News

As much as we adore and revere the theatrical experience, as theater chains prep to reopen amidst a virus that is spreading rapidly in certain areas of the country, one is far better off staying at home and enjoying films from around the world. There’s no better place to do that than The Criterion Channel, and now they’ve unveiled their July lineup.

Coming to the channel next month are retrospectives dedicated to the stellar early films of Atom Egoyan, works by Miranda July, films featuring Ryuichi Sakamoto scores, Olympic films (including their recent release Tokyo Olympiad), plus Kelly Reichardt’s masterful Certain Women, Med Hondo’s Soleil Ô (coming soon to disc with Scorsese’s next World Cinema Project release), Lizzie Borden’s Born in Flames, Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation, and much more.

See the lineup below and explore more on their platform. One can also see our weekly streaming picks here.

Six inaugural grantees unveiled.

The Tribeca Film Institute (Tfi) and Pond5 are launching a filmmaking fund to support sustainable careers for filmmakers and have announced the first six grantees.

The programme is funded by tax-deductable donations and artists will be able to apply for micro-grants three times a year. Pond5, which describes itself as the world’s largest stock video marketplace, will match donations.

The grants will address the needs of artists who lack resources during what the partners called “in-between” phases, including research, creative collaboration, festival travel, content, community screenings, outside-the-box mentorship, and extra release support.

Tfi executive director Amy Hobby,...

Netflix has dropped a first-look image of Maya Hawke as Robin and promo for the upcoming third season of Stranger Things, which includes at the very end, a hint of a later than hoped-for summer 2019 premiere date with the words, “Coming next summer”. Previous seasons premiered in July 2016 and October 2017.

Hawke’s character is described as an alternative girl who is equal parts sharp and playful. Bored with her mundane day job, she just wants a little excitement in her life… and gets more than she bargained for when she uncovers a dark secret in Hawkins. In the pic she’s featured with Steve (Joe Keery) behind the cash register at ice cream shop Scoops Ahoy. The commercial-like promo takes us on a tour of Starcourt Mall where the shop is located.

#StrangerThings Season 3 First Look: Say ahoy to Steve and Robin https://t.

Exclusive: Up-and-comer Maya Hawke has been tapped to star as the title character in Charlotte XVI, an indie drama directed by Indie Spirit Award nominee Myna Joseph. Described as a frank portrayal of modern female sexuality, the pic follows the dazzling, destructive nature of desire and intimacy through the parallel love lives of a willful sixteen-year-old girl and her wayward mother. Based on a screenplay by Joseph and John Magary, Charlotte XVI received support through…...

The night before it would go on to win Best Picture at the Oscars, Spotlight wound up having a great night at the Spirit Awards. Yes, Tom McCarthy’s film all but swept the Spirits, beating back what originally seemed like a strong challenge from Todd Haynes’ Carol, not to mention Sean Baker’s Tangerine and Cary Fukunaga’s Beasts of No Nation. Personally, I’m thrilled that Spotlight won here, but it appeared originally like it was an awards show tailor made for Carol. Go figure. It was a night that would mirror the Academy in more ways than one ultimately, so let’s take a look… Obviously, it was a very good night for Spotlight, perhaps its best all season long. Not only did it take Best Feature, but McCarthy won Best Director as well as Best Screenplay, which he of course shares with Josh Singer. The film...

Yay! My favorite film of 2015 was the big winner at the recently concluded Film Independent Spirit Awards taking home the best feature, director (Tom McCarthy), screenplay, and editing. It was previously announced that the film was the winner of the prestigious Robert Altman Award (ensemble) as well.

Oh and kudos to the Film Independent Spirit Awards for bestowing their Best Supporting Actress Award to Mya Taylor for "Tangerine!" Taylor becomes the first transgender performer to receive major acting award! See her acceptance speech right here.

Let's see if this will continue with tonight's Oscars. See my full Oscar predictions right here.

Here's the complete list of winners of the Film Independent Spirit Awards:

Best Feature

Award given to the Producer; Executive Producers are not awarded.

"Anomalisa"

"Beasts of No Nation"

"Carol"

*** "Spotlight" (Winner)

"Tangerine"

Best Director

Cary Joji Fukunaga, "Beasts of No Nation"

Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson, "Anomalisa"

David Robert Mitchell,...

The 31st Independent Spirt Awards took place this Saturday, February 27 with the fiendishly talented and hilarious Kate McKinnon & Kumail Nanjiani co-hosting the event. Take a look at their parody of one of this year’s best films Room below. The show, as in years past, aligned with the Academy Awards in some moments, but also served to do what the Oscars can’t, or won’t in others. Perhaps that’s just as it should be. Brie Larson won for Best Female Lead for Room, and is very likely to win the Academy Award for Best Actress tomorrow night. However, Spotlight, which won Best Feature, Director, and Screenplay at the Spirit Awards is in a three way race with The Revenant and The Big Short for the top prize at the Oscars. Though it’s likely to take Best Screenplay there as well. Typically, the Academy favors flashier films, so...

Todd Haynes is in the running for best director and both Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara are in contention for best female lead alongside Room’s Brie Larson as Carol earned six 2016 Film Independent Spirit Award nominations in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Close behind were Spotlight and Beasts Of No Nation on five apiece, followed by indie darling Tangerine and Anomalisa on four each.

Not even a glitch that saw the list of nominees temporarily appear on the Film Independent website prior to the official announcement could spoil what turned out by and large to be a recognition of independent film in its myriad forms.

Besides the more predictable contenders like Carol, Spotlight and Room, there was plenty of love for Tangerine, shot on an iPhone, and Beasts Of No Nation from Netflix, whose day-and-date release (and what that portends) infuriated large swathes of the exhibition sector but has clearly impressed critics.

Magnolia Pictures earned...

The nominations for the 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards were announced Tuesday, giving boosts to several films' Oscars chances.

"Carol" led the pack with six nominations, including nods in most of the major categories (Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay), and two Best Lead Actress nominations for its headlining duo, Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. It was followed by Netflix flick "Beasts of No Nation," which scored five nominations in the big categories (Best Feature, Best Director, Best Lead Male) as well as the technical ones (Best Cinematography, Best Editing).

As TheWrap notes, "Beasts" nominations have helped secure it some serious consideration come Oscars time. But another big surprise was the small number of nominations for "Room," considered by many to be a Best Picture contender at the Academy Awards. It was left off the Spirit Awards's Best Feature list, though it did score a Best Female Lead nomination for Best Actress Oscar frontrunner Brie Larson.

Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the La Film Festival and Film Independent at Lacma, announced nominations for the 2016 Spirit Awards this morning. Film Independent President Josh Welsh presided over the press conference held at W Hollywood, with actors John Boyega and Elizabeth Olsen presenting the nominations.

Nominees for Best Feature included Anomalisa, Beasts of No Nation, Carol, Spotlight and Tangerine.

“This year’s nominees are a testament to the strength, vitality and diversity of independent, artist-driven filmmaking,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “It’s an astonishingly strong group of films and performances this year and we look forward to celebrating them all at the Spirit Awards.”

Spotlight was selected to receive the Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. The Altman Award was created in 2008 in honor of legendary director Robert Altman...

Todd Haynes' "Carol" is shaping up to be the movie to beat this awards season. Based on Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt, the romantic drama stars Cate Blanchett as an older, married woman who is developing some strong feelings towards a seasonal shopgirl played by Rooney Mara. And the actresses may have to prepare their acceptance speeches! "Carol" leads the pack of nominees for the 31st Independent Spirit Awards!

I'm also very happy that "Tangerine" by Sean Baker received 4 nods for Best Feature, Director, Female Lead (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), and Supporting Female for Mya Taylor. shot mostly on iPhone, this small-budget wonder is truly what the Independent Spirit is all about!

Some of my few gripes are not a whole lot of love for the fantastic "Room" (just screenplay, female lead for Brie Larson, and editing -- what about the awesome child actor Jason Tremblay?), and that...

In its 31st year, the Film Independent Spirt Awards showcase the best that modest (and, occasionally, lower budget) filmmaking has to offer annually. This year, it’s little surprise the the stellar Carol is leading the pack with six nominations, while Spotlight and Beasts of No Nation are close behind with five each. On the actual smaller scale of productions, the iPhone-shot drama Tangerine picked up a heft four nominations, a film that, alongside Anomalisa and the aforementioned titles, rounds out their Best Feature category.

Ahead of a ceremony on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 5Pm Est, check out the full list of nominations below, which also recognize It Follows, Bone Tomahawk, The End of the Tour, Room, The Mend, James White, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Heaven Knows What, and more.

Best Feature

Award given to the Producer; Executive Producers are not awarded.

“Anomalisa”

“Beasts of No Nation”

“Carol”

“Spotlight...

Cinelicious Pics has snatched up all North American rights for The Mend, the debut film from director John Magary. Starring Josh Lucas, Stephen Plunkett, Lucy Owen, Mickey Sumner, Austin Pendleton, Cory Nichols, Louisa Krause, Leo Fitzpatrick and Sarah Steele, The Mend is a trippy comedy about a pair of NYC-based brothers stumbling through relationships, family and their own manhood. From Moxie Pictures in association with Discount Films, it’s produced by Myna Joseph and…...

Regardless of how you feel about horror anthology films, it’s obvious that they aren’t going anywhere. And why would they? The format allows for nascent filmmakers to flex their chops on a short segment before feeling the pressure of a full feature; and given that the short story is the most prominent and effective form of horror (just look at the masters: Poe, Lovecraft, Matheson), it also provides the opportunity to experience these tales visually without stretching them thin to reach standard film length. It’s like reading a literary magazine from cover to cover: different styles, different effects, different scares. I’m all for it.

Our friends over at Reel Progress are working straight from literary short stories for their new anthology film Creepers. Check out the full press release.

New Orleans, Louisiana – Reel Progress LLC is pleased to announce that the feature length horror film Creepers,...

Regardless of how you feel about horror anthology films, it’s obvious that they aren’t going anywhere. And why would they? The format allows for nascent filmmakers to flex their chops on a short segment before feeling the pressure of a full feature; and given that the short story is the most prominent and effective form of horror (just look at the masters: Poe, Lovecraft, Matheson), it also provides the opportunity to experience these tales visually without stretching them thin to reach standard film length. It’s like reading a literary magazine from cover to cover: different styles, different effects, different scares. I’m all for it.

Our friends over at Reel Progress are working straight from literary short stories for their new anthology film Creepers. Check out the full press release.

New Orleans, Louisiana – Reel Progress LLC is pleased to announce that the feature length horror film Creepers,...

[Editor's note: This interview was orginally published during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.] Louisa Krause plays a key supporting role in Sean Durkin’s directorial debut Martha Marcy May Marlene. Mmmm happens to be blessed with an uncharacteristically star packed cast for an indie of this size, so Krause and Julia Garner (see my other interview here) are not the ones most would think to write up for this film that received major post-festival buzz. Krause has already made her mark in Sundance past for her leading lady perf in Toe to Toe and being part of the Sundance family meant working in the labs with Myna Joseph on My Favorite Nightmare which then in turn led to an early read of Mmmm. Krause somehow combines middle-American blonde hair, blue eyes girl-next-door with a partly Asian background, giving her eyes you can’t, um, take your eyes off of. Thankfully she's been keeping it real on the indie track. Krause’s next two...

Myna Joseph, one of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces” in 2008, is attending the Sundance Directors Lab with her feature, My Favorite Nightmare. Here is how her project is described: ” A willful teenager, pregnant with her cousin’s child, travels to New York for an abortion, only to discover that her unpredictable father has followed her.” Below, she discusses working with advisors Joan Darling and Ed Harris as well as her actors at the Lab. Actors can be elusive, magical creatures, and seem at times to harbor secrets from another universe. I don’t always understand how they do what they do—I just know I need them to do it. I coax, prod and poke until I get what I need. Understanding what makes a scene...

Today's Sundance Institute announcement on the make-up of this Summer's Directors and Screenwriters Labs offers some insight on the projects we should be seeing in future editions of the festival but also updates us on the progression of some projects we've already got our eyes on -- as is the case with Sean Durkin's upcoming first feature film and Ondi Timoner's (see pic) fictional debut. - Today's Sundance Institute announcement on the make-up of this Summer's Directors and Screenwriters Labs offers some insight on the projects we should be seeing in future editions of the festival but also updates us on the progression of some projects we've already got our eyes on -- as is the case with Sean Durkin's upcoming first feature film and Ondi Timoner's (see pic) fictional debut. Almost all projects that were are included in the Director's Lab were a part of the Screenwriter's...

Sundance Institute today announced the 13 projects selected for its annual June Directors and Screenwriters Labs, taking place at the Sundance Resort in Utah June 1-25, 2010. Under the leadership of Michelle Satter, Director of the Sundance Feature Film Program, and the artistic direction of Gyula Gazdag, the projects selected for this year's program include emerging filmmakers and projects from the United States, Ireland, the Middle East, Romania, Spain and Uzbekistan.

"In an increasingly complex landscape for independent films, we recognize the need for sustained support for filmmakers through every phase of the process. The June Lab is the centerpiece of a year-round system of residencies, grants, and tailored creative and strategic support which begins with script development and continues all the way through to engaging audiences on multiple platforms," said Satter.

The projects and participants selected for the Directors Lab from June 1-19 are:

40 Days of Silence/Saodat Ismailova (writer/director...

Today's Sundance Institute announcement on the make-up of this Summer's Directors and Screenwriters Labs offers some insight on the projects we should be seeing in future editions of the festival but also updates us on the progression of some projects we've already got our eyes on -- as is the case with Sean Durkin's upcoming first feature film and Ondi Timoner's (see pic) fictional debut. Almost all projects that were are included in the Director's Lab were a part of the Screenwriter's January Lab earlier this year, so among the newly mentioned projects in the screenwriting portion of the camp we find indie filmmaker starlets Ry Russo-Young (You Wont Miss Me) and Lena Dunham (Tiny Furniture - freshly picked up by IFC) are co-writing a project called Nobody Walks with Russo-Young directing the project. Here's the complete press release below -- look for Ioncinema.com to keep tabs on several of these projects.

  The Sundance Institute on Monday announced the 12 feature film projects selected for its annual January screenwriters lab.

The lab is a five-day writers workshop running Jan. 15-20 at the Sundance Resort in Utah. Chosen fellows engage in one-on-one story sessions with established writers in an environment that encourages innovation, rigorous development and creative risk-taking.

The projects selected for the 2010 lab are "Bluebird" by Lance Edmands (U.S.), "Canary" by Craig Zobel (U.S.), "Drunktown's Finest" by Sydney Freeland (U.S.), "40 Days of Silence" by Saodat Ismailova (Uzbekistan), "HiM" by Lance Weiler and Chuck Wendig (U.S.), "How Many Trainings Must I Take Before I Can Be as Hard as Steel?" by Cao Baoping (China), "Martha Marcy May Marlene" by Sean Durkin (U.S.), "May in the Summer" by Cherien Dabis (U.S., Jordan), "My Favorite Nightmare" by Myna Joseph (U.S.), "Postcards From the Zoo" by Edwin and Daud Sumolang...

When I was on the Shorts jury at CineVegas last summer, we gave the top prize to Man, Myna Joseph's short, tense drama about two adolescent sisters whose bond is tested when one goes on an ill-advised internet date. Although unfortunately it's not embeddable, New York Magazine has posted the 15 minute film (which also played at Sundance, SXSW and New Directors/New Films) online. You can watch it in two parts on Vulture. ...