‘AZI’ (Sundance 2025 short) Palpable tension and one hell of a tease.

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AZI

Azi_poster2024

Montana Mann‘s Sundance 2025 short film AZI is an intriguing cat-and-mouse game of power. A weekend trip away takes an odd but intriguing turn when a challenge presents itself. Seemingly harmless fun turns into something (perhaps) more sinister in a matter of hours.

Azi still 1The dynamic between 17-year-old Azi and her best friend’s father’s new girlfriend moves from passive-aggressive to outright challenge. You can cut the tension with a knife. Mann delivers enough longing looks between Wool and Goodjohn to wager guesses about each woman’s motivation. You’re dying to know what happens next once the screen goes black.

Breeda Wool has a talent for choosing juicy roles in indie films. Any cinephile of the genre knows her work, and her turn as Elizabeth is no exception. Wool brings an aura that is generally unexplainable other than to say you feel compelled to watch her. Dior Goodjohn is utterly captivating in the titular role. Where has she been all my life? Her ability to match Wool’s energy and presence should make heads turn. They make a dazzling pair.

Azi-Still_2Thankfully, a feature-length version of AZI is already in the works. Sundance 2025 audiences are in for one hell of a tease. These are guaranteed seats in butts whenever production is complete. Count me very much in.


Remaining Screening of AZI:

Jan 31, 1:10 PM  MST
Screening

Megaplex Redstone – 2

Park City

Jan 30, 10:00 AM  EST –
Feb 3, 6:55 AM  EST
Online Screening

Inspired by director and writer Montana Mann’s own coming-of-age experience, AZI tells the intimate and timely story of a Persian-American teenager contending with her identity and sexuality. The short follows seventeen-year-old Azi (Dior Negeen Goodjohn) on a weekend away with her best friend’s family, where she unexpectedly forms a mysterious and electric connection with another woman on the trip, Elizabeth (Breeda Wool), resulting in a psychological game that raises complex questions about their motives, power dynamics and the ability to take control of one’s own agency.


Montana Mann is a Persian-American award-winning writer/director from Virginia. Her most recent narrative short film, AZI, world premiered at Palm Springs International Shortfest, and won the SAGindie Award at HollyShorts. The feature adaptation of the same short participated in the 2024 Film Independent Fast Track program. As part of the MENA/SWANA diaspora, her work explores the journey of finding one’s identity as a female living between two cultures.

Producer Steven Snyder is an independent producer who most recently worked with Jim Burke at his company, Innisfree Pictures. There, he worked on the production of Green Book, which won three Academy Awards including the Oscar for Best Picture. He is an executive producer on Dreamin’ Wild, which world premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival and was released through Roadside Attractions. He is a 2024 Film Independent Fellow and was selected to participate in Inside Out’s International Finance Forum promoting queer creatives.

 

Sundance 2025 banner logoFor more Sundance coverage, click here!

 

‘LIFE AFTER’ (Sundance 2025) Autonomy, disability, and so much more.

Sundance 2025 banner logoLIFE AFTER

life after Sundance

Filmmaker Reid Davenport‘s timely Sundance documentary LIFE AFTER is here to ask the big questions. Much like his film 2022 film, I DIDN’T SEE YOU THERE, Davenport’s personal lens overlaps with his subject as a person with cerebral palsy. Upon discovering an essay about a young woman named Elizabeth Bouvia, Davenport embarks on a journey to find this disability rights pioneer.

Archival footage of Elizabeth through the years is spliced between stories of people with similar feelings and fears, though each story is drastically different. Reid makes it clear at the beginning of the film. These are not black-and-white issues, and his intention is truth and connection. The confrontation of ableism is mind-blowing and vital. Reid Davenport’s charm and raw honesty are captivating, and those who choose to share their stories open our eyes.

life after Sundance 2Canadian Bill C-7 allowed for the Right To Die. The expansion of MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) remains controversial. Davenport offers every angle of the process. This alone is an emotional roller-coaster, from perceived propaganda to Disability Rights Advocates, both for and against the legislation.

Cambridge, Ontario resident Michael Kaliszan was born with CP. After the death of his mother and primary caretaker, his quality of life plummeted as funds dried up and loneliness took hold. His attempts to access MAiD were fruitless. Through his months of trying, Davenport has revisited Michael, and a seed of hope for a sustainable and happy existence might be growing.

Michael Hickson‘s story of his post-coma brain and spinal cord complications comes from his wife, Melissa. Her struggle to attain better care for her husband led to a guardianship battle and, ultimately, his death. Melissa’s secret recordings of doctors back up her claims that staff encouraged Michael’s passing.

Life_After-Still_2Dr. Ramona Coelho speaks about the cost savings of moving forward with the passing of C-7. The film tackles the abuse of the law. Davenport interviews advocates who worry that this could be used as a justification tool to end the lives of disabled people, in other words, eugenics.

Elizabeth’s story is the catalyst for Davenport. It opens the door to so much more. Interviews with her family members and home videos reveal untold stories from her life, and the nuance will leave you breathless. LIFE AFTER skillfully tackles body autonomy, health rights, disability awareness, ableism, and capitalism. It is an incredibly important film and one hell of a conversation starter.


Remaining screenings of LIFE AFTER:

  • Jan 30, 12:30 PM MST
     

    Broadway Centre Cinemas – 6

    Salt Lake City

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  • Jan 31, 6:00 PM MST
     

    Holiday Village Cinemas – 1

    Park City

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    • Jan 30, 10:00 AM EST –
      Feb 3, 1:55 AM EST
      Online Screening

In 1983, a disabled Californian woman named Elizabeth Bouvia sought the “right to die,” igniting a national debate about autonomy, dignity, and the value of disabled lives. After years of courtroom trials, Bouvia disappeared from public view. Disabled director Reid Davenport narrates this investigation of what happened to Bouvia.

For more Sundance coverage, click here!

‘DEATH EDUCATION’ (Sundance 2025 short) An undeniably thought-provoking and respectful lesson.

Sundance 2025 banner logoDEATH EDUCATION

死亡教育课

WORLD PREMIERE

Death Education red bags Sundance 2025

Yuxuan Ethan Wu‘s Sundance 2025 short DEATH EDUCATION has no soundtrack. Wu’s cinematography and Tairui Zhu‘s location sound set the tone for the entire film. This pensive piece opens in quiet stillness, then transitions into jarring images of things the public never sees — a sterile metal morgue of a funeral home and the cremation of an unknown child. 

death education students Sundance 2025The Chinese tradition of Tomb Sweeping Day gets a stark contrast as teacher Jianbo Qian brings his students, grades 7 to 12, to a communal burial for unnamed ashes. Each one carefully handles a red bag filled with the remains of people unclaimed by loved ones. It is an exercise exploring death, respect, and reflection.

Death Education Sundance 2025Heartbreaking, eye-opening, and thoughtful, in thirteen minutes, DEATH EDUCATION has an unshakable impact. It begs you to think beyond your comfort zone. It is a beautifully universal lesson in empathy.


DEATH EDUCATION: CHINA, 2023, 13 min. In Mandarin Chinese. Directed by Yuxuan Ethan Wu; Field Producer: Zheng Hua; Cinematographer and Editor: Yuxuan Ethan Wu; Sound Design: Dave Cerf; Location Sound: Tairui Zhu; Sound Mix: Guodong Zhang; Colorist: Fu Shu; Poster by Qin Zhaoying.

Remaining DEATH EDUCATION Screenings:
Tuesday, January 28th
3.00 p.m.

 

Broadway Centre Cinemas 3
Saturday, February 1st
8.10 p.m.

 

Megaplex Redstone 2
January 30 – February 3
Sundance ONLINE

SYNOPSIS

In China, on the traditional Tomb Sweeping Day, families visit graves to honor their ancestors. It’s a moment for the living to connect with the dead, where the words on tombstones tell stories of lives lived and relationships formed. Yet, in funeral homes, there are unnamed ashes— some belonging to children as young as two years old, others left behind for decades. These unclaimed ashes, without names or histories, remain forgotten, with only the date of their cremation marked. Through the ritual of a communal burial, Teacher Jianbo Qian seeks to open up the conversation about death for his students, many of whom are encountering this subject for the first time. The attending students, ranging from seventh to twelfth grade, pick up red bags of scattered ashes, reflecting on the emotions of loss and grief.

FILMMAKER: Yuxuan Ethan Wu (吴雨轩)

Ethan is an emerging filmmaker and photographer based in the Bay Area. He graduated from Emerson College with a Bachelor’s degree in Media Arts Production and a minor in Photography. Born and raised in Changsha, China, Ethan has lived in various cities, including Beijing, Boston, and New York City. He frequently travels between the U.S. and China and is currently residing in Palo Alto, where he is pursuing an MFA at Stanford University in the Documentary Film Program. His work has been featured by major news outlets, such as Phoenix New Media, Tencent, NetEase, and TJ Sports. His documentary films have been showcased at renowned international festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival, and art house venues like the Anthology Film Archives.

For more Sundance coverage, click here!

‘MR NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN’ (Sundance 2025) The shocking militarization of Russian schoolchildren and the brave teacher who exposed it all.

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Mr_Nobody_Against_Putin

David Borenstein’s eye-opening Sundance 2025 documentary follows a democracy-loving school event coordinator and videographer who finds himself in the trenches of warfare. Pavel “Pasha” Talankin is not a soldier. He is a primary school teacher thrust into a shocking new reality– the bastardization of history and the brainwashing of his country. MR NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN should be mandatory viewing.

Pasha (who shoots and co-directs the film) provides a safe place for free-thinking, creative kids. It only took him a day to realize Putin had forced him and his colleagues to be part of a war machine, not teaching but indoctrinating their young students to support the war in Ukraine passionately. New patriotic lessons read verbatim to children filled with absurd lies.

Instead of resigning, Pasha agrees to become an informant for a European journalist because his unprecedented access to the daily lives of his students and community delivers the truth those outside of Russia are never privy to. Thus begins a mission of recording history.

Pasha records his students in raw confessional moments. As her brother endures the front lines, Masha, a once bubbly student, slowly descends into a sadness that mirrors many of the kids. You can see their gears turning in the understanding that something is not quite right about their instruction. Teachers gather in Pasha’s office. They’ve just been informed that grades are disastrous across all levels. Morale plummets as they fear firing or even jail time under a new “treason” law. It is the same bullshit that imprisons journalists.

State TV is gross. The overblown production of propagandist songs and parades will make you seethe or vomit. The gaslighting from Putin looks eerily similar to what we’ve come to hear from the right in the U.S. In the first few days of this sickening political sequel most of us didn’t ask for, we must take heed of the atrocities in this film.

Karabash’s history teacher gives a nauseating lesson on the art of foreign misinformation. Every word in his classroom induces a gasp. While Putin reactivates a jaw-dropping youth movement under the faux guise of patriotism, giving children literal scripts to read on camera. When the Wagner Mercenaries come to present what we in the U.S. would call an enrichment presentation, kids learn about mines, guns, and how not to die. A schoolwide competition consists of grenade throwing. Karabash Primary School has transformed into a military school, uniforms and all. Russia is training soldiers from Kindergarten, and they’ve convinced some of the population that it is a noble pursuit.

Pasha Talankin might be one of the bravest people in the world. His seemingly small acts of open defiance make your heart race. An hour into the film, we are genuinely worried for his safety. As he sends his 2024 graduating class off to an unknown future, Pasha provides the world with vital truths that will likely cause a global uproar.

MR NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN is a horrifying blueprint for authoritarianism. The world is moments away from political collapse. This doc is nothing short of a stark warning. It demands your attention. Pay attention and honor his fearlessness.

MR NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN Trailer:

Directed by David Borenstein and co-directed by Pasha Talankin, this uniquely collaborative film is as captivating and joyful as it is eye-opening and sobering. Mr. Nobody Against Putin showcases rare footage that reveals the profound impact of Putin’s regime on the lives of everyday Russians, particularly its children. MR NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN

Director: David Borenstein

Co-Director: Pavel Talankin

Screenwriter: David Borenstein

Producer: Helle Faber

David borensteinDavid Borenstein has worked in the documentary industry on three different continents. He has produced and directed TV for BBC, PBS, ARTE, Al Jazeera, DR, Vice, and many more international broadcasters. Borenstein directed Can’t Feel Nothing (2024), Love Factory (2021), and Dream Empire (2016).  MR NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN

 

For more Sundance coverage, click here!

 

 

Sundance 2025 arrives to kick off this year’s festival season. 8 films we are excited for.

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The Sundance Film Festival has launched the careers of indie film directors, writers, and actors for 41 years now. Back with in-person and online screening opportunities, this year’s iteration boasts new and bold storytelling from every genre. Here are a handful of films we’ll track in 2025.

 

For all the info on this year’s festival, click here!

 
TOUCH ME 
 
Touch Me Sundance
Written and directed by Addison Heimann (Hypochondriac), the TOUCH ME stars Olivia Taylor Dudley (Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension), Lou Taylor Pucci (A-X-L), Jordan Gavaris (“Hacks”), Marlene Forte (Knive’s Out) and Paget Brewster (“Criminal Minds”).
 
In TOUCH MEafter a series of unfortunate events leaves their house uninhabitable and reeking of poo, two co-dependent friends, Joey and Craig, find themselves homeless and out of options. That’s when Joey’s mysterious ex resurfaces. He wants her back. Along with being hot, Brian also happens to be an alien whose touch makes anxiety and depression disappear. The two venture to his compound for the weekend with the hope of being healed from past traumas, but underneath Brian’s veneer of healing is a sinister plot filled with murder, mayhem, and blood. TOUCH ME is an psychosexual horror-comedy about the nature of co-dependent friendships and how far we are willing to go for a slice of happiness.
 

Director: Addison Heimann

Screenwriter: Addison Heimann

Producers: John Humber, David Lawson Jr., Addison Heimann

Principal Cast: Olivia Taylor Dudley, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jordan Gavaris, Marlene Forte, Paget Brewster

Addison heimann SundanceAddison Heimann is a queer genre filmmaker currently residing in Los Angeles. His first feature, Hypochondriac, premiered at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival and was distributed by XYZ Films. His goal is to tell queer stories that explore mental health in the genre space.

 

 

 

 


ANDRE IS AN IDIOT 

https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/675333aa68b8b73e67fe584a

Andre_is_an_Idiot-Still

 Andre, a brilliant idiot, is dying because he didn’t get a colonoscopy. His sobering diagnosis, complete irreverence, and insatiable curiosity send him on an unexpected journey learning how to die happily and ridiculously without losing his sense of humor.

Produced by A24 Films

Director: Tony Benna

Production Companies: A24 Films, Sandbox Films, Safehouse Pictures

Producers: André Ricciardi, Tory Tunnell, Joshua Altman, Stelio Kitrilakis, Ben Cotner

tony benna

Tony Benna has developed and directed within a variety of platforms, creating award-winning work with multiple mediums, including film, advertising, post-production, and broadcast. With strong roots in stop-motion animation techniques, he is focused on pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling.

 

 

 

 


LIFE AFTER

https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/675332e268b8b704ebfe55ad

life after Sundance

 In 1983, a disabled Californian woman named Elizabeth Bouvia sought the “right to die,” igniting a national debate about autonomy, dignity, and the value of disabled lives. After years of courtroom trials, Bouvia disappeared from public view. Disabled director Reid Davenport narrates this investigation of what happened to Bouvia.

Co-funded through ITVS Open Call and will premiere on Independent Lens


MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN 

https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/675315ab68b8b7b799fe264a

Mr_Nobody_Against_Putin

Directed by David Borenstein and co-directed by Pasha Talankin, this uniquely collaborative film is as captivating and joyful as it is eye-opening and sobering. Mr. Nobody Against Putin showcases rare footage that reveals the profound impact of Putin’s regime on the lives of everyday Russians, particularly its children.

Director: David Borenstein

Co-Director: Pavel Talankin

Screenwriter: David Borenstein

Producer: Helle Faber

David borenstein


David Borenstein has worked in the documentary industry on three different continents. He has produced and directed TV for BBC, PBS, ARTE, Al Jazeera, DR, Vice, and many more international broadcasters. Borenstein directed Can’t Feel Nothing (2024), Love Factory (2021), and Dream Empire (2016).

 

 

 


SUNFISH & OTHER STORIES ON GREEN LAKE 

https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/67531ef268b8b7d56dfe338e

SUNFISH & OTHER STORIES ON GREEN LAKE 

Lives intertwine around Green Lake. A girl learns to sail, a boy fights for first chair, two sisters operate a bed-and-breakfast, and a fisherman is after the catch of his life. An anthology following the residents of a small town and the lake that binds them together.

Director: Sierra Falconer

Screenwriter: Sierra Falconer

Producers: Grant Ellison, Sierra Falconer

sierra falconer Sundance

Sierra Falconer is a Michigan-raised, Los Angeles–based screenwriter and film director. She holds a BFA in film theory from Wesleyan University and an MFA in film directing from UCLA. Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake) is Falconer’s feature directorial debut.
 
 
 
 
 

 


ATROPIA
Atropia-Still_1 Sundance
When an aspiring actress in a military role-playing facility falls in love with a soldier cast as an insurgent, their unsimulated emotions threaten to derail the performance.
 

Hailey Gates Sundance

Hailey Gates is a filmmaker and journalist based in New York. She received her BFA from NYU in experimental theater. Her award-winning short film Shako Mako premiered at the 2019 Venice Film Festival. As an actress, Gates has appeared in Twin Peaks: The Return, Uncut Gems, and Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

THE VIRGIN OF THE QUARRY LAKE
virgin of quarry lake Sundance
In 2001, three teenagers from the outskirts of Buenos Aires all fall in love with Diego. Natalia has always had the most chemistry with him, but when it seems inevitable that their friendship will turn into something more, the older and more experienced Silvia appears and soon captures Diego’s attention.

Director: Laura Casabé

Screenwriter: Benjamin Naishtat

Principal Cast: Dolores Oliverio, Luisa Merelas, Fernanda Echevarría, Dady Brieva, Agustín Sosa

Laura Casabé

Laura Casabé is a genre director. Her 2016 debut, La Valija de Benavidez, received seven international awards. Los que vuelven premiered at the 2019 International Film Festival Rotterdam, won multiple awards at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival, and won Best Director at the 2020 Sitges Film Festival.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

BUBBLE & SQUEAK
bubble and squeak Sundance
Accused of smuggling cabbages into a nation where cabbages are banned, Declan and Delores must confront the fragility of their new marriage while on the run for their lives.

Super clone watches are the perfect blend of style, affordability, and precision, offering everyone a chance to enjoy luxury without the cost.

 

Director(s): Evan Twohy

Screenwriter: Evan Twohy

Producers: Christina Oh, Steven Yeun

Principal Cast: Himesh Patel, Sarah Goldberg, Steven Yeun, Dave Franco, Matt Berry

Evan Twohy SundanceEvan Twohy was raised on Hitchcock and opera on the edge of a forest outside Berkeley, California. From an early age, he found himself drawn to absurdist theater and began writing plays in New York City prior to making his first feature, Bubble & Squeak.


For more Sundance coverage, click here!

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‘THE OUTRUN’ (2024) Stunning page to screen memoir of addiction and redemption.

THE OUTRUN

The Outrun poster

Based on journalist and author Amy Liptrot’s 2016 memoir, Nora Fingscheidt‘s THE OUTRUN stars Saoirse Ronan as a young woman who returns home to Orkney after completing an alcoholic rehabilitation program in London.

The editing by Stephan Bechinger is a triumph. The structure bounces from before, during, and after rehab, often noted by Rona’s dye-dipped locks and general demeanor. The film delves into the outside judgment of those who have never experienced addiction.

the outrunSaoirse Ronan narrates the constant temptation in scientific terms while scenes of alcoholic behavior play against her words. Rona’s work in rehab is beautifully juxtaposed with her nature work in Orkney. This narrative device becomes a repeated reprieve from her reality. It feels poetic.

The dizzying handheld camera work while Rona is intoxicated mirrors her physical state. Paired with sprawling cliffs and coastlines of Orkney, it is stunning cinematography by Yunus Roy Imer. John Gürtler and Jan Miserre‘s collaborative score is beautiful.

the outrun 2Saoirse Ronan is spectacular, delivering a raw portrait of a fractured and flawed woman. Rona is incredibly lonely, seeking genuine human connection. When drunk, she is emotionally abusive. Saoirse explores every facet of sickness and redemption. It is a nuanced turn. Give her an Oscar already.

Perhaps the most heart-wrenching part of THE OUTRUN is the study of cyclical addiction and the loss of youth. It is a magnificent portrait of interconnected self-reflection, healing, and forgiveness.

THE OUTRUN Trailer:

In Theaters October 4, 2024

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Paapa Essiedu, Stephen Dillane, Saskia Reeves
 Directed by Nora Fingscheidt
 Screenplay by Amy Liptrot & Nora Fingscheidt
Produced by Sarah Brocklehurst, Dominic Norris, Jack Lowden, Saoirse Ronan
Executive Produced by: Claudia Yusef, Kieran Hannigan, Maria Logan, Anne Sheehan, Luane Gauer, George Hamilton, James Pugh, Janina Vilsmaier


Based on the memoir by Amy Liptrot

After a decade away in London, 29-year-old Rona (Saoirse Ronan) returns home to the Orkney Islands. Sober but lonely, she tries to suppress her memory of the events which set her on this journey of recovery. Slowly the mystical land enters her inner world and – one day at a time – Rona finds hope and strength in herself among the heavy gales and the bracingly cold sea. Based on the bestselling memoir by Amy Liptrot, who co-wrote the screenplay with Fingscheidt, THE OUTRUN is an acutely honest drama about addiction and recovery.

RT: 118 Minutes

 

For more Drama films, click here!

Sundance 2024: Rock & roll down memory lane with ‘DIG! XX’

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DIG! XX

DIG! XX Sundance 2024

Ondi Timoner‘s Sundance hit returns to the festival for its 20th anniversary with more footage than before. If, like me, you missed its original festival run, you’ll eat up DIG! XX and its quintessential 90s music deep dive into the tumultuous relationship between The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre.

DIG! XX Sundance 2024 Anton NewcombeTimoner gets a completely unfiltered look inside the magic and mayhem in 7 years of behind-the-scenes footage. It’s a competition between the vibrant, often cocky, argumentative, drug-fueled, genuinely talented musician behavior of BJM versus the chill, business-minded, trustworthy, equally gifted Dandys. Each band pushes the other to greatness with contrasting tactics. Ondi’s handheld freestyle way of shooting is immersive and tangible. With the rapid-fire editing and narration from Joel Gion and Courtney Taylor, you’re entirely entertained. Huge personalities clash, eccentricities push people’s buttons, and childhood trauma rears its ugly head.

Timoner (Last Flight Home) tells the story of frenemies on two vastly different paths to fame. Go ahead and make DIG!XX for personality for the next month. I know Sundance 2024 audiences will.


Sundance Color logo 2024

Ondi Timoner

Ondi Timoner

Ondi Timoner is an internationally acclaimed filmmaker whose work focuses on “impossible visionaries” for which she was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance twice, for DIG! and We Live in Public.

Her most personal film, Last Flight Home (2022), about the extraordinary life & intentional death of her father, Eli Timoner, is Emmy-nominated, Oscar-shortlisted, and received the Humanitas for Best Documentary.


Credits

  • DIRECTOR(S)

    ONDI TIMONER

  • PRODUCED BY

    DAVID TIMONER

    ONDI TIMONER

  • EDITOR OF DIG! XX

    DAVID TIMONER

  • EDITOR OF DIG!

    ONDI TIMONER

  • CINEMATOGRAPHER

    ONDI TIMONER

    DAVID TIMONER

    VASCO LUCAS NUNES

  • NARRATED BY

    JOEL GION

    COURTNEY TAYLOR

For all of our Sundance coverage click here!


 

Sundance 2024: ‘SAY HI AFTER YOU DIE’ is perfect

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SAY HI AFTER YOU DIE

Say Hi After You Die Sundance 2024

Sundance 2024 short film SAY HI AFTER YOU DIE is a laugh-out-loud look at grief, mental health, and forever friendship. Following the unexpected passing of her best friend, Gloria finds herself talking to a porta-potty. It’s easy to see why the film won the Short Film Jury Award for U.S. Fiction. It is that wonderful. 

Writers Ruby Caster (who hilariously portrays Ruby in the film, and Kate Jean Hollowell, who also stars and directs the film, nail the Gen Z/ Millennial cusp banter and fashion. They are a fierce team of creatives.
Say_Hi_After_You_Die-Kate Jean HollowellGeorge Basil plays Dave, the construction foreman, with a life-affirming kindness. One of his lines perfectly sums up the film’s heart, hitting you square in the chest, “We’re just friends walking each other home.” Hollowell is outstanding as Gloria. Her comic timing is the stuff of the gods, but she also delivers authentic depth. She is a star.

SAY HI AFTER YOU DIE has a smirk-inducing musical sequence. The choreography from Kat Burns is inarguably spectacular. For a 17-minute film, Sundance audiences will laugh, dance, and tear up. This is one of the year’s best.

Sundance Screening Times
Screening as part of Short Film Program 4

World Premiere – January 21st, 12:15PM MST (Prospector Square Theatre)
Public Screening #2 – January 22nd, 5:30PM MST (Megaplex Theatres at The Gateway SLC)
Public Screening #3 – January 25th, 12:00PM MST (Redstone Cinemas)
Public Screening #4 – January 27th, 4:00PM MST (Megaplex Theatres at The Gateway SLC)
Public Screening #5 – January 28th, 1:30PM MST (Holiday Village Cinemas)

Kate Jean HollowellKate Jean Hollowell is a multi-hyphenate director, comedian and musician, who honed her humor, storytelling and visual style by making her own music videos, showcased at SXSW in 2022 and 2023, as well as her short film Are They Smiling?, which premiered at the 2020 Portland Film Festival and won several awards. Taking on narrative, Kate has managed to find a unique voice that balances humor and heart through all her work. Finding ways to insert unexpected musical numbers in everything she does is a trademark all her own.


Director: Kate Jean Hollowell
Screenwriters: Kate Jean Hollowell, Ruby Caster
Cast: Kate Jean Hollowell, Ruby Caster, George Basil
Producer: Miranda Kahn
Executive Producers: Mindy Goldberg, Jacki Calliero, Melissa Culligan
Production Designer: Jenna Tooley
Choreography: Kathryn Burns
Cinematography: Jordan Black
Costume Design: Jordy Scheinberg
Edited by: Talia Pasqua
VFX Artist: Alex Thomas

Year: 2023
Category: Short
Country: US
Language: English
TRT: 17 min

Sundance 2024’s full lineup can be found here!

 

Don’t forget to check out all our Sundance coverage throughout the years

Sundance Color logo 2023

Sundance 2024 review: ‘And So It Begins’

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AND SO IT BEGINS

AND SO IT BEGINS

AND SO IT BEGINS at Sundance 2024

Amid Filipino elections, a grassroots movement emerges to protect truth and democracy from growing threats. People unite in joyful acts of resistance, kindling hope while autocracy expands.

Returning to Sundance four years after the premiere of A THOUSAND CUTS, director Ramona S. Diaz gives audiences a companion piece about the fragility of democracy. In the Philippines in 2016, the country elected a President and Vice President from opposite political spectrums. VP Leni Robredo is a compassionate, former NGO human rights attorney. She is articulate, funny, and fearless. If you took President Biden and combined him with Hillary Clinton, you might begin to understand Leni Robredo.

The passion of the people is evident in their cries for equality. Her supporters wear pink and come from every socioeconomic background and age group. She has a special bond with the LGBTQ community. Her extraordinary grassroots campaign still fights an uphill battle against the children and candidates of the former dictatorship.

Holy misogyny, Batman! The overt corruption of President Duterte looks familiar. The US had a tyrant appear in 2016. In 2021, Leni must contend with the attacks from the outgoing president and campaign against the son of former President Fernando Marcos, one of the country’s most notorious dictators. Under his reign, martial law pervaded the Philippines, and Marcos fled with billions of dollars. BongBong Marcos Jr wants to bring back the policies that destroyed democracy. To remind you, he is also Imelda Marcos’ son. A quote that hangs on the wall of Marcos’ former vacation home, now a museum, reads, “We must make this nation great again.” Hmmm. Where have we heard that before?

AND SO IT BEGINS is simultaneously a story about journalist Maria A. Ressa, the co-founder of the news outlet Rappler. Duterte falsely convicted her of breaking laws that never existed before her arrests. Ressa dared to challenge dictators and has since paid the price for years. Their relentless pursuit of quieting Rappler will make your blood boil. A wondrous moment happens in the film as Ressa receives a phone during a Zoom panel, informing her she’s just received the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. In her acceptable speech, she tells the world about the extensive online misinformation machine built by Marcos, Jr, once again reminding viewers how fragile any democracy is.

We cannot ignore the parallels in tactics. We would be foolish to think the playbook hasn’t gotten thicker as technology replaces knocking on doors. What can we learn from AND SO IT BEGINS? History revisionism threatens everything we hold dear, so pay attention, and don’t look away.

And So It Begins (2024) poster

And So It Begins (2024) poster

Available in person. Also available online for the public (January 25–28)

 

Meet the Artist

Ramona S. Diaz

Ramona S. Diaz

Ramona S. Diaz’s award-winning films — Imelda (2004), The Learning (2011), DSB: Everyman’s Journey (2012), Motherland (2017), and A Thousand Cuts (2020) — have screened at top-tier film festivals and been seen globally. Diaz is both a Guggenheim Fellow and a USA Fellow. In 2021, she was named the inaugural McGurn Family Trust Resident in Film by the American Academy in Rome.

Credits

  • DIRECTOR(S)

    RAMONA S. DIAZ

  • SCREENWRITER

    RAMONA S. DIAZ

  • PRODUCER

    RAMONA S. DIAZ

  • YEAR

    2024

  • CATEGORY

    FEATURE

  • COUNTRY

    UNITED STATES/PHILIPPINES

  • LANGUAGE

    ENGLISH, FILIPINO AND OTHER DIALECTS

  • RUN TIME

    113 MIN

For more information about Sundance 2024, click here!

 

You can read all of our Sundance coverage throughout the years here.

Sundance Color logo 2023

Sundance 2024 review: Cheeky documentary ‘REALM OF SATAN’ gives the middle finger to haters.

Sundance 2024 logo

REALM OF SATAN

Realm Of SatanFilmmaker Scott Cummings brings Sundance 2024 audiences into the everyday lives of Satanists. The Church of Satan boasts innumerable followers around the world. REALM OF SATAN introduces us to members from all backgrounds in this part experimental, part cinema verité documentary that both challenges and pokes fun at any preconceived notions we may have had in the past.

As a forced Catholic from birth to age sixteen, my parents exposed me to some of the wackiest ideological notions simply because their parents had done the same to them. Anyone who knows me well has heard the story of my 8th-grade religion class epiphany. My teacher, in trying to explain that sin has levels of severity, touched upon homosexuality. I could not believe what I was hearing. I could not possibly be correct. In a class of 18 students, I stood upon my chair and asked, “So you’re telling me that if I told my mother that I was gay, it would be the equivalent of me telling her I had murdered someone?! That’s it. I’m out.” A quote from the Satanist text says all you need to know; “I favor the just and curse the rotten.” With a focus on individualism, it all sounds good to me.

REALM OF SATAN features strategically placed, in-your-face scenes but also mundane ones. It does not give a shit what you think. The tongue-in-cheek approach to some of the moments feels like curated bait for Christofascist audiences, which, as a liberal who embraces witchcraft, these choices are simply delicious fodder. You have to laugh.

Aside from some stereotypical wardrobe choices and a pentagram here and there, the subjects in the film could believe in anything or nothing at all. Their text is no more shocking than that of every other sect of religion. Have you read The Bible? The glorious theatricality of some rituals and eclectic decor create beautifully gothic tableaus that mesmerize, particularly for a self-proclaimed “Spooky Girl” like me. The visual trickery is fun as hell. The final camera sweep will look familiar to fans of Tales From The Crypt, right down to the gate squeak. It’s a clever touch. In all, REALM OF SATAN isn’t trying to convert anyone. It’s simply giving audiences a peek behind the curtain to dispel misinformation but with dramatic flair.


Credits

  • DIRECTOR(S)

    SCOTT CUMMINGS

  • SCREENWRITER

    SCOTT CUMMINGS

  • PRODUCERS

    CAITLIN MAE BURKE

    PACHO VELEZ

    MOLLY GANDOUR

  • EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

    JOE POLETTO

    SAM ROSEME

    CATHY TANKOSIC

  • CINEMATOGRAPHER

    GERALD KERKLETZ

  • PRINCIPAL CAST

    PETER GILMORE

    PEGGY NADRAMIA

    BLANCHE BARTON

  • CO-PRODUCERS

    ELIZA HITTMAN

    GERALD KERKLETZ

    ASHER LEVINTHAL

    JACK A. LIECHTUNG

    GABRIEL MERKIN

  • YEAR

    2024

  • CATEGORY

    FEATURE

  • COUNTRY

    UNITED STATES

  • LANGUAGE

    ENGLISH, SPANISH, GERMAN, SWEDISH

  • RUN TIME

    80 MIN

  • COMPANY

    VITAL EXISTENCE LLC


    For more info on Sundance 2024 click here!

     

    Festival Dates: Thu, Jan 18, 2024, 2:45 PM – Sun, Jan 28, 2024

     

    Stay tuned for more Sundance 2024 coverage, and don’t forget to head to Unseen Films for even more! For past Sundance reviews click here.

     

Sundance 2024 review: AI advancements walk a fine line between healing and harmful in shocking doc ‘ETERNAL YOU’

Sundance 2024 logo

ETERNAL YOU

Sundance 2024 Eternal You

Sundance 2024 documentary ETERNAL YOU is deeply disturbing and endlessly intriguing. It is something straight out of a horror sci-fi film. Filmmakers Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck guide audiences through the latest technological advances in AI, where versions of your lost loved ones can interact with you in real-time. The moral and emotional gray area this tech exists in becomes the overarching ghost of this film (no pun intended). Even photo editing tools are now powered by AI to achieve various effects. An Undress AI tool, for instance, can create copies of portrait photos and create their more sensual versions. 

First, we meet Joshua Barbeau, a man who lost his girlfriend, Jessica, and one of the early users of Project December. Founder Jason Rohrer works with the very little information Joshua provided from his viral experience, leading to thousands of requests. User Christi Angel speaks with her ex-boyfriend, Cameroun. Their chat gets darker and darker, and now she’s torn between continuing and walking away from the project altogether. Her journey is the perfect test case for and against afterlife AI.

Jason Rohrer is an open book. He’s transparent with negative reviews, going so far as to read a transcript that went completely off the rails. Interwoven into the narrative are clips from Senate hearings with Sam Altman, the creator of Open AI (ChatGTP), discussing safety. Rohrer admits his disconnection to the emotional impact of his clients while also confessing his intrigue in the eerie side effects. They don’t tackle the danger the VR jump presents. Justin Harrison, creator of YOV, believes in this technology so much that he chose it over his wife. His passion is evident. Harrison’s view on its expansion is, “F**k death.”

There is no guarantee that a loved one’s data is safe forever. Could it be used to create porn? Ask the filmmakers of Another Body, where a college student found her face deepfaked on multiple sexually graphic videos created by one rejected classmate. Don’t even get me started on the political implications. Wait until you witness the production and results of a 2020 television series titled “Meeting You.” It will wreck you.

Gregor Keienburg and Raffael Seyfried‘s ethereal score makes your heart race and gives you goosebumps. A mix of disembodied voices and ominous strings fill you with dread. Bravo to editors Lisa Zoe Geretschläger and Anne Jünemann for hitting every emotional beat possible. Sundance audiences will undoubtedly feel the gravity of this doc. Is this concept a way to grieve and heal, or are we simply further monetizing the dead?


Check out this exclusive clip:

Remaining Screenings

January 25 – 1:45 PM MST – Holiday Village Cinemas – Park City

Online 
January 25, 7 AM PST – January 28, 10:55 PM PST


Panelist Name

Hans Block

Hans Block

Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck are German directors. Their debut film, The Cleaners, about the shadow industry of digital censorship, celebrated its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and has since been screened at more than 70 international festivals, in cinemas, and on TV worldwide. In their work, Block and Riesewieck question the impact of digital technologies on society.

Panelist Name

Moritz Riesewieck

Moritz Riesewieck

Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck are German directors. Their debut film, The Cleaners, about the shadow industry of digital censorship, celebrated its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and has since been screened at more than 70 international festivals, in cinemas, and on TV worldwide. In their work, Block and Riesewieck question the impact of digital technologies on society.

Credits

  • DIRECTOR(S)

    HANS BLOCK

    MORITZ RIESEWIECK

  • PRODUCERS

    CHRISTIAN BEETZ

    GEORG TSCHURTSCHENTHALER

  • EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

    KATHRIN ISBERNER

    ANNA GODAS

    OLI HARBOTTLE

    CHRISTOPHER CLEMENTS

    JULIE GOLDMAN

    JENNY RASKIN

    KELSEY KOENIG

    LIZZIE FOX

    DAVIS GUGGENHEIM

  • CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

    MERYL METNI

  • CO-PRODUCER

    PATRICK M. MÜLLER

  • EDITING

    ANNE JÜNEMANN

    LISA ZOE GERETSCHLÄGER

  • DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY

    TOM BERGMANN

    KONRAD WALDMANN

  • MUSIC

    GREGOR KEIENBURG

    RAFFAEL SEYFRIED

  • YEAR

    2023

  • CATEGORY

    FEATURE

  • COUNTRY

    GERMANY/UNITED STATES

  • LANGUAGE

    ENGLISH, KOREAN

  • RUN TIME

    87 MIN

  • COMPANY

    GEBRUEDER BEETZ FILMPRODUKTION

  • CONTACT

    L.RAITH@GEBRUEDER-BEETZ.DE


Sundance Film Festival 2024 runs Thu, Jan 18, 2024, 2:45 PM – Sun, Jan 28, 2024

Eastern Time

Sundance 2024 review: ‘SUJO’ explores childhood trauma and cyclical violence

Sundance 2024 logo

SUJO

Juan Jesús Varela in SUJO

Juan Jesús Varela in SUJO

Ominous, heartbreaking, and beautifully shot, the Sundance 2024 film SUJO, from Fernanda Valadez and Astrid Rondero (Identifying Features), examines cyclical violence and trauma through the lives of the family left behind by a murdered cartel member.

Nemesia hides her nephew Sujo with the help of Rosalia and her two young sons, Jeremy and Jai. During early childhood, the five exist in abject poverty in the middle of nowhere, entertaining themselves as best as they can, knowing someday the isolation may be too much. As the boys grow, curiosity puts them into increasingly more precarious situations, proving the danger of their familial sins lingers forever.

Young Kevin Aguilar, as four-year-old Sujo, is beguiling. The camera loves him. Juan Jesús Varela plays teenaged Sujo, left to carry the emotional burdens of his father’s past. Varela’s performance is magnificent, as are his onscreen cousins, Jairo Hernandez and Alexis Varela. Their chemistry is magic.

Yadira Pérez gives Nemesia an authentically grounded aura. Her practical and watchful approach to raising Sujo gives him an emotional stronghold. Nemesia literally translates as “Vengeance.” This small detail is as brilliant as her vital otherworldly abilities. Karla Garrido brings an entirely different level of motherly kindness playing Rosalia. She is a beautiful foil for Pérez.

The film comes from an almost entirely female creative team whose blood, sweat, and tears pour off the screen. SUJO is infused with empathy, fear, and care. The screenplay is a skillfully crafted tale that pulls you into Sujo’s center of gravity. As a Mother, witnessing the integration of protective instincts speaks volumes. The score is haunting. At times, the dialogue mirrors Sujo’s journey. It is undeniably impactful. Throughout the film, women look out for Sujo’s best interests. In a way, the film is an ode to invisible labor.


For more information on SUJO screenings fn Sundance 2024, click here!

Credits

  • DIRECTOR(S)

    ASTRID RONDERO

    FERNANDA VALADEZ

  • SCREENWRITERS

    ASTRID RONDERO

    FERNANDA VALADEZ

  • PRODUCERS

    FERNANDA VALADEZ

    ASTRID RONDERO

    DIANA ARCEGA

    JEWERL KEATS ROSS

    VIRGINIE DEVESA

    JEAN-BAPTISTE BAILLY-MAITRE

  • CINEMATOGRAPHER

    XIMENA AMANN

  • PRODUCTION DESIGNER

    BELÉN ESTRADA

  • EDITORS

    ASTRID RONDERO

    FERNANDA VALADEZ

    SUSAN KORDA

  • PRINCIPAL CAST

    JUAN JESÚS VARELA

    YADIRA PÉREZ

    ALEXIS VARELA

    SANDRA LORENZANO

    JAIRO HERNÁNDEZ

    KEVIN AGUILAR

  • YEAR

    2024

  • CATEGORY

    FEATURE

  • COUNTRY

    MEXICO/UNITED STATES/FRANCE

  • LANGUAGE

    SPANISH

  • RUN TIME

    126 MIN


     

‘A NEW KIND OF WILDERNESS’ (Sundance 2024) Wading through grief with grace. Opening in NYC October 25th!!

Sundance 2024 black and white logo

A NEW KIND OF WILDERNESS

A NEW KIND OF WILDERNESS

A life chronicled most intimately and authentically, the Payne family experiences physical and emotional upheaval after a family tragedy. Choosing to raise their family on a secluded farm in the woods of Norway, Maria and Nik wanted nothing more than to instill a love of nature into their children. Potentially forced to sell the beloved farm that holds all their memories, Nik, Freja, Falk, Ulv, and eldest daughter Ronja navigate unfathomable loss and fight to remain connected.

Through Maria’s striking photography, home videos, and extraordinary voiceover narration, throughout several years, filmmaker Silje Evensmo Jacobsen evokes visceral hope and sadness in A NEW KIND OF WILDERNESS. Exploring one family’s respect for the land, unique homeschooling, and off-grid lifestyle, Nik battles societal norms that Maria vowed to circumnavigate and financial limitations. The children are undeniably self-aware. Their openness with their emotions is breathtaking. When school thrusts technology upon them for the first time, they take to it like fish to water, much to the chagrin of Nik, but their wild essence never wanes as they long to hold onto their way of life. The film speaks to the resiliency of youth.

Witnessing the pure innocence and wonder of the Payne children hits you in the heart. It is easy to dismiss the genuine curiosity of your kids with the swirl of everyday chaos. Sundance 2024 audiences have the honor of joining together on an elegant meditation of grief and loneliness. A NEW KIND OF WILDERNESS reminds us to cherish each moment, the Earth, and one another.


A NEW KIND OF WILDERNESS Trailer:


 

Silje Evensmo Jacobsen, director of A New Kind of Wilderness

Silje Evensmo Jacobsen, director of A New Kind of Wilderness

Silje Evensmo Jacobsen has directed award-winning documentary films and series for the past 15 years. Among others: Team Ingebrigtsen (2016, 2018) about an unconventional Norwegian family raising their children to be top runners, Faith Can Move Mountains (2021) about nuns breaking boundaries in rural Norway, and KRAFT/SPARK (2022) about young street dancers. A New Kind of Wilderness is her second feature.

 

Credits

  • DIRECTOR(S)

    SILJE EVENSMO JACOBSEN

  • PRODUCER

    MARI BAKKE RIISE

  • EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

    KIM CHRISTIANSEN

  • CINEMATOGRAPHY

    SILJE EVENSMO JACOBSEN

    KARINE FOSSER

    LINE K. LYNGSTADAAS

  • EDITORS

    KRISTIAN TVEIT

    CHRISTOFFER HEIE

  • COMPOSER

    OLAV ØYEHAUG

  • SOUND DESIGNER

    YNGVE LEIDULV SÆTRE

  • COLORIST

    TOM CHR. LILLETVEDT

  • FEATURING

    ULV VATNE PAYNE

    FALK VATNE PAYNE

    FREJA VATNE PAYNE

    RONJA BREDA VATNE

    MARIA GROS VATNE

    NIKOLAUS ITHELL PAYNE

  • PRODUCTION COMPANY

    A5 FILM

  • YEAR

    2024

  • CATEGORY

    FEATURE

  • COUNTRY

    NORWAY

  • LANGUAGE

    ENGLISH, NORWEGIAN

  • RUN TIME

    84 MIN


    For more documentary coverage, click here!

Sundance 2024 preview: A film for everyone at the festival’s 40th Edition.

Sundance Film Festival 2024 Color Logo
The Sundance Film Festival has launched the careers of indie film directors, writers, and actors now for 40 years. Back with in-person and online screening opportunities, this year’s iteration boasts new and bold storytelling from every genre. Here are a handful of films we’ll track in 2024.

 

For more information and tickets to Sundance 2024, click here! Be on the lookout for shared coverage with our good friend, Steve Kopian, at Unseen Films. To see all of his reviews and what he’s looking forward to this year, head over to his home base.

(World Cinema Dramatic Competition)
SUJO

S till from the Sundance film SUJO
When a cartel gunman is killed, he leaves behind Sujo, his beloved 4-year-old son. The shadow of violence surrounds Sujo during each stage of his life in the isolated Mexican countryside. As he grows into a man, Sujo finds that fulfilling his father’s destiny may be inescapable.

A movie about time and trauma, this beautifully acted and hauntingly written film from the directors of Identifying Features will be sure to captivate audiences. 

This film contains strobe effects.
Available in person. Also available online for the public (January 25–28)


40th Edition Celebration Screenings And Events

DIG! XX

DIG! XX tracks the tumultuous rise of two talented musicians, Anton Newcombe, leader of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Courtney Taylor, leader of the Dandy Warhols, and dissects their star-crossed friendship and bitter rivalry. Through their loves and obsessions, gigs and recordings, arrests and death threats, uppers and downers, and ultimately to their chance at a piece of the profit-driven music business, they stage a self-proclaimed revolution in the music industry.

DIG! premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Documentary Competition, where it ultimately won the Grand Jury Prize in the documentary category. DIG! XX, which will premiere at the upcoming Festival, is not only a digitally enhanced, remixed, and remastered version of DIG!, but also a special 20th anniversary new edit of the film culled from footage shot over seven years, and brought to you by the original sibling team, Ondi and David Timoner.

*Digitally enhanced and featuring new footage


(Premieres)

And So It Begins

Amidst the traditional pomp and circumstance of Filipino elections, a quirky people’s movement rises to defend the nation against deepening threats to truth and democracy. In a collective act of joy as a form of resistance, hope flickers against the backdrop of increasing autocracy.

Available in person. Also available online for the public (January 25–28)


(World Cinema Documentary Competition)

Eternal You

Startups are using AI to create avatars that allow relatives to talk with their loved ones after they have died. An exploration of a profound human desire and the consequences of turning the dream of immortality into a product.

“I wanted to see if he was okay,” explains Christi, one of the users of Project December. With this innovative software, users can communicate with a virtual version of the deceased through a chatbot that simulates the dead person’s conversation patterns. Hers was an attempt to check on her first love. Others may simply miss someone, seek permission to move on, or want to rid themselves of guilt.

At this point, I think we’ve all seen the app that turns photos into moving images. The idea feels equally sentimental and disturbing. Eternal You takes this tech further, begging the question, “How far are we willing to go to feel connected to those we’ve lost, and how might that affect our brains?” 

Available in person. Also available online for the public (January 25–28)


World Cinema Documentary Competition

A New Kind of Wilderness

In a forest in Norway, a family lives an isolated lifestyle in an attempt to be wild and free, but a tragic event changes everything, and they are forced to adjust to modern society.

Silje Evensmo Jacobsen mixes home movies and a carefully intimate approach to the Payne family, whose isolated existence gets shaken up quite suddenly. This beautiful portrait of connection and resilience in the face of grief will touch your heart.

Available in person. Also available online for the public (January 25–28)


(NEXT)

REALM OF SATAN

An experiential portrait depicting Satanists in both the every day and in the extraordinary as they fight to preserve their lifestyle: magic, mystery, and misanthropy.

Filmmaker Scott Cummings is no stranger to Sundance, having edited many highly acclaimed festival premieres over the past decade, including Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Monsters and Men, and Wendy.

When I tell you that you aren’t ready for this doc, I mean it in the best way possible. Created to ruffle feathers and dispel right-wing hypocrisy, Scott Cummings titillates with gorgeous framing and a touch of tongue-in-cheek magical realism. 

This film contains graphic sexual content. Audiences must be 18 or older.

Available in person. Also available online for the public (January 25–28)


(Premieres)

My Old Ass

Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza in Sundance film MY OLD ASS

Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza in the Sundance film MY OLD ASS

The summer before college, bright-yet-irreverent Elliott comes face-to-face with her older self during a mushroom trip. The encounter spurs a funny and heartfelt journey of self-discovery and first love as Elliott prepares to leave her childhood home.

The concept alone should get your butt into a seat, but filmmaker Megan Park casting Aubrey Plaza is chef’s kiss in indie cinema.


(Midnight)

I Saw the TV Glow

Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine  in I SAW THE TV GLOW

Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine in I SAW THE TV GLOW

Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen’s view of reality begins to crack.

Writer-director Jane Schoenbrun’s We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021 Sundance Film Festival) gave us one of the coolest genre-bending films with a breakout performance from star Anna Cobb. I cannot wait to see how this one twists my sanity and senses. 

This film contains violence and gore.

This film contains strobe effects.


Sundace Film Festival 2024 Black and White logoTo find out more information on all things Sundance 2024, head to https://festival.sundance.org/

 

Review: Susanna Fogel’s ‘CAT PERSON’ is obscenely relatable… on every level.

CAT PERSON

Emilia Jones plays Margot, a college student and movie theatre concession girl who goes on a date with an older patron who may or may not be a murderer. Based on Kristen Roupenian‘s 2017 viral short story in The New Yorker, director Susanna Fogel skillfully weaves a dark tale that every woman has lived.

Nicholas Braun plays Robert. Taking the world by storm as Greg on Succession, Braun leans into his height and natural awkwardness, simultaneously charming and scaring the shit out of audiences. His dialogue overflows with double entendres and demeaning terms of endearment. Braun is spectacular, settling into the role without a moment’s hesitation.

Emilia Jones (CODA) plays Margot with a delicious mix of caution, optimism, anxiety, and delightful sardonic wit. She commands your attention with equal parts “every girl” and an entirely captivating performer. Watching her feels effortless.

The script perfectly balances black humor and visceral tension. Writers Michelle Ashford and Kristen Roupenian cleverly utilize fantasy and nightmare sequences to keep the viewers constantly on edge. Countering the fear is a feminist message of empowerment, predominantly in the form of Margot’s best friend Taylor (Geraldine Viswanathan), and her professor Dr Enid Zabala (Isabella Rossellini). The movie references that initially attract Robert and Margot to one another continue throughout the film. Cinephiles rejoice. Text message conversations keep Robert ever-present.

The script also comedically highlights how far women go to remain appealing, how we placate for acceptance, the self-deprecating behavior, and the blatant shunning of red flags. There is a sex scene that is truly something to behold. It is the most cringeworthy, amusing, icky, relatable thing any woman can watch. It accurately captures the constant fear of existing as a woman. The relentless anxiety, the people pleasing, and the patriarchal pressure from every direction, CAT PERSON nails each aspect with humor and truth in fiction.


CAT PERSON
Starring Emilia Jones & Nicholas Braun
Directed by Award-Winning Filmmaker Susanna Fogel

Opens New York City & Los Angeles October 6th
In Theaters Nationally October 13th

**Official Selection – 2023 Sundance Film Festival**

Genre-Bending Thriller Based Off Kristen Roupenian’s
Viral New Yorker Short Story


Directed by Award-Winning Filmmaker
Susanna Fogel (“The Flight Attendant”, writer Booksmart)

Starring:
Emilia Jones (CODA)
Nicholas Braun (“Succession”)
Geraldine Viswanathan (Blockers)
Isabella Rossellini (Blue Velvet)
Fred Melamed (A Serious Man)
Liza Koshy (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts)
Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark)

Written by Michelle Ashford (“Masters of Sex”), the story expands upon Kristen Roupenians’ 2017 short story of the same name published in The New Yorker. Striking a nerve with readers, “Cat Person” was the first work of short fiction to ever go viral, spurring conversations about the modern dating scene, seduction and consent around the world.

When Margot, a college sophomore (Emilia Jones) goes on a date with the older Robert (Nicholas Braun), she finds that IRL Robert doesn’t live up to the Robert she has been flirting with over texts. Cat Person is a razor-sharp exploration of the gender divide, the quagmire of navigating modern dating and the dangerous projections we make in our minds about the person at the other end of our phones.


 

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


 

Netflix documentary review: ‘VICTIM/SUSPECT’ exposes rape culture from the inside out.

presents

VICTIM/SUSPECT

On her first solo investigation, journalist Rae de Leon travels nationwide to uncover a shocking pattern: Young women tell the police they’ve been sexually assaulted, but instead of finding justice, they’re charged with the crime of making a false report, arrested, and even imprisoned by the system they believed would protect them.


Nancy Schwartzman follows investigative journalist Rachel De Leon after reading about a news report that struck her as odd, leading her to dive into numerous cases where rape victims suddenly found themselves arrested for false reporting. In Netflix’s VICTIM/SUSPECT, experts, lawyers, and survivors weigh in on this sickening trend.

Interrogation videos are startling, to put it nicely. The difference in tone and language between the accused and accusers will infuriate you. Victims appear in shock; most of them are taught to respect authority. The victim blaming and shaming will make your blood boil. This systematic problem is the personification of rape culture. Detective Carl Hershman, an incredible former SVU officer, helps us understand the why and how. The force needs more people like him.

Rachel reminds me of journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey from the explosive NYT articles accusing Harvey Weinstein. Their pounding-the-pavement style of door-knocking, interview requests, and meeting victims on their terms changed the face of the #MeToo movement for the better. Rae’s similar tenacity proves invaluable. She is doing the work, despite pushback and roadblocks from police. It is undeniably vital work. I hope she realizes the impact she has on survivors like myself. 
The psychological damage is unfathomable. Trust me when I say there are more sexual assault survivors than you are comfortable comprehending. VICTIM/SUSPECT uses police officers’ own words against them. The blatant lies and heinous tactics to have these victims recant will blow you away. Your head will spin when you discover their training includes using “ruse” in questioning. The lack of actual investigation is staggering. Journalists like De Leon are quite literally saving lives. Nancy Schwartzman and Netflix are doing an essential service to victims with VICTIM/SUSPECT. It can only lead to justice.


New Doc VICTIM/SUSPECT | On Netflix May 23 | From Director Nancy Schwartzman


Review: Based on the true events, ‘The Lost King’ is a charming story of one woman’s mission to correct history.

THE LOST KING

*World Premiere – TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2022*

Underappreciated and taken for granted, Phillipa Langley gets a bee in her bonnet when she sees a production of King Richard III. Something compels her to start reading about the lost king. In a deluge of research, she falls down the rabbit hole, only to make one of the most astounding discoveries in history.

Two dominant themes in The Lost King are disability visibility and gender bias. Phillipa feels a kinship with Richard, angered he has been deemed a monster due to his severe scoliosis. It seems Shakespeare had a hand in demonizing his appearance for these years. The historical digging that happens in the film is eye-opening. She is whipsmart and undeterred in her mission to clear King Richard’s sullied reputation. We feel the frustration as Philiipa comes up against men taking credit for her work. Cheering her on when she stands up for herself, choosing to spread a strong feminist message to young girls rather than chase the fame regaled onto male archeologists on her dig.

The film’s magical realism adds a beautiful element to Phillipa’s journey. It highlights the emotional pull to finish her search. Not to mention how charming actor Harry Lloyd is as Richard. Steve Coogan plays Phillipa’s ex-husband John, a man going through a mid-life crisis who grows to respect Phillipa’s passion for her subject. Coogan is an icon and is no less intriguing in this role. Sally Hawkins plays Phillipa. Her ability to live in a character’s skin is magnificent. Her physicality dazzles. She can do no wrong in my book. Her enthusiasm is contagious.


EXCLUSIVELY IN OVER 750 THEATERS ON MARCH 24, 2023


In the archaeological find of a century, the remains of King Richard III — presumed scattered over 500 years ago — were discovered under a parking lot in Leicester in 2012. The search was spearheaded by amateur historian Philippa Langley, whose passion and unrelenting research were met with skepticism by the academic establishment. Directed by two-time Oscar® nominee Stephen Frears (The Queen, “A Very English Scandal”) and starring two-time Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water, Spencer) as Langley, The Lost King is the inspiring true story of a woman who refused to be ignored and took on Britain’s most eminent historians, forcing them to rethink the legacy of one of the most controversial rulers in English history. A tale of discovery, obsession, and stolen glory (both then and now), The Lost King is a magical adventure illuminated by one woman’s awakened sense of purpose.


CAST: Sally Hawkins, Steve Coogan, Harry Lloyd

DIRECTED BY: Stephen Frears

WRITTEN BY: Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope

PRODUCED BY: Christine Langan, Dan Winch and Steve Coogan

EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY: Jeff Pope



Run Time: 108 minutes

Distributor: IFC Films

Sundance 2023 Unseen Films review: Roman Liubyi’s ‘Iron Butterflies’ exposes the roots of current conflict.

IRON BUTTERFLIES

This is a look at the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur which was shot down by Russian forces over eastern Ukraine in 2014 threw news video, reconstructions, trial footage, and intercepted recordings.

This is going to be the most low-key film you will see on the never-ending Ukraine conflict. There is no narration only text that gives us context. Director Roman Liubyi is letting the words and images speak for themselves. Yes, this is almost a decade before the current mess, but it is one of the key events in the run-up to now.

Full disclosure while I liked this film a great deal, seeing the film in the middle of a festival crush resulted in it not having the effect it should have. The film’s low-key nature is what I remember not the emotional nature of the story of lives lost through stupidity, lack of caring, and the evil nature of some parts of humanity.

If you want to understand the roots of the current conflict this film is a must-see.


Screening Times

In Person

  • PREMIERE
    Jan. 22 9:15PM MST

    Egyptian Theatre

    PARK CITY

  • SECOND SCREENING
    Jan. 23 3:30PM MST

    Redstone Cinemas – 1

    PARK CITY

  • SECOND SCREENING
    Jan. 24 12:00PM MST

    Broadway Centre Cinemas – 6

    SALT LAKE CITY

  • SECOND SCREENING
    Jan. 26 9:00PM MST

    Prospector Square Theatre

    PARK CITY

  • SECOND SCREENING
    Jan. 27 3:30PM MST

    Holiday Village Cinemas – 2

    PARK CITY

Online

  • SECOND SCREENING
    Jan. 24 8:00AM MST

    Available Until Jan. 29  11:55PM MST


     

Sundance 2023 Unseen Films capsule review: ‘Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis)’

Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis)

Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell, are the men behind the art design studio, Hipgnosis. Named by Syd Barrett when he scrolled the name across a door, the studio went on to create hundreds of record covers for all of the great bands and performers.

One of the great films of the year this is going to be an absolute delight to anyone who loves the great art that accompanies great music. Not only do we get to see how the art was created but we also get to hear all sorts of magnificent stories from the creators, but also the musicians themselves Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, Dave Gilmour, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Peter Gabriel, and others are here telling stories.

I smiled from ear to ear for 100 minutes.

This is exactly what you hope the film will be except it’s even better.

I can’t say more than that except this is on my best-of-2023 list.

Highly recommended.


Screening Times

In Person

  • PREMIERE
    Jan. 20 8:30PM MST

    Egyptian Theatre

    PARK CITY

  • SECOND SCREENING
    Jan. 21 3:30PM MST

    Megaplex Theatres at The Gateway 8/9

    SALT LAKE CITY

  • SECOND SCREENING
    Jan. 25 3:00PM MST

    Park Avenue Theatre

    PARK CITY

  • SECOND SCREENING
    Jan. 26 1:00PM MST

    Redstone Cinemas – 2

    PARK CITY

  • SECOND SCREENING
    Jan. 28 6:45PM MST

    Rose Wagner Center

    SALT LAKE CITY

Online

  • SECOND SCREENING
    Jan. 24 8:00AM MST

    Available Until Jan. 29  11:55PM MST