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Edith (Leah Goldstein) is an actor. Or at least so she says. Even though she broke up with her boyfriend Ben (Adam Gurfinkel) in an effort to dedicate time to her career, her investment in the craft is casual. Her most notable stint was in a low-budget feature that didn't get released, and she doesn't have headshots or a reel of her work to give to producers or agents. She's worn the status of a struggling actor like a badge of honor until her lack of success is no longer cute anymore. When acquaintances start getting callbacks for TV shows, and her best friend Clare (Leah Wildman) nabs the lead role in a play, Edith's immature insecurity starts to surface in ugly ways. But things finally snap when she stumbles into an audition for a hilariously poorly named horror movie, "Blood Sausage," only to discover that Ben, who has recently decided to pursue acting himself,...

If you're wondering where you've heard about "Diamond Tongues" before, you might've forgotten that last month we debuted the first trailer for the film. And now with more snow on the ground, and the Slamdance Film Festival premiere of the picture right around the corner, we've got an exclusive clip and a first look look at the poster (designed by Casey Irvin, from a photo by Brooke Wedlock) below. From co-directors Pavan Moondi and Brian Robertson (who also co-founded the film site The Seventh Art with Christopher Heron), and starring Leah Goldstein, comedian/musician Nick Flanagan, Leah Wildman, Adam Gurfinkel, and Noah R. Taylor, "Diamond Tongues" follows Edith Welland, a struggling actress who gets a surprise when she learns her ex-boyfriend has not only taken up the trade but has booked a leading role. And in the clip below, a little hit of acid has some interesting, and very funny,...

It's only just December, but we're already looking at the year ahead, and in January a plethora of new films will be screened at the Sundance Film Festival. But if you're looking to find some truly under the radar gems, you might be better off exploring the Slamdance Film Festival, where the names might not be as big, but the movies are just as ambitious. And one such film to keep an eye on is "Diamond Tongues." The dramedy is co-directed by Pavan Moondi and Brian Robertson (who also co-founded the film site The Seventh Art with Christopher Heron) and tells the story of Edith Welland (Leah Goldstein), a struggling actress who gets a surprise when she learns her ex-boyfriend has not only taken up the trade but has booked a leading role. Boasting a supporting cast including comedian/musician Nick Flanagan, Leah Wildman, Adam Gurfinkel, and Noah R. Taylor,...

While the Sundance Film Festival is the better known film festival located in Utah that runs in January, it is not the only one, as the Slamdance Film Festival has been running in the same place during the same month for over 20 years. The unique aspect of the Slamdance Film Festival, however, is its Narrative Features and Documentary Features program, which restricts its selection to films that are directorial debuts, made for under $1 million, and don’t have Us distribution. The 2015 incarnation of the festival is set to run from January 23rd to the 29th, and ahead of the festival’s premiere next month, organisers have unveiled the lineup for the aforementioned categories. The lineup is as follows.

Narrative Features Program:

Across The Sea (Turkey/USA), making its North American Premiere

Written and Directed by Nisan Dağ and Esra Saydam

Starring Damla Sönmez, Jacob Fishel, Ahmet Rıfat Şungar, Hakan Karsak,...

Festival top brass announced the 19 films that will screen at the Slamdance Film Festival, set to run in Park City, Utah, from January 23-29.

The 11 narrative and eight documentary selections include 13 world premieres. All competition films are feature directorial debuts budgeted below $1m without Us distribution.

“It’s very exciting to bring this dynamic lineup to audiences in Park City,” said festival director Anna Germanidi. “We are proud to help launch these filmmakers’ careers and celebrate the success we all believe these films deserve.”

“Our success in showcasing emerging artists is most obviously linked with American talent, but increasingly at Slamdance, we want to also support new international talent,” said co-founder and president Peter Baxter.

All synopses below provided by Slamdance.

Narrative Features

Across The Sea (Turkey-usa)

Dirs Nisan Dağ, Esra Saydam

Young, beautiful and pregnant, Damla has to confront her first love in a Turkish summer town before she can fully embrace her new life in...

The Sundance Film Festival dominates Park City in late January, but there is also the upstart Slamdance Film Festival. We’ve not really highlighted that fest or its program, but I always stay at Treasure Mountain Inn where Slamdance is headquartered and they’ve kind of grown on me. Last year they brought Christopher Nolan to speak (the fest had the good sense to program his first film) and Joe Mangianello came to vamp his male stripper docu. This year, there’s every chance of seeing Dennis Rodman, the flamboyant former rebounding machine and Bff of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, for the docu Dennis Rodman’s Big Bang In Pyongyang. So let’s all root for an international incident! Here are the films they’ll be playing from January 23-29:

Narrative Features Program

Across the Sea – Directors & Screenwriters: Nisan Dağ, Esra Saydam. (Turkey/USA) North American Premiere.