2023 Sundance Film Festival Lineup of 99 Feature Films

The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the comprehensive slate of independent films selected across the feature film categories for the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The 2023 Festival will take place January 19–29, 2023, in person in Park City, Salt Lake City, and the Sundance Resort, along with a selection of films available online across the country January 24–29, 2023. Festivalgoers will once again return to theaters … Continue reading 2023 Sundance Film Festival Lineup of 99 Feature Films

Afro-Atlantic Histories

Now though September 10, 2023 Afro-Atlantic Histories charts the transatlantic slave trade and its legacies in the African diaspora. Through a series of dialogues across time, the exhibition features artworks produced in Africa, Europe, and the Americas in the last four centuries to reexamine—from a global perspective—histories and stories of enslavement, resilience, and the struggle for liberation. The exhibition is organized around six groupings: Maps and … Continue reading Afro-Atlantic Histories

Sundance Institute Announces Luca Guadagnino to Receive International Icon Award at Opening Night: A Taste of Sundance Presented by IMDbPro

Evening will Celebrate Independent Storytelling and Raise Funds for the Institute’s Year-Round Work; Tickets on Sale Now The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced that Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Luca Guadagnino will receive the International Icon Award at Opening Night: A Taste of Sundance presented by IMDbPro on January 19 in Park City. Guadagnino will join previously announced honorees of the evening, Ryan Coogler, W. Kamau Bell, and Nikyatu Jusu. The 2023 Sundance Film Festival will take place January 19–29, 2023, … Continue reading Sundance Institute Announces Luca Guadagnino to Receive International Icon Award at Opening Night: A Taste of Sundance Presented by IMDbPro

The Met Announces First Exhibition to Focus on Vincent van Gogh’s Cypresses

Exhibition will reunite iconic paintings—including Wheat Field with Cypresses and The Starry Night—and other rarely, if ever, lent works to offer an unprecedented perspective on Van Gogh’s fascination with the flamelike trees The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced today that a groundbreaking exhibition of some 40 works by Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) will be on view at The Met Fifth Avenue from May 22 through August 27, 2023. Van … Continue reading The Met Announces First Exhibition to Focus on Vincent van Gogh’s Cypresses

You Will Want to Give in to These ‘Toxic Impulses’

Toxic Impulses Rating: 8/10 Director: Kyle Schadt Writer: Kyle Schadt Style: Thriller Time: 89 minutes Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peAqVQjqspU Review by Mike Szymanski “Toxic Impulses” is truly one of the best examples of a modern film noir thriller than any movie that has been made in a long time. Film noir (or “dark film” in French) is characterized by stark lighting, unkempt anti-heroes, twisting plot lines, and heavy … Continue reading You Will Want to Give in to These ‘Toxic Impulses’

A Washed-Up Rock Star Hiding from the World Realizes He’s ‘Lost Inside’

Lost Inside Rating: 8/10 Director: Jeff Hindenach Writer: Jeff Hindenach Style: Drama Time: 95 minutes Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ipVr5C6Yws Review by Mike Szymanski “Lost Inside” delves into the feelings of isolation and loneliness we all get, whether famous or never famous. It’s labeled a drama, but it’s very funny, too. We’ve all dealt with isolation during these years of the pandemic, but for this movie it’s more than … Continue reading A Washed-Up Rock Star Hiding from the World Realizes He’s ‘Lost Inside’

The ‘Aves’ and the Have-Nots: Finding a Team to Create a Memorable Short Film Showpiece

The amazing program in the Masters of Fine Arts at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles allows students to focus on six disciplines of filmmaking. (See related story: AFI Film Fest Focuses on the Up-and-Comers) Over the two-year course, like-minded students come together to share their expertises in Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting and create a short film that will in all … Continue reading The ‘Aves’ and the Have-Nots: Finding a Team to Create a Memorable Short Film Showpiece

Dramatic Steps to Tell ‘An American Ballet Story’ No One Knows

An American Ballet Story Rating: 7/10 Director and Writer: Leslie Streit Style: Documentary Time: 94 minutes Trailer: vimeo.com/672952777 Review by Mike Szymanski Even if you are a dance aficionado you may not have heard of Harkness Ballet. Even if you are — or were — a professional dancer (and I know more than just a few) you probably never heard of Rebekah Harkness, who founded that … Continue reading Dramatic Steps to Tell ‘An American Ballet Story’ No One Knows

The LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL announces its Closing Night feature presentation: Patricia Chica’s ravishing coming-of-age drama MONTRÉAL GIRLS

The Los Angeles International Film Festival is proud to present the LA Premiere of Canadian director Patricia Chica’s highly anticipated directorial debut MONTRÉAL GIRLS, which will also be the closing night film. The story follows Ramy, a Middle-Eastern young man’s turbulent journey and his quest for love and enlightenment while discovering his true calling along the way.  MONTRÉAL GIRLS is written by Patricia Chica (who also directed, produced and edited) … Continue reading The LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL announces its Closing Night feature presentation: Patricia Chica’s ravishing coming-of-age drama MONTRÉAL GIRLS

Getting Real ‘22: Flipping the Frame Conference Program Announced

The International Documentary Association (IDA) announced today that Getting Real ‘22, its biennial convening for documentary practitioners, will be held both in-person in Los Angeles and with a virtual audience from all around the world next month from September 27-29. The Getting Real ’22 conference will approach documentary’s foundational quandaries from a new thematic perspective: Flipping the Frame. Traditional power dynamics — between funder and filmmaker, documentarian and … Continue reading Getting Real ‘22: Flipping the Frame Conference Program Announced

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Announces the MetLiveArts 2022–23 Season of Performances

World premieres and site-specific performances include new works by Theaster Gates and The Black Monks; composer and vocalist Arooj Aftab in The Temple of Dendur; a new Quartet in Residence, Catalyst Quartet; and dancer and choreographer Bijayini Satpathy The Met today announced its 2022–23 season of live performances, which will include commissioned and site-specific works that will take place in multiple galleries at both The … Continue reading The Metropolitan Museum of Art Announces the MetLiveArts 2022–23 Season of Performances

EarthX and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra to Present The Way of the Rain – Hope for Earth

A Multidisciplinary Environmental Performance Created and Directed by Sibylle Szaggars Redford, in Collaboration with Music Composer Tim Janis and Performance Film Artist Floyd Thomas McBee Special narration and Spoken Word by Robert Redford Saturday, October 22, 2022 – Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, Texas EarthX and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra today announced the U.S. Premiere of The Way of the Rain – Hope for Earth. This multidisciplinary environmental … Continue reading EarthX and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra to Present The Way of the Rain – Hope for Earth

‘The Whole Lot’ Has a Whole Lot Going for It

The Whole Lot Rating: 7/10 Director: Connor Rickman Writer: Matthew Ivan Bennett Style: Drama Time: 75 minutes By Mike Szymanski Don’t pick a character that you like or relate to early on in this family drama. Chances are, you may change your mind about him or her pretty quickly, and many times in this twisting reunion of brother and sister. “The Whole Lot” really has … Continue reading ‘The Whole Lot’ Has a Whole Lot Going for It

The Sixth Annual Les Femmes Underground International Film Festival

Les Femmes Underground International Film Festival (LEFUFF) is an official 501c3 non-profit which showcases exclusively feminist experimental art and alternative groundbreaking films. LEFUFF’s programming highlights fourth wave feminist cinema through transformative media and vanguard technologies bridging the gap between the Avant Garde and Narrative world. LEFUFF features films from over 30 different countries ranging in genres from Documentary, Experimental, Narrative, Horror, Female Sexuality, and Psychotropic … Continue reading The Sixth Annual Les Femmes Underground International Film Festival

The Latinx House, Sundance Institute, Netflix and Shondaland Announce Inaugural Cohort for Adelante Directors Fellowship

This program will support authentic and inclusive storytelling from up-and-coming Latina directors Today, The Latinx House, the Sundance Institute’s Women at Sundance program, Netflix, and Shondaland announced three Latina directors who will participate in the inaugural Adelante Directors Fellowship, a groundbreaking program that supports up-and-coming directors’ professional development, creating a pipeline to uplift independent filmmakers as they grow in their careers and learn more about directing on a series. The Latina directors chosen … Continue reading The Latinx House, Sundance Institute, Netflix and Shondaland Announce Inaugural Cohort for Adelante Directors Fellowship

Poet Jayson G Kleinman Explores Life Underneath Love

By Jayson G Kleinman Artist Statement “Love is by no means simple, nor is it lacking in danger. The pursuit of love, of self-discovery, of mutual romantic understanding, can often lead to confusing (and at times) violent situations. The last few years of my life have been ones of self-discovery, where I’ve traversed spaces outside of where I thought I could go, at times for … Continue reading Poet Jayson G Kleinman Explores Life Underneath Love

Art Kids Returns This Summer With An Art Studio Pop-Up, Family Tours And More. Starting June 24–August 28, 2022

On Friday, June 24, the museum kicks off the summerlong Art Kids, a lively series of family programs offering unique hands-on art activities in the comfortable, playful, air-conditioned, and imaginative setting of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. With activities in the Art Kids Studio, pop-up tours throughout the day, quiet mornings for sensory-friendly activities, and collaborative art making on Friday Nights, this summer season at the … Continue reading Art Kids Returns This Summer With An Art Studio Pop-Up, Family Tours And More. Starting June 24–August 28, 2022