By M. Sellers Johnson. One of the American South’s premiere film festivals showcases documentary stories from across the globe….” After a year-long hiatus, the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival resumes energized this year in downtown Durham, North Carolina. Fully in-person screenings date back to pre-pandemic, so the festival is also […]
Black and White, with a Splash of Color: Three from Il Cinema Ritrovato 2024
By Theresa Rodewald. There is a lot of dark, a lot of noir to be found in Bologna after all….” Bologna in late June is terracotta porticos, scorching sun and sweat. A city in dusty pastel colours, full of medieval remnants, with the world’s oldest university. Quite possibly the opposite […]
We Saw the Screens Glow: Selections from the 11th Chicago Critics Film Festival
By Jonathan Monovich. As the most attended year yet, the year’s CCFF provides reassurance that a love for film and film criticism is very much alive and well. Just weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the closing night of the 25th Ebertfest at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, […]
No Longer in the Wings: The 2024 Slamdance Film Festival
By Thomas M. Puhr. ‘Disrupting the status quo’ through diverse selections…. their documentary choices – including a feel-good athlete biography and a harrowing portrait of religious faith in a maximum security prison – exhibit a similar variety.” Ranging from a comedy-drama about the pitfalls of parenthood to a genre-hopping eco-parable/musical, […]
Reflections on the 71st San Sebastian International Film Festival
By Ali Moosavi. This year, the controversy was on a bigger scale….” It seems that the San Sebastian International Film Festival cannot go ahead without having some controversy. Last year it was the inclusion of Austrian director Ulrich Seidl’s Sparta, about a pedophile who travels from Austria to Romania and […]
Making Of, The Pulse, and Others on the Side: Selections from the 80th Venice Film Festival
By Ali Moosavi. Gabrielle: I still get eaten up. Vincent: Yes, but you get the shot! –from On the Pulse The side sections of the major film festivals often offer works that are as interesting, or sometimes more interesting, than the films in the main section. Here are a few […]
Things They Don’t Do on Broadway: Selections from the 59th Chicago International Film Festival
By Jonathan Monovich. Reporting from the U.S.’s ‘Second City,’ the home of the North America’s longest running film festival….” The Chicago International Film Festival is the longest running film festival in North America. This year marks the festival’s 59th anniversary. Founded by Michael Kutza, the history of the festival is […]
New Voices During Labor Unrest: Selections from the 48th Toronto International Film Festival
By M. Sellers Johnson. The presence of exceptional domestic screenings surely attests to the saliency of the Canadian film industry – a reminder of the importance of local creatives, amidst the large collection of international filmmakers and audiences.” In the early weeks of September, Toronto found itself once more engulfed […]
Promising Side Programs: Selections from Cannes 2023
By Ali Moosavi. Selections from Un Certain Regard, Directors’ Fortnight, Critics’ Week, and ACID.” Often ignored are the side programs of Cannes, including Un Certain Regard, Directors’ Fortnight, Critics’ Week, ACID (Association for the International Distribution of Independent Cinemas) and others. (In addition to these, hundreds of films are shown […]
Strain in Communities: Three from Berlinale 2023
By Ali Moosavi. The best kind of humour has roots in tragedy.” Silver Haze premiered at the Panorama section of Berlin Film Festival. In most movie productions the starting point is a script (original or adaptation) or at least an idea expanded into a treatment. Sometimes a script is modified […]