Life Is A Film Fest

Director Hannah Peterson’s THE GRADUATES is a thoughtful exploration of the aftermath of a school shooting. It is deserving of its Best Cinematography win at Tribeca Festival. Mina Sundwall, Alex Hibbert, and John Cho are all praiseworthy. It will also screen at at Museum of Modern Art as part of Future of Film is Female […]

INVISIBLE BEAUTY, trailblazing model and activist Bethann Hardison’s collaboration with Dior & I and Halston director Frédéric Tcheng, is a captivating Tribeca Festival documentary about her life and career.

LAROY is a dark Texas crime comedy from new director Shane Atkinson that immediately brings Coen Brothers and Elmore Leonard to mind. Dylan Baker, John Magaro, and Steve Zahn are in it. What’s there not to like? This has cult classic written all over it!

Christian Petzold’s latest, Afire, reunites him one more time with the magnetic Paula Beer and is one of the director’s best films. The strong Rohmer influence is probably one of the reasons why it is already one of my favorites of the year. Thomas Schubert’s grumpy Leon is in contention with Justin H. Min’s Ben […]

Randall Park’s directorial debut SHORTCOMINGS, which just screened at Tribeca Festival, is a hilarious comedy that travels from Bay Area to NYC. It has mostly race and relationships on its mind. Justin H. Min is perfect as the selfish hypocrite / film snob Ben. Sony Pictures Classics will release it in theaters on August 8th.

Lead actress Emily Bader and producer Christine Crokos at the Tribeca Festival screening of Jennifer Esposito’s FRESH KILLS. As a mob film from the female family member’s perspective, it takes a more traditional storytelling approach than Jonas Carpignano’s A Chiara. While it is not as powerful as that film, it is both convincing and gratifying. […]

Silver Haze from Tribeca Festival reunites director Sacha Polak with the star of her previous film Dirty God, Vicky Knight, who, like her character, is a burn survivor in real life. It’s a messy, but worthwhile film about trauma, anger, human connections, and ultimately forgiveness.

CYPHER, which won the best narrative feature award at Tribeca Festival did not really work for me. I would have preferred if it was a straightforward documentary about Tierra Whack. The acting was not always believable when it started going into fiction and I just couldn’t get into the conspiracies.

Impeccably directed and splendidly acted, Alice Troughton’s feature debut The Lesson with Richard E. Grant, Julie Delpy, and Daryl McCormack is a gripping thriller with a fantastic waltz score by Isobel Waller-Bridge. Hard to believe it’s screenwriter Alex MacKeith’s debut as well. Bleecker Street will release it in theaters on July 14th.

Director Roxine Helberg and cinematographer Matteo Cocco at Tribeca Festival screening of COLD COPY, which she described as “a manipulation and betrayal thriller.”  This was the ‘Wall Street’ of journalism movies. A compelling feature debut from Roxine Helberg. It was Tracee Ellis Ross’ best performance so far. Bel Powley and Jacob Tremblay were excellent as […]