According to Variety, none other than Ryan Reynolds has made it known that he pitched an R-rated Star Wars idea to Disney. He’s clear that it wouldn’t be for him to star in, and is more about adult emotions than what Deadpool and Wolverine was serving, so it’s an interesting idea. The odds of this happening are slim, but then again, you never know, right? Stay tuned.

Source: Variety

The post Ryan Reynolds Pitched an R-Rated ‘Star Wars’ Idea? appeared first on Awards Radar.

Here is the press release:

Los Angeles, CA (May 22, 2025) – Dances With Films: LA has announced the film lineup for next month’s return of Los Angeles’ largest indie film-focused film festival (June 19-29) for its 28^th edition. The lineup of films includes its critically-acclaimed Midnight Horror and Genre section, as well as continuing the celebration of music, dance, and family-friendly programming in the Downbeat and Kidz sections. That packed schedule will be bookended by the world premieres of Chris Hartwell’s drama Do No Harm with Harry Shum Jr., and Ronny Chieng as the Opening Night selection and Aaron Sherry’s fantastical Captain Tsunami on Closing Night. All screenings will take place at the TCL Chinese Theatre (6925 Hollywood Blvd).

This year’s DWF: LA’s lineup includes 254 films, including 43 narrative features, 18 documentary features, 23 television and streaming pilots, and 170 short films (102 narrative and 19 documentaries, 30 Kidz section, 19 Downbeat/Music), with an impressive number of films making world, North American, or U.S. premieres. 

Additional narrative features making their world premieres include: Daniel Hayden’s A Bloody Mess, Cameron A. Tubbs’ Acolyte, Daniel J. Clark’s American Comic, Jared Cohn and Bahar Bella Danesh’s Still Smiling, Vera VanGuard’sApocalypse Love, Mark Wilson’s The Calling, Luca Perito’s Ciao, Mama, John Giacobbe’s Crusty Fouler, Vinnie Hogan’s The Distant Jump, Lanre’ Obisesan’s Dokita Musa, Daniel Bogran’s The Killing Moon, Jake Myers’ Kombucha, Dylan King Welter’s The Militia, Nate Hilgartner’s No Choice, Béla Baptiste’s The Obelisk, Josh Munds and Chris Alan Evans’ Peeping Todd, Julian Berger’s Real Couples, Avan Hardwell’s Silent Prey, Brandon Buczek’s Something Casual, Rio Contrada’s Splinter, Adam Finberg’s Star People, Benjamin Gonyo’s Strait Undercover, Lane Michael Stanley’s T, Noam Kroll’s Teacher’s Pet, Hariharasudhen Nagarajan’s Tether, Cate Caplin’s The Unicorn Diaries, and Stephen Portland’sUniversal. Arto Halonen’s After Us, the Flood will make its North American Premieres, and Tarique Qayumi’s Conceiving Clara will make its U.S. Premiere at Dances With Films: LA.

Feature-length documentaries making their world premieres at DWF: LA include Guilford Adams and Casey Pinkston’sAmerican Clown, Liat Ron’s Fear and Now, Peter Jones’ Fortunate Sons, Allison Norlian and Kody Leibowitz’s Meandering Scars, David Anthony Ngo and Stephen Mccallum’s Never Get Busted!, Janna GIacoppo’s One But Many, Barret Hacia and Josiah Bultema’s Squatchers: The People Who Believe in Bigfoot, Andrew Davies Gans’ Voices: The Danny Gans Story, Ryan Flynn’s You’re No Indian, and Robert Ham’s Zzaslow K-427. 

“This year’s theme, ‘FIND YOUR TRUTH,’ couldn’t be more relevant in today’s world,” states Dances With Films’ founders, Leslee Scallon and Michael Trent, “and we challenge our Los Angeles audience to find their truth throughout the 28th edition of our film festival. Unique and clearly diverse voices, as well as that ever-present spark of imagination that DWF is known for, all culminate into an extraordinary festival experience for both filmmakers and festival goers alike.  As always, we couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce them all in the best way – at the TCL Chinese Theatres known for being the best in sound and image on the screen, introducing these artists to audiences and industry in the heart of Hollywood.”

Thursday, June 19 features the World Premiere Opening Night presentation of Chris Hartwell’s devastating drama Do No Harm. Based on The Way That I Take, an award-winning short that screened at DWFLA in 2020, the film follows a burned-out home health nurse makes a mistake turns which leads to the death of one of his patients. He tries to bury the truth under a facade of perfection, but the ever-intensifying pressures of working in American healthcare makes it increasingly likely the truth will reveal itself and bring him down. The film stars Harry Shum Jr., and the cast includesThe Daily Show’s Ronny Chieng.

Sunday, June 29, DWFLA offers another world premiere as its Closing Night selection, Aaron Sherry’s Captain Tsunami. A quiet comic book store owner’s life is thrown into disarray when precocious twelve-year-old Emma appears one night, hundreds of miles from her home, at his doorstep. Her mother, once the love of Glenn’s life, has mysteriously disappeared, leaving only a bag full of artwork about her childhood hero, Captain Tsunami, and cryptic instructions to bring it all to Glenn if anything should ever happen. The girl is certain that contains a magical message, however, and the truth may not what be what either of them expect to discover. The cast includes P.J. Marino, Madeleine McGraw, Tessa Munroe, and Jeremy Sisto.

Additional highlights among the narrative feature films include the world premiere of Daniel J. Clark’s American Comic. The verité-style mockumentary follows two up-and-coming stand-up comedians, who, despite their superficial “cultural” differences, share remarkable similarities when it comes to egotism, self-destruction, and social ineptitude. The film stars Hayley McFarland, with cameos by several top comedians, including Patton Oswalt. Jared Cohn and Bahar Bella Danesh’s thriller Still Smiling stars an impressive cast (Shiva Negar, Billy Zane, Peter Facinelli, Shane West, Shohreh Aghdashloo),  in a love story turned lethal when a mother flees her violent ex—only to face his hired killer in a final showdown. Daniel Klein’s Taste the Revolution, filmed all the way back in 2001, stars Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, and focuses on two aspiring filmmakers looking to document a political “world summit” organized by a group of disillusioned college students. Their footage unexpectedly captures the logistical nightmare of managing a modern revolution.

Also making its world premiere will be Stephen Portland’s Universal. Starring The Inbetweeners’ Joe Thomas, the film traces what happens when two academics trying to enjoy a romantic weekend in a remote log cabin are interrupted by the arrival of a woman claiming to have made a huge discovery and saying she needs their help. Rio Contrada’s thriller Splinter makes its world premiere as well. The film, which stars Scout Tayui-Lepore, and film and TV legend Debbie Allen, centers on a grad student who balances being the composed and responsible soon-to-be certified school psychologist, with her outside life as a motorcycle-riding, pill-popping thrill seeker. Daughter and father writing/directing/ producing/acting team Scout Purdy and Doug Purdy’s heartwarming Pilgrim, is the prototypical DWFLA indie. With a production budget below five figures, the film revolves around a 15-year-old girl who devises a plan to cure her teen angst; a month-long summer hiking trip with her father.

Highlights among the feature-length documentaries include Dustin Elm and David Breschel’s I Need You: 53 Years of the Band America, which looks at the history of the band as the founding members, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell, prepare to take the stage for what they’ve decided will be their final performance together. Andrew Davies Gans’ Voices: The Danny Gans Story is a captivating exploration of a son’s journey to uncover the truth behind his Las Vegas entertainment legend father’s extraordinary life, and untimely passing. Guilford Adams and Casey Pinkston’s American Clown will make its world premiere at DWFLA. The film explores the plight of clowns in a country that looks on them with a growing sense of apprehension and disdain, as well as legendary performers of past eras and their take on the history and art of clowning. Interviews include John C. Reilly, David Arquette, Bill Irwin, David Howard Thornton, and Steve O.Additional documentaries making their world premieres include Peter Jones’ Fortunate Sons, which looks at the 1974 graduating class of the Harvard School for Boys, a private, military school for the sons of the Los Angeles elite, as well as Janna GIacoppo’s One But Many, which exposes deep ties between the trophy hunting industry and policy decisions driven by both the U.S. and African governments, leaving communities and wildlife in deadly peril.

Once again, Dances With Films will please fans of horror and genre fare with its Midnight section of films including the following features making their world premieres: Cameron A. Tubbs’ Acolyte follows two brothers in rural Appalachia trying to overcome their estrangement despite strange and disturbing things happening around their home in the mountains. Jake Myers’ Kombucha centers on a man who begins to lose himself at a cult-like corporation, where a mind-altering kombucha turns employees into productive corporate cogs. Josh Munds and Chris Alan Evans’ Peeping Todd places a young woman in a toxic triangle between a lying fiancé and a stalker ex. Rounding out the Midnight features is Vivian Kerr’sSéance. Set in the late 1800s California, a Victorian woman contemplating adultery is forced to take refuge from a storm at the home of her first husband and his unstable wife, who claims to be haunted by their dead child.

Notable in the film festival world for the screening and promotion of television, web series pilots, and episodics, Dances With Films also has a healthy number of world premieres in this section. Within that group are Chris Leary’s rock-mockumentaryFormerly Known As, which follows a film crew setting out to capture the making of an aging rockstar’s comeback album, only to find that the real story lies with the eccentric team working tirelessly behind the scenes to keep everything afloat, and the rockstar happens to be a talking purple muppet. Sarah Haskins’ Gumshoes is the story of Sam and Paige, two best friends, obsessed with procedural crime dramas, who change their lives by getting off the couch and into the streets. Matt Tory’s sketch comedy pilot Halfway Handsome features bizarre sketches, hilarious impressions, funny short films, parodies, memorable recurring characters, and even original songs. Rain Valdez’ One For the Team focuses on trans hotshot Nico Ramirez, who  moves an hour away from home to play lacrosse at an affluent new high school to hang onto his Ivy League scholarship. Coach says Nico could win them the championship, but will he lose his friends, full-ride, and his entire sense of self in the process? Also in the mix is Sergio Camacho’s United Crafts of America. One of the projects making its way to DWFLA from DWFNY, the pilot offers an intimate look into America’s most vibrant craft beer cities, uncovering the country’s most innovative breweries and the passionate people behind them.

Along with a lineup of films overflowing with invention and innovation, Dances With Films’ short films also are spiced with several recognizable faces and names. World premieres include Drake Wootton’s People Walk Dogs Late At Night in the Suburbs, starring Matthew Daddario (Shadowhunters, Why Women Kill),Today Again, from actor & filmmaker Harrison Thomas (Better Call Saul) in which he stars in alongside his father Dave Thomas (SCTV, Strange Brew), and Will Ropp’s Kodar: The Primordial God of Light and Ether, starring Maddie Ziegler (Dance Moms, West Side Story). Another highlight is the West Coast debut and first public screening of Tony Mucci’s star studded short film Money Talk$, with an amazing cast including David Mazouz (Gotham),  Zolee Griggs (Wu-Tang: An American Saga, The Enforcer), Ethan Cutkosky (Shameless), Fredro Starr D.C. (The Wire, Moesha), Francesca Scorsese (We Are Who We Are), Bo Dietl (Godfather of Harlem, Carlito’s Way), Claudia Robinson (Severance) professional wrestler Tyler “Hook” Senerchia and musical artists 24kGoldn aka Golden Landis Von Jones and Swoosh God.

For more information about the Dances With Films LA film lineup, events, passes, and tickets, go to: https://danceswithfilms.com/.

The 2025 Dances With Films: LA official selections:

OPENING NIGHT SELECTION
Do No Harm                                                                                         World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 91 Min.
Director: Chris Hartwell
Consumed by his job as a home health nurse, Sam Yeong is burned out and frayed. When a simple mistake turns into a fatal error for one of his patients, Sam tries to bury the truth under a facade of perfection, knowing that a lifetime of deceit is about to be exposed. Drawing on the ever-intensifying pressures in American healthcare as well as the many aided and victimized by that system, Do No Harm offers a devastating look at our dangerous expectations and the corrosive lies we tell to survive.

CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION
Captain Tsunami                                                                                 World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 93 Min.
Director: Aaron Sherry
Quiet comic book store owner Glenn’s past, present, and future are thrown into disarray when precocious twelve-year-old Emma appears one night, hundreds of miles from her home, at his doorstep. Her brilliant, but neurodivergent mother, once the love of Glenn’s life, has mysteriously disappeared, leaving only a bag full of artwork about her childhood hero, Captain Tsunami, and cryptic instructions to bring it all to Glenn if anything should ever happen. Emma is certain that her mother’s beautiful and haunting pages hold not only a message to Glenn, but a secret about her family’s magical origins. However, as the story comes alive, everyone involved begins to question what they really know…and the truth is not what they expected to discover.

ADDITIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURES

A Bloody Mess                                                                        World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 83 Min.
Director: Daniel Hayden
A true-crime documentarian and her trusty crew investigate a small-town tragedy that’s faded into memory as a national joke. As her determination to uncover the truth becomes more and more intense, her methods become less and less ethical—until they become dangerous.
 
After Us, The Flood
Country: Finland; Running Time: 90 Min.
Director: Arto Halonen
How would you live your life if you got a second chance? Brilliant physicist Henrik creates a fusion reactor offering endless clean energy, but its commercial use leads to environmental collapse. By 2064, climate change has devastated Earth. The UN sends Henrik’s consciousness back to his birth to prevent disaster, but something goes wrong. Starting from an unexpected point, he must race against time—and himself—to save the future 
 
American Comic                                                                                  World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time:    85 Min.
Director: Daniel J. Clark
American Comic is a verité-style mockumentary that follows two up-and-coming stand-up comedians, who, despite their superficial “cultural” differences, share remarkable similarities when it comes to egotism, self-destruction, and social ineptitude. As the film satirically pulls back the curtain on the unique subculture of stand-up comedy, self-absorbed competitiveness intensifies, leading to some shocking and unexpected revelations.
 
The Calling                                                                                          World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 97 Min.
Director: Mark Wilson
The Calling Witch is author and illustrator Meredith Laye’s most infamous creation, an evil woman whose siren call beckons children into the woods at night to become her supper. When the witch seems to have appeared outside their isolated country home – a month after their mother’s suicide and a week into their father Warren’s contract drilling for oil in another state – Virginia (20s) and Edward Laye (11) must band together to protect themselves and their family’s property. But the more they spar with the witch, the more they begin to understand she’s not what she appears, and that her very human history is more intricately entwined with their own than they could possibly have imagined.
 
Ciao, Mama                                                                                         World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 77 Min.
Director: Luca Perito
Ciao, Mama follows Tony Esposito as he returns to his hometown in Long Island, New York, for his beloved mother’s funeral. After years spent in Los Angeles chasing his dreams, Tony is weighed down by the guilt for not being there during her illness- a secret she kept, believing that goodbyes are pointless and don’t ease the pain of moving on. Instead, she held fast to the belief that carrying on the dream is what truly matters.
 
Conceiving Clara
Country: Canada; Running Time: 89 Min.
Director: Tarique Qayumi
Clara, a midwife, helps many women give birth but cannot bear a child. Under pressure from her mother-in-law, she undergoes IVF treatment. The complications lead her to choose between her life and the baby’s. Finally, she cannot connect with the baby and must find love in her daughter.
 
Crusty Fouler                                                                                      World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 72 Min.
Director: John Giacobbe
A couple in mourning set off on an impromptu sail around a mysterious bay, each with a dark secret in tow.
 
Designed By Preeti
Country: USA; Running Time: 93 Min.
Director: Gayatri Bajpai
Preeti, a graceful woman in her 50s, leaves her abusive, unfaithful husband, Ajay, and steps into an uncertain future. Battling ageism and sexism, she courageously starts her own dress-design business while working to heal the strained bond with her daughter. She forms a genuine friendship with Jackson, the kind-hearted owner of a restaurant and bar. Preeti faces ridicule and exclusion from her Indian community for defying her husband’s abuse and for her connection with Jackson. As she navigates her new life, Preeti discovers that freedom has its consequences.
 
The Distant Jump                                                                                World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time:
Director: Vinnie Hogan
When Jennifer’s daughter is abducted by people with supernatural abilities, the only clue left behind is a glowing, golden orb. An aura.  
 
Dokita Musa                                                                                        World Premiere
Country: Nigeria; Running Time: 91 Min.
Director: Lanre’ Obisesan
A world cinema coming-of-age drama rooted in social realism. Set in a rural Yoruba village in Nigeria, the film follows 11-year-old Musa, a boy with palilalia who dreams of becoming a cardiologist. As he navigates a world marked by poverty, grief, and spiritual inheritance, Musa clings to education as his lifeline. When tragedy strikes, his dream collides with the harsh realities of his environment, forcing him to confront the limits of hope.
 
Good Sport
Country: USA; Running Time: 72 Min.
Director: Andrew Jack Zuckerman
Pat is having a bad, bad day. His ex-wife’s about to get remarried, he’s hung over, and now he’s got to coach his 12-year-old son’s basketball team. There, he must face off against helicopter parents, an insane opposing coach, and his own sense of failure.
 
Homewrecker
Country: USA; Running Time: 75 Min.
Director: Dante Marino
Megan is devastated when her mom can no longer afford to buy her a house, due to her stepdad’s financial troubles. Megan decides that she has to split them up. With the help of her boyfriend, Liam, she hatches a plan to use artificial intelligence to make a deepfake sex tape of her stepdad in order to frame him for cheating. Things get messy as Megan commits to the increasingly elaborate scheme and grapples with the morality of her actions.
 
The Killing Moon                                                                     World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 81 Min.
Director: Daniel Bogran
A wealthy couple’s lake vacation takes a sinister, seductive turn when an attractive, working-class stranger shows up wounded at their door.
 
Lady Parts
Country: USA; Running Time: 100 Min.
Director: Nancy Boyd
Based on writer and executive producer Bonnie Gross’s true story, Lady Parts is a dramedy feature film where a young woman’s sex life becomes a family affair when she has to undergo a vulvar vestibulectomy. Her loving, but overbearing parents help her through recovery (despite her cringing) and learn that saying “vagina” loud and proud is the first step to advocating for herself in all aspects of her life.
 
The Militia                                                                                            World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 118 Min.
Director: Dylan King Welter
Daniel Pierce dreams of joining the local militia alongside his father when he turns eighteen. But when his father becomes the target of the local sheriff, Daniel and his friends band together to form their own militia in a troubled effort to save him.
 
No Choice                                                                                            World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 95 Min.
Director: Nate Hilgartner
A young woman becomes unexpectedly pregnant and starts having harrowing, prophetic dreams that she will die if she can’t get an abortion.
 
The Obelisk                                                                                         World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 118 Min.
Director: Béla Baptiste
Traveling alone through the ruins of America, DAVID searches for relief from his worsening condition. Deep in the wilds, he unites with PLINY, a veteran fixated on exposing the nation’s downfall. Allied, they embark on a mission to the town of Lodeve, where a revolution brews against the government program that contaminated the water. Meanwhile, LIZ, a marketing exec for a lab, uncovers a corporate cover-up. With the obelisk in Lodeve serving as their signal-fire, they navigate towards the truth.
 
Our Happy Place
Country: USA; Running Time: 89 Min.
Director: Paul Bickel
Raya jolts awake on the forest floor—shivering, disoriented, and alone. She has no memory of how she got there. The next morning, it happens again—and then again the morning after. By the third morning, she claws her way out of a shallow grave. Each time, the graves deepen, as if an unseen force is trying to bury her alive. Back at her cabin, she’s haunted by visions of tortured women whose screams echo in her mind. Night after night, the supernatural torment intensifies, blurring the line between dream and reality—until Raya unearths a horrifying secret buried deep in the woods… and within herself.
 
Pilgrim
Country:  USA; Running Time: 111 Min.
Directors: Scout Purdy & Doug Purdy
After a series of revelations, 15-year-old Joe devises a plan to cure her teen angst: a month-long pilgrimage filled with communication issues, terrible survival skills, and zero Wi-Fi—AKA a summer hiking trip with her father. Pilgrim is a funny, heartwarming story of connection and discovery.
 
Real Couples                                                                                       World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 78 Min.
Director: Julian Berger
Oliver and Blue can’t stop arguing. Colton starts seeing Amber, but his roommate Tobias is always in the way. Avery moves in with Spencer, even though they’ve been together for less than a year. Russell and Julia run into someone from Julia’s past. Joe is nervous he’s terrible at sex, and Hannah doesn’t mind telling him the truth. Lucy and Tatum are in love. These are Real Couples.
 
Shattered Ice
Country: USA; Running Time: 100 Min.
Director: Alex Ranarivelo
Nehoiden High School hockey stars Will Mankus and Danny Campbell dream of college scholarships as they approach their critical senior year. Suddenly, their bright future is cast into darkness when Danny dies by suicide. Feeling his dreams slipping away amidst the loss of his best friend, Will struggles to find purpose and connection in his life, drawing the concern of his family, teammates, and childhood crush. As he confronts his grief and forms a bond with the team’s reluctant new coach, Will and the Nehoiden Black Bears become a symbol of resilience and a rallying cry for their town, finding hope in unexpected places.
 
Silent Prey                                                                                           World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 113 Min.
Director: Avan Hardwell
When an embattled Los Angeles attorney learns that the police have attributed her brother’s untimely death to an accidental overdose, she joins forces with a hesitant detective to uncover the truth. Soon their investigation unearths a string of murders that point to a serial killer hellbent on cleansing America of the evil he believes to be destroying it.
 
Something Casual                                                                               World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 105 Min.
Director: Brandon Buczek
Alex, a first-generation Latino artist, and Frankie, a professional dancer, navigate the soulless casual hookup culture of Los Angeles. Dating apps and casual sex reign, as they both deny their feelings and continue seeing other people while they fall in love. A series of misunderstandings leaves these two star-crossed lovers oscillating between confusion (ghosting and ignoring) and obsession (sex and pasta). But what happens when they finally meet someone different? Do they even know how to love anymore?
 
Sonny Boy
Country: USA; Running Time: 90 Min.
Director: Kristen Hansen
After a failed writing career, a writer struggles to find his way after returning home to reconcile with his dying father. Sonny tries to make peace with a broken dream before finding a second calling as a high school teacher. Still, his gift for shaping young lives falls short of the expectations of an ambitious father. Sonny tries to make amends before it’s too late, but can’t find the approval he’s always wanted. When it seems Sonny has finally forged his path, he makes an inexcusable mistake with a troubled student.
 
Splinter                                                                                                World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 85 Min.
Director: Rio Contrada
Grad student ROSY LOOPER is in the last semester of her practicum before becoming a certified school psychologist. In her professional life, she’s composed and responsible — a perfect role model for a child. Outside of school, she’s a motorcycle-riding, pill-popping thrill seeker. On her first day, Rosy volunteers to take the case of ELLA BETTANCOURT, a second-grader displaying mysterious behaviors. Rosy fears that Ella may be suffering abuse at home. To solve the case, she must confront her own history of trauma and convince Ella to do what she has never been able to do herself — open up.
 
Star People                                                                                          World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 103 Min.
Director: Adam Finberg
A photographer receives a tip that could finally shed light on her childhood UFO sighting, but a deadly heatwave and unexpected guests threaten to derail her obsessive search for answers.
 
Still Smiling                                                                             World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 97 Min.
Director: Jared Cohn, Bahar Bella Danesh
A love story turns lethal when a mother flees her violent ex—only to face his hired killer in a final showdown.
 
Strait Undercover                                                                                World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 93 Min.
Director: Benjamin Gonyo
Strait Undercover is a hilarious action-comedy about a lowly rural USDA agent who goes undercover to stop a corrupt agro-tech company from polluting his hometown.
 
T                                                                                                          World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 87 Min.
Director: Lane Michael Stanley
Shot over the lead actor’s first year on Testosterone, T follows Em through their journey of gender discovery, and the challenges and joys they face in their romantic relationships, friendships, and family.
 
Taste The Revolution
Country: USA; Running Time: 86 Min.
Director: Daniel Klein
In August of 2001, a group of disillusioned college students calls for a World Summit to counter apathy of their privileged generation and unite a splintered activist front. Drawn together by a charismatic self-styled revolutionary and lured by the promise of free food and booze, hundreds of young people descend upon a borrowed country estate to drink, take drugs, have sex, and swap politics. Anticipating an event of historical significance, two aspiring filmmakers solicit a loan from an obscure regional soft drink company to document the event as it unfolds.
 
Teacher’s Pet                                                                                      World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 90 Min.
Director: Noam Kroll
When brilliant but isolated high school senior Clara’s English teacher dies mysteriously, a charismatic replacement arrives who takes a disturbing interest in her academic potential. As Mr. Heller’s mentorship turns to dangerous obsession, Clara uncovers his horrifying secret identity and murderous past. Now trapped in a psychological game with a predator who’s eliminated anyone standing in his way, Clara must use her understanding of Heller’s twisted psychology against him before she becomes his next victim. Some lessons are worth dying for – others are worth killing for.
 
Tether                                                                                                  World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 85  Min.
Director: Hariharasudhen Nagarajan
Racked with grief after losing his daughter Paula in a high school shooting, Leonard struggles to hold together the remnants of his old life. He clings to a fading hope of reuniting with his estranged wife, Amanda — a hope his therapist insists requires confronting his grief. Publicly vilified for freezing during the massacre, Gerald, an ex-school resource officer, lives under a shroud of shame, questioning his will to survive. When Leonard and Gerald’s paths collide, and their downward spirals converge, what darkness will their encounter unleash?
 
The Tributaries
Country: USA; Running Time: 101 Min.
Director: Kat Gueli
Robbie, a college student struggling to process her mother’s cancer diagnosis, meets Drew, a magnetic classmate whose charm hides deeper struggles of his own. Together, they form an unexpected bond that challenges them to face what they’ve been running from.
 
Trash Baby
Country: USA; Running Time: 100  Min.
Director: Jacy Mairs
Trash Baby is an indie drama that celebrates the kids who grew up amidst white trash culture in the early 2000’s. The film follows a young girl, Stevie (12), during yet another sweltering summer spent in Pine Park. After a run-in with the resident cool girl next door, Stevie strikes an unlikely friendship with wild not-so-child, Edie (20). Soon Stevie finds herself grappling with the natural desire to grow up and the reality of what we lose when we do.
 
The Unicorn Diaries                                                                             World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 100 Min.
Director: Cate Caplin
When Lili, an innocent curious Iraqi-American DJ girl with a traditional family and a long-term partner, is inspired by a liberated polyamorous couple to sample the Ethical Non-Monogamous lifestyle and explore a new world of sexual encounters, multiples partners, and fetish dating apps, she takes on the challenge from her boyfriend to prove she can keep her explorations from impacting their relationship.
 
Universal                                                                                             World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 90 Min.
Director: Stephen Portland
Two academics enjoying a romantic weekend in a remote log cabin are interrupted by the arrival of a woman claiming to have made a huge discovery and saying she needs their help. They give her five minutes to explain what she has found, which turns in to a half-hour, which in turn becomes the rest of the day, followed by a lively dinner and a raucous night. The next day, the gravity of the discovery begins to dawn on the three new friends, leading to a dramatic showdown over what to do with this explosive information.
 
Where Were You
Country: USA Running Time:   96  Min.
Director: Phillip Abraham
When two small-town artists cross paths in a cemetery, their mutual hunger for meaning inspires them to leave their broken hearts behind and move to Los Angeles, unbeknownst to each other.
 
 

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

A Little Fellow: The Legacy of A.P. Giannini
Country: USA; Running Time:  81 Min.
Director: Davide Fiore
A Little Fellow: The Legacy of A.P. Giannini is a feature documentary on A.P. Giannini, a visionary Italian-American banker who championed the working class and transformed California’s economy. From rebuilding San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake to backing Hollywood and the Golden Gate Bridge during the Great Depression, Giannini’s investments helped shape modern America. He offered loans on a handshake, defied Wall Street, and built the Bank of Italy into Bank of America. Through expert interviews and rare artifacts, the film explores his enduring legacy as a fearless innovator who made banking accessible to “the little fellow”.

American Clown                                                                      World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 90 Min.
Directors: Guilford Adams, Casey Pinkston
As the American narrative towards “bozos” sours, a working clown goes on a journey of discovery to find hope for an ever-changing profession.

Among Neighbors
Country: USA; Running Time: 100 Min.
Director: Yoav Potash
Using beautiful hand-drawn animation to bring the past to life, Among Neighbors investigates the story of a small, rural town where the longstanding peace between Jewish and Polish neighbors was shattered by World War II. Now, in an era where difficult truths about the past are being silenced for political gain, the film focuses on the only living Holocaust survivor from the town, and an aging eyewitness who saw Jews murdered there — six months after the Nazis were defeated.

Anxiety Club
Country: USA; Running Time: 86 Min.
Director: Wendy Lobel
Anxiety Club offers a heartfelt and humorous exploration of anxiety through the lens of some of today’s most brilliant (and anxious) comedians: Tiffany Jenkins, Joe List, Marc Maron, Aparna Nancherla, Mark Normand, Baron Vaughn, and Eva Victor. With a mix of stand-up performances, sketch videos, exclusive interviews, and relatable everyday life scenarios, they candidly share their personal struggles with anxiety, the world’s most prevalent mental health condition, affecting more than 300 million people globally.

Fear And Now                                                                                      World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 94 Min.
Director: Liat Ron
After an unacknowledged yet all-too-common traumatic first birth, Director Liat Ron discovers the hidden power of HypnoBirthing. Through her own transformation and encounters with parents, medical professionals, and birth workers, she uncovers the profound impact of releasing fear and trauma and embracing a new approach to birth. This groundbreaking documentary challenges the fear-based birth culture and proves that safe, comfortable, and truly enjoyable births are possible- even within the current healthcare system.

Flamingo Camp
Country: USA; Running Time: 80 Min.
Director: Chris Coats
In the near-lawless squatter town of Slab City, a group of young queer and trans anarchists create a thriving safe space for themselves known as Flamingo Camp. In the harsh Sonoran Desert, the camp flourishes through the mild winter months under the leadership of its founder, Nova. But when Nova departs for the summer and the brutal heat sets in, the unthinkable happens–fracturing this once close-knit chosen family.

Fortunate Sons                                                                                    World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 85 Min.
Director: Peter Jones
A feature-length documentary about the 1974 graduating class of the Harvard School for Boys, then a private, military school for the sons of the Los Angeles elite. Born into privilege and groomed to lead, they entered 7th grade of this all-male, military school in the cultural watershed year of 1968. An American journey about friendship, life, loss, and redemption – culminating with the class’ 50th reunion in 2024 – it resonates powerfully with the developing national conversation about the mental health of boys and men, the evolution of masculinity, and the power of connection and vulnerability.

I Need You: 53 Years of The Band America
Country: USA; Running Time: 94 Min.
Directors: Dustin Elm, David Breschel
Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell, the founding members of the band America, have spent over five decades touring together, playing nearly 100 shows annually since their iconic hit “A Horse With No Name” skyrocketed them to fame fresh out of high school. During their 53rd straight year on the road, the duo decides to step back from touring together.

The Kids Are Not Alright                                                                     West Coast Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 88 Min.
Director: Mikaela Shwer
What does it mean to be a survivor? Generations of children have been left with this question in the wake of abuse suffered at the hands of the Troubled Teen Industry, an unregulated network of for-profit institutions claiming to fix wayward teenagers. Decades later, they are fighting back. Filmed over the course of nine years, The Kids Are Not Alright is an intimate portrait of trauma following three families’ journeys as they work to shed light on the devastating impacts of institutional abuse, pursue healing in the absence of justice, and fight to hold abusers accountable.

The Last Place On Earth
Countries: USA/Indonesia; Running Time: 110 Min.
Director: David Booth Gardner
A thrilling, eight-year journey into the heart of Sumatra’s Leuser Ecosystem—a 2.6-million-hectare rainforest where tigers, elephants, rhinos, and orangutans still roam free. Filmed by a dedicated mostly Indonesian crew, this investigative documentary follows a group of extraordinary wildlife activists as they risk everything to save one of Earth’s last untouched wildernesses from the devastation of the illegal palm oil industry.

Meandering Scars                                                                   World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 102 Min.
Directors: Allison Norlian, Kody Leibowitz
Two decades after being paralyzed in a domestic violence incident, Erika Bogan uses her wheelchair to climb the largest free-standing mountain in the world – Mt. Kilimanjaro – to help raise awareness about the mental health struggles plaguing both her and the disability community at large.

Never Get Busted!                                                                   World Premiere
Country: Australia; Running Time: 110 Min.
Directors: David Anthony Ngo, Stephen Mccallum
Barry Cooper is an expert at hiding drugs, evading police, and raising hell! But once upon a time he was a highly decorated Texas Narcotics Officer. After a raid goes wrong, destroying a family not unlike his own, Barry’s conscience gets the better of him and he quits the force. Using stolen police tapes, he creates a DVD series teaching drug users how to hide their stash and becomes an instant media sensation. This is the story of one man’s fight to turn the tide on the War on Drugs, if he doesn’t get busted in the process!

One But Many                                                                                      World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 67 Min.
Director: Janna Giacoppo
An unflinching documentary that reveals how the escalating global crisis of Human-Wildlife Conflict is being weaponized—used against the people and animals who suffer the most. The film exposes deep ties between the trophy hunting industry and policy decisions driven by both the U.S. and African governments, leaving communities and wildlife in deadly peril. But in parts of Kenya, where trophy hunting has been banned for decades, extraordinary models of coexistence are not only emerging—they’re thriving.

The Opener
Country: USA; Running Time: 72 Min.
Director: Jeff Toye
The Opener is a feel-good music doc about Philip Labes, a young street-performer/singer-songwriter who decided to write 30 songs in 30 days to process his grief and isolation during the pandemic. After posting his music to TikTok, Philip found that his music spoke to millions. When it reached the ears of one of his heroes, Grammy-winner Jason Mraz, Philip found himself faced with the opportunity of a lifetime: to open for Jason Mraz on his latest tour.

Squatchers: The People Who Believe In Bigfoot                                             World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 83 Min.
Directors: Barret Hacia, Josiah Bultema
An outsider’s view into the endearing subculture of those who believe in Bigfoot, from scientists to the supernatural and everything in between.

Voices: The Danny Gans Story                                                                       World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 102 Min.
Director: Andrew Davies Gans
Voices: The Danny Gans Story is a captivating exploration of a son’s journey to uncover the truth behind his father’s extraordinary life. Andrew Gans delves deep into the inspiring and improbable journey of his father, Danny Gans, and the circumstances surrounding his untimely passing. As Andrew navigates a path of self-discovery, growth, and acceptance, his story unfolds against the compelling backdrop of his father’s underdog triumphs. It’s a story about the echoes of a voice that continues to inspire, reverberating through the life of the son he left behind.

You’re No Indian                                                                                              World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 80 Min.
Director: Ryan Flynn
“Disenrollment – The Elimination of an Indigenous Person’s Citizenship in their Tribe.” Over the past thirty years, thousands of Native Americans have been unceremoniously banished from their tribes. These include elders, teachers, native language speakers, tribal politicians, and even children. But why? “You’re No Indian” explores the complex political issues surrounding disenrollment and how casino revenue may be fueling a quiet civil war in Indian country.

Zzaslow K-427                                                                                                 World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 78 Min.
Director: Robert Ham
Zzaslow K-427 honors the remarkable service of the longest tenured bomb-sniffing dog to ever serve in the U.S. Army, and how this unassuming black Labrador retriever saved lives, both on and off the battlefield, healing humans in extraordinary ways that are completely unexpected.

MIDNIGHT FEATURES

Acolyte                                                                                                            World Premiere
Country: USA; Running Time: 96 Min.
Director: Cameron A. Tubbs
After a mysterious incident, Kai fled his home in rural Appalachia thinking he would never look back. But when his mom dies, he returns seven years later hoping to repair his relationship with his estranged and troubled brother, Russ. As they try to put the past behind them, strange and disturbing things begin to happen around their home in the mountains: locals going missing, break-ins, and strange sounds coming from the basement. Soon Kai is forced to confront the dark legacy of their family – and how you can never really escape your past.

Kombucha
World Premiere I Usa Running Time:   95 Min.
Director: Jake Myers
Luke Merritt lands a job at the cult-like Symbio Corporation, where a mind-altering kombucha turns employees into productive corporate cogs. As the drink begins to erase his identity, his ex-girlfriend Elyse uncovers Symbio’s grotesque secret: a monstrous Mother at the heart of the company, churning out obedient clones. With Luke slipping beyond reach, Elyse must race to save him and destroy the source before the company consumes him completely.

Peeping Todd
World Premiere I Usa Running Time:   88 Min.
Director: Josh Munds
When his peeping passions become compromised, Todd decides he’ll do whatever it takes to continue stalking his beloved Claire. An obsessive HOA fleet and a dense boyfriend are obstacles Todd must dance around if he wants to sing his way into Claire’s heart. As Claire gets wrapped up in the lies of her fiancé and the web of her stalker, she must escape the two most toxic relationships she’s ever faced.

Séance
Country: USA; Running Time:  85 min.
Director: Vivian Kerr
In 1892 California, a Victorian woman contemplating adultery is forced to take refuge from a storm at the home of her first husband and his unstable wife, who claims to be haunted by their dead child.

NARRATIVE SHORTS

All We Can Do
Country: USA; Running Time:  20 Min.
Director: Ryan Noufer

Apricot
Country: USA; Running Time: 29 Min.
Director: Frank Frascella

Asher Baby
Country: USA; Running Time:  13.5 Min.
Director: Paulina Lagudi Ulrich

Aura
Country: USA; Running Time:  16 Min.
Director: Tarun Kanakamedala

B!Tch I’m Early (B.I.E.)
Country: USA; Running Time:  6.5 Min.
Writers/Director/Prod: Jesse Cowell

Backstage
Country: USA; Running Time:   11.5 Min.
Writers/Director: Gabe Zack

Blood And Milk
Country: USA; Running Time:  12 Min.
Writers/Director: Eve Crusto

Blood Boys
Country: USA; Running Time:  13 Min.
Writers/Director: Jordan M. Hahn

Blue Plaque
Country: UK; Running Time:  15.5 Min.
Writers/Director: Fraser Clubb

Break Room
Country: USA; Running Time:  46 Min.
Writers/Director: Emily Goss

Canchas
Country: USA/Spain; Running Time:  17.5 Min.
Director: Paula Blanco Pérez

Canvassing
Country: USA; Running Time:   11 Min.
Director: Matty Chang

Capture
Country: USA; Running Time:   19 Min.
Director: Jamie Effros

Cataratas
Country: Argentina Running Time:   5.5 Min.
Director: Francisco Bendomir

Charon
Country: USA; Running Time:  11 Min.
Director: Daniel Casey

Chooch
Country: USA; Running Time:  12 Min.
Director: Peter Horgan

Coconut + Pistol
Country: USA; Running Time:   17 Min.
Director: Gregory Caruso

Composure
Country: USA; Running Time:  11.5 Min.
Director: Windy Raun

Dandelion
Country: USA; Running Time:   20 Min.
Director: Fiona Obertinca

Darkness Falling
Country: USA/Poland; Running Time:  4 Min.
Director: Marcin Nowrotek

Dead Weight
Country: USA; Running Time:  15 Min.
Director: Virginia Root

Dependent
Country: Australia; Running Time:   14.5 Min.
Director: Joseph Chebatte

Dog People
Country: USA; Running Time:  20 Min.
Director: Bradley Stryker

Doggone
Country: USA; Running Time:  30 Min.
Director: Emelie Claxton

Dunwich
Country: USA; Running Time:  12 Min.
Writers/Directors: Chris Marrone & Chris S. Gabriel

Escape Artist
Country: Canada; Running Time:   8 Min.
Director: Sergine Dumais

Everybody’s Sad
Country: USA; Running Time:  10 Min.
Director: Steve Sanders

Experts In A Dying Field
Country: USA; Running Time:  17.5 Min.
Director: Mitchell Camarda

Fast
Country: USA; Running Time:  14.5 Min.
Director: Clayton Henderson

Fireflies In The Dusk
Country: USA; Running Time:   18 Min.
Director: Jonathan Hammond

Good Boy
Country: USA; Running Time:  18 Min.
Director: Colin Russell

The Greatest Joy
Country: USA; Running Time:  13 Min.
Director: Lea Pascal

Grind
Country: USA; Running Time:   16 Min.
Director: Mark Apicella

Happy Place
Country: USA; Running Time:  11.5 Min.
Director: Sara Monge

Happy Shameversary
Country: USA; Running Time:   8 Min.
Director: Megan L.C. Mcnally

Healer
Country: USA; Running Time:  12 Min.
Director: Grant Lafferty

Heaven And Nature
Country: USA; Running Time:  8 Min.
Director: Steven Fierberg

I Do Without You
Country: USA; Running Time:   19.5 Min.
Director: Vivian Miranda

Illusion Of Abundance
Country: USA; Running Time:  19 Min.
Directors: Amy Macdonald, Sofia Gorder Of Brolly Arts, Christopher Lee, Alex Lee Of Twig Media Lab

Jewboy
Country: USA; Running Time:   7 Min.
Director: David Bernstein

Just Before Dawn
Country: USA/UK; Running Time:   23 Min.
Director: Dustin Bowser

Kodar: The Primordial God Of Light And Ether
Country: USA; Running Time:  11.5 Min.
Director: Will Ropp

Lemon
Country: USA; Running Time:  15 Min.
Director: Beth Curry

Masclooking
Country: USA; Running Time:   9 Min.
Director: Jonathan Hammond

Miriam
Country: USA; Running Time:   17 Min.
Director: Josie Andrews

Money Talk$
Country: USA; Running Time:   33.5 Min.
Director: Tony Mucci

Moti
Country: India; Running Time:   16 Min.
Director: Yash Saraf

My Kind Of People
Country: USA; Running Time:  14.5 Min.
Director: Joe Picozzi

The Nickname
Country: USA; Running Time:   6.5 Min.
Director: Rachel Olson

No Trouble
Country: USA; Running Time:  18 Min.
Director: Jonathan Chan

Nonna’s Nude
Country: USA; Running Time:  7 Min.
Director: Courtney Ulrich

Nwa (Black)
Country: USA; Running Time:  20.5 Min.
Director: Hans Augustave

Obit
Country: USA; Running Time:   23 Min.
Director: Ben Tedesco

Old Goat
Country: USA; Running Time:   8.5 Min.
Director: Teddy Alvarez-Nissen

Over (Or How To Save The World)
Country: Australia; Running Time:   18.5 Min.
Writers/Directors: Duncan Ragg & Anna Phillips

Patakha
Country: USA; Running Time:  15 Min.
Director: Rohit Relan

Paulie
Country: Canada; Running Time:   15 Min.
Director: Aaron Martini

People Walk Dogs Late At Night In The Suburbs
Country: USA; Running Time:  24 Min.
Director: Drake Wootton

Performance Review
Country: USA; Running Time:   11.5 Min.
Director: Lain Ewing

Rehearsal
Country: USA; Running Time:   15 Min.
Director: Jamie Gallo

Sandra
Country: USA; Running Time:   12 Min.
Directors: Hannah Levy, Jen Chuck

S.B.S. (Single Black Shepherd)
Country: USA; Running Time:  8.5 Min.
Director: Tiffany Yvonne Cox

She Follows
Country: USA; Running Time:   15 Min.
Director: Gio Randazzo

Shortwave
Country: USA; Running Time:  18.5 Min.
Director: Mike Diaz

Sky
Country: USA; Running Time:  14.5 Min.
Director: Andrew Lucido

Slice
Country: USA; Running Time:   10.5 Min.
Directors: Siri Miller, Lauren Hoover

Snowbird
Country: USA; Running Time:  25 Min.
Director: Patrick Curran

Sorry, My Cat Is Sick
Country: USA; Running Time:  22.5 Min.
Directors: Mashka Wolfe, Jaden Lebel

Spool
Country: USA; Running Time:   11 Min.
Director: Mike Manning

Swedish Death
Country: Ireland; Running Time:  12.5 Min.
Director Kristina Yee

Talk Shit
Country: USA; Running Time:  12.5 Min.
Directors: Boyfriends (Will Thede & Ben Weiss)

Te Seguiré A La Oscuridad
Country: USA; Running Time:  12 Min.
Director: Nick Luciano

Today Again
Country: USA/Canada; Running Time:  18 Min.
Director: Harrison Thomas

The Traveler
Country: USA; Running Time:   18 Min.
Director: Matthew Scheffler

Turpentine
Country: USA; Running Time:   14 Min.
Writers/Directors: Luke & Rita Konopasky

Unfaithful!
Country: USA; Running Time:  9 Min.
Director: Seri Deyoung

Uno Y Medio Contra El Mundo
Country: USA; Running Time:   22 Min.
Director: Jacob Estrada

Unit 303
Country: Canada; Running Time:   5.5 Min.
Director: Beth Evans

Waltz For Three
Country: USA/France; Running Time:  18 Min.
Director: Oriana Ng

What The Heck Is Going On.
Country: USA; Running Time:   17 Min.
Director: Greg Rubner

Witch
Country: USA; Running Time:  8 Min.
Directors: Kevin Khamneipur & Andrew Frescas

Wrestle-Off
Country: USA; Running Time:  19.5 Min.
Director: Sabatino Ciatti Jr.

Xy
Country: USA; Running Time:   12 Min.
Director: Stephan Fleet

Yinding Bridge
Country: USA; Running Time:   10.5 Min.
Director: Joanna Song

Documentary Shorts

A Good Death
Country: USA; Running Time:  19 Min.
Director: Mia Hagerty

Ask An Iranian
Country: USA; Running Time:  15 Min.
Directors: Elliot Feld, Jonathan Pottins

Degrees Of Freedom
Country: USA; Running Time:  33 Min.
Directors: Aisha X. Elliott, Cheryl Wilkins, Kathy Boudin, Jake Ratner

Diminishing Returns
Country: USA; Running Time:  15 Min.
Director: Colin Whitman

The Healing Cube
Country: USA; Running Time:  30 Min.
Director: Christopher Gallo

Held At Gunpoint
Country: USA; Running Time:  22 Min.
Director: Mark Sanchez

Illusion Of Abundance
Country: USA; Running Time:  19 Min.
Directors: Amy Macdonald, Sofia Gorder Of Brolly Arts, Christopher Lee, Alex Lee Of Twig Media Lab

Flipping Pancake Day
Country: USA; Running Time:   20 Min.
Director: Ben Scantlin

Follow The Sun
Country: USA/Japan; Running Time:  27 Min.
Director: Sybil Wendler

Folsom’s Run
Country: USA; Running Time:   16 Min.
Director: Evan Morton

Import Models
Country: USA; Running Time:  11.5 Min.
Director: James Chung

Ink Or Dye
Country: USA; Running Time:  17 Min.
Director: Lane Michael Stanley

Lost Alone
Country: USA; Running Time:  6 Min.
Director: Meital Cohen Navarro

The Moon Is Beautiful
Country: Germany; Running Time:   8.5 Min.
Director: Bruno Noaro

More Than Santa Baby
Country: USA; Running Time:   40 Min.
Director: Tamar Springer

Old Girl In A Tutu: Susan Rennie Distrups Art History
Country: USA; Running Time:   8 Min.
Director: Cheri Gaulke

P.U.P. Story – A Documentary Tail Of Love And Affection
Country: USA; Running Time:   20 Min.
Director: Barry Rosenthal

Stitch & Time
Country: USA; Running Time:   14 Min.
Directors: David Munro & V. Scott Balcerek

Van Gogh And The Hospital Garden
Country: USA/France; Running Time:  8 min.
Director: Mustafa Eck

Midnight Shorts

Ada And Evan
Country: USA; Running Time:   9.5 Min.
Director: Delaney Flanagan

Be Nice
Country: USA; Running Time:   7 Min.
Director: Eric Baktanian

Bronze
Country: USA; Running Time:  7 Min.
Director: Corey Benson Powers

Close Encounter
Country: USA; Running Time:  13.5 Min.
Director: Jeph Porter

Endzgiving
Country: USA; Running Time:  10.5 Min.
Director: Tina Carbone

The Full-Time Love Rat
Country: Australia; Running Time:  16 Min.
Director: Tristan Barr

In2u
Country: USA; Running Time:   14 Min.
Director: Adrienne Acevedo Lovette

It Draws Closer
Country: USA; Running Time:  4.5 Min.
Director: Joshua David Matthews

Me & My Penis
Country: USA; Running Time:   15.5 Min.
Director: Claire Chubbuck

Mirror/Mirror
Country: USA; Running Time:   12.5 Min.
Director: Drew Phillips

My Dead Dad’s Funeral
Country: USA; Running Time:  12.5 Min.
Director: Jamie Manelis

The Night Within
Country: USA; Running Time:  18.5 Min.
Director: Mark Lammerding

Silent Echoes
Country: USA; Running Time:   19 Min.
Director: Katie O’grady

Sister
Country: USA; Running Time:  15 Min.
Director: Alyce Tzue

Tag
Country: USA; Running Time:  15 Min.
Director: Travis Bible

Violet Vendetta
Country: USA; Running Time:  11 Min.
Director: Ted Hayden

Virgin
Country: USA; Running Time:   14.5 Min.
Director: Ramone Menon

Yes Dear
Country: USA; Running Time:  4.5 Min.
Director: Ken Blackwell

Downbeat

Begin Again
Country: USA; Running Time:   4 Min.
Director: Ava Acres

Canned
Country: South Korea; Running Time:  5 Min.
Director: Lynn Lee

Copilot
Country: USA; Running Time:   6 Min.
Directors: Robert Devine & Jeremiah Hammerling

Dance Unite Us
Country: Norway; Running Time:  2.5 Min.
Director: Ove Kenneth Nilsen

Darkness Falling
Countries: Poland/USA; Running Time: 4 Min.
Director: Marcin Nowrotek

Day 34
Country: USA; Running Time:   5 Min.
Director: Karen Haglof

The Echo Of Your Goodbye
Country: USA; Running Time:  3 Min.
Director: Satu

Fight For Ukraina
Country: USA; Running Time:   3 Min.
Director: Kent Moran

The Echo Of Your Goodbye
Country: USA; Running Time:  3 Min.
Director: Satu

The Ghost Is Me
Country: USA; Running Time:   2.5 Min.
Director: Marc Havener

Longing/Belonging
Country: Canada; Running Time:  3.5 Min.
Directors: Rachael Withers & Niamh Wilson

Loser
Country: USA; Running Time:   3.5 Min.
Director: Andie Arbo

Snapshot
Country: UK; Running Time:   9 Min.
Director: Cottia Thorowgood

Staircase Stomp
Country: USA; Running Time:  3.5 Min.
Director: Aaron Louis

Takeitall
Country: USA; Running Time:   4.5 Min.
Director: Ron Geffen

These Moms Are Cooler Than Me
Country: USA; Running Time:  2 Min.
Director: Andrew Bourne

Valerie June – ‘Joy, Joy’
Country: USA; Running Time:   3 Min.
Director: Taylor Washington

W.H.W.D.
Country: USA; Running Time:  3.5 Min.
Wri/Director/Prod/Cast: Timothy Hautekiet

Would You Call Him A Bad Man?
Country: USA; Running Time:  5 Min.
Director: Ian Hinden

Pilots

Basil King
Country: USA; Running Time:  21.5 Min.
Director: Daryl Della

Before Anyone Else
Country: USA; Running Time:  14 Min.
Director: Samantha Barrett

Broadway Books: The Tipping Point
Country: USA; Running Time: 25 Min.
Director: Carianne King

Crazy As a Loon
Country: USA; Running Time: 14 Min
Director: Monica Raymund

Department Of One
Country: USA; Running Time: 48 Min.
Director: John Redlinger

Divine Intervention
Country: USA; Running Time: 17.5 Min.
Director: Kelly Mccready

Enchanted Investigations: Goldilocks
Country: USA; Running Time: 9 Min.
Director: Daric Loo

Formerly Known As
Country: USA; Running Time: 21 Min.
Director: Chris Leary

The Fun In Funny
Country: USA; Running Time: 22 Min
Director: Christine Lakin

Gasbag
Country: USA; Running Time: 24 Min
Directors: Christopher Gerson & Julie Kramer

Gumshoes
Country: USA; Running Time: 20 Min
Director: Sarah Haskins

Halfway Handsome
Country: USA; Running Time: 27 Min
Director: Matt Tory

Iamerica
Country: USA; Running Time: 23.5 Min
Director: Sean Crampton

Love/All
Country: USA; Running Time: 22.5 Min
Director: Greg Bekkers

Observance
Country: USA; Running Time: 23 Min
Director: Emily Lerer

One For The Team
Country: USA; Running Time: 32 Min
Director: Rain Valdez

Paper Dreams
Country: USA; Running Time: 13 Min
Director: ​​Casey Washington

Pick Me Up
Country: USA; Running Time: 7 Min
Directors: Brian Regal & Nat Anglin

The Psionicum
Country: USA; Running Time: 24 Min
Director: Robert Moon

Two
Country: Kazakhstan; Running Time: 30 Min
Director: Olzhas Yermekbayev

United Crafts Of America
Country: USA; Running Time: 47 Min
Director: ​​Sergio Camacho

Sisters Of Seneca
Country: USA; Running Time: 13 Min
Director: Greg Kaston

The War On Straws
Country: USA; Running Time: 18.5 Min
Director: Eleanor Vigneault

Dances With Kidz

Features
Apocalypse Love
Country: USA; Running Time: 60 Min.
Director: Vera Vanguard
 
Iron Family
Country: USA; Running Time: 90 Min.
Director: Patrick Longstreth
 
 
Pro Shorts
Captain Princess
Country: USA; Running Time: 6 Min.
Director: Michael E. Peter
 
Changing Room
Country: India; Running Time: 11 Min.
Director: Ruchir Kulkarni
 
Earthworms
Country: USA; Running Time: 16 Min.
Director: Caitlin Noah
 
Forget-Me-Not
Country: USA; Running Time: 10 Min.
Director: Shayla C. Durbois
 
Nod
Country: USA; Running Time: 21 Min.
Director: Tristan Baumgardner
 
Pow!
Country: USA; Running Time: 8 Min.
Director: Joey Clift
 
Snow Day!
Country: USA; Running Time: 10 Min.
Director: Kiara Lin
 
Straight Laced
Country: USA; Running Time: 21 Min.
Director: Cynthia Gibb
 
The Outcasts
Country: USA; Running Time: 15 Min.
Director: Jenn Page
 
The Rocket Man
Country: Canada; Running Time: 18 Min.
Director: Laurence Cohen
 
The Wishing Wand
Country: USA; Running Time: 3 Min.
Director: Jane Fraser
 
Unraveled
Country: USA; Running Time: 14 Min.
Director: Yale Fried
 
Weirdos
Country: USA; Running Time: 5.5 Min.
Director: Paul Hollingsworth
 
 
Kidz By Kidz Shorts
A Second Chance
Country: USA; Running Time: 9  Min.
Director: Alejandro Lombard
 
A Wish Upon A Satellite
Country: Estonia; Running Time: 17 Min.
Director: Leeni Linna
 
Amelia (The Twin)
Country: USA; Running Time: 13 Min.
Directors: Ethan Montgomery, Luke Montgomery
 
Barbie
Country: USA; Running Time: 4  Min.
Director: Tiantong Li (Eva)
 
Cindalay 
Country: Australia; Running Time: 3 Min.
Directors: Stu Gallagher, Cindy Rodriguez
 
Cool For You
Country: USA; Running Time: 3 Min.
Director: Sherene Strausberg
 
Dance Or Drive
Country: USA; Running Time: 13 Min.
Director: Stephen Sanow
 
Honk
Country: USA; Running Time: 46.5 Min.
Director: Cheryl Allison  
 
I’ve Been Missing
Country: USA; Running Time: 5.5 Min.
Director: Annie “Alex” Schroeder
 
The Other Side of Things
Country: USA; Running Time: 16 Min.
Director: Guillermo Ivan
 
Soles
Country: USA; Running Time: 3 Min.
Director: William Herff
 
Stuffed
Country: USA; Running Time: 8.5 Min.
Director: Brendan Egan
 
Superfan
Country: USA; Running Time: 15.5 Min.
Directors: Karina Lomelin Ripper, Marc Ripper
 
To Go To The Moon 
Country: USA; Running Time: 17.5 Min.
Director: Gabrielle Roberts

Wait For It
Country: USA; Running Time: 7  Min.
Director: Ella Jerrier
 
ABOUT DANCES WITH FILMS
Now in its 28^th year, Dances With Films champions the unflinching spirit at the very core of the independent film scene. With most film festivals relying heavily on celebrity, DWF have relied on innovation, talent, creativity, and sweat equity that revolutionized the entertainment industry. And that reliance continues to prove successful with alumni moving on to write, direct, and produce celebrity-studded vehicles, star in blockbuster movies, and television series, produce multi-million-dollar film and create hot TV shows.
 

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According to The Hollywood Reporter, both films are opting to delay from May to December. So, now Avengers: Doomsday will hit next year on December 18th instead of May 1st, while Avengers: Secret Wars is changing its 2027 date from May 7th to December 17th. Considering the sizes of these productions and the additional cast members from the MCU likely to ultimately join, these delays make sense. More when we have it, especially as Doomsday is now in production.

Source: THR

The post ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ are Moving from May 2026/2027 to December appeared first on Awards Radar.

According to Variety, NEON has picked up Jafar Panahi‘s film It Was Just an Accident. The movie has been getting raves, so between this and Sentimental Value, NEON likely is feeling good about their Palme chances. We’ll find out over the weekend who and what Cannes honors, but either way, the distributor has another highlight regarded work on their hands.

Source: Variety

The post NEON Acquires Cannes Title ‘It Was Just an Accident’ From Jafar Panahi appeared first on Awards Radar.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Zach Braff is going to reprise his role on the new Scrubs. There’s no word if Braff’s Dr. John ‘J.D.’ Dorian will be the lead or a supporting player, but he’s on board for the show. This does make it seem like more of the original cast will be returning, but a lot will depend on if deals can be made. Braff has been directing episodes of Lawrence’s recent shows, so that relationship continuing likely had something to do with it. More when we have it.

Source: THR

The post Zach Braff Joins the ‘Scrubs’ Reboot appeared first on Awards Radar.

Sony had the following to say about the film in a press release:

Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) was a high-school baseball phenom who can’t play anymore, but everything else is going okay. He’s got a great girl (Zoë Kravitz), tends bar at a New York dive, and his favorite team is making an underdog run at the pennant.

When his punk-rock neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) asks him to take care of his cat for a few days, Hank suddenly finds himself caught in the middle of a motley crew of threatening gangsters. They all want a piece of him; the problem is he has no idea why. As Hank attempts to evade their ever-tightening grip, he’s got to use all his hustle to stay alive long enough to find out…

Caught Stealing is directed by Academy Award® nominee Darren Aronofsky, screenplay by Charlie Huston, based on his book of the same name. The film stars Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio, Griffin Dunne, Benito A Martínez Ocasio, and Carol Kane.

Here now is the official trailer for Caught Stealing:

The post Official Trailer Debuts for Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Caught Stealing’ Starring Austin Butler appeared first on Awards Radar.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Daniel Craig and Cillian Murphy are working on deals to star. Apparently, DiCpario at one point was going to work with Chazelle on this one instead, but he’s fully committed to working with Scorsese on his next project. So, if these deals come together, Chazelle’s prison film will have Craig and Murphy leading it. More on the movie when we have it.

Source: THR

The post Daniel Craig and Cillian Murphy are Negotiating to Star in a Prison Drama for Damien Chazelle appeared first on Awards Radar.

Welcome to Derry is set 27 years before the events of the first It, and will examine the “It’s” previous killing spree as it leads up to the main story of the first film. Skarsgård is set to reprise his role as Pennywise the Clown, with Muschietti also tapped to direct several episodes.

You can watch the trailer below and stream the series later this year on HBO Max:

The post First Trailer for ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ Teases a Thrilling Expansion of the ‘It’ Franchise appeared first on Awards Radar.

This is the official press release from Universal:

A new era is born. This summer, three years after the Jurassic World trilogy concluded with each film surpassing $1 billion at the global box office, the enduring Jurassic series evolves in an ingenious new direction with Jurassic World Rebirth.

Anchored by iconic action superstar Scarlett Johansson, Emmy and SAG nominee Jonathan Bailey and two-time Oscar^®winner Mahershala Ali, this action-packed new chapter sees an extraction team race to the most dangerous place on Earth, an island research facility for the original Jurassic Park, inhabited by the worst of the worst that were left behind.

Also starring acclaimed international stars Rupert Friend and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, the film is directed by dynamic visualist Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) from a script by original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp. 

Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air within that tropical biosphere hold, in their DNA, the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.

Academy Award^® nominee Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure the genetic material. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on a forbidden island that had once housed an undisclosed research facility for Jurassic Park. There, in a terrain populated by dinosaurs of vastly different species, they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that has been hidden from the world for decades.

Ali is Duncan Kincaid, Zora’s most trusted team member; Critics Choice and Olivier Award winner Jonathan Bailey (Wicked, Bridgerton) plays paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis; Emmy nominee Rupert Friend (Homeland, Obi-Wan Kenobi) appears as Big Pharma representative Martin Krebs and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer, Murder on the Orient Express) plays Reuben Delgado, the father of the shipwrecked civilian family.

The cast includes Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty) and Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs. Lopez) as Reuben’s family. The film also features, as members of Zora and Krebs’ crews, Philippine Velge (Station Eleven), Bechir Sylvain (BMF) and Ed Skrein (Deadpool). 

Jurassic World Rebirth is directed by BAFTA winner Edwards from a script by Koepp (War of the Worlds), based on characters created by Michael Crichton. The film is produced by Oscar^® nominee Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley, both longtime Jurassic franchise producers and of last summer’s blockbuster, Twisters. The film is executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Denis L. Stewart and Jim Spencer. 

Here now is the final trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth:

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The specific release date for the movie in North America is still unconfirmed, but it will be making its way to French theatres on August 20. On the domestic side, NEON is once again distributing the title, after a successful run with her last movie, Titane, which snagged a Palme d’Or. The studio confirmed the film will be released in October, but with no set date as of right now.

Here is the plot synopsis:

“Alpha, a troubled 13-year-old, lives with her single mom. Their world collapses the day she returns from school with a tattoo on her arm.”

Seems quite vague, but that’s the thrill of watching a Julia Ducournau film. You never know what to expect until you’re sitting down in front of it. You can, however, get a taste of what’s to come by viewing the short teaser below:

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