Authors — Filmmaker Staff
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Trailer Watch: Frederic Da’s isaiah’s phone
In 2021, we profiled Frederic Da as part of that year’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film on the strength of his debut feature, Teenage Emotions. This May, Da will premiere his sophomore follow-up, isaiah’s phone, at the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival. We’re pleased to premiere the trailer for the film, whose festival synopsis is: “A socially awkward high school student films himself as he blunders through attempts to make friends, spiralling into a dark place where his only close relationship is with his phone.”
by Filmmaker Staff on May 5, 2025 -
Trailer Watch: “Mikio Naruse: The World Betrays Us”
Japan Society and Metrograph will co-present Mikio Naruse: The World Betrays Us, a 30-film retrospective devoted to Naruse, the “fourth great” master of Japanese cinema, from May 9th through June 29th. Co-organized with The Japan Foundation, New York, the two-part series will offer the first major New York survey of this signal studio-era filmmaker’s work in 20 years, presented in commemoration of the 120th anniversary of his birth and entirely on rare prints imported from collections and archives in Japan. Notable series highlights include all six of Naruse’s adaptations of celebrated feminist author Fumiko Hayashi’s work (Floating Clouds, Repast, Lightning, […]
by Filmmaker Staff on May 2, 2025 -
Nominees Announced for 2025 Gotham Television Awards
The Gotham Film & Media Institute, Filmmaker‘s parent organization, announced today the nominations in twelve competitive award categories for the 2025 Gotham Television Awards, recognizing a range of series, including Adolescence, The Pitt, The Studio as well as performances from Kathy Bates, Sterling K. Brown, Ted Danson, Linda Lavin, Cristin Milioti, and Michelle Williams, among others. “Building on the success of last year’s inaugural ceremony, the Gotham Television Awards returns with new categories, expanded tributes, and a larger stage to celebrate the creators and artists making their mark on today’s television landscape,” said Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of The Gotham. “As […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Apr 29, 2025 -
Sundance Institute Announces 2025 Directors, Screenwriters and Native Labs Fellows
The Native Lab, the signature initiative of Sundance Institute’s Indigenous Program, kicks off in person today through May 3 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Directors Lab, a core component of the Institute’s Feature Film Program, returns for its 45th year from June 1–16 in Estes Park, Colorado. Fellows will then participate in the Screenwriters Lab held online from June 24–27. Sundance Institute’s signature labs offer filmmakers a nurturing, immersive environment to develop their projects and refine their artistic voice under the guidance of accomplished creative advisors. This year’s Native Lab supports four fellows and two artists-in-residence. The Directors Lab […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Apr 28, 2025 -
The Popcorn List Releases Second Annual Survey of 19 Recommended Feature Films
The Popcorn List has released its second annual survey of recommended feature films. From the press release: The Popcorn List (TPL), an annual survey of acclaimed feature films returns for its second year with 19 film recommendations. TPL was founded in 2024 as a discovery and visibility initiative to amplify independent films that deserve to be seen more widely, highlight the discovery nature of film festivals and the craft of film curation, and respect audiences’ desire for story-driven movies. The result is an open-source database of acclaimed films without U.S. distribution (theatrical, VOD, self-distributed), as recommended by festival programmers across […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Apr 25, 2025 -
Inaugural Henry Awards for Public Interest Documentary Announce Grand Prize Winner, Finalists and Honorable Mentions
The inaugural Henry Awards for Public Interest Documentary, awarded by the Documentary Film in the Public Interest Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, have been announced, including a grand prize of $100,000 for While We Watched, whose director Vinay Shukla contributed an essay to our fall 2023 issue about his creation of the best-selling board game Shasn. The awards were decided by a jury consisting of Ra’anan Alexandrowicz, Mandy Chang, Petra Costa, Ron Nixon and Michèle Stephenson. From the press release: The Documentary Film in the Public Interest Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School’s […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Apr 17, 2025 -
Tribeca Festival Announces 2025 Features Including New Films by RZA, Mariska Hargitay
The Tribeca Festival, which runs from June 4 to 15 in 2025, has announced the feature film lineup for this year’s edition, including the debut feature from 25 New Face of Independent Film 2022 Walter Thompson-Hernández. From the press release: The final selections were chosen from a record-breaking number of submissions (13,541). This year’s program includes 118 feature films representing 95 world premieres, 135 filmmakers and 36 countries. 48 (40%) of the features are directed by women and 42 (36%) are directed by BIPOC filmmakers. 44 filmmakers are making their feature debut at this year’s Tribeca Festival and 32 directors […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Apr 16, 2025 -
ACID Announces 2025 Cannes Lineup
The ACID section of Cannes has announced its lineup for this year’s edition. From the press release: ACID (Association du Cinéma Indépendant pour sa Diffusion) is a collective of filmmakers who support independent films by giving them greater exposure. Their goal? To help original, daring films reach their audience, both in France and abroad. […] ACID stands out for its unique selection process: filmmakers choose the films they support. Each year, 14 filmmakers see over 600 feature films for the Cannes Film Festival and select 9 of them, to receive invaluable support for their release in theaters and at festivals, […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Apr 15, 2025 -
New Henry Awards Announces 15 Inaugural Semi-Finalists for Public Interest Documentary Annual Prize
The Documentary Film in the Public Interest Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy announced today a new award for documentary film — The Henry Awards for Public Interest Documentary —and its first list of 15 semi-finalists. “The Henry Awards recognize nonfiction films that advance public understanding of the critical issues of our time while demonstrating outstanding cinematic achievement,” the Center announced today in a press release. “Guided by the hallmarks of ethical practice, rigorous investigation, and courageous storytelling, the Henry Awards are intended to honor and encourage a documentary filmmaking practice grounded in […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Mar 18, 2025 -
Trailer Watch: Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2025
The forthcoming edition of the annual Rendez-Vous with French Cinema series, taking place this year at Film at Lincoln Center, will be the 30th anniversary of the series. The lineup this year includes two underrated films from last year’s Cannes, Patricia Mazuy’s Visiting Hours and the late Sophie Fillières’ final film, This Life of Mine. Watch the trailer above for the series, which will take place from March 6 to 16.
by Filmmaker Staff on Feb 28, 2025
