Oh reader, you have no idea how much I missed Austin, Texas this year. Oh how I wish I travelled all the way to Austin from my little corner of the world in Canada to attend South By Southwest, a city I have not been to in person since 2019. This is SxSW year number […]
Film Festivals
Reviews, interviews, and news about film festivals.
SxSW 2021 Review – LUCHADORAS
LUCHADORAS is my favorite documentary at SXSW this year. It’s a great tale of female wrestler in the City of Juarez that find their greatest opponent is their family drama. The must deal with bigger challengers that they face in the ring such as motherhood and Femicide in the City of Juarez. The film follows […]
SxSW 2021 Interview – THE FALLOUT director Megan Park
The Fallout is an honest look at what it is like to be a teenager today while traversing the never linear journey to heal after a tragedy at school. Having its World Premiere in the Narrative Feature Competition, we speak with THE FALLOUT director Megan Park. Welcome to SxSW! Is this your first SxSW experience? […]
SxSW 2021 Review – SUBJECTS OF DESIRE
SUBJECTS OF DESIRE is an insightful documentary about the beauty standards of black women in American. It shows the way in which these beauty standards have been used in America to discriminate against black women. For example, are you aware that until a few years ago an African American woman could be legally fired from […]
SxSW 2021 Review – PAUL DOOD’S DEADLY LUNCH BREAK
PAUL DOOD’S DEADLY LUNCH BREAK is a hilarious dark comedy from director Nick Gillespie. In his directorial debut. He has worked as cinematographer with Ben Wheatley, a director known for the likes of DOWN TERRACE and FREE FIRE. This works like a parody of horror comedy that Vincent Price used to make in the 70s […]
SxSW 2021 Review – RECOVERY
Recovery (United States, dir. Mallory Everton, Stephen Meek) *** out of **** With a lot of documentaries at SxSW this year that mention the Coronavirus pandemic, less has been mentioned in the narrative feature films, either because production already started before last March in 2020 or, I am guessing, many filmmakers want to stay away […]
SxSW 2021 Review – CLERK
Part of the SxSW Film programming this year is offering a handful of titles that were supposed to play in the 2020 edition. When the event was cancelled last March, many of the titles went into limbo. CLERK was a movie originally on my 2020 schedule and I’m happy it is included on this year’s […]
SxSW 2021 Review: POLY STYRENE: I AM A CLICHE
A very quick review on a doc I enjoyed while in the midst of SxSW screenings! Poly Styrene was a name I forgot about but as soon as POLY STYRENE: I AM A CLICHE started up I was immediately reminded of my teenage punk phase and searching out alternative British Rock when I wasn’t constantly […]
SxSW 2021 Interview – Meet the team from LOVE IS JUST A DEATH AWAY!
A tender story about finding love even amid utter decay. Having its US Premiere in the Animated Shorts Competition at SxSW Online, we speak with director Bára Anna Stejskalová and Producer Jakub Koštál from LOVE IS JUST A DEATH AWAY. Welcome to SxSW and congratulations! Is this your first SxSW experience? Bára: Yes, it is! […]
SxSW 2021 Film Review – DISINTEGRATION LOOPS
My favorite thing about watching documentaries is that you always learn something new. I had never heard of William Basinski’s Disintegration Loops before watching the documentary. I was not aware of its existence until now and its importance to many people. I was listening to the album while writing this review. I was amazed by […]
SxSW 2021 Interview – FRUITS OF LABOR director Emily Cohen Ibañez
FRUITS OF LABOR is about a teenage farmworker who dreams of graduating high school, when ICE raids in her community threaten to separate her family and force her to become her family’s breadwinner. The film takes place on the central coast of California. The serene nature of the central coast bares stark contrast to the […]
SxSW 2021 Interview – REKLAW director Polaris Banks
Lott has devoted the remaining years of his life to personally pardoning criminals by destroying crime scene evidence. Driven by his faith in the healing power of unconditional forgiveness, Lott and his uniquely talented team of outcasts troll the streets waiting to intercept the right 911 call. Nearby, Melissa wakes after drugging herself in a […]
SxSW 2021 Review – Dear Mr. Brody
Our SxSW reviews keep right on rolling, and we are happy to feature a movie from a filmmaker who was here a few years ago with a terrific documentary called TOWER. DEAR MR. BRODY is director Keith Maitland’s latest feature. DEAR MR. BRODY (United States, dir. Keith Maitland) ***1/2 out of **** Imagine for a […]
SxSW 2021 Interview – ALIEN ON STAGE directors Danielle Kummer and Lucy Harvey
British bus driver’s amateur stage show of Ridley Scott’s Alien accidentally makes it to a famous London theatre! With awkward acting and special effects requiring more luck than judgment, will their homemade homage be alright on the night? It’s a very warm, uplifting, joyful story. Having its World Premiere in the Documentary Spotlight section at […]
SxSW 2021 Interview – LILY TOPPLES THE WORLD director Jeremy Workman
LILY TOPPLES THE WORLD is about Lily Hevesh, the world’s most acclaimed domino toppling artist and the only woman in her field. Part a portrait of an artist documentary, part of a coming of age story, the documentary follows Lily over three years beginning with her freshman year at college. Through the course of the […]