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Long before she was a movie star, a teenage Nicole Kidman appeared in the early-’80s action comedy “BMX Bandits,” a rowdy Australian kidpic full of bicycle stunts and Scooby-Doo crime-stopping shenanigans. It’s too early to say whether any of the adorable young leads in “Riddle of Fire” will go on to have successful acting careers. Still, it’s amusing to think that two decades into the 21st century, writer-director Weston Razooli has taken inspiration from such questionable classics, along with vintage live-action Disney fare — like “Escape from Witch Mountain” and the Herbie movies, which the studio sold in puffy white VHS cases — for his own retro-spirited debut.

Spun from equal parts imagination and nostalgia, “Riddle of Fire” comes as close as any film since “Spy Kids” or “Kisses” to mirroring the kind of cinematic adventures we made in our heads as kids. Razooli remembers how it feels to...

Slowdive is bringing their upcoming tour to North America. On Tuesday, the group announced the dates for their upcoming shows across the U.S. in promotion of the group’s 2023 LP, Everything Is Alive.

After dates in the UK, Europe, and Asia early in the year, the group will head stateside for a run of shows across the country. They’ll open their U.S. tour in Ventura on April 25 before heading to cities such as Albuquerque, Indianapolis, Louisville, Dallas, Birmingham, and Atlanta.

Tickets for all of the shows go on sale on Dec.

Type O Negative’s seminal album Bloody Kisses turned 30 this year, and Z2 Comics is celebrating the occasion with a graphic novel and picture-disc vinyl reissue.

The graphic novel will feature 12 stories based on songs from what is widely considered the ultimate gothic metal album. The book includes art and stories from contributors Andy Biersack (Black Veil Brides), Carla Harvey (Butcher Babies), Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil), and Burton C. Bell (Fear Factory), and more. A release is set for spring 2024.

“Type O Negative is one of those rare bands that created a musical genre by their very existence, and Bloody Kisses is one of those unexpected glorious releases that flipped the table of what was expected from hard rock and metal bands when it came out,” commented editor-in-chief Rantz Hoseley via a press release. “Thirty years later, there’s no band that can go head to head with what they accomplished with that album,...

Slowdive has officially released their fifth studio album, everything is alive. Stream the record and the new music video for the single “alife” below.

The dream pop band first indicated that they were working on everything is alive in February 2022, and shared news this past April that they had finished it. In June, they officially announced the album and unveiled its lead single, “kisses,” which was named Consequence’s Song of the Week. This was followed up with more singles, “skin in the game” and “slab.” Now, the record as a whole has arrived. Listen to it below.

The album release comes a day after the band shared its final single, “alfie,” along with a new music video. Speaking about the song in a statement, the band’s Neil Halstead explained that producer Shawn Everett helped bring it to life. “‘alife’ is one of the first tunes we finished for the record,...

Thirty years after Slowdive’s Souvlaki helped define the shoegaze movement, Everything Is Alive, the band’s fifth studio album and second since regrouping in 2014, finds them trading their signature tremolo-soaked guitars for crisp, modulated synths, resulting in an uncharacteristically polished sound. Flashes of unrefined haze still manage to work their way into the songs, though, pointing to the album’s primary theme: the duality between old and new.

There’s always been a superhuman quality to Slowdive’s music. Rachel Goswell’s and Neil Halstead’s vocals meld so harmoniously that they often sound like they’re coming from a single person—“I know you dream of snowfields/Floating high above the trees,” they sing on “Kisses,” yearning for new beginnings—while Christian Savill’s guitars constitute a voice all its own. Bassist Nick Chaplin and drummer Simon Scott introduce a layer of tonal depth and texture, and this...

Blind Beast.You could start cradled like the kidnapped woman in the undulating foam curves that resemble a gigantic female torso in Blind Beast (1969). You could make your approach via the swing of a Super-8 camera towards the steps of a courthouse at the beginning of A Wife Confesses (1961). You could drift into A Cheerful Girl (1957) through the kitchen window, onto a table laden with groceries and bottles of fluorescent orange soda-pop. You could inject yourself like morphine into Red Angel (1966), seep like body ink into the skin of Spider Tattoo (1966), or slide into the fevered bloodstream of All Mixed Up (1964) like powdered poison swallowed from a kite-paper pouch. Whether you arrive on the tip of a blade or the cusp of a kiss, there is no wrong place to start with Yasuzo Masumura, the postwar Japanese director whose astonishing accomplishment should by rights have him mentioned in the same...

Slowdive are counting down to the release of their forthcoming album everything is alive on September 1st via Dead Oceans, and they’re giving another preview with the single “the slab.”

While the previous singles Slowdive have shared ahead of everything is alive stayed more in line with their usual schtick of hushed, jangly dream-pop, “the slab” is bigger and bolder, filtering a healthy dose of wall-of-sound guitars with atmospheric production — and just as much reverb as you would expect.

“This is the heaviest track on the record and as the name suggests we wanted it to feel like a big slab of music,” vocalist/guitarist Neil Halstead explains in a press release. “We wanted it to feel very dense.” Stream “the slab” below.

“the slab” follows previous singles “skin in the game” and “kisses,” the latter of which was named Consequence’s Song of the Week. Slowdive are also...

Slowdive have released new song “Skin in the Game.” It’s their second single off of their forthcoming album Everything Is Alive, following “Kisses.”

“I won’t know and you won’t say it now,” Neil Halstead sings on the contemplative track. “’Cause you don’t say and I will never ask.” The gauzy song is accompanied by a spiraling visualizer.

Everything Is Alive is the shoegaze icons’ first studio album since 2017’s eponymous LP, which marked their first LP in 22 years. It arrives on Sept. 1 via Dead Oceans.

The band — Halstead,...

Just under a month removed from the announcement of their new, forthcoming studio album, Slowdive have returned with another new single: a reflective, dreamy track entitled “skin in the game.” Watch the visualizer for the song below.

Anchored by Neil Halstead’s forlorn vocals, “skin in the game” captures the hazy beauty and reflective soundscapes that Slowdive have been celebrated for purveying since they first debuted. This time around, the overlapping layers of acoustics and processed electric guitars blend effortlessly with Halstead’s vocals as he sings lyrics like “I won’t know and you won’t say it now/ ‘cos you don’t say and I will never ask.” Listen to the song below.

Last month, Slowdive announced that their fifth studio album, everything is alive, will drop on September 1st via Dead Oceans. Alongside the announcement, they unveiled the LP’s first single, “kisses,” which was named Consequence’s Song of the Week.

Since he was nominated for both an Oscar and a BAFTA (which he later won) for his scene-stealing supporting performance in The Banshees of Inisherin, there’s been much talk about Barry Keoghan’s inspiring rise to fame.

As will likely be etched into Irish folklore as his Hollywood trajectory continues its sharp ascent, the Dubliner — born in one of the city’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods — would spend seven years in foster homes as a child. It was only around 2008, aged 16, when Keoghan’s love of movies was piqued by an ad in a shop window looking for actors for a new crime drama that was being shot locally. Three years later, he landed a role in Irish TV series Love/Hate (which would become a breeding ground for young Irish talent), followed by 2014’s indie hit ‘72, before breaking out internationally in 2017 with both Dunkirk and The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

Brazilian pop star Anitta has added five new songs to the deluxe edition of Versions of Me, which arrives today, Aug. 26.

The five new tracks include some of the all-star collaborations Anitta has released over the past few weeks, including “El Que Espera” with Maluma and “Lobby” with Missy Elliott. The new tracklist also features collaborations with Aap Ferg and Harv (“Practice”), as well as L7nnon and Maffio (“Yo No Se”). Anitta, Pedro Sampaio, and Dadju’s “Dançarina Remix” with Nicky Jam and Mc Pedrinho, is also included.

The deluxe...

So, How Was Your Decade is a series in which the decade’s most innovative musicians answer our questionnaire about the music, culture and memorable moments that shaped their decade. We’ll be rolling these pieces out throughout December.

It’s exceptionally rare that a Brazilian artist ever breaks the international music market. Yet at the age of 26, Rio de Janeiro superstar Anitta has not only tackled the industry in her home country, but with over 13 million YouTube subscribers and 43.6 million followers on Instagram, her star power rivals that of other pop music divas.

Finding a cinematic route into of one the bleakest periods in a country’s history is no easy feat, which may be why Black 47 is the first film set during Ireland’s devastating famine of the mid-19th century.

“It’s sort of the most important single moment in Irish history, and one of the darker chapters in the history of the relationship between Britain and Ireland,” says director Lance Daly, known for the 2008 award-winning coming-of-age drama Kisses. “So it’s amazing that another filmmaker hasn’t tackled it before.”

The Great Famine (also known as the Great Hunger or, for those outside the...

The Irish famine drama also stars Stephen Rea, Freddie Fox.

Production has commenced on Irish famine drama Black 47 starring Hugo Weaving (Hacksaw Ridge) and Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent (Iris).

The eight-week shoot will take place in Connemara, Kildara and Wicklow.

Black 47 is directed by Lance Daly, whose previous films include Life’s A Breeze and Kisses. Daly teamed with Pj Dillon (Rewind), Pierce Ryan (Standby) and Eugene O’Brien (The Flag) to write the screenplay.

Set in Ireland during the Great Famine, the drama follows an Irish Ranger named Feeney, who has been fighting for the British Army abroad, as he abandons his post to reunite with his family. Despite experiencing the horrors of war, Feeney is shocked by the famine’s destruction of his homeland and the brutalisation of his people and his family.

When Feeney sets on a destructive path to avenge his kin, an ageing British soldier is sent to stop him before...

Exclusive: Emilia Clarke and Noel Clarke thrillers also among titles to secure German deals.

Swiss distributor Ascot Elite Entertainment Group has finalised rights to a string of high-profile independent titles for German-speaking Europe.

The company’s Afm haul includes all rights to a new documentary biopic about iconic musician Prince from Us sales outfit 13 Films

Directed and produced by Michael Kirk (Find Your Groove), Prince: R U Listening? is set to chart the musician’s early years and rise to super-stardom as seen through the eyes of his bandmates, friends and family including Dez Dickerson, Prince’s first guitar player and Andre Cymone, Prince’s close friend and original bassist.

Contributors will also include Bono, Mick Jagger, Billy Idol, Lenny Kravitz and Sheila E. The film is due to be relesed in Q2, 2017.

Also from 13 Films, the company picked up completed mystery-thriller Voice From The Stone, starring Emilia Clarke (Game Of Thrones), Marton Csokas (The Equalizer) and Caterina Murino...

Exclusive: Ascot Elite’s Afm haul also includes Emilia Clarke and Noel Clarke thrillers.

Ascot Elite Entertainment Group has finalised rights to a string of high-profile independent titles for German-speaking Europe.

The company’s Afm haul includes all rights to a new documentary biopic about iconic musician Prince from Us sales outfit 13 Films

Directed and produced by acclaimed Us doc producer Michael John Kirk, known for his work on PBS documentary series Frontline, Prince: R U Listening? is set to chart the musician’s early years and rise to super-stardom as seen through the eyes of his bandmates, friends and family including Dez Dickerson, Prince’s first guitar player and Andre Cymone, Prince’s close friend and original bassist.

Contributors will also include Bono, Mick Jagger, Billy Idol, Lenny Kravitz and Sheila E. The film is due to be relesed in Q2, 2017.

Also from 13 Films, the company picked up completed mystery-thriller Voice From The Stone, starring...

Irish Film Board also backs several other features and grants co-production funds to a revenge thriller starring Game Of Thrones’ Natalie Dormer.

A biopic of tragic singer Amy Winehouse, directed by Irish filmmaker Kirsten Sheridan, is among the productions backed by the Irish Film Board in its latest round of funding decisions.

Actress Noomi Rapace is already attached to the untitled project, which is also scripted by Sheridan (In America). It has received a production funding commitment of €540,000.

It is one of several projects backed by the Ifb as it attempts to build on what has been a successful period for the Irish film industry.

Ghost story The Lodgers, written by musician and professor of gothic literature David Turpin, has received production funding of €600,000. Directed by Brian O’Malley (Let Us Prey), it will be produced by Tailored Films (Stitches).

Described as a classic ghost story, The Lodgers tells the story of orphaned twins Edward and Rachel...

Exclusive: Growing Dublin-based distributor is inking deals for key local fare as well as sub-licensing for London-based distributors.

Irish distributor Wildcard Distribution has secured a wide and varied slate of forthcoming releases - including new projects from some of Ireland’s strongest emerging filmmakers.

Two crime-themed films, The Young Offenders and Cardboard Gangsters, which have completed production, will have their world premieres at the Galway Film Fleadh in July.

The Young Offenders is inspired by the bizarre case of Ireland’s biggest-ever drug seizure in 2007. The haul, off the coast of West Cork, took place after a boat capsized, leaving bales of cocaine floating in the water.

It fired the imagination of first-time feature director Peter Foott, whose film focuses on two Cork city teenagers who embark on a 160km road trip to steal some of the bales. The film will be released in Ireland this autumn.

Also on the company’s release slate is Cardboard Gangsters, the new...

Life’s a Breeze

Written by Lance Daly

Directed by Lance Daly

Ireland, 2013

Greed is an interesting thing, one of the seven deadly sins which sometimes brings out the very worst in people. Money is a very attractive motivator and in desperate times, can turn good-natured individuals into devious scoundrels. The Irish dramedy Life’s a Breeze does focus on greed and the unfortunate effect it has on family but it does it in a way that is light and at times, rather farcical. It is a film about family, first and foremost, and how something as material as money can either bring the family together or tear it apart.

Nan (Fionnula Flannagan) is an aging woman living by her lonesome in gritty part of Dublin, Ireland. Her family consists of oddball slackers who mean well but end up irritating Nan to no end. The “leader” of the clan is...

The Little Foxes: Daly’s Heartfelt Family Drama Pleasantly Rendered

Arriving with a bit more investment than its airy title would suggest, Lance Daly returns to Ireland for his latest film, Life’s a Breeze. A simple, working class fable, Daly fills in the schmaltzy pot holes with dry humor, relying on his comfortable cast to sustain the tale’s relatable charm. Pared down to a brisk eighty or so minutes, Daly’s film never outwears its welcome and proves to be a great showcase for the superb Fionnula Flanagan.

Times are tough for all over, and an extended Dublin family centered on matriarch Nan (Fionnula Flanagan) don’t seem to have many monetary options available to them. Her eldest son, Colm (Pat Shortt) is still living with mum and in his late forties, the house a mess with decades of old and useless belongings cluttering the rooms and halls.

Ireland’s Galway Film Fleadh launched its 25th edition last night (July 9) with a screening of Spanish-Irish co-production Tasting Menu [pictured].

Director Roger Gual and star Fionnula Flanagan attended the screening at Galway’s Town Hall Theatre and joined guests afterwards for an opening night party at the Galway Rowing Club. Tasting Menu is produced by Zentropa Spain and Ireland’s Subotica.

The Fleadh runs until July 14, with guests set to include Zachary Quinto, screenwriter Daniel Waters and Julien Temple, who will all take part in masterclasses. Saoirse Ronan will also attend the festival, while Hubbard Casting will deliver a casting workshop.

President of Ireland Michael D Higgins will also attend the Fleadh to present Ronan and James Morris, former Irish Film Board chair and founding member and CEO of Windmill Lane Pictures, with Galway Hookers, the festival’s highest accolade.

Galway is renowned as a platform for new Irish talent, and local films...

Irish director Lance Daly, who last helmed the exquisite, magical Kisses, brings the same stark, dreamy palette to this decidedly different tale about a medical resident overwhelmed by his newfound responsibility and power. The premise of The Good Doctor, a phrase/theme reiterated ad nauseam throughout the script, is disturbing (and purposely so), but unfortunately too hard to swallow to elicit the sympathetic response the filmmakers are going for. Reactions instead range from disbelief to disgust....

After leaving his native Britain for the U.S., Dr. Martin Blake (Orlando Bloom) begins his residency in general medicine in a chaotic, understaffed hospital in an unspecified coastal city. This well-mannered, middle-class young man is vying for a fellowship in infectious diseases. Unfortunately, he is off to a bad start: He falls out with a powerful nurse, Theresa (Taraji P. Henson); and he inadvertently endangers a non-English-speaking patient with a potentially lethal dose of penicillin.

Screenwriter John Enbom succeeds in a difficult balancing act: The more events point to Martin’s culpability in two deaths, the greater his superiors’ enthusiasm for his work. The odds for his receiving the grant increase, in spite of his carelessness and emotional disarray. You actually want him to get caught. This is an unusual role for Bloom, who is here much more of a pasty nerd than the suave athletic types he is known for.

Cillian Murphy's 'Broken' and Kirsten Sheridan's 'Dollhouse' were among the winners at the Odessa International Film Festival in Ukraine. 'Broken', adapted from Daniel Clay's novel of the same name by Irish screenwriter Mark O'Rowe (Intermission), won the festival's Grand Prix prize. The film was directed by Rufus Norris and features Murphy, Tim Roth and Rory Kinnear among its cast members. Meanwhile, the cast of Irish director Kirsten Sheridan's new drama, 'Dollhouse', were celebrating after winning the award for Best Actors. Set in Dublin, 'Dollhouse' follows a group of teenagers who break into a house and stars Seana Kerslake (Life's a Breeze), Johnny Ward (This Must Be The Place, Two Hearts), Jack Reynor (What Richard Did, Three Wise Men), Kate Stanley Brennan (Raw, Fair City), Shane Curry (Kisses) and Ciaran McCabe (What Richard Did).

Chicago – Many critics failed to take Lynne Ramsay’s “We Need to Talk About Kevin” seriously, dismissing it as an art house retread of “The Omen.” Such a simplistic label fails to take into account the film’s carefully textured portrait of a deeply fractured mother-son relationship. Though the film takes its premise to melodramatic extremes, it does harbor considerable insight into the repercussions of a disconnect between parent and child.

Eva (Tilda Swinton) is the sort of mother who causes strangers to wince while passing her in the supermarket. She can barely contain the intense dislike that she feels for her child. Motherhood is a form of entrapment in her eyes, and her attempts to care for her young son lack any sense of genuine compassion. When she snaps on a hollow smile to calm her crying son, the moment is both chilling and darkly funny. It only gets...

Talk to Kirsten Sheridan, director of August Rush and her latest Dollhouse (pictured and premiering in the Panorama section of the 2012 Berlinale) about The Factory, the collective she co-founded with fellow filmmakers John Carney (Once) and Lance Daly (Kisses), and it soon becomes apparent that Ireland’s recent financial woes have done little to dampen Dublin’s Diy spirit. If anything the collapse has, ironically, helped artists, Sheridan theorizes, by making their outsized dreams affordable. Indeed, in a thriving economy just meeting the rent on a space big enough to house everything from production studios, to a fully equipped camera department and editing facilities, to a digital cinema and a recording studio, would leave no time for these Factory friends to actually collectively create.

Which is exactly what they’ve been doing in this one-stop, mom-and-pop shop since 2009. And now that Carney’s The Rafters is also due to be released,...

Irish director Kirsten Sheridan's latest film 'Dollhouse' is to have its North American premiere at the South by South West festival in Austen Texas this March in the 'Emerging Visions' category. The title along with 17 others was whittled down from 570 international films entered to the festival. 'Dollhouse' a drama set in Dublin follows six street kids who break into a house in Dalkey and stars Seana Kerslake (Life's a Breeze), Johnny Ward (This Must Be The Place, Two Hearts), Jack Reynor (What Richard Did, Three Wise Men), Kate Stanley Brennan (Raw, Fair City), Shane Curry (Kisses) and Ciaran McCabe (What Richard Did).

'Life's a Breeze' the latest film from writer and director Lance Daly (The Good Doctor, Kisses) started filming in Dublin last week. It is scheduled to film in Dublin for four weeks until Christmas before moving to Sweden to shoot for a further two weeks. The film, which follows the lives of a family as they search for a lost fortune, stars Fionnula Flanagan (The Guard, The Others), Eva Birthistle (Wakewood, Breakfast on Pluto), Pat Shortt (The Guard, Garage) and new comer Kelly Thornton.

Gina Herold Gabriel Byrne, left, and Enda Walsh

Directors Jim Sheridan and Enda Walsh chatted with actor Gabriel Byrne yesterday at MoMA about their own films and others, as part of “Revisiting The Quiet Man: Ireland on Film,” an exhibit which runs through June 3. John Ford’s classic 1952 story about Sean Thornton (John Wayne), an American boxer born in Ireland who returns to Innisfree and falls in love with Mary Kate Danneher (Maureen O’Hara), is more than just a feel-good St.

As a general rule, it's usually considered unwise for a heartthrob type to play a bad guy early in their career, which is a shame since being easy on the eyes always makes the pain when they plunge the knife in just a little more painful. Orlando Bloom's Dr. Martin Blake doesn't want to have anything to do with knives - his desire to make it into the internal medicine program is so he'll never have to administer needles, let alone a scalpel. Yet with hair swept over his forehead, you know Bloom has finally gone over to the dark side as Blake, a first-year resident who drowns in moral quandaries after becoming unusually obsessed with one of his patients (Riley Keough).

One wouldn't be entirely wrong to think Blake is interested in the pyelonephritis sufferer Diane because of her blue eyes and blonde hair, but where John Enbom...

Recently the Tribeca Film Festival announced it’s lineup for its heavy hitters: Spotlight, Cinemania, and Specials Screening sections. With selections such as Troll Hunters, Let the Bullets Fly, and Point Blank only scratching the surface of the variety and diversity of this year’s slate, Tff 2011 is looking out to be very promising. Check out the lineups by viewing the press release below. The remaining feature films will be announced March 23, with full coverage by the end of April.

10th Tribeca Film Festival Announces Film Selections

For Spotlight And Cinemania Sections And Special Screenings

***

Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival Lineup Also Revealed

New York, NY [March 14, 2011] – The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, today announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight and Cinemania sections, as well as Special Screenings and the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival lineup. The 10th edition of the Festival will take place from...

The 2011 Tribeca Film Festival will host thirty-three films this year, beginning April 20th. This one of a kind event that takes place in New York each year and 2011 is a special time for horror and thriller fans. Two dozen thrillers and horror features will show this year, with Rabies, Saint, Trollhunter, and The Bleeding House standing out. Each of these four films will be part of Tribeca's Cinemania feature, which consists of films "that defy categorization from all around the world." Have a closer look at several of the more exciting films to show at the festival, below.

The Assault (L’assaut)

Director: Julien Leclerq, Writers: Simon Moutairou and Julien Leclerq.

(France) – International Premiere, Narrative.

"Christmas Eve, 1994. In war-torn Algiers, four men uniformed as border guards hijack Air France Flight 8969, foreboding doom for all 220 passengers. But on their arrival in Marseilles, the elite French Swat force waits to avert tragedy.

Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival Lineup Also Revealed

New York, NY [March 14, 2011] . The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, today announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight and Cinemania sections, as well as Special Screenings and the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival lineup. The 10th edition of the Festival will take place from April 20 to May 1 in lower Manhattan.

.Now that the majority of the program has been announced I believe you will see the rich variety and quality of the films and talent that we are presenting at Tribeca this year,. said David Kwok, Director of Programming. .The program is about both discovery and showcasing a broad range of filmmaking to our eclectic and diverse audiences who are passionate about film..

.This year.s Spotlight is a mixture of carefully selected festival favorites from around the globe, highly anticipated releases, a number of new works by high...

The 10th Tribeca Film Festival (April 20-May 1) announced Monday its feature film selections in the Spotlight and Cinemania sections, as well as Special Screenings and the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival lineup.

Spotlight is comprised of 33 films, including 16 documentaries and 17 narratives, 16 of which will world premiere at the Festival. The Cinemania section offers an eclectic assortment of eight narrative films that defy categorization from all around the world.

Meanwhile, the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival will feature the world premiere of Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney’s “Catching Hell” as its Centerpiece Gala. The film explores the relationship between Chicago Cubs fans and Steve Bartman following his infamous near-catch of a foul ball in Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series.

The complete list of films selected for Spotlight, Cinemania, and Special Screenings follow, as well as the titles in the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival. Descriptions were provided by the festival.

The 10th Tribeca Film Festival (April 20-May 1) announced Monday its feature film selections in the Spotlight and Cinemania sections, as well as Special Screenings and the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival lineup.

Spotlight is comprised of 33 films, including 16 documentaries and 17 narratives, 16 of which will world premiere at the Festival. The Cinemania section offers an eclectic assortment of eight narrative films that defy categorization from all around the world.

Meanwhile, the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival will feature the world premiere of Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney’s “Catching Hell” as its Centerpiece Gala. The film explores the relationship between Chicago Cubs fans and Steve Bartman following his infamous near-catch of a foul ball in Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series.

The complete list of films selected for Spotlight, Cinemania, and Special Screenings follow, as well as the titles in the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival. Descriptions were provided by the festival.

This year’s Tribeca will be running from Wednesday, April 20 to Sunday, May 1, so its close start date means that the lineup of movies are coming in fast. We’ve already gotten the World Narrative and World Documentary categories, and the next batch of movies have just been revealed.

Thanks to Deadline, we now have movies in the Spotlight, Cinemania, Special Screening and Sports categories. The list isn’t half bad; the one I’m looking forward to the most is The Guard, which got very strong reviews at Sundance earlier this year. All the categories seem to have solid picks, and I’d say this is shaping up to be a good year. Tfs will be there (including me!), so many of these movies will have reviews up on the site when the festival runs. Take a look at it below:

Spotlight

· The Assault (L’assaut), directed by Julien Leclerq,...

Well, congratulations New Yorkers, because you’ll get to see at least 2 films I saw at Sundance in January, when they screen at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival, which just announced the second half of its festival lineup – the Spotlight, Cinemania, and Special Screening sections, most notably.

The films I’m referring to are Michael Rapaport’s Tribe Called Quest documentary, Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, and The Guard, which Don Cheadle co-stars in, as an FBI agent (or is it CIA).

I’m still planning on going through the full list of entries to spotlight any titles worthy of this website, and I’ll do that in coming days/weeks… definitely before the festival begins next month – a festival I plan to attend, since it’s right in my backyard.

Worth noting is that Rapaport’s doc will be making its New York premiere, the...

With all the "Black Swan" hoopla, am I the only one who thinks that the film, while well-made, is not deserving of all these hyper-crazed adulations? Portman was good, but I prefer Annette Bening's understated performance in "The Kids Are All Right." Or heck, Jennifer Lawrence's "Winter's Bone" performance could easily outdance Portman's delusional ballerina portrayal any day.

And "Winter's Bone," celebrating its true independent spirit, was virtually snubbed at last night's Independent Spirit Awards. Sure, the excellent supporting cast was honored with Dale Dickey winning Best Supporting Female and John Hawkes for Best Supporting Male, but the engaging and deeply haunting Debra Granik movie (with the most nominations totaling to seven nods) lost out to...you guessed it, Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan." (Check out my "Winter's Bone" movie review right here)

And yes, I do admire Aronofsky, I thought "The Wrestler" was one of his personal...

So last week was admittedly a slog of subversive family drama. Thankfully this week offered some truly intriguing indie efforts.

First I was introduced to the marvelous and miniature world of Marwencol, next subjected to the dreary worldview of Everything Stranger and New, then exposed to the heart-filled weight loss journey of Lbs., and finally watched a truly enchanting tale of young love unfold in Kisses.

———-

Marwencol ~ Directed by Jeff Malmberg

This carefully crafted doc unfolds the story of Mark Hogancamp, a drunk whose life changed dramatically after he was beaten within an inch of his life outside a local bar. His attackers “kicked every memory of [his] head,” leaving Hogancamp to relearn basic motor skills and grappling to rediscover himself. His method of self-made therapy: constructing a model town named Marwencol that he peoples with miniature doppelgangers of his loved ones. With these figures he enacts winding wishful narratives,...

Best Documentary "Exit Through the Gift Shop" It's hard to know whether street artist Banksy's feature documentary is what it claims to be—a doc about an obsessive man who falls in love with the world of street art (where artists place their work in public, risking arrest for vandalism), fashioning himself as the most financially successful street artist in history—or is Banksy's best prank to date. The film follows the life of buffoonish French expatriate Thierry Guetta, a happy-go-lucky proprietor of an overpriced hipster-wear store in West Hollywood with the curious habit of videotaping everything that happens to him. Guetta persuades his cousin, a street artist known as Space Invader, to become the subject of a "documentary," which leads Guetta to other street artists like Obama icon-maker Shepard Fairey and ultimately to the white whale of street artists: the ultra-secretive Banksy (interviewed in silhouette, of course...

By Christopher Stipp

The Archives, Right Here

Check out my other column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp

Little Fockers - Screening

Live in Phoenix or the nearby environs? Interested in seeing Little Fockers on December 16? Then, pal, I have just the ticket for you. In fact, I have a lot of tickets so by all means shoot me a line at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com and I’ll see about hooking you up with passes to see it.

Need to know more? Here’s some information:

This holiday season come Little Fockers the third installment in this blockbuster series (Meet The Parents and Meet the Fockers.) The test of wills between Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) and Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) escalates to new heights as Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) and Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) and the family...

Lance Daly's 'Kisses' has been nominated for a Spirit Award in the category of Foreign Film. The film recently finished its American theatrical release and will compete for the Foreign Film title at a gala ceremony on February 26th 2011. The Ifta winning Irish feature is written and directed by Lance Daly (The Halo Effect), and had a select theatrical release in the U.S this summer and autumn. The film has already enjoyed huge success in America, having been officially selected for screening at festivals including Toronto and Miami and walked away with latter event's Audience Award.

I'm so glad that "Winter's Bone" has been receiving all the accolades. I love this film when it was shown in limited release last summer. The backwoods drama won big at the Gothams Awards winning Best Feature and Best Ensemble, and now, it dominated the Independent Spirit Awards with seven nominations including Best Feature, Director for Debra Granik, Screenplay for Granik and Anne Rosellini, Female Lead for Jennifer Lawrence, Supporting Female for Dale Dickey, Supporting Male for John Hawkes, and Cinematography for Michael McDonough. ("Winter's Bone" Movie Review)

"Winter's Bone" will compete against "127 Hours," "Black Swan," "Greenberg" and "The Kids Are All Right" for best picture.

Related Links:

"127 Hours" interviews with James Franco, Danny Boyle, and Simon Beaufoy

"Greenberg" Movie Review and Interviews with Ben Stiller, Greta Gerwig, and Rhys Ifans

"The Kids Are All Right" Movie Review and Interviews with Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson, and...

Chicago – When we’re young, a relatively short distance can seem like a trip around the world. I vividly remember thinking my grandparents lived in another country when I was a kid when it was really just the other side of town. Naturally, when two kids run away from home and go from a rural nightmare into the big city, it’s going to feel not unlike Dorothy traveling to Oz. This sense of adventure, wonder, and magical reality infuses every frame of Lance Daly’s beautiful “Kisses,” a delightful Irish art film recently released on DVD.

DVD Rating: 5.0/5.0

Kylie (Kelly O’Neill) and Dylan (Shane Curry) have lived a rough life on the outskirts of Dublin. Kylie seems barely noticed in a family with five siblings and an overworked mother. She clearly has adolescent feelings of growing love for her neighbor Dylan, a young man who has more pain...

#12. The Good Doctor - Lance Daly Kisses director Lance Daly made a splash with Kisses two years back, that quickly secured him this shot in L.A. project which includes plenty of Sundance alumni in Orlando Bloom, Riley Keough, Taraji P. Henson, Michael Peña and a small cameo from J.K. Simmons. The Good Doctor, a drama thriller would aspire to a Premieres category world preem to be followed by a possible showing in Berlin. Written by John Enbom, Dr. Martin Ploeck (Orlando Bloom), who has spent his life looking for respect, meets an 18-year-old patient named Diane (Riley Keough), suffering from a kidney infection, and gets a much-needed boost of self-esteem. However, when her health starts improving, Martin fears losing her, so he begins tampering with her treatment, keeping Diane sick and in the hospital right next to him. * Producers: Orlando Bloom, Dan Etheridge (The Nines) and Jonathan King(Ioncinema.

It's been a while since we've done a giveaway on the site, but this week the good folks at Oscilloscope Laboratories [1] have provided us with two copies of an acclaimed Irish film called Kisses. I haven't seen it, but based on the quality of their other releases I can only assume that this is definitely worth checking out. The film is directed by Lance Daly and the basic plot synopsis is as follows: "Two kids, Dylan and Kylie, run away from home at Christmas and spend a night of magic and terror on the streets of inner-city Dublin." To enter, just send your name and mailing address to filmjunk@gmail.com [2] with "Kisses Giveaway" in the subject line. We’ll randomly pick the winners from all the entries we receive and notify them by next Tuesday (Nov. 2nd). Extras include: Audio commentary with the candy-chomping, cheeky stars, Kelly O'Neill and...

A look at what's new on DVD today:

"Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy"

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Released by Universal Home Entertainment

Yes, we're finally getting the footage of the original Marty McFly, Eric Stoltz, for the first time, but for many simply having the hi-def version of Robert Zemeckis' time-travel franchise will be good enough. Commentaries, deleted scenes, a full-length documentary and much, much more come on this new set of the trilogy.

"Alien Anthology"

Directed by Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Released by Fox Home Entertainment

While not as much of an upgrade over its previous DVD release as "Back to the Future," the Blu-ray update of the four "Alien" films worth owning now boasts isolated scores for each film, all of Ridley Scott's sketches for the first "Alien," the uncut documentary of David Fincher's ill-fated "Alien 3" as...

An English language feature film co-produced by Ireland and the Netherlands “Nothing Personal” has been shortlisted for the European Discovery-the Prix Fipresci at this years European Film Academy. The award is presented annually to a young and upcoming director. “Nothing Personal” is about Anne who leaves her life behind her in the Netherlands and moves to Ireland. “Alone in her empty flat, from her window Anne observes the people passing by who nervously snatch up the personal belongings and pieces of furniture she has put out on the pavement. Her final gesture of taking a ring off her finger signals she is leaving her previous life in Holland behind. She goes to Ireland, where she chooses to lead a solitary, wandering existence, striding through the austere landscapes of Connemara. During her travels, she discovers a house that is home to a hermit, Martin,” writes IMDb. The movie is written and...

The European Film Academy has announced this year's nominations for the European Discovery – the Prix Fipresci, amongst them is Ireland/Netherlands co-production, 'Nothing Personal'. 'Nothing Personal' is written and directed by Urszula Antoniak (Vaarwel) in her English language feature film debut. It was co-produced by Fastnet Films' Macdara Kelleher (Kisses) and Morgan Bushe (Colony) filmed on location in Connemara. The Ifta nominated film follows a growing intimacy between a young runaway played by Dutch actress Lotte Verbeek (Links) and 'Ondine' actor, Stephen Rea's reclusive loner.

Following on from its pilot broadcast last Christmas, Pat Shortt's hapless detective 'Mattie' will return for a new six part series starting Sunday, September 5th. Directed by Shimmy Marcus (Soul Boy) the series was shot in June 2010 around locations in Limerick.The comedy re-unites 'Garage' actor Pat with his original 'Mattie' cast members including Lesley Conroy (Eden), Alvaro Lucchesi (The Count of Monte Cristo), Sean McDonagh (Kisses) and Joe Taylor (Veronica Guerin). Shortt plays Mattie Dwyer, a country detective – who boasts a recurring ability to get into comic misadventures. Mattie's team include feisty female detective Sharon Kelly (played by Lesley Conroy), his smug fellow detectives, Tom and Felix (played by Alvaro Lucchesi and Sean McDonagh) and Superintendent O'Meara (played by Joe Taylor).