‘THE END OF QUIET’ (Tribeca 2025) Hardwired disconnection.

Tribeca 2025 rainbow logoTHE END OF QUIET


The end of quiet Poster_WEBFilmmakers Kasper Bisgaard and Mikael Lypinski bring Tribeca 2025 audiences documentary, THE END OF QUIET, a thought-provoking exploration of human connectivity. In an isolated town in West Virginia, the world’s largest radio telescope can pick up the murmurings of signals across the universe. To achieve this, the telescope resides in the Quiet Zone, the only place in the U.S. where Wi-Fi and cell phone signals are not permitted.

Part 1: The Quiet

Through the everyday lives of its residents and the beauty of the sound design by Freja Printz and Mathias Gaarde Mikkelsen, the audience experiences what the world might be like without round-the-clock communication. Dr. Jay Lockman, an astronomer at The Green Bank Observatory, has lived in town for over two decades with his wife. He has accepted that technology could eventually disrupt any messages from beyond our atmosphere.

the end of quiet stillHow do they fight the boredom? Brionna and her gun enthusiast grandfather, David, spend time together shooting his 37 guns and rifles and blowing things up. Choosing to reside in The Quiet Zone due to electromagnetic hypersensitivity, Clover and her dog, Beautiful, live for landline phone calls from her husband, who lives abroad. Her original poetry also serves as beautiful transition audio. A lonely but contented elderly vet named Willard spends his days drinking a lot of coffee and attending local funerals. Kirsten, 17, and Frankie, 23, are a young, engaged couple who dream of having a child.

Part 2: The Noise

Halfway through the film, we jump three years, only to discover that there are 70-80 Wi-Fi Hotspots within 2 miles of the Observatory disrupting the data. Oh, how times have changed. Willard has passed away. Clover is now almost entirely estranged from her long-distance husband. Our young couple now has a tiny toddler, Leo. It is unclear if they are still together. Our grandfather figure has tumbled down the right-wing rabbit hole, beginning a rift between him and his granddaughter, Brionna. It is honestly such a cliche.


The film delves into disconnection and isolation as much as the bleak effects of doom-scrolling. What would happen if the global grid ceased to exist? With so much new technology dependent on Wi-Fi, would society remain civil? A study of connection in every sense, THE END OF QUIET begs some of the most massive questions in the universe and beyond.

World Premiere

The End of Quiet

Documentary Competition

Feature | Denmark | 83 MINUTES | English | English subtitles The end of quiet

the end of quiet brionna and davidTHE FILM IS SUPPORTED BY
DANISH FILM INSTITUTE
THE SWEDISH FILM INSTITUTE
DEN VESTDANSKE FILMPULJE DR

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Kasper Bisgaard & Mikael Lypinski

PRODUCED BY Sara Stockmann
CO-PRODUCED Daniel Pynnönen
CINEMATOGRAPHY BY Mikael Lypinski
MUSIC COMPOSED BY Uno Helmersson
EDITED BY Charlotte Munch Bengtsen, Johan Löfstedt SFK
SOUND DESIGN BY Freja Printz, Mathias Gaarde Mikkelsen

Tribeca 2025 icon

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‘BIRD IN HAND’ (Tribeca 2025) Generational trauma and family secrets.

Tribeca 2025 rainbow logoBIRD IN HAND

bird in hand


Melody C. Roscher’s incredible feature debut comes to Tribeca 2025 audiences. BIRD IN HAND follows a newly engaged young woman returning to her Mom’s house to view a local wedding venue. But, it quickly becomes apparent that Bird has ulterior motives.

Carlotta treats her as an inconvenience, constantly criticizing Bird and being openly hostile if things do not go her way. She controls the narrative. Bird tries her best to connect and longs for an ounce of compassion. But the truth is more complicated than fiction.

An accidental meeting with her mother’s new neighbors sparks a unique relationship and a quest to confront the past. Will hiring a wedding band be the answer to all her childhood hurt?

James Le Gros nails Dennis’ wildly erratic arc. Jeffrey Nordling is entirely charming as Carlotta’s longtime boyfriend, Dale.

Christine Lahti plays Bird’s mother. Self-described as “woo woo,” pretty much covers her untraditional take on life. It’s sort of a miracle Bird survived emotionally with such a kooky narcissist at the helm. Lahti is a force of nature. You have to love/hate her. Alisha Wainwright is spectacular in the titular role. Her vulnerability and ability to slide from wounded creature to absolute badass are impeccable.

Roscher dives headlong into racism, beginning with small-town microaggressions, then boldfaced offensive moments surrounding plantation history, all barreling towards her mother’s heart-shattering feelings. But, deep momma bear instincts and Bird’s unwieldy plan flip the script.

BIRD IN HAND is about healing, identity, and the messy path there and back. Tribeca 2025 audiences are lucky to see it first.


Directed by: Melody C. Roscher

Starring: Alisha Wainwright, Christine Lahti, James Le Gros, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Jeffrey Nordling, K. Todd Freeman

Written by: Melody C. Roscher

Produced by: Craig Shilowich, Alex Schepsman, Danielle Massie, Cody Ryder, Sam Bisbee, Saba Zerehi

Executive Produced by: Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Lance Acord, John Craighead, Muwaffaq Salti

Bird in Hand follows Bird Rowe, a biracial bride-to-be who arrives unannounced at her charismatic hippie mother Carlotta’s rural home, to plan her wedding. As the two scout wedding venues, their attempts at bonding quickly unravel as buried truths surface, revealing an emotionally complex and fraught relationship. Bird enlists the help of the new neighbors who have recently bought a nearby plantation, sparking an unlikely connection. A darkly comedic and emotionally raw exploration of race, family, and identity, Bird in Hand is a sharp portrait of a young woman’s desperate search for connection—no matter how messy it gets.

 

RT: 87 Minutes

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‘CUERPO CELESTE’ (Tribeca 2025)

Tribeca 2025 rainbow logoCUERPO CELESTE

cuerpo celesteFilmmaker Nayra Ilic Garcia brings Tribeca 2025 audiences CUERPO CELESTE, a film about the inevitability of change, for better or worse.

The film opens on New Year’s Eve on an isolated coastal beach with 15-year-old Celeste, her parents, family, and friends. A warm, lazy day of swimming, lounging, learning to drive, exploring the Atacama Desert landscape for fossils, songs by firelight, and stolen moments with a crush. It is a core childhood memory. The following morning, 1990 begins with a sudden tragedy, and Celeste’s path alters forever.

The story moves through time to almost a year later. An eclipse is coming. Celeste’s now estranged mother plans to sell the house, has given away her father’s life’s work, and thinks she can step back into parenting without the consequences of near abandonment. Celeste challenges the rules, discovering that her mother is not the only vastly different thing since she was last there.

Helen Mrugalski gives Celeste a lived-in maturity. To understand that she was only 14 during filming makes her performance all the more impressive. She is a star.

Cinematographer Sergio Armstrong‘s distinctive style is breathtaking. It is both a celebration of the desert topography and yet maintains stunning intimacy. Roberto Espinoza‘s sound design is revelatory. There is patience in Valerie Hernandez‘s editing. In a post-Pinochet nation, CUERPO CELESTE is a microcosm of the national Chilean political shift. It is a clever parallel. Nayra Ilic Garcia delivers an examination of time, grief, healing, secrets, and change. It is a moving coming-of-age story.


ABOUT THE FILM
Summer, 1990. As Chile’s dictatorship draws to a close, fifteen-year-old Celeste spends the holidays with her family on a remote beach by the Atacama Desert. When an event shatters her adolescence and sends her mother into a downward spiral, their world begins to shift.

Months later, drawn by the promise of a solar eclipse, Celeste returns to that same place, but nothing is the same. In a country on the brink of transformation, she must navigate her own path forward.

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Nayra Ilic García
STARRING Helen Mrugalski, Daniela Ramírez, Néstor Cantillana, Mariana Loyola. Nicolás Contreras, Clemente Rodríguez. Erto Pantoja
PRODUCED BY Fernando Bascuñán & Úrsula Budnik
CO-PRODUCED BY Luigi Chimienti, Alessandro Amato, Dominga Ortúzar, Florencia Rodríguez
CINEMATOGRAPHY BY Sergio Armstrong A.C.C.
EDITING BY Valentina Hernández
MUSIC BY David Tarantino

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‘AN EYE FOR THE EYE’ (Tribeca 2025) A brutal blame game seeped in patriarchal injustice.


Tribeca 2025 rainbow logo

AN EYE FOR AN EYE

AN EYE FOR AN EYE

Tanaz Eshaghian and Farzad Jafari‘s Tribeca 2025 documentary, AN EYE FOR AN EYE, tells the story of Tahereh, an Iranian woman who murdered her husband following 18 years of abuse. One shocking night leads to Hossein’s strangulation and secret burial inside their home. After 14 years in prison and two years out on bail, now Hossein’s family, specifically his brother Bashir, gets to decide Tahereh’s fate – accept a blood money payment or order her execution.

While hearing details from Tahereh, we witness the ongoing negotiation process. Ms. Jabarzegegan, an anti-execution activist, convinces Bashir to lower his settlement demand from 1.5 billion tomans ($36,000) to 800 thousand tomans. But two weeks after the verbal agreement, Bashir dies of a heart attack. His arrangement was never notarized. Now, it falls onto the shoulders of his son, a young man much more influenced by his new grief and the words of his elders. Tahereh and her children are running out of time.

Behind the two families battling for their desired outcome is the initial police investigation and the suggestion that Tahereh hired a hitman. But, not just any hitman, a man the police want to suggest was her lover. This question hangs in the air like a dark cloud, but Tahereh proclaims she would rather be known as a murderer than a whore. That is somehow worse in her community.

AN EYE FOR AN EYEEshaghian and Jafari use the investigative narrative as a thread throughout the film. The film opens with the discovery of the body and the subsequent search for who and how. Crime photos are relatively tame if you are an avid Discovery ID watcher.

The blame game between the families is difficult to watch. The cherrypicking of religious teachings is incredibly infuriating. Watching Tahereh’s youngest son openly show emotion over his childhood terror will wreck you. He has to hear potential donors, the police, the courts, and his religious leaders tell him again and again that 18 years of domestic abuse is not an excuse for murder.

The gender disparity looms large. The patriarchal structure defies humanity. This is not just an Islamic issue. All over the world, women are killed by abusers after authorities do nothing to protect them when they reach out for help. Statistics do not lie. Tahereh says something that sums up their entire journey. “I killed him once, he killed us a thousand times.”

Directed by Tanaz Eshagian and Farzad Jafari

Producers: Christoph Jörg, Katayoun Arsanjani, Joey Marra, Gelareh Kiazand

Co-Producers: Kasper Lykke Schultz, Andreas Dalsgaard

Executive Producers: William Horberg, Zhang Xin, David Cowan, David & Nina Fialkow, Tanaz Eshaghian

With the support of the Danish Film Institute
Editors: Soren B. Ebbe, Hayedeh Safiyari


“An Eye For An Eye” follows Tahereh, a mother of three in Tehran who, after being repeatedly denied a divorce, decided that her only way out of an abusive marriage was to murder her husband.

Under Sharia Law, when a murder is committed in Iran, the family of the victim gets to decide whether to execute the murderer – an eye for an eye – or to grant them total forgiveness in exchange for a “blood money” settlement. The story unfolds after Tahereh has been released from serving her prison sentence and negotiations begin with her in-laws to decide her fate.


“An Eye For An Eye” is a complicated murder mystery, that quickly pivots into a ticking clock thriller as Tahereh and her son race around Tehran to scrape together the money in time to save her life. It culminates in a high-stakes courtroom drama as judgment day arrives, and both sides of the family stand before a judge to complete their negotiation – when they leave the room, she will either be free for the first time in her life or be sentenced to death.

In Farsi with English Subtitles

84 minutes. AN EYE FOR AN EYE AN EYE FOR AN EYE

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‘DANGEROUS ANIMALS’ (2025) Shark-obsessed serial killer reels in a fighter.

IFCShudderlogoDANGEROUS ANIMALS

Dangerous Animals poster

Sean Byrne earns an honest-to-goodness “Fuck Yeah,” with the opening of his latest film, DANGEROUS ANIMALS. The plot centers around a shark-obsessed serial killer and the ritualistic murder of tourists. What he doesn’t count on is surfer Zephyr and her survival instincts.

The cinematography is stunning. The score is epic. The soundtrack is perfect. Writer Nick Lepard skillfully navigates tongue-in-cheek jokes, social graces, survival tactics, and one crazy motherfucker. Location is key. Zephyr is trapped.

Dangerous Animals Josh Heuston is Moses. Relentlessly charming and earnest, Moses tries his damnedest to find Zephyr, but his fate may be closer to any of the boy toys in the SCREAM franchise. Heuston is much more than a vapid heartthrob. He is an admirable scene partner, and you want more of him.

Jai Courtney is diabolical. He is equal parts terrifying and mesmerizing. This is Buffalo Bill-style fuckery, and holy shit, does Courtney deserve all the applause and recognition. I would watch prequels centered on Tucker, but only if Courtney reprises the role.

Dangerous Animals Hassie Harrison is a childhood trauma-fueled badass. Harrison commands your attention and takes risks. She could carry any film. She is Final Girl heaven.

DANGEROUS ANIMALS is my actual worst nightmare. I still think a shark will somehow come through a pool drain and eat me. So, obviously, it had me from the get-go. The film is as sadistic as HOSTEL. Think the opening scene of JAWS on steroids. The violence ramps up as the film rolls on, and Zephyr’s escape plans keep us on the hook. DANGEROUS ANIMALS is undeniably one of the year’s most intense films.


Dangerous Animals Trailer:

Directed by Sean Byrne (THE DEVIL’S CANDY, THE LOVED ONES)

Starring Jai Courtney (SUICIDE SQUAD), Hassie Harrison (YELLOWSTONE), Josh Heuston (DUNE: PROPHECY)

Trapped on a killer’s boat with hungry sharks circling below, a surfer must outwit a predator more dangerous than the ocean itself—will she escape, or become the next offering to the deep? Sean Byrne returns with his third visceral feature, DANGEROUS ANIMALS, exclusively in theaters June 6, 2025.

For more horror coverage, click here!

‘SUNLIGHT’ (2025) A twisted rom-com you’ll go bananas for!

SUNLIGHT

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I became familiar with Nina Conti through Instagram. Her hilarious ventriloquism act has me doubled over with each new clip. She improvises each live show in multiple voices and unpredictable audience member volunteers, and it will blow you away. Monkey is her original creation, and in her directorial debut, SUNLIGHT, Nina uses him as a vessel to mask incredibly dark trauma. The result is emotional brilliance and endless laughter.

SUNLIGHT Shenoah AllenRoy hates his life. He brings some serious childhood baggage, and his job as a radio interviewer sucks the life out of him. As he attempts suicide in a motel room, he catches a glimpse of a life-sized Monkey through his window. As he comes to, Roy finds said Monkey driving his airstream down the empty roads. The audience quickly comes to realize this is not a hallucination but a woman dressed in a costume and putting on a voice.

Sunlight Monkey stretchThe woman in the suit is Jane. She uses Monkey as a coping mechanism to flee her stepfather, and the root of all her sadness. Both Roy and Jane have specific plans that are so outrageous that they agree to accompany one another on their journeys. Roy plans to dig up his abusive cop father and steal the watch he thought he had inherited. Jane wants to find a way to buy a pontoon boat and run banana boat rides as Monkey.

SUNLIGHT launches headfirst into one of the weirdest narratives I’ve ever seen. But simply calling it weird is a disservice to the complexity behind these characters. Conti and Allen co-wrote the story. It is easy to see why Christopher Guest executive produces. This creative pairing perfectly slots in with Guest’s brand of humor. The chemistry between Conti and Allen is instantaneous, even with the added physical barrier of Monkey. These are two pros bouncing weirdness off of each other.

Sunlight Shenoah and NinaShenoah Allen gives Roy a lived-in exhaustion. There is a gentleness that pulls you into his sphere. Conti is phenomenal as she navigates comedy through the suit, but also manages to rip your heart out. She uses humor to convey the hurt. It is a love story between two deeply wounded adults. Allen and Conti do not hold back in the dialogue. They take risks in every beat.

SUNLIGHT is a wonderfully unique road movie that delves into the reality that most of us idle in our loneliness. Finding your people is essential for truly living. Packed with profound revelation and shocking twists and turns, SUNLIGHT is one of the most heartwarming and funniest films ever.

Sunlight Trailer:

A darkly comic love story between a man and a woman who doesn’t want to come out of a monkey suit
 
Coming To Theaters June 6, 2025 

 


Sunrise Films is excited to announce the U.S. theatrical release of SUNLIGHT, the darkly hilarious and unconventional love story from acclaimed British actress, comedian, and ventriloquist Nina Conti, presented by Christopher Guest. Following its opening at the Edinburgh Film Festival, SUNLIGHT will debut in New York City theaters on June 6, followed by a Los Angeles premiere on June 13. Additional markets are to be announced.

Marking Conti’s feature directorial debut, SUNLIGHT reimagines “Monkey”—the iconic character from her renowned ventriloquist act—as the human-sized alter ego of a woman on the run from a toxic relationship. Conti, who began her career with the Royal Shakespeare Company before becoming an inventive comedy performer, co-wrote, directed, and stars in the film, delivering a bold dual performance as both the woman and the monkey. 

Conti stars alongside her longtime creative collaborator Shenoah Allen, who also co-wrote the screenplay. Allen, a Barry Award-winning comedian and one half of the cult comedy duo Pajama Men, plays Roy, a suicidal radio host who becomes Jane’s unlikely companion. 

Set against the quirky backdrop of Albuquerque, New Mexico, SUNLIGHT is a road movie with heart, humor, and absurdist flair. Jane (Conti) meets Roy (Allen) at a low point in both their lives. Disguised in a full-body monkey suit and eager to escape her past, Jane hits the road with Roy in his Airstream trailer. As they chase a fresh start—and hatch a risky scheme to fund it—Jane’s possessive ex looms close behind. Equal parts eccentric and emotionally resonant, SUNLIGHT is a natural, inspired extension of Conti’s sell-out stage act.

SUNLIGHT is produced by Sam Parker for Anyway Content, Will Machin for Metro International, Keagan Karnes for Inspirado, Tabitha McDonald and Conti, with Christopher Guest serving as executive producer. Cinematography is by James Kwan, with editing by Riaz Meer, composition by Christoph Bauschinger and music by Radiohead, Aphex Twin & The Pixies. 

“We are delighted to bring Nina and Shenoah’s wonderfully funny and charming road trip movie to audiences in the U.S. and Canada,” said Andrew Nerger, Head of U.S. & International Distribution at Sunrise Films. “It’s a laugh-a-minute ride. We fell in love with the film from the very first screening and can’t wait for audiences to meet the mischievous Monkey and the world-weary Roy this summer.”

The U.S. distribution deal was negotiated by Andrew Nerger on behalf of Sunrise Films and Will Machin, CEO of Metro International.

 


ABOUT SUNRISE FILMS
Sunrise Films is a new, internationally focused production, distribution, and sales company launched by Rupert Preston and Nigel Williams.


The company produced high-stakes thriller THE ACCUSED, directed by BOILING POINT and ADOLESCENCE’S Philip Barantini, which debuted on Netflix in the UK, ANZ, and Canada in 2023. Sunrise also produced George Amponsah’s GASSED UP, which released theatrically in the UK through Vertigo Releasing in early 2024 and debuted afterwards on Amazon Prime.


On the distribution side, Sunrise has released a multitude of titles across North America including Luna Carmoon’s BAFTA-nominated debut HOARD featuring rising star Joseph Quinn, action thriller SUNRAY: FALLEN SOLDIER, which was created by and stars former Royal Marines Commandos, Julia Jackman’s coming of age queer rom-com BONUS TRACK, BAFTA-winning drama AFTER LOVE, and César-nominated Iranian crime drama LAW OF TEHRAN. Sunrise next plans to release Freddy Macdonald’s buzzy SXSW debut SEW TORN and coming of age drama LAST SWIM which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in 2024 to wide acclaim.



Rupert Preston is also the CEO of Vertigo Releasing and he has produced over 25 films including BRONSON, THE SWEENEY, PUSHER, HORRID HENRY: THE MOVIE, and MONSTERS. Nigel Williams is the Chairman of Vertigo Releasing and Protagonist Pictures.

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Tribeca 2025 is almost here. Get ready for the buzz to get loud with world premieres galore.

Tribeca 2025 rainbow logoTribeca 2025

Tribeca is back with a vengeance. This year, the festival features new and exciting storytellers who break barriers, make us laugh, and spark conversations. This year’s fest runs from June 4th to the 15th. 

 

ABOUT THE TRIBECA FESTIVAL
The Tribeca Festival, presented by OKX, brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, music, audio storytelling, games, and immersive. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is synonymous with creative expression and entertainment. Tribeca champions emerging and established voices, discovers
award-winning talent, curates innovative experiences, and introduces new ideas through exclusive premieres, exhibitions, conversations, and live performances.

The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World
Trade Center. The annual Tribeca Festival will celebrate its 24th year from June 4–15, 2025, in New York City.

In 2019, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems bought a majority stake in Tribeca Enterprises, bringing together Rosenthal, De Niro, and Murdoch to grow the enterprise.

ABOUT THE 2025 TRIBECA FESTIVAL PARTNERS
The 2025 Tribeca Festival is presented by OKX and with the support of our partners: AT&T, Audible, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, Canva, CHANEL, City National Bank, Don Julio Tequila, Indeed, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, NBC4 and Telemundo 47, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, National CineMedia, New York Magazine, Spring Studios New York, The Wall Street Journal, Variety, Vulture, and Whalar.


Take a look at a few Tribeca 2025 films, long and short, and pilots we’re keeping our eyeballs peeled for. For the entire lineup, click here!



THE BEST YOU CAN – World Premiere – Spotlight Narrative Tribeca 2025
The Best You Can
Directed & written by: Michael J. Weithorn
Starring: Kyra Sedgwick, Kevin Bacon, Judd Hirsch, Brittany O’Grady


Reuniting Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon on screen for the first time in twenty years, THE BEST YOU CAN is a sharp, touching, and laugh-out-loud exploration of change, losing our bearings, and finding connection in the most unexpected places. This character-driven comedy is a reminder that sometimes the people who understand us best are the ones who are nothing like us.

RT: 103 Minutes


ARE WE GOOD? – New York Premiere – Spotlight+ Tribeca 2025

Are We GoodDirected by: Steven Feinartz
Starring: Marc Maron


An intimate portrait of comedian and podcast pioneer Marc Maron, following the sudden loss of his partner and filmmaker Lynn Shelton. Maron struggles with grief, disillusionment, and a shifting comedy landscape.

RT: 95 Minutes Tribeca 2025


OUR HERO, BALTHAZAR -Viewpoints

Our Hero BalthazarDirector: Oscar Boyson

Cast: Jaeden Martell, Asa Butterfield, Chris Bauer, Jennifer Ehle, Anna Baryshnikov, Noah Centineo, Becky Ann Baker, Avan Jogia, Pippa Knowles

Wealthy New York City teenager Balthazar “Balthy” Malone (Jaeden Martell) has a crush on a classmate who organizes gun control protests. To gain her attention, he creates dramatic social media videos pleading for stricter gun laws. When an online troll (Asa Butterfield) begins mocking his videos, Balthy becomes convinced that he is communicating with a potential mass shooter and impulsively decides to travel to Texas to confront him in person. What starts as a misguided hero’s journey evolves into a complex encounter between two young men from vastly different worlds, each struggling to find their place in a divided America. 

91 MINUTES Tribeca 2025


BIRD IN HAND – World Premiere – US Narrative Competition Tribeca 2025
bird in hand
Directed by: Melody C. Roscher
Starring: Alisha Wainwright, Christine Lahti, James Le Gros, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Jeffrey Nordling, K. Todd Freeman

Bird in Hand follows Bird Rowe, a biracial bride-to-be who arrives unannounced at her charismatic hippie mother Carlotta’s rural home, to plan her wedding. As the two scout wedding venues, their attempts at bonding quickly unravel as buried truths surface, revealing an emotionally complex and fraught relationship. Bird enlists the help of the new neighbors who have recently bought a nearby plantation, sparking an unlikely connection. A darkly comedic and emotionally raw exploration of race, family, and identity, Bird in Hand is a sharp portrait of a young woman’s desperate search for connection—no matter how messy it gets.

RT: 87 Minutes Tribeca 2025


HORSEGIRLS – World Premiere – US Narrative Competition Tribeca 2025
HorsegirlsDirected by: Lauren Meyering
Starring: Lillian Carrier, Gretchen Mol, Jerrod Haynes
Produced by: Alix Madigan, Michael Sherman, Mackenzie Breeden

After her mother’s illness returns, 22-year-old Margarita, a young woman with autism, discovers the world of hobbyhorsing and sets out to prove her independence to her mother—stick horse and all.

RT: 101 Minutes

“As a mother of neurodivergent children, this film’s authenticity screams off the screen. It is a must-see.”


JIMMY & THE DEMONS – World Premiere – Spotlight Documentary Tribeca 2025

Jimmy and the demons Jimmy & the demonsDirected by: Cindy Meehl

A magical journey into the artistic life and inner mind of celebrated sculptor, James Grashow, who, at age 79, devotes four years to creating his magnum opus.

RT: 93 Minutes

 


DEAD LANGUAGE – Viewpoints

large_Dead_Language-Clean-16x9-0While waiting at the airport for her husband, Aya (Sarah Adler) is mistaken for someone else. Intrigued, she decides to pick up a complete stranger (Ulrich Thomsen) on a whim. Their encounter sparks an unexpected intimacy that unsettles Aya’s sense of certainty and awakens a yearning she neither fully understands nor knows how to fulfill. Her quiet search for meaning unfolds in a hotel room, a customer service chat and in subtle disruptions to her daily routine, as we are taken through a woman’s delicate and honest search for something meaningful.

Director: Mihal Brezis, Oded Binnun

Cast: Sarah Adler, Ulrich Thomsen, Yehezkel Lazarov, Lars Eidinger

110 MINUTES Tribeca 2025


RE-CREATION – World Premiere – Spotlight Narrative
re-creationDirected by: Jim Sheridan & David Merriman
Starring: Vicky Krieps, Jim Sheridan, Aidan Gillen, and Colm Meaney


In a fictitious trial, twelve members of a jury must decide whether British journalist Ian Bailey is guilty of the murder of French filmmaker Sophie Toscan Du Plantier in 1996. Based on real events, the film reconstructs, through the discussions between these twelve people, a case that ultimately invites the viewer to draw their own conclusions.

RT: 89 Minutes


SHE DANCES – World Premiere – Spotlight Narrative Tribeca 2025
She dancesDirected by: Rick Gomez
Starring: Steve Zahn, Audrey Zahn, Mackenzie Ziegler, Ethan Hawke, Sonequa Martin-Green, Rosemarie DeWitt


Forced to reconnect on the road to her final dance competition, a father and daughter must confront their fractured relationship. As they navigate a shared tragedy, the whirlwind of the Young Miss Southeast Regional Dance Finals becomes the backdrop for their journey toward healing. She Dances is a story about rediscovering family and finding yourself—about accepting what is, letting it shape you, and recognizing who you are through the memories of those you love most.

RT: 93 Minutes


LEMONADE BLESSING (Section: US Narrative Competition) Tribeca 2025

LEMONADE BLESSING

WORLD PREMIERE

Directed and written by: Chris Merola

Starring: Jake Ryan, Jeanine Serralles, Skye Alyssa Friedman, Miles J. Harvey, Michael Oloyede, Todd Gearhart, and Keith William Richards

Freshly tossed into a private Catholic high school by his devout mother, John (Jake Ryan) falls head over heels for a devious classmate ready to push his faith (and morals) to the brink with a series of increasingly uncomfortable actions, all in the name of love. ‘

100 MINS

“This former Catholic school product approves of all the messaging and coming-of-age authenticity!”


DEEP COVER – Spotlight Narrative

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Directed by Tom Kingsley

Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, Nick Mohammed, Paddy Considine, Sonoya Mizuno, with Ian McShane and Sean Bean

DEEP COVER is a fast-paced action comedy starring Bryce Dallas Howard as Kat, an improv comedy teacher beginning to question if she’s missed her shot at success. When an undercover cop (Sean Bean) offers her the role of a lifetime, she recruits two of her students (Orlando Bloom and Nick Mohammed) to infiltrate London’s gangland by impersonating dangerous criminals.

Coming to Prime Video June 12, 2025

109 MINUTES Tribeca 2025


THE WOLF, THE FOX AND THE LEOPARD (International Narrative Competition)

The_Wolf_the_Fox_and_the_L

A film by David Verbeek

 Starring: Jessica Reynolds, Nicholas Pinnock, Marie Jung and Naomi Kawase

A feral young woman raised by wolves is captured and thrust into modern society, only to be rescued by a radical couple who isolate her on an abandoned oil rig. As she uncovers the lies of her new “parents”, she is forced to stand on her own two feet and ultimately decide whether to integrate into society or return to the wild.

124 MINUTES

“This hybrid fairytale about trauma is not to be missed.”


WIZKID: LONG LIVE LAGOSSpotlight+

WIZKID: LONG LIVE LAGOSDirector: Karam Gill 

Subjects: Femi-Anikulapo Kuti, Ayodeji Balogun, Jada Pollock, Julie Adenuga, Seni Saraki, Sunday Are, Matthew Temitope Solomon, Karen Binns, Adosu Segan, Tops Bademosi

From Lagos to London, this powerful documentary follows Wizkid’s rise as a global icon reshaping how Africa is seen — and heard — around the world. Blending intimate moments, explosive performances, and cultural commentary, the film captures how Wizkid is using his platform to change perceptions, reclaim African identity, and inspire a new generation. Directed by Karam Gill. Produced by Karam Gill, Daniel Malikyar. An HBO Documentary Films Release.

83 MINUTES  Tribeca 2025


HONEYJOON (Viewpoints)

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Written & Directed by Lilian T. Mehrel

Starring Ayden Mayeri & Amira Casar, José Condessa

HONEYJOON is a sexy, emotional comedy about… a mother-daughter trip. 

Persian-Kurdish Lela (Amira Casar) and her American daughter June (Ayden Mayeri) take a trip to a romantic Azorean island, for the one-year anniversary of Dad’s death. They planned this trip to be together, but Lela & June have opposite views about why they’re there, how to grieve, and June’s tiny bikini. Surrounded by honeymooners, doom-scrolling for Woman Life Freedom, and taken on a tour by their hot philosophical guide, João (José Condessa); Lela and June find each other… coming back to life.

75 minutes Tribeca 2025


AN EYE FOR AN EYE (Documentary Competition)

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Directors: Tanaz Eshaghian, Farzad Jafari

Convicted of murdering her husband, Tahereh served her sentence and now faces a ticking clock to negotiate with her in-laws who, under Sharia law in Iran, have the legal right to either execute her or forgive her- for a price.

84 MINUTES


THE END OF QUIET (Documentary Competition)

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Directors: Kasper Bisgaard, Mikael Lypinski

A meditative documentary that offers a glimpse into one of the few inhabited places on Earth where Wi-Fi and phone signals are not allowed to reach.

83 MINUTES


TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN- Spotlight Documentary 

TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN- Spotlight Documentary 

Director/Producer: Ole Juncker

Brilliance or bold-faced theft? In 2021, the Kunsten Museum got more than it bargained for when Danish artist Jens Haaning borrowed $83,000 for a commissioned piece—then delivered an empty frame. Titled with brazen wit, Take the Money and Run ignited a global firestorm: was it a scathing critique of capitalism, or the slickest art-world heist in history?

82 MINUTES


COUNTING CROWS: HAVE YOU SEEN ME LATELY? – Spotlight Documentary

COUNTING CROWS: HAVE YOU SEEN ME LATELY? Director: Amy Scott

Subjects: Adam Duritz, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Kerr, Chris Martin, Jeff Ross, Mary-Louise Parker

Catapulted into overnight fame by their massively successful debut album, San Francisco indie rock band Counting Crows and their introspective frontman Adam Duritz were suddenly the biggest rockstars in the world, defiantly facing whatever came next. Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately? captures this pivotal crossroads through revealing interviews and evocative 1990’s archival to craft a rare story of artistic integrity in the spotlight. Directed by Amy Scott. Produced by Brian Morrow, Jonathan Lynch. An HBO Documentary Films Release.

90 MINUTES Tribeca 2025


YANUNI (Closing Night Gala)

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Directed by RICHARD LADKANI 

Produced by ANITA LADKANI, RICHARD LADKANI, JUMA XIPAIA, LEONARDO DICAPRIO, JENNIFER DAVISSON, PHILLIP WATSON

Executive Producers include JOANNA NATASEGARA, LAURA NIX, ERIC TERENA, DAX DASILVA, MARTIN CHOROBA, PHILIPP SCHALL

YANUNI is a cinematic portrait of Juma Xipaia, an Indigenous chief from the Brazilian Amazon who rises from a remote village to the frontlines of climate justice. After surviving six assassination attempts, she is appointed Brazil’s first Secretary of Indigenous Rights—while her husband, a federal IBAMA agent, leads dangerous operations against illegal gold miners. As Juma navigates political power, growing threats, and impending motherhood, she is forced to confront the personal cost of resistance. At once intimate and epic, YANUNI is a powerful story of Indigenous sovereignty, love, and the urgent fight to protect the planet we call home.

112 MINUTES 


SEASONED (World Premiere — Indie Episodic (NOW)

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Directed by Ewen Wright

Written by Gideon Grody-Patinkin, Ewen Wright

Starring Mandy Patinkin, Kathryn Grody

Synopsis: Based on the real lives of Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody, “Seasoned” follows the delightfully tumultuous relationship and life of this successful, gregarious, deeply committed, slightly insane married couple. They’re each other’s greatest cheerleaders and harshest critics. The source of their unending magic is the same as their unending woe: that they’ve stayed together all these years. They struggle, they fail, they forgive, they learn, they remain bewildered, and most importantly, they hold everything together through love. As they navigate a society that feels as if it’s crumbling around them, will they remain standing?

Pilot Episode “Hangry” Synopsis: When Mandy and Kathryn miss their anniversary dinner reservation, they’re forced to try and find a new place to eat. Wandering New York City in an effort to salvage the occasion, 40 years of marital dynamics are laid bare as everything falls short – first with the food, then with each other.

96 MINUTES


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Follow along with Tribeca 2025 and all things Tribeca Film Festival here!

‘THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME’ (2025) | Tickets on Sale Today

focus features new logo

THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME

The Phoenician Scheme poster

Tickets on Sale Today Here

Focus Features will release THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME domestically with a limited release on Friday, May 30th and expand wide on Friday, June 6th.
 

Directed by | Wes Anderson
Story by | Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola
Screenplay by | Wes Anderson
Producers | Wes Anderson, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson, John Peet

Synopsis | The story of a family and a family business.

Starring | Benicio del Toro as Zsa-zsa Korda, one of the richest men in Europe; Mia Threapleton as Liesl, his daughter/a nun; Michael Cera as Bjorn, their tutor. With: Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis.

 

For more information, please follow the film on social:
Official Site | Facebook Twitter I Instagram 
#ThePhoenicianScheme

(L to R) Benicio Del Toro as Zsa-Zsa Korda, Michael Cera as Bjorn and Mia Threapleton as Liesl in director Wes Anderson's THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME, a Focus Features release. 
Credit: Courtesy of TPS Productions/Focus Features © 2025 All Rights Reserved.For more trailers, click here!

‘THE RUSE’ (2025) A clever, twisted bait and switch.

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THE RUSE

The Ruse poster

Filmmaker Stefan Mena brings audiences THE RUSE. The film follows an in-home nurse, Dale, and her newly assigned dementia patient. Upon arrival in a remote seaside town, Dale discovers she is replacing the last nurse who mysteriously went missing. Consumed by her patient’s ever-changing lucidity and he-said, she-said of the neighbors, Dale becomes entangled in a chilling whodunit.

The-Ruse-Pic-5As Tom, Michael Steger walks a razor-thin line between a good guy and a total creep. Steger is formidable. Equal parts charming and terrifying, it’s a compelling turn. Genre icon Veronica Cartwright gives Olivia everything she has. The performance is a beautiful balancing act of dementia and regal articulation. She is mesmerizing. Each beat is perfect. Madelyn Dundon plays Dale with a grounded familiarity. She is vulnerable and relatable. Mema puts her through the emotional ringer, and Dundon keeps up like a pro.

the Ruse 2Mena’s score adds to the menacing feeling. The jump scares are legit. Mena executes thoughtfully written relationship-building while skillfully dropping clues to the mystery. Mena plays with small-town gossip, isolation, and a nurse’s instincts. THE RUSE boasts a twist that will f*ck you up. You are not prepared for the final 3rd of this film. This is a story about control. If you think you know where this screenplay is going, think again.

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WORLD PREMIERE – MAINE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2024

OFFICIAL SELECTION – TIFF 2024

 

The Ruse trailer:

Seismic Films and Mena Films’ upcoming Suspenseful Thriller THE RUSE, written and directed by Stevan Mena (Bereavement, Malevolence) and starring Veronica Cartwright (Alien, The Witches of Eastwick), Michael Steger (“90210”), and Madelyn Dundon (Getting Gracewill open in theaters nationwide on Friday, May 16th.
Produced by STEVAN MENA, TIMOTHY BRISTOLL, and SCOTT KRYCIA. Associate Produced by LEE MELTZER


Synopsis

When the in-home caregiver assigned to an elderly patient mysteriously vanishes, Dale (Madelyn Dundon) is quickly sent as the replacement nurse. She rushes to the remote seaside home, only to find herself in the middle of chaos, forced to deal with an unruly patient, mysterious neighbors, and terrifying supernatural occurrences that seem to plague the home. Is the house haunted? Or is something even more malevolent to blame? As the walls close in, unsure of whom she can trust, Dale fears for her life and that of her patient. Starring the legendary Veronica Cartwright (Alien, The Witches of Eastwick), you won’t want to miss this scary thriller that is guaranteed to keep you guessing till the very end!



Suspenseful Thriller | 105 minutes | Color | 2024 | USA | English

For more Thriller coverage, click here!

‘THE MOOGAI’ (2025) Jon Bell expands his 2021 short folk horror into a trauma filled feature.

SamuelGoldwynFilmsLogoTHE MOOGAI

The Moogai poster

Filmmaker Jon Bell delivers a horrific manifestation of unresolved cultural trauma in THE MOOGAI. The film opens in 1970. Aboriginal children have been forcibly removed from their families and adopted into white families for decades. Present day, Sarah Bishop eschews her cultural roots. Once a stolen child, a fact she vehemently denies, the difficult birth of her second child comes with collective wounds and folklore she cannot outrun.

moogai 3Barely tolerating her birthmother, Ruth, Sarah’s whitewashed existence comes to a halt when an ancient entity rears its ugly head. Sarah’s aggression heightens as her delusions increase. She quickly spirals out of control in every aspect of her life. Sarah’s husband, Fergus, embraces his culture and does his best to navigate his familial deterioration.

The break between Sarah and her first child, Chloe, is heartbreaking. There’s no denying her resemblance to Fergus has something to do with Sarah’s icy response. The connection between Chloe, Fergus, and Ruth burns Sarah’s limited understanding of her absent culture. Ruth tries her best to protect her family, but Sarah’s relentless resistance to her roots only makes them manifest quicker as lore becomes reality and history repeats itself.

moogai 4Jahdeana Mary brings earnest innocence and hurt to Chloe. You want to hug her. Meyne Wyatt is great playing Fergus. He is charming and protective. He’s a real highlight. Tessa Rose is spectacular as Ruth, giving audiences lived-in knowledge and fear. She is the heart of the film. Shari Sebbens gives Sarah everything from elitism to postpartum depression, unbridled rage to superstitious anxiety. You simultaneously loathe and feel for her. Sebbens is truly a revelation.

The Moogai feature stillPractical FX, makeup, and jump scares are solid. THE MOOGAI keenly delves into medical gaslighting and the pressure on women to “do it all.” While the film is also a creature feature, Jon Bell never shies away from showing viewers that the scariest monsters are humans. It is a surprising cultural reclamation.


You can read our coverage of the original SXSW short film here!

The Moogai Trailer:

THE MOOGAI

Theatrical Release Date: May 9, 2025

Written and Directed By: Jon Bell

Director of Photography: Sean Ryan 

Cast: Shari Sebbens, Meyne Wyatt, Tessa Rose, Clarence Ryan, with Toby Leonard Moore and Bella Heathcote

Produced By: Kristina Ceyton, Samantha Jennings & Mitchell Stanley

Executive Produced By: Stephen Kelliher, Sophie Green, Phil Hunt, Compton Ross, Daniel Negret, Anjali Patil, Salman Al-Rashid & Sam Frohman

Editor: Simon Njoo Ase

Runtime: 86 Minutes

Synopsis: Sarah and Fergus, a hopeful young Aboriginal couple, give birth to their second baby. But what should be a joyous time of their lives becomes sinister when Sarah starts seeing a malevolent spirit she is convinced is trying to take her baby. Fergus, who can’t see it but desperately wants to believe her, grows increasingly worried as she becomes more unbalanced. Is the child-stealing spirit real or is she in fact the biggest threat to the safety of their family?  

‘PÁRVULOS: CHILDREN OF THE APOCALYPSE’ (2025) One of last year’s best gets a June release. Check out the trailer!

PÁRVULOS: CHILDREN OF THE APOCALYPSE

PÁRVULOS poster

PÁRVULOS: CHILDREN OF THE APOCALYPSE- One of the coolest films from last year’s festival circuit is coming in June.

Synopsis: In a dystopian future ravaged by a viral apocalypse, three young brothers—Salvador, Oliver, and Benjamin—find themselves isolated in a remote cabin deep within the woods. As they navigate this desolate world, they harbor a dark and disturbing secret in their basement, a presence they must feed to ensure their own survival.


Here is our original Fantastic Fest 2024 review:

Filmmaker Isaac Ezban brings Fantastic Fest 2024 PÁRVULOS, the story of three siblings surviving in the woods by scavenging in a virus-ravaged world. The dangerous secret they harbor in the basement may be their undoing.

PÁRVULOSThe cinematography is something to behold. The sepia-toned lens locks you into a compelling plot. It creates this magical, borderline eerie feeling. The production design team is aces with children’s drawings and makeshift inventions. The post-apocalyptic aspects are relatively subtle but incredibly effective. The end credits are outstanding. The original song “Our People Need Our Help” is a certified banger.

Two surprising performances will blow you away, but I won’t spoil that with specifics. I will only say that Norma Flores and Horacio Lazo give us everything they’ve got. Our three young brothers are magnificent. Mateo Ortega Casillas gives Benny the right amount of innocence and rebellion. Leonardo Cervantes delivers vulnerability and compassion as Oliver. Farid Escalante Correa gives Salvador a perfect mix of resentment and raging hormones. Together, they warm and break your heart.

The film’s tone takes an unexpectedly amusing twist once Benny learns the secret that Oliver and Salvador keep in the basement. Benny convinces his brothers that normalcy can return if they try hard enough. Their unrelenting determination hits a snag when a young woman crashes their holiday plans. The film takes another turn during its nearly two-hour run. A wildly dark finale holds you captive.

PÁRVULOS has enough meat on the bone for a series. Visually striking, beautifully acted, and ceaselessly compelling. Is it not only a highlight of Fantastic Fest, but one of the year’s best films, period.

Trailer:

PÁRVULOS: CHILDREN OF THE APOCALYPSE
On Demand June 3rd

‘EGGHEAD & TWINKIE’ (2025) The perfect Gen-Z rom-com finally gets a release date!

giant pictures logoEGGHEAD & TWINKIE

Egghead & Twinkie poster

EGGHEAD & TWINKIE is an instant classic. After coming out to her parents, two best friends go on an impromptu road trip to meet a crush. This genre-bending film is one of the most fun selections at Outfest: LA. (Here is our original review from the fest)

Egghead & TwinkieJill Cefalo-Sanders provides quirky animation, giving us adorable hand-drawn anime-inspired visuals for emotions, sounds, and transitions. It’s very Lizzie McGuire, and that’s an absolute compliment. It’s almost its own character in the film. The script kicks close-minded conservatism to the curb, much like a Mini Katana cutting through outdated beliefs with precision and style. Writer-director Sarah Kambe Holland makes Twinkie a total badass. She is funny, brave, awkward, fearless, and (to use a Gen Z word) fire. Holland gives Egghead all the qualities to balance his best friend. He is nerdy, loyal, thoughtful, and unequivocally at Twinkie’s mercy. The script doesn’t shy away from sexual fluidity but directly addresses it in an accessible way. 

Egghead & Twinkie_Still 15_300dpiAsahi 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. 

egghead & Twinkie dinner sceneThe teenage shenanigans ring true. That feeling of invincibility and daring reminds me of my crazy ideas and dumb decisions in the late 90s. Egghead and Twinkie take risks, make mistakes, hurt each other, get their hearts broken, and confess their fears. The film is a helpful guide for parents struggling to understand their kids’ feelings. Regardless of their core beliefs, EGGHEAD & TWINKIE is undeniably relatable. A modern-day romcom-buddy comedy-road movie we all needed to see. It is easily one of the year’s best films. Do not sleep on it!

EGGHEAD & TWINKIE
2023 | USA | 87 min | Color | Narrative Comedy
 RELEASE INFO
Available on Demand April 29 (U.S. & Canada)
*Special Screening in Los Angeles, including Q&A with filmmakers and cast
Thurs, April 24, 7:00pm
Laemmle Glendale, 207 N. Maryland Ave.
Info & Tickets:
https://www.laemmle.com/film/egghead-twinkie

  • 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
For more LGBTQ films, click here!

‘UNBROKEN’ (2025) Netflix honors Holocaust Remembrance Day with release of astounding doc

greenwich ent logoUnBroken

unbroken poster

Beth Lane’s captivating documentary, UnBroken, tells the story of seven siblings who survived Nazi Germany. Following the arrest of their hero mother and previously imprisoned Catholic father, marked for a concentration camp, Lane’s mother and siblings were smuggled to safety in the back of a truck in the dead of night by their farmer neighbor. A journey of unbelievable resiliency, Lane retraces their steps from Berlin to America and into the pages of history.

unbroken animationLane pieces together the Weber children’s story using archival footage, family photos, letters of eldest brother Alfons, and the foggy memories of the five remaining sisters. She travels to Berlin, stopping at each location where the siblings were hidden and nurtured. Lane discovers her grandfather’s original fascist concentration camp papers and the entry log of all seven children in a nunnery, finding that her mother Bela’s instinct about her middle name was correct.

UNBROKEN-motw-no-logo-800x445Misfit delivers enchanting line-drawn animation to fill in the visual gaps. Aaron Soffin and Dina Guttmann’s editing is award-worthy. Jonathan Snipes’ score is haunting. The film plays out like historical fiction from one moment to the next.

unbroken teensOne particularly intriguing moment happens as Beth runs into a small group of young people listening to music outside the siblings’ old apartment. After she tells them what the film is about, she asks if they would hide her if history repeats itself. Their honesty will burn into your memory. The echoes of trauma and triumph rear their ugly heads in many ways, but the knowledge that in saving seven siblings, there are now 72 thriving Weber family members is something to celebrate.

unbroken searchThe similarities to the systematic dismantling of the United States’ democracy should serve as a stark warning, but UnBroken also shines a light on the goodness of the human heart. One phrase from the film perfectly captures the message. “When you’re faced with adversity, who do you become?”

Here’s the link to the trailer on YouTube
 
 

Streaming on Netflix today!

 

About the film:  
UNBROKEN is the miraculous true story of the seven Weber siblings, ages 6-18, who evaded certain capture and death, and ultimately escaped Nazi Germany relying solely on their youthful bravado and the kindness of strangers, following their mother’s incarceration and murder at Auschwitz. 
 
After being hidden in a laundry hut by a benevolent German farmer, the children spent two years on their own in war torn Germany. Emboldened by their father’s mandate that they ‘always stay together,’ the children used their own cunning instincts to fight through hunger, loneliness, rape, bombings and fear. Climactically separated from their father, the siblings are forced to declare themselves as orphans in order to escape to a new life in America. Unbeknownst to them, this salvation would become what would finally tear them apart, not to be reunited for another 40 years. 
 
Filmmaker Beth Lane, daughter of the youngest Weber sibling, embarks on a quest to retrace their steps, seeking answers to long-held questions about her family’s survival. The film examines the journey of the Weber family as told through conversations with living siblings – now in their eighties and nineties – while Beth and her crew road trip across Germany, following the courageous, tumultuous, and harrowing path taken by her family over seventy years ago.
 
UnBroken is Beth Lane’s feature directorial debut, and it is both a professional milestone and a personal quest to immortalize the incredible story of the Weber siblings’ survival as the only family of seven Jewish siblings living in Nazi Germany known to have survived and emigrated together. 
 
The film had its world premiere at the 23rd Heartland International Film Festival, where it was awarded Best Documentary Feature Film. It also won the Audience Choice award at the River Run Int’l Film FestivalJulien Dubuque Int’l Film Festival and The Berkshire Int’l Film Festival
 
For more documentary films, click here!

‘FRÉWAKA’ (2025) Shudder original delivers Irish folk-horror at its finest

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FRÉWAKA

Fréwaka poster

Filmmaker Aislinn Clarke brings Shudder audiences a dark and tense story of a primary caregiver and the odd elderly ward she finds herself assigned. Following the death of her estranged mother, Shoo travels to a small town riddled with foul energy for the woman she must look after. Peig is a household name, and not in a good way. Surrounded by Peig’s superstitious rituals, Shoo’s growing isolation and underlying anguish trigger a long-dormant demand. 

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Beautifully lit and framed (DP Narayan Van Maele is a wonder), FRÉWAKA pulls you in from the first scene. Straying from any formula, Clarke takes an even more nightmarish approach with the second scene. The audience is in a constant state of unease. Peig’s routine is easily dismissed as dementia, but Clarke understands folk horror to its core. 

Bríd Ní FRÉWAKA

Bríd Ní Neachtain gives Peig a fiery sass that is intoxicating. Walking the line between paranoia and rage, Neachtain commands your attention. Clare Monnelly infuses a similar hardness to Shoo but mixes a lost hurt, complex grief, and underlying fear into her role. Together, they make one hell of a compelling watch. 

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A clever mix of unresolved trauma and lore, Clarke keeps you guessing at every turn. One particular death made me gasp out loud. The script examines mental illness, generational trauma, and fae canon in a wicked and creative manner. FRÉWAKA is wholely unsettling. It is a perfect crossover for any romantasy readers and genre girlies. 

Frewaka_altposter_600lVJVvXZvqpkbYG0hK5LLGtubP-723x1024Trailer:

New Film from The Devil’s Doorway Filmmaker Aislinn Clarke
 
Debuts April 25

 

Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thrillers and the supernatural, today announced the streaming premiere date and released the trailer and poster for FRÉWAKA, from the director/writer of the acclaimed THE DEVIL’S DOORWAY, Aislinn Clarke. The highly anticipated film, which made its world premiere at the 2024 Locarno Film Festival and its U.K. premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, will make its exclusive streaming debut Friday, April 25 on Shudder as part of the Halfway to Halloween celebration.

For more horror coverage, click here!

‘DADDY’ (2025) The terrifying consequences of dragging emotional baggage into parenthood.

anchor bay ent logoDADDY

Daddy poster

In Neal Kelley and Jono Sherman‘s sci-fi comedy DADDY,  four men navigate an intense government-controlled assessment retreat to determine whether they are eligible to father children. When they arrive at a remote cabin in the California hills without phones or the appearance of an assigned monitor, paranoia sets in. 

The dialogue feels like a stage play. The men share anxieties, theories, dreams, trauma, and awkward existential moments. Their social hardwiring takes center stage with subtle (and not so subtle) toxicity and competitive natures rearing their ugly heads. The audience lives in their discomfort. 
DADDY-FEATUREThe men are colored-coded with various shades of sweatsuits and matching household items. Each one has a unique personality, problem-solving strategies, and emotional intelligence. Kelley and Sherman escalate mundane scenarios mirroring the unpredictability of parenting. I would love to see the women’s retreat as a sequel. 

These men are complicated, and the arrival of a mystery guest heightens everything. Yuriy Sardarov, Jacqueline Toboni, Neal Kelley, Jono Sherman, and Pomme Koch deliver exceptionally nuanced performances. 
Daddy Still 9Empathy, competition, and fear create a powder keg. DADDY is a superb companion watch for The Assessment. Both occur in a dystopian near-future that looks more plausible with each passing day. DADDY is a complex character study with an ending that may shatter your moral compass. Do not miss it. 

DADDY Trailer:

The film will be available on VOD on Tuesday, April 15th following a limited theatrical release.

 

Anchor Bay Entertainment’s sci-fi comedy DADDY, directed and written by Neal Kelly and Jono Sherman and starring Yuriy Sardarov (“Chicago Fire,” Argo), Jacqueline Toboni (“Grimm,” “The L Word: Generation Q”), Neal Kelley, Jono Sherman, and Pomme Koch (“Law & Order,” “WeCrashed”).  

Daddy doll stillFor more sci-fi coverage, click here!

‘NORA’ (2025) Music and motherhood strike a beautiful cord.

 NORA

Nora poster

The multitalented filmmaker and musician Anna Campbell‘s musical motherhood journey NORA is in theatres now. The film follows a former musician who moves to the burbs to raise her young daughter. With her husband on the road for six weeks, Nora must navigate considerable life changes in the suburban jungle while coming to terms with her deepest dreams. 

NORA_Film Stills1_CuddleSophie Mara Baaden plays six-year-old Sadie with authentic innocence and sass. She has wonderful chemistry with Campbell. Lesley Ann Warren plays Nora’s waspy mother and provides the stereotypical artist’s parent doubtful “I told you so” tone. Nick Fink is fantastic as Sadie’s first-grade teacher Adam. He and Campbell are a striking duo. It doesn’t hurt that his singing voice Is delicious.

Nora still Lesley Ann WarrenThe script nails the loss of personal identity when a woman becomes a mother. The invisible labor and patriarchal structure often lead to isolation and lingering resentment. It delves into self-loathing and body changes. It tackles suburban social pressure, which can be a lot. On the flip side, she also perfectly captures the love-filled hyping up we do for our kids every single day. 

Nora disassociates through musical fantasy sequences. Each one, featuring Noah Harmon‘s undeniably original and catchy song, becomes a spectacular music video that delivers visual surprises and pushes her’s narrative forward like an emotional freight train. Think Veruca Salt, The Breeders, Tori Amos, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It is a jolt of feminist rocker joy. 

NORA_Film Stills3_Scream - Cocktail WienersCampbell is ceaselessly charming. She is funny, self-effacing, anxiety-ridden, and pottymouthed, just the way I like my fellow Moms. As a woman who gave up a career performing to be a supportive partner and mother, NORA fills my soul with a knowing. 

Kevin Fletcher‘s cinematography is beautiful. Christoph Baaden’s editing is applause-worthy.  Each cast member gives us precisely what we need from them. NORA manages to be both unique and extraordinarily universal. It is a must-see. 

NORA Trailer:

Releasing in Theaters in Los Angeles on April 11th and in New York on April 18th


The journey of self discovery isn’t always easy. Returning to her hometown after abandoning her music career, Nora finds it difficult to settle into the new demands of suburban motherhood. When her husband goes on tour and leaves her solo-parenting their precocious six-year-old, Nora is forced to evaluate her current circumstances and the dreams she left behind.

 

Directed by:

Anna Campbell

Written by:
Anna Campbell

Starring: 
Anna Campbell
Lesley Ann Warren
Sophie Mara Baaden
Nick Fink
Jay Walker
Max Lesser
Nancy Hale

Running Time:

101 Minutes 

 

For more musical films, click here!

‘GREEN AND GOLD’ (2025) The feel-good, family film with a message is now available on VOD!

GREEN AND GOLD

Green and Gold Poster

 

 

Green and Gold highlights small-town farmers’ vital role as stewards of the land and pillars of their communities. Over the past 5 years alone, America has lost more than 140,000 family farms, but their resilient spirit endures. The film highlights hard work, love for the land, and commitment to preserving legacies for future generations.

Set against the backdrop of the 1990s, Green and Gold celebrates the enduring spirit of family, community, and football focusing on the heartwarming and triumphant journey of a small-town farmer.

Madison Lawlor as Jenny #1 in GREEN AND GOLD, credit Childe Productions.jpgNelson remarked, “This story felt personal to me, I felt a real connection to it because the Nelson family farm has been a working farm in South Dakota since the Civil War, and my wife’s family were also farmers. Green and Gold captures the tenacity of small-town farmers and the strength of family and community. I was honored to play Buck and highlight the dreams defining many lives in America’s heartland.”

Director Anders Lindwall expressed, “Growing up just north of Green Bay as the grandson of a dairy farmer and die-hard Packers fans, my brother Davin and I poured our hearts into this film. It’s our tribute to small-town communities and the values they stand for.”

Packers' Fans Gather in GREEN AND GOLD, credit Childe ProductionsThis meaningful film is presented in collaboration with Culver’s and the Green Bay Packers, the nation’s only community-owned professional football team. Culver’s small-town Wisconsin roots give the restaurant franchise a true heart for agriculture and inspired the creation of its Thank You Farmers® Project, which has donated more than $6.5 million to​​ensure a sustainable food supply for the future.

As for the Green Bay Packers, this marks the team’s first time partnering with a feature film on this level, adding a unique depth to the story. “Green and Gold portrays the story of Packers fans’ devotion to legacy and community—it is a must-see. We are proud to be part of a story celebrating supporting one another and showcasing the critical role that family farms play across our great state of Wisconsin and beyond,” said Packers director of corporate partnership sales & activations, Justin Wolf.

Brandon Sklenar as Billy in GREEN AND GOLD, credit Childe ProductionsGreen and Gold is directed by Anders Lindwall and produced by Davin Lindwall and Aaron Boyd. Dan Visser, Darren Moorman, Scott Pomeroy, Craig Cheek, and Brooks Malberg executive produce the feature film. The screenplay was written by Steven Shafer, Michael Graf, Missy Mareau Garcia, and Anders Lindwall.

Green and Gold was named an Official Selection and Audience Award Winner at the 2024 Austin Film Festival. The film received Official Selection and Audience Choice at the Heartland Film Festival for its compelling storytelling and emotional depth.

About Culver’s and the Thank You Farmers Project

Since its founding in 2013, Culver’s Thank You Farmers® Project has donated over $6.5 million to agriculture, ensuring a sustainable food supply for future generations. Culver’s is a proud partner of the National FFA Foundation, investing in youth leadership and climate-smart agricultural practices. Learn more about the Thank You Farmers® Project at www.culvers.com/thank-you-farmers-project.

Green and Gold still

Gold and Green is an authentic, multigenerational story of family values and self-discovery. The film is a great companion watch with the David Duchovny film REVERSE THE CURSE. Both delve into child/parent relationships that heavily revolve around a sports team. Oh, and Craig T. Nelson never misses. Check out the trailer below.

Gold and Green Trailer:

For more information, visit greenandgoldmovie.com and on social IGFB @greenandgoldmovie
 

‘OUT FOR DELIVERY’ (SXSW 2025 short) Death and comedy transform into a weirdly touching slice of human connection.

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OUT FOR DELIVERY

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Joanna finds out that chemo is no longer working. Her doctor offers her a Death With Dignity option. They can mail her medication to end her life, but she must make arrangements for her body to be picked up. When the package gets delayed, all her plans go haywire.

Death and comedy don’t usually go hand-in-hand, but somehow, OUT FOR DELIVERY manages to be equal parts dark and light. Over sixteen minutes, filmmaker Chelsea Christer delves into existential ideas, regret, and childhood trauma. It is a weirdly touching slice of human connection. Deanna Rooney and Martin Starr are spectacular. They share an easy chemistry, highlighted brilliantly during the film’s final comedic moments. OUT FOR DELIVERY is an oddly cathartic honoring of life’s choices, sure to make you smile and perhaps encourage you to take a beat to smell the roses. It is a memorable addition to this year’s lineup. 


photo of Chelsea Christer

Chelsea Christer

Chelsea Christer began her filmmaking career in San Francisco. Her work centers on character-driven stories, often exploring themes of identity, ambition, and human connection. Her feature-length debut, award-winning music documentary “Bleeding Audio”, was released to critical acclaim. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their dog, Sagan.

OUT FOR DELIVERY Credits

Director:

Chelsea Christer

Executive Producer:

Toni Trucks, Clinton Trucks

Producer:

Clinton Trucks, Alexa Rocero, David B. Lyons

Screenwriter:

Chelsea Christer

Cinematographer:

Gavin Velasquez Murray

Editor:

Chelsea Christer

Production Designer:

Linda Dahlem

Sound Designer:

Ben Hicks

Music:

Matthew Taylor

Principal Cast:

Deanna Rooney, Martin Starr, DeMorge Brown, John Ross Bowie, Dana Swanson, Cory Shanbom, Ele Woods, Brian David Gilbert

Additional Credits:

1st AD: Cory Shanbom, Production Assistant: Aurora Zenith, 1st AC: Sean Delahunt, Sound Mixer: Jose Castro, Colorist: Ayumi Ashley, VFX Supervisor: Danny Shepherd, Key Grip/Gaffer: Lance Gegner, Gaffer: Ben Thatcher, Grip: Zach Domingo, Grip: Steve Forbes

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‘MOLA: A Tibetan Tale of Love and Loss (SXSW 2025) A thoughtful exploration of grief AND a celebration of life.

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Filmmakers Martin Brauen and Yangzom Brauen give SXSW 2025 audiences many things in their intimate documentary Mola: A Tibetan Tale of Love and Loss. Kunsang Wangmo is a firecracker. A Tibetan nun exiled from her homeland in 1959 to escape the Chinese occupation turns 100, and her final wish is to die in her homeland. The film explores respect, a stunning cultural snapshot, and generational healing.

The audience gets a boot camp lesson in Buddhism. The religion relies on the concept of embracing life to achieve full consciousness. In this practice, death is more fulfilling. Mola displays respect for all creatures through prayer and everyday gestures, some as small as encouraging flies to feast upon her leftover fruit.

Archival footage from Tibet is equal parts magical and devastating. Mola recalls her life’s journey in voice-over narration. Her harrowing escape to an Indian refugee camp as a young mother is difficult to hear but hauntingly parallels the current global upheaval. Twelve years later, a move to Switzerland with Sonam and Martin changed everything, finally providing well-deserved stability and forty-five years of family life.

Mola_ A Tibetan Tale of Love and Loss_ - [schedule.sxsw.com]However, the underlying generational trauma manifests in a contentious mother-daughter relationship. Mola uses humor and cutting words as shields. Patrick Kirst‘s score captures each beat, whether melancholy or joy. Sonam wishes for her to stay for all the reasons one would expect a loved one to feel.

Mola’s birthday wish is to go home. Martin works diligently toward obtaining a visa for her return to Tibet. After months of back-and-forth emails, Mola begins a new adventure in her homeland, while Sonam starts a new stage of grief. Watching her mother experience pure joy after 40 years is draining. Six months later, the Chinese government denied Mola’s visa renewal, but she is ready to return to Switzerland. Unsurprisingly, Mola’s health rapidly declines upon her return, and a new wave of acceptance falls upon the shoulders of the entire family. Witnessing the decline of a loved one is something you can never prepare yourself for.

There is something peaceful about MOLA. Its quiet, contemplative nature delivers an unexpected universality. It honors the life of a woman whose faith extended until her last breath.

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Kunsang Wangmo – known as “Mola” to her family – is a Tibetan nun exiled from her homeland in 1959 to escape the Chinese occupation. Now 100 years old, and after living with her daughter Sonam in Switzerland for the past 45 years, she decides her last wish is to die in Tibet. This is the story of a mother and daughter coming to terms with this phase in Mola’s life, and Sonam and her husband Martin’s journey to make Mola’s last wish come true.

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Mola Trailer

Yangzom Brauen

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Yangzom is an award-winning Film & TV Director recognized for her short film Born in Battle, which won UNESCO and audience awards. She has directed over 30 hours of TV, including NCIS LA, Hawaii Five-0, and American Horror Stories. A bestselling author of Across Many Mountains, she’s a passionate Tibetan Freedom advocate, fluent in five languages.

Martin Brauen

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Martin Brauen (b. 1948) is an anthropologist, curator, and author specializing in Tibetan, Nepalese, Bhutanese, and Japanese cultures. Former chief curator of the Rubin Museum in NYC, he has curated nearly 100 exhibitions and authored many works, including The Mandala. A filmmaker, he explores cultural traditions through films and 3D animations.

Credits

Directors:

Yangzom Brauen, Martin Brauen

Executive Producer:

Sonam Brauen, Martin Brauen, Yangzom Brauen, Daniel Stanca-Di Marco, James Haygood, Michael Raimondi

Producer:

Katherine LeBlond

Screenwriter:

Yangzom Brauen, Martin Brauen

Cinematographer:

Martin Brauen, Yangzom Brauen

Editor:

James Haygood, Samir Samperisi

Sound Designer:

Peter von Siebenthal, Arlind Sermaxhaj, Eliot Martig

Music:

Patrick Kirst

Principal Cast:

Kunsang Wangmo, Sonam Dolma Brauen, Martin Brauen

Additional Credits:

Co-Producer: Kevin Merz, Co-Producer: Samir Samperisi, Co-Producer: Silvana Bezzola Rigolini, Co-Producer: Michael Beltrami, Co-Producer: RSI Radiotelevisione Svizzera

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‘Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus’ (2025) Music, movies, and mystery. One inspiring and heartbreaking path to stardom.

GOODBYE HORSES:

THE MANY LIVES OF Q LAZZARUS

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Filmmaker Eva Aridjis Fuentes‘s fascination with an unknown singer leads her on an unexpected journey sparked by the luckiest cab ride of her life. 

Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus opens with a song that fans will immediately associate with one of the most iconic villains in cinematic history. Diane Luckey penned Goodbye Horses in the 80s while working as a taxi driver. Following a cameo in the film Philadelphia in the mid-90s, Q Lazzarus disappeared. But why? 

Goodbye horses Q lazzarus 1The chance meeting of Fuentes and Luckey gives us insight into a music industry mystery. Diane, aka Q Lazzarus, tells us her history with music, beginning in her childhood Baptist church choir. She knew her tastes were different and embraced her unique and powerhouse presence. 

We get treated to many of Q’s unreleased songs, most of which she performed live in clubs downtown and during her days on the London rock scene. Serving as the doc’s soundtrack, you will wonder how the rest of her discography fell by the wayside. American audiences and record labels weren’t ready for Q, even as the locals embraced her. 

Goodbye horses Q lazzarus 3With all the elements of a successful career at her fingertips, her romance with club promoter Richard slowly changed things for the worse. The lack of recognition took its toll. Richard’s leaving, combined with the Philadelphia soundtrack snub, was the final straw, and the drugs introduced by Richard led to Q’s world crumbling. But out of destitution and depression, Q rises from the ashes of sex work, crack addiction, rehab, finding her husband, getting clean, and fighting to bring her son James home. 

Goodbye horses Q lazzarus 2James, now an adult, encourages his mother to reclaim her work. Eva, Q, and her former bandmates plan an upcoming concert. Chasing the dream of finally making her music and onstage persona a household name. Q’s newfound enthusiasm is infectious. Even though life had different plans, Q Lazzarus and Diane Luckey gave us one unforgettable story.

The montage of vastly different bands covering Goodbye Horses possesses an effervescent energy. It’s that sense-memory magic a brilliantly written song triggers. GOODBYE HORSES is an intriguing unraveling of dreams and the rebuilding of a life. I hope audiences furiously download and stream her music to honor an artist worth celebrating. 


Trailer: Goodbye Horses

Upcoming Screenings information:
March 22 Asbury Park (Showroom Cinema)
March 25 Denver (Sie Film Center)**JUST ADDED
March 25-27 Albuquerque (The Guild Cinema)**JUST ADDED
March 30, April 3 Austin (Austin Film Society)
March 31 Seattle (Here-After Theater, programmed by Grand Illusion)**JUST ADDED
March 31-April 2 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada (Tivoli Cinema)
April 2 Winchester, Virginia (Alamo Drafthouse) **JUST ADDED
April 7 Saugerites, New York (Orpheum Theater, Upstate Films/Sonic Wave Series) **JUST ADDED
April 9 Rochester, New York (The Little) **JUST ADDED
May 28-June 1 Romania (Dokstation Music Documentary Film Festival) **JUST ADDED
May 29 Chicago (Facets) **JUST ADDED


*Winner of the Audience Award at the Morelia International Film Festival*


SYNOPSIS
Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus is an intimate film in the vein of Searching for Sugarman, which solves a musical mystery while taking the viewer on a rollercoaster ride through the life of enigmatic singer Diane Luckey, aka Q Lazzarus. Discovered by Jonathan Demme in 1987 during a fateful cab ride, Q had a moment of fame after her cult hit song “Goodbye Horses” was featured in The Silence of the Lambs. But while Q had a following in the New York and London club scenes, she was unable to get a record deal and completely vanished from the public eye in 1995. Not even her friends and bandmates knew what had happened to her, that is until another fateful car ride 25 years later brought her together with filmmaker and fan Eva Aridjis-Fuentes. Q entrusted Eva with the incredible story of her life, told in the film for the very first time through Q’s own words and music, and through dozens of never-before heard songs.


Eva Aridjis-Fuentes

Director: Eva Aridjis-Fuentes (The Favor, La Santa Muerte)
Producer: Howard Gertler (All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Crip Camp)
Co-producer: Kathy Rivkin Daum (Moonage Daydream, DEVO)
Executive Producers: Cyrus Etemad, Betty Ferber, Clate Korsant
Editors: Eva Aridjis-Fuentes, Connor Kalista
Cinematographers: Nathan Corbin, Eva Aridjis-Fuentes
Sound: Danny Hole
Music Supervisor: Dawn Sutter Madell
TRT: 103 min
Country: USA

Film website: goodbyehorsesmovie.com

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