Maybe it’s just me, but I think there is often a fine line between dark comedies and romcoms. So I sampled HollyShorts Film Festival sections of each and will report here and see if you can tell which is which. It’s OK, Johnny (7 minutes), directed by Deniz Akyurek,...
HollyShorts Film Festival is underway! This festival focuses on stories that are told with precision and succinctness. It may surprise you to discover who some of the filmmakers are who have films at the festival. Other filmmakers may have great futures ahead of them....
Directed by Fernando Eimbcke, Olmo shows us a family being overcome not so much by the disease that has come to the father, but by the selfishness of each member. Olmo (Aivan Uttapa) is fourteen and in lust with Nina (Melanie Frometa), the older girl across the...
“I’ve dealt with fools before, but you set a new standard.” Probably the main thing to know about Above & Below, directed by Jesse V. Johnson, is that it is being released to coincide with Shark Week (although it is not officially a part of Shark Week). Those who...
“We are living through a rapid phase of transition, a ‘change of era,’ in which—while some are vying for the future of new technologies and others dedicate themselves to reflecting on the matter—most people are watching and waiting, observing from afar and merely...
Fusion cuisine can be quite tasty. It is also an example of way various cultures make each other better. Ricardo de Montreuil’s film Mistura offers us a look at how we may find new life out of old ways when we allow ourselves to be fed in new ways. Set in 1965 Peru,...
During the early months of the Russia/Ukraine war, Ukrainian children were rounded up and taken to Russia (according to Russia, it was for their protection). They were placed in orphanages or adopted by Russian families. After the Rain: Putin’s Stolen Children Come...
One of the wonderful things about Slamdance Film Festival is that it has a section of films that it labels “Unstoppable”. These are films that focus on overcoming barriers, often involving physical or other disabilities. The films may be about such barriers, or made...
“Breakout” films highlight filmmakers who are moving to a new level in their art. Here are a few of the films at Slamdance that fit that category. Zumeca, directed by David Maler, was awarded the Jury Grand Prize in the Breakout section. It is the story of Miguel, a...