An autobiographical dark comedy about a gay boy growing up in the collapsing USSR, his courageous mail-order bride mother and their adventurous escape to America. Full of unexpected twists, the film is an immigrant’s take on the American Dream and the power of cinema, proving that life is often stranger than fiction. Having its World […]
Film Festivals
Reviews, interviews, and news about film festivals.
SxSW 2021 Interview – HERE BEFORE director Stacey Gregg
When a new family moves in next door, Laura befriends their little girl, Megan, and their friendship quickly leads to a strange tension between the two households. As the unspoken invades their lives, Laura begins to unravel, ultimately taking things into her own hands. Both families become entwined in an unsettling story of paranoia, grief […]
SxSW 2021 Interview – BANTU MAMA director Ivan Herrera
Bantú Mama is the journey of Emma, an Afropean woman from the Paris suburbs that while “vacationing” in the Caribbean finds herself involved in a series of unexpected situations that ends up in her detention by the local drug enforcement authorities. Emma manages to escape, finding shelter in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods of […]
SxSW 2021 Interview – LEARNING TAGALOG WITH KAYLA director Kayla Abuda Galang
Learning Tagalog with Kayla is a daydream of a language learning lesson where the teacher’s allowed to get a little candid and personal with you for a few minutes. Having its World Premiere in Texas Shorts at SxSW Online, we speak with Kayla Abuda Galang about her short LEARNING TAGALOG WITH KAYLA. I hear you […]
SxSW 2021 Interview – THE CRIMINALS director Serhat Karasslan
In a small Turkish town, a young couple is trying to rent a room in a hotel to spend a romantic evening but they are rejected from all hotels because they do not have a marriage certificate. They find a way to get a room, but the situation gets out of control. Screening in the […]
SxSW 2021 Interview – NUEVO RICO director Kristian Mercado Figueroa
NUEVO RICO is a story about a brother and sister who stumble on a celestial secret that propels them into fame, where they have to navigate staying a family and not be torn apart by the music industry. We used boundary pushing visuals to show how systemic capitalism can devour all bonds. The root of […]
SxSW 2021 Interview – FEMME directors Sam H. Freeman & Ng Choon Ping
“Jordan is a femme gay man—a label he wears proudly. But every time he steps out of the house with his lipstick on, he remembers his dad’s stark warning: the world will always be a dangerous place for a boy like him. After suffering heartbreak at a nightclub, Jordan meets Wes, a drug-dealer, out on […]
SxSW 2021 Interview – PLANT HEIST directors Chelsi & Gabriel DeCuba
When a wildlife officer receives a tip about suspicious packages being sent to Asia he further investigates and exposes a black market operating out of local California post offices. What exactly is being smuggled? Plants. Dudleya Farinosa to be exact. This small unassuming plant carries a hefty bounty on its head internationally, where a single […]
SxSW 2021 Interview – THE MOOGAI director Jon Bell
THE MOOGAI is an Australian Aboriginal psychological horror about a young couple who have to face a malevolent spirit that wants to take their newborn baby. The themes deal with Australia’s “Stolen Generations”, as well as the ways in which trauma jumps from parent to child and lastly Post Natal Depression. In the tradition of […]
Victoria Film Festival Review – QUEEN OF THE ANDES
In QUEEN OF THE ANDES we follow Pillar Grant. We first meet in awkwardly setup interview, of which both participants seem a little in over their heads. She turns the interview into a tribute to her own studies. She is overjoyed to continue the related projects, but quickly finds those plans made irrelevant. We learn […]
Victoria Film Festival Review – BIG NORTH (Il Grande Nord)
BIG NORTH (Il Grande Nord) is an Italian film, and the spoken language is in Italian. Non-Italian speakers will make use of the available subtitles. I’m not a student of language, but Italian doesn’t seem to have a lot of cognates that are similar to their English counterparts. The narration is done by a native […]
Whistler Film Festival Day 20 – Of Love & Fireflies
This is the final day of Whistler Film Festival premieres and as always, a sense of sadness hits me as it will be a full year until I can partake in the celebration of movies. As I couldn’t do it in the village One perk about doing the entire festival online and in my house […]
Whistler Film Festival Day 19: It Ain’t Easy Being Emma
This is the second to last day of my Whistler Film Festival blasts, I have seen way too many movies at this point, and SMALL TIME is an American Indie with an unforgettable pint-sized performance and absolutely worth putting on your home screen of choice. Small Time (United States, dir. Niav Conty) Emma (Audrey Grace […]
Whistler Film Festival Day 18: Marlene The Magnificent
There are just a few days left of premieres in the Whistler Film Festival, and the fest has saved some of the best features for last! All titles will be available through the end of the month. For today’s daily blast, we’re taking a look at a solid new Canadian feature that is unmissable at […]
Whistler Film Festival Day 17: You Can’t Eat Student Shortworks, But You Can Try Wheaties!
Another big day for Whistler Film Festival! First up is a genuine Indie comedy that we rarely see anymore, supported by a terrific cast. Following this is the annual Student Shortwork, which features quick documentary and narrative shorts based out of the film departments of respective schools all through the province. Like with the Mountain […]