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“The Big Sick” writers Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon took home top honors at the 2018 Indie Spirit Awards for Best First Screenplay. The married writing team beat out fellow nominees Ingrid Jungermann (“Women Who Kill”), Kogonada (“Columbus”), David Branson Smith and Matt Spicer (“Ingrid Goes West”), and Kris Avedisian with story by Kyle Espeleta and Jesse Wakeman (“Donald Cried”).

This marks the first Indie Spirit Award for both Nanjiani and Gordon. “The Big Sick” won Best Comedy at the Critics’ Choice Awards, and was named one of the American Film Institute’s Top Ten Films of the Year. The duo is nominated for Best Screenplay at the Academy Awards Sunday night. Loosely based on the real-life romance between Nanjiani and Gordon, the film follows a couple who must deal with cultural differences after one of them becomes ill.

Different from the Oscars, the Independent Spirit Awards exclusively celebrates the best of independent cinema.

The 2018 Independent Spirit Awards will be handed out on March 3, one day before the Oscars, during an afternoon ceremony on Santa Monica. The 33rd Indie Spirits, hosted for the second year in a row by the comedy team of Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, will air live on IFC.

Luca Guadagnino‘s “Call Me by Your Name” has a leading six nominations with both Ben and Josh Sadfie‘s “Good Time” and Jordan Peele‘s “Get Out” contending in five races apiece. Greta Gerwig‘s solo directorial debut “Lady Bird” follows with four.

Below, the full list of contenders broken down by film.

See 2018 Independent Spirit Awards: What time do 33rd Indie Spirits start, who will win, who hosts?

Six Nominations

“Call Me by Your Name”

Picture, Director (Luca Guadagnino), Actor (Timothee Chalamet), Supporting Actor (Armie Hammer), Cinematography, Film Editing

Five Nominations

“Get Out”

Picture, Director (Jordan Peele), Actor (Daniel Kaluuya), Screenplay,...

1. mother!Darren Aronofsky’s divisive nightmare boasted a number of very striking posters this year, including one that blatantly yet beautifully pastiched the iconic Gips/Frankfurt design for Rosemary’s Baby and another in which Jennifer Lawrence’s face is minutely cracked like a porcelain doll. But it is this first teaser poster for the film, by the extraordinary artist James Jean, that stands out for me not only as a surreally appropriate representation of Aronofsky’s uncompromising vision, but as the best movie poster of the year. Grotesque and gorgeous, and dotted with hidden clues, Jean’s looks more like a piece of devotional iconography than a poster for a horror movie. (There is also an accompanying poster by Jean which features Javier Bardem’s character.) Known for his covers for the DC comic book series Fables, Jean has been in high demand this year, creating the charcoal illustration...

Call Me by Your Name, Get Out and Lady Bird all had great showings at the 2018 Independent Spirit Award nominations!

The nominees were announced on Tuesday morning, with the Armie Hammer-ledCall Me by Your Name leading the pack with six nominations, followed closely by Jordan Peele's critically acclaimed, genre-bending thriller Get Out with five, and Lady Bird, with four.

All three films are competing for Best Picture, along with The Florida Project and The Rider. The Independent Spirit Awards are sometimes seen as a tea leaf for how the Academy Awards will sway -- the Best Picture winner of this show has gone on to also earn the distinction at the Oscars for five out of the last six years.

Peele earned a nod in the Best Director category, and the film's lead, Daniel Kaluuya is up for Best Male Lead, along with James Franco, who is nominated for The Disaster Artist. In the Best Female...

The nominations for the 33rd Independent Spirit Awards are in, and “Get Out,” “Call Me by Your Name,” “Lady Bird,” “Good Time,” and more have dominated this year’s slate.

Read More: 2018 Oscar Predictions

Over the last several years, the Indie Spirits have become both a champion of underdog indies (see Molly Shannon winning Best Supporting Female last year for “Other People”) and a key indicator in which films and performances could end up with the Oscar (Casey Affleck and “Moonlight” for Best Picture last year). John Mulaney and Nick Kroll will return to host the 33rd Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, March 3.

The full nominations list is below.

Best Feature

“Call Me by Your Name”

“The Florida Project”

“Get Out”

“Lady Bird”

“The Rider”

Best Director

Jonas Carpignano, “A Ciambra”

Luca Guadagnino, “Call Me by Your Name”

Jordan Peele, “Get Out”

Sean Baker, “The Florida Project”

Benny and Josh Safdie,...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.

All These Sleepless Nights (Michal Marczak)

Blurring the line between documentary and fiction like few films before it, Michal Marczak‘s All These Sleepless Nights is a music-filled ode to the ever-shifting bliss and angst of youth set mostly in the wee hours of the day in Warsaw, Poland. Marczak himself, who also plays cinematographer, is wary to delineate the line between narrative and nonfiction, and part of the...

Dozens of movies are hitting Netflix during the dog days of summer (click here for a complete list), but the sheer variety of new titles can be daunting. Movies are long, time is short, and indecision is brutal, so — in the hopes of helping you out — here are the seven best films that are coming to Netflix in August.

7. “Practical Magic” (1998)

Okay, so “Practical Magic” isn’t a “good movie” in the traditional sense…or in any other sense, for that matter. But it’s a perfect Netflix movie, which is another beast entirely. An incredible time capsule — and bottomless gif resource — from an ancient epoch that historians refer to as “1998,” this essential relic tells the story of sisters Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) Owens, twin witches who are effectively cursed to remain single forever.

Did I mention that it was directed by Griffin Dunne? Did I mention that it was nominated for a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for including a Faith Hill song on the soundtrack? Did I mention that it features a scene in which Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing use their secret powers to blend alcoholic drinks in order to lubricate a singalong set to Harry Nilsson’s “Put the Lime in the Coconut”? “Practical Magic” was kind of a blip when it first opened, but it would shake our culture to its skeleton if it came out today. A remake feels inevitable, but in the meantime, the original makes for perfect streaming on a lazy August afternoon. Better yet, add it to your queue and swing back once Halloween rolls around.

Begins streaming August 1st.

6. “The Bomb” (2016)

“the bomb” was one of the most exciting, unclassifiable experiences on the festival circuit last year, but the sheer magnitude of the project made it unclear where it might live once it had finished traveling the world, or if it would be possible for the public to see it. Fortunately, the answers to those questions turned out to be “everywhere” and “very.” Here’s IndieWire’s Steve Greene on the 59-minute film into which this enormous piece of experimental art has been newly reshaped:

Read More‘the bomb’ Review: New Doc on Netflix Is a Surreal Music Video About the End of the World

Directed by Kevin Ford, Smriti Keshari, and Eric Schlosser, this experimental, sensory history of the nuclear bomb is a staggering look at the world’s most destructive weapon and the lessons of almost eight decades that some still choose to ignore. Threading together modern-day news footage, Cold War era safety videos and grainy archival peeks into the construction process, “the bomb” looks at nuclear weapons in their myriad historic forms. Foregoing the usual talking head interviews or explanatory narration, the one piece of connective tissue throughout the film, besides the subject itself, is the film’s score, from Los Angeles electronic minimalist outfit The Acid. Throughout a harrowing parade of images and fleeting moments of whimsy, the droning, pulsating music underneath brings an alternating sense of dread and power.

Begins streaming August 1st.

5. “Cloud Atlas” (2012)

It’s easy to make fun of “Cloud Atlas,” and not just because one of the six characters that Tom Hanks plays is pretty much a live-action Jar Jar Binks. Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis’ cosmically ambitious sci-fi epic is — in its own delirious way — one of the most earnest movies ever made. Adapted from David Mitchell’s novel of the same name, and now something of an obvious precursor to the Wachowskis’ Netflix series “Sense 8,” this symphonic story of spiritual connection spans from 1849 to 2321 in a go-for-broke attempt to crystallize the effects that one life can have on countless others.

Controversially casting individual actors in multiple roles (with many of the film’s most famous stars disguising themselves as different races and genders), “Cloud Atlas” fearlessly envisions our world as a place where bodies are temporary, but love is eternal. It’s a lot to swallow, but our collective cynicism only makes the movie more valuable, and more important to have on hand.

Begins streaming August 1st.

4. “Donald Cried” (2016)

Kris Avedisian flew under the radar when “Donald Cried” made the rounds last year — his self-directed turn as the most deeply committed man-child since “Clifford” may have been just a bit too raw and cringe-inducing for any major traction — but it’s only a matter of time before people discover one of the most fearless performances in recent memory. Here’s IndieWire’s Eric Kohn on a future dark comedy classic:

The obnoxious man-child is a common trope in American comedies, but few recent examples can match the hilariously unsettling presence of Donald Treebeck, the obnoxious central figure played by writer-director Kris Avedisian in his effective black comedy “Donald Cried.” While the story technically unfolds from the perspective of his old teen pal Peter (Jesse Wakeman), who returns to their Rhode Island suburbs from his Wall Street career after his grandmother dies, Donald welcomes his reluctant friend back to their world and won’t leave him alone. Avedisian gives Danny McBride a run for his money in this pitch-perfect embodiment of a wannabe charmer all too eager to remain the center of attention. Hardly reinventing the wheel, “Donald Cried” nevertheless spins it faster than usual, taking cues from its memorably irritating protagonist. Beneath its entertainment value, the movie also hints at the tragedy of aimless adulthood.

Begins streaming August 15th.

3. “The Matrix” (1999)

At this point, “The Matrix” has effectively become immune to any sort of qualitative criticism; there’s no use arguing that it’s “good” or “bad” or somewhere in between, it simply is. Less a movie than a cornerstone of contemporary pop culture (for better or worse), the Wachowskis’ absurdly influential orgy of mind-blowing action and high school philosophy arrived at the tail end of the 20th century in order to help define the 21st. Its aesthetic impact on the current breed of blockbusters is self-evident, but its more profound contributions have been largely off-screen, as the film brought futurism to the masses in a way that’s only possible to trace through its most unfortunate side effects (e.g. the diseased misogyny of “red pill” thinking).

Of course, “No can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.” Now that it’s on Netflix, it couldn’t be easier to do just that.

Begins streaming August 1st.

2. “Jackie Brown” (1997)

Every hardcore Tarantino fan’s favorite Tarantino film, “Jackie Brown” is more than just an homage to blaxploitation or the best Elmore Leonard adaptation ever made (sorry, “Out of Sight”), it’s also something of a tribute to all of the crime writer’s work and the scuzzy but soulful ethos that bound it together. To this day, “Jackie Brown” remains a major outlier for Qt. For one thing, it’s based on pre-existing material. For another, it’s got a bonafide sex scene. Last but not least, it’s about recognizably human characters who have genuine depth, who have real lives that feel as though they continue beyond the confines of a movie screen (no disrespect to the cartoonish avatars who populate Tarantino’s later, more solipsistic work — they serve their purpose to perfection).

Pam Grier is spectacular in the title role of a flight attendant with a drug smuggling side hustle. Robert Forster is heartbreaking as lovelorn bondsman Max Cherry. Hell, even Robert De Niro is phenomenal, the iconic actor beautifully playing against his legend by inhabiting the film’s most pathetic and disposable character. For anyone put off by the blockbuster scale of Tarantino’s recent work, “Jackie Brown” is a rock-solid reminder of his genius for elevating fevered pastiche into singular pathos. And the soundtrack owns.

Begins streaming August 1st.

1. “All These Sleepless Nights” (2016)

It would be reductive and unfair to say that Michal Marczak’s “All These Sleepless Nights” is the film that Terrence Malick has been trying to make for the last 10 years, but it certainly feels that way while you’re watching it. A mesmeric, free-floating odyssey that wends its way through a hazy year in the molten lives of two Polish twentysomethings, this unclassifiable wonder obscures the divide between fiction and documentary until the distinction is ultimately irrelevant.

Read MoreReview: ‘All These Sleepless Nights’ Is the Movie That Terrence Malick Has Been Trying to Make

Unfolding like a plotless reality show that was shot by Emmanuel Lubezki, this lucid dream of a movie paints an unmoored portrait of a city in the throes of an orgastic reawakening. From the opening images of fireworks exploding over downtown Warsaw, to the stunning final glimpse of Marczak’s main subject — Krzysztof Baginski (playing himself, as everyone does), who looks and moves like a young Baryshnikov — twirling between an endless row of stopped cars during the middle of a massive traffic jam, the film is high on the spirit of liberation. More than just a hypnotically hyper-real distillation of what it means to be young, “All These Sleepless Nights” is a haunted vision of what it means to have been young.

Begins streaming August 15th.

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Netflix may have cancelled the Wachowski’s cult hit “Sense 8,” but its adding two of their defining works to its streaming library next month. All three entries in “The Matrix” trilogy are heading to Netflix, as is the ambitious “Cloud Atlas,” which means you’ll be able to bring summer to an end by bingeing mind-melting science fiction.

Read More: Netflix Is Not the Problem: Why Bad Theatrical Presentations Are Destroying the Experience

Other titles joining the streaming service include underrated gems from Quentin Tarantino and Michael Haneke, plus two of the year’s most exciting documentary films. Check out a complete list of all the new movies joining Netflix in August 2017 below, including our 7 must-binge choices.

“The Matrix” Trilogy (August 1)

August kicks off with “The Matrix,” “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions” all becoming available to stream on Netflix. Say what you want about the two sequels, but...

Yes, we know: It’s a little premature to assemble a list of the best movies of the year when there’s so much left of it. We have yet to see a lot of exciting new work from major auteurs like Christopher Nolan (“Dunkirk”), Alexander Payne (“Downsizing”), and Guillermo del Toro (“The Shape of Water”), not to mention heavy-hitting studio-produced spectacles like “Blade Runner 2049” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” But those last two wouldn’t even qualify for this list of the best independent films of the year, anyway, and they’ll have plenty of time to hog the spotlight.

Fortunately, we’ve found plenty of movies from around the world to celebrate, and while they haven’t all been box office sensations, they provide overwhelming evidence that the art form is thriving well into the second decade of the new millennium, and shows no signs of slowing down.

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.

A Cure for Wellness (Gore Verbinski)

The asylum-based film is a fairly interesting mini-genre to deconstruct. These movies almost always deal with perceptions of reality, questions of the self, and an innate fear of those in positions of power who operate in worlds of the ethereal. The question of the protagonist’s madness is almost always central, and the uncertainty over whether their paranoia is unfounded or justified is...

It may seem like there are only certain times of the year when the movies are worth watching, but the reality is that quality cinema hits theaters and VOD platforms all year round. We haven’t reached the halfway mark in 2017 yet, there are already dozens of quality new releases, many of which will continue to deserve singling out by the end of the year. IndieWire’s film team has seen a lot of them. The following ranked list was developed out of the aggregate scores from top 10 lists contributed by film writers in New York and Los Angeles. In order to qualify, a movie must have either received a theatrical release in 2017 or become available on a VOD platform during that time. Movies that received awards-qualifying runs in 2016 do not count. In many cases, multiple films tied for votes and are designated as such.

Take a look at our list below,...

One year ago, the post-Oscar specialized rebound began with the release of “Eye in the Sky” and “Hello, My Name Is Doris.” Each opened with per-theater averages over $20,000; then, with support from older audiences all across the country, made $19 million and $14 million, respectively.

This year it’s “Personal Shopper,” with the French film starring Kristen Stewart showing unexpected interest. “Raw” (Focus) and “A Sense of the Ending” (Lionsgate) also managed PTAs over $10,000, indicating some chance for future success.

Ahead of any other new release in PTA was a single theater, premiere-event boosted initial date for “A Very Sordid Wedding” in Palm Springs. This week also saw the very limited opening of “Burning Sands,” the second film in the Sundance 2017 U.S. dramatic competition to find its home on Netflix. As usual, no gross for this, which is sort of beside the point.

Opening

Personal Shopper (IFC) – Metacritic: 77; Festivals include: Cannes,...

The week after the Oscars, most of the contenders are moving on to home viewing. It was a terrific season, but the market needs strong new entries to stem the box-office slide.

Neither of this week’s two most prominent releases — “Table 19” with a national Fox Searchlight break and “The Last Word” (Bleecker Street) — will bolster box office. It also doesn’t help that two highly-touted and well-reviewed wide release studio films, Fox’s “Logan” and Universal’s “Get Out,” are competing for many of the same viewers.

A series of smaller niche audience releases remain. And four this weekend are either Israeli or aimed at audiences interested in Jewish topics. Led by “Women in the Balcony” (Menemsha) they could see further life over the next several weeks.

Opening

Table 19 (Fox Searchlight) – Metacritic: 38

$1,575,000 in 868 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $1,815

Fox Searchlight opted to take this poorly-reviewed wedding...

Audiences may not realize it, but Rough House Pictures has been a pivotal force in American filmmaking over the past decade.

People know Danny McBride as the snarky, self-aggrandizing star of HBO’s “Eastbound and Down” and “Vice Principals,” shows he created with fellow North Carolina School of the Arts alumni Jody Hill and David Gordon Green. But while McBride’s is the most public face, all three men have become influential figures in the film industry.

Green and McBride are writing the Blumhouse reboot of “Halloween,” while Hill is finishing his third film, a comedy starring Josh Brolin. Green has oscillated from the quiet, Southern gothic tales of “George Washington” and “All the Real Girls” to boisterous comedies like “Pineapple Express.” Hill’s debut, “Foot Fist Way,” got the attention of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, who launched Hill’s TV career and gave him the momentum to direct his first studio film,...

Lacking appropriate words, forcing an uncomfortable embrace and remembering once-forgotten regrets are common symptoms during a chance encounter with an old friend who, through the passage of time and often distance, has become little more than a stranger. Once that unexpected moment ends, most people return to their everyday routine, but what if, because of uncontrollable circumstances, one had to actually spend the day in the company of that somebody you used to know? Debutant Kris Avedisian sets his feature Donald Cried, in which he also stars as the title character, around such possibility and charges it with unbearably cringe-worthy […]...

Fewer narratives are as played out as the prickish-man-returns-home-and-bumps-into-childhood-friend-who-never-left-and-learns-to-embrace-his-past arc. It’s about as formulaic as they come. The characters are stock, the conflict is familiar, and the overall journey is the same. Of course, the reason it’s so familiar, that directors and writers keep going back there, is because it can work, and the conceit embodies a pervasive set of familiar fears: Who hasn’t wanted to flee from the small town where they grew up?

Continue reading ‘Donald Cried’ Is A Wistful, Hilarious Look At A Forgotten Friendship [Review] at The Playlist.

Escapes of Time and Memory: Avedisian’s Debut and the Cinema of Discomfort

Director Kris Avedisian wants to make you feel repulsed and uncomfortable in his debut, Donald Cried, a feature length version based on his 2012 short.

Continue reading...

The “man-child” construct in contemporary cinema is perhaps exemplified by popular characters played by Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler, but director/writer/star Kris Avedisian turns that archetype on its head in his new film, “Donald Cried.”

Read More: The 20 Best Movies Of 2017 That We’ve Already Seen

Executive produced by David Gordon Green, Jody Hill, and Danny McBride, the film follows two former childhood best friends who reconnect, and discover their lives couldn’t be more different.

Continue reading Exclusive: Clip From David Gordon Green, Jody Hill & Danny McBride Produced ‘Donald Cried’ at The Playlist.

There’s ghosts, mutants, David Lynch, gorillas, cannibalism, the afterlife, and more to experience in theaters this month. Aside from the theatrical offerings, we can’t neglect mentioning the documentary adaptation Five Came Back — which explores the careers of five iconic Hollywood directors and their experience in World War II — hitting Netflix at the end of the month. Check out our picks for what to see below and let us know what you’re most looking forward to.

Matinees to See: Catfight (3/3), Before I Fall (3/3), Donald Cried (3/3), My Scientology Movie (3/3), Table 19 (3/3), Wolves (3/3), The Sense of an Ending (3/10), Burning Sands (3/10), Brimstone (3/10), 13 Minutes (3/17), Beauty and the Beast (3/17), The Belko Experiment (3/17), Burn Your Maps (3/17), The Devil’s Candy (3/17), Bokeh (3/24), I Called Him Morgan (3/24), Wilson (3/24), Life (3/24), Cezanne et moi (3/31), and Ghost in the Shell (3/31),

15. The Zookeeper’s Wife (Niki Caro; March 31)

Synopsis: The Zookeeper’s Wife tells the account of keepers of the Warsaw Zoo,...

The obliviously obnoxious man-child has become such a familiar comic figure that creating anything innovative along those lines is now a real challenge. Donald Cried, the first feature written and directed by Kris Avedisian, deserves credit for making an effort to do something marginally different with its central doofus. Avedisian also plays the title role, and initially seems to be aiming strictly for laughs: Donald sports a terrible haircut, wears unfashionable glasses, speaks in a nerdy bray, and demonstrates virtually no understanding of basic social skills. Unlike the various Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler characters he superficially resembles, however, this emotionally stunted loser is meant to inspire a certain degree of pathos, as the film’s title suggests. The film’s gradual shift from broad yuk-fest toward something closer to indie drama (while still striving to be funny) isn’t wholly successful; it’s difficult to achieve the catharsis of...

Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: What better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? This week […]

The post This Week In Trailers: Here’s to Life!, After the Storm, Donald Cried, Fittest On Earth: A Decade of Fitness, Kiki appeared first on /Film.

After becoming a low-key favorite on the festival circuit last year — it played at New Directors/New Films, South by Southwest and AFI Fest — “Donald Cried” is finally headed to theaters courtesy of the Orchard. Kris Avedisian co-wrote, directed and stars as the title character in the film, in which a 30-something man (Jesse Wakeman) returns to his hometown in Rhode Island for a day. Watch the trailer below.

Read More: SXSW 2016 Review: ‘Donald Cried’ is a Hilarious Look at Arrested Development

A man-child with a heart of gold and an overbearing personality, Donald inspires mixed feelings. He is, for instance, the only one Wakeman’s character can think of to ask for help when he realizes he’s forgotten his wallet and needs a ride while dealing with the aftermath of his grandmother’s death; he’s also difficult to be around for more than 10 minutes at time. The...

TNT has released the teaser trailer for the drama “Will,” which tells the wild, rowdy story of young William Shakespeare. The 32-second clip first aired during the SAG Awards on Sunday.

Newcomer Laurie Davidson plays the title role in this period drama told in a bold, contemporary style and played to a modern soundtrack that exposes all of Shakespeare’s recklessness, lustful temptations and tortured brilliance. The story follows the young poet as he arrives onto the punk-rock theater scene in 16th-century London, looking to make a name for himself.

Read More: First Look at Brett Morgen’s ‘When the Street Lights Go On’ Pilot – Trailer

He meets and falls in love with Alice Burbage (Olivia DeJonge), the daughter of theater impresario James Burbage, who is forbidden from pursuing a career in acting. The series also stars Jamie Campbell-Bower as Shakespeare’s rival Christopher Marlowe, Mattias Inwood as Alice’s...

Open Road Films has released the first-look photo for its upcoming Thurgood Marshall biopic, “Marshall.” The studio has also set the nationwide release date for October 13.

Directed by Oscar nominee Reginald Hudlin, the film stars Chadwick Boseman as legendary attorney and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and Josh Gad as lawyer Sam Friedman. Kate Hudson, Dan Stevens, James Cromwell, Sterling K. Brown and Keesha Sharp complete the cast.

Read More: IndieWire’s Sundance 2017 Portrait Studio – Our Favorite Shots of the People Who Shaped This Year’s Festival

The film covers Marshall’s early years as a young lawyer tasked with defending a black chauffeur in a highly publicized sexual assault case. Paired with young Jewish lawyer Friedman in a segregationist court, he’s forced to fight prejudice as he and Friedman work their case — which helped set the stage for the future Civil Rights Movement.

Read More: ‘Baby Driver,’ ‘The Strange Ones...

Production on the first season of “Star Trek: Discovery” officially began last week in Toronto. And today, CBS released a behind-the-scenes trailer, which offers a first look at some of the series’ uniforms, makeup and sets, including the iconic captain’s chair. Check out the 60-second clip below.

“Star Trek,” one of the most iconic and influential global television franchises, returns to television 50 years after it first premiered. The series will feature a new ship, new characters and new missions, while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers.

Read More: Bryan Fuller Is No Longer Involved with ‘Star Trek: Discovery,’ Calls His Departure ‘Bittersweet’

The series will premiere on CBS, with all subsequent episodes available on CBS All Access, the Network’s VOD/live-streaming service; it’ll also be available on Netflix in many countries. Check out the production trailer below.

There aren't too many guys who walk the line of Dark Comedy better than Jody Hill and Danny McBride. Both Eastbound And Down and Vice Principals were acclaimed for their use of mixing comedy with the dramatic and the outrageous, and Donald Cried looks to capture that same feel both shows pull off so well. Here's a description for the film...

Director/writer/star Kris Avedisian expertly deconstructs the contemporary obsession with the "man-child" in this darkly funny story about former childhood best friends who reconnect decades later in their working-class Rhode Island neighborhood. Peter Latang (Jesse Wakeman) left his childhood home to reinvent himself as a slick Wall Street mover and shaker. When he's forced to return home to bury his grandmother, he loses his wallet on the trip. Stranded and broke, Peter looks to the only person he can think of to help him out—his next-door neighbor...

"Can you please look at me for a second, Pete?" The Orchard has released a trailer for a wacky, dark comedy titled Donald Cried, from writer/director/star Kris Avedisian. The film is presented by David Gordon Green, Jody Hill, Danny McBride and Brandon James, which is a powerhouse comedy team-up. Avedisian stars as the titular Donald, a childhood friend of a man who returns to his hometown after his grandmother passes away. Awkwardness ensues, and things get a little fun. The cast includes Jesse Wakeman, Louisa Krause, Ted Arcidi, Shawn Contois, and Kate Fitzgerald. This played at festivals all over the world throughout 2016, so even though it may seem a bit weird, it's definitely a quality film worth your attention. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Kris Avedisian's Donald Cried, direct from YouTube: With sudden passing of his grandmother, Peter Latang (Jesse Wakeman) returns to his hometown and encounters his long lost,...

Produced by Danny McBride, David Gordon Green, and Jody Hill, a new trailer has arrived for Donald Cried, the feature debut of writer-director Kris Avedisian. The comedy centers on a man who returns home after the sudden death of his grandmother, which causes him to reach out to his old neighbor, the titular crier Donald. What ensues is a strange trip through the man’s past, as he is reminded very quickly why he got out of town in the first place.

We said in our review, “Donald Cried certainly doesn’t seek to elevate itself too much beyond the indie fray, yet it still finds pleasures in compactness, believably stretching the course of a lazy Saturday in January over the course of 85 minutes. It still manages to meet the narrative expectation of Peter eventually blowing up at Donald and then them reconciling before he he heads back for New York,...

The team over at Rough House Pictures — including David Gordon Green, Jody Hill and Danny McBride — have long trafficked in offbeat comedy offerings and championing compelling filmmaking voices, so the latest film to join their slate should come as little surprise. Rough House has now come aboard Kris Avedisian’s “Donald Cried” as executive producers and will help shepherd the wild feature film to its theatrical release next month.

Read More: SXSW 2016 Review: ‘Donald Cried’ is a Hilarious Look at Arrested Development

Based on his short of the same name, Avedisian premiered the film — his first feature offering, which he not only wrote and directed, but also stars in — at last year’s SXSW, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Award. The film went on to screen at a variety of festivals, including New Directors/New Films, Locarno, Hamptons, Montclair and AFI Fest (where it won the Audience...

Festival director Jacqueline Lyanga opened this morning’s AFI Fest Awards brunch citing the record number of filmmakers who attended the festival this year, and many of those were gathered in the Cinema Lounge at the Roosevelt Hotel to recognize the achievements that made up the 30th iteration of the annual fest.

With an acting prize and two audience awards, Houda Benyamina’s “Divines” was the festival’s most-recognized film. (Judging by the reaction in the lounge, it was also a favorite among the filmmakers and patrons gathered.) When introducing the film’s New Auteurs Audience Award prize, AFI Fest Director of Programming Lane Kneedler explained how “Divines” became a festival favorite even after coming in late in the programming process.

Read More: AFI Fest 2016: 14 Movies We Can’t Wait to See at the Festival

Martin Zandvliet’s “Land of Mine” took the World Cinema Audience Award. “The movie is a hard sell,...

There are many paradoxes to being an indie filmmaker in 2016. Never has it been easier to make a quality movie, while at the same time it’s never been harder to maintain a stable career as a movie director. Equipment, viewing habit and the world are all rapidly changing, resulting in both opening and narrowing the opportunities for creative expression.

IndieWire checked in with the indie directors behind the “New Auteurs” and “American Independent” feature films at this year’s AFI Fest and asked: What is the most exciting and discouraging thing happening in filmmaking today?

Read More: 13 Lessons From Making a Film Festival Breakout: AFI Fest Directors Share Their Tips

Asaph Polonsky, “One Week and a Day”

Encouraging: That the miniseries “Olive Kitteridge” exists.

Discouraging: In Israel, where I made “One Week and a Day,” the Prime Minster, Bibi Netanyahu is now trying to shut down (before it even...

For many people, filmmaking is a process of ongoing education. The filmmakers who succeed are often the ones willing to learn from their mistakes and taking advice. IndieWire recently checked in with the up-and-coming indie directors behind the exciting films playing in the “New Auteurs” and “American Independent” categories at this year’s AFI Fest to find out what they learned while making their festival breakout.

Read More: AFI Fest 2016 – What Cameras Were Used to Shoot This Year’s Films

Kris Avedisian, “Donald Cried”: There was a time while shooting that I got lost in the process. I started to see the movie take shape but it was in a very deformed state. There are times when you have to make decisions, changes and adjust because of what you’re seeing. But it could be hard to know sometimes if I was only reacting to seeing scenes out of order,...

Juan Andrés Arango’s migrant drama claimed the México Primero prize and Andrea Arnold’s road movie prevailed in the Competencia de Los Cabos category as the fifth annual Los Cabos International Film Festival closed on Saturday.

Both films received Mxn $200k (roughly Usd $9.6k), while Tamara And The Ladybug by Lucía Carrera took the Fipresci México Primero Award as well as the Usd $12k Art Kingdom Trailer Award presented by Art Kingdom Showbiz Agency.

Beauties Of The Night by Maria José Cuevas took the Mxn $200k Cinemex Audience prize, and Kris Avedisian’s Donald Cried claimed the Usd $15k Labodigital Incentive For Distribution award.

Three filmmakers each earned a Mxn $150k (Usd $7.2k) scholarship under the auspices of the Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund: Cómprame Un Revólver by Julio Hernández Cordón; Alicia by Michael Rowe; and Monsters And Men by Reinaldo M. Green.

The Usd $160k Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund - Labodigital Awards went to: The Rosenbergs...

Indiewire reached out to the filmmakers with films in the “New Auteurs” and “American Independent” sections of this year’s AFI Fest to find out what cameras they used and why they chose them.

Read More: AFI Fest 2016: 14 Movies We Can’t Wait to See at the Festival

“One Week and a Day”

Arri Alexa Xt

Dir. Asaph Polonsky: “It allowed scenes in long takes and the use of zoom lenses, sticks, dolly, Steadicam and handheld, were the tools that served the D.P., Moshe Mishali, and I the most as we tried to be subtle about reflecting the characters journeys visually.”

“Dark Night”

Arri Amira with Cooke lenses

Dir. Tim Sutton: “Good combination.”

“Divine”

Red Dragon

Dir. Houda Benyamin: “We wanted to work on the idea of focus — getting to details from the big picture, getting to things from a distance, which in a way symbolizes...

The Duplass enerothers have become so synonymous with a certain strain of warmed over indie dramedy that it’s easy to overlook just how twisted they can be, and often are. Directorial efforts like “Baghead” and “Cyrus” have been sliced through with genuinely disturbing behavior, and many of the movies they’ve produced or presented (e.g. “Tangerine” or “The Overnight”) have pushed boundaries of one kind or another, albeit it with such a gentle touch that these transgressions seem as natural as breathing. It’s a helpful way of reframing the modesty of their work and the speed at which they churn it out — it’s not that the Duplai prioritize quantity over quality, but rather that their kooky ideas (and those of the filmmakers they’re eager to support) are too dangerously delicate to support anything bigger than a micro-budget project that’s shot in nine days and destined for VOD.

AFI Fest has announced the selections for its New Auteurs, American Independents, Midnights and Shorts sections. Already announced as part of the weeklong festival, which runs in Hollywood from November 10 – 17, are “Elle,” “20th Century Women” and the world premieres of both “The Comedian” and “Rules Don’t Apply.” Read the full announcement here, and see the New Auteurs, American Independents and Midnight selections below.

Read More: Warren Beatty’s ‘Rules Don’t Apply’ Will Open AFI Fest 2016

New Auteurs

“Always Shine” (dir. Sophia Takal)

“Buster’s Mal Heart” (dir. Sarah Adina Smith)

“Divines” (dir. Houda Benyamina)

“The Future Perfect” (dir. Nele Wohlatz)

“Godless” (dir. Ralitza Petrova)

“Kati Kati” (dir. Mbithi Masya)

“Kill Me Please” (dir. Anita Rocha da Silveira)

“One Week and a Day” (dir. Asaph Polonsky)

“Oscuro Animal” (dir. Felipe Guerrero)

“Still Life” (dir. Maud Alpi)

Read More: Watch: Lola Kirke Takes Us Inside the Mind of an Epileptic...

Amat Escalante’s The Untamed (pictured) and Andrea Arnold’s American Honey will compete for the Cinemax Award for the best competition film at the Mexican festival, set to run from November 9-13.

The other selections in the Competencia Los Cabos main competition strand are: Antonio Campos’ Christine, Kristopher Avedisian’s Donald Cried, Matt Johnson’s Operation Avalanche, Gabe Klinger’s Porto, Rafi Pitts’ Soy Nero, Joey Klein’s The Other Half and Kim Nguyen’s Two Lovers And A Bear.

Competing for top honours in Mexico Primero are: Maria José Cuevas’ Beauties Of The Night, Sebastián Hiriart’s Carroña, Rodrigo Cervantes’ Los Paisages, Lucía Carreras’ Tamara y La Catarina, Ricardo Silva and Omar Guzmán’s William, The New Judo Master, and Juan Andrés Arango’s X500.

Festival heads said most of the Mexico Primero entries came through the festival’s Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund.

The winners of the Cinemax Award for best film in the Competencia...

© (C) Fotopedrazzini.ch / Massimo PedrazziniBelow you will find our favorite films of the 69th Locarno Film Festival, as well as an index of our coverage.Jorge MOURINHAConnections in Invisible Ink: A Look Back at Locarno 69On the International CompetitionCELLULOID Liberation Frontcoveragea Circus, a Wedding, and an Anti-ImperialistOn Tizza Covi & Reiner Frimmel's Mister Universo, Yousry Nasrallah's Brooks, Meadows and Lovely Faces, and Nicolas Wadimoff's Jean Ziegler, the Optimism of WillpowerFilmmakers of the Present & Signs of LifeOn Kris Avedisian's Donald Cried, Júlio Bressane's Beduino, and Anka & Wilhelm Sasnal's The Sun, the Sun Blinded MeINTERVIEWSTalking to Roger Corman, the Pope of Pop CinemaGUSTAVO BECKINTERVIEWSInviting Chance: An Interview with Matías PiñeiroEmbracing Uncertainty: An Interview with Eduardo WilliamsLanguage As a Rehearsal Space: An Interview with Nele Wohlatz...

Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.

– Exclusive: The 24th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival has unveiled its exclusive poster from artist John Alexander. Alexander is a local Hamptons resident and the official 2016 Hiff poster will be based off of his “Ship of Fools” work.

This year’s festival will run from October 6-10. Film titles will be announced at a later date. You can find out more about the festival at its official website. Check out the official poster below.

– USA-based Stage 32, the world’s largest online platform connecting and educating film, TV and theater professionals, will be presenting its short film program at the 2016 Hollyshorts Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, August 19 at the Harmony Gold Theater in Hollywood. The winning filmmakers were chosen by executives from The Weinstein Company,...

Donald CriedFor those unable or unwilling, like yours (un)truly, to sift through the boundless vapidity of what is vaguely termed “American Independent Cinema,” Locarno serves as a somewhat reliable filter, letting through the tight Swiss borders the hottest offerings from across the Atlantic. Like the country that produces it, American cinema possesses an indefatigable vitality and a fearless belief of the future with no room or even time for self-congratulatory nostalgia. Firmly rooted in the present, the American films Locarno showcased over the last few years re/present probably the most damning evidence of what remains relevant or even necessary about contemporary cinema.Donald Cried, Kris Avedisian's debut feature presented in the Cineasti del Presente section, is nothing short of brilliant in that it literally illuminates the murkiest aspects of a corrupted yet most intense friendship. It is around this noblest bond, increasingly subjected to the fluctuations of...

Donald Cried opens in medias res on Peter (Jesse Wakeman), in a cab ride through a snowy suburb, realizing that he lost his wallet, and from there gives successive details of him present due to the death of his grandmother and this, our setting, being his childhood home in small-town Rhode Island — a good omen for this comedy being in the milieu of the Farrelly brothers.

A Wall Street type, he calls a Manhattan connection who, unfortunately, is unwilling to wire him the $100 necessary to get through the day, forcing him to turn to high school friend Donald (Kris Avedisian, also the film’s director) for help after by chance encountering him in the driveway. The first instance of this film’s ample physical comedy comes when Donald, in his bathrobe, climbs over a mound of snow to embrace Peter; you see he’s been waiting twenty years for this moment.

The Locarno Film Festival is known for an eclectic lineup that combines newcomers and veterans of international cinema alongside mainstream fare that screens in its massive outdoor space. The newly announced 2016 edition, which runs August 3 – 13, looks to be no exception. In addition to featuring 16 titles in the Piazza Grande section, 15 in the international competition and another 15 in the Filmmakers of the Present section, the Swiss event will also honor a range of talent.

RelatedHere Are the Participants For the 2016 Locarno Critics Academy

Bill Pullman will visit the festival this year to receive the Excellence Award Moet & Chandon, while the Visions Award will go to “The Lord of the Rings” composer Howard Shore. Participant Media CEO David Line will receive the Premio Raimondo Rezzonico. Locarno will also host tributes to filmmakers Alejandro Jodorwsky, Jonas Mekas, Roger Corman and the late Abbas Kiarostami. Additionally, seven short films produced at Kiarostami’s filmmaking...

The Orchard has acquired North American rights to writer/director Kris Avedisian's dark comedy Donald Cried, which premiered this year at SXSW Film Festival. The company will be released theatrically early next year. With a story by Avedisian, Jesse Wakeman and Kyle Espeleta, the film was produced by Electric Chinoland's Kyle Martin (Tiny Furniture). After Donald Cried debuted at SXSW, the filmmaking team was signed by CAA and Cinetic. Jesse Wakeman stars in the film…...

Exclusive: Following the SXSW debut of Donald Cried, the pic’s filmmakers Kris Avedisian, Jesse Wakeman and Kyle Espeleta have signed with CAA and Cinetic. Based on their Slamdance short of the same name, the film stars Wakeman as Peter Latang who, after the sudden passing of his grandmother, returns home to working-class Warwick, Ri where he encounters childhood friend Donald Treebeck (Avedisian) for what starts as a simple favor and turns into a long van ride into two…...

BehemothAs more prominent film festivals gear up for spring, a smaller though by no means slighter affair begins in New York. New Directors/New Films, curated by Museum of the Modern Art and Film Society of Lincoln Center, unfurls its carefully considered program of 27 features and 10 shorts, with its premise and draw on emerging voices in cinema. Indeed, the festival may very well be a last stop for filmmakers on the rise before they are introduced to wider audiences. Nd/Nf has brought us in the recent past Fort Buchanan and Diary of a Teenage Girl, and longer ago films by Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Chantal Akerman. Most of this year’s selection has premiered at festivals, many have been covered by this very site, and all are compelling. Here are several highlights.***With a narrative rooted loosely on Dante’s Divine Comedy, Zhao Liang’s documentary Behemoth depicts the...

An acclaimed short that developed into the filmmaker’s first feature, Donald Cried, a buddy comedy set in director Kris Avedisian’s home state of Rhode Island, had its world premiere last weekend in the Narrative Feature Competition section of SXSW. Jesse Wakeman and Avedisian (as the title character) reprise their leading roles as the odd couple pairing, friends reunited in their hometown thanks to the death of a grandmother. Taking John Hughes’ Planes, Trains & Automobiles as its road trip, structural inspiration, the film finds the two men sharing a van as tensions from their past arise. Donald Cried will next screen in the Film Society of […]...