Xie Miao and Joe Taslim Team Up for the Year’s Most Anticipated Action Film

The Furious will be released in theaters in May. Photo: Lionsgate, used with permission.

Why We Can’t Get Enough of the Rush: The Magic of Action Cinema

There’s a reason audiences flock to the theater for a high-octane thriller. Between the adrenaline, the clear stakes, and the visceral storytelling, action movies offer a perfect escape. We love watching high-risk worlds where courage and determination are tested in the most explosive ways possible.

The Hong Kong Influence

When it comes to elevating the genre, Hong Kong action movies are in a league of their own. They bring a signature blend of:

  • Stylized Choreography: Fight scenes that feel like a fluid, precise dance.
  • Intense Physicality: Sequences often performed by the actors themselves.
  • Emotional Depth: Themes of honor, loyalty, and sacrifice that make every punch and kick feel meaningful.

This fusion of artistry and intensity creates a cinematic experience that is as memorable as it is thrilling.


🎬 New Movie Spotlight: The Furious

If you’re looking for that perfect blend of artistry and intensity, mark your calendars. Directed by the legendary Kenji Tanigaki, The Furious is an English-language Hong Kong action powerhouse that recently took the Toronto International Film Festival by storm. (Cinematic Red PR, 2026)

The Plot

After the daughter of Wang Wei (Xie Miao) is kidnapped by a criminal network, he finds himself trapped in a web of corruption. With the police refusing to help, Wei goes on a solo rampage to get her back.

He finds an unlikely ally in Navin (Joe Taslim), a relentless journalist searching for his own missing wife. Together, the duo takes on a ruthless criminal underworld in an explosive martial arts showdown fueled by pure vengeance.

Essential Details

CategoryInformation
Release DateMay 29, 2026
GenreAction
RatingR (Strong bloody violence and language)
Runtime113 Minutes
DirectorKenji Tanigaki
StarringXie Miao, Joe Taslim, Yang Enyou, Brian Le, Joey Iwanaga

Producers: Bill Kong, Shan Tam, Frank Hui

Writers: Mak Tin Shu, Lei Zhilong, Shum Kwan Sin, Frank Hui



Now Streaming: Emotional Drama ‘Depth of Field’ Arrives on UK Digital Platforms

‘Depth of Field,’ a tender story of grief and hope, is now out in the UK. Photo: One Tree Entertainment, used with permission.

New Release: “Depth of Field” Arrives in the UK

Following its successful release across the US and Canada, the moving drama Depth of Field is now officially available on major digital platforms in the UK. (One Tree Entertainment, 2026)

Focus On What Matters

Depth of Field is a tender exploration of grief and the resilient power of hope. The story follows a grieving widower struggling to navigate life after the tragic loss of his wife and son.

His path to healing takes an unexpected turn when he forms a bond with the troubled foster child living next door. Through the lens of a camera, he teaches her the art of photography, and in the process, they both begin to rediscover the beauty hidden in everyday life.

“A story of chosen family and the realization that, even in our darkest moments, connection can bring things back into focus.”


Cast & Crew

  • Director: John F. Uranday
  • Writer: Bobby Cloud
  • Starring: Rafael Petardi, George Stroumboulopoulos, Jay Acavone

Film Details

  • Genre: Drama, Family
  • Themes: Healing, Mentorship, Redemption

Where to Watch

Whether you’re in London or Los Angeles, you can now experience this heartfelt journey:


Photo: One Tree Entertainment

CPH:DOX 2026: World Premiere of Faroese Documentary ‘Birita’

Búi Dam and Birita Mohr in BIRITA. Photo: Franklin Symphor Henriksen, Outlier Project

CPH:DOX 2026: The World Premiere of ‘Birita’

The Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival (CPH: DOX) is back. As one of the world’s most prestigious documentary festivals, it transforms Copenhagen into a hub of cinematic storytelling and international dialogue.

This year’s festival runs from March 11 – 22, featuring a massive program of screenings and events across the city. Among the most anticipated titles is the deeply moving feature documentary BIRITA, which makes its World Premiere in Competition this March. (CPH: DOX, 2026)


🎬 Featured Film: Birita

A family’s love, a mother’s legacy, and the stage that calls them back.

Birita (89 mins) follows a family of theater-makers in the Faroe Islands attempting an impossible feat: staging Shakespeare’s King Lear with the family matriarch—celebrated actress Birita Mohr—in the lead role. The challenge? Birita is currently living with Alzheimer’s. (EG-PR, 2026)

Directed by her son, Búi Dam, the film explores a controversial but beautiful premise: the belief that even when language fades, the artist’s soul remains. As the production unfolds, Birita’s joyful presence brings an unexpected lightness to a heavy process, impacting everyone involved in this remarkable drama.

“A stirring exploration of art, memory, and the enduring bond of a family of creators.”


🗓️ Official Screening Schedule

If you are in Copenhagen this March, don’t miss the chance to see this World Premiere on the big screen:

DateTimeLocation
Sunday, March 1516:15Dagmar 2 (Jernbanegade 2)
Tuesday, March 1714:15Dagmar 5 (Jernbanegade 2)
Wednesday, March 1819:30Emmauskirken (Peter Bangs Vej 3C)

👥 Meet the Team

Búi Dam (Director)

Búi Dam is a multi-talented artist whose career spans theater, music, and film. Born into a family of artists in the Faroe Islands, he studied in Denmark, London, and Iceland. After a hand injury ended his career as a jazz guitarist, he transitioned to the stage and screen.

  • Accolades: Winner of the M. A. Jacobsen Award (2022) and Best Actor at the Winter Film Awards (2021).
  • Fun Fact: BIRITA marks his debut as a feature film director.

Birita Mohr (The Lead)

A titan of Faroese theater for over three decades, Birita Mohr has graced the stage in legendary productions like Antigone, The Crucible, and The Cherry Orchard. In 2023, she received the Cultural Honorary Award from the Faroese government for her lifelong contributions to the arts.


Quick Film Facts

  • Runtime: 89 minutes
  • Origin: Faroe Islands
  • Language: Faroese and English (with English Subtitles)
  • Production: Produced by Jón Hammer, Mark Steele, and Durita Sumberg

The Interrogation of Anna Goode is a Gripping Psychological Crime Drama

The Interrogation of Anna Goode is now available for streaming. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Related Post: Justice, Lies, and Mystery: The Interrogation of Anna Goode

Review: The Interrogation of Anna Goode

The Interrogation of Anna Goode is a suspenseful psychological thriller that flips the script on the classic “cat-and-mouse” police procedural.

The story begins with a standard room-bound inquiry as FBI Agent John Savage and Detective Marshall bring in Anna Goode as a witness to a crime. It quickly evolves into a disorienting nightmare for Agent Savage when he mysteriously ends up as the accused. As Savage moves from lead interrogator to the primary suspect, he must convince the volatile detective that he’s innocent while he faces life in prison.

With a nonlinear narrative that includes flashbacks of Anna’s history, it also leans heavily on the “extreme lengths” Savage must take to regain control of the situation. While some of the plot twists require a healthy dose of suspended disbelief, the shocking truth revealed in the final act provides a satisfying, if cynical, payoff.

Most of the action takes place in the interrogation room and as the story progresses, the cinematography shifts from clinical and wide to claustrophobic and erratic, using space to heighten paranoia. The transition is seamless, leaving the audience questioning Savage’s sanity and Anna’s true identity.

The film’s premise is simple, but its execution is layered, forcing viewers to question not only who is guilty, but how power can shift in an instant. As suspicion falls on Savage, the narrative explores themes of institutional loyalty, manipulation, and the thin line between justice and self-preservation.

The pacing is deliberate, occasionally slow, but always purposeful. Each revelation lands with measured impact, ending in a twist that feels natural. While some supporting characters lack depth, the central performances carry the story with intensity and conviction.

Verdict: While not an original concept, it’s a lean, mean thriller that explores the fragility of identity and the terrifying power of a frame-up. It contains tension and moral ambiguity while exploring the unsettling fragility of truth.

The Interrogation of Anna Goode is less about solving a murder and more about confronting the unsettling possibility that truth is often shaped by whoever controls the narrative. If you enjoyed The Fugitive but want something with a darker, more psychological edge, this is a must-watch.

“We all do what we have to in order to survive.”

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Bob Ross Meets The Evil Dead: ‘Art Show! With Captain Skinner’

Experience the ultimate genre-mashup. ‘Art Show! With Captain Skinner’ blends the soothing vibes of Bob Ross with the cosmic gore of The Evil Dead. Photo: ETCH, used with permission.

🎨 ART SHOW! WITH CAPTAIN SKINNER: Bob Ross Meets The Evil Dead… In Space

Get ready to paint some happy little nightmares. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a PBS instructional show was hijacked by cosmic horror and psychedelic chaos, your questions are about to be answered in the most vibrant, gory way possible. (EG PR, 2026)

ARTSHOW! WITH CAPTAIN SKINNER has officially landed.


The Premise: Cosmic Chaos Meets Canvas

Premiering on YouTube and Substack, this series follows the doomed misadventures of a television crew trying to film a “how-to” art show in the furthest reaches of outer space.

Captain Skinner and his tiny crew—including a stop-motion Space Cowboy—battle more than just perspective and lighting. They are constantly thwarted by:

  • Unpredictable meteor showers
  • Intrusive, existential thoughts
  • The stark horror of an uncaring cosmos

The Format: The series consists of 10 episodes, each roughly 15 minutes long. Every episode features Skinner creating a stunning, unique piece of artwork amidst “hyper-phantasmagorical” slapstick and body horror. It’s a love letter to classics like The Joy of Painting and The Secret City, but drenched in gore and off-the-wall comedy.


The Masterminds Behind the Madness

SKINNER (Co-creator / Writer / Star)

Skinner is a legendary artist and a self-described “manifestation of psychedelic nightmare experiences.” His influence spans global murals, skateboards, and toys.

  • Music Pedigree: Created art for Grammy-winning albums (High on Fire, Mastodon).
  • Screen Credits: Hosted shows for Super Deluxe and created commercial experiences for Adult Swim and Warner Brothers.

ALLEN CORDELL (Co-creator / Writer / Director)

An award-winning filmmaker with a penchant for the weird and beautiful.

  • Directorial Portfolio: Music videos for Beach House, Dan Deacon, and Girl Talk.
  • Film: Directed the acclaimed short The Lizard Laughed.

Produced by ETCH

This series is brought to life by ETCH, an independent production powerhouse specializing in the provocative and the horrific. The team includes:

  • Philip Gelatt: Emmy and WGA Award-winner (Love Death + Robots, The Spine of Night).
  • Will Battersby & Morgan Galen King: The creative forces behind The Spine of Night.

ETCH is dedicated to “putting the dark magic back into moving images,” focusing on creative control and innovative distribution.


📅 Mark Your Calendars

  • New Episodes: Weekly starting Friday, March 6
  • Where to Watch: YouTube and Substack
  • First episode premiered February 13

“Skinner exists as a bizarre mixture of entertainment and visual intensity.”

Don’t miss the descent into the colorful unknown.


Photo: ETCH, used with permission.

Don Winslow’s ‘Broken’ and the Movie Adaptation of Crime 101

Crime 101 is one of the short stories in Don Winslow’s Broken. Photo: Barnes & Noble

Broken by Don Winslow: From Gritty Crime Fiction to the Big Screen

“No matter how you come into this world, you come out broken…”

Don Winslow’s Broken is a blistering collection of crime stories that showcases why he’s long been considered one of the most powerful voices in contemporary crime fiction. Now, one of its standout stories—“Crime 101”—has made the leap from the page to a major motion picture, bringing Winslow’s razor-sharp storytelling to an even wider audience.

About the Book: Broken

Hailed by Stephen King as “one of America’s greatest storytellers,” #1 international bestselling author Don Winslow returns in Broken with six intense short novels. Some feature familiar characters, others introduce new ones, but all are connected by Winslow’s signature themes: crime, vengeance, guilt, and redemption.

With his trademark blend of insight, humanity, dark humor, and propulsive action, Winslow delivers stories that feel both immediate and timeless. These are tales of people living by codes, moral, criminal, or personal, and the devastating consequences when those codes are tested or broken.

Spotlight on “Crime 101”

At the heart of Broken is “Crime 101,” a tightly wound crime story that reads like a perfect noir film waiting to happen.

A series of high-level jewel heists along California’s Pacific Coast Highway has baffled law enforcement for years. The crimes are initially attributed to Colombian cartels, but Detective Lou Lubesnick suspects something else entirely: a lone thief operating under a strict personal philosophy known as Crime 101.

The jewel thief has followed his rules flawlessly, until now. As he plans one final, legendary score, Lou decides to do the unthinkable: break every rule of Crime 101 to stop him.

It’s a story about obsession, intuition, and the thin line between hunter and hunted, and it’s no surprise Hollywood came calling.

About the Movie: Crime 101

The film adaptation of Crime 101 brings Winslow’s story to life with an all-star cast and sleek, tension-filled direction.

Plot Overview

A jewel thief named Mike Davis has executed a series of daring heists along the 101 freeway, leaving police completely stumped. When he sets his sights on the ultimate score, his plans intersect with those of insurance broker Sharon Colvin. Meanwhile, Detective Lou Lubesnick believes he’s finally cracked the thief’s pattern and is determined to bring him down before the next job.

Film Details

  • Written and Directed by: Bart Layton
  • Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nick Nolte, and Halle Berry

Crime 101 premiered on January 28, 2026, in London and is scheduled for U.S. release on February 13, 2026.

About the Author: Don Winslow

Don Winslow is the author of twenty-six acclaimed, award-winning international bestsellers, including eight New York Times bestsellers such as Savages, The Cartel, The Force, The Border, and his epic City trilogy (City on Fire, City of Dreams, City in Ruins).

A former investigator, anti-terrorism trainer, and trial consultant, Winslow brings lived experience to his fiction, lending it an authenticity that sets his work apart. He has also written award-winning short stories for Audible, narrated by four-time Oscar nominee Ed Harris. Winslow currently lives in California and Rhode Island.

Final Thoughts

With Broken, Don Winslow once again proves his mastery of crime fiction, and Crime 101’s transition from short novel to feature film feels both natural and inevitable. Whether you encounter this story first on the page or on the screen, one thing is certain: Winslow’s world is gripping, morally complex, and impossible to forget.

Photo: Google

Local Events in Castle Hills and New Braunfels This Week

Castle Hill’s Clementine has a wine tasting event this Saturday. Photo: Clementine, used with permission.

Things to Do This Week in San Antonio and New Braunfels (January 2026)

Looking for things to do in San Antonio this week or events in New Braunfels? From a wine tasting at a James Beard–nominated restaurant to family-friendly outdoor movie nights, here are two must-visit local events happening this week.


🍷Wine Tasting Event in San Antonio: Clementine’s Quarterly Wine Tasting

Date: Saturday, January 24, 2026
Time: 1:00–3:00 p.m.
Location: Castle Hills, San Antonio

Clementine, a beloved San Antonio neighborhood restaurant, is hosting its quarterly Wine Tasting event to close out the month of January. Guests can sample a curated selection of wines while learning about each pour, paired with small bites of cheese to elevate the tasting experience. (Clementine, 2026)

Event Details:

  • Admission:
    • Free for Juice Box Members
    • $15 per person for non-members
  • Early Access:
    • Juice Box Members receive exclusive early entry at 12:30 p.m.
  • Seating: Limited availability; early arrival is recommended

Guests interested in exclusive dining perks can explore Clementine’s Table22 Juice Box Subscription, the restaurant’s annual membership program.

Address:
Clementine
2195 Northwest Military Highway
Castle Hills, TX 78213

About Clementine Restaurant

Clementine is a family-owned San Antonio restaurant known for seasonal, innovative cuisine served in a vibrant, modern atmosphere. The restaurant is led by Chef John Russ, a 2023 James Beard Award Nominee for Best Chef: Texas, alongside Pastry Chef Elise Russ. The menu features globally inspired small plates, shareable platters, produce-forward sideboard options, and imaginative desserts.


🎬Family-Friendly Events in New Braunfels: Tuesday Movie Nights at Muck & Fuss

When: Every Tuesday
Time: Starts at 5:45 p.m.
Where: Downtown New Braunfels

Muck & Fuss, a popular New Braunfels restaurant, continues its weekly outdoor movie night series in the Biergarten. This community favorite combines classic films, comfort food, and craft cocktails in a relaxed, family-friendly setting. (Muck & Fuss, 2026)

What to Expect:

  • Outdoor movies under the stars
  • Complimentary popcorn and hot chocolate 🍿 ☕
  • Savory food and craft cocktails
  • Guests encouraged to dress to match each movie’s theme

Kids’ Meals:
Special kids’ meals are available for $6.95, making this one of the best family-friendly things to do in New Braunfels.

Upcoming Movie Schedule:

  • School of Rock — Tuesday, January 20, 2026
  • Nacho Libre — Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Address:
Muck & Fuss
295 E. San Antonio St.
New Braunfels, TX 78130

About Muck & Fuss

Muck & Fuss is a locally owned downtown New Braunfels restaurant offering chef-inspired burgers, inventive comfort food, and a carefully curated craft beer program with 38 rotating draft beers. The venue features live music and a lively Biergarten atmosphere.

Owners Terry and Celina Muckenfuss are dedicated to revitalizing downtown New Braunfels and also operate the restored historic Prince Solms Inn and Sidecar, an elevated speakeasy-style cocktail bar.

Photo: Muck & Fuss, used with permission.

A Second Life for The Long Way Home as Michael Apted’s Documentary Returns at MoMA

Dave Stewart and Boris Grebenshchikov in The Long Way Home: Remastered and Expanded. Photo: EG-PR, used with permission.

The Long Way Home: Remastered and Expanded (2026)

Screening at MoMA’s To Save and Project: The 22nd International Festival of Film Preservation

Michael Apted’s The Long Way Home: Remastered and Expanded (2026) will be screened as part of To Save and Project: The 22nd MoMA International Festival of Film Preservation. (EG-PR, 2026)

About To Save and Project

To Save and Project is an international festival dedicated to newly preserved film treasures from archives, studios, and independent filmmakers. Many of the films premiering at MoMA will receive their first U.S. screening since their original release, while others will be shown in meticulously restored versions that more closely approximate their original presentation. Some titles will even be screened publicly for the first time ever in New York.

The festival runs from January 8 through February 2, 2026.


About the Film

The Long Way Home: Remastered and Expanded (2026) is a newly restored version of Michael Apted’s documentary, based on the only existing 16mm print, supervised by producer Steven Lawrence and editor Susanne Rostock.

The film is a revealing, rollicking portrait of Boris Grebenshchikov, the Soviet underground rock legend who became the first Russian rocker to record in the West during the early, optimistic days of Glasnost. It captures a rare moment of artistic freedom, cultural collision, and creative risk.

Featured Artists

The film features:

  • Boris Grebenshchikov
  • Dave Stewart
  • Members of the legendary Russian rock band Aquarium

With special appearances by:

  • Annie Lennox
  • Chrissie Hynde
  • Ray Cooper
  • Crosby, Stills & Nash
  • and many more

Boris Grebenshchikov is widely regarded as one of the “founding fathers” of Russian rock music and is the founder and lead singer of Aquarium.


Film Details

Title: The Long Way Home: Remastered and Expanded (2026)
Directed by: Michael Apted
Epilogue Directed by: Steven Lawrence & Susanne Rostock
Produced by: Steven Lawrence
Edited by: Susanne Rostock

Format: Feature Documentary
Languages: English, Russian (English subtitles)
Running Time: 98 minutes


Screening Information

To Save and Project: The 22nd MoMA International Festival of Film Preservation

Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM
Location:
MoMA, Floor T2/T1, Theater 2
(The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 2)

🎤 With an in-person introduction by Producer Steven Lawrence and Editor Susanne Rostock.


A Film Rediscovered

The Long Way Home was released to critical acclaim following its UK broadcast and its premiere at Sundance, yet it has largely disappeared over the past 30 years. By 1988, Michael Apted was already a highly regarded director in both fiction and nonfiction.

Apted’s extraordinary ability to draw people out results in a complex study of an artist who seized a fleeting moment of unimaginable freedom—recording new music with new collaborators—while grappling with the emotional fallout. Members of Aquarium felt abandoned, and longtime Russian fans were uncertain about Grebenshchikov’s English-language songs when he returned home to perform them.

Thanks to producer Steven Lawrence, the film now has a second life in this newly remastered edition. Together with editor Susanne Rostock, Lawrence has also created a new epilogue tracing Grebenshchikov’s life after the release of his U.S. album Radio Silence, including his years in exile and his outspoken criticism of Putin’s war in Ukraine.

The epilogue partially fulfills Apted’s own ambition to make a sequel—a project he hoped to complete before his death in 2021.
(Courtesy of MoMA)


The Filmmakers

Michael Apted (Director)

Michael Apted made documentaries and feature films for over forty years. His globally recognized, award-winning work includes the UP Series (1964–2019), which followed the lives of fourteen British individuals from age seven, revisiting them every seven years. His documentary work also includes The Long Way Home, Moving the Mountain, Incident at Oglala, and The Power of the Game.

Steven Lawrence (Producer / New Epilogue Co-Director)

Steven Lawrence is a producer-director who has been making documentaries for over 30 years, focusing on artists, activists, and everyday heroes—from underground Soviet rockers and Senegalese rappers fighting female genital cutting, to Brooklyn cat rescuers and scientists racing to save the human microbiome.

As a producer, his collaborations with Michael Apted include three feature documentaries, among them The Long Way Home: Remastered and Expanded (2026) and Married in America.

Susanne Rostock (Editor / New Epilogue Co-Director)

Susanne Rostock’s more than 20-year collaboration with Michael Apted as editor resulted in a series of richly provocative films, including The Long Way Home, Incident at Oglala, Me & Isaac Newton, Inspirations, The Power of the Game, and Moving the Mountain.

‘To Die Alone’ Is Now Streaming in the UK: A Stark and Emotional Survival Film

‘To Die Alone’ is now streaming in the UK. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

To Die Alone Review: A Haunting Survival Thriller Now Streaming in the UK

Following its successful release in the US and Canada, To Die Alone is now available on major digital platforms in the UK. Directed by Austin Smagalski, this indie survival thriller blends physical danger with psychological depth, delivering a tense and emotionally resonant experience. (One Tree Entertainment, 2026)

A stark survival nightmare where injury, isolation, and buried trauma collide and the only way out is facing your past.

Related post: Survival, Suspense, and Adrenaline: New Survivalist Thriller ‘To Die Alone’


Film Details

  • Director: Austin Smagalski
  • Producers: Connie Jo Sechrist, Austin Smagalski
  • Cast:
    • Lisa Jacqueline Starrett as Irving
    • James Tang as Ford

Review

To Die Alone is an emotionally charged survival drama that strips its story down to the essentials: one injured woman, an unforgiving wilderness, and the weight of unresolved trauma. After a devastating accident while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, Irving must fight to survive while confronting the emotional scars she has long avoided.

Hiking alone in an attempt to come to terms with her past, Irving’s inner turmoil is revealed through subtle flashbacks. Her journey takes a turn when she meets Ford, a paramedic and experienced forager who hikes recreationally. Though initially wary, Irving agrees to join forces with him as the dangers of the trail escalate.

Both characters are burdened by past trauma and appear to be searching for escape. As their bond develops, Ford confesses his greatest fear: dying alone. When Irving is violently injured after being pulled into a lake by an unknown assailant, the film shifts into full survival mode. Although Ford treats her injury, it becomes clear that escaping the wilderness will be far more difficult than anticipated.

The film’s long stretches of silence and sweeping wilderness cinematography create an atmosphere that is beautiful and brutal, emphasizing human fragility in isolation. Irving’s injury is portrayed with unflinching realism, making every movement feel earned. Ford’s presence transforms the story from a survival thriller into an emotional reckoning, exploring trust, vulnerability, and human connection.

Ultimately, To Die Alone is less about conquering nature and more about confronting oneself. Its ambiguous ending and unexpected plot twist deepen the film’s emotional impact, making it a haunting and intimate exploration of survival, grief, and resilience.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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