News

Kelly O’Sullivan and Lois Smith will co-star in “The Steel Harp.” The comedy is directed by O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson, the filmmakers behind “Ghostlight.”

It marks one of the first leading movie roles for Smith, a 94-year-old character actress who won a Tony Award for “The Inheritance” in 2021. In addition to starring in the film, O’Sullivan wrote the script. Cherry Jones and Reed Birney co-star in the movie, which recently wrapped production in San Francisco.

Smith plays Hanna, a cantankerous nonagenarian, who patrols the Golden Gate Bridge every day and intervenes when people get too close to the edge. On what was to be Hanna’s last day as a “bridge watcher,” she stops Amy (O’Sullivan), a younger woman as stubborn as Hanna herself, from jumping. As the holiday season sets in, Amy and Hanna challenge each others’ resolve and form a bond.

“The Steel Harp” is...

Best known for last year’s surprise Sundance breakout Ghostlight (but we took notice back with 2019’s tragicomedy Saint Frances – the SXSW competition section selection), the tandem of Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan are gaining more traction and Variety reports that they just wrapped up (again under the radar) a feature that looks to involve people of all ages. Led by Sophie Okonedo, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Chloe Coleman and Tara Mallen, Mouse looks to be an ensemble that also features Iman Vellani, David Hyde Pierce plus newcomers Beck Nolan, Addisyn Cain, Audrey Grace Marshall and Christopher R. Ellis. Sundance programmers will be tracking this one.…...

Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan, the filmmaking duo behind the acclaimed Sundance film “Ghostlight,” have wrapped production on their follow-up feature, “Mouse.” It’s the story of best friends Minnie (Katherine Mallen Kupferer) and Callie (Chloe Coleman), whose relationship is upended on the eve of their senior year.

Written by O’Sullivan and co-directed by O’Sullivan and Thompson, the film is set and was shot on location in North Little Rock, Ark., which also happens to be O’Sullivan’s hometown. “Mouse” stars Sophie Okonedo, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Chloe Coleman and Tara Mallen. The ensemble includes Iman Vellani and David Hyde Pierce. The film also features newcomers Beck Nolan, Addisyn Cain, Audrey Grace Marshall and Christopher R. Ellis.

Okonedo is a Tony winner, as well as an Emmy and Oscar nominee, whose credits include “Slow Horses” and “Hotel Rwanda.” Kupferer starred in “Ghostlight” and “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret.

New York-based Visit Films has revealed multiple international deals for its diverse slate of independent films at Hong Kong FilMart, ranging from sci-fi thrillers to music documentaries.

Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson’s Sundance and Rome drama “Ghostlight” has secured deals with Nikkatsu (Japan), New Cinema (Israel), Cinobo, Eye Film (Benelux), Fabula Films (Turkey) and Sister Distribution (Switzerland). IFC previously acquired U.S. rights to the drama, which follows a grieving construction worker who joins a local production of “Romeo and Juliet.”

Simon Jaquemet’s sci-fi thriller “Electric Child,” which played at the Locarno and Sitges festivals, has been acquired by New People Film for Cis territories. The film follows a father’s extreme measures to help his newborn son by repurposing high-level AI technology from his workplace.

Tribeca comedy “Adult Best Friends” from filmmaker Delaney Buffett has landed a worldwide airlines deal with Anuvu. The film, which centers on...

Some stories come to life beyond the screen to resonate in a powerful way and this is exactly what writer Kelly O’Sullivan has achieved in Ghostlight with an outstanding cast and performances to match.

It is packing more than an emotional punch, it’s more a battering-ram that is unapologetic with O’Sullivan not only on writing duties but also directing alongside Alex Thompson.

And this all comes together through the family trio of Dan (Keith Kupferer), Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer) and Sharon (Tara Mallen). Not only an on-screen family but also in real life which you don’t see often.

To say their natural family chemistry automatically translates to their on-screen dynamic is reductive and is a disservice to the phenomenal performances from each.

Showing as part of the Glasgow Film Festival for its UK premiere, Ghostlight takes you down to the deepest depths of trauma and grief.

This...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Christmas, Every Day (Faye Tsakas)

Rising documentarian Faye Tsakas explores the world of preteen influencers in her newest short film. Shot in rural Alabama, her observational documentary shows how much work influencers Peyton and Leyla put into developing their social media presence from an early age. Their parents assist them throughout, hopeful their help will allow their children to develop passive incomes and avoid a life of boring desk-jobs. Tsakas’ compelling visuals of child starlets filming TikTok dances against bucolic backdrops populated with tractors and livestock reveals how pervasive social media has become in modern times.

Where to Stream: Le Cinéma Club

La Cocina (Alonso Ruizpalacios)

Egos are charred and tempers seared in La Cocina, a kitchen nightmare set in the engine...

Arriving on a busy blue carpet for a gray day at the beach, guests at the 2025 Indie Spirit Awards agreed: It’s time to Make the Movies Messy Again.

Inside the ceremony tent, host Aidy Bryant put it perfectly when she said, “It’s been a great year for film and a bad year for human life.” Hundreds of the most important decision-makers and visionary artists championing creative independence today gathered in Santa Monica, California on Saturday to honor the best in boundary-breaking film and TV.

“Anora” and “Baby Reindeer” won the most categories in several tight races, but the show’s main source of dramatic tension came from the countless news items surrounding a tough awards season. From fraught talk of cultural fascism to economic critiques of the entertainment industry, honorees and their peers predicted an uncertain but fiery future for filmmakers, cast, and crew. The word “messy” came...

Mikey Madison as Ani and Mark Eydelshteyn as Ivan in ‘Anora’ (Courtesy of Neon)

Anora continues to pick up speed heading into the Oscars, scoring Critics Choice Awards and DGA wins and snagging a Best Feature win at the Film Independent Spirit Awards. Anora also captured Best Director (Sean Baker) and Best Lead Performance (Mikey Madison) wins. A Real Pain and Didi each earned two awards during the February 22, 2025 Spirit Awards ceremony hosted by Aidy Bryant.

On the television side, Baby Reindeer dominated with three wins. The critically acclaimed limited series took home the Best Lead Performance (Richard Gadd), Best Supporting Performance (Nava Mau), and Best Breakthrough Performance (Jessica Gunning) wins. Other television winners included Shogun and How to Die Alone.

2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominees and Winners

Best Feature

Winner: Anora

Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan

I Saw the TV Glow

Producers: Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Dave McCary,...

The 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards have wrapped! And now we know, as the full winners list for the Spirit Awards has been revealed, just how much momentum “Anora” has going into the Oscars: a lot. It already got the most Spirits nominations with six, and it ended up winning Best Feature, Best Director for Sean Baker, and Best Lead Performance for Mikey Madison.

Kieran Culkin won Best Supporting Performance for “A Real Pain,” which also won Best Screenplay. “No Other Land” won Best Documentary, and the extraordinary animated film “Flow” won Best International feature.

“Baby Reindeer” collected the most prizes on the TV side with Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series going to Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning won Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series, and Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series went to Nava Rau. “Shogun” won Best New Scripted Series.

Host Aidy Bryant...

The best in independent film and new television shows were honored at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards and we have the full winners list here.

Anora and I Saw the TV Glow led the film nominations with five nods each while Shogun led the television nominations with five nods as well.

In the end, Anora and Baby Reindeer led their respective categories with three wins each!

Make sure to check out the recap of every celeb who attended the event and take a look at our Best Dressed list as well.

Keep reading to find out more…

Scroll down for the full list of winners…

Best Feature

Anora – Winner

Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan

I Saw the TV Glow

Producers: Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Dave McCary, Emma Stone, Sarah Winshall

Nickel Boys

Producers: Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine

Sing Sing

Producers: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton...

As we gear up for the big afternoon on the beach this Saturday, now’s a great time to get to know your nominees. Hopefully you’ve seen their films, and if you’re a Film Independent member, watched your screeners and voted too. But there’s nothing quite like hearing about the process from the creative minds themselves.

That’s exactly what we did with this year’s Directors Close-Up, where we brought together the nominees from some of the top filmmaking categories, to talk shop. Over two weeks this February, we held Zoom sessions for our members, where these creators tell how exactly they got their projects off the ground, the creative choices they made, and what inspires them.

If you missed them live, we’ve got you covered. Let’s take a look at all the action from this year’s Directors Close-Up:

Spirit Of...

Rounding, the new film from Alex Thompson, who directed Saint Frances and, with 25 New Face partner Kelly O’Sullivan, Ghostlight, is in theaters today from Doppelgänger Releasing. Below, Thompson discusses five of the cinematic influences upon his darkly anxious hospital-set thriller. To say that Rounding is an experiment is an understatement. Borne in the backyard in Kentucky during the pre-vaccine days of the Covid-19 pandemic, Rounding was an attempt take the same team and ethos that made Saint Frances and apply it to a different genre and specificity. These are five films that influenced us along the way. Bunny Lake […]

The post Five Films that Influenced Alex Thompson’s Hospital Thriller, Rounding first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Rounding, the new film from Alex Thompson, who directed Saint Frances and, with 25 New Face partner Kelly O’Sullivan, Ghostlight, is in theaters today from Doppelgänger Releasing. Below, Thompson discusses five of the cinematic influences upon his darkly anxious hospital-set thriller. To say that Rounding is an experiment is an understatement. Borne in the backyard in Kentucky during the pre-vaccine days of the Covid-19 pandemic, Rounding was an attempt take the same team and ethos that made Saint Frances and apply it to a different genre and specificity. These are five films that influenced us along the way. Bunny Lake […]

The post Five Films that Influenced Alex Thompson’s Hospital Thriller, Rounding first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Once considered the most disreputable of screen genres, horror has become so pervasive and popular that it’s not unusual now to see a movie presenting itself as such simply for the sake of commercial insurance. That seems the case with “Rounding,” a well-acted and atmospheric psychological thriller with Namir Smallwood as a medical resident who unravels in his new hospital placement. It’s got enough going on that the shoehorning of horror elements — including an eventual monster — feels gratuitous within a tricky narrative already over-compressed into an hour and a half.

Alex Thompson’s sophomore feature was actually made before last year’s acclaimed “Ghostlight,” though it’s only getting released well after a 2022 Tribeca Festival premiere. Doppelganger is distributing to U.S. theaters and on-demand platforms as of Feb. 14.

Working here sans his usual directing and writing partner Kelly O’Sullivan (though she plays a supporting role), Thompson establishes...

Alex Thompson’s thriller Rounding doesn’t lack for details. Early on, after medical resident James (Namir Smallwood) shuffles between hospital rooms in burgundy scrubs, he releases his nervous energy by jogging through a blanket of snow, making the name of the rural town in which the story is set, Greenville, feel like a knowing joke. When he arrives home, it’s to a cramped basement apartment where the sounds of the upstairs neighbors echo through the ceiling. Would that Rounding’s story were as memorable as those details.

Rounding’s rudderless screenplay, which Thompson co-wrote with his brother Christopher Thompson, casts out in several directions at once, as though hoping that one of them will have a substantial impact on the viewer. James has transferred to Greenville after a breakdown, hoping the rural change of scenery can allow him to get his groove back. But complicating matters is that...

By now we are used to seeing Actors on Actors every awards season, but one aspect of many of the performances that stand out in the best films of 2024 has been seeing actors as actors. Whether it be Golden Globe winners Demi Moore and Sebastian Stan, who in “The Substance” and “A Different Man,” respectively, both play performers whose brains have been tied in knots by society’s perception of their appearance, to “Sing Sing” stars Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin, and “Ghostlight” star Keith Kupferer all giving Independent Spirit Award-nominated turns in films about men who find healing through the craft of acting on stage. Though each applicable film is executed so differently, they do all point to the creative profession being increasingly compelling subject matter.

“People are drawn to actors because there is this mystery around how do you tap into that thing? How do you do it?...

Kathryn Bernardo is a very good girl gone bad in Petersen Vargas‘ easy-to-digest revenge thriller shown on Netflix. The Filipino actress who has been dominating the country’s TV- and cinema screens since her childhood delivers her standardly good performance in a role that carries the film. Her very presence already guarantees a large viewership, and so does Dolly De Leon‘s which is something Vargas had most probably calculated on from the beginning. Both women are audience magnets and although their full potential isn’t even required for the two roles, they do shine. It is the clash of these two screen titans that brings back the spirit of the 1980s and briefly resurrects the memories of epic wars between Alexis (Joan Collins) & Cristal (Linda Evans) in “Dynasty”. But for that candle to burn longer, we would need more finely developed dramatic moments and less dramatic tears.

Click on...

Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson’s deeply moving drama Ghostlight made a splash last year following its Sundance Film Festival premiere and subsequent summer release. Now, one of Thompson’s prior features, the psychological thriller Rounding, which premiered back at Tribeca Festival in 2022, is now finally getting a release next month. Led by Namir Smallwood, Michael Potts, and Never Rarely Sometimes Always star Sidney Flanigan, the new trailer has now arrived ahead of a February 14 theatrical and digital release.

Here’s the synopsis: “After a traumatic incident during his residency, young medical student James Hayman (Namir Smallwood) transfers to a rural hospital for a fresh start. Observing that James is struggling and having difficulty connecting with patients, Dr. Harrison (veteran stage and screen actor Michael Potts) suggests he take a class focused on bedside manner and facilitating deeper relationships with patients. The demons of James’s past begin to catch...

“Ghostlight” and “Saint Frances” writer/director Alex Thompson is back onscreen with another festival hit: “Rounding.”

Thompson’s latest psychological thriller stars “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” breakout Sidney Flanigan as an asthma patient who starts to experience mysterious symptoms. Her stay at the hospital intersects with the arrival of young medical student James Hayman (Namir Smallwood), who previously endured a traumatic incident during his residency before transferring to a rural hospital for a fresh start.

Per the official synopsis, “the demons of James’ past begin to catch up with him when he becomes consumed by the case, and his grip on reality starts to slip as his disturbing nightmares, anxiety-fueled speculations, and physical injuries collide with the harsh realities of the world of medicine.”

Michael Potts and Rebecca Spence also star.

“Rounding” premiered at Tribeca 2022, and went on to screen at Rooftop and the Chicago International Film Festival. The film...

Chicago – It’s New Year’s Eve, so what better day for a look-back to the 10 Best Films of 2024, a soul search exercise in experiences. How do you break down a hundred and a half films in a year to a 10 in the end? Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Wbgr-fm and Wssr-fm gives it his best shot.

If there was one trend that defined 2024, in my observation, was the perhaps beginning of the end of the superhero genre? The only huge hit was Deadpool & Wolverine ($640M), with Venom: The Last Dance in second ($132M) barely reaching its budget in domestic box office. Madame Web, Kraven The Hunter and Joker: Folie Á Deux were box office duds.

I format my 10 Best to reflect the on-air reviews I do weekly on Wbgr-fm and Wssr-fm and occasional appearances on Missourinet.com. Each of the 10 Best will be in the on-air or audio format for your listening pleasure.

In “Hangdog,” the narrative unfolds with Walt, an aspiring artist adrift in a sea of self-doubt and ennui, who finds himself in the quaint yet disorienting town of Portland, Maine. The initial incident—a moment of neglect where he loses his girlfriend Wendy’s beloved dog, Tony—serves as both a catalyst and a mirror.

This seemingly trivial event spirals into a chaotic quest that reveals the fragility of Walt’s identity and his fraught relationship with Wendy, characterized by her ambition and his inertia. Their dynamic is steeped in the complexities of modern love, where affection is often overshadowed by existential dread.

As Walt starts on a frantic search for Tony, his decision-making process is marred by impulsivity and desperation, reflecting the quintessential struggles of a man grappling with inadequacy. The following chaos—marked by encounters with an eccentric cast of Portland locals—illuminates his failings and the absurdity of his situation.

Visit Films, an independent film sales company is making considerable headway in the global film market. Under Ryan Kampe’s direction, the company has obtained distribution deals for various films, demonstrating the growing international interest in independent filmmaking.

Recent sales have highlighted some outstanding titles. Among them is “Good One,” a gripping backpacker drama by India Donaldson. This film has achieved traction in several key regions, with distributors including Pt Falcon in Indonesia, Big Tree in India, and Gulf Film in the Middle East. Must See Magic has also acquired it in the Cis, Madman Entertainment in Australia and New Zealand, and Starcat in Japan. Conic has also secured rights in the United Kingdom and Ireland after recent acquisitions in France and the Benelux.

Another noteworthy title is “Ghostlight,” a drama developed by Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thomson that premiered at Sundance. This film has received international notice, with Vendetta...

US sales firm Visit Films has continued to sell widely across its slate, of titles from Cannes, Toronto, SXSW, and Sundance.

India Donaldson’s backpacking drama Good Oneis headed to Indonesia (Pt Falcon), India (Big Tree), the Middle East (Gulf Film), Cis (Must See Magic), Australia-New Zealand (Madman Entertainment) and Japan (Starcat). Previously announced deals closed in France and Benelux and multiple territories are in negotiation, with Conic having acquired for UK-Ireland last week.

Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thomson’s Sundance drama Ghostlight has sold to Australia-New Zealand (Vendetta), Latin America (Encripta), Greece (Cinobo), Japan (Nikkatsu) and worldwide airlines excluding...

Mikey Madison as Ani and Mark Eydelshteyn as Ivan in ‘Anora’ (Courtesy of Neon)

Sean Baker’s Anora and Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow lead the Film Independent Spirit Awards 2025 film nominees, with Shōgun topping the list of television nominees. On the film side, Anora and I Saw the TV Glow collected six nominations, followed by Didi with four and Janet Planet, The Apprentice, and Sing Sing with three.

Shōgun scored five Spirit Awards TV nominations, with Baby Reindeer and English Teacher earning four nominations each.

“Since we held our first ceremony in 1985 at a restaurant on La Cienega to last year’s show when viewers around the world joined us at the Santa Monica Beach to celebrate the work of so many artists, Film Independent has continued to support independent filmmakers and enable them to achieve their vision at every stage of their career,” stated Josh Welsh,...

This morning saw the announcements of the 40th edition of the Film Independent Spirit Awards. The big picture nominees include titles like the film festival darling The Substance, as well as Anora, which is getting high accolades for Mikey Madison‘s performance and Sean Baker’s writing and direction. A24 would naturally snag a ton of nominations that total a whopping 19. This beats last year’s 11-nomination count.

The Independent Spirit Awards will be taking place on Saturday, February 22, 2025, and is set to be held at Santa Monica beach. Former Saturday Night Live cast member Aidy Bryant will return as the host. The in-person ceremony will be available to stream live on IMDb and Film Independent YouTube channels, and across other social platforms. You can find the full list of nominations, courtesy of Deadline, below.

Best Feature (Award given to the producer)

Anora

Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan...

Nominations for the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards are in!

The awards show celebrates films budgeted at less than $30 million to produce and must be considered “independent.” There are also TV categories!

For the films, Anora and I Saw the TV Glow got six nominations each. Shogun got the most TV nominations with five total.

The show will take place on Saturday, February 22, 2025, with Aidy Bryant hosting.

Keep reading to find out more…

Scroll down for the full list of nominees…

Best Feature

Anora

Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan

I Saw the TV Glow

Producers: Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Dave McCary, Emma Stone, Sarah Winshall

Nickel Boys

Producers: Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine

Sing Sing

Producers: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton

The Substance

Producers: Tim Bevan, Coralie Fargeat, Eric Fellner

Best First Feature

Dìdi

Director/Producer: Sean Wang

Producers: Valerie Bush, Carlos López Estrada, Josh Peters...

Wow… has it really been 40 years? It sure has, and that’s a reason to celebrate! From our first year at a restaurant on La Cienega Blvd. to a worldwide live stream, the Film Independent Spirit Awards have grown a lot.

That first year the awards, then called the Findie (Friends of Independents) Awards, awarded both Marty & Joel Coen the Best Director prize. Since then, we’ve celebrated artists like Spike Lee, Ryan Coogler, Whit Stillman, Robert Rodriguez and Kasi Lemmons, among many, many others. Next month on the blog, we’ll take deep dive into all the history of the awards, so make sure to check back with us to read all about the last 40 years of the Spirit Awards!

This year, we’re headed back to the beach in Santa Monica with returning host and Saturday Night Live alum Aidy Bryant. The show, which will be held at the beach in Santa Monica,...

Nominations have been revealed for the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which will take place in Los Angeles on February 22. The film nominations were led by “Anora” and “I Saw the TV Glow” with six each. In the television categories, “Shōgun” garnered the most nominations with five, followed closely by “Baby Reindeer” and “English Teacher” with four apiece. Watch the announcement here and see the full list below.

Julio Torres did well here with four nominations across his feature directorial debut “Problemista” and Max series “Fantasmas.” Indies like “Dídi,” “Janet Planet,” “Sing Sing,” “Ghostlight,” “The People’s Joker,” “In the Summers,” “The Substance,” and “Nickel Boys” also had a good day, racking up multiple nominations across the board. Netflix enjoys multiple nods, for “The Piano Lesson” and “His Three Daughters,” two movies poised to enter into the Oscar race.

The 2024 Spirit Award winners were led by “Past Lives,” “The Holdovers,” and “American Fiction,...

The nominations for the 2025 Spirit Awards have been revealed.

Anora and I Saw the TV Glow lead with six nods each. On the TV side, Shogun dominates with five noms, followed by Baby Reindeer and English Teacher with four each.

Both Anora and I Saw the TV Glow are up for the top prize of best feature, where they’ll face off against three-time nominee Sing Sing (also up for best lead performance for Colman Domingo and supporting performance for Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin) and double nominees Nickel Boys (also up for best cinematography for Jomo Fray) and The Substance (also up for best lead performance for star Demi Moore).

Anora and I Saw the TV Glow are also up for best director (Sean Baker for Anora and Jane Schoenbrun for I Saw the TV Glow), lead performance (Mikey Madison for Anora and Justice Smith for I Saw the TV Glow...

The 40th Annual Independent Spirit Awards nominations were announced live on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 7:00am Pacific/10:00am Eastern on Film Independent’s YouTube channel. Scroll down for the full list of contenders, and find out who wins during a ceremony hosted by comedian Aidy Bryant on Feb. 22, 2025.

The Spirit Awards honor the best achievements in low-budget American filmmaking and and now breakthrough TV programs as well, as decided by the members of Film Independent. The nominating committees comprised writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, actors, critics, casting directors, film festival programmers and other working film professionals. Winners are chosen by film industry insiders as well as everyday film lovers who pay their yearly dues to be part of Film Independent. Members have access to Film Independent’s exclusive nominee screening room online, as well as a number of awards season experiences including special screenings and Q&As.

Film Independent...

Awards season is chugging right along. Next up are the Film Independent Spirit Awards, which honor the best and brightest in indie cinema and television. To qualify, a film's budget must not exceed $30 million, which means major blockbusters like Wicked and Gladiator II are, obviously, out of the running.

This year,...

Music Box Films’ genre label Doppelgänger Releasing has acquired North American distribution rights to director Alex Thompson’s thriller “Rounding” from world sales company Visit Films.

The tense and chilling sophomore feature debuted in 2022 at the Tribeca Film Festival and screened at the Chicago Film Festival. Doppelgänger Releasing will open “Rounding” on Jan. 3 in select theaters. The film will hit digital platforms on Feb. 18.

“Rounding” stars Namir Smallwood (“American Rust”), Sidney Flanigan (“Never Rarely Sometimes Always”), Michael Potts, and Tony Award-winning director David Cromer.

After a traumatic experience while treating an elderly patient near the end of her life, resident doctor James Hayman (Smallwood) transfers to a rural hospital in Greenville, Illinois, for the second year of his residency for a fresh start. Having trouble connecting with patients, his superior Dr. Harrison (Potts) urges him to be more personable and take a “Bedside Technique” class.

When James becomes consumed with...

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on Wbgr-fm on October 31st, reviewing the film “The Graduates,” a fictional account regarding mourners one year after a tragedy. The film opened in select theaters November 1st, and will roll out through November, see local listings.

A high school was the victim of a mass shooting, and the film is set one year later. The story concerns how three people deal with the loss of a popular student named Tyler. The mourners are two students … Tyler’s girlfriend Genevieve (Mina Sundwall) and best friend Ben (Alex Hibbert), who left the school after the incident… and the school’s basketball coach/Tyler’s father John (John Cho). Each are dealing with the loss in their own way, and each have one more step in the process of coming to terms.

”The Graduates” is in select theaters through November.

Change can be difficult to process no matter how old we are. It can be especially paralyzing during our adolescence when we experience so many things for the first time. We change schools, part ways with our old friends, and try to find a new path. All these things change us in some ways. Hannah Peterson’s “The Graduates” explores the same overwhelming pressure through the eyes of high school students processing a similar sense of transition. Simultaneously, it presents them processing a recent tragedy and how their journeys have more in common than one may assume.

The script mainly follows Genevieve (Mina Sundwall), a young high-school student on her way to graduation. Her close friend, Ben (Alex R. Hibbert) suddenly returns from his school elsewhere, hoping to finish his course remotely before their college. He gets his old part-time job back and seems eager to gain something he has lost during his absence.

To see, as we do in writer-director Hannah Peterson’s debut feature, The Graduates, young adults handing over their backpacks for inspection and flashing ID cards to security personnel as a matter of their morning routine feels uncanny and dystopian, even to those of us who were young at the time of the Jonesboro and Columbine shootings. The film doesn’t exactly encode outrage over political inaction on gun control, but it might well provoke it.

This somber drama about a community reckoning with the violent death of six high-schoolers knows that sometimes words, whether angry or distraught, often aren’t sufficient. It opens with several dialogue-free minutes, with Vicki (Kelly O’Sullivan), a teacher, approaching a memorial to the murdered students in a silent and darkened school hallway, while 12th-grader Genevieve (Mina Sundwall) impassively proceeds through a security checkpoint.

The subdued soundscape persists throughout The Graduates, in interactions broken apart...

Indie genre director Mickey Keating, who broke out with films such as 2015’s “Darling” and 2016’s “Carnage Park,” has wrapped shooting on his latest movie, the crime drama “Crooks.”

The film stars Keith Kupferer (“Ghostlight”), Angela Trimbur (“Quiz Lady”), Chase Williamson (“John Dies At the End”) and Melora Walters (“Magnolia”).

Per the logline, “Two small-time crooks rob a mob-run poker game in Chicago. Things immediately go wrong, resulting in a high-stakes adventure through the Midwest.”

“’Crooks’ is an incredible opportunity for me to break into the crime movie genre, which I’ve been hoping to do since I started my career,” Keating said in a statement. “This film is a highly stylized celebration of aesthetics ranging from noir to heist to western. I think anyone familiar with my work will see this as a natural progression from my previous films.”

Keating shot the movie in Chicago alongside producers Eddie Linker,...

"Sounds like you're screwed." Ahaha yeah you tell him. Good Deed Entertainment has revealed the official trailer for an indie film titled Hangdog, shot in Maine and set in Maine. This first premiered last year at a bunch of regional film festivals and it will be getting a VOD release in October for anyone who wants to watch. An anxiety-ridden 30-something named Walt embarks on a desperate quest through Portland, Maine to retrieve his stolen dog before his girlfriend returns from a trip – or risk losing them both. Husband & wife filmmakers "Matt and Jen have crafted a charming and engaging grown-up film in Hangdog, and it’s our pleasure to be a part of bringing this crowdpleaser to audiences nationwide this October." Starring Desmin Borges as Walt, Kelly O'Sullivan, Barbara Rosenblat, Steve Coulter, and Catherine Curtin. This looks like an amusing, light, and mostly enjoyable indie comedy giving us a...

Good Deed Entertainment has acquired worldwide rights to Hangdog, a comedy movie starring Desmin Borges and Kelly O’Sullivan.

Director Matt Cascella’s feature is scheduled for release via digital platforms on Oct. 25, which will be preceded by advance theatrical screenings in select cities. Rounding out the cast are Barbara Rosenblat, Steve Coulter, Catherine Curtin and rescue dog-turned-performer Mr. Tibbs.

Set in Portland, Maine, Hangdog centers on Walt (Borges), who deals with anxiety while attempting to retrieve his stolen dog before his girlfriend, Wendy (O’Sullivan), returns from a business trip.

The film earned audience awards at the Woods Hole and New Hampshire Film Festivals. It has also screened at the Provincetown International Film Festival, the Berkshire International Film Festival and the Calgary International Film Festival.

Cascella helmed the film from a script by Jen Cordery. Cascella, Borges, Alyssa Roehrenbeck and Patrick White serve as producers.

“Matt and Jen have crafted...

Indie distributor The Future of Film is Female will release “The Graduates,” the directing debut from Hannah Peterson, in theaters across the U.S. starting Nov. 1.

The first distribution partnership for founder Caryn Coleman’s The Future of Film is Female will begin its roll out in theaters at Metrograph in New York. The distributor plans to release select independent films directed by women or nonbinary directors with a bespoke distribution plan for each film.

“The Graduates” stars Mina Sundwall alongside John Cho, Alex Hibbert, Yasmeen Fletcher, Ewan Manley, Maria Dizzia and Kelly O’Sullivan. In the coming of age drama, Sundwall plays a young woman as she prepares to graduate high school in the aftermath of a tragic event.

It premiered at 2023’s Tribeca Film Festival, winning the best cinematography award on for D.P. Carolina Costa.

Written, directed and edited by Peterson, “The Graduates” is executive producted by Chloé Zhao,...

Ghostlight, made on an almost non-existent budget, is generating buzz as one of the best movies of 2024. The film features incredible performances from a cast with real-life family connections. Critics and early viewers are raving about Ghostlight, praising its emotional depth and storytelling.

While many flock to theaters for the latest blockbuster spectacle, the indie film has carved out a special place in the hearts of many cinema fans. Recent stand-outs like Lady Bird, The Florida Project, and Frances Ha have made just as big an impact as any big-budget fodder. The wonderful thing about many of these movies is that they come out of nowhere, generating buzz on the festival circuit and slowly finding themselves mentioned among the best films of the year discussions despite having minimal budget and marketing behind them.

This makes Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson's recent hit on a nearly non-existent budget a pleasant...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

The Beast (Bertrand Bonello)

Where to begin with Bertrand Bonello’s wonderful The Beast? It’s been so gratifying to see the initial reaction to the French filmmaker’s tenth feature, after several decades of increasingly remarkable work––the majority of it dark, beautiful, and sleazy. In fact, for what a discomforting and despairing experience much of The Beast is, when I’ve thought back its moments of real, uncomplicated cinematic pleasure, its verve and sense of joyousness, are what mark my memories. It’s romantic, without a capital-r. – David K. (full review)

Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel

Challengers (Luca Guadagnino)

Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers opens in an intentionally disorienting manner: We are in New Rochelle, New York for a tennis challenger.

Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson’s Ghostlight is an emotional drama centered around a grieving family, particularly the father who is coping with the tragedy. The family of three, Dan (Keith Kupferer), Sharon (Tara Mallen), and Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer), is played by the real-life couple and their daughter, respectively. The description does not quite prepare you for what you are about to witness. Ghostlight is a sweet, subtle reminder of how often humans, in their worst of times, can find comfort in the arts and community. The film does not reveal until the end what was troubling Dan and his family, and the incident does not come off as the big revelation that it might sound like because throughout the film the family chooses not to talk about it. And it was only during a court hearing that they recalled the incident. Overall, Ghostlight is an emotional watch, emphasizing...

The directorial debut of Justin Matthews and Luke Spencer Roberts (writers of Prime Video’s recent rom-com Upgraded), The Duel, is one of the more star-studded independent films in recent memory, boasting a cast led by recognizable faces like Dylan Sprouse and Patrick Warburton. Although it has thin characters and occasionally repetitive humor, The Duel is an entertaining satire that is just provocative enough to work.

The Duel follows two former best friends who find themselves at a crossroads when one sleeps with the other’s girlfriend. This leads them to a mysterious estate, where they engage in a ritual duel to the death. Matthews and Roberts take some very ambitious swings with their directorial debut, and while they don’t all work, it’s at least an intriguing work of satire.

Suggestedi Saw Despicable Me 4 Four Times in a Row in Theaters and Survived. Here’s What Happened… The Duel...

Hello, and welcome to the Scene 2 Seen Podcast!

I am Valerie Complex, an associate editor and film writer at Deadline. Today, I am chatting with actress Dolly De Leon, veteran stage and screen actress from the Philippines whose star is on the rise in Hollywood.

She received her long-overdue international breakout role in Ruben Östlund’s 2022 critically-acclaimed feature Triangle of Sadness, which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and was released in theaters by Neon.

De Leon was awarded the Best Supporting Actor prize by the LA Film Critics Association and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role—the first Filipino to be nominated in an acting category at either association.

More recently, De Leon starred in the Filipino box office sensation A Very Good Girl co-starring Kathryn Bernardo, the drama...

As festivals have increasingly endeavored to showcase more diverse talent, benchmarks of inclusivity occasionally run the risk of feeling like a dutiful checklist.

The Bentonville Film Festival, though, has celebrated — and elevated — underrepresented voices since its inception. Returning for its 10th edition from June 10-16, the northwest Arkansas festival has always taken as its mission statement the centering of work from not only LGBTQ+ and Bipoc creators but also other historically marginalized groups.

That focus shouldn’t be surprising, given that the festival’s roots stretch back to the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, a nonprofit research organization the actor founded after noticing the disparity in female characters while watching TV series and movies with her daughter.

While co-founder Davis remains Bentonville Film Festival’s chair, president Wendy Guerrero and artistic director Drea Clark, with a combined 19 years of experience with the festival, provide stability and steerage.

“The...

Playwright Annie Baker has already experienced tremendous success on the stage, having won a Pulitzer Prize for her play The Flick and a MacArthur Genius Grant for “mining the minutiae of how we speak, act, and relate to one another and the absurdity and tragedy that result from the limitations of language.” This philosophy is incredibly evident in her subtly moving film debut Janet Planet, which offers an invigorating take on familiar beats and ideas.

Janet Planet follows an introverted 11-year-old girl, Lucy, who spends the summer with her mother Janet, as they spend time with three people who affect them in profoundly different ways. It’s an incredibly restrained, unfussy film that refuses to pander to the audience in narrative or exposition, but it does reward patience in incredible ways.

SUGGESTEDGhostlight Actress Dolly De Leon Discusses Her Booming Career and Her Role in the Amazing Indie (Interview)

Janet Planet is a subtle,...

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for “Robot Dreams,” a co-directorial collaboration between Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan of 2019’s “Saint Frances,” from a Kelly O’Sullivan script. Currently in theaters, including Chicago’s Gene Siskel Film Center.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Based on a popular graphic novel, this Best Animated Feature nominee from this year’s Oscars was created by Pablo Berger in a co-production from Spain/France. The story involves a lonely Dog who finds joy and companionship with a mail order Robot. Their adventures together are interrupted by a beach outing that causes the Robot to be trapped, rusting away on the beach. Can they overcome this separation?

”Robot Dreams” is in theaters Now, including (click link) the Gene Siskel Film Center. Screenplay adapted and directed by Pablo Berger. Not Rated.

Click Here for Patrick McDonald’s audio review of “Robot Dreams”

Robot Dreams

Photo credit: Neon...

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for “Ghostlight,” a co-directorial collaboration between Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan of 2019’s “Saint Frances,” from a Kelly O’Sullivan script. Currently in theaters since June 14th.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Dan (Keith Kupferer) is a middle-aged construction worker grieving a family tragedy, and has cut himself off from his devoted wife Sharon (Tara Mallen) and talented but troubled daughter Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer), Through an accidental circumstance, Dan finds comfort and community in a misfit company of amateur actors. While performing for the first in a low-rent production of a Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, Dan is forced to confront his buried emotions.

”Ghostlight” is in theaters Now, since June 14th. Featuring Keith Kupferer, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Tara Mallen, Dolly De Leon, Dexter Zollicofer and H.B. Ward. Written by Kelly O’Sullivan. Directed by Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan. Rated “R”

Click...

It was an Inside Out specialty weekend, fairly quiet and with a stream of indies films and more wide releases. The schedule is starting to recover from a strike-induced slump that, however, provided oxygen to some indies.

Small films have been competing for screens with majors at arthouses from Alamo Drafthouse to Landmark since theaters reopened post-Covid and the more of them there are, the harder it is. It’s nice to see major back and the broader box office on a solid footing. But it would also be nice to see more indie breakouts like Civil War, Late Night With The Devil, Immaculate, Wicked Little Letters, One Life or Love Lies Bleeding.

“June is crowded” with indies now, says one distributor. And theaters “don’t have space to support indies in a meaningful way.”

Others are heartened by recent wide-release blowouts. “It’s still a tough market. But I...

In the acclaimed Sundance drama Ghostlight, the heart and soul of the film is the performances. However, what is intriguing about the film is that the main family is played by a family of real-life actors: Keith Kupferer, Tara Mallen, and their daughter Katherine Mallen Kupferer.

We at FandomWire got the opportunity to speak with the Kupferers about their roles in Ghostlight and what it was like to work together as a family.

Ghostlight Interview

FandomWire: One of the interesting things about your performances in Ghostlight is that you are a family of actors playing a family. Did you find this exciting? Intimidating? Helpful?

Tara Mallen: Was it intimidating?

Katherine Mallen Kupferer: No. I think it was probably more helpful than anything else. Because we already had this built-in chemistry that we didn’t have to work on or try to create since we are a real family. A lot...