“Marion” is a story about the only female bull-jumper in France, Caroline Nogues-Larbere. Who knew that France had a sport called “La Course Landaise,” which looks a lot like a bullfight, except that the bullfighters don’t kill the bull but ...
In the short film “Sister Wives” Director/Star Louisa Connolly-Burnham plays Kaidence, the wife of a polygamous husband (Mormon) who must welcome a new wife, 19-year-old Galilee, into her home. Mia McKenna-Bruce plays Galilee. This is actually streaming on Channel 14, which, I ...
“Motherland” – This 24 minute 21 second short dealt with a couple–an Iranian man and a girl from Iowa— who are meeting the girl’s in-laws for the first time. The Jasmin Mozaffari film is set against the backdrop of the ...
“His Mother,” a 13 minute and 39 second short film that is Oscar eligible, stars Jennifer Lawrence look-alike Bethany Anne Lind as the mother of a young man who is threatening violence at his college, Southern Tech. Young Harrison Miller, age ...
One of the most intriguing films in theaters now is Heretic. This horror-suspense thriller, written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, showcases their storytelling prowess once again. The duo, who hail from Bettendorf, Iowa, first gained fame with ...
Here are five short films that are Oscar-eligible shorts. This is my attempt to help acquaint you with some of the contenders for this year’s Academy Awards. “Moeder,” “Then Comes the Body,” “Fireline,” “Will I See You Again?” and “Sunflower.” ...
Robert Zemeckis returned to his hometown for closing night of the 60th Chicago International Film Festival with “Here.” Zemeckis often produces movies at the fore-front of technology (Back to the Future (1985), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Forrest Gump (1994), Contact (1997), The Polar ...
Five Oscar-eligible shorts I’ve seen recently are “Tea,” “Corpse Fishing,” “Anuja,” “Heart of Texas” and “Deck 5B.” There are more to come, but here’s how the first five struck me, listed in the order I enjoyed them: Tea Directed ...
“Blitz,” by British director Steve McQueen, depicts Londoners during the Blitz (blitzkrieg) of World War II in 1940. The harrowing drama focuses on a young bi-racial boy (Elliott Heffernan). Elliot was sent to the countryside by his mother (Saoirse Ronan) ...
The Finnish film “Long Good Thursday” screened at the 60th Chicago International Film Festival. Star Jaana Saarinen was also in attendance. Director Mika Kaurismaki is not the first to tell the story of the Grump, portrayed by Finnish comedy star ...
“Unstoppable,” the directorial debut of William Goldenberg, screened on October 17, 2024, at the 60th Chicago International Film Festival. The autobiographical story of the life of Arizona State champion wrestler Anthony Robles is based on “Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: ...
Marielle Heller walked the Red Carpet outside the Music Box Theater. This appearance is in support of “Nightbitch,” which she co-wrote and directed. The screenplay is based on the book by Rachel Yoder. Heller’s previous directing forays include “Diary of ...