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‘Couture,’ A Drama That Weaves Together Life’s Contingencies

“A Fashion Show is like a war machine,” is the statement made by one of the characters in the film Couture, directed by Alice Winocour. This proclamation defines not just an industry, but our time, when people are defined by the productivity in any work sector. Maxine (Angelina Jolie), is an American filmmaker who arrives…

Tribeca Festival : Ponderosa Video Review by Matthew Schuchman

Check out more of Our YouTube Channel  Matthew Schuchman : In the early 90s, while at the video store with his friends who wanted to rent Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead, Matthew asked the clerk if they had any copies of Naked Lunch available. A film buff from an early age, he would turn…

Tribeca Festival Review: ChikaBOOM! Is a Vibrant and Heartfelt Animated Adventure

©Courtesy of Tribeca Festival Short-form storytelling has long proven that it can be just as impactful as a feature film, especially when it combines compelling themes with imaginative filmmaking. ChikaBOOM! is a vibrant, visually inventive and emotionally resonant animated comedy that blends heart, humor and groundbreaking animation techniques into a whirlwind adventure. Beyond its dazzling…

Tribeca Festival : IX XI Review

©Courtesy of IX XI As the 25th anniversary of September draws near, filmmakers continue searching for new ways to explore one of the most documented events in modern history. In the new feature, IX XI, writer-director-producer Sean Wilsey delivers a powerful and deeply personal documentary that shifts the focus from historical analysis to human memory….

Tribeca Festival/ Summer War Review: Games on the Chilean Coast

©Courtesy of Tribeca Festival Chilean filmmaker Alicia Scherson has established herself as one of the leading voices in contemporary Latin American cinema through films such as “Play” (2005), “Turistas” (2009) and “Il Futuro” (2013), earning international recognition for her intimate, character-driven storytelling. She has also maintained a connection to the work of the acclaimed writer…

Tribeca Festival Review: Deepfake is a Hilarious Satire About Reinvention in the Age of Social Media

©Courtesy of Tribeca Festival In an era where branding feels more important than fulfillment, Deepfake explores the complicated relationship between identity, validation and authenticity. The new comedy blends fashion, technology and social satire into a story that examines how easily self-improvement can become self-erasure. The film ponders when life is curated for public consumption, what…

The Furious: Joe Taslim & Xie Mao vs. Human Traffickers

ⒸCourtesy of Lionsgate  Action movie heroes hate human traffickers—and rightly so. They are the scum of the earth, whom nobody would defend. Notable examples include, Liam Neeson in Taken, Veronica Ngo in Furie, Jim Caviezel in Sound of Freedom, and Dolph Lundgren in Skin Trade, and in real-life as an advocate for victims. Now, Joe…

Tribeca Festival/ Memorizu Review: A Quietly Beautiful Japanese Meditation on Memory

©Courtesy of Tribeca Festival Our everyday lives are made up of countless small moments that slowly gather over time. Most of them are forgotten because they seem ordinary and insignificant. Lacking the drama of major events, they fade almost as soon as they occur. In great films such as Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days” (2023) Jim…

‘The Gas Station Attendant,’ Immigration Is Shown Through A Dual-Perspective

The gaze of second-generation immigrants captures the plight of its forbearers. This is what film director Karla Murthy projects in her documentary The Gas Station Attendant. Through the use of footage from home videos and old recorded tapes, the director and Emmy-nominated producer who began her career working for several news programs on PBS, finds…

Tribeca Festival/ Sad Girlz Review: Swimming Through Silence: A Striking Mexican Debut

© Still from the film by DoP: Rosa Hadit Hernández © Colectivo Colmena Sexual assault remains one of the most urgent and complex issues facing young people today. Despite increased awareness, it is still shrouded in silence, confusion, and contradiction. More troubling still, it often arises not from the outside, but within spaces meant to feel…

Chie Hayakawa’s “Renoir” is Emotionally Complex Coming-of-Age Drama

©Courtesy of Film Movement  Kids always pick up on more than their parents realize. That is especially true of eleven-year-old Fuki Okita. She fully understands that her father Keiji is dying from cancer and that her mother Utako is dealing with it badly. In fact, she often rather awkwardly acknowledges these facts to her increasingly…