Year: 2023 Runtime: 102 minutes Directors: Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson By Sarah Manvel Three times in my life now I have seen an event at which I was present for a second time, in a documentary. The first was a concert, the second was a vigil for a murdered woman. The third was when I took a friend to hear Nikki Giovanni speak at … Continue reading Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project – Sundance 2023 Film Review
Film critic Calum Cooper continues coverage of the London Film Festival by reviewing Lila Neugebauer’s moving feature debut, Causeway. Continue reading LFF2022 Review: Causeway
Film critic Calum Cooper reviews the latest film starring Florence Pugh, the mysterious and hauntingly atmospheric The Wonder. Continue reading LFF2022 Review: The Wonder
Year: 2022 Runtime: 22 minutes Director/Writer: Elle Jae Stewart Actors: Elle Jae Stewart, Marcus Henderson, Chloe Paige Flowers By Valerie Kalfrin Billed as the proof-of-concept pilot for a series, the short “Public Relations” packs a lot of soapy drama into 22-minutes but leaves little room for developing its characters or caring what happens next. Creator Elle Jae Stewart (The American Theatre of BEing Documentary) stars as Chelsea, a … Continue reading Femme Filmmakers Festival 7 Review: Public Relations
When Tannenbaum falls on hard times due to the pandemic, he has no choice but to turn to his community whom he has served for so many years for help. Continue reading Review: Hello, Bookstore
In her latest short film, “Someone to Carry You”(2022), writer/director Cyrina Fiallo explores the nuances and beauty of female friendship. The film is an ode to her own friendship with her real-life friend Laura. It is a piece of art that blurs the lines between fiction and archival, art and artist. It is a lovely film that highlights the power of friendship and an ode to the people who see you for your unique self. Continue reading Exclusive Interview with “Someone to Carry You” Writer/Director Cyrina Fiallo
By Tom Moore Although it’s been great to see director James Wan’s vision stretch outside of the horror genre, his return to horror with “Malignant”(2021) delivered one of his best films to date but didn’t get the recognition it deserved. While “Malignant” certainly got the opportunity to be seen with it debuting in theaters and HBO Max on the same day, it’s lack of strong … Continue reading A Look Back at Malignant: The underrated horror gem of 2021
The moment of truth is upon us! Here are the top 5 films of our list. Enjoy! 5. Never Rarely Sometimes Always By: Bianca Garner 2020 has been the year of the female filmmaker. There have been many female-directed films that have impressed me, such as “Nomadland,” “The Assistant,” and “First Cow,” all of which made a lasting impression. However, I’ve found myself repeatedly returning … Continue reading Top 15 Female-Directed Films of 2020 #5-#1
Films, we have been reliably and repeatedly told, give us all a uniting cultural context in which we can share our feelings and experiences. This is basic Film Class 101 and it’s not wrong, even if it has become cliché. Recently, the Pacific Northwest has experienced an eerie foreshadowing of what a nuclear winter would be like due to smoke from wildfires. If I told you I fully expected to see Viggo Mortenson trudging down my street pushing a shopping cart I’m sure you would know exactly what the sky over my head looked like for about a week. That’s the power of film. That mental image that I can share through a cinematic reference gives context to what I experienced and enables me to explain it quite vividly to others. Continue reading ITOL Anniversary: Why I Write About Film
By Caz Armstrong When thinking about closely observed films about childhood a few spring to mind. “Water Lilies” and “Tomboy” by Céline Sciamma show children learning about their bodies and sexuality. The Florida Project by Sean Baker shows a child unaware of the poverty and struggles around her. “Cuties” (Mignonnes), the directorial debut of writer/director Maïmouna Doucouré, explores rebellion, obligation, and sexualisation. It has been caught … Continue reading “Cuties” and Netflix’s Betrayal of Maïmouna Doucouré
In Their Own League 