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It's common for projects to be announced in Hollywood that never see the light of day. There is initial excitement surrounding a project, and sometimes that changes. Still, when high-profile names are involved, it can still be a bit shocking when certain projects don't come together. Look no further than Warner Bros. Discovery's Black Superman film from writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, which was announced in 2021, with J.J. Abrams' involvement. That name alone should indicate an automatic green light, but now it has been revealed why the period piece was given the axe by none other than Wbd CEO David Zaslav.

According to a report featured in The Wall Street Journal, a screenplay written by Coates and produced by Abrams for a Black Superman film, was said to be "too woke" by Zaslav, which was why the project was ultimately canned. The film was meant to be a standalone period...

Exclusive: The Sundance Institute has named the 11 producers chosen for its annual Producers Labs, returning to Ucross Foundation in Wyoming from July 14–19 for fiction producers and July 19–24 for nonfiction producers.

Launched in 2008, Sundance’s Producers Program champions indie producers across career stages and empowering them to refine their craft in recognition of their pivotal role in the storytelling ecosystem. The Producers Lab is the focal point of the program and kicks off a yearlong fellowship, creating a community for fiction and nonfiction film producers as they network and participate in professional development opportunities while working on a feature-length project.

The 2025 cohort includes six fiction film producers and five in nonfiction. Following the lab, fellows receive ongoing support through a yearlong mentorship from a dedicated advisor, industry networking opportunities, regular cohort gatherings, Sundance Collab benefits, and participation in Elevate, Sundance Institute’s professional development track.

Advisors set for the Feature Film...

Joel Alfonso Vargas’ debut feature “Mad Bills to Pay” has been acquired by Paris- and Berlin-based company Salaud Morisset for festival, theatrical and non-commercial rights.

After premiering at Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Next Special Jury Award for ensemble cast, the film was picked up by the Berlinale for its Perspective section, and is now about to screen at Karlovy Vary Film Festival.

The film follows Rico, whose summer is a wild mix of chasing girls and hustling homemade cocktails out of a cooler on Orchard Beach, the Bronx. But when Destiny, his teenage girlfriend, crashes at his place with his family, it’s only a matter of time before his rowdy, carefree days come spiraling down.

Vargas said: “’Mad Bills to Pay’ was born from memories of growing up in the Bronx: the hustler culture, the mad hot summers – of first loves. It was inspired by my...

Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi has won the top award at the 72nd Sydney Film Festival with It Was Just An Accident, three weeks after scooping the Palme d’Or at Cannes.

The award was presented on Sunday (June 15) at Sydney’s State Theatre and includes a cash prize of $39,000.

Scroll down for full list of winners

The competition jury, led by Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel, presented the award in unorthodox fashion as the jurors walked off the stage at the grand 2,000-seat theatre and into the audience to hand the trophy to Panahi – an acknowledgement of his distress at Israel...

The 72nd Sydney Film Festival has concluded with Iranian director Jafar Panahi claiming the event’s top honor, taking home the Sydney Film Prize for “It Was Just An Accident.”

The film previously won the Palme d’Or at Cannes.

The Sydney win nets Panahi Aud$60,000 for what the competition jury described as an “audacious, cutting-edge and courageous” film. The announcement was made ahead of the Australian premiere screening of Cannes hit “Splitsville.”

Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel served as jury president for the main competition, joining New Zealand actor-director Rachel House, producer and Marrakech Film Festival director Melita Toscan du Plantier, Australian actor-writer Thomas Weatherall, and Hong Kong-based film distributor Winnie Tsang.

The jury praised the winner as “a courageous film with a deep soul and a powerful sense of forgiveness” that “embodied outstanding performances and an understated authority which is brimming with truth.”

They noted the strength of debut features in competition,...

Exclusive: Utopia has acquired North American rights to Idiotka, the fashion comedy that premiered at this year’s SXSW and stars Anna Baryshnikov, Camila Mendes, Julia Fox, Owen Thiele, Benito Skinner, Gabbriette and Saweetie. Nastasya Popov directed the pic and penned the script.

“I’ve long admired Utopia’s eye for vibrant, distinctive storytelling, and I’m overjoyed to be joining the family,” said Popov. “We’re thrilled that audiences will get the chance to experience this wild ride of a comedy in a packed theater — and we guarantee it’ll be fun for the whole family, so bring everyone from your stylish grandmother to your chronically online little brother along.”

The film follows Baryshnikov as Margarita, an ambitious fashion designer who lives in a chaotic West Hollywood apartment with her Russian-Jewish family and enters a reality TV competition show called Slay, Serve, Survive in a desperate cash grab.

“Through Idiotka,...

Exclusive: Picturehouse Entertainment has acquired UK-Ireland rights to Max Walker-Silverman’s Rebuilding starring Josh O’Connor, Lily Latorre, Maghann Fahy, Kali Reis and Amy Madigan.

The Sundance 2025 premiere follows a cowboy living in emergency accommodation after losing his ranch to wildfires, who reconciles with his ex-wife and estranged daughter.

Picturehouse will announce a release date in due course; mk2 handles international sales.

The film is produced by Jesse Hope, Dan Janvey and Paul Mezey. Executive Producers are Jan McAdoo, Jack McAdoo, Robina Riccitiello, Josh Peters, Sakurako Fisher, Douglas Choi, Alex C. Lo, Philipp Engelhorn, Bill Way, Elliott Whitton, Andrew Goldman and O’Connor.

“Rebuilding,” a drama starring Josh O’Connor as a cowboy who loses his ranch to wildfires, has sold U.S. rights to Bleecker Street. The film premiered at Sundance and will debut in theaters later this year.

Max Walker-Silverman directed “Rebuilding,” which follows Dusty, a rancher who is forced into a Fema camp and unexpectedly reconnects with his estranged daughter and ex-wife while reconstructing his life alongside fellow survivors. Lily Latorre (“Run Rabbit Run”), Meghann Fahy (“The White Lotus”), Kali Reis (“True Detective”) and Amy Madigan (“Field of Dreams”) round out the cast.

Variety’s chief film critic Owen Gleiberman praised the performance of O’Connor, a 34-year-old British actor best known for “The Crown” and “Challengers.” In his review, Gleiberman wrote, “He’s an authentic presence, scraggly and taciturn in a soulful way, and he communicates the quiet anguish at the heart of Dusty, a character who has lost everything.

Bleecker Street has picked up U.S. distribution rights to Max Walker-Silverman’s Rebuilding, repping the distributor’s second collaboration with the filmmaker after his 2022 directorial debut A Love Song. A release date is planned for later this year.

Rebuilding debuted in the Premieres Section at the Sundance Film Festival and stars Josh O’Connor (Challengers), Lily Latorre (Run Rabbit Run), Meghann Fahy (The White Lotus), Kali Reis (True Detective) and Amy Madigan (Field of Dreams).

Pic follows Dusty, a cowboy who loses his ranch to devastating wildfires. Forced into a Fema camp, he unexpectedly begins reconnecting with his estranged daughter and ex-wife and reconstructing his life alongside fellow survivors.

Rebuilding is produced by Jesse Hope, Dan Janvey and Paul Mezey. EPs are Jan McAdoo, Jack McAdoo, Robina Riccitiello, Josh Peters, Sakurako Fisher, Douglas Choi, Alex C. Lo, Philipp Engelhorn, Bill Way, Elliott Whitton, Andrew Goldman and Josh O’Connor.

Bleecker Street recently acquired the U.

The Josh O’Connor drama that premiered out of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Rebuilding, has landed at Bleecker Street for the U.S.

Max Walker-Silverman directs the film, which also stars Lily Latorre, Meghann Fahy, Kali Reis and Amy Madigan. Walker-Silverman worked with Bleecker on his last movie, A Love Song.

In Rebuilding, O’Connor stars as a rancher who loses his ranch in a wildfire and moves into a Fema camp, where he reconnects with her daughter, ex-wife and his larger community.

“Upending clichés about rugged individualism, Rebuilding looks toward a communal vision of courageousness and reinvention, a way to move forward without negating the past — especially when the remnants of that past have been reduced to ash,” reads The Hollywood Reporter’s review out of Sundance, where the film received near-universal praise.

Jesse Hope, Dan Janvey and Paul Mezey produced the film. Executive Producers include Jan McAdoo,...

Bleecker Street has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to “Rebuilding,” a wildfire drama from director Max Walker-Silverman and starring Josh O’Connor, Lily Latorre and Meghann Fahy. The film premiered at Sundance this past January and will be the opening film of the San Francisco Film Festival this Thursday.

O’Connor stars in the film as Dusty, a cowboy who loses his ranch to devastating wildfires. Forced into a Fema camp, he begins to put his life back together alongside other survivors and unexpectedly forms new bonds with his estranged daughter and ex-wife. Kali Reis and Amy Madigan also star in the film.

Jesse Hope, Dan Janvey and Paul Mezey are producers on the film. O’Connor is executive producer alongside Jan McAdoo, Jack McAdoo, Robina Riccitiello, Josh Peters, Sakurako Fisher, Douglas Choi, Alex C. Lo, Philipp Engelhorn, Bill Way, Elliott Whitton, and Andrew Goldman.

Bleecker Street will release “Rebuilding” later this year,...

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...

Exclusive: We can tell you first that the Camila Mendes is returning to SXSW with her latest production and co-headlined feature Idiotka which stars Anna Baryshnikov (Love Lies Bleeding). The movie, which is set in the vibrant, eccentric world of West Hollywood’s Russian enclave, unspools against the high-stakes drama of a ‘Project Runway’-style reality show. Idiotka, which reps the directorial debut of Nastasya Popov, is making its debut in the Narrative Spotlight section.

Mendes was at SXSW last year with her Prime Video movie, Musica, which she executive produced and starred in.

L to R top: Anna Baryshnikov, Camila Mendes, Julia Fox, Bottom L to R: Saweetie, Mark Ivanir, Owen Thiele, Benito Skinner.

Popov crafted the story for Idiotka alongside her creative partner Tess Cohen. Owen Thiele (Theater Camp), Benito Skinner (Overcompensating), Mark Ivanir (Emilia Pérez), recording artist Saweetie, and Julia Fox (Uncut Gems) also star. The ensemble...

The 2025 Sundance Film Festival — and perhaps its second-to-last in Park City — has wound down with the annual awards ceremony.

On January 31, jurors presented prizes in the competitive sections, including the U.S. Dramatic Competition, U.S. Documentary Competition, World Cinema Dramatic Competition, World Cinema Documentary Competition, and the Next lineup. Jurors across the sections looked at nearly 90 films representing more than 30 countries and territories.

Hailey Gates’ Iraq war satire, starring Alia Shawkat and produced by (among others) Luca Guadagnino, won the festival’s top award: the Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic competition. The politically charged comedy, which follows an aspiring actress in a military role-playing facility, is still looking for U.S. distribution amid mixed reviews out of Sundance. Meanwhile in that section, Eva Victor’s staggering feature debut “Sorry, Baby,” a startlingly wise and unsentimental depiction of trauma set in American academia, won a Screenwriting prize...

As the Sundance Film Festival heads into its final weekend, the Park City event handed out trophies this morning to this year’s best. See the full list below.

Hailey Gates’ war satire Atropia took the marquee U.S. Grand Jury Prize for dramatic features. Alia Shawkat stars as an aspiring actress in a military role-playing facility who falls in love with a soldier (Callum Turner) cast as an insurgent, but their unsimulated emotions threaten to derail the performance.

The Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic went to Twinless, James Sweeney’s film about two young men (Dylan O’Brien and Sweeney) who meet in a twin bereavement support group and form an unlikely bromance.

Georgi M. Unkovski’s DJ Ahmet won the Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic and also nabbed the Special Jury Award for Creative Vision. It follows Ahmet (Arif Jakup), a 15-year-old boy from a remote Yuruk village in...

Memento International has taken on international sales rights for Shatara Michelle Ford’s second feature Dreams In Nightmares, a road movie about a trio of queer Black friends on a life-changing journey that will play in Berlin Film Festival’s Panorama selection.

The film follows the three protagonists as they set off across the US on a search to find a missing fourth friend, revealing truths about themselves and contemporary American society along the way. It stars Denée Benton, Sasha Compère, Charlie Barnett, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mars Storm Rucker and Dezi Bing.

Ford produces alongside Pin-Chun Liu of US/Taiwan outfit 120E Films,...

Exclusive: Edmund Donovan, an up-and-comer known for roles in Alex Garland’s Civil War and Sundance genre-bender Your Monster, has landed a key role opposite Willem Dafoe and Greta Lee in Late Fame, the new film from director Kent Jones (Diane), which is entering production this week.

Written by May December‘s Samy Burch, Late Fame is a portrait of Ed Saxberger (Dafoe), a postal worker who wrote and published poetry such a long time ago that he’s forgotten he ever was a poet. When a group of young writers and students rediscovers one of his books and reclaims him as one of their own, he finds, against his better judgment, that he likes it: the attention and the hero worship draw him out of his solitary routines and renew his spirit. How quickly he starts to see himself as a true artist… how coarse and vulgar his old friends begin to look.

London-based international documentary sales and production outfit Dogwoof has secured further international sales for Shiori Ito’s “Black Box Diaries,” which was Oscar-shortlisted last week for documentary feature.

The film premiered in competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and has since been an audience and critical favorite at international festivals worldwide, picking up several awards on its journey.

Dogwoof has secured further sales in territories including BBC Storyville (U.K.), Zdf/Arte (Germany and France), Sky Digi Ent. (Taiwan), Star Alliance (China), Anticipate (Singapore and Thailand), Falcon Pictures (Indonesia), Discovery (former Yugoslavia), and Mbc (Middle East and North Africa).

Previously announced sales include Art House Films (France), Trigon (Switzerland), Periscoop (Benelux), NonStop (Scandinavia and Baltics), Anticipate Pictures (Singapore), Filmin (Spain), Sherry Media (Canada) and Edko (Hong Kong).

MTV Documentary Films, which acquired U.S. distribution rights from Dogwoof, will debut the film on Paramount+ with Showtime on Jan. 7, ahead...

Exclusive: Black Box Diaries, the award-winning documentary that just made the Oscar shortlist, will debut on Paramount+ with Showtime in the U.S. next month.

Shiori Itō’s film, winner of the Human Rights Award at Cph:dox and three awards at the Zurich Film Festival among many other honors, will bow on the streaming platform January 7. Oscar nomination voting begins the next day – Wednesday, Jan. 8.

“Black Box Diaries follows director Ito’s courageous investigation of her own sexual assault in an improbable attempt to prosecute her high-profile offender,” notes a release. “Unfolding like a thriller and combining secret investigative recordings, vérité shooting and emotional first-person video, her quest becomes a landmark case in Japan, exposing the country’s desperately outdated judicial and societal systems.”

Shiori Itō (wearing scarf) surrounded by Japanese media after a press conference

The documentary marks Itō’s feature film directorial debut. “A journalist, writer and filmmaker...

The Michael Latt Legacy Fund, which launched earlier this year to honor and continue the social justice advocacy work of Michael Latt, has announced a series of grants, scholarships and educational programming to support nonprofit organizations and artists whose work leverages storytelling as a vehicle for social transformation.

The fund’s initial grantees include: Harness; Protect the Sacred; Question Culture; Saved By A Story; Center for Art & Advocacy; Bld Pwr (Build Power); Sola Foundation; and Brown Girls Doc Mafia. Details of each organization can be found below.

Latt, a studio marketing consultant and founder of social impact group Lead with Love, was killed in a home invasion robbery in November 2023 at age 33. His killer was convicted in July of this year.

In addition to the grantees, organizers said the fund also has garnered a three-year commitment from Panavision, which established the Panavision | Michael Latt First Feature Award, providing a first-time...

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,...

“Anora,” the free-wheeling tale of a sex worker who becomes entangled with the family of a Russian oligarch, and “I Saw the TV Glow,” a horror film about two teenagers whose obsession with a show causes them to lose grip on reality, dominated the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards nominations on Wednesday, picking up six nods apiece. Both movies are up for best feature, competing against the body horror film, “The Substance,” as well as “Nickel Boys” and “Sing Sing,” dramas that deal with different aspects of the criminal justice system.

This year the Spirit Awards Film nominating committees said the movies it considered ranged in budget from $112,000 to $28 million. Those budgetary caps don’t apply to the shows that the Spirits recognized, such as “Shōgun,” a lavish historical epic that topped all series with five nominations, including one for best new scripted series. To be eligible, TV shows only have to...

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 edition of the Film Independent Spirit Awards unveiled nominations this morning, nominating Neon’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner Anora, A24’s I Saw the TV Glow, Amazon MGM Studios’ Nickel Boys, A24’s Sing Sing and Mubi’s Demi Moore body-swap horror movie The Substance for Best Feature.

Anora and I Saw the TV Glow equally lead all noms with six apiece. The Sean Baker-directed Anora landed Best Feature, Best Lead Performance (Mikey Madison), two Best Supporting Performance noms (Yuri Borisov and Karren Karagulian), Best Director, and the Producers Award.

I Saw the TV Glow, which made its world premiere at Sundance earlier this year, is quite the shocker, busting into the Best Feature category as it arguably hasn’t been on the lips of any awards prognosticator this year. The Jane Schoenbrun-directed-and-written drama horror title follows a teenager who is just trying to make...

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,...

Roadside Attractions has scheduled an awards-qualifying release for The Last Showgirl featuring an acclaimed turn by Pamela Anderson for December 13.

Gia Coppola’s film, which won the Special Jury Prize in San Sebastián after earning immediate recognition for its star following the world premiere in Toronto, will open nationwide in January.

Anderson plays glamorous showgirl Shelly, who must plan her future after she hears the Las Vegas revue she has headlined for decades is closing down.

The cast includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka, and Billie Lourd.

Kate Gersten wrote the screenplay and Utopia Media co-founder Utopia Media,...

“The Last Showgirl” will be taking center stage this winter.

Roadside Attractions has dated Gia Coppola’s latest for an awards-qualifying run in Los Angeles on Dec. 13, 2024. The film will then open nationwide on Jan. 10, 2025.

The movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where Roadside Attractions acquired the North American rights to the film. Since then, “The Last Showgirl” has won a Special Jury Prize at the San Sebastián Film Festival and earned warm reviews, with critics singling out Pamela Anderson’s lead performance. Our own review out of TIFF stated that the film “is a triumph for Anderson at a time when Hollywood is poised for comebacks.”

The official synopsis reads: “When the glittering Las Vegas revue she has headlined for decades announces it will soon close, glamorous showgirl Shelly (Anderson) must reconcile with the decisions she’s made and the community she has built as she plans her next act.

Roadside Attractions is giving Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl an awards-qualifying run in Los Angeles on December 13, with a wide break on January 10.

Deadline first told you that Roadside acquired North American rights to the critically acclaimed feature (81% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) out of the Toronto Film Festival, with Sony taking the rest of the world.

The Last Showgirl also won the Special Jury Prize at the 2024 San Sebastián Film Festival.

The movie has been declared as a career-transforming performance for Baywatch alum Pamela Anderson, who plays a glamorous Las Vegas showgirl, Shelley, who faces the dark prospects of her show closing after several years. She must reconcile with the decisions she’s made and the community she has built as she plans her next act.

Pic also stars Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once) as Shelley’s best friend, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka and Billie Lourd.

The Gotham Film & Media Institute (The Gotham) has announced the winners of the inaugural Gotham Week Honors.

Gina Duncan, President of Bam (Brooklyn Academy of Music), was awarded with the first-ever Gotham Week Cultural Impact Honor. Filmmakers RaMell Ross and Sean Wang each received an inaugural Gotham Week Alumni Honor of Distinction Award.

The romantic comedy “Here for the Weekend,” written and directed by Jane Casey Modderno, won the U.S. Features in Development honor. “Thirstygirl,” written and directed by Alexandra Qin, took home the the U.S. Shorts to Features honor. “Matininó” won the Spotlight on Documentaries award.

Sophie Luo, producer of “Valley of the Tall Grass,” was recognized as the Global Producer of The Year. “Valley of the Tall Grass” is centered around “a trashed TV/Vcr combo set that survives and circulates through the lives of various Indigenous characters in an Oregon town.”

The Gotham Week...

Exclusive: Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions has acquired Latin America, France, Scandinavia and a string of other international territories on Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl, starring Pamela Anderson.

Greece, Portugal, Turkey, Israel, Eastern Europe (ex Poland), all of Asia, and Africa are also included in the Spwa deal.

Set amid the the glittering world of Las Vegas entertainment, the Toronto Film Festival debut is told through the eyes of Shelley (Anderson), a glamorous showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run.

Pic co-stars Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once) as Shelley’s best friend, Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy), Brenda Song (Love), Kiernan Shipka (Longlegs) and Billie Lourd (Booksmart).

The ensemble cast won the Special Jury Prize at the San Sebastian Film Festival last weekend. Roadside Attractions has North American rights and is planning an awards-season release.

That first-time feature filmmaker Hannah Peterson has been mentored by both Chloé Zhao and Sean Baker is readily apparent in her debut feature, “The Graduates,” a deep-feeling and enormously affecting look at life after terrible tragedy.

Per the film’s official synopsis, it “follows a young woman, Genevieve (breakout Mina Sundwall), as she prepares to graduate high school in the aftermath of a tragic event. As she navigates an uncertain future alongside a community that is also searching for ways to heal, they turn to each other to find hope and a way forward.” The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, where it scored strong critical reviews and won the Best Cinematography award on behalf of Dp, Carolina Costa.

In IndieWire’s review of the film from last year’s Tribeca, this critic wrote, “Peterson’s film is about the world that exists after a terrible crime,...

Exclusive: We can tell you first that Roadside Attractions has taken North American to the TIFF critically acclaimed Gia Coppola directed movie The Last Showgirl, starring Pamela Anderson in a career defining lead role.

The movie, which is a great 84% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with critics, takes audiences inside the glittering world of Las Vegas entertainment through the eyes of Shelley–as played by Anderson– a glamorous showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run.

Roadside Attractions Co-Presidents’ Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff remarked “Pamela Anderson will bring some much-needed stardust to the world of cinema this fall in Gia Coppola’s extraordinary film. We are thrilled to join our friends at Utopia to release this film into awards season.”

Utopia’s Robert Schwartzman says “This has been a very special film since the beginning and continues to attract such incredible talent and collaborators.

Indie filmmaker Crystal Moselle is deepening her narrative feature style with a personal story, blending the lines between truth and fiction with a cinema verité approach.

Moselle, who made her directorial debut with buzzy 2015 documentary “The Wolfpack,” which won Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize for Documentary, gained further street cred with her Gotham-nominated feature “Skate Kitchen,” starring Jaden Smith.

Moselle now co-directs “The Black Sea” with the film’s lead star, rapper/musician Derrick B. Harden.

“The Black Sea” has an unscripted style while centering on Brooklyn barista Khalid (Harden), who upends his life to move to Bulgaria amid a catfishing mishap. The official synopsis reads: “What happens when a charismatic big dreamer gets stuck in a small town on the Black Sea? A Bulgarian fortune teller once said the touch of a black man will cure you. That’s where Khalid comes in, a charismatic guy from Brooklyn who...

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,...

Picturehouse has acquired North American rights to Porcelain War, winner of the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival. The film directed by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev will be released in theaters throughout North America in the fall, in advance of an expected Oscar run.

“Porcelain War is the story of three Ukrainian artists defiantly finding inspiration and beauty as they defend their culture and their country against Russian aggression,” notes a release. “In a war waged by professional soldiers against ordinary civilians, Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko, and Andrey Stefanov, choose to stay behind, armed with their art, their cameras and, for the first time in their lives, guns. As the war intensifies, Andrey picks up his camera to film their story, and on tiny porcelain figurines, Anya and Slava capture their idyllic past, uncertain present, and hope for the future.”

Picturehouse CEO Bob Berney said in a statement,...

Rising acclaimed filmmaker Shatara Michelle Ford has completed their highly anticipated sophomore feature, following their Indie Spirit- and Gothams-nominated debut “Test Pattern.” Ford (who uses they/she/their pronouns) will premiere their “Dreams in Nightmares” as the opening night film at this year’s BlackStar Film Festival on August 1.

Ford’s “Test Pattern,” a standout debut from 2019, also premiered at BlackStar that same year. The film was distributed by Kino Lorber and went on to be nominated for three Gotham Awards, including Best Picture and three Independent Spirit Awards, including Best First Feature. Billed by this writer as a “perceptive look at sexual assault and relationships,” Ford’s film was one of the finest of the year, and spelled the beginning of a very exciting career for the filmmaker.

Where as “Test Pattern” was, per today’s official announcement, “a tense thriller exploring the aftermath of a sexual assault...

Focus Features has released the official poster for writer/director Sean Wang’s Didi. You can check the poster out below. The film itself will be in theaters on July 26, 2024!

Synopsis: In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can’t teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom.

About The Film

Genre: Comedy, Drama Starring: Izaac Wang, Shirley Chen, Chang Li Hua, Raul Dial, Aaron Chang, Mahaela Park, Chiron Cilia Denk, Montay Boseman, Sunil Mukherjee Maurillo, Alaysia Simmons, Alysha Syed, Georgie August and Joan Chen Director: Sean Wang Screenplay: Sean Wang Producer: Carlos López Estrada, Josh Peters, Valerie Bush, Sean Wang

Dìdi (弟弟) is in theaters on Friday, July 26, 2024!

For More Information, Please Visit:

Official Site / Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram / #Didi

The post “Dìdi (弟弟)” Official Poster Released first appeared on CinemaNerdz.

Just this year, Sean Wang is already a Sundance breakout and an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker. Finally, Wang’s feature debut “Dìdi” will be in theaters thanks to Focus Features.

The semi-autobiographical coming of age story of “Dìdi” follows a Taiwanese-American tween (Izaac Wang) in 2008. At 13 years old, he’s just about to begin high school and he learns “how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love his mom,” during the last month of summer, per the film’s synopsis.

Shirley Chen, Chang Li Hua, Raul Dial, Aaron Chang, Mahaela Park, Chiron Cilia Denk, Montay Boseman, Sunil Mukherjee Maurillo, Alaysia Simmons, Alysha Syed, Georgie August, and Joan Chen also star.

Wang writes, directs, and produces, with Carlos López Estrada, Josh Peters, and Valerie Bush also producing. The executive producers include Chris Columbus, Eleanor Columbus, Dave A. Liu, Jennifer J. Pritzker, Robina Riccitiello, Joan Chen, Chris Quintos Cathcart, and Tyler Boehm.

Exclusive: Metrograph Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to The Black Sea, the offbeat comedy from Crystal Moselle and Derrick B. Harden which debuted at this year’s SXSW Film Festival. Metrograph will release the pic theatrically later this year.

Inspired by Harden’s travels to Bulgaria, and improvised by Harden and its Bulgarian cast, The Black Sea traces the journey of a charismatic dreamer from Brooklyn who inadvertently ends up as the only Black person in a small town on the Black Sea in Eastern Europe. While initially, all he wants is to get home, he becomes increasingly drawn to the unorthodox characters and unexpected connections he finds.

UTA Independent Film Group negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers. The film was produced by Izabella Tzenkova, Kotva Films, and GiveThanks. Executive producers include Andrea Leibof, Cameron Brody, Dana Høegh, Jonas Carpignano, Josh Peters, Robina Riccitiello, Ted Hope, and Ted Wright.

Exterior. Establishing: Film Independent HQ. Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles. Prelap the sounds of passionate conversation and laughter. Cut To: Interior, Conference Room, Film Independent HQ. Seven new screenwriting Fellows are arrayed around a table, the Hollywood Sign visible on the distant hills outside the window. They’re here to develop six deeply personal and wholly original feature film projects under the steady guiding hand of Film Independent’s Screenwriting Lab. A fun, creative, safe space.

The End.

(Roll credits)

Sorry–we wish our story could’ve been longer but there wasn’t really any dramatic conflict at the Screenwriting Lab this year, just a lot of productive discussion and writing workshops with lead creative advisors Javier Fuentes-León, Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi, Jessica Sharzer, Jeff Stockwell and Christopher Makoto Yogi. Additional guest speakers and advisors include Ruth Atkinson, Danielle Renfrew Behrens, Bridget Savage Cole, Lauren Craniotes, Ellie Foumbi, Priyanka Kapoor, Danielle Krudy,...

Exclusive: Film Independent has named Omer Ben Shachar, Mary Dauterman, Mg Evangelista, Naomi Iwamoto, Thomas Kivney, Juan Paulo Laserna and Jhanvi Motla as the screenwriters selected for the 26th edition of its Screenwriting Lab, an intensive program designed to provide individualized story and career development for screenwriters with fiction feature scripts.

Over the course of the program, Fellows will workshop their projects under the guidance of creative advisors Javier Fuentes-León, Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi, Jessica Sharzer, Jeff Stockwell and Christopher Makoto Yogi. Additional guest speakers and advisors will include Ruth Atkinson, Danielle Renfrew Behrens, Bridget Savage Cole, Lauren Craniotes, Ellie Foumbi, Priyanka Kapoor, Danielle Krudy, Amanda Marshall, Josh Peters, Jon Schumacher, Ellen Shanman, Lauren Shelton and Caddy Vanasirikul.

“We are honored to provide the tools and support necessary for these exceptional filmmakers to propel their projects and careers forward,” said Dea Vazquez, Associate Director of Fiction Programs for Film Independent.

Focus Features will open its Sundance Film Festival acquisition Dìdi on July 26.

The movie from Oscar nominee Sean Wang premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it received critical and audience acclaim, winning both the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award and the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast.

Inspired by Wang’s youth, the pic follows a 13-year old Taiwanese-American in the last month of summer 2008 before high school begins. The boy learns what his family can’t teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom. Wang also wrote in addition to directing.

Producers are Carlos López Estrada, Josh Peters, Valerie Bush and Wang. Didi stars Izaac Wang, Joan Chen, Shirley Chen and Chang Li Hua.

Wang’s latest film, Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó (Grandma & Grandma), premiered at SXSW 2023 where it won the Grand Jury Prize & Audience Award and is...

Focus Features had landed the worldwide rights to Sean Wang’s feature directorial debut Dídi, which won the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival.

The film is set in 2008 in the San Francisco Bay Area and, according to the film’s logline, follows an “impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can’t teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom.”

Izaac Wang (Good Boys) stars in the film, alongside Joan Chen, Shirley Chen and Chang Li Hu. The film was also awarded the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast.

THR‘s Sundance review of the film reads: “The film is a very solid entry in the annals of coming-of-age films, reminiscent of Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade in both its affection for its young characters and its willingness to meet them on their own terms.