Category: Movies

DWF New York 2026 Spotlights GLENDORA, a Feature Documentary Rooted in Community and Resilience

The documentary GLENDORA premieres at Dances With Films NY 2026, offering a powerful, community-made portrait of a Mississippi Delta town. Photo: EG PR, used with permission.

Dances With Films (DWF): NY 2026

World Premiere of GLENDORA

Dances With Films (DWF) is an annual independent film festival based in Los Angeles and New York. Founded by Leslee Scallon and Michael Trent, the festival is dedicated to showcasing true independent cinema, requiring that all films in competition have no known directors, writers, or producers attached. (Dances With Films, 2025)

DWF programs feature-length films, shorts, documentaries, and animations that highlight bold, original voices.

The 2026 New York edition of Dances With Films will take place January 15–18 at Regal Union Square in Manhattan. The feature documentary GLENDORA will have its world premiere at the festival. (EG PR, 2025)

GLENDORA

Feature Documentary | World Premiere
Runtime: 74 minutes

A film by:
Isabelle Armand & Glendora Collaborative

Official DWF: NY 2026 Screening

Friday, January 16 at 4:45 p.m.
Location: Regal Union Square
850 Broadway, New York, NY 10003

About the Film

In the heart of the Mississippi Delta, the village of Glendora may seem quiet and remote. Beneath its stillness, however, lies a vibrant, tightly knit African-American community whose strength, resilience, and creativity thrive despite chronic scarcity.

GLENDORA is the result of five years of close collaboration between filmmaker and townspeople, offering an intimate portrait of life where economic fragility meets profound cultural wealth. Told through the voices of multiple generations, the film weaves personal testimonies with daily rituals, birthdays, graduations, weddings, and funerals, capturing the rhythm of a town that continually rises above its circumstances.

As the Mississippi landscape shifts, so do the stories, revealing both the universality of human experience and the distinct textures of rural Southern life. More than a portrait of place, GLENDORA reflects a larger American history shaped by racial injustice, economic neglect, and structural inequality, while underscoring the community’s determination to remain connected and shape its future.

Made with and by the people who live there, GLENDORA amplifies voices too often unheard, offering a powerful story of culture, resilience, creativity, and collective memory from a town long overlooked, but not easily forgotten.

About the Filmmaker

Isabelle Armand

(Filmmaker, Cinematographer, Writer)

Isabelle Armand is a New York–based documentary photographer and filmmaker whose work interweaves photography, film, and oral testimony to explore the complex layers of people whose histories, lives, and potential have long been undervalued.

Her acclaimed book Levon and Kennedy: Mississippi Innocence Project (powerHouse Books, 2018), which documents the wrongful convictions of two men, has received wide recognition. Her work is held in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum, Akron Art Museum, and Portland Museum of Art, and has been featured in The New York Times, Art in America, The Economist, The Daily Beast, and more.

GLENDORA is her first feature documentary. She is currently editing a photo book of the same title.

USA | Feature Documentary | 74 Minutes | Not Rated | 2025

Indie Comedy Wine Thief Now Streaming in the UK

Wine Thief is now available on digital and on demand in the UK. Photo: One Tree Entertainment, used with permission.

🍷 Wine Thief Now Streaming in the UK – A Must-Watch Comedy for Wine Lovers and Film Fans

Great news for UK viewers! After a strong digital release in the US and Canada, Wine Thief is now officially available to rent or buy in the UK. If you’re looking for a fresh, hilarious indie comedy to stream tonight, this offbeat film is the perfect pick. (One Tree Entertainment, 2025)

About Wine Thief – A Wild Comedy Set in the World of Winemaking

Wine Thief is a bold, off-the-rails comedy that blends sibling rivalry, chaotic ambition, and disastrously funny decisions. With its mix of slapstick humor and winery-world satire, the film delivers a fun, lighthearted watch for fans of indie movies and wine-themed films.

Director: Lana Read
Cast: Robert Rusler, Vernon Wells, Houston Rhines

Plot Overview

The story follows Terry, a reckless freewheeler who convinces his successful winemaker brother, Tobin, to fund a ridiculous reality TV show to boost his winery’s fame. What unfolds is pure chaos, a disastrous production crew, hilarious vineyard misadventures, and even sabotage from a rival winery at the Golden World Wine Awards.

Tobin must protect his wine, his reputation, and his sanity as Terry’s schemes spiral out of control.

Where to Watch Wine Thief

You can now stream or rent Wine Thief on major digital platforms, including:

Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 1 hr 34 min

Wine Thief still. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

The Strange Comfort of Christmas Horror Movies

The new Silent Night, Deadly Night will be released in theaters on December 12. Photo: IMDb

The Appeal of Horror–Christmas Mashups

When it comes to movies, horror–Christmas mashups have a special appeal because they blend two wildly contrasting moods: festive warmth and unsettling fear. The holidays are usually associated with joy, nostalgia, and togetherness, so adding a dark twist makes the familiar feel fresh and unpredictable.

This contrast heightens tension while keeping the tone playful, inviting viewers to enjoy scares without taking them too seriously. The genre also taps into the chaos and stress that can lurk beneath holiday cheer, offering a cathartic release. Ultimately, these mashups work because they’re fun, surprising, and delightfully subversive, turning tradition on its head in the most entertaining way.

Latest Release in the Genre: Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025)

Silent Night, Deadly Night is a 2025 slasher film written and directed by Mike P. Nelson. It is the second remake of the 1984 film of the same name, following Silent Night (2012), and marks the seventh installment in the Silent Night, Deadly Night series. (IMDb, 2025)

The film stars Rohan Campbell as Billy Chapman, alongside Ruby Modine, David Lawrence Brown, David Tomlinson, and Mark Acheson.

The movie premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 21, 2025, and is scheduled for U.S. release by Cineverse on December 12, 2025.

Plot Summary

When Billy witnesses his parents’ grisly murder at the hands of Santa, it ignites a lifelong mission to spread holiday fear. Every Christmas, he dons the red suit and embarks on a blood-soaked massacre to feed his twisted sense of justice.

Film Details

  • Release Date: December 12, 2025
  • Director: Mike P. Nelson
  • Running Time: 1h 36m
  • Genre: Horror
Photo: IMDb

When the Interviewer Knows Everything: A Review of The Job (2025)

LeJon as Todd in The Job. Photo: IMDb.

Film Review: The Job (2025)

Recovering from trauma, Todd interviews for a job and finds redemption instead of employment.

A Sci-Fi Psychological Drama About Trauma, AI, and the Human Condition

The 2025 short film The Job is a tightly woven sci-fi psychological drama that explores artificial intelligence, human trauma, and the messy search for personal redemption.

The story follows Todd, played with raw vulnerability by LeJon, who arrives at an empty office building already burdened by past trauma. The deserted setting only heightens the tension. When Todd reconnects a loose wire, he unknowingly awakens Athena 2.0, an omniscient AI acting as a human-interface interviewer. Dawna Lee Heising delivers Athena with a controlled, commanding presence that becomes the film’s backbone.

A Job Interview Turned Emotional Interrogation

The standard interview turns into an intense psychological confrontation. Athena forces Todd to face his deepest wounds and past mistakes, pushing the “job offer” aside as the real mission becomes emotional reckoning.

The contrast between Athena’s calm precision and Todd’s unraveling creates a gripping dynamic that propels the film forward. Rather than relying on action or twist-heavy storytelling, The Job embraces atmosphere, introspection, and character-driven tension.

A Powerful Sixteen Minutes

The Job presents redemption not as a reward but as a painful, necessary process of facing the truth. For a short runtime of approximately 16 minutes, it leaves a surprisingly lasting impact.

“I’m not some algorithm to be optimized.”

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Genre

Sci-Fi, Drama

Cast

  • Dawna Lee Heising – Athena
  • LeJon – Todd

Director

Craig Railsback

Writers

Heather Joseph-Witham, Craig Railsback

Photo: IMDb

*Thank you to Joe Williamson for the screener link for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

This Ordinary Thing is a Timely Film About Quiet Heroes

This Ordinary Thing is Emmy-winning filmmaker Nick Davis’ new documentary. Photo: Series of Dreams, used with permission.

THIS ORDINARY THING

A Film by Nick Davis (You Had To Be There / TIFF 2025)
Executive Producer: Albert M. Tapper (Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy)

Cast (A–Z)

F. Murray Abraham, Jeannie Berlin, Eric Bogosian, Ellen Burstyn, Bill Camp, Carrie Coon, Hope Davis, Stephen Fry, Joanna Gleason, Marcia Gay Harden, Mamie Gummer, Harry Hadden-Paton, Jeremy Irons, Bill Irwin, Louisa Jacobson, Kasia Koleczek, Anna Krippa, Stephen Lang, John Leguizamo, Donal Logue, Kelly Macdonald, Helen Mirren, Bebe Neuwirth, Kelli O’Hara, David Hyde Pierce, Martha Plimpton, Lily Rabe, Rufus Sewell, J. Smith-Cameron, David Strathairn, Lily Tomlin.

Release Date

December 5 at Cinema Village (NYC), followed by a national theatrical rollout and VOD release.

A Haunting & Unforgettable Story

THIS ORDINARY THING recounts the extraordinary acts of non-Jewish individuals who helped save Jewish people across Europe during the Holocaust. Blending never-before-seen archival footage with testimonies from more than forty people, the film sheds light on the quiet bravery of individuals who, acting independently and at great personal risk, saved thousands of Jewish strangers from near-certain death. (EG-PR, 2025)

Narrated by an all-star cast, the documentary serves as a timely reminder of the “pockets of goodness” that can rise within a sea of evil: ordinary people choosing compassion over indifference, even when it meant risking everything.

Strikingly, none of the individuals in the film saw themselves as heroes. Their humility lends the project an urgent resonance, prompting viewers to confront a difficult question: What would I have done?

An Ensemble of the World’s Great Actors

The film features some of the most celebrated actors of our time, performing translated excerpts from original transcripts. The cast, including Helen Mirren, F. Murray Abraham, Carrie Coon, Jeremy Irons, Ellen Burstyn, and Stephen Fry, collectively boast:

  • 5 Academy Awards (and 20+ nominations)
  • 60+ Emmy nominations
  • 25+ Tony nominations

Their performances lend gravitas and emotional depth to the powerful firsthand accounts.

Music by Adam Guettel

The score is composed by Tony Award–winner Adam Guettel, known for The Light in the Piazza, Floyd Collins, and numerous other stage and screen works. His music adds an evocative and haunting layer to the film’s emotional landscape.

About Filmmaker Nick Davis

Nick Davis is a filmmaker and writer whose work often explores the intersection of culture, history, and storytelling. His recent documentary, YOU HAD TO BE THERE, which chronicles the 1972 Toronto production of Godspell and its role in shaping the comedy revolution, premiered at TIFF 2025, where it won Second Runner-Up for the Audience Award. The film features Martin Short, Gilda Radner, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, and other icons of comedy.

Photo: Series of Dreams, used with permission.

All Saints Day Is the Must-Watch Dark Comedy of the Season

All Saints Day will be available on digital and on demand. Photo: One Tree Entertainment, used with permission.

🎬 New Release Spotlight: ALL SAINTS DAY

Some family reunions are more sobering than others…

Mark your calendars: ALL SAINTS DAY arrives on digital and on demand December 2. This darkly funny, emotionally layered story blends dark comedy with family drama in a tight, compelling 99-minute feature. (One Tree Entertainment, 2025)

About the Film

When Ronan realizes his oldest brother, Kier, is drinking himself toward disaster, he launches a desperate intervention. But doing so means calling in reinforcements: their estranged priest brother and long-lost sister.

What follows is a chaotic, heartfelt, and unexpectedly humorous Irish family reunion, where old wounds and buried secrets collide in ways no one is prepared for.

The Creative Team

Written by Julianne Homokay
Homokay is a multi-talented screenwriter, playwright, performer, director, and musician. With an MFA in Playwriting from UNLV, her work spans numerous full-length plays and musicals.

ALL SAINTS DAY is adapted from her original stage play All Saints in the Old Colony, a 2015 Eugene O’Neill Theater Center semi-finalist that premiered at Playhouse on the Square in Memphis in 2018.

Directed by Matt Aaron Krinsky
Krinsky, director, producer, and writer, brings extensive experience across film, theater, and live events. ALL SAINTS DAY marks his feature film directorial debut, introducing his grounded, character-driven approach to the big screen.

Starring

  • Don Swayze (Ethan Coen’s Honey Don’t!, On Swift Horses, True Blood)
  • Lenny Clarke (NBC’s Extended Family, Halloween Kills)
  • Jeff Berg (NCIS, Battlefield I)

New Movie Strangers in a Car Park Challenges What We Choose to Believe

Strangers in a Car Park will be available on digital and on demand on November 11, 2025. Photo: One Tree Entertainment, used with permission.

New Movie Spotlight: Strangers in a Car Park

🎬 Strangers in a Car Park

The truth will always come to light

Available On Digital and On Demand – November 11

Written and Directed by: Stuart McBratney

Starring:
Brenton Prince (Home and Away, Underbelly),
Lawrence Ola (Upright, Wellmania, face of STEP ONE underwear), and
Arnijka Larcombe-Weate (Boy Swallows Universe)

When a cleaning lady spots a celebrated surfer being honored with a medal for heroism, her world comes crashing down. She recognizes him as the man who assaulted her years ago. (One Tree Entertainment, 2025)

With only a streetwise courier by her side, she sets out to expose the truth, risking everything to confront the man who’s built his life on lies.

Strangers in a Car Park is an unflinching and unorthodox drama about memory, justice, and the lies we tell ourselves and others.

Release Date: November 11
Watch: On Digital & On Demand

Photo: One Tree Entertainment, used with permission.

Keith Jardine’s Kill Me Again is a Haunting Loop of Guilt and Redemption

Keith Jardine’s Kill Me Again. Photo: Vertical

🎬 Movie Review: Kill Me Again

Writer/Director: Keith Jardine
Starring: Brendan Fehr, Majandra Delfino, Raoul Max Trujillo
Genre: Slasher Horror, Fantasy, Thriller

Related Post: Brenda Fehr Stars in ‘Kill Me Again,’ a Twisted Sci-Fi Horror from Keith Jardine

Synopsis

Charlie, a notorious serial killer known as The Midnight Mangler, finds himself trapped reliving the same violent night over and over. At first, he embraces his grisly urges but as the cycle continues, desperation sets in. Haunted by his actions and unable to escape the endless nightmare, Charlie begins to unravel both mentally and morally. It is available for streaming for free on Amazon Prime and The Roku Channel and for rent/buy on Fandango at Home, Google Play Movies, among others.

Review

Kill Me Again is a gripping psychological horror-thriller that takes the “time loop” concept and twists it into something darkly original. The film follows the Midnight Mangler, a notorious serial killer who becomes trapped reliving the same brutal night again and again and forced to face his own monstrosity with each repetition. It starts off as a regular slasher movie but evolves into a chilling study of guilt, punishment, and the possibility of redemption.

Keith Jardine’s direction is sharp and atmospheric, using shadowy cinematography to mirror the killer’s descent into madness. Even the name of the café, The Killer Café, points to how everything centers around Charlie. Though uncomfortable to watch, Charlie’s initial encounter with Ana shows the depth of his depravity. Each repeated night peels back another layer of his past, revealing brief flashes of humanity beneath the horror. The pacing is relentless yet purposeful, balancing the gore with moments of eerie introspection. Jardine has a small but significant role that comes full circle at the end.

Brendan Fehr delivers a standout performance, menacing yet heartbreakingly human, as the Midnight Mangler. As the loops continue, his torment shifts from physical violence to existential dread. He begins to question his own identity and the meaning of his endless suffering. Towards the end, you can tell he wants to overcome his evil nature, but succumbs every time. The story becomes less about murder and more about moral reckoning.

Stylish, unsettling, and surprisingly introspective, Kill Me Again is a chilling exploration of the cyclical nature of evil and the nightmare of never escaping oneself. There’s plenty of violence and gore to please fans of slasher films, yet the overall message is more of a social commentary.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Pasqual Gutierrez’ Serious People Explores Work, Identity, and Fatherhood

Miguel Huerta and Pasqual Gutierrez in Pasqual Gutierrez’ Serious People. Photo: Tribeca Films/Memory, used with permission.

🎬 Serious People

“Life’s a Movie”

Written and Directed by: Pasqual Gutierrez & Ben Mullinkosson
Produced by: Ryan Hahn, Laurel Thomson, Teddy Lee
Starring: Pasqual Gutierrez, Christine Yuan, RJ Sanchez, Miguel Huerta

Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival 2025
In Theaters: November 14, 2025
On Demand: December 16, 2025 (all major platforms)

Tribeca Films x Memory Present Serious People

About the Film

Serious People follows successful music video director Pasqual Gutierrez, who faces a life-altering dilemma on the due date of his first child: accept the biggest music video project of his career or finally step back and focus on his family. (Emma Griffiths PR, 2025)

Frustrated by his lack of balance, Pasqual makes a bold decision, he casts a doppelgänger named Miguel to fill his shoes in his directing duo, Cliqua, while he takes paternity leave. But as he spends more time teaching Miguel how to inhabit his life, the line between real and replacement begins to blur.

The result is a sharp, funny, and emotionally charged look at ambition, identity, and the replaceability of people in clout-driven Los Angeles. The film ultimately asks: What does it mean to be a director, a parent, and, most of all, a real person?

Running Time: 86 minutes (USA, Feature Film)

Behind the Camera

Pasqual Gutierrez

An award-winning American filmmaker, Gutierrez is best known as one half of Cliqua, the powerhouse directing duo behind some of the biggest music videos of the past decade. Together with RJ Sanchez, he’s collaborated with Bad Bunny, Rosalia, J Balvin, Madonna, Travis Scott, and The Weeknd, among many others.

Gutierrez’ work has earned multiple nominations and an MTV VMA, and his debut short film Shut Up & Fish, now Oscar-qualified, has been making waves on the festival circuit. Serious People marks his first narrative feature film, which made its world premiere at Sundance 2025.

Ben Mullinkosson

Co-writer and co-director Ben Mullinkosson brings his documentary sensibility to Serious People, blending realism with dark humor. His 2023 documentary The Last Year of Darkness won the Special Jury Mention at CPH:DOX and was released by MUBI.

Mullinkosson’s earlier work includes Gnarly in Pink (Tribeca Film Festival, 2013), distributed by The New York Times Op-Docs, and a series of acclaimed shorts that have earned Vimeo Staff Picks and millions of online views.

Why Serious People Matters

Serious People is a reflection on modern creativity, work, and self-worth. It’s a satire of hustle culture wrapped in a heartfelt story about fatherhood and identity. The film captures what it feels like to be torn between personal meaning and professional validation, a tension many of us know all too well.

Opening in theaters on November 14, with a Video On Demand release on December 16, this debut feature promises to be one of the most talked-about indie films of the year.

Serious People poster. Photo: Tribeca Films/Memory, used with permission.

Dead Giveaway: The Hilarious Horror Premiere Lighting Up the Philadelphia Film Festival

Mikaela Hoover and Ruby Modine in Dead Giveaway. Photo: VP Independent, used with permission.

🎬 Philadelphia Film Festival 2025: Celebrating the Best in Global Cinema

Every October, the Philadelphia Film Festival transforms the city into a global stage for cinematic storytelling — welcoming tens of thousands of film lovers, emerging talents, and celebrated filmmakers for an electrifying 11-day experience. (Philadelphia Film Society, 2025)

Curated by the Philadelphia Film Society’s expert programming team, who travel the world from Sundance to Cannes, Berlin to Toronto, the Festival delivers a handpicked lineup of the year’s most talked-about, award-winning, and visionary films. From bold debuts to international sensations, every screening is a chance to discover the next big thing in film.

This year’s Festival runs October 16–26, 2025, featuring 11 days of world-class cinema, exclusive events, and celebrations that bring the city’s film community together.

🌟 Spotlight Feature: Dead Giveaway

World Premiere | Section: Filmadelphia

One of the most anticipated screenings of the Festival is Ian Kimble’s Dead Giveaway, a wickedly funny horror-comedy making its world premiere right here in Philadelphia. (Emma Griffiths PR, 2025)

Film Details

Feature Film (USA)
Genre: Horror Comedy
Runtime: 87 minutes
Year: 2025

Written and Directed by: Ian Kimble
Producers: Suzann Toni, Andrew Vogel, Ian Kimble
Executive Producer: Hallee Adelman
Co-Producer: Amanda Frederick

Starring:

  • Ruby Modine (Silent Night, Deadly Night, Shameless)
  • Mikaela Hoover (Superman [2025])
  • Scout Taylor-Compton (Rob Zombie’s Halloween)

🩸 Synopsis

Jill (Ruby Modine) wakes up from a blackout night of drinking and partying to find herself covered in blood — and sharing her bed with a dead man. Hungry, hungover, horrified, and possibly a murderer, she scrambles to clean up before her roommate Sarah (Suzann Toni) notices.

When her best friend Lia (Mikaela Hoover) shows up, half-concerned, half-annoyed, she reluctantly agrees to help Jill figure out what happened, but only under one condition: they have to make it to brunch before 3 p.m.

What follows is a blood-soaked comedy of errors involving mistaken identities, suspicious visitors, and a very inconvenient corpse. Between hiding bodies, dodging questions, and keeping their mimosas on schedule, Jill and Lia stumble through a hangover-fueled nightmare where every fix only makes things worse.

With an endlessly creative script by Ian Kimble, Dead Giveaway delivers a sharp mix of horror and humor — and the irresistible chemistry between Ruby Modine and Mikaela Hoover keeps audiences laughing (and screaming) until the very end.

🎥 About the Filmmaker

Ian Kimble is a writer, producer, and director with a background in award-winning short films and independent features. Dead Giveaway marks his feature debut as writer, director, and producer — expanding on one of his original short films. With this project, Kimble cements his place as one of Philadelphia’s most exciting emerging filmmakers.

📅 Screening Schedule

Philadelphia Film Festival 2025 Official Screenings

World Premiere
📍 Friday, October 17 at 9:45 p.m.
Location: Film Society Center
1412 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102

Encore Screening
📍 Sunday, October 26 at 8:00 p.m.
Location: Film Society East
125 S. 2nd St., Philadelphia, PA 19106

Whether you’re a die-hard horror fan or just love a clever dark comedy, Dead Giveaway is a must-see at this year’s Philadelphia Film Festival, proof that the city’s film scene is as bold, fresh, and fearless as ever.

Courtesy photo, used with permission.