefter and Jonas Vincent‘s jarring augmented sound mixing. As a viewer with Sensory Processing Disorder, PIAFFE is equal parts hair-raising nightmare and auditory orgasm. The sparse dialogue contributes to the focus on the heightened sound. Writer-director Ann Oren celebrates otherness in all its forms. Fantasia 2023 audiences experienced a sensory explosion with an unpredictable complexity.

Oscilloscope Labs will release PIAFFE on August 25th


Shot on lush 16mm, PIAFFE is a visceral journey into control, gender, and artifice.

The film will open in New York on August 25th at The Quad Cinema and in Los Angeles on September 15th at Landmark’s Nuart Theatre.

DIRECTED BY ANN OREN

STARRING SIMONE BUCIO, SIMON(E) JAIKIRIUMA PAETAU,

and SEBASTIAN RUDOLPH

SCREENINGS:
Mon August 07, 2023
2:15 PM

Salle J.A. De Sève

Fantasia 2023 review: A visual feast, The Adams Family ‘s ‘WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS,’ showcases the fiercest loyalty to family and the macabre.

Fantasia Festival 2023 logoWHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS

A Film by The Adams Family

Where The Devil Roams posterOn behalf of their freakish and fantastical extended family members, three Depression-era carnies leave blood in their wake from town-to-town while trying to right the wrongs committed by locals. WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS is the latest and greatest from the filmmaking phenom family Toby Poser, John, and Zelda Adams. The production design is delicious. Fall color palettes and jewel tones mingle in a curated, handmade Martha Stewart Halloween spread. The lighting is breathtaking. The Adams create stunning tableaus that are stylistically orgasmic. All of this visual feast as H6LLB6ND6R‘s newest rock songs crank in the background. The dialogue is poetic. The special makeup and practical effects by Trey Lindsay, John Adams, and Toby Poser are squirm-worthy.

Sam Rodd plays sinister magician Mr. Tibbs with a skin-crawling, almost slithery delivery. His otherworldly dealings with the devil peak Eve’s interest when she needs to keep the family together. John Adams is Seven, a PTSD-ridden army doctor. Like each of his real-life family counterparts, John Adams wears all the hats behind the camera. As Seven, post-war, the sight of blood outs him in the throw of shock. This irony plays spectacularly against their murderous tendencies.

Zelda Adams plays Eve, a primarily mute, morbidly curious young woman who only speaks in song during their act. Portraying Eve and in real life, Zelda is the best of both her parents. Her ability to keep pace with John and Toby as a writer, singer, and cinematographer is astounding. Toby Poser is Maggie, the mother hen of the circus. If you fuck with the family, you’ll regret it. Poser’s brilliant vocal stylings contrast with the darkness of Maggie’s actions. This level of specificity makes the character exponentially more disturbing, and yet you fall in love with her immediately.

As in Hellbender, menstrual blood features briefly, but its symbolic feminist nature screams off the screen for any human who bleeds every month. Normalizing periods and the power they represent is a consistent message in their filmmaking. WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS puts women in the front seat, again. The final image made my mouth drop open. It is a wow. If you haven’t seen Hellbender and The Deeper You Dig, you are in for a treat. You have a homework assignment.

The Adams’ creative world is unrelentingly impressive. WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS is another notch in their horror belt, showcasing the best in the indie business. Their loyalty to their genre family and their literal one (scan the credits for proof) is unmatched. The film features the largest cast The Adams have worked with thus far, including friends old and new in Razor de RockefellerHitomi Nakamura, and Justin Julio. Their fearless and bold storytelling takes me by surprise with each new chapter. Fantasia audiences have the honor of experiencing a fresh way to make movies. I cannot wait to see whatever they have been working on overseas. I’m already counting down the days until Fantasia 2025. No doubt we’ll get a newfangled fix we never knew we needed.


Barbenheimer: Notes from the Front Line

Barbie and Oppenheimer. Two unlikely partners who teamed up to revive the idea of a double feature, and to yield a truly blockbuster opening week for both films. My wife and I got in on the Barbenheimer chaos and emerged on the other side bruised but exhilarated. We saw Barbie first, and then Oppenheimer – I feel the inverse order may have actually been healthier for my psyche. Walking out of Oppenheimer into the bright weekend sun, I felt myself grappling with, even overwhelmed by, large universal questions. I could have really used some of Barbie’s brightness at that moment.

In many ways, these two films could not be more different. One is about a globally known and distributed children’s toy, the other the founder of the atomic bomb. One embraces and explores femininity and the female condition, whereas the other features maybe 4 female characters in total. One is bright and colorful (at least on the surface), whereas the other is dark and moody. On paper, this would not seem to be a great wine pairing.

There are, however, areas where the two films are quite complementary. At the end of the day, both films serve to investigate the humanity within very public, idealistic figures. Barbie is a toy and Oppenheimer a human, but they both exist today as contrasting symbols. Barbie was widely touted as a type of feminine ideal (although one that has been rightfully questioned and interrogated as a product of problematic patriarchal influence) and Oppenheimer as a symbol of America’s mental and physical supremacy.


Both films also ask complicated questions surrounding the way ideals or symbols exist or endure once they are exposed to the whims of the broader world. When Barbie and Ken leave Barbieland, they quickly learn that what they believed to be universal truths no longer apply. The way they see themselves may not be how others see them. Similarly, an initial vision for how the atom bomb might be leveraged quickly shifts when the weapon rolls out of the lab and into the hands of the US military. Both Barbie and Oppenheimer are forced to realize that intention doesn’t necessarily translate to reality.

Finally, both films also invite the audience to look inwards and ask themselves hard questions. As a cisgender white male, the common theme that resonated for me was that of complicity, but others may find different points of resonance.

Ultimately, I hope that the Barbenheimer experience motivates more audiences to seek out double features. I just hope the next duo is a little less heavy, and maybe a little shorter.


 

Fantasia 2023 review: ‘LOVELY, DARK, and DEEP’ is a fever dream of trauma

Fantasia Festival 2023 logoLOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP

lovely dark and deep poster

A thoroughly unsettling opening scene plunges us into Fantasia 2023 film LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP. Georgina Campbell plays Lennon, a newly hired park ranger with a personal agenda, solving a tragedy from her past. Writer-director Teresa Sutherland brings trauma and psychological terror to audiences with a twisted dive into memory and mystery.

Campbell is magnificent, carrying the film with the same ease as BARBARIAN. Her ability to hold your attention as the mostly sole individual on screen is unsurpassed. Lennon’s guilt, grief, and unresolved trauma seep from Campbell’s pores and tie you in knots.

The dizzying camerawork from cinematographer Rui Poças and ominous original music from Shida Shahabi raise the hairs on the back of your neck. Sharp sound design by Branko Neskov, which includes podcast audio, is a clever device. As a National Park After Dark fan, this was a slick addition to Sutherland’s narrative style. Editor Alexander Amick furthers Lennon’s isolation amid flashbacks and ghoulish visuals that muddy the lines of reality. It is the ultimate manipulation. All of these elements come together for an atmospheric stranglehold of fear. LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP holds you tightly, only momentarily loosening its grip for minutes at a time. With a script that keeps you guessing at every turn, Fantasia is a uniquely crafted atmospheric journey into psychological terror.


Tue July 25, 2023
4:15 PM

Fantasia 2023 review: Run to see the powerful Ukrainian drama ‘STAY ONLINE.’ It will rock you to your core.

Fantasia Festival 2023 logo

STAY ONLINE

Stay Online poster

Best served on the biggest movie screen possible, STAY ONLINE takes us on a real-time journey of political mayhem through the eyes and laptop screen of one Ukrainian resister. Switching from tab to app to window, Katya places us inside the war via news popups, video calls, and chats while air raid sirens blare in the background. This coordinated chaos forces you to sit up and pay attention. Following the action takes focus, and there isn’t a moment of downtime.

Stay Online - Ukrainian thrillerThe narrative flips when Katya becomes entangled with the son of the laptop owner. Her online sleuthing would put the cops to shame. It is millennial cyberstalking at its best. Liza Zaitseva gives a heart-stopping performance as Katya. Her relentless emotional investment is a rollercoaster ride. She is simply magnificent.

STAY ONLINE speaks directly to the power of information sharing in a time when news media outlets gloss over images of war in tightly edited clips that run every hour. Grisly is profitable, and so is fear-mongering. The human aspect often becomes a political pawn. Ukrainian filmmaker Yeva Strelnikova‘s feature-film debut leaves your heart in your throat. The film’s premiere comes at a particularly auspicious time, with Ukraine throwing its hat in the ring at NATO. STAY ONLINE is gripping, devastating, and entirely brilliant. It is one of the most powerful films of the year.



Mon July 24, 2023
2:05 PM

Outfest: LA review: ‘EGGHEAD AND TWINKIE’ is the perfect Gen Z rom-com… and one of the year’s best films.

EGGHEAD and TWINKIE

EGGHEAD AND 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.

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. 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 remind 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 AND 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. Hey Netflix! This one is right up your alley. Do not sleep in it!


Showings – select to order tickets:
 
  • Director:
    Sarah Kambe Holland
  • Screenwriter:
    Sarah Kambe Holland
  • Producer:
    Danielle Fountaine, Sarah Kambe Holland, Valerie Starks
  • Executive Producer:
    Simon Holland, Torye Kambe, Dan Pastewka, Kathleen Weldon
  • Cast:
    Sabrina Jie-A-Fa, Louis Tomeo, Asahi Hirano, Ayden Lee
  • Cinematographer:
    Olivia Wilson
  • Editor:
    Kristina League, Anna Definis, Sarah Kambe Holland
  • Animator:
    Jill Cefalo-Sanders
  • Production Design:
    Luke Sanders
  • Composer:
    Ben Thornewill
  • Sound Design:
    Bo Li
  • Music:
    Arielle James Harris

Vampires, Werewolves, Frankenstein, Time Travel, and Fever Dreams. Oh, is that all? Nope. What to Watch at Fantasia Festival 2023, coming this week!

Fantasia Festival 2023 logo

Fantasia 2023 is almost upon us, or as we like to say, “It’s Christmas in July, Motherf*ckers!” But, we usually keep that on the inside. Now that you have a taste of how demented we naturally are, here is a handful of films we are stoked to check out at this year’s fest. It’s the stuff we’ll undoubtedly be buzzing about for the remainder of the year. We have been lucky enough to have seen a few of the titles already making the rounds. You can catch our reviews for the following films:

With Love and a Major Organ

Suitable Flesh

Satan Wants You

Paiffe

Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls

Talk To Me

Molli and Max in the Future


Now, onto the films that we cannot wait to get our eyeballs on for the first time…

 

LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP

lovely dark and deep poster


LOVELY, DARK AND DEEP is the hotly anticipated directorial debut of Teresa Sutherland, screenwriter of THE WIND and a writer on MIDNIGHT MASS. Laced with stunning visuals, this ominously beautiful, deeply frightening nightmare is anchored by a captivating lead performance from BARBARIAN’s Georgina Campbell. Campbell plays a park ranger in an isolated forest outpost, the site of multiple mysterious disappearances, and she is plagued by visions blending the past and present with something even more sinister. This transfixing film oozes an immersive, fever-dream atmosphere. Also starring Nick Blood, Wai Ching Ho, and Edgar Morais. World Premiere. 

You had us at Georgina Campbell and the woods. Teresa Sutherland understands how to create atmospheric chaos, both physically and emotionally. We’re betting on this one.



APORIA

Sophie’s (Judy Greer, HALLOWEEN) life takes a sudden hard turn when either fate or a terrible chance of circumstance sees her husband Mal (Edi Gathegi, THE HARDER THEY FALL) killed in a drunk-driving accident. Left to parent her grief-torn teenaged daughter (Faithe Herman, SHAZAM!) on her own while trying to keep things together with an emotionally taxing nursing job, her breaking point might be coming up fast and it takes every bit of her remaining strength not to fall apart. One day, her husband’s best friend (Payman Maadi, A SEPARATION), a brilliant former physicist, approaches her with an experimental machine that he’s secretly been working on for years. One that’s capable of bending time in specific ways. A device that could — perhaps — bring a version of Sophie’s old life back to her. She understands that by taking a chance with this, the consequences will be entirely unforeseeable. It’s an impossible choice to make. And a lifeline that’s all but impossible to resist.

As a self-proclaimed Whovian, time-bending is my jam. Add in Judy Greer, whose career is a delicious buffet of eclectic tastes, and you’ve got my eyeballs for however long you want them.


STAY ONLINE

Stay Online poster

STAY ONLINE, the feature-film debut of Ukrainian filmmaker Eva Strelnikova, follows Katya (Liza Zaitseva), a volunteer from Kyiv who is fighting against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While using a laptop donated to the resistance, she comes into contact with the original owner’s superhero-obsessed son, who is looking for his lost parents. In an effort to make a positive change in this boy’s life and pull herself out of a destructive cycle, Katya risks all that she holds dear to locate his parents.

If your heart isn’t pumping, palms sweating while watching this film, check your pulse. Told through the lens f a laptop screen, this political thriller set during the early days of the war in Ukraine will have you on edge from start to finish.


BLACKOUT

A still from Larry Fessenden's Blackout

In a small upstate New York town, artist Charley Barrett (Alex Hurt) checks out of the motel that’s been his recent home and sets out on a series of personal missions. These include exposing the corruption of ruthless developer Hammond (Marshall Bell), and reconciling with former lover Sharon (Addison Timlin), Hammond’s daughter. Another is connected to his tragic secret: Charley is a werewolf, recently infected with the curse and responsible for a series of gruesome murders. The local residents have scapegoated one of the Latino workers on Hammond’s construction site for the killings, and as a full moon rises, their desire for justice hits a fever pitch while Charley succumbs to his transformation once more.

Larry Fessenden, Ladies and Gentlemen, and All Genre Fans. This horror legend not only appears in every single instant cult classic but writes and directs slick horror through his production company Glass Eye Pix. Fessenden’s Monster Mania takes a new turn in werewolf form this go around. 


WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS

Darkest prayers will be answered, in sawdust and sacrilege, when Fantasia goes WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS. This astonishing new feature from cult favourites The Adams Family (Toby Poster, John Adams, Zelda Adams), follows a family of traveling sideshow performers as they traverse Depression-era America on a bloody search for eternal life. As in THE DEEPER YOU DIG and HELLBENDER, both Fantasia World Premieres, the gifted filmmaking family’s latest creation continues their inspired explorations of familial power dynamics through the prism of horror. Haunting, poetic, sometimes funny, frequently freakish, and told with conviction through a deeply personal lens. World Premiere. 

Filmmaking phenoms The Adams Family has been rocking my world for years with their uniquely smart storytelling and jarring imagery. Fellow born and bred New Englanders, I love them and their work on a deeply personal level. If you check Twitter notes, they have publicly accepted me into the family. They can do no wrong in my book.


EMPIRE V

EMPIRE V

A disaffected student (Pavel Tabakov) follows an invitation to join “the elite” and finds himself forcibly transformed into a vampire, joining a supernatural ruling class who exercise an anonymous dictatorship over humans. Celebrated Russian-American director Victor Ginzburg (GENERATION P) demonstrates a striking visual imagination, perfectly complementing a story that reinvents nearly every aspect of vampire lore in clever and fantastical ways. This is the MATRIX of vampire cinema. Years in the making, EMPIRE V is both next-level blockbuster storytelling and megabudget anti-Oligarch satire, electrified with breathtaking visuals from the great Aleksei Rodionov (COME AND SEE). Co-starring Miron Fedorov, AKA rap star Oxxxymiron, whose anti-War benefit concerts led the Russian justice ministry to condemn him as a “foreign agent.” EMPIRE V itself has been banned by Russia’s Ministry of Culture, ensuring that the citizens of its home country may never see the film. World Premiere. 

I don’t care how many vampire films we’ve seen, I’m a Child of the Night, an Anne Rice, Stephen King lover. And yes, even Twilight, baby. Vampires will get me through the door every single time. Empire V looks slick as hell, and I’m all for satire. Especially when it involves Russia and all forms of revolt. This new take clearly has teeth.


BIRTH/REBIRTH

Rose (Marin Ireland, THE DARK AND THE WICKED) is a morgue technician with little patience for the living. Brilliant and obsessively driven, she also has a personal side-project that’s consumed much of her waking energies: The reversing of physical death. Celine (Judy Reyes, SCRUBS) is a hardworking maternity nurse who gives her all to patients shift after shift, the emotional intensity of her work only finding reprieve when she comes home to her effervescent six-year-old daughter, Lila (A.J. Lister). Fates take a horrific turn that smashes the lives of both women into each other, dropping them down a gruesome rabbit hole of desperate choices and ascending moral compromise that will shake you to your core. We’ll reveal no more.

Female-driven horror storytelling with motherhood at the center, Birth/Rebirth may connect with childbearing audiences that don’t usually go for this kind of fare. Risky, visceral, and unafraid to shock, audiences cannot prepare for what they are about to witness. Mary Shelley approves. 


WHITE NOISE

white noise short film still

Ava’s debilitating hyper-sensitivity to sound is becoming unliveable. Her doctor’s prescription of exposure therapy backfires as she descends into a fit of panic in both her class and the subway. When her attempt at suicide fails, she pleads with her doctor to enrol her in an experimental trial involving an anechoic chamber: the world’s quietest room. The doctor has his reservations, but Ava is convinced this is the ticket to her salvation. In this soundless space, her euphoria quickly mutates into madness when she begins to hear the inner workings of her own body.

Drawing on producer Christina Saliba’s experiences, this short film from director Tamara Scherbak made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Suffering from the same affliction, this brilliantly torturous short places the viewer inside the body of someone with constant sensory overload. *Shiver and wince*


Last but not least, the annual goodness that is BORN OF WOMAN 2023 shorts program. Every year I look forward to the brutal, genius, angry, gorgeous, bloody storytelling from a handpicked group of female filmmakers. 130 mins, 8 films, from the United Kingdom, USA, Belgium, France, Germany, and Argentina. 

For all things Fantasia Festival 2023, click here.

 

Reviews will be rolling out as fast as we can watch and type!


 

DWF LA review: Thriving with anxiety is a challenge in Sara Friedman’s ‘HEIGHTENED’

HEIGHTENED

Neurodivergent behavior manifests in a myriad of ways. Sometimes it rears its ugly head in the form of ticks, rituals, and a short temper, but mostly in weird behavior misunderstood by the general population. HEIGHTENED boasts an augmented sound design that perfectly captures what it feels like to be sensory overloaded. As a fellow SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) sufferer, this film is intentional visceral torture but for a purpose. Although they never explicitly call it that, all the signs, symptoms, and medical gaslighting appear in the script.

Real-life couple Xander Berkeley and Sarah Clarke play Nora’s waspy parents. Their seemingly selfish nature and high expectations explain Nora’s closed-off temperament. They are fantastic additions to the cast. Dave Register is Dusty, the Park ranger who mentors Nora. His genuine sweetness pours off the screen. Register’s performance is grounded in kindness and perfectionism that comes with a backstory.

Writer-director-star Sara Friedman exposes the complexities of neurodivergence, exploring daily life and behavioral origins with heart and humor. Nora’s journey comes in waves of empathy for Dusty’s bullying. His presence calms her. Their relationship takes a natural turn as Friedman and Register have a fun chemistry. They hit the mark with slightly larger-than-life humor leaning into a loveable and quirky side of character-building.

HEIGHTENED is a lovely little film that delves into the minds of those with constant anxiety. It nails the feelings, never daring to overstep the boundaries, instead respecting our differences. It celebrates finding a partner that accepts you as you are.


For all things DWF LA, click here!

DWF LA review: ‘KATIE’S MOM’ is a delicious homage and star vehicle for Dina Meyer.

KATIE’S MOM

Katie's Mom poster

SYNOPSIS
A heartfelt comedy influenced by THE GRADUATE but told from the perspective of a protagonist inspired by Mrs. Robinson. Set in Pasadena, KATIE’S MOM is about Nancy Rosenfeld (Dina Meyer (STARSHIP TROOPERS, SAW)), a nurturing mom and recent divorcée, whose beloved Jewish/Christmas mashup holiday celebration with her adult children is derailed when she falls for Alex Rojas (Aaron Dominguez (Only Murders in the Building)), her daughter’s charming new boyfriend. Their electrifying affair upends her status quo and sets her on a path to becoming the woman she was meant to be.


Nancy is a divorcee trying to plan the perfect Christmanukah for her kids, Katie and Eli. When Her daughter arrives with her new boyfriend, things get complicated.

Nancy’s grown children, Katie and Eli, are selfish brats, if we are being honest. Julia Tolchin and Colin Bates tap into rude rich kid personas from different but equally effective angles. Aaron Dominguez is effortlessly charming as Alex. You buy into his sincerity. He’s a solid foil for both Tolchin and Meyer.

Speaking of the titular character, Dina Meyer nails the divorced Mom vibe with a combination of sexual frustration, invisible labor, and unconditional love. I would watch an entire series based on her upcoming shenanigans. She is incredibly camera friendly and oh-so-watchable.

Fantasy sequences are fun and sexy. The storytelling is undeniably relatable to any woman who has let her identity slip after marriage and kids. There is a broad audience for this film. KATIE’S MOM is a different kind of coming-of-age story. It is a sexual awakening and a reclamation of power.


For all things DWF LA, click here!

 

From filmmakers to scene-stealers, here are some of the notable Women To Watch from Tribeca 2023.

The 2023 edition of The Tribeca Film Festival upped the anty for female filmmakers this year. Femmecentric storytelling gave us innumerable outstanding performances from women of all ages. As usual, I begin my annual roundup with the caveat that this list pertains solely to the films I saw. Here is my 2023 list of Women to Watch from Tribeca.

*an earlier version of this article first appeared on AWFJ.org*


THE LISTENER
Tessa Thompson plays Beth, a crisis line operator who works the overnight shift. Watching Thompson process callers in real-time is akin to live theatre. Scenarios range from a call from a formerly incarcerated man, a husband who just told his wife he no longer loves her, an overburdened mother, a runaway in danger, and more. Her final call, which is also the lengthiest, challenges her sense of emotional security but ultimately invites us into Beth’s life in earnest. Thanks to screenwriter Alessandro Camon, THE LISTENER is fully ripe for the stage. Tessa Thompson is in every single frame. The gentleness in her voice is soothing. Her patience is breathtaking. Underneath her job slips a weary face. The emotional investment is palpable. This performance is a master class in measured behavior. Thompson had me in the palm of her hand. Full Review here.


YOU’LL NEVER FIND ME
Jordan Cowan haunts us with a performance that keeps you guessing. Theories swirl when she knocks on the door in a trailer park during a freak storm. Her fear is palpable. By the end of the film, Cowan has you by the throat. It is a role that has you consistently on edge and inevitably wildly cheering.


THE MIRACLE CLUB
Laura Linney plays Chrissy, a woman who returns to Ireland for the first time in forty years following the death of her estranged mother. Carrying quiet despair, Linney puts bitterness aside to heal her past. Her poise elevates the film. Kathy Bates plays cousin Eileen with a weary spirit, spunk, and unforgiving spite. Her journey is slowgoing but worth the wait. The legendary Dame Maggie Smith plays a formerly close family friend, Lily. The connection between the two women is filled with guilt and anger but quickly softens in search of forgiveness. As expected, Smith treats each beat with care and discovery. She is always a joy to watch. Agnes O’Casey plays Dolly, the faithful mother of a mute son. Her heartfelt desperation pours off the screen. She could easily lead a feature on her own. The film comes to theaters July 14th from Sony Pictures Classics.


SUITABLE FLESH
Barbara Crampton, whom I retain the right to declare a Time Lord, plays Dr. Danielle Upton. Had this film been made 20 years ago, she would be Beth. Crampton is as good as it gets. She is sharp, 100% committed, and slyly comic. Her casting is no accident, and writer Dennis Paoli (Re-Animator) again does her justice. Heather Graham goes all out, essentially playing three roles in one. She is feisty and unbridled. Easily keeping up with Crampton’s iconic status, Graham nails the style. Full Review here.


SOMEWHERE QUIET
Cousin Madeline comes to overbearing life through the performance of Marin Ireland. Her aggressive affection and territorial nature toward Scott are off-putting and flawless. You cannot look away from her. Jennifer Kim plays Meg with frayed nerves and pent-up trauma on every inch of her skin. She lives inside the mind of someone who survived unspeakable horror. But, her feisty spirit and take-no-shit attitude barrel this unrelentingly intense story onward. Kim owns every second of screen time. Every bit of this script feels like a slowly tightening vice on the nerves as the lines of reality blur easily. In her feature directorial debut, filmmaker Olivia West Lloyd has a stranglehold on viewers. SOMEWHERE QUIET is a skillfully crafted and heinous tale of terror that will have you on the edge of your seat. Full review here.


JE’VIDA
The titular role comes to life through the eyes of Agafia Niemenmaa. This personification of innocence is captivating against the stark quiet of Finnish snow and ice. She is a star. Sanna-Kaisa Palo gives present-day Lida a palpable lived-in trauma and definitive rage. Dismissive at the beginning, her healing journey comes with the shedding of shame and reclamation of identity through the next generation. Full review here.


I.S.S.
Writer-director Gabriela Cowperthwaite gives Tribeca audiences one of the best of the fest. This compelling thriller plays out in claustrophobic chambers, pitting three American against three Russians while war breaks out on Earth’s surface. It is a skillfully crafted visual feast never disappoints. A look at humanity, ethics, and fear, I.S.S. is out of this world. Ariana DeBose stars as the newest crew member onboard. Her composed nature and willingness to take a beat lure you into the narrative from the beginning. She is well on her way to EGOT status with roles like this.


WAITRESS, THE MUSICAL- LIVE ON BROADWAY!
Sara Bareilles stars as Jenna in the stage-adapted version of the late Adrienne Shelly‘s indie of the same name. Bareilles embodies a woman in an abusive relationship, confused and wary of her newly pregnant body. One moving song after another, the audience gets caught up in the emotional complexities of change and choosing oneself.


THE FUTURE
Dar Zuzovsky plays potential surrogate Maor with a sunshiny disposition that is completely jarring. Something is off, but you cannot quite put your finger on it. Samar Qupty is Yafa. She is whipsmart with an acerbic wit and defensive edge. Her softening mirrors Nurit in real-time. It is a memorable turn. Reymonde Amsellem plays Nurit with a measured tone. She is undeniably brilliant. The dynamic between Nurit and Yafa is fascinating. They are combative, challenging, and yet connect in ways you do not expect. Their relationship is essential to understanding Nurit’s journey. Full Review here.


ONE NIGHT WITH ADELA
Laura Galán wowed audiences last year in PIGGY. One Night with Adela is a performance from the other end of the acting spectrum. With a shocking and revenge-fueled turn, Galán captivates in a one-take format. Drugs, alcohol, music, and sex radiate off the screen in a role cementing her as one of Spain’s rising stars.


ERIC LARUE
Judy Greer gives us a complex woman coping with the horrendous aftermath caused by her son. Michael Shannon adapts the stage play written before the Columbine tragedy. Made a pariah, Greer experiences emotional torture, regret, and confusion, in her attempts to make amends with the community that blames her. Greer is a shapeshifter, inhabiting the skin of any role like a pro. She often goes under the radar because of the projects she chooses. Her performance deserves the widest audience.


COLD COPY
Filmmaker Roxine Helberg gives us a story of ambitious women in journalism that may be predictable, but only because we have seen this plot tirelessly played out with an all-male cast. Here we find Bel Powley as a journalism grad student looking for her nig break under the guidance of powerhouse Diane Heger, played by Tracee Ellis Ross. Powley’s scrappy nature turns mirky when sabotage becomes the means to an end. Her eagerness eventually exploited by the sadistic and undeniably genius efforts of Ross. Cold Copy is a film railing against the patriarchy while saluting the idea of creating your own monster.


For all things Tribeca 2023, check out our reviews, alongside our colleagues at Unseen Films and AWFJ.org!

 

Review: Growing a conscience is painful in Lola Blanc’s ‘PRUNING’- Premiering at Palm Springs Shortfest 2023

 

Shortfest 2023 logo

PRUNING

Madeline Brewer in PRUNING

Filmmaker Lola Blanc tackles the growing evil of Right-wing extremism in the short film PRUNING. Sami is an up-and-coming right-wing commentator. You know. The kind that lives to cause controversy by spewing “alternative facts” and plays the faux patriotism card. We know these bobbleheads all too well. They are dangerous. PRUNING is a manifestation of festering hatred.

Madeline Brewer in PRUNINGFollowing her rise to fame in shows like Orange is the New Black, The Handmaid’s Tale, and CAM, Madeline Brewer continues to prove herself a chameleon. Brewer’s Barbie doll platinum hair is perfect. You can see the wheels turning as the fruit of her labor causes chaos. Wrestling between fame and misfortune, the choice physically changes her. It’s a performance that should turn your stomach and give Brewer a standing ovation.

Madeine Brewer in short film PRUNINGThe main all-white set plays a dual role, subconsciously reminding you of white power and allowing your eye to focus on Brewer and the green plants she tends in her quiet time. The practical FX are gag-inducing. The score is ominous. It is easily one of the most affecting and unsettling things I’ve seen this year.

In its fifteen-minute runtime, PRUNING shines a white-hot spotlight on the damage of irresponsible lies. Words matter. There are real-life consequences for hate speech. If you feed the beast, why would it leave? With too much power, the soul rots, and something else grows in its place.


SHOWTIMES

 

8:00 PM, SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 2023

Director: Lola Blanc
Producers: Nick Paskhover, Chris Beyrooty, David Lawson, Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Madeline Brewer (executive producer), Deric A. Hughes (executive producer), Elia Petridis (executive producer)
Screenwriter: Lola Blanc, Jeremy Radin
Cinematographers: Sonja Tsypin
Editor: Brian Mitchell, Ian Start
Music: AJ Nilles
Cast: Madeline Brewer, Peyton Kennedy, Jeremy Radin, Akilah Hughes, Ben Gleib, Betsy Zajko, Avital Ash
Country: USA
Language: in English
Year: 2023
Running Time: 14 minutes

To find out more about Palm Springs Shortfest, Click Here!!


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