Sinead O’Connor was an explosive presence to anyone who was young in the 1980’s. Androgynous, furious and mysterious, she seemed to descend upon popular music like the wailing banshee from the folklore of her native country. Continue reading SIFF 2022 Review: Nothing Compares
Like any Italian woman, she is concerned about what he is eating in a foreign country that thinks that pizza should taste like ketchup on cardboard. Continue reading SIFF 2022 Review: Lonely Voices (Le Voci Sole)
Grief is a mysterious thing. It can linger below the surface of our awareness like driftwood bobbing under the edge of a wave. Continue reading SIFF 2022 Review: Midday Black, Midnight Blue
Year: 2022 Runtime: 65 minutes Director: Norbert Pfaffenbichler Writer: Norbert Pfaffenbichler Cast: Stefan Erber, David Ionescu By Joan Amenn This film is a strange amalgamation of dystopian horror, Grand Guignol and a homage to Charlie Chaplin. If experimental film is your thing, you may find “2551.01” (2022) a fascinatingly phantasmagoric ride. If not, the film may just frustrate with its hallucinatory images and lack of … Continue reading SIFF 2022 Review: 2551.01
This is a film about war which is indiscriminate in what it destroys and no one bears the terrible burden of that destruction more than the women of the world. Continue reading SIFF 2022 Review: Klondike
Year: 2022 Runtime: 105 minutes Directors: Carey Williams Writers: K.D. Davila Cast: Donald Elise Watkins, RJ Cyler, Sebastian Chacon, Sabrina Carpenter, Maddie Nichols By Tom Moore Impactful conversations on racial discrimination and college party antics come together in director Carey Williams’ latest film, “Emergency”(2022), to make for a fun and funny coming of age story with a gut-punching finale. As Williams introduces “Emergency’s” main duo, … Continue reading SXSW 2022 Review: Emergency
gotten to know over the years had projects there, and I was looking forward to not only their new work, but- for at least one- getting to meet them in person for the first time. By the time that 2 1/2 days ended, there were more filmmakers whose work connected with me, and I’d had one of the strongest communal experiences watching film in my life. No filmmaker made an impression on me that weekend, however, quite like K/XI (pronounced K Eleven), and her feature film, “Black Lake.” Continue reading Emotional Journeys Through Horror: A Profile of K/XI
Year: 2022 Runtime: 104 minutes Directors: Mo McRae Writers: Sarah Kelly Kaplan, Mo McRae Cast: Cleopatra Coleman, Y’lan Noel, Justin Hartley, Shamier Anderson, Lex Scott Davis By Tom Moore The feature directorial debut of Mo McRae, “A Lot of Nothing” (2022), tells an interesting story about black rage and frustration that’s unfortunately foiled by its approach and lack of focus. In the initial moments of … Continue reading SXSW 2022 Review: A Lot of Nothing
By Joan Amenn Fresh from winning the Narrative Spotlight Audience Award at SXSW this year, I got to sit down with Kestrin Pantera and talk about her film, “Pretty Problems” (2022). Also, I learned she has an adorable cat and is a talented musician in addition to being a savvy film director. Joan: What films influenced your vision in creating this film? Kestrin: For the … Continue reading Exclusive SXSW 2022 Interview: “Pretty Problems” Director Kestrin Pantera
Year: 2022 Runtime: 98 minutes Directors: Mariama Diallo Writers: Mariama Diallo Cast: Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Amber Gray, Julia Nightingale, Ella Hunt By Tom Moore Mariama Diallo’s feature directorial debut, “Master”(2022), is a psychological horror trek through systemic racism in American education that presents an enticing and engaging atmosphere. As the film’s two central black women arrive at the fictional college campus of Ancaster College, … Continue reading SXSW 2022 Review: Master
In Their Own League 