African Film Festival

Karen Benardello

Karen Benardello
741 POSTS 0 COMMENTS
As a life-long fan of films and television shows, and an endless passion for writing, Karen Benardello decided to combine the two for a career. She graduated from New York's LIU Post with a B.F.A in Journalism, Print and Electronic in 2008. Karen has since been working in the press in New York City, including interviewing film and television casts and crews, writing movie and television news articles and reviewing films and televisions series. Some of her highlights include attending such local events as the Tribeca Film Festival, the New York Film Festival and New York Comic-Con, as well as traveling across North America to attend such festivals as the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW and the Toronto International Film Festival. She has been a member of the Women Film Critics Circle since 2012, and the New York Film Critics Online since 2019.
As a life-long fan of films and television shows, and an endless passion for writing, Karen Benardello decided to combine the two for a career. She graduated from New York's LIU Post with a B.F.A in Journalism, Print and Electronic in 2008. Karen has since been working in the press in New York City, including interviewing film and television casts and crews, writing movie and television news articles and reviewing films and televisions series. Some of her highlights include attending such local events as the Tribeca Film Festival, the New York Film Festival and New York Comic-Con, as well as traveling across North America to attend such festivals as the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW and the Toronto International Film Festival. She has been a member of the Women Film Critics Circle since 2012, and the New York Film Critics Online since 2019.

Words of War: Q&A with Director James Strong, Actors Maxine Peake, Jason Isaacs, & Producer Mark Maxey

©Courtesy of Rolling Pictures Fighting against any obstacle in order to report the news without fear of death or reprisal is an admirable sign of the world’s most courageous journalists. The late Russian war reporter, Anna Politkovskaya, is a prime example of such an innovative writer. Her story is chronicled in the new biographical movie,…

Adam Pearson Cast as Joseph Merrick in New ‘The Elephant Man’ Film

©Courtesy of A24, “A Different Man” Actor Adam Pearson has been cast in the lead role of Joseph Merrick in the upcoming on-screen adaptation of The Elephant Man, Variety is reporting. The feature marks Pearson’s first movie after appearing in the critically acclaimed 2024 psychological dark comedy, A Different Man, for which his co-star, Sebastian…

Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie Soars in Exploring Counterculture Duo’s High Achievements

©Courtesy of Bushell Productions Pushing through the haze of personal turmoil, collaborative conflict and shifting societal views of the ideals they champion can cause friction between any close-knit collaborators, especially when they no longer view their shared success the same way. That’s certainly the case for the titular comedians-actors of the new documentary, Cheech &…

SXSW: Friendship Thrives on Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd’s Abrasive Bromance Humor

©Courtesy of A24 There’s something very relatable human about the way adults mask their feelings, instead of finding a community in which they can freely express themselves. Writer-director Andrew DeYoung‘s feature film debut, Friendship, explores what happens when a middle-age man has kept his emotions hidden for so long that he no longer knows how…

SXSW: The Rivals of Amziah King is an Ambitious Crime Thriller

High-stakes heists are often the most exhilarating driving force behind compelling crime thrillers. But filmmaker Andrew Patterson is proving that the genre can also thrive on the nostalgia that makes a community feel like home for its residents, who can overcome any conflict with the support of their loved ones. In his new movie, The…

SXSW: The Surfer Rides Nicolas Cage’s Absurdist Comedy

©Courtesy of Lionsgate No actor has mastered crafting his characters’ descent into mental and physical disarray quite like Nicolas Cage. He has seen a bit of a resurgence in choosing realistic, but at times unhinged, acclaimed roles during the first half of the current decade. His latest film, the psychological thriller The Surfer, proves to…

SXSW 2025 / Address Unknown: Fukushima Now: Director Arif Khan Interview

The process of redefining the meaning of home is a powerful one for anyone who has endured the aftermath of personal trauma. The lasting painful impact that the disaster of losing a home has on families and their extended communities is explored in the new animated historical documentary, Address Unknown: Fukushima Now. Arif Khan wrote,…

Hell of a Summer: Exclusive Interview with Directors Billy Bryk, Finn Wolfhard & Actors Abby Quinn, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Pardis Saremi

Check out more of CinemaDaily US’ video interviews on our YouTube channel Cherishing the nostalgia and glory of adolescence is a common and essential part of many young adults’ coming-of-age journey. However, it can ultimately take a meaningful event to vitalize their maturity and growth. Not only is that the case for the arc of…

SXSW 2025 / The Spies Among Us: Directors Jamie Coughlin Silverman and Gabriel Silverman Interview

Check out more of CinemaDaily US’ video interviews on our YouTube channel. Regardless of their time period, political adversaries will always be defined by the same ideal – the extreme lengths leaders will go to maintain their power, as their opponents determinedly try to stop and expose their tactics. That’s certainly the case for the cast…

No Address: Exclusive Interview with Actor William Baldwin

Check out more of CinemaDaily US’ video interviews on our YouTube channel Movies don’t just offer audiences a sense of entertainment as filmmakers weave together their stories of make-believe; some features also showcase the reality that such serious issues as homelessness have the potential happen to anyone. The upcoming drama, No Address, which stars an…